US08285701B2
A remote content crawler continually crawls a digital communication network looking for content to provide to a content aggregator. The content provided to the aggregator may be stored in a form of an entire content file. The content may include an entire movie, television program or electronic book. Alternatively, the content provided to the aggregator may be a reference to a content file that is stored at, or that will be available at one of the remote locations. The content may be a reference to a future, scheduled live sports event that will be made available to system users. The sports event may be provided for a one time fee, as part of a sports package, for which a fee is collected, or as a free event.
US08285700B2
An apparatus, system and method of implementing a computerized brand affinity engine. The apparatus, system and method include at least a plurality of computerized access points having accessible thereto a plurality of sites mentioning at least one sponsor, a categorized, hierarchical database of keywords, wherein at least the keywords falling in at least one category of the hierarchy correspond to a sponsor category of the at least one sponsor, and a tracker, wherein the tracker tracks positive ones of the mentions of the at least one sponsor on ones of the plurality of sites and negative ones of the mentions of the at least one sponsor on ones of the plurality of sites, in accordance with positive and negative keywords of the categorized, hierarchical database in the sponsor category, and wherein the tracker issues an rating with regard to the at least one sponsor in accordance with the positive ones and the negative ones of the mentions. An assessment of optimal sponsors for particular markets and/or in particular geographies that additionally increases sponsorship opportunities in particular markets and/or in particular geographies is thereby provided.
US08285697B1
A data object submitted for storage is analyzed, and a set of values is extracted from the data object that can correspond to a set of attributes. The analysis of the data object can also identify possible new ontology terms. One or more extracted values are presented to the entity which submitted the data object for approval and feedback. This feedback can be used to characterize the data object with appropriate terms, train the extraction process for future extractions, and/or expand the set of known ontology terms.
US08285691B2
A system and method is provided for locating one or more compressed data rows in a data block. A 16 byte “row map” may be added at the end of each compressed data block. The row map may provide seven binary address points in the compressed data block (i.e., by dividing the compressed data block into 8ths).
US08285674B2
A method and apparatus for managing synchronization configuration files at a computing device is provided. It is determined that at least one configuration file has expired, the at least one configuration file associated with a second computing device and comprising data for synchronizing the second computing device with the computing device. A location of the at least one configuration file is then determined. The at least one configuration file is then deleted at the location.
US08285670B2
Reducing coherency problems in a data processing system is provided. Source code that is to be compiled is received and analyzed to identify at least one of a plurality of loops that contain a memory reference. A determination is made as to whether the memory reference is an access to a global memory that should be handled by a direct buffer. Responsive to an indication that the memory reference is an access to the global memory that should be handled by the direct buffer, the memory reference is marked for direct buffer transformation. The direct buffer transformation is then applied to the memory reference.
US08285668B2
Technologies are described herein for building a knowledgebase of associated time-based events and displaying the associations between the events to a user. A chronology knowledgebase application is implemented that maintains a knowledgebase of facts and events that captures both the details of each event and the associations between them. The associated events can be readily retrieved by users of the chronology knowledgebase application and displayed in a way that makes apparent the temporal and causal relationship between the associated events.
US08285667B2
A hierarchy of computing modules is configured to learn a cause of input data sensed over space and time, and is further configured to determine a cause of novel sensed input data dependent on the learned cause. At least one of the computing modules has a sequence learner module configured to associate sequences of input data received by the computing module to a set of causes previously learned in the hierarchy.
US08285660B2
Evaluating and prioritizing architectural design pattern alternatives for data integration is provided. A set of decision factors is derived from requirements for a system to be integrated. A default score is assigned to each decision factor based on historical data integration knowledge, and the default scores are weighted. A priority score is also assigned to each decision factor based on collected inputs from system metadata and subject matter experts in the enterprise system. Next, an individual consolidated score for each decision factor is calculated using the default score, the weighted score, and the priority score, and a total consolidated score is calculated from the individual consolidated scores for the architecture design pattern. The total consolidated score for the architecture design pattern may be compared against total consolidated scores for other architecture design patterns to determine a suitable candidate architecture design pattern for data integration.
US08285658B1
Apparatus and methods are described for detecting sharing of electronic or online accounts based on grouping of data samples that include keyboard input timing factors and optionally secondary factors. The data samples can be received from various computers having various keyboards of a certain type and may be input by more than one user. The data samples are grouped based on distances and ratios of mathematical combinations of distances between input timing of key events such as dwell and flight time, as well as optionally based on at least one secondary factor related to the keyboard input timing factors. Example secondary factors include a time of day of the input; and/or a machine identification, location, and IP address of the computer used to input the sample.
US08285656B1
Embodiments are directed to data verification of business or consumer data. Certain embodiments include a data verification system that receives or selects data to be verified, selects one or more verification methods to verify, update, and/or append/enhance the data. The data verification system may verify the data with one or more data verification methods, either alone or in combination. The methods may include a web-crawling verification method, an agent web verification method, a call verification method, a direct mail method, an email method, an in-person verification method, or other methods. The system has the ability to, automatically or manually, (1) blend automatic and manual segmentation of records or elements by criteria such as industry type, best times of day/month/year to verify, update, or append, cost, and level of importance (2) select the best verification processing method(s), and (3) manage the results and properly verify, update, append/enhance records.
US08285643B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing accounts such as a credit/debit card. A system practicing the method identifies a giver and recipient of a gift card amount and associated accounts. A policy is established which governs how the gift card is redeemed, such as a specific merchant or item. When the recipient makes a purchase using an existing credit/debit card according to the policy, the gift card amount is applied to the transaction. No special codes, separate physical gift cards, or printable coupons are necessary for redemption. The recipient makes purchases using their normal purchasing credit/debit card via a qualifying purchase according to the policy, and the gift card is applied automatically. The recipient credit/debit card becomes a combination of an open-looped card and a closed-loop card. Thus, no money is wasted or lost.
US08285640B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for facilitating financial transactions over a network include communicating with a financial institution over the network, wherein the financial institution includes a first user account related to a user. The systems and methods include receiving a fund transfer request from the financial institution on behalf of the user and establishing a second user account related to the user based on user information passed with the fund transfer request. The systems and methods include processing the fund transfer request by linking the first user account to the second user account based on the user information passed with the fund transfer request, receiving funds from the financial institution associated with the first user account, and depositing the received funds in the second user account on behalf of the user.
US08285627B2
The inventor discovered a method for exploiting asymmetrical market return patterns that involves the steps of identifying seasons during which equities have historically done poorly, entering a short sell position on a portfolio of call options at or near the beginning of that season, and closing out the short sell position at or before the end of the season. The inventor has also developed an options trading strategy platform to help potential subscribers or clients to implement this options trading strategy.
US08285616B2
A computer implemented method and system for providing a credit evaluation report, the method comprising: searching a reference file of entities; identifying an entity of interest; determining user specified rules or criteria; selecting at least one relevant trade experience from a database of trade experiences for the entity of interest based upon the user specified rules or criteria, records for comparison to the relevant trade experience, and/or peer groups; and generating the credit evaluation report of the entity of interest based upon the relevant trade experience.
US08285614B2
The present invention is systems and methods for trading. In accordance with these systems and methods, a plurality of trader work stations that are connected to a central server may be provided. Through the work stations and central server, the systems and methods may perform participant qualification, instrument creation, bid/offer entry and response, when hit and take, workup, price retention, price improvement, request for market, bid/off restoration, price generation, position conversion, marking to market, and delivery functions.
US08285607B2
A product inventory management system including a cabinet configured to contain an inventory of product units having RFID tags and further configured to monitor the inventory by wirelessly detecting the RFID tags, and a server system configured to communicate over a network with the cabinet, the server system capable of managing the inventory of the cabinet. There is also a method for product inventory management, including receiving, in a server system and via a network, inventory data from a cabinet, the inventory data corresponding to an inventory of product units stored in the cabinet, and generating an order to have additional product units added to the cabinet according to the cabinet inventory.
US08285606B2
Techniques are disclosed that enable country of origin labeling and verification. A source verification or “animal passport” procedure and system are disclosed, whereby each transfer of one or more animals is documented and recorded in a repository. An animal passport (i.e., certificate) is used for tracking transfers. A new passport is issued for every transfer, and a unique number (or other unique identifier) is assigned to each such passport. At the same time, each passport carries the passport number of the preceding transfer (or transfers), such that a sequence of passport numbers identifies all transfers occurring throughout the lifetime of the associated animal or animals. Animal passports may also be used to track transfers of animal products.
US08285605B2
An aggregation of functionality related to a product within an electronic catalog hosted by a wholesaler web system is provided by presenting on a client computing device a webpage in which a single product is directly associated with a single access point. The single access point provides a means by which plural wholesaler web system functions related to the single product are made available to a consumer. A listing of the plural wholesaler web system functions related to the single product is displayed within the webpage in response to an activation of the single access point by the consumer. In response to a selection by the consumer from the displayed listing the wholesaler web system initiates a performance of the one of the plural wholesaler web system functions so selected.
US08285599B1
One embodiment of the instant invention is a computer-implemented method for processing transaction-related data that includes at least the following steps of: receiving seller data about a seller; receiving buyer data about a buyer; generating a seller profile; generating a buyer profile; receiving transaction data about a current transaction between the seller and the buyer for an offering; generating a transaction composite for the current transaction; determining a classification rule for each transaction composite class; and classifying the transaction composite into a particular transaction composite class based on comparing the classification rule to: i) the generated seller profile, ii) the generated buyer profile, or iii) the current transaction.
US08285588B2
Providing rewards to a user by storing a user profile in memory of a computing device, the user profile including profile data including prior purchase history by the user including details of a plurality of transactions that have been previously executed by the user. The profile data is analyzed in accordance with a scoring algorithm to provide a score that is indicative of the relative value of the user, and the user is provided with a reward in accordance with the user's score as indicated by the scoring algorithm. The reward provided to the user may be a coupon, a rebate, a discount or reward points.
US08285581B2
A system and method for sequential decision-making for customer relationship management includes providing customer data including stimulus-response history data, and automatically generating actionable rules based on the customer data. Further, automatically generating actionable rules may include estimating a value function using reinforcement learning.
US08285579B2
A method and system for enabling an automatic determination and allocation of product support resources. The automated process allocates support resources based on a combination of product and market requirements and historical data on resources used by similar products in similar markets. Projects requiring a support infrastructure are algorithmically classified by a combination of product complexity metrics and target market maturity metrics. Then, support infrastructure requirements are calculated based on the combined classification along with historical usage records for similarly classified products. The classification and allocation process is automated so that a product (or multiple products competing for available resources) can self-provision/request its resource requirement as a part of the product development and go-to-market process.
US08285578B2
In one embodiment, a process for managing information technology (IT) infrastructure of an enterprise includes: (1) capturing and storing IT infrastructure information regarding the IT infrastructure of the enterprise; (2) defining a plurality of roles within the enterprise, each role specifying a particular job function within the enterprise; (3) associating items of IT infrastructure with roles within the enterprise such that each role is associated with one or more predetermined items of IT infrastructure; (4) assigning roles to one or more employees of the enterprise such that each of the one or more employees is associated with one or more roles and is assigned the one or more predetermined items of IT infrastructure associated with each of these one or more roles; (5) automatically modeling a change in the IT infrastructure for one or more impacted employees; and (6) automatically initiating deployment of one or more IT infrastructure assets for the one or more impacted employees by organizing delivery of the one or more IT infrastructure assets to the one or more impacted employees to implement the change modeled.
US08285567B2
Improved apparatus and methods, via an internet website, developed for the efficient implementation of workers' compensation cost containment practices for multi-unit employers, more particularly relating to indemnity (lost wages) and medical costs of workers' compensation claims in each unit. The methods analyze information about the user's current workers' compensation injury handling best practices and provide quantified results, customized recommendations and tools to reduce costs and improve best practices quality control.
US08285560B2
A method for remote medical consulting includes collecting diagnostic data using at least one wearable device contoured to at least a portion of a person's hand, transmitting the diagnostic data to a remote location, transmitting audio data and video images of the patient to the remote location, and communicating diagnosis and/or treatment information to the patient based at least in part on the diagnostic data. The treatment information may include a prescription electronically transmitted to the patient or a pharmacy. The method includes billing of the patient via credit or debit card, bank account, or a third party, such as an insurance company. The diagnostic data as well as the audio and video data may be transmitted wirelessly via cellular or satellite communication networks and/or using a wide area computer network such as the internet.
US08285558B2
Systems and methods are provided for ultra-low latency decompression for a general-purpose audio input signal. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided that includes decoding, by a processor, an input bit stream into quantization indices and residue quantization indices; applying an inverse quantization algorithm to the quantization indices to generate signal coefficients; applying an inverse transform to the signal coefficients to generate a time-domain reconstructed signal waveform; applying a stochastic noise synthesis algorithm to the residue quantization indices to generate a time-domain reconstructed residue waveform; combining, by the processor, the reconstructed signal waveform and the reconstructed residue waveform as a reconstructed signal waveform block; and generating an output signal by applying a boundary synthesis algorithm to the reconstructed signal waveform blocks.
US08285554B2
A method of for aliasing suppression in a sub-band speaker-phone system, comprising receiving an analog audio signal from a near end analog audio input interface, converting said analog audio signal into a near end digital audio signal using an A2D; receiving N≧2 sub-bands decoded digital audio data from a far-end, merging said N≧2 sub-bands decoded digital audio data into a wideband (WB) decoded digital audio data to be converted by D2A unit and provided to analog audio output interface; splitting said near-end digital audio signal into N≧2 near-end sub-bands digital audio signals; subtracting a simulated digital signal from said sub-band digital audio signal, wherein said simulated digital signal is created by an echo cancelling unit; and applying dynamic anti aliasing suppression (DAAS) with varying aggressiveness on each of said N≧2 near-end sub-band digital audio signals.
US08285548B2
The application discloses a communication device and method of processing a text message in the communication device. An aspect of the present application is a method of processing text message in a communication device, the method including receiving a text message from an external sender, determining whether and how a user desires to transform the text message into voice data according to user control information set by the user, selectively, transforming the received text message into voice data according to the result of the determining step, and transmitting the voice data to an external sound reproduction device through a wireless communication module.
US08285545B2
A voice command acquisition method and system for motor vehicles is improved in that noise source information is obtained directly from the vehicle system bus. Upon receiving an input signal with a voice command, the system bus is queried for one or more possible sources of a noise component in the input signal. In addition to vehicle-internal information (e.g., window status, fan blower speed, vehicle speed), the system may acquire external information (e.g., weather status) in order to better classify the noise component in the input signal. If the noise source is found to be a window, for example, the driver may be prompted to close the window. In addition, if the fan blower is at a high speed level, it may be slowed down automatically.
US08285543B2
An audio signal is conveyed more efficiently by transmitting or recording a baseband of the signal with an estimated spectral envelope and a noise-blending parameter derived from a measure of the signal's noise-like quality. The signal is reconstructed by translating spectral components of the baseband signal to frequencies outside the baseband, adjusting phase of the regenerated components to maintain phase coherency, adjusting spectral shape according to the estimated spectral envelope, and adding noise according to the noise-blending parameter. Preferably, the transmitted or recorded signal also includes an estimated temporal envelope that is used to adjust the temporal shape of the reconstructed signal.
US08285541B2
A system and method for processing text are disclosed. The method includes receiving text to be processed. A main language of the text is identified. At least one unknown sequence in the text is identified, each unknown sequence comprising at least one word that is unknown in the main language. For a secondary language, for each of the at least one unknown sequence, the method includes determining whether the unknown sequence includes a first word recognized in the secondary language and, if so, identifying a sequence of words in the secondary language which includes at least the first word. The identifying of the sequence of words in the secondary language includes applying an algorithm for determining whether the sequence of words in the secondary language is expandable beyond the first word to include adjacent words. The text is labeled based on the identified sequences of words in the secondary language.
US08285526B2
A system and method for simulating a droplet on a substrate with a moving contact line. The height of the droplet above the substrate is represented as a height function. A height evolution equation represents how the height of a droplet with moving contact line varies over time. The height function at a first point in space and a first point in time is calculated. An extrapolated height value at the first point in time is based on the height function at the first point in space and the first point in time, and the contact line at the first point in time. The extrapolated height value is at a second point in space below the substrate. The height evolution equation is used to calculate the height function at a second point in time based upon the extrapolated height value at the first point in time.
US08285524B2
A simulation method includes determining a relationship between stress time and a degradation rate of drain current on a basis of a table in which data of a lifetime of a transistor, or the degradation rate of the transistor, is written, and calculating an amount of change in drain current accordance with the degradation rate, using a table in which information indicating a change in the drain current, being dependent on voltage, is written, based on actually measured data of drain current of the transistor after degradation, drain current in an initial state of a particular transistor model, and the relationship between stress time and the degradation rate of drain current.
US08285517B2
A medical robotic system comprises a number of components that may be monitored to determine their preventive maintenance needs by recording usage-related information for the monitored components into associated non-volatile memories. When usage of the component exceeds a specified usage threshold, the system displays a warning message on its display screen to have preventive maintenance performed for the component. If the usage continues without such maintenance and exceeds a higher usage threshold, the system displays an error message on its display screen and the system transitions into an error state during which medical procedures are not allowed to be performed. The usage-related information may also be communicated to a remote computer which gathers and processes usage-related information from a number of medical robotic systems to estimate resource requirements for timely performing preventive maintenance on the medical robotic systems, and anticipated service revenues from such maintenance.
US08285514B2
A method, computer readable medium and system for detecting a sensor fault includes identifying one or more of a plurality of tools to use with at least one of a plurality of data acquisition systems based on data obtained from and at least one characteristic of the at least one of the data acquisition systems. The identified one or more tools are utilized on the obtained data to determine at least one confidence rating. An operational status for the at least one of the data acquisition systems is determined and provided based on at least the one determined confidence rating.
US08285509B2
A method of testing an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes an embedded controller. The method includes storing a type information of the embedded controller and transmitting the type information to an application module through a data module. The application module analyzes the type information to obtain a command. The application module sends the command to the embedded controller. The embedded controller returns a testing result to the application module. The application module generates a testing report after the application module compares the testing result with a predetermined result.
US08285508B2
An apparatus includes a test signal generation unit supplying test signals to an orthogonal modulator and a control unit that based on a result of decision by comparison and decision of detection results of a detector detecting envelopes of modulated signals output from the orthogonal modulator responsive to the test signals, derives adjustment values and a compensation value. An estimation means estimates a DC offset and an IQ mismatch of the orthogonal modulator, based on the derived compensation value. The test signals includes a first set including a first test signal (I1, Q1) and a second test signal (I2, Q2) having a predetermined relationship with the first test signal, and a second set of which in-phase and quadrature components have predetermined relationships respectively with in-phase and quadrature components of the first set.
US08285506B2
An apparatus for generating a measure of fluid. The apparatus comprises a flow meter and a pulser having an identifier and a memory. The pulser is associated with the flow meter for generating pulser data indicative of a volume of fluid delivered through the flow meter. The pulser may alter the pulser data using correction data stored in its memory to generate altered pulser data. The pulser may store at least one of the pulser data and the altered pulser data in the memory. The apparatus further comprises a switch operatively connected to the pulser's memory. The switch is operative to vary the memory of the pulser between a write-protected and a write-enabled mode. Also, the apparatus comprises a controller in communication with the pulser and a serial communication circuit which enables communication between the pulser and the controller. Communication between the controller and the pulser includes the identifier.
US08285505B2
The present invention is to provide a lens evaluation method capable of easily evaluating whether there is a difference which greatly changes locally in a lens, and evaluating the degree of the difference. According to the lens evaluation method of the present invention, first, power a distribution of a plurality of measurement point in an arbitrary direction. Next, a calculation power distribution (a design power distribution) is created. Further, a difference distribution between an actually measured power distribution, which indicates an actual power distribution, and a calculation power distribution is obtained. Further, the difference distribution is differentiated to obtain a difference index, and an evaluation is performed based on the difference index to evaluate whether there is a difference which greatly changes locally in a lens, and evaluate the degree of the difference.
US08285500B2
A system, method and computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data, a plurality of applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. The system may include an analysis engine comprising a plurality of analysis objects with each analysis object configured to process data to provide a specific analysis, wherein said analysis engine is accessible via one or more of the plurality of applications, and the system may include a report module configured to receive an output from the analysis engine and to output a report. The plurality of applications may also include a fault analysis application, a transformer analysis application, a theft detection application, a power flow application, a substation automation application, a load shed application and others.
US08285491B2
Devices and methods for measuring the fraction of a liquid in a wet gas flow are described, the device including one or more light sources emitting at a first wavelength at which the liquid is highly absorbing and emitting at a second wavelength close to the first wavelength and at which the liquid is not highly absorbing; and one or more sensor for detecting the transmittance of the light at the first and second wavelengths through said gas flow, the device further including processing means for determining a liquid fraction of the liquid in the wet gas flow by correcting the transmittance measured at the first wavelength for the effects of scattering using the transmittance measured at the second wavelength. By making use of cross-correlations or know flow rate meters the device can be used as a flow meter.
US08285485B2
A system and method is provided for identifying and generating a route that provides a driver with an exhilarating ride. In an example method, the navigation system obtains location data for routes between a starting and ending location. The location data is analyzed by identifying points of inflection of the curved road portion. At least one curved segment is identified as being road portions between the points of inflection. A linear distance, Llinear, is measured between the points of inflection of the at least one curved segment. A curve depth, H, is measured by identifying the maximum distance between the line between the points of inflection and any point on the curved segment along a perpendicular to the line between points of inflection. A curved segment degree of curviness=H/Llinear is calculated and used to determine the measure of curviness of the route.
US08285483B2
One embodiment accesses two or more photos taken by one or more travelers at one or more destinations and one or more points-of-interest located within the destinations; constructs one or more photo streams for each unique traveler-destination combination, wherein each one of the photo streams comprises two or more of the photos taken by the corresponding traveler at the corresponding destination; maps each one of the photos to one of the points-of-interest; constructs one or more timed paths for each unique traveler-destination combination based on the photo streams and the mapping between the photos and the points-of-interest, wherein each one of the timed paths comprises one or more of the points-of-interest located within the corresponding destination and visited by the corresponding travel; and constructs an itinerary based on a start point-of-interest, an end point-of-interest, a time constraint, and the timed paths.
US08285467B2
The invention relates to a method for controlling at least one actuator for actuating the cowlings of a thrust inverter in a turbojet engine, the actuator being driven by an electric motor including a relative position sensor providing information on the evolution of the movement thereof, wherein the motor is controlled based on the instantaneous position of the cowling in at least one portion of the movement thereof between an open position and a closed position, the instantaneous position of the cowling being determined from at least one reference position absolute data and relative position data relative to said reference position provided by the relative position sensor of the motor, wherein in case the actuation is resumed after an interruption, a new determination of the reference position is initiated.
US08285463B2
A method and control system for operating a transmission includes a transmission control module determining a transmission sensor signal and a transmission pressure sensor offset prior to starting a vehicle engine and an engine start initiator starting the vehicle engine. The transmission control module controls a transmission function in response the transmission pressure sensor offset and the pressure sensor signal.
US08285453B2
A vehicle navigation aid (nav-aid) system and method are provided to un-lock nav-aid functions in a moving vehicle. Sensors within the vehicle provide vehicle speed S and whether a person other the driver is present. For S greater than predetermined threshold speed Sth≧0, the nav-aid system remains in a locked-out state if a passenger is not present. When a passenger is present, then the system may accept some otherwise locked-out nav-aid requests. A warning and disclaimer message requiring positive acknowledgement thereof is desirable. In a preferred embodiment, the passenger should occupy a front seat and have a weight or size or both exceeding a predetermined (e.g., “adult”) threshold. Desirably, navigation aid access is precluded for S>Sth unless the occupied seat belts are latched. In a further embodiment, a user access status display indicates which nav-aid functions can be accessed depending on the vehicle status.
US08285447B2
An active suspension system senses roadway defects and adjusts an active and controllable suspension system of the vehicle before tires come in contact with the defect. The active suspension system identifies a type of defect or debris, e.g., pothole, bump, object, etc., along with the size, width, depth, and/or height information of the defect to more accurately control operation of the suspension system to prepare for, or avoid contact with the roadway defects and obstacles. Imaging techniques are employed to identify the defect or debris. Operation of a serviced cruise control system is controlled to enhance passenger safety and comfort.
US08285439B2
One aspect includes a system for monitoring a vehicle's health status. The system comprises a vehicle monitoring computer system configured to (1) receive information associating a cell phone with a vehicle, (2) receive vehicle diagnostic information including vehicle conditions, (3) automatically determine a severity status for the vehicle conditions based on pre-defined severity status values, and (4) if the severity status for any vehicle condition exceeds a pre-defined severity threshold value, automatically transmit a text message to the cellular telephone. Another aspect includes a system for detecting and monitoring a vehicle's health status. The system comprises (1) a vehicle monitoring computer system and (2) a vehicle computer system configured to communicate wirelessly with a cellular telephone located within a vehicle or its vicinity to transmit diagnostic information to a telecommunications network for communication with the vehicle monitoring system.
US08285438B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for analyzing a complex system that includes a number of subsystems. Each subsystem comprises at least one sensor designed to generate sensor data. Sensor data from at least one of the sensors is processed to generate binary evidence of a sensed event, and complex evidence of a sensed event. The complex evidence has more sophisticated mathematical properties than the binary evidence. The complex evidence comprises one or more of: a condition indicator (CI), a health indicator (HI), and a prognostic indicator (PI). A system fault model (SFM) is provided that defines statistical relationships between binary evidence, complex evidence, and an underlying failure mode (FM) that is occurring in the complex system. The binary evidence and the complex evidence are processed to identify failure modes taking place within one or more of the subsystems. Based on the binary evidence and the complex evidence and the SFM, diagnostic conclusions can be generated regarding adverse events that are taking place within the complex system, and prognostic conclusions can be generated regarding adverse events that are predicted to take place within the complex system.
US08285435B2
A lawn mower comprising: a frame (10); wheels and motors (20a;20b) for moving the frame (10) relative to a work surface (L); one or more blades (30) for cutting the grass on the work surface (L); a plurality of sensors (S1, S2) for generating detection signals (SR) representative of a distance of a mass (M) relative to the frame (10); a control unit (40) for determining, as a function of the detection signals (SR), whether the mass (M) is at a distance from the frame (10) within a predetermined value range, and to adjust the operating conditions of the lawn mower (1) as a function of the detection signals (SR); a selection circuit (50) interposed between the control unit (40) and sensors (S1, S2) for selectively enabling a connection between each of the sensors (S1, S2) and an input of the control unit (40).
US08285430B2
Provided is a controlling device for a railway electric car, the controlling device being able to detect a slipping/sliding phenomenon during, in particular, high-speed travel and to exercise slipping/sliding control in an appropriate manner. A slip controlling unit 1 includes a first adhesion level index generating unit and a second adhesion level index generating unit. In a normal slipping state in which an acceleration changes instantaneously, torque control is exercised by using a first adhesion level index generated by the first adhesion level index generating unit based on an acceleration deviation and a speed deviation. In a slipping state during high-speed travel, because the acceleration deviation and the speed deviation are small, torque control is exercised by using a second adhesion level index generated by multiplying the first adhesion level index by a gain equal to or smaller than 1 generated by the second adhesion level index generating unit.
US08285425B2
The invention relates to an unmanned air vehicle control system and method, designed such that, in one mission mode, the vehicle follows the mission route. The system comprises means (400, 450) for storing data indicating at least one auxiliary route (4000, 4001, 4002, 4003), such that each of a plurality of the mission route segments (10, 20), is assigned at least part (30, 31, 32, 33) of at least one auxiliary route. Furthermore, the system comprises route change means (53) designed for, as a response to a mission abandonment event (52), determining which part of which auxiliary route is assigned to the mission route segment where the vehicle is located, such that the vehicle can change the mission route to the corresponding auxiliary route.
US08285424B2
The present invention has an object of providing a vehicle-running-state display method capable of easily displaying a running state of a vehicle. The invention provides a vehicle-running-state display method, including the steps of obtaining position information, time information, speed information, and acceleration information of a vehicle, detecting a special state of the vehicle, based on the position information, the time information, the speed information, or the acceleration information, displaying a track of the vehicle on a map screen, based on the position information and the time information, and displaying the detected special state of the vehicle, on the map screen on which the track is displayed.
US08285413B1
A sheet metal fabrication system for efficiently providing robotics to fabricate different types of sheet metal. The sheet metal fabrication system generally includes uploading a fabrication file to a controller, feeding a section of sheet metal to at least one robotic device, fabricating the section of sheet metal according to the fabrication file and forming a finished sheet metal product with the at least one robotic device.
US08285407B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for providing ply lay-up data for a composite part. A designation of a location is received for the composite part in a three dimensional object from a requester. A three dimensional model is opened in which the composite part is located. The ply lay-up data is extracted for a section within the composite part within the three dimensional model to form extracted ply lay-up data for the section. An output file is created containing a drawing of the composite part overlaid with a grid containing the section with the ply lay-up data identifying a ply stacking sequence, an orientation of each ply in the ply stacking sequence, and a material for the each ply in the ply stacking sequence. The output file is returned to the requester.
US08285392B2
Apparatus and methods for treating skin conditions that deliver high frequency energy to a patient's tissue. The apparatus has a treatment tip configured to be removably connected with a handpiece, a conduit inside the handpiece, and a flow control valve inside the handpiece. The treatment tip has an electrode configured to deliver the high frequency energy to a region of the tissue. A lumen of the conduit is configured to transfer a heat transfer fluid from the handpiece to a flow passageway in the treatment tip. When the treatment tip is removed from the handpiece, the flow control valve is configured to occlude the lumen of the conduit for reducing leakage of the heat transfer fluid from the handpiece.
US08285390B2
A system and method of monitoring, controlling and/or detecting events during the removal of heat from subcutaneous lipid-rich tissue is described. In some examples, the system detects an increase in temperature at a treatment device in contact with the skin of a subject, determines that the increase in temperature is related to a treatment event, and performs an action based on the determination. In some examples, the system shuts off the treatment device, alerts an operator, or reduces the cooling in response to a determined treatment event.
US08285389B2
An embodiment of a method uses an implantable device to deliver a heart failure therapy to a patient. The device is used to sense unintended motion of the patient caused by the neural stimulation and identify a sensed motion level for the sensed unintended motion, and to sense physiological activity of the patient, different than the sensed motion, and identify a sensed physiological activity level. Delivering the heart failure therapy includes delivering neural stimulation through an electrode to a neural target in an autonomic nervous system of the patient using the implantable device. The sensed motion level, the sensed physiological activity level, and the programmed mapping are used to determine the neural stimulation intensity level of the neural stimulation to be delivered for the motion level.
US08285388B2
External power source for an implantable medical device implanted in a patient, the implantable medical device having a secondary coil operatively coupled to therapeutic componentry and method therefore. A modulation circuit is operatively coupled to a power source. A plurality of primary coils are operatively coupled to the modulation circuitry and physically associated with an article into which the patient may come into proximity. The modulation circuit drives at least one of the plurality of primary coils. A sensor is coupled to modulation circuit and is adapted to sense proximity of a component related to the implantable medical device. The modulation circuit commences operation to drive at least one of the plurality of primary coils when the sensor senses proximity with the component related to the implantable medical device.
US08285385B2
Generating electrode stimulation signals for an implanted electrode array is described. An acoustic audio signal is processed to generate band pass signals which represent associated bands of audio frequencies. Macro bands are defined, each of which characterizes multiple band pass signals. The macro bands are processed in a sequence of sampling intervals. For each sampling interval, the processing includes: i. extracting timing and energy information from each band pass signal to form requested stimulation events, ii. decimating the requested stimulation events to select a maximum energy band pass signal within each macro band, and iii. decimating each selected band pass signal based on a pulse selection inhibition function and preserving temporal and spectral structures of the band pass signals so as to generate stimulation event signals. The stimulation event signals are weighted with a weighting matrix reflecting patient-specific pitch perception characteristics to produce output electrode stimulation signals to the implanted electrode array.
US08285383B2
A cochlear implant implementing a directional sound processing system is provided. Specifically, the cochlear implants implementing the present invention comprise a plurality of audio sensors arranged in at least one external component of the cochlear implant to spatially receive ambient sound. At least one audio sensor is located in one of the external components of the cochlear implant, while one other audio sensor is located elsewhere, such as in a component other than the first component. The cochlear implant includes an directional sound processor comprising an array processor and a sound processor to convert the received sounds into a cochlea stimulation instruction signal.
US08285381B2
The invention provides systems and methods for neuromuscular electrical stimulation to muscle tissue. Stimulation electrodes and sensors may be provided, such that signals provided by the sensors may affect the signals provided to the stimulation electrodes, thus providing a feedback. Stimulation electrodes may be provided on a stimulation pad and sensors may be provided on a sensing pad, which may be designed to conform to an anatomical feature. A system for neuromuscular electrical stimulation may also include temperature sensitive elements that may help prevent burns, especially for comatose, sedated, or patients in critical condition. The system may also include a cooling assembly for a stimulation pad.
US08285378B1
System and method for determining patient-specific implantable medical device programming parameters
A system and method for determining patient-specific implantable medical device programming parameters are presented. A set of physiological measures collected through a plurality of sensors monitoring physiological functions in a patient are assimilated. The physiological measures set are analyzed to identify physiological idiosyncrasies specific to the patient and to optimize the therapy to be delivered through an implantable medical device. A patient profile is formed including a plurality of programming parameters and the patient profile is preprogrammed into the implantable medical device prior to implantation in the patient.
US08285369B2
A method for delineation of characteristic points in an electrocardiogram signal includes the steps of: (a) processing the electrocardiogram signal to obtain at least one multiscale differential operator wavelet transform thereof; and (b) locating at least one characteristic point in at least one wave segment of the electrocardiogram signal based on the at least one multiscale differential operator wavelet transform.
US08285355B2
A biomedical electric wave sensor includes a base, a central pole, a dry electrode, a case, and a plurality of ribs. When the central pole lowers down, the ribs radiate and expand outward to push aside the hair of a subject, and the dry electrode exposes from the case and contacts the skin of the subject to measure a physiological electric wave signal from the subject. The present invention may overcome the intervention problem caused by hair and achieve the measurement of biomedical electric wave signal.
US08285354B2
Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.
US08285350B2
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing and wireless transceiver circuitry carried by the portable housing. The mobile wireless communications device may also include an antenna carried by the portable housing and coupled to the wireless transceiver circuitry, and a light source carried by the portable housing. The device may further include a keyboard assembly carried by the portable housing including a light guide coupled to the light source and having input key receiving openings therein, and a mask carried by the light guide and having input key receiving openings. The mask may include spaced apart electrically conductive elongate members positioned relative to the antenna to reduce a Specific Absorption Rate value for the mobile wireless communications device.
US08285348B2
A hand portable electronic device having a plurality of modes of operation including a communications mode and an application mode, and having a first component and a second component, wherein the first component is movable relative to the second component between a first position and a second position and wherein movement of the first component to the first position causes the device to operate in the communications mode and movement of the first component to the second position causes the device to operate in the application mode.
US08285347B2
An S.O.S. cover opening and shutting apparatus for a portable terminal allows a user to activate an S.O.S. service by slidingly moving an S.O.S. cover of the portable terminal. The S.O.S. cover opening and shutting apparatus includes an S.O.S. cover for opening and shutting a part of the portable terminal by sliding movement, a rear case in which the S.O.S. cover is arranged against/in, and a bracket fixedly coupled to the S.O.S. cover to permit movement of the S.O.S. cover only in a predetermined section.
US08285339B2
A mobile communication terminal is disclosed that allows an incoming call notification mode to be automatically changed depending on an ambient noise signal level, thus eliminating the need to manually change the incoming call notification mode. A microphone capable of automatically changing an incoming call notification mode according to a noise signal level is provided and the terminal stores at least one reference noise signal level; drives the microphone according to a set automatic incoming call notification changing mode to measure a perceived noise signal value; compares the measured noise signal value with the stores reference noise signal level; and sets an incoming call notification mode of the mobile communication terminal to one of a bell mode and a vibration mode according to the result.
US08285338B2
Alerting a calling party of a delay before an incoming call will be answered by a user of a called telecommunication terminal. The incoming call is answered by the telecommunication terminal or a switching system to which the telecommunication terminal is connected in response to an input from the user when the telecommunication terminal is not engaged in another call. An audio path of the answered call is muted from communication with the user. A message is transmitted to the calling party where the message is selected by the user.
US08285326B2
Methods, devices and systems for integrating multiple communication systems including multiple wireless communication protocols into a single system are discussed. In an illustrative example, a communication system includes a device adapted to communicate via first and second wireless communication protocols. The system may further include local area network or other wired sub-network, with the device adapted for first and second protocols also being adapted to operate using the local area network or other wired sub-network.
US08285325B2
A method, apparatus and a computer readable record media storing instructions for executing the same method for interfacing among a hybrid type synchronous or asynchronous terminal to a core network in a next generation mobile telecommunications system. The hybrid type synchronous or asynchronous radio network determines the operating type of the core network when the core network has a connection thereto, and sends the determined core network operating type information and information related to the core network to the hybrid type synchronous or asynchronous terminal, thereby allowing the synchronous or asynchronous terminal to smoothly perform a data interfacing operation with the core network.
US08285318B2
Method and apparatus for adjusting the transmission power of base stations in simultaneous communication with a mobile station. The methods described provide for the transmission power of the base stations to be aligned. In the first exemplary embodiment, the transmitters are attached to a separate control unit through communication links. The control unit then derives the most likely command stream and send that to the base stations. In the second exemplary embodiment, the control unit periodically receives the final or average transmit level in a period and an aggregate quality measure for the feedback during a period from each of the transmitters. The control unit determines the aligned power level and transmits a message indicative of the aligned power level to the transmitters.
US08285315B1
Configurations providing a rolling sequence model for a user interface over SMS for an interactive system are described. An SMS server can implement the rolling sequence model in which a number from a sequence of numbers (e.g., a block of numbers) is assigned to a user session. A subsequent number from the sequence of numbers is assigned for each session turn-around. Upon receipt of an SMS message from a user to initiate a session, the SMS server assigns a first number from the sequence of numbers to a user session. The SMS server then assigns the next phone number to the user session after receiving a subsequent SMS message from the user. In the event that the last number from the sequence of numbers is assigned, the SMS can cycle through the sequence of numbers by assigning the first number to the user session.
US08285299B2
A system for wireless communication is provided that includes a mobile switching center and a communication component, such as a base station or an access network. The mobile switching center is operable to transmit a message identifying a mobile station to be released. The communications component is operable to receive the message from the mobile switching center. The communications component is further operable to identify and release the mobile station based on the message.
US08285297B2
Fair usage of working channels in a wireless network is disclosed. A base station associated with a cell within a wireless community monitors the congestion of the working channel of neighboring communities. Upon determining that the congestion of the working channel of a neighboring community is less than that of its existing working channel, the base station initiates a switch to the neighboring community's working channel. Upon joining the new community, the frame structure and other networking parameters and attributes are adjusted.
US08285294B2
The invention relates to a technique of performing a random access procedure over a radio interface (106) in a mobile terminal (102). A method embodiment or the random access procedure as performed in the mobile terminal comprises the steps of selecting an access time slot for transmission of an access burst (112) over the radio interface; and setting an access bandwidth for transmission of the access burst, wherein the access bandwidth is set smaller than an available transmission bandwidth associated with the radio interface.
US08285291B2
Systems and methods of operating multimode 3G/4G communications devices in an overlapping 3G/4G coverage area (e.g., WiMAX or LTE/CDMA-EvDO) include determining a loading condition of the 3G and 4G base stations. If the 3G and 4G base stations are lightly loaded, one or more 4G Channel Quality Indicators (CQI) are compared with one or more corresponding 3G Data Rate Control (DRC) indices to determine which of the 3G and 4G networks allows a higher data throughput. The dual mode communications device is handed off to a 4G base station associated with the 4G coverage if the 4G network allows the higher data throughput; otherwise, the dual mode communications device is handed off to a 3G base station. User priorities, application categories, and/or MIMO and diversity modes may be used to determine handoff if the base stations are more than lightly loaded.
US08285290B2
A system and method allows a network, in response to a cell reselection notice, to serve a wireless, wireless device sufficient data to complete a pending data transfer instead of performing the immediate cell change. Appropriate allocation of radio resources to the wireless device in the current serving cell and before cell change allows reduced packet data transfer latencies for small data sessions, better load balancing and traffic resourcing between cells, appropriate allocation of uplink resources in the new target cell, and enhanced control over network congestion.
US08285289B2
A method for inter-RAT idle handoff is provided by transmitting a handoff initiation signal from a cell associated with a carrier for a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) area, the cell being located in an overlap coverage area with a second RAT area and adjacent to the second RAT area. Spatial hysteresis is provided by the new triggering method to eliminate the ping-pong issue when a mobile move along the border area. The invention also reduces network resource consumption due to ping-ponging.
US08285284B2
In a wireless communication system including a plurality of base stations each supporting at least one of two or more radio access schemes and at least one mobile station capable of performing communication by using the two or more radio access schemes, before the mobile station moves from a source base station to a target base station, the target base station notifies the mobile station, via the source base station, of a transparent container containing uplink radio access information that specifies a radio access scheme enabling at least an initial connection to be made. Thus, the mobile station identifies the radio access scheme supported by the target base station from the transparent container before moving from the source base station to the target base station.
US08285281B2
Systems and methods that enable a network to configure its neighbor relation (e.g., automatically) by commanding each user equipment (UE) to scan its respective area for neighbor base stations on a predetermined frequency or radio access technology. Moreover, the network can compile lists (e.g., whitelists that identify base stations associated with the network, and black lists that indicate base stations associated with foreign networks) and advise the UEs accordingly (e.g., regarding possibilities for availability of base stations.) The network can therefore configure its neighbor relations automatically and with a higher precision as compared to manual configurations.
US08285276B2
A method of supporting a measurement in a mobile communication system is disclosed, by which a measurement requested by a system can be smoothly performed without data loss in the course of receiving data for a specific service or control data. A UE decides a frequency or time interval necessary for measurement and then transmits information for the decided frequency or time interval to a radio network node. The radio network node controls a transmission of data to be transmitted to the UE using the received information for the frequency or time interval.
US08285274B2
A method for adjusting a suspension of communication time of a mobile phone is provided. Wherein the mobile phone receives wireless signals from a base station and transmits signals to the base station. The wireless signals include the suspension of communication time. The method includes decoding the received wireless signal and determining whether there are too many failed attempts to decode wireless signals in a first predetermined time, further determining the mobile phone enters a dead zone of a network, and determining size of dead zone and sensing movement speed of the phone to determine when the mobile phone will leave the dead zone. If the mobile phone will leave the dead zone soon, maintaining the connection with the network, otherwise hanging up the call.
US08285266B2
Systems, apparatuses and methods for facilitating identification of the originator of a communication. A communication is received from a sending device. Sending device identification information is requested from a distributed contact database fashioned from the contact databases of the communication devices in a group of communication devices. If the sending device identification information is available at a given communication device, it is received from the communication device.
US08285264B2
A predetermined communication terminal limits an available function of a mobile communication terminal. The mobile communication terminal sets on a limitation on the use of a specified function of its own terminal in accordance with function limitation setting information determined between the predetermined communication terminal and a server. When the specified function is tried to be used, the mobile communication terminal acquires current location information on the predetermined communication terminal and determines whether to enable or disable the specified function depending on the relationship of location with the predetermined communication terminal.
US08285258B2
Presenting content within an application on a device is disclosed. Receiving notification of new content within an application at a device is disclosed. Presenting the received notification at the device is disclosed. Receiving a selection of the notification, and displaying the new content in the screen directly following receiving the selection of the notification are disclosed. Notification can be received outside the application, e.g., by posting notification on a social network, posting notification to a web site, and posting a message to a user's avatar in a virtual world. A selection can be received while the device is offline, in which case the new content displayed is that content stored on the device.
US08285255B2
Voicemail user interface methods and apparatus for mobile communication devices are disclosed. Voicemail notification messages corresponding to voicemail messages are received through a wireless receiver of the mobile device and voicemail message header lines corresponding to them are displayed in a message list. In one illustrative example, the mobile device provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for the end-user with visual objects corresponding to PLAY, REWIND, FAST FORWARD, SKIP BACK, SKIP FORWARD, as examples, which provides for transparency of voicemail system-specific commands. Preferably, the mobile device receives the voicemail notification messages from several different voicemail systems for consolidating such processing using this single common user interface. Each voicemail notification message preferably includes voicemail message summary information, such as a calling party identifier, a message time stamp, and message length, for use in providing the voicemail message header information in the message list. In addition, each voicemail notification message preferably includes voicemail retrieval/processing information, such as a voicemail access telephone number, a voicemail message identification number, and voicemail message processing commands, for use in providing the system interface transparency.
US08285251B2
Systems and methods for providing wireless account calling feature indications to a device are described. Feature indications are provided to inform a user of the device that an incoming call or outgoing call is eligible for an account calling feature based on whether the conditions for the calling feature to apply are currently met. The feature indications are provided to a display of the device and/or to a speaker of the device.
US08285244B2
A wireless communication device (102) includes a processor (406) and a wireless network interface (404, 407), communicatively coupled with the processor (406), for determining the presence of a network providing wireless communication service. The device (102) also includes a memory (408) for storing a plurality of emergency service connection profiles. One of the profiles is selected based on the network determined to be present. The selected profile is then presented via a user interface (302) to a user of the wireless communication device (102) as a single emergency call model that is uniform among the profiles.
US08285234B2
A mobile station apparatus is provided which is capable of obtaining a diversity effect and preventing an increase in noise even if an antenna phase difference containing an error is detected. The mobile station apparatus includes a closed-loop transmit diversity control section for exerting, when the quality of the component from the second antenna is lower than a predetermined quality value based on the quality measured by the common pilot channel quality measurement section, control to cause the feedback information generation section not to use the detection result at the antenna phase difference detection section, and to continue to use the immediately preceding feedback information, control to cause the antenna verification section not to operate, and control to cause the first channel inference section to operate and the second channel inference section not to operate.
US08285230B2
An amplifying circuit includes: an amplifying cell portion configured by cascade-connecting a plurality stage of amplifying cells each including a pair of N-type transistors differentially connected to each other, load resistors and a current source for generating an operating current, and each having a function of amplifying differential signals; a feedback portion configured to feed differential output signals from the amplifying cell in a rear stage side of the amplifying cell portion back to differential input terminals of the amplifying cell on a front stage side; and an input portion configured to supply differential input signals to input terminals in a first stage of the amplifying cell portion.
US08285204B2
A contactless data transmission device includes an antenna circuit supplying an alternating voltage in the presence of an alternating excitation field, a charge modulation transistor having a control terminal receiving a charge modulation signal having at least one low state and one high state, and a conduction terminal receiving the alternating voltage. The device includes a circuit for supplying a boosted direct voltage greater than a peak value of the alternating voltage supplied by the antenna circuit, and a circuit for applying to the control terminal of the charge modulation transistor a charge modulation signal which, in the high state, has a voltage level equal to the boosted direct voltage.
US08285198B2
Methods of controlling connection establishment to transmit or receive AA/data in a wireless network are disclosed. A method of controlling connection establishment to transmit or receive AA/data in a first device of a wireless network, which includes a coordinator and at least one device, comprises transmitting connection request information required to request connection establishment with a second device and a connection request message which includes capability information of the first device to the second device, and receiving a connection response message from the second device in response to the connection request message. As well as message formats to said methods are disclosed.
US08285197B2
A system is provided for providing content to a plurality of mobile electronic devices, where at least some of the mobile electronic devices have wireless communications capabilities. The system includes a first network for use with a second network. The first network comprises a wireless network system for communicating with at least some of the mobile electronic devices through wireless sessions; a wired to wireless gateway module connected to the wireless network system for interfacing between a wireless portion of the first network and a wired portion of the first network; a session control module interfacing with the wired to wireless gateway module for managing the wireless sessions and wired sessions; and a relay server module interfacing with the session control module and the wired to wireless gateway module, the relay server module for providing relayed content to the mobile electronic devices. The second network comprises an external server for providing content to the mobile electronic devices. The external server communicates directly with either the relay server module or the wired to wireless gateway module.
US08285195B2
A system and method for rewarding educational accomplishment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes providing rewards to a user, such as a child, for achievement of one or more goals within an educational activity. The rewards are preferably credit in a form that is widely accepted by merchants and other entities for items, such as goods and services, that they offer. Preferably, information associating the user and items the user purchases with the credit is used to create a purchase history file for each user.
US08285189B2
A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade for removing toner remaining on a surface of an image bearing member for carrying a toner image; a supporting member for supporting the cleaning blade; a mounting hole provided in one of the cleaning blade and the supporting member; a projection which is provided on the other of the cleaning blade and the supporting member and which is inserted in the mounting hole; and a recess provided in the projection and extended from a free end portion of the projection toward a base portion of the projection, wherein the cleaning blade and the supporting member are secured to each other by the projection deformed such that the recess expands outwardly of the mounting hole by resin material in the recess.
US08285179B2
A toner container installed in an image forming apparatus includes a toner container main body having a predetermined length and in which toner is accommodated, a discharge port through which the toner is discharged from the toner container main body, a shutter which opens and closes the discharge port, a handle provided on the toner container main body, and a pressed portion provided on the toner container main body and which is pressed by the image forming apparatus to project the handle out from the image forming apparatus.
US08285178B2
A developing device conveys a two-component developer on a first route of circulation and a second route of circulation, and includes a guide plate and an electromagnet that are used for choosing, in accordance with toner densities detected by two toner density detecting sensors respectively provided in the two routes, whether toner supplied from a toner supply device is guided into the first or second route of circulation. This makes it possible to provide an image forming apparatus that, even in cases where a large amount of toner is consumed at one end of a developing roller along the axial direction in a developing device provided with one toner supply opening, can form an image free from nonuniformity in image density or photographic fogs that are caused by nonuniformity in toner density of a two-component developer.
US08285175B2
An image forming apparatus and a transfer device disclosed herein are configured to move positions of transfer rollers to perform different modes of printing operation, such as black-and-white and color printing. The image forming apparatus may include a plurality of photosensitive bodies, on each of which an image may be formed, and a plurality of transfer units. Each transfer unit includes a transfer roller arranged to correspond to an associated one of the photosensitive bodies and an elastic member configured to press the transfer roller to the corresponding photosensitive body. The image forming apparatus further includes a slider configured to move along a linear direction. The slider is configured to cause at least one of the transfer rollers of the transfer units move away from the corresponding photosensitive body. The slider may be driven by a drive unit.
US08285168B2
An image forming apparatus including plural sheet-feeding trays, and a control section that displays a schedule image to show an execution schedule of a job on a display section, wherein the control section displays a job execution schedule displaying column, and an un-executable job displaying column, both columns being included in the schedule image, wherein when a job represents a tray specifying job that specifies a sheet-feeding tray to be used among the plural sheet-feeding trays, and if the job is un-executable using the sheet-feeding tray specified by the job, the control section controls the un-executable job displaying column, not to display that the specified job is un-executable, even though the specified job is un-executable, and the control section further controls the job execution schedule displaying column to show that the job is not executable, while corresponding the job with the sheet-feeding tray specified by the job.
US08285166B2
A developing apparatus including a developing container for containing developer, the developing container having an opening portion, a developer carrying member for carrying the developer at the opening portion, a detecting member for detecting a developer amount, the detecting member detecting a capacitance between the developer carrying member and the detecting member, and a force receiving portion for receiving a force and moving the developing container between a first position in which a developing operation is performed by the developer carrying member and a second position in which the developing operation is not performed, wherein the capacitance can be detected in the second position, and the detecting member is a rotatable developer supplying member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, the developer supplying member including a foam layer in which the developer can enter.
US08285165B2
The present invention provides a toner concentration adjusting system and an image forming apparatus which can accurately adjust toner concentration by controlling the supply of a concentrated developer even if a production lot of the concentrated developer is different. In the method, for controlling the toner concentration, in which the supply of the concentrated developer and the like to a wet type developer for which a first control target value is set is controlled while detecting a substitute characteristic of toner concentration, the first control target value is corrected depending on a second control target value based on a substitute characteristic of the toner concentration of the lot of the concentrated developer to be supplied, and depending on a cumulative supply amount of the lot of the concentrated developer.
US08285163B2
A high-voltage power supply for applying a developing bias to a developing roller of an image forming apparatus is provided. The high-voltage power supply includes: a developing bias application unit that applies a developing bias to the developing roller in accordance with a control voltage that is input therein; a developing bias detection unit that detects the developing bias applied to the developing roller; a control voltage adjustment unit that adjusts the control voltage input to the developing bias application unit such that the developing bias detected by the developing bias detection unit approaches a predetermined target value; and a condensation determination unit that determines condensation of the developing bias application unit based on the control voltage.
US08285159B2
A color image forming apparatus for forming toner images by carrying out charging, exposure, and development on at least one photoreceptor drum, and forming color images by transferring the toner images onto sheets, the color image forming apparatus including: a photoreceptor drum which rotates around an axis; an exposure section which intermittently emits a light beam onto the cylindrical surface of the rotating photoreceptor drum along scanning lines parallel to the axis of the photoreceptor drum; a calculation section which calculates a printing ratio of a color image to be formed on one sheet, wherein the printing ratio is the ratio of the area covered by toner in the color image; and a timing control section which controls a timing when the exposure section emits the light beam in a direction of rotation of the photoreceptor drum based on the printing ratio calculated by the calculation section.
US08285154B2
The present invention provides a system and method for multi-rate, high-sensitivity CDR, including a variable/adjustable decision threshold, RF input clock recovery, and OE conversion feature. The system includes an optical input connector, CDR circuit, decision threshold circuit, internal power supply, OE converter, external electrical output, and multiple clock outputs. The system is assembled in a single, stand-alone unit. The system includes an OC-192 data output, and OC-192 (9.953-10.709 GHz) and ¼ OC-48 (2.488-2.677 GHz) clock outputs. The decision threshold level is adjustable and optimized by a system user. The system is also used in combination with a digital communications analyzer. A recovered clock of the CDR circuit provides trigger for the DCA. The system includes an electrical input connector. Optionally, the system triggers directly from an RF electrical input in substitution of an optical input. The system is also used to convert an optical signal to an electrical signal, bypassing the CDR circuit.
US08285151B2
An integrated DWDM transmitter apparatus includes a silica-on-silicon substrate overlying a first support component. The silica-on-silicon substrate includes a silica layer overlying a silicon layer. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the first support component is substantially matched to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the silicon layer. An optical multiplexer is located within the silica layer and includes a plurality of input waveguides and at least an output waveguide. Additionally, the apparatus includes a second support component attached to a side surface of the first support component. One or more semiconductor laser array chips overlie the second support component. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the one or more semiconductor chips is substantially matched to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the second support component. Moreover, each of the one or more laser array chips includes one or more lasers, each of which is optically coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of input waveguides.
US08285137B2
A digital camera system includes a print medium having a first surface delimiting an area in which images are printed, and a second surface pre-treated to be magnetically sensitive; a photo-width printhead integrated with a digital camera, the photo-width printhead for printing digital images on the first surface of the print medium; and a magnetic recorder for recording information associated with said digital images on the second surface of the print medium at the same time the printhead prints the digital images onto the printing area.
US08285129B2
In a hot water supply system, a heat exchanger transfers heat from a heating device to inflow water to supply the inflow water at a user-set temperature. A flow sensor measures a flow rate of inflow water. A water tank stores outflow water discharged from the heat exchanger. A first temperature sensor, installed on an inlet pipe through which the inflow water flows, measures a temperature of the inflow water. A second temperature sensor, installed on an outlet pipe through which the outflow water flows, measures a temperature of the outflow water discharged from the heat exchanger. A controller includes an input unit to receive input from a user, wherein the controller controls an operation of the heating device based on at least one of: (1) comparison between the user-set temperature and the temperature of the outflow water; (2) variation in the flow rate; or (3) any combination thereof.
US08285121B2
A system for handling video tags. The tags are displayed synchronized to a video. A controller manages and modifies tag data that can be created by one or more users. The controller identifies a tag dataset for use with a video and provides information for synchronization and display of the tags. In a particular embodiment, features of a social-network website implementation are disclosed whereby a user community can post, filter, rate and display tags.
US08285118B2
The described systems and methods control the display of media content on a media player with player preferences. The media content is analyzed and multiple signatures are computed that are representative of temporal portions of the media content. The multiple signatures are matched to a database of signatures, and a closest corresponding signature is found. Metadata associated with the closest corresponding signatures is retrieved as matching metadata. Display of the media content is controlled based on the player preferences and the matching metadata.
US08285114B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a storage device which stores section attribute information which specifies a start time point and an end time point of at least one predetermined attribute section of a plurality of attribute sections which are included in the video content data. A display process module displays, on a display screen, a section bar including a bar area which is indicative of a position of the predetermined attribute section in a sequence of the video content data, on the basis of the section attribute information. A playback process module executes, on the display screen, playback of moving picture data in the video content data which belongs to the predetermined attribute section, on the basis of the section attribute information, in a case where an event of requesting playback of the video content data of the predetermined attribute section is input.
US08285107B2
A packet sequence restoring controller includes a recording device, a memory interface unit and a playback device. The recording device includes a first packet detector, a time stamp inserting unit and a first counting module. The playback device includes a second packet detector, a comparing unit, a time stamp deleting unit and a second counting module. Through the memory interface unit, the recording device and the playback device perform data access with an external memory. By recording arrival time of each packet, a live packet sequence is simulated and restored to optimize play quality of a recorded program.
US08285105B2
A glass-fiber coupler module includes a cassette mount, a mounting panel pivotally coupled to the cassette mount, a front panel coupled to the cassette mount, and a splitter coupled to the second side of the cassette mount. A first side of the cassette mount defines a storage area configured to receive spare lengths of glass fibers. The mounting panel is configured to support a first plurality of couplings. The front panel is configured to support a second plurality of couplings. The splitter is configured to receive glass fibers routed from the second end of at least one of the couplings of the first plurality, the splitter also configured to output at least two glass fibers to the first ends of at least two of the couplings of the second plurality.
US08285101B2
Optical fiber apparatus having a wavelength of operation, that comprises an optical fiber including a core comprising an active material for providing light having the operating wavelength responsive to the optical apparatus receiving pump optical energy having a pump wavelength; a cladding disposed about the core; at least one region spaced from the core; and wherein the optical fiber is configured and arranged such that at the wavelength of operation the optical fiber can propagate a plurality of modes and wherein the optical fiber comprises a fundamental mode that is primarily a mode of the core and at least one higher order mode (HOM) that is a mixed mode of a selected mode of the core and of a selected mode of the at least one region.
US08285096B2
Fiber optic cable assemblies and related components, securing methods, and fiber optic cable preparation methods for securing of a fiber optic cable to a retention body and/or fiber optic connector are disclosed. An end portion of the fiber optic cable is prepared and inserted into a retention body or the like for securing the cable to the same. In one embodiment, a partially exposed portion of a strength component and a portion of a cable jacket are secured to a retention body while another portion of the strength component remains secured to the cable jacket. In this manner, the fiber optic cable is secured to the retention body while the strength component and the cable jacket also remain secured to each other for providing strain relief.
US08285090B2
A serial optical data transmission system is provided. The serial optical data transmission system includes a displaceable optical pathway disposed adjacent to a slot configured to receive a first monitoring and/or control module. The optical pathway is biased towards a serial optical data bus position for transmission of optical data to or from at least one second monitoring and/or control module when the first monitoring and/or control module is removed from the slot. Further, the optical pathway is displaced from the serial optical data bus position when the first monitoring and/or control module is in the slot.
US08285086B2
An optical fiber sensor measuring refractive index of a medium with high sensitivity in a wide range. The optical fiber sensor includes an optical fiber causing a transmission loss due to leakage in the clad propagation mode from a portion of a core and a clad where a Bragg grating is provided, a light source permitting light in a wavelength band in the clad propagation mode to enter the optical fiber, and a light-receiving section receiving the transmitted or reflected light transmitted through the core and the clad at the portion where the Bragg grating is provided. The refractive index of the medium to be measured in contact with the clad is measured according to total intensity of the light received by the light-receiving section. The Bragg grating is inclined at a predetermined angle of inclination to the vertical line vertical to the length direction of the optical fiber.
US08285083B2
A system for generating digital image media volumes includes a digital image terminal for receiving, processing, and transmitting digital image data, and being adapted for processing the digital image data into one or more discrete DICOM-standard data objects. The system further includes a media volume production facility remotely located from the digital image terminal, and communicatively coupled to the digital image terminal via a server-operated computer network.
US08285076B2
Methods and apparatus for image processing include performing visual sub-band decomposition of an image using human visual system characteristics to generate a plurality of sub-band decomposed images, independently processing the plurality of sub-band decomposed images with at least one application, and fusing the independently processed sub-band decomposed images to reconstruct an output image.
US08285066B2
A method is provided for generating a metavolume for reconstructing an image. The method provides for acquiring a plurality of low-resolution images of an imaged volume, the plurality of low-resolution images obtained from one or more imaging planes and merging the plurality of low-resolution images using a statistical operation to generate a metavolume. Systems and computer programs that afford functionality of the type defined by this method may be provided by the present technique.
US08285064B2
The invention concerns a method for processing images, texture pattern blocks representative of a typical texture of the images being stored in a memory, the method comprising the following steps: transforming the pixel grey levels of a current block into a current block of frequency coefficients using a predefined transform; building up a merger block, each frequency coefficient positioned at a defined place of the merger block being equal either to the frequency coefficient positioned at the same place of the current block, or to the frequency coefficient positioned at the same place of a texture pattern block among the texture pattern blocks stored in the memory; selecting a merger block according to a predefined function (J); and replacing in the image the current block by the selected merger block. The invention also concerns an electronic device for processing the corresponding images.
US08285063B2
A block (300) of image elements (310) is compressed by identifying a base vector (460) based on normalized feature vectors (312) of the block (300). If a position-determining coordinate (420) of the base vector (460) is present inside a defined selection section (530) of feature vector space (500), the block (300) is compressed according to a default mode and an auxiliary mode to get a default and auxiliary compressed block (600), respectively. The compressed block (600) resulting in smallest compression error is selected. If the auxiliary mode is selected, the position-determining coordinate (420) is mapped to get a mapped coordinate (425) present outside the representable normalization portion (510) of vector space (500). The auxiliary compressed block (600) comprises a representation of this mapped coordinate (425). If the default mode is selected no such coordinate mapping is performed and the default compressed block (600) instead comprises a representation of the non-mirrored coordinate (420).
US08285060B2
Techniques are disclosed for determining anomalous trajectories of objects tracked over a sequence of video frames. In one embodiment, a symbol trajectory may be derived from observing an object moving through a scene. The symbol trajectory represents semantic concepts extracted from the trajectory of the object. Whether the symbol trajectory is anomalous may be determined, based on previously observed symbol trajectories. A user may be alerted upon determining that the symbol trajectory is anomalous.
US08285055B1
Determining correspondence between image regions includes identifying first and second regions of visual content including pixels in a computer system. The first region includes a first patch of pixels having a first mapping to a second patch of pixels in the second region. Iterative evaluations of the first and second regions are performed, each including at least (i) a first evaluation phase selecting a best mapping for the first patch, according to a distance metric, the best mapping selected from among the first mapping and a second mapping obtained from mappings of nearby pixels, and (ii) a second evaluation phase selecting one of the best mapping and a third mapping obtained by perturbing the second mapping. A result of the iterative evaluations is recorded in the computer system that indicates a third patch of pixels in the second region identified in the iterative evaluations.
US08285044B2
An image-processing device carries out an object segmentation in which the object segmentation is executed and/or is executable through comparison of a camera image to a scene reference image of a surveillance scene, equipped with a learning device for generating the scene reference image; the learning device generates the scene reference image through evaluation of a medium-term and/or long-term observation of the surveillance scene a) that extends over a time period of longer than one day, preferably longer than several days, in particular longer than 1 week, and/or b) that extends over a time period that includes several states of the surveillance scene.
US08285043B2
The image processing apparatus is provided with a scanner unit that reads a document and generates image data; an edge vicinity pixel detection unit that detects pixels in the vicinity of the edge of the document based on luminance values of the image data generated by the scanner unit; a histogram creation unit that creates a histogram using the luminance values of pixels in a region of the document within a predetermined distance from the pixels in the vicinity of the edge; and a judgment unit that judges whether or not it is possible to separate a document region from a document-external region based on the created histogram.
US08285034B2
An object evaluation system may determine a value for a stack of objects that appear in a pixelated color image. To determine the value of the stack of objects, the evaluation system preprocess at least a portion of the pixelated color image to produce a set of two color contour data, processes the two color contour data to identify a location of a top and a bottom of the stack (if any), and locates, for each of the objects in the stack, a respective set of color pixels from the pixelated color image corresponding to each object based on the identified locations of the top and bottom of the stack. Each of the objects in the stack are then classified into a color classification based on the object's respective set of color pixels, and the value of the object is determined based on a known correspondence between the color classification and a value. The cumulative value of the stack is determined by summing the determined values for each of the objects in the stack.
US08285033B2
An edge preserving filter that works on the principle of matting affinity allows a better representation of the range filter term in bilateral class filters. The definition of the affinity term can be relaxed to suit different applications. An approximate bi-affinity filter whose output is shown to be very similar to the traditional bilateral filter is defined. The present technique has the added advantage that no color space changes are required and hence an input image can be handled in its original color space. This is a big benefit over the traditional bilateral filter, which needs conversion to perception based spaces, such as CIELAB, to generate results close to the present invention. The full bi-affinity filter preserves very minute details of the input image, and thus permits an enhanced zooming functionality.
US08285032B2
The inspection system arbitrarily selects from among a plurality of optical conditions to change a distribution of reflected or diffracted light component from an object being inspected. The inspection system has a one- or two-dimensional optoelectric conversion image sensor, optically acquires an image of the object by scanning a stage on which the object is mounted or scanning the image sensor, and processes the image to check for defects in the object. Under each optical condition (illumination optical system, detection optical system, scan direction, etc.) the object being inspected is imaged and, based on the brightness distribution and contrast in the detection field of the image sensor, image sensor output correction data is generated to correct the output of the image sensor.
US08285027B2
A high-resolution, large-field scanning inspection system for inspecting extruded ceramic honeycomb structures is disclosed. The system allows for inspecting cells at an endface of a cellular ceramic substrate by capturing, along an optical axis, line images of illuminated cells as a line illumination scans over at least a portion of the plurality of cells. The inspection method includes centering the line illumination on the optical axis to make the line illumination normally incident upon the endface. The inspection method also includes forming from the line images a composite image of the cells, and determining from the composite image at least one parameter of at least one cell.
US08285026B2
Disclosed is a method and system for inspecting and sorting unsuitable or irregular objects in a stream of products, the system includes means for scanning the stream of products along a scan line. The scan line is formed by means of at least one light source directing light along the scan line, and means for detecting light beams reemitted by the product stream upon scanning. The scanning means includes a focusing means for concentrating the light in at least one dimension. The detecting means includes a focusing means for forming an image in an image plane. The detecting means is oriented towards the scan line such that points on the scan line form a projected scan line in the image plane and the image substantially located in the image plane is substantially focused in at least one dimension by the focusing means. The detecting means also includes a spatial filtering means that filters the image in substantially the direction perpendicular to the direction of the projected scan line.
US08285025B2
An improved method and apparatus for detecting problems with fit and finish of manufactured articles is presented which uses structured light. Two or more structured light images acquired from opposing directions is used to measure the fit of mating surfaces while avoiding false positives caused by small defects near the seam.
US08285011B2
A method for deploying a device in a tortuous vessel, comprising: placing a virtual generalized-cylinder within a virtual representation of the tortuous vessel; measuring length along the perimeter of the virtual generalized-cylinder at a set numbers of longitudes; determining the maximum measured length; selecting a device based upon the maximum measured length; and deploying the device in the tortuous vessel.
US08285009B2
A fingerprint input apparatus for providing a plurality of inputs while moving a finger to acquire a fingerprint image, the fingerprint input apparatus determining an intersection of the plurality of input partial fingerprint images to calculate a relative location between the plurality of partial fingerprint images on the basis of the intersection and outputting the calculated relative location with the plurality of partial fingerprint images to an external device. The intersection of the plurality of partial fingerprint images is obtained, for example, on the basis of a density distribution of dots constituting each of the image. The relative location is at least one of the moving direction, the moving distance, and the angle of rotation. Thereby, there is no movable part and thus it eliminates a need for providing the external device with software processing for calculating the relative location of the partial fingerprint images, thereby achieving downsizing and power saving of the apparatus.
US08285003B2
A personal authentication method comprising imaging, on an image sensor as a laser speckle using an optical system, light reflected from retinal blood vessels of the ocular fundus and a blood vessel layer in ocular fundus internal tissue when a laser beam is expanded and made to irradiate the ocular fundus, calculating a quantity that represents the rate of change with respect to time of the amount of light received for each pixel of the laser speckle, obtaining an ocular fundus blood flow map as a two-dimensional map of the numerical values of the quantity, and comparison-checking against pre-registered personal data utilizing at least one, observed in the blood flow map, of blood flow distribution data, a pattern reflecting the course of retinal blood vessels, a pattern reflecting the course of blood vessels in ocular fundus internal tissue observed superimposed thereon, and data on changes thereof over time, and a device therefor. In accordance with the method and device of the present invention utilizing the ocular fundus blood flow rate map, a personal authentication method and device can be obtained that have remarkably higher accuracy than conventional methods and devices.
US08284987B2
A payload recovery system includes a reference halftone image of a data-bearing halftone image and a reference map of the data-bearing halftone image. The system further includes a cell alignment system for receiving a scanned image of a hard copy of the data-bearing halftone image and for generating an aligned scan of the scanned image using the reference halftone image and the reference map. A raw payload recovery system determines possible shift positions of each carrier cell of the aligned scan using a shift rule and the reference map; and a reconstructed data-bearing halftone image is generated by the raw payload recovery system using the possible shift positions and the reference halftone. The system also includes a recovered raw payload generated by the raw payload recovery system using the shift rule and the reference map.
US08284985B2
A device for processing multiple procedures based on multiple types of documents includes the functions of selecting one procedure from among multiple procedures, identifying in a database the complementary information needed to perform the procedure, and requesting complementary information from the user, adapted to ask the user for at least one piece of complementary information. The device can capture an image of a document process the image and extract information from the image.
US08284977B2
A method and apparatus for a multi-chamber ported stereo speaker is disclosed. The stereo speaker is a single unit with multi-chambers in an enclosure box. The multi chamber ported speaker comprises an enclosure housing a shared acoustic chamber having an external port for allowing air external of the enclosure box to flow into the shared acoustic chamber, and at least two additional chambers comprising a corresponding internal port in each additional chamber for forming an air pass from each additional chamber with the shared chamber, each additional chamber comprising a corresponding driver mounted through a wall of the chamber and enclosure box for forming the ported speaker.
US08284973B2
The hearing device comprises at least one microphone (2) arranged within the housing (3) of the hearing device, with its sound inlet aperture (2′) being connected via a canal (7) to the outside of the housing (3) and a sound permeable cover (10) serving as microphone protection that is arranged in the region of the outlet opening of said canal (7). The canal (7) of the hearing device is provided as a blind hole and the microphone (2) is arranged at the side of said canal (7) and at least one opening or channel (9) is provided connecting said canal (7) with said sound inlet aperture (2′) of said microphone (2). By providing the canal (7) as a blind hole, all dirt eventually intruding the canal (7) will be collected at the bottom (7″) of canal (7) and will therefore not reach directly the microphone (2) or the sound inlet openings of the microphone (2) respectively.
US08284969B2
A hearing aid has an operating device with an operating element for activating a first operating function and a second operating function of the hearing aid. The operating device is configured to cause an execution of an operating function of the hearing aid by activating the corresponding operating function via the operating element. The operating device suppresses the execution of the first operating function by activating the first operating function via the operating element if the second operating function is activated via the operating element.
US08284967B2
The present invention relates to an electrostatic speaker including a fixed electrode and a diaphragm that is arranged with a predetermined gap from the fixed electrode and has a plurality of ventilation holes. The ventilative diaphragm reduces air resistance caused by the ground effect between the fixed electrode and the diaphragm, and increases the sound pressure output from the speaker. As a result, the ventilative diaphragm makes it possible to obtain a uniform frequency reproduction characteristic over the entire frequency range. In particular, when the diaphragm is made from Korean paper, it is possible to effectively reduce the ground effect occurring between the fixed electrode and the diaphragm due to the air permeable characteristic of the Korean paper and the air resistance due to a surge input signal, while satisfying physical characteristics of the existing diaphragm. In addition, since the Korean paper has high formability, it is possible to easily form the diaphragm in a hemispherical shape. As a result, it is possible to radially and uniformly spread the sound by a simple structure.
US08284959B2
An apparatus for controlling a volume of an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed, by which a volume of an input signal can be controlled by using a non-linear gain curve and a target volume of the input signal. The present invention includes storing a non-linear gain curve indicating relations between volumes of an input signal and an output signal; receiving an input signal and target volume information; determining a first gain by using the volume of the input signal and the target volume information; determining a second gain from one of a) the volume of the input signal and the target volume information or b) the first gain, by using the non-linear gain curve; and adjusting the volume of the input signal by applying the second gain to the input signal, wherein the non-linear gain curve is generated by using non-linearity information.A volume of an input signal of this invention is controlled using a non-linear gain curve indicating a relation between a volume of an input signal and a volume of an output signal. Therefore, the present invention is able to reduce or expand a dynamic range of an output volume.
US08284954B2
The disclosed BTSC encoder includes a left high pass filter means for receiving a digital left channel audio signal and for digitally high pass filtering the digital left channel audio signal and thereby generating a digital left filtered signal; a right high pass filter means for receiving a digital right channel audio signal and for digitally high pass filtering the digital right channel audio signal and thereby generating a digital right filtered signal; a matrix means for receiving the digital left and digital right filtered signals, and including means for summing the digital left and digital right filtered signals and thereby generating a digital sum signal, and including means for subtracting one of the digital left and digital right filtered signals from the other of the digital left and digital right filtered signals and thereby generating a digital difference signal; a difference channel processing means for digitally processing the digital difference signal; and a sum channel processing means for digitally processing the digital sum signal.
US08284948B2
An engine sound processing apparatus includes an engine sound signal generating section that generates an engine sound signal indicating an engine sound generated in an engine room of a vehicle, a signal processing section that includes a reverberation effect applying portion which applies a reverberation effect to the engine sound signal and a mixing portion which mixes the engine sound signal to which the reverberation effect is not applied and the engine sound signal to which the reverberation effect is applied, a reverberation effect controlling section that instructs the reverberation effect applying portion to apply the reverberation effect to the engine sound signal, a mixing balance setting section that sets a mixing balance in the mixing portion, and a speaker that outputs a sound on the basis of the engine sound signal being output from the signal processing section. In a case that both of an accelerator opening and an engine speed are increased, the mixing balance setting section controls an occupation rate of the second engine sound signal in the engine sound signal so as to be increased as the engine speed is increased. When other than the case, the mixing balance setting section controls the occupation rate of the second engine sound signal in the engine sound signal so as to become zero.
US08284938B2
Techniques for securing data access are presented. A sender encrypts data into a first integer value. A first knot is selected along with first and second keys. The first knot, first integer value, first key, and second key are used to produce a final knot. The final knot is transmitted as a graphical image to a receiver over a network. The receiver uses the first knot, final knot, first key, and second key to derive the first integer value. The first integer value is decrypted to produce the original data that the sender intended to send securely to the receiver.
US08284935B2
The invention relates to methods for encoding and decoding media data (MD, CMD). One of the methods comprises the following steps: A request is transmitted by a subscriber terminal (1) over a control network (2) to a control server (3) to establish a set of encoding parameters (K) for control data. The request includes identification data (ID) of the subscriber terminal (1). The control server (3) thereupon specifies the set of encoding parameters (K) for control data, comprising a random number (R), a control data key (CK) and an integrity key (IK), wherein the control data key (CK) and the integrity key (IK) are dependent on the random number (R) and the identification data (ID). A media key (MK) dependent on the control data key (CK) and on the integrity key (IK) is then generated by the control server (3) and transmitted over a core network (4) to a media server (5). The media key (MK) is used to encode and decode the media data (MD, CMD) subsequently transmitted over a media network (6). The invention also relates to a subscriber terminal (1), a control server (3), and a computer program product that are suitable for implementing the method.
US08284934B2
Disclosed examples of secure communications involve generating, by a mobile communication network device, a shared secret data having a length of M units. A first operation on groups of one of N units of a randomly generated base shared secret data and one of a plurality of secret values thereby generates a plurality of first operation results. A second operation on a select plurality of the first operation results generates a plurality of second operation results. The randomly generated base shared secret data can have a length of N units, where N is less than M. The shared secret data is constructed from at least one of the first operation results and the plurality of second operation results.
US08284927B1
A telephone is provided with a port for disconnectably connecting an external information source, such as an MP3 player, to the telephone, and an on-hold function that operates while a call of the telephone is on hold and either presents to the telephone's user the information from the external source if the external source is connected, or presents to the user on-hold information from a telephone network if the external source is not connected, or presents silence at the user's option, irrespective of whether or not the external source is connected.
US08284920B2
A method for transferring a call at an automatic call distribution system includes receiving from a caller a call for connection with one of a plurality of agents and connecting the call to a selected first agent of the plurality of agents. The method includes, while maintaining communication between the first agent and the caller, receiving a request to transfer the call to another one of the plurality of agents and selecting a second agent of the plurality of agents to receive the call transfer. The method also includes notifying the first agent of the selection of the second agent to receive the call transfer and transferring the call to the second agent.
US08284906B2
If a communication client disconnects from a call, an interworking service node may receive from the communication client a disconnect message indicative of an attempt to disconnect the call and send a forced hold message to place the call on forced hold in response to receiving the disconnect message. A portion of the call extending toward a public service access point and through the PSTN is placed on hold. When an operator wants to reestablish the call to the communication client, the interworking service node will receive over the PSTN a reconnect request message to reestablish the call with the communication client. The reconnect request message may be an integrated services user part message. In response to the reconnect message, the interworking service node will generate and send a session initiation message, which is configured to reestablish the call toward the communication client.
US08284879B2
Transfer circuits (200, 400, 500) for monitoring in a monitor clock domain target events that occur in a target clock domain (170) are disclosed. Some embodiments (200) impose significant constraints on the domain clocks and include: an event detector (210); a sending circuit (220) that changes the value of a request signal (150) with each event; and a receiving circuit (230) that detects changes in the request signal. Other embodiments work for a broader range of clocks and include: a counter (410) that generates an incremental count (415) of event occurrences while a transfer is taking place; sending and receiving registers (420, 430, 530) for the incremental count; the request sending and receiving circuits (220, 230), where the request signal changes value for each transfer of the incremental count; and sending and receiving circuits (470, 480) for an acknowledgement signal.
US08284874B2
A method of producing soft decisions for a signal, wherein a model provides an expression for an LLR for the signal, the LLR expression is dependent on noise power in the signal and can be rendered in a form independent of the noise power, wherein the method comprises evaluating the noise power independent expression using values from the signal to produce soft decisions, calculating a weight expressing the noise power affecting a soft decision relative to the noise power affecting at least one other soft decision and applying the weight to its respective soft decision.
US08284868B2
A modulation device uses two base signal axes including a cosine function and two base signal axes including a sine function to modulate bit information and generate a modulation symbol. Accordingly, the frequency efficiency characteristic is improved while maintaining a great power efficiency characteristic.
US08284866B2
A MIMO-OFDM transmission and reception apparatus is provided which allows high accuracy estimation of frequency offset, high accuracy estimation of a transmission path fluctuation and high accuracy synchronization/signal detection. A mapping section generates a plurality of OFDM signals. In these OFDM signals, some pilot carriers are assigned to the same carrier position and orthogonal sequences are assigned to the same time slot in the same carrier position.
US08284864B2
A radio communication emitter includes at least two antennas for emitting a signal including encoded bits that are converted into symbols distributed on subcarriers and in time intervals. The emitter includes a signal divider for distributing the set of the signal symbols into as many disjoined subsets of signal symbols as the antennas that the emitter comprises. Each subset is dedicated to one of the antennas. The union of the subsets is the set of the signal symbols. Symbols are distributed in at least two subsets for at least one time interval or for at least one subcarrier of the signal. The antennas synchronously emit the symbol subsets. The symbol subsets can comprise a substantially identical number of symbols to reduce a deviation between the power peaks and the average power of the signal emitted by each antenna.
US08284856B2
A serial-parallel converter/encoder unit 11 inputs a transmission symbol data at a transmission symbol rate that is one-Nth of a base-point symbol rate. A precoder/collator 13 creates a transmission symbol waveform at the base-point symbol rate. The transmission symbol waveform becomes a transmission signal after passing through a roll-off filter 14 with a band corresponding to the base-point symbol rate and a modulator 15. A reception signal demodulated by a demodulator 33 is input to a fractionally-spaced equalizer 38 that operates at the base-point symbol rate and is forcibly equalized at the transmission symbol rate by using a reference signal. A level of a signal output from the fractionally-spaced equalizer 38 at the transmission symbol rate is determined by a level determining unit 39 and becomes a reception symbol data by a sawtooth-function output unit 40.
US08284841B2
A variable length coding method is comprised of: a coefficient value scanning step in which an RL sequence generation unit 203, a reordering unit 202, and a binarization unit 203 scan coefficient values within a block in a predetermined scanning order starting at a higher-frequency component toward a lower-frequency component; and an arithmetic coding step in which an arithmetic coding unit 205 and a table storage unit 204 perform arithmetic coding on the absolute values of the coefficient values according to the scanning order used in the coefficient value scanning step, by switching between probability tables 1˜4 for use, wherein, in the arithmetic coding step, a probability table to be used is switched to another probability table in one direction, when the arithmetic-coded absolute values of the coefficient values include an absolute value exceeding a predetermined threshold value.
US08284837B2
There are provided video encoders, video decoders, and corresponding encoding and decoding methods for video data for a picture, wherein the video data has local brightness variation. The video encoder includes an encoder for inter-coding the video data using a localized weighted function to determine weights for the local brightness variation. The weights for the localized weighted function are derived without explicit coding.
US08284834B2
A video-signal processing apparatus includes a video-signal input unit to which a video signal including multiple images arranged in a time sequential manner is input; a time-division output unit configured to output, in a time-division manner, the video signal constituting n images corresponding to the multiple images; signal processing units configured to individually perform image quality adjustments on the n images output from the time-division output unit; operation input units through which adjustment values of the image quality adjustments performed by the signal processing units are input; and image output units configured to output images that have been subjected to the image quality adjustments using the signal processing units.
US08284833B2
A serial concatenated coder includes an outer coder and an inner coder. The outer coder irregularly repeats bits in a data block according to a degree profile and scrambles the repeated bits. The scrambled and repeated bits are input to an inner coder, which has a rate substantially close to one.
US08284831B2
Provided is a pulse shaping method. A time interval is predefined so as to shape a pulse used for a transmit pulse and a receive filter response, a parameter is generated by using a weight coefficient and a plurality of cosine functions that are multiplied and added to be output during the predetermined time interval, and 0 is output during another interval, thereby shaping the pulse. The weight coefficient is updated by using the normalized MSE so as to shape the pulse to be optimized for the predetermined time interval.
US08284814B2
A laser capable of emitting multiple laser beams is provided. A two-dimensional photonic crystal laser according to the present invention has a laminated structure including an active layer, a first photonic crystal layer having a periodic distribution of refractive index with a first period, and a second photonic crystal layer having a periodic distribution of refractive index with a second period that differs from the first period. This two-dimensional photonic crystal laser can emit a main beam traveling in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional photonic crystals and side beams each traveling in a direction inclined with respect to the main beam. These beams can be used, for example, in a recording/reproducing device by means of an optical disk, the main beam being used for recording/reproducing information and the side beams for following up the track.
US08284801B1
Method and apparatus for controlling an operating mode of an Ethernet media access controller (MAC) embedded in a programmable device is described. In some examples, a configuration circuit is configured to receive a configuration signal from configuration memory of the programmable device and a host signal from a host bus of the programmable device, and configured to output a control length check disable signal the value of which depends on the value of at least one of the configuration signal or the host signal. A parameter check circuit is configured to receive a control signal derived from at least one of the control length check disable signal or the configuration signal, and configured to selectively disable checking a length of each control frame in frames received by the Ethernet MAC based on a value of the control signal.
US08284799B2
Aspects of a method and system for supporting a variable and energy efficient data rate using a duty cycling technique and multiple power states on an Ethernet link are provided. In this regard, a data rate on a network link may be duty cycled based on characteristics of data communicated over it. The network link may operate at a first data rate for a first portion of the time interval and may operate at a second data rate for a second portion of the time interval. The duration of each portion of the time interval and/or the data rate during each portion of the time interval may be adjusted to control the duty cycling. Power consumed in a device connected to the network link may be controlled based on the duty cycling of the link.
US08284797B2
A method for wireless data transfer between first and second multimedia devices connected via a wireless connection operated according to a first wireless standard or to a second wireless standard, which are different from and/or not compatible with each other. The method includes: choosing the first wireless standard or the second wireless standard as a chosen wireless standard; processing connection commands, connection parameters, and/or connection data to obtain processed connection commands, processed connection parameters, and/or process connection data of the chosen wireless standard; and sending the process connection commands, process connection parameters, and/or process connection data out via the wireless connection according to the chosen wireless standard. The method thus enables a seamless switching from one wireless standard to another wireless standard, wherein upper layers do not notice the switching.
US08284793B2
A random backoff time can be determined and the transmission of an initial access probe can be delayed for the random backoff time. A backoff interval can be determined based on channel load, wherein the backoff interval defines a range from which the random backoff time is selected.
US08284790B1
A packet switch receives packets at an ingress port, generates enqueue records for the packets, and stores the enqueue records in an enqueue structure. The enqueue record of a packet includes a pass flag for indicating whether a permissive passing rule is applicable to the packet. The packet switch determines a routing order for the packets stored in the ingress port based on the enqueue records and a set of ordering rules including the permissive passing rule. If a packet is blocked in the packet switch, the packet switch identifies an oldest unblocked routable packet stored in the ingress port based on the enqueue records and the set of ordering rules. Further, the packet switch routes the oldest unblocked routable packet through the packet switch. In this way, the packet switch allows the oldest unblocked routable packet to pass the blocked packet in the packet switch.
US08284787B2
The subject invention provides a data structure and method for IP lookups, insertions, and deletions using a dynamic tree bitmap structure (DTBM) that utilizes an array of child pointers for each node instead of the typical TBM approach using one pointer to an array of children.
US08284786B2
The present method and system perform context aware deep pack inspection in a mobile IP data network. For doing so, the method and system collect real time data from mobile IP data sessions, analyze the real time data and differentiate user data traffic from control traffic. Then, the method and system extract control information from the control traffic and create a subscriber context. The subscriber context comprises the at least one unique identifier and the corresponding IP address.
US08284767B2
A call processing method, a call processing system and call processing equipment of a same number service are disclosed. The method includes: receiving a call which is initiated by a calling client and carries an initial called number, and sending a message of the called number with a same number service characteristic to first switching equipment in an IP network when the initial called number is a number of the same number service; and receiving a call request initiated by the first switching equipment, starting same number service processing of the initial called number according to the message carried in the call request, and calling a same number terminal corresponding to the initial called number. The embodiment of the invention helps realize the same number service between a SIP intelligent terminal in the IP network and ordinary terminals in other communication networks.
US08284764B1
The invention relates to a method for profiling VoIP activity in network traffic. The method includes obtaining a plurality of audio packets from a plurality of packets in the network traffic by analyzing a plurality of parameter sets based on a first pre-determined criterion, wherein each of the plurality of parameter sets corresponds to a packet of the plurality of packets and comprises a packet size and a packet arrival time associated with a corresponding packet of the plurality of packets, generating a count of an IP address by counting at least a portion of the plurality of audio packets, wherein each packet of the portion of the plurality of audio packets comprises the IP address, and identifying an endpoint corresponding to the IP address as a VoIP server and identifying the portion of the plurality of audio packets as VoIP activity associated with the VoIP server when the count exceeds a pre-determined threshold.
US08284762B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided a telephone system including; a plurality of exchanges interconnecting a plurality of communication terminals through a communication network, each exchange receiving from each communication terminal a connection request including an extension number of each communication terminal, based on authentication processing and including; a management data base where the extension number is correlated with an address information of a prescribed exchange; an acquisition processing unit retrieving the management data base based on the extension number when the connection request is received from the communication terminal and acquiring the address information; and a notification processing unit notifying the communication terminal of the address information of the acquired prescribed exchange. Each communication terminal comprises a reconnection request processing unit transmits the connection request to the address information of the prescribed exchange when the address information of the prescribed exchange is notified from the exchange.
US08284754B2
A multihop relay wireless communication system is provided. A Base Station (BS) includes a calculator for calculating an ACKnowledge (ACK)/Non ACK (NACK) transmission time of at least one Relay Station (RS) using retransmission parameter values, and a transmitter for transmitting the ACK/NACK transmission time information to the at least one RS.
US08284751B2
The invention relates to a communications system for airport signalling devices. In said system, the series or parallel circuits used for supplying electricity to the signalling devices are used for the communication between a control device, a central communication device and signalling devices. The OFDM method is preferably used to transmit signals and decentralised communications devices, which are assigned to the signalling devices and preferably have elements for preparing the signals, are dynamically configured in an adaptive manner during the active operation of the system by a central communication device.
US08284750B2
An apparatus or method for transmitting data blocks on a communications channel having a radio link between two stations including a user equipment comprises receiving first data blocks from the user equipment, and transmitting second data blocks to the user equipment. A polling interval is dynamically set for the transmission of polling messages to the user equipment after transmission of the second data blocks, the polling interval being set in accordance with at least one of: a size of one or more data blocks received by the apparatus from the user equipment, a size of one or more blocks transmitted from the apparatus to the user equipment, and a service to which the user equipment is subscribed. The apparatus may be used as a PCU in a cellular mobile telephone system.
US08284738B2
Communications in a mobile network are scheduled by defining reservation frames having time slots during which network nodes can transmit certain traffic loads while avoiding interference. The nodes maintain maps that identify the slots as either free or reserved based on each node's existing reservations, and reservation information the node receives from neighboring nodes. A node wishing to transmit traffic determines the number of slots required to carry the traffic, selects a first set of slots from among those identified in its maps as free, and transmits a reservation initiation message (RIM) that identifies the first set of slots. Nodes receiving the RIM determine which, if any, of the first set of slots are already reserved based on their own maps, and transmit counter reservation initiation messages (CRIMs) if any slots are reserved. The CRIMs also identify those slots that the CRIM transmitting nodes determine to be currently free.
US08284722B2
A method of transmitting data in a wireless communication system includes allocating persistent resources, monitoring a control channel according to the persistent resources so as to find a scheduling grant, the scheduling grant comprising information on uplink radio resources and transmitting data using the uplink radio resources by overriding the persistent resources when the scheduling grant on the control channel is found.
US08284712B2
The present invention discloses a method for implementing a redirection service for UEs sharing a PUI in an IMS, comprising: when a UE in a PN registers at a PNM AS, the PNM AS fetching the UE Identity and establishing a corresponding relationship between the identity and the PUI; when determining to route an initial request message of a terminating call of a UE in the PN routed by an original S-CSCF to a configured UE sharing the PUI, the PNM AS adding the configured UE Identity into a redirected initial request message and sending it to the original S-CSCF which forwards the message to a redirection S-CSCF; and the redirection S-CSCF uniquely locating the configured UE according to the identity or both the identity and the PUI in the message. The present invention can redirect a session initial request to a configured UE sharing a PUI with other UEs.
US08284709B2
A method for reporting a channel status in a mobile communication system including a relay station (RS) is provided. When a mobile terminal in the coverage of a base station (BS) receives a service through an RS, the RS reports a channel status between the RS and the terminal to the BS to allow the BS to decide whether or not to communicate with the terminal through the RS. In the method, a first RS in communication with a BS and at least one terminal measures a channel quality with a first terminal and compares the measured channel quality with a threshold and transmits a report message to the BS according to the comparison. The report message is to request the BS to measure a channel quality of at least one of a second RS and the first terminal in communication with the BS.
US08284706B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate reducing battery consumption during periods of inactivity intermixed with traffic bursts in wireless communications systems. A semi-connected mode is provided that fast recognition of mobile devices upon wakeup and access while enabling mobile devices to operate in reduce power states. A mobile device operates in a semi-connected mode with all base stations in an active set of the mobile device. Moreover, mechanisms are provided to notify mobile devices of pending data while avoiding latency associated with paging channels.
US08284703B2
A method and apparatus of scheduling and transmitting uplink packets within uplink sub-frames of a wireless system is disclosed. The method includes determining a size of a standard data unit, and determining if the standard data unit can be transmitted within a single sub-channel of an uplink frame by comparing the size of the standard data unit with a number of bits that can be transmitted within the uplink frame as determined by an uplink quality. If the standard data unit is too large to be transmitted within a single sub-channel of an uplink frame, then the standard data unit is divided into sub-data units. The sub-data units are transmitted over multiple uplink frames.
US08284698B2
A computer-implemented method receives a set of data regarding a layout of a network, where the data specifies the interconnection of linear facilities and specifies at least one network point that is disconnected from the network. The computer-implemented method further determines a closest one of the linear facilities to the at least one network point based on the set of data and shifts the at least one network point to connect the at least one network point to the network based on a distance between a vertex associated with the closest one of the linear facilities and the at least one network point. The computer-implemented method also shifts the closest one of the linear facilities to connect the at least one network point in the network based on a distance associated with a linear projection from the at least one network point to the closest one of the linear facilities.
US08284697B2
A system and method for exactly estimating a volume of traffic is provided when packets are transferred within the network. The system and method receive data packets from clients through a plurality of router-for-clients, and creating a flow information packet for estimating information about a flow, transfer the data packets and the created flow information packet to the destination router-for-client via a router-for-relay, calculate information about the traffic of a flow at the destination router-for-client through the flow information packets transferred from the router-for-clients, and estimate a volume of the traffic. Thus, the system and method can estimate the volume of the traffic on the network with respect to the aggregated flow defined by the router pair connected to the terminal or the external network when the traffic is actually introduced into the network, instead of the flows of each terminal and each destination.
US08284694B2
Apparatuses and methods of using multiple radios of a wireless access node of a wireless network are disclosed. One method includes selecting a 4.9 GHz radio exclusively for public safety data packets, selecting other radios for other types of data packets, and selecting other radios for public safety data packets depending upon specification by a network operator.
US08284686B2
A method selects antennas in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) wireless local area network (WLAN) that includes a plurality of stations, and each station includes a set of antennas. Plural consecutive packets, received at a station, include plural consecutive sounding packets. Each sounding packet corresponds to a different subset of the set of antennas, and at least one of the plural consecutive packets includes a high throughput (HT) control field including a signal to initiate antenna selection and a number N indicative of a number of sounding packets which follow the at least one packet including the HT control field and which are to be used for antenna selection. A channel matrix is estimated based on a characteristic of the channel as indicated by the received N sounding packets, and a subset of antennas is selected according to the channel matrix. Station and computer program product embodiments include similar features.
US08284685B2
A method and apparatus for managing a virtual private network are disclosed. For example, the method collects performance data for at least one parameter from a plurality of customer edge routers and a plurality of provider edge routers associated with the virtual private network. The method correlates the performance data for identifying one or more performance exceptions based on a threshold for each of the at least one parameter, and performs a trending analysis using the one or more performance exceptions to predict a potential problem that will impact the virtual private network.
US08284674B2
A method includes selecting a first communications network from a plurality of communications networks based on one or more aircraft state inputs. The one or more aircraft state inputs include at least one of a flight phase, a flight event, an aircraft position, an aircraft trajectory, an aircraft state, and an aircraft distance from a ground station. The method further includes transmitting data over the first communication network. The method further includes selecting a second communications network from the plurality of communications networks based on a change in the one or more aircraft state inputs.
US08284672B2
Provided are a system and method for recovering from failure of a path connecting first and second nodes in a communications network. In one example, the method includes identifying that the path has failed. Contexts affected by the path failure are deleted on the first node, and the second node with which the path was shared is notified that the contexts have been deleted.
US08284659B2
When a communication apparatus (server device) that includes wireless access means and can send content data by using the wireless access means starts sending content data, it calculates a communication band that remains available for the server device to perform communication, so that any content that has a rate equal to or greater than the remaining communication band may not be publicized open to and may not hence be sent to a client device.
US08284656B2
A system and method for multi-nodal APS (MN-APS) protection switching for a virtual private LAN service (VPLS) using a redundant pair of PE (provider edge) nodes is provided. In the event of an APS switchover, the previously active node of the redundant pair sends explicit requests to the other provider edge nodes to flush their MAC address entries that they had previously learned through the previously active node, facilitating quicker re-convergence and reduction of black-holing.
US08284649B1
In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, a method, product, apparatus and system is disclosed. In some aspects of the present disclosure, a method of writing data to a data storage device is described that includes acquiring data from a data source; encoding the data in a format for writing; and embedding the encoded data into one or more periodic structures formed by controlled chatter patterning onto a substrate of the data storage device.
US08284644B2
A focus jump technique enables focus control on recording layers of a disc in such a manner that its effect is not absorbed by disturbance or a variation in the movement speed of an objective lens. The technique involves monitoring level of a focus error signal and rejecting noise from the error signal. A speed sensor detects movement speed of an objective lens; and a speed control circuit generates a voltage for controlling the objective lens, based on the detected movement speed. Movement speed of the objective lens is detected during focus jump, a corresponding lens drive signal is generated, and an end position is determined from behavior of the error signal immediately before the end of the jump. A focus control is pulled, from a focus point corresponding to one recording layer, into a focus point corresponding to another recording layer forcibly in a stable manner.
US08284642B2
An optical disk apparatus according to the present invention includes: a controller 111, which receives an instruction that a layer-to-layer jump be performed from a current layer to a target layer; a layer-to-layer jump control section 146, which adjusts a spherical aberration correction value to the target layer and then gets the layer-to-layer jump attempted; a decision section 146 for determining whether the layer-to-layer jump has been carried out successfully; and a layer determining section 146 for determining, if the focus position has been set on a non-target storage layer as a result of the layer-to-layer jump, where the non-target storage layer is located in the optical disk. The layer-to-layer jump control section 146 shifts the focus position of the light beam from that non-target storage layer to the target layer by reference to information indicating which of the multiple storage layers the non-target storage layer is.
US08284638B2
A storage medium with electronic paper is provided with a disk drive that can refresh the display on the electronic paper using a simple arrangement.A disk drive includes a motor that generates rotational force and a drive shaft support for clamping a disk thereon by contacting with the disk and for turning the disk thereon by the rotational force. The drive shaft support includes at least one output terminal for outputting an electrical signal. If the disk includes electronic paper on which the display is refreshable in response to the electrical signal, the at least one output terminal of the disk drive is arranged so as to contact with at least one input terminal that is arranged on the disk to supply the electrical signal to the electronic paper.
US08284628B2
A voltage regulator includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a feedback unit, a comparison unit, a first control unit and a second control unit. The first transistor is controlled by the feedback unit and the comparison unit, for stabilizing the voltage of the output node. When the first control unit turns on the second transistor, the voltage of the output node rises. When the first control unit turns off the second transistor, it triggers the second control unit turning on the third transistor, so the first transistor is turned on completely. Therefore, when the third transistor is turned off, the first transistor can be controlled by the feedback unit and the comparison unit for stabilizing the voltage of the output node.
US08284612B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes memory cells, holding circuits, and a logical gate chain. The memory cells are associated with columns. The holding circuits are associated with the columns and capable of holding first information indicating whether associated one of the columns is a verify-failed column or not. The logical gate chain includes a plurality of first logical gates associated with the columns and connected in series. Each of the first logical gates outputs a logical level to a next-stage first logical gate in a series connection. The logical level indicates whether the verify-failed column exists or not based on the first information in associated one of the holding circuit. The content indicated by the logical level output from each of the first logical gates is inverted using one of the first logical gates associated with the verify-failed column as a border.
US08284609B2
To program a set of non-volatile storage elements, a set of programming pulses are applied to the control gates (or other terminals) of the non-volatile storage elements. The programming pulses have pulse widths that vary as a function of simulated pulse magnitude data. The programming pulses can also have pulse magnitudes that vary based on measurements taken while testing the set of non-volatile storage elements. In one embodiment, the pulse widths are determined after simulation performed prior to fabrication of the non-volatile storage elements. In another embodiment, the pulse magnitudes are calculated after fabrication of the non-volatile storage elements.
US08284586B2
Optical and optoelectronic devices and methods of making same. Under one aspect, an optical device includes an integrated circuit an array of conductive regions; and an optically sensitive material over at least a portion of the integrated circuit and in electrical communication with at least one conductive region of the array of conductive regions. Under another aspect, a method of forming a nanocrystalline film includes fabricating a plurality of nanocrystals having a plurality of first ligands attached to their outer surfaces; exchanging the first ligands for second ligands of different chemical composition than the first ligands; forming a film of the ligand-exchanged nanocrystals; removing the second ligands; and fusing the cores of adjacent nanocrystals in the film to form an electrical network of fused nanocrystals. Under another aspect, a film includes a network of fused nanocrystals, the nanocrystals having a core and an outer surface, wherein the core of at least a portion of the fused nanocrystals is in direct physical contact and electrical communication with the core of at least one adjacent fused nanocrystal, and wherein the film has substantially no defect states in the regions where the cores of the nanocrystals are fused.
US08284576B2
A multi-module bidirectional power converter may comprise a low side common node, a high side common node and at least first and second bidirectional DC/DC converter modules. The modules may comprise first and second low voltage switches, first and second high voltage switches and a transformer. The transformer may comprise a low side winding having first and second legs and a high side winding having first and second legs. The first leg of the low side winding may be connected with the first and second low voltage switches of the module. The second leg of the low side winding may be connected with the low side common node of the multi-module bidirectional power converter. The first leg of the high side winding may be connected with the first and second high voltage switches of the module. The second leg of the high side winding may be connected to the high side common node of the multi-module bidirectional power converter. Such an arrangement may provide operability of the multi-module bidirectional power converter with any one or more of the modules so that efficiency is maintained when electrical loads are high and so that Zero Voltage Switching is maintained when electrical loads are low.
US08284573B2
A synchronous rectifier circuit (DC-DC converter) includes a CR integration circuit and a discharge circuit. The CR integration circuit outputs a voltage that varies at delayed timing as compared with a voltage induced in a secondary-side main winding. The discharge circuit discharges a gate voltage of a rectifier transistor as a result of conduction of a discharge transistor in response to the output voltage from the CR integration circuit. According to such a configuration, the rectifier transistor is turned off earlier than the timing of switching of polarity of voltages induced in the secondary-side main winding and a secondary-side auxiliary winding in response to turn-on of a primary-side transistor.
US08284560B2
An apparatus for monitoring the thickness of a conductive layer on a substrate includes a support to hold a substrate having a conductive layer, an eddy current monitoring system including a first plurality of core portions, and a motor to cause relative motion between the support and the eddy current monitoring system such that the substrate moves across the first plurality of core portions in a direction that defines a first axis. At least one core portion is positioned further from a second axis than at least two other core portions. The second axis is orthogonal to the first axis.
US08284559B2
A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application is virtually “fastenerless” and includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material that is molded to provide details to accept audio devices such as playback mechanisms (if desired) and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides EMC, RFI, BCI and ESD shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. The PCB architecture is bifurcated into a first board carrying common circuit components in a surface mount configuration suitable for high volume production, and a second board carrying application specific circuit components in a wave soldered stick mount configuration. The major components and subassemblies are self-fixturing during the final assembly process, eliminating the need for dedicated tools, fixtures and assembly equipment. The major components and subassemblies self-interconnect by integral guide and connection features effecting “slide lock” and “snap lock” self-interconnection. The radio architecture includes improved push buttons employing 4-bar living hinge linkage and front loaded decorative trim buttons.
US08284557B2
Provided are a circuit board which meets requirement of suppressing peeling of a through hole conductor, a mounting structure and a method for manufacturing the circuit board. A circuit board (2) is provided with a base (5) and a through hole conductor (11). The base is provided with a fiber layer (9) and a through hole (S). The fiber layer has a single fiber (8) arranged along one direction and a resin for covering the single fiber (8). The through hole (S) penetrates the fiber layer (9), and the through hole conductor is formed in the through hole. The single fiber (8) partially protrudes to the side of the through hole conductor (11) from an inner wall surface of the through hole (S), and the protruded part is covered with the through hole conductor (11).
US08284556B2
This invention is to provide an electronic substrate device which is capable of reliably and stably transferring heat generated by a heat generating component to a base member serving as a heat dissipater without intermediation of an electronic substrate. An electronic substrate device according to the present invention, in which a base member (10A) includes a central protruding portion (15A) which is accommodated in a penetrating portion (32A) while facing a die pad (42A) through an intermediation of a first gap (G1), and first separated protruding portions (17a and 17b) which are provided around the central protruding portion (15A) and have a height dimension smaller than that of the central protruding portion (15A), the first separated protruding portions (17a and 17b) having a top surface which abuts a rear surface portion of the electronic substrate (30A) to form a second gap (G2), and in which a first heat transfer bond (16A) which is a heat conductive adhesive is applied to the first gap (G1) and the second gap (G2) communicating with the first gap (G1).
US08284555B2
A heat-dissipated fastener including a heat-dissipated plate, an elastic frame and a heat sink module is provided. The elastic frame includes a sheet element, multiple connecting ribs and multiple attaching portions. Two elastic arms extend from two corresponding sides of the sheet element, respectively. The attaching portions are located below the sheet element and attached to the heat-dissipated plate. The connecting ribs are connected to the attaching portion and the sheet element, and an accommodating space is formed by the connecting ribs, the sheet element and the heat-dissipated plate to accommodate the heat sink module. When the heat-dissipated plate is attached to the heat source and the elastic arms are bent and fixed to the circuit board of the heat source, the connecting ribs exert force on the heat-dissipated plate vertically, respectively.
US08284554B2
An electronic handset device includes a panel pivotally coupled to a base housing portion wherein the panel is pivotal between closed and opened configurations relative to the base housing portion. A movable housing portion is slidably coupled to the panel and is pivotal in unison with the panel. A user interface on the panel is concealed by the movable housing portion when the movable housing portion slides to a closed configuration relative to the panel, and the user interface is exposed when the movable housing portion slides to an opened configuration relative to the panel.
US08284551B2
An apparatus includes an enclosure, a first interconnect card, a second interconnect card, and a connection circuit board. The enclosure receives a first data storage device and a second data storage device. The first interconnect card is connected to the first data storage device. The second interconnect card is connected to the second data storage device. The second interconnect card includes an external connector which is capable of connecting to a peripheral apparatus outside of the enclosure. The connection circuit board is connected to the first and the second interconnect cards. The first data storage device communicates with the external connector via the first interconnect card, the connection circuit board, and the second interconnect card. The second interconnect card communicates with the external connector via the second interconnect card.
US08284545B2
An electronic reader includes a cover, a middle frame and a paper clamping mechanism. The cover defines a hollow space and includes a bezel defining an opening. The middle frame is secured within the hollow space and includes a connection portion extending between two edges of the opening. The paper clamping mechanism is used for clamping paper on the electronic reader and includes a clamping member, a pivot, and an elastic element. The clamping member is received in the opening and defines a sliding groove. Two ends of the pivot extend through the sliding groove and are received in the bezel, which movably connects the clamping member to the cover. The elastic element is fixed on the bezel to apply a pushing force to the clamping member. Two ends of the clamping member resist the elastic element and the connection portion respectively.
US08284540B2
The present invention provides a process of producing an activated carbon for an electric double layer capacitor, which can produce easily and inexpensively an activated carbon free from fusing of carbon particles during activation and having a small diameter, a uniform particle diameter, and a relatively large specific surface area on a commercial scale. The process comprises the steps of calcining an easily graphitizable carbon material so that the reduction rates of the hydrogen/carbon atomic ratio (H/C) and the volatile components in the carbon material are 4 percent or more and 5 percent or more, respectively after calcination and activating the carbon material thereby producing an activated carbon for an electric double layer capacitor, having an average particle diameter of 0.5 to 7 μm and a BET specific surface area of 1500 to 3000 m2/g.
US08284533B2
A semiconductor device includes, a high side drive circuit for controlling the high side power device and including a circuit load, a low side drive circuit for controlling the low side power device, a VCC terminal connected to the low side drive circuit and for supplying a VCC potential to the low side drive circuit, the VCC potential serving as a power supply potential to the low side drive circuit, a bootstrap diode connected at its anode to the VCC terminal and at its cathode to the high side drive circuit and used to produce a VB potential serving as a power supply potential to the high side drive circuit, and means for turning off the circuit load before the VB potential becomes lower than the VCC potential.
US08284531B2
A voltage protection arrangement for an electronic device, in particular for a control system in automation engineering has a great functionality, and also a greater range of applications, due to the fact that the arrangement has a switching-off unit and a voltage detection unit connected to the output of the switching-off unit, the switching-off unit having a voltage comparator and a normally electrically closed switch connected to the output of the voltage comparator, arranged between the input and the output of the switching-off unit, wherein the voltage detection unit has a voltage comparator and a switch output connected to the output of the voltage comparator for signaling an impermissible voltage, and wherein, in the event of an impermissible voltage occurring at the input of the switching-off unit, the electrical switch is opened and, in the event of a subsequent permissible voltage occurring, the switch is closed again.
US08284522B2
A system and method for reducing resonance in a data transfer system are herein disclosed. A data transfer system comprises a bearing and a guide member. The bearing further comprises an outer ring. The guide member is arranged relative to the bearing so as to guide the outer ring for movement relative to the guide member, and to induce an axial preload in the bearing assembly.
US08284511B2
Systems, methods and computer program products for writing and reading a plurality of data sets and error codes are described. In some implementations, a magnetic disk controller can be provided that includes an error code unit configured to generate one or more error codes for each of a plurality of data sets to be written onto corresponding sectors of a medium. The magnetic disk controller can also include a buffer unit configured to store each data set and an error code in an associated buffer, and an encoding unit configured to encode the plurality of data sets. In some implementations, at least one data set is encoded concurrently with the buffer unit storing another different data set in the associated buffer. The magnetic disk controller can also include a control unit configured to write each encoded data set and a corresponding error code onto a corresponding sector.
US08284507B2
A lens barrel includes a lens frame which is movable while supporting a lens; and a restriction portion configured to restrict movement of the lens frame by contacting the lens frame. The lens frame and the restriction portion contact each other at a plurality of points.
US08284505B2
A voice coil motor includes a movable member, a base, and a first elastic member. The movable member comprises a barrel, and a plurality of fixing posts protrudes from the bottom of the barrel. The base defines a through hole, a plurality of recessed portions, and a plurality of concavities. The axis of through hole is coaxial with the barrel. The recessed portions surround the aperture. Each of the recessed portions is arranged between two concavities. The depth of the recessed portion is less than the height of the fixing post, and the depth of the concavity is larger than that of the recessed portion. The elastic member comprises an elastic portion, which defines a first fixing hole. The fixing post extends through the first fixing hole and is received in the recessed portion.
US08284498B2
A zoom lens comprising, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit of a positive refractive power, a second lens unit of a negative refractive power, a third lens unit of a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit of a positive refractive power. In zooming, the first lens unit is configured fixed and the second, third, and fourth lens units are configured movable. The following conditions are satisfied where f3st is a movement amount of the third lens unit associated with zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, f3 is a focal length of the third lens unit, β2w is a lateral magnification of the second lens unit at the wide angle end, and z is a zoom ratio, 0.010<(|f3st|/f3)/z<0.045, and −0.33<β2w<−0.20.
US08284495B2
A zoom lens system of the present invention has a plurality of lens units each composed of at least one lens element and, in order from the object side to the image side, comprises: a first lens unit having negative optical power and composed of two lens elements; a second lens unit having positive optical power; and a third lens unit having positive optical power, wherein in zooming, the lens units are moved such that an interval between the first lens unit and the second lens unit should decrease and that an interval between the second lens unit and the third lens unit should increase, so that magnification change is achieved, and wherein the condition is satisfied: 1.5
US08284483B2
A method for acquiring signals in laser scanning microscopy, includes the steps of: moving a focused optical excitation beam relative to an object to be measured so that the focus point of the beam follows a predetermined path in the space of the object; and acquiring optical measurement signals along the path according to at least one acquisition parameter; characterized in that the path of the excitation beam is determined so as to substantially minimize the variations of the optical properties of at least one portion of the environments crossed by the excitation beam between consecutive acquisitions, and in that at least one acquisition parameter among the acquisition parameters is modulated during the movement of the excitation beam. A device for implementing the method is also described.
US08284482B2
A microscope or stereomicroscope for representing an object that can be placed on an object plane of the stereomicroscope provides at least one pair of optical paths and comprises at least one deflection element with a reflecting surface and a representation system containing several optical elements. The optical elements include a plurality of lenses. In addition, the optical elements are configured in such a way that pupil planes of the optical representation paths intersect the reflecting surface of the deflection element or are located at a distance from said reflecting surface less than 1.5 times the diameter of one of the reflecting surfaces along the optical representation paths on the closest lens of the plurality of lenses. An alternative embodiment provides a stereomicroscope with a particularly compact construction, in which at least one pair of optical representation paths is reflected on a first, second, third, and fourth reflecting surface.
US08284481B2
An objective lens to be fitted into a fitting hole of a nosepiece of a microscope includes an imaging lens that is composed of a plurality of lens groups, and a lens barrel that holds the imaging lens. The lens barrel is formed with a fitting portion that is fitted to the fitting hole of the nosepiece and provided at an outer circumference of a tip portion side away by a given distance from the tip portion where a first lens group in the imaging lens is held, and a mount surface that comes into contact with a contact surface of the fitting hole of the nosepiece upon fitting at the fitting portion. The nosepiece is equipped with the objective lens. The inverted microscope is equipped with the nosepiece fitting the objective lens.
US08284473B2
A dual active electrochromic device is a combination of at least two working electrodes that contain electrochromic materials and at least one counter electrode where the potentials between each working electrode and a counter electrode are independently supplied. No more than one electrode is reflective. The color of the device results from the additive color of the electrochromic materials and varies according to the potentials applied independently. The electrochromic materials can be electrochromic polymers that are deposited as film on substrates to form the working electrodes. The electrochromic device can be used for display or window applications.
US08284469B2
An apparatus for reading a data page from and/or writing a data page to a holographic storage medium includes a common aperture arrangement of one or more reference beams and an object beam or a reconstructed object beam. One or more spatial light modulators are provided for generating the one or more reference beams by modulating a light beam with a modulation pattern having a spatial frequency higher than the spatial frequency of the data page.
US08284462B2
Disclosed is an image reading device configured to read information of an object, including an imaging optical system configured to image an image of an object and an image-capturing device configured to image-capture at least a portion of the image imaged by the imaging optical system, wherein the imaging optical system includes a first optical system configured to image an intermediate image of the object and a second optical system configured to image the imaged image of the intermediate image.
US08284459B2
A page image is acquired. Area information that includes information on existence or absence of a text area and a picture area is extracted from the acquired page image. The page image is divided into a plurality of blocks. An image feature amount of each of the divided blocks is calculated. Whether the page image includes a picture area is determined on the basis of the extracted area information and the calculated image feature amounts of the blocks.
US08284458B2
A detecting unit detects output-prohibit area information indicating an output-prohibit area from image data. An identifying unit identifies the output-prohibit area in the image data based on the output-prohibit area information detected by the detecting unit. A masking unit performs a masking on the output-prohibit area identified by the identifying unit. A rearranging unit rearranges an image of an area other than the output-prohibit area over the output-prohibit area on which the masking is performed by the masking unit. An outputting unit outputs image data obtained by rearranging the image by the rearranging unit.
US08284454B2
An image forming apparatus includes a hyper print video controller (HPVC) to generate video data from input data, an engine controller to compensate for a dot offset of the video data and to output the dot offset-compensated video data, and a laser scanning unit to perform a print operation according to the dot offset compensated video data. Therefore, HPVC size is reduced so that chip size can be reduced. This reduction in size accordingly reduces power consumption, and enhances chip efficiency.
US08284453B2
There is provided an image processing apparatus having an image segmentation unit that divides image formation into image areas in a first direction, a random number memory that stores random numbers, a reference position determination unit that determines a reference position so as to vary in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a pixel determination unit that determines a pixel as a target to be subjected to correction processing of pixel insertion into or pixel reduction from each of the image areas, for the each of the image areas, according to the stored random numbers and the determined reference position, among pixels in the each of the image areas, and an image width change unit that performs the correction processing on the determined pixel to change an image width of the image information in the first direction.
US08284452B2
A method is disclosed for screening color separations of a lenticular image with a lenticular frequency of the lenticular lenses needed for viewing the lenticular image. An amplitude-modulated halftone image is calculated for each of the color separations at a screen angle and at a screen frequency, the tangent of the screen angle being a rational number. For a specific color separation, a screen angle relating to the direction perpendicular to the image strips of the lenticular image is defined, a pair of whole numbers whose ratio is equal to the tangent of the screen angle is determined, and the screen frequency of the color separation is calculated as the product of the lenticular frequency and the square root of the sum of the squares of the two whole numbers. For the purpose of producing lenticular images on a printing material, the color separations calculated in accordance with this method are in each case exposed onto a printing form, and the exposed printing forms are printed off in a press in the overprint on a printing material, so that a multicolor lenticular image is produced on the printing material.
US08284449B2
An image forming apparatus is provided which associates specific folders, which are set for specific setting items, with a specific file, and performs operations on the specific file according to the settings of the specific folders. The image forming apparatus includes an associating unit that associates a file having setting on its own file with one of the specific folders, and a setting contents substituting unit that substitutes setting contents of the specific folder with setting contents of the own file.
US08284439B2
An image forming method for printing on tab paper with a main body for a text and an tab for an index, comprising the steps of: 1) acquiring index information on the index to be printed on the tab, and 2) printing the index information acquired in the step 1) on the tab paper, wherein first index information composed of the initial part of the index information that can fit into the tab, is printed on the tab, and second index information containing at least the remaining part of the index information after depriving it of the first index information, is printed on the main body.
US08284434B2
A configuration of an image forming system that includes an image forming apparatus and at least one of a paper feed apparatus and a post-process apparatus is defined based on system configuration information including a combination of identification information for the apparatuses and setting information for the order of arrangement of the apparatuses corresponding to the identification information without using a dedicated line connection.
US08284428B2
A printer driver for printing a document at a printer. The printer driver is configured to: (i) receive a visual description for the document from a first memory, the visual description describing a graphic impression for printing; (ii) send print data corresponding to the graphic impression to the printer; and (iii) archive the visual description for a page of the document in a second memory.
US08284407B2
A portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) is provided. The AACMM includes a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends. The arm includes a plurality of connected arm segments, each of the arm segments including at least one position transducer for producing a position signal. A measurement device is attached to a first end of the AACMM. An electronic circuit is provided for receiving the position signals from the transducers and for providing data corresponding to a position of the measurement device. A light source is coupled to the arm and disposed to emit light adjacent the measurement device.
US08284406B2
The present invention provides a displacement measurement method, an apparatus thereof, a probe microscope. which make it possible to stably measure an amount of displacement and a moving distance of an object under measurement with an accuracy of the sub-nanometer order or below without being affected by disturbances such as fluctuations of air, mechanical vibration.Specifically, with the present invention, a pulsed beam is split into two; one beam is reflected by an object under measurement and then inputted to a delay optical path equivalent to one pulse period; and the other beam is sent through the same delay optical path in the opposite direction up to the object under measurement with a delay of one pulse period, and then reflected by the object under measurement. Then, an optical phase variation caused by the movement of the object under measurement is obtained by subjecting the two pulsed beams to interference.
US08284402B2
A detector assembly for analysis of light emitted form a fluorescent material, an optical alignment assembly for introducing an output beam into a detector array or demultiplexer, and methods of demultiplexing a beam of light into wavelength bands. The detector assembly generally includes an optical alignment assembly to introduce an output beam having a projected optical axis into an array of filters. The optical alignment assembly is mounted substantially orthogonally to a plane of reflective light defined by the path of the output beam through the filter array. The array includes filters arranged in two rows in parallel. Each filter transmits a particular band of the output beam and reflects the remaining bands to the next filter in the opposite row of filters. The array further includes a plurality of detectors mounted in detector ports. The optical alignment assembly presented herein generally includes a housing configured to receive an optical fiber, at least one collimating lens, a rotatable housing member with a beam reflecting element attached thereto. The optical alignment assembly is adjustable to introduce an output beam into a detector array utilizing a rotational adjustment mechanism and a goniometric tilt adjustment mechanism. These two mechanisms ensure that the point of entry of a light beam into the array remains at a fixed point in space despite the rotation or tilt of the rotatable housing member.
US08284400B1
A hand-held color measurement device is provided that includes a housing with a measurement unit which receives measurement light through a measurement window, converts it into measurement signals, processes the measurement signals to form digital color measurement data, and provides it via a communications interface. A U-shaped bracket is arranged on the housing and includes a middle portion in which a diffuser is integrated. The two side arms of the bracket are rotatably mounted on the housing such that the bracket can be pivoted by 180° from a monitor position to an ambient light position and back to the monitor position, and wherein the diffuser lies in front of the measurement window in the ambient light position and is situated at a rear wall of the housing opposite the front wall in the monitor position. A holding mechanism is provided on the housing and on the two side arms of the bracket which fixes the bracket in its monitor position or ambient light position, respectively. The hand-held color measurement device is simple in design and specially suitable for monitor, projection area and ambient light measurements.
US08284395B2
A wafer surface measuring apparatus which measures a surface of the wafer by irradiating a laser beam on a wafer comprising a measuring stage that supports the outer edge of the wafer and loads the wafer in a manner not contacting the rear surface of the wafer and the stage surface, a wafer carrying means that moves the wafer over the measuring stage and loads the wafer on the measuring stage from an upward side, a rotary drive unit which rotates the measuring stage, and an ejection hole formed at a center portion of the stage surface to supply gas to a rear surface of the wafer loaded on the measuring stage. The wafer carrying means includes a chuck which sucks and holds the surface of the wafer in a non-contact manner and bends the wafer in an upwardly convex shape.
US08284394B2
Methods and systems for determining a characteristic of a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output responsive to light from the wafer using an inspection system. The output includes first output corresponding to defects on the wafer and second output that does not correspond to the defects. The method also includes determining the characteristic of the wafer using the second output. One system includes an inspection subsystem configured to illuminate the wafer and to generate output responsive to light from the wafer. The output includes first output corresponding to defects on the wafer and second output that does not correspond to the defects. The system also includes a processor configured to determine the characteristic of the wafer using the second output.
US08284378B2
An illumination optical system includes first and second reflection integrators. The second reflection integrator forms a plurality of linear light sources using light from the first reflection integrator. The illumination optical system further includes a pair of flat plane mirrors that are arranged parallel to the meridional line direction on the second reflection integrator and opposite to each other so as to sandwich the plurality of linear light sources in between, a unit for changing an aperture shape of an aperture stop arranged at an exit side of the second reflection integrator in a direction perpendicular to the meridional line direction so that the aperture stop has an optical Fourier transformation relationship with the surface to be illuminated, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust an interval between the pair of flat plane mirrors as the aperture shape of the aperture stop is changed.
US08284374B2
A liquid crystal display device capable of improving a contrast ratio is provided. The device includes a first substrate including a first alignment film and a first polarizing film having a first transmission axis parallel to an alignment direction of the first alignment film, a second substrate including a second alignment film and a second polarizing film having a second transmission axis perpendicular to the first transmission axis of the first polarizing film, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, the liquid crystal layer including a dichroic dye, wherein the liquid crystal is aligned in horizontal direction.
US08284370B2
A mobile communication device comprises: a liquid crystal (LC) panel; a drive integrated circuit connected to the LC panel; a keypad printed circuit board (PCB) having a keypad connected to the drive integrated circuit; a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) for connecting the drive integrated circuit and the keypad PCB to each other; a backlight assembly having an outer case, for supplying light to the LC panel; and a fixing member for fixing the FPCB and one end of the outer case of the backlight assembly by adhering to each other. The mobile communication device prevents a part of light emitted from an optical source from being displayed on a screen with a high brightness.
US08284355B2
The present invention has an object to provide an active matrix substrate, a liquid crystal display panel, a liquid crystal display element, a liquid crystal display device, and a substrate for liquid crystal display panel, each capable of suppressing generation of uneven cell gap without increase in a parasitic capacitance of a wiring. The active matrix substrate of the present invention is an active matrix substrate including a spacer on a substrate, wherein the spacer includes a base layer and a covering layer, the base layer being buried in the covering layer.
US08284347B2
A backlight (illumination device) according to the present invention includes a plurality of light sources, and a light guiding body for causing light emitted from the light sources to be emitted from a light emitting surface. The light sources are provided inside the light guiding body, and emit light in directions which are substantially parallel to a light emitting surface of the light guiding body. At least two of the plurality of light sources emit the light in directions which are different from each other. More specifically, at least two of the plurality of light sources are provided so as to face each other, and provided so that one of the plurality of light sources emits light toward the other one of the plurality of light sources, and vice versa.
US08284340B2
An LCD device preventing a short-circuit of adjacent link lines is disclosed. The LCD device includes a pixel area in which a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing the plurality of gate lines at a right angle are formed, a pad area formed at a side of the pixel area, a gate pad portion and a data pad portion formed in the pad area and respectively connected to the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of data lines, first, second, third, and fourth gate link lines connected to the plurality of gate lines and the gate pad portion and alternately arranged with an insulation layer interposed between the first, second, third, and fourth gate link lines, and first and second auto probe pads electrically connected to the first, second, third, and fourth gate link lines. The first and second gate link lines are connected to the first auto probe pad and the third and fourth gate link lines are connected to the second auto probe pad.
US08284331B2
A projective display is signally connected with an electronic device capable of exporting an image, so as to allow a user to optionally view the image exported by the electronic device, wherein the projective display comprises: a transparent liquid crystal display assembly, which is signally connected with the electronic device; a light-emitting device, which emits a light to the liquid crystal display assembly; and a backlight module, which is aligned to a rear side of the liquid crystal display assembly for providing a surface light source to the liquid crystal display assembly so that the liquid crystal display assembly can function as an ordinary display, wherein, when the light-emitting device emits the light to the liquid crystal display assembly, and the backlight module is displaced from or not aligned to the rear side of the liquid crystal display assembly, the light emitted by the light-emitting device can pierce through the liquid crystal display assembly and make an image presented on the liquid crystal display assembly further magnified and projected onto a specific projection surface. Thereupon, the liquid crystal display assembly is endowed with a dual purpose.
US08284330B2
A display apparatus comprising a display module, a front panel provided in front of the display module, a light shielding layer provided over the front panel near a periphery of the front panel, and a reflective layer formed to overlap with the light shielding layer.
US08284329B2
An electronic device assembly includes a protective apparatus, a first electronic member, and a pivotal mechanism. The protective apparatus includes an upper housing and a lower housing. The first electronic member is housing in the upper housing. The pivotal mechanism received in the lower housing rotates the upper housing relative to the lower housing. When the upper housing is unlatched by the pivotal mechanism from the lower housing, the first electronic member leaves the protective apparatus, and when the upper housing is driven by the pivotal mechanism to latch to the lower housing, the first electronic member is shielded in the protective apparatus.
US08284327B2
A vehicle includes a cabin defined by a front, a back, a roof, a floor, a first side, and a second side opposite the first side. The vehicle also includes a window having a surface area that covers at least 50% of the first side, and seating in the cabin arranged to face the first side. The seating may be arranged in at least two rows, with a first row of seats having a first elevation relative to the floor, and a second row of seats having a second elevation relative to the floor, where the second elevation being greater than the first elevation. The vehicle also includes a video system comprising a plurality of video monitors located at the first side. Other variations and a related method of providing entertainment using vehicles of the claimed type are also described herein.
US08284326B2
Method and apparatus for scanning channels of a broadcast receiver are provided. The channel scanning method includes determining whether to perform an entire channel scanning operation or a partial channel scanning operation in response to a channel scan command, if the entire channel scanning operation is determined to be performed, performing the entire channel scanning operation by scanning all channels and storing channel information regarding a channel in which a broadcast signal exists in a channel map, and if the partial channel scanning operation is determined to be performed, performing the partial channel scanning operation by scanning a channel which is not registered in a pre-created channel map, and storing channel information regarding the non-registered channel in which a broadcast signals exists in the non-registered channel map.
US08284324B2
A television receiver apparatus in an embodiment includes: a video processing module configured to perform signal processing for input video signals and to output display video signals to a display panel; a selector configured to turn ON/OFF operation of low-delay processing that involves a short delay time of the display video signals with respect to the video signals as the signal processing; and a controller configured to control the video processing module to perform scaling processing conformable to the display panel when the operation of the low-delay processing is ON and when OFF according to the selector.
US08284323B2
In a video audio processing device, a signal processing block (11, 12) includes an instruction memory (111, 121) and performs signal processing in accordance with a program loaded into the instruction memory. A main storage section (20) has a self-refresh function and is accessible from the signal processing block. An auxiliary storage section (30) stores the program for making the signal processing block perform the signal processing. Upon receipt of a standby instruction, a control section (15) performs control in such a manner as to transfer the program from the auxiliary storage section to the main storage section, and set self-refresh in the main storage section, and upon receipt of a return instruction, performs control in such a manner as to cancel the self-refresh in the main storage section, load the program from the main storage section to the instruction memory in the signal processing block, and activate the signal processing block.
US08284319B2
A method of processing images to determine at least one signature of a film. The method includes a step of selecting chronologically a series of images from said film, a step of evaluating shifts relating to at least one descriptor corresponding to a physical property between consecutive images in order to obtain primary visual shifts, a step of calculating differences between said primary visual shifts to determine secondary visual shifts, a step of calculating differences between said secondary visual shifts to determine tertiary visual shifts, and a step of determining a mean value and a standard deviation of the primary, secondary, and tertiary visual shifts to obtain the signature of the film.
US08284318B2
An image processing apparatus includes a first frame image acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of first frame images constituting a moving image, a second frame image insertion section that generates a second frame image and inserts the second frame image including a white image between successive ones of the plurality of acquired first frame images, and a frame image output unit that outputs the plurality of first frame images with the second frame images inserted therebetween.
US08284313B2
A noise determining apparatus is provided. The noise determining apparatus includes a video determiner which determines type of video according to a pre-set criterion, a noise level determiner which determines a level of noise with reference to output from the video determiner, and a noise determiner which determines presence or absence of noise with reference to output from the noise level determiner. Accordingly, incorrect discrimination between a texture area of low level which is similar to noise and noise having a great level difference with respect to neighboring pixels is reduced.
US08284306B2
An image signal processing unit includes a frame rate conversion circuit performing double frame rate conversion on an input image signal from a first frame frequency to a second frame frequency. When performing frame rate conversion with the motion correction process, a motion vector is determined between a first frame image and a third frame image, and three interpolation frame images are formed through the motion correction process to the first frame image based on the motion vector, and are inserted between the first and third frame images so as to establish the second frame frequency. When performing frame rate conversion without the motion correction process, an interpolation frame image same as the first frame image is inserted between the first and second frame images, and an interpolation frame image same as the second frame image is inserted between the second and third frame images.
US08284302B2
A video camera includes a processor that is operable to obtain a capacity value of a battery by communicating over a communications line with a battery pack that contains the battery and which provides power to the video camera. The capacity value indicates a number of cell structures in the battery. The processor is also operable to set a correction value based on the capacity value, to correct a low power warning voltage value by subtracting the correction value from the low power warning voltage value, to generate a low power warning when a detected battery voltage is less than or equal to the corrected low power warning voltage value, and to generate a residual power indication when the detected battery voltage is greater than the corrected low power warning voltage value. A display is operable to display the low power warning or the residual power indication.
US08284297B2
A camera module includes a positioning plate, a positioning frame, a spring member, a lens holder, and a piezoelectric actuator. The positioning frame is fixed to the positioning plate and defines a positioning through hole. The spring member is disposed on the positioning plate and in a compressed state. The lens holder is received in the positioning through hole and movably engaged with the positioning frame. The piezoelectric actuator is sandwiched between the compressed spring member and the lens holder. The piezoelectric actuator is operable to drive the lens holder to rotate about a central axis of the positioning frame, thereby move along the central axis relative to the positioning frame.
US08284293B2
An image sensor has an array of image sensor pixels. Each image sensor pixel may have a gradient index lens formed in a passivation layer. The gradient index lens may be a converging or diverging gradient index lens. The gradient index lens may have a gradient index profile that is smooth or a gradient index profile having distinct regions of lower or higher refractive index. Regions of lower refractive index may be formed from ion implantation in the passivation layer. Each pixel may also have a polymer microlens, a color filter, a dielectric stack, and a photosensitive element in a substrate.
US08284289B2
At least one object of the present invention is to provide a lens barrel, including: a fixed frame (21) having a fixed cylinder (21); a telescopic cylinder (22, 23, 24, etc.) configured to be accommodated within the fixed cylinder (21); a plurality of lens groups (11, 12) configured to be retained in the telescopic cylinder; a lens driving device (51, 52, etc.) configured to drive the plurality of lens groups along a optical axis of the telescopic cylinder between a collapsed position and an extended position; and two retractable lens groups (13, 14) configured to be retracted into the telescopic cylinder when the telescopic cylinder is in the extended position and configured to be retracted out of the telescopic cylinder when the telescopic cylinder is in the collapsed position.
US08284284B2
Since the great number of elements constituting a unit pixel having an amplification function would hinder reduction of pixel size, unit pixel n,m arranged in a matrix form is comprised of a photodiode, a transfer switch for transferring charges stored in the photodiode, a floating diffusion for storing charges transferred by the transfer switch, a reset switch for resetting the floating diffusion, and an amplifying transistor for outputting a signal in accordance with the potential of the floating diffusion to a vertical signal line, and by affording vertical selection pulse φVn to the drain of the reset switch to control a reset potential thereof, pixels are selected in units of rows.
US08284278B2
An image processing apparatus includes a location information storing section, a correction coefficient storing section, a correction object pixel location setting section, a correction object pixel data extracting section, an other-color pixel data extracting section, and a pixel data correcting section.
US08284274B2
An image pickup apparatus, which comprises, in order from the object side, an aperture member having an opening section, a zoom lens changing a magnification by properly changing distances between a plurality of lens units, and an image pickup device, is provided with a flare stop which has an opening section with a set shape and is integrated with the most object side lens unit in the plurality of the lens units, the opening section of the aperture member does not intercept an effective light beam in the wide-angle position and intercepts a part of the effective light beam in the telephoto position, and the flare stop does not intercept in the wide-angle position the effective light beam having passed through the opening section of the aperture member and intercepts in the telephoto position a light ray which is included in the effective light beam passing through the opening section of the aperture member and strikes the edge of the opening section of the aperture member to be scattered.
US08284268B2
An imaging apparatus acquires and displays an image of a subject such that a target subject remains displayed on a monitor even after performing an area zoom operation. An imaging unit acquires a subject image at a variable subject acquisition magnification and acquisition angle. A controller conducts an area zoom control such that, when a given area is specified as a sub-area of a predetermined image display region, the acquisition magnification and angle are modified to enlarge the given area. A limiting magnification is also set as the zoom magnification when the ratio of the dimensions of the predetermined display region with respect to the given area exceeds the limiting magnification. When the limiting magnification is not exceeded, the ratio of the dimensions is set as the zoom magnification.
US08284265B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method of preventing image degradation due to shaking of an image photographing device. An apparatus for preventing image degradation due to shaking of an image photographing device according to an aspect of the present invention includes an image acquiring unit to acquire a plurality of images of a predetermined subject using a second exposure time shorter than a first exposure time, a scale adjusting unit to adjust scales of the plurality of acquired images, and an image restoring unit to restore images of the subject using the plurality of images whose scales are adjusted.
US08284261B2
The image pickup apparatus includes a first detection unit detecting information corresponding to an object distance in each of plural areas, without through an image taking optical system, a second detection unit detecting a size and a position of a specific object area in object image data, and a controller performing focus control of the image taking optical system on the basis of the information corresponding to the object distance. The controller acquires specific object distance information on a distance to a specific object, on the basis of the size of the specific object area and information on a focal length of the image taking optical system, and selects, from the plural areas, an area where the information corresponding to the object distance to be used in focus control is detected, on the basis of the specific object distance information and the position of the specific object area.
US08284257B2
An image pick-up apparatus that enables to appropriately set a holding time in which there is a possibility of returning to a state that allows tracking when a subject cannot be tracked temporarily during the subject tracking to improve the ease-of-use for a user. A specifying unit specifies a subject included in a captured image. A display unit displays the captured image on a screen and displays identification information showing that the specified subject is tracked. A tracking unit tracks the subject. A setting unit sets a holding time in which the display of the identification information is held according to at least one of a focal length of the image pick-up apparatus and a subject distance. An elimination unit eliminates a display of the identification information when the holding time has passed after the tracking unit lost the subject.
US08284252B2
A detection unit obtains a position of a feature point of an occupant. A storage unit stores a model of all specific actions in each of physical feature classifications. The model defines a position or a locus of the feature point in each specific action, which an occupant may perform. A determining unit compares an in-action feature point with each model of a specific action, which is being performed, to determine a classification conformity weight indicating a possibility that the occupant belongs to the physical feature classification. An estimating unit compares the position of the feature point with each model to obtain a comparison result and generate a conformity value by incorporating the classification conformity weight into the comparison result. The estimating unit detects an estimated action, which is a specific action corresponding to the model, which has a highest conformity value.
US08284242B2
An integrated electrochromic 2D/3D display device including a first substrate; a parallax barrier unit disposed under the first substrate; a color filter unit disposed under the parallax barrier unit; a common electrode disposed under the color filter unit; a liquid crystal unit disposed under the common electrode; a plurality of thin film transistors disposed under the liquid crystal unit; a second substrate disposed under the plurality of thin film transistors; and a light emitting unit disposed under the second substrate is provided. Another integrated electrochromic 2D/3D display device including a substrate; a parallax barrier unit disposed under the substrate; and a display unit disposed under the parallax barrier unit is also provided. An adjustment of a planar image and a stereo image is performed to reduce a thickness and an assembling cost of conventional display devices.
US08284241B2
An autostereoscopic display apparatus includes a backlight unit, a polarizing plate disposed in front of the backlight unit; a display panel displaying a left eye image and a right eye image by interlacing pixel lines of the left and right eye images alternately and sequentially; a lenticular lens sheet, disposed between the polarizing plate and the display panel, separating light emitted from the backlight unit into a left eye zone and a right eye zone; and a polarization switch controlling a polarization direction of light proceeding towards the left eye viewing zone so that light is incident on pixel lines of the display panel displaying the left eye image and a polarization direction of light proceeding towards the right eye viewing zone so that light is incident on pixel lines of the display panel displaying the right eye image, in synchronization with a vertical scanning time of the display panel.
US08284239B2
The invention discloses the asynchronous photography for dual camera apparatus and processing the method for real-time forward vehicle detection. Image is captured by a pair of monochrome camera and stored into a computer. After the video pre-process, the edge information is used to locate the forward vehicle position, and then obtained the disparity from a fast comparison search algorithm by the stereo vision methodology. Proposed algorithm calculation of the invention can conquer the asynchronous exposure problem from dual camera and lower the hardware cost.
US08284232B2
A method equalizing video signals transmitted across a network is provided. The method can include introducing one or more captured video signals across a network via a plurality of conferencing devices. The conferencing devices can include a video display device adapted to display a received video signal, and a video capture device adapted to provide a captured video signal. One or more modules can be disposed in, on, or about the network, the video display device, the video capture device, or any combination thereof. One or more parameters of the video signals transmitted across the network can be modified via the one or more modules such that the one or more modified display parameters of all or a portion of the video signals transmitted across the network fall within a predetermined parameter range.
US08284231B2
The invention provides a method for selecting input video signals in a video conference for transmission. The method bases its selection decision on the momentary voice activity of the participants, but does so while observing constraints aimed at: improving stability of the image seen by each participant; decreasing flickering of the image; choosing comfortable and helpful swapping times between different image configurations; and reflecting the importance which is attributed to persons having a higher past average activity in a natural conference. In one embodiment of the invention, the set of constraints includes an override, by which one or more participants can be selected irrespectively of the selection decision. In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided video selector hardware comprising units to perform the steps of the method.
US08284230B2
A video communication device includes a video communication device body; a camera fitted to the video communication device body to record images of an object; at least one detection unit fitted to the video communication device body to detect the object according to a predetermined condition; and a camera rotation angle adjuster fitted to the video communication device body to adjust a rotation angle of the camera according to detection data from the detection unit so that the camera automatically tracks a position of the object when the object moves. The moving object can be located through a detection unit, such as a voice sensor, a codec, a color sensor and an IR sensor, and be automatically tracked by suitable adjustment of the rotation angle of a camera. A wide angular field is ensured and video telephony quality is improved.
US08284227B2
In a printing device provided with a multi-laser beam, an image gradation occurs due to a difference in characteristics between respective beams. The output beam number is changed by referring to a profile (curvature, tilt, polarity and beam scan interval) of each laser beam to perform a print at an engine rotation speed corresponding to the beam number.
US08284222B2
An image erasing apparatus including: a semiconductor laser array in which a plurality of semiconductor laser light sources are linearly aligned; a width direction collimating unit provided on an output surface of the semiconductor laser array, and configured to collimate, in a width direction, broadening of laser beams emitted from the semiconductor laser array so as to form a linear beam; and a length direction light distribution controlling unit configured to control a length of a major axis of the linear beam to be longer than a length of a major axis of an emission part of the semiconductor laser array, and to attain uniform light distribution in the length direction of the linear beam; wherein the linear beam, which has the major axis whose length is longer than the length of the major axis of the emission part of the semiconductor laser array and uniform light distribution in the length direction thereof, is to be applied to and heat a thermoreversible recording medium, in which any of transparency and color tone thereof reversibly changes depending on temperature, so as to erase an image recorded on the thermoreversible recording medium.
US08284214B2
The present invention provides a system which integrates unique lighting technologies, switching systems, mounting systems, information delivery systems and power supply systems within a vehicular wheel to provide an advanced, high quality visual display apparatus. These technologies, and their many unique applications, provide for a novel and useful series of video display devices that are small, lightweight, efficient and have the capability of producing a clear, bright, high definition image that is equivalent to that of a modern day TV or high quality computer monitor.
US08284212B2
Image data systems and methods combine a plurality of images into a single multiple-palette image data file, or generate a selected image from the multiple-palette image data file. An exemplary embodiment receives first pixel information for a first pixel of a first image, the first pixel having a first color; receives second pixel information for a like-located second pixel of a second image, the second pixel having a second color; and specifies a color palette location value that identifies a first color palette array element in a first color palette of the first image and identifies a second like-located color palette array element in a second color palette of the second image. First color information stored in the first color palette array element defines the first pixel color. Second color information stored in the second image data color palette array element defines the second pixel color.
US08284211B2
Embodiments are configured to provide information for display. Various embodiments include processing functionality that can be used to efficiently process pixel data associated with video, graphical, and other information. The functionality can be used in conjunction with different hardware and/or software architectures and configurations. In an embodiment, a computing device includes functionality to use a distinct window having alpha and occlusion features that can be used when processing pixel data associated with user interface (UI) elements and video, but is not so limited. The computing device can use the distinct window to display user interface elements having different levels or amounts of transparency as part of video capture and playback operations.
US08284210B1
A bandwidth-driven system, method, and computer program product are provided for changing a refresh rate of a display system. In use, a bandwidth associated with a display system is identified. To this end, a refresh rate of the display system may be changed for controlling the bandwidth.
US08284209B2
Aspects of a system and method for optimizing memory bandwidth in a video system may comprise examining different combinations of input and output video formats and video processes that occur between the input and output of the video system. For each combination, a desirable memory bandwidth may be determined, where the desirable memory bandwidth may ensure a maximum system data rate is not exceeded. After determining the desirable values for all combinations of input and output video formats, an optimal value may be selected, where the optimal value may ensure that for any of the combinations the maximum system data rate is not exceeded.
US08284206B2
A software engine for decomposing work to be done into tasks, and distributing the tasks to multiple, independent CPUs for execution is described. The engine utilizes dynamic code generation, with run-time specialization of variables, to achieve high performance. Problems are decomposed according to methods that enhance parallel CPU operation, and provide better opportunities for specialization and optimization of dynamically generated code. A specific application of this engine, a software three dimensional (3D) graphical image renderer, is described.
US08284204B2
A device for rendering to multiple viewpoints of a stereoscopic display is provided. The device includes vertex shaders which receive vertices corresponding to primitives and process viewpoint dependent information. The device also includes a primitive replication unit which replicates primitives according to a number of viewpoints supported by the stereoscopic display. The primitive replication unit adds unique view tags to each of the primitives which identify the viewpoint that the respective primitive is destined for. Each replicated primitive is processed by a rasterizer and converted into pixels. The rasterizer adds a view tag to the rasterized pixels so that the pixels identify a respective primitive and identify a respective pixel buffer that the pixel is destined for. The pixels can then be processed by a pixel processing unit and written to a pixel buffer corresponding to a respective viewpoint. The pixels are subsequently output to the stereoscopic display.
US08284203B2
A method for generating a looping motion space for real-time character animation may include determining a plurality of motion clips to include in the looping motion space and determining a number of motion cycles performed by a character object depicted in each of the plurality of motion clips. A plurality of looping motion clips may be synthesized from the motion clips, where each of the looping motion clips depicts the character object performing an equal number of motion cycles. Additionally, a starting frame of each of the plurality of looping motion clips may be synchronized so that the motion cycles in each of the plurality of looping motion clips are in phase with one another. By rendering an animation sequence using multiple passes through the looping motion space, an animation of the character object performing the motion cycles may be extended for arbitrary length of time.
US08284202B2
A method for a computer system includes receiving global positional data associated with a set of markers from a plurality of markers associated with a surface of an object at one or more time instances, wherein global positional data associated with a first marker from the plurality of markers is absent from a first time instance, using local statistical methods to determine global positional data associated with the first marker at the first time instance in response to the global positional data associated with the set of markers at the one or more time instances, and determining a model of the object in response to the global positional data associated with the set of markers and the global positional data associated with the first marker.
US08284200B2
Systems, methods and computer readable storage media for displaying a dense graph and details of a portion of the dense graph on a display are provided. A processor coupled to memory, an input device and a display are provided to perform operations including: locally distorting a portion of the dense graph identified by interaction through the input device, wherein the local distortion includes expanding the portion of the dense graph along a first dimension axis of the graph, compressing at least one adjacent portion of the dense graph adjacent the expanded portion, and maintaining a scale of all of the dense graph in a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension. The dense graph and expanded and compressed portions are displayed on the display, wherein all of the graph represented by the display signal on the display prior to performing the local distortion operation is displayed after performing the local distortion operation. In at least one embodiment, the system comprises an oscilloscope.
US08284199B2
In the present invention, a matrix display area for displaying m×n elements arranged in matrix form and a graph display area for displaying a graph image are set on an identical display screen. The m×n statistics between m variates belonging to a first data group and n variates belonging to a second data group are computed and displayed as matrix elements arranged in n rows and m columns in the matrix display area. A graph image representing a relation between two variates, one of which belongs to the first data group and the other of which belongs to the second data group, and corresponding to one matrix element specified by the matrix element specification section, is formed and displayed in the graph display area on the display screen.
US08284186B2
An output buffering circuit of a driver device for a display includes a first amplifier circuit having a first input stage, coupled between an upper power supply and a lower power supply, and a first output stage, coupled between the upper power supply and a first intermediate power supply that is greater than the lower power supply, and a second amplifier circuit having a second input stage coupled between the upper power supply and the lower power supply, and a second output stage coupled between a second intermediate power supply that is lower than the upper power supply and the lower power supply.
US08284181B2
The present invention provides a display device which includes a common electrode drive circuit having the single channel constitution which can miniaturize a circuit scale without increasing elements compared to a conventional display device. A display device includes a plurality of pixels and a common electrode drive circuit. The common electrode drive circuit includes a plurality of basic circuits, wherein the basic circuit includes a first circuit which latches a first input signal at a point of time that a clock signal is changed to a first voltage level from a second voltage level; a second circuit which latches a second input signal at the point of time that the clock signal is changed to the first voltage level from the second voltage level; a first switching circuit which is turned on based on the first circuit and a second switching circuit which is turned on based on the voltage second circuit.
US08284177B2
A display device and an electronic apparatus comprising the same are disclosed. The display apparatus includes a photo-sensor for detecting ambient light and outputting a photocurrent according to the intensity of the ambient light, wherein the display apparatus comprises a current sampling unit and a light detection control unit. The current sampling unit is configured to sample the photocurrent outputted from the photo-sensor and to output a plurality of sampling signals to indicate the magnitude of the photocurrent. The light detection control unit is configured to determine an average of the sampling signals outputted from the current sampling unit. The current sampling unit starts a next sampling period corresponding to the end of one of the sampling signals.
US08284173B2
A system for detecting contact on a display is provided. The system comprises a planar medium associated with the display and includes at least one edge facet and opposing surfaces. The system also includes one or more optical sources operatively coupled to the at least one edge facet for transmitting an optical signal into the planar medium such that the transmitted optical signal is totally internally reflected between the at least one edge facet and opposing surfaces. An optical sensing device is positioned to substantially face at least a portion of the edge facet and adapted to detect at least one object contacting a first surface of the opposing surfaces. The optical sensing device is operative to detect a portion of the optical signal emitted from the first surface at a location corresponding to the object contacting the first surface.
US08284162B2
A manual pointing device for a computer system, the device having at least one key that can be actuated manually by a user, a click-event detection module coupled to the key to detect actuation thereof on first, second, and third detection axes via an inertial sensing circuit elastically coupled to a casing with a board, the inertial-sensor circuit structured to be carried on the board so as to oscillate and to rotate about the second detection axis.
US08284160B2
A head-mounted computer mouse for controlling a cursor on a display of a host device is provided. The head-mounted mouse includes a hollow headpiece, a fixing member, a holding member, and a processing unit. The headpiece includes a support portion mounted therein. The fixing member is configured for mounting the headpiece on a user to prevent the headpiece from moving relative to the head of the user. The holding member includes a holding portion being worn on the head of the user and a sliding portion. The processing unit includes a displacement detecting module for detecting movement of the sliding portion relative to the support portion to determine a coordinate offset value of the sliding portion; and a communicating module for sending the coordinate offset value of the sliding portion to the host device.
US08284156B2
A display device includes a pixel electrode and a counter electrode facing each other, a plurality of charged particles disposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, an organic transistor electrically connected to the pixel electrode, a data line electrically connected to the pixel electrode via the organic transistor, a data line driving circuit supplying an image signal to the data line, and a counter electrode driving circuit supplying a counter electrode driving signal containing a pulse signal having the same polarity as the image signal to the counter electrode.
US08284155B2
A display device includes: a first insulating substrate; a main pixel which is formed on the first insulating substrate and comprises a plurality of sub-pixels and a single sensing electrode; a second insulating substrate which faces the first insulating substrate; a sensing spacer formed on the second insulating substrate which faces the sensing electrode; and a contact electrode formed on the sensing spacer.
US08284151B2
There is provided a semiconductor device in which fabrication steps can be reduced by constructing a circuit using only TFTs of one conductivity type and in which a voltage amplitude of an output signal can be normally obtained. A capacitance (205) is provided between a gate and a source of a TFT (203) connected to an output node, and a circuit formed of TFTs (201) and (202) has a function to bring a node α into a floating state. When the node α is in the floating state, a potential of the node α is caused higher than VDD by using gate-source capacitance coupling of the TFT (203) through the capacitance (205), thus an output signal having an amplitude of VDD-GND can be normally obtained without causing amplitude attenuation due to the threshold value of the TFT.
US08284150B2
A shift register is disclosed. In one aspect, the shift register has a plurality of stages dependently coupled to an input line of a start pulse and is driven by first, second and third clock signals respectively input to first, second and third input lines. The shift register includes first and second voltage stabilizer circuits to prevent leakage currents.
US08284141B2
A display device displays images with a plurality of signal lines and includes spare lines, each being arranged to be connectable to the signal lines so as to be used for recovery of the signal lines from disconnection. Each of the spare lines has constricted sections for cutting. With this arrangement, it is possible to easily and properly recover the signal lines from disconnection.
US08284138B2
An inexpensive light emitting device capable of displaying a bright image and an electric appliance using the light emitting device. In the light emitting device having a pixel portion and a driver circuit formed on one insulating member, all of semiconductor elements for the pixel portion and the driver circuit are formed by n-channel semiconductor elements, thereby enabling the manufacturing process to be simplified. Each of light-emitting elements provided in the pixel portion emits light in such a direction that most of the light travels away from the insulating member, so that substantially the whole of the pixel-forming segment electrode (corresponding to a cathode of an EL element) is formed as an effective light-emitting area. Therefore, a low-priced light-emitting device capable of displaying a bright image can be obtained.
US08284136B2
A pixel circuit includes: an OLED; a second transistor including gate, first, and second terminals coupled to a first scan line, a data line, and a first node, respectively; a fourth transistor including gate, first, and second terminals coupled to a third scan line, the first node, and a second node, respectively; a third transistor including gate, first, and second terminals coupled to a second scan line, a reference power source, and the second node, respectively; a fifth transistor including gate, first, and second terminals coupled to a light emission control line, a third node, and an anode of the OLED, respectively; a first capacitor coupled between the first and second nodes; a second capacitor coupled between the second and third nodes; and a first transistor including gate, first, and second terminals coupled to the first node, a first power source, and the third node, respectively.
US08284134B2
A display device includes a light emitting element to emit light having an intensity that varies depending on a magnitude of a driving current, a capacitor connected between a first node and a second node, a driving transistor having an input terminal connected to a first voltage, an output terminal, and a control terminal connected to the second node, a first switching unit to connect a data voltage and a second voltage to the first node, a second switching unit to switch a connection between the second voltage and the second node, a third switching unit to connect the second node and the light emitting element to the output terminal of the driving transistor, and a fourth switching unit to switch a connection between the control terminal and the input terminal of the driving transistor.
US08284109B2
A mobile, telescoping radar array is disclosed. In some embodiments, the radar array has a plurality of support stages that fully nest when stowed and assume a telescoped form when deployed. A plurality of radiating elements depend from each stage. The support stages, as deployed, have a geometry that supports 360 degrees of radar coverage without rotating or otherwise repositioning the radar array.
US08284105B2
A multi-band microstrip meander-line antenna includes a substrate, two meander-shaped conductors, and two feed lines. The first meander-shaped conductor is disposed on the substrate in a first reciprocating bend manner for providing a resonant frequency band corresponding to a first operating frequency. The second meander-shaped conductor is disposed on the substrate in a second reciprocating bend manner for providing a resonant frequency band corresponding to a second operating frequency. The first feed line includes the first end electrically connected to a first feed point of the antenna and the second end electrically connected to the end of the first meander-shaped conductor. The second feed line includes the first end electrically connected to the second feed point of the antenna and the second end electrically connected to the end of the second meander-shaped conductor.
US08284104B2
A Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) receiver is disclosed that comprises a plurality of resonant structures arranged to form an antenna. The resonant structures are interconnected in series and are arranged, relative to one another, so as to achieve a received electrical signal with an increased voltage, when the antenna is exposed to an incident electromagnetic signal. This occurs for a majority of all possible incident electromagnetic signals and, therefore, an RFID receiver based on such an antenna provides, in a majority of cases, an improved performance.
US08284101B2
A retrodirective antenna system (1) for receiving an incoming signal (15) from an object (13) and directing an outgoing signal (11) back to the object (13), comprising two or more transceiver cells (3), each of which receives a part of the incoming signal, produces a phase conjugate output signal, which output signals from the cells combine to form an outgoing signal (11) directed back to the object (13), wherein each transceiver cell (3) comprises an antenna component (7) which detects the part of the incoming signal, a processor which receives the part of the incoming signal and produces first and second same-side, sideband (SB) signals of the part of the incoming signal, a phase shift system comprising a first phase element which receives the first SB signal and outputs a SB signal having a first phase, and a second phase element which receives the second SB signal and outputs a SB signal having a second phase which is in quadrature with the first phase, and an IQ modulator comprising an I input port, a Q input port and a phase adjuster, which receives the SB signal having the first phase on the I input port and the SB signal having the second phase on the Q input port, or receives the SB signal having the first phase on the Q input port and the SB signal having the second phase on the I input port, and phase adjusts the SB signals to produce an output signal which is the phase conjugate of the part of the incoming signal.
US08284097B2
Ground surveillance airborne radar device, characterized in that it reproduces a mapping of STRIPMAP type of an area of interest divided into bands (101), the images of these bands being captured successively, each according to a technique of scan SAR type, the operations for processing the image of a band (101) being produced successively to the capture of the image of this band (101) and in a manner concomitant with the realization of at least one additional radar mode, before the capture of the image of the following band (101).
US08284078B2
An exemplary control method includes the following steps. Judging if a hot key is pressed. Updating a data in a data field when the hot key is pressed. Judging if a first function key is pressed. When the first function key is pressed, outputting a first key code according to the data in the data field and the first function key. Executing a first service process according to the first key code. A control system is also disclosed.
US08284075B2
A measurement and communication system for use with a tubular string, comprises a tubular string having a plurality of self-powered, autonomous telemetry stations disposed at predetermined locations along the tubular string. Each autonomous telemetry station is adapted to receive at least one first signal and transmit at least one second signal related to the at least one first signal. Power is extracted from potential energy sources proximate each autonomous telemetry station. A method of communicating information along a tubular string comprises, disposing an autonomous telemetry station at predetermined locations along the tubular string. A preferred transmission path is autonomously determined at each of the autonomous telemetry stations. Information is transmitted along the tubular string according to the autonomously determined preferred path.
US08284074B2
The invention is a method of determining a free point in stuck drill pipes, comprising the steps of: a. measuring a first magnetic permeability (μ1) based on a time-induced decay of the electromagnetic field generated by application of an electric current pulse to the unextended pipe (l0); b. applying a force to the pipe to extend the pipe (l1); c. measuring a second magnetic permeability (μ2) of the extended pipe (l1); and d. comparing the first and second magnetic permeabilities (μ1 and μ2) along the drill string to determine the free point based on the change of magnetic permeability.
US08284070B2
An assessment device is provided which allows for measurement of a position of interest, e.g., a body part, while a subject is in a functional position, such as may be required for the demands of an activity of interest without also requiring a lengthy setup time, tethered connection to other equipment external to the subject or tedious manual measurements. Moreover, an indicator such as an alarm or other output may be provided for receiving immediate, real time feedback, such as when a functional activity falls outside a tolerance or threshold.
US08284068B2
An activity monitor which can be pre-programmed at the factory, the doctors office or the pharmacist, or that can be programmed by the user. The activity monitor is affixed to a medicine bottle or container and activity associated with the bottle or container, such as movement, opening, volume changes, etc. are monitored in view to the schedule. The activity monitor records and allows for the analysis of the recorded data to determine is there is a likelihood of substance abuse.
US08284066B2
An automated and/or remote method for identifying and/or changing the source of power for these generator sets, which may apply to any environment where there are alternative sources of power available which must be managed remotely (such as for other powered containers not used for refrigeration transport).
US08284059B2
Methods and systems for monitoring the inventory of products in a storage device that has an antenna are provided, wherein each product has a corresponding wireless tag having a unique wireless tag identification. The inventory monitoring includes accessing an inventory list containing at least one wireless tag identification, sending a specific query via the antenna for each of the at least one wireless tag identifications in the inventory list to the corresponding wireless tag, verifying, in the case that a response is received from the wireless tag corresponding to the wireless tag identification, that the product corresponding to the wireless tag is present in the storage device, determining, in the case that a response is not received from the wireless tag corresponding to the wireless tag identification, that the product corresponding to the wireless tag is not present in the storage device, and updating the inventory list based on the products verified to be present and the products determined to not be present in the storage device.
US08284058B2
An electronic tag may include a human perceptible indicator configured to indicate a need for one or more treatments by at least one corresponding plant.
US08284051B2
Mass transit terrorism is prevented to construct a safe society. Individual explosive sensing devices are connected by a network to establish a security system. Information collected in the security center is compared with a database to determine a risk. When the risk exceeds a predetermined level upon determination of the risk, measures may be taken such that an alarm is activated and instructions for making a security guard carry out the parcel inspection of the person causing the risk are transmitted to the security guard. According to the present invention, the security can be enhanced while the social life is still convenient even when the explosive sensing device having a high throughput is employed at places such as mass transit where many people gather. Therefore, the terror risk on the mass transit can be reduced to contribute to construction of the safe society.
US08284049B2
Environmental sensing devices, systems and methods are provided. In one embodiment, an environmental sensing device includes an environmental sensor and an internal signal generator. The environmental sensing device may be configured to be mechanically coupled to one or more interior surfaces of an enclosure. The environmental sensor may be operable to detect one or more substances within the enclosure and provide a status signal to the internal signal generator corresponding to the presence of the one or more substances. The internal signal generator may be operable to generate a mechanical report sequence corresponding to the status signal. The mechanical report sequence may be a series of mechanical pulses applied to an interior surface of the enclosure.
US08284046B2
Systems and methods are described for configuring and using displays, speakers, or other output devices positioned by an article of clothing or other such structure wearable by a healthcare recipient, for example, in a clinic or residential care facility.
US08284045B2
Shipping containers are networked for transferring data between the shipping containers. The shipping containers include sensors for detecting conditions associated with the shipping containers. The conditions sensed by any shipping container whether transported by rail or ship is transmitted from an ad hoc network, via a gateway configured for satellite or cellular communications for example, to a container-tracking application server or equivalent computer system. The computer system is remotely located to the shipping container for central compilation, analysis, and/or display of data regarding the shipping containers.
US08284038B2
A display system for a vehicle is provided. The display system includes an information display that changes color based upon an operating state of a vehicle. The information display includes display lighting that illuminates at least a portion of the display in a color associated with the vehicle's current operating state to indicate the operating state to a driver.
US08284035B2
Systems and methods convey information from a controller to at least one slave unit using a single wire referenced to an alternating current (AC) power supply. A control signal has a high voltage and a low voltage. The high voltage is greater than a voltage midpoint of the AC power supply and the low voltage is less than the voltage midpoint. The control signal is conveyed through the single wire to each of the at least one slave unit. At each slave unit, a comparison voltage, representative of the voltage midpoint, is generated by dividing substantially midway the potentials between the power lines of the AC power supply and the control signal is compared to the comparison voltage to determine low and high states of the control signal; the low and high states represent the information.
US08284026B2
A network in an environment includes passive sensors with associated sensor identification numbers. A set of active badges with associated badge identification numbers, wherein each badge is associated with an object, and wherein a particular sensor broadcasts a packet in response to detecting a particular object, wherein the packet includes the sensor identification number and a time, and only if the particular object is associated with a particular badge then the badge appends the badge identification number to the packet and broadcasts the appended packet, and the particular sensor receives and rebroadcasts the appended packet for further processing to passively and actively monitor the environment.
US08284022B2
A motor vehicle door arrangement with at least one motor vehicle door and a drive for motorized movement of the motor vehicle door from the closed position into the open position and from the open position into the closed position and with a control for triggering the drive, the control being assigned an optionally actuatable mobile part which the user generally carries and which interacts with the control means over a wireless transmission link when the user approaches the motor vehicle, enhanced actuation automatically carrying out opening and/or a closing as triggered by a predetermined process of use and without the necessity of actuating the mobile part. With respect to enhanced actuation, the control means, especially with the vehicle stopped, can be moved into the activated and deactivated states, and can be triggered by the predetermined usage process exclusively when the control means is in the activated state.
US08284009B2
The present invention provides a transformer including a first bobbin around which a primary coil is wound, a second bobbin which is disposed adjacent to the first bobbin and around which a secondary coil is wound, a core disposed across the first and second bobbins and forming a closed magnetic path. The core is divided into a first core positioned on the side where the first bobbin is present and a second core positioned on the side where the second bobbin is present, and an insulating member is interposed in a magnetically coupled portion between the first core and the second core, the insulating member including outer circumference sheaths that cover at least one of the first and second cores and a barrier interposed between the opposing surfaces of the first and second cores.
US08284008B2
A ballast choke coil constructed with more than two winding coils assembled on laminate cores (LC) being held together firmly by a bracket (M1) in the manner of simulating the toroidal structure created more space for increasing the number of winding turn of the coil or alternatively allow for increase of wire size. Total number of winding turns that is needed to achieve the required inductance is divided to several coils. The new structure utilizes only half of the laminate material for producing a simple ballast choke coil unit that is similar performance to the existing fluorescent lamp ballast choke coil available in the market. Even though two units of coil (WC) are used in the construction of this ballast choke coil, the wire total weight that is used to produce a unit of ballast need not be increased.
US08284007B1
A magnetic package for a communication system is disclosed the package comprises a plurality of transformers, wherein each transformer comprises a differential transformer. Each differential transformer comprises at least 2 sets of three pins. Each transformer is coupled to a twisted pair channel and a transceiver. The magnetic package includes at least one common mode transformer coupled to at least one of the transformers, wherein the at least one common mode transformer includes at least three pins. The at least three pins for the at least one common mode transformer are in a position relative to the other pins such that the package size is minimized.
US08284002B2
A current interrupting switch for power distribution systems comprising an outer case and a plurality of vacuum interrupter bottle switches positioned in the case.
US08284001B2
A differential filtering device with coupled resonators, including: a pair of coupled resonators disposed on one and the same face of a dielectric substrate, each resonator including two conducting strips positioned in a symmetric manner with respect to a plane perpendicular to the face on which the resonator is disposed, these two conducting strips being joined respectively to two conductors of a bi-strip port for connection to a line for transmitting a differential signal, wherein each conducting strip of each resonator is folded back on itself so as to form a capacitive coupling between its two ends, and wherein the two resonators of the pair are coupled by the disposition opposite one another of their respective conducting strips disposed on the same side with respect to the symmetry plane, over respective portions of length of these folded-back conducting strips.
US08283994B2
A differential signal transmission device transmits N differential signal pairs from a differential signal generator to a number of receiving terminals. The N differential signal pairs include N positive signals and N negative signals. The N positive signals are clustered at a first positive clustering point. The first positive clustering point is connected to a second positive clustering point via a first matching resistor. The second positive clustering point is grounded via a first grounding resistor, and outputs a number of positive signals to the number of receiving terminals respectively. The N negative signals are clustered at a first negative clustering point. The first negative clustering point is connected to a second negative clustering point via a second matching resistor. The second negative signal clustering point is grounded via a second grounding resistor, and outputs a number of negative signals to the number of receiving terminals respectively.
US08283993B2
A twist capsule (10) broadly includes: a flexible tape (13), and a pre-emphasis circuit (11) operatively associated with said tape to compensate for attenuation of high-frequency digital waveform constituents attributable to skin effect and/or dielectric loss, such that the operational bandwidth of signal transmitted over said tape may be increased. An equalization circuit (14) may be arranged at the output end of the tape to further extend the operational bandwidth.
US08283975B2
A device (100) for processing an input signal (102), the device (100) comprising a delay unit (104) adapted for delaying the input signal (102) by a predefined delay time, at least one phase shifting unit (106) each adapted for phase shifting the delayed input signal (108) by an assigned phase value, a plurality of mixer units (110) each adapted for mixing the input signal (102) with the delayed input signal (108) or with one of the at least one phase shifted signal (112), and an extraction unit (114) adapted for extracting information from each of the mixed signals (116).
US08283973B2
A semiconductor element 100 including an MISFET according to the present invention is characterized by having diode characteristics in a reverse direction through an epitaxial channel layer 50. The semiconductor element 100 includes a semiconductor layer 20 of a first conductivity type, a body region 30 of a second conductivity type, source and drain regions 40 and 75 of the first conductivity type, an epitaxial channel layer 50 in contact with the body region, source and drain electrodes 45 and 70, a gate insulating film 60, and a gate electrode 65. If the voltage applied to the gate electrode of the MISFET is smaller than a threshold voltage, the semiconductor element 100 functions as a diode in which current flows from the source electrode 45 to the drain electrode 70 through the epitaxial channel layer 50. The absolute value of the turn-on voltage of this diode is smaller than that of the turn-on voltage of a body diode that is formed of the body region and the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer.
US08283962B2
A semiconductor memory device can optimize the layout area and current consumption based on multi-phase clock signals which are generated by dividing a source clock signal using a reset signal without a delay locked loop and a phase locked loop in order to have various phase information of low frequencies and different activation timings with a constant phase difference.
US08283950B2
Embodiments of delay lines may include a plurality of delay stages coupled to each other in series from a first stage to a last stage. Each delay stage may include an input transistor receiving a signal being delayed by the delay line. The delay line may include a compensating circuit configured to compensate for a change in a transconductance of the input transistor resulting from various factors. One such compensating circuit may be configured to provide a bias signal at an output node having a magnitude that is a function of a transconductance of a transistor in the compensating circuit. The bias signal may be used by each of the delay stages to maintain the gain of the respective delay stage substantially constant, such as a gain of substantially unity, despite changes in a transconductance of the respective input transistor in each of the delay stages.
US08283936B2
Devices, systems, and methods for detecting nucleic acid hybridization, including single nucleic base mutations at low concentrations, are disclosed, using surface-tethered hairpin loop oligonucleotide probes and metal-nanoparticles conjugated to a hybridization detection sequence that is capable of binding the stem region of the opened hairpin loop oligonucleotide probe, without the use of labeling or target modification and capable of recycling.
US08283930B2
A method and apparatus for determining the attenuation of an RF signal caused by a DPF at an unknown or different ambient temperature than the temperature used for DPF sensor calibration is disclosed. The method and apparatus determine the sensor attenuation just prior to determining the DPF attenuation by disconnecting the antennas and determining the attenuation of a loopback path. This sensor attenuation can then be deducted from the attenuation determined for the normal path that includes the attenuation caused by the loopback path, the cables, and the DPF. This method compensates for variation in the attenuation of the sensor caused by changes in ambient temperature of the sensor. Further temperature compensation is be achieved by determining additional factors to account for variations caused by changes in ambient temperature.
US08283929B2
An electrically isolated high-voltage direct-current electric circuit is monitored. Electrical signals are periodically sampled, and ground isolation indexes are calculated. A trend corresponding to trend elements is characterized. The characterized trend is compared with an expected trend with deviations indicative of potential faults.
US08283921B2
A magnetoresistance sensor for use in a position and orientation tracking system includes an insulating substrate, a pattern of a metal material and/or a semiconductor material deposited on a surface of the insulating substrate, and a bias magnet material deposited over the alternating pattern of a metal material and a semiconductor material. The position and orientation tracking system includes at least one magnetoresistance reference sensor attached to a fixed object, at least one magnetoresistance sensor attached to an object being tracked, and a processor coupled to the at least one magnetoresistance reference sensor and the at least one magnetoresistance sensor.
US08283919B2
A magnetic sensor according to the invention includes: a detector detecting the intensity of magnetic field; a comparison portion comparing the result of the detection with a set threshold value and outputting an output signal corresponding to the result of the comparison; and a threshold-value adjuster adjusting the threshold value. Thus, inconveniences due to a reverse magnetic field phenomenon or magnetic-field offset phenomenon can be solved as simple as possible.
US08283918B2
A detection apparatus for an eddy current in a heat generating tube using a permeability measurement method, and a method using the apparatus are provided. In the detection apparatus, a bobbin type probe acquires detection information with respect to a magnetic flux change by a magnetic phase occurring in the heat generating tube using a coil which is wound in an axis direction of at least one yoke located in a perpendicular direction with a bobbin of the bobbin type probe, and a material having a corresponding magnetic phase and a circumferential defect, which is difficult to be detected by the bobbin type probe, are detected based on the detection information.
US08283916B2
This invention relates to microfluidic apparatus for reading, writing and sorting magnetic tags attached to chemical and biological molecules and other entities. We describe apparatus for separating chemical or biological molecules or moieties each individually attached to a MBM tag miniature multi-bit magnetic tag capable of adopting a plurality of remanent magnetic configurations corresponding to binary information, the apparatus comprising: at least one input for said tagged molecules or moieties; at least two outputs for said tagged molecules or moieties; a microfluidic flow channel incorporating: magnetic readers to read said binary information; magnetic writers to write said binary information; and a switch to direct said tagged molecules or moieties to a selected said output responsive to said binary information. The invention also relates to planar multibit magnetic tags suitable for use with such apparatus.
US08283914B2
An absolute magnetic position encoder includes a magnet carrier (2) which is fixedly connected to a body to be monitored and carries permanent magnets (5) which are spaced in the direction of motion and which in paired relationship form magnet segments, by the counting and resolution of which the position of the body is determined, stationary magnetosensitive sensors (7, 8) which serve for fine resolution of the magnet segments and for recognition of the direction of motion and of which one can be supplied at least at times in cyclic relationship with a minimum current, a stationary Wiegand element (9) which when at least each second pair of magnetic poles passes delivers an electrical pulse which is added to or subtracted from a count value stored in non-volatile mode by an electronic arrangement (12), having regard to the direction of motion, and a logic circuit (26) which calculates the position of the body from the count value and the signals of the magnetosensitive sensors, wherein a part of the electrical pulse energy of the Wiegand element is stored to supply the electronic arrangement and the at least one magnetosensitive sensor with current at least upon the failure of an external power supply.
US08283913B2
A magnetic array sensor circuit to process an output from a magnetic sensor array including a plurality of magnetic sensor elements arranged in an array. The circuit includes a regulating circuit to reduce an offset variation of the output from the magnetic sensor elements arranged in the array. The regulating circuit includes a control circuit to operate the magnetic sensor element in a linear region. The control circuit includes a reference sensor element in the form of the magnetic sensor element short-circuited between two output terminals, a storage element to store a reference offset value read out from the reference sensor element, and a subtraction circuit to subtract the stored reference offset value from an output of the other magnetic sensor elements.
US08283912B2
A sensor device for detecting magnetic particles in a sensitive region of a sample chamber includes a dump region. Magnetic particles can be moved by magnetic forces from the sensitive region into the dump region which is arranged such that the magnetic particles cannot return to the sensitive region by pure sedimentation. The separation between the sensitive and the dump region can optionally be enforced by a barrier.
US08283906B2
Provided is a voltage regulator that is capable of improving a transient response characteristic while suppressing current consumption. A fluctuating output voltage is detected without increasing the current consumption of a differential amplifier, and a phase compensation resistor (60) is temporarily short-circuited, to thereby decrease a time constant determined by a parasitic capacitance of an output transistor (40) and the phase compensation resistor (60) to improve the transient response characteristic. Alternatively, a voltage divider circuit (50) is short-circuited to temporarily increase the current consumption and correct the output voltage, with the result that the current consumption during a normal operation is relatively low, and the transient response characteristic is improved by increasing a current only during a transient response.
US08283905B2
A voltage converter for converting an input voltage into an output voltage, wherein the output voltage is output to a load, is provided. An inductor is coupled between an output terminal and a node. A transistor is coupled between an input terminal and the node. A pulse width modulation (PWM) controller generates a first control signal according to the output voltage and a first reference voltage. An amplifier generates a second control signal according to the output voltage and a second reference voltage. A detector detects a loading of the load to generate a switching signal. A switching circuit selectively couples one of the PWM controller and the amplifier to the transistor according to the switching signal. The switching circuit controls the transistor according to the second control signal when the amplifier is coupled to the transistor, such that the transistor is operated in a saturation region.
US08283904B2
A power supply, comprising a boost converter which provides voltage to a first load, and a flyback converter which provides voltage to a second load and which utilizes an inductive element of the boost converter as a primary winding of a transformer of the flyback converter. Also, a power supply comprising a MOSFET which is disposed between solid state elements and a second reference potential and which controls current flowing through the solid state elements. Also, a circuit comprising a transformer, a first circuit portion comprising the primary winding of the transformer and a second circuit portion comprising the secondary winding of the transformer. Also, a power supply comprising means for using a common transformer for providing a boost converter and a flyback converter. Also, a power supply comprising a transformer, means for providing a boost converter utilizing the transformer, and means for providing a flyback converter utilizing the transformer.
US08283898B2
A battery charging circuit that stabilizes operation when switching between charge modes includes first and second transistors. The first transistor has a source connected to a first switch circuit. The first switch circuit connects the second transistor to either one of first and second external terminals. A mode switch circuit generates a switch signal for switching from a trickle charge mode to a fast charge mode. The mode switching circuit provides the switching signal to a comparison circuit. After a predetermined time elapses, the mode switching circuit provides the switching signal to the switch circuit. The comparison circuit lowers a current restriction reference voltage, which determines a charging current value, and returns the current restriction reference voltage to its original value after switching modes.
US08283887B2
A portable device includes a case configuring the body of the portable device and a fuel cell system included in the case and having air inlets formed in the surface of the case, and also has a solar cell disposed on a portion on the surface of the case, in which the air inlets are provided. The solar cell has holes corresponding to the air inlets.
US08283886B2
A charging device for charging primary cells includes a transforming rectifying unit, a voltage current processing unit, a microprocessor, an agitating unit, a detecting unit and a display unit. The transforming rectifying unit transforms an input power source into a direct-current output power source, which is transformed by the voltage current processing unit into a direct-current power source and charging power source. The charging power source is used for charging the battery set. The detecting unit detects an output voltage of the battery set and produces a detecting signal. The microprocessor controls an overall charging operation of the charging device according to the detecting signal, including making the agitating unit produce a sine pulse to chemically activate the battery set to remove the carbon deposition, and making the display unit show the charging status.
US08283881B2
Methods, systems and apparatus are provided for controlling operation of and regulating current provided to a five-phase machine when one or more phases has experienced a fault or has failed. In one implementation, the disclosed embodiments can be used to synchronously regulate current in a vector controlled motor drive system that includes a five-phase AC machine, a five-phase inverter module coupled to the five-phase AC machine, and a synchronous current regulator.
US08283877B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) bulb has an LED within a shell. The LED bulb also includes a driver circuit for providing current to the LED. The drive circuit has a thermal protection circuit, which includes a thermistor having a positive thermal coefficient and a switching temperature. The driver circuit also includes a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) controller with an input pin and an output pin. The thermistor is connected to the input pin. When the thermistor temperature is above the switching temperature, the thermal protection circuit causes the SMPS controller to produce a signal with a second duty cycle on the output pin. When the thermistor temperature is below the switching temperature, the thermal protection circuit causes the SMPS controller to produce a signal with a first duty cycle on the output pin. The second duty cycle is higher than the first duty cycle.
US08283868B2
An integrated Light Emitting Diode (LED) device including multiple LEDs connected to a circuit board, integrated circuit (IC) drivers connected to the circuit board, and a first alternating current (AC) terminal and a second AC terminal connected to the circuit board.
US08283862B2
An object of the present invention is to realize a light emitting device having low power consumption and high stability, in addition to improve extraction efficiency of light generated in a light emitting element. At least an interlayer insulating film (including a planarizing film), an anode, and a bank covering an edge portion of the anode contain chemically and physically stable silicon oxide, or are made of a material containing silicon oxide as its main component in order to accomplish a light emitting device having high stability. Generation of heat in a light emitting panel can be suppressed in addition to increase in efficiency (luminance/current) of a light emitting panel according to the structure of the present invention. Consequently, synergistic effect on reliability of a light emitting device is obtained.
US08283858B2
According to one embodiment, an illumination device includes an organic light-emitting unit, a first electrode, a second electrode and an optical layer. The organic light-emitting unit includes an organic light-emitting layer, a first and a second major surface. The first electrode is provided on the first major surface. The second electrode is provided on the second major surface and includes a conductive layer, a first interconnection and a second interconnection. The first interconnection is electrically connected to the conductive layer and aligned in a first direction parallel to the first major surface. The second interconnection is electrically connected to the conductive layer and aligned apart from the first interconnection and parallel to the first interconnection. The optical layer is provided on a side of the second electrode opposite to the organic light-emitting unit and includes a low refractive index portion and a high refractive index portion.
US08283850B2
There is a huge demand for increase in the luminance of electroluminescent elements and decrease in the electric power consumption. An objective of the present invention is to provide such an electroluminescent element as to satisfy the demand, as well as lightening equipment and display devices with high performance by utilizing the element. Provided is an electroluminescent element comprising a transparent substrate, and a first electrode layer, a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode layer, which layers are layered on the substrate in this order, wherein a surface of the transparent substrate on the side of the first electrode layer has a light-directional structure. A lightening device and a display device including this electroluminescent element are also provided.
US08283841B2
A rotary machine (e.g., motor or generator) has end caps with plastic piloting rings that engage a stator's plastic winding frame in an interference fit, so that a rotor seated by bearings in the end caps is properly aligned with the stator. The flexibility of the plastic-to-plastic fit allows looser tolerances in comparison to machining of all-metal end caps, while the average circle of the piloting ring's outer diameter still assures proper concentricity of rotor shaft, bearings, piloting rings and stator.
US08283832B2
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture and system for producing a field pole member for electrodynamic machinery are disclosed to, among other things, reduce magnetic flux path lengths and to eliminate back-iron for increasing torque and/or efficiency per unit size (or unit weight) and for reducing manufacturing costs. For example, a field pole member structure can either reduce the length of magnetic flux paths or substantially straighten those paths through the field pole members, or both. In one embodiment, a method provides for the construction of field pole members for electrodynamic machines.
US08283825B2
An auxiliary bearing system for supporting a rotating shaft including a first auxiliary bearing coupled to the rotating shaft. A first inertia ring is coupled to and circumscribes the first auxiliary bearing. A second inertia ring circumscribes the first inertia ring. A radial clearance is defined between the first and second inertia rings when the rotating shaft is supported by a primary bearing system, and the first inertia ring engages the second inertia ring when the rotating shaft is not supported by the primary bearing system. A second auxiliary bearing is engaged with an outer surface of the second inertia ring.
US08283820B2
The invention provides a joint (1) for joining a first electrical conductor to a second electrical conductor. The joint comprises an assembly member (3), an adapting member (2), an indentation (5a), an elastically deformable multipoint connection member (4), and an assembly structure (7, 8, 5b, 9). The assembly member is electrically conductive and comprises at least a first seat (5) and has a fastening structure (5b) forming part of the assembly structure. The adapting member comprises a first portion being attachable to the first seat and a second portion being attachable to an end portion of the first electrical conductor. The first portion comprises a compliant structure forming part of the assembly structure and being cooperative with the fastening structure to facilitate fixing of the adapting member to the assembly member.
US08283816B2
A vacuum container for housing therein a superconducting apparatus includes first and second partition walls made of magnetic-permeable nonmetallic materials, respectively, and facing each other to form a vacuum heat insulation chamber that is adapted to cover a superconductor that generates a magnetic flux. The first and second partition walls are exposed to relatively higher and lower temperatures, respectively. The first partition wall includes a radiation surface emitting thermal radiation while the second partition wall includes an absorption surface absorbing the thermal radiation. One of the radiation surface and the absorption surface is provided with a metal layer group in an exposed manner relative to the other of the radiation surface and the absorption surface. The metal layer group includes a plurality of metal layers spaced apart from one another and the nonmetallic material appears between the plurality of metal layers.
US08283803B2
A wind farm in which electrical power produced in the wind farm is transported via a wind-farm-internal network to a substation. Upon being transferred to an external network, the electrical power is transformed to a voltage which is higher by a selectable step-up ratio than the voltage in the wind-farm-internal network. The electrical load level on a wind energy installation in the wind farm is determined, and the step-up ratio is adjusted as a function of the electrical load level. Accordingly, it is possible to influence the voltage in the wind-farm-internal network such that the wind energy installations are subject to a lower electrical load level.
US08283797B2
This invention discloses a power control system comprising a prime mover and a generator driven by the prime mover. A control device is coupled with the generator to ascertain a change in speed of the generator and vary an output power of the generator according to the change. The control device applies a signal to reduce the generator output power and another signal to restore the generator output power. The power control system may include a transmission, a speed converter, and/or an accessory.
US08283793B2
An energy harvesting device is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the energy harvesting device is that it is adapted for insertion into a human blood vessel for converting pulsatile pressure in the blood vessel into electrical energy. The energy harvesting device can provide electrical energy to another electronic or electromechanical on or in the human body. The energy harvesting device can include an electrostatic generator. Methods associated with use of the energy harvesting device are also covered.
US08283792B1
Methods for fabricating an alignment mark are disclosed. A method includes forming a base layer that includes a first material and forming an alignment mark layer above the base layer that includes a second material that is optically mismatched with the first material. The alignment mark is formed using both first and second layers.
US08283789B2
An assembled circuit comprising an inductive component, a connecting conductor, and a first electronic component is disclosed. The connecting conductor is adapted to wrap a first surface of the inductive component. The first electronic component stacks on the inductive component. The assembled circuit is electrically connected to the carrier via the connecting conductor.
US08283781B2
A semiconductor device has a pad structure with a ring-shaped stress buffer layer between a metal pad and an under-bump metallization (UBM) layer. The stress buffer layer is formed of a dielectric layer with a dielectric constant less than 3.5, a polymer layer, or an aluminum layer. The stress buffer layer is a circular ring, a square ring, an octagonal ring, or any other geometric ring.
US08283778B2
A chip has a wafer portion of a first coefficient of thermal expansion, the wafer portion including at least one via defined by a peripheral sidewall, an insulating region having second average coefficient of thermal expansion, located within the via and covering at least a portion of the peripheral sidewall to a first thickness, a metallic region having a third average coefficient of thermal expansion, located within the via and covering the insulator to a second thickness, the first thickness and second thickness being selected such that expansion of the combination of the insulator and the metal due to heat will match the expansion of the wafer portion as a result of the combined effect of the first and second thicknesses and their respective second and third average coefficients of thermal expansion.
US08283777B2
Flip chip packages having warpage control and methods for fabricating such packages are described. In one embodiment, the flip chip package comprises a package substrate; a chip coupled to the package substrate; and a ring structure coupled to the package substrate and positioned laterally around the periphery of the chip so that a surface of the chip is exposed, wherein the ring structure comprises one or more compressive members, each of the one or more compressive members compressively opposed to a surface of the package substrate to counter or absorb stresses in the package substrate.
US08283775B2
A semiconductor device including a semiconductor element 1 having an active element region 1a, a plurality of element electrodes 2 formed on a principal face of the semiconductor element, external terminals 6 and 7 connected to one or more element electrodes via connection members 8 and 9, one or more first heat-dissipation protrusions 4 formed on the principal face of the semiconductor element, an insulation resin layer 10 covering the principal face of the semiconductor element and the first heat-dissipation protrusions, and a heat-dissipation medium 11 contacting a face of the insulation resin layer on a side opposite to a side contacting front faces of the first heat-dissipation protrusions. At least a part of the active element region is included in a region below a bottom face of the first heat-dissipation protrusion, the first heat-dissipation protrusion is not connected to the external terminal within the active element region, a thermal conductivity of the first heat-dissipation protrusion is larger than a thermal conductivity of the insulation resin layer, and a thickness of the insulation resin layer from the front face of the first heat-dissipation protrusion to the heat-dissipation medium is thinner than a thickness of the insulation resin layer from the principal face of the semiconductor element to the heat-dissipation medium. Thereby, it is possible to improve the speed of dissipating heat from the active element region of the mounted semiconductor element to the heat-dissipation medium.
US08283767B1
An interconnect structure (i.e., an interposer) which is mounted and electrically connected to a bottom semiconductor package substrate either prior or subsequent to such bottom substrate being populate with one or more electronic components. Subsequently, a top semiconductor package substrate which may also be populated with one or more electronic components is mounted to the interposer, such that all of the electronic components are disposed between the top and bottom interposers. Thereafter, a suitable mold compound is injected between the top and bottom substrates, the mold compound flowing about the electronic components, between the BGA joints, and at least partially about the interposer, thus helping to lock the interposer in place in the completed semiconductor package.
US08283753B2
A semiconductor device, which exhibits an increased design flexibility for a capacitor element, and can be manufactured with simple method, is provided. A semiconductor device 100 includes: a silicon substrate 101; an interlayer film 103 provided on the silicon substrate 101; a multiple-layered interconnect embedded in the interlayer film 103; a flip-chip pad 111, provided so as to be opposite to an upper surface of an uppermost layer interconnect 105 in the multiple-layered interconnect and having a solder ball 113 for an external coupling mounted thereon; and a capacitance film 109 provided between said uppermost layer interconnect 105 and the flip-chip pad 111. Such semiconductor device 100 includes the flip-chip pad 111 composed of an uppermost layer interconnect 105, a capacitive film 109 and a capacitor element 110.
US08283751B2
Generally, the present invention provides a variable thickness gate oxide anti-fuse transistor device that can be employed in a non-volatile, one-time-programmable (OTP) memory array application. The anti-fuse transistor can be fabricated with standard CMOS technology, and is configured as a standard transistor element having a source diffusion, gate oxide, polysilicon gate and optional drain diffusion. The variable gate oxide underneath the polysilicon gate consists of a thick gate oxide region and a thin gate oxide region, where the thin gate oxide region acts as a localized breakdown voltage zone. A conductive channel between the polysilicon gate and the channel region can be formed in the localized breakdown voltage zone during a programming operation. In a memory array application, a wordline read current applied to the polysilicon gate can be sensed through a bitline connected to the source diffusion, via the channel of the anti-fuse transistor. More specifically, the present invention provides an effective method for utilizing split channel MOS structures as an anti-fuse cell suitable for OTP memories.
US08283749B2
Semiconductor devices with multiple floating guard ring edge termination structures and methods of fabricating same are disclosed. A method for fabricating guard rings in a semiconductor device that includes forming a mesa structure on a semiconductor layer stack, the semiconductor stack including two or more layers of semiconductor materials including a first layer and a second layer, said second layer being on top of said first layer, forming trenches for guard rings in the first layer outside a periphery of said mesa, and forming guard rings in the trenches. The top surfaces of said guard rings have a lower elevation than a top surface of said first layer.
US08283748B2
Electronic elements having an active device region and integrated passive device (IPD) region on a common substrate preferably include a composite dielectric region in the IPD region underlying the IPD to reduce electro-magnetic (E-M) coupling to the substrate. Mechanical stress created by plain dielectric regions and its deleterious affect on performance, manufacturing yield and occupied area may be avoided by providing electrically isolated inclusions in the composite dielectric region of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) less than that of the dielectric material in the composite dielectric region. For silicon substrates, non-single crystal silicon is suitable for the inclusions and silicon oxide for the dielectric material. The inclusions preferably have a blade-like shape separated by and enclosed within the dielectric material.
US08283746B2
A solid state imaging device having a back-illuminated type structure in which a lens is formed on the back side of a silicon layer with a light-receiving sensor portion being formed thereon. Insulating layers are buried into the silicon layer around an image pickup region, with the insulating layer being buried around a contact layer that connects an electrode layer of a pad portion and an interconnection layer of the surface side. A method of manufacturing such a solid-state imaging device is also provided.
US08283745B2
Provided is a method of fabricating a backside illuminated image sensor that includes providing a device substrate having a frontside and a backside, where pixels are formed at the frontside and an interconnect structure is formed over pixels, forming a re-distribution layer (RDL) over the interconnect structure, bonding a first glass substrate to the RDL, thinning and processing the device substrate from the backside, bonding a second glass substrate to the backside, removing the first glass substrate, and reusing the first glass substrate for fabricating another backside-illuminated image sensor.
US08283728B2
A semiconductor device includes a power supply line supplied with a power supply voltage; a power supply node connected with the power supply line; a ground line; a ground pad connected with the ground line; a signal input pad; a main protection circuit section configured to discharge an ESD surge applied to a first pad as one of the power supply node, the signal input pad and the ground pad to a second pad as another thereof; a protection object circuit; a connection node connected with the protection object circuit; a first resistance element connected between the signal input pad and the connection node; and a sub protection circuit section. The sub protection circuit section includes a least one of a first PMOS transistor having a source connected with the connection node, a drain connected with the ground line and a gate and a back gate connected with the power supply line, and a first NMOS transistor having a source connected with the connection node, a drain connected with the power supply line and a gate and a back gate connected with the ground line.
US08283725B2
In a semiconductor device including an n-type metal oxide semiconductor transistor for electrostatic discharge protection surrounded by a shallow trench for device isolation, in order to suppress the off-leak current in an off state, there is formed, in the vicinity of the drain region of the NMOS transistor for ESD protection, an n-type region receiving a signal from an external connection terminal via a p-type region in contact with the drain region of the NMOS transistor for ESD protection.
US08283720B2
A power semiconductor device includes: a first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer and a third semiconductor layer provided in an upper portion of the first semiconductor layer and alternately arranged parallel to an upper surface of the first semiconductor layer; a plurality of fourth semiconductor layers provided on the third semiconductor layer; a fifth semiconductor layer selectively formed in an upper surface of each of the fourth semiconductor layers; a control electrode; a gate insulating film; a first main electrode provided on a lower surface of the first semiconductor layer; and a second main electrode provided on the fourth and the fifth semiconductor layers. Sum of the amount of impurities in the second semiconductor layer and the amount of impurities in the third semiconductor layer at an end on the second main electrode side of the second semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer is smaller than the sum at a center of the second semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer in the direction from the first main electrode to the second main electrode.
US08283716B2
A flash memory device includes a wafer; a gate oxide layer disposed upon the wafer; a floating gate disposed upon the gate oxide layer, the wafer, or a combination thereof; the floating gate including a flat floating gate portion and a generally rectangular floating gate portion disposed upon selected areas of the flat floating gate portion; a high K dielectric material disposed upon the floating gate; and a control gate disposed upon the high K dielectric material; wherein the high K dielectric material forms a zigzag pattern coupling the floating gate with the control gate.
US08283708B2
Semiconductor devices and methods for forming semiconductor devices are provided, including semiconductor devices that comprise one or more diffusion region in a semiconductor, the one or more diffusion regions being adjacent to a gate formed adjacent to a surface of the semiconductor (e.g., a semiconductor substrate). The one or more diffusion regions comprise a first width at a depth below the surface of the semiconductor and a second width near the surface of the semiconductor, the second width of the one or more diffusion regions being less than about 40% greater than the first width.
US08283700B2
A field effect transistor includes a channel layer of group-III nitride-based compound semiconductor; an interface layer formed on the channel layer and of AlXInYGa1-X-YN, where 0≦X≦1, 0≦Y≦1, and X+Y≦1, which is different from material of the channel layer, an electron supplying layer of group-III nitride-based compound semiconductor formed on the interface layer, the electron supplying layer having a recess that reaches the interface layer; a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the electron supplying layer on respective sides of the recess; an insulating film formed on an inner surface of the recess; and a gate electrode formed on the insulating film.
US08283698B2
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for protecting an integrated circuit (IC) having a first voltage potential, a first power supply potential and a second power supply potential. The ESD circuit includes a first NPN bipolar transistor having a first N-doped junction, a second N-doped junction and a third P-doped base junction. The first N-doped junction is coupled to the first voltage potential and the second N-doped junction is coupled to the first power supply potential. The ESD circuit also includes a first PNP bipolar transistor having a first P-doped junction, a second P-doped junction and a third N-doped base junction. The first P-doped junction is coupled to the first voltage potential and the second P-doped junction is coupled to the second power supply potential. The third P-doped base junction of the first NPN bipolar transistor is coupled to the third N-doped base junction of the first PNP bipolar transistor.
US08283686B2
A side-emitting light emitting device (100) is provided, comprising at least one light emitting diode (101) arranged on a substrate (102) and facing a scattering reflector (103, 109) disposed at a distance from and extending along the extension of said substrate. The scattering reflector comprises scattering components (110) distributed in a carrier (108), and the scattering components have a refractive index being different from the refractive index of said carrier. The scattering action of the reflector gives rise to an angular redistribution in the device, which increases the chance of light exiting the device through lateral openings between the reflector and the substrate, while light is essentially prevented from being emitted through the top surface.
US08283682B2
The present invention comprises a substrate, and at least one serial array having a plurality of light emitting cells connected in series on the substrate. Each of the light emitting cells comprises a lower semiconductor layer, an upper semiconductor layer, an active layer interposed between the lower and upper semiconductor layers, a lower electrode formed on the lower semiconductor layer exposed at a first corner of the substrate, an upper electrode layer formed on the upper semiconductor layer, and an upper electrode pad formed on the upper electrode layer exposed at a second corner of the substrate. The upper electrode pad and the lower electrode are respectively disposed at the corners diagonally opposite to each other, and are symmetric with respect to those of adjacent another of the light emitting cells.
US08283681B2
A lighting device including a metal substrate to prevent temperature rise of LED chip is offered. The lighting device includes the metal substrate, an anode or cathode electrode of the LED chip disposed on the metal substrate, brazing materials connecting the LED chip and the metal substrate, and a groove formed in the anode or cathode electrode. Forming the groove can prevent an occurrence of a crack in the brazing materials.Also, a lighting device includes the metal substrate, an anode and cathode electrode of the LED chip disposed on the metal substrate and brazing materials connecting the LED chip and the metal substrate. Further, a slit is formed in the metal substrate between the anode and cathode electrode. Forming the slit in the metal substrate can prevent an occurrence of a crack in the brazing materials.
US08283663B2
A multichip device, which achieves a normal operation and a testing operation without the needs for terminals dedicated for the testing and/or an interposer substrate, is provided. The peripheral chip also includes a switching unit for providing a switching between a normal mode that provides a first connection condition and a testing mode that provides a second coupling connection condition. The switching unit, in turn, provides connections of at least some of a plurality of outside terminals to the functional circuits, respectively, in the normal mode, and connects at least some of a plurality of outside terminals to the inside terminals in the testing mode. Thus, the normal operation and the testing operation can be carried out without the needs for the external terminals and/or the interposer substrate, which are employed for the purpose of only the testing.
US08283662B2
A memory device without additional logic circuits, including a memory cell which cannot be accessed by a third party and which is always accessible when needed. One embodiment is a memory device including a first memory cell and a second memory cell, and the second memory cell includes a second transistor having a second channel formed of an oxide semiconductor film. Data is read from the second memory cell when the second transistor is being irradiated with ultraviolet rays.
US08283659B2
Compounds of Formula (I) are disclosed: wherein R1-R14, x, y, and z are as defined herein. The compounds are useful as semiconducting materials for electronic devices such as thin-film transistors.
US08283655B2
In layered structures, channel regions and light-interactive regions can include the same semiconductive polymer material, such as with an organic polymer. A light-interactive region can be in charge-flow contact with a contacting electrode region, and a channel region can, when conductive, provide an electrical connection between the contacting electrode region and other circuitry. For example, free charge carriers can be generated in the light-interactive region, resulting in a capacitively stored signal level; the signal level can be read out to other circuitry by turning on a transistor that includes the channel region. In an array of photosensing cells with organic thin film transistors, an opaque insulating material can be patterned to cover a data line and channel regions of cells along the line, but not extend entirely over the cells' light-interactive regions.
US08283650B2
A phase change memory cell having a flat lower bottom electrode and a method for fabricating the same. The method includes forming a dielectric layer over a substrate including an array of conductive contacts, patterning, a via having a low aspect ratio such that a depth of the via is less than a width thereof, to a contact surface of the substrate corresponding to each of the array of conductive contacts to be connected to access circuitry, etching the dielectric layer and depositing electrode material over the etched dielectric layer and within each via, and planarizing the electrode material to form a plurality of lower bottom electrodes on each of the conductive contacts.
US08283641B2
A positioning device and a particle beam apparatus including a positioning device ensure reliable positioning of a holder for holding an object at any working distance. The positioning device includes a positionable holder for holding the object. A light source generates a light beam which is guided in the direction of the positionable holder. A detector detects the light beam. An injection area injects particles of a particle beam such that they are guided in the direction of the positionable holder. The light beam passes the injection area. The injection area has an output side for the light beam and the particle beam, which is directed toward the holder. The detector includes a detector element situated in an area between the output side and the holder. The light source includes a light source element situated in an area which extends away from the holder, starting from the output side.
US08283637B2
High rate radiation detectors are disclosed herein. The detectors include a detector material disposed inside the container, the detector material containing cadmium, tellurium, and zinc, a first dopant containing at least one of aluminum, chlorine, and indium, and a second dopant containing a rare earth metal. The first dopant has a concentration of about 500 to about 20,000 atomic parts per billion, and the second dopant has a concentration of about 200 to about 20,000 atomic parts per billion.
US08283633B2
Disclosed is apparatus and methodology for producing thermal detectors with spectral responsivities that mimic the absorptions of chemical analytes, and whose detector characteristics approach those of conventional broad-band thermal detectors. In an exemplary arrangement, the methodology provides for modification of a known Si-based thermal detector by adding a near-infrared dye absorbing film above a reflector deposited directly on the thermal detector element. The method is general to all types of thermal detectors that can be divided into separate absorber and thermal sensor components.
US08283632B2
Embodiments of a read-out integrated circuit (ROIC) include a plurality of unit cells. Each unit cell includes a bias subsystem, a reset switch, at least one integration capacitor, and at least one read switch. A focal plane array includes a plurality of photo detectors disposed in a grid and a ROIC. A column buffer includes a first buffer subsystem, a feedback subsystem, a first and second correlated double sampling subsystem, and a second buffer subsystem. A ROIC includes at least one integration subsystem having a transistor subsection, a poly silicon layer, and a plurality of active layer sections.
US08283631B2
A spectrometer having an electron beam generator for generating an electron beam that is directed at a sample. An electron beam positioner directs the electron beam onto a position of the sample, and thereby produces a secondary emitted stream from the sample, where the secondary emitted stream includes at least one of electrons and x-rays. An secondary emitted stream positioner positions the secondary emitted stream onto a detector array, which receives the secondary emitted stream and detects both the amounts and the received positions of the secondary emitted stream. A modulator modulates the electron beam that is directed onto the sample, and thereby sweeps the electron beam between a first position and a second position on the sample. An extractor is in signal communication with both the modulator and the detector array, and extracts a differential signal that represents a difference between the signals that are received from the first position and the signals that are received from the second position.
US08283625B2
It is intended to provide a method of preparing sample for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry using a matrix capable of generating preferred crystals that cause effective ionization of a molecule to be measured. A method of preparing a sample for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry comprising the steps of: preparing a solution of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid of 40 mg/mL to saturated concentration as a matrix solution; and dispensing the matrix solution to a sample to be analyzed by using an inkjet mechanism, to crystallize the 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid.
US08283616B2
The invention describes a process for reducing an organic-containing material into lower molecular weight gaseous hydrocarbons, liquid hydrocarbons and solid carbon constituents, by using out-of-phase microwaves which enter the applicator through at least one applicator diffuser matrix. The matrix includes essentially parallel beveled entry channels.
US08283615B1
A permanent magnet air heater has a housing with an internal chamber accommodating an electric motor rotating a fan to move air through the housing. A non-ferrous member having bores for cylindrical magnets and a steel member with a copper plate secured to the steel member are rotated relative to each other by the motor whereby the magnetic field between the magnets and copper plate generates heat which is transferred to air in the housing moving through the housing by the fan.
US08283614B2
Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of fixing marking materials onto media are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of the apparatuses useful in printing includes a first member including a first surface; a second member comprising at least one ferromagnetic material having a relative magnetic permeability greater than 1, a susceptor over the at least one ferromagnetic material, the susceptor comprising at least one electrically resistive metal, and a second surface over the at least one ferromagnetic material and the susceptor, the second surface forming a nip with the first surface at which media are received; and a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field to inductively heat the second member.
US08283612B2
The invention provides a planar element which is intrinsically heatable and which is particularly suitable for attachment to multi-dimensionally curved surfaces. For this purpose the planar element features particularly high deformability, achieved in accordance with the invention through a planar element having a layer sequence comprising a heating layer and a contacting layer, each of these two layers being composed of a polymeric material based on elastomers and/or on plastic polymers which have a particular elongation at break and at the same time a particular tensile elasticity modulus. Furthermore, the invention provides an adhesively bonded assembly comprising a bonding substrate and a planar element of the aforesaid kind, a method of producing a planar element of the aforesaid kind, and the use of such a planar element for heating an adhesively bonded assembly.
US08283611B2
A compact, low-cost hinge assembly for mounting a door to a household appliance. A stay bar has first and second elongate edge surfaces extending between opposing first and second ends. The first end is pivotally connected to a door-mounting bracket on which an abutment is located. A torsion spring is mounted to a body-mounting bracket, and an arm of the spring resiliently engages the first edge surface to urge the second surface into engagement with the abutment, urging the door, in a closed position, toward the closed position. A detent recess in the second surface receives the abutment to hold the door partially open. A stop face projects from the first edge surface, and the spring arm contacts the stop face to hold the door horizontal, in a fully open position.
US08283607B2
Methods and apparatus for processing substrates and measuring the temperature using radiation pyrometry are disclosed. A reflective layer is provided on a window of a processing chamber. A radiation source providing radiation in a first range of wavelengths heats the substrate, the substrate being transparent to radiation in a second range of wavelengths within the first range of wavelengths for a predetermined temperature range. Radiation within the second range of wavelength is reflected by the reflective layer.
US08283599B2
In a plate assembling step, a gap (5) is formed between a leading end portion (3A) of a groove (3) provided on an upright plate (2) and a lower plate (1). An arc is generated from a welding wire (7) toward a back surface (3C) side of the groove (3) through the gap (5), to form a satisfactory penetration bead (8) on the back surface (3C) side of the groove (3). Next, the welding wire (7), the lower plate (1), the groove (3) of the upright plate (2) and the penetration bead (8) are fused to form a first-layer welding bead (9), thereby firmly joining the lower plate (1) and the groove (3) of the upright plate (2). The first and second welding steps are performed continuously after performing the plate assembling step, to enhance workability at the time of welding the lower plate (1) and the upright plate (2).
US08283596B2
A laser processing apparatus is provided for patterning with laser light a resin film or a metal film formed on a substrate. The apparatus includes a laser light source; and a debris collection device having a transmission window through which the laser light is transmitted, a vortex generation mechanism generating a vortex gas flow by allowing gas to flow into a region near a laser light-irradiated area of the resin film or the metal film, and a screening device having an opening through which the incident laser light passes and screening a flow of debris. The mechanism is placed close to the resin film or the metal film on the substrate. Debris generated by laser light irradiation and before and after being stacked on the object film is entrained in the vortex gas flow generated by the vortex generation mechanism and is exhausted to outside through the screening device.
US08283590B2
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.
US08283585B2
Electric switchgear comprising a casing having at least one compartment provided with a door, a plurality of electrical conductors suitable to be connected to a load, a multi-phase switching device which is mounted on a truck movable inside the compartment between a connected position wherein each phase of the switching device is electrically connected to a corresponding electrical conductor and a withdrawn position wherein each phase of the switching device is electrically separated from the corresponding electrical conductor, and an earthing switch comprising a plurality of contacts for connecting to earth the plurality of electrical conductors. The earthing switch is actuated to move between a first position wherein each contact is electrically connected to a corresponding electrical conductor and a second position wherein each contact is electrically separated from the corresponding electrical conductor by the movement of the truck between the connected position and the withdrawn position.
US08283577B2
Intended is to provide an electromagnetic shielding material having a conductive layer pattern by transferring a conductive composite to a transparent base material, and an electromagnetic shielding material having a metal layer formed on the transferred conductive layer. The electromagnetic shielding material is free from the troubles such as the breaking of wire, the non-conforming shape or the low contact, which is based on the non-conforming transfer of the conductive composite. The electromagnetic shielding material comprises a transparent base material, a primer layer formed over the transparent base material, and a conductive layer formed in a predetermined pattern on the primer layer. In the primer layer, a portion having the conductive layer formed therein has a thickness larger than the thickness of a portion without the conductive layer.
US08283566B2
A method of forming an interconnect substrate includes providing at least two unit cells, arranging the unit cells to form a desired circuit pattern, and joining the unit cells to form the interconnect substrate having the desired circuit pattern. A circuit substrate, has a desired circuit pattern on a substrate, the substrate made up of at least two unit cells having conductive lines electrically connected together.
US08283565B2
According to an aspect of an embodiment, a flexible circuit board for connecting a first device and a second device, the flexible circuit board comprises: a base material comprising a flexible material having a first end adapted to connect with the first apparatus, a second end adapted to connect with the second apparatus and a hollow arranged between the first end and the second end; a signal line arranged on a surface of the base material, the signal line capable of electrically connecting the first apparatus and the second apparatus, the signal line having a constant characteristic impedance along the signal line in association with the base material; and a line arranged on the base material and over the hollow, the line capable of electrically connecting the first apparatus and the second apparatus.
US08283562B2
An electrical interface assembly configured to be supported within a wall of a mobile structure. The electrical interface assembly includes a frame having spaced apart inner and outer supports. Panels including electrical connectors are removably supported by the inner and outer supports.
US08283561B2
A solar cell including a quantum dot and an electron conductor, and a bifunctional ligand disposed between the quantum dot and the electron conductor. The bifunctional ligand molecule may include an electron conductor anchor that bonds to the electron conductor and a first quantum dot anchor that bonds to the quantum dot. A hole conductor such as a conductive polymer may include a second quantum dot anchor.
US08283549B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing terminal that specifies emotions from a voice and audio outputs music suitable for the specified emotions to enable the emotions of a loudspeaker who uttered the voice to be recognized readily.In an information processing terminal according to the present invention, an emotion inferring unit 23 detects, from sound information, at least two emotions of an utterer who uttered a voice included in the sound information, and a music data generating unit 24 synthesizes music data, stored in a music parts database 242 and corresponding to the emotions detected by the emotion inferring unit 23, and a controller 22 reproduces the music data generated by the music data generating unit 24.
US08283548B2
Method for recognizing similarly recurring patterns of notes in a piece of music containing note sequences distributed among parallel channels, the method having the steps of: a) repeatedly segmenting each channel and, for each type of segmentation, determining segments which are similar to one another and storing the latter in lists of candidate patterns with the respective entities thereof; b) calculating an intrinsic similarity value for each list; c) calculating coincidence values for each list for each channel with respect to the lists for all other channels; and d) combining the intrinsic similarity and coincidence values for each list to form a total value for each list, and using the pattern candidates in the lists with the highest total value in each channel as recognized note patterns in the channel.
US08283536B1
A rice hybrid designated XP753 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of rice hybrid XP753, to the plants of rice hybrid XP753 and to methods for producing a rice plant produced by crossing the hybrid XP753 with itself or another rice plant. The invention further relates to hybrid rice seeds and plants produced by crossing the hybrid XP753 with another rice plant. This invention further relates to growing and producing blends of rice seeds comprised of seeds of rice hybrid XP753 with rice seed of one, two, three, four or more of another rice hybrid, rice variety or rice inbred.
US08283525B2
The invention provides seed and plants of the cucumber line designated APD147-4004Mo. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of cucumber line APD147-4004Mo, and to methods for producing a cucumber plant produced by crossing a plant of cucumber line APD147-4004Mo with itself or with another cucumber plant, such as a plant of another line. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of cucumber line APD147-4004Mo, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.
US08283523B2
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.
US08283521B2
A new transcription factor coding gene induced by water deficit or abscisic acid of Helianthus annuus, having a homeodomain associated to a leucine zipper, was characterized. The transcription factor is useful to be cloned in DNA constructions for transforming host cells and plants. The transgenic plants comprising the transcription factor gene are tolerant and resistant to harmful environmental conditions such as water stress and high salinity. A nucleic acid promoting sequence is also provided wherein the sequence is induced by water deficit or abscisic acid. Constructions, host cells and transgenic plants that comprise the transcription factor gene are provided.
US08283513B2
A flexible, multilayer wound dressing with antibacterial and antifungal properties, together with methods for making the dressing. The dressing includes a layer of silver-containing fabric, a layer of absorbent material, and (optionally) a layer of flexible air-permeable and/or water-impermeable material. The dressing can be used for prophylactic and therapeutic care and treatment of skin infections and surface wounds (including surgical incisions), as a packing material, and as a swab for surface cleaning.
US08283511B2
A simulated moving bed adsorptive separation process for preparing the separate feed streams charged to naphtha reforming unit and a steam cracking unit has been developed. The feed stream to the overall unit is passed into the adsorptive separation unit. The desorbent in the adsorptive separation is C12 hydrocarbons. The simulated moving bed adsorptive separation separates the components of the feed stream into a normal paraffin stream, which is charged to the steam cracking process, and non-normal hydrocarbons which are passed into a reforming zone. The desorbent is readily separated from the normal paraffin stream and from the non-normal paraffin stream and the simulated moving bed adsorption zone is operated at an A/Fn ratio of from about 0.90 to about 0.92.
US08283507B2
A process and apparatus are presented for the removal of carbon monoxide from ethylene streams. The removal of carbon monoxide before selective hydrogenation protects the catalyst in the selective hydrogenation reactor. Carbon monoxide levels are controlled with the water gas shift process to convert the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, with the carbon dioxide removed in an acid gas removal process.
US08283496B2
Aminoalkyl vinyl ethers comprising ethylenimine units, processes for their preparation and their use
Aminoalkyl vinyl ethers comprising alkylenimine units and of the formula H2C═CH—O—X—NH—[Al—]n—H (I), in which [Al—]n is a linear or branched oligoalkylenimine chain having n alkylenimine units, n is a number of at least 1 and X is a straight-chain or branched C2- to C6-alkylene group, and salts of the monomers I with mineral acids or organic acids and quaternization products of the monomers I with alkyl halides or dialkyl sulfates, processes for the preparation of the compounds of the formula I by addition reaction of alkylenimines with amino-C2- to C6-alkyl vinyl ethers and use of the aminoalkyl vinyl ethers comprising alkylenimine units and of the formula I as monomers for the preparation of polymers for use in the paper industry, as antimicrobial coating materials, in detergents and for the treatment of metal surfaces.
US08283494B2
Process for the preparation of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide in a urea production process comprising, in a high-pressure synthesis section: a. a reactor, wherein ammonia and carbon dioxide react to form a urea-comprising synthesis solution; b. a stripper, wherein the urea-comprising synthesis solution is heated and stripped, optionally in counter-current with a stripping agent; c. a submerged condenser, wherein the gas leaving the top of the stripper is, at least partially, condensed to form a condensate solution and d. an ejector, in the line connecting the submerged condenser and the reactor, supporting the transport of the condensate solution from the submerged condenser to the reactor, wherein a gas stream leaving the top of the submerged condenser is controlled by one or more controlling elements.
US08283492B2
A process for manufacture of hydrofluoroalkanesulfonic acid with at least one hydrogen bonded to the carbon atom adjacent to the carbon atom bonded to the sulfonic acid group comprising: contacting a fluoroolefin with sulfite in an aqueous solution adjusted to about pH 4 to pH 12; removing water from the solution to form a solid; directly treating the solid with oleum; and distilling the hydrofluoroalkanesulfonic acid therefrom. Also a process for manufacture of potassium hydrofluoroalkanesulfonate in high purity is described.
US08283489B2
An optically active α-fluorocarboxylate is produced by reacting an optically active α-hydroxycarboxylate with sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2), trifluoromethanesulfonyl fluoride (CF3SO2F) or nonafluorobutanesulfonyl fluoride (C4F9SO2F) in the presence of organic base and in the absence of reaction solvent. More preferably, a distillation purification is conducted after adding acid to the reaction-terminated liquid. With this, it is possible to produce an optically active α-fluorocarboxylate of a still higher purity. It is possible by this process to advantageously produce an optically active α-fluorocarboxylate on a large-amount scale.
US08283485B2
A process for preparing a multi-layer substrate is described herein. In one embodiment, the process provides a multi-layer substrate comprising a first layer and a second layer where the process comprises the steps of providing the first layer comprising a barrier area and a copper area; and depositing the second layer comprising copper onto the first layer wherein the depositing provides the second layer comprising a first thickness ranging from about 20 Angstroms to about 2,000 Angstroms onto the barrier area and a second thickness ranging from about 0 Angstroms to about 1,000 Angstroms onto the copper area in the first layer wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
US08283475B2
The present invention relates to novel aryloazol-2-yl-cyanoethylamino derivatives of formula (I): wherein R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, P, Q, V, W, X, Y, Z and a are as defined in the description, compositions thereof, processes for their preparation and their uses as pesticides.
US08283471B2
The present invention relates to a succinate salt of 2-((4-(1-methyl-4-(pyridin-4-yl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)phenoxy)methyl)quinoline, and to a method for treating disorders of the Central Nervous System (CNS) and other disorders in a mammal, including a human, by administering to the mammal the succinate salt. It also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and the succinate salt.
US08283467B2
The invention relates to the synthesis of boronic ester and acid compounds. More particularly, the invention provides improved synthetic processes for the large-scale production of boronic ester and acid compounds, including the peptide boronic acid proteasome inhibitor bortezomib.
US08283465B2
The present invention provides a triazolopyridine compound having a prolyl hydroxylase inhibitory action and an erythropoietin production-inducing ability. The present invention relates to a compound represented by the following formula [I]: wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a solvate thereof, as well as a prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor or erythropoietin production-inducing agent containing the compound. The compound of the present invention shows a prolyl hydroxylase inhibitory action and an erythropoietin production-inducing ability and is useful as a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for various diseases and pathologies (disorders) caused by decreased production of erythropoietin.
US08283462B2
The invention provides a group of nucleic acid fragments, shown in the sequence listing, for prevention of HIV infection or AIDS and the usage thereof. In the invention, a series of RNA fragments, which are highly homogenous to all the published HIV gene sequences, were obtained by homology compare. The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) derived from these fragments can effectively inhibit the expression of the HIV genes. The RNA transcribed by plasmid, also can suppress the expression of the HIV in the cell. After the adenovirus or associated virus which carry DNA corresponding above RNA infect the cell, the transcription dsRNA can inhibit the expression of the HIV genes.
US08283460B2
Methods, compositions, and kits that include small hairpin RNA (shRNA) useful for inhibition of gene expression, such as viral-mediated gene expression, are described.
US08283446B2
A T cell receptor (TCR) having the property of binding to EVDPIGHLY HLA-A1 complex and comprising a specified wild type TCR which has specific mutations in the TCR alpha variable domain and/or the TCR beta variable domain to increase affinity. Such TCRs are useful for adoptive therapy.
US08283438B2
A process for the preparation of functional molecules using the thiol-ene coupling reaction and a process for the preparation of protected functional thiols, specifically thioesters is provided. The methods may be used to make functional polymers and other molecules. The method of making a functionalized polymer using a thiol-ene reaction comprises: providing a functionalized thioester having the following formula: wherein R is a functional group and COR′ is a protecting group; cleaving the functionalized thioester, forming a functional thiol and an acyl group; providing a polymer having a pendant vinyl group; and reacting the polymer with the functional thiol whereby a functionalized polymer is formed, wherein the functional thiol is not isolated prior to reacting with the polymer.
US08283433B2
The present invention is directed to a polycarbonate resin comprising a structural unit represented by the following general formula (I), wherein the structural unit of general formula (I) occupies 5 to 100 mol % relative to all the structural units, and the limiting viscosity of the polycarbonate resin is 0.3 to 2.0 dl/g: wherein in the formula, R1 through R8 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen group, an alkyl group having a carbon number of 1 through 9, an aryl group having a carbon number of 6 through 12, an alkenyl group having a carbon number of 2 through 5, an alkoxy group having a carbon number of 1 through 5, or an aralkyl group having a carbon number of 7 through 17.
US08283432B2
A polymer that is a polysiloxane polymer has fluoroquinolone antibiotic groups, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, attached via linkers. The linkers may be hydrolytically labile thereby providing a manner of releasing the fluoroquinolone antibiotic from the polymer.
US08283420B2
The instant invention is a crosslinkable polyethylene composition obtained via a process comprising the steps of (1) providing a polyethylene component; (2) providing an organic peroxide crosslinking agent,(3) providing a crosslinking coagent which comprises at least two terminal carbon-carbon double bonds and is an alkadiene, alkatriene, or alkatetraene compound; (4) melt blending the polyethylene component, the crosslinking agent, and the crosslinking coagent at a temperature less than the decomposition temperature of the crosslinking agent; and (5) thereby forming the crosslinkable polyethylene composition. The crosslinkable polyethylene composition may further include a scorch inhibitor, a cure booster, a stable free radical, one or more conventional additives, and/or combinations thereof. The instant invention further includes articles comprising the crosslinked product of the crosslinkable polyethylene composition.
US08283410B2
The present invention provides homopolymers resulting from ROMP of oxanorbornene dicarboxylic anhydride moieties and non-homopolymers resulting from ROMP of norbornene dicarboxylic anhydrides and oxanorbornene dicarboxylic anhydrides with co-monomer moieties. The invention further provides hydrogenated homopolymers resulting from ROMP of oxanorbornene dicarboxylic anhydrides and hydrogenated non-homopolymers resulting from ROMP of norbornene dicarboxylic anhydrides and oxanorbornene dicarboxylic anhydrides with co-monomer moieties. The invention further provides a wide variety of compositions comprising the novel ROMP moieties. Some of the novel ROMP moiety structures are set out below, wherein R1, R2, X, n, and m are defined herein.
US08283404B2
An opacifying pigment that includes a pigment particle having an average particle diameter of from 0.005 to 5 microns and an index of refraction of at least 1.8 such as, for example TiO2, at least partially encapsulated in polymer is provided. Also provided are processes for forming the encapsulated pigment particle and compositions including the encapsulated pigment particle.
US08283401B2
Provided by using a catalyst containing an yttrium compound is conjugated diene polymer with very low solution viscosity, improved workability, high degree of branching, and high content of cis-1,4 structures. Also provided is a rubber composition utilizing the polymer and allowing excellent dispersion of reinforcing agent. According to a method of manufacturing a conjugated diene polymer characterized by polymerizing a conjugated diene at 50 to 120° C. in the presence of a catalyst obtained from (A) an yttrium compound, (B) an ionic compound consisting of a non-coordinating anion and a cation, and (C) an organoaluminum compound, the conjugated diene polymer has the following characteristics that: (1) a ratio (Tcp/ML1+4) between a 5 wt % toluene solution viscosity (Tcp) measured at 25° C. and a Mooney viscosity (ML1+4) at 100° C. is 0.1 to 1.2; and (2) a content of cis-1,4 structures is 80% or higher, and a content of 1,2 structures is lower than 5%.
US08283398B2
An intermediate transfer media that includes a single layer of a polyhedral silsesquioxane polyimide, and where the silsesquioxane is attached to the polyimide or a multi layer transfer media that includes a supporting substrate, such as a polyimide, and thereover a polyhedral silsesquioxane modified polyimide, and where the silsesquioxane is attached to the polyimide.
US08283395B2
A method of producing an organic particle dispersion, which has: dissolving an organic material into a good solvent to form a solution, mixing the solution with a poor solvent for the organic material in which the poor solvent is compatible with the good solvent, to form organic particles of the organic material in a mixed liquid, and thereby preparing a dispersion in which the organic particles are dispersed, in which a polymer compound having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 or more is contained when preparing the dispersion.
US08283384B2
Described herein is the synthesis of adhesive complex coacervates and their use thereof. The adhesive complex coacervates are composed of a mixture of one or more polycations and one or more polyanions. The polycations and polyanions in the adhesive complex coacervate are crosslinked with one another by covalent bonds upon curing. The adhesive complex coacervates have several desirable features when compared to conventional bioadhesives, which are effective in water-based applications. The adhesive complex coacervates described herein exhibit good interfacial tension in water when applied to a substrate (i.e., they spread over the interface rather than being beaded up). Additionally, the ability of the complex coacervate to crosslink intermolecularly increases the cohesive strength of the adhesive complex coacervate. The adhesive complex coacervates have numerous biological applications as bioadhesives and drug delivery devices. In particular, the adhesive complex coacervates described herein are particularly useful in underwater applications and situations where water is present such as, for example, physiological conditions.
US08283370B2
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to new imidazolidinedione derivatives, methods of making these compounds, and methods of using the same to prevent, treat, or inhibit malaria in a subject.
US08283368B2
Potent and selective ligands for the dopamine 3 (D3) receptor are disclosed. The D3 receptor ligands have a structural formula (I) wherein X is C═O or SO2, R1 is C1-6 alkyl, R2 is aryl, heteroaryl, aryl, —(CH2)1-3aryl, or —(CH2)1-3heteroaryl, and n is 0 or 1. Methods of using the D3 receptor ligands in the treatment of diseases and conditions wherein modulation of the D3 receptor provides a benefit also are disclosed.
US08283361B2
Compounds of formula (I) and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts are described. Processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, their use as medicaments and their use in the treatment of bacterial infections are also described.
US08283349B2
A compound of general formula (I): A process for preparing this compound.A fungicidal composition comprising a compound of general formula (I).A method for treating plants by applying a compound of general formula (I) or a composition comprising it.
US08283340B2
The disclosure relates to novel compounds for use in the treatment or prophylaxis of cancers and other proliferative conditions that are for example characterized by cells that express cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) and allelic variants thereof. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more such compounds for use in medical therapy, for example in the treatment of prophylaxis of cancers or other proliferative conditions, as well as methods for treating cancers or other conditions in human or non-human animal patients. Provided are methods for identifying novel compounds for use in the treatment of prophylaxis of cancers and other proliferative conditions that are for example characterized by cells that express CYP1B1 and allelic variants thereof. Finally, provided is a method for determining the efficacy of a compound as described herein in treating cancer.
US08283337B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an agent for treating or preventing vasospasm. An object of the present invention is to provide an agent for treating or preventing cerebral vasospasm as well as arterial vasospasm. Further, an object of the present invention is to provide an agent for treating or preventing cerebral ischemia and cerebral infarction.The above problems are solved by an agent for treating and preventing vasospasm, cerebral ischemia, or cerebral infarction, comprising trehalose as the active ingredient. It is possible, by using such a trehalose-comprising agent, to suppress phenomena such as contraction of blood vessel and thickening of tunica intima and tunica media and to prevent or treat vasospasm and vasospasm-dependent diseases.
US08283335B2
The invention pertains to the use of a lipid fraction for the support of brain function. The lipid fraction comprises the medium-chain fatty acids at least 4 g hexanoic acid and/or at least 5 g octanoic acid, at least 1 g eicosapentaenoic acid, and in addition more than 0.4 g α-linolenic acid per 100 g fatty acids of the lipid fraction.
US08283318B2
This document provides aquaretic and natriuretic polypeptides. For example, this document provides polypeptides having aquaretic and/or natriuretic activities. In some cases, a polypeptide provided herein can have aquaretic and natriuretic activities, while lacking the ability to lower blood pressure. This document also provides methods and materials for inducing aquaretic and/or natriuretic activities within a mammal.
US08283312B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for regulating body weight, and for treating conditions associated with obesity, particularly, obesity-related diabetes. The present invention is premised on the discovery that body weight can be effectively regulated by modulating the levels and/or activities of two gut hormones, PYY and ghrelin.
US08283310B2
Hepatitis C virus inhibitors having the general formula are disclosed. Compositions comprising the compounds and methods for using the compounds to inhibit HCV are also disclosed.
US08283301B2
An automatic dishwashing detergent composition having at least two components. The first component is a polymer containing polymerized residues of at least one C3-C6 carboxylic acid monomer and a lactone end group. The second component is a biodegradable builder selected from among nitrilotriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, glycine-N,N-diacetic acid, methylglycine-N,N-diacetic acid, 2-hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid, glutamic acid-N,N-diacetic acid, 3-hydroxy-2,2′-iminodisuccinate, S,S-ethylenediaminedisuccinate aspartic acid-diacetic acid, N,N′-ethylenediamine disuccinic acid, iminodisuccinic acid, aspartic acid, aspartic acid-N,N-diacetate, beta-alaninediacetic acid, polyaspartic acid, salts thereof and combinations thereof.
US08283299B2
The invention relates to skin cleansers/hand cleaners, particularly coarse hand cleaners, containing at least 0.1 wt. % of at least one hydrophilic emollient having an HLB value of ≧10. Said skin cleansers/hand cleaners especially contain, relative to the entire composition of the cleanser/cleaner, a.) at least 0.1 wt. % of at least one hydrophilic emollient, preferably a polyol ester, b.) 2 to 40 wt. % of at least one surfactant selected from among the group comprising fatty alcohol ethoxylates, fatty alcohol ether sulfates, and salts of sulfated and/or sulfonated fatty acids, c.) 30 to 90 wt. % of water, d.) 0 to 30 wt. % of one or more cleaning promoters selected from among the group comprising polyols, polyether, polyphosphates, and phosphates, e.) 0 to 30 wt. % of one or more abrasive agents, f.) 0 to 1.0 wt. % of propoxylated fatty alcohols, g.) one or more optional viscosity-forming agents, h.) other optional cosmetic auxiliary agents, additives, and/or active substances, the total of components a.) to h.) amounting to 100 wt. %.
US08283292B2
The present invention relates to a composition comprising a) an anionic compound having wetting and dispersing properties selected from the group of a1) an alkyl naphthalene sulfonate, a2) a naphthalene sulfonate-formaldehyde condensate that may optionally be alkyl substituted and mixtures thereof, and b) a nitrogen-containing surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkylamine alkoxylates, alkylamidoamine alkoxylates, alkanolamides and their alkoxylates, alkylamidopropylamines, betaines, amino acids, or any mixtures thereof, wherein
US08283290B2
Implementations of the present invention relate generally to methods, systems, and apparatus for manufacturing aesthetically pleasing, resin-based sheets including color and/or multi-decorated images. In particular, at least one implementation includes subjecting at least one surface of a polymer sheet to uniform heat and pressure in order to sublimate a dye into the surface, and ensure that that polymer sheet is not warped or otherwise damaged during processing. Additional implementations include decorative architectural resin panels including a resin sheet having a dye sublimated into one or more surfaces in order to create an effect of depth or other aesthetic.
US08283280B2
The invention relates to a method of preparing a reforming catalyst comprising a group VIII metal, a halogen, at least one metal selected from the group made up of the group VIIB metals and group IVA metals, a refractory oxide support. The method comprises stages of preparing a dry impregnation aqueous solution containing ammonia, either in solution or in gas form and a complexing agent, of aging the aqueous solution, of dry impregnation of the support, of maturing the impregnated support, of drying and of calcination.
US08283273B2
A metal-modified alkylation catalyst including a metal/zeolite is provided where the metal is one or two selected from the group consisting of yttrium and a rare earth of the lanthanide series other than cerium. Where two metals are used, one may be Ce or La. The metal-promoted zeolite is useful as a molecular sieve aromatic alkylation catalyst for the production of ethylbenzene by the ethylation of benzene in the liquid phase or critical phase. An alkylation product is produced containing ethylbenzene as a primary product with the attendant production of heavier alkylated by-products of no more than 10-60 wt % of the ethylbenzene.
US08283272B2
A purpose of the present invention is to provide a dielectric ceramic composition which is available to obtain a multilayer ceramic capacitor having a high specific permittivity and a small temperature change of capacitance. A dielectric ceramic composition comprises a dielectric main component composed of 86.32 to 97.64 mol % of BaTiO3, 0.01 to 10.00 mol % of Y2O3 and 0.01 to 10.00 mol % of MgO and 0.001 to 0.200 mol % of V2O5, 0.01 to 1.0 mol % of more than one kind of a first additive selected from a group composed of MnO, Cr2O3, Co2O3, 0.5 to 10.0 mol % of a second additive which is {Baα, Ca (1−α)}SiO3 (note, 0≦α≦1), and Sr: 10 to 500 ppm, S: 10 to 50 ppm, Al: 10 to 50 ppm, Fe: 10 to 50 ppm, Zr: 100 to 800 ppm, Y: 10 to 100 ppm, Hf: 10 to 100 ppm to 100 parts by weight of BaTiO3.
US08283271B2
A sintered ceramic particle made from a ceramic material having a true density greater than 3.5 g/cc and a composition having no more than 30 weight percent silicon oxide and at least 15 weight percent iron oxide, based on the combined weight of the oxides of aluminum, iron and silicon, is disclosed. A process that utilizes an externally applied compressive force to make a ceramic particle is also disclosed.
US08283270B2
The neutral glass according to the present invention is characterized by excellent hydrolytic stability, a relatively low processing temperature and low content of boron oxide. Here, the neutral glass has the following composition, in percent by weight based on oxide content: SiO2, 70-79; B2O3, 0-<5; Al2O3, <5; ZrO2, 0.5-<5; TiO2, 0.5-6; Na2O, 1-6; K2O, 3 to 8; and Li2O, 0-0.5, wherein a total amount of SiO2 and B2O3 is less than 83 percent by weight.
US08283266B2
Methods of making nonwoven mats having good strength after being scored and folded and particularly useful in making lightweight, compressible ceiling panels are disclosed. The mats also have excellent flame resistance. The mats include a blend comprising a major portion of glass fibers and a minor portion of man-made polymer fibers, the fibers being bound together with a cured binder containing a homopolymer or copolymer of polyacrylic acid and a polyol. The binder bonding the mat together can be cured to only a “B” stage to produce thermoformable mats or more fully cured to produce mats having the properties described above.
US08283264B2
A system for processing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The system includes a mainframe having a plurality of modules attached thereto. The modules include processing modules, storage modules, and transport mechanisms. The processing modules may include combinatorial processing modules and conventional processing modules, such as surface preparation, thermal treatment, etch and deposition modules. In one embodiment, at least one of the modules stores multiple masks. The multiple masks enable in-situ variation of spatial location and geometry across a sequence of processes and/or multiple layers of a substrate to be processed in another one of the modules. A method for processing a substrate is also provided.
US08283261B2
A method for fabricating a nonvolatile charge trap memory device is described. The method includes providing a substrate having a charge-trapping layer disposed Thereon. A portion of the charge-trapping layer is then oxidized to form a blocking dielectric layer above the charge-trapping layer by exposing the charge-trapping layer to a radical oxidation process.
US08283260B2
A method for preparing an interlayer dielectric to minimize damage to the interlayer's dielectric properties, the method comprising the steps of: depositing a layer of a silicon-containing dielectric material onto a substrate, wherein the layer has a first dielectric constant and wherein the layer has at least one surface; providing an etched pattern in the layer by a method that includes at least one etch process and exposure to a wet chemical composition to provide an etched layer, wherein the etched layer has a second dielectric constant, and wherein the wet chemical composition contributes from 0 to 40% of the second dielectric constant; contacting the at least one surface of the layer with a silicon-containing fluid; optionally removing a first portion of the silicon-containing fluid such that a second portion of the silicon-containing fluid remains in contact with the at least one surface of the layer; and exposing the at least one surface of the layer to UV radiation and thermal energy, wherein the layer has a third dielectric constant that is restored to a value that is at least 90% restored relative to the second dielectric constant.
US08283252B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer, including a step of differentiating the glossiness of a front surface from that of a rear surface of the wafer by holding the semiconductor wafer in a wafer holding hole formed in a carrier plate, and simultaneously polishing a front and back surface of said semiconductor wafer by driving said carrier plate to make a circular motion associated with no rotation on its own axis within a plane parallel with a surface of said carrier plate between a pair of polishing members disposed to face to each other, by using an abrasive body with a semiconductor wafer sink rate different in polishing from that of an abrasive body for one of a polishing member on an upper surface plate and a polishing member on a lower surface plate so as to simultaneously polish both the front and rear surfaces of the semiconductor wafer, or differentiating by differentiating the rotating speed of the upper surface plate from that of the lower surface plate.
US08283251B2
A method for manufacturing a wafer level package including: forming a redistribution line connected to a top surface of a die pad on a wafer with the die pad; additionally preparing a carrier film including a metal post with a concave central portion on one surface; bonding the metal post to a top surface of the redistribution line; molding a space between the metal posts with a molding resin; and removing the carrier film.
US08283250B2
A semiconductor device is made from a semiconductor wafer containing semiconductor die separated by a peripheral region. A conductive via-in-via structure is formed in the peripheral region or through an active region of the device to provide additional tensile strength. The conductive via-in-via structure includes an inner conductive via and outer conductive via separated by insulating material. A middle conductive via can be formed between the inner and outer conductive vias. The inner conductive via has a first cross-sectional area adjacent to a first surface of the semiconductor device and a second cross-sectional area adjacent to a second surface of the semiconductor device. The outer conductive via has a first cross-sectional area adjacent to the first surface of the semiconductor device and a second cross-sectional area adjacent to the second surface of the semiconductor device. The first cross-sectional area is different from the second cross-sectional area.
US08283249B2
A method is provided for forming an interconnect in a semiconductor memory device. The method includes forming a pair of source select transistors on a substrate. A source region is formed in the substrate between the pair of source select transistors. A first inter-layer dielectric is formed between the pair of source select transistors. A mask layer is deposited over the pair of source select transistors and the inter-layer dielectric, where the mask layer defines a local interconnect area between the pair of source select transistors having a width less than a distance between the pair of source select transistors. The semiconductor memory device is etched to remove a portion of the first inter-layer dielectric in the local interconnect area, thereby exposing the source region. A metal contact is formed in the local interconnect area.
US08283248B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of preliminary gate structures, forming a capping layer pattern on sidewalls of the plurality of preliminary gate structures, and forming a blocking layer on top surfaces of the plurality of preliminary gate structures and the capping layer pattern such that a void is formed therebetween. The method also includes removing the blocking layer and an upper portion of the capping layer pattern such that at least the upper sidewalls of the plurality of preliminary gate structures are exposed, and a lower portion of the capping layer pattern remains on lower sidewalls of the preliminary gate structures. The method further includes forming a conductive layer on at least the upper sidewalls of the plurality of preliminary gate structures, reacting the conductive layer with the preliminary gate structures, and forming an insulation layer having an air gap therein.
US08283240B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming an AlN layer on a substrate made of silicon by supplying an Al source without supplying a N source and then supplying both the Al source and the N source, and forming a GaN-based semiconductor layer on the AlN layer after the forming of the AlN layer. The forming of the AlN layer grows the AlN layer so as to satisfy the following: 76500/x0.81
US08283239B2
High quality free standing GaN is obtained using a new modification of the Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth technology in which 3D islands or features are created only by tuning the growth parameters. Smoothing these islands (2D growth) is achieved thereafter by setting growth conditions producing enhanced lateral growth. The repetition of 3D-2D growth results in multiple bending of the threading dislocations thus producing thick layers or free standing GaN with threading dislocation density below 106 cm−2.
US08283238B2
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device in which a space between semiconductor films transferred to a plurality of places can be made small. Transfer of a semiconductor film from a bond substrate to a base substrate is carried out a plurality of times. In the case where a semiconductor film transferred first and a semiconductor film transferred later are provided adjacently, the latter transfer is carried out using a bond substrate with its end portion partially removed. The width in a perpendicular direction to the bond substrate used for the later transfer, of the region of the bond substrate corresponding to the removed end portion is larger than the thickness of the semiconductor film which is transferred first.
US08283235B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including a plurality of capacitors each of which has bottom electrode, dielectric layer, and top electrode includes stacking a bottom electrode layer, a dielectric layer and an top electrode layer, patterning the top electrode layer to form a plurality of top electrodes arranged in a column, forming a mask pattern that covers the plurality of top electrodes and leaves an end part of the outermost top electrode of the arrangement of the plurality of top electrodes exposed, and patterning the dielectric layer using the mask pattern.
US08283232B2
A gate electrode structure may be formed on the basis of a silicon nitride cap material in combination with a very thin yet uniform silicon oxide based etch stop material, which may be formed on the basis of a chemically driven oxidation process. Due to the reduced thickness, a pronounced material erosion, for instance, during a wet chemical cleaning process after gate patterning, may be avoided, thereby not unduly affecting the further processing, for instance with respect to forming an embedded strain-inducing semiconductor alloy, while nevertheless providing the desired etch stop capabilities during removing the silicon nitride cap material.
US08283221B2
The present invention provides methods for fabricating devices with low resistance structures involving a lift-off process. A radiation blocking layer is introduced between two resist layers in order to prevent intermixing of the photoresists. Cavities suitable for the formation of low resistance T-gates or L-gates can be obtained by a first exposure, developing, selective etching of blocking layer and a second exposure and developing. In another embodiment, a low resistance gate structure with pillars to enhance mechanical stability or strength is provided.
US08283220B2
A method for fabricating a display includes providing a first substrate divided into a pixel part and first and second pad parts, forming a gate electrode and a gate line in the pixel part of the first substrate and forming a gate pad line in the first pad part of the first substrate, forming a first insulation film and a semiconductor film over the gate electrode, the gate line and the gate pad line, forming an active pattern over the gate electrode from the semiconductor film with the first insulation film interposed therebetween and forming a contact hole exposing a portion of the gate pad line using a single mask, forming source and drain electrodes in the pixel part, forming a pixel electrode in the pixel part, forming a gate pad electrode electrically connected with the gate pad line via the contact hole, forming a second insulation film over the pixel electrode and the gate pad electrode, exposing a portion of the pixel electrode and at least one portion of the gate pad electrode, and attaching the first substrate and a second substrate.
US08283211B2
A method of making a semiconductor chip assembly includes providing a bump and a ledge, wherein the bump includes first, second and third bent corners that shape a cavity, mounting an adhesive on the ledge including inserting the bump into an opening in the adhesive, mounting a conductive layer on the adhesive including aligning the bump with an aperture in the conductive layer, then flowing the adhesive between the bump and the conductive layer, solidifying the adhesive, then providing a conductive trace that includes a pad, a terminal and a selected portion of the ledge, providing a heat spreader that includes the bump, then mounting a semiconductor device on the bump within the cavity, electrically connecting the semiconductor device to the conductive trace and thermally connecting the semiconductor device to the heat spreader.
US08283204B2
A multi-surface compliant heat removal process that includes identifying components to share a heat rejecting device; applying non-adhesive film to the components; identifying a primary component of the components; and applying phase change material on each of the components, other than the primary component. The phase change material is placed on top of the non-adhesive film. The process also includes placing the heat rejecting device on the corresponding components and removing the heat rejecting device from the corresponding components. The phase change material and the non-adhesive film remain with the heat rejecting device. The process also includes reflowing the phase change material on the heat rejecting device; removing the non-adhesive film from the heat rejecting device; placing a heatsink-attach thermal interface material on the components; and placing the heat rejecting device on the corresponding components.
US08283203B2
Some embodiments include methods in which microwave radiation is used to activate dopant and/or increase crystallinity of semiconductor material during formation of a semiconductor construction. In some embodiments, the microwave radiation has a frequency of about 5.8 gigahertz, and a temperature of the semiconductor construction does not exceed about 500° C. during the exposure to the microwave radiation.
US08283201B2
Methods and compositions for depositing rare earth metal-containing layers are described herein. In general, the disclosed methods deposit the precursor compounds comprising rare earth-containing compounds using deposition methods such as chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition. The disclosed precursor compounds include a cyclopentadienyl ligand having at least one aliphatic group as a substituent and an amidine ligand.
US08283192B2
Provided is a method of forming a pattern including the steps of forming a first pattern including a depressed or protruding alignment mark on a substrate; forming a flattening layer on the first pattern; removing a part of the flatting layer above the alignment mark; forming a processed layer on the flattening layer to cover the alignment mark; performing alignment by optically detecting a position of the alignment mark from above the processed layer, using light; and forming a second pattern by patterning the processed layer on the basis of the alignment.
US08283191B2
In a method for producing an optoelectronic component, a growth substrate having a first coefficient of thermal expansion is provided. A multilayered buffer layer sequence is applied thereto. A layer sequence having a second coefficient of thermal expansion—different than the first coefficient of thermal expansion—is subsequently deposited epitaxially. It furthermore comprises an active layer for emitting electromagnetic radiation. A carrier substrate is subsequently applied on the epitaxially deposited layer sequence. The growth substrate is removed and the multilayered buffer layer sequence is structured in order to increase a coupling-out of electromagnetic radiation. Finally, contact is made with the epitaxially deposited layer sequence.
US08283190B2
A light emitting diode (LED) lamp includes a base with one or more LED chips, an internal cover over the LED chips, where the cover is a translucent ceramic whose thermal conductivity is greater than glass, where the cover has an interior surface separated from the LED chips by a gap, and where an exterior surface of the cover is coated with a phosphor. The ceramic cover preferably has a bulk thermal conductivity of at least 5 W/(m·K), such as polycrystalline alumina. The LED chips preferably are blue LEDs and the phosphor is selected so that the lamp emits white light. In the method of making the lamp, the phosphor may be applied to the exterior surface of the cover as a preformed sheet or in a coating.
US08283183B2
A detection device and a detecting method using the detection device are provided in which a magnetic particle is used as a marker particle, and the ratio of a region with reversed magnetization to the whole area of a free layer of a magnetoresistive effect film is increased by a stray magnetic field generated through a biochemical reaction from the magnetic particle remaining on a surface of the magnetoresistive effect film, so that a large detection signal is obtained and obtained detection data can be stored with stability.
US08283180B2
Provided is a method of detecting the presence and quantitating the amount of glycogen from a biological sample. This method employs PAS staining with detection in the infrared range.
US08283178B2
A process for removing hydrogen halide and water from hydrolyzates obtained by way of halogen-acid hydrolysis from vegetable biomasses. Two containers are connected to each other via a tube. Two flows are fed in at the inlet of the first container, one representing the hydrolyzates and the other a heat transfer medium; both flows are sprayed together in the first container, producing a homogeneous mixing of the two flows, including heat transfer, which subsequently results in complete evaporation of water and the hydrogen halide dissolved in the hydrolyzates. The evaporation produces a mixture of granular solid bodies and heat transfer medium droplets that is pulled from the first container into the second container through the connecting tube via a pressure gradient. The second container is configured as a cyclone or centrifugal force precipitator, and there is a separation of liquid and solid constituents from the gas.
US08283176B2
There is disclosed a method of pre-treatment and staining, according to a protocol, of a biological sample disposed upon the surface of a carrier, the method comprising the step of recording at least one parameter relating to at least one protocol step in a non-volatile memory located either upon or within the carrier or a device incorporating the carrier. Also disclosed is a device comprising: a non-volatile memory; a surface of the device adapted to carry a biological sample; and communications means electrically coupled to the memory for enabling data transmission to or from an external apparatus. Also disclosed is a method of controlling processing of a biological sample disposed upon a carrier, comprising: providing, upon or within the carrier or an apparatus holding the carrier, a non-volatile memory having information relating to sample processing priority or protocol; reading the information; and scheduling the processing based upon the information.
US08283168B2
The present invention provides cell populations that are enriched for mesendoderm and mesoderm, and cell populations that are enriched for endoderm. The cell populations of the invention are useful for generating cells for cell replacement therapy. The present invention further provides a method of generating hepatocytes, cell populations enriched for hepatocytes, and a method of hepatocyte replacement therapy.
US08283166B2
Diphtheria and Pseudomonas infections are very common worldwide. The toxins involved in the pathogenesis of those diseases act by inactivating the elongation factor-2 (EF-2), therefore blocking protein synthesis and leading to cell death. Diphthamide formation on EF-2 is a prerequisite step in the inactivation of EF-2, and Dph proteins have been identified as modulating this process. The present application concerns Dph2 deletion mutant genes and proteins and their uses in vitro and in vivo.
US08283161B2
The present invention relates to a cell line selected from the group consisting of (a) a cell line denominated NM-F9 having the DSMZ accession number DSM ACC2606; (b) a cell line denominated NM-D4 having the DSMZ accession number DSM ACC2605; and subclones of (a) or (b). Additionally, the present invention provides a lysate of the cell lines or a molecule or mixture of molecules obtained from these cell lines as well as dendritic cells loaded with said lysate, co-cultivated or fused with cells from the cell lines, or a molecule or mixture of molecules obtained from these cell lines of the present invention. Moreover compositions, preferably pharmaceutical or vaccine compositions are provided which comprise the cell lines, lysate, molecules, mixture of molecules or dendritic cells of the present invention. In another aspect the present invention relates to methods for producing the aforementioned compositions. Furthermore, methods and uses for vaccination against or treatment or prevention of cancers and/or tumourous diseases are provided.
US08283155B2
This invention is in the field of medical devices. Specifically, the present invention provides portable medical devices that allow real-time detection of analytes from a biological fluid. The methods and devices are particularly useful for providing point-of-care testing for a variety of medical applications.
US08283151B2
The present invention provides new adeno-associated virus (AAV) viruses and vectors, and particles derived therefrom. In addition, the present invention provides methods of delivering a nucleic acid to a cell using the AAV vectors and particles.
US08283150B2
Purified cellobiohydrolase I (glycosyl hydrolase family 7 (Cel7A)) enzymes from Penicillium funiculosum demonstrate a high level of specific performance in comparison to other Cel7 family member enzymes when formulated with purified EIcd endoglucanase from A. cellulolyticus and tested on pretreated corn stover. This result is true of the purified native enzyme, as well as recombinantly expressed enzyme, for example, that enzyme expressed in a non-native Aspergillus host. In a specific example, the specific performance of the formulation using purified recombinant Cel7A from Penicillium funiculosum expressed in A. awamori is increased by more than 200% when compared to a formulation using purified Cel7A from Trichoderma reesei.
US08283149B2
The present invention relates to a new wild-type lipase, its nucleic acid sequences and the amino acid sequences thereof. This new lipase shows washing performance in the form of wild-type. The present invention also relates to the method for producing the lipase and the uses of the lipase in baking.
US08283148B2
The invention relates to the generation and characterization of Archaeal DNA polymerase mutants with deficient 3′-5′ exonuclease activity and reduced base analog detection activity. The invention further provides for Archaeal DNA polymerase mutants with deficient 3′-5′ exonuclease activity and reduced base analog detection activity containing additional mutations that modulate other DNA polymerase activities including DNA polymerization or reverse transcriptase activity. The invention also discloses methods and applications of DNA polymerases with deficient 3′-5′ exonuclease activity and reduced base analog detection activity.
US08283146B2
The invention is related to processing enzyme comprising an N-terminally attached tag derived from highly basic proteins from thermophilic bacteria. The processing enzymes are useful for modifying proteins. They can be produced in high yields and can be effectively separated from the modified protein after use.
