Document Document Title
US07854725B2 Low profile retention system
Medical devices for retaining an end of a medical tube. Each of the devices of the present invention comprises a base and at least one tab having a portion that is moveable within the base. The base comprises an upper surface, a lower surface, at least one side cavity for receiving a tab, and an opening transverse to the upper and lower surfaces. To facilitate tube retention, the tube is inserted through the opening in the base and the tab(s) is(are) moved within the cavity(ies) such that a portion of each tab contacts and retains the tube.
US07854717B1 Method and compositions for treatment of cancers
A method to treat cancer uses ultrapheresis, refined to remove compounds of less than 120,000 daltons molecular weight, followed by administration of replacement fluid, to stimulate the patient's immune system to attack solid tumors. In the preferred embodiment, the patient is ultrapheresed using a capillary tube ultrafilter having a pore size of 0.02 to 0.05 microns, with a molecular weight cutoff of 120,000 daltons, sufficient to filter one blood volume. The preferred replacement fluid is ultrapheresed normal plasma. The patient is preferably treated daily for three weeks, diagnostic tests conducted to verify that there has been shrinkage of the tumors, then the treatment regime is repeated. The treatment is preferably combined with an alternative therapy, for example, treatment with an anti-angiogenic compound, one or more cytokines such as TNF, gamma interferon, or IL-2, or a procoagulant compound. The treatment increases endogenous, local levels of cytokines, such as TNF. This provides a basis for an improved effect when combined with any treatment that enhances cytokine activity against the tumors, for example, treatments using alkylating agents, doxyrubicin, carboplatinum, cistplatimum, and taxol. Alternatively, the ultrapheresis treatment can be combined with local chemotherapy, systemic chemotherapy, and/or radiation.
US07854713B2 Cranial remolding orthosis
A cranial orthosis may be used to re-shape a child's cranium. The cranial orthosis includes an inner layer and a resistance piece. The inner layer is made of silicone and grips the patient's head such that the inner layer does not move once it is positioned on the child's head. The resistance piece encircles the inner layer and is made of plastic. The resistance piece may not contact the patient's head. The resistance piece is attached to the inner layer. The resistance piece provides the necessary resistance that shapes the patient's head into the desired shape. An attachment feature may be added to the inner layer. The attachment feature engages openings on the resistance piece to connect the resistance piece to the inner layer. The resistance piece may also include one or more areas of increased width that provide additional support to the patient's head.
US07854711B2 Arm sling and method of making
An arm sling and method of making an arm sling including an open ended arm receiving tube supported on a patient's neck via a neck strap. The tube includes a forward end portion with an open front end of predetermined size and a rear end portion having an elbow receiving pocket adjacent an enlarged diameter rear opening. The arm receiving tube is formed from a single sheet of pliable fabric and includes first and second elongate opposing substantially identical side wall panels each having upper and lower edges spanning front and rear edges which form the front and rear openings. Each lower edge includes a front lower edge portion longer than the upper edge and a rear lower edge portion which is shorter than the upper edge. The rear lower edge portion is upwardly inclined relative to the front lower edge and has a rear end terminating in the lower end of the rear edge.
US07854707B2 Tissue sample revolver drum biopsy device
A biopsy device and method are provided for obtaining a tissue sample, such as a breast tissue biopsy sample. The biopsy device includes a disposable probe assembly with an outer cannula having a distal piercing tip, a cutter lumen, and a cutter tube that rotates and translates past a side aperture in the outer cannula to sever a tissue sample. The biopsy device also includes a reusable handpiece with an integral motor and power source to make a convenient, untethered control for use with ultrasonic imaging. The reusable handpiece incorporates a probe oscillation mode to assist when inserting the distal piercing tip into tissue. The motor also actuates an attached sample revolver drum assembly in coordination with movement of the cutter tube to provide sequentially stored tissue samples in a sample storage bandolier that is rotated about a revolver cylindrical drum.
US07854703B2 Peripheral neuropathy detection
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a peripheral neuropathy monitor may be incorporated into a scale form factor or other device for monitoring a trend towards peripheral neuropathy by a monitored user or patient. The peripheral neuropathy monitor may include a heating element, a cooling element, and/or a vibrating element, and may be capable of performing the sensitivity of the user to hot, cold, and/or vibrations, and monitor such trends over time to facilitate detecting the onset of peripheral neuropathy. The peripheral neuropathy monitor may be capable of communicating with a remote device via a wired or wireless network for operating the monitor, and for storing and/or analyzing the test results.
US07854691B2 Exercise apparatus
An exercise apparatus is disclosed herein, including a frame, a rotating assembly, two supporting rods, two swing arms, two links, and two pedals. The front ends of the supporting rods are connected respectively to two connecting points of the rotating assembly, and the rear end of each supporting rod moves back and forth along a corresponding track. The front ends of the links are connected respectively at two swing ends of the swing arms. Each pedal is mounted at the rear end of a corresponding link and pivotally coupled to a corresponding supporting member. The distance between the bottom of a circular path of the connecting points and the tracks is smaller than 10 cm. The length of the supporting rod is smaller than two times diameter of the circular path. The longitudinal horizontal distance between the front edge of the closed path and the rear edge of the circular path is smaller than 20 cm. The rear ends of the supporting rods are located between the front ends and rear ends of the pedals.
US07854690B2 Treadmill
An articulating treadmill is disclosed that includes a support frame, a motor frame, and a base frame. The motor frame is pivotally attached to the support frame along a first pivot line, and the base frame is pivotally attached to motor frame along a second pivot line spaced from the first pivot line. The base frame pivots about the second pivot line from an unfolded configuration to a folded configuration, and vice versa. The treadmill includes an elevation motor having an extension arm. The elevation motor is attached between the motor frame and a base of the support frame. As the extension arm of the elevation motor extends or retracts, the incline of the treadmill support bed increases or decreases, respectively. The treadmill also includes an adjustable roller system.
US07854686B2 Exercise and dance platform apparatus and systems
A platform or mat for exercising and dancing that is lightweight, has non-slip features and can be folded up for storage. The platform allows a user to determine foot position without having to look down at the platform thus allowing the user to watch a display screen while exercising or dancing. The platform includes tactile indicia molded that foot placement is determined by feel by the user's foot touching the tactile indicia. The material used to make the platform surface includes ethylene vinyl acetate. The platform includes electrically conductive switches that are activated by a force from the user's foot on a segment while exercising or dancing. Placing a user's foot on a segment communicates signals about the user's foot placement to a control device. The control device includes popular video game player devices and computers and includes the use of a display screen.
US07854684B1 Wearable device
An article of clothing constructed from one or more materials includes a flexible display element attached to the one or more materials of the article of clothing and circuitry for controlling the flexible display element.
US07854683B2 Torque converter clutch control
A system for controlling a torque converter clutch in a vehicle powertrain includes a controller having an input for receiving powertrain operating parameter information. The controller is configured to determine a torque converter speed ratio based on the powertrain operating parameter information and to compare the speed ratio to a specified speed ratio limit. The controller is further configured to determine a target torque converter slip when the speed ratio exceeds or meets or exceeds the specified speed ratio limit; to compare the target slip with a desired slip value based on an vehicle noise, vibration or harshness (NVH) limit; and to control torque transmission of the torque converter clutch based on comparison of the target slip and the desired slip value. A method for controlling a torque converter clutch is also provided.
US07854680B2 Control device and control method for power train
In a power train in which a differential mechanism is coupled with a transmission mechanism, a transmission member is free with no engagement in a second shift portion when a P position or an N position is selected, and a ring gear thereby becomes free in a power split device. During an idle operation with such a shift position, a behavior of an engine rotation speed is retained in a stable manner in the power split device which functions as the differential mechanism through a power supply control (lock control) such that a rotor of a second MG coupled with the ring gear is locked by an electromagnetic force, and then, a learning control of an idle speed control is appropriately implemented.
US07854679B2 8-speed transmission with three fixed interconnections
The transmission has a plurality of members that can be utilized in powertrains to provide eight forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio. The transmission includes three planetary gear sets having six torque-transmitting devices and three fixed interconnections. The powertrain includes an engine and torque converter that is selectively connected to at least one of the planetary gear members and an output member that is continuously connected with another one of the planetary gear members. The six torque-transmitting devices provide interconnections between various gear members, the transmission housing and with the input member, and are operated in combinations of three to establish eight forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio.
US07854675B2 Hydraulic feed system for a transmission
The present invention provides an assembly for use in a transmission that includes a first rotating member having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the first portion and having a bore with an open end. An annulus has a port for providing a fluid and is disposed proximate to the first portion. A second rotating member is at least partially located within the bore and extends from the open end. A first passage is connected to the port of the annulus and a second passage is connected to the first passage. The second passage is located through the second portion. A third passage is connected to the second passage and is located in the second rotating member. Fluid is able to flow from the port through the passages to provide fluid to the second rotating member.
US07854669B2 Trajectory detection and feedback system
A disclosed device provides a trajectory detection and feedback system. The system is capable of detecting one or more moving objects in free flight, analyzing a trajectory of each object and providing immediate feedback information to a human that has launched the object into flight, and/or one or more observers in the area. The feedback information may include one or more trajectory parameters that the human may use to evaluate their skill at sending the object along a desired trajectory. In a particular embodiment, a non-intrusive machine vision system that remotely detects trajectories of moving objects may be used to evaluate trajectory parameters for a basketball shot at a basketball hoop by a player. The feedback information, such as a trajectory entry angle into the basketball hoop and/or an entry velocity into the hoop for the shot, may be output to the player in an auditory format using a sound projection device. The system may be operable to be set-up and to operate in a substantially autonomous manner. After the system has evaluated a plurality of shots by the player, the system may provide 1) a diagnosis of their shot consistency, 2) a prediction for improvement based upon improving their shot consistency and 3) a prescription of actions for improving their consistency.
US07854660B2 Amusement park ride providing free-flying experience
A vehicle for simulating flight in a park ride having a rotating drive with supports or radial arms. The vehicle includes a body with seats and passenger restraints. A connection assembly is used to attach the body to a support. The connection assembly includes a linkage assembly allowing the body to radially pivot inward and outward relative to the drive assembly based on the angle of the support arm and rotation rate of the drive assembly. The linkage assembly translates radial movement of the body into rotation of the body about a pitch axis. The pitch axis extends through or proximal to the center of mass of the body, and the pivotal connector that supports the vehicle in a pendular manner is spaced apart and above the center of mass. The linkage assembly may include one or more four-bar linkages to provide two degrees of freedom of the body relative.
US07854659B2 Joint for the transmission of rotational motion
The invention provides a joint for the transmission of rotational motion between two rotatable elements, including a first, driven, element consisting of a shaft portion and a head portion, the head portion including a first recess and a second, contiguous, recess in the form of the female partner of a coupling having coupling faces, and a second, driving, element consisting of a shaft portion, a collar portion of a diameter freely fitting into the first recess, and the male partner of the coupling, wherein the respective dimensions of the coupling faces of the male and female partners differ to such an extent that the second element is tiltable out of alignment with the first element while retaining its engagement with the first element.
US07854658B2 Counter track joint for large articulation angles
A constant velocity counter track joint having an outer joint part with outer ball tracks having first tracks opening toward the aperture end and second tracks opening toward the attaching end. The center line of the second tracks, departs, radially inwardly, a first reference radius centered in the point of intersection of a perpendicular line on the tangent at the center line of the ball track and the longitudinal axis. In the inner joint part, the center line of the ball tracks departs, radially inwardly, a second reference radius centered in the point of intersection of a perpendicular line on the tangent at the center line of the ball track and the longitudinal axis. In the outer joint part, the center line of the ball tracks towards the aperture end, moves radially outwardly beyond said first reference radius. In the inner joint part, the center line of the ball tracks towards the attaching end, moves radially outwardly beyond said second reference radius.
US07854649B2 Hand-held power tool, in particular a sander
A hand-held power tool, in particular a sander, includes a housing (10) and a motor (12) located in the housing (10). A driven shaft (16) that extends from a face end (14) of the housing (10) is drivable by the motor (12). A suction conduit (18) extends at least partway through the housing (10). The suction conduit (18) opens as an intake at the face end (14) of the housing (10).
US07854644B2 Systems and methods for removing microfeature workpiece surface defects
Systems and methods for removing microfeature workpiece surface defects are disclosed. A method for processing a microfeature workpiece in accordance with one embodiment includes removing surface defects from a surface of a microfeature workpiece by engaging the surface with a buffing medium having a first hardness, and moving at least one of the workpiece and the buffing medium relative to the other. After removing the surface defects and before adding additional material to the microfeature workpiece the method can further include engaging the microfeature workpiece with a polishing pad having a second hardness greater than the first hardness. Additional material can be removed from the microfeature workpiece by moving at least one of the microfeature workpiece and the polishing pad relative to the other.
US07854640B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method therefor
A light weight and a low cost EL display device is provided, in which light emitting elements are formed on a flexible film. A thin metallic substrate is used as an element forming substrate with the present invention, edge portions of the metallic substrate are bent, and the metallic substrate is attached with good adhesion, within a vacuum, to a substrate holder which possesses curvature in its edge portions. After then forming light emitting elements on the thin metallic substrate, the substrate holder is separated.
US07854635B1 Adapter for air conditioning connector
An electrical connectivity disc (100, 130, 200) includes a plurality of serrated slots (106, 108) positioned about the disc. The disc preferably includes a plurality of barbs (136) about a peripheral edge (104) of the disc (130). A center aperture (110) can be formed in a center of the disc (130). A portion of the serrated slots (108) can be located in communication with the center aperture (110). The discs (130) are inserted into a generally an electrically conductive, cylindrical tubular structure (160). A cable (190) is inserted into a receiving aperture (168) and crimped providing an electro-mechanical interface with the tubular structure (160). The cable (190) provides an electrical connection to an air conditioning power input terminal block.
US07854630B1 Module connector
A module connector has a socket and a second shield covered to the socket. The socket has an insulating housing having a rectangular base and four sidewalls extended upwards from four edges of the base, forming a receiving chamber for receiving a lens module, and a first shield coupled with the insulating housing and having four lateral plates. At least one lateral plate has a plurality of locking openings. The second shield has a rectangular frame and four containing plates extended downwards from outer edges of the frame. At least one containing plate has two parallel slits extending upwards and downwards and passing through a bottom edge thereof, forming a free slice therebetween. A plurality of protrusions is disposed at an inner surface of the free slice, corresponding to the locking openings.
US07854625B1 Connector for flexible printed circuit board
A connector includes an insulating housing defining a mouth in a front thereof which is surrounded by a bottom wall, two sidewalls and a rear wall, a plurality of terminals disposed in the insulating housing, and an actuator pivotally mounted to the insulating housing for pivotal movement between an open position and a closed position. Two insides of the sidewalls define two receiving cavities in fronts thereof facing to each other and communicating with the mouth. Two opposite side edges of the actuator oppositely protrude to form a pair of pivoting portions at front ends thereof pivoted in the corresponding receiving cavities and against rear sides of the receiving cavities when the actuator is closed. A rear end of the base board protrudes downward to form a locking ridge extending transversely to be restrained behind the rear wall and the connecting props.
US07854602B2 Rotary compressor for changing compression capacity
A rotary compressor for changing a compression capacity of the compressor includes a driving shaft being rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise, and having an eccentric portion of a predetermined size; a cylinder forming a predetermined inner volume; a roller installed rotatably on an outer circumference of the eccentric portion so as to contact an inner circumference of the cylinder; a vane installed elastically in the cylinder to contact the roller continuously; a first bearing installed in the cylinder, for rotatably supporting the driving shaft; a second bearing installed in the cylinder, for rotatably supporting the driving shaft and guiding the fluid into the fluid chamber; discharge ports communicating with the fluid chamber; and a valve assembly having openings separated by a predetermined angle from each other, the valve assembly having a center which is eccentrically installed by a predetermined distance from a center of the cylinder.
US07854599B2 Circulating pump and method for the fluid lubrication of a spherical bearing in an electric motor
A circulating pump with an electric motor, which comprises a rotor and a stator, is proposed, the rotor being mounted on a spherical bearing which comprises a sliding body with a convex spherical surface and a bearing bushing with a concave spherical surface and which is fluid-lubricated, in which pump a flow system for passing lubricating fluid through a lubricating region between the sliding body and the bearing bushing is separate from a gap between the stator and the rotor.
US07854580B2 Stud fastener and stabilising device
The invention relates to a stabilising device (120) for an assembly which includes two shape memory alloy wires (104, 106) adapted to operate in conjunction. The stabilising device (120) includes a rocker plate (108) for attachment to each of the shape memory alloy wires; the rocker plate (108) is adapted to pivot when one shape memory alloy wire (104 or 106) is subjected to a stress greater than that to which the other shape memory alloy wire (106 or 104) is subjected, in order to reduce the stress on the first-mentioned shape memory alloy wire. The invention further relates to a fastener (60) including a stud (54) having a locking cavity (56), an aperture (58) adapted to receive the stud (54), a locking means (teeth) (62) adapted to engage the locking cavity (56), a shuttle (66) rotatable by a rotating means including material adapted to contract when activated and a plug (87) slidable within the shuttle (66) to close off the aperture (58) when not occupied by the stud (54). The shuttle (66) is rotatable by the rotating means between a locking position, in which the locking means (teeth) (62) engages the locking cavity (56), and an unlocking position in which the locking means (teeth) (62) does not engage the locking cavity (56). The plug (87) can help to prevent contamination of the fastener (60).
US07854575B2 Displacement and deflection measuring device for main spindle in machine tool
A reference block 30 attached to a housing 20a is moved together with a main spindle 20 to a measurement start position A1, and the reference block 30 is so moved in a Z-axis direction as to across air injected from an air injection nozzle 25, so that a thermal displacement of the main spindle 20 is calculated based on change in pressure measured in the movement. The outer circumference of a tool mounted on the main spindle 20 is brought close to a leading end face of the air injection nozzle 25, and the air is injected to the outer circumference of the tool while rotating the tool at a predetermined position, and the air pressure is measured so that the rotational deflection of the tool is calculated based on the change in the measured pressure.
US07854571B1 Systems and methods for handling piles
A pile driving system comprising an engaging system comprising a suspension system, a vibratory system, and first and second clamp assemblies. The primary housing is operatively supported by an arm assembly of a support system. The suspension system is configured to resiliently oppose movement of a secondary housing within a limited range of movement relative to a primary housing. The vibratory system is rigidly connected to the secondary housing. The first and second clamp to assemblies are supported by the secondary housing. In a first mode, the first clamp assembly rigidly connects the secondary housing to the pile, and in a second mode the second clamp assembly rigidly connects the secondary housing to the pile. The pile driving system drives the pile using a driving force generated by the support system and/or a vibrational force generated by the vibratory system.
US07854568B2 Diving equipment
Diving equipment easily operable by disabled persons, aged persons, etc. and wearable by oneself. The diving equipment such as buoyancy controlling device (BCD) has the function to hold a tank on the shoulder of a wearer and the function as a life jacket providing buoyancy to the wearer. In the diving equipment (BCD) of which the overall is formed in a vest-like shape, a tank holding part (2), shoulder parts (3) positioned at the both shoulder portions of a diver, and the portion (4) positioned at the center of the thoracabdominal part of the diver are formed continuously to each other so as to constitute rigid structural members. Most or all operating portions (5) are installed at the portion (4) positioned at the center of the thoracoabdominal part of the diver.
US07854567B2 Method to increase storage capacity of natural gas storage caverns with a refrigeration system
A method to increase the storage capacity of a natural gas storage cavern includes effecting a heat exchange in a heat exchanger between a stream of coolant from a refrigeration or cooling plant and a natural gas stream to cool the natural gas stream prior to injecting the natural gas stream into the natural gas storage cavern.
US07854558B2 Developer waste reuse
An apparatus for reusing developer liquid in a plate processor device includes: a new developer liquid container (13); a work in progress developer liquid tank (10) for plate processing is filled with developer liquid (15) from the new developer liquid container (13); a waste developer liquid container (14) configured to receive spilled over developer liquid (16) from the work in progress developer liquid tank (10); and replenish means configured to replenish the waste developer liquid (21) from the waste developer liquid container (14) back according to the conductivity level of the waste developer liquid.
US07854552B2 Hydrodynamic bearing device, spindle motor equipped with same, and recording and reproducing apparatus
A hydrodynamic bearing device comprises a sleeve, a shaft, and a flange cover. The sleeve has a bearing hole and a communicating hole which communicates between both end faces. The shaft is disposed in a state of being capable of relative rotation in the bearing hole of the sleeve, and has a main portion, a flange that is larger in diameter than the main portion, and a communicating hole that communicates with both end faces of the flange. The flange cover is disposed opposing to the lower face of the flange. The pressure loss at the communicating hole is smaller than the pressure loss at the communicating hole.
US07854551B2 X-ray detecting stand and X-ray imaging apparatus
An X-ray detecting stand that includes an X-ray detector, a vertical column that supports the X-ray detector so as to be movable, and elevating device for raising and lowering the X-ray detector along the column through a belt, including a balancing mechanism that exerts force, which balances a load by the X-ray detector, to the belt by a clockwork spring. The balancing mechanism has a wire having one end coupled to the belt at the side opposite to the X-ray detector, a wheel that reels up the other end of the wire, and a clockwork spring that applies take-up torque to the wheel.
US07854546B2 Wristwatch gear and method for manufacturing wristwatch gear
The center wheel and pinion has a center shaft provided with a center pinion that is formed from a crystalline metal, and a center tooth part composed of a metallic glass alloy that is integrally formed with the center shaft. The center shaft has a center pinion and other external peripheral regions that are formed by cutting the external periphery of a cylindrical member provided with a support hole. The external periphery of the coupling part to which the center tooth part is coupled is formed in a quadrangular shape. The center tooth part composed of a metallic glass alloy has a tooth continuously formed at the disc-shaped external periphery, and a center position that is integrally formed surrounding the entire external periphery of the quadrangular-shaped coupling part of the center shaft.
US07854542B2 Batch mixer and mixing rotor used in the same
A plurality of mixing rotors that are housed in a chamber having a cocoon-shaped cross section in a tangential non-intermeshing state, where a plurality of long wings and short wings are provided on a wing portion of the mixing rotors. The long wings and the short wings severally have a plurality of different sizes of tip clearances, a twist angle of the long wings is changed in the axis direction, and makes mixing efficiency and dispersion efficiency compatible. Further, cooling medium paths are provided severally in the chamber and the mixing rotors to suppress excessive increase of the temperature of mixing materials. According to a batch mixer using the mixing rotors, it is possible to control quality reduction of the mixing materials caused by heat generation, and to improve the productivity by increasing the number of the wings without diminishing inherent processing performance of the mixer.
US07854538B2 High intensity tactical vehicle infrared and white headlight system
A headlamp for a vehicle or other application, including a circular arrangement of groupings of IR LEDs in a retaining ring, each grouping of IR LED providing a different beam pattern of infrared illumination, and a HID lamp surrounded by the retaining ring, for providing visible light. A switch system is also provided, for enabling either the visible light or the infrared light, and for selecting a beam pattern.
US07854534B2 LED lamp
An LED lamp includes a housing defining an opening in a front face thereof, a heat sink received in the housing and a plurality of LED modules mounted on the heat sink. The housing has two parallel horizontal plates at lower and top ends thereof. The heat sink includes a V-shaped conductive plate placed on the lower horizontal plate of the housing and has two differently-sized portions with front faces thereof defining an obtuse included angle therebetween. The front faces face the opening of the housing. The LED modules are mounted on the front faces of the portions of the conductive plate of the heat sink.
US07854530B2 Lamp structure with damper
The present invention relates to a lamp structure with a damper. The lamp structure is primarily for installation inside a cabinet. The electrical loop of the lamp structure is electrically connected by opening the door, and the illumination member of the lamp structure generates light to illuminate the interior of the cabinet. Conversely, when the door is closed, the damper is driven to touch the power switch to make the electrical loop of the lamp structure in the electrically disconnected state, and the illumination member no longer generates light.
US07854529B2 Bezel-integrated thermal conductors
Flashlight bezels, which comprise a bezel, lens, and a thermal conductor disposed in and through the lens so as to be positioned conduct heat from a light source positioned to one side of the lens to space on the opposite side of the lens, are described. When included in a flashlight, the thermal conductor portion of the bezel becomes associated with the light source so that heat generated by the light source, when energized, can be efficiently transferred to the environment, for example, water, in which the flashlight is being used. By so doing, the efficiency of the light source can be maintained, the service life of the light source may be extended, etc.
US07854527B2 Combination LED fixture and raceway
A combination under-cabinet LED fixture and raceway is comprised of an upper housing member to which either a lower housing member may be secured thereto to create an LED fixture or to which a raceway cover may be secured thereto to create a raceway. A modified form of the invention comprises an upper housing member and a lower housing member with the lower housing member being selectively reversibly inserted into the upper housing member to form either a raceway or an LED fixture.
US07854525B2 Light reflector and planar light source
A light reflector and a planar light source achieving high average luminance and little luminance unevenness are provided. In a light reflector including a reflector and a reflective chevronwise partition plate projecting in a shape of a chevron from the reflector, a reflective planar partition plate is provided, connected to a peak section of the chevronwise partition plate such as to project upwards from the peak section. The chevronwise partition plate and the planar partition plate are disposed between adjacent linear light sources.
US07854518B2 Mesh for rendering an image frame
A method includes generating a first plurality of meshes configured to map a first domain associated with a display surface having a plurality of fiducial marks to a second domain associated with a image capture device configured to capture a first image of the display surface, generating a second plurality of meshes configured to map the second domain to a third domain associated with a first projector configured to display a second image onto the display surface, and generating a first mesh configured to map the first domain to the third domain in conjunction with a second mesh using the first plurality of meshes and the second plurality of meshes.
US07854516B2 Illumination apparatus that uses four color component light and a projection display apparatus
An illumination apparatus includes: a first dichroic mirror; a second dichroic mirror which separates the combined light into a red component light R and the green component light G; and a polarization adjuster provided on an optical path of the combined light between the dichroic mirrors. The polarization adjuster adjusts a polarization direction of a yellow component light Ye in the combined light. A second dichroic mirror separates the combined light into the red component light R on which a part of or all of the yellow component light Ye is superimposed and the green component light G on which the rest of the yellow component light Ye is superimposed.
US07854514B2 Polarized, led-based illumination source
An illumination source includes a number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) operating at a first wavelength. Light from the LEDs illuminates a phosphor material that generates light at a second wavelength. A reflective polarizer transmits light at the second wavelength in a first polarization state and reflects light at the second wavelength in a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state. The light at the second wavelength reflected by the reflective polarizer is directed back towards the phosphor material without an increase in angular range. In some embodiments the LEDs, having a conformal layer of phosphor material, are attached directly to the first surface of a liquid cooled plate. A liquid coolant contacts a second surface of the plate.
US07854509B2 Vision screener
An article and method for screening vision are described that does not require verbal input from a test person or the test person to maintain a fixed position during the screening. The article includes an image capture device, at least one test light, a processing unit that includes an interpretive program, and a display. The method comprises capturing an image of a person's eyes, verifying the image, studying the image, evaluating the image, and displaying the results. Conveniently, the article and method require no special training by an operator.
US07854505B2 Passive and active photonic crystal structures and devices
The present invention provides photonic crystal devices, device components and methods for preventing transmission of electromagnetic radiation from one or more laser sources or laser modes so as to provide an optical shield for protecting a users eyes or an optical sensor. The present invention also provides dynamic photonic crystals and devices incorporating dynamic photonic crystals for optically modulating the intensity of one or more beams of electromagnetic radiation and other optical switching applications.
US07854504B2 Digital device incorporating inkjet printhead and platen
A handheld print-on-demand digital device. The device comprises a pagewidth inkjet printhead and a platen assembly operatively positioned relative to the printhead. The platen assembly comprises: a planar platen member for supporting print media; a print media transport roller located on a first side of the platen member for feeding print media past said printhead; and a cutting mechanism located on a second opposite side of the platen member for severing the print media. The cutting mechanism includes a transport assembly driven by a threaded rod. The transport assembly has a body for traversing across the print media and a cutting edge fixed to the body for severing the print media during a traverse of the body.
US07854503B2 Ink-jet recording apparatus and recording method therefor
A recording apparatus has a recording head, a platen, and a first hole. The recording head includes a dot formation element array, and the platen holds a recording medium opposite the recording head. The first hole is disposed in an area of the platen opposite a downstream portion of the dot formation element array and guides ink discarded outside an end of the recording medium when the end is printed without a margin. Alternatively or additionally, a second hole is formed in an area of the platen opposite an upstream portion of the dot formation element array, and the platen guides ink, which is discarded outside an end of the recording medium when the end is printed without a margin, to the second hole.
US07854501B2 Common side insertion keying for phase change ink sticks
A set of ink sticks includes multiple ink sticks, each adapted to be inserted in an insertion direction into one of the feed channels of a phase change ink jet printer. Each ink stick has a keyed surface substantially aligned with the insertion direction, and each of the keyed surfaces has a key feature having a position relative to the keyed surface that corresponds to the position of the feed channel relative to an aspect of the printer. A method of inserting an ink stick into the delivery system of a phase change ink jet printer includes orienting the ink stick with a keyed surface facing a particular direction and identifying the position of the key feature relative to the remainder of the keyed surface. An ink feed channel of the feed system having a coinciding position in the ink delivery system is identified, and the ink stick is inserted into the identified ink feed channel.
US07854492B2 Pagewidth printhead assembly with support member laminate structure
A pagewidth printhead assembly comprising an elongate support member, the elongate support member includes a core element defining separate ink reservoirs and a laminate structure at least partially surrounding the core element. A plurality of printhead integrated circuits is mounted to the core element so as to be substantially aligned with one another along the elongate support member. The laminate structure includes at least a first layer of a first material adjacent the core element, a second layer of a second material adjacent the first layer, and a third layer of the first material adjacent the second layer, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first material is different to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second material. The effective coefficient of thermal expansion of the support member is substantially equal to that of the plurality of printhead integrated circuits.
US07854479B2 Overmolded lumbar support apparatus and method
The invention relates to a thin profile adjustable lumbar support system, particularly for use in automotive seat backs and other equipment used for sitting and reclining. The lumbar support system is assembled utilizing injection molding and overmolding technology to form some components and connect other components.
US07854466B2 Mounting system for ballistic panel
A ballistic panel and mounting assembly for use with a vehicle door having a side impact structure. The panel having first and second separable members, and a plurality of upper brackets and side brackets used to secure the respective first and second members to both the beltline of the vehicle door and to the side impact structure. The brackets configured such that the panel is mounted outwardly of the window hardware and associated control mechanism and adjacent the side impact structure. In addition, connectors located on the first and second members operate to connect or join the respective members together.
US07854461B2 Slide/flip-up type seat for automobile
A slide/flip-up type automobile-seat is disclosed. The seat is provided with lock-release restricting mechanisms provided at lower rail members of a slide rail mechanism for keeping slide lock levers in unlockable states with respect to the lower rail members during flipping-up movement of an entire seat or in a state where the entire seat has been flipped up, and for keeping striker locks in states of being unallowable to be unlocked when the lock levers are in states of incompletely locked with respect to the lower rail members. Each of the lock-release mechanisms includes a restricting arm which includes an arm body, a rising-up piece rising up from one end portion of the arm body and having a height reaching a position under a rear end portion of corresponding one of the lock levers, and a retaining piece which is provided at a side edge of the arm body and to which a corresponding one of extension rods extending from the striker locks is connected. The restricting arm is pivotally supported to a corresponding lower rail member with the rising-up piece being inserted through an elongated hole formed in the lower rail member, in such a manner that the rising-up piece is moved between the position just under the rear end portion of the lock lever and a position just behind the rear end portion of the lock lever according to forward and rearward strokes of the extension rod when the striker lock is unlocked and locked.
US07854460B2 Mating receiver rack for personal recreational vehicles
A receiver rack includes a main framework piece that is attached to a mounting surface of the personal recreational vehicle. The main framework may be flat and may be fashioned generally in the image of a cargo rack. The main framework may have mounting flanges for facilitating its connection to the recreational vehicle. The main framework includes at least one coupler mounted thereon. The coupler enables the main framework to be joined to one or more auxiliary frame pieces that contain at least one coupling member that mates with the coupler of the main framework. The coupler may also be used for joining a variety of seating and cargo units to the main framework.
US07854452B2 Engagement fitting and manufacturing method of engagement fitting
An engagement fitting comprises a hook that is integrally formed from a metal rod member. The rod member is bent into a generally U-shaped configuration. Bases then can be bent at approximately right angles at base ends of a pair of legs of the generally U-shaped hook. The bases extend to opposite sides from one another across a plane that is generally defined by the U-shaped configuration. The base is formed at least partially flat and can be provided with attachments such that the engagement fitting can be mounted on other members.
US07854450B2 Tube fixing structure and fixing member used therefor
In a tube fixing structure, a tube is fixed to a joint by means of a fixing member. The joint comprises a pipe whose one end is fitted into the tube, whose outside diameter is larger than an inside diameter of the tube, and whose outer surface is flattened with respect to the axial direction; and a main body that is connected with the other end of the pipe. The fixing member comprises a cylindrical holder made of a flexible material, which holds a portion of the tube having the pipe fitted therein by cramping the portion from its outer periphery, the holder having a through hole into which the tube is coaxially disposed and a slit formed to reach the through hole.
US07854447B2 Interior panel assembly and airbag device
An interior panel assembly and an airbag device are provided that are equipped with structure for preventing an interior panel and a backing plate from becoming detached from each other. In one form, when an inflator discharges gas, movable door-frame members are moved (lifted) upward by being pushed upward by an inflating airbag. An instrument panel ruptures along a peripheral tear line, causing a door portion to be cut and separated from the surrounding instrument panel. Grooves serving as rupturable sections extend along joint sections between backing plates and leg plates of the movable door-frame members. When the backing plates of the movable door-frame members open outward together with the door portion, the grooves rupture to cause the backing plates to become partially separated from the leg plates. At the sections of the backing plates partially separated from the leg plates, the backing plates become substantially flat as a result of the partial separation from the leg plates.
US07854438B2 Suspension system with swaged axle and welded arm brackets and method of manufacture
A trailing arm suspension system and method of manufacture wherein a tubular axle is formed with a central area and trailing arm attachment areas outboard of the central area. The axle central area and attachment areas have a substantially uniform outer surface diameter, and the wall thickness of the attachment areas is thicker/greater than the wall thickness of the central area. Inboard and outboard arm brackets are secured by welding to the axle arm attachment areas and trailing arms are secured, at one end thereof, between an inboard and an outboard arm bracket. At their other ends, the trailing arms are adapted to be pivotally secured to the vehicle. The arm brackets are secured to the axle by inserting the axle through an axle receiving hole in the brackets and providing a 360° weld bead at the interface between the axle and arm brackets. A brake spider is secured at each end of the axle outboard of the arm brackets by inserting the axle through an axle receiving hole in the spider and providing a 360° weld bead at the interface between the axle and spider. A spring seat is secured to the trailing arm and is adapted to carry a spring and transfer the vehicle weight from the spring to said trailing arm.
US07854435B2 Wheel mechanism
A wheel mechanism having two or more rows of three or more wheels wherein the lower-most points of the wheels in a row an arc. The wheels may be disposed on runners affixed to a cart or be attached directly to a frame or floor component of the cart. An arced shape can be implemented by varying the diameter of the wheels or the attachment components. The wheel mechanism can be incorporated into various types of carts.
US07854432B2 Dynamic seal
A dynamic shaft seal assembly is provided including a dynamic seal for engaging a rotary shaft. The dynamic seal includes a base portion that is mounted within a casing and has an axially extending barrel portion extending from a radially inner end of the base portion. The axially extending barrel portion terminates in a radially extending leg portion which extends inwardly from an end of the axially extending portion. A generally conically shaped seal portion extends from an end of the radially extending portion and the seal portion includes a radially inner face engaging the shaft and a radially outer face having a stiffening bead integrally formed thereon. The stiffening bead reduces the seal's propensity for “bell mouthing” while the axially extending barrel portion provides improved shaft followability for the dynamic seal.
US07854426B2 Method and device for inscribing printed products
An apparatus (10) for inscribing folded printed products (12) having a first product part (14) and a second product part (16) joined together by a fold (18). The printed products (12) are conveyed by a conveyor device (22), with the fold (18) astride receiving saddles (26) disposed transversely to the direction of conveyance (F), through an inscribing section (30) to which a inscribing station (60) is assigned. For the inscribing of an outer side (56) of the first product part (14) disposed in leading arrangement in the direction of conveyance (F), a region (66) of the outer side (56) comes into contact with a fixed support surface (58) assigned to the inscribing section (30) and is inscribed by the inscribing station (60). For the inscribing of an inner side (48) of the second product part (16), the first product part (14) is respectively raised from a supporting member (38), assigned at least in the inscribing section (30) to the receiving saddles (26), such that a region (78) of the inner side (48) of the second product part (16) is exposed and this exposed region (78) comes to bear upon the support surface (58) and can hence be inscribing by the inscribing station (60).
US07854422B2 Swivel device and display apparatus equipped with the same
A swivel device for a display apparatus includes: a swivel mechanism to which a lead wire is connected; a swivel member that is capable of being turned by the swivel mechanism; a swivel mechanism housing portion that houses the swivel mechanism that is disposed so as to overlap the swivel member; a fixing member that fixes the swivel mechanism housing portion; and an attachment member that is attached to the swivel mechanism housing portion, and the swivel mechanism housing portion is provided with a first engaging portion for positioning the attachment member, and the attachment member is provided with a second engaging portion that engages the first engaging portion and has a draw out portion for drawing out the lead wire from the swivel mechanism housing portion.
US07854421B2 Mounting bracket and method of fabrication thereof
A mounting bracket made in a single sheet of material having lateral faces connected by a joining faces, a region of the joining faces being deformed to comprises an aperture and at least one downward and one upward slot on each side of the aperture, thereby hingedly securing a hook comprising side arms and an open loop.
US07854411B2 Aircraft undercarriage including a plurality of electromechanical actuators, and a method of testing it
The invention relates to an aircraft undercarriage including a steerable bottom portion and a steering member suitable for turning the steerable bottom portion in response to a steering order. According to the invention, the steering member comprises a plurality of electromechanical steering actuators each having at least one main electric motor, and the actuators are disposed on the undercarriage so as to enable all of them to co-operate simultaneously with the steerable bottom portion in order to steer it, each of the electro-mechanical steering actuators including controllable coupling means for selectively placing the actuator either in a coupled state in which it is coupled with the steerable bottom portion , in which the main electric motor of the actuator is suitable for causing the steerable bottom portion to turn; or else in an uncoupled state in which it is uncoupled from the steerable bottom portion and in which the main electric motor of the actuator is isolated from the steerable bottom portion.
US07854399B2 Flow controllable shower arm
As a method to conserve water, a flow controllable shower arm or an adaptive fitting attachment to an existing shower arm having an unobtrusive and relatively unobservable tool-operative feature, which allows authorized personnel in possession of a particular tool to control the amount of water flow into and through a downstream showerhead. In particular, a small valve is located in the shower arm or the adaptive attachment and has a threaded plug which can extend into or out of the axial water duct of the arm or rotate a maximum of 90 degrees within the arm to thereby block water flow or permit water flow. A tool-receiving end is provided at the outer portion of the plug to eliminate or at least minimize access to said flow control by the person taking the shower.
US07854389B2 Application of microsystems for comfort control
An arrangement includes a plurality of wireless microsystems. Each microsystem is operable to measure at least relative humidity and temperature, and to communicate temperature and relative humidity information wirelessly to a network device. The network device is operable to communicate the temperature and relative humidity information to at least a first processor configured to cause a change in a building control condition based on the information.
US07854388B2 Method of verifying proper installation of a zoned HVAC system
A method and control is provided wherein the sensors in a plurality of zones are properly associated with the dampers associated for each of the zones after installation. A technician goes to each zone and sends a signal from the sensor, and the control then makes a change at the associated damper. The technician can then ensure the two are properly associated within the control.
US07854385B2 Automatic region of interest focusing for an imaging-based bar code reader
A variable focus imaging lens assembly for an imaging system of an imaging-based bar code reader for imaging and decoding a target bar code. The lens assembly includes an automatic focusing system for energizing a drive mechanism and imaging system to move a movable lens from the predetermined position along its path of travel and generate a series of image frames; analyzing one or more image frames of the series of image frames to determine a region of interest, the region of interest including an image of a target bar code; analyzing the region of interest in subsequent image frames of the series of image frames to determine an amount of blurring; selecting an image frame from the series of image frames having blurring less than a threshold amount of blurring; and utilizing a decoder to decode the image of the target bar code in the selected image frame.
US07854384B2 Digital image capture and processing engine employing optical waveguide technology for collecting and guiding LED-based illumination during object illumination and image capture modes of operation
Digital image capture and processing engine of modular design and employing an optical waveguide structure for collecting and guiding LED-based illumination during object illumination and imaging operations. The digital image capture and processing engine also includes apparatus for automatically controlling the duration of illumination produced from LED illumination arrays during object illumination and imaging operations. Such automatic illumination control involves measuring the amount of illumination to which the object be imaged has been exposed, and controlling the duration of illumination produced from the LED illumination arrays based on such measurements during each object illumination and imaging operation. By virtue of the present invention, the digital image capture and processing engine ensures the reliable formation and detection of high quality images in diverse application environments in the digital image capture and processing engine can be used.
US07854380B1 High-speed and high-volume verification, manufacturing/packaging, and delivery of purchase cards
A method for delivering a plurality of purchase cards includes obtaining the various purchase cards from various retailers and loading the various purchase cards into multiple purchase card feeders, wherein one or more of the multiple purchase card feeders is associated with the various purchase cards from each of the various retailers, verifying the various purchase cards associated with a user to obtain verified purchase cards, where verifying occurs while each of the various purchase cards are located on a conveyor leading from the multiple purchase card feeders to a carrier sheet, placing the verified purchase cards from the various retailers on the carrier sheet, where the carrier sheet corresponds to the user receiving the verified purchase cards, and shipping the verified purchase cards to the user.
US07854373B2 Packing box for headphones
A packing box for headphones has a body. The body has an inner chamber, at least one opening, at least one lid and a window. The opening is defined through the body and communicates with the inner chamber. The lid covers the at least one opening. The window is defined through the body, communicates with the inner chamber and has at least one curved edge. The curved edge displays operational characteristics of the headphones. Potential buyers can quickly discern the operational characteristics of the headphones from the curved edge of the window. Therefore, the correct headphones for buyers' particular needs can be selected quickly and accurately.
US07854371B2 Storage container
Aspects of the present invention feature a stackable tray storage container suitable for holding fruit and food. The stackable tray storage container has a rectangular base having a first rectangular shape with a pair of base widths and a pair of base lengths, a pair of end walls having a second rectangular shape extending upward foldably attached along opposite base widths connecting each end wall to the rectangular base and having a corresponding pair of cutouts along each fold along the base widths forming a pair of tray handle interlocks, a corresponding pair of handle extensions foldably attached along a top edge of each end wall and a pair of walls extending upward foldably attached along opposite base lengths and having a third rectangular shape, wherein each of the walls along the length have a pair of foldably attached flaps that fold inward and attach to the pair of end walls.
US07854368B2 Method and structure for controlled impedance wire bonds using co-dispensing of dielectric spacers
A method (and structure) of making an electronic interconnection, includes, for a signal line to be interconnected, using a plurality of bonding wires configured to provide a controlled impedance effect.
US07854367B2 Apparatus and method for arranging magnetic solder balls
An apparatus for arranging magnetic solder balls includes: a stage for placing and fixing the substrate thereon; a magnet which is incorporated in the stage and is movable in parallel with a lower surface of the placed and fixed substrate so as to cause a magnetic force to act in an upward direction of the stage; and a mask frame capable of being positioned above the stage. An arranging method using this arranging apparatus is also provided. An apparatus for arranging magnetic solder balls includes: a stage for placing and fixing the substrate thereon; a mask frame capable of being positioned above the stage; and a magnetic generator which is movable above the mask frame and causes a magnetic force to act on the stage. An arranging method using this arranging apparatus is also provided.
US07854364B2 Golf club head having a composite crown
The present invention resides in a golf club head having a high COR that is durable and has desirable acoustic qualities. The club head includes a body portion, a striking face and a crown forming a hollow cavity of at least 150 cc in volume. The crown is secured to the body portion, enclosing an upper opening. A surface veil may also be provided about a junction of the crown and body. The crown has a maximum thickness no greater than about 2 mm. The density of the crown is less than the density of the body portion. The golf club head has a maximum coefficient of restitution of at least 0.80.
US07854352B2 Fluid dispensing device with stopper
A fluid dispensing device is disclosed having a body housing a pump action fluid discharge device having a dispensing nozzle. The fluid dispensing device comprises a body defining a cavity and a dispensing nozzle having a dispensing orifice, a fluid discharging device housed in the cavity, the fluid discharging device having a hollow casing defining a reservoir for containing a volume of fluid and a plunger slidingly engaged within the hollow casing, the plunger having a tubular portion which extends from a first end of the hollow casing for co-operation with the dispensing nozzle to enable pumped delivery of fluid from the reservoir to the dispensing nozzle, wherein the dispensing orifice of the dispensing nozzle is provided with a reversible stopper.
US07854344B2 Lid having locking flap handles with improved elastic hinges for airtight containers
A lid for an airtight container has a rim part for sealing to the container and plural locking flap handles extending from the rim part and rotating between open and locked positions. Each handle has a locking protrusion for locking to the container in its locked position, and a film hinge with an outer surface that smoothly curves continuously into an upper surface of the rim part of the lid, in the open position of the handle. The film hinge has an elastic hinge part that extends by a predetermined length to disperse an impact generated when the handle is locked to the container and the elastic hinge part is folded as the handle is moved from its open to its locked position.
US07854342B2 Limited flow cup
Limited flow cups are provided which deliver a metered amount of fluid to a user during a drinking motion.
US07854337B1 Breakaway closure member with offset nipple
A breakaway closure member for removably covering an opening in a plumbing device, such as a laundry box, pressure test cap, floor drain, shower drain, closet flange, or the like includes a circular disc with a peripheral rim and a hollow nipple extending outwardly from the circular disc. The peripheral rim is connected to the plumbing device by a thin web or area of reduced thickness. The nipple is radially outwardly offset from the center of the disc so as to be generally adjacent or tangent to the peripheral rim. If the nipple is radially compressed, such as by squeezing with a pair of pliers, the peripheral rim is pulled radially inward in an area proximate the nipple, thereby creating a crack in the area of reduced thickness.
US07854335B2 Hanging module for holding workpieces
A hanging module (100) for holding workpieces (80) thereon includes a pole (30), a plurality of resilient members (20) attached on the pole, and a plurality of retaining members (10) attached on the pole. The resilient members are slidable relative to the pole. Each retaining member is provided apart from each other with at least one resilient member located in-between.
US07854328B2 Filter cartridge for a reversible flow filter
In order to produce a filter cartridge for a reversible flow filter for filtering a fluid which comprises a filter cartridge interior surrounded by a filtering medium, whereby the filtering medium is adapted to be cleaned in a particularly effective and uniform manner during the back flushing phase, it is proposed that the filter cartridge should comprise a reverse flow damming body which is arranged in the interior of the filter cartridge and is movable in a longitudinal direction of the filter cartridge by the reverse flow when back flushing the filter cartridge and produces a local increase in the dynamic pressure of the reverse flow, whereby the reverse flow damming body does not abut against the filtering medium when back flushing the filter cartridge.
US07854326B1 Medicine storage apparatus
The medicine storage apparatus provides portable medication storage, identification, and dispensing. Each pie-shaped module is removable from the circular bottom of the revolving member. A domed handle provides easy carry capability. As each module is removable, a user can optionally take each module to a professional for filling with medication. Medications are placed in color-differentiated modules. Each module timer is set as needed. A user can thereby be notified by an alarm when medication time has arrived. Further, the various module colors can indicate the number of times daily a medication is needed. The lid of each module substantially comprises the module top, providing easy access while not encouraging spillage. And, the indicia panel of each module provides sufficient space for labeling, instructions, and other needed information, including Braille indicia.
US07854325B2 Childproof package
A childproof package includes a package housing, two guide recesses, which are formed in an area of an inside surface of the package housing, and a sliding element for a package content. The sliding element has two projections on its top or bottom surface, which are guided in the guide recesses. Further, the childproof package has a spring element arranged between the package housing and the sliding element. The projections can be latched by the elastic force of the spring element in notches, which extend from the guide recesses and branch off from it, and can be released against the elastic force of the spring element so that the projections are returned to the guide recesses.
US07854318B2 Tool box
A tool box adapted for storing a driving tool therein, the tool box comprises a casing means including a compartment adapted for receiving the driving tool; wherein the compartment further includes a pressing member and a receiving portion below the pressing member and adapted to clamp the driving tool; wherein the pressing member is movable between an original position and an actuating position; wherein while the pressing member is in the actuating position, the driving tool is driven to detach from the casing means.
US07854314B2 Dynamic singulator
An article singulating conveyor assembly and method of singulating articles includes providing a conveying surface defining a plurality of tandem zones. The conveying surface travels in a longitudinal direction. Each of the zones includes a pair of laterally spaced side frame members and a plurality of generally parallel elongated driven rollers that are supported at the side frame members. The driven rollers are adapted to provide lateral variation in the longitudinal speed of the conveying surface. Each of the zones includes at least one drive motor that is adapted to drive the driven rollers in that zone. At least one article sensor is provided that is adapted to sensing articles in the zones. The driven rollers may be divided into a plurality of segmented rollers that are separately rotatable with a separate drive motor to drive corresponding segments for a zone. The drive motors for adjacent zones may be activated in a manner that creates a longitudinal gap between longitudinally adjacent articles.
US07854313B1 Escalator handrail sanitizer
A sanitizer dispenser unit is mounted on escalator handrails, moving walkway railing or any revolving handrail. It would mount either on the in-going or out-going portion of the handrail, and would continuously sanitize the surface of the handrail with a micromist and be easily refillable by maintenance personnel.
US07854311B2 Escalator or travelator
An escalator or travelator comprising a circulating step belt or panel belt. Each step or panel of a belt is provided on each side respectively with a supporting roller and a chain roller, which are guided on supporting roller rails and chain roller rails in forward travel and in return travel. Supporting roller return travel rails are adapted to support the supporting roller only partially.
US07854306B2 Clutch assembly with an oil pump clutch housing and a carrier engaged with a clutch pack outer circumference
The present invention broadly comprises a ring carrier with a wall arranged to engage at least a portion of an outer circumference of a clutch pack for a clutch assembly for a vehicle and a clutch housing with a wall arranged to engage at least a portion of an inner circumference of the clutch pack. The wall for the housing includes at least one opening and the clutch housing is arranged to pump fluid through the opening in the wall independent of the rotation of an output hub for the carrier. The clutch housing can be configured as an inner clutch housing. The clutch housing includes a connecter portion arranged to transfer engine torque to the cylindrical wall from an outer housing of the clutch assembly connected to an engine crankshaft. The present invention also includes a clutch assembly with the ring carrier and clutch housing.
US07854305B2 Sprag
A sprag for a sprag-type freewheel clutch having a profile comprised of multiple profile sections, the sprag having at least the profile sections of an inner engagement curve, an outer engagement curve and a first and a second lateral curve, wherein the outer and inner engagement curves each form a component of a logarithmic spiral.
US07854295B2 Active noise control system
An active noise control apparatus and an active noise control system for reducing noise using an active vibrator, such that edges β of the vibrator (i.e. genesis locations of a bending moment of force caused by the vibrator) agree with positions α on a distribution of the bending moment of force caused by noise vibration of a panel, and such that the edges β of the vibrator are aligned with the positions α on the panel where a sign, of the distribution of the bending moment of force over the panel caused by the noise vibration, reverses. As a result, a control vibration approximate to the noise vibration can be excited. Accordingly, when the vibrator is fixed by agreeing the edges β of the vibrator with the positions α determined by noise frequency desired to be reduced, noise due to a target noise frequency can be effectively reduced.
US07854293B2 Steering operated by linear electric device
A riding mower assembly may include a mower frame, first and second wheels, and a steering assembly. The steering assembly may include a steering frame member fixed to the mower frame, a first steering arm rotatably coupled to a first end of the steering frame member and having the first wheel coupled thereto, a second steering arm rotatably coupled to a second end of the steering frame member and having the second wheel coupled thereto, an actuation mechanism, and a cross-member. The actuation mechanism may include a first end coupled to the steering frame member and a second end coupled to the first steering arm. The actuation mechanism may include a motor having an actuation arm extending therefrom that rotates the first steering arm. The cross-member may have a first end coupled to the first steering arm and a second end coupled to the second steering arm.
US07854292B2 Power assisted steering system with an auxiliary electric pump
A power assist steering system for a vehicle, especially for a truck or commercial vehicle, is disclosed that includes a mechanical engine-driven power steering pump that pumps hydraulic fluid to a power steering unit, and an electrical pump adapted to pump hydraulic fluid so as to optimize a power steering flow to the power steering unit and to minimize internal pump flow.
US07854290B1 ATV with dual silencers
In some embodiments, a vehicle having multiple silencers may include one or more of the following features: (a) a chassis carrying a seat, (b) a steerable pair of front wheels and at least two rear wheels coupled to the chassis, (c) a steering member for steering the front wheels, (d) an engine carried by the chassis for powering the vehicle, (e) at least one exhaust manifold operably coupled to the engine, (f) at least one exhaust pipe coupled at one end to said at least two exhaust manifolds, (g) a first silencer coupled to the other end of said one or more exhaust pipes, (h) a second silencer coupled to the first silencer to route exhaust through the length of each silencer, and (i) a crossover tube which couples the first silencer to the second silencer.
US07854286B2 Motorcycle having concealed brake caliper
A motorcycle includes a wheel support member, a wheel, and a brake caliper. The wheel support member has a wheel mount portion. The wheel is rotatably attached to the wheel mount portion. The brake caliper is attached to the wheel support member at a location spaced from the wheel mount portion such that the brake caliper is at least substantially concealed from view by the wheel support member when the motorcycle is viewed in a direction from the wheel support member to the wheel along a rotational axis of the wheel.
US07854285B1 Suspension architecture for a snowmobile
The present invention relates to rear suspension systems for snowmobiles have endless belt assemblies. Specifically, the present invention relates to rear suspension architecture for coupled rear suspension systems for snowmobiles and belt tensioning assemblies.
US07854281B2 PTO clutch for work vehicle and operating apparatus for same
A PTO clutch for a work vehicle and an operating structure for the PTO clutch includes: a PTO clutch having a clutch member and receiving drive power from an engine; a clutch control mechanically coupled to the clutch member for manually operating the PTO clutch via the clutch member; a PTO brake disposed downstream of the PTO clutch with respect to a direction in which power is transmitted, the PTO brake being movable to a braking position in association with a clutch disengaging operation of the clutch member; and a control retaining device for retaining the clutch control at a clutch disengaging position.
US07854277B2 Wellbore fluid comprising a base fluid and a particulate bridging agent
Wellbore fluid containing a base fluid and a particulate bridging agent comprised of melamine. A method is also described of forming a removable filter cake on the walls of a wellbore that penetrates a porous and permeable rock formation by placing in the wellbore a wellbore fluid containing a base fluid and melamine, and permitting the melamine to deposit from the wellbore fluid onto or into the walls of the wellbore to form the filter cake, whereby fluid loss to the formation through the removable filter cake is reduced.
US07854273B2 Agricultural implement having folding draft links
An agricultural implement includes a hitch boom to which a pair of wing booms is pivotably connected. The wing booms are designed to fold forward from an extended position to a transport position. The wing booms are supported above a surface by wheels that provide the aforementioned support when the wing booms are in an extended position as well as the transport position. Maintaining surface contact of the wheels in both positions reduces the load placed on the hitch to which the hitch boom is coupled as well as the hitch boom itself. Multi-link draft links are connected between the hitch boom and the wing booms to provide support for the wing booms when the wing booms are in the extended position. The relative length of the draft links dictates how far the hitch telescopes when the wing booms are folded to the stowed or transport position.
US07854271B2 Marker assembly having rigid link and cam assembly
A marker assembly mountable to an agricultural implement includes a set of interconnected frame sections that can be pivoted with respect to one another to retract the marker assembly for transport and/or storage. The marker assembly has a support wheel that supports the marker assembly above the ground as the marker assembly is being deployed and when in an extended working position. The point at which the support wheel engages the ground is controlled by a rigid link and cam assembly. The rigid link has a first end connected to a first frame section and a second end connected to a lever arm that is connected to a link of a second frame section. The rigid link is operative to pull down on the lever arm when the marker assembly is being deployed so as to force the second frame section away from the first frame section. The amount the second frame section pulls away from the first frame section is determined by the cam assembly.
US07854262B2 Sorel cement compositions, amine phosphono retarders, and associated methods
Methods of cementing comprising introducing a cement composition into a subterranean formation, wherein the cement composition comprises a Sorel cement and an amine phosphono retarder; and allowing the cement composition to set.
US07854261B2 Method and an apparatus for separation and injection of water from a water- and hydrocarbon-containing outflow down in a production well
A method and apparatus of separating, in a production well, water from a water- and hydrocarbon-containing production flow emanating from at least one surrounding production formation; and also of injecting, in the production well, a resulting water-containing liquid into at least one surrounding disposal formation, whilst a resulting hydrocarbon-containing liquid is produced out of the production well. The water-containing liquid is separated from the production flow by using at least one water separation device being exposed to a pressure difference (P1-P2) that sucks water from the production flow and through the water separation device. Said water-containing liquid is thus provided. The water separation device may, for example, comprise at least one hydrophilic and water-permeable material. The pressure difference (P1-P2) may be provided through suitable adjustment of a gas pressure (P3) in a first gas column at a downstream side of the water separation device. The gas within the gas column may be supplied from a gas source at the surface, a gas source in a subsurface formation and/or gas being separated from the well flow.
US07854260B2 Steam driven turbine drive
A downhole arrangement including an outer housing, an inner housing disposed within the outer housing and defining with the outer housing a chamber, a turbine disposed within the chamber, and one or more nozzles disposed at the chamber capable of exhausting steam into the chamber. A method for moving a target fluid within a wellbore.
US07854257B2 Mechanically coupled screen and method
A particulate exculder tool includes a basepipe having one or more retention features; a screen jacket disposed radially outwardly of the basepipe; one or more end housings at the screen jacket; and a deformable element disposed between a portion of the one or more end housings and one or of the one or more retention features and method.
US07854245B2 Method for forming radio frequency identification tag on packing bag and device therefor
A method for forming a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on a packing bag is disclosed and includes the steps of: equidistantly attaching RFID tags to a release film, one by one, to form a roll of tag web; installing the roll of tag web in a packing bag forming device to move the release film along a feeding direction of a packing material; changing a moving direction of the release film for peeling the RFID tags from the release film; intermittently pressing on the RFID tags for attaching the RFID tags to the packing material; bonding the RFID tags to the packing material with a melting technology; and processing the packing material by folding, sealing, and cutting to form packing bags securely installed with the RFID tags. A packing bag forming device for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
US07854240B2 Polymeric foam tube insulations and method for continuously producing such a tube
The foam tube for pipe insulations has an external surface and an internal surface. The internal surface is provided with an adhesively bonded layer of fibers. The fibers are a material having a melt temperature that is higher than that of the polymeric foam. The fibers are adhesively bonded to the internal surface such as to stand up from the internal surface. The fibers are substantially uniformly distributed over the internal surface providing a surface coverage of 2 to 20 percent. Further, the fibers have a linear density of 0.5 to 25 dtex and a length of 0.2 to 5 mm. With this fiber layer the polymeric foam tube has an improved thermal resistance and thermal conductivity.
US07854233B2 Hair extension device
A hair extension device that allows a user to add supplemental, natural, human hair strands to the natural hair of the user. The hair extension device includes a filament formed into a circular or oval shape to encircle the head. Hair weft lengths are attached to the filament along an arcuate length of the filament. When the device is positioned on the head, the hair strands of the hair weft lengths extend down the sides and back of the user. The natural hair held beneath the filament is pulled up and forward, then backward over the filament, blending together the natural hair of the user and the supplemental hair strands.
US07854231B1 Arm retention system for physical therapy
Retention systems, methods, and components for controlling body movement are shown and described. Retention systems can be used to reduce, limit, or substantially eliminate unwanted body movement, such as arm movement. The disclosed systems can be quickly and conveniently positioned on a user's arm to keep the arms against or near the torso of the wear. The retention system can be worn when performing normal everyday activities.
US07854224B2 Solar chimney with internal and external solar collectors
A solar chimney includes a solar collector which heats air in the chimney, producing updrafts which can be harnessed to perform useful work. The solar collector may be located inside or outside the chimney. The device may include a reservoir for storing a heat transfer fluid, thus enabling the device to be used during both day and night. The solar chimney may be equipped with both internal and external solar collectors, operating in parallel. The solar chimney may also be equipped with multiple external solar collectors, connected in parallel to a reservoir. The solar chimney of the invention provides a convenient and practical way to convert solar energy into electrical power.
US07854212B2 Paint shield for roof structure
A self-retained paint shield configured to shield an exterior roof structure while spray painting exterior side walls of a home or building. The paint shield includes a shield portion and an exterior-roof attachment portion. The shield portion is configured to shield at least a portion of the roof structure from paint spray. The exterior-roof attachment portion is connected to the shield portion and includes two upwardly extending attachment side walls extending at a lower end from each other. With this arrangement, the exterior-roof attachment portion is configured to attach to the end of the roof structure in a self-retained manner while the shield portion shields at least a portion of the roof structure from paint spray.
US07854203B2 Electrical energy capture system with circuitry for blocking flow of undesirable electrical currents therein
An electrical energy capture system, as may be carried on a hybrid energy, electro-motive, self-powered traction vehicle, is provided. The system may be used for storing electrical power generated on the vehicle and for discharging the stored electrical power for use on the vehicle. The system includes circuitry connected to a plurality of electrical energy storage devices connected in parallel circuit to one another. The circuitry may be configured to establish a respective circuit path for charging and discharging electrical energy from each energy storage device with respect to a DC bus. The circuitry is further configured to block a flow of electrical current from any one of the storage devices to any of the other storage devices, thereby avoiding flow of currents that could otherwise circulate among the electrical energy storage devices due to electrical imbalances that may occur in one or more of the electrical energy storage devices.
US07854200B2 Hold down device for material placed on platen of digital printing machine
A device is provided for holding down textile material (on which images or text are to be printed) on the platen of a digital printing machine. The device includes facing flexible rubber pads or seals mounted on the periphery of the platen. The seals have opposed gripping surfaces which touch or have a selected limited spacing there between. The textile material is pushed and tucked in between the seals. The seals grip and hold the material in position, to provide a smooth material surface on which the ink is applied. After the printing operation, the textile material is pulled out from the seal grip.
US07854194B2 Juicer speed control
A variable speed selector for a juicer is user operable for selecting a speed from a speed range. The speed range is divisible into sub-ranges. A display area is adapted to depict the selected sub-range. The display area further comprises a list of vegetables or fruit. The display area also comprises a moving indicator that moves according to the selected speed, and appears adjacent to the fruit or vegetable for which the selected speed is optimal.
US07854190B2 Boron carbide component and methods for the manufacture thereof
A boron carbide body having a graphite content in which the central portion of the body includes more graphite that the region surrounding the central portion and adjacent the exterior surface thereof, and a method for fabricating the boron carbide body.
US07854186B2 Tools for removing house from object
A tool for removing hose from objects includes a handle having a first jaw fixed to the handle and a second jaw which is movably connected to the first jaw in a scissors-like way. The first and second jaws have two respective clamp portions so as to clamp the hose. An adjustment unit includes a first member pivotably connected to the first jaw and a second member pivotably connected to the second jaw. A bolt threadedly extends through the first and second members such that when rotating the bolt, the two clamp portions are moved toward each other. An operation unit includes a cable and a bar connected to the cable. The tool is pulled along the object on which the hose is connected by pulling the cable.
US07854182B2 Operating apparatus for hydrostatic continuously variable speed-change device for work vehicle
A work vehicle includes a hydrostatic continuously variable speed-change device, a gear type multiple-stage speed-change device disposed downstream of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed-change device with respect to a direction in which power is transmitted, first and second oil passages, a bypass oil passage communicating the first and second oil passages with each other, a valve mechanism for opening and closing the bypass oil passage, and a manual operating member provided in a driving section for opening and closing the valve mechanism.
US07854180B2 Bicycle control device
A bicycle control device is provided with a brake bracket, a brake lever, a first gearshift operating part, a second gearshift operating part, a first electrical switch, and a second electrical switch. The brake bracket is mountable to a handlebar. The brake lever is pivotally mounted to the brake bracket. The first gearshift operating part is movable relative to the brake lever. The second gearshift operating part is separate from the first gearshift operating part and movable relative to the brake lever. The first electrical switch is operated with the first gearshift operating part. The second electrical switch is operated with the second gearshift operating part. The second gearshift operating part is arranged such that when the first gearshift operating part is moved relative to the brake lever, the second gearshift operating part moves relative to the brake lever along with the first gearshift operating part.
US07854179B2 Shift lever assembly
A shift lever assembly includes a shift lever swingably with a rotational axis as a swing support point, an axis supporting bracket for supporting the rotational axis, two axis supporting elements for supporting both ends of the rotational axis together with the axis supporting bracket. In addition, two beams are provided with each of the axis supporting elements. The beams will break off in case where an impact load is to be applied via the shift lever. Furthermore, a metal plate is provided with the axis supporting bracket for each of the axis supporting elements. The metal plate will be bent by the each of the axis supporting elements moving after break-offs of the beams. According to the shift lever assembly, stroke displacement for energy absorbing can be made relatively long. In addition, relatively large impact energy can be absorbed with short stroke displacement.
US07854174B2 MEMS capacitive bending and axial strain sensor
A three-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) capacitive bending and axial strain sensor capacitor is described. Two independent comb structures, incorporating suspended polysilicon interdigitated fingers, are fabricated simultaneously on a substrate that can displace independently of each other while attached to a substrate undergoing bending or axial deformation. A change in spacing between the interdigitated fingers will output a change in capacitance of the sensor and is the primary mode of operation of the device. On the bottom and to the end of each comb structure, a glass pad is attached to the comb structure to allow for ample surface area for affixing the sensor to a substrate. During fabrication, tethers are used to connect each comb structure to maintain equal spacing between the fingers before attachment to the substrate. After attachment, the tethers are broken to allow independent movement of each comb structure.
US07854172B2 Hermetic chamber with electrical feedthroughs
A pressure cavity is durable, stable, and biocompatible and configured in such a way that it constitutes pico to nanoliter-scale volume. The pressure cavity is hermetically sealed from the exterior environment while maintaining the ability to communicate with other devices. Micromachined, hermetically-sealed sensors are configured to receive power and return information through direct electrical contact with external electronics. The pressure cavity and sensor components disposed therein are hermetically sealed from the ambient in order to reduce drift and instability within the sensor. The sensor is designed for harsh and biological environments, e.g. intracorporeal implantation and in vivo use. Additionally, novel manufacturing methods are employed to construct the sensors.
US07854162B2 Method and device for referencing the position of an actuating element
In a method for referencing the position of an actuating element of a functional unit, in particular of a clutch in the drivetrain of a vehicle, the attainment of a reference position of the actuating element is assessed for plausibility in that it is checked whether a variable which can be applied to the actuating element varies in a predetermined way in a predetermined spacing of the position of the actuating element from the reference position.
US07854161B2 Diagnostic method for an exhaust aftertreatment system
A diagnostic method for testing malfunction of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhausts aftertreatment system of an internal combustion engine. The method measures and registers a first mean NOx sensor value for a normal mass flow level of a fluid reducing agent, then a second mean NOx sensor value related to a higher mass flow level is measured and registered. The two registered NOx sensor values are compared and it is determined if, on one hand, the first value is higher than the second value, or, on the other hand, the first value is lower than the second value. The cause of the malfunction may be found in the dosing system or in the SCR catalyst.
US07854158B2 Systems and methods for measurement and analysis of pipeline contaminants
A system for measurement and analysis of pipeline contaminants is provided. The system includes a first assembly for engaging a pipeline from which a first fluid flow sample may be isokinetically collected for measurement of aerosol contaminants. The system also includes a second assembly for engaging the pipeline from which a second fluid flow sample may be collected for chromatographic analysis of the aerosol contaminants. The system may further include a third assembly for engaging the pipeline from which a fluid flow sample may be obtained for measurement of solid contaminants. Information on aerosol contaminants and solid contaminants can subsequently be used to select an appropriate extraction technology to control the presence of aerosol and solid contaminants within the pipeline. Information from the chromatographic analysis, on the other hand, may be used to identify the origin of the aerosol contaminants, so that corrective measures can be implemented to minimize the presence of aerosol contaminants within the pipeline. A method for measurement and analysis of pipeline contaminants is also provided.
US07854153B2 Locking cylinder for functions especially performed on vehicles
A locking cylinder having a two-part housing, including an upper part and a lower part. A cylinder core is received in the housing and can be actuated by turning a key. The housing of the locking cylinder is fastened to the body of a vehicle by a fastener. The fastener used to fasten the housing of the locking cylinder on the body is also used as a connector for fastening the housing upper part on the housing lower part.
US07854152B2 Steam generator for washing machine
A steam generator for a washing machine comprises: a hermetic container provided with a water supply port for supplying water and a steam exhaustion port for exhausting steam; a heater arranged in the hermetic container for heating water supplied into the hermetic container; and a drain unit for draining residual water inside of the hermetic container outwardly. According to this, residual water inside of the steam generator is outwardly exhausted thus to maintain cleanness of the steam generator. Also, the drain unit using a siphon principle is installed thus to naturally exhaust residual water inside of the steam generator without an additional valve device, thereby reducing a fabrication cost.
US07854148B2 Device and method for manufacturing an optical preform
The present invention relates to a device for manufacturing an optical preform by means of an internal vapour deposition process, said device comprising an energy source and a substrate tube, which substrate tube comprises a supply side for supplying glass-forming precursors and a discharge side for discharging constituents that have rot been deposited on the interior of the substrate tube, said energy source being movable along the length of the substrate tube between a point of reversal at the supply side and a point of reversal at the discharge side.
US07854136B2 Automated drive for fan and refrigerant system
A refrigerant system is provided with a variable speed drive for at least one of its fluid-moving devices, wherein the variable speed drive is provided by an automated mechanical drive. In the disclosed embodiment, one of the pulleys for driving the fluid-moving device has a variable diameter to vary the speed at which the fluid-moving device is driven. The pulley may include two plates that are biased in one direction by a spring or permanent magnet force, and in an opposed direction by a hydraulic or electro-magnetic force. A control adjusts the amount of hydraulic or electro-magnetic force delivered to the plates to achieve a desired speed for the fluid-moving device.
US07854134B2 Air conditioner
An air conditioner is provided with a refrigerant circuit and an operation controller. The refrigerant circuit includes a heat source unit, a refrigerant communication pipe, an expansion mechanism, and a utilization unit. The heat source unit has a compression mechanism and a heat source side heat exchanger. The heat source unit is connected to the refrigerant communication pipe. The utilization unit has a utilization side heat exchanger and is connected to the refrigerant gas communication pipe. The operation controller performs an oil-return operation in advance for returning oil pooled in the refrigerant circuit when a refrigerant quantity judging operation is carried out for judging the refrigerant quantity inside the refrigerant circuit.
US07854131B2 Thermal buffer system
A thermal buffer for an intermittent thermal load, e.g., a directed energy weapon (DEW) system, includes a phase change heat exchanger (PCHEX), an apparatus for circulating a first working fluid of the thermal load through first conduits of the PCHEX cell in a first direction such that heat is transferred between the first fluid and a phase change material (PCM) of the PCHEX in a second direction and causes a first phase change in the PCM, and an apparatus for circulating a second working fluid of, e.g., a heat pump through second conduits of the PCHEX in a third direction opposite to the first direction such that heat is transferred between the second fluid and the PCM in a fourth direction opposite to the second direction and results in a second phase change in the PCM opposite to the first phase change therein.
US07854127B2 Smart wireless engine sensor
Sensors are mounted to an engine to detect engine conditions and send information to an engine controller or other engine component through a wireless connection. Ports are located on the engine controller. An antenna assembly is plugged into one of the ports and wirelessly receives the signal from the sensor. Another antenna assembly transmits a signal from the engine controller to an external component. A processor within the antenna assemblies monitors and adjusts the signals to correct for signal interference.
US07854122B2 Cooling method and apparatus
Apparatus for adaptive cooling comprising a first component having at least one aperture extending therethrough with a sacrificial component positioned within the at least one aperture. The first component is operable at a maximum duty temperature and the sacrificial component has a melting or sublimation point below the maximum duty temperature of the first component. The sacrificial component defines an effective aperture the size of which may be increased if, in use, the sacrificial component is subjected to a temperature between the melting or sublimation point of the sacrificial component and the maximum duty temperature of the first component.
US07854121B2 Independent pilot fuel control in secondary fuel nozzle
Disclosed herein is a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a first fuel introduction location, a second fuel introduction location, and fuel passages. The first fuel introduction location is located radially about the fuel nozzle and is connected with a fuel passage. The second fuel introduction location is located at an end of the fuel nozzle and is connected with another fuel passage such that the fuel passage connected to the first fuel introduction location is separate from the fuel passage connected to the second fuel introduction location.
US07854117B1 Center section for hydraulic transmission
A center section assembly for mounting inside the housing of a hydrostatic or hydraulic drive apparatus is disclosed. The center section includes generally flat side edge surfaces formed adjacent and perpendicular to a cylinder block running surface, and shaped to engage a channel formed in an internal surface of the housing to secure the center section to the housing. The assembly may also include a filter using a connection member to permit the filter to slide on and engage the peripheral edge of a flange formed on the center section.
US07854108B2 Agricultural robot system and method
An agricultural robot system and method of harvesting, pruning, culling, weeding, measuring and managing of agricultural crops. Uses autonomous and semi-autonomous robot(s) comprising machine-vision using cameras that identify and locate the fruit on each tree, points on a vine to prune, etc., or may be utilized in measuring agricultural parameters or aid in managing agricultural resources. The cameras may be coupled with an arm or other implement to allow views from inside the plant when performing the desired agricultural function. A robot moves through a field first to “map” the plant locations, number and size of fruit and approximate positions of fruit or map the cordons and canes of grape vines. Once the map is complete, a robot or server can create an action plan that a robot may implement. An action plan may comprise operations and data specifying the agricultural function to perform.
US07854101B2 System for attaching components to a vehicle
A system for attaching a component to a substrate, such as a vehicle. The system comprises a bracket. At least one fastener is coupled to the bracket and is engageable to the vehicle. A component is assembled to the bracket such that a lip of the component contacts a tab of the bracket, and the bracket at least partially engages a gap defined by the lip and an interior surface of the component. The component is attached to the vehicle when the fastener is engaged with the vehicle. A method employs the system.
US07854097B2 Simulated divided light products and processes and systems for making such products
Disclosed are simulated divided light products and processes and systems for making the such products. One product discloses simulated divided light bars that are designed such that the end of the bar may be fitted into a notched sash to provide for the automated method for manufacture of a simulated divided light window or door.
US07854080B2 System and method for providing synchronized moving objects in an ornamental display
System and methods for providing synchronized ornamental displays in a presentation zone that is at least partially containing a fluid, which include a support structure, a decorative object supported by the support structure, a light disposed on the object, a plurality of cables coupled to the support structure at their respective first ends; a plurality of cable tensioning devices, wherein one cable tensioning device is engaged with the second end of a respective cable of the plurality of cables, and the plurality of cable tensioning devices are positioned spatially about the periphery of the presentation zone, wherein the spatial arrangement defines a range of desired movement for the object, and a control device operatively associated with the tensioning devices and light.
US07854076B2 Sports shoe and method of its manufacture
A sports shoe is proposed which comprises an upper and a sole, the latter having its bottom side provided with a pattern of traction assisting means for penetrating the surface of a lawn or hard court, in which the walking sole is directly bonded to the interior of the upper by injection-molding for reducing the weight and simultaneously maintaining the mechanical strength and flexibility, and only the traction assisting means project towards outside through the upper. For producing the sports shoe, there is proposed a method in which the upper is formed such that it extends across the entire sole surface area, and the upper material is provided in the region of the sole surface area with through holes in the form of a pattern which corresponds to the desired pattern of the traction assisting means, and in which the sole is directly bonded to the upper material by means of the injection-molding method in such a manner that the traction assisting means are also formed in this process and project through the through holes of the upper material towards outside.
US07854072B2 Precision sine vise
An improved sine vise that overcomes the deficiencies and limitations of conventional sine vises through the use of the following features: a circular sawtooth ratchet quick clamping system; a rotating dual jaw with one V cut depression face; a set of extended opening upper jaw lips; angle adjustment stays with counter rotating locking screws; a T shaped jaw clamping drawbar; a zero tolerance roll hinge; and a lipped vise base adapted for robust clamping to the cutting tool table with conventional T slot bolts and dogs.
US07854070B1 Framing square
A square with longitudinal slots in the angular arms, a rule having a longitudinal slot, and two clamping screws for securing the rule in various angular positions on the arms of the square, so that the scale may be shifted on the square to establish a number of angles, and be maintained at its adjusted position. Spirit levels are provided on each of the square arms and on the rule. The square arms and rule are thick thereby providing saw guides. The square arms are each marked with measuring scales as well as with markers for twelve inch or sixteen inch center layouts. The rule is marked with a plurality of degrees for common pitch lines and hip and valley pitch lines.
US07854069B2 Azimuth angle measurement system and method for operating the same
An azimuth angle measurement system includes a rotatable ring, a wire coupled at a first end to the ring, a length measurement device configured to measure a length of a portion of the wire that extends from the ring, and a control system configured to determine an azimuth angle based on the length of the portion of the wire extending from the ring.
US07854068B2 Numeric control engraving machine
The invention relates to a numeric control engraving machine which can be used to engrave different objects such as gems, plates of metal or another material, such as to produce the effect obtained by means of artisan engraving with a chisel, in which the tradesperson performs a downward/upward movement with the chisel with each insertion made in the surface of the body to be engraved, such that the engraved line has a curvilinear trajectory. In addition to the three axes (X, Y, Z) or degrees of freedom for the movement of the tool holder, the inventive engraving machine also creates two complementary axes which are denoted as PT (depth of line) and SV (vector tracing), thereby producing the same type of engraving as that obtained by a tradesperson with a chisel. The PT axis controls the penetration movement of the tool for the curvilinear line over the course of the vector that defines the direction and sense of the line. The SV (vector tracing) axis orients the cutting edge of the tool with the correct engraving angle.
US07854064B2 Enhanced weldability for high strength cast and wrought nickel superalloys
A method for repairing a turbine engine component comprises the steps of providing a turbine engine component formed from a nickel-based superalloy, removing any defects from the turbine engine component, the removing step comprising subjecting the turbine engine component to a solutioning heat treatment using a heating rate in the range of from 29 degrees Fahrenheit/minute to approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit/minute as the component passes through a temperature in the range of from 1100 degrees Fahrenheit to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit, and welding the turbine engine component to effect the repair. A deliberately slow post-solution treatment cooling rate is used to substantially prevent weld cracks.
US07854061B2 Component mounting apparatus, vibration controlling apparatus, and vibration controlling method
A component mounting apparatus mounting a component on a substrate includes a driving unit, a frame structure, a first outputting section, and a compensating section. The driving unit includes a head to hold the component and a driving mechanism to move the head. The frame structure is equipped with the driving unit. The first outputting section detects a vibration of the frame structure and outputs first displacement information as displacement information of the frame structure caused by the detected vibration. The compensating section compensates a position of the head that moves by the driving mechanism based on the first displacement information.
US07854058B2 Method of making high voltage operating rod sensor
Methods for making and using vacuum switching devices are disclosed. A vacuum switching device has an operating rod for actuating a movable electrical contact within the device. The operating rod may be a hollow epoxy glass tube with an electrical sensor disposed within it, and there may be an elastomeric polymer filling compound disposed within the tube and encasing the sensor. The operating rod may be attached to the movable electrical contact on one end by a steel end-fitting that has been press-fit into the tube and secured with at least one cross pin. In this way, a very secure electromechanical connection may be made between the operating rod and the rest of the vacuum switching device, and the sensor is protected from shock associated with the operation of the device. Moreover, the vacuum switching device is compact and easy to construct.
US07854057B2 Method of facilitating superconducting tape manufacturing
A method of facilitating superconducting tape manufacturing is provided that includes forming a long-length superconducting tape having a layered structure, comprising a substrate having a dimension ratio not less than about 100, a buffer layer overlying the substrate, and a high temperature superconducting layer overlying the buffer layer. The method further includes characterizing the superconducting tape to create a data set having a plurality of values that are a function of length of the superconducting tape and distributing both the superconducting tape and the data set.
US07854050B2 Method of manufacturing a surface acoustic wave device
A surface acoustic wave device is enable to prevent electrode erosion, without any specific environmental process. The surface acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate, an electrode for the formation of surface acoustic wave, being formed on the piezoelectric substrate, on the piezoelectric substrate, a frame-shaped layer surrounding the electrode for the formation of surface acoustic wave, and a lid body formed on the frame-shaped layer by bonding, so as to form a hollow portion between the lid body and the electrode for the formation of surface acoustic wave. The frame-shaped layer and the lid body include photosensitive resin, and the lid body includes a through hole, and the through hole is sealed with a halogen-free thermosetting resin.
US07854048B2 Handicraft assisting tool
A handicraft assisting tool is used for stitching a fabric having a first face and second face into a pouch. This handicraft assisting tool has a first plate and a second plate that collaborates with the first plate. The first plate has a plurality of rhombic unit pieces of the same size arranged in a row, and an inner face abutting on the first face of the fabric. The second plate has a plurality of rhombic unit pieces of the same size arranged in a row, and an inner face abutting on the second face of the fabric. Each of the unit pieces of the first and second plates is of the same size. The first plate and the second plate are each provided with folding operation instructions for folding these plates along a diagonal line of each unit piece and a borderline between adjacent unit pieces.
US07854044B1 Multi-strand cable attachment hub
A multi-strand cable attachment hub securing multiple trees or multiple poles together includes a hub base made of aluminum or another suitable soft metal with respectively angled tapered channels extending therethrough with tapered inner bodies made of stainless steel or other suitable hard metal with a central aperture extending therethrough. Multi-strand steel cables extending respectively through the channels and the ends partially unwound with a single strand threaded through the central apertures in the tapered inner bodies and the remaining strands threaded between the inner bodies and channel walk. The single middle strands are bent over the ends of the tapered inner bodies and the inner bodies pulled into the corresponding channel to trap the strands between each inner body and the wall of the channel.
US07854043B2 Binding machine
This practical new model makes an improved binding machine known to the public, which includes main body, handle, ratchet wheel, roller, fastening belt, latch reed spring, control plate. Among them, the handle's side board is linked with the main section's side board through torsion spring. In this manner, when the fastening belt needs to be tightened as the binding machine is being used, the user can press down the handle which will resume its initial position with the bounce force of the torsion spring. It is not necessary for the user to push it back to the initial position after pressing the handle down. It is very easy and labor-saving with higher efficiency. Furthermore, it can also set a coil spring in the outside end of the roller. The fastening belt can withdraw inside the main section automatically, which is very convenient.
US07854042B2 Bundling device
A reusable bundling device for wrapping and securing bundles of cable, rope, hose, electrical cords and other elongated members. The bundling device includes a flexible strap having one surface covered with hook members and an opposed second surface covered with a plurality of loop members. The hook members are releasably engagable with the loop members to encircle and retain the bundle. The first end of the flexible strap is removably attachable to a portion of the cord. Further, the bundling device is color coded to facilitate the identification of useful information pertaining to the cord and to rematch the strap once removed from the cord.
US07854036B2 Toothbrush
A toothbrush head having an undulating surface with at least one more displaced part and at least one less displaced part and with bristles having a triangular cross section extending from a more displaced part of the bristle face.
US07854024B2 Adjustable fitting ring structure
An adjustable fitting ring structure includes a connecting base, a fitting ring, a guiding part, and an adjustable part. The connecting base has a receiving slot. There's a plurality of concave wedged slots on the receiving slot. The end portions respectively pass through the connecting base and each have a long slot. A gear portion is located in the long slot. The guiding part includes a base portion, a gear, and a plurality of flexible arms. Each of the flexible arms has a wedged body that contacts the wedged slot. The adjustable part is pivoted with the base portion to make the guiding part rotate so that the two end portions move in the same direction or in different directions. Thereby, the dimension of the fitting ring can be adjusted. It is easy for users to adjust the fitting ring. The structure is simplified and the assembly process is simple.
US07856664B2 Method, system and computer program for a secure backup license server in a license management system
A method and a corresponding apparatus for a high availability license management system. The system has a License Backup Server for ensuring uninterrupted service, while at the same time preventing any possible malicious use. According to the present invention, only two servers are required for realizing a secure system. The first server hosts a License Server A 303 and Agent C 305. License Server A 303 contains certificates for all available licenses. The second server hosts a Backup Server B 309 which contains the same licenses of License Server A. Agent C monitors the operation making sure that Backup Server B does not grant any license while License Server A is up and running.
US07856660B2 System for efficiently handling cryptographic messages containing nonce values
A system for determining the validity of a received cryptographic message while ensuring for out-of-order messages is utilized to provide for secure communications among peers in a network. In particular, a secure communication module may be configured to accept the cryptographic message in response to a received nonce value of the received message is greater than the largest nonce value yet seen. Otherwise, when the received nonce value is not the largest nonce value yet seen, the secure communication module may be configured to compare the received nonce value with a nonce acceptance window. If the received nonce value falls outside the nonce acceptance window, the secure communication module may be further configured to reject the received message and assume that a replay attack has been detected. If the received nonce value falls within the nonce acceptance window, the secure communication module may be further configured to determine if the received nonce value has been seen before by comparing the received nonce value with a replay window mask. If the received nonce has been seen before, the secure communication module may be further configured to reject the received message and assume a replay attack. Otherwise, the secure communication module may be further configured to accept the message and add the received nonce value to the replay window mask.
US07856657B2 Secure access of resources at shared appliances
An exemplary method for providing secure access to resources at shared appliances comprises obtaining an instruction from a first user to send a resource to a secure repository, the resource being associated with a first identifier, receiving a second identifier from a shared appliance, determining a pseudo identity associated with the shared appliance based on the second identifier, granting to the shared appliance permissions associated with the pseudo identity, including a permission to retrieve the resource from the secure repository, receiving the first identifier from a second user at the shared appliance, and enabling the shared appliance to provide the resource to the second user at the shared appliance.
US07856656B1 Method and system for detecting masquerading wireless devices in local area computer networks
Methods and systems for detecting a masquerading wireless device in a local area network are provided. The method includes receiving a first packet and a second packet. Preferably, the first packet includes a first identity information and a first time information, and the second packet includes a second identity information and a second time information. The method can compute, using the first time information, a first approximation to a starting time of a wireless device associated with the first identity information. The method can also compute, using the second time information, a second approximation to a starting time of a wireless device associated with the second identity information. The method further includes determining whether a masquerading wireless device is present in the local area network based on at least the first and second approximations.
US07856647B2 Standarized theme handling for digital television
Genre or theme assignment data (104) for a program in a digital television or other data transmission is recovered by a receiver (100) and mapped to a genre in a standardized genre assignment schedule (240). A country associated with the transmission is identified, such as by obtaining a country code (105) from the digital data transmission, or via a receiver setting. A genre assignment schedule is identified based on the country. Data, such as user nibbles (220) or standard content nibbles (230), is obtained from the transmission to identify the original genre and assign the program to a corresponding standardized genre.
US07856640B2 Web client endpoint emulator
A web services endpoint emulator for testing and developing web server client program, which generates emulator service classes according to service descriptor files, the classes being contained in a web container accessible by a web server; receives by the web server a request from a client process via an emulator interface; parses the request and any associated parameters; retrieves endpoint service descriptor files according to the parsed request and parameters; executes by a web server a service response script while evaluating the retrieved endpoint service descriptor files to generate a response; and sends from the web server the generated response to the client process via the emulator interface.
US07856631B2 Software delivery manager
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for receiving and processing a software delivery archive to deploy software to a target computer system, in particular to deploy software into a J2EE server. The software delivery archive can be implemented as a JAR-compatible archive that includes a supplementary manifest and a deployment descriptor, in addition to a standard JAR manifest and software to be deployed. The software delivery archive can optionally also include a nested software delivery archive have the same structure and functionality.
US07856607B2 System and method for generating at-speed structural tests to improve process and environmental parameter space coverage
A system for enhancing the practicability of at-speed structural testing (ASST). In one embodiment, the system includes first means for performing statistical timing analysis on a design of logic circuitry. A second means performs a criticality analysis on the logic circuitry as a function of the statistical timing analysis so as to determine a criticality probability for each node of the logic circuitry. A third means selects nodes of the logic circuitry as a function of the criticality analysis. A fourth means selects timing paths as a function of the criticality probabilities of the selected nodes. A fifth means generates an ASST pattern for each of the selected timing paths. A sixth mean is provided to perform ASST on a fabricated instantiation of the design at functional speed using the generated ASST pattern.
US07856605B2 Method, system, and graphical user interface for positioning an insertion marker in a touch screen display
An insertion marker that is displayed on a touch screen may be moved by a user via an insertion marker placement aid. The insertion marker placement aid is displayed on the touch screen after a contact with the touch screen is detected. The insertion marker placement aid provides visual feedback to the user, indicating that the insertion marker is subject to repositioning by the user. When the contact is moved across the touch screen, the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid is moved in accordance with the movement of the contact. When the contact is broken (i.e., no longer detected), the insertion marker placement aid is removed from display and the insertion marker comes to rest.
US07856603B2 Graphical user interface
An apparatus for selection of characters to be displayed on a display screen. Has input actuators with associated fields containing graphical symbols representing the characters. The user is guided during selection of a character via the display. The selection procedure is sufficiently simple to allow a user to memorise the steps needed in order to select a specific character. Uses a limited number of actuators, and a character is selected using a sequence of actuations. Actuations may e.g. be keystrokes or movement by tactile pointing means on a touch sensitive device. Preferably, a character is selected by drawing one or two linear segments on a touch sensitive device. The displayed graphical symbols are preferably rearranged upon actuation. Suitable for use in electronic devices, in particular hand held devices having a small display screen, such as communication equipment, such as portable phones, e.g. mobile phones, or computers.
US07856602B2 Updatable menu items
A menu is displayed within a graphical user interface. The menu of one exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of selectable menu items within the menu. One of the menu items includes a first region and a second region. The first region presents a static title for the menu item, and the second region includes text that is capable of scrolling. The text within the second region of the first menu item is scrolled in response to the first menu item being selected. For example, the selection may be made by hovering a pointer above the first menu item. The scrolling may then be paused when the pointer is moved away from above the first menu item.
US07856599B2 Method and system for IP link management
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for network management that allows the configuration of IP links in one step, via a GUI form, even though the management protocols available at the two end links (routers) may differ. According to one embodiment, the method comprises gathering information from the user, validating this information, and then sending this information to the appropriate router(s). According to one embodiment, the method enables a user to specify various configurations when provisioning an IP link, for example, the type of IP link (Point-to-Point, Point-to-IP, or Point-to-Subnet), the numbering type (Numbered or Unnumbered), the application type (MPLS and/or IP Forwarding), and the sub-layer interfaces to be used (Packet Over Sonet, Asynchronous Transfer Mode, GigEthernet, and others). In addition, according to one embodiment, the method allows the IP link to be associated to existing router interface(s), or the interfaces can be created as part of the IP link creation process.
US07856598B2 Spelling correction with liaoalphagrams and inverted index
Systems, methods, media, and other embodiments associated with (non)contiguous n-gram based spell correction are described. One exemplary system embodiment includes logic for creating contiguous and non-contiguous trigrams, logic for creating an inverted index relating trigrams and the words from which they were generated, and logic for comparing trigrams associated with a word to spell check to trigrams associated with the words selected using the inverted index.
US07856597B2 Adding tag name to collection
Adding a new tag name to a collection of tag names includes receiving, in a computer system, a new tag name that is to be added to a collection of existing tag names that conform to a standardized protocol for defining semantics of contents in electronic communications, the new tag name including at least first and second terms. It is determined whether the collection already includes any of the first and second terms, wherein each term included in the existing tag names is associated with one of several unique identifiers. The method further includes selecting at least first and second unique identifiers for the new tag name, wherein, for any of the first and second terms that is already included in the collection, a corresponding one of the several unique identifiers associated therewith is selected. A data structure includes tag names and unique identifier codes for the several tag names.
US07856596B2 Method and system for separation of content and layout definitions in a display description
A method and system for specifying alternate layouts of a user interface element of a display description is provided. In one embodiment, a display system provides a display description language that separates the definition of content of a user interface element from the layout of the user interface element. This separation allows alternate layouts to be specified that are conditionally applied to content of the user interface element without having to repeat the content. In another embodiment, the display system allows each element of a table to be positioned within a specific cell within the table.
US07856590B2 Digital television transmitter and receiver for using 16 state trellis coding
Provided are a Vestigial Side Band (VSB) Digital Television (DTV) transmitter and receiver based on the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) A/53, and a method thereof. The present invention provides 8-VSB DTV transmitter and receiver that can improve reception performance of the receiver by transmitting and double streams formed of normal data and robust data without increasing an average power level, regardless of the ratio of the normal data and robust data, by including an encoding unit for performing 16-state trellis coding on the robust data when a data stream includes robust data, and a method thereof.
US07856584B2 Unequal error protection apparatus, systems, and methods
Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles, encode a data word into an unequal error protection (UEP) codeword and transmit first and second portions of the UEP codeword associated with first and second protection levels across first and second sub-channel subsets associated with first and second error probabilities and a multi-channel communications link, respectively.
US07856582B2 Techniques for logic built-in self-test diagnostics of integrated circuit devices
A method, system and computer program product for performing real-time LBIST diagnostics of IC devices. During LBIST, stump data and identifiers of test cycles are saved in the IC device-under-test (DUT). If compressed stump data does not match a pre-defined coded value (i.e., “signature” of the test cycle), the saved stump data and an identifier of the failed test cycle are preserved, otherwise the determination is made the DUT passed the test cycle. Identifiers and stump of the failed test cycles are used to analyze errors, including virtually non-reproducible errors.
US07856574B2 Internet connectivity evaluation
Internet connectivity evaluation provides for easy, efficient and effective testing of the Internet connectivity behavior between an operating system hosted on a computing device and an IGD (Internet Gateway Device) interacting with the computing device. With a user's computing device communicating with one or more servers, or server-type devices, interacting with, or otherwise communicating with, the Internet, Internet connectivity evaluation can quickly and cost-effectively be performed to identify known major issues in the interaction between the operating system hosted on the user's computing device and an IGD.
US07856572B2 Information processing device, program thereof, modular type system operation management system, and component selection method
An information processing device includes: storage means containing component information on the components constituting a system having a predetermined function; and processing means for calculating a combination of components necessary for constituting a system required for a service according to the component information, calculating risk information as information on the risk that a physical failure affects the service request for the combination of the components and/or fragment information as information on the deflection degree of the use condition of the components, and ranking the selected component combinations according to a predetermined policy, calculated list information and/or the fragment information.
US07856568B2 Electronic apparatus and peak power-controlling method related thereto
An electronic apparatus (200) comprises processors (20)-(22), devices (30)-(33), and a peak power-managing unit (10). The peak power-managing unit (10) includes a power information storage unit (11) operable to store a total power consumption value, and a suspended request storage unit (12) operable to store suspended use requests. Each of the processors (20)-(22) addresses, to the peak power-managing unit (10), a use request for the use of a target device among the devices (30)-(33). The peak power-managing unit (10) issues a device use permit notification to the processor when determining that the operation of the target device still maintains an added total power consumption value within a specified value. Upon receipt of the device use permit notification, the processor sets up a course of action to be provided by the target device. As a result, controlled peak power is provided, and the devices can be run according to updated information.
US07856567B2 Electronic device with serial ATA interface and power saving method for serial ATA buses
In an electronic device with a serial ATA interface, upon detection of the issue or reception of a preset command, a confirmation device, such as a CPU, confirms the completion of execution of the command. Upon confirming the completion of execution of the command, a controller, which may also be the CPU, controls shifting of the serial ATA interface to a power saving mode.
US07856564B2 Techniques for preserving media play mode information on media devices during power cycling
An improved portable media device and methods for operating a media device are disclosed. According to one aspect, the portable media device has the capability to store media device status information in persistent memory before powering down. Thereafter, when the portable media device is again powered up, the stored media player status information can be retrieved and utilized. According to another aspect, the portable media device can form and/or traverse a media asset playlist in an efficient manner.
US07856558B2 Biometric verification and duress detection system and method
A multi-stage verification system including a first and second identification device to verify the identity of the user and to determine if the user is under duress. When a user approaches an entrance to a building, a first identifier is detected by the first identification device, the identifier is compared to a pre-stored identifier. If there is a match, the user inputs at least one biometric input into the second identification device. The biometric input is compares with pre-stored information in two different databases, a biometric template database and a duress indicator database. If there is a match with the duress indicator database, a silent alarm signal is transmitted to a central monitoring station and the security system is disarmed. If there is a match with the biometric template database, the security system is controlled in the intended manner.
US07856548B1 Prediction of data values read from memory by a microprocessor using a dynamic confidence threshold
Prediction of data values to be read from memory by a microprocessor for load operations. In one aspect, a method for predicting a data value that will result from a load operation to be executed by the microprocessor includes accessing an entry in a load value prediction table that stores a predicted data value corresponding to the load operation. The predicted data value is provided as a result of the load operation without waiting for execution of the load operation to complete based on a confidence parameter stored in the entry compared to a dynamic confidence threshold.
US07856547B1 Fast stub and frame technology for virtual machine optimization
A method and system for handling of potential unsafe instructions and/or for handling transfers of control in a Virtual Machine, that includes generating a frame composed of pages of analyzed code based on original guest code; identifying instructions within the frame that transfer control (or are otherwise unsafe); replacing instructions that transfer the control with an interrupt that transfers control to a stub in non-privileged code; wherein the stub checks whether the control transfer (or instruction) is safe or unsafe, and (i) for unsafe control transfers/unsafe instructions, switches the context to Virtual Machine Monitor; and (ii) for safe control transfers, executes the control transfer in non-privileged mode. The instructions that transfer control can include any of JMP, CALL, RET and RET(n). The instructions that transfer control can also include interrupts.
US07856541B2 Latency aligned volume provisioning methods for interconnected multiple storage controller configuration
A system is composed of multiple storage control modules, which are connected to each other via interconnects. The aforesaid interconnects connecting the storage control modules may cause certain extra latency. Each storage control module may have data preservation module, which can preserve data stored by host computers. The system incorporates a latency table and provides a volume according to the latency table in accordance with a request from a host computer or an administrator. The latency table is dynamically created or statically stored in the inventive system.
US07856539B2 Method regarding a data log related to a programmable logic controller (PLC)
Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a method for utilizing a memory cartridge connected to a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The memory cartridge can comprise a plurality of memory segments. The method can comprise a plurality of activities comprising: providing a default identifying stamp for records in a data log file, a structure for the data log file stored separately from the data log file in the memory cartridge, and obtaining a request to provide the data log file.
US07856536B2 Providing a process exclusive access to a page including a memory address to which a lock is granted to the process
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for providing a process exclusive access to a page including a memory address to which a lock is granted to the process. A request is received for a memory address in a memory device from a requesting process. A lock is granted to the requested memory address to the requesting process. The requesting process is provided exclusive access to a page including the requested memory address for a page access time period. The exclusive access to the page provided to the requesting process is released in response to an expiration of the page access time period.
US07856535B2 Adaptive snoop-and-forward mechanisms for multiprocessor systems
In a network-based cache-coherent multiprocessor system, when a node receives a cache request, the node can perform an intra-node cache snoop operation and forward the cache request to a subsequent node in the network. A snoop-and-forward prediction mechanism can be used to predict whether lazy forwarding or eager forwarding is used in processing the incoming cache request. With lazy forwarding, the node cannot forward the cache request to the subsequent node until the corresponding intra-node cache snoop operation is completed. With eager forwarding, the node can forward the cache request to the subsequent node immediately, before the corresponding intra-node cache snoop operation is completed. Furthermore, the snoop-and-forward prediction mechanism can be enhanced seamlessly with an appropriate snoop filter to avoid unnecessary intra-node cache snoop operations.
US07856533B2 Probabilistic method for performing memory prefetching
A method for preforming memory prefetching is disclosed. A stream length histogram (SLH) is initially generated based on a stream of Read and Write requests intended for a system memory. A determination is then made whether or not to issue a prefetch command after a Read request based on information within the generated SLH. In a determination that a prefetch command should be issued, prefetch command to be sent to the system memory is issued along with other commands.
US07856528B1 Method and apparatus for protecting data using variable size page stripes in a FLASH-based storage system
Methods and apparatuses for enhanced protection of data stored in a FLASH memory system involve a controller capable of using variable size page stripes in the memory system. The controller is configured to store data such that each page stripe comprises a plurality of data pages, with each data page in the page stripe being stored in a different FLASH memory chip. The controller is also configured to maintain one or more buffers containing information reflecting blocks of memory within the FLASH memory chips that have been erased and are available for information storage, and to dynamically determine the number of data pages to be included in a page stripe based on the information in the one or more buffers such that a first page stripe and a second page strip can have different numbers of data pages.
US07856525B2 Content addressed storage device configured to maintain content address mapping
A content addressed storage device configured to maintain content address mapping is disclosed. A data object to be stored on the content addressed storage device and a local data object identifier by which the data object is known to the sending source are received from a sending source. A content address to be associated with the data object on the content addressed storage device is determined based at least in part on the contents of the data object. The data object is stored on the content addressed storage device in a storage location associated with the content address. A mapping that associates the local data object identifier with the content address is maintained on the content addressed storage device.
US07856516B2 Interfacing incompatible signaling using generic I/O and interrupt routines
A method for interfacing single transfer and burst transfer components, comprising: processing transfer completion of a byte in burst transfer as an interrupt; maintaining the current state of signal lines to prevent occurrence of next interrupt; copying the transferred byte from buffer to memory; and allowing next interrupt; and enabling sending of next byte in burst transfer. This invention interfaces incompatible signaling of the components, and solves the handshake, communication and buffering problems involved. The methods also include polling simulating an interrupt, prevention of premature transfer and overwrite, interrupt on an edge of a busy signal, disabling and enabling clock to maintain current status, packet exchange protocol involving header, body and checksum, command and status packets, copying task waiting on a blocking semaphore which is signaled by interrupt handler task, and signals from a first component routed to a conversion component which generates new signals compatible with the second component.
US07856512B2 System and method for offloading a processor tasked with calendar processing
The invention comprises system and method for offloading a processor tasked with calendar processing of channel status information. The method comprises multiplexing channel status information received from a plurality of physical interfaces; grouping the channels based on bandwidth; comparing current and previous status information of a group of channels in a first memory; sending current channel status to the processor only if the status of any of the channels in the group has changed; and periodically synchronizing channel status information in the first memory to status information in the processor's memory. The system comprises: multiplexer to combine channel status information received from the interfaces and means for grouping, based on bandwidth, the channels; hardware assist engine to send current channel status to the processor only if channel status has changed; and device to synchronize channel status information in the hardware assist engine to status information in the processor's memory.
US07856506B2 Traversal of symmetric network address translator for multiple simultaneous connections
Handling of multiple connections during NAT traversal for a node behind a symmetric NAT is disclosed. The likelihood of connection failure during symmetric NAT traversal may be reduced by serializing critical time windows after port prediction. Once port prediction has begun for a first connection, port prediction for a subsequent connection may be delayed until a connectivity check has begun for the first connection. This process may be repeated to handle NAT traversal for multiple simultaneous connections to different nodes.
US07856494B2 Detecting and interdicting fraudulent activity on a network
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for detecting and interdicting fraudulent activity on a network. An user utilizes a transmitting device to transmit user requests that are split between a plurality of data centers for processing. The user requests are captured at the data centers. The user requests are unified into an user session. The user session can be analyzed for fraud detection, marketing analysis, network intrusion detection, customer service analysis, and/or performance analysis. If fraudulent activity is detected, then the user can be interdicted to prevent further fraudulent activity.
US07856487B2 System and methods for updating registration information for a computer jukebox
Systems and methods for updating registration information for a computer jukebox are provided. The registration system and methods provide updated information for registration or authorization of a jukebox to a central computer after the occurrence of a pre-selected event (e.g., changing MAC address, changing the hard drive, memory, or Central Processing Unit (CPU)). The invention reduces or eliminates the need for the owner or operator of a jukebox to contact the owner or operator of the network in order to provide updated registration information following the occurrence of a pre-selected event.
US07856482B2 Method and system for correlating transactions and messages
A method is presented for correlating related transactions, such as a parent transaction that invokes a child transaction within a distributed data processing system, using a particular format for the correlation tokens. Each transaction is associated with a correlation token containing a hierarchical, three-layer identifier that includes a local transaction identifier and a local system identifier, which are associated with the local system of the child transaction, along with a root transaction identifier, a root system identifier, and a registry identifier. The local transaction identifier is unique within the local system, and the local system identifier is unique within a registry that contains a set of system identifiers. The registry is associated with a domain in which the local systems operate, and multiple domains exist within a transaction space of entities that use these correlation tokens. Correlation token pairs are analyzed to construct a call graph of related transactions.
US07856481B2 Data communication apparatus and electronic mail data producing method
A data communication apparatus and an electronic mail data producing method are provided that are capable of allowing a file name to be easily added to a file attached to an electronic mail and also allowing a file name to be added to a file attached to an electronic mail, which is commensurate with the contents of the date to be transmitted. A CPU of the data communication apparatus combines a page number allotted to each of the images converted into files with the subject of the electronic mail that is inputted, to generate an attached image file name, and transmits the electronic mail with the image data in the form of files attached thereto together with the generated attached image file names. Therefore, it is not necessary to input the name of an image file attached to an electronic mail, which facilitates the operation of transmitting an electronic mail and enables giving a file name that enables the receiver of the electronic mail to easily recognize the contents of the attached image file.
US07856478B2 Presence system and method for providing access to web services
A presence system provides access to web services offered by presentities. The presence system includes a presence server for collecting and storing presence information on a presentity and providing the presence information to watchers of the presentity. The presence server further receives from the presentity web service invocation information providing access to one or more web services of the presentity. The presence server provides the web service invocation information of the presentity, along with the presence information of the presentity, to the watchers of the presentity for use by the watchers in invoking the web services of the presentity.
US07856469B2 Searchable instant messaging chat repositories using topic and identifier metadata
A system and method for storing IM text in a repository where it can be searched by topic or participant based filters is disclosed. The repository may be a centralized database on the server side or it may be distributed in the client environment. The system comprises an IM Topic (IMT) program, an IM Filter (IMF) program, an IM save program (IMS), and an IM automatic alert (IMAL) program. The IMT program assigns topic tags to turns and topic shifts in the IM conversation. The IMF program searches the repository based on user selection of filters as well as full text search. There may be any number of topic tags. The IMS program automatically scans IM transcripts for topic tags and identifiers and saves transcripts or transcript segments that match pre-selected topic tags or identifiers to the repository. The IMAL program sends notifications and/or exports transcripts or transcript segments to pre-designated addresses when a match is made between a topic or identifier in a transcript and a pre-selected topic or identifier.
US07856455B2 System, method and program product for generating triggers for a relational database
System, method and program product for generating a trigger program that updates an entry in a dependent column in a table in response to a request to update a corresponding entry in a parent column in the table. A trigger program template is provided. The trigger program template includes program steps which indicate a type of update to an entry in an unspecified parent column which triggers an update to a corresponding entry in an unspecified dependent column. The trigger program template also indicates a type of the unspecified dependent column to update upon the update to the entry in the unspecified parent column. The table is automatically scanned to identify one or more dependent columns of the type. In response to identification of the one or more dependent columns of the type, a name of a parent column, corresponding to the one or more dependent columns, is inserted in the trigger program template steps to identify the corresponding parent column as the unspecified parent column and identify the one or more dependent columns as the unspecified dependent columns. Names of the one or more dependent columns comprise the name of the specified parent column and respective suffixes indicating the types of the dependent columns.
US07856444B2 Performing a search using a search parameter
A method of enabling users to perform a search using a search request form including information relating to a search request, the search request form having disposed therein or thereon coded data indicative of a search parameter. The method includes, in a computer system, receiving indicating data generated by a sensing device, the indicating data being indicative of the search parameter and an identifier of the sensing device. The computer system uses the indicating data to determine the search parameter and then performs an operation at least partially associated with a search using the search parameter, before providing results of the search to the user using the identifier.
US07856443B2 Automatic identification of DVD title using internet technologies and fuzzy matching techniques
An iterative search technique is used to quickly and accurately locate information in a database, such as one storing information about digital versatile discs (DVDs). First, a presumably unique search key is generated for an unidentified DVD and compared with corresponding keys in a database. If no match is found progressively less specific information is used to generate a series of search keys that are similarly compared with corresponding keys in the database. If at least one possibly matching record is found, it is determined whether the best matching record can be considered a match, otherwise, less specific information is used to search for a match until predefined least specific information is used.
US07856438B2 Device and method for semantic analysis of documents by construction of n-ary semantic trees
A semantic analysis device includes a structural and semantic database and a document interpreter. The document interpreter includes an N-ary tree controller for constructing an N-ary tree from a decomposition of a document and an ordered sequence of verbal entities and structural and/or semantic constraints. The N-ary tree includes a root node formed by a primary verbal entity and structures formed from a subordinate verbal entity related directly or indirectly to the root node by a link having a connecting characteristic. The document interpreter also includes a semantic tree controller for determining object and activity types from the N-ary tree and database, activate by certain nodes of the N-ary tree, for constructing a semantic tree with principal nodes for objects and activities and connected by semantic relationships from connecting characteristics of the N-ary tree, and to which attributes are associated based on other nodes of the N-ary tree.
US07856437B2 Storing nodes representing respective chunks of files in a data store
To provide a data store, nodes representing respective chunks of files are stored in a predefined structure that defines relationships among the nodes, where the files are divided into the chunks. The nodes are collected into plural groups stored in persistent storage, where some of the nodes are collected into a particular one of the groups according to a locality relationship of the some of the nodes.
US07856433B2 Dynamic bid pricing for sponsored search
A method for an online sponsored search system includes storing a database of items. At least some of the items include a keyword and a money amount associated with a respective advertiser. The method further includes receiving information about current user preferences within the online sponsored search system. When the received user information relates to a keyword of an item, the method includes automatically adjusting the money amount of the item based on the received user interest information. In response to a received user query, the method includes identifying items relating to the received user search query and generating a search result list including the related items. The method then includes ordering the related items according to the adjusted money amounts associated with the matching items. In response to the designation of a Web page to receive sponsored advertisements, the method includes identifying items relating to the subject matter of one or more portions of the Web page. In this instance, the method then includes determining which items are to be shown and their placement on the Web page according to the adjusted money amounts associated with the related items.
US07856413B2 Dynamic search criteria on a search graph
A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, display icons representing search terms on a search graph, having at least one axis. The axis represents a search criteria. The position of the icon specifies a value (such as an importance or weight) of the search criteria. A search engine uses the search terms, the search criteria, and the value to conduct the search. The results of the search are displayed in a results pane, and the search results are updated as the positions of the icons on the search graph change. The search criteria associated with the axes of the search graph may also change. In this way, the user interface for the search is made easier for the user to control.
US07856393B1 System and method for timed order entry and modification
A system and method for defining and processing timed orders are defined. According to one embodiment, a trader may define a timed order by defining an intra-day time trigger or a time period when the timed order should be automatically modified, such as deleted or cancelled/replaced with a new order. In one embodiment, the intra-day time trigger or time period may be dynamically changed to a later time, for example, upon receiving a predetermined user input. Also, the time trigger and time period may be configured to dynamically vary based on any user configurable formula. Also, the timed order may be associated with one or more actions to be taken once the order is deleted, such as sending a new order, for example.
US07856392B1 System and method for timed order entry and modification
A system and method for defining and processing timed orders are defined. According to one embodiment, a trader may define a timed order by defining an intra-day time trigger or a time period when the timed order should be automatically modified, such as deleted or cancelled/replaced with a new order. In one embodiment, the intra-day time trigger or time period may be dynamically changed to a later time, for example, upon receiving a predetermined user input. Also, the time trigger and time period may be configured to dynamically vary based on any user configurable formula. Also, the timed order may be associated with one or more actions to be taken once the order is deleted, such as sending a new order, for example.
US07856390B2 System, report, and method for generating natural language news-based stories
The present invention generally relates to a system, report, and method for automatically generating a series of natural language news-based stories to be presented via a digital interface or printed publication to a portfolio user. The disclosure relates to a filter for selection of a handful of relevant and desired financial instruments for a specific use. These financial instruments, based on different selections from a portfolio manager via a management tool, are then used to either produce either a strategies page where a list of useful covered call trades and hedged trades are displayed in the form of a table or natural language news-based stories relating to a selected list of financial instruments found in a portfolio.
US07856386B2 Host exchange in bill paying services
An account exchange system is provided by a data aggregation service enabled for gathering data for a subscriber from a data repository of a first financial institution, using account exchange software operating on a server coupled to the data aggregation service. Initiated by a subscriber the account exchange software causes an account to be terminated at the first financial institution and a new account to be opened at a second financial institution, using data from the first financial institution, and processing the data to be compatible with data requirements at the second financial institution.
US07856379B2 Pre-sale data broadcast system and method
A method for promoting the sale of a substitute product at the point of sale (POS). At least one POS terminal communicates with a POS server which in turn communicates with various manufacturer servers to transmit information therebetween. Upon the presentation of an original product for purchase by a consumer at a POS terminal, various manufacturers may decide to offer a substitute product to the consumer, prior to completing the purchase of the original product. As such, various manufacturers may offer promotional offers to encourage the buyer to favorably “switch” products. If the customer accepts the offer, the point of sale terminal completes the sale of the substitute product.
US07856368B2 Methods and systems for providing personalized information to users in a commercial establishment
The present invention provides systems for and methods providing a user in a commercial establishment with personalized information, which can include a personalized shopping list, targeted advertisements, health information, nutritional information, promotional offers, offers on sale items, offers on discounted items, manufacturer's coupons, storewide coupons, information on user specific favorite items, and information on user specific staple items. Also disclosed is a device for and method of providing the precise location of a user in a commercial facility comprising a signal receiver and position calculating system that uses one of biangulation and triangulation techniques. Also disclosed, is a system for and method of providing a user in a commercial establishment with personalized information, which can include targeted advertisements, health information, nutritional information, promotional offers, offers on sale items, offers on discounted items, manufacturer's coupons, storewide coupons, information on user specific favorite items, and information on user specific staple items using the user's precise location with respect to items for purchase in the user's immediate vicinity.
US07856365B2 Method and system for providing current industry specific data to physicians
The present invention provides physicians access to formulary data as well as important clinical and practice management information at the point of care on easy-to-use handheld electronic devices. The invention also provides a method for distributing medical data to medical personnel. The method comprises the steps of storing medical data in a database and periodically communicating selected medical data between the database and an electronic device to establish a medical data distribution system subsidized by sponsoring entities. The invention also provides a computer readable memory storing executable instructions for execution by a computer system such that the computer system functions in a specified manner. The instructions comprise instructions for storing medical data in a database, and instructions for periodically communicating selected medical data between the database and an electronic device to establish a medical data distribution system subsidized by sponsoring entities.
US07856348B2 System and method for generation of synthetic parallel application kernels using tracing information
A method and apparatus may automatically generate a synthetic kernel application for use in optimizing applications on a parallel computing system using protocols such as MPI. The method and system may collect trace communication data from nodes within the parallel computing system running a given application. This trace communication data, which may include function calls and arguments, data size and type, and origin and destination nodes, may be used to calculate processor load along a time axis for each node. A synthetic kernel generator may generate instructions simulating processor load using this communication data. The synthetic kernel generator may also generate instructions to recreate the pattern of node communication with meaningless data, based on the trace communication data. Both types of instructions may then be automatically compiled to form a single synthetic kernel which simulates the behavior of the original application. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07856346B2 Emulating multiple bus used within a data processing system
A test system for data processing circuit design emulates multiple bus masters and provides an arbitration mechanism for coordinating arbitration between those bus masters in the design emulation. The shared bus being tested may be a multi-layer bus and one or more of the bus masters being emulated or bus slaves being emulated may be cut-down emulations modelling the bus interaction itself or full emulations of the intended bus master circuit or bus slave circuit including its operational data processing.
US07856342B1 Automatic reinforcement modeling
Methods and program products for presenting a view of physical element, the physical element represented in a computer aided design (CAD) model, and integrating a presentation of structural reinforcement of the physical element into the view of the physical element.
US07856339B2 Product integrity tracking shipping label, system and associated method
A product integrity tracking shipping label includes a label body for attaching to a product to be shipped or to packaging containing the product. One or more movement monitoring configured with the label body detects a movement metric of the product. A microprocessor configured with the label body and in communication with the one or more movement monitoring devices time-tags the movement metric when the movement metric exceeds a pre-selected threshold. A product integrity tracking system includes a movement monitoring device with one or more sensors for attachment to a product or packaging containing the product. The movement monitoring device senses at least one movement event during handling of the product. A processor compares the movement event with a pre-selected event threshold, and time-tags and stores above-threshold movement events in a memory. Information in the memory is readable via an interrogation device during shipment or at product delivery.
US07856320B2 Systems for gene expression array analysis
Disclosed are methods and systems for applying independent component analysis (ICA) and other advanced signal processing techniques to automatically identify an optimal number of independent gene clusters and to efficiently separate gene expression data into biologically relevant groups. Embodiments of the methods and systems of the present invention provide an interface that allows the user to review the results at various stages during the analysis, thereby optimizing the type of analysis performed for a specific experiment. Also disclosed are methods and systems to mathematically define the relationship for gene expression within a group of interrelated genes.
US07856315B2 Method and system for enabling an off board navigation solution
The present invention is directed to a method and system for providing off-board navigational information from a network server to a mobile communication device, such as a cellular phone. Specifically, upon receiving from the mobile communication device the real time location of the mobile communication device and a location or identification of a destination, the network server transmits to the mobile communication device routing information as well as audible navigation voice prompts. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the routing information includes maneuver information for traveling from the real location of the mobile communication device to the destination, and the audible navigation voice prompts provide data for generating audible turn-by-turn instructions for traveling from the real time location of the mobile communication device to the destination.
US07856314B2 Exhaustive swarming search strategy using distributed pheromone maps
Method and systems for using agents to perform an operation (e.g., a search) over a geographic area are provided. The system can first create a digital map of the geographic region divided into cells that contain information about the progress of an operation related to the geographic region. Next, the system can calculate a distance gradient of the digital map. The distance gradient indicates the distance from cells of the digital map to the nearest unoperated cell. The system can determine the next move for each agent based on the distance gradient. Also described are methods and systems for efficiently exchanging digital map information among agents and for distributing agents to increase network coverage and decrease agent crowding.
US07856305B2 Control system and control method for internal combustion engine
A control system for an internal combustion engine calculates a provisional target value of the throttle opening in accordance with an accelerator pedal travel, upon detection of a sudden operation of the accelerator pedal. The system also calculates a target pressure change in the surge tank according to the provisional target value, on the basis of the actual surge tank pressure and the cylinder intake mass airflow, using a virtual intake system model. The control system sets a target throttle opening in accordance with the surge tank pressure and the cylinder intake mass airflow, so as to provide the target pressure change under a condition of the actual surge tank volume.
US07856301B2 Device and method for controlling a machine
Method and device for controlling a machine which is intended to be operated in several different operating states, the machine being intended to utilize different types of equipment in at least two of these operating states for different activities. The device includes a means (1) which is intended to be actuated and which can be set in a number of different positions (2-6), and each of these positions corresponds to one of the operating states.
US07856297B2 Method and system for informing a vehicle telematics user of a connection status
A method for informing an in-vehicle telematics unit user of a connection status generally includes establishing a connection between the telematics unit and a call center, and initiating communication between the user and a call center service advisor. Next, the communication may be temporarily suspended while maintaining the connection. A connection status signal informing the user of the status of the connection is transmitted from the call center to the telematics unit during the temporary suspension in communication. After the signal is transmitted, the communication between the user and the call center service advisor is ultimately restored.
US07856285B2 System and method for generating instructions for customization
A method of creating a triangulated surfaces for generating machine readable instructions for customization is provided. The method comprises selecting text or symbols. The text or symbols are spaced. The text or symbols are mapped between first and second curves. Triangulated surfaces are generated from the mapped text or symbols. The triangulated surfaces are converted to machine readable instructions.
US07856282B2 Hydraulic system with coordinated multiple axis control of a machine member
A member of a machine, such as a boom on construction equipment for example, is pivoted by a first actuator and has a length that is alterable by a second actuator. A control method allows an operator of the machine to command a point on the member to move along a straight line path. The operator command specifies velocities along two orthogonal axes and those velocities are transformed into an angular velocity and a length velocity for the member. The angular velocity and a length velocity then are converted into individual velocities for the first and second actuators. Each actuator is operated at its respective velocity to achieve the commanded movement of the member.
US07856278B2 Programmable controller device
A programmable controller device has a main body with a CPU unit and I/O units connected by a bus line and a power unit for supplying power to the main body. The CPU unit has a memory with a user access area which is accessible by instruction of user program. The power unit generates status data related to itself such as its temperature. A data transmission path is provided between the CPU unit and the power unit for transmitting such status data to the user access area.
US07856275B1 Vestibular system stimulation apparatus
Apparatus for the non-invasive and specific activation of the vestibular system in a patient. Preferred embodiments of the present invention allow for the placement of a stimulating electrode in the ear canal while providing a firm and comfortable coupling with the patient. The stimulating electrode is a deformable material that contacts the skin in the ear canal. A stimulating device operates in cooperation with the stimulating electrode to generate a stimulation waveform for the stimulation of the vestibular system.
US07856271B2 Detecting atrial evoked response
A method for sensing cardiac activity in an atrium of a patient's heart includes delivering a pulse to the atrium using an electrode configuration that includes at least a cathode electrode; sensing cardiac activity in the atrium using a unipolar electrode configuration to provide a sensed signal wherein the unipolar electrode configuration does not include the cathode electrode; determining the duration during which the voltage of the sensed signal falls below a threshold voltage; and comparing the determined duration to a parameter to determine whether the pulse caused an atrial evoked response.
US07856267B2 Apparatus and method for pacing mode switching during atrial tachyarrhythmias
A method for operating a cardiac pacemaker in which the mode of operation of the pacemaker is altered in response to detecting an episode of atrial tachycardia. In accordance with the invention, the pacemaker's pacing mode is altered in a manner that attempts to maintain hemodynamic stability during the atrial tachycardia. Such a mode switch is particularly applicable to pacemaker patients suffering from some degree of congestive heart failure.
US07856266B1 Implantable cardiac stimulation device providing reduced defibrillation thresholds and method
An implantable cardiac defibrillation device provides pre-shock stimuli to reduce the defibrillation threshold (DFT). The device includes an arrhythmia detector that detects fibrillation of a fibrillating chamber of a heart and a pulse generator that provides a fibrillation therapy output responsive to the arrhythmia detector detecting fibrillation of the fibrillating chamber of the heart. The therapy output includes a defibrillating shock having an output magnitude exceeding a temporary defibrillation threshold of the fibrillating chamber and at least one pre-defibrillating shock output pulse that reduces an initial defibrillation threshold of the fibrillating chamber to the temporary defibrillation threshold. An electrode system having at least two defibrillation electrodes delivers both the at least one pre-defibrillating shock output pulse to the heart and the defibrillating shock to the fibrillating chamber of the heart.
US07856261B2 Cable with spacer for positioning multiple medical sensors
A subject monitoring apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a drive unit (10); a sensor unit (50); and a plurality of cable end units (500) for providing electrical connection between electrodes disposed on a subject and cables passing from the cable end units to the drive and sensor units. Each cable end unit includes first and second connectors (340, 380), and a spacer (400) which substantially maintains a pre-determined distance (L) between the first and second connectors.
US07856260B1 Implantable cardiac patch for measuring physiologic information
An implantable cardiac patch is configured to be joined to a surface of a heart and includes a body portion having an inner surface configured to be joined to the surface of the heart. The body portion also has a plurality of pores extending into the body portion from the inner surface. A plurality of electrodes are attached to the body portion such that the electrodes are positioned proximate the surface of the heart, and a lead is electrically connected to the electrodes at a connecting portion of the lead. The lead has a proximal end configured for joining to an implantable device.
US07856257B2 Portable communications terminal
There is provided a portable communications terminal capable of displaying on a main display portion detailed information about a history of incoming calls of a plurality of categories by a single transition from a closed state to an open state.A user makes a setting, by way of an operation section 17, on histories of incoming calls of categories whose detailed information is desired to be displayed. A newly-arrived information management section 21 generates a data table from the information input by way of the operation section 17, and records the table into newly-arrived information memory 22. Upon acquisition of new history information, the newly-arrived information management section 21 collectively records the history information into the newly-arrived information memory 22 and displays the information on a sub-display portion 18. Subsequently, when two housings are detected to have been opened, the history of incoming calls is updated in accordance with the information recorded in the newly-arrived information memory 22 and displayed on a main display portion 19.
US07856239B2 Mobile phone telephony involving the sending and receiving of text messages
A method of operating a mobile phone telecommunications network is provided, comprising using at least one mobile switching center (MSC) of the network to receive at least one message, and as a result to generate a mobile application part (MAP) message, transmitting the MAP message from the MSC to at least one service control point (SCP) of the network, and operating the SCP to process the MAP message. Processing of the MAP message by the SCP may comprise, for example, determining the subsequent handling of the MAP message, and charging a sender of the message received by the MSC. The message received by the MSC may comprise a text message, for example, a text message generated using the short message service (SMS).
US07856238B2 Method for mobile to inform base station of additonal GPS capabilities
In a method of configuring a mobile communication between a position determination entity and a mobile device, an indication that the mobile device has an ability to perform a positioning system search simultaneously with a communication is sent to the position determination entity. A preferred response quality indicator is set to a state that will allow the mobile device an extended period to provide to a location of the mobile device to the position determination entity when the mobile device has the ability to perform a positioning system search simultaneously with a communication.
US07856234B2 System and method for estimating positioning error within a WLAN-based positioning system
The invention features a method of estimating an expected error of a position estimate for use in a WLAN positioning system that estimates the position of a WLAN-enabled device. The WLAN-enabled device receives signals transmitted by a WLAN access point in range of the WLAN-enabled device. The method estimates the position of the WLAN-enabled device based on the received signals from the WLAN access point in range of the WLAN enabled device. The method also estimates an expected error of the position estimate based on characteristics of the WLAN access point in range of the WLAN enabled device, wherein the expected error predicts a relative accuracy of the position estimate.
US07856227B2 Data processing system and method, communication system and method, and charging apparatus and method
In a communication system for serving data corresponding to a request from the user and charging the user for the data served to the user, when the user designates a result of a desired one of a plurality of different operations, a usage management unit selects a one, corresponding to the user's designation, of a plurality of processors which effect operations corresponding to a plurality of different algorithms, respectively. When the processor corresponding to the designation is selected, an algorithm processor makes an operation corresponding to the designation. A management center charges the user for the use of the algorithm.
US07856223B2 Mixer-system with gain-blocks and switches
Mixer-systems comprising gain-blocks (1-4) and switches (5-8) have a flexibility depending upon their configuration (insight) and are made more flexible (basic idea) by supplying data input signals to the gain-blocks (1-4) and oscillation signals to the switches (5-6) for switching couplings between the gain-blocks (1-4). A switch (5-6) comprises a switch-transistor and a gain-block (1-4) either comprises a gain-block-transistor or comprises five gain-block-transistors for increasing the linearity of the mixer-system. The switches (5-6) have main electrodes which in the balanced situation are all coupled via four impedances (13-16) to the gain-blocks (1-4). In the single ended situation two main electrodes are coupled via two impedances (13,15,18,20) to the gain-blocks (1-4) and two others are coupled directly to the gain-blocks (1-4). By introducing further switches (7-8) parallel to the switches (5-6), harmonics can be suppressed. The basic mixer-system has an improved performance which can be further improved easily.
US07856216B2 Diversity receiver and gain adjusting method therefor
Reception levels are measured in respective branches to compare the results of the measurements with one another to select the result of the measurement of a maximum reception level which is the highest reception level. The gains of variable gain amplifiers (6, 7) of all the branches including variable gain amplifiers (6, 7) included in a branch corresponding to the maximum reception level are adjusted to the same value such that output levels of the variable gain amplifiers (6, 7) are set to a preset target level.
US07856212B2 Millimeter-wave phase-locked loop with injection-locked frequency divider using quarter-wavelength transmission line and method of calibration
Embodiments of a millimeter-wave phase-locked loop with an injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, the ILFD uses a quarter-wavelength transmission line. A method of calibrating an ILFD is also provided to allow the ILFD to operate at or near the center of its locking range for each of a plurality of VCO oscillating frequency bands.
US07856208B2 Dynamic antenna control
Undesired interfering signal sources within a wireless communication network disturb the radio communication between radio base stations and mobile stations. The invention presents a method and device wherein the beam pattern of an antenna, comprising two or more sectorized antenna elements with overlapping beam patterns, is adapted such that the position of the source of interfering signal is preferably substantially located within the overlap of said beam patterns. The one or more beam patterns are adapted in bearing such that the resulting interfering signal is reduced by the superimposing effect of radio wave propagation within the overlap area.
US07856206B2 System and method for manually adjustable directional antenna
Systems and methods for a manually adjustable directional antenna are disclosed. The device includes a housing and the housing includes a wireless modem, a directional antenna and an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism is coupled to the directional antenna via a mounting pipe. Alternatively, the housing includes a directional antenna, an adjustment mechanism, and a connector, which couples the directional antenna to an external modem. The adjustment mechanism may be an adjustment knob for the directional antenna within the housing or a rotatable turntable used to support and rotate the entire housing, including the directional antenna.
US07856205B2 Conversion from note-based audio format to PCM-based audio format
A system and method for converting a polyphonic note-based audio object to a Pulse Code Modulated (PCM) audio format is disclosed. An electronic communication device includes a memory containing a polyphonic note-based audio object containing at least two notes which overlap in at least some time interval and a lookup table containing trigonometric function evaluations. The polyphonic note-based audio object contains note frequency information. The polyphonic note-based audio object is converted to a PCM stream by generating PCM code words for each sample point in the PCM stream based upon the polyphonic note frequency information. The PCM code words are determined based upon selection of one or more of the trigonometric function evaluations within the look-up table. A speaker outputs audio based upon the PCM formatted stream.
US07856201B2 Image transfer fixation apparatus and image formation apparatus
A transfer fixation apparatus includes: a fixing member that carries the toner image; a pressurizing member that becomes in contact with the fixing member with pressure to form a nip through which the recording target medium is transported; and a plurality of heating members that are provided at relatively upstream positions when viewed from the relatively downstream nip and apply heat to the surface of the recording target medium that is transported toward the nip, wherein the number of heating members that apply heat to the surface of the recording target medium is changed depending on whether the transfer of the toner image is performed only on the front side of the recording target medium or the transfer of the toner image is performed also on the reverse side of the recording target medium after the transfer of the toner image on the front side of the recording target medium.
US07856186B2 Image forming apparatus and power control method thereof
An image forming apparatus including: a body; an electronic unit; a replaceable unit that is detachably installed within the body; a power supply that generates and outputs a predetermined operation voltage; a high voltage generating part that receives the operation voltage and generates and outputs a high voltage; an electronic unit driving part that receives the operation voltage and regulates a driving voltage supplied to the electronic unit; and a controller that controls the power supply to cut off the operation voltage if the replaceable unit is not installed within the body. Also taught is a method of operating the image forming apparatus.
US07856179B2 Image stabilization control circuit and image-capturing device
An image stabilization control circuit of an image-capturing device prevents overflow of data in an integration process performed in a digital signal process on a signal outputted by a gyro-sensor. A gyro-filter receives, as an input, fixed-point format angular velocity data (Dω) obtained by subjecting an output signal from the gyro-sensor to an analog-to-digital conversion. In the gyro-filter, an input format conversion circuit converts from fixed-point format to floating-point format. A camera shake vibration component is obtained from the floating-point format Dω, is integrated, and data (Dθ) corresponding to an oscillation angle is generated. After a centering process is performed, Dθ is converted from floating-point format to fixed-point format by an output format conversion circuit, and outputted from the gyro-filter. A drive signal for driving an image stabilization mechanism is generated on the basis of the data outputted by the gyro-filter.
US07856177B2 Lens apparatus and camera
An optical apparatus includes a photographic optical system including an image stabilizing unit supported by a support member via a plurality of elastic members, an actuator configured to drive the image stabilizing unit in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis thereof, a position detection unit configured to detect a position in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the image stabilizing unit, a gravitational direction determination unit configured to determine a gravitational direction based on an output from the position detection unit, a setting unit configured to set a holding position at which the image stabilizing unit is held based on information concerning the gravitational direction output from the gravitational direction determination unit, and a control unit configured to control the actuator based on information concerning the holding position to move the image stabilizing unit to the holding position.
US07856176B2 Method and apparatus for compensating hand-trembling of camera
A method and apparatus for compensating hand-trembling of a camera with reduced time required for capture compensated images. The method may include: calculating exposure time proper for preventing hand-trembling using an AE (Automatic Exposure) algorithm during an image-capturing standby mode; executing image-capturing multiple times depending on the exposure time at the time of inputting a photographing signal through a photographing button, and detecting the amount of hand-trembling at each time of image-capturing. The storing of images can be selected by a preset number of required images from the captured images as resultant images, the images being sequentially stored from an image having a lowest amount of hand-trembling as a resultant image, whereby an image with reduced hand-trembling can be obtained.
US07856175B2 Anti-shake apparatus
An anti-shake apparatus of a photographing apparatus comprises a movable unit and a controller. The controller performs movement control of the movable unit for anti-shake operation. The movement control is set to the OFF state when the movable unit comes into contact with an end of its range of movement under a predetermined condition.
US07856174B2 Apparatus and method for image pickup
An apparatus and method for image pickup capable of reducing noise in the images to reduce the effect of shaking due to, for example, hand movement. The image pickup apparatus and method can employ an exposure photographing unit for photographing at least one exposure image at predetermined time intervals using time-division exposure in a light exposure state, a dark frame photographing unit for photographing at least one dark frame at predetermined time intervals using time-division exposure in a dark state, a subtracting processor for subtracting the dark frames from the exposure images to reduce noise in the exposure images, and an image combiner for combining the plurality of reduced noise exposure images.
US07856171B2 Method and apparatus for expressing amount of camera motion
A method and apparatus for preventing image blur due to camera motion, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for sensing a camera motion, calculating an amount of the camera motion based on the sensed camera motion, and expressing the calculated amount of the camera motion to a user so that the user can prevent image blur. The method includes: sensing the camera motion; calculating an amount of the camera motion based on the sensed camera motion; and expressing the calculated amount of the camera motion.
US07856170B2 Device for producing steam and cooking appliance
A heatable housing and a device such as a cooking appliance including a heatable housing for producing steam includes at least one wall that delimits an interior space, which is enclosed by the housing at least in areas and which serves to hold a liquid to be vaporized. The wall has at least one hollow for accommodating at least one heating device.
US07856165B2 Optical waveguide film and manufacturing method thereof
An optical waveguide film includes a film including a clad layer and a core layer covered by the clad layer; and an adhesive layer formed at least on one surface of the film, having a rough structured surface having an arithmetic mean surface roughness of 0.1 to 2.0 μm, and having a storage modulus at 25° C. of 10 to 100 MPa obtained by dynamic viscoelastic measurement in torsion mode with a frequency of 1 Hz.
US07856164B2 Waveguide device
A waveguide device that guides light through a core part formed in a cladding part is disclosed. The waveguide device includes a waveguide part formed in the cladding part so as to have the same refractive index as the refractive index of the core part so that the waveguide part communicates with the core part, and a reflective part configured to perform at least one of reflecting the light guided by the core part toward the waveguide part and reflecting light from the waveguide part toward a direction in which the light is guided by the core part.
US07856157B2 Pipeline security system
The present invention provides a security system for a pipeline, such as an oil, gas or water pipeline, or other tubular, elongated or other structures used to convey various other liquid, gaseous or fluent materials. The invention is also useful in protecting a tunnel such as a vehicular tunnel. A flexible and wrappable sensor sheet is provided having an optical fiber or electrical wire disposed therein in a zigzag or other pattern which covers substantially the entire area of the sheet. The sensor sheet containing the fiber or wire is wrapped around the outer surface of a pipeline or other structure, and provides a covering of substantially the entire outer surface of a predetermined length of the pipeline. Similar sheets can be employed on adjacent pipeline sections to provide protection of any intended length of the pipeline, which may include the entire effective pipeline length. The individual sensor sheets can be interconnected to provide one continuous optical or electrical path through the adjacent sensor sections for the entire pipeline length or any part thereof. A light or current source is provided at one end of the continuous path to introduce light or current into the path. A light or current detector is coupled to the other end of the path to sense light or electrical current from the path. Alternatively each sensor section can have its own light or current source and its own light or current detector for sensing a signal from the respective paths.
US07856153B2 Displaying a long sequence of images in a short amount of time
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for displaying a long sequence of images in a short amount of time. In one embodiment, the method comprises selecting page images for display from a plurality of page images corresponding to an image-based document, the plurality of page images including merged page images and each merged page image having salient content from multiple successive page images of the image-based document merged into one image; and serially displaying the selected page images on a display.
US07856140B2 Method, computer program, computer and printing system for trapping image data
In a method or computer program product for trapping of image data, the image data in an output image per image point is prepared as color separation data, and the image data is processed.
US07856134B2 Method for generating image data relating to a virtually prescribable X-ray tube voltage from first and second CT image data
A method for generating image data relating to a virtually prescribable X-ray tube voltage U3 from first and second dual energy CT image data is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes providing the first and second CT image data; prescribing the virtual X-ray tube voltage U3 with U3≠U1 and U3≠U2, on the basis of the first and second CT image data for two prescribable base materials A, B; determining in each case a spatial density distribution ρA(x), ρB(x), assigned to the base materials A, B, in the reconstructed object volume, ρ(x)=ρA(x)+ρB(x) holds true for a density ρ(x) of a voxel x in the reconstructed object volume; providing an effective mass attenuation coefficient <αA>U3 for the base material A, and an effective mass attenuation coefficient <αB>U3 for the base material B, the effective mass attenuation coefficients <αA>U3 and <αB>U3 respectively being valid for an X-ray spectrum S(E, U3) assigned to the virtual X-ray tube voltage U3; and determining the image data as a third distribution of linear attenuation coefficients μ3(x) in the reconstructed object volume on the basis of the following relationship: μ3(x)=<αA>U3·ρA(x)+<αB>U3·ρB(x).
US07856132B2 Method, a computer program, an apparatus and an imaging system for image processing
A method for processing an image comprising the steps of assigning a value of a positioning error to a detail in the image, wherein the value corresponds to a positioning uncertainty of a position of the detail in the image. The method includes visualizing the value of the positioning error enabling an interactive adjustment of the value. The method further includes storing the adjusted value of the positioning error with reference to a position of the detail in the image.
US07856129B2 Acceleration of Joseph's method for full 3D reconstruction of nuclear medical images from projection data
A method for interpolating at least one oblique line of response ray representing nuclear image projection data through a rectangular volume and a system for using the method. The method consists of steps of interpolating all the direct rays in a rectangular volume, making a projected ray by projecting the oblique ray onto a surface of the rectangular volume, matching the projected ray to a coinciding interpolated direct ray, shearing the rectangular volume to match the projected ray, and interpolating the oblique ray in the sheared volume.
US07856126B2 Position sensing device
A position sensing device is provided which can include a first sensing unit for outputting a detection signal periodically changing in accordance with the movement of an object, a second sensing unit for sensing a reference position of the object, and an arithmetic unit for determining position data corresponding to the position of the object based on the detection signals, where the position sensing device can determine the relative position of a lens unit.
US07856124B2 Image evaluation device, method and program
More accurate image evaluation is achieved by using information about faces contained in images. An information acquiring unit acquires, from an image containing at least one face, information about the size and the position of the at least one face. An evaluation value calculating unit calculates an evaluation value representing a result of evaluation of the image based on the information about the size and position of the at least one face acquired by the information acquiring unit.
US07856119B2 Embedding data in material
An apparatus including a transformer for transforming transform domain data into time domain data and a combiner for receiving material and combining said time domain data with said material to form data embedded material. Hence, the material is not subject any transformation at all.
US07856110B2 Audio processor
To realize virtual surround reproduction with small deterioration in the SN ratio of an entire reproduction system, in the case of adding together virtual surround signals and front-channel audio signals in an adder 1300, volume normalization is carried out in a volume normalizing section 1200 before the addition. In the case where the addition is not performed, the virtual surround signals and the front-channel audio signals are output independently of each other without being subjected to volume normalization in the volume normalizing section 1200.
US07856106B2 System and method for determining a representation of an acoustic field
This system for determining a representation of an acoustic field (P) includes: acoustic wave acquisition elements (1) including a plurality of elemental sensors (21 to 2Q) which are distributed in space and which each deliver a measurement signal (c1 to cQ); and elements (8) for processing by the application, to the measurement signals (c1 to cQ), of filtering combinations representative of structural characteristics of the acquisition elements (1) in order to deliver a plurality of acoustic signals (sc1 to scN) which are each associated with a predetermined general reproduction direction defined relative to a given point in space (14), the set of acoustic signals (sc1 to scN) forming a representation of the acoustic field (P). The system is characterized in that the elemental sensors (21 to 2Q) are distributed in space in a substantially non-regular manner and in that the filtering combinations are representative of that distribution.
US07856098B1 Echo cancellation and control in discrete cosine transform domain
There is provided an echo cancellation method that comprises computing a Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) domain over a plurality of samples of a first signal to generate a plurality of first DCT samples, selecting one or more first coefficients from the plurality of first DCT samples, computing a DCT domain over a plurality of samples of a second signal to generate a plurality of second DCT samples, selecting one or more second coefficients from the plurality of second DCT samples, wherein the one or more second coefficients are same coefficients as the one or more first coefficients, applying normalized cross correlation to the one or more first coefficients and the one or more second coefficients to generate normalized cross correlation values, cancelling an echo of the second signal from the first signal by determining a bulk delay and a double talk condition based on the normalized cross correlation values.
US07856094B2 Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing telecommunications services between a session initiation protocol (SIP) network and a signaling system 7 (SS7) network
Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing telecommunication services between a SIP network and an SS7 network are disclosed. In one method, SIP/SS7 gateway receives an INVITE message from a SIP proxy server. The SIP/SS7 gateway extracts a called party number from the INVITE message and determines whether a telecommunications service is required and a type of service required for the INVITE message based on the called party number. The SIP/SS7 gateway then formulates an SS7 query to a database corresponding to the identified service type. The SIP/SS7 gateway receives a response from the database and uses data from the response to facilitate completion of the call. In one example, the SIP/SS7 gateway may forward a routing number extracted from the response back to the originating SIP proxy server. In another example, the SIP/SS7 gateway may generate a new INVITE message and forward the new INVITE message to a terminating SIP proxy server. In yet another example, the SIP/SS7 gateway may formulate a second query to the same database or to a different database to obtain further information for facilitate completion of the call.
US07856091B2 Telephone system responsive to call control protocol
Some embodiments provide receipt by a telephone of call control signals from an external device, the call control signals associated with a third party call control protocol, and execution of telephone call functionality in accordance with the call control signals.
US07856086B2 X-ray generator
An electron beam corresponding to radiation intensity data is output from an electron source by supplying high energy pulses p-1 through p-n, which correspond to the radiation intensity data of a radiation field, to the electron source from a power source 108. This electron beam is deflected so as to be incident in parallel to the medial axis of a plurality of X-ray target tubes 104-1 through 104-n by a deflection means comprising electromagnets, such that X-ray beams x-1 through x-n, which are produced when the electron beam collides with an inner wall of an X-ray target tube are irradiated with a desired intensity.
US07856085B2 X-ray imaging apparatus
First, a connection state is detected. Next, a determination is made as to whether a connection is made via a dedicated line. If it is determined that the connection is not made via a dedicated line, image accumulation time is calculated. Then, after drive timing is changed, an imaging operation is started.
US07856076B2 Terminal end-piece for a fuel assembly having a nose for orienting the flow of coolant fluid and corresponding assembly
A terminal end-piece for a fuel assembly of a pressurized water nuclear reactor, the assembly having fuel rods and a skeleton for supporting the fuel rods, the fuel rods extending in a longitudinal direction and being arranged at the nodes of a substantially regular network, the support skeleton comprising two terminal end-pieces and guide tubes that connect the terminal end-pieces, the fuel rods being arranged longitudinally between the terminal end-pieces, characterized in that the end-piece comprises noses for orientating the flow of a coolant fluid of the reactor along the adjacent longitudinal ends of the fuel rods, the noses being arranged in nodes of the substantially regular network in order to be positioned in a longitudinal continuation of at least some of the fuel rods and/or at least some of the guide tubes of the support skeleton.
US07856068B1 Nested preamble for multi input multi output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
A multi input multi output (MIMO) system for transmitting and receiving packets having a nested preamble format included in said packets and having poly-carrier long training sequence (LTS) and signal field (SIG) for training receivers, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Said packets being transmitted using the modulation scheme of a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, said nested preamble format for allowing said receivers to use one or more receiver antennas to interpret said LTS and said SIG to increase the efficiency of said MIMO system.
US07856065B2 Method and apparatus for correcting IQ imbalance in an OFDM receiver
Methods and apparatus for processing received OFDM signals to compensate for distortions caused by IQ imbalances are disclosed. Receiver circuits may be configured to demodulate symbols from a first logical channel, using an uncompensated received OFDM signal that includes the effects of those distortions. Receiver circuits may be further configured to calculate an IQ imbalance parameter, using the demodulated symbols, for use in compensating the received OFDM signal to reduce the effects of the IQ imbalances. The compensated signal produced thereby may be used for demodulating symbols from a second logical channel, perhaps corresponding to a user data channel.
US07856062B2 Multiplexing apparatus and demultiplexing apparatus
The multiplexing apparatus which does not make a user who watches a moving picture feel uncomfortable, the moving picture including: (i) a coding unit (42) for generating one or more coded streams so that no gap occurs at the connection of predetermined two access units in a process of decoding, in sequence, the two access units in all of the access units included in the coded streams; and (ii) a multiplexing unit (18) for multiplexing, with other information, the coded streams generated in the coding unit (42).
US07856042B2 High efficiency intersubband semiconductor lasers
An intersubband quantum cascade laser structure includes multiple coupled laser stages, wherein each stage has a multilayer structure including an electron injector, an active region with at least one quantum well, and an electron reflector. Electrons injected from the injector into the active region at a high energy level relax to a lower energy level with the emission of a photon at, for example, mid-infrared wavelengths. The reflector reflects electrons at the higher energy level at which they were injected and transmits electrons from the lower energy level after emission of a photon. Multiple layers of semiconductor are formed on each side of the multistage structure to provide conduction across the device and to provide optical confinement of the photons emitted.
US07856040B2 Semiconductor light emitting devices with non-epitaxial upper cladding
The AlGaN upper cladding layer of a nitride laser diode is replaced by a non-epitaxial layer, such as metallic silver. If chosen to have a relatively low refractive index value, the mode loss from absorption in the non-epitaxial cladding layer is acceptably small. If also chosen to have a relatively high work-function, the non-epitaxial layer forms an electrical contact to the nitride semiconductors. An indium-tin-oxide layer may also be employed with the non-epitaxial cladding layer.
US07856029B2 Pre-start-up procedure for internal interface of distributed radio base station
A radio base station (20) has an internal interface (26) connecting a radio equipment (RE) (24) and a radio equipment controller (REC) (22). The radio base station performs a pre-start-up procedure or method for the internal (26). The pre-start-up procedure is performed preparatory to and/or in conjunction with a start-up procedure for the internal interface. As on e of its aspects, the pre-start-up procedure involves storing one or more previously proven combinations of line bit rate and protocol as stored combination(s) for use on the internal interface. Prior to synchronization of the internal interface, the stored combination(s) are retrieved and included in a temporary available set of combinations of line bit rate and protocol. Thereafter the start-up procedure for the internal interface is initiated for the purpose of determining efficacy of the temporary available set. Should synchronization of the physical layer by the start-up procedure succeed, the pre-start-up procedure uses a valid combination of line bit rate and protocol in the available set for negotiating between the radio equipment controller (REC) and the radio equipment (RE). Should the start-up procedure fail, the pre-start-up procedure removes a failed combination of line bit rate and protocol from the set.
US07856023B2 Secure virtual private network having a gateway for managing global ip address and identification of devices
A gateway apparatus (100) is capable of connecting to an internal network (10) and an external network (50), and includes an information management unit (120) for managing a global IP address of the gateway apparatus and identification information for a device to be permitted to connect to the internal network. The information management unit transmits the global IP address and the identification information over the external network to an external apparatus. In response to a request received over the external network, the information management unit transmits a one-time password over the external network to the external apparatus. The gateway apparatus further includes: a connector unit (130) permitting the device to connect to the internal network, when it receives a URI containing the global IP address and the one-time password from the device to be permitted to connect over the external network; and an address converter unit (140) for converting between an IP address for the external network into an IP address for the internal network and converting an IP address for the internal network into an IP address for the external network.
US07856017B2 Traffic diversion in an ethernet-based access network
An arrangement and method for relieving the traffic load on an edge node in a broadband Ethernet-based access network, which normally employs traffic separation such that all traffic is routed via the edge node. Peer-to-peer traffic between end users places a large burden on the capacity of the edge node. The edge node identifies peer-to-peer traffic and generates address conversion information for access nodes connected to the end users concerned. The access nodes identify packets forming part of the peer-to-peer connection, modify address information to conceal the address of the source end user from the destination end user, and vice versa, and reroute the packets through the access network to the destination end user without passing through the edge node.
US07856016B2 Access control method, access control system, and packet communication apparatus
An access control method for a network including a plurality of packet communication apparatuses is disclosed. The access control method includes a first step in which a sender packet communication apparatus attaches user attribute information to a packet to be transmitted, and a second step in which a communication control mechanism within an end system corresponding to a destination packet communication apparatus or a packet receiving apparatus performs access control based on the user attribute information attached to the packet.
US07856011B2 Reordering packets
There are disclosed processes and apparatus reordering packets. The system includes a plurality of source processors that transmit the packets to a destination processor via multiple communication fabrics. The source processors and the destination processor are synchronized together. Time stamp logic at each source processor operates to include a time stamp parameter with each of the packets transmitted from the source processors. The system also includes a plurality of memory queues located at the destination processor. An enqueue processor operates to store a memory pointer and an associated time stamp parameter for each of the packets received at the destination processor in a selected memory queue. A dequeue processor determines a selected memory pointer associated with a selected time stamp parameter and operates to process the selected memory pointer to access a selected packet for output in a reordered packet stream.
US07856004B2 Method for scheduling heterogeneous traffic in B3G/4G cellular networks with multiple channels
A method includes tracking average user throughput, packet delay and jitter for every user that is serviced in an OFDM cellular system; using feedback to determine a potential schedule set responsive to user requirements for data and voice traffic responsive to minimum rate guarantee for data flows, and maximum tolerable delay and jitter guarantees for voice flows; with multiple flows for each user, first determining contending flow for each user responsive to aggregate rate feedback; obtaining search space for the user requirements of rate, delay and jitter responsive to corresponding optimizing strategies; determining individual rate, delay and jitter related schedules providing maximum incremental or marginal utility; and calculating final schedule of users on channels providing maximum incremental or marginal utility among parameter specific schedules form the determining step.
US07855996B2 Enhanced stream layer transmission for mediaFLO mobile multimedia multicast system
Enhancing stream layer transmission for a MediaFLO mobile multimedia multicast system comprising a transmitter and a receiver includes sending a plurality of multicast logical channels (MLC) forming a data frame from the transmitter, wherein each MLC comprises multimedia data streams comprising a stream 0, 1, and 2 data packet, and parity data bits; switching, by the transmitter, an order of the multimedia data streams of the MLC transmitted by the transmitter; sending a signal to the receiver from the transmitter to specify a mode of transmission of the MLC, wherein the mode of transmission comprises an order of transmitting the data packets of the MLC; inserting, by the transmitter, a flag in control information transmitted in the stream 0 data packets; decoding, by the receiver, the flag to determine the mode of transmission; and performing, by the receiver, a CRC of the stream 0 data packet.
US07855988B2 System, method, and device for routing calls using a distributed mobile architecture
Methods and devices for routing communications between distributed mobile architecture (DMA) servers using DMA gateways are disclosed. Communications information is received at a first DMA gateway for a communications network accessible by a second DMA gateway. The communications information indicates one or more devices that are accessible by one of a DMA server and a legacy communications network. The first DMA gateway and the second DMA gateway participate in a DMA gateway communications network. The communications information is stored in a home DMA register of the first DMA gateway. A communication is received at the first DMA gateway for a target device indicated by the communications information to be served by the second DMA gateway. The communication is routed from the first DMA gateway to the target device by relaying the communication from the first DMA gateway to the second DMA gateway via the DMA gateway communications network.
US07855977B2 Alarming in a femto cell network
System(s) and method(s) are provided to monitor operation quality of a femto cell network. Operational data received from deployed femto cell access points are aggregated and monitored. Performance rules and associated operational quality indicators (OQIs) facilitate establishing a standard or desired quality of operation. Performance rule(s) comprises weight(s), sampling test(s), and alarm threshold(s) which can be established by a network operator. Collected data on telecommunication performance metrics can be analyzed to identify or calibrate a standard of operation, which facilitates generating performance rule(s). Weight(s) facilitates reducing the scope of operation data that is effectively monitored. OQIs can assess at least one of service quality, capacity, mobility, or provisioning in a femto cell network. Monitoring operational data generates actionable information for the femto cell network. Alarm(s) are generated when one or more OQIs adopt values below associated alarm thresholds. Alarm(s) facilitate prevention of service degradation of the femto cell network.
US07855976B2 Method and apparatus for reporting CQI in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for reporting CQI in a wireless communication system, the method comprising determining the value of (RL PHYFrame Index-CQIPilotReportPhase)mod CQIPilotReportInterval, determining if DFLSS is not equal to FLSS and if the DFLSS differs from the FLSS transmitting R-CQICH at least on the Control segment corresponding to the DFLSS.
US07855966B2 Network congestion detection and automatic fallback: methods, systems and program products
A codec detects congestion in a packet network and responds via a session control protocol to re-negotiate codec-type and/or parameters with the receiving codec to reduce bit rate for supporting a session. Once the connection and session are established, encoded packets start flowing between the two codecs. A control entity sends and receives network congestion control packets periodically in the session. The congestion control packets provide a “heartbeat” signal to the receiving codec. When the network is not congested, all “heartbeat” packets will be passed through the network. As network congestion increases, routers within the network discard excess packets to prevent network failure. The codecs respond to the missing packets by slowing down the bit rate or proceeding to renegotiate a lower bit rate via the session control protocol. If there are no missing packets, the codecs detect if the session is operating at the highest bit rate, and if not, re-negotiate a higher bit rate.
US07855962B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting data rate control channel in a high rate packet data system using a plurality of forward channels and system thereof
A high rate packet data communication system and method are provided that can control a rate of a plurality of forward channels by transmitting/receiving data rate control (DRC) information over at least one DRC channel. In the system, at least one mobile station (MS) determines a transmission time of the DRC information such that a transmission period of the DRC information for each of the forward channels is equal, and sequentially transmits the DRC information repeatedly for the forward channels over at least one DRC channel for a predetermined number of slots. A base station (BS) determines a rate of a corresponding forward channel based on the DRC information received over at least one DRC channel.
US07855952B2 Silent failure identification and trouble diagnosis
According to one method for identifying and resolving a silent failure in a telecommunications network, performance data associated with data traffic passing through a network element in the telecommunications network is collected. A determination is made whether the performance data has fallen below a threshold to identify the silent failure at the network element. The silent failure fails to trigger an alarm included on the network element. Responsive to determining that the performance data is below the threshold and thereby identifying the silent failure at the network element, troubleshooting rules may be retrieved. The silent failure is resolved based on the performance data and the troubleshooting rules.
US07855951B2 Signal transmission scheme for efficient management of common enhanced dedicated channel
A signal transmission scheme for efficient management of a common E-DCH is provided. In the case of a common E-DCH that a UE in an idle mode or in a CELL_FACH status uses within a limited period of time, the UE may notify a Node B of release of radio resources of the common E-DCH using scheduling information including TEBS=0 within the period of time when the UE has completed data transmission. It is possible to prevent unnecessary waste of resources and unnecessary battery consumption of the UE by taking into consideration the above circumstances when triggering new scheduling information since HARQ transmission of the scheduling information has failed.
US07855950B2 Congruent forwarding paths for unicast and multicast traffic
A mechanism that provides congruent forwarding paths for unicast and multicast data traffic over a service provider core network includes issuing, by a receiver edge node, a request to join a multicast tree structure. A unicast path from the receiver edge node to a source node of the provider network is then established using a special message that contains an identifier. The identifier allows the unicast path through the core network to be aligned with the multicast tree structure. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US07855946B2 Recording and reproducing apparatus provided with probe memory
A recording and reproducing apparatus supports a recording medium swingably in at least two axis directions by a support section formed in a shape having elasticity. When an access can be made to a memory, the recording medium is constantly and reciprocatingly moved in a direction along data row. Thus, a positional relationship with a probe head is always grasped. When an access is made, a moving time associated with position identification is reduced, and precise and fast movement is achieved.
US07855941B2 Optical disk device
An optical disk as disclosed herein includes, among other things, a summing module that sums a compensation signal to a predetermined signal in a servo loop. The compensation signal compensates for a periodical disturbance input into a servo system of the optical disk device in units of a rotation angle of the disk rotating module. A phase lead imparting module imparts a predetermined amount of phase lead to an output signal from an optical detector module and outputs the predetermined amount of phase lead as the compensation signal. The predetermined amount of phase lead is determined in accordance with the rotation period information. The optical disk device performs an accurate iterative learning control to provide stable servo performance. The iterative learning control is performed such that the signal having imparted an optimal amount of phase lead in accordance with the rotation period information is added to the servo loop.
US07855939B2 Optical disc apparatus employing an objective lens having a high numerical aperture
An optical disk apparatus that includes a movable part having an objective lens for focusing a laser beam onto an optical disk. A lens-holding member holds the objective lens. A protecting member prevents contact of the objective lens with the optical disk. An elastic supporting member supports the movable part, and an actuator drives the movable part toward or apart from the optical disk. The apparatus is constructed not to cause contact of the protecting member with the optical disk in a non-working state of the actuator, even when the elastic supporting member is bent by gravity toward the optical disk.
US07855937B2 Near-field light generating element and heat-assisted magnetic recording head utilizing surface plasmon mode
Provided is a near-field light generating element capable of avoiding excessive temperature rise, which comprises a waveguide and a near-field light generating layer. The layer comprises: a propagation surface on which surface plasmon excited by the light propagates; and a near-field light generating end at which near-field light is generated. The end is one end of the propagation surface. And a portion of the side surface of the waveguide is opposed to a portion of the propagation surface of the near-field light generating layer with a predetermined spacing so that the light propagating through the waveguide is coupled with the near-field light generating layer in a surface plasmon mode. The near-field light generating layer is preferably tapered toward the near-field light generating end.
US07855936B2 Diet watch
A diet watch includes a housing with an adjustable wristband attached thereto, at least one accelerometer disposed within the housing, a microcontroller disposed within the housing and operatively coupled to the accelerometer and a feedback device operatively coupled to the microcontroller. The accelerometer provides a signal indicative of an orientation of a user's hand in space. The microcontroller uses the signal from the at least one accelerometer to determine that a bite was taken by the user and starting a timer to countdown a preset time interval. The feedback device provides an indication to the user that another bite of food may be taken after the preset time interval has elapsed.
US07855934B2 Vertical line hydrophone array
A hydrophone deployment system including a hydrophone assembly, a container for enclosing the hydrophone assembly body in a coiled configuration, means for ejecting the hydrophone assembly from the container, a signal processing module for processing the electrical signals from the hydrophone units, and a transmitter module for converting said processed electrical signals and transmitting said converted signals to a remote receiver.
US07855928B2 System and method for controlling timing of output signals
The timing of output signals can be controlled by coupling a digital signal through a signal distribution tree having a plurality of branches extending from an input node to respective clock inputs of a plurality of latches. A phase interpolator is included in a signal path common to all of the branches, and a respective delay line is included in each of the branches. Each of the latches couples a signal applied to its data input to an output terminal responsive to a transition of the digital signal applied to its clock input. The delay lines are adjusted so that the latches are simultaneously clocked. The delay of the phase interpolator is adjusted so that the signals are coupled to the output terminals of the latches with a predetermined timing relationship relative to signals coupled to output terminals of a second signal distribution tree.
US07855919B2 Non-volatile memory and semiconductor device
There is provided a non-volatile memory which enables high accuracy threshold control in a writing operation. In the present invention, a drain voltage and a drain current of a memory transistor are controlled to carry out a writing operation of a hot electron injection system, which is wherein a charge injection speed does not depend on a threshold voltage. FIGS. 1A and 1B are views of a circuit structure for controlling the writing. In FIGS. 1A and 1B, an output of an operational amplifier 103 is connected to a control gate of a memory transistor 101, a constant current source 102 is connected to a drain electrode, and a source electrode is grounded. The constant current source 102 and a voltage Vpgm are respectively connected to two input terminals of the operational amplifier 103.
US07855916B2 Nonvolatile memory systems with embedded fast read and write memories
A nonvolatile memory system is described with novel architecture coupling nonvolatile storage memory with random access volatile memory. New commands are included to enhance the read and write performance of the memory system.
US07855909B1 Calibrating page borders in a phase-change memory
A phase-change memory system includes an array of phase-change memory cells, an amplifier that amplifies a data signal read from a selected one of the phase-change memory cells, and a gain estimation module that adjusts a gain of the amplifier based on a gain parameter that is associated with the selected one of the phase-change memory cells. The gain parameter is based on a number of bits that are represented by the selected one of the phase-change memory cells.
US07855905B2 Digital power supply controller with integrated microcontroller
A digital power supply controller is disclosed for controlling the operation of a switched power supply. The controller is contained within an integrated circuit package enclosing an integrated circuit chip. A plurality of inputs are provided on the package for interfacing with the switched power supply for receiving sensed inputs therefrom. A plurality of outputs provide switch control signals for turning on and off switches in the switched power supply. An integrated digital controller on the chip receives the inputs and generates the outputs, and includes an integrated instruction based processing engine for providing a portion of the digital control of the digital controller. A memory associated with the processing engine stores instructions for the processing engine.
US07855903B2 System and method for programming an internal parameter or feature in a power converter with a multi-function connector
A programmable parameter or feature is provided for a power converter through a multi-function connection on the converter controller. The parameter or feature selection is active for programming during a startup mode, and the connection is used for other control purposes during a steady state run mode. A reference signal is read on the multifunction connection during startup mode and a selection of a parameter value or feature is made based on a value of the reference signal. The reference signal is compared to preset, internal reference values to select a desired parameter value or feature. An internal preset value is chosen based on the selection and the programming circuitry is disconnected from the connection to permit alternate functionality for the connection. The programmable circuit permits selection from a variety of parameter values or features based on an external signal, without dedicating an external pin on the controller.
US07855898B2 Expansion card retention assembly
An exemplary retention assembly (30) is used to assemble an expansion card mounted to an expansion card bracket (22) to an enclosure (24). The retention assembly includes a resisting catch (34), a rotatable holder (32), and a resisting lock (38). The resisting catch is slidable relative to the enclosure. The rotatable holder is rotatable relative to the enclosure around a first axis, and rotatably connected to the resisting catch around a second axis. The rotatable holder is configured for resisting to hold the expansion card bracket in position. The resisting lock is configured for resisting the resisting catch to prevent the resisting catch from sliding, and releasing the resistance of the resisting lock to the resisting catch for allowing the resisting catch sliding to make the rotatable holder rotating around the first axis, and the resisting catch rotating relative to the rotatable holder around the second axis.
US07855895B2 Universal PCB and smart card using the same
A smart card is provided including a body with a cavity, an IC chip inserted into the cavity, and a universal PCB on which the IC chip can be mounted and electrically contacted regardless of its size, type and bonding structure. The universal PCB comprises groups of contact pads suitable for contacting IC chips of different sizes and designs.
US07855889B2 Resilient fastener and thermal module incorporating the same
A thermal module (10) includes a fin assembly (14), a heat pipe (16) thermally contacting with a heat generating electronic component (60) disposed on a printed circuit board (50) and the fin assembly, and a resilient fastener (20) attaching an evaporation section (164) of the heat pipe to the heat generating electronic component. The fastener includes a mounting element (40) being attached to the printed circuit board, and an engaging element (30) embedded in the mounting element. The engaging element includes a base plate (32) having a first surface contacting with the evaporation section of the heat pipe and a second surface thermally contacting with the heat generating electronic component, and at least a resilient strip (34) sandwiched between the first surface of the base plate of the engaging element and the mounting element.
US07855887B2 Inverter unit
An inverter unit includes a reactor and switching elements that form a voltage boost circuit that boosts a power supply voltage; a switching element for an inverter that forms an inverter circuit to be supplied with the power supply voltage boosted by the voltage boost circuit; and a cooling unit provided with a coolant passage that carries coolant along a cooling face with which the reactor and the switching elements of the voltage boost circuit and the switching element of the inverter circuit are in contact.
US07855879B2 Portable display device
The present invention is directed to a portable display device. The display device comprises at least two panel housings for receiving display elements, respectively, means for foldable connecting the panel housings, a connection cable for connecting the circuits of the display elements provided at the panel housings and a cover for covering the connection cable not to be exposed. Accordingly, the flexible and weak connection cable may be protected.
US07855875B2 Image display device and electronic apparatus
An image display device has: a display panel having a display screen to display an image on a front surface; a case that accommodates the display panel, the case having a standing wall section that surrounds a surroundings edge of the display panel alienating from the surroundings edge; and a cover that covers a portion between the surroundings edge of the display panel and the standing wall section of the case. The device further has: a frame having a putting section where a back surroundings edge of the display panel is placed, and an isolation section touching side of the display panel and it separates between the display panel and the standing wall section of the case; and wiring that passes between the isolation section and the standing wall section.
US07855869B2 Solid electrolytic capacitor
An object of the present invention is to provide a solid electrolytic capacitor having a low defective fraction. A solid electrolytic capacitor of the present invention includes an anode structured by an anode lead formed by a valve metal, and porous body of valve metal connected to the anode, and a dielectric layer provided on a surface of the anode wherein a Vickers hardness of the anode lead, which is positioned at not more than 20 μm in depth from a surface of the anode lead is set 30 Hv-70 Hv.
US07855866B2 Network interface with transient protection apparatus for multiple ground planes
A network interface apparatus is disclosed that includes a connector coupled to a plurality of communication lines. A Physical Layer (PHY) device coupled to the communication lines and to a first ground level. A transient event suppression module coupled between the communication lines and a low impedance path to earth ground. During a transient event the transient event suppression module provides a low impedance path to the earth ground to protect the PHY device from the transient event. A power circuit that delivers power from a second ground level to the PHY device is coupled to the first ground level. The first ground level and the second ground level are coupled to provide a low impedance path during normal operation and high impedance during transient events.
US07855859B2 Magnetoresistive element and magnetic head
In an MR element, first and second ferromagnetic layers are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other through a spacer layer, and have magnetizations that are in opposite directions when no external magnetic field is applied thereto and that change directions in response to an external magnetic field. The spacer layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are stacked in this order on the first ferromagnetic layer. The first ferromagnetic layer includes a plurality of ferromagnetic material layers stacked, and an insertion layer made of a nonmagnetic material and inserted between respective two of the ferromagnetic material layers that are adjacent to each other along the direction in which the layers are stacked. The ferromagnetic material layers and the spacer layer each include a component whose crystal structure is a face-centered cubic structure. The spacer layer and the insertion layer are each composed of an element having an atomic radius greater than that of at least one element constituting the ferromagnetic material layers.
US07855835B2 Light diffusive sheet for backlight unit and preparation thereof
A light diffusive sheet for a backlight unit, comprising a transparent substrate-photocured resin layer laminate having a plurality of hemispherical-shaped protrusions of varying sizes, has excellent luminance, and a wide screen view angle.
US07855834B2 Multilayered phase difference plate and projector
There is provided a multilayered phase difference plate that serves as a half-wavelength phase difference plate in the range of 400 nm to 700 nm by bonding together a first phase difference plate and a second phase difference plate in a manner that their respective optical axes intersect each other. The multilayered phase difference plate obtains a high incident light polarization conversion efficiency because the respective plate thicknesses of the first and second phase difference plates are within a range such that phase difference deviation amounts become offset by each other.
US07855820B2 Oscillator device, optical deflector and optical instrument using the same
An oscillator device includes a supporting base plate, a torsion spring, and a movable member, wherein the movable member is supported by the torsion spring, for torsional oscillation relative to the supporting base plate about a torsional axis, wherein the torsion spring has an X-shaped section being perpendicular to the torsional axis and a top surface and a bottom surface each being defined by a (100)-equivalent surface of monocrystal silicon, and wherein a distance L1 connecting bottoms of concavities formed at the top surface and bottom surface, respectively, and a distance L2 connecting bottoms of concavities defined at side surfaces of the X-shaped torsion spring as well as a rate of change αi of inertia moment of the movable member around the torsion axis, with a change of a thickness t of the supporting base plate, satisfy the following relation: L1/L2=C1−Exp{C2−(αi+C3)}+C4−αi+C5 where C1=5.0*10^=−1, C2=−4.4, C3=4.6*10^−2, C4=−6.0*10^−1 and 1.5
US07855817B2 Optical scanning apparatus including a plurality of optical members for adjusting an interval between laser beams on a surface
An optical scanning apparatus includes a first optical member for receiving a plurality of light beams with an interval and for causing a first group of beams to emerge with a narrower interval, the first optical member being rotatable to adjust the interval of the beams emergent therefrom; a second optical member for receiving a second light beam and the first group of beams emergent from the first optical member with an interval and for causing a third group of beams to emerge with a narrower interval, the second optical member being rotatable to change the interval between the first group of beams and the second beam; and deflecting means for scanningly deflecting a third group of beams emergent from the second optical member.
US07855807B2 Digital image processor spot color workflow test file
An electronic portable document format (PDF) file contains different combinations of gradient blends between spot color and process color. Each gradient blend is represented as both rasterized bitmap and vector images. The rasterized bitmap and vector images can be used to quickly assess the capability of any digital front end (DFE) to process the color gradient blends. The PDF file contains two sets of spot color and process color blended combinations. The first set contains four types of color gradient blends: spot-to-spot, process-to-spot, spot-to-process, and process-to-process, each of which represent the intended design. The second set contains the same four types of color gradient blends, except here the CMYK colors associated with the spot colors are intentionally manipulated. By printing the PDF file using different DFEs, one may compare the output from the two sets and immediately identify any color gradient handling problem, providing a quick benchmarking tool.
US07855801B2 Color image forming apparatus and image output method
A color image forming apparatus and an image output method capable of producing a PDL output without interfering with the execution of a calibration procedure is provided. A main controller rasterizes PDL data from a network on a DRAM as image data. The main controller determines whether or not a calibration procedure is being executed. If it is determined that the calibration procedure is being executed, a production of a PDL image output is put in a queue until the calibration procedure is completed. If it is determined that the calibration procedure is not being executed, the image data on the DRAM is transferred to a printer portion at an appropriate timing so that the printer portion may produce a printed page of the image data.
US07855792B2 Printing system, job processing method, printing device, and storage medium
A printing system adapted to be able to perform a processing concerning a job to be processed by a post-processing device, the post-processing device having a movable component openable by an operator, the system comprising: a controller that enables the printing device to execute the print process of a job to be processed even while the movable component remains open in a case that the job does not require the post-process by the post-processing device having the open movable component, the controller inhibiting the printing device from executing the print process of a job to be processed without notifying an operator via a user interface unit of information on the open movable component in a case that the job requires the post-process by the post-processing device having the open movable component.
US07855790B2 Dimension measuring apparatus
A dimension measuring apparatus includes a light beam splitting element for splitting light emitted from a white light source into measuring light flux and reference light flux, a reference light scanning optics for varying optical path length of the reference light flux, a detector for detecting interference signal produced by the light fluxes, and a controller for determining the surface height of the object from the optical path length of the reference light flux corresponding to maximum value of the interference signal. The reference light scanning optics includes a rotary member, first and second reflective elements disposed to be symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis of the rotary member, and light beam deflecting members that direct the reference light flux to be incident on the first reflective element along the direction parallel and opposite to the incident direction of the reference light flux on the second reflective element.
US07855783B2 Integrated circuit image sensor for wheel alignment systems
An integrated circuit (IC), for use in an imaging module of a wheel alignment system, incorporates an image sensor as well as a number of other features. Some of the added features are implemented within the integrated circuit. The IC also incorporates interfacing for signaling or communication with other devices in the imaging module or elsewhere in the wheel alignment system. Some examples of added internal features include a temperature sensor, unique chip ID, and chip power control. The addition of analog and/or digital I/O to the integrated circuit enables control of an image module illumination function, control of an imaging module positioning function, various cooling functions, and operator interface control. A communications hub may be added to the IC, to enable operation in a networked system environment.
US07855780B1 Combined fiber-optic absorption and emission measurement apparatus
Disclosed is a spectroscopic system having a fiber-optic probe for simultaneous IR and Raman measurement. The probe includes a single strand of optical fiber, such as sapphire which is suitable for IR absorption measurements as far as 4 μm and Raman excitation at wavelengths as short as 300 nm. The probe is immersed in the sample and functions in the evanescent wave mode for both IR absorption and Raman scattering measurements. The sensing system makes possible the synergistic, and simultaneous, analysis of both IR and Raman data in an integrated device.
US07855766B2 Generation of pattern data with no overlapping or excessive distance between adjacent patterns
A device is disclosed for generating pattern data for unevenness that is randomly arranged on the surface of the reflective substrate of a reflective liquid crystal display device. The number of coordinates, a basic pitch, a movable range, and a dot diameter are entered from a data entry unit. An array generation unit regularly arranges base coordinates in two dimensions in accordance with the basic pitch. Coordinate displacement unit randomly displaces within the movable range at a portion of the basic coordinates to generate a multiplicity of displaced coordinates. Pattern generation unit arranges dot patterns with the dot diameter entered at each of the displaced coordinates generated to generate pattern data.
US07855763B2 Backlight device and transmission type display apparatus
A backlight device includes: a first prism sheet which has a triangular prism row on a major surface thereof; a first light source which emits light having directivity in a slanted direction with respect to a normal line direction of a light outgoing surface of the first prism sheet in opposite side to the triangular prism row side so as to enter into the triangular prism row of the first prism sheet; and a second light source which emits light having directivity in the normal line direction of the light outgoing surface of the first prism sheet so as to enter into the triangular prism row of the first prism sheet.
US07855758B2 Liquid crystal display device
A display device includes a substrate; a gate line disposed on the substrate; a data line disposed on the substrate; a driving voltage line disposed on the substrate; a first thin film transistor disposed on the substrate; a second thin film transistor disposed on the substrate; a first semiconductor having an extending region of a storage electrode connected between an output terminal of the first thin film transistor and an control terminal of the second thin film transistor; a transparent conductor of a storage electrode connected to the driving voltage line and overlaps the extending region of the storage electrode; and a pixel electrode connected to an output terminal of the second thin film transistor and overlaps the transparent conductor of the storage electrode. Accordingly, an aperture ratio of the display device may be increased.
US07855751B2 Data transmission device and data reception device
As shown in FIG. 7, a data receiver receives video data and audio data together with a frequency division parameter N that depends on the pixel clock of the video data and the sampling frequency of the audio data, and a count value CTS that is obtained by counting the period of the audio clock that has been subjected to frequency division by the frequency division parameter N, with the pixel clock, which are transmitted from a data transmitter, and subjects the pixel clock to frequency division by the count value CTS, phase-control the divided clock (s501) in accordance with a phase comparison clock (s505) that is obtained by dividing an audio clock (s403) oscillated from a VCO (504) by the frequency division parameter N, thereby generating an audio clock (s403).Accordingly, the data transmitter and the data receiver can satisfactorily implement multiplexing of audio data and video data, and transmission of the multiplexed data using an existing DVI cable, with a simple structure.
US07855750B2 Optical filter and optical device with filter holding member for an image capturing device
An optical filter that is provided at an optical path between a photoelectric conversion device which converts a subject image formed at a light-receiving surface thereof to an electrical signal and an optical system which forms the subject image with a light flux from the subject at the photoelectric conversion device, to filter the light flux, includes a stage formed at, at least, a portion of an external circumference of the optical filter.
US07855743B2 Image capturing and displaying apparatus and image capturing and displaying method
An image capturing and displaying apparatus is disclosed. The image capturing and displaying apparatus includes an image capturing section, a display section, a user's information obtaining section, and a control section. The image capturing section captures an image such that a direction in which a user sees a subject is a direction of the subject. The display section is disposed in front of eyes of the user and displays the image captured by the image capturing section. The user's information obtaining section obtains information about a motion and a physical situation of the user. The control section controls an operation of the image capturing section or an operation of the display section corresponding to information obtained by the user's information obtaining section.
US07855740B2 Multiple component readout of image sensor
A method for obtaining image data from an image sensor array including the steps of: providing an image sensor array having a first component subset of panchromatic pixels for integrating charge and a second component subset of color pixels for integrating charge; reading pixel charge to produce pixel signals from the first component subset of the panchromatic pixels while exposing the second component subset of color pixels and digitizing and storing the first component subset signals; and reading pixel charge to produce pixel signals from the second component subset of color pixels that were exposed for at least a portion of time during the reading of pixel signals from the first component subset of the panchromatic pixels and digitizing and storing the second component subset signals.
US07855728B2 Imaging apparatus, and casing of an imaging apparatus
A stationary type imaging apparatus reduced in size and in weight. The imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit for imaging an object and a casing carrying the imaging unit and also carrying a component mounting unit on its bottom for mounting component parts of the imaging apparatus. On the component mounting unit, a first wiring board is provided for extending along a bottom plate of the casing, and a second wiring board is provided for extending towards the imaging unit in a state separated from the first wiring board.
US07855724B2 Transitioning between two high resolution images in a slideshow
A method of transitioning between two high resolution images in a slideshow includes replacing a first image with a lower resolution copy of that first image and fading out the lower resolution copy of the first image to reveal a second image. A system for transitioning between two high resolution images in a slideshow includes a video chip having a first video buffer for containing a first image, a second video buffer for containing a second image, and a graphic buffer for containing a lower resolution copy of the first image. The chip is configured to replace the first image with the lower resolution copy of the first image and fade out the lower resolution copy of the first image to reveal the second image.
US07855720B2 Digital-to-analog converter and image display device
Disclosed herein is a digital-to-analog converter. The digital-to-analog converter includes: a higher resistor string; a lower resistor string; an operational amplifier; a higher selector; a lower selector; a first switch; a higher capacitor; a second switch; a third switch; and a control circuit.
US07855717B2 Touch screen apparatus and method
In a method for determining a position of a touch on a touch screen, a first sinusoidal signal is provided to an electrode on a touch screen, the first sinusoidal signal having a frequency. A signal flowing from the first electrode is sensed to generate a sensed signal, and the sensed signal is multiplied by a second sinusoidal signal to generate a first multiplied signal, the second sinusoidal signal having the frequency, the second sinusoidal signal having a phase. The first sensed signal is also multiplied by a third sinusoidal signal to generate a second multiplied signal, the third sinusoidal signal having the frequency, the third sinusoidal signal having a phase different from the phase of the second sinusoidal signal by 90 degrees. The first multiplied signal is filtered to generate a first filtered signal, and the second multiplied signal is filtered to generate a second filtered signal. An estimated touch position is generated based on the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal.
US07855712B2 Replaceable instrument mechanism for haptic devices
A replaceable instrument mechanism for a haptic device comprises a coupler having a coupler body adapted to be connected to an output end of the haptic device. A force transmission mechanism is connected to the coupler body, has a movable connector displaceable along one degree-of-freedom with respect to the coupler body, and is connected to a force feedback system of the haptic device so as to receive force feedback from the haptic device and impart the force feedback to the movable connector. An instrument has an instrument body having a connector end releasably secured to the second end of the coupler body so as to be displaceable with the coupler. A handle portion is manually actuatable in one degree-of-freedom with respect to the instrument body to simulate an operation performed with the instrument. A member is associated with the handle portion so as to move by actuation of the handle portion, and releasably connected to the movable connector of the force transmission mechanism so as to transmit force feedback from the movable connector to the handle portion in response to actuation of the handle portion as detected by the haptic device.
US07855710B2 Electro-optical device, circuit for driving electro-optical device, method of driving electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus
A circuit for driving an electro-optical device, the electro-optical device having a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines divided into groups, each group having a predetermined number of data lines, and a plurality of pixels disposed to correspond to intersections of the plurality of scanning lines and the plurality of data lines, includes a scanning line driving circuit that selects each of the plurality of scanning lines for each selection period, the selection period including a plurality of data output periods, a plurality of image signal lines that correspond to the groups, a plurality of switching elements that switch between conductive states and non-conductive states of the data lines belonging to each group and the image signal lines corresponding to each group, a control circuit that sequentially switches the switching elements corresponding to each group to the conductive states for each data output period in the selection period, and a voltage output circuit that applies a voltage according to a gray-scale level of each pixel to each image signal line in each data output period of the selection period, and applies a predetermined voltage to each image signal line in a period after the last data output period of the selection period has lapsed.
US07855707B2 Liquid crystal display device and driving method thereof
A liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal panel; a horizontal sync signal having a horizontal period; a gate driver that supplies a plurality of gate signals sequentially to a plurality of gate lines, wherein a first gate line provides a gate signal with a gate pulsewidth equal to the horizontal period +α and a second gate line provides a gate signal with a gate pulsewidth equal to the horizontal period +α so that gates signals on the first and second gate lines overlay by 2α and wherein the first and second gate lines are adjacent to one another; and a data driver that supplies pixel data signals to a plurality of data lines on the liquid crystal panel during every period of the horizontal sync signals.
US07855699B2 Drive device and a display device
A display device includes a display panel having rows of scanning lines and columns of data lines; and a matrix of display pixels near intersections of the scanning lines and the data line. A scanning driver circuit which selects display pixels of rows connected to some of the scanning lines, and a signal driver generates display data for each display pixel. The display panel has scanning line groups which constitute sets of scanning lines through which simultaneous selection is performed by the scanning driver circuit; a plurality of scanning signal lines connected to each of the scanning line groups; and a plurality of data line groups which constitute sets of the data lines corresponding to a line count of the display pixels of the rows connected to each of the scanning line groups within the data lines.
US07855698B2 Display driving method and apparatus
A display driving method drives a display to make a gradation display on a screen of the display depending on a length of a light emission time in each of sub fields forming 1 field, where 1 field is a time in which an image is displayed, N sub fields SF1 through SFN form 1 field, and each sub field includes an address display-time in which a wall charge is formed with respect to all pixels which are to emit light within the sub field and a sustain time which is equal to the light emission time and determines a luminance level. The display driving method includes the steps of setting the sustain times of each of the sub fields approximately constant within 1 field, and displaying image data on the display using N+1 gradation levels from a luminance level 0 to a luminance level N.
US07855696B2 Metamaterial antenna arrays with radiation pattern shaping and beam switching
Apparatus, systems and techniques for using composite left and right handed (CRLH) metamaterial (MTM) structure antenna elements and arrays to provide radiation pattern shaping and beam switching.
US07855691B2 Automotive radar using a metamaterial lens
An example apparatus comprises an electromagnetic source, such as an antenna, a metamaterial lens, and a reflector. The antenna is located proximate the metamaterial lens, for example supported by the metamaterial lens, and the antenna is operable to generate radiation when the antenna is energized. The reflector is positioned so as to reflect the radiation through the metamaterial lens. The reflector may have a generally concave reflective surface, for example having a parabolic or spherical cross-section. The metamaterial lens may have an area similar to that of the aperture of the reflector. In some examples, the antenna is located proximate a focal point of the reflector, so that a generally parallel beam is obtained after reflection from the reflector.
US07855689B2 Antenna apparatus for radio communication
An antenna apparatus has a ground plane and a traveling-wave linear antenna The ground plane has a dielectric layer and metallic plates disposed on the dielectric layer. The plates placed on a front side of the ground plane act as a band gap surface. The dielectric constant and thickness of the dielectric layer, the number of plates and the width of spaces among the plates are adjusted, so that the band gap surface prevents propagation of electromagnetic waves within a specific frequency band. The antenna is disposed over the band gap surface on the front side of the ground plane to be spaced away from the band gap surface. The antenna radiates electromagnetic waves of an operational frequency within the specific frequency band in response to an alternating current of the operational frequency fed to the linear antenna.
US07855678B2 Post-mission high accuracy position and orientation system
A method of generating post-mission position and orientation data comprises generating position and orientation data representing positions and orientations of a mobile platform, based on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data and inertial navigation system (INS) data acquired during a data acquisition period by the mobile platform, using a network real-time kinematic (RTK) subsystem to generate correction data associated with the data acquisition period, and correcting the position and orientation data based on the correction data. The RTK subsystem may implement a virtual reference station (VRS) technique to generate the correction data.
US07855664B2 Display system for aircraft
A display system includes information sources containing information relating to an aircraft and its surrounding environment. A processor constructs a three-dimensional synthesis image of the aircraft environment, using the information from the information sources, so as to display the position of the aircraft, the environment through which the aircraft is moving, and the terrain to be flown over. The synthesis image is coherent with information relating to another display. A display unit displays the synthesis image on one area of a display screen.
US07855657B2 Device for communicating environmental information to a visually impaired person
An aid for a blind person (1), includes a distance sensor (3), which creates a distance image of an object (2). The distance information that is generated by the distance sensor (3) is transmitted to a tactile matrix (10), which is integrated into a guide stick (11). The blind person (1) obtains information about his or her environment by touching the tactile matrix (10).
US07855646B2 Inductive coupling in documents
Inductive Coupling in Document 5 A document comprises a substrate. The substrate comprises a coupling circuit having conductive tracks printed on the substrate. The coupling circuit comprises a first coupling part (40) for coupling to a memory tag (14) and of a size to receive a memory tag within the first coupling part, a second coupling (41) part for coupling to a reader, the first coupling part being smaller than the second coupling part, and a connecting part (42) to connect the first coupling part and the second coupling part.
US07855636B2 Method for dynamically adjusting the sensitivity of a sensor in a security system
A method for dynamically changing a control panel response to a transmission from one or more multi-output sensors. The transmission includes a state of a plurality of sensitivity levels for each multi-output sensor indicating multiple outputs. The method comprising the steps of receiving a transmission from the multi-output sensor, determining a source of the transmission, determining a state of each of the sensitivity levels determining if at least one selection criterion is set for selecting one of the plurality of sensitivity levels included in the transmission based upon the determined source. One of the sensitivity levels is selected based upon the determination and an alarm is generated based upon said selected sensitivity level. If more than one selection criterion is set, a priority for the selection criterion is determined.
US07855624B2 System and method for minimizing disturbances by a field emission structure
An improved field emission system and method is provided that involves field emission structures having electric or magnetic field sources. The magnitudes, polarities, and positions of the magnetic or electric field sources are configured to have desirable correlation properties, which may be in accordance with a code. The correlation properties correspond to a desired spatial force function where spatial forces between field emission structures correspond to relative alignment, separation distance, and the spatial force function.
US07855621B2 Reflection-type bandpass filter
A reflection-type bandpass filter for ultra-wideband (UWB) radio data communications is provided. The reflection-type bandpass filter includes a substrate formed by laminating a conducting layer and a dielectric layer, and a microstrip line made of a conductor of a non-uniform width and provided on the dielectric layer. The width distribution of the microstrip line in the lengthwise direction is set such that the absolute value of the difference in reflectivity at the frequency f in the regions f<3.1 GHz and f>10.6 GHz and the reflectivity in the region 3.7 GHz≦f≦10.0 GHz is not less than 10 dB, and the variation of the group delay in the region 3.7 GHz≦f≦10.0 GHz is between −0.2 and 0.2 ns.
US07855612B2 Direct coaxial interface for circuits
In general, in accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present invention, a low-loss interface for connecting an integrated circuit such as a monolithic microwave integrated circuit to an energy transmission device such as a waveguide is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the interface comprises a coaxial structure such as a coaxial cable that directly connects the monolithic microwave integrated circuit to the waveguide to transmit energy such as microwave energy with minimal loss.
US07855608B2 System and method for providing temperature correction in a crystal oscillator
A system and method for providing temperature compensation in a oscillator component (such as a crystal oscillator component) that includes a closely-located temperature sensing device. The crystal oscillator component in example systems and methods is exposed to a temperature profile during a calibration procedure. Temperature and frequency data are collected and applied to coefficient generating function according to a temperature compensation model to generate a set of coefficients that are used in the temperature compensation model in an application device. The generated coefficients are stored in a coefficient memory accessible to an application device during operation.
US07855606B2 Oscillator device
An oscillator device having an oscillation system including an oscillator and a resilient supporting member, a driving member configured to supply a driving force to the oscillation system based on a driving signal, a detecting member configured to detect at least an oscillation amplitude of the oscillator, a driving amplitude control unit configured to control at least a driving amplitude of the driving signal, and a driving frequency control unit configured to control a driving frequency of the driving signal to be supplied to the driving member, wherein, in a state in which the driving amplitude control unit controls the driving amplitude of a driving signal so that the oscillation amplitude to be detected becomes equal to a target value, and on the basis of information including driving frequencies in different driving states being driven with driving signals of these driving frequencies as well as the controlled driving amplitude, the driving frequency control unit acquires, as a resonance frequency of the oscillation system, a driving frequency with which the driving amplitude of the driving signal becomes minimal.
US07855595B2 High dynamic range ASK demodulator for use in an RFID transponder
An ASK demodulator for use in an RFID transponder having a limiter circuit associated with the antenna circuit and converting the ASK antenna field strength modulation into an ASK limiter current modulation by limiting the antenna voltage to a fixed value and thereby causing the limiter current to be substantially proportional to the ASK antenna field strength, and a current discriminator circuit that discriminates the ASK limiter current modulation. By converting the field strength modulation into a proportional limiter current and discriminating that limiter current, a linear relationship and a stable demodulator sensitivity are achieved. The current discrimination can be made accurately under low-voltage conditions.
US07855593B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit device
A semiconductor integrated circuit device enhanced in design efficiency while achieving multi-functionalization and power saving is to be provided. The semiconductor integrated circuit device has first through third circuit blocks, and is placed in a first power supply state in which the operation of internal circuits in the first circuit block is guaranteed in accordance with an instruction from the third circuit block or a second power supply state in which the operation of the internal circuits is not guaranteed. The second circuit block has an input unit which receives signals supplied from the first circuit block, and the input unit of the second circuit block has an input circuit which, in accordance with a control signal sent from said third circuit block to said second circuit block, causes a specific signal level to be maintained in compliance with the operating voltage of the second circuit block irrespective of the signal supplied from the first circuit block when the third circuit block instructs the second power supply state to the first circuit block.
US07855591B2 Method and system for providing a charge pump very low voltage applications
A method and system for providing an output voltage greater than a voltage provided by a voltage supply in a semiconductor device are disclosed. The method and system include providing a plurality of clock signals, providing a first stage and providing a second stage. The first stage includes at least a first pumping node, a pumping capacitor and a device coupled with the pumping node, and an auxiliary capacitor pair for providing an undershoot for the device for value(s) of the clock. The auxiliary and pumping capacitors receive a first portion of the clock signals. The second stage includes at least a second pumping node. The first and second portions of the clock signals are provided to the first and second stages, respectively. The first stage and the second stage are configured to alternately charge and fully discharge based on the clock signals.
US07855589B2 Pulse generator circuit and communication apparatus
A pulse generator circuit that outputs pulses having a predetermined shape from an output terminal based on a start signal includes a timing generator circuit that generates (n+1) signals (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2), the phases of which sequentially change at predetermined time intervals from the point when the phase of the start signal changes, first and second power supplies that supply predetermined potentials, n impedance devices, and a switching circuit that connects the output terminal to the first or second power supply in a predetermined order according to the value of a logic function based on the (n+1) signals via the corresponding impedance device.
US07855588B2 Clock signal generation apparatus
A clock signal generation apparatus containing variable delay devices for varying the delay time of two-phase clock signals used in a load circuit that uses non-overlap clock signals; a non-overlap detector for detecting a non-overlap time in the H-level zones of the two-phase clock signals and outputting a detection signal corresponding to the non-overlap time; and a control signal generation section for generating a control signal that is used to control the variable delay devices on the basis of the detection signal from the non-overlap detector, and capable of securely generating the two-phase clock signals having an optimal non-overlap time while absorbing fluctuations due to temperature characteristics, power supply voltage characteristics and individual differences in components.
US07855582B2 Device and method for detecting a timing of an edge of a signal with respect to a predefined edge of a periodic signal
A device and method for detecting timing of an edge of a signal with respect to a timing of a predefined edge of a periodic signal is provided, wherein the edge defines a state change between a first state and a second state of the signal, and wherein the device can include: a phase-shift element to shift the phase of the signal relative to the phase of the periodic signal by a phase shift value at which the state change can be sensed at a point in time determined by the timing of the predefined edge; and a detection element to detect the timing of the edge relative to the timing of the predefined edge on the basis of the phase shift value. The phase-shift element can be an adjustable delay element for delaying the signal by an adjustable delay value as a phase shift value.
US07855572B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit device operating frequency determining apparatus, determining method and computer-readable information recording medium
A variation in manufacturing total costs is obtained by using an excessive loss amount caused by unnecessarily discarding elemental semiconductor integrated circuits occurring as a result of a negative result being obtained in an elemental test but a positive result obtained from a device test, and a short loss amount caused by packaging elemental semiconductor integrated circuits for semiconductor integrated circuit devices that are discarded as a result of a positive result being obtained from the elemental test but a negative result being obtained from the device test. A new operating frequency is determined by using the variation in manufacturing total costs with respect to an operating frequency.
US07855569B2 Wafer holder for wafer prober and wafer prober equipped with the same
The invention provides a wafer-prober wafer holder that allows positional precision and temperature uniformity to be increased, and also allows the chip to be heated and cooled rapidly, and a wafer prober device provided with the same. The wafer-prober wafer holder of the invention is constituted by a chuck top having a chuck top conducting layer on its surface, and a support member for supporting the chuck top, and has a cavity in a portion between the chuck top and the support member. The chuck top preferably is provided with a heating member.
US07855567B2 Electronic device testing system and method
The invention provides a testing system and method suitable for determining whether the pins of the socket are properly connected to a printed circuit board. The testing system includes a testing signal source, a socket, a signal sensing unit, a fixing element, and an analysis unit. The signal sensing unit comprises a sensor board, a probe, and an operation amplifier. The sensor board is electrically coupled to the socket, and the sensor board has a probing point. The probe is selectively contacted with the probing point of the sensor board for receiving and outputting a sensing signal. The operation amplifier is electrically connected to the probe for receiving, amplifying and outputting the sensing signal. The fixing element is used for fixing the sensor board between the socket and the fixing element.
US07855554B2 Semiconductor device, magnetic sensor, and physical quantity sensor
A semiconductor device includes: a detection Hall element for detecting a magnetic field; a temperature monitor Hall element; and a calculation circuit. The detection Hall element has a characteristic, which is almost a same as the temperature monitor Hall element. The detection Hall element is disposed near the temperature monitor Hall element. The detection Hall element outputs a Hall voltage. The temperature monitor Hall element includes a pair of driving signal supply terminals for outputting a temperature monitor voltage. The calculation circuit calculates to cancel a temperature characteristic of the Hall voltage based on the Hall voltage and the temperature monitor voltage.
US07855548B2 Low labor enclosure assembly
There is disclosed a base member for holding, without screws, a printed circuit board having conductive traces and electronic components and which can fit into an electric outlet box. The base member has walls which define a cavity where at least one wall of the cavity has a rib, the top of which functions as a stop for the printed circuit board. A cap having snap features adapted to engage the walls of the cavity restricts removal of the printed circuit board when snapped into position on top of the printed circuit board. The cap conceals the electronics on the printed circuit board and has at least one rib on its bottom surface to apply pressure to the printed circuit board assembly to help hold it in place. An aperture in the cap provides access to a pin header which is electrically connected to the printed circuit board. A screw terminal block is provided to connect the terminals on the pin header to a sensor. The printed circuit board has one edge an open side hour glass shape aperture which provides strain relief for wires from the printed circuit board. Opposite ends of the aperture hold two wires captive and the space between the two wires holds captive a third wire.
US07855547B2 Drawing waveforms in no dead time acquisition system
A method of drawing a waveform image in a no dead time acquisition system, where consecutive drawing frames overlap, uses a master/slave relationship between two fast rasterizers. The master rasterizer draws a first display frame in response to a first trigger event in a trigger signal derived from an input signal. The slave rasterizer draws a second display frame in response to a subsequent trigger event in the trigger signal. The portion of the second display frame that duplicates data contained in the first display frame is either (a) suppressed when the first and second display frames are combined to form the waveform image or (b) displayed in a different shade/color. Alternatively the first display frame may be compressed by 50% to form a first portion of the waveform image and the non-duplicative portion of the second display frame is compressed by 50% to form a second portion of the waveform image, the first and second portions being drawn contiguously when the first and second display frames are combined to form the waveform image.
US07855542B2 Voltage regulator startup method and apparatus
A voltage regulator circuit comprises an amplifier, bias network and startup circuit. The bias network is configured to generate a bias voltage for setting a bias current in the amplifier. The startup circuit is configured to mirror the amplifier bias current and to assist the bias network in setting the amplifier bias current based on the mirrored amplifier bias current until the bias voltage approximates a desired level.
US07855535B2 Inrush current control
One embodiment of the present invention includes a power supply system. The power supply system comprises a variable voltage source configured to provide and incrementally increase a control voltage associated with a pass-transistor. The power supply system also comprises an inrush current monitor configured to monitor a current-flow through the pass-transistor. The power supply system further comprises a voltage control circuit configured to halt the incremental increase of the control voltage in response to the current-flow exceeding a predetermined current limit.
US07855534B2 Method for regulating a voltage using a dual loop linear voltage regulator with high frequency noise reduction
A method for regulating a voltage using a linear voltage regulator is provided. The linear voltage regulator has a first circuit with a primary output node and a second circuit having first and second inverters electrically coupled to the primary output node. The method includes receiving a first voltage from a voltage source at the first circuit. The method further includes removing frequency components of the first voltage in a first frequency range to obtain an output voltage at the primary output node utilizing the first circuit. The method further includes removing frequency components of the output voltage in a second frequency range utilizing the first and second inverters of the second circuit, the second frequency range being greater than the first frequency range.
US07855524B2 Voltage control and power factor correction in AC induction motors
A voltage control circuit is disclosed. A power factor corrector may utilize the control circuit to provide power factor correction for an AC induction motor. An AC induction motor system may combine the power factor correct with an AC induction motor.
US07855513B2 Device and method for gas treatment using pulsed corona discharges
A plasma reactor is provided, which includes a discharge chamber with dimensional characteristics and configuration of dielectric and electrodes so as to enhance efficiency based on the characteristics of the corona discharge streamers generated. Upon application of a pulsed high voltage potential, the discharge chamber enables formation of plasma where surface streamers play a greater role in the overall energy density of the discharge chamber than gas streamers. The formation of gas streamers is constrained. Because surface streamers have a higher energy density, the present invention is able to achieve improved energy efficiency while preserving effectiveness for gas treatment.
US07855511B2 Plasma lamp with phase control
A plasma lamp for an electrodeless plasma lamp having a waveguide body with an effective dielectric constant of at least 2. A drive probe is coupled to the waveguide body to provide the primary power for ignition and steady state operation of the lamp. A phase shifter is used to adjust the phase of the power provided to the drive probe between ignition and steady state operation. The phase shifter may also be used to adjust brightness during steady state operation.
US07855509B2 Transparent drying agent and organic electroluminescent device
A transparent drying agent includes a mixture of an alkoxide of the Group II, Group III or Group IV metal and a transparent organic polymer which is inert to and soluble with this metal alkoxide.
US07855501B2 LED with phosphor layer having different thickness or different phosphor concentration
A light-emitting device (1) includes a substrate (10), a light-emitting element (12) that is mounted on the substrate (10) and includes a luminous region (12b) and a nonluminous region (12a), and a phosphor layer (13) that is formed to cover the light-emitting element (12). The thickness of the phosphor layer (13a) located on the nonluminous region (12a) is smaller than that of the phosphor layer (13b) located on the luminous region (12b). The light-emitting device (1) can suppress nonuniform luminescent color.
US07855490B2 Planar spring assembly with attached solder strip and method for making same
There is disclosed for use with a piezoelectric stack, first and second side electrodes, each side electrode having two serpentine shape members positioned in a common plane, where the two serpentine shape members of an electrode have alternately spaced conductive fingers which project outward toward each other. The conductive fingers are adapted to be electrically coupled to the ends of alternate ones of internal electrode layers of the piezoelectric stack. The undersides of the conductive fingers which contact the ends of the internal electrodes are provided with a solder material to provide good electrical contact by applying the soldered finger to the internal electrode and applying heat to reflow the solder. The serpentine shape of the side electrodes here disclosed provides high flexibility which can absorb displacement of the internal electrodes as they move up, down, in and out as the piezoelectric layers of the stack expand and contract. This flexibility helps to avoid electrical contact separation between the side electrodes and the internal electrodes.
US07855465B2 Three plus three phase flywheel electric power supply
A flywheel power supply includes a motor-generator having a polyphase stator.
US07855459B2 Modified gold-tin system with increased melting temperature for wafer bonding
A semiconductor structure and a bonding method are disclosed that includes a device wafer, a substrate wafer, and a metal bonding system between the device wafer and the substrate wafer. The metal bonding system includes gold, tin, and nickel, and includes at least one discrete layer of gold and tin that is at least about 88 percent gold by weight.
US07855457B2 Stacked multilayer structure and manufacturing method thereof
A stacked multilayer structure according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a stacked layer part including a plurality of conducting layers and a plurality of insulating layers, said plurality of insulating layers being stacked alternately with each layer of said plurality of conducting layers, one of said plurality of insulating layers being a topmost layer among said plurality of conducting layers and said plurality of insulating layers; and a plurality of contacts, each contact of said plurality of contacts being formed from said topmost layer and each contact of said plurality of contacts being in contact with a respective conducting layer of said plurality of conducting layers, a side surface of each of said plurality of contacts being insulated from said plurality of conducting layers via an insulating film.
US07855452B2 Semiconductor module, method of manufacturing semiconductor module, and mobile device
An electrode for a semiconductor device is formed on the mounting surface (particularly, the outer periphery thereof) of a semiconductor substrate in a semiconductor module. In order to secure a large gap between the electrodes, an insulating layer is formed on the electrode. Also formed are a plurality of bumps penetrating the insulating layer and connected to the electrode, and a rewiring pattern integrally formed with the bumps. The rewiring pattern includes a bump area and a wiring area extending contiguously with the bump area.The insulating layer is formed to have a concave upper surface in an interval between the bumps, and the wiring area of the rewiring pattern is formed to fit that upper surface. The wiring area of the rewiring pattern is formed to be depressed toward the semiconductor substrate in relation to the bump area of the rewiring pattern.
US07855451B2 Device having a contacting structure
A layer of electrically insulating material is applied to a substrate and a component located thereon, in such a way that said layer follows the surface contours.
US07855448B2 Optimization of routing layers and board space requirements for ball grid array package implementations including array corner considerations
A method and apparatus for improved contact pad arrays and land patterns for integrated circuit packages are presented. A plurality of conductive pads are arranged in an array of rows and columns. At least one edge of a perimeter of the array is not fully populated with conductive pads. Spaces created in the edge by missing conductive pads create additional routing channels for signals from conductive pads within the array to be routed external to the array through the edge. A land pattern may have routing channels on one or more layers of a printed circuit board. In such a multi-layer land pattern, spaces can be created in edges on any number of the layers. Furthermore, corner pad arrangements having known routing channel characteristics can be used in any number of corners of a land pattern that incorporates spaces in an edge.
US07855441B2 Semiconductor card package and method of forming the same
A semiconductor card package and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor cared package are provided. The package may include a housing having a cavity. The cavity may have a size corresponding to at least one standard semiconductor package. External terminals may be exposed on the outside of the housing. Internal terminals may be disposed in the cavity. At least one internal semiconductor package may be inserted into the cavity. The internal semiconductor package includes I/O terminals. Each of the I/O terminals is connected to a corresponding one of the internal terminals.
US07855440B2 Functional device-mounted module and a process for producing the same
An optical functional device-mounted module and a producing process thereof. A bank to dam a liquid sealing resin is provided on a substrate around an optical functional device, the substrate being formed with a predetermined wiring pattern and having the optical functional device mounted thereon. The liquid sealing resin is filled between the functional device and the bank by dropping the liquid sealing resin therebetween. A package component member having a light transmission hole corresponding to an optical function part of the optical functional device is brought into contact with the bank such that the light transmission hole is opposed to the function part of the optical functional device, thereby causing the package component member to contact with the liquid sealing resin. The package component member is fixed onto the substrate by curing the liquid sealing resin and the bank is finally cut off and removed.
US07855438B2 Deep via construction for a semiconductor device
An integrated circuit semiconductor device includes a substrate, a deep via within the substrate which is provided with a dielectric cladding in contact with the substrate, metal fill located within the deep via and defining an upper surface, interconnect wiring, and a dielectric layer located above the deep via and a void between the upper surface of the metal fill and the dielectric layer. The interconnect wiring layer contacts the metal fill laterally.
US07855436B2 Semiconductor wafer
A semiconductor wafer includes an insulation substrate with transparency; a silicon semiconductor layer formed on the insulation substrate; a chip forming area defined on the silicon semiconductor layer; a scribe line area defined on the silicon semiconductor layer for dividing the chip forming area; and an opaque pattern layer formed in the scribe line area. A plurality of opaque pattern portions is arranged apart from each other in the opaque pattern layer.
US07855425B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
The invention is directed to providing a smaller semiconductor device having a light emitting element with a low manufacturing cost and a method of manufacturing the same. An adhesive layer 9 and conductive pastes 10a, 10b are selectively applied to a front surface of a semiconductor substrate 6. Then, a light emitting element (a LED die 4) is formed on the semiconductor substrate 6. A P type semiconductor layer 3 is connected to the conductive paste 10a, and an N type semiconductor layer 2 is connected to the conductive paste 10b. The LED die 4 is thus electrically connected to pad electrodes 8a, 8b through the conductive pastes 10a, 10b. Then, a protection layer 12 having openings in the positions corresponding to the pad electrodes 8a, 8b is formed on the semiconductor substrate 6. Electrode connection layers 13 and conductive terminals 14 are then formed on the pad electrodes 8a, 8b, 8c in the openings. The protection layer 12, the semiconductor substrate 6 and so on are then cut along a predetermined dicing line DL and separated into individual dies.
US07855422B2 Formation of high sheet resistance resistors and high capacitance capacitors by a single polysilicon process
A semiconductor device includes a transistor, a capacitor and a resistor wherein the capacitor includes a doped polysilicon layer to function as a bottom conductive layer with a salicide block (SAB) layer as a dielectric layer covered by a Ti/TiN layer as a top conductive layer thus constituting a single polysilicon layer metal-insulator-polysilicon (MIP) structure. While the high sheet rho resistor is also formed on the same single polysilicon layer with differential doping of the polysilicon layer.
US07855421B2 Embedded phase-change memory and method of fabricating the same
An embedded memory required for a high performance, multifunction SOC, and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The memory includes a bipolar transistor, a phase-change memory device and a MOS transistor, adjacent and electrically connected, on a substrate. The bipolar transistor includes a base composed of SiGe disposed on a collector. The phase-change memory device has a phase-change material layer which is changed from an amorphous state to a crystalline state by a current, and a heating layer composed of SiGe that contacts the lower surface of the phase-change material layer.
US07855406B2 Solid-state imaging device and method of manufacturing the same
An n/p−/p+ substrate where a p−-type epitaxial layer and an n-type epitaxial layer have been deposited on a p+-type substrate is provided. In the surface region of the n-type epitaxial layer, the n-type region of a photoelectric conversion part has been formed. Furthermore, a barrier layer composed of a p-type semiconductor region has been formed so as to enclose the n-type region of the photoelectric conversion part in a plane and reach the p−-type epitaxial layer from the substrate surface. A p-type semiconductor region has also been formed at a chip cutting part for dividing the substrate into individual devices so as to reach the p−-type epitaxial layer from the substrate surface.
US07855405B2 Thin film transistor and display panel having the same
A thin film transistor includes a gate part which includes a gate electrode and a light blocking electrode extending from the gate electrode. The light blocking electrode prevents a light provided from beneath the gate electrode from being guided to a semiconductor layer. The light blocking electrode is overlapped by two source electrodes and a drain electrode arranged between the two source electrodes, all of which have an I-shape. The width of the light blocking electrode is selected so that a parasitic capacitance between a source part and the gate part may be controlled. Thus, a photocurrent of the thin film transistor may be reduced, and a kickback voltage difference between pixels in the display panel may also be reduced.
US07855402B2 Compound semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same
In a HEMT with a spacer layer composed of a 3 nm-thick intrinsic InAlAs layer, a supply layer composed of a 4 nm-thick n-type InAlAs layer, and a barrier layer composed of a 5 nm-thick intrinsic InAlAs layer, the spacer layer and supply layer exist between a channel layer and a planar-doped layer and the total thickness of these layers is approximately 7 nm. For this reason, the impurity (Si) in the planar-doped layer never diffuses into the channel layer, making available an excellent low-noise characteristic. In addition, since an intrinsic semiconductor layer is used as the barrier layer, it is possible to obtain an adequate gate withstand voltage even if the barrier layer is made thinner. It is therefore possible to cancel the degradation of the transconductance gm by thinning the barrier layer.
US07855398B2 Ceramic light emitting device package
A light emitting device comprising a ceramic substrate is disclosed. And embodiment of the substrate comprises a mounting portion, a peripheral wall extending from the mounting portion, and a reflective surface extending from the peripheral wall opposite the mounting portion. The reflective surface has a reflective material located thereon. The peripheral wall, the mounting portion, and the reflective surface form a well. A light emitter is located adjacent the mounting portion. A transparent material is located in the well. The peripheral wall is devoid of the reflective material.
US07855394B2 LED array package covered with a highly thermal conductive plate
A light source includes a substrate, a light emitting diode on the substrate, and a phosphor layer over the light emitting diode. A plate is on the phosphor layer. An attachment member is coupled to the plate and is configured to conduct heat away from the plate.
US07855387B2 Light-emitting device and electronic apparatus
A light-emitting device includes a drive transistor that controls a current to be supplied to a light-emitting element from a power supply line, an electrical continuity portion that electrically connects the drive transistor with the light-emitting element, an initializing transistor that is turned ON to diode-connect the drive transistor, and a connecting portion that electrically connects the drive transistor with the initializing transistor. The power supply line includes a first portion extending in a predetermined direction. The electrical continuity portion and the connecting portion are formed from the same layer as that of the power supply line and are located on one side along the width of the first portion across the drive transistor.
US07855386B2 N-type group III nitride semiconductor layered structure
An object of the present invention is to provide a low-resistance n-type Group III nitride semiconductor layered structure having excellent flatness and few pits.The inventive n-type group III nitride semiconductor layered structure comprises a substrate and, stacked on the substrate, an n-type impurity concentration periodic variation layer comprising an n-type impurity atom higher concentration layer and an n-type impurity atom lower concentration layer, said lower concentration layer being stacked on said higher concentration layer.
US07855375B2 Integrative and real-time radiation measurement methods and systems
A method of determining the radiation type and energy distribution of a radiation source that outputs radiation. The method including providing a plurality of detector materials and exposing the plurality of detector materials to the radiation. Each of the plurality of detector materials stores a signal in response to being exposed to the radiation. The signals are representative of the radiation. The plurality of detector materials is stimulated to output the signals as measured signals. These measured signals are used to determine the radiation type and energy distribution of the radiation.
US07855373B2 Charged particle gun
An electron gun (1) includes an emitter (2), a tubular support (3) and an adaptor (4) for receiving the emitter. The adaptor includes a tapered plugging surface (7) and the tubular support includes a correspondingly tapered seating surface (9) for receiving the plugging surface. The plugging surface and seating surface have conical profiles which help to position the adaptor concentrically with the support.
US07855368B2 Air-coupled acoustic thermography for in-situ evaluation
Acoustic thermography uses a housing configured for thermal, acoustic and infrared radiation shielding. For in-situ applications, the housing has an open side adapted to be sealingly coupled to a surface region of a structure such that an enclosed chamber filled with air is defined. One or more acoustic sources are positioned to direct acoustic waves through the air in the enclosed chamber and towards the surface region. To activate and control each acoustic source, a pulsed signal is applied thereto. An infrared imager focused on the surface region detects a thermal image of the surface region. A data capture device records the thermal image in synchronicity with each pulse of the pulsed signal such that a time series of thermal images is generated. For enhanced sensitivity and/or repeatability, sound and/or vibrations at the surface region can be used in feedback control of the pulsed signal applied to the acoustic sources.
US07855367B2 Remote sensing of gas leaks
A gas filter correlation radiometer mounted on an aircraft is flown over a target area. The gas filter correlation radiometer is configured to detect ethane (C2H6) gas in the event of a gas leak. The gas filter correlation radiometer uses background radiation to detect ethane.
US07855359B2 Mass spectrometer equipped with MALDI ion source and sample plate for MALDI ion source
A mass spectrometer is equipped with a MAILDI ion source facilitating both individual management of sample plates and mass calibration based on information about distortion in the sample plates. Also, sample plates adapted to be used in the MALDI ion source are provided. Identification information about each sample plate and information about distortion, i.e., topography, in the surface of the sample plate are engraved on the surface of the sample plate. These sets of information are also registered as an electronic file. During measurement, these sets of information are read by observation means and used for individual management of sample plates and mass calibration of mass spectra.
US07855355B2 High-voltage power unit and mass spectrometer using the power unit
The output terminal P2 of the positive voltage generating circuit 2 and the output terminal Q1 of the negative voltage generating circuit 4 are connected in series. The output terminal Q2 of the negative voltage generating circuit 4 is connected to the ground via the resistor 10. Each of the resistors 6 and 7 is respectively connected in parallel to the voltage generating circuits 2 and 4. A high voltage whose polarity is changed is taken from the output terminal P1 of the positive voltage generating circuit 2. For changing the output voltage from positive to negative one, the control circuit 1 controls each of the drive circuits 3 and 5 so that the output of the positive voltage generating circuit 2 changes from the voltage +HV to zero and the output of the negative voltage generating circuit 4 simultaneously changes from zero to −HV. Accordingly, the output voltage changes in a short period of time. Although a high-voltage-resistance resistor is required in this configuration, it is far more inexpensive and has higher reliability compared to a high-voltage relay or a semiconductor switch which has been conventionally used.
US07855353B2 Vehicle window camera arrangement having camera with camera portions handling separate image and intensity acquisition functions using same light-guiding element portion
A camera arrangement includes a camera, a light source, and a light-guide which are in an inside region separated from an outside region by a window. The camera and the light source are pointed at the window. The light-guide is between the camera and the window and between the light source and the window. The light-guide couples light incident to the window from the outside region towards a portion of the camera. The light-guide couples light from the light source into the window which is reflected at the interface between the window and the outside region and couples the reflected light towards another portion of the camera. The camera records an image indicative of the incident light from the outside region through the light-guide and records an intensity of the reflected light from the light source through the light-guide.
US07855352B2 Shielding door device for radiation inspection system
A radiation inspection system includes a shielding door device for a radiation inspection system, comprising a door body, two guides located on two opposite sides of the door body, a rack, a gear and a motor. The two guides are fixed on an upper surface of a frame and the door body is movably connected to the two guides via bearings. The rack is fixed on a bottom of the door body and meshed with the gear. The gear is coupled with a shaft of the motor fixed on a lower surface of the frame. This configuration is advantageous in automatic and complete shielding of the radiation inspection system without interference. In addition the shielding door can be controlled intelligently, so that accidental radiation leakage can be prevented.
US07855350B2 Apparatus and method for clamping sheet-metal components
An apparatus is provided for clamping components during machining, in particular during welding of sheet-metal components arranged in two or multiple layers. The apparatus includes a holder for a machining head, in particular for a laser machining head, a pressure-exerting element fitted on the holder in a movable fashion relative thereto, a pressure-exerting device provided operatively between the holder and the pressure-exerting element and having a first actuating element for moving the pressure-exerting element relative to the holder into a first direction, and a second actuating element for moving the pressure-exerting element into a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, and a force-setting device for controlling the pressure-exerting device in order to set a clamping force. During welding, the clamping force is exerted on the sheet-metal components by the pressure-exerting element.
US07855343B2 Measuring device having hopper with adjustable shape and adjustable opening degrees
A measuring device is arranged to store a block or group of a plurality of objects in a state where the objects are congested in the block, to suppress the scattering magnification of the objects when the objects are dropped off to prevent failures such as seal bite in a filling device disposed below the measuring device, to shorten the dropping length of the objects, and to reduce the contact resistance of the objects to a receiving opening of the filling device during the objects are dropped off to attain the discharging speed of the objects. The shapes and opening degrees of a gate unit can be changed so that a lower opening of a hopper is disposed inside the receiving opening of the filling device in a top plan view.
US07855339B2 Electrical junction box cover system for use near water
An electrical junction box cover system includes a waterproof dome-like covering lid allowing the system to be installed near water. The system also includes a manual power switch with a manual actuator installed on the outside of the covering lid and accessible to the user. The switch actuator has three positions, wherein the actuator in the first position turns an external load circuit on, in the second position it turns the external circuit off, and in the third position it enables the remotely controlled operation of the external circuit. A remote control receiver with an electronic control module and an electric power switch are included in the system as an assembly in order to allow a remotely controlled operation of the system.
US07855338B2 Electrical box with movable mounting system
An electrical box is disclosed, wherein the electrical box includes a mounting system that facilitates a repositioning of the electrical box on a mounting structure without a complete removal of fastening devices from the mounting structure.
US07855335B2 Beam integration for concentrating solar collector
A concentrating solar collector that utilizes a solar collector optical system to concentrate solar light onto a PV cell (image plane), wherein the solar collector optical system includes an array of first optical elements that divide the solar light into separate beams, and a secondary optical system that integrates (superimposes) the separate beams in a defocused state at the image plane, thereby forming a uniform light distribution pattern on the PV cell. The secondary optical system is positioned at a distance from the aperture plane, whereby the rays of each separate beam leaving the secondary optical element are parallel. The image plane (PV cell) is located at the back focal point of the second image element, whereby all of the separate beams are superimposed on the PV cell in a defocused state. Optional intervening third optical elements are used to increase the acceptance angle.
US07855329B1 Maize variety PHGMT
A novel maize variety designated PHGMT and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PHGMT with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PHGMT through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PHGMT or a trait conversion of PHGMT with another maize variety. Inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHGMT, methods for producing other inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHGMT and the inbred maize varieties and their parts derived by the use of those methods.
US07855328B2 Defensin polynucleotides and methods of use
Methods and compositions for modulating development and defense responses are provided. Nucleotide sequences encoding defensin proteins are provided. The sequences can be used in expression cassettes for modulating development, developmental pathways, and defense responses. Transformed plants, plant cells, tissues, and seed are also provided.
US07855326B2 Methods for weed control using plants having dicamba-degrading enzymatic activity
The invention provides methods for weed control with dicamba and related herbicides. It was found that pre-emergent applications of dicamba at or near planting could be made without significant crop damage or yield loss. The techniques can be combined with the herbicide glyphosate to improve the degree of weed control and permit control of herbicide tolerant weeds.
US07855324B2 Protein kinase stress-related proteins and methods of use in plants
A transgenic plant transformed by a Protein Kinase Stress-Related Protein (PKSRP) coding nucleic acid, wherein expression of the nucleic acid sequence in the plant results in increased tolerance to environmental stress as compared to a wild type variety of the plant. Also provided are agricultural products, including seeds, produced by the transgenic plants. Also provided are isolated PKSRPs, and isolated nucleic acid coding PKSRPs, and vectors and host cells containing the latter.
US07855307B2 Method for producing a purified borazine compound, method for filling a borazine compound, and container for preserving a borazine compound
On producing a purified borazine compound, a borazine compound is filtrated under an atmospheric condition of a water content of not higher than 2000 volume ppm. Or, on filling a borazine compound into a container, the above described borazine compound is filled into the above described container under an atmospheric condition of a water content of not higher than 2000 volume ppm. Or, as a container for preservation for preserving a borazine compound, a container for preserving a borazine compound, which has withstanding pressure of not lower than 0.1 MPa, is used.
US07855306B2 Process for the production of acetic acid
A process for the reduction and/or removal of permanganate reducing compounds formed by the carbonylation of methanol in the presence of a Group VIII metal carbonylation catalyst to produce acetic acid is disclosed. More specifically, a process for reducing and/or removing permanganate reducing compounds or their precursors from intermediate streams during the formation of acetic acid by said carbonylation processes is disclosed. In particular, a process in which a low boiling overhead vapor stream from a light ends column is subjected to a single distillation to obtain an overhead that is subjected to an extraction to selectively remove and/or reduce PRC's from the process is disclosed.
US07855296B1 Method for synthesizing 2-carbomethoxytropinone
Disclosed is a method of making (−)-cocaine efficient for use on a large scale. The cocaine is created by reacting an aqueous solution of (+)-2-carbomethoxytropinone (2-CMT) bitartrate, sodium amalgam and an acid that forms a highly soluble sodium salt to form (−)-methylecgonine. (−)-Methylecgonine is converted into (−)-cocaine. Sodium amalgam is continuously supplied from an electrolyzing unit to a reactor containing the aqueous solution of (+)-2-carbomethoxytropinone bitartrate and spent amalgam is continuously removed and regenerated. The aqueous solution is prepared by adding (rac)-2-CMT in chloroform to a solution of (+)-tartaric acid in water to create an aqueous phase having diastereomeric salts of 2-CMT with (+)-tartaric acid. An organic solvent is added to the aqueous phase and the crystals obtained from the combined aqueous phase and organic solvent are dried to obtain substantially pure crystalline (+)-2-carbomethoxytropinone bitartrate. The (rac)-2-CMT in chloroform is prepared by extracting 2-CMT from a citric acid solution.
US07855295B2 Tetrahydrocarboline compounds as anticancer agents
Tetrahydrocarboline compounds, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and prodrugs thereof; compositions that include a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and one or more of the tetrahydrocarboline compounds, either alone or in combination with at least one additional therapeutic agent. Methods of using the tetrahydrocarboline compounds, either alone or in combination with at least one additional therapeutic agent, in the prophylaxis or treatment of proliferative diseases.
US07855290B2 Pyridine derivatives and pyrimidine derivatives (3)
A compound represented by the following formula, a salt thereof or a hydrate of the foregoing has an excellent hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR) inhibitory activity, and exhibits anti-tumor activity, angiogenesis inhibitory activity and cancer metastasis inhibitory activity. [R1 represents a 3- to 10-membered non-aromatic heterocyclic group or the like; R2 and R3 represent hydrogen; R4, R5, R6, and R7 may be the same or different and each represents hydrogen, halogen, C1-6 alkyl or the like; R8 represents hydrogen or the like; R9 represents a 3- to 10-membered non-aromatic heterocyclic group or the like; n represents an integer of 1 or 2; X represents —CH═, nitrogen or the like.]
US07855287B2 Preparation of high purity phenothiazine N-alkylsulfonates and their use in chemiluminescent assays for the measurement of peroxidase activity
A process is described for preparing, efficiently and with a high degree of purity N-alkylsulfonates of phenothiazine. The process consists in (a) the preparation of the phenothiazine anion, and (b) the reaction of said anion with cyclic alkyl sulfonates, such as 1,3-propane sultone and 1,4-butane sultone. This process is simpler, more direct, and more efficient than the procedures currently used for the synthesis of N-alkylsulfonates derivatives of phenothiazine. In addition, the products obtained with this process are far more pure than those obtained through current procedures and therefore ideal for bioanalytical applications that require high sensitivity, such as assays based on the measurement of peroxidase activity using chemiluminescence.
US07855282B2 Protein, a gene encoding therefor and a method of using the same
An object of the present invention is to search and identify novel antifungal proteins capable of inhibiting the growth of plant pathogenic microorganisms including Magnaporthe grisea and Rhizoctonia solani causing two major rice diseases at relatively low concentrations, and further to clone a gene for said protein. The present invention provides an antifungal protein which can be obtained from fraction(s) precipitated by ammonium sulfate precipitation using an aqueous extract from Pleurotus cornucopiae, wherein said protein has an antifungal activity against at least rice blast, and exhibits existence of a component having a molecular weight of about 15 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE method; a gene encoding said protein and uses thereof.
US07855267B2 Film(s) and/or sheet(s) comprising polyester compositions which comprise cyclobutanediol and have a certain combination of inherent viscosity and moderate glass transition temperature
Described are film(s) and/or sheet(s) comprising polyesters comprising (a) a dicarboxylic acid component having terephthalic acid residues; optionally, aromatic dicarboxylic acid residues or aliphatic dicarboxylic residues; 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol residues; and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol residues.
US07855265B2 Use of ester-modified organopolysiloxanes for producing cosmetic or pharmaceutical compositions
The invention relates to emulsifier systems containing ester-modified, polyether-free organopolysiloxanes, to their use, in particular the production of cosmetic, dermatological or pharmaceutical formulations and also of care and cleaning compositions, and also the products themselves produced with the help of the emulsifier systems.
US07855263B2 Process for producing thermoformed articles
A process for obtaining thermoformed articles, comprising the following steps: a) forming a sheet comprising a propylene resin; b) thermoforming the sheet obtained in step a); wherein said propylene resin has the following characteristics: a) distribution of molecular weight Mw/Mn lower than 4; preferably lower than 3; b) 2,1 insertions measured with by 13C-NMR lower than 0.50%; preferably lower than 0.40%; c) eta* and the frequency ω meet the following relation for ω comprised between 0.1 ad 1: eta*>3700ω(−0 13) d) melt flow rate (MFR) (ISO 1133) lower than 5; preferably lower than 4; more preferably lower than 3; wherein the polypropylene resin comprises: (i) from 10 to 100% by weight of a propylene homopolymer or a propylene copolymer containing from 0.1% to 10% by mol of derived units of ethylene or an alpha-olefin of formula CH2═CHZ wherein Z is a linear or branched C2-C20 radical; and (ii) from 0 to 90% by weight of a propylene copolymer containing from 0.1% to 10% by mol of derived units of ethylene or an alpha-olefin of formula CH2═CHZ wherein Z is a linear or branched C2-C20 radical, said propylene copolymer having a content of ethylene or an alpha-olefin of formula CH2═CHZ different from the propylene copolymer (i).
US07855261B2 Aldehyde removal
Disclosed are filter elements constructed of a filter support material coated with an acetoacetate-functional polymeric composition that reacts with and removes aldehydes, especially formaldehyde, present in gases such as air. Also disclosed are methods for the removal of aldehydes utilizing the coated filter support materials.
US07855260B2 Polyether-containing copolymer
Copolymers include two monomer components, a) an olefinic unsaturated monocarboxylic acid comonomer or an ester or a salt thereof of an olefinic unsaturated sulfuric acid comonomer or a salt thereof, and b) an ether comonomer of the general formula (I) Components a) and b) are present in amounts of from 30 to 90 mol-% and from 70 to 10 mol-%, respectively, and comonomer component a) is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid, isocrotonic acid, allylsulfonic acid, vinylsulfonic acid and a salt thereof or an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl ester. Compositions including a hydraulic binder such as cement, gypsum, lime and anhydrite and the copolymer are also disclosed. The copolymer can be used as superplasticizer or dispersant for non-hardened (wet) and a hydraulic binder containing compositions.
US07855250B2 Filling foam composition, foam filling member, and filling foam
A filling foam composition contains a polymer, 4,4′-oxybis(benzenesulfonylhydrazide), an amine compound (except urea compound) having a melting point of 40° C. or more, and an organic peroxide, and the amine compound is mixed in an amount of 5 parts by weight or more per 100 parts by weight of the 4,4′-oxybis(benzenesulfonylhydrazide).
US07855241B2 Method of improving abrasion resistance of plastic article using nanoparticles and article produced thereby
The invention includes embodiments that relate to a method of improving the abrasion resistance of a plastic article. The method comprises: (a) providing a composition comprising at least one e-beam active nanoparticle compound and at least one thermoplastic polymeric material; (b) forming an article from the composition of step (a); and (c) exposing the article formed in step (b) to an electron beam source. The invention also includes embodiments that relate to an article comprising an abrasion resistant surface.
US07855239B2 Extruded propylene resin foam
An object of the present invention is to provide an extruded propylene-based resin foam in which a average diameter of cells therein can be reduced while a high expansion ratio remains high, thereby providing an excellent insulation efficiency. The extruded propylene-based resin foam according to the present invention is extruded propylene-based resin foam that is formed by extrusion-foaming a propylene-based resin, and the extruded propylene-based resin foam has the expansion ratio of 10 or more and the average cell diameter of less than 400 μm. With this configuration, the extruded foam can have a plurality of air bubble walls therein. Thus, the extruded propylene-based resin foam can efficiently block external radiant heat, thereby realizing excellent insulation efficiency.
US07855235B2 Method to start a process for producing hydrocarbons from synthesis gas
A method to start a steady state process for producing normally gaseous, liquid and solid hydrocarbons comprises providing a synthesis gas and catalytically converting the synthesis gas into normally gaseous, liquid or solid hydrocarbons. The process involves using at least a portion of the gaseous hydrocarbons produced as a recycle stream to which hydrogen is added prior to its reintroduction into the reactors and as the activity of the catalyst converting the synthesis gas proceeds from start-up towards a steady state, the amount of recycle stream is reduced.
US07855226B2 Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
Disclosed herein is a method comprising administering a compound to a mammal suffering from an inflammatory bowel disease for the treatment of said disease, said compound having a structure according to Formula I wherein X, Y, B, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and n have the meanings found herein.
US07855222B2 Methods for treating a disease in which Rho kinase is involved
A method for treating a disease in which Rho kinase is involved. The method is carried out by administering to a patient in need thereof a pharmaceutically effective amount of a compound of the following formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof: wherein the ring X is a benzene ring or a pyridine ring; R1 and R2 are hydrogen or alkyl or together form a cycloalkene ring; R3 is hydrogen, substituted alkyl, unsubstituted alkenyl, carboxyl or an ester or an amide thereof, amino or a cyano; R4 is hydrogen, hydroxyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, unsubstituted alkenyloxy, unsubstituted cycloalkyloxy, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted alkenyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyl, amino, substituted or unsubstituted alkylamino, nitro, cyano or a monocyclic heterocycle; and R5 is a halogen atom or a hydrogen atom.
US07855208B2 3, 9-diazabicyclo(3.3.1)non-3-yl-aryl methanone derivatives as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists
This invention relates to novel diazabicyclic aryl derivatives which are found to be cholinergic ligands at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and modulators of the monoamine receptors and transporters. Due to their pharmacological profile the compounds of the invention may be useful for the treatment of diseases or disorders as diverse as those related to the cholinergic system of the central nervous system (CNS), the peripheral nervous system (PNS), diseases or disorders related to smooth muscle contraction, endocrine diseases or disorders, diseases or disorders related to neuro-degeneration, diseases or disorders related to inflammation, pain, and withdrawal symptoms caused by the termination of abuse of chemical substances.
US07855206B2 Tricyclic heteroaromatic compounds as dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors for the treatment or prevention of diabetes
The present invention is directed to novel substituted tricyclic heteroaromatic compounds of structural formula (I) which are inhibitors of the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV enzyme and which are useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV enzyme is involved, such as diabetes and particularly Type 2 diabetes. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV enzyme is involved.
US07855200B2 Method for treatment of gastric ulcers and ulcers induced by aspirin
The present invention relates to methods of using Oroxylum indicum as a rich source for flavanoid compounds having mucoprotective and antigastric ulcer properties, and containing Oroxylin A, Chrysin and Baicalein.
US07855194B2 Pyrimidine, quinazoline, pteridine and triazine derivatives
This invention is concerned with compounds of the formula wherein A, R1 to R5 and G are as defined in the description and claims, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, to a process for their preparation and to their use for the treatment and/or prevention of diseases which are associated with the modulation of SST receptors subtype 5.
US07855193B2 S1P receptor modulating compounds and use thereof
The present invention relates to compounds of the general formula (I) that have activity as S1P receptor modulating agents and the use of such compounds to treat diseases associated with inappropriate S1P receptor activity. The compounds may be used as immunomodulators, e.g., for treating or preventing diseases such as autoimmune and related immune disorders including systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, type I diabetes, uveitis, psoriasis, myasthenia gravis, rheumatoid arthritis, non-glomerular nephrosis, hepatitis, Behçet's disease, glomerulonephritis, chronic thrombocytopenic purpura, hemolytic anemia, hepatitis and Wegner's granuloma; and for treating other conditions.
US07855177B1 Methods and kits for preventing hypoglycemia
Improved methods and kits for treating the long-term complication of diabetes that reduce the risk of the patient developing hypoglycemia during C-peptide therapy. The use of such methods and kits, can also maintain good glycemic control, and avoid excessive weight gain that may otherwise be associated with excessive insulin administration or caloric intake during C-peptide therapy.
US07855176B1 Reduced volume formulation of glatiramer acetate and methods of administration
A method for reducing frequency of relapses in a human patient afflicted with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) comprising administering to the patient 0.5 ml of an aqueous pharmaceutical solution of 20 mg glatiramer acetate and 20 mg mannitol.
US07855175B2 Peptides that bind to the erythropoietin receptor
The present invention relates to peptide compounds that are agonists of the erythropoietin receptor (EPO-R). The invention also relates to therapeutic methods using such peptide compounds to treat disorders associated with insufficient or defective red blood cell production. Pharmaceutical compositions, which comprise the peptide compounds of the invention, are also provided.
US07855174B2 Methods of treating vasodilatory shock
The invention encompasses methods of decreasing the lumenal diameter of a blood vessel by contacting the vessel with a myosin light chain phosphatase inhibitor.
US07855148B2 Methods of isolating array features during pitch doubling processes and semiconductor device structures having isolated array features
Methods of isolating spaces formed between features in an array during a pitch reduction process and semiconductor device structures having the same. In one embodiment, ends of the features are wider than middle regions of the features. During the pitch reduction process, spacer sidewalls formed between adjacent ends of the features come into substantial contact with one another, isolating the spaces between the features. In another embodiment, the features have a single width and an additional feature is located near ends of the features. Spacer sidewalls formed between adjacent features and the additional feature come into substantial contact with one another, isolating the spaces between the features.
US07855142B2 Methods of forming dual-damascene metal interconnect structures using multi-layer hard masks
Methods of forming dual-damascene metal interconnect structures include forming an electrically insulating layer on an integrated circuit substrate and then forming a hard mask layer on the electrically insulating layer. The hard mask layer may include a stacked composite of at least four electrically insulating material layers therein. The hard mask layer may also have separate trench and via patterns therein that are respectively defined by at least first and second ones of the electrically insulating material layers and at least third and fourth ones of the electrically insulating material layers.
US07855134B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of the same
Provided is a highly reliable semiconductor device equipped with a plurality of semiconductor elements having desired properties, respectively; and a manufacturing method facilitating the manufacture of the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device is manufactured by forming a gate-electrode metal film having a thickness of from 3 to 30 nm over the entire upper surface of a gate insulating film; forming an n-side cap layer having a thickness of 10 nm or less over the entire upper surface of a portion of the gate-electrode metal film belonging to an nFET region by using a material different from that of the gate-electrode metal film; and carrying out heat treatment over the n-side cap layer to diffuse the material of the n-side cap layer into the gate-electrode metal film immediately below the n-side cap layer and react them to form an n-side gate-electrode metal film in a nFET region. A poly-Si layer is then deposited, followed by gate electrode processing.
US07855125B2 Method for manufacturing semiconductor device and semiconductor device
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a groove in a semiconductor substrate and embedding an element isolation film made of a silicon oxide film in the groove; forming a silicon nitride film on the element isolation film; forming an oxidized silicon nitride film on the surface of the element isolation film through thermal treatment of the element isolation film and the silicon nitride film; and removing the silicon nitride film.
US07855118B2 Drive current increase in transistors by asymmetric amorphization implantation
By providing a substantially non-damaged semiconductor region between a pre-amorphization region and the gate electrode structure, an increase of series resistance at the drain side during the re-crystallization may be reduced, thereby contributing to overall transistor performance, in particular in the linear operating mode. Thus, symmetric and asymmetric transistor architectures may be achieved with enhanced performance without unduly adding to overall process complexity.
US07855110B2 Field effect transistor and method of fabricating same
An FET and method of fabricating an FET. The method includes forming a gate dielectric layer on a top surface of a silicon region of a substrate and forming a gate electrode on a top surface of the gate dielectric layer; forming a source and a drain in the silicon region and separated by a channel region under the gate electrode, the source having a source extension extending under the gate electrode and the drain having a drain extension extending under the gate electrode, the source, source extension, drain and drain extension doped a first type; and forming a source delta region contained entirely within the source and forming a drain delta region contained entirely within the drain, the delta source region and the delta drain region doped a second dopant type, the second dopant type opposite from the first dopant type.
US07855107B2 Semiconductor device, electro-optical device, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus, the method including: aligning, on a temporal substrate, the plurality of device chips approximately in an L-shape, a plurality of groups of device chips, each group of device chips including a plurality of device chips aligned in an L-shape; arranging the plurality of groups of the device chips in a plurality of arrays on the temporal substrate, each array of device chips arranged in a band-shape, from a first long side to a second long side of the temporal substrate, a front of the band-shape being a corner of a perimeter of each group; delaminating a group of the device chips as one unit from the temporal substrate, and transferring onto the surface of the flexible substrate; and coupling each of the device chips in the group of device chips with the circuit on the flexible substrate.
US07855100B2 Integrated circuit package system with an encapsulant cavity and method of fabrication thereof
An encapsulant cavity integrated circuit package system including forming a first integrated circuit package with an inverted bottom terminal having an encapsulant cavity and an interposer, and attaching a component on the interposer in the encapsulant cavity.
US07855098B2 Method of forming, modifying, or repairing a semiconductor device using field-controlled diffusion
A technique for altering or repairing the operating state of a semiconductor device comprises field-controlled diffusion of mobile dopant atoms within the metal oxide crystal lattice. When heated (e.g., above 550 K) in the presence of an electric field (e.g., bias to ground of +/−50 V) the dopant atoms are caused to collect to form an ohmic contact, leaving a depletion region. Metal-semiconductor junction devices such as diodes, photo-diodes, photo-detectors, MESFETs, etc. may thereby be fabricated, repaired or modified.
US07855087B2 Floating sheet production apparatus and method
This sheet production apparatus comprises a vessel defining a channel configured to hold a melt. The melt is configured to flow from a first point to a second point of the channel. A cooling plate is disposed proximate the melt and is configured to form a sheet on the melt. A spillway is disposed at the second point of the channel. This spillway is configured to separate the sheet from the melt.
US07855070B2 Centimeter-scale, integrated diagnostics incubator for biological culturing
Disclosed are portable, disposable, centimeter-scale, integrated diagnostics incubators for use in biological culturing. An exemplary incubator comprises an optically accessible enclosure having a plurality of fluidic ports. A heating element is disposed within the enclosure that is coupled to an external heater controller. An autoclavable microfluidic perfusion chamber is disposed within the enclosure that comprises a cell culture life support chamber, an inlet port disposed in the perfusion chamber, a collection chamber in communication with the culture chamber, an outlet port coupled to the collection pool, and a perfusing substrate. An optically transparent, gas permeable membrane is attachable to the top of the perfusion chamber. The incubators have optical accessibility, forced flow fluidic control, temperature control, are portable and modular, and are inexpensively manufactured. The incubators permit in-the-field drug testing and culturing of biological tissues.
US07855067B2 Microinjection equipment
To provide a microinjection equipment capable of fitting a micro needle to a manipulator etc. manipulating the micro needle in short time on the occasion of an injection operation. Included are a micro needle transporting device 12 detachably grasping a micro needle 10 filled with an introduction substance and disposed in a predetermined standby position and transporting the micro needle 10 to a predetermined ready-for-introducing position, a manipulator 14 grasping in the attachable/detachable manner the micro needle 10 disposed in the predetermined ready-for-introducing position and inserting and removing the tip of the micro needle 10 into and from an introduction target micro body 13, and an introduction substance discharging device 15 discharging the introduction substance in the micro needle 10 by applying a predetermined pressure to an interior of the micro needle 10 grasped by the manipulator 14.
US07855065B2 Mutant bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus
The present invention provides a mutant Bacillus bacterium capable of enhancing productivity of proteins or polypeptides, a recombinant microorganism produced by introducing genes encoding heterologous proteins or polypeptides into the mutant Bacillus bacterium, and a method for producing proteins or polypeptides by use of the recombinant microorganism. A mutant Bacillus bacterium which has, on the genome or plasmid thereof, DNA having a promoter sequence which is recognized and transcribed specifically during the sporulation stage and which is ligated to an upstream end of a sigA gene or a gene equivalent thereto, a recombinant microorganism produced by introducing genes encoding heterologous proteins or polypeptides into the mutant Bacillus bacterium, and a method for producing proteins or polypeptides by use of the recombinant microorganism.
US07855063B2 Partially deglycosylated glucocerebrosidase polypeptide and crystals thereof
A method of identifying a compound capable of correcting an impaired enzymatic activity of a mutant glucocerebrosidase molecule, the method comprising: (a) obtaining a first set of structure coordinates, the first set of structure coordinates defining a 3D structure of a glucocerebrosidase molecule capable of displaying normal enzymatic activity or a portion thereof; (b) computationally generating using the first set of structure coordinates a second set of structure coordinates, the second set of structure coordinates defining a predicted 3D structure of the mutant glucocerebrosidase molecule or a portion thereof; and (c) computationally identifying, using the second set of structure coordinates, a compound capable of interacting with the mutant glucocerebrosidase molecule in such a way as to correct the impaired enzymatic activity thereof, thereby identifying the compound capable of correcting the impaired enzymatic activity of the mutant glucocerebrosidase molecule. A glucocerebrosidase preparation comprising a population of glucocerebrosidase molecules, wherein substantially each of said glucocerebrosidase molecules: (i) has an amino acid sequence at least 95 percent homologous to an amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 1 or 8; (ii) is glycosylated at, or has an aspartatic acid residue at, glycosylation residue 1 of said amino acid sequence; and (iii) is independently unglycosylated at one or more glycosylation residues selected from the group consisting of glycosylation residues 2, 3 and 4 of said amino acid sequence.
US07855052B2 Sequences of hepatitis C virus genotypes and their use as therapeutic and diagnostic agents
The present application discloses and claims polynucleic acids relating to and/or containing HCV polynucleic acid sequences.
US07855048B1 Wafer assembly having a contrast enhancing top anti-reflecting coating and method of lithographic processing
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device using lithography. The method can include providing a wafer assembly having a layer to be processed disposed under a photo resist layer and illuminating the wafer assembly with an exposure dose transmitted through a birefringent material disposed between a final optical element of an imaging subsystem used to transmit the exposure dose and the photo resist layer. Also disclosed is a wafer assembly from which at least one semiconductor device can be fabricated. The wafer assembly can include a layer to be processed, a photo resist layer disposed over the layer to be processed and a contrast enhancing, birefringent top anti-reflecting coating (TARC).
US07855046B2 Method and apparatus for fabricating shaped structures and shaped structures including one- , two- or three-dimensional patterns incorporated therein
The invention includes a template useful for the fabrication of devices having one, two, or three dimensional geometries. The template can include at least a first patterned surface and a mask integrated into the template for creating an interference pattern when radiation is passed through the mask. The template can be useful in the production of shaped structures including one-, two-, or three-dimensionally shaped patterns, and further including at least one shaped surface.
US07855042B2 Developer and image forming method
To provide a developer and an image forming method with each of which a high-resolution, high-definition image can be stably obtained over a long time period irrespective of an environment. The present invention provides a developer including at least: toner particles each containing at least a binder resin; and a composite inorganic fine powder, the developer being characterized in that: the composite inorganic fine powder has a peak at a Bragg angle (2θ±0.20 deg) of each of 32.20 deg, 25.80 deg, and 27.50 deg in a CuKα characteristic X-ray diffraction pattern; and the half width of the X-ray diffraction peak at a Bragg angle (2θ±0.20 deg) of 32.20 deg is 0.20 to 0.30 deg.
US07855041B2 Pigment preparation based on an azo pigment
The invention relates to a pigment preparation which contains the monoazo pigment of the formula (I) and 0.1% to 40%, preferably 0.5% to 25%, in particular 1.0% to 17.5% of a pigment dispersant, in relation to the weight of the monoazo pigment of the formula (I), which is composed of disazo compounds at least 30% of the diazo compounds forming an asymmetric disazo compound of the formula (II) Y-X-A-X-Z  (II), in which A is biphenylene, 3,3′-dichlorobiphenylene, 3,3′-dimethoxybiphenylene, 3,3′-dimethylbiphenylene or 2,2′-dichloro-3,3′-dimethoxybiphenylene; X is a group —NH—CO—CH(COCH3)—N═N—, —N═N—CH(COCH3)—CO—NH—or —N═N—; Y is substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, pyrazolin-5-on-4-yl, 1-phenyl-Pyrazolin -5-on-4-Lyl, 2-hydroxynaphth-1-yl or 2-hydroxy-3-(phenylamino-carbonyl) naphth-1-yl, the substituents being C1-C4 alkyl, C1-C4 alkoxy, nitro, halogen or C1-C4 alkoxycarbonyl, and have the meaning of Y, and the compounds being further substituted with a sulfonic acid group present as an ammonium salt. Y stands for substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, pyrazolin-5-on-4-yl, 1-phenyl-pyrazolin-5-on-4-yl, 2-hydroxynaphth-1-yl or 2-hydroxy-3-(phenylaminocarbonyl)naphth-1-yl, the substituents being C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy, nitro, halogen or C1-C4-alkoxycarbonyl and having the meaning of Y, and the compounds being further substituted with a sulphonic acid group present as an ammonium salt.
US07855038B2 Mask patterns for semiconductor device fabrication and related methods and structures
Methods of forming an integrated circuit device may include forming a resist pattern on a layer of an integrated circuit device with portions of the layer being exposed through openings of the resist pattern. An organic-inorganic hybrid siloxane network film may be formed on the resist pattern. Portions of the layer exposed through the resist pattern and the organic-inorganic hybrid siloxane network film may then be removed. Related structures are also discussed.
US07855025B2 Anode loop pressure control in PEM fuel cell system
A method of operating a fuel cell stack is disclosed. The method includes operating the fuel cell stack in accordance with a predetermined profile of fuel gas/oxidant gas delta pressure vs. time, monitoring a fuel gas/oxidant gas delta pressure vs. time value of the fuel cell stack and adjusting pressure of the fuel gas by consuming excess quantities of the fuel gas in the fuel cell stack when the fuel gas/oxidant gas delta pressure vs. time value of the fuel cell stack exceeds the predetermined profile.
US07855024B2 Compartmentalized storage tank for electrochemical cell system
A compartmentalized storage tank is disclosed. The compartmentalized storage tank includes a housing, a first fluid storage section disposed within the housing, a second fluid storage section disposed within the housing, the first and second fluid storage sections being separated by a movable divider, and a constant force spring. The constant force spring is disposed between the housing and the movable divider to exert a constant force on the movable divider to cause a pressure P1 in the first fluid storage section to be greater than a pressure P2 in the second fluid storage section, thereby defining a pressure differential.
US07855019B2 Method for operating fuel cell and fuel cell system
A method for operating a direct methanol fuel cell is provided. The fuel cell includes a fuel cell main body having a fuel electrode and an air electrode disposed in opposing positions on either side of an electrolyte film. In this method, an aqueous methanol solution is supplied directly to the fuel electrode. A quantity of the aqueous methanol solution supplied is controlled in accordance with an electric current value drawn from the fuel cell main body so as to minimize a quantity of unused methanol within a discharge fluid discharged from the fuel electrode.
US07855013B2 Electric double-layer capacitor and method of manufacturing electric double-layer capacitor
The electric double-layer capacitor has a portion where a thickness of a sealing member from a surface of an outer package to a surface of a lead in a laminating direction of electrode bodies on one side of the lead differs from that on the other side of the lead such that two leads connected to each electrode body are arranged within the same plane perpendicular to the laminating direction of the electrode bodies. The electrode bodies are laminated in the outer package such as to yield portions where only one of the planar leads of a first electrode body overlaps one of the planar leads of a second electrode body in the laminating direction of the electrode bodies in the opening part of the outer package.
US07855004B2 Mid-sectional fuel distributor for fuel cells
In one embodiment the present comprises an air inlet 2, a series of fuel cells 6, a new fuel inlet 14, a fuel distributor 16, a recirculation plenum 19, and an exhaust 12. Fresh fuel from the fuel distributor 16 enters the fuel cell stack in a middle-third section of the fuel cell stack, and the fresh fuel is divided into an exhaust fuel 12 flow and a recirculation fuel flow 18. The exhaust fuel flow passes along a first portion of the series of fuel cells to the exhaust, and the recirculation fuel flow passes along a second portion of the series of fuel cells to the recirculation plenum and mixes with new fuel from the new fuel inlet in the fuel distributor. The recirculation plenum is located at an opposite end of the fuel cell stack from the exhaust, and the fuel-cell stack is of a seal-less design.
US07854985B2 Decorative paint film laminate
A decorative paint film laminate having high gloss and distinctness of image after processing for providing a decorative finish for a part, the decorative paint film laminate comprises a paint film having an inner surface and an outer surface, a backing sheet applied to the inner surface of the paint film, and no mask on the outer surface of the paint film. The paint film comprises a clear coat layer, a gloss and distinctness of image retaining layer, and a color coat layer. The paint film obtains high gloss and distinctness of image without a mask being on the outer surface of the paint film.
US07854984B2 Wear-resistant decorative laminates
A decorative laminate having improved scratch and abrasion resistance is provided. In one embodiment, the decorate laminate includes a substrate or core, a decorative sheet on the substrate, and an overlay sheet on the decorative sheet. The overlay sheet is coated on both major surfaces to provide scratch and abrasion resistance to the laminate. The coating on the interior facing surface contains mineral particles having a particle size of from between about 10-30 microns. The coating on the exterior facing surface contains a mixture of first mineral particles having a particle size of from between about 3-8 microns and second mineral particles having a particle size of less than about 1.0 micron. The first mineral particles are preferably alumina particles, and the second mineral particles are preferably sol gel process alumina particles.
US07854981B2 Mounting mat for mounting an exhaust gas catalytic converter
The invention relates to a mounting mat for mounting an exhaust gas catalytic converter, which is used for purifying motor vehicle exhaust gases, in a catalytic converter housing. The mounting mat has at least three plies and is mechanically compacted by seams (6) that absorb tensile stresses. The seams (6) are made with a sewing thread (7) whose temperature resistance is lower than the temperature of the mounting mat (5) when the exhaust gas catalytic converter is in operation. According to the invention, an elastically compressible nonwoven (3) made of crimped metal filaments is placed between two outer plies (1, 1′) made of mineral fibers (2).
US07854965B2 Method of forming images or decorations on a support body
The present invention relates to a method of forming images or decorations on a support comprising the following steps in sequence: arranging at least one support; applying at least one coloring material onto at least one surface of said support; coating said at least one surface with at least one protecting compound; causing said protecting compound to harden thereby forming an uninterrupted fixing and protecting layer for said at least one coloring material.
US07854964B2 Crystalline resin sandwich films
A resin composition that is storable at ambient temperatures. The resin composition forms a cured resin when exposed to a curing agent and heated to a curing temperature that is relatively close to ambient temperature. The resin composition includes a crystalline resin component that is sandwiched between two non-crystalline resin components to provide a zone that is rich in crystalline thermosetting resin. The crystalline thermosetting resin has a melting point that is above ambient temperature, but below the curing temperature. The viscosity of the resin component changes from a high viscosity state to a low viscosity state when the temperature is increased from ambient temperature to the curing temperature.
US07854953B2 Foodstuff supplement and method of producing same
A foodstuff supplement and method of producing the foodstuff supplement. The method includes forming a liquid phase and adding vitamins to the liquid phase at a temperature below that at which significant depletion and/or degradation of the vitamins will occur. Oil is heated in a vessel and an emulsifier is added to the heated oil. The resultant mixture is cooled and the liquid phase is added.
US07854952B2 Process for preparing concentrated milk protein ingredient and processed cheese made therefrom
Process for preparing a concentrated milk protein ingredient comprising the steps of: providing a membrane retentate solution having kappa-casein milk protein, adjusting the divalent ion content of said protein solution to a predetermined level at which no gel is formed after treatment with milk clotting enzyme, adding a food grade milk clotting enzyme under conditions where kappa-casein is converted to para-kappa casein while remaining in solution, terminating the conversion by removal or inactivation of the enzyme and concentrating said solution. The resultant milk protein concentrate ingredient is used in the production of cheese.
US07854945B2 Functionalized nanotubes
Graphitic nanotubes, which includes tubular fullerenes (commonly called “buckytubes”) and fibrils, which are functionalized by chemical substitution or by adsorption of functional moieties. More specifically the invention relates to graphitic nanotubes which are uniformly or non-uniformly substituted with chemical moieties or upon which certain cyclic compounds are adsorbed and to complex structures comprised of such functionalized fibrils linked to one another. The invention also relates to methods of introducing functional groups onto the surface of such fibrils.
US07854944B2 Tissue regeneration
A method including positioning a delivery device at a location in a vessel within a mammalian body, introducing a first treatment agent including a cellular component through the delivery device, and introducing a different second treatment agent disposed in a carrier through the delivery device. A method including identifying an infarct region within myocardial tissue and a border region of perfused tissue adjacent the infarct region, introducing a treatment agent including a cellular component to the border region, and introducing a plurality of microparticles to the infarct region. A kit including a treatment agent including a cellular component in a form suitable for percutaneous delivery, and a separate amount of a plurality of microparticles in a form suitable for percutaneous delivery.
US07854943B2 Phospholipid gel compositions for drug delivery and methods of treating conditions using same
The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions in the form of a gel for controlled- or sustained-release of a pharmaceutically active agent and to methods for treating or preventing a condition in an animal by administering to an animal in need thereof the pharmaceutical compositions. One particular type of condition for which the pharmaceutical compositions are useful is a microbial infection, e.g., of the skin, ear, or eye, especially for veterinary applications.
US07854942B2 Anti-gluten egg yolk antibodies for the treatment of celiac disease
Compositions, food products or beverages for ameliorating the symptoms of celiac disease or gluten sensitive enteropathy comprising egg yolk antibodies against gluten, including gliadin, high molecular glutenin, low molecular glutenin and mixtures of the peptides. The antibodies may be produced by immunizing egg laying fowl with immunogenic preparations of gluten and harvesting the eggs and egg yolks.
US07854934B2 Glycoconjugates, glycoamino acids, intermediates thereto, and uses thereof
The present invention provides novel glycosides and glycoconjugates, glycoamino acids, and methods for the synthesis thereof. In another aspect, the present invention provides novel clustered glycopeptides and methods for the synthesis thereof. In still another aspect, the present invention provides methods for the treatment of cancer, preferably for the prevention of recurrence of cancer, and methods for inducing antibodies in a subject, comprising administering to a subject in need, an effective amount of any of the inventive glycopeptides as disclosed herein, either in conjugated form or unconjugated and in combination with a suitable immunogenic carrier.
US07854930B2 Anti-igf-ir antibodies and uses thereof
The present invention relates to novel antibodies capable of binding specifically to the human insulin-like growth factor I receptor IGF-IR and/or capable of specifically inhibiting the tyrosine kinase activity of said IGF-IR, especially monoclonal antibodies of murine, chimeric and humanized origin, as well as the amino acid and nucleic acid sequences coding for these antibodies. The invention likewise comprises the use of these antibodies as a medicament for the prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment of cancers overexpressing IGF-IR or any pathology connected with the overexpression of said receptor as well as in processes or kits for diagnosis of illnesses connected with the overexpression of the IGF-IR. The invention finally comprises products and/or compositions comprising such antibodies in combination with anti-EGFR antibodies and/or anti-VEGF antibodies and/or antibodies directed against other growth factors involved in tumor progression or metastasis and/or compounds and/or anti-cancer agents or agents conjugated with toxins and their use for the prevention and/or the treatment of certain cancers.
US07854929B2 Method for treating lateral epicondylitis using collagenase
Methods for treatment by collagenase injections are provided, which are effective in dissolving and lysing a collagenase septa network to treat carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis and lateral epicondylitis conditions. The methods treat such conditions by injecting or otherwise delivering purified collagenase to the afflicted region of the patient, as well as use of collagenase for manufacture of a medicament for such conditions.
US07854921B2 Hair care product
An oil-in-water type hair cosmetic composition obtained by dispersing liquid droplets of a mixture of Components (A) and (B) and liquid droplets of a mixture of Components (A) and (C) in an aqueous phase containing an emulsifier.A preparation process of an oil-in-water type hair cosmetic composition, which includes the following steps: (Step 1) mixing of Components (A) and (B) (preparation of a silicone mixture (AB)), (Step 2) mixing of Components (A) and (C) (preparation of a silicone mixture (AC)), (Step 3): mixing of an emulsifier, the other components and water (preparation of a base composition), and (Step 4): addition and mixing, in the base composition, the silicone mixtures (AB) and (AC) without dissolving each other (formation of liquid droplets of the silicone mixture (AB) and liquid droplets of the silicone mixture (AC) in the aqueous phase). a: number-average polymerization degree ranging from 1,000 to 20,000 b: number-average polymerization degree ranging from 10 to 800 c: number-average polymerization degree of from 3 to 7 The hair cosmetic composition of the invention is excellent in spreadability, has a slick and smooth feel, and a soft touch upon application of it to the wet hair, can impart the hair with a sleek touch without harsh friction upon rising, and can impart the hair with an unsticky smooth touch, moisturized feel and adequate manageability after drying.
US07854920B2 Thioflavin derivatives for use in antemortem diagnosis of alzheimer's disease and in vivo imaging and prevention of amyloid deposition
This invention relates to novel thioflavin derivatives, methods of using the derivatives in, for example, in vivo imaging of patients having neuritic plaques, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the thioflavin derivatives and method of synthesizing the compounds. The compounds find particular use in the diagnosis and treatment of patients having diseases where accumulation of neuritic plaques are prevalent. The disease states or maladies include but are not limited to Alzheimer's disease, familial Alzheimer's disease, Down's Syndrome and homozygotes for the apolipoprotein E4 allele.
US07854919B2 Multivalent constructs for therapeutic and diagnostic applications
The invention provides compositions and methods for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
US07854914B2 Soluble carbon nanotubes
The present invention relates to a method of solubilizing carbon nanotubes, to carbon nanotubes produced thereby and to uses of said carbon nanotubes.
US07854906B2 Reactor for carrying out a reaction between two fluid starting materials over a catalyst bed with premixing of the fluid starting materials in a mixing-in device
A reactor for carrying out a reaction between two fluid starting materials over a catalyst bed with premixing of the fluid starting materials before introduction into the catalyst bed within a delay time of less than 150 ms in a mixing-in device, wherein the mixing-in device is made up of the following elements which are arranged essentially transverse to the inflow direction of the first fluid starting material stream: two or three rows arranged behind one another of tubes which have turbulence generators on the outside and constrict the flow cross section for the first fluid starting material stream to from ½ to 1/10, with the second fluid starting material stream being passed through the interiors of the tubes and injected via openings in the tubes into the first fluid starting material stream; a perforated plate upstream of the tubes; and a perforated plate downstream of the tubes, is proposed.
US07854905B2 Holding material for pollution control element and pollution control apparatus
A holding material (2) for mounting a pollution control element (1) in a pollution control apparatus (10) that provides for a high friction coefficient with the casing (4) and/or the pollution control element and can hold the pollution control element with good stability. The holding material comprises a fiber material (e.g., in the form of a mat) having a thickness and being provided with a friction layer (3) comprising inorganic colloidal particles (5) on an outer peripheral surface and/or an inner peripheral surface of the fiber material.
US07854894B2 Feed device for liquid samples
Feed devices for liquid samples serve to convey liquid samples, for example to convey a liquid sample from waste water in a waste water treatment plant so as to monitor the treatment process. Known feed devices feed continuously at relatively low speeds. Films may accrete in the feed line that hinder the feeding and may react with the liquid sample. Therefore, the feed line must be cleaned frequently. In view of this, it is the object of the invention to improve the handling and the maintenance of a feed device for liquid samples. According to the invention, this object is solved by the fact that the feed pump (16) feeds in a pulse-like manner and the feed pump (16) as well as the feed line (18) are configured such that the expansion volume of the feed line (18) during the feed pulse is at most 50% of the pulse volume. Thereby, the feed line is cleaned and kept free of accretions.
US07854886B2 Production method for metal matrix composite material
A method of producing an aluminum matrix composite material is described that comprises the steps of: mixing an aluminum powder and a ceramic powder to prepare a mixed powder; providing a lower casing made of aluminum and formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape having an open top, and a closing member made of aluminum and formed in a shape adapted to hermetically close the open top of the lower casing; packing the mixed powder into the lower casing; closing the open top of the lower casing filled with the mixed powder, by the closing member, to prepare a pre-rolling assembly having the mixed powder hermetically sealed therein; preheating the pre-rolling assembly; and rolling the preheated assembly to obtain the aluminum matrix composite material, where the aluminum matrix composite material includes a pair of metal plates having the mixed powder therebetween.
US07854884B2 Method and installation for producing a hot rolled strip from austenitic rust-resistant steels
An installation for producing hot-rolled strip from austenitic stainless steels; including a continuous casting machine and a rolling mill with a temperature adjustment system and a cooling system for cooling the rolling stock. The temperature adjustment system includes an installation having a furnace for preheating the cast slab to =1,150° C. and an installation for intensive heating including an inductive heating zone for adjustment of the run-in temperature of the cast slab into the finishing train of the rolling mill to above 1,150° C., for establishing a final rolling temperature to carry out the heat treatment by direct exploitation of the rolling heat. The cooling system includes a device for quenching the rolling stock to below 600° C. The temperature adjustment system includes only a first descaling system between the preheating installation and the intensive heating installation.
US07854869B2 Method of forming a ladder
A method for forming a ladder including: forming first and second expandable members used in constructing the ladder, the forming of each of the first and second expandable members which includes; expanding a covering to define a cavity; expanding foam in the cavity in an expansion direction to expand the covering into a predetermined shape; and connecting the first and second expandable members together by disposing a plurality of rungs therebetween.
US07854868B2 Mold protecting system and method for protecting an injection molding system
A mold protecting system for an injection molding machine includes a voltage source, a controller, a first mold, a second mold, a fixed platen, and a movable platen. The first mold is fixed to the movable platen. The second mold is fixed to the fixed platen. The controller from the voltage source to charge the first and second molds, and detects the capacitance between the first and second molds when the distance between the first and second molds equals a pre-set value. If the capacitance between the first and second molds is greater than a reference value, the controller controls the movable platen to stop moving.
US07854865B2 Method of injection molding thin thermoplastic lenses
Methods are disclosed to injection mold resins, like polycarbonate, to form solid optical lenses. The lenses are ideally suited for use as very thin coating carriers. The method involves closing the mold with a clamp force less than the force exerted on the insert during injection. During injection the mold is allowed to breathe thereby overcoming many of the obstacles associated with injection molding very thin lenses. As the injection pressure subsides, the mold begins to close to perform a coining operation, resulting in a strong, high yield carrier or lens.
US07854864B2 Method for manufacturing an optical film having a convexoconcave structure
A manufacturing method of an optical film provided with a convexoconcave structure, comprises the steps of: coating a resin solution including a first resin solved by a solvent onto an endless or roll-like mold provided with a convexoconcave structure, and forming a resin solution layer on the mold; laminating a film substrate onto the resin solution layer to make a laminated film before the solvent in the resin solution layer is completely dried, the film substrate including a second resin, which is capable of absorbing the solvent or is soluble by the solvent; and peeling the laminated film from the mold before the solvent in the laminated film is completely dried.
US07854856B2 Environmentally benign anti-icing or deicing fluids employing triglyceride processing by-products
Deicing compositions comprised of glycerol-containing by-products of triglyceride processing processes are disclosed.
US07854852B1 In-drain device for the collection, extraction and diversion of gray water for reuse
Device inserted into a drain so that the top surface of the device is positioned and supported at the drain surface by means of a flange at the top surface of the device and sealing the drain by means of a gasket between the flange and the drain perimeter surface. Waste water, referred to as “gray water”, directed to the drain enters the device by passing first through a thin horizontal plate perforated with numerous small holes to remove hair and debris and then passes through larger openings in the surface plate directly beneath the hair and debris guard. The water accumulates in the collection chamber and is extracted through means of a pick-up tube within the collection chamber having a fitting extending through the top of the device for connection to a fluid conduit attached to a suction pump. The extracted gray water is diverted or stored for reuse.
US07854846B2 Membrane devices with controlled transmembrane pressure and method of use
A crossflow membrane device that receives a feedstock at a feed end face and separates the feedstock into permeate and retentate. The device has a membrane support containing at least one monolith of porous material defining a plurality of passageways extending longitudinally from the feed end face of the monolith to a retentate end face of the monolith through which the feedstock flows to pass retentate from the device. A permselective membrane coating of finer pore size than that of the porous material is applied to the passageway wall surfaces of the monolith. At least one permeate conduit is formed within the monolith, the conduit containing a plurality of longitudinal permeate chambers communicating with a means of permeate introduction at or near the feed end face and permeate withdrawal at or near the retentate end face. The permeate is separated from feed and retentate, and a portion of the permeate is circulated through the permeate conduit to create a decreasing permeate pressure within the permeate conduit from the feed end of the membrane device to the retentate end of the device to control transmembrane pressure along the length of the device.
US07854845B2 Biological fluid filtration apparatus
Biological fluid filtration systems including biological fluid filtration devices capable of filtering blood or blood products, including the removal of leukocytes from the blood or blood product. Each system includes a mechanism to automatically drain the biological fluid upstream of the biological fluid filtration media disposed in the biological fluid filtration device. Both single sided and double sided biological fluid filtration devices are disclosed, including double sided biological fluid filtration devices with a solid partition wall with a first independent fluid flow path on one side of the partition wall, and a second independent fluid flow path on the other side of the partition wall. Draining mechanisms include vent filtration devices, diaphragm draining devices, and biological fluid filtration devices that include an integral diaphragm. The biological fluid filtration devices include low hold-up volume filter underdrains that purge in excess of 95% of the initial air in the device before liquid begins to flow from the outlet, thereby allowing the devices to be used in bed side applications. Variable surface area biological fluid filtration devices are disclosed that further reduce hold-up volume.
US07854838B2 Debris cage
A debris cage is disclosed. The debris cage may include multiple panels, each having a plurality of opening. Each of the panels may be fastened together to form an enclosed structure having a substantially cylindrical portion integral with a conical or dome-like portion at a terminating end of the enclosed structure. Each of the panels may have various shaped openings facilitating the flow of fluid while potentially impeding debris from passing through the debris cage.
US07854835B2 Desulfurization process
A hydrocarbon desulfurization system that circulates fluidizable solid particles through a fluidized bed reactor, a fluidized bed regenerator, and a fluidized bed reducer to thereby provide for substantially continuous desulfurization of a hydrocarbon-containing fluid stream and substantially continuous regeneration of the solid particles. A novel transport system is employed for transporting the solid particles between the reactor, the regenerator, and the reducer. The transport system uses close-coupled vessels and gravity flow between various vessels to minimize equipment cost and particle attrition.
US07854829B2 Method of plating and method of manufacturing a micro device
A method of plating, which allows compositions of plating patterns of a plurality of layers to be uniform without any operational complexity, is provided. The area of the plating layer electrodeposited including plating patterns is constant in each of the plurality of layers. Accordingly, a value of plating-current density is easily maintained constant without any special operation. Consequently, the plating patterns in each of the plurality of layers is easily formed to have an uniform composition.
US07854826B2 Carbon nanotube biosensors with aptamers as molecular recognition elements and method for sensing target material using the same
The present invention relates to a carbon nanotube transistor biosensor with aptamers and a method for detecting a target material using the same, more particularly to a carbon nanotube transistor biosensor recognizing the target material, i.e., a specific molecule (such as a protein, a peptide, an amino acid, and an organic/inorganic compound) by using DNA aptamers and a method for screening a target material using the same. In the biosensor of the present invention, the aptamers binding specifically to a particular protein are adsorbed on a carbon nanotube constituting the channel domain of carbon nanotube transistor to easily detect/identify a particular protein via the electric conductivity of carbon nanotube that varies if the particular protein is exposed to corresponding aptamers.
US07854820B2 Upper electrode backing member with particle reducing features
Components of a plasma processing apparatus includes a backing member with gas passages attached to an upper electrode with gas passages. To compensate for the differences in coefficient of thermal expansion between the metallic backing member and upper electrode, the gas passages are positioned and sized such that they are misaligned at ambient temperature and substantially concentric at an elevated processing temperature. Non-uniform shear stresses can be generated in the elastomeric bonding material, due to the thermal expansion. Shear stresses can either be accommodated by applying an elastomeric bonding material of varying thickness or using a backing member comprising of multiple pieces.
US07854813B2 Method of manufacturing a non-woven fabric
A method for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric, wherein a layer of nonwoven fabric is made up of a fiber mixture of at least two different types of fibers is formed. The single nonwoven fabric layer is solidified. The solidified single nonwoven fabric layer is then subjected to heat treatment subject to the condition that shrinkage of at least one of the types of fibers is activated.
US07854812B2 Process for finishing wallboard joints
A joint compound guide bead dispenser, for finishing wallboard joints and a process for finishing wallboard joints. The guide bead dispenser includes a housing containing an adhesive coated cord wound on a rotatably mounted spool. The housing has an opening through which the cord passes and a roller rotatably mounted proximate to the opening. A cutting blade is mounted on the housing proximate to the opening. A length of cord may be payed out through the opening. The cord may be adhered to wallboard, proximate to a joint, by applying pressure with the roller and cut to selected length. Joint compound may be applied to cover the joint and smoothed to a uniform feathered finish by resting a straight edged knife on the wallboard and on the guide bead while moving the knife in a joint compound applying stroke.
US07854808B2 Steel sheet for vitreous enameling and production method
To provide a non-aging steel sheet for vitreous enameling, the steel sheet being excellent in resistance to bubbles and black spots, without the employment of decarbonization and denitrification annealing that raises the cost of production and also without the addition of expensive elements such as Nb, Ti, etc. that raise the cost of alloys. The steel sheet comprises, in mass, to C: 0.0050% or less, Si: 0.50% or less, Mn: 0.005 to 1.0%, P: 10×(B−11/14×N) to 0.10%, S: 0.080% or less, Al: 0.050% or less, N: 0.0005 to 0.020%, B: 0.60×N to 0.020%, and O: 0.002 to 0.0800%, and the shape of B nitrides is controlled mainly by adjusting hot-rolling conditions.
US07854805B2 Plasma processing plant
A plasma processing plant for plastic bottles, having a vacuum chamber arranged inside the processing chamber and when a respective bottle opening is pressed against a valve, the valve will open and establish a connection between the interior of the bottle and the vacuum chamber, and the chambers are continuously sealed against one another in a gastight fashion. With such approach, the gas can be conducted more easily and the number of control mechanisms can be reduced.
US07854803B1 Composition of materials and processes of making boroncitrates to establish set times for hydraulic cements
Boroncitrates provide a new and improved means for hydraulic cement compositions to take set faster or slower, as determined by the user and as the individual jobsite needs dictate; thereby providing the flexibility required in the concrete industry. Boroncitrates include boron lithium citrate, boron potassium citrate, and boron sodium citrate which may be used alone or in mixtures thereof. They can be used in but not limited to Portland cement, Class C Fly Ash, blended hydraulic cements, and mixtures thereof.
US07854802B2 Surfactant package for well treatment and method using same
A surfactant blend for servicing wells includes a first non-ionic surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of between about 10 and about 15; a second non-ionic surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of between about 2 and about 6; and an anionic surfactant.
US07854796B2 Liquid composition, ink set, and ink tank for ink jet recording, ink jet recording method, and ink jet recording apparatus
The invention provides a liquid composition for ink jet recording. The liquid composition contains an organic acid having a neutralization degree of 40 to 100%, a water-soluble organic solvent, water, and two or more kinds of positive ions including lithium ions. The content of the lithium ions with respect to the total mol number of the positive ions is about 20 to about 95 mol %. The invention also provides an ink set for ink jet recording that contains an ink including a coloring material, a water-soluble solvent, and water, and the liquid composition, and an ink jet recording method and an ink jet recording apparatus where the ink set is used.