US08333071B2

A method and system to control an engine to maintain turbine inlet temperature utilizes two temperature thresholds: a control initiation temperature and a maximum hardware temperature. An engine parameter is adjusted in a closed-loop manner based on an error, which is a difference between a setpoint temperature and the turbine inlet temperature. The setpoint temperature is initially the control initiation temperature. However, after control over turbine inlet temperature is established, the setpoint temperature ramps gradually to maximum hardware temperature. In one embodiment, the engine parameter is engine torque. Other engine parameters affecting turbine inlet temperature include timing and duration of fuel injection pulses, EGR rate, gear selection, and intake throttle position, any of which can be used in place of, or in combination with, torque for controlling turbine inlet temperature.
US08333069B2

A hydrostatic transmission including a main pump, two main ducts serving respectfully as feed and as discharge for first and second hydraulic motors that serve to drive disposed one after the other. A bypass valve can take up a reduced-speed position in which the feed main orifices are connected to the discharge main duct, and an increased-speed position in which one of the motors is bypassed, the feed main orifice of the motor being connected to the discharge main duct via a bypass link, while the other main orifices continue to have their respective links. The apparatus further includes a constriction suitable for being activated to restrict the flow of fluid through the bypass link.
US08333066B2

An ECU executes a program including: detecting a catalyst temperature T upon start of an engine; outputting an instruction signal to drive a power module, which is disposed in contact with an outer surface of a catalyst and is high in heat resistance, with a low efficiency upon determination that the catalyst temperature need be increased; and outputting a valve opening instruction signal to a switch valve in a cooling system in such a manner as not to allow a coolant to flow in a coolant pipeline interposed between the power module and an electric part low in heat resistance.
US08333060B2

When the compressor is a multistage compressor, each compression space includes an inlet arranged in the vicinity of the center axis and an outlet arranged in the vicinity of the outer circumference of the turbine wheel, and there is a connecting conduit between the outlet of a first compressor stage and the inlet of a second compressor stage. The connecting conduit is delimited by a first wall of the space of the first compressor stage and a second wall of the space of the second compressor stage. Each wall can be a friction disk.
US08333046B2

A platform (2) in an interior platform for a tubular tower such as a windmill tower (24) made from steel is disclosed—and more specifically, a platform (2) adapted to be assembled in situ from construction element members in order to fit the inside wall (22) of the tower (24), comprising a basic, preferably circular, center module (4), radial, telescoping supporting beam members (6), wherein the construction element members are modules (10, 12 and 14) which are independent of the diameter of the platform (2), and two-piece pivotable modules (16) which incline for mounting as a periphery ring next to the inside wall (22) of the tower (24).
US08333045B2

An architectural concrete structure and a wall system formed with a plurality of architectural concrete structure wherein each block has first and second cement sections spaced apart and joined together with steel reinforcing bars and tubular members filled with cement. The first and second sections have parallel outer wall surfaces and inner wall surfaces which taper outwardly in an upward direction. Foam insulation is secured to each of the tapering wall surfaces, which insulation members define a tapered passageway extending through the length of the structure.
US08333034B2

The invention relates to a support for holding floating plant species cultures, said support being configured to be held by at least two independent supporting elements (10). The support comprises a planar lattice structure (1) having at least one housing (2-3) configured to house at least one seed, plant, part of a plant and/or combinations thereof, and at least two anchoring elements (5-6) for the anchoring to the independent supporting elements (10) configured to compensate the moments and forces generated by the portion of the plant projecting from the water level with respect to the point of intersection of said portion with the plane defined by the structure (1), until a growth stage in which the plant survives and reproduces on its own upon proliferation of the roots and/or rhizomes thereof, and to transmit said moments and forces to the independent supporting elements (10).
US08333033B2

A device and method for growing vegetation. The device and method can be used for repairing a divot in a grass lawn. The device includes a packet having a water-soluble film surface that contains a mixture of soil and seeds. An example device includes a water-containing device in the packet. When the packet is placed on the ground, such as the divot, and subjected to water, the film dissolves so that the mixture comes into contact with the ground and the seeds can begin to germinate and grow.
US08333030B2

A method of manufacturing a fishing line guide includes a step of cutting a plate to form a guide including a holding part, a step for forming a ring-shaped holder by pressing the holding part such that a first opening is formed at one end of the holder and a second opening is formed at the other end of the holder, a step for inserting a ceramic ring into the holder to extend through the first opening and the second opening so that the ceramic ring is in contact with the inner surface of the holder in the first opening and is spaced apart from the inner surface of the holder in the second opening, and a step of filling an adhesive in a space between the ceramic ring and the inner surface of the holder in the second opening.
US08333029B1

An extreme duty machine gun barrel has body having a central bore. The rear opening of the body includes a chamber formed to receive a cartridge. The body has a surface layer covering all surfaces of the body. The body has a diffusion layer extending below the surface layer into an underlying material of the body. The central bore may have rifling defined by lands and grooves formed in the bore. An interior portion of the body may have a hardness of at least 50 HRC and not greater than 55 HRC after the surface layer and diffusion layer are created on the body. The surface layer and diffusion layer may be created by subjecting the body to a ferritic nitrocarburizing treatment followed by an oxy nitrocarburizing treatment. The nitrocarburizing treatments may be repeated. The body may be AISI H13 grade tool steel.
US08333024B2

An article of footwear with a pivot portion including a plurality of flex grooves is disclosed. The plurality of flex grooves provides increased flexibility in different portions of a sole of the article. In addition, a periphery of the sole includes sole pods to increase the traction on the periphery of the sole.
US08333022B2

A footbed promotes complimentary movement and proprioceptive feedback of a user's foot (e.g., to help an adult balance on an uneven surface) while wearing the article of footwear. The footbed includes a base and a plurality of pads. The base has a first side opposite a second side, each extending from a forefoot region to a heel region. A first portion of each pad extends away from the first side of the base and a second portion of each pad extends away from the second side of the base. The second side of the base is positionable adjacent to an outsole of an article of footwear such that the first side of the base is adjacent a user's foot during use of the article of footwear. Each pad is movable substantially independently of the each of the other pads, relative to the base.
US08333021B2

An article of footwear with a sole and a collapsible upper attached to sole. The collapsible upper includes a first portion and a second portion which is below the first portion and extends from the sole to the first portion. Further, the collapsible upper also includes a seam which is positioned above the sole and is not in contact the sole. The seam joins substantially the entire perimeter of the first portion with substantially the perimeter of the second portion. Additionally, when the upper is in a collapsed state, the seam becomes the widest points of the article of footwear and defines the perimeter of the article of footwear.
US08333010B2

In an electronic component mounting apparatus that is used in an electronic component mounting line for producing a mounted substrate by mounting electronic components on a substrate and that subjects the substrate to predetermined operation, a working unit attachment section 30 is provided within a range of movement of a working head, such as a loading head and a paste coating head, wherein a nozzle stocker 9 and a paste trial coating unit 10 can be removably attached as a working unit for performing specific additional operation appropriate for working function of the working head. The nozzle stoker 9 and the paste trial coating unit 10 are attached to the working unit attachment section 30 according to the type of working head.
US08333004B2

A method for manufacture of an electronic interface card including defining a pair of apertures in a substrate layer, associating an antenna with the substrate layer such that opposite ends of the antenna terminate at the apertures, placing a conductor in each of the apertures, connecting the antenna to the conductor, forming a recess in the substrate layer, attaching continuous connection wires to a plurality of chip modules, attaching the continuous connection wires to a plurality of conductors on a corresponding plurality of the substrate layers, cutting the continuous connection wires so as to retain portions thereof which connect each chip module to a corresponding pair of conductors and sealing the chip module in the recess.
US08333002B2

In a surface finishing method for a stainless steel material, excimer irradiation is made on a surface of the stainless steel material by emitting ultraviolet light to improve wetness. Then, a surface finishing is applied on the surface of the stainless steel material wherein the wetness is improved. In manufacturing a gasket, the stainless steel material or plate is cut in a predetermined shape, and holes and bead are formed in the metal formation plate. Then, the plate may be assembled with other plate.
US08333000B2

A method of crimping a stent on a balloon of a catheter assembly is provided. A polymeric stent is disposed over a balloon in an inflated configuration. The stent is crimped over the inflated balloon to a reduced crimped configuration so that the stent is secured onto the balloon. The balloon wall membrane is wedged or pinched between the strut elements of the stent for increasing the retention of the stent on the balloon.
US08332995B2

A piezoelectric component manufacturing method is provided. The method includes preparing an integrated piezoelectric substrate, and forming comb-shaped electrodes and wiring electrodes having element wiring connecting to the comb-shape electrodes on a primary surface of the piezoelectric substrate, forming an SiO2 layer, performing a characteristics inspection on the piezoelectric substrate and marking defective piezoelectric elements, coating said SiO2 layer surface with photosensitive resin, and then exposing and developing to form an insulating layer. The method includes vapor-depositing a metal layer, and removing said metal layer adhered to resist by an organic solvent when removing the resist, to form a rewiring layer, coating said rewiring layer with photosensitive resin, affixing a photosensitive resin film to a top end surface of said photosensitive resin layer, forming electrode posts in the holes by electroplating, and dicing said piezoelectric substrate along scribe lines to obtain individual piezoelectric components.
US08332993B2

A slider actuates profiled closure shapes for a closure assembly equipping a sachet. The slider includes a base, two flanks, means adapted for stressing respectively said profiled closure shapes, by moving towards or moving away according to a direction of displacement of the slider along the profiled closure shapes, such that the profiled closure shapes are movable between a closed latch position and an open separated position, and a stiffening bar extending along a longitudinal free edge of each of the two flanks. The stiffening bar has a greater thickness than a thickness of its respective flank, extends over an external face of its respective flank, is made from a piece with its respective flank, and has a same longitudinal range as its respective flank.
US08332992B2

In a device at a card in which at least one flat bar having a flat clothing is present, wherein the flat clothing, preferably small wire hooks, arranged in a strip-shaped supporting layer, is attached to the flat bar and lies opposite to the clothing of a roller, for example of the cylinder, and at least the regions of the flat clothing that face the flat bar consist of an iron material, especially of steel, there is present between the flat bar and the regions of the flat clothing that face the flat bar at least one magnetic element. In order to increase the degree of adhesive forces between flat bar and clothing element in a structurally simple manner, the supporting body of the clothing strip comprises a sheet-like structure that consists at least in part of a ferromagnetic material.
US08332989B2

An adapter intended for fixing a windscreen wiper blade, by pivoting connection around a spindle, on an arm comprising an end rod designed to be inserted in the adapter, where the adapter is intended to be mounted on the windscreen wiper blade. The adapter has a substantially U-shaped cross-section in which the flanges each have an orifice for snapping onto the said spindle and one end of which, called the entry end, is open for inserting the end rod of the arm. The adapter includes transverse locking means and longitudinal locking means of the said arm. The adapter further includes a first longitudinal locking means including an articulated part provided with a tenon fitted in an orifice arranged on the rod, and a second longitudinal locking means including a housing arranged on the adapter in which a stop on the rod comes into engagement, when the latter is fitted.
US08332986B2

A mop holder which provides fast changing of mop cloth and ease of use is characterized in that a shaft (5) is disposed on a middle top of the frame (1); and a circular groove (6) is set on an inner bottom of the shaft (5). A tube (7) which fits into said shaft (5) is screw jointed onto an outer bottom of a handle (3); and a projection (9), corresponding to said groove (6) is disposed on a bottom of said tube (7). Said projection (9) comprises pluralities of slots (8), disposed on a surface thereof; and a tapered surface (10) for guiding said tube (7) into the shaft (5) is disposed on an outer bottom of said projection (9). By coupling the projection (9) and groove (6), said tube (7) is partially fitted into the shaft (5) firmly and allowed to rotate freely therein.
US08332983B1

A rotating brush assembly for a street sweeper utilizes a hub to connect a hydraulic pump to a rotatable brush plate. A collar on the hub extends upwardly from a base flange and a tapered bore extends through the collar and the base flange and receives a mating tapered portion of a rotatable shaft of the pump. A downwardly extending rim on the bottom of the base flange locates the hub relative to a central aperture in the brush plate. The bottom of the base flange includes a recess which extends upwardly from the rim. The tapered bore communicates with the recess. The recess receives a threaded bottom portion of the rotatable shaft of the pump and a nut which is disposed on the threaded portion of the pump shaft.
US08332975B2

According to certain arrangements, a conditioner mat for use with a bed assembly includes an upper layer comprising a plurality of openings, a lower layer being substantially fluid impermeable, at least one interior chamber defined by the upper layer and the lower layer and a spacer material positioned within the interior chamber. In one embodiment, the spacer material is configured to maintain a shape of the interior chamber and to help with the passage of fluids within a portion of interior chamber. The conditioner mat additionally includes an inlet in fluid communication with the interior chamber, at least one fluid module comprising a fluid transfer device and a conduit placing an outlet of the at least one fluid module in fluid communication with the inlet. In some arrangements, the fluid module selectively delivers fluids to the interior chamber through the conduit and the inlet. In one embodiment, fluids entering the chamber through the inlet are generally distributed within the chamber by the spacer material before exiting through the plurality of openings along the upper layer. The conditioner mat can be configured to releasably secure to a top of a bed assembly.
US08332968B1

An elongated crotch section is combined with seam construction to provide comfort to the wearer. Two front pieces and two back pieces are formed into or stitched to a waist band. A two piece center section forming a crotch of the boxer is without multiple seams. Seams are only on the sides and a single horizontal seam connects the two pieces of the crotch portion. The two piece crotch component forms an elongated pouch to hold the male genitalia. There is no junction of multiple seams at the groin or inseam.
US08332964B2

An element protection system for protecting wearers from cold and/or wet weather includes a garment portion having a torso section surrounding a torso-receiving cavity and a pair of sleeves, and a storage case portion including a bottom wall and a surrounding sidewall providing a main compartment sized and configured for receiving the garment portion therein. Thus, the garment portion can be stowed in the main compartment. The garment portion extends from the upper margin of the storage case portion, and a reinforcing panel extends from the upper margin over a part of a back panel of the garment portion in covering relationship to the wearers buttocks. The back panel of the garment portion includes a port sized and configured to permit passage therethrough of a strap attachable to a safety harness which can be used to restrain the torso of someone wearing the element protection system.
US08336104B2

Provided are the generation and the use of user generated contents (UGC) to which a creative commons license (CCL) is applied. In a method of generating digital contents, a user interface window including a clause for managing digital contents copyright information and displaying the user interface window is generated, and digital contents including copyright information selected from the displayed user interface window is generated.
US08336087B2

The present invention relates to a method of authenticating a user in a communication system comprising a user terminal and an authentication server which is capable of storing two types of nonce values, namely dedicated nonce values unique in the system and common nonce values shared between users in the system. In the method the authentication server receives (401) from the user terminal an access request. Then the authentication server uses a predefined criterion for determining the type of a first nonce value to be sent to the user terminal as a response to the access request. In case the predefined criterion is fulfilled, then a dedicated nonce value is sent, otherwise a common nonce value is sent (402). Then the authentication server receives (403) from the user terminal a response comprising a second nonce value and a response code to the first nonce value. The authentication server then determines whether the response code is correct and whether the second nonce value corresponds to the first nonce value.
US08336082B2

A method for realizing the synchronous authentication among the different authentication control devices is provided. The user accesses the network and initiates the authentication by the slave authentication control device. Then the master authentication control device obtains the authentication information of the user from the slave authentication control device and transmits it to the master authentication server of the master authentication control device. Finally, the master authentication server performs the authentication process to the user according to the authentication information of the user. Therefore the accessing user can obtain the network authority of a plurality of service providers with only one logging on in the network in which a plurality of service providers are interconnected. The present invention facilitates the access to the network for the user and can assure that each service provider can control and manage the accessing user efficiently and thereby protects the benefit of the service providers.
US08336073B2

Strategies are described for adding a mark to media content at a source location in response to the activation of a marking mechanism, and then resuming the presentation of the media content at a second location based on the mark. The source location may be the same as the destination location, or the source location may differ from the destination location. In the latter case, the source location can correspond to a first room in a home that provides a first media processing mechanism, and the destination location can correspond to a second room in the home that provides a second media processing mechanism. The marking mechanism can correspond to a mark button provided by a remote control. Various user interface displays facilitate the adding of the mark and the resuming of the presentation, including various timelines displays, mark panel displays, thumbnail displays, etc.
US08336061B2

A method and apparatus for performing driver configuration operations without a system reboot is disclosed. In one embodiment, a network server's adapter driver receives a request to change a configuration of a selected instance of a plurality of instances. In response, the adapter driver may then determine if there is data flow through the selected instance. If there is no data flow through the selected instance, the method includes blocking subsequent data flow and subsequent information requests issued to the adapter driver. The selected instance may then be reinitializing without rebooting the server.
US08336058B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for balancing a load on a queue among multiple consumers. A target polling hit rate is derived for at least one queue from a consumer load. The consumer load dictates a read rate of the at least one queue. The consumer load on the at least one queue is adjusted responsive to a difference between the target polling hit rate and an observed polling hit rate for the at least one queue.
US08336057B2

The present invention provides a method, system and computer program product for automatically generating message queue scripts for defining one or more Websphere® Message Queue™ (WMQ) objects on one or more queue managers. A user provides parameters corresponding to the WMQ objects as input in an input parameter file. The parameters include the name of the WMQ objects and the queue managers. Further, a message queue environment consistency check is performed on the input parameter file for validating the parameters provided. The validation is performed by using a database that stores information about the message queue environment. After successful validation of the input parameter file, one or more message queue scripts are generated for defining the WMQ objects on the queue managers. Fallback scripts may also be generated for rolling back the modifications performed on the queue managers, if required at a later stage.
US08336051B2

A server architecture performs concurrent information processing in a server system on a multi-core processor environment. The architecture supports simultaneous processing requests comprising multiple classes of queries and/or executing transactions in an application server and/or database server. Requests, which are made in an asynchronous manner, are structured with hash values to enable similar requests to be grouped together. The similar requests are grouped into a group session. All of the requests in the group session are executed at the same time. Accordingly, similar database inserts can be grouped and executed as a single request. The architecture minimizes thread-switching overhead by exploiting inherent parallelism in the inflowing requests. The threads and requests are de-coupled and hence any lock request only makes the execution threads take up another request instead of waiting until the lock is acquired. As such, the threads never go into sleep/wait mode and system resources are utilized more efficiently.
US08336045B2

A Scale Integration Framework that allows secondary applications installed on a PC-based scale or at a remote location to interact with a Scale Application that controls the scale equipment in accordance with applicable requirements. The scale integration framework comprises a plurality of Integration Points within the Scale Application such that other value added applications can interact with the Scale Application at these Integration Points.
US08336043B2

A method and system for dynamically downloading custom code for execution within a host application is provided. A deployment system augments the manifest used for deploying managed applications to include information describing how the host application is to use the custom code, referred to as host manifest information. The deployment system reports the progress of the downloading of the manifest and the custom code to the host application. The host application can then perform appropriate host-specific processing. The host application may provide to the deployment system an interface for verifying the trust of the custom code. The deployment system also allows the host application to control the uninstalling of the custom code.
US08336037B1

Client Native method Interface (CNI) minimizing eXtensible Mark-up Language (XML) parsing is provided using array pair data structures. An empty array pair is passed to an engine from client code via a CNI call. The engine parses the XML document and fills the array pair with fixed width elements. The filled array pair is passed back to client code. The client code iterates through the elements in the array pair and invokes the appropriate handlers or builds appropriate tree objects for Document Object Model parsing. Thus, one CNI call passes the empty array pair from client code to the engine, and the filled array pair is returned from the engine to client code. Individual sets of CNI calls for each element are avoided, minimizing the number of CNI calls. Further, since elements in the array pair are of fixed width, they can be processed more efficiently by the client code.
US08336029B1

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes establishing a connection with one or more virtual machines using a debugger protocol configured to communicate debug commands to applications executed by the one or more virtual machines. The method also includes transmitting a request for a current state of the one or more virtual machines using the connection. Information associated with the current state includes state variables not controlled by an application receiving debug commands. The method includes outputting the current state of the one or more virtual machines for display to a user.
US08336028B2

Mechanisms for evaluating software sustainability are provided. The illustrative embodiments provide code scanning tools for identifying authors of portions of a software product and various attributes about the development, maintenance, and improvement of portions of the software product over time. This information may be correlated with organizational information to identify portions of the software product that may be lacking in sustainability by the persons currently associated with the software organization. Moreover, this information may be used to obtain information regarding the relative quality of the composition or conception of portions of the software product, portions of the software product that have required a relatively larger amount of resources to develop over time, a relative indication of which portions of the software product are “harder” or “easier” to sustain and who is associated with those portions of the software product, and the like.
US08336026B2

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for aiding a user who is servicing a work packet request in a software factory. A full work packet-aware Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is created and sent to the user. This full work packet-aware IDE provides specifically tailored access to all hardware, software, licenses, normative guidance and other resources that are needed by the user to service the work packet request.
US08336025B1

In a computer-implemented method, models are designed with a design tool. A selected construct is determined. A selected computing environment, into which the selected construct is being placed, is identified, the computing environment being selected from at least one textual and at least one graphical computing environments. A template based on the selected computing environment is selected. The selected template is inserted into the selected computing environment.
US08336019B1

A method is provided to evaluate whether one or more test patterns is power safe for use during manufacturing testing of an integrated circuit that includes a nonuniform power grid and that includes a scan chain, the method comprising: assigning respective toggle count thresholds for respective power grid regions of the non-uniform power grid; and determining whether respective numbers of toggles by scan elements of the scan chain within one or more respective power grid regions meet respective toggle count thresholds for the one or more respective regions during at least one scan-shift cycle in the course of scan-in of a test pattern to the scan chain.
US08336008B2

Mechanisms are provided for characterizing long range variability in integrated circuit manufacturing. A model derivation component tests one or more density pattern samples, which are a fabricated integrated circuits having predetermined pattern densities and careful placement of current-voltage (I-V) sensors. The model derivation component generates one or more empirical models to establish range of influence of long range variability effects in the density pattern sample. A variability analysis component receives an integrated circuit design and, using the one or more empirical models, analyzes the integrated circuit design to isolate possible long range variability effects in the integrated circuit design.
US08336003B2

A method and a computer system for designing an optical photomask for forming a prepattern opening in a photoresist layer on a substrate wherein the photoresist layer and the prepattern opening are coated with a self-assembly material that undergoes directed self-assembly to form a directed self-assembly pattern. The methods includes: generating a mask design shape from a target design shape; generating a sub-resolution assist feature design shape based on the mask design shape; using a computer to generate a prepattern shape based on the sub-resolution assist feature design shape; and using a computer to evaluate if a directed self-assembly pattern of the self-assembly material based on the prepattern shape is within specified ranges of dimensional and positional targets of the target design shape on the substrate.
US08336002B2

An integrated circuit (IC) design method includes providing IC design layout data; simulating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to a material layer based on the IC design layout, to generate various geometrical parameters; extracting resistance and capacitance based on the various geometrical parameters from the simulating of the CMP process; and performing circuit timing analysis based on the extracted resistance and capacitance.
US08335997B2

A method for sorting menu options in a program menu of an electronic device creates an order parameter, a basic count parameter, and a carry count parameter to each menu option. The basic count parameters, the carry count parameters, and the order parameters are recalculated in response to a user-selected menu option, a user-added menu option, or a user-deleted menu option. The menu options are displayed according to the order parameters.
US08335994B2

Methods and systems for providing content (e.g., such as web content) to a computing device are disclosed. An example method for providing web content includes receiving, from a first computing device, a request for the web content and determining a device type of the first computing device. The example method further includes retrieving the web content and modifying the web content based on the device type. The example method still further includes providing the modified web content to the first computing device for display on the first computing device.
US08335987B2

A product configurator is based on a constraint network having a plurality of nodes. The product configurator, when it receives a user choice, determines which nodes in the constraint network are affected by the user choice. For each affected node, the product configurator stores the prior domain state of the node and associates the stored prior domain state with the user choice. Therefore, the nodes can be restored to their prior state if the user choice is later removed for any reason.
US08335983B2

A gallery widget is invoked when a tag in a markup language document, such as a web page, is processed. The gallery widget selects a number of images specified in the tag and places the images in the markup language document as defined by the tag. The images are selected from a gallery containing all images available for display or from a pool of images chosen from the gallery using a gallery administration tool.
US08335967B2

A memory system that can efficiently relieve a large number of defective bits with a small number of redundant bits is provided in a Flash-EEPROM nonvolatile memory. A memory system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a Flash-EEPROM memory in which a plurality of memory cells having a floating gate or a charge trapping layer and capable of electrically erasing and writing data are arranged; a control circuit that controls a cache memory and the Flash-EEPROM memory; and an interface circuit that communicates with outside, wherein a plurality of group data and a plurality of flag data for storing presence of inversion of all bits of respective group data are stored in a memory area of the Flash-EEPROM memory.
US08335959B2

A method is provided for reuse of one of a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) Process ID. The method includes receiving signaling used to associate at least one of the plurality of HARQ Process IDs with semi-persistent scheduling. The method further includes determining an activation of a semi-persistent resource. The method further includes associating the at least one of the plurality of HARQ Process IDs with the semi-persistent resource. The method further includes receiving a non-semi-persistent data communication utilizing the at least one of a plurality of HARQ Process IDs.
US08335953B2

The disclosure describes novel methods and apparatuses for controlling a device's TCA circuit when the device exists in a JTAG daisy-chain arrangement with other devices. The methods and apparatuses allow the TCA test pattern set used during device manufacturing to be reused when the device is placed in a JTAG daisy-chain arrangement with other devices, such as in a customers system using the device. Additional embodiments are also provided and described in the disclosure.
US08335949B2

A method of decoding channel outputs using an iterative decoder to provide hard decisions on information bits includes activating each SISO decoder of the iterative decoder to provide soft-decisions associated with the information bits. The method also includes computing a fidelity estimate and stopping decoding based on the fidelity estimate.
US08335935B2

An electronic device includes a kernel, a power manager to control power to a hardware component, and a neural network to monitor the kernel to recognize performance of a function of the electronic device. The neural network sends a signal to the power manager to reduce or turn off power to the hardware component based on information generated during monitoring of the kernel. The information may provide an indication of hit symbols for hardware components which are to be powered and/or hardware components which do not require power based on one or more operations performed by the kernel.
US08335934B2

A network system forms a computer network, and includes: a collecting unit; a calculating unit; and a display unit. The collecting unit collects power consumption information from a connecting device. The power consumption information shows power consumption of the connecting device. The calculating unit calculates power consumption of the computer network based on the collected power consumption information. The calculated power consumption is itemized into constituent units based on a configuration of the computer network. The display unit displays the calculated power consumption.
US08335932B2

Systems, methods, computer programs, and devices are disclosed herein for deploying a local trusted service manager within a secure element of a contactless smart card device. The secure element is a component of a contactless smart card incorporated into a contactless smart card device. An asymmetric cryptography algorithm is used to generate public-private key pairs. The private keys are stored in the secure element and are accessible by a trusted service manager (TSM) software application or a control software application in the secure element. A non-TSM computer with access to the public key encrypts and then transmits encrypted application data or software applications to the secure element, where the TSM software application decrypts and installs the software application to the secure element for transaction purposes.
US08335925B2

A method and arrangement for utilising a generally available personal data terminal as a secure and reliable authentication factor for user authentication is described. Also, a method for secure transfer of data between two parties, a user and a service provider, where the user generates a unique authentication factor adapted for user authentication (104), called a user code, and the service provider registering the user's user code as an authentication factor is disclosed. The method is useful for various security services involving a user and a service provider in electronic channels where service providers are faced with the challenges of authenticating the users of their services.
US08335918B2

A medium access control (MAC) frame provision method establishes security in an IEEE 802.15.4 network. A MAC frame is generated, which includes a MAC header, a payload field, and a frame check sequence (FCS) field, the payload field including relevant main data according to a frame type defined in the MAC header. A disguised decoy data sequence number (DSN) is generated and inserted into the MAC header. A real DSN, which is a corresponding transmission sequence number of the MAC frame, is generated and inserted into the payload field. The MAC frame is transmitted, including the encrypted payload field, to a counterpart node. A MAC ACK frame acknowledges reception of the transmitted MAC frame; and a DSN is compared in the received MAC ACK frame with the real DSN. An authentication of the counterpart node is performed when the received MAC ACK frame is equal to the real DSN.
US08335914B2

Improved techniques and graphical user interfaces that enable users to shuffle a group of media items in accordance with categories associated with the media items are disclosed. According to one aspect, techniques can operate to categorically shuffle media items having categories associated therewith. According to another aspect, a user interface control can be graphically presented to a user to assist the user in selecting a shuffle setting. The shuffle setting provided by the user affects the nature of the shuffle. For example, the shuffle setting can impact the likelihood that two adjacent media items in the group of media items will be from the same one or more categories following the shuffle.
US08335909B2

A High Performance Computing (HPC) node comprises a motherboard, a switch comprising eight or more ports integrated on the motherboard, and at least two processors operable to execute an HPC job, with each processor communicably coupled to the integrated switch and integrated on the motherboard.
US08335903B2

Provided are a method and a system for processing an access to a disk block. The system receives a disk block access request from an OS domain, determines whether the OS domain is permitted to access a disk block with reference to a predetermined block table and processes disk block access of the OS domain according to the determination result. Accordingly, OS domains can share caches without having data copy through memory access control in a virtual machine monitor environment. Furthermore, a device domain controls access to a disk drive so that data corruption can be prevented.
US08335902B1

Backup systems and methods are disclosed for a virtual computing environment. Certain examples include a system having a backup management server that communicates with a host server having at least one virtual machine. The management server coordinates with the host server to perform backup copies of entire virtual machine disks from outside the guest operating system of the virtual machine. In certain examples, such backup systems further utilize a volume shadow copy service executing on the host server to quiesce virtual machine applications to put data in a consistent state to be backed up. The backup system then utilizes hypervisor snapshot capabilities of the host server to record intended changes to the virtual machine disk files while such files are being copied (e.g., backed up) by the host server. Such recorded changes can be later committed to the virtual machine disk files once the backup operation has completed.
US08335897B2

A data storage management system is provided, which includes multiple storage entities with differing storage characteristics. A controller is communicatively coupled to each of the multiple storage entities. The controller is configured to associate one or more storage attributes of a received object with one or more of the different storage characteristics, and to store the received object in one or more of the multiple storage entities based on the association of the one or more of the storage attributes of the received object with the one or more of the different storage characteristics.
US08335893B2

A memory management device which is capable of allocating a memory unit accessible at a higher speed to data which is stored in a storage device having memory units different in access speed, without being limited in an storage area. The storage device comprises a BLC flash memory accessible at a predetermined access speed, an MLC flash memory accessible at a lower access speed than the predetermined access speed, a controller, and a RAM. The controller manages the BLC flash memory and the BLC flash memory in units each formed by a plurality of physical pages, and writes data in the physical pages, and the RAM holds page allocation information in which logical pages designated when writing data and the physical pages are associated with each other.
US08335892B1

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for arbitrating requests received by an L1 cache from multiple clients. The L1 cache outputs bubble requests to a first one of the multiple clients that cause the first one of the multiple clients to insert bubbles into the request stream, where a bubble is the absence of a request. The bubbles allow the L1 cache to grant access to another one of the multiple clients without stalling the first one of the multiple clients. The L1 cache services multiple clients with diverse latency and bandwidth requirements and may be reconfigured to provide memory spaces for clients executing multiple parallel threads, where the memory spaces each have a different scope.
US08335891B2

There is provided a system and method of configuring a storage array. An exemplary method includes generating information within a storage array controller, the information corresponding to a menu of user options. The exemplary method also includes sending the information from the array controller to a user interface module. The exemplary method also includes sending user instructions comprising a selected menu option from the user interface module to the array controller. The exemplary method also includes executing a configuration task associated with the selected menu option.
US08335888B2

A mobile device includes a NOR flash memory for storing settings of the mobile device, a NOR flash memory controller having a memory storing data and/or program code for controlling operations of the NOR flash memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and the NOR flash memory for executing the program code. The program code when executed by the processor causes the memory controller to sequentially write to a sequentially first block of each sector of the NOR flash memory, then write to a sequentially second block of each sector of the NOR flash memory, and when all blocks of all sectors of the NOR flash memory have been written, the memory controller erases a sequentially first sector and then writes to the sequentially first block of the sequentially first sector.
US08335884B2

A multi-processor architecture for a network device that includes a plurality of barrel cards, each including: a plurality of processors, a PCIe switch coupled to each of the plurality of processors, and packet processing logic coupled to the PCIe switch. The PCIe switch on each barrel card provides high speed flexible data paths for the transmission of incoming/outgoing packets to/from the processors on the barrel card. An external PCIe switch is commonly coupled to the PCIe switches on the barrel cards, as well as to a management processor, thereby providing high speed connections between processors on separate barrel cards, and between the management processor and the processors on the barrel cards.
US08335878B2

A multiport memory architecture, systems including the same and methods for using the same. The architecture generally includes (a) a memory array; (b) a plurality of ports configured to receive and/or transmit data; and (c) a plurality of port buffers, each of which is configured to transmit the data to and/or receive the data from one or more of the ports, and all of which are configured to (i) transmit the data to the memory array on a first common bus and (ii) receive the data from the memory array on a second common bus. The systems generally include those that embody one or more of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. The methods generally relate to writing blocks of data to, reading blocks of data from, and/or transferring blocks of data across a memory. The present invention advantageously reduces latency in data communications, particularly in network switches, by tightly coupling port buffers to the main memory and advantageously using point-to-point communications over long segments of the memory read and write paths, thereby reducing routing congestion and enabling the elimination of a FIFO. The invention advantageously shrinks chip size and provides increased data transmission rates and throughput, and in preferred embodiments, reduced resistance and/or capacitance in the memory read and write busses.
US08335862B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for dynamically integrating software resources (such as web services and other back-end software resources) using the services of a content framework (such as a portal platform). A portlet model is leveraged to allow programmatic portlets to serve as proxies for web services, thereby extending portlets beyond their traditional visual role. A deployment interface and a system interface are described for these portlet proxies. The deployment interface is used for composing new web services, and a composition tool is described. The system interface allows for run-time management of the web services by the portal platform. The service provider for a particular function may be bound to the portlet proxy at development time or at run-time.
US08335857B1

A method, system, and medium are provided for detecting data intended for transmission to a first device on a network. A slot for transmission of data is assigned to a second device based on the amount of data intended for transmission to the first device. This may allow modification or control of the amount of padding or extra information used in data transmissions.
US08335851B1

Techniques are described which simplify and/or automate many of the tasks associated with the configuration, deployment, and management of network resources to support cloud-based services.
US08335839B2

A method of planning a network architecture includes receiving at a host computer system a request from a user computer to initiate a network architecture planning process, in response to the request, transmitting an electronic file comprising a first display screen to the user computer, wherein the first display screen comprises a question relating to a parameter of the network architecture, receiving at the host computer system a first response to the question, transmitting at least a second electronic file comprising a second display screen to the user computer, wherein the second display screen comprises context-sensitive content based on at least one previous response, receiving at the host computer system at least a second response to the at least a second display screen, determining at least a first action based on the first response and the at least a second response, and transmitting information relating to the at least a first action for display at the user computer.
US08335837B2

In one embodiment, a method for transferring web browser data between web browsers includes collecting browser data pertaining to a first web browser, packaging the browser data into an intermediate format, and storing the packaged data for a subsequent import into a second web browser.
US08335829B1

A method for presenting additional content for a word that is part of a message, and that is presented by a mobile communication device, includes the steps of: presenting the message, including emphasizing one or more words for which respective additional content is available for presenting by the mobile communication device; receiving an utterance that includes an emphasized word for which additional content is available for presenting by the mobile communication device; and presenting the additional content for the emphasized word included in the utterance received by the mobile communication device. These steps are performed by the mobile communication device.
US08335822B2

A computer-implemented method and system is disclosed in which a network-based interaction environment includes a plurality of peer-to-peer nodes being able to communicate directly with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol and a peer-to-peer client application, the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes including a first peer-to-peer client, a second peer-to-peer client, and a third peer-to-peer client, a first peer-to-peer client application running on the first peer-to-peer client to process persistent item information on the first peer-to-peer client, the persistent item information being related to an item being offered by a first user of the first peer-to-peer client application, a second peer-to-peer client application running on the second peer-to-peer client to cache the persistent item information on the second peer-to-peer client; and a third peer-to-peer client application running on the third peer-to-peer client to search a cache of the second peer-to-peer client for the persistent item information related to the item being offered by the first user.
US08335817B1

A container application is a native application that allows a web based application to access a computer's resources such as messaging, also known as interprocess communications. If a container application is associated with a window, then the web based application can alter or control many, or all, aspects of the container application's content area and meta user interfaces (UIs). Web based applications are downloaded from application servers and run inside container applications. A web based application can use messaging for drag and drop and other capabilities and thereby more tightly integrate with the user's desktop environment.
US08335807B1

A file distribution system is provided. The file distribution system includes a communication interface configured to communicate with a plurality of storage devices, to receive a file from a file source, and to transfer two or more file portions to two or more storage devices of the plurality of storage devices. The file distribution system further includes a processing system coupled to the communication interface, with the processing system being configured to receive the file from the communication interface, divide at least part of the file into the two or more file portions, and distribute the two or more file portions to the two or more storage devices through the communication interface. The two or more storage devices correspond to the two or more file portions. Each storage device of the two or more storage devices is separate from all other storage devices of the two or more storage devices.
US08335802B2

A computer-implemented method of distributing information retrieved from one or more data repositories includes: invoking a producer method to generate a document using data retrieved from one or more data repositories; invoking a converter method to convert the generated document to an output format; and invoking a distributor method to distribute the converted document through a distribution channel. The methods may be implemented in a framework that allows flexible implementation of one or more additional methods. The methods may belong to respective producer, converter and distributor classes.
US08335800B2

An XML wrapper queries an XML document in an on-the-fly manner so that only parent nodes in the document that satisfy the query are extracted and then unnested. The parent nodes and associated descendent nodes are located using XPath expressions contained as options in data definition language (DDL) statements. The parent nodes satisfying the query and associated descendent nodes are extracted and stored outside of a database according to a relational schema. The wrapper facilitates applications that use convention SQL queries and views to operate on that information stored according to the relational schema. The wrapper also responds to query optimizer requests for costs associated with queries against external data sources associated with the wrapper.
US08335787B2

A method of, and system for, extracting topic words from a collection of documents across multiple and potentially very large number of domains. Documents are selected and ranked based on similarity with at least one seed word, which defines a topic. Seed words may be entered directly by a user or provided by another application. Keywords are extracted from documents determined to be a sufficiently good match to the topic and may be displayed to the user or used as input into word prediction or word analysis and display software. Documents are determined to be a sufficiently good match to the topic using an iterative algorithm starting with the best match and selecting documents containing keywords sufficiently similar to the previously selected documents.
US08335785B2

A method and system for ranking results for a network search query. The method includes receiving a network search query; obtaining weblogs relevant to the search query from a database; scoring the weblogs based on a time when information pertaining to the search query appeared on weblogs; and displaying a ranking of the weblogs.
US08335782B2

A mechanism for managing ranking information using a sign of a stream tuple generated when stream data is inserted into, or deleted from, a window is provided. A mechanism for generating only the differential information of ranking calculation results, a mechanism for adding ranking information according to a request, an interface for generating and outputting all ranking information from the differential information, a mechanism for generating all ranking calculation results, and an interface for using these mechanisms are provided.
US08335780B2

A relational processor (RP) to create, maintain and query a relational database by assigning, storing and retrieving a unique associate for each instance of a relation for one or more relations and a plurality of instances of a relation. The associate may contain one or more semantic tokens. The RP comprises an input for receiving and processing relations, relation instances and queries, at least one associate processor (AP) for storing the associate and retrieving associate sets by domain, at least one set processor (SP) for performing set operations on associate sets to satisfy a query, and output which outputs the associates responsive to a query. The RP further includes an associate array manager (AAM) for managing the APs, and the SPs (which are arranged in the sieve architecture) and a response collector (RC) that collects the associate sets that satisfy a query. An alternative architecture uses an associate switch (AS), which routs associates from the APs to the SPs based on associate value.
US08335779B2

An apparatus for and a method of gathering new data form a specific data source, categorizing this data into a hierarchical directory structure, and building parameters to further describe this data. A harvesting system is an application that can organize and locate external data; the harvesting system can be used to navigate, organize and locate this data. The harvesting system utilizes a defined data model, referred to as a core data structure, that describes the logical structure of the data. Within the core data structure are pointers, which refer back to the source data. The loading process can be manually done, or can be automatically accomplished using this harvesting process.
US08335770B2

An embodiment of a method of restoring data begins with a step of restoring point-in-time data from a local copy. The method concludes with a step of restoring at least a portion of an incremental difference between the point-in-time data and a desired state of the data from a remote mirror.
US08335768B1

A method for grooming a backup data set is disclosed. The method comprises receiving data associated with one or more restore points associated with the backup data set. The method further comprises automatically selecting one or more of said one or more restore points for retention, removal, or transfer.
US08335759B2

A device analyzes a flow of a computer system by identifying transition relations each representing a relation between two of data sets that have been updated, based upon workflow information. Transition information indicate a number of occurrences of each transition relation, with respect to each analysis unit period. Change information indicates a change in the number of occurrences of each transition relation, by comparing the transition information for each analysis unit period between adjacent ones of the analysis unit periods.
US08335733B1

Embodiments of a system and a method provide for efficiently leveraging equity interests in investment funds. In an embodiment, equity and zero-coupon debt are issued on an investment vehicle comprised of a static basket of equity interests in investment funds. An embodiment of the method of investing includes passively managing a static basket of equity interests in investment funds which actively manage investments in underlying funds. An embodiment of a method of lending includes purchasing zero-coupon debt secured by an investment vehicle comprised of a static basket of equity interests in investment funds.
US08335724B2

Various embodiments include an apparatus comprising a server operable to generate a customized virtual catalog including a plurality of composite images, wherein at least one of the plurality of composite images includes an image of a promotional product decorated using a decorative image associated with a client requesting access to the customized virtual catalog.
US08335720B2

Consumer, merchant, and transactional data from a closed loop network and external sources may be leveraged to increase demand of a merchant's inventory during normally low-demand periods. Extensive data mining is used to determine the excess merchant inventory and demand patterns at different times and different locations for merchants and groups of merchants. Similar data mining is used to analyze cardmember demand patterns to identify the cardmember preferences regarding when and where they which to purchase goods and/or services. Cardmembers may also be grouped based on their demand patterns. Using pricing as a lever, cardholders with specific preferences are targeted to shift the demand from peak periods and locations to non-peak periods and locations, and to increase the non-peak demand by location as well as time period. Higher precision may be obtained using product level transaction data from point-of-sale terminals used by merchants wherever applicable.
US08335712B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for minimizing ad production costs for print advertisers. In one aspect, a method includes receiving parameters associated with one or more publications; receiving input defining one or more ads; grouping the one or more publications based on the received parameters to form a plurality of groups, wherein a quantity of groups in the plurality of groups is based on the received input; determining an optimal ad space size for each of the plurality of groups; and generating the one or more ads, wherein each ad is defined by the optimal ad space size of one or more of the plurality of groups.
US08335711B2

A method for assessing fees for parking is disclosed. The method includes providing a vehicle registration card containing a vehicle make and model and a parking fee collection device. The parking fee collection device has an associated database containing a parking fee charged for each vehicle make and model. The vehicle make and model is entered into the parking fee collection device for a selected vehicle and a parking fee is assessed based upon the vehicle make and model.
US08335709B2

A restaurant customer-survey system and device, which reduces employee fraud when a customer-satisfaction survey embedded in the device is conducted. The survey may be implemented in a pager, tip tray, or other computing device that includes an internally mounted camera that covertly takes a photograph of the survey participant. The photograph is date/time stamped and associated with a table number so that the waiter for the table can be identified. The survey results together with the associated photograph are uploaded to a management database. The restaurant manager can review the photographs to ensure that employees are not fraudulently conducting the surveys rather than customers. The system also enables the customer to interface with the restaurant's point-of-sale (POS) system to retrieve the customer's current bill or wirelessly make a payment from the table.
US08335708B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for simulating a scenario based on information associated with a new campaign and stored event information. In operation, event information associated with one or more events is stored. The stored information may be related to the event parameters and the optional matches it provided. Additionally, an index is generated utilizing the stored event information. Furthermore, information associated with a new campaign is mapped to the stored event information utilizing the index. The mapping process may go beyond the exact match mechanism and expands the campaign parameters in a similar way to the actual search behavior. Still yet, a scenario is simulated based on the mapped information associated with the new campaign and the stored event information.
US08335704B2

Methods and apparatus for service-level based and/or skills-based assignment of a work item to one (or more) of a plurality of resources based on fitness, for example, of skills required by the former to those provided by the latter. Assignment takes into account the level of stress on the work item and/or resources, such that the number of resources fit for assignment varies as the level of stress varies. Systems according to the invention can be used, by way of example, to route a call or other request made by a customer to a service center. The requirements for processing the call (determined, for example, by an incoming call operator) are matched against the skill sets of available customer service agents, taking call and/or resource stress levels into account. For example, some implementations may match an incoming call having a low stress factor (e.g., a newly received call from a standard customer) to a smaller pool of agents with both required and desired skills, while assigning a call with a higher stress factor to a larger pool of agents with at least required skills. Other embodiments may match an incoming call having a low stress factor to the larger pool of agents having at least the required skills, while assigning a call with a higher stress factor (e.g., a call from a priority customer) to an agent from the smaller pool of agents who have both required and desired skills.
US08335695B2

This invention provides for innovative methods of pricing generic drugs. In a preferred embodiment, wholesale acquisition costs of identified comparable brand drugs for the generic drugs to be priced according to the invention are identified as comparable brand drug values. The comparable brand drug values are averaged to calculate a stable, predictable benchmark value to be used to determine the price of the generic drug, according to methods of this invention.
US08335692B2

Various embodiments include methods and systems to support IT business decision making, including a data correlator and business, configuration, risk, and application management databases. The business management database contains information pertaining to services offered by IT and other IT business information. The configuration management database contains operational data including the resources required by IT's offered services. The risk management database contains operational constraints on the organization by external sources, such as industry practices or government regulations. The application management database contains information about projects and applications that are in development but not currently operational including resources required by IT's services now or in the future. The data correlator defines relationships between related data residing in one or more of the databases, allowing a single convenient location to access data useful in making business decisions for an organization's information technology department. In various embodiments the data correlator includes a what-if analyzer to model decisions and determine the impact of those decisions. In various embodiments snapshots may be taken of the configuration management database to be used later to determine the operational state at a previous time and assess changes to the configuration management database between that time and the present.
US08335688B2

A system is provided for training an acoustic model for use in speech recognition. In particular, such a system may be used to perform training based on a spoken audio stream and a non-literal transcript of the spoken audio stream. Such a system may identify text in the non-literal transcript which represents concepts having multiple spoken forms. The system may attempt to identify the actual spoken form in the audio stream which produced the corresponding text in the non-literal transcript, and thereby produce a revised transcript which more accurately represents the spoken audio stream. The revised, and more accurate, transcript may be used to train the acoustic model, thereby producing a better acoustic model than that which would be produced using conventional techniques, which perform training based directly on the original non-literal transcript.
US08335682B2

A multi-language interfaces system includes a storage unit, a processing unit, and a language switch unit; the storage unit stores an executable code containing a variable code and multiple language packs; the processing unit is electrically connected for transmission to the storage unit to execute the executable codes; and the language switch unit is respectively electrically connected for transmission to the storage unit and the processing unit to provide a signal to the processing unit where the variable code is converted into one of those language packs.
US08335673B2

A system model of a real-world system includes a multi-level hierarchy of Capabilities, where each Capability includes a Verb specifying an action and an Object acted on by the Verb. The system model also contains one or more multi-level Performer hierarchies, where each Performer hierarchy includes a plurality of Performers each having an associated lifecycle and at least one associated Capability provided or required by the Performer. In addition, a multi-level Location hierarchy associates one of a plurality of Locations with each Performer. A plurality of Capability Instances define requirement and provision of Capabilities by Performers in the one or more multi-level Performer hierarchies. In response to a query specifying a Location and a time, a view of the system model for the specified Location and time is output.
US08335672B1

Systems and methods are provided for the identification of available payers for healthcare transactions. A reply to a healthcare claim transaction may be received from a claims processor computer. Based at least in part on the reply, a determination may be made that the healthcare claim transaction has been rejected for an eligibility reason. An available payer for a patient associated with the received reply may be identified subsequent to the determination. Information associated with the identified available payer may be communicated to a healthcare provider associated with the healthcare claim transaction.
US08335668B2

A method is disclosed of providing an optimal minimum mass topology for a structure based on a set of design criteria including at least one support point and at least one force to be applied to the structure. The method includes the steps of: identifying a plurality of nodes within a structure design domain, and assigning an initial density value to said plurality of nodes; conducting a finite element analysis on the nodes; determining one of a stress intensity or strain energy values for each node; ranking the nodes by relative stress intensity or strain energy values; adjusting the density value for each node; and repeating the steps of conducting a finite element analysis on said nodes, wherein the step of adjusting each density value for each node is performed according to a family of statistical distribution functions that gradually transition to a bimodal distribution wherein nodes are either fully dense or effectively void thereby providing an optimal topology.
US08335666B2

An apparatus 1 for generating three-dimensional model data is provided with: two CCD cameras 13 and 14 for imaging an attached object attached to a machine tool to generate two-dimensional image data; a first model-data storing section 19 for storing model data of the attached object, a second model-data storing section 21 for storing the model data related to at least a part of the machine tool; an edge detecting section 17 for detecting edges; a shape-feature recognizing section 18 for recognizing a shape feature; an object recognizing section 20 for recognizing the model data of the attached object imparted with the recognized shape feature; and a model-data generating section 22 for generating three-dimensional model data including the attached object and a part of the machine tool.
US08335665B2

An apparatus and a method for reducing phase noise in measurement signals from a sensor are provided. The apparatus and method, in one aspect, may use a multiphase counter to obtain a count for each sensor signals time cycle and a filter to reduce noise from the obtained counts. A suitable reference frequency, including the reference frequency of the sensor, may be utilized by the multiphase counter.
US08335651B2

The invention relates to methods and computer-readable medium to implement computing the propagation velocity of seismic waves in the earth. The invention computes the propagation velocity of seismic waves in the earth, which is a condition of obtaining an accurate image of subsurface geology that can be used to prospect for oil and gas deposits. In an embodiment, the method in a host of determining the propagation angles of reflected seismic waves, including inputting data representing reflected seismic waves, inputting a propagation velocity field, computing propagation direction vectors of a source wave field and a receiver wave field using a downward continuation Fourier domain shot record migration using the data representing the reflected seismic waves and the propagation velocity field, and transforming the propagation direction vectors into propagation angles of reflected seismic waves.
US08335648B2

It is an object to provide a route searching system that can easily carry out the search processing of a route covering different time zones. A route searching system is provided with a time zone data memory means that stores information of a time zone which is associated with each node composing a traffic network and to which a node belongs, a reference time table data memory means that stores reference time table data made out by using a predetermined reference time irrelevant to the time zone to which the node belongs, a time zone determination means that determines the time zone to which the starting point or destination point belongs and a time conversion means, wherein a route searching means searches for a route from the starting point to the destination point based on the traffic network data and the reference time table data, the time conversion means converts the time data of the searched route into guiding data based on the time zone to which the starting point or the destination point belongs.
US08335647B2

A device receives, from one or more user devices, one or more user-defined paths associated with a starting point and a destination point, and receives, from the one or more user devices, information associated with the one or more user-defined paths. The device also aggregates the one or more user-defined paths and the associated information, and determines one or more popular paths based on the aggregation of the one or more user-defined paths and the associated information, where the one or more popular paths are capable of being utilized by the one or more user devices for selection of a path for navigation.
US08335644B2

A traffic jam guide image showing traffic jam conditions of a plurality of road sections ahead of a current location of a vehicle is displayed together with a map image during a guidance of a guide route from the current location to a destination. Based on a user operation performed on a touch screen, an object road section in which a search condition is to be changed and the search condition in the object road section are set. A second guide route from the current location to the destination is searched for based on the search condition set for the object road section such that the user has only to perform a simple operation through a touch screen to automatically change the search condition and set the road section to which the changed search condition is applied.
US08335639B2

A method and a device for controlling the drive of a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine (ICE) have a control device to which operating parameters of the drive and parameters influencing the driving operation of the motor vehicle are supplied. On the basis of these parameters the control device enables or terminates the implementation of fuel consumption reduction measures (STST) if specific parameter constellations are present. During the operation of the vehicle the number and/or the duration the possible fuel consumption reduction measures and fuel consumption reduction measures actually carried out are/is determined and the number and/or the duration of the possible fuel consumption reduction measures and the number and/or the duration of the fuel consumption reduction measures actually carried out are/is correlated. From this, a variable (R) is determined which represents a measure for the implementation of the possible fuel consumption reduction measures.
US08335638B2

A system according to aspects of the present invention includes a processor, a user interface (including a display) in communication with the processor, and a memory in communication with the processor. The processor executes instructions stored in the memory to present a first symbol on the display of the user interface that indicates the bearing to an off-scale vehicle, and to present a second symbol on the display that indicates the path of travel of the off-scale vehicle. The present invention provides a more accurate representation of the bearing and track of off-scale traffic compared to conventional traffic display systems.
US08335637B2

A method and a navigation device are disclosed for sharing at least one location message with at least one other device. The navigation device includes a receiver to determine a signal strength of a traffic message channel at a location, a memory to store information representing the signal strength of a traffic message channel, and at least one processor to correlate the information stored in memory to compile a traffic message channel resource and select a traffic message channel based on the traffic message channel resource and a location associated with a navigation device. The method includes determining a signal strength of a traffic message channel at a location, storing information representing the signal strength of a traffic message channel, correlating the information stored in memory to compile a traffic message channel resource, and selecting a traffic message channel based on the traffic message channel resource and a location associated with a navigation device.
US08335636B2

A method and control system for controlling an engine in a vehicle includes broadcasting a control signal including instructions for modification of a vehicle parameter to the vehicle during operation of the engine.
US08335623B2

A method for operating a powertrain, including an electro-mechanical transmission mechanically-operatively coupled to an internal combustion engine and an electric machine, includes monitoring slip across a selectively applied clutch within the transmission to indicate a clutch slip event, and if the monitoring indicates the clutch slip event decreasing a load across the selectively applied clutch by reducing torque of at least one of the engine and the electric machine, in order to reduce the slip, thereby ending the clutch slip event.
US08335621B2

When downshift control is performed during fuel cut control (when coast-down gearshift control is performed), fuel cut reset revolutions are lowered and set to revolutions Ndwn that are lower than fuel cut reset revolutions Nnor for normal control. By such a setting, it becomes possible to maintain fuel cut control and deceleration lockup slippage control even when engine revolutions NE temporarily drop during execution of coast-down gearshift control, so an improvement in fuel consumption can be achieved. Moreover, it becomes unnecessary to set a downshift gearshift line to a higher vehicle speed side, so fuel cut can be maintained while suppressing the occurrence of a gearshift shock.
US08335619B2

An HV-ECU executes a program including a step of turning on a fail-safe permission flag if a select sensor is abnormal, and a step of transmitting a non-P request signal to a P-ECU if the position of a shift lever is read as the N position and a predetermined time Tn elapses.
US08335617B2

A sensor detection controller is used in combination with a capacitive sensor that is mounted on a seat of a vehicle in such a manner that a capacitance of the capacitive sensor changes according to whether the seat is occupied. The sensor detection controller has a fault detection mode and a normal detection mode. The sensor detection controller includes a signal source for applying an amplitude signal to the capacitive sensor, a switch for switching a signal path, through which the amplitude signal is applied, between the fault detection mode and the normal detection mode, a signal detector for detecting a change in a voltage or a current of the amplitude signal when the amplitude signal is applied, and an impedance member connected to the signal path.
US08335613B2

So as to provide, with high accuracy, an actuating variable for actuating a torque control element in an electric vehicle steering system and achieve this with reduced complexity as compared to the known methods and devices, an actual torsion-bar torque (MD) is detected, a differential torque is found from a predefined target torsion-bar torque (MD,ref) and the actual torsion-bar torque (MD), and the actuating variable is determined by means of an output feedback controller, as a function of the differential torque.
US08335601B2

A system for automated fault analysis and execution of post-flight or pre-flight tests for an aircraft is provided. The system includes a maintenance test client system onboard the aircraft, and a ground-based maintenance test server system that is remote from the aircraft. The maintenance test client system is configured to collect fault data for the aircraft, and to wirelessly transmit the fault data to the ground-based maintenance test server system after the aircraft has landed. The ground-based maintenance test server system is configured to receive the fault data, to generate a test checklist that is influenced by the fault data, and to transmit the test checklist to the maintenance test client system. The maintenance test client system wirelessly receives the test checklist, and initiates execution of at least one test specified in the test checklist.
US08335597B2

A remote-controlled mobile machine has a pair of flexible shafts (10) formed by inserting torque transmission driving wires (11) into tubes (12). One ends of the flexible shafts (10) are respectively connected to power sources (2), and the other ends thereof are respectively connected to a pair of left and right crawler mechanisms (102). The crawler mechanisms (102) are driven/controlled by remote control via the flexible shafts (10) to make the mobile machine travel.
US08335593B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods for intelligently monitoring and managing, from a centralized location, one or more power-using systems. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, a current sensor is installed at each heating or cooling system at a facility to measure the electricity used by each heating or cooling system. A current sensor is also installed at each facility to measure the total amount of electricity used by the facility. The current measurements are monitored in real time or near real time to monitor operation of the heating and cooling systems at the facility. In some embodiments, temperature sensors and other sensors are installed for each heating and cooling system and are also used to monitor operation of the heating and cooling systems. In some embodiments, controllers are also installed for each heating and cooling system to permit control of each system at a remote central control system.
US08335590B2

An image capturing device is robotically positioned and oriented in response to operator manipulation of a master control device. An unused degree-of-freedom of the master control device is used to adjust an attribute such as focusing of the image capturing device relative to a continually updated set-point. A deadband is provided to avoid inadvertent adjusting of the image capturing device attribute and haptic feedback is provided back to the master control device so that the operator is notified when adjusting of the attribute is initiated.
US08335577B2

A chipset for an audio player supporting Bluetooth advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP). The chipset comprises first and second processors. The first processor reads audio source data from a storage device and performs a first part of advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP) source encoding. The second processor is coupled to the first processor and performs a second part of the advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP) source encoding. The first and second processors collectively act as a Bluetooth host.
US08335575B2

A control node has a sequence table and subscribers, with the sequence table having data records each having an identification for an action of a manufacturing sequence associated with the control node, an identification for a subscriber carrying out the action and an identification of a parameter set associated with the action, and wherein each subscriber has a sequence interpreter which is designed to read and to interpret the sequence table, and to initiate the actions associated with the subscriber.
US08335570B2

An implantable lead has an inner core, a plurality of coiled conductor guides, and a plurality of conductors. The inner core defines a plurality of lumens. Each coiled conductor guide defines a plurality of helical lumens. Each coiled conductor guide is disposed in a coiled arrangement over a portion of the inner core. Each of the conductors electrically couples at least one electrode to at least one terminal. At least one of the conductors includes a plurality of units. Each unit includes a first conductor segment extending along the inner core from a beginning point to a first position, a coiled conductor segment disposed at least partially in one of the lumens of the coiled conductor guides and extending from the first position to the second position, and a second conductor segment extending along the inner core from the second position to an endpoint.
US08335561B1

The present invention relates to a method of analyzing a subject for excessive daytime sleepiness, and more particularly to a quick (short duration), quantitative method of sleep disorder analysis. The present invention additionally relates to a method that can be used to quantitatively measure the treatment endpoints for the subject, i.e., appropriate levels of stimulants. Additionally, the present invention relates to a device for sleep disorder analysis.
US08335555B2

A wave-based tomographic imaging method and apparatus based upon one or more rotating radially outward oriented transmitting and receiving elements have been developed for non-destructive evaluation. At successive angular locations at a fixed radius, a predetermined transmitting element can launch a primary field and one or more predetermined receiving elements can collect the backscattered field in a “pitch/catch” operation. A Hilbert space inverse wave (HSIW) algorithm can construct images of the received scattered energy waves using operating modes chosen for a particular application. Applications include, improved intravascular imaging, bore hole tomography, and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of parts having existing access holes.
US08335552B2

When delivering a therapy to a patient, such as a drug to a brain of a patient, an optimized delivery point can be selected. The optimized point can be based on physics, physiology, and pharmacology. The optimized point can be used for planning a surgical navigation procedure.
US08335550B2

Optical sensor devices, image processing devices, methods and computer readable code computer-readable storage media for detecting biophysical parameters, chemical concentrations, chemical saturations, vital signs and physiological information such as a malignant condition are provided. The optical sensor includes an array of photodetectors, where each photodetector is configured to detect a spectrum of light. Exemplary physiological parameters include but are not limited to a pulse rate, a biophysical or physiological property of skin, a cardiovascular property, a property related to an organ such as the liver or the kidneys, and a temperature fluctuation. Alternatively one or more parameters are detected from a food item such as food tissue, a consumable beverage such as an alcoholic beverage, a dairy product, wine, a baked good, a fruit and a vegetable.
US08335548B2

When a communication apparatus is operating as a control station on a network, control is exercised so as to handover the control station when it is recognized that the status of the power supply of another communication apparatus participating in this network is indicative of commercial power. Recognition is performed by receiving information, which requests handover of the control station, from the other communication apparatus whose power-supply status is indicative of commercial power.
US08335541B2

The present invention provides a method implemented in a base station having a plurality of antennas. The method includes associating a plurality of users with a plurality of first pre-coding matrices based on information provided by the plurality of users. The method also includes determining whether at least one of the plurality of first pre-coding matrices is incomplete and associating users with at least one second pre-coding matrix when at least one first pre-coding matrix is incomplete. The users are associated with the incomplete first pre-coding matrix and the second pre-coding matrix is formed based on the incomplete first pre-coding matrix.
US08335539B1

A controlling device for shifting images in a display of a smartphone is provided with a monitor installed with a Screen Resident Device Driver. The Screen Resident Device Driver includes a Real Time Operating System that is in charge of a TCP/IP communication protocol, a USB-Host communication protocol, a Network and Display Server, a mobile phone and communication process driver, and a Bluetooth-Host communication protocol. The device further provides a mobile phone comprising a Mobile Phone Resident Device Driver installed in a mobile phone body. The Mobile Phone Resident Device Driver includes a Resident Detect Operation Service, a Remote Human Interface Device (HID), a Remote HID-Disk, a Display Resolution Control, a Remote Transaction Event Handler, and a Virtual Display Driver. Thereby, the image on the mobile phone is enlarged according to the geometric ratio so as to contribute to the virtual image.
US08335534B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for transmission with a plurality of base stations (BSs) in a wireless cellular data network where one BS communicates with neighboring BSs by determining a binary or discrete new power level on each subchannel to determine a weighted sum modified rates of a BS and in-neighbor BSs; and resolving concurrent power update in each BS in a distributed manner.
US08335531B2

An own-group storage area in which beacon information concerning a group of the own device is stored and an other-groups storage area in which beacon information concerning other groups different from the group of the own device is stored are allocated to a memory area of a wireless communication device in a network. The wireless communication device includes storage means for storing the beacon information concerning the other groups in the own-group storage area and the other-groups storage area in the same structure as that of the beacon information concerning the group of the own device.
US08335522B2

An approach is provided for determining the existence of an event based on information collected from mobile devices. Reception is caused, at least in part, of media from a plurality of mobile devices. A plurality of event vectors for the respective mobile devices is determined. Each of the event vectors includes geo-location information and timing information of the corresponding mobile device. The existence of the event is determined based on the received media and the event vectors.
US08335518B2

A method for performing location update in various manners when a mobile station (MS) travels between paging groups in a wireless access system. A method for performing location update of an MS includes steps of transmitting a ranging request message (REG-REQ) including mobility information to a base station, wherein the mobility information represent a mobility of the mobile station; and receiving a ranging response message (RNG-RSP) including paging group information related with new paging group from the base station, wherein the new paging group is assigned based on the mobility information.
US08335516B2

A data transmission method and apparatus encodes data to be transmitted over a wireless network on a unit basis, and provides the transmission data with information for allowing the transmission data to recover from an error being added thereto, transmits the transmission data to the wireless network, calculates a transfer success ratio depending on whether the transmission data have been successfully transmitted, and controls the transmission of the transmission data depending on whether the transfer success ratio is higher than a threshold value.
US08335512B2

A method of network resource release processing is provided, which includes the following steps. After user equipment (UE) using idle mode signaling reduction (ISR) mechanism registers to two 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) communication networks, when the UE changes from the 3GPP network to a non-3GPP communication network, a serving gateway (serving GW) receives a message sent from a peer endpoint network element (NE), and deletes network resources established by the two 3GPP communication networks for the UE according to the message. A mobility management NE and a serving GW are also provided. Through the method and device of network resource release processing, the resources are released when the UE using the ISR mechanism changes from the 3GPP network to the non-3GPP communication network.
US08335506B2

A method of updating a roaming list in a mobile device is disclosed herein. The method involves detecting an occurrence of an event via a processor at a back-end system, generating a trigger in response to the detecting of the occurrence of the event, and recognizing, by the processor, the trigger as a roaming list update trigger. The method further includes identifying the mobile device, via the processor, as requiring a roaming list update based on the recognizing of the roaming list update trigger, and transmitting, via a wireless connection, the updated roaming list from the back-end system to the identified mobile device.
US08335493B2

A portable device for use of a service provided by a remote service system comprises a communication system and a service selection application. The communication system receives a service message from the remote service system. The service message comprises at least one service descriptor. Each of the at least one service descriptors identifies a one of at least one service provided by the remote service system. The service selection application applies at least one context rule to the at least one service descriptor to determine a selected one of the services provided by the remote service system. Applying the at least one context rule may comprise: i) identifying current context factors of the portable device; and ii) identifying a selected one of the services by identifying which of the at least one service descriptors are associated with the current context factors of the portable device. The service application then drives the communication system to exchange data with the remote service system to initiate use of the selected one of the services provided by the remote service system.
US08335486B1

In a communication system, Position Determining Equipment (PDE) receives location queries from wireless communication devices, determines geographic location data for the wireless communication devices using a plurality of different position fix types, and transfers the geographic location data to the wireless communication devices. The PDE also determines location session data indicating cumulative session time for each of the different position fix types. A PDE data processing system adds the cumulative session time for each of the different position fix types to determine total session time for all of the position fix types. The PDE data processing system divides the total session time for all of the position fix types by the total time to determine an indicator of average concurrent use of the PDE.
US08335485B2

Embodiments provide a method and apparatus wherein a proxy control function may forward an emergency session to a serving control function, the serving control function forwarding the session to a default emergency control function. The default emergency control function may return an address or identity of an emergency control function or may forward the session to an emergency control function.
US08335477B2

A resource configuration method includes acquiring capability information of a base station (BS), in which the capability information of the BS includes information indicating whether the BS has channel power boost capability. Capability information of a user equipment (UE) is acquired. The capability information of the UE includes information indicating whether the UE has the channel power boost capability. The BS is notified to configure resources for performing channel estimation by using the channel power boost capability for the UE if the UE and the BS both have the channel power boost capability.
US08335476B2

A maintenance method and system is provided. The method includes providing a device comprising a thru state switch and condition circuits. The device is permanently connected between a feed system and an antenna. The device receives a first control signal and disables a connection between the analyzer and the antenna. The device receives additional control signals and enables conditions. The device generates altered responses of the feed system. The altered responses are associated with the conditions. The altered responses are used to normalize an analyzer and the feed system or troubleshoot a communication system.
US08335474B2

A user equipment senses a plurality of wireless signals it receives; estimates cyclic correlation of the received signals using a multi-variate sign function; determines from the estimated cyclic correlation which ones of the signals are detected based on cyclostationarity present at known cyclic frequencies; and a frequency resource is selected for opportunistic communications based on the frequencies over which were received the signals that were determined to be detected. In specific embodiments, the multi-variate sign function is bivariate; the detected signals are primary user signals and the selected frequency resource avoids frequencies on which they were received; and/or the detected signals are secondary user signals and the selected frequency resource can either avoid those frequencies on which they were received or use those frequencies for the UE's own opportunistic communications.
US08335470B2

A communication apparatus and a method used by the communication apparatus to perform magnetic-field communication with an external apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus determines the communication distance between the communication apparatus and the external apparatus based on the voltage level of a radio signal, a distance measuring device, or other means. The communication distance is compared to a predetermined distance and the communication apparatus dynamically adjusts its resonance frequency for improved magnetic-field communication with the external apparatus.
US08335465B2

An image forming apparatus includes a first and a second image forming sections, a paper feeding section, and a paper output section. The image forming sections form an image on paper independently. The apparatus is laterally dividable into a first and a second portions where the first and second image forming sections are respectively positioned. The feeding section is arranged below the first image forming section in the first portion. The output section is arranged above the second image forming section in the second portion. The apparatus has two simple transport paths that run vertically through the image forming sections, respectively, without intersecting each other and detouring around the second or first image forming section.
US08335460B2

A tubular body 101 includes a layer containing a resin and conductive particles 112, the layer having a first region 111C that is free of conductive particles and lies at the outermost surface, and a second region 111B that has higher conductivity than other regions and lies closer to the innermost surface than the first region. A coating film of a coating liquid containing the conductive particles and resin material is dried, and then an eluting solvent for eluting the resin material from the film is applied thereto. As a result of this, the conductive particles are localized in the coating film at the side coated with the eluting solvent. Thereafter, upon drying the eluting solvent, the resin material dissolved in the eluting solvent deposits on the region where the conductive particles are localized, whereby a particle-free resin region free of the conductive particles is formed.
US08335453B2

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes an apparatus body having an endless belt incorporated therein configured to transfer toner images formed on a plurality of image bearing members to the recording medium, and a supporting member configured to support the plurality of image bearing members and to be slidable between inner and outer positions of the apparatus body along the arranged direction of the plurality of image bearing members, wherein when the supporting member slides between the inner and outer positions of the apparatus body while at least one of the plurality of image bearing members is in contact with the belt, a force is applied to the belt to rotate the belt along the moving direction of the supporting member.
US08335445B2

Provided are a development apparatus and an image forming apparatus which, in a hybrid development apparatus provided with a plurality of toner carriers, a toner supply capability to supply toner to each toner carrier is controlled independent of development electric fields between the toner carriers and an image carrier, whereby each toner carrier is allowed to exhibit a desired development capability, and even in the case of high speed development, a high quality image is provided. The phases, the frequencies, and/or the duty ratios of the alternating current components of the voltages applied to the plurality of the toner carriers are made to be different, whereby the toner supply amount for each toner carrier from the developer carrier is controlled independently of the development electric fields between the toner carriers and the image carrier.
US08335440B2

A system, method, and apparatus is disclosed for enabling a constant modulus algorithm (CMA) to be reliably used for blind equalization training of an equalizer. According to one embodiment, received signals in a binary phase shift keying (BPSK) format are converted to a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) format, to which CMA processing can be reliably applied for equalization. According to another aspect of this embodiment, the equalized QPSK signals are rotated to convert the signals to an equalized BPSK format for output.
US08335439B2

A method of managing forward error correction (FEC) initialization and auto-negotiation in ethernet passive optical networks includes receiving FEC data from an optical network unit (ONU), and the optical line terminal (OLT) responds to the ONU with FEC data. Upon receiving data not forward error corrected from an ONU, the OLT responds with data not coded for FEC. Similarly, upon receiving forward error corrected data from the OLT, the ONU responds with forward error corrected data; and upon receiving data not forward error corrected from the OLT, the ONU responds with data not forward error corrected. The communications quality from the ONU is monitored, if the communications quality is not sufficient, the OLT transmits forward error corrected data to the ONU; otherwise, the OLT transmits non-FEC data to the ONU. Similarly, the method includes monitoring communications quality from the OLT by the ONU; if the communications quality is insufficient, the ONU transmits FEC data to the OLT; otherwise, the ONU transmits data not forward error corrected to the OLT.
US08335428B2

A method is provided for protection switching in an optical network. The method may include establishing a baseline power level for a channel. The method may further include receiving a signal associated with the channel via each of a first path of the optical network and a second path of the optical network. The method may also include monitoring a power intensity of the signal received via the first path. The method may additionally include protection switching from the signal received via the first path to the signal received via the second path in response to a determination that the baseline power level exceeds the power intensity of the signal received via the first path by a predetermined threshold.
US08335424B2

A plurality of video streams and STN_table are recorded in the local storage 200. Each of the plurality of video streams is a secondary video stream to be played together with a primary video stream, and includes picture data representing a child image to be displayed in Picture in Picture that is composed of a parent image and the child image. In the STN_table, entries of secondary video streams that are permitted to be played are described in the order of priority.
US08335423B2

An image display apparatus includes an image playback unit that plays a group of a series of images in chronological order; an operating unit that is used to input an operation when an image that is being played in the image playback unit is subjected to image interpretation; an image interpretation operation recording unit that records an operation content which is input from the operating unit in an order with respect to the image that is being played in the image playback unit; an image interpretation operation image creating unit that creates, using the operation content recorded in the image interpretation operation recording unit, a series of images according to the order; and an image interpretation operation image display unit that displays the image created by the image interpretation operation image creating unit.
US08335419B2

An optical component includes at least one light-guiding element with a side surface extending between incident and emission faces between which light that is introduced into the incident face can propagate by internal reflection. Disposed over at least a portion of the side surface of at least one of the at least one light-guiding elements is an extramural absorption material that is configured to selectively absorb “stray light” that enters the incident face of the light-guiding element, but which exists through the side surface instead of the emission face. The absorption material is fabricated, at least in part, from an electro-chromic material exhibiting a translucency that is selectively adjustable in response to changes in at least one of (i) electrical current applied through at least a portion of the absorption material and (ii) an electrical potential difference applied between disparate locations within the absorption material.
US08335410B2

An opto-electric hybrid module capable of shortening the distance between a light-emitting section or a light-receiving section of a semiconductor chip and a reflecting surface formed in a core to reduce optical losses between an opto-electric conversion substrate section and an optical waveguide section, and a method of manufacturing the same. A recessed portion (3a) is formed in a surface of an over cladding layer (3) of the optical waveguide section (W1). At least part of the light-emitting section (7a) or the light-receiving section of the semiconductor chip (7) for opto-electric conversion and at least part of a loop portion (8a) of a bonding wire (8) in the opto-electric conversion substrate section (E1) are positioned within the recessed portion (3a). This brings the light-emitting section (7a) or the light-receiving section of the semiconductor chip (7) and the reflecting surface (2a) formed in the core (2) closer to each other.
US08335408B2

In the sending and receiving of a signal through an optical waveguide, an unknown substrate connected to the optical waveguide can be recognized. A signal processing apparatus 1A is provided with an optical waveguide 2A in which the light input from an arbitrary position on an outer circumference is output in an entire circumference direction at a level in accordance with a positional relation with the input location, a master substrate 3M arranged on the outer circumference of the optical waveguide 2A, a single or a plurality of slave substrates 3S arranged at any of a plurality of mount locations at different positions along the outer circumference of the optical waveguide 2A, in which as the light is output from A laser diodes 30S of all the slave substrates 3S connected to the optical waveguide 2A, from a level of a light transmitted through the optical waveguide 2A and input to the photo detector 31M of the master substrate 3M in accordance with the arrangement of the slave substrate 3S, the master substrate 3M recognizes the mount positions and number of the slave substrates 3S.
US08335400B2

Markers are laid out to express a predetermined code string by a plurality of continuous markers. The markers which form a marker string include at least two types of markers having different features which can be identified by image processing. Markers detected in the captured image are converted into numerical information, and are collated based on the numerical information and the predetermined code string. Using information associated with the markers, the coordinate information of each collated marker is calculated. The position and orientation of an image capturing device are calculated using the coordinate information. With a simple arrangement, the position and orientation of an image capturing device can be calculated.
US08335392B2

A method for reducing image artifacts in an image that includes a number of pixels each of which includes at least one video information value, includes generating a plurality of filter coefficients for at least some of the pixels of the image, on the basis of which the video information values of the pixels can be reconstructed. Artifact detection is performed to detect artifact regions within the image. At least some filter coefficients of those pixels that lie within the artifact regions are modified to generate modified filter coefficients. The video information values are synthesized using the filter coefficients, the modified filter coefficients being employed for the synthesis for pixels lying within the artifact regions.
US08335387B2

In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a method for performing streak compensation on compressed digital image data. The method comprises generating the compressed digital image data using a compression method employing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) and recovering a zero frequency component (DC coefficient) of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) for each of a plurality of compressed unit blocks of image data wherein each unit block includes N pixel columns. The method further comprises applying spatially varying compensating tone reproduction curves (TRC) to the DC coefficients of each of the plurality of unit blocks on a block-column basis wherein each block-column receives compensation from a given TRC, re-compressing the compensated image data, and subsequently decompressing all of the compensated units to produce decompressed compensated image data.
US08335386B2

An image encoding device includes: an image division section for dividing one frame of image into a plurality of image fragments, grouping the plurality of image fragments into N sets (N: an integer of 2 or more), and outputting the N sets of image fragments as N partial images; an image swapping section for swapping at least one image fragment with another between the N partial images to thereby output N partial images each having shuffled image fragments; and an encoding section for encoding the N partial images output from the image swapping section.
US08335385B2

A pixel block (300) is losslessly compressed into a candidate compressed block. If the bit length of the candidate block exceeds a threshold value, the property values of the pixels (310-317) in the block (300) are quantized and the quantized values are losslessly compressed into a new candidate compressed block. The procedure is repeated until a candidate compressed block having good image quality and a bit length below the threshold value is found. A compressed representation (400) of the block (300) is determined based on the found candidate compressed block (420) and an identifier (410) of the used quantization parameter.
US08335384B2

An apparatus for processing image information regarding image data pieces each having retrievable information including shooting time and a shooting interval includes a grouping unit configured to group the image data pieces, which are arranged in order of the shooting time, by sequentially carrying out grouping steps that each divide or merge the image data pieces into groups according to the shooting intervals, an evaluation unit configured to calculate a score for each of the grouping steps according to one or a plurality of predetermined evaluation items, and a determination unit configured to determine a specific one of the grouping steps according to the calculated scores.
US08335383B1

In some embodiments, image spam is identified by comparing color histograms of suspected spam images with color histograms of reference (known) images. The histogram comparison includes comparing a first color content in a query image with a range of similar color contents in the reference image. For example, a pixel count for a given color in the query image may be compared to pixel counts for a range of similar colors in the reference image. A histogram distance between two images may be determined according to a computed pixel count difference between the given query histogram color and a selected color in the range of similar reference histogram colors.
US08335374B2

A method for classifying pixels in an image, e.g. a microscopy image, as being associated with a feature of interest has been described. A color brightfield microscopy image represented by color values for an array of pixels is conventionally obtained. The image is over-segmented based on the color values to provide a plurality of groups of contiguous pixels with related color values, whereby a typical feature of interest will be represented by multiple segments. A list of pairs of segments which are adjacent to one another in the image is generated, and a difference in average color value between the segments comprising each pair is determined. Pairs of adjacent segments are then selectively joined together to form a joined segment to replace the corresponding pair of segments in the list if pre-defined joining criteria are met. The pairs are considered for joining in an order based on their respective differences in average color value. Pixels are then classified as being associated with the feature of interest based on the segments following the selective joining. Segmentation information indicating the pixels classified as being associated with the feature of interest is thus provided.
US08335373B2

In order to implement color-reduction processing more suitable, an image processing apparatus includes: a reference pixel determination unit configured to determine a reference pixel by scanning first image data; a color space division unit configured to set a plurality of regions in a hue circle and a plurality of luminance levels, and to determine a plurality of bins; a frequency distribution generation unit configured to generate a frequency distribution; a determination unit configured to select N bins based on the generated frequency distribution and to determine N types of pixel values respectively corresponding to the selected N bins; and a substitution unit configured to substitute each of pixels included in the first image data using the determined N types of pixel values.
US08335372B2

A correlation value calculation circuit calculates respective correlation values of each pixel for color image or for gray image in four directions. A selection circuit determines respective correlation values (Cv, Ch, CdA and CdB) in the four directions on the basis of a chroma evaluation value. A first correlation judgment circuit determines a correlation direction of a specified pixel from the correlation values (Cv, Ch, CdA and CdB). A first interpolation circuit performs color interpolation on the basis of the determined correlation direction. A color-interpolated image is enlarged by an enlargement circuit. A correlation direction interpolation circuit performs enlargement and interpolation of the correlation direction determined by the first correlation judgment circuit. A filter performs a filtering process for each of pixels of the enlarged image by using the interpolated correlation direction for enlargement.
US08335371B2

A method for vision field computing may comprise the following steps of: forming a sampling system for a multi-view dynamic scene; controlling cameras in the sampling system for the multi-view dynamic scene to perform spatial interleaved sampling, temporal interleaved exposure sampling and exposure-variant sampling; performing spatial intersection to the sampling information in the view subspace of the dynamic scene and temporal intersection to the sampling information in the time subspace of the dynamic scene to reconstruct a dynamic scene geometry model; performing silhouette back projection based on the dynamic scene geometry model to obtain silhouette motion constraints for the view angles of the cameras; performing temporal decoupling for motion de-blurring with the silhouette motion constraints; and reconstructing a dynamic scene 3D model with a resolution larger than nominal resolution of each camera by a 3D reconstructing algorithm.
US08335368B2

A document processor and method of use are disclosed. In one aspect, a document processor includes a path of travel of a document, a magnetic ink character reader, and an image scanner. The magnetic ink character reader is located along the path of travel and positioned to read magnetic characters printed on a document passing along the path of travel. The image scanner is located along the path of travel and oriented to capture an image of a surface of a document passing along the path of travel. The document processor also includes at least one drive mechanism located along the path of travel and configured to guide a document along the path of travel in a first direction during operation of the magnetic ink character reader, and further configured to guide the document along the path of travel in a second direction opposite the first direction during operation of the image scanner. The drive mechanism is configured to guide the document along the path of travel in the first direction at a first speed, and guide the document along the path of travel in a second direction at a second speed.
US08335366B2

A method including searching image data corresponding to a series of axial image slices with a processor, searching axial image slices from a starting image slice and calculating a confidence score that an image slice includes a cross-section image of an aorta, identifying an image slice containing at least one seed disk, including an ascending aorta seed disk, from candidate image slices identified according to the confidence score, and growing a 3D segmentation of the ascending aorta by stacking ascending aorta image disks included in consecutive image slices beginning from the ascending aorta seed disk.
US08335363B2

A method for image reconstruction of moving radionuclide distributions. Its particular embodiment is for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of awake animals, though its techniques are general enough to be applied to other moving radionuclide distributions as well. The invention eliminates motion and blurring artifacts for image reconstructions of moving source distributions. This opens new avenues in the area of small animal brain imaging with radiotracers, which can now be performed without the perturbing influences of anesthesia or physical restraint on the biological system.
US08335344B2

A method for producing an electronic annotated document including embedding annotation information into an electronic annotation object having image data including an annotation, and producing the electronic annotated document using pixel information from the electronic document and the electronic annotation object. The annotation embedded information may be used to select corresponding pixel information from one of the electronic annotated object and electronic document to be provided in the electronic annotated document. A system and tangible storage medium having machine-readable instructions for producing an electronic annotated document are also disclosed.
US08335338B2

The present invention relates to a loudspeaker in the acoustic field and the information communication field. The invention provides a loudspeaker that can realize a thinner size. To achieve this, the loudspeaker of the present invention is structured so that a part of a diaphragm is inserted to a dent or an opening formed at the center poles of a lower plate of a magnetic circuit. This structure allows the diaphragm to be stored within the height of the magnetic circuit, thus allowing the loudspeaker to have a thinner size.
US08335335B2

A headset comprises two earphones joined together by a band which can be worn over the head of a wearer. Each earphone includes a noise plate, which functions to attenuate or eliminate noise from the environment such as a tournament gaming environment. The noise plate includes an aperture through which a boom assembly that houses a microphone may engage to transmit utterances of the wearer to audio processing circuitry. A grille can be exposed when the noise plate is removed, which allows sounds produced in the ambient environment to enter the earphone.
US08335333B2

The speaker system according to the present invention is a speaker system in which a sound is emitted into a closed space from the back surface of a speaker unit, and has characteristic that gas in the closed space is physically adsorbed by a gas adsorber obtained by adding a binder to a porous material including a plurality of grains so as to perform molding. The speaker system according to the present invention is capable of reproducing, even when a small cabinet is used, low frequency sound while suppressing reduction in sound pressure level as compared to a conventional art.
US08335331B2

A speaker virtualization system provides virtual surround sound using a pair of physical loudspeakers. A multiple surround audio channels input is processed using a combination of head related transfer functions and shaped reverberation to provide widening and front/back auditory clues without requiring any kind of interaural path cancellation. The system uses a 360 degree power-response head related transfer function to provide perceptual separation of the reverberant and direct paths, along with discrete, different reverberation for left and right rendering channels to provide envelopment. By eliminating interaural path cancellation, the speaker virtualization system also produces a wider virtual surround sound effect, without dependency on head position and facing.
US08335329B2

In a piezoelectric speaker, an acoustic diaphragm is thicker than a piezoelectric thin film and is formed of a more flexible and higher elasticity material than the piezoelectric thin film, thereby greatly improving output sound pressure in a low frequency band and reducing sound distortion. Further, the piezoelectric thin film is attached to the acoustic diaphragm in an inclined structure in which the piezoelectric thin film is horizontally turned from the acoustic diaphragm, thereby preventing a standing wave from being created by structural symmetry and minimizing sound distortion.
US08335328B2

An integrated circuit for providing programmable microphone interface includes an input terminal for receiving an input signal and an output terminal for providing an output audio signal. The integrated circuit includes a bias circuit, an amplifier circuit, and two feedback circuits. The bias circuit provides a microphone bias signal to the microphone and provides a sensed microphone signal. The amplifier circuit includes a first input, a second input, and an output. The first input is configured to receive the sensed microphone signal, a first feedback signal, and a second feedback signal. The second input is configured to receive a first reference signal. The feedback circuits are in communication with the output and the first input of the amplifier circuit. In a specific embodiment, the first feedback circuit includes an RC circuit and the second feedback circuit includes an integrator.
US08335326B2

Methods are provided for solid-state implementation of a vacuum tube replacement device (VTRD) that includes a communication interface. The communication interface enables the VTRD to command or retrieve information regarding VTRD performance, function, and status. A VTRD may communicate with other VTRDs in a target amplifier retrofitted with compatible VTRDs and to an external user interface for programming or query/response. The methods presented for the vacuum tube replacement device system(s) are equally useful for non-vacuum tube systems such as audio amplifier circuits.
US08335321B2

An audio signal processing apparatus generates an audio signal having an omni-directivity in the whole circumferential direction, generates an audio signal having a directivity in the right-left direction, generates an audio signal having a directivity in the front-back direction, adds the audio signal resulting from the multiplication of the audio signal having a directivity in the whole circumferential direction by a predetermined coefficient, the audio signal resulting from the multiplication of the audio signal having a directivity in the right-left direction by a predetermined coefficient, and the audio signal resulting from the multiplication of the audio signal having a directivity in the front-back direction by a predetermined coefficient, and generates a unidirectional audio signal.
US08335309B2

The invention relates to a method for detecting the status of a telephone receiver (H) for a communication terminal (EG), wherein the telephone receiver (H) is equipped with a microphone (M) and with a loudspeaker (LS). The loudspeaker (LS) of the telephone receiver (H) is used to output a defined tone signal, and this tone signal is simultaneously picked up again by means of the microphone (M) of the telephone receiver (H). The tone signal picked up is analysed, with at least one value for at least one parameter of the tone signal picked up being ascertained, and the at least one value is used to determine the status of the telephone receiver (H).
US08335308B2

A method, system, and apparatus for attenuating a dialing confirmation tone includes receiving an enable signal from a tactile user input device, generating at least one dual-tone multiple frequency (DTMF) tone, and communicating the at least one DTMF tone to a telephone line. The method further includes attenuating a signal level of the at least one DTMF tone by a predetermined amount to produce at least one attenuated dialing confirmation tone in response to receiving the enable signal, and communicating the at least one attenuated dialing confirmation tone to an audio output device.
US08335304B2

The present invention is generally directed to a system and associated method for communicating information. In some embodiments, the invention is directed to a general purpose transceiver having a receiver for receiving an information signal and a transmitter configured to transmit an outgoing signal to a central station. A portion of the information signal can include an instruction code, which may be decoded and acted upon accordingly. Other embodiments and features are also claimed and described.
US08335299B1

The present invention relates to a system and method for capturing, sharing, annotating, archiving, and reviewing phone calls and related computer video output in a computer document format. The system creates a portable, transferable computer file recording of a phone call & computer video (“phone voice recording,” or “PVD”) that contains attached data to help identify, sort, and archive the file while maintaining the integrity of the file. Another aspect of the invention includes a method of using the system comprising initiating a phone call between two parties; beginning a recording of the call and initiating a PVD for the recording; and terminating the call and creating the PVD for the call. Another aspect of the invention includes a method of accessing a PVD by a user, reviewing and/or modifying the PVD, capturing the modified PVD, and sharing the PVD with another user.
US08335295B1

A chromium oxide film is formed so as to continuously connect an anode and a grid electrode, and an insulating member for insulating those electrodes. A chromium oxide film is formed so as to continuously connect a grid electrode and a grid electrode, and an insulating member for insulating those electrodes. With use of the chromium oxide films, no intermittent discharge phenomenon occurs between the insulating member and the anode, and between the insulating member and the grid electrodes.
US08335286B2

Certain aspects provide a method for determining decoding order and reconstruction weights for decoded streams to be cancelled in a MIMO system with successive interference cancellation, based on estimates of the channel characteristics, the received composite signal and parameters of the system.
US08335279B2

Apparatuses, systems, and methods that align channel filters for dual tuners are disclosed. An embodiment may comprise an IC having two tuners. Each tuner may have a low-noise amplifier, a mixer with a local oscillator, and channel filter. To perform a channel filter alignment, a bandwidth controller may cross-couple the local oscillator of each tuner to the input of the mixer of the opposite tuner. The bandwidth controller may adjust the frequencies of the local oscillators to produce different configuration tone frequencies at the outputs of the mixers, which are inputs to the channel filters. The bandwidth controller may then determine an amplitude difference between two separate measurements of a channel filter output and, based on a comparison of the measurements with predicted values, increment or decrement the filter bandwidth for each tuner and store parameters for the channel filters which create the largest signal amplitudes.
US08335278B2

Disclosed is a method for generating feedback signal patterns of common feedback channels using cyclic shift in a multiple access system, and a transceiver therefore. A method for generating feedback signal patterns includes generating first transmission symbols by adding a cyclic prefix to transmission symbols of feedback signals, and generating second and subsequent transmission symbols by cyclically shifting the first transmission symbols and then adding the cyclic prefix.
US08335275B2

A method, a device, and a system for managing lines are provided. The method includes: collecting showtime parameters of user lines (11); calculating crosstalk information of the user lines according to the collected showtime parameters (12); and grouping the user lines according to the calculated crosstalk information of the user lines (13). Thus, the dynamic spectrum management (DSM) algorithm is made to be more simple and faster, and the user lines are grouped more directly and exactly.
US08335271B2

In a receiver transparent Q-mode, i.e., a Q-mode that is only implemented by a transmitter, the receiver is unaware of the Q-mode state of the transmitter. In this type of Q-mode configuration, the transmitter could enter and exit Q-mode as desired while the receiver, could, for example, continue to function as if operating normally, such as in “showtime.” Through this approach, it is not necessary for the receiver to detect the transmitter's entry and exit of Q-mode.
US08335265B2

The invention relates to method for buffering encoded pictures. The method includes an encoding step for forming encoded pictures in an encoder. The method also includes a transmission step for transmitting said encoded pictures to a decoder as transmission units, a buffering step for buffering transmission units transmitted to the decoder in a buffer, and a decoding step for decoding the encoded pictures for forming decoded pictures. The buffer size is defined so that the total size of at least two transmission units is defined and the maximum buffer size is defined on the basis of the total size.
US08335246B2

A method, system, network and device provide Smart Grid Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) detection. One or more symbols or chips present in one or more received radio frequency signals are detected and the presence of one or more erred symbols or chips in the detected one or more symbols present in the received one or more radio frequency signals determined. A correlation in time between the one or more erred symbols or chips and an infrastructure waveform associated with electrical infrastructure can be determined. When the determined correlation indicates the electrical infrastructure as a source of detectable radio frequency interference to a device, a pattern flag is generated. The pattern flag or pattern flag representation can be stored and/or transmitted.
US08335244B2

A data transmission method, a network device, and a communication system are provided. The method includes: acquiring a frequency hopping time period and frequency hopping information when reliable transmission is required; transmitting data according to the frequency hopping information in the frequency hopping time period. Thus, the reliability of data transmission is ensured, the original network is not changed significantly, and the system overhead and resources are saved.
US08335236B2

Methods and apparatus for automatically configuring an aggregated link between a device supporting Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and two or more FCoE Forwarders (FCFs) configured as a virtual switch in an effort to isolate FCoE traffic from FCoE Initialization Protocol (FIP) traffic in the aggregated link without user intervention. The virtual switch may be configured using virtual PortChannel (vPC) or MultiChassis EtherChannel (MCEC) technology, for example. For some embodiments, following an exchange of Data Center Bridge Exchange (DCBX) Protocol packets identifying the aggregated link relationship to the device (e.g., a host or intermediate bridge), subchannels may be automatically created within the aggregated link and designated as carrying either FCoE or FIP traffic, thereby isolating the subchannels. In this manner, a user need not perform manual isolation of FCoE-carrying trunks in a data center environment.
US08335232B2

Systems and methods of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) communication are provided. A particular system includes a VoIP endpoint. The VoIP endpoint is adapted to monitor a packet loss measure between the VoIP endpoint and a second VoIP endpoint during a VoIP communication using a first CODEC. The VoIP endpoint is also adapted to negotiate with the second VoIP endpoint to select a substitute CODEC having a nominal data rate that is lower than an in-use nominal data rate of the first CODEC.
US08335229B1

In some embodiments, a method for supporting multiple devices on a high speed physical link may be described. An embedded device may assert a link request pin to request to transmit data on a multi-point communications link that may serve a plurality of embedded devices. A controlling device may receive the link request signal. When the controlling device finishes sending data on the link, it may address the plurality of embedded devices in a round robin format and may determine which device asserted the link request pin. The embedded device that asserted the link request pin may send an acknowledgement signal to the controlling device when it is addressed.
US08335225B2

An OFDM system embeds sequence information in the transmitted signal that reduces peak average power ratio (PAP) with minimal impact on the overall system efficiency. A marker is embedded onto the transmitted information that is used to identify the combining (inversion) sequence at the receiver. In one embodiment, selected tones in a cluster are rotated when the corresponding phase factor rotates the cluster.
US08335224B1

A data-buffering apparatus (100) having two buffers (206,200) and configured to conserve power is disclosed. When a block of data (202) having a short block length (406′) is to be buffered, the block of data (202) is buffered by a small primary buffer (206) and a large secondary buffer (200) is deactivated. When a block of data (202) having a long block length (406″) is to be buffered, the large secondary buffer (200) is activated and the block of data (202) is buffered by both buffers (206,200). As there are typically many more blocks of data (202) having short block lengths (406′) than long block lengths (406″), the secondary buffer (200) is activated only a small fraction of the time.
US08335220B2

A method for obtaining IP-CAN session policy control information is applicable to a scenario where the access gateway does not process an IP-CAN session setup message directly, and includes: receiving a request for obtaining IP-CAN session policy control information; obtaining an address of an access gateway; and sending the IP-CAN session policy control information to the access gateway according to the address of the access gateway.
US08335215B2

Memory stores data for access by a computer program that is capable of being executed on a data processing system. A data structure is stored in the memory, which includes information resident in a database used by the computer program. The information includes payload data made up of data objects, process data for a process associated with the data objects, and a header that includes technical data for transmitting the data structure.
US08335202B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate enhancing acquisition and handoff in a wireless network deployment by leveraging primary pilots and secondary pilots. The deployment can support more than one frequency band for operation, yet a mobile device can receive signals on one frequency band at a given time. Thus, a base station can transmit primary pilot(s) over frequency band(s) associated with operating data channel(s) as well as secondary pilot(s) over frequency band(s) that lack data channel(s) for the base station. Moreover, the base station can convey information that indicates to a mobile device whether each pilot is primary or secondary. Further, the mobile device can employ knowledge of pilot type (e.g., primary or secondary) as well as signal strength to effectuate handoff decisions; thus, disruptions in communication can be mitigated.
US08335196B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate supporting narrowband and wideband operation within a wideband wireless communication environment. For example, wideband operation can be enhanced by enabling faster communication of information as compared to narrowband operation, transfer of supplemental data available to wideband devices, and the like. Pursuant to another example, timing of information transfer can be scheduled over a plurality of subbands to enable a narrowband device to obtain a set of information over one of the subbands during a set of time intervals, while a wideband device can receive the set of information over the plurality of subbands during a reduced set of time intervals.
US08335190B2

A mobile station may send a first handover indication message to a serving base station. The first handover indication message may include a first resource retain time. The mobile station may start a resource retaining timer using the first resource retain time. The mobile station may perform handover procedures. The mobile station may determine whether the resource retaining timer is within a threshold of expiring. The mobile station may send a second handover indication message to the serving base station if the resource retaining timer is within the threshold of expiring.
US08335184B2

A wireless base station for allocating a wireless bandwidth to a wireless terminal based on a bandwidth request from the wireless terminal. The wireless base station includes a receiving part configured to receive a target data transmitted in the allocated wireless bandwidth from the wireless terminal, the target data including one or more user packets on which a combining process or a dividing process is performed and data regarding the combining process or the dividing process and an updating part configured to increase or reduce the total quantity of the allocated wireless bandwidth.
US08335164B2

A method and apparatus for calculating a routing metric for a wireless network including retrieving configured system parameters, selecting a form of a first weight factor based on channel load/utilization and parameters of the first weight factor, selecting a form of a second weight factor based on frame/packet error rate and parameters of the second weight factor, retrieving estimated link bit rate, measuring a channel/link busy time, estimating a channel/link load, estimating a packet/frame error rate of the link and calculating the metric are described. A method and system for determining a route/path between two nodes of a wireless network including calculating a weighted radio and load aware metric by each node in the wireless network, storing the metric and using the metric to select the route/path for communication between two nodes of the wireless network based on a sum of the metrics calculated by each node of the wireless network are also described.
US08335163B2

Techniques and technologies for routing communications based on Quality of Service (QOS) related information. More particularly, this document discloses techniques and technologies for selecting communications paths which partially overlap other communication paths for which QOS related information has been measured. The techniques and technologies include determining, performance levels for path segments within the communication paths from the measured QOS information.
US08335158B2

A system selectively drops data from queues. The system includes a drop table that stores drop probabilities. The system selects one of the queues to examine and generates an index into the drop table to identify one of the drop probabilities for the examined queue. The system then determines whether to drop data from the examined queue based on the identified drop probability.
US08335157B2

In one embodiment, a method includes storing in a QoS-enabled communication system a data structure that has a multi-level hierarchy including a physical level, a logical level, and a class level; receiving a first request for M number of services provided by the QoS-enabled communication system; in response to the first request, modifying an allocation of the logical-level nodes by mapping M class-level nodes to a first one of the logical-level nodes according to a first mapping mode of the data structure; receiving a second request for P services provided by the QoS-enabled communication system, with P being greater than M; and, in response to the second request, modifying an allocation of the logical-level nodes by mapping P class-level nodes to a second one of the logical-level nodes according to a second mapping mode of the data structure.
US08335138B1

A tracking system for a drive includes a beam positioning actuator and a control module. The beam positioning actuator is configured to radially displace a laser beam relative to an optical storage medium. The control module is configured to increase a seek speed of the beam positioning actuator to a predetermined speed based on a seek command signal to move the laser beam to a target position on the optical storage medium. The control module is also configured to reduce the seek speed of the beam positioning actuator from the predetermined speed responsive to the laser beam being radially displaced within a predetermined distance of the target position on the optical storage medium.
US08335137B2

An optical disk apparatus and a method of performing a lead-in process with respect to an optical disk thereof includes a feature where an optical pickup unit reads out information recorded on a file system area of the storage area of the optical disk, and performs a lead-in process using the read-out file system if information recorded on a lead-in area of a storage area of the optical disk cannot be read out. Further, the optical disk apparatus may perform the lead-in process with respect to the optical disk even if there is a defect in the lead-in area.
US08335127B2

A method for generating seismic energy for subsurface surveying include operating a first seismic vibrator above an area of the subsurface to be surveyed and operating at least a second seismic vibrator above the area substantially contemporaneously with the operating the first seismic vibrator. The first and the second vibrators each have a different selected frequency response. The first and second vibrators each is operated by a same direct sequence spread spectrum signal, wherein a different number of modulation operations for each logical value in the direct sequence spread spectrum signal is selected for each vibrator.
US08335122B2

A data processing apparatus is provided having a cache memory comprising a data storage array and a tag array and a cache controller coupled to the cache memory responsive to a cache access request from processing circuitry to perform cache look ups. The cache memory is arranged such that it has a first memory cell group configured to operate in a first voltage domain and a second memory cell group configured to operate in a second voltage domain that is different from the first voltage domain. A corresponding data processing method is also provided.
US08335117B2

Disclosed herein is a memory device including: first and second wires; memory cells including a variable-resistance storage element having a data storage state making a transition by a change of a voltage applied and an access transistor connected in series between the first and second wires; driving control sections controlling a direct verify sub-operation by applying a write/erase pulse between the first and second wires in a data write/erase operation respectively for causing a cell current to flow between the first and second wires through the memory cell for a transition of the data storage state; sense amplifiers sensing an electric-potential change occurring on the first wire in accordance with control on the direct verify sub-operation; and inhibit control sections determining whether or not to inhibit a sense node of the sense amplifier from electrically changing at the next sensing time on the basis of an electric potential appearing at the sense node at the present sensing time.
US08335105B2

By inserting a spin polarizing layer (typically pure iron) within the free layer of a MTJ or GMR memory cell, dR/R can be improved without significantly affecting other free layer properties such as Hc. Additional performance improvements can be achieved by also inserting a surfactant layer (typically oxygen) within the free layer.
US08335086B2

A top panel, which is disposed to face a module board with an electronic component therebetween, includes a resin layer and a metal layer, and has an insulating characteristic. The metal layer includes a metal layer formed at a front side of the resin layer and a metal layer formed at a rear side of the resin layer. With this structure, in reflow soldering performed in mounting a semiconductor module on a main board, warp which is caused, under temperature change, in the top panel due to difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the resin layer and the metal layer formed at the front side of the resin layer is cancelled by warp which is caused, under temperature change, in the top panel due to difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the resin layer and the metal layer formed at the rear side of the resin layer, whereby warp of the top panel is eliminated. This helps prevent the electronic component adhered to the top panel with adhesive from being pressed down to or pulled up from the module board due to warp of the top panel.
US08335085B2

A linkage mechanism includes a case, a fixing part, a first rotatable lid, and a second rotatable lid. A first opening and a second opening are formed on the case. The first rotatable lid is rotatably disposed on the first opening and pivotally connected to the fixing part for covering the first opening. A first protruding part is formed on the first rotatable lid. The second rotatable lid is rotatably disposed on the second opening and pivotally connected to the fixing part for covering the second opening. When the first rotatable lid and the second rotatable lid cover the first opening and the second opening respectively, the first protruding part abuts against the second rotatable lid.
US08335080B2

A sliding rail having anti-tilting mechanism is disclosed. The sliding rail includes a slidable connecting piece that is located at an enclosure and that has a fourth retaining portion, a slider whose outer side has a second slidable connecting portion and whose inner side has a resilient piece with a second retaining portion and a third retaining portion that is used to retain or release the fourth retaining portion, and a support with a first slidable connecting portion and a first retaining portion, wherein the second slidable connecting portion is connected with the first slidable connecting portion and moves in the forward and backward direction. When the slider and the support are located at the first relative location, the resilient piece retains the fourth retaining portion. When the slider and the support are located at the second relative location, the slidable connecting piece is released from the slider.
US08335074B2

Tilt of a portable electronic device can be set by determining tilt of the portable electronic device. A predetermined tilt angle can be set for the portable electronic device, in which a tilt sensor of the portable electronic device continually detects a current tilt angle of the portable electronic device, where the device is repositioned accordingly.
US08335072B1

There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component including: a lamination main body including a dielectric layer; and a plurality of inner electrode layers formed within the lamination main body and having ends exposed from one or more faces of the laminated main body, wherein when a distance between central portions of adjacent inner electrodes among the plurality of inner electrodes is T1 and a distance between non-exposed edges of the adjacent inner electrodes is T2, the ratio (T2/T1) of T2 to T1 is 0.80 to 0.95.
US08335071B2

At least one of the conductive members has a hollow storage portion that is formed at the conductive member and a communication hole through which the storage portion and the vacuum chamber communicate with each other, a getter is set inside the storage portion, and an adsorbed object such as metal particles and gas in a vacuum chamber is adsorbed by the getter. By prevent application of the electric field to the getter, even though the electric field appears in a vacuum casing, a temperature of the getter does not reach a re-release temperature, and also electron stimulus desorption phenomenon does not occur, then it is possible to prevent the metal particles and the gas etc. which have been adsorbed once by the getter from being released.
US08335065B2

A method for protecting against over voltage in a power supply comprises monitoring current amplitude and direction on an output connection of a power source that combines power from a plurality of power sources, and determining occurrence of a fault condition of the monitored power source based on the current amplitude and direction. In a fault condition of the monitored power source, operation of the monitored power source subject to the fault condition is terminated while continuing operation of the plurality of power sources exclusive of the monitored power source.
US08335063B2

A hub for use with a circuit protection system includes a first input port configured to communicatively couple to at least one sensor device, wherein the at least one sensor device includes a light source and at least one light sensor. The hub also includes a first output port configured to communicatively couple to at least one controller, and a processor communicatively coupled to the first input port and to the first output port. The processor is configured to receive a sensor status signal from the at least one light sensor via the first input port in response to a test pulse emitted by the light source, and transmit a hub status signal to the at least one controller via the first output port based at least in part on the sensor status signal.
US08335044B1

A housing has a handle section and an operational section. The handle section has front and rear faces, parallel upper and lower edges, and interior and exterior edges. The rear face is open to form a chamber. The chamber has a cover. A small aperture is provided in the handle section. The operational section has a front face and a rear face. The operational section has arcuate concentric upper and lower edges and interior and exterior edges. The interior edge of the operational section is coupled to the interior edge of the handle section. The operational section is formed with a large aperture. A transparent, partially-cylindrical magnifying glass is located within and fills the large aperture.
US08335042B2

An optical-deflection accelerating device is provided. The device comprises an incident light source for generating an incident light-beam with a deflection speed, an emergent-light capturing device for capturing an emergent light-beam, and a reflective device which is a curved-surface reflective mirror for reflecting the incident light-beam to the emergent-light capturing device. When the incident light-beam enters to a reflective point on the curved-surface reflective mirror in sequence, an incident angle and a reflective angle are altered with locations of the reflective point on the curved-surface reflective mirror, and are increased with an increased curvature of the reflective point. When the incident light-beam is deflected with a tiny initial deflection angle, the reflective light-beam is deflected therewith and the deflection angle is enlarged. The curvature of the curved-surface reflective mirror can be adjusted to obtain different accelerated deflections.
US08335023B2

An image reading apparatus has a plurality of emitters that emit light onto a manuscript surface in a light quantity that is the synthesized light quantity of light emitted from the plurality of emitters. In the image reading apparatus, determination on the abnormality of a reference white data level value at the time of turning on a power supply is carried out through comparison between the reference white data level value with a predetermined absolute value. A normal reference white data level value is stored in a first storing unit, while a comparison white data level value detected at the time of manuscript reading operation is stored in a second storing unit. Then, a differential between the level values stored in the first and second storing units is calculated, and an abnormality determining unit compares the differential with a predetermined threshold to detect the abnormality of an emitter.
US08335020B2

A 2-pixel averaging unit (101) halves an input image in the subscanning direction, and a multi-level error diffusion unit (102) performs multi-level error diffusion processing. A 2-pixel reconstruction unit (103) replaces each pixel with two pixels adjacent in the subscanning direction. A density value exchange unit (104) exchanges pixel values adjacent in the subscanning direction in each of 2×2 pixel blocks arranged in a checkered pattern in the image after replacement. High-density blocks each serving as a set of high-density dots and low-density blocks each serving as a set of low-density dots can be generated as 2×2 pixel blocks. The exposure region can be concentrated in PWM conversion.
US08335014B2

A test pattern containing plurality of patches recorded using small dot patterns and large dot patterns is printed. The dot sizes arranged in the patches are different between patches. Then the test patterns are read. The detection rate and average density of additional information embedded in each large dot pattern are obtained. A large dot pattern whose detection rate and average density fall within a reference range and are closest to ideal values is determined. The average density of each small dot pattern is obtained. A small dot pattern whose average density falls within a reference range and is closest to the average density of the determined large dot pattern is determined. A copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image is generated using these dot patterns and combined with a print target image.
US08335008B2

A host device is connected to at least one printer through a network. Before printing, the host device broadcasts a query on the network, selects a printer that replies to the query, and sends printer setting information to the printer. The printer includes a setting switch that can be set to different states to accept or reject the printer setting information. A printer replies to the query only if its setting switch is set to the state that accepts the printer setting information. The setting switch avoids the generation of unnecessary replies and thereby simplifies the selection of the printer, as well as protecting the printer from unwanted alteration of its settings.
US08335000B2

An information processing apparatus transmits photographic data of a job operator and identification information of the job operator to a server apparatus. The server apparatus calculates a matching rate for each piece of identification information based on a comparison between photographic data registered beforehand in a storage device and the received photographic data. Then, the server apparatus transfers the calculated matching rate to the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus performs processing based on the matching rate to reduce the data amount of the photographic data of the job operator.
US08334993B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for associating an image with a communication characteristic are disclosed. According to one method, a content characteristic of a first image may be identified. Communication of the first image may be monitored to identify a communication characteristic of the first image. Further, the content characteristic may be associated with the communication characteristic. The association between the content and communication characteristics may be used to associate a second image having the content characteristic with the communication characteristic.
US08334987B2

A camera-integrated VTR system including a printer embodying a data processing device of the invention is provided, wherein various external data supplied from an external device and internal data generated or recorded internally are enabled to be exchanged selectively, easily and directly between respective components of the system without use of any additional component therebetween so as to be printed instantaneously. The printer of the camera-integrated VTR system comprises a picture display device; a memory device for storing a still picture displayed on the picture display device; and a print operation button for operating the printer, wherein the print operation button is a pushbutton switch which has two modes of states of a half-depressed mode and a full-depressed mode; and wherein the half-depressed mode of the print operation button allows for a portion of pictures displayed on the display device to be selected as a print picture and stored in the memory device; and the full-depressed mode of the print operation button allows to start printing of the print picture.
US08334984B2

A plurality of Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors are optically coupled in series with each other to form an ordered optical series. Each Fabry-Perot interferometric sensor has a unique signalband and a passband. Each Fabry-Perot interferometric sensor has its unique signalband within the passbands of all of the next higher ordered Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors in the optical series so that a corresponding unique fringe signal from each of the Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors is a multiplexed output from the optical series.
US08334982B2

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems for phase measurement which address the problem of phase noise using combinations of a number of strategies including, but not limited to, common-path interferometry, phase referencing, active stabilization and differential measurement. Embodiment are directed to optical devices for imaging small biological objects with light. These embodiments can be applied to the fields of, for example, cellular physiology and neuroscience. These preferred embodiments are based on principles of phase measurements and imaging technologies. The scientific motivation for using phase measurements and imaging technologies is derived from, for example, cellular biology at the sub-micron level which can include, without limitation, imaging origins of dysplasia, cellular communication, neuronal transmission and implementation of the genetic code. The structure and dynamics of sub-cellular constituents cannot be currently studied in their native state using the existing methods and technologies including, for example, x-ray and neutron scattering. In contrast, light based techniques with nanometer resolution enable the cellular machinery to be studied in its native state. Thus, preferred embodiments of the present invention include systems based on principles of interferometry and/or phase measurements and are used to study cellular physiology. These systems include principles of low coherence interferometry (LCI) using optical interferometers to measure phase, or light scattering spectroscopy (LSS) wherein interference within the cellular components themselves is used, or in the alternative the principles of LCI and LSS can be combined to result in systems of the present invention.
US08334975B1

A three-channel spectrometer including: a beamsplitter element that receives an incident radiation and transmits a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion of the incident radiation, a first slit that receives the first portion and transmits a first slit output radiation of a first wavelength range; a second slit that receives the second portion and transmits a second slit output radiation of a second wavelength range; a third slit that receives the third portion of the incident radiation and transmits a third slit output radiation of a third wavelength range; a common optical form that receives and collimates the first, second, and third slit output radiation; and a dispersive element that receives and reflects the collimated first, second, and third slit output radiation from the optical form.
US08334974B2

A method for detecting polarizing direction of electromagnetic wave includes disposing a carbon nanotube structure in a vacuum environment, irradiating a surface of the carbon nanotube structure by an electromagnetic wave with a polarizing direction while rotating the carbon nanotube structure, and determining the polarizing direction of the electromagnetic wave according to change of the visible light emitted from the carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes arranged along a substantially same direction. The carbon nanotube structure can absorb the electromagnetic wave and emit a visible light. The rotating axis is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the carbon nanotube structure irradiated by the electromagnetic wave.
US08334955B2

Apparatus, methods, systems and devices for high aperture ratio, high transmittance, and wide viewing angle liquid crystal display having first and second substrates each with an alignment layer and polarizer on the interior and exterior surface thereof and a liquid crystal material therebetween forming plural pixels each having a common electrode group and a pixel electrode group each having at least one common and pixel electrode. A fringe field drives the molecules in the regions above and below the electrodes and a horizontal field drives the molecules between the electrode groups to achieve high transmittance. In an embodiment an insulating layer separates the substrate and alignment layer and the pixel electrodes are on the substrate and the common electrodes are on the insulating layer. In another embodiment a compensation film is layered between one of the substrates and corresponding polarizer.
US08334944B2

A display apparatus includes a display panel and a backlight unit for an embodiment. The display panel includes a plurality of pixels and the backlight unit supplies light to the display panel. The backlight unit includes a light source, which generates the light, and an optical sheet. The optical sheet includes a plurality of prism patterns formed on a surface of the optical sheet facing the display panel. The prism patterns include a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys to change the path of the light, and a plurality of diffusion patterns arranged at the peaks and valleys.
US08334941B2

A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) includes; a lower receiving container which includes; a bottom plate, sidewalls extending from the bottom plate, a first through-hole formed in the bottom plate, and a guide pole disposed on the bottom plate and which substantially surrounds the first through-hole, a plurality of light sources disposed within the lower receiving container; an optical sensor printed circuit board (“PCB”) attached to a bottom surface of the bottom plate, wherein the optical sensor printed circuit board covers the first through-hole, and an optical sensor mounted on the optical sensor PCB and inserted into the first through-hole.
US08334934B2

Technology for carrying out a luminance range expansion process is provided. In the technology, the luminance range expansion process is carried out in a manner appropriate to the luminance histogram of image data. Using the white peak value WP which represents the maximum value of luminance and the APL which represents the mean value thereof in the luminance histogram of image data, an expansion coefficient for use in the luminance range expansion process is derived by referring to an expansion coefficient lookup table 210. On the basis of the expansion coefficient, the luminance range expansion process is performed on the image data.
US08334931B2

An image processing apparatus according to the present invention extracts a characteristic value of a luminance in relation to respective fields of an input video, and determines the presence of a scene change between adjacent fields. A gamma curve is then generated on the basis of the magnitude of the characteristic value. When a difference in the characteristic value between fields is larger than a predetermined value and a scene change does not exist, the gamma curve to be applied to a subsequent field is modified such that the correction characteristic of the gamma curve does not vary rapidly. The luminance is then corrected using the modified gamma curve.
US08334924B2

A device that analyzes an image. The device includes a circuit that receives an image that includes a plurality of pixels. The circuit creates a histogram of the image and analyzes the histogram to determine an acceptable exposure of the image. The histogram may include a plurality of bins versus a population of pixels associated with each bin. By way of example, the bins may be associated with an intensity of light. The images and histograms may include data defined by low dynamic range number of bits and/or an extended dynamic range number of bits. Certain features and criteria of the image may be determined and analyzed to determine whether the image has an acceptable exposure. If the image is unacceptable, an exposure characteristic can be changed and the process can be repeated until an acceptable image is obtained.
US08334919B2

A digital photographing apparatus is provided that includes: a lens unit through which image light is transmitted; an image capturing unit for converting the image light transmitted through the lens unit into an image signal; a subject detection unit for detecting a subject from the image signal of the image capturing unit to designate a subject area; a distortion correction unit for converting the image signal into a correction image signal for correcting distortion of the image light caused due to the lens unit, after the subject detection unit has detected the subject; and a subject area converting unit for designating a corrected subject area corresponding to the subject area from the correction image signal.
US08334913B2

Certain embodiments provide an ADC includes a comparator, a binary counter and a control circuit. The comparator compares a first analog signal voltage with a first reference voltage, and compares a second analog signal voltage with a second reference voltage. The binary counter counts up the clock signal for a first period until the first reference voltage becomes equal to the first analog signal after the comparator starts to compare the first reference voltage with the first analog signal voltage, and inverts a logic level of the count output having a plurality of bits after the first period elapses. The binary counter counts up the clock signal for a second period until the second reference voltage becomes equal to a second analog signal after the comparator starts to compare the second reference voltage with the second analog signal voltage.
US08334912B2

A synchronization processing in which an image data having a plurality of color components per pixel is generated based on the image data obtained by an imaging apparatus which includes an image sensor arranged with a plurality of color filters is performed. Then, a predetermined granular pattern is added to the image data subjected to the synchronization processing.
US08334900B2

Described herein is a novel 3-D optical imaging system based on active stereo vision and motion tracking for to tracking the motion of patient and for registering the time-sequenced images of suspicious lesions recorded during endoscopic or colposcopic examinations. The system quantifies the acetic acid induced optical signals associated with early cancer development. The system includes at least one illuminating light source for generating light illuminating a portion of an object, at least one structured light source for projecting a structured light pattern on the portion of the object, at least one camera for imaging the portion of the object and the structured light pattern, and means for generating a quantitative measurement of an acetic acid-induced change of the portion of the object.
US08334898B1

In one aspect, the present disclosure related to a method for configuring one or more imaging sensors of an imaging device to capture digital images for digital pulse recognition demodulation. In some embodiments, the method includes initializing one or more imaging sensors of the imaging device, determining a subset of the one or more imaging sensors to configure, setting a configuration for each of the one or more imaging sensors of the subset by defining a region of interest as a metering area for each of the one or more imaging sensors of the subset and automatically adjusting a setting for each of the one or more imaging sensors of the subset, and adjusting input parameters of a demodulation function based on a device profile of the imaging device. In some embodiments, the adjusted setting is locked to prevent further adjustment of the adjusted setting.
US08334897B2

A direction-controlled illumination unit for an autostereoscopic display, which unit deflects light from activated illumination elements through a transmissive image reproduction means in the space in front of the display into visibility areas, from which a stereoscopic and/or monoscopic representation can be seen. The direction-controlled illumination unit contains an illumination means having illumination elements, an imaging means having imaging elements, a prism arrangement, a light-scattering means and an image reproduction means. A respective imaging element is assigned a number of illumination elements in order to deflect light in the form of a beam onto observers' eyes in a sequential manner in terms of time.
US08334895B2

Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles, may operate to capture a portion of an omniscopic or omni-stereo image using one or more image capture media. The media may be located substantially perpendicular to a converging ray originating at a viewpoint on an inter-ocular circle and having a convergence angle between zero and ninety degrees from a parallel viewpoint baseline position that includes a non-converging ray originating at the viewpoint. The media may also be located so as to be substantially perpendicular to a non-converging ray originating at a first viewpoint at a first endpoint of a diameter defining an inter-ocular circle, wherein the origin of the non-converging ray gravitates toward the center of the inter-ocular circle as spherical imagery is acquired.
US08334894B2

A dental 3D camera for optically scanning a three-dimensional object, and a method for operating a dental 3D camera. The camera operates in accordance with a triangulation procedure to acquire a plurality of images of the object. The method comprises forming at least one comparative signal based on at least two images of the object acquired by the camera while at least one pattern is projected on the object, and determining at least one camera shake index based on the at least one comparative signal.
US08334886B2

A thermal head has a support substrate, an upper plate substrate having a back surface bonded to a top surface of the support substrate, and a heating resistor provided on the upper plate substrate. A concave portion is formed in a region of at least one of the top surface of the support substrate and the back surface of the upper plate substrate and opposes the heating resistor. A through portion is formed in the upper plate substrate and passes through the upper plate substrate from a top surface of the upper plate substrate to the top surface of the support substrate in a plate thickness direction. The upper plate substrate functions as a heat accumulating layer, and the concave portion functions as a heat insulating layer.
US08334880B2

A image processing apparatus includes a first image converting section for converting an original image into an output resolution image, a second image converting section for converting the original image into an intermediate resolution image, a similarity information generating section for detecting a plurality of similar areas, in a block in the intermediate resolution image corresponding to a predetermined partial area in the output resolution image, that resemble the partial area, and for generating similarity information including a position of each of the plurality of similar areas in the intermediate resolution image and a weight of the position, a texture generating section for generating a texture image by combining high-frequency components of the intermediate resolution image at the position according to the weight, and a texture blending section for blending the output resolution image and the texture image to generate output image.
US08334876B2

A signal processing device including: a color coordinate adjuster performing color coordinate adjustment processing for adjusting color coordinates of an image input signal according to a color reproduction range of a display device; a brightness adjuster performing brightness adjustment processing for adjusting a brightness component of the image input signal; and a coefficient controller controlling a color coordinate adjustment coefficient and a brightness adjustment coefficient. The coefficient controller controls the brightness adjustment coefficient so as to decrease the brightness component of the image input signal, when saturation of a pixel having a first hue is high, controls the brightness adjustment coefficient so as to increase the brightness component of the image input signal, when saturation of a pixel having a second hue is high, and decreases the brightness adjustment coefficient when increasing the color coordinate adjustment coefficient.
US08334873B2

An image management method and apparatus that uses a plurality of time maps to display retrieved images for allowing a user to conveniently and quickly retrieve images. An upper map is displayed with time intervals included on the upper map and divided into first time units, images corresponding to a point in time in which a key is positioned on the map are retrieved, and the retrieved images are displayed. A lower map is displayed with time intervals included on the lower map and divided into second time units, images corresponding to a point in time in which a key is positioned on the map are retrieved, and the retrieved images are displayed. If a user input for any one of the time intervals expressed on the upper map or lower map is received, candidate images corresponding to the input time interval are retrieved and the retrieved images are displayed.
US08334862B2

A method is provided for operating a display apparatus in which one source output of a source driver is connected with first to N-th data lines through first to N-th time division switches, which method includes: driving a first pixel positioned in a first horizontal line and connected with one of the first to N-th data lines, by feeding a first drive voltage to the one of the first to N-th data lines from the one source output with associated one of the first to N-th time division switches; and driving a second pixel positioned in a second horizontal line next to the first horizontal line and connected with the one of the first to N-th data lines, by feeding a second drive voltage to the one of the first to N-th data lines from the source output with associated one of the first to N-th time division switches. The associated one time division switch is kept turned on during a time period from a start time of the driving the first pixel to a start time of the driving the second pixel.
US08334860B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first high-speed serial interface circuit which has one differential serial data channel and a second high-speed serial interface circuit which has a plurality of differential serial data channels, the first high-speed serial interface circuit performs interface with the outside for control information, and a control circuit performs an internal operation on the basis of the control information. Both of the high-speed serial interface circuits share a RAM for storage of display data information. Whether the data information to be supplied to the RAM is received by using the first high-speed serial interface circuit or the second high-speed serial interface circuit is determined by the control circuit in accordance with the control information that is input to the first high-speed serial interface circuit.
US08334850B2

The present invention discloses a multi-touch controlled apparatus and the method thereof. The method of multi-touch control includes the steps of: touching a resistive touch display interface to generate a first position signal and a pressure signal; determining whether or not the pressure signal is greater than a predetermined pressure threshold; recording a first position signal and a second position signal if the pressure signal is greater than the predetermined pressure threshold; determining whether or not a moving direction from the first position signal towards the second position signal is the predetermined moving direction; and issuing an instruction to execute a predetermined action, if the moving direction from the first position signal towards the second position signal is the predetermined moving direction.
US08334846B2

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.
US08334830B2

Disclosed is a liquid crystal driving device, which is without a gate PCB, having improved uniformity of screen, and a driving method thereof. The liquid crystal driving device comprises: a sequence recognition means for recognizing sequence of a pertinent gate driver IC by a pulse width of a vertical start signal inputted in synchronization with a vertical synchronous signal, and generating a Carry signal and location data of the pertinent gate driver IC; and gate-off voltage generation means for receiving a first gate-off voltage and the location data of the pertinent gate driver IC, and outputting a second gate-off voltage which is generated by subtracting a voltage attenuation quantity corresponding to the location data of the gate driver IC from the first gate-off voltage.
US08334826B2

The present invention relates to a pixel and a data driver, and a driving method thereof to measure degradation of an organic light emitting element and a threshold voltage and mobility of a driving transistor in an organic light emitting device, wherein the degradation of the organic light emitting element and the threshold voltage and the mobility of the driving transistor are measured in a turn-on interval or a frame interval of the display device to amend the data voltage applied to the pixel, and thereby images of improved and uniform quality may be displayed.
US08334816B2

According to one embodiment, a cover comprising a higher dielectric constant layer disposed outwardly from a lower dielectric constant layer is coupled to a rectenna operable to convert microwave power to electrical power. The cover receives microwave power, provides a substantial impedance match for a plurality of angles of incidence, and directs the microwave power to the rectenna. The impedance match is selected to broaden a receive pattern of the rectenna.
US08334807B2

Each of a first and a second navigation satellite system (NSS) are adapted to operate according to a first and a second specification, respectively, and each includes a first and a second plurality of satellite vehicles (SV), respectively. Each of the first and the second plurality of SVs are adapted to be identified by a first and a second plurality of unique corresponding identifications (IDs), respectively. A processor is adapted to receive and identify a first plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the first plurality of SVs in response to the first plurality of unique corresponding IDs. The processor is adapted to receive and identify a second plurality of corresponding signals transmitted from the second plurality of SVs in response to the second plurality of unique corresponding IDs. The processor is adapted to determine position location information in response to receiving and identifying the first plurality of corresponding signals and the second plurality of corresponding signals.
US08334802B2

A radar system includes radars and a controller. The controller controls waveform patterns of the radars. As a signal processing unit of each of the radars receives an instruction from the controller, the signal processing unit selects a frequency modulation pattern of a VCO between an FM-CW mode and a CW mode stored in a waveform memory to perform mode switching, and then outputs a radio wave from a transmission antenna. Then, the controller instructs each signal processing unit for a frequency modulation pattern of each radar or an output timing of each pattern so that a time, at which continuous wave signals output from the radars have the same frequency, is not continuous.
US08334798B2

There are provided a remote control unit configurable to be used to control a plurality of devices together with corresponding methods to use the remote control. Advantageously, the transmission of both master IR signals and an illumination beam from the remote control unit is adjustable for varying a field of coverage of the master IR signals, with at least one of the plurality of devices within the field of coverage receiving the master IR signals allowing the at least one of the plurality of devices to be controlled.
US08334789B2

An IPTV can receive a user name and present a screen enabling a user by means of a remote control to select health information categories, inputting numeric parameters into the selected categories which can be uploaded to an Internet server for analysis and viewed by the user for subsequent monitoring/charting.
US08334787B2

Device, structure and method for retrofitting a utility meter such as a gas meter with a retrofit module or for new installations to conventional meters so that it can be read remotely and so that retrofit may be accomplished simply by unskilled workers and without damage or alteration of meter. The method for retrofitting a meter of the type having shaft driven dial with dial index pointer and index cover involves removing the meter index cover to access the meter index dial pointer; attaching a magnet to the pointer so that it is carried in orbit around the pointer shaft to which the pointer is attached; and mounting a sensor to the meter adapted to sense the passage of the pointer-mounted magnet and to detect the orbit of index pointer; the attaching of the magnet and the mounting of the sensor being performed without removing the meter dial index assembly.
US08334781B2

A method of collecting data from (and sending instructions and data to) a reefer is provided, the method includes the steps of connecting a monitoring device on a reefer at an existing connection port for collecting (and delivering) data related to the reefer and wirelessly transmitting the data. A software management system for collecting and monitoring data of a reefer is also provided, the software management system has a monitoring device for obtaining data from a reefer at an connection port of the reefer and wirelessly transmitting the data, and a software system for receiving the data and monitoring and controlling the status of the reefer based on the data received.
US08334780B1

An insulated holder with an integral electronic temperature gauge that is intended for use with beverage containers such as glasses, cans or bottles is herein disclosed. A digital readout and pushbutton are provided on the side of the holder. When the pushbutton is pressed, the display exhibits an array of colors and/or text indicating the temperature of the drink. Temperature sensing is provided by a thermocouple located on the inside surface of the insulating container. A user replaceable battery provides a power supply thereto the holder.
US08334778B2

A system provides assisted living messages with varying levels of detail to a person, according to proximity gradients. In one embodiment, the system involves location data. The location data associates first and second notification devices with respective first and second locations at a dwelling. A remote configuration module may enable a caregiver at a location other than the dwelling to specify multiple messages to be presented to the person at the dwelling, to assign first and second messages among the multiple messages to the first location, and to associate the first and second messages with first and second proximities, respectively, for the first location. The first notification device may automatically present the first message in response to detecting the person within the first proximity, and the second message in response to detecting the person within the second proximity. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08334777B2

A bed system includes a user interface module that is not mounted to a patient's bed. The user interface module may provide bed controls that allow a staff person to initiate an electronically controlled function of the bed from the user interface module. The user interface module may also be in data communication with a health information system used by a healthcare facility. The bed may include a built-in weigh scale, and the user interface module may initiate zeroing of the weigh scale. The user interface module may allow a staff person to activate bed controls that are not available at the bed.
US08334775B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for tracking an item using a RFID surveillance system. In some embodiments, a security controller is connected to a point of sale system with at least one RFID tag reader. In these embodiments, the RFID tag reader is associated with an area that is observable through a video camera. If the tag reader does not recognize information obtained from a RFID tag, the tag reader may activate the video camera. When the video camera is activated, the video camera may capture images and send them to a recording device.
US08334768B2

Medical devices to be located on a network include a unique identifier, which may be transmitted to a server over the network. The network may have a plurality of network connection points. The server may include a location subsystem configured to store a location of each of the plurality of network connection points. The server may also include a device tracking subsystem configured to store a last known device location based on the unique device identifier. The last known location of the medical device may be updated when the medical device is connected to the network based on the location of the one of the plurality of network connection points used to transmit the unique device identifier.
US08334766B2

A tracking system for tracking the location of a plurality of persons, objects and groups of persons or objects or combination of persons and objects which allows creating person or object communities (such as vehicles, objects having a high monetary value or objects that continuously need to be monitored such as guns or medical equipment) and keep tracking of the communities in real time worldwide, as well as registering a tracking history of each person or object and creating customized monitoring zones worldwide and tracking rules for setting customized alarms, for example when the distance among one or more members of the group or members of different groups are greater or lesser than an predetermined value when a member of the group exits a predetermined area or is near a predetermined area or when a person or object remains in a single spot for more or less than a predetermined period of time, which is useful for monitoring the security of a person or object.
US08334760B2

An antitheft device that activates in connection with tampering with a vehicle, includes an air-conditioning unit operation determining portion that determines whether an air-conditioning unit is about to be operated or is operating, and a restricting portion that performs control to prohibit or restrict activation of the antitheft device when it is determined by the air-conditioning unit operation determining portion that the air-conditioning unit is about to be operated or is operating.
US08334759B2

A semiconductor device (100) includes: a substrate (102); a bonding pad (110) provided above the substrate (102); and an inductor (112) provided above the substrate (102) and below the bonding pad (110) for carrying out signal transmission/reception to/from the external in a non-contact manner by electromagnetic induction.
US08334752B2

A wireless tag includes at least one of a signal radiation unit that radiates a first linking signal based on an instruction from a wireless tag access device, and a signal detection unit that detects a second linking signal that has been radiated and provides the second linking signal to the wireless tag access device.
US08334749B1

A temperature detector includes a first metal and a second metal different from the first metal. The first metal includes a plurality of wires and the second metal includes a wire. The plurality of wires of the first metal are connected to the wire of the second metal in parallel junctions. Another temperature detector includes a plurality of resistance temperature detectors. The plurality of resistance temperature detectors are connected at a plurality of junctions. A method of detecting a temperature change of a component of a turbine includes providing a temperature detector include ing a first metal and a second metal different from the first metal connected to each other at a plurality of junctions in contact with the component; and detecting any voltage change at any junction.
US08334739B2

A circuit breaker with a short circuit self-locking function, a short circuit self-locking mechanism is disposed in the circuit breaker, and comprises a self-locking mechanism and a reset mechanism. As the circuit breaker is opened, it cannot be directly closed, whereby reminding an operator of a short circuit fault.
US08334730B2

A connection method includes the step of connecting, using a line on a dielectric element, two points through which a signal flows, the two points having different heights and the widths of the line at the positions of the two points having been adjusted on the basis of the thickness of the dielectric element.
US08334727B2

Apparatus comprising: a radio frequency (RF) Robinson oscillator comprising: a resonator comprising a sensor rhumbatron, the sensor rhumbatron comprising a cavity member, the cavity member having a re-entrant boss member, the re-entrant boss member being arranged to project into a cavity portion of the cavity member; a feedback element arranged to provide positive radio frequency (RF) feedback to the cavity member thereby to increase a quality factor Q of the cavity member, the feedback element having first and second terminals coupled to the cavity member, the apparatus being operable to cause the oscillator to oscillate at a resonant frequency; and an output arranged to provide a signal that varies according to a value of at least one electrical parameter of the oscillator, said at least one electrical parameter being selected from amongst an electromagnetic loss and a resonant frequency.
US08334712B2

A synchronizer constituted of a first and second set of three serially coupled latches coupled to a common clocking signal, the first and the ultimate latch of the first set responsive to a first edge of a common clocking signal and the penultimate latch responsive to an opposing edge of the common clocking signal, the second set being respectively responsive to the respective complementary edges of the clocking signal; an input lead arranged to receive a signal to be synchronized, the input lead coupled to the input of the first latch of the first set and to the input of the first latch of the second set; and a filter arranged to pass the output of each of the first set and the second set responsive to the penultimate latch of the set exhibiting a consistent output for two consecutive opposing edges.
US08334704B2

This relates to systems and methods for providing a system-on-a-substrate. In some embodiments, the necessary components for an entire system (e.g., a processor, memory, accelerometers, I/O circuitry, or any other suitable components) can be fabricated on a single microchip in “bare die” form. The die can, for example, be coupled to suitable flash memory through a substrate and flexible printed circuit board (“flex”). In some embodiments, the flex can extend past the substrate, die, or both, to allow additional, relatively large components to be coupled to the flex. In some embodiments, the die can be coupled to the flash memory through the flex and without a substrate. In some embodiments, component test points can be placed on the flash memory side of the substrate.
US08334691B2

In a magnetic resonance imaging method for non-contrast imaging of blood at a region in the subject's body, a first 3D MR image is acquired represented by a first 3D volume data set of the region at a first trigger delay time. The first 3D image is acquired using a substantially 90° excitation pulse followed by a plurality of variable flip angle refocus pulses forming an echo train where the refocus pulses are smaller than or equal to 180°. To form the first 3D MR image, multiple MR slices are acquired related to the first trigger delay time to speed up the acquisition of the first image. A second 3D MR image is acquired represented by a second 3D volume data set at the same region using the same steps for acquiring the first 3D MR image except that a second trigger delay time is used which is different than the first trigger delay time. The first 3D volume data set and the second 3D volume data set are subtracted to create a third 3D volume data set. From the third 3D volume data set a 2D substantially maximum intensity projection data set is created which may then be displayed to show the blood at the region.
US08334686B2

Example vibrating helical spring sensors and methods to operate the same are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a housing, a helical spring held in tension, a flowline to expose the helical spring to a fluid, a magnet to expose the helical spring to a magnetic field, and a wire to electrically conduct an actuating current through the helical spring to displace the helical spring.
US08334681B2

A low dropout voltage regulator comprising a first output voltage regulation loop with a NMOS transistor as a pass element and a second output voltage regulation loop with a PMOS transistor as a pass element. The NMOS transistor is used for small current loads up to 1 mA, the PMOS transistor is used for higher current loads from 1 mA and up. A current sense buffer senses the current through the NMOS transistor and controls the gate of the PMOS transistor accordingly. Good load transient operation is achieved without the need of an external load capacitor.
US08334661B2

An exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a set of an initial value of an error amplifying signal in the feedback control circuit for feedback control, so as to reduce the time and the amplitude of oscillation of the error amplifying signal. Accordingly, a feedback control circuit and a power converting circuit provided in an exemplary embodiment of the invention not only reduce the degree and the time of overshoot but also provide accurate and stable feedback control.
US08334652B2

A high-pressure discharge lamp may include an elongate ceramic discharge vessel, at the ends of which an electrode system with an electrode tip pointing towards the discharge is mounted in a seal, the seal being tubular, the discharge vessel having an aspect ratio of at least 1.5, the discharge vessel having a metal halide fill and a wall load of more than 25 W/cm2, wherein the lamp is configured for operation with longitudinal acoustic modulation, the specific rated power of the entire outer surface area of the discharge vessel lying between 17 and 22 W/cm2, while at the same time the wall load in a subregion of the surface area, which extends between the tips of the electrodes, lies in the range of between 28 and 40 W/cm2.
US08334651B2

The invention relates to an electroluminescent device (10) comprising a substrate (40) and on top of the substrate (40) a substrate electrode (20), a counter electrode (30) and an electroluminescent layer stack with at least one organic electroluminescent layer (50) arranged between the substrate electrode (20) and the counter electrode (30), and at least one electrical shunt means (122) applied on top of the substrate electrode (20) to improve the current distribution over the substrate electrode (20), wherein the at least one electrical shunt means (122) is at least one element of the group of a wire, a metallic stripe or foil, said electrical shunt means (122) fixed to the substrate electrode (20) by a protective means (70) fully covering the electrical shunt means (122) with a shape suitable to prevent the emergence of a shadowing edge on the substrate electrode (20). The invention further relates to a method to manufacture such a device.
US08334645B2

It is an object of the invention to provide a light emitting device in which burden on a light emitting element having low luminous efficiency is relieved, and the deterioration of a light emitting element, the reduction in color reproduction due to the deteriorated light emitting element, and increase in electric power consumption can be suppressed. A light emitting device according to the invention has light emitting elements each of which emits one of colors corresponding to three primary colors. Further, one feature of the light emitting device according to the invention has a light emitting element which emits a neutral color. The light emitting device according to the invention has a structure in which a plurality of pixels having light emitting elements each of which emits one of colors corresponding to three primary colors, and a light emitting element which emits a neutral color as one group, are arranged.
US08334640B2

An apparatus for heat dissipation for a luminaire comprises an active heat transfer device and a thermally-conductive housing. The active heat transfer device causes turbulence in an ambient fluid. The thermally-conductive housing includes a cavity and a first end. The cavity is structured for an electronic ballast of the luminaire to be housed therein and thermally attached to an interior surface of the housing to allow the housing to absorb at least a portion of heat generated by the electronic ballast. The first end is structured for the active heat transfer device to be mountable to the first end of the housing. The housing further includes at least one thermally-conductive protrusion extending from an exterior surface of the housing and exposed to the turbulence in the ambient fluid to transfer at least a portion of the heat absorbed by the housing to the ambient fluid.
US08334638B2

A small-sized piezoelectric power generation device is provided which can generate electric power even with vibrations at low frequencies. The piezoelectric power generation device includes a piezoelectric element formed in a spiral shape and having a center-side end fixed to a first fixing member and an outer-side end fixed to a second fixing member. The piezoelectric element includes a first piezoelectric body formed in a spiral shape and polarized in a radial direction of the piezoelectric element from one side toward the other side. The first and second fixing members are arranged such that the second fixing member is displaceable relative to the first fixing member in a tangential direction x, whereas the second fixing member is restricted from displacing relative to the first fixing member in a perpendicular direction y.
US08334631B2

A rotating electrical machine includes a stator including a stator core and a rotor. The stator core includes an annular-shaped first stack core and an annular-shaped second stack core. The first stack core includes first core pieces and first couplers. The first core pieces are spirally stacked. The first couplers mutually couple the first core pieces. The second stack core includes second core pieces and second couplers. The second core pieces are spirally stacked. The second couplers mutually couple the second core pieces. An outside shape of the second stack core is larger than an outside shape of the first stack core in a radial direction. The first stack core and the second stack core are alternately arranged in a stack direction. The rotor is provided on an inner peripheral side of the first stack core and the second stack core.
US08334626B2

A cooling unit for a power tool comprises a fan wheel (10) to be supported on an armature shaft (3) of a motor (1) of the power tool. The cooling unit comprises a torque transfer means as well as an actuating means (20, 22) for actuating this torque transfer means so as to selectively transfer the rotation of the armature shaft (3) to the fan wheel (10) during operation of the power tool.
US08334624B2

A linear vibrator is disclosed. The linear vibrator includes a housing having a base and a cover, a number of elastic members connected to the housing, a vibrating unit suspended in the housing by the elastic members, and a coil positioned in the housing. The base has a bottom wall and a plurality of sidewalls extending vertically from the bottom wall. The vibrating unit has a magnet assembly and vibrates along a direction parallel to the bottom wall.
US08334623B2

A protective arrangement for preventing parts of the body from being trapped between at least two mutually relatively moveable parts including at least one strip which is associated with at least one part. There are provided in the strip at least two mutually spaced conductive elements extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip. An electronic sensor system serves to produce an output signal for a capacitance that is adapted to vary as a result of external influences. Due to the fact that at least one first conductive element sends out a signal which is received by at least one second conductive element due to the capacitive effect of the first conductive element and that the second conductive element is at substantially the same electrical potential as the first conductive element and likewise sends out the received signal, there is provided a capacitive crush protection arrangement which does not react to splashes of water or the formation of dew or frost.
US08334616B2

A photovoltaic (PV) integrated variable frequency drive system having a variable frequency drive and an energy source. The variable frequency drive having a back end inverter, a DC bus electrically connected to the back end inverter, and an active front end electrically connected to the DC bus to facilitate bi-directional power flow to and from a power grid. The energy source being electrically connected to the DC bus.
US08334614B1

A communication system electromagnetically communicates beyond the electromagnetic barrier created by a physical barrier. First pre-existing electrical AC power distributing infrastructure extends on one side of the physical barrier and has electrical conductors and AC outlets. At least one first communication subsystem is located at the one side of the physical barrier and is connected to the electrical conductors. At least one second communication subsystem is located at an opposite side from the first side of the physical barrier. The first and second communication subsystems each have a first handheld transceiver radio, a second transceiver radio, a radio-to-local-area-network converter, and a power line Ethernet adapter. At least one electrical conductor extends the electrical power distributing infrastructure on the one side to the power line Ethernet adapter of the second communication subsystem on the opposite side of the physical barrier. The cost-effective system is made of commercial and government off-the-shelf components.
US08334610B2

Apparatuses and methods for controlling pitch angle of the wind turbine blades are disclosed. The pitch angle of all the blades can be controlled by a “spider” that moves substantially perpendicularly with respect to a plane of the turbine blades rotation. The turbine blade bearings are connected with the spider by the linkage arms. The turbine blade bearings have an axis of rotation that is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the respective turbine blades. The actuating mechanism for moving the spider can be a combination of a hydraulic piston installed inside a hollow driveshaft (to move the spider in one direction) and a spring (to move the spider in another direction). An onboard controller can receive a turbine generator output signal to decide whether the turbine is overloaded or underloaded, and if so, the onboard controller can instruct a hydraulic system to add or remove fluid from the hollow driveshaft. Therefore, the power produced by the generator is adjusted up or down by the spider's adjustment of the turbine blade pitch angle.
US08334592B2

A thermal interface material includes a thermally conductive metal matrix and coarse polymeric particles dispersed therein. The composite can be used for both TIM1 and TIM2 applications in electronic devices.
US08334590B1

A semiconductor device for use in a printed circuit board is provided. In the semiconductor device, metal pillars are disposed perpendicular to bond pads of a semiconductor die. This configuration eliminates the need to form via holes for the connection of interconnection layers and the bond pads of the semiconductor die, thus simplifying the fabrication procedure of the semiconductor device. In addition, the semiconductor die is embedded in the semiconductor device. Based on this configuration, the use of the semiconductor device in a printed circuit board facilitates the stacking of a plurality of semiconductor dies and can reduce the thickness required for the stack, which make the semiconductor device light in weight and small in thickness and size.
US08334589B2

A power block includes an insulating substrate, a conductive pattern formed on the insulating substrate, a power semiconductor chip bonded onto the conductive pattern by lead-free solder, a plurality of electrodes electrically connected to the power semiconductor chip and extending upwardly away from the insulating substrate, and a transfer molding resin covering the conductive pattern, the lead-free solder, the power semiconductor chip, and the plurality of electrodes, wherein surfaces of the plurality of electrodes are exposed at an outer surface of the transfer molding resin and lie in the same plane as the outer surface, the outer surface being located directly above the conductive pattern.
US08334578B2

(Problems)To provide an integrated circuit having the wiring structure including pads with a small wiring area and capable of highly integrating elements, a solid image pickup element having the wiring structure, and an imaging device having the solid image pickup element.(Means for Solving Problems)An integrated circuit comprising at least two elements, each element having a wiring structure, the wiring structure comprising: a plurality of wirings aligned in parallel on a plane, each wiring comprising: a plurality of pads aligned at a substantially constant interval in a left and right direction; and a plurality of conductive wires for connecting adjacent pads, the conductive wires having a narrower width than the pads, two conductive wires being extended from one pad in a parallel and opposite direction, one of the two conductive wires having an upper side disposed in a same straight line as an uppermost end of the one pad and the other conductive wire having a lower side disposed in a same straight line as a lowermost end of the one pad, and a gravity center line connecting centers of gravity of all the pads in the wiring and being a straight line not parallel to an extension direction of the conductive wires; and wherein a plurality of the gravity center lines in the plurality of wirings are parallel to each other, adjacent wirings of the plurality of wirings are spaced more than a minimum wiring spacing, and a pad of the wiring structure of the one element and a pad of the wiring structure of the other element are connected to each other.
US08334573B2

Material erosion of trench isolation structures in advanced semiconductor devices may be reduced by incorporating an appropriate mask layer stack in an early manufacturing stage. For example, a silicon nitride material may be incorporated as a buried etch stop layer prior to a sequence for patterning active regions and forming a strain-inducing semiconductor alloy therein, wherein, in particular, the corresponding cleaning process prior to the selective epitaxial growth process has been identified as a major source for causing deposition-related irregularities upon depositing the interlayer dielectric material.
US08334572B2

A semiconductor device is provided which includes a semiconductor substrate, an isolation structure formed in the substrate for isolating an active region of the substrate, the isolation structure being formed of a first material, an active device formed in the active region of the substrate, the active device having a high-k dielectric and metal gate, and a passive device formed in the isolation structure, the passive device being formed of a second material different from the first material and having a predefined resistivity.
US08334570B2

A CMOS FinFET semiconductor device provides an NMOS FinFET device that includes a compressive stress metal gate layer over semiconductor fins and a PMOS FinFET device that includes a tensile stress metal gate layer over semiconductor fins. A process for forming the same includes a selective annealing process that selectively converts a compressive metal gate film formed over the PMOS device to the tensile stress metal gate film.
US08334569B2

In sophisticated semiconductor devices, a strain-inducing semiconductor alloy may be positioned close to the channel region by forming cavities on the basis of a wet chemical etch process, which may have an anisotropic etch behavior with respect to different crystallographic orientations. In one embodiment, TMAH may be used which exhibits, in addition to the anisotropic etch behavior, a high etch selectivity with respect to silicon dioxide, thereby enabling extremely thin etch stop layers which additionally provide the possibility of further reducing the offset from the channel region while not unduly contributing to overall process variability.
US08334566B2

The present invention provides a semiconductor power device including a substrate, an epitaxial layer disposed on the substrate and having at least a first trench and a second trench, a gate structure disposed in the first trench, and a termination structure disposed in the second trench. The gate structure includes a gate electrode, a gate dielectric layer disposed on an upper sidewall of the first trench and between the gate electrode and the epitaxial laver, and a shield electrode disposed under the gate electrode. The termination structure includes a termination electrode and a dielectric layer disposed between the termination electrode and a sidewall of the second trench. The termination electrode and the shield electrode are connected to each other. In addition, a body region is disposed in the epitaxial layer, and the second trench is only surrounded by the body region.
US08334562B2

A nonvolatile memory including a plurality of memory transistors in series, wherein source/drain and channel regions therebetween are of a first type and a select transistor, at each end of the plurality of memory transistors in series, wherein channels regions of each of the select transistors is of the first type. The first type may be n-type or p-type. The nonvolatile memory may further include a first dummy select transistor at one end of the plurality of memory transistors in series between one of the select transistors and the plurality of memory transistors in series and a second dummy select transistor at the other end of the plurality of memory transistors in series between the other select transistor and the plurality of memory transistors in series.
US08334560B2

Circuits and methods for providing a floating gate structure comprising floating gate cells having improved reverse tunnel disturb immunity. A floating gate structure is formed over a semiconductor substrate comprising a floating gate, a charge trapping dielectric layer is formed, and a control gate is formed. The floating gate structure has vertical sidewalls, one side adjacent a source region and one side adjacent a drain region. A symmetric sidewall dielectric is formed over the floating gate structure on both the source side and drain side regions. An asymmetric dielectric layer is formed over the drain side sidewall only. The use of the asymmetric sidewall on the drain side sidewall provides improved RTD immunity. Methods for forming the structure are disclosed.
US08334558B2

A new structure is disclosed for source/drain bit lines in arrays of MOSFET devices. Rows of conducting regions are formed by ion implantation through openings adjacent to gate structures and in isolation regions separating columns of active areas of the arrays. The openings are filled with insulating material.
US08334550B1

A unipolar diode with low turn-on voltage includes a subcathode semiconductor layer, a low-doped, wide bandgap cathode semiconductor layer, and a high-doped, narrow bandgap anode semiconductor layer. A junction between the cathode layer and the anode layer creates an electron barrier in the conduction band, with the barrier configured to produce a low turn-on voltage for the diode. A unipolar diode with low turn-on voltage includes an n+ subcathode semiconductor layer, a low-doped, wide bandgap cathode semiconductor layer, and an n+ narrow bandgap anode semiconductor layer. Again, a junction between the cathode layer and the anode layer creates an electron barrier in the conduction band, with the barrier configured to produce a low turn-on voltage for the diode.
US08334547B2

The present invention provides a metal electrode transparent to light. The metal electrode comprises a transparent substrate and a metal electrode layer composed of a metal part and plural openings. The metal electrode layer continues without breaks, and 90% or more of the metal part continues linearly without breaks by the openings in a straight length of not more than ⅓ of the visible wavelength to use in 380 nm to 780 nm. The openings have an average diameter in the range of not less than 10 nm and not more than ⅓ of the wavelength of incident light, and the pitches between the centers of the openings are not less than the average diameter and not more than ½ of the wavelength of incident light. The metal electrode layer has a thickness in the range of not less than 10 nm and not more than 200 nm.
US08334543B2

Embodiments of the invention include a substrate comprising a host and a seed layer bonded to the host, and a semiconductor structure comprising a light emitting layer disposed between an n-type region and a p-type region grown over the seed layer. A variation in index of refraction in a direction perpendicular to a growth direction of the semiconductor structure is disposed between the host and the light emitting layer.
US08334539B2

A thin film transistor array panel includes a first insulation substrate, a plurality of data wires formed on the first insulation substrate and extending in a first direction, a data pad region formed on the first insulation substrate and having plural ones of the data wires extending therefrom, and an organic layer formed on the data wires, where the organic layer has a greater thickness where it is disposed over the data wires than the thickness it has between the data wires. The surface of the organic layer of the data pad region includes minute slit patterns that extend parallel to the first direction of the data wires, and the data wires have line boundaries of a zigzag shape.
US08334537B2

A method of manufacturing, with high mass productivity, light-emitting devices having highly reliable thin film transistors with excellent electric characteristics is provided. In a light-emitting device having an inverted staggered thin film transistor, the inverted staggered thin film transistor is formed as follows: a gate insulating film is formed over a gate electrode; a microcrystalline semiconductor film which functions as a channel formation region is formed over the gate insulating film; a buffer layer is formed over the microcrystalline semiconductor film; a pair of source and drain regions are formed over the buffer layer; and a pair of source and drain electrodes are formed in contact with the source and drain regions so as to expose a part of the source and drain regions.
US08334531B2

The present invention discloses a high-molecule-based organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and a fabrication method thereof. The high-molecule-based OLED comprises a layer selected from a group consisting of an organic emissive layer, a first emission-auxiliary layer and a second emission-auxiliary layer. The organic emissive layer, first emission-auxiliary layer or second emission-auxiliary layer comprises a molecular material having a molecular weight of larger than approximately 730 g mol−1, and is formed by a solution-process.
US08334527B2

Provided is an electroluminescent device which has a luminescent layer including quantum dots and which are excellent in life characteristics. An electroluminescent device (1) comprises a first electrode layer (3), a luminescent layer (4) formed on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer (5) formed on the luminescent layer. The luminescent layer uses quantum dots (12), each quantum dot being surrounded by silane coupling agent (11).
US08334521B2

The invention concerns a medical instrument disinfecting system (1) comprising a disinfecting chamber (4) adapted to implement a cycle for disinfecting the instruments. The invention is characterized in that each instrument (1) comprises identification data (5) and in that the chamber (4) is associated with means (6) for acquiring the identification data of the or each instrument (1) when it is introduced into or withdrawn from the chamber (4) at the start and at the end of a disinfecting cycle, with means (7, 8) for acquiring characterization data of the disinfecting cycle and with means (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) for associating the identification data of the or each instrument and the characterization data of the disinfecting cycle to generate traceability data of the disinfection of the or each instrument.
US08334509B2

A particle beam irradiation apparatus includes a beam scanning indication unit which two-dimensionally indicates a position of a particle beam in series for each of slices obtained by dividing an affected area to be irradiated in an axial direction of the particle beam, a beam scanning unit which two-dimensionally scans the particle beam based on an indication signal from the beam scanning indication unit, a phosphor film which is provided between the beam scanning unit and a patient and emits light in an amount corresponding to a particle dose of the particle beam transmitting therethrough, an imaging unit which images the phosphor film for each of the slices, and a display unit which obtains an irradiation dose distribution of each of the slices from image data imaged by the imaging unit and displays the obtained irradiation dose distribution associated with a scanning position of the particle beam.
US08334500B2

An image pickup apparatus operable to reduce defocusing due to temperature changes is disclosed. An optical system comprises a glass lens and a plastic lens, wherein a power of the plastic lenses is smaller than that of the glass lens. An image pickup device picks up an object image that has passed through the optical system as a defocused object image including an area with a large-depth-of-field light and a blurred area. An image processing device generates an image signal with a smaller blur than the blurred object image from the image pickup device.
US08334496B2

The invention relates to a device comprising a photosensitive element producing an electric charge as a function of the radiation incident thereon and a charge integrator connected to the photosensitive element and converting the charge to a voltage. According to the invention, the device comprises a comparator capable of comparing the voltage delivered by the integrator with a threshold voltage, and a memory unit for storing the instant when the voltage delivered by the integrator exceeds the threshold voltage.
US08334495B2

A photometric device with a wide dynamic range. The photometric device includes a constant current generation circuit, a fixed clock signal generation circuit which generates a fixed clock signal having a fixed frequency, a photoelectric conversion element, a variable clock signal generation circuit, and a digital signal generation circuit. The fixed clock signal generation circuit generates a fixed clock signal that oscillates at a fixed frequency, from constant current. The variable clock signal generation circuit generates a variable clock signal that oscillates at a frequency proportional to the amount of photocurrent, from photocurrent generated in the photoelectric conversion element. The digital signal generation circuit sets a measurement period using the fixed clock signal, counts the number of pulses of the variable clock signal that oscillates for the measurement period, and outputs a digital signal including the count value as data.
US08334492B2

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array unit; a vertical scan unit reading out analog pixel signals from the pixel array unit; an AD conversion unit provided each column for converting the analog pixel signals read out from the pixel array unit into digital data; a data memory unit having a data holding circuit that holds the digital data; a transfer driving unit driving a signal line for data transfer based on data of the data holding circuit; a signal amplification unit receiving the data of the data holding circuit and performs signal amplification; a potential fixing unit fixing an input terminal and/or internal wiring of the signal amplification unit to a predetermined potential; a drive power supply unit on/off-controlling power supply; a scan unit controlling the transfer driving unit to transfer the data to the signal amplification unit; and a drive control unit controlling entire operation.
US08334486B2

A system includes a first heater located at the leading edge of a gas turbine structural member, a second heater located aft of the first heater, and a third heater located aft of the second heater. The first, second and third heaters are electrically-powered to prevent icing of the gas turbine structural member. Each of the heaters has a Watt density, and the Watt densities of the heaters differ from one another as a function of a magnitude of a cooling coefficient for airflow passing the vicinity of each heater.
US08334478B2

Provided is a laser type soldering apparatus which performs soldering by projecting a laser beam on a to-be-soldered object, one of a plurality of optical lenses is a conical lens, wherein an incident surface or a emitting surface of the conical lens is a conical surface, and a central portion of the conical lens has a central hole having a diameter smaller than that of a circular laser beam that is incident to the conical lens, and the conical lens converts the circular laser beam to a double circular beam having a ring portion with a circular ring shape and a spot portion located at a center of the ring portion, so that the double circular beam is projected on the to-be-soldered object.
US08334477B1

Weld seams that vary in height along the lengths of a pair of workpieces are produced using at least one laser weld head mounted for vertical and rotary movements to accommodate differences in the vertical heights and contours of seam lines along which the weld seams are to be formed.
US08334473B2

A method and apparatus for microplasma spray coating a portion of a substrate, such as a gas turbine compressor blade, without masking any portions thereof. The apparatus includes a microplasma gun with an anode, cathode, and an arc generator for generating an electric arc between the anode and cathode. An arc gas emitter injects inert gas through the electric arc. The electric arc is operable for ionizing the gas to create a plasma gas stream. A powder injector injects powdered material into a plasma stream. A localized area of the compressor blade is coated with the powdered material without having to mask the compressor blade.
US08334471B2

A push button switch includes a light emitter, a switch, a base, a light guiding member and a button. The light emitter and the switch are arranged on the circuit board. The base is arranged above the switch. The light guiding member and the button are mounted on the base. The light guiding member includes a first end, a second end, a first reflective surface, and a second reflective surface, the first end being arranged above the light emitter, wherein light from the light emitter enters into the light guiding member from the first end, and goes to the second end after being reflected by the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface.
US08334470B2

A lever operation device includes a movable support member that supports a base portion of an operation lever such that the base portion is pivotable along a first operation plane, a housing that supports the movable support member such that the movable support member is pivotable along a second operation plane that is orthogonal to the first operation plane, an actuator holder attached to the base portion such that the actuator holder is rotatable along the second operation plane, a first actuator retained by the actuator holder, and a second actuator retained by the movable support member. The housing is provided with a first cam surface and a second cam surface on an inner wall surface thereof, the first actuator and the second actuator being in elastic contact with the first cam surface and the second cam surface, respectively.
US08334465B2

A wafer (or a circuit board), which is used to perform three-dimensional mounting, has protrusion 20 which is provided in low melting point metal 15 for electrically connecting mutually joined wafers 61 and 62, and which defines an interval between mutually joined wafers 61 and 62 without being deformed at the time when low melting point metal 15 is melted. A joining structure of wafers 61 and 62 is manufactured by using wafers 61 and 62, at least one of which has protrusion 20. In the manufactured joining structure of wafers 61 and 62, wafers 61 and 62 are electrically connected to each other by low melting point metal 15, and protrusion 20, which defines the interval between wafers 61 and 62 without being deformed at the time when low melting point metal 15 is melted, is provided in low melting point metal 15.
US08334464B2

An apparatus and method for making a printed circuit board comprising a substrate and an electrical circuit is provided. The circuit is formed by deposition of a plurality of electronic inks onto the substrate and curing of each of the electronic inks. The deposition may be performed using an ink-jet printing process. The inkjet printing process may include the step of printing a plurality of layers, wherein a first layer includes at least one electronic ink deposited directly onto the substrate, and wherein each subsequent layer includes at least one electronic ink deposited on top of at least a portion of a previous layer when the previous layer has been cured. One or more of the layers may include at least two of the electronic inks.
US08334459B2

A cover plate (2) for electrical apparatus (1) includes at least one opening (22, 32) intended to provide access to at least one functional part (5) of the electrical apparatus and which is formed by superimposing a rear mounting plate (20, 30) fitted at the back with elements for mounting on an apparatus support (4) and a front finish plate (10) giving the cover plate an aesthetic appearance. The rear mounting plate includes on its front side a recessed housing (24) which completely houses the front finish plate, such that the front side (11) of the front finish plate extends flush with or is slightly back from the front side (21) of the rear mounting plate.
US08334458B2

A grounding mechanism is used for a slide-type electronic device including a first housing and a second housing. The grounding mechanism includes a grounding tab for attachment to the first housing and an opening defined in the second housing. Two sidewalls are formed in the opening, and a conductive layer is coated on each sidewall. When the grounding tab is received in the opening, the grounding tab abuts against the conductive layer of the sidewalls for electronically connecting the first housing to the second housing.
US08334456B2

Disclosed are certain polymeric compounds and their use as organic semiconductors in organic and hybrid optical, optoelectronic, and/or electronic devices such as photovoltaic cells, light emitting diodes, light emitting transistors, and field effect transistors. The disclosed compounds can provide improved device performance, for example, as measured by power conversion efficiency, fill factor, open circuit voltage, field-effect mobility, on/off current ratios, and/or air stability when used in photovoltaic cells or transistors. The disclosed compounds can have good solubility in common solvents enabling device fabrication via solution processes.
US08334455B2

A photovoltaic cell can include a dopant in contact with a semiconductor layer.
US08334443B1

A novel maize variety designated X05A932 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 X05A932 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X05A932 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X05A932, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X05A932. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X05A932.
US08334438B2

A soybean cultivar designated 8919112 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 8919112, to the plants of soybean 8919112, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 8919112, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 8919112 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 8919112, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 8919112, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 8919112 with another soybean cultivar.
US08334436B2

A soybean cultivar designated 93454905 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 93454905, to the plants of soybean 93454905, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 93454905, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 93454905 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 93454905, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 93454905, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 93454905 with another soybean cultivar.
US08334431B2

Compositions and methods for conferring insecticidal activity to host cells are provided. Compositions comprising a coding sequence for a delta-endotoxin polypeptide are provided. The coding sequences can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in host cells. Compositions also comprise transformed host cells. In particular, isolated delta-endotoxin nucleic acid molecules are provided. Additionally, amino acid sequences corresponding to the polynucleotides are encompassed, and antibodies specifically binding to those amino acid sequences. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:4, 5, 6, 13, or 14, or the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 3, 11, or 12, as well as variants and fragments thereof.
US08334421B1

A method of rendering hazardous materials less dangerous comprising trapping the hazardous material in nanopores of a nanoporous composite material, reacting the trapped hazardous material to render it less volatile/soluble, sealing the trapped hazardous material, and vitrifying the nanoporous material containing the less volatile/soluble hazardous material.
US08334419B2

The present invention provides an improved process for conversion of feedstock comprising an alkylatable aromatic compound and an alkylating agent to desired alkylaromatic conversion product under at least partial liquid phase conversion conditions in the presence of specific catalyst comprising a porous crystalline material, e.g., a crystalline aluminosilicate, and binder in the ratio of crystal/binder of from about 20/80 to about 60/40. The porous crystalline material of the catalyst may comprise a crystalline molecular sieve having the structure of Beta, an MCM-22 family material, e.g., MCM-49, or a mixture thereof.
US08334417B2

The present invention relates to a novel process for preparing chloro- or bromoaromatics of the formula (II) by diazotizing the formula (I) by means of sodium nitrite or potassium nitrite in the presence of aqueous hydrochloric or hydrobromic acids and then reacting with an iron(II) or iron(III) compound, optionally in the presence of additional amounts of hydrogen chloride or hydrogen bromide or alkali metal or alkaline earth metal chlorides or bromides.
US08334416B2

A process for the removal of hydroxypropane from a crude product stream from the hydrogenation of glycerol, the crude product stream comprising 1,2-propanediol and hydroxypropanone as impurity, the process comprising: (a) where required condensing the crude product stream; and (b) contacting the crude product phase in the liquid phase with a stream of a hydrogen-containing gas in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst at suitable temperatures and pressures such that hydroxypropanone present in the crude product stream is converted to the desired propanediol.
US08334414B2

A process for benzylating an alcohol includes mixing 2-benzyloxy-1-methylpyridinium triflate in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent having a predetermined boiling point; adding an acid scavenger to the mixture; combining the alcohol to be benzylated with the mixture; reacting the alcohol with the 2-benzyloxy-1-methylpyridinium triflate by heating above ambient temperature to generate the benzylated alcohol; and separating the benzylated alcohol from the mixture.
US08334409B2

Disclosed is crystalline R(+)-N-propargyl-1-aminoindan and racemic N-propargyl-1-aminoindan characterized by colorless crystals a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same, and the process for the manufacture and the validation thereof. Also disclosed is pure liquid R(+)-N-propargyl-1-aminoindan and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same, and the process for the manufacture thereof.
US08334390B2

The present invention relates N-cycloalkyl-N-bicyclic-carboxamide, thiocarboxamide or N-substituted carboximidamide derivatives of formula (I) wherein A represents a carbo-linked, 5-membered heterocyclyl group; T represents O, S, N—Ra, N—ORa, N—NRaRb or N—CN; Z1 represents a C3-C7-cycloalkyl group; X represents N or a CZ7 and Z2; Z3; L1 and L2 represent various substituents; their process of preparation; preparation intermediate compounds; their use as fungicide active agents, particularly in the form of fungicide compositions and methods for the control of phytopathogenic fungi, notably of plants, using these compounds or compositions.
US08334385B2

The present invention provides processes for the preparation of R-sitagliptin (as shown) and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
US08334383B2

The present invention relates to a method of making pyrimidines of formula (III), wherein X1, X2, R1 and R2 have the meanings as defined herein.
US08334380B2

The present invention is directed to a method for producing bicyclic guanidines comprising heating a reaction mixture comprising cyclic urea and a dehydrating agent to a temperature ≧90° C.
US08334377B2

This invention provides a novel class of substituted macrocyclic metallic compounds. The compounds are useful as peroxynitrite decomposition catalysts. Pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of making and using the compounds, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, or prodrug thereof are also described.
US08334368B2

A novel cytosolic 58 kd phosphoprotein induced during bone marrow stem cell (BM) differentiation into dendritic cells (DC) during in vitro cultivation with the cytokine GM-CSF by addition of antisera to an 82 kd BM cell surface protein generating cultivatable dendritic progenitor cells (DP). Genes, methods for preparing them as well as early DP have been provided. Potential uses/advantages lie in the study of BM differentiation and innate immunity due to stimulatory/inhibitory DC, contribution of BM and DP to inflammation during infection and carcinogenesis, tumor promotion/regression, identification of BM-derived blood cells, T-cell activation/regulation/tolerance and inflammation.
US08334359B2

A polyamide modified by a compound including at least one hydroxyl group, as well as to a method for preparing such a polyamide, and articles obtained from such a polyamide are described. A polyamide modified by a compound comprising at least one aromatic hydroxyl group and chemically bonded to the polymer chain, obtained by the polymerization of polyamide monomers with at least one difunctional hydroxyaromatic compound in which both functions can react with an amino function is also described.
US08334357B2

Disclosed is a thickener based on an aqueous preparation of a nonionic, water-dispersible or water-soluble polyurethane, obtained by reacting: (a) hydrophilic polyols containing at least two OH groups and at least two functional groups selected from ether and ester, of molecular weight at least 300; (b) hydrophobic compounds containing at least one zerewitinoff-active hydrogen atom, of molecular weight about 100 to about 500, with at least one linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl chain having at least five consecutive carbon atoms not linked to a hetero atom; and (c) at least difunctional isocyanates, where the components are reacted in equivalent ratios OHa):ZHb):NCOc) of 1:(1+x):2(1+y), with the provisos that x is 0.05-1.2, y is (0.2-1.05)x, and more than one equivalent of NCOc) is present versus the sum of OHa) and ZHb).
US08334350B2

The present invention relates to an aqueous polymer dispersion whose dispersed addition polymer P comprises, copolymerized in free-radically polymerized form, at least one polar monomer having a water solubility of greater than 50 g/liter (measured at 20° C.), and obtainable by free-radically initiated aqueous emulsion polymerization, the polar monomer being metered to the reaction mixture during the polymerization process at a variable, i.e., nonconstant rate, for example in the sense of a rate gradient. The present invention further relates to processes for preparing these aqueous polymer dispersions, to their use as binders and/or in coatings, and also to coatings comprising the polymer dispersion of the invention.
US08334349B2

A thermoplastic copolymer having an excellent balance among properties such as coating resistance, color stability and fluidity and having high operability and productivity can be obtained by a method for producing a thermoplastic copolymer, comprising step (I) of supplying a monomer mixture (a) containing an aromatic vinyl monomer (a1) and a vinyl cyanide monomer (a2) to a complete mixing type reactor continuously to produce a copolymer (A) and step (II) of supplying the copolymer (A) continuously to a tubular reactor with a static mixing structure therein, which is placed in series with the complete mixing type reactor, and reacting the copolymer (A) to produce a copolymer (B).
US08334346B2

The present invention is concerned with curable adhesive compositions for anchoring elements in a structural body that exhibit low temperature versus standard temperature degree of cures that are at least 50% or higher. The compositions include, in a first component, a reactive resin, an acetoacetoxy functional monomer and a silane monomer. By using phthalate-free constituents in the formulation, a further 10% increase in strength and durability of the resins at standard temperatures may be realized after curing at low temperatures.
US08334343B2

Thermoplastic polymer compositions, films, continues, closures, laminates can comprise a modified vinyl polymer said modified polymer having a moiety comprising a cyclodextrin compound. The cyclodextrin compound, locked into the polymer structure, can absorb impurities, permeants, or other undesirable volatile materials. The cooperation between the cyclodextrin grafted onto the thermoplastic polymer and the polymer structure can provide barrier properties to a film, web or other polymer structure. A permeant or a contaminant can be complexed or trapped within the polymer and held within the film or Web preventing the permeant or contaminant from passing into the interior of a container or enclosure.
US08334341B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a carbodiimide type compound having high dispersibility and dispersion stability of pigments, fine resin particles, and pigment-resin composite fine particles particularly in a silicone dispersion medium; a pigment dispersion composition and a pigment-resin composite fine particles-containing dispersion composition preferably usable in a wide range of fields such as inks for solvent ink jet, liquid developers, and the like by using the compound; and a liquid developer using such a pigment dispersion composition and/or pigment-resin composite fine particles-containing dispersion composition. The present invention provides a carbodiimide type compound obtained by introducing a polysiloxane chain by reaction of a functional group of a polysiloxane chain-containing compound having the functional group reactive with a carbodiimide group with a carbodiimide group of a carbodiimide compound having a carbodiimide equivalent weight of 100 to 50000.
US08334337B2

A composition for use in grips is disclosed. The composition may be used, for example, in making a golf club grip. The disclosed grip provides for improved shock absorption and other beneficial properties. In one embodiment the comprises a cross-linked composition of from about 40% by weight to about 80% by weight of one or a combination of a first material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, ethylene propylene rubber and chloroprene rubber, and from about 10% by weight to about 50% by weight of one or a combination of a second material selected from the group consisting of ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPDM), polyurethane, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polypropylene and cork.
US08334335B2

Fluid activatable adhesive compositions and activating fluid(s) for activating the adhesive composition are described herein. The adhesive compositions contain at least two polymers with different hydrophilicities. The hydrophilic polymer has quick tack when exposed to a hydrophilic solvent, such as water or other aqueous solvent, while the hydrophobic polymer provides strong adhesion to a paper or polymeric substrate. The adhesive composition may contain particulate fillers which enable fast exhaustion of the activation fluid out of the adhesive when applied to a substrate, thereby allowing the hydrophobic polymers of the adhesive composition to achieve strong adhesion of the liner-free label to the paper or polymeric substrate. The particulate fillers may also function as anti-blocking agents when liner-free label media are tightly wound in a roll. The adhesive compositions described herein may be used not only on paper, cardboard, and metal, but also on glass and plastics commonly used in commercial applications.
US08334324B2

Described herein are compounds and processes that can be used to prepare polymer-based films, particles, gels and related compositions, and processes for delivery of agents, and other uses.
US08334321B2

A fat emulsion comprises a prostaglandin as an active ingredient, the fat emulsion comprising a phospholipid that comprises phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and has a ratio of PC to PG (PC:PG) of 85:15 to 99.7:0.3.
US08334319B2

The present invention relates to polymorphic forms of (3R,4R,5S)-5-amino-4-acetylamino-3-(1-ethyl-propoxy)-cyclohex-1-ene-carboxylic acid ethyl ester phosphate, which is a potent inhibitor of viral neuraminidase.
US08334312B2

Using synergistically effective mixtures comprising triadimefon and/or triadimenol and at least one further known fungicidally active compound, it is possible to protect industrial materials, in particular wood, against attack, damage and/or destruction by biological pests, in particular by wood-destroying fungi.
US08334310B2

The invention provides compounds of formula (I) for selectively inhibiting glycosidases, prodrugs of the compounds, and pharmaceutical compositions including the compounds or prodrugs of the compounds The invention also provides methods of treating diseases and disorders related to deficiency or overexpression of O-GlcNAcase, accumulation or deficiency of O-GlcNAc
US08334306B2

Nitroxide free radicals attached to antineoplastic agents can synergize their potencies to cancer cells. This invention relates to any antineoplastic agents and their derivatives chemically attached with nitroxide free radicals, such as TEMPO and its radical derivatives. This invention also relates to precursors of such compounds, as well as the products formed from the adducts after administration.
US08334303B2

Disclosed is a novel polymorphic form of the compound of formula (I) also known as mutilin 14-(exo-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-ylsulfanyl)-acetate, a process for the preparation of the polymorphic form, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the polymorphic form, and the use of the polymorphic form in medicine, particularly in antibacterial therapy.
US08334298B2

Disclosed herein is a method for preventing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in a subject by administering an effective amount of a dopamine agonist in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Also disclosed herein is a method for treating ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome by administering an effective amount of a dopamine agonist in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
US08334294B2

New inhibitors of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase having the general formula (I) are disclosed herein, as well as processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions comprising them, and their use in therapy.
US08334293B2

The present invention provides a combination therapy comprising the compound 4-[4-[4-(4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-piperidin-1-yl]-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and an EGFR inhibitor for use in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, adenocarcinomas of the colon, non-small-cell lung cancer, small-cell lung cancer, cisplatin-resistant small-cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, mammary carcinoma, renal cell carcimoma, multiple myeloma, Kaposis Sarcoma, Hodgkins lymphoma, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, Non-Hodgkins lymphoma or sarcoma.
US08334283B2

Compositions for treating, reducing, ameliorating, or preventing infections comprise a fluoroquinolone having Formulae I-VIII and an additional anti-infective agent. Methods for treating, reducing, ameliorating, or preventing such infection use such compositions. Such compositions and methods can be effective against mixed types of pathogens including certain antibiotic-resistant microbial pathogens found in such infections.
US08334282B2

The present invention provides novel substituted amino-azetidines that are useful as cannabinoid receptor antagonists/inverse agonists and pharmaceutical compositions thereof and methods of using the same for treating obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemias, cardiovascular disorders, hepatic disorders, and a combination thereof.
US08334264B2

The present invention relates to the field of therapeutic use of proteins, genes and cells, in particular to the therapy based on the biological function of a secreted therapeutic protein, METRNL, in particular for the treatment of disorders of the nervous system. METRNL is a Nerve Survival and Growth factor with neuroprotective and/or neurogenesis effects.
US08334259B2

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is associated with a number of diseases and disorders. Agonists of the non-proteolytically activated thrombin receptor can be used in methods to treat ED or ED-related diseases and disorders.
US08334258B2

The present invention relates to methods for inducing and enhancing apoptosis in pathogenic cells. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of GnRH II antagonists for inducing and enhancing apoptosis of specific types of tumor cells, i.e. breast cancer and malignant melanoma as well as gynaecological cancers like endometrial or ovarian cancer, expressing the GnRH II receptor as well as to methods relating thereto. In addition, new GnRH II antagonists are provided.
US08334244B2

A universal synthetic water displacement multi-purpose penetrating lubricant with the capacity to protect metal surfaces against corrosion, with galvanic and electrolysis protection, while providing excellent lubrication properties. The lubricant actively penetrates the crystalline surface of the metal while exhibiting extreme pressure lubrication, non-migrating with lasting protection. The lubricant exhibits dielectric strength of over 14,000 volts, at the same time cleaning electrical contacts while reducing resistance and associated heat. A preferred embodiment comprises polymerized alpha-olefins, K-1 kerosene, and at least one base oil selected from the base oil group consisting of Hydroisomerized high base oils and HT severe hydro-cracked base oils. Various combinations of other optional ingredients are also disclosed.
US08334239B2

A cell-based screen is reported can be used to identify specific receptor-binding compounds in a combinatorial library of peptoids (N-alkylglycine oligomers) displayed on beads. This strategy was applied to the isolation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2)-binding peptoids, which were optimized to create lead compounds with high affinity for VEGFR2. One of these peptoids was shown to be an antagonist of VEGF-VEGFR2 interaction and receptor function.
US08334233B2

A catalyst layer-supporting substrate includes a substrate and a catalyst layer. The catalyst layer includes a catalyst material and pores. The catalyst layer is formed on the substrate. The catalyst material has a layer or wire shape. A half-value width of a main peak of the catalyst material, as determined from X-ray diffraction spectrum of the catalyst layer, is 1.5° or more. A porosity of the catalyst layer is 30% or more.
US08334229B2

Optical components that maintain transparency (remain clear) in high energy environments, including in applications of high-intensity gamma-ray radiation dosage of 1.29×109 rads and greater, and neutron energy at neutron fluxes ranging from 3×109 to 1×1014 n/cm2 sec and greater, and fluencies ranging from 2×1016 to 8.3×1020 n/cm2 and greater. Further, the optical components have a bulk laser damage threshold of 105+/−20 J/cm2, a surface laser damage threshold of 72+/−15 J/cm2, a Stokes shift of about 9%, and a fractional thermal loading of about 11%.
US08334226B2

Presented is a variety of products and apparatuses employing a conductive nonwoven web. Products and apparatuses include an RFID system, a radiofrequency shielding system, a flexible electronic circuit component, a heating element, an antenna, an electromagnetic energy shield, a membrane switch, a keypad, and a packaging system. In one embodiment, the conductive nonwoven web contains conductive carbon fibers in combination with pulp fibers and/or synthetic fibers. Electric pathways are formed into the conductive material using ultrasonic energy. The electric pathways can be used to produce various electronic devices.
US08334224B2

Built-up roofing surfacing sheets that include a white, resin coated aluminum foil adhered to one side of an asphalt-impregnated fiberglass mat and sand adhered to the other side of the asphalt-impregnated fiberglass mat, the surfacing sheet being compliant with the requirements of California Code of Regulations, Title 24 in effect as of Sep. 11, 2006, and methods of manufacturing the built-up roofing surfacing sheets.
US08334223B2

A protective drainage wrap includes a mesh and a coating applied to the mesh. The coating is applied to the mesh to form a plurality of interstices, the interstices being configured to facilitate transfer of water vapor therethrough. The mesh includes material extending in a first direction and in a second direction. The material in the first direction includes a polyolefin, polyester, nylon or combinations thereof and has a first thickness. The material in the second direction includes a polyolefin, polyester, nylon or combinations thereof and has a second thickness. The second thickness is at least about twice the first thickness so as to assist in providing drainage for moisture build-up. The material in the second direction can be yarn. The coating includes a polyolefin, polyester, nylon or combinations thereof. A process for the preparation of the protective drainage wrap is provided.
US08334222B2

A processing method of a semiconductor wafer is provided. The method comprising the steps of: removing at least part of oxide film from a surface of the semiconductor wafer; removing liquid from the surface; and providing at least partial oxide film on the surface by applying an oxidizing gas wherein a gas flow of the oxidizing gas and/or an ambient gas involved by the oxidizing gas is characterized by an unsaturated vapor pressure of the liquid such that the liquid on the surface vaporizes. The above-described steps are conducted in this order.
US08334210B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes: (a) obtaining a surface of a polishing target, wherein an insulating film and a metal film are exposed; and (b) polishing the surface having the exposed insulating film and the exposed metal film. The step (b) includes; (b1) polishing the surface in a condition with high frictional force, and (b2) polishing the surface in a condition with usual frictional force lower than the high frictional force after the step (b1).
US08334207B2

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate including cell regions and peripheral regions; selectively forming a gate conductive layer over the substrate in the peripheral regions, forming a sealing layer over the substrate with the gate conductive layer formed thereon, forming an insulation layer over the sealing layer to cover the substrate with the gate conductive layer formed on the substrate, planarizing the insulation layer to expose the sealing layer formed over the gate conductive layer, and forming a plurality of plugs in the cell regions, the plurality of the plugs penetrating the insulation layer and the sealing layer.
US08334194B2

Methods and apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor sheet are provided. In one aspect, a method for fabricating a semiconductor wafer includes applying a layer of semiconductor material across a portion of a setter material, introducing the setter material and the semiconductor material to a predetermined thermal gradient to form a melt, wherein the thermal gradient includes a predetermined nucleation and growth region, and forming at least one local cold spot in the nucleation and growth region to facilitate inducing crystal nucleation at the at least one desired location.
US08334193B2

Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device capable of preventing a relative displacement of the positions between a range where impurity ions are injected and a range where charged particles are injected. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes: irradiating impurity ions in a state in which a mask is disposed between an impurity ion irradiation apparatus and a semiconductor substrate; and irradiating charged particles to form a short carrier lifetime region, in a state in which the mask is disposed between a charged particle irradiation apparatus and the semiconductor substrate. A relative positional relationship between the mask and the semiconductor substrate is not changed from a beginning of one of the irradiating the impurity ions and the irradiating the charged particles to a completion of both of the irradiating the impurity ions and the irradiating the charged particles.
US08334188B2

A process for manufacturing an SOI wafer, including the steps of: forming, in a wafer of semiconductor material, cavities delimiting structures of semiconductor material; thinning out the structures through a thermal process; and completely oxidizing the structures.
US08334187B2

Methods of fabricating an integrated circuit device, such as a thin film resistor, are disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a resistive layer over the semiconductor substrate; forming a hard mask layer over the resistive layer, wherein the hard mask layer includes a barrier layer over the resistive layer and a dielectric layer over the barrier layer; and forming an opening in the hard mask layer that exposes a portion of the resistive layer.
US08334178B2

A double-gate semiconductor device includes a MOS gate and a junction gate, in which the bias of the junction gate is a function of the gate voltage of the MOS gate. The breakdown voltage of the double-gate semiconductor device is the sum of the breakdown voltages of the MOS gate and the junction gate. The double-gate semiconductor device provides improved RF capability in addition to operability at higher power levels as compared to conventional transistor devices. The double-gate semiconductor device may also be fabricated in a higher spatial density configuration such that a common implantation between the MOS gate and the junction gate is eliminated.
US08334176B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes the steps of mounting a lead frame in a recessed portion of a lower die, bringing the lower die and an upper die to overlap each other so that a portion for sliding the lead frame slides the lead frame toward injection surfaces, the sliding portion being formed on the recessed portion of the lower die or on the recessed portion of the upper die, clamping the lower die and the upper die together so that at least one projection formed on the upper die crushes down an end portion of the lead frame so as to form lateral projections on the left and right sides of the gate, the lateral projections blocking up the gap between the injection surfaces and the lead frame, and injecting a molding resin through the gate.
US08334167B2

A method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device having a semiconductor substrate, comprises a first step of forming an insulating film on the semiconductor substrate, a second step of forming first holes in the insulating film, a third step of forming, in the insulating film, second holes shallower than the first holes, a fourth step of forming electrically conductive portions by embedding an electrically conductive material in the first holes, and forming planarization assisting portions by embedding the electrically conductive material in the second holes, and a fifth step of polishing the electrically conductive portions, the insulating film, and the planarization assisting portions until the planarization assisting portions are removed, thereby planarizing upper surfaces of the electrically conductive portions and the insulating film.
US08334164B2

An image sensor has a substrate, a dielectric layer positioned on the substrate, a pixel array including a plurality of pixels defined on the substrate, a shield electrode positioned between any two adjacent pixel electrodes of the pixels, a photo conductive layer positioned on the shield electrode and the pixel electrodes, and a transparent conductive layer covering the photo conductive layer.
US08334163B1

A method of forming solar cell includes forming a doping paste on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate to form a selective emitter, to render the selective emitter a non-textured surface, and forming a texturing barrier layer on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate to render the second surface a non-textured surface.
US08334162B2

A method for removing coating from a substrate may include: locating an edge of a substrate; directing a laser beam along a first path to a first position on a surface of the substrate proximate to an edge of the substrate at an angle of incidence suitable to redirect the laser beam along a second path, through the substrate, to a second position on a second surface of the substrate corresponding to the located edge of the substrate, where the second surface can include a coating; and ablating at least a portion of coating at the second position on the second surface of the substrate.
US08334153B2

A semiconductor light emitting device has a light emitting element, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, a seed electrode layer and a plated layer. The light emitting element has a nitride-based III-V compound semiconductor on a substrate. The light emitting element having a light extraction surface. The first electrode layer on the light extraction surface. The second electrode layer is provided on a surface opposite to the light extraction surface of the light emitting element. The seed electrode layer is configured to cover the entire surface of the second electrode layer. The plated layer is provided on the seed electrode layer. The light emitting element has a light emitting layer, a first conductive type semiconductor layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer. The light emitting element has a forward tapered shape of a width which gradually narrows in order of the second conductive type semiconductor layer, the light emitting layer and the first conductive type semiconductor layer.
US08334152B2

Semiconductor material is formed on a host substrate of a material exhibiting optical transparency with an intervening radiation lift off layer. A transfer device, intermediate substrate or target substrate is brought into adhesive contact with the semiconductor material and the radiation lift off layer is irradiated to weaken it, allowing the semiconductor material to be transferred off the host substrate. Electronic devices may be formed in the semiconductor layer while it is attached to the host substrate or the intermediate substrate.
US08334150B2

A wafer level marking system is provided including: providing a wafer, a wafer frame, and a support tape; mounting the wafer and the wafer frame on the support tape; and marking the wafer through the support tape.
US08334149B2

A multi-chip module (MCM) is described. This MCM includes at least two substrates that are remateably mechanically coupled by positive and negative features on facing surfaces of the substrates. These positive and negative features mate with each other. In particular, a positive feature may mate with a given pair of negative features, which includes negative features on each of the substrates. Furthermore, at least one of the negative features in the given pair may include a hard magnetic material, and the positive feature and the other negative feature in the given pair may include a soft magnetic material that provide a flux-return path to the hard magnetic material. In this way, the hard magnetic material may facilitate the remateable mechanical coupling of the substrates.
US08334145B2

A cap having a plurality of spaced-apart grooves in a downwardly tapered inner wall of the cap to facilitate the formation of air passageways as the cap is penetrated by a pipette tip. The air passageways aid in venting air from a fluid-holding vessel closed with the cap.
US08334136B2

An object of the present invention is to promote hair growth or hair regeneration by promoting formation and/or regeneration of hair follicles. A method is provided for promoting formation and/or regeneration of hair follicles, comprising maintaining or increasing expression of one or a plurality of genes involved in cell adhesion in dermal papilla cells.
US08334134B2

Swabs, and materials of the present disclosure, and methods of making same, include randomly arranged sea-island bicomponent fibers which have randomly splayed terminal ends.
US08334131B2

A a multivitamin and mineral dietary supplement includes a base composition of whole aphanizomenon flos-aqua, phycocyanin and phenylethylamine for promoting the body's natural production of stem cells. The production, support and maintenance of these stem cells is enhanced with vitamins and/or minerals. The vitamins and minerals when combined with the base composition promote good health, body repair and longevity.
US08334123B2

A bacillus composition characterized by fast germination and outgrowth in bile salts (simulated gut environment) and by high-level secretion of phytase. The bacillus composition may be used as supplement in animal feed where it has a probiotic (health promoting) effect and increases the digestion and availability of nutrients from animal feeds.
US08334122B2

The present invention provides a novel yeast strain capable of producing ethanol through fermentation with a high degree of efficiency at a temperature of 37° C. or higher, preferably a temperature ranging from 40 to 49° C. or higher, and also a method for producing ethanol by utilizing the yeast strain, and further, ethanol produced by the method. Therefore, in the present invention, an yeast strain (Deposit No. NITE BP-283, etc) belonging to species Kluyveromyces marxianus isolated by a screening step using a culture medium containing sugar in a high concentration and ethanol, is cultured in a culture solution supplemented with 10 to 100 mM of sorbitol at 40 to 49° C.
US08334118B2

The invention relates to alpha amylases and to polynucleotides and polypeptides encoding the alpha amylases. In addition, methods of using the alpha amylases are also provided. The alpha amylases have increased activity and stability at acidic, neutral and alkaline pH and at increased temperatures.
US08334114B2

Meningococcal antigens are cleaved by human lactoferrin. The invention is based on the identification of the cleavage products of this reaction, and provides a method for cleaving a neisserial polypeptide, comprising the step of mixing the polypeptide with a lactoferrin enzyme. The invention also provides polypeptides obtainable by this process (i.e. the cleavage products of the lactoferrin digestion). Proteins of particular interest are meningococcal proteins 287 and App.
US08334108B2

The invention relates generally to a new functional protein S assay and kit that is based on the ability of endogenous protein S to prolong clotting time. In the assay procedure, a test plasma sample is diluted with protein S deficient plasma, followed by the addition of purified or recombinant tissue factor (pTF or rTF), purified natural or synthetic phospholipid (pPL or sPL) and activated protein C (APC) or protein C activator (PCA). The clotting time is then measured and compared to a standard curve or a normal control.
US08334092B2

The present invention relates to a photo-sensitive resin composition having superior heat-resistant and mechanical property, and a protective film for printed circuit board, and particularly provides a photo-sensitive resin composition including an acid-modified oligomer, a photo-polymerizable monomer, a photo-initiator, an epoxy resin, and a butadiene-modified epoxy resin including epoxy group and at least one double bond in the main chain, and a protective film for printed circuit board prepared by using the composition.
US08334090B2

An inorganic electron beam sensitive oxide layer is formed on a carbon based material layer or an underlying layer. The inorganic electron beam sensitive oxide layer is exposed with an electron beam and developed to form patterned oxide regions. An ultraviolet sensitive photoresist layer is applied over the patterned oxide regions and exposed surfaces of the carbon based material layer, and subsequently exposed with an ultraviolet radiation and developed. The combined pattern of the patterned ultraviolet sensitive photoresist and the patterned oxide regions is transferred into the carbon based material layer, and subsequently into the underlying layer to form trenches. The carbon based material layer serves as a robust mask for performing additional pattern transfer into the underlying layer, and may be easily stripped afterwards. The patterned ultraviolet sensitive photoresist, the patterned oxide regions, and the patterned carbon based material layer are subsequently removed.
US08334082B2

A sensitive liquid crystalline polymeric material suitable for the reflective hologram recording and the preparing method thereof are disclosed. The material includes a base film, a buffer layer coated on one side of the base film, a sensitive polymeric layer coated on the other side of the buffer layer and a protective layer coated on the surface of the sensitive polymeric layer.
US08334080B2

A catalyst for a fuel cell is disclosed that includes a conductive carrier, and a catalyst layer formed to cover the conductive carrier and formed of one of Pt, Ru, and a Pt-based alloy.
US08334060B2

A triarylamine-based compound of formula 1, a method of preparing the same, and an organic light emitting device including the triarylamine-based compound of formula 1: where Ar1 through Ar4 are independently a substituted or unsubstituted C6-C30 aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted C2-C30 heterocyclic group; R is a halogen atom, a cyano group, a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C30 alkyl group; n is an integer of 1 through 3; and m is an integer of 1 through 3. The triarylamine-based compound of formula 1 has excellent electrical properties and a great charge transporting capability. An organic light emitting device including an organic layer formed of the triarylamine-based compound has high efficiency, low operating voltage, great luminance, and long lifetime.
US08334057B2

The present invention provides a light-emitting element, a light-emitting device and an electronic device in which an optical path length through which generated light goes can be changed easily. The present invention provides a light-emitting element including a light-emitting layer between a first electrode and a second electrode, and a mixed layer in contact with the first electrode; in which the light-emitting layer includes a light-emitting substance; the mixed layer includes a hole transporting substance and a metal oxide showing an electron accepting property to the hole transporting substance, and has a thickness of 120 to 180 nm, and when a voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode such that a potential of the first electrode is higher than that of the second electrode, the light-emitting substance emits light.
US08334054B2

A heat conductive cured product which can be handled even in a single layer or thin film form, can be readily attached to a heat-generating component or heat-dissipating member, and exhibits an appropriate tack and heat conductivity in a thin film form is provided as well as a method for preparing the same. A heat conductive cured product is prepared by applying a heat conductive composition as a thin film to a substrate which has been treated to have a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive releasable surface, and curing the composition, the composition comprising as essential components, (a) an organopolysiloxane having alkenyl radicals, (b) a heat conductive filler, the filler containing at least 30 vol % of aluminum powder based on its total volume, (c) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane, (d) a platinum group metal catalyst, (e) a reaction regulator, and (f) a silicone resin.
US08334048B2

A method for forming a conductive elastomer by applying or spray coating a conductive paste onto an elastomeric substrate using a reactive top coat to thin the conductive paste prior to spraying onto the substrate. The use of a reactive topcoat to thin the conductive paste avoids the need for hazardous volatile organic components as solvents to thin the conduct paste and improves the bonding of the conductive paste to the elastomeric substrate once the spray coating is cured.
US08334040B2

An electromagnetic wave suppression material that has a high light transmission performance even under a low temperature environment to display a sufficient electromagnetic wave suppression effect, and an electromagnetic wave suppression sheet that has the electromagnetic wave suppression material sealed in it, are disclosed. An electromagnetic wave suppression sheet (3) is composed of an electromagnetic wave suppression material (1) charged into a moisture-resistant film (2) whose peripheral part is laminated by a predetermined adhesive by way of sealing.
US08334039B2

The present invention provides an ultraviolet-curable resin composition, comprising a silicone compound represented by the following formula (1): [Chemical Formula 1] (CH3)3Si—O-A-Si(CH3)3  (1) (wherein A represents a group in which n structural units represented by a chemical formula (2) and m structural units represented by a chemical formula (3) are bonded in a random form or block form, n is an integer ranging from 1 to 15, n/m is 1/5 to 1/20, and two structural units represented by the above chemical formulas (2) and (2), (2) and (3), (3) and (3) are not bonded by oxygen-oxygen bond and a photocurable compound that reacts with the silicone compound. The present invention also provides an optical information recording medium having a surface protective layer with an excellent spot prevention function and spot wipe-ability.
US08334034B2

A fluid reservoir for retaining a particular fluid against an environmental force is disclosed. The fluid reservoir includes a three dimensional porous body that has a plurality of reservoir capillaries formed therein and has a transport volume and effective capillarity in the force direction for the particular fluid when the porous body is oriented in a predetermined orientation. The fluid reservoir also includes at least one lateral indentation in a surface of the porous body. Each of the at least one lateral indentation defines opposing reservoir surfaces each having a lateral surface component orthogonal to the force direction. The at least one lateral indentation is configured so that at least a majority of the reservoir capillaries have a force-aligned length component that is less than the effective capillarity for the particular fluid.
US08334026B2

The radiation-curable phase-change ink composition having at least one radiation curable fluorescent co-monomer and a gellant. The radiation-curable phase-change ink composition offers both document security features as well as potential brand highlight features. The radiation-curable phase-change ink composition combines the unique attributes of the UV curable gel system, with its tremendous substrate latitude, with the ability to add tunable fluorescent effects without the safety concerns of small molecule fluorescent additives. Exemplary ink compositions include a first co-monomer, least one radiation curable fluorescent co-monomer, and a gellant. Methods for making and using these ink compositions and ink compositions are also provided.
US08334008B1

A method is provided for making punctal plugs by providing a fibrous strand and extrusion or dip coating the fibrous strand with a polymeric coating and cutting the coated fibrous strand to adequate length for insertion into a mammal body conduit, vessel, cavity, canal, artery, or vein.
US08334000B2

An extract of Chinese blackberry (Rubus suavissimus) has been found to inhibit angiogenesis, and two active fractions isolated. Gallic acid was shown to be one of the active anti-angiogenic compounds by an in vitro human angiogenesis model. Aqueous extracts from other plants either known or found to have gallic acid were also found to have anti-angiogenic activity. Various derivatives of gallic acid were found to inhibit angiogenesis. The extract from Chinese blackberry also slowed the growth of a pancreatic tumor and of corneal neovascularization in rats. Extracts from pomegranate were shown to inhibit angiogenesis in fat tissue. Extracts from Rubus spp, and other plants with gallic acid, and gallic acid and its derivatives will be useful for treating various diseases associated with neovascularization, including diabetic retinopathy, psoriasis, tumors, obesity, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
US08333999B2

The invention provides a process for co-producing ethanol and Radix Puerariae flavones and utilizing Radix Puerariae fibers from Radix Puerariae by way of clean solid state fermentation, and the device used therein. The process comprises the following steps: providing Radix Puerariae as raw material; pretreating the Radix Puerariae raw material by steam explosion; producing and separating ethanol by continuous coupled solid state fermentation; filtering off fermentation residues; and extracting and purifying Radix Puerariae flavones from the filtrate. The process achieves an effective and comprehensive utilization of Radix Puerariae.
US08333996B2

An improved calcium phosphate delivery vehicle or adjuvant with incorporated adjuvanticity enhancing means and methods of producing same are disclosed. The adjuvant can be fabricated to desired formulations as appropriate and based on the intended purpose. Particle sizes can be adjusted to enhance adjuvant activity. Other supplemental materials may be added as desired and in appropriate proportions to selectively elicit preferred components of the immune system and to enhance the adjuvant's effect on the host response.
US08333993B1

Procedures and methods for synthesizing biodegradable polymer coated nanoceria result in stable nanoparticle preparations in aqueous systems and physiological relevant colloidal solutions, such as phosphate buffer saline. The coated nanoceria preparations increase the nanoparticle concentration in aqueous or colloidal solutions as most needed for antioxidant, free-radical scavenger, and autocatalytic biomedical applications, including, biological, pharmacological and potential clinical use. To meet this need, a facile synthetic procedure for preparation of a biodegradable polymer-coated nanoceria is disclosed; the preferred biodegradable polymer is dextran. The synthesis method occurs under ambient conditions in an aqueous phase without the use of surfactants and results in a monodispersed preparation that is dextran-coated as determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Preliminary characterization of polymer coated nanoceria by XPS, TEM, XRD, and the like shows that these nanoparticles have the necessary physical properties for the desired biological potency, such as Ce+4/Ce+3 mixed valence state.
US08333987B2

The present invention provides compositions and methods for identifying, monitoring, and/or treating tissue inflammation caused by diseases or injury. Inflammatory mediators from the Nourin family are provided as diagnostic markers to detect or monitor a disease or injury that results in inflammation. In addition, the Nourin family antagonist, Nourexin-4 is provided as a therapy to treat diseases or injury. Further, cyclocreatine is provided as an inhibitor of Nourin formation, which can be used as a therapy to treat injury and inflammation.
US08333986B2

The invention relates to a tri-enzyme hydrolysis method for preparing an oligo-saccharide enhanced oat-based drink product useful in lowering cholesterol, triglyceride, blood sugar and improving gastrointestinal function which comprises not only oat β-glucan and but also a higher amount of isomalto-oligosacchride. In accordance with the invention, whole grains of oats are micronized to an average particle size of 100 microns prior to enzyme treatments, and a product of creamy milk-like texture is obtained without filtration so that nutrients of the whole grains of oats are retained. This invention enhances the value of oat-based processing to yield additional health-associated content and illness (such as hyperlipidaemia and hyperglycemia) prevention efficacy that are beyond the potential of oats per se.
US08333982B2

The present invention relates to new aqueous microemulsions containing one or more organic insecticide compounds and to their use for plant protection, including seed and crop protection, and protection of non-living material. The formulation according to the invention comprises: a) at least one organic insecticide compound I having a water solubility of not more than 5 g/l at 298 K and 1013 mbar; b) at least one polar organic solvent selected from ketones, esters, amides and ethers, each having from 6 to 8 carbon atoms; c) at least one alcohol having from 6 to 8 carbon atoms; d) at least one surfactant selected from anionic surfactants and non-ionic surfactants; e) at least one non-polar organic solvent different from b); and f) water.
US08333980B2

The invention provides methods of modulating an immune response to a second antigen which entail administration of a first antigen and an immunostimulatory polynucleotide. Modulation of the immune response is generally manifested as stimulation of a Th1 response.
US08333977B2

A vaccine is disclosed that is protective against pathogenic bacterial species, typically staphylococcal species, and includes methods to prepare said vaccine and to culture pathogenic bacteria.
US08333963B2

Methods for inhibiting osteoclastogenesis by administering a soluble RANK polypeptide are disclosed. Such methods can be used to treat a variety of different cancers, including bone cancer, multiple myeloma, melanoma, breast cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, lung cancer, prostate cancer, hematologic cancers, head and neck cancer and renal cancer.
US08333958B2

Stabilized pharmaceutical compositions comprising substantially monomeric interferon-beta (IFN-β) and methods useful in their preparation are provided. The compositions comprise the IFN-β solubilized in a low-ionic-strength formulation that maintains the composition at a pH of about 3.0 to about 5.0. Methods for preparing these compositions, and for increasing solubility of IFN-β in pharmaceutical compositions, are provided.
US08333954B2

Foamable sanitizing compositions are disclosed. The compositions contain alcohol, water, a foaming agent, and a foam strengthening agent. The foaming agent which may comprise a derivatized dimethicone has been found to cause the alcohol solution to foam even though alcohol has various defoaming properties. The foam strengthening agent may comprise, for instance, a betaine that contains organic molecules wherein at least 90% of the organic molecules have a carbon chain length of 18 carbon atoms or greater. In one embodiment, the composition can be contained in a non-aerosol dispensing container that mixes the composition with air causing the composition to foam when dispensed.
US08333952B2

A microfluidic radiopharmaceutical production system and process for synthesizing per run approximately, but not less than, one (1) unit dose of a radiopharmaceutical biomarker for use in positron emission tomography (PET). The radiopharmaceutical production system includes a reaction vessel that receives a radioisotope from an accelerator or other radioisotope generator. Organic and aqueous reagents are introduced into the reaction vessel, and the mixture is heated to synthesize a solution of a pre-selected radiopharmaceutical. The radiopharmaceutical solution is purified by passing the solution through a solid phase extraction column and a filter. The synthesis process produces per run a quantity of radiopharmaceutical approximately equal to, but not less than, one (1) unit dose of a radiopharmaceutical, reducing waste and allowing for the production of radiopharmaceutical on an as-needed basis. The synthesis process allows for the production of biomarker radiopharmaceuticals on site and close to the location where the unit dose will be administered to the patient. On-site, as-needed production of radiopharmaceuticals in small doses reduces the time between the synthesis of the radiopharmaceutical and the administration of that radiopharmaceutical, thereby minimizing the loss of active isotopes through decay and allowing the production of lesser amounts of radioisotopes overall.
US08333939B2

Methods and apparatus for sensing a substrate in a high temperature environment are provided. The invention includes a support frame having one or more apertures; one or more optical devices positioned in and aligned by the one or more apertures and adapted to detect an edge of a substrate. The invention may also include a controller secured adjacent an end of the support frame, coupled to the one or more optical devices, and adapted to receive information from the optical devices, process the information, and determine a center of a substrate based on the processed information. The support frame may be adapted to thermally shield the one or more optical devices and the controller. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08333937B2

A surrounding environment and a solution to be dispensed are prevented from being polluted by aerosol inside a dispensation tip. A dispensation tip 20 is provided with a dispensation nozzle 19 attached to its distal end, a syringe having a hollow inner portion, that is connected to a proximal end of the dispensation nozzle 19, and a plunger 22 that is allowed to slide in the cylinder 21 of the syringe so that suction and discharge processes are carried out on the liquid by the dispensation nozzle 19. A separation member having airtightness for separating an inside of the nozzle 19 from the outside and flexibility for allowing the plunger 22 to freely slide is placed between the proximal end of the plunger 22 and the proximal end of the cylinder 21.
US08333926B2

An apparatus for analyzing particles in urine comprising is disclosed that includes: a measurement specimen preparing section for preparing a measurement specimen by using a urine sample and a stain reagent; an optical detecting section comprising a light source for emitting a light to the prepared measurement specimen, a forward-scattered light receiving element for detecting forward-scattered light emitted from the specimen, a side-scattered light receiving element for detecting side-scattered light emitted from the specimen, and a fluorescence receiving element for detecting fluorescence emitted from the specimen; and a measurement section for measuring leukocytes in urine, based on the forward-scattered light, the side-scattered light and the fluorescence detected by the optical detecting section. A method for analyzing particles in urine is also disclosed.
US08333924B2

Provided is a high-strength and high-toughness magnesium alloy which has practical level of both the strength and the toughness for expanded applications of the magnesium alloys, and is a method for manufacturing thereof. The high-strength and high-toughness magnesium alloy of the present invention contains: a atom % in total of at least one metal of Cu, Ni, and Co; and b atom % in total of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Y, Dy, Er, Ho, Gd, Tb, and Tm, while a and b satisfying the following formulae (1) to (3), 0.2≦a≦10  (1) 0.2≦b≦10  (2) 2/3a−2/3
US08333918B2

The present invention provides a method of making a nonwoven web, the method including the steps of providing plurality of fibers and subjecting the fibers to a pneumatic attenuation force which imparts a velocity to the fibers, reducing the velocity of the fibers in a diffusion chamber which is formed substantially between opposed diverging sidewalls, subjecting the fibers to an applied electrostatic charge, and thereafter collecting the fibers into a web on a moving forming surface. The invention also provides an apparatus for forming nonwoven webs, the apparatus comprising a source of fibers, a fiber attenuation chamber, a diffusion chamber formed substantially between opposed diverging sidewalls, the diffusion chamber located below the fiber attenuation chamber, and a forming surface for collecting the fibers as a nonwoven web.
US08333905B1

The present invention includes a polyol produced according to the process comprising reacting a multifunctional alcohol with a first multifunctional component to form a reaction product and reacting the reaction product with a vegetable oil to form a polyol. The present invention also relates to the material comprising the reaction product of an A-side and a B-side, wherein the A-side comprises an isocyanate and the B-side comprises the product formed by the process comprising the steps of reacting a multifunctional alcohol with a first multifunctional component to form a precursor polyol and then reacting the precursor polyol with a vegetable oil to form a vegetable based polyol with selectable functionality.
US08333900B1

Described is a method for the selective etching of single walled carbon nanotubes with CO2 where nanotubes of small diameters are removed.
US08333898B2

A method for manufacturing a magnetic tape head having a data sensor and a servo sensor. The data sensor and servo sensor are each separated from first and second magnetic shields by a non-magnetic gap layer, and the gap thickness for the servo sensor is larger than the gap thickness for the data sensor. The method involves depositing a first gap layer over shield structures, then depositing a second gap layer using a liftoff process to remove the second gap layer over the data sensor region. A plurality of sensor layers are then deposited, and a stripe height defining mask structure is formed over the data and servo sensor regions, the mask having a back edge that is configured to define a stripe height of the data and servo sensors. An ion milling is then performed to define the stripe height and to remove gap material from the field.
US08333896B2

A component separation device includes a substrate having a flow path formed therein and arranged to store a fluid containing a liquid component and a solid component, and an actuator causing the fluid stored in the flow path to vibrate. The actuator includes a first electrode provided on the substrate apart from the flow path, and a first piezoelectric member provided on the first electrode, and a second electrode provided on the first piezoelectric member. This separation device prevents the actuator from being contaminated by the fluid, and separates the components efficiently.
US08333895B2

A pond receives a flow of contaminated water into the pond substantially tangential to a volume of clarified water which is stored in the pond and which is largely quiescent. The tangential inflow overcomes a large rotational inertia in the stored volume of clarified water and establishes a slow spiral flow path about the periphery of the pond and inwards to a central outlet. The clarified stored water is discharged ahead of the inflowing contaminated water increasing the residence time of the contaminated water in the pond and permitting contaminants to receive at least partial treatment, such as settling of sediment, in the pond.
US08333891B2

A field flow fractionator to separate particles contained within an injected sample aliquot is described. As required, said fractionator may be used to capture, for subsequent removal, specific predefined classes of such particles. Based upon the cross flow or asymmetric flow field flow fractionators, the fractionator disclosed contains means to vary the applied transverse flows at a plurality of locations along the length of its separating channel. One embodiment utilizes a plurality of separated compartments, each lying below a distinct and corresponding membrane supporting permeable frit segment, are provided individual means to control the localized flow through the membrane section thereabove. A corresponding concentric compartment implementation achieves the same type of compartmentalized cross flow when integrated with a hollow fiber fractionator.
US08333890B2

A filter within a filter cartridge design is described that includes a sealing structure on an endplate of an outer filter element. Generally, the sealing structure includes an annular flange on the endplate that can directly seal against an interior surface of a housing when the filter cartridge is assembled for use. During filtration, the annular flange prevents a working fluid from bypassing the outer filter element. The sealing flange can seal with the housing in a press fit engagement.
US08333888B2

A microfluidic system including: a substrate, one surface of which is covered with electrodes configured to move, under effect of an electric field, microdrops of a liquid phase including at least one functionalized ionic liquid; and capillaries for introducing a liquid extraction fluid onto the surface and for extracting the liquid extraction fluid from an orifice by forced convection, to obtain an extraction bath located on the surface for extraction of at least one chemical or biological compound from the liquid phase, and the bath is open to a surrounding space on at least two of its opposite sides, for moving, in contact with the surface, the microdrop upstream and downstream of the bath.
US08333885B1

A stormwater treatment system and method for removing sediment, chemical pollutants, and debris from stormwater runoff by utilizing bioretention practices including physical, chemical and biological processes by passing stormwater runoff water through a multi-phase filtering and treatment train. Stormwater is initially directed to and enters a pretreatment collection chamber located within or exterior of a primarily open-bottomed, multi-dimensional container whereby entrained sediment and other transportable materials are captured and collected prior to continued transport, filtration and treatment through a media filter layer. A live plant (preferably a tree) situated within the container with roots resident in the media filter layer with the ability for expansion beyond the perimeter of the container through openings in one or more sidewalls. The treated water may be further conveyed to a separate compartment or storage area for additional filtration and temporary collection and storage, or discharged exterior of the container. A vertically positioned overflow/bypass piping apparatus may be included within the stormwater treatment system to provide additional water conveyance. Additional ancillary filtration and storage facilities may be connected to the described stormwater treatment system as conditions warrant.
US08333878B2

This invention teaches a method of coating a vehicle wheel to increase wear resistance which, in its preferred embodiment, includes the steps of providing a vehicle wheel and applying a wear resistant coating between/intermediate a primer and a topcoat. The wear resistant coating is applied to at least the tire bead flange of the vehicle wheel but may be applied to any area of the wheel. It is advantageously comprised of a MIL-P-53022B Type II lead and chromate free, corrosion inhibiting epoxy primer with an addition of 3% polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and is formulated in such a manner so as to allow “wet on wet” application over a cured MIL-P-53084 primer. This application method improves adhesion through surface to surface covalent reaction between the polymerization of polyurethane top coat and the polymerization of intermediate epoxy polyamide wear resistant coating. The wear resistant coating is of particular use with vehicle wheels made from cast or forged aluminum, but may also be used by itself over steel wheels that have been pretreated to TT-C-490. It may also be used over anodized, electrocoated, or DOD-P-15328 wash primed aluminum as a standalone non CARC wear resistant coating.
US08333877B2

Disclosed is a method to manufacture an electrode. The metal oxide of different sizes (or metal oxide secondary particle of similar size) is formed on a transparent substrate by electrophoresis deposition. Subsequently, the metal oxide layer is compressed and dipped in dye to complete an electrode applied in a solar cell. Furthermore, the step of dipping the metal oxide in dye can be earlier than the electrophoresis deposition, thereby reducing the dipping period and dipping temperature.
US08333874B2

The present invention generally relates to a system and method that co-locates in a small flexible, configurable system and multi-level substrate sampling, rapid analysis, bio-sample storage and delivery functions to be performed on living tissues or matter obtained from living organisms. The types of the sampling may include chemical, biochemical, biological, thermal, mechanical, electrical, magnetic and optical sampling. In general, the analysis performed at the point of sampling measures the sample taken and records its value. The bio-sample storage function encapsulates a small sample of analyte and preserves it for subsequent examination or analysis, either on the organism by the system or at a remote location by an independent analysis system. Once stored, the sample can provide a record of a biological state at the precise time of sampling. The delivery at the point of sampling can include chemical, biochemical, biological, thermal, mechanical, electrical, magnetic and optical stimuli.
US08333869B2

A method for stripping a wafer from a supporting plate to which the wafer is adhered via an adhesive agent, wherein the supporting plate has a through hole penetrating the supporting plate in a thickness direction thereof, the method including dissolving the adhesive agent with a stripping solution by contacting the stripping solution with the adhesive agent via the through hole. The adhesive agent has a hydrocarbon resin as a viscous component, and the stripping solution is a hydrocarbon-based solvent having a viscosity of 1.3 mPa·s or less and a dissolving rate of 30 nm/sec or greater to dissolve the adhesive agent.
US08333862B2

A process, apparatus, and system for joining at least two work pieces together using at least two adhesives each having substantially different cure times. A first adhesive having a first cure time is used to form a first bond between the two workpieces, the first adhesive having a first cure time. A second adhesive having a second cure time, the second cure time being substantially shorter than the first cure time is used to form a fixturing bond. The fixturing bond maintaining the first and second workpieces in position prior to the first adhesive curing.
US08333860B1

A micro device transfer head and head array are disclosed. In an embodiment, the micro device transfer head includes a base substrate, a mesa structure with sidewalls, an electrode formed over the mesa structure, and a dielectric layer covering the electrode. A voltage can be applied to the micro device transfer head and head array to pick up a micro device from a carrier substrate and release the micro device onto a receiving substrate.
US08333858B2

A fabrication method of forming curved thermoplastic composite laminate parts with tailored and varying thickness in a continuous process. Automated equipment or hand lay-up are used to collate parts or components into a multi-layer stack. Each stack contains all plies, including ply build-up areas, tacked in the proper location to maintain orientation and location. Ply consolidation tooling contains all necessary part features and is coordinated to the customized multiple ply stacks to form a single integrated thermoplastic composite laminate potentially having areas of differing thickness from the multiple ply stacks.
US08333853B2

Aluminum alloy having an improved combination of properties are provided. In one aspect, a method for producing the alloy includes preparing an aluminum alloy for artificial aging and artificially aging the alloy. In one embodiment, the artificially aging step includes aging the aluminum alloy at a temperature of at least about 250° F., and final aging the aluminum alloy at a temperature of not greater than about 225° F. and for at least about 20 hours. These aluminum alloys realize an improved combination of properties, including improved strength with at least equivalent fatigue crack growth resistance.
US08333845B2

A vehicle washing system including a frame having an entrance and an exit side. The frame linearly reciprocates along a plurality of rails that extend generally in the direction between the entrance side and the exit side to travel over a stationary vehicle. The frame has a first fluid dispensing device located in the half adjacent its entrance side and a second fluid dispensing device located adjacent its exit side. The first and second fluid dispensing devices include a plurality of manifolds each of which is in communication with a supply of fluid to apply fluid to the vehicle. The vehicle washing system includes a control system that is in communication with each of the manifolds in the first and second fluid dispensing devices to selectively and independently control the type of fluid emitted from each of the manifolds and in what order during the vehicle cleaning process.
US08333841B2

[Object] To provide a roll-to-roll vacuum deposition apparatus capable of easily and speedily adjusting a pressing force between a printing roller and a backup roller.[Solving Means] In the present invention, by adjusting a pressing force between a printing roller and a backup roller through a relative movement of a mask forming unit including the printing roller and a transfer roller with respect to a vacuum chamber, individual adjustments of the printing roller and the transfer roller are eliminated and an adjustment of a pressing force on a unit basis is realized, thus achieving simplification of a structure, simplification and enhancement in precision of tasks, and a reduction in work time.
US08333840B2

A metal organic chemical vapor deposition apparatus includes reaction chambers in which nitride layers is deposited on a substrate using a group III-V material, a buffer chamber connected to the reaction chambers and in which a transfer robot is disposed to transfer the substrate into the reaction chambers, a gas supply device configured to selectively supply one or more of hydrogen, nitrogen, and ammonia gases into the buffer chamber so that when the buffer chamber communicates with one of the reaction chambers, the buffer chamber has the same atmosphere as an atmosphere of the reaction chamber, and a heater disposed in the buffer chamber. Nitride layers are deposited on a substrate in the reaction chambers, and the temperature and gas atmosphere of the buffer chamber are adjusted such that when the substrate is transferred, epitaxial layers formed on the substrate can be stably maintained.
US08333836B2

A fiber cement composite material that incorporates a blend of bleached and unbleached cellulose fibers as a partial or complete substitute for premium grade cellulose pulp is provided. Bleached standard grade cellulose fibers are used in conjunction with unbleached, standard grade cellulose fibers to provide a fiber cement composite product having substantially equal or even superior flexibility and strength as an equivalent fiber cement composite material reinforced by premium grade, unbleached cellulose fibers. A synergistic combination of bleached and unbleached standard grade cellulose fibers to produce a composite material with the desired properties previously achievable only through the use of premium grade cellulose pulp.
US08333831B2

The invention relates to a dispersion of antimony or indium doped tinoxide nanoparticles in an organic solvent, comprising a) 5-75 wt % of nanoparticles having a mean average size between 1 and 100 nm. b) a solvent comprising a hydroxyl group and an ether group. c) a water content of less then 15 wt %. d) a dispersant content of less then 0.1 wt %. The invention also relates to a method of making such a dispersion, by I. Making a mixture of an aqueous dispersion of antimony or indium doped tinoxide particles having an average size between 1 and 100 nm, a solvent comprising a hydroxyl group and an ether group, which forms an azeotrope with water, and a grafting compound. II. Heating the mixture under stirring at a temperature between 20 and 150° C. III. At least partially removing the solvent/water mixture. IV. Optionally adding more solvent. V. Repeating steps III and IV till the water content of the obtained dispersion is less then a desired value and the concentration solid is between 5 and 70 wt %.
US08333827B2

The invention relates to an adsorption filter material with a multilayer construction, particularly with a permeable adsorptive barrier layer composite, preferably for ABC protective clothing, wherein the adsorption filter material has at least a first barrier layer having a plurality of openings and at least a second barrier layer having a plurality of openings, as well as an adsorption layer disposed between the first and second barrier layers, wherein the first and second barrier layers are disposed in such a manner, that the openings and the openings do not overlap and/or do not coincide. The adsorption filter material is very comfortable and, at the same time, offers excellent protection against chemical poisons.
US08333822B2

A polymeric polymer containing poly(oxyethylene)-amine and its application to preparation of silver nanoparticles. The polymeric polymer is prepared from poly(oxyethylene)-amine and a linker, for example, poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (SMA) or dianhydride. The polymeric polymer can chelate silver ions and reduce them to silver atoms which are dispersed as nanoparticles. No additional reducing agent is needed and more than 30% of solid content of the nanoparticles solution can be achieved without aggregation. The prepared silver nanoparticles are both hydrophilic and hydrophobic and therefore are compatible with polymers.
US08333815B2

Disclosed are cerium oxide powder for an abrasive; CMP slurry including the same; and a shallow trench isolation (STI) process using the CMP slurry. At least two kinds of cerium oxides prepared by using cerium carbonates having different crystal structures are mixed in an appropriate ratio and used as an abrasive for CMP slurry, thereby adjusting required polishing properties of the CMP slurry. Also, in a disclosed method of preparing a cerium carbonate, the crystal structure of the cerium carbonate can be easily controlled. Based on the finding that in a cerium oxide for an abrasive, the kind of improved polishing property depends on the crystal structure of a cerium carbonate, at least one from among polishing properties, such as the polishing rate of a silicon oxide layer, the polishing rate of a silicon nitride layer, the polishing selectivity between the silicon oxide layer and the silicon nitride layer, and WIWNU, can be adjusted by using at least two kinds of cerium oxides selected from the group including (i) a cerium oxide prepared by using a lanthanite-(Ce) crystal structured cerium carbonate, (ii) a cerium oxide prepared by using an orthorhombic crystal structured cerium carbonate, and (iii) a cerium oxide prepared by using a hexagonal crystal structured cerium carbonate, as an abrasive for CMP slurry, and adjusting the mixing ratio of the cerium oxides.
US08333814B2

An abrasive-impregnated cutting structure for use in drilling a subterranean formation is disclosed. The abrasive-impregnated cutting structure may comprise a plurality of abrasive particles dispersed within a substantially continuous matrix, wherein the abrasive-impregnated cutting structure exhibits an anisotropic wear resistance. One or more of the amount, average size, composition, properties, shape, quality, strength, and concentration of the abrasive particles may vary within the abrasive-impregnated cutting structure. Anisotropic wear resistance may relate to a selected direction, such as, for example, one or more of an expected direction of engagement of the abrasive-impregnated cutting structure with the subterranean formation and an anticipated wear direction. Anisotropic wear resistance of an abrasive-impregnated cutting structure may be configured for forming or retaining a formation-engaging leading edge thereof. A rotary drag bit including at least one abrasive-impregnated cutting structure is disclosed.
US08333804B1

Some embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus that (1) delivers a fusion member between two vertebral bodies after at least a portion of the fibrocartilaginous disc between the vertebral bodies has been removed, and (2) affixes the fusion member to the vertebral bodies. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes (1) a fusion member that is delivered and positioned between the vertebral bodies, (2) a delivery mechanism that delivers and positions the fusion member between the vertebral bodies, and (3) an anchoring member that affixes the fusion member to the vertebral bodies.
US08333803B2

The present disclosure provides an implantable medical device comprising a composite graft material including a first biologic component, such as an acellular tissue matrix, and a second non-biologic component.
US08333798B2

An implantable mechanical device for insertion into a passage, where the device is made from a platinum alloy selected from the group consisting of platinum:iridium alloy, platinum:tungsten alloy, platinum:rhodium:ruthenium alloy, platinum:rhodium alloy and platinum:nickel alloy.
US08333797B2

A method of delivering a stent-graft includes mounting the stent-graft on a pushrod; radially constraining the stent-graft within a sheath; securing a crown portion of the stent-graft to the pushrod with a retainer structure of a stent-graft retainment system; retracting the sheath to expose the crown portion of the stent-graft; and further retracting the sheath to cause the retainer structure to release the crown portion from the pushrod thus deploying the stent-graft. The retainer structure releases the stent-graft automatically as a result of the retraction of the sheath.
US08333795B2

A catheter assembly adapted to treat a vessel bifurcation. A balloon member of the catheter assembly includes a main body portion and a cylindrical shaped bulge portion that extends radially outward from the main body portion. The bulge portion extends around a circumference of the main body portion. A stent of the catheter assembly is typically mounted to the balloon member. When treating the vessel bifurcation, the catheter assembly is positioned with the bulge portion aligned axially relative to an ostium of the branch vessel. The balloon member is inflated to expand a portion of the stent into the branch vessel. The circumferential construction of the bulge portion of the balloon member reduces the need for radial (rotational) alignment of the balloon member relative to the ostium of the branch vessel.
US08333779B2

A method of maintaining constant movement of a cutting blade of an ultrasonic waveguide includes the steps of providing an ultrasonic transducer operable to convert a received motional voltage into a movement of a cutting blade of an ultrasonic waveguide, a motional feedback circuit connected in a parallel configuration with the ultrasonic transducer, and a variable power source operable to apply a first voltage between a set of connection points to the parallel configuration. A feedback voltage measured from the motional feedback circuit is determined and an output of the power source is varied based upon the measured feedback voltage to result in a substantially constant feedback voltage and, thereby, maintain a substantially constant rate of movement of the cutting blade across a variety of cutting loads.
US08333777B2

Methods and systems for closing an opening or defect in tissue, closing a lumen or tubular structure, cinching or remodeling a cavity or repairing a valve preferably utilizing a purse string or elastic device. The preferred devices and methods are directed toward catheter-based percutaneous, transvascular techniques used to facilitate placement of the devices within lumens, such as blood vessels, or on or within the heart to perform structural defect repair, such as valvular or ventricular remodeling. In some methods, the catheter is positioned within the right ventricle, wherein the myocardial wall or left ventricle may be accessed through the septal wall to position a device configured to permit reshaping of the ventricle. The device may include a line or a plurality of anchors interconnected by a line. In one arrangement, the line is a coiled member.
US08333776B2

A system and associated method for manipulating tissues and anatomical or other structures in medical applications for the purpose of treating diseases or disorders or other purposes. In one aspect, the system includes a delivery device configured to deploy and implant anchor devices for such purposes.
US08333766B2

An external fixation system comprising: first and second planar at least part-circular ring elements, the first ring element having a circumferential track extending along the part-circular circumference thereof; a plurality of struts each having a first and second end, the first end of each strut coupled to the first ring by a first connector and the second end of each strut coupled to a second ring by a second connector, the first connector including a spherical joint; the second connector non-rotatably coupled to the second ring, the strut second end being coupled to the second connector by a U-joint; shuttles mounted on the track of the first ring for movement there along with one shuttle coupled to each strut; and means for controlling the angular position of each strut second end and means for controlling the position of each shuttle along the circumferential track on the first ring.
US08333762B2

An irrigated ablation catheter provides improved distribution of irrigation fluid across its tip electrode surface resulting in improved cooling and flushing of blood and proteins from the tip region. An axially directed flow of irrigation provides improved heat transfer from the tip electrode to the irrigation fluid allowing for a cooler tip electrode and larger lesions. The irrigation fluid is introduced to the catheter with improved flow by means of a standard constant flow pump. A lumen or tube within a shaft of the catheter transfers the irrigation fluid to a proximal end of the tip electrode where it exits the catheter via a flow directing member mounted on the tip electrode. In one embodiment, the flow directing member is a thin walled tube that surrounds the proximal end of the tip electrode and directs the irrigation fluid distally along an outer surface of the tip electrode.
US08333760B2

A high frequency generator connected to an electrosurgical instrument comprising an electrical output terminal, a power source electrically connected to the output terminal, an arc detector, and a power control for controlling the electrical power delivered through the output terminal. The power control initially causes the delivery of a high output power for a phase for initial cutting support and thereafter, if ignition of an arc has occurred for a predetermined period of time to cause the delivery of reduced or no power and subsequently for a predetermined period of time to cause the delivery of reduced or no power at which no arc occurs, or if no ignition of an arc has occurred during the phase for initial cutting support, to cause the delivery of reduced or no power for a predetermined period of time of a short pause interval.
US08333755B2

A coupler to provide controller motion from a robotic manipulator includes a pin having a tip with a spherical bearing surface and a plate supported on the spherical bearing surface of the pin with two degrees of rotational freedom about the center of the spherical bearing surface. The plate has a back surface and an opposing driving surface that bears against a first surface of an inner gimbal of a gimbal assembly of a driven device. The plate includes a pin receiving portion that extends outwardly from the driving surface and away from the back surface. The pin receiving portion includes a spherical receiving surface to receive the spherical bearing surface of the pin. The spherical bearing surface is located at a distance above the driving surface such that the center of the spherical bearing surface coincides with an intersection of the gimbal assembly axes of the driven device.
US08333752B2

Devices, systems and methods are provided for drug delivery and the monitoring thereof.
US08333746B2

A disposable absorbent article is disclosed including an inner part including a sheet of material having an inner side, an outer side opposite the inner side, a front waist region, and a rear waist region, wherein the front waist region is connected with the rear waist region to form a waist opening and two leg openings; an outer part including an absorbent material, the outer part being separate from the inner part and adapted to be worn over the outer side of the inner part such that the inner part can be worn independently of the outer part; and an opening in the sheet of material of the inner part for allowing bowel movement waste to pass through the opening so that the inner part cooperates with the outer part in use to collect and retain bowel movement waste between the inner and outer parts.
US08333745B2

Disclosed is a device for maintaining an adjustable loop in the drain tube of a urine collection and/or monitoring system. The clip, band or bands act to maintain the adjustable loop such that the adjustment in size of the loop created in the drain tube varies the effective length of the drain tube. Further disclosed is a method for preventing back pressure from developing in the drain tube of urine collection and/or monitoring system.
US08333740B2

Cannula and handle systems and cannulas having substantially continuous interior pathways or channels are provided. The interior pathway may extend from the inlet to the cannula to the outlet, such that tissue collected at the inlet is carried to the outlet without contacting other components. Moreover, the substantially continuous nature of the interior pathway, with an absence of drop-offs, blind pockets or other discontinuities, facilitates cleaning. In addition, inlet holes are sized to promote the transfer of tissue through the channel to the outlet, and to the avoidance of damaging collected tissue.
US08333738B2

A method of using a syringe and a flexible member is described. In some versions, the method may involve providing a syringe, a needle, a pre-filled cartridge, an adapter, a flexible member, a biasing element, and a guard. The method may involve retaining the guard, releasing the guard by actuating the flexible member to translate the guard in the distal direction to cover the needle, and locking the guard. In some versions, the flexible member may have a first and second position for actuation. In some versions, the flexible member may engage and disengage the guard to retain and release the guard.
US08333736B2

A universal securing device for holding catheters of various shapes and sizes and the like in place includes a base and cover. The cover may be connected to the base by a hinge which allows the cover to be lifted open or pushed down into a closed position, over a catheter fitting. The base may have locating elements configured and arranged to fit around catheter fittings of various sizes, and the locating elements prevent substantial movement of a catheter fitting and catheter in various dimensions. The cover may include capture elements which act to grip and compress the catheter fitting when the securing device is in a closed position, thus preventing substantial movement of a catheter fitting and catheter in various dimensions. The base may be attached to a patient with an adhesive pad attached to the bottom surface of the base.
US08333735B2

Embodiments of a catheter insertion device are discussed comprising: an approximately hollow cylindrical catheter sleeve, at whose distal end a catheter is attached; a needle sleeve with a hollow needle, which is attached thereto and which, when ready for use, extends through the catheter sleeve and the catheter, and; a needle protective element that is arranged inside the catheter sleeve while being able to move on the needle. Said needle protective element has an engaging section that engages with an engaging device, which is formed in the vicinity of the needle tip, when the hollow needle is withdrawn from the catheter sleeve. A check valve is placed inside the catheter sleeve between the catheter and the needle protective element. The hollow needle, when ready for use, extends through said check valve, and the check valve automatically closes once the needle is withdrawn.
US08333733B2

An infusion pump assembly is disclosed. The infusion pump assembly includes a locking tab and a pump barrel inside a pump barrel housing, where the pump barrel accommodates a reservoir assembly. The reservoir assembly includes a reservoir and a plunger rod. The infusion pump assembly also includes a locking disc at a terminus of the pump barrel. The locking disc includes a clearance hole for the plunger rod. The locking disc also includes at least one locking tab notch in close proximity with the locking tab. The locking tab is in moveable engagement with the locking tab notch, and the reservoir moves the locking tab from a locked position to an unlocked position when the plunger rod is inserted through clearance hole. The locking disc rotates upon torque being applied to the reservoir assembly, the locking disc rotating from a non-loaded position to a loaded position with respect to the plunger rod and a drive screw.
US08333724B2

A low flow blood chamber for optically monitoring blood flowing through extracorporeal tubing has a flat elongated blood flow cavity but preserves the circular viewing area of conventional blood chambers. The blood chamber provides consistent, mixed flow through the blood cavity even at low blood flow rates, e.g. 10 to 500 ml/min., while maintaining certain dimensional characteristics of conventional blood chambers.
US08333723B2

A knee brace (300) has a body (310) supporting first, second, and third expandable members (330). When expanded, the first, second, and third expandable members are positioned on the brace body to provide a counteracting force to the adduction moment of the knee.
US08333721B2

An ultrasound medical treatment system includes an end effector insertable into a patient. The end effector includes a tissue-retaining device. The tissue-retaining device includes a first tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound medical-treatment transducer and includes a second tissue-retaining member. The first and second tissue-retaining members are operatively connected together to retain patient tissue between the first and second tissue-retaining members and to release patient tissue so retained. In one example, the second tissue-retaining member has an ultrasound reflector. In the same or a different example, the ultrasound medical-treatment transducer is an ultrasound imaging and medical-treatment transducer.
US08333715B1

A blood glucose sampling device is provided. The blood glucose sampling device includes a sensor cartridge having a plurality of blades oriented in a common direction of rotation about a central point. Each blade includes a test strip having a test region defined radially from the central point at a proximal end and a capillary aligned with a distal end of the test region and extending to an outer edge of the blade. Each blade also includes a cleaning element positioned adjacent to the test strip. A lancet is affixed to a lancet cartridge and aligned with the capillary formed in the test strip. A housing removably encloses the cartridges and includes an outer grip that surrounds a circumference of the housing and is shaped to fit between a thumb and finger. A test passage formed in the outer grip through which the test strip and lancet are positioned.
US08333712B2

A body fluid sampling device comprises an elastic membrane arranged at a part of a hermetically sealed housing having a communication path with a check valve and a needling means arranged beneath the membrane. As the membrane is pressed by a fingertip, the needling means needles through the membrane and further the skin of the fingertip to exude blood. As the fingertip is then separated from the membrane, the exuded blood is efficiently introduced into the housing due to the negative pressure produced in the internal region by the elastic movement of the membrane.
US08333701B2

A parameter calculating unit calculates a parameter value at each time through an interpolation process based on a parameter value at a telediastole stored in a telediastole memory and a parameter value at a telesystole stored in a telesystole memory. An interpolation coefficient memory stores an interpolation coefficient which is used for the interpolation process. When the parameter calculating unit calculates, for each parameter, parameter values of the times from telediastole to the telesystole, a region-of-interest setting unit sets, for each time, a three-dimensional region of interest in the three-dimensional data space based on the plurality of parameters. With this process, a three-dimensional region of interest which dynamically changes from the telediastole to the telesystole is set in the three-dimensional data space.
US08333695B2

A medical instrument for manipulating, in particular retracting tissue or an organ in the human or animal body, comprises an elongated shaft having a distal portion introducible into the body, and at least one working element arranged at a distal end portion of the shaft for manipulating the tissue or organ. The at least one working element comprises at least one magnetically acting element producing a magnetic field for manipulating the tissue or organ. A method for manipulating, in particular retracting tissue or an organ uses the instrument.
US08333694B2

An illumination unit includes a distal end frame member having a through opening, a plurality of illumination sections, and a holding member which is arranged in the through opening and holds the illumination sections to incline the illumination sections at a desired angle with respect an opening surface of the through opening and to form a cascade along the axial direction of the through opening. The illumination unit includes a reflective member which is configured to reflect the illumination light emitted from the illumination sections toward the opening surface, the reflective member being held by the holding member to face the illumination sections and to apply the illumination light externally emitted from the illumination sections from the inside of the through opening via the opening surface.
US08333692B2

An endoscope includes an insertion portion having a bending portion, a base portion connected to the insertion portion, an operation wire extending from the bending portion toward the base portion, a drive source unit which is provided in the base portion, and a drive force transmission unit which is connected to the operation wire and the drive source unit. The drive source unit includes a first frame, a second frame, a motor, a gear box and a potentiometer. The gear box includes a horizontal power transmission mechanism for horizontally transmitting power from the motor, and an epicyclic gear mechanism for vertically transmitting power from the horizontal power transmission mechanism.
US08333683B2

A machine tool, wherein the front face of a base of the machine tool is formed in a single plane and a jig for fixing a workpiece to be machined with a tool is installed extending forwardly from a vertical intermediate front part of the base that defines an area between right and left lateral end front parts of the base having the vertical overall length portions or the vertical roughly overall length portions at right and left end parts of the front face formed in the single plane is formed detachably from the other portions of the base. The jig for fixing the work machined with the tool may be installed in the state of being extended from the vertical intermediate position of the front face in a forward direction.
US08333682B2

Swim training apparatus comprising, a pair of leg bands, each having posterior sides and adapted to be secured around the thigh portion of a swimmer's legs, a waist band having a posterior side and adapted to be secured around the waist of a swimmer, a lever arm attached to waist band and having distal ends and a center and a pair of connecting straps each having distal and proximate ends where the proximate ends are attached to the respective distal ends of the lever arm and the distal ends of the straps are attached to the respective posterior sides of the leg bands.
US08333674B2

A double-cogged V-belt with the upper and lower cog profiles symmetric and having lines (“L”) and arcs (“A”) connected according to a sequence from the center of a root to the center of an adjacent cog of L1-A1-L2-A2-L3 for the upper profile and A3-L5-A4-L6, and with at least one upper root and one lower root substantially aligned with each other, and with the sum of the length of L1 plus the radius of A1 equal to or within 20% of the radius of A3. The upper and lower pitches may be equal and all the roots aligned, or there may be more upper cogs than lower cogs. Some or all arcs and lines may be connected tangentially.
US08333658B2

In one embodiment, a method includes determining the authorization of a user to manipulate a token relative to a display device using identification information.
US08333650B2

A method for conducting a wagering game on a gaming system comprises receiving a wager to play the wagering game, displaying a first outcome of the wagering game on at least one display, evaluating the first outcome for winning combinations of symbols and awarding awards associated with any such winning combinations. The method further comprises, upon the occurrence of a triggering event and if the first outcome is a winning outcome, promoting each occurrence of at least one symbol in the first outcome to a next higher symbol in accordance with a pay table of the wagering game to display a revised first outcome, and evaluating the revised first outcome for winning combinations of symbols and awarding awards associated with any such winning combinations.
US08333635B2

A simulated eye includes a spherical cap eyeball, a resilient film, a driving mechanism, and a transmission mechanism. The eyeball includes a plurality of guide arms on an inner surface thereof. The resilient film received in the eyeball includes a pupil portion and an iris portion surrounding the pupil portion. The driving mechanism provides a first driving force and a second force opposite to the first driving force in direction. The transmission mechanism arranged between the driving mechanism and the resilient film includes a plurality of transmission members received and movable in the corresponding guide arms.
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