US08294948B2
A color management system is provided for enabling imaging of selected colors called spot colors by dynamically adjusting the normal printer gamut to achieve a color gamut extension. Developed toner mass may be increased or decreased by changing ROS laser intensity. Such adjustment can occur on a pixel-by-pixel basis for within page and within sections of the image gamut extension.
US08294945B2
A defacement degree determination apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes an alignment unit which aligns positions of an input image from one printed material printed using a plurality of printing plates with registered images registered in advance, a plate separation processing unit which separates the input image into a plurality of printed components corresponding to the plurality of printing plates, and extracts defacement features from the respective printed components, and a defacement degree determination unit which determines a defacement degree of the printed material based on the defacement features extracted from the respective printed components.
US08294944B2
The present invention relates to a printer and method for printing an image on a medium comprising a plurality of holes, said image enveloping at least one of said holes. According to an embodiment, the printer comprises a means for identifying the respective locations of the holes in at least a first part of the medium, a processor for adjusting at least a part of the image by removing image regions corresponding with the defined locations and at least one printer head responsive to the processor for printing the adjusted at least part of the image on the at least the first part of the medium.
US08294943B2
A print control apparatus includes a command section for causing a printing apparatus to execute a print job, the print job for printing a print subject image on a sheet, with a mark overlaying the sheet. Furthermore, the print control apparatus includes: an accepting section that accepts a processing condition for an image process of the mark, during a processing condition accepting period, which is set for every print job and is the period before an input of an executive instruction; and an image processing section that performs the image process of the mark in accordance with the processing condition during the processing condition accepting period. This makes it possible to prevent delay in initiation of printing, without excessive consumption of storage capacity of a storage device.
US08294942B2
An apparatus includes a content data acquisition unit configured to acquire content data to be inserted into an insertion area which is set in an image formation area for forming an image, and a content data transmission unit configured to transmit the acquired content data to an image forming apparatus that is capable of forming an image. The apparatus further includes an identification information acquisition unit configured to acquire identification information of the transmitted content data from the image forming apparatus; an image formation data generation unit configured to generate image formation data for forming the image, using the identification information; and an image formation data transmission unit configured to transmit the generated image formation data to the image forming apparatus.
US08294936B2
A method of designing handmade paper crafts is disclosed. The method includes accessing a server from a client and selecting a three-dimensional view of a paper craft from a database in the server. The server computes a two-dimensional view of the paper craft according to the three-dimensional view of the paper craft. The two-dimensional view of the paper craft is capable of being made to form the three-dimensional view of the paper craft. In the two-dimensional view of the paper craft, a dotted line indicates a to be cut line and a solid line indicates a to be fold line. The client adds pictures or words on the two-dimensional view of the paper craft to create a modified two-dimensional view of the paper craft, and stores the modified two-dimensional view back in the server.
US08294935B2
A device and method of editing documents created in different application programs and stored in a storage unit of a printer to create a new document according to a minimum unit.
US08294925B2
A system is provided for supporting multiple platforms with common personal preferences for printer drivers. The set preferences for the printer driver are therefore reusable and may be moved from one driver to another. The system involves the provision of a common format for printer driver preferences. When a new printer is brought to a system or a user moves to a station that uses a different printer, the preferences are readily moved to that location. Further, an MIS department may provide a corporate wide printer preference solution, for example for printing a particular page or printing in a particular style. The preferences may not be identical for each printer due to differences in the capabilities of various platforms. The printer preferences overwrite a default value in printers with preferences, to the extent that each printer has the options available. To the extent that these options are not available, the printer reverts to its default setting.
US08294913B2
An image forming apparatus, an image forming system including the same, and a control method of the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including: an output unit; a scanning unit to scan a damaged bank note and generate image data therefrom; and a controller to calculate an area of the damaged bank note using the generated image data of the scanned damaged bank note and to control the output unit to output damaged bank note information including the calculated area of the damaged bank note and/or an exchangeable value of the damaged bank note corresponding to the area of the damaged bank note.
US08294910B2
An image scanner operates in a normal mode in which an image scanning process is executable; and a power saving mode in which less electric power is consumed than in the normal mode. The image scanner includes: a CPU for switching the image scanner between the normal mode and the power saving mode; an original size sensor circuit; and an FPGA connected to the CPU and the original size sensor circuit. In the normal mode, the CPU configures, in the FPGA, a normal-mode circuit needed for the image scanning process. When the image scanner transfers from the normal mode to the power saving mode, the CPU configures, in the FPGA, a power-saving-mode circuit for communicating with the original size sensor circuit, and stops the original size sensor circuit from operating. The power-saving-mode circuit is smaller in circuit size than the normal-mode circuit.
US08294909B2
A data-processing device is capable of connecting to a storing unit storing a plurality of image files, each of the plurality of image files including image data and additional information. The data-processing device includes a acquiring unit, a creating unit, a determining unit and a recording unit. The acquiring unit acquires the additional information from each of the plurality of image files. The creating unit that creates an annexed information set with respect to each of the plurality of image files. The annexed information set includes the additional information and identifying information corresponding to the additional information, the identifying information identifying the image file. The determining unit determines one of a plurality of pieces of the additional information included in the annexed information sets corresponding to the plurality of image files. The recording unit records, on a recording medium, the image data of the image file identified by the identifying information corresponding to the additional information determined by the determining unit.
US08294904B2
An imaging system for obtaining interferometric measurements from a sample spherical surface has a light source for providing an incident light beam, a beamsplitter disposed to direct the incident light beam toward the sample spherical surface and to direct a test light reflected from the sample spherical surface and a reference light reflected from a reference spherical surface toward an interferometric imaging apparatus. There is a lens assembly in the path of the incident light beam, with at least one lens element, wherein one of the at least one lens elements has an aspheric surface and wherein one of the at least one lens elements further provides the reference spherical surface facing the sample spherical surface. A reference plate is temporarily disposed in the path of the incident light beam for measuring the aspheric surface itself and is removable from the path of the incident light beam for obtaining interferometric measurements from the sample spherical surface.
US08294897B2
The invention relates to a method for imaging a sample using a microscope, in particular a scanning microscope, in which the sample is illuminated with excitation light via an illuminating beam path, and light emitted from the sample is recorded via a detection beam path, wherein at least one adjustable beam splitter having an adjustable threshold wavelength is arranged in the detection beam path or/and in the illuminating beam path, and wherein light emitted from the sample is detected in at least one detection channel. According to the inventive method, for at least one predetermined sample region, a signal intensity of light detected in the at least one detection channel is recorded for a plurality of threshold wavelengths set at the adjustable beam splitter to obtain a signal/threshold-dependency of the predetermined sample region.
US08294894B2
The present invention provides a particle counter capable of accurately discriminating the signal of scattered light by real particles from the background light noise, and furthermore, capable of detecting smaller particles than conventional particle counters. The particle counter according to the present invention includes: a light irradiator for emitting light to the measurement area 40 in a vacuum state or in a near vacuum state; a scattered light detector 32 for detecting scattered light generated when the light is delivered to the measurement area 40; a discriminator 18 for determining whether or not a particle exists in the measurement area 40 by comparing the detection signal of the scattered light detector 32 and a predetermined discrimination threshold; a vacuum gauge 12 for measuring the pressure of the measurement area 40; and the threshold setting unit 16 for setting a discrimination threshold in accordance with the pressure of the measurement area 40.
US08294891B2
In one aspect, a system for use in product packaging is disclosed that includes a polymeric sensing substrate coupled to a package such that a front sensing surface thereof is in contact with a portion of a product, e.g., a fungible product, stored in the package and a back surface thereof is accessible via an environment external to the package. The system further includes a radiation source adapted to direct radiation to the substrate's back surface such that the radiation would interact with one or more molecular species of the product that are in contact with the substrate's sensing surface. The system also includes a detector that is adapted to detect radiation returning from the substrate in response to its illumination by the radiation source. The front surface of the sensing substrate can comprise a plurality of micron-sized or submicron-sized ridges having a discontinuous or continuous metal coating, e.g., a metallic layer with a thickness in a range of about 10 nm to about 1000 nm (and preferably in a range of about 50 nm to about 120 nm), disposed thereon.
US08294890B2
A device that is capable of simultaneously inspecting both sides of surfaces of a magnetic disk to detect defects thereon includes a front-side defect detecting section and a back-side defect detecting section each of which optically detect a scratch and a defect that are present on the front and back surfaces of the magnetic disk, to improve a throughput for inspection. The back-side defect detecting section has an optical path changing section that reflects a laser beam emitted by a laser light source to change an optical path thereof and thereby to direct the laser beam toward the back surface of the magnetic disk and that reflects scattered light that has been collected by a Fresnel lens to change an optical path thereof and thereby to direct the scattered light toward a first photoelectric converter.
US08294889B2
A method for inspecting a nano-imprint template, includes irradiating light onto a template for nano-imprinting from a back surface side of the template, the template having a front surface where a pattern is formed, detecting near-field light which is generated near the front surface of the template by the irradiation of the light, and performing an inspection of the template on the basis of the detected near-field light.
US08294884B2
The invention relates to a sideways drift correction device for a mobile production machine comprising a removal of material and a tool for processing the removed material, having a sensor component and an evaluation component. The sensor component detects the structure of at least one part of the underground surface relative to which the production machine moves. The evaluation component determines the relative motion direction of a reference point on the production machine relative to the subsoil from the time-variable information of the underground surface, and derives steering correction information therefrom.
US08294883B2
An optical method and apparatus are described for the measurement of properties of a travel vehicle or a travel surface upon which the travel vehicle travels, which includes providing an incident light from a light source to the travel surface, collecting light reflected from the travel surface, determining a surface induced Doppler shift from the incident and collected light and determining at least one of a motion property of the travel vehicle and a surface property of the travel surface based on the determined surface induced Doppler shift.
US08294881B2
A security sensor system comprises one or more laser detection and ranging (LADAR) sensors configured for accumulation of three-dimensional image data. In one embodiment, the one or more LADAR sensors each comprise a LADAR device, such as a MEMS device, configured to transmit a plurality of laser pulses, and a microprocessor operatively coupled to the LADAR device. One or more data storage devices is operatively coupled to the microprocessor and configured to store the three-dimensional image data, as well as predetermined protected area boundary and fixed object definitions. A GPS receiver can be operatively coupled to the microprocessor and a GPS antenna. The microprocessor is configured to perform a LADAR image analysis that compares the three-dimensional image data with the protected area boundary and fixed object definitions to identify one or more potential intruders.
US08294880B2
Provided are a distance measuring sensor including a double transfer gate, and a three dimensional color image sensor including the distance measuring sensor. The distance measuring sensor may include first and second charge storage regions which are spaced apart from each other on a substrate doped with a first impurity, the first and second charge storage regions being doped with a second impurity; a photoelectric conversion region between the first and second charge storage regions on the substrate, being doped with the second impurity, and generating photo-charges by receiving light; and first and second transfer gates which are formed between the photoelectric conversion region and the first and second charge storage regions above the substrate to selectively transfer the photo-charges in the photoelectric conversion region to the first and second charge storage regions.
US08294877B2
An illumination optical unit for projection lithography for illuminating an object field, in which an object to be imaged can be arranged, with illumination light has a field facet mirror having a plurality of field facets. A pupil facet mirror of the illumination optical unit has a plurality of pupil facets. The pupil facets serve for imaging the field facets respectively assigned individually to the pupil facets into the object field. An individual mirror array of the illumination optical unit has individual mirrors that can be tilted in driven fashion individually. The individual mirror array is arranged in an illumination light beam path upstream of the field facet mirror. This can result in flexibly configurable illumination by the illumination optical unit, this illumination being readily adaptable to predetermined values.
US08294875B2
The present invention provides an exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate, a stage configured to move the substrate; and a sensor unit which is arranged on the stage and configured to receive light having passed through the projection optical system, the sensor unit including an aperture plate which is configured to be used in measuring different optical performances, and on which a plurality of aperture patterns with different shapes or different sizes are formed, and a photoelectric conversion device configured to photoelectrically convert the light beams from the plurality of aperture patterns.
US08294871B2
A liquid crystal cell manufacturing method includes preparing a pair of glass substrates each including an area configured to form a plurality of finished liquid crystal display apparatuses thereon, while a plurality of seal members and a plurality of pillars each including ends that respectively abut against the pair of glass substrates are interposed between the pair of glass substrates, adhering the pair of glass substrates to form a liquid crystal display apparatus forming assembly, and while the liquid crystal display apparatus forming assembly is formed, forming a plurality of scribe lines that intersect each other on surfaces of the pair of glass substrates that are opposite to surfaces of the pair of glass substrates that oppose each other. At least a part of each of the pillars is arranged to overlap at least one of regions, between the pair of glass substrates, corresponding to the plurality of scribe lines.
US08294870B2
A substrate module suitable for being filled with a display medium to form a display panel is provided. The substrate module includes an active device array substrate, an opposite substrate, and a sealant. The active device array substrate has a groove. The opposite substrate is disposed opposite to the active device array substrate. The active device array substrate and the opposite substrate are assembled through the sealant, wherein the display medium is substantially filled in a region surrounded by the sealant to form the display panel and the groove is located between the sealant and a border of the active device array substrate.
US08294864B2
To solve lowering of transmittance due to a pixel end domain, provided is a liquid crystal display device, including: a liquid crystal layer; and a substrate including pixel electrodes and, a common electrode disposed between the pixel electrodes and the liquid crystal layer and having a slit which stretches over adjacent pixel electrodes, in which: the slit has a first stretching direction at a center of one pixel electrode, and a second stretching direction in a gap between two adjacent pixel electrodes, different from the first stretching direction; in the slit, a portion where the first stretching direction is switched to the second stretching direction is located on one pixel electrode; and, with respect to an alignment direction, a first azimuth toward the first stretching direction and a second azimuth toward the second stretching direction have the same rotation direction, and the second azimuth is larger than the first azimuth.
US08294860B2
A liquid crystal display device is provided which has a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates, in which liquid crystal molecules are vertically aligned with respect to the substrates when no voltage is applied between the substrates and the liquid crystal molecules tilt in a plurality of directions to be almost parallel to the substrates by applying a voltage between the substrates. In the liquid crystal layer, when the voltage is applied, a proportion of a region where the liquid crystal molecules tilt in a direction of 0 degrees to 180 degrees is different from a proportion of a region where the liquid crystal molecules tilt in a direction of 180 degrees to 360 degrees with the angle being defined counterclockwise with the right direction on a screen being 0 degrees.
US08294852B2
An E-type polarizing layer is provided between a pair of orthogonally oriented O-type polarizing layers, and alternatively, an O-type polarizing layer and an E-type polarizing layer which are oriented orthogonal to each other are provided. When a liquid crystal layer has a slow axis, the E-type polarizing layer is disposed so that an absorption axis thereof is orthogonal to the slow axis. Therefore, a liquid crystal display device having a wide viewing angle is realized in which a contrast ratio is improved by suppressing a light leakage occurring when observed from an oblique direction.
US08294850B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) having a liquid crystal layer is provided. In one embodiment, the liquid crystal layer includes a nematic liquid crystal material having liquid crystal molecules in an untwisted state. A chiral dopant is dispersed within the liquid crystal layer and configured to bias the liquid crystal molecules toward a twisted state. Furthermore, a polymer network is disposed among the liquid crystal molecules and configured to bias the liquid crystal molecules toward the untwisted state. Various additional devices and methods are also provided.
US08294848B2
A liquid crystal display includes, among others, a light diffusion layer comprising a color conversion media layer and a non-conversion layer arranged on the second substrate and a backlight assembly to supply light to the first substrate and the second substrate. The backlight assembly supplies various wavelengths of lights, including blue light or UV ray. The blue rights through the liquid crystal layer enters the color conversion media layers and may generates red lights and green lights. In this case, blue lights go through non-conversion layer and diffuse and scatter out blue lights. The UV rays through the liquid crystal layer enters the color conversion media layers and may generates red light, green lights and blue lights.
US08294844B2
A liquid crystal display is provided. The liquid crystal display includes a rear bezel, a signal controlling board module, a light source module, a clipping frame, a display panel and a front frame. The rear bezel has a main portion, a receptacle and a plurality of carrying stages. The carrying stages surround the receptacle. The receptacle protrudes from the main body along a direction while the carrying stages protrude from the main portion toward the reverse of the direction. The main body, the receptacle and the carrying stages are formed in one piece. The signal controlling board module is fixed in the receptacle. The carrying stages carry the light source module. The clipping frame and the rear bezel clip the light source module together. The display panel is disposed on the clipping frame. The front frame and the clipping frame clip the display panel together.
US08294843B2
A waterproof touch screen user interface panel constructed in such a way that readily available LCD displays and touch screen switches can be used in a wet environment. A thin plastic film is placed over the top of a touch screen/LCD assembly using moisture resistant adhesive to protect the assembly from the panel's top side and a specially constructed housing allows the use of silicon gel to protect the panel from the bottom side. The plastic film, typically a polycarbonate film, is thin enough to allow activation of the touch screen switches with a soft touch, yet rigid enough to prevent false activations of the switches until touched.
US08294841B2
A pixel array includes many scan lines, data lines and pixel structures coupled to the scan lines and data lines. Each of the pixel structures includes a first pixel unit and a second pixel unit. Each of the first pixel units includes a first switch device. Each of the second pixel units includes a second switch device and a coupling capacitor. In each of the pixel structures in an ith row, a control end and a first end of the first switch device are respectively coupled to the ith scan line and one of the data lines; a control end and a first end of the second switch device are respectively coupled to the (i−1)th scan line and a second end of the first switch device. The coupling capacitor is coupled between the second end of the first switch device and a second end of the second switch device.
US08294838B2
Nematic liquid crystal cells with positive dielectric anisotropy that include colloidal suspensions having nanoclusters are provided as well as methods of inducing Freedericksz transitions therein and methods of controlling the alignment of a liquid crystal.
US08294834B2
A projection display apparatus includes: a light source; a spatial light modulation device modulating, on the basis of a video signal, each of primary color lights for color display emitted from the light source; projecting means for projecting, onto a screen, each of the primary color lights modulated by the spatial light modulation device; and correcting means for correcting, based on a given correction value, the video signal for each of the primary color lights so as to reduce misregistration between the primary color lights projected on the screen, and supplying the corrected video signal to the spatial light modulation device. The correcting means is configured to correct the video signal according to a single correction value such that a group of correction target points selected in a projected image on the screen are collectively processed as a single correction unit.
US08294826B2
An apparatus and method for compensating for the picture quality of a stored broadcast signal are disclosed. For reproduction of a broadcast signal stored in a television, the picture quality of the stored broadcast signal is compensated for, based on a predetermined. MPEG noise reduction value corresponding to the electric field strength of the stored broadcast signal. Therefore, it is possible to provide the optimum picture quality. When a broadcast signal is stored, it is stored together with the electric field strength, thereof. When the stored broadcast signal is reproduced, block noise, of a screen is efficiently removed by applying an MPEG, noise reduction value corresponding to the electric field strength of the stored broadcast signal to the stored broadcast signal. Therefore it is possible to improve the definition of the screen.
US08294817B2
There is provided an image pickup module which can be formed by a simple process while securing the mechanical strength of an inner lead at the time of bending and when fixed, without increasing an outer dimension of the image pickup module.The image pickup module includes an image pickup element having an image pickup surface, and a flexible substrate is drawn to be directed rearward of the image pickup surface. A guide member which fixes the image pickup element and the flexible substrate is provided, and the guide member includes a portion which is extended along a rear surface of the image pickup element, and a portion which is extended along a gap between the image pickup element and the flexible substrate.
US08294809B2
The present invention determines the dimensions and volume of an object by using a novel 3-D camera that measures the distance to every reflective point in its field of view with a single pulse of light. The distance is computed by the time of flight of the pulse to each camera pixel. The accuracy of the measurement is augmented by capture of the laser pulse shape in each camera pixel. The camera can be used on an assembly line to develop quality control data for manufactured objects or on a moving or stationary system that weighs as well as dimensions the objects. The device can also ascertain the minimum size of a box required to enclose an object.
US08294807B2
A weighted sum of a set of component filters is used to effectively apply different “composite” FIR filters to compensate for aberrations resulting from different opto-mechanical settings. The FIR filters are “composite” in the sense that they are a weighted sum of the set of component filters. In one approach, the aberrations vary as a function of the opto-mechanical setting, and the opto-mechanical setting is used to determine the weights of the different component filters.
US08294803B2
Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur.
US08294796B2
An image sensor including an photoelectric conversion portion; a microlens; and a filter layer between the photoelectric conversion portion and the microlens. The filter layer has a convex shape having a center of curvature on a side of the photoelectric conversion portion with respect to the filter layer and includes patterns that are arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional period such that an angle from the center of curvature is fixed.
US08294794B2
A method for is provided for creating a shadow-reduced image from a captured image for distinguishing a clear path of travel. Each pixel of a captured input image is plotted according to a two dimensional logarithmic graph. A specific color set relating to an associated color value of a clear path. A linear illumination-invariant axis is determined as a function of the specific color set. An illumination direction for the linear illumination-invariant axis is determined. A log-chromaticity value of each plotted pixel of the specific color set is projected on the axis. Edges in the input image and the illumination-invariant image domain are identified. The identified edges of the input image are compared to identify edges in the illumination-invariant image domain. A determination is made whether a shadow edge is present in response to comparing the edges. A shadow-reduced image is generated for scene analysis by a vehicle vision-based system.
US08294792B2
An optical apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform control to change power consumed by a lens unit or operation state of an actuator of the lens unit during processing of an image signal obtained from an image pickup element according to a noise tolerance of a camera and a set state of the camera, such as an ISO speed rating.
US08294789B2
An image playback apparatus, which is capable of playing back images recorded in a recording medium, acquires creation time and modification time which are time stamps of the image file, compares, compares the acquired creation and modification times, registers the matching time as the time management information of the image file when the creation time and the modification time match, or registers the older of the two times as the time management information of the image file when they do not match. The image playback apparatus selectively plays back image based on time management information registered for each of the image files.
US08294783B2
The present invention allows for selecting a predetermined chromatic color for extraction from among a plurality of chromatic colors based on the result of identification of acquired photographing information. When the value of a white extraction area of the photographing information is smaller than a first threshold value, it is determined whether the value of the area of the selected predetermined chromatic color is greater than or equal to a second threshold value. If the value of the predetermined chromatic-color area is determined to be greater than or equal to the second threshold value, white balance is controlled by bringing the value of the predetermined chromatic-color area near to a predetermined target color value.
US08294782B2
An electromagnetic field high speed imaging apparatus, using an image sensing element having a filter function for each pixel, converts a local polarization state in detection light containing a difference frequency component Δf (|fLO−fRF|) between the modulation frequency fLO of irradiated light and the frequency fRF of the electromagnetic field emitted from a subject into local intensity of light, and captures it by an image sensor of an imaging unit to generate a two-dimensional image of distribution of the near electromagnetic field emitted from the subject. Each pixel of the image sensor comprises a photoelectric conversion element for converting the detection light from the optical unit into an electric charge, a plurality of charge storages, and a charge splitting part for dividing the electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element between the plurality of charge storages.
US08294781B2
Various techniques relating to image sharpening are provided. In one embodiment, a luminance image is obtained based upon image data acquired by an image sensor. A multi-scale unsharp mask, which may include at least two Gaussian filters of difference radii, is applied to the luminance image to determine a plurality of unsharp values. Each of the unsharp values may be compared to a corresponding threshold and, for the unsharp values that exceed their respective thresholds, the unsharp value is multiplied by a corresponding gain and added to a base image, which may be selected as the luminance image or the output of one of the Gaussian filters. Each gained unsharp value may be summed with the base image to produce a final sharpened output. In some embodiments, an attenuated gain may be applied to unsharp values that do not exceed their respective thresholds.
US08294770B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of measuring a test video frame. A test video input is provided, along with an artifact measurement control, a gradient change measurement is performed based upon the test video input and a gradient change measurement map is provided.
US08294763B2
A computer implemented method for deriving an attribute entity network (AEN) from video data is disclosed, comprising the steps of extracting at least two entities from the video data, tracking the trajectories of the at least two entities to form at least two tracks, deriving at least one association between at least two entities by detecting at least one event involving the at least two entities, where the detecting of at least one event is based on detecting at least one spatiotemporal motion correlation between the at least two entities, and constructing the AEN by creating a graph wherein the at least two objects form at least two nodes and the at least one association forms a link between the at least two nodes.
US08294762B2
A three-dimensional shape measurement photographing apparatus, including a plurality of photographing units for obtaining a measurement image group of a plurality of measurement images for measuring a three-dimensional shape of a subject, an emission unit for emitting light, including pattern light, within an angle of view of the photographing units, a photographing control unit for controlling the photographing units to obtain a pre-image of the subject before obtaining the measurement image group and to obtain the measurement images of the subject illuminated by the pattern light, a determination unit for setting a plurality of areas on the pre-image and determining whether to emit the pattern light with respect to each of the areas, and an emission control unit for controlling the emission unit such that the pattern light is emitted only to an area for which a determination has been made to emit the pattern light.
US08294756B2
An endoscope system, including: an endoscope for picking up an image of a subject and outputting an image pickup signal of the image; an external processor having a post-signal processing circuit which processes the image pickup signal inputted from the endoscope and generates a video signal that can be outputted to a monitor; and an output detecting circuit for detecting the presence or absence of an output of the image pickup signal and the presence or absence of an output of the video signal.
US08294755B2
A light source apparatus capable of controlling a quantity of light in a stable manner and an endoscope apparatus including the light source apparatus are provided. The light source apparatus includes a light source and a light quantity adjusting portion for limiting the light flux from the light source using an aperture blade. The light quantity adjusting portion includes the aperture blade which is driven to rotate in a vertical plane about a pivot and has a center of gravity which is decentered from the pivot, a position detecting portion for detecting a position of the aperture blade, a driving portion, and a light source controlling portion for controlling the driving portion. The light source controlling portion controls the driving portion based on the position of the aperture blade and a rotation direction.
US08294750B2
The invention provides an electronic equipment having a laser component and capability of inspecting leak of laser and an inspecting method for inspecting leak of laser thereof. The electronic equipment according to the invention includes a three-dimensional image-capturing device. According to the invention, the three-dimensional image-capturing device is controlled to capture a two-dimensional image, and to measure an actual depth map. The captured two-dimensional image is processed to obtain an estimated depth map. The invention selectively determines that the laser component occurs leak of laser or malfunctions in accordance with the estimated depth map and the actual depth map.
US08294746B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member, a housing, a cover, an exposing unit fit to the cover and which moves closer toward/away from the photosensitive member in response to opening/closing of the cover, wherein the exposing unit forms a latent image on the photosensitive member by exposing the photosensitive member when the exposing unit is arranged in close vicinity to the photosensitive member by the closing of the cover, an image forming unit, which forms an image corresponding to the latent image and a housing side electrode provided inside of the housing, wherein the housing side electrode feeds an exposing power to an exposing unit side electrode by contacting the exposing unit side electrode provided in the exposing unit when the exposing unit is arranged in close vicinity to the photosensitive member by the closing of the cover.
US08294741B2
Novel three-color and four-color subpixel arrangements and architectures for display and the like are herein disclosed. Novel techniques for subpixel rendering on the above subpixel arrangements are also herein disclosed.
US08294736B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for driving a display device that outputs an image based on an image source is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (i) carrying out a first gradation converting process with respect to a first gradation level of an inputted video source signal; (ii) carrying out a smoothing process with respect to the inputted video source signal that has been subjected to the first gradation converting process; and (iii) carrying out a second gradation converting process with respect to a second gradation level of the inputted video source signal that has been subjected to the smoothing process.
US08294725B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus comprises video memories each corresponding to each of the display devices, a determination module configured to determine whether an access that satisfies conditions preset with respect to display of the display devices exists in at least one of the video memories, and a changing module configured to change, when the determination module determines that the access that satisfies conditions preset with respect to display of the display devices does not exist in at least one of the video memories, an operation state of a display device corresponding to the at least one of the video memories determined that an access does not exist, from a first operation state to a second operation state having a power consumption lower than a power consumption of the first operation state.
US08294724B2
A display device includes a plurality of electronic papers that are each provided with a display surface outputting a piece of display data, a binding member that binds together the plurality of electronic papers, and an output device that controls output of the piece of display data to each of the plurality of electronic papers, a first storage device that stores rewrite information, a second storage device that stores a plurality of pieces of display data to be displayed on the plurality of electronic papers, an allocation device that respectively allocates the plurality of pieces of display data stored in the second storage device to a consecutive series of electronic papers for which the rewrite information permits rewriting, and a display control device that respectively displays the plurality of pieces of display data allocated by the allocation device on the consecutive series of electronic papers.
US08294723B2
Some embodiments provide a system that executes a web application. During operation, the system loads the web application in a web browser and loads a native code module associated with the web application into a secure runtime environment. Next, the system writes a set of rendering commands to a command buffer using the native code module and concurrently reads the rendering commands from the command buffer. Finally, the system renders an image for use by the web application by executing the rendering commands using a graphics-processing unit (GPU).
US08294722B2
An interface apparatus and method are provided. The interface apparatus includes a level detecting unit detecting a level of an inputted control signal, a counter unit increasing or decreasing a count value according to the level detected in the level detecting unit, and a driving control unit outputting a driving control information mapped into a count value of the counter unit.
US08294709B2
A system and method for utilizing a spatial three-dimensional display unit with a medical diagnostic imaging system is disclosed. The medical diagnostic imaging system may be a picture archival communication system. The system may include at least one two-dimensional display unit and an additional spatial three-dimensional display unit. Accordingly a user may view two and three-dimensional images of similar anatomical objects. The two and three-dimensional images may be linked, providing the user with a consistent viewing angle. The system may be used to review a surgical path. The display parameters of a first three-dimensional data set may be mapped to a second three-dimensional data set. The surgical path of the first data set and the second data set may be displayed on spatial display units. Accordingly, the anatomical objects along the surgical path may be viewed at different points in time, for example prior to surgery and after surgery.
US08294698B2
A processing circuit coupled to a controlling circuit and including a first capacitor module, a second capacitor, a detection module, a first processing module, and a second processing module is disclosed. The first and the second capacitor modules are charged. The detection module generates a detection signal according to intensity of a light to charge the first and the second capacitor modules. The first processing module asserts a first output signal according to the time of charging the first capacitor module. The second processing module asserts a second output signal according to the time of charging the second capacitor module. The controlling circuit controls a backlight according to the asserted output signal.
US08294697B2
Provided is a register circuit including a timing circuit controlled by an external control signal to receive an external timing signal and then to transmit a first timing signal and a second timing signal, wherein the first timing signal and the second timing signal have phases inverse to each other; two pass gates controlled by the first timing signal and the second timing signal to receive starting pulse signals and then transmit the pulse signals as one of the pass gates turns on; a signal output unit receiving the pulse signals to transmit an output signal; and two switches controlled by the external control signal to receive and to transmit the output signal as one of the switches turns on.
US08294695B2
A display driving apparatus and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus includes a memory unit, a compression and decompression unit, a data selection unit, and a display accelerating unit. The memory unit is coupled to the compression and decompression unit and stores only a compressed frame to save memory space in the apparatus. The data selection unit determines whether an error is caused to a frame through data compression and decompression. When the error is greater than a predetermined value, the display accelerating unit turns off an overdriving process upon the pixels to avoid image distortion. The data selection unit also determines whether the frames are static or dynamic in order to determine whether to turn on the overdriving process.
US08294680B2
An electronic device includes a touch screen that displays a message log containing text of one or more messages that have been transmitted by the electronic device or received by the electronic device, and that displays an input field to show text for a new message undergoing composition. The electronic also includes a control circuit that is configured to receive touch input signals from the touch screen that are indicative of user touch selection of text from the message log, and without additional user input, enter the touch selected text into the input field.
US08294677B2
A transparent capacitive touch panel comprising a transparent substrate, a transparent cover lens and a transparent adhesive layer is provided, wherein a first transparent electrode layer and a second transparent electrode layer are disposed on the transparent cover lens and the transparent substrate respectively. The transparent adhesive layer is used to bind the first transparent electrode layer and second transparent electrode layer in order to combine the transparent cover lens and the transparent substrate disposed in parallel. Thereby, the manufacturing process of the transparent capacitive touch panel is simplified, and the manufacturing cost of the same is lowered.
US08294672B2
The invention concerns an optical pointing device comprising a coherent light source for illuminating a surface portion with radiation, a driver of the coherent light source for controlling coherent light emissions, a photodetector device responsive to radiation reflected from the illuminated surface portion, processing means for determining, based on the photodetector device response, a measurement of relative motion between the optical pointing device and the illuminated portion of the surface, wherein the coherent light source driver is a fault-tolerant driver comprising redundant power control means for limiting the output power of coherent light emissions.
US08294668B2
A method and apparatus for an accessory device for a mobile host device is disclosed. An accessory device for interfacing with a mobile host device includes a communication channel designed to establish a bi-directional communication link between the accessory device and the host device. In some embodiments, the accessory device allows walkie-talkie communication between an accessory device and a mobile host device as well as control by the accessory device of functions of the mobile host device. In some embodiments, the accessory device allows simplified speed dial control of a mobile phone host device. In other embodiments, accessory devices provide walkie-talkie communication with a mobile host device and provide positioning information to a mobile host device so that an application on the mobile host device can track locations of a plurality of accessory devices. These and other embodiments are more fully disclosed herein.
US08294664B2
An electrophoretic display and a driving method thereof are provided. The electrophoretic display includes a display panel and a source driver. The display panel includes at least one pixel unit. The pixel unit is coupled to a pixel electrode and a common electrode. The source driver is coupled to the display panel. When the source driver provides a first driving voltage to the pixel electrode having a second driving voltage, the source driver provides a ground voltage to the pixel electrode, and then the source driver provides first driving voltage to the pixel electrode. The ground voltage is between the first driving voltage and the second driving voltage. Thereby, damage property of elements may be reduced.
US08294662B2
The object of the present invention is to suppress a high impedance state of scan lines in a case where the scan lines are driven by using a demultiplexer. A logic AND circuit 34 outputs signals resulting from logical product of block selection signals Y-1, Y-2, and Y-3, . . . , and Y-80 and a signal Enb as address signals Ad-1, Ad-2, and Ad-3, . . . , and Ad-80. A demultiplexer 40 distributes address signals Ad-1, Ad-2, Ad-3, . . . , and Ad-80 to scan lines 112 in accordance with selection signals Sel-1, Sel-2, and Sel-3. Drains of TFTs 140 are connected to the scan lines 112. The TFTs 140 are controlled to be turned on/off, for example, by using a signal Sel-all that is a logically inverted signal of the signal Enb, and when the TFTs are turned on, level L is determined.
US08294656B2
Disclosed are a signal control device and a liquid crystal display device having the same. The signal control device includes receivers and data storage units. The receivers receive clock signals and data signals through channels. The data storage units are provided according to channels and store the data signals transmitted through corresponding channels. In addition, the data storage units substantially simultaneously output the data signals in synchronization with a specific clock signal selected from the received clock signals received through the channels.
US08294651B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided. The LCD includes a display panel and a voltage supply device (VSD). The display panel includes a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines disposed substantially perpendicularly with the scan lines, and a plurality of pixels. The pixels are respectively electrically connected with the corresponding data line and the corresponding scan line, and are arranged in an array. Each of the pixels includes a common line and a compensation line, wherein the common line is located in the transparent area to receive a common voltage, and the compensation line is located in the reflection area to receive a stable voltage. The VSD is coupled to the compensation line of each of the pixels for continuously and correspondingly providing the stable voltage to the compensation line of each of the pixels.
US08294647B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) having a plurality of pixels is provided. In one embodiment, the pixels of the LCD each include common and pixel electrodes formed on an insulating layer, and a liquid crystal layer responsive to electric fields generated by the electrodes. The plurality of pixels may include two or more sets of pixels each configured to transmit light of a different color, and the pixel electrodes of one set of pixels may be configured differently from those of another set. In other embodiments, the sizes of the pixels may differ. Various additional devices and methods are also provided.
US08294646B2
A display apparatus includes a photoelectric sensor disposed on an inner side of a frame and located corresponding to a corner of a pixel area of a display panel in a predetermined position. When the display apparatus is turned on, the display panel provides a light spot at a corner of a current pixel area of the display apparatus corresponding to the photoelectric sensor, and a micro-control circuit compares an electronic signal received from the photoelectric sensor with a sample value. If different, an interrupt is triggered to execute a position offsetting interrupt program to adjust the display parameter of the display apparatus, thereby moving the pixel area to adjust the relative position of the light spot and the photoelectric sensor, so that the relative position becomes identical to that when the pixel area of the display panel is in the predetermined position.
US08294644B2
A circuit for an element of a light-emitting display is proposed. The element comprises a current control means, first and second switching means and a light-emitting means. In one embodiment, a signal holding means is provided. The arrangement of the first and second switching means of the element makes it possible to measure the electrical parameters of the current control means and of the light-emitting means during operation. A light-emitting display having a plurality of elements is furthermore proposed. The light-emitting display has a control circuit and a memory. The measured values of the electrical parameters of the current control means (4) and of the light-emitting means of the elements are used to correct the control signal S that is used to drive the elements. This enables a uniform brightness distribution in the case of voltage actuation and makes it possible to compensate for temporal changes in the light-emitting means. In addition, a method for actuating the elements and the light-emitting display is proposed.
US08294639B2
A display unit has an interlayer formed at least as one or more than one layers and arranged between a light-emitting layer and a diffractive element. The interlayer has a thickness not less than 500 nm and not more than 2,000 nm and an average refractive index greater than a refractive index of the light-emitting layer. The optical path length of the interlayer defined as a product of multiplication of its average refractive index by its thickness satisfies the requirement shown below: ( m + 0.1 ) 2 · 1 - ( n L n m ) 2 ≤ n m ⅆ ≤ ( m + 0.6 ) · λ 0 2 · 1 - ( n L n m ) 2 where m is an integer not less than 0; λ0 is a wavelength in vacuum; nm is the average refractive index of the interlayer; d is the thickness of the interlayer; and nL is the refractive index of the light-emitting layer.
US08294632B2
An antenna interface circuit for a wireless communication device includes a tunable matching circuit that is coupleable to an antenna. The tunable matching circuit includes a variable impedance element having a variable impedance Ztune. The interface circuit further includes a fixed impedance element having a fixed impedance Zmeas, and a switch coupled to the fixed impedance element and configured to controllably switch the fixed impedance element into electrical communication with the tunable matching circuit. Related devices and methods are also disclosed.
US08294631B2
An exemplary antenna system for an electromagnetic wave includes a conductor having a first portion and a second bent portion. The exemplary antenna system includes a first transformer connected to the second bent portion and configured to invert current of the second bent portion relative to current received from the first portion. An exemplary method for conducting an electromagnetic signal includes conducting an electromagnetic signal through a first portion and a second bent portion of a conductor. The exemplary method includes inverting current of the signal of the second bent portion relative to current received from the first portion. A wave created by current of the first portion can be added to a wave created by current of the second bent portion.
US08294628B2
The present invention relates to a multiple-port dual-band antenna system and the associated interface formed by DPDT or SPDT switches, that can be integrated on one and the same multi-layer structure.
US08294607B2
A multichannel digitizer and method of digitizing are provided. One digitizer includes an analog to digital convertor (ADC) having a plurality of channels receiving input analog signals; an operational amplifier in each channel and a comparator connected to the operational amplifier. The ADC further includes a logic circuit in each channel connected to the comparator and configured to generate an output based on a comparator signal received from the comparator. The ADC also includes a ramp generator connected to the plurality of channels and configured to provide a time varying reference signal.
US08294603B2
A system and method for providing high throughput entropy coding contains the steps of: dividing syntax elements of video into one or more group of syntax elements; placing each group into a separate partition, resulting in more than one partition; and processing more than one of the more than one partition in parallel using entropy coding.
US08294599B2
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate compound text input. The device is able to assemble language objects in the memory to generate compound language solutions. The device is able to generate compound language solutions by employing different groupings of data sources to generate different portions of the compound language solutions.
US08294596B2
Disclosed is to an aircraft radiofrequency communication system. The system includes at least one at least one radiofrequency transceiver device that is configured to transmit and receive data according to a VDL mode 3 standard and to receive status information that relates to at least one radio link of the radiofrequency transceiver device and includes the status concerning the possibility of transmitting on a particular, selected frequency. In one embodiment, a man/machine interface unit is configured to display configuration information and at least a portion of the status information. In an alternative embodiment, at least one radiofrequency transceiver device is configured to further determine status information that represents a possibility of using the radiofrequency transceiver device in transmission.
US08294588B2
A patient monitoring system detects physiological signals from a patient during an MRI examination. The patient monitoring system wirelessly transmits data associated with the physiological signals to a remote base unit. The wireless transmission of data is carried out in a manner to not be disruptive to the MRI examination. The patient monitoring system has a removable, MRI magnet compatible battery.
US08294586B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for indicating a status of at least one operating parameter associated with a topical negative pressure (TNP) system. The method includes the steps of generating illumination from at least one LED, the illumination having at least one characteristic corresponding to a status of at least one operating parameter associated with the TNP system and being visible to a user.
US08294582B1
Apparatus and systems may include integrated circuits for use with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags having an antenna structure with at least three coupling ends. The integrated circuits may include three or more nodes corresponding respectively to the at least three coupling ends, and a modulator switch to receive a single modulator switching signal input. Methods may include those used to form and operate such circuits. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08294576B2
An infrared sensor switch of the invention comprises an infrared sensor with a detection range, and a controller that uses the sensor to try to detect whether or not a person is present in the detection range and controls an ON or OFF state of a corresponding load unit based on each detection result obtained from the sensor. The switch further comprises a sensor block comprising the sensor, and a housing that is mounted in a wall and retains the block so that the center axis of the detection range can be rotated about a horizontal axis and as well as rotated up to at least 40 degrees downward from a forward direction of 0 degrees.
US08294573B2
A system of tracking transcontinental shipping containers, which is optimized to conserve the power consumption of tracking devices attached to the containers, is disclosed. The system uses short-range transceiving devices to form a mesh network that includes the tracking devices and a processing device coupled to the shipping vessel, thereby enabling the tracking devices to communicate and update their status without using a long-range or satellite communications adaptors.
US08294571B2
A system verifies torquing of pressure fittings in an aircraft wheel well. A strain gauge and an ultra-wide band (UWB) pulse signal generator are placed on a wrench used to torque the fittings. The strain senses the torque applied by the wrench, and the pulse signal generator generates UWB pulse signals indicating the location of the fitting and the torque applied to the fitting. The pulse signals are received by UWB radios within the wheel well, which generate location measurements based on the received pulse signals. A processor automatically calculates the location of the fitting being torqued based on the location measurements, and a display produces a 3-dimensional image of the fittings and their torque status.
US08294570B2
A system and method to assist an emergency medical dispatcher in responding to emergency calls is disclosed. A computer-implemented emergency dispatch protocol is provided that includes interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an appropriate response. A diagnostic tool is provided to aid a dispatcher in calculating a burn surface area of a patient. The diagnostic tool calculates the burn surface area based on caller relayed information about the areas of the patient's body that are burned. The burn calculation may be based on the Rule of Nines methodology. The diagnostic tool can be launched automatically by the emergency dispatch protocol, or manually as desired by a dispatcher. The diagnostic tool presents a user interface that may provide, among other things, instructions, a visual portrayal of the human body, and input fields.
US08294560B2
A system of imaging and non-imaging sensors are used in combination with a graphical user interface (GUI) system on a vehicle to detect items of interest. In particular, a GUI has been developed that seamlessly integrates high magnification, Narrow Field of View (NFOV) imaging sensors and Wide Field of View (WFOV) imaging sensors. The GUI is capable of displaying both WFOV and NFOV images, gimbal controls, and allow NFOV sensor to be pointed to any location within the wide field of view efficiently by a single touch of a touch screen display. The overall goal is to allow an operator to select which imagery from multiple WFOV sensors to display in order to prescreen regions of interest that require further investigation using sensors with more magnification.
US08294553B2
A movable barrier operator system includes a motor that is used to move a movable barrier. The system also includes an audio amplifier device. First power is supplied to the audio amplifier device to thereby render corresponding content locally audible. Information regarding starting of the motor is received and the first power supplied to the audio amplifier device is automatically reduced in response to receiving the information.
US08294549B2
The present invention relates to methods and systems for providing secure access control to a facility. An access control system comprises a scanner located adjacent to a venue entrance. A computer system is coupled to the scanner. The computer system is configured to receive a coded user identification data scanned from an admission ticket from a ticket bearer via the scanner, decode the coded user identification data, and transmit the decoded user identification to a terminal for display to a gate keeper so that the gate keeper can determine whether the ticket bearer is to be admitted. An optional turnstile is coupled to the computer system, wherein the computer system enables the turnstile rotation.
US08294545B2
An electromagnetic coupling device includes a field core, a surge voltage absorbing member, and a storage member. The field core is provided inside an exciting coil. The surge voltage absorbing member is connected to the exciting coil. The storage member is made of an insulating material and includes a recess portion to store the surge voltage absorbing member. A through hole is formed in an outer wall of the field core. The storage member is inserted into the through hole with an opening of the recess portion facing the exciting coil. The surge voltage absorbing member is inserted in the recess portion so as to be positioned outside the field core by the exciting coil.
US08294543B2
A system and method of generating a magnetic field that is uniform in magnitude and direction may generally restrict the field from expanding away from a longitudinal axis. In some instances, such a magnetic field may be controllable in magnitude and direction. In accordance with some embodiments, a generated magnetic field may be selectively confined to a predetermined three-dimensional space.
US08294541B2
A switch device includes a container of the hermetic type, at least one switch contained inside the hermetic container, and actuation devices at least partially contained inside the container and suitable to actively select the switch. The actuation devices have at least one internal ferromagnetic element, moving inside the container so as to influence an actuation button of the switch, and a transmission body having a first extremity which interfaces in contact with said internal ferromagnetic element and a second extremity which interfaces in contact with said actuation button. The transmission body is a rigid body which receives and transmits the movement of the internal ferromagnetic element from a rest position in which it does not cause the actuation button to be actuated and a functioning position in which it presses and acts on the actuation button by contact.
US08294538B2
A transmission line microwave apparatus includes at least one nonreciprocal transmission line part, which includes a series branch circuit equivalently including a capacitive element and a shunt branch circuit equivalently including an inductive element. The nonreciprocal transmission line part has gyrotropic characteristic by being magnetized in a magnetization direction different from the propagation direction of a microwave, and has an asymmetric structure to a plane formed by the propagation direction and the magnetization direction. The nonreciprocal transmission line part has a propagation constant and an operating frequency set in a dispersion curve that represents a relation between the propagation constant and the operating frequency so that the propagation constant in the forward direction and the propagation constant in the backward direction have nonreciprocal phase characteristics different from each other. A microwave transmission line is constituted by cascade-connecting at least one non-reciprocal transmission line part between first and second ports.
US08294524B2
A representative integrated circuit comprises a clock signal generator that generates a clock signal, a code pattern generator that generates digital pattern data based on the clock signal, and a transversal digital-to-analog conversion (T-DAC) unit that includes a plurality of registers and a unary modulator (Umod) array. The T-DAC unit provides frequency selection ranges covering wide operational bands based on the digital pattern data and the clock signal.
US08294517B2
An amplification circuit may include an input differential pair including a first transistor receiving a positive input voltage and a second transistor receiving a negative input voltage, a first resistor that generates a difference current corresponding to a difference voltage between the positive input voltage and the negative input voltage, an output differential pair including a third transistor supplying a negative output voltage and a fourth transistor supplying a positive output voltage, a second resistor connected to a reference voltage to receive the difference current generated by the first resistor, and a bias circuit that supplies a bias current to the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, and the fourth transistor. The first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, and the fourth transistor may have the same polarity.
US08294516B2
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for reducing the distortion of power amplifiers. In particular, methods and systems are described that enable a determination of a pre-distortion correction signal to be determined, which when added to the nominal signal, a reduction in the distortion of the power amplifier results. In addition, methods and systems are described that enable calibration of individual power amplifiers to be accomplished for use with the above described approach. More specifically, the methods and systems are described for use in a MIMO application. These approaches may be applied to on-chip power amplifiers, off-chip power amplifiers, or any combination thereof.
US08294507B2
An electronic device includes a wide bandgap thyristor having an anode, a cathode, and a gate terminal, and a wide bandgap bipolar transistor having a base, a collector, and an emitter terminal. The emitter terminal of the bipolar transistor is directly coupled to the anode terminal of the thyristor such that the bipolar transistor and the thyristor are connected in series. The bipolar transistor and the thyristor define a wide bandgap bipolar power switching device that is configured to switch between a nonconducting state and a conducting state that allows current flow between a first main terminal corresponding to the collector terminal of the bipolar transistor and a second main terminal corresponding to the cathode terminal of the thyristor responsive to application of a first control signal to the base terminal of the bipolar transistor and responsive to application of a second control signal to the gate terminal of the thyristor. Related control circuits are also discussed.
US08294494B2
A charge-discharge circuit charges or discharges a capacitor having a fixed electric potential at one end. A first comparator compares an output voltage of the capacitor with a first threshold voltage and outputs a first comparison signal in accordance with a comparison result. An edge detecting circuit detects an edge of a synchronization signal input from the outside and having a frequency of about ½ of a triangular-wave signal generated by the triangular-wave generating circuit, and outputs an edge detection signal that will be at a predetermined level for each of the detected edges. A charge-discharge controller receives the first comparison signal that is output from the first comparator and the edge detection signal that is output from the edge detecting circuit, and switches between a charge state and a discharge state of the charge-discharge circuit in accordance with a level transition of these signals. A voltage of the capacitor is output as a triangular-wave signal.
US08294493B2
A bias-shaping circuit for adjusting power consumption in a frequency divider to a temperature-dependent minimum includes a temperature-dependent bias source for producing a temperature-dependent bias. The bias is combined with an input signal to create an output bias. The output bias changes in response to a change in temperature to compensate for at least a portion of a temperature-induced change in the frequency divider, thereby adjusting power consumption in the frequency divider to a temperature-dependent minimum.
US08294490B1
An integrated circuit enabling asynchronous data communication is disclosed. The integrated circuit comprises a plurality of circuit blocks, each circuit block of the plurality of circuit blocks comprising programmable resources; and a routing network coupled to each circuit block of the plurality of circuit blocks, the routing network enabling asynchronous data communication with the plurality of circuit blocks. Each circuit block of the plurality of circuit blocks synchronously processes data received from the routing network. A method of routing data in an integrated circuit is also disclosed.
US08294485B2
A method of detecting low-probability defects in large transistor arrays (such as large arrays of SRAM cells), where the defects manifest themselves as asymmetrical leakage in a transistor (such as a pulldown nFET in an SRAM cell). These defects are detected by creating one or more test arrays, identical in all regards to the large transistor arrays up until the contact and metallization layers. Leakage is measured by applying an appropriate off-state voltage (e.g., 0V) by a common connection to all of the gates of the transistors in the test array, then measuring the aggregate drain/source leakage current, both forward and reverse (e.g., first grounded source and positively biased drain, then grounded drain and positively biased source) comparing the difference between the two leakage current measurements.
US08294481B2
A handler includes a table which supports an electronic device, a socket which is arranged to face the table, and a transport mechanism which transports the electronic device. The transport mechanism includes a contact head having a lead press with a recess for storing the electronic device, and a chuck sleeve which extends through the lead press, is arranged relatively movable from the lead press in a direction in which the chuck sleeve extends, and chucks the electronic device, an elevating mechanism which moves the contact head between the table and the socket, a pivot mechanism which pivots the contact head within the vertical plane, and a control unit which controls chucking and release of the electronic device by the chuck sleeve, and vertical movement and pivot of the contact head.
US08294470B2
A one sheet test device and a method of testing using the same that can prevent a change of current characteristics due to a failure panel by measuring a current of normal panels except for the failure panel, when testing a one sheet substrate that includes panels, first wires that are arranged in a first direction between and connected to the panels, second wires that are arranged in a second direction different from the first direction between and connected to the panels. The test device includes voltage application units that are connected to the first and second wires, respectively, to apply a selected one of the first voltage and the second voltage to the corresponding wires; and a test unit that controls the voltage application units to measure an on-current and off-current of each of the panels.
US08294450B2
An integrated circuit structure includes a bandgap reference circuit and a start-up circuit. The bandgap reference circuit includes a positive power supply node and a PMOS transistor including a source coupled to the positive power supply node. The start-up circuit is configured to be turned on during a start-up stage of the bandgap reference circuit, and to be turned off after the start-up stage. The start-up circuit includes a switch configured to interconnect a gate and a drain of the PMOS transistor during the start-up stage, and to disconnect the gate of the PMOS transistor from the drain of the PMOS transistor after the start-up stage.
US08294445B2
Techniques for mitigating interference from a switching voltage regulator by intelligently varying the switcher frequency of the switching voltage regulator are provided. In one aspect, the switcher frequency is set by adjusting a frequency setting input to a programmable clock divider. In a further aspect, a processor drives a programmable clock divider which receives a value representative of a dividing factor by which to divide a reference clock frequency signal to generate a desired switcher frequency for the switching voltage regulator. Values of the programmable clock divider are selectively varied to achieve optimal performance and mitigate the effect of switcher frequency spurious content for a given operating condition or conditions.
US08294432B2
A power converter includes an inverter circuit for superimposing a generated voltage on an AC input voltage, a diode bridge full-wave rectifying circuit connected to the inverter circuit, smoothing capacitors connected between DC output terminals of the rectifying circuit, short-circuit switches connected to the rectifying circuit, a rectification mode changing circuit connected to the rectifying circuit, a short-circuit switch control circuit for maintaining the short-circuit switches in an on state in a short-circuit phase range, a rectification mode control circuit for maintaining the rectification mode changing circuit in an off state in the short-circuit phase range and an inverter control circuit for PWM-controlling the inverter circuit so that an output voltage of the rectifying circuit follows a target output voltage when the rectification mode changing circuit is in the off state.
US08294417B2
A charging station (10) for wireless digitizer tablets (12) includes a housing (11), and a plurality of tablet receiving areas (20) associated with the housing. Each tablet receiving area is constructed and arranged to receive a wireless digitizer tablet for docking therein. A charging connector (24) is associated with each tablet receiving area and is constructed and arranged to be connected with an associated tablet for charging at least one battery of the associated tablet. A power cord structure (26) is electrically connected with each charging connector such that when the power cord structure is connected with a source of power, the power cord structure delivers electrical current to each charging connector substantially simultaneously.
US08294415B2
An HV_ECU executes a program including a step of determining whether a charging cable is connected to a power supply external to the vehicle when a connector signal CNCT output in the case where the charging cable is connected to an inlet of the vehicle is input to the vehicle; and a step of determining whether a malfunction occurs in a charger mounted in the vehicle when the charging cable is not connected to the power supply.
US08294410B2
A method and an apparatus for the failsafe monitoring of an electromotive drive without additional sensors, including a drive having a three-phase control of an electric motor, detection of the current and voltage profiles of each of the three phases, as they are forwarded to the motor by drive electronics, determination of the load speed while using the detected current and voltage values, where the determination of the load speed takes place by calculating an observer model with reference to the detected current, to the detected voltage, to the frequency preset by the control and to the characteristic data of the motor and generation of a failsafe switch signal for the motor when the calculated load speed does not correspond to a preset desired speed within the framework of preset tolerances. The load torque can also be determined and monitored with reference to the observer model.
US08294405B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for guiding the movement of a moving machine element on a numerically controlled machine, whereby maximum possible track speed, maximum possible track acceleration, and maximum possible track jerk are defined by means of given restrictions on track axes. The local minima for the maximum possible track speed are determined, whereby for each local minimum a corresponding left-sided and right-sided track speed segment is determined, whereby, for track values for the displacement track to the left and right of a given minimum, the resulting track speed is determined by using the maximum possible track jerk and the maximum possible track acceleration until the track speed exceeds the maximum possible track speed to the left and right of the minimum, a track jerk curve for the movement guidance is hence determined. According to the invention, a simple method and a simple device for movement guidance of a moving machine element on a numerically controlled machine are achieved, with as good as possible a usage of the restrictions on machine axes of the machine.
US08294403B2
Systems and methods for determining and displaying a time to overload of a motor in a computer numerical controlled (CNC) machine tool are provided. A method includes monitoring a fuse level of a motor in a CNC machine tool and calculating a time to overload of the motor based on the fuse level. The method further includes displaying the time to overload on a user interface based on the fuse level of the motor and a load acting on the motor.
US08294396B2
A compact field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based digital motor controller (102), a method, and a design structure are provided. The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) includes a sensor interface (206) configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors (104) and generate conditioned sensor data. The one or more sensors (104) provide position information for a DC brushless motor (108). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a commutation control (210) configured to create switching commands to control commutation for the DC brushless motor (108). The commutation control (210) generates commutation pulses from the conditioned sensor data of the sensor interface (206). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a time inverter (208) configured to receive the commutation pulses. The time inverter (208) converts the commutation pulses into a rotational speed of the DC brushless motor (108) to provide a linear feedback control parameter.
US08294382B2
In various exemplary embodiments, an electrodeless plasma lamp includes a bulb configured to be coupled to a source of radio frequency (RF) power. The bulb contains a fill that forms a plasma when the RF power is coupled to the fill. An electrically-conductive convex shield is positioned proximate to the bulb with a convex surface of the shield being distal to the bulb. A resonant structure having a quarter wave resonant mode includes a lamp body having a dielectric material having a relative permittivity greater than 2 with an inner conductor and an outer conductor. The source of RF power is configured to provide RF power to the lamp body at about a resonant frequency for the resonant structure.
US08294377B2
A power converter for constant loads includes an energy transfer element, a switch, a controller, and a compensation circuit. The energy transfer element is coupled to receive a rectified voltage having a non-blocked portion and a blocked portion, where an amount of the blocked portion corresponds to a phase angle. The controller is coupled to control switching of the switch to regulate an output current of the power converter in response to a plurality of signals. The plurality of signals includes a peak input voltage signal and a feedback signal, where the peak input voltage signal is representative of a peak input voltage of the power converter and the feedback signal is representative of the output voltage of the power converter. The compensation circuit is coupled to adjust at least one of the plurality of signals in response to the phase angle exceeding a phase angle threshold.
US08294372B2
An online time dimmer is disclosed, which comprises a base, an electric circuit unit lodged in the base and a top cover joined with the base correspondingly. The electric circuit unit is functionally made up of a dimmer circuit and a time circuit, and structurally comprises a power switch and a time switch, which are activated by a switch button and a time button respectively. When in use, one end of the unit connects electrically to a power supply through electric wires and a plug, while the other end to a lighting load through electric wires. Once depressing the switch button will in turn press the power switch, which activates power-on, power-off and the adjustment of brightness operated on the lighting load through the dimmer circuit. And depressing the time button will in turn press the time switch, which enables the time circuit to operate time setting on the lighting load.
US08294370B2
A device for coupling ionization energy into an ion or electron source, which is excited inductively or inductively-capacitively is provided. The device includes: a discharge vessel for a gas, which is to be ionized; a coupling coil, which is wound around the discharge vessel and feeds in a high frequency energy, which is required for plasma excitation; a coupling capacitor, which is electrically coupled to the coupling coil; a high frequency generator, which is electrically coupled to the coupling coil. The high frequency generator forms, together with the at least one coupling capacitor, a resonant circuit. The high frequency generator includes a PLL controller for automatic impedance matching of the resonant circuit, so that the resonant circuit can be driven at a resonant frequency.
US08294359B2
An electronic component comprising a layer of organic semiconducting material in which a dopant is dispersed having an energy difference between the work function of the dopant and of the HOMO level of said organic semiconducting material that is less than 0.5 eV. The dopant is an atomic element having an evaporation temperature lower than 1300° C. for a pressure of 10−8 Torr. The invention enables the toxicity problems connected with usual organic acceptor dopants to be avoided. It applies in particular to organic light-emitting diodes.
US08294357B2
A wavelength conversion element, including: a substrate; and a ceramic layer formed on the substrate, the ceramic layer being obtained by sintering a ceramic precursor; wherein the ceramic precursor is a compound selected from the group composed of alkoxysilane and a compound having a plurality of siloxane structures; a phosphor and particles of an oxide are mixed with the ceramic precursor; the phosphor has particle diameters within a range of from 1 μm to 50 μm and a concentration of the phosphor in the ceramic layer is equal to or more than 40 wt % and less than 95 wt %; and the particles of the oxide have primary particle diameters within a range of from 0.001 μm to 30 μm and a concentration within a range of from 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % in the ceramic layer.
US08294354B2
The present invention relates to a field emission light source device, which includes: a base substrate; at least one cathode strip, disposed over the base substrate; at least one emissive protrusion, disposed over the cathode strip and electrically connected to the cathode strip; an insulating layer, disposed over the cathode strip and having at least one opening to allow the emissive protrusion to protrude out of the opening; at least one anode strip, disposed over the insulating layer, where the cathode strip and the anode strip are arranged into an m×n matrix and the at least one anode strip individually has an impacted surface corresponding to the emissive protrude; and a phosphor layer disposed over the impacted surface. Accordingly, the present invention can enhance light utilization efficiency of a field emission light source device.
US08294352B2
In a fluorescent lamp, a fluorescent material has a particle size of not greater than 1 μm and a thickness of not greater than 5 μm. With this structure, ultraviolet ray of 254 nm is efficiently converted into visible light and the light obtained by conversion is efficiently emitted to the outside.
US08294351B2
A matrix-type cold-cathode electron source device includes a mesh structure (8) on which through-holes (9) are formed and drive portions (7a, 7b). The through-hole (9) has an opening diameter of 1/N or less of the alignment pitch of electron source elements (4) and the drive portions (7a, 7b) drive the mesh structure (8) every 1/N of the alignment pitch of the electron source elements (4). Thus it is possible to increase a resolution without reducing the size of an electron source.
US08294342B2
An optical sheet capable of enhancing contrast is provided. The optical sheet includes a layer configured to control light incident on the layer and then allow the light to exit towards the observer side. The optical sheet includes: an optical functional sheet layer having multiple prisms capable of transmitting light and multiple light-absorbing parts capable of absorbing light, the multiple prisms and multiple light-absorbing parts being arranged alternately along a sheet plane of the optical sheet; and an electromagnetic-wave shield layer. The electromagnetic-wave shield layer is positioned on a side opposite to the observer side relative to the optical functional sheet layer.
US08294340B2
A heat dissipation device includes a heat absorption board adapted for contacting a light source to absorb heat therefrom, a fin assembly located over the heat absorption board, two spaced heat pipes each comprising an evaporator section and two condenser sections extending from two opposite ends of the evaporator section, and a heat sink located between the heat absorption board and the fin assembly. The condenser sections extend through the fin assembly. The evaporator sections of the heat pipes are sandwiched between the heat sink and the heat absorption board. The heat sink includes alternate first and second heat dissipating branches extending outwardly from a central portion thereof. The first heat dissipating branches contact the evaporator sections of the heat pipes. The second heat dissipating branches are located between the heat pipes.
US08294339B2
The present invention relates to a LED lamp and a heat sink thereof having a wound heat pipe. The LED lamp includes the heat sink, a LED module and a lamp base electrically connected to the LED module. The heat sink includes a heat-conducting base, a heat-dissipating fin set and a wound heat pipe. The heat-dissipating fin set includes a plurality of heat-dissipating fins arranged at the outer periphery of the heat-conducting base. The heat-dissipating fins form an accommodating space. The wound heat pipe includes an evaporating section brought into thermal contact with the heat-conducting base and a condensing section brought into thermal contact with the heat-dissipating fins. The LED module abuts against the heat-conducting base and the evaporating section. By this structure, the heat-conducting path is shortened, the heat-conducting speed is accelerated, and the heat is rapidly and uniformly distributed to the heat-dissipating fins to improve the heat-dissipating efficiency.
US08294336B2
A piezoelectric windmill configured to handle small scale wind flow. One embodiment the piezoelectric windmill solves problems associated with harvesting energy and generating electric energy or power using piezoelectric materials having significant advantages over previously available materials.
US08294330B1
A surface acoustic wave device with improved temperature characteristics includes a piezoelectric substrate of a single crystal of symmetry 3m, providing propagation of a SAW having an electromechanical coupling factor exceeding 5%, an electrode pattern on a substrate surface forming a resonator, and a SiOx overlay covering the electrode pattern. An optimized thickness of the electrodes combined with an SiOx overlay provide improved performance in RF applications with improved temperature characteristics. To suppress spurious responses the SiOx thickness is varied depending upon the relative thickness and period of the electrodes. The electrode pattern forms resonators with the silicon oxide thickness over the electrodes inversely related to the period of the electrodes of the resonators.
US08294328B2
Brush gear of a motor has a brush card with a plurality of brushes installed at one side thereof. Each brush is electrically connected with a connector. Two motor terminations provide power to the brushes via the corresponding connectors and at least one wire connects two of the connectors. Each of said two of the connectors has a hole to receive one end of the wire and at least two fingers extends from an edge of the hole inclined toward the axis of the hole, such that when the end of the wire extends through the hole, the fingers are resiliently deformed and grip the wire to prevent withdrawal of the wire from the hole.
US08294319B2
The invention is characterized in that in a motor rotor constituted by a motor shaft (30), a permanent magnet (31) surrounding the motor shaft (30) around an axis, a pair of end rings (32, 32) surrounding the motor shaft (30) around the axis and pinching the permanent magnet (31) from both sides in an axial direction, and a hollow cylindrical outer sleeve (33) surrounding the permanent magnet (31) and a pair of end rings (32, 32) in a fastening state around the axis, one end portion or both end portions of the outer sleeve (33) protrudes in the axial direction than an end surface of the end ring (32). A rotating balance correction is executed by pruning away a part of the protruding portion.
US08294315B2
An inner-rotor brushless motor includes a holding member configured to hold a stator core. The holding member includes a mounting surface disposed perpendicular to a shaft and brought into contact with a mating member in which the inner-rotor brushless motor is installed; bent portions integrated with the mounting surface, bent upward so as to be substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface, and configured to hold the outer circumferential surface of the stator core; and mounting flanges used for fastening the motor to the mating member. The mounting surface, the bent portions, and the mounting flanges are integrated with each other.
US08294308B2
In one embodiment, a system for providing cyclic motion includes a magnetic drive having an electrically conductive coil defining a bore and a magnetic member movable through the bore. A control provides current to the coil and selectively reverses the direction of the current to move the magnetic member through the bore. In another embodiment, the system includes a counterbalance. The counterbalance includes a biasing member for reacting against a load applied to a support, and a lever arm coupled to the biasing member for varying a preload of the biasing member. In another embodiment, the magnetic drive and the counterbalance may be incorporated into an apparatus for reciprocating a person.
US08294306B2
Methods and devices for balancing voltages of capacitors in an electronic circuit are provided. The device includes a chopper circuit having a chopper inductor. Further, the chopper circuit may detect voltages across capacitors as well as an output current of the electronic circuit. In addition, the device may include a chopper control unit receiving the output current then generating a signal representing charging of the chopper inductor based on the output current. Also, the chopper control unit may receive the voltages across the capacitors and detect an imbalance between the voltages based on a polarity of the output current. Additionally, the chopper control unit may transfer of charge between the two capacitors, using the chopper inductor. Further, the chopper inductor is substantially discharged, during the transfer of charge between the capacitors.
US08294292B2
An irrigation power system is provided for use with a conventional irrigation conduit having water flow therethrough as a source of hydro energy. In order to convert the hydro energy of the water flow to electrical energy, a power generation module is provided along the irrigation conduit. The electrical energy provided by the power generation module is then provided to a power conditioner to alter the electrical energy to produce a predetermined current. The predetermined current is then sent to a storage device for later use. An irrigation system component then communicates with the storage device to receive electrical power for selective operation of the component.
US08294288B2
A variable speed wind turbine having a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG), includes an exciter machine mechanically coupled to the DFIG and a power converter placed between a rotor of the DFIG and the exciter machine. Thus, the power converter is not directly connected to the grid avoiding the introduction of undesired harmonic distortion and achieving a better power quality fed into the utility grid. Moreover, the variable speed wind turbine includes a power control and a pitch regulation.
US08294282B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor device which comprises a substrate, a first semiconductor chip on a substrate, a second semiconductor chip on the first semiconductor chip, and an adhesive sheet between the first and second semiconductor chips. The second semiconductor chip has a mirrored back surface, and the adhesive sheet contains a metal impurity ion trapping agent.
US08294271B2
Disclosed in this specification is a lead-free soldering alloy made of gold, tin and indium. The tin is present in a concentration of 17.5% to 20.5%, the indium is present in a concentration of 2.0% to 6.0% and the balance is gold and the alloy has a melting point between 290° C. and 340° C. and preferably between 300° C. and 340° C. The soldering alloy is particularly useful for hermetically sealing semiconductor devices since the melting temperature is sufficiently high to permit post-seal heating and sufficiently low to allow sealing of the semiconductor without causing damage.
US08294266B2
Various semiconductor die conductor structures and methods of fabricating the same are provided. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes forming a conductor structure on a conductor pad of a semiconductor die. The conductor layer has a surface. A polymeric layer is formed on the surface of the conductor layer while a portion of the surface is left exposed. A solder structure is formed on the exposed portion of the surface and a portion of the polymeric layer.
US08294259B2
In one embodiment, signaling and ground contacts are located in at least two parallel, rectilinear rows along at least one edge of an interconnect package such as a BGA package. In one row, each of a plurality of ground contacts is located between two pairs of contacts for receiving differential signals. In the second row, each of a plurality of ground contacts is located between two pairs of contacts for transmitting differential signals and the ground contacts in the second row are offset by one column from the ground contacts in the first row. As a result, the ratio of signaling pairs to ground contacts is 2:2. Additional pairs of rows may also be used. In other embodiments, signaling and ground contacts are located in three parallel, rectilinear rows along at least one edge of the package.
US08294257B2
A power block includes an insulating substrate, a conductive pattern formed on the insulating substrate, a power semiconductor chip bonded onto the conductive pattern by lead-free solder, a plurality of electrodes electrically connected to the power semiconductor chip and extending upwardly away from the insulating substrate, and a transfer molding resin covering the conductive pattern, the lead-free solder, the power semiconductor chip, and the plurality of electrodes, wherein surfaces of the plurality of electrodes are exposed at an outer surface of the transfer molding resin and lie in the same plane as the outer surface, the outer surface being located directly above the conductive pattern.
US08294256B2
Methods and structures related to packaging a chip are disclosed. In one embodiment, a chip package structure includes: (i) a chip having a plurality of first and second contact pads thereon; (ii) a lead frame having a plurality of pins for external connection to the package structure, where the chip is disposed on the lead frame; (iii) a plurality of first bonding wires for connecting the first contact pads to the lead frame; and (iv) a plurality of second bonding wires for connecting the second contact pads to the plurality of pins on the lead frame.
US08294248B2
Described herein are microelectronic packages including a plurality of bonding fingers and multiple integrated circuit chips, at least one integrated circuit chip being mounted onto the bonding fingers. According to various embodiments of the present invention, mounting the integrated circuit chip onto the bonding fingers may reduce the pin-out count by allowing multiple integrated circuit chips to be interconnected within the same microelectronic package. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08294246B2
A single crystal silicon etching method includes providing a single crystal silicon substrate having at least one trench therein. The substrate is exposed to a buffered fluoride etch solution which undercuts the silicon to provide lateral shelves when patterned in the <100> direction. The resulting structure includes an undercut feature when patterned in the <100> direction.
US08294245B2
Affords a GaN single-crystal mass, a method of its manufacture, and a semiconductor device and method of its manufacture, whereby when the GaN single-crystal mass is being grown, and when the grown GaN single-crystal mass is being processed into a substrate or like form, as well as when an at least single-lamina semiconductor layer is being formed onto a single-crystal GaN mass in substrate form to manufacture semiconductor devices, cracking is controlled to a minimum. The GaN single-crystal mass 10 has a wurtzitic crystalline structure and, at 30° C., its elastic constant C11 is from 348 GPa to 365 GPa and its elastic constant C13 is from 90 GPa to 98 GPa; alternatively its elastic constant C11 is from 352 GPa to 362 GPa.
US08294242B2
Confirment techniques for non-volatile resistive-switching memories are described, including a memory element having a first electrode, a second electrode, a metal oxide between the first electrode and the second electrode. A resistive switching memory element described herein includes a first electrode adjacent to an interlayer dielectric, a spacer over at least a portion of the interlayer dielectric and over a portion of the first electrode and a metal oxide layer over the spacer and the first electrode such that an interface between the metal oxide layer and the electrode is smaller than a top surface of the electrode.
US08294240B2
A semiconductor die, having a substrate, includes a through silicon via. The through silicon via includes a decoupling capacitor having a first co-axial conductor, a second co-axial conductor, and a co-axial dielectric separating the first co-axial conductor from the second co-axial conductor. The decoupling capacitor is configured to provide local charge storage for components on the semiconductor die.
US08294229B2
A wafer-scale array of optical packages and a method for fabricating the same. The wafer-scale array of optical packages includes at least one wafer-scale array of lens structures, including a wafer-scale array of first barrel structures and a wafer-scale array of lenses directly formed on the wafer-scale array of first barrel structures such that the wafer-scale array of lenses is integrally combined with the wafer-scale array of first barrel structures, the wafer-scale array of first barrel structures being made of a material different from a material of the lens of the wafer-scale array of lenses; and at least one wafer-scale array of second barrel structures stacked on and combined with the at least one wafer-scale array of lens structures.
US08294224B2
Electronic apparatus and methods of forming the electronic apparatus include a silicon oxynitride layer on a semiconductor device for use in a variety of electronic systems. The silicon oxynitride layer may be structured to control strain in a silicon channel of the semiconductor device to modify carrier mobility in the silicon channel, where the silicon channel is configured to conduct current under appropriate operating conditions of the semiconductor device.
US08294219B2
Nonvolatile memory elements that are based on resistive switching memory element layers are provided. A nonvolatile memory element may have a resistive switching metal oxide layer. The resistive switching metal oxide layer may have one or more layers of oxide. A resistive switching metal oxide may be doped with a dopant that increases its melting temperature and enhances its thermal stability. Layers may be formed to enhance the thermal stability of the nonvolatile memory element. An electrode for a nonvolatile memory element may contain a conductive layer and a buffer layer.
US08294216B2
An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor substrate, and a first and a second MOS device. The first MOS device includes a first gate dielectric over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first gate dielectric is planar; and a first gate electrode over the first gate dielectric. The second MOS device includes a second gate dielectric over the semiconductor substrate; and a second gate electrode over the second gate dielectric. The second gate electrode has a height greater than a height of the first gate electrode. The second gate dielectric includes a planar portion underlying the second gate electrode, and sidewall portions extending on sidewalls of the second gate electrode.
US08294214B2
Signal lines which provide electric connections from an internal circuit formed on a main surface of a semiconductor chip and including, for example, MIS transistor to protective elements constituted by, for example, diodes are drawn out from outlet ports formed on wiring lines disposed between the protective elements, and a signal line region occupied by the signal lines is provided over the protective elements and under electrode pads. A wiring region on the main surface of the semiconductor chip can be enlarged without increasing the chip area.
US08294203B2
Electrically isolated, deep trench isolation (DTI) structures, are formed in a wafer, and a portion of the DTI structures are converted to electrically connected structures to provide a shielding function, or to provide connection to deep buried layers. In one aspect, DTI structures include a polysilicon filling over a liner layer disposed on the inner surface of a deep trench, the polysilicon is removed by isotropic etching, and the deep trench is re-filled with a conductive material. Alternatively, the polysilicon filling remains and a contact is formed to provide an electrical connection to the polysilicon. In another aspect, a deep trench is disposed in the wafer such that a lower portion thereof is located within a deep buried layer, and after the polysilicon is removed, an anisotropic etch removes a portion of the deep trench liner from the bottom of the deep trench, thereby allowing a tungsten deposition to make electrical contact with the deep buried layer.
US08294193B2
Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile modes and methods of operation. A semiconductor memory cell includes a fin structure extending from a substrate, the fin structure including a floating substrate region having a first conductivity type configured to store data as volatile memory, first and second regions interfacing with the floating substrate region, each of the first and second regions having a second conductivity type; first and second floating gates or trapping layers positioned adjacent opposite sides of the floating substrate region; a first insulating layer positioned between the floating substrate region and the floating gates or trapping layers, the floating gates or trapping layers being configured to receive transfer of data stored by the volatile memory and store the data as nonvolatile memory in the floating gates or trapping layers upon interruption of power to the memory cell; a control gate wrapped around the floating gates or trapping layers and the floating substrate region; and a second insulating layer positioned between the floating gates or trapping layers and the control gate; the substrate including an isolation layer that isolates the floating substrate region from a portion of the substrate below the isolation layer.
US08294192B2
A flash memory integrated circuit and a method for fabricating the same. A gate stack includes an initial oxide layer directly in contact with a silicon layer, defining an oxide-silicon interface therebetween. Additional oxide material is formed substantially uniformly along the oxide-silicon interface. Polysilicon grain boundaries at the interface are thereby passivated after etching. The interface can be formed between a tunnel oxide and a floating gate, and passivating the grain boundaries reduces erase variability. Oxide in an upper storage dielectric layer is enhanced in the dilute steam oxidation. The thin oxide layers serve as diffusion paths to enhance uniform distribution of OH species across the buried interfaces being oxidized.
US08294191B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a first and a second stacked structure, a first and a second semiconductor pillar, a semiconductor connection portion, a first and a second connection portion conductive layer, a first and a second pillar portion memory layer, a first and a second connection portion memory layer. The first and second stacked structures include electrode films and inter-electrode insulating films alternately stacked in a first direction. The second stacked structure is adjacent to the first stacked structure. The first and second semiconductor pillars pierce the first and second stacked structures, respectively. The semiconductor connection portion connects the first and second semiconductor pillars. The first and second pillar portion memory layers are provided between the electrode films and the semiconductor pillar. The first and second connection portion memory layers are provided between the connection portion conductive layers and the semiconductor connection portion.
US08294188B2
An integrated circuit including a memory cell array comprises active area lines, bitlines, the bitlines being arranged so that an individual one intersects a plurality of the active area lines to form bitline-contacts, respectively, the bitlines being arranged at a bitline pitch, wordlines being arranged so that an individual one of the wordlines intersects a plurality of the active area lines, and an individual one of the wordlines intersects a plurality of the bitlines, the wordlines being arranged at a wordline pitch, wherein neighboring bitline-contacts, each of which is connected to one of the active area lines, are connected with different bitlines, and the bitline pitch is different from the wordline pitch.
US08294180B2
Described herein are a device utilizing a gate electrode material with a single work function for both the pMOS and nMOS transistors where the magnitude of the transistor threshold voltages is modified by semiconductor band engineering and article made thereby. Further described herein are methods of fabricating a device formed of complementary (pMOS and nMOS) transistors having semiconductor channel regions which have been band gap engineered to achieve a low threshold voltage.
US08294170B2
Disclosed are a light emitting device and a method of fabricating the same. The light emitting device includes a substrate; first and second light emitting cells, each including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer; and a connector located between the first and second light emitting cells and the substrate, to electrically connect the first and second light emitting cells to each other. The connector extends from the second semiconductor layer of the first light emitting cell, across the substrate, and through central regions of the second semiconductor layer and active layer of the second light emitting cells, to contact the first semiconductor layer of the second light emitting cell.
US08294169B2
This invention provides a light-emitting diode (LED). The LED is electrically connected with a circuit board. The LED includes a light-emitting chip, an encapsulating element, a lead, and a heat insulating element. The encapsulating element encapsulates the light-emitting chip. The lead is coupled with the light-emitting chip and the circuit board. The lead and the encapsulating element form a first connecting place. The lead and the circuit board form a second connecting place. The heat insulating element is disposed between the first connecting place and the second connecting place.
US08294168B2
A light source module using quantum dots, a backlight unit employing the light source module, a display apparatus, and an illumination apparatus. The light source module includes a light emitting device package including a plurality of light emitting device chips, and a quantum dot sealing package disposed on the light emitting device package in a light emitting direction, and converts wavelengths of light emitted from the light emitting device chips to generate wavelength-converted light.
US08294166B2
A transparent light emitting diode (LED) includes a plurality of III-nitride layers, including an active region that emits light, wherein all of the layers except for the active region are transparent for an emission wavelength of the light, such that the light is extracted effectively through all of the layers and in multiple directions through the layers. Moreover, the surface of one or more of the III-nitride layers may be roughened, textured, patterned or shaped to enhance light extraction.
US08294164B2
The present invention relates to a light-emitting device using a clad layer consisting of asymmetric units, wherein the clad layer is provided by repeatedly stacking a unit having an asymmetric energy bandgap on upper and lower portions of an active layer, and the inflow of both electrons and holes into the active layer is arbitrarily controlled through the clad layer, so that the internal quantum efficiency can be improved. The light-emitting device using the clad layer consisting of the asymmetric units according to the present invention is characterized in that the clad layer is provided on at least one of the upper and lower portions of the active layer and consists of one or plural units, wherein the unit has a structure in which the first to nth unit layers (n is a natural number equal to or greater than three) having different energy bandgaps are sequentially stacked and has an asymmetric energy band diagram.
US08294148B2
The present invention generally comprises TFTs having semiconductor material comprising oxygen, nitrogen, and one or more element selected from the group consisting of zinc, tin, gallium, cadmium, and indium as the active channel. The semiconductor material may be used in bottom gate TFTs, top gate TFTs, and other types of TFTs. The TFTs may be patterned by etching to create both the channel and the metal electrodes. Then, the source-drain electrodes may be defined by dry etching using the semiconductor material as an etch stop layer. The active layer carrier concentration, mobility, and interface with other layers of the TFT can be tuned to predetermined values. The tuning may be accomplished by changing the nitrogen containing gas to oxygen containing gas flow ratio, annealing and/or plasma treating the deposited semiconductor film, or changing the concentration of aluminum doping.
US08294141B2
An ultraviolet light sensor includes an elongated metal oxide nanostructure, a layer of an ultraviolet light-absorbing polymer, a current source and a current detector. The elongated metal oxide nanostructure has a first end and an opposite second end. The layer of an ultraviolet light-absorbing polymer is disposed about at least a portion of the metal oxide nanostructure. The current source is configured to provide electrons to the first end of the metal oxide nanostructure. The current detector is configured to detect an amount of current flowing through the metal oxide nanostructure. The amount of current flowing through the metal oxide nanostructure corresponds to an amount of ultraviolet light impinging on the metal oxide nanostructure.
US08294131B2
An integrated circuit device includes a device isolation pattern on a semiconductor substrate to define an active area therein. The active area includes a doped region therein. A conductive pattern extends on the active area and electrically contacts the doped region. The conductive pattern has a lower resistivity than the doped region. The conductive pattern may be disposed in a recessed region having a bottom surface lower than a top surface of the active area. A channel pillar electrically contacts to the doped region and extends therefrom in a direction away from the substrate. A conductive gate electrode is disposed on a sidewall of the channel pillar, and a gate dielectric layer is disposed between the gate electrode and the sidewall of the channel pillar.
US08294129B2
An EUV light source apparatus can reliably detect and accurately judge deterioration of an optical element in a laser beam focusing optics disposed within an EUV light generation chamber. This EUV light source apparatus includes: the EUV light generation chamber; a target material supply unit; an EUV light collector mirror; a driver laser; a window; a parabolic mirror which focuses collimated laser beam by reflection and is disposed within the EUV light generation chamber; an energy detector detecting energy of the laser beam diffused without being applied to a target material after being focused by the laser beam focusing optics when the EUV light is not generated; and a processing unit for judging the deterioration of the window and the parabolic mirror according to the laser beam energy detected by the energy detector.
US08294126B2
An apparatus (1) for sterilizing containers (10), comprising a treatment head (5) which has an exit window (8) through which charge carriers can pass, comprising a charge carrier generation source which generates charge carriers, and comprising an acceleration device (6) which accelerates the charge carriers in the direction of the exit window (8). According to the invention, the cross section of the treatment head (5) is dimensioned such that the treatment head (5) can be guided through the mouth of the container (10), and the acceleration device (6) accelerates the charge carriers in such a way that the charge carriers exiting from the exit window (8) can be aimed preferably directly onto an inner wall (15) of the container (10).
US08294124B2
An ion implanter system has a movable wafer support for holding a semiconductor wafer and a beam source that generates a beam for implanting ions in the semiconductor wafer while the wafer is moving. A plurality of path segments are identified, through which the wafer support is to move to expose the semiconductor wafer to the ion beam. A first position and a second position are identified for each respective one of the plurality of path segments, such that, when the wafer is in each first position and each second position, a perimeter of the beam projected in a plane of the wafer is tangent to a perimeter of the wafer. The ion implanter is configured to automatically move the wafer along each of the plurality of path segments, starting at the respective first position on each respective path segment and stopping at the respective second position on the same segment, so as to expose the wafer to the beam for implanting ions in the wafer.
US08294115B2
A linear plasma electron source is provided. The linear plasma electron source includes a housing acting as a first electrode, the housing having side walls a slit opening in the housing for trespassing of a electron beam, the slit opening defining a length direction of the source, a second electrode being arranged within the housing and having a first side facing the slit opening, the first side being spaced from the slit opening by a first distance, wherein the length of the electron source in the length direction is at least 5 times the first distance, and at least one gas supply for providing a gas into the housing.
US08294110B2
A system and method for determining correction factors used to determine energy of an event detected by a gamma ray detector having nonlinear photosensors arranged over a scintillation array of crystal elements, the gamma ray detector using optical multiplexing or analog electronic multiplexing. The method includes acquiring, for each nonlinear photosensor, a signal value generated by the nonlinear photosensor in response to receiving scintillation light emitted by a crystal in the array of crystal elements in response to arrival of a gamma ray; and determining a relative position of the event, the relative position being one of a predetermined number of cell locations, the predetermined number of cell locations being greater than a number of crystal elements in the array of crystal elements; and determining, for each cell location, a correction factor based on an average total signal value and a predetermined energy value of the gamma ray.
US08294109B2
A method for tomographic nuclear imaging determines the distance between a non-parallel hole collimator surface and a region of interest (ROI) by obtaining difference images between images acquired at different view angles of the ROI. The distance may be used in a nuclear image reconstruction algorithm to more accurately reconstruct an image of the ROI. The method takes advantage of the non-stationary Point Spread Function of a non-parallel hole collimator to determine depth information of gamma events emitted from the ROI.
US08294099B2
An apparatus and method for assembling a large microbolometer infrared imaging array from sub-arrays, including the step of forming a sub-array assembly of independent imaging arrays on the silicon wafer as the imaging sensor is being processed, whereby seams or gaps in a resulting image are avoided.
US08294093B1
An E×B Wien mass filter provides an independently-adjustable electric field combined with the dipole electric field required for mass separation. The independently adjustable electric field can be used provide a larger optical aperture, to correct astigmatism and to deflect the beam in direction parallel and/or perpendicular to the magnetic field.
US08294086B2
The invention relates to the measurement of daughter ion spectra of analyte substances that are ionized by means of matrix-assisted laser desorption. The invention shows how to record several daughter ion spectra from several parent ions per single pulse of laser light, that is per desorption event, by spatially splitting the ion beams or by temporally sequencing the spectral measurement; the various parent ions are selected one after another by switching the parent ion selector several times. Summing up corresponding individual daughter ion spectra from many pulses of laser light leads to several sum spectra being recorded practically synchronously with the same series of laser light pulses, with correspondingly reduced sample consumption and shortened data acquisition time.
US08294080B2
A viewing apparatus comprises one or more optical elements, which may be moved in order to redirect light entering the viewing apparatus such that a subject in any part of the field of view may be relocated to the center of the viewed image without moving the viewing apparatus itself. The viewing apparatus further comprises a relay lens group which conditions the light into a quasi-collimated state before it enters the optical elements allowing a more compact device to be produced. The viewing apparatus may additionally include a zoom lens mechanism to enable the viewed image to be enlarged.
US08294078B2
A multi-stage optically-triggered power system. At least one triggering stage is responsive to at least one optical trigger to directly create photogeneration of carriers in the at least one triggering stage and thus generate at least one output signal. At least one main power device stage coupled to the at least one triggering stage is responsive to the at least one generated output signal to activate the at least one main power device stage. The at least one triggering stage and the at least one main power device stage may be monolithically integrated.
US08294071B2
In a microwave irradiation apparatus, an applicator portion has an interior space for housing an object to be irradiated. A first microwave irradiation system outputs a first microwave to the interior space in a first mode so as to generate a large electric field and a small magnetic field at a specific place of the interior space. A second microwave irradiation system outputs a second microwave having a polarization plane crossing a polarization plane of the first microwave to the interior space in a second mode so as to generate a large magnetic field and small electric field at the specific place of the interior space.
US08294069B2
A heating device made of ceramics includes: a plate-like heating base having a heating surface; and a hollow cylindrical support member bonded to a back surface of the heating base. A concave surface portion that connects the back surface of the heating base and an outer surface of the support member smoothly to each other is formed in the vicinity of an outer end of a bonding interface between the heating base and the support member. On a cross section including an axis of the support member, the concave surface portion has a curved line of an arc of a ellipsoid in which a minor axis direction is parallel to an axis direction of the support member.
US08294063B2
In a contact for a connector, a metal material id processed to be bent in a predetermined shape in a manner so that a terminal portion is formed in the vicinity of an end and a contacting portion is formed in the vicinity of the other end. A nickel plating layer as a foundation plating layer and a gold plating layer are formed on substantially entire surface of the contact including the terminal portion and the contacting portion. Laser beams are irradiated at a portion between the terminal portion and the contacting portion, and especially in the vicinity of the terminal portion so that the nickel plating layer as the foundation plating layer is unsheathed by removing the gold plating layer or gold in the gold plating layer and nickel in the foundation layer are alloyed. Nickel and the alloy of nickel and gold respectively have low wetting property with respect to solder, so that diffusion of melted solder stops at the portion.
US08294047B2
This is related to user input devices that accept complex user input including a combination of touch and push (or pick) input. The invention provides for selective ignoring or rejection of input received from such devices in order to avoid interpreting unintentional user actions as commands. Furthermore, some input signals can be modified. The selective rejection or modification can be performed by the user interface device itself or by a computing device that includes or is attached to the user interface device. The selective rejection or modification may be performed by a module that processes input signals, performs the necessary rejections and modifications and sends revised input signals to higher level modules.
US08294044B2
An Electronic Isolation Chamber With Unimpeded Hand Entry is disclosed. The somewhat “open” appearance of the Electromagnetic Isolation Chamber goes contrary to teachings in the art of RF shielding and enclosures. A sleeve through an aperture in the chamber is worn by an operator, and with the placement of an operator's arm there through, the electromagnetic shielding is completed and the volume contained within the chamber is electromagnetically isolated from the environment exterior to the chamber. This novel arrangement allows an operator to work with bare hands, thus providing more tactile interaction with a device under test and also reducing the tendency for shorting that is present when wearing conductive gloves. A shielded window and an interior light may be included to facilitate viewing of a device within the chamber during operation of the device. The chamber provides an inexpensive, fully shielded environment for the testing, tuning, adjusting, or repair of RF transmitting or receiving devices such as computers, wireless devices, cellular telephones, and the like.
US08294035B2
A printed circuit board (PCB) can prevent electrostatic discharge. A number of vias are embedded in the PCB. A circular insulated member is disposed between each via and the number of vias. Each via includes a layer of metal coated on an inner wall of a corresponding insulated member and a through hole bounded by the corresponding insulated member. An acute angle between two tangents which pass through a point of intersection of two overlapped insulated members is greater than twenty degrees.
US08294032B2
A method and apparatus for aligning components on a module are disclosed. A flexible circuit may be attached to a module in which a tooling apparatus is attached to the module. A plurality of circuit pads on a functional section of the flexible circuit is aligned by a first alignment structure located on a sacrificial portion of the flexible circuit to a second alignment structure on the tooling apparatus. The flexible circuit is attached to the module while the flexible circuit is in an aligned position.
US08294029B2
An expandable electric cord having a core portion, a conductor portion and a sheath portion; wherein the core portion is an elastic cylinder having an elastic body and an intermediate layer covering the outer periphery thereof. The conductor portion contains a conductor wire having narrow stranded wires, with the conductor wire being coiled and/or braided around the outer periphery of the elastic cylinder, and the sheath portion is an outer sheath layer having an insulator that covers the outer periphery of the conductor portion.
US08294027B2
A method for fabricating a cell structure includes doping a substrate to form a N-region and a P-region, disposing a first anti-reflective layer on the substrate, disposing a metallic contact paste on the first anti-reflective layer, drying the metallic contact paste to form contacts, disposing a second anti-reflective layer on the first anti-reflective layer and the metallic contacts, and heating the cell structure, wherein heating the cell structure results in metallic contact material penetrating the first anti-reflective layer and contacting the substrate.
US08294025B2
Lateral collection photovoltaic (LCP) structures based on micro- and nano-collecting elements are used to collect photogenerated carriers. In one set of embodiments, the collecting elements are arrayed on a conducting substrate. In certain versions, the collecting elements are substantially perpendicular to the conductor. In another set of embodiments, the micro- or nano-scale collecting elements do not have direct physical and electrical contact to any conducting substrate. In one version, both anode and cathode electrodes are laterally arrayed. In another version, the collecting elements of one electrode are a composite wherein a conductor is separated by an insulator, which is part of each collector element, from the opposing electrode residing on the substrate. In still another version, the collection of one electrode structure is a composite containing both the anode and the cathode collecting elements for collection. An active material is positioned among the collector elements.
US08294022B2
A photovoltaic array including a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies and a plurality of mounting units. The mounting units each include an elongate rail and a plurality of leg assemblies. The rail is sized and configured to maintain a portion of at least two of the photovoltaic assemblies, with the leg assemblies extending from the rail in a spaced-apart fashion and terminating in a foot for placement against a rooftop structure for minimally penetration installation. Further, at least one of the leg assemblies can include a retractable leg. When the photovoltaic array is installed to a rooftop structure including a membrane intermittently secured to a rooftop deck, the retractable leg accommodates upward billowing of the membrane under windy conditions.
US08294018B2
A playback apparatus is provided that includes an operation plane, a detection unit to detect which of contact relationship including first contact relationship, second contact relationship with a higher degree of contact than the first contact relationship and third contact relationship with a higher degree of contact than the second contact relationship the operation plane and an operation object have, a creation unit to create a list screen of content data for selecting content data based on movement of the operation object with respect to the operation plane in the first contact relationship, a playback unit to play back content data, and a playback control unit to cause the playback unit to play back content data selected on the list screen when becoming the second contact relationship from the first contact relationship if contact relationship becomes the third contact relationship from the second contact relationship.
US08294005B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV807682. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV807682, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV807682 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV807682 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV807682.
US08294002B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV819870. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV819870, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV819870 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV819870 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV819870.
US08293995B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP49005 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP49005, cells from soybean variety XBP49005, plants of soybean XBP49005, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP49005. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP49005 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic, mutant trait, and/or native trait into soybean variety XBP49005, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP49005. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP49005 are further provided.
US08293994B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP37004 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP37004, cells from soybean variety XBP37004, plants of soybean XBP37004, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP37004. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP37004 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic, mutant trait, and/or native trait into soybean variety XBP37004, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP37004. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP37004 are further provided.
US08293983B1
The present invention is in the field of soybean cultivar 05KG104129 breeding and development. The present invention particularly relates to the soybean cultivar 05KG104129 and its progeny, and methods of making 05KG104129.
US08293981B2
A soybean cultivar designated S070163 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S070163, to the plants of soybean S070163, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S070163, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S070163 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety S070163, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S070163, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S070163 with another soybean cultivar.
US08293980B2
Lettuce varieties ISI 43630 and ISI 43637 are described. Both ISI 43630 and ISI 43637 are red leaf lettuce varieties.
US08293970B2
Nucleotide sequences of a Msca1 gene, critical to male fertility in plants are described, with DNA molecule and amino acid sequences set forth. Promoter sequences and their essential regions are also identified. The nucleotide sequences are useful in impacting male fertility in plants.
US08293969B2
An absorbent product has a top sheet, an absorbent core and a back sheet. The absorbent core includes 40% by weight or more of high absorbent resin powder and it is possible to slim down the absorbent core while keeping a sufficient amount of absorption to thereby achieve slimming down of the absorbent product. A top sheet lower part contacting the high absorbent resin powder in the absorbent core includes hydrophilic fibers having water retention characteristics, and moisture is temporarily retained in the top sheet lower part before reaching the absorbent core and rapidly disperses in a range facing the absorbent core of the top sheet lower part. As a result, it is possible to reliably absorb the moisture of excrement in the absorbent core and to simplify a structure of the absorbent product.
US08293966B2
A feminine hygiene pad having at least a top and bottom layer comprised of the same varying solid colors which match the color of undergarments and/or outerwear of a user to further mask the existence of the pad. The top layer of the feminine hygiene pad may also include a small center area devoid of color in order to detect saturation.
US08293943B1
Preventing skin aging by targeting multiple causes by a single bullet is of primal scientific and consumer interest. A treatment based on compositions of compound (I) for cellular senescence to control cellular degradation offers such a solution to multiple skin ailments including skin degradation from cancer, diabetes, radiation treatments, chemotherapy, and sun-burn; mitochondrial dysfunction, age spots, acne, loss of cellular antioxidants, collagen loss, loss of skin pliability, loss of skin suppleness, skin wrinkles including fine lines, oxidation, damage from radiation, damage from free radicals, damage from UV, dry skin, xerosis, ichthyosis, dandruff, brownish spots, keratoses, melasma, lentigines, liver spots, pigmented spots, dark circles under the eyes, skin pigmentation including darkened skin, blemishes, oily skin, warts, eczema, pruritic skin, psoriasis, inflammatory dermatoses, topical inflammation, disturbed keratinization, skin changes associated with aging, scalp dryness, skin depigmentation, intracellular dehydration, and combinations thereof;
US08293929B2
The invention relates to processes and compounds useful for producing modified aspartic acid derivatives, such as aspartic acid aldehyde moieties. Aspartic acid derivatives are useful for preparing caspase inhibitors and/or prodrugs thereof.
US08293923B2
The present invention relates to modulators of IRAK kinases of formula (I) and provides compositions comprising such modulators, as well as methods therewith for treating IRAK-mediated or IRAK-associated conditions or diseases.
US08293915B2
The invention provides compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, which are useful for modulating channel activating proteases, and methods for, using such compounds to treat, ameliorate or prevent a condition associated with a channel activating protease, including but not limited to prostasin, PRSS22, TMPRSS11 (e.g., TMPRSS11B, TMPRSS11E), TMPRSS2, TMPRSS3, TMPRSS4 (MTSP-2), matriptase (MTSP-1), CAP2, CAP3, trypsin, cathepsin A, or neutrophil elastase.
US08293913B2
The present invention relates to novel quinoline compounds of the formula (I) and to the salts thereof. The compounds possess valuable therapeutic properties and are particularly suitable, for treating diseases that respond to modulation of the serotonin 5-HT6 receptor. In formula (I) R is a moiety of the formula (R) wherein * indicates the binding site to the quinolinyl radical and wherein A, B, X′, Y, Q, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, m, n, p, q, Ra, Rb, X and Ar are as defined in claim 1.
US08293910B2
The invention relates to a one-pot reaction for the production of 3,7-diaza-bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane compounds, wherein in a first step a dicarboxylic acid ester is reacted with a pyridine aldehyde and a primary amine. The piperidone created in this manner is reacted with formaldehyde and a further primary amine in a second step. It is essential to the invention that both reaction steps are carried out in a one-pot variation in a C1-C4 alcohol as the solvent, and that the reaction water created is removed by means of distillation.
US08293908B2
A method is provided for N-alkylation of acridine compounds, typically with a 1,3- propane sultone alkylating reagent, in ionic liquid solvents to provide the corresponding acridinium compounds in high yield.
US08293905B2
A bipyridine compound represented by the formula (1): wherein R1, R2 and R3 each independently represent a C1-C10 alkyl group which may be substituted etc., and R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 each independently represent a hydrogen atom etc., a transition metal complex obtained by contacting a bipyridine compound represented by the formula (1) with a compound of a transition metal belonging to Group 9, 10 or 11, and a method for production of a conjugated aromatic compound comprising reacting an aromatic compound (A) wherein one or two leaving groups are bonded to an aromatic ring with an aromatic compound (A) having the same structure as that of the above-mentioned aromatic compound (A) or an aromatic compound (B) being structurally different from the above-mentioned aromatic compound (A) and having one or two leaving groups bonded to an aromatic ring, in the presence of the transition metal complex.
US08293904B2
The present invention provides novel osmium-based electrochemical species for the detection of wide variety of analytes using immunological techniques. The present invention also provides diagnostic kits and test sensors supporting electrode structures that can be used with the osmium-based electrochemical species. The test sensor can be fabricated to support interdigitated arrays of electrodes that have been designed to provide amplification of the electrical signal amplification desired to analyze analytes that may be present at low concentrations.
US08293903B2
There is provided a compound of Formula I(a) or I(b) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the various substituents are defined herein.
US08293898B2
There is described novel organo-platinum luminophores comprising a complex of formula I: The luminophores have application as the emissive component in organic light emitting diodes.
US08293896B2
The present invention relates to a compound represented by formula (I): wherein all symbols are as defined here, a salt thereof, a solvate thereof, or a prodrug thereof. The compound of the present invention has an antagonistic activity against CXCR4 and is therefore useful as a preventive and/or therapeutic agent for CXCR4-mediated diseases, for example, inflammatory and immune diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis, retinopathy, pulmonary fibrosis, rejection of transplanted organ, etc.), allergic diseases, infections (for example, human immunodeficiency virus infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, etc.), psychoneurotic diseases, cerebral diseases, cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases, and cancerous diseases (for example, cancer, cancer metastasis, etc.), or an agent for regeneration therapy.
US08293894B2
A process for the preparation of a carbapenem of formula (I): in amorphous form wherein R represents hydrogen or COOM and M represents hydrogen or sodium the process including condensing a compound of formula (II): wherein P′ denotes a carboxy protecting group, with a compound of formula (III): wherein P″ denotes a carboxy protecting group, in the presence of a base to yield a compound of formula (IV): deprotecting both the protecting groups in the compound of formula (IV) in the presence or absence of a sodium ion source, a solvent and in the presence or absence of CO2, gas, extracting the product into an aqueous medium, quenching the aqueous layer of into an alcohol at a temperature, and isolating the carbapenem compound of formula (I) in amorphous form.
US08293884B2
The invention provides isolated polypeptide and nucleic acid sequences derived from Streptococcus pneumoniae that are useful in diagnosis and therapy of pathological conditions; antibodies against the polypeptides; and methods for the production of the polypeptides. The invention also provides methods for the detection, prevention and treatment of pathological conditions resulting from bacterial infection.
US08293878B2
Methods of synthesizing sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, as well as compounds useful therein, are disclosed. Particular inhibitors are compounds of formula I.
US08293872B2
This invention relates to cytotoxic variants of human ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1) identified through analysis of the interaction between RNase 1 and the human ribonuclease inhibitor (hRI) as defined by the three dimensional (3-D) atomic structure of the RNase1 hRI complex. Also disclosed is the 3-D structure of the hRI•RNase 1 complex and methods for designing the RNase 1 variants.
US08293869B2
Conjugates of a GLP-I moiety may be covalently attached to one or more water-soluble polymers. For instance, a GLP-I polymer conjugate may include a GLP-I moiety releasably attached at its N-terminus to a water-soluble polymer. The GLP-I polymer conjugate may include a GLP-I moiety covalently attached to a water-soluble polymer, wherein the GLP-I moiety possesses an N-methyl substituent. The GLP-I polymer conjugate may include a GLP-I moiety covalently attached at a polymer attachment site to a water-soluble polymer, wherein the GLP-I moiety is glycosylated at a site separate from the polymer attachment site.
US08293866B2
The present invention relates to a method of producing a poly(ethylene oxide) copolymerized with one alkylene oxide and to a poly(ethylene oxide-co-alkylene oxide) copolymer produced by such method, a photovoltaic device containing such poly(ethylene oxide-co-alkylene oxide)-copolymer, and to uses of such poly(ethylene oxide)-(alkylene oxide)-copolymer.
US08293855B2
A method for transitioning from a first to a second catalyst system for the olefin polymerization reaction in one reactor, wherein the first catalyst system is incompatible with the second catalyst system, is described. The method comprises the steps of a) discontinuing a first olefin polymerization reaction performed in the presence of the first catalyst system; and b) performing a second olefin polymerization reaction in the presence of the second catalyst system comprising catalyst components (A) and (B) producing, respectively, a first and a second polyolefin fraction, wherein the Mw of the first polyolefin fraction is less than the Mw of the second polyolefin fraction and the initial activity of catalyst component (A) exceeds the initial activity of catalyst component (B). Thanks to this method, there is no need to empty the reactor after the first olefin polymerization reaction, and the transitioning time needed to attain the desired quality of the polyolefin obtained in the second olefin polymerization reaction is sufficiently short to permit a quick and reliable change of production.
US08293853B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling product discharge from a fluidized bed reactor and for minimizing the loss of the unreacted monomer in the fluidizing gas upon removing the solid polymer product from the reactor. The method and apparatus utilize at least one detector in the product tank or its vent line and a control system in communication with the detector and the product tank fill valve, along with certain algorithms, to adjust by an iterative process, the product discharge time, thereby maximizing resin fill in the product tank and minimizing the lost reactor gas volume.
US08293852B2
This invention relates to an oil-absorbent polymer and the preparation method thereof, and disclosed a preparation method of quick oil absorbent material, which comprises: (1) Mixing and stirring well monomer A, vinyl monomer, initiator and vesicant to form a copolymerization system, wherein the amount of monomer A is in the range of approximately 10-50 wt %, the amount of vinyl monomer is in the range of approximately 48-88 wt %, the amount of initiator is in the range of approximately 0.01-5 wt %, the amount of vesicant is in the range of approximately 1-5 wt %; (2) And then immersing fiber carriers into the liquid of above-said copolymerization system to adsorb the liquid on the fiber carriers, then heating the fiber carriers under a temperature between 60˜80° C. for 1˜4 hours to synthesize polymers on the fiber carriers. The quick oil absent material is less dense than water, and has both high adsorption capacity and high adsorption rate, meanwhile it can be repeatedly used and the absorbed valuable oils can be regenerated to reduce cost effectively.
US08293850B2
A process for the solid phase continuous polymerization of polyester in order to achieve a molecular weight increase, measurable by the intrinsic viscosity IV increase of the polyester, wherein the use of at least a reactor (15) is provided, the reactor (15) being cylindrical, rotary around its own central axis (S), substantially horizontal, slightly inclined so as to produce the polymerization of the polyester granules passing through the reactor by gravity thanks to the inclination and the rotation of the reactor (15), inside the reactor there being produced a purge gas flow having the same or the opposite direction with respect to the flow of the polyester granules.
US08293846B2
A composition including a polymer, the polymer having a non-dissociative functional group that interacts with a plating catalyst or a precursor thereof, a radical polymerizable group, and an ionic polar group; a method of producing a metal pattern material using the same: and a metal pattern material produced by the method.
US08293844B2
The present invention has its object to provide a rubber composition for a cap tread capable of improving the performance on snow and ice and the wet performance in good balance, and a studless tire having a cap tread produced from the rubber composition. The present invention relates to a rubber composition for a cap tread, including a rubber component that contains epoxidized natural rubber and butadiene rubber, the rubber component containing 1 to 85% by mass of the epoxidized natural rubber, based on 100% by mass of the rubber component, and the epoxidized natural rubber having an epoxidation degree of 1.5 to 40 mol %.
US08293839B2
Disclosed herein is a polycarbonate-polysiloxane copolymer resin composition comprising: (A) about 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic polycarbonate resin; and (B) about 0.1 to about 30 parts by weight of an organo-siloxane polymer having an epoxy group. The polycarbonate-polysiloxane copolymer resin composition has high impact strength at low temperature and high mechanical strength.
US08293836B2
A curable coating composition includes a uretdione compound having one uretdione group and having a plurality of functional groups selected from crosslinkable groups and groups that modify a coating property. The disclosed coating compositions include those having a binder component having a plurality of active hydrogen-containing groups. When the uretdione compound has a functional group that is a crosslinkable group, the coating composition further includes a crosslinker that has a plurality of crosslinking groups reactive under curing conditions with the crosslinkable group. Also disclosed is a method of making the curable coating composition, including preparing the uretdione compound having one uretdione group and having at least one further functional group.
US08293823B2
Thermoplastic molding compositions, comprising A) from 10 to 98% by weight of at least one thermoplastic polymer, B) from 0.01 to 50% by weight of B1) at least one highly branched or hyperbranched polycarbonate having an OH number of from 1 to 600 mg KOH/g of polycarbonate (to DIN 53240, Part 2), or B2) at least one highly branched or hyperbranched polyester of AxBy type, where x is at least 1.1 and y is at least 2.1, or a mixture of these, C) from 1 to 40% by weight of a halogen-free flame retardant, selected from the group of the phosphorus-containing or nitrogen-containing compounds, or of the P—N condensates, or a mixture of these, D) from 0 to 60% by weight of other additives, where the total of the percentages by weight of components A) to D) is 100%.
US08293819B2
A method is provided for producing particles which is capable of producing particles in simple and easy steps. The objective is to provide with a high yield particles having a homogeneous particle diameter and a superior dispersibility in liquid. The method includes (1) preparing an aqueous solution containing one or more polymer; and (2) introducing the aqueous solution as droplets into a solvent capable of dissolving water by 1 mass % or more and less than 50 mass % to form the polymer into dispersed particles in the mixture of the aqueous solution and the solvent in the mixture of the aqueous solution and the solvent.
US08293817B2
A method for manufacturing natural rubber according to an embodiment of the present technology includes: adding to a natural rubber latex at least one type of a predetermined sulfonic acid selected from the group consisting of a monoalkyl sulfonic acid, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfonic acid, and an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid; and, thereafter, removing moisture from the mixture of the natural rubber latex and the sulfonic acid.
US08293816B2
Provided is a mixed aluminum hydroxide powder suitable as a filler to be filled into a resin or the like, particularly suitable in an application where the filler is desired to be filled in a large amount, and enabling the production of a molded article excellent in strength properties. The mixed aluminum hydroxide powder is obtained by mixing an aluminum hydroxide powder X having an average secondary particle diameter in the range of 5 to 16 μm and a shape coefficient of 4 or less, and an aluminum hydroxide powder Y having an average secondary particle diameter in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 μm and a shape coefficient of 4 or less, the mixed aluminum hydroxide powder being adjusted so as to have an average secondary particle diameter in the range of 0.9 to 12 μm.
US08293811B2
The present invention relates to methods for making cross-linked oxidation-resistant polymeric materials and preventing or minimizing in vivo elution of antioxidant from the antioxidant-containing polymeric materials. The invention also provides methods of doping polymeric materials with a spatial control of cross-linking and antioxidant distribution, for example, vitamin E (α-Tocopherol), and methods for extraction/elution of antioxidants, for example, vitamin E (α-tocopherol), from surface regions of antioxidant-containing polymeric materials, and materials used therewith also are provided.
US08293806B2
The present invention relates to a novel proton-conducting polymer membrane based on polyazoles which can, because of its excellent chemical and thermal properties, be used in a variety of ways and is particularly useful as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) to produce membrane electrode units for PEM fuel cells.
US08293805B2
A method of tracking production from an NG source that includes the steps of providing one or more micro-scale GTL units, feeding NG from the source to the micro-scale GTL units, operating the micro-scale GTL units and adjusting the number of micro-scale GTL units employed to track or match the production from the source is provided. In some aspects of the invention, the micro-scale GTL unit includes both syngas manufacture and liquid product synthesis. The liquid product synthesis step may produce methanol, mixed higher carbon number alcohols, dimethyl ether, Fischer-Tropsch liquids, and/or any combination of these products.
US08293804B2
The subject application relates to methods of treatment of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) as well as ischemic osteonecrosis, peritoneal ischemia, chronic ocular disease, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a trans carotenoid. The invention also relates to the use of such carotenoids as pretreatments for mammals at risk of an ischemic event.
US08293800B2
The present invention relates to approaches, methods, pharmaceuticals and uses directed to the curative treating or preventing of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PP-MS), by using 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-(10-hydroxydecyl)-1,4-benzoquinone (Idebenone) as the active agent.
US08293791B2
A method of neuroprotection which comprises administration of an AMPK inhibitor to a patient who is experiencing or has experienced a stroke, the compound being an AMPK inhibitor. Treatments with these agents significantly reduce the size of infarcts, and therefore minimize the loss of brain tissue and neurons. Thus, function can be preserved after stroke or ischemic injury in the brain. Similarly, neuronal loss can be minimized in degenerative diseases that cause neuronal compromise by perturbing energy utilization and availability in neurons.
US08293786B2
Described herein are cannabidiol prodrugs, methods of making cannabidiol prodrugs, formulations comprising cannabidiol prodrugs and methods of using cannabidiols. One embodiment described herein relates to the transdermal or topical administration of a cannabidiol prodrug for treating and preventing diseases and/or disorders.
US08293774B2
The present invention relates to an optically active (R)-aryloxypropionic acid amide compound which has high selectivity and safety for protecting a crop such as rice, wheat, barley and soy bean, and exhibits excellent herbicidal activity against weeds, and a herbicidal composition comprising the same.
US08293770B2
The present invention relates to a compound of formula I wherein Ar1, Ar2, R1, R2, R3, n, o, and p are as described herein or to a pharmaceutically active salt, to all stereoisomeric forms, including individual diastereoisomers and enantiomers as well as to racemic and non-racemic mixtures thereof. Compounds of the invention are high potential NK-3 receptor antagonists for the treatment of depression, pain, psychosis, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
US08293769B2
Benzoxazole and benzothiazole compounds and their oxides, esters, prodrugs, solvates, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are disclosed. Compositions of the compounds, either alone or in combination with at least one additional therapeutic agent, with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and uses of the compounds, either alone or in combination with at least one additional therapeutic agent are also disclosed. The embodiments are useful for inhibiting cellular proliferation, inhibiting the growth and/or metathesis of tumors, treating or preventing cancer, treating or preventing degenerating bone diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and/or inhibiting molecules such as CSF 1R.
US08293768B2
The present invention provides heterocyclic derivatives that modulate the activity of stearoyl-CoA desaturase. Methods of using such derivatives to modulate the activity of stearoyl-CoA desaturase and pharmaceutical compositions comprising such derivatives are also encompassed.
US08293763B2
The invention relates to imidazopyridines of formula I with anti-cancer and/or anti-inflammatory activity and more specifically to imidazopyridines which inhibit MEK kinase activity. The invention provides compositions and methods useful for inhibiting abnormal cell growth or treating a hyperproliferative disorder, or treating an inflammatory disease in a mammal. The invention also relates to methods of using the compounds for in vitro, in situ, and in vivo diagnosis or treatment of mammalian cells, or associated pathological conditions.(Formula I)
US08293762B2
Heteroarylpyridinone derivatives represented by formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and X are as defined in the specification, compositions thereof, and methods of use thereof. Particularly, there are described isoquinolinoyrrolopyridinones, pharmaceutical compositions including them and their use as therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer and cell proliferation disorders.
US08293760B2
The present invention relates to steroidal alkaloids useful in the treatment of hedgehog pathway related disorders, particularly cancer.
US08293758B2
The invention relates to compounds that have an affinity to the μ-opioid receptor and the ORL 1-receptor, methods for their production, medications containing these compounds and the use of these compounds for the treatment of pain and other conditions.
US08293750B2
Disclosed are compounds, compositions and methods for treating various diseases, syndromes, conditions and disorders, including pain. Such compounds are represented by Formula I as follows: wherein R1, R2, R3, L, X, and Y are defined herein.
US08293747B2
The present invention relates to novel heterocyclic amide compounds of Formula I: as disclosed herein or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, ester, prodrug or stereoisomer thereof. Also disclosed are compositions comprising said compounds, and methods for using said compounds for treating or preventing a proliferative disease, an anti-proliferative disorder, inflammation, arthritis, a neurological or neurodegenerative disease, a cardiovascular disease, alopecia, a neuronal disease, an ischemic injury, a viral disease or a fungal disease.
US08293740B2
The invention relates to compounds of formula (I) having pharmacological activity towards the sigma receptor, to processes of preparation of such compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising them, and to their use for the treatment and or prophylaxis of a disease in which the sigma receptor is involved.
US08293738B2
The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) or pharmaceutical acceptable salts, wherein A1, A2, A3 and L are defined in the description. The present invention relates also to methods of making said compounds, and compositions containing said compounds which are useful for inhibiting kinases such as aurora and KDR.
US08293731B2
Tricyclic compounds of Formula I are inhibitors of HIV integrase and inhibitors of HIV replication: wherein bond a, ring A, R1, R2 and R3 are defined herein. The compounds are useful for the prophylaxis or treatment of infection by HIV and the prophylaxis, treatment, or delay in the onset of AIDS. The compounds are employed against HIV infection and AIDS as compounds per se or in the form of pharmaceutically acceptable salts. The compounds and their salts can be employed as ingredients in pharmaceutical compositions, optionally in combination with other antivirals, immunomodulators, antibiotics or vaccines.
US08293729B2
New compounds are disclosed which have utility in the treatment of a variety of metabolic related conditions in a patient. The compounds of this invention have the structure (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, n, p, q, and Ar are as defined herein, including stereoisomers, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of this invention, as well as methods relating to the use thereof in a patient in need thereof.
US08293726B2
The present invention relates to a novel compound (e.g., 24-ethyl-cholestane-3β,5α,6α-triol), its production, its use, and to methods of treating neoplasms and other tumors as well as other diseases including hypercholesterolemia, autoimmune diseases, viral diseases (e.g., hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV), and diabetes.
US08293716B2
A method of treating cancer in a subject in need thereof is disclosed. The method comprises administering to the subject a siRNA molecule capable of inducing degradation of an mRNA encoding a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1 in cells of the cancer thereby treating the cancer in the subject.
US08293711B2
The present invention relates to the use of a natriuretic peptide, urodilatin, for treating patients suffering from acute drug induced angioedema, such as ACE inhibitor related adverse events. Preferably, a composition comprising an effective amount of urodilatin is intravenously administered to the patient continuously for 18 hours to 72 hours.
US08293696B2
Compositions, such as alkali builder compositions for the laundry industry, are provided and include water, an alkali metal hydroxide component, a chelating component and a hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid (HEIDA) component. Methods for producing such compositions are also disclosed.
US08293693B2
The present invention provides a conductive lubricant composition, characterized in that the composition contains a lubricating base oil (A) other than a silicone oil, and a non-metallic antistatic agent (B), and exhibits a kinematic viscosity of 25 mm2/s or less at 40° C., a viscosity index of 100 or higher, a flash point of 150° C. or higher, and a volume resistivity of 1×1010Ω·cm or less at 25° C.The invention also provides a bearing oil formed from the lubricant composition.
US08293674B2
The present invention relates to a catalyst system for preparing a cyclic olefin addition polymer, a method for preparing the catalyst system and a cyclic olefin addition polymer prepared by the method, and more particularly to the method comprising the steps of contacting some content of norbornene-based monomer having a specific polar functional group with a catalyst system comprising a) a Group X transition metal compound; b) a compound comprising a neutral Group XV electron donor ligand having a cone angle of at least 160°; and c) a salt capable of offering an anion that can be weakly coordinated to the transition metal of the a) the Group X transition metal compound.
US08293669B2
A system using electrochemically-activated water (ECAW) for manufacturing, processing, packaging, and dispensing beverages including: (a) using ECAW to neutralize incompatible residues when transitioning from the production of one beverage to another; (b) using ECAW to rehabilitate and disinfect granular activated charcoal beds used in the feed water purification system; (c) producing a carbonated ECAW product and using the carbonated ECAW for system cleaning or disinfecting; (d) using ECAW solutions in the beverage facility clean-in-place system to achieve improved microbial control while greatly reducing water usage and reducing or eliminating the use of chemical detergents and disinfectants; (e) further reducing biofilm growth in the processing system, and purifying ingredient water without the use of chlorine, by adding an ECAW anolyte to the water ingredient feed stream; and/or (f) washing the beverage product bottles or other packages with one or more ECAW solutions prior to packaging.
US08293668B2
Dielectric ceramic composition comprising a barium titanate including barium titanate having hexagonal structure as a main component, and an element “M”, an effective ionic radius of the “M” is within ±20% with respect to an effective ionic radius of 12-coordinated Ba2+ or with respect to an effective ionic radius of 6-coordinated Ti4+, an ionic valence of the “M” is larger than that of the Ba or Ti.
US08293660B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a photoresist pattern on an insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate by applying a photoresist on the insulating film; processing the insulating film by removing an unnecessary portion of the insulating film by wet etching; and implanting ions into the insulating film before and/or after forming the photoresist pattern. In implanting the ions, the depth of a damaged region formed in the insulating film by implanting the ions is changed in accordance with the presence or absence of the photoresist pattern.
US08293659B2
A method for fabricating a dielectric layer with improved insulating properties is provided, including: providing a dielectric layer having a first resistivity; performing a hydrogen plasma doping process to the dielectric layer; and annealing the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer has a second resistivity greater than that of the first resistivity after annealing thereof.
US08293658B2
Methods and structures relating to the formation of mixed SAMs for preventing undesirable growth or nucleation on exposed surfaces inside a reactor are described. A mixed SAM can be formed on surfaces for which nucleation is not desired by introducing a first SAM precursor having molecules of a first length and a second SAM precursor having molecules of a second length shorter than the first. Examples of exposed surfaces for which a mixed SAM can be provided over include reactor surfaces and select surfaces of integrated circuit structures, such as insulator and dielectric layers.
US08293653B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes a process of removing, by dry etching, an insulating layer which is formed on the top surface of a Ni-containing silicide layer to thereby at least partially expose the Ni-containing silicide layer; and a process of cleaning the exposed portion of the Ni-containing silicide layer using reduced water having a reductive function.
US08293642B2
A method of manufacturing semiconductor devices includes forming a dielectric interlayer over a semiconductor substrate, wherein a wet etch rate (WER) is faster in an upper part of the dielectric interlayer than in a lower part of the dielectric interlayer, forming trenches in the dielectric interlayer, performing a cleaning process to make a width of an opening portion in an upper part of each of the trenches wider than a width of an opening portion in lower part of the trench, and filling the trenches with a metal layer.
US08293640B2
A semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The method includes the following steps. Firstly, a semiconductor substrate having an active surface and a back surface is provided. The active surface is opposite to the back surface, and the semiconductor substrate includes at least one grounding pad disposed on the active surface. Secondly, at least one through silicon via is formed through the semiconductor substrate from the back surface to the active surface thus exposing the grounding pad. Then, a conductive layer is formed on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate and filled into the through silicon via to electrically connect to the grounding pad and the semiconductor substrate.
US08293631B2
Semiconductor devices are provided which have a tensile and/or compressive strain applied thereto and methods of manufacturing. The structure includes a gate stack comprising an oxide layer, a polysilicon layer and sidewalls with adjacent spacers. The structure further includes an epitaxially grown straining material directly on the polysilicon layer and between portions of the sidewalls. The epitaxially grown straining material, in a relaxed state, strains the polysilicon layer.
US08293622B2
A semiconductor device fabrication method and a semiconductor layer formation method for making a semiconductor layer having excellent morphology selectively epitaxial-grow over a semiconductor, and a semiconductor device. When a recessed source/drain pMOSFET is fabricated, a gate electrode is formed over a Si substrate in which STIs are formed with a gate insulating film therebetween (step S1). After a side wall is formed (step S2), recesses are formed in portions of the Si substrate on both sides of the side wall (step S3). A SiGe layer including a lower layer portion and an upper layer portion is formed in the recesses of the Si substrate. The lower layer portion and the upper layer portion included in the SiGe layer are made to epitaxial-grow under a condition that growth selectivity of the lower layer portion with respect to the side wall and the STIs is lower than growth selectivity of the upper layer portion with respect to the side wall and the STIs (steps S4 and S5). As a result, the SiGe layer the growth selectivity of which with respect to the side wall and the like is secured and in which morphological deterioration is suppressed can be formed in the recesses of the Si substrate.
US08293620B2
A method of implanting atoms and/or ions into a substrate, including: a) a first implantation of ions or atoms at a first depth in the substrate, to form a first implantation plane, b) at least one second implantation of ions or atoms at a second depth in the substrate, which is different from the first depth, to form at least one second implantation plane.
US08293617B2
Among various methods, devices, and apparatuses, a number of methods are provided for forming a gap between circuitry. One such method includes depositing a first oxide precursor material on at least two conductive lines having at least one gap between the at least two conductive lines, and forming a breadloaf configuration with the first oxide precursor material on a top of each of the at least two conductive lines that leaves a space between a closest approach of at least two adjacent breadloaf configurations. The method also includes depositing a second oxide precursor material over the first oxide precursor material, where depositing the second oxide precursor material results in closing the space between the closest approach of the at least two adjacent breadloaf configurations.
US08293616B2
Semiconductor devices with low junction capacitances and methods of fabrication thereof are described. In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming isolation regions in a substrate to form active areas. The sidewalls of the active areas are enclosed by the isolation regions. The isolation regions are recessed to expose first parts of the sidewalls of the active areas. The first parts of the sidewalls of the active areas are covered with spacers. The isolation regions are etched to expose second parts of the sidewalls of the active area, the second parts being disposed below the first parts. The active areas are etched through the exposed second parts of the sidewalls to form lateral openings. The lateral openings are filled with a spin on dielectric.
US08293611B2
The present invention includes methods for stressing transistor channels of semiconductor device structures. Such methods include the formation of so-called near-surface “nanocavities” adjacent to the source/drain regions, forming extensions of the source/drain regions adjacent to and including the nanocavities, and implanting matter of a type that will expand or contract the volume of the nanocavities, depending respectively upon whether compressive strain is desirable in transistor channels between the nanocavities, as in PMOS field effect transistors, or tensile strain is wanted in transistor channels, as in NMOS field effect transistors, to enhance carrier mobility and transistor speed. Semiconductor device structures and semiconductor devices including these features are also disclosed.
US08293610B2
By providing a CMP stop layer in a metal gate stack, the initial height thereof may be efficiently reduced after the definition of the deep drain and source areas, thereby providing enhanced process conditions for forming highly stressed dielectric materials. Consequently, the dielectric material may be positioned more closely to the channel region substantially without deteriorating gate conductivity.
US08293590B2
An active matrix substrate 40 according to the present invention includes a conductive film 44 and a wiring 80 for supplying a signal to the conductive film 44, characterized in that the wiring 80 includes a first conductive layer 61 and a second conductive layer 62 having a relatively large line width in comparison with the first conductive layer 61 and laminated so as to cover the first conductive layer 61, and the conductive film 44 is arranged in a matrix pattern, and at least a portion of the conductive film 44 is disposed overlapping the wiring 80.
US08293583B2
In one embodiment, a separation layer and a wiring layer are formed in order on a supporting substrate. A plurality of semiconductor chips are mounted on the wiring layer. The plural semiconductor chips are collectively sealed by a sealing resin layer. A resin-sealed body is evenly held by a holder. The resin-sealed body is separated from the supporting substrate by shearing the separation layer while being heated. The separated resin-sealed body is cooled while a state of the resin-sealed body being held evenly by the holder is maintained, and then a holding state of the resin-sealed body by the holder is released. The resin-sealed body is cut to singulate a circuit structure body.
US08293581B2
Apparatus and methods pertaining to die scribe structures are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes fabricating an active region of a semiconductor die so that the active region has at least one corner. A scribe structure is fabricated around the active region so that the scribe structure includes at least one fillet.
US08293568B2
A method of forming a selective emitter in a photovoltaic (PV) crystalline silicon semiconductor wafer involves forming a mask on a front side surface of the wafer to create masked and unmasked areas on the front side surface. A first silicon oxide layer is electrochemically formed at the unmasked areas of the front side surface such that the silicon oxide layer extends into an emitter of the wafer at least as far as a dead zone therein. The mask is removed and the first silicon oxide layer is etched back until substantially all of the first silicon oxide layer is removed. A second silicon oxide layer is then electrochemically formed on the front side surface such that the second silicon oxide layer has sufficient thickness to passivate the front side surface.
US08293565B2
A manufacturing method for a solid-state imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a step of forming a transparent resin layer above a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate, a step of exposing the transparent resin layer to light by using a grating mask having a first transmission region and a second transmission region having a higher transmittance of the light than the first transmission region in mutually separate positions, a step of forming first resin patterns and second resin patterns lower than the first resin patterns in mutually separate positions, and a step of forming first microlenses and second microlenses lower than the first microlenses.
US08293555B2
A semiconductor light-emitting device has a semiconductor layer containing Al between a substrate and an active layer containing nitrogen, wherein Al and oxygen are removed from a growth chamber before growing said active layer and a concentration of oxygen incorporated into said active layer together with Al is set to a level such that said semiconductor light-emitting device can perform a continuous laser oscillation at room temperature.
US08293549B2
A method of fabricating a pixel array substrate is disclosed. The reflective pixel array substrate can be made by utilizing five photo masks only. The reflective pixel array substrate includes a substrate, a thin film transistor, a reflective electrode, an insulating layer and numerous protruding bumps. The step between the protrusion bump and the substrate cause the reflective electrode thereon to have a corrugated structure. The gate electrode of the thin film transistor and the protruding bumps are made of a same conductive layer. The drain electrode connects the reflective electrode, and the drain electrode and the reflective electrode are made of a same conductive layer.
US08293546B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit system includes: forming reticle data; detecting a sub-geometry, a singularity, or a combination thereof in the reticle data; applying a unit cell, a patch cell, or a combination thereof for removing the sub-geometry, the singularity, or the combination thereof from the reticle data; and fabricating an integrated circuit from the reticle data.
US08293542B2
The invention provides methods for detecting interactions between phage and antigen or antigen and antibody using biosensors.
US08293536B2
A method for analyzing platelet is described. In the method, a measurement sample is prepared by mixing a sample and a dye for staining platelet. The dye is selected from the group consisting of Capri blue, Nile blue and brilliant cresyl blue. By irradiating cells in the measurement sample with light, scattered light and fluorescence emitted from the cells is measured. The platelet is detected on the basis of the scattered light and the fluorescence.A reagent kite and a reagent are also described.
US08293534B2
A method for quantifying the permanganate-reducing compounds (PRCs) in an acetic acid sample is disclosed. The method comprises establishing a correlation between permanganate absorbances of standard samples and their PRC contents and determining the PRC content of the acetic acid sample by measuring its permanganate absorbance of a reaction mixture containing a standard permanganate solution and the acetic acid sample. The permanganate absorbance is obtained by subtracting the manganese dioxide absorbance from the absorbance of the mixture.
US08293533B2
A targeting method is described that allows precise cassette replacement at a previously characterized genetic locus. A target DNA construct containing a pair of incompatible FRT sites flanking a target cassette was introduced into soybean by regular biolistic transformation. Transgenic events containing a single complete copy of the target site were then selected and retransformed with a donor DNA construct containing the identical pair of incompatible FRT sites flanking a donor cassette. Precise DNA cassette exchange happened between the target cassette and the donor cassette via recombinase mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) so that the donor cassette was introduced at the exact genomic site previously occupied by the target cassette. Through repeated RMCE using additional incompatible FRT sites, multiple groups of transgenes can be stacked at the same genomic locus.
US08293529B2
The present invention provides a method for inducing differentiation of cardiomyocytes efficiently and selectively from stem cells.A method for inducing differentiation of cardiomyocytes from pluripotent stem cells, which comprises: (i) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a culture medium containing no substance that promotes activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway during the time period between initiation of differentiation induction and 24 hours before the period of elevated canonical Wnt gene expression; and then (ii) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a culture medium containing a substance that promotes activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway during a time period of 24 to 96 hours, starting from 24 to 0 hours before the period of elevated canonical Wnt gene expression.
US08293527B2
Animal cell colonies are picked up automatically by an apparatus having a picking head with a plurality of hollow pins and an integrated imager for capturing an image of adherent or non-adherent animal cell colonies held in liquid or semi-solid medium. Image processing identifies the locations of the animal cell colonies to be picked. Picking an animal cell colony is performed by aligning each of the hollow pins in turn with a target animal cell colony location, introducing the hollow pin into the medium, and aspirating the animal cell colony into the hollow pin. In the case of an adherent colony, the distal end of the pin is forced into oscillation to detach the animal cell colony prior to aspiration. The animal cell colony is dispensed into a well plate by increasing pressure in the fluid conduit.
US08293523B2
An agitator for a fermenter, a fermenter and method of operating a fermenter are provided. The agitator has an agitator shaft which stands roughly vertically in the fermenter. Because of this, the substrate in the fermenter is circulated in horizontal planes. This allows the formation of several layered decomposition zones. In addition, the agitator is preferably designed so that it may be removed upwards from the fermenter during continuing operation. This means that it is not necessary to empty the fermenter for maintenance work on the agitator.
US08293515B2
Disclosed herein is a novel bacteriophage which has specific bactericidal activity against one or more Salmonella bacteria selected from the group consisting of Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Gallinarum, and Salmonella Pullorum without affecting beneficial bacteria, in addition to showing excellent tolerance to acid, heat and desiccation. The novel bacteriophage can be widely used as an active ingredient for therapeutic agents, animal feeds or drinking water, cleaners and sanitizers for preventing and treating the infectious diseases caused by Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Gallinarum or Salmonella Pullorum including salmonellosis, Salmonella food poisoning, Fowl Typhoid, and Pullorum disease or for controlling the salmonella bacteria.
US08293514B2
An isolated mutant of a coryneform bacterium comprising a gene coding for a polypeptide having GTP-pyrophosphate kinase activity, wherein said polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence in which one of the proteinogenic amino acids other than L-proline is present in position 38 or a corresponding or comparable position. In addition, an isolated polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having GTP-pyrophosphate kinase enzyme activity, a vector comprising the isolated polynucleotide, a recombinant microorganism comprising the vector, and a process for preparing the recombinant coryneform bacterium is described. A method for over-expressing a GTP-pyrophosphate kinase, a method of preparing an L-amino acid, an L-lysine comprising and L-tryptophan comprising feed is also described.
US08293511B2
The present invention describes a process for the production of an N-α-amino-hydroxyphenylacetyl or an N-α-aminophenylacetyl β-lactam antibiotic comprising an IPNS-catalysed conversion of a precursor tripeptide hydroxyphenylglycyl-cysteinyl-valine (HpgCV) or phenylglycyl-cysteinyl-valine (PgCV), respectively, to the N-hydroxyphenylglycyl or the N-phenylglycyl β-lactam antibiotic, respectively. The tripeptide HpgCV or the tripeptide PgCV may further be prepared by contacting the amino acids hydroxyphenylglycine (Hpg) or phenylglycine (Pg), cystein (C) and valine (V) with a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) to effect formation of the tripeptide HpgCV or the tripeptide PgCV, the NRPS comprising a first module M1 specific for Hpg or Pg, a second module M2 specific for C and a third module M3 specific for V An IPNS is further provided having an improved activity in this conversion, as well as an NRPS catalysing the formation of the tripeptides. Also a host cell is provided capable of fermentatively producing β-lactam antibiotics with N-α-amino-hydroxyphenylacetyl or an N-α-aminophenylacetyl side chains.
US08293505B2
An L-amino acid is produced by culturing a microorganism which belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae and is able to produce an L-amino acid, wherein the bacterium has been modified to enhance orotate phosphoribosyltransferase activity is enhanced, in a medium to produce and cause accumulation of an L-amino acid in the medium or cells, and collecting the L-amino acid from the medium or the cells.
US08293497B2
In a microdissection method and a microdissection system, first and second objects are transported from a preparation to first and second collection devices, respectively, so that a position of the second collection device relative to the first collection device substantially corresponds to a position of the second object relative to the first object in the preparation.
US08293496B2
Microorganisms, particularly bacteria, are identified and characterized on the basis of a mass spectrometric measurement of their protein profiles with ionization by matrix-assisted laser desorption. In order to measure the microbial resistance to antibiotics, the protein profiles of microorganisms are measured after cultivation for a short time duration in nutrient media containing the antibiotics.
US08293492B2
Novel conjugates and immunogens derived from lenalidomide and antibodies generated by these immunogens are useful in immunoassays for the quantification and monitoring of thalidomide and lenalidomide in biological fluids.
US08293491B2
The invention relates to purinergic (P2X) receptors, to detection of protein in extra-cellular body fluids and to antibodies for the diagnosis of a disease or condition, especially cancer.
US08293486B2
The present invention provides for compositions and methods of linking silk fibroin to active agents through the specific interaction between avidin and biotin, providing for functionalization of silk-based protein biomaterials. An avidin- or biotin-modified silk is a biomaterial platform for functionalization with a variety of correspondingly linked active agents, such as antibodies and growth factors. A variety of functionalized silk materials, such as silk hydrogel, silk micro/nanoparticles and silk films, can be prepared by the methods of the present invention. The functionalization strategies of the present invention are relatively easy, fast and feasible, and are thus useful in many biomedical applications.
US08293483B2
In certain embodiments, the method may comprise: a) obtaining the antibody sequences from a population of B cells; b) grouping the antibody sequences to provide a plurality of groups of lineage-related antibodies; c) testing a single antibody from each of the groups in a bioassay and, after the first antibody has been identified, d) testing further antibodies that are in the same group as the first antibody in a second bioassay. In another embodiment, the method may comprise: a) testing a plurality of antibodies obtained from a first portion of an antibody producing organ of an animal; b) obtaining the sequence of a first identified antibody; c) obtaining from a second portion of said antibody producing organ the sequences of further antibodies that are related by lineage to said first antibody; and, c) testing the further antibodies in a second bioassay.
US08293479B2
This invention pertains to the discovery that Parathyroid Hormone-related Protein (PTHrP) can be detect and/or stage, and/or treat chronic lung diseases. In particular, it was discovered that PTHrP levels in broncho-alveolar lavage are indicative of lung “health” and “disease”, and can be used to predict lung disease in patients at risk of chronic lung disease and/or to evaluate the efficacy of a ventilation regime.
US08293473B2
A method compares amplification reaction kinetics between two or more quantitative polymerase chain reactions (PCR). These methods enable quality control and/or quality assessment for quantification of nucleic acids by PCR. The method estimates plurality of parameters from each reaction and compares them simultaneously between reactions.
US08293472B2
Disclosed are methods for identifying and characterizing polynucleotide sequences in a sample which may include a heterogeneous sample. Some of the methods are directed to the identification and characterization of a virus in a sample, which may include HIV capable of cause AIDS or AIDS-like symptoms. The virus may be HIV-1, and may also include drug resistant mutations. The methods may include reacting a mixture that includes, in addition to nucleic acid isolated from the sample, at least one oligonucleotide capable of specifically hybridizing to HIV nucleic acid where the oligonucleotide includes at least one non-natural base. In addition, the methods may include detection of one or more mutations in HIV nucleic acid that are associated with drug resistance.
US08293470B2
The present methods are exemplified by a process in which maternal blood containing fetal DNA is diluted to a nominal value of approximately 0.5 genome equivalent of DNA per reaction sample. Digital PCR is then be used to detect aneuploidy, such as the trisomy that causes Down Syndrome. Since aneuploidies do not present a mutational change in sequence, and are merely a change in the number of chromosomes, it has not been possible to detect them in a fetus without resorting to invasive techniques such as amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling. Digital amplification allows the detection of aneuploidy using massively parallel amplification and detection methods, examining, e.g., 10,000 genome equivalents.
US08293465B2
The present invention relates to an antibody mimetic of carbohydrate binding module (CBM) which specifically binds to an epitope on HIV glycoprotein. The present invention also relates to a method of detecting HIV glycoprotein.
US08293463B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide Dermal Micro-organs (DMOs), methods and apparatuses for producing the same. Some embodiments of the invention provide a DMO including a plurality of dermal components, which substantially retain the micro-architecture and three dimensional structure of the dermal tissue from which they are derived, having dimensions selected so as to allow passive diffusion of adequate nutrients and gases to cells of the DMO and diffusion of cellular waste out of the cells so as to minimize cellular toxicity and concomitant death due to insufficient nutrition and accumulation of waste in the DMO. Some embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for harvesting the DMO. An apparatus for harvesting the DMO may include, according to some exemplary embodiments, a support configuration to support a skin-related tissue structure from which the DMO is to be harvested, and a cutting tool able to separate the DMO from the skin-related tissue structure. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08293460B2
Methods to pattern features in a substrate layer by exposing a photoresist layer more than once. In one embodiment, a single reticle may be exposed more than once with an overlay offset implemented between successive exposures to reduce the half pitch of the reticle. In particular embodiments, these methods may be employed to reduce the half pitch of the features printed with 65 nm generation lithography equipment to achieve 45 nm lithography generation CD and pitch performance.
US08293453B2
A photosensitive adhesive composition comprising: (A) a polyimide having a carboxyl group as a side chain, whereof the acid value is 80 to 180 mg/KOH; (B) a photo-polymerizable compound; and (C) a photopolymerization initiator.
US08293447B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a toner which allows fixation at low temperatures, which is excellent in anti-offset ability, and which provides a high quality image at high and low humidities in a stable manner without causing any image defect over time. Provided is a toner, containing at least a binder resin and a colorant in which: the binder resin in the toner contains 60% by mass or more of a styrene/acryl resin and a THF-insoluble fraction A which is an extraction residue obtained by carrying out Soxhlet extraction with tetrahydrofuran (THF) for 16 hours; the THF-insoluble fraction A contains a TOL-insoluble fraction B which is an extraction residue obtained by carrying out Soxhlet extraction with toluene (TOL) for 16 hours; and a mass ratio (B/A) between the THF-insoluble fraction A and the TOL-insoluble fraction B is in the range of 0.1≦B/A≦0.5.
US08293444B2
A toner that includes at least one polyester resin wherein the amount of free polyvalent acid monomer in the polyester resin is less than 4 mg/gram, and wherein the percentage of the at least one polyester resin with a MW less than 1500 is less than about 10%.
US08293437B2
A color filter substrate including a substrate, a light shading structure, and a plurality of color filter units is provided. The substrate has a display region and a non-display region. The light shading structure disposed on the substrate includes a black matrix layer and a light shading layer, wherein the black matrix layer is disposed on the substrate and defines a plurality of sub-pixel regions in the display region, and covers the non-display region adjacent to the edge of the display region; the light shading layer is disposed on the black matrix layer of the non-display region adjacent to the edge of the display region and has at least one channel. The color filter units are correspondingly disposed in the sub-pixel regions.
US08293436B2
There are provided a compound represented by the following formula (I), a photopolymerizable composition containing (A) a photopolymerization initiator represented by the formula (I) and (B) a radical polymerizable monomer, a color filter produced by using the photopolymerizable composition, and a process for producing the color filter.
US08293435B2
A photomask blank is for manufacturing a phase shift mask having a light-transmitting substrate provided with a phase shift portion adapted to give a predetermined phase difference to transmitted exposure light. The phase shift portion is a dug-down part that is dug down from a surface of the light-transmitting substrate to a digging depth adapted to produce the predetermined phase difference with respect to exposure light transmitted through the light-transmitting substrate at a portion where the phase shift portion is not provided. The photomask blank includes, on the digging-side surface of the light-transmitting substrate, an etching mask film that is made of a material being dry-etchable with a chlorine-based gas, but not dry-etchable with a fluorine-based gas, and serves as an etching mask at least until, when forming the dug-down part by dry etching, the dry etching reaches the digging depth. The photomask blank further includes, on a surface of the etching mask film, a light-shielding film that is made of a material mainly containing tantalum and has a thickness so as to be removable during the dry etching for forming the dug-down part of the light-transmitting substrate.
US08293433B2
There is provided a method for manufacturing a pellicle in which the pellicle frame is prepared by being heated at a predetermined temperature while constricting the frame to some extent of flatness to achieve a desired flatness and future stability against heat.
US08293430B2
Methods for fabricating a photomask are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a photomask includes providing a filmstack having a molybdenum layer and a light-shielding layer in a processing chamber, patterning a first resist layer on the light-shielding layer, etching the light-shielding layer using the first resist layer as an etch mask, and etching the molybdenum layer using the patterned light-shielding layer and the patterned first resist layer as a composite mask.
US08293425B2
The polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the invention includes: an electrolyte membrane that is made of a solid polymer; catalyst electrode layers that are arranged and formed on two opposed faces of the electrolyte membrane; gas separators that form reactive gas supply flow paths to allow passage of reactive gases subjected to an electrochemical reaction to the catalyst electrode layers; a holder element that is located on periphery of the electrolyte membrane and the catalyst electrode layers to support at least the electrolyte membrane; an expansion element that is linked with the holder element to be expandable in an electrolyte membrane surface direction; and a fixation element that is linked with the expansion element to be fixed to the gas separators. This arrangement effectively prevents deterioration of the electrolyte membrane, due to expansion or contraction of the electrolyte membrane in the polymer electrolyte fuel cell.
US08293418B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a fuel supply control system to control a fuel cell system to work in a predetermined temperature range by controlling a fuel supply rate. The fuel supply control system includes a fuel supply controller and a fuel supply device. The fuel supply controller calculates a temperature variation slope to generate a first fuel supply rate by increasing or decreasing the predetermined fuel supply rate according to the relationship of system temperature and predetermined working temperature, and controls a fuel delivering rate of the fuel supply device according to the first fuel supply rate.
US08293416B2
A fuel cell system includes at least: a hydrogen generator (4) which is supplied with a raw material to generate a fuel gas containing hydrogen; a humidifier (5) which is supplied with the fuel gas, generated in the hydrogen generator, to humidify the fuel gas by utilizing heat energy and an off gas supplied thereto; and a fuel cell (8) which is supplied with the fuel gas humidified in the humidifier and an oxidizing gas to generate electric power while discharging the heat energy and the off gas, and further includes a condenser (6) which cools down steam of the off gas, discharged from the fuel cell, by heat exchange with a cooling medium to convert the steam into condensed water, and supplies the condensed water to the humidifier to humidify the fuel cell. With this, the present invention provides a durable, reliable, and cheap fuel cell system capable of adequately and surely humidifying the fuel gas supplied to a polymer electrolyte fuel cell by a simple configuration using the humidifier without disposing a particular exclusive auxiliary device.
US08293410B2
An electrode assembly for a secondary battery comprising an adiabatic plate attached to the negative electrode plate is disclosed. The electrode assembly comprises a positive electrode plate having a positive electrode collector, a positive electrode coating, and a non-coated area on the positive electrode collector. The negative electrode plate has a negative electrode collector, a negative electrode coating, and a non-coated area on the negative electrode collector. A separator insulates the positive and negative electrode plates. Positive and negative electrode tabs are attached to the non-coated areas of the positive and negative electrode collectors. The negative electrode plate has an adiabatic plate attached to the surface of a non-coated area of the negative electrode collector that is opposite the surface to which the negative electrode tab is attached. This construction improves battery stability and prevents short circuits caused either by heat generated during overcharging or by an internal short circuit.
US08293407B2
An electrode which can be used in a fuel cell having improved power generation performance and high durability, and a fuel cell having such an electrode, are provided. An electrode having catalyst layers arranged on both surfaces of an electrolyte membrane, wherein the electrode is characterized in that an electrode binder used for constituting the catalyst layers contains a cross-linked compound (X) having a silicon-oxygen bond, a polymer material (Y) containing an acid group, and an aqueous dispersion (Z) containing a thermoplastic resin.
US08293404B2
A catalyst structure body for a fuel cell includes an agglomerate structure in which agglomerates each formed by aggregation of a catalyst-supporting carbon in which a catalyst is supported on a surface of a carbon have gathered, and a polymer having proton conductivity. The agglomerate structure and the polymer coexist. The polymer has entered pores between the agglomerates in the agglomerate structure. The average thickness of the polymer is set at 3 to 50 nanometers.
US08293400B2
A battery includes a power generation element, a case member that accommodates the power generation element, and an opening closure member that closes the case member. The opening closure member includes a case contact part for contacting an elongated opening edge of the case member around an entire periphery thereof, and a case inside part projecting toward an inside of the case member from a portion of a surface of the opening closure member on the case member side internally of the case contact part. The case inside part has two narrower portions positioned at both ends of the case inside part in a longitudinal direction of the elongated opening edge of the case member and spaced from an inner surface of the side of the case member, and a wider portion positioned between the two narrower portions and contacting an inner surface of the side of the case member.
US08293393B2
An apparatus for simplifying battery pack encapsulation is provided. The battery pack includes a pair of complementary housing members with each housing member including a plurality of cell constraints into which the ends of corresponding battery cells are inserted during assembly. One or both housing members also include at least one, and preferably a plurality, of raised encapsulant injection ports. The raised encapsulant injection ports are designed to extend above the surface of the respective housing members and beyond the injected encapsulation material, thus ensuring that the ports remain open after encapsulation material injection.
US08293392B2
A battery holder having plates disposed between parallel oriented batteries, and holds batteries in specified positions. The battery holder is provided with L-shaped holders each having the form of a first plate and a second plate connected at a right angle corner and having an L-shaped lateral cross-section, and flat-plate holders that connect with the L-shaped holders and have an overall planar form. The L-shaped holder has connecting holes on the outside of the corner between the first plate and second plate. Further, the outer edge of the first plate opposite the corner is provided with first connecting tabs that can connect with connecting holes of another L-shaped holder. The flat-plate holder is provided with second connecting tabs on at least one side edge that connect with connecting holes of an L-shaped holder.
US08293377B2
An object of this invention is to provide a case for rolling powder alloy without failures at the time of rolling. The case for rolling powder alloy (1) is formed like a shape of box and comprises a side constituent member (10) forming like a rectangular frame in a combination of two members (10a, 10a) and surrounding a side surface of metal powder, an upper lid constituent member (11) mounting on one opening of the side constituent member (10) and covering an upper surface of the metal powder, and a lower lid constituent member (12) mounting on the other opening of the side constituent member (10) and covering a lower surface of the metal powder. The peripheral edges of the upper lid constituent member (11) and the lower lid constituent member (12) are, respectively, provided with a peripheral wall (11b, 12b) standing upright along an outer peripheral surface of the side constituent member, and the side constituent member (10) is inserted into a space surrounded by the peripheral wall (11b, 12b). According to such case for rolling powder alloy, the aluminum powder alloy can be easily manufactured without failures at the time of rolling.
US08293372B2
The invention relates to a multilayer structure in which the inner layer is in contact with petrol or diesel fuel and comprising, in succession from the outside inwards: an outer layer made of, 50 to 100% of at least one polyamide A1 of formula X.Y/Z or 6.Y2/Z in which: “6” represents the residues of hexamethylene diamine, X denotes the residues of a C6-10 aliphatic, Y denotes the residues of an aliphatic C10-14 dicarboxylic acid, Y2 denotes the residues of an aliphatic C15-20 dicarboxylic acid, and Z denotes at least one unit chosen from the residues of a lactam, the residues of an α,ω-aminocarboxylic acid, the unit X1,Y1 in which X1 denotes the residues of an aliphatic diamine and Y1 denotes the residues of an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, the weight ratios Z/(X+Y+Z) and Z/(6+Y2+Z) being between 0 and 15%, an inner PA-6 layer or a layer of a PA-6/polyolefin blend having a PA-6 matrix and optionally containing a conductor.
US08293364B2
A highly shrinkable fiber composed of nylon-MXD6 polymer and nylon-6 polymer, characterized in that a weight ratio therebetween is in the range of 35:65 to 70:30, and that each thereof exhibits a breaking strength of 4.00 cN/dtex or greater. Preferably, the weight ratio between nylon-MXD6 polymer and nylon-6 polymer of the highly shrinkable fiber is in the range of 45.55 to 55:45. The highly shrinkable fiber exhibits a high shrinkage ratio in boiling water, so that when the highly shrinkable fiber is used in a woven fabric, there can be realized a high density.
US08293357B2
The invention relates to a power transmission belt presenting elastomer teeth based on ethylene alpha olefin elastomer provided with an outer woven or non-woven covering. According to the invention the teeth are covered in a barrier layer, in particular of a thermoplastic material, and said outer covering, at least on the flanks of the teeth, is partially included in a portion of the thickness of the barrier layer.
US08293352B2
An optical recording medium includes: a substrate; an information signal layer provided on the substrate; and a protective layer provided on the information signal layer. The information signal layer is provided with a reflecting layer, a recording layer provided on the reflecting layer and first, second and third dielectric layers laminated successively on the recording layer. Refractive indexes of the first, second and third dielectric layers are different from each other between the adjacent dielectric layers to each other. Among the first, second and third dielectric layers, the dielectric layer having the highest refractive index contains, as a main component, at least one member selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, niobium oxide and a mixture of zinc sulfide and silicon oxide. The dielectric layer having the highest refractive index has a refractive index of 2.3 or more at a wavelength of 405 nm.
US08293348B2
There is provided a multilayer laminate film with easy unsealability, heat resistance and easy cuttability, having a seal layer (A) and a base material layer (B), the multilayer laminate film containing the seal layer (A) and the base material layer (B) composed of a mixture of 10-50 parts by weight of high-density polyethylene and 50-90 parts by weight of polypropylene, laminated on the seal layer (A) in one layer or two or more layers, wherein the base material layer (B) is composed of one member selected from the group consisting of (a) an ethylene/butene copolymer with a density of 0.93 g/cm3-0.94 g/cm3, polymerized using a multisite catalyst, (b) high-density polyethylene with a density of 0.945 g/cm3-0.965 g/cm3 and (c) an ethylene/propylene block or random copolymer, further wherein the layer thickness of the seal layer (A) is 1 μm-20 μm while the layer thickness of the base material layer (B) is 20 μm-100 μm, as well as a packaging container and packaging bag employing it as a lid material.
US08293346B2
The objective of the invention is to provide a gas barrier resin composition that is excellent in oxygen absorbability and further excellent in adhesiveness to olefin resins, a structure comprising the same, and a multi-layer structure comprising the same. The oxygen-absorbing gas barrier resin composition disclosed comprises a cyclized product of a conjugated diene polymer and an ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer having a specified oxygen permeation rate. The oxygen-absorbing gas barrier resin composition further comprises an α-olefin resin. The oxygen-absorbing gas barrier structure is obtained by molding the subject oxygen-absorbing gas barrier resin composition. The oxygen-absorbing gas barrier multi-layer structure comprises a layer of the subject oxygen-absorbing gas barrier structure and a sealing material layer.
US08293341B2
Provided is a cellulose ester film including a polycondensed ester which is obtained from a mixture containing an aromatic dicarboxylic acid, an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, an aliphatic diol having an average carbon atom number of from 2.0 to 3.0 and a monocarboxylic acid, and both terminals of which are a monocarboxylic acid ester derivative.
US08293337B2
Multiplexed electrospray deposition apparatus capable of delivering picoliter volumes of one or more substances is disclosed. The apparatus may include a unitary planar dispenser etched from a silicon wafer through microfabrication or micromachining technology. The apparatus may be used as a deposition tool for making protein microarrays in a noncontact mode. Upon application of potential difference in the range of 7-9 kV, the substances may be dispensed directly, not through a collimating mask, onto a substrate with microhydrogel features functionalized with an anchoring agent.
US08293335B2
Yttria-coated ceramic components of semiconductor material processing apparatuses include a substrate and at least one yttria-containing coating on the substrate. The components are made by applying a first yttria-containing coating on a ceramic substrate, which can be a green body of the ceramic material. The coated green body is sintered. The first yttria-containing coating can be treated to remove attached yttria particles resulting from the sintering. In another embodiment, a second yttria-containing coating can be thermally sprayed on the first yttria-containing coating to cover the particles.
US08293325B2
A polymer injection method and apparatus for blocking piping in dikes and dams, uses non-water reacted two-component polymeric material to produce a hydra-insensitive expanding polymer for blocking piping channel. A transferring device is provided to the method, which includes an injection gun, an injector, and a hollow tube, wherein the injection gun connects with an entrance end of the hollow tube through the injector, and an outlet end of the hollow tube inserts into the entrance of the piping channel. The two components of the polymeric material are respectively transported to the injection gun, and are mixed and injected from the gun with high pressure, through the injector, to the hollow tube, and then pushed into the piping channel. Under the chemical reaction, the mixed material expands inside the receiver and becomes foamed solid from liquid, and then the polymer receiver inflates and blocks the piping channel quickly.
US08293324B2
A coating process and system suitable for use on components subjected to high temperatures. The coating system includes an overlay coating of predominantly B2 phase rhodium aluminide (RhAl) intermetallic compound containing about 25 to about 90 atomic percent rhodium, about 10 to about 60 atomic percent aluminum, optionally up to a combined total of about 25 atomic percent of one or more platinum group metals chosen from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, ruthenium, and iridium, and up to about 20 atomic percent of the base metal and alloying constituents of the substrate. The RhAl intermetallic coating may serve as an environmental coating, a diffusion barrier layer for an overlying environmental coating, or both, with or without an outer ceramic coating.
US08293320B2
The conductor, including the points being kept free insulation, is initially surrounded by a liquid, electrically non-conducting bonding agent which forms the insulation after solidifying. The conductor can be a transposed conductor in which the individual conductors thereof are electrically isolated relative to each other and are interconnected by the bonding agent. Using a liquid stripping agent based on a polyvinyl alcohol or a long-chain hydrocarbon mixture and a polysaccharide filler on the point of the conductor being kept free of the insulation locally prevents the bonding agent from bonding to the conductor or the individual conductors of the transposed conductor from being interconnected by means of the unsolidified mixture. Once the entire bonding agent is hard and thus the bonding agent/stripping agent mixture has solidified, the bonding agent/stripping agent mixture can easily be removed in a mechanical manner from the treated points of the conductor.
US08293318B1
Methods for modulating the release rate of a drug coated stent are disclosed.
US08293313B2
The invention concerns a microfoamed fruit or vegetable puree containing native defatted soluble seric proteins and optionally a texturing agent, the overrun being not more than 50%, the average diameter of the bubbles being less than 200 μm and the microfoamed fruit or vegetable purée being stable for at least 28 days at a temperature ranging between 1 and 10° C. The invention also concerns a method for preparing same.
US08293305B2
Highly purified Stevioside and Rebaudioside A were prepared from sweet glycoside extracts obtained from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. The resulting sweeteners are suitable as non-calorie, non-cariogenic, non-bitter, non-lingering sweeteners, which may be advantageously applied in foods, beverages, and milk products.
US08293288B2
A pain relieving composition that includes an anesthetic in the range of 0.5%-7.0% by weight (“w/w”), an anti-inflammatory agent in the range of 1.0%-11.0% w/w, a moisturizing agent in the range of 0.5%-12.0% w/w, a humescent in the range of 0.5%-13.0% w/w, a penetration enhancing agent in the range of 0.5%-7.0%, and a carrier solvent in the range of 40.0%-97.0% w/w to be used before and/or after procedures which cause damage to human skin.
US08293277B2
Described are controlled release nanoparticulate formulations comprising a nanoparticulate agent to be administered and a rate-controlling polymer which functions to prolong the release of the agent following administration. The novel compositions release the agent following administration for a time period ranging from about 2 to about 24 hours or longer.
US08293276B2
The present disclosure generally relates to methods of making nanoparticles having about 0.2 to about 35 weight percent of a therapeutic agent; and about 10 to about 99 weight percent of biocompatible polymer such as a diblock poly(lactic)acid-poly(ethylene)glycol.
US08293271B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an apparatus having an outer nozzle operable to discharge an outer stream of a shell solution, and an inner nozzle operable to discharge an inner stream of a core solution intermixed with a plurality of materials. The outer stream can substantially surrounds the inner stream, thereby forming a combined stream. A plurality of capsules can be formed responsive to a force applied to the combined stream. At least a portion of the plurality of capsules are desirable capsules, each having a core encapsulated by a portion of the shell solution. The core can have at least one of the plurality of materials encapsulated by a portion of the core solution without protruding an outer surface of the portion of the shell solution. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08293270B2
A lipophilic vehicle-based dual controlled-release matrix, suitable for encapsulation in hard or soft capsules, has been developed. The matrix is in the form of a suspension, which allows for easier formulation of low dose compounds and/or compounds which are moisture sensitive. The matrix includes two rate controlling barriers for the controlled release of one or more pharmaceutically active agents. The primary rate controlling barrier includes a relatively lipophilic oily vehicle. The primary rate controlling barrier may further comprise or more excipients, dissolved in the lipophilic vehicle, which themselves have rate controlling properties. The secondary rate controlling barrier is a hydrogel-forming polymeric material which is dispersed in the primary rate controlling barrier. As the primary rate controlling barrier breaks down, the pharmaceutically active agent is slowly released and the surrounding aqueous media begins to percolate into the polymer matrix. This results in hydration of the polymer and subsequent formation of a hydrogel, which controls the release of the drug by diffusion through, and/or erosion of, the hydrogel. By dispersing or suspending part of the pharmaceutically active agent in the primary rate controlling vehicle, a dual release profile can be obtained. The combination of release of the drug from the lipophilic oily vehicle and release of the drug from the hydrogel allows for the modulation of drug release for up to 24 hours. This system is particularly useful for moisture sensitive drugs as the oily layer prevents water migration from the shell in to the fill.
US08293269B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a composition for promoting sleep, which any one can safely take on a daily basis without any risks of adverse action. In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide food and a medicament, comprising the above-mentioned composition, having an effect for promoting sleep for an individual having sleep disorders. Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for promoting sleep comprising administering theanine to an individual having sleep disorders, and use of theanine for preparation of the food or medicament for an individual having sleep disorders.
US08293267B2
There is provided a method for preparing a natural cellulose-OAg matrix having antimicrobial activity without leaching silver from the cellulose-OAg matrix. The method comprises: introducing silver ions (Ag+) into a natural cellulose matrix by dipping the natural cellulose matrix in an AgCl-dissolved NH4OH solution; and substituting hydrogen (H) of hydroxyl group (—OH) in natural cellulose with Ag+ by drying the silver ion-infused natural cellulose matrix, thus to form a natural cotton-OAg complex. The cellulose-OAg matrix prepared in the method may be useful to continuously maintain antimicrobial activity by maintaining an effective concentration of silver, which does not have cytotoxicity to human skin, and chemically bonded silver is not leached during the rehydration due to the chemical bond between the silver and the cellulose matrix.
US08293259B2
A composition comprising herbicidal mixtures of mesotrione impregnated into or coated on the surface of a granular substrate material such as a fertilizer granule and/or a solid inert carrier material is provided for use to control weeds in turfgrasses without causing damage to the grass and methods for the use thereof.
US08293252B2
A universal tumor vaccine bearing antigens characteristic of each of a wide variety of tumors that may afflict a patient being treated comprises at least two different allogeneic cells that display a multiplicity of tumor associated antigens and also have been modified to inhibit the expression of a natively produced immunosuppressive agent such as TGFβ.
US08293250B2
The invention is related to an immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition for preventing, boosting or treating infection caused by a species of the tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. Bovis, M. africanum, M. microti). The immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition comprise a fusion polypeptide, which comprises one or more starvation antigens from M. tuberculosis, the units of the fusion polypeptide being M. tuberculosis antigens. Further, the invention is related to the use of a vaccine comprising a fusion polypeptide sequence or nucleic acid sequence of the invention given at the same time as BCG, either mixed with BCG or administered separately at different sites or routes for preparing said immunogenic composition, vaccine, or pharmaceutical composition.
US08293245B2
The invention is based on the discovery of the epitope in the Stx1 protein for the 13C4 antibody. The invention features non-full length Stx1 polypeptides that include the epitope for the 13C4 monoclonal antibody epitope. The invention also features methods of producing anti-Stx1 antibodies specific for the 13C4 epitope of the Stx1 protein. Additionally, the invention features methods for treating a subject having, or at risk of developing, a Shiga toxin associated disease (e.g., hemolytic uremia syndrome and diseases associated with E. coli and S. dysenteriae infection) with a polypeptide that includes the 13C4 epitope or with an anti-Stx1 antibody developed using the methods of the invention. Furthermore, the invention features the detection of Stx1 in a sample using the antibodies developed using the methods of the invention.
US08293244B2
The present invention provides enzymes capable of hydrolysing organophosphate (OP) molecules. In particular, the invention provides a phosphotriesterase enzyme identified from an Agrobacterium radiobacter strain isolated from soil that hydrolyses OP pesticides, and the gene encoding that enzyme. The invention also provides mutants of the identified phosphotriesterase enzyme which have altered substrate specificity. The use of these enzymes in bioremediation strategies is also provided.
US08293243B2
The present invention relates to methods of treating mammals affected by, for example, a hyperproliferative disease such as cancer, by administering a tumor-targeted superantigen and a chemotherapeutic agent, whereby the administration of the tumor-targeted superantigen and chemotherapeutic agent reduce the antibody response and enhance the T cell response. The superantigen, wild-type or modified, is fused to a target-seeking moiety, such as an antibody or an antibody active fragment. The combined administration of a superantigen and a chemotherapeutic agent provides enhanced therapeutic effects in a treated animal.
US08293242B2
The instant invention provides novel and effective methods of isolating alpha-1-antitrypsin from cryo-poor plasma and formulating it into therapeutic products. This invention achieves higher yields and a superior quality of alpha-1-antitrypsin. Alpha-1-antitrypsin is isolated from cryo-poor plasma, using one or more salts selected from a group comprising sodium citrate, sodium acetate, sodium gluconate, ammonium sulfate, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate and ammonium chloride in two fractionation steps, followed by diafiltration to remove those salts employed.
US08293240B2
Systems and methods for treating inflammatory and proliferative diseases, and wounds, using as a pharmacon a UCP and/or Fas antibody or other inhibitor, or combination thereof, and a therapeutically acceptable amount of a fatty acid metabolism inhibitor and/or a therapeutically acceptable amount of a glucose metabolism inhibitor, optionally in combination with one or more chemotherpeutic agents. In preferred embodiments, the invention combines an antibody against UCP and/or Fas antigen with an oxirane carboxylic acid, represented by etomoxir, and/or with a 2-deoxyglucose compound, represented by 2-deoxy-D-glucose. The systems and methods of the invention can be used to treat drug-resistant or multi-drug resistant cancers.
US08293227B2
Topical formulations of CoQ10 reduce the rate of tumor growth in an animal subject. In the experiments described herein, CoQ10 was shown to increase the rate of apoptosis in a culture of skin cancer cells but not normal cells. Moreover, treatment of tumor-bearing animals with a topical formulation of CoQ10 was shown to dramatically reduce the rate of tumor growth in the animals.
US08293218B2
Skin care compositions comprising certain substituted monoamines, which are particularly beneficial for skin lightening and achieving evenness of color, especially for face and underarm skin.
US08293213B2
A method and system for affecting a thrombus after ischemic stroke. The method may include injecting a plurality of magnetic particles into a bloodstream and moving or distorting a thrombus formed or lodged in the bloodstream using a magnetic force to manipulate the magnetic particles. The method may include conjugating ferromagnetic particles, paramagnetic particles, or superparamagnetic particles to a thrombus-specific attachment agent such as an anti-fibrin antibody, and injecting the conjugated particles into the bloodstream. Thereafter, the thrombus may be agitated, broken apart, or dissolved using a magnetic field to exert a magnetic force on the conjugated particles. The method may also include injecting a thrombolytic agent into the bloodstream to interact with and further dissolve the thrombus.
US08293205B2
A method for obtaining a promoted molybdenum sulfide catalyst and a promoted molybdenum sulfide added with a nanometric additive. The obtained catalyst exhibits an improved catalytic activity in hydrotreatment reactions, such as hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, and hydrogenation. The invention presents as an advantage, in addition to a low cost composition by their transition metals content, the activation of thiosalts precursor using an environmentally friendly atmosphere.
US08293202B2
This idea relates to the use of polyalkylene glycols and non-salt polyether amines to improve the effectiveness of silica removal by coagulation and agglomeration of colloidal silica particles in aqueous mineral process streams.
US08293201B2
A process for the recovery of ammonia contained in a gaseous purging stream produced in a synthesis process of urea.
US08293199B2
Disclosed are processes for the preparation of copper containing molecular sieves with the CHA structure having a silica to alumina mole ratio greater than about 10, wherein the copper exchange step is conducted via wet state exchanged and prior to the coating step and wherein in the copper exchange step a liquid copper solution is used wherein the concentration of copper is in the range of about 0.001 to about 0.25 molar using copper acetate and/or an ammoniacal solution of copper ions as copper source. Catalysts made by the processes, catalyst systems and methods of treating exhaust gas with the molecular sieves and catalysts are also disclosed.
US08293198B2
Disclosed are processes for the preparation of copper containing molecular sieves with the CHA structure wherein the copper is exchanged into the Na+-form of the Chabazite, using a liquid copper solution wherein the concentration of copper is in the range of about 0.001 to about 0.4 molar. Also described are copper containing molecular sieves with the CHA structure, catalysts incorporating molecular sieves, systems and methods for their use.
US08293196B1
The present invention is directed to an additive, primarily for combustion of low sulfur and high alkali coals, that includes a transition metal to impact positively bottom ash slag and optionally a halogen to effect mercury oxidation and collection in the flue gas.
US08293194B2
The present invention relates to an analyzing device to be used by inserting an analytical instrument 2 comprising a plurality of terminal portions 25A to 28A therein, the device including a plurality of terminals 42 and 43 having a shape of a flat spring to be in contact with the plurality of terminal portions 25A to 28A, and a disposal mechanism for disposing of the analytical instrument 2 after completing an analysis. Contact portions 46 and 47 in the plurality of terminals 42 and 43 having a flat-spring shape to be in contact with the plurality of terminal portions 25A to 28A are placed to be in non-parallel with a direction orthogonal to a disposal direction D1 of the analytical instrument 2 in planar view. The portions 46 and 47 in the plurality of terminals 42 and 43 having the flat-spring shape are preferably placed so as to have a symmetrical or substantially symmetrical positional relationship relative to a center line L1 of the analytical instrument 2 extending along the disposal direction D1.
US08293192B2
An upper end 3 of a nozzle tip 2 is adapted to have an inside diameter dimension smaller than an outside diameter of a lower portion of a barrel 4, so that nozzle tips 2 are not piled up. An upper curved surface 11, which is curved in an outer direction of the nozzle tip 2 starting with a boundary portion between the barrel 4 and a leading end opening 5 of the nozzle tip 2 and the leading end opening 5, is formed. A lower curved surface 12 is formed continuously from the upper curved surface 11 to be curved in an inner direction. An angle formed between a line tangent to a boundary portion 13 between the upper curved surface 11 and the lower curved surface 12 and a center axis of the nozzle tip 2 is adapted to fall within a range between 45° and 20°.
US08293188B2
In some embodiments, the present invention pertains to a method for detecting an adulterant in a biological sample. A combination of a biological sample, an agent for detecting the adulterant and an ionic moiety capable of undergoing reduction by gaining electrons is provided in an assay medium. The combination is incubated under conditions sufficient for the ionic moiety to undergo reduction and for the agent for detecting the adulterant to interact with the adulterant. The reduction of the ionic moiety enhances the detection of the adulterant as a result of increasing the sensitivity of the agent for detecting the adulterant. The extent of interaction between the agent for detecting the adulterant and the adulterant is measured and is related to the presence or absence of the adulterant in the biological sample.
US08293185B2
A method and an apparatus are described for use in the irradiation of fluids. The apparatus has an elongate conduit (312) having a central axis (334) and two or more elongate ultraviolet radiation sources (114) extending along the interior of the conduit for irradiation of the fluid within the conduit. An array of static mixer elements (300) is located within the conduit, and the two or more elongate ultraviolet radiation sources (114) are arranged to extend through apertures in deflection surfaces of the static mixer elements making up the array (300). The apparatus and method allows for reliable and uniform ultraviolet irradiation of fluids of low UV transmissivity, such as turbid fluids, particularly for ultraviolet disinfection of such fluids. Wipers may be fitted to the static mixer elements to enable relative movement between the static mixer elements and the surfaces of the elongate ultraviolet radiation sources to clean the surfaces of the sources without need to dismantle the apparatus.
US08293183B2
A honeycomb filter includes a partition portion having a thickness tp of 150 μm or more and 460 μm or less and a trapping layer having an average thickness tAve of 5 μm or more and 80 μm or less, wherein a film thickness ratio Y1 of a downstream thickness tl to an up- and mid-stream thickness thm satisfies a relationship according to formula (1), wherein a film thickness ratio Y2 of the maximum thickness tmax of a trapping layer to the average thickness tAve of the trapping layer satisfies a relationship according to formula (2), and wherein a cell has a hydraulic diameter HDin satisfying a relationship according to formula (3): −4/375·tAve+2.05≦Y1≦−17/375·tAve+10.23 (1); Y2≦−1/15·tAve+8.33 (2); and 0.95≦HDin≦2.0 (3).
US08293172B2
A method of dispensing a volatile material includes the steps of providing power to a volatile material diffuser having a diffusion element and operating the diffusion element for a first period of time, wherein the diffusion element is continuously activated and deactivated during the period of time at a first duty cycle having a first on time and a first off time. Still further, the method includes the step of operating the diffusion element for a final period of time, wherein the diffusion element is continuously activated and deactivated during the final period of time at a final duty cycle having a final on time and a final off time. The first duty cycle is less than about 100% such that the first off time is greater than about 0 seconds and the final duty cycle is about 100% such that the final off time is about 0 seconds and wherein the final period of time begins after the first period of time has finished.
US08293170B1
The present scent distributor is a cartridge for attaching to a permeable substrate such as an air filter or humidifier pad. The cartridge housing is configured to hold the scenting media, said housing including a body and a cover; a plurality of openings in said housing to allow air to flow through at least a portion of said housing for interaction with the scenting media; a restrictor that slidingly engages with said housing to selectively restrict the flow of air through said housing; and an attachment device on said housing to attach said housing to a porous substrate.
US08293160B2
At an optional stage in the production step of a biaxially stretched film using a polyamide resin including, as a first component, nylon 6, and as a second component, a polyamide including xylylenediamine and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having 4 to 12 carbon atoms, the film is brought into contact with water set at 40° C. or higher and lower than 70° C. for 1 to 10 minutes and further with water set at 70° C. or higher for 1 to 10 minutes. In the film thus obtained, the content of low molecular weight compounds is 0% by mass to 0.2% by mass.
US08293159B2
A method of manufacturing a linker of the type having an injection molded jacket radially confining a preformed tablet. The method includes grasping the tablet about the outer surface with a plurality of pincers and positioning the grasped tablet and the pincers with respect to a molding apparatus. The method also includes supporting the tablet via the pincers and injecting jacket material to cover the outer tablet surface and the pincers. The method further includes extracting the jacketed tablet from the molding apparatus and removing the pincers from the jacketed tablet. The method may also include supporting and longitudinally positioning the tablet within the mold via a plurality of additional pincers.
US08293157B2
A method of manufacturing a cellulose/gelatin composite viscose rayon filament that is characterized by including a process in which a spinning process is carried out while a viscose spinning solution is mixed with a gelatin crosslinking solution, which makes it possible to produce a cellulose/gelatin composite viscose rayon having uniform strength and elongation without yarn disconnection.
US08293148B2
An azo pigment showing excellent coloring characteristics such as tinctorial strength and hue and excellent fastness such as light fastness, and a pigment dispersion containing the azo pigment are provided.An azo pigment represented by the following general formula (1) and a pigment dispersion containing the pigment: wherein G represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, an acyl group, an aliphatic oxycarbonyl group, a carbamoyl group, or a sulfonyl group, R1 represents an amino group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, or a heterocyclic group, R2 represents a substituent, A represents an aromatic 5- to 6-membered heterocyclic group, m represents an integer of from 0 to 5, and n represents an integer of from 1 to 4.
US08293145B2
Disclosed is an optical film characterized by containing 0.001-10 parts by mass of an ultraviolet absorbent represented by general formula (1) per 100 parts by mass of a cellulose ester. (In the formula, n represents an integer of 1-4; when n is 1, R represents an alkyl group having 3-30 carbon atoms, and when n is 2-4, R represents a residue obtained by removing a carboxylic acid group from an aliphatic or aromatic polybasic acid having 1-34 carbon atoms; and R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms.)
US08293139B2
The present invention relates to charge transport compositions. The invention further relates to electronic devices in which there is at least one active layer comprising such charge transport compositions.
US08293137B2
A solid acid catalyst having a strong acid cation exchange resin having a cross-linking network structure and free aromatic sulfonic acids adsorbed in the network. The solid acid catalyst is prepared by treating a strong acid cation exchange resin with aromatic sulfonic acids in a solution. The catalyst is useful for synthesizing rubber antioxidant RD and other strong-acid catalyzed reactions.
US08293135B2
A PCLC flake/fluid host suspension that enables dual-frequency, reverse drive reorientation and relaxation of the PCLC flakes is composed of a fluid host that is a mixture of: 94 to 99.5 wt % of a non-aqueous fluid medium having a dielectric constant value ∈, where 1<∈<7, a conductivity value σ, where 10−9>σ>10−7 Siemens per meter (S/m), and a resistivity r, where 107>r>1010 ohm-meters (Ω-m), and which is optically transparent in a selected wavelength range Δλ; 0.0025 to 0.25 wt % of an inorganic chloride salt; 0.0475 to 4.75 wt % water; and 0.25 to 2 wt % of an anionic surfactant; and 1 to 5 wt % of PCLC flakes suspended in the fluid host mixture. Various encapsulation forms and methods are disclosed including a Basic test cell, a Microwell, a Microcube, Direct encapsulation (I), Direct encapsulation (II), and Coacervation encapsulation. Applications to display devices are disclosed.
US08293126B2
A method and system of location specific processing on a substrate is described. The method comprises acquiring metrology data for a substrate, and computing correction data for adjusting a first region of the metrology data on the substrate. Thereafter, a first gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) for treating the high gradient regions is established, and the first GCIB is applied to the substrate according to the correction data. The method further comprises optionally acquiring second metrology data following the applying of the first GCIB, and computing second correction data for adjusting a second region of the metrology data, or the second metrology data, or both on the substrate. Thereafter, a second gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) for treating the second region is established, and the second GCIB is applied to the substrate according to the second correction data.
US08293125B2
A structure having a pattern is manufactured. An elastically deformable process target is elastically deformed in an inplane direction from a first state. A first pattern is formed on the process target deformed. The elastically deformed process target is made close to or returned to the first state, thereby to form a second pattern having a size and a shape at least one of which differs from those of the first pattern.
US08293123B2
A method of manufacturing an inkjet printhead, in which a solvent included in a positive photoresist composition or in a non-photosensitive soluble polymer composition which is used to form a sacrificial layer has a different polarity from that of a solvent included in a negative photoresist composition that is used to form at least one of a channel forming layer and a nozzle layer.
US08293119B2
A additive delivery system and method which includes a additive gel, a filter and a fluid/gel chemistry exchange region, wherein the exchange region subjects the additive gel to different types or combinations of contact with the fluid in order to control the additive release rate, maintain a uniform release rate, maintain the physical integrity of the gel or combinations thereof.
US08293110B2
A sequencing batch lagoon process is carried out in a minimum of two earthen lagoons and provides the treatment of municipal or industrial wastewater. Each lagoon is operated on fill-draw basis in a sequencing manner. Raw wastewater continues entering into one of the lagoons while the other lagoon is at full liquid level. The lagoon at the full liquid level will begin to discharge when the other lagoon at filling mode is reaching the full liquid level. The lagoon at the drawdown mode continues until the liquid level is down to the lowest liquid level. The wastewater feeding is then alternated to the lagoon which is at the lowest liquid level. The lagoon at the full liquid level shall have no contamination from raw wastewater or the lagoon at the filling mode. The biological reactions occur under aerobic and anoxic conditions. The aerobic conditions occur in the liquid or above the bottom sludge while the anoxic conditions occur near or within the bottom sludge. Air is provided by surface mechanical aerators or diffused aeration system. The aeration system is shut down during the discharge mode and is turned back on during the filling mode. Sludge in the lagoon is not wasted during the operation of sequencing batch lagoon process. The capacity of each lagoon depends on the number of lagoons.
US08293101B2
Apparatus and methods related to centrifugal liquid chromatography are described. An angular velocity can be simultaneously imparted to a large number of chromatographic enclosures. Via centrifugal forces, a mobile phase fluid including a sample can be driven through a stationary phase within the chromatographic enclosure to perform a chromatographic separation process on components of the sample. The use of centrifugation as a driving force can allow significantly smaller stationary phase particles to be employed as compared to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Further, for an equivalent chromatographic separation process, the use of centrifugation can provide much greater separation efficiencies than HPLC.
US08293085B2
A cartridge for an ion exchanging electrochemical cell, the cartridge comprising at least one spiral wound, textured, bipolar ion exchange membrane having (i) an anion exchange layer abutting a cation exchange layer with continuous contact between the anion exchange layer and the cation exchange layer; and (ii) an exposed textured surface having a pattern of texture features. A method of manufacturing a cartridge for an ion exchange electrochemical cell comprises winding the textured, bipolar ion exchange membrane into a spiral wound membrane.
US08293083B2
Provided are fabrication, characterization and application of a nanodisk electrode, a nanopore electrode and a nanopore membrane. These three nanostructures share common fabrication steps. In one embodiment, the fabrication of a disk electrode involves sealing a sharpened internal signal transduction element (“ISTE”) into a substrate, followed by polishing of the substrate until a nanometer-sized disk of the ISTE is exposed. The fabrication of a nanopore electrode is accomplished by etching the nanodisk electrode to create a pore in the substrate, with the remaining ISTE comprising the pore base. Complete removal of the ISTE yields a nanopore membrane, in which a conical shaped pore is embedded in a thin membrane of the substrate.
US08293072B2
An absorbent sheet of cellulosic fibers with upper and lower sides includes (i) a plurality of fiber-enriched hollow domed regions on the upper side of the sheet having a relatively high local basis weight, (ii) connecting regions of relatively lower local basis weight forming a network interconnecting the relatively high local basis weight domed regions of the sheet, and (iii) transition areas with upwardly and inwardly inflected consolidated fibrous regions transitioning from the connecting regions into the domed regions.
US08293070B2
In oxygen ion implantation equipment, a chamber has a bottom wall on one end face thereof and is open in the other end face thereof. A wafer holder rotatably holding a plurality of wafers on the same circumference of a circle is housed in the chamber. Inside a cap closing an opening of the chamber while making the chamber airtight with a sealing member, a coolant passage is formed near the sealing member. A plurality of lamp heaters are disposed so as to extend in the direction of the tangent to the circumference of the cap and align parallel to the direction of the radius of the cap, in such a way as to face one wafer held by the wafer holder. When the plurality of lamp heaters are divided into inner lamps located on the inner side of the cap in the direction of the radius thereof and outer lamps located on the outer side of the cap in the direction of the radius thereof, the amount of heat applied to the wafer per unit time by the outer lamps is made larger than the amount of heat applied to the wafer per unit time by the inner lamps.
US08293069B2
A inductively coupled plasma apparatus includes reaction chamber in which a substrate is loaded, and a double comb type antenna structure including first linear antennas and second linear antennas respectively arranged horizontally to pass through the reaction chamber inside the reaction chamber. The first and second linear antenna are alternately aligned each other. First ends the first linear antennas are protruded out of the reaction chamber and coupled to each other so as to be coupled to a first induced RF power, and first ends of the second linear antennas are protruded out of the reaction chamber in opposition to the first ends of the first linear antennas and coupled to each other so as to be coupled to a second induced RF power. Plasma uniformity is improved and superior plasma uniformity is maintained by adjusting a distance between antennas according to a size of the substrate.
US08293066B2
There is described apparatus and methods for transporting and processing substrates including wafers as to efficiently produce at reasonable costs improved throughput as compared to systems in use today. A key element is the use of a transport chamber along the sides of processing chambers for feeding substrates into a controlled atmosphere through a load lock and then along a transport chamber as a way of reaching processing chambers and then out of the controlled atmosphere following processing in the processing chambers.
US08293061B2
The present invention relates to a method for bonding two surfaces to one another. The invention particularly pertains to the use of such method in which one of the surfaces is a polymeric plastic (and more preferably a polymeric thermoplastic (especially poly-(methyl methacrylate) (“PMMA”) or cyclic olefin copolymer (“COC”)). More particularly, the invention relates to treating at least one of the contacting surfaces with UV in the presence of oxygen to thereby generate ozone (O3) and atomic oxygen under conditions of temperature below that of the glass transition temperature of the polymeric plastic. The UV/O3-mediated bonding results in high bond strength and zero-deformation method. This bonding method can be applied to micro/nano-scale polymer devices, and particularly to microfluidic devices, for a low cost, high throughput, high yield advantage.
US08293059B2
A method for making glass ceramic composite structures, wherein a first and at least a second glass component, with an intermediate layer of a joining solder consisting of glass placed between them, are assembled to form a raw composite structure, wherein the joining solder has a radiation absorption capacity higher than the components to be joined, and wherein the raw composite structure is irradiated with energy, for example IR energy, at least in the area of the joining solder until the joining solder has softened sufficiently to bond together the components and the joining solder to produce a composite glassy structure. Thereafter a ceramization treatment is performed.
US08293057B2
A method of fabricating an apertured polymeric film. The method comprising the steps of: (a) masking a polymeric film with a first mask having first laser transmission zones defined therein; (b) laser-ablating first apertures through the polymeric film using the first mask; (c) masking the film with a second mask having second laser transmission zones defined therein, each second zone being aligned with a corresponding first aperture, and each second zone having greater perimeter dimensions than the corresponding first aperture; and (d) reaming the first apertures by laser-ablating the polymeric film using the second mask, the reamed first apertures defining second apertures in the film.
US08293052B2
A front end portion of a following film is superimposed on a rear end portion of a preceding film to form a superimposed portion, and is joined thereto by a double-sided adhesive tape. The length of the double-sided adhesive tape in a film conveyance direction is shorter than that of the superimposed portion. The double-sided adhesive tape adheres to the rear end portion with leaving a rear space from a rear edge, and to the front end portion with leaving a front space from a front edge. The length of the rear space in the film conveyance direction is a maximum shrinkage of a first area, being a part of the front end portion superimposed on the rear space, or more. Likewise, the length of the front space in the film conveyance direction is a maximum shrinkage of a second area or more.
US08293048B2
This invention relates to polymer derived ceramics (PDC's) and more particularly, to methods and product made by using polymeric derived ceramic precursors to synthesize dense, crack-free bulk ceramics in a technique using sacrificial molds, coating processes, replication processes, assembly processes and finishing processes; where gas release paths are created and maintained during these processes to release gases generated during pyrolysis of the ceramic precursor. It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a well defined method to create PDC voxels which are interconnected as a bulk (high density) material. Such a material is effectively a lattice with face centered cubic or hexagonal close pack geometry. A second objective of the present invention is to provide a method for bulk, high density material to be combined with fully dense material in a hybrid material. A third objective of the present invention is to provide a method for different types of bulk and fully dense materials, and other items (optionally), to be combined in to a composite material.
US08293046B2
A process for producing a porous body with different physical properties in desired regions is provided by pore forming treatment, not by bonding two or more materials made porous beforehand, with, for example, an adhesive. Raw materials are prepared, each of which contains a polymer and a raw material preparation solvent. At least two types of the raw materials having different compositions are prepared. Thereafter, the respective raw materials are frozen into desired shapes to form frozen bodies thereof. The frozen bodies thus formed are brought into contact with each other to form an assembly thereof, the assembly is exposed to a condition under which the frozen bodies begin to melt, and the assembly is then freeze-dried. Thus, a porous body having regions different in physical properties can be obtained. Such a porous body can be used as, for example, an adhesion inhibitory material or a scaffold for a cell culture.
US08293044B1
An animal deterrent device and methods for installing and producing an animal deterrent device for delivering an electric shock to an animal, pest, or bird to be deterred, having the typical components of a non-conductive base to which the electrically conductive elements are attached. The bottom layer unfolds outward to allow sewing of the conductive elements to the top layer of the elongated base, while preventing the stitching from penetrating the bottom layer of the elongated base. The bottom layer is then folded back into place after sewing is completed, thereby insulating any hole, fastener, or conductive element that pushed through the top layer of the elongated base from water or other material that may congregate at the bottom exterior, preventing unwanted arcing to the exterior surface below.
US08293036B2
The present disclosure relates to a glass forming alloy. The glass forming alloy may include 43.0 atomic percent to 68.0 atomic percent iron, 10.0 atomic percent to 19.0 atomic percent boron, 13.0 atomic percent to 17.0 atomic percent nickel, 2.5 atomic percent to 21.0 atomic percent cobalt, optionally 0.1 atomic percent to 6.0 atomic percent carbon, and optionally 0.3 atomic percent to 3.5 atomic percent silicon. Furthermore, the glass forming alloy includes between 5% to 95% by volume one or more spinodal glass matrix microconstituents which include one or more semi-crystalline or crystalline phases at a length scale less than 50 nm in a glass matrix. In addition, the glass forming alloy is capable of blunting shear bands through localized deformation induced changes under tension.
US08293035B2
A process for treating a workpiece having the steps of: altering the temperature of a workpiece surface wherein at least one condition selected from the group of: thermal treatment rate, relative motion between the surface and said thermal treatment rate, coolant flow rate onto said surface, heating flow rate onto said surface and the relative speed between the heating means or the cooling means and the surface is controllable; simultaneously measuring temperatures at a plurality of locations over the surface of the workpiece; determining an average temperature of the temperatures measured; comparing the average temperature to preselected minimum and maximum temperatures for the workpiece; and automatically adjusting at least one of, the controllable conditions if said average temperature is not between the preselected minimum and maximum temperatures for the workpiece. A system for performing a thermal treatment process and the resulting product are also provided.
US08293034B2
The present invention provides a lead-free brass alloy, including 0.3 to 0.8 wt % of aluminum, 0.01 to 0.4 wt % of bismuth, 0.05 to 1.5 wt % of iron and more than 96 wt % of copper and zinc, wherein the copper is present in an amount ranging from 58 to 75 wt %. The brass alloy of the present invention meets the standard of the environmental regulation, wherein the lead content is less than 0.25 wt % based on the weight of the alloy. Further, the brass alloy of the present invention has 0.05 to 1.5 wt % of iron and less than 0.4% of bismuth, so as to lower production cost, eliminate cracks and increase production yield.
US08293024B2
A dishwasher is provided that permits the efficient and economical cleaning and drying of the items to be washed in the washing container, whilst reducing the associated energy consumption. To achieve this, in addition to the washing container, the inventive dishwasher also comprises a sorption column, which is connected to the washing container to form an air-conductive link and contains a material that can be reversibly dehydrated, said sorption column being used at least partially to dry the washed items. The thermal energy that is applied in the desorption of the sorption column is used at least partially to heat the rinsing water and/or the washed items in the washing container.
US08293018B2
Systems and processes may be used for continuously processing a solid material such as a solid starch-bearing material at a non-atmospheric pressure. In some examples, the material is delivered to a process vessel at substantially the same non-atmospheric pressure condition as the process vessel so as to avoid shearing the material. In some examples, the solid material is continuously fed into a process vessel, continuously processed in the process vessel, and continuously discharged from the process vessel.
US08293015B2
Embodiments of the invention provide apparatuses and methods for atomic layer deposition (ALD), such as plasma-enhanced ALD (PE-ALD). In some embodiments, a PE-ALD chamber is provided which includes a chamber lid assembly coupled with a chamber body having a substrate support therein. In one embodiment, the chamber lid assembly has an inlet manifold assembly containing an annular channel encompassing a centralized channel, wherein the centralized channel extends through the inlet manifold assembly, and the inlet manifold assembly further contains injection holes extending from the annular channel, through a sidewall of the centralized channel, and to the centralized channel. The chamber lid assembly further contains a showerhead assembly disposed below the inlet manifold assembly, a water box disposed between the inlet manifold assembly and the showerhead assembly, and a remote plasma system (RPS) disposed above and coupled with the inlet manifold assembly, and in fluid communication with the centralized channel.
US08293014B2
There are provided a substrate processing apparatus and a reaction tube for processing a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus comprises a process chamber configured to accommodate a substrate and process the substrate, a heater configured to heat the substrate, a gas supply part configured to supply a gas to an inside of the process chamber, a quartz reaction tube installed in the alloy reaction tube and a purge gas supply part configured to supply a purge gas to a gap formed between the alloy reaction tube and the quartz reaction tube. The process chamber comprises an alloy reaction tube made of a material comprising at least molybdenum (Mo) and cobalt (Co) and excluding aluminum (Al).
US08293013B2
An apparatus for deploying two fluids separately into a reaction chamber is provided. The apparatus includes a first distribution network that is formed on a plate having a distribution face and a dispensing face. The first distribution network is defined by a plurality of recessed channels on the distribution face. The plurality of recessed channels includes a plurality of thru-ports that extend from the plurality of recessed channels to the dispensing face. The apparatus further includes a second distribution network that has passages formed below the plurality of recessed channels and above the dispensing face. A first set of ports extends from the passages to the distribution face and a second set of ports extends from a top surface of the distribution face to the dispensing face.
US08293002B2
Provided are polyhydroxy-diamine compounds for use as neutralizing agents for paints and coatings. The compounds are of the formula (I): and salts thereof, wherein R1 and R2 are as defined herein.
US08293001B2
A porous organosilica glass (OSG) film consists of a single phase of a material represented by the formula SivOwCxHyFz, where v+w+x+y+z=100%, v is from 10 to 35 atomic %, w is from 10 to 65 atomic %, x is from 5 to 30 atomic %, y is from 10 to 50 atomic % and z is from 0 to 15 atomic %, wherein the film has pores and a dielectric constant less than 2.6. The film is provided by a chemical vapor deposition method in which a preliminary film is deposited from organosilane and/or organosiloxane precursors and pore-forming agents (porogens) wherein the precursor is a compound of the formula R1n(OR2)p(O(O)CR4)3−n−pSi—R7—SiR3m(O(O)CR5)q(OR6)3−m−q where R1 and R3 are independently H or C1 to C4 linear or branched, saturated, singly or multiply unsaturated, cyclic, partially or fully fluorinated hydrocarbon; R2, R8 and R7 are independently C1 to C6 linear or branched, saturated, singly or multiply unsaturated, cyclic, aromatic, partially or fully fluorinated hydrocarbon, R4 and Rs are independently H, C1 to C6 linear or branched, saturated, singly or multiply unsaturated, cyclic, aromatic, partially or fully fluorinated hydrocarbon, n is 0 to 3, m is 0 to 3, q is 0 to 3 and p is 0 to 3, provided that n+m>1, n+p 3, and m+q 3, wherein the porogen is selected from the group consisting of norbornadiene, alpha-terpinene, limonene, cyclooctane, and cymene. The porogens are subsequently removed to provide the porous film.
US08293000B2
An antireflective coating composition includes a hydrolytic condensate (C1) of alkoxy silane (C11) and fluoric alkoxy silane (C12); a particle-type metal fluoride (C2) with a refractive index of 1.40 or less; and a liquid dispersion-enhancing chelating agent (C3). A coating film to which the above composition is applied controls refractive index, surface energy, film strength and so on, so it ensures excellent antireflective characteristic, excellent scratch resistance, good erasure of liquid stains such as fingerprints, and particularly excellent dust removal, so it may be usefully applied to an outermost layer of a front surface of a display regardless of kind of a display substrate or presence of an additional coating layer.
US08292992B2
A flue gas desulfurization apparatus includes an absorption tower that absorbs sulfur oxide in a flue gas, and drift suppression members that are arranged near a bend portion of a purified gas exhaust passage arranged at an outlet portion of the absorption tower, the drift suppression members serving to collect mist particles.
US08292977B2
The invention has its object to arbitrarily adjust an amount of particles to be circulated without changing a flow rate of a gasification agent to thereby enhance gasification efficiency in a fluidized bed gasification furnace.The fluidized bed gasification furnace 107 comprises first and second chambers 113 and 114 in communication with each other in a fluidized bed 105. The hot particles 102 separated in the separator 104 and raw material M are introduced into the first chamber 113. The particles 102 introduced from the first chamber 113 through interior in the fluidized bed 105 to the second chamber 114 are supplied in an overflow manner to the fluidized bed combustion furnace 100. A first pressure controller 121 is provided to control the resultant gas induction means 116 such that the pressure in the first chamber 113 is kept to preset pressure 120; and a second pressure controller 124 is provided to control the exhaust gas induction means 118 such that difference between pressure in the first and second chambers 113 and 114 is equal to the preset differential pressure 123, so that the fluidized bed 105 in the first chamber 113 is controlled in height to control an amount of particles 102 to be circulated.
US08292972B2
An oxidative hair colorant composition to be dispensed from a manually-actuable, non-aerosol dispenser as a foam. The oxidative hair colorant composition contains a foam stabilizing agent and is essentially free of surfactant.
US08292968B2
A construct for repairing articular cartilage defects includes a cap member and a base member. The cap member has an upper section and a stem depending from a central region thereof. The upper section includes a peripheral region. The stem includes a cavity. The base member has first and second ends, the first end including an annular recess dimensioned such that the stem is receivable therein. The first end also includes an annular edge positioned laterally outwardly from the annular recess, for abutting and supporting the peripheral region of the upper section when the stem is received in the annular recess. The base member further includes an island which is surrounded by the annular recess and receivable in the cavity of the stem, such that the island is abuttable with and may thereby support the central region of the upper section when the stem is received in the annular recess.
US08292951B2
A method includes tethering a first pop up branch structure of a tethered pop up branch structure stent graft to a second pop up branch structure of the tethered pop up branch structure stent graft with a tether. The tethered pop up branch structure stent graft is deployed into a main vessel such that the first pop up branch structure is near a first branch vessel emanating from the main vessel and the second pop up branch structure is near a second branch vessel emanating from the main vessel. A first guide is passed through a first collateral opening in the first pop up branch structure and into the first branch vessel. A second guide is passed through a second collateral opening in the second pop up branch structure and into the second branch vessel. The tether is then removed such that the first pop up branch structure slides outwards on the first guide and into a first ostium of the first branch vessel and the second pop up branch structure slides outwards on the second guide into a second ostium of the second branch vessel.
US08292936B2
In one aspect, the present invention provides a neck cooling or heating apparatus comprising a primary band comprising a first end, a second end and a neck cooling or neck heating region positioned between the first end and the second end, the neck cooling or the neck heating region having coupled thereto a tissue cooling or a tissue heating material.
US08292933B2
An absorbable screw fastener and a method of firing with an applicator capable of applying a surgical fastener to tissue in order to form tissue connection to secure objects to tissue, the fastener including a body portion having a helical thread, a head portion disposed at the proximal end of the body portion. The head portion includes a driver receiving configuration on its outer surface. The screw fastener further includes a cannulated center lumen with an opening extending from the head portion through the longitudinal length of the body portion.
US08292924B2
An enhanced pedicle rod clamp device for connecting two or more pedicle rods in spinal surgery is disclosed. The device may include an arm, an upper clamp, and a lower clamp, which are configured for coupling to a pedicle rod. The upper clamp may be coupled to the arm, and the lower clamp may be coupled to the upper clamp. The upper clamp may be rotationally and/or translationally movable with respect to at least one of the arm and the lower clamp. The lower clamp may be rotationally and/or translationally movable with respect to at least one of the arm and the upper clamp.
US08292921B2
A method for repairing a defect in a fibrous soft tissue includes passing a distal portion of an inserter through corresponding longitudinal bores of first and second anchors. The method includes coupling the first and second anchors with a flexible strand, and forming an adjustable knotless loop with the flexible strand.
US08292915B2
A hand-held acupressure device which includes a ball attached to an elongated rigid handle by an elastic cord enabling the user to easily position the ball over trigger points. Pressure is applied to the trigger points by pressing the body to the ball against a hard surface. The elastic cord allows the ball freedom of movement apart from the handle while in use, and pulls the ball back to its original position at the end of the handle after use.
US08292908B2
A method and apparatus for remotely cannulating a body part are disclosed. The apparatus is an endoscopic cannulation apparatus having a fluid stasis assembly and a coring assembly. The fluid stasis assembly allows for the penetration of the body part and deployment of an occlusive device to prevent the escape of fluid during the coring and cannulation of the body part. The cannulation assembly allows for the coring of the body part without the introduction of air bubbles or other embolic materials into the patient. The method of the invention provides for the remote coring and cannulation of a body part such as a heart, blood vessels, the stomach, intestines, and other body parts with a sealed apparatus that may be de-aired to lessen the risk of the introduction of emboli into a system.
US08292894B2
A device for positioning a tibial tunnel during ACL reconstruction is provided. The device includes a portion insertable into a pre-formed opening in the femur. Also provided is a method for positioning a tibial tunnel during ACL reconstruction. The method includes the steps of forming an opening in a femur bone, inserting a portion of a device into the opening, and using the device to position an opening in a tibia bone.
US08292893B2
In a surgical instrument for tensioning two plate-shaped engaging elements with respect to each other at opposite sides of bone portions, a first engaging element carrying next to each other at a spacing from each other two pin-shaped or rod-shaped connecting members which pass through openings in the second engaging element, with a supporting surface for engagement on the side of the second engaging element that faces away from the first engaging element, and with a tensioning device engaging the connecting members for displacement of the connecting members and consequently of the first engaging element in the direction towards the second engaging element, to enable an individual adjustment of the engaging elements to the shape of the bone portions, it is proposed that the surgical instrument comprise next to each other two grip elements, each releasably connectable to a connecting member, and that the tensioning device engage the grip elements through a compensating element which, upon tensioning of the tensioning device, allows a differently sized displacement of the two grip elements and consequently of the two connecting members.
US08292892B2
A tool set for implanting a rod in a human spine in conjunction with bone screws. The tool set includes a pair of end guide tools that receive opposite ends of the rod in channels and under manipulation by a surgeon facilitate transport of the rod toward the bone screws attached to the guide tools. Intermediate guide tools having guiding pass through slots are utilized to guide intermediate locations along the rod toward associated bone screws. An attachment structure operably connects the guide tools to the bone screws. The guide tools each include a lower guide and advancement structure to allow a closure top with mating structure to be rotated and driven downward against the rod and to cooperate with similar structure in the bone screw to seat and lock the rod therein. A method utilizing the tool set allows a surgeon to percutaneously implant the rod in the patient.
US08292887B2
A bipolar, plasma-generating electrosurgical apparatus and system wherein the return electrode is enclosed within an electrosurgical shaft, and the active electrode is located on the outside surface of the shaft such that in treating the tissue, the tissue is exposed to plasma generated on the active electrode, but is minimally exposed to electric fields generated between the active and return electrodes. Due to the configuration of the electrodes, electric fields generated between the electrodes are directed away from the target tissue and inwardly towards the return electrode within the shaft, thereby electrical stimulation of neuromuscular structures in the tissue by the electric fields is minimized.
US08292885B2
To facilitate the widespread use of the RF plasma catheter to provide in situ fenestration of a main stent-graft, potential side-effects of the fenestration are ameliorated using an electrode from a family of electrodes. Specifically, a family of electrodes is provided so that for a particular application, an appropriate electrode can be selected.
US08292881B2
An electromagnetic surgical ablation probe having a coaxial feedline and cooling chamber is disclosed. The disclosed probe includes a dipole antenna arrangement having a radiating section, a distal tip coupled to a distal end of the radiating section, and a ring-like balun short) or choke, which may control a radiation pattern of the probe. A conductive tube disposed coaxially around the balun short includes at least one fluid conduit which provides coolant, such as dionized water, to a cooling chamber defined within the probe. A radiofrequency transparent catheter forms an outer surface of the probe and may include a lubricious coating.
US08292879B2
An electrical conductor, such as a wire or catheter, which is coated circumferentially with a ferromagnetic material in a selected region, is fed from a high frequency alternating current source. The ferromagnetic material has a quick response in heating and cooling to the controllable power delivery. The ferromagnetic material can be used for separating tissue, coagulation, tissue destruction or achieving other desired tissue effects in numerous surgical procedures.
US08292876B2
A compact, nonelectric fluid dispenser for use in controllably dispensing beneficial agents such as propofol and dexmedetomidine hydrochloride to patients. The dispenser includes a fluid flow control assembly that precisely controls the flow of the medicament solution to the patient and embodies a collapsible, pre-filled drug container that contains the beneficial agents to be delivered to the patient. The unit-dose fluid dispenser of the invention is presented in a sterile and aseptic manner, where the drug has been pre-filled in the system, so that the practitioner cannot mistakenly give the wrong drug to the patient. The dispenser uniquely provides a more efficient medicament delivery system for procedure rooms, such as the endoscopy center, so that a greater number of patients can be treated per day at a higher standard of care with increased profits for the healthcare provider.
US08292871B2
A method for treating an occlusion in a coronary artery of a patient includes percutaneously advancing an occlusion treatment tool (such as an angioplasty balloon or stent delivery device) through the vasculature of the patient and into a coronary artery to a site of the occlusion. Following the treatment of the occlusion, a therapeutic agent is admitted into the first coronary artery. The therapeutic agent is selected to treat microvasculature obstructions at a target cardiac tissue site distal to the site of the occlusion.
US08292869B2
A container for a vial of radiopharmaceutical, made of polymethyl methacrylate consists of a receptacle, with a cavity capable of containing the vial of radiopharmaceutical, and of a lid screwed onto the receptacle for closing the container, said lid presenting a central through-hole. A set, in combination with this container with the vial of radiopharmaceutical, consisting of a bottle of saline solution and two infusion catheters, enhances the radioprotection during the infusion of a radiopharmaceutical in an infusion operation.
US08292864B2
An absorbent article and method of making an absorbent article. The absorbent article has a first layer and a second layer in facing relationship with one another. The first layer has a first imparted colored region coincident with the longitudinal centerline. The second layer has a second imparted colored region laterally more extensive in a direction orthogonally away from the longitudinal centerline than the first imparted colored region. The second imparted colored region extends across the longitudinal centerline and has free ends. The absorbent article has a background region. The first imparted colored region and the second imparted colored region differ in color as compared to the background region.
US08292861B2
An individually packaged absorbent article including an absorbent article and a package. The package can enclose the absorbent article and can have an outer surface and an inner surface. In certain embodiments, the package can include a package material that is a polymeric film. The package can have two opposing faces, and an opening area. The opening area can be provided substantially on a face of the package, and the package having an overlabel substantially covering the opening area.
US08292857B2
A medical waste fluid collection and disposal system includes a medical waste fluid collection cart including first and second fluid collection canisters. A valve assembly selectively communicates with the canisters and a valve drive system controls the valve assembly. A liquid level sensor is positioned within each of the canisters. A cart processor communicates with the liquid level sensors and the valve drive system. A cart drain line communicates with the valve assembly and a receptacle, a cart flushing line communicates with the valve assembly and the receptacle and a cart data line and a cart power line communicate with the cart processor and the cart receptacle. A station includes a drain pump that communicates with a drainage system and a station drain line, a flushing pump that communicates with a source of washing liquid and a station flushing line and a station processor in communication with the drain and flushing pumps. A station data line communicates with the station processor. A coupler communicates with the station drain line, flushing line and the station data line and a station power line. The station coupler removably engages the cart receptacle so operation of the cart and station components can be coordinated by the processors for drainage and flushing of the cart canisters.
US08292855B2
A surgical access assembly for receiving instruments of various diameters is disclosed. The access assembly includes a housing defining a longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal opening for passage of a surgical instrument. The access assembly may also include a mechanism disposed within the housing and having a passageway for reception and passage of the surgical instrument in substantial sealed relation therewith. The mechanism may be adapted for reciprocal longitudinal movement within the housing between a first position corresponding to a first dimension of the passageway and a second position corresponding to a second dimension of the passageway.The mechanism may include a single seal element or first and second seal elements. The seal elements may be adapted for lateral movement during longitudinal movement of the seal. The first and second seal elements may be in at least partial overlapping relation when in the first position of the seal. The access assembly may include a lock or latch for preventing movement of the seal elements.
US08292852B2
The invention relates to a catheter introducer comprising: a tube-like introducer sheath; an introducer hub having a distal section and a proximal section, wherein the distal section is joined to the proximal end of the introducer sheath and the proximal section defines a chamber; a needle extending through the introducer hub and the introducer sheath and having opposite proximal and distal ends, the distal end forming a needle tip; a needle hub attached to the proximal end of the needle; a needle safety device slidably arranged on the needle, wherein the needle safety device is retained in the chamber of the introducer hub when the needle extends through the introducer hub and the introducer sheath, and removable from the introducer hub once the needle tip is received in the needle safety device upon withdrawal of the needle from the introducer sheath.
US08292847B2
A system and method for regenerating damaged or necrosed tissue. Negative or vacuum pressure is applied to a surface of the damaged tissue to stimulate the revascularization of the area and/or increased blood flow to the area, which encourages the regeneration of the damaged tissue. A negative pressure device is provided that is capable of providing a sequenced vacuum treatment regimen to damaged tissue.
US08292845B2
Volume filling and/or augmentation are improved by harvesting live dermis from a donor and processing the dermis for re-injection into the donor. A variety of kits, tools, and methods are described for harvesting, processing, and using injectable dermis in volume filling procedures.
US08292841B2
A split-tip catheter for placement within the vasculature of a patient and for use in hemodialysis or other suitable procedures is disclosed. In one embodiment, the split-tip catheter includes a catheter body that defines a first lumen and a second lumen. The catheter body further comprises a split distal region, including a venous segment and an arterial segment. The venous segment includes a recess extending proximally of a nose portion; and a lateral opening in fluid communication with the first lumen. The arterial segment also includes a lateral opening, is separate from the venous segment, and is removably seatable in the recess provided by the venous segment. In one embodiment, the distal region is un-split, but includes symmetrically opposed lateral openings, as well as distal openings, in communication with the first and second lumens for providing a functional stagger for blood flow in both forward and reverse catheter flow directions.
US08292840B2
An apparatus and method for on-the-go humidifying an insufflation gas through water vapor transfer from a liquid to the insufflation gas through a barrier separating the gas from the liquid to enable the gas in a normally trauma inducing state to be brought to a conditioned state. If the gas is at an improper insufflation temperature the temperature of the gas can be brought to the proper insufflation temperature at the same time the gas is humidified through heat transfer through the barrier.
US08292839B2
A switch comprises a rotating switch member which provides fluid communication in three modes; infusion, recirculation and priming The switch is located between the oxygenator and drug bag and the cardioplegia pump raceway. The switch has three channels molded into the rotating manifold which either direct blood and cardioplegia into the coronary arteries of the patient or into a recirculation line. When the switch is rotated into the recirculation line, a hose is in fluid connection through the switch and connects the recirculation line with the pump blood and drug inlet lines thereby allowing cooling of the cardioplegic mixture during the time between infusions.
US08292838B2
An orthopedic device in the form of an unloading osteoarthritic knee brace has proximal and distal frame members with a flexion-extension hinge positioned between the proximal and distal frame members. At least one articulating free hinge is positioned in an upright between the flexion-extension hinge and one of the proximal and distal frame members. The free hinge provides free rotation of the proximal or distal frame member about the anteroposterior axis with respect to the flexion-extension hinge.
US08292837B2
The present application describes a combination exercise-massage unit consisting of a base platform with enclosed weight enclosure at one end and a pivoting bed assembly at the other. The bed assembly can easily be tipped having the effect of increasing the weight lifted, reducing the pressure of the rollers on the back or relieving tension by elevating the head. A continuous belt covers a plurality of massage rollers that have replaceable outer sleeves with a variety of different configurations and softness. There is a translating framework that has elevated head rest and two shoulder supports on either side. The person can hold the upright handles or the side support bars with the padded side members of the translating framework. The translating framework can be adjusted in length to accommodate the height of the person using the unit.
US08292817B2
An ultrasonograph contains a probe provided with a transmitting/receiving ultrasonic transducer at the center thereof, and the probe has a transmitting ultrasonic transducer and a receiving ultrasonic transducer which are symmetrically movable with respect to the transmitting/receiving ultrasonic transducer. Contacting the probe with the skin of a diagnosis area, a direction of the probe is adjusted to be perpendicular to the diagnosis object using echo signals of the transducer. Then the echo signals of the transmitting ultrasonic transducer and the transmitting/receiving ultrasonic transducer, and a distance between the ultrasonic transducers are processed to obtain a signal intensity. Results are displayed on a display to indicate the thickness, hardness of an articular cartilage, and a surface condition thereof visually so that it is possible to diagnose the articular cartilage without inserting a probe into the cavitas articulare.
US08292812B2
The present invention provides a method for detecting and locating brachytherapy seeds using Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA). The method exploits the presence of seed-specific repetitive echo signals in detecting seeds and determining their location. Radio frequency (rf) echo signals received from a scanned area of interest are converted to zero-mean envelope-detected signals and then processed using SSA to produce a spectral-power line (a P line). The P line indicates the relative likelihood of a seed being present. A colored P-mode image derived from a set of P lines is superimposed on a conventional ultrasound B-mode image to depict seed location.
US08292806B2
A safety and health information reporting system including a wearable device, a metabolic index calculating part, an activity index calculating part, a safety and health status determining part and a determination result output part. The wearable device is worn by a living body. The metabolic index calculating part calculates a metabolic index which represents energy consumption of the living body, based on a detection signal of the wearable device. The activity index calculating part calculates an activity index representing an activity amount of the living body on a daily basis. The safety and health status determining part which determines a safety and health status of the living body, based on a comparison of the metabolic index and the activity index. The determination result output part outputs a determination result of the safety and health status determining part.
US08292798B2
The invention relates to an incubator for babies. It is of special value for the treatment of premature infants as an intensive care unit at any time during life from creation to implantation. A cradle is sided with ports to enable fluidic ventilation. Advantageously the incubator includes an optical path for imaging the patient via a clear bottom and open top. The incubator is provided with easy access and various accessories required for an intensive care unit.
US08292797B2
A diversionary therapy apparatus (100) provides a tangible intuitive and immersive interaction device for a patient so as to distract the patient from a treatment. It includes a handheld tablet device (110) having motion sensors and a screen (112) for showing digital content relating to a three-dimensional environment. A controller determines movement of the tablet device (110) and displays content on the screen (112) based on this movement so that the patient can interact with the three-dimensional environment displayed on the screen through physical manipulation of the device (110). Various other interactive features are also disclosed, including interchangeable selector elements, e.g. figurines (114), that may be mounted on the device (110) to allow selection of content and action, a camera, biometric sensors, a touchscreen, a domed rear surface to allow the device to rock on a surface and a profiled screen wall (124). Handgrips (122) may be provided skew to the horizontal to encourage immediate rotation of the device (110). Various other applications of the device are discussed, as is motion sensing based on a camera imaging a pattern on a marker element, e.g. on a figurine (114).
US08292796B2
An apparatus for the treatment of chronic pain, through the use of an electro-magnetic field generated by the device. The apparatus comprises a frame with a continuous side wall and a central passageway extending there through with a bar disposed in the central passageway. The bar extends from one side of the continuous side wall the other side. Four pairs of identical planar pole magnets are embedded in the frame, and wherein each pair comprises two magnets which can have a planar face disposed adjacent the other and separated by less than 1 inch. A central magnet encircles the bar and can be disposed at the intersection of the donut-shaped low gauss magnet field wherein a central magnet is used for forming a substantially focused magnetic field.
US08292795B2
Methods and apparatus for intraocular brachytherapy are disclosed in which a cannula is introduced into the eye for delivery of radiation to a target tissue. Techniques for properly locating the cannula with respect to the target tissue, for protecting non-target tissue, for regulating heat generated by x-ray emitters, and for combining therapies are disclosed.
US08292787B2
An exercise apparatus includes a frame, an arm supporting member, and a leg supporting member. A sensor is connected to at least one of the arm supporting member and the leg supporting member, and/or a resilient member is interconnected between the arm supporting member and either the leg supporting member or the frame. The sensor communicates with a user display and/or a resistance device to indicate the amounts of work performed by the arm supporting member and the leg supporting member, and/or to adjust resistance to movement of the leg supporting member as a function of user force applied against the arm supporting member. The resilient member encourages synchronization of the arm supporting member and the leg supporting member, while allowing some relative movement therebetween. A user interface displays data associated with exercise activity, including relative amounts of work performed by a user's arms and legs and/or performed during different phases of exercise, including discrete aerobic and anaerobic phases. The interface display and the level of resistance are preferably changed as part of the transition between phases.
US08292783B2
A method for controlling torque transmitted between an internal combustion engine and a torque transmission device includes controlling actuation of a torque converter clutch device effective to maintain an engine output within a predetermined range when an input to the transmission is less than a threshold, and controlling actuation of the torque converter clutch device effective to maintain a relative speed across the torque converter substantially at a predetermined magnitude when the input to the transmission is greater than the threshold.
US08292778B2
The idle-stop restart control system includes: a sensorless synchronous motor-generator which operates as a generator and a starting motor; an induced-signal detecting circuit for detecting an induced signal output from an armature winding; a field drive circuit for controlling energization of a field winding; and a restart control circuit output, to the field drive circuit, a drive signal for controlling the energization of the field winding to amplify the induced signal while calculating the number of revolutions and an angular position of a rotor based on the detected induced signal when an engine stop command is input and a level of the detected induced signal is equal to or less than a predetermined value and output the drive signal for controlling the energization of the armature winding to restart the engine based on the calculated number of revolutions and angular position of the rotor when a restart command is input.
US08292769B2
A motor vehicle transmission includes a power splitter connected with the vehicle engine and having two outputs. A differential and a clutch are connected with the outputs of the splitter. Separate gearboxes including alternating sequential gear mechanisms are connected with the differential and clutch. The differential and clutch are independently operated under control of an electronic control unit to provide continuous flow of power from the engine to the gearboxes which may be simultaneously operated.
US08292768B2
A motor-generator system for a vehicle, in which power transmission between a crankshaft of an engine and a motor-generator is performed by a V-belt wound around pulleys thereof, includes a speed controller controlling the rotational speed of the V-belt within a predetermined range and provided on a crankshaft pulley mounted on the crankshaft. The motor-generator system, among others, can maintain the power transmission force of the V-belt at a high level.
US08292766B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide improved overrunning pulleys that overcome one or more of the deficiencies in the prior art noted above. Embodiments of the present invention provide pulleys that are “springy” in the torque direction, yet have a lower effective spring constant (e.g., are less stiff) over a greater angular range. Further, in at least some embodiments, the inventive pulleys use a low cost and simple torque transfer geometry. Further, in at least some embodiments, the inventive pulleys afford significant overrun. Further, in at least some embodiments, the inventive pulleys are radially small in an overall envelope, in order to allow the alternator to reach its highest possible rotational speed, and thus output, during engine idle. Further, in at least some embodiments, the inventive pulleys are more durable, as they offer the aforementioned dynamics in both directions (torque and counter-torque).
US08292761B2
A training device guides the throwing arm of a person in a ball throwing movement in a forward throwing direction. The training device comprises a base arranged to be supported on the ground, an upright support member extending upwardly from the base and a guide member on the upright support member which has a generally concave inner surface extending upwardly and forwardly from a generally vertical starting end to a generally horizontal releasing end. The user grasps a ball in the hand of their throwing arm and displaces the ball alongside the guide member from the starting end to the releasing end in a ball throwing movement to throw the ball in the forward throwing direction of the training device.
US08292756B2
A golf club head with an increased moment of inertia (MOI) about the X axis and the Z axis. Generally, the MOI about the Z axis is at least about 4400 g·cm2 and the MOI about the X axis is at least about 2500 g·cm2. The radius of the bulge of the club face is increased while the radius of the roll is reduced to compensate for the gear effect produced by the increased MOIs. The bulge curvature is generally between about 0.016 cm−1 and about 0.028 cm−1, and the roll curvature is between about 0.033 cm−1 and about 0.066 cm−1. The roll curvature is greater than the bulge curvature.
US08292753B1
A club shaft that can be installed in a club head permanently or can be installed in clubs with interchangeable shaft features is disclosed herein. The invention is a measurement device that enables the capturing of the speed and motion of the swing. The invention uses two antennas, one transmitting and one receiving. The power of the radar wave is low. The wavelength will be on the order of a millimeter.
US08292747B2
A spring retainer assembly, including: a flange plate; a plurality of springs in contact with a radially outer portion of the flange plate; a first cover plate; a second cover plate; a spring retainer; and at least one fastening device. The spring retainer and the first plate substantially surround respective outer circumferences of the plurality of springs; and the at least one fastening device is for fixedly connecting the spring retainer to a torque-transmitting device. In one embodiment, the spring retainer is axially fixed by the connection to the torque-transmitting device and includes a first portion, and contact of the first portion with the first plate positions the first plate in a desired axial position with respect to the plurality of springs. In one embodiment, the spring retainer includes a plurality of protrusions and a circumferential end for each spring is in contact with a respective protrusion.
US08292742B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for simulation and regeneration of a virtual environment. A simulation and regeneration system may record a simulation by reading out all information necessary to recreate the virtual environment to a simulation data file. In certain embodiments, the system may include an after action review mode. In the after action review mode, players may watch the recorded simulation in order to understand what happened during the simulation, why it happened, and what could be done to improve the result. A facilitator may provide feedback to the players during the after action review mode or during the simulation. A simulation may be regenerated based on data from the simulation data.
US08292735B2
A method of location-based gaming includes the steps of engaging a program to play a game, determining the location of a target object, providing the location of the target object to a central location, obtaining a data file pertaining to an object at the location of the target object, and generating gaming object data relative to the location of the target object.
US08292730B2
A method of gaming comprising: determining at least one game outcome; determining a total award from the at least one game outcome; modifying the total award based on a size of the total award to obtain a modified total award; and awarding the modified total award.
US08292722B2
A slot machine of the present invention comprises a symbol display device capable of rearranging a plurality of symbols; and a controller, the controller programmed to conduct processing of (A) executing a game in which, after game media in number equal to or less than a predetermined maximum number of BETs are bet, the plurality of symbols are rearranged by the symbol display device, and game media in number according to the arranged symbols or combinations are paid out; (B) shifting a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode on condition that a predetermined number of game media is inserted; (C) counting the number of games played after shifting to the insurance mode, in the insurance mode; (D) paying out a predetermined number of game media when the number of games counted in the processing (C) reaches a specific number; and (E) clearing the number of games counted in the processing (C) and at the same time shifting the mode from the insurance mode to the non-insurance mode, when a game ending condition which enables a player to figure out that the game has ended is established.
US08292720B2
The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a player with an opportunity to compete against an opponent (either a virtual opponent or a human opponent). In one embodiment, the gaming system and method provide a competition game that operates concurrently with a wagering game. In one embodiment, the competition game includes a turn-based video game which enables a player to compete against an opponent. Different generated symbol combinations for the wagering game represent different game actions or sequences for the competition game. That is, the symbols or symbol combinations generated in the wager game determine which game actions or sequences the gaming system causes to occur for the competition game. Based on such displayed game actions and sequences, the disclosed gaming system and method determines whether the player or the opponent wins that competition for the competition game.
US08292708B2
A register cover (also referred to as a vent cover) for use in a building that has heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems that utilize air registers. The register cover completely covers the register and secures to the register using a magnet in order to substantially block the flow of forced air through the register that is covered by the register cover. In the case of a non-metallic register, a method is disclosed for retrofitting the non-metallic register by placing metallic mounts on the register in order to secure the register cover over the register with one or more magnets.
US08292707B2
An off-peak intake vent includes spaced top and bottom walls defining a cavity therebetween and a pair of lateral side walls. The bottom wall has a generally planar bottom surface having at least one vent opening formed therethrough for communicating with an opening in a roof deck. The top wall has a curved portion that converges with the bottom wall at an uphill edge of the intake vent. The intake vent also includes air intake louvers defined between the top and bottom walls.
US08292701B2
A blade sharpening assembly generally consisting of a base member; a clamping member disposed on the base member, cooperable therewith for releasably securing a blade thereon with a cutting edge thereof protruding therefrom; a guide post mountable on the base member; a carrier member mounted on the guide post, displaceable along a length thereof, including means for releasably securing the carrier member at selected positions along the length of the guide post; and a tool for sharpening a blade secured between the base and clamping members, including a handle section, an elongated section engageable with a support surface of the carrier member and a honing section engageable with a cutting edge of a blade secured between the base and clamping members when the elongated section engages the support surface of the carrier member.
US08292699B2
A polishing apparatus is provided for polishing an optical fiber connector. The optical fiber connector includes a connector housing and a ferrule. The polishing apparatus includes a mount to receive and hold the optical connector and a base to support the mount. The base further includes a dispenser portion. The polishing apparatus further includes a polishing strip dispensable by the dispensing portion of the base. The polishing strip has a portion thereof extending through a passageway formed in the mount, where a first surface of the polishing strip is disposed proximate to an end face of the ferrule of the optical connector disposed in the mount. In an exemplary aspect, the polishing strip comprises one or more polishing media disposed on a backing material.
US08292698B1
An on-line method of cleaning contaminants from at least one interior surface in plasma chambers comprises blasting one or more interior surfaces of a plasma chamber with dry ice to remove contaminants from the one or more surfaces.
US08292697B2
A carrier structure for supporting a substrate when being processed by passing the carrier through a meniscus formed by upper and lower proximity heads is described. A method of manufacturing the carrier further described. The method includes forming a composite frame having a carbon fiber core, a top sheet, a bottom sheet, a layer of aramid fabric between the top sheet and the core and a second layer of aramid fabric between the bottom sheet and the core. The top sheet and the bottom are each formed from a polymer material. The method further includes forming an opening sized for receiving a substrate and providing a plurality of support pins extending into the opening for supporting the substrate within the opening. The opening is formed slightly larger than the substrate such that a gap exists between the substrate and the opening.
US08292688B2
A computer system provides a virtual world. The computer system includes a server subsystem serving virtual world data, via a communication network, and receives data and/or commands. A registration subsystem, coupled to the server subsystem, verifies information from a toy, and registers the toy. The verifying includes determining the validity of the information. A virtual world providing subsystem, coupled to the server subsystem, provides the virtual world data, which produces data that presents the virtual world. The virtual world data includes a virtual toy representing the toy and a reward provided to the user for registering the toy.
US08292686B2
An apparatus for manufacturing a light source and a method therefor are provided that enables a high efficient light source to be manufactured even when an optical element whose characteristic significantly varies is used. After maintaining temperatures of a laser device and a wavelength conversion element at a temperature where an output of light emitted from each of the device and the element is equal to or greater than a predetermined rate of the maximum output, the laser device and the wavelength conversion element whose temperatures have been maintained are joined together so that the output of the light emitted from the wavelength conversion element is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
US08292683B2
A buoyant wading aid has a generally U-shaped body. The body includes a front portion and rearwardly extending legs. A pair of handles are provided on the legs. A storage container may be tethered to the body of wading aid to be towed behind the body when in use. The storage container may be adjusted into a transport configuration between and supported by the legs. The handles may be rigidly attached to a frame that provides structural support for the body of the wading aid.
US08292677B2
In a plug-in connector (1), at least one part of the busbar element (10) is in each case arranged in the boundary area between an associated conductor entry opening (3) and an associated contact pin receiving opening (8) in such a manner that the part of the busbar element (10) is located between a contact pin (14) and an electric conductor (5) and electrically conductively rests against the contact pin (14) and the electric conductor (5). The busbar element (10) has a resilient contact area in the contact pin receiving opening (8) for electrically contacting the busbar element (10) by a spring force with a contact pin (14) which can be inserted into an associated contact pin receiving opening (8).
US08292667B1
A card connector comprises a housing and plural conductive terminals accommodated in the housing. The housing comprises an upper housing and a lower housing connected to each other. The upper and lower housings form a first opening and a second opening which are stacked. The first and second openings are communicated to form an accommodating space. At least two electrical cards placed one above the other are accommodated in the accommodating space. The conductive terminals comprise a first set of conductive terminals and a second set of conductive terminals. An upper inner wall of the upper housing and a lower inner wall of the lower housing respectively have plural terminal slots disposed thereon for accommodating the first and second sets of conductive terminals. The card connector can accommodate two pieces of electrical cards, has a compact structure, and is capable of saving spaces of a device.
US08292666B2
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a plurality of passageways and a plurality of contacts disposed in the passageways by two arrangement manners. Each contact includes a mating portion located at an upper end and a soldering portion located at a bottom end. Wherein a first arrangement manner is that neighboring mating portions defined a distance in a same row is smaller than a distance defined by corresponding neighboring soldering portions, and neighboring mating portions defined a distance in a same column is equal to a distance defined by corresponding neighboring soldering portions. A second arrangement manner is that neighboring mating portions defined a distance in both a same row and a same column is smaller than a distance defined by corresponding neighboring soldering portions.
US08292664B2
Edge connectors to connect a daughter or optional board to an edge of a main or motherboard. These connectors may have a low profile or height to save space in electronic devices, and allow electronic devices incorporating the connector have a thin form factor. These connectors may also provide for reliable manufacturing by providing a robust connection to a motherboard and easy insertion of a daughter card.
US08292659B2
An electrical connector includes a male electrical connector and a female electrical connector. The male electrical connector includes an electrical connector housing that receives a plurality of contact modules provided with first mating contacts. The female electrical connector includes an electrical connector housing that receives a plurality of contact modules provided with second mating contacts that mate with the first mating contacts. Each of the electrical connector housings has a plurality of electrically insulating plates. The electrically insulating plates extend in a plane substantially perpendicular to a plane of insertion of the contact modules into the electrical connector housings. The electrically insulating plates support at least the first mating contacts.
US08292656B2
A power outlet organizer for an intravenous pole assembly may include a housing, at least one electrical outlet, an electrical cord, a biasing member, a support mechanism and a fastener. The electrical cord may include a first end portion electrically connected to the at least one electrical outlet and a second end portion electrically connected to an electrical plug. The electrical cord may be movable between a retracted position within the housing and an extended position for connecting the electrical plug to a wall socket. The biasing member may be configured to move the electrical cord to the retracted position. The support mechanism may include an elongated support structure carried by the housing and a plurality of brackets configured on the elongated support structure. Each bracket may be adapted for receiving a power cord of a medical device therein to preclude scattering thereof on a floor.
US08292649B2
A socket connector comprises a housing having a plurality of contacts revived therein, a stiffener coupled with the housing and defining a plurality of mounting holes, and a plurality of standoffs each inserted into a mounting holes of the stiffener. Each standoff defines at least one post positioning the standoff in the mounting hole and at least one latch member grasping edge of the mounting hole.
US08292640B1
A USB connector includes a connector body and a shielding sheet rotatably connected to the connecting body. The connector body includes a connector holder and a plug connected to the connector holder. The plug defines an opening in an end away from the connector holder. The plug is configured for coupling the USB connector to a mating connector. The shielding sheet is rotated to expose the opening of the plug when the USB connector couples to the mating connector, and covers the opening of the plug when the USB connector is detached from the mating connector.
US08292639B2
Control modules having connectors with compliant pin terminals for connection to a printed circuit board (PCB) are provided. The module housing can be made of a die cast metal to withstand harsh environments and have at least one open bay area for receiving a connector having compliant pin contacts for connecting the module to a PCB. A plurality of compliant pin terminal can have a push shoulders for providing an engagement surface for insertion of the terminals through passages in a connector housing, for positioning the connector relative to the die cast housing during the mounting the connector to the die cast housing, and to transfer the force away from the connector housing applied in connecting the PCB to the compliant pin tips. The connectors can be linear and exposed terminal surfaces can be sealed against the elements by a sealant. The passages of the connector housing can have at one end of the passages cross shaped portions to allow for a strengthened die tool which forms the small passages and chamfered sides at the opposite end of the passages for tight engagement with the terminals to prevent leak of sealant. The connectors can include a three-pronged compliant pin grounding terminal to increase the current flow.
US08292633B2
The present invention provides an electrical connector for electrically connecting a mating device having pads, comprising: a body with a stopping portion and a plurality of terminals with contact parts contacting the pads. The terminals have a first and a second movement path. During the first path, contact part and mating device move toward stopping portion simultaneously. During the second path, contact part moves toward stopping portion relative to mating device, and the horizontal displacement of terminals is smaller than width of the pads. Compared with prior art, it is guaranteed the relative displacement between terminal and pad is reduced under the condition of fixed horizontal displacement of terminal. As the relative displacement still exists, terminal and pad can scrape the grime on surface while allowing movement of contact part within the area of the pads.
US08292628B2
The appliance comprises a casing, a removable front plate, an electrical connector, and mechanical means for assembling the front plate on the casing and for fastening it thereto. The mechanical means comprise, at a first end, means that form a separable hinge comprising at least one pair of respective magnetic elements such as permanent magnets disposed in the region of the connector and facing one another on the casing and the front plate, and the opposite end, means for locking the front plate to the casing. Mechanical coupling of the front plate on the casing at the location of the separable magnetic hinge results solely from the mutual attraction of the facing magnetic elements.
US08292626B2
An aptitude and interest assessment tool identifies one or more sectors for which a user may have a special interest, talent or aptitude. An interactive session is presented to a user. The interactive session provides a virtual world. A user interacts with the virtual world. Some or all of the user's interactions in the virtual world can be stored in a storage device. The user's aptitude or interest in a profession or activity is assessed by an assessment module that receives data from the storage device and processes the received data to make a user assessment. A report providing the user assessment is created by a report creator.
US08292621B2
A dental healing abutment assembly having a tubular holder and a plurality of removable nestable shells. Each nestable shell has a proximal end and a distal end open to permit the nesting of the shell with the holder or other nestable shells. The proximal end of each nestable shell is defined by a base plate. The tubular holder and the nestable shells each have a pass through hole for accommodating a mounting member. The healing abutment assembly is attached to a dental implant impacted in a patient's jawbone by way of the mounting member.
US08292617B2
Methods and devices utilizing a dental appliance for dental retainer wire attachment are disclosed. One such wire attachment appliance includes a shell having one or more cavities formed therein and shaped to receive one or more teeth, at least two wire attachment members provided on the shell, and at least one attachment material reservoir provided on the shell, wherein the attachment material is provided to attach a wire to a tooth adjacent to a particular reservoir of the at least one attachment material reservoir.
US08292613B2
A runner system for a molding apparatus comprises a plurality of runner networks, each runner network further comprising a mold supply pot having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. A plurality of molding cavities are located on the first and second sides of the mold supply pot, and a plurality of runners are operative to channel molding compound from each mold supply pot to the plurality of molding cavities. At least one of the mold supply pots comprises a different number of runners located on the first side which are connected to the mold supply pot as compared to a number of runners located on the second side which are connected to the mold supply pot.
US08292602B2
The present invention relates to novel oblong, preferably bilobular, sump containers or reservoir housings for containing sump pump stands and two or more sump pumps, which containers are more narrow, side-to-side, than conventional circular, frustroconical larger volume sump containers, and only slightly longer or wider lengthwise than such conventional standard-size containers, to provide a substantially larger interior integrated oblong cross-sectional floor area for the containment of two or more sump pumps without interference with each other. The present housings preferably have a top oblong reinforcing rim and a reinforcing bridge connecting the reinforcing rim across the width of said container. The present sump pump reservoir housings also have a two-piece oblong or bilobular cross-section cover which is attachable to the reinforcing rim to enclose the housing and which includes ports for the extension of pump discharge conduits from pumps within the housing through the cover to a discharge area.
US08292600B2
The present invention includes methods and apparatuses for operating and controlling AOD pumps (10, 10′, 10″, 100, 460, 580, 740) and other pumps.
US08292594B2
Certain types of reciprocating positive-displacement pumps (which may be referred to hereinafter as “pods,” “pump pods,” or “pod pumps”) are used to pump fluids, such as a biological fluid (e.g., blood or peritoneal fluid), a therapeutic fluid (e.g., a medication solution), or a surfactant fluid. The pumps may be configured specifically to impart low shear forces and low turbulence on the fluid as the fluid is pumped from an inlet to an outlet. Such pumps may be particularly useful in pumping fluids that may be damaged by such shear forces (e.g., blood, and particularly heated blood, which is prone to hemolysis) or turbulence (e.g., surfactants or other fluids that may foam or otherwise be damaged or become unstable in the presence of turbulence).
US08292592B2
A device includes a resilient member having a first end for blocking an access hole and a second end for attachment to a support surface, an opening extending through the resilient member and located between the first and second ends, and a bolt connection location positioned at the second end of the resilient member. The first end of the resilient member blocks the access hole and can be deflected to provide tool access to the bolt connection location through the first opening.
US08292590B2
Engine components and rotor groups are provided. In an embodiment, by way of example only, an engine component includes an impeller and a protective sleeve. The impeller has a bore defined by an inner surface. The protective sleeve lines the inner surface of the impeller and comprises a polymer material. In another embodiment, by way of example only, a rotor group includes an impeller, a protective sleeve, a rotor component, and a tie shaft. The impeller has a first bore defined by an inner surface. The protective sleeve lines the inner surface of the impeller and comprises a polymer material. The rotor component has a second bore, and the tie shaft extends through the first bore and the second bore.
US08292574B2
A compression stage having a plurality of stator vanes and rotor blades coaxial with a longitudinal centerline axis, each stator vane having an exit swirl angle distribution such that the exit swirl angle has a maximum value at an intermediate radius location and each rotor blade having a blade leading edge adapted to receive the flow from the stator vanes with the exit swirl angle distribution profile.
US08292572B2
A blower motor assembly for use in a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system of a vehicle and a method of diverting water are disclosed. The blower motor assembly may include a motor housing, configured to surround internal components of the blower motor assembly, and including a cooling channel/air intake opening. The blower motor assembly may also include a motor support flange extending radially outward from the motor housing and having an upward facing surface, and at least one water diversion vane extending upward from the upward facing surface and extending radially outward in an arcuate shape to divert water off of the flange.
US08292570B2
A low pressure turbine for a gas turbine engine includes inner and outer counter-rotating rotor sets, with both said rotor sets driving a common shaft.
US08292569B2
An air regulator comprises a housing, a shaft, a first air regulation member and an elastic ring. The shaft is rotationally fixed within the housing. The first air regulation member is coaxially coupled to the shaft and has a plurality of first air flow apertures positioned radially about the shaft. The elastic ring is configured and positioned to centrifugally deform and increasingly block the first air flow apertures.
US08292567B2
A stator assembly for a turbine engine is disclosed. The stator assembly has a stator support ring, a plurality of stator vanes protruding radially inwardly from the stator support ring, and at least one bleed port disposed on the stator support ring between at least two adjacent stator vanes of the plurality of stator vanes. The at least one bleed port defines an oblong profile having a first end terminating near a leading edge of a first stator vane of the at least two adjacent stator vanes, and a second end, substantially opposed from the first end, terminating near a trailing edge of a second stator vane of the at least two adjacent stator vanes. The profile may be concave toward a suction sidewall of the second stator vane of the at least two adjacent stator vanes.
US08292566B2
An apparatus for rotary dumping of rail cars, including a backside airflow diverter, a backside hood for removing contaminated air from the back side of the pit and at least two baffles on a rotational frame, the baffles each presenting a leading edge that contacts the backside airflow diverter during at least a portion of rotational motion. At least one air intake is positioned to pass through the upper surface of the backside diverter into the backside hood at a location where pressure in the backside hood is maintained at a substantially neutral or negative level even when pressure in the material receiving pit is increased by a down rush of air caused by the exit of the load from the railcar.
US08292551B2
A system for removing failed fasteners from structures removes the head of the fastener in a controlled manner with precise support and alignment for the cutting tool. A drill guide, drill bushings and the cutting tool mount virtually anywhere on an underlying structure using existing fasteners and receptacles formed in the structure. This design permits the drill guide to be rigidly attached to the structure so that the cutting tool can be positioned and supported directly over the failed fastener. After the drill guide is mounted, a drill bit is extended through the drill bushing to drill a pilot hole in the failed fastener. The cutting tool is used through the drill bushing to cut off the head of the failed fastener without contacting the surrounding structure. All operations required to remove the failed fastener are accomplished through the drill bushings contained in the mounted drill guide.
US08292550B2
The invention concerns a perforating device comprising a cutting tool (10), means for rotating (11) the cutting tool (10) and means for translating (12, 14) the cutting tool (10), the ratio between the rotational speed and the translational speed being variable during rotation of the cutting tool (10). It comprises a gear train (16, 17; 18, 19) for synchronizing the rotating means (11) with the translating means (12, 14). The speed ratio between a driving pinion (16; 18) of the gear train, rotationally linked to the means (11) for rotating the cutting tool (10) and a transmission pinion (17; 19) of the translating means is reversed at least once during one rotation of the cutting tool (10). The invention is useful for fragmenting the resulting shavings.
US08292549B2
The substrate carrying device includes a carrying passage forming member forming a carrying passage along which a substrate is carried, exhaust grooves extending parallel to the carrying passage in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member, a plurality of pairs each of right and left carrying gas flow grooves formed in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member, inclined to a substrate carrying direction so as to approach the exhaust grooves from the right-hand side and the left-hand side of the exhaust grooves, respectively, and having inner ends joined to the exhaust grooves, respectively, and gas spouting pores formed near outer ends of the carrying gas flow grooves to spout a gas for causing the substrate to float and for creating substrate carrying gas flows flowing from the outer ends of the carrying gas flow grooves toward the inner ends of the carrying gas flow grooves.
US08292548B2
The invention is directed to a method for increasing the overturning moment resistance of a jack-up drilling rig that includes the step of attaching at least one lateral leg support to at least one jack-up leg, wherein the jack-up leg is secured and has a lattice framework. The invention is also directed to a system and apparatus for increasing the overturning moment resistance of a support member with a lattice framework.