US08848629B2

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for the transmission of control signal in a radio communication system. The method includes the steps of processing first control information on the basis of a first resource index to create a first control signal, processing second control information on the basis of a second resource index to create a second control signal, and transmitting the first control signal and the second control signal.
US08848625B2

A method server and system for propagating a mobile communication device state are provided. State data defining a state of a mobile communication device is received from the mobile communication device at a server in communication with the mobile communication device. The state data is incorporated into wireless network data transmitted from the mobile communication device. The state data is stored in a resource indicator storing at the server. A request for the state data is received from a second server. At least a subset of the state data is transmitted to the second server, such that the second server can determine whether the mobile communication device is in a state to handle incoming data.
US08848620B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate simultaneous transmission of control information in a single sub-frame. For instance, simultaneous transmission can maintain single carrier waveforms for a control channel even when a plurality of information types is scheduled in concurrently. Channel quality indicators, scheduling requests and acknowledgement messages can be jointly coded. In addition, reference symbols in a sub-frame can be modulated to indicate values associated with a scheduling request or an acknowledgement message. Moreover, in situations where channel quality indicators, scheduling requests and or acknowledgement messages are simultaneously scheduled, one or more can be dropped. Further, a single carrier constraint can be relaxed to enable simultaneous transmission of information in the sub-frame at different frequencies.
US08848618B2

Techniques for efficiently assigning resources for spurts of traffic in a wireless communication system are described. The system may support semi-persistent and non-persistent resource assignments. A semi-persistent resource assignment is valid for as long as more data is sent within a predetermined time period of last sent data and expires if no data is sent within the predetermined time period. A non-persistent resource assignment is valid for a predetermined duration or a specific transmission. A semi-persistent resource assignment may be granted for an expected spurt of data to send via the communication link. For Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP), a semi-persistent resource assignment may be granted for a voice frame in anticipation of a spurt of voice activity, and a non-persistent resource assignment may be granted for a silence descriptor (SID) frame during a period of silence.
US08848617B2

The present invention relates to a method and system of transmissions and retransmissions of packet data in a communications system, where the communications system uses switched channels, switching between rates or channels of different characteristics, and connection control and management in such a system. Particularly, the invention relates to radio resource management in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, UMTS, or WCDMA system allowing for use of compatible protocols for non-switched and switched channels.
US08848613B2

Systems and methods are disclosed that include determining a local node configuration for a local network node. The local network node configuration can include a local range and a local location. In addition, these systems and methods can include receiving a remote network node configuration for a remote network node via a communications link. The remote network node configuration can include a remote range and a remote location. Also these systems and methods can further include generating a neighbor list that includes the remote network node and the local network node. The neighbor list can be determined using the local network node configuration and the remote network node configuration.
US08848608B1

A method in one embodiment includes detecting a trigger on an electronic device and identifying an interface usage policy for an agent and a corresponding application on the electronic device. The method also includes selecting a first wireless interface of a plurality of wireless interfaces on the electronic device for a network session between an application process of the application and a remote node, with the first wireless interface being selected based on one or more criteria in the interface usage policy. In specific embodiments the electronic device is an on-board unit of a vehicle. In more specific embodiments a second wireless interface is selected based on the interface usage policy, the first and second wireless interfaces are different physical interfaces on the electronic device. In other specific embodiments, the first and second wireless interfaces are virtual interfaces of a single physical interface on the electronic device.
US08848607B2

Interference between potentially conflicting radio access technologies (RATs) in a wireless device may be managed through a coexistence manager which allows communication using a first active RAT (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE)) and communication with a second active RAT (e.g., wireless local area network (WLAN)) when the first RAT is not scheduled for communicating during an uplink timeslot. Communications by a WLAN radio may be controlled using a power save mode. WLAN communications may be timed so that downlink signals (such as data or acknowledgement messages) to the WLAN radio are received during an inactive uplink subframe for an LTE radio. WLAN communications may also be timed so that downlink signals to the WLAN radio are received during downlink times scheduled for an LTE radio.
US08848601B2

A method for receiving data using a user agent (UA) configured to communicate with a wireless communications network using a first and second communication carrier is presented. The method includes receiving control information at a first time interval using the first communication carrier. The control information allocates a resource on at least one of the first communication carrier and the second communication carrier. The control information indicates whether a carrier switch is required. In one implementation, when the control information indicates a carrier switch is required, the method includes ceasing signal reception on the first communication carrier, and receiving a signal on the second communication carrier.
US08848589B2

A method for transmitting broadcast service data in a single frequency network including a Radio Network Controller and one or more base stations each with a cell including one or more sectors, the method includes: transmitting, by the Radio Network Controller, broadcast service data and a first transmission time to the base station; and transmitting, by the base station, the broadcast service data to each of its sector after the first transmission time, where the broadcast service data is transmitted to adjacent sectors sharing a common station address at different transmission times. Also, the present invention discloses a system and base station for transmitting broadcast service data in a single frequency network. With this technical solution, the phenomenon of fast fading of received signals in the prior art which occurs at adjacent edge zones of adjacent sectors in the same cell of the single frequency network can be avoided, and thus improving performance of receiving the signals.
US08848586B2

An electronic device with network connection functionality includes a transceiver chip and a processing circuit. The transceiver chip is utilized for processing a data corresponding to a physical (PHY) layer. The processing circuit is externally connected to the transceiver chip, for processing a data corresponding to a media access control (MAC) layer. When the transceiver chip receives a designated packet, the transceiver chip generates a notification signal to notify at least one portion of the processing circuit to be switched from a first operating mode to a second operating mode.
US08848584B2

A time synchronization method in a wireless sensor network, a low power routing method using a reservation scheme, and an apparatus for performing the method are provided. The time synchronization method in the wireless sensor network may include: receiving a first synchronization request command packet from a parent node that manages time synchronization for a predetermined synchronization region; receiving, from the parent node, a second synchronization request command packet that has a transmission timestamp value of the first synchronization request command packet; and performing time synchronization for a child node based on a reception time of the first synchronization request command packet, a reception time of the second synchronization request command packet, and the transmission timestamp value of the first synchronization request command packet.
US08848581B2

A method for unsynchronized signaling between nodes in a network is described. The method includes partitioning a message for asynchronous transmission in a network into a plurality of symbols. A symbol includes a cyclic prefix. Causing the plurality of symbols to be transmitted (for example, via a transmitter) on one or more subcarriers allocated for asynchronous transmissions is also included in the method. A given symbol is transmitted so as to reduce a discontinuity between a previous symbol and the given symbol. The method may also include applying a phase shift to one or more symbols of the plurality of symbols. Transmitting may include transmitting at a transmission frequency, where a length of a transmission cycle is determined by the transmission frequency, and where a length of the cyclic prefix is equal to an integer number of transmission cycles. Apparatus and computer readable media are also described.
US08848580B2

A resource allocation method of a relay station in a wireless communication system employing the relay station is provided. The method includes: receiving information on a resource allocation pattern for an access link and a backhaul link of a first frequency band; and determining a resource allocation pattern for an access link and a backhaul link of a second frequency band on the basis of the resource allocation pattern of the first frequency band, wherein the first frequency band is any one of an uplink frequency band and a downlink frequency band, and the second frequency band is a remaining one of the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band.
US08848579B1

Disclosed are methods and systems for using transport-layer source ports to identify sources of packet payloads in mixed tethering and non-tethering environments so that, e.g., a provider may differentially bill between those two types of data communication. In particular, a wireless device capable of sending data from both tethered and non-tethered sources may use specified transport-layer source ports to identify data as coming from various different sources. Network entities that record data usage associated with the device may detect which port the device used to send data and use port-to-source (e.g., port-to-hardware-interface) mapping data to determine the source (e.g., the source hardware interface) of the data. The network entities may report this data usage, along with the determined data sources, to a billing system so that the billing system may accordingly differentially bill a subscriber associated with the device.
US08848573B1

In one embodiment a method includes receiving at an interface a join request for a multicast data stream, determining whether the multicast data stream is presently being transmitted within a same Downlink Broadcast Domain of which the interface is a member, and based on a result of the determining step one of (i) adding an identifier of the interface to an Outgoing Interface List when the multicast data stream is not presently being transmitted within a same Downlink Broadcast Domain of which the interface is a member or (ii) adding the identifier of the interface to a Candidate Outgoing Interface List when the multicast data stream is presently being transmitted within a same Downlink Broadcast Domain of which the interface is a member.
US08848571B2

The present technology relates to protocols relative to utility meters associated with an open operational framework. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to protocol subject matter for advanced metering infrastructure, adaptable to various international standards, while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field. The present subject matter supports meters within an ANSI standard C12.22/C12.19 system while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field, all to permit cell-based adaptive insertion of C12.22 meters within an open framework. Particular present features relate to the use of minimal propagation delay path to optimize a mesh network.
US08848569B2

The disclosure discloses a method and device for power control in non-adaptive retransmission. The solution thereof includes: when UE does not obtain a TPC adjustment value of a current HARQ process by parsing, determining a current power control mode; if the mode is an accumulation mode, determining whether the calculated sum of TPC adjustment values of each HARQ process is smaller than a given threshold, if yes, obtaining a transmission power by adding an increment adjustment value to a retransmission power, otherwise, calculating the transmission power of UE according to a formula in a protocol; if the mode is an absolute value mode, obtaining a transmission power by adding an increment adjustment value to a retransmission power. The solution can improve the SINR detected by an eNB and improve a retransmission success rate, thereby saving radio resources, facilitating utilization of radio resources and reduction of transmission delay, improving the throughput rate of an LTE system and improving the system performance.
US08848568B2

A user device receives packets from a base station. The user device may invoke decoding while the packet is still being received, based on the incomplete contents of a given packet. This “partial packet decoding” relies on the fact that the underlying information in the packet is encoded with redundancy (code rate less than one). If link quality is poor, the partial packet decoding is likely to be unsuccessful, i.e., to fail in its attempt to recover the underlying information. To avoid waste of power, the user device may be configured to apply one or more tests of link quality prior to invoking the partial packet decoding on a current packet.
US08848565B2

A network based positioning (NBP) system that improves the accuracy of wireless positioning systems by concurrently performing RTT ranging operations and associated TDOA operations to generate a number of difference measurement values from which the position of a station device (STA) can be determined using, for example, multilateration techniques. Because the RTT values and their corresponding TDOA values both include the turn-around time (TAT) of the STA, subtracting TDOA values from their corresponding RTT values generates difference measurement values that do not include such TAT values of the STA. In this manner, the STA position can be determined without estimating the STA's TAT.
US08848562B2

A method includes receiving an indication of current quality of service for a transmission received by user equipment from a base station. The method includes identifying target quality of service values for the transmission. A current FEC value and a current MCS value is identified for the transmission. An adjusted FEC value and an adjusted MCS value is determined based on the current FEC value and the current MCS value, the indication of current quality of service, and the target quality of service values. The method includes outputting the adjusted FEC value to a broadcast multicast service center for the transmission. The method also includes outputting the adjusted MCS value to the base station.
US08848544B2

A network simulator comprises a virtual network and event correlation logic. The virtual model models a network that comprises a managed portion and an unmanaged portion. The event correlation logic, when executed, is operable to perform receiving first data indicating that an event occurred in the network. A network flow is initiated at a source virtual network element (VNE) corresponding to the source network device toward a destination VNE corresponding to the destination network device. A first VNE is communicatively coupled to a particular VNE corresponding to an unmanaged portion of the network. A logical topological link to a second VNE is identified and traversed. Second data that is associated with the unmanaged portion of the network is identified. As a result, the first data is stored in association with the second data.
US08848540B2

A computer-implemented method for estimating buffering time of multimedia data packets for efficient playout of multimedia applications by a mobile device is provided. A wireless network with highest quality of service is selected from a plurality of wireless networks based on recorded information related to multimedia calls placed by the mobile device over the plurality of wireless networks. A multimedia call is placed over the selected wireless network for the mobile device and one or more conditions related to the selected wireless network and the mobile device is monitored. Information related to the one or more conditions of the selected wireless network and the mobile device are gathered. Based on the gathered information, buffering time of multimedia data packets is estimated. Before playout, multimedia data packets that are received by the mobile device are buffered for a predetermined time period corresponding to the estimated buffering time.
US08848534B2

A system to receive an instruction to allocate resources to a particular link of a group of links, to permit traffic to be transmitted to one of a group of nodes, associated with one of a group of base stations, via the particular link; and identify a respective achievable throughput, associated with each link during a first time period, based on a respective capacity and condition associated with each link. The system is also to identify a respective achieved throughput, associated with each link, based on a respective achieved throughput associated with each link during a second time period and a respective quantity of traffic to be transmitted via each link during the first time period; generate a respective value, associated with each link, based on the respective achievable throughput and the respective achieved throughput; and transmit, to a node and via a link, a quantity of traffic, based on a determination that a respective value, associated with the link, is a greatest respective value.
US08848530B2

Described is a system and method for providing differentiated service levels. The method comprising receiving a packet stream including a plurality of packets. A level of service to be provided to the packet stream is determined. An impairment to the packet stream is determined as a function of the level of service. The impaired packet stream is outputted.
US08848529B2

A method includes receiving network information for calculating weighted round-robin (WRR) weights, calculating WRR weights associated with queues based on the network information, and determining whether a highest common factor (HCF) exists in relation to the calculated WRR weights. The method further includes reducing the calculated WRR weights in accordance with the HCF, when it is determined that the HCF exists, and performing a WRR scheduling of packets, stored in the queues, based on the reduced WRR weights.
US08848528B1

Systems and methods are provided for collecting and analyzing packet data flows. A flow collector generates flow data records based on each packet that is observed at one or more network monitoring points. A flow processor receives the flow data records from one or more flow collectors and examines the flow data records to identify related flows. Further features, such as content capture and application identification, are also provided.
US08848514B2

A method, system and apparatus for reversion of UE sessions from a backup SGW or protect node to an operationally restored primary SGW or working node.
US08848509B2

A three stage folded Clos network is used for Ethernet routing with improved efficiency for computational complexity, network administration, multicast addressing and load redistribution upon failure. The network includes an array of root nodes coupled to an array of edge nodes. Forwarding states are computed and installed for spanning trees rooted on the root nodes. When an edge node is identified as having a failed connection to a root node, a shortest path first (SPF) tree rooted on that edge node is constructed for each Backbone VLAN identifier (B-VID) for the spanning trees rooted on that root node and use the failed connection. A filtering database in each node is populated for edge node pairs having a common service identifier, and unicast and multicast data are forwarded between the edge node pairs according to the filtering database via the SPF trees using a hybrid multicast addressing.
US08848501B2

The present application discloses detection lens provided with lens portion and flange portion including first surface connected to lens portion and second surface opposite to first surface. Flange portion includes base along optical axis of lens portion, and first to fourth projections projecting from base. First and second projections are point-symmetric around optical axis. Third and fourth projections are point-symmetric around optical axis. Flange portion excludes projection extending beyond second surface. First projection includes first intersecting surface which intersects with first axis. Second projection includes second intersecting surface which intersects with first axis. Third projection includes third intersecting surface which intersects with second axis. Fourth projection includes fourth intersecting surface which intersects with second axis. First distance between first and second intersecting surfaces is longer than second distance between third and fourth intersecting surfaces.
US08848497B2

A recording management apparatus includes: a control unit configured to perform track setting processing arranged to set a fixed management information track where management information to be fixedly disposed with a data structure conforming to the UDF, in a layer on the front-most side as viewed from a laser entry face side, to a recording medium having a plurality of layers serving as recording layers where recording of information is performed by laser irradiation on which a track serving as a continuous recording area is formed in which recording of data is performed, closing track processing arranged to set the fixed management information track to a consecutive recording completed state immediately after setting, and writing request processing arranged to record, by performing management information writing request for the fixed management track which has been closed, management information relating to this writing request in another track by sparing processing.
US08848491B2

An analog electronic timepiece includes a plurality of hands; a dial plate having scales for time display; a driving unit that drives the hands so that the hands are driven independently of each other; and a control unit that transmits a drive signal to the driving unit and moves the hands to allow the hands to point to positions set for the respective hands. The control unit (i) allows each hand to point to one of positions of one o'clock to nine o'clock and twelve o'clock among the scales to indicate that a digit in a predetermined place represented by each hand is one of “1” to “9” and “0”; and (ii) expresses a numerical value by a combination of digits corresponding to the respective positions pointed by the respective hands.
US08848484B2

Methods and apparatus to filter acoustic waveforms in downhole environments are described. An example method involves receiving acoustic waveform data representing acoustic signals traversing at least a portion of a borehole adjacent a subterranean formation and performing a direct transform operation on the acoustic waveform data to generate wavelet map data. The wavelet map data comprises a time-frequency representation of the acoustic waveform data. The example method also involves identifying a waveform of interest via the wavelet map data, extracting data associated with the waveform of interest from the wavelet map data, generating filtered wavelet map data based on the extracted data, and performing an inverse transform operation on the filtered wavelet map data to generate filtered acoustic waveform data
US08848482B2

An ultrasound probe connected to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus configured to transmit an ultrasound beam to a target object is provided. The ultrasound probe includes a switching unit including N/2 channels, each channel configured to switch between a first pole and a second pole, wherein N is a natural number, N/2 first transducer elements connected to the first pole and placed in two-dimensions, wherein a placement is defined in an x-axis direction and a y-axis direction, and N/2 second transducer elements connected to the second pole and placed in two-dimensions, wherein the placement is defined in the x-axis and y-axis directions, wherein a placement of a channel number of the first transducer elements and a placement of a channel number of the second transducer elements differ in the x-axis and y-axis directions.
US08848478B2

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for power consumption control. A number of embodiments include determining power consumption information for each phase in a combination of phases of a command, and authorizing execution of at least one of the phases in the combination based, at least partially, on the power consumption information determined for the at least one of the phases.
US08848470B2

A method and apparatus for continued operation of a memory module, including a first and second memory device, when one of memory devices has failed. The method includes receiving a write operation request to write a data word, having first and second sections, by a first memory module. The memory module may have a first memory device and a second memory device, for respectively storing the first and second sections of the data word. A determination if one of the first and second memory devices is inoperable is made. If one of the first and second memory devices is inoperable, a write operation is performed by writing the first and second sections of the data word to the operable one of the first and second memory devices.
US08848465B2

A nonvolatile memory device is provided, which includes a memory core including a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells, a first read circuit that reads a first codeword from the memory core during a Read While Write (RWW) operation, a second read circuit that reads a second codeword from the memory core during a Read Modification Write (RMW) operation, and a common decoder that is shared by the first read circuit and the second read circuit and selectively decodes the first codeword or the second codeword.
US08848464B2

A semiconductor device which is capable of high-speed writing with less power consumption and suitable for multi-leveled memory, and verifying operation. A memory cell included in the semiconductor device included a transistor formed using an oxide semiconductor and a transistor formed using a material other than an oxide semiconductor. A variation in threshold value of the memory cells is derived before data of a data buffer is written by using a writing circuit. Data in which the variation in threshold value is compensated with respect to the data of the data buffer is written to the memory cell.
US08848460B2

A plurality of buffer circuits and data buses coupled to the buffer circuits are included in a device. Each of the data buses includes first and second portions. The first portions of the data buses are arranged at a first pitch in the second direction, and the second portions of the data buses are arranged at a second pitch in the second direction, the second pitch being smaller than the first pitch.
US08848448B2

A semiconductor memory device and a method of operating same includes reading a number of program/erase operations stored in a program/erase number storage unit, setting a pulse width of a program voltage based on the read number of program/erase operations, and performing a program operation on memory cells using the program voltage having the set pulse width. Setting of the pulse width of the program voltage includes decreasing the pulse width of the program voltage as the number of program/erase operations increases.
US08848443B2

A semiconductor memory device includes at least one first semiconductor chip including a plurality of memory cells and a second semiconductor chip including a fuse circuit configured to repair defective cells among the memory cells of the at least one first semiconductor chip.
US08848440B2

According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array including memory cell transistors configured to store information in accordance with n (n is an integer larger than 2) threshold voltage levels, and a control circuit configured to control the memory cell array. In a write operation, the control circuit shifts a threshold voltage level of a write target memory cell transistor to a base threshold level of the n threshold levels, except for a threshold level having a highest voltage and a threshold level having a lowest voltage. Then the control circuit shifts the threshold voltage level of the write target memory cell transistor from the base threshold level to one of the n threshold levels.
US08848438B2

Disclosed is an system and method for reading a flash memory cell with an adjusted read level. A current read level is adjusted to a new read level associated with increasing a first error rate to decrease a second error rate. The first error rate is associated with determining that the most significant bit of the flash memory cell is a binary 1 and the second error rate is associated with determining that the most significant bit is a binary 0. On reading the memory cell, a probability value is generated for the most significant bit, the probability being higher if the bit is equivalent to a binary 0 than if the bit is equivalent to a binary 1.
US08848436B2

A temperature dependent electric element includes a phase change portion including at least one conductive phase change material having a predetermined phase transition temperature, a detector portion configured to detect a change in conductivity of the phase change material caused by a temperature change to a detect phase transition of the phase change material based on the detected change in conductivity of the phase change material, a temperature calibration part configured to conduct temperature calibration by adjusting a temperature at which the phase change material exhibits the phase transition detected by the detector portion based on the change in the conductivity of the phase change material to the predetermined phase transition temperature of the phase change material, and a substrate on which the phase change portion, the detector portion, and the temperature calibration part are integrally arranged.
US08848431B2

A magnetic field sensing system includes one or more magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) cells, and may be configured to determine one or more of a presence, a magnitude, and a polarity of an external magnetic field incident upon an MRAM cell. In some examples, a control module of the system controls a write current source, or another device, to provide a write current through a write line associated with the MRAM cell to induce a magnetic field proximate to the MRAM cell. The magnetic field may be less than a magnetic switching threshold of the MRAM cell. After initiating the provision of the write current through the write line, the control module may determine a magnetic state of the MRAM cell, and determine a presence of an external magnetic field incident upon the MRAM cell based at least in part on the magnetic state of the MRAM cell.
US08848424B2

A variable resistance nonvolatile memory device includes: bit lines in layers; word lines in layers formed at intervals between the layers of the bit lines; a memory cell array including basic array planes and having memory cells formed at crosspoints of the bit lines in the layers and the word lines in the layers; global bit lines provided in one-to-one correspondence with the basic array planes; and sets provided in one-to-one correspondence with the basic array planes, and each including a first selection switch element and a second selection switch element, wherein memory cells connected to the same word line are successively accessed in different basic array planes, and memory cells are selected so that voltages applied to the word line and bit lines are not changed and a direction in which current flows through the memory cells is the same.
US08848412B1

A ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) has at least one TCAM cell comprising first and second memory bitcells for storing first and second bit values representing a cell state comprising one of a first cell state, a second cell state and a mask cell state. The first and second memory bitcells share a pair of bitlines for accessing the first and second bit values. Access control circuitry is provided for triggering, in response to a clock signal, a read or write access to the first memory bitcell during a first portion of a clock cycle and triggering a read access or write access to the second read bitcell during a second portion of the clock cycle.
US08848410B2

A matrix converter includes input terminals, output terminals, a power conversion circuit, and a snubber circuit. The power conversion circuit includes bidirectional switches of which each includes antiparallel connection circuits connected serially. The snubber circuit is connected to the bidirectional switches. The snubber circuit includes first diodes, a capacitor, a second diode, and third diodes. The first diodes are respectively corresponded to the bidirectional switches. A first connecting point of each the first diode is connected to a connection point between the two unidirectional switching elements constituting the bidirectional switch. A first connecting point of the capacitor is connected to a second connecting point of each the first diode. First and second connecting points of the second diode are connected to a second connecting point of the capacitor and the corresponding output terminal. The bidirectional switches, the first diodes, and the second diode are arranged in one power module.
US08848401B2

A power electronic converter for use in high voltage direct current power transmission and reactive power compensation includes at least one converter limb, which includes first and second DC terminals and an AC terminal. Each converter limb defines first and second limb portions connected in series between the AC terminal and a respective one of the first and second DC terminals. Each limb portion includes a chain-link converter connected in series with at least one primary switching element. Each chain-link converter includes a plurality of modules connected in series, and each module includes at least one secondary switching element connected to at least one energy storage device. Each primary switching element in each limb portion of a respective converter limb selectively defines a circulation path which carries a DC circulation current to regulate the energy level of at least one energy storage device in a respective chain-link converter.
US08848396B2

An electronic device includes a metal shield, a housing, a circuit board, an engaging element, and a fixing element. The circuit board is located between the metal shield and the housing. The engaging element is disposed on the circuit board. The circuit board is fixed on the housing and connected to the metal shield via the engaging element.
US08848394B2

A radio frequency (RF) circuit is configured for impedance matching, such as for mitigating noise. In connection with an example embodiment, an RF circuit includes a transceiver in a substrate, and a conductive ring-type of material in the substrate and around at least a portion of the transceiver circuit. An upper conductive ring material is over the substrate and separated from the conductive ring-type material by an insulating layer. The upper conductive ring material is configured to generate an inductance that matches input impedance characteristics of the transceiver circuit. In some implementations, the upper conductive ring material connects a gate input pin of the circuit with the gate of an input transistor of an amplifier in the transceiver, and exhibits an impedance that matches the impedance of the input transistor.
US08848391B2

A component is configured for connection with a microelectronic assembly having terminals and a microelectronic element connected with the terminals. The component includes a support structure bearing conductors configured to carry command and address information, and a plurality of contacts coupled to the conductors and configured for connection with the terminals. The contacts have address and command information assignments arranged in a first predetermined arrangement for connection with a first type of microelectronic assembly in which the microelectronic element is configured to sample command and address information coupled thereto through the contacts at a first sampling rate, and in a second predetermined arrangement for connection with a second type of microelectronic assembly in which the microelectronic element is configured to sample the command and address information coupled thereto through a subset of the contacts at a second sampling rate greater than the first sampling rate.
US08848385B2

The present disclosure relates to reducing unwanted RF noise in a printed circuit board (PCB) containing an RF device. An isolation filter is embedded in a PCB containing an RDF device. By placing the isolation filter as close as possible to the RF device in order to dramatically reduce unwanted RF noise due to unavoidable coupling between Vias and planes in the PCB structure.
US08848374B2

A semiconductor structure for dissipating heat away from a resistor having neighboring devices and interconnects. The semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a resistor disposed above the semiconductor substrate, and a thermal protection structure disposed above the resistor. The thermal protection structure has a plurality of heat dissipating elements, the heat dissipating elements having one end disposed in thermal conductive contact with the thermal protection structure and the other end in thermal conductive contact with the semiconductor substrate. The thermal protection structure receives the heat generated from the resistor and the heat dissipating elements dissipates the heat to the semiconductor substrate.
US08848371B2

A cooling system has an inlet plenum and at least one cooling channel which communicates with the inlet plenum. The cooling channel passes adjacent to a component to be cooled from an upstream inlet to a downstream outlet. A pair of electrodes are positioned adjacent the inlet to create an electric field tending to resist a bubble formed in an included dielectric liquid from moving in an upstream direction due to a dielectrophoretic force. Instead, a dielectrophoretic force urges the bubble in a downstream direction.
US08848370B2

An inverter for a vehicle is disclosed. The inverter for the vehicle illustratively includes: a power module provided with a power semiconductor device; a cooling module coupled to the power module and flowing a coolant therethrough; and a capacitor module mounted at the cooling module through a mounting unit and adapted to absorb a ripple current of the power module.
US08848367B2

A thermal management system for an electronic equipment enclosure is provided. The thermal management system includes an intake duct for routing cold air in the front of the electronic equipment enclosure to the side of electronic equipment enclosure and one or more blanking panels for separating cold air in the front of the electronic equipment enclosure and hot air in the back of the electronic enclosure, as needed, for example, depending on the configuration of the thermal management system and/or the electronic equipment enclosure. The intake duct includes a front cover, which acts as an additional blanking panel, when installed, changing the airflow pattern of the electronic equipment enclosure, for example, from side-to-side to front-to back.
US08848361B2

The present solution provides an adjustable docking apparatus configurable to accommodate a variety of mobile electronic devices. The adjustable docking apparatus is removably coupled to a base electronic device. The apparatus further includes an electrical connector movably and removably connected to the adjustable docking apparatus and electrically coupleable to the base electronic device.
US08848360B2

A module includes a housing. The housing can include a port. The port can extend though an opening in the housing if the module is inserted in the chassis.
US08848351B2

The invention relates to the field of LCDs, and more particularly to a frame for an LCD device and an LCD device including the frame. The frame includes side frames. A pair of parallel side frames of the side frames are correspondingly provided with folding points, and the frame is folded and superposed along the folding points. The frame for an LCD device of the invention is of a rectangle structure in general, and includes four side frames; a pair of parallel side frames are correspondingly provided with folding points, and the frame is folded and superposed along the folding points; because the frame is folded and superposed along the folding points, the area of the frame is significantly reduced during packaging and transportation, thereby facilitating transportation, saving packaging material, and increasing packaging efficiency. When assembling the LCD device, the frame can be conveniently expanded.
US08848348B2

An electronic device has a design panel 12 made of a resin and an actuation button to be attached to the design panel 12. The actuation button includes a button portion for accepting user's operation and arms 22 connected to the button portion. The design panel 12 has an insert hole 40 into which a main body 24 of the button portion is to be inserted and projecting members 44. The projecting members are engaged with portions of the respective arms 22 on a back surface of the design panel 12 while the arms 22 are allowed to move in a plane direction of the design panel, thereby preventing drop of the arms 22 from the design panel 12.
US08848338B2

Disclosed is an electric double layer capacitor comprising a polarizable electrode layer that contains an activated carbon, a conductive agent, and a binder, wherein an external specific surface area of the activated carbon (defined as a specific surface area calculated from a nitrogen absorption isotherm by a t-plot method by excluding micropores of pore diameter smaller than 20 angstroms), per unit volume of the polarizable electrode layer, lies within a range of 450 to 800 m2/cm3, and a volume based on inter-particle interstices per unit volume of the polarizable electrode layer lies within a range of 0.05 to 0.12 cm3/cm3. The electric double layer capacitor according to the present invention is particularly suited to large current, quick discharge applications.
US08848336B2

A crystalline perovskite crystalline composite paraelectric material includes nano-regions containing rich N3− anions dispersed in a nano-grain sized matrix of crystalline oxide perovskite material, wherein (ABO3-δ)α-(ABO3-δ-γNγ)1-α. A represents a divalent element, B represents a tetravalent element, γ satisfies 0.005≦γ≦1.0, 1-α satisfies 0.05≦1-α≦0.9, and 1-α is an area ratio between the regions containing rich N3− anions and the matrix of remaining oxide perovskite material.
US08848330B2

A method can be used for driving an electronic switch integrated in a semiconductor body. A first temperature is measured at a first position of the semiconductor body. A temperature propagation is detected in the semiconductor body. The electronic switch is switched off when the temperature at the first position rises above a first threshold that is set dependent on the detected temperature propagation.
US08848329B2

A high-side output transistor and a low-side output transistor of an output circuit control voltages of conductors, which connect a power supply terminal and ground, and outputs a voltage signal to an output terminal through an output conductor. A voltage output circuit detects a voltage applied to the high-side output transistor based on a potential difference of a first resistor provided closer to the output terminal side. A comparator circuit outputs a signal to turn off a first switch and a second switch provided in the conductors, when the output voltage of the voltage output circuit exceeds a reference voltage Vr.
US08848324B2

A drive circuit for delivering high-level power to a load, and method of stopping a high power load from operating, are disclosed. The drive circuit includes a high power circuit capable of being coupled to the load and delivering the high level power thereto, and a to power circuit that controls the high power circuit. The low power circuit includes a first circuit portion that provides at least one control signal that is at least indirectly communicated to the high power circuit and that controls the delivering of the high level power by the high power circuit, and a second circuit portions coupled to the first circuit portion. The second circuit portion is capable of disabling the first circuit portion so that the at least one control signal avoids taking on values that would result in the high power circuit delivering the high level power to the load.
US08848319B1

A flexure for a suspension of a head gimbal assembly includes a substrate layer, a dielectric layer formed thereon, a conducting layer formed on the dielectric layer, and an insulating cover layer covered on the conducting layer, wherein at least one window is configured at a surface of the insulating cover layer thereby a portion of the conducting layer is exposed, and an antistatic adhesive is adhered to at least one side wall of the window and contacted with the conducting layer. The new structure of the flexure can avoid or eliminate electro-static discharges enduringly without dipping water. A head gimbal assembly and a disk drive unit with the same, a manufacturing method for the flexure are also disclosed.
US08848311B2

An article and method for degrading volatile organic compounds in an electronic enclosure is disclosed. The method comprises providing a substrate, such as a scrim material, and applying a catalyst to the substrate. The catalyst typically includes a base metal. The substrate and catalyst material are placed into a disk drive (or other electronic) enclosure where they help in degradation of organic compounds, in particular volatile organic compounds. In certain implementations the base metal is selected from the group of manganese, vanadium, nickel, copper, cobalt, chromium, iron, or combinations thereof.
US08848301B2

Optical imaging apparatus are provided having the desired focal properties, which can be manufactured and/or assembled at the wafer level.
US08848280B2

A photonic crystal device including a photonic crystal material and an activation surface. The photonic crystal material exhibits a first reflectance spectrum in an unactivated state, and, in response to mechanical stimulation, exhibits a second reflectance spectrum in an activated state. Application of a force at an activation portion of the activation surface offset from a material-supporting portion of the activation surface causes a deformation of the photonic crystal material sufficient to bring the photonic crystal material to the activated state.
US08848274B2

An electro-optical device includes an electro-optical material, a first lens which is arranged at an incident side of the light and is provided so as to correspond to a pixel, and a condenser lens which is arranged at an emitting side of the light and is provided so as to correspond to the pixel. Condensation degrees of the first lens are larger than that of the second lens, and distances between the first lens and the electro-optical material are smaller than distances between the second lens and the electro-optical material.
US08848263B2

Disclosed is an image reading apparatus comprising: a movable unit having a transparent member; a guide portion arranged to face the transparent member to guide a conveyed sheet; a reader portion configured to read an image on a sheet guided by the guide portion past the transparent member; abutting portions that are provided on the guide portion and abut on the movable unit; an actuating portion configured to move the movable unit in a direction along the surface of the transparent member; and an engaging portion provided on the movable unit and engaged with the guide member such that the movable unit and the abutting portion are separated from each other as the movable unit is moved by the actuating portion.
US08848254B2

A halftone screen producing apparatus is provided. The halftone screen producing apparatus includes: an input unit to receive screen information, a dot center arrangement unit to arrange dot centers within a screen based on the screen information, a Voronoi calculation unit to calculate a Voronoi value for each dot within the screen in which the dot centers are arranged, a filter calculation unit to calculate a filter value for each dot within the screen in which the dot centers are arranged, and a dot value setting unit to set a dot value within the screen based on the calculated Voronoi value and the calculated filter value.
US08848239B2

There is provided a decoloring device including a decoloring unit, a first sheet conveying unit, a second sheet conveying unit, a reversing and conveying unit, a manual feed tray, and a manual discharge tray. The reversing and conveying unit is disposed adjacent to an outer wall of the decoloring device in relation to the first sheet conveying unit, and conveys once again the sheet, which is temporarily brought into the second sheet conveying unit after being decolored by the decoloring unit and is switch-back conveyed, to the first sheet conveying unit. The manual feed tray is provided at an outer wall side of the decoloring device adjacent to the reversing and conveying unit. The manual discharge tray is provided at a position of the outer wall side of the decoloring device adjacent to the reversing and conveying unit.
US08848231B2

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of attaching a storage medium, the image forming apparatus including an input unit configured to input information indicating data write speed into a storage medium attached to the image forming apparatus, a determination unit configured to determine whether the storage medium can be used in each function which the image forming apparatus has, based on information indicating the data write speed input by the input unit, and a presentation unit configured to present a determination result of the determination unit to a user.
US08848226B2

The printing apparatus is provided for processing a print job received from an information terminal to accumulate the print job sent from the information terminal in an image storage portion, and includes a timer for measuring elapse of a predetermined time from reception of a print job for each user indentified according to user identification information included in the print job; and a control portion for controlling a print order, during the time measurement, so as to skip printing of a print job received from a corresponding user to print a print job not including the user identification information first, and print print jobs received from the corresponding user in a lump after the elapse of the predetermined time.
US08848222B2

A computer generated method disclosed. The method includes receiving a print job data stream, determining if the print job data stream comprises a secure print job, and inserting a control operator to designate a secure print job data stream if the print job data stream comprises a secure print job.
US08848219B2

A printing control apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store information about a plurality of print jobs and a plurality of printing devices in a storage device, a detection unit configured to detect the shift of operating status of the plurality of printing devices, a determination unit configured to determine a print job which a printing device prints from the plurality of print jobs based on the information about the plurality of print jobs and the plurality of printing devices stored in the storage device when the shift of the printing device to a standby state is detected by the detection unit, and a print control unit configured to cause the first printing device to print the print job determined by the determination unit.
US08848211B2

With a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium that stores a program, the program causes an information processing apparatus to function as an error-code-accepting unit, a data-management unit, an extracting unit, and a creating unit. The error-code-accepting unit accepts an error code. The data-management unit has (i) image data, each of which is associated with a setting, the value of which can be adjusted, (ii) control programs that supplies an output to an image forming apparatus, and (iii) combination information about a combination of the image data and the control program. When the error code is accepted, the extracting unit extracts the image data and the control program. The creating unit creates a maintenance program by using the image data and control program.
US08848207B2

A computer allowing a user to use, even when the printing device is changed, a new printing device in a state close to a familiar environment of use is provided. The computer includes a determining unit determining whether an existing environment for using another electronic device used for the same usage as the new electronic device has been set in the computer. The computer further includes a setting unit selectively executing a process for setting an environment for using the new electronic device in the computer using the existing environment as a reference, and a process for setting a default setting for using the new electronic device in the computer, depending on a result of determination.
US08848205B2

An information processing apparatus capable of realizing setting of an insert including an interleaf sheet and a chapter sheet, on an image forming apparatus, by an intuitive operation similar to an actual insertion operation. An operation terminal includes a touch screen display and a network communication section which communicates with an MFP, and is capable of performing an operation on the MFP concerning document printing, and setting an insert to a printed matter to be printed by the MFP. When a user's drag operation causes insertion of an insert image displayed on the touch screen display between adjacent preview images of pages of the printed matter displayed on the same, the insert image is set as an interleaf sheet, and when the operation causes superimposing of the insert image on a preview image, the insert image is set as a chapter sheet.
US08848193B2

A laser emitting section 59A and a laser receiving section 59B for measuring an oxygen concentration are provided on two sides of an inspection area so as to be moved toward and away from a bag-shaped container 1. Gas-filled chambers 61 provided on the end faces of the laser emitting section 59A and the laser receiving section 59B are brought into contact with the gas phase portion of the container 1 to keep a constant thickness of the gas phase portion. A tilting device 81 is provided to press the container 1, which is held by a container holder 16, from both sides with a container pressing member 88 and tilts the container 1 in a vertical plane. When an oxygen concentration is measured, the tilting device 81 tilts the bag-shaped container 1 to measure the gas phase portion at the shoulders of the container 1.
US08848191B2

A photoacoustic sensing device includes a laser tuned to emit light to cause optical absorption by a gas to be detected, a resonant acoustic sensor positioned to receive pressure waves from the gas, wherein the laser is modulated to match a resonant frequency of the resonant acoustic sensor, and a first mirror positioned to receive light from the laser after the light has passed through the gas and to reflect the received light back through the gas to cause additional optical absorption.
US08848186B2

A method for determining an overlay offset may include, but is not limited to: obtaining a first anti-symmetric differential signal (ΔS1) associated with a first scatterometry cell; obtaining a second anti-symmetric differential signal (ΔS2) associated with a second scatterometry cell and computing an overlay offset from the first anti-symmetric differential (ΔS1) signal associated with the first scatterometry cell and the second anti-symmetric differential signal (ΔS2) associated with the second scatterometry cell.
US08848183B2

An apparatus includes a substrate and a plurality of nano-fingers attached at respective first ends to the substrate and freely movable along their lengths, in which a first set of the plurality of nano-fingers comprises a first physical characteristic, wherein a second set of the plurality of nano-fingers comprises a second physical characteristic, and wherein the first physical characteristic differs from the second physical characteristic.
US08848173B2

An enhanced photoemission spectroscopy (EPS) system uses at least three photoelectric detection processes to identify a substance or substances in a target. The target can be in a container, and the EPS system accounts for this in the identification process. The photoelectric detection processes include Raman scattering, fluorescence and spectral reflection. The EPS system uses all three processes to generate spectral data that is then combined to derive a target signature. The target signature is then compared to stored signature data to determine the substance or substances in the target.
US08848172B2

A handheld measuring device for optical distance measurement includes a transmitting device, a receiving device, an evaluation device, and a homogenizing device. The transmitting device is configured to transmit periodically modulated optical measurement radiation toward a target object. The receiving device is configured to detect optical measurement radiation returning from the target object. The evaluation device is configured to receive and evaluate detection signals of the receiving device. The evaluation device comprises a plurality of accumulation devices configured to accumulate detection signals. The evaluation device conducts detection signals during a sampling time window from a plurality of sampling time windows temporally schematically changeably to an assigned accumulation device from the plurality of accumulation devices, such that the accumulation device accumulates the detection signals during the sampling time window.
US08848169B2

A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam and a support constructed to support a patterning device. The patterning device may be capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam. The lithographic apparatus further includes a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic apparatus may be provided with a composite material wherein a layer of carbon fiber and a layer of titanium is provided within the composite.
US08848166B2

An immersion exposure apparatus and method expose a substrate with an exposure beam via an optical assembly and via immersion liquid. A first stage on which a substrate is mounted is positioned below the optical assembly so that the immersion liquid is maintained in a space between the optical assembly and the substrate. The first stage is replaced below the optical assembly with a second stage while maintaining the immersion liquid below the optical assembly. The replacing includes arranging a movable member, which is independently movable relative to the first and second stages and away from below the optical assembly, to face the optical assembly so as to substantially maintain the immersion liquid below the optical assembly while the first and second substrate stages are away from below the optical assembly. A control system controls a drive system to move the first and second stages.
US08848164B2

A fluid supply system for a lithographic apparatus includes a first fluid flow path for fluid between a fluid source and a first component and a drain fluid flow path for fluid flow from a junction in the first fluid flow path to a drain component. A controller is provided to vary a fluid flow rate to the first component from the fluid source by regulating flow of fluid through the drain fluid flow path.
US08848163B2

A lithography apparatus generates a tunable magnetic field to facilitate processing of photoresist. The lithography apparatus includes a chamber and a substrate stage in the chamber operable to hold a substrate. A magnetic module provides a magnetic field to the substrate on the substrate stage. The magnetic module is configured to provide the magnetic field in a tunable and alternating configuration with respect to its magnitude and frequency. The magnetic field is provided to have a gradient in magnitude along a Z-axis that is perpendicular to the substrate stage to cause magnetically-charged particles disposed over the substrate stage to move up and down along the Z-axis. The lithography apparatus also includes a radiation energy source and an objective lens configured to receive radiation energy from the radiation energy source and direct the radiation energy toward the substrate positioned on the substrate stage.
US08848153B2

An image display device includes a light source, an array substrate having a plurality of sub-pixel areas and corresponding to a plurality of color filters, wherein the array substrate includes: a display region and a peripheral region around the display region; and a liquid crystal layer comprising a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. A light transmittance per unit area in the peripheral region of the array substrate is equal to or less than a light transmittance per unit area in the display region of the array substrate, and a resistivity ratio of the color filter having a highest resistivity to the color filter having a lowest resistivity is less than 10 and greater than 0.
US08848152B2

A display substrate includes a plurality of gate lines extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction in a display area of the display substrate, an alignment film formed in the display area and in an end area adjacent to end portions of the gate lines in a peripheral area surrounding the display area, and a plurality of circuit stages formed in the end area to connect to the gate lines and a dummy stage connected to a last circuit stage of the circuit stages. Each of the circuit stages includes a gate driving circuit disposed at the higher portion the gate line corresponding to the circuit stages and a gate connecting line formed in the peripheral area between the display area and the gate driving circuit to connect each of the circuit stages with each of the gate lines.
US08848150B2

A liquid crystal display includes a plurality of pixels including a plurality of displaying subpixels corresponding to various colors and a viewing angle controlling subpixel for controlling a viewing angle, and a common electrode and a retention capacitor respectively provided to the plurality of pixels. At least one of the common electrode and the retention capacitor is provided so that the plurality of displaying subpixels and the viewing angle controlling subpixel are electrically independent from each other in a region where each of the plurality of pixels is provided.
US08848148B2

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes, a first substrate including a common electrode, a pixel electrode in which a slit facing the common electrode is formed, and a first alignment film, a second substrate including a second alignment film, and a liquid crystal layer which is held between the first alignment film and the second alignment film and is formed of a material having a dielectric constant anisotropy in a range of +3.3 or more to +5.3 or less at a transition temperature of 75° C.
US08848144B2

A pixel structure and a display panel are provided. The pixel structure is configured on a substrate that has at least one first display region and at least one second display region adjacent thereto. The pixel structure includes an active device, a protection layer, a reflective pattern, and a pixel electrode. The active device is configured on the substrate and located in the first display region. The protection layer is configured on the substrate, covers the active device, and is located in both the first and second display regions. The reflective pattern is configured on the protection layer, located in the first display region, and exposes a portion of the protection layer located in the second display region. The reflective pattern is doped with a fluorescence material. The pixel electrode is configured on the reflective pattern and the portion of the protection layer exposed by the reflective pattern.
US08848135B2

The liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight for illuminating the liquid crystal display panel where the outer shape of the backlight in a plane has at least one corner of which the angle is greater than 90°, and a light guide plate LG having approximately the same form as the outer shape of the backlight, wherein a number of light emitting diodes are aligned along two sides (s1, s3) of the light guide plate LG that form a corner A of which the angle is greater than 90°, and the main light for illumination (L2 to L4, L6 and L7) from the light emitting diodes aligned along the two sides propagates through the light guide plate LG in the same direction.
US08848131B2

An object of the present invention is to stably fix a light source board without using any screw. A backlight unit 12 according to the present invention includes an LED board 18 including an LED 17 as a light source, a chassis 14 that stores the LED board 18 and has an opening 14b through which light from the LED 17 exits, and a holding member 20 that extends in at least one direction along a plate surface of the LED board 18 and is fixed to the chassis 14 so as to hold the LED board 18 together with the chassis between the holding member 20 and the chassis 14.
US08848130B2

The described embodiments relate generally to computing devices including liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and more particularly to methods for attaching a backlight assembly to a cover glass layer while minimizing an amount of stress transferred through the cover glass layer to the LCD module. A continuous and compliant foam adhesive can be used to bond the cover glass layer to the backlight assembly. The compliant bond can absorb and distribute local stress concentrations caused by structural loads, mismatched surfaces and differing thermal expansion rates between various structures and cover glass layer. This can reduce stress concentrations in the cover glass layer that can lead to stress induced birefringence in the LCD cell. In another embodiment, a series of rigid plates can be bonded to the cover glass layer and attached to the backlight assembly. Point loads applied from the backlight assembly can be distributed over a larger area due to the resilience of the rigid plates.
US08848129B2

The present invention is related to a back frame of a display device. The back frame includes a frame piece and a fixing member having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion extends toward the inside of the back frame. The second portion extends from the first portion and connects with the third portion, fixing a printed circuit board to prevent other internal connecting interfaces from loosening due to the printed circuit board shifting.
US08848120B2

Provided is a liquid crystal lens panel. The illustrative liquid crystal lens panel may provide a display device capable of viewing a 3D or 2D image without glasses.
US08848109B2

A method for collaboratively captioning media, the media including video and audio, the method including: receiving a first annotation as a caption in a first language for a media segment from a first device, rendering the first annotation as the caption in the first language for the media segment at a second device, receiving a second annotation as the caption in the first language for the media segment from the second device, and in response to a request from a third device to stream the media, streaming the video, the audio, and the second annotation to the third device.
US08848101B2

An orientable head (1) for supporting video-photographic equipment comprises: a first articulated joint member (2) on which an attachment means (8) for the video-photographic equipment is provided, a second articulated joint member (3) coupled to the first articulated joint member to permit the orientation of the video-photographic equipment into a preferred position, a level indicator (30) arranged on the first articulated joint member within a stem (5) extending between said attachment means and said second articulated joint member, for indicating the position of the video-photographic equipment with respect to the horizontal plane.
US08848099B2

If a setting device such as a focus switch happens to be changed during the time that a power supply is off, the user is notified of how the setting device has changed. When the power supply of a digital camera is turned off, the set state of the setting device at such time is stored. When the power supply is turned on, the set state of the setting device is detected and this set state is compared with the set state of the setting device that was in effect when the power supply was turned off. If the set state has been changed, a warning image is displayed and the set state that was in effect when the power supply was turned off and the set state currently in effect are displayed.
US08848093B2

An image-capturing apparatus includes an imaging unit that generates RAW image data by capturing an object image, an image processing unit that generates color image data by implementing image processing on the RAW image data, a processing mode setting unit capable of setting a filter effect mode for artificially reproducing an image effect obtained by image-capturing using an optical filter, a display unit that displays the color image data, a ring type or dial type rotary operating unit, a rotation operation detection unit that detects a rotation operation of the rotary operating unit, and a control unit that, when a rotation operation of the rotary operating unit is detected in a case where the filter effect mode has been set, controls the image processing unit to perform image processing for varying the image effect in conjunction with the rotation operation.
US08848089B2

Without depending on the conventional standard, relationships between a location of user's apparatus and locations where images have been shot affect a display on a display screen. In shooting operation, image data is stored in a memory with image-location data added, which represents locations where images have been shot (step S110). When the user of a digital camera moves from a current location, vectors are calculated, having an initial point at the current location and terminal points at locations represented by image-location data of the image data (step S113). It is judged whether any vector projects from a display target region (display screen) (step S117). The vector projecting from the region is adjusted to fall within the region (step S118), whereby all the thumbnail images fall within the display target region and are displayed at locations represented by the image-location data within a marginal displaying region (step S120).
US08848088B2

A method and apparatus for obtaining an image and providing one or more document files to a user is disclosed. The method may include receiving an image of a target object using an imaging device, analyzing the image to identify one or more features, and accessing a model database to identify an object model having features that match the identified features from the image. When the system determines that more than one model may be a match, the method looks for distinguishing features of the target object and selects a model that includes the distinguishing features. The method then includes, retrieving a document file that corresponds to the identified model from a file database, and providing the document file to a user.
US08848084B2

An image pickup apparatus that is capable of generating an album by laying out desired images in desired positions by a simple operation, while confirming a result of the layout by a photographer when shooting an image. A control section displays a through-the lens-image obtained by shooting an object on a display section by inserting the through-the lens-image in a plurality of frames on a template. When it is detected that one of the plurality of frames has been designated, the control section generates an image file by executing image pickup processing, and stores the generated image file in a storage medium in association with the designated frame of the plurality of frames on the template.
US08848083B2

A photographing apparatus and a file transfer method in the photographing apparatus efficiently process files of an external device and image data of the photographing apparatus which have a same name when transferring the image data to the external device, such as a personal computer. The photographing apparatus which captures an image and creates and stores image data of the image includes a display unit that displays the image data, a communication interface that performs data communications with an external device by transmitting data to and receiving data from the external device, and a control unit that controls the communication interface to transfer the image data to the external device and, when the external device includes a file having the same file name as the image data, controls the display unit to display a synthesized image of the image data and an image of the file of the external device.
US08848073B2

A solid-state imaging device includes: an R pixel provided with an R filter for transmitting red-color light; a B pixel provided with a B filter for transmitting blue-color light; an S1 pixel which is provided with an S1 filter with a visible light transmittance independent of wavelengths in a visible light region and has a sensitivity higher than that of the R pixel; and an S2 pixel which is provided with an S2 filter with a visible light transmittance independent of wavelengths in the visible light region and lower than the visible light transmittance of the S1 filter and has a sensitivity lower than the sensitivity of the S1 pixel.
US08848070B2

An image capturing apparatus and its control method for capturing a moving image. Plural movie capturing modes with different control parameters are set in accordance with an instruction from a user. One of selectable frame rates is selected in accordance with video output setting by the user. Moving image frames are generated based on the selected frame rate and a control parameter corresponding to the frame rate, and recorded as a moving image on a recording medium.
US08848067B2

The present invention provides an image processing apparatus which records, on a recording medium, development parameters corresponding to a plurality of first Raw image frames, of a plurality of Raw image frames, which satisfy a predetermined condition, and a development parameter corresponding to a last Raw image frame, of the plurality of Raw image frames, which corresponds to a last image frame of a Raw moving image data, together with the Raw moving image data.
US08848063B2

Long and short exposure time pixel information are input to pixel information. A long exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a long time and a short exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a short time are generated. A point spread function corresponding to the long exposure time image is computed as a long exposure time image PSF. A corrected image is generated using the short exposure time image, the long exposure time image, and the long exposure time image PSF. The corrected image is generated as a wide dynamic range image utilizing the pixel information for the long and short exposure time image. Utilizing the pixel information for the short exposure time image with little blurring, makes the corrected image a high quality corrected image with little blurring.
US08848062B2

Various arrangements for testing video decoder device functionality are presented. A video frame decoded by a video decoder device under test may be received. The received video frame may be segmented into a plurality of blocks. A first value may be calculated for a first block of the plurality of blocks of the received video frame using pixel values of pixels present within the first block. The first value may be compared to a first reference value. The first reference value may correspond to a first reference block of one or more reference frames. Video decoder functionality of the video decoder device may be determined to be functional at least partially based on comparing the first value to the first reference value.
US08848056B2

A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus displays a mobile object on a display unit, encircled by a detection frame, which notifies the driver of the vehicle concerning the presence of the mobile object. A mobile object detector judges a travel path of the mobile object, and a display processor changes an area within which the detection frame is not displayed, depending on the direction in which the judged travel path extends. The detection frame is displayed only when necessary, so as to indicate the presence of the mobile object to the driver using the detection frame.
US08848050B2

Provided is a drive assist display apparatus which displays a main view 20showing an image of a wide backward area of the vehicle, and a sub view 21-4 showing a view point conversion image as if looked down from a virtual viewpoint to a vicinity of the vehicle 1, the sub view 21-4 having a down side region showing a moderate part of the bumper 13 and an up side region showing a subject in a distance area from the vehicle 1, and spread in form with increasing distance from a corresponding position of the vehicle 1.
US08848045B2

This disclosure describes stereoscopic flat panel display systems based on the polarization encoding of sequentially displayed left and right eye images. The systems comprise line-by-line addressed liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, illuminating back light units and polarization control panels (PCPs). Right and left eye images are written sequentially onto the LCD whose polarization is controlled by a substantially synchronously driven PCP. The backlight may be continuously illuminated, or modulated temporally, spatially or both, as can the PCP.
US08848043B2

A multi-view 3D image display method is provided, which is mainly to propose a multi-view 3D image combination method and slantwise strip parallax barrier structure design and optimization methods without reducing a sub-pixel aperture ratio during display of a multi-view 3D image by using a planar display screen having sub-pixels in strip configuration and a slantwise strip parallax barrier, so as to achieve objectives of solving a direct cross-talk phenomenon and balancing a phenomenon of asymmetrical left and right viewing freedom at the same time. In addition, for display of a multi-view 3D image having a total view number greater than two, a multiple multi-view 3D image combination and display method is proposed, so as to achieve an objective of alleviating a defect of discontinuous parallax jump.
US08848042B2

A display device includes: a display section displaying a stereoscopic video image; and a display control section performing a control to allow the display section to display a plurality of menu screens including a first menu screen and a second menu screen with different stereoscopic effects. The first menu screen is provided for each of one or more video devices connected to the display device, and the second menu screen is provided for the display device.
US08848033B2

A regulating method for panoramic imaging, a regulating apparatus for the same, and a panoramic imaging apparatus are provided. The method includes: determining the circular viewing angle and the pitch angle of the current zone which is ready for being detected, determining the side length of the rectangular imaging part in the panoramic imaging apparatus, regulating the round panoramic image in the focal plane formed by a panoramic lens according to the side length of the rectangular imaging part and the circular viewing angle and the pitch angle of the current zone which is ready for being detected, in order to make the diameter of the round panoramic image in the focal plane formed by the panoramic lens greater than the length of the shorter side of the rectangular imaging part.
US08848032B2

The imaging device includes a template selector, a synthesis area selector for selecting a synthesis area for panoramic image in the selected template, a moving image acquiring unit, a detector for detecting/outputting the movement of the imaging device as movement information, a panoramic image producer for producing the panoramic image being a still image corresponding to the synthesis area from the moving images and the detected movement, a synthesized image producer for sequentially synthesizing the panoramic image into the synthesis area during moving image acquisition to produce/renew a synthesized image, a display for sequentially displaying the produced/renewed synthesized image on a display screen, and a storage for storing the template and the moving images, the panoramic image, and/or the synthesized image.
US08848031B2

Disclosed is a digital microscope system capable of controlling two or more microscope units with a controlling unit. The digital microscope system includes (i) two or more microscope units, (ii) a camera interface, (iii) a controlling unit and (iv) a light output device. The microscope unit includes a lens tube, a digital camera, a light terminator and a stand. The camera interface includes two or more camera interface (I/F) channels and a camera interface channel selector. The controlling unit includes a memory, a display device, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a power supply.
US08848024B2

A social networking system enables cable television viewers to watch television programs as a virtual group, each watching within his/her own home, while simultaneously communicating with one another, for example, via voice and/or video chat. The system enables a viewer to find friends, or other like-minded viewers not acquainted with the viewer, for virtual communal viewing parties. The system can enable participants in a viewing party to synchronize viewing sessions enabling each participant to share in a common viewing experience. The system can also enable a system operator to recognize communal viewing groups and enable more effective advertisement targeting.
US08848023B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, an apparatus, and a system for controlling a conference including a telepresence conference site, and relate to the field of network communications technologies. An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling a conference site in a telepresence conference, including: receiving attribute information of a telepresence conference site sent by the telepresence conference site, where the telepresence conference site includes at least two video areas; and performing conference control according to the received attribute information of the telepresence conference site. Through application of the present invention, the conference control process of the telepresence conference site may be simplified.
US08848017B2

A method and an apparatus for supporting a data service for Quality of Service (QoS) in a portable terminal using two different Operating Systems (OSs) are provided. The apparatus includes a QoS controller server, in an application chip, for sending a QoS control signal to a QoS controller client of a modem chip, the QoS controller client, in the modem chip, for controlling the modem chip based on the control signal received from the QoS controller server of the application chip, and a memory for providing a channel between the application chip and the modem chip.
US08848015B2

A method is provided for processing text data in a telecommunication context between at least one first terminal and one second terminal, comprising, after a processing device receives text data from the first terminal, generating image data integrating the received text data in order to transmit the image data to at least the second terminal. The invention also relates to a corresponding device and to a call system including such a device.
US08848010B2

Thermal printers and methods of operating thereof are provided. In one embodiment, a thermal printer comprising a thermal print head, thermal media including a direct thermal thermally sensitive coating on at least a first side thereof, and a thermal transfer ribbon installed between the thermal print head and the first side of the thermal media is provided, wherein the thermal print head is adapted to apply heat at a first temperature to image the direct thermal thermally sensitive coating without transferring a thermal transfer coating associated with the thermal transfer ribbon and a second temperature to image the direct thermal thermally sensitive coating and transfer the thermal transfer coating associated with the thermal transfer ribbon.
US08848008B2

An information handling system includes a display panel, a panel connector, and a source device. The display panel displays images at different resolutions. The enables display data signals to be sent to the display panel. The source device determines whether an auxiliary channel is present between the source device and the panel connector, operates in a first embedded display operation mode if the auxiliary channel is present, otherwise determines if an enable signal has been received, and operates in a second embedded display operation mode when the enable signal has been received. The source device also communicates the display data signals to the display panel through the panel connector via a same set of pins of the source device during both the first embedded display operation mode and the second embedded display operation mode.
US08848007B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display and a method for driving the same. The OLED display includes a data driving circuit configured to output a data voltage to the display panel; a scan driving circuit configured to sequentially output a scan pulse synchronized with the data voltage to a display panel; and a timing controller configured to decide whether or not the multicolor data are inputted, to control the scan driving circuit and the data driving circuit in a normal mode when the multicolor data are inputted, and to control the scan driving circuit and the data driving circuit in a current saving mode when the multicolor data are not inputted.
US08848005B2

A display device including a timing controller, a data driving circuit and a display system is provided. The timing controller outputs first pixel data according to input pixel data, wherein a color depth of the first pixel data is a first bit number or a second bit number smaller than the first bit number. The data driving circuit receives the first pixel data and a notice signal, and maps the first pixel data to generate second pixel data according to the notice signal when the color depth of the first pixel data is the second bit number, and directly takes the first pixel data as the second pixel data when the color depth of the first pixel data is the first bit number, and generates at least one driving voltage according to the second pixel data, wherein the color depth of the second pixel data is the first bit number.
US08848001B2

An exemplary driving method is adapted for a bistable display device including a pixel array. The pixel array includes a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels arranged in a predetermined manner. The driving method includes the following steps of: during a first time period, providing the first pixels with a first pixel voltage for black insertion and providing the second pixels with a second pixel voltage different from the first pixel voltage; during a second time period following the first time period, providing the first pixels with the second pixel voltage for white insertion and maintaining the second pixels provided with the second pixel voltage for white insertion; and during a third time period following the second time period, initiating the first pixels to display a gray scale image and providing the second pixels with the first pixel voltage for black insertion.
US08847999B2

A display device includes: a display section including a plurality of pixels each having a light emitting element and a pixel circuit; and a drive circuit performing display drive on the plurality of pixels through selecting each of the plurality of pixels to write a first signal voltage and a second signal voltage in this order into the selected pixel, the first and second signal voltages being provided based on a video signal. The drive circuit varies magnitude of each of the first and second signal voltages in accordance with a gray-scale value of the video signal, thereby performing gray-scale interpolation on a light emission luminance level for each of the light emitting elements.
US08847997B2

An organic light emitting display includes pixels, each pixel having a transparent transistor, a timing controller to convert predetermined bits of an externally supplied first data into a certain value to generate a second data, and a data driver configured to receive the second data, to generate a data signal from the second data, and to supply the data signal to data lines coupled to the pixels.
US08847996B2

A mobile terminal providing touch input and a control method thereof are provided. The mobile terminal includes: a controller executing a screen editing mode in response to an object generation command, and generating screen position information corresponding to a touched point on a screen when a touch input is detected in the screen editing mode; and a display unit displaying a generated object based on the screen position information when the object corresponding to the object generation command is generated.
US08847992B2

This invention relates to navigation in a three dimensional environment using an orientation of a mobile device. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method navigates a virtual camera in a three dimensional environment on a mobile device. The method includes: receiving orientation information of the mobile device; and orienting the virtual camera in the three dimensional environment according to the orientation information.
US08847984B2

A system and method for forming a composite image from a secondary image reflected on to the display of a primary image is disclosed. Furthermore, applications for using the composite image in a video gaming context are disclosed.
US08847978B2

An apparatus for controlling a display screen including a touch-sensitive panel generating position signals representing a set of positions of a single continuous touch activation between a first time and a second time; and a processor coupled to the panel. The processor configured to: process the signals to detect first and second characteristics of the set; and generate output signals causing a display screen to initiate first and second operations corresponding to the first and second characteristics.
US08847977B2

A touch screen includes a display unit and an operation input receiving unit that receives a touch. A display control unit allows a state of display on the display unit to transit from a first state in which an image is displayed as a front side of a card to a second state in which an additional information image is displayed as a rear side of the card. In response to a determination that the operation input receiving unit has detected in the first state that a touched location is a border of the image, an additional information access entrance is displayed at the border. When the operation input receiving unit detects a tracing operation in which the touch moves by a predetermined distance while touching the operation input receiving unit, the tracing operation starting from the additional information access entrance, the state of display is forced to transit.
US08847975B2

A processing chain for a digital image signal (12) applies a dither pattern (14), having a first spectrum, to the image signal at a point in the processing chain. A further noise pattern (10) is applied to the image signal during the processing chain. The noise pattern (10) has a second spectrum which is configured such that the combination of the first spectrum and second spectrum results in a more continuous spectrum. Another aspect describes a noise pattern (10) which can be used as an offset dither pattern for digital images, especially before color bit depth reduction. The noise pattern comprises an array of values which are linearly distributed across a range, with each value in the range occurring an equal number of times. Similar values at extreme ends of the range of values are dispersed within the array. The pattern has a Poisson-disk two-dimensional spectral energy distribution. Values are positioned in the array based on distance to similar values in neighboring repetitions of the array. The array has “magic square” properties.
US08847970B2

A system improves the performance of buffering frames. After a buffer flip occurs when double buffering the frames, the system may update some portions of dirty buffer regions in a back buffer with changes between a source frame and an intermediate frame. The system may update other portions of the dirty buffer regions with changes between the intermediate frame and a target frame. An application may write to an application buffer or a display buffer depending on whether the application controls a region of the display buffer that corresponds to the application buffer.
US08847965B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for simulating sound propagation can be operable to define a sound source position within a modeled scene having a given geometry and construct a visibility tree for modeling sound propagation paths within the scene. Using from-region visibility techniques to model sound diffraction and from-point visibility technique to model specular sound reflections within the scene, the size of the visibility tree can be reduced. Using the visibility tree, an impulse response can be generated for the scene, and the impulse response can be used to simulate sound propagation in the scene.
US08847961B2

Ink rendering techniques are described. In an implementation, an input is recognized by one or more modules that are executable on one or more processors of a computing device as an ink stroke to be rendered by a display device of the computing device. The ink stroke is built by the one or more modules using a strip of triangles and the strip of triangles is sent to a graphics processing unit to render the ink stroke.
US08847956B2

A digital image (110) which is displayed to a user (118) is modified to include an aspect (120) of a detected at least one characteristic of the user (118) to give the user (118) the impression that the user (118) is present within the scene displayed by the digital image (110).
US08847944B2

A current matching control apparatus for matching a plurality of current sources and a plurality of current sinks, the plurality of current sinks having a drive current value controlled by a drive processor in accordance with a reference control current and wherein each output of the plurality of current sinks are connected to a common output node; a feedback circuit having an input connected to the common output node and an output connected to the drive processor, wherein the feedback circuit is arranged to match a voltage at the common output node to a reference voltage by communicating a signal to the drive processor to adjust the reference control current.
US08847938B2

An imaging device that can not only reduce noises including shading but also read out a pixel at high speed, a method for controlling the imaging device, and a camera using the imaging device are provided. In a 3-transistor-driven pixel circuit 11, the drain of a reset transistor 113 is connected to a drive signal line DRNL (n), and the drain of an amplifier transistor 114 is connected to a source voltage VDD. A row drive circuit 12a quickly decreases the voltage level applied to the drive signal line DRNL (n) from a high-level voltage VH to a lowest level voltage VLL, then increases it from the lowest level voltage VLL to a low-level voltage VL, and then gradually returns it to the high-level voltage VH.
US08847936B2

A method and system for managing a display of a terminal device comprises supporting communication of the terminal device with one or more first controllers of a first vehicle via a first data bus. A user level is determined of a user of the first vehicle based on an identity of the user as verified by an authentication process. The identity and user level of a corresponding user is stored in the terminal device. Permission data is retrieved on first enabled features and first disabled features for the first vehicle from the one or more first controllers based on the determined user level. The first enabled features are displayed on a display associated with the terminal device consistent with the retrieved permission data.
US08847931B2

A driving apparatus of a liquid crystal display includes a signal modification unit which modifies a signal based on a data signal input to the liquid crystal display, where the signal modification unit determines whether the data signal corresponds to an image to be displayed with a quality deterioration and outputs at least one of a first signal and a second signal, where the first signal is output when the signal modification unit determines the data signal corresponds to the image to be displayed with the quality deterioration, and where the second signal is output when the signal modification unit determines the data signal does not corresponds to the image to be displayed with the quality deterioration.
US08847925B2

Arrangement (202) for a user input device, such as a touchscreen or a touchpad, comprising a substrate (206), such as an optically substantially transparent flex film or a multilayer film, said substrate comprising support electronics (212) for providing power, control and/or communications connection to further electronic components (210), a number of emitters and detectors (210) arranged to said substrate into contact with the support electronics, for emitting and detecting light, respectively, and a lightguide (208) provided, such as laminated, onto the substrate such that said emitters and detectors are optically coupled to the lightguide material, the properties of the lightguide including the refractive index of the lightguide material being selected and the emitters and detectors being configured so as to enable, when in use, total internal reflection (TIR) -type propagation of light within the lightguide between the emitters and detectors, and recognition of a touch on the basis of a drop in the TIR performance as determined from the detected light. A related method of manufacture is presented.
US08847920B2

An apparatus includes timing circuitry configured to initiate a timing window in response to input sensed by an optical sensor, association circuitry configured to associate the input with additional input sensed by a different optical sensor if the additional input commences during the timing window and filter circuitry configured to filter out additional input sensed by a different optical sensor if the additional input commences after expiration of the timing window and prior to a subsequent initiation of the timing window. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US08847919B2

A display apparatus configured to produce an interactive three-dimensional holographic image is disclosed. The display apparatus can include one or more coherent light sources configured to produce one or more beams, based on obtained image data of an object to display, and a lens assembly configured to direct the one or more beams to form a holographic image of the object. The lens assembly can include a collimating lens and a lens capable of beam steering one or more beams, including a micro-lens assembly with at least one micro-lens configured to generate a plurality of beams associated with a plurality of desired viewing angles. One or more optical sensors can be configured to obtain information regarding whether an interactive device interrupts the one or more beams, and a processor unit can determine a location of the interactive device with respect to the holographic image.
US08847918B2

An optical position detection device includes: a detecting light source section adapted to emit a detection light beam; a light source drive section adapted to drive the detecting light source section to form an X-coordinate detecting light intensity distribution in which an intensity of the detection light beam varies in an X-axis direction, and a Y-coordinate detecting light intensity distribution in which an intensity of the detection light beam varies in a Y-axis direction intersecting the X-axis direction; a light detection section adapted to receive the detection light beam reflected by a target object; and a position detection section adapted to detect a position of the target object based on a reception intensity in the light detection section.
US08847917B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) with a built-in touch screen includes: a first substrate including a sensor area having a plurality of photosensors; a second substrate positioned over the first substrate, and including a color filter, a light receiving portion, and a transparent electrode layer and a front polarizing plate; an LCD panel including a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates; a touch screen driver circuit to measure a capacitance variation sensed through a first sensing line connected to the transparent electrode layer and to calculate a touch area using optical information sensed through a second sensing line connected to the photosensors when a contact object is in contact with the LCD panel, and to output position information of the contact object, sensed by determining whether a touch occurs and whether a multi-touch occurs using the capacitance variation and the touch area.
US08847908B2

Disclosed is a display device (50a) that includes a display panel (30) for displaying an image, a touch panel (40) of electrostatic capacitance coupling type that is disposed so as to face the display panel (30), and an adhesive layer (45) that is disposed between the display panel (30) and the touch panel (40) and that bonds the display panel (30) and the touch panel (40) to each other. The adhesive layer (45) is provided with a shield pattern (46a) that is configured to prevent electrical noise generated in the display panel (30) from affecting the touch panel (40). According to this configuration, it becomes possible to prevent the increase in the device thickness, and to prevent a decrease in the position detection accuracy of the touch panel.
US08847907B2

Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device that has a function of detecting the position where light emitted from an input pointer 50 has been inputted to an image display surface 10a of an display panel and that switches the display direction (vertical direction) of a display image on the display panel on the basis of the radiation direction of the light emitted from the input pointer 50. Thus, a display device having a position detection function that enables the display direction of a display image to be switched using a simple structure can be provided.
US08847894B1

A method, system, and medium are provided for providing tactile feedback in association with contact to a touchscreen display of a mobile device. One embodiment of the method includes receiving a touch input to a touchscreen display area provided by a user of the mobile device. The touch input selects a predetermined region within the touchscreen display area. Incident to the touch input of the predetermined region, a mechanical indicator on the rear of the mobile device is physically manipulated to provide an indication to the user that the predetermined region was selected by the user.
US08847886B2

A non-contact input apparatus for computer peripheral includes an induction module and a pointing module. The induction module includes an electric supply coil and an induction element, and the pointing module includes an energy coil and a non-linear element. The electric supply coil is used to send a first oscillation signal. The energy coil receives the first oscillation signal. The non-linear element converts the first oscillation signal to be a second oscillation signal having multiple higher harmonics. The induction element generates a control signal based on the second oscillation signal.
US08847878B2

This is directed to dynamic tags or screen savers for display on an electronic device. The tags can include several dynamic elements that move across the display. The particular characteristics of the elements can be controlled in part by the output of one or more sensors detecting the environment of the device. For example, the color scheme used for a tag can be selected based on the colors of an image captured by a camera, and the orientation of the movement can be selected from the output of a motion sensing component. The tag can adjust automatically based on the sensor outputs to provide an aesthetically pleasing display that a user can use as an fashion accessory.
US08847877B2

An outdoor readable liquid crystal display device (200) includes a liquid crystal panel (210), a backlight device (220) and a light source control device. The backlight device (220) includes a plurality of red light emitting diodes (220r), green light emitting diodes (220g) and blue light emitting diodes (220b). The light source control device is used to adjust the backlight device (220) based on the light intensity of ambient light. When the light intensity of ambient light is lower than a predetermined light intensity of the liquid crystal display device (200), the red light emitting diodes (220r), the green light emitting diodes (220g) and the blue light emitting diodes (220b) of the backlight device (220) are sequentially energized to emit lights at a predetermined time lag. When the light intensity of ambient light is higher than the predetermined light intensity, the red light emitting diodes (220r), the green light emitting diodes (220g) and the blue light emitting diodes (220b) of the backlight device (220) are energized to emit lights at the same time.
US08847867B2

A driving circuit and driving method for liquid crystal display is disclosed. The driving circuit comprises a time sequence controller, a first data driving chip and a second data driving chip connected to the time sequence controller, and a reference voltage buffer connected to the first data driving chip and the second data driving chip respectively. The two data driving chips output a pixel voltage signal of positive polarity and a pixel voltage signal of negative polarity to a liquid crystal display panel respectively.
US08847862B2

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for controlling the actuation of an analog interferometric modulator. In one aspect, a voltage may be determined from a sense electrode. A distance between one or more of the electrodes may be determined based on the voltage. The sense electrode may be capacitively coupled to another electrode, and may be implemented in a mirror of a movable layer of an interferometric modulator, or may be implemented in a floating fixed layer of an interferometric modulator.
US08847851B2

Provided is a head mount display of a type of being attached to eyeglasses. The head mount display (1) includes a case (10) incorporating a display and free-form surface prisms (20). A nose pad (30) is attached to the case (10) of the head mount display (1). The head mount display (1) is used with the case (10) being attached to a bridge (105) of eyeglasses (100). On such an occasion, the nose pad (30) attached to the case (10) functions as the nose pad for the eyeglasses (100).
US08847850B1

The present disclosure relates to HMD device that displays an image capture guide as an augmented reality image and a control method for the same. More particularly, detecting a marker positioned within a viewing angle and displaying a capture guide frame as an augmented reality image based on the detected marker, wherein, when the marker is detected at a first position having a first distance from the camera unit, display a first capture guide frame having a first size based on the first position of the marker; and when the marker is detected at a second position having a second distance from the camera unit, display a second capture guide frame having a second size based on the second position of the marker, wherein, when the first distance is greater than the second distance, the first size is greater than the second size.
US08847847B2

A dual frequency antenna module is disposed on a substrate. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface. The dual frequency antenna module includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a first connecting portion, and a second connecting portion. The antennas are in symmetry about a central line of the antenna module and disposed on the first surface. Each antenna includes a radiation portion and a feeding portion. The connecting portions are disposed on the first surface and connected to each other in symmetry. A width of each microstrip transmission line of the connecting portions is less than a width of each microstrip transmission line of the antennas. A wavelength of electromagnetic waves transmissible through the microstrip transmission lines of the connecting portions is equal to one half of a wavelength of electromagnetic waves transmissible through the microstrip transmission lines of the first and second antennas.
US08847844B2

An antenna includes a flexible sheet, a first coil electrode being formed on a first main surface of the flexible sheet and a second coil electrode being formed on a second main surface of the flexible sheet. Another end portion of the first coil electrode and another end portion 32B of the second coil electrode oppose each other with the flexible sheet there between. One end portion of the first coil electrode opposes an electrode pad, which has a smaller area than the one end portion, with a mounting substrate there between. One end portion of the second coil electrode and a central electrode oppose each other with the flexible sheet there between, and the central electrode opposes an electrode pad, which has a smaller area than the central electrode, with the mounting substrate there between.
US08847842B2

An electrically-conductive housing is configured to support a patch antenna and to enclose or cover electronic components mounted onto a circuit board to which the housing is attached. The housing is formed to have a grounded passageway for a feed line for the patch antenna. The passageway thus acts as a RF shield. An optional ferrule can be placed into the shield to align the feed line. An optional feed line contact can be placed into the ferrule to allow for the housing construct to behave as an RF connector.
US08847841B2

Provided is a multi-beam antenna device capable of achieving two independent multi-beam characteristics using a single antenna unit, and enhanced gain. The multi-beam antenna device comprises a first antenna section, a second antenna section, a first Rotman lens section and a second Rotman lens section, which are laminated together in this order to form a planar antenna module. A first multi-beam characteristic is achieved by the first antenna section and the first Rotman lens section, and a second multi-beam characteristic is achieved by the second antenna section and the second Rotman lens section, independently. A Rotman lens in each of the Rotman lens sections is designed such that: β with respect to α is set to satisfy the following relation: β<α, where β is a spatial beam-forming angle of an array antenna, and α is an elevation angle between a center line (208), and a line segment which connects one of an input port and an intersecting point S2; and a shape of a Rotman lens is set to satisfy the following relation: η=(β/α)·(Ln/F)<1, and reduce G to less than a basic value of G when designed under a defined condition of β=α, where: F is a distance between the input port and S2; G is a size of the Rotman lens; and 2 Ln is the aperture length of an array antenna.
US08847837B2

This disclosure provides an antenna device that includes a horn having a deeper-side portion and an opening-side portion, a feeder line, and an antenna element that is supplied with electric power from the feeder line to generate an electric wave, and radiates the electric wave from the horn. The feeder line is arranged parallel to the radiating direction of the electric wave.
US08847817B2

To provide a microwave/milliwave band high-frequency pulse signal generating device that enables realization of structural simplification, high performance, compact integration, easy design, low power consumption, and low cost. A radiation type oscillator substrate S1 having an inner-layer GND 12 interposed between a front-side dielectric substrate 10 and a rear-side dielectric substrate 11 is provided on the radiation surface side with a pair of axially symmetrical patches 4, 4, a gate electrode 2 and drain electrode 3 of a microwave transistor 1 are respectively connected to the conductor patches 4, 4, DC bias is supplied to the gate electrode 2 through an RF choke circuit 5a, a monopulse from a monopulse generation circuit 7 is supplied to the drain electrode 3 through an RF choke circuit 5b, an impedance line 9 satisfying an oscillating condition is connected to a source electrode 8, and a high-frequency pulse signal of an oscillation frequency/frequency bandwidth determined by negative resistance produced by short-duration operation of the microwave transistor 1 and the resonant cavity structure is generated and simultaneously radiated into space.
US08847810B2

In a pulse phase difference coding circuit, a count unit includes a plurality of partial counters connected to each other in series so that the most significant bit of an output of the previous stage serves as an operation clock of the subsequent stage. A circulation number detecting unit includes a first latch circuit which is provided for each of the partial counters and latches an output of the partial counter according to a pulse for measurement, and a first delay circuit which treats the partial counter in the second stage or later as an object counter and delays the pulse for measurement by a total delay time in all the partial counters located at the previous stages of the object counter. The pulse for measurement is inputted into the first latch circuit which latches an output of the object counter.
US08847801B2

Circuits, methods, non-transitory storage media can be configured to reduce calibration errors in a signal converter. A digital-to-analog converter can include a calibration circuit configured to calibrate a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) bit element using a residual error from a previously calibrated digital-to-analog converter (DAC) bit element. The residual error can be stored in memory.
US08847796B1

According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method of decompressing compressed data is described. A first decompression dictionary is analyzed, the first decompression dictionary including a plurality of chains each with uncompressed data portions distributed in a non-contiguous manner within the first decompression dictionary based on an addressing scheme, where the uncompressed data portions of each chain form a corresponding uncompressed version of compressed data. A second decompression dictionary is generated by combining the uncompressed data portions of each of the chains in the first decompression dictionary to form uncompressed versions of compressed data and instructions are inserted within the second decompression dictionary to decompress compressed data. The compressed data are decompressed by applying the compressed data to the second decompression dictionary. Embodiments further include a system and computer program product for decompressing compressed data in substantially the same manner described above.
US08847790B2

A navigation device and a method of determining parking information are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving, at a server, journey information from a plurality of navigation devices, the journey information indicating one or more journeys made by each navigation device and determining, by the server from the journey information, parking information indicating a geographical location of one or more parking areas.
US08847784B2

Systems, methods, and apparatuses may be provided for determining power usage within a meter. The systems, methods, and apparatuses may include providing, for a utility meter, at least one communications interface for communicating with a home area network (HAN); receiving or transmitting, via the at least one communications interface of the utility meter, information having a source or destination associated with the home area network (HAN); determining, by the utility meter, that the information is attributable to activity chargeable to a customer associated with the home area network (HAN); and updating, by the utility meter, a customer usage amount based upon the determination that the information is attributable to the activity chargeable to the customer.
US08847782B2

A cylindrical hollow body fence post disposed according to the present invention features a first closed-geometry longitudinally hollow inner profile interconnected by at least two longitudinally extending bridging elements to a second closed-geometry longitudinally extending outer profile. The tubular post comprises one or more longitudinal housing for receiving illuminating elements. The illuminating elements are powered by a solar panel. The longitudinal housings receiving the illuminating elements are closed by longitudinal coverings providing a dovetail connection with the open end of the housings.
US08847779B2

Various inventive features are disclosed for efficiently generating regulation-compliant audible alerts, including but not limited to 520 Hz square wave alert/alarm signals, using an audio speaker. One such feature involves the use of a non-linear amplifier in combination with a voltage boost regulator to efficiently drive the audio speaker. Another feature involves speaker enclosure designs that effectively boost the output of the audio speaker, particularly at relatively low frequencies. Some of the disclosed speaker enclosure designs rely on an interference effect and/or a resonance effect to transfer energy from higher-order harmonics downward to the fundamental frequency and lower-order harmonics. These and other features may be used individually or combination in a given alarm-generation device or system to enable regulation-compliant audible alerts to be generated using conventional batteries, such as AA alkaline batteries.
US08847778B2

The Psychophysiological Touch Screen Stress Analyzer is capable of capturing information on how a person emotionally reacts to a series of verbal, visual, or written stimulus when the person touches the touch screen computer monitor in response to the stimulus.
US08847777B2

A built-in self-test (BIST) circuit for detecting power supply droops is disclosed. In one embodiment, the BIST circuit includes a transition circuit configured to launch logical signals into a delay line. The BIST circuit also includes a comparator configured to compare a logic signal based on that input into the delay line with one output from the delay line. A mismatch resulting from the comparison is indicative of a power supply droop. The BIST circuit may also include circuitry for calibrating the delay line. The calibration may be performed by enabling a feedback path between the output of the delay line and its input. Enabling the feedback path may form a ring oscillator utilizing the delay line. A counter may count the number of transitions caused by the ring oscillator in a predetermined time. The resulting count may be used to determine if the delay is in a desired range.
US08847772B2

A smoke detector employs a receiver and a remote transmitter to silence the audible alarm of the smoke detector in the event the detector was triggered by nuisance smoke. The receiver and transmitter circuits are designed to operate in a no-power or low-power consumption mode until the alarm is activated or the remote transmitter is actuated.
US08847766B2

Compositions, systems and methods that allow for the detection of the actual physical delivery of a pharmaceutical agent to a body are provided. Embodiments of the compositions include an identifier and an active agent. The invention finds use in a variety of different applications, including but not limited to, monitoring of therapeutic regimen compliance, tracking the history of pharmaceutical agents, etc.
US08847747B2

A vehicular child alert device includes a main body housing a pressure switch configured to indicate the status of a vehicle door, a memory configured to store audible notifications, a speaker configured to play the audible notifications, and a processor configured to control the device.
US08847746B2

An image display device is provided to receive a image corresponding to a program and identification information regarding the program from a mobile terminal, determine an image processing scheme with respect to the received image based on the identification information, and process the received image based on the determined image processing scheme, thus allowing a user to conveniently and effectively view the image provided from the mobile terminal in a stable environment in a vehicle. The image display device includes: a communication unit configured to receive an image corresponding to a program and identification information corresponding to the program from a mobile terminal; a controller configured to determine an image processing scheme corresponding to the received image based on the received identification information, and process the received image based on the determined image processing scheme; and a display unit configured to display the processed image.
US08847745B2

A display system for a working machine displays basic information at all times and, in case of an abnormality, displays the details of the warning in addition to the basic information to enable an operator to reliably recognize details of the warning. For example, a first warning display function, upon receiving an abnormality information signal relating to a charge warning, displays an appropriate warning icon in a warning icon display region. A simplified basic-information display function, then displays simplified basic-information images and a second warning display function displays, in a free area of the display, a second warning message inclusive of a “Charge warning” message as display details of the warning icon, and of character information relating to a simplified remedial action. The operator can then reliably recognize the “Charge warning” and understand its details as well, by viewing the second warning message in addition to the warning icon.
US08847735B2

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with radio frequency identification (RFID) circuits are described. According to one embodiment, a radio frequency identification circuit includes an antenna network, including an antenna and an antenna interface coupled to the antenna, wherein the antenna interface includes first and second capacitors, which are coupled in series with the antenna. An integrated circuit includes a first pin and a second pin coupled respectively to a first node and a second node of the second capacitor and configured to operate as a reader and a tag in combination with the antenna network, and an amplifier embedded in the integrated circuit and configured to provide an output admittance determined by a ratio of current and voltage negative feedback signals such that a frequency response of the combined integrated circuit and antenna network is adjustable without increasing power consumption of the RFID when operating as a reader.
US08847734B2

There is provided a portable device, comprising: control means for monitoring and controlling the operation of the device; and a user interface which comprises alarm means for performing a silent alarm producing a silent, invisible, tactile sensation in the user; the control means are arranged to give the user abstract information on multiple internal operational events of the device by using various silent alarm patterns of silent, invisible sensations produced by the alarm means and sensed by the user, the alarm patterns differing from one another such that at least one alarm pattern characteristic sensed by the user varies, said abstract information comprising a notification of a specific internal operational event of the device.
US08847731B2

A system for communicating with a vehicle includes a control module equipped with a remote keyless entry (RKE) receiver and configured to control vehicle functions in response to a RKE signal. The system includes a fob equipped with a RKE transmitter and a short range transceiver, such as BLUETOOTH™, IEEE 802.11, or near field communication (NFC). The fob transmits a RKE signal in response to receiving a message from a consumer device, such as a cellular phone, smart phone, tablet computer, or personal computer equipped with a short range transceiver, enabling the user to control the vehicle from the consumer device. The system may be configured to transmit vehicle status information to the consumer device. The control module may include a third short range transceiver that communicates with the consumer device when the distance is between the vehicle and the consumer device is less than the distance threshold.
US08847728B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting a measurement variable that is detected by a measuring unit and transmitted via a data transmission channel to a main control unit of a domestic appliance that is isolated from the measuring unit is disclosed. The measurement control unit is coupled to the main control unit via a data transmission channel through which a measurement variable detectable by the measuring unit can be transmitted to the main control unit. The data transmission channel is a line having a protective impedance.
US08847726B2

In a method for manufacturing an ESD protection device and an ESD protection device, on sheets defining insulating layers, portions defining a first connection conductor and a second connection conductor and a portion defining a mixed portion are formed, then the sheets are laminated and heated. The mixed portion is formed using a mixed portion formation material containing a cavity formation material and a solid component containing at least one of (i) a metal and a semiconductor, (ii) a metal and ceramic, (iii) a metal, a semiconductor, and ceramic, (iv) a semiconductor and ceramic, (v) a semiconductor, (vi) a metal coated with an inorganic material, (vii) a metal coated with an inorganic material and a semiconductor, (viii) a metal coated with an inorganic material and ceramic, and (ix) a metal coated with an inorganic material, a semiconductor, and ceramic. The cavity formation material disappears during heating.
US08847725B2

A temperature-dependent switch comprising a temperature-dependent switching mechanism having a snap-action disc, a housing having a lower part and an upper part which accommodates the switching mechanism, at least two stationary contacts provided on the inner surface of the upper part, each of which is connected to an outer connection, and a current transfer member arranged on the snap-action disc that is moved by said snap-action disc. The snap-action disc presses the current transfer member, in a temperature-dependent manner, against the two stationary contacts which serve as bearing areas for the current transfer member. A third bearing area for the current transfer member is provided on the inner surface. The current transfer member is an approximately round contact plate having on its surface facing the stationary contacts, a contact area closed in a circumferential direction around an axis of symmetry of the switch.
US08847723B2

The invention provides a system for monitoring an operational parameter of a gas turbine, including a magnetic coupling between a signal source and a data output terminal. The magnetic coupling comprises a primary coil electrically connected to the signal source and wound around a first magnetic core section, and a secondary coil electrically connected to the output terminal but electrically isolated from the primary coil and wound around a second magnetic core section, wherein the first and second magnetic core sections are physically separated from one another.
US08847722B2

Methods and structures for constructing a magnetic core of a coupled inductor. The method provides for constructing N-phase coupled inductors as both single and scalable magnetic structures, where N is an integer greater than 1. The method additionally describes how such a construction of the magnetic core may enhance the benefits of using the scalable N-phase coupled inductor. The first and second magnetic cores may be formed into shapes that, when coupled together, may form a single scalable magnetic core. For example, the cores can be fashioned into shapes such as a U, an I, an H, a ring, a rectangle, and a comb, that cooperatively form the single magnetic core.
US08847707B2

A filter includes a multilayer body including a plurality of insulator layers stacked on top of one another. Outer electrodes are provided on surfaces of the multilayer body. A first resonator is connected to a first one of the outer electrodes and includes a first coil. A second resonator is connected to a second one of the outer electrodes and includes a second coil. A third resonator includes a third coil that is magnetically coupled with the first and second coils. The first and second coils are respectively defined by coil conductor layers provided on an insulator layer. The third coil is defined by via hole conductors that penetrate through the insulator layer in a z-axis direction.
US08847702B2

Systems and methods which utilizes a stub array microstrip line for providing a phase shifter configuration are shown. A stub array microstrip line phase shifter of embodiments may comprises a microstrip line structure, an isolation structure, and a phase tuning structure cooperative to provide phase shifting of signals passed through the microstrip line structure. A microstrip line structure comprises a stub array microstrip line having a plurality of microstrip stubs provided in association with a slotted ground plane having a plurality of slots. The stub array microstrip line is adapted to provide compensation for capacitance and/or inductance associated with the slots of the slotted ground plane. A phase tuning structure provides coupling of signals transmitted by the stub array microstrip line to the slots of the slotted ground plane for signal phase shifting.
US08847695B2

A substantially temperature-independent LC-based oscillator is achieved using an LC tank that generates a tank oscillation at a phase substantially equal to a temperature null phase. The temperature null phase is a phase of the LC tank at which variations in frequency of an output oscillation of the LC-based oscillator with temperature changes are minimized. The LC-based oscillator further includes frequency stabilizer circuitry coupled to the LC tank to cause the LC tank to oscillate at the phase substantially equal to the temperature null phase.
US08847694B2

A quartz crystal vibrator element having the weight section is provided with the intermediate weight section formed to have an arm width W1 larger (thicker) than the arm width W of the vibrating arm section and smaller (thinner) than the arm width W2 of the tip weight section, thereby making the intermediate weight section follow the vibration (the amplitude) of the vibrating arm section. Further, the tip weight section formed to have an arm width W2 larger (thicker) than the arm width W1 of the intermediate weight section is provided, thereby making the tip weight section follow the vibration (the amplitude) of the vibrating arm section and the intermediate weight section. Therefore, the vibration characteristics of the vibrating arm section can be stabilized.
US08847692B2

Oscillators and method of operating the same are provided, the oscillators include a magnetic layer, and a magnetization fixing element configured to fix a magnetization direction of the magnetic layer. The oscillators generate a signal by using precession of a magnetic moment of the magnetic layer.
US08847684B2

Circuits are disclosed that may include a plurality of transistors having controllable current paths coupled between at least a first and second node, the transistors configured to generate an analog electrical output signal in response to an analog input value; wherein at least one of the transistors has a deeply depleted channel formed below its gate that includes a substantially undoped channel region formed over a relatively highly doped screen layer formed over a doped body region.
US08847683B2

A differential amplifying circuit includes: two metal oxide semiconductor transistors to form a differential pair and receive a differential signal; a plurality of capacitance elements coupled in series between drains of the two metal oxide semiconductor transistors; and an inductance circuit coupled between at least one connection node of the plurality of capacitance elements and a bias power terminal.
US08847670B2

An input apparatus includes a touch plate, a decoration layer, a film sensor, an electrode portion, a wire portion, and a guard layer. The touch plate is a basal plate for finger manipulation. The decoration layer is on a front side of the touch plate to decorate the front side. The film sensor is bonded to a rear side of the touch plate. The electrode portion is on the film sensor. The wire portion is on the film sensor and connected to the electrode portion to transmit a signal outputted from the electrode portion. The guard layer contains a guard layer formation material to suppress an electrostatic capacity between the finger and the wire portion. The guard layer formation material is combined into the decoration layer such that the decoration layer and the guard layer are provided as a single integrated member.
US08847669B2

A method for controlling a temperature of a terminal and a terminal supporting the same are provided. A terminal supporting temperature control includes a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the terminal, and a controller for performing at least one of a first throttle procedure including driving the controller with a first preset driving frequency when the temperature of the terminal detected by the temperature sensor is a first preset temperature, and driving the controller with a second driving frequency higher than the first driving frequency when the temperature of the terminal is reduced to a second preset temperature lower than the first preset temperature, and a second throttle procedure including driving the controller with the first preset driving frequency for a first time, and driving the controller with the second driving frequency higher than the first driving frequency for a second time after the first time elapses.
US08847667B2

An RF switch circuit for switching RF signals includes a first terminal and a second terminal and a series connection of a plurality of transistors between the first terminal of the RF switch circuit and the second terminal of the RF switch circuit. Furthermore, the RF switch circuit includes a control circuit configured to conductively couple, in a high impedance state of the RF switch circuit, the first terminal of the RF switch circuit to a control terminal of a first transistor in a series of the series connection of the plurality of transistors. The second terminal of the RF switch circuit is conductively coupled to a control terminal of a last transistor in the series of the series connection of the plurality of transistors.
US08847665B2

A semiconductor device has an analog switch, in which a P channel transistor and an N channel transistor are connected in parallel between an input terminal and an output terminal; a variable voltage circuit, which variably generates, according to an input voltage applied to the input terminal, potentials of a first gate voltage and first back gate voltage of the P channel transistor and of a second gate voltage and second back gate voltage of the N channel transistor; and a control circuit, which supplies to the variable voltage circuit a control signal controlling the analog switch to be conducting or non-conducting. In response to the control signal causing the analog switch to be conducting, the variable voltage circuit outputs the variable-generated first gate voltage and second gate voltage to the respective gates of the P channel transistor and N channel transistor.
US08847662B2

A mixer for providing a mixed signal by mixing an input signal and an oscillation signal, comprising a follower and a switch. The follower is arranged to conduct a driving contribution from a bias terminal to an output terminal following a signal at an input terminal, wherein the input terminal and the bias terminal are respectively coupled to the input signal and the oscillation signal, and the output terminal is arranged to output the mixed signal. The switch is arranged to selectively conduct the output terminal to a reference level in response to alternating of the oscillation signal. An associated signal circuit is also disclosed.
US08847656B1

A system that drives multiple MOSFETs in parallel for direct current and alternating current solid state power controller applications may include networks connected to the gates of the MOSFETs to protect the MOSFETs from being damaged during high current interruption. For direct current applications, the system may include a switching protection and damping network and a gate drive balancing network. For alternating current applications, the system may include two switching protection and damping networks and a gate drive balancing network.
US08847653B2

A dither control circuit includes a pseudo random number generator, which generates a pseudo random number sequence in response to a frequency-divided clock signal, and a dither circuit which dithers an input digital code by using at least one output bit of the pseudo random number sequence and outputs a dithered digital code corresponding to a result of the dithering. The dither circuit may output, as the dithered digital code, a digital code corresponding to a sum of or a difference between the input digital code and the input digital code based on the at least one output bit. The dithered digital code may be input to an accumulator which operates in-sync with the frequency-divided clock signal.
US08847650B1

A method and apparatus for generating a wave shaped pulse electronic signal of a predetermined format from a square pulse signal generator. A signal is applied from the square pulse generator to circuitry having a plurality of transmission lines. Each transmission line having a certain length creating a certain signal time delay and signal reflection for a signal applied to the circuitry from the square pulse generator so as to create a delay pulse from each transmission line. Each delay pulse is combined from each transmission line to generate the wave shaped pulse electronic signal of a desired predetermined format.
US08847645B1

A semiconductor device includes a sampling unit suitable for sampling a logic value of an input signal based on an edge of an operation clock to output a sampling signal, an edge detection unit suitable for detecting an edge of the input signal based on the sampling signal, and a phase control unit suitable for controlling a phase of the operation clock while periodically changing a value of a clock delay code at each predetermined period and substituting a code value, which is obtained by calculating a value of the clock delay code corresponding to a time point at which an operation of the edge detection unit is completed and a value of a pre-phase code determined based on the sampling signal, for the clock delay code.
US08847636B2

A method and circuit for implementing protection for complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) output drivers, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. An output driver stage transistor stack includes a plurality of series connected PFETs series connected with a plurality of series connected NFETs connected between upper and lower voltage supply rails. A pair of offset DC voltage levels provides respective gate voltages of an intermediate PFET and an intermediate NFET in the output driver stage transistor stack. A pair of pre-driver circuits receiving voltage level translated logic signals drive respective gate inputs of the upper PFET and the lower NFET in the output driver stage transistor stack. A voltage feedback circuit provides respective gate voltages of the PFET and NFET connected together in the output driver stage transistor stack.
US08847621B2

A circuit and methods for mitigating radiation-induced Single Event Effects (SEE) in Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits are presented. A primary logic output is generated from a primary logic gate in response to an input. A redundant logic output is generated from a redundant logic gate that duplicates the primary logic output in response to the input if an SEE is not present. An interleaved C-gate output is generated from an interleaved C-gate that emulates an inverter output when the primary logic output and the redundant logic output match, and does not changes its output when the primary logic output and the redundant logic output do not match during the SEE.
US08847620B2

A missing stator slot wedge in an electrical machine can be detected by analyzing a current spectrum of the machine in a high frequency area. A current spectrum is provided from a current measurement, and values of the current spectrum in the high frequency area used to determine whether a stator slot wedge is missing or not. The conclusion can be based on values of a relative current amplitude IdB or on presence of certain harmonics in the high frequency area.
US08847607B2

A device is provided for protecting an electronic payment terminal that includes an electronic printed circuit board and a casing. The device includes at least one capacitive detector in a volume formed by a first ground plane of the printed circuit and a second ground plane positioned on an internal surface of the casing, the at least one capacitive detector being configured to deliver a reference capacitance. A capacitive measurement microprocessor detects a variation of capacitance of the at least one capacitive detector. A transmitter transmits the variation when an absolute value of a difference between the reference capacitance and the measured capacitance exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08847604B2

Implementations are presented herein that include a test circuit and a reference circuit.
US08847603B2

An arrangement to detect a ground fault in an AC electric circuit including an electric machine having a neutral point connecting to a neutral point and a terminal side, and a unit transformer connected to the terminal side of the machine, wherein the arrangement includes a signal injection unit, a voltage transformer having a primary winding connected to the terminal side of the electric machine and a secondary winding that is open delta-connected, an instrument transformer having a primary winding connected to the neutral point of the electric machine and a secondary winding, and a ground fault detecting unit. The signal injection unit is configured to inject a signal to the secondary winding of the voltage transformer. The instrument transformer is configured to measure the resultant injected signal at its secondary winding The ground fault detecting unit is configured to detect a ground fault based on the measured signal.
US08847592B2

A magnetic particle imaging apparatus includes magnets [106,107] that produce a gradient magnetic field having a field free region (FFR), excitation field electromagnets [102,114] that produce a radiofrequency magnetic field within the field free region, high-Q receiving coils [112] that detect a response of magnetic particles in the field free region to the excitation field. Field translation electromagnets create a homogeneous magnetic field displacing the field-free region through the field of view (FOV) allowing the imaging region to be scanned to optimize scan time, scanning power, amplifier heating, SAR, dB/dt, and/or slew rate. Efficient multi-resolution scanning techniques are also provided. Intermodulated low and radio-frequency excitation signals are processed to produce an image of a distribution of the magnetic nanoparticles within the imaging region. A single composite image is computed using deconvolution of multiple signals at different harmonics.
US08847590B2

A surface-mountable magnetic field sensor (1) with a semiconductor chip (4), a magnetic field measuring device (30), and in a method for producing and populating a circuit board (24) having a magnetic field sensor (1), the magnetic field sensor (1) has a semiconductor chip (4), which is arranged on a flat-conductor substrate (5). At least three flat-conductor electrodes (6 to 9), which protrude out of a plastic housing side (10), are electrically connected to the semiconductor chip (4). The flat-conductor substrate (5) and the semiconductor chip (4) are embedded in a plastic housing (11). The plastic housing (11) can be inserted with the embedded semiconductor chip (4) into a magnetic field gap (12), with the flat-conductor electrodes (6 to 9) protruding, wherein the flat-conductor electrodes (6 to 9) have bends (13 to 16) at a distance from the plastic housing side (10), the bends being surface-mountable on a circuit board.
US08847588B2

A current sensor includes a current path to be measured, a neighboring current path that is provided in the vicinity of the current path to be measured, first and second magnetoelectric transducers having a main sensitivity axis parallel to a direction of a magnetic field generated by a current to be measured flowing in the current path to be measured, and are provided so that the directions of the magnetic fields generated by the current to be measured are applied in mutually opposite directions, and third and fourth magnetoelectric transducers having a main sensitivity axis being non-orthogonal to a direction of a magnetic field generated by the neighboring current while being orthogonal to the direction of the magnetic field generated by the current to be measured, and are provided so that the directions of the magnetic fields generated by the current to be measured are applied in mutually opposite directions.
US08847586B2

A magnetic sensor inspection apparatus has a rectangular frame including a stage, a probe card, and a plurality of magnetic field generating coils. A wafer-like array of magnetic sensors is mounted on the stage, which is movable in horizontal and vertical directions. The probe card includes a plurality of probes which are brought into contact with a plurality of magnetic sensors encompassed in a measurement area. The magnetic field generating coils are driven to generate a magnetic field toward the stage. A plurality of magnetic field environment measuring sensors is arranged in the peripheral portion of the probe card surrounding the probes. A magnetic field controller controls magnetic fields generated by the magnetic field generating coils based on the measurement result of the magnetic field environment measuring sensors. Thus, it is possible to concurrently inspect a wafer-like array of magnetic sensors with the probe card.
US08847583B2

An electromagnetic induction type absolute position measuring encoder having two or more rows of scale coils, each of the rows having a scale pitch different from that of another row; a transmitter coil and a receiver coil arranged on a grid that is movable relative to the scale in the measuring direction so as to face the scale coils; and the track is constituted by the scale coils, the transmitter coil and the receiver coil. The encoder is capable of measuring an absolute position of the grid with respect to the scale from a flux change detected at the receiver coil via the scale coils when the transmitter coil is excited, in which at least one loop-shaped additional scale coil is added between the scale coils in at least one of the tracks.
US08847577B2

A method and system for measuring the current flowing through an electric meter. The electric meter includes a reactive sensor positioned in series with a bus bar contained in the meter. The reactive sensor includes an inductor and the voltage across the inductance is measured. A control unit contained in the electric meter calculates the current based on the detected voltage and the value of the inductor. The value of the inductor is determined by passing a reference current through the inductor at a known frequency, such as 50 Hz or 60 Hz, and the voltage drop across the inductor is measured. Once the value of the inductor is determined, the value is stored in the control unit.
US08847573B2

A single-coil, toroid-type current transformer circuit for detecting both AC and DC current. The current transformer circuit may include a current transformer and an oscillator electrically connected to the current transformer. The current transformer circuit may further include an open and short CT detection circuit electrically connected to the oscillator for facilitating determination of the connection and stability state of the current transformer. A processor may be electrically connected to an output of the open and short CT detection circuit for performing a series of operations on signal data generated by the open and short CT detection circuit and manipulating the operation of an electrical power system accordingly.
US08847572B2

A current mirror circuit includes an input portion configured to conduct a bias current, and a first current source circuit coupled to the input portion and configured to generate the bias current, and vary the bias current over a range of currents based on a first group of weightings associated therewith. The current mirror circuit also includes an output portion configured to conduct an operational current, wherein the output portion is coupled to the input portion, and a second current source circuit coupled to the output portion and configured to generate the operational current, and vary the operational current over a range of currents based on a second group of weightings associated therewith. The first group of weightings and the second group of weightings are different.
US08847571B2

A wireless adapter for use in a two-wire process control loop includes wireless communication circuitry and first and second terminals configured to couple in series with the two-wire process control loop. A regulator having a regulated input is coupled to the first terminal and an output. A shunt is coupled to the output of the regulator and is configured to provide power to the wireless communication circuitry. A feedback circuit is configured to control current flowing from the regulator to the shunt as a function of a loop current flowing through the two-wire process control loop.
US08847564B2

A freewheeling MOSFET is connected in parallel with the inductor in a switched DC/DC converter. When the freewheeling MOSFET is turned on during the switching operation of the converter, while the low-side and energy transfer MOSFETs are turned off, the inductor current circulates or “freewheels” through the freewheeling MOSFET. The frequency of the converter is thereby made independent of the lengths of the magnetizing and energy transfer stages, allowing far greater flexibility in operating and converter and overcoming numerous problems associated with conventional DC/DC converters. In one embodiment the freewheeling MOSFET is an N-channel MOSFET with its body connected to circuit ground and not shorted to either its source or its drain.
US08847560B2

A power supply circuit for supplying electrical energy in an aircraft, the circuit including a power supply generator configured to be driven in rotation by the engine of the aircraft to power electrical equipment of the aircraft engine. The power supply generator includes an asynchronous machine connected to an excitation device. The asynchronous machine includes a rotor configured to be driven in rotation by the engine and a stator connected to the electrical equipment. The excitation device is configured to cause a reactive current of flow in the stator.
US08847554B2

A battery management system for managing the voltage of a battery cell, such as a lithium ion battery, is disclosed. The battery management system comprises a semiconductor switch coupled to the battery cell, wherein the semiconductor switch is in an on condition when the voltage across the battery cell exceeds a first threshold voltage, and a microprocessor coupled to the semiconductor switch, wherein the microprocessor monitors the voltage across the battery cell when the semiconductor switch is on, and turns itself off when the when the monitored voltage is less than a second threshold voltage, thereby preventing further current drain from the battery cell.
US08847549B2

A representative base unit for charging a remote controller and a multimedia device includes at least two docking stations for a remote controller and a multimedia device, wherein the at least two docking stations having charging slots that transfer power to the remote controller and the multimedia device for recharging; and a processing device that is electrically coupled to the docking stations for communicating with the remote controller and the multimedia device, wherein the processing device facilitates communication between the remote controller and the multimedia device.
US08847533B2

There is provided an actuator in which an worm is rotationally driven by an electric motor, and in which an angular velocity of the electric motor is repeatedly fluctuated so that the rotation of the worm is carried out as if the worm is oscillated in the rotational direction thereof, to thereby decrease contact friction of the worm against a worm wheel, resulting in an improvement of an efficiency of force transmission of the worm gear mechanism.Although the electric motor 20 is inherently controlled so that an output shaft 21 thereof is rotated at a target velocity based on a velocity command, a drive control section 40 controls the angular velocity of the output shaft 41 so as to be repeatedly increased and decreased with respect to the target velocity so that the angular velocity of the worm 11 is finely fluctuated, and thus the fluctuation of the angular velocity may be regarded as a fine general-oscillation of the rotating worm 11 in the rotational direction, whereby friction between the gear faces of the worm 11 and the gear faces of the worm wheel 12 can be decreased, resulting in an improvement of the efficiency of force transmission of the worm gear, and in increase in a driving force and a torque value to be transmitted to an object to be driven by the actuator.
US08847524B2

Braking current generated by an electrical motor on mining equipment during a retard interval is switched through one or more grid resistors that are liquid cooled. Under low ambient temperatures, a heating current can be switched through the grid resistors when the electrical motor is not operating in a retard interval. An integrated cooling system can be used to cool grid resistors and power modules. Heat dissipated by the grid resistors and the power modules can be circulated through auxiliary heating loops to heat portions of the mining equipment under low ambient temperatures. Multiple liquid-cooled power modules, liquid-cooled grid resistors, auxiliary heating loops, control modules, radiators, and pumps can be coupled by a liquid distribution system with various combinations of parallel and serial branches. Temperature, pressure, and flow rate in each branch can be independently controlled. Operation of the integrated cooling system can be controlled by a computational system.
US08847518B2

The present invention includes a first DC converter converting AC voltage, into DC voltage while correcting a power factor, and a second DC converter electrically isolating the first DC converter from an LED group load, and converting the DC voltage, into a predetermined DC voltage and supply the resultant voltage to the LED group load. The second DC converter includes a current detection circuit disposed on the secondary side, and detecting current flowing into the LED group load, an error amplifier amplifying an error between a detected current value detected and a reference current value, a signal transmission isolation element transmitting a control signal based on an output signal from the error amplifier, to the primary side, and a switching element transferring power to the secondary side through the transformer by being turned on/off according to the control signal.
US08847515B2

A system and method includes a controller that is configured to coordinate (i) a low impedance path for a dimmer current, (ii) attaching a dimmer to a power converter system at the leading edge of a phase-cut, rectified input voltage, (iii), control of switch mode power conversion, and (iv) an inactive state to, for example, reduce the dimmer current while allowing a dimmer to function normally from cycle to cycle of an alternating current (AC) supply voltage. In at least one embodiment, the dimmer functions normally when the dimmer conducts at a correct phase angle indicated by a dimmer input setting and avoids prematurely resetting while conducting. In at least one embodiment, by coordinating functions (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) the controller controls a power converter system that is compatible with a triac-based dimmer.
US08847512B1

An electronic ballast is provided with a filament heating circuit having a Q factor clamped at a certain range of preheat frequency. An inverter circuit includes a controller and a pair of switches coupled between positive and negative terminals of a power supply. The switches respond to control signals from the controller to oscillate at an operating frequency and generate an output voltage. An inverter tank is coupled to an inverter output terminal and includes a first capacitor, a primary winding of a filament heating transformer coupled on a first end in series with the first capacitor, a second capacitor coupled to the second end of the primary winding, and a clamping circuit coupled to the second capacitor. The clamping circuit during a preheat mode of operation clamps an amplitude of the voltage across the primary winding to an amplitude of the input voltage from the power supply.
US08847511B1

A light emitting diode (LED) driving circuit suitable for driving an LED load is provided. The LED driving circuit includes an AC voltage source, a bridge rectifier, a plurality of diodes, inductors, transistors and capacitors. The diodes, inductors, transistors and capacitors are configured to form a buck-boost converter and a buck converter, where the buck-boost converter and the buck converter share the transistors as active switches. Designer can design the LED driving circuit with zero-voltage switching-on using the diode characteristic of the existing active switches by selecting suitable circuit parameters.
US08847509B2

A charging diode 6 is connected to the capacitor 3 and the anode of a first LED 11, and limits the direction of the charging current. A discharging diode 7 is connected to the capacitor 3 and the cathode of the first LED 11, and limits the direction of the discharging current. A charging path CP is provided which includes the capacitor 3, the charging diode 6, and the charger 5. The capacitor 3 is charged through the charging path CP. A discharging path DP is provided which includes the capacitor 3, the discharging diode 7 and a discharger 4. The capacitor 3 is discharged through the discharging path DP. A transient path TP is provided which does not include the capacitor 3 but includes the first LED 11, the charger 5 and the discharger 4.
US08847507B2

An illuminating device comprising a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices differing in emission color and employing a semiconductor light-emitting element and a phosphor, wherein outputted light is stably combined, separation of light is inhibited, and color tone is variable, and which devices emit light outward on the basis of an emission from the semiconductor light-emitting element and from the phosphor which is excited by emission from the semiconductor light-emitting element to fluoresce or on the basis of emission from the phosphor which is so excited to fluoresce, the deviation duv of which from a blackbody radiation locus being within a range of −0.02≦duv≦0.02, in the uv chromaticity diagram according to UCS (u,v) color system (CIE 1960), and outputted lights from the light-emitting part in which the plurality of kinds of the semiconductor light-emitting devices are integrated and arranged, are mixed together and emitted outward.
US08847506B2

The present invention relates to a multi-output current-balancing circuit, which in one embodiment can include: (i) a transformer having a primary winding and a plurality of secondary windings, where the primary winding receives an AC input current; (ii) a plurality of first and second rectifier circuits and a plurality of first current balancing components, where each of the first and second rectifier circuits and the first current balancing components is coupled to a corresponding secondary winding, where each the first current balancing component is configured for current balancing between each of the first and second rectifier circuits of the corresponding secondary winding; and (iii) at least one second current balancing component, where each second current balancing component is coupled to a pair of the second rectifier circuits that correspond to different secondary windings, where the second current balancing components are configured for current balancing between different the secondary windings.
US08847505B2

The invention discloses an illumination control circuit and an illumination control method. The illumination control method includes modulating an alternating current input signal and accordingly generating a dimming signal, which includes several waveform pulses each with an adjustable conduction angles; continuously sampling the waveform pulses of the dimming signal and forming an average waveform pulse from the sampled waveform pulses; extracting the average waveform pulse, which has an average conduction angle corresponding to the conduction angles of the waveform pulses; performing an integration on the sampled average waveform pulse and accordingly generating a current-controlling signal; and driving an illumination lamp according to the current-controlling signal.
US08847504B2

Provided is a lighting device which can be dimmed and subjected to change in color temperature of the lighting color in accordance with a dimming level. To the lighting device, AC power under phase-controlled is supplied. The lighting device is provided with a light emitting elements array and a switching unit. The light emitting elements array includes a plurality of light emitting elements, which are two or more types of light emitting elements having different lighting colors. The switching unit switches an electrical connections between the light emitting elements included in the light emitting elements array so as to change the number of light emitting elements inserted in series to a power supply path and the proportion of numbers of light emitting elements per lighting color among the number of the inserted light emitting elements in accordance with a voltage supplied to the light emitting elements array.
US08847502B2

The present invention relates to a method for driving and to an associated command and control device for discharge lamps (2), for example high pressure sodium lamps (2), supplied by an alternating current electrical supply network. Both the method and the device provide the use of an electronic microprocessor (7) receiving on the input side data relating to the current drawn by the lamp (7) and connected on the output side to a power switch (6) for high frequency switching of the alternating current supply to the lamp.
US08847499B2

An illustrative LED driver circuit includes an automatic on and off control function using a light sensing circuit having a light sensing element reacting to ambient light. The circuit uses flyback converter topology and a power factor correction (PFC) controller. The light sensing function is provided by coupling the light sensing circuit to a monitoring/disable function of the PFC controller, thus providing automatic on and off control of the LED driver circuit by using a light sensing element such as a photocell.
US08847498B2

A driver circuit for driving an LED includes a rectifier circuit to receive AC voltage and to convert the AC voltage to DC voltage. The driver circuit further includes a filter circuit for filtering the DC voltage. The driver circuit further includes a detection circuit for determining a change in the filtered DC voltage over a predetermined time interval. The driver circuit further includes a dampening circuit for dampening the filtered DC voltage responsive to the detection circuit determining that the change in filtered DC voltage over the predetermined time interval exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08847496B2

An inductively coupled radio frequency plasma flood gun having a plasma chamber with one or more apertures, a gas source capable of supplying a gaseous substance to the plasma chamber, a single-turn coil disposed within the plasma chamber, and a power source coupled to the coil for inductively coupling radio frequency electrical power to excite the gaseous substance in the plasma chamber to generate plasma. The inner surface of the plasma chamber may be free of metal-containing material and the plasma may not be exposed to any metal-containing component within the plasma chamber. The plasma chamber may include a plurality of magnets for controlling the plasma and an exit aperture to enable negatively charged particles of the resulting plasma to engage an ion beam that is part of an associated ion implantation system. Magnets are disposed on opposite sides of the aperture used to manipulate the electrons of the plasma.
US08847492B2

A lighting control device for a headlamp of a vehicle includes a light-blocking range setting unit that sets a light-blocking range in a light distribution pattern in accordance with a position of a target vehicle that is present ahead of the vehicle, based on an image acquired by capturing a front view from the vehicle by a camera, and a moving direction detection unit that detects a moving direction of the target vehicle in a horizontal direction based on the image. In addition, a light-blocking range correction unit corrects the light-blocking range based on the moving direction detected by the moving direction detection unit, wherein the light-blocking range correction unit corrects the light-blocking range so that at least a moving direction side of the light-blocking range is expanded, and a headlamp control unit that drives the headlamp based on the light-blocking range corrected by the light-blocking range correction unit.
US08847487B2

A device for stimulable light emission that includes a fiber mat of nanofibers having an average fiber diameter in a range between 100 and 2000 nm, and includes plural stimulable particles disposed in association with the nanofibers. The stimulable particles produce secondary light emission upon receiving primary light at a wavelength λ. The average fiber diameter is comparable in size to the wavelength λ in order to provide scattering sites within the fiber mat for the primary light. Various methods for making suitable luminescent nanofiber mats include: electrospinning a polymer solution including or not including the stimulable particles and forming from the electrospun solution nanofibers having an average fiber diameter between 100 and 2000 nm. Methods, which electrospin without the stimulable particles, introduce the stimulable particles during electrospinning or after electrospinning to the fibers and therefore to the resultant fiber mat.
US08847456B2

An arrangement to ensure an air gap in an electrical machine is provided. The electrical machine has a stator arrangement and a rotor arrangement, the rotor arrangement rotating around a longitudinal axis. An air gap is defined by a distance between parts of the rotor arrangement and parts of the stator arrangement, wherein the parts of the stator arrangement are opposite to the parts of the rotor arrangement along a certain length. The stator arrangement includes a lamination stack which is constructed to support a winding of a stator-coil, and the rotor arrangement includes a plurality of permanent magnets. A cross section of the air gap changes along the certain length such that the air gap is not uniform in view to the certain length. The cross section of the air gap is configured by a change in a shape of the lamination stack along the certain length.
US08847443B2

A stator for a linear motor includes a yoke portion made of a soft magnetic material. The yoke portion includes an attachment portion to which a fastener for fixing the yoke portion to an installation target is attached. The yoke portion extends rectilinearly. The yoke portion further includes a plurality of salient poles protruding from the yoke portion. The salient poles are arranged at a specified interval along an extension direction of the yoke portion.
US08847442B2

A power converting apparatus is connected to a second power converting apparatus via a power supply line and an earth line, and includes: a carrier-signal generating unit configured to switch a frequency to a frequency selected from a plurality of candidate frequencies or a candidate frequency range according to information to be transmitted to the second power converting apparatus and generate a carrier signal having the switched frequency; a PWM-signal generating unit configured to generate a PWM signal using the generated carrier signal; and a switching element for controlling a control target, which makes switching according to the PWM signal to thereby perform an operation for power conversion and transmits a voltage-to-earth signal corresponding to the information to be transmitted, to the second power converting apparatus via the power supply line and the earth line.
US08847438B2

A hot swap controller includes a shunt resistor (32-1,2) and a power transistor (37-1,2) having a source coupled to a load maintains the first power transistor in a fully-turned-on condition to cause it to deliver a load current contribution (IL1,2) which flows through the shunt resistor and the power transistor to the load (25). Current sensing circuitry (35-1,2) produces a first control signal (V45-1,2-V47-1,2) equal to the difference between a DC component (V47-1) proportional to a first load current contribution (IL1) flowing in the first shunt resistor and a feedback-based component (V45-1). A control amplifier (49-1,2) produces a second control signal (V51-1,2) in response to the first control signal to modify a drive signal (53-1) to the power transistor so as to reduce a channel resistance of the power transistor if the first control signal exceeds a predetermined level.
US08847425B2

Systems and methods for harvesting energy including a turbine having a base, at least two protruding blades, and a center portion. The turbine base is configured to be rotatable and connected to an electric motor. The electric motor is configured for power generation. The at least two protruding blades are configured to include solar energy collection devices. The center portion is configured to include a kinetic energy harvesting device. And the electric motor, the solar collection devices and the kinetic energy harvesting device are connected to a home circuit.
US08847421B2

Various subsystems for a submerged or waterborne system used to generate power derived from fast-moving water currents using an induction-type generator system equipped with one or more fin-ring propellers are disclosed. Many of the systems and subsystems shown and described herein are individually suitable for use in systems using conventional generator drive systems and other means of power creation. Means for transmission of power generated by such systems, tethering and mooring systems, and methods for improving system transportation, installation and maintenance are also disclosed.
US08847415B1

Thermosetting resin compositions useful for liquid compression molding encapsulation of a silicon wafer are provided. The so-encapsulated silicon wafers offer improved resistance to warpage, compared to unencapsulated wafers or wafers encapsulated with known encapsulation materials.
US08847405B2

An integrated circuit which includes an interconnect structure disposed at least partially in at least one opening of a dielectric layer. The integrated circuit further includes at least one air gap disposed between the dielectric layer and the interconnect structure. The integrated circuit further includes at least one first liner material disposed under the at least one air gap, the at least one first liner material extending along a bottom portion of a sidewall of the at least one opening of the dielectric layer.
US08847403B2

The semiconductor device has insulating films 40, 42 formed over a substrate 10; an interconnection 58 buried in at least a surface side of the insulating films 40, 42; insulating films 60, 62 formed on the insulating film 42 and including a hole-shaped via-hole 60 and a groove-shaped via-hole 66a having a pattern bent at a right angle; and buried conductors 70, 72a buried in the hole-shaped via-hole 60 and the groove-shaped via-hole 66a. A groove-shaped via-hole 66a is formed to have a width which is smaller than a width of the hole-shaped via-hole 66. Defective filling of the buried conductor and the cracking of the inter-layer insulating film can be prevented. Steps on the conductor plug can be reduced. Accordingly, defective contact with the upper interconnection layer and the problems taking place in forming films can be prevented.
US08847397B2

Provided are MIM DRAM capacitors and methods of forming thereof. A MIM DRAM capacitor may include an electrode layer formed from a high work function material (e.g., greater than about 5.0 eV). This layer may be used to reduce the leakage current through the capacitor. The capacitor may also include another electrode layer having a high conductivity base portion and a conductive metal oxide portion. The conductive metal oxide portion serves to promote the growth of the high k phase of the dielectric layer.
US08847396B2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a precursor. A decomposable polymer layer (DPL) is deposited between the conductive features of the precursor. The DPL is annealed to form an ordered periodic pattern of different types of polymer nanostructures. One type of polymer nanostructure is decomposed by a first selectively to form a trench. The trench is filled by a dielectric layer to form a dielectric block. The remaining types of polymer nanostructures are decomposed by a second selectively etching to form nano-air-gaps.
US08847390B2

According to a lead-free solder bump bonding structure, by causing the interface (IMC interface) of the intermetallic compound layer at a lead-free-solder-bump side to have scallop shapes of equal to or less than 0.02 [portions/μm] without forming in advance an Ni layer as a barrier layer on the surfaces of respective Cu electrodes of first and second electronic components like conventional technologies, a Cu diffusion can be inhibited, thereby inhibiting an occurrence of an electromigration. Hence, the burden at the time of manufacturing can be reduced by what corresponds to an omission of the formation process of the Ni layer as a barrier layer on the Cu electrode surfaces, and thus a lead-free solder bump bonding structure can be provided which reduces a burden at the time of manufacturing in comparison with conventional technologies and which can inhibit an occurrence of an electromigration.
US08847384B2

Power modules and power module arrays are disclosed. In one embodiment, a power module includes a module support, a high temperature module, and a module cap. The module support includes a frame member, a heat spreader, a first electrically conductive rail, and a second electrically conductive rail. The high temperature module includes a module substrate, a semiconductor device thermally and/or electrically coupled to a semiconductor surface of the module substrate, a first external connector, and a second external connector. The first and second electrically conductive rails are disposed within a through-hole of the first and second external connectors, respectively. The module cap includes a body portion, a plurality of posts, a first opening, and a second opening. The plurality of posts presses against at least the first external connector, the second external connector, and the module substrate such that the high temperature module is thermally coupled to the heat spreader.
US08847379B2

A method for manufacturing a package comprises a first step of forming a metal pattern including a frame and a plurality of leads extending inward from the frame, a second step of molding a resin pattern including a first resin portion which holds the plurality of leads from an inner side thereof, and second resin portions which cover bottom surfaces of peripheral portions, adjacent to portions to be removed, in the plurality of leads while exposing bottom surfaces of the portions to be removed in the plurality of leads, so as to hold the plurality of leads from a lower side thereof, and a third step of cutting the plurality of leads into a plurality of first leads and a plurality of second leads by removing the portions to be removed in the plurality of leads while the resin pattern keeps holding the peripheral portions in the plurality of leads.
US08847378B2

A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor package, a second semiconductor package, and a package-connecting member. The first semiconductor package includes a first substrate, a chip stacking portion disposed on the first substrate and including a plurality of first semiconductor chips, and a first sealant for surrounding the chip stacking portion on the first substrate. The second semiconductor package includes a second substrate, at least one second semiconductor chip disposed on the second substrate, and a second sealant for surrounding the second semiconductor chip on the second substrate. The package-connecting member electrically connects the first semiconductor package and the second semiconductor package. The plurality of first semiconductor chips include a first chip including through silicon vias (TSVs) and a second chip electrically connected to the first chip via the TSVs, and the chip stacking portion includes an internal sealant for filling a space between the first chip and the second chip and extending to a side of the second chip.
US08847360B2

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device is fabricated in a vertical space between active layers of stacked semiconductor dies thereby utilizing space that would otherwise be used only for communication purposes. The vertical surface area of the through silicon vias (TSVs) is used for absorbing large voltages resulting from ESD events. In one embodiment, an ESD diode is created in a vertical TSV between active layers of the semiconductor dies of a stacked device. This ESD diode can be shared by circuitry on both semiconductor dies of the stack thereby saving space and reducing die area required by ESD protection circuitry.
US08847353B2

Capacitance blocks (first block and second block) respectively formed on two different adjacent common pad electrodes are electrically connected in series through an upper electrode. A distance between two adjacent capacitance blocks connected in series through an upper electrode film for the upper electrode corresponds to a distance between opposing lower electrodes disposed in an outermost perimeter of each capacitance block, and is two or less times than a total film thickness of the upper electrode film embedded between the two adjacent capacitance blocks.
US08847346B2

A photoelectric conversion portion, a charge holding portion, a transfer portion, and a sense node are formed in a P-type well. The charge holding portion is configured to include an N-type semiconductor region, which is a first semiconductor region holding charges in a portion different from the photoelectric conversion portion. A P-type semiconductor region having a higher concentration than the P-type well is disposed under the N-type semiconductor region.
US08847336B2

In a micromechanical component having an inclined structure and a corresponding manufacturing method, the component includes a substrate having a surface; a first anchor, which is provided on the surface of the substrate and which extends away from the substrate; and at least one cantilever, which is provided on a lateral surface of the anchor, and which points at an inclination away from the anchor.
US08847334B2

Methods of forming dielectric structures are shown. Methods of forming dielectric structures are shown that include lutetium oxide and lanthanum aluminum oxide crystals embedded within the lutetium oxide. Specific methods shown include monolayer deposition which yields process improvements such as chemistry control, step coverage, crystallinity/microstructure control.
US08847333B2

A semiconductor device with a metal gate is disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor device with a metal gate includes a semiconductor substrate, source and drain features on the semiconductor substrate, a gate stack over the semiconductor substrate and disposed between the source and drain features. The gate stack includes a HK dielectric layer formed over the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of barrier layers of a metal compound formed on top of the HK dielectric layer, wherein each of the barrier layers has a different chemical composition; and a stack of metals gate layers deposited over the plurality of barrier layers.
US08847328B1

A power semiconductor module has four power terminals. An IGBT has a collector connected to the first power terminal and an emitter coupled to the third power terminal. An anti-parallel diode is coupled in parallel with the IGBT. A DC-link is connected between the second and fourth power terminals. The DC-link may involve two diodes and two IGBTs, where the IGBTs are connected in a common collector configuration. The first and second power terminals are disposed in a first line along one side of the module, and the third and fourth power terminals are disposed in a second line along the opposite side of the module. Two identical instances of the module can be interconnected together to form a three-level NPC phase leg having low stray inductances, where the phase leg has two parallel DC-links.
US08847323B2

A finFET structure and method of manufacture such structure is provided with lowered Ceff and enhanced stress. The finFET structure includes a plurality of finFET structures and a stress material forming part of a gate stack and in a space between adjacent ones of the plurality of finFET structures.
US08847320B2

A device comprises a semiconductor substrate having first and second implant regions of a first dopant type. A gate insulating layer and a gate electrode are provided above a resistor region between the first and second implant regions. A first dielectric layer is on the first implant region. A contact structure is provided, including a first contact portion conductively contacting the gate electrode, at least part of the first contact portion directly on the gate electrode. A second contact portion directly contacts the first contact portion and is formed directly on the first dielectric layer. A third contact portion is formed on the second implant region.
US08847315B2

A complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) device and methods of formation thereof are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a CMOS device includes a silicon substrate, a dielectric insulator material on the silicon substrate, and an extension layer on the dielectric insulator material. The CMOS device further includes a gate in contact with a channel and in contact with an extension region. The CMOS device also includes a source in contact with the extension region and a drain in contact with the extension region. The extension region includes a first region in contact with the source and the gate and includes a second region in contact with the drain and the gate.
US08847313B2

Methods and devices for transparent electronics are disclosed. According to an embodiment, transparent electronics are provided based on transfer printed carbon nanotubes that can be disposed on both rigid and flexible substrates. Methods are provided to enable highly aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to be used in transparent electronics for achieving high carrier mobility while using low-temperature processing. According to one method, highly aligned nanotubes can be grown on a first substrate. Then, the aligned nanotubes can be transferred to a rigid or flexible substrate having pre-patterned gate electrodes. Source and drain electrodes can be formed on the transferred nanotubes. The subject devices can be integrated to provide logic gates and analog circuitry for a variety of applications.
US08847309B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a base region of a second conductivity type, a drift region of a first conductivity type, an insulating layer, a drain region of the first conductivity type, a gate oxide film, a gate electrode, a first main electrode, and a second main electrode. The base region includes a source region of the first conductivity type. The drift region is adjacent to the base region. The insulating layer is provided from a surface to inside of the drift region. The drain region is provided in the surface of the drift region and opposed to the source region across the base region and the insulating layer. The gate oxide film is provided on a surface of the base region. The gate electrode is provided on the gate oxide film. The first main electrode is connected to the source region. The second main electrode is connected to the drain region. As viewed in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the base region, the source region and at least a part of the drain region extend generally parallel in a line shape, and a length of a portion of the drift region sandwiched between the insulating layer and the base region is shorter in the generally parallel extending direction than in a direction generally perpendicular to the generally parallel extending direction.
US08847307B2

Power devices using refilled trenches with permanent charge at or near their sidewalls. These trenches extend vertically into a drift region.
US08847304B1

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of insulating layers formed alternately with each other, at least one channel layer passing through the plurality of conductive layers and the plurality of insulating layers, and at least one first charge blocking layer surrounding the at least one channel layer, wherein a plurality of first regions, interposed between the at least one channel layer and the plurality of conductive layers, and a plurality of second regions, interposed between the at least one channel layer and the plurality of insulating layers, are alternately defined on the at least one first charge blocking layer, and each of the plurality of first regions has a greater thickness than each of the plurality of second regions.
US08847300B2

A semiconductor device including a conductive layer, a diffusion barrier layer formed over the conductive layer, including a refractory metal compound, and acquired after a surface treatment, and a metal silicide layer formed over the diffusion barrier layer. The adhesion between a diffusion barrier layer and a metal silicide layer may be improved by increasing the surface energy of the diffusion barrier layer through a surface treatment. Therefore, although the metal silicide layer is fused in a high-temperature process, it is possible to prevent a void from being caused at the interface between the diffusion barrier layer and the metal silicide layer. Moreover, it is possible to increase the adhesion between a conductive layer and the diffusion barrier layer by increasing the surface energy of the conductive layer through the surface treatment.
US08847295B2

A structure and method of forming a semiconductor device with a fin is provided. In an embodiment a hard mask is utilized to pattern a gate electrode layer and is then removed. After the hard mask has been removed, the gate electrode layer may be separated into individual gate electrodes.
US08847292B2

Disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method including the step of forming a gate electrode that contains a metal over a semiconductor substrate with intermediary of a gate insulating film, the step including the sub-steps of, forming a first gate electrode layer that defines a work function of the gate electrode on the gate insulating film, forming a second gate electrode layer that has a barrier property for underlayers on the first gate electrode layer, and forming a third gate electrode layer of which resistance is lower than a resistance of the first gate electrode layer on the second gate electrode layer by chemical vapor deposition.
US08847286B2

An image sensor includes a substrate having opposite first and second sides, a multilayer structure on the first side of the substrate, and a photo-sensitive element on the second side of the substrate. The photo-sensitive element is configured to receive light that is incident upon the first side and transmitted through the multilayer structure and the substrate. The multilayer structure includes first and second light transmitting layers. The first light transmitting layer is sandwiched between the substrate and the second light transmitting layer. The first light transmitting layer has a refractive index that is from 60% to 90% of a refractive index of the substrate. The second light transmitting layer has a refractive index that is lower than the refractive index of the first light transmitting layer and is from 40% to 70% of the refractive index of the substrate.
US08847281B2

Techniques are disclosed for incorporating high mobility strained channels into fin-based transistors (e.g., FinFETs such as double-gate, trigate, etc), wherein a stress material is cladded onto the channel area of the fin. In one example embodiment, silicon germanium (SiGe) is cladded onto silicon fins to provide a desired stress, although other fin and cladding materials can be used. The techniques are compatible with typical process flows, and the cladding deposition can occur at a plurality of locations within the process flow. In some cases, the built-in stress from the cladding layer may be enhanced with a source/drain stressor that compresses both the fin and cladding layers in the channel. In some cases, an optional capping layer can be provided to improve the gate dielectric/semiconductor interface. In one such embodiment, silicon is provided over a SiGe cladding layer to improve the gate dielectric/semiconductor interface.
US08847275B2

The component incorporates, in topological terms, a scalable number of triac structures in a concentric annular arrangement. The component can be used with an electronic device to protect against electrostatic discharges. For example, the components can be used to protect the input/output pad, the first power supply terminal, and the second power supply terminal of an integrated circuit against electrostatic discharges.
US08847272B2

A light emitting device includes a package equipped on a front face with a window for installing a light emitting element, and outer lead electrodes. The package has a back face opposed to the front face and a bottom face that is located between the back face and the front face. The bottom face is adjacent to the front face. The outer lead electrodes protrude from the bottom face of the package. An end of each of the outer lead electrodes branches in at least two distal end parts on the bottom face. One of the distal end parts of each of the outer lead electrodes extends toward one of side faces of the package and is bent along the side face, and other one of the distal end parts of each of the outer lead electrodes extends toward the back face of the package.
US08847270B2

A light emitting diode (LED) package is provided. The LED package includes an LED, a plurality of lead frames electrically connected with the LED, a package body having a receiving groove exposed to receive the LED therein and including a plurality of supporting units provided to project from an inner side surface of the receiving groove, and a filling member having an engaging groove engaged with the supporting unit at a circumference of a side surface thereof, and included inside the receiving groove.
US08847268B2

Disclosed are a light emitting device and a light emitting device package. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer, an adhesive layer contacting a top surface of the first conductive semiconductor layer, a first electrode contacting a top surface of the first conductive semiconductor and a top surface of the adhesive layer, and a second electrode contacting the second conductive semiconductor layer, wherein the adhesive layer contacting the first electrode is spaced apart from the second electrode.
US08847267B2

The present invention relates to a light emitting diode with metal piles and one or more passivation layers and a method for making the diode including a first steps of performing mesa etching respectively on a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer belonging to stacked layers formed on a substrate in sequence! a second step of forming a reflector layer on the mesa-etched upper and side face! a third step of contacting one or more first electrodes with the first semiconductor layer and one or more second electrodes through the reflector layer with the second semiconductor layer; a fourth step of forming a first passivation layer on the reflector layer and the contacted electrodes; and a fifth step of connecting the first electrodes to a first bonding pad through one or more first electrode lines, bring one ends of vertical extensions having the shape of a metal pile into contact with one or more second electrodes, and connecting the other ends of the vertical extensions to a second bonding pad through one or more second electrode lines. As effects of the present invention, the loss of light emitting area decreases and current diffusion efficiency increases.
US08847266B2

There is provided a semiconductor light emitting device that minimizes reflection or absorption of emitted light, maximizes luminous efficiency with the maximum light emitting area, enables uniform current spreading with a small area electrode, and enables mass production with high reliability and high quality. A semiconductor light emitting device according to an aspect of the invention includes first and second conductivity type semiconductor layers, an active layer formed therebetween, first electrode layer, and a second electrode part electrically connecting the semiconductor layers. The second electrode part includes an electrode pad unit, an electrode extending unit, and an electrode connecting unit connecting the electrode pad unit and electrode extending unit.
US08847263B2

A sapphire substrate having a principal surface for growing a nitride semiconductor to form a nitride semiconductor light emitting device comprises a plurality of projections on the principal surface. Each of the projections has a bottom that has a substantially polygonal shape. Each side of the bottom of the projections has a depression in its center. Vertexes of the bottoms of the respective projections extend in a direction that is within a range of ±10 degrees of a direction that is rotated clockwise by 30 degrees from a crystal axis “a” of the sapphire substrate.
US08847258B2

The invention relates to an organic electroluminescent device (1) comprising a substrate (2), at least one electroluminescent layer stack on top of the substrate (2) with at least a substrate electrode (3), a counter electrode (5) and at least one organic electroluminescent layer (4) arranged between substrate electrode (2) and counter electrode (5), and a short prevention layer (6) covering the counter electrode (5) establishing a double layer (DL) with a tensile stress (TS) induced by the short prevention layer (5), and an electrically isolating layer (8) at least partly covering the short prevention layer (6), wherein the electrically isolating layer (8) is suitable to partially dissolve the organic layer (4) in the vicinity of a defect (7) within the electroluminescent layer stack and the tensile stress (TS) induced by the short prevention layer (6) is suitable to roll up (10) the double layer (DL) adjacent to the defect (7) after deposition of the electrically isolating layer (8). The invention further relates to a method to manufacture such OLED devices (1) and the use of a short prevention layer (6) to prevent shorts in such OLED devices (1).
US08847254B2

The present invention relates to a light emitting device comprising at least one light emitting diode which emits light in a predetermined wavelength region, copper-alkaline earth metal based inorganic mixed crystals activated by rare earths, which include copper-alkaline earth silicate phosphors which are disposed around the light emitting diode and absorb a portion of the light emitted from the light emitting diode and to emit light different in wavelength from the absorbed light.
US08847250B2

The upper surface portion of a planarization layer is planarized. In an anode formed on the planarization layer, upper surface portions at edge regions by a bank are located above an upper surface portion at a central region. A hole injection transporting layer is layered along the upper surface portions of the anode, and in the hole injection transporting layer, upper surface portions at the edge regions near the bank are located above an upper surface portion at the central region. In an organic light-emitting layer, upper surface portions at the edge regions (regions D1 and D2) near the bank are located above an upper surface portion at the central region (region D3). As a result, thicknesses T11 and T12 of the light-emitting layer are equivalent to a thickness T13 of the organic light-emitting layer.
US08847247B2

An optoelectronic module is provided which comprises a first semiconductor body (2) with a radiation exit side (2a) on which an electrical connection region (21, 22) is arranged. The first semiconductor body (2) is arranged with its side opposite the radiation exit side (2a) on a carrier (1). An insulation material (3) is arranged on the carrier (1) laterally next to the first semiconductor body (2), which material forms a fillet and adjoins the semiconductor body (2) form-fittingly. An insulation layer (4) is arranged at least in places on the first semiconductor body (2) and the insulation material (3), on which layer a planar conductive structure is arranged for planar contacting of the first semiconductor body (2), which conductive structure is electrically conductively connected with the electrical connection region (21, 22). A method of producing such an optoelectronic module is furthermore provided.
US08847246B2

An organic light emitting diode display is disclosed. The organic light emitting diode display includes a base substrate including a display area and a non-display area around the display area, a plurality of pixels formed over the display area of the base substrate, the plurality of pixels including a common electrode, a common power line formed over the base substrate and electrically connected to a circuit of each of the plurality of pixels, an encapsulation substrate bonded to the base substrate by a sealing member surrounding the plurality of pixels, the encapsulation substrate including an inner surface facing the base substrate, a first conductive layer formed over the inner surface and electrically connecting the common power line to a first potential, and a second conductive layer formed over the inner surface and spaced apart from the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer electrically connecting the common electrode to a second potential.
US08847241B2

The invention is directed to a surface emitting semiconductor light-emitting diode (LED) in which a reflector layer (4) of the first conductivity type is provided between a substrate (2) and a first barrier layer (5). A first contact layer (9) has at least one emitting surface (13) via which radiation emitted by an active layer (6) exits the LED. The emitting surfaces (13) are electrically and optically isolated from one another by surface implanted regions (11) in the first contact layer (9) which are irradiated with electric charge carriers. The areas of the layers located below the emitting surface (13) starting from the first contact layer (9) and proceeding as far as at least through the active layer (6) are electrically and optically isolated with respect to areas of the layers not located below the emitting surface (13) by means of first deep implanted regions (12.1) irradiated with electric charge carriers.
US08847239B2

An LED device includes a substrate including a first and second light emitting modules, and first and second opposite sides. The first light emitting module includes a first conductive electrode located adjacent to the first side, a second conductive electrode located adjacent to the second side, and a first plurality of light emitting micro diodes electrically connected in the form of a plurality of serially connected bridge rectifiers between the first conductive electrode and the second conductive electrode. The second light emitting module includes a third conductive electrode located adjacent to the first side, a fourth conductive electrode adjacent to the second side, and a second plurality of light emitting micro diodes electrically connected in the form of a plurality of serially connected bridge rectifiers between the third conductive electrode and the fourth conductive electrode. The first, second, third, and fourth conductive electrodes are physically separated from each other.
US08847230B2

A thin film transistor is provided that includes a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, an oxide semiconductor active layer formed over the gate electrode, a fixed charge storage layer formed over a portion of the oxide semiconductor active layer, and a fixed charge control electrode formed over the fixed charged storage layer.
US08847229B2

There is provided a method for manufacturing a flexible semiconductor device. The manufacturing method of the flexible semiconductor device of the present invention comprising the steps of: forming a gate electrode; forming a gate insulating film so that the gate insulating film contacts with the gate electrode; forming a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating film such that the semiconductor layer is opposed to the gate electrode; forming source and drain electrodes so that the source and drain electrodes contact with the semiconductor layer; forming a flexible film layer so that the flexible film layer covers the semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrodes; forming vias in the flexible film layer; forming a first metal layer by disposing a metal foil onto the flexible film layer, and thereby a semiconductor device precursor is provided; and subjecting the first metal layer to a processing treatment to form a wiring from a part of the first metal layer, wherein, in the step of the processing treatment of the first metal layer, the wiring is formed in a predetermined position by using at least one of the vias as an alignment marker.
US08847228B2

A thin film transistor array panel includes: a semiconductor layer disposed on an insulation substrate; a gate electrode overlapping the semiconductor layer; a source electrode and a drain electrode overlapping the semiconductor layer; a first barrier layer disposed between the source electrode and the semiconductor layer; and a second barrier layer disposed between the drain electrode and the semiconductor layer, wherein the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer include nickel-chromium (NiCr).
US08847226B2

A transistor includes a substrate. A first electrically conductive material layer is positioned on the substrate. A second electrically conductive material layer is in contact with and positioned on the first electrically conductive material layer. The second electrically conductive material layer includes a reentrant profile. The second electrically conductive material layer also overhangs the first electrically conductive material layer.
US08847216B2

Disclosed is an organic light emitting display device. The organic light emitting display device includes a substrate, a thin film transistor formed on the substrate, a first electrode formed on the thin film transistor, an organic emission layer, and a second electrode formed on the organic emission layer. The organic emission layer includes a first stack that includes a first emission layer formed on the first electrode to emit first color light, a second stack that includes a second emission layer formed on the first electrode to emit second color light, and a charge generation layer formed between the first and second stacks.
US08847207B2

A semiconductor device includes first layer wiring including a gate electrode mounted on a substrate; a gate insulating film having an opening that exposes part of the first layer wiring and covering the entire surface of the substrate including the gate electrode; second layer wiring including a source electrode and a drain electrode mounted on the gate insulating film; an insulating partition layer having a first opening that exposes an edge between the source electrode and the drain electrode and a part of the gate insulating film between the source electrode and the drain electrode and a second opening that is aligned with the opening formed in the gate insulating film; and an organic semiconductor layer disposed across the source electrode and the drain electrode at the bottom surface of the first opening formed in the partition layer.
US08847204B2

This invention provides a germanium electroluminescence device and a fabricating method of the same for using germanium of an indirect bandgap semiconductor without modifying a bandgap as a light-emitting layer which emits a 1550 nm-wavelength light and enabling to use not only as infrared LEDs itself but also as light sources for optical communication systems.
US08847201B2

Provided are quantum dots having a gradual composition gradient shell structure which have an improved luminous efficiency and optical stability, and a method of manufacturing the quantum dots in a short amount of time at low cost. In the method, the quantum dots can be manufactured in a short amount of time at low cost using a reactivity difference between semiconductor precursors, unlike in uneconomical and inefficient conventional methods where shells are formed after forming cores and performing cleaning and redispersion processes. Also, formation of the cores is followed by formation of shells having a composition gradient.
US08847196B2

Semiconductor memory devices, resistive memory devices, memory cell structures, and methods of forming a resistive memory cell are provided. One example method of a resistive memory cell can include a number of dielectric regions formed between two electrodes, and a barrier dielectric region formed between each of the dielectric regions. The barrier dielectric region serves to reduce an oxygen diffusion rate associated with the dielectric regions.
US08847189B2

A memory storage device including: a lower electrode formed to be separated for each of memory cells; a memory storage layer formed on the lower electrode and capable of recording information according to a change in resistance; and an upper electrode formed on the memory storage layer, wherein the memory storage device includes a first layer formed of metal or metal silicide and a second layer formed on the first layer and formed of a metal nitride, the lower electrode is formed by lamination of the first layer and the second layer and formed such that only the first layer is in contact with a lower layer and only the second layer is in contact with the memory storage layer, which is an upper layer, the memory storage layer is formed in common to plural memory cells, and the upper electrode is formed in common to the plural memory cells.
US08847176B1

An apparatus for detecting a fluorescing substance on a test material includes a light source configured to direct light energy toward the test material, and one or more display features configured to display fluorescing light from the test material. When light from the light source contacts the fluorescing material, display features allows the fluorescing material to project a fluorescing glow into an ambient environment near the apparatus.
US08847175B2

A method for locating at least one optical marker in a diffusing medium, the marker having at least one optical property different from the diffusing medium, wherein: a) a pulsed radiation interacts with the medium and the at least one optical marker, producing an optical signal, and at least one acquisition of data of the optical signal is performed, each acquisition including one or more time components of interest, due to the at least one marker, and a spurious component, due to the medium other than the at least one marker, b) a multidimensional array X is formed from the optical signal data of the at least one of the acquisitions, c) the array X is processed by factorization into a product of only two non-negative multidimensional arrays A and S, and d) at least one of the time components is extracted from the arrays A and S.
US08847173B2

To provide a gas field ion source having a high angular current density, the gas field ion source is configured such that at least a base body of an emitter tip configuring the gas field ion source is a single crystal metal, such that the apex of the emitter tip is formed into a pyramid shape or a cone shape having a single atom at the top, and such that the extraction voltage in the case of ionizing helium gas by the single atom is set to 10 kV or more.
US08847170B2

A pulsed neutron source is used in a porosity logging tool with a single gamma ray detector coated with a neutron absorbing material. By using a ratio of the spectral peak associated with hydrogen to a spectral peak associated with the neutron absorbing material, the formation porosity is estimated.
US08847154B2

An ion transfer tube for a mass spectrometer comprises a core member and a first jacket tube member at least partially enclosing the core member and providing one or more channels therethrough. A method of forming an ion transfer tube, comprises: providing a first jacket tube member having a length and an internal bore, the internal bore passing along the length and defining an interior surface of circular cross section; removing at least one portion of the first jacket tube member adjacent to the interior surface so as to form at least one groove, channel, slot, recess or embayment of or in the interior surface; and providing a core member within the bore of the jacket tube member such that remnant portions of the interior surface of circular cross section mate against portions of an exterior surface of the core member.
US08847153B2

An ion guide or ion trap 1 is disclosed comprising a segmented linear ion guide or ion trap. Ions are confined radially within the ion guide or ion trap 1 by the application of an AC or RF voltage to the electrodes. Ions are trapped within an axial quadratic potential well which is oscillated or modulated axially so as to cause ions to be ejected from the ion guide or ion trap 1 in a substantially non-resonant manner.
US08847151B2

An apparatus and method for coupling RF and AC signals to provide power to a multipole in a mass spectrometer is provided. A first circuit comprises: an RF power source for providing difference mode power to the multipole via the RF signal; at least one inductor for forming at least one resonant LC circuit with the multipole for providing voltage gain for the RF signal; and a transformer, comprising a secondary tap, the transformer connected in parallel to the RF power source and further connected to the at least one inductor such that the signals injected into the secondary tap are communicated to the at least one resonant LC circuit. A second circuit comprises: an AC power source for providing common mode power to the multipole via the AC signal, an output from the second circuit connected to the secondary tap such that the common mode power is injected into the first circuit and the multipole can be operated in common mode and difference mode simultaneously; and at least one inductor for forming a resonant LC circuit with the multipole via the transformer, to provide voltage gain for the AC signal.
US08847145B2

Method for working out the angular position of a rotating element, using at least one light source emitting a light beam in the direction of a fixed sensor and computing elements for processing an output signal of the sensor, includes: arranging the light source with respect to the rotating element and the sensor so as to induce an interaction between the light beam and the sensor which depends on the angular position of the rotating shaft, arranging on the path of the light beam, in a fixed position with respect to the sensor, a perforated mask which presents a repetitive pattern of perforations, detecting shadows generated by the mask on the sensor, processing the output signal of the sensor for determining the position of the shadows on the sensor, and computing the angular position of the rotating element using the position of the shadows.
US08847144B2

An optical encoder and optical encoding system are disclosed. Specifically, an encoder having a light detector elevated relative to a light source is described. The relative height difference between the light source and the light detector enables the optical encoder to minimize noise at the light detector without requiring a separate light baffle between the light source and light detector. Methods of manufacturing and operating such an encoder are also described.
US08847142B2

An optical system for light energy concentration may comprise a light concentrator to convert incident light to converging light, a light collimating element to receive the converging light and to reduce an angle of convergence of the converging light, and a light directing element to direct the reduced-angle converging light to a light guide to transmit the directed light.
US08847140B2

A light receiving circuit includes a photodiode, a transimpedance amp having a feedback resistor, an electric current comparator and an automatic threshold control circuit that includes a current mirror circuit for forming a current according to the mirror effect. With this light receiving circuit, regardless of how powerful the input light signal is, low pulse width distortion characteristics can be achieved.
US08847137B2

Apparatus and methods of manufacturing an image sensor and inertial navigation sensors encapsulated within a single package. The single package may encapsulate one integrated circuit die comprising the imaging sensor and the inertial navigation sensors. Alternatively, the single package may encapsulate a plurality of integrated circuit dice comprising the imaging sensor and the inertial navigation sensors.
US08847135B2

A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a light receiving surface which is divided according to pixels arranged in a matrix shape and is formed with a photoelectric converting section; an electrochromic film which is formed on the semiconductor substrate on a light incident path corresponding to the photoelectric converting section, in a portion of pixels selected from the pixels, and has light transmittance changing from a first transmittance to a second transmittance according to voltage applied thereto; a lower electrode which is formed below the electrochromic film; and an upper electrode which is formed above the electrochromic film.
US08847123B2

An assembly for cooking food products in a substantially upright orientation comprising a mold housing including one or more food mold chambers, each structured to configure the food product being cooked to correspond to the interior dimensions and configuration of a mold chamber in which it was cooked. Each mold chamber is further structured to retain an uncooked liquid, semi-liquid, semi-solid, or solid food composition therein during the cooking procedure. A heat source is disposed either externally or internally of the mold housing and generates sufficient heat to cook a food composition disposed within the mold chamber. A frame assembly may be utilized to operatively support one or more mold housing in the substantially upright orientation, such that a heat source may be incorporated into the frame assembly to provide adequate cooking temperatures to the corresponding mold chamber(s) of one or more supported mold housings.
US08847122B2

A method and an apparatus for transferring a substrate are described. In the method, a substrate is provided on the surface of a first plate at a first position, the first plate is moved from the first position to a second position in an upper space of a second plate, the substrate is lifted away from the surface of the first plate, the first plate is moved away from the second position, and the substrate is put on the surface of the second plate from the upper space. The apparatus includes a first plate and a second plate each having a surface for carrying the substrate, wherein the first plate can be moved between the first position and the second position.
US08847105B2

A laser welding pressure unit comprises a housing, a rotating element, and a foot. The housing may attach to a laser head. The rotating element may include an outer ring rotatably coupled to an inner ring, wherein the outer ring is coupled to the housing. The foot may couple to the inner ring such that the foot rotates with respect to the housing. The foot may also be configured to contact an upper surface of a metal sheet and may be oriented such that while the metal sheet is being welded, the foot rotates about a central vertical axis and the laser welding pressure unit is able to move in any direction without the foot breaking contact with the surface.
US08847089B2

A switch device includes a pressing portion that has a first display portion and a second display portion, a holder having at least one cell corresponding to the pressing portion, a push switch, first and second light sources that respectively illuminate the first display portion and the second display portion from behind, a plate formed with the pressing portion so as to separate, in a cell, a space between the first light source and the first display portion from a space between the second light source and the second display portion, and a regulation portion formed on both sides of the plate in the cell. In the switching device, when an operator presses the pressing portion, part of the plate presses the push switch.
US08847084B2

Insulating spacer 1 has insulating molded member 3 molded as a single body with insulating material such as epoxy resin, in which at least one electric conductor 2, a grounding shield surrounding the electric conductor(s), and Optical fiber 14 of Faraday-effect element are embedded to form a build-in configuration. The grounding shield can be formed of cylindrical shielding member 15 made of metal wires, metal strips, or a cylindrical metallic member having a perforation of a plurality of small holes thereon. The aforementioned optical fiber 14, which is to be used as a component of an optical current transformer, is put in a certain place in cylindrical shielding member 15.
US08847073B2

A protector that accommodates convoluted conduits having different diameters includes a main body and a lid that covers an upper surface opening of the main body. A convoluted conduit engagement portion having ribs that fit troughs of a large-diameter convoluted conduit extends from a bottom wall on one end side in the length direction of the main body to internal surfaces of two side walls. A large-diameter convoluted conduit engagement portion having ribs that fit the troughs of the large-diameter convoluted conduit is provided on an internal surface on one end side in the length direction of the lid, and a small-diameter convoluted conduit engagement portion having ribs that fit troughs of a small-diameter convoluted conduit is provided on an internal surface of the other end side. The lid is rotated by 180 degrees to correspond to an outer diameter of a convoluted conduit and connected to the main body.
US08847071B2

A universal electrical box which includes a body having at least one opening for receiving an electrical device. The device can also include at least one mounting bracket coupled to the body, and at least one frame configured to be coupled to the at least one body. In addition there is at least one duplex electrical mounting plate configured to couple to the at least one frame. In this case, the duplex electrical mounting plate is configured to receive a duplex electrical device. In addition, there is at least one sealing gasket configured to be coupled to the body between the at least one frame and the body. This design allows for a universal configuration which allows for multiple different types of electrical devices to be coupled to the enclosure.
US08847066B2

A photovoltaic device includes a first heterojunction layer having a first donor type organic material and a first acceptor type organic material, in which a concentration of at least one of the first donor type organic material and the first acceptor type organic material is graded continuously from a first side of the first heterojunction layer to a second side of the first heterojunction layer.
US08847064B2

The present invention comprises a solar cell module and a method of encapsulating the module. The solar cell module comprises a rigid or flexible superstrate and/or substrate having one or more solar cells, and an encapsulant which is a cured liquid silicone encapsulant. The encapsulant composition preferably comprises a liquid diorganopolysiloxane having at least two Si-alkenyl groups per molecule, a silicone resin containing at least two alkenyl groups; a cross-linking agent in the form of a polyorganosiloxane having at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule, in an amount such that the ratio of the number of moles of silicon-bonded hydrogen to the total number of moles of silicon-bonded alkenyl groups is from 0.1:1 to 5:1; and a hydrosilylation catalyst. The continuous solar cell module encapsulation process comprises uniformly applying a predetermined volume of a liquid silicone encapsulant onto a solar cell module and curing said encapsulant.
US08847056B2

Systems, including methods and apparatus, for generating audio effects based on accompaniment audio produced by live or pre-recorded accompaniment instruments, in combination with melody audio produced by a singer. Audible broadcast of the accompaniment audio may be delayed by a predetermined time, such as the time required to determine chord information contained in the accompaniment signal. As a result, audio effects that require the chord information may be substantially synchronized with the audible broadcast of the accompaniment audio. The present teachings may be especially suitable for use in karaoke systems, to correct and add sound effects to a singer's voice that sings along with a pre-recorded accompaniment track.
US08847055B2

A method for obtaining a chord progression based upon a diatonic major key may include the steps of casting a dodecahedron to determine the diatonic major key, casting a octahedron to determine a chord based upon the diatonic major key and casting a cube to determine a playing strategy for the chord.
US08847053B2

The systems and methods taught herein are generally directed to a dynamic point referencing of an audiovisual performance for an accurate and precise selection and controlled cycling of portions of the performance. The dynamic point referencing can be used by a learning artist, for example, in analyzing or performing a portion of the work through an accurate and precise digital audio/video instructional method having the controlled cycling feature. Such systems and methods will be appreciated, for example, by musicians, dancers, and other enthusiasts of the performing arts.
US08847047B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV692290. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV692290, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV692290 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV692290 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV692290.
US08847044B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH710330. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH710330, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH710330 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH710330.
US08847043B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH480476. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH480476, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH480476 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH480476.
US08847041B2

The present invention provides an inbred corn line designated NPLI7060, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line NPLI7060 with plants of another corn plant. The invention further encompasses all parts of inbred corn line NPLI7060, including culturable cells. Additionally provided herein are methods for introducing transgenes into inbred corn line NPLI7060, and plants produced according to these methods.
US08847024B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated S100305. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety S100305. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety S100305 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety S100305 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08847022B2

The invention relates to the field of Cucumis sativus, in particular to a new variety of Cucumis sativus designated NUN 55507 CUP (also referred to as“Marcial”, plants, seeds and cucumber fruits.
US08847008B2

Provided are isolated polypeptides comprising the amino acid sequence at least 80% homologous to SEQ ID NO:68, 51-66, 69-100, 379-656, 707-715, 720-723, 742-754, 764-771 or 772 with the proviso that the amino acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO: 765 or 771, isolated polynucleotides comprising the nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NOs:18, 1-16, 19-50, 101-378, 657-672, 674-706, 716-719, 724-741 and 755-763 with the proviso that the nucleic acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO:756 or 762, and isolated polynucleotides selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:779-792 and methods of using same for increasing oil content, yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, abiotic stress tolerance and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant.
US08847005B2

The invention provides genetically modified non-human animals that express a humanized MHC II protein (humanized MHC II α and β polypeptides), as well as embryos, cells, and tissues comprising the humanized MHC II protein. Also provided are constructs for and methods of making the genetically modified non-human animals. Methods of using the genetically modified non-human animals to study various aspects of the human immune system are provided.
US08847004B2

Genetically modified mice comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a human M-CSF protein are provided. Also provided are genetically modified mice comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a human M-CSF protein that have been engrafted with human cells such as human hematopoietic cells, and methods for making such engrafted mice. These mice find use in a number of applications, such as in modeling human immune disease and pathogen infection; in in vivo screens for agents that modulate hematopoietic cell development and/or activity, e.g. in a healthy or a diseased state; in in vivo screens for agents that are toxic to hematopoietic cells; in in vivo screens for agents that prevent against, mitigate, or reverse the toxic effects of toxic agents on hematopoietic cells; in in vivo screens of human hematopoietic cells from an individual to predict the responsiveness of an individual to a disease therapy, etc.
US08846995B2

A method for producing monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of 6 to 8 carbon number from a feedstock oil having a 10 volume % distillation temperature of at least 140° C. and a 90 volume % distillation temperature of not more than 380° C., the method including: a cracking and reforming reaction step of obtaining a product containing monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of 6 to 8 carbon number from the feedstock oil, a refining and collection step of refining and collecting monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of 6 to 8 carbon number that have been separated from the product, a hydrogenation reaction step of hydrogenating a heavy fraction of 9 or more carbon number separated from the product, and a recycling step of returning the heavy fraction hydrogenation reaction product obtained in the hydrogenation reaction step to the cracking and reforming reaction step.
US08846994B2

The invention relates to a method for producing low-odor n-butane by catalytic hydrogenation of a feed mixture. The aim of the invention is to provide such a method, wherein the feed material, in addition to n-butane, n-butene and up to 1 mass % formic acid and/or up to 1 mass % pentanals and/or up to 0.5 mass % pentanols, also comprises carbon monoxide. The aim is achieved by treating the feed mixture in the temperature range of 15 to 120° C. with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal hydroxide in the concentration range of 0.5 to 30 mass % and subsequently subjecting the feed mixture to the catalytic hydrogenation.
US08846991B2

The subject invention pertains to homogeneous liquid low molecular weight ethylene/alpha-olefin polymers having a number average molecular weight (Mn) as determined by gel permeation chromatography, of less than 25,000, a total crystallinity, as measured by DSC, of less than 10%, and a pour point, as measured by ASTM D97, of less than 50° C.The subject invention also pertains to homogeneous gel-like low molecular weight ethylene/alpha-olefin polymers having a number average molecular weight (Mn) as determined by gel permeation chromatography, of less than 25,000, a total crystallinity, as measured by DSC, of less than 50%, and a pour point, as measured by ASTM D97, of less than 90° C.
US08846990B2

The present invention relates, in part, to the discovery that the presence of impurities in a reactor for dehydrochlorinating HCFC-244bb to HFO-1234yf results in selectivity changeover from HFO-1234yf to HCFO-1233xf. By substantially removing such impurities, it is shown that the selectivity to HFO-1234yf via dehydrochlorination of HCFC-244bb is improved.
US08846976B2

The present invention discloses a novel form of ferric organic compounds, including a form of ferric citrate, which are soluble over a wider range of pH, and which have a large active surface area. The ferric organic compounds of the present invention can be delivered effectively by oral route with better delivery to treat patients suffering from hyperphosphatemia, metabolic acidosis and other disorders responsive to ferric organic compound therapy.
US08846975B2

A process for preparing dicarboxylic acids is described. More particularly a process is described for preparing adipic acid (1,6-hexanedioic acid), by the action of nitric acid, starting from cyclic ketones or alcohols which are the corresponding compounds from the standpoint of the number of carbon atoms, in the presence of one or more oxides of nitrogen at a molar concentration in the reaction mixture of greater than 2.5 mmol per kg of reaction mixture.
US08846971B2

The invention provides metal carbamates of the general formula (I) where R1 and R2 are each an alkyl group.
US08846966B2

In the present invention, a target alkoxycarbonylfluoroalkanesulfonic acid salt is obtained by using a halofluoroalkanoic acid ester as a starting raw material, sulfinating the halofluoroalkanoic acid ester in the presence of an amine (as a first step), and then, oxidizing the resulting sulfination product (as a second step). Further, an alkoxycarbonylfluoroalkanesulfinic acid onium salt, which is useful as a photoacid generator, is obtained by salt exchange reaction of the alkoxycarbonylfluoroalkanesulfonic acid salt.
US08846965B2

Disclosed is a toner for electrophotography, which has good hue, good light resistance and good electrostatic charge, and is capable of providing images that are free from white spots. The toner for electrophotography exhibits a good performance. Specifically disclosed is a toner for electrophotography, which is characterized by containing at least one metal-containing compound that is represented by general formula (1). (In the formula, R1 represents an alkyl group; R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a sulfinyl group, an alkylsulfonyl group, an arylsulfonyl group, an acyl group, a halogen atom or a cyano group; and R3 represents a group that has 9 or more carbon atoms and an aromatic hydrocarbon structure.)
US08846958B2

Processes for preparing and purifying lubiprostone are disclosed. Intermediates and preparation thereof are also disclosed.
US08846950B2

An embodiment of the invention is a novel Cr(V)OCO3− trianionic pincer ligand complex. Another embodiment of the invention is a catalytic method for oxidation of a substrate aerobically in the presence of a source of oxygen, where the novel Cr(V)OCO3− trianionic pincer ligand complex acts as the catalyst. The substrate can be a phosphine, amine, sulfide, alkene, alkane or a second metal complex. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to NCN pincer ligands that can form trianionic pincer ligand complexes.
US08846948B2

This invention relates to compounds of formula I their use as positive allosteric modulators of mGlu5 receptor activity, pharmaceutical compositions containing the same, and methods of using the same as agents for treatment and/or prevention of neurological and psychiatric disorders associated with glutamate dysfunction such as schizophrenia or cognitive decline such as dementia or cognitive impairment. A, B, Ar, R1, R2, R3, R3a have meanings given in the description.
US08846946B2

The invention relates to novel compounds of the formula (I) in which W, X, Y, Z, A, B and G have the meanings given above, to a plurality of processes and intermediates for their preparation, and to their use as pesticides and/or herbicides. The invention also provides selective herbicidal compositions comprising, firstly, geminally alkoxy/alkylspirocyclically substituted tetramic acid derivatives and, secondly, a crop plant compatibility-improving compound. The invention furthermore relates to the boosting of the action of crop protection compositions comprising compounds of the formula (I) through the addition of ammonium salts or phosphonium salts and optionally penetrants.
US08846944B2

The present invention provides a method for regeneration of chiral 2,2′-cyclopropylidene-bis(oxazolines), such as (3&R,3′aR,8aS,8′aS)-2,2′-cyclopropylidenebis-[3a,8a]-dihydro-8H-indeno-[1,2-d]-oxazole and (45,4′5,5R,5′R)-2,2′-cyclopropylidenebis-4,5-diphenyldihydro-4,5-oxazole, used as a part of complex catalysts for e.g. stereoselective addition reactions, from the reaction mixtures, by selective sorption of 2,2′-cyclopropylidene-bis(oxazolines) on a sorbent, such as silica gel, isolation of the sorbent from reaction mixture, desorption of 2,2′-cyclopropylidene-bis(oxazolines) from the sorbent with suitable organic solvent and final recovery of 2,2′-cyclopropylidene-bis(oxazolines) from the organic solvent used for desorption process. Catalytic quality of recovered compounds does not differ from those in freshly prepared catalysts.
US08846942B2

Luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) includes at least one disubstituted benzothiadiazole compound having general formula (I):
US08846934B2

The invention relates to novel substituted oxazolidinones, to processes for their preparation, to their use for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases and their use for preparing medicaments for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, in particular of thromboembolic disorders.
US08846928B2

The present invention is directed to compounds of formula I and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters, and prodrugs thereof which are inhibitors of Syk kinase. The present invention is also directed to intermediates used in making such compounds, the preparation of such a compound, pharmaceutical compositions containing such a compound, methods of inhibition Syk kinase activity, methods of inhibition the platelet aggregation, and methods to prevent or treat a number of conditions mediated at least in part by Syk kinase activity, such as Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
US08846926B2

This invention relates to novel crystalline forms of tiotropium bromide, processes for preparing them, and their use in pharmaceutical formulations.
US08846922B2

The present invention relates to functionalized fluoroalkylfluorophosphate salts, in particular as ionic liquids, to the preparation thereof and to the use thereof.
US08846918B2

The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of ATR protein kinase. The invention also relates to pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising the compounds of this invention; methods of treating of various diseases, disorders, and conditions using the compounds of this invention; processes for preparing the compounds of this invention; intermediates for the preparation of the compounds of this invention; and methods of using the compounds in in vitro applications, such as the study of kinases in biological and pathological phenomena; the study of intracellular signal transduction pathways mediated by such kinases; and the comparative evaluation of new kinase inhibitors.The compounds of this invention have formula I: wherein the variables are as defined herein.
US08846917B2

The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of ATR protein kinase. The invention also relates to pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising the compounds of this invention; methods of treating of various diseases, disorders, and conditions using the compounds of this invention; processes for preparing the compounds of this invention; intermediates for the preparation of the compounds of this invention; and methods of using the compounds in in vitro applications, such as the study of kinases in biological and pathological phenomena; the study of intracellular signal transduction pathways mediated by such kinases; and the comparative evaluation of new kinase inhibitors.The compounds of this invention have formula I: wherein the variables are as defined herein.
US08846914B2

Compositions containing neurogenic agents for inhibition of neuron death and inducing proliferation of neural cells are disclosed.
US08846895B2

The present invention discloses preparation and application of double-stranded RNA molecules stable in mammalian body fluids. The mammalian-body-fluid-stable RNA molecules disclosed in the present invention are comprised of only unmodified nucleotides. For the first time, the present invention discloses the applications of mammalian-body-fluid-stable RNA molecules for immunotherapy and siRNA drug development.
US08846881B2

Nucleic acid compositions, methods of making and using such compositions that comprise modular functional groups that can be configured to provide desired functionality to different nucleotide types, through a swappable and preferably non-covalent linkage component. Such compositions are useful in a variety of applications including nucleic acid analyses.
US08846879B2

The present invention relates to lithium salt-containing rare earth halide solutions in aprotic solvents, processes for production thereof and also use thereof.
US08846874B2

Disclosed is an IgG Fc fragment useful as a drug carrier. Also, the present invention discloses a recombinant vector expressing the IgG Fc fragment, a transformant transformed with the recombinant vector, and a method of preparing an IgG Fc fragment, comprising culturing the transformant. When conjugated to a certain drug, the IgG Fc fragment improves the in vivo duration of action of the drug and minimizes the in vivo activity reduction of the drug.
US08846871B2

The invention provides anti-Notch1 NRR antibodies, and compositions comprising and methods of using these antibodies.
US08846870B2

The present invention provides antibodies that bind to HS6ST2 proteins, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the antibodies as active ingredients, methods for diagnosing cancer using the antibodies, HS6ST2 proteins conjugated to cytotoxic agents and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the HS6ST2 proteins as active ingredients.
US08846868B2

Described are cross-specific antibody molecules with binding specificity for both AREG and HBEGF. The antibody molecules may be used in methods of treatment of cancer and diseases associated with angiogenesis.
US08846866B2

The invention features compositions and methods for site-specific modification of proteins by incorporation of an aldehyde tag. Enzymatic modification at a sulfatase motif of the aldehyde tag through action of a formylglycine generating enzyme (FGE) generates a formylglycine (FGly) residue. The aldehyde moiety of FGly residue can be exploited as a chemical handle for site-specific attachment of a moiety of interest to a polypeptide.
US08846858B2

The disclosure provides a method for alcoholysis of a polycarbonate-containing composition comprising a polycarbonate and a component comprising a phosphorus-containing flame retardant, an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, or a combination of the phosphorus-containing flame retardant and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene. The method comprises contacting the composition with a solvent that forms a solution or a filterable suspension of the component but not the polycarbonate; separating the solution or the filterable suspension from the polycarbonate; and heating the polycarbonate in the presence of an alcohol and a catalyst at a temperature from 70° C. to 200° C., and a pressure from 5 mbar to 40 bar for a time sufficient to depolymerize the polycarbonate and produce a dihydroxy aromatic compound and a dialkyl carbonate.
US08846850B2

The invention provides amphiphilic macromolecules that are useful for delivering nucleic acids to cells and that are useful as delivery agents for gene therapy.
US08846846B2

A naphthalene derivative having formula (1) is provided wherein Ar1 and Ar2 denote a benzene or naphthalene ring, and n is such a natural number as to provide a weight average molecular weight of up to 100,000. A material comprising the naphthalene derivative or a polymer comprising the naphthalene derivative is spin coated to form a resist bottom layer having improved properties. A pattern forming process in which a resist bottom layer formed by spin coating is combined with an inorganic hard mask formed by CVD is available.
US08846841B2

The present invention provides a polymerization process utilizing a dual ansa-metallocene catalyst system. Polymers produced from the polymerization process are also provided, and these polymers have a reverse comonomer distribution, a non-bimodal molecular weight distribution, a ratio of Mw/Mn from about 3 to about 8, and a ratio of Mz/Mw from about 3 to about 6.
US08846825B2

The present invention relates to mixtures comprising of biodegradable polyesters comprising at least one polymer of natural origin and at least two aliphatic-aromatic polyesters of the diacid-diol type of which at least one with a high content of long chain aliphatic diacids of renewable origin showing excellent mechanical properties, sufficiently high melting temperatures, adequate crystallization rates, improved biodegradability properties as well as stability of physical properties over time.
US08846824B2

The invention relates to a methylmethacrylate-butadiene-styrene (MBS) core/shell polymer impact modifier containing functionalization in the shell. The functionalized MBS is useful as an impact modifier in engineering resins, and especially in blends of engineering resins, particularly where the blend contains both functional and non-functional resins. One specific engineering resin blend having excellent low temperature impact performance is a polycarbonate (PC)/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) blend with the functional MBS of the present invention.
US08846823B2

A water absorbing agent and a method for producing the water absorbing agent are disclosed. Water absorbent resin particles having an internal cross-linked structure obtained by polymerizing a water-soluble unsaturated monomer, organic acid, and water-soluble multivalent metal salt are mixed, so that it is possible to provide a water absorbing agent which suppresses permeation of metal components into the water absorbent resin particles and enables the metal components to evenly adhere to an entire surface of the water absorbent resin in a dot manner.
US08846815B2

A thermoplastic vulcanizate comprising a dynamically cured rubber, where the rubber is peroxide cured, and a thermoplastic phase, where at least 10% by weight of the thermoplastic phase includes an ultrahigh molecular weight plastic, where the ultrahigh molecular weight plastic is characterized by a Mw that is greater than 0.8×106 g/mole.
US08846814B2

The present invention relates to the use of polyolefins having isotactic structural elements in floor coverings, in particular in carpets or artificial lawns.
US08846808B2

Crosslinkable compositions containing an alkoxy-functional polyorganosiloxane and a titanium chelate complex exhibit good moisture-curing properties and produce coatings resistant to temperature ramp extremes.
US08846807B2

Disclosed is a solvent composition for silicone compounds, containing 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, or a solvent composition for silicone compounds, containing (A) 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene and (B) a compound made up of at least one selected from the group consisting of 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-1-methoxyethane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane, and 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-1-(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)ethane. This solvent composition has characteristics of nonflammability and low toxicity, and handling is extremely easy. Coating properties of the silicone compound become good by mixing this solvent composition and the silicone compound.
US08846806B2

The present invention is directed to a process for producing treated filler including (a) treating a slurry of untreated filler which has not been previously dried, with a treating composition including an organosilane material of specified structure (I); and (b) drying the treated filler slurry. The present invention also is directed to treated filler prepared by the process, as well as rubber compounding compositions and tires including the treated filler.
US08846804B2

Providing an NBR composition substantially free of containment of an insolubilized substance-generating causative substance so as to prevent generation of an insolubilized substance due to extraction by a fuel while which composition is excellent in ozone resistance, ejectability from kneader, and which composition realizes a first compression set and a second compression set which are both 46% or less. An NBR composition including a polymer obtained by mixing an acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), wherein the NBR composition is obtained without blending an insolubilized substance-generating causative substance, or, in case of blending, by blending an insolubilized substance-generating causative substance at an upper limit of 0.15 parts by weight or less, into 100 parts by weight of the polymer having a PVC content of 15.70 to 17.50 wt %.
US08846793B2

A process for the preparation of a compound can have the formula wherein R1, R2 and R3 are independently selected from hydrogen and acyl groups, wherein at least one of R1, R2 and R3 is a branched chain long acyl group of the formula wherein n is from 9 to 21 and m is 2n, and wherein p is from 0 to 4, wherein the other of R1, R2 and R3 are selected from short acyl groups of the formula wherein q is from 0 to 4; the process comprising the steps of: (1) providing an unsaturated compound having the formula (2) if at least one of R1, R2 and R3 is hydrogen, optionally acylating the compound; and (3a) (i) hydroxylating the unsaturated long acyl group and (ii) acylating the hydroxy long acyl group, or (3b) reacting the unsaturated long acyl group with a carboxylic acid.
US08846786B2

The invention relates to a radiation curable aqueously dispersed polyester resin composition containing an emulsifier D and the reaction product AC of a hydroxy functional polyester resin A and an olefinically unsaturated compound C which can be radically polymerized and which is attached to the polyester resin backbone by an ester linkage or a urethane linkage. The invention also relates to a process for its preparation and to a method of use thereof.
US08846783B2

Pigment granules comprise one or more flake-form effect pigments, polymer particles or polymer particle mixtures, adhesion promoters, antioxidants and optionally additives. A process for the preparation of pigment granules comprises mixing one or more flake-form effect pigments, one or more polymer particles, at least one adhesion promoter, at least one antioxidant and optionally one or more additives with one another simultaneously or successively. The pigment granules may be used for the pigmentation of powder coatings, plastics and for the preparation of masterbatches. The pigment granules may be employed as a mixture with plastic powders or as a mixture with plastic granules for use in masterbatch applications.
US08846779B2

The present invention provides an energy ray-curable ink composition excellent in the continuous discharge property, and excellent in curability and adherability. The present invention relates to an energy ray-curable ink composition which contains a coloring agent, contains only a monofunctional monomer having an acrylic equivalent of 300 or less, and having one ethylenic double bond in one molecule, and a polyfunctional monomer having an acrylic equivalent of 150 or less, and having two or more ethylenic double bonds in one molecule as a polymerizable compound, contains an α-aminoalkylphenone compound and a thioxanthone compound as a photopolymerization initiator, and contains a silicone compound having a polydimethylsiloxane structure as a surface conditioner.
US08846777B2

A variety of biomedical devices are provided which include thiol-ene or thiol-yne shape memory polymers. The biomedical devices of the invention are capable of exhibiting shape memory behavior at physiological temperatures and may be used in surgical procedures. Methods of making the devices of the invention are also provided.
US08846771B2

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutical agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, which carrier comprises a protein, for example, human serum albumin and/or deferoxamine. He human serum albumin is present in an amount effective to reduce one or more side effects associated with administration of the pharmaceutical composition. The inventor also provides methods for reducing on or more side effects of administration of the pharmaceutical composition, and methods for enhancing transport and binding of a pharmaceutical agent to a cell.
US08846765B2

A pharmaceutical combination comprising as components (a) at least one 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound, and (b) at least one NMDA-antagonist, a pharmaceutical formulation and a dosage form comprising such a combination, and a method of treating pain, e.g. inflammatory pain or neuropathic pain, in which components (a) and (b) are administered simultaneously or sequentially to a mammal, with component (a) being administered either before or after component (b), and with components (a) or (b) being administered to the mammal either via the same pathway of administration or via different pathways of administration.
US08846763B2

A process for obtaining therapeutically active 2-[4-(3- and 2-(fluorobenzyloxy)benzylamino]propanamides, and their salts with pharmaceutically acceptable acids with high purity degree, in particular, with a content of dibenzyl derivatives impurities lower than 0.03%, preferably lower than 0.01% by weight. The process is carried out by submitting the Schiff bases intermediates 2-[4-(3- and 2-fluorobenzyloxy)benzylideneamino]propanamides to a reduction reaction with a reducing agent selected from sodium borohydride and potassium borohydride in an appropriate amount of an organic solvent selected from C1-C5 lower alkanols, allowing the formation and presence during a substantial position of the reduction reaction course of a suspension of the Schiff base into the saturated solution of the Schiff base into the same organic solvent.
US08846759B2

The present invention relates to the use of a low-caloric high-protein nutritional composition for use in the prevention or treatment of a disease or condition in a mammal, which involves muscle decline, as well as to specific low-caloric high-protein nutritional compositions for stimulating muscle protein synthesis in a mammal. In particular, the invention relates to the use of a nutritional composition comprising per 100 kcal: (i) at least about 12 g of proteinaceous matter which comprises at least about 80 weight % of whey protein, relative to the total proteinaceous matter, and which comprises at least about 11 weight % of leucine, relative to the total proteinaceous matter, of which at least about 20 weight % is in a free form, relative to the total leucine, (ii) a source of fat and a source of digestible carbohydrates, for the prevention or treatment of a disease or condition which involves muscle decline in a mammal, especially an elderly mammal, wherein the nutritional composition is administered as 1 to 2 servings daily, each serving comprising between 80 and 200 kcal.
US08846752B2

Isoflavone fatty acid ester derivatives of formula (I) or (II), the preparation method thereof and the pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds are disclosed. The uses of such compounds in preparation of medicaments for preventing or treating hyperlipidemia, obesity or type II diabetes are also disclosed.
US08846747B2

Provided are compounds which generally have a triketone structure. Examples of the compounds include derivatives of 1,3-cyclohexanedione, such as: 1,3-cyclohexanedione, 2-propanoyl-5-cyclohexyl-; 1,3-cyclohexanedione, 2-propanoyl-5-[4-fluorophenyl]-; 1,3-cyclohexanedione, 2-acetyl-5-[thien-2-yl]-; 1,3-cyclohexanedione, 2-acetyl-5-butyl-; and 1,3-cyclohexanedione, 2-propanoyl-5-[bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-en-5-yl]-. The compounds can be used to alter the lifespan of eukaryotic organisms and treat inflammation.
US08846745B2

A method of treating insulin resistance, obesity and metabolic syndrome by administering an indazolemethoxyalkanoic acid as described herein.
US08846742B2

The present invention relates to compounds that may be used to inhibit activation of protein kinase G (“PKG”). It is based, at least in part, on the discovery of the tertiary structure of PKG and the identification of molecules that either bind to the active site of PKG and/or are analogs of balanol.
US08846741B2

The present invention relates to N-substituted aminobenzocycloheptene, aminotetraline, aminoindane and phenalkylamine derivatives of the formula (I), (II), (III) or (IV) or a physiologically tolerated salt thereof. The invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such N-substituted amino-benzocycloheptene, aminotetraline, aminoindane and phenalkylamine derivatives, and the use of such N-substituted aminobenzocycloheptene, aminotetraline, aminoindane and phenalkylamine derivatives for therapeutic purposes. The N-substituted aminobenzocycloheptene, aminotetraline, aminoindane and phenalkylamine derivatives are GlyT1 inhibitors.
US08846735B2

Compounds, compositions and methods are provided for the prophylaxis and treatment of infections caused by viruses of the Pneumovirinae subfamily of Paramyxoviridae and diseases associated with such infection.
US08846725B2

Compositions and methods for treating disordered tissues, such as caused by pathogens and/or by toxins. The treatment compositions include an anti-infective active agent, a liquid carrier, and benzocaine in an amount so that the treatment composition penetrates more quickly into disordered tissue compared to the treatment composition in the absence of the benzocaine. In addition, the benzocaine can increase residence time of the anti-infective active in the treatment area. The preferred anti-infective active agent can be an organohalide, such as a quaternary ammonium halide compound, an example of which is benzalkonium chloride. The treatment compositions and methods may employ the use of an applicator adapted for use in promoting penetration of the treatment composition and/or agitation of the disordered tissue to further enhance penetration.
US08846722B2

Methods and formulations for treating animal ectoparasites, effective against parasites such as fleas and ticks are provided. The methods comprise topically co-administering a non-mobile insect growth regulator and a mobile insect growth regulator to the animal. Parasiticidal formulations for treating animal ectoparasites are also provided, which can be safe to use and avoid the many common deleterious side effects of conventional topical formulations. The topical formulations comprise a combination of two insect growth regulators, a non-mobile insect growth regulator and a mobile insect growth regulator. The topical formulation can be packaged with the two insect growth regulators together or packaged to prevent mixing of the two insect growth regulators prior to administering the topical insecticide formulation to the animal.
US08846721B2

Novel small molecule compounds for reduction of Aβ 42 production and for treatment of Alzheimer′s Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, methods of making them and pharmaceutical compositions containing them are described.
US08846720B2

The present invention provides a composition having an excellent controlling activity on a pest. The composition comprising a compound represented by Formula (1) and one or more diamide compound(s) selected from Group (A) shows an excellent controlling activity on a pest. Group (A): a group consisting of a compound of Formula (2): wherein a combination of R1, R2 and R3 is a combination whose R1 is bromine atom, R2 is chlorine atom and R3 is 1-cyclopropylethyl group, a combination whose R2 is chlorine atom, and R2 and R3 are both methyl group, or a combination whose R1 and R3 are both methyl group and R2 is cyano group, and a compound of Formula (3):
US08846713B2

The present invention provides a compound which has the effect of PDE inhibition, and which is useful as an agent for preventing or treating schizophrenia or so on represented by the formula (I):
US08846710B2

A method of preferentially inducing IFN-α biosynthesis in an animal comprising administering certain imidazo[4,5-c] ring compounds with a hydroxymethyl or hydroxyethyl substituent at the 2-position or pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, intermediates, methods of making, and methods of using these compounds a immunomodulators for treatment of diseases including viral and neoplastic diseases comprising preferentially inducing IFN-α biosynthesis in an animal are disclosed.
US08846705B2

Compounds and methods for treating diseases mediated by a P2X3 and/or a P2X2/3 receptor antagonist, the methods comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of formula (I): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or prodrug thereof, wherein D, X, Y, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 are as defined herein.
US08846702B2

The present invention is directed to pyranyl aryl methyl benzoquinazolinone compounds of formula (I) which are M1 receptor positive allosteric modulators and that are useful in the treatment of diseases in which the M1 receptor is involved, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, pain or sleep disorders. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, and to the use of the compounds and compositions in the treatment of diseases mediated by the M1 receptor.
US08846700B2

Disclosed are compounds of the following formula and their pharmaceutically-acceptable salts, which have an effect of glucokinase activation and are useful in the field of medicines for treatment for diabetes, obesity, etc. (wherein ring A represents a pyrazolyl group optionally having a lower alkyl group, etc.; ring B represents a heteroaryl group; R represents a lower alkyl group, etc.; R1 represents a group of a formula: (wherein R11 and R12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, etc.; m indicates an integer of from 2 to 6), etc.; R2 represents a lower alkyl group, etc.; r indicates an integer of from 0 to 3; k indicates an integer of from 0 to 4).
US08846696B2

The present invention relates to compounds of formula 1 or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein one of R1 and R2 is methyl, ethyl or isopropyl, and the other is H; R3 and R4 are each independently H, branched or unbranched C1-C6 alkyl, or aryl, and wherein at least one of R3 and R4 is other than H; R5 is a branched or unbranched C1-C5 alkyl group or a C1-C6 cycloalkyl group, each of which may be optionally substituted with one or more OH groups; R6, R7, R8 and R9 are each independently H, halogen, NO2, OH, OMe, CN, NH2, COOH, CONH2, or SO2NH2. A further aspect of the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of formula 1, and the use of said compounds in treating proliferative disorders, viral disorders, stroke, alopecia, CNS disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, or diabetes.
US08846695B2

The present invention relates to the finding that certain DPP-4 inhibitors are particularly suitable for improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients with inadequate glycemic control despite metformin therapy.
US08846692B2

The present invention relates to oxazolopyrimidine compounds of the formula I, in which A, R1, R2, R3 and X are defined as indicated in the claims. The compounds of the formula I modulate the activity of the Edg-1 receptor and in particular are agonists of this receptor, and are useful for the treatment of diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart failure or peripheral arterial occlusive disease, for example. The invention furthermore relates to processes for the preparation of compounds of the formula I, their use, in particular as active ingredients in pharmaceuticals, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them.
US08846675B2

Compounds and methods are provided for the treatment of, inter alia, Type II diabetes and other diseases associated with poor glycemic control.
US08846667B2

The application describes an assay for the identification of small molecule modulators of integrin CD11b/CD18 and small molecules capable of modulating activity of this receptor. Such compounds may be used in certain embodiments for treating a disease or condition selected from inflammation, immune-related disorders, cancer, ischemia-reperfusion injury, stroke, neointimal thickening associated with vascular injury, bullous pemphigoid, neonatal obstructive nephropathy, and cardiovascular disease, or in other embodiments for the treatment of a disease or condition selected from immune deficiency, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), myeloperoxidase deficiency, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, chronic granulomatous disease, hyper-IgM syndromes, leukocyte adhesion deficiency, Chediak-Higashi syndrome, and severe combined immunodeficiency.
US08846664B2

This invention relates to compounds of the general formula: in which the variable groups are as defined herein, and to their preparation and use.
US08846655B2

Disclosed are compounds, compositions and methods for treating various diseases, syndromes, conditions and disorders, including pain. Such compounds are represented by Formula I as follows: wherein R1, R2, R3, Ra, and Y are defined herein.
US08846654B2

A subject-matter of the present invention is the use of compounds of formula (I) in the base, hydrate or solvate form or in the form of their mixtures, as medicaments or for the preparation of medicaments intended for the treatment of at least one cardiovascular disease and/or to prevent the appearance of at least one cardiovascular disease.
US08846649B2

Estrogen and progesterone replacement therapies are provided herein. Among others, the following formulations are provided herein: solubilized estradiol without progesterone; micronized progesterone without estradiol; micronized progesterone with partially solubilized progesterone; solubilized estradiol with micronized progesterone; solubilized estradiol with micronized progesterone in combination with partially solubilized progesterone; and solubilized estradiol with solubilized progesterone.
US08846646B2

The invention relates to an unexpected discovery that propylene glycol is highly effective at killing or inhibiting Propionibacterium acnes in a mammalian skin disorder, as well as to the use of propylene glycol and salicylic acid in a skin-disorder treatment. This invention also relates to compositions containing propylene glycol alone or in combination with salicylic acid for use in killing or inhibiting Propionibacterium acnes.
US08846643B2

There are provided, inter alia, acyclic nucleoside phosphonate compounds having reduced toxicity and enhanced antiviral activity, and pharmaceutically accepted salts and solvates thereof. There are also provided methods of using the disclosed compounds for inhibiting viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, inhibiting viral reverse transcriptase, inhibiting replication of virus, including hepatitis C virus or a human retrovirus, and treating a subject infected with a virus, including hepatitis C virus or a human retrovirus.
US08846641B2

The present invention relates to viscosity stabilized ophthalmic formulations and ophthalmic formulations suitable for drug delivery. The formulations comprise galactomannans such as guar or hydroxypropyl guar and a borate source such as boric acid. The formulations further comprise a diol alcohol such as sorbitol and, optionally, a pharmaceutically acceptable divalent cation salt such as magnesium chloride.
US08846636B2

The disclosure provides nucleotide analogues that comprise tetrahydrofuranyl or tetrahydrothienyl moieties with quaternary centers at the 3′ position, the pharmaceutical formulations comprising the analogues, and methods of using the analogues and formulations for treating, preventing, and/or inhibiting diseases or conditions associated with cancers and viruses.
US08846632B2

Compositions and methods effective for modulating Hepatitis C viral infection are provided.
US08846631B2

Provided herein are compositions comprising oligomeric compounds. In certain embodiments, the oligomeric compounds are useful as miRNA mimics. The oligomeric compounds may mimic the activity of miR-34. Also provided herein are methods for the treatment of cancer.
US08846627B2

A method for treatment of malaria including administering to a patient in need thereof a flavonoid glycoside compound.
US08846626B2

A drug composition for treating chronic liver diseases, consists of: Astragalus Astragalosides and Glycyrrhiza Acid by weight ratio of 3˜6:1. By testing and validating with classic animal model, the results confirmed that the drug composition of the present invention can significantly reduce the collagen content of rat liver, and reduce liver fibrosis and liver injury, wherein the effect is better than the effect of each component alone. The drug composition of the two components or ingredients can improve the anti-hepatic fibrosis, effectively prevent liver fibrosis and promote the development of liver fibrosis reversal, and thus can be used for the treatment and prevention of various chronic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and other illnesses.
US08846613B2

The invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising 1.a and/or 1.b according to claim 1 in combination with at least one second therapeutic agent 2 which is suitable in the treatment or prevention of one or more conditions selected from type 1 diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance and hyperglycemia. In addition the present invention relates to methods for preventing or treating of metabolic disorders and related conditions.
US08846606B2

Provided herein are methods and compositions for treating septic hypotension. More specifically, the methods may comprise, administering one alpha-2 agonist or other sympatholytic and at least one vasopressor.
US08846603B2

The present invention provides a novel fusion polypeptide containing a catalytic portion of NPP1 fused to a targeting moiety, nucleic acids encoding the fusion polypeptide, a vector containing the nucleic acid integrated thereinto, a host cell transformed with the vector and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the fusion polypeptide.
US08846601B2

Melanocortin receptor-specific cyclic peptides of the formula where R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10 and z are as defined in the specification, compositions and formulations including the peptides of the foregoing formula, and methods of preventing, ameliorating or treating melanocortin receptor-mediated diseases, indications, conditions and syndromes.
US08846590B2

A method of lubricating a surface coated with a diamond-like carbon film or coating which comprises supplying to said surface a lubricating oil composition comprising an oil of lubricating viscosity and an effective friction reducing amount of an oil soluble organo-molybdenum compound.
US08846582B2

The recovery of oil from a reservoir is assisted by injecting a diluent into the reservoir formation to reduce the viscosity of the crude oil. This diluent is a mixture of a material which is an asphaltene precipitant, especially supercritical carbon dioxide, and a more polar material which comprises at least one aliphatic compound which includes at least one of a cycloaliphatic ring, an olefinic unsaturation, an ester or ether group. The inclusion of such an aliphatic compound which is more polar than the asphaltene precipitant reduces asphaltene precipitation and can enhance the efficiency of oil recovery when the precipitant is by supercritical carbon dioxide.
US08846576B2

A method of evaluating the effect of a xenobiotic on biomarkers, such as drug transporters and drug-metabolizing enzymes in hepatocytes is provided. The method comprises the formation of a xenobiotic-stimulated biological sample, such as whole blood, which contains a plurality of cytokines. A portion of xenobiotic-stimulated biological sample is cultured with hepatocytes. The hepatocytes are then analyzed to evaluate the activity of drug transporters and/or drug-metabolizing enzymes, or other biomarkers to determine the effect of the xenobiotic on drug metabolism in the hepatocytes.
US08846574B2

Disclosed is a technique for achieving a required herbicidal effect using a small amount of a herbicide. Specifically disclosed are: a granular fertilizer containing a herbicidal agrochemical, which is characterized in that the granular fertilizer has been impregnated or coated with pyroxasulfone; and a weed eradication method which is characterized by applying the granular fertilizer to fields.
US08846572B2

Described are compositions and methods to increase bud break in order to increase aspects of one or both of plant vegetative and reproductive growth, by use of a natural metabolite. In particular, the present disclosure provides a natural metabolite either alone or as part of a fertilizer blend to increase crop production. Additionally the present disclosure provides a natural metabolite in combination with one or both of a plant growth regulator and a bio stimulant to increase crop production.
US08846569B2

The present invention provides bis-organosulfur compounds of formulae (I) and (II) and compositions comprising the compounds that are effective against animal pests, including parasites. The compounds and compositions may be used for combating parasites in or on birds and mammals and for combating pests that damage crops, plants and plant propagation material. The invention also provides for an improved method for eradicating, controlling and preventing parasite infestation in birds and mammals.
US08846568B2

The present invention relates to novel active compound combinations comprising, firstly, at least one known compound of the formula (I) in which R1 and A have the meanings given in the description and, secondly, at least one further known active compound from the class of the tetronic or tetramic acids, which combinations are highly suitable for controlling animal pests such as insects and unwanted acarids.
US08846563B2

The present invention relates to apatite that includes metal atoms having a photocatalytic function and other metal atoms, and the metal atoms having a photocatalytic function include metal atoms that absorb energy corresponding to light energy of visible light. By applying the apatite as a base material of various products to be arranged indoors, the photocatalytic function can be exhibited indoors as well.
US08846561B2

The present invention relates to a catalytically active composition that can be used for the production of polyesters. According to the invention, good polyester products can be obtained in this way without having to use antimony components.
US08846551B2

The surface of a material is textured and by exposing the surface to pulses from an ultrafast laser. The laser treatment causes pillars to form on the treated surface. These pillars provide for greater light absorption. Texturing and crystallization can be carried out as a single step process. The crystallization of the material provides for higher electric conductivity and changes in optical and electronic properties of the material. The method may be performed in vacuum or a gaseous environment. The gaseous environment may aid in texturing and/or modifying physical and chemical properties of the surfaces. This method may be used on various material surfaces, such as semiconductors, metals and their alloys, ceramics, polymers, glasses, composites, as well as crystalline, nanocrystalline, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and amorphous phases.
US08846550B1

The negative effect of oxygen on some metal films can be reduced or prevented by contacting the films with a treatment agent comprising silane or borane. In some embodiments, one or more films in an NMOS gate stack are contacted with a treatment agent comprising silane or borane during or after deposition.
US08846537B2

A mold having an open interior volume is used to define patterns. The mold has a ceiling, floor and sidewalls that define the interior volume and inhibit deposition. One end of the mold is open and an opposite end has a sidewall that acts as a seed sidewall. A first material is deposited on the seed sidewall. A second material is deposited on the deposited first material. The deposition of the first and second materials is alternated, thereby forming alternating rows of the first and second materials in the interior volume. The mold and seed layer are subsequently selectively removed. In addition, one of the first or second materials is selectively removed, thereby forming a pattern including free-standing rows of the remaining material. The free-standing rows can be utilized as structures in a final product, e.g., an integrated circuit, or can be used as hard mask structures to pattern an underlying substrate. The mold and rows of material can be formed on multiple levels. The rows on different levels can crisscross one another. Selectively removing material from some of the rows can from openings to form, e.g., contact vias.
US08846534B1

Embodiments of the present invention relate to reducing the size variation on a wafer fabrication. In some embodiments, at least a portion the backfill material over features larger than a threshold size is etched or milled to provide backfill protrusions over those features. The backfill protrusions are configured to reduce the size variation across the fabrication. Embodiments of the invention may be used in fabrication of many types of devices, such as tapered wave guides (TWG), near-field transducers (NFT), MEMS devices, EAMR optical devices, optical structures, bio-optical devices, micro-fluidic devices, and magnetic writers.
US08846533B2

A cleaning solution of the present invention contains a sodium ion, a potassium ion, an iron ion, an ammonium salt of a sulfuric ester represented by General Formula (1), and water, and each content of the sodium ion, the potassium ion, and the iron ion is 1 ppb to 500 ppb. ROSO3—(X)+ (1) where R is an alkyl group with a carbon number of 8-22 or an alkenyl group with a carbon number of 8-22, and (X)+ is an ammonium ion.
US08846517B2

A method of forming a pattern on a substrate includes forming longitudinally elongated first lines and first sidewall spacers longitudinally along opposite sides of the first lines elevationally over an underlying substrate. Longitudinally elongated second lines and second sidewall spacers are formed longitudinally along opposite sides of the second lines. The second lines and the second sidewall spacers cross elevationally over the first lines and the first sidewall spacers. The second sidewall spacers are removed from crossing over the first lines. The first and second lines are removed in forming a pattern comprising portions of the first and second sidewall spacers over the underlying substrate. Other methods are disclosed.
US08846508B1

Methods to implant ions into the sidewall of a three dimensional high aspect ratio feature, such as a trench or via, are disclosed. The methods utilize a phenomenon known as knock-in, which causes a first species of ions, already disposed in the fill material, to become implanted in the sidewall when these ions are struck by ions of a second species being implanted into the fill material. In some embodiments, these first species and second species have similar masses to facilitate knock-in. In some embodiments, the entire hole is not completely filled with fill material. Rather, some fill material is deposited, an ion implant is performed to cause knock-in to the sidewall adjacent to the deposited fill material, and the process is repeated until the hole is filled.
US08846506B2

A multilayered structure is provided. The multilayered structure may include a silicon substrate and a film of gadolinium oxide disposed on the silicon substrate. The top surface of the silicon substrate may have silicon orientated in the 100 direction (Si(100)) and the gadolinium oxide disposed thereon may have an orientation in the 100 direction (Gd2O3(100)).
US08846504B1

A method of growing GaN material on a silicon substrate includes providing a single crystal silicon substrate with a (100) surface orientation or a (100) with up to a 10° offset surface orientation and using epi-twist technology, epitaxially growing a single crystal stress managing layer on the silicon substrate. The single crystal stress managing layer includes rare earth oxide with a (110) crystal orientation and a cubic crystal structure. The method further includes epitaxially growing a single crystal buffer layer on the stress managing layer. The single crystal buffer layer includes rare earth oxide with a lattice spacing closer to a lattice spacing of GaN than the rare earth oxide of the stress managing layer. Epitaxially growing a layer of single crystal GaN material on the surface of the buffer, the GaN material having one of a (11-20) crystal orientation and a (0001) crystal orientation.
US08846490B1

A method of forming a fin structure of a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate, creating a mandrel pattern over the substrate, depositing a first spacer layer over the mandrel pattern, and removing portions of the first spacer layer to form first spacer fins. The method also includes performing a first fin cut process to remove a subset of the first spacer fins, depositing a second spacer layer over the un-removed first spacer fins, and removing portions of the second spacer layer to form second spacer fins. The method further includes forming fin structures, and performing a second fin cut process to remove a subset of the fin structures.
US08846486B2

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes defining a first type region and a second type region in a substrate, t separated by one or more inter-well STI structures; etching and filling, in at least one of the first type region and the second type region, one or more intra-well STI structures for isolating semiconductor devices formed within a same polarity well, wherein the one or more inter-well STI structures are formed at a substantially same depth with respect to the one or more intra-well STI structures; implanting, a main well region, wherein a bottom of the main well region is disposed above a bottom of the one or more inter-well and intra-well STI features; and implanting, one or more deep well regions that couple main well regions, wherein the one or more deep well regions are spaced away from the one or more inter-well STI structures.
US08846476B2

One illustrative method disclosed herein involves forming an integrated circuit product comprised of first and second N-type transistors formed in and above first and second active regions, respectively. The method generally involves performing a common threshold voltage adjusting ion implantation process on the first and second active regions, forming the first and second transistors, performing an amorphization ion implantation process to selectively form regions of amorphous material in the first active region but not in the second active region, after performing the amorphization ion implantation process, forming a capping material layer above the first and second transistors and performing a re-crystallization anneal process to convert at least portions of the regions of amorphous material to a crystalline material. In some cases, the capping material layer may be formed of a material having a Young's modulus of at least 180 GPa.
US08846474B2

Embodiments of the invention provide dual workfunction semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing thereof. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing first and second device regions, depositing a dielectric film on the substrate, and forming a first metal-containing gate electrode film on the dielectric film, wherein a thickness of the first metal-containing gate electrode film is less over the first device region than over the second device region. The method further includes depositing a second metal-containing gate electrode film on the first metal-containing gate electrode film, patterning the second metal-containing gate electrode film, the first metal-containing gate electrode film, and the dielectric film to form a first gate stack above the first device region and a second gate stack above the second device region.
US08846470B2

A high-k dielectric metal trench capacitor and improved isolation and methods of manufacturing the same is provided. The method includes forming at least one deep trench in a substrate, and filling the deep trench with sacrificial fill material and a poly material. The method further includes continuing with CMOS processes, comprising forming at least one transistor and back end of line (BEOL) layer. The method further includes removing the sacrificial fill material from the deep trenches to expose sidewalls, and forming a capacitor plate on the exposed sidewalls of the deep trench. The method further includes lining the capacitor plate with a high-k dielectric material and filling remaining portions of the deep trench with a metal material, over the high-k dielectric material. The method further includes providing a passivation layer on the deep trench filled with the metal material and the high-k dielectric material.
US08846468B2

A method for reducing the leakage current in DRAM Metal-Insulator-Metal capacitors includes forming a capacitor stack including an oxygen donor dopant incorporated within the dielectric layer. The oxygen donor dopants may be incorporated within the dielectric layer during the formation of the dielectric layer. The oxygen donor materials provide oxygen to the dielectric layer and reduce the concentration of oxygen vacancies, thus reducing the leakage current.
US08846466B2

An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate having a first portion in a first device region and a second portion in a second device region; and two insulation regions in the first device region and over the substrate. The two insulation regions include a first dielectric material having a first k value. A semiconductor strip is between and adjoining the two insulation regions, with a top portion of the semiconductor strip forming a semiconductor fin over top surfaces of the two insulation regions. An additional insulation region is in the second device region and over the substrate. The additional insulation region includes a second dielectric material having a second k value greater than the first k value.
US08846462B2

A system and a method for transistor level routing are disclosed. The method comprises forming a high-k dielectric layer over a substrate, forming a metal layer directly over the high-k dielectric layer, and selectively disposing a semiconductive layer over the metal layer. The method further comprises forming a first transistor in a first region and a second transistor in a second region spaced from the first region, the first and second transistor having gate stacks comprising a high-k dielectric layer, a metal layer and a semiconductive layer, and forming an electrical connection between the first transistor and the second transistor comprising the high-k dielectric layer and the metal layer but not the semiconductive layer.
US08846443B2

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to nonvolatile memory devices and methods for manufacturing such memory devices. The methods for forming improved memory devices, such as a ReRAM cells, provide optimized, atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes for forming a metal oxide film stack which contains at least one hard metal oxide film (e.g., metal is completely oxidized or substantially oxidized) and at least one soft metal oxide film (e.g., metal is less oxidized than hard metal oxide). The soft metal oxide film is less electrically resistive than the hard metal oxide film since the soft metal oxide film is less oxidized or more metallic than the hard metal oxide film. In one example, the hard metal oxide film is formed by an ALD process utilizing ozone as the oxidizing agent while the soft metal oxide film is formed by another ALD process utilizing water vapor as the oxidizing agent.
US08846442B2

The invention relates to a method for producing semiconductor layers and coated substrates treated with elemental selenium and/or sulphur, in particular flat substrates, containing at least one conducting, semiconducting and/or insulating layer, in which a substrate which is provided with at least one metal layer and/or with at least one layer containing metal, in particular a stack of substrates, each of which is provided with at least one metal layer and/or with at least one layer which contains metal, is inserted into a processing chamber and heated to a predetermined substrate temperature; elementary selenium and/or sulphur vapor is guided past on the or on every metal layer and/or layer containing metal, from a source located inside and/or outside the processing chamber, in particular by means of a carrier gas which is in particular inert, under rough vacuum conditions or ambient pressure conditions or overpressure conditions, in order to react chemically with said layer with selenium or sulphur in a targeted manner; the substrate is heated by means of forced convection by at least one gas conveying device and/or the elementary selenium and/or sulphur vapor is mixed and guided past on the substrate by means of forced convection by at least one gas conveying device in the processing chamber, in particular in a homogeneous manner. The invention furthermore relates to a processing device for implementing a method of this type.
US08846440B2

A method for forming a photodetector device includes forming an insulator layer on a substrate, forming a germanium (Ge) layer on the insulator layer and a portion of the substrate, forming a second insulator layer on the Ge layer, patterning the Ge layer, forming a capping insulator layer on the second insulator layer and a portion of the first insulator layer, heating the device to crystallize the Ge layer resulting in an single crystalline Ge layer, implanting n-type ions in the single crystalline Ge layer, heating the device to activate n-type ions in the single crystalline Ge layer, and forming electrodes electrically connected to the single crystalline n-type Ge layer.
US08846431B2

A solar cell is formed on an n-type semiconductor substrate having a p+ emitter layer by forming spaced-apart contact/protection structures on the emitter layer, depositing a blanket dielectric passivation layer over the substrate's upper surface, utilizing laser ablation to form contact openings through the dielectric layer that expose corresponding contact/protection structures, and then forming metal gridlines on the upper surface of the dielectric layer that are electrically connected to the contact structures by way of metal via structures extending through associated contact openings. The contact/protection structures serve both as protection against substrate damage during the contact opening formation process (i.e., to prevent damage of the p+ emitter layer caused by the required high energy laser pulses), and also serve as optional silicide sources that facilitate optimal contact between the metal gridlines and the p+ emitter layer.
US08846425B2

A diode laser having aluminum-containing layers and a Bragg grating for stabilizing the emission wavelength achieves an improved output/efficiency. The growth process is divided into two steps for introducing the Bragg grating, wherein a continuous aluminum-free layer and an aluminum-free mask layer are continuously deposited after the first growth process such that the aluminum-containing layer is completely covered by the continuous aluminum-free layer. Structuring is performed outside the reactor without unwanted oxidation of the aluminum-containing semiconductor layer. Subsequently, the pre-structured semiconductor surface is further etched inside the reactor and the structuring is impressed into the aluminum-containing layer. In this process, so little oxygen is inserted into the semiconductor crystal of the aluminum-containing layers in the environment of the grating that output and efficiency of a diode laser are not reduced as compared to a diode laser without grating layers that was produced in an epitaxy step.
US08846421B2

A method of manufacturing a lead frame for a light-emitting device package and a light-emitting device package are provided. The method of manufacturing a lead frame for a light-emitting device package includes: preparing a base substrate for the lead frame; forming diffusion roughness on the base substrate; and forming a reflective plating layer on the diffusion roughness formed base substrate.
US08846420B2

A surface-mount light emitting device is provided comprising a light emitting element (2), a reflector (1) which is molded integral with a leadframe (11, 12) having the light emitting element mounted thereon, and an encapsulating resin composition (4). The reflector is molded from a heat curable resin composition to define a recess with bottom and side walls. The resin side wall has a thickness of 50-500 μm. The encapsulating resin composition is a heat curable resin composition having a hardness of 30-70 Shore D units in the cured state.
US08846417B2

An optoelectronic device including at least one of a solar device, a semiconductor device, and an electronic device. The device includes a semiconductor unit. A plurality of metal fingers is disposed on a surface of the semiconductor unit for electrical conduction. Each of the metal fingers includes a pad area for forming an electrical contact. The optoelectronic device includes a plurality of pad areas that is available for connection to a bus bar, wherein each of the metal fingers is connected to a corresponding pad area for forming an electrical contact.
US08846413B2

Products and methods for the research, diagnosis, risk assessment, course monitoring, treatment and prophylaxis of various metabolic disorders and their early forms, concomitant diseases and secondary diseases are provided. Metabolic diseases include, for example, metabolic syndrome, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, (type II diabetes), insulin resistance, obesity (adiposis), in addition to diseases that are associated with disorders of the fatty acid metabolism. Methods may include analysis of the concentration of the adipocytic form of the fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP, FABP 4, P2) in various bodily fluids.
US08846406B1

The sensitivity of a chemiresistor sensor can be dynamically tuned using mechanical strain. The increase in sensitivity is a smooth, continuous function of the applied strain, and the effect can be reversible. Sensitivity tuning enables the response curve of the sensor to be dynamically optimized for sensing analytes, such as volatile organic compounds, over a wide concentration range.
US08846394B2

The present invention is directed to methods of treating neurological deficits resulting from injury or disease to the striatum or substanta nigra pars compacta of a human by administering human recombinant GDF5 to the striatum or substanta nigra pars compacta of a human in amounts effective to induce cell populations having the capacity to differentiate towards a dopaminergic phenotype to in fact differentiate towards a dopaminergic phenotype, and to neurotrophic compositions and matrices suitable for use in such treatments.
US08846390B2

Methods for the conditioning of bioprosthetic material employ bovine pericardial membrane. A laser directed at the fibrous surface of the membrane and moved relative thereto reduces the thickness of the membrane to a specific uniform thickness and smoothes the surface. The wavelength, power and pulse rate of the laser are selected which will smooth the fibrous surface as well as ablate the surface to the appropriate thickness. Alternatively, a dermatome is used to remove a layer of material from the fibrous surface of the membrane. Thinning may also employ compression. Stepwise compression with cross-linking to stabilize the membrane is used to avoid damaging the membrane through inelastic compression. Rather, the membrane is bound in the elastic compressed state through addition cross-linking. The foregoing several thinning techniques may be employed together to achieve strong thin membranes. The finally thinned membrane may then be treated by capping of calcification nucleation sites and borohydride reduction. The leaflets may be formed to have more than one region of uniform thickness, such as a thicker peripheral sewing region.
US08846388B2

The present invention is directed to novel nucleotide and amino acid sequences of Torque teno virus (“TTV”), including novel genotypes thereof, all of which are useful in the preparation of vaccines for treating and preventing diseases in swine and other animals. Vaccines provided according to the practice of the invention are effective against multiple swine TTV genotypes and isolates. Diagnostic and therapeutic polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies are also a feature of the present invention, as are infectious clones useful in the propagation of the virus and in the preparation of vaccines. Particularly important aspects of the invention include vaccines that provide TTV ORF1 protein, or peptide fragments thereof, as antigen.
US08846382B2

The present invention is concerned with a fluid circulation apparatus for use as a bioreactor or the like, the apparatus comprising a flexible bag like container within which is disposed a collapsible and at least partially inflatable draft tube which is tethered to a base of the container such that when inflated the draft tube rises off the base and maintains the correct shape as a result of the inflation thereof, and which includes perforations in order to allow the inflation gas to escape and rise upwardly through the draft tube to generate counter current circulation within the container.
US08846380B2

A reaction cassette for a glycated hemoglobin meter and a measuring method thereof are provided. The reaction cassette for the glycated hemoglobin meter includes: a first zone receiving a first reagent and a blood sample; a second zone receiving a second reagent; a reaction zone in which the blood sample reacts with the first reagent, or through which the second reagent passes to react with a first blood sample mixture obtained by reacting the blood sample with the first reagent; and a measurement zone measuring an amount of total hemoglobin in the first blood sample mixture, or measuring an amount of glycated hemoglobin in a second blood sample mixture obtained by reacting the first blood sample mixture with the second reagent, wherein the blood sample, the first reagent, and the second reagent move between the reaction zone and the measurement zone according to a rotation angle of the reaction cassette when the reaction cassette is rotated. Therefore, since the reaction cassette rotates automatically, it is possible to measure the amount of glycated hemoglobin in a blood sample through simple manipulation and reduce a manufacturing time. Furthermore, since reagents are supplied to the reaction cassette from a separate reagent pack, it is possible to resolve storage and distribution problems of the reaction cassette, which occur when reagents are stored in the reaction cassette.
US08846378B2

Fluidic circuits and methods of using same are provided herein. In some embodiments, the circuit can direct different fluids to a common volume, such as a reaction chamber or flow cell, without intermixing or cross contamination. The direction and rate of flow through junctions, nodes and passages of the fluidics circuit can be controlled, for example, by the states of upstream valves, differential fluid pressures at circuit inlets or upstream reservoirs, or flow path resistances. Free diffusion or leakage of fluids from unselected inlets into the common outlet or other inlets at junctions or nodes can be prevented by the flow of the selected inlet fluid, a portion of which can sweep by the inlets of unselected fluids and exit the fluidics circuit by waste ports.
US08846374B2

Engineered strains of the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica capable of producing carotenoids (e.g., β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin) are provided. The strains may also be engineered to co-produce at least one ω-3/ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid and/or at least one additional antioxidant. Methods of using the carotenoid products obtained (e.g., biomass and/or pigmented oils) in food and feed applications are also provided.
US08846367B2

Provided is a phenol-producing transformant constructed by transferring a gene which encodes an enzyme having tyrosine phenol-lyase activity into a coryneform bacterium as a host. Also provided is a process for producing phenol, which comprises a step of allowing the transformant to react in a reaction mixture containing tyrosine, a salt thereof, or an ester thereof under reducing conditions, and a step of collecting phenol from the reaction mixture.
US08846361B2

The present invention relates to solid enzyme, in particular phytase, compositions stabilized with a lactic acid source such as Corn Steep Liquor (CSL), and methods of producing the same. Preferred compositions additionally comprise starch and disaccharides such as lactose or trehalose.
US08846360B2

A novel activating enzyme for ubiquitin, Uba6, is provided. Compositions and methods for inhibiting ubiquitin via the Uba6 pathway are provided. Methods of identifying novel inhibitors of ubiquitination are also provided. Novel RNAi molecules are also provided.
US08846359B2

A method of regenerating an enzymatic catalyst arranged in a reactor includes a mineral support based on metal oxide and at least one enzyme, wherein it contains at least one step of detachment of the spent enzymes by solvation by scavenging of the catalyst using at least one ionic surfactant, and at least one step of re-attachment of active enzymes by scavenging of the purified support with at least one solution of active enzymes, the two steps being performed in situ within the reactor.
US08846357B2

Though chlorine dioxide is generally used to control bacterial contamination, a method was developed which allows the use of stabilized chlorine dioxide (SCD) for controlling contamination during fermentation that uses the bacteria Zymomonas as the biocatalyst, even though Zymomonas is sensitive to chlorine dioxide. Parameters were identified for inoculating a composition for fermentation with Zymomonas cells after a time period has elapsed following SCD addition.
US08846337B2

The device for spraying a reagent onto a support (81) adapted to retain microorganisms on a predetermined surface (82), comprises a spraying bell (3) as well as a nozzle (71) for emitting a jet of droplets of said reagent into a spraying chamber (34) comprised by said bell (3), said device also comprising an absorbent pad (5) mounted against said bell (3) transversely to said jet and closing said chamber (34) from the opposite side to said nozzle (71) with the exception of a circular central opening (51) provided in said pad (5), the diameter of said central opening (51) being adapted to enable a portion of said jet, when said device faces said support (81) and is at a predetermined distance therefrom, to pass through said central opening (51) over its entire area and be deposited on the whole of said predetermined surface (82) of said support (81).
US08846335B2

The disclosure includes: a coating composition, comprising a powdered cold-water-soluble gelling agent and surface-modified nanoparticles disposed in the powdered cold-water-soluble gelling agent; a coated film that includes a transparent film coated with the coating composition; and a device for growing microorganisms, including the coated film releasably attached to at least a portion of a body member that includes a self-supporting and water-proof substrate.
US08846334B2

The disclosure provides culture devices and methods useful for detecting acid-producing bacteria in a sample. The devices include a nutrient medium and a pH indicator to detect and differentiate acid-producing microorganisms, such as lactic acid bacteria. Methods of use include detecting or enumerating acid-producing microorganisms. The methods further provide for the detection of gas-producing acid-producing bacteria.
US08846325B2

Improved methods for treatment of cancer which involve the targeting of slow-growing, relatively mutationally-spared cancer stem line are provided. These methods are an improvement over previous cancer therapeutic methods because they provide for very early cancer treatment and reduce the likelihood of clinical relapse after treatment.
US08846321B2

Presented herein are methods of diagnosing, assessing, and treating an individual at increased risk if developing coronary heart disease or cardiovascular event, based on the individual's level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol apoCIII (HDL-C apoCIII).
US08846318B2

The present invention provides a novel method for identifying an olfactory receptor included in one olfactory cell. In the present invention, amplified is the cDNA derived from the mRNA of the one olfactory cell by a PCR method using a forward primer represented by SEQ ID: 01 and a reverse primer represented by SEQ ID: 02. Subsequently, determined is whether or not a gene sequence of the amplified cDNA corresponds with one gene sequence included in gene sequences coding for olfactory receptors included in the mouse olfactory receptor group A. Finally, determined is that the olfactory receptor included in the one olfactory cell is the olfactory receptor which corresponds to the one gene sequence which corresponds with the gene sequence of the cDNA in the previous step, if the gene sequence of the cDNA corresponds with the one gene sequence in the previous step.
US08846317B2

The present invention provides methods and systems for real-time measurements of PCR with multiplexing capability. Certain embodiments relate to methods and systems that use fluorescently encoded superparamagnetic microspheres for the immobilization of amplification products during the PCR process, and an imaging chamber of a measurement device that is also capable of controllable thermal cycling for assisting the PCR process.
US08846310B2

Methods of preparing assays and of assaying, using substantially self-contained, portable, user-initiated fluidic assay systems. Example assays include diagnostic assays and chemical detection assays. Diagnostic assays may include, without limitation, enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assays (ELISA), and may include one or more sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnostic assays. An assay system may include one or more fluid chambers, one or more fluid paths amongst the fluid chambers and/or between the fluid chambers, a sample portion, and/or an assay portion. The assay system may include a fluid controller system to dispense fluid from the one or more fluid chambers, and a user-initiated actuator to control the fluid controller system. The fluid controller system may be configured to dispense fluids serially, and may be configured to mix a plurality of fluids. The user-initiated actuator system may include an external user-operated trigger mechanism. The assay apparatus may include a display window to view assay results.
US08846306B2

The invention relates to the use of at least one globin and/or at least one globin protomer and/or at least one naturally extracellular native hemoglobin for the preservation of organs, tissues, organ and tissue cells and cell cultures.
US08846302B2

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate. The photoresist layer includes a first material removable by a removal process. The first material at a guard band portion of the photoresist layer along an edge portion of the photoresist layer is converted to a second material. The second material is not removable by the removal process. Also, the first material at the edge portion of the photoresist layer is not converted to the second material. The guard band portion is farther from a periphery of the substrate than the edge portion. The removal process is performed to remove the first material after the conversion of the guard band portion.
US08846298B2

A write-only-read-many type optical recording medium includes a substrate, an organic material layer having a light absorption function that is sufficient for recording in the recording/reproduction wavelength range, the organic material layer being situated on the substrate, and a reflection layer being situated on the organic material layer. The recording medium is configured to have a Low-to-High recording property and record with a laser having a wavelength that is no greater than 500 nm.
US08846297B2

A positive photoresist composition includes 3 to 80 parts by mass of a novolac phenol resin (B) relative to 100 parts by mass of a cresol novolac resin (A). The novolac phenol resin (B) has a repeating structural unit represented by formula (1) [In the formula, R represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms and X represents a structure (x1) represented by formula (2)
US08846294B2

The present invention provides a photoresist composition comprising the following components (A), (B) and (X): (A) a resin being insoluble or poorly soluble in an aqueous alkali solution but becoming soluble in an aqueous alkali solution by the action of an acid, (B) an acid generator, (X) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the formula (I-a): wherein Z1 represent a C1-C20 divalent saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group in which one or more —CH2— may be replaced by —O— or —CO—, and a compound represented by the formula (I-b): wherein R1 represents a C1-C20 monovalent saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group in which one or more hydrogen atoms may be substituted with a hydroxyl group and one or more —CH2— may be replaced by —O— or —CO—, and n represents 0 or 1.
US08846268B2

There is provided a combustion apparatus including a gas supply path 1 for supplying a combustible gas, a burner main body 4 for combusting the combustible gas supplied from the gas supply path 1, a cabinet 8 provided to cover the burner main body 4, and a gas cutoff valve 2 provided on the gas supply path 1 on an upstream side of the burner main body 4 and arranged at the outside of the cabinet 8, wherein the burner main body 4 is spacially isolated from the gas cutoff valve 2.
US08846267B2

A flexible MEA comprises an integral assembly of electrode, catalyst and ionomeric membrane material.
US08846261B2

Methods, articles, and systems for controlling the internal operating temperature of fuel cell systems, such as planar fuel cell arrays. The heat management system conducts heat away from the fuel cell without disturbing the flow of gases around the fuel cell layer and without the need for the equipment to disturb the flow of gases around the fuel cell layer. The present invention also provides a heat transfer system that has a low thermal mass relative to the fuel cell layer or is thermally isolated from the fuel cell layer such that the heat transfer system will not remove substantial amounts of heat from a fuel cell layer during star-up and can be activated to dissipate heat from the fuel cell only as needed.
US08846256B2

A selectively oxygen-permeable substrate has a magnetic material dispersion layer having carbon as the main component and a magnetic material dispersed therein. The magnetic material dispersion layer has a gas introduction face for introducing gas into the inside thereof, and the magnetic material dispersion layer is preferably a layer where a magnetic material is dispersed in a porous carbon membrane and can be used as a substrate for a metal-air battery positive electrode. More preferably, the selectively oxygen-permeable substrate has the magnetic material dispersion layer and a porous substrate. A selectively oxygen-permeable substrate can selectively introduce oxygen in the air and have high durability against an electrolytic solution.
US08846255B2

A fuel cell may be used to supplement power sources for aircraft equipment. A fuel cell to provide electrical power in an aircraft may include a replaceable fuel source, an information output, and a power output to output power to a line replaceable unit of the aircraft. A method of supplementing electrical power in an aircraft may include providing a fuel cell in the aircraft, the fuel cell comprising a replaceable fuel cartridge and a replaceable by-product cartridge, and supplementing an electrical power system of the aircraft with power generated by the fuel cell by outputting power.
US08846253B2

The invention relates to microporous membranes having high meltdown temperature, high air permeability, and high puncture strength. The invention also relates to the production of such membranes and the use of such membranes as battery separator film.
US08846251B2

Provided are novel negative electrodes for use in lithium ion cells. The negative electrodes include one or more high capacity active materials, such as silicon, tin, and germanium, and a lithium containing material prior to the first cycle of the cell. In other words, the cells are fabricated with some, but not all, lithium present on the negative electrode. This additional lithium may be used to mitigate lithium losses, for example, due to Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) layer formation, to maintain the negative electrode in a partially charged state at the end of the cell discharge cycle, and other reasons. In certain embodiments, a negative electrode includes between about 5% and 25% of lithium based on a theoretical capacity of the negative active material. In the same or other embodiments, a total amount of lithium available in the cell exceeds the theoretical capacity of the negative electrode active material.
US08846245B2

A battery pack is provided, which includes a secondary battery; a molded body configured to store therein the secondary battery; and a foamable layer provided between the secondary battery and an inner surface of the molded body and configured to foam at a predetermined temperature or higher to form a foam heat insulating layer. With this, a heat insulating layer contained in the battery pack is thin in a normal state where the battery is not generating heat, and the heat insulating layer exerts a high heat insulating effect at the time of malfunction to suppress the temperature increase of a surface of the battery pack.
US08846235B2

A battery module including: a plurality of aligned cells, wherein a cooling unit accommodating a cooling agent is provided in a vicinity of the cells, part of the cooling unit is a vulnerable section having a relatively low compressive strength, and the vulnerable section is unsealed when heat is abnormally generated in at least one of the cells.
US08846234B2

Disclosed herein is a battery cartridge configured in a frame structure to mount a plate-shaped battery cell therein, the battery cartridge comprising a pair of plate-shaped frames configured to fix the outer circumference of the battery cell in a state in which at least one side of the battery cell is open, wherein each of the frames is provided at the outside thereof with an elastic pressing member configured to fix a heat dissipation member to the open side of the battery cell in a tight contact manner upon manufacture of a battery module.
US08846231B2

A battery module of the present invention is adaptable to be utilized in various configurations including and not limited to an overlapping battery cell packaging configuration and a vertical stack battery cell packaging configuration used in an automotive and non-automotive applications. The battery module has a plurality of battery heatsink assemblies with the cells disposed therebetween. A plurality of rods extend through the each heatsink assemblies to secure the heatsink assemblies and the cell with one another to form the battery module.
US08846229B2

According to one embodiment, a non-aqueous electrolyte battery includes an electrode group. The electrode group includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode. At least one of the positive electrode or the negative electrode has a first electrode part and a second electrode part. The first electrode part includes a first metal substrate and an active material-containing part. The second electrode part includes a second metal substrate and an active material-containing part. The first metal substrate has a tensile strength larger than a tensile strength of the second metal substrate. A part of the first electrode part is provided more outside of the electrode group than a part of the second electrode group.
US08846227B2

A cooling/heating element for a rechargeable battery, the cooling/heating element including a cooling area having a first boundary which physically contacts a first cell of the rechargeable battery, and a second boundary which physically contacts a second cell of the rechargeable battery. The cooling/heating element can be stacked and also include an inlet and/or outlet which interacts with an inlet and/or outlet of an adjacent cooling/heating element in a stack.
US08846222B2

A battery pack including a reinforcement plate having a metal layer and a heat sealing layer, wherein the reinforcement plate is attached to a battery cell to reinforce the battery cell, thus improving reliability regarding product quality. The battery pack includes a battery cell, a circuit module electrically connected to the battery cell, a top cover installed on an upper portion of the battery cell, and a reinforcement plate attached to the battery cell.
US08846220B2

Disclosed is a microbial fuel cell cathode assembly comprising a catalyst (6) and an electrically conductive catholyte wicking member (5) having a catalyst contacting surface (5a) in contact with the catalyst, an electrical contact region (5c) for contacting an electrical connector, and a catholyte supply region (5b) for receiving catholyte from a catholyte supply (9), wherein the electrically conductive catholyte wicking member is operable to wick received catholyte from the catholyte supply region to form a film of catholyte on a part of the surface of the catalyst such that a part of the surface of the catalyst is in contact with both the film of catholyte and a part of the surface of the catalyst is in contact with a gas pathway arranged to supply oxygen to the catalyst.
US08846219B2

This document discloses a perpendicular magnetic recording medium in which the magnetic anisotropy of a magnetic recording layer is raised and the thermal stability of recorded signals is improved without changing the conventional stacked configuration. A perpendicular magnetic recording medium is formed by stacking at least an intermediate layer, a second underlayer, and a magnetic recording layer in this order on a nonmagnetic base. The intermediate layer is either a single layer of Ru or a Ru-based alloy, or a stacked structure of a nonmagnetic alloy film including Co and Cr and a film of Ru or a Ru-based alloy. The second underlayer includes Co in the range from 30 at % to 75 at %, Cr in the range from 20 at % to 60 at %, and W in the range from 0.1 at % to 10 at %, and has a thickness in the range from 0.1 nm to 1.0 nm.
US08846200B2

The present invention provides a gas barrier film including a base layer, and a gas barrier layer that is provided on at least one side of the base layer, the base layer including a resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of more than 130° C., the gas barrier layer being formed of a material that includes at least an oxygen atom and a silicon atom, a surface layer part of the gas barrier layer having an oxygen atom content rate of 60 to 75%, a nitrogen atom content rate of 0 to 10%, and a silicon atom content rate of 25 to 35%, based on a total content rate of oxygen atoms, nitrogen atoms, and silicon atoms, and the surface layer part of the gas barrier layer having a film density of 2.4 to 4.0 g/cm3. Also provided are a process for producing the same, an electronic device member that includes the gas barrier film, and an electronic device that includes the electronic device member. The gas barrier film of the invention exhibits an excellent gas barrier capability, excellent transparency, excellent bending resistance, and excellent heat resistance.
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