US08942653B2
An apparatus and a method for beamforming with less heat in a wireless communication system including multiple antennas are provided. The apparatus includes a digital signal processor for processing at least one baseband digital signal, and at least one Radio Frequency (RF) signal processor for converting a respective baseband digital signal of the at least one baseband digital signal into an RF analog signal and for amplifying a power of the RF analog signal for one or more antenna elements constituting a respective antenna of the at least one antenna.
US08942650B2
A power amplifier (PA) envelope power supply, radio frequency (RF) PA circuitry, and a process to select a converter operating mode of the PA envelope power supply based on linearity requirements of the RF PA circuitry is disclosed. The PA envelope power supply operates in one of a first converter operating mode and a second converter operating mode. The process for selecting the converter operating mode is based on a required degree of linearity of the RF PA circuitry. The PA envelope power supply provides an envelope power supply signal to the RF PA circuitry. Selection of the converter operating mode may provide efficient operation of the PA envelope power supply and the envelope power supply signal needed for proper operation of the RF PA circuitry.
US08942648B2
The present invention relates to a data transmission method in a radio communication system, comprising the steps of selecting a first reference transmission antenna of a first base station and a second reference transmission antenna of a second base station from among a plurality of base stations, transmitting a first transmission data stream via the first reference transmission antenna, transmitting a second transmission data stream via the second reference transmission antenna to a terminal, time-delaying the first transmission data stream and retransmitting the delayed first transmission data stream to the terminal via a transmission antenna of a first transmission group, and time-delaying the second transmission data stream and retransmitting the delayed second transmission data stream to the terminal via a transmission antenna of a second transmission group. Thus, co-channel interferences can be minimized, and the efficiency in using an antenna and the receiving performance thereof in a radio communication system adopting a multi-antenna technique and a multi-base station system can be improved at the same time.
US08942647B2
Methods and systems for antenna switching for 60 GHz distributed communication are disclosed and may include enabling antenna configurations in a plurality of remote RF modules within a computing device to receive RF signals. A signal characteristic may be measured for the configurations receiving an RF signal from a remote device. IF signals may be generated from baseband signals and may be communicated to RF modules based on the signal characteristic via coaxial lines, and may be up-converted to output RF signals utilizing the RF modules. The output RF signals may be transmitted via antennas in the RF modules. The IF signals in the one or more coaxial lines may be tapped via taps coupled to the RF modules. The baseband signals may comprise video data, Internet streamed data, and/or data from a local data source. Control signals for the RF devices may be communicated utilizing the coaxial lines.
US08942644B2
Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communication circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches that receive radio-frequency antenna signals from antennas. The wireless communications circuitry may include switching circuitry interposed between the MEMS switches and the antennas. The switching circuitry may protect the MEMS switches from radio-frequency signals that are received by the antennas by temporarily isolating the MEMS switches from the radio-frequency signals during MEMS switch configuration processes. The switching circuitry may include a crossbar switch formed from solid state circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include control circuitry that controls the MEMS switches and the switching circuitry. The control circuitry may direct the switching circuitry to temporarily disconnect a selected MEMS switch from the antennas and direct the selected MEMS switch to switch from a first configuration to a second configuration while the MEMS switch is disconnected from the antennas.
US08942640B2
A telecommunications device for a telecommunications network comprises a controller configured to enable or disable said telecommunications device to reception and/or transmission of telecommunications data. The controller is further configured to generate a plurality of keep-alive signals for the telecommunications device. The telecommunications device is disabled to reception or transmission of said telecommunications data if no keep-alive signal is received by the telecommunications device after a predetermined time.
US08942638B2
The present invention relates to the detection at least one wireless communication device associated with an entity on an image. The invention further relates to transmitting information enabling detection of a wireless communication device associated with an entity on an image. The detection is performed before, during, or after capture of the image.
US08942628B2
A method and apparatus for reducing power consumption associated with establishing a connection in a near field communication system is disclosed. According to some embodiments, when requesting an active mode NFC connection, the initiator device can selectively extend transmission of its NFC carrier signal by an extended period of time after transmitting a polling command to the target device. The extended period of time allows the target device additional time to stabilize its clock signal and transmit its own NFC carrier signal back to the initiator device. As a result, the initiator device may wait to enable its NFC clock generator until after receiving a polling command that requests the active mode NFC session. In this manner, when the initiator device requests a passive mode NFC connection, the target device may not enable its NFC clock generator, thereby reducing power consumption.
US08942627B2
Machine-Type-Communication-type (MTC-type) devices of an MTC Group are uniquely identified across all types of wireless networks by a system and method in which a receiver is capable of receiving a signal from at least one node of a wireless network. The signal contains MTC Group ID information that corresponds to an MTC Feature that provides at least one system optimization for the wireless device. The received MTC Group ID is then processed to determine whether the MTC received Group ID corresponds to an MTC Feature to which a wireless device is a member. The MTC Group ID information contained in the received signal comprises part of a Mobile Subscription Identification (MSIN) field of an International Mobile Subscriber Identify (IMSI), additional digits added to an IMSI, of part of a separate MTC Group message.
US08942626B2
The present invention relates to an electronic device and a method of operating the same. The electronic device and the method of operating the electronic device may effectively form a connection between two or more electronic devices by allowing a relaying device to transfer connection information between the electronic devices to a counterpart.
US08942625B2
A communication device, includes targets that each execute predetermined processing; and a front end that selects, from the targets, a confirmed target with which an external device is to communicate and that performs near-field communication with the external device. During transmission of a command for selecting at least one candidate of the confirmed target, the front end selects a predetermined one of the targets once every two times as a transmission destination of the command.
US08942619B2
A relay device includes a receiver, an information obtaining unit, a parameter storage unit, and a parameter setting unit, and relays a packet which is transmitted from a first network to a second network. The receiver receives the packet from the first network. The information obtaining unit obtains data type information for identifying a type of data which is transmitted and received by the packet. The parameter storage unit stores a control parameter which is used for controlling communication quality in the second network, so as to be associated with a type of transfer data indicating data transferred to the second network. The parameter setting unit sets to the packet the control parameter which is associated with transfer data of a same type as data identified by the data type information, and outputs the packet to which the control parameter is set to the second network.
US08942618B2
A system and method for playing back digital satellite audio and video signals includes storing a file on a storage device associated with the satellite receiver 54. The file is communicated to a file playback device such as a mobile receiver 28 from the storage device. The file is played back using the mobile receiving device 28.
US08942615B2
Vortex flow resisters (20, 220) deliver liquid from an upper chamber (16, 216) to a lower chamber (18, 218) prior to the liquid being distributed onto a cylinder (12, 14, 212, 122).
US08942614B2
A cartridge detachably mountable to a heating apparatus includes: a film; a supporting member for unwindably supporting the film; a winding-up member for winding up the film; a first container accommodating the supporting member and having a first opening; and a second container accommodating the winding-up member and having a second opening. The film is unwindable from the supporting member to the winding-up member through the first opening and the second opening. The first container and the second container are connected with each other so that the first container and the second container cover at least one side of the film, and the first container and the second container are disconnectable from each other to expose the film between the first opening and the second opening.
US08942605B2
An endless belt is held by a first roller and a second roller each having an axis extending in an axial direction. A transfer member is disposed opposite to an image supporting member with the belt therebetween. The transfer member is configured to transfer a developer image supported by the image supporting member to a sheet conveyed by the belt. The image supporting member extends in the axial direction. The belt and the transfer member each have a width in a direction parallel to the axial direction. A first portion of the image supporting member and a first portion of the transfer member directly oppose each other without the belt therebetween. A second portion of the image supporting member opposes a first surface of the belt, and a second portion of the transfer member opposes a second surface of the belt, which is opposite to the first surface.
US08942591B2
An image forming apparatus includes a finger receiving portion that is inwardly recessed and defined in each of right and left side-surfaces of a housing of the image forming apparatus. The housing includes an upper surface that is inclined downward toward the front of the image forming apparatus. The finger receiving portion is disposed in an upper part of each of the right and left side-surfaces of the housing and at a position that allows a user to hold both of the finger receiving portion and the upper surface of the housing at the same time.
US08942586B2
An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to control a toner-image forming device to form a toner patch; and a detector configured to detect the toner patch on the image carrier. During a non-printing period, the controller causes a toner-image forming device to form toner patches, causes the detector to detect densities of the toner patches, and adjusts an image-forming condition of the toner-image forming device based on detected densities. During a printing period, the controller causes the toner-image forming device to form an output image in an image area and form fewer toner patches in a non-image area, causes the detector to detect densities of the fewer toner patches, and adjusts the image-forming condition of the toner-image forming device based on detected densities. The fewer toner patches are selected from and fewer than the plurality of toner patches formed during the non-printing period.
US08942578B2
A printing apparatus according to the present invention is a printing apparatus that performs printing using a recording material, and includes a plurality of storage units configured to store a recording material, a reception unit configured to receive designation information for specifying a storage unit to which the recording material is supplied, and a moving unit configured to move the storage unit that the designation information specifies, into a position at which the recording material can be supplied, according to an instruction.
US08942570B2
The invention relates to a detection system for determining data embedded into the light output of a light source in a form of a repeating sequence of N symbols. The detection system includes a camera and a processing unit. The camera is configured to acquire a series of images of the scene via specific open/closure patterns of the shutter. The processing unit is configured to process the acquired series of images to determine the repeating sequence of N symbols. By carefully triggering when a shutter of the camera is open to capture the different symbols of the encoded light within each frame time of a camera, a conventional camera with a relatively long frame time may be employed. Therefore, the techniques presented herein are suitable for detecting the invisible “high frequency” coded light while using less expensive cameras as those used in the prior art.
US08942566B2
A bandwidth allocator for communicating with communication terminals by transmitting and receiving data packets over a line having its communication bandwidth divided into periods of time of a predetermined length. The allocator includes a controller controlling allocation of the bandwidth by using allocation grants as the periods of time. The controller includes a scheduler scheduling the allocation grants so as to cause one allocation grant to partially overlap as a shared grant with another allocation grant adjacent to the one allocation grant. Thus, the bandwidth allocator can minimize allocation loss, otherwise caused by no allocation to an allocation grant, and improve the use efficiency of the bandwidth.
US08942553B2
A lens device includes a movable optical element, a rotary member; first and second magnetic recording scales fixedly disposed on an outer periphery of the rotary member to extend along a peripheral direction of the rotary member; a signal detecting unit which detects first to fourth signals; and a position detecting unit which detects a position of the movable optical element based on the detected signals, in which the position detecting unit includes: a phase difference calculating unit which calculates a phase difference between the first signal and the third signal, based on the detected first to fourth signals for one cycle; a phase average calculating unit which calculates an average of the phase differences respectively calculated for n cycles; and an absolute position detecting unit which detects an absolute position of the movable optical element based on the calculated average.
US08942540B2
An interesting section extracting device extracts an interesting section of interest to a user from a video file with reference to an audio signal included in the video file such that a specified time is included in the interesting section. The interesting section extracting device includes an interface device that obtains the specified time; and a likelihood vector generating unit that calculates, in one-to-one correspondence with first unit sections of the audio signal, likelihoods for anchor models that respectively represent features of a plurality of types of sound pieces and generates likelihood vectors having the calculated likelihoods as components thereof. An interesting section extracting unit calculates a first feature section as candidate section, which is candidate for the interesting section to be extracted, by using likelihood vectors and extract, as the interesting section, part of the first feature section including the specified time.
US08942530B2
An exemplary embodiment providing one or more improvements includes an endoscope connector for connecting any given one of a plurality of working assemblies to an imaging assembly.
US08942528B2
A fiber optic cable sub-assembly comprises a fiber optic cable including at least one optical fiber, a cable jacket that houses the optical fiber and at least one metal strength member. A collar is attached to an end portion of the metal strength member, wherein the optical fiber extends beyond an outer axial end of the collar. In another example a fiber optic cable assembly is fabricated from the fiber optic cable sub-assembly wherein a connector housing is attached to the collar, and an interface operably connects an end portion of the optical fiber to an active optical component within the connector housing. In further examples, methods of assembly for a fiber optic cable sub-assembly are provided along with using the sub-assembly for making a fiber optic cable assembly.
US08942522B2
Optical stack is disclosed. The optical stack includes a first optical stack that includes, a first optical adhesive layer, and a reflective polarizer layer that is disposed on the first optical adhesive layer. The reflective polarizer layer substantially reflects light of a first polarization state and substantially transmits light of a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state. The optical stack also includes a second optical stack that includes a second optical adhesive layer, a low index layer that is disposed on the second optical adhesive layer and includes a plurality of voids dispersed in a binder, and a light directing film that is disposed on the low index layer and includes a plurality of unitary discrete structures. Portions of each unitary discrete structure penetrate into the first optical adhesive layer. Portions of each unitary discrete structure do not penetrate into the first optical adhesive layer. Each unitary discrete structure defines a penetration depth and a penetration base at the interface between the penetrating and non-penetrating portions of the unitary discrete structure. The penetration base has a minimum penetration base dimension. The plurality of unitary discrete structures has an average penetration depth and an average minimum penetration base dimension. The ratio of the average penetration depth to the average minimum penetration base dimension is at least 1.5. The peel strength between the first and second optical stacks is greater than about 30 grams/inch.
US08942515B1
An efficient image retrieval method utilizing topological order distance (TOD) algorithm is disclosed. In one aspect, an image recognition method may include steps of receiving one or more input images; extracting one or more key features on the input images; determining an origin and one or more feature points on the key features on the input images; establishing a topological relationship in each dimension between the feature points on the key features; and utilizing the topological relationship in each dimension between the feature points to identify the input images in an image database. Comparing with the conventional image retrieval techniques, the TOD algorithm is advantageous because it is more efficient, scale and rotation invariant, and tolerant to affine and perspective transformation.
US08942513B2
A de-warping processing method for digital images includes the following steps. A first image window is segmented into a plurality of first blocks. A second image window is segmented into a plurality of second blocks according to locations and an amount of the first blocks. A coordinate transformation parameter is calculated by a group of first vertex coordinate values of the first block and a group of second vertex coordinate values of the corresponding second block. Each of coordinate values of the first block is transformed into an estimated coordinate value of the corresponding second block according to the coordinate transformation parameter. A pixel content value is obtained from the second image window according to each of the estimated coordinate values, and is written into a pixel with the corresponding coordinate value in the first block. All the first blocks are processed for outputting a first image.
US08942502B2
Parallelization of decoding of a data stream encoded with a variable length code includes determining one or more markers, each of which indicates a position within the encoded data stream. The determined markers are included into the encoded data stream together with the encoded data. At the decoder side, the markers are parsed from the encoded data stream and based on the extracted markers. The encoded data is separated into partitions, which are decoded separately and in parallel.
US08942499B2
Medium with image decoding program effecting: extracting motion vector information, quantized DCT coefficients, and rounding method information from input information; dequantizing quantized DCT coefficients to DCT coefficients; performing inverse DCT conversion to an error image; synthesizing a prediction image of a currently decoded image by performing motion compensation using motion vector information, rounding method information, and a previously decoded reference image; and adding prediction and error images to obtain a decoded image; wherein motion compensation is performed with half-pixel accuracy and uses bilinear interpolation to calculate intensity values of chrominance or luminance at points where no pixels exist in the reference image, the interpolation using a positive or negative rounding method, using rounding specified by rounding method information included in coded information of the currently decoded image; wherein the rounding method specifies one of two values specifying a positive or negative rounding method, via rounding method information of one bit.
US08942496B2
Provided is an image processing apparatus capable of simultaneous reduction in memory capacity and compressibility error. An output image data generating means 11 generates processed image data based on specific reference data and preprocessed image data. Reference data generating means 5 repeatedly executes an identical processing in one term made up of not less than two consecutive frames. When an object frame is a top frame in the term, restored reference data generated by data expanding means 15 is outputted as data expanding means. When the object frame is a second or subsequent frame in the term, simulated specific reference data is generated based on the restored reference data generated by the data expanding means 15 and preprocessed image data of the object frame, and outputted as specific reference data. When the object frame is a final frame in the term, in addition to the above operation, the reference data is generated based on the specific reference data and preprocessed image data of the object frame, and outputted to the data compressing means 13, to be compressed.
US08942494B2
An image processing apparatus including a decoding unit configured to decode encoded stereoscopic dynamic image data containing a consecutive picture pair having a disparity, for each block into which the picture has been divided, and to detect a decoding error, an estimation unit configured to perform first estimation processing of estimating, as a disparity of an error block between an error picture including an error block in which the decoding error has been detected and a paired picture thereof, a disparity of a corresponding-location corresponding to the error block between an approximate picture and a paired picture thereof, and a correction unit configured to correct the decoding error by applying, to the error block, a block located at a position shifted by an amount of the estimated disparity from the corresponding-location in the paired picture of the error picture.
US08942493B2
An image coding method for performing compression-coding on image data includes: binarizing a signal to be coded of the image data, to generate a binary signal; determining a low-order context which is a context associated with a type of the signal to be coded, and a high-order context that is common to the low-order context and a context associated with another type; calculating coding probability information to be used in arithmetic coding of the binary signal, using (i) high-order probability information corresponding to the determined high-order context and (ii) low-order probability information corresponding to the determined low-order context; performing the arithmetic coding on the binary signal using the coding probability information; and updating the high-order probability information and the low-order probability information based on the binary signal.
US08942484B2
A method includes receiving an indication of a set of image regions identified in image data. The method further includes, selecting image regions from the set of image regions for text extraction at least partially based on image region stability.
US08942479B2
The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for pictorial identification of a communication event using speech or text recognition in an electronic device. The communication can be (but is not limited to) a telephone call, an electronic mail message, MMS, SMS, an instant message, etc. Words from the communication event are identified using the speech or text recognition by the electronic device and at least one picture out of a library of reference pictures is identified by comparing the identified words with the key picture words using a predetermined criterion. Color background of the identified standard picture can be also identified using the identified words and a further predetermined criterion. The identified picture can be displayed during the communications event or can be stored so the user can identify the topic of the communication event later on.
US08942477B2
An image processing method includes inputting input image data captured by an imaging unit, generating an input histogram of the input image data based on the input image data, and correcting the input image data based on noise characteristics data and the input histogram, wherein the noise characteristics data includes data indicating probability of a first characteristic value becoming a second characteristic value due to noise.
US08942475B2
An image signal processing apparatus, which includes a first area input-output characteristics control unit, which controls change of input-output characteristics for every arbitrary area associated with a value of an input luminance signal. The image signal processing apparatus also includes a second area input-output characteristics control unit, which controls change of input-output characteristics for every arbitrary area associated with an output of the first area input-output characteristics control unit, and a chrominance input-output characteristics control unit which controls the change of the input-output characteristics of an input chrominance signal by utilizing the output of the first area input-output characteristics control unit and the output of the second area input-output characteristics control unit.
US08942471B2
A method and a System to obtain a more realistic image of an object by acquiring a plurality of e.g. monochromatic images without increasing the structure of a, for example, charged coupled device array by a sequential acquisition of the images by using a color sequential flash.
US08942464B2
The present invention provides a pattern measuring apparatus (600) that: acquires the image contour of a circuit pattern formed by transferring design data; classifies the acquired image contour into shape structures; calculates normal vectors for each shape structure; maps the shape structures to the image contour; uses at least one normal direction for each shape structure to stabilize the normal directions to the image contour; and uses the normal vectors for each shape structure to determine the position of a SEM contour.
US08942459B2
In various embodiments, methods and apparatus are provided for automated selection of features of cells useful for classifying cell phenotype. The methods include determining a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) for each of a plurality of pairs of features, rather than S/N for individual features. The approach is capable of quickly identifying a small set of features of imaged cells that are most relevant for classification of a desired cell phenotype from among a very large number of features. The small group of relevant features can then be used to more efficiently and more accurately classify phenotype of unidentified cells.
US08942456B2
Systems and methods of image reconstruction that can reduce the number of Fourier transform measurements required to obtain an exact or stable reconstruction of target images, using prior edge information obtained from a reference image. Full-sampled, 2 or 3-dimensional Fourier transform measurements are obtained for the reference image prior to performing a time series study. Based on the reference image sharing similar edge information with a time series of sparse-gradient images, the number of Fourier transform measurements required to reconstruct the target images can be reduced by using compressed sensing techniques to obtain the sparse-gradient images, and combining the edge information for the sparse-gradient images with the reduced number of Fourier transform measurements to obtain the exact or stable reconstruction of the target images, thereby permitting improved temporal resolution and/or extent of tissue coverage over the use of full sampling and conventional image reconstruction methods.
US08942450B2
The invention concerns the reconstruction of a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) image of an object, for example part of a region of interest in a patient, on the basis of a set of a one-dimensional or two-dimensional views respectively of the region of interest, taken from different positions by an imagining system around the region of interest. The invention finds particular application in medical imaging by tomography reconstruction of Few-View Tomography.
US08942447B2
Certain aspects of an apparatus and method for method and apparatus for tissue region identification may include segmenting the image into a plurality of regions, filtering out regions in the plurality of regions which are curvilinear, and isolating a target area where the tissue sample is identified as the plurality of regions not filtered.
US08942435B2
A pre-record data storage device includes: a first recorder; a second recorder having a capacity larger than that of the first recorder; a face comparison processor that executes a face comparison process on a person's face detected from an image obtained by photographing the person; and a recording controller. The recording controller allows the first recorder to start pre-recording of the image of the person from a face detection time when the person's face is detected, and to finish the pre-recording at a matched time when matching is confirmed as a result of the face comparison process of the face comparison processor. The recording controller stores pre-recorded data from the face detection time to the matched time in the second recorder.
US08942411B2
One or more techniques and/or systems for combining images of objects are disclosed where an image of a first object is to be inserted into an image of a second object in such a manner as to make the insertion substantially undetectable by a human observer of the combined image. An object generator generates a substantially artifact free image of a first object. An object locator orients the first object image according to a desired insertion point in a second object image. A forward projector converts the first object image into projection space data of the first object, and a combiner combines the first object projection space data with the second object projection space data. The combined projection space data is converted to image space data by a reconstructor, and the resulting combined image space data can be displayed on a monitor for human observation.
US08942410B2
An electronic device having an enclosure having a top panel and a bottom panel. An electromagnet is mounted within the enclosure, the electromagnet having a core portion attached to the top panel and a coil connected to the core portion. An attractor plate is attached to the bottom panel, the attractor plate forming part of a magnetic circuit of the electromagnet such that when an electrical audio signal is applied to the electromagnet, the bottom panel vibrates and produces a sound. A permanent magnet is further attached to the core portion, the permanent magnet is configured to create a bias in the magnetic circuit so as to modify a distortion in the sound.
US08942409B2
An improved electrodynamic acoustic transducer eliminates or reduces the need for flexible or elastic materials to suspend an internal magnetic element by using both static and dynamic signal-dependent magnetic fields to control its movement. In one implementation, the transducer has a magnet that moves within a surrounding tube. This tube in turn supports one or more electromagnetic coils that generate a dynamic signal-dependent magnetic field that causes the internal magnetic element to vibrate. The surrounding tube also supports one or more magnets whose location on the tube is fixed and whose magnetic fields provide appropriate restoring forces acting on the internal magnetic element. These fixed magnets may be replaced or supplemented by ferromagnetic materials. This transducer may provide sound and infrasonic vibration by coupling the internal magnetic element to other radiating elements or by being placed in close proximity to or in actual contact with the pinna or meatus of the human ear when used in headphones or earphones, for example, and it also may provide sound through the direct vibration of the air in contact with the surface of the internal magnetic element. When direct atmospheric coupling is not required, the transducer may be assembled in a sealed enclosure.
US08942402B2
An acoustic speaker device (10) according to the present invention comprises at least two types of gas adsorption materials in a cabinet (12) thereof. A porous carbon material package member (14A), which is one of the gas adsorption materials, can adsorb or eliminate air in the cabinet (12) by a porous carbon material (41) during the operation of a speaker unit (13) so as to buffer compression or expansion of air in the cabinet (12). A sheet-like moisture adsorbing material (14B), which is the other of the gas adsorbing materials, is formed by dispersing copper ion-exchanged ZSM-5 zeolite (43) in a thermoplastic resin composition (44), and is stuck on at least a section of an inner wall of the cabinet (12). This configuration allows moisture in the cabinet (12) to be rapidly adsorbed.
US08942400B2
An implantable bone-conduction hearing actuator based on a piezoelectric element, such as a unimorph or bimorph cantilever bender, is described. Unlike other implantable bone conduction hearing actuators, the device is subcutaneous and once implanted is entirely invisible. The device excites bending in bone through a local bending moment rather than the application of a point force as with conventional bone-anchored hearing aids.
US08942396B2
A wireless binaural hearing system comprises a left-ear hearing device, a right-ear hearing device and auxiliary devices. The devices communicate via radio signals. Each device comprises a radio transmitter transmitting messages, each hearing device comprises a radio receiver receiving messages, the auxiliary device is adapted to transmit application messages, and the hearing devices are adapted to receive application messages. The quality of wireless communication varies when the user moves his head, which may lead to temporal gaps in communication. Such gaps may cause annoying pauses and/or delays in audio signals presented to the user, and the hearing devices may become temporarily unsynchronised. To avoid such gaps and improve reliability of the communication, without increasing the radio signal power, a first hearing device relays received application messages to a second hearing device in dependence on network messages received from the second hearing device indicating whether application messages were correctly received.
US08942382B2
Near-end equipment for a communication channel with far-end equipment. The near-end equipment includes at least one loudspeaker, at least two microphones, a beamformer, and an echo canceller. The communication channel may be in one of a number of communication states including Near-End Only state, Far-End Only state, and Double-Talk state. In one embodiment, when the echo canceller determines that the communication channel is in either the Far-End Only state or the Double-Talk state, the beamformer is configured to generate a nearfield beampattern signal that directs a null towards a loudspeaker. When the echo canceller detects the Near-End Only state, the beamformer is configured to generate a farfield beampattern signal that optimizes reception of acoustic signals from the near-end audio source. Using different beamformer processing for different communication states allows echo cancellation processing to be more successful at reducing echo in the signal transmitted to the far-end equipment.
US08942377B2
A method and apparatus to establish trust between two nodes in a communications network. A first node receives from a network node authentication data unique to the first node, which can be used to derive a compact representation of verification data for the first node. The first node also receives a certified compact representation of verification data of all nodes in the network. The first node derives trust information from the authentication data for the node, and sends to a second node a message that includes the trust information and part of the authentication data. The second node has its own copy of the certified compact representation of verification data of all nodes in the network, and verifies the authenticity of the message from the first node using the compact representation of verification data of all nodes in the network and the received trust information and authentication data.
US08942371B2
A method and system for hybrid encryption wherein all of the round function variables including the encryption algorithm change for each round. This permits the generation of block sizes and key sizes of any length and use standard block sizes and key sizes for the respective symmetric algorithm for each round function.
US08942368B2
Communication systems and methods are described that include call notification with rich caller identification. Components of the communication systems are configured to receive a call for a user via an enterprise voice channel. A call request is automatically generated in response to event data of the received call. The call request includes caller data from enterprise databases or directories. The caller data provides identifying information of the caller to the user via the call request. The call request can include response options by which the user can participate in the call. The call request is routed to a target device of the user via a data channel of the host enterprise. The target device provides the user with multiple action or response options via the call request. The response options include for example accepting the call, delaying the call, forwarding the call, ignoring the call, and ignoring the caller.
US08942366B2
Disclosed are apparatus and techniques for providing presence and location information from available media resources to participants in a media conference so that the participants can use then use such available resources in the conferencing interaction. When participating in such rich media conferences with presence and location capabilities, apparatus and techniques are provided for determining the device(s) being used and their capabilities and determining available resources presently connected to a network that is available to the participants and presenting such presence information to the conference participants. Additionally, apparatus and techniques are provided for obtaining presence and location knowledge of potential resources that are accessible but not connected to the network or shutdown and presenting such information to the participants. Thus, the participants can obtain presence and location information regarding accessible resources, including off-line or shutdown resources, and then use such information to enhance the conference in a number of ways.
US08942359B2
A method for accessing offline voicemail messages within a mobile messaging application may be provided. First, a voice mail message may be received and the voicemail message may be transcribed to text. Next, the voicemail message and the text transcription may be stored. The recipient may then be presented with a list of voicemail messages and the voicemail message may be retrieved in response to the recipient. The recipient may read or listen to the voicemail message or both. The recipient may also annotate the voicemail message.
US08942354B1
A computer-implemented method and system to remotely test message-waiting notifications over a communications network is provided. The method includes receiving broadband signaling from a voicemail platform; converting the broadband signaling to narrowband signaling; and transmitting the narrowband signaling, which generates status notifications, and transmits the status notifications to a remote test location. The system includes a switching element that routes the broadband signaling generated by the voicemail platform. The switching element routes the broadband signaling to a message processing component that executes code that searches a message-waiting-notification database to generate appropriate tones based on the broadband signaling received from the switching element.
US08942352B2
The present disclosure relates to a field emission X-ray tube apparatus for facilitating cathode replacement, and more particularly, to a field emission X-ray tube apparatus for facilitating cathode replacement in which gates and cathodes are easily arranged through a joining member and a rotation preventing guide when gates and insulating spacers are rotated and joined with the cathodes while the cathodes and respective gates maintain electrical insulation, thereby easily replacing the cathodes.
US08942349B2
The disclosure generally relates to dual-energy imaging, and in particular, techniques to produce and process dual-energy images using a dual-energy imaging system. One embodiment provides a method for generating at least one image of a region of interest in a patient, the method comprising: obtaining at least two radiological images of the region of interest identified with at least one marker arranged on and/or around the patient, wherein a first image is acquired with a first X-ray energy and a second image is acquired with a second X-ray energy; and determining a final radiological image of the region of interest by linearly combining the two radiological images to obtain an image without the markers.
US08942348B2
An apparatus is provided for performing radiation therapy on a patient. In certain embodiments, the apparatus includes a patient support surface, a gantry having a radiation source rotatable around the patient support surface, a supply arm extending through the central bore, a supply interface disposed on the supply arm, and a supply line connecting the supply interface to a supply source. The apparatus delivers radiation therapy accessories to the patient while minimally interfering with access to the patient by radiation therapy personnel.
US08942325B2
A wireless communication apparatus receiving a signal transmitted from multiple transmission antennas by multiple reception antennas, includes a rotational component removal unit to remove rotational components from a channel matrix representing a characteristic of a transmission path between the multiple transmission antennas and reception antennas, the channel matrix being generated based on the reception signal; multiple signal separation units including at least a signal separation unit to use a first signal separation algorithm for a demodulation process of the reception signal, and a signal separation unit to use a second signal separation algorithm for the demodulation process of the reception signal; and a control unit to execute control for determining one of the multiple signal separation units to be used for the demodulation process of the reception signal, based on a predetermined component of the channel matrix having the rotational components removed.
US08942323B2
Communication system with signal-to-noise ratio adjustment mechanism and method of operation thereof
A communication system includes: a partial-calculation module configured to determine a partial-sensitive output and a partial-insensitive output for a receiver message; a characterization module, coupled to the partial-calculation module, configured to calculate a mismatch characterization with a control unit using the partial-sensitive output and the partial-insensitive output; and a selection module, coupled to the partial-calculation module, configured to generate a mechanism-controller based on the mismatch characterization for communicating with a device.
US08942321B2
Methods and devices for receiving wireless signals employ compressed sensing-based estimation techniques to receive single-carrier transmissions, exploiting the common sparseness of the wireless channel, enabling signal reception in the presence of significant Delay and Doppler spreads. When implemented for an ATSC or ATSC-M/H mobile TV standard signal, the compressed sensing channel estimation algorithm enables data reception in Delay and Doppler spread conditions beyond the capabilities of conventional channel estimation methods.
US08942317B2
Apparatuses, methods and systems for mitigating carrier offset of a received signal are disclosed. One embodiment of a receiver includes a receiver chain operative to receive a communication signal from a desired transmitter, and a controller operative to determine a carrier offset correction based on prior reception of communication signals from the desired transmitter. The receiver chain is operative to generate a carrier offset corrected received signal by applying the carrier offset correction to the received communication signal, and a correlation processor operative to correlate the carrier offset corrected received communication signal with a known sequence.
US08942312B1
This disclosure describes techniques for modulating data. In one embodiment, these techniques include receiving an I or Q value, generating a time-shifted sample of a shaped pulse based on the I or Q value, and providing the time-shifted sample to a digital-to-analog converter.
US08942299B2
Exemplary embodiments are directed to beamforming. A device may include a plurality of inputs for receiving differential in-phase and quadrature data. The device may further include a plurality of switching elements coupled to the plurality of inputs and configured to enable for rotation of the differential in-phase and quadrature data at baseband.
US08942296B2
A signal adaptive filtering method for reducing blocking effect and ringing noise, a signal adaptive filter, and a computer readable medium. The signal adaptive filtering method capable of reducing blocking effect and ringing noise of image data when a frame is composed of blocks of a predetermined size includes the steps of: (a) generating blocking information for reducing the blocking effect and ringing information for reducing the ringing noise, from coefficients of predetermined pixels of the upper and left boundary regions of the data block when a frame obtained by deconstructing a bitstream image data for inverse quantization is an intraframe; and (b) adaptively filtering the image data passed through inverse quantization and inverse discrete cosine transform according to the generated blocking information and ringing information. Therefore, the blocking effect and ringing noise can be eliminated from the image restored from the block-based image, thereby enhancing the image restored from compression.
US08942295B2
Herein described is a method and system of vertically filtering a graphics image such that an enhanced image is provided to a display. Filtering of the graphics image may be accomplished by using one or more window descriptors. The method may be implemented by computing a weighted average of one or more pixel intensities. The system may comprise a memory, a processor, and a graphics engine. The graphics engine may comprise a graphics blender. The graphics blender may comprise one or more multipliers and one or more adders. The processor may execute software resident in the memory, such that the one or more window descriptors may be used to compute the weighted average.
US08942289B2
A digital media encoder/decoder includes signaling of various modes relating to computation complexity and precision at decoding. The encoder may send a syntax element indicating arithmetic precision (e.g., using 16 or 32-bit operations) of the transform operations performed at decoding. The encoder also may signal whether to apply scaling at the decoder output, which permits a wider dynamic range of intermediate data at decoding, but adds to computational complexity due to the scaling operation.
US08942287B2
A method and apparatus for performing motion estimation in a digital video system is disclosed. Specifically, the present invention discloses a system that quickly calculates estimated motion vectors in a very efficient manner. In one embodiment, a first multiplicand is determined by multiplying a first display time difference between a first video picture and a second video picture by a power of two scale value. This step scales up a numerator for a ratio. Next, the system determines a scaled ratio by dividing that scaled numerator by a second first display time difference between said second video picture and a third video picture. The scaled ratio is then stored calculating motion vector estimations. By storing the scaled ratio, all the estimated motion vectors can be calculated quickly with good precision since the scaled ratio saves significant bits and reducing the scale is performed by simple shifts.
US08942284B2
Provided is a method that derives a chroma intra prediction mode of a prediction unit, determines a size of a current chroma block using luma transform size information, generates a chroma prediction block of the current chroma block using the chroma intra prediction mode, generates a chroma residual block of the current chroma block using the chroma intra prediction mode and a chroma quantization parameter, generates a chroma reconstructed block adding the chroma prediction block and the chroma residual block, and the chroma quantization parameter is generated using a luma quantization parameter and information indicating the relationship between the luma quantization parameter and the chroma quantization parameter. Therefore, the coding efficiency is improved by adjusting the chroma quantization parameter per picture. Also, the amount of bits for transmitting the luma and chroma quantization parameters is reduced by encoding the luma quantization parameter using neighboring luma quantization parameters.
US08942276B2
There is provided a transmission apparatus which includes a transmitting circuit that receives a bit string in which an input bit string expressed as combination of 0 and 1 is preceded by a 1-bit value 0, computes a difference value between two bits adjacent to each other in the bit string, the difference value being one of among +1, 0, or −1, and sends the computed difference value, and a receiving circuit that stores a 1-bit value with an initial value of 0, receives the difference value +1, 0, or −1 sent by the transmitting circuit, calculates a sum of the received difference value and the stored 1-bit value, outputs, as a value of a receiving signal, 1 if the sum is 1 or more or 0 if the sum is 0 or less, and updates the stored 1-bit value to the value of the output receiving signals.
US08942273B2
Provided is a relay node that performs network coding with respect to signals transmitted from a plurality of sources. The relay node may partition a plurality of constellation points into a plurality of subsets, generate a new constellation diagram based on respective characteristics among the plurality of subsets, and perform network coding based on the new constellation diagram.
US08942271B2
A blower apparatus includes a blower casing; an elastic member for mounting a mounting portion that projects on an outer circumferential portion of the blower casing, to a blower support member disposed on the inlet side of the mounting portion; and a flange portion provided on the inlet side of the mounting portion. At least three elastic members are disposed in the same plane that is almost orthogonal to a rotation shaft, and adhesion surfaces are provided on both ends, in the rotation shaft direction, of each elastic member. The mounting portion is fixed to one of the adhesion surfaces, and the blower support member is fixed to the other of the adhesion surfaces. The flange portion is provided so as to oppose the blower support member through a gap having a thickness less than a thickness, in the rotation shaft direction, of the elastic member.
US08942251B2
A wireless communication method and system are provided in which an uplink data stream that has uplink data associated with a user device is received. Channel performance data based at least in part on a portion of the uplink data stream is determined. A determination is made whether the channel performance data meets a predetermined performance level. The portion of the uplink data stream is discarded when the channel performance data does not meet the predetermined performance level. The portion of the uplink data stream is tagged for additional processing when the channel performance data meets the predetermined performance level.
US08942249B2
A synchronization method, a communication handover method, a radio network, and a RAN node are disclosed. The interface information synchronization method includes determining whether a condition for initiating interface information update is fulfilled. Information about the S1 interface between the RAN node and the core network node, is sent. In addition, or alternatively, information about the X2 interface between the RAN node and the neighboring RAN node is sent to the neighboring RAN node if the condition for initiating interface information update fulfilled.
US08942245B2
In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises a processing module, disposed within a first switch fabric element, configured to detect a second switch fabric element having a routing module when the second switch fabric element is operatively coupled to the first switch fabric element. The processing module is configured to define a virtual processing module configured to be operatively coupled to the second switch fabric element. The virtual processing module is configured to receive a request from the second switch fabric element for forwarding information and the virtual processing module is configured to send the forwarding information to the routing module.
US08942242B2
In one embodiment, a data packet is received at a network device. A layer-2 identification (L2ID) value is identified for the received data packet based on a destination address and a label stack of the received data packet. The L2ID value is specific to an application associated with the data packet. A 6-tuple is created that includes the L2ID value. The received data packet is classified using the 6-tuple. Deep packet inspection (DPI) services are performed based on the classification of the received data packet. The DPI services apply a set of one or more application-level policies to the received data packet. The received data packet is forwarded from the network device toward a destination.
US08942239B2
A router, includes: a routing table memory unit configured to store a routing table and be capable of reading and writing the routing table at any time, the routing table being destination information of a packet; a search engine unit which has a transfer information base memory unit and which is configured to search for a destination of the packet based on a transfer information base; a power supply unit configured to supply power to the routing table memory unit and the transfer information base memory unit; and a control unit configured to control the power supply unit such that the power is supplied to the non-volatile memory when the non-volatile memory is operated, and the power supply is interrupted when the non-volatile memory is not operated.
US08942235B1
Techniques are described for load-balancing deterministic NAT functions in a mobile gateway or other device in which subscriber sessions are distributed across a plurality of session management cards. Each of the session management cards may host a non-contiguous set of public addresses and a non-contiguous set of private network addresses associated with the subscriber sessions. To facilitate deterministic NAT under such conditions, each of the session management cards locally maps the non-contiguous set of public network addresses to an internal contiguous sequence of identifiers for the public addresses and maps the non-contiguous set of private network addresses to an internal contiguous sequence of identifiers for the private addresses. Each of the session management cards may then perform deterministic NAT on packets based on the contiguous sequence of identifiers for the public addresses and the contiguous sequence of identifiers for the private addresses internal to the session management card.
US08942233B2
An embodiment of the invention is a method and corresponding system for improved network address translation (NAT) operation, to enable efficient translation for packets destined for communication systems within a domain utilizing network addresses that are incompatible with source and destination addresses indicated in packets delivered from the global Internet. Since the addresses are not compatible with global Internet addresses, delivery cannot be accomplished except by some method of address translation. Traditional systems have not been constructed to enable such inbound translations, providing, instead, only communication outbound from the incompatibly addressed domain towards the global Internet. The example embodiment employs history and pattern matching between observable characteristics of the inbound payload, associated over time with specific destinations. The example embodiment may also employ DPI search techniques known from widely deployed systems in use today, to identify a field on which the pattern matching may operate.
US08942230B2
In one embodiment, a logical packet switching device has its switching fabric extended between multiple physical devices, such as, but not limited to, over one or more networks (e.g., over tunnel(s), point-to-point link(s), and/or public and/or private L2 or L3 network(s)). In particular, one embodiment extends the switching fabric between multiple different physical devices by effectively merging, at least from the perspective of ingress and/or egress line cards, a switching fabric in each of these multiple different physical devices. In this regard, an ingress lookup operation in a first physical device of one embodiment produces information which is used by the switching fabric in a different physical device to forward a packet to the appropriate egress line card in the different physical device. Further, one embodiment includes line cards which can be used to both extend the switching fabric as well as communicate with packet switching and other devices that are independent of the logical packet switching device.
US08942218B2
Embodiments of retransmission of data using sub-carrier frequency permutation are described herein.
US08942214B2
A method and wireless apparatus are described, whereby a transceiver receives a null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame from a transmitter to initiate channel sounding, and receives a null data packet (NDP) from the transmitter, the NDP following the NDPA frame. A first report field is configured to include beamforming information, and a second report field is configured to include signal to noise ratio (SNR) information. A determination is made as to whether feedback data including the first report field and the second report field is transmitted in a single feedback frame or a plurality of feedback frames. If the feedback data is determined to be transmitted in the plurality of feedback frames, the feedback data is split into a plurality of segments, which is transmitted in a single aggregated medium access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU) including a plurality of MPDUs.
US08942208B2
Providing for improved error control signaling in wireless communications is disclosed herein. By way of example, multiple transmissions can be conducted for a HARQ process prior to a scheduled feedback signal on the HARQ process, causing a receiving device to combine the multiple transmissions, rather than treat them as separate transmissions. In this manner, multiple transmissions can be employed to increase overall receive energy, without violating maximum transmit power constraints in a wireless communication. Further, these multiple transmissions can be configured based on prevailing signal strength at the receiving device, or based on processing capabilities of the receiving device, providing flexible protocols that can accommodate advanced as well as legacy UEs in wide range of wireless conditions.
US08942202B2
A method of defining physical channel transmit/receiving timings and resource allocation is provided for use in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) communication system supporting carrier aggregation. A method for receiving, at a base station, a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) acknowledgement from a terminal in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) system supporting carrier aggregation of a primary cell and at least one secondary cell includes transmitting a downlink physical channel through one of the primary and secondary cells, receiving the HARQ acknowledgement corresponding to the downlink physical channel of the primary cell at a first timing predetermined for the primary cell, and receiving the HARQ acknowledgement corresponding to the downlink physical channel of the secondary cell at second timing, wherein the second timing is determined according to the first timing.
US08942201B1
A method and apparatus are disclosed for increasing the speed with which a number of stations associated with an IBSS network may be synchronized and/or for reducing the number of beacon frame collisions in the IBSS network. For at least some embodiments, the synchronization speed may be increased by allowing STAs having faster clock speeds to broadcast beacon frames more frequently than STAs having slower clock speeds.
US08942197B2
A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) may include mobile nodes, each having a wireless transceiver and a controller cooperating with wireless transceiver. The controller may be configured to operate in a geographic area using a time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol and based upon a TDMA epoch including TDMA time slots. The controller may also be configured to dynamically divide into first type mobile nodes and second type mobile nodes based upon a current topologic density in the topologic area relative to a topological density threshold so that each first type mobile node has a periodic TDMA time slot allocated in the TDMA epoch and so that each second type mobile node contends for contention interval TDMA time slots in the TDMA epoch.
US08942191B2
A method, system, and computer program product for providing dynamic group subscriptions for M2M device communication provides a more flexible and efficient technology for allocating registrations and resources. A method for allocating a plurality of subscriptions to wireless services in a network among a plurality of wireless devices in the network comprises creating a group including a plurality of wireless devices, making an initial allocation of the subscriptions to the group, the initial allocation including allocating one subscription to each of some of the plurality of wireless devices, modifying the allocation of the subscriptions to the group, including at least one of deallocating a subscription from one of the plurality of wireless devices and allocating a subscription to one of the plurality of wireless devices.
US08942188B2
The present invention relates to a method of reducing beacon collision probability in a communication network supporting control channels comprising beacon periods divided into beacon slots, each beacon period being followed by a contention period. In the method a communication device (101) operating in the communication network first chooses (503) an available beacon slot for transmission of a first type of beacon for exchanging network topology information with other communication devices operating in the communication network. Then the communication device transmits (515) a beacon of a second type comprising an identifier of the communication device and the chosen beacon slot for the transmission of the beacon of the first type, the beacon of the second type being transmitted in the contention period.
US08942185B2
In one aspect, a method for Quality of Service management in a mobile communication system is provided, comprising, in an embodiment: temporarily providing, to a Bearer that has just been established for Non Real Time services, a higher priority than requested at Bearer establishment.
US08942182B2
A method for downloading data from a server to a portable electronic device operating on a wireless network includes determining a network speed of the wireless network, setting a chunk size based on the network speed, sending a request to the server including the chunk size and receiving data from the server in chunks having the chunk size.
US08942180B2
A femto cell service framework is utilized for purchase and service of femtocell equipment and customer support thereof. A point of sale (POS) platform enables purchase of femtocell equipment based on a set of eligibility criteria. POS also allows purchase of add-on services. Direct fulfillment and post-sale transactions such as returns and equipment replacement are also provided. An account management service enables femtocell equipment and service self-care or through customer representatives. Configuration of service account and monitoring of account status is provided. Customer care architecture also enables remote troubleshooting of purchased equipment. Remote troubleshooting includes diagnosis and related manipulation of purchased equipment.
US08942174B2
A breakout system initiates radio link control (RLC) resets to resynchronize data communication to improve quality of experience for the user. Synchronization of radio traffic is monitored and maintained by the breakout system. When data is broken out, the RLC function is split into two different flows, between the user equipment (UE) and the breakout system and between the breakout system and the radio network controller (RNC). When the sequence numbers of the two flows become out of sync the ciphering context will become out of synchronization resulting in errors. The breakout system can initiate an RLC reset into both of these flows to resynchronize the data communication to improve user's quality of experience.
US08942170B1
A wireless communications method includes registering, in a first wireless network, a group of wireless devices from a second wireless network and facilitating group casting communication between said group of wireless devices and a server operating in said first wireless network. In one aspect, the group casting communication may be performed for machine to machine (M2M) communication between a group of wireless devices and a server.
US08942166B2
A method, a mobile system, and a user communication device are disclosed. A receiving unit 408 may receive a downlink packet 620 from a base station 108. A configuration data storage 412 may store contention based grant data upon receiving the downlink packet 620 and prior to an uplink packet 810 becoming available. A transmitting unit may send an uplink packet 810 based on the contention based grant data.
US08942164B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a feedback generator, a feedback decoder and methods of operating a feedback generator and decoder. In one embodiment, the feedback generator is for use in user equipment and includes a CQI profile module configured to provide a differential channel quality indicator, wherein the differential channel quality indicator represents a difference between indices corresponding to allocatable channel quality indicators. The feedback generator also includes a transmit module that transmits the differential channel quality indicator. In one embodiment, the feedback decoder is for use in a base station and includes a receive module configured to receive a differential channel quality indicator. The feedback decoder also includes a CQI selection module configured to provide allocatable channel quality indicators from the differential channel quality indicator based on a differential index, wherein the differential index represents a difference between indices corresponding to the allocatable channel quality indicators.
US08942163B2
Apparatus and methods to permit the deployment of wireless base stations, where a deployed remote base station is backhauled to the core network over a wireless connection to an operatively attached donor base station using protocols that encapsulate backhaul communications within standard subscriber communication protocols.
US08942159B2
A terminal in a digital mobile radio relay system, a transmission power regulation method and a system thereof are provided. The method includes that an idle frame sent from a relay station is received, the idle frame carries transmission power information of the relay station (201); the transmission power of the relay station is obtained according to the information in the idle frame (202); after a transmission state is entered, data is transmitted in assigned transmission time slots (203); a signal of the relay station is received via a reversal channel and a strength value of the received signal is calculated (204); when data transmission is required to be continued, the transmission power of a next frame is determined based on the transmission power of the relay station and the strength value of the received signal (206); according to the determined transmission power of the next frame, the data of next frame is transmitted in assigned transmission time slots.
US08942156B2
A method, system and device for supporting enhanced Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) in a relay network are disclosed. The method includes that: a network side sends a message to a relay node used to indicate a position of a Multicast Broadcast over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe relates to the eMBMS in a transmission frame; the relay node determines the position of the MBSFN subframe in the transmission frame according to the message, and makes the MBSFN subframe silent according to the determinate position; when a user terminal determines the existence of the MBSFN subframe made silent by the relay node in the transmission frame sent from the relay node, the user terminal receives the eMBMS sent by device except the relay node according to control information of the received eMBMS, thereby avoids the influence of the relay node to the user terminal supporting eMBMS.
US08942153B2
Methods for transmitting and receiving data using a plurality of carriers are disclosed. One of the methods comprises multiplexing the multicast/broadcast data and the unicast data in a frame and attaching a pilot signal to the frame. Another of the methods comprises receiving the radio frame including a plurality of data symbols multiplexed multicast/broadcast data with unicast data and retrieving the multicast/broadcast data and the unicast data from the radio frame.
US08942149B2
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting a broadcasting service in a system that supports machine to machine communications, the method comprising: transmitting an event registration message to a base station for the registration of an event at the time of occurrence; receiving from the base station an event registration response that contains information on a reserved downlink resource area in the base station to transmit the vent occurrence to other terminals; and broadcasting the event occurrence to the other terminals via the reserved downlink resource area.
US08942139B2
In one embodiment, a system includes a switching processor configured to execute logic, a plurality of ports, at least some of the ports being grouped together in one or more link aggregations (LAGs), logic adapted to create at least a first virtual local area network (VLAN) interface for Ethernet traffic using transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) that is received on at least one of the plurality of ports, and logic adapted to create at least a second VLAN for storage area network (SAN) traffic using Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and/or remote direct access memory (RDMA) over Converged Enhanced Ethernet (RoCEE) that is received on at least one of the plurality of ports, wherein no SAN traffic using FCoE and/or RoCEE is assigned to the first VLAN, and wherein no Ethernet traffic using TCP/IP is assigned to the second VLAN.
US08942137B2
The present invention relates to a method and arrangement in a telecommunication system, in particular to methods and arrangements for supporting maintenance activities of units in a telecommunication network.
US08942135B2
A system and/or method includes a collector module configured to collect route parameters from a selected node of a plurality of nodes in the network, wherein the route parameters from the selected node are indicative of a first route to a destination address and a second route to the destination address; and a route processor configured to determine a first intermediate node along the first route communicatively coupled to the destination address and a second intermediate node along the first route communicatively coupled to the destination address, based at least in part on the collected route parameters.
US08942133B2
For a peer-to-peer call in an ad hoc wireless network, a wireless device performs discovery of a target wireless device, performs authentication of the target wireless device and generates a session key (e.g., using a pre-shared key or a certificate provisioned on the wireless device), forms an ad hoc wireless network with the target wireless device, and communicates peer-to-peer with the target wireless device via the ad hoc wireless network. The wireless device may perform discovery with a list of identifiers for wireless devices designated to communicate with this wireless device. The wireless device may derive a service set identifier (SSID) used to identify the ad hoc wireless network based on its user-specific identifier (e.g., its phone number) and/or a user-specific identifier for the target wireless device. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US08942127B2
A wireless network device and an automatic parameter setting method thereof are provided. The device includes a wireless communication module and an operation module. The wireless communication module is used for transmitting a test signal to a wireless device according to a wireless communication protocol, and receiving an ACK frame transmitted by the wireless device. The operation module is electrically connected to the wireless communication module, and is used for calculating one half of a sum of a minimum transmission time and a maximum transmission time, setting the half of the sum as an ACK timeout interval of the wireless communication module, analyzing whether the ACK frame is obtained within the ACK timeout interval so as to determine whether to use the ACK timeout interval as the maximum transmission time or the minimum transmission time, and recalculating the ACK timeout interval.
US08942123B2
The deferral mechanism described herein may improve medium reuse in a wireless network with transmit power imbalances. For example, in one embodiment, an apparatus employing the deferral mechanism described herein may comprise a receiver to sense a data unit transmitted on a medium associated with the wireless network, wherein the data unit may comprise information indicating a transmit power associated therewith. Furthermore, the apparatus may comprise one or more processors to initiate a transmission on the medium associated with the wireless network if the apparatus is not an intended receiver of the sensed data unit, the transmit power associated with the data unit exceeds a transmit power associated with the apparatus, and a received power associated with the data unit does not equal or exceed a clear channel assessment threshold plus a difference between the transmit power associated with the data unit and the transmit power associated with the apparatus.
US08942122B2
At least one neighbor cell is identified by a base station by detecting a synchronization signal of the at least one neighbor cell. A received signal power, such as a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) or a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), or a combination thereof, is also measured from the at least one neighbor cell. Identifying information and the received signal power of the at least one neighbor cell is then communicated to a network entity of the wireless network. Information is received from the network entity indicating whether the base station can enable a reconfiguration of the allocation of uplink and downlink subframes used in the cell of the base station. Based on the information received from the network entity, the base station enables a reconfiguration of the allocation of uplink and downlink subframes used in the cell.
US08942095B2
A method, a system, and a computer program product is disclosed for identifying a quality of service (QoS) classification of a packet in a network by a network processor. The method comprising: providing a table wherein a priority value with a maximum of N values is used as an index into the table to retrieve a QoS classification having a maximum of M values with M less than N; receiving a data packet in a stream of data packets; extracting at least two priority indicator values from the packet; converting the at least two priority indicator values into a priority value; utilizing the priority value as an index into the table; extracting the entry in the table corresponding to the priority value as the QoS classification of the packet; and utilizing the QoS classification for subsequent processing of the data packet.
US08942093B2
In a transmission apparatus, a shaping circuit shapes a packet output from a switch in a band of predetermined granularity. A packet generation circuit generates a band correction packet in a band smaller than the band of the predetermined granularity of the shaping circuit and inputs the band correction packet to the shaping circuit.
US08942092B2
A gateway data transmission method, device and system are provided, which relate to the field of communication, and involve solving data congestion in a dual mode gateway caused by occupation of resources of the dual mode gateway in existing gateway data transmission technology. The method provided in the present disclosure includes: when service data from a cellular network side needs to be transmitted to a capillary vessel network device via a dual mode gateway, it is determined if the dual mode gateway is congested; if it is congested, a delay transmission message is transmitted to a data transmission main body at the cellular network side, the delay transmission message includes a reaccess time evaluated for service data by the dual mode gateway, the data transmission main body delays the transmission of the service data. The present disclosure can be applied in communication between all sorts of different networks.
US08942086B2
A disclosed example method involves identifying a logical failover circuit comprising an alternate communication path in a failover network that is separate from a logical circuit comprising variable communication paths in at least one of a first logical telecommunications network or a second logical telecommunications network and a fixed communication path between the first and second logical telecommunications networks. The failed logical connection is between the first and second logical telecommunications networks. The failover network is reserved to provide failover circuits to communicate data rerouted from failed logical circuits, and the logical failover circuit identified by a second logical circuit identifier. The logical circuit identifier of the logical circuit is renamed to the second logical circuit identifier of the logical failover circuit when a logical connection in the logical circuit has failed. The data is rerouted from the logical circuit to the logical failover circuit without manual intervention.
US08942083B2
Disclosed herein relates to a method of transmitting uplink data to increase multiplex capacity. The method includes allocating, by each of a plurality of machine type communication user equipment (MTC UE), position information within a single resource block (RB), which is used when transmitting uplink data, to the single RB, generating information about a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) used when demodulating the data received from the plurality of MTC UE, and transmitting the position information within the RB and the information about the DMRS to each of the plurality of MTC UE.
US08942074B2
In a multilayer optical disc having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, because the type of each information layer is not recorded in the other information layers, in read and write operations by a compatible optical disc device conforming to a plurality of optical disc standards, every time the information layer being accessed changes, it has been necessary to read the type of the information layer and select a method of generating a tracking error signal adapted to the type of information layer, so access has taken time. In order to solve the above problem, in the optical multilayer disc according to the present invention, having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, in an area in one of the information layers, information about the other information layers is recorded. The time required to access the other information layers can be reduced by using this information to select a tracking error signal generating method.
US08942070B1
A mathematical watch displays time using mathematical problems. The answers to the mathematical problems indicate the current time. The mathematical problems are periodically updated on a screen of the mathematical watch. The mathematical watch also displays an angle shape that indicates the current temperature.
US08942058B2
Provided is a display data obtaining apparatus capable of, in photoacoustic tomography, reducing a fluctuation in sensitivity which depends on location for image reconstruction even in a limited measurement condition in which a photoacoustic wave generated in the entire subject cannot be obtained in a sufficient range. The display data obtaining apparatus includes: an acoustic wave detecting unit for detecting an acoustic wave generated from a subject irradiated with pulsed light to obtain a signal; a first data deriving unit for deriving first data exhibiting an optical characteristic distribution of the subject based on the obtained signal obtained by the acoustic wave detecting unit; a memory for storing spatial sensitivity distribution data specific to the display data obtaining apparatus; and a second data deriving unit for deriving second data exhibiting the optical characteristic distribution of the subject using the first data and the spatial sensitivity distribution data.
US08942042B2
A method of adjusting a threshold voltage of a ground selection transistor in a nonvolatile memory device includes providing a first voltage to a gate of a first ground selection transistor in a read operation and providing a second voltage to a gate of a second ground selection transistor in the read operation. The nonvolatile memory device includes at least one string, the string having string selection transistors, memory cells and the first and second ground selection transistors connected in series and stacked on a substrate.
US08942038B2
A nonvolatile memory recycles previously written blocks by reassigning binary logic states and further programming memory cells with modified parameters. Cells are written twice between erase operations, thus reducing wear, and providing higher endurance. Flags indicate whether blocks are recycled, and what parameters to use in programming and reading the blocks.
US08942037B2
A method, apparatus, and controller for acquiring and tracking at least one threshold voltage of at least one cell of at least one flash chip. The method can include acquiring the at least one threshold voltage of a particular cell of the at least one flash cell. The method can further include performing at least one threshold voltage adjustment iteration.
US08942034B2
A method includes selectively creating a first breakdown condition and a second breakdown condition at a semiconductor transistor structure. The first breakdown condition is between a source overlap region of the semiconductor transistor structure and a gate of the semiconductor transistor structure. The second breakdown condition is between ad rain overlap region of the semiconductor transistor structure and the gate.
US08942033B2
A driving stage for a phase change non-volatile memory device may include an output driving unit, which supplies an output driving current during programming of a memory cell, a driving-control unit, which receives an input current and generates a first control signal for controlling supply of the output driving current in such a way that a value thereof has a desired relation with the input current, and a level-shifter element, which carries out a level shift of a voltage of the first control signal for supplying to the output driving unit a second control signal, having a voltage value that is increased with respect to, and is a function of, the first control signal. A calibration unit may carry out an operation of updating of the value of a shift voltage across the level-shifter element, as the value of the input current varies.
US08942030B2
The present disclosure provides a static random access memory (SRAM) cell. The SRAM cell includes a first and a second pull-up devices; a first and a second pull-down devices configured with the first and second pull-up devices to form two cross-coupled inverters for data storage; and a first and second pass-gate devices configured with the two cross-coupled inverters to form a port for data access, wherein the first and second pull-down devices each includes a first channel doping feature of a first doping concentration, and the first and second pass-gate devices each includes a second channel doping feature of a second doping concentration greater than the first doping concentration.
US08942028B1
A data storage device includes a non-volatile memory and a controller. A method includes programming information to the non-volatile memory. The information includes multiple codewords. The method further includes accessing a sample codeword of the multiple codewords from the non-volatile memory and determining an error rate associated with the sample codeword. The error rate is determined by an error correcting code (ECC) engine. The method further includes programming the information at the non-volatile memory in response to the error rate satisfying an error threshold.
US08942027B1
A memory storage circuit includes a volatile memory portion, a control portion, and a non-volatile memory portion. The volatile memory portion includes a first node and a second node to store a pair of complementary logic data. The control portion includes a first transistor and a second transistor. Gate electrodes of the first and second transistors are coupled to receive a store signal, and first electrodes of the first and second transistors are coupled to receive a control signal. The non-volatile memory portion includes a first resistive memory element and a second resistive memory element to store the pair of complementary logic data. The first resistive memory element is coupled between a second electrode of the first transistor and the first node, and the second resistive memory element is coupled between a second electrode of the second transistor and the second node.
US08942019B2
A multilevel inverter circuit includes an inverter control circuit that controls switching of main and neutral switches. The inverter control circuit receives current vector information indicating flow direction of an AC current output of the multilevel inverter circuit. The inverter control circuit eliminates dead time between switching of a neutral switch and a main switch depending on whether the AC current output is flowing towards a load or away from the load. Among other advantages, elimination of dead time improves the total harmonic distortion of the sinusoidal AC voltage output of the multilevel inverter circuit.
US08942017B2
An energy storage system (ESS) and a method thereof are disclosed. The system includes a maximum power tracking control unit changing a controlled variable for maximum power point extraction in proportion to an hourly current and power slope of the power generating unit, setting the change amount of the controlled variable to be relatively large if the hourly current and power slope is out of a predetermined hourly current and power slope range, and setting the change amount of the controlled variable to be relatively small if the hourly current and power slope is within a predetermined hourly current and power slope range, and a maximum power extracting unit extracting and converting a maximum power from the power generating unit in response to a control of the maximum power tracking control unit.
US08942015B2
A control device and a control method during bypassing of power units are provided. The method includes: detecting a first three-phase output electrical signal; calculating a first positive sequence component and a first negative sequence component of the first three-phase output electrical signal; providing a given positive sequence component and a given negative sequence component so as to respectively perform the closed-loop compensation on the first positive sequence component and the first negative sequence component, thereby outputting a second positive sequence component and a second negative sequence component; superimposing the second positive sequence component and the second negative sequence component; and outputting a second three-phase output electrical signal in a preset way.
US08942004B2
Disclosed herein is a printed circuit board having electronic components embedded therein. The printed circuit board having electronic components embedded therein includes: a metal core layer connected to a ground terminal of an external power supply to be grounded and having a cavity or a groove part formed thereon; an electronic component accommodated in the cavity and having a plurality of terminals, a ground terminal included in the plurality of terminals being connected to the metal core layer; an internal insulating layer stacked on both sides of the metal core layer; and circuit patterns formed on an external surface of the internal insulating layer.
US08941996B2
A heat dissipation device is used in a circuit board, where the circuit board includes a chip and at least one positioning hole disposed around the chip, and each of the positioning holes has a bare metal area on its periphery. The heat dissipation device includes a heat dissipation element, a conductive element and at least one fixing part. The heat dissipation element is disposed on the chip; the conductive element is connected electrically to the bare metal area of the circuit board and the heat dissipation element respectively; the fixing part passes through the fixing holes and is connected to the positioning hole, so as to fix the heat dissipation element to the circuit board. A circuit board is also provided, which includes a substrate, a chip, a positioning hole and the heat dissipation device.
US08941989B2
A handle assembly for a hand held tablet computer or other handheld electronic device, the assembly including a tablet mounted assembly adhered to the back side of the tablet computer opposite the tablet's screen and a handle removably mounted to the tablet mounted assembly. The handle is rotatable permitting a user to hold the tablet computer within one hand and rotate the tablet computer to access the screen from any desired angle. The handle may include at least one tab and the tablet mounted portion includes at least one opening sized to receive the tab. The mounting plate may include a release tab to releasably engage a recess in the base plate of the handle to secure the tab of the handle within the opening of the mounting plate.
US08941986B2
A computer system includes a computer case, an enclosure, and a heat dissipating device. The computer case includes a rear plate with a plurality of ventilation holes. The enclosure includes a separating portion to divide the computer case into a first receiving area and a second area. The heat dissipating device includes a first heat sink, a second heat sink, a heat pipe and a fan. The first heat sink is attached to a chip, and the fan communicates with the second heat sink. The first heat sink and the fan are received in the first receiving area, and the second heat sink is received in the second receiving area. The heat pipe extends through the separating portion, and the plurality of ventilation holes, the first heat sink, the fan, the heat pipe, and the second heat sink together defines an air path for air flowing through.
US08941984B2
A tool-less printed circuit board (PCB) bracket system for attaching an input/output (I/O) interface PCB to a bulkhead includes a main PCB and card assembly having a bracket mounted to the main PCB. One or more keyhole fasteners are attached to the main PCB for holding the bracket into a fixed position. The card bracket includes a release mechanism for releasably detaching the card bracket assembly from the keyhole fasteners without the use of tools for easily separation and servicing.
US08941978B2
A flat panel display remote-controlled viewing angle adjustment system (1) comprising a support assembly (2) for supporting a flat panel display (9), an electrical driving assembly for driving the support assembly (2), and an angular control assembly attached to the support assembly (2). The adjustable system (1) is configured such that when the electrical driving assembly is started, the flat panel display (9) is rotated about a vertical axis that passes through one of the left side and the right side of the flat panel display (9) and only when the flat panel display (9) returns to zero angle position can it rotate about a vertical axis that passes through the other of the left side and the right side of the flat panel display (9).
US08941972B2
There are provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component and a method of manufacturing the same. The multilayer ceramic electronic component includes: a ceramic body including a dielectric layer; first and second internal electrodes disposed within the ceramic body to face each other, while having the dielectric layer interposed therebetween; and first external electrodes electrically connected to first and second internal electrodes and second external electrodes formed on the first external electrodes, wherein the first and second external electrodes include a conductive metal and a glass, and when the second external electrodes are divided into three equal parts in a thickness direction, an area of the glass in central parts thereof with respect to an area of the central parts is 30 to 80%. Therefore, sealing properties of a chip is improved, whereby a multilayer ceramic electronic component having improved reliability may be implemented.
US08941971B2
There are provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising: a ceramic main body including a dielectric layer and having first and second main faces, third and fourth side faces opposed in a length direction, and fifth and sixth faces opposed in a width direction; first and second internal electrodes; and one or more first external electrodes formed on the fifth face and one or more second external electrodes formed on the sixth face, wherein the first and second external electrodes have an average thickness ranging from 3 μm to 30 μm, and when at least one of the first and second external electrodes is divided into three equal parts in a thickness direction, an area of glass in central area portions thereof is 35% to 80% of the total areas of the central area portions.
US08941970B2
A method and apparatus for determining and for reducing magnetism in a generator stator core (20). The method includes extending one or more conductors (38) proximate the core, applying a polarity-reversing excitation voltage to the one or more conductors, and reducing an amplitude of the voltage over time, wherein the voltage causes current to flow in the conductors, the current generating a magnetic field that demagnetizes the core. The method and apparatus are useful for determining hot spots in the core.
US08941966B2
The invention relates to a magnetic sample-processing device, particularly a sensor device (100), that comprises two electromagnets (110, 120) for generating a magnetic field (B) in a first and a second sample chamber (SC1, SC2) located adjacent to each other in an x-direction. The poles of the electromagnets are disposed below the first and the second sample chamber (SC1, SC2), respectively, next to each other in a perpendicular y-direction. Moreover, the electromagnets are individually controlled by a control unit (130). In a preferred embodiment, the distance between the electromagnets (110, 120) in x-direction is so large that magnetic cross talk can be neglected. In another embodiment, said distance is close, and the electromagnets are operated in a synchronized way.
US08941962B2
A snubber circuit includes: at least one impedance component, a capacitor, and a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT). The snubber circuit is utilized for protecting electric/electronic components, reducing high frequency interference and spike voltage, and enhancing efficiency. In particular, the at least one impedance component in the snubber circuit can be at least one zener diode, where regarding protecting electric/electronic components, reducing high frequency interference and spike voltage, and enhancing efficiency, the performance of the snubber circuit in a situation where the zener diode is utilized is better than that of the snubber circuit in a situation where other types of impedance components are utilized. An associated method of using a BJT in a snubber circuit is also provided.
US08941955B2
An example method of detecting a generator overvoltage condition includes predicting a primary control current to provide a predicted control current, monitoring the primary control current, and detecting a generator overvoltage condition based on a comparison of the predicted control current to the primary control current. The method interrupts the primary control current based on the comparing.
US08941954B2
A magnetic read head that has improved pinned layer stability while also maintaining excellent free layer stability. The free layer has sides that define a trackwidth of the sensor and a back edge that defines a functional stripe height of the sensor. However, the pinned layer can extend significantly beyond both the width of the free layer and the back edge (e.g. stripe height) of the free layer. The sensor also has a soft magnetic bias structure that compensates for the reduced volume presented by the side extension of the pinned layer. The soft magnetic bias structure can be magnetically coupled with the trailing magnetic shield, either parallel coupled or anti-parallel coupled. In addition, all or a portion of the soft magnetic bias structure can be exchange coupled to a layer of anti-ferromagnetic material in order to improve the robustness of the soft magnetic bias structure.
US08941952B1
A head stack assembly (HSA) for a disk drive includes an actuator body, at least one actuator arm extending from the actuator body, and a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The FPC may include a FPC conductive layer having a plurality of FPC traces that terminate at respective ones of a plurality of electrically conductive FPC bond pads. The FPC may include a metallic FPC stiffener layer having a surface that underlies and faces the FPC bond pads. The FPC stiffener layer surface may include a plurality of recessions having a depth of at least 25 microns. A FPC dielectric layer may be disposed between the FPC conductive layer and the metallic FPC stiffener layer. One or more of the plurality of FPC bond pads may be internally patterned to define a FPC bond pad mesh with a plurality of openings therethrough.
US08941947B2
A thin spindle motor having a stator core with sufficient swaging strength even using thin magnetic steel sheets is provided, whereby the magnetic loss and the power consumption of the spindle motor are reduced. The stator core is formed by laminating plural stator laminations with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm and joined by a swaging portion. The swaging portion has an approximately rectangular shape having long sides extending along a radial direction when viewed from an axial direction. The swaging portion has a cross section with a middle portion parallel to the radial direction and a slope portion at the both sides when viewed from a circumferential direction, thereby forming a recess. The recess has a depth that is less than the thickness of the stator lamination whereby the swaging portion does not cut the stator lamination.
US08941946B2
A motor includes a stationary portion and a rotating portion that is rotatable about a central axis extending in a vertical direction with respect to the stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a shaft and a cup portion. The shaft extends in an axial direction and is fixed to the cup portion. The rotating portion includes a sleeve portion including at least a portion thereof arranged inside the cup portion, and is arranged opposite to the shaft. The cup portion includes a cylindrical portion, a bottom plate portion, and a first conical portion. The cylindrical portion is radially opposite to an outer circumferential surface of the sleeve portion. The bottom plate portion is inside the cylindrical portion. The first conical portion extends upward from an inner end portion of the bottom plate portion.
US08941943B1
A disk drive includes an environmental monitor, a controller and a writing mechanism. The controller acts in response to an output from the environmental monitor to determine if the data capacity of a disk drive could be increased from a first value to a second value. The controller determines the second increased value. The writing mechanism, controlled by the controller, writes data to the disk to realize the increased data capacity of the disk drive. A method for increasing the data capacity of a disk drive from the factory settings for data capacity includes determining if the disk drive is in a favorable or stable environment, writing data to at least one portion of the disk drive at a higher capacity than the factory setting for the at least one portion of the disk drive, and resetting the capacity for at least one portion of the disk drive.
US08941941B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, the head comprising a touchdown sensor. A bias signal is applied at a first bias value to the touchdown sensor and a corresponding first resistance of the touchdown sensor is measured. The bias signal is applied at a second bias value to the touchdown sensor and a corresponding second resistance of the touchdown sensor is measured. A reference resistance of the touchdown sensor is estimated based on the first and second bias values and the first and second resistances. An operating bias value is generated for the bias signal based on a predetermined operating temperature of the touchdown sensor, the reference resistance, and a thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the touchdown sensor, wherein the TCR specifies a change in temperature of the touchdown sensor relative to a change in the resistance of the touchdown sensor.
US08941940B1
Described herein are embodiments for utilizing stored write environment conditions for read error recovery. A tape drive measures read environment conditions as a result of receiving a read command to read data from a portion of tape and compares the read environment conditions to the write environment conditions stored for that portion of tape. If the read environment conditions are not within the predetermined range of the write environment conditions, then the handling of the tape is altered to improve read element placement on the tape by accounting for expansion and contraction of the tape based on the stored write environment conditions. The handling of the tape is altered by at least one of increasing or decreasing the tension of the tape, offsetting the tape head up or down laterally with respect to the tape, and slowing down the movement of tape across the tape head.
US08941931B2
Provided is a concentration ratio controlling apparatus for concentration type solar cells. The concentration ratio controlling apparatus may include a first condensing unit to primarily concentrate quantity of light that is irradiated from a light source; a second condensing unit disposed between a lower portion of the first condensing unit and a solar cell to secondarily concentrate the quantity of light that has passed through the first condensing unit and thereby irradiate the secondarily concentrated light toward the solar cell; an adjustment unit disposed in an optical path between the light source and the first condensing unit to adjust a concentration area of the first condensing unit based on an external force, and thereby adjust the quantity of light that is concentrated by the first condensing unit; and a control unit to analyze an input signal and thereby supply a corresponding drive control signal to the adjustment unit.
US08941927B2
Compact and lightweight zoom lens systems having less aberration fluctuation in association with focusing, lens barrels, interchangeable lens apparatuses, and camera systems are provided. The zoom lens system comprises: a first lens unit having positive optical power; a first focusing lens unit which is located on an image side relative to the first lens unit, has negative optical power, and moves along an optical axis in zooming and focusing; and a second focusing lens unit which is located on the image side relative to the first focusing lens unit, has positive optical power, and moves along the optical axis in the zooming and the focusing, and satisfies the condition: |d2T/d1T|<1.0 (d1T: an amount of movement of the first focusing lens unit in focusing at a telephoto limit, d2T: an amount of movement of the second focusing lens unit in focusing at a telephoto limit).
US08941921B2
An optical system includes, in order from an object side, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, and a third lens group having positive refractive power. The second lens group is moved upon carrying out focusing from an infinitely distant object to a close object, at least a portion of the third lens group is moved in a direction including a component perpendicular to an optical axis, and given conditional expressions is satisfied. Accordingly, an optical system excellently suppressing variations in aberrations generated upon vibration reduction, an optical apparatus equipped therewith, and a method for manufacturing the optical system are provided.
US08941906B2
An optical scanning device includes a mirror part including a mirror reflecting surface to reflect incident light, a pair of torsion bars configured to support the mirror part from both sides and configured to forma first axis around which to swing the mirror part by a torsional motion thereof so as to deflect the reflected light, and at least one stress alleviation area configured to alleviate a stress generated by the torsional motion of the torsion bars. The alleviation area is provided between an intersection of a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and passing through the center of the mirror reflecting surface and an edge of the mirror reflecting surface, and at least one of the torsion bars.
US08941904B2
A main object of the present invention is to provide a hologram observation sheet with a transmission type hologram formed integrally with other members, to be attached with various members for the use as for example an advertising medium or a decoration member. To achieve the object, the invention provides a hologram sheet comprising: a transparent substrate, a hologram layer formed on the transparent substrate and having a transmission type Fourier transform hologram region having the function of transforming a light beam incident from a point light source to a desired optical image, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
US08941901B2
An electrophotographic image output device includes an image processor to receive input image data, and a line screen to represent halftone images and have multiple screen angles respectively allocated to different colors including yellow, magenta, and cyan. The line screen satisfies requirements of (A) a predetermined difference is secured between adjacent two of the multiple screen angles; (B) zero is not allocated to any of the multiple screen angles; and (C) among the multiple screen angles determined by the requirements (A) and (B), a screen angle closest to 90 degrees is allocated to yellow among yellow, magenta, and cyan.
US08941898B2
A sensor IC of the present invention is provided with plurality of light receiving portions arranged in a row along a primary scanning direction and including a first light receiving portion for receiving light of a first wavelength, a second light receiving portion for receiving light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and a third light receiving portion for receiving light of a third wavelength different from the first wavelength and the second wavelength. The sensor IC further includes a control circuit that outputs a first electric signal corresponding to light of the first wavelength received by the first light receiving portion, a second electric signal corresponding to light of the second wavelength received by the second light receiving portion, and a third electric signal corresponding to light of the third wavelength received by the third light receiving portion.
US08941881B2
A method for rasterizing a transparent page comprises interpreting the transparent page to obtain graphic entities, transparency properties of the graphic entities, and profile information of the graphic entities; dividing the transparent page into a transparent area and a nontransparent area according to the transparency properties of the graphic entities; identifying, from the graphic entities, an overlapping graphic entity having an overlapping portion with the transparent area according to the profile information of the graphic entities; and dividing the transparent area into a de-transparentizing area and an ultimate transparent area by using the overlapping graphic entity.
US08941874B2
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for entering data in a print order based upon a prose attribute are disclosed. For example, the method receives a print job request comprising a prose attribute field that comprises the prose attribute, analyzes the prose attribute to identify one or more print job parameters as data for the print order, identifies one or more fields in the print order that correspond to the one or more print job parameters, and populates the one or more fields with the data obtained from the prose attribute.
US08941871B2
An image reading system includes an information processing apparatus, an image reading apparatus, and a wireless network. The information processing apparatus includes a wireless state detector for detecting a first wireless state between the information processing apparatus and an access point in the wireless network, a wireless state information receiver for receiving, from the image reading apparatus, information of a second wireless state between the image reading apparatus and the access point in the wireless network, a packet length determining module for determining a packet length such that the packet length in forwarding image data obtained by the image reading apparatus to the information processing apparatus via the wireless network is reduced according to degradation in either the first wireless state or the second wireless state, and a packet length information transmitter for transmitting, to the image reading apparatus, packet length information corresponding to determined packet length.
US08941862B2
An image formation apparatus includes an image formation processing managing unit and a control unit. The image formation processing managing unit manages first image formation processing to form an image on a face of plane-shaped recording medium based on received information. The control unit controls conveyance of the plane-shaped recording medium between the image formation apparatus and the other image formation apparatus which performs second image formation processing to form an image on the other face of the plane-shaped recording medium, a second term needed to stop the second image formation processing since receiving an instruction to stop the second image formation processing on an image forming operation being longer than a first term needed to stop the first image formation processing since receiving an instruction to stop the first image formation processing on the image forming operation.
US08941861B2
An image forming apparatus, a host client, an image forming system and a managing method thereof are provided. The managing method of an image forming system which includes an image forming apparatus, and a host client which is connected to the image forming apparatus, includes determining whether a predetermined event of the image forming apparatus happens or not, informing at least one host client whether to perform an uninstalling of a printer driver which corresponds to the image forming apparatus or not if the predetermined event happens, selecting the uninstalling of the printer driver depending on the informing, and deleting the printer driver of the host client depending on the selecting. Thus, the present general inventive concept provides an image forming apparatus, a host client, an image forming system and a managing method thereof efficiently managing a control program corresponding to the image forming apparatus.
US08941855B2
A user has manually registered expenses generated due to use of an MFP, which causes a problem of burdensome registration work. An image processing apparatus for registering expense information in an expense management apparatus, includes a requesting unit configured to request authentication of a user to the expense management apparatus, an acquisition unit configured to acquire pieces of matter information of the user authenticated by the expense management apparatus, a selection unit configured to select one of the pieces of matter information acquired by the acquisition unit, a job execution unit configured to execute a job using hardware resources included in the image processing apparatus, and a registration unit configured to register expense information based on the job executed by the job execution unit as expense information of the matter information selected by the selection unit in the expense management apparatus.
US08941848B2
A novel print controlling apparatus that facilitates providing easy services that use printer drivers. The print controlling apparatus that executes a print job on a printing apparatus, and includes an additional feature driver 130 that acquires image to be printed and print settings set by a user by working as a printer driver and generates a print data in a format with open specifications by processing the acquired image, an individual driver 150 as a printer driver that generates a print job to be sent to a printer 2 designated in the print settings, and a reprint controlling unit 140 that has the individual driver 150 generate the print job based on the generated print data.
US08941842B2
An encoder head includes one or more components arranged to: i) direct a first incident beam to the diffractive encoder scale at a first incident angle with respect to the encoder scale; ii) receive a first return beam from the encoder scale at a first return angle, the first return angle being different from the first incident angle; iii) redirect the first return beam to the encoder scale as a second incident beam at a second incident angle; and iv) receive a second return beam back from the encoder scale at a second return angle, the second return angle being different from the second incident angle, in which a difference between the first incident angle and second incident angle is less than a difference between the first incident angle and the first return angle and less than a difference between the second incident angle and the second return angle.
US08941841B2
A displacement measurement device includes a plurality of light receiving elements each of which outputs a signal corresponding to illuminance of interference fringe, the elements being arranged in a range of two periods of the interference fringe and arranged with an interval based on the period of the interference fringe in a movement direction of the interference fringe, a differential processing unit configured to perform differential processing on predetermined combinations of the signals output from the elements to generate four signals, a phase calculation unit configured to calculate a phase of the interference fringe on the basis of the signals output from the elements; and an output signal selection unit configured to select two signals from among the four signals on the basis of the phase of the interference fringe and select a signal of which absolute value is larger from among the two selected signals.
US08941831B2
A resonant optical cavity ellipsometer system is provided. The system can be used to conduct time-dependent arid sensitive measurement of ellipsometric parameters of matter. In a particular use, the system can provide time resolution of better than 1 microsecond. In a particular implementation, matter can be probed within the evanescent wave generated by intra-cavity total reflection.
US08941828B2
Described are methods for multi-wavelength cavity ring-down spectroscopy; comprising simultaneously and continuously irradiating an optical cavity with light at two or more different wavelengths, each light being intensity-modulated at a different modulation frequency, detecting the light of two or more wavelengths after the light has traveled through the optical cavity; measuring an optical loss of each detected light; and determining a characteristic of the optical cavity from the optical loss of each detected light. Also described are apparatus and systems for multi-wavelength cavity ring-down spectroscopy.
US08941824B2
A semiconductor inspection apparatus (100) is an apparatus for inspecting a semiconductor device. The semiconductor inspection apparatus (100) includes a pulsed laser light source (14) for emitting pulsed laser light (2) toward a substrate (1) with a semiconductor device formed thereon, an electromagnetic wave pulse application part (18) for applying a reverses-biasing electromagnetic wave pulse (4) for applying a reverse bias to an application position (10) which receives the pulsed laser light (2), and a detection part (17) for detecting an electromagnetic wave pulse (3) emitted from the application position (10) in response to the application of the pulsed laser light (2).
US08941821B2
A system and method are provided for determining wall thickness of a structure such as a metallic pressurized pipe. The system includes an optical fiber having a plurality of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs), and a mounting for securing the FBGs over discrete portions of the exterior surface of the pipe such that strain in the pressurized pipe wall is transmitted to the FBGs. The system further includes a light source and a light sensor coupled to an end of the optical fiber. The light sensor converts light reflected back from the FBGs into electrical signals that a digital processor converts into strain measurements. The FBGs are mounted around portions of the pipe expected to have significant metal loss as well as portions of the pipe expected to have negligible metal loss. The method includes at least one of comparing relative strains at locations with negligible metal loss to those with significant metal loss to accurately determine the thickness of the wall with metal loss; compensating for temperature effects by considering relative strains at areas of the pipe with and without metal loss; and measuring axial strain on the pipe with one or more of the FBGs to correct for at least one of bending and torsion effects on hoop strain.
US08941814B2
An exemplary device includes first and second portions that are movably connected together by first and second sets, respectively, of multiple blades interleaved with each other at an overlap region. When the overlap region is compressed, displacement of the first and second portions relative to each other is prevented so as to provide relatively high stiffness in first and second orthogonal directions (e.g., z- and y-directions) and relatively low stiffness in a third orthogonal direction (e.g., x-direction). The device can be used in coordination with an actuator, wherein operation of the actuator and compression of the overlap region are automated.
US08941813B2
A method evaluating an imaging performance of a projection optical system according to a polarization state of light in a pupil of an illumination optical system for an exposure apparatus, comprises a representation step of numerically representing the polarization state in the pupil of the illumination optical system, an assumption step of virtually dividing the pupil of the illumination optical system into a plurality of partial regions, each of which includes a light incident region and a light non-incident region, and assuming individual polarization states for the plurality of partial regions so that one polarization state is assumed for the whole of each partial region based on the polarization state numerically represented in the representation step; and a calculation step of calculating the imaging performance of the projection optical system under a condition in which the plurality of partial regions have the polarization states individually assumed in the assumption step.
US08941797B2
A method of manufacturing a polarizing plate includes disposing a non-conductive material on a base substrate, pressing the non-conductive material using a mold and forming a resist pattern, the resist pattern including a plurality of protruding portions, and forming a metal layer on the protruding portions of the resist pattern. Accordingly, a luminance of a display apparatus can be improved and a manufacturing process can be simplified.
US08941796B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a light source unit enabling cost reduction. A light source unit of the present invention includes a plurality of LEDs 16, and an elongated LED board 17 having a plurality of arranging portions 18 on which each LED 16 is arranged, and a plurality of connecting portions 19 connecting the adjacent arranging portions 18. Each connecting portion 19 has a width smaller than a width of each arranging portion 18 in a short direction of the LED board 17.
US08941793B2
Provided is a liquid crystal display to provide improved transmittance and visibility includes a first substrate; a first switching element and a second switching element formed on the first substrate configured to be switched by the same signal; a first subpixel electrode connected to the first switching element; a second subpixel electrode connected to the second switching element; a third switching element connected to the second switching element; a third subpixel electrode connected to the third switching element; a second substrate; a common electrode formed on the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer formed between the first substrate and the second substrate.
US08941789B2
A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a plurality of pixels having first and second subpixels, a plurality of gate lines connected to the first and second subpixels to transmit gate signals, a plurality of first data lines intersecting the gate lines and connected to the first subpixels to transmit first data voltages, and a plurality of second data lines intersecting the gate lines and connected to the second subpixels to transmit second data voltages. The first and second data voltages have different sizes and are obtained from single image information. Each pixel is divided into a pair of subpixels, and different data voltages are applied to the subpixels through two different data lines, so that it is possible to secure a wide viewing angle and improve side visibility.
US08941786B2
Disclosed are an electrically-driven liquid crystal lens in which a rubbing direction is defined in a range of 30˜90 degrees with respect to a longitudinal direction of an electrode, achieving an improved lens profile and lens symmetry, and a stereoscopic display device using the same.
US08941781B2
A projector and an apparatus and method for driving an optical scanner are disclosed. A sensing signal processor receives a sensing signal that represents sensing of operation of the optical scanner and generates a horizontal scan signal corresponding to a horizontal frequency of the optical scanner on the basis of the received sensing signal. A driving signal generator generates at least one of a horizontal reference signal including line information that indicates the number of horizontal lines of a horizontal driving signal of the optical scanner, a reference clock signal and a scanner driving signal for driving the optical scanner on the basis of the generated horizontal scan signal.
US08941778B2
A video display apparatus is provided wherein even for ones, such as 32 pull-down and 22 pull-down, in which since the motion range of an original material is wide, there is a high probability of degradation of the precision of detected vectors, the processing time is effectively used to enhance the precision of detected vectors, thereby generating interpolated pictures having higher qualities. The apparatus recalculates, based on motion vectors (Va) used in generating the first interpolated picture, motion vectors for use in the next interpolated picture generation, thereby detecting recalculated motion vectors having higher precision and less errors than the original motion vectors. A repeated-picture determining part utilizes an interval, during which identical pictures requiring no vector detections consecutively appear, to further improve the precision of motion vectors.
US08941777B1
A system for capturing images while a user is traversing a geographic area is disclosed. The system may include a frame configured to extend across a first shoulder and a second shoulder of the user and along at least a portion of a back side and a front side of the user. The system may also include a camera coupled to the frame on the back side or the front side of the user. The camera may be configured to capture at least one image of the geographic area. Additionally, the system may include a stabilizing device coupled to the frame on the other of the back side or the front side of the user. The stabilizing device may be configured to counterbalance an amount of weight supported by the frame on the opposed side of the user such that the frame is balanced across the shoulders of the user.
US08941773B2
A lens module includes a lens body; a lens holding member that movably holds the lens body along an optical axis of the lens body without tilting the optical axis; a displacement element that has a flat-plate shape of which one end edge on a side of the lens body along the optical axis is disposed as a free end and the free end is displaced to freely approach the lens body by applying a voltage; and a push-up member that is disposed on the free end of the displacement element and is inserted on one end surface side of the lens body, which is perpendicular to the optical axis, by the approach towards the lens body of the displacement element so as to push up the lens body in the optical axis direction.
US08941771B2
An image-capturing device includes: a plurality of micro-lenses disposed in a two-dimensional pattern near a focal plane of an image forming optical system; an image sensor that includes a two-dimensional array of element groups each corresponding to one of the micro-lenses and made up with a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements which receive, via the micro-lenses light fluxes from a subject having passed through the photographic optical system and output image signals; and a synthesizing unit that combines the image signals output from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements based upon information so as to generate synthetic image data in correspondence to a plurality of image forming areas present on a given image forming plane of the image forming optical system, the information specifying positions of the photoelectric conversion elements output image signals that are to be used for generating synthetic image data for each image forming area.
US08941769B2
A display control unit controls an image presentation unit such that when an image display apparatus displays a partial area of an image stored in an image storage unit, an image presentation unit displays a whole image stored in the image storage unit and display information indicating the partial area in the whole image.
US08941762B2
An image is obtained with reduced chromatic aberration as well as improved sharpness.An image processing apparatus includes image acquiring means configured to acquire an input image, and image restoration processing means configured to generate a restored image by calculating the input image and an image restoration filter that is based on a transfer function of an image pickup system that is used to form an object image as the input image, wherein the image restoration filter performs restoration so that when an object is a white point light source, a difference between spectra of two color components in the restored image is made smaller than a difference between spectra of the two color components in the input image.
US08941758B2
An image processing apparatus is configured to generate a combined image by combining a plurality of photographed images. The image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire the plurality of photographed images from a photographing unit, and a setting unit configured to designate, if misshooting or reshooting of a first photographed image of the plurality of photographed images is designated, misshooting or reshooting of a second photographed image of the plurality of photographed images.
US08941754B2
An image capture apparatus comprises an image capture unit which captures an object image, a compensation unit which performs exposure compensation corresponding to a shooting scene when a display unit sequentially displays images based on image data obtained by continuously capturing images by the image capture unit, an illumination control unit which controls an illumination device for illuminating an object, and a control unit which, in turning on the illumination device which is OFF when the compensation unit performs exposure compensation and the display unit sequentially displays images based on image data obtained by continuously capturing images by the image capture unit, controls to decrease a compensation amount of exposure compensation by the compensation unit and then turn on the illumination device.
US08941751B2
Technologies are generally described herein for generating a higher resolution still frame. Some example technologies may configure a video camera at a first configuration, which the video camera to capture video at a first pixel offset. The technologies may capture a first frame of al field-of-view through the video camera configured at the first configuration. The first flame may contain the field-of-view captured at the first pixel offset. The technologies may adjust the video camera from the first configuration to a second configuration, which adapts the video camera to capture the video at a second pixel offset, the adjustment using a hardware mechanism. The technologies may capture a second frame of the field-of-view through the video camera configured at the second configuration. The second frame may contain the field-of-view captured at the second pixel offset.
US08941745B2
A mobile communication apparatus comprises: a first camera unit for capturing an image of a subject; a second camera unit for capturing an image of the camera operator or an image of an object possessed by the camera operator; an activation control unit; an operation recognizing unit; and an image capture control unit. The activation control unit controls, in response to an activation instruction, the second camera unit to start an image capture operation and sequentially generate still-image data. The operation recognizing unit compares, in response to an instruction to start the image capture operation, still-image data, specifically, current still-image data and the previous still-image data. If the current still-image data have varied relative to the previous still-image data, the image capture control unit controls the first camera unit to capture an image of the subject to generate image capture data. In this way, the mobile communication apparatus can prevent any blur from occurring when the camera function is used to capture an image of a subject.
US08941737B2
A technology for intuitively recognizing a positional relation between a vehicle and an object is provided. In an image display system, in a display image provided to a driver, the side region of the vehicle in a direction indicated by a direction instructing device is displayed in large size. Accordingly, the object that may contact with the vehicle is easily found out, so that a minor crash accident can be effectively prevented. Since a synthetic image viewed from a virtual viewpoint directed from a rear position of the vehicle toward the front side of the vehicle is displayed, the side area of the vehicle is displayed in the same visual field direction as the direction of the visual field of the driver. Accordingly, the driver can intuitively recognize the positional relation between the vehicle and the object, without undertaking complicated determination such as conducting coordinate transformation in his/her mind.
US08941734B2
A solution for monitoring an area for the presence of a flame and/or a leak, such as from a pressurized fluid, is provided. An imaging device can be used that acquires image data based on electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths only corresponding to at least one region of the electromagnetic spectrum in which electromagnetic radiation from an ambient light source is less than the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least one type of flame for which the presence within the area is being monitored. An acoustic device can be used that is configured to acquire acoustic data for the area and enhance acoustic signals in a range of frequencies corresponding to a leak of a pressurized fluid present in the area.
US08941733B2
Video surveillance systems are used to monitor public places, streets, buildings, cities and other premises or surroundings and comprise a multitude of cameras which are monitoring relevant points in the surroundings. One of the problems of surveillance systems is, that the multitude of cameras produce a large amount of video data to be monitored, which requires a lot of human observers resulting in high personnel costs. A video retrieval system (1) connectable to a plurality of surveillance cameras (2) for monitoring a surroundings is proposed, the video retrieval system (1) comprising: displaying means (12) realized to display a graphical overall description (100, 130, 140) of the surroundings under surveillance, whereby the graphical overall description (100, 130, 140) comprises a plurality of monitored areas (110), whereby the areas are allocated to different surveillance cameras (2) and whereby the graphical overall description (100, 130, 140) is displayed in a single perspective view, and querying means (10) realized to formulate a trajectory-specific search (150, 160) query adapted to retrieve data about a moving object in the surroundings with a matching trajectory.
US08941732B2
Provided is a three-dimensional measuring method that can select a large number of line sections for calculating formulas of three-dimensional lines to perform three-dimensional measurement of a measurement object.
US08941729B2
An electronic device handling apparatus, which handles an electronic device under test having a first main surface provided thereon with first device terminals and a second main surface provided thereon with second device terminals, includes: a contact arm having a holding-side contact arm to which a first socket is attached and a suction pad which holds the electronic device under test; an alignment apparatus which positions the first socket and the electronic device under test; and the alignment apparatus which positions, with respect to a second socket, the electronic device under test being held by the suction pad and contacting the first socket, wherein the contact arm presses the second device terminals of the electronic device under test to the second socket.
US08941716B2
A digital camera 100 includes an image capturing unit 16, an angular velocity sensor 22, an image determination unit 53, and an image composition unit 52. The angular velocity sensor 22 acquires a displacement amount in a field of view of image data when the image data is captured at predetermined time intervals. The image determination unit 53 sets a determination criterion for determining whether the image data thus captured is to be combined or not based on the displacement amount in the field of view acquired by the angular velocity sensor 22. Also, the image determination unit 53 determines whether or not the image data thus captured is valid as a composition target based on the determination criterion thus set. The image composition unit 52 combines image data determined by the image determination unit 53 as being valid as a composition target.
US08941706B2
Some embodiments provide a method of processing images for a first camera and a second camera of a mobile device using a shared pipeline. A method receives a first set of images captured by the first camera of the mobile device. The method processes the first set of images using a first configuration of the shared pipeline. The method also receives a second set of images captured by the second camera of the mobile device, and processes the second set of images using a second configuration of the shared pipeline different from the first configuration.
US08941695B2
A display device includes: first dummy pixels including a self-emission element emitting first color light corresponding to emission colors of pixels in a display area; second dummy pixels including a self-emission element emitting the first color light and a self-emission element emitting second color light and causing both self-emission elements to emit light at the same time; a deterioration degree calculating unit calculating a deterioration degree in brightness of the self-emission element emitting the first color light on the basis of a brightness detection result of the first dummy pixels and calculating a deterioration degree in current flowing in the self-emission element emitting the first color light on the basis of brightness detection results of the first and second dummy pixels; and a correction unit correcting the brightness of effective pixels contributing to an image display on the basis of the deterioration degree in brightness and the deterioration degree in current calculated by the deterioration degree calculating unit.
US08941681B2
It is provided a computer-implemented method for designing a CAD modeled object with primitive three-dimensional parametric shapes including closed shapes. The method comprises user-interaction with a screen; definition in a plane of a stroke corresponding to the user-interaction; discretization of the stroke into stroke points; computation of a barycenter of the stroke points; determination of a closed shape to be instantiated as a result of a comparison of a position of the stroke points relative to the barycenter; and instantiation of the determined closed shape. Such a method makes the design of a CAD modeled object easier.
US08941679B2
In order to preserve the discontinuities of an actual gamut surface and/or the discontinuities of its curvature, notably through a smoothing operation, in this method, when at least a vertex of any elementary polygon, the network of which represents an actual gamut boundary, belongs either to a line or a point of discontinuity of this actual gamut boundary, either to a line or a point of discontinuity of curvature of said actual gamut boundary, or both, metadata related to this belongings are added to the definition of the elementary polygons.
US08941678B2
A color display system providing reduced observer metameric failure for a set of target observers, comprising an image forming system having narrow-band primaries. A data processing system is used to implement a method for color correcting an input color image having input color values adapted for display on a reference display device having a plurality of input color primaries. A metamerism correction transform is applied to the input color image to determine an output color image having output color values in an output color space appropriate for display on the image forming system. The metamerism correction transform modifies colorimetry associated with the input colors to provide output color values such that an average observer metameric failure is reduced for a distribution of target observers.
US08941667B2
The invention generally provides a method and apparatus for up-converting the frame rate of a digital video signal, the method comprising: receiving a digital video signal containing a first frame and a second frame; finding in one of the received frames, matches for objects in the other of the received frames; utilizing 3 dimensional position data in respect of the objects within the frames to determine 3 dimensional movement matrices for the matched objects; using the 3 dimensional movement matrices, determining the position of the objects in a temporally intermediate frame and thereby generating an interpolated frame, temporally between the first and second frame.
US08941665B1
A computer-implemented method includes selecting a subset of images from a set of captured images. A surface feature of one object is represented in the content of each selected subset image. The method also includes decomposing the surface feature content of each selected image to produce a model of representations of the object.
US08941661B2
A system is disclosed. The system includes a processor configured to: receive a path in an artwork, the path having at least one corner; receive a selection of a patterned tile to apply to the path; and automatically generate a patterned corner tile corresponding to the selected patterned tile at least in part by mapping a side patterned tile to a corner patterned tile; and a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.
US08941660B2
An image generating apparatus, which can reduce a calculation amount by effectively utilizing a cache resource, generates a graphics image by rendering a polygon and includes a coordinate processing unit loading, from a memory, coordinate data included in vertex data and performing coordinate transform on the loaded coordinate data. The image generating apparatus also includes a determining unit determining whether or not the vertex is a rendering object, using the transformed coordinate data, a shape data cache storing shape data, a shape data processing unit loading, from the memory, the shape data, and storing the loaded shape data in the shape data cache when both of following conditions are satisfied: the vertex is determined to be the rendering object; and the shape data is not yet stored in the shape data cache, and a polygon rendering processing unit rendering the polygon using the transformed coordinate data and the shape data.
US08941656B2
A method for visualizing data includes generating on a display device a map including a first location and generating on the display device at least one icon graphically representing measurements of the sensor at the first location over a period of time and graphically representing the period of time.
US08941637B2
A display device including self-luminous emitting elements configured to suppress a display unevenness due to a transistor variation and reduce a noise when transmitting a gradation data to a pixel circuit, wherein the pixel circuit includes a driving transistor and a first switch transistor electrically connecting a gate electrode of the driving transistor with a drain electrode thereof, in which the gate electrode of the first switch transistor can be electrically connected to a data line, and the gate electrode controls a time period for which the first switch transistor conducts according to the gradation data and writes the gradation data on the pixel circuit.
US08941634B2
A driver device (10) of the present invention includes a scan line driving circuit (12) which carries out a first scan in which (i) the scan line driving circuit (12) starts to supply a first scan signal, which has an intermediate electric potential between a voltage of a low level in a time period during which an nth scan line (151) is not scanned and a voltage of a high level, to an (n+m)th scan line (151) during a scan period during which the nth scan line (151) is being scanned and (ii) the scan line driving circuit (12) stops supplying the first scan signal to the (n+m)th scan line (151) when scanning of the nth scan line (151) is completed.
US08941632B2
The present invention provides a LCD device including: a timing control unit; an oscillator which is included in the timing control unit and generates a clock frequency; a frequency divider which is included in the timing control unit and reduces the clock frequency supplied from the oscillator by dividing the clock frequency by at least 2; and a mode selection part which is included in the timing control unit and changes at least one driving mode of internal logic circuits by using the divided clock frequency supplied from the frequency divider.
US08941631B2
In various embodiments described herein, a display device comprising a light collection film and a photovoltaic device disposed on an edge of the collection film. The collection film has a plurality of light-turning features for redirecting light between the front and back surface of the collection film and the photovoltaic device. In some embodiments, a light source is also disposed on an edge of the collection film and emits light which is turned by the light-turning features toward the display.
US08941630B2
An element-side substrate includes an element array area, an RGB switch circuit, and a source driver IC. The center of a terminal group coupled to video signal lines of the source driver IC is shifted (displaced) by a distance “g” leftward from the center of the RGB switch circuit, thereby making it possible to lengthen portions of bent left video signal lines that extend in the top-bottom direction while shortening portions of bent right video signal lines that extend in the top-bottom direction. As a result, it is possible to shorten a distance “h” between the source driver IC and the RGB switch circuit while fully avoiding interference with a large area occupied by left control lines and also avoiding interference with a small area occupied by right control lines.
US08941627B2
Driving a light scanner at a resonant frequency of the light scanner using a phase delay compensated driving signal.
US08941625B2
A movement of an object is recognised as a predetermined movement, by transmitting signals between transmitter-receiver pairs, which are reflected from the object. A first event is recorded for one of the transmitter-receiver pairs if a reflected signal meets a predetermined proximity criterion, and a second event is recorded for a second transmitter-receiver pair if after the first event, a subsequent reflected signal meets a predetermined proximity criterion. The first and second events are used to identify the movement.
US08941617B2
An image input-output device includes a pixel which displays an image and reads an image. The pixel includes a photodetector element, a color layer, and a display element. The color layer is provided over the photodetector element and the display element is provided over the color layer, so that the distance between the photodetector element and the color layer is reduced. Accordingly, light is likely to enter the predetermined photodetector element through the predetermined color layer, and thus, even a color object can be read correctly.
US08941607B2
A display system using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) is disclosed. The display system includes a first substrate, a touch control unit and a plurality of MEMS display units. The first substrate has a control array. The MEMS display units are disposed in the first substrate. The control array controls the MEMS display units.
US08941599B2
A touch panel-attached display device including: a display panel; a case having electric conductivity which is provided with an opening exposing a screen area of the display panel, the case which houses the display panel inside; and a touch panel fixed to the case on a front side of the case so as to face the opening of the case, wherein the case includes a projection formed in such a manner that a part of the case projects toward the front side from a front surface thereof, and the touch panel is fixed to the case in such a manner that a lateral surface of the touch panel and the projection face each other.
US08941596B2
A touch screen and a manufacturing method thereof, and a color filter substrate and a manufacturing method thereof are provided in the invention. The touch screen comprises a substrate, a plurality of touch regions defined by a plurality of first signal lines and a plurality of second signal lines are provided on the substrate. In each touch region, the first signal line is connected with a first piezoelectric switch, the second signal line is connected with a second piezoelectric switch, when the touch region is touched by a force the first piezoelectric switch and the second piezoelectric switch are turned on and transfer voltage signals respectively via the first signal line and the second signal line to determine the coordinate of the touched touch region.
US08941595B2
A touch sensor includes conductive elements of substantially concave shape to enable detection of multiple simultaneous touches in at least two directions, with reduced noise sensitivity and enhanced accuracy. The shapes of the conductive elements may be similar, or may be alternating, complementary shapes that cover substantially all of the sensor area. The conductive elements physically interact with adjacent elements in such a way that the area covered by a touch changes monotonically from overlapping substantially all of one element to overlapping substantially all of an adjacent element as the touch area is moved from one element to the other element along a line between the centers of those adjacent elements. Such monotonic change of touch overlap area may occur simultaneously in two orthogonal directions. Connections from internally positioned conductive elements to a touch controller may be made to pass through other conductive elements.
US08941589B2
An adaptive tracking system for spatial input devices provides real-time tracking of spatial input devices for human-computer interaction in a Spatial Operating Environment (SOE). The components of an SOE include gestural input/output; network-based data representation, transit, and interchange; and spatially conformed display mesh. The SOE comprises a workspace occupied by one or more users, a set of screens which provide the users with visual feedback, and a gestural control system which translates user motions into command inputs. Users perform gestures with body parts and/or physical pointing devices, and the system translates those gestures into actions such as pointing, dragging, selecting, or other direct manipulations. The tracking system provides the requisite data for creating an immersive environment by maintaining a model of the spatial relationships between users, screens, pointing devices, and other physical objects within the workspace.
US08941578B2
In conventional liquid crystal display controllers, the display is reduced in the stand-by state but the liquid crystal display duty is not changed, i.e., even the common electrodes of the rows that are not producing display are scanned, and the consumption of electric power is not decreased to a sufficient degree in the stand-by state. A liquid crystal display controller includes a drive duty selection register capable of being rewritten by a microprocessor, and a drive bias selection register. When the display is changed from the whole display on a liquid crystal display panel to a partial display on part of the rows only, the preset values of the drive duty selection register and of the drive bias selection register are changed, so that the display is selectively produced on a portion of the liquid crystal display panel at a low voltage with a low-duty drive.
US08941564B2
A display device including a pixel array having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, each of the pixels including a sampling transistor configured to sample a data potential from a video signal line which is insulated from and intersects a control line in response to the change in potential of the control line, and a light-emitting element configured to emit light at the brightness commensurate with the magnitude of the post-sampling data potential.
US08941552B2
A composite printed wiring board includes a parent board and a child board that is mounted on the parent board. A wireless IC element that processes a high-frequency signal, a loop-shaped electrode that is coupled to the wireless IC element, and a first radiator that is coupled to the loop-shaped electrode are provided on the child board. A second radiator that is coupled to the loop-shaped electrode via an electromagnetic field is provided on the parent board.
US08941547B2
An diplex filter for testing a base station is disclosed. The diplex filter for testing a base station in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: a housing comprised with a first connector and a second connector which are connected to a base station, and a third connector connected with the antenna, wherein the first, the second and the third connectors bi-directionally transmit/receive signals; a band pass filter unit comprised in one inside in the housing, transmitting signals between the first and third connectors to pass predetermined frequency bands; a band reject filter unit comprised in the other inside in the housing, transmitting signals between the second and third connectors to reject predetermined frequency bands; and a coupling block disposed between the band pass filter unit and the band reject filter unit, and coupled the band pass filter unit and the band reject filter unit with the third connector, and to move the signal distortion phenomenon occurring due to unnecessary signals included in the signals to frequency bands other than predetermined frequency bands.
US08941540B2
An antenna assembly is disclosed which includes a layered structure having a planar array of antenna elements; and a feed arrangement perpendicular to the antenna elements; the layered structure further having layers over the planar array of antenna elements with holes provided therethrough to allow the feed arrangement to be connected to contacts for the antenna elements. The layered structure may include vias provided such that heat may be applied remotely to the contacts.
US08941539B1
A dual-band antenna including a ground plane, a first resonating plate that resonates in a first frequency band, a first shorting plate that shorts the first resonating plate to the ground plane, a second resonating plate that resonates in a second frequency band, with the second resonating plate raised above the first resonating plate with respect to the ground plane, and a second shorting plate that shorts the second resonating plate to the first resonating plate. Also, a dual-stack dual-band MIMO antenna comprising four dual-band antennas arranged in a square or rectangular pattern.
US08941538B1
Systems and methods are provided for directing radiated energy from a transmitting device towards a receiving device using multiple antennas. Channel weights, representing signal attenuation and a phase rotation induced by a transmission medium, are determined at a transmitting device. A set of steering weights are determined based on applying an iterative linear transform to an initial value of the steering weights, where the linear transform depends on the determined channel weights. A final value of the steering weights is applied to an input signal to produce a transmit signal, and the transmit signal is transmitted using multiple antennas.
US08941518B2
Methods and apparatus for calibrating pipeline analog-to-digital converters having multiple channels
Methods and apparatus are provided for calibrating stages in pipeline analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) having multiple channels.
US08941516B2
Provided are a signal processing apparatus and a signal processing method. The signal processing method include receiving a serial signal including an information frame including channel information and data information of a corresponding channel, extracting a clock signal from the serial signal, generating a load signal when a clock count reaches a maximum clock count by calculating the clock signal; converting the serial signal to a parallel signal according to the load signal, and changing the maximum clock count by comparing parallel-converted parallel channel information with a load count indicating the number of local signals.
US08941515B1
According to one embodiment, a data processing system has an encoder and a decoder. The encoder is configured to variable-length encode input data to generate an encoded stream. The decoder is configured to decode the encoded stream to generate output data. The encoder has a variable length encoder, a code converter, and a buffer. The variable length encoder is configured to variable-length-encode the input data to generate first variable length codes. The code converter is configured to convert n first variable length codes into a second variable length code. The buffer is configured to buffer the second variable length code to generate the encoded stream.
US08941501B1
A self-policing system for preventing oneself from drunk driving features a key for inserting into an ignition switch of an automobile and a base. A base anterior end features a keyhole for receiving the key. A barbed first key camp is operatively connected to a first solenoid located in a base anterior cavity and is biased via a first spring. A barbed second key clamp is operatively connected to a second solenoid boated in the base anterior cavity and is biased via a second spring. A base posterior end features a breathing aperture located on a tip. A base posterior cavity features an alcohol sensor and a power supply each operatively connected to a microprocessor.
US08941491B2
A sensing platform for monitoring a transmission system, and method therefor, may include a sensor that senses one or more conditions relating to a condition of the transmission system and/or the condition of an environment around the transmission system. A control system operatively associated with the sensor produces output data based on an output signal produced by the sensor. A transmitter operatively associated with the control system transmits the output data from the control system.
US08941471B2
A radiofrequency identification (RFID) multiplexer, which may be in a network, interprets an RF signal from an RFED reader as RFE) tag interrogation data. A single cable directs an RF signal from the RFID reader and RF control signals and/or RF power through the multiplexer. An RF sampler may be coupled to the cable; and an RF detector detects the RF signal from the cable via the RF sampler. A data decoder decodes and interprets the RF signal as the RFID tag interrogation data and forwards the RFID tag interrogation data to a control logic circuit as a MUX channel-change command. The logic circuit and decoder may be combined in a microcontroller, and an RF backscatter modulator coupled to the cable enables reverse communication with the RFID reader to determine whether another RFID multiplexer is coupled to the RFID multiplexer.
US08941469B1
An authentication method includes RFID readers authenticating RFID tags using public-key cryptography. A tag manufacturer or other legitimate authority produces a tag private-public key pair and stores the tag private key in externally unreadable tag memory and the tag public key in externally readable tag memory. The authority produces a master private-public key pair and distributes the master public key to readers in the field. The authority generates a tag-specific electronic signature based on at least the tag public key and the master private key and stores this signature in externally readable tag memory. A reader authenticates the tag by retrieving the tag public key and electronic signature from the tag, verifying the authenticity of the tag public key using the master public key and the electronic signature, challenging the tag, receiving a response from the tag to the challenge, and verifying the response using the tag public key.
US08941456B2
A power supply arrangement constituted of: an isolated power supply having a primary side and a secondary side, the secondary side electrically isolated from the primary side; a common mode choke having a first winding and a second winding wound on a common core, the common mode choke coupled between the primary side of the isolated power supply and an AC mains; and a shielding surrounding the common mode choke, the shielding coupled to a common potential of the secondary side of the isolated power supply.
US08941452B2
The present invention relates to an microelectromechanical system (1) comprising: a base (15) comprising a substrate (20) and a substrate electrode (40); a moveable beam (30); a voltage generator (10) able to generate a potential difference between the beam (30) and the substrate electrode (40); and at least one mechanical stop (70) connected to the beam and designed to make contact with the base (15) when a potential difference is applied between the beam (30) and the substrate electrode (40), thereby defining an air-filled cavity (80) between the beam (30) and the substrate electrode (40), characterized in that it furthermore comprises an electrical-charge blocking element (50) placed on the substrate (20), said element facing the at least one mechanical stop (70) and being electrically connected to the beam (30).
US08941446B2
A waveguide circulator system for an E-plane-layer transition includes a first waveguide including: at least N waveguide arms, and a first-interface aperture spanning a first X-Y plane on a bottom surface of a first waveguide arm, a ferrite element having N segments protruding into the N respective waveguide arms of the first waveguide; an E-plane-transition waveguide having a first open-end and a second opposing open-end; and a second waveguide including a second-interface aperture spanning a second X-Y. The first-interface aperture is arranged to proximally overlap the first open-end. The second second-interface aperture of the second waveguide and the second-interface aperture is arranged to proximally overlap the second open-end. At least a portion of the first segment of the ferrite element protrudes into a volume extending between the first-interface aperture on the bottom surface of the first waveguide arm and an opposing top surface of the first waveguide arm.
US08941439B2
One embodiment relates to an apparatus configured to cancel charge injected on a node of a differential pair of nodes. A dummy circuit element can inject charge on an inverted node to cancel charge injected on a non-inverted node by a switch when the switch is switched off. In addition, another dummy circuit element can inject charge on the non-inverted node to cancel charge injected on the inverted node by another switch when the other switch is switched off. These dummy circuits elements can be cross-coupled.
US08941436B2
The invention pertains to a logic circuit device comprising at least one digital input furnished with a fuse (FUS) being, in the closed state, suitable for applying an electrical input voltage of the logic circuit corresponding to a first logic state from among the logic states 0 and 1, and, in the definitive open state, suitable for applying an electrical input voltage of the logic circuit corresponding to the second logic state from among the logic states 0 and 1, said fuse (FUS) being suitable for being placed definitively in the second logic state by injection of a current greater than a threshold current (CS).
US08941431B2
There is provided a continuous time cross-correlator comprising: a quantizer for quantizing the incoming signal into discrete levels; a delay line comprising one or more delay units separating a plurality of delay line taps; for each of said delay line taps, a comparator for comparing the signal level of the delay line tap with a correlation value; a continuous time counter for taking the outputs of the plurality of comparators as its inputs, counting the results of the comparisons and outputting the results of the comparisons; and an output comparator for comparing the counter output with a threshold value. The cross-correlator provides for high speed continuous time cross-correlation with low power consumption and a small chip area. Methods of continuous time cross correlation are also provided.
US08941430B2
One embodiment sets forth a timing calibration technique for on-chip source-synchronous, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) repeater-based interconnect. Two transition patterns may be applied to calibrate the delay of an on-chip data or clock wire. Calibration logic is configured to apply the transition patterns and then trim the delays of the clock and data wires based on captured calibration patterns. The trimming adjusts the delay of the clock and data wires using a configurable delay circuit. Timing errors may be caused by crosstalk, power-supply-induced jitter (PSIJ), or wire delay variation due to transistor and wire metallization mismatch. Chip yields may be improved by reducing the occurrence of timing errors due to mismatched delays between different wires of an on-chip interconnect.
US08941428B2
A latching circuit has an input for receiving the data value, an output for outputting a value indicative of the data value, a clock signal input for receiving a clock signal; and a pass gate. A feedback loop has two switching circuits arranged in parallel between two inverting devices, a first of the two switching circuits is configured to be off and not conduct in response to a control signal having a predetermined control value and a second of the two switching circuits is configured to be on and conduct in response to the control signal having the predetermined control value. A control signal controlling the two switching circuits is linked such that the switching devices switch their conduction status and the access control device act together to update the data value within the feedback loop.
US08941427B2
A configurable flip-flop can be operated in a normal mode and a buffer mode. In the normal mode, the flip-flop latches data at the flip-flop input based on a clock signal. In the buffer mode, the flip-flop provides data at the flip-flop input to the flip-flop output, independent of the clock signal.
US08941426B1
A critical path monitor (CPM) is configured in an integrated circuit (IC). The IC includes a set of critical paths. The CPM includes a set of split paths, a split path in the set of split paths corresponding to a critical path in the set of critical paths, and a split path in the set of split paths including an edge detector. The edge detector is configured with a set of edge detector latches. A set of set-reset (SR) latches is configured such that an edge detector latch is associated with a corresponding SR latch. A reset signal is configured to reach the set of edge detector latches in an offset synchronization with a latch clock signal used in the set of edge detector latches. The CPM is configured to operate using a frequency of the latch clock signal such that the frequency is higher than a threshold frequency.
US08941418B2
A driving circuit is provided. The driving circuit is capable of driving a load coupled to an output node of the driving circuit. The driving circuit includes an output-stage element, a first N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor, and a first P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistor. The output-stage element is coupled between an operation voltage source and the output node. The first NMOS transistor has a gate, a drain coupled to the output node, and a source coupled to a ground. The first PMOS transistor has a gate, a drain coupled to the ground, and a source coupled to the output node. When the first NMOS transistor begins to be turned off, the first PMOS transistor is turned on, and a voltage at the drain of the first NMOS transistor is clamped to be lower than a breakdown trigger voltage of the first NMOS transistor.
US08941415B2
Circuits and methods are provided for generating clock signals and correcting duty cycle distortion in clock signals. A circuit for generating a clock signal includes a multiplexer circuit and an edge-triggered flip-flop circuit. The multiplexer circuit selectively outputs one of a plurality of input clock signals. The edge-triggered flip-flop detects a transitioning edge of the input clock signal that is selectively output from the multiplexer circuit, and in response to the detection, samples a logic level of a received data signal, and generates a transition of an output clock signal at an output port of the edge-triggered flip-flop. The multiplexer circuit selectively outputs one of the plurality of input clock signals to a clock signal port of the edge-triggered flip-flop, based on a logic level of the output clock signal at the output port of the edge-triggered flip-flop, which is input to a select control port of the multiplexer circuit.
US08941411B2
A signal transmission circ it includes a main driving unit configured to drive a first signal transmission One in response to an input signal and output a first driven signal, an emphasis driving unit configured to perform an emphasis operation on the first driven signal and output an emphasized signal, and a crosstalk control unit configured to perform an equalizing operation on the emphasized signal.
US08941402B2
An electromagnetic field measuring apparatus capable of measuring an electromagnetic field for a minuscule area in which electronic devices are densely packed with a high sensitivity is provided. In an electromagnetic field measuring apparatus according to the present invention, the amplitude level of signal light (pf) is adjusted by the analyzer (34) by adjusting its angle with respect to the plane of polarization of the signal light (pf) based on an amplitude level control signal (eb) supplied from the calculation control unit (40). An amplitude level control signal (eb) is supplied from the calculation control unit (40) to the analyzer (34) based on the spectrum (ea) of an electric signal (ed) measured by an RF spectrum analyzer (39). The amplitude level ration between the carrier and the sideband contained in the signal light (ph) incident on the optical receiver (38) is controlled to a fixed value.
US08941400B2
An integrated circuit (70) having parallel scan paths (824-842, 924-942) includes a pair or pairs of scan distributor (800,900) and scan collector (844,944) circuits. The scan paths apply stimulus test data to functional circuits (702) on the integrated circuit and receive response test data from the functional circuits. A scan distributor circuit (800) receives serial test data from a peripheral bond pad (802) and distributes it to each parallel scan path. A scan collector circuit (844) collects test data from the parallel scan paths and applies it to a peripheral bond pad (866). This enables more parallel scan paths of shorter length to connect to the functional circuits. The scan distributor and collector circuits can be respectively connected in series to provide parallel connections to more parallel scan paths. Additionally multiplexer circuits (886,890) can selectively connect pairs of scan distributor and collector circuits together. The scan distributor and collector circuits can be formed in core circuits (704). The core circuits then can be connected to other core circuits and functional circuits with simple connections to the parallel scan circuits through the scan distributor and collector circuits.
US08941398B2
A heat spreader includes a plurality of sensors that indicate that the heat spreader is flat against a chip stack. One or more nodes within a sensor are electrically connected. The electrical resistance values of the connection may be compared to determine if the nodes within the sensors are relatively flat. Sensor flatness may be correlated to heat spreader flatness for determining whether the heat spreader is flat against the chip stack when the heat spreader is installed upon the chip stack.
US08941392B1
Disclosed is a sensing device that includes a flexible substrate having an elongated structure extending between a first end and a second end, the elongated structure being compliant material that is flexible and bendable from a linear, non-bent position to multiple bendable positions. The sensing device also includes a first compliant strain sensing element embedded within the compliant material and extending between the first end and the second end along a longitudinal length of the elongated structure. The first compliant strain sensing element includes a second compliant material that is flexible and bendable, where an electrical property of the first compliant strain sensing element changes in proportion to an applied strain on the elongated structure.
US08941391B2
A multi purpose capacitive sensor suitable for indicating close proximity of a person to a surface along a large-size truck as well as along a medium-size painting or a pocket-size mobile phone is disclosed. The sensor comprises a voltage measuring device provided with a signal ground connected to a first pole of an oscillating voltage source that has a second pole connected to a signal input of the voltage measuring device. This input has a first capacitance to earth and a second capacitance to the signal ground. A third capacitance is exhibited to earth by the second pole of said voltage source. According to the invention, a prebias component is connected between the second pole of the voltage source and the signal input of the voltage measuring device.
US08941374B2
A rotation detector component detects a rotational state of a rotor and sends a rotational detection signal. A signal transmission component is electrically connected with a lead frame of the rotation detector component to transmit the rotational detection signal to an external device. A body portion holds the rotation detector component and a part of the signal transmission component. The body portion is integrally molded of a first resin to cover a joint portion between the lead frame and the signal transmission component, the rotation detector component, and a part of the signal transmission component. A part of the rotation detector component forms an exposed portion exposed from the body portion.
US08941373B2
A current sensor comprising a primary conductor for conducting a current that is to be measured, at least two magnetic field probes for measuring magnetic fields, and a magnetic core, which has a closed ring structure having three or more corners that encloses the primary conductor, wherein each magnetic field probe is arranged on the magnetic core or in recesses in the magnetic core.
US08941369B2
A band-gap reference circuit is compensated for temperature dependent curvature in its output. A voltage across a diode with a fixed current is subtracted from a voltage across a diode with a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current. The resultant voltage is then magnified and added to a PTAT voltage and a diode's voltage that has a complementary-to-absolute temperature (CTAT) characteristic, resulting in a curvature corrected hand-gap voltage. This allows for the band-gap reference circuit to be trimmed at a single temperature. This allows the circuit to be made with only a single trimmable parameter, which, in the exemplary circuits, is a resistance value.
US08941365B2
Methods and apparatus to improve power factor are disclosed. An example method includes detecting power provided to a power factor corrector; detecting power provided by the power factor corrector; and disabling the power factor corrector from correcting a power factor of a load for at least one period when the power provided by the power factor corrector is below a light-load threshold.
US08941355B2
What is provided is a cell balance control device including: a bypass circuit including a direct circuit with a bypass resistance and a switching element, the bypass circuit being connected in parallel to each of a plurality of cells included in a battery; a cell voltage detection unit detecting a cell voltage of each of the plurality of cells; a temperature detection unit detecting a temperature of a substrate on which the bypass circuit is mounted; and a control unit controlling and computing a duty ratio of the switching element based on a value detected by the temperature detection unit and a cell voltage of a discharge-needed cell obtained by the cell voltage detection unit.
US08941353B2
A system for the wireless transfer of power includes a first device connected to a power supply source and provided with a first resonant circuit at a first frequency, a second device comprising at least one battery, provided with a second resonant circuit at said first frequency, arranged at a distance smaller than the wavelength associated with said first frequency and not provided with wires for the electrical connection with said first device. The first device is adapted to transfer a first signal representing the power to be sent to the second device for charging said at least one battery and comprises means adapted to modulate the frequency of said first signal for transferring data from the first device to the second device simultaneously with the power transfer. The second device comprises means adapted to demodulate the received signal, corresponding to the first signal sent from the first device, to obtain the transmitted data.
US08941345B2
A multi-shaft motor drive device comprises at least one amplifier module, a control substrate, and a power substrate. The at least one amplifier module is configured to supply power to at least one motor. The control substrate connected with the amplifier module. The power substrate is connected with the amplifier module. The amplifier module comprises a switching element. The control substrate is provided with a signal line disposed for controlling the switching element according to a motor control instruction from a master controller. The power substrate is provided with a power line disposed for supplying power to the amplifier module. The control substrate and the power substrate are arranged separately each other.
US08941343B2
A control circuit (1) for an electronically commutated, direct current motor (M) without a collector with a semiconductor end stage (2) which is controlled by an electronic commutation control (4) via a driver stage (6) for the time-offset control of the stator coils (U,V,W) of the motor (M) for the purpose of producing a magnetic rotating field for a rotor depending on the rotor rotation position. Two redundant stall protection units (10, 12) monitor the motor (M) during operation for rotation of the rotor, whereby in the case of a determined stall situation, the first stall protection unit (10) deactivates the driver stage (6) and the second stall protection unit (12) shuts off the supply voltage (UVCC) for the driver stage (6).
US08941342B2
An integrated servo system and a method of controlling a motor is provided. The integrated servo system includes a position detector which determines original position data of a motor and a position signal processor which determines a position of the motor based on the determined position data. The integrated servo system further includes a servo controller circuit which controls the motor based on the determined position data and a parallel bus through which the determined position data is transmitted from the position signal processor to the servo controller circuit.
US08941339B2
Apparatus and method for measuring position deviation of rotor of permanent magnet synchronous motor
An apparatus for measuring a position deviation of a rotor of a permanent magnet synchronous motor includes a control unit, a power transformation unit, a rotor position estimator and a calculation unit. The control unit receives a d-axis DC voltage signal and a q-axis AC voltage signal and receives an initial value of the rotor position and a high-frequency signal to output a three-phase command signal. The power transformation unit receives the three-phase command signal and outputs a three-phase control signal for controlling the motor. The rotor position estimator receives a three-phase current feedback signal corresponding to an operation of the motor and generates an estimation value of the rotor position. The calculation unit performs calculation to the initial value and the estimation value to generate a deviation value of the rotor position. Moreover, a method for measuring the position deviation is also disclosed herein.
US08941337B2
In a motor driving device, a first relay portion is connected between a power source and an inverter portion, a second relay portion is connected between the first relay portion and the inverter portion, and a motor relay portion is connected between the inverter portion and a winding group of a motor. Inverter pre-driver circuits respectively drive switching elements of the inverter portion. A first pre-driver circuit drives the first relay portion. A second pre-driver circuit drives the second relay portion and the motor relay portion. A controller controls driving of the inverter portion, the first relay portion, the second relay portion, and the motor relay portion, and detects a failure of the first relay portion, the second relay portion, and the motor relay portion.
US08941330B2
In one example implementation in accordance with the present disclosure, a process is provided. The process includes entering a first mode of operation where a plurality of light sources are permitted to illuminate. The process further includes entering a second mode of operation where the plurality of light sources associated with the first switch are not permitted to illuminate, and where the entering of the second mode of operation is in response to not detecting a presence for a time period. The process still further includes entering a third mode of operation in response to receiving a command, where only a subset of the plurality of light sources are permitted to illuminate and the remainder of the plurality of light sources are not permitted to illuminate.
US08941328B2
Disclosed is a variable power dimming control circuit for driving and linearly adjusting the illumination brightness of a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the circuit includes a dimming stabilization unit and a control unit. The control unit is provided for detecting an input current of a circuit, and the dimming stabilization unit is driven for outputting a holding current when the input power is smaller than a standard, and stopping the output the holding current when the input power is greater than the standard. When the LEDs are dimmed to low luminance, a chip controls the operation of the dimming stabilization unit to assure the stability of the dimming operation of a TRIAC. When the LEDs are adjusted to high or full brightness, the chip stops the output of the holding current to reduce unnecessary power consumption and enhance the overall circuit performance effectively.
US08941316B2
A power supply circuit for operating high-efficiency lighting devices from a thyristor-controlled dimmer determines the dimming value, i.e., the dimmer duty factor by periodically probing the dimmer output. A minimum conductance is applied across the output of the dimmer during probing intervals that begin at the turn-on time of the dimmer and last until enough information has been gathered to correctly predict a next zero crossing of the AC line voltage that supplies the input of the dimmer. The dimming value is determined from the time interval between the predicted zero-crossing and a next turn-on time of the dimmer. The probing can be performed at intervals of an odd number of half-cycles of the AC line frequency so that a DC offset is not introduced within internal timing circuits of the dimmer. The AC line frequency can also be determined from a time interval between the predicted zero crossings.
US08941315B2
A luminary dimming system having a three terminal dimming unit. The dimming unit includes a power controller and a receiver and is responsive to dimming directives received by the receiver. The power controller controls a buck switch and a freewheel switch in a manner that allows reduction of alternating current voltages. Such voltage reduction is accomplished in a manner that preserves the waveform of the source voltage and the power factor exhibited by the luminary.
US08941309B2
A voltage-driven pixel circuit, a driving method thereof and a display panel including the voltage-driven pixel circuit are disclosed. The voltage-driven pixel circuit comprises a driving transistor, a retaining transistor, a switching transistor, a compensating transistor, a storage capacitance and an OLED device. The technical solutions disclosed here compensate for the unevenness of the threshold voltage of the N-type TFT transistors and OLED efficiently.
US08941303B2
A method for determining an illumination range of at least one headlight of a vehicle includes a step of detecting at least one road-marking feature, which is illuminated by the at least one headlight, a step of ascertaining a distance between the vehicle and the at least one illuminated road-marking feature, and a step of determining the illumination range of the at least one headlight, using the ascertained distance.
US08941301B2
Objects of the present invention are to provide a light-emitting element that does not readily deteriorate, a light-emitting device and an electronic device that do not readily deteriorate, and a method of fabricating the light-emitting element that does not readily deteriorate. A light-emitting element having an EL layer between a pair of electrodes is covered with a layer containing an inorganic compound and halogen atoms or a layer containing an organic compound, an inorganic compound, and halogen atoms, whereby deterioration by moisture penetration can be inhibited. Thus, a light-emitting element with a long life can be obtained.
US08941300B2
An electric lamp (1) comprising a socket (2), a lamp bulb (4) mounted on the socket, in which bulb at least one semiconductor light source (5) is arranged. Cooling means (6) comprise at least two facing cooling fins (7,8) which are separated by at least one spacing (9). Said spacing being open to the environment and extending from the heart of the lamp bulb to the outer surface of the bulb. The lamp comprises a light redistributing, light transmittable wall (13) for redistributing light; optionally said light redistributing wall comprises separate, discernable wall parts (14,15). For example, each discernable bulb part is shaped like a surface of a half prolate or half oblate ellipse. Thus, a desired double beam or homogeneous, omni-directional light distribution is obtainable.
US08941298B2
A display device includes a plurality of sub-pixels configured to display a plurality of colors including white. Each of the sub-pixels includes a self-luminous element configured to emit light by receiving supply of electric current, an input unit configured to input a luminance signal for determining luminance of the self-luminous element into the sub-pixel, and a control unit configured to control the supply of electric current to the self-luminous element. An area of light emission in each of the sub-pixels for the white is larger than an area of light emission in each of the sub-pixels for the other colors.
US08941296B2
An organic EL device includes a substrate, a first electrode layer formed on the substrate, an organic EL layer formed on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer formed on the organic EL layer. A distribution characteristic of light emitted from the first electrode layer into the substrate has a luminance in a direction of a first angle of 20 to 50 degrees measured with respect to an axis perpendicular to the substrate that is relatively high as compared to luminance in other angular directions.
US08941288B2
When a rotating shaft member (140) rotates, a centrifugal force operates to a pressing member (152jk) (j=1 to J; k=1 to 6) which is fixed to the rotating shaft member (140). When the centrifugal force operates to the pressing member (152jk), the end portion of the second bar-like member (157), which is connected to a first bar-like member (156) on the other end portion, moves closer to a pressure transmitting member (130), and a contact member (158) connected to said end portion of the second bar-like member (157) presses the pressure transmitting member (130). When the pressure transmitting member (130) is pressed in this manner, the pressing force is applied to a piezoelectric element of an individual power generating section (122jp) which abuts on the R direction side of the pressing position of the pressure transmitting member (130). When the pressing force is applied to the piezoelectric element in this manner, the piezoelectric element continuously generates voltages. As a result, power can be generated at a high efficiency, while using the piezoelectric element.
US08941286B2
An acoustic wave device includes: a piezoelectric thin film resonator including: a substrate; a lower electrode formed on the substrate; at least two piezoelectric films formed on the lower electrode; an insulating film sandwiched by the at least two piezoelectric films; and an upper electrode formed on the at least two piezoelectric films, wherein an area of the insulating film within a resonance region, in which the lower electrode and the upper electrode face each other across the at least two piezoelectric films, is different from an area of the resonance region.
US08941285B2
In one aspect, the present invention provides nanosized systems for generating electrical energy based on the use of a chemically reactive composition to generate a thermoelectric wave. For example, the system can include at least one nanostructure (e.g., a carbon nanotube) extending along an axial direction between a proximal end and a distal end. A chemically reactive composition is dispersed along at least a portion of the nanostructure, e.g., along its axial direction, so as to provide thermal coupling with the nanostructure. The chemical composition can undergo an exothermic chemical reaction to generate heat. The system can further include an ignition mechanism adapted to activate the chemical composition so as to generate a thermal wave that propagates along the axial direction of the nanostructure, where the thermal wave is accompanied by an electrical energy wave propagating along the axial direction.
US08941280B2
A dc motor includes a stator having multiple field magnet poles, and an armature having an armature core, armature coils, and a commutator, and brushes brought into contact with the commutator. The armature coils include concentrated winding coil units wound on respective teeth, and connecting wire units that electrically connect each of the concentrated winding coil units together. A segment group of the commutator includes a first segment and a second segment placed adjacent to each other, to which the concentrated winding coil units are connected, the segment group also includes a third segment disposed next to the adjacent placement, and only the connecting wire unit is connected to the third segment. The connecting wire units include connecting wire units that pass through slots and connect each of the concentrated winding coil units together.
US08941278B2
A system for suspending a rotating body consisting of a combination of magnetic and engineered materials. The suspension system allows for some axial motion to account for varying system loads.
US08941272B2
There is provided a linear vibrator including a case including a cylindrical sidewall part forming a sidewall thereof and a cover coupled to one end of the sidewall part, and an elastic member including at least one connection protrusion and connected to the case while the connection protrusion is interposed between the sidewall part and the cover.
US08941269B1
A power transfer device for connecting an electrical load to a power supply is disclosed. The power transfer device monitors the operating status of the power supply. Upon loss of power at the power supply, the power transfer device opens a switch between the power supply and the electrical load. When power is restored, the power transfer device executes a delay time module. After the delay time module has timed out, the power transfer device closes the switch to reconnect the power supply and the electrical load. Power transfer devices may be supplied to each of multiple loads connected to a power supply. By setting the time delay period of each power transfer device to a different duration, the electrical transients resulting from reconnecting all of the electrical loads to the power supply are reduced.
US08941260B2
A vehicle light control device mounted on a vehicle to control lighting of a light of the vehicle based on illuminance around the vehicle, has an infrared sensor that detects an infrared ray around the vehicle, an infrared illuminance detector that detects infrared illuminance from an output of the infrared sensor, a visible-light sensor that detects visible light around the vehicle, a visible-light illuminance detector that detects visible-light illuminance from an output of the visible-light sensor, a storage in which a first lighting threshold is stored, and a controller that controls the lighting of the light based on the infrared illuminance detected by the infrared illuminance detector, the visible-light illuminance detected by the visible-light illuminance detector, and the first lighting threshold stored in the storage.
US08941258B2
A power supply device includes an AC generation part having a sinusoidal wave generation part generating a first sinusoidal wave signal, an integrator integrating a difference between the first sinusoidal wave signal and a feedback signal, a triangular wave generation part generating a triangular wave signal, a comparator comparing an output of the integrator and the triangular wave signal and outputting a PWM signal, a switching drive part amplifying the PWM signal and outputs an amplified PWM signal, a filter converting the amplified PWM signal into a second sinusoidal wave signal, a transformer increasing a voltage of the second sinusoidal wave signal and outputting an AC voltage, and a voltage divider dividing the AC voltage and generating the feedback signal, and a DC generation part generating a DC voltage. The power supply device superimposes the AC voltage and the DC voltage and outputs a superimposed voltage.
US08941254B2
A generator housing that accommodates, in the interior thereof, a hollow-cylindrical liner and a stator that is disposed on a radially inner side of the liner has a split-in-two structure that can be divided into two parts at a plane including the rotation axis of the rotation shaft; and individual joints formed inside the generator housing between a pathway and a hole for supplying a cooling medium to the pathway, which is formed inside the liner, and also a hole for exhausting the cooling medium from the pathway are provided with ring-like members that are provided with front surfaces that face the liner and back surfaces that face the generator housing and that have a through-hole that communicates between the hole and the pathway or a through-hole that communicates between the hole and the pathway center portions thereof.
US08941248B2
Various packages and methods of forming packages are disclosed. In an embodiment, a package includes a hybrid encapsulant encapsulating a chip attached to a substrate. The hybrid encapsulant comprises a first molding compound and a second molding compound that has a different composition than the first molding compound. In another embodiment, a package includes an encapsulant encapsulating a chip attached to a substrate. A surface of the chip is exposed through the encapsulant. The encapsulant comprises a recess in a surface of a first molding compound proximate the surface of the chip. A thermal interface material is on the surface of the chip and in the recess, and a lid is attached to the thermal interface material.
US08941247B1
In a packaging structure for a microelectromechanical-system (MEMS) resonator system, a resonator-control chip is mounted on a lead frame having a plurality of electrical leads, including electrically coupling a first contact on a first surface of the resonator-control chip to a mounting surface of a first electrical lead of the plurality of electrical leads through a first electrically conductive bump. A MEMS resonator chip is mounted to the first surface of the resonator-control chip, including electrically coupling a contact on a first surface of the MEMS resonator chip to a second contact on the first surface of the resonator-control chip through a second electrically conductive bump. The MEMS resonator chip, resonator-control chip and mounting surface of the first electrical lead are enclosed within a package enclosure that exposes a contact surface of the first electrical lead at an external surface of the packaging structure.
US08941234B2
A method includes preparing a bonding surface of a heat dissipating member, applying flux to the bonding surface of the heat dissipating member, and removing excess flux from the bonding surface so that minimal flux is provided. The method also includes preparing a die surface of an electronic device package, applying flux to the die surface, and removing excess flux from the die surface so that minimal flux is provided. The method further includes positioning a preform solder component on the die surface, positioning the heat dissipating member over the die surface and the preform solder component such that the flux layer of the bonding surface is in contact with the preform solder component, and reflowing the solder component using a reflow oven. A heat spreader is also described for use in the process.
US08941232B2
The mechanisms for forming metal bumps to connect to a cooling device (or a heat sink) described herein enable substrates with devices to dissipate heat generated more efficiently. In addition, the metal bumps allow customization of bump designs to meet the needs of different chips. Further, the usage of metal bumps between the semiconductor chip and cooling device enables advanced cooling by passing a cooling fluid between the bumps.
US08941230B2
A metal plate covers an opening on the upper surface of a core substrate and exposes an outer edge of the upper surface of the core substrate. A conductive layer covers the lower surface of the core substrate. A semiconductor chip bonded to a first surface of the metal plate is exposed through the opening. A first insulating layer covers the upper and side surface of the metal plate and the outer edge of the upper surface of the core substrate. A second insulating layer fills the openings of the metal plate and the conductive layer and covers the outer edge of the lower surface of the core substrate, the conductive layer, and the semiconductor chip. The metal plate is thinner than the semiconductor chip. Total thickness of the conductive layer and the core substrate is equal to or larger than the thickness of the semiconductor chip.
US08941229B2
A semiconductor device includes a base substrate made of silicon, a cap substrate and a leading electrode having a metal part. The base substrate has base semiconductor regions being insulated and separated from each other at a predetermined portion of a surface layer thereof. The cap substrate is bonded to the predetermined portion of the surface layer of the base substrate. The leading electrode has a first end connected to one of the plurality of base semiconductor regions of the base substrate and extends through the cap substrate such that a second end of the leading electrode is located adjacent to a surface of the cap substrate for allowing an electrical connection with an external part, the surface being opposite to a bonding surface at which the base substrate and the cap substrate are bonded. The leading electrode defines a groove between an outer surface thereof and the cap substrate.
US08941227B2
An exemplary package substrate includes a package substrate, a first connection substrate, a first chip, a dielectric adhesive sheet, a second chip, and a second connection substrate. The package substrate includes many first and second electrical contact pads. The first connection substrate includes many third and fourth electrical contact pads. Each fourth electrical contact pad is electrically connected to one first electrical contact pad. The first chip includes many first electrode pads. Each first electrode pad is electrically connected to the corresponding third electrical contact pad. The second chip is connected to the first chip by the dielectric adhesive sheet, and includes many second electrode pads. The second connection substrate includes many fifth and sixth electrical contact pads. Each fifth electrical contact pad is electrically connected to one second electrode pad, and each sixth electrical contact pad is electrically connected to one second electrical contact pad.
US08941226B2
A semiconductor device has an external terminal formed through the use of an electrolysis plating method. A front surface of a semiconductor wafer is placed over a front surface of a first support heated to a first temperature. An adhesive sheet is then bonded to a back surface of the semiconductor wafer, after which the semiconductor wafer is subjected to heat treatment at a second temperature higher than the first temperature. After the semiconductor wafer and the adhesive sheet are cut along cutting regions, a plurality of semiconductor chips each having an adhesive patch bonded thereto are obtained. A mother substrate is placed over a front surface of a second support heated to a third temperature and the semiconductor chips are fixed to an upper surface of the mother substrate via the adhesive patch.
US08941225B2
A stacked integrated circuit package and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The stacked integrated circuit package includes a first integrated circuit package comprising a first substrate, a first semiconductor chip, and a first molding portion, an interposer mounted on the first substrate to be electrically connected to the circuit pattern of the first substrate by a first solder bump, the interposer being provided with an opening to accommodate the first semiconductor chip, and a second integrated circuit package stacked on the first integrated circuit package and the interposer and electrically connected to the interposer by a second solder bump, the second integrated circuit package comprising a second substrate, a second semiconductor chip, and a second molding portion.
US08941215B2
A method and structure for stabilizing an array of micro devices is disclosed. The array of micro devices is formed on an array of stabilization posts formed from a thermoset material. Each micro device includes a bottom surface that is wider than a corresponding stabilization post directly underneath the bottom surface.
US08941214B2
Semiconductor devices having necked semiconductor bodies and methods of forming semiconductor bodies of varying width are described. For example, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body disposed above a substrate. A gate electrode stack is disposed over a portion of the semiconductor body to define a channel region in the semiconductor body under the gate electrode stack. Source and drain regions are defined in the semiconductor body on either side of the gate electrode stack. Sidewall spacers are disposed adjacent to the gate electrode stack and over only a portion of the source and drain regions. The portion of the source and drain regions under the sidewall spacers has a height and a width greater than a height and a width of the channel region of the semiconductor body.
US08941213B2
A semiconductor device includes: a spiral-shaped inductor formed to include a metal wire; and a horseshoe-shaped inductor formed to include the metal wire. The horseshoe-shaped inductor is arranged such that an opening of the horseshoe-shaped inductor is disposed opposite to the spiral-shaped inductor. Accordingly, unnecessary wave (spurious) output from a transmitting unit can be reduced as small as possible.
US08941211B2
An embodiment radio frequency area of an integrated circuit is disclosed. The radio frequency area includes a substrate having an implant region. The substrate has a first resistance. A buried oxide layer is disposed over the substrate and an interface layer is disposed between the substrate and the buried oxide layer. The interface layer has a second resistance lower than the first resistance. A silicon layer is disposed over the buried oxide layer and an interlevel dielectric is disposed in a deep trench. The deep trench extends through the silicon layer, the buried oxide layer, and the interface layer over the implant region. The deep trench may also extend through a polysilicon layer disposed over the silicon layer.
US08941206B2
A semiconductor device includes a transistor cell array in the semiconductor body of a first conductivity type. The semiconductor device further includes a first trench in the transistor cell array between transistor cells. The first trench extends into the semiconductor body from a first side and includes a pn junction diode electrically coupled to the semiconductor body at a sidewall.
US08941204B2
A method for reducing cross talk in image sensors comprises providing a backside illuminated image sensor wafer, forming an isolation region in the backside illuminated image sensor wafer, wherein the isolation region encloses a photo active region, forming an opening in the isolation region from a backside of the backside illuminated image sensor wafer and covering an upper terminal of the opening with a dielectric material to form an air gap embedded in the isolation region of the backside illuminated image sensor wafer.
US08941201B2
In a transparent substrate (10), there are formed a semiconductor layer (14) formed of an oxide semiconductor, the semiconductor layer (14) functioning as a channel portion of a TFT (2); an electrode (16) formed of a transparent conductive material and located over the semiconductor layer (14), and a light-shielding conductor (17) formed on the electrode (16), the light-shielding conductor being formed of a material which has a conductivity higher than that of the transparent conductive material and which has light-shielding property, the light-shielding conductor covering the semiconductor layer (14). This structure can inhibit exposure of the oxide semiconductor which forms the channel portion toward a light, and can lower the resistance of the electrode formed of the transparent conductive material.
US08941200B2
According to one embodiment, provided are a first photoelectric conversion layer provided for a first wavelength band, a second photoelectric conversion layer provided for a second wavelength band, and a color separation element adapted to separate an incident light into a transmission light including the first wavelength band and a reflection light including the second wavelength band, wherein an angle of incidence of the incident light with respect to a reflection surface of the color separation element is set so that a vertically polarized light and a horizontally polarized light are included in the reflection light.
US08941192B2
A method for making an actuator device includes forming a substantially planar structure having a stage resiliently supported for movement within a plane of the structure, an actuator coupled to an outer periphery of the stage and operable to apply a force acting in the plane and tangentially to the stage when actuated, the actuator comprising a fixed frame and a moving frame resiliently supported for reciprocal movement relative to the fixed frame by a motion control flexure, and an outer frame surrounding and supporting the stage and the actuator. The moving frame is moved to a deployed position that is coplanar with, parallel to and spaced apart from the fixed frame at a selected distance, and the moving frame is then fixed at the deployed position for substantially rectilinear, perpendicular movement relative to the fixed frame.
US08941185B2
An active matrix substrate of the present invention includes: a first signal line and a second signal line which are aligned in a column direction in which the first signal line and the second signal line extend; a first transistor and a second transistor; and a first electrode and a second electrode, the first signal line being connected via the first transistor to the first electrode, and the second signal line being connected via the second transistor to the second electrode, and the first signal line having a first end which is one of both ends of the first signal line and faces the second signal line, the first end including a tapered part which is tapered toward the second signal line. This makes it possible to prevent a leakage defect from occurring between two signal lines which are aligned in a direction in which the two signal lines extend.
US08941183B2
There is provided a semiconductor device comprising, at least one SRAM cell, wherein the SRAM cell includes a pull-up transistor, a pull-down transistor, and a pass-gate transistor, and an inversion-layer thickness (Tinv) of a gate stack of the pass-gate transistor is different from Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-up transistor and Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-down transistor.
US08941174B2
It is an object to improve the breakdown voltage characteristics of a vertical semiconductor device having an opening and including a channel formed of two-dimensional electron gas in the opening. A GaN-based stacked layer 15 includes n−-type GaN drift layer 4/p-type GaN barrier layer 6/n+-type GaN contact layer 7. An opening 28 extends from a top layer and reaches the n−-type GaN drift layer 4. The semiconductor device includes a regrown layer 27 located so as to cover a wall surface and a bottom portion of the opening, the regrown layer 27 including an electron drift layer 22 and an electron source layer 26, a source electrode S located around the opening, a gate electrode G located on the regrown layer in the opening, and a bottom insulating layer 37 located in the bottom portion of the opening.
US08941173B2
According to an example embodiment of inventive concepts, a capacitorless memory device includes a capacitorless memory cell that includes a bit line on a substrate; a read transistor, and a write transistor. The read transistor may include first to third impurity layers stacked in a vertical direction on the bit line. The first and third layers may be a first conductive type, and the second impurity layer may be a second conductive type that differs from the first conductive type. The write transistor may include a source layer, a body layer, and a drain layer stacked in the vertical direction on the substrate, and a gate line that is adjacent to a side surface of the body layer. The gate line may be spaced apart from the side surface of the body layer. The source layer may be adjacent to a side surface of the second impurity layer.
US08941170B2
A device having thin-film transistor (TFT) floating gate memory cell structures is provided. The device includes a substrate, a dielectric layer on the substrate, and one or more source or drain regions being embedded in the dielectric layer. the dielectric layer being associated with a first surface. Each of the one or more source or drain regions includes an N+ polysilicon layer on a diffusion barrier layer which is on a first conductive layer. The N+ polysilicon layer has a second surface substantially co-planar with the first surface. Additionally, the device includes a P− polysilicon layer overlying the co-planar surface and a floating gate on the P− polysilicon layer. The floating gate is a low-pressure CVD-deposited silicon layer sandwiched by a bottom oxide tunnel layer and an upper oxide block layer. Moreover, the device includes at least one control gate made of a P+ polysilicon layer overlying the upper oxide block layer. A method of making the same memory cell structure is provided and can be repeated to integrate the structure three-dimensionally.
US08941169B2
A floating gate device is provided. A tunnel oxide layer is formed over the channel. A floating gate is formed over the tunnel oxide layer. A high-k dielectric layer is formed over the floating gate. A control gate is formed over the high-k dielectric layer. At least one of the control gate and/or the floating gate includes an oxygen scavenging element. The oxygen scavenging element is configured to decrease an oxygen density at least one of at a first interface between the control gate and the high-k dielectric layer, at a second interface between the high-k dielectric layer and the floating gate, at a third interface between the floating gate and the tunnel oxide layer, and at a fourth interface between the tunnel oxide layer and the channel responsive to annealing.
US08941168B2
A semiconductor device includes an element isolation region having an element isolation insulating film therein; an active region delineated by the element isolation region; agate insulating film formed in the active region; a charge storage layer above the gate insulating film; and an interelectrode insulating film. The interelectrode insulating film is formed in a first region above an upper surface of the element isolation insulating film, a second region along a sidewall of the charge storage layer, and a third region above an upper surface of the charge storage layer. The interelectrode insulating film includes a stack of a first silicon oxide film, a first silicon nitride film, a second silicon oxide film, and a second silicon nitride film. A control electrode layer is formed above the interelectrode insulating film. The second silicon oxide film is thinner in the first region than in the third region.
US08941164B2
A semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of first capacitor electrodes arranged in a plurality of parallel lines on the semiconductor substrate with each of the first capacitor electrodes extending away from the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of capacitor support pads may be provided with each capacitor support pad being connected to first capacitor electrodes of at least two adjacent parallel lines of the first capacitor electrodes and with adjacent capacitor support pads being spaced apart. A dielectric layer may be provided on each of the first capacitor electrodes, and a second capacitor electrode may be provided on the dielectric layer so that the dielectric layer is between the second capacitor electrode and each of the first capacitor electrodes. Related methods are also discussed.
US08941139B2
A method of manufacturing a light-emitting element mounting package including laminating a metallic layer on an insulating layer; forming a light-emitting element mounting area which includes a pair of electroplating films formed by electroplating using the metallic layer as a power supply layer on the metallic layer; forming a light-emitting element mounting portion in which a plurality of wiring portions are separated by predetermined gaps, by removing predetermined portions of the metallic layer, wherein, in the forming the light-emitting element mounting portion, the metallic layer is removed so that one of the pair of electroplating films belongs to one wiring portion of the plurality of wiring portions and another of the pair of electroplating films belongs to another wiring portion adjacent to the one wiring portion.
US08941138B2
A semiconductor structure includes a gate, an oxide channel layer, a gate insulating layer, a source, a drain and a dielectric stacked layer. The oxide channel layer is stacked over the gate, with the gate insulting layer disposed therebetween. The source and the drain are disposed on a side of the oxide channel layer and in parallel to each other. A portion of the oxide channel layer is exposed between the source and the drain. The dielectric stacked layer is disposed on the substrate and includes plural of first inorganic dielectric layers with a first refraction index and plural of second inorganic dielectric layers with a second refraction index that are stacked alternately. At least one of the first inorganic dielectric layers directly covers the source, the drain and the portion of the oxide channel layer. The first refraction index is smaller than the second refraction index.
US08941137B2
A light emitting diode (LED) device and packaging for same is disclosed. In some aspects, the LED is manufactured using a vertical configuration including a plurality of layers. Certain layers act to promote mechanical, electrical, thermal, or optical characteristics of the device. The device avoids design problems, including manufacturing complexities, costs and heat dissipation problems found in conventional LED devices. Some embodiments include a plurality of optically permissive layers, including an optically permissive cover substrate or wafer stacked over a semiconductor LED and positioned using one or more alignment markers.
US08941136B2
A semiconductor light emitting element includes a semiconductor stack part that includes a light emitting layer, a diffractive face that light emitted from the light emitting layer is incident to, convex portions or concave portions formed in a period which is longer than an optical wavelength of the light and is shorter than a coherent length of the light, wherein the diffractive face reflects incident light in multimode according to Bragg's condition of diffraction and transmits the incident light in multimode according to the Bragg's condition of diffraction, and a reflective face which reflects multimode light diffracted at the diffractive face and let the multimode light be incident to the diffractive face again. The semiconductor stack part is formed on the diffractive face.
US08941131B2
A semiconductor light-emitting device includes: a semiconductor chip having a growth surface that is a nonpolar or semipolar plane, and emitting polarized light; and a reflector having a reflective surface. At least part of light in a plane L90 is reflected off the reflective surface in a direction of a normal line to the growth surface, and an amount of light reflected off the reflective surface in the plane L90 in the direction of the normal line is larger than that of light reflected off the reflective surface on a plane L45 in the direction of the normal line, where the plane L90 represents a plane including the normal line and oriented at 90° to a polarization direction of the polarized light, and the plane L45 represents a plane including the normal line, and oriented at 45° to the polarization direction of the polarized light.
US08941130B2
A semiconductor light emitting device includes: a semiconductor chip having a growth surface that is a nonpolar or semipolar plane, and emitting polarized light; and a reflector having a reflective surface. At least part of light in a plane L90 is reflected off the reflective surface in a direction of a normal line to the growth surface, and an amount of light reflected off the reflective surface in the plane L90 in the direction of the normal line is larger than that of light reflected off the reflective surface on a plane L45 in the direction of the normal line, where the plane L90 represents a plane including the normal line and oriented at 90° to a polarization direction of the polarized light, and the plane L45 represents a plane including the normal line, and oriented at 45° to the polarization direction of the polarized light.
US08941129B1
An LAM/ICM assembly comprises an integrated control module (ICM) and an LED array member (LAM). The ICM includes interconnect through which power from outside the assembly is received. In a first novel aspect, active circuitry is embedded in the ICM. In one example, the circuitry monitors LED operation, controls and supplies power to the LEDs, and communicates information into and out of the assembly. In a second novel aspect, a lighting system comprises an AC-to-DC converter and a LAM/ICM assembly. The AC-to-DC converter outputs a substantially constant current or voltage. The magnitude of the current or voltage is adjusted by a signal output from the LAM/ICM. In a third novel aspect, the ICM includes a switching DC-to-DC converter. An AC-to-DC power supply supplies a roughly regulated supply voltage. The switching converter within the LAM/ICM receives the roughly regulated voltage and supplies a regulated LED drive current to its LEDs.
US08941126B2
A semiconductor electricity converter is provided. The semiconductor electricity converter includes: an AC input module, for converting an input AC electric energy into a light energy, the AC input module including a plurality of semiconductor electricity-to-light conversion structures, each semiconductor electricity-to-light conversion structure including an electricity-to-light conversion layer; and an AC output module, for converting the light energy into an output AC electric energy, the AC output module including a plurality of semiconductor light-to-electricity conversion structures, each semiconductor light-to-electricity conversion structure including a light-to-electricity conversion layer; in which an emitting spectrum of each semiconductor electricity-to-light conversion structure and an absorption spectrum of each semiconductor light-to-electricity conversion structure are matched with each other.
US08941125B2
Broad spectrum light emitting devices and methods and semiconductor chips for fabricating such devices include a light emitting element, such as a diode or laser, which emits light in a predefined range of frequencies. The light emitting element includes a shaped substrate suitable for light extraction through the substrate and a cavity in the substrate proximate the light emitting element. For example, a trench adjacent the light emitting element may be provided. The cavity/trench is configured to contain light conversion material such that light extracted from sidewalls of the cavity/trench passes through the light conversion material contained in the cavity/trench. Methods of fabricating such devices and/or chips are also provided.
US08941124B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a semiconductor layer, a p-side electrode, an n-side electrode, and an inorganic film. The semiconductor layer includes a first surface having an unevenness, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a light emitting layer. The semiconductor layer includes gallium nitride. The inorganic film is provided to conform to the unevenness of the first surface and in contact with the first surface. The inorganic film has main components of silicon and nitrogen. The inorganic film has a refractive index between a refractive index of the gallium nitride and a refractive index of air. An unevenness is formed also in a surface of the inorganic film.
US08941123B2
A structure and method of producing a semiconductor structure including a semi-insulating semiconductor layer, a plurality of isolated devices formed over the semi-insulating semiconductor layer, and a metal-semiconductor alloy region formed in the semi-insulating semiconductor layer, where the metal-semiconductor alloy region electrically connects two or more of the isolated devices.
US08941116B2
In an aspect of a semiconductor device, there are provided a substrate, a transistor including an electron transit layer and an electron supply layer formed over the substrate, a nitride semiconductor layer formed over the substrate and connected to a gate of the transistor, and a controller controlling electric charges moving in the nitride semiconductor layer.
US08941115B2
A thin film transistor element includes a gate electrode, an insulating layer formed on the gate electrode, and partition walls formed on the insulating layer and defining a first aperture above the gate electrode. The thin film transistor element further includes, at a bottom portion of the first aperture, a source electrode and a drain electrode that are in alignment with each other with a gap therebetween, a liquid-philic layer, and a semiconductor layer that covers the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the liquid-philic layer as well as gaps therebetween. The liquid-philic layer has higher liquid philicity than the insulating layer, and in plan view of the bottom portion of the first aperture, a center of area of the liquid-philic layer is offset from a center of area of the bottom portion of the first aperture.
US08941112B2
A semiconductor device in which fluctuation in electric characteristics due to miniaturization is less likely to be caused is provided. The semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor film including a first region, a pair of second regions in contact with side surfaces of the first region, and a pair of third regions in contact with side surfaces of the pair of second regions; a gate insulating film provided over the oxide semiconductor film; and a first electrode that is over the gate insulating film and overlaps with the first region. The first region is a CAAC oxide semiconductor region. The pair of second regions and the pair of third regions are each an amorphous oxide semiconductor region containing a dopant. The dopant concentration of the pair of third regions is higher than the dopant concentration of the pair of second regions.
US08941110B2
Semiconductor structures are provided containing an electronic fuse (E-fuse) that includes a fuse element and at least one underlying tungsten contact that is used for programming the fuse element. In some embodiments, a pair of neighboring tungsten contacts is used for programming the fuse element. In another embodiment, an overlying conductive region can be used in conjunction with one of the underlying tungsten contacts to program the fuse element. In the disclosed structures, the fuse element is in direct contact with upper surfaces of a pair of underlying tungsten contacts. In one embodiment, the semiconductor structures may include an interconnect level located atop the fuse element. The interconnect level has a plurality of conductive regions embedded therein. In other embodiments, the fuse element is located within an interconnect level that is located atop the tungsten contacts.
US08941107B2
With a non-linear element (e.g., a diode) with small reverse saturation current, a power diode or rectifier is provided. A non-linear element includes a first electrode provided over a substrate, an oxide semiconductor film provided on and in contact with the first electrode and having a concentration of hydrogen of 5×1019 atoms/cm3 or less, a second electrode provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor film, a gate insulating film covering the first electrode, the oxide semiconductor film, and the second electrode, and third electrodes provided in contact with the gate insulating film and facing each other with the first electrode, the oxide semiconductor film, and the second electrode interposed therebetween or a third electrode provided in contact with the gate insulating film and surrounding the second electrode. The third electrodes are connected to the first electrode or the second electrode. With the non-linear element, a power diode or a rectifier is formed.
US08941105B2
There is provided a semiconductor light emitting device in which light emitting efficiency is totally improved in case of emitting a light having a short wavelength of 400 nm or less by raising internal quantum efficiency by enhancing crystallinity of semiconductor layers laminated and by raising external quantum efficiency by taking out the light emitted by preventing the light emitted from being absorbed in the substrate or the like, as much as possible. In case of laminating ZnO compound semiconductor layers (2 to 6) so as to form a light emitting layer forming portion (7) for emitting the light having a wavelength of 400 nm or less on a substrate (1), a substrate composed of MgxZn1-xO (0≦x≦0.5) is used as the substrate (1).
US08941096B2
By introducing new concepts into a structure of a conventional organic semiconductor element and without using a conventional ultra thin film, an organic semiconductor element is provided which is more reliable and has higher yield. Further, efficiency is improved particularly in a photoelectronic device using an organic semiconductor. Between an anode and a cathode, there is provided an organic structure including alternately laminated organic thin film layer (functional organic thin film layer) realizing various functions by making an SCLC flow, and a conductive thin film layer (ohmic conductive thin film layer) imbued with a dark conductivity by doping it with an acceptor and a donor, or by the like method.
US08941095B2
An apparatus, system, and/or method are described to enable optically transparent reconfigurable integrated electrical components, such as antennas and RF circuits to be integrated into an optically transparent host platform, such as glass. In one embodiment, an Ag NW film may be configured as a transparent conductor for antennas and/or as interconnects for passive circuit components, such as capacitors or resistors. Ag NW may also be used as transmission lines and/or interconnect overlays for devices. A graphene film may also be configured as active channel material for making active RF devices, such as amplifiers and switches.
US08941086B2
A charged particle beam irradiation apparatus includes: an irradiation section configured to irradiate an irradiated body with a charged particle beam; a gantry in which an irradiation section is disposed and which can rotate or oscillate around a central axis line; an enclosure in which the irradiated body is disposed; and a gantry-side transport line that has an inlet section on which a charged particle beam emitted from an accelerator is incident and that is supported on the gantry and configured to transport an incident charged particle beam to the irradiation section, in which the gantry has a first bearing section provided between the inlet section of the gantry-side transport line and the enclosure, and a second bearing section provided on a side opposite to the first bearing section with respect to the enclosure.
US08941071B1
A method for generating a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) image includes defining a scan window having a predetermined length along an examination axis of a PET imaging system, the scan window corresponding to a region of interest to be continuously scanned by the PET imaging system, defining at least two data bins corresponding to two separate scan regions within the scan window, defining a transition region that overlaps a portion of each of the separate scan regions within the scan window, the transition region having a width that is shorter than a length of the scan window, binning emission data acquired within the transition region into the two data bins, binning emission data acquired from outside the transition region into one of the two data bins, and reconstructing an image using the emission data in the two data bins.
US08941064B2
This disclosure discusses various methods for manufacturing uncooled infrared detectors by using foundry-defined silicon-on-insulator (SOI) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) wafers, each of which may include a substrate layer, an insulation layer having a pixel region and a wall region surrounding the pixel region, a pixel structure formed on the pixel region of the insulation layer, a wall structure formed adjacent to the pixel structure and on the wall region of the insulation layer, a dielectric layer covering the pixel structure and the wall structure, a pixel mask formed within the dielectric layer and for protecting the pixel structure during a dry etching process, and a wall mask formed within the dielectric layer and for protecting the wall structure during the dry etching process, thereby releasing a space defined between the wall structure and the pixel structure after the dry etching process.
US08941062B2
In embodiments of the present invention, a system and method of cytometry may include presenting a single sperm cell to at least one laser source configured to deliver light to the sperm cell in order to induce bond vibrations in the sperm cell DNA, and detecting the signature of the bond vibrations. The bond vibration signature is used to calculate a DNA content carried by the sperm cell which is used to identify the sperm cell as carrying an X-chromosome or Y-chromosome. Another system and method may include flowing cells past at least one QCL source one-by-one using a fluid handling system, delivering QCL light to a single cell to induce resonant mid-IR absorption by one or more analytes of the cell, and detecting, using a mid-infrared detection facility, the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light, wherein the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light is used to identify a cell characteristic.
US08941061B2
A compressive scanning approach for millimeter wave imaging and sensing. A Hadamard mask is positioned to receive millimeter waves from an object to be imaged. A subset of the full set of Hadamard acquisitions is sampled. The subset is used to reconstruct an image representing the object.
US08941050B1
Systems, methods and/or techniques for processing solderbrace using one or more light wavelength filters are described. A method of processing solderbrace material may include applying solderbrace material to a wafer, placing a light wavelength filter between the solderbrace material and a broadband light source and exposing the light wavelength filter to broadband light from the broadband light source. The light wavelength filter may block some wavelengths of light and may allow other wavelengths of light to pass through and strike the solderbrace material. In some embodiments, the light wavelength filter may be an I-Line filter that is adapted to block substantially all wavelengths of light and allow passage of I-Line wavelengths of light. In some embodiments, the light wavelength filter may be an I-Line filter that is adapted to block substantially all G-Line and H-Line wavelengths of light and allow passage of substantially all I-Line wavelengths of light.
US08941048B2
The present invention relates to a pulse splitting device (5) adapted to receive irradiation pulses (10) with a central wavelength (1) from a pulsed irradiation source (2) and output a plurality of sub-pulses (11,12,15,17) for each incoming irradiation pulse. The received irradiation pulses and the pulse splitter (5) interacts so that a first and a second sub-pulse (11,12) are temporally separated by a first optical path length (OP1) in a first region and a second optical path length (OP2) in a second region, respectively. The first optical path length (OP1) times the group velocity dispersion (GVD1) with respect to wavelength in the first material, is balanced with the second optical path length (OP2) times the group velocity dispersion (GVD2) with respect to wavelength in the second material, so that the dispersion broadening of the first and the second sub-pulses (11,12) is substantially equal. This facilitates improved subsequent dispersion compensation by both sub-pulses.
US08941040B2
An electromagnetic heater for heating an irregularly shaped object, including: a cavity within which an object is to be placed; at least one feed which feeds UHF or microwave energy into the cavity; and a controller that controls one or more characteristics of the cavity or energy to assure that the UHF or microwave energy is deposited uniformly in the object within ±30% over at least 80% of the volume of the object.
US08941036B2
The present invention provides a heating unit capable of easily and inexpensively adjusting total impedance based on tire mold size so that a power source can be used at a high power factor, and a tire heating apparatus using the same. A ferromagnetic metallic member 10a heats a tire mold M1 by heat conduction. An induction heating coil C1 is disposed on the side of the ferromagnetic metallic member 10a opposite the tire mold M1 to induction-heat the ferromagnetic metallic member 10a by generating magnetic field lines. A nonmagnetic conductor 30a is disposed on the side of the induction heating coil C1 opposite the ferromagnetic metallic member 10a to shield the magnetic field lines generated by the induction heating coil C1. A heating unit 100a including these elements heats the tire mold M1 storing a tire. A relative positional relationship among the nonmagnetic conductor 30a, the induction heating coil C1 and the ferromagnetic metallic member 10a is set by first spacers 71a and 72a and second spacers 21a to 23a.
US08941033B2
The device (1) for the processing and cooking of foodstuffs includes a base (2), a container (3) with, on the outer side of its bottom (4), a fixed protecting shell (5) by means of which the container (3) stands in a positioning housing (6) provided on said base (2), a lid (7) to close said container (3), electrical heating means supported by said container (3), a shaft (12) carrying tools (13) rotatably supported inside said container (3), electric means for powering said shaft (12), and safety means at least capable of mechanically clamping the container (3) into its positioning housing (6) and of activating the electric feed of said powering means when said lid (7) moves from an open position to a closed position of said container (3) positioned in said positioning housing (6), the safety means comprising kinematic system for reversibly transforming the movement of the lid (7) between its open position and its closed position into a reversible translation stroke of a first clamping element (26) between a withdrawn position within said protecting shell (5) and an extended position outside said shell (5) wherein said first clamping element (26) engages a first clamp housing (27) provided in said positioning housing (6) and triggers a first micro-switch (28) generating a signal to activate said electric feed of said powering means.
US08941026B2
A nozzle for a liquid cooled plasma torch includes a nozzle bore for the exit of a plasma gas beam at a nozzle tip, a first section, of which the outer surface is essentially cylindrical, and a second section connecting the nozzle tip, of which the second section the outer surface tapers essentially conically towards the nozzle tip, wherein at least one liquid supply groove is provided and extends over a part of the first section and over the second section in the outer surface of the nozzle towards the nozzle tip and at least one liquid return groove separate from the liquid supply groove is provided and extends over the second section.
US08941020B2
A lead feedthrough of an electrical functional unit, in particular a capacitor or medical electronic implant, which comprises a hollow conductive flange and a contact piece disposed in the cavity thereof and which is electrically insulated and sealed with respect to the flange, wherein the flange can be connected to a lead of a first type, and the contact piece can be connected to a lead of a second type in the functional unit, wherein, in a circumferential section of the flange, a tangentially extending gap is provided, which is delimited on one side by a flange body and on the other side by a tab integrally formed on the body, or by a separate pressure piece, for the tangential insertion and affixation of the lead of the first type.
US08941018B2
A connecting element for electrical contacting of an electrical component having at least one electrically conductive line part, embedded at least partially in an injection-molded housing, is provided, the connecting element having at least one stiffening element reinforcing the line part.
US08941016B2
A laminated wiring board, includes: a first substrate in which a conductor circuit is formed on one surface of an insulating layer and an adhesive layer is formed on an other surface of the insulating layer, and conductors are formed in via holes that pass through the insulating layer and the adhesive layer so that the conductor circuit is partially exposed therefrom; an electronic component electrically connected to the conductor circuit by allowing electrodes of the electronic component to be connected to the conductors; an embedding member arranged around the electronic components so that the electronic component is embedded therein; and a second substrate having an adhesive layer laminated to face the adhesive layer of the first substrate and sandwich the electronic component and the embedding member, wherein each of the electrodes of the electronic component is continuous with the conductor circuit through two or more of the conductors.
US08941013B2
A spring finger interconnection system can include a plug and a receptacle. In one embodiment, the plug can include spring finger contacts configured to carry electrical signals. The receptacle can include a cavity to receive the plug and the cavity can be constructed with printed circuit board fabrication techniques. In one embodiment, the cavity can be formed, at least in part, in a pre-impregnation layer and a first and a second layer can be disposed above and below the pre-impregnation layer to further form the cavity. In one embodiment, contacts can be arranged on the first layer to contact the spring fingers when the plug is inserted into the cavity. In another embodiment, contacts can be arranged on both the first and the second layers. In yet another embodiment, the cavity can be shaped to aid in contact-to-spring finger alignment when the plug is inserted in the cavity.
US08941012B2
A ground line structure adapted to a flexible circuit board is provided. The ground line structure includes a plurality of ground line structure units located on the flexible circuit board to form a meshed pattern. The ground line structure units include a plurality of ground line edge segments, a ground line middle segment and a plurality of ground line connecting segments. The ground line edge segments define an edge shape of each ground line structure unit. The edge shape of each ground line structure unit is a hexagon. The ground line connecting segments are configured to connect the ground line middle segment and the ground line edge segments. The ground line edge segments, the ground line middle segment and the ground line connecting segments form a plurality of pentagonal electrode structures within the hexagonal ground line structure unit. A flexible circuit board including the ground line structure is also provided.
US08941011B2
A flexible substrate includes a flexible mother substrate and a planarization layer on the flexible mother substrate. Here, the flexible mother substrate includes a transparent textile and a resin layer. The transparent textile includes a plurality of first transparent fibers and a plurality of second transparent fibers crossing the plurality of first transparent fibers, and the resin layer coats the transparent textile to fill a space between the first and second transparent fibers. The planarization layer includes an organic material having a curable contraction rate of no greater than about 20%.
US08941000B2
A convective method is employed to cool a solar concentrator device. The convective method employs formation of a vortex gas circulation inside an enclosure of the solar concentrator device, which is bounded by at least one light-path altering component, sidewalls, and a back panel. Optionally, a heat sink assembly can be provided within the enclosure. Internal convention through the vortex gas circulation transfers the heat generated at a photovoltaic cell to all surfaces of the solar concentrator device to facilitate radiative and/or convective cooling at the outside surfaces of the enclosure.
US08940998B2
A free-standing metallic article, and method of making, is disclosed in which the metallic article is electroformed on an electrically conductive mandrel. The mandrel has an outer surface with a preformed pattern, wherein at least a portion of the metallic article is formed in the preformed pattern. The metallic article is separated from the electrically conductive mandrel, which forms a free-standing metallic article that may be coupled with the surface of a semiconductor material for a photovoltaic cell.
US08940996B2
The object of the invention is a substrate for photovoltaic cell comprising at least one sheet of float glass provided on a face of at least one electrode, characterized in that said glass has a chemical composition comprising the following constituents, in a weight content that varies within the limits defined below: SiO269-75% Al2O3 0-3% CaO + MgO11-16.2% MgO 0-6.5% Na2O9-12.4% K2O 0-1.5%.
US08940995B2
A thermoelectric device is provided. The thermoelectric device includes first and second electrodes, a first leg, a second leg, and a common electrode. The first leg is disposed on the first electrode and includes one or more first semiconductor pattern and one or more first barrier patterns. The second leg is disposed on the second electrode and includes one or more second semiconductor pattern and one or more second barrier patterns. The common electrode is disposed on the first leg and the second leg. Herein, the first barrier pattern has a lower thermal conductivity than the first semiconductor pattern, and the second barrier pattern has a lower thermal conductivity than the second semiconductor pattern. The first/second barrier pattern has a higher electric conductivity than the first/second semiconductor pattern. The first/second barrier pattern forms an ohmic contact with the first/second semiconductor pattern.
US08940994B2
A sound pickup for musical cymbals includes an integrated assembly attachable to a cymbal stand. The integrated assembly includes a plurality of microphones arranged to achieve optimal quality and relatively constant loudness regardless of cymbal tilt. In one embodiment, two microphones are used, with signal phase from one microphone being inverted prior to combination with the signal from the other microphone. An illumination system having one or more light sources and a controller is optional. The controller includes a processor couplable to the pickup by way of a cable having at least one signal conductor for delivering audio signals from the microphone to the processor. The controller also includes an illumination control signal source delivering a DC voltage bias to the pickup for actuating the light sources.
US08940991B2
An electronic percussion device includes a drum shell, a drumhead as striking surface, vibration sensors, and a peripheral and a central vibration carrier. The vibration carriers abut against the drumhead to convey vibrations therefrom to the sensor(s). The central vibration carrier is a helicoidal spring. The peripheral vibration carrier is a rigid body of solid material supported by peripheral sensors disposed thereunder. Two electrical leads of each one of the peripheral sensors are correspondingly coupled in parallel to produce only two common output leads. An electronic sound module is configured to sample the sensors and employs software procedures to detect percussion strokes delivered on the drumhead, and to generate sounds accordingly. The software procedures use averaged and aggregated signals to provide accurate detection of position and intensity of a drum stroke. Alternative embodiments of the device use only a peripheral vibration carrier or only a central vibration carrier.
US08940989B1
A percussion musical instrument which utilizes a cymbal plate mounted on a shaft (or rod) in a spaced relationship from a cymbal also mounted on the shaft forming an annular gap. A tip of a drumstick is to be inserted within the annular gap and then moved to strike the cymbal plate and cymbal in a single stroke producing a pair of sounds of selected pitches which is to be quickly repeated producing a musical beat.
US08940988B1
A single reed ligature system for a woodwind musical instrument that provides a large vertical range of adjustment to enable a single ligature to be used with most sizes of saxophone and clarinet mouthpieces. Excellent responsiveness to the player is achieved through isolation of the ligature from the vibrating reed and mouthpiece.
US08940987B2
A supporting frame and magnetic cradle for playing a harmonica hands-free, the frame providing two positions: a “playing” position for rigidly supporting the harmonica in proximity to the mouth and an “at-rest” position for retaining the harmonica within reach but out of the way. The frame provides means for pivoting the harmonica between the two positions and a memory hinge feature so that, once adjusted, the preferred playing position is reliably recovered at each use. A magnetic lock is used to secure the harmonica to its playing cradle, unexpectedly improving the sound quality. Multiple harmonicas may be magnetically exchanged in and out of the cradle, permitting the musician to quickly and flexibly change keys, timbre, or add tremolo, for example, during a performance. The frame does not interfere with simultaneous performance with other instruments, such as guitar or microphone, and thus finds use for a soloist musician.
US08940972B2
A novel soybean variety, designated XB29K13 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB29K13, cells from soybean variety XB29K13, plants of soybean XB29K13, and plant parts of soybean variety XB29K13. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB29K13 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XB29K13, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB29K13, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XB29K13. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB29K13 are further provided.
US08940965B2
A soybean cultivar designated XB31U12 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar XB31U12, to the plants of soybean cultivar XB31U12, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar XB31U12, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar XB31U12. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar XB31U12. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar XB31U12, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar XB31U12 with another soybean cultivar.
US08940961B2
Transgenic plants with novel phenotypes, especially plants with enhanced drought and pathogen resistance. Provided are transgenic crop plants having integrated in their genome a chimeric gene, wherein the chimeric gene includes a transcription regulatory sequence active in plant cells operably linked to a nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a protein at least 70% identical to SEQ ID NO: 3 or an ortholog or a functional fragment thereof. In addition to enhanced drought tolerance the transgenic plants may show enhanced disease resistance and enhanced root structure. Also, a method for generating a transgenic plant by insertion of the chimeric gene.
US08940951B2
A process for preparing isobutene by dissociation of MTBE, including: a) reaction of isobutene-containing hydrocarbon mixtures, with methanol, present in one or more methanol-containing streams, over acidic ion exchangers to give a stream, containing MTBE and TBA; b) separation of a stream containing MTBE and TBA, from a stream by distillation; c) dissociation of a stream in the gas phase over a heterogeneous catalyst to give a stream containing at least isobutene, methanol, MTBE and water and possibly TBA, d) separation of a stream by distillation to give a stream containing in each case more than 50% by mass of the amounts of methanol, TBA and water present in another stream and a stream containing isobutene, e) separation of water from stream to below 1% by mass by distillation to give a stream, f) total or partial recirculation of the methanol-containing stream.
US08940937B2
Disclosed is a novel method for the selective molecular conversion of raw material carbon nanotubes containing a mixture of metallic carbon nanotubes and semiconductive carbon nanotubes in a manner that is based on the electrical properties or diameter of the carbon nanotubes.The present invention causes a photoreaction of raw material carbon nanotubes containing a mixture of metallic carbon nanotubes and semiconductive carbon nanotubes with a disulfide or a sulfide of the following formula (I) or (II) (wherein R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrocarbon group that may have a substituent) in an organic solvent that contains the raw material carbon nanotubes and the disulfide of the formula (I) or the sulfide of the formula (II), so as to selectively functionalize the metallic carbon nanotubes, or functionalize the carbon nanotubes diameter selectively.
US08940935B2
The disclosure provides curable inks including a bis-urea gelator having the structure of Formula I. wherein R and R′ each, independently of the other, is a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of (1) linear aliphatic groups, (2) branched aliphatic groups, (3) cyclic aliphatic groups, (4) aliphatic groups containing both cyclic and acyclic portions, any carbon atom of the saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group may be optionally substituted with an alkyl group (cyclic or acyclic), wherein (1) and (2) groups have a carbon number of from about 1 to about 22 carbons, and wherein (3) and (4) groups have a carbon number of from about 4 to about 10 carbons; and X is selected from the group consisting of: (i) an alkylene group, (ii) an arylene group, (iii) an arylalkylene group, and (iv) an alkylarylene group.
US08940930B2
The present invention is directed to a novel method for preparing a synthetic intermediates for treprostinil. Also described are methods of preparing treprostinil comprising utilizing novel intermediates described herein as well as novel intermediates useful for synthesis prostacyclin derivatives, such as treprostinil.
US08940926B2
A method for producing carbamate including a urea production step; a carbamate-forming step; an ammonia separation step of absorbing the gas with water in the presence of carbonate to produce a gas absorption water, and separating ammonia; an aqueous alcohol solution separation step of separating an aqueous alcohol solution from the gas absorption water; an ammonia/carbon dioxide separation step of separating carbon dioxide gas from the aqueous ammonia solution in the gas absorption water from which the aqueous alcohol solution is separated; an aqueous ammonia solution reusing step of mixing the aqueous ammonia solution and carbonate with the water to be used for production of the gas absorption water.
US08940923B2
Disclosed herein a process for the synthesis of diacids or diesters of general formula ROOC—(CH2)x-COOR, in which n represents an integer between 5 and 14 and R is either H or an alkyl radical of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, starting from long-chain natural monounsaturated fatty acids or esters comprising at least 10 adjacent carbon atoms per molecule, of formula CH3—(CH2)n-CHR1—CH2—CH═CH—(CH2)p-COOR, in which R represents H or an alkyl radical comprising from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R1 is either H or OH, and n and p, which are identical or different, are indices between 2 and 11.
US08940922B2
Disclosed is an energetic reactive plasticizer for a plastic bonded explosive (PBX), and specifically an energetic reactive plasticizer for PBX which has high performance and insensitiveness without a plasticizer migration by being bonded with a polymer binder for a plastic bonded explosive.
US08940915B2
A process is described for producing crude maleic anhydride from a reactor effluent stream containing maleic anhydride. The reactor effluent stream is contacted with a solvent having a normal boiling point between about 250° C. and about 350° C., solubility of fumaric acid at least about 0.06 wt % at 60° C., solubility of maleic anhydride at least about 10 wt % at 60° C., solubility in water no higher than about 100 mg/L, density different from the density of water by at least about 0.020 g/mL, and water soluble hydrolysis products with molecular weight no higher than the molecular weight of pentanol. The solvent may be non-cyclic, non-aromatic, linear, and/or branched, and may have the general structure R1COOR2COOR3, wherein R1 and R3 are each linear or branched C3 to C5 groups and R2 is a linear or branched C3 to C8 group.
US08940900B2
Compounds of the present disclosure are 2,2,2-tri-substituted acetamide derivatives of formula (I), its polymorphs, stereoisomers, prodrugs, solvates, pharmaceutically acceptable salts and formulations thereof, useful as Glucokinase activator. Processes of their preparation are also described in the disclosure. The disclosure also describes method to characterize partial glucokinase activators.
US08940893B2
The present invention encompasses compounds of the formula (I) wherein the groups X and Cy are defined herein, which are suitable for the treatment of diseases related to BTK, process of making, pharmaceutical preparations which contain compounds and their methods of use.
US08940885B2
The present invention provides a method of generating a nucleic acid, which specifically binds to an extracellular surface protein expressed by a cell of interest, and which nucleic acid comprises a compound of interest to be delivered to the cell of interest.
US08940884B2
The present invention is directed to isolated nucleic acid molecules and polypeptides of thraustochytrid polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthases involved in the production of PUFAs, including PUFAs enriched in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), or a combination thereof. The present invention is directed to vectors and host cells comprising the nucleic acid molecules, polypeptides encoded by the nucleic acid molecules, compositions comprising the nucleic acid molecules or polypeptides, and methods of making and uses thereof.
US08940877B2
The present invention provides improved methods for the manufacturing of IVIG products. These methods offer various advantages such as reduced loss of IgG during purification and improved quality of final products. In other aspects, the present invention provides aqueous and pharmaceutical compositions suitable for intravenous, subcutaneous, and/or intramuscular administration. In yet other embodiments, the present invention provides methods of treating a disease or condition comprising administration of an IgG composition provided herein.
US08940870B2
A single chain, polypeptide fusion protein, comprising: a non-cytotoxic protease, or a fragment thereof, which protease or protease fragment is capable of cleaving a protein of the exocytic fusion apparatus of a nociceptive sensory afferent; a dynorphin Targeting Moiety that is capable of binding to a Binding Site on the nociceptive sensory afferent, which Binding Site is capable of undergoing endocytosis to be incorporated into an endosome within the nociceptive sensory afferent; a protease cleavage site at which site the fusion protein is cleavable by a protease, wherein the protease cleavage site is located between the non-cytotoxic protease or fragment thereof and the dynorphin Targeting Moiety; and a translocation domain that is capable of translocating the protease or protease fragment from within an endosome, across the endosomal membrane and into the cytosol of the nociceptive sensory afferent. Nucleic acid sequences encoding the polypeptide fusion proteins, methods of preparing same and uses thereof are also described.
US08940869B2
The invention provides a method and system for developing and using diagnoses of cancer and sepsis in canine subjects using Thymidine kinase (TK), c-reactive protein (CRP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) as biomarkers. The level of each biomarker may be measured and an index may be computed using a two- or a three-biomarker method. The invention provides a predefined scale for the index where each range of the index matches a health condition. The latter allows a practitioner, through computing an index value of a patient, to determine the health status of the patient by comparing the index value to the predefined scale.
US08940861B2
The present invention provides uricases and methods of their production and use in reducing the amount of uric acid in a subject. The present invention further provides methods employing a uricase of this invention in the treatment and/or prevention of hyperuricemia, gout, tumor lysis syndrome and/or hypertension in a subject.
US08940858B2
The present invention relates to assembly of peptide amphiphiles and biopolymers into fibrous microcapsules, and uses thereof. In particular, the present invention provides devices, compositions, and methods for interfacial self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles and biopolyments into fibrous microcapsules, and uses thereof.
US08940856B2
The present invention provides a heterocyclic compound of the following general formula (I): wherein X and Y are different from each other and represent a halogen atom selected from among a chlorine atom, bromine atom and iodine atom, or CF3SO3−, CH3SO3−, C6H5SO3− or CH3C6H4SO3−; R1 represents an optionally substituted monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having two or more carbon atoms; one of A1 and A2 represents —S—, —O—, —Se— or Te—, while the other represents —N═, —P═ or —Si(R2)═, wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted monovalent hydrocarbon group, a halogen atom, an amino group or a carbonyl group; and one of two linkages each represented by a solid line and a dashed line is a single bond, while the other is a double bond.
US08940855B2
A one pot method of preparing cyclic carbonyl compounds comprising an active pendant pentafluorophenyl ester group is disclosed. The cyclic carbonyl compounds can be polymerized by ring opening methods to form ROP polymers comprising repeat units comprising a side chain pentafluorophenyl ester group. Using a suitable nucleophile, the pendant pentafluorophenyl ester group can be selectively transformed into a variety of other functional groups before or after the ring opening polymerization.
US08940847B2
A copolymer is made by feeding one or more added olefinic monomers into a reaction vessel containing a non-homopolymerizable olefinic monomer heated to a temperature of at least about 100° C. The process may be performed in a batch or continuous fashion, may use an unpressurized reactor, may be performed without added solvent, and may form a copolymer whose number average molecular weight is less than about 4,000 amu and whose polydispersity is less than about 3.
US08940842B2
Methods for controlling the weight ratio of a higher molecular weight component to a lower molecular weight component of an olefin polymer are disclosed. This weight ratio can be increased as polymerization reaction temperature and/or catalyst system residence time are increased.
US08940836B2
A polycarbonate resin composition can have improved transparency and scratch resistance of the present invention and comprises about 10 to about 99% by weight of polycarbonate resin (A); and about 1 to about 90% by weight of acrylic copolymer with ultra-low molecular weight and high refractive index (B). The resin composition of the present invention can further comprise acrylic resin (C). The acrylic copolymer with ultra-low molecular weight and high refractive index (B) can have a refractive index of about 1.495 to about 1.590 and a weight average molecular weight of about 3,000 to about 40,000 g/mol.
US08940833B2
A pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) comprising: (A) 50 to 99 weight percent (wt %) of a partially aromatic polyester comprising at least two hydroxyl groups per polymer chain and having a: (1) Storage modulus of >0.33 Megapascals (MPa) at 23° C., (2) Mn of 20,000 to 200,000 grams per mole (g/mol), and (3) Glass transition (Tg) temperature of −60° C. to 20° C.; (B) 1 to 40 wt % of at least one of a plasticizer or tackifier; and (C) 0.1 to 10 wt % of a crosslinker with a functionality of >2.5; with the provisos that the PSA has a: (i) Tg of −60° C. to 10° C.; (ii) Storage modulus of <0.33 MPa at 23° C.; (iii) Rubbery plateau in excess of its Tg; and (iv) Melt flow in excess of 70° C.
US08940827B2
The present invention relates to a lead-free, non-toxic and arc resistant composite material having a thermosetting polymer, at least one heavy particulate filler, at least one light particulate filler and, optionally, at least one arc resistant filler. The composite material may be utilized in manufacturing articles used in radiation shielding and other applications where arc resistant and dielectric strength are desired.
US08940820B2
A process for stabilizing hypophosphite salt is provided, which comprises the following steps: a) washing the hypophosphite salt at least one time under a controlled pH value of 4-11, preferably 5-8, as the said hypophosphite salt in an aqueous solution and/or in a solid state; and b) drying the said hypophosphite salt under reduced pressure to remove the volatiles. The process can prevent or minimize the formation of a dangerous quantity of phosphine from hypophosphite salts, more particularly in the flame retardant of the application. The flame retardant polymer composition is also provided, which comprises a polymer and the hypophosphite salt stabilized by the above process.
US08940810B2
An optical component and an electrical board that have a low coefficient of linear expansion and small mold shrinkage, a method for producing the optical component, and a method for producing the electronic board are provided. An optical component includes a polymer having a repeating structural unit represented by general formula (1) where R1 and R2 each independently represent —H or —CH3; m and n each independently represent an integer in the range of 0 to 3; asterisk denotes a dangling bond that bonds to one of Xa and Xb; and —H bonds to the other one of Xa and Xb.
US08940801B2
This invention provides a method related to the preparation of derivatives of poly(ethylene glycol), wherein the method comprises increasing the pH of an aqueous composition comprising a poly(ethylene glycol) bearing a —O—(CH2)n—CO2R3 functional group to result in an aqueous composition comprising a poly(ethylene glycol) bearing a —O—(CH2)n—CO2H functional group, wherein R3 is alkyl and (n) in each instance is 1-6.
US08940798B2
The present invention concerns a method for treating and/or preventing a disease in a subject comprising the step of administrating an effective amount of a compound of formula I to a subject in need thereof.
US08940797B2
Foaming alcohol compositions with selected dimethicone surfactants are disclosed. The dimethicone surfactants are PEG-8 to PEG-12 linear dimethicone surfactants and in particular PEG-10 linear dimethicone surfactant. The compositions are useful as antimicrobial products and in particular handcare or skincare products.
US08940788B2
The present invention relates to an anti-angiogenic composition containing macrolactin compounds such as macrolactin A, 7-O-malonyl macrolactin A, and 7-O-succinyl macrolactin A as active ingredients. The macrolactin compounds according to the present invention strongly suppress angiogenesis in in vivo experiments and can be used as a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating diseases caused by angiogenesis.
US08940787B2
In certain aspects, the invention relates to methods of treating proliferative cervical disorders (such as cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia) and treating virus infection by administering artemisinin-related compounds. In certain aspects, the invention relates to methods of treating a tumor induced by an oncogenic virus, methods of killing or inhibiting a squamous cell carcinoma, and methods of inhibiting the replication of a virus, by administering artemisinin-related compounds.
US08940776B2
A compound is represented by Structural Formula (I): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. A pharmaceutical composition comprises a compound represented by Structural Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. A method of treating a subject in need thereof comprises administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound represented by Structural Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The subject has type 2 diabetes; renal hypertrophy or hyperplasia associated with diabetic nephropathy; Tay-Sachs; Gaucher's; or Fabry's disease. Methods of decreasing plasma TNF-α, lowering blood glucose levels, decreasing glycated hemoglobin levels, inhibiting glucosylceramide synthase, and lowering glycosphingolipid concentrations in a subject in need thereof respectively comprise administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound represented by Structural Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US08940764B2
Compositions and methods for treating macular degeneration and other forms of retinal disease whose etiology involves the accumulation of A2E and/or lipofuscin, and, more specifically, for preventing the formation and/or accumulation of A2E are disclosed.
US08940762B2
The present invention is directed to methods of treating pain by administering a therapeutically effective amount of an α7 nAChR ligand or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to a mammal in need of treatment thereof and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such a compound or salt.
US08940756B2
The invention relates to dihydronaphthyridines and related compounds; compositions comprising an effective amount of a dihydronaphthyridine or a related compound; and methods for treating or preventing proliferative diseases comprising the administration of an effective amount of a dihydronaphthyridine or a related compound.
US08940753B1
The present invention relates to methods for treating pruritus with anti-pruritic compositions.
US08940740B2
Certain compounds are provided that can selectively inhibit motile bacteria such as V. cholerae motility. These compounds can indirectly diminish production of cholera toxin and other major virulence required by the cholera bacterium to cause disease.
US08940732B2
The invention relates to methods for diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, particularly for autism spectrum disorders characterized by increased head size (circumference) and deficits in social behavior.
US08940725B2
Compounds represented by general formula (I) (all of the symbols in the formula conform to the definitions in the Description) are compounds that, in addition to having a Btk-selective inhibitory activity, exhibit an excellent metabolic stability and can avoid hepatotoxicity or the like, and as a consequence can provide safe therapeutic agents for diseases in which B cells or mast cells participate.
US08940716B2
Novel compounds of structure Formula I: or an enantiomer, diastereomer, tautomer, prodrug or salt thereof, wherein A, D, Di, E, J, L, n, Q, R2 and R4 are defined herein, are provided which are GPR119 G protein-coupled receptor modulators. GPR119 G protein-coupled receptor modulators are useful in treating, preventing, or slowing the progression of diseases requiring GPR119 G protein-coupled receptor modulator therapy. Thus, the disclosure also concerns compositions comprising these novel compounds and methods of treating diseases or conditions related to the activity of the GPR119 G protein-coupled receptor by using any of these novel compounds or a composition comprising any of such novel compounds.
US08940713B2
The present invention relates to the identification of a microRNA family, designated miR-29a-c, that is a key regulator of fibrosis in cardiac tissue. The inventors show that members of the miR-29 family are down-regulated in the heart tissue in response to stress, and are up-regulated in heart tissue of mice that are resistant to both stress and fibrosis. Also provided are methods of modulating expression and activity of the miR-29 family of miRNAs as a treatment for fibrotic disease, including cardiac hypertrophy, skeletal muscle fibrosis other fibrosis related diseases and collagen loss-related disease.
US08940701B2
Invasion-inhibiting peptides comprising either a modified cysteine (where the sulfur atom is modified with a alkyl group or other suitable group), and/or b) D-amino acids, for the treatment “cancer” in humans and animals. Such peptides can be used together with other therapies (e.g. radiation) to enhance the therapeutic benefit and reduce invasiveness.
US08940695B2
The present invention provide purified Flt4 receptor tyrosine kinase polypeptides and fragments thereof, polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, antibodies that specifically bind such polypeptides, and uses therefor.
US08940693B2
Fusion protein for immunocastration (Sequences la and Ib) that comprises the primary amino acid sequence of the gonadotrophin-liberating protein fused to a theoretical sequence:Sequence la NH2-QHWSYGLRPGGPPFSGGGGPPFSA-COOH (SEQ ID NO: 1)Sequence Ib NH2-GPPFSGGGGPPFSAQHWSYGLRPG-COOH (SEQ ID NO: 2);DNA sequences coding for said fusion protein; vaccine comprising said fusion protein; use of the fusion protein for mammal immunocastration; process for producing the vaccine; process for preparing the fusion protein that comprises fusing the amino acid sequence of the gonadotrophin-liberating hormone (GnRH-I) to a theoretical glycosilable sequence having immunogenic activity that does not include pathogen or “carrier” protein sequences in its structure.
US08940684B2
The disclosure describes collagen constructs comprising antifungal agents, preferably, copper, and related methods.
US08940681B2
The present invention improves dye transfer inhibition in the washing of textiles by the use of SO3M substituted urea derivatives of aromatic amines.
US08940679B2
The present invention relates to compositions for deodorizing and cleaning, in particular solid compositions in the form of effervescent tablets which can be reconstituted in water to obtain solutions for cleaning and deodorizing. The compositions comprise one or more Bacillus subtilis strain(s), one or more surfactant(s), one or more fragrance(s), one or more descaling agent(s), and one or more effervescent agent(s). The invention further relates to a kit comprising such tablets, as well as methods for obtaining cleaning and deodorizing tablets and solutions and their use for cleaning and deodorizing.
US08940672B2
A high-temperature lubricant for the hot processing of metals comprising a mixture of fine-powder materials. To provide a high-temperature lubricant having good trickle and flow characteristics for dissolving scale on heated metal surfaces, which applied in powder form permits good coverage of the metal surface and which even after prolonged storage under production conditions still has good trickle and flow characteristics without severe lump formation and which avoids the use of graphite, in accordance with the invention it is proposed that the mixture includes at least the following constituents (a) a secondary and/or tertiary calcium phosphate compound, (b) a fatty acid or a fatty acid salt, (c) boric acid, a boric acid salt (borate) and/or a mineral containing boric acid salt (borate), and (d) condensed alkali metal phosphates, and wherein the constituents of the mixture have a mean grain size of ≦150 μm and the lubricant does not contain any addition of graphite.
US08940671B2
The invention relates to a lubricating composition containing (a) an N-substituted malimide, and (b) an oil of lubricating viscosity. The invention further provides for the use of the lubricating composition for lubricating a limited slip differential.
US08940668B2
A method of treating a very high salinity high temperature hydrocarbon containing formation is described. The method includes (a) providing a hydrocarbon recovery composition to at least a portion of a hydrocarbon containing formation having a brine salinity of above about 13 wt % and a temperature of above about 7° C., wherein the composition comprises a C15-18 internal olefin sulfonate; and (b) allowing the composition to interact with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon containing formation.
US08940666B2
A fluid composition for cleanout of wellbores and pipe systems includes an effective amount of an amphiphilic chemical combined with an effective amount of a friction reducer in an aqueous solution of a base liquid. A remainder of the composition includes the base liquid.
US08940663B2
Devices, systems, and methods for detecting protein-nucleic acid and cell-nucleic acid hybridization, using surface-tethered aptamer probes, without the use of labeling or target modification and capable of recycling.
US08940657B2
An exhaust emission control catalyst disclosed herein is equipped with a rhodium catalytic layer and a platinum catalytic layer, and is characterized in that a relationship between a mole average (X) of a Pauling's electronegativity that is calculated as to elements included in the rhodium catalytic layer except platinum group elements and oxygen and a mole average (Y) of a Pauling's electronegativity that is calculated as to elements included in the platinum catalytic layer except platinum group elements and oxygen is 1.30≦X≦1.45 and 1.47≦Y≦2.0. According to this exhaust emission control catalyst, an interlayer transfer of platinum and/or rhodium and the alloying of platinum and/or rhodium are suppressed during use of the catalyst, and high exhaust gas purification performance can be exerted.
US08940653B2
Adducts comprising a MgCl2, an alcohol ROH in which R is a C1-C10 hydrocarbon group, present in a molar ratio with MgCl2 ranging from 0.5 to 5 and less than 15% wt, based on the total weight of the adduct, of a metal salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms.
US08940649B2
A coating treatment method includes: a first step of rotating a substrate at a first rotation number; a second step of rotating the substrate at a second rotation number being slower than the first rotation number; a third step of rotating the substrate at a third rotation number being faster than the second rotation number and slower than the first rotation number; a fourth step of rotating the substrate at a fourth rotation number being slower than the third rotation number; and a fifth step of rotating the substrate at a fifth rotation number being faster than the fourth rotation number. A supply of a coating solution to a central portion of the substrate is continuously performed from the first step to a middle of the second step or during the first step, and the fourth rotation number is more than 0 rpm and 500 rpm or less.
US08940648B2
A method for depositing a silicon containing film on a substrate using an organoaminosilane is described herein. The organoaminosilanes are represented by the formulas: wherein R is selected from a C1-C10 linear, branched, or cyclic, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group with or without substituents; a C5-C10 aromatic group with or without substituents, a C3-C10 heterocyclic group with or without substituents, or a silyl group in formula C with or without substituents, R1 is selected from a C3-C10 linear, branched, cyclic, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group with or without substituents; a C6-C10 aromatic group with or without substituents, a C3-C10 heterocyclic group with or without substituents, a hydrogen atom, a silyl group with substituents and wherein R and R1 in formula A can be combined into a cyclic group and R2 representing a single bond, (CH2), chain, a ring, C3-C10 branched alkyl, SiR2, or SiH2.
US08940647B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for surface treatment on a metal oxide and a method for preparing a thin film transistor. The method for surface treatment on a metal oxide comprises: utilizing plasma to perform a surface treatment on a device to be processed; the plasma comprises a mixture gas of an F-based gas and O2, and the device to be processed is a metal oxide or a manufactured article coated with a metal oxide. The embodiments provided by the present invention can reduce the contact resistance between a metal oxide and other electrodes, and improve the effect of ohmic contact of the metal oxide.
US08940640B2
The disclosure relates to a semiconductor device. An exemplary structure for a field effect transistor comprises a substrate comprising a major surface and a cavity below the major surface; a gate stack on the major surface of the substrate; a spacer adjoining one side of the gate stack; a shallow trench isolations (STI) region disposed on the side of the gate stack, wherein the STI region is within the substrate; and a source/drain (S/D) structure distributed between the gate stack and STI region, wherein the S/D structure comprises a strained material in the cavity, wherein a lattice constant of the strained material is different from a lattice constant of the substrate; and a S/D extension disposed between the substrate and strained material, wherein the S/D extension comprises a portion extending below the spacer and substantially vertical to the major surface.
US08940639B2
A MEMS device with movable MEMS structure and electrodes is produced by fabricating electrodes and shielding the electrodes with diamond buttons during subsequent fabrication steps, such as the etching of sacrificial oxide using vapor HF. In some embodiments, the diamond buttons are removed after the movable MEMS structure is released.
US08940633B2
Methods of forming semiconductor device with self-aligned contact elements and the resulting devices
One method discloses performing an etching process to form a contact opening in a layer of insulating material above at least a portion of a source/drain, region wherein, after the completion of the etching process, a portion of a gate structure of the transistor is exposed, selectively forming an oxidizable material on the exposed gate structure, converting at least a portion of the oxidizable material to an oxide material, and forming a conductive contact in the contact opening that is conductively coupled to the source/drain region. A novel transistor device disclosed herein includes an oxide material positioned between a conductive contact and a gate structure of the transistor, wherein the oxide material contacts the conductive contact and contacts a portion, but not all, of the exterior surface of the gate structure.
US08940630B2
Microelectronic components and methods forming such microelectronic components are disclosed herein. The microelectronic components may include a plurality of electrically conductive vias in the form of wire bonds extending from a bonding surface of a substrate, such as surfaces of electrically conductive elements at a surface of the substrate.
US08940625B2
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a low temperature polysilicon thin film and a manufacturing method thereof. The manufacturing method comprises: forming a buffer layer on a substrate (S11); forming a seed layer comprising a plurality of uniformly distributed crystal nuclei on the buffer layer by using a patterning process (S12); forming an amorphous silicon layer on the seed layer (S13); and performing an excimer laser annealing process on the amorphous silicon layer (S14).
US08940623B2
A process for obtaining an array of nanodots (212) for microelectronic devices, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: deposition of a silicon layer (210) on a substrate (100, 132), formation, above the silicon layer (210), of a layer (240) of a material capable of self-organizing, in which at least one polymer substantially forms cylinders (242) organized into an array within a matrix (244), formation of patterns (243) in the layer (240) of a material capable of self-organizing by elimination of the said cylinders (242), formation of a hard mask (312) by transfer of the said patterns (243), production of silicon dots (212) in the silicon layer (210) by engraving through the hard mask (312), silicidation of the silicon dots (212), comprising deposition of a metal layer (510).
US08940610B2
An electrode for an energy storage device with less deterioration due to charge and discharge, and a method for manufacturing thereof are provided. Further, an energy storage device having large capacity and high endurance can be provided. In an electrode of an energy storage device in which an active material is formed over a current collector, the surface of the active material is formed of a crystalline semiconductor film having a {110} crystal plane. The crystalline semiconductor film having a {110} crystal plane may be a crystalline silicon film containing a metal element which reacts with silicon to form a silicide. Alternatively, the crystalline semiconductor film having a {110} crystal plane may be a crystalline semiconductor film containing silicon as its main component and also containing germanium and a metal element which reacts with silicon to form a silicide.
US08940609B2
A semiconductor device and method of forming the semiconductor device are disclosed, where the semiconductor device includes additional implant regions in the source and drain areas of the device for improving Ron-sp and BVD characteristics of the device. The device includes a gate electrode formed over a channel region that separates first and second implant regions in the device substrate. The first implant region has a first conductivity type, and the second implant region has a second conductivity type. A source diffusion region is formed in the first implant region, and a drain diffusion region is formed in the second implant region.
US08940607B2
The present invention provides a manufacturing method of a trench type power transistor device with a super junction. First, a substrate of a first conductivity type is provided, and then an epitaxial layer of a second conductive type is formed on the substrate. Next, a through hole is formed in the epitaxial layer, and the through hole penetrates through the epitaxial layer. Two doped drain regions of the first conductivity type are then formed in the epitaxial layer respectively at two sides of the through hole, and the doped drain regions extend from a top surface of the epitaxial layer to be in contact with the substrate.
US08940604B2
The disclosure relates to an integrated circuit comprising a nonvolatile memory on a semiconductor substrate. The integrated circuit comprises a doped isolation layer implanted in the depth of the substrate, isolated conductive trenches reaching the isolation layer and forming gates of selection transistors of memory cells, isolation trenches perpendicular to the conductive trenches and reaching the isolation layer, and conductive lines parallel to the conductive trenches, extending on the substrate and forming control gates of charge accumulation transistors of memory cells. The isolation trenches and the isolated conductive trenches delimit a plurality of mini wells in the substrate, the mini wells electrically isolated from each other, each having a floating electrical potential and comprising two memory cells.
US08940596B2
A method includes removing a first portion of a gate layer of a structure. The structure includes a drain region, a source region, and a gate stack, and the gate stack includes a gate dielectric layer, a gate conductive layer directly on the gate dielectric layer, and the gate layer directly on the gate conductive layer. A drain contact region is formed on the drain region, and a source contact region is formed on the source region. A conductive region is formed directly on the gate conductive layer and adjacent to a second portion of the gate layer. A gate contact terminal is formed in contact with the conductive region.
US08940593B2
An enhancement-mode GaN MOSFET with a low leakage current and an improved reliability is formed by utilizing a SiO2/Si3N4 gate insulation layer on an AlGaN (or InAlGaN) barrier layer. The Si3N4 portion of the SiO2/Si3N4 gate insulation layer significantly reduces the formation of interface states at the junction between the gate insulation layer and the barrier layer, while the SiO2 portion of the SiO2/Si3N4 gate insulation layer significantly reduces the leakage current.
US08940592B2
Methods of forming thin-film transistors and memories are disclosed. In one such method, polycrystalline silicon is hydrogen plasma doped to form doped polycrystalline silicon. The doped polycrystalline silicon is then annealed. The hydrogen plasma doping and the annealing are decoupled.
US08940589B2
The present disclosure relates to methods for fabricating a field-effect transistor. The method includes performing a pocket implantation to a semiconductor substrate; thereafter forming a polysilicon layer on the semiconductor substrate; and patterning the polysilicon layer to form a polysilicon gate.The field-effect transistor (FET) includes a well of a first type dopant, formed in a semiconductor substrate; a metal gate disposed on the semiconductor substrate and overlying the well; a channel formed in the semiconductor substrate and underlying the metal gate; source and drain regions of a second type dopant opposite from the first type, the source and drain regions being formed in the semiconductor substrate and on opposite sides of the channel; and a pocket doping profile of the first type dopant and being defined in the well to form a continuous and uniform doping region from the source region to the drain region.
US08940588B2
Aspects of the disclosure provide a dual electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device in fin field effect transistor (FinFET) process technology and methods of forming the same. In one embodiment, the dual ESD protection device includes: a bulk silicon substrate; a shallow trench isolation (STI) region formed over the bulk silicon substrate; a first ESD device positioned above the STI region; and a second ESD device positioned below the STI region, wherein the first ESD device conducts current above the STI region and the second ESD device conducts current below the STI region.
US08940582B2
An electronic package includes a first layer having a first surface, the first layer includes a first device having a first electrical node, and a first contact pad in electrical communication with the first electrical node and positioned within the first surface. The package includes a second layer having a second surface and a third surface, the second layer includes a first conductor positioned within the second surface and a second contact pad positioned within the third surface and in electrical communication with the first conductor. A first anisotropic conducting paste (ACP) is positioned between the first contact pad and the first conductor to electrically connect the first contact pad to the first conductor such that an electrical signal may pass therebetween.
US08940579B2
Disclosed are new methods of fabricating metal oxide thin films and nanomaterial-derived metal composite thin films via solution processes at low temperatures (<400° C.). The present thin films are useful as thin film semiconductors, thin film dielectrics, or thin film conductors, and can be implemented into semiconductor devices such as thin film transistors and thin film photovoltaic devices.
US08940566B2
The semiconductor device (100) according to the present invention includes a gate electrode (102) of a TFT, a gate insulating layer (103) formed on the gate electrode (102), an oxide semiconductor layer (107) disposed on the gate insulating layer (103), a protecting layer (108) formed on the oxide semiconductor layer (107) by a spin-on-glass technique, and a source electrode (105) and a drain electrode (106) disposed on the protecting layer (108). Via a first contact hole (131) formed in the protecting layer (108), the source electrode (105) is electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer (104), and via a second contact hole (132), the drain electrode (106) is electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer (104).
US08940554B2
A method for creating an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator (ETSOI) layer having a uniform thickness includes: measuring a thickness of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer at a plurality of locations; determining a removal thickness at each of the plurality of locations; and implanting ions at the plurality of locations. The implanting is dynamically based on the removal thickness at each of the plurality of locations. The method further includes oxidizing the SOI layer to form an oxide layer, and removing the oxide layer.
US08940553B2
A flat panel display device includes a pixel circuit provided on a substrate, a pixel wiring, an inspection pad connected to the pixel circuit through the pixel wiring, a main wiring separated from the inspection pad by a gap, and a common electrode covering substantially the entire substrate and electrically connecting the inspection pad to the main wiring.
US08940546B2
Method for highly multiplexed quantitation of peptides by mass spectrometry and mass labels therefor
Disclosed herein are isobaric labeling reagent sets useful for multiplexed quantitation of peptides. The isobaric labeling reagent sets include a collection of at least two isobaric labeling reagents having first and second reporter groups with the same nominal mass but different isotopic substitutions and consequently different exact masses. Mass spectrometric analysis of the labeled samples is performed using a mass analyzer, such as an Orbitrap mass analyzer, capable of adequately resolving the ions of the first and second reporter groups. Reagent sets of the foregoing description may provide a degree of multiplexing in reporter ion quantitation experiments that is expanded relative to conventional labeling reagent sets, thereby reducing the number of chromatographic runs required for analysis and improving sample throughput.
US08940538B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for quantifying the binding and dissociation kinetics of molecular interactions of small molecular bio materials with high sensitivity almost without the influence of a change in the reflective index resulting from a buffer solution by making polarized incident light incident on the binding layer of a bio material, formed in a thin dielectric film, so that the polarized incident light satisfies a p-wave non-reflecting condition and a quantifying method using the same.
US08940532B2
A biological graft transferring instrument for transferring a biological graft includes a main body, a displacement member capable of being displaced relative to the main body, and a belt-shaped member which is wound around the forward end and base end of the displacement member and is joined to the main body. The biological graft is placed on the belt-shaped member at the forward end of the displacement member.
US08940521B2
A composite detection device having in-line desalting is provided. The composite detection device comprises a membrane configured for desalting at least a portion of an analyte stream, and a nanostructure for detecting a bio-molecule or a bio-molecule interaction, wherein the nanostructure and the membrane are arranged such that an analyte stream desalted at least in part by the membrane is detected by the nanostructure. A bio-sending detection system having the composite detection device and method of fabrication of the composite detection device are also provided.
US08940518B2
A method of operating a closed photobioreactor for cultivation of phototrophic microorganisms. The photobioreactor comprises a culture liquid and is partially or completely surrounded by water of a water body. A density difference between the culture liquid and the surrounding water is provided so that the position of the photobioreactor in the water body is controlled. A closed photobioreactor for cultivation of phototrophic microorganisms. The photobioreactor is adapted to comprise a culture liquid and to be partially or completely surrounded by water of a water body. The photobioreactor comprises means for determining the density difference between the culture liquid and the surrounding water.
US08940511B2
Yeast cells with a reduced general control response to amino acid starvation were found to have increased tolerance to butanol in the growth medium. The reduced response was engineered by genetic modification of a gene involved in the response, a GCN gene, to eliminate activity of the encoded protein. Yeast strains with an engineered butanol biosynthetic pathway and a genetic modification in a gene involved in the general control response to amino acid starvation, which have increased butanol tolerance, are useful for production of butanol.
US08940510B2
The invention provides spray-dried preparations of microbes and methods of using those microbes.
US08940509B2
The invention provides non-naturally occurring microbial organisms containing caprolactone pathways having at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a butadiene pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce caprolactone. The invention additionally provides methods of using such microbial organisms to produce caprolactone by culturing a non-naturally occurring microbial organism containing caprolactone pathways as described herein under conditions and for a sufficient period of time to produce caprolactone.
US08940505B2
This invention relates to protein and/or polypeptide production, particularly improved production of extracellular heterologous polypeptides and proteins. In particular, the invention relates to compositions of cell populations capable of improved levels of extracellular secretion relative to control populations, kits containing such compositions, methods of producing heterologous proteins of interest and recombinant microorganisms capable of improved extracellular heterologous protein production.
US08940480B2
The present invention discloses a method of providing anti-oncogenic effects in a subject suffered from colorectal cancer. The present invention also discloses a method for screening an anti-colorectal cancer agent. The present invention further discloses a method of determining the prognosis of a subject with colorectal cancer.
US08940475B2
A method for double patterning a substrate is described. The double patterning method may include a litho/freeze/litho/etch (LFLE) technique that includes a first (critical dimension) CD slimming process to reduce the first CD to a first reduced CD and a second CD slimming process to reduce the second CD to a second reduced CD.
US08940462B2
[Object] A photomask blank for use in producing a photomask for exposure with an ArF excimer laser. The photomask blank is intended to be applied to the 32-nm DRAM half-pitch (hp) and succeeding generations in the semiconductor design rule.[Solution] The photomask blank is for use in producing a photomask to which an exposure light having a wavelength not longer than 200 nm is applied. The photomask blank is characterized by comprising a transparent substrate, a light-shielding film formed on the transparent substrate and containing molybdenum and silicon, and an etching mask film formed directly on the light-shielding film and containing chromium. The photomask blank is further characterized in that the light-shielding film comprises a light-shielding layer and an antireflection layer which have been disposed in this order from the transparent substrate side, the light-shielding layer having a molybdenum content of 9-40 at %, and that the etching mask film has a chromium content of 45 at % or lower.
US08940457B2
Fluid distribution plate (1) for a fuel cell assembly, comprising a first plate (11) made of an electrically conductive material impermeable to all the fluids used in a fuel cell assembly, said distribution plate having a useful section (S) which is the surface over which the gases used by the electrochemical reaction are distributed, said useful section (S) being bordered all around by a peripheral section (P), said first plate having a given thickness e1 in the peripheral section and a smaller thickness e2 in the useful section so as to form a recess from the side facing the outer face and so as to have a flat inner surface, a flexible graphite foil (11C) being applied against said first plate (11) over the entire surface of the recess, the visible face of the flexible graphite foil having a distribution channel (111) for one of the fluids, said network being formed completely in the graphite foil.
US08940456B2
A manufactured fuel cell includes: a unit cell including a first electrode layer, an electrolyte layer surrounding an outer circumference of the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer surrounding the electrolyte layer while exposing an end of the electrolyte layer; a plating layer around an outer circumference of the exposed electrolyte layer; a cell coupling member including a passage pipe inserted into the unit cell and forming a continuous passage from the inside of the unit cell, a coupling pipe provided outside of the passage pipe to form a space accommodating an end of the unit cell from the passage pipe, and a connecting unit connecting the coupling pipe with the passage pipe and restricting an insertion depth of the electrolyte layer and the first electrode layer; and a welding portion fixing and sealing the plating layer and an inner circumference of the coupling pipe with each other.
US08940454B2
A direct-electrochemical-oxidation fuel cell and method for generating electrical energy from a solid-state organic fuel. The fuel cell includes a cathode provided with an electrochemical-reduction catalyst that promotes formation of oxygen ions from an oxygen-containing source at the cathode, an anode provided with an electrochemical-oxidation catalyst that promotes direct electrochemical oxidation of the solid-state organic fuel in the presence of the oxygen ions to produce electrical energy, and a solid-oxide electrolyte disposed to transmit the oxygen ions from the cathode to the anode. The electrochemical oxidation catalyst can optionally include a sulfur resistant material.
US08940452B2
A method for producing an electrode catalyst substrate is provided herein, which comprises a carbon film forming step of forming a porous carbon film on a base, a hydrophilization step of hydrophilizing the porous carbon film, an immersion step of immersing the base in a solution prepared by dissolving catalytic metal ions in a polar solvent, and a reduction step of adding a reducing agent to the solution and thus reducing the catalytic metal ions. An electrode catalyst substrate obtained by the method and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which the electrode catalyst obtained by the method is used for anodes and/or cathodes are also provided herein. In the electrode catalyst of the present invention, fine catalyst particles are loaded in a uniform and highly dispersed manner.
US08940450B2
A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell that secures a flow path of a separator while preventing generation of a pin-hole. The membrane electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell, a microporous layer that is disposed at both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, a backing layer that is disposed on the microporous layer, and a circumferential edge protective layer that is disposed at an circumferential edge of the electrolyte membrane. An end portion of the microporous layer is positioned further inside of the membrane electrode assembly than an end portion of the backing layer. The circumferential edge protective layer is inserted between the backing layer and the electrolyte membrane.
US08940443B2
An electrolyte comprising an organic solvent, a lithium salt, and a polymer additive comprised of repeating vinyl units joined to one or more heterocyclic amine moieties is described. The heterocyclic amine contains five to ten ring atoms, inclusive. An electrochemical cell is also disclosed. The preferred cell comprises a negative electrode which intercalates with lithium, a positive electrode comprising an electrode active material which intercalates with lithium, and the electrolyte of the present invention activating the negative and the positive electrodes.
US08940440B2
A lithium ion secondary battery capable of improving the lithium ion input-output characteristics. An active material capable of storing and releasing lithium ions is a Li complex oxide or a Li complex oxoacid salt. A plurality of primary particles have a particle size distribution with 1 nm
US08940430B2
A nickel zinc battery cell includes a metallic zinc-based current collection substrate as a part of the negative electrode. The metallic zinc-based current collector may be made of or be coated with a zinc metal or zinc alloy material and may be a foil, perforated, or expanded material. Battery cells incorporating the zinc-based current collector exhibit good cycle lifetime and initial charge performance.
US08940418B1
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) media structure with multiple exchange couple composite (ECC) layer structure is described. The PMR disk structure may include multiple soft magnetic layers with intervening hard magnetic layers and in between. The interface between the soft magnetic layers and the hard magnetic layers may be separated by exchange coupled layers.
US08940413B2
Provided is an acenaphtho[1,2-k]benzo[e]acephenanthrene derivative represented by general formula (1): wherein R1 to R16 are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; and at least one of R1 to R8 and R10 to R15 is selected from a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group.
US08940411B2
Energy efficient optoelectronic devices include an electroluminescent layer containing a polymer made up of structural units of formula I and II; wherein R1 and R2 are independently C22-44 hydrocarbyl, C22-44 hydrocarbyl containing one or more S, N, O, P, or Si atoms, oxaalkylaryl, or a combination thereof; R3 and R4 are independently H, C1-44 hydrocarbyl or C1-44 hydrocarbyl containing one or more S, N, O, P, or Si atoms, or R3 and R4, taken together, form a C2-10 monocyclic or bicyclic ring containing up to three S, N, O, P, or Si heteroatoms; and X is S, Se, or a combination thereof.
US08940403B2
An alloy wire made of a material selected from one of a group consisting of a silver-gold alloy, a silver-palladium alloy and a silver-gold-palladium alloy is provided. The alloy wire is with a polycrystalline structure of a face-centered cubic lattice and includes a plurality of grains. A central part of the alloy wire includes slender grains or equi-axial grains, and the other parts of the alloy wire consist of equi-axial grains. A quantity of the grains having annealing twins was 20 percent or more of the total quantity of the grains of the alloy wire.
US08940400B1
An insulating glass (IG) window unit includes first and second substrates, and a low-emissivity (low-E) coating supported by one of the substrates. The low-E coating has two silver based infrared (IR) reflecting layers and allows the IG window unit to realize an increased SHGC to U-value ratio, and an increased thickness ratio of an upper silver based layer of the coating to a bottom silver based layer of the coating. The low-E coating is designed to have a low film-side reflectance, so that for example when the low-E coating is used on surface number three of an IG window unit the IG window unit can realize reduced visible reflectance as viewed from the outside of the building on which the IG window unit is mounted or is to be mounted.
US08940398B2
Certain example embodiments relate to Ni-inclusive ternary alloy being provided as a barrier layer for protecting an IR reflecting layer comprising silver or the like. The provision of a barrier layer comprising nickel, chromium, and/or molybdenum and/or oxides thereof may improve corrosion resistance, as well as chemical and mechanical durability. In certain examples, more than one barrier layer may be used on at least one side of the layer comprising silver. In still further examples, a NixCryMoz-based layer may be used as the functional layer, rather than or in addition to as a barrier layer, in a coating.
US08940390B2
The present invention relates to a ceramics composite including an inorganic material which includes: a matrix phase including a translucent ceramics; and a phosphor phase including YAG containing Ce, in which a content of the phosphor phase is from 22% by volume to 55% by volume based on the whole phase including the matrix phase and the phosphor phase, a content of Ce in the YAG is 0.005 to 0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio of Ce to Y (Ce/Y), and the ceramics composite has a thickness in a light outgoing direction of 30 μm to 200 μm.
US08940389B2
The present invention relates to a composition which contains a) at least one reaction product of a1) a silane of the general formula in which Y(1)=3-glycidyloxypropyl-, and R1, R2, R3=like or unlike alkyl groups having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and a2) a silane of the general formula in which Y(2)=N-2-aminoethyl-3-aminopropyl- or NH2(CH2)2NH(CH2)2NH(CH)3, and R′1, R′2, R′3=like or unlike alkyl groups having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and b) at least one inorganic filler, and c) a solvent having a boiling point at a temperature ≦85° C., and d) water, and e) a catalyst selected from organic and inorganic acids, to a method of producing a surface coating on a polymeric surface by applying the composition of the invention, and to articles having at least one polymeric surface which have the surface coating of the invention, and to their use.
US08940388B2
Methods of forming an insulative element are described, including forming a first metal oxide material having a first dielectric constant, forming a second metal oxide material having a second dielectric constant different from the first, and heating at least portions of the structure to crystallize at least a portion of at least one of the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material. Methods of forming a capacitor are described, including forming a first electrode, forming a dielectric material with a first oxide and a second oxide over the first electrode, and forming a second electrode over the dielectric material. Structures including dielectric materials are also described.
US08940387B2
An appliqué of the invention comprises a disposable carrier film onto which a release layer and PU inks are printed using layering techniques. The ink layers can be multicoloured and each color is applied sequentially using a conventional screen-printing method. A back-up, a lacquer layer, and an adhesive layer are printed in sequence over the ink layers. The ink includes reflective particles providing the optical effect of a 3-dimensional appliqué. The artwork is created by overlapping design layers to controlled specification sequences. The ink, because of the additives, creates a desired color tone, and this may be enhanced by layering of the ink in an overlapping region. Thus, there are three main regions, namely a central region with reflective ink, a “shoulder” region with overlapping matt and reflective inks and an outer region with only matt ink.
US08940383B2
The invention relates to compressed blocks of wood agglomerate, comprising wood particles and a hydraulic binder, produced by a method in which an initial mixture comprising wood particles and a hydraulic binder is held under pressure for the duration of the hardening of the binder. The invention further relates to a method for production of said blocks and the use thereof in particular, as construction elements for buildings.
US08940377B2
Multi-layer bags may be formed to include first and second sidewalls joined along a first side edge, an opposite second side edge, and a closed bottom edge. The first and second layers may be non-continuously laminated together in discrete sections to include bonded regions in which the layers are bonded and unbonded regions in which the layers are not bonded. Such a bag may be described as a “bag-in-a-bag” type configuration in which the inner bag is non-continuously bonded to the outer bag. The inventors have surprisingly found that such configurations of non-continuous bonding provides increased and unexpected strength properties to the multi-layer films and bags.
US08940366B2
An apparatus and method for treating subject materials with compositions includes a material treatment section for treating a subject material with a composition of a silane-containing material and a hydrocarbon solvent to form a treated material, and a neutralizing section for neutralizing the treated material such that the treated material has a pH in a range of approximately 7 to approximately 8.
US08940365B2
A device to form a coating film which can quickly coat a substrate of a follow-up lot after coating a preceding lot. The device is configured such that nozzles for a preceding lot and a following lot are integrated into a common movement mechanism and moved between an upper side of a liquid processing unit and a standby area. A coating method includes sucking air into the nozzle for the preceding lot to form an upper gas layer, sucking a solvent for the preceding lot in the standby area to form a thinner layer, and sucking air into the nozzle for the preceding lot to form a lower gas layer within the nozzle, and thus forming a state that a solvent layer is interposed between the upper gas layer and the lower gas layer.
US08940361B2
In certain embodiments, the invention relates to an article having a liquid-impregnated surface. The surface includes a matrix of solid features (e.g., non-toxic and/or edible features) spaced sufficiently close to stably contain a liquid therebetween or therewithin, wherein the liquid is non-toxic and/or edible. The article may contain, for example, a food or other consumer product, such as ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaize.
US08940358B2
System and method for coating an expandable member of a medical device comprising a support structure to support the expandable member and an applicator positioned with at least one outlet proximate a surface of an expandable member. A drive assembly establishes relative movement between the at least one outlet and the surface of the expandable member to apply fluid on the surface of the expandable member along a coating path. A positioning device is provided to determine the distance to the surface of the expandable member at a corresponding location and relays the information to a controller or the like to maintain a substantially fixed distance between the outlet of the applicator and the surface of the expandable member when in alignment with the corresponding location.
US08940351B2
The present invention relates generally to baked goods comprising non-caloric or low-caloric high-potency sweeteners and methods for making and using them. In particular, the present invention relates to different baked goods comprising at least one non-caloric or low-caloric natural and/or synthetic high potency sweetener and at least one sweet taste improving composition. The present invention also relates to baked goods and methods that can improve the tastes of non-caloric or low-caloric natural and/or synthetic high-potency sweeteners by imparting a more sugar-like taste or characteristic. In particular, the baked goods and methods provide a more sugar-like temporal profile, including sweetness onset and sweetness linger, and/or a more sugar-like flavor profile.
US08940345B1
Disclosed herein is an apparatus for treating food products, such as any species of meat (beef, pork or lamb) and ground beef, being transported in a fluid, such as carbonic acid liquid carbon dioxide, at a pressure sufficient to maintain the carbon dioxide as a liquid.
US08940337B2
A transparent polymeric nanocomposite hydrogel is provided, wherein the polymeric nanocomposite hydrogel is made from a water insoluble polymer, i.e. poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) or/and crosslinked PHEMA and a water insoluble nanofiber, i.e., bacterial cellulose (BC). Disclosed is a synthetic route for polymeric nanocomposites hydrogels. The preferred polymeric nanocompositions are produced through free radical polymerization of HEMA monomer in the presence of bacterial cellulose with an assistance of ultrasound to enhance the mixing of bacterial cellulose, initiator, and the monomers. The polymeric nanocomposite hydrogel is then formed by immersion of the dry polymeric nanocomposite in water. Disclosed is a high transmittance polymer nanocomposite hydrogel with a preferred BC loading less than 0.1%, water content of about 40% in weight, good mechanical integrity and strength. The disclosed polymer nanocomposite hydrogel and compositions pertain to hydrogel applications, particularly contact lenses and optic components for biosensor.
US08940332B2
A novel podophyllotoxin derivative, which is capable of releasing a drug without depending on biological enzymes and can be expected to have an effective therapeutic effect and is soluble in water has been demanded. A polymer having a polyethyleneglycol structural unit and two or more succinic monoamide structural units, particularly a polymer conjugate of a podophyllotoxin in which a carboxylic acid group of polyethyleneglycol/polyaspartic acid copolymer and a hydroxyl group of podophyllotoxin and linked via an ester bond is provided.
US08940330B2
There is provided pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of e.g. opioid dependency comprising microparticles of a pharmacologically-effective amount of buprenorphine, or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof, in associative admixture with particles comprising a weak acid, or particles comprising weakly-acidic buffer forming materials. The composition may further comprise a disintegrant and/or particles of a pharmacologically-effective amount of naloxone, or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof. The compositions are useful in the treatment of opioid dependency/addiction and/or pain.
US08940324B2
The invention relates to octenidine or a pharmaceutical salt thereof, in particular octenidine dihydrochloride, which is intended for mutual therapeutic administration of the octenidine in solution with a polyalcohol of formula 1: (H—C—OH)a(HO—C—OH)b(H—C—H)c, where a, b, c are whole numbers, where a+b is at least 2, preferably at least 3, c is selected from 0, 1 or a number from 2 to a+b, optionally in addition to one or more aldehyde groups provided that they form (cyclic) acetals with one of the hydroxy groups or one or more keto groups optionally as acetal with one of the hydroxy groups, optionally in addition to one or more carboxylic acid groups if the polyalcohol is a cyclic acetal or acetal, preferably with ring sizes of 5 to 7 atoms, or a polymer, polyether or polyester thereof, provided that the polyalcohol exists as a polymer, polyether or polyester with at least two units of formula 1 if a+b is 2 or 3. The invention also relates to kits containing these ingredients, and use thereof for treating infections and wounds.
US08940323B2
Wiping products, such as facial tissues, contain a temperature change composition that can provide a cooling sensation when contacted with the skin of a user. The temperature change composition, for instance, can contain one or more phase change agents that undergo a phase change at slightly elevated temperatures. The phase change agents, in one embodiment, can have a relatively high heat of fusion. When undergoing a phase change, the phase change agents absorb heat and thereby provide a cooling feeling to the skin of a user. In one embodiment, the phase change agent comprises a straight chain hydrocarbon. Hydrocarbons useful as phase change agents include an octadecane, a nonadecane, a heptonoate, or mixtures thereof.
US08940322B2
The present invention includes a method for improving milk production in a ruminant. An amount of ruminally digestible starch in relation to the dry matter of a feed is manipulated to include a first selected ratio of ruminally digestible starch in relation to the dry matter of the feed which is fed to the ruminant during a first time interval after parturition. After the first time interval, the amount of ruminally digestible starch component in the dry matter of the feed is adjusted to a second ratio, lower than the first ratio, and fed to the ruminant.
US08940308B2
Disclosed is a method for decreasing depression in a patient by local administration of a botulinum neurotoxin to the frontalis, corrugator, procereus, occipitalis, temporalis, trapezius and cervical paraspinal muscles.
US08940306B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a safe and effective method for enhancing an immune response and a medicament for preventing or treating Alzheimer disease comprising amyloid β peptide that induces an enhanced immune response. An amyloid β peptide or a portion thereof with addition or insertion of cysteine and a method for enhancing an immune response using the peptide or a method for enhancing an immune response using the peptide together with an adjuvant. A medicament for preventing or treating Alzheimer disease comprising an amyloid β peptide or a portion thereof that induces an enhanced immune response. A DNA vaccine, that may have the same effect, comprising the gene encoding an amyloid β peptide or a portion thereof that induces an enhanced immune response with addition or insertion of cysteine.
US08940303B2
Antigen binding proteins which bind to human IL-7 receptor (CD127) are provided. The antigen binding proteins are typically antibodies, and are useful in the treatment of diseases or disorders in humans, particularly autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
US08940301B2
The present invention provides methods of treating cancer by administering an IL8-CXCR1 pathway inhibitor (e.g., an anti-CXCR1 antibody or Repertaxin) alone or in combination with an additional chemotherapeutic agent such that non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic cancer cells in a subject are killed. The present invention also provides compositions and methods for detecting the presence of and isolating solid tumor stem cells in a patient (e.g., based on the presence of CXCR1 or FBXO21).
US08940299B2
A method for inducing apoptosis of a neoplastic cell expressing C3aR or C5aR includes administering at least one complement antagonist to the cell so that the at least one complement antagonist substantially reduces or inhibits the activity of protein kinase B in the neoplastic cell.
US08940298B2
The present invention provides novel high affinity antibodies and fragments thereof that bind to the cancer antigen PSCA. The antibodies of the present invention may be used for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, visualization, and the like. The present invention also provides methods for the detection, visualization, and treatment of various cancers expressing PSCA.
US08940295B2
The present invention comprises methods and compositions for the reduction of oxalate in humans, and methods for the purification and isolation of recombinant oxalate reducing enzyme proteins. The invention provides methods and compositions for the delivery of oxalate-reducing enzymes in particle compositions. The compositions of the present invention are suitable in methods of treatment or prevention of oxalate-related conditions.
US08940279B2
Biguanide-preserved precipitated calcium carbonate oral care compositions and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed.
US08940274B2
The present invention provides a novel method of labelling biological targeting molecules (BTMs) of interest with radioiodine. Also provided are functionalised BTMs useful in the method, as well as methods of preparing such functionalised BTMs under mild conditions.
US08940271B2
The invention includes compositions for transmucosal administration to an animal comprising at least one active agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. A preferred active agent is selected from the group consisting of meloxicam, carprofen, enrofloxacin, clemastine, diphenhydramine, digoxin, levothyroxine, cyclosporine, ondansetron, lysine, zolpidem, propofol, nitenpyram, ivermectin, milbemycin, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates and esters thereof. In another embodiment, the invention includes methods of treating or preventing a condition in an animal comprising transmucosally administering a composition comprising a therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of an active agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
US08940268B2
A method for producing a thiometallate or selenometallate material is provided in which a first salt containing an anionic component selected from the group consisting of MoS42−, MoSe42−, WS42−, WSe42−, VS43−, and VSe43−, and a second salt containing a cationic component comprising a metal in any non-zero oxidation state selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ag, Co, Mn, Re, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt, B, Al, Ce, La, Pr, Sm, Eu, Yb, Lu, Dy, Ni, Zn, Bi, Sn, Pb, Cd, Sb, Ge, Ga, In, Au, Hg are mixed under anaerobic conditions in an aqueous mixture at a temperature of from 15° C. to 150° C.
US08940261B2
A contaminant-tolerant hybrid scrubbing solvent is provided for post-combustion CO2 capture and removal, the scrubbing solvent including an amine and a low fraction of ammonia. A stripping carrier having a low latent energy is included for solvent regeneration. In one embodiment, the amine is MEA and the stripping chemical having low latent energy is pentane or an isomer thereof. Processes and apparatus for CO2 removal from post-combustion gases and for solvent regeneration are described.
US08940245B2
A sterilizing apparatus (10, 80) includes an enclosure (18, 84) defining an interior chamber (20, 86) and a door (22) for accessing the interior chamber (20, 86). A fluid source (42, 88) communicates with the chamber (20, 86) to supply a working fluid thereto. A heater (64, 102) heats the fluid in the chamber (20, 86) and a pump (62, 82) moves the fluid in the chamber (20, 86) by the heater (64, 102). A valve (50, 150) communicates with the chamber (20, 86) and with the exterior of the chamber (20, 86) and is configured to vent the fluid in the chamber (20, 86) to the exterior at a pressure of approximately one atmosphere. Such provides superheating and concentrating of the working fluid in the chamber (20, 86). A method of sterilization includes introducing a working fluid into an interior chamber (20, 86) and circulating the fluid through at least one recirculation loop (54, 96) having a heater (64, 102) for heating the fluid to an operational temperature suitable for killing microorganisms. The method further provides venting of the fluid from the chamber (20, 86) so as to maintain the pressure at approximately one atmosphere. The method further provides for killing of very high temperature resistant microorganisms.
US08940243B1
A circuit applies an electric field to a reforming chamber housing a hydrocarbon-water mixture to cause molecular breakdown and create a feed of hydrogen and carbon and dioxide that can be supplied to fuel cells. The circuit includes a DC-to-DC converter, a DC-to-AC inverter and a transformer to transform available input voltage to a control voltage that can be used to apply the electric field to the mixture in the reforming chamber. The signal supplied to the DC-to-AC inverter is monitored to determine whether enough voltage is supplied to create an electrical discharge in the reforming chamber. If an electrical discharge exists, the variables to the circuit is left alone or decreased until the signal indicates the electrical discharge is no longer present. If no electrical discharge exists, the variable input voltage is increased until an electrical discharge is detected.
US08940241B2
A photostructurable ceramic is processed using photostructuring process steps for embedding devices within a photostructurable ceramic volume, the devices may include one or more of chemical, mechanical, electronic, electromagnetic, optical, and acoustic devices, all made in part by creating device material within the ceramic or by disposing a device material through surface ports of the ceramic volume, with the devices being interconnected using internal connections and surface interfaces.
US08940237B2
An optic light guide test sensor comprises a light guide, a reagent-coated membrane, and a mesh layer. The reagent-coated membrane and the mesh layer are attached to the light guide at an output end of the light guide. The light guide test sensor is adapted to be used to test the level of an analyte in a biological fluid sample when used with a readhead. A method of manufacturing the light guide test sensor involves providing a plurality of light guides, providing a strip of reagent-coated membrane, and providing a strip of mesh layer. The reagent-coated membrane and mesh layer are attached to the light guides by ultrasonic welding. The reagent-coated membrane and mesh layer may also be attached to the light guides by adhesive.
US08940236B2
A device for inspecting a biological fluid, including a channel through which the fluid flows, a first inspection module arranged in a first region of the channel, and a second inspection module arranged in a second region of the channel, the device configured to provide a quantity that is representative of output of the second inspection module. The first inspection module is configured to measure at least one electrical property of the fluid passing through the first region. The second inspection module is configured to measure at least one optical property of the fluid passing through the second region. The inspection device also includes a controller connected to the first inspection module and to the second inspection module and configured to control the second inspection module according to the output of the first inspection module.
US08940232B2
An automated assay system is described with stations for placement of materials to be used in an assay of materials inside capillaries and an automated gripper for manipulating capillaries. The system includes a separation and immobilization station where reactions inside the capillaries take place and a detector station where photoemissions from the capillary reactions are detected. The photoemissions from the capillaries may be displayed as line graphs or in columns of a pseudo-gel image resembling the familiar Western gel blot. An automated control system has a user interface by which an operator can select a run protocol and define the locations of samples and reagents to be used in the protocol run: Following the setup the control system will cause the automated system to execute the protocol, then display the results in a selected display format.
US08940218B1
Approaches for making a light-transmitting panel are disclosed. A panel is positioned on a support structure, and a stencil is positioned between a surface of the panel and a laser head. The stencil includes a plurality of openings. A defocused laser beam generated by the laser head is scanned over the openings in the stencil. The width of the defocused laser beam at a location at which the laser beam strikes the panel is at least as large as a size of the desired disruption, and the laser head is powered at a level and moved at a rate that creates a disruption in the surface of the panel at each opening.
US08940217B1
An apparatus and method are provided for molding breast cups in a seamless circularly-knitted brassiere having a breast-covering portion and a torso encircling band, the apparatus comprising a base, a rear wall extending upwardly from the base, an upper mold plate extending outwardly and substantially horizontally from the rear wall, the upper plate having a pair of spaced openings formed therethrough, the openings spaced and dimensioned to correspond to a pair of breast cups, and a plate intermediate to the base and the upper mold plate, and being vertically moveable between a first, upper position and a second, lower position for securing a brassiere blank in position against the upper plate for the molding of breast cups therein.
US08940214B2
Method of manufacture of one or more pairs of components in composite material (11, 13; 11′, 13′) intended to form part of aerofoils located on both sides of the axis of symmetry of an aircraft whose shape has a conical tendency in the longitudinal direction, the angle of conicity being less than 10°, that comprises the following stages: a) Lay-up of layers on a flat tape lay-up table forming the laminate of a hypothetical component formed by all of the components of said pairs (11, 13; 11′, 13′), the components of each pair being arranged adjacently and the first components (11, 11′) and the second components (13, 13′) of each pair being arranged alternately, and the whole being arranged symmetrically relative to a hypothetical horizontal axis X-X of the tape lay-up jig; b) Cutting of the flat laminates corresponding to each of said components); c) Forming and curing said components.
US08940201B2
A correcting apparatus of a seamless belt includes a bottomed cylindrical main body that has an inner peripheral surface formed of mirror surface and that accommodates a seamless belt at a distance from the inner peripheral surface, a lid body detachably attached to the main body, a fixing unit that fixes an upper end and a lower end of the seamless belt to the mirror surface, a pressing unit that presses the seamless belt accommodated in the main body against the mirror surface, and a heating unit that heats the mirror surface.
US08940198B2
A conductive adhesive includes 10 to 90 wt % of Sn—Bi system solder powder and the remainder of an adhesive containing organic acid, and the Sn—Bi system solder powder is composed of solder particles having a particle size L1 of 20 to 30 μm and solder particles having a particle size L2 of 8 to 12 μm, and a mixing ratio of the Sn—Bi system solder powder is such that the solder particles having a particle size of 20 to 30 μm occupy 40 to 90 wt % with respect to the whole solder powder, and the remainder is occupied by solder particles having a particle size of 8 to 12 μm.
US08940196B2
A silicon-based shape memory alloy negative active material includes a silicon-based material precipitated on a Ni2Mn1-XZX shape memory alloy basic material. In the silicon-based shape memory alloy negative active material, X satisfies the relationship 0≦X≦1 and Z is one of Al, Ga, In, Sn, or Sb.
US08940194B2
In accordance with various example embodiments, an apparatus includes two or more circuit nodes and a conductive material that is located between and configured to electrically couple the circuit nodes. The conductive material includes a network of elongated portions of at least one electrospun Cu-based nanostructure. Each elongated portion has an aspect ratio of at least 50,000 and a length that is greater than 100 microns, and at least one fused crossing point that joins with a fused crossing point of another of the elongated portions. The network of elongated portions is distributed and aligned in the conductive material to set a conductance level and a transparency level along the network, along at least one direction.
US08940182B2
Etching compositions are provided. The etching composition includes a phosphoric acid, ammonium ions and a silicon compound. The silicon compound includes a silicon atom, an atomic group having an amino group combined with the silicon atom, and at least two oxygen atoms combined with the silicon atom. Methods utilizing the etching compositions are also provided.
US08940177B2
A method of manufacturing a roll-shaped mold includes: an immersing step of immersing a roll-shaped mold main body into a treatment agent; a first removing step of exposing a portion of the mold main body from a liquid level of the treatment agent in which a central axis of the mold main body is inclined with respect to a horizontal surface; a second removing step in which the mold main body is moved in relation to the liquid level of the treatment agent in which a meniscus is sustained between the exposed portion of the mold main body and the liquid level of the treatment agent and thereby further exposing the mold main body; and a third removing step of removing the entire mold main body from the treatment agent in which the central axis of the mold main body is inclined with respect to the horizontal surface.
US08940174B2
A method for treating spent abrasive slurry obtained from cutting a body of a substrate material into wafer-like slices, the slurry comprising a lubricant fluid, unspent abrasive particles and fines, is disclosed, method comprising separating the spent slurry in a first sedimentation step into a solids concentrate comprising unspent abrasive particles and a solids depleted slurry; and subsequently separating the solids depleted slurry by cross-flow filtration into a fines containing fraction and a solids and fines depleted regenerated lubricant fluid.
