Document Document Title
US08001244B2 Deep packet scan hacker identification
Securing an accessible computer system typically includes receiving a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, where the data packet is communicated between at least one access requestor and at least one access provider. At least the payload portion of the received data packet typically is monitored, where monitoring includes scanning the payload portion for at least one predetermined pattern. When the payload portion is determined to include at least one predetermined pattern, access by the access requestor to the access provider may be controlled . Monitoring the data packet may include scanning the payload portion while handling the data packet with a switch. Controlling access may include denying access by the access requestor to the access provider.
US08001237B2 Remote monitoring of user input devices
A precision data capture recorder/security device non-intrusively and precisely captures and records information from computerized input devices (e.g., computer keyboards and mouses). Information collected by a data capture recorder co-located with a client can be precisely date and time tag user input to a user interface (e.g., keyboard) and transmitted to a base collection station for archiving and analysis. Archived information provides accurate history logs for regulatory audit compliance, data security, and system administrative troubleshooting. Analysis can help determine whether user data input patterns at the user interface are authorized.
US08001231B2 Method and apparatus for implementing a predetermined operation in device management
A method for implementing a predetermined operation in device management, being based on a DM system defined by OMA, includes: sending by the device management system a second predetermined operation based on a trigger condition to a terminal device and storing by the terminal device the received second predetermined operation; and obtaining by the terminal device from itself the second predetermined operation and executing the second predetermined operation when the trigger condition is satisfied. The present invention also discloses an apparatus for implementing a predetermined operation in device management.
US08001223B2 Automatic switching network points based on configuration profiles
A method and apparatus to reconfigure parameters for establishing a link with a new host after a computer is moved to a new location or a new network.
US08001221B2 Method of building system and management server
Devices unnecessary for deployment are invalidated during the deployment. A method of building a system and a management server for establishing a system according to the present invention have the following configuration. The management server obtains server information from a server connected through a network, refers to the obtained server information to select devices unnecessary for deployment among devices connected to the server, and invalidates the selected devices.
US08001220B2 Dynamic UI system and method for remotely controlling legacy device
A dynamic user interface (UI) system and method is provided for remote controlling of a legacy device, which is not compatible with a peer-to-peer (P2P) middleware, through a P2P network. The dynamic UI system of the present includes at least one legacy device, a proxy for registering and managing the at least one legacy device and supporting a dynamic remote control user interface using a multi legacy device control protocol, and an edge peer for downloading the dynamic remote control user interface from the proxy and requesting control of the at least one legacy device to the proxy.
US08001213B2 Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing unrestricted content on a user terminal
An apparatus for providing unrestricted content on a user terminal may include a processor. The processor may be configured to invoke a substitute function expansion application to request access to content associated with an object, in response to receiving an indication of an unknown function expansion application required to access the content associated with the object. The processor may further be configured to communicate information associated with the object to a network entity via the substitute function expansion application. The processor may also be configured to process the content associated with the object received from the remote network entity via the function expansion application, in response to the network entity accessing the content at a location associated with the network entity, and provide the received content associated with the object.
US08001205B2 State management in a distributed computing system
Techniques to allow applications to propagate information to the other instances of the applications running on downstream servers are provided. An indicator, such as a token, tag, etc., is placed within or added to a message that is flowing through the distributed environment to signify that a process has been performed on the message. For example, when an instance of an application running on a server receives a message, the application instance can examine the indicator contained in the message and take appropriate action. If the application instance decides to process the message, the application instance can include an indicator in the message to signify that the application instance processed the message. The presence of the indicator signifies that the message has been processed by an upstream instance of the same application.
US08001198B2 Method and device for hiding messages
Based on user configuration, a main messaging user interface screen on a messaging device either presents a list of references to messages stored on the device based on a complete index of references to the stored messages or based on a filtered index of references to the stored messages. References to stored messages of a predetermined type are not maintained in the filtered index.
US08001196B2 System for performing notification in response to subsequent reception in accordance with originator of previous reception
A communication device includes a communication unit configured to communicate with an external communication device, and a first storage unit configured to store, when a phone call or an e-mail is received, information on a caller or a sender of the e-mail. A notification is performed in response to the reception, and a controller determines, when a reply to a first reception performed by a first communication function of the communication unit is not performed and a second reception performed by a second communication function of the communication unit is performed, whether a caller or a sender relating to the second reception is identical to a caller of a sender relating to the first reception in accordance with the information on the caller or the sender stored in the first storage unit. A notification is performed in response to the second reception in accordance with a result of the determination.
US08001195B1 Spam identification using an algorithm based on histograms and lexical vectors (one-pass algorithm)
A system, method and computer program product for identifying spam in email messages, including (a) identifying unique words and all their variations in the text of the email; (b) filtering noise words from the text; (c) determining how many times each unique word or its morphological variations is found in the text; (d) assigning an identifier to each unique word in the text based on the number of times the unique word is found; (e) creating a lexical vector of the text based on all the identifiers assigned; (f) generating a histogram based on the lexical vector; (g) comparing the histogram against the histograms of lexical vectors corresponding to known spam texts stored in the database; (h) if the histograms coincide within a certain threshold, then the email text is identified as spam.
US08001192B1 Method and apparatus for automatically generating custom format messages based on message-destination
A method and apparatus for generating custom format messages. Upon user selection of a message-destination, application logic identifies a set of template customization data corresponding to the message-destination and uses the template customization data to customize a generalized message template, so as to produce a custom format message. Advantageously, a single messaging application can thereby be made to produce custom format messages respectively for many different message-destinations.
US08001191B2 Data communication apparatus capable of rewriting firmware
When electronic mail with firmware attached is received at a data communication apparatus, determination is made whether it corresponds to firmware data of a write process allowable state. In the case of write process allowable data, the message is downloaded from a mail server to a printer controller. Then, derived firmware is transmitted to an image formation apparatus. A firmware rewrite permission is obtained. When the firmware attached to the message does not attain a write process allowable state, waiting is conducted for reception of write process allowable firmware with the data left in the mail server. As a result, a data communication apparatus is provided that can rewrite firmware appropriately independent of a transmitted and received order of divided firmware.
US08001188B2 Server device, client device, and process execution method
A server device 20 requests a client device 30 to execute one of a plurality of computations having different degrees of difficulty. Client device 30 identifies, based on an amount of computation required for each of said plurality of computations, a computation to be executed and executes the computation. Client device 30, when requesting execution of a given process to server device 20, transmits a result of the computation to server device 20. Server device 20, when the computation result is correct, executes a predetermined process according to a priority based on an amount of the computation.
US08001186B2 Method and system for providing collaborative moderation and correction of message history in an instant messaging session
A system for providing collaborative moderation and correction of instant messaging session transcripts in an instant messaging session that includes an improved instant messaging client user interface that allows collaborative editing and moderation of an instant messaging session transcript in order to correct for errors. An instant messaging client operates to seek approval of changes to the session transcript during the session, and stores transcript changes such that the modifications are conveniently viewable by all session participants. The instant messaging client can be configured to automatically accept requests to modify the session transcript. Alternatively, the instant messaging client can be configured to explicitly notify and seek approval from all other participants when a participant attempts to make a modification to the session history. The time of each modification, and the identity of the participant making each modification, are stored within the session history.
US08001182B2 Method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting membership of a communication flow expression
Methods and apparatus are provided for dynamically adjusting membership of a communication flow expression in a notification and response system. A message is provided from a sender to at least one recipient in accordance with a communication flow having a plurality of potential paths. The communication flow is controlled by a communication flow expression that contains at least one primitive keyword for dynamically adjusting the at least one recipient. A plurality of the recipients included in the communication flow form an instant focus group. The recipients in the instant focus group can be notified of other recipients in the instant focus group and/or receive the responses of other recipients in the instant focus group. The communication flow expression contains primitive keywords for adding and removing recipients in the communication flow.
US08001180B2 Web page data providing system, web page data providing method, and computer-readable medium
A Web server machine 20, when receiving a request for a content containing a description of a campaign advertisement from any one of user machines 10 (step S201), reads a parts name defined as a structure (element) of Web page data for displaying the content from a content management table 24 (steps S202 through S204, step S301), acquires parts 33 specified by the parts name from a file server machine 30, generates the Web page data by combining the acquired parts 33 (step S307, steps S351 through S353), and sends the generated Web page data as a response to the user machine 10 (steps S311, S205, S207). It is therefore feasible to dynamically change details of the Web page, and the Web page is listed up in a high order of a search result of a search engine.
US08001172B2 High speed filter
An electronic filter operates as a correlator that provides a discrete approximation of an analog signal. The analog to digital conversion is integrated directly approximation calculation. An array of sample and hold circuits or single bit comparators provide outputs to a series of multipliers, the other input of which is a coefficient value of a Fourier series approximation of the desired frequency response. Each of the sample and hold circuits samples sequentially in time and holds its sample until the next cycle. Thus the sample point rotates in time through the array and each new sample is multiplied by a different coefficient. The output of the multipliers is summed for evaluation.
US08001171B1 Pipeline FFT architecture for a programmable device
A pipeline Fast Fourier Transform (“FFT”) architecture for a programmable device is described. A first Radix-2 butterfly stage is coupled to receive a first input, configured to provide a first output responsive thereto, and configured to truncate at least one Least Significant Bit of the first output. A delay and swap stage is coupled to receive the first output and configured to provide a second output. A second Radix-2 butterfly stage is coupled to receive the second output and a second input, configured to provide a third output responsive thereto, and configured to truncate at least one Most Significant Bit of the third output. The first Radix-2 butterfly stage and the second Radix-2 butterfly stage are implemented in digital signal processing slices of a programmable device.
US08001168B2 Random pulse generation source, and semiconductor device, method and program for generating random number and/or probability using the source
The present invention provides a semiconductor device such as an IC capable of generating completely random signals and generating an authentication signal, random number, and probability by integrally setting a random pulse generation source for spontaneously generating at the inside, and also provides a method/program for generating a random number and/or probability, comprising the steps of setting a random pulse generation source (hereafter referred to as RPG) for spontaneously generating random pulses, measuring the time interval between the random pulses generated from the RPG or measuring a voltage value of the random pulse, and converting it into a digital value, and generating an exponential distribution random number and/or uniform random number having a predetermined bit length and/or a probability from random pulses as converted to digital values.
US08001158B2 Systems and processes for evaluating database complexities
A database may be evaluated to determine the complexity of the database. Metadata associated with a database may be retrieved and database information may be identified from the retrieved metadata. Database information may include, for example, a number of tables, a number of attributes of a table, a number of relationships in a table, or a number of records in a table of a database. A database complexity score may be determined based on identified database information.
US08001152B1 Method and system for semantic affinity search
A search interface and searching technology for interactive search refinement based on feature similarity (ISRFS), which provides an interactive search tool based on human associative and semantic knowledge. Given a query, the tool may retrieve the most suitable textual items in a repository of textual data that is categorized or/and partially tagged. In the user interface, an equalizer controller may be used to refine the search results, for example, based on manually or automatically extracted features and a graded semantic scale to adjust the weights of the various features. The technology may be applied to any data repository.
US08001139B2 Using a bipartite graph to model and derive image and text associations
A method for deriving probabilistic association scores based on image content is provided. A bipartite graph is constructed based on a database of image content and associated textual content. One partition of the bipartite graph contains image content and the other partition of the bipartite graph contains textual content. Weighted edges between nodes in the two partitions represent associations between the image content and textual content in the database. Random walks on the bipartite graph are performed to derive probabilistic association scores between image content and textual content. Association scores are used to automatically annotate images and detect spurious image tags.
US08001124B2 System and method for tagging images based on positional information
A system and method for suggesting keywords for tagging a digital image are provided. In general, a requesting node is communicatively coupled to a keyword service via a network. The requesting node sends a request to the keyword service requesting suggested keywords for a digital image. The request includes information relating to the digital image such as positional information. Based on the information, the keyword service generates a list of suggested keywords and provides the list of suggested keywords to the requesting node. At the requesting node, the list of suggested keywords is displayed to a user, and the user selects one or more of the suggested keywords for tagging the digital image.
US08001121B2 Training a ranking function using propagated document relevance
A method and system for propagating the relevance of labeled documents to a query to unlabeled documents is provided. The propagation system provides training data that includes queries, documents labeled with their relevance to the queries, and unlabeled documents. The propagation system then calculates the similarity between pairs of documents in the training data. The propagation system then propagates the relevance of the labeled documents to similar, but unlabeled, documents. The propagation system may iteratively propagate labels of the documents until the labels converge on a solution. The training data with the propagated relevances can then be used to train a ranking function.
US08001115B2 Identifying geographic-areas based on change patterns detected from high-resolution, remotely sensed imagery
A method, system, and medium are provided for identifying terrestrial objects that have changed in a certain manner. One embodiment of the method includes receiving a query that includes one or more inputs, which are related to 1) a first terrestrial object (“first object”) and 2) source change-detection information that describes change associated with the first object; applying the query to a dataset that includes indexed information that describes the imagery; based on the one or more inputs, receiving a query result by identifying a set of regions in the dataset that are respectively associated with change information that is similar to that of the source change-detection information; and presenting on a presentation device indications of at least a portion of the identified set of regions.
US08001105B2 System and method for keyword extraction and contextual advertisement generation
A computer-implemented system and method for keyword extraction and contextual advertisement generation are disclosed. The system in an example embodiment includes a keyword extraction service to obtain information related to user activity on a host site and to extract relevant keywords from content of a web page, the information related to user activity on the host site being used to determine relevancy of the extracted keywords, and a contextual advertiser to produce an advertisement placement on an affiliate web page, the produced advertisement placement being relevant to user activity on the host site.
US08001104B2 Method, system and program for storing and using metadata in multiple storage locations
Provided are a method, system, and program for storing and using metadata in multiple storage location. Signature data is stored in a system storage indicating a plurality of metadata copy locations, each locating identifying a storage device and a copy location within the storage device. Each location contains one copy of the metadata, wherein the metadata includes system configuration information. A copy of the signature data is stored with each copy of the metadata.
US08001097B2 Computerized system and method for building a system of test components for a healthcare orderable procedure
A computerized system and method of building a system of test components for an orderable healthcare procedure is provided. An orderable healthcare procedure is received and associated with a discrete ontology concept. An ontology is traversed for the discrete ontology concept to identify test components related to the discrete ontology concept. The test components related to the discrete ontology concept are identified.
US08001096B2 Computer file system using content-dependent file identifiers
A file system includes a plurality of servers to store file data as segments or chunks; and first data that includes file identifiers for files for which the file data are stored as segments; and second data that maps the file identifiers to the segments to which the file identifiers correspond; and location data that identifies which of the plurality of servers stores which of the segments, the location data being keyed on segment identifiers, each segment identifier being based on the data in a corresponding segment.
US08001095B2 Method of updating a version of an application program
A version update method is provided for updating a version of a communication system application program installed in a plurality of terminals connected to a communication network and operating between at least two terminals. The method includes: starting communications between the two of the plurality of terminals; exchanging version information of the communication system application program between the two terminals communicating with each other and making a comparison between the version information held in one terminal and that in the other; making a request for transmitting the communication system application program file of the version not held in either terminal; and transmitting the communication system application program file of the specified version to the terminal making the request.
US08001093B2 Purging of stored timeseries data
There is disclosed methods, systems and computer program products for purging stored data in a repository. Users attach relative importance to all data samples across all timeseries in a repository. The importance attached to a data sample is the ‘utility value’ of the data sample. An algorithm uses the utility of data samples and allocates the storage space of the repository in such a way that the total loss of information due to purging is minimized while preserving samples with a high utility value.
US08001090B2 System and method for examining client generated content stored on a data container exported by a storage system
A system and method for examining content of a client computer operating system is provided. Layout information of data related to a data container stored within the client computer is retrieved, where the layout information is implemented in terms of native operating system semantic of the client computer. The layout information is transmitted to a storage system. The storage system reconstructs the layout information of the data container stored within the client computer in a shadow volume implemented in terms of native operating system semantic of the storage system.
US08001089B2 Method and system for intelligent storage management
A storage management system is provided. The storage management system may includes a data collector configured to receive storage management information for storage. The storage manager includes an agent configured to collect storage management information for a storage object and to communicate the storage management information to the data collector. The storage management system includes a user interface configured to display the storage management information for the storage objects.
US08001081B1 Determining priority between data items in shared environments
One embodiment of the invention enables nodes or endpoints that have been involved with synchronization of data items to determine which version of a data item (if any) has priority over another version of that same data item. For example, one embodiment of the invention can include a method that can include the determination as to whether any data items have matching identities and conflicting priorities after the synchronization process. Provided a first and second data items have matching identities and conflicting priorities, a determination is made as to whether an indication had been made that the first data item is desirable over the second data item. Provided the indication had been made that the first data is desirable over the second data item, it is indicated that the first data item has priority over the second data item.
US08001078B2 Commitment chains for conflict resolution between disconnected data sharing applications
A sequence of processing transactions operating on a cached data set, which depend on each other because they operate on the same items of data from the data set. The transactions are saved until the master copy of the data becomes available. The transactions are played back against the master copy until one of the played back transactions fails because another transaction which operated on the same items of data but against a separate cached copy and originating from another application, was successfully played back on the master copy at an earlier time. At this point, all subsequent transactions which depended on the failing transaction are rolled back on the cached copy (with appropriate failure reports generated) and activity resumes from there. “Chained” (optimistic) transactions can therefore be applied to cached data and can be allowed to progress by recording their dependencies so they can be undone when required.
US08001068B2 System and method for calibrating and extrapolating management-inherent complexity metrics and human-perceived complexity metrics of information technology management
The invention broadly and generally provides a method for calibrating the relationship between management-inherent complexity metrics deriving from the management structure and human perceived complexity of information technology management comprising: (a) obtaining a set of management-inherent complexity metrics; (b) obtaining a set of human-perceived complexity metrics; (c) constructing a control model identifying a set of dominant indicators selected from the aforesaid set of management-inherent complexity metrics; (d) establishing a value model mapping from the aforesaid set of dominant indicators to the aforesaid set of human-perceived complexity metrics.
US08001067B2 Method for substituting an electronic emulation of the human brain into an application to replace a human
A method for emulating human behavior and actions in an expert mode to control and execute a defined task. The first step is to define a task based application having a task associated therewith that is operable to receive goals and conditions and which goals define the desired results to be achieved when the task is performed. A brain emulation is represented by a plurality of nodes each representing a concept, and interconnecting relationships between select ones of the concepts, which brain emulation is operable to receive information from the task based application and process such information and capable controlling the task based application with the outcome of such processing to achieve the goal of the task based application. The brain emulation receives information either directly from a external source or from the task based application as to the state of the task based application and processes the received information based on the existing interconnecting relationships to initiate the task associated with the task based application and attempt to achieve the goal associated with the task based application.
US08001057B1 Quantitative employment search and analysis system and method
A method for grading a job seeker, relative to the universe of employed persons for a specified employment position, comprising the steps of establishing an interactive web site for remotely communicating with a user, displaying a series of queries to the user to survey a suitability of said user for a selected employment position, receiving input from said user in response to said queries, deriving a grade in relation to an index associated with a specific set of inputs in response to said queries, said grade reflecting a quantitative value of a suitability for a selected employment position, and displaying said grade within the context of the index, to said user, and system for carrying out said method.
US08001054B1 System and method for generating an unpredictable number using a seeded algorithm
A random number generating algorithm is seeded with an unpredictable number. The seed value is computed by subjecting variable data to a Secure Hashing Algorithm, and truncating the right most, or left most, 16 bytes from the message digest generated. The algorithm generates the unpredictable number by using the seed value as a counter value in the random number generator, and performing a data encryption standard operation. In one exemplary embodiment, the unpredictable number is modified to a predetermined maximum unpredictable number value as determined by the sender and receiver of the unpredictable number.
US08001044B2 Targeted incentives based upon predicted behavior
A system and method for anticipating consumer behavior and determining transaction incentives for influencing consumer behavior comprises a computer system and associated database for determining cross time correlations between transaction behavior, for applying the function derived from the correlations to consumer records to predict future consumer behavior, and for deciding on transaction incentives to offer the consumers based upon their predicted behavior.
US08001043B1 Method, apparatus, and program for customizing credit accounts
An apparatus, method, and program for customizing credit accounts and calculating an appropriate price for this customization. Customers with existing credit accounts and customers applying for new accounts can customize various parameters of their accounts, in exchange for a fee to be collected by the credit issuer. The fee may depend on the particular set of parameters selected by the customer.
US08001035B2 System and method for conducting an electronic financial asset deposit auction over computer network
A trusted computer system for conducting an electronic financial asset deposit auction over a computer network such as the Internet wherein invited depositor members are anonymous and bid against themselves for a number of sessions no greater than the number of depositor members. At each session, a member is declared a winner and eliminated from further sessions. The winner then collects the pooled discount deposits with repayment due in the next session payable to the winner of the said session. The aforesaid steps are repeated until one depositor is left wherein said depositor will receive the highest rate of return.
US08001028B2 Method of interacting with printed substrate
A method of interacting with a printed substrate. The method includes the steps of: interacting with the printed substrate using an optically imaging pen having a nib; imaging a tag on the substrate to provide image data; identifying target elements in the image data and inferring a perspective transform using perspective distortion of the target elements due to a tilt of the pen; acquiring and decoding coded data contained in the imaged tag; calculating a nib position using a tag location, the perspective transform and a known geometry of pen optics; and communicating digital ink to a computer system. The digital ink identifies the nib position and the substrate identity such that the computer system can interpret the digital ink and perform an action in response to the interaction with the printed substrate.
US08001021B1 System and method for compensation query management
A system for compensation query management includes one or more processors and memory coupled to the processors. The memory stores program instructions executable by the processors to implement an analysis tool. The analysis tool is configured to access representations of a plurality of tax returns and extract compensation-related data from the tax returns. The analysis tool is further configured to compile a version of the compensation-related data into a data store, and access the data store to prepare a response to a compensation query.
US08001010B2 Sharing information on a network-based social platform
A system for sharing information on a networked-based social platform is provided. A request from a first user of the network-based social platform is received. The request is to add an item to a list associated with a second user of the network-based social platform. The list is for watching items associated with a network-based platform distinct from the network-based social platform. Next, the system determines whether the first user is authorized to add the item to the list associated with the second user based on relationship information that identifies a relationship between the first user and the second user on the network-based social platform. Finally, the system communicates the request to the network-based platform to add the item to the list associated with the second user.
US08001007B2 Method, and system to publish a proxy bid and a reserve price
A auction system includes an auction price-setting purchase process and a fixed price purchase process for purchasing a buyer's proxy bid during an auction.
US08001004B2 System and method for brokering the sale of internet advertisement inventory
A dynamic vertical network management system is adapted to broker, between each publisher of a group of publishers and each advertiser of a group of advertisers, the sale of at least a portion of the each publisher's inventory of advertisement impressions. At least a portion of the advertisers are clients of a dynamic vertical network operator (DVN) with the DVN purchasing inventory from the publisher and utilizing such purchased inventory to fulfill advertising orders placed by the client with the DVN (network orders). A publisher data store stores, for each publisher of the group of publishers, a group of segmented ad placements. Each segmented ad placement comprises: i) a placement ID identifying an advertisement placement region within a web page; and ii) at least one distinguishing traffic attribute parameter. An advertisement-order data store stores, for each segmented ad placement, a group of advertisement orders. Upon receiving an ad request from an end user system rendering the web page, an order delivery system: i) determines the selected ad placement, ii) determines an open order for the selected ad placement meeting selection criteria, and iii) if such order is a DVN order: a) determines a client network order meeting network order criteria, and b) delivers ad content associate with the selected network order.
US08001001B2 System and method using sampling for allocating web page placements in online publishing of content
An improved system and method is provided for using sampling for allocating web page placements in online publishing of content. A multi-armed bandit engine may be provided for sampling content items by allocating web page placements of varying quality for content items and optimizing the payoff to maximize revenue. Publishers may provide content items to be published and report their valuation per click. Through a process of valuation discovery, the click-through rate for content items and the value of content items may be learned through sampling. As the process of valuation discovery progresses, the present invention may more closely approximate the click-through rates for content items in order to allocate web page placements to content items that may optimize content layout by maximizing revenue. The present invention may accurately learn the CTR for new content items and support multiple web page placements of varying quality.
US08001000B2 Telecoms
The invention concerns improvements to telecoms systems. In the proposed method and apparatus, an image (which may have advertising content) is displayed to a caller and a recipient prior to relaying a caller message. This supplementary image may take the place of conventional text such as CALLING. On audio/visual equipment, an audio message may take the place of a ringing tone.
US08000995B2 System and method for assessing customer segmentation strategies
In a novel computer-implemented method and system for assessing segmentation strategies, at least two models are selected for a plurality of segments. Segment performance of the segmentation strategy segments according to selected models is measured. Aggregate segmentation strategy performance data is obtained by aggregating segment performance for each segmentation strategy. Segmentation strategy performance indicia are generated to compare the aggregate segmentation strategy performance data of at least two of the segmentation strategies.
US08000985B2 Computerized method and system of displaying a roadway configuration relating to an accident
Methods and systems are provided for adjusting estimates of liability associated with past or theoretical accidents. In an embodiment, the characteristics from an actual accident may be compared to those in a past or theoretical accident. Liability may be estimated from a preassigned liability associated with a nearest matching past or theoretical accident. In one embodiment, liability estimates associated with past or theoretical accidents or characteristics of past or theoretical accidents may be adjusted The characteristics may include: conditions of vehicles in the accident, conditions of drivers in the accident, actions of drivers in the accident, and/or environmental conditions in the accident.
US08000982B2 Network and methods for integrating individualized clinical test results and nutritional treatment
The present invention provides networks and method for linking consumers and nutritional pharmacogeneticists offering personalized nutritional information through a central network site. The network includes a central integration site through which network members communicate with each other. The central integration site stores two or more databases in the storage medium. The databases store biochemical marker data information, nutritional and/or drug data information including a record for association and effect of nutrients with a particular biochemical marker, and/or drug. The network of the invention provides individualized nutritional diagnostic and treatment to consumers on the basis of their genetic test results.
US08000977B2 System and method to develop health-care information systems
A method of and a system for development of health care information Systems (HIS) are disclosed. The method includes providing software programming interfaces for development of application modules, communication interfaces for establishing communication between various modules, and resource management interfaces for allocation of resources such as memory. The system comprises of a server with a health care middleware operating system (HMOS). The HMOS is designed as a multi-tier architecture with 3 tiers namely, application tier, domain services tier, and Foundations tier.
US08000947B1 Particle-based cloth simulation using verlet integration with fixed and stiff-spring constraints supporting collision detection and reaction with projectiles in sports video games
Techniques for simulating the behavior of nets in a real time three dimensional simulation are provided. In a simulated environment, a net is constructed from plurality of particles, and the particles may be laid out in a grid-like pattern. Verlet Integration is used to provide the net with cloth-like behavior in response to collisions. Adjacent particles may be constrained by fixed or stiff-spring constraints, and these constraints are used to determine the behavior of the particles in the event that one or both of the constrained particles are displaced by a collision of an object with the net. Post-integration processing is also performed to prevent ball-through-net phenomena where a ball or other object appears to pass through the net rather than merely colliding with and bounding off of the net.
US08000938B2 Method and system for tracking and managing destruction, reconstitution, or reclamation of regulated substances
Various embodiments of methods and systems described herein relate to tracking and/or managing the destruction, reconstitution, or reclamation of regulated substances, including, in certain embodiments, tracking the associated GHG emissions and carbon valuation.
US08000927B2 Data remaining period management device and method
A remaining period management device according to an example of the invention includes a statistic calculation unit that measures sampling data associated with monitoring target data stored in a storage device having a finite data remaining period and calculates sampling statistical data based on a measurement result of the sampling data. The device also includes a remaining period detection unit that obtains remaining period data indicative of a data remaining period of the monitoring target data based on predetermined remaining period characteristic data indicative of a characteristic that statistical data varies with elapse of data remaining period and the sampling statistical data calculated by the statistic calculation unit.
US08000924B2 Input device attitude prediction
A first attitude calculation means S2 calculates a first attitude indicating an attitude of an input device itself based on a motion detection signal output from an input device equipped with a motion detection sensor. A motion calculation means S21 calculates a motion of the first attitude. An approaching operation determination means S22 to S24 determines whether or not the motion of the first attitude calculated by the motion calculation means is a motion of approaching a predetermined attitude. An input attitude setting means S27, S28, S4 sets an attitude obtained by correcting the first attitude as an input attitude if the motion of the first attitude is the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, and sets the first attitude as an input attitude if the motion of the first attitude is not the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude. A process execution means S5 performs a predetermined information process based on the input attitude.
US08000917B2 Method and system for S-parameter capture
A periodic broadband signal can be used to determine the S21 measurement for a channel by stimulating the channel across a spectrum of interest. The channel response to such broadband signal can be measured from undersampled data captured at the receiver. The Fourier transform of the broadband signal as received, divided by the Fourier transform of broadband signal as transmitted, constitutes the S21. A physically contiguous IC can integrate both a receiver circuit, at which S21 is to be measured, along with an undersampler for sampling the received broadband signal. To maximize signal to noise, a pattern for the broadband signal can be selected to maximize the minimum power across the spectrum of interest. A pattern generator for the broadband signal can be integrated on the same physically contiguous IC with a multiplexer that can select either the pattern generator, or a typical source of data, for transmission into the channel.
US08000915B2 Method for estimating state of charge of a rechargeable battery
An apparatus for accurately estimating the SOC of a rechargeable battery installed in a hybrid electric vehicle. A voltage variation measurement unit measures terminal voltage variation amount of the rechargeable battery in a no-battery-current state in which a charge-discharge current does not flow in the rechargeable battery. A polarization voltage calculator calculates a polarization voltage from the measured variation amount. An electromotive force calculator subtracts the polarization voltage from a non-load voltage in a state in which a charge-discharge path is open to calculate the electromotive force of the rechargeable battery. An SOC estimator estimates the SOC of the rechargeable battery based on the electromotive force.
US08000904B2 Methods and products related to the improved analysis of carbohydrates
The invention relates, in part, to the improved analysis of carbohydrates. In particular, the invention relates to the analysis of carbohydrates, such as N-glycans and O-glycans found on proteins. Improved methods, therefore, for the study of glycosylation patterns on cells, tissue and body fluids are also provided. Information regarding the analysis of glycans, such as the glycosylation patterns on cells, tissues and in body fluids, can be used in diagnostic and treatment methods as well as for facilitating the study of the effects of glycosylation/altered glycosylation on protein function. Such methods are also provided. Methods are also provided to assess protein production processes, to assess the purity of proteins produced, and to select proteins with the desired glycosylation.
US08000902B2 Methods and compositions for selecting siRNA of improved functionality
Efficient sequence specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology. By selecting particular siRNAs by rational design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes. Methods, compositions, and kits generated through rational design of siRNAs are disclosed.
US08000897B2 Intersection collision avoidance techniques
System and method for preventing accidents between first and second vehicles at intersections in which the absolute position and velocity of the first vehicle are determined, map data relating to edges of lanes of roadways, edges of roadways and the location of traffic control devices is stored in a map database and the status of the traffic control devices is provided to the first vehicle when needed. The absolute position and velocity of the second vehicle are determined and a collision between the first and second vehicles is predicted based on the position and velocity of the first and second vehicles, the map data and the status of the traffic control devices. An action or changing operation is initiated by a reactive component or system in the first and/or second vehicle when a collision is predicted.
US08000890B2 Image-guided navigation employing navigated point computation method and system
Provided is a method of image-guided navigation comprising determining a final navigated point in a three-dimensional reconstructed coordinate system based at least partially on two or more navigated points in a coordinate system associated with a two-dimensional array of image pixels and without specifying a coordinate of each of the two or more navigated points in a direction orthogonal to the two-dimensional array of image pixels, wherein each of the two or more navigated points is for a different position of a C-arm gantry. Also provided is an image-guided navigation system.
US08000886B2 Control device for internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine, including an air/fuel ratio sensor in an exhaust passage detecting an air/fuel ratio in a heated state, implements a technique improving emission at a starting time, by eliminating splash of water droplets early in the exhaust passage at the starting time to advance the heating starting timing of the air/fuel ratio sensor. At the starting time, opening/closing timing of a valve is advanced from a reference opening/closing timing or the reference of the opening/closing timing of the exhaust valve after the warming-up was ended, which continues until the wall temperature of the exhaust passage near the air/fuel ratio sensor becomes equal to or higher than a water droplet disappearing temperature, at which water droplets disappear. Then, change of the opening/closing timing of the exhaust valve responding to the running state by a variable valve mechanism is started.
US08000882B2 Active combustion control based on ringing index for reducing homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion noise
An engine control system comprises a ringing index (RI) determination module and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) control module. The RI determination module determines at least one RI based on at least one pressure in at least one cylinder. The EGR control module actuates an EGR valve based on the RI.
US08000876B2 Fuel injector control
A method of operating a fuel injector having a piezoelectric actuator that is operable by applying an electrical drive pulse thereto to activate and deactivate the injector. The method includes monitoring an electrical characteristic of the actuator during a predetermined time period, determining a time-domain data sample corresponding to the monitored electrical characteristic during the predetermined time period, determining a frequency spectrum signature corresponding to the time-domain data sample, and comparing the frequency spectrum signature of the monitored electrical characteristic to a predetermined frequency spectrum signature indicative of an injector event.
US08000875B2 Method and device as well as computer program for controlling an internal combustion engine
A method and a device as well as a computer program for controlling an internal combustion engine are provided, a torque model being used within the framework of calculating instantaneous variables and/or actuating variables. A correction of a basic value determined under standard conditions takes place in the process. In addition, to further improve the accuracy of the model, the efficiency for the conversion of the chemical into mechanical energy by which the optimum torque value is corrected, is determined at least as a function of a variable characterizing the combustion center point and a variable characterizing the opening instant of a discharge-side gas-exchange valve.
US08000864B2 System and method for changing values stored in memory that relate to the operation of an automatic transmission
An automatic transmission may be coupled to an internal combustion engine. A shift selector may be coupled to the transmission and may have a plurality of user selectable inputs for controlling operation of the transmission that are electrically connected to a control circuit. The control circuit may include a memory having a value stored therein that relates to operation of the transmission. The memory may further include instructions stored therein that are executable by the control circuit to change the value stored in the memory to a different value upon detection of user selection of a predefined sequence of two or more of the plurality of user selectable inputs.
US08000862B2 Swing control device and construction machinery
In a swing control device installed in an electric rotary excavator (a construction machine), when a leading edge or a trailing edge of a lever signal is sharp due to a quick operation of a swing lever, a gradient as a rise time Ta1 or a fall time Tb1 is provided to the leading edge or the trailing edge of the torque output and the acceleration that are output based on the lever signal so as to somewhat ease the edge. With the arrangement, an impact in acceleration or deceleration of a rotary body can be suppressed. Specifically, a gradient in the acceleration operation is provided such that the rise time Ta1 becomes 0.15 seconds or more, while a gradient in the stop deceleration operation is provided such that the fall time Tb1 becomes 0.1 seconds or more.
US08000860B2 Steering angle sensor
The present invention relates to a steering angle sensor, which includes a substrate. A shaft bore and a first gear are adapted on the substrate. The first gear has a shaft sleeve, which passes through the shaft bore. And a steering column of a steering wheel passes through the shaft sleeve. A second gear is adapted on the substrate, and is in mesh with the first gear. A rotary sensor is located atop and assembled with the second gear. Besides, a signal processing circuit is coupled electrically with the rotary sensor. By simply meshing the first and the second gears and passing the steering column of the steering wheel through the first gear, when the steering wheel turns, the second gear will be driven to turn as well, which, in turn, drives the rotary sensor. Thereby, the number of components in the steering angle sensor is reduced, and the volume thereof is reduced effectively as well.
US08000859B2 Duel control solenoid circuit
A solenoid control system for a vehicle comprises a primary controller, a failover controller, and a failover control module. The primary controller generates a first solenoid drive signal based upon a control signal. The failover controller selectively generates a second solenoid drive signal based upon the control signal. The failover control module receives an operating signal that indicates whether the primary controller is functioning properly and selects the second drive signal to drive a solenoid when the operating signal indicates that the primary controller is not functioning properly.
US08000857B2 Vehicle presence indication
A method, system, and computer program product for vehicle presence indication. The method includes receiving a request including an announcement type at a first vehicle. The receiving is from a second vehicle via a mobile ad-hoc network that includes the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The announcement type is initiated at the first vehicle in response to receiving the request.
US08000851B2 Automatic trim system for a jet propulsion watercraft
An automatic trim system for a jet propulsion watercraft is provided. Control electronics are in communication with a steering angle sensor to monitor the steering angle of the watercraft, and evaluate a target setting for the trim taking the steering angle into consideration. Control signals are sent to an appropriate actuating device for adjusting the trim angle accordingly.
US08000849B2 Method and apparatus for remotely controlling and stabilizing unmanned aircraft
An aid for remotely controlling unmanned aircraft and particular helicopters, which allow the pilot at least approximately to directly stir the angle of inclination, thus for instance a pitch(elevator) and/or roll angle, so that on neutralizing of the steering stick, the respective angle of attitude returns autonomously, and to a large extent goes back to the horizontal position. To this end, a closed-loop control of the inclination is carried out, in that an angular rate signal is being integrated to an actual value, and a nominal value is admixed behind the forming of the integral, wherein the time of integration is shortened in order to avoid null drifts, in particular by feeding a portion of the actual value and/or the nominal value back into the input of the integrator. Furthermore, a vectorial rotation of the integrated actual values by a yaw signal.
US08000847B2 Control system for automatic flight in windshear conditions
A flight control system is configured for controlling the flight of an aircraft through windshear conditions. The system has means for measuring values of selected flight performance states of the aircraft and a control system for operating flight control devices on the aircraft. A windshear detection system located on the aircraft uses at least some of the measured values of the selected flight performance states to calculate a gust average during flight for comparison to pre-determined values in a table for determining whether windshear conditions exist. The control system then operates at least some of the flight control devices in response to an output of the windshear detection system.
US08000832B1 Systems, methods, and software for automated design and manufacturing of HVAC control panels
The present inventors devised, among other things, systems, methods, and software that radically simplify and reduce the time necessary to specify, design, manufacture, and document control panels and wiring harnesses for semi-custom and custom equipment, such as HVAC equipment. One exemplary system includes a computerized product configuration module that defines product family parameters from user input and outputs a product family data structure, for example, a coded character string, to a technical design module. The technical design module, which incorporates engineering design rules for control panels and wiring modules, automatically processes the coded character string, outputting detailed engineering drawings, component listings, and even assembly instructions to robotic manufacturing equipment. The exemplary system dramatic reduces the product specification and engineering time required for any custom control panel and makes it possible for OEMs to efficiently offering more options and shorter turn-around times to its customers.
US08000828B2 System and method for movement control
A system for controlling object movement on a machine. The system controls a speed of a working point of the machine according to a dynamic decay speed determined through an exponential function after the working point passes by a buffer distance. A related method and storage medium with instructions for performance of the method also provided.
US08000820B2 Accessory for portable electronic device
A transmitting accessory includes a base dock for receiving a portable electronic device and a transmitter that is removably coupled to the dock. When the device and transmitter are mounted on the dock, the transmitter receives signals from the device through the dock and transmits the signals to a remote receiver. The transmitter can be decoupled from the dock and coupled directly to the portable electronic device when the device is removed from the dock such that the device and transmitter can be carried and function as a single unit. The user inputs of the portable electronic device can preferably be used to control functions of the accessory and the device's display to display the selected transmission frequency or channel of the transmitter.
US08000810B2 Systems and methods for transvenous lead implantation
Some embodiments relate to a method of implanting a cardiac lead. An expansion module is implanted in a target region within vasculature, the target region being defined by a portion of a brachiocephalic vein and a portion of a corresponding subclavian vein. The expansion module is transitioned from a collapsed state to an expanded state within the target region to contact the vasculature. A cardiac lead is implanted through the expansion module, the cardiac lead defining an intermediate section corresponding to the target region. The intermediate section of the cardiac lead includes a surface treatment adapted to reduce at least one of cell proliferation, thrombosis, fibrosis, and inflammation at the target region.
US08000804B1 Electrode array for neural stimulation
An electrode array for neural stimulation is disclosed which has particular applications for use in a retinal prosthesis. The electrode array can be formed as a hermetically-sealed two-part ceramic package which includes an electronic circuit such as a demultiplexer circuit encapsulated therein. A relatively large number (up to 1000 or more) of individually-addressable electrodes are provided on a curved surface of a ceramic base portion the electrode array, while a much smaller number of electrical connections are provided on a ceramic lid of the electrode array. The base and lid can be attached using a metal-to-metal seal formed by laser brazing. Electrical connections to the electrode array can be provided by a flexible ribbon cable which can also be used to secure the electrode array in place.
US08000801B2 System for terminating abandoned implanted leads to minimize heating in high power electromagnetic field environments
An energy management system facilitates the transfer of high frequency energy coupled into an implanted abandoned lead at a selected RF frequency or frequency band, to an energy dissipating surface. This is accomplished by conductively coupling the implanted abandoned lead to the energy dissipating surface of an abandoned lead cap through an energy diversion circuit including one or more passive electronic network components whose impedance characteristics are at least partially tuned to the implanted abandoned lead's impedance characteristics.
US08000796B2 Method and device for decoupling and/or desynchronizing neural brain activity
A device for decoupling and/or desynchronizing neural, pathologically synchronous brain activity, in which, the activities in a partial region of a brain area or a functionally associated brain area are stimulated by means of an electrode, resulting in decoupling and desynchronizing the affected neuron population from the pathological area and suppression of the symptoms in a patient. In an alternative embodiment of the device, the pathologically synchronous brain activity due to the disease is desynchronized which also leads to the symptoms being suppressed. The device has a stimulation electrode and at least one sensor which are driven by a control system in such a manner that they produce decoupling and/or desynchronization in their local environment.
US08000783B2 Processor controlled voltage-current analysis for nerve and muscle tissues
A device is disclosed for detecting a voltage potential from a tissue membrane. The device includes an input circuit, an output circuit and a digital signal processor. The input circuit receives a membrane voltage potential from an electrode. The output circuit receives an output command signal and provides a current output signal to the electrode. The digital signal processor is coupled to the input circuit and the output circuit. The digital signal processor provides the output command signal, and waits a delay period prior to receiving the membrane voltage signal from the input circuit.
US08000777B2 System and method for tracking healing progress of tissue
A system and method for analyzing tissue healing may include an image capture device and a reference color marker of a predetermined color. A processing unit may be in communication with the image capture device, and be configured to receive image data from the image capture device. The image data may include image of a tissue site and the reference color marker. At least one image parameter may be adjusted based on at least a portion of the image of the reference color marker to normalize the image data. The normalized image data may be presented to a clinician.
US08000770B2 Magnetic resonance apparatus with table movement controlled dependent on magnetic field distribution
A magnetic resonance device has a patient bed able to be automatically moved by means of a drive apparatus into a patient chamber, as well as a magnet arrangement for creating a magnetic field in the interior of the patient chamber. The drive apparatus is operated so as to move the patient bed at a speed determined as a function of the distribution of the magnetic field in the direction of movement of the patient bed.
US08000754B2 Vehicular handsfree apparatus
When telephone directory data is transmitted from a cellular phone to a vehicular handsfree apparatus, only a portion of the telephone directory data that reflects call history data of outbound calls or inbound calls is selectively transmitted, for use as the telephone directory data in the apparatus, in a manner that associates registration names used in the cellular phone with telephone numbers in the call history data transmitted from the cellular phone, instead of transmitting all of registered telephone directory data.
US08000750B2 Portable communication terminal
There is provided a portable communication terminal capable of switching between icon display and non-display. Processes executed by a control unit of a portable phone which is an aspect of the portable communication terminal comprises the steps of detecting, during the execution of an icon-bar displaying process, a press of an operation key, terminating outputting icon data if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar non-display function and if there is already no icon bar being displayed, detecting a press of the operation key, and executing the icon-bar displaying process if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar display function and if there is no icon bar being displayed.
US08000743B2 Electronic device with SIM card retention assembly
An electronic device includes a first main body defining a SIM card seat, a SIM card disposed in the SIM card seat, and a SIM card retention assembly comprising a retaining member fixed to the first main body adjacent to the SIM card seat, a positioning member fixed to the retaining member, and a rotary member rotatably connected to the first main body between the retaining member and the SIM card seat. The rotary member can be rotated relative to the first main body in a substantially horizontal plane. The positioning member is configured for positioning the rotary member to make the rotary member fix the SIM card in the SIM card seat tightly.
US08000738B2 Mobile terminal with leakage current prevention
A mobile terminal including a terminal housing having a first ground, a printed circuit board disposed in the terminal housing and having a second ground, and a leakage current preventing member installed between the first and second grounds and configured to block a direct current (DC) and passing an alternating current (AC) so as to prevent a leakage current from flowing to the terminal housing during a recharging of the mobile terminal.
US08000722B2 Extended triggered position method and device
An extended triggered location method and device is provided. The device includes the following: a location calculating unit to calculate location of the target terminal and determine the location information, and a third party location reporting unit to send the location information of the target terminal to the third party terminal periodically or only when the area triggered condition is sufficed. With the present invention, the third party terminal can obtain the location information of the target terminal periodically or receive the notice of the target terminal's entry into/exit from a target area, in accordance with the principles of periodical location or area trigger location. Thereby, the invention supplies new location service application and satisfies the subscriber's demand for different location service applications.
US08000721B2 Wireless communication terminals and methods that display relative direction and distance therebetween responsive to acceleration data
Wireless communication terminals are disclosed that display the direction and distance between them so that users can, for example, travel away from each other and then later find one another. The terminals are configured to track their movement using acceleration data. Some of the terminals may operate as slave terminals in which they transmit their movement data to a master terminal which determines therefrom the relative direction and distance between the terminals. The master terminal may then transmit the relative direction and distance data to the slave terminals where it can be displayed to their users.
US08000718B2 Spectrum management system for municipal spectrum using guided cognitive radio
Described is a system and method for assigning a frequency to an access point in a wireless network comprising a plurality of access points. The system and method includes accessing a rule-base to obtain a set of rules for the wireless network, accessing a license database to obtain information about relevant wireless nodes in a region, creating a list of possible primary node frequencies from a list of frequencies associated with primary wireless nodes in the license database, creating a list of possible secondary node frequencies from a list of frequencies associated with secondary wireless nodes in the license database, identifying a list of clear frequencies from a set of unused frequencies, selecting a frequency from frequencies in the lists of possible primary node frequencies, possible secondary node frequencies, and clear frequencies and registering the frequency in the license database.
US08000706B2 Method of reselecting a cell based on priorities
A method, device and computer program product for performing cell reselection based on priorities, where the method includes measuring a signal of a candidate cell, and selecting the candidate cell when the signal characteristic of the candidate cell satisfies a certain criterion for a certain time duration, wherein the certain time duration is modified according to a priority of the candidate cell.
US08000702B2 Optimizing location services performance by combining user plane and control plane architectures
A system and method is disclosed that determines the position of a mobile device using information obtained by employing a first location determination protocol (or modality) to control the efficient or advantageous invocation of a second location determination protocol (or modality). The system utilizes information readily available from the Control plane along with request parameters and device capabilities to determine whether to invoke a CoPL or SUPL session.
US08000699B2 Lightweight communications protocol for reducing wireless data transactions in mobile subscriber sessions
A method and system are provided for reducing the number of wireless transactions between an application server and mobile subscribers in a wireless communications system. The communications system includes a plurality of wireless mobile subscribers communicating with network devices via the application server. Each of the mobile subscribers includes a lightweight client, and the application server includes an alias for each mobile subscriber. For each session between a mobile subscriber and a network device: the application server receives a communication from the network device intended to be processed at a client residing on the mobile subscriber in accordance with a given protocol. The system distributes the processing of the communication between the lightweight client on the mobile subscriber and the alias for the mobile subscriber on the application server to reduce the processing performed by the lightweight client and the number of wireless transactions between the mobile subscriber and the application server.
US08000692B2 Mobile device manners propagation and compliance
The present invention includes methods and technologies for defining and administering device manners policy (“DMP”), propagating DMP, reception and recognition of, and compliance with DMP. Such policy may be used to communicate to various mobile and other devices the “manners” with which compliance is expected or required. Similar to some of the social manners honored among people, such as with “no smoking” or “employees only” zones, “no swimming” or “no flash photography” areas, and scenarios for “please wash your hands” or “no talking out loud”, devices may recognize and comply with analogous “device manners” policy.
US08000686B2 Extensible phone application
The present invention provides an extensible phone application that uses extensions to interact with other applications executing in a mobile communication device. The extensible phone application is operable to handle wireless communication for the mobile communication device. Another application may interact with the extensible phone application by incorporating an extension. The extensible phone application enables the extension to register with the phone application for receiving a notification associated with an event. In response to the event, the extensible phone application sends the notification to the extension.
US08000679B2 Business method for providing wireless communication services and network and system for delivering same
The present invention is directed to an improved business method for a wireless communication system. The improved business method, operations method, network and system of the present invention includes the steps of delivering cellular services to the mass market, reducing peak capacity, increasing overall capacity utilization, improving capital utilization, providing an “all-you-can-eat” pricing model, and designing capacity based upon where the users live, work, and play.
US08000675B2 Low cost method for receiving broadcast channels with a cellular terminal
A wireless communication terminal includes a broadcast signal frequency converter that is communicatively coupled to the terminal's communication signal receiver and is configured to use its communication receiver to process received broadcast signals. In an exemplary embodiment, the converter includes a frequency shifting circuit, e.g., a block frequency converter, that shifts broadcast signal bands into communication signal bands, such that received broadcast signals are shifted into a frequency range compatible with the communication receiver's signal path. Moreover, the significant digital domain signal processing capability of the communication receiver can be used to receive broadcast television and/or radio signals, provide signal enhancements, and extract other types of information such as RDBS, IBOC, etc. Further, the terminal can be configured to maintain communication network monitoring while receiving broadcast signals by switching the receiver back to a communication network signal long enough to check for pages, etc.
US08000670B2 Removing close-in interferers through a feedback loop
System and method for elimination of close-in interferers through feedback. A preferred embodiment comprises an interferer predictor (for example, interferer predictor 840) coupled to a digital output of a direct RF radio receiver (for example, radio receiver 800). The interferer predictor predicts the presence of interferers and feeds the information back to a sampling unit (for example, sampling unit 805) through a feedback circuit (for example, feedback unit 845) through the use of charge sharing. The interferers are then eliminated in the sampling unit. Additionally, the number and placement of zeroes in a filter in the sampling unit is increased and changed through the implementation of arbitrary-coefficient finite impulse response filters.
US08000667B2 System and method for compensating for modulation induced frequency shift during transmission of a radio frequency signal
A method for compensating for frequency shifts during transmission of an RF control signal includes receiving a request to enter a transmission mode from a user. A carrier signal having a frequency is generated and the frequency of the carrier signal is measured. The measured frequency of the carrier signal is compared to a desired frequency to determine if there is a difference between the measured frequency and the desired frequency. If there is a difference, it is determined if data is being modulated on the carrier signal. If data is not being modulated on the carrier signal, a correction is applied to the carrier signal frequency.
US08000664B2 Linear high powered integrated circuit amplifier
A linear high powered integrated circuit amplifier includes a plurality of power amplifiers, balanced integrated circuit coupling, and a combining circuit. The balanced integrated circuit coupling couples a signal to the plurality of power amplifiers to the up-conversion module such that the power amplifiers amplify the signal to produce a plurality of amplified radio frequency (RF) signals. The combining circuit is operably coupled to combine the plurality of amplified RF signals to produce a high-powered amplified signal.
US08000657B2 Method and system for relaying data in a mobile communication system
A method and system for relaying data in a mobile communication system are provided, in which a Relay Station (RS) configures a routing table using Link Quality Information (LQI) exchanged among Relay Stations (RSs) in a cell, determines a relay path referring to the routing table, measures the quality of a signal received from an Mobile Station (MS), determines whether to relay data received from the MS by comparing the measured signal quality with at least one of information regarding a data rate of the MS and a reference threshold, transmits a relay request message to a Base Station (BS), if the RS determines to relay the data received from the MS, updates the relay path, upon receipt of a relay response message accepting the relay request and broadcasting information from the BS, and relays the data received from the MS to the BS in the updated relay path.
US08000650B2 Retransmission apparatus and method in wireless relay communication system
An apparatus and method for performing Automatic Retransmission reQuest (ARQ) of a Relay Station (RS) in a wireless communication system using a relay scheme are provided. The method includes receiving data from a transmitter and transmitting the received data to one or more receivers; and receiving Acknowledgment (ACK)/Negative-Acknowledgment (NACK) information for the data received from the one or more receivers and transmitting the received ACK/NACK information to a Base Station (BS).
US08000649B2 System and method for the reduction of interference in an indoor communications wireless distribution system
An apparatus and its corresponding method for detecting and reducing interference elements within an indoor communication wireless system by dynamically locating the source of the interference, and by preventing the distribution of the interference via controlled attenuation of the interfering signal. The apparatus and method dynamically controls (44) the potential interference sources by optionally switching off (39) or attenuating (38) the antennas generating the signal carrying interference elements. Further, the proposed apparatus and method is operative in the reconnection of switch off (39) antennas and/or the controlled (44) restoration of the signal strengths where the interference diminishes.
US08000648B2 Radio communications system and antenna pattern switching
A radio communications system having a radio base station and a radio relay station is disclosed. A terminal performs radio communications through a link with the radio base station or a link with the radio base station via the radio relay station. The radio base station includes an antenna gain pattern switching part configured to switch between an omnidirectional antenna gain pattern and an adaptive array antenna gain pattern forming a beam; and a control part configured to direct the beam to the terminal in one of an extended service area covered by the adaptive array antenna gain pattern outside a regular service area covered by the omnidirectional antenna gain pattern and the service area of the radio relay station by causing the antenna gain pattern switching part to switch to the adaptive array antenna gain pattern.
US08000644B2 Powder transporting device and image forming apparatus
A powder transporting device includes a drop path that allows powder to drop, a first crushing member that is located in the drop path and crushes the powder cohesion in the drop path by reciprocating along the drop path, and a second crushing member that located in the drop path that crushes the powder cohesion in the drop path by reciprocating along the drop path, wherein when the first crushing member moves toward a downstream side in a dropping direction of the powder in the drop path, a tip of the first crushing member at the downstream side in a dropping direction is inclined to a side where the second crushing member is located, and comes in contact with the second crushing member.
US08000636B2 Particle supply apparatus, imaging apparatus, and particle accommodating unit transporting method
A particle supply apparatus for supplying particles to a supply destination is disclosed that includes a particle supply apparatus main frame, a particle accommodating unit that accommodates the particles, a gas spouting unit that is arranged at a bottom portion of the particle accommodating unit and is configured to spout gas toward the particles, and a conveying mechanism that applies suction to the particles accommodated in the particle accommodating unit and conveys the particles toward the supply destination. The particle accommodating unit is installed in the particle supply apparatus main frame and is arranged to rest on a face at the bottom portion side during operation, and the particle accommodating unit is detached from the particle supply apparatus main frame and is arranged to rest on a face other than the face at the bottom portion side during transportation.
US08000615B2 Image forming apparatus and image forming method
In an image forming apparatus, a timer unit measures a time interval between a current time and a time point when previous supply of toner to a developing unit ended and an adjusting unit adjusts an amount of toner to be supplied to the developing unit based on the time interval measured at the timer unit.
US08000614B2 Developer supply container and developer supply system
A developer supply container detachably mounts to a developer receiving apparatus and supplies a developer by rotation and includes a regulation portion for determining whether or not the developer supply container should be mounted by being regulated by a regulation member of the developer receiving apparatus and a lead portion which is movable relative to a guiding portion of the developer receiving apparatus so that the regulation member and the regulation portion are in phase with each other. When the developer supply container is inserted in a direction of a rotation axis thereof, a phase of the regulation portion with the regulation member is determined by movement of the lead portion of the developer supply container relative to the guiding portion of the developer receiving apparatus and then is regulated by the regulation member.
US08000608B2 Integrated circuit for communications modules
An integrated circuit product, for bidirectional communication, has two inputs and two outputs. The first input is located on a first edge of the integrated circuit product. The first output is located on a second edge of the integrated circuit product, the second edge being located adjacent to the first edge. The second input is located on a third edge of the integrated circuit product, the third edge being opposite the first edge. The second output is located on a fourth edge of the integrated circuit product, the fourth edge being opposite the second edge. The integrated circuit product can be mounted diagonally in a transceiver module, allowing straight signals paths from the inputs and outputs of the integrated circuit product to the corresponding inputs and outputs of the transceiver module. The inputs and outputs of the integrated circuit product can be located in the respective centre regions of their respective edges, so that connection pads of the integrated circuit within the integrated circuit product can be connected to the package landings of the integrated circuit product by means of the shortest available bond wires.
US08000606B2 Method for processing overheads of optical communication system and signal processing device
A method for processing overheads in an optical communication system and a signal processing device are disclosed. The method includes: in a receiving direction, conduct an O/E and S/P conversion for the received optical signal, extract overheads necessary for overheads processing; transmit the overheads in serial; conduct an S/P conversion of the overheads, add fixed reserved overheads, and revert the parallel overheads for overheads processing; in a transmitting direction, generate parallel overheads, extract overheads necessary for overheads processing; transmit the overheads in serial; conduct an S/P conversion of the overheads, revert the overheads, synthesize the overheads with the payload data before the P/S and E/O conversion, and generate and transmit the optical signal. In accordance with the disclosed method and device, a serial bus is employed to transmit overheads, which reduces the number of buses on the motherboard and lowers the complexity of system design.
US08000602B2 Methods and devices for reducing power consumption in a passive optical network while maintaining service continuity
The present invention discloses methods for reducing power consumption in a PON while maintaining service continuity, the method including the steps of: providing an OLT operationally connected to at least one ONU; triggering a sleep request for at least one requesting ONU; upon receiving a sleep acknowledgement, activating a sleep mode for at least one requesting ONU according to a sleep period designated in the sleep request; and terminating the sleep mode according to the sleep period. Preferably, the sleep acknowledgement is transmitted from the OLT to the requesting ONU. Preferably, the sleep period is executed by a sleep command in the sleep acknowledgement. Preferably, the method further includes the step of: upon completion of the sleep period, transmitting buffered data traffic from the OLT to a sleeping ONU. Preferably, the step of transmitting is performed without the sleeping ONU being re-registered and without causing packet reordering.
US08000601B2 Method and apparatus for securing fiber in an optical network
A method and apparatus for securing an optical communication link includes the step of identifying a profile of the link by measuring, at the transmitter, optical back-reflections from optical pulses forwarded to a receiver. The profile is stored at the transmitter. Periodically during operation, such as during key exchange, more optical pulses are forwarded to the receiver, and the back reflections are collected as periodic profiles. The periodic profiles are compared against the stored profiles. Eavesdroppers, such as those who cut the fiber, tap the fiber, or implement a man in the middle attack, may be easily identified because the losses caused by their interference with the fiber will be evident in the periodic profiles.
US08000590B2 Driving apparatus, image capturing unit, and image capturing apparatus
An object of the preset invention is to provide a technique capable of preventing occurrence of an assembly error. A driving apparatus for driving an object includes: a driving part having a stationary part and a moving part; and a displacement transmitting part for transmitting a displacement to the object in accordance with a drive displacement of the moving part. The displacement transmitting part and the moving part coupled to the displacement transmitting part are integrally molded.
US08000589B2 Portable waterproof equipment having a sealing structure comprising a number of slot groups and rib groups
A portable waterproof equipment for containing an articles with a protruding part includes a body (1) having an opening and a wall (12), a sealing structure for sealing the opening of the body (1), a through hole (14) defined in the wall (12), a chamber (16) configured for accommodating the protruding part of the articles connected with the wall (12) at the periphery of the through hole (14), and a sealing device (18) located between the chamber (16) and the wall (12). When in use, put the articles into the body (1) and locate the protruding part into the chamber (16), so the waterproof equipment accommodates the articles with protruding part without any transformation.
US08000588B1 Miniaturized turret-mounted camera assembly
A light weight camera mounting assembly allowing for tilt and pan of a camera through a significant portion of a spherical rang of view with minimal parts count, minimal weight and minimal weight in the rotated portion of the assembly. A retraction/extension assembly for a light weight camera with minimal weight and complexity. Doors which open to allow a camera to extend beyond the surface of a vehicle and close to protect the camera and allow for landing of the vehicle without external skids.
US08000586B2 Video player
The present invention discloses a video player, comprising a decoding and control unit for outputting decoded video and audio signals; a storing unit for storing an application software capable of working without starting a computer operation system; a video processing unit for processing decoded video signals outputted by the decoding and control unit; an audio processing unit for processing decoded audio signals outputted by the decoding and control unit; an Optical disc driver's multi-use control circuit for multi-use controlling a DVD Optical disc driver of the computer; and a switch unit for switching the video processing unit and the audio processing unit to be coupled to the display and the sound box after monitoring a shut-off signal of the computer, and in the meantime switching two outputs of DC power to the video player. In the present invention, by using a unique switch unit to process switching by monitoring the shut-off signal, hardware sources of a PC can be abundantly in use to make video of multimedia products play without turning on the PC, therefore avoids adding new operation program.
US08000585B2 Information recording medium wherein stream convertible at high-speed is recorded, and recording apparatus and recording method therefor
An information recording medium capable of converting a stream including seamless connection, which is recorded in a constrained format allowing format conversion, from a first format (MPEG-TS) to a second format (MPEG-PS), into a second stream, and an apparatus and method for recording information in the information recording medium. The constrained format is provided for enabling conversion from a first format (for example, MPEG transport stream) to a second format (for example, MPEG program stream). According to the constrained format, when the connection information of the playback portion indicates a seamless playback, the system stream immediately before a seamless connection point ends with a complete data management unit (Capsule).
US08000577B2 Optical guide including nanoparticles and manufacturing method for a preform intended to be shaped into such an optical guide
The invention relates to an optical fiber comprising a gain medium which is equipped with: a core (22) which is formed from a transparent material and nanoparticles (24) comprising a doping element and at least one element for enhancing the use of said doping element; and an outer cladding (26) which surrounds the core. The invention is characterised in that the doping element is erbium (Er) and in that the enhancing element is selected from among antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi) and a combination of antimony (Sb) and bismuth (Bi).According to the invention, one such fiber is characterised in that the size of the nanoparticles is variable and is between 1 and 500 nanometers inclusive, and preferably greater than 20 nm.
US08000574B2 Method of generating supercontinuum optical radiation, supercontinuum optical radiation source, and use thereof
A method of generating supercontinuum optical radiation, the method comprising: (a) providing an optical waveguide (22), said optical waveguide exhibiting a dispersion characteristic of guided optical radiation, said dispersion characteristic comprising: (i) a first dispersion parameter (β21) at a first wavelength (λ1), (ii) a second dispersion parameter (β22) at a second shorter wavelengths (λ2), and (iii) a zero-dispersion parameter at a wavelength in between said first and said second shorter wavelengths; said optical waveguide further comprising at least one entrance for receiving optical radiation, and at least one exit for emitting guided optical radiation; (b) applying at least two laser radiation of said first (25) wavelength, (λ1) at a first power (P1) and applying laser radiation of said second (26) shorter wavelength (λ2) at a second power (P2) into said optical waveguide, said laser radiations at least partially overlapping between said at least one entrance and said at least one exit of said optical waveguide; and (c) phase-matching said applied laser radiations by adjusting said first and second powers; a supercontinuum optical radiation source; and use thereof.
US08000573B2 Generic tow lead-in for streamers
Generic tow lead-in for streamers providing communication between the seismic systems and the streamers, consisting of at least four wire power quad, at least four multimode optical fibers and at least one signal pair, where the at least one signal line do not utilize a screen.
US08000567B2 Optical semiconductor module
An optical semiconductor module including a base having installed on an optical fiber and an optical semiconductor element, and a package which houses the base on a bottom thereof and has a first side wall with an optical section through which the optical fiber is led and a second side wall facing the first side wall, where the base is cut off to form a curved surface with respect to the bottom at a lower corner on a side of the base facing the second side wall of the housing, and a ratio of r/t is from 0.4 to 1.0, where t is a thickness of the base, and r is a curvature radius of the curved surface.
US08000562B2 Image downsampling for print job processing
A system for preparing documents for printing includes a stored object corresponding to an image having an effective resolution, as well as a computing device. The computing device is configured to receive an electronic file comprising data representing a plurality of embedded images wherein each embedded image has an effective resolution. The computing device determine whether an object associated with a first one of the embedded images is identical to the stored object. If so, it replaces the first one of the embedded images with the image corresponding to the stored object when the effective resolution of the first one of the embedded images and the effective resolution of the image corresponding to the stored object are within a preselected threshold.
US08000560B2 Virtual slide generation device, virtual slide generation method, virtual slide generation program product and virtual slide generation program transmission medium
In a virtual slide generation device for generating a virtual slide by patching/combining a plurality of observation images obtained by shooting and picking up an observation object observed by a microscope, by comprising an image patching/combination information calculation unit for calculating image patching/combination information about an area overlapping between observation images for the patching/combination on the basis of a plurality of observation images shot and picked up by a first observation method and an image patching/combination unit for patching and combining a plurality of image areas shot and picked up by a second observation method on the basis of the image patching/combination information calculated by the image patching/combination information calculation unit, image patching/combination computation by a plurality of microscopic examination methods can be reduced, thereby more particularly preventing the fading when shooting and picking up a fluorescence (FL) observation image and obtaining a high-quality image.
US08000548B2 Wavelet transformation device and method, wavelet inverse transformation device and method, program, and recording medium for performing wavelet transformation at a plurality of division levels
A wavelet transformation device for performing wavelet transformation at a plurality of division levels as to image signals. A horizontal filtering unit subjects the image signals to horizontal direction lowband analysis filtering and highband analysis filtering. Buffers which are independent for each of the division levels, hold frequency components, which are generated as the results of the horizontal direction analysis filtering by the horizontal filtering unit, for each of the division levels. Interleaving devices comprising at least one interleaving unit interleaving brightness components and color difference components of the image signals and interleaving highband components and lowband components of buffered filter results.
US08000547B2 Method, system and computer program product for providing entropy constrained color splitting for palette images with color-wise splitting
A method, system and computer program product for progressively encoding a digitized color image with M distinct colors by assigning each of the M distinct colors to an associated subset of pixels in the image, is provided. This involves: (a) initializing a tree structure with at least one starting leaf node comprising a subset of the M distinct colors; (b) determining at least one representative color for each starting leaf node; and (c) growing the tree structure by (i) selecting a leaf node n to become a non-leaf node based on the combined distortion and entropy rate resulting from turning the leaf node into the non-leaf node; (ii) allocating each color in leaf node n to one of the two new leaf nodes; (iii) determining a representative color for each new leaf node; and (iv) encoding the resulting index information, representative color information, and pixel information.
US08000546B2 Adaptive scan method for image/video coding
An adaptive scan method for image/video coding in accordance with the present invention comprises acts of calculating an average power of the transformed coefficients vector and acts rearranging the powers of the transformed coefficients with descending order in the data block according to the power of transformed coefficients; Therefore, the adaptive scan method is dependent on different prediction mode witch has been coded in H.264 standard, and provides better rate-distortion performance in entropy coding to the conventional zig-zag scan.
US08000541B2 Quantization differencing compression algorithm
The compression algorithm presented here is intended for the types of digital images acquired by solar system exploring spacecraft and missions, but can be utilized for all types of sequential data. It is lossy, but results in images whose Peak Signal to Noise Ratio remains in excess of 30 decibels, considered to be the threshold of being indistinguishable from the original image.Currently employed spacecraft compression algorithms are probabilistic, and are costly in terms of spacecraft weight, power, computation, memory and volume requirements.The algorithm submitted is non-probabilistic, requires less than 1 kilobyte of programming and memory space for computations, has low power and weight requirements, and can reside on a single Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and.It processes utilizing addition and comparison only—no advanced numerical solution generation, function generation by series expansion, or other mathematical processing is required.
US08000539B2 Geometrical image representation and compression
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for geometrical image representation and/or compression. In one embodiment, the method comprises creating a representation for image data that includes determining a geometric flow for image data and performing an image processing operation on data in the representation using the geometric flow.
US08000538B2 System and method for performing classification through generative models of features occurring in an image
A system and method for image performing classification through generative models of features occurring in an image. Category-conditional probability distributions of features occurring in a plurality of training images are maintained. Each distribution is assigned to a category. The features occurring in an unclassified image are identified. Category-conditional likelihoods for the identified features are determined using the category-conditional probability distributions for each category. The unclassified image is assigned to one such category based upon the category-conditional likelihoods.
US08000531B2 Classifying a string formed from a known number of hand-written characters
A method of classifying a character string formed from a known number of hand-written characters is disclosed. The method starts by determining character probabilities for each hand-written character in the character string. Each character probability represents a likelihood of the respective hand-written character being a respective one of a plurality of predetermined characters. Each predetermined character has a respective character type. Character templates having the known number of characters are next identified. Each character template has a respective predetermined probability and represents a respective combination of character types. Character sequence probabilities corresponding to each of the character templates having the known number of characters are next determined. The character sequence probabilities are a function of the predetermined probability of the respective character template and the character probabilities of the hand-written character in the character string. The character string is classified as the sequence of characters having the highest character sequence probability.
US08000528B2 Method and apparatus for authenticating printed documents using multi-level image comparison based on document characteristics
A document authentication method compares a target document image (scanned image) with an original document image at multiple levels, such as block (e.g. paragraph, graphics, image), line, word and character levels. The paragraph level comparison determines whether the target and original images have the same number of paragraphs and whether the paragraphs have the same sizes and locations; the line level comparison determines if the target and original images have the same number of lines and whether the lines have the same sizes and locations; etc. Document segmentation is performed on the target and original images to segment them into paragraph units, line units, etc. for purposes of the comparisons. The original document may be segmented beforehand and the segmentation information stored for later use. The authentication process may be designed to stop when alterations are detected at a higher level, so lower level comparisons are not carried out.
US08000522B2 Method and system for three-dimensional imaging in a non-calibrated geometry
A technique is provided for three-dimensional imaging in a non-calibrated geometry. In one embodiment, the technique includes acquiring a plurality of projection images through an imaging volume; estimating an imaging geometry using at least one of fiducial markers or anatomical features represented in the projection images; and reconstructing a configurable volumetric representation of some or all of the imaging volume using the estimated imaging geometry, wherein the act of reconstructing accounts for one or more geometry dependent factors. In addition, a system is provided which includes a computer configured to estimate an imaging geometry using at least one of fiducial markers or anatomical features represented in a plurality of projection images acquired through an imaging volume and to reconstruct a configurable volumetric representation of some or all of the imaging volume using the estimated imaging geometry, wherein the act of reconstructing accounts for one or more geometry dependent factors.
US08000519B1 Method of metal pattern inspection verification
A method of evaluating an inline inspection recipe compares the capture rate of metal pattern defects in bounding boxes arising from failed electrical test vectors to the capture rate after the bounding box is shifted. A difference between the first and second capture rates indicates whether the inline inspection recipe is valid for capturing killer defects, or if the inline inspection recipe needs to be adjusted. In a particular example, the electrical test vectors are directed at a selected patterned metal layer of an FPGA (M6), and the metal pattern defect data for the selected patterned metal layer is mapped to the bounding box determined by the electrical test vector.
US08000511B2 System for and method of focusing in automated microscope systems
The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to focusing in automated microscope systems. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes obtaining an image of at least a portion of a scan region, analyzing the image to find an area in the image representing a sample, determining a nature of the sample at a selected focus point location in the area in the image, selecting an automated focusing process for use at the selected focus point location based on the determined nature of the sample at the selected focus point location, and focusing the selected automated focusing process. The selecting can include selecting different automated focusing processes for different focus point locations based on different tissue characteristics at the locations.
US08000510B2 Method and control device to control a slice image acquisition system
In a method and control device to control a slice image acquisition system, a scan protocol is initially selected from a number of scan protocols, and then an automatic control of the slice image acquisition system (13) ensues on the basis of the selected scan protocol by automatic receipt of previous information regarding the examination subject, automatic synchronization of the previous information with information regarding scan protocol-specific parameters of scan protocols, and automatic selection of the scan protocol, from among the number of scan protocols, that has parameters exhibiting the greatest compatibility with the received previous information according to an established rule.
US08000506B2 Fingerprint detecting wireless device
A wireless device, such as a remote control unit, may include an internal fingerprint identification unit. The fingerprint identification unit may be arranged to capture the user's fingerprint when the user's finger is positioned over a button that is substantially radiation transmissive. Radiation directed at the user's finger through the button may be captured for image analysis and ultimately for fingerprint identification. Thus, the device may be used to identify users who wish to access a processor-based system such as a processor-based television receiver.
US08000505B2 Determining the age of a human subject in a digital image
The age class of a human subject is ascertained in a digital image. The subject has a redeye defect pair; each defect having one or more defect pixels. In the method, two regions of pixels corresponding to the defects are identified. The distance between the regions is measured. A region size is determined, based upon the size of at least one of the regions. An age class is determined from the distance and region size.
US08000501B2 Method and product for detecting abnormalities
A new method for processing image data in order to detect abnormalities in a web is provided. The web is monitored by at least one camera, whereby an image comprising of plurality of pixels is generated. The data of the image is stored in a memory. Image data is filtered by a processor by creating a filtered image data by weighting the image data and at least one of earlier image data and earlier filtered image data; and combining the weighted image data and at least one of the weighted earlier image data and the weighted earlier filtered image data; and controlling filtering by at least one nonlinear algorithm; and thresholding the created filtered image data.
US08000500B2 System and method for analyzing of human motion based on silhouettes of real time video stream
A system and method for analyzing the motions of an object based on the silhouettes of the object are provided. The system includes a foreground detector, a contour extractor, a model generator, a corner histogram generator, and a value of similarity measuring unit. The foreground detector detects a moving foreground object from an input image. The contour extractor extracts silhouette contour of the detected foreground object, and the model generator generates mean value histogram models as references to determine motions of the object. The corner histogram generator generates corner histograms of hierarchical multiband in the extracted contour signal, and the value of similarity measuring unit calculates a value of similarity between the generated corner histogram of a current frame and the average model histogram in a histogram unit, measures a value making a value of similarity with the calculated current frame histogram maximum, and determines the measured value as a posture of the object in the current frame.
US08000497B2 Fast detection of left ventricle and its configuration in 2D/3D echocardiogram using probabilistic boosting network
A method for detecting an object of interest in an input image includes the computer-implemented steps of: receiving an image, providing a multi-class pose classifier that identifies a plurality of pose features for estimating a pose of the object of interest, providing a plurality of cascades of serially-linked binary object feature classifiers, each cascade corresponding to different poses of the object of interest in the input image, selecting at least one of the cascades using the estimated pose, and employing the selected cascades to detect instances of the object of interest in the image.
US08000491B2 Transducer device and assembly
The invention concerns a transducer device and assembly. A transducer device and assembly according to the invention comprise sheet of electrical insulator covering connection pads of a transducer component. The sheet of electrical insulator has on its surface connection pads that have galvanic contacts with the connection pads of the transducer component. Inside or on a surface of the sheet of electrical insulator there are electrical conductors connected with the connection pads of the sheet of electrical insulator. With the aid of the sheet of electrical insulator equipped with the connection pads and electrical conductors the transducer component can be mounted to a wiring board in a desired orientation, i.e. the connection pads of the transducer component do not need to be against the wiring board.
US08000481B2 Speaker array and microphone array
A speaker array, includes a plurality of speakers which are linearly arranged at a predetermined interval; and one-dimensional digital filters which are provided to correspond to the speakers respectively, in which predetermined filter coefficients are set previously, and which apply a filtering process to input sound data in response to the filter coefficients to output. Sound data derived by applying a digital conversion to input sound signals are supplied to respective one-dimensional digital filters. Sound signals derived by applying an analog conversion to the sound data output from respective one-dimensional digital filters are supplied to corresponding speakers to output a sound in response to the sound signals. The filter coefficients set in respective one-dimensional digital filters give an amplitude characteristic to a two-dimensional digital filter such that, when a frequency characteristic of the two-dimensional digital filter constructed by respective one-dimensional digital filters is represented by a two-dimensional frequency plane, a plurality of ripples are provided in a stop band in a section in a spatial frequency direction and also an amplitude of ripples in a non-physical area out of a plurality of ripples is larger than an amplitude of ripples in a physical area.
US08000479B2 Wireless speaker adapter
The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. An apparatus is provided that can adapt a conventional audio playing device and speaker system to wireless operation. The apparatus will include a wireless transmitter/receiver system to be integrated with other conventional audio and speaker systems and can also transmit multiple individual channels on different frequencies to a plurality of receiver modules.
US08000471B2 Robust cipher design
In an iterated block cipher, a method for round key encryption and key generation, the method including providing a first function Fi and a second function Fj, providing a round key generation function, the round key generation function being operative to utilize, in any given round, exactly one of the first function Fi, and the second function Fj, providing a round mixing function, the round mixing function being operative to utilize, in any given round, exactly one of the first function Fi, and the second function Fj, utilizing the round key generation function in at least a first round to generate a second round key for use in a second round, and utilizing the round mixing function in at least the first round to mix a first round key with a cipher state, wherein one of the following is performed in the first round the round key generation function utilizes the first function Fi to generate the second round key for use in the second round, substantially simultaneously with the round key mixing function utilizing the second function Fj to mix the first round key with the cipher state, and the round key generation function utilizes the second function Fj to generate the second round key for use in the second round, substantially simultaneously with the round key mixing function utilizing the first function Fi to mix the first round key with the cipher state. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
US08000457B2 Visual answering machine
An answering machine tool is described which, when a message is received, accesses caller identification data associated with the message and from this data identifies an image for the message. Data is then output to cause an icon comprising this image to be displayed. This icon, in turn, may be manipulated and interacted with by a user, by touching the icon on a touch sensitive screen or by other means, such as mouse pointer or stylus. This causes the message to be replayed, moved, deleted or be subject to any other course of action that the visual rendering of the message affords the user.
US08000456B2 Techniques for marking and manipulating voice message segments through a telephone user interface
In one embodiment, techniques for manipulating a voice message using a telephone user interface are provided. The telephone user interface receives a mark begin segment command from a telephonic device through a voice modality. The mark begin segment command indicates a beginning point for a voice message segment in the voice message. The telephone user interface then receives a mark end segment command from the telephonic device through the voice modality. The mark segment command indicates an ending point for the voice message segment in the voice message. An action command from the telephonic device is received and an action based on the action command for the voice message segment is performed. The voice message segment is a portion of the voice message determined based on the indicated beginning point of the voice message segment and the indicated ending point of the voice message segment in the voice message.
US08000450B2 Aperture shield incorporating refractory materials
An x-ray tube electron shield is disclosed for interposition between an electron emitter and an anode configured to receive the emitted electrons. The electron shield is configured to withstand the elevated levels of heat produced by electrons backscattered from the anode and incident on the electron shield. This in turn equates to a reduced incidence of failure in the electron shield. In one embodiment the electron shield includes a body that defines a bowl-shaped aperture having a narrowed throat segment. The body of the electron shield includes a first body portion, a second body portion, and a disk portion. These portions cooperate to define the bowl and the throat segment. The throat segment and the lower portion of the bowl are composed of a refractory material and correspond with the regions of the electron shield that are impacted by relatively more backscattered electrons from the anode surface.
US08000446B2 X-ray examination apparatus
An X-ray examination apparatus (100) is described, comprising a mobile carriage (10) carrying a human-operable control input device (21) and a display device (22), the carriage (10) having a front side (11) and a back side (12); wherein said human-operable control input device is located closer to the front side (11) of the carriage while said display device is located closer to the back side (12) of the carriage; wherein the carriage has a control position where the said display device has its image screen (23) directed substantially towards the front side (11) of the carriage, and a surgeon position where the said display device has its image screen (23) directed substantially towards the back side (12) of the carriage; and wherein said display device is mounted to the mobile carriage such as to be displaceable between the control position and the surgeon position.
US08000441B2 Calibration devices and methods of use thereof
The present invention relates to calibration devices and to methods of using these devices.
US08000437B2 Photodetection unit, photodetector, and x-ray computed tomography apparatus
A photodetecting unit having a favorable attaching operability is provided.In a photodetecting unit 1, two structures for attachment 30 are fixed to the rear face of a supporting substrate 20 formed by a sintered body of a ceramic. In the process of manufacturing the photodetecting unit 1, a laminate of green sheets is fired, so as to form a sintered body of a ceramic, and then each structure for attachment 30 is bonded to the rear face of the supporting substrate 20. This allows the structures for attachment 30 to be arranged accurately on the rear face of the supporting substrate 20, thereby ameliorating the attaching operability of the photodetecting unit 1.
US08000429B2 Jitter correction method and circuit
In a jitter correction method and circuit, combination data combined by adding, to referenced data, an end bit of data 1 clock prior to and a head bit of data 1 clock subsequent to the referenced data is sequentially generated. Each bit of the combination data is sequentially referred. When a change between a referenced bit and a bit directly adjoining the referenced bit is detected, and when a number of references reaches a multiplication number of the oversampling and a change between at least three adjoining bits including the referenced bit is not detected, change position display data regarding the directly adjoining bit as a change bit of the referenced data is generated and the number of references is initialized. When the change is not detected and the number of references does not reach the multiplication number, the number of references is incremented. All the change bits are extracted from the referenced data and the change position display data, and a data reproduction is performed corresponding to the multiplication number.
US08000424B2 Method and system for low complexity conjugate gradient based equalization in a wireless system
A method for processing signals includes, in a wireless system comprising one or more processors and/or circuits integrated within a single chip, initializing values related to at least one channel response vector and at least one correlation vector using a conjugate gradient-based (CG) algorithm. A plurality of filter taps may be updated utilizing at least one channel response vector and at least one correlation vector, for a plurality of received clusters, based on the initialized values and at least one signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the received signal clusters. At least a portion of the received signal clusters may be filtered utilizing at least a portion of the updated plurality of filter taps. The updating may be repeated whenever a specified signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the received clusters is reached. The initialized values may be updated during a plurality of iterations.
US08000411B2 Decoding scheme using multiple hypotheses about transmitted messages
A method and apparatus for decoding encoded data bits of a wireless communication transmission are provided. A set of a-priori bit values corresponding to known bit values of the encoded data bits may be generated. Decoding paths that correspond to decoded data bits that are inconsistent with the a-priori bit values may be removed from the possible decoding paths to consider, and decoding the encoded data bits by selecting a decoding path from remaining decoding paths of the possible decoding paths that were not removed. Multiple hypotheses, each corresponding to a different set of a-prior bit values may be evaluated, with the decoded data for a hypothesis selected based on the evaluation output for further processing.
US08000406B2 Timing of ultra wideband pulse generator
A method and apparatus for producing timing signals for an ultra wideband pulse generator are provided. The apparatus comprises a frequency multiplier for generating a converted signal having a multiple of a pulse frequency of a reference clock signal inputted into the frequency multipliers. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a feedback controlled delay circuitry connected to the frequency multipliers, for generating at least two versions of the converted signal, the at least two versions having a predefined delay with respect to each other, the two versions being used as timing signals for an ultra wideband pulse generator.
US08000394B2 Program, method, and apparatus for decoding coded data
Provided are a program, a method, and an apparatus for decoding coded data, capable of completely restoring an original stream when decoded data is coded again by causing a computer to function as: means for receiving an input of a signal coded by lossy compression and orthogonally projecting an optional real number vector on one convex aggregate X in a first vector space in which the decoded signal is present; means for judging convergence of convex projection and obtaining a real number vector x belonging to the aggregate X to output the same as a decoded signal when the convergence of the convex projection is judged; and means for orthogonally projecting an optional vector of the first vector space on one convex aggregate Y in a second vector space different from the first vector space when the convergence of the convex projection is not judged, and then repeating orthogonal projection on the aggregate X and the aggregate Y with the coded signal set as an initial value.
US08000384B2 Apparatus for stabilizing convergence of an adaptive line equalizer
Illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method and an apparatus for data decorrelation in a line equalizer adaptive system. The apparatus comprises an input and an output, forming a data path there between, wherein the input capable of receiving data to create received data and the output capable of sending data. The apparatus further comprises an adaptive equalizer capable of equalizing the received data, connected to the data path, and a synchronous decorrelator connected to the data path, in communication with the adaptive equalizer, wherein the synchronous decorrelator evaluates an adapt enable output for each received data input to the adaptive equalizer to determine whether the adaptive equalizer can update settings of the line equalizer adaptive system.
US08000381B2 Unbiased code phase discriminator
A feedback control law steers a reference phase that tracks the phase of a received code sequence. The reference phase clocks a track-reference signal consisting of a series of correlation kernels, over which data is extracted and then summed in various combinations. The correlation kernels are designed in such a manner that errors caused by multipath are eliminated or substantially reduced. Furthermore, the areas of the correlation kernels are balanced across level-transitions of a code and non-transitions to eliminate phase biases when tracking specific satellites. Extra care must be taken to balance the correlation kernels in this manner due to a little known aspect of GPS C/A codes. Specifically, not all C/A codes have the same ratio of level-transitions to non-transitions as has been assumed in prior art.
US08000377B2 System and method for variable rate multiple access short message communications
A communication system and receiver is provided that facilitates increased message size in a communication system that supports a large number of transmitters sharing a common frequency band. The communication system facilitates increased message size by incorporating a plurality of transmit bit sets in each burst of data. The additional transmit bit sets are incorporated into a plurality of transmit codes that are generated using at least one additional spreading code that is orthogonal to the base spreading code. The plurality of transmit codes are then combined into one composite message and the composite message is spread again using another scrambling sequence. The final composite spread message is transmitted to the receiver in the appropriate message time slot, resulting in CDM/TDMA burst signal that facilitates increased message size.
US08000371B2 Vertical surface emitting semiconductor device
A semiconductor light emitting device includes a pump light source, a gain structure, and an out-coupling mirror. The gain structure is comprised of InGaN layers that have resonant excitation absorption at the pump wavelength. Light from the pump light source causes the gain structure to emit light, which is reflected by the out-coupling mirror back to the gain structure. A distributed Bragg reflector causes internal reflection within the gain structure. The out-coupling mirror permits light having sufficient energy to pass therethrough for use external to the device. A frequency doubling structure may be disposed between the gain structure and the out-coupling mirror. Output wavelengths in the deep-UV spectrum may be achieved.
US08000369B2 Surface emitting laser array, production process thereof, and image forming apparatus having surface emitting laser array
A surface emitting laser array comprising a plurality of surface emitting laser devices each having a semiconductor layer containing a first reflection mirror, an active layer, a current confined portion and a second reflection mirror. The laser array further comprises a first metal material layer for dissipating heat formed through a first insulating layer on the semiconductor layer and a second metal material layer for injecting current into the active layer formed through a second insulating layer on the first metal material layer. The first metal material layer is commonly shared by the plurality of the surface emitting laser devices.
US08000359B2 Laser device and controlling method therefor
A laser device capable of preventing deterioration of a light signal and a controlling method therefor are provided. A wavelength tunable laser module provided with a resonator including the wavelength tunable filter and a semiconductor light amplifier having a phase adjustment region and a light amplifying region, in which a wavelength margin between a peak transmission wavelength of a wavelength tunable filter and a mode hop occurring wavelength on a short wave side is smaller than that on a long wave side includes: a wavelength tunable laser module controller including an optical output sampling portion for detecting light intensity of light emitted from the resonator, a dither signal source for generating a dither signal for varying a phase adjustment signal to be applied to the phase adjustment region so that the detected light intensity becomes the maximum, and an FM signal source for generating an FM signal for oscillating the phase adjustment signal to be applied to the phase adjustment region with a period shorter than a variation period of the dither signal. The optical output sampling portion detects the light intensity in synchronization with oscillation of the phase adjustment signal by the FM signal.
US08000355B2 Interface circuit
A video signal and an audio signal are TMDS transmitted from a source device to a sink device. Through a reserved line and a HPD line provided separately from a TMDS transmission line, an Ethernet™ signal is bidirectionally transmitted, and also, a SPDIF signal is transmitted from the sink device to the source device. The Ethernet™ signal bidirectionally transmitted between Ethernet™ transmitter/receiver circuits is differentially transmitted by an amplifier and is received by the amplifier. The SPDIF signal from a SPDIF transmitter circuit is common-mode transmitted from an adder and is received by the adder to be supplied to the SPDIF receiver circuit.
US08000354B2 Method and apparatus for forward delay compensation for virtual concatenation
A method and apparatus for processing member containers of a virtual concatenation group at a source side of a member container transmission network to compensate for differential delay between the member containers.
US08000345B2 Proxy agent for providing remote management of equipment in a communication network
In one aspect a method for remotely managing a non-compliant Internet Gateway Device (IGD) residing in a Local Area Network (LAN) is provided. The method includes providing a proxy agent that resides on a computer in the LAN. The proxy agent receives from a Wide Area Network (WAN) configuration device a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) WAN Management Protocol (CWMP) request message, converts the request message to a protocol that is used by the IGD and communicates the converted request message upstream toward the IGD. The proxy agent receives a response from the IGD, converts the response from a first protocol to the CWMP, and sends the converted response upstream toward the WAN configuration device.
US08000341B2 Methods and systems for detecting collisions in access/utilization of resources of contention
Systems and methods are described for detecting collisions in packets related to attempted access or utilization of a resource or pool of resources in a given timeslot in which the energy level of corrupted received access probe packets are compared with a threshold energy level, and if above the threshold, the timeslot is marked as a collision slot.
US08000335B2 Media gateway and control method thereof
A media gateway, which generates a context based on a control message transmitted from a media gateway controller and controls bearer transfers between a first network and a second network, comprises a context determination unit, an optimization judgment unit, an optimization processing unit, and a context control unit. The context determination unit determines an existence of an internal connection between a first context related to the first network and a second context related to the second network based on the respective control messages. The optimization judgment unit judges a possibility for generating a new third context by combining the first context and the second context, when the internal connection exists. The optimization processing unit generates the third context when it is possible to generate, and associates resource information of the third context with each of resource information of the first context and the second context. The context control unit controls the bearer transfer between the first network and the second network based on the third context, and performs communication with the media gateway controller using respective resource information of the first context and the second context.
US08000328B1 Filtering messages in a distributed virtual world based on virtual space properties
A system and method are provided for filtering messages propagated among peer servers in a distributed virtual world. Each peer server hosts a virtual space within the virtual world and filters messages based on the state and properties of its virtual space. In order to propagate messages, messages originating in a virtual space are first provided to the peer server hosting that virtual space. The peer server propagates the messages to one or more of its neighboring peer servers hosting virtual spaces that neighbor its virtual space in the virtual world. These peer servers may then propagate the messages to their neighboring peer servers. When propagating the messages, the peer servers either apply filter rules to the messages or append filter rules to the messages in order to filter the messages based on the state and properties of the virtual spaces hosted by the peer servers.
US08000320B2 System for providing multi-phased, multi-modal access to content through voice and data devices
A method for accessing content through multiple devices, e.g. Telephone (1) and/or a data device (4) such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or Web Enabled Mobile Phone, is discussed where a user can initiate interaction with data through any device (mode), and then switch to another mode of interaction without starting over. The discussed method also allows a user to return to the same point in an application where a call session was lost or intentionally disengaged before completion. The user can regain access to the original call session via any telecommunications (voice or non-voice) device. Access can be accomplished whether the device is the same or different from that used for the original session.
US08000319B2 Multipoint multimedia/audio conference using IP trunking
A multipoint communication system uses Internet protocol trunking to facilitate communication between media control units (for sending and receiving multipoint communication signals between end-point devices), a media gateway (for translating between non-Internet protocol multipoint communication signals and Internet protocol communication signals), and a controller (for establishing and controlling a multipoint communication session between the end-point devices). In addition, a multimedia gateway (for use in a multipoint communication system) is described that incorporates an interactive voice response unit through which users of non-Internet protocol devices (connected to the multimedia gateway) interact to establish a communication session with a multipoint communication system.
US08000309B2 Method for transmitting signal and method for receiving signal
A method for transmitting a signal according to the present invention comprises spreading a control channel data through a PN code and generating a diffused control channel data; time division multiplexing the diffused control channel data and a service channel data and generating a multiplexed signal; and inverse Fourier transforming the multiplexed signal and generating an inverse Fourier transformed signal.Accordingly, in multi-hop communication, frequency efficiency is improved by not using different RF frequencies between a control channel and service channel, and applying a control channel and service channel through the TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) method, and the channel efficiency is improved by WAVE channel switching.
US08000300B2 Mobile station, radio access network apparatus and mobility control method
A mobile station includes a radio channel condition evaluation unit evaluating a radio channel condition; a radio channel condition averaging unit averaging the evaluated radio channel condition over a predefined time period; a radio channel condition threshold storage unit storing a threshold of the radio channel condition and a message type, the threshold and the message type being specified by a radio access network apparatus; a radio channel condition comparison unit comparing the averaged radio channel condition with the threshold; and a radio channel condition reporting unit transmitting an identifier and the radio channel condition for a cell to the radio access network apparatus, the averaged radio channel condition of the cell being greater than or equal to the threshold. A radio access network apparatus includes a radio channel condition threshold reporting unit transmitting a threshold of a reception level and information indicative of a reporting message type; a communicating cell switch unit instructing a communicating cell to be switched based on a radio channel condition supplied from a mobile station; and a mobile station identifier reporting unit transmitting a mobile station identifier for use in a destination cell based on the radio channel condition supplied from the mobile station.
US08000298B2 Fast roaming system
A fast roaming system for changing, in a short period of time, the connection to a roaming destination AP (access point) providing a better communication environment, and for improving a roaming completion rate. In response to a search process performed by a mobile terminal, individual APs transmits AP data required for roaming directly to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal performs the passive scanning search or the active scanning search for the peripheral APs at short time intervals, and obtains and stores the latest AP data in an AP data table. As a result, only the latest data for the connectable peripheral AP can be stored as a roaming destination in the AP data table. Furthermore, since the order condition is set by the mobile terminal to select the roaming destination AP, there is a high probability that the roaming is completed when the peripheral AP is first selected. Therefore, only a short period of time is required until the roaming is completed.
US08000296B2 Base station and mobile station
One aspect of the present invention relates to a base station wherein either resource blocks resulting from division of a system bandwidth into blocks of consecutive frequency subcarriers or distributed type resource blocks consisting of frequency subcarriers discretely distributed within the system bandwidth and resulting from segmentation of the resource blocks into multiple resource blocks are assigned to mobile stations, the base station including: a scheduling unit configured to assign either the resource blocks or the distributed type resource blocks to the mobile stations at a predefined assignment cycle based on respective downlink reception channel states transmitted from the mobile stations.
US08000295B2 Random access method and radio communication terminal device
There are disclosed a random access method for establishing an individual channel between a radio communication terminal device and a base station device in a short time and a radio communication terminal device executing the random access method. In this device, in step ST320, a RACH sub-channel allocation unit (211) allocates a transmission packet inputted from a replication unit (202) to an arbitrary sub-carrier at the RACH arbitrary time slot at random. In step ST330, an allocation unit (210) judges whether an overlap is generated in the allocation result obtained by the RACH sub-channel allocation unit (211). When the allocation unit (210) judges that an overlap is generated in the allocation result, the allocation unit (210) causes one of the RACH sub-channel allocation units (211) which has caused the overlap to again perform allocation of step ST320. On the other hand, when judgment is made that no overlap is generated in the allocation result, step ST340 is executed.
US08000293B2 Method and apparatus for performing spatial-division multiple access
A method and apparatus for performing spatial-division multiple access within a communication system is provided herein. During operation, nodes will return null subspace information along with their channel subspace information. The null subspace is similar to the channel subspace except that the null subspace information directs a base station to the matrix in a predefined codebook that results in minimum power being received at the node. The null subspace for each node is taken into consideration when communicating with a particular node.
US08000282B2 Cooperative relaying using dirty paper coding
A method for transmitting a signal in a wireless network includes sending a first signal from a first source to a first intermediate station. A second signal is sent from a second source to a second intermediate station. The first signal is additionally received by the second intermediate station. The second signal is encoded according to dirty paper coding (DPC) such that the first signal does not interfere with the transmission of the second signal. The first signal is sent from the first intermediate station to a first destination and simultaneously, the DPC encoded second signal is sent from the second intermediate station to a second destination.
US08000271B1 Method and system for selectively operating in a half-duplex mode or full-duplex mode in a packet-based real-time media conference
A method and system for managing communications in a packet-based real-time media conference. A conference server determines whether a given conference session should operate in half-duplex mode or in full-duplex mode, and the server instructs at least one participating station accordingly. In the half-duplex mode of operation, for instance, a station may engage in an implicit floor control process, in which the station treats an incoming media stream as an implicit floor denial. On the other hand, in the full-duplex mode of operation, a station would not treat an incoming stream as an implicit floor denial.
US08000261B2 System and method for multicast transmission
A system and method for multicast transmission are disclosed. In one embodiment, a virtual exchange network including interconnected nodes is embedded within a network. A sender is disposed in communication with a root node and receivers are disposed in communication with a set of edge nodes. The sender publishes a packetized data stream to which the receivers subscribe. The packetized data stream is promulgated by implicit signaling through optimum virtual exchange network connections from the sender through the virtual exchange network to the receivers. The interconnected nodes, responsive to receiving the published packetized data stream, are adapted to multicast N instances of the published packetized data stream to N recipients selected from the group consisting of receivers and other of the interconnected nodes.
US08000245B2 Internet protocol header compression reordering
Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: receiving, at the network node, a packet belonging to a flow, the packet including a marking used to identify a quality of service (QoS) required for the packet; assigning a compression context identifier to the packet; queuing the packet in a queue selected from a plurality of queues based on the marking in the packet; identifying a period of congestion and, in response, blocking the packet; when the period of congestion has ended and the packet is dequeued, determining whether the QoS associated with the packet is the same as a QoS stored in a context identifier storage; and when the QoS associated with the packet is not the same as the QoS stored in the context identifier storage, determining that the flow has expired and discarding the packet.
US08000244B1 Shared rate limiters using floating buckets
Traffic flow rate limits are enforced in an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) having a plurality of deep packet inspection (DPI) engines by using a floating token bucket scheme. The IPS includes a plurality of rate limiters which are associated with different classes (e.g., protocols) of traffic. A floating token bucket is associated with each rate limiter. The token bucket associated with a rate limiter is passed from DPI engine to DPI engine. Only the DPI engine currently in possession of the token bucket for a particular rate limiter is allowed to process traffic of the class associated with that rate limiter. A DPI engine is only allowed to process traffic associated with a token bucket in its possession if that token bucket is not empty. Use of such floating token buckets enforces rate limits for each traffic class across the multiple DPI engine.
US08000243B2 Quality of service control in multiple hop wireless communication environments
One or more relay stations may be employed along a wireless communication access path between an ingress station and an egress station. A logical communication tunnel is established between the ingress and egress stations through any number of intermediate relay stations to handle session flows of PDUs. As PDUs arrive, the ingress station may determine and add scheduling information to the PDUs before they are delivered to the downstream intermediate relay stations or egress stations. The scheduling information is used by the downstream stations to schedule the PDUs for further delivery. The scheduling information may also be used by the egress station to schedule the PDUs for delivery. The scheduling information added to the PDU by the ingress station bears on a QoS class associated with the PDU, a deadline for the egress station to deliver the PDU, or a combination thereof.
US08000241B2 Methods and apparatus for controlling access link packet flow aggregation and resource allocation in a mobile communications system
Methods and apparatus for aggregating IP packets over an access link between a wireless access router and a core node and for managing resource allocation to access link packet aggregates, e.g., as a function of the status of wireless communications links used to couple mobile nodes to the access router are described. Improved aggregate resource control messages and use of such messages are described. Some of the new messages allow aggregate resources for both upstream and downstream aggregates to be controlled in a single message. A single message may include information corresponding to multiple aggregates and/or multiple constituent flows included in an aggregate with aggregate direction information being included. Use of tunnels to communicate management messages, e.g., messages used to control resource allocation to aggregates is also described. Propagation of access link aggregate information is communicated to tunnel end nodes which generate packets that are communicated over the access link.
US08000240B2 Method and system for providing auto-bandwidth adjustment
An approach is provided for auto-bandwidth adjustment of allocated bandwidth for a traffic tunnel over a network. A determination is made regarding a traffic load over the tunnel, where the tunnel meters traffic in accordance with the bandwidth allocation. A determination is made regarding whether the traffic load triggers an adjustment threshold, where the adjustment threshold is set to provide a desired headroom below the bandwidth allocation. And the bandwidth allocation is adjusted when the adjustment threshold is triggered to provide the desired headroom between the adjusted bandwidth allocation and the traffic load.
US08000236B2 Media proxy able to detect blocking
A media proxy receive a first message from a near end of a path of a communications session, and before receiving a corresponding message from a far end, the media proxy is arranged to detect a blocking situation where another device in the path is awaiting the first message before forwarding the corresponding message. Detecting such a blocking situation enables it to be overcome, and enables the communication session to proceed. The media proxy can send a probe message to discover if there is another media proxy along the path causing the blocking. This is useful where the only information about the far end is the media path which is in the call set up, e.g. IP address and port. Sending the probe message can be under the control of a call server.
US08000231B2 Method, system, and apparatus for network device to access packet switched network
A method for a network device to access a packet switched network is applied to a system in which the network device accesses the packet switched network by connecting to PEs in an active-standby mode. The method includes: an active PE and a standby PE each sends a fault detection message to the network device through an interface connected to the network device; the active PE sets the state of the interface to “up” and advertises a route to a remote PE if a fault detection response returned by the network device is received through the interface within a preset period; otherwise, the active PE sets the state of the interface to “down”, and withdraws the advertised route; and the standby PE sets the state of the interface to “up” and advertises another route to the remote PE after receiving a fault detection response through the interface connected to the network device.
US08000230B2 Fully redundant linearly expandable broadcast router
A fully redundant linearly expandable router is comprised of first, second, third and fourth router components. Each router component includes first and second routing engines. First, second and third discrete links couple the first routing engine to the first routing engines, respectively. Fourth and fifth discrete links couple the first routing engine to the first routing engines, respectively. A sixth discrete link couples the routing engine to the routing engine. Seventh, eighth and ninth discrete links couple the second routing engine to the second routing engines, respectively. Tenth and eleventh discrete links couple the second routing engine to the second routing engines, respectively. A twelfth discrete link couples the routing engine to the router engine.
US08000222B2 Wireless communication device adopting OFDM modulation
A wireless communication device includes a converting circuit, a discrete Fourier transformer, a separating circuit, a correcting unit. The converting circuit converts an analog signal having an in-phase component and a quadrature component into a digital signal having a real part and an imaginary part of complex number respectively. The discrete Fourier transformer converts the real part and the imaginary part of the digital signal obtained in the converting circuit from a time domain to a frequency domain. The separating circuit separates the digital signal into a first sum of a symmetrical component of the real part and an antisymmetrical component of the imaginary part of the digital signal and a second sum of the antisymmetrical component of the real part and the symmetrical component of the imaginary part of the digital signal. The correcting unit corrects a value of the second sum.
US08000218B2 Recording medium, recording method, and recording apparatus
Payload 0 as a header is recorded to a head of a UDI area. In the case of recording payload 0 and other payloads, each of them is quintuple-recorded in order to take a countermeasure against errors. Other payloads such as payload 1 and the like are recorded after payload 0. In the case of quintuple-recording, the payloads of the same payload number are collectively quintuple-recorded. AUDI is recorded from a position after one second from start time S. The payloads are arranged in positions at 12-frame intervals. Thus, the five data which is multiple-written are not arranged in the radial direction of a disc but widely distributed onto tracks. Error resistance is improved. An interval of data is set to an optimum value in accordance with the number of multiple-writing times, a linear velocity, a recording position on the disc, and the like.
US08000210B2 Quarter-wave plate, and optical pickup device
A quarter-wave plate includes a base member including a ridge and trough periodic structure with a structural period of λmin/2
US08000202B2 Apparatus for recording/reproducing information on/from an optical disc having focus control capabilities
The present invention provides a method for recording/reproducing information on/from an optical disc, wherein the optical disc has a first to an n-th recording layers (n is an integer of 2 or greater) laminated on a substrate, each of the first to the n-th layers having data regions segmented into a first to an m-th data zone groups (m is an integer of 2 or greater) along a radial direction of the optical disc, each of the first to the m-th data zone groups including at least one data zone, the method comprising the steps of: a) recording/reproducing information in/from data zone groups from a j-th data zone group of a first recording layer to a j-th data zone group of an n-th recording layer; and b) repeating step a) for j=1, 2, . . . , m.
US08000199B2 Optical disk apparatus
An optical disk apparatus to record data on an optical disk on which a wobble is formed, the optical disk apparatus including; a detection unit including a BPF which a signal obtained from a reflected light from an optical disk passes, the detection unit to detect a wobble signal from a wobble based on the signal passing the BPF; and a register to store an adjustment value for adjusting the BPF as a register value, so as to adjust the BPF based on each of register values obtained by changing the register value 1 LSB by 1 LSB; acquire an amplitude of the signal passing the BPF, the amplitude corresponding to each of the register values; identify one of the register values for the largest acquired amplitude; and adjust the BPF based on a value obtained by adding 1 LSB to the identified register value when data is recorded.
US08000192B2 Disc-shaped recording medium, cutting apparatus for same, and disc drive
There is provided an optical disc having preformed thereon a spiral wobbled track as a grove and/or land along with data is to be recorded. The track is wobbled for a series of predetermined signal units each composed of an FSK information bit part based on a waveform resulted from FSK modulation of information bit and a singe-frequency part based on a waveform of a single frequency. The FSK modulation uses two different frequencies of which the one is the same as the single frequency and the other is different from the single frequency. These different frequencies are in such a relation that each of them has an even number of wobbles and an odd number of wobbles alternately in a predetermined cycle.
US08000191B2 Method for collecting text from musical disc
A method reads text data from a musical disc in a disc drive. The musical disc includes a plurality of blocks each including a plurality of packs. Each pack is given a block number and a sequence number and written to a ring buffer of a disc drive including a first memory and a second memory. The method includes setting a target pack, reading packs from the musical disc, giving them provisional numbers in sequence and writing them to the first memory, providing a target provisional number, reading a pack according to the target provisional number from the first memory, reading the block number and sequence number of the pack given the target provisional number, determining whether the pack with the target provisional number is the target pack, writing the pack with the target provisional number to the second memory if the pack with the target provisional number is the target pack, determining whether the maximum sequence number of the current block is known if the pack with the target provisional number is not the target pack, skipping remaining packs of the current block including the pack with the target provisional number and returning to reading the plurality of packs from the musical disc if the maximum sequence number of the current block is known, and increasing the current provisional number by an increment and returning to reading the pack according to the target provisional number if the maximum sequence number of the current block is not known.
US08000181B2 Beam irradiation device and laser radar
A beam irradiation device includes a light source for emitting laser light, an actuator for displacing a propagation direction of the laser light in accordance with a control signal, and a scan expansion lens for increasing a swing width of the laser light to be generated by the actuator. A spectral element is arranged between the actuator and the scan expansion lens. The spectral element allows at least a part of the laser light to be incident from the actuator to transmit, and reflects at least a part of the laser light to be incident from the scan expansion lens. The beam irradiation device further includes a light detector for receiving the laser light to be reflected on the spectral element to output an electrical signal.
US08000180B2 Medium transporting mechanism and medium processing apparatus having the same
A medium transporting mechanism for transporting one of stacked media each of which has a hole is provided. A holder is provided on a movable transporting arm and holds the one of the media. A guide is provided in the transporting arm, the guide has a tapered surface that is inclined with respect to an axis of the guide. The tapered surface is configured to be brought into contact with an inner surface of the hole of the one of the media when the guide is inserted into the hole of the one of the media. The tapered surface includes a first surface on a tip end portion of the guide and a second surface on a base end portion of the guide. An inclined angle of the first surface with respect to the axis of the guide is greater than an inclined angle of the second surface with respect to the axis of the guide.
US08000177B2 Reading device and reading method for an optical data recording medium
A reading devices suppresses deterioration of the recording marks caused by increasing the output laser power to compensate for a drop in the S/N ratio when reading at a high speed information recorded to a high density recording medium. To read information recorded to an optical data recording medium that is written and read using a laser beam output from a semiconductor laser, the reading method modulates a high frequency current on the drive current of the semiconductor laser to output the laser beam, and changes the light modulation rate according to the selected linear velocity used for reading. The light modulation rate is the ratio Pp/Pave between the peak power Pp and the average read power Pave of the light intensity of the high frequency modulated laser beam.
US08000153B2 Enhanced erase for flash storage device
A flash storage device includes flash storage units that are erased in response to a condition or command while allowing the flash storage device to be used subsequent to the erase. A flash controller interface receives a command for erasing the flash storage device and provides an erase command to flash controllers in the flash storage device. Alternatively, the flash storage device detects a condition in response to which the flash controller interface provides an erase command to the flash controllers. Each flash controller independently erases a flash storage unit in response to receiving the purge command such that the flash storage units are erased substantially in parallel with each other and the erase operations overlap. Subsequent to the erase, certain control data is reconstructed to allow subsequent use of the flash storage device.
US08000145B2 Method for programming nand type flash memory
Disclosed is a method for programming a flash memory device capable of preventing a threshold voltage distribution of a memory cell from being moved due to a pass disturbance of the memory cell programmed initially at a program operation performed on a page-unit basis. The method for programming a NAND flash memory device including a plurality of cell strings having N memory cells connected, in which gates of the memory cells are connected to a word line, the method is performed by applying a program voltage to at least two word lines simultaneously including a selected word line.
US08000144B2 Method and system for accessing a flash memory device
An apparatus, system, and computer-implemented method for controlling data transfer between a plurality of serial data link interfaces and a plurality of memory banks in a semiconductor memory is disclosed. In one example, a flash memory device with multiple links and memory banks, where the links are independent of the banks, is disclosed. The flash memory devices may be cascaded in a daisy-chain configuration using echo signal lines to serially communicate between memory devices. In addition, a virtual multiple link configuration is described wherein a single link is used to emulate multiple links.
US08000142B1 Semi-volatile NAND flash memory
Semi-volatile NAND flash memory systems, apparatuses, and methods for use are described herein. According to various embodiments, a semi-volatile NAND flash memory may be partitioned into various retention regions. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08000140B2 Random access memory with CMOS-compatible nonvolatile storage element
Embodiments provide systems, methods, and apparatuses with a plurality of row lines and column lines arranged in a matrix, and at least one memory cell having an access transistor and a CMOS-compatible non-volatile storage element coupled to the access transistor in series. The CMOS-compatible non-volatile storage element includes a node and is configured to hold a charge corresponding to a n-bit binary value where n is an integer greater than 1. The access transistor has a word line gate coupled to a row line, a first node coupled to a column line, a second node coupled to a storage node, with the storage node connected to said node of the CMOS-compatible non-volatile storage element. Access circuitry coupled to the memory cell is configured to activate the memory cell and sense a resulting current corresponding to the n-bit binary value.
US08000138B2 Scaleable memory systems using third dimension memory
A non-volatile scalable memory circuit is described, including a bus formed on a substrate that includes active circuitry, metallization layers, and a plurality of high density third dimension memory arrays formed over the substrate. Each memory circuit can include an embedded controller for controlling data access to the memory arrays and optionally a control node that allows data access to be controlled by an external memory controller or by the embedded controller. The memory circuits can be chained together to increase memory capacity. The memory arrays can be two-terminal cross-point arrays that may be stacked upon one another.
US08000126B2 Semiconductor device with recording layer containing indium, germanium, antimony and tellurium
A phase change memory is formed of a plug buried within a through-hole in an insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate, an interface layer formed on the insulating film in which the plug is buried, a recording layer formed of a chalcogenide layer formed on the interface layer, and an upper contact electrode formed on the recording layer. The recording layer storing information according to resistance value change is made of chalcogenide material containing indium in an amount range from 20 atomic % to 38 atomic %, germanium in a range from 9 atomic % to 28 atomic %, antimony in a range from 3 atomic % to 18 atomic %, and tellurium in a range from 42 atomic % to 63 atomic %, where the content of germanium larger than or equal to the content of antimony.
US08000105B2 Tubular memory module
Memory systems and methods of forming memory modules. In one embodiment, a computer memory system includes a substantially tubular frame with an elongate card edge extending along the frame. A flexible circuit comprising a flexible substrate, a plurality of memory chips affixed to the flexible substrate, and a plurality of electrical terminals interconnected with the memory chips, is secured along a perimeter of the tubular frame with the electrical terminals arranged along the card edge.
US08000101B2 System and method for attaching liquid cooling apparatus to a chassis
A system for attaching liquid cooling apparatus includes a fan, a chassis and a grill. The chassis is configured to house electronic components in an interior volume and has an air flow opening large enough to receive the fan. The grill is configured to be fastened to the fan and to the chassis such that, when the grill is so fastened, the fan is disposed at least partially in the interior volume and the grill substantially covers the air flow opening. At least one recess is formed either in the chassis or the grill such that a coolant conduit may be inserted into the recess when the grill is not fastened to the chassis and the coolant conduit is confined within the recess when the grill is fastened to the chassis.
US08000098B1 Multifaceted laptop accessory
A laptop docking apparatus having a base and lap rest. The base has an internal duct and fan for venting heat away from the underside of the laptop as well as an accessory bay for removable hard drives or the like, as well as a removable battery to power the device and the laptop. The laptop rest is connectable to the base and has a keyboard, mouse, and internal speakers.
US08000092B2 Display apparatus
A display apparatus having an improved supporting configuration of a display part, which includes a display to display an image thereon and a pair of bases which are coupled to the display to rotate around an axis of upward and downward directions with respect to a vertical line of the display.
US08000086B2 Chip capacitor
A capacitor element having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end surface and a second end surface is coated with a cathode layer, except for the first end surface. Anode lead extends out from the first end surface. An anode terminal has a first portion located close to and beneath the lower surface of the capacitor element and has a second portion connected to the anode lead via an arcuate connector. A cathode terminal is disposed under the lower surface of the capacitor element, being spaced from the first portion of the anode terminal. A packaging resin covers the capacitor element, the anode terminal and the cathode terminal. A depression is formed in the anode terminal, which extends from a portion of the anode terminal facing the lower surface of the capacitor element to the inner edge of the anode terminal facing the cathode terminal.
US08000084B2 High voltage electrolytes
A method for reducing pressure build-up in an electrochemical cell is provided comprising: providing an anhydrous nonaqueous electrolyte solution comprising at least one quaternary ammonium salt and at least one anhydrous nonaqueous solvent; contacting the electrolyte solution with at least one acid scavenger; and loading the nonaqueous electrolyte solution into the electrochemical cell. Also, provided is an electric double-layer capacitor (supercapacitor) comprising a free acid scavenger.
US08000083B2 Scalable integrated circuit high density capacitors
The present invention provides several scalable integrated circuit high density capacitors and their layout techniques. The capacitors are scaled, for example, by varying the number of metal layers and/or the area of the metal layers used to form the capacitors. The capacitors use different metallization patterns to form the metal layers, and different via patterns to couple adjacent metal layers. In embodiments, optional shields are included as the top-most and/or bottom-most layers of the capacitors, and/or as side shields, to reduce unwanted parasitic capacitance.
US08000070B2 Motor control circuit with malfunction monitoring
The invention relates to a control circuit which serves for security-critical control of a consumer with an inductive load portion, to be connected to a direct voltage source, and a method for failure control. It is in this case assumed that the control circuit has a power driving assembly, a free-wheeling assembly and a reverse-connection protected assembly. In order to increase the probability of failure recognition, this control circuit is extended by a method for failure control. For this purpose the semiconductor switches of the assemblies, each formed by a MOSFET, are individually driven. The different switching statuses are checked by a diagnostic device which processes voltage values to be read out at outputs of the control circuit. In this way failure-free functionality and also possible causes of failure in the control circuit can be diagnosed.
US08000069B2 Circuit testing closer apparatus and method with dynamic test thresholds
A circuit testing closer is capable of closing a power distribution circuit and interrupting the resulting current at the next current zero. Upon detecting a fault, the circuit testing closer is operable to open contacts to isolate the fault. Next, the circuit testing closer tests the faulted line to determine whether the fault has cleared. The circuit testing closer may employ one or more dynamic thresholds to determine the existence of a fault.
US08000065B2 Magnetoresistive element and thin-film magnetic head
A magnetoresistive element includes: a detection surface that receives a magnetic field to be detected; a free layer made of a ferromagnetic material, having an end face located in the detection surface, and exhibiting a change in magnetization direction in response to the magnetic field to be detected; a pinned layer made of a ferromagnetic material, disposed away from the detection surface, and having a fixed magnetization direction; and a coupling portion made of a nonmagnetic material and coupling the free layer to the pinned layer. The coupling portion includes a nonmagnetic conductive layer that allows electrons to be conducted while conserving their spins.
US08000061B2 Gimbal mounted slider assembly with transverse bars connecting inner edges of ramp limiter arms
Gimbal designs are provided that minimize adverse dynamic performance of a HDD suspension, particularly subsequent to head-disk-interface (HDI) interactions. The improvement of operational performance can be seen in graphical representations of the vibrational modes of a gimbal mounted slider subsequent to such HDI interactions. Each gimbal design includes a ramp limiter formed as two separated arms connected by one or two transverse bars and a routing of conducting traces that relieves stress and minimally contacts these bars.
US08000058B2 Magnetic head for perpendicular recording having pole pieces provided on surface of soft magnetic film
Embodiments of the invention provide a perpendicular recording magnetic head capable of reducing leakage magnetic fields from the soft magnetic films on the air bearing surface side and reducing the protrusion of the soft magnetic films in the direction of the air bearing surface side due to thermal deformation of the soft magnetic films. In one embodiment, the write functional section includes a coil conductor, second soft magnetic film pattern and first soft magnetic film pattern that cover the coil conductor from top and bottom and are magnetically coupled to each other, and a main magnetic pole piece determining a track width. The read functional section includes a reading element sandwiched between two magnetic shield films. A pedestal magnetic pole pattern is formed at the frontal end position of the first soft magnetic film pattern.
US08000056B2 Apparatus and method to rotate a read/write head
A method is presented to rotate a read/write head rotatable along a first axis and comprising a first assembly having a first servo element and a second servo element. The method moves a sequential information storage medium adjacent to the read/write head along a second axis, wherein the second axis is substantially orthogonal to the first axis, and determines the rotation angle for the read/write head with respect to the sequential information storage medium using the first servo element and the second servo element. The method then positions the read/write head with respect to the second axis based upon the rotation angle.
US08000044B2 Lens holder driving device and image pickup unit employing planary-driven polymer actuator
There are provided a lens holder being capable of holding a lens and having flange portions at opposite end portions thereof along an optical axis, a planary-driven actuator including driving arm portions having lens holder support points for holding the outer surface of the lens holder at a plurality of opposing positions and having free-end side contact portions, a lens-holder retaining plate having spring-characteristic portions, and fixing frames which form the outer surfaces of a lens holder driving device and fix the respective components.
US08000035B2 Wide-angle lens, optical apparatus, and method for focusing
Providing a wide-angle lens having high optical performance, an optical apparatus using thereof, and a method for focusing the wide-angle lens. The lens including, in order from an object, a first lens group G1 having negative refractive power, a second lens group G2 having positive refractive power, and a third lens group G3 having positive refractive power. Upon varying focusing from an object locating at infinity to an object locating at close distance, the first lens group G1 is fixed, and the second lens group G2 and the third lens group G3 are moved to the object side. The second lens group G2 includes a negative lens component L21 to the most object side, and a given conditional expression is satisfied.
US08000034B2 Total-reflection lens
This invention is regarding to an innovatively designed lens that employs two holes of different shapes as light-inlet and light-outlet surfaces to direct lights. The main feature is that the light can emit out at a more focused and uniformed fashion through refraction and total reflection. On the other hands, the lens also has grooves set to allow for side lighting purposes when needed. And with the grooves, the light can emit at a wide range when multiple such lens are properly assembled.
US08000031B1 Imaging optical lens assembly
This invention provides an imaging optical lens assembly including: in order from an object side toward an image side: a first lens with positive refractive power and having a convex object-side surface, a second lens with negative refractive power and having a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, a third lens with positive refractive power and having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, a fourth lens with negative refractive power and having a concave image-side surface, the object-side and image-side surfaces being aspheric, and a fifth lens having a concave image-side surface, the object-side and image-side surfaces being aspheric. The imaging optical lens assembly further comprises an aperture stop, disposed between an imaged object and the second lens, and an electronic sensor, disposed at the image plane for image formation.
US08000024B2 Zoom lens and imaging apparatus
A zoom lens is provided and includes: a first lens group having a positive power, a second lens group having a negative power, a stop, a third lens group having a positive power, and a fourth lens group having a positive power in order. Zooming is performed by moving at least the first lens group, the second lens group, the stop, and the third lens group along the optical axis. During zooming, the stop is moved so as to be closer to an image plane at a wide-angle end than at a telephoto end and to be closer to the second lens group at the telephoto end than at the wide-angle end. The following conditional expressions (1) and (2) are satisfied. For the conditional expressions (1) and (2), fw is a focal length at the wide-angle end of the entire system, ft is a focal length at the telephoto end of the entire system, f1 is a composite focal length of the first lens group, and X1 is a displacement of the first lens group during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end. 4.0
US08000022B2 Liquid lens system
The invention is directed to an optical system (1). The optical system (1) has a housing (2) with an opening (3) extending through the housing (2) encompassing an in general constant volume (V). A membrane (6) with two or more membrane sections is arranged across the opening separating the volume (V) in a first and a second chamber (7, 8) filled with at least one fluid. The membrane is attached to an annular holding frame (9). An actuator is interconnected to the membrane (6) directly or indirectly to change the optical behaviour of the membrane.
US08000018B2 Köhler concentrator
One example of a solar voltaic concentrator has a primary Fresnel lens with multiple panels, each of which forms a Köhler integrator with a respective panel of a lenticular secondary lens. The resulting plurality of integrators all concentrate sunlight onto a common photovoltaic cell. Luminaires using a similar geometry are also described.
US08000014B2 Adaptive sunlight redirector
Longitudinally adjacent plane mirrors (106-114) are pivotally interconnected in a columnar array (56) by non-stretching linkages (120) which constrain movement of the mirrors such that their normal vectors (115) remain parallel. Pivotable couplings (122, 124) in two mirrors permit movement of the mirrors with respect to mutually perpendicular axes (x, y) and prevent movement of the mirrors with respect to a third axis (z). Two actuators (117A, 117B) coupled to one of the pivotable couplings controllably move a selected mirror with respect to the mutually perpendicular axes (x, y). A first frame (116) couples the mirror columns together so that movement of the selected mirror moves all the mirrors in unison. The actuators controllably move the mirrors to orient the normal vectors such that the mirrors specularly reflect incident light in a preselected direction.
US08000003B2 Fluorescence microscope
The invention provides a fluorescence microscope and a method for using this to measure fluorescence. The microscope comprises a silicon wafer filter membrane which is highly-planar and does not fluoresce. Moreover, it has a very high perforation density, so that a small surface area is sufficient for effective measurement. Using a camera as the location-sensitive detector moreover makes it possible to take advantage of better optical resolution, which means that optics having a smaller numerical aperture and a smaller magnification factor can be employed, with a greater working distance. All these factors together provide a fluorescence microscope capable of much more rapid measurements than the existing fluorescence microscopes.
US08000002B2 Interference filter and method for producing it
The invention is based on the object of providing UV interference filters having improved long-term stability. For this purpose, a method for producing a dielectric transmission interference filter is provided, in which an alternating layer system having the constituents magnesium fluoride, lead fluoride and antimony oxide is produced on a substrate by co-evaporation. After deposition, the substrate is subjected to heat treatment and irradiated with UV light in order to stabilize the layer system.
US07999994B2 Display apparatus and methods for manufacture thereof
Display devices incorporating shutter-based light modulators are disclosed along with methods of manufacturing such devices. The methods are compatible with thin-film manufacturing processes known in the art and result in displays having lower power-consumption.
US07999991B2 Electrode comprising lithium nickel oxide layer, method for preparing the same, and electrochromic device comprising the same
Disclosed is a method of preparing an electrode, which can lead to uniform electrochromism of a lithium nickel oxide layer by applying a voltage in all directions of the electrode during a formatting process, an electrode prepared by the same, and an electrochromic device including the electrode.
US07999981B2 Method and device for manufacturing a hologram recording medium
Arrangements are made to enable different original images to be reproduced upon observation from different positions and yet enable reproduced images of high resolution to be obtained. In a case of recording two original images, each of the two original images Ia and Ib is defined as a set of point light sources in an XYZ global coordinate system, and two propagation spaces Sa and Sb, each enabling propagation of light emitted from an origin Q of an αβγ local coordinate system, are defined. A predetermined recording plane and a reference light are set in the XYZ coordinate system, and an interference fringe pattern, which is formed on the recording plane by object light components from the point light sources constituting the respective original images and the reference light, is determined by computation. In this process, the computation is performed upon deeming that a light from a point light source belonging to the original image Ia spreads only within the propagation space Sa, with the origin Q of the αβγ coordinate system being overlappingly set at the position of the point light source, and that a light from a point light source belonging to the original image Ib spreads only within the propagation space Sb, with the origin Q of the αβγ coordinate system being overlappingly set at the position of the point light source.
US07999972B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, image processing program, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus is configured to apply correction processing to image data having sharpness varying depending on an alignment direction of pixels. The image processing apparatus detects a feature quantity in an edge direction of the image data. The image processing apparatus sets an intensity of the correction processing based on correction intensity which is predetermined based on the sharpness varying depending on the alignment direction of the pixels, according to the detected feature quantity in the edge direction of the image data.
US07999971B2 Optimization techniques during processing of print jobs
Methods for processing print jobs in rendering devices include constructing display list objects for to-be-printed objects and determining if two or more sequential objects are combinable. If so, a masked indexed image replaces the objects and has dimensions matching the overall bounding box size of the combinable objects. Indexed image values of the masked indexed image correspond to look up table entries, in turn, corresponding to color values of pixels of the combined object. In this manner, memory space is made available. Determining combinability of objects occurs by examining whether the objects are opaque, have regions as stencils, have similar color intensities, have the same halftone screens, share comparably sized or proximate bounding boxes or for other reasons. Head and tail pointers delineate sequential objects on the display list. The masked indexed image can be uni- or multi-dimensional. Computer readable media and graphics engines in printers are preferred implementation structures.
US07999964B2 Printing on pre-tagged media
A method performed in a telecommunication device is disclosed. Document information is printed onto a plurality of print areas with a printer of the telecommunication device. Each of the print areas is encoded with identity data which differentiates the print areas from each other. The identity data is sensed with a sensor incorporated in a media feed path of the printer. The identity data and the document information are then transmitted to a computer system with a transmitter of the telecommunication device where the document information printed on respective print areas is associated with the identity data of the respective print areas.
US07999963B2 Print processing system and method for sequentially performing first processing and second processing using a first device and a second device
A CPU of an image forming apparatus, such as a color electrophotographic copying apparatus, reads print step information from a memory, such as a USB memory, that stores print image data and print step information relating to a plurality of print steps for producing a print of the print image data and a progress state of the print steps. The CPU updates the progress state of the print steps stored in the memory subsequent to the print step being performed by a printer in the image forming apparatus, displays a next print step to perform based on the read print step information, and controls the printer. The image forming apparatus thus avoids leaks of the print data, and prevents useless printing and erratic job processing. Thus, even an inexperienced operator can provide sophisticated high quality print service using the image forming apparatus.
US07999961B2 Information processing apparatus, distributed printing controlling method, storing medium and program
Control is effected to produce a plurality of child print jobs for a plurality of printers from data to be printed, on the basis of inputted instruction for distributed print, and information regarding a parent print job is produced on the basis of information regarding the plurality of child print jobs produced under control of the distributed print, and the parent job is displayed in a distinguishable manner from the child print job.
US07999960B2 Printing system, printing system control method, program and storage medium
A printing system is arranged so that each time a storage button disposed on an operation panel of a printer is operated, an interrupt event transferred from the printer to the computer is detected at the computer, and in accordance with the detected interrupt event, image data in a memory card mounted on a card slot of the printer is stored on a hard disk of the computer, and that each time a print start button disposed on the operation panel of the printer is operated, an interrupt event transferred from the printer to the computer is detected, and in accordance with the detected interrupt event, image data read from the memory card and image data stored on the hard disk of the computer is both printed.
US07999951B2 Direct print handling of native and non-native data formats
Methods of, and devices for, image processing of input data, directed to an imaging device, where a method comprises: (a) generating a spool shell based on received job setting information for received input data; (b) determining if the received input data is native to the imaging device; and (c) if the received input data is not native to the imaging device, then (i) converting the received input data into a native converted data, and (ii) generating a spool job by encapsulating the converted data within the generated spool shell.
US07999944B2 Multi-channel swept wavelength optical interrogation system and method for using same
A multi-channel swept wavelength optical interrogation system and a method are described herein that enable the interrogation of one or more biosensors which for example could be located within the wells of a microplate. In one embodiment, the optical interrogation system comprises: (a) a tunable laser that emits an optical beam which has a predetermined sequence of distinct wavelengths over a predetermined time period; (b) a distribution unit that splits the optical beam into a plurality of interrogation beams; (c) an array of optical interrogation units that receive and direct the interrogation beams towards an array of biosensors; (d) the array of optical interrogation units receive a plurality of reflected interrogation beams from the array of biosensors; (e) a data processing device that receives and processes information associated with the reflected interrogation beams to determine for example whether or not there was a biochemical interaction on anyone of the biosensors.
US07999939B2 Real time telecentricity measurement
Systems and methods are provides for measuring and correcting for a given telecentricity in a lithographic apparatus. A radiation beam is partitioned into a plurality of beams, each of which is modulated using an array of individually controllable elements and projected onto a portion of a substrate through a projection system. A set of alignment beams is transmitted simultaneously on paths similar to those traversed by the plurality of radiation beams, and a corresponding set of sensors respectively measures an angle and a position of the set of alignment beams proximate to an entrance of the projection system. An assembly of telecentricity control mirrors (TCM) adjusts appropriate ones of the plurality of radiation beams in response to the measurement to correct for any detected telecentricity errors.
US07999932B2 Inspection apparatus and inspection method
An inspection apparatus includes a wafer stage for carrying a wafer, an illumination module which irradiates an inspection beam on the wafer carried on the wafer stage, a detection module which detects scattering rays or reflection rays from the wafer on the wafer stage and outputs an image signal, a coordinates control module which stores information about the arrangement of individual inspection areas on the wafer, and an imperfect area recognition module which recognizes, on the basis of the inspection area arrangement information stored in the coordinates control module, an imperfect inspection area interfering with a wafer edge.
US07999927B2 In vitro determination of analyte levels within body fluids
A reagentless whole-blood analyte detection system that is capable of being deployed near a patient has a source capable of emitting a beam of radiation that includes a spectral band. The whole-blood system also has a detector in an optical path of the beam. The whole-blood system also has a housing that is configured to house the source and the detector. The whole-blood system also has a sample element that is situated in the optical path of the beam. The sample element has a sample cell and a sample cell wall that does not eliminate transmittance of the beam of radiation in the spectral band.
US07999923B2 Systems and methods for detecting and analyzing objects
Systems and methods are provided that employ one or more mirrors to harvest laser beams emitted by a physical rangefinder within a region of interest that would otherwise not intersect an object within the region of interest. The mirrors redirect the harvested beams back within the region of interest, creating one or more virtual rangefinders that supplement the physical rangefinder. The location of the virtual rangefinders is symmetric to the position of the physical rangefinder about the plane of the mirror and along the line normal to the mirror passing through the physical rangefinder. The virtual rangefinders, which operate synchronously with the physical rangefinder, thus provide a view of the object(s) from an angle different from that of the physical rangefinder.
US07999921B2 Geodesic measuring instrument with a piezo drive
In a geodesic measuring instrument with a fixing device for positioning the measuring instrument and with a measuring component having an optical beam path for surveying a target, whereby the measuring components are mounted in an aligning component that can be moved relative to the fixing device, and can be moved relative to the aligning component, an optical beam path is modified by at least one piezoelectric micromotor.
US07999919B2 Substrate holding technique
Disclosed is technology for holding a substrate and, specifically, an object holding apparatus including a chuck for holding an object, a holding unit for holding the chuck, a generating unit provided in the holding unit, for generating a field related to an attraction force, a member provided in the chuck and attracted by the generating unit in accordance with the field, and a supporting unit for supporting one of the generating unit and the member, for movement at least in a direction nearing the other and in a direction away from the other.
US07999909B2 Fabrication method of in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device including twisted nematic liquid crystal layer between first and second ferroelectric liquid crystal layers
An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate including a pixel electrode in a pixel region, a second substrate facing the first substrate and including a common electrode, a first alignment layer on the pixel electrode, a second alignment layer on the common electrode, a first ferroelectric liquid crystal layer on the first alignment layer and including a first spontaneous polarization, a second ferroelectric liquid crystal layer on the second alignment layer and including a second spontaneous polarization, a rotational direction of the first ferroelectric liquid crystal layer with respect to the first alignment layer being different from a rotational direction of the second ferroelectric liquid crystal layer with respect to the second alignment layer, and a twisted nematic liquid crystal layer between the first and second ferroelectric liquid crystal layers.
US07999901B2 Thin film transistor array substrate with improved test terminals
A thin film transistor array substrate comprises thin film transistors and pixel electrodes formed at respective pixels that are defined by gate lines and data lines that orthogonally intersect each other. The thin film transistor array substrate further comprises a plurality of gate pad units that group a plurality of gate pads extended from the gate lines, and a plurality of data pad units that groups a plurality of data pads extended from the data lines. The thin film transistor array substrate further includes a plurality of gate test terminals connected to the gate pad units and beside at least one side of the respective gate pad units, and a plurality of data test terminals connected to the data pad units and located beside at least one side of the respective data pad units.
US07999900B2 Display unit with interleaved pixels
A multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal display that does not require physical features on the substrate (such as protrusions and ITO slits) is disclosed. Each pixel of the MVA LCD is subdivided into color components, which are further divided into color dots. The polarities of the color dots are arranged so that fringe fields in each color dots causes multiple liquid crystal domains in each color dot. Specifically, the color dots of a pixel are arranged so that each color dot of a first polarity has four neighboring pixels of a second polarity. Thus, a checkerboard pattern of polarities is formed. Furthermore, the checkerboard pattern is extended across multiple pixels in the MVA LCD. In addition, many display unit include multiple pixel designs to improve color distribution or electrical distribution. Furthermore, many display units interleave the pixels.
US07999897B2 Electro-optic device and electronic apparatus
An electro-optic device includes first electrodes that apply voltage to the liquid crystal layer in the pixel area and second electrodes that apply voltage to the liquid crystal layer in the peripheral area for shielding the peripheral area from light.
US07999896B2 Liquid crystal display unit
A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes: a vertical alignment liquid crystal layer; first and second electrodes arranged on one surface of first and second substrates to face the liquid crystal layer; and first and second alignment films arranged on the first and second electrodes, respectively, in contact with the liquid crystal layer. The first alignment film has been subjected to an optical alignment treatment by obliquely irradiating a first alignment film material, having a photosensitive wavelength within the wavelength range of 250 nm to 380 nm, with light including the photosensitive wavelength. The device further includes: a metal layer arranged between the first alignment film and the first substrate; and a first resin layer arranged between the metal layer and the first alignment film. The first resin layer has an optical property that attenuates the intensity of light, which has been incident on the first resin layer and then reflected from the metal layer, to 60% or less at the photosensitive wavelength.
US07999893B2 Complex birefringent medium, polarizing plate, and liquid crystal device
The present invention provides a complex birefringent medium, which has the so-called inverse wavelength dispersibility, that is, a wavelength dispersibility capable of giving an optimum phase difference to a light of a wide visible wavelength range, has a wide viewing angle, can be produced by a convenient method and is excellent in a degree of adjusting freedom of inverse wavelength dispersibility and in mass productivity, a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display device. The complex birefringent medium of the present invention is a complex birefringent medium having a structure in which a plurality of birefringent layers are laminated, wherein in the complex birefringent medium, a phase difference exhibits inverse wavelength dispersibility as the whole of the complex birefringent medium, and wherein when a principal refractive index having the maximum absolute value of a difference from an average value of three principal refractive indexes at a wavelength λ (nm) is designated as a first principal refractive index n1(λ), a normal line of the birefringent layer and a principal axis corresponding to the first principal refractive index n1(550) of the birefringent layer are in the same plane.
US07999889B2 Scattering-type display including diffraction reducing layer
A display device including: a pair of substrates 10 and 12 placed so as to oppose each other; a plurality of pixel electrodes 16 formed on one 12 of the pair of substrates; a counter electrode 18 formed on the other 10 of the pair of substrates; and a modulation layer 1 provided between the plurality of pixel electrodes 16 and the counter electrode 18, the modulation layer 1 being capable of switching states between a transmitting state in which light is transmitted and a scattering state in which light is scattered. The display device further includes: a plurality of switching elements 13 formed on the one substrate 12 and electrically connected respectively to corresponding pixel electrodes 16; a plurality of wiring lines 14 disposed on the one substrate 12 and at intervals 22 from the plurality of pixel electrodes 16; and a diffraction preventing layer 30 disposed in the intervals 22 between the wiring lines 14 and the pixel electrodes 16.
US07999887B2 Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a display panel, a backlight which radiates light to the display panel, a light emitting element which is mounted on the backlight, and a light guide plate on which light from the light emitting element is incident. The light guide plate has an upper surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface has grooves formed therein delimited by at least one surface which extends at a slant with respect to the bottom surface. A reflection sheet is provided which reflects the light radiated from the bottom surface. The grooves are formed to produce a first light which is reflected on the grooves and a second light which is radiated from the grooves and is reflected on the reflection sheet, and an asymmetric prism sheet is arranged on the light guide plate.
US07999882B2 Liquid crystal module
A liquid crystal module includes a rear frame, a light reflecting sheet, a cold cathode tube, an optical sheet, a liquid crystal panel, a pair of lead wires and a pair of lamp sockets. The rear frame has an access opening. The cold cathode tube is disposed above the light reflecting sheet in an interior of the rear frame and having a pair of electric terminals at both end portions of the cold cathode tube. The pair of lead wires is connected to the electric terminals to form connected portions. The lead wires extend through the access opening of the rear frame from the interior of the rear frame. The pair of lamp sockets is fixedly attached to the both end portions of the cold cathode tube and fitted into the access opening of the rear frame to support the cold cathode tube with respect to the rear frame.
US07999877B2 Displaying data on lower resolution displays
Data intended to be displayed on a higher resolution display such as a non-interlaced display used as a computer monitor may be converted for display on a lower resolution display such as an interlaced display. The conversion may be done in a way that preserves the intended frame format while enhancing readability. For example, in one embodiment, the frames intended for non-interlaced display may be preserved in size for display in the same frame format on a lower resolution interlaced display. Local magnification may be selectively implemented for particular regions to enhance the readability of those regions. Upon selection, such local magnification may provide pixel loss and color corrections in addition to local magnification. In this way the frame format may be preserved while enhancing readability.
US07999869B2 Random access decoder
A random access decoder comprising a plurality of decoder circuit elements, each decoder circuit element having a unique electronic address and a binary data output, means for applying an input signal to each of the decoder circuit element and where each decoder circuit element places data on its binary data output only when the unique electronic address of a particular decoder circuit element matches the applied input signal and wherein the unique electronic address of each of the plurality of decoder circuit elements is electronically loaded into each of the decoder circuit elements. In one embodiment, each decoder circuit element comprises equivalent components electrically connected in the same arrangement.
US07999868B2 Configurable timing generator
In one embodiment, a configurable timing generator outputs at least one timing signal. The configurable timing generator comprises a first timing generator configurable to output the at least one timing signal so that the at least one timing signal is adaptable to a plurality of applications. In one embodiment, a configurable parameter storage unit comprising a parameter storage area configurable so as to store a plurality of parameters at least partially defining a desired plurality of waveform hierarchy elements, where the desired plurality of waveform hierarchy elements enable the definition of a waveform. In one embodiment, a method of constructing a waveform for a configurable timing generator, the method comprising acts of constructing a first pattern waveform, where the first pattern waveform comprises a first basic pulse, and constructing a first sequence waveform, where the first sequence waveform comprises a plurality of repetitions of the first pattern waveform.
US07999864B2 Imaging apparatus and its control method for setting suitable clipping level
An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units configured to output an image signal obtained by executing photoelectric conversion and a noise signal; a clipping unit configured to clip the noise signal to a clipping level when the noise signal exceeds a preset clipping level; a control unit configured to calculate the clipping level based on a signal read from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units and set the calculated clipping level to the clipping unit as the preset clipping level; and a differential unit configured to execute differential processing of subtracting a noise signal read from the photoelectric conversion unit and clipped by the clipping unit, from an image signal read from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion units.
US07999862B2 Method and apparatus for an automated background lighting compensation system
A system and method for removing background lighting variations from an image. The method includes capturing at least one first image including a first background and a subject wherein the at least one first image includes at least one background lighting variation, creating a virtual background model of the first background, creating a virtual background image that is substantially similar to the first background, and generating an output comprising at least one first image with at least one background lighting variation removed therefrom.
US07999860B2 Image file for storing digital images and ancillary data values using multiple encoding methods
An image format for storing digital images within a baseline DCT compatible bitstream comprises entropy coded image data, a first application marker storing a first data value using a first encoding method to convey a first information value related to the image, and a second application marker storing a second data value using a second encoding method to convey the same said first information value related to the image. More specifically, the first application marker uses TIFF tags within an Exif application marker and the second application marker uses a FlashPix compatible structured storage stream, while the entropy coded data includes restart markers to define tile boundaries within the entropy coded image data.
US07999855B2 Image capture device having motion sensing means
An image capture device (10) incorporates motion sensing means (12a/12b), a controller (16) and setting controls (14) for the image capture device (10), wherein the controller (16) is operable to store a plurality of configurations of the setting controls (14) as preset configurations, wherein each of said preset configurations is associated with a particular output of the motion sensing means (12a/12b).
US07999846B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing system, and recording medium for programs therefor
An image processing apparatus connected to a monitoring camera and a display for processing an image input from the monitoring camera includes an image storage storing an image input from the monitoring camera, a characteristic parameter storage storing a characteristic parameter characterizing a specific image, a specific image extraction unit, wherein the specific image extraction unit cuts out images having a plurality of predetermined sizes from all parts of the input image stored in the image storage, executes character evaluation processing for checking whether or not cut out images have an identical character to the specific image for each cut out image, and extracts the cut out images which has an identical character to the specific image by the character evaluation processing, and a display image generation unit for generating a display image for displaying a whole image of the input image and the extraction specific image on the display.
US07999843B2 Image processor, image processing method, recording medium, computer program, and semiconductor device
To provide an image processing technique for easy initial settings when a video image feature is used as an input interface.This is an image processor having an image combining section 106 for combining a mirrored video image feature that includes an image of an operator as a portion thereof and an object image of an object that is associated with a predetermined event, to generate a combined image, and being adapted to provide production of the combined image on a display device. This image processor has a detection section 109 for detecting the position of an image of an operator included in the mirrored video image feature. The image combining section 106 is adapted to combine the object image and the mirrored video image feature in such a manner that the object image is displayed in a range that an image of a hand of the operator can reach, depending on the position of the image of the operator detected by the detection section 109.
US07999829B2 Facilitating image-editing operations across multiple perspective planes
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates performing an image-editing operation across multiple perspective planes. During operation, the system receives a selection for a source area for the image-editing operation, wherein the source area spans one or more perspective planes. The system also receives a selection for a destination area for the image-editing operation, wherein the destination area spans one or more perspective planes. Next, the system defines one or more partial source areas for the one or more perspective planes spanned by the source area. The system also defines one or more partial destination areas for the one or more perspective planes spanned by the destination area. The system then applies the image-editing operation from each partial source area to each relevant partial destination area.
US07999823B2 Device and method for projection device based soft proofing
A display (36) for reproducing an image intended for printing on a substrate using a set of inks, the image having a perceived color gamut when print it on the substrate, the display (36) including a light source (38) generating a set of at least three primary color (RGB), and a controller (42) combining the set of at least three primary color to substantially reproduce the image, wherein the at least three primary color define a viewed color gamut which substantially covers the perceived color gamut.
US07999800B2 Display device for partial display
In order to achieve lower power consumption, a technique of performing display (partial display) by utilizing only a part of a display area is used. For example, a display area is divided, a plurality of driver circuits for driving the divided display areas independently are provided, and only a region where a fixed pattern is displayed is driven in a power saving mode, thereby partial display is performed; however, display cannot be performed at an arbitrary position. Alternatively, partial display can be performed by inputting a video signal to a pixel in an arbitrary display area; however, a structure of a driver circuit is complicated. The object of the invention is to provide a display device which can perform partial display at an arbitrary position and reduce power consumption. In partial display, operation of a signal line driver circuit is set so as to be stopped and a non-display signal is set so as to be outputted from the signal line driver circuit when a pixel in a non-display area is selected.
US07999799B2 Data transfer method and electronic device
The present invention provides a liquid-crystal display device that is able to reduce EMI, current consumption, and so forth in an interchip transfer of display data, a timing signal, and so forth and to provide an appropriate timing margin. In an interchip transfer of display data, a timing signal, and so forth that uses a plurality of data drivers, a certain data driver is used as a data driver. When the data driver is used in a first stage, an internal receiver is made to function as an RSDS receiver by fixing the IFM terminal at the “H” level. The received RSDS signal constitutes a CMOS signal that has been divided into two by the receiver and is output by the transmitter. Here, a data inversion signal is generated and output by the transmitter. When the data driver is used in the second or subsequent stage, the internal receiver is made to function as a CMOS receiver by fixing the IFM terminal at the “L” level. The received CMOS signal is output after being subjected to inversion control by means of the data inversion signal by the receiver and transmitter.
US07999796B2 Touch panel with light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive pixels
A touch panel includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes a light sensing component, a pressure sensing component, and a switch. The light sensing component generates a first sensing signal when sensing light. The pressure sensing component generates a second sensing signal when sensing pressure. The switch transmits the first and the second sensing signals when receiving a gate driving signal.
US07999794B2 Controlling device with dual-mode, touch-sensitive display
A processing device of a universal controlling device is programmed to distinguish between a first input type provided to a touch-sensitive surface and a second input type provided to the touch-sensitive surface. In response to the touch-sensitive surface being provided the first input type which is indicative of a static touch made upon the touch-sensitive surface the processing device causes a transmitter to transmit first data representative of the static touch made upon the touch-sensitive surface. In response to the touch-sensitive surface being provided the second input type which is indicative of a moving touch made across the touch-sensitive surface, the processing device causes the transmitter to transmit second data being representative of the moving touch made across the touch-sensitive surface.
US07999792B2 Electronic apparatus
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a coordinate input device which inputs coordinate data, a disabling range setting module which sets a disabling range in which the coordinate data, which is input by the coordinate input device, is disabled, a determination module which determines whether the coordinate data, which is input by the coordinate input device, is included in the disabling range which is set by the disabling range setting module, and a process module which executes a process corresponding to the coordinate data, which is input by the coordinate input device, in accordance with a determination result of the determination module.
US07999790B2 Multi-functional mission grip for a vehicle
A mission control grip mounted to a consol to provide a crew interface with a multitude of systems through a multitude of Multi-Functional Displays (MFDs). The mission control grip includes a fist-shaped grip movable about a first axis and a second axis, a thumb-operated control switch and a switch for each finger. Even while steering one system the crewmember may still move a cursor to interact with that system modes/menu controls such as changing focus or magnitude on the MFD selected for the sensor system—or perform other tasks on another MFD not related to the MFD upon which the current system field of view is displayed.
US07999786B2 Electrophoretic display and method of manufacturing the same
To reduce or prevent metal wirings formed on one substrate and electrodes formed on the other substrate from being shorted. An electrophoretic display in which, a display part including electrophoretic particles electrophoresed by application of an electric field, and an electrophoretic display part including an electrode to apply the electric field to the display part, are bonded to a substrate. The substrate includes a metal wiring including an insulating part disposed at a position that corresponds to at least a part of an edge of the electrode.
US07999780B2 Drive circuit containing amplifier circuit
An amplifier circuit includes an operational amplifier having first and second input nodes and one output node which is connected to a data line for which a pixel is provided; a feedback circuit having first and second elements which are connected to one of the first and second input nodes at their one ends; and a first switch section. The first switch section switches an operation mode between a first drive mode in which the other end of the first element is connected to the output node and a second drive mode in which the other end of the second element is connected to the output node.
US07999775B2 Viewing angle controllable liquid crystal display device and driving method thereof
A viewing angle controllable liquid crystal display device, as embodied, includes: a liquid crystal panel including a plurality of color pixels, each of the color pixels having color subpixels and at least one interference subpixel; an input unit for inputting color subpixel data to be supplied to the color subpixels and inputting area data of an image whose security is requested; an interference data generating unit for generating interference subpixel data to be supplied to the interference subpixels; an interference area control unit for controlling the interference data generating unit to output the interference subpixel data corresponding to the area data; a data combining unit for combining the interference subpixel data with the color subpixel data; and a driving circuit for driving the color subpixels and the interference subpixels on the liquid crystal panel using the combined data from the data combining unit.
US07999764B2 Plasma display apparatus
A plasma display apparatus comprises a plasma display panel and a first driver. The plasma display panel includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first driver includes an inductor into which a current flows in a first direction before and after a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode rises from a negative polarity sustain voltage and into which a current flows in a second direction different from the first direction before and after the voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode falls from a positive polarity sustain voltage.
US07999763B2 Plasma display apparatus
A plasma display apparatus is disclosed. In the plasma display apparatus, a data signal includes a voltage rising period during which the data signal gradually rises to a first voltage using an inductor, a voltage maintaining period during which the data signal is maintained at a second voltage higher than the first voltage, and a voltage falling period during which the data signal gradually falls to a voltage equal to or less than the second voltage. A magnitude of the first voltage is equal to or more than one half of a magnitude of the second voltage, and is less than the magnitude of the second voltage. A current flowing in the inductor ranges from zero ampere to a maximum current value of the inductor at a time when a voltage of the data signal is equal to the first voltage.
US07999730B2 System and method for providing GNSS assistant data without dedicated receivers
A system and method of providing satellite assistance data to a mobile device without using a reference network. A request may be transmitted to a plurality of mobile device requesting that ones of the devices transmit a portion of a navigation data message received from one or more satellites to a location determining system. Navigation data message portions may be recorded and transmitted from the ones of the plural mobile devices to the location determining system. These navigation data message portions may then be compiled by the location determining system, and assistance data provided to a mobile device as a function of the compiled navigation data message portions.
US07999728B2 Granularity control in publishing information
A system and method for sharing user information between online services may determine a degree of relationship between the services to determine how much, and what precision level, of user information should be shared. In one example, the user information may be global positioning system (GPS) location information for the user, and requesting users (or systems) receive different levels of the location information based on their respective relationships to the user and/or the user's online information service. The relationship between services may be user-defined using onscreen graphical tools. The determination may also include determining the levels of activity of users at the services, whereby information regarding less active users is less detailed than information regarding active users.
US07999726B2 Antenna pointing bias estimation using radar imaging
A system for estimating an antenna boresight direction. The novel system includes a first circuit for receiving a Doppler measurement and a line-of-sight direction measurement corresponding with the Doppler measurement, and a processor adapted to search for an estimated boresight direction that minimizes a Doppler error between the Doppler measurement and a calculated Doppler calculated from the estimated boresight direction and the line-of-sight direction measurement. The line-of-sight direction measurement is measured relative to the true antenna boresight, and the calculated Doppler is the Doppler calculated for a direction found by applying the line-of-sight direction measurement to the estimated boresight direction. In a preferred embodiment, the first circuit receives a Doppler measurement and a line-of-sight direction measurement from each of a plurality of pixels, and the processor searches for an estimated boresight direction that minimizes a sum of squares of Doppler errors for each of the pixels.
US07999716B2 Analog-digital conversion circuit, timing signal generating circuit, and control device
There are provided an analog-digital converter circuit capable of performing the same degree of operation as being performed at a high-frequency oscillation pulse using a low-frequency oscillation pulse without using the high-frequency oscillation pulse, a timing signal generating circuit generating a timing signal at the high frequency, and a control device using the circuits. In an analog-digital converter circuit, a periodic signal generating circuit allows the first to j-th pulse counting devices of the N pulse counting devices to count a count value X and allows the other pulse counting devices to count a count value X−1 in each sampling period by sequentially generating N serial periodic signals at a delay time interval of [approximate value of one period (T) of periodic signals]÷N. A digital signal generating circuit converts the analog signal to the digital signal.
US07999705B2 Unicode-compatible base-N range coding
A character data set is compressed with a compression algorithm module of a computer system to generate one or more streams of encoded values. The compression module is configured to compress the character data set with an base-n range encoder to generate one or more streams of encoded values with UTF-8 or UTF-16. A code points mapper assigns the encoded values to code points in a Unicode format. A UTF encoder encodes the streams of assigned encoded values.
US07999697B2 WLAN-based no-stop electronic toll collection system and the implementation thereof
A no-stop electronic toll collection (ETC) system based on WLAN is disclosed in the present invention. The system includes an on-board equipment, roadside equipments, a multiple access carriageway control system and a toll balance center. The communication is implemented between the on-board equipment and the roadside equipments according to the demand determined by the wireless local network protocol. The system offered in the present invention applies several technology means to effectively overcome the technology prejudice that the WLAN technology is not suitable for the ETC system. Compared with the existing technology, the present ETC system has the advantages of low cost, high efficiency, complete function and good performance index, therefore the present invention is very meaningful for the application and extension of the ETC system and the improvement of the industrial technology.
US07999696B2 On-line web accessed energy meter
An electrical metering system capable of performing multiple metering functions, collecting data, and wirelessly provides the collected metering data to a utility operator. In the electrical metering system, at least one computing device for initiating a request for data. A first modem connects the computing device to an infrastructure. A wireless embedded modem for wirelessly connects an electric meter to an infrastructure, and the wireless electric modem receives a request from the computing device and wirelessly transmits the metering data to the computing device, thereby initiating the request.
US07999683B2 RFID tag with reduced detuning characteristics
An RFID tag and an RFID access card configured to reduce detuning effects from a typical RFID environment. The present invention provides an RFID tag that is specifically configured to reduce the detuning effects caused by initiating communication between an RFID tag and an RFID tag reader in the presence of materials such as metal, liquid, and the human body. In one embodiment, the present invention provides an RFID tag comprising an electronic circuit portion attached to a main antenna body portion, the main antenna body portion having two opposite side portions, which are substantially symmetrical with respect to one another, wherein each side portion extends outwardly to form a generally side-oriented v-shape.
US07999682B2 RFID tag disabling systems and methods of use
Systems and methods for disabling transponders used in electronic toll collection or other RFID systems, wherein the transponders include an antenna and RFID circuitry. The transponders can be selectively disabled by releasably securing a disabling device having a metallic portion at an operative position over the antenna of the RFID system, whereupon the metallic portion is coupled to the antenna in such a manner as to disable the RFID circuitry so long as the disabling device is at the operative position. The RFID circuitry is arranged to be automatically enabled upon removal of the disabling device from the operative position.
US07999679B2 System, article and method for tracking an inventory
The present invention pertains to a storage facility containing consumable items that updates an inventory when items are stored, removed and consumed. A product scanner and a computer installed in the facility use RFID technology to determine if an item has been consumed or removed from a locale. Items in the facility have RFID tags attached. The system interrogates the tags and if a tag becomes disabled, displaced or non-existent due to consumption or removal from a locale the system provides instantaneous status. The computer transmits consumption information to a central location for billing, inventory management, market research information and can transmit the same to other processing units such as hand held computers possessed by staff that replenishes the facility. This system prevents used items from being placed back into the housing facility and being incorrectly accounted for as usable/billable and provides for greater room servicing efficiencies.
US07999678B2 Demodulating module, RFID system utilizing the demodulating module and method thereof
A demodulating module includes: a processing unit, for generating a control signal; and a demodulator, coupled to the processing unit and stored with a plurality of correlative coefficient masks, for receiving a data signal, selecting one of the correlative coefficient masks according to the control signal, generating a demodulated signal according to the data signal and the selected correlative coefficient mask, and transmitting the demodulated signal to the processing unit.
US07999676B2 Method and system for determining the placement of RFID antennas to obtain a readable region for RFID tags
This invention presents an apparatus and system and its accompanying method for automatically placing of RFID antennas and a method for obtaining a readable region for passive RFID Tags are disclosed. The apparatus and system include a Portable and Adjustable Mounting Framework (PAMF) with built in chain belt for holding the RFID antennas, an Antenna Position Controller (APC) and Antenna Position Holders (APH) for control the movement of the antennas, a Moveable Object Platform (MOP) for carrying a number of RFID tags and a Computer Integrated System (CIS) with Readable Region Analysis (RRA) software to capture the transmitted and received RF signal from/to the RFID readers.
US07999675B2 RFID tags replying using changed reply timing
RFID tags and chips for RFID tags are capable of replying using changed reply timing. In a number of embodiments, this timing change is achieved when a tag receives a custom timing command from an RFID reader. In some embodiments, the changed reply timing affects an amount of delay before a tag backscatters a reply.
US07999672B1 Anti-theft box and method of making same
An anti-theft box that is molded to support an electronic article surveillance tag within a cavity is provided. Disposed within either the base or the top of the box is a cavity for supporting an EAS sensor. The cavity is sized to receive the EAS sensor and may include a cover for further securing the sensor within the cavity to help prevent tampering with the sensor. The cavity may be visible from the exterior to a consumer so that the consumer can see the EAS marker. In one embodiment the cavity is separately formed and is inserted within an opening in the base of the box. The box may be used to support a variety of articles, including articles of jewelry.
US07999669B2 System and method for providing a task reminder based on historical travel information
An apparatus for providing a task reminder includes a monitoring module configured to monitor a location of a user via a mobile communication device associated with the user at predetermined time intervals for tracking historical travel information of the user and a data store for storing the historical travel information and for storing user specified task information that includes a task and a task location. The apparatus also includes a message module configured to generate a reminder of the task based on the user's historical travel information and a distance between the task location and a current position of the user.
US07999665B2 Plug-in vehicle having a recharging port with a state of charge indicator
A plug-in vehicle includes a vehicle body having an outer panel, a propulsion unit such as an electric motor, a rechargeable battery, a recharging port supported on the outer panel to receive power from an external electric power source, and a display subassembly connected to the battery. The display subassembly has a plurality of lights positioned around the recharging port to illuminate the recharging port and to illuminate in a manner corresponding to a condition of the battery.
US07999664B2 Behavior-based low fuel warning system
A method is provided for determining when to provide a refueling notification to a driver of a vehicle. A refueling behavior is determined for refueling the vehicle. The refueling behavior is associated at least in part to an amount of fuel customarily remaining in the vehicle when the vehicle is customarily refueled. A remaining amount of fuel in the vehicle and a fuel economy of the vehicle are determined. A distance the vehicle will travel to a next driving destination is estimated. An amount of fuel that will be used to travel to the next driving destination is estimated based on the estimated distance the vehicle will travel to the next driving destination and the fuel economy. A determination is made whether the amount of fuel that will be remaining in the vehicle after the vehicle travels to the next driving destination is less than the amount of a fuel customarily remaining in the vehicle when the vehicle is refueled. A refueling notification is actuated to a driver of a vehicle in response to the determination that the amount of fuel that will be remaining in the vehicle after the vehicle travels to the next driving destination will be less than the amount of fuel customarily remaining in the vehicle when the vehicle is refueled.
US07999663B2 Tyre provided with a device for detecting at least one functional parameter of the tyre itself, and a method for detecting at least one functional parameter in a tyre
Fastened to a tire is a detecting device consisting of a detecting unit including an antenna operatively connected to a sensor unit and a power supply unit including a piezoelectric element mounted in a housing. The piezoelectric element is disposed within the housing so as to have a first end substantially fixed to the housing and a second end associated with a loading mass, a gap being formed between at least one inner wall of the housing and an outer surface of the loading mass. The piezoelectric element is positioned substantially along a plane orthogonal to a radial direction of the tire. An anchoring body has a base portion with a fastening surface secured to the radially internal surface of the tire. The detecting unit is brought into engagement with the anchoring body by insertion of the inner perimetral edge of the antenna into a perimetral groove formed between the base portion and a retaining portion.
US07999654B2 Remote control method and system, vehicle with remote controllable function, and control server
A remote control method for remotely controlling the operation of equipment furnished in a vehicle in response to a remote control request generated by a remote controller is provided. The method comprises the steps of (a) acquiring vehicle status information from the vehicle; (b) determining whether to operate particular vehicle equipment designated by the remote control request based on the vehicle status information; and (c) regulating the remote control request based on the determination result representing acceptability of remote-control operation of the requested vehicle equipment.
US07999649B2 Power transmission transformer for noncontact power transfer device
The present invention provides a power transmission transformer of which workability in implementing and reliability of connection are considered in a noncontact power transfer device using individual self-oscillation circuits. The power transmission transformer for a noncontact power transfer device including a transmitting coil L1 and a drive coil L2 for self-oscillation on a power transmission device side includes a bobbin in which the transmitting coil and the drive coil L2 are disposed, in which the transmitting coil and the drive coil L2 are configured by an air-core coil using self-bonding wire, and the bobbin 1 includes a winder spindle 1a, 1b on both surfaces opposed to each other across a collar 2 formed of a flat plate, and a mating portion 3 for mating with an external portion in an end portion of the winder spindle 1b, and the drive coil L2 is mounted on the winder spindle 1b and the transmitting coil L1 is mounted on the other, opposed winder spindle 1a across the collar.
US07999647B2 Apparatus, system, and method for an integrated winding structure for a magnetic core
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for combining multiple windings on a magnetic core. An integrated winding structure has a winding base and multiple winding extensions. The multiple winding extensions and the winding base are formed from a single sheet of electrically conductive material. Each of the multiple winding extensions has a base portion that extends from the winding base, a wrapping portion that extends from the base portion, and a connection portion that extends from the wrapping portion. The connection portions and the winding base each have electrical connection surfaces. Each of the multiple winding extensions forms one or more windings on the magnetic core.
US07999638B2 Microwave circuit assembly comprising a microwave component suspended in a gas or vacuum region
A microwave circuit assembly includes a Liquid Crystalline Polymer (LCP) layer that supports at least one microwave circuit component. First and second ground plane layers form the outer surfaces of the assembly and these are spaced apart at least partially by a gas, a mixture of gases, or a vacuum, from the LCP supporting layer and the at least one microwave circuit.
US07999637B2 Piezoelectric vibration piece and piezoelectric device
A piezoelectric vibration piece includes a base made of a piezoelectric material; a plurality of vibration arms which is integrally formed with the base and extends in parallel; elongate grooves which are formed along longitudinal directions of the vibration arms; and excitation electrodes which include inner electrodes disposed in the elongate grooves and side electrodes disposed in side surfaces facing the inner electrodes, wherein widening portions in which the widths of the vibration arms are widened toward the base at a joint between the vibration arms of the base are formed, and the side electrodes are led to principal surfaces and side surfaces of the widening portions.
US07999635B1 Out-of plane MEMS resonator with static out-of-plane deflection
A residual stress gradient in a structural layer is employed to form a resonator deflected out of plane when at rest and the resulting strain gradient is utilized in out-of-plane transduction. Use of the strain gradient enables out-of-plane (e.g., vertical) transduction without yield and reliability problems due to stiction (e.g., the sticking of the resonator to the substrate) when the resonator is driven by an electrode to dynamically deflect out-of-plane. In particular embodiments, out-of-plane transduction is utilized to achieve better transduction efficiency as compared to lateral resonator designs of similar linear dimensions (i.e. footprint) results in a lower motional resistance.
US07999632B2 Branching filter and method for manufacturing the same
A branching filter that is capable of being reduced in size, particularly in height, has a configuration in which a transmitting filter chip and a receiving filter chip include a first piezoelectric substrate and a second piezoelectric substrate, respectively, and are spaced from each other. The transmitting filter chip includes a first insulating layer which extends over an IDT or which is disposed above the IDT. The receiving filter chip includes a first insulating layer which extends over an IDT or which is disposed above the IDT. The upper surfaces of the transmitting and receiving filter chips and are covered with a second insulating layer. External terminals arranged on the upper surface of a third insulating layer are electrically connected to the IDTs and through conductors and extending through the first insulating layers and the second insulating layer and the conductors, and include plating films.
US07999617B2 Amplifier circuit
An amplifier circuit, comprising a differential input stage (M1, M2), two cross-coupled current mirrors (M3, M4; M5, M6) coupled to respective outputs of the differential input stage (M1, M2), and a minimum selector circuit (M11, M12, M13, M14) coupled to outputs of the current mirrors.
US07999616B2 Method for reducing offset voltage of operational amplifier and the circuit using the same
The invention provides an operational amplifier. In one embodiment, the operational amplifier includes an input stage circuit, a feedback circuit, a fixed stage circuit, and an output stage circuit. The input stage circuit receives a positive input voltage and a negative input voltage, and amplifies the positive input voltage and the negative input voltage to output a first positive output voltage and a first negative output voltage. The feedback circuit generates a reference positive output voltage equal to the first positive output voltage according to the positive input voltage and the negative input voltage. The fixed stage circuit equally amplifies the first negative output voltage and the reference positive output voltage to generate a second positive output voltage and a second negative output voltage. The output stage circuit generates an output voltage according to a difference voltage between the second positive output voltage and a second negative voltage.
US07999609B2 Managed wideband radio frequency distribution system with signal level enabling interface device and impedance signature detection
A system and method for managing distribution of wideband radio frequency signals includes detecting an impedance signature of a device connected at the end of transmission medium. A switch is opened to apply a wideband radio frequency signal to a transmission medium for distribution. A biasing voltage can be applied to the transmission medium based on the detected impedance signature. A signal conditioning circuit is selected based on the amplitude of the biasing voltage, and the wideband radio frequency signal is distributed to an output device.
US07999605B2 Voltage generator and memory device including of the same
A voltage generator and a memory device including the voltage generator are provided. The voltage generator includes a clock generation unit which outputs a plurality of clock signals; a charge pumping unit which comprises a plurality of charge pumps, wherein one from among the plurality of charge pumps is enabled in response to an operation mode signal, and performs a charge pumping operation according to the plurality of clock signals to output a first voltage; and a regulator which generates a standby operation voltage from the first voltage.
US07999594B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit and control signal distribution method
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a plurality of areas, each of which generates phase clocks in accordance with an external clock and control signals and performs a predetermined process assigned to each of the phase clocks. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a control signal distributing unit that adjusts a timing at which the control signal is turned ON or OFF for each of the areas and distributes the adjusted control signals to the plurality of areas so that the plurality of areas do not perform a same process at a same timing.
US07999592B2 Delay circuit of semiconductor device
A delay circuit of a semiconductor device increases its delay time as an external voltage increases. The delay circuit can also ensure a desired delay time according to an external voltage, without additional delay circuits. The delay circuit of the semiconductor device includes a first delay unit, and a second delay. The second delay unit has a propagation delay characteristic different from that of the first delay unit with respect to variation of a power supply voltage, wherein the first delay unit is supplied with a first power supply voltage independent of variation of an external voltage, and the second delay unit is supplied with a second power supply voltage dependent on the variation of the external voltage.
US07999588B1 Duty cycle correction circuitry
Circuits and a method for tuning an integrated circuit (IC) are disclosed. The IC includes a storage circuit coupled to receive a data signal, a clock input signal and a reset signal. The storage circuit may be used to generate a clock signal. The reset signal is supplied by a reset circuit. The reset circuit may include one or more logic gates to generate the reset signal. The reset circuit receives a phase shifted version of the clock input signal and the reset signal is generated based on the phase shifted version of the clock input signal. In one embodiment, the reset signal is a series of pulses generated at specific intervals to shift the output of the storage circuit from logic high level to logic low level.
US07999585B2 Calibrating multiplying-delay-locked-loops (MDLLS)
Devices and methods for varying individual periods or cycle times of upconverted clock signals within a corresponding reference clock cycle are disclosed. In some embodiments, these varying cycle times may improve signal synchronization between the upconverted clock and the reference clock. In different embodiments, different types of counters and counting circuits keep track of the number of elapsed upconverted clock cycles in order to determine the specific upconverted clock cycles with longer cycle times. In some embodiments, a signal may be sent to a delay line to change the amount of delay between upconverted clock pulses, thereby increasing or decreasing a specific upconverted clock cycle time or period. In some embodiments the specific upconverted clock cycle(s) changed in each reference clock cycle may vary, which may further improve reconciliation between the upconverted clock cycles and the corresponding reference clock cycle.
US07999581B1 System and a method for providing an output clock signal
A system for providing an output clock signal, the system includes: (a) a first clock divider, adapted to receive an input clock signal and to provide a first divider output clock signal having a frequency that is lower than a frequency of the input clock signal; and (b) a second clock divider, adapted to select a second divider input clock signal out of the input clock signal and the first divider output clock signal, and to provide the output clock signal having a frequency that is lower than the frequency of the second divider input clock signal.
US07999579B2 Output driver
An output driver is applicable to two or more interface standards. The output driver includes a pre-driver configured to generate pull-up control signals and pull-down control signals according to a logic value of data to be output and a target resistance, and adjust slew rates of the pull-up control signals and the pull-down control signals according to operation modes, and a driver configured to output the data in response to the pull-up and pull-down control signals.
US07999577B2 Apparatus and method for detecting a changing point of measured signal
Provided is an apparatus comprising a delaying section that generates a plurality of delayed signals by delaying a single first input signal by different delay amounts; a first acquiring section that acquires each of a plurality of input second input signals at a first phase of a reference clock; a second acquiring section that acquires each of the plurality of second input signals at a second phase of the reference clock, which is different from the first phase; and a change point detecting section that detects a change point of one of the first input signal and a second input signal, based on values of the plurality of signals acquired by the first acquiring section and values of the plurality of signals acquired by the second acquiring section.
US07999571B2 State machines using non-volatile re-writeable two-terminal resistivity-sensitive memories
State machines using resistivity-sensitive memory elements are disclosed. The state machine includes a next state logic comprising a non-volatile memory including a resistivity-sensitive memory element and receiving an input, a state storage device connected to the next state logic including a connection to provide a state of the state machine to the next state logic, and an output connect to the state register to output the state of the state machine. The resistivity-sensitive memory elements may be two-terminal resistivity-sensitive memory elements. The two-terminal resistivity-sensitive memory elements may store data as a plurality of conductivity profiles that can be non-destructively read by applying a read voltage across the terminals of the memory elements, and new data can be written by applying a write voltage across the terminals. The two-terminal resistivity-sensitive memory elements retain stored data in the absence of power and may be configured into a two-terminal cross-point memory array.
US07999569B2 Edge rate suppression for open drain buses
An edge rate suppression circuit arrangement is provided for operation with an open drain bus. The circuit arrangement includes a variable resistive circuit having an input for receiving a variable voltage signal and an output coupled to the open drain bus, and a control circuit configured to operate the variable resistive circuit. The control circuit operates the variable resistive circuit in respective high and low resistance states in response to the variable voltage signal.
US07999568B1 Techniques for serially transmitting on-chip termination control signals
Techniques are provided for controlling on-chip termination (OCT) impedance using OCT calibration blocks that serially transmit OCT control signals to input/output (IO) blocks. The OCT control signals are serially transmitted through a shared conductor. An OCT calibration block can transmit OCT control signals to one or multiple IO blocks. The IO blocks can be programmed to select OCT control signals from one of the calibration blocks. Enable signals enable one or more of the IO blocks to receive the selected OCT control signals. The OCT control signals are used to control the on-chip termination impedance at one or more IO buffers.
US07999566B2 Wafer level testing
A wafer comprises a kerf region and a test chip. The kerf is a region in a wafer designated to be destroyed by chip dicing. The test chip is located within the kerf region and is configured to provide parametric data for a wafer fabrication process of a head. The test chip comprises a shield portion of a first shield layer electrically coupled to an element, a first pad within a second shield layer electrically coupled to the element, and a second pad within the second shield layer electrically coupled to the shield portion.
US07999557B2 Method for determining location of phase-to-earth fault
A method and apparatus for determining a location of a phase-to-earth fault on a three-phase electric line of an electric network, comprising determining, when the ratio of a fault current and load current has a first value, a first fault distance line which indicates an estimate of a distance of the fault from the measuring point in relation to an equivalent load distance, determining, when the ratio of the fault current and load current has a second value which differs from the first value, at least one second fault distance line, determining a distance at which the determined fault distance lines intersect when superimposed and determining the distance between the measuring point and the point of fault on the basis of the determined distance or distances of intersection.
US07999552B2 Sensor cable for electromagnetic surveying
A sensor cable for surveying. The sensor cable may comprise at least one pair of current sensor electrodes and an amplifier. The current sensor electrodes may be disposed along opposite sides of the sensor cable. The current sensor electrodes may be configured to detect current in an electromagnetic field transverse to an inline direction of the sensor cable. The amplifier may be configured to amplify the current in the electromagnetic field for detection by the electrode pair.
US07999546B2 MR imaging magnet with body coil illuminating the imaging bore
An imaging magnet has a patient bore for receiving a human or animal patient, including a body coil assembly having a body coil former and a body coil. The body coil assembly is provided with at least one source of light that is incorporated within the body coil assembly, and embedded within the body coil former, that radiates light into the patient bore.
US07999540B2 Eddy current apparatus and method for in-situ profile measurement
An eddy current monitoring system may include an elongated core. One or more coils may be coupled with the elongated core for producing an oscillating magnetic field that may couple with one or more conductive regions on a wafer. The core may be translated relative to the wafer to provide improved resolution while maintaining sufficient signal strength. An eddy current monitoring system may include a DC-coupled marginal oscillator for producing an oscillating magnetic field at a resonant frequency, where the resonant frequency may change as a result of changes to one or more conductive regions. Eddy current monitoring systems may be used to enable real-time profile control.
US07999529B2 Methods and apparatus for generating voltage references using transistor threshold differences
Methods and apparatus are described that develop a reference voltage that is based on a difference between a threshold voltage of a first transistor and a threshold voltage of a second transistor, and further based on a difference between a gate overdrive voltage of the first transistor and a gate overdrive voltage of the second transistor.
US07999519B2 Phase shedding converter with ripple minimization
In an information handling system, a multi-phase electrical converter includes an electrical input, an electrical output, a plurality of converter phases coupled with the electrical input and the electrical output, and a controller to ramp operation of one or more of the converter phases as a load demand adjusts. In an embodiment the converter may be a multi-phase buck converter having a high side switch, a low side switch, and an inductor. In an embodiment, the controller may ramp operation of the converter phases by adjusting a duty cycle of the high side switch. In an embodiment, the controller may adjust a phase angle of one or more of the converter phases, wherein the adjustment may be relative to the ramping operation of the one or more of the converter phases.
US07999517B2 Charging control apparatus and charging apparatus
A charging control apparatus comprising: a voltage control unit in a charging apparatus configured to control generation of an output voltage and a power supply voltage, the charging apparatus being an apparatus configured to generate, from a voltage of an input power supply applied through a relay, the output voltage for charging a battery and the power supply voltage for control; and a relay control unit operated by the power supply voltage, the relay control unit configured to drive the relay so as to stop applying the voltage of the input power supply to the charging apparatus, when detecting a standby state in which the battery is not being charged, and drive the relay so as to increase the power supply voltage by applying the voltage of the input power supply to the charging apparatus, when the power supply voltage decreases below a predetermined level.
US07999515B2 Battery characterization technique accounting for offset error
The present invention provides a system and method for operating a rechargeable battery, the system comprising: current maintaining device for maintaining a predetermined current to the rechargeable battery until the rechargeable battery reaches a predetermined maximum voltage; voltage maintaining device for maintaining a predetermined voltage to the rechargeable battery until a predetermined minimum current is delivered to the rechargeable battery; determining device for determining a cyclical charge value delivered to the rechargeable battery by the current maintaining device and the voltage maintaining device during a cycle; and a correction device for correcting the determining device when charge is not being delivered to the rechargeable battery, on the basis of the charge value.
US07999509B2 Universal charger for NiH and lithium batteries
A universal charger for NiH and lithium batteries including: a housing with a first locating surface; and a slide set formed corresponding to the housing with a charging groove thereon for NiH batteries to be positioned in and having a second locating surface corresponding to and leaning against the first locating surface. The housing is provided with terminal pieces for adjusting the position. The terminal pieces may be moved by fingers from the bottom of the housing. As the second locating surface of the slide set contacts the first locating surface, a charging groove is formed on the surface for one to four NiH batteries to be charged, when the slide set is pushed outwards over a certain distance such that a charging space is created between the second locating surface and the first locating surface of the housing with the prearranged lithium batteries established for the charging purpose.
US07999505B2 In-vehicle battery monitor
An apparatus and a method of monitoring a battery in an automotive vehicle are provided. An output is provided which can be a relative output as a function of minimum and maximum parameters of the battery.
US07999501B2 Motor controller
A motor controller (2) for an axial-gap motor (1), which has a rotor (3), two stators (4, 5) disposed on both sides of the rotor (3) in the axial direction, and armature windings (6, 7) wrapped around the stators (4, 5), includes a field current controller (43, 44) which adjusts the field current in the current supplied to the armature windings (6, 7) of at least one of the stators (4, 5) so as to restrain a thrust force acting on the rotor (3) in the axial direction of the rotor (3). This restrains the thrust force acting on the rotor (3) of the axial-gap motor (1).
US07999500B1 Calibrating spindle motor controllers
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, are described for calibrating spindle motor controllers. In one aspect, a method is provided that includes receiving a compensator output from a spindle motor controller that compensates for variations in a velocity of an associated spindle motor, and filtering the compensator output to compensate for a spindle motor system pole and produce a high frequency roll-off.
US07999497B2 Device for controlling polyphase rotating machine
A device for controlling a polyphase rotating machine comprising a stator, a rotor, and sensors, the device being capable of receiving at least one first sensing signal (V, W, U) representing a position of the rotor relative to the stator and outputted from a first sensor (16; 18; 14), and a second sensing signal representing the position and phase-shifted relative to the first signal (V, W, U). The second signal is outputted from a second sensor. The control device comprises: means (K, R) for combining the first and the second sensing signals (U, V, W) into a combined signal (Ku; Kv; Kw) including at least one controlled switching signal with a variable cyclic ratio. The combined signal (Ku; Kv; Kw) is based on the cyclic ratio and enables the machine to be controlled.
US07999493B2 Primary-side driving control circuit for backlight of LCD panel
The present invention discloses a primary-side driving backlight circuit for LCD panel. The primary-side driving backlight circuit employs a single isolation device to achieve isolation request for safety for the secondary side. The PWM controller on the secondary-side of a transformer generates a control signal according to a feedback signal. The control signal is transmitted by the isolation device to a High/Low side driver. The High/Low side driver has a High Output and a Low Output, which drives power switches at high side and low side respectively, in order to control the power of an input source transmitting into the transformer and further control the voltage and current of cold cathode lamp(s) of a backlight circuit.
US07999491B2 LED lighting control integrated circuit having embedded programmable nonvolatile memory
For providing a compact high-precision lighting control means to drive an LED lighting module, a lighting control integrated circuit is set forth to perform an accurate lighting control. At least one nonvolatile memory is embedded in the lighting control integrated circuit for storing a plurality of lookup tables. One lookup table provides related data for setting the driving currents of the LED lighting module based on spacing or pitch of LED disposition of the LED lighting module. Another lookup table provides related data to recover uniformity for different LED damage situations of the LED lighting module. The other lookup tables are applied to perform compensation processes on the driving currents concerning temperature variation, ambient light intensity, aging degradation, and power-on time. In addition, a signal processing unit, a pulse-width-modulation signal generating module, and a driving module are incorporated in the lighting control integrated circuit for signal processing and current driving.
US07999487B2 Electronic circuit for driving a diode load with a predetermined average current
Electronic circuits and methods include provisions for passing a first current through a diode during a first time interval and for passing a second different current through the diode during a second different time interval. The first current is selected to achieve a predetermined voltage at a node of the diode. A duty cycle of the first current relative to the second current is selected to achieve a predetermined average current passing through the diode. In some arrangements, the diode is a light emitting diode.
US07999486B2 Driving circuit and method for light emitting diode
A driving circuit for a light emitting diode (LED) and a method thereof are provided. The driving circuit includes a voltage converting circuit and a reference voltage generator. The reference voltage generator generates a reference voltage according to the cathode voltage of the LED. The voltage converting circuit automatically adjusts the driving voltage of the LED based on the reference voltage so as to reduce the possibility of unnecessary power wastage caused by high driving voltage.
US07999483B2 Circuit arrangement and method for actuating an electrical load
A circuit arrangement (1) for driving an electrical load (13) comprises a first and a second terminal (2, 3) for feeding a first and a second control signal (S1, S2), a first output (23), to which an electrical load (13) can be coupled, a current source (9), which is coupled to the first output (23), and a control device (5). The control device is coupled to the first and the second terminal (2, 3) and comprises a programming circuit (6) and a trigger circuit (7), which are each coupled on the output side to a control input of the current source (9).
US07999478B2 Vehicle headlight device
A vehicle headlight device includes a lower beam unit for illuminating a lower beam, an upper beam/infrared ray switching unit for switching between illuminating an upper beam and an infrared ray, a low-beam abnormality detecting circuit for detecting an abnormality of the lower beam unit, a power-supply abnormality detecting circuit for detecting an abnormality of a power supply of the vehicle headlight, and a control circuit that inhibits the upper beam/infrared ray switching unit from illuminating the infrared ray when an abnormality is detected by either the low-beam abnormality detecting circuit or the power-supply abnormality detecting circuit.
US07999477B2 Deuterium lamp
The present invention relates to a deuterium lamp with a structure to enable high-accuracy positioning with respect to a mounting object such as an analyzer. The deuterium lamp comprises a sealed container in which a light-emitting portion to emit a discharge light in a predetermined direction is stored. The sealed container is constituted by a hollow body portion in which the light-emitting portion is stored and a hollow guide portion which guides a discharge light from the light-emitting portion to a light exit window provided at its front end. The deuterium lamp further comprises an axis adjusting member fixed to the hollow guide portion while storing at least a part of the hollow guide portion and a sealing layer for fixing the hollow guide portion and the axis adjusting member to each other. In particular, the sealing layer makes it possible to fix the axis adjusting member to the hollow guide portion with the center axis of the axis adjusting member being made coincident with the emitting direction of a discharge light. Thereby, even when misalignment has occurred between the center axis of the hollow guide portion and the emitting direction of a discharge light due to a manufacturing error in manufacturing of the container, since the axis adjusting member itself is directly fixed to the mounting object, it becomes possible to fix said deuterium lamp to an analyzer or the like with the optical axis aligned at a high accuracy.
US07999475B2 Short arc type discharge lamp
A short arc type discharge lamp has a pair of electrodes, at least one of which has an electrode body and an axis part. A taper part is formed at a base side of the electrode body. Plural holes extending in an axis direction of the electrode in line are formed at the taper part.
US07999474B2 Flat lamp using plasma discharge
A plasma-discharge light emitting device is provided. The plasma-discharge light emitting device may include: rear and front panels separated from each other in a predetermined interval, wherein at least one discharge cell may be provided between the rear and front panels, and wherein plasma discharge may be generated in the discharge cells; a pair of discharge electrodes provided on at least one of the rear and front panels for each of the discharge cells; a trench provided as a portion of each of the discharge cells between the pair of the discharge electrodes; and electron-emitting material layers provided on both sidewalls of the trench.
US07999468B2 Display device having sealant and bezel area
A display device is disclosed. The display device includes a first substrate, a light emitting unit on the first substrate, a second substrate on the light emitting unit, and a seal member that attaches the first substrate to the second substrate. The light emitting unit includes a first electrode, a light emitting layer, and a second electrode. The seal member includes a straight portion and a curved portion. A radius of curvature of the curved portion lies substantially in a range between 0.2 mm and 2.5 mm.
US07999466B2 Display device with power generator on panel cover and manufacturing method thereof
A display device includes a display panel having a display region formed with a plurality of thin film transistors, a light emitting layer disposed in the display region, and a driver supplying a driving signal including a gate signal and a data signal to the thin film transistors. At least one voltage pad is disposed outside of the display region on the display panel to supply a reference voltage to the display region, a power generator generates the reference voltage, and a flexible film is connected between the voltage pad and the power generator to transmit the reference voltage. At least one of the driver and the power generator includes an external power input unit that receives external power.
US07999451B2 Blue color filter element
A blue color filter having a blue filter layer comprising a first pigment having a maximum absorption at a wavelength within the range of from 550 to 650 nm, and a second pigment having a maximum absorption at a shorter wavelength than the first pigment within the range of from 500 to 600 nm, wherein the blue filter layer has chromaticity coordinates (x, y) in the 1931 CIE XYZ calorimetric system, calculated using CIE Standard Illuminant D65, that satisfy the expressions 0.134≦x≦0.15 and 0.03≦y≦0.06.
US07999446B1 Piezoelectronic device and method of fabricating the same
A piezoelectronic device and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The piezoelectronic device of the present invention comprises: a plurality of carbon nanotubes; at least one piezoceramic layer covering the plurality of carbon nanotubes; and a supporting material for supporting the carbon nanotubes and disposed between the carbon nanotubes, the supporting layer being coated with at least one piezoceramic layer, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes is arranged in a comb-shape. The piezoelectronic device of the present invention is advantageous in having excellent elasticity (durability) and excellent piezoelectronical property. The induced current obtained from the piezoelectronic device of the present invention is about 1.5 μA or above as well as induced voltage being over 1V when the size of the piezoelectronic block is 2.5 mm×1 mm×1 mm (length×width×height).
US07999440B2 Micro-fabricated devices having a suspended membrane or plate structure
The invention relates to micro-fabricated devices having a suspended membrane or plate structure and micro-fabrication techniques for making such devices. A substrate defines a cavity passing through the substrate, and the cavity defines a first opening. An intermediate portion is disposed over the substrate and defines a second opening. The second opening is larger in size than the first opening, and the dimensions of the second opening are controlled according to a parameter associated with performance of the device. A membrane is positioned adjacent the second opening.
US07999433B2 Rotor winding shield for a superconducting electric generator
A generator rotor core (54) carrying superconducting windings (60) and having a shield (426) over the superconducting windings (60) to prevent external magnetic fields from impinging the windings. Axial shield edges (430/434) mate with corresponding features of the rotor core (54) or with structures affixed to or supported by the core (54) to support the shield (426).
US07999427B2 Directed flux motor
A directed flux motor described utilizes the directed magnetic flux of at least one magnet through ferrous material to drive different planetary gear sets to achieve capabilities in six actuated shafts that are grouped three to a side of the motor. The flux motor also utilizes an interwoven magnet configuration which reduces the overall size of the motor. The motor allows for simple changes to modify the torque to speed ratio of the gearing contained within the motor as well as simple configurations for any number of output shafts up to six. The changes allow for improved manufacturability and reliability within the design.
US07999422B2 Linear actuator using magnetostrictive power element
A linear actuator includes a substantially cylindrical magnetostrictive element disposed in a housing. A retainer is cooperatively engaged with the housing and an exterior of the magnetostrictive element such that relaxed portions of the magnetostrictive element are frictionally retained in the retainer. An actuator rod is functionally coupled to one longitudinal end of the magnetostrictive element. A biasing device is disposed between the housing and the retainer to maintain the retainer in lateral compression. The actuator includes magnets arranged to induce peristaltic motion in the magnetostrictive element.
US07999421B2 Horizontal linear vibrator
The present invention provides a horizontal linear vibrator which can reduce the thickness but increase the strength of vibrations while at the same time guaranteeing a sufficiently long lifetime and satisfactory responsivity. The horizontal linear vibrator includes a casing, a bracket, a vibration unit and springs. The casing defines an internal space therein. A first magnet is attached to an upper plate of the casing. The bracket is coupled to the lower end of the casing. The second magnet is attached to the bracket such that different poles of the first and second magnets face each other. The vibration unit has a weight, and a cylindrical coil which is provided in or under the weight. The springs are coupled to the sidewall plates of the casing or the bracket. The springs elastically support the vibration unit to allow the vibration unit to vibrate in the horizontal direction.
US07999419B2 While-in-use electrical box that shuts power off to the device when cover is open
The present invention is directed to a “while-in-use” electrical device cover that shuts the power off to the device when the cover is open. The power is re-activated when the cover is closed using a cam device.
US07999418B2 Electrical system and control method
A power generation system comprises at least two electrical systems connected at an electrical connection point. Each electrical system comprises a power conversion system comprising a converter including a plurality of switches for converting direct current power into alternating current power. The power generation system comprises a control system including at least two pulse width modulation (PWM) modulators, each PWM modulator for obtaining a fundamental waveform and a carrier signal, using the fundamental and carrier signals to generate a PWM pattern, and for providing the PWM pattern to a respective converter for driving the switches of the respective converter. The control system is configured to interleave carrier signals, fundamental waveforms, or a combination of carrier signals and fundamental waveforms of the at least two electrical systems to generate interleaved PWM patterns respectively for the at least two converters.
US07999412B2 Detachable tip for communicating with adapter and electronic device
A detachable tip is used in conjunction with a power adapter to provide DC power to an electronic device. The tip includes an input connector which detachably mates with a connector which is electrically coupled to the power adapter. An output connector of the tip detachably mates with the electronic device. Conductors within the tip transfer the DC power from the input connector to the output connector to provide the DC power to the electronic device. Circuitry within the tip transmits to the electronic device, via the output connector, a power output indication signal representative of an amount of power available to be supplied to the electronic device by the adapter.
US07999409B2 Power conditioner and method of managing the same
A power conditioner includes a main converter to transform a voltage outputted from a power source into a first transformed voltage and output the first transformed voltage to supply power to a power using point; and an auxiliary converter to transform the first transformed voltage outputted from the main converter into a second transformed voltage and output the second transformed voltage to supply power to balance-of-plant (BOP) elements including driving devices of the power source. The main converter includes a first winding to transform the voltage outputted from the power source into the first transformed voltage and output the first transformed voltage to supply power to the power using point; and a second winding to transform the voltage outputted from the power source into a third transformed voltage and output the third transformed voltage to supply power directly to the BOP elements, thereby bypassing the auxiliary converter.
US07999395B1 Pillar structure on bump pad
Substrates including conductive pads for coupling the substrates to a microelectronic device and/or package are described herein. Embodiments of the present invention provide substrates comprising one or more conductive pads including a base portion and a pillar portion, the pillar portion being configured to couple with a microelectronic device. According to various embodiments of the present invention, the substrate may be a printed circuit board and/or may be a carrier substrate incorporated into an electronic package. The pillar portion may facilitate interconnection between the substrate and a microelectronic device or package by effectively raising the height of the conductive pad. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US07999386B2 Semiconductor device including a guard ring surrounding an inductor
A semiconductor device contains a semiconductor substrate, an insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate, an inductor formed over the semiconductor substrate while placing a portion of the insulating film in between, and a guard ring surrounding the inductor in a plan view, and isolating the inductor from other regions, wherein the guard ring contains an annular impurity diffused layer provided in the surficial portion of the semiconductor substrate, and an annular electro-conductor connected to the impurity diffused layer, and extended across a plurality of interconnect layers, up to a layer having a level of height not lower than the layer having the inductor provided therein.
US07999378B2 Semiconductor devices including semiconductor dice in laterally offset stacked arrangement
A semiconductor device assembly includes two or more dice stacked in laterally offset arrangement relative to one another. With such an arrangement, when a second semiconductor die is positioned over a first semiconductor die, bond pads of the first semiconductor die are exposed laterally beyond the second semiconductor die. The semiconductor dice of such an assembly may have similar dimensions and bond pad arrangements. In some embodiments the bond pads of each semiconductor die may be located on the active surface, along a single edge. The multiple chip device enables stacking of a plurality of semiconductor dice in a high density, low profile device.
US07999373B2 Arrangement having at least one electronic component
The invention relates to an arrangement comprising at least one electronic component and a cooling body associated therewith. A support physically interposed between the electronic component and the cooling body and the support has at least one layer with at least one material of an electric strength of at least 10 kV/mm and a thermal conductivity of at least 5 W/mK. At least one recess and/or at least one protruding element is arranged in and/or on the layer of the support, and is configured in such a manner that it extends, along the surface of the layer of the support, through preferably all electrically possible pathways between the electronic component and the cooling body as compared to the condition of the layer of the support without the recess and/or without the protruding element.
US07999372B2 Organic light emitting display device and method of fabricating the same
Provided is an organic light emitting display device. An organic light emitting display device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first substrate; a second substrate comprising an interior surface opposing the first substrate; an array of organic light emitting pixels formed between the first and second substrates, the array comprising a top surface facing the second substrate; a frit seal interposed between the first and second substrates while surrounding the array; and a film structure comprising one or more layered films, the film structure comprising a portion interposed between the array and the second substrate, the film structure contacting the interior surface and the top surface; and wherein the second substrate comprises a recess on interior surface.
US07999371B1 Heat spreader package and method
A heat spreader package includes a substrate having a first surface, first traces on the first surface of the substrate, and an electronic component having an inactive surface mounted to the first surface of the substrate. The electronic component further includes an active surface having bond pads. Bond wires electrically connect the bond pads to the first traces. An inverted pyramid heat spreader includes a first heatsink, a first heatsink adhesive directly connecting the first heatsink to the active surface of the electronic component inward of the bond pads, a second heatsink having an absence of active circuitry, and a second heatsink adhesive directly connecting a first surface of the second heatsink to the first heatsink. The second heatsink adhesive is a dielectric directly between the bond wires and the second heatsink that prevents inadvertent shorting between the bond wires and the second heatsink.
US07999362B2 Method and apparatus for making semiconductor devices including a foil
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including covering a portion of at least one semiconductor device with a foil, including covering at least one target region of the semiconductor device, and illuminating the foil with a laser to singulate from the foil a portion covering the at least one target region of the at least one semiconductor device.
US07999360B2 Underlayer for high performance magnetic tunneling junction MRAM
An MRAM structure is disclosed in which the bottom electrode has an amorphous TaN capping layer to consistently provide smooth and dense growth for AFM, pinned, tunnel barrier, and free layers in an overlying MTJ. Unlike a conventional Ta capping layer, TaN is oxidation resistant and has high resistivity to avoid shunting of a sense current caused by redeposition of the capping layer on the sidewalls of the tunnel barrier layer. Alternatively, the α-TaN layer is the seed layer in the MTJ. Furthermore, the seed layer may be a composite layer of NiCr, NiFe, or NiFeCr layer on the oc-TaN layer. An α-TaN capping layer or seed layer can also be used in a TMR read head. An MTJ formed on an α-TaN capping layer has a high MR ratio, high Vb, and a RA similar to results obtained from MTJs based on an optimized Ta capping layer.
US07999358B2 Shielding device
One aspect of the invention relates to a shielding device for shielding from electromagnetic radiation, including a shielding base element, a shielding cover element and a shielding lateral element for electrically connecting the base element to the cover element in such that a circuit part to be shielded is arranged within the shielding elements. Since at least one partial section of the shielding elements includes a semiconductor material, a shielding device can be realized completely and cost-effectively in an integrated circuit.
US07999353B1 Mesoscale pyramids, hole arrays and methods of preparation
Composite films comprising two-dimensional hole arrays, and related methods of preparing hole arrays.
US07999352B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device equipped with a metal thin film resistor is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a second interlayer insulating film formed on a first interlayer insulating film including a formation area of a wiring pattern. Connecting holes are formed in the second interlayer insulating film corresponding to both ends of the metal thin film resistor and the wiring pattern. An upper part of each connecting hole is formed in a taper shape. A sidewall is formed on the inner wall of each connecting hole. The metal thin film resistor is formed on the second interlayer insulating film between the connecting holes, inside of each connecting hole, and on the wiring pattern.
US07999350B2 Electrode structure of memory capacitor
After a fabrication process intended to miniaturize semiconductor devices, a surface area of a stack capacitor in a random access memory (RAM) is significantly reduced and capacity thereof is thus decreased, which in turn causes the capacitor not able to function properly. The present invention provides a composite lower electrode structure consisting of an exterior annular pipe and a central pillar having concave-convex surfaces to increase a surface area of the capacitor within a limited memory cell so as to enhance the capacity. To reinforce intensity of a structure of the capacitor, the exterior annular pipe has an elliptic radial cross section and a thicker thickness along a short axis direction.
US07999343B2 Semiconductor component with a space-saving edge termination, and method for production of such component
An arrangement for use in a semiconductor component includes a semiconductor body and an edge structure. The semiconductor body having a first face, a second face, a first semiconductor zone of a first conductance type, at least one second semiconductor zone of a second conductance type, and a semiconductor junction formed therebetween running substantially parallel to the first face. The edge structure is laterally adjacent to the second semiconductor zone and includes at least a first trench. The first trench extends in a vertical direction into the semiconductor body and is filled with a dielectric material. The edge structure further includes a third semiconductor zone of the second conductance type, which, at least partially, is adjacent to a face of the at least one trench which faces away from the first face. The edge structure further includes a fourth semiconductor zone of the first conductance type, which is more heavily doped than the first semiconductor zone, and is proximate to the first face.
US07999342B2 Image sensor element for backside-illuminated sensor
Provided is a backside-illuminated sensor including a semiconductor substrate having a front surface and a back surface. A plurality of image sensor elements are formed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate. At least one of the image sensor elements includes a transfer transistor and a photodetector. The gate of the transfer transistor includes an optically reflective layer. The gate of the transfer transistor, including the optically reflective layer, overlies the photodetector. In one embodiment, the gate overlies the photodetector by at least 5%.
US07999339B2 Photoelectric conversion device and solid-state imaging device
A photoelectric conversion device comprising a photoelectric conversion part including a first electrode, a second electrode opposing to the first electrode and a photoelectric conversion layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein a smoothing layer for reducing roughness of a surface of the photoelectric conversion layer is provided between the first electrode or the second electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer.
US07999338B2 Magnetic stack having reference layers with orthogonal magnetization orientation directions
A magnetic cell includes a ferromagnetic free layer having a free magnetization orientation direction and a first ferromagnetic pinned reference layer having a first reference magnetization orientation direction that is parallel or anti-parallel to the free magnetization orientation direction. A first oxide barrier layer is between the ferromagnetic free layer and the first ferromagnetic pinned reference layer. The magnetic cell further includes a second ferromagnetic pinned reference layer having a second reference magnetization orientation direction that is orthogonal to the first reference magnetization orientation direction. The ferromagnetic free layer is between the first ferromagnetic pinned reference layer and the second ferromagnetic pinned reference layer.
US07999336B2 ST-RAM magnetic element configurations to reduce switching current
In order to increase an efficiency of spin transfer and thereby reduce the required switching current, a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetic element for a memory device includes either one or both of a free magnetic layer, which has an electronically reflective surface, and a permanent magnet layer, which has perpendicular anisotropy to bias the free magnetic layer.
US07999335B2 Micromachine and method for manufacturing the same
A structure which prevents thinning and disconnection of a wiring is provided, in a micromachine (MEMS structure body) formed with a surface micromachining technology. A wiring (upper auxiliary wiring) over a sacrificial layer is electrically connected to a different wiring (upper connection wiring) over the sacrificial layer, so that thinning, disconnection, and the like of the wiring formed over the sacrificial layer at a step portion generated due to the thickness of the sacrificial layer can be prevented. The wiring over the sacrificial layer is formed of the same conductive film as an upper driving electrode which is a movable electrode and is thus thin. However, the different wiring is formed over a structural layer, which is formed by a CVD method and has a rounded step, and has a thickness of 200 nm to 1 μm, whereby thinning, disconnection, and the like of the wiring can be further prevented.
US07999327B2 Semiconductor device, and semiconductor manufacturing method
In a semiconductor substrate having a first well of a conductivity type opposite to that of the semiconductor substrate, formed on part of a main surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second well of the same conductivity type as the semiconductor substrate, formed on part of a surface region of the first well shallower than the first well, and a third well of a conductivity type opposite to that of the semiconductor substrate, formed in a surface region of the first well, in a region where the second well is not formed and shallower than the first well, by having a fourth well, formed in a region of the main surface of the semiconductor substrate where the first well is not formed and doped with impurities of the same conductivity type as the semiconductor substrate at a lower concentration than the third well, and controlling a reference voltage to be low, it is possible suppress the occurrence of a latch up phenomenon.
US07999323B2 Using metal/metal nitride bilayers as gate electrodes in self-aligned aggressively scaled CMOS devices
The present invention is directed to CMOS structures that include at least one nMOS device located on one region of a semiconductor substrate; and at least one pMOS device located on another region of the semiconductor substrate. In accordance with the present invention, the at least one nMOS device includes a gate stack comprising a gate dielectric, a low workfunction elemental metal having a workfunction of less than 4.2 eV, an in-situ metallic capping layer, and a polysilicon encapsulation layer and the at least one pMOS includes a gate stack comprising a gate dielectric, a high workfunction elemental metal having a workfunction of greater than 4.9 eV, a metallic capping layer, and a polysilicon encapsulation layer. The present invention also provides methods of fabricating such a CMOS structure.
US07999320B2 SOI radio frequency switch with enhanced signal fidelity and electrical isolation
A doped contact region having an opposite conductivity type as a bottom semiconductor layer is provided underneath a buried insulator layer in a bottom semiconductor layer. At least one conductive via structure extends from an interconnect-level metal line through a middle-of-line (MOL) dielectric layer, a shallow trench isolation structure in a top semiconductor layer, and a buried insulator layer and to the doped contact region. The doped contact region is biased at a voltage that is at or close to a peak voltage in the RF switch that removes minority charge carriers within the induced charge layer. The minority charge carriers are drained through the doped contact region and the at least one conductive via structure. Rapid discharge of mobile electrical charges in the induce charge layer reduces harmonic generation and signal distortion in the RF switch. A design structure for the semiconductor structure is also provided.
US07999305B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes an element region having a channel region, and a unit gate structure inducing a channel in the channel region, the unit gate structure including a tunnel insulating film formed on the element region, a charge storage insulating film formed on the tunnel insulating film, a block insulating film formed on the charge storage insulating film, and a control gate electrode formed on the block insulating film, wherein a distance between the element region and the control gate electrode is shorter at a center portion of the unit gate structure than at both ends thereof, as viewed in a section parallel to a channel width direction.
US07999301B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
After a ferroelectric capacitor (1) is formed and before a wiring (15) to be a pad is formed, an alumina film (11) is formed as a diffusion suppressing film suppressing diffusion of hydrogen and moisture. Subsequently, the wiring (15) is formed and an SOG film (16) is formed thereon. Then, a silicon nitride film (17) is formed on the SOG film (16).
US07999300B2 Memory cell structure and method for fabrication thereof
A memory cell includes a substrate, an access transistor and a storage capacitor. The access transistor comprising a gate stack disposed on the substrate, and a first and second diffusion region located on a first and second opposing sides of the gate stack. The storage capacitor comprises a first capacitor plate comprising a portion embedded within the substrate below the first diffusion region, a second capacitor plate and a capacitor dielectric sandwiched between the embedded portion of the first capacitor plate. At least a portion of the first diffusion region forms the second capacitor plate.
US07999299B2 Semiconductor memory device having capacitor for peripheral circuit
Provided is a semiconductor memory device having peripheral circuit capacitors. In the semiconductor memory device, a first node is electrically connected to a plurality of lower electrodes of a plurality of capacitors in a peripheral circuit region to connect at least a portion of the capacitors in parallel. A second node is electrically connected to a plurality of upper electrodes of the capacitors in the peripheral circuit region to connect at least a portion of the capacitors in parallel. The first node is formed at substantially the same level as a bit line in a cell array region and is formed of the same material used to form the bit line.
US07999292B2 Image sensor and manufacturing method thereof
An image sensor can be formed of a first substrate having a readout circuitry, an interlayer dielectric, and lower lines, and a second substrate having a photodiode. The first substrate comprises a pixel portion and a peripheral portion. The readout circuitry is formed on the pixel portion. The interlayer dielectric is formed on the pixel portion and the peripheral portion. The lower lines pass through the interlayer dielectric to electrically connect with the readout circuitry and the peripheral portion. The photodiode is bonded to the first substrate and etched to correspond to the pixel portion. A transparent electrode is formed on the interlayer dielectric on which the photodiode is formed such that the transparent electrode can be connected with the photodiode and the lower line in the peripheral portion. A first passivation layer can be formed on the transparent electrode. In one embodiment, the first passivation layer includes a trench exposing a portion of the transparent electrode. Then, an upper line can be formed on the peripheral portion and in the trench to shield a lateral side of the photodiode.
US07999291B2 Method of manufacturing solid state imaging device, solid state imaging device, and camera using solid state imaging device
A method of manufacturing a solid state imaging device having a photo-electric conversion portion array and a transfer electrode array, these arrays being provided in parallel to each other, upper surfaces and side wall surfaces of the transfer electrode array being covered with a light-shielding layer, and a transparent layer showing an oxidizing property at the time of film formation, the transparent layer being formed on the photo-electric conversion parts and the light-shielding layer.
US07999288B2 High voltage durability III-nitride semiconductor device
A high voltage durability III-nitride semiconductor device comprises a support substrate including a first silicon body, an insulator body over the first silicon body, and a second silicon body over the insulator body. The high voltage durability III-nitride semiconductor device further comprises a III-nitride semiconductor body characterized by a majority charge carrier conductivity type, formed over the second silicon body. The second silicon body has a conductivity type opposite the majority charge carrier conductivity type. In one embodiment, the high voltage durability III-nitride semiconductor device is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) comprising a support substrate including a <100> silicon layer, an insulator layer over the <100> silicon layer, and a P type conductivity <111> silicon layer over the insulator layer. The high voltage durability HEMT also comprises a III-nitride semiconductor body formed over the P type conductivity <111> silicon layer, the III-nitride semiconductor body forming a heterojunction of the HEMT.
US07999286B2 MIS field effect transistor and method for manufacturing the same
The MIS field-effect transistor includes: a substrate; a nitride semiconductor multilayer structure portion formed on the substrate, including a first group III-V nitride semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second group III-V nitride semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type stacked thereon and a third group III-V nitride semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type stacked thereon; a gate insulating film formed on a wall surface formed over the first, second and third group III-V nitride semiconductor layers to extend over these first, second and third group III-V nitride semiconductor layers; a gate electrode made of a conductive material formed as being opposed to the second group III-V nitride semiconductor layer via the gate insulating film; a drawn portion electrically connected to the first group III-V nitride semiconductor layer and drawn from the nitride semiconductor multilayer structure portion in a direction parallel to the substrate; a drain electrode formed in contact with the drawn portion; and a source electrode electrically connected to the third group III-V nitride semiconductor layer.
US07999284B2 Semiconductor device and optical device module having the same
A solid-state imaging device 1 is arranged so that a hollow section 9 is formed between a solid-state imaging element 2 and a covering section 4 and an air path 7 is formed in an adhesive section 5 so as to extend from the hollow section 9 to the outside, wherein the adhesive section 5 is formed so as not to be positioned on a signal processing section 8 for processing a signal of the solid-state imaging element 2. This makes it possible to reduce noises occurring in the signal processing section of the semiconductor element while preventing occurrence of condensation in the covering section for covering the semiconductor element.
US07999280B2 Light emitting diode package employing lead terminal with reflecting surface
Disclosed is a light emitting diode (LED) package employing a lead terminal with a reflecting surface. The package includes first and second lead terminals that are spaced apart from each other. The first lead terminal has a lower portion with an LED chip mounting area, and at least one reflecting surface formed by being bent from the lower portion. Meanwhile, a package body supports the first and second lead terminals and forms a cavity through which the LED chip mounting area and the reflecting surface of the first lead terminal and a part of the second lead terminal are exposed. The first and second lead terminals extend outside of the package body. Accordingly, light emitted from an LED chip can be reflected on the reflecting surface with high reflectivity, so that the optical efficiency of the package can be improved.
US07999277B2 Light emitting device and production method of same
A light emitting device, and a production method thereof, is provided having for a light source thereof a vertical geometry light emitting diode, that allows a large current to flow through the vertical geometry light emitting diode and takes into consideration the dissipation of heat occurring at that time or the expansion and contraction of a metal member due to thermal stress caused by that heat. The light emitting device at least comprises a package having a plurality of mutually separated package electrodes; a vertical geometry light emitting diode having a light emitting layer positioned between a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer, an upper partial electrode of the uppermost layer, and a lower electrode of the lowermost layer, wherein the lower electrode is joined onto one of the package electrodes; and, a conductive connecting member that connects the upper electrode of the vertical geometry light emitting diode with another of package electrodes; wherein the junction between said one of the package electrodes and the lower electrode, the junction between the upper electrode and the conductive connecting member, and the junction between the conductive connecting member and said other of package electrodes are made with solder.
US07999276B2 Chip-type LED package and light emitting apparatus having the same
Disclosed are a chip-type LED package and a light emitting apparatus having the same. The chip-type LED package includes a thermally conductive substrate with lead electrodes formed thereon. An LED chip is mounted on the thermally conductive substrate, and a lower molding portion covers the LED chip. In addition, an upper molding portion having hardness higher than that of the lower molding portion covers the lower molding portion. The upper molding portion is formed by performing transfer molding using resin powder. Accordingly, since the lower molding portion can be formed of a resin having hardness smaller than that of the upper molding portion, it is possible to provide a chip-type LED package in which device failure due to thermal deformation of the molding portion can be prevented.
US07999271B2 Luminous element having a plurality of cells
Disclosed is a light emitting element comprising a first array having a plurality of vertical light emitting cells connected in series on a single substrate; and a second array that has another plurality of vertical light emitting cells connected in series on the single substrate and is connected to the first array in reverse parallel. In the light emitting element, each of the vertical light emitting cells in the first and second arrays has a first electrode pad on a bottom surface thereof and a second electrode pad on a top surface thereof, and a connection portion is provided to electrically connect the first electrode pad of the vertical light emitting cell in the first array to the first electrode pad of the vertical light emitting cell in the second array.
US07999268B2 Low temperature impurity doping of silicon carbide
The method described herein enables the introduction of external impurities into Silicon Carbide (SiC) to be conducted at a temperature between 1150-1400° C. Advantages include: a) low temperature diffusion procedure with greater control of the doping process, b) prevent roughness of SiC surface, c) less surface defects and d) better device performance and higher yield. The method described herein involves depositing a ceramic layer that contains the desired impurity and a certain element such as oxygen (in the form of oxide), or other elements/compounds that draw out the silicon and carbon atoms from the surface region of the SiC leaving behind carbon and silicon vacancies which then allow the external impurity to diffuse into the SiC more easily. In another embodiment, the deposited layer also has carbon atoms that discourage carbon from escaping from the SiC, thus generating a surface region of excess carbon in addition to the silicon vacancies.
US07999255B2 Hydrazine-free solution deposition of chalcogenide films
A method of depositing a film of a metal chalcogenide including the steps of: contacting an isolated hydrazinium-based precursor of a metal chalcogenide and a solvent having therein a solubilizing additive to form a solution of a complex thereof; applying the solution of the complex onto a substrate to produce a coating of the solution on the substrate; removing the solvent from the coating to produce a film of the complex on the substrate; and thereafter annealing the film of the complex to produce a metal chalcogenide film on the substrate. Also provided is a process for preparing an isolated hydrazinium-based precursor of a metal chalcogenide as well as a thin-film field-effect transistor device using the metal chalcogenides as the channel layer.
US07999252B2 Image sensor and method for fabricating the same
An image sensor includes an epi-layer of a first conductivity type formed in a substrate, a photodiode formed in the epi-layer, and a first doping region of a second conductivity type formed under the photodiode to separate the first doping region from the photodiode.
US07999249B2 Nitride semiconductor light emitting device with surface texture and its manufacture
A nitride semiconductor light emitting device includes: a substrate for growing nitride semiconductor of a hexagonal crystal structure; a first nitride semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type formed above the substrate; an active layer formed on the first nitride semiconductor layer for emitting light when current flows; a second nitride semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type formed on the active layer; texture formed above at least a partial area of the second nitride semiconductor layer and having a plurality of protrusions of a pyramid shape, each of the protrusions including a lower layer made of nitride semiconductor doped with impurities of the second conductivity type and an upper layer made of nitride semiconductor not intentionally doped with impurities; and a transparent electrode covering surfaces of the second nitride semiconductor layer and the texture.
US07999246B2 Semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a first resistance change element having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion having a first space in a first direction, and a second resistance change element formed to have a distance to the first resistance change element in the first direction, and having a third portion and a fourth portion, the third portion and the fourth portion having a second space in the first direction, and the first space and the second space being shorter than the distance.
US07999242B2 Substrate holding apparatus, and inspection or processing apparatus
In order to enable high accuracy positioning and strong pressing of a substrate, the present invention provides a substrate holding apparatus including: a rotating bed having an inclined surface supporting a lower side of an outer circumferential side surface of the substrate, which bed rotates on a normal line of the substrate as the rotation axis together with the substrate; a position restriction unit rotating together with the rotating bed and restricting the substrate in a predetermined position on the rotating bed by pressing a plurality of points on the circumference on an upper side of the outer circumferential side surface of the substrate prior to the rotation; and a pressing unit rotating together with the rotating bed and pressing the substrate against the inclined surface by pressing a plurality of points on the upper side of the outer circumferential side surface of the substrate during the rotation.
US07999235B2 Nuclear medicine diagnosis apparatus
A nuclear medicine diagnosis apparatus comprising a mechanical collimator for effecting passage in a given direction of photons with given energy emitted from an object injected or dosed with a drug containing a radioactive isotope; a former-stage detector for detecting positional information at a point of reaction of photons having passed through the mechanical collimator and information on the momentum of charged particles generated by the reaction; a latter-stage detector disposed in the subsequent stage of the former-stage detector to detect information on the photons having been scattered by the former-stage detector; and image reconstruction means for reconstructing an image from detection information having been collected from the former-stage detector and latter-stage detector, wherein the image reconstruction means is built so that differentiation is carried out on the information on the photons having passed through the mechanical collimator and the information on the photons having been scattered by the former-stage detector and that the image reconstruction is carried out by different image reconstruction algorithms from the individual differentiated detection information.
US07999226B1 Infrared sensor assembly and speaker support
A portable infrared sensor and speaker assembly is described which, in one form, includes an elongated array of infrared sensors along respective first and second side portions of a speaker. Infrared reflective surfaces, which may include a portion of the side surface of the speaker, enhance the detection of infrared signals by the sensors. This technology can be used, for example, in infrared signal amplification systems for amplifying a speaker's voice in a classroom or auditorium.
US07999220B2 Borehole measurements using a fast and high energy resolution gamma ray detector assembly
A gamma ray detector assembly for a borehole logging system that requires the measure of gamma radiation with optimized gamma ray energy resolution and with fast emission times required to obtain meaningful measurements in high radiation fields. The detector assembly comprises a lanthanum bromide (LaBr3) scintillation crystal and a digital spectrometer that cooperates with the crystal to maximize pulse processing throughput by digital filtering and digital pile-up inspection of the pulses. The detector assembly is capable of digital pulse measurement and digital pile-up inspection with dead-time less than 600 nanoseconds per event. Pulse height can be accurately measured (corrected for pile-up effects) for 2 pulses separated by as little as 150 nanoseconds. Although the invention is applicable to virtually any borehole logging methodology that uses the measure of gamma radiation in harsh borehole conditions, the invention is particularly applicable to carbon/oxygen logging.
US07999217B2 Image-capturing element including photoelectric conversion cells that pupil-divide object light and output a ranging signal
An image-capturing element includes a pair of photoelectric conversion cells that pupil-divide object light in a first direction and in a second direction and that output a ranging signal. The photoelectric conversion cells include a photoreceiving element configured to receive the object light and generate a ranging signal, a first light-shielding layer having a first light-transmitting area, and a second light-shielding layer having a second light-transmitting area. The photoelectric conversion cells include a first photoelectric conversion cell in which the first light-transmitting area is offset in the first direction on the first light-shielding layer and the second light-transmitting area is offset in the second direction on the second light-shielding layer, and a second photoelectric conversion cell in which the first light-transmitting area is offset in the second direction on the first light-shielding layer and the second light-transmitting area is offset in the first direction on the second light-shielding layer.
US07999216B2 Selective channel charging for microchannel plate
Techniques are disclosed that can be used to increase the dynamic range of a microchannel plate (MCP) device, thereby eliminating the need for conventional techniques such as gating. In one example embodiment, an MCP device is provided that includes a plurality of channels, each channel for amplifying a photoelectron input to the channel and for producing an electron cloud at its output. The device further includes one or more charging switches associated with each channel for allowing charging current to flow so as to charge that channel in response to producing an electron cloud. In some such example cases, the plurality of channels and the one or more switches are implemented in silicon, and the one or more charging switches turn on only in the presence of the electron cloud produced at the corresponding channel output.
US07999207B2 Apparatus for machining plate-shaped or cylindrical workpieces comprising cutting teeth
The invention concerns a device (10) for machining slab-shaped or cylindrical workpieces (70) which are provided with cutting teeth (S), with a machine base (12), a machining device (14) which can be displaced relative to the machine base (12), and a workpiece positioning device (16) which can be displaced relative to the machine base (12), the machining device (14) including a machining bridge (18) which can be displaced relative to the machine base (12) linearly along a first spatial axis (Y1) and a machining arm (20) which can be displaced relative to the machining bridge (18) linearly along a second spatial axis (X1), a machining unit (26) with a machining tool (28) being carried on the machining arm (20) so that it can swivel around a swivelling axis (E1), the swivelling axis (E1) substantially running orthogonally to a plane which is spanned by the first and second spatial axes (Y1, X1), the workpiece positioning device (16) also having a bearing slide (32) which can be displaced relative to the machine base (12) linearly along a third spatial axis (Z1), and a tilting bearing arrangement, in which a workpiece holding arrangement (44) is carried so that it can be tilted around a tilting axis (B1), being provided on the bearing slide (32).
US07999204B2 Key frame and cover member for push button switch
An elastic projection elastically projecting outward is provided on the lower side and the lateral side of a hard base. The elastic projection functions as a fixing member when a cover member for a push button switch is fitted into a housing of the product. Inside an elastic projection is formed a space. When the elastic projection is pressed from the outside, the space enables the elastic projection which is elastically deformed inward, to proceed into the space. As a result, the elastic projection projecting from an outer peripheral line of the hard base can be elastically deformed so as to retract inwardly in the hard base.
US07999191B2 Method for making cable with a conductive bump array, and method for connecting the cable to a task object
A cable with conductive bumps is fabricated by forming a photoresist layer with multiple openings on a cable substrate, coating a conductive layer on the photoresist layer whereby the conductive layer in the openings forms the bumps at circuits on the cable substrate, and then removing the photoresist layer. When connecting the cable to a task object such as an LCD glass substrate or PCB, only a usual non-conductive paste is applied to join the cable and the task object, without use of expensive anisotropic-conductive paste or film.
US07999188B2 Energy cable
A cable for transporting or distributing electric energy, especially medium or high voltage electric energy, includes at least one electrical conductor, at least one electrically insulating layer surrounding the electrical conductor, and at least one sheath surrounding the electrically insulating layer, wherein the sheath includes 65% to 95% by weight of at least one thermoplastic ethylene polymer; 5% to 35% by weight of at least one plasticizing agent, the percentages being expressed with respect to the total weight of the sheath. The above sheath guarantees improved flexibility without impairing mechanical properties and particularly thermopressure resistance, which is essential to preserve shape and integrity of the screen layer during cable installation and use at high operating temperatures.
US07999183B2 Cable management accessories
A vertical cable manager includes a base, an interconnected double-spine assembly topped by a top frame, and a pair of doors. The double-spine assembly is supported by the base. Each door is removably coupled at each lower corner to the base and at each upper corner to the top frame, thus permitting each door to be opened or hinged along either of its lateral sides or removed entirely. The double-spine assembly may support selectively repositionable mounting members, which may in turn support a large cable spool, a selectively repositionable shelf-mounted handle spool assembly, and various other cable management accessories.
US07999182B2 Device for connecting two superconductive cables
The invention relates to a device for connecting together two abutting superconductive cables, each cable being constituted by at least a resistive conductive central support of substantially cylindrical shape, by at least one layer of superconductive material placed around the support, and by an insulating sheath surrounding said layer of superconductive material, the end of each cable being stripped to reveal the central support and said layer of superconductive material, the device being provided with an outer covering of insulating material. According to the invention, the device comprises at least one respective conductive sleeves engaged around the stripped portion of each of the cables, together with a conductive tube containing said sleeves and connected to them.
US07999180B2 High voltage wiring system for electric powertrains
A high voltage wiring system for an electric powertrain is disclosed. The system includes a power conversion unit sealed in a first enclosure. The system also includes at least one second enclosure configured to be sealed and having at least one cable disposed therein. The disclosed system further includes a plurality of wiring termination compartments configured to provide a plurality of electrical termination points. The plurality of wiring termination compartments are separately encased in a material configured to provide a sealed barrier between an outside environment and the plurality of electrical termination points. The disclosed system further includes a source of at least one pressurized gas configured to substantially prevent the ingress of moisture into the first enclosure, the at least one second enclosure, and the plurality of wiring termination compartments.
US07999158B2 Highly transformable elite inbred line-PHWWE
A novel inbred maize line designated PHWWE and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing inbred maize line PHWWE with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PHWWE 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 inbred line PHWWE or a trait conversion of PHWWE with another maize line. Inbred maize lines derived from maize line PHWWE, methods for producing other inbred maize lines derived from inbred maize line PHWWE and the inbred maize lines and their parts derived by the use of those methods.
US07999147B2 Reduction of odors in absorbent articles
Provided are absorbent articles for retaining a malodorous bodily fluid. The absorbent articles comprise an additive that is a quaternary ammonium salt that is water soluble at 37° C., comprises an alkyl C16-C21 chain, and contains at least two oxygen atoms in the anionic portion of the salt. Also provided are methods of preparing absorbent articles, including disposable absorbent articles, containing the above additive.
US07999144B2 Microchannel apparatus and methods of conducting catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenation
Methods of oxidative dehydrogenation are described. Surprisingly, Pd and Au alloys of Pt have been discovered to be superior for oxidative dehydrogenation in microchannels. Methods of forming these catalysts via an electroless plating methodology are also described. An apparatus design that minimizes heat transfer to the apparatus' exterior is also described.
US07999135B2 Crystallization of iodixanol using ultrasound
This invention relates to the manufacture of iodixanol (1,3-bis(acetamido)-N,N′-bis[3,5-bis (2,3-dihydroxypropylaminocarbonyl)-2,4,6-triiodophenyl]-2-hydroxypropane), more specifically to the purification of iodixanol by crystallization by using ultrasound.
US07999129B2 Process for the synthesis of (7-methoxy-1-naphthyl) acetonitrile and its application in the synthesis of agomelatine
A process for the industrial synthesis of the compound of formula (I) Application in the synthesis of agomelatine.
US07999125B2 Method for producing propylene oxide
There is disclosed a method for producing propylene oxide, which includes: reacting propylene, oxygen, and hydrogen in the presence of a noble metal catalyst and a titanosilicate catalyst in a liquid phase containing a polycyclic compound, which is unsubstituted or substituted with at least one substituent selected from Group B below, wherein the polycyclic compound is composed of two or more identical or different ring compounds selected from Group A below and the ring compounds are fused, directly bonded, or bonded by a linkage group selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, carbon chain, and a group composed of oxygen atom(s) and a carbon chain, provided that said polycyclic compound is not a polycyclic compound having hydroxy groups or oxo groups at para or. ortho positions. Group A consisting of benzene, cyclopentadiene, cycloheptatriene, furane, pyrane, cyclopentene, cyclopentane, cyclohexane, cyclohexene, cyclohexadiene, cycloheptane, cycloheptene, and cycloheptadiene. Group B consisting of halogen atom, alkyl group, alkenyl group, alkoxy group, hydroxyalkyl group, acyl group, oxo group, hydroxy group, and cyano group.
US07999103B2 Metal complex compound and organic electroluminescence device using the compound
Provided are an organic electroluminescence device whose wavelength of light emission is short and which can emit blue light having a high color purity, and a metal complex compound for realizing the device. The metal complex compound is of a specific structure having a partial structure including two tridentate ligands. The organic electroluminescence device includes: a pair of electrodes; and an organic thin film layer which has one layer or a plurality of layers including at least a light emitting layer and is disposed between the pair of electrodes. In the organic electroluminescence device, at least one layer of the organic thin film layer contains the metal complex compound. The organic electroluminescence device emits light by applying a voltage between both the electrodes.
US07999102B2 Cross-linked cyclic amine compounds and agents for pest control
Cyclic amine compounds represented by formula (1) or salts thereof or N-oxides thereof, wherein Cy1 represents an unsubstituted or substituted aromatic ring; X represents oxygen, sulfur, unsubstituted or substituted nitrogen, sulfinyl, or sulfonyl; R1a and R2a, R1a and R4a, R2a and R3a, or R3a and R4a form saturated rings together; R1a, R1b, R2a, R2b, R3a, R3b, R4a, R4b, and R5 which do not form the saturated rings are each independently hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, unsubstituted or substituted amino, nitro, or an organic group; Cy2 represents an unsubstituted or substituted aromatic ring with a proviso that Cy2 is an unsubstituted or substituted heteroaromatic ring when R1a and R2a form a saturated ring together and Cy1 is an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl, and Cy2 is a substituted pyridin-2-yl having one or more cyano as a substituent when Cy1 is an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl and Cy2 is a pyridin-2-yl.
US07999100B2 Method for chiral inversion of (S)-(+)-and (R)-(−)-10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxy-5H-dibenz/b,f/azepine-5-carboxamide and optically enriched mixtures thereof
A method for chiral inversion of optically pure or optically enriched mixtures of (S)-(+)-10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxy-5H-dibenz/b,f/azepine-5-carboxamide (I) and (R)-(−)-10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxy-5H-dibenz/b,f/azepine-5-carboxamide (II).
US07999093B2 Nitrate transport components
This invention relates to isolated nucleic acid fragments encoding high affinity nitrate transport components. The invention also relates to the construction of recombinant DNA constructs encoding all or a portion of nitrate transport components, in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the recombinant DNA construct may alter levels of the nitrate transport components in a transformed host cell.
US07999092B2 Amplicon rescue multiplex polymerase chain reaction for amplification of multiple targets
Disclosed is a method for amplifying and detecting polynucleotides which can provide sensitive, specific detection of multiple targets from a clinical specimen within a relatively short time.
US07999081B2 Anti-C5 alpha antibodies
The present invention refers to recombinant antibodies of human origin specific for the C5 component of the activated complement and characterised by the ability to inhibit the conversion of the C5 alpha chain to C5a and C5b. Moreover the present invention refers to the nucleotide sequences coding for such antibodies and to the therapeutic use of both polypeptide and nucleotide sequences, in particular for the therapy of diseases involving tissue damage deriving from uncontrolled activation of the complement system.
US07999076B2 Use of a high molecular weight extracellular hemoglobin for the manufacture of a medicament for treating and/or preventing diseases by inhibition of calcium
The present invention relates to the use of a high molecular weight extracellular hemoglobin for the manufacture of a medicament for treating and/or preventing diseases by inhibition of calcium. Advantageously, the extracellular hemoglobin is obtained from Annelids. In particular, the invention concerns the use of a high molecular weight extracellular hemoglobin for the manufacture of a medicament for treating and/or preventing cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, angina such as angina pectoris, Raynaud's disease, arteriopathy, tachycardia, vasospasm, ischemia, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, arrhythmia or cerebrovacular accident.
US07999071B2 Human cytotoxic T-lymphoctye epitope and its agonist eptiope from the non-variable number of tandem repeat sequence of MUC-1
Novel MUC-1 epitopes outside the VNTR region are identified. In addition, the first agonist epitope of MUC-1 is described. The employment of agonist epitopes in peptide, protein and vector-based vaccine may well aid in the development of effective vaccines for a range of human cancers.
US07999070B2 Process for screening of a binding peptide specific for specific RNA and RNA binding peptides therefrom
The present invention relates to a screening method for RNA specific binding peptide using alpha-helical peptides. The screening method for RNA specific binding peptide of the present invention using alpha-helical peptides enables the selection of a peptide having strong binding capacity to a specific RNA having particular morphology and nucleotide sequence and the investigation of functions of RNA using the selected peptides, and is very useful for the production of a new drug using synthetic peptide having more powerful and specific binding capacity to RNA than those of natural peptides.
US07999067B2 Protease resistant mutants of stromal cell derived factor-1 in the repair of tissue damage
The present invention is directed stromal cell derived factor-1 peptides that have been mutated to make them resistant to digestion by the proteases dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) but which maintain the ability of native SDF-1 to attract T cells. The mutants may be attached to membranes formed by self-assembling peptides and then implanted at sites of tissue damage to help promote repair.
US07999040B2 Method of making graft copolymers from sodium poly(aspartate) and the resulting graft copolymer
A variety of graft copolymers can be formed sodium poly(aspartate) with a wide variety of monomers in an aqueous medium by the use of grafting method in the presence of radical initiator at a temperature of from about five degrees Centigrade to about 100 degrees Centigrade. Graft copolymers at high conversion with molecular weight up to millions can be prepared using this method.
US07999033B2 Thermoconductive silicone elastomer, thermoconductive silicone elastomer composition and thermoconductive medium
A thermoconductive silicone elastomer comprising a silicone elastomer being a cured body of a hydrosilation-curable organopolysiloxane composition, a reinforcing fine powder silica, a thermoconductive inorganic powder, and a non-reactive organopolysiloxane that is liquid at room temperature which are dispersed in the aforementioned silicone elastomer; a thermoconductive medium comprising the aforementioned thermoconductive silicone elastomer; a hydrosilation-curable thermoconductive silicone elastomer composition comprising a hydrosilation-curable organopolysiloxane composition, a reinforcing fine powder silica, a thermoconductive inorganic powder, and a non-reactive organopolysiloxane that is liquid at room temperature.
US07999027B2 Pristine nano graphene-modified tires
A tire or tire lining comprising a rubber composite, comprising at least one rubber or elastomer matrix and pristine nano graphene platelets dispersed in the matrix. The pristine nano graphene-modified tire or tire lining has a significantly enhanced thermal conductivity.
US07999023B2 Process for making pressure sensitive adhesive hydrogels
A process is provided for preparing a pressure sensitive adhesive hydrogel, comprising: (A) providing an oligomeric precursor, the oligomeric precursor comprising a polyether moiety endcapped with ethylenic unsaturation, the oligomeric precursor being associated with methacrylic acid; (B) providing an ethylenically unsaturated crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of difunctional ethylenically unsaturated monomer, trifunctional ethylenically unsaturated monomer and combinations of the foregoing; (C) free radically curing the oligomeric precursor and the ethylenically unsaturated crosslinking agent in water at a pH between about 3.5 and about 9 to provide the pressure sensitive adhesive hydrogel.
US07999017B2 Method for coloring building materials using a cationic pigment dispersion
A cationic dispersion which includes at least one pigment, water, and at least one quaternary salt of a styrene maleimide imide resin in an amount effective to disperse the organic pigment. A method for preparing the cationic dispersion includes (i) mixing, at 500 to 10,000 rpm, at least one pigment; water; and either (a) at least one a quaternary salt of a styrene maleimide imide resin or (b) at least one styrene maleimide imide resin in combination with at least one weak acid, thereby forming a dispersion premix; (ii) milling the dispersion premix in a mixer filled with ceramic, metal or glass beads for a period of time sufficient to reduce pigment agglomerates to primary particles, thereby forming a non-standardized dispersion; and (iii) standardizing the dispersion against a color standard by adding water. The resulting cationic dispersion exhibits good alkali resistance and lightfastness, and can be used to integrally color concrete and other building materials.
US07999010B2 Indene derivatives as pharmaceutical agents
Compounds of formula (Ia): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4a, R4b, R5 and R6 are defined herein, as well as other indene derivatives are disclosed herein. Pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds and methods of using the compounds are also disclosed.
US07999008B2 Urea compounds that promote desquamation
The invention relates to the use of at least one urea derivative of the following formula (I) in a composition containing a physiologically acceptable medium, as agent intended for stimulating desquamation of the skin and/or the mucous membranes. It also relates to a method of cosmetic treatment and cosmetic agents containing it.
US07998995B2 LXR and FXR modulators
Compounds of the invention are disclosed, such as compounds of formulae LX-LXIV, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, isomers, or prodrugs thereof, which are useful as modulators of the activity of liver X receptors (LXR) and Farnesoid X receptors (FXR), where R00, R200, R400, R500, J11, J21, G1, G21, and Q are defined herein. Pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds and methods of using the compounds are also disclosed.
US07998991B2 Neurotherapeutic treatment for sexual dysfunction
A method for improving sexual function is described. A mammal suffering from sexual dysfunction or otherwise in need of enhanced sexual function is administered a compound selected from those that are capable of inhibiting the activity of β-lactams, penicillin-binding proteins, and carboxypeptidases. Such compounds, including particularly β-lactam ring-containing compounds, can be used to formulate pharmaceutical formulations useful for improving sexual function.
US07998974B2 Fused heterocyclic compounds and their use as sirtuin modulators
Provided herein are novel sirtuin-modulating compounds and methods of use thereof. The sirtuin-modulating compounds may be used for increasing the lifespan of a cell, and treating and/or preventing a wide variety of diseases and disorders including, for example, diseases or disorders related to aging or stress, diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, chemotherapeutic induced neuropathy, neuropathy associated with an ischemic event, polyglutamine diseases, ocular diseases and/or disorders, cardiovascular disease, blood clotting disorders, inflammation, cancer, and/or flushing. Also provided are compositions comprising a sirtuin-modulating compound in combination with another therapeutic agent.
US07998971B2 Combinations containing a 4-acylaminopyridine derivative
The instant disclosure describes compositions and methods for treating diseases and conditions of the central and peripheral nervous system. The disclosure includes compositions and methods based on use of a 4-acylaminopyridine derivative in combination with one or more other neurogenic agents. One 4-acylaminopyridine derivative is MKC-231.
US07998962B2 Enantiomers of 2'-Fluoralky1-6-nitroquipazine as serotonin transporter positron emission tomography imaging agents and antidepressant therapeutics
Racemic mixtures and individual enantiomers of fluorine-18 or carbon-11 radiolabelled 2′-alkyl-6-nitroquipazine ligands are serotonin transporter (SERT) tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The non-radioactive ligand forms possess therapeutic antidepressant in vitro and in vivo pharmacological binding profiles in rodent brain and cells expressing human serotonin transporter (hSERT). Twelve 2′-alkyl-6-nitroquipazine ligands potently bind in sub-nanomolar concentrations to the pre-synaptic SERT binding site where established antidepressant drugs bind and inhibit the re-uptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT). In vivo tracer studies in rats as well as monkey PET scan trial have demonstrated the fluorine-18 and carbon-11 positron radionuclide labeled tracers perform as quantitative tracers of specific binding the SERT protein in live brain.
US07998960B2 Affinity adsorbents for plasminogen
For the separation, removal, isolation, purification, characterization, identification or quantification of plasminogen or a protein that is a plasminogen analogue, an affinity adsorbent is used that is a compound of formula (II) wherein one X is N and the other is N, C—Cl or C—CN; A is a support matrix, optionally linked to the triazine ring by a spacer; Z is O, S or N—R and R is H, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 hydroxyalkyl, benzyl or &bgr;-phenylethyl; B is an optionally substituted hydrocarbon linkage containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; D is H, OH or a primary amino, secondary amino, tertiary amino, quaternary ammonium, imidazole, guanidino or amidino group; or B-D is —CHCOOH—(CH2)3-4—NH2; and q is 2 to 6.
US07998959B2 Modulators of 11-β hydroxyl steroid dehydrogenase type 1, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of using the same
The present invention relates to inhibitors of 11-β hydroxyl steroid dehydrogenase type 1 and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. The compounds of the invention can be useful in the treatment of various diseases associated with expression or activity of 11-β hydroxyl steroid dehydrogenase type 1 such as obesity and diabetes.
US07998949B2 Bicyclic heterocycles, drugs containing said compounds, use thereof, and method for production thereof
The present invention relates to bicyclic heterocycles of general formula wherein Ra, Rb and Rc are defined as in claim 1, their tautomers, their stereoisomers, their mixtures and their salts, in particular their physiologically acceptable salts with inorganic or organic acids and bases, which have valuable pharmacological properties, in particular an inhibitory action on the signal transduction mediated by tyrosine kinases, their use for the treatment of illnesses, in particular of tumoral diseases and of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), of diseases of the lung and of the airways, and the preparation thereof.
US07998939B2 Aptamers that bind thrombin with high affinity
The invention provides aptamers capable of binding to thrombin useful as therapeutics for and diagnostics of coagulation related disorders and/or other diseases or disorders in which thrombin has been implicated. The invention further provides materials and methods for the administration of aptamers capable of binding to thrombin.
US07998934B2 PAI-2 conjugates for the treatment and imaging of cancer
A method is described for detecting, visualizing, or treating cells, particularly cancerous cells, that express a uPA/uPAR complex. The method employs a PAI-2 conjugate molecule that comprises PAI-2 or a functional derivative, homologue, analogue, chemical equivalent or mimetic thereof, which PAI-2 is bound, linked, or otherwise associated with a toxin or label.
US07998931B2 Vascular endothelial cell growth factor antagonists and uses thereof
The present invention provides vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) antagonists and methods of using VEGF antagonists. VEGF antagonists contemplated by the invention include VEGF antibodies and VEGF receptor fusion proteins. Methods of treating edema and stroke using VEGF antagonists are also provided.
US07998929B2 Solution preparations stabilized over long time
A G-CSF solution formulation which is substantially free from proteins as a stabilizer but which contains at least one amino acid or a salt thereof as a stabilizer.
US07998921B2 Method of reducing toilet odor
A method of eliminating or at least reducing toilet odor by applying a liquid composition directly to the water contained in a toilet bowl prior to use. The liquid composition contains about 60 to about 70 weight percent diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (CH2OHCH2OCH2CH2OC2H5), the balance being at least additional constituent, such as fragrances and/or stabilizers. The liquid composition reacts with the water so as to roil in the water, forms a sheen on the surface of the water, and reduces toilet odors during and following usage of the toilet bowl.
US07998917B1 Visually enhancing heavy duty degreaser-cleaning composition
A visually enhancing degreaser/cleaning composition for removing grease stains adhering to metallic surfaces in the kitchen. The cleaning composition in powder form includes an alkali metal hydroxide, trialkali phosphates, and either polychlorinated copper phthalocyanine or hydrated chromium sesquioxide.
US07998916B2 Replacement solvents having improved properties and methods of using the same
CFC replacement solvent compositions, methods of using the same and methods of making the same. These compositions meet or exceed the solvency, flammability, and compatibility requirements for CFC's while providing similar or improved environmental and toxicological properties. These solvent compositions have applications including, but not limited to, oxygen handling, refrigeration or heat pumps, electronics, implantable prosthetic devices, and optical equipment.
US07998901B2 Heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet and image-forming method
A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, having: on a support, at least one receptor layer which contains at least one silicone compound and at least one polymer having repeating units derived from vinyl chloride; and, at least one heat insulating layer which contains hollow polymer particles, between the receptor layer and the support, in which the heat insulating layer does not contain a resin having no resistance to an organic solvent other than the hollow polymer particles.
US07998892B2 TiO2-containing silica glass and optical member for lithography using the same
The present invention provides a TiO2—SiO2 glass whose coefficient of linear thermal expansion upon irradiation with high EUV energy light is substantially zero, which is suitable as an optical member of an exposure tool for EUVL. The present invention relates to a TiO2-containing silica glass having a halogen content of 100 ppm or more; a fictive temperature of 1,100° C. or lower; an average coefficient of linear thermal expansion in the range of from 20 to 100° C. of 30 ppb/° C. or lower; a temperature width ΔT, in which a coefficient of linear thermal expansion is 0±5 ppb/° C., of 5° C. or greater; and a temperature, at which a coefficient of linear thermal expansion is 0 ppb/° C., falling within the range of from 30 to 150° C.
US07998881B1 Method for making high stress boron-doped carbon films
Transistor architectures and fabrication processes generate channel strain without adversely impacting the efficiency of the transistor fabrication process while preserving the material quality and enhancing the performance of the resulting transistor. Transistor strain is generated is PMOS devices using a highly compressive post-salicide boron doped carbon capping layer applied as a blanket over on at least the source and drain regions. The stress from this capping layer is uniaxially transferred to the PMOS channel through the source-drain regions to create compressive strain in PMOS channel.
US07998878B2 Method for selective deposition and devices
A chemical vapor deposition method such as an atomic-layer-deposition method for forming a patterned thin film includes applying a deposition inhibitor material to a substrate. The deposition inhibitor material is a hydrophilic polymer that is soluble in an aqueous solution comprising at least 50 weight % water and has an acid content of less than 2.5 meq/g of polymer. The deposition inhibitor material is patterned simultaneously or subsequently to its application to the substrate, to provide selected areas of the substrate effectively not having the deposition inhibitor material. A thin film is substantially deposited only in the selected areas of the substrate not having the deposition inhibitor material.
US07998871B2 Mask forming and implanting methods using implant stopping layer
Methods of forming a mask for implanting a substrate and implanting using an implant stopping layer with a photoresist provide lower aspect ratio masks that cause minimal damage to trench isolations in the substrate during removal of the mask. In one embodiment, a method of forming a mask includes: depositing an implant stopping layer over the substrate; depositing a photoresist over the implant stopping layer, the implant stopping layer having a density greater than the photoresist; forming a pattern in the photoresist by removing a portion of the photoresist to expose the implant stopping layer; and transferring the pattern into the implant stopping layer by etching to form the mask. The implant stopping layer may include: hydrogenated germanium carbide, nitrogenated germanium carbide, fluorinated germanium carbide, and/or amorphous germanium carbon hydride (GeHX), where X includes carbon. The methods/mask reduce scattering during implanting because the mask has higher density than conventional masks.
US07998868B2 Self-aligned masks using multi-temperature phase-change materials
A method of forming a pattern includes forming a first layer on a substrate, forming a second layer on the first layer, depositing a multi-temperature phase-change material on the second layer, patterning the second layer using the multi-temperature phase-change material as a mask, reflowing the multi-temperature phase-change material, and patterning the first layer using the reflowed multi-temperature phase-change material as a mask.
US07998864B2 Noble metal cap for interconnect structures
An interconnect structure that includes a dielectric material having a dielectric constant of about 3.0 or less is provided. This low k dielectric material has at least one conductive material having an upper surface embedded therein. The dielectric material also has a surface layer that is made hydrophobic prior to the formation of the noble metal cap. The noble metal cap is located directly on the upper surface of the at least one conductive material. Because of the presence of the hydrophobic surface layer on the dielectric material, the noble metal cap does not substantially extend onto the hydrophobic surface layer of the dielectric material that is adjacent to the at least one conductive material and no metal residues from the noble metal cap deposition form on this hydrophobic dielectric surface.
US07998856B2 Interconnects with a dielectric sealant layer
Leakage, capacitance and reliability degradation of interconnects fabricated in low-k dielectric materials, particularly porous low-k dielectric material, due to penetration by a barrier metal and/or barrier metal precursor during damascene processing is prevented by depositing a conformal, heat stable dielectric sealant layer on sidewalls of the low-k dielectric material defining the damascene opening. Embodiments include forming a dual damascene opening in a porous, low-k organosilicate layer, the organosilicate having a pendant silanol functional group, depositing a siloxane polymer having a silylating functional group which bonds with the pendant silanol group to form the sealant layer, depositing a Ta and/or TaN barrier metal layer by CVD or ALD and filling the opening with Cu or a Cu alloy.
US07998853B1 Semiconductor device with through substrate vias
Methods for making and testing a semiconductor device with through substrate vias are described. In some examples, a method of making a semiconductor device includes: forming through substrate vias (TSVs) in a substrate having an integrated circuit (IC) die, the substrate including an active side and a backside, the active side having conductive interconnect formed thereon, the TSVs including exposed portions on the backside of the substrate; patterning first metal on the active side of the substrate to electrically couple the TSVs to a portion of the conductive interconnect; and coupling the exposed portions of the TSVs on the backside of the substrate to electrically couple together the plurality of TSVs.
US07998848B2 Method of producing field effect transistor
The laser beam with a wavelength having a higher energy than the band gap energy of the material forming the carrier moving layer is irradiated to activate the impurities contained in the constituent layer of the field effect transistor in the method of producing the field effect transistor. The method of the invention does not apply the heating of the substrate or the sample stage to raise the temperature of the semiconductor layer using the thermal conductivity so as to activate the impurities. Thus, the implanted impurities can be activated without deteriorating the performance of the device and reliability.
US07998844B2 Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device
A process for fabricating a highly stable and reliable semiconductor, comprising: coating the surface of an amorphous silicon film with a solution containing a catalyst element capable of accelerating the crystallization of the amorphous silicon film, and heat treating the amorphous silicon film thereafter to crystallize the film.
US07998843B2 Method of forming amorphous silicon layer and method of fabricating LCD using the same
Methods and systems for forming an amorphous silicon layer are disclosed for one or more embodiments. For example, a substrate may be provided, and an amorphous silicon layer, in which a ratio of Si—H to Si—H2 has a value equal to or less than 4 to 1, may be formed on the substrate using chemical vapor deposition equipment.
US07998836B1 Method for fabricating gallium nitride based semiconductor electronic device
A method of fabricating a gallium nitride-based semiconductor electronic device is provided, the method preventing a reduction in adhesiveness between a gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer and a conductive substrate. A substrate 11 is prepared. The substrate 11 has a first surface 11a and a second surface 11b, the first surface 11a allowing a gallium nitride-based semiconductor to be deposited thereon. The substrate 11 includes a support 13 of a material different from the gallium nitride-based semiconductor. The support is exposed on the second surface 11b of the substrate 11. An array of grooves 15 is provided in the second surface 11b. A semiconductor region including at least one gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer is deposited on the first surface 11a of the substrate 11, and thereby an epitaxial substrate E is fabricated. A conductive substrate 33 is bonded to the epitaxial substrate E such that the semiconductor region 17 is provided between the first surface 11a of the substrate 11 and the conductive substrate E. Subsequently, the second surface 11b is irradiated with laser light for laser lift-off.
US07998832B2 Semiconductor device with isolation trench liner, and related fabrication methods
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided herein, where the width effect is reduced in the resulting semiconductor device. The method involves providing a substrate having semiconductor material, forming an isolation trench in the semiconductor material, and lining the isolation trench with a liner material that substantially inhibits formation of high-k material thereon. The lined trench is then filled with an insulating material. Thereafter, a layer of high-k gate material is formed over at least a portion of the insulating material and over at least a portion of the semiconductor material. The liner material divides the layer of high-k gate material, which prevents the migration of oxygen over the active region of the semiconductor material.
US07998831B2 Planarized passivation layer for semiconductor devices
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a dielectric layer and a device layer on the substrate. The device layer has an opening. First and second sublayers are disposed on the device layer and line the opening. The second sublayer serves as a stop layer for planarization to provide a substantially planarized top surface for the semiconductor device.
US07998830B2 Semiconductor device with both I/O and core components and method of fabricating same
A semiconductor device having a core device with a high-k gate dielectric and an I/O device with a silicon dioxide or other non-high-k gate dielectric, and a method of fabricating such a device. A core well and an I/O well are created in a semiconductor substrate and separated by an isolation structure. An I/O device is formed over the I/O well and has a silicon dioxide or a low-k gate dielectric. A resistor may be formed on an isolation structure adjacent to the core well. A core-well device such as a transistor is formed over the core well, and has a high-k gate dielectric. In some embodiments, a p-type I/O well and an n-type I/O well are created. In a preferred embodiment, the I/O device or devices are formed prior to forming the core device and protected with a sacrificial layer until the core device is fabricated.
US07998826B2 Method of forming mark in IC-fabricating process
A method of forming a mark in an IC fabricating process is described. Two parts of the mark each including a plurality of linear patterns are respectively defined by two exposure steps that either belong to two lithography processes respectively or constitute a double-exposure process including X-dipole and Y-dipole exposure steps.
US07998823B2 Method for reducing leakage currents caused by misalignment of a contact structure by increasing an error tolerance of the contact patterning process
By forming an additional doped region with increased junction depth at areas in which contact regions may connect to drain and source regions, any contact irregularities may be embedded into the additional doped region, thereby reducing the risk for leakage currents or short circuits between the drain and source region and the well region that may be conventionally caused by the contact irregularity. Moreover, additionally or alternatively, the surface topography of the semiconductor region and the adjacent isolation trench may be modified prior to the formation of metal silicide regions and contact plugs to enhance the lithography procedure for forming respective contact openings in an interlayer dielectric material. For this purpose, the isolation trench may be brought to an equal or higher level compared to the adjacent semiconductor region.
US07998820B2 High-k gate dielectric and method of manufacture
A device and method of formation are provided for a high-k gate dielectric and gate electrode. The high-k dielectric material is formed, and a silicon-rich film is formed over the high-k dielectric material. The silicon-rich film is then treated through either oxidation or nitridation to reduce the Fermi-level pinning that results from both the bonding of the high-k material to the subsequent gate conductor and also from a lack of oxygen along the interface of the high-k dielectric material and the gate conductor. A conductive material is then formed over the film through a controlled process to create the gate conductor.
US07998814B2 Semiconductor memory device and method of fabricating the same
A semiconductor memory devices and a method of fabricating the same includes sequentially stacking a tunnel insulating layer, a first nano-grain film, a conductive layer for a floating gate, and a second nano-grain film over a semiconductor substrate, forming a trench by etching the second nano-grain film, the conductive layer for the floating gate, the first nano-grain film, the tunnel insulating layer, and the semiconductor substrate, gap-filling the trench with an insulating layer, thus forming an isolation layer, and forming a third nano-grain film on sidewalls of the conductive layer for the floating gate.
US07998811B2 Semiconductor device and method for semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a memory cell region provided on the semiconductor substrate, a word line provided on the memory cell region, a first gate insulating film provided in the memory cell region beneath the word line, a first floating gate electrode provided on the first gate insulating film, a second gate insulating film provided in the memory cell region beneath the word line, the second gate insulating film being different from the first gate insulating film in thickness, and a second floating gate electrode provided on the second gate insulating film.
US07998808B2 Semiconductor device fabrication using spacers
A process for fabrication of a semiconductor device that includes forming a first trench in a semiconductor body, forming spaced spacers in the first trench, and forming a narrower second trench at the bottom of the first trench using the spacers as a mask.
US07998804B2 Nonvolatile memory device including nano dot and method of fabricating the same
A nonvolatile memory device including a nano dot and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The nonvolatile memory device may include a lower electrode, an oxide layer on the lower electrode, a nano dot in the oxide layer and an upper electrode on the oxide layer. In example embodiments, the current paths inside the oxide layer may be unified, thereby stabilizing the reset current.
US07998803B2 Pixel structure and method for manufacturing the same
A method for manufacturing a pixel structure is provided. First, a first mask process is performed to form a patterned first metal layer on a substrate, wherein the patterned first metal layer includes a gate. Next, a second mask process is performed to form a patterned insulating layer and a patterned semiconductor layer over the gate, wherein the patterned insulating layer is disposed on the patterned first metal layer, and the patterned semiconductor layer is disposed on the patterned insulating layer. Then, a third mask process is performed to define a thin film transistor (TFT) and a pixel electrode connected thereto and to form a passivation layer to cover the TFT.
US07998787B2 Thin film transistor including organic semiconductor layer and substrate including the same
Provided is a thin film transistor including a gate electrode on a substrate; a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode; source and drain electrodes including first source and drain layers on the gate insulating layer, respectively, and spaced apart from each other, wherein at lease one of the first source and drain layers includes indium-tin-oxide doped with at least one Group III element; and an organic semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer and contacting the first source and drain layers.
US07998786B2 Method of manufacturing a TFT array panel
Multi-layered wiring for a larger flat panel display is formed by depositing molybdenum on a substrate in presence of a precursor gas containing at least one oxygen, nitrogen and carbon to form a molybdenum layer. An aluminum layer is deposited on the molybdenum layer. Another metal layer may be formed on the aluminum layer. The molybdenum layer has a face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice structure with a preferred orientation of (111).
US07998779B2 Solid-state imaging device and method of fabricating solid-state imaging device
A solid-state imaging device includes: a solid-state imaging element having a light-receiving area; a transparent member disposed so as to oppose the light-receiving area; a supporting member configured to support the transparent member; a first mark disposed at either an upper surface of the transparent member or an upper surface of the supporting member; and a second mark disposed at an outer side of the light-receiving area, at an upper surface of the solid-state imaging element.
US07998774B2 Package, in particular for MEMS devices and method of making same
A package includes a substrate provided with a passing opening and a MEMS device. The MEMS device includes an active surface wherein a portion of the MEMS device is integrated sensitive to the chemical/physical variations of a fluid. The active surface of the MEMS device faces the substrate and is spaced therefrom, the sensitive portion being aligned to the passing opening. A protective package incorporates the MEMS device and the substrate, leaving at least the sensitive portion of the MEMS device exposed through the passing opening of the substrate.
US07998773B2 Method of growing semiconductor heterostructures based on gallium nitride
The method of growing non-polar epitaxial heterostructures for light-emitting diodes producing white emission and lasers, on the basis of compounds and alloys in AlGaInN system, comprising the step of vapor-phase deposition of one or multiple heterostructures layers described by the formula AlxGa1-xN(0
US07998772B2 Method to reduce leakage in a protection diode structure
A method for forming a protection diode utilizes processing operations and materials used in the formation of the CMOS integrated circuit device and provides a protection diode used in CMOS integrated circuit devices to direct charged particles to benign locations and prevent damage to the devices. The protection diode includes a well region of a first conductivity type formed in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, a heavily doped P-type impurity region disposed within the well region, a heavily doped N-type impurity region disposed within the well region and an STI structure interposed therebetween. A top surface of the STI structure extends above the surface. A silicide resistant block-out layer is formed over the STI structure and extends laterally beyond the STI structure, covering any counterdoped sections that may undesirably be formed in the substrate adjacent the STI structure during implantation operations.
US07998761B2 Light emitting diode with ITO layer and method for fabricating the same
The present invention relates to a light emitting diode with enhanced luminance and light emitting performance due to increase in efficiency of current diffusion into an ITO layer, and a method of fabricating the light emitting diode. According to the present invention, there is manufactured at least one light emitting cell including an N-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a P-type semiconductor layer on a substrate. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of (a) forming at least one light emitting cell with an ITO layer formed on a top surface of the P-type semiconductor layer; (b) forming a contact groove for wiring connection in the ITO layer through dry etching; and (c) filling the contact groove with a contact connection portion made of a conductive material for the wiring connection.
US07998760B2 Manufacture method for photovoltaic module including inspection and repair
After overlaying a conductive adhesive film and the wiring material on an electrode of a solar cell and temporarily fixing the wiring material to the solar cell by pressure bonding under first temperature/pressurizing condition, the quality of the temporarily fixed solar cell is inspected, a solar cell determined to be defective in the inspection step is removed and the defective solar cell is replaced with a non-defective solar cell. Then, the wiring material is temporarily fixed to the non-defective solar cell by pressure bonding the wiring material with the conductive adhesive film interposed therebetween, under the first temperature/pressurizing condition and the wiring materials are fixed to the solar cell by thermally setting the conductive adhesive film under second temperature condition to apply heat higher than the first temperature condition.
US07998757B2 Container and method for supporting home testing and diagnosis of infectious diseases
A container is configured to provide sequential access to contents therein, and includes an upper portion and a lower portion connected to the upper portion by a hinged portion, the lower portion defining an interior space bearing a moveable tray and an opening through which the moveable tray may move, the moveable tray defining an interior volume configured to receive at least one device therewithin. The container also includes at least one device borne by the moveable tray, at least one cavity for receiving the at least one device disposed in the upper portion and at least one insert located between the upper and lower portions, the at least one insert comprising at least written indicia thereon.
US07998748B2 Method of detecting an analyte using a test element with nanofibers
The invention concerns test elements, in particular diagnostic test elements, for determining the presence or concentration of biological, medical or biologically or medically effective substances including nucleic acids, proteins, viruses, microorganisms and cells, characterized in that these test elements contain nanofibers.
US07998733B2 Chimeric vectors
The present invention relates to chimeric vectors. More specifically, the invention relates to recombinant poxvirus vectors and viruses that are capable of expressing an alphaviral RNA replicon expressing a heterologous sequence of interest.
US07998731B2 Portable sampling device for airborne biological particles
The present invention relates to a collection device for a substance, and methods related to collecting thereof.
US07998730B2 Method and apparatus for transferring growth media and infection fluids to a cell growth bag
A method and apparatus are provided for transferring growth media or infection fluids to a bioculture bag having Could Process fitting thereon in fluid communication with the inside of the bag. The media or fluid is placed in a flask. A cap is threaded onto the neck of the flask. The cap has a spout with an opening in a distal end of the spout and a vent hole in the cap. The spout has a tubular end in which the opening is formed, with an O-ring seal adjacent the distal end of the tubular end. The tubular end fits within the fitting and the seal forms a fluid tight seal with the fitting to allow fluid transfer to the bag in reduced time with reduced spillage. The cap is preferably used on a flask having shaped baffles in the bottom. The baffles are highest toward the centerline, and decline in height linearly toward the corners of the flask at an angle of about 9° to the horizontal. The flask is rotated about 80-180 RPM, and the baffles have leading and trailing sides in the direction of rotation that are inclined at about 32° relative to the vertical. A growth media is also provided to culture the cells in the flask.
US07998720B2 Enzyme with xylanase activity
The present invention is related to an isolated and purified enzyme with xylanolytic activity having more than 70% homology, preferably more than 80% homology with the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 11.
US07998718B2 Identification and functional characterization of a novel ribosomal S6 protein kinase
A novel S6 kinase, p70βS6k is described, along with methods of making and using p70βS6k protein and related nucleic acids. The invention also discloses methods of identifying agents which modulate the activity of p70βS6k protein and/or its ligands.
US07998714B2 Process for accelerated capture of carbon dioxide
The present invention generally relates to the removal of carbon dioxide from a gas stream, particularly a flue gas, hydrogen gas from a reformer, natural gas, or gas from a cement kiln. Immobilized enzymes for use in carbon capture and other systems are also disclosed.
US07998713B2 Treatment of biomass to obtain ethanol
Ethanol was produced using biocatalysts that are able to ferment sugars derived from treated biomass. Sugars were obtained by pretreating biomass under conditions of high solids and low ammonia concentration, followed by saccharification.
US07998712B2 Process for production of transesterified oils/fats or triglycerides
There are provided polyunsaturated fatty acids-containing oils/fats or triglycerides with high digestion and absorption properties and resistance to oxidative damage, which are suitable for applications in fields such as modified milk for infants, food products and healthy foods and/or supplements, produced by transesterification of polyunsaturated fatty acids-containing oils/fats or triglycerides with vegetable oils/fats or triglycerides using 1,3-position specific type lipases.
US07998711B2 Variant Humicola grisea CBH1.1
Disclosed are variants of Humicola grisea Cel7A (CBH1.1), H. jecorina CBH1 variant or S. thermophilium CBH1, nucleic acids encoding the same and methods for producing the same. The variant cellulases have the amino acid sequence of a glycosyl hydrolase of family 7A wherein one or more amino acid residues are substituted.
US07998704B2 Methods for magnetic resonance imaging
In certain aspects the present invention provides methods and compositions related to contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. In certain variations, contrast agents provided herein are generated in situ via genetic instructions and become potent upon sequestering available metal atoms. Exemplary contrast agents include metal-binding proteins.
US07998699B2 Early detection of pathogens in blood
The present invention is a method of extracting infectious pathogens from a volume of blood including the steps of creating a fibrin aggregate confining the pathogens and introducing a fibrin lysis reagent to expose the pathogens for analysis. The fibrin lysis reagent is preferably composed of plasminogen and streptokinase frozen in coincident relation until the fibrin lysis reagent is needed whereby streptokinase enzymatically reacts with plasminogen to form plasmin upon thawing. The plasminogen is suspended in an aqueous salt solution prior to freezing including NaCl and Na3PO4.
US07998693B2 Gene specific to cancer and diagnosis kit using the same
The present invention provides a new additional identification of a gene related to cancer expression and a diagnostic kit using the same.
US07998689B2 Detection of CXADR protein for diagnosis of kidney cancer
The present invention provides a method for diagnosing and detecting diseases associated with kidney. The present invention provides one or more proteins or fragments thereof, peptides or nucleic acid molecules differentially expressed in kidney diseases (KCAT) and antibodies binds to KCATs. The present invention provides that KCATs are used as targets for screening agents that modulates the KCAT activities. Further the present invention provides methods for treating diseases associated with kidney.
US07998685B2 Methods of identifying candidate compounds of the human G protein-coupled receptor, GPR50, as modulators of body mass or adiposity
The present invention relates to methods of using a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) to screen one or more candidate compounds as a modulator of body mass or of adiposity or of percentage body fat in a subject or as a pharmaceutical agent for obesity and conditions related thereto. Inverse agonists and antagonists of the invention are useful as therapeutic agents for the prevention or treatment of obesity and conditions related thereto, including hypertension, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Agonists and partial agonists of the invention are useful as therapeutic agents for the prevention or treatment of disorders ameliorated by increasing body mass including, but not limited to, cachexia.
US07998681B2 Diagnosis and therapy of antibody-mediated inflammatory auto-immune disorders
The present invention describes diagnosis and treatment of antibody-mediated inflammatory auto-immune diseases. The biochemical mechanisms underlying such disorders are described as characteristic molecular markers and antibody-mediated ligand-receptor interactions. Specifically, the activation of T-cells by disease specific IgG binding to the IGF-1 receptor is shown to underlie thyroid associated ophthalmopathy associated with Graves' disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Diagnostics for detection of disease are provided, as are therapeutics based on the determination of the mechanisms underlying a particular pathology.
US07998680B2 Determining genotype of a polymorphic site in the hereditary hemochromatosis gene
The invention relates generally to the gene, and mutations thereto, that are responsible for the disease hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). More particularly, the invention relates to the identification, isolation, and cloning of the DNA sequence corresponding to the normal and mutant HH genes, as well as the characterization of their transcripts and gene products. The invention also related to methods and the like for screening for HH homozygotes and further relates to HH diagnosis, prenatal screening and diagnosis, and therapies of HH disease, including gene therapeutics, protein and antibody based therapeutics, and small molecule therapeutics.
US07998675B2 Probe, probe set, probe carrier, and testing method for detecting DNA of Arthroderma incurvatum
A probe, a set of probes, and a probe carrier on which the probe or the set of probes is immobilized, are provided for classification of fungus species. The probe or the set of probes is capable of collectively detecting fungus of the same species and distinguishingly detecting those fungus from fungus of other species. The probe is an oligonucleotide probe for detecting a pathogenic fungus DNA and includes at least one of base sequences of SEQ ID NOS. 1 to 2 and mutated sequences thereof.
US07998665B2 Color intermediate motion picture film
Silver halide photographic elements that are color intermediate motion picture films have at least one green sensitive silver halide emulsion that includes a green sensitizing dye that is a cyanine dye having two oxazole groups in the molecule, and another green sensitizing dye having either two imidazole groups in the molecule or one oxazole group and one thiazole group in the molecule. The molar ratio of the first green sensitizing dye to the second green sensitizing dye is from about 4:1 to about 0.3:1. The magenta dye image forming unit has at least one green sensitive silver halide emulsion layer that comprises predominantly cubic silver iodobromide grains having at least 90 mol % bromide and at least 1 mol % iodide, which grains have an average equivalent spherical diameter (ESD) of less than 0.25 μm.
US07998655B2 Method of forming patterns
A method of forming patterns includes (a) coating a substrate with a resist composition for negative development to form a resist film, wherein the resist composition contains a resin capable of increasing the polarity by the action of the acid and becomes more soluble in a positive developer and less soluble in a negative developer upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation, (b) forming a protective film on the resist film with a protective film composition after forming the resist film and before exposing the resist film, (c) exposing the resist film via an immersion medium, and (d) performing development with a negative developer.
US07998651B2 Imprint lithography
A method of making an imprint template includes providing a transfer layer on a substrate and providing a layer of imprintable medium on the transfer layer, using a master imprint template to imprint a pattern into the imprintable medium, polymerizing the imprintable medium by exposing it to actinic radiation, then etching the resulting polymer layer, the transfer layer and the substrate such that the imprinted pattern is transferred to the substrate, the substrate thereby becoming an imprint template bearing a pattern which is the inverse of a pattern provided on the master imprint template.
US07998644B2 Mask blank providing system, mask blank providing method, mask blank transparent substrate manufacturing method, mask blank manufacturing method, and mask manufacturing method
A mask blank manufacturing department manufactures a mask blank by forming a thin film to be a mask pattern on a mask blank transparent substrate. When providing the mask blank to a mask manufacturing department, the mask blank manufacturing department provides optical characteristic information (transmittance variation) of the mask blank transparent substrate and optical characteristic information (transmittance variation and/or phase difference variation) of the mask blank to the mask manufacturing department. The optical characteristic information of the mask blank transparent substrate is provided to the mask blank manufacturing department from a materials processing department that manufactures mask blank transparent substrates.
US07998631B2 Method to reduce/eliminate shunt current corrosion of wet end plate in PEM fuel cells
A fuel cell stack includes a first fuel cell assembly and a last fuel cell assembly. The first fuel cell assembly includes a first end plate assembly, which has a first end plate cooling channel adapted to receive a coolant. The last fuel cell assembly includes a last end plate assembly that has a last end plate cooling channel. A first electrical potential exists between the first end plate and the last end plate. The fuel cell stack also includes a connecting cooling channel is in fluid communication with the first end plate cooling channel and the last end plate cooling channel. A coolant is contained within the connecting coolant channel, the first end plate cooling channel, and a last end plate cooling channel. The fuel cell stack further includes a coolant electrode positioned in the coolant channel, which contacts the coolant. A voltage source is in communication with the first end plate and the coolant electrode such that a second electrical potential between the coolant electrode and the first end plate is at a sufficient voltage to impede corrosion of the first end plate.
US07998630B2 Fuel cell
According to one embodiment, a fuel cell includes a fuel tank that stores a liquid fuel, a power generation section including an anode and a cathode, a first fuel supply section that supplies the liquid fuel from the fuel tank to the anode, an oxygen supply section that supplies oxygen to the cathode, and a second fuel supply section that supplies the liquid fuel from the fuel tank to the cathode. The power generation section generates power by a chemical reaction of the liquid fuel and the oxygen.
US07998627B2 Carbon fuel particles used in direct carbon conversion fuel cells
A system for preparing particulate carbon fuel and using the particulate carbon fuel in a fuel cell. Carbon particles are finely divided. The finely dividing carbon particles are introduced into the fuel cell. A gas containing oxygen is introduced into the fuel cell. The finely divided carbon particles are exposed to carbonate salts, or to molten NaOH or KOH or LiOH or mixtures of NaOH or KOH or LiOH, or to mixed hydroxides, or to alkali and alkaline earth nitrates.