Document Document Title
US08086590B2 Product suggestions and bypassing irrelevant query results
A computer system, computer media, and computer-implemented method for generating product suggestions and providing product information are provided. The computer system includes a relevance engine, a product database, and a graphical user interface to respond to user queries and to provide product details associated with one or more products included in the user queries. The relevance engine determines which products are similar to products included in the user queries. The graphical user interface displays product suggestions that refine the user queries without executing the query on the product database, where a subset of the product suggestions are linked to product details pages. User selection of any of the product suggestions within the subset directs the user to a product details page for a specific product and bypasses a listing of results having many products that match the refined user queries.
US08086578B2 Data archiving system
An encrypted file storage solution consists of a cluster of processing nodes, external data storage, and a software agent (the “File System Watcher”), which is installed on the application servers. Cluster sizes of one node up to many hundreds of nodes are possible. There are also remote “Key Servers” which provide various services to one or more clusters. The preceding describes a preferred embodiment, though in some cases it may be desirable to “collapse” some of the functionality into a smaller number of hardware devices, typically trading off cost versus security and fault-tolerance.
US08086575B2 Methods and apparatus for integrating disparate media formats in a networked media system
A media system includes at least a source media device and a playback media device coupled through a network. The source media device presents media to the network. The media comprises at least one digital content file with a first format. A playback media device plays back digital content files formatted in a second format. A transcoder, also coupled to the network, converts the first format of the digital content file to a second format. In one embodiment, the transcoder comprises a device separate from the source media device and the playback media device. In another embodiment, the transcoder comprises a device integrated with the source media device. The playback device receives the digital content file, formatted in the second format, over the network, and processes the digital content file in the second format to generate processed signals. The processed signals drive the playback device to play the digital content file. In another embodiment, the transcoder operates in conjunction with one or more media servers. For this embodiment, media, stored on the media servers, is converted to one or more different file formats. The conversion may occur without requiring a user to initiate the conversion.
US08086562B2 Arrangement for anonymous API downloaded resources for advanced content
Provided are arrangements for downloading resources and managing downloaded resources. A file is requested from a HTTP server, the file associated with an original URI. The file is downloaded and assigned a handle. The file is then stored in a storage location such as a file cache or in a persistent storage location. Upon command of an advanced content playlist or sequence, the file is called by calling the handle of the file. The storing of the file may include storing the file in a location where the file is subject to an automatic removal operation. The file may be an image file or any other type of file, especially multimedia files. The automatic removal operation may occur upon a quitting or restarting of the application. If another request is made for another file, the prior downloaded file may be replaced.
US08086560B2 Schema mapping specification framework
A method, system and program product for specifying, in a schema mapping framework, a mapping between a source schema and a target schema. The source and target schemas are schemas included in respective groups of registered, heterogeneous schemas. The source and target schemas may be of different types. Serialized versions of the source and target schemas include source objects and target objects, respectively. A mapping model is serialized into mapping objects that include logical references representing the source objects and logical references representing the target objects. The logical references are resolved to the source objects and target objects, thereby storing pointers to the source objects and to the target objects. After resolving the logical references, the mapping model includes the logical references and the pointers to the source and target objects.
US08086559B2 Serving content-relevant advertisements with client-side device support
A client-side application (such as a browser, a browser plug-in, a browser toolbar plug-in, etc. on an end user's computer) is used to support the serving of content-relevant ads to the client device. The client-side application may provide such support by sending document information (such as a document identifier, document content, content relevance information, etc.) to a content ad server. The client-side application may also be used to combine content of the document and the content-relevant ads. For example, the client-side application may combine content of the document and the ads in a window (e.g., in a browser window), may provide the ads in a window above, below, adjacent to a document window, may provide the ads in “chrome” of the browser, etc.
US08086555B2 Collaborative filtering systems and methods
A collaborative filtering method for evaluating a group of items to aid in predicting utility of items for a particular user comprises assigning an item value of either known or missing to each item of the group of items, and applying a modification scheme to the item values of the missing items to assign a confidence value to each of the item values of the missing items to thereby generate a group of modified item values. The group of items having modified item values and the group known items are evaluated to generate a prediction of utility of items for a particular user.
US08086551B2 Electronic system with simulated sense perception and method of providing simulated sense perception
A method of providing sense perception to an electronic system includes capturing a plurality of data sets, each data set representing an observation of a scene from a different perspective, comparing the data sets to identify invariants in the data sets, comparing the invariants to identify objects including the invariants, comparing the identified invariants and objects to other identified invariants and objects to identify additional objects including invariants not yet included in previously identified objects, and outputting data indicative of the identified objects and invariants. The different perspectives can be temporal (e.g., time sequenced), positional (e.g., movement of sensors), etc. The data sets can include data indicative of optical images, sound, and/or any other type of sensory data. The invariants can be data representations of color patches in an optical image. The data sets can include data indicative of at least three different types of sense perceptions.
US08086539B2 Value processing network and methods
A method of processing a transaction involving at least two parties includes establishing rules that define transaction processing between combinations of a plurality of origination entities and a plurality of destination entities and storing the rules at a storage arrangement associated with a host computer system. The method also includes receiving at the host computer system transaction information relating to the transaction between the two parties. One of the parties is a particular one of the origination entities and one of the parties is a particular one of the destination entities. The transaction information contains at least an identifier from which at least one of the parties may be identified. The method also includes using the transaction information at the host computer system to identify at least one of the parties and consulting the storage arrangement to determine the rules that define transaction processing for the at least one party. The method also includes processing the transaction based, at least in part, on the rules.
US08086528B2 Transaction aggregator
Systems and methods for determining and reporting aggregated transaction level data regarding a particular user are disclosed. Based on the requests of one or more information requesters, an aggregator server can request transaction level data for all accounts associated with a particular user from a transaction database. The transaction database returns raw transaction level data for all accounts associated with the particular user to the aggregator server. The aggregator server can then parse the raw transaction level data based on a number of transaction level data elements and information requester input. The parsed raw transaction level data can then be used to determine the number of predefined or information requester defined transaction level data aggregates. The resulting transaction level data aggregates can then be sent in a report to the one or more information requesters.
US08086525B2 Methods and systems for providing risk ratings for use in person-to-person transactions
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for determining a risk rating associated with a subject to support a person-to-person transaction. The system includes a profile device in communication with a database that includes personal information and history information associated with the subject. The profile device includes a profile engine stored on a computer-readable medium. The profile engine can access the personal information to authenticate the subject and access the history information to generate a risk rating for the subject. The risk rating is generated by scoring the history information using pre-set criteria. The profile engine can output the risk rating to a reviewer identified by the subject.
US08086524B1 Systems and methods for transaction processing and balance transfer processing
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a computer implemented method for transaction processing that includes: transacting for a first and a second transactions for at least one of: a purchase; and a cash advance; sending requests for authorization of the first and second transactions; declining, by a primary lender, the requests for authorization; evaluating the declined requests for authorization by a secondary lender; authorizing, by the secondary lender, the declined requests for authorization in the form of authorization approvals; communicating the authorization approvals by the primary lender; posting the transactions to a balance sheet of the secondary lender in the form of amounts due to the primary lender; funding the transactions by the primary lender; summing up one or more debits and one or more credits of the posted transactions of the secondary lender; and settling any amounts due between the primary and secondary lenders.
US08086522B2 System and method for changing the view of a trading screen
A trading screen displays market information, such as working orders, buy and sell orders, and other items of interest, in association with values on a value axis. Each item of interest is therefore displayed in relation to the value axis to provide a trader with an intuitive display of the market. In one embodiment, a user can select a location associated with a particular value on the trading screen and upon an selection, for example, by a click of the mouse button, the value axis is repositioned so that the selected value is moved to a predefined location. During which, market information is moved to new locations that are associated with their respective values on the value axis.
US08086517B2 System and method for constraining depletion amount in a defined time frame
Embodiments disclosed herein provide price protection on commodity purchases in which a consumer can select, accept, or otherwise agree to a depletion constraint on the consumption of the commodity thus purchased. Based on the agreed depletion constraint, a provider may adjust terms and/or the price of the price protection. In some embodiments, the depletion constraint can be time-based, quantity-based, value-based, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the depletion constraint can be linear. In some embodiments, a consumer may be required to purchase a certain amount of the commodity during a specified time frame. In some embodiments, the provider of the price protection may receive a payment from the consumer when the retail price of the commodity at the time of the purchase is below a specified floor price. In some embodiments, the commodity is motor fuel.
US08086515B2 System and method for settling trades
A method of settling trades includes the steps of obtaining an authenticated delivery instrument, wherein the authenticated delivery instrument is authenticated by a first exchange and may be used to settle a trade undertaken on the first exchange. An electronic proxy is issued for the delivery instrument, wherein the electronic proxy may be exchanged for the authenticated delivery instrument and where the electronic proxy is used to settle a trade undertaken on a second exchange.
US08086513B2 System and method of margining fixed payoff products
A system and method is disclosed for determining performance bonds related to fixed payoff products, i.e. contracts which payoff a fixed amount based on the outcome of an underlying event regardless of the particular value of the underlying event. The worst outcome of the overall portfolio, which may contain more than one instrument, is calculated. This permits the portfolio to have both long and short positions on the same underlying event and offsets, e.g. long (bought but not closed out) and short (sold but not closed out) positions, among instruments in the portfolio are factored in. A universe of outcomes is constructed including single events with single outcomes, and the probability thereof, an single events with multiple outcomes, each with a probability thereof. This universe is implemented in a matrix probabilities on different outcomes, also referred to as “strikes.” Each strike/outcome then has an associated price and probability, typically factored together as single value reflective of both. Events with low probability will have low values, resulting in a lower margin requirement, as will be explained below. The margin requirement/performance bond is then set equal to the amount of the maximum loss that the portfolio can sustain for any possible outcome of the underlying event, adjusted for the probability of the outcome.
US08086510B2 Computer graphics processing methods and systems for presentation of graphics objects or text in a wagering environment with suspect wager checking
Computer graphics processing systems and methods are provided for the presentation of graphic objects or text in a wagering environment. In at least one embodiment, the systems and methods present graphic objects on a graphic user interface screen that includes at least one of a plurality of betting lines, including a reference betting line, such as a market betting line having a value that corresponds to a value of a reference variable associated with an object, a high line having a value corresponding to an amount above the reference variable value, a low line having a value corresponding to an amount below the reference variable value, etc. The market, high, and low lines may be arranged spatially on the interface screen based at least on the values of each of the lines. The interface screen includes a least one computer generated graphic object associated with each of the betting lines that is selectable for submitting at least one of an up bet request and a down bet request. The at least one graphic object may be rotating or moving based on the tradeable state associated with the graphic object.
US08086506B2 Network-based supply chain management method
An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method for facilitating supply chain collaboration in a network environment, said supply chain including an enterprise and at least one supplier. The method includes generating and transmitting an unconstrained forecast to a supplier; receiving a supplier capability statement in response; and generating a constrained forecast utilizing the supplier capability statement. The constrained forecast is transmitted to the supplier which responds with a formal commitment to product a needed supply indicated in the constrained forecast. The method also includes monitoring inventory levels at a replenishment service center by a supplier based upon a formal commitment, refilling inventory items at the replenishment service center, and facilitating delivery of the inventory items to the enterprise site by transmitting a pull signal to the replenishment service center whereby inventory items are delivered in response to the pull signal.
US08086504B1 Tag suggestions based on item metadata
Tag suggestions enable a hosting entity such as a website to determine one or more tags to suggest to a user for association with a particular item within an electronic catalog. After this determination, the hosting entity may suggest the determined tags to the user. To determine these tags, the hosting entity may employ techniques to determine items related to the particular item. The hosting entity then suggests some or all of the tags associated with the related items. Additionally or alternatively, the hosting entity may determine certain metadata associated with the particular item. The entity then may suggest this metadata, or some related phrase or tag, to the user for association with the particular item. However the tag suggestions are determined, the hosting entity may rank the tag suggestions to determine which tags to present to the user or to determine an order in which to present the tags.
US08086498B2 E-commerce transaction and product information aggregation and processing
Embodiments include hardware and/or software for receiving an electronic receipt from a merchant that describes a transaction for a product by a purchaser and gathering product information from one or more sources such as the merchant, the product's manufacturer, the purchaser's bank, and/or an accessories dealer. Upon gathering the product information, the product information is associated with the transaction for the product on the electronic receipt and packaged in a standard, electronic format, an aggregated package, that is accessible and manageable by the purchaser's software, such as a personal finance manager (PFM) like Quicken™, Quickbooks™, Microsoft Money™, or the like. The aggregated package can then be sent to the purchaser via an email address supplied by the purchaser at the time of the purchaser or by the purchaser's bank while completing a funds transfer for the transaction.
US08086495B2 Device and a method for ordering product at a premises via an integrated multimedia service system
A product ordering device provided at a digital home system at a user premises is disclosed. The digital home system comprises a user terminal and a gateway device within the premises. Occupants at the premises enjoy the product ordering service on an interactive user interface displayed via the user terminal. The gateway device is coupled for communication with the user terminal via a local area network, and for communication with a wide area network outside the premises; and the gateway device is configured for obtaining product data via the wide area network and providing the product data to the terminal for display on the display device. Upon placement of a product order by a user input through the terminal, the gateway device sends an order message outside of the integrated multimedia service system to request a corresponding vendor for the ordered product to deliver the ordered product at the premises. The product ordering service and the product data are provided and updated by a management server located outside of the premises.
US08086493B2 System and method for facilitating a financial transaction with a dynamically generated identifier
Instead of a PIN which is associated with an account and provides access to an account, a dynamically generated card identifier (dynamic CID) is used to verify that the consumer currently possesses the transaction card at the time of purchase and/or is the true card owner. At the time of purchase, a token generates a dynamic CID, which changes with each transaction. A consumer enters the dynamic CID into a pre-existing CID field in an electronic order form. The merchant then sends the dynamic CID to a card authorization system within an authorization request. The card authorization system issues a response to a merchant system via a pre-existing authorization message indicating that the transaction card and dynamic CID have been validated, thereby adjusting the fraud risk associated with the transaction.
US08086491B1 Method and system for targeted content distribution using tagged data streams
A method for targeting content to a user based on a user profile and content tags. All content is delivered to the user's computer system. Each unit of content has a tag uniquely identifying a classification of the content. The receiving computer recognizes and evaluates the tags to match the content with a local user profile. The matching content is selected from all the content and displayed. The user profile is a set of data describing the classifications of content that are most appropriate for the user. The profile can be developed based on usage history or demographic information. The user computer system has a tag dictionary that may be updated to correspond to a set of tags utilized by content delivery systems.
US08086483B1 Analysis and normalization of questionnaires
In one example, normalized questionnaires may be used to consistently determine an assessment regardless of which of the questionnaires is used. The normalization may include verification that a category score is consistently determined regardless of which of the questionnaires is used. The category score included in the assessment may be determined as a function of answers provided in response to each of the questions that are included in a questionnaire and that are directed to a question category. Normalization may include selection of focus questions from among the questions that are directed to the question category. Normalization may include determination of category scores, where each of the category scores is determined based on a respective answer to each one of the focus questions.
US08086482B2 Performance optimization
In embodiments, the present invention relates to methods and systems for monitoring performance of employees, contractors and other agents employed to perform tasks on behalf of a company, business organization or other entity. In an embodiment, the present invention involves defining performance metrics that relate to achievement values. The achievement values are associated with defined performance levels. Performance statistics that relate to an agents performance are collected and compared to the achievement values to characterize an agent's performance within one of the performance levels. The performance level achieved by an agent and the compensation of the agent are graphically displayed, and in some embodiments used to determine compensation adjustments.
US08086477B2 System for creating maintenance plans
The invention relates to a system and a method for creating maintenance plans for machines and/or installations simply, dynamically and at low cost, in particular an automation system from production automation and/or process automation. The said machines and/or installations comprise one or more components, wherein the components contain maintenance information, and wherein the system has a device for generating a maintenance plan by combining the maintenance information of the components.
US08086475B2 Investment insurance auctioning method and system thereof
A method for providing investment insurance, and a related system, for use in the insurance business of financial e-commerce provides a novel funding operation approach to investment insurance. The novel funding operation approach allows a user to select to expand credit, and increase return on investment, or select to deposit with zero risk. The system for investment insurance allows insurance companies to receive a surrender fee and eliminate interest risk, and the applicant may expand their credit to increase their return on investment for enhanced protection of their insurance policy.
US08086473B2 Method and system for managing operations and processes in healthcare delivery in a hospital
A method and system for managing healthcare delivery is presented. The method includes receiving data related to patients and the patients' scheduled procedures. Based on the data, a queue is generated for screening the patients. The patients are screened in accordance with the screening queue. Once screened, data related to tracking the patients is obtained. The tracking data is used to generate a tracking queue. The patients are tracked in relation to the tracking queue.
US08086468B2 Method for computerising and standardizing medical information
The present invention is to provide a method for computerizing and standardizing medical information, which can provide web screens through terminals to enable doctors, nurses, pharmacists, or the like to immediately online input and read a variety of information created upon treating and caring for patients in a hospital, and can standardize medical information input or represented through the web screens, such as various medical information, nursing information, medicine information and the like.
US08086466B2 Method and apparatus for generating customized furniture documentation
Preferred embodiments include a method and apparatus for generating customized product documentation for a furniture item having a plurality of surface material options. A computer receives a plurality of images of surface materials which may be applied to a furniture item and stores the images into a computer database. Label information describing each of the plurality of images and the furniture item is also received into the database. Surface material images are electronically displayed and an image is selected for application to the furniture item. The computer maps the selected surface material onto an image depicting the furniture item. An electronic document is generated which includes an image of the furniture item having the selected surface material mapped thereon and the label information associated with the selected surface material and the furniture item.
US08086465B2 Transform domain transcoding and decoding of audio data using integer-reversible modulated lapped transforms
A “STAC Codec” provides audio transcoding and decoding by processing an encoded audio signal using a backward-adaptive run-length Golomb-Rice (RLGR) decoder to recover transform coefficients of the encoded audio signal. The transform coefficients are then either transcoded in the transform domain to lossy or other formats, or decoded to the time domain by applying an inverse integer-reversible modulated lapped transform (MLT) to the recovered transform coefficients to recover an uncompressed time domain representation compressed audio signal. In additional embodiments, an inter-block spectral estimation and inverse data sorting strategy is used in recovering the transform coefficients from the encoded audio signal. In other embodiments, conversion from lossless encoding to near-lossless encoding is achieved by right-shifting recovered transform coefficients by some number of bits such that quantization errors are not perceived as distortion in the decoded audio signal, then re-encoding the right shifted transform coefficients.
US08086463B2 Dynamically generating a vocal help prompt in a multimodal application
Dynamically generating a vocal help prompt in a multimodal application that include detecting a help-triggering event for an input element of a VoiceXML dialog, where the detecting is implemented with a multimodal application operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the multimodal application is operatively coupled to a VoiceXML interpreter, and the multimodal application has no static help text. Dynamically generating a vocal help prompt in a multimodal application according to embodiments of the present invention typically also includes retrieving, by the VoiceXML interpreter from a source of help text, help text for an element of a speech recognition grammar, forming by the VoiceXML interpreter the help text into a vocal help prompt, and presenting by the multimodal application the vocal help prompt through a computer user interface to a user.
US08086462B1 Automatic detection, summarization and reporting of business intelligence highlights from automated dialog systems
A method and system for reporting data from a spoken dialog service is disclosed. The method comprises extracting data regarding user dialogs using a dialog logging module in the spoken dialog service, analyzing the data to identify trends and reporting the trends. The data may be presented in a visual form for easier consumption. The method may also relate to identifying data within the control or outside the control of a service provider that is used to adjust the spoken dialog service to maximize customer retention.
US08086460B2 Speech-enabled application that uses web 2.0 concepts to interface with speech engines
The present invention discloses a speech-enabled application that includes two or more linked markup documents that together form a speech-enabled application served by a Web 2.0 server. The linked markup documents can conform to an ATOM PUBLISHING PROTOCOL (APP) based protocol. Additionally, the linked markup documents can include an entry collection of documents and a resource collection of documents. The resource collection can include at least one speech resource associated with a speech engine disposed in a speech processing system remotely located from the Web 2.0 server. The speech resource can add a speech processing capability to the speech-enabled application. In one embodiment, end-users of the speech-enabled application can be permitted to introspect, customize, replace, add, re-order, and remove at least a portion of the linked markup documents.
US08086458B2 Audio signal de-identification
Techniques are disclosed for automatically de-identifying spoken audio signals. In particular, techniques are disclosed for automatically removing personally identifying information from spoken audio signals and replacing such information with non-personally identifying information. De-identification of a spoken audio signal may be performed by automatically generating a report based on the spoken audio signal. The report may include concept content (e.g., text) corresponding to one or more concepts represented by the spoken audio signal. The report may also include timestamps indicating temporal positions of speech in the spoken audio signal that corresponds to the concept content. Concept content that represents personally identifying information is identified. Audio corresponding to the personally identifying concept content is removed from the spoken audio signal. The removed audio may be replaced with non-personally identifying audio.
US08086454B2 Message transcription, voice query and query delivery system
A message transmission system accepts a telephone call from a user who wishes to send an e-mail message, send an SMS message, perform an Internet query or retrieve his or her electronic mail. The voice call is transcribed and the message is sent, or the question in the voice call is transcribed and answered by an agent. Any number of agents connect to a central site over an Internet connection and transcribe messages or answer queries in an assembly line like fashion. In addition, a Web query delivery system accepts a query or statement from a user; the query is transcribed, classified, and then broadcast over any medium to any number of experts or web sites that desire to answer the particular type of query received. The entire query is delivered to an expert or web site who provides a full answer to the user.
US08086443B2 System and method for text tagging and segmentation using a generative/discriminative hybrid hidden markov model
A method for sequence tagging medical patient records includes providing a labeled corpus of sentences taken from a set of medical records, initializing generative parameters θ and discriminative parameters {tilde over (θ)}, providing a functional LL−C×Penalty, where LL is a log-likelihood function LL = log ⁢ ⁢ p ⁡ ( θ , θ ~ ) + ∏ l = 1 M ⁢ ⁢ [ log ⁢ ⁢ p ⁢ ( X l , Y l | θ ~ ) - log ⁢ ⁢ p ⁡ ( X l | θ ~ ) ] + ∏ l = 1 M ⁢ ⁢ log ⁢ ⁢ p ⁡ ( X l | θ ) , ⁢ Penalty = ∑ y ∈ V Y ⁢ ( em y 2 + tr y 2 + e ⁢ ⁢ m ~ y 2 + t ⁢ ⁢ r ~ y 2 ) , where emy=1−Σ∀xiεVXp(xi|y), e{tilde over (m)}y=1−Σ∀xiεVX{tilde over (p)}(xi|y) are emission probability constraints, try=1−Σ∀yiεVYp(yi|y), t{tilde over (r)}y=1−Σ∀yiεVY{tilde over (p)}(yi|y) are transition probability constraints, and extracting gradients of LL−C×Penalty with respect to the transition and emission probabilities and solving θk*,{tilde over (θ)}k*that maximize LL−C×Penalty, initializing a new iteration with θk*,{tilde over (θ)}k* and incrementing C and repeating until solutions have converged, where parameters θ,{tilde over (θ)} are the probabilities that a new sentence X′ is labeled as Y′.
US08086439B2 Translation of text into numbers
A text string representing a number in a specific language is converted to a text string by tokenizing the string, distributing the tokens across a multi-level data structure to find possible distributions, and analyzing the combinations to find a valid distribution. The valid distribution may be interpreted to yield a numerical value based on the data structure. The data structure may be readily developed for any language.
US08086433B2 Simulation apparatus and method for design of sensor network
A simulation apparatus and method in relation to a sensor network are provided. The apparatus includes: a space database storing space information; a database storing standard specifications of sensors or sensor nodes; and a modeling unit extracting information on a 3-dimensional (3D) virtual space in which a sensor or sensor node is positioned, from the space database, obtaining the characteristic of the sensor or the sensor node from the standard specification based on the extracted space information and the standard specification of the sensor or the sensor node, and modeling the sensor or the sensor node. According to the apparatus and method, a virtual wireless sensor network system identical to a real world environment can be established, and as a result, the performance of the system can be accurately measured and an optimized design of the system can be efficiently performed.
US08086421B2 Multi-sensor monitoring of athletic performance
Athletic performance monitoring systems and methods, many of which utilize, in some manner, global positioning satellite (“GPS”) data, provide data and information to athletes and/or to equipment used by athletes during an athletic event. Such systems and methods may provide route information to athletes and/or their trainers, e.g., for pre-event planning, goal setting, and calibration purposes. Such systems and methods optionally may provide real time information to the athlete while the event takes place, e.g., to assist in reaching the pre-set goals. Additionally, data and information collected by such systems and methods may assist in post-event analysis for athletes and their trainers, e.g., to evaluate past performances and to assist in improving future performances.
US08086415B2 Molecularly imprinted polymer
A computer aided rational molecular design method that includes establishing a virtual library of functional monomers each having a portion that is capable of polymerizing and a functional group that is capable of interacting with a template molecule with the aid of a computer, designing a molecular model of a biological template molecule by a computer facilitated molecular mechanical method and screening said virtual library of functional monomers and selecting those monomers which have the highest binding score to the template molecule by their functional group.
US08086414B2 Method and system for modeling cellular metabolism
This invention relates to methods and systems for in silico or bioinformatic modeling of cellular metabolism. The invention includes methods and systems for modeling cellular metabolism of an organism, comprising constructing a flux balance analysis model, and applying constraints to the flux balance analysis model, the constraints selected from the set consisting of: qualitative kinetic information constraints, qualitative regulatory information constraints, and differential DNA microarray experimental data constraints. In addition, the present invention provides for computational procedures for solving metabolic problems.
US08086412B2 Corrective methodology for processing results of transcriptome experiments obtained by differential analysis
A corrective method is described for processing results of transcriptome experiments obtained by differential analysis includes the following steps: obtaining the results of the level of expression of genes under a reference condition, and calculating the mean level of expression of each of such genes; obtaining the results of the level of expression of such genes under a treatment condition, and calculating the mean level of expression for each of such genes; calculating the modulation coefficient for the level of expression for each of such genes; calculating a p-value associated with each modulation coefficient; and calculating isobar curves of p-value as a function of the mean level of expression of each of such genes under the reference condition; calculating and associating a median modulation coefficient on the isobar curve of each p-value observed. The processing of results of experiments carried out on DNA chips is also described.
US08086411B2 System for providing animal test information and method of providing animal test information
A system for providing animal test information is disclosed that comprises: test devices; and a central device communicably connected to the test devices, wherein each of the terminal test devices comprises: an input receiving section for receiving input of attribution information of a sample; a measurement section for measuring the sample and acquiring a measurement result; an information transmitting section for transmitting a data set of the attribution information and the measurement result to the central device, wherein the central device comprises: an information receiving section for receiving the data set; a data storage for storing a plurality of the data set; a standard value calculation section for calculating a standard value to be used for determining a treatment of an animal, based on a plurality of the measurement result included in a plurality of the data set which have common attribution information.
US08086404B2 On-vehicle navigation system
The present invention provides an on-vehicle navigation system in which a user can perform predetermined driving using a special lane such as a carpool lane appropriately and without anxiety where advancing from a normal lane in a predetermined advancing authorized section and exiting to the normal lane in a predetermined exiting authorized section are authorized. The system includes a remaining number notifying section for notifying the user of the remaining number of at least one of an exiting authorized section for exiting from a special lane to the normal lane and an advancing authorized section for advancing to the special lane from a normal lane, between a vehicle position detected by a vehicle position calculation section and an interchange point or an exit of a plural-lane road including the special lane and the normal lane which exists on a recommended route, in performing route guidance of the vehicle.
US08086399B2 Navigation apparatus
A navigation apparatus includes notification means for notifying an advance direction at a branching point in a route guiding, storage means for storing a plurality of moving methods and notification methods corresponding to the respective moving methods, input means for selecting one of the plurality of moving methods stored in the storage means, and control means for causing the notification means to perform notification by the notification method corresponding to the moving method selected by the input means. Thus, it is possible to easily set a route guiding such as a distance to the branching point where guiding is started for each of the moving methods and a sound volume.
US08086393B2 Providing road information including vertex data for a link and using the same
A method of processing traffic information includes receiving link vertex information including a first identifier and vertex components that each reveal a position along a link. The first identifier enables a determination of a type of information that is included within the received link vertex information. The method also includes determining the type of information included within the received link vertex information based on the first identifier and identifying vertex components within the link vertex information only if the first identifier enables a determination that the received link vertex information includes at least one vertex component.
US08086391B2 Vehicle launch anticipation
Turbo lag is a known impediment of a turbocharged, small displacement engine providing the feel of a large displacement engine. A method of spinning up the exhaust turbine during an interval between the time that the operator moves his/her foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal to initiate a launch. A non-exhaustive list of actions that can be taken to increase exhaust enthalpy provided to the turbine include: opening the throttle, retarding the spark, and closing the wastegate. Additionally, a brake can be applied at one of the vehicle wheels to keep the engine from launching forward during this interval.
US08086388B2 Camshaft phasor synchronization system for an engine
A camshaft phasor control system for an engine includes a first camshaft position sensor that generates a first camshaft position signal based on a position of a first camshaft. A first summer generates a first error signal based on the first camshaft position signal and a first commanded position signal. A control module generates a raw duty cycle based on the first error signal. A second summer generates a modified duty cycle based on the raw duty cycle and a modifier. The control module generates the modifier based on the first error signal and speed of the first camshaft relative to a second camshaft.
US08086380B2 Variable bleed solenoid recovery system
A recovery control system and method for automatic transmissions includes a diagnostic module that determines a fault condition of a variable bleed solenoid (VBS) when the automatic transmission fails to establish a desired drive ratio. A recovery module initiates a recovery cycle of the VBS based on the fault condition. The fault condition includes one of a clutch stuck-on condition and a clutch stuck-off condition. A clutch controlled by the VBS fails to disengage during the clutch stuck-on condition, and the clutch fails to engage during the clutch stuck-on condition.
US08086379B2 Control apparatus for automatic transmission
A control apparatus for an automatic transmission capable of operating in an automatic shift mode in which a speed ratio is automatically selected based on driving conditions of a vehicle, and a manual shift mode in which the speed ratio is changed based on an upshift command and a downshift command by manual operation of a manual operation unit, the control apparatus includes a controller that operates in a jumping shift mode that is included in the manual shift mode and that is composed of a smaller number of shift speeds than a number of shift speeds of the automatic shift mode; wherein the controller performs a downshift from a shift speed of the jumping shift mode at a time when the downshift command is issued by an operation of the manual operation unit based on the shift speed of the jumping shift mode.
US08086376B2 Vehicle rollover prediction with occupant restraint system activation
An automobile rollover prediction and restraint device deployment system comprises a plurality of automobile data sensors to generate a plurality of data signals, and a controller to receive the data signals and configured to deploy resettable and non-resettable restraint devices. The controller is configured to activate at least one resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals exceed a first threshold, indicating that the vehicle is in a position or undergoing movement that indicates a potential for vehicle rollover, and to de-activate the at least one resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals fall below the first threshold.
US08086371B2 Control device for a wheel suspension system
In a control device for controlling a variable element of a wheel suspension system, the variable suspension element associated with one of the wheels is controlled at least according to an output of a sensor associated with a different one of the wheels. The output of the sensor may include a sprung mass speed of a vehicle part associated with each wheel. The variable suspension element may include a variable damping force damper or a variable spring constant spring. Thereby, an undesired response of a vehicle body can be avoided even when a vehicle is subjected to an uneven distribution of wheel loads such as when the vehicle is traveling over a slanted road surface or making a turn.
US08086370B2 Load controlled stabilizer system
A stabilizer system for an industrial vehicle includes one or more stabilizer cylinders mounted to the industrial vehicle, wherein the stabilizer cylinders are configured to contact the ground when deployed. The stabilizer system further includes a pressure sensor configured to determine a hydraulic system pressure, and a processor configured to calculate a stabilizing pressure to be applied to the one or more stabilizer cylinders. The stabilizing pressure is based on the hydraulic system pressure in order to improve a forward stability of the industrial vehicle when the one or more stabilizer cylinders are deployed.
US08086360B2 Device and a method for moving a jet member
A device for moving a jet member on a carriage (6) between two selectable extreme positions along a guide (5) has means for detecting that the carriage has reached a selectable extreme position, said means comprising members (24, 25) adapted to form a mechanical resistance against continued movement of the carriage so as to influence the flow of hydraulic liquid in an hydraulic circuit (27) of a hydraulic drive arrangement for moving the carriage. Members (31) are arranged to sense a parameter of the hydraulic liquid, the magnitude of which is depending upon the flow of hydraulic liquid in the hydraulic circuit, and send information about the magnitude of this parameter to a control unit (14) adapted to control the turning of the carriage on the basis of this information.
US08086356B2 System for monitoring and controlling the consumption of a utility
A system for monitoring and controlling the consumption of electrical energy and for warning a consumer of the status of their use including subsystem that produces three warning levels. The first warning is a visual signal while the second signal is an audio signal. The third signal is an audio signal louder than the second signal to warn a consumer that their supply of power will be interrupted in a given amount of time. The third signal also includes a timer to indicate that the power will be discontinued within a number of minutes. The system also includes an internal electric current restoration unit for reconnecting the supply of power when a preselected period of time has passed or power has been reduced to a preselected level before being interrupted.
US08086346B2 Processing of undeliverable as addressed mail
In some example, a computerized method includes sorting mail that comprises a multiple pass mail sort operation. The multiple pass mail sort operation for a mail piece that is undeliverable as addressed comprises performing a first pass of the multiple pass mail sort operation, wherein performing the first pass comprises capturing data to identify a feature of the mail piece. The multiple pass mail sort operation comprises generating a fingerprint for the mail piece between performing the first pass and performing a second pass of the multiple pass mail sort operation. The fingerprint is derived from the feature of the mail piece that is identified during the first pass. The multiple pass mail sort operation comprises performing the second pass of the multiple pass mail sort operation, wherein performing the second pass comprises determining a final disposition of the mail piece that is undeliverable as addressed, wherein the fingerprint is used to identify the mail piece during the determining of the final disposition.
US08086344B1 Predictive router for materials handling
Systems and computer-implemented methods for predictive routing of item packages within a materials handling facility are disclosed. A predictive router may operate in conjunction with a container recommender, and both may be components of a facility management system. The predictive router may determine a routing destination for an item package dependent, at least in part, on the size and/or dimensions of a container that was recommended for handling the item package. The routing destination may be a shipping line customized for preparation of packed boxes of a particular size or in a particular size range for shipment. An optional scanner may attempt to determine the size of the actual container being used to ship the item package, and the predictive router may update the routing destination if the actual container does not match the recommended container. The predictive router may also consider special handling instructions when determining a routing destination.
US08086339B2 Electronic device history record and product release system
A method for monitoring the manufacture of molded ophthalmic lenses is disclosed.The method monitors the occurrence of predetermined events and records such events in a device history record and a shadow table.
US08086338B2 Component mounting apparatus, service providing device and servicing method
A service providing method for monitoring a mounting tact of a component mounting apparatus includes collecting, from the service receiver, mounting tact information including a mounting tact result value of the component mounting apparatus from the service receiver by use of a service provider via a communication system. The method additionally includes judging whether a mounting operation of the component mounting apparatus has a tact loss corresponding to an amount by which a mounting tact is greater than a standard mounting tact as a result of analysis of the collected mounting tact information and determining and feeding back, to the service receiver via the communication system, NC data for allowing the component mounting apparatus to be operated.
US08086325B2 Process control system with a charging function
The invention relates to a process control system comprising a calculating unit enabling a charge value (W) to be determined from operations occurring in the process control system. Preferably, said process control system comprises a process control computer with a web server and a computer which is used to access the processes control computer via Internet. The charging value (W) is especially a service fee which is to be paid to an application service provider by a user of the process control system.
US08086324B1 Intrapericardial lead with distal region configured to optimize lead extraction
A lead includes a lead body with a stylet receiving lumen, a distal tip, and a distal portion proximal of the distal tip that is biased to assume a non-linear configuration. Insertion of a stylet into the lumen causes the distal portion to transition from the non-linear configuration to a generally linear configuration. The lead also includes a first arm member having a distal end and a proximal end coupled to the lead body proximal of the distal tip; and a nosepiece, at least a portion of which is biodegradable. The nosepiece is configured to receive the distal tip of the lead body and the distal end of the first arm member such that the lead body, first arm member and nosepiece form a closed arrangement prior to biodegradation of the nosepiece and an open arrangement after biodegradation of the nosepiece.
US08086321B2 Selectively connecting the tip electrode during therapy for MRI shielding
A medical device includes a pulse generator and an electrode configured to contact tissue in a body vessel. The medical device includes a lead that includes a lead connector. The lead connector connects a pulse generator with an electrode via a conductive path. An electrode switch is electrically connected between the lead conductor and the electrode. The electrode switch includes an open state preventing the conductive path between the lead and the electrode. The electrode switch includes a closed state establishing the conductive path between the lead and the electrode when a voltage is applied across the electrode switch that exceeds a threshold voltage. The electrode switch in the open state electrically shields the electrode from electromagnetic radiation and induced voltages during magnetic resonance imaging.
US08086315B2 Cardiac stimulation apparatus and method for the control of hypertension
A method that electrically stimulates a heart muscle to alter the ejection profile of the heart, to control the mechanical function of the heart and reduce the observed blood pressure of the patient. The therapy may be invoked by an implantable blood pressure sensor associated with a pacemaker like device. In some cases, where a measured pretreatment blood pressure exceeds a treatment threshold, a patient's heart may be stimulated with an electrical stimulus timed relative to the patient's cardiac ejection cycle. This is done to cause dyssynchrony between at least two cardiac chambers, which alters the patient's cardiac ejection profile from a pretreatment cardiac ejection profile. This has the effect of reducing the patient's blood pressure from the measured pretreatment blood pressure.
US08086313B2 Implantable medical device with anti-infection agent
An implantable medical device comprises an anti-infection agent. The implantable medical device may be configured for placement in the head of a patient and for monitoring or treatment of the brain. The implantable medical device may have a housing or it may have a housing and a member for providing a smooth interface between the device and the adjacent tissue. The anti-infection agent may be provided on or impregnated in the housing or the member. In some embodiments, the device includes a single module while in other embodiments a plurality of modules are coupled to provide a smaller profile. In some embodiments the implantable medical device may include both anti-infection and lubricious materials.
US08086312B2 Capacitors for medical devices
The invention is directed to designs for capacitors of implantable medical devices (IMDs) such as implantable defibrillators, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, implantable pacemaker-cardioverter-defibrillators, and the like. The capacitor designs can reduce capacitor volume significantly and may also improve charge holding capacity relative to conventional capacitor designs. Moreover, since capacitors typically comprise a significant portion of the volume of an IMD, significant reductions in capacitor volume can likewise significantly reduce the size of the IMD.
US08086302B2 Cardiac signal sensor control based on perfusion sensing
An optical perfusion sensor may monitor blood oxygen saturation of blood-perfused tissue, which may be referred to as tissue perfusion, until a tissue perfusion value is within a threshold range of a reference value, and, in some examples, for at least a minimum period of time. The tissue perfusion value may indicate an absolute blood oxygen saturation level or a relative change in blood oxygen saturation level. The reference value may be, for example, determined by an optical oxygenation (O2) variation index that indicates a change in blood oxygen saturation of tissue. In some examples, an operation of a cardiac signal sensing module may be controlled based upon detecting a threshold change in tissue perfusion. For example, the cardiac signal sensing module may be activated upon detecting a threshold change in tissue perfusion.
US08086297B2 Dark blood delayed enhancement magnetic resonance viability imaging techniques for assessing subendocardial infarcts
The technology herein provides a dark blood delayed enhancement technique that improves the visualization of subendocardial infarcts that may otherwise be disguised by the bright blood pool. The timed combination of a slice-selective and a non-selective preparation improves the infarct/blood contrast by decoupling their relaxation curves thereby nulling both the blood and the non-infarcted myocardium. This causes the infarct to be imaged bright and the blood and non-infarct to both be imaged dark. The slice-selective preparation occurs early enough in the cardiac cycle so that fresh blood can enter the imaged slice.
US08086284B2 Portable electronic device and portable telephone with electroacoustic transducer mounting
A portable electronic device includes a cover, and a casing engaged with the cover to form a space between the cover and the casing. The portable electronic device also includes a first mounting substrate in the space and an electroacoustic transducer between the first mounting substrate and the casing. The electroacoustic transducer converts from one of an audio and an electric signal into the other.
US08086282B2 Apparatuses and a method for reducing peak power in a transmitter of telecommunications systems
The present invention relates to an apparatus (100), a base station (500) and a method for reducing peak power of an input signal (1) using successive processing stages (10). Each stage (10) comprises a peak finder (11) arranged to find at least one peak of the input signal (1) exceeding a threshold level, and to make a list (LO) comprising information on a number of the highest peaks or information on each peak; a peak selector (12) adapted to receive the list (LO) and to receive, from each preceding stage (10), a list (Li) with information on unreduced peaks and the stage number. The peak selector (12) further selects from all lists a peak (P) to be reduced and determines a fractional sample shift value (FSi) of the stage in which the selected peak was found. Each stage (10) further comprises a kernel selector that selects a kernel signal (Ki) that is fractionally sample shifted with the sum of all fractional shift values, starting from the shift value (FSi) up to the present stage. Each stage (10) also comprises a kernel manipulator (14) that manipulates the selected kernel signal based on information on the selected peak (P). Each stage (10) further comprises a combiner (15) that reduces the selected peak (P) by combining the manipulated kernel signal with a delayed version of the input signal (1).
US08086281B2 Apparatuses and methods that facilitate the transfer of power and information among electrical devices
The present invention is directed to apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer readable media that can facilitate the transfer of power between at least two electrical devices. At least one of the electrical devices is preferably a battery operated device. The present invention may also be used to facilitate the transfer of information among electrical devices. For example, the present invention may be used to automatically pair two Bluetooth devices together.
US08086277B2 Transmitter of wireless microphone, receiver for wireless microphone, portable information communication device, and wireless microphone communication system
A wireless microphone communication system 1 comprises a transmitter 91b of a wireless microphone and a receiver 11 for the wireless microphone. The transmitter 91b of the wireless microphone includes an infrared interface 91c, a control portion 91d, and a function control portion 91e that controls a function of the wireless microphone. The control portion 91d controls the function control portion 91e according to information transmitted through the infrared interface 91c. The function of the transmitter 91b of the wireless microphone is controlled under this control. The receiver 11 of the wireless microphone has the infrared interface 11c. The receiver 11 of the wireless microphone sends, through the infrared interface 11c, information in the form of the infrared signal to control the function of the transmitter 91c of the wireless microphone.
US08086274B2 Handheld electronic device including cross application use of phone related inputs, and associated method
An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method provide added convenience for the user by enabling the user to quickly and easily initiate telephone related functions from applications other than the device's phone and address book applications using a dedicated phone related key. The device includes a plurality of use states and each one of the use states has an associated function that is to be initiated upon depression of the phone related key. When the phone related key is depressed, the current use state is determined and the function that is associated with the current use state is executed.
US08086267B2 System and method for provisioning a wireless networking connection
A vehicle communication system includes a processor that may query a wireless device to determine, among other things, a carrier identity. The carrier identity is the identity of the service provider for the wireless device. If the carrier identity is known, the processor may use a lookup table to determine an access phone number (APN) and a user name and password for provisioning a wireless internet connection through the wireless device. If the carrier identity is unknown, or if more than one APN and/or user name/password combination are associated with a given carrier, the processor is operable to perform a guess and check process to determine the appropriate provisioning information.
US08086261B2 System and method for providing digital network access and digital broadcast services using combined channels on a single physical medium to the customer premises
The disclosure is directed to customer premises equipment including a network access port configured to receive broadband digital network data from broadband wireless network access equipment, a broadcast access port configured to receive digital satellite broadcast data, and a unified access port configured to provide the broadband digital network data and the digital broadcast data via a coaxial cable.
US08086254B2 System, method, and apparatus for using alternative numbers for routing voice calls and short messages in a communications network
A system, method and computer-readable medium for allowing the use of an alternative numbering plan for delivering short messages to mobile subscribers using the public mobile telephone network is provided. Users of an enterprise or other closed networks as well as users that are not part of a closed network may send short messages destined to members of an enterprise or closed network from their mobile or other devices associated with their subscription using an alternative enterprise directory number, such as the office number, instead of the mobile number, such that the alternative number will be presented at the destination device as the originating number. The recipient may respond to the message by addressing the response to the enterprise or closed network number, and the response may be delivered to the originator's mobile or other device associated with their subscription.
US08086249B1 Ranging of wireless communication networks with distant wireless links
A method of operating a communication system is disclosed. The method includes receiving a first location information related to a geographic location of a wireless communication device and a second location information related to a geographic location of an access node, processing the first location information and the second location information to determine a distance between the wireless communication device and the access node, processing the distance to determine a first delay metric, wherein the first delay metric indicates a first time delay associated with a wireless link between the access node and the wireless communication device, and processing the first delay metric to determine if the first delay metric exceeds a threshold delay. If the first delay metric exceeds the threshold delay, processing the first delay metric and a protocol timing period to determine a second delay metric, wherein the second delay metric indicates a second time delay less than the protocol timing period, processing at least one of the protocol timing periods to add to the second delay metric to determine a third delay metric, wherein the third delay metric comprises the second delay metric and the at least one of the protocol timing periods. The method also includes timing communications between the access node and the wireless communication device over the wireless link based on the third delay metric.
US08086247B2 Secure user plane location session initiation improvement
Systems and methods of sending a secure user plane location (SUPL) session initiation message from a location platform to a SUPL-enabled terminal are provided. When a network-based application has an internet protocol (IP) connection with the SUPL-enabled terminal using general packet radio service (GPRS) and needs location information regarding the SUPL-enabled terminal, the network-based application indicates an available GPRS session in mobile location protocol standard location immediate request. The location platform uses an application server hosting the network-based application to request starting a SUPL-enabled terminal-initiated location procedure. Alternatively, the location platform can determine whether a SUPL-enabled terminal has an active IP connection from an authentication, authorization, and accounting server. The IP address of the SUPL-enabled terminal is returned to the location platform, upon which a SUPL session initiation message is sent to an associated GPRS Gateway Support Node. User Datagram Protocol is utilized instead of Wireless Datagram Protocol.
US08086244B2 Measurement control based on RBS processing capability
A telecommunication system includes one or more radio access network controllers and one or more radio base stations. A radio access network controller supervises the operation of a radio base station. To facilitate the supervision process, the radio access network controller receives a measurement capacity report from the radio base station and determines measurement control parameters specifying reporting requirements of the radio base station. The measurement control parameters are continually adjusted so that the capacity of the radio base station is not exceeded. Also, the capacity of the radio network controller is also considered in determining the measurement control parameters.
US08086243B2 VoIP service threshold determination by home wireless router
A home wireless router establishes a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) that supports wireless communications within a WLAN service area. The home wireless router establishes broadband communications via a broadband connection with a VoIP service accumulator. The home wireless router services a plurality of wireless terminals within the WLAN service area, including at least one Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) wireless terminal. The home wireless router receives a query from the VoIP service accumulator requesting information regarding the home wireless router's prior servicing of (or ability to service) VoIP calls. In response, the home wireless router responds to the VoIP service accumulator with information regarding the home wireless router's prior servicing of (or ability to service) VoIP calls. The home wireless router and the VoIP service accumulator subsequently service VoIP calls within the WLAN based upon the information regarding the home wireless router's prior servicing of (or ability to service) VoIP calls.
US08086238B1 HLR-dual circuit switched and packet switched registration support
A method and system for managing services for a mobile station by a network service provider includes receiving a first registration request associated with the mobile station at a registration node, registering a first switching node as a first serving node for access by the mobile station to a first network, receiving a second registration request associated with the mobile station at the registration node, and registering a second switching node as a second serving node for access by the mobile station to a second network. The first serving node and the second serving node are concurrently maintained. The method further includes receiving a service request for providing a network service to the mobile station, and routing the service request to either the first switching node or the second switching node in accordance with routing rules associated with the mobile station configured by the network service provider.
US08086236B2 Methods to configure proximity indication in wireless communications systems
A method and system configures proximity indication in a wireless device as part of a network handover procedure to handover the wireless device from a first radio access network (RAN) using a radio access technology (RAT) to a second RAN using a different RAT. The first RAN may use third generation (3G) wireless technology to initiate a process to hand over a wireless device to the second RAN, which utilizes long term evolution (LTE) technology. As part of the handover process, the second RAN generates a handover command message that additionally includes proximity indication configuration information to enable the wireless device to configure proximity indication reporting. The handover command message is sent through the first RAN to the wireless device, where the handover command message is utilized to configure proximity indication reporting and to perform the handover from the first RAN to the second RAN.
US08086235B2 System and method for restricting mobility in wireless networks
This invention provides a method, system and apparatus for controlling mobility on a wireless network, which includes retrieving a network mobility preference, the network mobility preference indicating a level of mobility service for the mobile station, the level of mobility service indicating the extent to which the mobile station can handoff among base stations of the wireless network, and establishing a level of mobility service for the mobile station based on the retrieved network mobility preference. The method and apparatus may further include determining the level of mobility service for the mobile station to be fully or partially restricted based on the mobility preference.
US08086234B2 Broadcast handoff between communication networks
Methods (400, 500) and corresponding systems (100) for handing off between a broadcast network and a cellular network include receiving, in a cooperation platform, incoming data from a content provider. Broadcast data corresponding to the incoming data is then sent to a broadcast network output for broadcasting to one or more subscribers including, a subscriber station. Handoff information from the cellular network is received in the cooperation platform, and, in response to the handoff information, cellular data corresponding to the incoming data is sent to a cellular network output for transmission to the subscriber station. The handoff information can correspond to a user request for handoff sent from the subscriber station via the cellular network, or can be a request for handoff sent from the cellular network based upon a loading level within one or more of the broadcast network and the cellular network.
US08086232B2 Time synchronized wireless method and operations
A scanning method, computer readable medium, and device for suspending, during a first data scanning sequence including a plurality of discrete data scanning intervals, data scanning operations during at least one discrete data scanning interval chosen from the plurality of discrete data scanning intervals. A data transmission operation is performed during the at least one discrete data scanning interval.
US08086231B2 Download and display of system tags in wireless communication systems
Techniques for downloading and displaying system tags by wireless terminals based on roaming status. A tag includes texts and/or graphics. The system tags include home system tags and roaming system tags, which include group tags and specific tags. A home system tag is associated with one or multiple home systems, a group tag is associated with one or multiple roaming indicator values, and a specific tag is associated with one or multiple SID values. A terminal is provided with home system tag, group tags, and specific tags. The terminal displays the home system tag when obtaining service from the home system and a roaming system tag when obtaining service from a roaming system. The particular roaming system tag to be displayed is dependent on the roaming indicator value and the SID value for the roaming system. The system tags may be downloaded to the terminal via over-the-air signaling.
US08086222B2 Voicemail short message service method and means and a subscriber terminal
The invention relates to a voicemail short messaging method (10, 20, 30) and means and a subscriber terminal (500). In particular it concerns a method and means for instantaneous packet switched voicemail between Internet compatible computers, personal digital assistants, telephones and mobile stations. In particular the inventive subscriber terminal (500) concerns a hardware and a software setup that allows the combined use of audio and/or video devices (550) with both the normal cellular or fixed telephony network (520) and with an Internet connection (510). The inventive subscriber terminal (500) allows the flexible use of both the Internet and telephony network with numerous advantages, one of which is the inventive voicemail short messaging method under study. The inventive voicemail messaging method (10), comprising at least one subscriber terminal is characterised by server independence.
US08086216B2 Mobility aware policy and charging control in a wireless communication network
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for implementation in a policy control and charging rules functional entity in a wireless communication system. The method includes receiving, from at least one of a source policy and charging enforcement function in a source access network or a target policy and charging enforcement function in a target access network, information indicative of a mobile unit that has handed off from the source access network to the target access network. The method also includes establishing a first session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit. The first session is concurrent with a second session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit. The second session was previously established with the source policy and charging enforcement function in the source access network. The method further includes transmitting at least one policy and charging rule to the target policy and charging enforcement function using the first session.
US08086207B2 Linear transconductor for RF communications
The present patent application comprises a linear transconductor having at least one input and at least one output, comprising a differential amplifier having a plurality of transistors and a plurality of inputs, wherein a difference of input signals is amplified, a cascode circuit having a plurality of transistors, wherein the transistors are operably connected to the differential amplifier, wherein reverse isolation between an input and an output of the linear transconductor is improved by decoupling the input and the output of the linear transconductor by mounting at least one transistor of the plurality of transistors of the cascode circuit as a common-gate stacked on the at least one transistor of the differential amplifier, an active load having a plurality of transistors operably connected between the cascode circuit and supply voltage, and an auxiliary device operably connected to the connection between the active load, the cascode device and ground.
US08086194B2 Communication apparatus
A communication apparatus has an A/D converter which converts an analog signal which was received, into a digital signal, a converter which converts a reception signal so as to enable handling of phase information, a carrier detector which detects presence or absence of the reception signal, a synchronous circuit which extract synchronization timing from the reception signal, an equalizer which corrects the reception signal so as to cancel influence of a transmission path, a channel estimator which estimates a state of a power line channel, and a decision unit which decides the reception signal, which was amended by the equalizer, by use of a threshold value.
US08086188B2 Transceiver
The transmitter of the transceiver includes: a transmitter-side mixers of a transmitter-side modulator; a transmitter-side voltage-controlled oscillator; and a transmitter-side divider. The divider having a dividing factor of a non-integral number is supplied with an oscillating output of the oscillator. A pair of non-quadrature local signals having a phase difference of 90° plus a predetermined offset angle is produced by the divider and supplied to the mixers. The transmitter includes a phase-shift unit which converts a pair of quadrature transmit signals having a phase difference of about 90° on an analog basis into a pair of non-quadrature shifted transmit signals. Consequently, quadrature modulation is performed by the mixers. Use of a similar configuration enables the reduction in interference of an RF signal with local signals supplied to receiver-side mixers of the receiver.
US08086187B1 Developing and analyzing a communication system
In one aspect, a method to simulate performance of a communication system includes providing a list of interference components to a user, receiving from the user selections of interference components from the list of the interference components, performing an analysis based on the user selections of the interference components and rendering a result of the analysis.
US08086185B2 Qualify method for shielding of transceiver RF block
A method is provided for inputting a signal that is modulated at a predetermined frequency to a receiver signal path of a radio subsystem and demodulating the signal at the predetermined frequency as it passes through the receiver signal path, measuring signal quality of the demodulated signal, and quantitatively assessing shielding of the radio subsystem with the measured signal.
US08086180B2 Method for restraining inter-cell interference in a mobile communication system
A method for restraining inter-cell interference in a mobile communication system is provided. The method uses the fast dynamic selection of the Fractional Frequency Reuse (FFR) technology and the Macro Diversity (MD) technology of the cell edge to increase the cell edge user data rate and provide excellent system capacity. The method is particularly suitable in a OFDMA mobile communication system downlink. The method comprises the steps of: (a) determining whether the cell edge user is able to operate the MD technology; (b) processing the fast dynamic selection of the FFR technology and the MD technology for the cell edge user, and the selection is made based on a instantaneous link Signal Quality Index (SQI); and (c) allocating the center subband or the edge subband to the cell edge user according to the selection.
US08086172B2 Provision of messaging services from a video messaging system for video compatible and non-video compatible equipment
A telecommunications system that supports the provision of video messaging, yet maintains compatibility and operation with user equipment that is not capable of processing, receiving or rendering video content. Based on the type of user equipment, as well as user selected options, network configurations and status, and class-of-service characteristics, the telecommunications systems can revise the manner in which content is provided to the user equipment. Variations in the content provision include providing synchronized audio and video content, audio content only, video content only, video content with closed-captioning and closed-captioning only.
US08086171B2 Method and system for identification of distributed broadcast content
A method and system of performing high-throughput identifications of broadcast content is provided. A device can send a content identification query, which includes a sample of content being broadcast, to a server to request an identity of the content. The server will perform a computational identification of the content, return the result to the device, and store the result. For all subsequently received content identification queries requesting an identity of content being broadcast from the same source and in a time during which the content is still being broadcast from the source, the server will send the stored content identification in response to the subsequent queries. If a subsequent content identification query does not request the identity of content being broadcast from the same source or is not received during the time that the content is still being broadcast, the server will perform a computational identification of a content sample.
US08086152B2 Developing device, image forming apparatus, image forming system, developing method, and toner bearing member
The present invention provides a developing device that includes a toner bearing member that includes regularly arranged projection sections and depressed sections for bearing toner, and that develops a latent image borne on an image bearing member with the toner borne on the projection sections and the depressed sections, wherein the latent image is developed in a state in which a projection section covering ratio at which toner contacting the projection sections covers the projection sections is smaller than a depressed section covering ratio at which toner contacting the depressed sections covers the depressed sections.
US08086143B2 Image forming apparatus for use with carrier including a core and cover layer
An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member; and a developing device including a developer bearing member, a developer containing portion, a developer supplying passage supplying the developer to the developer bearing member while feeding the developer in a direction, and a developer agitating passage feeding a mixture of the developer fed through the developer supplying passage without used for developing, and the developer used for developing, in the opposite direction. The developer supplying passage, and developer agitating passage are separated from each other except for at least both the end portions. The developer includes a toner and a carrier having a cover layer thereon, which includes a binder resin and a particulate material. The ratio of the volume average particle diameter of the particulate material to the average thickness of the resinous portion of the cover layer is greater than 1 and less than 10.
US08086133B2 Toner removal apparatus for electrographic printer
A cleaning station for removing particulate material from a moving web in an electrographic printer/copier includes a customer-replaceable web-cleaner device with a support bracket/backup shoe assembly. The web-cleaner has two wiper blades, including one or more blades, each having a distinguishment such that the distinguishment distinguishes one wiper blade from the other wiper blade when the blades are locked into the cleaner sump by springs, to facilitate material removed from the web. The wiper cleaning blades are held using a shoe that comprises a “T-shaped” extrusion wherein the extrusion has a rigidity to reduce shoe deformations.
US08086125B2 Image forming apparatus that includes a first developing device that holds a black developer and a second developing device that holds a gray developer
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing devices. Each developing devices performs an electrophotographic process to form an image. The image forming apparatus comprises a first developing device and a second developing device. The first developing device holds a black developer containing a first black coloring agent. The second developing device holds a gray developer. The gray developer contains a second black coloring agent and a coloring agent of a chromatic color. The chromatic color is a complementary color to the second black coloring agent.
US08086113B2 Optical receiver
An optical mixing part mixing a received optical signal and local oscillator light in at least two kinds of phases and extracting at least two-system optical signals corresponding to each light phase; a photoelectric conversion part converting the at least two-system optical signals obtained in the optical mixing part into electric analog signals; an analog-to-digital conversion part converting the electric analog signals into digital signals; and a control part processing the digital signals thereby detecting a light phase difference between the respective systems in the optical mixing part and supplying a signal for correcting the light phase between the systems to the optical mixing part to control the optical mixing part so that the light phase difference becomes to zero or close to a desired value when the light phase difference has a shift from the desired value.
US08086112B2 Optical signal processing circuit
An optical gate switch circuit includes: an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer having an optical path that outputs control light and probe light to a second optical directional coupler via a first optical directional coupler and an optical phase modulation element, and another optical path that connects a third optical directional coupler to which the probe light is input, to the second optical directional coupler via a variable optical attenuator and an optical phase shifter; and a bandpass filter connected to the second optical directional coupler.
US08086106B2 WDM optical transmission system and controlling method thereof
In the WDM optical transmission system, when performing a correction of a control target value of the total light intensity per one channel of the WDM light in each node on a transmission path, a correction value calculation section of each node determines the type of its own node, and if it corresponds to a node (for example, OADM node) that demultiplexes the WDM light into individual channels and performs a predetermined processing, performs correction of the control target value of the total light intensity according to a calculation expression with use of a noise cut ratio. The noise cut ratio is defined according to a filtering characteristic for when demultiplexing the WDM light into individual channels, so that the influence due to removal of the noise components distributed across the intermediate region of each channel due to filtering is reflected in the correction processing of the control target value of the total light intensity.
US08086101B2 Multi-city DWDM wavelength link architectures and methods for upgrading
A multi-city wavelength link architecture is used to distribute spectral bands received on input optical signals among output optical signals. Such an architecture may include an optical wavelength cross connect having multiple input ports, multiple output ports, and a wavelength routing element that selectively routes wavelength components between one optical signal and multiple optical signal. Such an optical wavelength cross connect will generally receive cross-connect-input optical signals at the input ports and transmit cross-connect-output optical signals from the output ports. Methods are used to increase the number of cities that may be accommodated by the architecture without disrupting through traffic between the existing cities.
US08086098B2 Imaging apparatus
An imaging apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes: (a) an imaging device subunit having an imaging device for creating an image signal associated with a subject and a light-transmitting member mounted ahead of a photosensitive surface of the imaging device; (b) a first driver circuit for driving a first actuator that moves the imaging device subunit in a first direction; (c) a second driver circuit for driving a second actuator that moves the imaging device subunit in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and (d) first dust-removing device for shaking off dust adhering to the light-transmitting member by driving a given actuator so as to vibrate the light-transmitting member; wherein the given actuator is driven using the first driver circuit or the second driver circuit.
US08086093B2 DSL video service with memory manager
A digital video recorder (DVR) has a memory manager to determine a particular date and a particular video program in a download schedule for which the DVR will reach a low memory condition based on the download schedule and an amount of unoccupied memory space in the DVR. The DVR outputs a display signal to indicate the particular date and the particular video program.
US08086088B2 Digital video recording method in an audio detection mode
The present invention is related to a digital video recording method, and in particular, when a recording mode is audio detection, according to an audio signal transmitted from a mike mounted on a camera or a mike mounted separately, this method records the video taken by said camera during the time period for which a recording speed and video resolution is already set as super-high speed and high video resolution. After the elapse of an already set time period, when the audio signal is sensed, this method records the video by varying the recording speed and video resolution from super-high speed and high video resolution into low-speed and low video resolution at a time interval which is already set. Therefore, it becomes possible to obtain the specific information about the video data which is important in an unmanned security system.
US08086084B2 Fiber optic splice tray
A splice tray includes a splice region and a fiber management region to facilitate splicing together two or more fibers. A cover may be pivotally coupled to the splice tray. The splice tray may be pivotally coupled to a second splice trays by coupling the splice tray to the cover of the second splice tray using an attachment assembly to form a splice tray arrangement. An attachment assembly may include one or more protrusions on the cover of the first splice tray that fit within openings and/or channels defined in the second splice tray or vice versa.
US08086081B2 Optical subassembly for in-and/or out-coupling of electromagnetic radiation into, and/or out of, a pressure-tight housing
An optical subassembly for in- and/or out-coupling of electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined wavelength, especially IR-radiation, into, and/or out of, a pressure-tight housing. The subassembly includes at least one housing wall section of the pressure-tight housing having at least one opening, wherein, in the opening, mechanical setting means are provided, with which a plug transparent for the electromagnetic radiation is set, wherein the transparent plug has two mutually oppositely lying, base surfaces and a cylindrical lateral surface, and wherein the setting means include as least one setting ring, characterized in the a volume region between at least a first section of the setting ring and at least a section of the cylindrical lateral surface is filled with a pressure-tight, potting compound.
US08086078B2 Electronic device
An electronic device in which a signal electrode has a bent portion. Earth electrodes are formed with the signal electrode between. A width of a gap at the bent portion between the signal electrode and each earth electrode is narrower than a width of a gap at both ends of the bent portion between the signal electrode and each earth electrode.
US08086073B2 Non-uniform image resizer
A method for producing a scaled output image by manipulating image data from an input image is disclosed. The scaled output image can have non-uniformly scaled regions and a uniformly scaled region. The method includes an operation that defines pixel locations within the uniformly scaled region of the output image based on uniformly scaling a portion of the input image. There is also an operation that determines a non-uniform scale factor. The non-uniform scale factor is used to define a gap between pixel locations within the non-uniformly scaled regions. Another operation determines error correction values within the non-uniformly scaled regions. The method can also include an operation that defines pixel locations for the non-uniformly scaled region of the output image based on increments of the non-uniform scale factor and error correction values.
US08086053B2 Method and apparatus for transforming and inverse-transforming image
Provided are a method and apparatus for transforming an image, in which an input image is transformed into a frequency domain by selectively using a plurality of frequency transform algorithms according to a frequency characteristic of the input image. The method includes: selecting a frequency transform algorithm to be used for a current block from a plurality of frequency transform algorithms according to a result obtained by transforming frequencies of peripheral blocks adjacent to the current block; and transforming the current block into a frequency domain by using the selected frequency transform algorithm.
US08086052B2 Hybrid video compression method
The invention concerns a method for compressing a digitally coded video frame sequence. In the method, a given frame is divided into blocks, and the information content of selected blocks is modified, relying on information contained in a neighboring block or blocks (prediction), and the blocks are converted from spatial representation into frequency representation. The information content of the transformed blocks is encoded by arithmetic coding. The efficiency of the coding is improved by various methods, such as dynamically partitioning the blocks into sub-blocks, or performing a compressibility analysis is the blocks before carrying out further transformations. The entropy coding uses a neural network to determine the parameters of the arithmetic coding. The frames are dynamically re-scaled, depending on available bandwidth and quality of the coded image.
US08086025B2 Universal stereoscopic file format
Stereoscopic images may be represented in four coordinates where a first image is represented in three coordinates and a second image is represented of one coordinate. The brightness contrast is the property largely used in stereoscopic perception. The brightness and color of the first image is represented in three coordinates while the brightness of the second image is represented in the one coordinate. Color perception is dominated by the first image. A universal file format with four channels allows the stereoscopic images to be displayed as anaglyphs or as two full color images or as non-stereoscopic images. The anaglyphs may be rendered in three primary colors or four primary colors providing wide compatibility with traditional and specialized display apparatus. The universal file format facilitates methods to capture, display, convert, and communicate stereoscopic images.
US08086024B2 Defect detection apparatus, defect detection method and computer program
There is provided a defect detection apparatus capable of highly accurately detecting a defect of a size not larger than a size desired by the user, in which the size setting device sets the defect size, the reduction ratio setting device sets an image reduction ratio based on the set defect size, the image reduction device generates a reduced image obtained by reducing the original multi-valued image, the filter processing device performs filter processing on the reduced image for removing a defect in the reduced image, the image enlarging device generates an enlarged image obtained by enlarging the reduced image, subjected to the filter processing, at an image enlargement ratio corresponding to the reciprocal of the image reduction ratio, and the difference calculating device generates a difference image obtained by performing a calculation of a difference between the original multi-valued image and the enlarged image.
US08086021B2 Appearance inspection apparatus with scanning electron microscope and image data processing method using scanning electron microscope
The present invention provides an appearance inspection apparatus that allows a user to give precedence to either defect detection performance or throughput. The appearance inspection apparatus allows a user to select the frequency of a digital image signal or the ratio of the frequency of the digital image signal to a sampling rate. Further, a user is allowed to select either throughput improvement or S/N improvement to prioritize.
US08086018B2 Methods of processing a check in a check stock verification system
A method is provided of a bank processing a check in a check stock verification system. The method comprises receiving a check image having at least one pre-printed element, extracting the at least one pre-printed element from the check image, comparing the extracted pre-printed element with a reference pre-printed element, providing a confidence value based upon the comparison of the extracted pre-printed element with the reference pre-printed element, selecting one of a plurality of confidence threshold values based upon amount of the check, and comparing the confidence value with the selected confidence threshold value to determine if payment of the check amount is approved.
US08086012B2 Methods and apparatus for determining body weight and fat content using computed tomography data
Methods and apparatus for determining body weight and fat content using computed tomography data are provided. One method includes acquiring a pre-scan image using a computed tomography imaging system and segmenting the pre-scan image into pixels representing imaged fat and pixels representing imaged tissue. The method further includes determining a lean body weight based on the segmented pixels representing imaged fat and imaged tissue.
US08086010B2 Medical image diagnosis apparatus and the control method thereof
Obtain a tomographic image of a patient table in advance in a state in which the object is not placed on the patient table. Obtain a tomographic image of the patient table with the object placed on the patient table. This tomographic image consists of an image of a patient table. The displacement calculation part determines the vertical displacement of images of the patient table in a non-loaded state and the tomographic image of the patient table in a loaded state. Meanwhile, markers are placed on the side of the patient table to indicate the displacement detecting position (reference position). The corrected image-forming part corrects the vertical positions of image data of the tomographic image in the loaded state based on the calculated displacement.
US08086004B2 Use of a single X-ray image for quality assurance of tracking
A method and system for aligning a volume of interest in a three-dimensional treatment coordinate system with a reference position using stereoscopic imaging data and for monitoring and correcting alignment of the volume of interest in the three-dimensional treatment coordinate system using monoscopic imaging data.
US08086001B2 Utilizing physiological models to control functional acquisitions
Adaptively controlling an imaging system (200, 205) includes constructing model feature characteristics (105) of a process over time, determining parameters and commands (110) for controlling the imaging system for each state of the process, performing data acquisition (120) for the process, extracting current features (130) of the process from the acquired data, matching (135) the current features (130) with the model feature characteristics (105) to determine a state of the process (140), and controlling the data acquisition based on the state of the process to produce optimized data.
US08085999B2 Apparatus for inputting biometrical feature
A biometrical feature inputting apparatus includes a 1-dimensional or quasi 1-dimensional image sensor. When a finger and the image sensor are relatively slid, a finger sliding guide keeps a finger and an effective pixel unit of the image sensor to a constant distance without any contact between them. An image processing section sequentially generates partial images by imaging emission light that is scattered inside the finger and then emitted from a skin surface of the finger by the image sensor during the relative motion of the finger and the image sensor and link the partial images to an image.
US08085986B2 Image processing apparatus and method for processing images more naturally and sharply
There is provided an image processing apparatus including motion vector extracting means for extracting a motion vector on a pixel basis from each of a plurality of input images, direct motion vector generating means for generating a direct motion vector to a pixel on an image for processing from a pixel on each of the plurality of input images, on the basis of motion vectors extracted by the motion vector extracting means, and synthesizing means for synthesizing the plurality of input images by using a pixel value of the pixel on each of the plurality of input images, on the basis of the direct motion vector generated by the direct motion vector generating means.
US08085984B2 Image recognizing apparatus and method, and position determining apparatus, vehicle controlling apparatus and navigation apparatus using the image recognizing apparatus or method
There is provided e.g. an image recognizing apparatus which can increase the recognition rate of the image of a recognition target even when the recognition rate in the image recognition operation would deteriorate otherwise due to inability of obtaining good image information on the recognition target, if the operation relied solely on picked up image information.The apparatus includes an image information obtaining section 3, an imaging position obtaining section 7, a land object information storing section 8, a land object information obtaining section 9 for obtaining, from the land object information storing section 8, the land object information on one or more land objects included within an imaging area of the image information, a determining section 15 for determining whether or not a plurality of recognition target land objects to be recognized are included within the imaging area of the image information, based on the obtained land object information and an image recognizing section 10 for recognizing an image of one recognition target land object, based on result of image recognition of another recognition target land object and on position relationship between the one recognition target land object and another recognition target land object based on the position information included in the land object information, if the determining section has determined that a plurality of recognition target land objects are included.
US08085976B2 Digital watermarking video captured from airborne platforms
Digital watermarking technology is used in conjunction with video captured from airborne platforms (e.g., satellites, remotely controlled aerial vehicles and aircraft). One claim recites an airborne platform comprising: a camera for capturing video depicting at least a portion of the earth's surface; and an electronic processor. The electronic processor is programmed for: obtaining geographical metadata associated with captured video; encoding first digital watermarking in the captured video through alterations to data representing the captured video, in which the first digital watermarking is generally imperceptible to a human observer of the captured video when rendered to the human observer in real time, and in which the first digital watermarking comprises or links to the geographical metadata; and controlling transmission of digital watermarked video to a remotely located receiver on or in the earth's surface. Another claim recites: that the electronic processor is further programmed for: hiding second digital watermarking in data representing the captured video, the second digital watermarking comprising a plural-bit payload that includes data representing a refinement relative to at least some of the geographical metadata. Other claims and combinations are provided too.
US08085973B2 Method and device for the detection, at the correct time, of print marks located at regular intervals on a print web
In a method and a device for the detection, at the correct time, of pressure marks situated at regular intervals on a print web, use is made of cameras, with a processing unit which is assigned to the camera. The activation of the camera is no longer triggered externally in order to detect the pressure marks. Instead, the drive control system, which actuates a movement of the print web, is connected to a bus to which the cameras and therefore the processing units are also connected. It is thereby possible for the drive control system to provide the processing units with process data which the processing units can use to calculate detection times. The activation of the camera takes place, on the basis of the calculation, automatically by means of the cameras with the processing unit itself.
US08085969B2 Full range planar magnetic microphone and arrays thereof
Contemplated planar magnetic microphones have a magnet and diaphragm arrangement such that substantially homogenous vertical and high horizontal magnetic flux density is realized in the inter-magnet space. Most preferably, the diaphragm is disposed in the inter-magnet space and includes a voice coil covering a significant fraction of the active portion of the membrane. In further especially preferred aspects, the membrane is sufficiently strong and tensioned to allow a large elastic excursion in the inter-magnet space. Consequently, contemplated planar magnetic microphones provide exceptionally large dynamic range without compression and/or distortion and can be easily configured to operate in an environment that is subject to moisture, rain, or to even operate in a submerged environment. Moreover, contemplated microphones can be used as speakers at even high SPL without reconfiguration.
US08085967B2 Reversible speaker grill attachment
A loudspeaker having a speaker basket including a basket rim, a speaker mounting hole, and a coupling hole disposed through the basket rim. The loudspeaker includes a first grill coupling engaged with the coupling hole, as well as a grill removably attached to the basket rim via the first grill coupling. The grill defines a solid surface portion which completely covers the speaker mounting hole and the coupling hole. The first grill coupling is interposed between the basket rim and the grill.
US08085963B2 Combined power and audio dock for handheld device
A combined power and audio dock for a handheld electronic device provides an integrated solution to the multiple uses of multifunction devices such as mobile telephones with built-in music players. The dock is configured with a recess into which the handheld device is docked so that all four exterior edges of the device are surrounded by the dock. This enables the dock to engage with any controls, jacks and ports along any edge of the device, and includes loudspeakers that can amplify the audio output of the device. The device is docked in an intentional assembly sequence that enables power and audio connectors to engage corresponding jacks on common, adjacent or opposing edges of the handheld device. Removal is accomplished in a reverse sequence.
US08085961B2 Hearing device and method for monitoring the hearing ability of a person with impaired hearing
A hearing device and method for monitoring the hearing ability of a person with impaired hearing allow changes of the hearing ability specifically of a person wearing a hearing aid are to be better able to be registered and taken into account. For this purpose, the setting of an operating element, this serves for setting an output sound level of a hearing device. Furthermore, the ambient sound level in the vicinity of the hearing device is measured. After that, the current setting is compared with the current, measured ambient sound level and a corresponding control signal is output dependent on the result of the comparison. This control signal serves, for example, for signaling to the wearer of a hearing aid the loss of hearing or the automatic adjustment of the hearing aid.
US08085960B2 Filter bank system for hearing aids
The object of the invention is to make sub-band processing in hearing aids less computationally intensive. For this purpose a filter bank system comprising an analysis filter bank (AFB) for decomposing an input signal into sub-band signals, a processing device for amplifying at least one of the sub-band signals, and a synthesis filter bank (SFB) for combining the processed sub-band signals into an output signal is provided. The sub-band signals are oversampled and downsampled compared to the input signal. The stopband attenuations of the individual filters of the AFB and SFB are at least as high as a predefined signal-to-noise ratio increased by an attenuation value which is a function of the oversampling factor, the downsampling factor and possibly the gain. The magnitude frequency response of the SFB is approximately matched to the magnitude frequency response of the AFB.
US08085958B1 Virtualizer sweet spot expansion
Audio loudspeaker virtualizers and cross-talk cancellers and methods use a combination of interaural intensity difference and interaural time difference to define virtualizing filters. This allows enlargement of a listener's sweet spot based on psychoacoustic effects.
US08085957B2 Method for converting electric signals into acoustic oscillations and an electric gas-kinetic transducer
The invention relates to electroacoustic engineering, in particular to methods for converting electric signals into acoustic oscillations and to electroacoustic transducers. The method for converting electric signals into acoustic oscillations comprises exposing an oscillating system that is a gas medium pre-structured by a static electric field to an electric/electromagnetic field modulated in strength by an alternating electric signal in accordance with the shape and frequency of the modulating signal, and converting the energy of the field into acoustic energy to be released thereupon into the ambient. An electric gas-kinetic transducer developed to perform this method comprises a dielectric working element and at least two current-conducting plates that can be connected to the pole terminals of a direct voltage source and to a source of alternating electric signals. The operating principle of the transducer consists in converting the energy of the electric/electromagnetic field into the kinetic energy of gas, and then the kinetic energy of gas into acoustic radiation. This work is performed by gas filling nano/micro-sized channels of the capillary pore matrix of the working element under the effect of the external electric/electromagnetic field. An electric signal is converted into acoustic oscillations without involving mechanical intermediary devices, making it possible to avoid amplitude-phase and amplitude-frequency distortions and to reach a matching between the properties of the oscillating system, or a pre-structured gas medium, and the properties of the transmitting medium, or air, thereby improving the efficiency of conversion.
US08085955B2 Electromagnetic lever diaphragm audio transducer
A transducer including a frame and a panel disposed within the frame and coupled to the frame such that the panel may rotate relative to the frame about a rotational axis. The transducer includes an actuator positioned to engage the panel such that the panel rotates about the rotational axis.
US08085951B2 Method and system for determining a gain reduction parameter level for loudspeaker equalization
Methods, digital systems, and computer readable media are provided for determining a gain reduction parameter level for loudspeaker equalization by determining a noise score, an equalization effectiveness score, and an equalization non-effectiveness score for a candidate gain reduction parameter level, determining a composite quality score using the three scores, and designing a compensating filter for the loudspeaker using the candidate gain reduction parameter level if the composite quality score is better than composite quality scores of all other candidate gain reduction parameter levels.
US08085937B1 System and method for securing calls between endpoints
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of establishing a secure call includes generating a session key at a centralized location. The session key is encrypted with a first public key and transmitted from the centralized location to a first endpoint. The session key is additionally encrypted with a second public key and transmitted from the centralized location to a second endpoint. The centralized location is at a location other than a location of the first endpoint and the second endpoint. The session key is operable to encrypt the call between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.
US08085931B2 Computation method, computing device and computer program
The computing device calculates an equivalence H0≡2m*k+1 (mod n) relating to a divisor n of 2m*k+1 (step A), computes an equivalence H≡2E(p, m, k) (mod n) of 2E(p, m, k) (mod n) from H0 by an REDC operation (step B), and performs a correction operation by H=REDC (H, G)n for g=2k*G(p, m, k) when 2p>m×k (step C).
US08085922B1 Methods and systems for speed dialing
Systems and methods for configuring and using speed dialing are described. A first user interface is displayed to a user, the first user interface providing a name field configured to display and/or receive a contact name and a phone address field configured to display and/or receive a phone address associated with the contact name. A speed dial field configured to receive and/or display a speed dial identifier associated with the phone address is provided. When the user later enters speed dial identifier via a telephone, the phone address is called.
US08085921B2 Disposable telephone numbers
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed that provide disposable numbers for a conference service. A disposable number is assigned to a conference bridge that is only activated for a defined period of time, after which the disposable number is disposed and deactivated. A call is received to the disposable number, and the call is routed to the conference bridge. A database is queried that associates the disposable number to a subscriber's number. Subscriber information is retrieved that describes when a conference bridge subscription is active. If the conference bridge subscription is active, then a caller is connected to the conference bridge. If the conference bridge subscription is inactive, then the caller is prompted to pay for a conference service.
US08085919B2 Method and system for temporarily provisioning a telephone service feature for a subscriber
The invention provides a method and system for temporarily provisioning a telephone service feature. At the request of a calling or called party, a telephone service feature to be temporarily provisioned can be identified. Once identified, the telephone service feature can be provisioned and activated to handle the telephone service feature. Upon completion of the call, the requested telephone service is deactivated. In order to activate the requested telephone service feature, system resources can be allocated to support the identified telephone service feature. The allocation of system resources can include reserving a pool of resources for activating the identified telephone service feature. For example, a pool of line interface circuits may be reserved specifically for providing temporary provisioning of the telephone service feature for subscribers. An available resource capable of processing the identified telephone service feature can be selected from the pool of resources. The selection of an available resource can include multiplexing the available resource onto a conduit that bears existing service for the subscriber for which the telephone service feature is being provisioned.
US08085915B2 System and method for spam detection
A voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) caller verification method includes generating a challenge to be sent to a VoIP caller which needs a response from the VoIP caller prior to accepting a VoIP call, wherein the challenge includes a test pattern crafted to create a greater load at a spammer VoIP caller as compared to a human VoIP caller. A response or lack thereof is determined from the VoIP caller, and the response is analyzed relative to an acceptable response to determine whether the VoIP caller is acceptable to communicate with.
US08085906B2 Method, system and apparatus for providing alternative multimedia ring back tone substitute service by using intelligent network
Disclosed is a method, a system, and an apparatus for providing a sound source, which has been encoded by using an audio codec, as a ringback tone alternative having an improved quality by adaptively applying various audio codecs according to the service type so that, when a mobile communication terminal is provided with a ringback tone alternative by separately applying an audio codec and a voice codec to a ringback tone provision section and a voice communication section, respectively, it is unnecessary to individually and additionally change or modify a number of devices in a mobile communication network, but a specific device in an intelligent network controls other devices based on overall consideration of the ability of the mobile communication terminal, the type of the ringback tone alternative, etc.
US08085901B2 Firing delay for retrofit digital X-ray detector
A method and apparatus are disclosed for obtaining an x-ray image from an x-ray imaging apparatus using a digital radiography receiver installs a retrofit connection apparatus that adapts the x-ray imaging apparatus for use with the digital radiography receiver by forming a receiver interface channel for communicating signals to and from the digital radiography receiver, forming an operator interface channel for routing at least an input expose signal from an operator control to the connection apparatus and forming a generator interface channel for transmitting at least an output expose signal from the retrofit connection apparatus to an x-ray generator of the x-ray imaging apparatus. An input expose signal over the operator interface channel initiates a reset of the digital radiography receiver over the receiver interface channel before the output expose signal to the x-ray generator is transmitted over the generator interface channel.
US08085897B2 X-ray scanning system
An X-ray scanner comprises an array (12) of X-ray detectors (16) arranged in cylindrical configuration around an imaging volume (28), and a multi-focus X-ray source (20) which extends in a helical configuration around the outside of the detector array (12). A helical gap (24) in the detector array (12) allows X-rays from the source (20) to pass through the patient (26) in the imaging volume (28), and onto the detectors (16) on the opposite side of the scanner. The source (20) is controlled so that the X-rays are produced from a number of source points along the helical locus (23) to produce a tomographic image. As the patient is stationary and the source point varied electrically, the scanning rate is sufficient to produce a series of images which can be displayed as a real time three-dimensional video image.
US08085886B2 Supression of unwanted signal elements by sinusoidal amplitude windowing
A method is provided for processing a signal containing regular or quasi-regular elements of unwanted signal. The method establishes timing characteristics of the unwanted signal elements in a portion of the signal. A time domain window function is generated using the established timing characteristics. The generated window function is applied to the signal portion to selectively reduce the amplitude of the unwanted signal elements relative to the amplitude of other elements of the signal.
US08085878B2 Digital broadcasting system and data processing method
A receiving system and data processing method therein are disclosed, by which mobile service data is received and processed. The receiving system comprises a tuner, a filter, an IQ mismatch processor, a gain controller and a demodulator. The tuner tunes radio frequency (RF) signals of a specific channel which includes mobile service data and main service data, converts the tuned RF signals into zero IF signals and outputs the converted zero IF signals. The filter performs low pass filtering for the zero IF signals output from the tuner. The IQ mismatch processor estimates and compensates IQ mismatch generated in the zero IF signals filtered by the filter. The gain controller controls gain of the zero IF signals by estimating a gain error of the zero IF signals output from the IQ mismatch processor. The demodulator performs carrier recovery and timing recovery by receiving the zero IF signals output from the gain controller.
US08085866B2 Radio transmission apparatus, radio reception apparatus, modulation method, and demodulation method
A rate matching apparatus is capable of improving the bit error rate characteristic at a data receiving end. A rate matching part (106), which serves as a rate matching apparatus, generates, from a first encoded block corresponding to N symbols (where N is an integer equal to or greater than one), a second encoded block corresponding to N+K symbols (where K is an integer equal to or greater than one). In the rate matching part (106), a to-be-divided bit-group extracting part (122) extracts, from the first encoded block, a first bit group corresponding to any of the N symbols. A dividing part (124) divides the extracted first bit group into L divided bit groups corresponding to L symbols (where L is an integer equal to or greater than two but equal to or smaller than K+1), thereby providing the second encoded block.
US08085857B1 Digital-compatible multi-state-sense input
A method and an apparatus are described for sensing of a multi-state signal. An embodiment of a method includes driving a digital input line with a signal, the signal alternating between a first state and a second state. The method further includes sensing one or more values of the digital input line, and determining a state of the digital input line based on the sensed values.
US08085855B2 Video quality adaptation based upon scenery
Operating on video frames includes determining a frame set backdrop of a set of video frames that is a characterization of the relative difference in content of the set of video frames. Decreasing video quality of the set of video frames when the frame set backdrop is relatively higher indicating relatively greater content difference among video frames of the set of video frames and increasing/leaving quality of the set of video frames when the frame set backdrop is relatively lower indicating relatively lesser content difference among video frames of the set of video frames. Alteration of video quality of the set of video frames includes altering a frame rate, altering a pixel resolution, and/or altering color resolution of the set of video frames and/or altering a ratio of independent frames to predictive frames of the set of frames.
US08085854B2 System, method and computer-readable medium for encoding a signal into macroblocks
A quantizer and dequantizer for use in a video coding system that applies non linear, piece-wise linear scaling functions to video information signals based on a value of a variable quantization parameter. The quantizer and dequantizer apply different non linear, piece-wise linear scaling functions to a DC luminance signal, a DC chrominance signal and an AC chrominance signal. A code for reporting updates of the value of the quantization parameter is interpreted to require larger changes when the quantization parameter initially is large and smaller changes when the quantization parameter initially is small.
US08085853B2 Video decoding and transcoding method and system
A video decoding and transcoding method and system, which decodes, displays and transcodes a video stream. When a previous frame is completely decoded, a decoding procedure checks whether a frame buffer assigned is usable. When the frame buffer is usable, a current frame is decoded to produce a decoded frame and temporarily store the decoded frame in the frame buffer, and a frame flag corresponding to the frame buffer is set. When a previous field is completely displayed, a displaying procedure checks whether the frame buffer temporarily stores the decoded frame. When the frame buffer temporarily stores the decoded frame, the decoded frame is read and displayed. When the previous frame is completely decoded, a transcoding procedure checks whether the frame buffer temporarily stores the decoded frame. When the frame buffer temporarily stores the decoded frame, the decoded frame is read and transcoded.
US08085848B2 Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus for identifying a motion vector by executing the steps of setting a plurality of reference blocks, searching a specific reference block, and detecting the motion vector is provided. The image processing apparatus includes correlation-value computation means, table generation means, and motion-vector computation means.
US08085845B2 Method and apparatus for encoding hybrid intra-inter coded blocks
A hybrid intra-inter bi-predictive (or multi-predictive) coding mode allows both intraframe (intra) and interframe (inter) predictions to be combined together for hybrid-encoding a current macroblock or a subblock. Bi-prediction may be used also in I-pictures, combining two intra predictions that use two different intra prediction directions. A video encoder processes data representing a two-dimensional video image which has been produced by a conventional commercially available video camera. The video encoder is adapted to select, for coding a current macroblock, between an intra encoding mode, an P-frame inter encoding mode, a B-frame bi-predictive inter mode, and a hybrid intra-inter bi-predictive encoding mode. A video decoder receives and decodes a data stream that may contain a block/macroblock encoded in accordance with the hybrid intra-inter bi-predictive encoding mode.
US08085842B2 Recording apparatus
A recording apparatus includes: an input unit for inputting moving image data; a generating unit for encoding moving image data of 24 fps by selectively using intra-frame coding, forward predictive coding, and bidirectional predictive coding to generate a moving image stream which can be displayed as 2-3 pulldown processed moving image data of 30 fps; a detecting unit for detecting a frame where a redundant field provided in the 2-3 pulldown processing is included and a bottom field is displayed first, from intra-frame coded frames and forward predictive coded frames in the moving image stream, and setting the detected frame as an edit starting point; and a recording unit for forming a plurality of tracks on a recording medium and adding system data indicating whether the edit starting point is included to the moving image stream every n tracks, and recording the moving image stream and the system data.
US08085839B2 Adaptive equalization system and method having a lock-up-free quantized feedback DC restoration circuit
An adaptive equalizer may include one or more equalizing gain stages coupled to an input signal. An automatic gain control circuit may be used to control the gain of the one or more equalizing gain stages, the automatic gain control circuit having an AGC reference input. A dual-output DC restoration circuit may be coupled to the output of the one or more equalizing gain stages for generating a first output signal using a first hysteresis slicer that DC restores the input signal and for generating a second output signal using a second hysteresis slicer that is coupled to the AGC reference input of the automatic gain control circuit, wherein the second hysteresis slicer introducing less hysteresis than the first hysteresis slicer.
US08085836B2 Robustness improvement for bandwidth limited communication system
A method and apparatus for the transmission of multiple control characters of the same type to a receiver to improve the retention of transmitter to receiver synchronization in a noisy environment having receiver code that is less complex and does not require an increase in the bandwidth of the system since the control codes are already utilized to initiate other functions. Detection of any of the control characters of the same type by the receiver allows the receiver to maintain proper synchronization. The receiver will detect these control signals and anticipate the occurrence of an event within a predetermined time period.
US08085835B2 System and method for performing ranging in a cable modem system
The present invention provides a system and method for performing ranging operations in a able modern system. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, transmission times, transmission power levels, transmission carrier frequencies, and pre-equalization parameters are adjusted to provide for robust operation of the cable modem system. More particularly, iterative processing steps are used to provide coefficient ordering, scaling, and aligning between the multiple cable modems and the cable modem termination system present in a cable modern system.
US08085829B2 Furnace insulation
A furnace insulation including fiber modules in the form of at least two cylinder segments (2, 3; 7, 8) that are placed against one another so as to form a cylinder whose internal volume constitutes the furnace space and that are adapted to allow an electrical resistance element (5) to lie against and be fastened in the inner surface (4) of the cylinder. The furnace insulation is characterized in that the inner part of the cylinder includes one or more radially extending or generally radially extending openings (12; 14).
US08085811B2 Method and apparatus for transporting ethernet services
Frames of customer traffic may be encapsulated by adding Mac-in-Mac (MiM) encapsulation fields for transportation of the frames over a portion of provider network. The MiM encapsulated traffic may be further encapsulated using VPLS by adding VPLS encapsulation fields for transportation of the frames over another portion of the provider network. The MiM encapsulations use provider network MAC addresses which enables VPLS MAC learning to occur using provider network MAC address space. MiM tunnels are mapped to VPLS service instances which are assigned pseudowire tags for transportation over the VPLS portion of provider network. The MiM header is retained when the MiM encapsulated frames are transported over the VPLS portion of the provider network. As VPLS frames exit the core network, the VPLS encapsulation fields are removed to extract the original MiM encapsulated frames for further transportation over the MiM portion of the provider network.
US08085807B2 Method and apparatus for real time scheduling of traffic in wireless networks
Apparatuses, realtime-stations, computer programs, and methods for scheduling of traffic in wireless networks are provided. In one embodiment, a method is provided for scheduling of traffic in a wireless networks including real-time stations intending to send real-time traffic and best-effort stations sending best effort traffic. The method can include overhearing for a predetermined period of time the traffic by a station which intends to send real-time traffic, and if from the overhearing the station concludes that there is already a primary station transmitting real-time access markers, assuming by the station a sequence number based on the number of real-time stations which already are sending real-time traffic.
US08085805B2 Adaptive channel selection by wireless nodes for improved operating range
Improved message range in a wireless network is achieved by each node performing an energy/noise scan to determine a receiving channel having the lowest noise and/or interference, e.g., best reception conditions, relative to the other channels available in the wireless network. Each node may thereafter scan available channels periodically to adjust its optimal receiving channel if the noise/interference environment changes on its present receiving channel, e.g., noise/interference on another channel is less then the noise on the present receiving channel. When a receiving channel is changed by a node, the wireless node may broadcast this information to notify its neighbor nodes of the change in its receiving channel.
US08085797B2 Method and system for addressing and routing in coded communications relationships
The invention relates to a method and system for addressing and routing in coded communications relationships in at least two different network levels of a network with different routing levels, which are separated from one another. A first network level with the associated first routing level is demarcated from a second network level with a second routing level via at least one coding device. A network topology of both network levels is determined independently of one another in the at least two routing levels and stored respectively in routing tables. An interface in the at least one coding device is provided with an unambiguous allocation of addresses of the second routing level to addresses of the first routing level, in order to derive the topology of the second network level efficiently from the first network level.
US08085777B2 Packet-processing apparatus and method
The present invention provides a packet-processing apparatus for receiving and processing N packets in a series, wherein N is a natural number, and each of the packets has a current header. Additionally, the packet-processing apparatus includes an agent, a processing unit, a monitoring unit, a lookup table, and a control unit. Particularly, the packet-processing apparatus according to the invention can process the N packets effectively and flexibly.
US08085753B2 Method and relate apparatus for enhancing transmission efficiency in a transmitter of a wireless communication system
A method for enhancing transmission efficiency in a transmitter of a wireless communication system includes forming a first RLC PDU and a second RLC PDU with a size equal to a size of the first RLC PDU in an RLC layer, submitting the first RLC PDU and the second RLC PDU to a MAC layer via a logic channel, combining the first RLC PDU with the second RLC PDU into a MAC PDU, forming a header including a plurality of fields indicating parameters of the first RLC PDU and a specified field indicating parameters of the second RLC PDU in the MAC PDU, and transmitting the MAC PDU to a peer receiver.
US08085749B2 Chaotic spreading codes and their generation
Generation of a set of spreading codes starts with determining first and second chaotic pseudo-random noise codes having delta-peak-like autocorrelation functions and a low cross-correlation function. Further codes are obtained by the steps: (a) generating a further pseudo-random noise code by computing Dk=F(C1)+TkC2+F(C2), where k represents a positive integral index, Dk the generated pseudo-random noise code, C1 the first code, C2 the second code, F a binary function based on basic binary operations and Tk the operator cyclically shifting a code by k chip positions; (b) adding code Dk to the set of already determined pseudo-random noise codes if it has a delta-peak-like autocorrelation and low cross-correlation functions with the pseudo-random noise codes already determined; (c) discarding code Dk if the conditions of step (b) are not satisfied; (d) modifying index k and repeating steps (a)-(d) until the cardinal number of the set of determined pseudo-random noise codes reaches the cardinal number of the set of spreading codes to be generated.
US08085743B2 Method and system for enabling rendering of electronic media content via a secure ad hoc network configuration utilizing a handheld wireless communication device
An ad hoc network enabled to handle secure data may be created for a specified user via a handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) such that rightful access to protected data stored on one or more networked devices may be extended to one or more distributed rendering devices. The HWCD and/or the user may be authenticated. The HWCD may enable configuration of one or more dynamic connections on the ad hoc network as needed until communication of data is complete. Bandwidth and throughput of one or more communication links may be adjusted according to bandwidth availability. The data may be buffered via the HWCD and/or one or more of the distributed rendering devices. Processing data tasks may be assigned to one or more networked resources on the ad hoc network. The data may undergo format conversion and be consumed on the one or more distributed rendering devices and/or the HWCD.
US08085742B2 Call forwarding methods and apparatus for mobile communication devices which operate in WWANS and WLANS
Methods and apparatus for use by a mobile communication device in facilitating voice calls through a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a wireless wide area network (WWAN) are disclosed. When switching communication operations from a WLAN coverage region of the WLAN to a WWAN coverage region of the WWAN, the mobile device causes a message for forwarding voice calls to a WWAN identification number of the mobile device to be transmitted through the WLAN. The mobile device subsequently causes a message for cancelling the forwarding of voice calls to a WLAN identification number of the mobile device to be transmitted through the WWAN. When switching communication operations from the WWAN coverage region of the WWAN to the WLAN coverage region of the WLAN, the mobile device causes a message for forwarding voice calls to the WLAN identification number of the mobile device to be transmitted through the WWAN. The mobile device subsequently causes a message for cancelling the forwarding of voice calls to the WWAN telephone number of the mobile device to be transmitted through the WLAN. Other additional and alternative techniques are described for reliable reachability.
US08085740B2 Techniques for offering seamless accesses in enterprise hot spots for both guest users and local users
A wireless Local Area Network (LAN 11) capable of providing “enterprise guest” hosting includes at least one an e-open wireless LAN access point (15) that provides access to both guests and local users. Upon receipt of a request for access, the access point forwards the request to an authentication proxy. The authentication proxy then authenticates the party requesting access in accordance with that party's status (that is, whether the party is a local user or guest). Upon successful authentication, the network routes the traffic from a local user differently as compared to that for a guest. For example traffic from guests goes to gateway for receipt in an external network such as the Internet, whereas traffic from the local user goes to a local network, e.g., a corporate intranet. In this way, the Wireless LAN 11, after ascertaining the status of the party requesting access, can limit guest traffic according to the guest access policy.
US08085735B2 Baseband demodulation architecture for adaptive modulation method
A wireless communication device for a communication system including data channels and control channels is disclosed. This device includes a receive section for receiving signals including data signals sent over the data channels, and control signals sent over control channels, the control signal corresponding to the data signals, a control channel demodulator for demodulating the control signals indicating at least one of the packet size and modulation method, a memory for accumulating the receive signals during the demodulation of the control signals, and a data channel demodulator for loading the receive signal from the memory, and demodulating the data signal according to the indicated at least one of the packet size and modulation method determined based on the demodulated control signals.
US08085732B2 Wireless communication terminal and roaming method
A wireless communication terminal roaming from a current access point (AP) to a destination AP within a plurality of APs includes various functional modules. The wireless communication terminal detects a current service quality parameter of each of the plurality of APs, a roaming frequency, and a packet retransmission rate of the wireless communication terminal in a predetermined detection period. Furthermore, the wireless communication terminal calculates a value of an RQI according to the current service quality parameter of each of the plurality of APs, the roaming frequency, and the packet retransmission rate of the wireless communication terminal, and regulates a roaming threshold of the current AP according to the value of the RQI and determines the destination AP that has satisfied a roaming condition corresponding to the value of the RQI.
US08085726B2 High speed downlink shared channel cell change
In response to initiation of a high speed-downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) cell change, a reordering buffer of a medium access controller-high speed (MAC-hs) is flushed. A user equipment (UE) for at least one radio link control (RLC) instance mapped to the HS-DSCH generates a status report. The status report indicates missing HS-DSCH packet data units (PDUs).
US08085722B2 Resource allocation method in orthogonal frequency division multiple access wireless systems
A resource allocation method in orthogonal frequency division multiple access wireless systems includes: setting, for each of terminals, data transmission factors including a resource location selection scheme; and determining, for each frame, locations of resources to be allocated to the terminals in a resource allocation order by using the resource location selection schemes. Determining the locations of the resources includes: setting the resource allocation order for the terminals according to priorities of the terminals; selecting resources to be allocated to a terminal by using the resource location selection scheme for the terminal; determining whether all or some of the selected resources have been already allocated to other terminals; and allocating the selected resources to the terminal, if it is determined that the selected resources have not been already allocated to other terminals.
US08085717B2 Seamless wireless mobility
Seamless wireless mobility is described. In one embodiment, a mobility manager can query a subscriber catalog for a current registration status of handset. The mobility manager can then use the registration status to send a first signal to the handset over either a wireless network or an Internet protocol-based network.
US08085708B2 Methods, systems, and devices for establishing a registrationless data communication connection between electronic devices
A method of operating a mobile terminal to establish a data communication connection with an electronic device includes receiving a message from the electronic device via a wireless wide-area network. The message includes Internet Protocol (IP) connection information for establishing the data communication connection with the electronic device. For example, the message may be an SMS message, and the IP connection information may include an IP address and/or port number associated with the electronic device. The data communication connection is established with the electronic device responsive to receiving the message and based on the IP connection information included in the message. Related methods, devices, and computer program products are also discussed.
US08085704B2 Method and arrangements relating to satellite-based positioning
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses as well as a measurement report signal for reporting measurements on ranging signals (RS1-RS4) received by a mobile station from satellites (SV1-SV4) or calculating a position based on such measurements, wherein each of said ranging signal comprises a stream (201) of data bits (202) spread by a spreading code (203). After synchronizing (501) to data bit edges in the stream of data bits on a ranging signal, a position in time modulo the data bit length for said stream of data bits with respect to a selected point in time is measured (502). The measured position in time could be used by the apparatus performing the measurements on the received ranging signals for calculating (504) the position of the mobile station. Alternatively the apparatus could transmit (503) a wireless signal including data representing said measured position in time, allowing the mobile station position to be determined in another apparatus (101).
US08085702B2 Pausing keep-alive messages and roaming for virtual private networks on mobile computing devices to save battery power
Provided is a method, system and programming product for maintaining a connection between a mobile device and a server over a wireless network in a manner that conserves the power supply of the mobile device. The claimed subject matter addresses the transmission of regular “keep-alive” packets to refresh a network address translation (NAT) server and the scanning for and connecting to faster, higher priority network connections. A configurable parameter, or power timeout, specifies an idle time. When a period of time equal to the parameter has passed with no traffic between the mobile device and the server, in either direction, periodic roaming scans and keep-alive messages are halted. As soon as traffic is resumed through the tunnel, the mobile device roams to the highest priority connection and roaming scans and keep-alive messages are resumed.
US08085690B1 Managing routing information in a hub-and-spokes network
A routing device may be connected to multiple spoke site networks, and may receive local routes from these spoke site networks. The routing device may include routing information and forwarding information. The routing device may update the routing information to include the local routes, and selectively generate the forwarding information to exclude the local routes. The routing device may associate labels with the local routes and advertise the labels and local routes to other routing devices. The labels may be associated with interfaces of the routing device or access links that connect the routing device to a spoke site network, and the associations of labels with interfaces or access links may be stored in the forwarding information. The routing device may forward received packets that include the labels according to the labels, and may forward other received packets according to the routes within the forwarding information.
US08085683B2 Method and apparatus for estimating link quality
A driver for an IEEE 802.11 wireless network node determines a metric for link quality between the node and a remote node. The nodes communicate using a handshake protocol in which the first node expects to receive an acknowledgement (ACK) of receipt of a data packet from the remote node. The driver provides a measure for: collision induced losses (pc) between the first and remote nodes; a slot being erroneously detected as busy when a successful transmission could have been made (pexp) between the first and remote nodes; and a probability of successful reception of a packet when a collision occurs (pplc) between the first and remote nodes. The measure is based on a number (A) of acknowledgements received from the remote node vis-à-vis a number (T) of packets transmitted to the remote node. The driver can adjust one of carrier sensitivity or node transmission power based on the measure.
US08085675B2 Method and apparatus to test a data path in a network
A method and apparatus for testing a data path in a network is described. The method may comprise creating a closed loop in the data path so that test data (e.g., fixed set of known data) sent from a local network device to a downstream network device is returned by the downstream network device. Thereafter, the test data is injected into the closed loop and selectively extracted from the loop. The test data may then be processed. The method may create the closed loop by closing a first loopback mechanism at the local network device and closing a second loopback mechanism at the downstream network device. In an example embodiment, the method determines whether the identified errors exceed a threshold number of errors. The method may be utilized to determine if fiber connectivity of the data path has failed when the identified errors exceed the threshold.
US08085673B2 Method and apparatus for generating bi-directional network traffic and collecting statistics on same
A method and apparatus for testing network devices maintains state data in a memory corresponding to a current status for each one of a plurality of connections. Received and transmitted segment identifiers relate each received segment to one of the connections. Each received and transmitted segment is processed and advanced according to a TCP standard and the state data for each segment is updated in the memory. Statistics are collected for each segment as they are processed.
US08085669B2 Session relay device and session relay method
A session relay device which can reliably send a data packet from a source to a destination without the need for reconfiguring and dividing a segment is supplied. Session relay device 110, adapted to be disposed between terminals for transmitting and receiving data as packets to which sequence numbers representative of the order of segments to be transmitted are assigned, includes session relay section 110-3 that relays data transmitted as packets between a first session opened between session relay device 110 and a terminal on a transmission side and a second session opened between session relay device 110 and a terminal on a reception side. Session relay section 110-3 receives the retransmitted segment from a terminal on the transmission side, updates a maximum segment size of the second session with the segment size of the retransmitted segment, and transmits the retransmitted segment to a terminal on the reception side.
US08085663B2 Data processing apparatus and data processing method
A data processing apparatus including: an adjusting section configured to receive a stream including packets and a start flag indicative of the beginning of each of the packets in the stream, adjust a rate of the stream to a certain rate, and output the adjusted stream that is the stream after the rate adjustment and the start flag indicative of the beginning of each of the packets in the adjusted stream; a monitoring section configured to monitor a packet interval that is a start interval between the packets in the adjusted stream on the basis of the start flag; and an output control section configured to execute output control of outputting the packets in the adjusted stream if the packet interval is a normal interval and restricting the outputting of the packets in the adjusted stream if the packet interval is an abnormal interval.
US08085660B2 System, method and computer readable medium for communicating with a zigbee device from a peripheral network
In order to minimize traffic on a Zigbee network, a gateway of the Zigbee network represents end devices in communications with peripheral networks. The gateway receives messages, such as status request messages, from the peripheral network intended for an end device on the Zigbee network. The Zigbee network generates a response message by retrieving stored data for the end device instead of communicating the received message to the end device.
US08085657B2 Flow control in a cellular communication system
A base station comprises an RNC message receiver which receives data packets from a Radio Network Controller, RNC. The data packets are transmitted over air interface channels by a transmitter. The base station includes buffer memory for buffering the data packets prior to transmission, a scheduler for scheduling the data packets for transmission over the air interface channels, and a memory allocator for determining a first memory allocation of the buffer memory for a first air interface communication with a first user equipment. The base station further includes a flow controller for determining a transfer allowance for transferring of data from the RNC to the base station in response to the first memory allocation and a current buffer memory usage of the first air interface communication. The transfer allowance is transmitted to the RNC by an RNC message transmitter for achieving an efficient flow control.
US08085643B2 Optical information reproducing apparatus, optical information recording and reproducing apparatus
In holographic recording by the angle multiplexing method, in order to allow a signal beam and a reference beam to sufficiently overlap with each other in a storage medium to decrease as much as possible a wastefully exposed region, which does not contribute to a signal recording, an optical pickup apparatus having a function which can control, for example, a size or a position of an aperture of the reference beam is used. An optical information reproducing apparatus or an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus using the optical pickup apparatus is used.
US08085637B2 Tracking error signal detection apparatus and optical disc apparatus
A DPD tracking error signal detection apparatus includes the following. Four differentiators remove DC components and differentiate four signal with varying differential phases. The signals are then sampled and quantized by four A/D converters, and output to a non-inverting unit and an inverting unit. A phase inverter/compositor then leaves as-is or phase-inverts the output signals, according to a control signal. The non-inverting and the inverting unit each include two Hilbert transformers that phase-shift the output from the A/D converters, two delay units that delay the output of the other A/D converters to match the delay of the Hilbert transformers, two cross-correlators that calculate the cross-correlation between pairs of Hilbert transformers and delay units, and an adding unit that combines the cross-correlator results and outputs the combined result to the phase inverter/compositor.
US08085630B2 Optical disk apparatus
A servo control of an optical disk apparatus increases a suppression degree of an iterative learning control system, against a frequency disturbance of integer multiple of rotation frequency in a predetermined rotation phase range including a range, in which a servo deviation is detected, of the rotation phase.
US08085621B2 Ultrasonic transducer with improved method of beam angle control
An ultrasonic transducer utilizes an acoustic transmission line to increase the sensitivity of both the transmitting response and the receiving response. The resonant element of the transducer could employ a ceramic disc operating in the radial resonance mode for its transduction means, or it could be a half wavelength resonator utilizing a forward transmission line, a rear transmission line, and a non-resonant ceramic for transduction. The shape of the forward transmission line is designed to generate the desired acoustic radiation pattern at the frequency of resonance, which could be a broad or narrow conical beam or a fan shaped beam. A sealed housing structure is disclosed that contains the forward transmission line that is acoustically disconnected from the rest of the housing. This housing provides improved environmental protection and allows for easy mounting of the transducer without effecting its electroacoustic response characteristics.
US08085619B2 Fish finder
This disclosure provides a fish finder, which includes a transmission module and a reception module, for outputting an ultrasonic wave underwater, receiving an echo, and outputting a reception signal corresponding to an intensity of the received echo, a control module for generating echo data corresponding to a depth based on the reception signal, a display module for displaying the echo data, and a user interface for receiving a user's operation. The control module causes the display module to display the echo data so that the echo data is displayed in two or more display screens. At least one display screen displays an area having a color different from a background color. A part of the echo data at a depth range corresponding to a height of the area is displayed in the other display screen so as to expand the echo data in a depth direction. The user interface specifies a position and a size of the area via the user's operation.
US08085616B2 Block decoder of a flash memory device
A block decoder increases the integration level of a flash memory device by reducing the number of control signals. Address signals are substituted with existing high voltage switch signals. The block decoder of a flash memory device includes a primary decoding unit and a secondary decoding unit. The primary decoding unit outputs a decoding signal in response to first and second address coding signals of a high voltage and first to third control signals. The secondary decoding unit outputs a control signal to control the potential of a block word line in response to the decoding signal and first and second pre-decoded signals.
US08085603B2 Method and apparatus for compression of configuration bitstream of field programmable logic
A memory is disclosed that can be utilized with a field programmable gate array. In some embodiments, the memory can include a memory array comprising a plurality of memory banks, each memory bank including at least one memory block, each of the at least one memory block including an array of memory cells; an address decoder coupled to each of the at least one memory block, the address decoder including a comparator coupled to receive an input address and a block address and provide a compare bit that indicates when a portion of the input address matches the block address, and an OR gate coupled to receive the compare bit and a wildcard bit, the OR gate providing an enable to the memory block when either the compare bit or the wildcard bit is asserted; and a logic unit that receives a mode value and the input address and provides the wildcard bit to each of the address decoders. Data can be simultaneously written into the memory array in patterns in accordance with the mode value. For example, in some embodiments the mode value indicates one of four patterns, a normal pattern, a block checkerboard pattern, a bank checkerboard pattern, and an all banks pattern.
US08085600B2 Program and verify method of nonvolatile memory device
A program and verify method of a nonvolatile memory device, which can minimize the time taken for program and verify operations. The program and verify method includes precharging an output terminal of a block selector to a second level, making the output terminal of the block selector float, and, in the state where the output terminal floats, sequentially applying a program voltage and a verify voltage through a global word line.
US08085596B2 Reducing noise in semiconductor devices
The present disclosure includes methods, devices, modules, and systems for reducing noise in semiconductor devices. One method embodiment includes applying a reset voltage to a control gate of a semiconductor device for a period of time. The method further includes sensing the state of the semiconductor device after applying the reset voltage.
US08085595B2 Nonvolatile memory devices and methods of controlling the wordline voltage of the same
A nonvolatile memory device includes an array of memory cells arranged in rows and columns, the array of memory cells having wordlines associated therewith. A wordline voltage controller determines the levels of wordline voltages to be supplied to the respective wordlines and a wordline voltage generator generates the wordline voltages at the determined levels. Related methods are also provided.
US08085590B2 Multi-bit-per-cell flash memory device with non-bijective mapping
To store a plurality of input bits, the bits are mapped to a corresponding programmed state of one or more memory cells and the cell(s) is/are programmed to that corresponding programmed state. The mapping may be many-to-one or may be an “into” generalized Gray mapping. The cell(s) is/are read to provide a read state value that is transformed into a plurality of output bits, for example by maximum likelihood decoding or by mapping the read state value into a plurality of soft bits and then decoding the soft bits.
US08085580B2 System for bitcell and column testing in SRAM
A system comprises a storage cell coupled to multiple bitlines and a transistor that couples to the multiple bitlines in parallel with the storage cell. The transistor is activated while the storage cell is read.
US08085575B2 Nonvolatile memory device and method of driving the same
A nonvolatile memory device and a method of driving the same are provided, which adopt an improved write operation. The method of driving a nonvolatile memory device includes providing the nonvolatile memory device including a plurality of memory banks each having a plurality of local bit lines and a plurality of variable resistance memory cells; selectively connecting read global bit lines for reading data with the local bit lines, and firstly discharging the selectively connected local bit lines by turning on local bit line discharge transistors coupled to the read global bit lines; and selectively connecting write global bit lines for writing data with the local bit lines, and secondly discharging the selectively connected local bit lines by turning on global bit line discharge transistors.
US08085573B2 Ferroelectric memory
A ferroelectric memory of an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of units, in each of which a ferroelectric capacitor and a transistor are connected to each other in parallel. The memory includes first and second memory cell arrays, first and second bit lines arranged in the first and second memory cell arrays, respectively, first and second blocks connected to the first bit line, and including N1 units and N2 units, respectively, where N1 and N2 are positive integers, third and fourth bit lines arranged in the first and second memory cell arrays, respectively, third and fourth blocks connected to the third bit line, and including N3 units and N4 units, respectively, where N3 and N4 are positive integers, first to fourth redundant blocks respectively connected to the first to fourth bit lines, and to be used for repair of the first to fourth blocks, and a sense amplifier selectively connectable to one of the first and second bit lines, and selectively connectable to one of the third and fourth bit lines.
US08085563B2 Protection and clamp circuit for power factor correction controller
A controller generates a drive signal for a converter circuit that includes an active component (i.e., transistor) that is selectively controlled to convert a rectified input to direct current (DC) output. The controller employs an outer feedback loop (based on monitored output voltage of the converter circuit), an inner feedback loop (based on monitored AC input current drawn by the converter circuit), and a pulse width modulator (PWM) to generate the drive signals necessary to generate the desired DC output voltage and to provide power factor correction to the converter circuit. In particular, the inner feedback loop includes an amplifier and a fault protection and clamp circuit. The amplifier has a first input connected to receive a feedback signal representing the monitored AC input current, a second input, and an output that provides a current feedback signal to the PWM. The fault protection and clamp circuit is connected to monitor the voltage at the second input of the PWM and to detect fault conditions associated with the converter circuit, wherein in response to an over-voltage condition at the second input or a detected fault condition the fault protection and claim circuit clamps the current feedback signal provided to the second input of the PWM to a reference value and provides the reference value in feedback to either the first or second input of the amplifier.
US08085557B2 Bidirectional DC/AC inverter
A bidirectional DC-AC inverter is disclosed. The DC-AC inverter includes an H bridge circuit, a connecting portion connected to the H bridge circuit, a smoothing filter that connects the connecting portion to the H bridge circuit, and a control section. The H bridge circuit has four switching elements. The four switching elements include two first switching elements first ends of which are connected to each other and two second switching elements second ends of which are connected to each other. The smoothing filter has a capacitor and two coils connected to the capacitor. The control section controls the first switching elements in such a manner that the two coils function as booster coils when an alternating voltage input from a system power supply is converted to a direct current voltage.
US08085555B2 Circuit board module and connection port thereof
A connection port and a circuit board module employing such a connection port are provided. The circuit board module includes a circuit board, a plurality of electronic components, a switch, a control unit connected to the switch, and a connection port. The electronic components, the switch, the control unit and the connection port are disposed on the circuit board. The connection port is adapted for connecting with a connector. The connection port includes a body, a plurality of first connection terminals for connecting with the connector, and a detection terminal. Each of the first connection terminals has one end connected to the control unit via the switch. The detection terminal has one end connected with the switch of the circuit board module. When another end of the detection terminal gets in contact with the connector, the switch electrically conducts the first connection terminals with the control unit.
US08085554B2 Air inlet diffuser
An air inlet diffuser 10 is disclosed for attachment relative to an air inlet opening 106 of an electronics enclosure 100. The diffuser 10 extends into the electronics enclosure 100 and provides an increased surface area through which EMI attenuating apertures may be formed. The diffuser 10 also reduces the amount of structure that is disposed within the air inlet opening 106 thereby reducing impedance to airflow through the opening 106 into the enclosure 100. The increased surface are of the diffuser 10 allows for increasing the number of EMI attenuating apertures that may be utilized for a given inlet opening 106. In one embodiment, the total open area of the EMI apertures is greater than the open area of the air inlet opening. In such an embodiment, the EMI apertures provide low impedance to airflow through the diffuser 10 and increased airflow in conjunction with EMI attenuation may be realized.
US08085541B1 Thin flat panel video display
This document describes apparatus and methods for supplying electrical operating power to a thin form-factor display device, such as a flat panel video display device. In an illustrative example, components of a power supply for a flat panel video display are arranged to be substantially coplanar and adjacent to a display screen. The display screen and the power supply components may share a common housing. The power supply may provide appropriate electrical operating voltages to operate the display device. In some embodiments, an external thermally conductive panel of the display device is thermally coupled to components of the power supply through a low thermal impedance interface.
US08085536B2 Computer
A computer includes an enclosure, a platform, a motherboard and at least one disk drive. A receiving space is defined by the enclosure. The platform divides the receiving space into at least two housings. The motherboard and the at least one disk drive are located in different housings.
US08085534B2 Flat display apparatus to optimally radiate heat
A flat display apparatus includes a display unit; a housing configured to accommodate the display unit; a support member configured to support the housing; and a cooling device configured to radiate heat of a heating element which is mounted in the housing, wherein the cooling device includes a first far infrared ray transfer member which is thermally connected to the heating element in the housing and a second far infrared ray transfer member which is thermally connected to an external portion of the housing at a rear surface side, wherein a radiating surface of the first far infrared ray transfer member and an absorbing surface of the second far infrared ray transfer member are disposed to oppose each other with the housing interposed therebetween, and wherein heat radiated from the first far infrared ray transfer member is radiated at both plane surface of the second far infrared ray transfer member.
US08085525B2 Electric double layer capacitor including current collector having a plurality of apertures therein
An electric double layer capacitor includes a case, an electrolyte solution accommodated in the case, and an electrode foil immersed in the electrolyte solution. The electrode foil includes a collector and an electrode layer covering the collector. The collector has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The collector has apertures provided therein. The apertures communicate with the first surface and the second surface of the collector. The collector includes a projection provided at an edge of at least one aperture out of the apertures. The projection projects from the first surface of the collector and penetrates the electrode layer. The electric double layer capacitor provides a large contact area and a large joining strength between the collector and the electrode layer, and allows the collector to have a small thickness, hence having a large output density and a large energy density.
US08085523B2 Method of manufacturing capacitor
One capacitor fabrication process including metal layer forming a metal layer on one surface of a substrate, dielectric layer forming a dielectric layer on the metal layer, metal foil forming a metal foil on the dielectric layer, separating the noble metal layer from the dielectric layer, and electrode layer forming an electrode layer on the second surface of the dielectric layer, wherein the second surface faces away from the first surface of the dielectric layer with the metal foil. Another capacitor fabrication process includes separation layer forming a separation layer on one surface of a substrate, dielectric layer forming a dielectric layer on the separation layer, metal foil forming a metal foil the dielectric layer, separating the substrate from the separation layer, and an electrode layer forming an electrode layer on the second surface of the dielectric layer, wherein the second surface faces away from the first surface of said dielectric layer with the metal foil. A thin-film capacitor has higher capacity, is so slimmed down and has a form well fit for being buried in a base board, and can be used even at high frequencies.
US08085520B2 Manufacturing process for surge arrester module using pre-impregnated composite
An electrical module assembly used in a surge arrester is manufactured by wrapping an electrical module assembly including at least one metal oxide varistor (MOV) disk to which a reinforcing structure including a pre-impregnated epoxy/glass-fiber composite has been applied with shrink film and compacting the wrapped electrical module assembly by heating the shrink film such that the shrink film shrinks and applies a radially compressive force to the electrical module assembly. The wrapped electrical module assembly then is cured at a temperature at which the shrink film no longer applies a compressive force.
US08085512B2 CPP-type magnetoresistance effect element having a pair of free layers
A magnetic field detecting element comprises: a stack which includes first, second and third magnetic layers whose magnetization directions depend upon an external magnetic field, the second magnetic layer being positioned between the first magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, a first non-magnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and a second non-magnetic intermediate layer sandwiched between the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, wherein the stack is adapted such that sense current flows in a direction that is perpendicular to a film surface thereof; and a bias magnetic layer which is provided on a side of the stack, the side being opposite to an air bearing surface of the stack.
US08085485B1 Lens barrel support structure and optical device
A lens barrel support structure is provided that includes a base frame and a lens barrel. The base frame includes a first support portion, a second support portion, a third support portion, and a stopper. The lens barrel includes a substantially cylindrical shape body frame configured to accommodate at least part of an optical system, a first attachment portion fixedly coupled to the body frame and to the first support portion, a second attachment portion fixedly coupled to the body frame and to the second support portion, a third attachment portion fixedly coupled to the body frame and to the third support portion, and a receiver fixedly coupled to the body frame. The receiver and the stopper are disposed spaced apart and define a gap that extends along a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the optical system to allow the receiver to contact the stopper.
US08085480B2 Compact zoom lens
A zoom lens including a first lens group having a negative refractive power, including a negative lens and a positive lens and having at least one aspherical surface, a second lens group having a positive refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power. During, zooming from a wide angle position to a telephoto position, the first lens group is moved so that the first lens group at the telephoto position is closer to the object side than the first lens group at the wide angle position, the second lens group is moved, the third lens group is moved toward the object side from the image side, and the fourth lens group is moved so that the distance between the third lens group and the fourth lens group at the telephoto position is larger than the distance therebetween at the wide angle position, and the zoom lens satisfies the following Equations: vdG1−p>56.0 2.1<|β3T/β3W|<5.5, where vdG1−p is the Abbe's number of the positive lens of the first lens group, β3T is the magnification of the third lens group at the telephoto position and β3W is the magnification of the third lens group at the wide angle position, respectively.
US08085479B2 Optical zoom lens module and image capturing device using same
An optical zoom lens module includes, in this order from the object side to the image side thereof, a first lens group of positive refraction power, a second lens group of negative refraction power, a third lens group of positive refraction power, and a fourth lens group of positive refraction power. The optical zoom lens module satisfies the formula: 12
US08085473B2 Phase offset integrated solid immersion mirror and lens for a general phase front
An apparatus includes a core waveguide for directing electromagnetic radiation to a focal point, the core waveguide having a first interface on a first side of a longitudinal axis for directing a first plurality of rays of the electromagnetic radiation to a focal point and a second interface on a second side of the longitudinal axis for directing a second plurality of rays of the electromagnetic radiation to the focal point, wherein the first and second interfaces are shaped such that at the focal point, the second plurality of rays are about 180° out of phase with respect to the first plurality of rays.
US08085468B2 Line generator
A line generator according to the present invention includes a light source, a first lens group, and a second lens group. An optical axis is set to a position of a light beam which travels orthogonal to incidence surfaces of both the first and second lens groups and the first lens group is configured such that light beams from the light source are not collimated in a first direction in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis and are collimated or focused only in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in the plane orthogonal to the optical axis and the second lens group is configured such that the light beams which have passed through the first group form a line.
US08085460B2 Electrochromic device
An electrochromic device includes a first substrate spaced from a second substrate. A first conductive member is formed over at least a portion of the first substrate. A first electrochromic electrode comprising a tungsten oxide coating is formed over at least a portion of the first conductive member. A second conductive member is formed over at least a portion of the second substrate. A second electrochromic electrode is formed over at least a portion of the second conductive member. An ionic liquid is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode. In one aspect of the invention, the ionic liquid can include nanoparticles of metals or metal oxides. In a further aspect of the invention, the second conductive member and second electrode can be formed by a single material.
US08085456B2 Scanning optical system
An object of the present invention is to provide a scanning optical system capable of reducing the number of its components and its size with a simple construction, and an image forming apparatus using the scanning optical system. In a specific scanning optical system, a plurality of light beams emitted from a plurality of light source units are deflected and scanned by a plurality of different deflecting facets of a common optical deflecting unit, and a plurality of scanned surfaces are scanned with the light beams deflected and scanned by the different deflecting facets, respectively. In the scanning optical system, the number of the light source units is 4n, the number of the light beams is 4nm (n and m are positive integers, respectively), incidence optical paths of the light beams incident on the optical deflecting unit are symmetrically disposed with respect to a first cross section and a second cross section which are perpendicular to each other, the first cross section is parallel to a rotational axis of the optical deflecting unit, and the second cross section is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the optical deflecting unit.
US08085448B2 Image reading apparatus and control method thereof
An image reading apparatus capable of continually conveying a plurality of originals in a stable manner while cleaning a contact glass of an image sensor and reducing streaks occurring in read images. An image sensor reads an original image via a contact member which the conveyed original may contact. A cleaning member, being provided on a turning member which is able to rotate or swing and disposed at a position opposing the image sensor, cleans the contact member's surface which the original may contact. The turning member is turned by a driving unit. A controlling unit controls the driving unit to turn the turning member so that cleaning of the contact member is performed by the cleaning member after the original has passed an image reading position of the image sensor and before a subsequent original reaches the image reading position.
US08085447B2 Image reading apparatus and image reading method
This invention solves the problem of color misalignment upon reading a color image. An image reading apparatus according to this invention reads an image by scanning a scanning unit which mounts a reading sensor which reads light beams which are emitted by three light sources, which emit light beams of three primary colors, and reflected by an original document. The image reading apparatus conveys the original document by ⅓ of the reading width of the reading sensor in the conveyance direction of the original document every time the image is read. The image is read by switching between the three light sources so that each pixel of the image is read with the light beams from them.
US08085446B2 Image processing device for creating data file from monochrome image after the monochrome image has been compressed by different compression methods
An image processing device includes a first encoding processing portion to perform first encoding processing according to a first compression method for compressing multilevel image data and a second encoding processing portion to perform second encoding processing according to a second compression method for compressing binary image data. A determination portion determines whether an image made up of acquired image data is a monochrome image. A data volume estimating portion makes an estimation between a first data volume when image data forming the monochrome image is compressed by the first encoding processing and a second data volume when the image data is compressed by the second encoding processing as to which data volume becomes smaller. A file creating portion creates a data file from image data that has the smaller volume.
US08085442B2 Method of producing a tiled print product
In a method of producing a tiled print product, the print product is composed of a plurality of print substrates that are printed separately and are disposed adjacent to one another in at least one row. Each substrate is printed by means of a print process that creates a gloss gradient in a characteristic direction of production that is parallel to the row. The characteristic direction of production is inverted for every second substrate in the row.
US08085430B2 Printer and tape printer
A printer includes: an area judging unit which judges whether a character printing area necessary for standard printing of an image corresponding to the character data on the printing material exceeds a definite length printing area; a printing data processing unit which creates corrected image data corresponding to a corrected printing image produced by thinning out the image corresponding the character data in the printing direction to perform compressive conversion process for fitting the character printing area to the definite length printing area when the area judging unit judges that the character printing area exceeds the definite length printing area; and a printing device which prints the corrected printing image on the printing material based on the corrected printing data created by the printing data processing unit.
US08085429B2 Information processing apparatus and method for generating print data for a book with a cover sheet
An information processing apparatus for making a bookbinding setup for a document includes a cover page determination unit for determining pages to be imposed on a cover from input data of a plurality of pages, a cover imposing processing unit for executing an imposing process of cover pages on the basis of data of the pages determined by the cover page determination unit, and a bookbinding imposing processing unit for executing an imposing process of running text pages on the basis of data of the remaining pages which are not imposed on the cover pages by the cover imposing processing unit, thus allowing an information process for making a bookbinding setup that the user wants.
US08085428B2 Print systems and techniques
Systems and techniques for printing. In one implementation, a method includes printing, at substantially the same time, a first image on a first workpiece and a second image on a second workpiece.
US08085424B2 Multiple-port print device
A method that enables a multiple-port print device to perform efficient job management for each job even if the multiple-port print device is provided with parallel-processing-enabled multiple interfaces. The multiple-port print device includes a job boundary detection unit, a spool buffer, and a job management unit. By reading print job data stored in the buffer memory units from the multiple communication interfaces, and detecting the job start and end marks added to the print job data, the print job data is identified by each job boundary. The job management unit stores the print job data identified by the job boundary into the spool buffer as a spool file to spool-process the data between the spool buffer and the image processing unit.
US08085416B2 Method and system for color highlighting of text
In a method of generating hardcopy output, a print job description is provided to a print operation. The print job is in a native format where the print job includes the print operation in the native format and the print job description. A modified print operation is formed in a meta-format in response to the print job description. The modified print operation is submitted in the native format to a print engine to perform the print operation.
US08085408B2 Spectral domain optical coherence tomography system
An optical coherence tomography device is disclosed for improved imaging. Reduced levels of speckle in the images generated by the device are obtained by forming a B-scan from a plurality of A-scans, wherein each resolution cell of the B-scan is generated through compounding of a subset of the A-scans and wherein at least some of the subset of A-scans are separated by at least half the diameter of a speckle cell both tangent to and orthogonal to the B-scan at that cell.
US08085406B2 Ultrafast microscopy of surface electromagnetic fields
System(s) and method(s) to probe electromagnetic fields at the surface of a solid-state material are provided. The technique combines ultrafast (e.g., less than 10 fs) optical excitation and electron microscopy to generate electronic excitations and image the ensuing electromagnetic fields with nanometer-scale spatial resolution and femtosecond time-scale resolution. In addition, time-of-flight energy analysis facilitates imaging of relaxation a generated electronic excitation. The dynamics of the electromagnetic fields can be probed interferometrically through generation of multi-frame imaging, with inter-frame frequency of the order of a few hundreds of attoseconds, of interference patterns among an electric field associated with an excitation in a sample or device and the electromagnetic field of a probe pulse coherent with an excitation pulse. Quality assurance of nanoscopic devices based on plasmonic, photonic, electronic, spintronic operation can be analyzed with spectroscopy provided in the subject innovation.
US08085401B2 Ozone concentration sensor
An apparatus and method provide measurement of a constituent of a fluid, such as ozone in ozonated water. The apparatus includes a vessel to contain the fluid, a light source configured to direct a first band of light and a second band of light along a substantially shared path though the fluid, and a photosensor that senses the first band of light and the second band of light. The constituent has a greater absorption associated with the first band of light than with the second band of light. The method includes modification of a measured attribute of the component in response to the sensed second band of light to improve the accuracy of the measured attribute.
US08085400B2 Alignment device and method for optical system
An alignment device is provided for aligning a primary mirror with a secondary mirror in an optical system having the primary mirror and the secondary mirror arranged so as to face each other along the optical axis. The alignment device has a dichroic film formed on a surface on the front side of the secondary mirror and configured to reflect light used in the optical system and to transmit alignment light, a back reflecting surface formed on the back side of the secondary mirror and configured to reflect the alignment light, and a detection system which detects a positional deviation between the primary mirror and the secondary mirror, based on the alignment light having traveled via the dichroic film, the back reflecting surface, and a reflecting surface of the primary mirror.
US08085398B2 Concave compensated cell for the collection of radiated light
A concave cell for the collection of radiated light including a body with a concave surface and an unmodified flat surface opposite thereto, and a reflective surface coupled to the body across from the concave surface, said reflective surface including an opening and a photo detector operatively coupled thereto. A method of collecting light by reflecting light inside the concave cell, striking the light at the concave surface, scattering the light at the concave surface, and registering the scattered light with the photo detector. A method of increasing uniformity of light registered in a photo detector. A method of making a concave cell.
US08085390B2 Multivariate monitoring method for plasma process machine
An advance process control (APC) system for a plasma process machine is provided, which includes at least an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) system and an APC analysis apparatus. The OES system is used for monitoring a testing object in the plasma process machine. The APC analysis apparatus is used for analyzing the data received from the OES system.
US08085389B2 Optical sensor operating on the transit time principle
The present invention relates to an optical sensor based on the transit time principle, comprising a light source for the emission of emergent light pulses into an observed region, comprising a rotating device for rotating a beam direction of the emergent light pulses about a rotation axis orientated transverse to the beam direction, and comprising a detector for the detection of light pulses reflected by objects in the observed region, comprising a housing for keeping the sensor interior separate from the environment and including a partitioning screen that is transparent to the emergent light pulses and to the reflected light pulses, comprising a test device for testing the translucence of the partitioning screen, and comprising a control and evaluation unit for controlling the light source, for evaluating the light pulses detected by the detector, and for determining the distance away of an object on the basis of the measured transit time of the light pulses, which control and evaluation unit cooperates with the test device.
US08085384B2 Exposure apparatus
An exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern of an original onto a substrate includes a condenser optical system configured to split light from a light source into plural rays, to condense the plural rays at different positions on the original, and to make a central part of each of the plural rays that illuminate the original darker than a periphery at the Fourier transform plane with respect to the original, and a projection optical system configured to project the pattern of the original onto the substrate.
US08085383B2 System, method, and apparatus for scanning detector for fast and frequent illumination uniformity correction module
Provided is a reticle masking blade system, including a reticle-masking blade device. Also included is a detector array mounted on an edge of a blade of the blade device.
US08085378B2 Printed circuit board and liquid crystal display having the same
A printed circuit board (PCB) and a liquid crystal display (LCD) including the same are provided. The PCB includes a metal pattern formed on an insulating substrate, an insulating layer covering the metal pattern, and at least one insulating layer protecting pattern formed on the insulating layer. The LCD includes a liquid crystal panel, a backlight assembly providing light to the liquid crystal panel, a bottom chassis having at least one support protruding from a surface thereof and receiving the liquid crystal panel and the backlight assembly, and a printed circuit board (PCB) including a metal pattern formed on an insulating substrate, an insulating layer covering the metal pattern, and at least one insulating layer protecting pattern formed on the insulating layer, wherein the printed circuit board is connected to the surface of the bottom chassis.
US08085372B2 Liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method thereof
A liquid crystal display device where both improvement in light transmittance of a liquid crystal display panel having a photo alignment film and suppression of occurrence of after image can be achieved. The liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel including pixels each having an active device, a pixel electrode, a common electrode and a liquid crystal layer arranged in a dot matrix array. The liquid crystal display panel has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate has the active device, the pixel electrode, the common electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate has a second alignment film. The first alignment film and the second alignment film are respectively a photo alignment film formed by irradiating a photo decomposition type insulating film with light. The second alignment film is thinner than the first alignment film, and has a thickness of equal to or greater than 10 nm and equal to or less than 50 nm.
US08085370B2 Single-polarizer reflective bistable twisted nematic (BTN) liquid crystal display device
The application relates to a single-polarizer reflective bistable twisted nematic (BTN) liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal layer of thickness d, birefringence Δn and retardation Δnd, said liquid crystal layer being situated between two substrates and between a polarizer and a reflector, said liquid crystal layer in the absence of an applied electric field having two stable uniformly twisted textures, the twists of the two stable textures differing by an angle being equal mainly to 180°, and at least one compensation layer positioned between said polarizer and said reflector, said compensation layer being composed of at least one birefringent film, said birefringent film having an optical anisotropy defined by three characteristic refractive indices nx, ny, nz, along three corresponding axis x, y, z of index ellipsoid, x and y being situated inside the substrates plane, nx and ny being called in plane indices, with nx≧ny, x being called slow axis, and z being perpendicular to the substrates plane with biaxiality parameter Nz equal to (nx−nz)/(nx−ny), characterized in that Nz lies between −∞ and ½ so that under oblique viewing the retardation of the stable texture corresponding to the dark state is compensated to improve the contrast ratio and simultaneously the retardation of the stable texture corresponding to the bright state is modified to decrease the color shift.
US08085366B2 Thin film transistor display panel and method of manufacturing the same
A thin film transistor array panel according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first colored member overlapping a thin film transistor and a plurality of second colored members simultaneously formed on the first colored member. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent light leakage current of the thin film transistor, to easily repair deterioration of the thin film transistor, to prevent light leakage of a peripheral area and between color filters, and to form stable patterns.
US08085365B2 Cellulose acylate film, polarizing plate and liquid crystal display device
A cellulose acylate film, which has a film thickness of from 20 to 70 μm and an elastic modulus of from 3.5 to 10 GPa in at least one direction of a film casting direction and a width direction.
US08085363B2 Coatable conductive layer
The invention relates to a patternable coatable electrically conductive layer comprising a fluid-coated electrically conductive material, wherein the fluid-coated electrically conductive material has sufficient conductivity to induce an electric field strong enough to change the optical state of a light modulating material and a display comprising a substrate, at least one patternable coatable electrically conductive layer comprising a fluid-coated electrically conductive material, wherein said fluid coated electrically conductive material has sufficient conductivity to induce an electric field strong enough to change the optical state of a light modulating material which has a first and a second field-switched stable optical state, and an imaging layer comprising said light modulating material disposed over said at least one patternable fluid-coated electrically conductive layer. The invention also relates to a method for making a coatable electrically conductive layer and a method for making a display with a coatable electrically conductive layer.
US08085362B2 Liquid crystal module
A liquid crystal module includes a rear frame, a U-shaped cold cathode tube and a cold cathode tube support member. The U-shaped cold cathode tube has a first straight tube portion, a second straight tube portion and a curved end portion that connects the first and second straight tube portions. The cold cathode tube support member has a mating component and an engaging component. The mating component restricts movements of the first straight tube portion in first and second directions of the rear frame relative to the rear frame. The engaging component restricts a movement of the second straight tube portion in the first direction of the rear frame relative to the rear frame. The engaging component supports the second straight tube portion for movement in the second direction of the rear frame relative to the rear frame.
US08085361B2 Liquid crystal module
A liquid crystal module includes a rear frame, a light reflecting sheet, a plurality of U-shaped cold cathode tubes, an optical sheet and a liquid crystal panel. The light reflecting sheet is disposed on the rear frame. The U-shaped cold cathode tubes are disposed above the light reflecting sheet and arranged parallel to each other. Each of the U-shaped cold cathode tubes includes a U-shaped bent part and a pair of end portions extending from the U-shaped bent part. Widths of the U-shaped bent parts of the U-shaped cold cathode tubes are different from each other. Overall lengths of the U-shaped cold cathode tubes from one end portions to the other end portions along the U-shaped cold cathode tubes are equal to each other. The optical sheet is disposed above the U-shaped cold cathode tube. The liquid crystal panel is disposed above the optical sheet.
US08085359B2 Folded backlight systems having low index regions that prevent light failing to meet total internal reflection conditions from entering a plate portion and liquid crystal displays using the same
A liquid crystal display is provided. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel having pixels configured to form an image; and a backlight system proximate to the liquid crystal display panel and configured to illuminate the pixels of the liquid crystal display panel. The backlight system includes a light guide including a plate portion generally parallel to the liquid crystal display panel and a first side portion extending generally perpendicularly from the plate portion, a light source configured to emit light into the light guide via the first side portion, and a heat sink coupled to the light source and configured to remove heat generated by the light source during operation.
US08085357B2 Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel, a back light unit attached to the liquid crystal display panel having a light source and a light guide plate, a mold frame attached to the back light unit, and a bezel within the mold frame for supporting the mold frame. The bezel includes a first seat having a base and a first side wall extending from a perimeter of the base, and a second seat having a step extending from the first side wall and a second side extending from a perimeter of the step.
US08085354B2 Pixel structure with semiconductor of top-gate TFT extended over electrodes and liquid crystal display panel
A pixel structure is disclosed. The pixel structure is suitable to be disposed on a substrate and includes a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode and a top gate TFT. The first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode are disposed over the substrate, wherein the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode are separated from each other. The top gate TFT is disposed between the substrate and the first pixel electrode and includes a patterned semiconductor layer and a gate.
US08085348B2 Image output method to displays with different aspect ratios
First and second division patterns are defined so that main areas A and A′ are similar to each other in shape, having the same horizontal-to-vertical ratio. Even if an image output apparatus is connected to a display unit having both first and second display screens, the image output apparatus generates an identical image for the main area A or A′ regardless of the aspect ratio of the display screen. The main areas A and A′ display important information and the like. Sub areas B and B′ display auxiliary information. The first and second division patterns may be determined so that the sub areas B and B′ are similar to each other in shape like the main areas.
US08085345B2 Image processing apparatus and image processing method
A double rate processing part generates, at a double rate, a non-interlaced image signal every frame to twice generate a double-rate non-interlaced signal which has identical information duplicately. An interlace part, after a predetermined process is carried out on the double-rate non-interlaced signal twice generated by the double rate processing part, extracts an odd scan lines from one of the twice generated double-rate non-interlaced signal to generate an odd scan line image signal, extracts an even scan lines from the other of the twice generated double-rate non-interlaced signal to generate an even scan line image signal, so as to obtain an interlaced image signal for one frame.
US08085343B2 Image capture apparatus
An image capture apparatus includes an outer housing, a capturing lens, a slide cover, and a grip projection portion. The capturing lens is disposed on a front face of the outer housing. The slide cover is slidable relative to the outer housing between a closed position covering the capturing lens and an open position uncovering the capturing lens. The grip projection portion projects from the outer housing and includes a finger placing portion that allows a user to place fingers of a user. The finger placing portion is positioned frontwardly of the slide cover.
US08085342B2 Highly miniaturized, battery operated, digital wireless camera using programmable single chip active pixel sensor (APS) digital camera chip
A miniaturized camera which is programmable and provides low power consumption. An active pixel image sensor used in the highly miniaturized camera provides improved imaging functionality as well as reduced power consumption, extending the possible life time of the camera system. The spread spectrum nature of transmission and reception improves data integrity as well as data security. The ability of the highly miniaturized wireless camera to receive commands as well as transmit image data provides improved functionality and a variable rate of power consumption to be set according to the application and needs of the situation.
US08085335B2 Image pickup apparatus with a fixed aperture stop having an aperture with different, repetitive first and second wave patterns
An image pickup apparatus includes an image-pickup optical system, three color separation prisms separating incident light guided by the image-pickup optical system into three-primary-color light components and emitting the light components, and three image pickup elements respectively receiving the three light components from the prisms so as to produce respective image signals. Of the three prisms, a first prism that first receives the incident light has an edge extending parallel to an incidence plane. The image-pickup optical system has a plate-like fixed aperture stop disposed between the first prism and a final lens, disposed closest to the first prism, of multiple lenses included in the image-pickup optical system. The fixed aperture stop has an aperture that limits the incident light. An edge section of the aperture has projections and depressions arranged at least in parallel to the edge, as viewed from an optical-axis direction of the final lens.
US08085333B2 Digital camera
A digital camera includes: an image processing unit that creates first display image data and second display image data; a display device that displays a first screen image and a second screen image so as to allow a user to observe the first screen image when viewed along a first direction with respect to a display face and so as to allow the user to observe the second screen image when viewed along a second direction that differs from the first direction; and a control unit that instructs the display device to display the first display image data as the first screen image, and the second display image data as the second screen image.
US08085332B2 Image pickup apparatus, method for controlling image pickup apparatus
The image pickup apparatus includes an optical viewfinder, a rear touch panel display, a registering part which registers whether an eye of a user viewing an object image through the optical viewfinder is a right eye or a left eye, a setting part which sets a non-enterable area where touch entry is not permitted in the touch panel to a first area when the right eye is registered, and to set the non-enterable area to a second area different from the first area when the left eye is registered. A controller controls the apparatus such that the apparatus does not perform an operation in response to a touch to the non-enterable area in the touch panel and the apparatus performs an operation in response to a touch to an area other than the non-enterable area in the touch panel.
US08085331B2 Solid-state imaging device, driving method thereof, and camera
An objective of the present invention is to provide the solid-state imaging device and the driving method thereof which can control: a poor picture quality, such as blooming, to maximize a dynamic range of the photodiode; and a poor picture quality resulted from an incomplete read-out operation. A solid-state imaging device in the present invention includes: a solid-state imaging element; and a driving pulse controlling unit applying a driving pulse to each of read-out gates of a column CCD. The driving pulse controlling unit transfers in a column direction signal charge within a charge transfer region of the column CCD by applying a column transfer clock having a LOW level voltage and a MIDDLE level voltage, and the LOW level voltage and the MIDDLE level voltage are minus voltages.
US08085321B2 Method and apparatus for providing a rolling double reset timing for global storage in image sensors
An apparatus for and a method of operating an array of pixels of an image sensor, where each pixel includes at least a photosensor, an associated storage device and a floating diffusion region and the array of pixels is configured in a plurality of rows and columns. The photosensors associated with the pixels are reset and charges are accumulated in the photosensor. The accumulated charges are then globally transferred to storage devices associated with the pixels. A rolling double reset is used to reduce the deleterious effects on the accumulated charges stored in the storage devices. The accumulated charges stored in the storage devices are transferred to floating diffusion regions associated with the pixels and the charges residing in the floating diffusion region are read out. In a second embodiment the storage device is eliminated and the rolling double reset is used to reduce the deleterious effects on the accumulated charges stored in the floating diffusion region.
US08085318B2 Real-time image capture and manipulation based on streaming data
Systems and techniques to provide image capture and manipulation. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes receiving an input stream including image data from a source, displaying the input stream in real-time including displaying a plurality of instantiations of the stream at a same time, each stream different, the step of displaying including applying a filter to each instantiation of the input stream, and receiving a prompt to select one of the instantiations of the stream.
US08085308B2 Image correction device, method, integrated circuit and system for correcting images captured by a camera provided in a moving object
An image correction device trims an image, which has been captured by a camera provided in a moving object, in accordance with a predetermined image frame to generate a corrected image that is enclosed by the predetermined image frame, and then outputs the corrected image as an output image. Even when there is an error between an actual camera position in which the camera is actually positioned and a scheduled camera position in which the camera is scheduled to be positioned, the image correction device (i) decomposes the error into a first component that extends along an imaging direction of the camera and a second component that extends along a plane orthogonal to the imaging direction, (ii) shifts the image frame in accordance with the first component, and (iii) enlarges or shrinks a size of the image frame in accordance with the second component.
US08085306B2 Imaging apparatus having a biasing part configured to generate a biasing force to bias a part of the image pickup device
The magnitude of magnetic attraction generated between an electromagnetic coil and a magnetic metal member (or an amount of electric current flowed to the electromagnetic coil) is controlled depending on a direction of acceleration (acceleration caused by the gravity (a gravitational acceleration) and acceleration caused by shake (shake acceleration)) working on an imaging apparatus. This magnetic attraction moves a second slider (including a CCD and a first slider) as a whole toward the electromagnetic coil. This movement brings two inclined surfaces (or fourth and fifth surfaces) of a shaft hole 10d into contact with a second guide shaft with no gap being interposed in between, and keeps the this contact condition.
US08085300B2 Surveillance camera system, remote-controlled monitoring device, control method, and their control program
A surveillance camera system includes a surveillance camera having pan/tilt capability, a display for displaying images picked-up by the surveillance camera thereon, a pointing device for indicating the movement of the surveillance camera in a visual field direction, and a remote-controlled monitoring device including a control unit for displaying the images on the display and for displaying a pointer thereon indicating the coordinate position of the pointing device so as to overlap with the images, and when the pointer is moved from a first point to a second point on the images, the control unit transmits a predetermined control signal from the remote-controlled monitoring device to the surveillance camera, and by the control signal, the control unit moves the surveillance camera in the moving direction of the pointer at a speed proportional to the length between the first point and the second point.
US08085295B2 Controllable micro light assembly
A micro light interface assembly for a microscopic machine vision inspection system includes a micro light assembly. The micro light assembly provides addressable light emitting elements arranged around the periphery of an aperture having an aperture dimension DAPMIN that is smaller than a barrel dimension DBAR of the inspection system objective lens. The aperture may be located along the optical axis and within the working distance of the objective lens such that the light emitting elements are closely arranged around a field of view. The micro light interface assembly may be held and operated through a connection element that may be used for the interchanging the micro light interface assembly with a touch probe, in some embodiments.
US08085292B2 Process and system used to discover and exploit the illusory depth properties inherent in an autostereoscopic image
A method, system and devices for optimizing and/or maximizing the perceived autostereoscopic effect for any chosen combination of photographic or electronic recording materials, recording methods and parameters, and imaging methods and parameters. The method first determines the parameters characterizing the optimum autostereoscopic effect of the combination materials etc. (the front pixel spread and the back pixel spread), then specifies how to apply these parameters to the arrangement of image acquisition devices, or the production of images by computational means, to produce a final image with optimal autostereoscopic properties. Features of the present invention provide for image acquisition either occurring in the real world (via digital or analog means) or within a computer graphic environment (or a blend of both), by way of specific methods necessary for successfully traveling through a variety of different mathematical spaces to arrive at a common space.
US08085288B2 Exposure system with a plurality of laser sources located at dispersed sites
A CTP system is provided, which allows its continuous use even if some of laser diodes located at dispersed sites are in a non-light emitting state due to breakage or the like. In the case where some channels are in the non-light emitting state, channel-by-channel exposure data is generated to describe the way that exposure should be performed by use of specific light-emitting channels that are determined by the locations of non-light emitting channels, while an exposure head is moved also through (a) complementary interval(s) before and/or after a standard interval, the standard interval being the interval the exposure head is moved through in normal mode. Then, the transport unit moves the exposure head through the standard interval and through the complementary interval(s), during which period the exposure controller causes the specific light-emitting channels to emit exposure light according to the channel-by-channel exposure data, thereby forming an exposed area.
US08085281B2 Method of displaying input from a portable computing device
A method and system is described for displaying input from a portable computing device to a second computing device. On the second computing device, a display region is created. The region may be a stand alone application or a region inside an application. The second computing device then receives a communication that represents the portable input on the portable computing device. The portable input is then scaled to fit the display region and the portable input is displayed on the second computing device.
US08085280B2 Asymmetric two-pass graphics scaling
A method and an apparatus for determining an up scale factor and a down scale factor according to a scale factor received from a graphics application program interface (API) to scale a graphics data in a graphics processing unit (GPU) are described. The up scale factor and the down scale factor may be precisely stored in the GPU based on a fixed number of bits. An actual scale factor which can be precisely stored in the GPU corresponding to the scale factor may differ from the scale factor with a difference. Graphics commands may be sent to the GPU to scale the graphics data according to the up scale factor and the down scale factor separately. A combined scale factor corresponding to a combination of the up scale factor and the down scale factor may differ from the scale factor less then the difference between the actual scale factor and the scale factor.
US08085273B2 Multi-mode parallel graphics rendering system employing real-time automatic scene profiling and mode control
A multi-mode parallel 3-D graphics system having multiple graphics processing pipelines with multiple GPUs supporting a parallel graphics rendering process having time, frame and object division modes of operation, wherein each GPU comprises video memory, a geometry processing subsystem and a pixel processing subsystem, and wherein 3D scene profiling is performed in real-time, and the parallelization state/modes of the system are dynamically controlled to meet graphics application requirements. The multiple modes of parallel graphics rendering use real-time graphics application profiling, and dynamic control over time-division, frame-division, and object-division modes of parallel operation, within the same parallel graphics platform, which can be realized on PC-based computing system architectures.
US08085270B2 Apparatus for proccessing drawn-by-human-hand effect using style lines
An apparatus for processing an effect using style lines, includes a contour line creation unit for creating contour lines using polygons of a three-dimensional (3D) object and location information of a camera; a style line creation unit for putting edge lists, extracted at the time of creating the contour lines, into groups, and creating one or more style lines for each of the groups; and an effect processing unit for representing a line style by inserting the created style lines inside and outside a contour line corresponding to the group. Therefore, representation to appear to have been drawn by a human hand is enabled by adding style lines to existing contour lines in order to represent a line style that belongs to various styles of non-photo realistic rendering.
US08085268B2 Techniques for drawing geodetic polygons
Techniques in a data processor for drawing on a map a geodetic polygon that straddles a splitting meridian include, in one embodiment, maintaining data that represents the geodetic polygon, the data comprising a set of geographic coordinates; transforming the set of geographic coordinates into a set of planar coordinates representing a planar polygon; splitting the planar polygon into a plurality of sub-figures; shifting at least one sub-figure of the plurality of sub-figures along a horizontal axis of two-dimensional plane to produce a shifted sub-figure; and causing the shifted sub-figure to be displayed on a map concurrently with at least one other sub-figure of the plurality of sub-figures that was not shifted.
US08085267B2 Stochastic addition of rays in a ray tracing image processing system
According to embodiments of the invention, rays may be stochastically culled before they are issued into the three-dimensional scene. Stochastically culling rays may reduce the number of rays which need to be traced by the image processing system. Furthermore, by stochastically culling rays before they are issued into the three-dimensional scene, minor imperfections may be added to the final rendered image, thereby improving the realism of the rendered image. Therefore, stochastic culling of rays may improve the performance of the image processing system by reducing workload imposed on the image processing system and improving the realism of the images rendered by the image processing system. According to another embodiment of the invention, the realism of images rendered by the image processing system may also be improved by stochastically adding secondary rays after ray-primitive intersections have occurred.
US08085262B2 Image display apparatus and image taking apparatus including the same
Provided is image display apparatus, in which a surface to be scanned is two-dimensionally scanned with a light beam which is modulated based on image information and emitted from a light source means and an image formed on the surface to be scanned is observed through an optical system, wherein a synchronization light detection device to obtain synchronization signal related to a scanning start position on the surface to be scanned is disposed on the surface to be scanned, on the vicinity thereof, or on a surface optically conjugate therewith, so that a synchronization signal can be detected with high precision and a preferable quality image can be displayed for observation, and image taking apparatus including the image display apparatus.
US08085256B2 Electronic device
An electronic device is provided which can appropriately adjust the brightness of a display apparatus in accordance with the lightness of visible light by preventing UV-light from being incident upon an optical sensor. An electronic device having, in a housing, a display apparatus (1) that includes an active matrix substrate (2) having a pixel array region (8) in which a plurality of pixels (5) are arranged and a display medium (4) provided in a gap between the active matrix substrate (2) and a counter substrate (3), includes an optical sensor (11) provided in a peripheral region (9) present in a periphery of the pixel array region (8) in the active matrix substrate (2) of a display apparatus (1), and a UV-light blocking member (70) that is provided in a portion covering the optical sensor (11) in the housing and transmits visible light and absorbs UV-light.
US08085252B1 Method and apparatus to determine direction of motion in a sensor array of a touch sensing device
Direction of motion in a sensor array of a touch sensing device may be determined using a rule-based algorithm. A presence of a conductive object on a sensing device may be detected. First, second, and third locations of the detected presence of the conductive object may be determined. The first location may be compared with the second location using the rule-based algorithm, and a first direction of motion of the conductive object may be recognized based on the comparison. The second location may be compared with the third location using the rule-based algorithm, and the same first direction of motion of the conductive object may be recognized based on the comparison.
US08085244B2 Method and apparatus for displaying multiple images on individual keys of a keyboard
A key for an information handling system, the key including a finger surface configured for interaction with a user's finger and an inverted lenticular lens positioned beneath the finger surface. The finger surface may be substantially transparent to at least one wavelength of visible light. The inverted lenticular lens may include a first image and a second image. Light incident on the lens at a first angle of incidence may project the first image from the lens onto the substantially transparent finger surface of the key and light incident on the lens at a second angle of incidence may project the second image from the lens onto the substantially transparent finger surface of the key.
US08085242B2 Input control device and image forming apparatus
An input control device and an image forming apparatus capable of providing an easy-to-use operating environment even for a user having difficulties operating such conventional devices and apparatuses due to his/her height, color vision deficiency, weak vision, use of a wheelchair, and the like is disclosed. In the input control device, based on the detected distance between an instruction item on the display and an operation direction element (such as a user's finger), the display mode of the instruction item is changed (by, for example, changing positions, colors, and combinations). Further, as the operation direction element approaches, the size of the instruction item on the display becomes larger, thereby improving the operability especially for a user with color vision deficiency or weak vision.
US08085239B1 Backlight dimming and LCD amplitude boost
Embodiments of the present invention generally provide methods and apparatus for reducing power consumption of backlit displays are described. Power consumption is reduced by dimming backlighting by a first scale factor and boosting pixel values by a second scale factor to compensate for the dimming. The scale factors may be constant values. Alternately, one or both of the scale factors may be determined based on pixel values for one or more frames to be displayed and/or one or more frames that have been displayed. For example, scale factors may be calculated based on an average linear amplitude of one or more frames of pixel values or from a maximum pixel value of one or more frames of pixel values. A graphical processing system is described including an integrated circuit capable of transforming a pixel value from a gamma-compensated space to a linear space.
US08085236B2 Display apparatus and method for driving the same
A liquid crystal display apparatus (1) wherein the shift registers of a source driver (4) are configured by use of asynchronous RS flip-flops in which an active input to a set input terminal has a higher priority than an active input to a reset terminal. In a second mode of operation, first and second clock signals and a start pulse are fixed at high levels, thereby performing discharges from all the pixels (PIX) of a liquid crystal panel (2).
US08085234B2 Capacitive load driving circuit, method of driving capacitive load, method of driving liquid crystal display device
A capacitive load driving circuit includes a gate driver, and a source driver. The gate driver drives a plurality of capacitive loads arranged in a matrix form in a row direction. The source driver drives the plurality of capacitive loads in a column direction. The source driver includes a plurality of output circuits configured to be arranged in a row direction. Each of the plurality of output circuits changes a slew rate based on a column position of a capacitive load of the plurality of capacitive loads driven by the gate driver.
US08085220B2 Plasma display apparatus
A plasma display apparatus having a priming discharge region PDC partitioned from a display discharge cell DDC, by a traverse rib, at a side where the second electrode between the display discharge cell DDC adjacent in a row direction is adjacent; a second longitudinal rib partitioning the priming discharge region PDC; a third longitudinal rib, further partitioning a region partitioned by the second longitudinal rib into two sections; a convex electrode; and a gap connecting the display discharge cell DDC and the priming discharge cell PDC, wherein a sum of a width in a line direction of a nearly rectangular space region containing adjacent two priming discharge cells PDCs, and a pattern width of the second longitudinal rib is designed larger than a sum of a width in the row direction and a pattern width of the traverse rib.
US08085214B2 Passive parabolic antenna, wireless communication system and method of boosting signal strength of a subscriber module antenna
The invention is a passive parabolic antenna system for use with conventional subscriber module radio antennas. The passive parabolic antenna system includes a microwave feed assembly that forms a resonant cavity coupling device for coupling to an internal patch antenna of a conventional subscriber module radio antenna. A method of boosting signal strength of a conventional subscriber module radio antenna and a wireless communication system are also disclosed.
US08085203B1 Ground surrounded non-resonant slot-like patch antenna
The present invention is a single or multiple non-resonant slot antenna where said slots are formed from a continuous upward extension of the conducting ground plane with lateral horizontal planar extensions to form a top plane defining said slots.
US08085190B2 Method and apparatus for faster global positioning system (GPS) location using a pre-computed spatial location for tracking GPS satellites
A method and apparatus for faster global positioning system (GPS) location using pre-computed spatial location data are described. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a pre-computed spatial location of a mobile platform device (MPD) that is computed when a GPS receiver is disabled due to the spatial location of the MPD. In one embodiment, the pre-computed spatial location is determined by a non-GPS based spatial location technology when a receiver is disabled due to the spatial location of the MPD. During the periodic computation of spatial location data, the GPS receiver may be monitored. In one embodiment, in response to activation of the GPS receiver, the pre-computed spatial location data is provided to the GPS receiver for identification and lock onto a predetermined number of visible satellites to reduce a time to first fix (TTFF) a current spatial location of the MPD. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08085180B2 Apparatuses and methods for multiple-output comparators and analog-to-digital converters
An analog-to-digital converter with comparators with multiple, inter-coupled, outputs is provided, which may be also called a Benorion Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) or a Benorion Converter. The analog-to-digital converter includes a plurality of comparators operably coupled for receiving an analog input signal and configured for comparing the analog input signal with a plurality of voltage reference signals. Each comparator of the plurality is configured for generating a plurality of comparator outputs comprising a primary comparator output, and at least one additional comparator output selected from the group consisting of positive comparator outputs and negative comparator. The analog-to-digital converter further includes a plurality of composite outputs, each composite output of the plurality comprising a combination of the primary comparator output from a corresponding comparator of the plurality and at least one additional comparator output from at least one additional comparator of the plurality of comparators. Other comparators and methods are provided.
US08085171B2 High-speed data compression based on set associative cache mapping techniques
A method is provided for compressing data from a stream of values using one or many distinct memory addresses as workspace, each memory address containing one or many values. The method works by reading two contiguous data values, of length K and N bits, from the stream, as a memory address reference (MAR) and a symbol, respectively. If the symbol does not match any of the values in the memory address pointed to by MAR, the symbol replaces one of those values, and a MISS code, followed by the symbol, is appended to the compressed stream; otherwise, a HIT code is appended to the compressed stream, said code representing a function of the location where the matched value was found in the memory address. Advantageously, the workspace behaves analogous to a cache memory used in computer architecture, allowing hardware or software parallel implementations using content addressable memory or associative arrays.
US08085168B2 Electronic flight data display instrument
An electronic display instrument configured to secure in a desired position over multiple pre-existing instrument holes in a dashboard of an aircraft in place of multiple conventional display instruments, each conventional instrument having a conventional readout. The instrument comprises a display screen having a plurality of readouts corresponding to the conventional readouts of the multiple conventional instruments that the electronic display instrument replaces. The instrument further includes a body having a front and a back opposite the front and a top and a bottom opposite the top. The body is positioned adjacent and connected to the display screen. The instrument also includes an electronics module protruding from the back of the body to position in one of the pre-existing instrument holes in the dashboard panel of the aircraft.
US08085165B2 Wireless corrosion sensor
A passive sensor that is located on or adjacent to a structure that can be used to monitor the affect of environment on a structure or coating that is used to protect the structure. The sensor includes a parasitic element that interacts with the environment and influences the intensity of the electromagnetic response between the inductive element of the sensor and the antenna of the interrogation reader device. The condition of the parasitic element is determined by the radio frequency interaction of the reader antenna and the inductive element of the sensor. The parasitic element condition correlates to the environmental severity, or corrosivity of the environment and damage to metallic structures or protective coatings. An integrated circuit within the sensor is capable of storing identification, time, material, and measurement information. The sensor and system of the present invention is useful for tracking and monitoring cumulate environmental damage to a structure.
US08085159B2 Electronic apparatus including a battery chamber and method for controlling the display of battery information
An electronic apparatus that enables a remaining battery capacity to be checked without requiring the battery to be loaded into the electronic apparatus. In this electronic apparatus, a battery lid closes a battery chamber that accommodates a battery. An opening/closing detection device detects opening/closing of the battery lid. An acquisition device acquires battery information of the battery when the opening/closing detection device detects that the battery lid opens. A storing device stores the battery information acquired by the acquisition device. A display device displays the battery information that is stored in the storing device, and displays the battery information of a battery that is not accommodated in the battery chamber.
US08085152B2 Apparatus and method for automatically selecting and executing files associated with a user
An apparatus includes a media player configured for executing stored files, and a sensor connected to the media player configured for perceiving a feature of a user who approaches the apparatus and transferring the feature to the media player. The media player plays files according to the feature perceived by the sensor.
US08085150B2 Inventory system for RFID tagged objects
A case for containing objects can include a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Reader antenna to detect any RFID tags placed within the case. The RFID antenna can operably connect with external RFID Reader components to detect RFID tags in the case. Alternately, a case can also include a passive RFID antenna to couple with any RFID tags in the case.
US08085149B2 Systems and methods for RFID security
An RFID system includes an RFID tag, an RFID reader, and a server. The RFID tag communicates to the server via encrypted information. The information may be encrypted with synchronized encryption keys. In this manner, the reader need not decrypt the information from the RFID tag. The effectiveness of malicious readers is thereby reduced, resulting in improved RFID tag security.
US08085143B2 Universal wireless transceiver
A wireless transceiver includes a microprocessor for processing signals and communication circuitry coupled to the microprocessor. The communication circuitry includes input/output circuitry for receiving signals from a plurality of wireless devices over a wireless communication path, for providing the signals to the microprocessor, and for transmitting processed signals from the microprocessor to the plurality of wireless devices. The input/output circuitry of the transceiver includes a non-wireless connection coupling the wireless transceiver to a test and measurement device. The test and measurement device receives the processed signals from the microprocessor, processes the received signal and data and/or information encoded therein, and performs a predetermined response thereto.
US08085138B2 Display-image switching apparatus and method
A display-image switching apparatus that switches the image shown in a display includes: an antilock brake system operation determination portion that determines whether an antilock brake system of the vehicle is operating; a provisional vehicle speed calculation portion that calculates a provisional vehicle speed that represents a speed at which the vehicle would travel if the antilock brake system were not operating; and a display-image switching portion that switches the displayed image based on the provisional vehicle speed if the antilock brake system is operating.
US08085132B2 Method and apparatus for resolving RFID-based object traffic transactions to a single object in the presence of a plurality of objects
A method for resolving RFID-based object traffic transactions to a single object in the presence of a plurality of objects, where the method includes the steps of: monitoring RFID object traffic transactions to a single object amongst a plurality of objects wherein the traffic transactions are between at least one RFID reader and a plurality of detected RFID tags detected by the at least one RFID reader; calculating a cumulative and weighted data set for each detected RFID tag of the RFID tags; and, comparing the data set for each detected RFID tag with the data set for other of the detected RFID tags and identifying one RFID tag of the detected RFID tags having a greatest cumulative weight calculated for its corresponding data set so as to resolve multiple detections and identifications of the detected RFID tags in the object traffic transactions to the single object.
US08085129B2 Power conserving mobile transmitter used with an automated barrier operating system
An operator system for automatically controlling access barriers based on movement of a carrying device. The system consists of an operator controller associated with an access barrier, a base receiver associated with the base controller, and a mobile transmitter that includes an activity sensor configured to monitor movement in at least one axis of movement and a mobile emitter. The mobile transmitter is configured to automatically emit from the mobile emitter a mobile open signal and a mobile close signal containing at least one warning data bit that is placed in a set state when the activity sensor first detects a change in movement of the mobile transmitter. The base receiver receives the mobile open signal and mobile close signal, and the operator controller resets a last process variable when the at least one warning bit is received.
US08085128B2 Drawer control apparatus
A device for selectively controlling access to a plurality of secure areas includes a driver circuit including a plurality of drivers, and a plurality of access modules each assigned to a corresponding secure area of the plurality of secure areas. Each access module is operatively coupled to at least one actuator operative to grant or deny access to the corresponding secure area. Unused drivers provided to a first access module of the plurality of access modules are cascaded to a second access module of the plurality of access modules.
US08085123B2 Wear indicator for a circuit interrupter exhaust control device
An exhaust control device includes a wear indicator disposed within a housing of the exhaust control device. The wear indicator is arranged to be exposed to a flow of exhaust gas through the exhaust control device. The wear indicator has a first observable state indicative of remaining useful life of the exhaust control device. The wear indicator is responsive to a flow of exhaust gas through the exhaust control device to assume a second observable state indicative of the exhaust control device having reached the end of its useful life.
US08085122B2 High voltage step-up dry power transformer and power supply unit comprising at least one such transformer
A high voltage step-up power transformer includes at least one module which defines a lower voltage primary side and a higher voltage secondary side and which includes at least one primary winding and at least one secondary winding, wound concentrically around a ferromagnetic core body, the primary winding(s) being situated outwardly, and at least one shielding and/or insulating surface structure being arranged between the primary and secondary windings. The transformer (1) is characterized in that the outer primary winding (2) or winding parts is (are) made of at least one insulated high voltage cable and in that the at least one conductive intermediate surface structure (5) and/or the core body (4) are set at a referential potential which is a fraction of the output voltage or potential difference on the secondary side.
US08085116B2 Elastic wave device with a dielectric layer on the comb-shaped electrodes
An elastic wave device is described which includes a piezoelectric substrate, comb-shaped electrodes having teeth electrodes that are disposed so as to face each other on the piezoelectric substrate, a non-overlapping area in which the teeth electrodes of the comb-shaped electrodes do not overlap each other, and a overlapping area in which the teeth electrodes overlap each other and the velocity of sound is higher than that in the non-overlapping area.
US08085110B2 Microwave device, high-frequency device, and high-frequency equipment
Since the loss of the conventional microwave device is large, when this device is applied to the microwave component, there are problems; for example, a low-noise amplifier, the noise figure is degraded, and when applied to a high-output amplifier, output and efficiency may be decreased. In particular, in the high-output amplifier of over 100 W class, heat generation at a capacitor which forms the microwave device increases, which causes a problem that the reliability of the microwave device may be decreased. A structure is formed to include a capacitor loaded between two high impedance lines the length of which has ¼ wavelength in the desired frequency band and the characteristic impedance is higher than 50Ω.
US08085109B2 Electrical funnel: a novel broadband signal combining method
An electrical signal transformation device configured for emulation of physical, for example, optical, phenomena and/or a mathematical or logical process. The device employs a first plurality, second plurality and third plurality of electrical components each having a first terminal and a second terminal. The first plurality and second plurality of electrical components are arranged along a first direction and a second direction respectively, to form a planar two dimensional lattice. The first plurality of electrical components are configured to provide at least one of a constant signal propagation velocity and/or amplitude while the second plurality of electrical components are configured to provide at least one of a varying signal propagation velocity and/or amplitude. The lattice includes at least two input signal nodes and at least one output signal node and is configured to transform and communicate a plurality of input signals from the input node to the output node.
US08085101B2 Spread spectrum clock generation device
A spread spectrum controller (20) controls a PLL (10) so that the PLL outputs a spread-spectrum processed clock signal. A loop bandwidth controller (30) controls at least one of a phase detector (11), a loop filter (12), a voltage-controlled oscillator (13), and a frequency divider (14) in the PLL (10) during operation of the spread spectrum controller (20) to change a loop bandwidth of the PLL (10).
US08085099B2 Self-calibrating relaxation oscillator based clock source
A technique and corresponding circuitry are presented for a process independent, self-calibrating relaxation based clock source. The technique and circuitry presented here can reduce the time and cost needed for calibration significantly. The relaxation based clock source produces a clock signal whose frequency is dependent upon a trim value. Starting from an initial trim value, the clock signal is generated, its frequency is compared with a reference clock frequency value, and the trim value is correspondingly adjusted up or down a bit at a time. After this process has continued for a while, min-max logic is used to determine the maximum and minimum trim values and, based on these, the final trim value for the clock is set. This calibration process can also be used to extract whether, and by how much, the implementation on silicon of a particular chip lies in the fast or slow process corners.
US08085098B2 PLL circuit
A PLL circuit comprising an oscillation unit, a frequency division unit, a phase comparison unit, and a generation unit comprises a switching unit that switches between a first state in which a control voltage output from the generation unit is input into the oscillation unit and a second state in which a reference voltage is input into the oscillation unit; and a correction unit that, in the second state, compares the control voltage output from the generation unit with the reference voltage, and corrects a frequency at which the oscillation unit oscillates with respect to a voltage input into the oscillation unit, such that the control voltage output from the generation unit is equivalent to the reference voltage.
US08085093B2 Differentially compensated input pair
The invention is directed to an amplifier including an absolute value circuit. The absolute value circuit may be driven by differential potentials and may include a first pair of transistors modulating a tail current of the amplifier when a differential input voltage goes high, and a second pair of transistors modulating the tail current of the amplifier when a differential input voltage goes low.
US08085092B2 Amplifier arrangement and method for amplification
An amplifier arrangement comprises a first transistor (18), a first bias transistor (13) and a first field-effect transistor (51). A first input signal (VN) is supplied for amplification to a control terminal of the first transistor (18). The first bias transistor (13) is coupled to the first transistor (18) via a first node (12). The first field-effect transistor (51) is coupled for clamping of a first node voltage (V1) provided at the first node (12).
US08085091B2 Gain control amplifier
Systems, methods, and devices provided herein are directed to improvements in gain control amplifiers that receive an input signal and generate an output signal with a selectively variable gain. A differential amplified gain stage receives an input signal and scales the input signal to generate a scaled signal. A gain adjust stage receives the scaled signal and an adjust signal and adjusts an amplitude of the scaled signal based on the adjust signal to generate an adjusted scaled signal. The adjusted scaled signal has a substantially constant impedance regardless of value of the adjust signal.
US08085072B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit having delay locked loop circuit
A semiconductor integrated circuit is provided. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a delay locked loop (DLL) output block configured to delay an input clock signal by a predetermined time in response to a plurality of delay control signals and provide a DLL clock signal; a locking control block configured to compare a phase of a reference clock signal and a phase of a feedback clock signal, and synchronize the phase of the reference clock signal and the phase of the feedback clock signal in response to the plurality of delay control signals; and a locking detection block configured to detect whether the phase of the reference clock signal and the phase of the feedback clock signal are synchronized and the DLL clock signal is locked, wherein, when the DLL clock signal is locked, the locking control block provides the reference clock signal, which is obtained by dividing the input clock signal by n (where n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2), as an internal DLL clock signal.
US08085068B1 Combined static and dynamic frequency divider chains using thin film transistors
Frequency divider circuits and architectures, and methods of implementing and using the same, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the frequency divider circuit includes a dynamic section that receives an input signal and outputs an intermediate signal that has a frequency lower than that of the input signal; and a static section that receives the intermediate signal and outputs a signal having a frequency that is lower than that of the intermediate signal. Stages in the dynamic and/or static section can be implemented using thin film transistors (TFTs). Embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide an approach that takes overcomes problems associated with the leakage and speed characteristics of TFTs.
US08085040B2 Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit which applies a labeling pulse to invert a spin included in a labeling region within part of a imaging region and then collects a echo signal from a time point when an inversion time has passed from the application of the labeling pulse, and a control unit, the control unit controlling the imaging unit so that the echo signal in the imaging region is collected a plurality of times with variations in the inversion time, the control unit also controlling the imaging unit so that a time ranging from a reference time point within a biological signal obtained from a subject to the application of the labeling pulse is a time determined in accordance with the inversion time.
US08085032B2 Multi-scanner device having a detachable outlet tester
A multi-scanner device having a detection unit and an outlet tester that can be selectively connected together for convenient use and easy storage. Preferably, a plug on the outlet tester is inserted into a non-functional socket located on the detection unit to form a multi-scanner device with a detachable outlet tester.
US08085029B2 Bandgap voltage and current reference
Circuits and methods that improve the performance of reference circuits are provided. A reference generator circuit maintains a substantially constant output current over an extended temperature for use as a reference. Output current fluctuations caused by a poorly specified power source or process variations are minimized or eliminated.
US08085017B2 Pulse adding scheme for smooth phase dropping at light load conditions for multiphase voltage regulators
A pulse control system for a multiphase regulator including an error amplifier, a multiphase generator, and an adaptive controller. The error amplifier provides an error signal indicative of output voltage error. The multiphase generator develops modulation pulses for phases based on the error signal. The adaptive controller is responsive to a load indication signal and redirects at least one modulation pulse from a first of phase to a second phase. The load indication signal may be received from a microprocessor indicating a low power mode. The adaptive controller provides a smooth and efficient transition to low load conditions by dropping operation of one or more phases and redirecting modulation pulses to the remaining one or more phases, and reduced phases improve power efficiency for the low load conditions.
US08085016B2 Power supply circuit having standby detection circuit
A power supply circuit includes a voltage output controller configured for outputting voltages, a standby controller configured for directing the voltage output controller to provide voltage to a load, and a microprocessor configured for controlling the standby controller according to a mode of the load. The voltage output controller is applied with a direct current voltage. When the load enters active mode from a powered off mode, the standby controller sends a control signal to the voltage output controller to output direct current voltage to the load and the microprocessor. When the load enters standby mode from the active mode, the microprocessor directs the standby controller to prevent the voltage output controller from outputting direct current voltage to the load and the microprocessor.
US08085012B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit and sensor driving/measuring system
In a sensor driving/measuring system, specifications required by a sensor which requires a high applied voltage are implemented with const increase suppressed. A semiconductor integrated circuit for use in a sensor driving/measuring system driven by a battery includes: a sensor driver for outputting a given voltage to be applied to a sensor; a measuring circuit for receiving and measuring a voltage obtained, through current-voltage conversion, from a current generated in the sensor; and a booster. The booster boosts a given pre-boost voltage to obtain a boosted voltage and supplies the boosted voltage as a power supply voltage to the sensor driver and the measuring circuit.
US08085001B2 Battery charging control circuit
The present invention provides a charging control circuit for a rechargeable battery. The charging control circuit includes: a constant-current charging unit and a trickle charging unit. The charging control circuit further includes a branch switch, a detection switch, a control unit, and a detection unit. The branch switch is connected between a power source and the rechargeable battery for enabling or disabling the constant-current charging unit, the detection switch is turned on or off depending on the enable or disable state of the constant-current charging unit. The control unit is connected between the detection switch and the branch switch for controlling the branch switch to turn on or off depending on the off or on state of the detection switch.
US08084999B2 Method for charging lithium batteries with power dissipation control
Herein described are at least methods and systems to control power dissipation while charging a device. In a representative embodiment, the method comprises first monitoring a first voltage output by a charger used for said charging a battery of a device, second monitoring a second voltage at the battery, first determining a first current based on a power dissipation value associated with the device, the first voltage, and the second voltage, second determining a minimum of the first current and a second current, wherein the second current equals the maximum charging current during a typical charge cycle of the device, and applying a control signal to a control circuit to generate the minimum, wherein the control circuit is communicatively coupled to the charger at a first port, and the battery at a second port. An exemplary system comprises one or more circuits operable for, at least performing the aforementioned method.
US08084998B2 Method and device for controlling a storage voltage of a battery pack
A storage voltage of a battery pack is controlled with control electronics. The storage voltage of a battery pack is sensed, and a discharge mechanism is triggered if the storage voltage is within a predetermined range of voltage, to thereby adjust the storage voltage of the battery pack to below the predetermined range of voltage, or if the storage voltage is at or above a predetermined voltage, to thereby adjust the storage voltage of the battery pack to below the predetermined voltage. Control electronics sense a storage voltage of a battery pack and trigger a discharge mechanism if the storage voltage is within a predetermined range of voltage, to thereby adjust the storage voltage of the battery pack to below the predetermined range of voltage, or if the storage voltage is at or above a predetermined voltage, to thereby adjust the storage voltage of the battery pack to below the predetermined voltage. The control electronics are coupled to an electronic device and a battery pack. The control electronics are either implemented into the electronic device or the battery pack, or in a separate control electronic device.
US08084997B2 Voltage sensor module and voltage monitoring apparatus
Provided is a voltage sensor module monitoring a voltage of each of a plurality of battery cells, including: first and second terminals each receiving a voltage applied between both ends of the plurality of battery cells; third and fourth terminals each receiving a voltage applied between both ends of a battery cell to be monitored which is included in the plurality of battery cells; a first reference voltage generation circuit connected to each of the first and second terminals and generating a first reference voltage based on the voltage applied between the both ends of the plurality of battery cells; and a first comparator circuit comparing a first regulated voltage generated based on a voltage applied between the third and fourth terminals, with the first reference voltage. As a result, low voltage detection can be performed with accuracy even when an output of a battery cell decreases.
US08084994B2 System to extend the service life of portable devices
A method for extending the service life of a portable device includes monitoring a battery of a portable device; identifying a problem bank; reconfiguring a connection schema for the battery to replace the problem battery bank with at least one spare bank; conditioning or exercising the problem bank; connecting the portable device to a power supply to recharge the problem bank; and reconnecting the recharged or repaired bank according to the connection schema without the at least one spare bank. A method for extending the service life of a portable device includes monitoring power consumption of at least one of the hardware or software of a portable device; and reconfiguring the connection schema of the battery banks to redistribute power consumption of at least one of the hardware or software.
US08084992B2 Tool storage cabinet having integrated power
A tool storage unit is disclosed having a cabinet structure with a plurality of surfaces defining a first interior space and a storage compartment defining a second interior space, the compartment being configured to move between an open position extending from the first interior space and a closed position retracted within the first interior space. A stationary compartment sidewall fixed within the first interior space and adjacent the storage compartment limits access to the second interior space from the first interior space when the storage compartment is in the closed position. A plurality of power outlets positioned within the storage compartment such that each is accessible from the second interior space, and a locking feature for securing the storage compartment in the closed position are also featured. Finally, a recessed area integral to the top surface, a cover hinged to the top surface and covering the recessed area, and a power outlet positioned with the recessed area is a further feature of the disclosed storage unit. A power outlet positioned on the top surface of the cabinet structure outside of the recessed area may also be provided.
US08084987B2 USB port with smart power management
A method involves detecting an inrush current that flows out of a USB port of a first electronic device when a central processing unit (CPU) of the first electronic device is not being powered. The inrush current is detected by a novel inrush current detect circuit when a second electronic device is connected to the USB port. In one example, the first electronic device is a laptop computer having a battery and a USB DC-to-DC converter. The inrush current detect circuit enables the USB DC-to-DC converter such that the USB DC-to-DC converter receives power from the battery and supplies a regulated voltage to the second electronic device through the USB port while the CPU remains unpowered (not drawing power from the battery).
US08084982B2 HVAC actuator with output torque compensation
An HVAC actuator, such as a spring return actuator, may adjust the maximum output torque of the motor with the varying spring return force of the HVAC actuator as the HVAC actuator moves through its range of motion. In some cases, this may provide a more constant force at the output of the HVAC actuator and reduce the force that is applied through the motor, drive train and/or the HVAC component when an end stop is reached. Also, an HVAC actuator is disclosed that can be configured to discover and store the location of one or more end stop(s), and to slow the speed of the motor down before the end stop(s) is reached. This may reduce the force that is applied through the motor, drive train and/or the HVAC component when an end stop is reached.
US08084978B2 Adjusting device and control device of a vehicle
The invention relates to a control device of a vehicle seat for controlling a first drive and a second drive and for detecting jamming of a body part or of an object by means of an adjusting movement of an adjusting part, which can be adjusted in a first adjusting direction by means of the first drive and in a second adjusting direction by means of the second drive, of the vehicle seat, wherein the control device is configured to detect the jamming by means of a combined evaluation of at least one first force variable which is dependent on the adjusting movement and of a second force variable which is dependent on the adjusting movement.
US08084970B2 Electrical machine and method of controlling the same
An electrical machine having a stator and a rotor. The stator includes a core and a plurality of windings disposed on the core in a multiple-phase arrangement. The rotor is disposed adjacent to the stator to interact with the stator. A method of operating the motor includes applying a pulsed voltage differential to first and second terminals of the windings resulting in movement of the rotor; monitoring the back electromotive force (BEMF) of the windings to sense rotor movement; after the applying and monitoring steps, monitoring the BEMF of the windings to determine whether the rotor is rotating in a desired direction, and electrically commutating the motor when the rotor is rotating in the desired direction and zero or more other conditions exist.
US08084963B2 Management of rechargeable battery in an enclosed lighting module
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, and apparatuses related to managing a rechargeable battery in an enclosed lighting module. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08084961B2 Backlight module control system and control method thereof
A backlight module control system includes at least one backlight module, a driving circuit, at least one switch and a power supply module. The driving circuit is utilized for determining a driving signal to drive the backlight module. The switch is coupled between the driving circuit and the backlight module, and is selectively turned on or off according to the driving signal. The power supply module is coupled to the backlight module, and is utilized for providing an operating voltage required by the backlight module control system.
US08084960B2 Circuits and methods for powering light source with balanced currents
A light source driving circuit for powering multiple light sources in a vehicle includes multiple current limiters and a balance controller. The current limiters are coupled to the light sources for adjusting currents of the light sources respectively. The balance controller coupled to the current limiters can control the current limiters such that a current flowing through each of the light sources is substantially the same as a first target current. Moreover, the balance controller can control the current limiters in response to a brake of the vehicle such that a current flowing through each of the light sources is substantially the same as a second target current.
US08084959B2 Light emitting diode backlight module and driving apparatus and method thereof
A light emitting diode (LED) backlight module, a driving apparatus and a driving method thereof are provided. The driving apparatus is adapted to drive at least one LED of at least one lighting unit within the LED backlight module. The driving apparatus includes a latch unit and a switch unit. The latch unit is used for receiving a control backlight data and latching the control backlight data during a frame period according to a trigger signal, so as to output a control signal. The switch unit is coupled to the latch unit and the LED for receiving the control signal to determine whether the LED emits or not.
US08084958B2 Device for generating light with a variable color
Disclosed is an illumination system that includes a lamp assembly, a controller, a user input device, and a memory defining discrete color points and containing a ID hue table, a ID saturation table, a ID brightness table, and a boundary memory defining a boundary of the color space. On the basis of data received from the user input device and on the basis of the information in the memory, the controller generates color control signals for the lamp assembly. The controller compares the user input data with the information in the boundary memory. If the controller finds that said point is located outside the boundary of the color space, the controller calculates a replacement point on the color space boundary as defined in the boundary memory, and generates its control signals on the basis of the replacement point.
US08084948B2 Method for dimming a light generatng system for generating light with a variable color
A method for dimming an illumination system (20) capable of emitting light (L) with a variable color is described. The illumination system (20) comprises three dimmable light sources (21, 22, 23) generating respective lights (L1, L2, L3) having respective, mutually different colors (C1, C2, C3). The method comprises the step of reducing the light intensities (I1, I2, I3) of the three dimmable light sources (21, 22, 23) while maintaining the color point until one of said light sources (21) reaches a lower dim limit (IMIN)—The method further comprises the step of maintaining the light intensity (I1) of said one light source (21) at its lower dim limit (IMIN) and reducing the light intensities (I2, I3) of the two other dimmable light sources (22, 23) in such a manner that the hue is maintained.
US08084943B2 Plasma display panel with front filter
Disclosed is a plasma display panel wherein reduction of reflection and improvement in contrast and sharpness of image light can be attained at the same time. Specifically disclosed is a plasma display panel (10) comprising a front plate (200) and a back plate (100) arranged at a distance from each other, a partition wall (110) for dividing the discharge space formed between the front plate (200) and the back plate (100), a phosphor layer (130) formed within a discharge cell (120) defined by the partition wall (110), electrodes respectively arranged on the front plate (200) and the back plate (100) for producing a discharge within the discharge cell (120), and a front filter (300) arranged on the viewer side of the front plate (200). The front filter (300) has two resin layers (320, 330) having different refractive indexes on the viewer side, and the viewer side surface of the front filter (300) and the interface between the two resin layers (320, 330) respectively have fine recesses and projections.
US08084931B2 Fluorescent material substrate and image display device, and methods for manufacture thereof
Degradation of a fluorescent material used in an image display device provided with an electron emitting device that is caused by heating in the process of manufacturing the device is prevented.A coating layer 44b composed of SiO2 is formed on the surface of fluorescent material particles 44a, and any metal 49 from among Bi, Pb, Sn, and Sb is added to the coating layer 44b so that the metal concentration at the surface of the coating layer is equal to or greater than 0.05 ppm.
US08084925B2 Piezoelectric thin film elemental device, sensor and actuator
A piezoelectric thin film element has a piezoelectric thin film on a substrate, the piezoelectric thin film has a (K1-x,Nax)NbO3thin film expressed by a compositional formula (K1-xNax)NbO3(0
US08084920B2 Drive apparatus and image pickup apparatus
An anti-vibration unit has: an X-axis transducer generating elliptical vibration in drivers; a frame which is a fixing member having a holding portion for holding the X-axis transducer; an X frame having fixed thereto a slide element to which the drivers of the X-axis transducer are pressed and which moves in the X-axis direction with respect to the frame; a Y-axis transducer held by a holding portion provided in the X-frame and generating elliptical vibration in drivers; and a Y frame having fixed thereto a slide element to which the drivers of the Y-axis transducer are pressed and which moves in the Y-axis direction with respect to the X frame. The X-axis transducer and the Y-axis transducer have substantially same resonant frequency, and the slide elements differ in at least one of rigidity and density thereof, thereby providing a drive apparatus down-sized, large in driving force and high in efficiency.
US08084913B2 DC motor with asymmetrical poles
The present invention relates to a motor having a stator with a magnetized rotor rotatably positioned in the stator. The stator and the rotor each have at least two magnetic poles. At least one of the stator poles has a different area confronting the poles of the rotor than the other stator poles. An air gap is positioned between each of the at least two stator poles and at least two rotor poles. The distance of the air gap between each stator pole and each rotor pole is different. A coil is wound upon a bobbin which is placed about at least one of the stator poles. Altering the confronting area of the stator poles allows a larger bobbin and coil to be placed about the stator pole.
US08084912B2 Planetary geared motor and dynamo
Provided is a DC motor capable of eliminating a DC current reverse rectification performed in a conventional DC motor and enabling rotation of maximum torque at all rotation angle and having a shape and a function for facilitating a combination with a speed change gear mechanism. Also provided is a planetary gear dynamo using the shape and the function of the present invention and capable of reducing inverse torque when the function is used as a generator.
US08084911B2 Motor
A motor including a stator and a rotor is disclosed. The rotor includes a first unit and a second unit. The first unit includes an N-pole first magnet and an S-pole second magnet. The first and the second magnets are alternately arranged along a circumferential direction of the rotor at equal angular intervals to form magnetic pole portions. The second unit includes an N-pole or S-pole third magnet and a salient pole arranged in the rotor core. The salient pole functions as a magnetic pole that differs from the third magnet. The third magnet and the salient pole are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction of the rotor to form magnetic pole portions. The number of magnetic pole portions of the second unit is the same as the number of magnetic pole portions of the first unit. The third magnet and the magnet of the first unit having the same pole as the third magnet are aligned in the axial direction of the rotor.
US08084896B2 Monolithic stage positioning system and method
A magnetically levitated monolithic stage positioning system includes linear three phase motors and coil windings connected to the monolithic stage that interact with a ferromagnetic base. The linear three phase motors may be excited to provide motion in an X-axis direction, motion in a Y-axis direction, and rotation about a Z-axis. The monolithic stage is levitated on an air bearing. The plurality of coil windings connected to the monolithic stage may serve to magnetically preload the air bearing. The plurality of coil windings may be excited to provide motion in a Z-axis direction and rotation of the monolithic stage about the X-axis and about the Y-axis.
US08084894B2 Solid state relay
A solid state relay includes: an oscillator circuit responsive to a control signal for generating an a.c. signal; an isolation transformer having a primary winding which forms a part of the tank circuit of the oscillator circuit and a secondary winding; a rectifier responsive to the a.c. signal from the oscillator circuit for providing a d.c. drive signal; and a switch circuit responsive to the drive signal to open and close the relay.
US08084891B2 Method and apparatus for optimizing synchronous switching operations in power systems
A method and an apparatus for optimizing switching operations executed by a switching device coupled to an AC power line, wherein signals related to the waveform of the electrical phases of the power line are acquired. When a command for executing a switching operation on one of the electrical phases is issued, the signals acquired are stored. Based on the signals stored, data indicative of the severity of switching transients occurred during the executed switching operation and second data indicative of the time occurred for the executed switching operation are calculated and correlated to each other. Based on the data calculated, it is determined whether a parameter representative of a target point on the waveform for executing future switching operations substantially synchronous with the waveform has to be adjusted.
US08084882B2 Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine capable of generating motive power, a motor capable of generating motive power, a driving mechanism accommodation room capable of accommodating the motor and the internal combustion engine, a power storage, a first connection unit provided to be capable of receiving a first outside connection unit, the first connection unit being capable of supplying power to the power storage, and a second connection unit provided to be capable of receiving a second outside connection unit through which a current higher than in the first outside connection unit can pass, the second connection unit being capable of supplying power to the power storage, and the second connection unit being provided farther away from the driving mechanism accommodation room than the first connection unit is.
US08084881B2 Wind-driven electricity generation device with segmented rotor
A vertical wind-driven electricity generation device is described, which utilizes a unique segmented Savonius rotor and which is easily handled, transported, assembled and maintained, even by a single person. The blades of the rotor are segmented into a plurality of modest size blade pair segments, each of which comprises two (or optionally, three or four) low height, helically curved blade portions. The blade pair segments are preferably of the same height and diameter. The rotor is mounted on a central vertical shaft connected to a generator. When the plurality of blade portions are installed on the device's central shaft, the overall blade configuration functions as an unitary Savonius rotor. Flow of gas (normally air in the form of wind) causes the segmented Savonius rotor to move, turning the shaft and rotating member of the generator to rotate, causing the generator to generate electricity.
US08084880B2 Concentrator for wind power station and aeolian grid
A fixed convergent collecting concentrator is provided. The concentrator contains two spaced-apart, co-axial, approximately horizontal, concentric plates with approximately circular shape centered on a vertical axis. The space between said plates is separated by vertical partition walls radially disposed about the axis thereof. The walls connect to the plates to form several sectors such that, irrespective of the direction of the wind, certain sectors collect and concentrate the air flow which enters the respective sectors. Each sector is connected to an intermediate tube which is in fluid communication with an accumulating tube, thus forming a system of tubes which is oriented in a common direction, optionally towards the ground. A turbine or other engine adapted for energy conversion being placed inside the concentrator or tubes.
US08084879B2 Wind turbine
The invention concerns a wind turbine comprising a retaining arrangement, a main shaft and a direct drive generator comprising a rotor having a first and a second supporting element and a stator having a first and a second supporting element, wherein the main shaft is pivoted relatively to the retaining arrangement by a first and a second bearing, the first supporting element of the rotor and the main shaft are connected with each other, the first supporting element of the stator is supported on the main shaft and/or on the first supporting element of the rotor by a third bearing, the second supporting element of the stator and the retaining arrangement are connected with each other and the second supporting element of the rotor is supported on the retaining arrangement and/or on the second supporting element of the stator by a fourth bearing.
US08084873B2 Induced surface flow wave energy converter
A wave energy conversion device that employs a submerged horizontally-aligned structure provided with a central opening formed in a horizontally extending surface, focuses wave induced water-particle motion, resulting in a flow into and away from the central opening, and a turbine is mounted in the central opening to be driven by this flow of water. Preferably the operation of this device occurs in a structural submerged depth of less than one-half wavelength of waves in the region. In a preferred embodiment, the flow through the central opening is bidirectional, and a self-rectifying turbine is used for unidirectional rotation. In an alternative embodiment, unidirectional check valves are used to direct water flow to a unidirectional turbine. Guide vanes are used to direct the flow inward towards the opening and can also be used to induce swirl in the flow field. When constructed axisymmetrically, the device can generate power from waves coming from any direction. The device may have multiple turbines arranged within it, or multiple units can be built into an array for power generation. The device may be mounted on supports fixed to the sea floor for shallow-water applications, or may be a floating submerged structure moored to the ocean floor for deep-water applications.
US08084865B2 Anchoring structure and intermeshing structure
An anchoring structure for a metal structure of a semiconductor device includes an anchoring recess structure having at least one overhanging side wall, the metal structure being at least partly arranged within the anchoring recess structure.
US08084864B2 Electromigration resistant aluminum-based metal interconnect structure
A vertical metallic stack, from bottom to top, of an elemental metal liner, a metal nitride liner, a Ti liner, an aluminum portion, and a metal nitride cap, is formed on an underlying metal interconnect structure. The vertical metallic stack is annealed at an elevated temperature to induce formation of a TiAl3 liner by reaction of the Ti liner with the material of the aluminum portion. The material of the TiAl3 liner is resistant to electromigration, thereby providing enhanced electromigration resistance to the vertical metallic stack comprising the elemental metal liner, the metal nitride liner, the TiAl3 liner, the aluminum portion, and the metal nitride cap. The effect of enhanced electromigration resistance may be more prominent in areas in which the metal nitride cap suffers from erosion during processing.
US08084861B2 Connection structure semiconductor chip and electronic component including the connection structure and methods for producing the connection structure
Connection structure (5) for attaching a semiconductor chip (2) to a metal substrate (4) is provided which has a plurality of electrically conducting layers (11, 12, 13, 14) arranged in a stack. The stack has a contact layer (11) for providing an ohmic contact to a semiconductor chip (2), at least one mechanical decoupling layer (12) for mechanically decoupling the semiconductor chip (2) and the metal substrate (4), at least one diffusion barrier layer (13) and a diffusion solder layer (14) for providing a diffusion soldered mechanical bond and an electrical connection to a metal substrate (4). The mechanical decoupling layer (12) is positioned in the stack between the diffusion barrier layer (13) and the contact layer (11).
US08084860B2 Liquid crystal display device and manufacturing method therefor
The present invention includes a liquid crystal display device having an oxide film having high adhesiveness to a substrate to thereby prevent oxidation of a wiring material or the like, and includes, an electrode or a terminal electrode having high conductivity, and a manufacturing method therefor. Consequently, in the present invention, a liquid crystal display device has an electrode terminal of a TFT substrate, wherein the electrode is formed on an insulator and is comprised of a conductive layer mainly consisting of copper and an oxide covering an outer part, further the oxide is a layered structure of transparent electrodes, the layered portion having ohmic contact, and the oxide mainly consists of manganese oxide.
US08084857B2 Method and article of manufacture for wire bonding with staggered differential wire bond pairs
A method and article of manufacture for performing wire-bonding operations in an integrated circuit. In one aspect, the operations include the steps of bonding a wire to a first bond site in the integrated circuit and terminating the wire at a second bond site. The bonding and terminating steps are repeated for at least two differential wire bond pairs, and proximate differential wire bond pairs of the at least two differential wire bond pairs have substantially different wire bond profiles.
US08084853B2 Semiconductor flip chip package utilizing wire bonding for net switching
This invention provides a semiconductor flip chip package including a carrier substrate and a flip chip mounted on the carrier substrate. The flip chip comprises a first input/output (I/O) pad and a second I/O pad on an active surface of the flip chip, wherein a switching between the first I/O pad and the second I/O pad is implemented by wire bonding.
US08084844B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device in which potential is uniformly controlled and in which the influence of noise is reduced. A p-type well region is formed beneath a surface of a p-type Si substrate. n-type MOS transistors are formed on the p-type well region. An n-type well region is formed in the p-type Si substrate so that it surrounds the p-type well region. A plurality of conductive regions which pierce through the n-type well region are formed at regular intervals. By doing so, parasitic resistance from the p-type Si substrate, through the plurality of conductive regions, to the n-type MOS transistors becomes low. Accordingly, when back bias is applied to a contact region, the back bias potential of the n-type MOS transistors can be controlled uniformly. As a result, the influence of noise from the p-type Si substrate or the p-type well region can be reduced.
US08084842B2 Thermally stabilized electrode structure
Memory devices and methods for manufacturing are described herein. A memory device as described herein includes a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a thermal isolation structure including a layer of thermal isolation material between the first and second electrode layers. The first and second electrode layers and the thermal isolation structure define a multi-layer stack having a sidewall. A sidewall conductor layer including a sidewall conductor material is on the sidewall of the multi-layer stack. The sidewall conductor material has an electrical conductivity greater than that of the thermal isolation material. A memory element including memory material is on the second electrode layer.
US08084840B2 Interposer including air gap structure, methods of forming the same, semiconductor device including the interposer, and multi-chip package including the interposer
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to an interposer of a semiconductor device having an air gap structure, a semiconductor device using the interposer, a multi-chip package using the interposer and methods of forming the interposer. The interposer includes a semiconductor substrate including a void, a metal interconnect, provided within the void, thereby forming an air gap insulating the metal interconnect. The metal interconnect may be connected to a contact element, and may be maintained within the air gap using the contact element.
US08084838B2 Large-area PIN diode with reduced capacitance
The invention provides a design of PIN diode having a low capacitance and a large area of effective collection of photo-generated charge. The low capacitance is obtained by replacing a continuous collector layer in the diode by a sparse array of collector disks interconnected by narrow metallic runners at a different structural level separated from the collector discs by an interlevel dielectric.
US08084837B2 Solid-state image pickup device
In a rear surface incidence type CMOS image sensor having a wiring layer 720 on a first surface (front surface) of an epitaxial substrate 710 in which a photodiode, a reading circuit (an n-type region 750 and an n+ type region 760) and the like are disposed, and a light receiving plane in a second surface (rear surface), the photodiode and a P-type well region 740 on the periphery of the photodiode are disposed in a layer structure that does not reach the rear surface (light receiving surface) of the substrate, and an electric field is formed within the substrate 710 to properly lead electrons entering from the rear surface (light receiving surface) of the substrate to the photodiode. The electric field is realized by providing a concentration gradient in a direction of depth of the epitaxial substrate 710. Alternatively, the electric field can be realized by providing a rear-surface electrode 810 or 840 for sending a current.
US08084827B2 Structure and fabrication of like-polarity field-effect transistors having different configurations of source/drain extensions, halo pockets, and gate dielectric thicknesses
A group of high-performance like-polarity insulated-gate field-effect transistors (100, 108, 112, 116, 120, and 124 or 102, 110, 114, 118, 122, and 126) have selectably different configurations of lateral source/drain extensions, halo pockets, and gate dielectric thicknesses suitable for a semiconductor fabrication platform that provides a wide variety of transistors for analog and/or digital applications. Each transistor has a pair of source/drain zones, a gate dielectric layer, and a gate electrode. Each source/drain zone includes a main portion and a more lightly doped lateral extension. The lateral extension of one of the source/drain zones of one of the transistors is more heavily doped or/and extends less deeply below the upper semiconductor surface than the lateral extension of one of the source/drain zones of another of the transistors.
US08084818B2 High mobility tri-gate devices and methods of fabrication
A high mobility semiconductor assembly. In one exemplary aspect, the high mobility semiconductor assembly includes a first substrate having a first reference orientation located at a <110> crystal plane location on the first substrate and a second substrate formed on top of the first substrate. The second substrate has a second reference orientation located at a <100> crystal plane location on the second substrate, wherein the first reference orientation is aligned with the second reference orientation. In another exemplary aspect, the second substrate has a second reference orientation located at a <110> crystal plane location on the second substrate, wherein the second substrate is formed over the first substrate with the second reference orientation being offset to the first reference orientation by about 45 degrees.
US08084816B2 Semiconductor module
A semiconductor module is disclosed. One embodiment provides a first semiconductor chip having a first contact pad on a first main surface and a second contact pad on a second main surface, a first electrically conductive layer applied to the first main surface, a second electrically conductive layer applied to the second main surface, and an electrically insulating material covering the first electrically conductive layer, wherein a surface of the second electrically conductive layer forms an external contact pad and the second electrically conductive layer has a thickness of less than 200 μm.
US08084783B2 GaN-based device cascoded with an integrated FET/Schottky diode device
A power semiconductor device is provided that includes a depletion mode (normally ON) main switching device cascoded with a higher speed switching device, resulting in an enhancement mode (normally OFF) FET device for switching power applications. The main switching device comprises a depletion mode GaN-based HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) FET that does not include an intrinsic body diode. In one or more embodiments, the higher speed switching device comprises a high speed FET semiconductor switch arranged or connected in parallel with a Schottky diode. The high speed FET semiconductor switch may comprise a Si FET, GaN FET or any other type of FET which possesses higher speed switching capabilities and a lower voltage than that of the GaN-based HEMT FET. In some embodiments, the GaN-based HEMT FET and the higher speed switching device (i.e., the FET and Schottky diode) may be monolithically integrated on the same substrate.
US08084770B2 Test structures for development of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) devices
In the present electronic test structure comprising, a conductor is provided, overlying a substrate. An electronic device overlies a portion of the conductor and includes a first electrode connected to the conductor, a second electrode, and an insulating layer between the first and second electrodes. A portion of the conductor is exposed for access thereto.
US08084762B2 Resistive memory
A memory device includes an array of memory structures disposed in rows and columns and constructed over a substrate, each memory structure comprising a first signal electrode, a second signal electrode, and a resistive layer coupled to the first signal electrode and the second signal electrode; a plurality of word lines connected to the first signal electrodes of a row of memory cells; and a plurality of bit lines connected to the second signal electrodes of a column of memory cells.
US08084758B2 Light sensor for detecting brightness
A light sensor for detecting brightness of an outside of a vehicle includes: a light shielding element on a windshield; a light guiding element in a through hole of the light shielding element; and a light receiving element that receives light from the outside of the vehicle via the light guiding element and the windshield. The light guiding element includes an entrance surface facing the windshield and an output surface facing the light receiving element. The entrance surface receives the light from the outside. The light guiding element transmits and outputs the light from the output surface toward the light receiving element. The entrance surface has a top disposed inside of the through hole.
US08084752B2 Ultraviolet treatment device
A keyboard and touchpad or mouse UV treatment system with optical sensor and inclined slide is described. A proximity sensor, microcontroller firmware, and motorized mechanism allow activation of the sanitization cycle by personnel with contaminated hands without risk of additional spreading of pathogens to other personnel and patients. The inclined slide provides stability when operated on a desk, and the microcontroller and optical sensor determine the proper exposure time to compensate for lamp aging and variations in lamp output.
US08084742B1 Positron emission tomography with phoswich detector, systems and methods
Imaging systems including phoswich scintillator detectors, related devices and methods.
US08084735B2 Pulsed voltage electrospray ion source and method for preventing analyte electrolysis
An electrospray ion source and method of operation includes the application of pulsed voltage to prevent electrolysis of analytes with a low electrochemical potential. The electrospray ion source can include an emitter, a counter electrode, and a power supply. The emitter can include a liquid conduit, a primary working electrode having a liquid contacting surface, and a spray tip, where the liquid conduit and the working electrode are in liquid communication. The counter electrode can be proximate to, but separated from, the spray tip. The power system can supply voltage to the working electrode in the form of a pulse wave, where the pulse wave oscillates between at least an energized voltage and a relaxation voltage. The relaxation duration of the relaxation voltage can range from 1 millisecond to 35 milliseconds. The pulse duration of the energized voltage can be less than 1 millisecond and the frequency of the pulse wave can range from 30 to 800 Hz.
US08084734B2 Laser desorption ionization and peptide sequencing on laser induced silicon microcolumn arrays
The present invention provides a method of producing a laser-patterned silicon surface, especially silicon wafers for use in laser desorption ionization (LDI-MS) (including MALDI-MS and SELDI-MS), devices containing the same, and methods of testing samples employing the same. The surface is prepared by subjecting a silicon substrate to multiple laser shots from a high-power picosecond or femtosecond laser while in a processing environment, e.g., underwater, and generates a remarkable homogenous microcolumn array capable of providing an improved substrate for LDI-MS.
US08084729B2 Photoelectric conversion apparatus, imaging system, and photoelectric conversion apparatus manufacturing method
A photoelectric conversion apparatus having a pixel array region and a peripheral region includes a pixel array, a readout unit, an output unit, a plurality of output lines, and a color filter layer which is arranged in the pixel array region and the peripheral region and includes a color filter arranged above the plurality of pixels. The color filter layer extends to surround the output lines when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a surface of a semiconductor substrate, and has an opening arranged above the plurality of output lines. The opening of the color filter layer is filled with gas or an insulator lower in dielectric constant than the color filter.
US08084722B2 Controllable thermal warming devices
A controllable thermal warming device for delivering heat to an object by radio frequency signal. The controllable thermal warming device may include a thermal ink heating element comprising a substrate and a conductive ink fixedly disposed on the substrate, a power source operatively coupled to the conductive ink, the power source adapted to deliver a voltage to the conductive ink to cause the conductive ink to radiate heat, a controller operatively coupled to the power source and the conductive ink, the controller adapted to control the voltage delivered to the conductive ink and to detect an operating characteristic of the conductive ink and adjust the voltage in response to the operating characteristic, and means for controlling the controller by radio frequency. The controllable thermal warming device may also include a sensor to provide the operating characteristic to the controller.
US08084715B2 Method and means for heating and controlling the temperatures in a sauna
A control panel used in combination with a power unit to control the operation of a sauna. The control panel is equipped with a microprocessor that has software and proper circuitry to allow a user to use buttons to input information into the control panel regarding the time, temperature, and day on which heating within the sauna is to occur. Additionally, the power unit has a microprocessor with a pulse width modulation output that causes individual heating elements to continuously produce varying intensities of heat in order to maintain a consistent desired temperature, and/or intermittently radiate heat creating a wave of heat to be emitted by each individual heating element.
US08084705B2 Quartz guard ring centering features
An electrode assembly and method of centering an outer ring around an electrode assembly in a plasma reaction chamber used in semiconductor substrate processing. The method includes positioning the outer ring around an outer surface of a backing member of the electrode assembly, and inserting at least one centering element between the outer ring and the backing member. The centering element can be a plurality of spring-loaded centering elements received in a cavity on the outer surface of the backing member, the centering elements having a first end adapted to contact the outer ring and a second end adapted to receive a spring. The outer ring surrounds an outer surface of the backing member, such that the plurality of spring-loaded centering elements are positioned between the outer surface of the backing member and an inner surface of the outer ring.
US08084699B2 Vehicle switch
A vehicle switch includes a switch unit formed of a wiring board and an operating unit placed over the wiring board, a housing accommodating the wiring board, and a supporting member elastically deformable and placed in the housing for supporting the wiring board. This structure prevents switch contacts and the wiring board from being damaged, even when a great load or shock is applied to the operating unit, so that the vehicle switch can be reliably operated.
US08084687B1 Electrical outlet box assembly
An electrical box assembly is provided for enabling an electrical box to be rapidly installed into a metal framework that supports an interior wall of a building. The assembly includes a supporting member which is attached to the metal framework, and an electrical box of square design having paired outwardly directed flanges. The flanges are positioned to fit into receiving brackets on the supporting member, thereby enabling the electrical box to engage the supporting member by a simple downward sliding motion.
US08084686B2 Stackable power distribution box
The power box can be stacked while limiting horizontal translation. The power box includes an electrical component box, a cover for the electrical component box, and a support assembly. The support assembly has feet that raise the electrical component box off of the ground. The cover includes one or more raised projections that restrict the horizontal translation of a power box positioned thereon, by dimensioning the projections apart by a distance slightly greater than an exterior width of the support assembly of the power box that rests upon the cover. Horizontal translation is further limited by dimensioning the feet such that, when placed on top of another power box, the interior dimension between two feet is slighting greater than the dimension of the cover. So, when the top power box attempts to slide, the feet of the top power box contact the cover of the bottom power box.
US08084674B2 Flower pigmentation in Pelargonium hortorum
The present invention relates to novel Pelargonium hortorum—interspecific plants having dark red to burgundy or darker pigmented flower petal, a trailing growth habit, dark leaf color and tolerance to high temperatures, high light and edema. The present invention also relates to methods for creating novel Pelargonium hortorum—interspecific hybrid plants having dark red to burgundy or darker pigmented flower petals, a trailing growth habit and tolerance to high temperatures, high light and edema.
US08084661B2 Extraction of ASO from spent sulfuric acid using liquid SO2
A process for the regeneration of spent sulfuric acid including contacting spent sulfuric acid containing acid soluble oils (ASO) with sulfur dioxide to extract at least a portion of the ASO from the spent sulfuric acid into the sulfur dioxide. The sulfuric acid phase having a reduced ASO content and a sulfur dioxide phase containing at least a portion of the ASO may be recovered. The resulting sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide phases may be further separated to recover ASO, sulfur dioxide, and sulfuric acid.
US08084655B2 Catalytic process for converting renewable resources into paraffins for use as diesel blending stocks
A process for converting renewable resources such as vegetable oil and animal fat into paraffins in a single step which comprises contacting a feed which is a renewable resources with hydrogen and a catalyst which comprises a non-precious metal a first oxide and optionally a second oxide wherein at least one of the first oxide or second oxide comprises a zeolite, through hydrodeoxygenation and one or both of hydroisomerization and hydrocracking.
US08084650B2 Adamantane derivative, resin composition containing same, and optoelectronic member and sealing agent for electronic circuit using those
Disclosed is an adamantane derivative which provides a cured product excellent in optical characteristics such as transparency and light resistance, long-term heat resistance, electrical characteristics such as and dielectric constant, and low water absorption. Also disclosed are a resin composition containing the adamantane derivative, a sealing agent for electronic circuits, optical electronic member, semiconductor device and copper-clad laminate all using the resin composition, and a radiation-sensitive resin composition which contains the above-mentioned adamantane derivative as a crosslinking agent. Specifically disclosed are an adamantane derivative represented by the formula (I-1) below, a resin composition containing the adamantane derivative, a sealing agent for electronic circuits, optical electronic member, semiconductor device and copper-clad laminate, all using the resin composition, and a radiation-sensitive resin composition which contains the above-mentioned adamantane derivative as a crosslinking agent.
US08084646B2 Process for production of hydroxyadamantaneamine
Disclosed is a process for producing 1-hydroxy-4-aminoadamantane.
US08084640B2 Method for the continuous production of unsaturated carboxylic acid anhydrides
Process for continuously preparing unsaturated carboxylic anhydrides of the general formula I R—C(O)—O—C(O)—R  (I) in which R is an unsaturated organic radical having 2 to 12 carbon atoms by transanhydridization of an aliphatic carboxylic anhydride with a carboxylic acid of the general formula II R—COOH  (II) in which R is as defined above in a rectification column having an upper, middle and lower region, characterized in that f) an inert boiling oil is initially charged in the bottom of the column, g) the reactants are fed into a reaction region in stoichiometric ratios, h) the carboxylic acid formed as the by-product is withdrawn at the top of the column, i) the unconverted reactants are recycled into the reaction region and j) the product of the formula I is obtained via a side draw, preferably between the middle and lower column region.
US08084638B2 Sulfanyl derivatives and their use as synthesis intermediates
The present application relates to sulfanyl derivatives of formula (I) and to their use as synthesis intermediates, especially for the preparation of the pharmaceutically active compound mesna. Formula (I), wherein X is O or N—C(NH)NH2; M+ is hydrogen, sodium, disodium, potassium, dipotassium, ammonium (NH4)+, diammonium, quaternary ammonium, calcium or magnesium.
US08084637B2 Amide gellant compounds with aromatic end groups
A compound of the formula wherein R1 and R1′ are the same, and wherein R1 and R1′ are each aromatic groups; and wherein R2 and R2′ and R3 each, independently of the others, are alkylene groups, arylene groups, arylalkylene groups, or alkylarylene groups; or wherein, in embodiments, R1 and R1′ can be the same or different, and wherein R1 and R1′ each, independently of the other is an alkyl group having a least one ethylenic unsaturation, an arylalkyl group having at least one ethylenic unsaturation, an alkylaryl group having at least one ethylenic unsaturation, or an aromatic group, provided that at least one of R1 and R1′ is an aromatic group; and provided that neither of R1 or R1′ is a photoinitiator group.
US08084632B2 Methods for enhancing the efficiency of rhenium-promoted epoxidation catalysts and epoxidation methods utilizing these
A method for enhancing the efficiency of a rhenium-promoted epoxidation catalyst is provided. Advantageously, the method may be carried out in situ, i.e., within the epoxidation process, and in fact, may be carried out during production of the desired epoxide. As such, a method for the epoxidation of alkylenes incorporating the efficiency-enhancing method is also provided, as is a method for using the alkylene oxides so produced for the production of 1,2-diols, 1,2-carbonates, 1,2-diol ethers, or alkanolamines.
US08084620B2 Carbazole carboxamide compounds useful as kinase inhibitors
Compounds having the formula (I), and enantiomers, and diastereomers, pharmaceutically-acceptable salts, thereof, are useful as kinase modulators, including Btk modulation.
US08084612B2 Proline analogs as ligands for cannabinoid receptors
The invention relates to compounds of Formulae I(a) to XI and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof (Proline Analog Compounds), that are useful, e.g., as ligands for cannabinoid receptors, as compositions comprising a Proline Analog Compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, in methods of making such Proline Analog Compounds, and in methods for treating or preventing a Condition, such as pain, nausea, vomiting and an eating disorder, comprising administering an effective amount of a Proline Analog Compound to an animal in need thereof.
US08084601B2 Oligomers
Molecules are provided for inducing or facilitating exon skipping in forming spliced mRNA products from pre-mRNA molecules in cells. The molecules may be provided directly as oligonucleotides or expression products of vectors that are administered to a subject. High rates of skipping can be achieved. High rates of skipping reduce the severity of a disease like Duchene Muscular Dystrophy so that the disease is more like Becker Muscular Dystrophy. This is a severe reduction in symptom severity and mortality.
US08084587B2 Method for the production of proteins
The present invention relates to a process for the purification of a protease.
US08084585B2 Anti-ILT7 antibody
An antibody binding to IPC was obtained by using an animal cell in which a cell membrane protein associatable with ILT7 was co-expressed as an immunogen. The antibody of the invention has a high specificity which allows immunological distinction between other ILT family molecules and ILT7. The anti-ILT7 antibody of the invention bound to IPC and inhibited the activity thereof. With the anti-ILT7 antibody of the invention, the IPC activity can be inhibited and an interferon-related disease can be treated or prevented. ILT7 expression is maintained even in IPC in the presence of IFNα. Therefore, an inhibitory action of IPC activity by the anti-ILT7 antibody can be expected even in an autoimmune disease patient with an increased production of IFNα.
US08084584B2 Methods for stabilizing proteins
The present inventors revealed that deamidation of an antibody can be suppressed without influencing its activity by substituting a glycine that is located adjacent to an asparagine with another amino acid.
US08084582B2 Optimized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies having Fc variants
The present invention relates to optimized CD20 antibodies having Fc variants, methods for their generation, and method for their application, such as methods of enhancing macrophage activation, particularly for therapeutic purposes.
US08084581B1 Method for removing unmodified hemoglobin from cross-linked hemoglobin solutions including polymeric hemoglobin with a high temperature short time heat treatment apparatus
A method heat treatment of cross-linked hemoglobin solutions including polymeric hemoglobin is disclosed. The method involves contacting the hemoglobin solution with a high temperature short time heat treatment apparatus. The high temperature short time process thermally denatures unmodified tetrameric hemoglobin (hemoglobin dimer form), protein impurities (e.g. immunoglobin-G, serum albumin), bacteria, and viruses so that renal injury, vascular detrimental effects and other toxicity reactions can be avoided.
US08084574B2 Carbon nanotube binding peptides
Peptides have been generated that have binding affinity to carbon nanostructures and particularly carbon nanotubes. Peptides of or the invention are generally about twelve amino acids in length. Methods for generating carbon nanotube binding peptides are also disclosed.
US08084573B2 Carbon nanotube binding peptides
Peptides have been generated that have binding affinity to carbon nanostructures and particularly carbon nanotubes. Peptides of or the invention are generally about twelve amino acids in length. Methods for generating carbon nanotube binding peptides are also disclosed.
US08084568B1 Poly(arylene ether) copolymer having cation-exchange group, process of manufacturing the same, and use thereof
The present invention relates to a poly(arylene ether) copolymer having an ion exchange group, particularly a positive ion exchange group, a method for manufacturing the same, and use thereof. In the poly(arylene ether) copolymer having the ion exchange group according to the present invention, physical characteristics, ion exchanging ability, metal ion adsorption ability and a processability are excellent, and thus the copolymer can be molded in various shapes and can be extensively applied to various fields such as recovering of organic metal, air purification, catalysts, water treatment, medical fields and separating of proteins.
US08084565B2 Catalyst for polymerization of conjugated diene and method of polymerizing conjugated diene using the catalyst, rubber composition for tires, and rubber composition for golf balls
A catalyst for polymerization of conjugated diene is provided, which facilitates manufacture of a conjugated diene polymer with a high 1,4-cis structure content, leaves less aluminum residue on polymerization, and has high activity. A method of manufacturing conjugated diene polymers using the catalyst is also provided. A catalyst for polymerization of conjugated diene comprises (A) an yttrium compound; (B) an ionic compound including a non-coordinate anion and a cation; and (C) an organometallic compound including an element selected from the groups 2, 12 and 13 of the periodic table.
US08084564B2 Metal-film-coated material and process for producing the same, metallic-pattern-bearing material and process for producing the same, composition for polymer layer formation, nitrile group-containing polymer and method of synthesizing the same, composition containing nitrile group-containing polymer, and laminate
The invention provides a polymer containing at least a unit represented by the following Formula (1) and a unit represented by the following Formula (2). In Formula (1) and Formula (2), R1 to R5 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; X, Y and Z each independently represent a single bond, a substituted or unsubstituted divalent organic group, an ester group, an amide group or an ether group; and L1 and L2 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted divalent organic group. The invention provides a method of synthesizing embodiments of the polymer, a composition containing the polymer, and a laminate formed by applying the composition on a resin base material.
US08084563B2 Cyclic olefin addition copolymer, process for production thereof, and retardation film obtained from the copolymer
A cyclic olefin addition copolymer includes a structural unit (1) derived from a cyclic olefin compound with a C4 alkyl substituent group and a structural unit (2) derived from a cyclic olefin compound with a C5-12 alkyl substituent group, and optionally includes a structural unit (3) derived from another cyclic olefin compound. The novel cyclic olefin addition copolymers according to the present invention are excellent in melt-formability, transparency and heat resistance, have low water absorption properties, low dielectric constant and low metal content, and are suitably used in optical parts such as optical films. Processes according to the present invention produce the cyclic olefin addition copolymers at high yield with small amounts of catalysts.
US08084560B2 Polymerization processes using metallocene catalysts, their polymer products and end uses
A process for the production of an ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer is disclosed, the process including polymerizing ethylene and at least one alpha-olefin by contacting the ethylene and the at least one alpha-olefin with a metallocene catalyst in at least one gas phase reactor at a reactor pressure of from 0.7 to 70 bar and a reactor temperature of from 20° C. to 150° C. to form an ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer. The resulting ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer may have a density D of 0.927 g/cc or less, a melt index (I2) of from 0.1 to 100 dg/min, a MWD of from 1.5 to 5.0. The resulting ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer may also have a peak melting temperature Tmax second melt satisfying the following relation: Tmax second melt>D*398−245.
US08084557B2 Gas-phase process for the polymerization of alpha-olefins
A continuous gas-phase process for the polymerization of alpha-olefins, in particular ethylene, comprising passing an alpha-olefin monomer stream through an oil filter in order to reduce the amount of oil to less than 8 ppm, and polymerizing the thus purified monomer feed in gas-phase reactor; the reduction of the amount of oil improves the operability of the plant over time.
US08084549B2 Polyorganosiloxane composition for use in unsaturated elastomer, article made therefrom, and associated method
A composition is provided for use with an unsaturated elastomer. The composition may include a sulfur-functional linear polyorganosiloxane. The sulfur-functional linear polyorganosiloxane may include a chemically protected sulfur group. Under certain conditions, the sulfur group may react with the unsaturated elastomer. The invention includes embodiments that may relate to methods of making and using the sulfur-functional linear polyorganosiloxane in elastomer compositions.
US08084543B2 Light-scattering compositions
Light-scattering compositions comprising diffuser polymer particles are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making and using the light-scattering compositions.
US08084540B2 Propylene-based resin composition and molded article thereof
There is provided a propylene-based resin composition containing 10 to 89% by mass of a propylene-based polymer (A) (excluding a modified propylene-based polymer (C) defined below), 10 to 89% by mass of a polylactic acid-based resin (B), and 1 to 80% by mass of a modified propylene-based polymer (C) which is an α,β-unsaturated glycidyl ester-grafted propylene-based polymer having an α,β-unsaturated glycidyl ester-derived structural unit content of 0.1% by mass or more and less than 1.0% by mass, provided that each of the contents of the propylene-based polymer (A), the polylactic acid-based resin (B) and the modified propylene-based polymer (C) is an amount based on the total amount of the three components.
US08084538B2 Thermoplastic polymer composition and molded product
The present invention provides a thermoplastic polymer composition capable of exhibiting excellent impact resistance, durability and destaticizing property. The present invention relates to a thermoplastic polymer composition comprising (A) 50 to 95% by mass of an aliphatic polyester-based resin and (B) 5 to 50% by mass of a block copolymer comprising (B1) a hard segment block comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyamide, a polyester, a polyolefin and a polyurethane, and (B2) a soft segment block having an ether bond, with the proviso that a total amount of the components (A) and (B) is 100% by mass. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thermoplastic polymer composition further comprises a specific amount of at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of (C1) a polyester-based resin, (C2) a polyamide-based resin, (C3) an acrylic resin, (C4) a polycarbonate-based resin, (C5) a polyacetal-based resin, (C6) a polyphenylene ether-based resin, (C7) a polyolefin-based resin and (C8) a styrene-based resin.
US08084537B2 Polymer blends from interpolymers of ethylene/α-olefin with improved compatibility
Disclosed herein are polymer blends comprising at least one ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer and two different poly-olefins which can be homopolymers. The ethylene/α-olefin interpolymers are block copolymers comprising at least a hard block and at least a soft block. In some embodiments, the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer can function as a compatibilizer between the two polyolefins which may not be otherwise compatible. Methods of making the polymer blends and molded articles made from the polymer blends are also described.
US08084534B2 Plasticised polyvinyl chloride
Esters of cyclohexane polycarboxylic acids are used as plasticisers for polyvinyl chloride to enable products with comparable mechanical properties to be obtained using less polyvinyl chloride. Use of these esters also produces formulations with increased stability to ultra-violet light, improved low temperature properties, lower viscosity and improved processability as well as reduced smoke on burning. The esters of cyclohexane polycarboxylic acids may be used alone or in admixture with other plasticisers when the esters of cyclohexane polycarboxylic acids may act as viscosity depressants. Fast fusing plasticisers may also be included. The formulations are particularly useful in the production of a range of goods from semi-rigid to highly flexible materials and are particularly useful in the production of medical materials such as blood bags and tubing.
US08084533B2 Particulate materials
The present invention provides the use of a particulate polymer material as a support for an active agent, characterized in that said polymer material is a polymer produced by copolymerizing an unsaturated heterocyclic monomer and squaric or croconic acid or a derivative thereof.
US08084527B2 Hotmelt adhesive with good adhesion to polyolefins
The present invention relates to hotmelt adhesive compositions which comprise at least one thermoplastic polyolefin (P) which is solid at 25° C., and also at least one amide (A) of the formula (I) or (II).These hotmelt adhesive compositions are suitable more particularly for the adhesive bonding of polyolefin films. More particularly it is possible to form assemblies of a substrate (S) and polyolefins bonded with a hotmelt adhesive.
US08084526B2 Silica-filled elastomeric compounds
The present invention provides compositions containing halobutyl elastomers, at least one mineral filler and at least one oligomeric polyol compound or mixture of at least one oligomeric polyol compound and an additive which contains at least one hydroxyl group and at least one functional group having a basic amine group.The present invention also provides a process for preparing silica reinforced elastomer compounds with improved scorch safety including admixing halobutyl elastomers, at least one silica mineral filler and at least one oligomeric polyol compound or mixture of at least one oligomeric polyol compound and an additive which contains at least one hydroxyl group and at least one functional group having a basic amine group and curing the resulting filled halobutyl elastomer mixture.
US08084525B2 Use of organophosphorus compounds as creping aids
A modified creping adhesive composition comprising at least one adhesive component and at least one modifier component, said modifier component comprising an organophosphorus compound is disclosed and claimed. A method of creping a paper web comprising: applying to a rotating creping cylinder an effective amount of a modified creping adhesive composition comprising at least one adhesive component and at least one modifier component, said modifier component comprising an organophosphorus compound; pressing a paper web against the creping cylinder to effect adhesion of the paper web to the creping cylinder; and dislodging the paper web from the creping cylinder with a doctor blade is also disclosed and claimed.
US08084522B2 Thermally stable cationic photocurable compositions
The invention relates to a cationic photocurable composition comprising at least one cationically polymerizable compound, at least one onium salt photoinitiator, at least a moisture scavenger, and at least a stabilizer selected from the group consisting of sterically hindered nitroxyl stabilizers, sterically hindered phenolic antioxidants, organic phosphorous stabilizers and mixtures thereof.
US08084512B2 Water soluble photosensitive polymide polymer, its preparation and photoresist containing the same
The present invention relates to a water soluble photosensitive polyimide polymer, preparation thereof and a photoresist composition containing the same. The water soluble photosensitive polyimide polymer is characterized by having repeat units represented by the following formula (I): the other symbols are defined in the specification].
US08084510B2 Expandable polystyrenic resin particles and production process thereof, pre-expanded particles and molded foam product
Expandable polystyrenic resin particles having superior resistance to cracking of a molded foam product, having superior retention of blowing agent and maintaining expandability over a long period of time, a production process thereof, and a molded foam product are provided. These expandable polystyrenic resin particles contain a volatile blowing agent in polystyrenic resin particles obtained by impregnating and polymerizing a styrenic monomer in polyolefin resin particles to form a polystyrenic resin, wherein together with the styrenic monomer being used at 140 to 600 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the polyolefin resin particles, the average thickness of the surface layer observed in scanning electron micrographs obtained by immersing sections cut into halves through the center from the surface of the resin particles in tetrahydrofuran followed by extracting the polystyrenic resin component and capturing cross-sections of said sections is 15 to 150 μm, and the volatile blowing agent is contained at 5.5 to 13.0% by weight.
US08084506B2 Sebum absorption compositions
Sebum absorption compositions are disclosed which include (a) 1% to 20% by weight of the composition of a sebum absorption ingredient; and (b) 20% to 99% by weight of the composition of a volatile solvent.
US08084499B2 Modified clay mineral
Modified clay minerals obtained by treating a clay mineral with a particular acylarginine derivative are useful for stabilizing emulsion compositions, inter alia, W/O emulsion composition, while hardly causing skin irritation, and providing moisture retention properties.
US08084494B2 Substituted aminophenylsulfonamide compounds as HIV protease inhibitor
The present invention concerns substituted aminophenylsulfonamide compounds, their use as protease inhibitors, in particular as broad-spectrum HIV protease inhibitors, processes for their preparation as well as pharmaceutical compositions and diagnostic kits comprising them. The present invention also concerns combinations of the present substituted aminophenylsulfonamide compounds with another anti-retroviral agent. It further relates to their use in assays as reference compounds or as reagents.
US08084492B2 Benzofuran compound and pharmaceutical composition containing the same
The present invention relates to a compound having a leukotriene (particularly leukotriene B4) inhibitory action, and useful for the prophylaxis or treatment of diseases such as allergy, asthma, inflammation, cancer and the like.
US08084484B2 Vanilloid receptor ligands, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, process for making them, and use thereof for treating pain and other conditions
Vanilloid receptor ligand compounds corresponding to formula I: pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, a process for producing such compounds, and methods of using such compounds for treating or inhibiting pain and various other disorders or conditions.
US08084475B2 Pirfenidone therapy and inducers of cytochrome P450
The present invention relates to methods involving avoiding adverse drug interactions with pirfenidone and CYP inducers, such as smoking.
US08084472B2 Fused pyrrolocarbazoles
The present invention relates generally to selected fused pyrrolocarbazoles, including pharmaceutical compositions thereof and methods of treating diseases therewith. The present invention is also directed to intermediates and processes for making these fused pyrrolocarbazoles.
US08084466B2 Bicyclic heteroaryl-substituted imidazoles as modulators of the histamine H4 receptor
Bicyclic heteroaryl-substituted imidazole compounds are described, which are useful as H4 receptor modulators. Such compounds may be used in pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the modulation of histamine H4 receptor activity and for the treatment of disease states, disorders, and conditions mediated by H4 receptor activity, such as allergy, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and pruritis.
US08084457B2 Pharmaceutically active 4,6-disubstituted aminopyrimidine derivatives as modulators of protein kinases
The present invention relates to 4,6-disubstituted aminopyrimidine derivatives and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, the use of these derivatives as pharmaceutically active agents, especially for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of infectious diseases, including opportunistic diseases, prion diseases, immunological diseases, autoimmune diseases, bipolar and clinical disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cell proliferative diseases, diabetes, inflammation, transplant rejections, erectile dysfunction, neurodegenerative diseases and stroke, and pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one of said 4,6-di substituted aminopyrimidine derivatives and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of said 4,6-disubstituted aminopyrimidine derivatives as inhibitors for a protein kinase and a medium comprising at least one of said 4,6-disubstituted aminopyrimidine derivatives in an immobilized form and the use of said medium for enriching, purifying and/or depleting nucleotide binding proteins which bind to the immobilized 4,6-disubstituted aminopyrimidine derivatives.
US08084447B2 Pharmaceutical composition comprising gabapentin or an analogue thereof and an α-aminoamide and its analgesic use
There is disclosed a pharmaceutical composition comprising gabapentin or an analogue thereof (pregabalin or tiagabine) and an α-aminoamide and its analgesic use. A synergistic effect of the respective analgesic activities without concomitant increase of side effects was observed.
US08084446B2 Use of DHEA derivatives for enhancing physical performance
A method is disclosed for administering a DHEA derivative or a physiologically acceptable salt, ester or ether thereof for one of decreasing body weight, reducing adipose tissue, increasing endurance, as an anti-aging compound and generating production of red blood cells.
US08084440B2 Method for improving the fertility of animals
This invention is in the field of animal food, in particular food for female animals in their reproductive phase. Food according to the invention improves the fertility of animals and increases their chances on a pregnancy. It was found that the fertility of animals may be improved by feeding the animal with a certain amount of naturally occurring immune enhancing ingredients such as beta-glucans and/or phytohormones like auxin or gibberellic acid. Also, combinations of these substances, in particular the combination of beta-glucans and phytohormones, were shown to have a synergistic effect in that they improved the fertility of the animal more than these individual components on their own.
US08084436B2 Modulation of SGLT2 expression
Compounds, compositions and methods are provided for modulating the expression of SGLT2. The compositions comprise oligonucleotides, targeted to nucleic acid encoding SGLT2. Methods of using these compounds for modulation of SGLT2 expression and for diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions associated with expression of SGLT2 are provided.
US08084433B2 Antisense antiviral compound and method for treating ssRNA viral infection
The invention provides antisense antiviral compounds and methods of their use and production in inhibition of growth of viruses of the Flaviviridae, Picomoviridae, Caliciviridae, Togaviridae, Arteriviridae, Coronaviridae, Astroviridae and Hepeviridae families in the treatment of a viral infection. The antisense antiviral compounds are substantially uncharged morpholino oligonucleotides having a sequence of 12-40 subunits, including at least 12 subunits having a targeting sequence that is complementary to a region associated with stem-loop secondary structure within the 5′-terminal end 40 bases of the positive-sense RNA strand of the virus.
US08084432B2 Compositions and methods for treatment of pouchitis
The present invention relates methods of treating pouchitis by administering a pharmaceutical formulation suitable for rectal use, such as an enema or suppository, comprising an antisense oligonucleotide targeted to ICAM-1 to an individual.
US08084429B2 Compounds and their analgesic applications
Provided are compounds represented by: wherein R1 is a D-alanine, D-serine, D-threonine, D-methionine, D-leucine, D-asparagine or D-glutamine side chain and R2 is a phenylalanine or tryptophan side-chain, and compositions containing such compounds.
US08084428B2 Method of repairing meniscal tears
A method of repairing a meniscal tear of a subject includes providing a sheet of collagen membrane material having on one side thereof a smooth barrier face which inhibits cell adhesion thereon and inhibits passage of cells therethrough. The sheet has a fibrous face opposite the smooth barrier face, the fibrous face allowing cell growth thereon. The collagen is predominantly collagen I. The sheet of collagen membrane material is fixed over a meniscal tear so that the fibrous face is oriented toward the meniscal tear.
US08084417B2 Cross-linked glycopeptide-cephalosporin antibiotics
This invention provides cross-linked glycopeptide-cephalosporin compounds and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof which are useful as antibiotics. This invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds; methods for treating bacterial infections in a mammal using such compounds; and processes and intermediates useful for preparing such compounds.
US08084414B2 Methods involving long lasting synthetic exendin-4-peptide conjugates
Modified insulinotropic peptides are disclosed. The modified insulinotropic peptides are capable of forming a peptidase stabilized insulinotropic peptide. The modified insulinotropic peptides are capable of forming covalent bonds with one or more blood components to form a conjugate. The conjugates may be formed in vivo or ex vivo. The modified peptides are administered to treat humans with diabetes and other related diseases.
US08084413B2 Urocortin-III and uses thereof
A search of the public human genome database identified a human EST, GenBank accession number AW293249, which has high homology to known pufferfish urocortin sequences. The full length sequence was amplified from human genomic DNA and sequenced. Sequence homology comparisons of the novel sequence with human urocortin I and urocortin II revealed that the sequence encoded a novel human urocortin, which was designated urocortin III (UcnIII). While urocortin III does not have high affinity for either CRF-R1 or CRF-R2, the affinity for CRF-R2 is greater than the affinity for CRF-R1. Urocortin III is capable stimulating cyclic AMP production in cells expressing CRF-R2α or β. Thus, the affinity is high enough that urocortin III could act as a native agonist of CRF-R2. However, it is also likely that urocortin III is a stronger agonist of a yet to be identified receptor.
US08084406B2 Apparatus for particle removal by single-phase and two-phase media
The embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus for cleaning patterned substrates with fine features with cleaning materials. The apparatus using the cleaning materials has advantages in cleaning patterned substrates with fine features without substantially damaging the features. The cleaning materials are fluid, either in liquid phase, or in liquid/gas phase, and deform around device features; therefore, the cleaning materials do not substantially damage the device features or reduce damage all together. The cleaning materials containing polymers of a polymeric compound with large molecular weight capture the contaminants on the substrate. In addition, the cleaning materials entrap the contaminants and do not return the contaminants to the substrate surface. The polymers of one or more polymeric compounds with large molecular weight form long polymer chains, which can also be cross-linked to form a network (or polymeric network). The long polymer chains and/or polymer network show superior capabilities of capturing and entrapping contaminants, in comparison to conventional cleaning materials.
US08084401B2 Non-volatile phosphorus hydrocarbon gelling agent
New fluids are disclosed for use in servicing subterranean formations containing oil and gas. In particular, an improved chemical gelling additive for hydrocarbon based fracturing fluids is disclosed having reduce, negligible or no volatile phosphorus at temperatures below about 250° C.
US08084400B2 Methods for discretized processing and process sequence integration of regions of a substrate
The present invention provides methods and systems for discretized, combinatorial processing of regions of a substrate such as for the discovery, implementation, optimization, and qualification of new materials, processes, and process sequence integration schemes used in integrated circuit fabrication. A substrate having an array of differentially processed regions thereon is processed by delivering materials to or modifying regions of the substrate.
US08084399B2 Process for screening of a binding amphiphilic peptides specific for hairpin RNA
The present invention relates to a screening method of an amphiphilic peptide specifically binding to hairpin RNA, more precisely a screening method of an amphiphilic peptide having specificity and strong binding strength to target hairpin RNA using peptide library comprising those peptides having modifications of both hydrophilic face and hydrophobic face. The method of the present invention provides a screening method of an amphiphilic peptide which is specific to hairpin RNA. So, the peptide selected by the method of the present invention can be effectively used for the study of hairpin RNA functions and for the production of a novel drug using an artificial peptide binding to a hairpin RNA target.
US08084397B2 Methods to produce polymer nanoparticles and formulations of active ingredients
The present invention provides a composition including a polymer nanoparticle and at least one agricultural active compound incorporated with the nanoparticle, wherein the nanoparticle are less than 100 nm in diameter, and the polymer includes a polyelectrolyte.
US08084386B2 Method for producing a hydrogen storage material
Method for producing a hydrogen storage material that includes a metal hydride and a non-hydrogenated material and that is doped with a metal as a catalyst, includes; mixing a catalyst precursor, which includes the metal, with the non-hydrogenated material so as to provide a first mixture; agitating the first mixture; thermally treating the first mixture so as to form a composite of the non-hydrogenated material and the metal; mixing the composite with the metal hydride so as to provide a second mixture; and grinding the second mixture so as to provide the hydrogen storage material.
US08084384B2 Magnesium aluminosilicate clays—synthesis and catalysis
This invention is directed to a synthesis process for preparing magnesium aluminosilicate clays and to the products of said process. Briefly, a silicon component, an aluminum component, and a magnesium component are combined, under aqueous conditions and at an acidic pH, to form a first reaction mixture and subsequently the pH of the first reaction mixture is adjusted to greater than 7.5 to form a second reaction mixture. The second reaction mixture is allowed to react under conditions sufficient to form the magnesium aluminosilicate clay of the present invention. The invention is also directed to catalyst compositions comprising the magnesium aluminosilicate clays synthesized according to the process of the invention. The resulting magnesium aluminosilicate clay can be used as a catalyst or as a component in catalyst compositions. The invention is further directed to a magnesium aluminosilicate clay with a characteristic 29Si NMR spectrum and the use of said magnesium aluminosilicate clay in catalyst compositions.
US08084382B2 Ceramic powder, ceramic layer and layer system with pyrochlore phase and oxides
There is described a Ceramic Powder, a Ceramic Layer and a Layer System with Pyrochlore Phase and Oxides. Besides a good thermal insulation property, thermal insulation layer systems must also have a long lifetime of the thermal insulation layer. A described layer system has a layer sequence of a metallic bonding layer, an inner ceramic layer and an outer ceramic layer, which are specially matched to one another.
US08084380B2 Transition metal doped Sn phosphate glass
Transition metal doped Sn phosphate glass compositions and methods of making transition metal doped Sn phosphate glass compositions are described which can be used for example, in sealing applications.
US08084378B2 Fiber glass mat, method and laminate
Alkaline resistant fibrous products containing a binder comprised of a blend of urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde and having particular use in bonding to alkaline materials having a pH of about 8 or above, including cementitious boards and other shapes, to provide manufacturing aids, reinforcement, fire resistance and a smooth surface are disclosed. Laminates containing one or more of the alkaline resistant fibrous products, with fibers bonded together with melamine formaldehyde and optionally a blend of urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde binder, in contact with at least one cementitious layer are disclosed. Also, methods of making the alkaline resistant fibrous products and laminates that contain one or more layers of the alkaline resistant fibrous products are disclosed.
US08084376B2 Carrier member and support member
In a carrier member, a connecting fiber connects a peripheral part of an opening of a front surface layer and a peripheral part of an opening of a back surface layer, for each opening. At least one part of at least one connecting fiber is located inside a virtual space. The virtual space is a space which is surrounded with both surface layers and virtual vertical walls. The virtual vertical walls are extended, from inner edges of the peripheral part of the opening of one layer, to the other layer. The carrier member has many opportunities for a volatile component, held by the carrier member, to touch blown air so as to volatilize the volatile component.
US08084362B2 Polishing slurry and polishing method
The present invention relates to polishing slurry and polishing method used for polishing in a process for forming wirings of a semiconductor device, and the like. There are provided polishing slurry giving a polished surface having high flatness even if the polished surface is made of two or more substances, and further, capable of suppressing metal residue and scratches after polishing, and a method of chemical mechanical polishing using this. The polishing slurry of the present invention is polishing slurry containing at least one of a surfactant and an organic solvent, and a metal oxide dissolving agent and water, or polishing slurry containing water and abrasive, wherein the surface of the abrasive is modified with an alkyl group, and preferably, it further contains a metal oxidizer, water-soluble polymer, and metal inhibitor.
US08084360B2 Method of manufacturing semiconductor device
In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first film containing boron (B) on a member to be etched, the member being a semiconductor substrate, or a film formed on the semiconductor substrate, and forming a second film formed of a silicon oxide film on the first film. The method further includes pressing an original plate having a pattern formed in an uneven shape onto the second film to transfer the pattern to the second film, and etching the first film by using the second film where the pattern is transferred as a mask, with an etching gas that contains fluoromethane (CH3F) and oxygen (O2) and has an oxygen concentration of 50 to 90 at. %, to transfer the pattern to the first film. The method further includes etching the member by using the first film where the pattern is transferred as a mask, to form a concave portion having the pattern in the member.
US08084358B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
In a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, an insulating film is formed on a first conductive film. By using a mask film having an opening that exposes the insulating film, anisotropic etching is performed to form a recess is formed in an upper part of the insulating film exposed to the opening and to cause a reaction product to adhere to a lower part of a sidewall portion of the mask film. Isotropic etching is then performed to decrease the sidewall portion of the mask film in a horizontal direction, and anisotropic etching is performed to etch the insulating film exposed at a bottom of the recess in a vertical direction while removing the reaction product adhering to the lower part of the sidewall portion of the mask film. Anisotropic etching is then performed to etch the insulating film present around the recess in the vertical direction to form a stepped portion, and also to etch the insulating film exposed at the bottom of the recess to expose the first conductive film. A second conductive film is then formed on the first conductive film.
US08084357B2 Method for manufacturing a dual damascene opening comprising a trench opening and a via opening
A method for manufacturing a multi cap layer includes providing a substrate, forming a multi cap layer comprising a first cap layer and a second cap layer formed thereon on the substrate, forming a patterned metal hard mask layer on the multi cap layer, and performing an etching process to etch the multi cap layer through the patterned hard mask layer and to form an opening in the second cap layer.
US08084354B2 Method of fabricating a metal cap layer with enhanced etch resistivity for copper-based metal regions in semiconductor devices
During the fabrication of sophisticated metallization systems of semiconductor devices, material deterioration of conductive cap layers may be significantly reduced by providing a noble metal on exposed surface areas after the patterning of the corresponding via openings. Hence, well-established wet chemical etch chemistries may be used while not unduly contributing to process complexity.
US08084345B2 Methods of forming dispersions of nanoparticles, and methods of forming flash memory cells
Some embodiments include methods of forming dispersions of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are incorporated into first coordination complexes in which the nanoparticles are coordinated to hydrophobic ligands, and the first coordination complexes are dispersed within a non-polar solvent. While the first coordination complexes are within the non-polar solvent, the ligands are reacted with one or more reactants to convert the first coordination complexes into second coordination complexes that contain hydrophilic ligands. The second coordination complexes are then extracted from the non-polar solvent into water, to form a mixture of the second coordination complexes and the water. In some embodiments, the mixture may be dispersed across a semiconductor substrate to form a uniform distribution of the nanoparticles across the substrate. In some embodiments, the nanoparticles may then be incorporated into flash memory devices as charge-trapping centers.
US08084343B2 Semiconductor device
In order to block hydrogen ions produced when forming an interlayer insulating film by HDP-CVD or the like to thereby suppress an adverse effect of the hydrogen ions on a device, in a semiconductor device including a contact layer, a metal interconnection and an interlayer insulating film on a semiconductor substrate having a gate electrode formed thereon, the interlayer insulating film is formed on the metal interconnection by bias-applied plasma CVD using source gas containing hydrogen atoms, and a silicon oxynitride film is provided in the underlayer of the metal interconnection and the interlayer insulating film.
US08084342B2 Method of manufacturing a CMOS device with zero soft error rate
A CMOS device and method of manufacture is provided for producing an integrated circuit that is not susceptible to various soft errors such as single-event upsets, multi-bit upsets or single-event latchup. The CMOS device and method utilizes a new and novel well architecture in conjunction with metal source/drain electrodes to eliminate soft errors. In one embodiment, the CMOS device uses a first metal source/drain material for the NMOS device and a second metal source/drain material for the PMOS device. The CMOS device further uses a multi-layered well-structure with a shallow N-well and a buried P-well for the PMOS device and a shallow P-well and a buried N-well for the NMOS device.
US08084338B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
The depletion of a gate electrode (103) is suppressed in such a way that impurities are introduced into the gate electrode that is formed on a semiconductor substrate (101), with a gate insulating film (102) interposed between the gate electrode (103) and the semiconductor substrate (101), and that, by irradiating a laser beam onto the gate electrode (103), the introduced impurities are made to diffuse up to the interface between the gate electrode (103) and the gate insulating film (102).
US08084334B2 Semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising a metal pattern and laser modified regions in a cutting region
To divide a semiconductor wafer by stealth dicing, a test pad in a cutting region and an alignment target are collectively arranged along one side in a width direction of the cutting region, and a laser beam for forming a modified region is irradiated to a position away in plane from the test pad and the alignment target Am. In this manner, defects in cutting shape in a cutting process of a semiconductor wafer using stealth dicing can be reduced or prevented.
US08084332B2 Method of fabrication of AI/GE bonding in a wafer packaging environment and a product produced therefrom
A method of bonding of germanium to aluminum between two substrates to create a robust electrical and mechanical contact is disclosed. An aluminum-germanium bond has the following unique combination of attributes: (1) it can form a hermetic seal; (2) it can be used to create an electrically conductive path between two substrates; (3) it can be patterned so that this conduction path is localized; (4) the bond can be made with the aluminum that is available as standard foundry CMOS process. This has the significant advantage of allowing for wafer-level bonding or packaging without the addition of any additional process layers to the CMOS wafer.
US08084330B2 Thin body semiconductor devices having improved contact resistance and methods for the fabrication thereof
Embodiments of a method for fabricating a semiconductor device are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of producing a partially-completed semiconductor device including a substrate, source/drain (S/D) regions, a channel region between the S/D regions, a gate stack over the channel region, and sidewall spacers laterally adjacent the gate stack. The method further includes the steps of amorphizing the S/D regions, depositing a silicide-forming material over the amorphized S/D regions, and heating the partially-completed semiconductor device to a predetermined temperature at which the silicide-forming material reacts with the amorphized S/D regions.
US08084321B2 DRAM cell with enhanced capacitor area and the method of manufacturing the same
A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell and the method of manufacturing the same are provided. The DRAM cell includes a cell transistor and a cell capacitor. The cell capacitor includes a first, second and third dielectric layer, and a first, second and third capacitor electrode. The first dielectric layer is located on a first capacitor electrode. The second capacitor electrode is located on top of the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is located on the second capacitor electrode. The third capacitor electrode is located on the second dielectric layer and is electrically connected with the drain. The third dielectric layer is located between the third capacitor electrode and the gate for isolating the gate from the third capacitor electrode.
US08084320B2 Non-volatile memory and method for fabricating the same
A non-volatile memory is described, which includes gate structures, doped regions, second spacers and contact plugs. The gate structures are disposed on the substrate, each of which includes a control gate and a gate dielectric layer. The control gates are disposed on the substrate, and two first spacers are deployed at both sides of each control gate. The gate dielectric layers are disposed between the control gates and the substrate, respectively. Each of the doped regions is formed in the substrate between two adjacent gate structures. The second spacers are disposed on the sidewalls of the gate structures. The contact plugs are formed between two adjacent second spacers, respectively.
US08084317B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device comprises a gate electrode on a semiconductor substrate having a device isolation region, a first drain spacer on one side of the gate electrode, a second drain spacer next to the first drain spacer, a first source spacer on an opposite side of the gate electrode and a portion of the semiconductor substrate where a source region is to be formed, a second source spacer on side and top surfaces of the first source spacer, and LDDs adjacent to the first drain spacer and below the first source spacers, wherein the LDD below the first source spacer is thinner than the LDD adjacent to the first drain spacer.
US08084315B2 Method of fabricating non-volatile semiconductor memory device by using plasma film-forming method and plasma nitridation
A technique capable of improving the memory retention characteristics of a non-volatile memory is provided. In particular, a technique of fabricating a non-volatile semiconductor memory device is provided capable of enhancing the film quality of a silicon oxide film even when a silicon oxide film as a first potential barrier film is formed with a plasma oxidation method to improve the memory retention characteristics of the non-volatile memory. After a silicon oxide film, which is a main component of a first potential barrier film, is formed with a plasma oxidation method, plasma nitridation at a high temperature and a heat treatment in an atmosphere containing nitric oxide are performed in combination, thereby forming a silicon oxynitride film on the surface of the silicon oxide film, and segregating nitrogen to an interface between the silicon oxide film and a semiconductor substrate.
US08084309B2 Extremely thin silicon on insulator (ETSOI) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) with in-situ doped source and drain regions formed by a single mask
A method of fabricating an electronic structure is provided that includes forming a first conductivity doped first semiconductor material on the SOI semiconductor layer of a substrate. The SOI semiconductor layer has a thickness of less than 10 nm. The first conductivity in-situ doped first semiconductor material is removed from a first portion of the SOI semiconductor layer, wherein a remaining portion of the first conductivity in-situ doped first semiconductor material is present on a second portion of SOI semiconductor layer. A second conductivity in-situ doped second semiconductor material is formed on the first portion of the SOI semiconductor layer, wherein a mask prohibits the second conductivity in-situ doped semiconductor material from being formed on the second portion of the SOI semiconductor layer. The dopants from the first and second conductivity in-situ doped semiconductor materials are diffused into the first semiconductor layer to form dopant regions.
US08084307B2 Method for manufacturing thin film transistor
A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor containing an channel layer 11 having indium oxide, including forming an indium oxide film as an channel layer and subjecting the formed indium oxide film to an annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere.
US08084302B2 Semiconductor package having semiconductor die with internal vertical interconnect structure and method therefor
A semiconductor wafer is made by forming a first conductive layer over a sacrificial substrate, mounting a semiconductor die to the sacrificial substrate, depositing an insulating layer over the semiconductor die and first conductive layer, exposing the first conductive layer and contact pad on the semiconductor die, forming a second conductive layer over the insulating layer between the first conductive layer and contact pad, forming solder bumps on the second conductive layer, depositing an encapsulant over the semiconductor die, first conductive layer, and interconnect structure, and removing the sacrificial substrate after forming the encapsulant to expose the conductive layer and semiconductor die. A portion of the encapsulant is removed to expose a portion of the solder bumps. The solder bumps are sized so that each extends the same outside the encapsulant. The semiconductor die are stacked by electrically connecting the solder bumps.
US08084289B2 Method of fabricating image sensor and reworking method thereof
A method of fabricating an image sensor device is provided. First, a substrate comprising a pixel array region and a pad region is provided. A patterned metal layer and a first planarization layer having an opening exposing the patterned metal layer in the pad region are sequentially formed on the substrate. A color filter array is formed on the first planarization layer in the pixel array region. A second planarization layer is formed to cover the color filter array and filled into the opening. A plurality of microlens is formed above the color filter array on the second planarization layer. A capping layer is conformally formed on the microlens and the second planarization layer. An etching step is performed to remove the capping layer and the second planarization layer in the opening so as to expose the patterned metal layer in the pad region.
US08084274B2 Programmable illumination pattern for transporting microparticles
An apparatus providing programmable illumination pattern generation for the manipulation of colloidal particulates and biomolecules in suspension between electrodes is disclosed. The apparatus implements LEAPS (light-controlled electrokinetic assembly of particles near surfaces), which relies on AC electric field-induced assembly of particles, patterning of an electrolyte/silicon oxide/silicon interface to exert spatial control over the assembly process, and real-time control of assembly via external illumination. The apparatus generates patterns of illumination and projects them onto planar surfaces, i.e., LEAPS electrodes. This enables the creation of patterns using graphical design or drawing software on a personal computer and the projection of said patterns or sequences of patterns (“time-varying patterns”) onto the interface using a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and an optical design that images the LCD panel onto the surface of interest to provide for the assembly of particles within such patterns.
US08084266B2 Method and apparatus for separating isomers of chiral substance
In order to realize a method and an apparatus, each of which requires no contact treatment and no chemical reaction, for separating isomers of a chiral substance by irradiating a chiral substance with light such as circularly polarized light, so as to separate isomers in accordance with a difference in acceleration between the isomers, separation of isomers of a chiral substance in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention includes: (i) a circularly polarized light irradiating apparatus for irradiating, with circularly polarized light, a chiral substance which is a mixture of different isomers and is released from a molecular beam generating apparatus in a vacuum chamber; and (ii) isomer inlets for separating the different isomers of the chiral substance in accordance with a difference in acceleration between the different isomers.
US08084256B2 Ex-vivo priming for generating cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for non-tumor antigens to treat autoimmune and allergic disease
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) specific for antigenic peptides derived from IgE molecule can be generated in vitro by stimulating resting naive CD8 T cells with IgE peptides presented by artificial antigen presenting cells. The IgE specific CTLs lyse the target cells loaded with IgE peptides in vitro and inhibit antigen specific IgE response in vivo. In addition, adoptive transfer of the IgE specific CTL to an asthmatic mouse model can inhibit the development of lung inflammation and airway hypersensitivity. IgE specific CTL provides a treatment for allergic asthma and other IgE-mediated allergic diseases. Antigenic peptides identified from non-tumor self-antigens induce specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) in vitro. The CTL induced by peptides identified from CD40L can kill activated CD4 T cells. In vitro generated CTL specific for CD40L inhibit CD4-dependent antibody responses of all isotypes in vivo. In contrast, CTL induced by antigenic peptides derived from IgE specifically inhibit IgE responses, and adoptive transfer of CD40L-specific CTL to NOD mice at early age delay the development of diabetes in NOD mice. In vitro generated CTL specific for non-tumor self-antigens expressed on activated CD4 T cells regulate immune responses in vivo.
US08084250B2 Defensin-antigen fusion proteins
The present invention relates to a vaccine for increasing the immunogenicity of a tumor antigen thus allowing treatment of cancer, as well as a vaccine that increases the immunogenicity of a viral antigen, thus allowing treatment of viral infection, including immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In particular, the present invention provides a fusion protein comprising a defensin fused to either a tumor antigen or viral antigen which is administered as either a protein or nucleic acid vaccine to elicit an immune response effective in treating cancer or effective in treating or preventing viral infection.
US08084241B2 Subtilases
The present invention relates to methods for producing variants of a parent TY145 subtilase and of a parent BPN′ subtilase and to TY145 and BPN′ variants having altered properties as compared to the parent TY145/BPN′ subtilase.
US08084232B2 Polynucleotides encoding Papio cynocephalus toll-like receptor 3
Isolated polynucleotides encoding Papio cynocephalus Toll-Like Receptor 3 (Baboon TLR3), polypeptides obtainable from expression of these polynucleotides, recombinant cells, and methods of use are disclosed.
US08084229B2 GDEP enhancer element and use thereof to confer retinal specific gene expression
The present invention is directed to isolated nucleic acids containing functional polynucleotide sequences representing an enhancer element for the Gene Differentially Expressed in Prostate (GDEP). Such molecules are useful in conferring retinal specific transcriptional responsiveness on associated promoters and methods for directing retinal specific gene expression are accordingly disclosed.
US08084215B2 Non-proteolytic method for the determination of analytes in keratinized structures
Methods that permit the rapid release of one or more analytes from head or body hair or other keratinized structures of an individual (who may previously have ingested one or more of the analytes) are provided. The methods can include contacting the keratinized structure with a reducing agent but not with a proteolytic agent. The methods can further include identification and quantification of the one or more analytes by known analytical techniques such as immunoassays. The described methods do not damage the analyte and do not cause harmful effects on a subsequently-used analyte detection probe (e.g., an antibody).
US08084212B2 Assay for Mycobacterium avium/intracellulare nucleic acid
Disclosed is a method for determining the presence of Mycobacterium avium complex nucleic acids in a biological sample. In particular, the IS1245 gene of M. avium and the DT1 gene of M. intracellulare are detected, preferably following amplification. In addition, the method distinguishes between species of M. avium and M. intracellulare. Also described are oligonucleotides that can be used as primers to amplify target genes such as IS1245 and DT1 genes and as probes as well as kits containing the oligonucleotides.
US08084211B2 Method for analysing polynucleotide targets using tethered oligonucleotide probes
A method of analysing a polynucleotide target involves incubating the target with an oligonucleotide probe, generally an array of immobilised oligonucleotide probes, to form a duplex, and using ligase or polymerase to extend one chain of the duplex. A point mutation or variable number tandem repeat section may be analysed. Arrays of immobilised oligonucleotides are provided for use in the method.
US08084192B2 Method for forming resist pattern
A method for forming a resist pattern, includes forming a lower layer film, forming an intermediate film on the lower layer film, forming a photoresist film containing a photoacid-generating agent on the intermediate film, exposing the photoresist film, and developing the photoresist film. The lower layer film contains at least any one of a free acid, a thermoacid-generating agent, and a photoacid-generating agent, on a substrate to be treated.
US08084182B2 On-press developable elements and methods of use
A negative-working imageable element has an imageable layer that includes an infrared radiation absorbing dye that upon exposure to thermal irradiation, changes from colorless to a visible color or from one visible color to another visible color, providing a ΔE of at least 5 between the exposed and non-exposed regions of the imageable layer within 3 hours of its exposure to 300 mJ/cm2 at a laser power of 15 Watts. The imageable element can be imaged to provide images with improved contrast for print-out. The imageable layer includes a primary polymeric binder that has a backbone to which are attached pendant poly(alkylene oxide) side chains, cyano groups, or both, and is optionally present in the form of discrete particles.
US08084170B2 Electrophotographic photoconductor, electrophotographic process cartridge containing the same and electrophotographic apparatus containing the same
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photoconductor having an extremely low increase in friction coefficient and wear, while also having superior cleanability even after long-term or large-volume printing, and to provide an electrophotographic apparatus for forming an image using a polymerization toner without providing a unit for externally supplying a lubricant to a photoconductor. Namely, the present invention provides an electrophotographic photoconductor having a photosensitive layer and a crosslinked resin surface layer over a conductive substrate, wherein the crosslinked resin surface layer at least contains trimethylolpropane triacrylate, a dimethylpolysiloxane having a radically polymerizable functional group, and lubricating fine particles.
US08084166B2 Enhanced fuel delivery for direct methanol fuel cells
An arrangement for a direct methanol fuel cell includes a fuel cartridge that supplies a source of fuel to the direct methanol fuel cell. The fuel cartridge has a surface area enhanced planar vaporization membrane residing in the fuel cartridge. The arrangement also includes a fuel reservoir that receives fuel from the fuel cartridge, the fuel reservoir arranged to deliver fuel to the fuel cell. The fuel reservoir also including a surface area enhanced planar vaporization membrane residing in the fuel reservoir. The combination of the surface area enhanced planar vaporization membranes residing in the fuel cartridge and reservoir provides a dual stage vaporization of fuel to the fuel cell. Other features included are passive or active arrangements to increase the temperature of the fuel or reduce pressure in the fuel container to enhance rate of vaporization.
US08084163B2 Fuel cell
A fuel cell comprising: a membrane electrolyte assembly having a polymer electrolyte membrane and a pair of catalyst electrodes, namely an air electrode and a fuel electrode sandwiching the polymer electrolyte membrane; a pair of separators, namely an air electrode separator and a fuel electrode separator sandwiching the membrane electrolyte assembly; two or more oxidizing gas channels running in a certain direction for the purpose of supplying an oxidizing gas to the air electrode; and two or more linear fuel gas channels arranged parallel to the certain direction for the purpose of supplying a fuel gas to the fuel electrode. Large gaps and small gaps are provided alternately between adjacent two oxidizing gas channels along the certain direction, and the fuel gas channels do not overlap portions of the oxidizing gas channels, that are parallel to the fuel gas channels.
US08084160B2 Method for purifying lithium sulfide
A method of purifying lithium sulfide wherein lithium sulfide obtained by reacting lithium hydroxide with hydrogen sulfide in an aprotic organic solvent is washed with an organic solvent at a temperature of 100° C. or higher. Impurities contained in lithium sulfide can be reduced by the method of purification.
US08084155B2 Lithium rechargeable battery
A lithium rechargeable battery includes an insulation case positioned on top of an electrode assembly where the insulation case has least one hole to improve the stability of the battery by evacuating gas that may be generated by the electrode assembly.
US08084144B2 High strength thick welded steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness and method of production of the same
The present invention provides high strength thick welded steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness, and a method of production of the same. A base material steel plate containing C: 0.010 to 0.050%, Si: 0.01 to 0.50%, Mn: 0.50 to 2.00%, Al: 0.020% or less, Ti: 0.003 to 0.030%, and Mo: 0.10 to 1.50%, having a carbon equivalent Ceq of 0.30 to 0.53, having a crack susceptability parameter Pcm of 0.10 to 0.20, satisfying formula 3, comprised an area ratio of 20% or less of polygonal ferrite and an area ratio of 80% or more of bainite, and having an effective crystal grain size of 20 μm or less is formed into a pipe shape, then seam welded to make the effective crystal grain size of the heat affected zone 150 μm or less: 10C+100Al+5Mo+5Ni<3.3  formula 3.
US08084131B2 Transparent hybrid sheet
There is provided a transparent hybrid sheet having superior transparency and thermal resistance and having smaller linear expansion coefficient and optical anisotropy and higher degree of flatness. In a transparent hybrid sheet obtained by curing a hybrid composition including an epoxy resin composition containing alicyclic epoxy compound and a curing agent and curing a glass filler together, the alicyclic epoxy compound contains, as a principal component thereof, a diepoxybicyclohexyl compound represented by Formula (1) below, with amounts of isomers of the diepoxybicyclohexyl compound being 20% or less, of a sum of the diepoxybicyclohexyl compound and the isomers, in terms of a ratio of its peak area determined by a gas chromatography.
US08084129B2 Laminated articles comprising a sheet of a blend of ethylene copolymers
Disclosed laminates particularly useful as safety glazings comprising a polymeric interlayer sheet, wherein the polymeric interlayer sheet comprises a blend composition of an ethylene copolymer A and an ethylene copolymer B, which has a melt flow rate of less than 100g/10 min, as determined in accordance with ASTM D1238 at 190° C. and 2.16 kg, and wherein the ethylene copolymer A comprises copolymerized units of ethylene and about 3 to about 20 wt % of an ester or anhydride of a C4-C8 unsaturated acid having two carboxylic acid groups and the ethylene copolymer B comprises copolymerized units of ethylene and about 6 to about 40 wt % of a polar monomer selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, alkyl(meth)acrylates, and mixtures thereof.
US08084126B2 Thermoset resin fibres
The present invention relates to thermoset resin fiber components, composite materials including thermoset resin fiber components, composite articles manufactured using such composite materials and methodologies for manufacturing same. The thermoset resin fiber components may include a single fiber of thermoset resin or a plurality of fibers commingled together. The properties and characteristics of the thermoset resin used are chosen according to the material to be produced therefrom. The thermoset fiber components may be woven into reinforcement fibers to form prepregs. Thermoplastic fibers may be commingled and co-woven with the thermoset fiber components.
US08084125B2 Non-curling polyhydroxyalkanoate sutures
Absorbable polyester fibers, braids, and surgical meshes with improved handling properties have been developed. These devices are preferably derived from biocompatible copolymers or homopolymers of 4-hydroxybutyrate. These devices provide a wider range of in vivo strength retention properties than are currently available and have a decreased tendency to curl, in the preferred embodiment, due to the inclusion of relaxation and annealing steps following extrusion and orientation of the fiber. Filaments prepared according to these methods are characterized by the following physical properties: (i) elongation to break from about 17% to about 85% (ii) Young's modulus of less than 350,000 psi, (iii) knot to straight ratio (knot strength/tensile strength) of 55-80% or (iv) load at break from 1100 to 4200 grams.
US08084122B2 Zirconia-carbon-containing refractory and method for producing same
A zirconia-carbon-containing refractory includes aggregate grains, a carbon bond formed between the aggregate grains, 80% by mass or more of a ZrO2 component, and a carbonaceous material, in which the total volume of open pores and the carbonaceous material in the structure of the refractory is in the range of 25% to 42% by volume, open pores each having a diameter of 10 μm or more account for 30% or less of the total volume of open pores in the structure of the refractory, and carbonaceous material grains each having a maximum length exceeding 45 μm in the carbonaceous material in the zirconia-carbon-containing refractory account for less than 60% by mass of the total mass of the carbonaceous material except the bonding carbon in the zirconia-carbon-containing refractory.
US08084118B1 Plate member joining structure
A plate member joining structure having a high tensile strength is disclosed to include a metal plate member having opposing outer face and bonding face and binding units located on the bonding face, each binding unit having binding strips formed of a part of the bonding face and curvedly protruded from the bonding face and arranged in a spiral manner, and a plastic plate member directly molded on the bonding face of the metal plate member by insert molding to have the binding strips be embedded in the plastic plate member.
US08084114B2 Reinforced rampdown for composite structural member and method for same
A composite member with a reinforced rampdown or taper has a composite noodle bonded to an end of a core to fill the taper.
US08084109B2 PVDC-polyolefin coextruded thermal-formed high-blocked composite packaging material
A composite packaging material includes a top film and a bottom film as the forming film. The up film is BOPP/PE-TIE-PVDC-TIE-PP-PE structure, which is co-extruded by multi-layer flow or inflation film and formed by a solventless dry way; the bottom films has a PP-TIE-PVDC-TIE-PE structure which is co-extruded by multi-layer flow or inflation film. PVDC is homopolymerization of the polyvinylidene chloride or the copolymer of the methyl acrylate or the vinyl chloride, PE is polyethylene or modified polyethylene, and PP is polypropylene or modified polypropylene. The composite packaging material can solve the problem of effective composite of the PVDC-polyolefin material in the condition of the co-extruding, has high oxygen and water resistance, and can be used for various packages of gasing, vacuumizing and thermal forming.
US08084108B2 Core having enhanced ID stiffness and method for manufacturing the same
A core having enhanced ID stiffness is provided. The core includes inner, intermediate, and outer wall zones. The intermediate zone is spring-like in that it minimizes deformation of the inner zone from a radial deflection of the outer zone by absorbing at least some of the deformation. Similarly, the intermediate zone minimizes deformation of the outer zone from a radial deflection of the inner zone by absorbing at least some of the deformation. The intermediate zone includes at least first and second intermediate layers and one or more intermediate support layers. The first and second layers include a number of plies and gaps that are offset from each other, i.e. the plies of the first layer are radially aligned with the gaps of the second layer. The intermediate support layers are between the first and second layers and extend radially across the gaps of the first and second layers.
US08084104B2 Atomic composition controlled ruthenium alloy film formed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition
A metal film composed of multiple atomic layers continuously formed by atomic layer deposition of Ru and Ta or Ti includes at least a top section and a bottom section, wherein an atomic composition of Ru, Ta or Ti, and N varies in a thickness direction of the metal film. The atomic composition of Ru, Ta or Ti, and N in the top section is represented as Ru(x1)Ta/Ti(y1)N(z1) wherein an atomic ratio of Ru(x1)/(Ta/Ti(y1)) is no less than 15, and z1 is 0.05 or less. The atomic composition of Ru, Ta or Ti, and N in the bottom section is represented as Ru(x2)Ta/Ti(y2)N(z2) wherein an atomic ratio of Ru(x2)/(Ta/Ti(y2)) is more than zero but less than 15, and z2 is 0.10 or greater.
US08084103B2 Method for treating a hydrophilic surface
One embodiment comprises a method for increasing the hydrophobic characteristics of a surface. A coupling agent is applied to the surface, and the surface is subsequently exposed to a first ionizing gas plasma at about atmospheric pressure for a predetermined period of time. The ionizing gas plasma may be formed from a mixture of a carrier gas and a reactive gas. The reactive gas may be comprised of one or more hydrocarbon compound such as an alkane, an alkene, and an alkyne. Alternatively, the reactive gas may be a fluorocarbon or organometallic compound. A lubricant may then be applied to the surface, followed by exposure to second ionizing gas plasma.
US08084099B2 Process and device for coating fibers with a metal by a liquid method
A process of coating fibers with a metal by a liquid method is disclosed. In this process, a fiber is drawn through a bath of molten liquid metal so as to coated with the latter, the liquid metal bath being maintained in a crucible of the “levitation” type, which at least partly eliminates contact between the liquid metal and the crucible. The bath is fed with metal, during the process, by a metal powder. Accordingly, the molten metal bath is fed in a simple and effective manner.
US08084098B2 Coating method of building board
A coating method of building board having convexoconcave in surface comprises the first process that coating is supplied and stocked in a tank installed above on a transportation line which transports the building board with making surface of the building board into the upper position, the second process which the building board is passed under the tank, and coating is flowed down like waterfall by weight of the coating from a drain hole which is installed in the lower end of the tank, and it coats the whole surface and the whole edge of building board with coating enough, wherein width of the drain hole in vertical direction to travelling direction of the building board is wider than width of the building board in vertical direction to travelling direction, and amount of coating to the surface of the building board is 1200-1800 g/m2.
US08084095B2 Ceramic/structural protein composites and method of preparation thereof
Ceramic/structural protein composites and methods of preparation are disclosed, including coatings and films. Ceramic/structural protein coatings can be fabricated on the surface of substrates, including the surface of implantable medical devices.
US08084091B2 Non-aqueous quinacridone dispersions using dispersion synergists
A non-aqueous pigment dispersion includes a quinacridone pigment, a polymeric dispersant, and a dispersion synergist in a non-aqueous dispersion medium wherein the dispersion synergist is a quinacridone derivative substituted on one of the two nitrogen atoms of the quinacridone basic chromophore structure by a group including at least one carboxyl group or a salt thereof. Also, a method for printing an ink-jet image with an ink including the non-aqueous pigment dispersion.
US08084090B2 Aqueous ink for inkjet recording
The present invention relates to (1) a water dispersion for ink-jet printing which includes a self-dispersible pigment (A) containing a salt-forming group and polymer particles (B) containing a constitutional unit derived from a salt-forming group-containing monomer and a constitutional unit derived from a silicone macromer, wherein the polymer particles (B) contain the same salt-forming groups as that contained in and the self-dispersible pigment (A), the water dispersion being excellent in optical density, higher lighter fastness and ejection property; (2) a water-based ink containing the water dispersion; and (3) a method for preventing aggregates from adhering onto an inner surface of nozzles in an ink-jet printing head.
US08084085B2 Coated microstructures and methods of coating same
A method of manufacturing a microstructure includes filling a microchannel with a slurry including a sol-gel binder, removing a portion of the slurry from the microchannel such that a slurry layer is disposed on or between the plurality of microchannel walls, and heating the microstructure for a sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature to cure and bind the slurry layer to the microchannel walls.
US08084076B2 Process for producing stents and corresponding stents
A process for depositing an active substance on selected regions of the surface of a stent, comprising: (i) providing the active substance in at least one form selected from the group consisting of a powder and a paste; and (ii) depositing the active substance on the selected regions of the surface of the stent.Preferably, the active substance comprises or consists essentially of FK506, such as FK506 in the form of a powder with a grain size smaller than 15 micron or a paste with a base of FK506 with a viscosity not lower than 100,000 to 120,000 cps.
US08084073B2 Anisic acid modified steviol glycoside sweetened beverage products
Taste of a non-nutritive steviol glycoside sweetener is improved by using anisic acid in an amount sufficient to mask the metallic aftertaste of the non-nutritive steviol glycoside sweetener when the sweetener is contained in a beverage, beverage concentrate or syrup, or reduced calorie sweetener.
US08084070B2 Isomalt in cereal products
The present invention relates to cereal products comprising cereals and a mixture of 1,6-GPS and 1,1-GPM, methods for the production thereof and the use of a mixture comprising 1,6-GPS and 1,1-GPM for producing cereal products.
US08084067B2 Phospholipid complexes of olive fruits extracts having improved bioavailability
Phospholipids complexes of olive fruits extracts or compositions containing it having improved bioavailability.
US08084064B2 Antiwrinkle agent and skin cosmetic composition
The present invention provides an antiwrinkle agent and skin cosmetic composition having excellent alleviating effects on wrinkles appearing due to aging, and especially at exposed locations of skin, and a high degree of safety.The present invention relates to an antiwrinkle agent and skin cosmetic composition comprising a sclareol derivative represented by the following structural formula (1).