US08305923B1
A network device including a port configured to exchange packets of data with one or more networks. The network device further includes a rule storing circuit is configured to store a plurality of event classification rules. Each of the event classification rules describes at least one event characteristic for an event in the network device. At least one of the event classification rules includes a change in state of the at least one port of the network device. The change in state of the at least one port is generated by a change in spanning tree mode. The network device further includes an event classifier is configured to identify events having the at least one event characteristic described by any of the event classification rules, and a plurality of event counters configured to count the events identified by the event classifier for a respective one of the event classification rules.
US08305921B2
Several adaptive techniques are described to combat interference in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. In addition to adaptive frequency selection, interference suppression techniques for a selected carrier frequency are presented. The interference suppression technique can be adaptively selected based on the availability and quality of channel state information (CSI) and interference statistics. Techniques to estimate interference statistics are also presented. Interference mitigation techniques are also presented for automatic gain control (AGC), intermittent interference, and interference caused to other networks.
US08305916B2
An apparatus and method of classifying data packets is disclosed. One method includes a wireless access node identifying a flow of data packets based on source and destination addresses of the data packets. The wireless access node classifies the data packets of the identified flow of data packets as requiring a predetermined quality of service by determining if the identified flow of data packets comprise an inter-arrival time less than a first inter-arrival threshold.
US08305910B2
Computer-readable code stored on computer-readable media includes code to allocate at least one data structure in computer memory. The at least one data structure has a plurality of message parameter fields, and each of the message parameter fields has a deterministic position within the at least one data structure. The computer-readable code also includes code to navigate to different ones of the message parameter fields by interpreting non-compiled instructions. The instructions have a form that specifies a position of a particular message parameter field within the at least one data structure, and a number of bits in the particular message parameter field. The position of the particular message parameter field is specified in terms of a number of data offsets in the at least one data structure. The computer-readable code also includes code to configure a communications test-set following navigation to at least one of the message parameter fields.
US08305908B2
An apparatus for analyzing system identifies plural combinations of downlink packet and uplink packet immediately following the downlink packet under predetermined condition, the uplink packet having a predetermined threshold value or more difference time from the received time of the downlink packet to the received time of the uplink packet. And the apparatus calculates chunk processing time by using a difference between the received time of the identified uplink packet and the received time of the identified downlink packet, which are between the time when the packet of a specific processing request to the lower-level server is received and the time when the packet of the response corresponding to the specific processing request is received, and calculates the total sum of the chunk processing times.
US08305905B2
The present invention provides a multinode arrangement that utilizes a plurality of nodes that communicate with each other by RF transmissions and hardwire communications. The use of both hardwire and RF transmission provides the advantages obtained with both forms of transmission.
US08305901B2
A method of generating a buffer state of a packet data convergence protocol, hereinafter called PDCP, layer for a user equipment in a wireless communication system includes including volume information of packets, which have been submitted to a layer lower than the PDCP layer and have not been confirmed by the layer or by a PDCP status report, in a buffer state report of the PDCP layer, where the packets have not been confirmed by the layer due to buffer clearing of the layer.
US08305897B2
One or more relay stations may be employed along a wireless communication access path between an ingress station and an egress station. A logical communication tunnel is established between the ingress and egress stations through any number of intermediate relay stations to handle session flows of PDUs. As PDUs arrive, the ingress station may determine and add scheduling information to the PDUs before they are delivered to the downstream intermediate relay stations or egress stations. The scheduling information is used by the downstream stations to schedule the PDUs for further delivery. The scheduling information may also be used by the egress station to schedule the PDUs for delivery. The scheduling information added to the PDU by the ingress station bears on a QoS class associated with the PDU, a deadline for the egress station to deliver the PDU, or a combination thereof.
US08305893B2
In a first embodiment of the present invention, a method of establishing end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) is provided, the method comprising: receiving minimum QoS requirements for a connection between a local device in a local network and a remote device in a remote network; requesting that a QoS connection between the local device and a local gateway in the local network be established; computing remaining QoS requirements by deducting achieved QoS between the local device and the local gateway from the minimum QoS requirements; requesting that a QoS connection between the remote device and a remote gateway in the remote network be established, using the remaining QoS requirements; and requesting to configure a QoS connection between a local gateway and a remote gateway.
US08305884B2
Systems and methods for self-healing Ethernet topologies which are compatible with PBT, which use standards-based protocols, which do not self-configure, and which use Ethernet OAM are provided. Interconnected nodes are configured with a primary and secondary path which is determined by VLANs, MPLS label, Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE) VLAN ID (VID), Frame Relay (FR), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Virtual Circuits (VCs), and the like. One or more head-end nodes are designated for terminating each path and for performing cross-connects between the primary and secondary paths. IEEE 802.1ag Continuity Check Messages (CCM) are transmitted by all nodes on both the primary and secondary routes. Responsive to a loss of a predetermined number of CCM messages, traffic is switched to the secondary route. In non-fault conditions, both the paths for the primary and secondary routes can carry traffic.
US08305883B2
A method, system, and computer program product containing instructions for establishing and maintaining multiple connections over different communication fabrics between two processes. The slowest, most reliable connection may be established first and then complemented by progressively faster connections between the same pair of processes. Each of these multiple connections is maintained throughout the duration of the communication session between the processes. These multiple connections may include connections made via network interfaces and, when available, direct connections such as a shared memory connection or a point-to-point processor interconnection. This connection strategy provides one or more failback communication paths that can be used with no startup costs in the event of failure of one of the other communication paths. These failback communication paths can be used to exchange failover protocol information needed to resend messages that were undelivered due to failure of one of the communication connections.
US08305878B1
A network switch including a plurality of stack units and a plurality of links. Each of the stack units includes a port, a plurality of interfaces, and a forwarding engine in communication with the interfaces and the port. Each of the plurality of links connects one of the interfaces of one of the stack units to another one of the interfaces of another one of the stack units. When one of the links is down, a loop flag in a first packet to be transferred by a corresponding one of the interfaces of a corresponding one of the stack units over the one of the links is toggled; and the forwarding engine of the corresponding one of the stack units is configured to transfer the first packet to another one of the interfaces of the corresponding one of the stack units for transfer over a different one of the links.
US08305877B2
A method and system for distributed fault sensing and recovery in a communication system. A master controller is provided in each cable station of the system. Each master controller receives local alarms, e.g. aggregated alarms from associated shelf controllers, and may receive remote alarms from other master controllers. Local and remote alarms are compared to a profile provisioned in the master controllers for determining whether to perform a fault recovery function.
US08305869B2
Bandwidth is secured for a read signal transmission line by matching the characteristic impedance of the read signal transmission line with the output impedance of a photodetector of an optical pick up, while at the same time securing bandwidth for the photodetector. In an optical disc drive according to an embodiment of the present invention, each line forming a differential transmission line is divided into a plurality of lines of the same quantity, the quantity being two or more, at or near a connection point between a flexible line and the optical pick up.
US08305866B2
A pickup apparatus includes a light source; a light separator; an object lens that concentrates the light which penetrated the light separator on the optical recording medium; a movable lens; and a light sensing element that receives the reflected light from the optical recording medium separated by the light separator, wherein a coma aberration generated by the transverse shift of the object lens is corrected by a coma aberration which is generated by the deviation of a spherical aberration generated in an optical path from the light source to the object lens and a spherical aberration generated in an optical path from the object lens to a light concentration position on the optical recording medium which are due to the transverse shift.
US08305862B2
The optical information recording and reproducing device utilizing holography requires the optical system to generate the signal beam and the reference beam to be irradiated to the holographic storage medium as well as another optical system to generate the curing light beam to be irradiated to the holographic storage medium. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of backward compatibility, if the same device is used for recording or reproduction on the conventional optical discs represented by Blu-ray Disc, another optical system adaptable to recording and reproduction on these optical disks is required. This means the optical system configurations become complicated and larger in size. One solution for downsizing is to use the reference beam also as the curing light beam. Another way is sharing of optical path for curing light beam and for the reference beam. Furthermore, it is possible to share the light source for generating the curing light beam and for generating the recording or reproducing light beam. In such way, optical system configurations become simple.
US08305859B2
An information recording medium according to the present invention includes an information recording layer on which information is recordable, and is evaluated using an evaluation index which is found based on a ratio of a center of an amplitude of a reproduction signal corresponding to a second shortest mark and a second shortest space, with respect to a center of an amplitude of a reproduction signal corresponding to a longest mark and a longest space.
US08305858B2
Provided are a variable delay circuit, a recording apparatus, and a delay amount calibration method. The variable delay circuit includes a delay line in which a delay amount is variably set, a delay setting unit that performs delay setting of the delay line using a unit delay control value, in a calibration period, overlaps a test pulse with the input signal, and generates a comparison pulse, and a unit delay determining unit that sets the delay of the unit delay amount in the delay line by providing the unit delay control value to the delay setting unit in the calibration period, determines the unit delay control value equivalent to the unit delay amount based on a phase comparison result between the comparison pulse and the test pulse, and provides, to the delay setting unit, the determined unit delay control value as the unit delay control value of a calibration result.
US08305854B2
An optical disc drive according to the present invention includes an optical pickup and a writing control section for instructing the optical pickup to record a mark, representing the information to be written, on the optical disc. In recording the mark on the optical disc, the writing control section instructs the optical pickup to irradiate the same area on the optical disc with a light beam a plurality of times so that the mark is recorded in that repeatedly irradiated area.
US08305850B2
Method of evaluating magnetic recording medium and method of manufacturing magnetic recording medium
Disclosed is a magnetic recording medium evaluating method capable of providing a discrete-type or bit-pattern-type magnetic recording medium that has stable head floating characteristics even when concave and convex portions remain on the surface and can respond to high recording density with high productivity. A method of evaluating a magnetic recording medium having a magnetic recording pattern on at least one surface of a disk-shaped substrate and includes concave and convex portions corresponding to the magnetic recording pattern on the surface includes: floating and moving a head slider having a sensor attached thereto above the surface of the magnetic recording medium that is rotated; detecting a signal output from the sensor in a non-contact state between the head slider and the magnetic recording medium; and determining whether the magnetic recording medium is defective on the basis of the signal.
US08305840B2
A downscan imaging sonar utilizes a linear transducer element to provide improved images of the sea floor and other objects in the water column beneath a vessel. A transducer array may include a plurality of transducer elements and each one of the plurality of transducer elements may include a substantially rectangular shape configured to produce a sonar beam having a beamwidth in a direction parallel to longitudinal length of the transducer elements that is significantly less than a beamwidth of the sonar beam in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the transducer elements. The plurality of transducer elements may be positioned such that longitudinal lengths of at least two of the plurality of transducer elements are parallel to each other. The plurality of transducer elements may also include at least a first linear transducer element, a second linear transducer element and a third linear transducer element. The first linear transducer element may be positioned within the housing to project sonar pulses from a first side of the housing in a direction substantially perpendicular to a centerline of the housing. The second linear transducer element may be positioned within the housing to lie in a plane with the first linear transducer element and project sonar pulses from a second side of the housing that is substantially opposite of the first side. The third linear transducer element may be positioned within the housing to project sonar pulses in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane.
US08305839B2
A memory device having a memory core is described. The memory device includes a clock receiver circuit, a first interface to receive a read command, a data interface, and a second interface to receive power mode information. The data interface is separate from the first interface. The second interface is separate from the first interface and the data interface. The memory device has a plurality of power modes, including a first mode in which the clock receiver circuit, first interface, and data interface are turned off; a second mode in which the clock receiver is turned on and the first interface and data interface are turned off; and a third mode in which the clock receiver and first interface are turned on. In the third mode, the data interface is turned on when the first interface receives the command, to output data in response to the command.
US08305835B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for accessing memory elements. An exemplary memory element includes an array of memory cells and a control module. Each memory cell of the array is coupled to an access line, wherein the control module is configured to assert a first signal for a write duty cycle on the access line to enable writing to a first memory cell of the array of memory cells, and the control module is configured to assert a second signal for a read duty cycle on the access line to enable reading from the first memory cell. The write duty cycle and the read duty cycle are each selected from a plurality of possible duty cycles. In an exemplary embodiment, the read duty cycle and the write duty cycle are chosen to optimize a performance parameter for the memory element.
US08305822B2
The fuse circuit includes a first program unit, a second program unit and a sensing circuit. The first and second program units are programmed simultaneously. The first program unit is programmed in a program mode in response to a fuse program signal and outputs a first signal in a sensing mode, such that the first signal increases when the first program unit is programmed. The second program unit is programmed in the program mode in response to the program signal and outputs a second signal in the sensing mode, such that the second signal decreases when the second program unit is programmed. The sensing circuit generates a sensing output signal in response to the first and second signals, such that the sensing output signal indicates whether or not the program units are programmed.
US08305813B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a data latch unit configured to store data to be programmed into a memory cell or store data read from a memory cell, and page buffers each comprising a sense node discharge unit configured to selectively ground a sense node depending on data stored in the data latch unit and in response to a sense node discharge signal.
US08305803B2
The invention relates to a memory cell having an FET transistor with a source, a drain and a floating body between the source and the drain, and an injector that can be controlled to inject a charge into the floating body of the FET transistor. The injector includes a bipolar transistor having an emitter, a base and a collector formed by the body of the FET transistor. Specifically, in the memory cell, the emitter of the bipolar transistor is arranged so that the source of the FET transistor serves as the base for the bipolar transistor. The invention also includes a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells according to the first aspect of the invention, and to methods of controlling such memory cells.
US08305802B2
There is provided a technology which can allow a semiconductor chip formed with a nonvolatile memory to be sufficiently reduced in size. There is also provided a technology which can ensure the reliability of the nonvolatile memory. In a memory cell of the present invention, a boost gate electrode is formed over a control gate electrode via an insulating film. The boost gate electrode has the function of boosting a voltage applied to a memory gate electrode through capacitive coupling between the boost gate electrode and the memory gate electrode. That is, during a write operation or an erase operation to the memory cell, a high voltage is applied to the memory gate electrode and, to apply the high voltage to the memory gate electrode, the capacitive coupling using the boost gate electrode is subsidiarily used in the present invention.
US08305800B2
A substrate having buried address lines and a first dielectric layer is provided. A conductive electrode is formed in the first conductive layer. A top portion of the conductive electrode is exposed. A second dielectric layer is deposited on surface of the exposed top portion. The second dielectric layer defines a recess around the top portion. A third dielectric layer is deposited over the second dielectric layer. A portion of the third dielectric layer and a portion of the second dielectric layer are removed, thereby exposing a top surface of the top portion of the conductive electrode. The top portion of the conductive electrode is salicidized to form a heating stem. The remaining third dielectric layer is selectively removed from the recess. A phase-change material layer covers the heating stem and the second dielectric layer. The phase-change material layer is etched, thereby forming a phase-change storage cap.
US08305795B2
To provide a variable resistance element writing method that, even when a variable resistance element has a possibility of becoming a half LR state, can ensure a maximum resistance change window by correcting the variable resistance element to a normal low resistance state. In a method of writing data to a variable resistance element (10a) that reversibly changes between a high resistance state and a low resistance state according to a polarity of an applied voltage, as a voltage applied to an upper electrode (11) with respect to a lower electrode (14t): a positive voltage is applied in a high resistance writing step (405) to set the variable resistance element (10a) to a high resistance state (401); a negative voltage is applied in a low resistance writing step (406, 408) to set the variable resistance element (10a) to a low resistance state (403, 402); and a positive voltage is applied in a low resistance stabilization writing step (404) after the negative voltage is applied in the low resistance writing step (408), thereby setting the variable resistance element (10a) through the low resistance state to the high resistance state (401).
US08305792B2
A computation processing device executes logic computation based upon input data X(t) and data X(t−1) stored in memory. A ferroelectric capacitor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, and provides a function as memory. A bit line driver switches the voltage to be applied to the first terminal or the second terminal of the ferroelectric capacitor. A sense amplifier outputs a computation result according to the voltage that occurs at either of the first terminal and the second terminal of the ferroelectric capacitor. For example, the bit line driver switches the direction of the voltage to be applied to the ferroelectric capacitor according to the input data X(t).
US08305790B2
A first terminal and a second terminal of a FinFET transistor are used as two terminals of an anti-fuse. To program the anti-fuse, a gate of the FinFET transistor is controlled, and a voltage having a predetermined amplitude and a predetermined duration is applied to the first terminal to cause the first terminal to be electrically shorted to the second terminal.
US08305779B2
The configurations of a parallel-connected UPS circuit are provided in the present invention. The proposed circuit includes a neutral, a battery having a positive and a negative terminals, and a plurality of PFC boost converters, each of which includes a PFC circuit including an inductor having a first terminal coupled to the positive terminal and a second terminal, a rectifying bridge coupled to the second terminal of the inductor, and having a first terminal and a second terminal coupled to the negative terminal, a switch bridge having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the rectifying bridge and a second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the rectifying bridge, and a control switch having a first terminal and a second terminal coupled to the neutral.
US08305777B2
A control device for rectifier stations in a high-voltage DC transmission system has a rectifier drive unit and an inverter drive unit for driving power rectifier stations that are working either as a rectifier or as an inverter. The trigger angles for the rectifier or for the inverter can be adjusted and regulated by way of the rectifier drive unit and the inverter drive unit respectively. A delay element is placed between the rectifier drive unit and the inverter drive unit with which the start time for regulating the trigger angle for the inverter relative to the start time for regulating the trigger angle for the rectifier can be delayed by a predetermined delay time. Because of less mutual interaction of the trigger angle control processes, a relatively faster transition from an initial operating state into a new stationary state results.
US08305771B2
An electromagnetic interference suppressing device includes a plurality of signal guiding units coupled to a metal housing of an electronic component for receiving a plurality of signals transmitted from the metal housing (the electronic component is installed on a circuit board), a plurality of grounding units coupled to a plurality of ground pads of the circuit board for transmitting the plurality of signals to the plurality of ground pads, and a main body coupled to the plurality of signal guiding units and the plurality of grounding units for transmitting the plurality of signals between the plurality of signal guiding units and the plurality of grounding units so as to implement a return path.
US08305770B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a printed circuit board assembly having a circuit board with opposing side edges and an open frame housing that has first and second parallel elongated mounting frames extending along the respective side edges of the circuit board. Each mounting frame has an elongated body portion forming a channel extending the length of the body, the channel serving to nest one of the side edges of the circuit board. The body of each mounting frame has one or more sets of orthogonally disposed, intersecting mounting holes that permit use of mounting holes to accommodate screws for attaching the mounting frames in a rack frame of a host system so that the circuit board is optionally supported in a side attached mode or in a bottom attached mode.
US08305757B2
A method of deploying space-saving, high-density modular data pods is disclosed. The method includes installing a plurality of modular data pods in proximity to one another, each data pod including a fluid and electrical circuit section in fluidic and electrical communication with the modular data pod; and coupling a plurality of the fluid and electrical circuit sections in series with each other to form a fluid and electrical circuit having a first end and a second end. A modular data center includes a central cooling device coupled to a central cooling fluid circuit. The central cooling device supports at least a portion of the cooling requirements of the chain of modular data pods. Adjacent common fluid and electrical circuit sections form a common fluid and electrical circuit that connects to the central cooling system.
US08305756B2
The present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to modular information handling systems configured to automatically adjust coolant flow upon insertion and/or removal of heat-releasing elements (e.g., blades). A system may comprise, for example, a chassis at least partially defining a cavity, at least one fan in fluid communication with the cavity and operable to move coolant through at least a portion of the cavity, and one or more bays. Each of the one or more bays (a) may be at least partially defined by a bay wall, (b) may be configured to receive a heat-releasing element, and/or (c) may comprise an obturator configured to conditionally block fluid communication between the bay and the chassis cavity, the fan, and/or a coolant, wherein the obturator allows fluid communication when a blade is present in the bay and blocks fluid communication when a blade is absent from the bay. A system may further comprise at least one heat-releasing element positioned in at least one of the one or more bays.
US08305732B2
Disclosed is a dielectric ceramic having crystal grains mainly composed of barium titanate and an intergranular phase formed among the crystal grains. The dielectric ceramic contains certain amounts of manganese and at least one rare earth element (RE) selected from magnesium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium and erbium, in terms of oxides, per 1 mole of barium constituting the barium titanate. The dielectric ceramic also contains a certain amount of yttrium in terms of oxides, per 100 parts by mass of the barium titanate. The crystal grains have an average grain size of 0.05-0.2 μm. By using the dielectric ceramic as a dielectric layer, there can be obtained a capacitor having high capacity and stable capacitance temperature characteristics.
US08305730B2
A method for manufacturing a capacitor includes the steps of: sequentially laminating, on a substrate, a lower electrode layer, a dielectric layer and an upper electrode layer; forming a patterned mask layer on the upper electrode layer; patterning at least the upper electrode layer and the ferroelectric layer using the mask layer as a mask; removing the mask layer; and conducting a plasma treatment to contact plasma with an exposed surface of the dielectric layer.
US08305727B2
A joint on an aircraft, the joint comprising: a first component; a second component joined to the first component; and a bonding lead which forms an electrical connection between the components with a resistance between 100 kΩ and 10 MΩ. Surprisingly, it has been found that a bonding lead with a relatively high resistance can be used without seriously compromising the static discharge performance of the bonding lead, and that the resulting comparatively low flow of current reduces the risk of sparking in the event of an lightning strike. Bonding leads may be provided as a kit of parts in which at least two of the bonding leads have different lengths and the longer lead is formed from a material having a higher bulk conductivity than the shorter lead. Thus the bonding leads can be made with approximately similar resistances regardless of their lengths.
US08305715B2
Read elements and associated methods of fabrication are disclosed. A read element as described herein includes a magnetoresistance (MR) sensor sandwiched between first and second shields. The read element uses the first shield as an active portion of the MR sensor. Instead of implementing an AFM pinning layer in the MR sensor, the first shield takes the place of the AFM pinning layer. The first shield is orthogonally coupled to the pinned layer through an orthogonal coupling layer, such as a thin layer of AFM material. Through this structure, the magnetic moment of the first shield pins the magnetic moment of the pinned layer transverse to the ABS of the read element, and an AFM pinning layer is not needed.
US08305710B2
A metal layer having an aperture for delivering light, a method of forming the same, a light delivery module including the metal layer having the aperture, and a heat assisted magnetic recording head including the same are provided. The aperture of the metal layer has an inlet and an outlet of different sizes, and also has curved side surfaces. Also, the light delivery module includes the metal layer at an output end thereof, and the heat assisted magnetic recording head includes the light delivery module as an optical heating unit.
US08305709B2
Perpendicular magnetic head and magnetic recording system having non-magnetic region in shield layer
A perpendicular magnetic head for writing information on a magnetic recording medium comprises an ABS, a coil for generating a magnetic flux, a magnetic pole layer, a magnetic shield layer, and a gap layer disposed between the magnetic pole layer and the magnetic shield layer. Further the magnetic head has a non-magnetic region of a non-magnetic material. The non-magnetic region is disposed in the magnetic shield layer and positioned behind the ABS at a predetermined distance. The non-magnetic region is also disposed in the magnetic shield layer and has a predetermined width. With such a configuration, an undesirable concentration of the magnetic flux on the ABS is prevented.
US08305708B2
A disk drive includes a spindle motor attached to a disk drive base. The spindle motor includes a hub that rotates about a spindle rotation axis. An annular disk is mounted on the hub. A clamp contacts a top surface of the hub. The clamp includes first and second pluralities of openings therethrough. The clamp is attached to the hub by a plurality of fasteners, each of the plurality of fasteners passing through one of the first plurality of openings. Each of the second plurality of openings has a closed outer periphery within the clamp. Each of the first plurality of openings is disposed directly between the spindle rotation axis and a corresponding one of the second plurality of openings.
US08305707B2
A coupling structure of a hard disk drive using a stud. The coupling structure includes a stud insertion hole formed in the base plate, a stud, a first screw insert hole, a first screw, a second screw insert hole, and a second screw. The stud includes a first screw coupling hole formed in an upper portion and a second screw coupling hole formed in a lower portion, and is inserted into the stud insertion hole to be fixed to the base plate. The first screw insert hole is formed at a position of the cover plate disposed over the base plate corresponding to the stud. The first screw is inserted into the first screw insert hole to be coupled to the first screw coupling hole so that the cover plate is coupled to the base plate. The second screw insert hole is formed at a position of the PCB disposed under the base plate corresponding to the stud. The second screw is inserted into the second screw hole to be coupled to the second screw coupling hole so that the PCB is coupled to the base plate. A protective cover is disposed under the base plate to cover and protect the PCB. The protective cover is also coupled to the base plate by the second screw coupled to the second screw coupling hole of the stud.
US08305697B1
This invention provides an image capturing lens assembly in order from an object side to an image side comprising: a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power; a third lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface; a fourth lens element having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; and a fifth lens element having a concave image-side surface, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric and at least one inflection point being formed on at least one of the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof. By such arrangement, it can effectively reduce the aberration as well as the total track length of the imaging lens system for obtaining higher image resolution.
US08305690B2
A collimating image-forming apparatus comprising a first linear polarizer is disclosed. A first quarterwave plate (14) is disposed adjacent the first polarizer (12) and has its fast and slow axes at substantially 45° to the plane of polarization of the first polarizer. The apparatus further comprises a beam-splitting curved mirror (16) having a convex surface adjacent the first polarizer and facing towards the first quarter-wave plate, a second quarter-wave plate (22) adjacent the concave side of the curved mirror, the second quarterwave plate having its having its fast and slow axes oriented with respect to the corresponding axes of the first quarter-wave plate at angles substantially equal to a first integral multiple of 90°, and a reflective-transmissive polarizing member (24) adjacent the second quarter-wave plate. A second linear polarizer (26) is adjacent the reflective-transmissive polarizing member, the second linear polarizer having its plane of polarization oriented with respect to the plane of polarization of the first linear polarizer at an angle substantially equal to a second integral multiple of 90°, both of the multiples being even or both being odd.
US08305688B2
A article includes a substrate and a metal dielectric reflective film. The metal dielectric reflective film is formed on the substrate, the metal dielectric reflective film includes a dielectric multiple layer and a metal layer. The dielectric multiple layer includes a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, and a fourth layer arranged in the order written and stacked one on another. The first and third layers comprised of a low refractive index material, the second and fourth layers comprised of a high refractive index material. The metal layer is disposed on the fourth layer.
US08305685B2
A loupe support system includes a frame (12) which can be mounted at the head of a user and at which a holding device (18) is mounted, an elongated support element (30, 31, 68) which, at its central region, is supported at the holding device (18) such that it can rotate about its longitudinal central axis, wherein a respective loupe ocular (34) is mounted at the support element (30, 31, 68) on each of both sides of the holding device, and a light mounting element (22) supported at the holding device (18) such that it can rotate about a rotary axis being coaxial with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the support element (30, 31, 68).
US08305677B2
A system and method for operating an electronic device used in light processing. A method comprises altering a spatial relationship between a spatial light modulator (SLM) and a light incident on the SLM, shifting light modulator states of a first portion of light modulators to a second portion of light modulators, and placing a third portion of light modulators in the SLM into a performance degradation-reducing mode. The amount of shifting performed is proportional to the amount of change in the spatial relationship. The method allows for a change in light modulators used to modulate the light, thereby preventing the overuse of some of the light modulators, which may help to prevent degradation of the light modulators. The performance degradation reducing mode may help to further reduce or even reverse the performance degradation of the light modulators.
US08305672B2
A magnetically actuated system includes a conductor and a magnetic field apparatus to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field apparatus includes magnets and magnetically permeable materials to focus the magnetic field in areas of the conductor that produce a drive torque when the conductor carries a current.
US08305667B2
Systems and methods are provided for rendering tints of spot color objects or target colors between a spot color and a second color in image forming devices. In particular the systems and method provided allow for a sweep of a spot color to be rendered accurately, without discontinuities when transitioning from the tint to the solid spot color. The systems and method will prevent discontinuities even if the solid spot color has been modified by a user.
US08305664B2
An image forming apparatus, comprises: a plurality of color image forming units each forming an image for correction for each different color on a different paper to output a correction chart; an operation unit for accepting an input of density correction instruction information corresponding to each of the plurality of color image forming units based on the correction chart; a control unit for setting color of the image for correction according to the density correction instruction information input by the operation unit, generating the image for correction for the set color, and causing the image for correction to be formed on the paper by the color image forming unit in order to output the correction chart; and a density unevenness correction unit for correcting density unevenness of each pixel in a main scanning direction for each of the plurality of color image forming units based on the density correction unevenness information input by the operation unit.
US08305659B2
A sheet-fed double-sided document scanner is disclosed and includes a first image-capturing assembly, a second image-capturing assembly, a sheet-transporting mechanism, a power receiving interface, and a control circuit. The scanner switches scanning modes according to a power input. The sheet-transporting mechanism transports a document past the first image-capturing assembly and the second image-capturing assembly. The power receiving interface receives power. When a power level of the received power is less than a default threshold level, the control circuit controls the scanner to scan a first side and a second side of the document in a first mode. When the power level of the received power reaches the default threshold level, the control circuit controls the scanner to scan the first side and the second side of the document in a second mode.
US08305658B2
The invention provides an automatic document feeder for a scanning apparatus. The automatic document feeder includes a feeding passage, a feeding mechanism, a shaft, an idle roller, and a detecting device. The feeding mechanism is used for transporting a document along the feeding passage. The shaft is disposed at the feeding passage, and the idle roller is sleeved on the shaft. When the document is transported through the feeding passage, the idle roller is driven to rotate by the document. The detecting device detects a rotational speed of the idle roller and outputs a detection signal according to the rotational speed of the idle roller.
US08305654B2
An image scanning apparatus arranged to press an original document placed on a glass plate by a platen cover and to scan the original document by a line sensor includes a light source used when scanning image information, a first detection sensor arranged to detect as a first timing a state in which the cover is opened at, for example, an angle of 20 degrees, a second detection sensor arranged to detect as a second timing a state, for example, that is immediately before the cover closes the glass plate, and an original document size determining unit arranged to determine the size of the original document based on the differential data, which is calculated from first image information scanned at the first timing and second image information scanned at the second timing.
US08305652B2
An image reading apparatus includes a carriage having mounted thereon a linear light source and an image sensor and a reference pattern member disposed at a reference position located toward the first direction from a home position. The current location of the carriage is judged relatively to first and second areas that are divided by a boundary defined in advance at a location toward the first direction from the reference position. The first area is located toward the first direction and the second area is located toward the second direction. Immediately after the power is turned ON, current location information indicating whether the carriage is currently located in the first area or the second area is read from the nonvolatile memory. The carriage is first moved to the reference position and then moved a predetermined distance in the second direction, so that the carriage is duly positioned at the home position.
US08305643B2
An image processing apparatus which performs dithering to an input image, includes: an input value storage unit which stores an input value to generate a mask seed value corresponding to a single pixel in a unit area among a plurality of pixels displaying an image, wherein the unit area includes a first line and at least second line; and a seed value generator which generates the mask seed value corresponding to one of pixels in the at least one second line among the pixels of the unit area based on the input value stored in the input value storage unit.
US08305633B2
A registering apparatus includes: a first image data acquiring unit that acquires first image data from a first region on a recording medium; a second image data acquiring unit that acquires second image data from a second region that includes the first region; a third image data acquiring unit that acquires third image data from a third region that does not include the first region and differs from the second region when a correlation value between the second image data and the first image data is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value; and a registering unit that registers the first image data as registration data that are image data to be used in authentication of the recording medium when a correlation value between the third image data and the first image data is equal to or less than a second threshold value.
US08305627B2
A pattern image of either a registration correction pattern including a plurality of position detecting marks or a misregistration correction performing determination pattern having a plurality of position detecting marks, the number of which marks is smaller than that of the registration correction pattern image is formed. A misregistration amount is calculated based on an image formed position detected with the use of the pattern image. It is determined whether the registration correction is to be carried out, based on the misregistration amount with the use of an image formed position of the correction performing determination pattern. When it is determined to carry out the misregistration correction, the misregistration correction is carried out based on the misregistration amount with the use of image formed positions of the misregistration correction pattern.
US08305623B2
In a copying machine having an image memory that stores image data, a DRAM control IC that repetitively reads out image data from the image memory, and an image forming section that forms the images for the specified number of copies, a write processing section having a number of pixels counter that counts the number of pixels included in the image data for the predetermined number of pages at the time of reading, a first memory that stores the count value for the nth copy, a second memory that stores the count value for the (n+1)th copy, and an image control CPU that compares the count value stored in the first memory with the count value stored in the second memory and thereby judges the occurrence of errors in the print process if the two counts are not equal to each other and carries out error processing.
US08305617B2
In an image forming apparatus outputting a document, a copy condition of the output document and the order of priority among the set copy condition, a condition on the part of the machine, and a condition input by the user to be actually decided on as a copy condition are set. The information is then embedded and output. In an image forming apparatus making a copy, the output printed material is scanned and the embedded copy condition and order of priority are extracted and restored. Then, for each item of the copy conditions, a condition having a higher priority among the aforementioned conditions is decided on as a copy condition of the printed material, so that the printed material is copied under the decided condition.
US08305616B2
An information processing apparatus sets print setting information applied to a document upon printing and finishing information applied to a printed matter of the document and designates a first printing apparatus for executing the printing. In the case where the first printing apparatus can execute a process regarding the set finishing information, the information processing apparatus transmits print data including the print setting information and the finishing information to the first printing apparatus. In the case where the first printing apparatus cannot execute the process regarding the finishing information, the information processing apparatus designates a second printing apparatus for executing the process regarding the finishing information, transmits the print data including the print setting information to the first printing apparatus and transmits the print data including the finishing information to the second printing apparatus.
US08305608B2
An information processing apparatus, capable of communicating with a plurality of printing apparatuses, for inputting insertion data to a data area of document data and sending output data processible by each printing apparatus, comprises: a classification unit adapted to classify a plurality of print data to be used for printing into a plurality of storage areas based on contents of insertion data to be inserted into document data; an output unit adapted to output output data based on the print data to an output destination associated with the storage area of the print data classified by the classification unit.
US08305606B2
A job management system includes a print server and an image forming apparatus. The print server publishes, on a network, a print-job information list in an RSS format. The image forming apparatus spontaneously obtains and reads the print-job information list, and, based on the print-job information list, requests the print server to transmit a print job. In response to the request, the print server transmits the print job to the image forming apparatus.
US08305605B2
A composition engine for a print shop includes a database having a unique identifier for each electronic data storage device associated with the print shop and print shop data. The composition engine also includes a schema element that associates a set of the data stored in the database with each print job and assigns the set of data to at least one electronic data storage device. The composition engine generates the print job and transmits the print job and the set of data to a printing device of the print shop as page description language. The set of data is stored on the electronic data storage device with a programming device associated with the printing device, the set of data including a unique identifier associated with the electronic data storage device on which the set of data is stored. The print job is printed and the electronic data storage device is attached to or printed on a page of the print job.
US08305592B2
A control method of an image forming control apparatus includes displaying a plurality of setting items about image forming, changing at least one setting value of the plurality of setting items and storing the plurality of setting items, and emphatically displaying a setting item, of which the setting value is changed, among the plurality of setting items.
US08305588B2
A measuring method and a device are adapted for the positioning of a wheel for mash seam resistance welding in the butt-joining of steel strips on continuous processing lines. A rotary roller which is fastened to a movable frame is positioned in a measuring position that is vertically below a reference wheel. The reference wheel is lowered vertically to come into contact and bear on the rotary roller. A distance between an index on a measuring arm of the frame and an articulated column is repeatedly measured during the continuous lowering movement of the roller. The distance is compared with a distance threshold for each of the repeated measurements until the wheel reaches a first operating position where the distance equals a predefined distance threshold factor. The first operating position is recorded as a reference point in a system for the vertical movement of the reference wheel.
US08305579B2
Methods for probing multiple targets in a biological sample are provided. The methods include the steps of providing a sample containing multiple targets, binding at least one probe having a binder coupled to an enzyme to one or more target present in the sample, and reacting the bound probe with an enzyme substrate coupled to a fluorescent signal generator. The methods include the steps of observing a signal from the fluorescent signal generator and applying to the sample a solution containing an oxidizing agent that substantially inactivates both the fluorescent signal generator and the enzyme. The methods further include the steps of binding at least one probe having a binder coupled to an enzyme to one or more target present in the sample of step, reacting the bound probe with an enzyme substrate coupled to a fluorescent signal generator; and observing a signal from the fluorescent signal generator. The methods disclosed herein also provide for multiple iterations of binding, observing, and oxidizing for deriving information about multiple targets in a single sample. An associated kit is also provided.
US08305577B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, apparatus comprising a waveguide and a spectral dispersion element, the apparatus being configured to be moveably attachable to a portable device, the portable device comprising a radiation sensing element and a radiation source, the apparatus being configured to be moveably attachable to the portable device to provide a first configuration in which the waveguide is positioned to transmit radiation from the radiation source towards an analyte region and/or from the analyte region towards the dispersion element; and such that the dispersion element is positioned to disperse radiation from the analyte region to form a spectrum which is provided towards the radiation sensing element for spectral analysis, and a second configuration in which the radiation sensing element and radiation source are able to capture and illuminate a scene for image capture.
US08305572B2
A material which is generally transparent in the visible region of the spectrum but reflective at laser wavelengths reduces undesirable, substrate-induced Raman and fluorescence scattering. A substrate provides a surface for supporting the sample, with the material being disposed between the surface of the substrate and the sample. The material is substantially transparent in the visible region of the spectrum but reflective at the laser wavelength, thereby minimizing unwanted Raman or fluorescence scattering that would be produced by the substrate if the material were not present. The substrate will typically be a glass microscope slide or multi-cell well plate. The optical filter material is preferably a multilayer dielectric filter acting as a “hot mirror” that reflects near-infrared energy. An advantage of visible transmission is that it allows back illumination from behind/underneath the slide or well plate, thereby being visible to a microscope's eyepiece or video camera. Methods and article are also disclosed.
US08305569B2
An apparatus for optical inspection comprises a platform extending in a first direction, a transmitting unit for transporting at least one carrier in the first direction from an input port to an output port thereof, each of the at least one carrier to support one of at least one object to be inspected, a first detector disposed above the platform and extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction for inspecting the at least one object on the at least one carrier, the first detector including a first scanner extending in the second direction between the input port and the output port, and a first roller set between the first scanner and the input port to apply force onto a surface of each of the at least one object.
US08305567B2
A rail sensing and analysis system utilizes a laser sensor 105, 107 to detect displacement of a rail 102, 104 resulting from loads imposed by a passing rail vehicle. Vertical and/or lateral displacements/loads may be sensed. Signatures in the resulting signals are indicative of useful information about the rail vehicle; such as wheel condition, bearing condition, truck condition, degree of bogie hunting, total load, load distribution, etc. The ratio of Lateral over Vertical force (L/V) may be used as an evaluation criterion.
US08305556B2
An exposure apparatus of the present invention is an exposure apparatus for, while moving a first object M and a second object P along a scanning direction, performing projection exposure on the second object, which has a first projection optical system PL10 for forming an enlargement image of a portion on the first object in a first region being a partial region on the second object, and a second projection optical system PL11 for forming an enlargement image of a different portion from the portion on the first object in a second region different from the partial region on the second object, and which also has a first stage MST holding the first object and making at least one of the portion and the different portion of the first object movable along the non-scanning direction, wherein the first region and the second region are arranged at a predetermined interval along the non-scanning direction intersecting with the scanning direction.
US08305539B2
A pixel structure of liquid crystal display including a first and a second sub-pixel electrodes, a first and a second data lines, a gate line, and a first and a second transistors is provided. The first and the second sub-pixel electrodes disposed in the first and second sub-pixel areas respectively include at least two display domains at left and right. The first data line is disposed under the interface between two domains of each of the first and second sub-pixel electrodes, and the second data line is disposed under the edges of the first and second sub-pixel electrodes. The gate line is disposed between the first and second sub-pixel areas. The first sub-pixel electrode is controlled by the gate line and the first data line through the first transistor. The second sub-pixel electrode is controlled by the gate line and the second data line through the second transistor.
US08305534B2
A liquid crystal panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate, and a pixel electrode arranged on the substrate. The pixel electrode includes a first subpixel electrode and a second subpixel electrode separated from each other, and the second subpixel electrode includes a first electrode part disposed above the first subpixel electrode and a second electrode part disposed below the first subpixel electrode and connected to the first electrode part. At least one first notch is arranged on at least one edge of the first subpixel electrode or the second subpixel electrode.
US08305533B2
The present invention provides an MVA transmissive or transflective liquid crystal display device with display qualities enhanced along with improvement in contrast.A liquid crystal display device of the present invention including: a pair of substrates; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates, wherein one of the pair of substrates includes a pixel electrode having a rectangular shape when viewed from a display face side, the other substrate includes a linear-shaped dielectric protrusion overlapping with a corner portion of the pixel electrode when viewed from the display face side, and at least one of the pair of substrates includes a corner light-shielding member overlapping with a region where the linear-shaped dielectric protrusion and the corner portion of the pixel electrode overlap with each other.
US08305530B2
A display device includes first and second plastic substrates. The first substrate is directly bonded to the second plastic substrate by heat and pressure. When the display device is manufactured, a process of forming a coupling member interposed between the first and second plastic substrates may be omitted, thereby preventing deterioration of reliability of the display device due to the coupling member.
US08305517B2
A light bar structure including a circuit board provided with two hollow frames disposed thereon and a conductive material filled in the two hollow frames; and a light emitting device disposed above the two hollow frames. The conductive material is used for electrically connect the circuit board with the light emitting device so as to prevent misalignment of the light emitting device. A backlight module and a liquid crystal display both applying the light bar structure is also provided.
US08305508B2
A pixel structure includes a first patterned metal layer, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor channel layer, a second patterned metal layer, a passivation layer, and a conducting layer. A gate line of the second patterned metal layer is electrically connected by the conducting layer to a gate extension electrode of the first patterned metal layer. A source electrode of the second patterned metal layer is electrically connected by the conducting layer to a second data line segment of the first patterned metal layer. A method for fabricating a pixel structure is also disclosed herein.
US08305497B2
In one embodiment of the invention, decompressed video signals are upscaled and then filtered using a combined mosquito noise reduction (MNR) and aliasing coring filter that reduces both mosquito noise in the decompressed video signals as well as aliasing noise resulting from the upscaling process. In one implementation, the combined coring filter includes a dual-band filter having two passbands interleaved with two stopbands. The strength of the coring filter may be dynamically controlled based on compression information (e.g., quantizer scales indicative of video quality) associated with the compressed video bitstream from which the decompressed video is recovered.
US08305495B2
A video processing device that divides and processes video data representing a video for one screen includes: an input unit that receives input of the video data; plural image processing units that are provided to correspond to respective plural areas obtained by dividing the video data, receive image data corresponding to the areas, and apply predetermined image processing to image data; an image-data extending unit that acquires image data, which is required by the image processing unit that processes an area adjacent to each of the areas, prior to the image processing by each of the image processing units from the image data corresponding to the area received by each of the image processing units, inputs the image data to the adjacent image processing unit, extends the image data corresponding to the area received by each of the image processing units, and sets the image data as a target of the predetermined image processing by each of the image processing units; and an image combining unit that receives the image data processed by the plural image processing units and reconfigures the screen.
US08305482B2
A camera module includes an optical assembly, an image sensor, a barrel holder, an angle measurement assembly, a perpendicularity adjustment assembly and a controller. The optical assembly has an optical axis. The image sensor has a light surface. The optical assembly and the image sensor are housed in the barrel holder. The angle measurement assembly is configured for measuring perpendicularity of the optical axis to the light sensing surface of the image sensor. The perpendicularity adjustment assembly is arranged between the optical assembly and the barrel holder, and includes an electrostrictive member deformable in response to a voltage, thereby adjusting the perpendicularity of the optical axis to the light sensing surface. The controller is configured for providing the voltage to the perpendicularity adjustment assembly to deform the electrostrictive member.
US08305473B2
In an amplifying type MOS sensor having a 3-transistor construction, when a frame rate is raised, an accumulation time of a frame just after the switching of a drive mode becomes short. When a gain correction is made to compensate a lack of accumulation time, a deterioration in picture quality is caused. A read out scan and a reset scan are executed in parallel in the frame before the switching of the drive mode, thereby preventing that a time period for resetting a pixel is overlapped with a time period for holding a pixel signal into a holding unit.
US08305466B2
A zoom adjustment system, comprising a touch panel, a course detector, and a first zoom adjuster, is provided. The touch panel has an input surface. The touch panel detects a certain location on the input surface when it is touched. The touch panel detects a touched location. The course detector detects a course traced on the input surface by the touched location when the touched location is moved about on the input surface while maintaining continuous contact with the input surface. The first zoom adjuster adjusts a magnification of a photographic optical system according to the traced course detected by the course detector.
US08305458B2
There is a problem in that when magnification chromatic aberration correction is carried out, the difference in reproducibility of high-frequency components, depending on the spatial position, between a color for which position shift correction is not performed and a color for which position shift correction is performed may influence the image quality of an output image. In order to perform magnification chromatic aberration correction, high-frequency components, which are lost due to the position shift correction of a color for which position shift correction is carried out, are extracted from a color for which position shift correction is not carried out, and are added to the color for which position shift correction is carried out. Therefore, the high-frequency components are restored in a pseudo manner.
US08305453B2
An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor and a processor that merges together a plurality of images captured by said image sensor to produce a composite image. The positions or the plurality of images being adjusted to reduce displacement of a reference area that is determined within each one of said plurality of images before the plurality of images is merged together. The reference area includes at least one of an in-focus area determined by a focusing operation, a face area determined by face-sensing processes, a predetermined-color area determined by white-balance information and predetermined color information, and a predetermined-brightness area determined by photometry.
US08305452B2
Pre-image-acquisition information is obtained by a digital camera and transmitted to a system external to the digital camera. The system is configured to provide image-acquisition settings to the digital camera. In this regard, the digital camera receives the image-acquisition settings from the external system and performs an image-acquisition sequence based at least upon the received image-acquisition settings. Accordingly, the determination of image-acquisition settings can be performed remotely from the digital camera, where data-processing resources can greatly exceed those within the digital camera.
US08305446B2
There is provided a domed monitoring camera apparatus allowing reduction of a shift in focus dependent on a variation in optical path length caused by a dome cover. The domed monitoring camera apparatus (1) includes a monitoring camera (3), a dome cover (5) which covers the monitoring camera (3), and a camera controller (25). The camera controller (25) functions as an adjustment unit which, when the dome cover (5) is attached, adjusts the focus of the monitoring camera (3) with the cover attached to correct a variation in optical path length caused by the dome cover (5). The camera controller (25) adjusts the focus of the monitoring camera (3) with the cover attached according to an optical path length affecting cover parameter which represents a dome cover character relative to increase or decrease of the optical path length of the monitoring camera (3).
US08305445B2
A lane marker recognizing apparatus which recognizes stud-type lane markers from acquired road image includes a candidate region extracting means for extracting a region having the possibility of being an image portion of the lane marker, from the road image, as a lane marker candidate region, a real space representative point calculating means for determining a representative point of the lane marker candidate region according to a predetermined condition, and calculating a real space position corresponding to the representative point as a real space representative point, a grouping means for forming one group of the real space candidate points having a relative distance within a predetermined range set according to standards on the lane marker, and a lane marker position recognizing means for recognizing the position of the lane marker based on the real space representative point formed into one group by the grouping means.
US08305444B2
A motor vehicle with an integrated visual display system for displaying proximity location information on an external object while the motor vehicle is parked or moving is provided. The integrated visual display system is operable to display information from a plurality of proximity sensors on a single display screen. The plurality of proximity sensors can be part of an autonomous and/or cooperative collision warning system.
US08305443B2
In a device for capturing an image of the external area of a vehicle by means of a camera (20), there is a motor with a secondary transmission (40) which moves the camera (20) between a retracted position (10.1) and an extended position (10.2) relative to an aperture (51) in a vehicle wall (50). In order to realize a compact positioning of the camera in the retracted position, it is proposed to provide the sliding carriage with a sleeve-like cavity (11) which extends in the direction of movement (12) of the sliding carriage (10). The sliding carriage is therefore a sliding sleeve (10). The camera (20) is stored in a manner in which it can swivel (21) in the cavity (11) of the sliding sleeve (10), wherein the swivel axis (21) extends diagonal to its direction of movement (12). The camera (20) in its idle position is swivelled into the sleeve cavity, whereas in its operating position it projects at least partially through a side opening in the sleeve wall (16).
US08305427B2
An image processor includes a filter process circuit for executing a filtering of image data picked up by an image pickup unit with a plurality of spatial filters, a brightness calculation circuit for calculating a brightness in a local area of the image data, a weighting circuit for weighting an output of the filter process circuit in accordance with an output of the filter process circuit and/or an output of the brightness calculation circuit, and an inverse filter process circuit for executing an inverse filter process with respect to an output of the weighting circuit to generate process image data.
US08305424B2
Camera sections pick up divided images obtained by dividing a panorama image to generate image data at a high resolution. Image data processing sections perform compression encoding on the image data at the high resolution through encoder to obtain first compressed image data. The image data processing sections perform size change to obtain image data at a low resolution and perform compression encoding on the image data through another encoder to obtain second compressed image data. A data transfer section transmits the first and second compressed image data through a network to an image display apparatus.
US08305417B2
A light-emitting device includes: a substrate; a reflection layer that is provided on the substrate, and that reflects light in a wavelength band set in advance; and a light-emitting layer that is provided on the reflection layer, and that includes a light-emitting region emitting light having wavelengths overlapping in the wavelength band and a surface having unevenness at plural distances from the reflection layer. The surface is provided on a side opposite to the reflection layer across the light-emitting region. The plural distances are set so that wavelengths forming standing waves depending on each of the distances in the wavelength band are interposed each other.
US08305415B2
The light-emitting device includes: a self-scanning light-emitting element array including: light-emitting elements; memory elements; and switch elements; and a light-up controller supplying a transfer signal setting ON of the switch elements, a memory signal causing, in a case where a switch element corresponding to a light-emitting element forming a group is set at the ON state, a corresponding memory element to be temporarily changed from OFF to ON if the light-emitting element is to light up, and the corresponding memory element to be kept in OFF if the light-emitting element is not to light up, and then causing the memory element having been temporarily changed to the ON state to be temporarily set at ON again, and a light-up signal for each group, the light-up signal causing a light-emitting element to be set at ON after causing a memory element to be set at ON.
US08305413B2
An optical scanner unit includes an LD unit, a polygon mirror deflecting a light beam, an optical scan system focusing the light beam from the polygon mirror on a photoconductive drum to form an electrostatic latent image, and a synchronous detector receiving a part of the light beam to detect a write start position on the photoconductive drum in main scan direction. The synchronous detector is fixed on a portion of a housing at predetermined angles in main and sub scan directions relative to an incidence angle of the light beam on the synchronous detector.
US08305406B2
An image forming device that includes a plurality of exposure components and a conductive covering member is provided. Pluralities of light emitting elements are disposed on substrates at the plurality of exposure components. The exposure components expose a plurality of exposure objects, respectively. The conductive covering member includes at least a floor plate that covers the exposure components from below. Wiring is connected to the substrates being disposed along the floor plate. Earthing portions of the substrates are electrically connected to the floor plate. The covering member includes a side plate that covers an axial direction side of the exposure objects and is joined to the floor plate. The earthing portions of the substrates are electrically connected to the side plate via conductive members.
US08305402B2
A plasma display device is provided. The plasma display device includes a plasma display panel (PDP) having an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality of sustain electrodes formed on the upper substrate, and a plurality of address electrodes formed on the lower substrate; and a driver applying driving signals to the plurality of electrodes, wherein a reset discharge occurs in a part of discharge cells. The plasma display device can contribute to the reduction of dark-area luminance and the improvement of dark-room contrast ratio.
US08305399B2
A feature detecting circuit 4 detects an average luminance, a white area value and a black area value of a video signal, and a control circuit 5 controls a contrast adjusting circuit 2 such that a contrast gain of the video signal is more moderately increased than decreased according to changes of the detected average luminance, white area value and black area value. As a result, a good video quality can be obtained upon both increasing and decreasing the contrast gain of the video signal to adjust the contrast of the video signal.
US08305395B2
In a method embodiment, a method for image processing includes receiving one or more signals indicative of an optical characteristic of one or more respective light beams. A transform is generated based on the received one or more signals. The transform converts a first plurality of image components encoded by a first plurality of colors to a second plurality of image components encoded by a second plurality of colors.
US08305381B2
Systems and methods for downloading algorithmic elements to a coprocessor and corresponding processing and communication techniques are provided. For an improved graphics pipeline, the invention provides a class of co-processing device, such as a graphics processor unit (GPU), providing improved capabilities for an abstract or virtual machine for performing graphics calculations and rendering. The invention allows for runtime-predicated flow control of programs downloaded to coprocessors, enables coprocessors to include indexable arrays of on-chip storage elements that are readable and writable during execution of programs, provides native support for textures and texture maps and corresponding operations in a vertex shader, provides frequency division of vertex streams input to a vertex shader with optional support for a stream modulo value, provides a register storage element on a pixel shader and associated interfaces for storage associated with representing the “face” of a pixel, provides vertex shaders and pixel shaders with more on-chip register storage and the ability to receive larger programs than any existing vertex or pixel shaders and provides 32 bit float number support in both vertex and pixel shaders.
US08305380B2
A method of managing resources is provided. The method includes identifying a resource associated with a processor responsive to an impending transition, and copying the identified resource from a memory associated with the GPU or to the memory associated with the GPU.
US08305379B2
In accordance with one or more embodiments, a method and system of managing animation data and related control data for recording on an enhanced navigation medium is provided. The method comprises constructing animation data comprising first image data into a first graphic MNG file in chunk data format, wherein the first graphic file comprises a first header portion, a second end portion, first control data and a frame containing additional data; and recording the first graphic file on an enhanced navigation medium.
US08305376B2
Updating a three-dimensional model includes generating a three-dimensional model comprised of components, modifying one of the components, determining other components having a possible changing effect on the three-dimensional model as a result of modifying the one component, and constructing a modified version of the three-dimensional model by regenerating the modified component and the other components having the possible changing effect while not regenerating remaining ones of the components not having the possible changing effect. The modified version achieves the same result as revising the three-dimensional model by regenerating each one of components.
US08305370B2
A display driven by a data signal and a light emission signal may be controlled by a control system including a first through fourth controller. The first controller may select a gamma value in accordance with ambient illumination and output a corresponding gamma compensation signal to control a gradation voltage of input image data. The second controller may compare the ambient illumination with a reference value, generate a selection signal in response thereto, and provide changed image data obtained by changing input image data in accordance with the selection signal as the data signal. The third controller may apply a scaling factor to the input image data generated from extracted features related to the input image data and a scale ratio obtained from the extracted features, and output scaled image data as the data signal. The fourth controller may control a pulse width of the emission control signal.
US08305365B2
A mobile device includes a control unit, a storage unit, a display unit, and a displacement detecting unit that detects displacement of a physical value caused when the mobile device moves, wherein the control unit includes an icon displaying unit that displays the icon in the display area, an icon moving unit that moves the icon displayed, in the display area and based on the displacement of the physical value, an area determining unit that compares coordinates of the icon moved and displayed in the display area to the specific area to thereby determine whether the icon is in the specific area, and an area-specific processing executing unit that retrieves the area-specific processing corresponding to the specific area and executes the area-specific processing when the area determining unit determines that the icon is in the specific area.
US08305359B2
One embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes a capacitive sensing device for use in a keypad assembly of an electronic system. The capacitive sensing device includes a substantially transparent single sheet capacitive sensor. The substantially transparent single sheet capacitive sensor is configured to be disposed within the keypad assembly without requiring the formation of key post holes therethrough. Additionally, the substantially transparent single sheet capacitive sensor has a flexibility which enables desired tactile response during use of keys of the keypad assembly.
US08305356B1
A method of controlling scrolling of contents provided in an electronic device including a touch screen and a scroll controlling region including a scroll pointer. The method includes sensing a touch on at a location in the scroll controlling region on the touch screen; sensing movement of the touch on to a location out of a scroll moving region on the touch screen; and changing a scrolling rate based on the sensed location out of the scroll moving region to control scrolling of the provided contents.
US08305352B2
An electronic device includes a touch panel, a driving circuit, and a sensing circuit. The driving circuit generates a driving signal, and superposes phase information on the driving signal. The touch panel includes multiple crossing conductors, for providing a sensing signal in response to a contact of an object on one of the sensing conductors and to a driving signal applied on the sensing element. The sensing circuit includes a signal extractor and a tag detector. The signal extractor generates a demodulation signal based on the period of the driving signal, width of the phase information, and for demodulating the sensing signal by using the demodulation signal to determine a sensing value. The tag detector enables the signal extractor as soon as a magnitude of the sensing signal is over a predetermined threshold. The signal demodulates the sensing signal by using a demodulation signal whose period is the same as the driving signal to determine the sensing value. The present electronic device can determine a touch position by processing of analog signal using the demodulation signal without phase compensation.
US08305335B2
One embodiment of the present invention discloses: a backlight lamp lighting control device including: a PWM signal generating section for generating a PWM signal in accordance with a duty ratio externally inputted, and outputting the PWM signal to a PWM inverter section controlled by the PWM signal so as to drive a fluorescent lamp to light; and a tube current detecting section for detecting a current flowing in the fluorescent lamp, the PWM signal generating section generating the PWM signal based on a current, which is obtained by adjusting the current detected by the tube current detecting section in accordance with the duty ratio externally inputted, so that luminance displayed on a liquid crystal display panel will be substantially uniform over the entire liquid crystal display panel.
US08305333B2
A backlight assembly includes a receiving container, a plurality of light-emitting modules, a driving unit and a side mold. The receiving container includes a bottom plate and a side part formed on a peripheral edge portion of the bottom plate. Light-emitting modules of the plurality of light-emitting modules are disposed in the receiving container. The light-emitting modules include a light-emitting base board and a plurality of light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) disposed on a first side of the light-emitting base board. The driving unit is disposed in the receiving container proximate to a lower portion of the peripheral edge portion of the bottom plate. The driving unit is electrically connected to the light-emitting modules to control an operation of the plurality of LEDs. The side mold is disposed on the lower portion of the peripheral edge portion of the bottom plate and covers the driving unit.
US08305330B2
A gate driving circuit of a display panel including a plurality of shift register sets coupled in series is provided. Every shift register set includes a shift register unit and a transistor coupled therewith. The shift register units receive a gate timing signal and an inverted gate timing signal, and one of a first level shift register unit and a last level shift register unit further receives a threshold driving signal. The shift register units respectively output a plurality of gate driving signals sequentially according to the threshold driving signal, the gate timing signal and the inverted gate timing signal. A gate and a first source/drain of each transistor are coupled to receive a gate controlling signal, and a second source/drain of each transistor is coupled to the corresponding shift register unit to output one of the gate driving signals.
US08305328B2
A multimode source driver for driving a display device in provided, including a bus swapping circuit, connecting a first data bus to one of first and second internal buses and connecting a second data bus to the other one of the first and second internal buses according to a swapping control signal, a start pulse swapping circuit, receiving a first start pulse and a second start pulse to provide a first swap start pulse and a second swap start pulse according to the swapping control signal, a first shift register, triggered by the first swap start pulse to generate a first series of latch signals, a second shift register, triggered by the second swap start pulse to generate a second series of latch signals, a shift multiplexer, outputting a third series of latch signals by selecting the first series and second series of latch signals, a plurality of latch multiplexers, each configured to selectively transmit pixel data from the first or second internal bus according to a mode control signal, a plurality of latch units, configured to latch the pixel data from the latch multiplexers, and an output unit, configured to provide a plurality of driving voltages.
US08305321B2
An apparatus for driving source lines includes an output buffer, a first switch and a second switch. The output buffer outputs a first voltage and a second voltage having an opposite phase to the first voltage during an output interval including a first interval portion and a second interval portion. The first switch applies the first and second voltages to an m-th source line and an (m+1)-th source line respectively during the first interval portion and blocks the first and second voltages during the second interval portion. The second switch includes a plurality of switching elements, the second switch short-circuiting the m-th source line and the (m+1)-th source line during the second interval portion, wherein the m-th source line has at least two connecting portions to be electrically connected to the (m+1)-th source line.
US08305320B2
A liquid crystal display and a driving method thereof are provided. The liquid crystal includes a liquid crystal display panel, a data driving circuit, a gate driving circuit, a timing controller, and an over-driving controller. The over-driving controller, if a difference between input data input during a (N)th frame period (N is a positive integer) and (N−1)th frame data read from a memory is more than 2 gray levels, modulates the data at an over/under shoot ratio of 20 to 80% and supplies the modulated data to the timing controller, if the difference is less than 2 gray levels, differently supplies the input data to the timing controller and converts the least significant bit of the data stored in the memory according to whether or not the data is modulated.
US08305306B2
In a light emitting device, luminance irregularities caused by fluctuation in threshold of TFTs for supplying a current to EL elements among pixels hinder the light emitting device from improving the image quality. A voltage equal to the threshold of a TFT 110 is held in capacitor means 111 in advance. When a video signal is inputted from a source signal line, the voltage held in the capacitor means is added to the signal, which is then applied to a gate electrode of the TFT 110. Even when threshold is fluctuated among pixels, each threshold is held in the capacitor means 111 of each pixel, and therefore, influence of the threshold fluctuation can be removed. Since the threshold is stored in the capacitor means 111 alone and the voltage between two electrodes is not changed while a video signal is written, fluctuation in capacitance value has no influence.
US08305295B2
Optoelectronic Display System for Transport Vehicles is suggested providing simultaneous representation of visual information of different form and content relating to parameters of driving on windscreen and at dashboard plane. To form said visual information unified image creator based on two LCD matrixes is used and image intended for representation on windscreen in collimated form is created on their upper parts and on lower parts—for representation at dashboard plane. To improve operate reliability the system is provided with control device of image creator operation. In case one of LCDs is out-of-service the device is switching other (operable) LCD into mode of parameters ‘minimum number creation required for safe driving.
US08305286B2
A solid surface bracket is provided. The solid surface bracket is configured to couple an antenna system with a solid surface ceiling. The solid surface bracket may include a top flange, bottom flange, and a side flange. The top flange may include an opening that is sized and shaped to receive a solid surface screw. The solid surface screw may be configured to engage with the solid surface ceiling. The bottom flange may be configured to receive a clip of the antenna system. The bottom flange may extend substantially parallel to the top flange. The side flange may be coupled with the top flange and bottom flange. The side flange may extend between and substantially perpendicular to the top flange and bottom flange. The side flange may have a height greater than a minimum bend radius of a cable extending from the antenna system.
US08305284B2
An antenna assembly includes a grounding element with a first edge and a second edge, a first antenna and a second antenna. The first antenna and the second antenna respectively extend from the first side edge and the second side edge of the grounding element, and each includes a connecting element with an opening, a radiating element upward extending from the connecting element and a feeding line. The two openings of the two antennas respectively face two opposite directions. The radiating element of the first antenna is above the second side edge of the grounding element, and the radiating element of the second antenna is above the first side edge of the grounding element.
US08305280B2
A transition for coupling a microwave signal between a transmission line formed on a planar dielectric substrate and a hollow waveguide may include a half-notch antenna formed on a portion of the dielectric substrate extending into an open end of the hollow waveguide.
US08305279B2
A three-axis antenna positioner has an X-Y over azimuth configuration, and includes an azimuth drive assembly, an X-axis drive assembly, and a Y-axis drive assembly. Each drive assembly is independently operable. The azimuth drive assembly imparts 540° azimuthal rotational motion to an antenna about an azimuth axis. The X-axis drive assembly rotates the antenna about a horizontal X-axis at elevation angles between −90° and +90°. The Y-axis drive assembly rotates the antenna about a Y-axis at elevation complement angles between −2° and +105°. The azimuth axis, the X-axis, and the Y-axis all intersect at a common intersection point, and are mutually orthogonal. A controller operates each drive assembly so as to minimize antenna tracking velocity and acceleration. Each drive assembly may include dual drives, and may be operated in a bias drive mode to substantially eliminate backlash.
US08305278B2
A two-part satellite dish heater for de-icing or anti-snow a home satellite dish, includes a single piece of circular, notched vinyl thermoplastic sheet having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the dish and including a cutout portion (notch) to accommodate the dish mounting structure. The dual-wire heater cable can be adhesively applied to the rear surface of a home satellite dish. The heater includes a thermostat that activates or deactivates at a lower and higher temperature setting, respectively. The temperature range can be manually changed by the user or pre-programmed by the manufacturers.
US08305274B2
Disclosed herein is an internal antenna capable of mitigating the effect of electromagnetic waves on a human body using coupling. The internal antenna includes an antenna pattern part and a conductive conductor pattern. The antenna pattern part is form on the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) of a mobile communication terminal. The conductive conductor pattern is formed in a predetermined pattern on one side surface of a cover which covers the antenna pattern part. Coupling occurs between the antenna pattern part formed on the PCB and the conductive conductor pattern formed in a predetermined pattern on one side surface of the cover, so that current components are transferred from the antenna pattern part to the conductive conductor pattern.
US08305269B2
A radio signal-based positioning device includes a receiver that receives a plurality of radio-transmitted positioning signals, a frequency determiner that determines a frequency of each of the plurality of positioning signals, a send time determiner that determines a send time of each of the plurality of positioning signals, and an evaluation unit that determines a position location from the determined frequencies and send times of the plurality of positioning signals.
US08305266B2
The invention relates to a network making it possible to calculate and provide ionospheric corrections to the users of a satellite navigation system, wherein the network also comprises: an aeronautical segment comprising an aeronautical user segment composed of a plurality of aircraft each one having an on-board RF receiver capable of measuring delays of the navigation signals transmitted by the satellites and an aeronautical data communication means between the plurality of aircraft and the ground segment in order to transmit said measurements of delays to the ground segment, and means, at the level of the ground segment, of receiving measurements of delays used for the calculation of the grid, the measurements of delays coming from the plurality of aircraft and from the plurality of ground stations.
US08305257B2
A method and apparatus of determining a wave height directional spectrum of an ocean wave field using the intermediate-frequency (IF) signal from marine radars with a rotating antenna, using either a fully coherent or a standard non-coherent transmitter/receiver modified for coherent-on-receive use. The method may include receiving the IF radar ocean surface echo signal for a series of transmit pulses, at a sequence of azimuthal antenna positions, and a number of antenna rotations covering several minutes, then generating a matrix of complex IF signal samples from these, deriving phases for each sample, generating the difference in phase for consecutive azimuths, then Doppler shifts, and finally radial velocities. These are interpolated to a Cartesian-transformed representation cube of samples, a subset of which is Fourier transformed in three dimensions, filtered, and the resulting power spectrum generated is used to derive ocean wave height directional spectra, frequency spectra, and root-mean-squared wave height.
US08305253B1
Processing is described for forming a synthetic aperture radar image of the region toward which a platform moves, and for extracting from this image the physical positions of scatterers in the region, including moving scatterers. The processing entails one-dimensional resampling of the received radar data that can be performed as the data are being collected, facilitating real-time operation. Various embodiments are disclosed.
US08305252B2
A countermeasure device for directing a mobile tracking device away from an asset is provided. The countermeasure device includes a continuous wave laser source whose output is directed at a seeker head of the mobile tracking device. The countermeasure device causes the generation of localized sources within the mobile tracking device and confuses the mobile tracking device as to the true location of the asset.
US08305249B2
A method of controlling power consumption in an electronic device may include selecting between an on mode of the electronic device in which first circuitry of the electronic device is configured to perform a first operation, an off/standby mode in which second circuitry of the electronic device is configured to perform a second operation, and a sleep/vacation mode in which the second circuitry is controlled to at least one of reduce a frequency of and suspend performance of the second operation. An electronic device may include: first circuitry configured to perform a first operation when the electronic device is in an on mode; second circuitry configured to perform a second operation when in an off/standby mode; and a circuitry controller configured to control the second circuitry to at least one of reduce a frequency of and suspend performance of the second operation when in a sleep/vacation mode.
US08305244B2
A plurality of segments of the sequence are identified, wherein a segment of the plurality of segments includes at least one unsigned integer of the unsigned integer data, and wherein the plurality of segments are based in part on context within the sequence. The plurality of segments are coded, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments is coded using a different coding alphabet, wherein a coding alphabet is constrained at least by unsigned integers of a corresponding segment.
US08305237B2
The aircraft tire pressure loop link is formed of first and second single metal loops connected by parallel spaced apart metal shafts, and provides for coupling a magnetic field between a wheel hub coil and a tire pressure sensor coil to provide electromagnetic communication between a control unit connect to the wheel hub coil and a tire pressure sensor connected to the tire pressure sensor coil. The current induced in the first single metal loop travels the distance from the edge of the wheel axle coil to the periphery of the of the wheel rim to the second single metal loop, which generates the flux in the tire pressure sensor receiver coil necessary to power the tire pressure sensor.
US08305231B2
A gas appliance monitoring apparatus includes a flow rate measurement unit for measuring the gas flow rate, a gas shut-off valve for shutting off a gas flow path at the abnormal time, an information storage unit for storing measurement results of the flow rate measurement unit, a wireless module for transmitting and receiving information, and a communication switch unit for switching a communication frequency band. The wireless module is integrated with a control circuit board forming the flow rate measurement unit and is housed in a gas meter. The wireless module has at least a communication frequency band with a base station and a communication frequency band with a plurality of gas appliances, and transmits an operation start signal detected by a specific gas appliance as appliance information using an appliance wireless module. The continuous use time of the specific appliance is detected or is changed based on the information.
US08305229B1
A wireless communication and drill string telemetry system. The communication system is used for communicating information along a drill string between a boring tool and a boring machine. An insulator assembly provides an electrically insulated gap between the drill string communication path and a soil engaging electrode for the electrical return path. A transmitter assembly includes a data transmitter for encoding and transmitting a data signal. A signal coupler couples the data signal to the drill string and provides a controlled electrical connection between the drill string communication path and the soil engaging electrode. The signal coupler comprises a transformer and a current regulating circuit to adjust a voltage across the transformer's primary winding. A receiver assembly is disposed proximate the drilling machine and includes a toroidal pickup coil and a signal processing assembly. The pickup coil has an annulus and is positioned such that the drill string communication path passes through the annulus. The pickup coil produces a signal voltage in response to a signal current on the drill string that the signal processing assembly processes to extract the data signal.
US08305227B2
The present invention provides a wireless auxiliary system for monitoring and control of an underwater installation. The auxiliary system of the present invention sends data and control signals between an underwater installation—for example, a lower stack 26 in a hydrocarbon drilling or production facility—and an associated riser assembly 23. Data is collected by sensor network 208A, 208B and is transmitted from a first transceiver 201 to a second transceiver 203 by electromagnetic signals. First transceiver 201 is powered by a local power supply 205. To conserve power consumption, the first transceiver is designed to become active for a short time and then to switch to an inactive mode. For example, wireless data transfer may occur after the detachment or just prior to the reattachment of riser assembly 23 to the underwater installation. Wireless data transfer may also occur on receipt of a handshaking signal from second transceiver 203. Thus, the system of the present invention is capable of providing soft shut-down mode for the underwater installation on detachment of riser assembly 23 and can also safeguard potential risks of reattaching riser 23 when the underwater installation in an unknown state.
US08305226B2
A drinking-water level alarm lamp for being placed in a water feeder includes a watertight casing including therein a lamp, a rolling ball tilt switch, a battery and a weight. When the water feeder contains drinking water, the drinking-water level alarm lamp half floats above the water by virtue of the inner space of the watertight casing and the weight. When the water feeder contains no drinking water, the drinking-water level alarm lamp lies at a bottom of the water feeder. The drinking-water level alarm lamp uses the presence and absence of the drinking water in and from the water feeder to change a position of the drinking-water level alarm lamp, so that the rolling ball tilt switch in the drinking-water level alarm lamp is accordingly switched to turn on or off the lamp.
US08305218B2
The invention provides a system and program product for attenuating a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader. In one embodiment, the system includes optimizing a coverage area of an RFID reader.
US08305212B1
A door security alarm includes an alarm housing, an alarm horn provided in the alarm housing and having a horn activation button, a housing attachment bracket carried by the alarm housing and a chain slot provided in the housing attachment bracket in general proximity to the horn activation button of the alarm horn.
US08305203B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for setting the wheel size of a bicycle (1, 2) on a bicycle computer (3) using input means (4, 5) on the bicycle computer (3). The aim is to be able to set the bicycle computer to the correct wheel size in a simpler and more reliable, virtually automatic, manner. This is achieved in that the bicycle computer (3) has at least two input means (4, 5) for at least two wheel sizes, in that a transmission means (6, 7), which can be assigned to the bicycle (1, 2), is provided for transmitting the wheel size of the bicycle (1, 2), and in that the transmission means (6, 7) interacts exclusively with that input means (4, 5) of the bicycle computer (3) which corresponds to the wheel size of the bicycle (1, 2).
US08305202B2
In an apparatus for preventing theft of equipment having a prime mover, an prime mover controller, and an authenticator that acquires ID information from an electronic key when the key is brought close thereto by an operator, and permits the prime mover controller to start the prime mover when the acquired ID information is determined to correspond with authentication ID information, data indicating a number of times the key is updated is included in the ID information, and the authenticator determines whether the number of times indicated in the data is greater than that in the authentication ID information, and when the number of times indicated in the data is greater than that in the authentication ID information, updates the authentication ID information such that it is equal to the number of times indicated in the data, thereby enabling to easily update authentication ID information of the equipment.
US08305192B2
A dual-mode RFID reader is capable of automatically switching from a far-field interrogation mode to a near-field interrogation mode upon the detection of certain operating or handling conditions. The RFID reader includes an RFID radio module configured to support a far-field interrogation mode and a near-field interrogation mode, an antenna arrangement coupled to the RFID radio module, and a mode-switch sensor architecture coupled to the RFID radio module. The mode-switch sensor architecture is configured to detect conditions indicative of near-field interrogation, and the RFID radio module automatically configures itself for operation in the near-field interrogation mode upon detection of such conditions.
US08305188B2
A system and method of maintaining login state information is disclosed. In one embodiment a system comprises a memory configured to store login state information, a camera configured to capture an image, and a processor configured to determine, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a central object associated with the user, to determine, based at least in part on the image data, a location of a satellite object associated with the central object, to determine, based at least in part on the location of the central object and the location of the satellite objection, an angle, and to modify, based at least in part on the angle, the login state information to indicate that the user has logged in.
US08305182B1
A symmetric differential inductor structure includes first, second, third and fourth spiral conductive wirings disposed in four quadrants of a substrate, respectively. Further, a fifth conductive wiring connects the first and fourth spiral conductive wirings, and a sixth conductive wiring connects the second and third spiral conductive wirings. The first and second spiral conductive wirings are symmetric but not intersected with one another, and the third and fourth spiral conductive wirings are symmetric but not intersected with one another. Therefore, the invention attains full geometric symmetry to avoid using conductive wirings that occupy a large area of the substrate as in the prior art and to thereby increase the product profit and yield.
US08305177B2
A magnet assembly for decoupling a plurality of different types of magnetically operated security devices includes a center pole magnet having a magnetic orientation along a first direction. A plurality of magnets adjacent to and surrounding the center pole magnet define an opening above the center pole magnet. Each adjacent magnet has a magnetic orientation orthogonal to the first direction. An end pole magnet is disposed adjacent to one of the magnets adjacent to the center pole magnet. The end pole magnet has magnetic orientation opposed to the first direction.
US08305172B2
A switch includes magnets that provide both mechanical actuation of the switch as well as electrical operation of the switch. A system controller detects a state of the switch and controls operation of one or more systems in a structure based on the state of the switch. The system controller can detect the state of the switch by detecting a position of a magnet of the switch.
US08305171B2
A rotary switch includes an operating member, a magnet member, and a magnetic sensor. The operating member is operable from outside of a case to move to first and second positions in an axial direction and is rotatable. The magnet member is provided in such a manner that the magnet member does not move in the axial direction of the operating member. The magnetic sensor detects rotation of the magnet member. An engaging section is formed in a predetermined area of the operating member, and an engaging hole to receive the engaging section is formed in the magnet member. When the operating member is moved in the axial direction, the engaging section moves inside the engaging hole with the engaging section being engaged with the engaging hole, and when the operating member is rotated, the magnet member rotates therewith.
US08305170B2
An embodiment of the present invention discloses an electromagnetic switching device including a housing including a mounting side and a connector side opposite the mounting side. The connector side includes one first and second main connection area for connecting first and second main lines to first and second fixed main contacts disposed in the interior of the housing. In the interior of the housing, movable main contact bridges are disposed via which one main current path each main current path includes one of the first fixed main contacts, one of the second fixed main contacts, and one of the main contact bridges. The main connection areas are located opposite one another. One first and one second central area are disposed between the main connection areas. The central areas each extend from the first to the second main connection area. The central areas are elevated relative to the main connection areas and disposed next to one another viewed from the first to the second main connection area. The first central area is more elevated relative to the main connection areas than the second central area.
US08305168B2
A forced return solenoid that includes an electrical winding configured to create an electromagnetic field when electrical current flows through the winding, an electrical terminal configured to be connected to a source of electrical energy, and a moveable contact plate configured to be moved into contact with the electrical terminal. Embodiment of the forced return solenoid include a plunger configured to move axially in response to the electromagnetic field generated by the electrical winding. Movement of the plunger in one direction causes the moveable contact plate to connect with the electrical terminal. Movement of the plunger in the opposite direction causes an impact intended to break the connection between the moveable contact plate and the electrical terminal. Embodiments of the forced return solenoid further include a return spring configured to move the plunger in the second direction, wherein the impact means comprises a removable snap ring affixed to the plunger.
US08305163B2
A tunable filter includes a surface acoustic wave resonator, in which an IDT electrode is defined by an electrode material provided in a recess in an upper surface of a piezoelectric substrate made of LiNbO3 or LiTaO3, and a ZnO film is arranged to cover the upper surface of the piezoelectric substrate, and variable capacitors connected with the surface acoustic wave resonator.
US08305158B2
An attenuator includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a first circuit coupled between the first and second terminals and including a field effect transistor including a gate terminal coupled to a resistor, a second circuit coupled between the first circuit and the second terminal, coupled to the first circuit via a node, and including another field effect transistor including another gate terminal coupled to another resistor, and a third circuit coupled to the node. The resistor and the another resistor are coupled to different nodes respectively.
US08305155B2
A PLL circuit comprises a phase detector, a charge pump, a loop filter, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), and two variable voltage sources. The phase detector and the charge pump each comprises low-voltage transistors, and operates with a fixed supply voltage VCC1 (e.g., 5 V) which is a potential difference applied from the variable voltage source of a power-supply voltage VL and the variable voltage source of a power-supply voltage VDC (=VL+VCC1). A tuning control signal VC generated by integrating an output current signal of the charge pump using the loop filter is input to the VCO having an input voltage range of the tuning control signal from 0 V to VCC2 (e.g., 16 V). At this time, the output voltage range of the tuning control signal is from VL to VDC, but the output voltage range is expanded to cover the full input voltage range from 0 V to VCC2 by controlling the output voltages VL, VDC of the variable voltage sources, thereby allowing the VCO to output an output signal with a desired oscillation frequency.
US08305145B2
A receiving circuit in accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes a first voltage-dividing circuit that outputs a first input signal obtained by voltage division of one of differential signals based on the resistance ratio between first and second resistors, a second voltage-dividing circuit that outputs a second input signal obtained by voltage division of the other of the differential signals based on the resistance ratio between third and fourth resistors, a differential amplifier that amplifies the differential component between the first and second input signals, a common-mode voltage detection circuit that detects the common-mode voltage of the differential signals, and a bias voltage switching circuit that switches the voltage value of a bias voltage based on the common-mode voltage.
US08305141B2
Provided is a distributed Doherty power amplifier exhibiting high efficiency and linearity at a wide range of bandwidths, the distributed Doherty power amplifier including a first amplifier; a second amplifier, which is connected to the first amplifier in parallel; a first shifting unit, which is interconnected between the input of the first amplifier and the input of the second amplifier and inverses the phase of the input of the second amplifier; and a second shifting unit, which is interconnected between the output of the first amplifier and the output of the second amplifier and inverses the phase of the output of the second amplifier, wherein the first amplifier and the second amplifier are Doherty power amplifiers, and each of the Doherty power amplifiers includes a carrier amplifier and a peaking amplifier, which are connected in parallel.
US08305137B2
A known method for parallel two-way symmetrical signal transmission by means of an isolating interface with a differentiating circuit comprising a capacitive barrier is improved. When restarting communication in the selected direction after a longer break, a pilot signal is conducted via the transmitting plates for the communication in the reverse direction and capacitive compensators to one of the receiving plates for communication in the selected direction. Threshold levels for comparisons of the signals of the first and second time derivative are decreased, the capacitance of capacitive compensators is then set to reduce output the output signal and finally communication is reestablished. Transmitting plates for communication in the reverse direction are now connected to the receiving plates for communication in the selected direction through the capacitive compensators with the capacitance adjusted as described above. This provides satisfactory signal transmission even when a thick layer of an electrically well conductive liquid appears between the plates of the isolating interface.
US08305134B2
A reference current source circuit outputs a constant reference current even if surrounding environments such as temperature and power source voltage change in a power source circuit that operates in a minute current region in an order of nanoamperes. The reference current source circuit includes an nMOS-configured power source circuit, a pMOS-configured power source circuit, and a current subtracter circuit. The nMOS-configured power source circuit includes a current generating nMOSFET, and generates a first current having temperature characteristics of an output current dependent on an electron mobility. The pMOS-configured power source circuit includes a current generating pMOSFET, and generates a second current having temperature characteristics of an output current dependent on a hole mobility. The current subtracter circuit generates a constant reference current by subtracting the second current from the first current.
US08305120B2
Delay locked loop circuits and methods are disclosed. In the embodiments, a delay locked loop may include a phase detector to detect a phase difference between a clock signal and a reference clock signal, and a charge pump that receives the detected phase difference. A low pass filter may filter an output from the charge pump. The delay locked loop may further include a delay line having a plurality of delay elements, the plurality of delay elements including a first selectable group and a second selectable group that is larger than the first selectable group. A first clock signal from the first group of delay elements may be provided to the phase detector to first synchronize the delay locked loop, and following the synchronization, a second clock signal from the second group may be employed to synchronize the delay locked loop.
US08305114B2
A track-and-hold circuit is provided. This track-and-hold circuit is adapted to track an analog input signal and hold a sampled voltage of the analog input signal at a sampling instant for processing by other circuitry, in response to a track signal that alternates with a hold signal. Preferably, the track-and-hold circuit includes a bi-directional current source that sources and sinks current through a first output node and a second output node, a unity gain amplifier that is coupled to first and second output nodes of the bi-directional current source and that receives the analog input signal, a resistor coupled to an output of the unity gain amplifier, and a capacitor coupled between the resistor and ground. Of interest, however, is the bi-directional current source, which includes a differential input circuit that is adapted to receive the track signal and the hold signal and that is coupled to the first and second output nodes and an RC network that is coupled to the differential input circuit. The RC network receives the analog input signal and is scaled to change the location of a zero to reduce the signal-dependence of the sampling instant.
US08305110B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC). The IC includes at least fifty configurable circuits arranged in an array having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. Each configurable circuit for configurably performing a set of operations. At least a first configurable circuit reconfigures at a first reconfiguration rate. The first configurable circuit performs a different operation each time the first configurable circuit is reconfigured. The reconfiguration of the first configurable circuit does not follow any sequential progression through the set of operations of the first configurable circuit.
US08305089B2
A system for the detection of water in a sandwich structure for aircraft including: a microwave generator, at least two microwaves emitters/sensors mounted in the structure, and a microwave detector capable of detecting the microwaves after propagation in the structure; a data-processing unit associated with a library containing at least one model of the structure when empty. Also methods for implementing this system as well as an aircraft including such a system.
US08305081B2
A transient electromagnetic (TEM) signal is recorded in an earth formation during vibration of a logging tool. Concurrently, accelerometer measurements are made. The accelerometer measurements are used to correct the TEM signal for the vibration using the accelerometer measurement and a transfer function relating the TEM signal and the accelerometer. The transfer function may be determined using measurements in a water tank or by using the tail end of the TEM measurements.
US08305078B2
A method and apparatus are provided for performing an in-situ magnetic resonance imaging of an object. The method includes the steps of providing an atomic magnetometer, coupling a magnetic field generated by magnetically resonating samples of the object through a flux transformer to the atomic magnetometer and measuring a magnetic resonance of the atomic magnetometer.
US08305071B2
An apparatus and method for measuring muzzle velocity (V0) of a projectile, which apparatus includes a smooth weapon barrel or firing barrel as a waveguide, a signal generator which is electrically connected via a signal supply line to at least one transmission coupler in order to energize the weapon barrel or firing barrel, and a receiving line for passing on the signals measured at at least one receiving coupler to an evaluation device. If the velocity is measured after the projectile has passed through, the receiving coupler is located between the projectile base and the transmission coupler, while the receiving coupler is between the projectile nose and the transmission coupler when the velocity (V0) is measured before the projectile passes through. The electromagnetic field of the empty weapon barrel is measured without a projectile, in front of the projectile or behind the projectile, or in combination. The muzzle velocity (V0) is then determined from the measured signals.
US08305061B1
A buck/boost regulator controller is provided. The buck-boost regulator controller controls four switches in an H-bridge configuration to control voltage regulation. The buck/boost regulator controller includes a digital error amplifier and buck-boost control logic. The digital error amplifier provides a multi-bit digital error voltage signal that is based on the difference between the output voltage and the desired output voltage. The buck-boost control logic controls the opening and closing of the four switches in the H-bridge based, in part, on the multi-bit digital error voltage signal.
US08305057B2
A power supply, an over voltage protection (OVP) apparatus, and an OVP method are provided. The present invention employs the OVP apparatus for monitoring a core power. When a voltage level of the core power is higher than a reference voltage, the OVP apparatus disables a power supply unit. As such, the present invention is adapted for avoiding damage to a capacitor of a conversion unit or load caused by abnormal boost of the voltage level of the core power.
US08305054B2
An energy control method for a inductive conversion device comprising: determination of individual error of multiple output voltages; determination of peak current based on the errors, determination of total energy through the peak current and charging to at least one inductor according to the peak current, whereas the inductor will store the total energy.
US08305053B2
One embodiment of the invention includes a power supply system. The system includes at least one power switch configured to be activated and deactivated based on a duty-cycle of a respective at least one control signal to generate an output voltage. The system also includes a gate driver configured to generate the at least one control signal and to adjust a slew-rate of each pulse of the at least one control signal to substantially mitigate amplitude ringing at a switching node during a first rising-edge portion and to substantially mitigate conduction losses associated with the at least one power switch during activation and deactivation of the at least one power switch during a second rising-edge portion.
US08305050B2
An energy harvesting system is provided that includes a startup module for starting the energy harvesting system operation from a completely OFF state. The startup module uses mechanical vibrations due to motion to trigger a switch which permits the startup module to charge one or more first capacitive elements so to as reach a first defined voltage. A storage module buffers energy obtained from a thermoelectric harvester to be used by a load device. The storage module commences storing energy from the thermoelectric harvester when the first defined voltage has been reached allowing charging of one or more second capacitive elements to reach a second defined voltage. A DC-DC converter module provides regulated voltage to the load device after energy has been transferred from the thermoelectric harvester. The DC-DC converter module determines whether the second defined voltage has been reached and releases stored energy in the one or more first capacitive elements and the load device.
US08305043B2
In a voltage detecting apparatus, a voltage controlled oscillator, when an input voltage is applied thereto, outputs a signal with a logical value that is periodically inverted. A detector counts a number of logical inversion of the output signal from the voltage controlled oscillator over an interval between edges of pulses of a pulse signal to thereby generate, based on the counted number of logical inversion, digital data as a detected result of the input voltage. A determiner determines whether a reduction of a time required to detect the input voltage is higher in priority than an increase of a resolution of detection of the input voltage. A variably setting unit variably sets a frequency of the pulse signal based on a result of the determination of whether the reduction of the time required to detect the input voltage is higher in priority than the increase of the resolution of detection of the input voltage.
US08305042B2
The invention relates to a handheld electrical machine tool having at least one electrical drive, at least one electrical device requiring electrical energy for its operation, a shut-off delay apparatus for the electrical drive and/or the electrical device and having at least one rechargeable battery for the electrical supply to the drive and the electrical device. Provision is made for the handheld electrical machine tool to have an exhaustive discharge protection apparatus (8), which predetermines the delay time (t) of the shut-off delay apparatus (3) as a function of the state of charge of the rechargeable battery (9) detected by it. In addition, the invention relates to a corresponding method.
US08305035B2
In an energy storage device, a charging circuit is electrically coupled to the energy storage section. A first comparator is electrically coupled to an energy storage section, and its output is inverted when voltage Vc of the energy storage section reaches first predetermined voltage Vc1. A second comparator is electrically coupled to the energy storage section, and its output is inverted when voltage Vc of the energy storage section reaches second predetermined voltage Vc2. A control circuit is electrically coupled to the first comparator and the second comparator. The control circuit obtains period tm from inversion of the output of the first comparator to the output of the second comparator. Capacitance C of the energy storage section is calculated based on this period tm and voltage change width ΔVc between the first predetermined voltage Vc1 and the second predetermined voltage Vc2.
US08305030B2
A classified solar charging method defines four magnitude classes of charging current in accordance with a combination selected from four magnitude classes of power production of a solar cell and four magnitude classes of capacity of each rechargeable battery of a rechargeable battery pack. In addition to the optimal charging current, the method simultaneously takes an operating temperature of the rechargeable battery into account upon using the solar cell to store energy in the rechargeable battery. Accordingly, the present invention can selectively charge overall, partial or single rechargeable battery based on the power production of the solar cell and the capacity of the rechargeable battery to enhance a charging efficiency and reduce a charging time.
US08305029B2
A fan drive apparatus includes a first fan, a second fan configured to form an air flow space, which has an intake side and an exhaust side, in cooperation with the first fan, a first drive circuit and a second drive circuit configured to output drive voltages to drive the first fan and the second fan respectively, a current detection unit configured to detect a drive current for the second drive circuit when the first fan and the second fan are driven, and a control unit configured to control the second drive circuit to change the drive voltage applied to the second fan, and determine a drive voltage so that a variation amount of the drive current detected by the current detection unit with respect to a change of the drive voltage is equal to or less than a predetermined value.
US08305022B2
A motor control device has first to third amplifiers which amplify voltage generated at first to third shunt resistances connected to first to third drivers to supply driving current of each of three phases to a three-phase brushless motor, first to third sample-hold circuits which sample and hold voltage amplified by the first to third amplifiers, a multiplexer which sequentially selects and outputs voltage values held by the first to third sample-hold circuits, an A/D converter which performs A/D conversion on output signals of the multiplexer, and an arithmetic unit which calculates the driving current through an output signal of the A/D converter, estimates a magnetic pole position of the motor based on the driving current, and performs pulse width modulation (PWM) control on the driving current by controlling the first to third drivers.
US08305019B2
When output voltage V1 of an electric power converter reaches a prescribed voltage V1*ref, a difference between V1 and V1*ref is integrated to correct a commanded torque to τo* (τ*=τo*+Δτ).
US08305017B2
In a motor control circuit which controls energization of a coil on the basis of a detection result of a rotor position, control is performed so that continuous rotation of the rotor by inertia is suppressed, rotation is stopped quickly, and reverse rotation of the rotor is prevented. When an external control signal CTL is changed from L to H, the normal rotation control is switched to reverse rotation control, and a reverse brake state is effected. When motor rotation speed is monitored and reduced to a set rotation speed, a brake control signal SPSB is changed from L to H, and a short brake state is effected. However, the motor continues to be rotated by its own inertia, and a position detection signal HALL is changed. Thus, reverse brake control is temporarily performed (only during a time period corresponding to a pulse width TRB). The short pulse reverse brake control is intermittently performed until the motor is completely stopped.
US08305004B2
A single-stage integrated circuit drives LED sources in a constant power mode to eliminate the need for LED current sensing, while reshaping the waveform of the inductor current near line zero crossing to achieve high power factor. The integrated circuit achieves substantially constant input power by maintaining a constant voltage at a power factor corrector controller through an input voltage feedforward system. Accordingly, the disclosed circuit provides a high power factor, high efficiency, simple, and cost-effective solution with substantially consistent input power for both isolated and non-isolated offline LED applications.
US08305003B2
In an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp that encloses mercury is enclosed in an arc tube, an electrode has a head portion whose diameter is larger than that of an axis portion and a cylindrical portion formed to project from and extend, integrally with a back end face of the head portion, wherein an inner circumference face the cylindrical portion is apart from the axis portion so as to surround the axis portion. During an alternating current lighting, a relational expression of d/(1/f)×1/2≧3.8 is satisfied, wherein a frequency, which relates to an anode operation period that is the longest in the anode operation period during which one electrode serves as an anode, is represented as f, and a distance in an axial direction from the leading edge position of the head portion of the electrode to a boundary position between the head portion and the cylindrical portion is represented as d.
US08305001B2
A light-emitting diode driver circuit includes: a first-rectifier circuit to output a first-rectified voltage; a transformer including primary and secondary coils and an auxiliary coil inductively coupled to the primary or secondary coils, the primary coil being applied with the first-rectified voltage; a transistor connected in series to the primary coil; a second-rectifier circuit to output a second-rectified voltage obtained by rectifying a voltage generated in the auxiliary coil; a capacitor to be charged with the second-rectified voltage; and a control circuit to control on and off of the transistor based on a charging voltage of the capacitor so that the charging voltage becomes equal to a predetermined voltage, the secondary coil outputting a voltage that varies with a frequency corresponding to a frequency of the first-rectified voltage and that corresponds to a turns ratio between the primary and secondary coils, as a voltage for driving a light-emitting diode.
US08305000B2
In an optimum frequency detection sequence of a discharge lamp, the frequency control circuit performs a sweep operation in which, while the frequency control circuit monitors a synchronization degree signal, a frequency control signal is changed, so that frequency is changed, starting from either an upper or lower limit frequency of a periodic driving circuit, in a range that does not exceed the other frequency, wherein after completion of the sweep operation, the frequency control circuit determines a value of the frequency control signal corresponding to a resonance frequency of the resonant circuit, and inputs the value into a frequency driving circuit, wherein at least in a period of the sweep operation, an inverter receives power supply from a sweep time power supply circuit for supplying electric power with constant supply capability, which is limited to a range in which breakdown does not occur in the discharge lamp.
US08304988B2
The present invention relates to a tandem organic light emitting device, which reduces the driving voltage by using a non-doping material having both the electron transporting and hole transporting abilities to act, respectively, as an electron transporting layer and a hole transporting layer that are in contact with the connecting layer. The tandem organic light emitting device does not have to double its driving voltage as a result of the increasing of the number of the emitting element contained therein. However, the brightness and the current efficiency of the device of the present invention will be higher than the theoretical fold value calculated in accordance with the number of emitting element contained in the device.
US08304984B2
Disclosed is an organic electroluminescent element in which light extraction efficiency is improved without lowering the electrical conductivity or the transporting or blocking performance for electrons or holes in a transparent electrode or an organic layer. The organic electroluminescent element of the invention is characterized in that it comprises a transparent substrate and provided thereon, at least a first electrode section with a light transmission property, an organic light emission layer section and a second electrode section in this order, the first electrode section containing at least metal nanowires, wherein an average refractive index of the first electrode section is lower than that of the organic light emission layer section.
US08304983B2
Disclosed are an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) film, wherein nitrogen-containing compounds produced by reactions of nitrogen with at least one atom selected from the group consisting of In, Sn and O atoms which are constitutional elements of ITO, or deposited nitrogen-containing compounds are present on a surface of the ITO film; and a method for preparing an ITO film, comprising the step of treating a surface of the ITO film with nitrogen plasma. An organic elect roluminescent device using the ITO film provided by the present invention as an anode shows a low voltage, a high efficiency and a long lifetime.
US08304972B2
A coating layer for blocking EMI is disclosed, which comprises a base substrate, and a deposition member formed at one surface of the base substrate, comprising a plurality of repetitive unit films which include metal layers and high refraction layers, wherein any one of the outmost metal layers of the deposition member has a minimum thickness among the metal layers. Also, an optical filter which includes the coating layer and a display apparatus are disclosed.
US08304962B2
An elliptical vibration is generated by combining a longitudinal primary resonance vibration of the vibrator resulting from an expansion and a contraction of the vibrator in a direction of the central axis and a torsional resonance vibration resulting from twisting of the vibrator around the central axis as a torsional axis. The dimension ratio of the rectangle of the vibrator is chosen such that a resonance frequency of the longitudinal primary resonance vibration resulting from the expansion and the contraction of the vibrator in the direction of the central axis and a resonance frequency of the torsional resonance vibrations resulting from twisting of the vibrator around the central axis as the torsional axis match. The ultrasonic motor further includes a vibration detecting electrode layer.
US08304961B2
There is provided a method for testing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator, wherein the displacement of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator is estimated on the basis of the relations between one or more frequency characteristic values selected from the group consisting of the heights and areas of the peaks of the resonance waveforms and the difference of the maximum and minimum of the first order or first to higher orders of the resonance frequency characteristic values of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator and the k-th order (k=1 to 4) of the first or first to higher orders of resonance frequencies. According to this piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator testing method, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator can be tested with high precision without actually driving the same as a product and without being accompanied by any disassembly/breakage.
US08304959B2
A surface acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate including an R-plane, a-plane, or m-plane sapphire substrate and a LiNbO3 film of (90°, 90°, −15° to 15°) or (0°, 90°, −15° to 15°) in terms of Euler angles (φ, θ, Ψ) disposed on the sapphire substrate, and electrodes disposed on the piezoelectric substrate and made of metal.
US08304957B2
A generator device for converting thermal energy to electric energy. A magnetic circuit includes at least a portion made of a magnetic material. A temperature-varying device varies the temperature in the portion made of the magnetic material alternately above and below a phase transition temperature of the magnetic material to thereby vary the reluctance of the magnetic circuit. A coil is arranged around the magnetic circuit, in which electric energy is induced in response to a varying magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit. A magnetic flux generator generates magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit. A controllable electric circuit device is connected to the coil and a control device controls the controllable electric circuit device.
US08304951B2
The present invention provides a dynamoelectric machine that enables permanent magnets to be held stably in trough portions that are formed on portions of a yoke portion that are positioned between adjacent claw-shaped magnetic pole portions.In a dynamoelectric machine according to the present invention, first and second magnet holders are disposed so as to span first and second trough portions that are formed on portions of first and second yoke portions that are positioned between circumferentially adjacent first and second claw-shaped magnetic pole portions, and first and second permanent magnets are held by the first and second magnet holders so as to face inner circumferential surfaces near tip ends of the claw-shaped magnetic pole portions so as to have a predetermined clearance.
US08304942B2
A drive apparatus has a motor device having a tubular motor case. A stator is arranged radially inside the motor case. A rotor is arranged radially inside the stator. A shaft is rotatable with the rotor. An electronic circuit is arranged in the central axis direction of the shaft relative to the motor case. A choke coil has a hole in a central part thereof, in which the shaft is inserted.
US08304926B2
A method for operating a wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine generates a sound level. The method includes selecting a desired sound level; calculating at least one operating parameter by inputting the desired sound level to a model; and operating the wind turbine according to the at least one operating parameter. The method further includes measuring the sound level and based on the measured sound level, calculating at least one of a redefined desired sound level and a revised model. Furthermore, the method includes calculating at least one redefined operating parameter by at least one of inputting the redefined desired sound level to the model and inputting the desired sound level to the revised model.
US08304915B2
A semiconductor device includes a plural number of interconnects and a plural number of vias are stacked. A semiconductor element is enclosed in an insulation layer. At least one of the vias provided in insulation layers and/or at least one of interconnects provided in the interconnect layers are of cross-sectional shapes different from those of the vias formed in another one of the insulation layers and/or interconnects provided in another one of the interconnect layers.
US08304905B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip, wiring formed thereon, a first insulating film formed on the wiring, provided with a first opening, a pad electrode formed so as to be in contact with the wiring, a second insulating film formed on the pad electrode film, provided with a second opening, and a flip chip bump formed so as to be in contact with the pad electrode film. In this case, the second insulating film exists between the flip chip bump and the pad electrode film, in a region directly underneath the outer edge of the flip chip bump, as seen in a plan view, and the outer edge of the flip chip bump is formed in a region inside the outer edge of the pad electrode film.
US08304904B2
A semiconductor device has a first conductive layer formed over a substrate. A first insulating layer is formed over the substrate and first conductive layer. A second conductive layer is formed over the first conductive layer and first insulating layer. A second insulating layer is formed over the first insulating layer and second conductive layer. The second insulating layer has a sidewall between a surface of the second insulating material and surface of the second conductive layer. A protective layer is formed over the second insulating layer and surface of the second conductive layer. The protective layer follows a contour of the surface and sidewall of the second insulating layer and second conductive layer. A bump is formed over the surface of the second conductive layer and a portion of the protective layer adjacent to the second insulating layer. The protective layer protects the second insulating layer.
US08304900B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a substrate; attaching an integrated circuit device to the substrate; forming a stud interconnect having stacked studs, the stud interconnect on the substrate and having a contact surface and a crown surface on an end of the stud interconnect opposite the substrate; applying an encapsulation over the integrated circuit die, over the stud interconnect, and over the substrate; and forming a cavity in the encapsulation over the stud interconnect, the contact surface and the crown surface exposed in the cavity.
US08304899B2
A recessed portion is provided in first and second insulating films, the first insulating film being stacked on a semiconductor wafer, the second insulating film being stacked on the first insulating film. The first and second insulating films are processed to form wiring in a formation region of the semiconductor wafer in which an acceleration sensor is to be formed. After a sacrificial film is stacked on the wiring and processed, a conductive film is stacked on the wiring and processed to form a plurality of thin film structures in the formation region. The recessed portion surrounds the formation region.
US08304893B2
An IC includes a substrate having a semiconductor top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the semiconductor top surface includes one or more active circuit components and a plurality of through silicon vias (TSVs) extending through the substrate. The plurality of TSVs include an outer dielectric liner. The dielectric liner includes at least one halogen or a Group 15 element metal gettering agent in an average concentration from 1 to 10 atomic %. A metal diffusion barrier layer is on the dielectric liner and a metal filler is on the metal barrier layer. The metal gettering agent getters metal filler that escapes the metal barrier layer.
US08304889B2
An elastic printed board is provided so that stress applied by the silicon gel is absorbed by the printed board. Further, the printed board is formed to be so narrow that the stress can escape. On the other hand, the wires on which a high voltage is applied are patterned on respective printed boards. This serves to prevent discharge through the surface of the same printed board serving as a current passage. This design makes it possible to hermetically close the power module, prevent intrusion of moisture or contamination as well as displacement, transformation and cracks of the cover plate.
US08304885B2
A semiconductor device comprises an IC chip body and a package substrate that has thereon many external electrodes arranged in a two-dimensional grid configuration. Groups of signal lines that are likely to emit noise (noisy signal lines) are separated and spaced apart from groups of signal lines that are susceptible to noise (noise susceptible signal lines). Each of the noisy signal lines and noise susceptible signal lines is connected to an associated member of an associated IC pad group separated and spaced apart from other IC pad groups. Further, each of the noisy signal lines and noise susceptible signal lines is connected to an associated member of an associated external electrode group selected from the multiplicity of external electrodes arranged in a two-dimensional grid configuration on the package substrate. Thus, groups of potentially interfering signal lines are mutually separated and spaced apart from one another, thereby suppressing the noise.
US08304884B2
A semiconductor device includes a metal carrier and a spacer element attached to the metal carrier. The semiconductor device includes a first sintered metal layer on the spacer element and a semiconductor chip on the first sintered metal layer.
US08304881B1
A microelectronic assembly can include a substrate having an aperture extending between first and second surfaces thereof, the substrate having substrate contacts at the first surface and terminals at the second surface. The microelectronic assembly can include a first microelectronic element having a front surface facing the first surface, a second microelectronic element having a front surface facing the first microelectronic element, and leads electrically connecting the contacts of the second microelectronic element with the terminals. The second microelectronic element can have contacts exposed at the front surface thereof beyond an edge of the first microelectronic element. The first microelectronic element can be configured to regenerate at least some signals received by the microelectronic assembly at the terminals and to transmit said signals to the second microelectronic element. The second microelectronic element can embody a greater number of active devices to provide memory storage array function than any other function.
US08304877B2
A semiconductor device which has a plurality of semiconductor chips stacked on a substrate. The semiconductor device includes semiconductor chip 2, semiconductor chip 3a stacked on substrate 4 together with semiconductor chip 2, and having a foot print larger than semiconductor chip 2, through electrode 22 extending through semiconductor chip 2 only in a central portion of semiconductor chip 2, through electrode 32 extending through semiconductor chip 3a at a position facing to through electrode 22, and conduction bump 7b arranged between through electrode 22 and through electrode 32, and conductively connecting through electrode 22 with through electrode 32.
US08304869B2
An integrated circuit package on package system includes: providing a lead having a wire-bonded die with a bond wire connected thereto; mounting a fan-in interposer over the wire-bonded die and the bond wire; connecting the fan-in interposer to the lead with the bond wires; and encapsulating the wire-bonded die, bond wires, and the fan-in interposer with an encapsulation leaving a portion of the fan-in interposer exposed.
US08304865B2
A leadframe including a die pad, leads, an outer frame, connecting bars and grounding bars is provided. Each of the grounding bars is suspended between two connecting bars by being connected with branches of the two connecting bars, such that the grounding bars are spaced by the die pad. The leadframe and the chip package of the present invention can permit a great design variation.
US08304861B2
A microchip has a bonding material that bonds a first substrate to a second substrate. The bonding material has, among other things, a rare earth metal and other material.
US08304859B2
Provided is an optical interconnection device. The optical interconnection device include: a first semiconductor chip disposed on a germanium-on-insulator (GOI) substrate; a light emitter on the GOI substrate, the light emitter receiving an electrical signal from the first semiconductor chip and outputting a light signal; a light detector on the GOI substrate, the light detector sensing the light signal and converting the sensed light signal into an electrical signal; and a second semiconductor chip on the GOI substrate, the second semiconductor chip receiving the electrical signal from the light detector.
US08304856B2
A serially-connected diode pair made of diodes having a high withstand voltage and a low on-resistance is formed based on a high withstand voltage vertical PNP bipolar transistor process technology. Two of the diode pairs are connected in parallel to form a bridge so that there is formed a high-efficiency full-wave rectifier circuit that is free from a leakage current due to a parasitic transistor. The serially-connected diode pair is formed by connecting a diode composed of a P type semiconductor substrate, that makes an anode, and an N type buried layer, that makes a cathode, and a diode composed of a P+ type conductive layer, that makes an anode, and an N type epitaxial layer, that makes a cathode, in series with an electrode AC1. An N+ type buried layer and an N+ type conductive layer are formed to prevent an electric potential at the N+ type buried layer from becoming lower than an electric potential at a P+ type buried layer even when a large positive voltage is applied to the electrode AC1, so as to prevent a parasitic PNP transistor composed of the P+ type buried layer, the N+ type buried layer and the P type semiconductor substrate, that make an emitter, a base and a collector, respectively, from turning on.
US08304855B2
Semiconductor devices (100) and methods of making the same. Each of the semiconductor devices includes a substrate (102) having a first surface (118) and an opposing second surface. A vertical capacitive element (104) is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The vertical capacitive element comprises a plurality of parallel conductive plates (120b, 120d, 120f, 120h, 120j, 120l, 120n) extending transverse to the first surface of the substrate. Adjacent conductive plates are spaced a distance D from each other. A dielectric material (104) can be disposed in a space separating the adjacent conductive plates. Each of the conductive plates has a height-to-width (h/w) ratio greater than or equal to one.
US08304854B2
Disclosed are a semiconductor integrated circuit chip, a multilayer chip capacitor, and a semiconductor integrated circuit chip package. The semiconductor integrated circuit chip includes a semiconductor integrated circuit chip body, an input/output terminal disposed on the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit chip body, and a decoupling capacitor disposed at a side face of the semiconductor integrated circuit chip body and electrically connected to the input/output terminal. The semiconductor integrated circuit chip cab be obtained, which can maintain an impedance of a power distribution network below a target impedance in a wide frequency range, particularly at a high frequency, by minimizing an inductance between a decoupling capacitor and a semiconductor integrated circuit chip.
US08304851B2
Conventional “on-chip” or monolithically integrated thermocouples are very mechanically sensitive and are expensive to manufacture. Here, however, thermocouples are provided that employ different thicknesses of thermal insulators to help create thermal differentials within an integrated circuit. By using these thermal insulators, standard manufacturing processes can be used to lower cost, and the mechanical sensitivity of the thermocouple is greatly decreased. Additionally, other features (which can be included through the use of standard manufacturing processes) to help trap and dissipate heat appropriately.
US08304844B2
A pressure measuring device having a pedestal, an intermediate piece of semiconductor arranged on the pedestal and, connected with the pedestal and arranged on the intermediate piece and connected with the intermediate piece, a semiconductor pressure sensor having a support and a measuring membrane, or diaphragm. The pressure measuring device offers reliable protection of the sensitive measuring membrane, or diaphragm, against mechanical distortions. Provided extending in the interior of the intermediate piece is an annular cavity, which surrounds a first cylindrical section and, pedestal end thereof, a second cylindrical section of the intermediate piece. The second cylindrical section has a greater outer diameter than the first cylindrical section. The cavity is open on an end of the intermediate piece toward the pedestal. The second cylindrical section has an end face facing the pedestal and lying on an end face of the pedestal, for forming a connecting area, via which the intermediate piece is mechanically connected with the pedestal.
US08304831B2
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device having a transistor. The transistor includes a substrate and first and second wells that are disposed within the substrate. The first and second wells are doped with different types of dopants. The transistor includes a first gate that is disposed at least partially over the first well. The transistor further includes a second gate that is disposed over the second well. The transistor also includes source and drain regions. The source and drain regions are disposed in the first and second wells, respectively. The source and drain regions are doped with dopants of a same type.
US08304827B2
A semiconductor device includes a diode formed by making use of a DMOS transistor structure. In addition to such a DMOS transistor structure, the semiconductor device includes a second buried layer of the first conductivity type being provided on a first buried layer of a second conductivity type that is in a floating state. Moreover, the second buried layer of the first conductivity type and a second diffusion region of the first conductive type are connected by a first diffusion region of the first conductivity type. A first electrode is set as anode, and a second electrode and a third electrode are short-circuited and set as cathode.
US08304824B2
A semiconductor device includes: an isolation layer for defining a plurality of active areas of a substrate, where the isolation layer is disposed on the substrate; a plurality of buried word lines having upper surfaces that are lower than the upper surfaces of the active areas, being surrounded by the active areas, and extending in a first direction parallel to a main surface of the substrate; a gate dielectric film interposed between the buried word lines and the active areas; and a plurality of buried bit lines having upper surfaces that are lower than the upper surfaces of the plurality of buried word lines and extending parallel to the main surface of the substrate in a second direction that differs from the first direction.
US08304819B2
A device formed from a method of fabricating a fine metal silicide layer having a uniform thickness regardless of substrate doping. A planar vacancy is created by the separation of an amorphousized surface layer of a silicon substrate from an insulating layer, a metal source enters the vacancy through a contact hole through the insulating layer connecting with the vacancy, and a heat treatment converts the metal in the vacancy into metal silicide. The separation is induced by converting the amorphous silicon into crystalline silicon.
US08304817B2
A method for manufacturing a field effect transistor, includes: forming a mask of an insulating film on a semiconductor layer containing Si formed on a semiconductor substrate; forming the semiconductor layer into a mesa structure by performing etching with the use of the mask, the mesa structure extending in a direction parallel to an upper face of the semiconductor substrate; narrowing a distance between two sidewalls of the mesa structure and flattening the sidewalls by performing a heat treatment in a hydrogen atmosphere, the two sidewalls extending in the direction and facing each other; forming a gate insulating film covering the mesa structure having the sidewalls flattened; forming a gate electrode covering the gate insulating film; and forming source and drain regions at portions of the mesa structure, the portions being located on two sides of the gate electrode.
US08304812B2
A terahertz wave radiating element includes: a first nitride semiconductor layer formed on a substrate; a second nitride semiconductor layer formed over the first nitride semiconductor layer, and having a wider bandgap than the first nitride semiconductor layer; and source, gate, and drain electrodes formed on the second nitride semiconductor layer. The source electrode is formed by a plurality of source electrode fingers that are arranged periodically, and the drain electrode is formed by a plurality of drain electrode fingers that are arranged periodically.
US08304810B2
In order to provide a semiconductor device having a field effect transistor with a low power consumption and a high speed by use of the combination of Si and an element such as Ge, C or the like of the same group as Si, a strain is applied by a strain applying semiconductor layer 2 to a channel forming layer I having a channel of the field effect transistor formed therein so that the mobility of carriers in the channel is made larger than the mobility of carriers in that material of the channel forming layer which is unstrained.
US08304802B2
A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device 100 includes: a GaN substrate 10 with an m-plane surface 12; a semiconductor multilayer structure 20 provided on the m-plane surface 12 of the GaN substrate 10; and an electrode 30 provided on the semiconductor multilayer structure 20. The electrode 30 includes a Zn layer 32 and an Ag layer 34 provided on the Zn layer 32. The Zn layer 32 is in contact with a surface of a p-type semiconductor region of the semiconductor multilayer structure 20.
US08304792B2
A semiconductor light emitting apparatus is supplied capable of providing a high performance that can optimize simultaneously both an electrical characteristic and a light emitting characteristic. The semiconductor apparatus comprises an anode layer; a cathode layer that has a conductive type different from that of the anode layer; a gate layer that controls an electrical conduction between the anode layer and the cathode layer; an active layer that is set between the anode layer and the cathode layer and emits light through recombination of electron and positive hole; a first cladding layer that is set on one surface of the active layer and has an energy band gap larger than that of the active layer; and a second cladding layer that is set on other surface of the active layer, has an energy band gap larger than that of the active layer and has a conductive type different from that of the first cladding layer, wherein a thickness of the gate layer is or below a mean free path of carriers implanted into the gate layer.
US08304790B2
A nitride semiconductor device has a nitride semiconductor layer structure. The structure includes an active layer of a quantum well structure containing an indium-containing nitride semiconductor. A first nitride semiconductor layer having a band gap energy larger than that of the active layer is provided in contact with the active layer. A second nitride semiconductor layer having a band gap energy smaller than that of the first layer is provided over the first layer. Further, a third nitride semiconductor layer having a band gap energy larger than that of the second layer is provided over the second layer.
US08304789B2
A light emitting diode (LED) package includes a substrate, a plurality of LED chips, and a plurality of electrode pairs. The LED chips are disposed on the substrate, and each of the LED chips is electrically isolated from one another. The electrode pairs are disposed on the substrate, and each of the electrode pairs is electrically isolated from one another. The number of the electrode pairs is equal to the number of the LED chips, and each of the electrode pairs electrically connects one of the LED chips corresponding thereto.
US08304774B2
The invention provides a transistor having a leak current between a source and drain in a nitride compound semiconductor formed on a substrate that is reduced. A gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed respectively on the surface of the nitride compound semiconductor formed on the silicon substrate in the transistor. At least one of the source electrode and the drain electrode is surrounded by an auxiliary electrode connected with the gate electrode. Because a depletion layer is formed in the nitride compound semiconductor under the auxiliary electrode, a route of the leak current is shut off and the leak current between the source and drain may be effectively reduced.
US08304772B2
A thin-film transistor array panel and a manufacturing method thereof are provided for one or more embodiments. The thin-film transistor array panel may include: a substrate; a gate electrode formed on the substrate; a gate insulating layer formed on the gate electrode; a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the gate insulating layer; and a flatness layer formed on the source electrode and the drain electrode, wherein the drain electrode has a higher height than the flatness layer.
US08304770B2
An active device array substrate including a first patterned conductive layer, a dielectric layer, a second patterned conductive layer, a passivation layer and pixel electrodes is provided. The first patterned conductive layer includes scan lines, common lines, gates and strip floating shielding patterns. The dielectric layer covering the first patterned conductive layer has first contact holes which expose a portion of the common lines, respectively. The second patterned conductive layer includes data lines, sources, drains and strip capacitance electrodes. Each strip capacitance electrode is electrically connected to one of the common lines through one of the first contact holes. A gap is formed between each data line and one strip capacitance electrode, and the strip floating shielding patterns are disposed under the data lines, the gap and the strip capacitance electrodes. Each pixel electrode is electrically connected to one of the drains through one of the second contact holes.
US08304765B2
A display device includes a pixel portion in which a pixel electrode layer is arranged in a matrix, and an inverted staggered thin film transistor having a combination of at least two kinds of oxide semiconductor layers with different amounts of oxygen is provided corresponding to the pixel electrode layer. In the periphery of the pixel portion in this display device, a pad portion is provided to be electrically connected to a common electrode layer formed on a counter substrate through a conductive layer made of the same material as the pixel electrode layer. One objection of our invention to prevent a defect due to separation of a thin film in various kinds of display devices is realized, by providing a structure suitable for a pad portion provided in a display panel.
US08304761B2
In an organic field effect transistor with an electrical conductor-insulator-semiconductor structure, the semiconductor layer is made of an organic compound, and the insulator layer is made of a polymer obtained through polymerization or copolymerization of 2-cyanoethyl acrylate and/or 2-cyanoethyl methacrylate.
US08304742B2
A radiation detector using gas amplification includes: a first electrode pattern which is formed on a first surface of an insulating member and has a plurality of circular openings; and a second electrode pattern which is formed on a second surface of the insulating member opposite to the first surface thereof and has convex portions of which respective forefronts are exposed to centers of the openings of the first electrode pattern; wherein a predetermined electric potential is set between the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern; wherein edges of the first electrode pattern exposing to the openings are shaped in respective continuous first curved surfaces by covering the edges thereof with a first solder material.
US08304740B1
A system, method, and mobile frame structure detect radiation and identify materials associated with radiation that has been detected. A mobile frame structure is maneuvered over an entity to be examined. A set of radiation data associated with the entity is received from a set of radiation sensors that are mechanically coupled to the at least one portion of the mobile frame structure. At least one histogram is generated based on the set of radiation data. The at least one histogram is compared to multiple spectral images associated with known materials. The at least one histogram is determined to substantially match at least one of the multiple spectral images. A determination is made whether a material associated with the at least one of the multiple spectral images is a hazardous material. Personnel is notified that the at least one radiation source is a hazardous material.
US08304739B2
A radiation-sensitive detector includes a first substrate 202 with first and second opposing sides. The first side detects incident radiation, and the first substrate 202 produces a signal indicative of the detected radiation. At least one electrical contact 204 is located on the first substrate 202. An electrically conductive material 214 is coupled to the at least one electrical contact 204. The electrically conductive material 214 has a melting point in a range of about seventy-two (72) degrees Celsius to about ninety-five (95) degrees Celsius.
US08304724B2
The edges of the reticle are detected with respect to the microstructured patterns exposed by the stepper, and the shapes of the microstructured patterns at the surface and at the bottom of the photoresist are detected. The microstructured patterns are evaluated by calculating, and displaying on the screen, the dislocation vector that represents the relationship in position between the detected patterns on the surface and at the bottom of the photoresist. Furthermore, dislocation vectors between the microstructured patterns at multiple positions in a single-chip or single-shot area or on one wafer are likewise calculated, then the sizes and distribution status of the dislocation vectors at each such position are categorized as characteristic quantities, and the corresponding tendencies are analyzed. Thus, stepper or wafer abnormality is detected.
US08304707B2
A device and method for providing an optical guide of a pixel to guide incoming light to/from a photo-conversion device of the pixel to improve the optical crosstalk immunity. The optical guide includes an optically reflecting barrier formed as a trench filled with a material which produces reflection. The trench fill material may have an index of refraction that is less than the index of refraction of the material used for the trench surrounding layers to provide a light reflective structure or the trench fill material may provide a reflection surface.
US08304703B2
Disclosed are a wing deployment apparatus and an apparatus for launching a flying object having the same, the wing deployment apparatus including wings configured to be in a folded state and a deployed state, a driving unit connected to the wings, and configured to drive the wings to be switched from the folded state to the deployed state or vice versa, and a damper cooperative with the operation of the driving unit, and configured to damp a driving force of the driving unit from the start of the wings being moved to the completion of the movement of the wings.
US08304699B2
A proximity switch flow sensor detects movement of a faucet handle of a faucet of a hot water container in order to detect flow from the hot water container. The proximity switch flow sensor includes an emitter paired with a detector, which can be mounted in association with the faucet handle to detect open and closed positions of the faucet handle, to provide electronic logic information regarding the status of the faucet handle position, as an indication of a flow condition, to a control unit that controls heating of water in the hot water container. An electro-mechanical switch and a mechanism to transfer movement of the faucet handle to the switch may also be used to detect open and closed positions of the faucet handle as an indication of a flow condition.
US08304695B2
A cooking appliance includes an oven provided with bake, broil and multiple convection heating elements, as well as plural, multi-speed fans, for cooking a wide range of food. The various heating elements are sequentially operated on a predetermined priority basis in order to, along with the fans, establish numerous effective cooking sequences, such as a bake mode, a convection bake mode with no preheat, a convection bake mode with rapid preheat, a convection bake mode with standard preheat, and a convection roast mode.
US08304689B2
A device for laser welding of a workpiece includes a laser treatment head, a receiver carrying the laser treatment head and displaceable along a linear treatment zone, and a support configured to be temporarily fixable to the workpiece.
US08304687B2
The invention relates to a laser spot welding process for executing a spot weld in two successive steps, namely a first step of preparing the surface state of the material to be welded and a second step of welding as such. The luminous energy (BR) reflected by the weld region of the material is measured in real time during the first step and then processed by a controller circuit (37) connected to a control circuit (30) of the laser source (31). In this way, the characteristics (LM) of the laser beam are adjusted in real time as a function of the measurements effected to allow effective control of the quality of the weld obtained, and in particular of its dimensions.The invention also relates to a welding device for implementing this process.
US08304685B2
The present invention includes a plasma cutter having an input configured to receive welding power and a converter arranged according to a Ćuk topology and configured to automatically convert the welding power to plasma-cutting power.
US08304683B2
A seam welding apparatus and a seam welding method perform a seaming process on workpieces of various shapes having flange sections, by preventing a welding track formed by upper and lower rotary electrodes from becoming displaced from a welding reference line established on the flange section. The seam welding apparatus includes two rotary electrodes for gripping the flange section therebetween while seam-welding the flange section, a support for synchronizing movements of the two rotary electrodes with each other in a widthwise direction of the flange section, a turning mechanism for pressing at least one of the two rotary electrodes toward the workpiece body, a roller that abuts against an end face of the flange section, and roller adjusting means for positionally adjusting the roller.
US08304682B2
The system provides both a portable and appliance welding system. It can be use in the shop and field. In either location it can be plugged in or battery driven. When plugged in it can weld while charging simultaneously offering 100% duty cycle for heavy shop use, and a full range of metal thicknesses can be welded with ease. The system is implemented with a solid state high energy circuit; unrestricted and unfiltered, offering a wide spectrum of pure analog power. The systems is compact for maximum portability and use in remote field operations, yet can handle deep welds in a variety of metal compositions, conditions, environments, and sizes. The system uses a proven and robust storage medium of direct electric potential energy that is supplied by industrial batteries.
US08304680B2
A level entry bore welder that is easier to use and less expensive to purchase. It has an adjustable step feature that allows the operator to control the bead placement inside the bore of a work piece. It includes a simple remote control apparatus that adjusts the welding torch rotation speed as a function of the diameter of the bore. The remote control apparatus also permits the operator to turn the wire feed mechanism on and off. The welder is suited for bores up to 12 inches in diameter.
US08304677B2
The present invention relates to a high-voltage gas circuit breaker, and there is provided a gas circuit breaker including a movable arc contact and a fixed arc contact engaged with the movable arc contact; a cylinder rod coupled with the movable arc contact; an insulating rod connected to the cylinder rod through a link mechanism in which an end thereof is connected to an operating mechanism; and an ejection nozzle for ejecting an arc-extinguishing gas between the movable arc contact and the fixed arc contact, wherein the link mechanism is reduced in a length direction of the insulating rod to pull the cylinder rod to a side of the insulating rod when the insulating rod is moved apart from the cylinder rod.
US08304671B2
A position indicator includes a case (2), and a rod (3) housed in the case (2). The rod (3) is passed through a cylindrical ferrite core (6) so that its indicating portion (31) (e.g., pen tip) protrudes from an end of the ferrite core (6). A position detecting coil (4) is wound around the periphery of the ferrite core (6). A switch section (5) (e.g., pressure detector) for detecting the pen pressure of the rod (3) is arranged on the other end of the ferrite core (6). An elastic shock-absorbing member (7) is also attached to the other end of the ferrite core (6), so that the shock-absorbing member (7) is fitted between the ferrite core (6) and the switch section (5). Since any impact force applied to the position indicator is alleviated by the shock-absorbing member (7), damage to the ferrite core (6) and the rod (3) can be prevented or reduced.
US08304670B2
A system for weighing a load is disclosed. The weighing system includes a pad having at least one transducer for weighing a load disposed on the pad. In some embodiments the pad has a plurality of foot members and the weighing system may include a plate that disposed underneath the pad for receiving the plurality of foot member and for aligning the foot members when the weighing system is installed. The weighing system may include a spacer disposed adjacent the pad and in some embodiments, a spacer anchor operatively secures the spacer to a support surface, such as a plate, a railway bed, or a roadway. In some embodiments the spacer anchor operatively secures both the spacer and the pad to a roadway.
US08304665B2
A package substrate having landless conductive traces is proposed, which includes a core layer with a plurality of plated through holes formed therein, and a plurality of conductive traces formed on at least a surface of the core layer. Each of the conductive traces has a connection end, a bond pad end, and a base body connecting the connection end and the bond pad end, the conductive trace is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plated through holes through the connection end, and the connection end has a width greater than that of the base body but not greater than the diameter of the plated through hole, thereby increasing the contact area between the conductive trace and the plated through hole and preventing the contact surface of the conductive trace with the plated through hole from cracking.
US08304663B2
In a wiring board, insulation layers and wiring conductors are alternately laminated, and a plurality of strip-shaped wiring conductors for connecting semiconductor elements are arranged side by side on the outermost insulation layer. Each of the wiring conductors partly has a connection pad to which the electrode terminals of the semiconductor elements are connected by flip-chip bonding. In the wiring board, a solder resist layer is deposited over the outermost insulation layer and the strip-shaped wiring conductors so as to have slit-shaped openings for exposing the upper surfaces of the connection pads. The solder resist layer fills up the space between the connection pads adjacent to each other and exposed within the slit-shaped openings.
US08304661B2
A high-reliability ceramic composite multilayer substrate that has excellent flatness and few remaining pores, can be produced at a low cost while simplifying the manufacturing process, and can eliminate layer separation or separation from a mother board. The ceramic composite multilayer substrate includes a laminate containing a first ceramic layer and a second ceramic layer that is disposed so as to contact the first ceramic layer and suppresses firing shrinkage in the plane direction of the first ceramic layer. The laminate includes a resin/ceramic composite layer in which porous ceramic is impregnated with a resin formed on at least one principal surface of the laminate.
US08304659B2
Circuit boards and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. The circuit boards carry high-speed signals using conductors formed to include lengthwise channels. The channels increase the surface area of the conductors, and therefore enhance the ability of the conductors to carry high-speed signals. In at least some embodiments, a discontinuity also exists between the dielectric constant within the channels and just outside the channels, which is believed to reduce signal loss into the dielectric material.
US08304656B2
A line pattern is formed on a substrate by performing a first step and a second step. In the first step, a liquid material containing a pattern formation material dispersed or dissolved therein is dropped onto the substrate and dried. In the second step, the liquid material is dropped onto a dried body that has been obtained by drying the liquid material in the first step. In the second step, the liquid material is dropped at a smaller ejection amount than that of the first step. Further, the pitch of dropping the liquid material onto the substrate in the first step and the pitch of dropping the liquid material onto the dried body in the second step are less than or equal to a jaggy generation limit.
US08304653B2
A wire harness includes a main line and branch lines. A protector has longitudinal ends with main line inlet and outlet ports and branch line ports between the ends. Branch line connectors are connected to the branch lines drawn out of the branch line ports. A main line connector is connected to the main line drawn out of the main line outlet port. The branch line connectors and the main line connector are connected to test connectors for a continuity test. Lengths of the branch lines and/or the main line are greater than required in the motor vehicle so that the main line and branch line connectors are connected to the test connectors. A wire additional length containing space is provided in the protector and communicates with the branch line ports and/or with the line outlet port for the lines having the additional lengths.
US08304641B1
The invention provides a system for associating sheet notes with a woodwind instrument having finger-holes includes a plurality of note indicators, wherein the note indicators are each provided with a discrete color-code and define an annulus sized and arranged to be located on each of the finger holes respectively so that the finger holes can be selectively open and closed by a player's fingers and a sheet music having the sheet notes, wherein each of the sheet notes includes one or more colors that fill the note head and that correspond to a selection of the finger holes that plays a musical version of each of the sheet notes.
US08304637B1
A novel maize variety designated X08A226 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X08A226 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X08A226 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X08A226, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X08A226. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X08A226.
US08304629B1
A soybean cultivar designated 00330721 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 00330721, to the plants of soybean cultivar 00330721, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 00330721, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 00330721. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 00330721. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 00330721, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 00330721 with another soybean cultivar.
US08304618B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP46002 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP46002, cells from soybean variety XBP46002, plants of soybean XBP46002, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP46002. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP46002 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic, mutant trait, and/or native trait into soybean variety XBP46002, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP46002. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP46002 are further provided.
US08304612B2
The present invention relates to a new and distinctive canola cultivar, designated G2X0022. Also included are seeds of canola cultivar G2X0022, to the plants, or plant parts, of canola G2X0022 and to methods for producing a canola plant produced by crossing the canola G2X0022 with itself or another canola cultivar, and the creation of variants by mutagenesis or transformation of canola G2X0022.
US08304609B2
This invention relates to an excellent root-knot nematode-resistance gene and a method for using the same. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel root-knot nematode-resistance gene that is unaffected by high temperature and is applicable to and quantitatively resistant to a wide variety of root-knot nematode species and strains and a root-knot nematode-resistant transgenic plant into which such gene has been introduced.
US08304607B2
The presently disclosed subject matter includes nucleic acid sequences and expression cassettes that contain regulatory sequences derived from Solanum tuberosum chitinase C genes, for expression of recombinant gene products in plants. The expression cassette drives high transgene expression in the epidermal (L1) cell layer.
US08304597B2
A method for placing a feminine hygiene article in the crotch portion of an undergarment having a crotch portion bounded on opposite sides by portions of curved leg openings. The method comprising the steps of providing a feminine hygiene article having a body-facing surface and at least one functional enhancement indicator visible from the body-facing surface, the functional enhancement indicator providing a distinct visual emphasis to a portion of the feminine hygiene article; orienting the feminine hygiene article with respect to the crotch portion such that the at least one functional enhancement indicator is oriented toward the front of the undergarment; and, affixing the feminine hygiene article to the crotch portion of the undergarment.
US08304593B2
The present invention comprises a hydrocarbon-conversion process using an improved MgAPSO-31 molecular sieve which demonstrates a favorable combination of conversion and selectivity in aromatics conversion. The sieve has a specific combination of crystal configuration, being limited in diameter and length, specified crystallinity as measured by an X-Ray Diffraction Index (XRDI), and a narrow range of magnesium content.
US08304589B2
A process of making a chlorinated hydrocarbon through a thermal dehydrochlorination step in which an unsaturated compound represented by the following general formula (2) is obtained by thermally decomposing a saturated compound represented by the following general formula (1). CCl3—CCl2-mHm—CCl3-nHn (1) CCl2═CCl2-mHm-1—CCl3-nHn (2) (in the above formulas, m is 1 or 2, and n is an integer of 0 to 3.).
US08304587B2
Recovery of ethanol from a crude ethanol product obtained from the hydrogenation of acetic acid. Separation and purification processes of crude ethanol product are employed to allow recovery of ethanol and remove impurities. In addition, the process involves separating the crude ethanol product using an extractive distillation column that employs an extraction agent, such as a recycled stream comprising water.
US08304582B2
The present invention provides a fluidized catalytic process for production of dimethyl ether from methanol, wherein said process is carried out in a reactor in which the catalyst is in a fluidized state. Said process comprises the following steps of (1) feeding the methanol feedstock via two or more locations selected from the bottom, lower part, middle part and upper part of the reactor, contacting with the catalyst for preparation of dimethyl ether by methanol dehydration, carrying out the reaction of preparing dimethyl ether by methanol dehydration to obtain the reaction stream, separating said reaction stream to obtain a coked catalyst and a crude product primarily containing the target product, i.e. dimethyl ether; (2) totally or partially feeding the coked catalyst obtained in step (1) into a regenerator in a continuous or batch manner for regeneration via coke-burning, the regenerated catalyst being directly recycled to step (1) after being totally or partially cooled.
US08304576B2
Halogenated α-fluoroethers (or bis-derivatives thereof) can be produced by reacting a halogenated hemiacetal (or bis-derivative thereof) with sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2) in the presence of an organic base. The reaction is conducted preferably in the presence of “a salt or complex of an organic base with hydrogen fluoride”, whereby the objective dehydroxyfluorination can proceed extremely favorably. It is still preferable to use as the starting substrate a halogenated hemiacetal prepared from fluoral or 3,3,3-trifluoropyruvic acid ester. Thus, industrially important halogenated α-fluoroethers can be industrially produced with high selectivity and in high yield.
US08304574B2
The present invention is generally directed to triester-based lubricant compositions. The present invention is also directed to methods of making these and other similar lubricant compositions. In some embodiments, the methods for making such triester-based lubricants utilize a biomass precursor comprising mono-unsaturated fatty acids, wherein such mono-unsaturated fatty acids are reduced to mono-unsaturated fatty alcohols en route to the synthesis of triester species for use as/in the triester-based lubricant compositions. Subsequent steps in such synthesis may employ carboxylic acids and/or acyl halides/anhydrides derived from biomass and/or Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
US08304569B2
Isocyanate-functional or protected isocyanate-functional organopolysiloxanes are prepared directly by reaction of a siloxane bearing at least one silicon-bonded hydroxyl group with an alkoxy-functional α-silane containing an isocyanate group or blocked isocyanate group.
US08304555B2
The present invention relates to novel thiazolothiazole derivatives and an organic electronic device such as an organic light emitting device, an organic transistor, and an organic solar cell using the same. In the compound of the invention, various substituents are introduced to the core structure, so as to satisfy the requirements such as suitable energy levels, and electrochemical and thermal stability, and also have amorphous or crystalline property depending on the kind of the substituents, so as to satisfy the characteristics individually required for each of the devices. Further, an organic semiconductor of p-type or n-type can be fabricated by introducing various substituents to the core structure having a property of n-type. Therefore, the compound of the present invention can provide a device having higher stability.
US08304547B2
[Object] To provide a therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent for urinary frequency, urinary urgency, and urinary incontinence associated with various lower urinary tract diseases including overactive bladder, various lower urinary tract diseases accompanied by lower urinary tract pain, such as interstitial cystitis, chronic prostatitis, and the like, and various diseases accompanied by pain, based on an excellent trkA receptor inhibitory action.[Means for Solution] A novel azolecarboxamide compound in which a thiazole ring or an oxazole ring is bonded to a benzene ring, a pyridine ring, a pyridazine ring, a thiophene ring, a pyrazole ring or a pyrrole ring through carboxamide, or a salt thereof is confirmed to have a potent trkA receptor inhibitory activity, and found to be capable of being used as a therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent which is excellent in efficacy and safety for urinary frequency, urinary urgency, and urinary incontinence associated with various lower urinary tract diseases including overactive bladder, various lower urinary tract diseases accompanied by lower urinary tract pain, such as interstitial cystitis, chronic prostatitis, and the like, and various diseases accompanied by pain, thereby completing the present invention.
US08304546B2
The present invention provides a quinolone compound that inhibits the chronic progression of Parkinson's disease or protects dopamine neurons from disease etiology, thereby suppressing the progression of neurological dysfunction, so as to prolong the period of time until L-dopa is administered while also improving neuronal function; the quinolone compound of the invention is represented by Formula (1): wherein: R1 represents hydrogen or the like; R2 represents hydrogen or the like; R3 represents substituted or unsubstituted phenyl or the like; R4 represents halogen or the like; R5 represents hydrogen or the like; R6 represents hydrogen or the like; and R7 represents hydrogen or the like.
US08304544B2
The present invention provides novel palonosetron free base in an amorphous form and crystalline form-G and processes for their preparation. The present invention also provides a process for the preparation of palonosetron hydrochloride from the novel palonosetron free base in an amorphous form and/or in crystalline form-G.
US08304543B2
An organoborane complex is disclosed. The complex includes a blocking agent comprising a bifunctional Lewis base. The blocking agents include an amine group and a second functional group that has a lower Lewis basicity than the first functional group. The blocking is based on amino alkyl pyridines.
US08304535B2
Sugar solutions are obtained from polysaccharide enriched biomass by contacting biomass with water and at least one nucleophilic base to produce a polysaccharide enriched biomass comprising a solid fraction and a liquid fraction. The solid fraction is separated from the lignin-containing liquid fraction and contacted with an acid solution, the acid solution comprising about 70 weight percent to about 100 weight percent sulfuric acid or an acid mixture comprising phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid, at a temperature and for a reaction time sufficient to produce a decrystallized biomass mixture. Water is added and the diluted biomass mixture is then hydrolyzed to produce a saccharification product comprising sugars.
US08304533B2
The present invention relates to polysaccharide, preferably starch, of high purity having cationic degree of substitution over 0.50 and bound nitrogen index after cationization reaction stage over 0.75, and to preparation thereof as well as to its use in making of paper or paperboard.
US08304531B2
This invention relates to a process for the preparation of an (Rp)-8-substituted adenosine-3′,5′-cyclic phosphorothioic acid, or a salt or ester thereof, which comprises P-amidating 8-bromoadenosine-3′,5′-cyclic phosphoric acid, and reacting the P-amidate with a base and with carbon disulphide to yield (Rp)-8-bromoadenosine-3′,5′-cyclic phosphorothioic acid or a salt or ester thereof.
US08304530B2
The present invention provides methods of enhancing the efficacy and specificity of RNA silencing. The invention also provides compositions for mediating RNA silencing. In particular, the invention provides siRNAs, siRNA-like molecules, shRNAs, vectors and transgenes having improved specificity and efficacy in mediating silencing of a target gene. Therapeutic methods are also featured.
US08304528B2
Efficient sequence specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology. By selecting particular siRNAs by rational design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes. Methods, compositions, and kits generated through rational design of siRNAs are disclosed including those directed to nucleotide sequences for FBP1.
US08304527B2
One example embodiment includes a kit to execute a method of simultaneously screening for genetic mutations in different genes in a multitude of samples. The kit includes an antisense deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probe, where the antisense DNA probe will be mixed with a strand of a ribonucleic acid (RNA) to be tested to form a heteroduplex molecule within a sample. The kit also includes a ribonuclease enzyme, an RNA-primed DNA polymerase, a single strand-specific nuclease, DNA-dependent DNA polymerase, a blocking adapter and a tagged reporter adapter. Through ribonuclease digestion, differential sequence fill-in (DSF) and full-length sequence extension, tagged mutant-dual adapter hybrids are formed for detection, quantification or amplification. The sequence ubiquity of said mutant-dual adapter hybrids enables the use of universalized primers for sequence amplification regardless of the numbers or the origins of the mutations involved.
US08304523B1
Nanowires are constructed using a variety of methods. Using one such method, a nanowire material is introduced to a microtubule lumen as a solution. The nanowire material is solidified to form a nanowire substantially within the microtubule lumen.
US08304521B2
Pax3, a member of the paired class homeodomain family of transcription factors and an essential protein for early skeletal muscle development, was shown to be phosphorylated in proliferating mouse primary myoblasts. Furthermore, Ser205, Ser201 and Ser209 were identified as the only sites of phosphorylation on Pax3 in proliferating mouse primary myoblasts. Phosphorylation of Ser205 was shown to be required for the efficient phosphorylation of Ser201 and/or Ser209. Site-specific antibodies were made to each of these three sites when phosphorylated. These three sites are also present and phosphorylated in the Pax3-FOXO1 fusion protein, and phosphorylation of these sites may play a role in ARMS. Thus, these new antibodies may be used in studying the regulation of nerve and muscle development and differentiation and in finding therapeutic solutions for certain disorders, including Waardenburg syndrome and childhood solid muscle tumor alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS).
US08304510B2
The present invention relates to slow-crystallizing, titanium-catalyzed polyethylene terephthalate resins that are useful for making high-strength, high-clarity bottles that possess improved resistance to stress cracking and thermal creep. The polyethylene terephthalate resins possess improved reheating profiles and are especially useful for making polyester articles that have exceptional clarity, dimensional stability, and thermal stability.
US08304504B2
The present invention relates to a catalyst precursor for the production of odd olefins having the formula: wherein X and Y are halogen and n is 2 or 3; and to a process for its preparation and a method for oligomerization of ethylene.
US08304503B2
Disclosed is a process for producing a conjugated diene polymer having a very high content of cis-1,4 structures by using an yttrium compound-containing catalyst that is relatively easy to handle and has a high activity. Specifically disclosed is a process for producing a conjugated diene polymer containing cis-1,4 structures at a ratio of 99% or higher, which is characterized by polymerizing a conjugated diene in the presence of a catalyst produced from (A) a specific yttrium compound, (B) an ionic compound consisting of a non-coordinating anion and a cation, and (C) an organoaluminum compound.
US08304501B2
It is to provide a silsesquioxane having α,β-diol group, and to provide an organic-inorganic hybrid resin composition comprising silsesquioxane and hydroxyalkyl cellulose. A composition comprising a cage-type structure of silsesquioxane represented by general formula (A), and a partially cleaved cage-type structure of silsesquioxane represented by general formula (B); (RSiO3/2)l (A) (RSiO3/2)m(RSiO2H)n (B) [wherein in formulae (A) and (B), l and m represent an integer of 4 or more, n represents an integer of 1 or more, and n/(l+m) is 0.03 to 0.2; each R may be the same or different, and represents an alkoxy group with 1 to 10 carbons, etc.; wherein at least one R in one molecule is a group having α,β-diol group, and when the number of groups having α,β-diol is 2 or more, they may be the same or different].
US08304499B2
Disclosed are polymer compositions having high transparency and low haze comprising immiscible blends of one or more thermoplastic polymers selected from polyesters, polycarbonates, and polyarylates, and a copolyamide or a transamidized, homogeneous blend of a least two polyamides. The components of the immiscible blend which have refractive indices which differ by about 0.006 to about −0.0006. The small difference in the refractive indices enable the incorporation of regrind into the polymer composition to produce transparent shaped articles. The blends of the present invention are useful in producing shaped articles such as, for example, sheeting, films, tubes, bottles, preforms and profiles. These articles may have one or more layers and can exhibit improved excellent barrier properties and good melt processability while retaining excellent mechanical properties. Metal catalysts can be incorporated into the compositions to produce oxygen-scavenging compositions.
US08304496B2
The invention is directed to compositions comprising an elastomer component and a propylene component, and in which the elastomer component comprises at least one ethylene/α-olefin polymer, optionally containing a diene, and the polypropylene component comprises at least one branched polypropylene. Preferably, the elastomer component has a melt tan delta between about 0.7 and about 8, as measured by parallel plate rheometer at 0.1 rad/sec, 190° C., and 15 percent strain; and the ratio of the “melt tan delta of the elastomer component” to the “melt tan delta of the propylene component” is from 0.5 to 4. The invention also provides for method of making such compositions, and to low gloss articles prepared from the same. The inventive compositions are particularly suitable for fabricating thermoformed sheeting with reduced gloss.
US08304495B1
An article and process for using the article under a high temperature and high humidity condition are disclosed. The article comprises or is produced from polyester, at least one ethylene copolymer, and optionally an additive and includes one or more automobile parts and electronic or electrical connectors. The process comprises employing the composition or an article in a hostile environment including a temperature of 60° C. or higher and a relative humidity of at least 60%.
US08304490B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide polylactic acid containing a stereocomplex crystal and having excellent moldability, a high molecular weight, high crystallinity and a high melting point and a process for manufacturing the same. It is another object of the present invention to provide a composition comprising the polylactic acid and a molded product of the polylactic acid. The present invention is characterized from polylactic acid having a weight average molecular weight of 80,000 to 500,000 and a melting peak at 195° C. or higher which accounts for 80% or more of the total of melting peaks in the temperature elevation step when measured by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and a process for manufacturing the same.
US08304480B2
A rubber composition for coating a steel cord, in which processability, durability and adhesive condition can be improved with favorable balance, and a tire using the rubber composition are provided. The rubber composition for coating a steel cord comprises 40 to 70 parts by weight of silica having a nitrogen adsorbing-specific surface area of 100 to 200 m2/g, 1 to 15 parts by weight of a silane coupling agent, 12 to 20 parts by weight of zinc oxide, 3.5 to 5 parts by weight of sulfur, and an organic cobalt in an amount of 0.05 to 0.3 part by weight, converted into metal cobalt amount, on the basis of 100 parts by weight of a rubber component, and a tire is prepared using the rubber composition.
US08304479B2
Disclosed are low Tg latex polymers and low VOC aqueous coating compositions having an improved open time profile, as well as drying time, stain resistance, wet edge time, low temperature film formation, block resistance, adhesion, water sensitivity and low-VOC content. The latex polymers and aqueous coating compositions include at least one latex polymer derived from at least one monomer copolymerized or alkoxylated compounds or blended with an alkoxylated compound, for example an alkoxylated tristyrylphenol or an alkoxylated tributylphenol. Also provided is an aqueous coating or adhesive composition including at least one latex polymer, water and one or a blend of two or more open time additives or drying time additives. The blend can comprise nonionic and anionic open time additives. Typically, the open time and/or drying time additive is present in an amount greater than about 1.3% by weight of the polymer or composition, typically in an amount greater than about 2% by weight of the polymer or composition, in an amount greater than about 4% by weight of the polymer or composition, in an amount greater than about 7.5% by weight of the polymer or composition, in an amount greater than about 10% by weight of the polymer or composition or in an amount greater than about 20% by weight of the polymer or composition.
US08304470B2
The present invention relates to a resin composition for optical components, which is an ultraviolet-curable transparent resin composition used as a material for an optical component, in which the resin composition includes (A) an epoxy resin having two or more epoxy groups in one molecule thereof, (B) an oxetane compound having one or more oxetanyl groups in one molecule thereof and (C) a photo-acid generator, and in which the component (C) is contained in an amount of 0.01 to 2.0 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of a total amount of the components (A) and (B). The present invention also relates to an optical component obtained by using the resin composition for optical components, and a production method thereof.
US08304467B2
A polishing pad generates very few scratches on a surface of a polishing object, and is excellent in planarization property. The polishing pad has a high polishing rate and is excellent in planarization property. The polishing pad grooves become very little clogged with abrasive grains or polishing swarf during polishing and, even when continuously used for a long period of time, the polishing rate is scarcely reduced.
US08304460B2
The present invention provides methods of making shapeable composites in the form of finely divided materials or articles and the materials and articles produced by the methods, the methods comprising forming mixtures by (i) treating an aqueous thermoplastic acrylic or vinyl polymer to increase the particle size thereof to a weight average particle size of 1 μm or more, and, optionally, dewatering to form a crumb mixture; and (ii) combining a thermoplastic acrylic or vinyl polymer with one or more waste rubber vulcanizate having a sieve particle size ranging from 10 to 600 μm in the amount of from 15 to 95 wt. %, based on the total weight of polymer and rubber to form a crumb slurry, such that (ii) can take place before, during, after (i) but before any dewatering, or after any dewatering; and (iii) thermoplastic processing the mixture. Thermoplastic processing can directly form articles, like sheets or films. The shapeable composites have excellent adhesion to other materials. In one embodiment, the sheets and films can be formed into laminates.
US08304459B2
The present invention relates to a method for preferentially breaking cross-links in a vulcanized rubber, thereby de-vulcanizing the rubber, by the use of a supercritical fluid, such as carbon dioxide. The supercritical fluid maintained at an appropriate solubility parameter, swells the vulcanized rubber to a state of equilibrium swell. The cross links become fully extended and under strain to hold the internal pressures caused by the solvent swelling affect of the supercritical gas. When equilibrium swell has been achieved, the pressure within the processing vessel is rapidly dropped to a predetermined level causing a degassing and expansion of the supercritical fluid that has been absorbed within the vulcanized rubber. The resulting three dimensional separation of the rubber molecules will put a further rapid strain on the cross links, causing them to break, thereby giving the affect of de-vulcanization.
US08304455B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating, preventing and improving the condition and/or aesthetic appearance of skin, particularly, treating, preventing, ameliorating, reducing and/or eliminating fine lines and/or wrinkles of skin, where the compositions include active agents which increase expression levels of genes associated with the dermatological signs of aging. The compositions of the invention are topically applied to the skin, or are delivered by directed means to a site in need thereof, once daily in an amount effective in improving the condition and/or aesthetic appearance of skin.
US08304445B2
The present invention provides compounds of Formula (I) and related methods and formulations: wherein: A represents a pyrazole ring optionally substituted by one or more R groups.
US08304440B2
The present invention relates to a combination of antimalarial active ingredients, namely a bisthiazolium salt or a precursor thereof and artemisinin or derivatives thereof. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising such a combination and use thereof in the treatment and/or prevention of malaria.
US08304437B2
A carboxamide compound represented by the formula (I): [wherein Q represents a nitrogen-containing 5-membered heterocyclic group optionally fused with a benzene ring, R1 represents a C1-C3 alkyl group or the like, R2 represents a hydrogen atom or the like, and R3 represents a hydrogen atom.] has an excellent plant disease controlling effect.
US08304435B2
The present application describes deuterium-enriched donepezil, pharmaceutically acceptable salt forms thereof, and methods of treating using the same.
US08304433B2
The invention provides a crystalline hydrochloride salt of 4-[2-(2,4,6-trifluorophenoxymethyl)phenyl]piperidine. This invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising the crystalline salt, processes and intermediates for preparing the crystalline salt, and methods of using the crystalline salt to treat diseases.
US08304430B2
The present invention is directed to phosphonic acid compounds useful as serine protease inhibitors, compositions thereof and methods for treating inflammatory and serine protease mediated disorders.
US08304399B2
The present invention discloses a component in the hedgehog signaling pathway that can be useful in the treatment and diagnosis of hedgehog signaling pathway associated disorders. In this regard, the present invention discloses that RanBPM regulated the stability of hedgehog signaling molecule, smoothened (SMO) and that inactivation of RanBPM by siRNA prevented growth and metastasis of cancer cells.
US08304392B2
A peptide of formula: R1-X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-R2, wherein X1 is T; S2 is L; X3 is K; X4 is T, S, K, R or no amino acid; X5 is V, A, Y, M or no amino acid; R1 represents a primary amine function of the N-terminal amino acid; and R2 represents a hydroxyl function of the C-terminal amino acid, is capable of activating cytochrome C. The peptide can be included in cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions intended to stimulate the functions of the mitochondria and increase intracellular ATP levels. Such compositions are useful to help protect the skin from external aggression, reduce and treat skin damage caused by UV radiation and combat cutaneous signs of aging.
US08304388B2
The present invention provides a novel imaging agent suitable for the non-invasive visualization of fibrosis. A precursor for the preparation of the imaging agent is also provided by the invention, as well as a pharmaceutical composition comprising the imaging agent and a kit for the preparation of the pharmaceutical composition. In a further aspect, use of the imaging agent for in vivo imaging and in the preparation of a medicament for the diagnosis of a condition which comprises fibrosis is provided.
US08304387B2
The present invention provides long-term stable formulations of lyophilized keratinocyte growth factor and methods for making a lyophilized composition comprising keratinocyte growth factor.
US08304384B2
The present invention relates to the regulatory role of caspase-8 in infection by intracellular pathogen, inflammation and wound healing.
US08304383B2
Embodiments of methods of treating atherosclerosis are described. In some embodiments an emulsifier is provided to achieve levels in the systemic circulation that are effective to solubilize atherosclerotic plaque, resulting in plaque regression. In some embodiments, levels of greater than 50 μM are achieved; in some embodiments levels ranging from about 100 μM to about 600 μM are achieved; in some embodiments, levels ranging from about 100 μM to about 300 μM are achieved. Emulsifiers can include bile salts, saponins, and ionic, nonionic, and zwitterionic detergents, or salts, conjugates, hydrates, solvates, or polymorphs thereof. In some embodiments, a statin can be administered simultaneously or sequentially with an emulsifier.
US08304378B2
Cleaning and disinfectant compositions are provided particularly for use with hard surfaces. The compositions include hydrogen peroxide and an acid or salt thereof which is resistant to oxidation other than phosphorous based acids. Replacement of phosphorous based acids with acids of the invention results in improved hydrogen peroxide stability while maintaining or increasing the efficacy of cleaning and antimicrobial activity of the compositions. Typically, acids of the invention include substituted or unsubstituted carboxylic acids such as R4—C (R2) (R3) —R1—COOH. Inventive compositions may further include surfactants, a chelating agent or sequestrant, a water soluble or water dispersible solvent, corrosion inhibitors and other adjuvants well known to those skilled in the art. There are further provided methods of use and methods of preparing inventive compositions.
US08304376B2
The present invention generally relates to a biodegradable lubricating wipe, such as wet wipes. The wet wipes typically being fibrous sheet materials, pre-moistened with a solution for improved lubrication and/or protection of an area. In one embodiment the solution is comprised of a bio-based lubricant, a bio-based solvent and water. In one embodiment, the solution is comprised of mineral spirits and refined soybean oil. In another embodiment the solution is comprised of soy methyl ester and refined soybean oil. In yet another embodiment, the fibrous sheet material of the invention is biodegradable and the solution portion breaks down into a vaporizing component and a biodegradable carrier portion.
US08304371B2
The invention relates to novel arylpyrroline compounds of formula (I) which having excellent insecticidal activity and which can thus be used as an insecticide is provided.
US08304359B2
A sputtering target which is composed of a sintered body of an oxide containing indium, tin and zinc as main components; the atomic ratio of In/(In+Sn+Zn) being 0.10 to 0.35; the atomic ratio of Sn/(In+Sn+Zn) being 0.15 to 0.35; and the atomic ratio of Zn/(In+Sn+Zn) being 0.50 to 0.70; and containing a hexagonal layered compound shown by In2O3(ZnO)m, wherein m is an integer of 3 to 9, and a spinel structure compound shown by Zn2SnO4.
US08304358B2
A soda-lime-silica glass for solar collector cover plates and solar mirrors has less than 0.010 weight percent total iron as Fe2O3, a redox ratio of less than 0.350, less than 0.0025 weight percent CeO2, and spectral properties that include a visible transmission, and a total solar infrared transmittance, of greater than 90% at a thickness of 5.5 millimeters, and reduced solarization. In one non-limiting embodiment of invention, the glass is made by heating a pool of molten soda-lime-silica with a mixture of combustion air and fuel gas having an air firing ratio of greater than 11, or an oxygen firing ratio of greater than 2.31. In another non-limiting embodiment of the invention, streams of oxygen bubbles are moved through a pool of molten glass. In both embodiments, the oxygen oxidizes ferrous iron to ferric iron to reduce the redox ratio.
US08304353B2
Embodiments disclosed herein pertain to silicon dioxide deposition methods using at least ozone and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as deposition precursors. In one embodiment, a silicon dioxide deposition method using at least ozone and TEOS as deposition precursors includes flowing precursors comprising ozone and TEOS to a substrate under subatmospheric pressure conditions effective to deposit silicon dioxide-comprising material having an outer surface onto the substrate. The outer surface is treated effective to one of add hydroxyl to or remove hydroxyl from the outer surface in comparison to any hydroxyl presence on the outer surface prior to said treating. After the treating, precursors comprising ozone and TEOS are flowed to the substrate under subatmospheric pressure conditions effective to deposit silicon dioxide-comprising material onto the treated outer surface of the substrate. Other embodiments are contemplated.
US08304352B2
According to an embodiment, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including forming a nitride film by nitriding a surface of an underlying region having a semiconductor region containing silicon as a main component and an insulating region containing silicon and oxygen as a main component and adjacent to the semiconductor region, carrying out oxidation with respect to the nitride film to convert a portion of the nitride film which is formed on the insulating region into an oxide film and to leave a portion of the nitride film which is formed on the semiconductor region as at least part of a charge storage insulating film, forming a block insulating film on the charge storage insulating film, and forming a gate electrode film on the block insulating film.
US08304351B2
Methods of forming a dielectric layer are described. The methods include the steps of mixing a silicon-containing precursor with a plasma effluent, and depositing a silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer on a substrate. The silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer is converted to a silicon-and-oxygen-containing layer by curing in an ozone-containing atmosphere in the same substrate processing region used for depositing the silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer. Another silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer may be deposited on the silicon-and-oxygen-containing layer and the stack of layers may again be cured in ozone all without removing the substrate from the substrate processing region. After an integral multiple of dep-cure cycles, the conversion of the stack of silicon-and-oxygen-containing layers may be annealed at a higher temperature in an oxygen-containing environment.
US08304348B2
A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes: stacking a plurality of electrode layers containing a semiconductor alternately with insulating layers; processing part of a multilayer body of the electrode layers and the insulating layers into a staircase shape and exposing a surface of the staircase-shaped electrode layers; forming a metal film in contact with the exposed electrode layers; reacting the semiconductor of the electrode layers with the metal film to form a metal compound in at least a portion of the electrode layers in contact with the metal film; removing an unreacted portion of the metal film; forming an interlayer insulating layer covering the staircase-shaped electrode layers after removing the unreacted portion of the metal film; forming a plurality of contact holes piercing the interlayer insulating layer, each of the contact holes reaching the metal compound of the electrode layer at a corresponding stage; and providing a plurality of contact electrodes inside the contact holes.
US08304344B2
A chemical mechanical polishing process including a single copper removal CMP slurry formulation for planarization of a microelectronic device structure preferably having copper deposited thereon. The process includes the bulk removal of a copper layer using a first CMP slurry formulation having oxidizing agent, passivating agent, abrasive and solvent, and the soft polishing and over-polishing of the microelectronic device structure using a formulation including the first CMP slurry formulation and at least one additional additive. The CMP process described herein provides a high copper removal rate, a comparatively low barrier material removal rate, appropriate material selectivity ranges to minimize copper dishing at the onset of barrier material exposure, and good planarization efficiency.
US08304338B2
Dummy electrodes (15) are disposed on wiring connected to first electrodes (2) of the substrate (1), outside a junction region containing all of the first electrodes (2) and second electrodes (6) and in bonding resin (4), the dummy electrodes (15) not being involved in electrical connection between the substrate (1) and the component (5). When conductive particles (3) in the bonding resin (4) are melted by heating, molten solder self-assembles and solidifies between the first electrodes (2) and the second electrodes (6) and on the dummy electrodes (15). With this configuration, the solder self-assembles between the adjacent dummy electrodes (15) and causes a solder short circuit. Thus it is possible to eliminate excessive solder supply between the adjacent first electrodes (2) and the adjacent second electrodes (6), thereby preventing short circuits between the adjacent first electrodes (2) and the adjacent second electrodes (6).
US08304324B2
A method of wafer or substrate bonding a substrate made of a semiconductor material with a substrate made from a metallic material is disclosed. The method allows the bonding of the two substrates together without the use of any intermediate joining gluing, or solder layer(s) between the two substrates. The method allows the moderate or low temperature bonding of the metal and semiconductor substrates, combined with methods to modify the materials so as to enable low electrical resistance interfaces to be realized between the bonded substrates, and also combined with methods to obtain a low thermal resistance interface between the bonded substrates, thereby enabling various useful improvements for fabrication, packaging and manufacturing of semiconductor devices and systems.
US08304317B2
A method of patterning a plurality of polysilicon structures includes forming a polysilicon layer over a semiconductor body, and patterning the polysilicon layer to form a first polysilicon structure using a first patterning process that reduces line-edge roughness (LER). The method further includes patterning the polysilicon layer to form a second polysilicon structure using a second patterning process that is different from the first patterning process after performing the first patterning process.
US08304310B2
The disclosure pertains to a semiconductor device and its manufacture method, the semiconductor device including non-volatile memory cells and a peripheral circuit including field effect transistors having an insulated gate. A semiconductor device and its manufacture method are to be provided, the semiconductor device having memory cells with a high retention ability and field effect transistors having an insulated gate with large drive current. The semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate (1) having first and second areas (AR1, AR2), a floating gate structure (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) for a non-volatile memory cell, a control gate structure (14) formed coupled to the floating gate structure, formed in the first area, and an insulated gate electrode (12, 14) for a logical circuit formed in the second area, wherein the floating gate structure has bird's beaks larger than those of the insulated gate electrode.
US08304304B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an nMISFET formed on the substrate, the nMISFET including a first dielectric formed on the substrate and a first metal gate electrode formed on the first dielectric and formed of one metal element selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, Ta, Sc, Y, a lanthanoide and actinide series and of one selected from boride, silicide and germanide compounds of the one metal element, and a pMISFET formed on the substrate, the pMISFET including a second dielectric formed on the substrate and a second metal gate electrode formed on the second dielectric and made of the same material as that of the first metal gate electrode, at least a portion of the second dielectric facing the second metal gate electrode being made of an insulating material different from that of at least a portion of the first dielectric facing the first metal gate electrode.
US08304301B2
A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a semiconductor substrate, epitaxially growing a Ge layer on the substrate, and epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer on the Ge layer, where the semiconductor layer has a thickness of 10 nm or less. This method further comprises removing at least a portion of the Ge layer to form a void beneath the Si layer, and filling the void at least partially with a dielectric material. In this way, the semiconductor layer becomes an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator layer. In one embodiment, after the void is filled with the dielectric material, in-situ doped source and drain regions are grown on the semiconductor layer. In one embodiment, the method further comprises annealing said source and drain regions to form doped extension regions in the semiconductor layer. Epitaxially growing the extremely thin semiconductor layer on the Ge layer ensures good thickness control across the wafer. This process could be used for SOI or bulk wafers.
US08304300B2
An object is to provide a display device which operates stably with use of a transistor having stable electric characteristics. In manufacture of a display device using transistors in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, a gate electrode is further provided over at least a transistor which is applied to a driver circuit. In manufacture of a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment so as to be dehydrated or dehydrogenated; thus, impurities such as moisture existing in an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer provided below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced.
US08304299B2
A thin film transistor array panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a substrate, a gate line formed on the substrate, a gate insulating layer formed on the gate line, a semiconductor layer formed on the gate insulating layer, and a data line formed on the semiconductor layer, wherein the data line comprises a lower data layer, an upper data layer, a data oxide layer, and a buffer layer, wherein the upper data layer and the buffer layer comprise a same material.
US08304298B2
To provide an enhancement-depletion (E/D) inverter which can be easily manufactured, in the present invention, a method of manufacturing an inverter which is composed of an oxide semiconductor in which a channel layer includes at least one element selected from In, Ga and Zn formed on a same substrate, the inverter being the E/D inverter having plural thin film transistors, is characterized by comprising the steps of: forming a first transistor and a second transistor, the thicknesses of the channel layers of the first and second transistors being mutually different; and executing heat treatment to at least one of the channel layers of the first and second transistors.
US08304297B2
An active matrix substrate includes base substrate, gate lines, data lines, thin-film transistors and pixel electrodes. The gate lines are formed on the base substrate. The data lines are formed over the gate lines. Each of the data lines crosses all of the gate lines with an insulating film interposed therebetween. The thin-film transistors are formed over the base substrate. Each of the thin-film transistors is associated with one of the gate lines and operates responsive to a signal on the associated gate line. Each of the pixel electrodes is associated with one of the data lines and one of the thin-film transistors and is electrically connectable to the associated data line by way of the associated thin-film transistor. Each of the pixel electrodes and the associated thin-film transistor are connected together by way of a conductive member. Each of the pixel electrodes crosses one of the gate lines, while the conductive member for the pixel electrode crosses another one of the gate lines that is adjacent to the former gate line.
US08304295B2
Device and method for an electronic device package is disclosed. The electronic device package includes a first pad, a second pad and an encapsulation surrounding the first and second pad, wherein the encapsulation includes a first opening underneath the first pad and a second opening underneath the second pad. A first bump is arranged in the first opening and a second bump is arranged in the second opening, wherein the encapsulation mechanically locks the first bump to the first pad and the second bump to the second pad.
US08304294B2
A method includes: forming a photoresist pattern to form each of a semiconductor element mounting section on which a semiconductor element is mounted, semiconductor element electrode connection terminals for connection with electrodes of the semiconductor element, and a first outer frame section on a first surface of a metal plate; forming a photoresist pattern to form each of external connection terminals, a second outer frame section, and grooves in at least a part of the second outer frame section on a second surface of the metal plate; etching a metal plate exposing section, in which the metal plate of the second surface is exposed, to form holes that do not pass through the metal plate exposing section and grooves that run from an inside to an outside of the second outer frame section; coating a pre-mold resin on the holes and the grooves, and heating the pre-mold resin under pressure using a flat-bed press to form a resin layer; and etching the first surface to form the semiconductor element mounting section, the semiconductor element electrode connection terminals electrically connected with the external connection terminals, and the first outer frame section.
US08304287B2
The present invention comprises a first substrate with a die formed on a die metal pad, a first and a second wiring circuits formed on the surfaces of the first substrate. A second substrate has a die opening window for receiving the die, a third wiring circuit is formed on top surface of the second substrate and a fourth wiring circuit on bottom surface of the second substrate. An adhesive material is filled into the gap between back side of the die and top surface of the first substrate and between the side wall of the die and the side wall of the die receiving through hole and the bottom side of the second substrate. During the formation, laser is introduced to cut the backside of the first substrate and an opening hole is formed in the first substrate to expose a part of the backside of the Au or Au/Ag metal layer of chip/die.
US08304285B2
A semiconductor device with a sheet-like insulating substrate (101) integral with two or more patterned layers of conductive lines and vias, a chip attached to an assembly site, and contact pads (103) in pad locations has an encapsulated region on the top surface of the substrate, extending to the edge of the substrate, enclosing the chip, and having contact apertures (703) at the pad locations for external communication with the pad metal surfaces. The apertures may have not-smooth sidewall surfaces and may be filled with solder material (704) to contact the pads. Metal-filled surface grooves (710) in the encapsulated region, with smooth groove bottom and sidewalls, are selected to serve as customized routing interconnections, or redistribution lines, between selected apertures and thus to facilitate the coupling with another semiconductor device to form a package-on-package assembly.
US08304282B2
A method for manufacturing a solar cell comprises disposing a first doping layer on a substrate, forming a first doping layer pattern by patterning the first doping layer to expose a portion of the substrate, disposing a second doping layer on the first doping layer pattern to cover the exposed portion of the substrate, diffusing an impurity from the first doping layer pattern which forms a first doping region in a surface of the substrate, and diffusing an impurity from the second doping layer which forms a second doping region in the surface of the substrate, wherein the forming of the first doping layer pattern uses an etching paste.
US08304276B2
An apparatus comprising a microelectromechanical system. The microelectromechanical system includes a crystalline structural element having dislocations therein. For at least about 60 percent of adjacent pairs of the dislocations, direction vectors of the dislocations form acute angles of less than about 45 degrees.
US08304272B2
A method for forming a photodetector device includes forming an insulator layer on a substrate, forming a germanium (Ge) layer on the insulator layer and a portion of the substrate, forming a second insulator layer on the Ge layer, implanting n-type ions in the Ge layer, patterning the n-type Ge layer, forming a capping insulator layer on the second insulator layer and a portion of the first insulator layer, heating the device to crystallize the Ge layer resulting in an single crystalline n-type Ge layer, and forming electrodes electrically connected to the single crystalline n-type Ge layer.
US08304271B2
A bulk GaN layer is on a first surface of a substrate, wherein the bulk GaN layer has a GaN transistor region and a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) device region. A source/drain layer is over a first surface of the bulk GaN layer in the GaN transistor region. A gate electrode is formed over the source/drain layer. A first BAW electrode is formed over the first surface of the bulk GaN layer in the BAW device region. An opening is formed in a second surface of the substrate, opposite the first surface of the substrate, which extends through the substrate and exposes a second surface of the bulk GaN layer, opposite the first surface of the bulk GaN layer. A second BAW electrode is formed within the opening over the second surface of the bulk GaN layer.
US08304264B2
A chamber-status monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of chambers, a time-division multiplexer configured to receive, via optical fiber probes, optical signals from each chamber, to divide each optical signal into first time slots having a predetermined duration, and to multiplex the first time slots to generate an OTDM signal, a multi-input optical emission spectroscope configured to receive and disperse the OTDM signal according to wavelengths to measure spectrum information, and a controller configured to divide the spectrum information of the dispersed OTDM signal into second time slots with a predetermined time interval therebetween, to classify the second time slots according to the chambers to obtain spectrum information of the optical signals of the individual chambers, and to control endpoint detection in each of the chambers in accordance with the spectrum information of the optical signal of the corresponding chamber.
US08304256B2
In one aspect, this disclosure provides a substrate for determining the concentration of an analyte within a sample. The substrate includes a conductive region and a recognition layer, the conductive region including at least one particle and having a first surface operatively coupled with the recognition layer, the recognition layer comprising at least one recognition molecule. The distance between the first surface of the conductive region and the recognition molecule is selected such that when the analyte is bound to the recognition layer the combination of the at least one particle and the analyte exhibits at least one of the following effects when radiation is directed through the conductive region and the recognition layer: (i) a particle plasmon effect, (ii) a particle bulk interband absorption, (iii) analyte molecular absorption, and (iv) absorption by the analyte-particle combination.
US08304246B2
The present invention is directed to a method for differentially diagnosing dementia or the risk of dementia in a patient. The method comprises obtaining a sample from the patient; analyzing the sample to obtain quantifying data for one or more than one metabolite marker; comparing the quantifying data for the one or more than one metabolite marker to corresponding data obtained from one or more than one reference sample; and using the comparison to differentially diagnose dementia or the risk of dementia. The method may also assist in assessing dementia or the risk of dementia in a patient. The present invention is also directed to metabolite markers and compounds useful in the present method.
US08304242B2
Lipophilic fluorescent substances can be used to detect surface defects in materials having hydrophilic (e.g., inorganic) coatings. Use of the described methods makes surface defects appear fluorescent, while the remaining surfaces are not labeled. The disclosed methods are inexpensive, rapid, and easy alternatives to existing approaches.
US08304238B2
The invention relates to an immobilized preparation of a cell adhesion protein or peptide for cell culture having a hydrophobic cell culture substrate, a cell adhesion protein or peptide and a hydrophobic binding-adsorptive polymer to which the cell adhesion protein or peptide has been covalently bound. The hydrophobic binding-adsorptive polymer to which the cell adhesion protein or peptide is covalently bound is adsorbed to the hydrophobic cell culture substrate by hydrophobic binding and not by chemical bonding. The hydrophobic binding-adsorptive polymer is a copolymer of maleic anhydride and styrene, a copolymer of maleic anhydride and butyl vinyl ether or a copolymer of maleic anhydride and hexyl vinyl ether.
US08304232B2
The present invention provides photobioreactors, solar energy gathering systems, and methods for thermal control of a culture medium containing a prototrophic organism in a photobioreactor, that allow temperature control in a cost effective manner, reducing the energy required for temperature control of a culture medium containing phototrophic microorganisms in a photobioreactor.
US08304231B2
The invention relates to a bioreactor, comprising a reactor vessel (2) with a housing support (20,20a), extending into the vessel interior (14), with a medium seal against the vessel interior (14) with a transparent sensor piece (34,34a) and an indicator tile (38,38a), arranged in the vessel interior (14), in contact with the vessel contents, which may be scanned by a fiber optic which may itself be introduced into the housing support (20,20a) and connected to a display device (24). In order that the reactor may be embodied as a bag, the housing support (20,20a) is arranged on the upper side of the reactor bag and provided with a flange piece (26) tightly sealed to the vessel wall (28). The flange piece is connected to the sensor piece (34,34a) by means of a preferably tubular connector piece (32,23a), whereby the length of the connector piece is such that the sensor piece (34,34a) permanently reaches into the reactant.
US08304222B1
Rationally-designed LAGLIDADG meganucleases and methods of making such meganucleases are provided. In addition, methods are provided for using the meganucleases to generate recombinant cells and organisms having a desired DNA sequence inserted into a limited number of loci within the genome, as well as methods of gene therapy, for treatment of pathogenic infections, and for in vitro applications in diagnostics and research.
US08304218B2
Disclosed herein are two-component enzymatic peracid generation systems and methods of using such systems wherein the first component comprises a formulation of at least one enzyme catalyst having perhydrolysis activity, a carboxylic acid ester substrate, and a cosolvent and wherein the second component comprises a source of peroxygen in water. The two components are combined to produce an aqueous peracid formulation useful as, e.g., a disinfecting or bleaching agent. Specifically, organic cosolvents are used to control the viscosity of a substrate-containing component and to enhance the solubility of the substrate in an aqueous reaction formulation without causing substantial loss of perhydrolytic activity of the enzyme catalyst.
US08304217B2
A stabilized dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) compound is provided. The stabilized DHLA is derived from a microbiological culture media including at least one live probiotic organism, R-lipoic acid and at least one nutritive agent. The stabilized DHLA may be prepared by dispersing the microbiological media in distilled water to form a broth, incubating the broth at a predetermined temperature for a select period of time to induce probiotic activity, adding organic ethanol to the broth to halt the probiotic activity, and separating the derived stabilized DHLA from the broth.
US08304215B2
Disclosed herein is a novel gluconacetobacter strain having cellulose producing activity. Specifically, the present invention relates to a novel gluconacetobacter strain producing nano-structured cellulose in a highly efficient manner. The cellulose produced by the strain, due to its superb thermodynamic properties, can be characterized as nano-structured bacterial cellulose and therefore utilized as a bio-nano-fiber. Particularly, the cellulose can be impregnated with a resin to form a cellulose-based resin which can be effectively adapted for a substrate for a liquid crystal display (LCD).
US08304209B2
The invention described herein relates to photobioreactors, methods, assembly and use of such apparatus for culturing light-capturing organisms in a cost-effective manner. Various embodiments provide for a passive thermal regulation system employing selected microorganisms in a photobioreactor apparatus and methods for biological production of various fuel and chemical products from these organisms. Additional embodiments provide a solar biofactory system capable of culturing light capturing organisms to an areal productivity of 3.3 g/m2/hr. Further embodiments are directed to a photobioreactor capable of culturing light capturing organisms to an OD730 of about 14 g/L DCW. Such embodiments incorporate passive thermal regulation and systems.
US08304207B2
A blood test instrument using a disposable cartridge and a method of measuring a blood sample using the instrument are disclosed. The instrument includes a cell counting station for counting blood cells by electrical resistance measurement, a pressure actuating component adapted to apply a pressure alternately on two flexible receptacles of a disposable cartridge removably placed in the instrument to cause flowing of a mixture of a blood sample and a liquid agent between the two receptacles to obtain proper mixing, and a conduit adapted to deliver the mixture to the cell counting station for counting. After measuring the blood sample, the instrument withdraws a washing liquid contained in another receptacle of the disposable cartridge and uses the washing liquid to clean the instrument and to deliver the mixture back to the cartridge for disposal.
US08304206B2
Provided are methods for determining the activity of proteins that modulate the acetylation state of a protein substrate. The methods may be used for determining both acetyltransferase activity and deacetylase activity. The methods utilize mass spectrometry for determining the acetylation state of a substrate peptide. The methods may also be used to identify compounds that modulate the activity of a protein having acetyltransferase or deacetylase activity. In some embodiments, a compound that modulates a deacetylase is an activator of the deacetylase.
US08304200B2
The invention is directed towards a method of enriching a population of cells in those cells that produce an antibody which recognizes an antigen of interest. In particular, an untagged antigen is used in conjunction with a polyclonal antibody to isolate cells recognizing said antigen.
US08304196B2
The present invention provides for the simultaneous assessment of a plurality of tissue regions or microregions, the benefit being homogeneity of the sampling, both in terms of tissue content and timing. Discrete regions of a tissue sample, such as those demarcated by microwells formed within the tissue itself or tissue plugs removed from the tissue in a spatially referenced fashion, can be treated with one or more physical or chemical treatments to liberate target molecules of interest. Subsequent analysis of said target molecules by, e.g., mass spectroscopy, permits identification of a variety of biological parameters, including those associated with disease or therapy.
US08304195B2
The present invention provides labeling reagents and methods for labeling primary antibodies and for detecting a target in a sample using an immuno-labeled complex that comprises a target-binding antibody and one or more labeling reagents. The labeling reagents comprise monovalent antibody fragments or non-antibody monomeric proteins whereby the labeling proteins have affinity for a specific region of the target-binding antibody and are covalently attached to a label. Typically, the labeling reagent is an anti-Fc Fab or Fab′ fragment that was generated by immunizing a goat or rabbit with the Fc fragment of an antibody. The present invention provides for discrete subsets of labeling reagent and immuno-labeled complexes that facilitate the simultaneous detection of multiple targets in a sample wherein the immuno-labeled complexes are distinguished by i) a ratio of label to labeling reagent, or ii) a physical property of said label, or iii) a ratio of labeling reagent to said target-binding antibody, or iv) by said target-binding antibody. This is particularly useful for fluorophore labels that can be attached to labeling reagents and subsequently immuno-labeled complexes in ratios for the detection of multiple targets.
US08304193B2
The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.
US08304184B2
This invention relates to the identification of variants of an organism using variant-specific oligonucleotide primer pools to specifically hybridize to those polynucleotides in an sample comprising a plurality of polynucleotides that contain a target sequence that is unambiguously identifiable with a particular variant of the organism.
US08304178B2
The present invention discloses a composition suitable for use as a top antireflective coating and barrier layer for immersion lithography. The inventive composition is soluble in aqueous base solutions and insoluble in water. The inventive composition comprises a polymer having at least one hydrophobic moiety, at least one acidic moiety with a pKa of 1 or less, and at least one aqueous base soluble moiety. The present invention also discloses a method of forming a patterned layer on a substrate by using the inventive composition in lithography.
US08304163B2
A positive type resist composition for forming a high resolution resist pattern and a method of forming a resist pattern are provided which use a low-molecular-weight material as a base component, and a compound and a dissolution inhibitor that are each suitable for the positive type resist composition. Here, the compound is a non-polymer having a molecular weight of 500 to 3000, and is decomposed under the action of an acid to produce two or more molecules of a decomposition product having a molecular weight of 200 or more; the dissolution inhibitor comprises the compound; the positive type resist composition comprises the compound and the acid generator component; and the method of forming a resist pattern uses the positive type resist composition.
US08304162B2
A plate carries a solvent-soluble, radiation-polymerizable, oleophilic resin coating non-ionically adhered on a hydrophilic substrate, which can be imagewise exposed to polymerizing radiation and then directly processed by the application of disruptive mechanical forces such as compression or tension to remove the unimaged areas as undissolved particles, using pressurized water and brushing pre-press, or the tack of the ink on-press.
US08304147B2
The present invention provides a photomask blank used for producing a photomask to which an ArF excimer laser light is applied, wherein: a light-shielding film is provided on a light transmissive substrate; the light-shielding film has a laminated structure in which a back-surface antireflection layer, a light-shielding layer and a front-surface antireflection layer are laminated in this order from the side close to the light transmissive substrate; the thickness of the entire light-shielding film is 60 nm or less; the back-surface antireflection layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a first etching rate; the front-surface antireflection layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a third etching rate; the light-shielding layer is made of a film containing the same metal as that contained in the back-surface antireflection layer or the front-surface antireflection layer and has a second etching rate that is lower than the first etching rate and the third etching rate; and the thickness of the light-shielding layer is 30% or less of the thickness of the entire light-shielding film.
US08304141B2
The present invention releases a method of producing a metal separator for a solid polymer fuel cell by stainless steel, titanium, or titanium alloy during which securing lower cost and mass producibility by using a material having a high workability to form a complicated shape by a high productivity, then using an inexpensive blast process to drive a conductive substance into the surface of the metal separator member, that is, provides a stainless steel, titanium, or titanium alloy solid polymer fuel cell separator comprised of stainless steel, titanium, or titanium alloy in the surface of which a low ion release conductive substance is buried, having an arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of the separator surface of 0.5 to 5.0 μm, having a 10-point mean roughness (Rz) of 3 to 20 μm, having an average spacing of surface relief shapes (Sm) of 300 μm or less, having values of a warp rate and twist rate of a separator of 0.1 or less, and having a contact resistance value with respect to carbon paper of 15 mΩcm2 or less at a surface pressure of 1 MPa.
US08304132B2
According to one embodiment, a fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly including a plurality of unit cells which are composed of an electrolyte membrane, an anode including anode catalyst layers arranged at intervals on one of surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, and anode gas diffusion layers stacked on the anode catalyst layers, and a cathode including cathode catalyst layers arranged at intervals on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane and opposed to the anode catalyst layers, respectively, and cathode gas diffusion layers stacked on the cathode catalyst layers, wherein a thickness of at least one of the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer of one of the unit cells, which neighbor each other, gradually decreases toward the other of the unit cells.
US08304128B2
A solid oxide cell obtainable by a process comprising the steps of: depositing a fuel electrode layer on a fuel electrode support layer; depositing an electrolyte layer comprising stabilized zirconia on the fuel electrode layer to provide an assembly of fuel electrode support, fuel electrode and electrolyte; optionally sintering the assembly of fuel electrode support, fuel electrode and electrolyte together to provide a pre-sintered half cell; depositing on the electrolyte layer of the pre-sintered half cell one or more oxygen electrode layers, at least one of the oxygen electrode layers comprising a composite of lanthanum-strontium-manganite and stabilized zirconia to provide a complete solid oxide cell; sintering the oxygen electrode layers together with the pre-sintered half cell to provide a sintered complete solid oxide cell; and impregnating the one or more oxygen electrode layers of the sintered complete solid oxide cell with manganese to obtain a manganese impregnated solid oxide cell.
US08304118B2
Disclosed is a non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery. The non-aqueous electrolyte solution includes an electrolyte salt and an organic solvent. The non-aqueous electrolyte solution further includes (a) a polyfunctional compound including two or more functional groups, at least one of which is an acryl group, and (b) an anion receptor selected from the group consisting of a borane compound, a borate compound and a mixture thereof. Further disclosed is a lithium secondary battery including the non-aqueous electrolyte solution. A stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film is formed on an anode of the lithium secondary battery. The amount of LiF in the SEI film is controlled, achieving improved cycle life characteristics of the battery.
US08304117B2
A gel polymer electrolyte precursor and a rechargeable cell comprising the same are provided. The gel polymer electrolyte precursor comprises a bismaleimide monomer or bismaleimide oligomer, a compound having formula (I): a non-aqueous metal salt electrolyte, a non-protonic solvent, and a free radical initiator, wherein the bismaleimide oligomer is prepared by reaction of barbituric acid and bismaleimide, X comprises oxygen, organic hydrocarbon compounds, organic hydrocarbon oxide compounds, oligomers or polymers, n is 2 or 3, and A independently comprises wherein m is 0˜6, X comprises hydrogen, cyano, nitro or halogen, and R1 independently comprises hydrogen or C1˜4 alkyl.
US08304111B2
Disclosed are a cathode active material and a secondary battery including the same, wherein the cathode active material includes (a) a first lithium-containing metal composite oxide and (b) a second lithium-containing metal composite oxide coated on an entire particle surface of the first lithium-containing metal composite oxide particle, the second lithium-containing metal composite oxide having a higher resistance and a lower potential vs. lithium potential (Li/Li+) than the first lithium-containing metal composite oxide.
US08304108B2
A method and apparatus is provided in which a pre-formed sleeve or pre-formed secondary can comprised of one or more layers of a high yield strength material is positioned around the pre-formed battery case, the pre-formed sleeve/secondary can inhibiting the flow of hot, pressurized gas from within the battery through perforations formed in the battery casing during a thermal runaway event.
US08304101B2
A battery cover latching structure comprises a housing, a cover, a button and a follower. The housing has a catch positioned thereon. The cover is mounted to housing. The button is rotatably mounted to the cover. The follower is slidably mounted to cover, the follower has a latch releasably latched with the catch. When the button is rotated relative to the cover, the button pushes the follower away from the catch to release the latch and the catch.
US08304100B2
A coated glass includes a glass substrate, a first titanium oxide layer, a silver layer, a titanium layer, a titanium nitrogen layer and a second titanium oxide. The first titanium oxide layer is formed on the glass substrate. The silver layer is formed on the first titanium oxide layer. The titanium layer is formed on the sliver layer. The titanium nitrogen layer is formed on the titanium layer, and the second titanium oxide layer is formed on the titanium nitrogen layer.
US08304079B2
Optical compensation films (positive C-plate) with anisotropic subunits (OASUs) that are aromatic rings substituted with birefringence enhancing substituents (BES) and have high positive birefringence throughout the wavelength range 400 nm<λ<800 nm are provided. The optical compensation films may be processed by solution casting to yield a polymer film with high birefringence without the need for stretching, photopolymerization, or other processes. Such optical compensation films are suitable for use as a positive C-plate in LCDs, particularly IPS-LCDs.
US08304070B2
Zinc oxide particles having high transparency in visible light and high shielding properties in a ultraviolet region, with surface treatment of inactivating photocatalytic activity applied thereto, and a dispersion thereof. A manufacturing method of surface treated zinc oxide particles, including: a first step of mixing a dispersion liquid with zinc oxide particles dispersed in a solvent, and silicone resin having polysiloxane bond with at least one or more silicon atoms having a silanol group (Si—OH) and/or alkoxy silyl group (Si—OR, wherein R is alkyl group); obtaining a mixed solution containing a surface treated zinc oxide particles precursor, with the silicone resin adsorbed on the surface of each zinc oxide particle and the solvent, and drying and solidifying the mixed solution by applying heat treatment thereto, to thereby manufacture a dried body; and a second step of pulverizing the dried body, to thereby manufacture the surface treated zinc oxide particles.
US08304051B2
A decorative pane is disclosed comprising two outer panes sandwiching a plastic supporting substrate to which at least one decorative element has been applied. Also disclosed is a decorative pane comprising a plastic supporting substrate to which at least one decorative element has been press-fit.
US08304045B2
Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to articles including anticondensation coatings that are exposed to an external environment, and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, the anticondensation coatings may be survivable in an outside environment. The coatings also may have a sufficiently low sheet resistance and hemispherical emissivity such that the glass surface is more likely to retain heat from the interior area, thereby reducing (and sometimes completely eliminating) the presence condensation thereon. The articles of certain example embodiments may be, for example, skylights, vehicle windows or windshields, IG units, VIG units, refrigerator/freezer doors, and/or the like.
US08304042B2
The present invention provides a recording medium containing a first image formed with a first recording material; and a second image comprising a first region formed with a second recording material having approximately the same light fastness as that of the first recording material, and a second region formed with a third recording material having higher light fastness than that of the first recording material, a color of the second region being a color corresponding to any stage of a process of discoloration of the first region.
US08304041B2
A method of positioning an eye of a taxidermy animal head or sculpture comprises applying removable visible indicia to an external front surface of the eye and aligning the visible indicia.
US08304038B2
A photoalignment material includes an alignment polymer, a photoalignment additive including a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 1 and an organic solvent. In Chemical Formula 1, R1 represents a cyclic compound. A and B independently represent a single bond or —(CnH2n)—. “n” represents an integer in a range of 1 to 12. Each —CH2— of A and/or B may be replaced with R3 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and each —CH2— of A and/or B may be replaced with —O—. R4 represents In Chemical Formula 1, each hydrogen atom excluding hydrogen atoms of R4 may be replaced with chlorine (Cl) or fluorine (F).
US08304034B2
The present invention relates to one-solution type thermosetting resin composition for a protective film of a color filter, and a color filter including the same. The one-solution type thermosetting resin composition includes a copolymer (A) including (meth)acrylate with an epoxy cyclic structure at the side chain, (meth)acrylate with a hydroxyl terminal, acid anhydride, and maleimide with a substituent; an epoxy resin (B); a base-generating agent (C); and an organic solvent (D). When a protective film of a color filter is prepared by using the one-solution type thermosetting resin composition according to the present invention, it has excellent storage stability as well as excellent flatness, close-contacting property, transmission properties, heat resistance, and chemical resistance.
US08304030B2
A bi-laterally surfaced substrate in which the first surface consists of one or more than one of cerium oxide, aluminum oxide, tin oxide manganese oxide, copper oxide, cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, praseodymium oxide, terbium oxide, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, iridium, platinum and gold and the second surface consists of one or more than one of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, iridium, platinum and gold and micro channel micro component reactors including such substrates in a predetermined formed shape and methods for making the same utilizing a thermal spray on one side and a physical deposition process on the other side.
US08304021B2
A vapor phase deposition apparatus 100 for forming a thin film comprising a chamber 1060, a piping unit 120 for supplying a source material of the thin film into the chamber 1060 in a gaseous condition, a vaporizer 202 for vaporizing the source material in a source material container 112 and supplying the vaporized gas in the piping unit 120 and a temperature control unit 180, is presented. The temperature control unit 180 comprises: a first temperature control unit 174, which is composed of a heater controller unit 172 and a tape heater 170 and is capable of controlling the temperature of the first piping 116 in the piping unit 120 that is directly connected to the chamber 1060; a second temperature control unit 176, which is composed of a heater controller unit 168 and a tape heater 166 and is capable of controlling the temperature of the second piping 114 that is connected to the vaporizer; and a third temperature control unit 178, which is composed of a heater controller unit 167 and a thermostatic chamber 153 and is capable of controlling the temperature of the valve 159.
US08303996B2
A barium sulfate-based powder is produced by bringing barium ions (A) into contact with sulfate ions (B) in the presence of one or more metallic ion species (C) selected from the group consisting of lithium ions, sodium ions, potassium ions, magnesium ions, calcium ions, zinc ions, and aluminum ions. Thus, barium sulfate-based powders having various characteristics and thus satisfying functional requirements for cosmetics can be obtained.
US08303994B2
A method for killing or substantially eradicating a pathogen in the upper respiratory tract of a mammal is disclosed. The method comprises generating molecular iodine (I2) in situ using an oxidant-reductant reaction with a minimum concentration of at least about 25 ppm of I2 and I2 comprises at least 40% of the total iodine atoms. A method for inhibiting superantigens using molecular iodine is also disclosed.
US08303990B2
Diagnosing or treating a human ear includes transporting a conjugated nanoparticle or a magnetically responsive nanoparticle into a human's middle or inner ear. Otologic nanophoresis includes electrically, magnetically or electromagnetically driving a nanoparticle through a membrane of the ear, including a tympanic membrane, a round window membrane, an oval window membrane, or a circulatory membrane. An otologic diagnostic device includes a nanoparticle conjugated with a material selected from the group consisting of lipids, proteins, growth factors, growth hormones, antioxidants, free radical scavengers, steroid preparations, and metabolically active substances; an otologic therapeutic device includes the same categories of substances and chemotherapeutic drugs. Another otologic composition includes a nanoparticle conjugated with a substance perceptible to magnetic resonance imaging.
US08303989B2
The present invention provides compositions and methods for increasing absorption of antibacterial agents, particularly third generation cephalosporin antibacterial agents, in oral dosage solid and/or suspension forms. Specifically, the composition is comprised of a biopolymer that is preferably swellable and/or mucoadhesive, a antimicrobial agent, and a cationic binding agent contained within the biopolymer such that the binding agent is ionically bound or complexed to at least one member selected from the group consisting of the biopolymer and the antimicrobial agent.
US08303988B2
An antifungal product is comprised of at least three dosages forms, each of which has a different release profile, with the Cmax for the antifungal product being reached in less than about twelve hours. In one embodiment, there is an immediate release dosage form, as well as two or more delayed release dosage forms, with each of the dosage forms having a different release profile, wherein each reaches a Cmax at different times.
US08303984B2
This invention discloses compositions and method for treating various types of skin disorders, based on topical cutaneous delivery of copper chemically bound with botanical pigments. Sodium-copper-chlorophyllin is used as an example, showing benefits in the treatment of rosacea, acne, oily skin, enlarged pores, and in relieving skin inflammation. Benefits are also disclosed in treatment of environmentally caused premature skin aging, via reductions in fine facial lines and wrinkles, increased tensile strength of the skin, and increased protection against sunlight via increased production of melanin. Therapeutic outcomes are improved when the copper-pigment complex is enclosed within submicron liposomes.
US08303976B2
Shaped, preferably porous, inorganic bodies are provided which are prepared from a reactive blend. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the solution is absorbed into a porous sacrificial substrate such as a cellulose sponge. The solution-saturated substrate is heated and an oxidation-reduction reaction occurs thereby forming an inorganic solid. A shaped, inorganic body is formed in situ. Optional, but preferred additional thermal treatment of the shaped, inorganic body removes the organic substrate, leaving an inorganic body that faithfully mimics the porosity, shape, and other physical characteristics of the organic substrate. Inorganic substrates may also be used to good effect. Large varieties of shaped bodies can be prepared in accordance with other embodiments of the invention and such shapes find wide use in surgery, laboratory and industrial processes and otherwise. The invention also provides chemically and morphologically uniform powders, including those having uniformly small sizes.
US08303975B2
A porous silicon implant impregnated with a beneficial substance, such as a micromineral required for healthy physiology, is implanted subcutaneously and is entirely corroded away over the following months/year to release the micromineral in a controlled manner. In a second embodiment the implant may have a large number of holes which contain beneficial substance and which are closed by bio-errordable doors of different thickness so as to stagger the release of the beneficial substance over time as the doors are breached.
US08303974B2
The present invention relates to the treatment and prevention of vasospasm. The present invention provides a system for treating a cerebral vasospasm in a human utilizing a pharmaceutical composition and administrating a therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition to a predetermined location in close proximity to a cerebral artery within a subarachnoid space wherein the pharmaceutical composition produces a localized pharmacologic effect thereby treating the cerebral vasospasm.
US08303969B2
A substantially anhydrous, spreadable warming lubricant composition comprising a mixture of glycerin, a polyhydric alcohol, and a non-ionic surfactant, the viscosity of the composition being less than that of glycerin but greater than that of the polyhydric alcohol, thereby promoting formation of a useful thin layer on a surface with which the composition is brought into contact, the surfactant improving wetting and spreadability of the composition on skin and latex, such that the composition can be applied to skin or a condom and provide an optimal warming effect upon contact with ambient moisture during use and such that the composition can be added to a condom package and, over the course of about a week, spread and coat nearly the entire internal and external surfaces of the condom.
US08303968B2
Water-in-oil type emulsified compositions with a high silicone oil content which are excellent in emulsification stability and whose sticky feeling has been improved may be obtained by incorporating a specific (A) N-long chain acyl neutral amino acid ester, (B) a silicone oil, and (C) water therein.
US08303960B2
The invention provides a radiolabeled affibody molecule comprising a fragment of an IgG-binding domain of protein A from Staphylococcus aureus, a bifunctional linker, and a radiolabel comprising 18F or 76Br, wherein the bifunctional linker links the fragment and the radiolabel. The affibody molecule binds with high affinity to select receptors, which are over-expressed in certain cancers. Since the radionuclides emit a positron, the in vitro and in vivo binding characteristics of the radiolabeled affibody can be assessed using diagnostic imaging.
US08303957B2
The invention concerns the optimization of the wild R9M peptide and the use of the resulting peptides for therapeutic vaccination and/or preventive vaccination against leukaemia in humans. More particularly, the invention concerns mutated immunogenic peptides derived from the human TEL/AML1 fusion protein comprising the wild R9M peptide sequence Arg-Ile-Ala-Glu-Czs-Ile-Leu-Gly-Met. The invention also concerns polynucleotides coding for the mutated R9M immunogenic peptides, cellular expression vectors comprising nucleic acid sequences expressing the mutated R9M immunogenic peptides and polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies capable of being fixed on at least one of said peptides/polynucleotides. The invention further concerns the use of said peptides, polynucleotides and/or antibodies for preparing vaccines, anti-tumoral medicines and compositions and for in vitro and in vivo stimulation of the immune response in humans.
US08303951B2
The present invention relates to a Neutrokine-alpha antibody and a process for producing a Neutrokine-alpha antibody. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying compounds that inhibit or enhance the action of Neutrokine-alpha. Also provided are diagnostic methods for detecting autoimmune disorders and therapeutic methods for treating autoimmune disorders using a Neutrokine-alpha antibody.
US08303939B2
A non-cytotoxic chlorine dioxide composition and a mixed agent bleaching composition for tooth whitening are disclosed. Methods of use are also provided.
US08303932B2
An organized mobile multicomponent conjugate (OMMC) and method of using to enhance binding of weakly binding compounds to a target. A lamellar structure containing at least two binding compounds is assembled under conditions in which the binding compounds self-regulate in or on the lamellar structure, forming a cooperative ensemble that is capable of binding with enhanced affinity to a complementary affinity site on a target. Each binding compound is bound to the lamellar surface, and may be connected by a linker. The OMMC may contain an effector molecule, such as a diagnostic or therapeutic agent, for administration to a patent who is then diagnosed or treated using the effector molecule.
US08303925B2
A method of manufacturing ultra-pure sulfuric acid is described. Industrial sulfur trioxide is used as the raw material, gasifying it in a round gasifier, getting it gasified for the second time after condensation, sulfur trioxide gas has been purified. Absorbing the sulfur trioxide gas with the dilute sulfuric acid circularly, collect the target product of ultra-pure sulfuric acid. The main content of the ultra-pure sulfuric acid obtained by the method of the present invention can reach more than 96 wt %, the content of the impurities of metal ions, is in conformity with the SEMI C12 standard.
US08303921B2
The invention relates to a process of producing an ammonium salt composition. The process comprises the step of providing a process stream comprising sulfuric acid and at least one tertiary amine. The process further comprises the step of contacting the process stream with ammonia to form a waste stream and a product stream. The waste stream comprises water, tertiary amine, and ammonia and the product stream comprises a first amount of ammonium salt. The process further comprises the step of deriving from the waste stream an off gas stream comprising a preliminary amount of ammonia. The process also comprises the step of contacting the off gas stream with an acid to form an ammonium salt stream and a purge stream. The ammonium salt stream comprises a second amount of ammonium salt and the purge stream comprises a reduced amount of ammonia, which is less than the preliminary amount.
US08303915B2
A platen for contacting a liquid to a surface of a substantially flat substrate is disclosed. The platen includes a liquid application station and a stripping element at an end of the liquid application station, wherein the stripping element includes an intersecting gap and an air barrier. Also disclosed are an apparatus including the platen and a method of using the platen to contact a substrate with a liquid.
US08303907B2
A stabilized thylakoid membrane formulation comprising thylakoid membranes in a buffered solution and liposomes, wherein the formulation has a ratio of chlorophyll/liposomes of at least about 10:1. The invention further comprises a method for detecting or quantifying the presence of toxic molecules in a fluid sample, comprising obtaining a stabilized thylakoids membranes formulation; and assessing the photosynthetic efficiency of the thylakoid membranes formulation in the presence of said sample, whereby the molecules are detected when the photosynthetic efficiency is measurably different in the presence versus in the absence of the sample. The present invention also comprises kits using the stabilized thylakoid membranes formulation for detecting and/or quantifying the toxic molecule in a fluid sample.
US08303902B2
Provided is a slide processing apparatus for processing a plurality of slides to which a bio probe is attached. The slide processing apparatus includes a reaction chamber of which side walls are sealed, and a plurality of reaction heating plates disposed in parallel in the reaction chamber at a first distance from each other. The slides are mounted adjacent to the reaction heating plates in the reaction chamber and in parallel to the reaction heating plates.
US08303899B2
A manufacturing system for producing polyolefin includes a polymerization reactor, a flash chamber, and a purge column. In certain embodiments, the purge column may receive a solids stream directly from the flash chamber. Further, the purge column may function as a feed tank for an extruder within an extrusion/loadout system. According to certain embodiments, the manufacturing system may be configured to consume less than 445 kilowatt-hours of energy per metric ton of polyolefin produced based on consumption of electricity, steam, and fuel gas.
US08303896B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a biosensor and a method for immobilizing a physiologically active substance, by which preconcentration effects can be obtained at a pH that is equivalent to or higher than the isoelectric point of the physiologically active substance and the physiologically active substance can be covalently bound to the surface. The present invention provides a biosensor comprising a solid substrate to which a polymer having a primary or secondary amino group is bound, by which a physiologically active substance can be chemically immobilized following preconcentration of the substance at a pH that is equivalent to or higher than the isoelectric point of the substance.
US08303892B2
A lean alloy steel and roll shells made of same are provided. The lean alloy steel has improved properties in imparting high productivity and long service life for roll shells (or roll caster shells) utilized in the direct casting of molten materials (such as molten aluminum) to strips. The lean alloy steel includes iron (Fe) alloyed with carbon (C), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), silicon (Si), and/or niobium (Nb). The roll shells made from the heat treated lean alloy steel have high resistance to surface heat checking due to its very high yield strengths at molten aluminum temperatures (made, e.g., possible with its high carbide content), and have high casting speeds because of its high thermal conductivity (made, e.g., possible with its lean alloy composition).
US08303891B2
The invention describes a method of producing a compression mold profile (21) of a compression mold for a non-circular sintered chain wheel or cog belt wheel (1), whereby a compression mold profile (21) is set up by scaling a desired profile (19) of the chain wheel or cog belt wheel (1) with a scaling factor. The compression mold profile (21) is set up by applying a corrective shift applied in addition to scaling the desired profile (19).
US08303888B2
A process is disclosed of forming cellulose fibers. The process includes extruding an aqueous solution of cellulose and a solvent through a first member to form filaments. The first member has multiple rows of first and second openings with a nozzle positioned in each of the first openings. At least one of the nozzles in one row is staggered from at least one of the nozzles in an adjacent row. At least a portion of each of the filaments is shrouded in a pressurized gas emitted through each of the first openings. Each of the filaments is contacted with a liquid to remove some of the solvent and transform each of the filaments into a continuous solid fiber. The continuous solid fibers are then collected on a moving surface to form a non-woven cellulose web.
US08303882B2
A method of making a composite material article includes, in an exemplary embodiment, providing a pre-impregnated preform formed from a plurality of reinforcing fibers and a polymer matrix, positioning the preform on a flat base plate, positioning a pressure bladder on top of the preform, and positioning a bridge tool above the pressure bladder. The bridge tool includes a top plate and at least one support member. The support members are coupled to the base plate with the top plate spaced above the pressure bladder. The method also includes enclosing the preform and bridge tool inside a vacuum bag by sealingly attaching the vacuum bag to the base plate, drawing a vacuum in the vacuum bag to remove air and volatiles from the preform, and then applying pressure to the preform by inflating the pressure bladder to consolidate the preform.
US08303879B2
A composite interbody device includes superior and inferior endplates with a plastic core molded therebetween. The core includes one or more features for permitting bone growth through the core. Each endplate includes a bone interface side coated with hydroxyapatite, for promoting bone on-growth. Pores in the bone interface sides permit bone in-growth. Core interface sides of the endplates include relatively larger pores for accepting molten material from the core, for example during injection molding, to enhance bonding of the endplates with the core. Each endplate has a central barrier layer for preventing the molten core material from extruding through the core interface pores into the bone interface pores, reserving the bone interface pores for bone in-growth. A method of manufacturing the composite interbody device is also disclosed.
US08303877B2
In a method for manufacturing a socket for connecting a fluid conduit to a container made from thermoplastic synthetic material, wherein the socket has a first socket-shaped material arrangement of at least one layer and a second socket-shaped material arrangement of at least one layer, wherein the first material arrangement is thinner than the second material arrangement and the first and second material arrangements are both made of thermoplastic material at least predominantly and fuse with one another to form a fused joint, the first material arrangement is molded by extrusion or injection molding to a plane film or plate or to a hose. The film or plate is deepdrawn or the hose is blowmolded to a first preform with a socket contour. The second material arrangement is applied onto one side of the first preform in a socket contour by injection molding, coinjection or a monosandwich process.
US08303876B1
Polymer-graphite compositions and related methods of using solid-state shear pulverization as can be used to affect one or more physical properties thereof.
US08303868B2
Wet granulation tableting method using aqueous dispersion of low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose
Provided is a method for preparing a tablet having high tablet hardness and an excellent disintegration property even if low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose is added in a relatively small amount. More specifically, provided is a method for preparing a tablet comprising steps of granulating while spraying an aqueous dispersion of low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose having a degree of hydroxypropoxyl group substitution ranging from 5 to 16% by weight to a tablet-forming composition and tableting the resulting granules.
US08303865B1
A composition of matter that experiences an increase rate of radioactive emission is presented. The composition comprises a radioactive material and particles having affinity for Hydrogen or its isotopes. When exposed to Hydrogen, the composition's emission rate increases. Methods of production are also presented.
US08303860B2
A colored curable composition including: (A) a pigment dispersion containing (a-1) a pigment, (a-2) a compound having a pigment mother nucleus structure and an amino group in a molecule, and (a-3) a resin having an acid group and a polymerizable group; (B) an oxime ester initiator; and (C) a polymerizable compound.
US08303858B2
The present disclosure relates to the process of making a photochromic composite having a photochromic polymer and a binder polymer. The photochromic polymer is made by solution polymerization of the photochromic monomer and two monomers in the presence of a base and the binder polymer is made by solution polymerization of the two monomers in the presence of a base.
US08303851B2
Mixtures of additives in granular form comprising: one or more stabilizers for organic polymers; one or more organic or inorganic pigments; and/or one or more dyes; obtained by extrusion at a temperature capable of enabling the partial or total melting of the lowest-melting component. The above mixtures can be used in the stabilization and dyeing of organic polymers.
US08303848B2
An operation method of a synthesis gas reformer of a GTL (gas to liquids) plant is provided with: setting an operation condition of the synthesis gas reformer; determining control target values of a flow rate of the light hydrocarbon gas, the steam, and the CO2, and an amount of heat needed for the synthesis gas reformer; controlling operation load of the synthesis gas reformer; setting a furnace efficiency of the synthesis gas reformer; calculating a combustion load of a burner of the synthesis gas reformer; calculating a lower heating value of the fuel gas based on a composition measurement of the fuel gas of the burner; determining a control target value of the pressure of the fuel gas; calculating a deviation between the control target value of the pressure of the fuel gas and a measured value of the pressure of the fuel gas; and controlling the temperature of the synthesis gas at the outlet of the synthesis gas reformer by adjusting a pressure control valve provided at an inlet of the burner to compensate for the deviation.
US08303843B2
The present invention relates to aqueous cold-cure flexible foam stabilizer formulations for use in the production of highly elastic cold-cure polyurethane foams or for use in the production of cold-cure flexible foam activator blends for highly elastic cold-cure polyurethane foams, wherein the aqueous cold-cure flexible foam stabilizer formulation comprises the following components a) from ≧0.1 to ≦80% by weight of at least one water-insoluble polysiloxane compound having a molecular weight of from ≧300 g/mol to ≦10 000 g/mol, b) ≧2% by weight of water, c) ≧0.1% by weight of surfactant, d) from ≧0 to 10% by weight of additives selected from the group consisting of thickeners, antifreezes, organic solvents and biocides, e) ≧0% by weight of water-soluble siloxane(s), with the proportion by weight of the abovementioned components being selected so that the sum of the proportions by weight of the components is not more than 100% by weight, based on the aqueous cold-cure flexible foam stabilizer formulation.
US08303820B2
A method of purifying cytidine diphosphate choline, which comprises contacting a cytidine diphosphate choline solution containing a nucleic acid analogue and having a pH of not less than 0.5 and not more than 5.0 with an H-type strongly acidic cation exchange resin, and eluting cytidine diphosphate choline adsorbed onto the resin with water or an aqueous solution having an ion concentration of not more than 0.1 mol/L to separate and purify the cytidine diphosphate choline.
US08303811B1
An aquarium filter element having a removable insert. The removable insert may include a chemical agent or biological agent for treating aquarium water.
US08303810B2
A device for concentrating ethanol from an ethanol water solution yielded from lignocellulose is equipped with a water separation membrane, an ethanol water solution storing unit and a depressurizing container provided so as to sandwich the water separation membrane, a dry gas cylinder for supplying dry gas to an ethanol vapor residing unit above the ethanol water solution storing unit, a pump for sucking in the interior of the ethanol vapor residing unit, and a cold trap for collecting the concentrated ethanol by condensing the ethanol vapor sucked in by the pump.
US08303809B2
A peritoneal dialysis machine includes an enclosure; dialysate pump located within the enclosure; a graphical user interface allowing a patient to program a treatment including at least one patient fill performed by the dialysate pump, at least one dwell, and at least one drain performed by the dialysate pump; and the GUI further programmed to provide an alert when it is time to begin the treatment so as to complete the at least one patient fill, dwell and drain by a prescribed time.
US08303807B2
The invention relates to a dialyser having a blood-pressure measuring unit assigned to the dialyser, a pulse-wave-transit-time measuring system assigned to the dialyser and an evaluation unit, the evaluation unit being configured such that a signal representing the blood pressure can be derived from this pulse wave transit time; the parameters describing the relationship between the pulse wave transit time and the blood pressure can be determined from a plurality of measurements made by the blood-pressure measuring unit and simultaneous measurements made by the pulse-wave-transit-time measuring system, it being possible to determine at least two of these pairs of measured values at times when the absolute and/or the relative pulse-wave-transit-time deviation is above a threshold value. The invention relates further to a method of determining the parameters describing the relationship between a pulse-wave-transit-time signal and a blood-pressure-measurement signal, a signal representing the blood pressure subsequently being derived from the pulse wave transit time; the parameters describing the relationship between the pulse wave transit time and the blood pressure are determined from blood-pressure-measurement-signal values and simultaneous pulse-wave-transit-time values, at least two of these pairs of measured values being obtained at points in time when the absolute and/or the relative deviation of the pulse wave transit time and/or of the blood pressure is above a threshold value.
US08303806B2
Fluid processing apparatuses and systems are disclosed. In some embodiments the fluid processing apparatuses include a movable enclosure, a plurality of filter housings disposed substantially within the movable enclosure, and a stand disposed within the enclosure. The filter housings are in fluid communication with one another. Each filter housing defines an elongate path and is configured to support a respective filter along the elongate flow path to filter a substantially continuous flow of fluid. The stand supports each filter housing such that the elongate flow path of each filter housing is substantially parallel to a vertical axis, wherein each filter housing is independently rotatable, relative to the stand.
US08303805B2
The production process of the invention comprises a first step of hydrodesulfurizing of catalytically-cracked gasoline so as to result in an olefin hydrogenation rate of no greater than 25 mol % in the catalytically-cracked gasoline, a total sulfur content of no greater than 20 ppm by weight based on the product oil weight, a sulfur content derived from thiophenes and benzothiophenes of no greater than 5 ppm by weight and a sulfur content derived from thiacyclopentanes of no greater than 0.1 ppm by weight, and a second step of further hydrodesulfurizing of the product oil obtained by the first step so as to result in a total of no greater than 30 mol % for the olefin hydrogenation rate in the first step and the olefin hydrogenation rate in the second step, a total sulfur content of no greater than 10 ppm by weight based on the product oil weight, and a sulfur content derived from thiols of no greater than 5 ppm by weight.
US08303800B2
Provided is an electrochemical sensor device capable of micromachining a channel while maintaining its measurement sensitivity and of reliably quantitating an analyte in a trace amount of a sample. An electrochemical sensor device includes: a channel portion formed in a substrate; and working electrodes for subjecting an analyte in a solution flowing in the channel portion to electrochemical measurement, the electrochemical sensor device includes a plurality of measuring portions individually provided with the working electrodes, and each of the working electrodes has a plurality of conductive protrusion portions formed to protrude from a bottom surface of each of the measuring portions.
US08303797B2
A cleaning system includes: a sulfuric acid electrolytic portion configured to electrolyze a sulfuric acid solution to generate an oxidizing substance in an anode chamber, a concentrated sulfuric acid supply portion configured to supply a concentrated sulfuric acid solution to the anode chamber, and a cleaning treatment portion configured to carry out cleaning treatment of an object to be cleaned using an oxidizing solution comprising the oxidizing substance. The sulfuric acid electrolytic portion has an anode, a cathode, a diaphragm which is provided between the anode and the cathode, the anode chamber which is demarcated between the anode and the diaphragm and a cathode chamber which is demarcated between the cathode and the diaphragm.
US08303794B2
A magnetic material comprises 50-80 wt % of Cobalt, 9-15 wt % of Nickel, 10-25 wt % of Rhenium, 0.1 to 2.0 wt % of Phosphorus, and 5-10 wt % of Tungsten or Platinum. It can be formed as a layer having good vertical magnetic properties (e.g. when magnetised it can provide a high magnetic field strength in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the layer). The layer preferably has a thickness of above 1 μm. It can be formed by electroplating. The layer is useful for inclusion in a MEMS device.
US08303791B2
An electrochemical process comprising: providing a 125 mm or larger semiconductor wafer in electrical contact with a conducting surface, wherein at least a portion of the semiconductor wafer is in contact with an electrolytic solution, said semiconductor wafer functioning as a first electrode; providing a second electrode in the electrolytic solution, the first and second electrode connected to opposite ends of an electric power source; and irradiating a surface of the semiconductor wafer with a light source as an electric current is applied across the first and the second electrodes. The invention is also directed to an apparatus including a light source and electrochemical components to conduct the electrochemical process.
US08303784B1
A bandoleer of article carriers includes a carrier band, and a plurality of carrier racks connected with a bottom edge of the carrier band each by means of a connecting plate and arranged at regular intervals. Each carrier rack shows a substantially inverted-V shape and has a pair of elastic arms extending downward from two ends of a bottom edge of the connecting plate and gradually inclined away from each other. Two distal ends of the elastic arms protrude oppositely to each other to form a pair of hook portions. Upper portions of two opposite side edges of the connecting plate oppositely protrude sideward to form two blocking portions. Lower portions of the two opposite side edges of the connecting plate oppositely protrude sideward and then are bent towards two opposite directions perpendicular to the plane of the connecting plate to form two lying-L shaped resisting portions.
US08303781B2
A method using an electrolytic cell to electrolyze urea to produce at least one of H2 and NH3 is described. An electrolytic cell having a cathode with a first conducting component, an anode with a second conducting component, urea and an alkaline electrolyte composition in electrical communication with the anode and the cathode is used to electrolyze urea. The alkaline electrolyte composition has a hydroxide concentration of at least 0.01 M.
US08303780B2
The present invention relates to a method for forming a dry etching mask. A plurality of aluminum oxide films are sequentially sputtered on a material to be dry etched in such a manner that etching rate with respect to reactive ion etching increases toward a lower layer. On a laminated film of the plurality of aluminum oxide films, there is formed a first mask that has etching resistance with respect to the reactive ion etching. Reactive ion etching is performed from above the first mask to form a second mask of the laminated film.
US08303777B2
Apparatus for the manufacture of charcoal, comprising a unit having walls defining a primary combustion chamber, and a material inlet for allowing a feed of wood chips though said material inlet into said apparatus. A trough is located at a lower height than said material inlet such that material passing through said material inlet is able to fall into the trough. An air inlet is located below the material inlet such that, when wood chips are located within the trough piled up to said material inlet, air passing from said air inlet passes through said wood-chips and into the primary combustion chamber.
US08303770B2
A washer for washing and dewatering cellulose pulp is disclosed including a rotatable drum with a plurality of axial compartment walls defining a plurality of outer compartments, a stationary cylindrical casing enclosing the drum, and at least one axially disposed seal dividing the annular space between the stationary casing and the drum into a number of zones for treating the pulp. The function of the seals is optimized by units for seal adjustment which include a load cell for registering a pulse signal indicating the force acting on the seals, an extractor for deriving a pulse height parameter from the registered pulse signal and a motor for moving the seal radially with respect to the drum based on the pulse height parameter.
US08303764B2
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.
US08303763B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for monitoring a pulsed RF bias signal applied to a chuck in a processing chamber. One method includes operations for detecting voltage values of individual pulses of the pulsed RF bias voltage, and for determining the time for sampling the value of each individual detected pulse. At the sampling time for each pulse, a particular voltage value of the respective individual detected pulse is sampled and the particular voltage value is held. Each particular voltage value represents a characteristic peak-to-peak voltage value of each individual detected pulse. A feedback signal representing the characteristic peak-to-peak voltage value for a voltage envelope of one of the individual detected pulses is generated, and the voltage of the pulsed RF bias voltage signal applied to the chuck is adjusted according to a difference between the feedback signal and a desired voltage value of the pulsed RF bias voltage signal.
US08303757B2
An apparatus to prepare a preform for fabrication includes a mandrel, anchoring groove, anchoring device, tensioning groove, and tensioning device. The mandrel receives the preform. The mandrel has a first mandrel end and a second mandrel end. The preform has a first preform end and a second preform end. The anchoring groove is disposed at the first mandrel end. The anchoring device is configured and located to urge the first preform end towards the anchoring groove to secure the first preform end therebetween. The tensioning groove is disposed between the first mandrel end and the second mandrel end. The tensioning device is configured and located to urge a portion of the preform into the tensioning groove.
US08303748B2
Press roll for a laminating machine for producing a packaging material which comprises a carcass layer consisting of paper or carton, and which carcass layer exhibits crease lines, through holes, openings or slits, which carcass layer exhibits, on one of its sides, a barrier layer, a plastic lining which is arranged outside the barrier layer, and film of laminant thermoplast which is arranged between the carcass layer and the barrier layer, with the press roll exhibiting a circular-cylindrical jacket surface having a facing consisting of an elastic material. According to the invention, the facing comprises sections in the jacket surface, which sections exhibit local deformation ability in relation to the surrounding facing. The invention also relates to a method for producing packaging material and to packaging material which has been produced using this method.
US08303747B2
A method of producing a friction lining for wet operation resinates a textile fabric of staple fibers with a resin or resin mixture and then the textile fabric is cured under pressure or at an increased temperature. The resin or resin mixture is cured in at least two steps. In a first step the resin or resin mixture is pre-polymerized to produce a pre-product and final curing of the resin or resin mixture takes place in another step once the pre-product has been placed on a substrate. The pre-polymerization of the resin or resin mixture is run without pressure and staple fibers with a length selected from a range with a lower limit of 30 mm and an upper limit of 200 mm are used.
US08303739B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention can provide a method for producing hot dip galvannealed steel sheet which exhibits high strength, high ductility, and a significant degree of alloying. Such exemplary method can be applied to, e.g., a pickled hot rolled steel sheet or an annealed and pickled cold rolled steel sheet containing between about 0.02% and about 0.2% C and between about 0.15% and about 2.5% Mn, and may include one or more procedures for rinsing the sheet, preplating the sheet with Ni, rapidly heating the sheet in a nonoxidizing atmosphere to a sheet temperature of about 430° C. to 500° C., then hot dip plating the sheet in a galvanizing bath containing between about 0.05% and about 0.2% Al, and then immediately heating the sheet rapidly for an alloying treatment. Such exemplary method can provide an improved alloying speed, improved plating appearance and better plating adhesion.
US08303737B2
A lead-free brass material exhibiting excellent forgeability and dezincification resistance is provided. The brass material includes 61.0 to 63.0 wt % of Cu, 0.5 to 2.5 wt % of Bi, 1.5 to 3.0 wt % of Sn, 0.02 to 0.10 wt % of Sb, and 0.04 to 0.15 wt % of P, with the balance being substantially Zn. The brass material is a lead-free, free-cutting alloy which can be suitably applied to forging and which exhibits excellent mechanical properties and dezincification resistance without substantially subjecting the brass material to a heat treatment after forging.
US08303733B2
This stainless steel sheet includes, in terms of mass %, C: 0.001 to 0.1%, N: 0.01 to 0.15%, Si: 0.01 to 2%, Mn: 0.1 to 10%, P: 0.05% or less, S: 0.01% or less, Ni: 0.5 to 5%, Cr: 10 to 25%, and Cu: 0.5 to 5%, with a remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities, and contains a ferrite phase as a main phase and 10% or more of an austenite phase, wherein a work-hardening rate in a strain range of up to 30% is 1000 MPa or more which is measured by a static tensile testing and a difference between static and dynamic stresses which occur when 10% of deformation is caused is 150 MPa or more. This method for producing a stainless steel includes annealing a cold-rolled steel sheet under conditions where a holding temperature is set to be in a range of 950 to 1150° C. and a cooling rate until 400° C. is set to be in a range of 3° C./sec or higher.
US08303730B2
A slab with a predetermined composition is heated at 1280° C. to 1390° C. to make a substance functioning as an inhibitor to be solid-solved (step S1). Next, the slab is hot-rolled to obtain a steel strip (step S2). The steel strip is annealed to form a primary inhibitor in the steel strip (step S3). Next, the steel strip is cold-rolled once or more (step S4). Next, the steel strip is annealed to perform decarburization and to cause primary recrystallization (step S5). Next, nitriding treatment is performed on the steel strip in a mixed gas of hydrogen, nitrogen and ammonia under a state where the steel strip runs, to form a secondary inhibitor in the steel strip (step S6). Next, the steel strip is annealed to induce secondary recrystallization (step S7).
US08303729B2
A creep forming tool modifies the shape of an aircraft component in the form of a wing skin portion. The tool includes a shaped surface defined by removable rib boards. The component is forced against the shaped surface, via a reusable intermediate plate. The shape of the shaped surface may be adjusted, if necessary, by replacing the rib boards with boards of a different shape.
US08303727B2
A dishwasher includes a steam-generating vessel positioned in the wash chamber of the dishwasher's tub. A heating element heats water contained in the vessel to generate steam. The heating element may be embodied as thick-film heating element. The steam-generating vessel may be formed in the dishwasher's tub or embodied as a separate component that is secured to the tub.
US08303726B2
A dishwasher includes a tub having a door that provides access to the tub. The door has a handle which extends a top surface of the door beyond a front surface of the door. A touchscreen panel is mounted to the top surface of a door to provide a user interface. The user interface includes a carrousel of icons via which a user may select a wash cycle. The user interface further includes a programmed delay interface via which a user may specify a desired start time and/or stop time for the wash cycle. The user interface may further provide the user with usage guidance to aid the user in the usage of the dishwasher.
US08303715B2
A high throughput thermal treatment system for processing a plurality of substrates is described. The thermal treatment system is configured to thermally treat a plurality of substrates chemically treated in a dry, non-plasma environment.
US08303712B2
In a substrate processing apparatus, a process vessel is configured to accommodate and process a substrate held at a horizontal position. A gas introduction port is installed at a periphery of a first side of the process vessel and configured to introduce gas into the process vessel from a lateral direction of the substrate. A gas exhaust port is installed at a second side of the process vessel which is opposite to the first side, and is configured to exhaust gas inside the process vessel from a lateral direction of the substrate. A slope part is installed between the gas introduction port and the gas exhaust port inside the process vessel, and is configured to guide a flow path of the gas introduced into the process vessel.
US08303707B2
Synthetic fibers, such as polypropylene fibers, are mixed in a shrinkage compensating concrete to provide restraint in lieu of conventional steel reinforcement used in a shrinkage compensating concrete. While the synthetic fibers have a low elastic modulus and low strength, they act to restrain expansion of the concrete in the same way that conventional steel rebar does. In addition, only a small amount of the synthetic fibers are needed to restrain the expansion. As a result, shrinkage compensating concrete can be used in more varied applications, and can be provided more quickly, easily and inexpensively. Construction time requirements and expenses of concrete structures are correspondingly reduced.
US08303706B2
Yellow inorganic pigment from samarium and molybdenum compounds and a process for preparing the same
The present invention provides a non-toxic yellow inorganic pigment consist of samarium and molybdenum oxides which may be used as additives to plastics, glasses, ceramics and paints. The samarium molybdenum yellow pigment preferably comprise Sm6MoO12 having a cubic crystal structure. Inorganic pigments according to the invention are formed by mixing stoichiometric amounts of (NH4)6Mo7O24.4H2O and Sm2O3; ball milled and calcined 1500-1650 C for 10-12 h in air atmosphere. The well ground calcined powders were used for characterization of the pigments. The phase purity and optical properties of the prepared pigments were investigated. A further aspect of the present invention is to provide of colouring a substrate. The method includes the steps of providing a substrate, and adding a samarium molybdate yellow pigment to the substrate. The samarium molybdate yellow pigment may be dispersed in the substrate or coated on the substrate.
US08303692B2
A polymer membrane, based on a facilitated transport mechanism, for separating olefins from paraffins, and a method for fabricating is provided. In the polymer membrane for facilitated transport, silver nanoparticles are partially cationized and play a role as a carrier for transporting olefins across the membrane, with p-benzoquinone serving as an electron acceptor.
US08303686B2
The invention relates to a panel, comprising: two plates of substantially equal dimensions positioned on each other; which plates are connected medium-tightly to each other along their peripheral zones; which plates enclose a cavity; a feed for feeding a liquid, in particular water, into the cavity; and openings close to and along a peripheral edge of the panel for flow of the liquid out of the cavity during operation such that during operation the openings are situated close to the upper peripheral edge of the panel, wherein the liquid flows downward over at least one outer surface of the panel.
US08303679B2
A filter closure system has a connecting head with a connecting web and further has a connecting end at an end face of a filter housing. The connecting head and the connecting end are matched to one another. The connecting end is pushed onto the connecting head in a mounting direction into a mounted state on the connecting head so as provide a seal-tight connection in the mounted state. The connecting end and the connecting web that extends in the mounting direction are provided with a micro toothing. When pushing the connecting end onto the connecting head in the mounting direction, the micro toothing connects by positive locking action the connecting end and connecting head with one another. The engagement of the micro toothing between connecting end and connecting head is realized along a flank of connecting web and connecting end which flank extends in the mounting direction.
US08303674B2
A hydrogen generator (100) includes: a reformer (1) configured to generate a hydrogen-containing gas using a raw material and steam; a water evaporator (4) configured to supply the steam to the reformer (1); a sealing device (10) provided on a passage located downstream of the reformer (1) and configured to block a gas in the passage from flowing to the atmosphere; and a depressurizer (3) provided on a passage located upstream of the reformer (1) and configured to release to the atmosphere, pressure in the hydrogen generator (100) which pressure is increased by water evaporation in the water evaporator (4) after the sealing device (10) is closed.
US08303672B2
Electrode for lithium secondary battery, lithium secondary battery and method for producing the same
An electrode for a lithium secondary battery including a sheet-like current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector. The active material layer is capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium, and the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles having at least one bend. An angle θ1 formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from a bottom to a first bend of the columnar particles, and a direction normal to the current collector is preferably 10° or more and less than 90°. When θn+1 is an angle formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from an n-th bend counted from a bottom of the columnar particles to an (n+1)-th bend, and the direction normal to the current collector, and n is an integer of 1 or more, θn+1 is preferably 0° or more and less than 90°.
US08303669B2
The present invention relates to an anchor configured for minimally-invasive implantation and sized to remain securely positioned within at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract of an animal. The anchor includes a radial spring formed from an elongated resilient member shaped into an annular wave pattern about a central axis. The anchor defines a central lumen and provides an outward radial force, while allowing for substantial flexure about its perimeter. The anchor is generally removable, but can include fasteners, such as barbs, to further secure it to the surrounding anatomy. In some embodiments, the anchor includes a connector coupling a fixed portion to a removable portion. Further, the anchor can be used to secure a medical device within the body, such as a flexible sleeve within the intestine.
US08303667B2
A system for fastening prosthetic implants such as ankle prostheses is provided. The ankle prosthesis includes: a talar implant having a body for mounting to a top of a talus and with at least one talar fastening hole; a tibial implant having a plate for mounting to a bottom of a tibia, a flange extending from the plate for bearing against an anterior surface of the tibia, the flange comprising at least one tibial fastening hole; a mobile bearing for positioning between the talar implant and the tibial implant; and a plurality of fasteners for locking engagement with the at least one talar fastening hole and the at least one tibial fastening hole, each of the fasteners comprising locking means and an elongated unthreaded body.
US08303666B2
A modular proximal interphalangeal joint implant assembly including a first stem component, a second stem component, and an articulation assembly. The first stem component includes a first locking device and is operable to be implanted in a proximal phalanx bone. The second stem component includes a second locking device and is operable to be implanted in a middle phalanx bone. The articulation assembly includes a first articulation component operable to be removably attached to the first locking device and a second articulation component operable to be removably attached to the second locking device. The articulation assembly can include a semi-constrained articulation assembly or a constrained articulation assembly.
US08303663B2
Improved methods and apparatuses for vertebral body distraction and fusion in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention employ one or more coaxial screw gear sleeve mechanisms. In various embodiments, coaxial screw gear sleeve mechanisms include a post with a threaded exterior surface and a corresponding sleeve configured to surround the post, the corresponding sleeve having a threaded interior surface configured to interface with the threaded exterior surface of the post and a geared exterior surface. A drive mechanism can be configured to interface with the geared exterior surface of the sleeve, causing the device to distract.
US08303662B2
An instrumentation set may include insertion instruments for forming an implant between bone structures. The insertion instruments may include a spreader and a separator. The bone structures may be vertebrae. Implant members may be attached to the spreader and positioned between the bone structures. The separator may be inserted into the spreader to establish a desired separation distance between the implant members. Connectors may be inserted into the implant members to join the implant members together and form the implant. The insertion instruments may be removed. A seater may be used to set the position of the connectors relative to the implant members to inhibit disassembly of the implant.
US08303661B2
System of intervertebral disc prostheses which includes standard prostheses and corrective prostheses. The corrective prostheses serve to compensate for a ventro-dorsal offset. They are characterized in that, on one of their cover plates, the surface via which it cooperates in a matching manner with the prosthesis core is offset ventrodorsally relative to the contact surface by comparison with the standard prostheses.
US08303657B2
A method for manufacturing of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) for implants, where the implants have been machined out of UHMWPE blocks or extruded rods, has anthocyanin dispersely imbedded in the polyethylene. The implant is then exposed to γ ray or electron beam irradiation in an amount of at least 2.5 Mrad followed by a heat treatment to prevent the implant from becoming brittle in the long term as well as to improve strength and wear. The method includes mixing a powder or granulate resin of UHMWPE with an aqueous liquid that contains anthocyanin in a predetermined amount. The water is then evaporated in order to deposit the anthocyanin in a predetermined concentration on the polyethylene particles. The doped UHMWPE particles are compressed into blocks at temperatures in a range of approximately 135° C.-250° C. and pressures in a range of approximately 2-70 MPa. Medical implants are made from the blocks.
US08303656B2
A lens for correcting human vision, for example an IOL, contact lens or corneal inlay or onlay, that carries and interior phase or layer comprising a pattern of individual transparent adaptive displacement structures. In the exemplary embodiments, the displacement structures are actuated by shape change polymer that adjusts a shape or other parameter in response to applied energy that in turn displaces a fluid media within the lens that actuates a flexible lens surface. The adaptive optic means of the invention can be used to create highly localized surface corrections in the lens to correct higher order aberrations-which types of surfaces cannot be fabricated into and IOL and then implanted. The system of displacement structures also can provide spherical corrections in the lens.
US08303649B2
The invention relates to a prosthetic valve for regulating flow through a body lumen. The medical device comprises discrete shaping members, a flexible covering, and a valve member. The discrete shaping members are operatively attached to the flexible covering, such that the medical device may exhibit low radial force and dynamic movement.
US08303641B2
A method of reducing blood flow within an aneurysm includes: injecting a contrast agent into a blood vessel including an aneurysm; deploying an occlusion device across the aneurysm; producing an image of the aneurysm including the contrast agent; and withdrawing the delivery device from the vessel after observing that the aneurysm has been obstructed by a desired amount. The image may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. Observing that the aneurysm has been obstructed may include determining a degree of obstruction, for example by comparing an area or volume of the contrast agent in a first image and a second image. The desired amount may be a certain degree of obstruction, identification of a shape indicative of stasis such as a flat surface, an approximate hemisphere, a mushroom, or a crescent. If the occlusion device does not achieve the desired amount, a second occluding device may be deployed.
US08303636B2
Methods for treating psychiatric disorders using light energy are disclosed herein. A method for treating psychiatric disorders using light energy includes determining which hemisphere of the brain requires treatment using lateral visual field stimulation (LVFS) and applying light energy to the hemisphere of the brain to treat the psychiatric disorder other than depression. In an embodiment, light energy may include near infrared light (NIR). The methods of the present disclosure may be used to treat a variety of psychiatric disorders. In an embodiment, the methods may be used to treat a psychiatric disorder co-morbid with depression.
US08303627B2
A device for closure of a patent foramen ovale. The device includes at least one elongated tissue anchor at the distal end of the device. A distal end portion of the tissue anchor is selectively deployable between a closed position in which the distal end portion of the tissue anchor is capable of penetrating the septum and the flap, and a radially extensible position in which the distal end portion of the tissue anchor is capable of engaging the septum or flap so that the septum and flap may be urged into registry. A deployment member is associated with the tissue anchor for selectively deploying the distal end portion of the tissue anchor between the closed position and the radially extensible position. A closure element is disposed at the distal end of the device. The closure element is engageable with the septum and the flap when the septum and flap are in registry, for maintaining such registry. An actuator is associated with the closure element for selectively engaging the closure element with the septum and flap.
US08303617B2
A catheter system 1 has an internal reception space for an embolic protection filter 10 to enable the filter 10 to be transported through a vasculature 20 and a treatment means such as a stent 15 to facilitate treatment. The catheter system may be used for retrieval of a filter 10 and stenting of a lesion with a stent 15. The procedure may also involve post dilatation using an on-board balloon 16.
US08303614B2
Double-ended lancet unit for a lancet device. The unit includes a lancet body having a first end and a second end and being sized and configured to frictionally engage with a holding member of the lancet device. A first lancet needle projects from the first end and a second lancet needle projects from the second end and/or a lancet needle member has oppositely arranged pointed ends and is movably mounted to the lancet body. The body is made of a material different from that of the first and second needles or the pointed ends. First and second removable caps are respectively removably connected to the first and second ends. At least one of the first and second removable caps are re-installable on one of the first and second ends of the double-ended lancet unit. The unit is installable on the lancet device and each of the first and second needles or the pointed ends is structured and arranged to prick a user's skin to obtain a blood sample and is not usable for fluid injection.
US08303606B2
A process and a device are provided for forming an end-to-end anastomosis on two hollow organs, which can be attached to a surgical suturing machine with at least one driven needle bar with a thread-carrying needle, a shuttle cooperating with this needle, a needle plate and a holding-down device accommodated by a push rod. A carrier (9) is provided designed as a hollow cylinder and has a longitudinal slot (13) for the edge areas of the two hollow organs. The carrier can be connected by a bracket to the housing shaft of the suturing machine in such a way that its longitudinal axis runs transversely to the path of movement of the needle, and its contact area for the two hollow organs is directed essentially parallel to the plane of the contact surface of the needle plate of the suturing machine.
US08303602B2
An instrument for assembling a bone anchoring device includes a shank with a shaft section to be anchored in a bone and a engagement end, a head being separate from the shank and having a through bore, and a receiving part having a first end, a second end and a longitudinal bore extending from the first to the second end, the head being positionable within the bore at the second end. The instrument includes a holding portion arranged to hold a pin, which has a rod section with a length and a diameter suited to fit and extend at least through the bore of the head, and which has a free end portion extending from the rod section such as to project from the bore of the head when the pin is inserted, and configured to engage with the engagement end of the shank.
US08303598B2
A bone tap may be used to deliver and/or aspirate fluid to and/or from a bone. The bone tap may include a passage. A distal portion of the bone tap may be threaded. In some embodiments, openings in a distal portion of the bone tap may communicate with the passage. The bone tap may be driven into bone, and material may enter or exit the bone through the openings and passage.
US08303587B2
A polymeric external fixator element, such as a rod or a pin or a clamp, has at least one contacting surface. At least one of the contacting surfaces of the element responsible to establish connection between the element and a different external fixator element is provided with a rough ablated structure. The clamping can be improved if one of the polymeric elements comprise fibers having fiber parts protruding above the surface.
US08303580B2
A method and system are disclosed enabling configuration of a control system for an electrosurgical generator system for creating new surgical applications without changing the underlying software system. The electrosurgical generator system includes an RF stage to output at least one waveform of electrosurgical energy; a sensor module having at least one sensor to sense electrical or physical properties related to the output electrosurgical energy and generate sensor data; and at least one control module executable on at least one processor that controls at least one parameter of the output electrosurgical energy. The at least one control module includes an outer loop controller to generate a control signal in accordance with at least a first subset of the sensor data and an inner loop controller to generate a setpoint control signal and provide the setpoint control signal to the RF stage for controlling at least an amplitude of the energy output by the RF stage.
US08303575B2
A mechanism which constrains the spatial location of a working or a focal point of a tool (103), has a manipulator (101) and a remote center mechanism (102) mounted thereon. The manipulator (101) provides at least one degree of freedom for positioning the remote center mechanism (102) which itself provides at least a further degree of freedom for positioning a tool holder suitable for holding the tool (103) which is to be constrained in operation with respect to a remote center point. The orientation of the tool holder is adjustable while still maintaining the position of the remote center point fixed with respect to the manipulator (101).
US08303570B2
Medical devices such as catheters can include structure or provision that permit a physician or other health care professional to adjust the stiffness of at least a portion of the medical device. In some instances, the medical device may be adjusted prior to inserting the medical device into a patient. In some cases, the medical device may be adjusted while in use within the patient.
US08303565B2
An absorbent article includes an absorbent section having first and second end portions and a central portion. A waist belt is attached to the absorbent section at its first end and has first and second belt portions extending on each side of the first end of the absorbent section for securing to each other around a wearer of the absorbent article. The second end of the absorbent section includes a fastening device for securing the second end of the absorbent section to the waist belt. The waist belt has a visual appearance different from the absorbent section, so as to simulate a belt. This provides the user with intuitive information on how the absorbent article should be applied.
US08303564B2
An absorbent article is provided with closure means for securing the article about the waist of a wearer. The article may be worn in a belt type configuration or a slip type configuration. Belt means are provided which protrude laterally beyond the outer edges of a rear panel of the article. Fasteners on the front panel may be secured to the belt means in a slip type configuration. Releasable attachment means allow the belt to be extended in order for the belt ends to be fastened to each other about the waist of a wearer in a belt type configuration. The article may have a substantially constant or same size in both the slip or belt type configurations.
US08303562B2
The disclosure relates to a disposable absorbent hygiene item in the form of a pair of knickers, said item comprising a central absorption part, an outer envelope forming a base structure comprising a waist edge which is closed all the way round in the peripheral direction and forms an opening for the waist, a rear part and a front part comprising longitudinal lateral edge sections, and a connecting region arranged between the front part and the rear part and forming the leg openings.
US08303548B2
An injection device includes: a syringe 2 including a barrel 21 including a cylindrical barrel body 21a and a nozzle 21b provided at a front end of the barrel body so as to be communicated with the barrel body, a gasket 23 slidable in the barrel, and a plunger 24 connected with the gasket and capable of being placed into and removed from the barrel through a rear end opening of the barrel; a finger flange 25 provided in the vicinity of the rear end portion of the barrel body and molded integrally with or separately from the barrel body; and a holder 3 having an inner diameter that allows the barrel to be inserted in a bore of the holder, attached to the barrel, and including a spiral protrusion 31a formed on the inner surface of a portion of the holder disposed around the nozzle.
US08303545B2
Fluid delivery device includes a body, a cannula adapted to extend into subcutaneous tissue, and a septum member adapted to allow a needle to puncture the septum member and to reseal the puncture once the needle is withdrawn from the puncture. The septum member is at least one of; a cap-shaped member, a member having at least two non-parallel walls that can each be punctured by a needle, and a member having a generally planar wall and a generally cylindrical wall which can each be punctured by a needle.
US08303541B2
Protection for the otherwise exposed sharp point of a needle of an injection device. A two part cover for the needle comprises a stationary base which engages the injection device, and a relatively movable cover. The cover is guided to slide longitudinally along the base by a groove-and-projection system. The projection is held in an initial position, and slides along the groove during injection. At the end of the injection, the projection is immobilized in the groove at a final position, and immobilizes the moveable cover in a deployed position covering the needle.
US08303521B2
A walking assistance device providing an assistance force to a user is provided. The device compensates for an influence of an inertial force of the device itself. An actuator drives leg joints such that a total sum of supporting forces acting on the leg links from a floor side is a target total lifting force. The total sum of supporting forces acting on leg links from a floor side in reaction to a vertical inertial force generated in the device due to a motion of the device and the gravity acting on the device is estimated as a force which compensates for the self weight of the device. The total sum of a target value of a lifting force to be applied to the user and the estimated value of the force which compensates for the self weight of the device is defined as a target total lifting force.
US08303518B2
The invention relates to analyte monitoring/drug (pharmaceutical agent) delivery device. The invention is suited for monitoring various blood constituents such as glucose. The device has a housing that at least partially encloses a plurality of microneedles disposed on a carrier and an electronics portion. Each microneedle is in fluid communication with a corresponding microchannel. Each microneedle is individually addressable. That is, each microneedle can be extended and retracted individually via an actuator. The electronics portion includes a processor and associated circuitry (e.g., memory, supporting electronics and the like), a motor or the like, a sensor, a power supply (e.g., battery) and optionally an interface. In general, the processor controls the operation of the device and is data communication with the actuator, motor, sensor and interface. The invention provides for autonomous operation, that is, without intervention of the user. The invention can optionally provide for calibration without intervention of the user. The invention can also provide for semi-continuous monitoring for day and night time. The invention can provide for up to four, or more, weeks of operation. The invention can provide for a device that is relative small in size, and therefore unobtrusive. The invention can also provide for device with remote control and interactive electronics. The invention may be also used for the delivery of various pharmaceutical agents including high potency drugs to minimize patient intervention and minimize discomfort.
US08303514B2
A method and apparatus for measuring the core temperature of an animal or human. Thermal black body emissions from the eyeball are detected, at one or more wavelengths selected on the basis of various factors, including the ability of that wavelength to reach the interior of the eyeball. An illumination marker shines a spot of light on the eyeball, such that the spot corresponds to the area from which emissions are being detected.
US08303510B2
The present invention generally relates to medical devices, and more particularly to an improved medical imaging device. In one embodiment, an imaging device includes a drive shaft having proximal and distal ends received within the lumen; an imaging transducer coupled to the distal end of the drive shaft and positioned at the distal portion of the elongate member; and a flow detector coupled to the imaging transducer. The flow detector may include a forward facing ultrasound transducer configured to emit energy in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the imaging device and detect a Doppler shift in the received echoes. In the case where the imaging device is located in a vessel having blood flow, such information may be used to calculate the velocity of the blood flow. The imaging device may be configured to be located in a catheter or guidewire.
US08303502B2
An ultrasound system comprises a position sensing module, an imaging tracking module, a display and a user interface. The position sensing module detects spatial information associated with a volume of data. The display displays first and second images based on the volume of data. The first and second images comprise first and second portions of the volume of data, and the first and second portions are at least partially different with respect to each other. The user interface selects a first image tracking point on the first image. The first image tracking point is indicated on the first image with a first indicator. The image tracking module tracks the first image tracking point within the volume of data. The image tracking module indicates on the display a spatial relationship of the first image tracking point to the second image.
US08303501B2
A device (2) for determining an intraocular pressure of an eye comprises a measurement arrangement with a measurement body (44), attached to a measurement arm (40), for applanation of the eye and a rotary knob (10) which is attached to a shaft (6). The measurement arm (40) is attached radially to a pivot axis (32) and the measurement arrangement comprises a mechanical coupling between the rotary knob (10) and the pivot axis (32), with a rotation of the rotary knob (10) being able to generate an applanation force required for applanation of the eye. The mechanical coupling comprises tension transmission means (12) attached to the pivot axis (32) via a first lever arm (34), and to the rotational axis (8) of the shaft (6) via a second lever arm (6).
US08303500B2
The invention discloses a wearable/handheld personal communication device with hardware and software sensor modules that sense and analyze all caregiver prescribed/monitored user-lifestyle activities, and deploys such analysis in improving user's overall health in terms of reduced risks for all-cause morbidities/mortalities and eventually a life without drugs. Termed Rx Zero, such method may be prescribed not just for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but for treatment of chronic diseases with intent to wean the patients to minimal or zero pharmacological intervention, or in combination with medications to improve prognosis of the disease under treatment.The benefits of the Rx Zero method of the present invention extend not only to the individual and the community through high quality healthcare at lower cost, but payers by reducing the loss ratio on account of reduced cost of medical claims, and to the caregivers in terms of an effective tool that disseminates, implements and redefines “Primary Health Care” and “Prevention” at levels beyond the terms' currently understood scope that has transformed healthcare to sickcare.
US08303499B2
A surgical access device includes a frame defining an aperture, first and second support members mounted on the frame, and first and second retractor blades releasably coupled with the first and second support members, respectively. The first and second retractor blades each include a distal portion defining a recess having an arcuate profile, wherein the first and second retractor blades are movable between a close cooperative position and a spaced apart position with respect to each other.
US08303478B2
Robotized installation for the guided and controlled positioning and movement of a component or an instrument for diagnostic or surgical treatment at or around the head of a patient, whereby the installation includes a robotic device that forms a serial kinematic chain and carries component or instrument at its free and position-controlled end. The robotic device has three kinematic sub-assemblies that are mutually combined in series and include, a first sub-assembly in the form of a rotary-articulation mechanism corresponding to a serial-type, spherical kinematic arrangement with three degrees of freedom, a second sub-assembly in the form of a mechanism with linear translation along an axis, and a third sub-assembly in the form of a second rotary-articulation mechanism, integral with the moving part of the second sub-assembly and also corresponding to a serial-type spherical kinematic arrangement with three degrees of freedom.
US08303475B2
A dunnage apparatus for converting sheet stock into dunnage includes a sheet stock supply member configured for holding the sheet stock, a sheet crumpling mechanism configured for crumpling the sheet stock to produce the dunnage, and an infeed mechanism disposed between the supply member and crumpling mechanism and associated therewith for feeding the sheet stock from the supply member to the crumpling mechanism, the infeed mechanism having an engagement portion at an entry of the infeed mechanism and configured for engaging and feeding the sheet stock in the supply member into the infeed mechanism, wherein the engagement mechanism is located above the supply member.
US08303472B2
The shoulder stretcher assembly detachably connects to a chair frame of a chair. It includes an elongated support assembly that includes a substantially vertical portion securely supportable adjacent to a rear portion of a chair frame of a chair. An upper portion of the elongated support assembly projects forwardly from the substantially vertical portion so as to extend over the chair. The upper portion includes a pulley assembly attaching element for attaching a pulley assembly for supporting a cable assembly.
US08303464B2
An apparatus comprises a changeover mechanism which is able to change a connection state of an electric motor output shaft to any one of states including, “an IN-Connection State” in which a power transmission path is provided between a transmission input shaft and the electric motor output shaft, “an OUT-Connection State” in which a power transmission path is provided between the transmission output shaft and the electric motor output shaft, and “a neutral connection state” in which no transmission path therebetween is provided. The changeover is carried out based on a combination (area) of a vehicle speed V and a required driving torque T. As for the changeover, an IN-connection area, in which an electric-motor-driving-wheels-maximum-torque is larger than in an OUT-Connection State and in a neutral connection area, is enlarged.
US08303461B2
A machine element that has at least one rotationally symmetrical section which is configured like a hollow body. In the machine element at least the rotationally symmetrical section is formed from two elements of bowl-shaped design which close the machine element on the end side and in the process enclose at least one cavity.
US08303456B2
A gear train of an automatic transmission includes eight forward speeds and two reverse speeds to improve power delivery performance and to reduce fuel consumption, by controlling two simple planetary gear sets and one compound planetary gear set through four clutches and two brakes.
US08303442B2
Sporting balls with enhanced visual acuity, casings for sporting balls with enhanced visual acuity, and methods for enhancing visual acuity of a soccer ball are described. In embodiments, the sporting ball has an exterior with a substantially spherical surface including a first pole opposing a second pole and an equator circumferentially intermediate the first pole and the second pole. Additionally, in embodiments a first exterior region of a first color may include a first hub section oriented at the first pole generally opposite a second hub section oriented at the second pole on the substantially spherical surface. The first hub section may have one or more first hub spokes extending spherically outwardly therefrom toward the equator, and the second hub section may have one or more second hub spokes extending spherically outwardly therefrom toward the equator. Further, in embodiments, the sporting ball may have a second exterior region of a second color.
US08303439B2
A baseball training system to teach proper swing technique comprising a first tee adapted to support a baseball and a second tee adapted to support a baseball, a tee support configured to hold the first tee and a second tee vertically and separated from each other by a horizontal distance, d, a rod, and a belt configured to be worn around a user's stomach and to hold the rod in an approximate horizontal position across the front of the user's stomach.
US08303437B2
The present invention is directed to an improved multi-layered core golf ball wherein each core layer comprises its own specific hardness gradient (positive, negative or a combination) in addition to an overall specific hardness gradient from one core layer to the next.
US08303423B2
A power transmission interconnects a drive body and a driven body by a coupling member, transmits torque of the drive body to the driven body, and interrupts the torque when a drive load of the driven body exceeds a predetermined value. The coupling member has, as separate sections in the coupling member, both of a positive torque transmission section and a negative torque transmission section. The positive torque transmission section holds torque in the forward rotational direction and, when a drive load of the driven body exceeds the predetermined value, interrupts transmission of torque from the drive body by its own fracture. The negative torque transmission section holds torque in the reverse rotational direction. Even if there is a torque fluctuation on the drive body, its influence can be suppressed as little as possible, and interruption of torque can be performed properly at a target interruption torque value. The power transmission can be provided with a simple structure and an excellent assemblability.
US08303419B2
A system includes a gaming machine, one or more heat generating components within the gaming machine, and a thermoelectric cooler apparatus located within the gaming machine to draw heat from the one or more heat generating components.
US08303412B2
The game apparatus obtains angular velocity data and acceleration data from an input device equipped with at least an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor, and determines whether or not a ball has been thrown in accordance with the angular velocity data. When it is determined that ball-throwing is fulfilled, the game apparatus calculates the intensity of swinging the input device and a curve amount. The game apparatus applies a force and a curve to a ball in accordance with the calculated intensity of swinging and the curve amount, and performs a process of causing the ball to move and curve in a predetermined direction.
US08303411B2
Detecting direction pointing direction when interfacing with a computer program is described. Two or more stereo images presented in front of two or more corresponding image capture devices can be captured. Each image capture device having a capture location in a coordinate space. The image capture devices can be synchronized with a strobe signal that is visible to each image capture device. When a person is captured in the image, first and second body parts of the person in the image can be identified and assigned first and second locations in the coordinate space. A relative position that includes a dimension of depth can be identified in coordinate space between the first location and the second location when viewed from the capture location.
US08303403B2
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for managing multi-game contexts. An apparatus comprises a wagering game unit operable to present a wagering game upon which monetary value can be wagered; and a game context management unit operable to determine a list of installed wagering games on a wagering game machine and to determine one or more relevant rules, wherein a relevant rule is a one that is related to at least one of the installed wagering games, the game context management unit further operable to process each relevant rule to calculate a group of available games; and to present the available games on a primary display.
US08303395B2
A gaming machine has display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means An underlying game is played in which one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize. On the occurrence of a predefined event, the player is offered a choice of two or more different prize sets. Each set containing a plurality of prize outcomes, from which prize sets a prize is to be drawn and awarded to the player, typically by a random process. The prize is drawn from the prize set or sets selected by the player from the two or more different prize sets. The sets of prizes may be presented on segments of wheels that can spin or simulate spinning before stopping randomly on a segment which defines the prize outcome won by the player. Alternatively the sets of prizes are presented on the faces of dice which are arranged to spin or turn or simulate spinning or turning before stopping with the front face of the die defining the prize won by the player.
US08303391B2
A method of playing a wagering game on a gaming terminal. The gaming terminal displays a plurality of indicia during the wagering game, which are then selected via player inputs. The selected indicia are revealed and arranged into groups corresponding to winning combinations. The arrangement is made so as to maximize at least one of the plurality of predefined winning combinations.
US08303390B2
Players in a multi-state card game, such as blackjack or baccarat, are presented with opportunities to exchange their cards for new cards when the card game is in one or more particular states. These opportunities may include offers to redeal the player's hand of cards or redeal the player's opponent's hand of cards. Additionally, when the player is dealt a new card to be added to the player's hand, the player may be offered options to discard the new card, replace the new card with another new card, or to redeal the player's hand and/or the opponent's hand. In this way, the player may be able to improve his or her position in the card game. At the same time, the game provider may charge the player for acceptance of these offers, thus improving the profit margin of the game provider.
