Document Document Title
US08433401B2 Ring electrode assembly and applications thereof
A pair of electrodes having a concentric arrangement and a medium. One of the pair of electrodes known as the delivery electrode (typically the inner electrode), is coupled to an electrical current source. The other electrode, known as the floater electrode is electrically isolated from the delivery electrode. The medium is directly or otherwise electrically coupled to one of the electrodes.
US08433397B2 Methods and systems to correlate arrhythmic and ischemic events
Systems and methods for determining whether there is a correlation between arrhythmias and myocardial ischemic episodes are provided. An implantable system (e.g., a monitor, pacemaker or ICD) is used to monitor for arrhythmias and to monitor for myocardial ischemic episodes. When such events are detected by the implantable system, the implantable system stores (e.g., in its memory) data indicative of the detected arrhythmias and data indicative of the detected myocardial, ischemic episodes. Then, for each detected arrhythmia, a determination is made based on the data, whether there was a myocardial ischemic episode detected within a specified temporal proximity of (e.g., within a specified amount of time of) the arrhythmia. Where a myocardial ischemic episode occurred within the specified temporal proximity of an arrhythmia, data for the two events can be linked. Additionally, when a log of arrhythmias is displayed, for each arrhythmia there is an indication of whether a myocardial ischemic episode was detected within the specified temporal proximity of the arrhythmia. This abstract is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention.
US08433395B1 Extraction of cardiac signal data
A T-wave offset point of an ECG signal is provided. In accordance with various example embodiments, a location of a QRS complex in the ECG signal is identified and used to determine a first time window of the ECG signal in which to search for a T-wave offset point. The T-wave offset point is identified within the first time window, and the identified T-wave offset point is provided as an output based upon a noise characteristic of the ECG signal in a second time window that includes at least a portion of the T-wave.
US08433393B2 Inter-frame complex OCT data analysis techniques
Techniques for collecting and processing complex OCT data to detect localized motion contrast information with enhanced accuracy and sensitivity are presented. In a preferred embodiment, vector differences between complex OCT signals taken at the same location on the sample are used to detect blood flow in the retina. Additional embodiments involving non-linear intensity weighting of the motion contrast information, normalization of the vector difference amplitudes, and calculating the absolute value of the standard deviation of Doppler signal are described. Image processing techniques to enhance the images resulting from these motion contrast techniques are also presented.
US08433391B2 Site marker
A site marker and method of using a site marker are described and disclosed. The site marker comprises a bio-compatible and a plurality of elements, wherein the biocompatible material and at least one of the plurality of elements are imageable under different modalities.
US08433390B2 Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus scans a region including a predetermined part of a subject to acquire magnetic resonance signals. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a plurality of coil elements, a calculation device for calculating a proportion of the predetermined part to a first scan region of a first subject and a position of the predetermined part, based on magnetic resonance signals acquired from the first scan region, a prediction device for predicting a region of the predetermined part from within a second scan region of a second subject, based on the proportion and position of the predetermined part related to the first subject, the proportion and position being calculated by the calculation device, and a coil element selection device for selecting at least one coil element used to receive each magnetic resonance signal in the second scan region from within the coil elements, based on the region of the predetermined part predicted by the prediction device.
US08433389B2 Surgery assistance system for guiding a surgical instrument
The invention relates to a surgery assistance system for guiding a surgical instrument. The surgical instrument (3) is fastened lo an arm system (10, 12, 14), the tip (S) of the surgical instrument (3) can be moved in a controlled manner by means of the arm system (10, 12, 14) in a Cartesian patient coordinate system (PKS), one of the three spatial axes (x, y, z) of the Cartesian patient coordinate system (PKS) extends through the surgical opening or the trocar point (T) receiving the surgical instrument (3). Advantageously, the angle of inclination (w) of the surgical instrument (3) is determined with respect to the spatial axis (z) of the Cartesian patent coordinate system (PKS) extending through the trocar point (T), the angle of inclination (w) so determined is compared with a predetermined set angle of inclination (ws) for the purpose of guiding the tip (S).
US08433388B2 Source affine reconstruction for medical imaging
Performing medical imaging. The generation of medical images, which includes a Source AFFine Image REconstruction (SAFFIRE) algorithm, is based on an iterative implementation of minimum mean-square error (MMSE) estimation within an affine-transformed solution space and utilizes a matched filter bank initialization coupled with energy normalization of each successive estimate. An incoherent integration technique provides an alternative implementation strategy to either increase signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or generalize the estimator to accommodate temporally-separated interference sources. In addition, the estimator solution may be employed to determine volumetric constraints with which to re-apply the estimator to further improve the estimation accuracy.
US08433380B1 Mössbauer spectroscopy system for applying external magnetic field at cryogenic temperature using refrigerator
A Mössbauer spectroscopy system for applying an external magnetic field at cryogenic temperature using a refrigerator is provided. A Mössbauer spectrum can be obtained by applying the external magnetic field while changing the temperature of a superconducting magnet and a sample from a cryogenic temperature using the refrigerator, the external magnetic field can be applied while cooling the superconducting magnet using the refrigerator without the need for use of a liquid helium, thereby saving the operation cost according to consumption of the liquid helium, the mounting of a sample which it is desired to measure is easy, thereby minimizing a possibility that a worker will be exposed to gamma rays, and a convenience in use of a user can be improved.
US08433374B2 Method and system for selecting a sleep interval to improve battery life
The disclosure is directed to a mobile communication device that is capable of accessing different types of networks such as a circuit-switched network and a packet-switched network. While communicating over the packet-switched network, the device negotiates a sleep interval that is longer than the ordinary interval available using the packet-switched network. In this manner, the device wakes less frequently and thereby conserves power. A buffering system is included so that data directed towards the device while it is asleep may be buffered for later delivery when the device awakens.
US08433373B2 Mobile terminal with multiple batteries
Embodiments of the present invention are related to a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal including: first and second batteries for supplying driving power to parts of the mobile terminal; a display for displaying an operational state of the mobile terminal to a user; and a controller for notifying the user of charged levels of the first and second batteries.
US08433370B2 Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof
A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which object information on an object in a preview image is held in the preview image to be utilized in various ways. The present invention includes displaying a preview image photographed via a camera, obtaining a current position of the mobile terminal, searching object information on at least one object in the preview image based on the current position of the mobile terminal, displaying the found object information within the preview image, if the displayed the object information is selected from the preview image, holding the selected object information within the preview image, and controlling an operation related to the held object information.
US08433363B2 Memory device in mobile phone
A memory device for a mobile phone is provided. The memory device includes a flash memory for storing program data and user data; an interface circuit for copying program data stored in the flash memory according to whether data stored in the flash memory is valid; a first Random Access Memory (RAM) for providing an operation area to store and execute the copied program data; and a second RAM for storing data generated during the execution of program data, wherein the first and second RAMs are independent memories.
US08433357B2 Method and apparatus for utilizing other sector interference (OSI) indication
Techniques for mitigating interference in a wireless communication system are described. In one design, a sector may determine multiple fast other sector interference (OSI) indications for multiple subzones, with each subzone corresponding to a different portion of the system bandwidth. At least one report may be generated for the multiple OSI indications, with each report including at least one OSI indication for at least one subzone. Each report may be encoded to obtain code bits, which may then be mapped to a sequence of modulation symbols. A sequence of modulation symbols of zero values may be generated for each report with all OSI indications in the report set to zero to indicate lack of high interference in the corresponding subzones. This allows a report to be transmitted with zero power in a likely scenario. A regular OSI indication may also be determined for the system bandwidth and transmitted.
US08433354B2 Reporting cell measurement results in a cellular communication system
The present invention relates to reporting cell measurement results associated with a plurality of cells of a cellular communication system. The reporting is transmitted from a station via a radio interface to receiver element of a cell serving the station. The cells are arranged in a reporting order that is to be used by the station for the reporting. The cell measurements are performed by the transceiver station for getting cell measurement results associated with a number of the cells. Relevant cell measurement results are then selected and the selected results are transmitted in the defined reporting order.
US08433348B2 Method and system for implementing transmitting diversity and receiving diversity
The method for implementing transmitting diversity includes receiving a symbol from a destination mobile terminal, by a mobile terminal which is in the same mobile terminal group with the destination mobile terminal, wherein the symbol is also sent from the destination mobile terminal to a base station; and processing, by the mobile terminal, the symbol and transmitting the symbol processed to the base station. The method for implementing receiving diversity includes receiving, by a mobile terminal, a symbol from a base station; finding a destination mobile terminal which is in the same mobile terminal group with the mobile terminal if the mobile terminal is not the destination of the symbol; and forwarding the symbol to the destination mobile terminal. Embodiments of the present invention solve the problem of excessive size of a mobile terminal used for implementing transmitting diversity and receiving diversity, and also reduces bit error rate (BER).
US08433346B2 Method of processing control information messages for point-to-multipoint services
A method of scheduling messages based upon whether there are any changes in the content of each message to be scheduled, and also considering certain information that may be needed by the terminal. Messages are scheduled such that the terminal (UE) would only need to perform minimal reading operations, thus resulting in more efficient reception of services by the terminal based upon improved scheduling performed by the network.
US08433345B2 Methods and apparatus to support paging with less interference in multi-tier communication systems
A first base station and mobile station are capable of mitigating interference resulting from communications from a second base station. The base station can determine if at least a portion of a paging slot overlaps with an available interval (AI) of the second base station in which the second base station transmits. The first base station adjusts an occurrence of the paging slot such that the paging slot overlaps and/or occurs within an unavailable interval (UAI) of the second base station wherein the base station does not transmit or transmits with limited resources.The mobile station also can determine if at least a portion of a listening slot overlaps with the AI and, using the same procedure that the first base station uses to recalculate the paging slot, recalculates the listening slot such that the listening slot overlaps and/or occurs within the UAI of the LDC mode.
US08433343B2 Wireless handset vehicle safety interlock database
A method and database management system for controlling the operability of a mobile communications device. A geographical location of a vehicle may be determined. A database comprising records correlating location information with mobile communications device laws may be accessed. Based upon the determined geographical location and accessed database record, a determination may be made as to whether the use of a mobile communications device within the vehicle should be restricted. The capabilities of the mobile communications device that are currently available may be configured, in response to the restriction determination.
US08433341B2 System and methods for distributed tracking of public transit vehicles
A system and methods are provided for collecting and aggregating the movements of location-aware wireless devices and corroborating them with the routes of public transit vehicles. Individual public transit agencies transmit details of their covered routes, including scheduled times and stop locations, to a central processing system. Individual end users of public transit systems carry their own mass-produced, location-aware wireless devices that transmit their location and other relevant information to the central processing system for analysis. The central processing system assigns the specific devices to transit vehicles, uses their locations to determine the actual locations of the vehicles they are traveling on, and communicates this information to the end user of the device, and other users.
US08433332B2 Dynamic frequency assignment in a multi-beam system
Novel satellite communications systems, methods, and related devices are described. In one set of embodiments, available frequency channels may be dynamically assigned to particular beams of a multi-beam satellite system. The frequency assignment may be based on the amount of frequency allocated to particular beams of the multi-beam satellite system, utilizing a novel frequency selection method employing frequency reuse constraints. There may be a number of distinct frequency channels that are each assigned to one or more different beams. Such a system may be made up of a satellite in communication with terminals (e.g., user terminals or gateways). The satellite may receive and compile bandwidth request data from the terminals, and use this information in frequency assignment.
US08433328B2 Base station apparatus, user apparatus, and method of allocating reference signal sequences
A base station apparatus is disclosed which communicates with a user apparatus which transmits an uplink signal using a single-carrier scheme. The base station includes a sequence-identifier determining unit which performs scheduling to allocate a frequency based on an uplink channel reception state of the user apparatus, and which determines a second sequence identifier for use by the user apparatus based on a first sequence identifier in a length of a reference signal sequence for transmitting in a maximum bandwidth in which the user apparatus can transmit, and a frequency bandwidth allocated to the user apparatus.
US08433327B2 Methods of determining coverage areas
A method of determining coverage areas in a communication system includes determining, by a controller, a plurality of base stations in the communication system and determining, by the controller, a Voronoi region for each of the plurality of base stations. The Voronoi region corresponds to the coverage area for the base station. Each location in the Voronoi region is closest to the base station than any other base station of the plurality of base stations.
US08433324B2 Portable electronic device and position tracking method of the device
A location tracking method using a portable electronic device utilizes communication with a server through access points. The portable electronic device creates a database to restore information of the access points and scans the access points which can communicates and searches the information of the access points scanned from the database. The portable electronic device logs onto the access points and transmits transmitter packages including the access points scanned and scanning time of the access points to the server for tracking locations of the portable electronic device.
US08433319B2 Systems and methods for channel selection management in a wireless communication network
A system for channel selection management in a wireless communication network. The system includes a memory module configured to store at least one channel condition related to at least one infrastructure station among a plurality of infrastructure stations in the wireless communication network, wherein each of the plurality of infrastructure stations is able to monitor a channel condition of a channel between the each infrastructure station and a mobile station; a compare module configured to compare a channel condition related to one of the plurality of infrastructure stations with a threshold and provide a signal for a comparison result; a control module configured to provide a control information based on the signal from the compare module; and a selection module configured to select one of the at least one infrastructure station and notify the selected infrastructure station to serve the mobile station based on the control information from the control module.
US08433318B2 Select band-scanning by a multi-sim user equipment (UE) in a wireless communications system
In an embodiment, a wireless communications device (WCD) is provisioned with a plurality of subscriber identity modules (SIMs). The WCD determines a first set of bands (BAND1) that is associated with a first SIM and a second set of bands (BAND2) associated with a second SIM. In a first embodiment, the WCD generates a combined band for the first and second SIMs and then scans the combined band to detect a set of target networks for camping in association with at least the first and second SIMs. In a second embodiment, the WCD scans BAND1 to detect a first set of target networks for camping in association with the first SIM, and then excludes, from the BAND2, bands that overlap with BAND1. The WCD then scans the reduced BAND2 to detect to detect a second set of target networks for camping in association with the second SIM.
US08433312B2 Methods and apparatus for scanning radio frequency bands in wireless local area networks
Method and apparatus for scanning a radio frequency band in a mobile communication device without knowing regulatory information. A processor of the mobile communication device utilizes a wireless transceiver to scan the RF band using a passive scan operation on an RF channel having a passive scan status. During the passive scan operation, the processor attempts to decode an information frame on the RF channel. In response to successfully decoding an information frame, the processor changes the passive scan status of the RF channel to an active scan status, and causes an active scan operation to be performed on the RF channel having the active scan status. The scanning process may continue until the regulatory information for the RF band is received.
US08433311B2 Method and apparatus for controlling response to service notifications in a network environment
A method of providing content notifications to devices in a wireless communication system includes obtaining notification information comprising an identifier that defines a subset of a plurality of devices on a network configured to be responsive to content notifications; generating a notification message based on the obtained notification information to cause the subset of the plurality of devices to retrieve content from a network; and broadcasting the notification message over the network to the plurality of devices. The method also includes receiving content notifications in a wireless communication system, including receiving, in a wireless network, a notification message comprising an identifier that defines a subset of a plurality of devices on a network configured to be responsive to content notifications; and retrieving content from a network in response to being one of the subset of the plurality of devices as defined by the identifier of the received notification message.
US08433305B2 Picture caller ID systems, methods and apparatus
A communication system is provided that enables automated retrieval of caller ID picture information and association with contact information, while still allowing security control over information or images that are sent to the requesting device. The communication system has a wireless device communicating with a picture server. The wireless device receives an incoming call with caller ID information, and determines if a picture is locally stored for the caller. If no picture is locally stored for the caller, then a request is made to retrieve a picture from the picture server. If the picture server has the requested picture, and the wireless device is authorized to receive the picture, then the picture is downloaded to the wireless device, where the picture is associated with contact information for the caller. The picture of the caller will then be automatically displayed when the caller places future calls.
US08433301B2 Method and system for automatically providing contents from a service provider to a mobile telephonic terminal
A method and a system are adapted to automatically provide contents, particularly multimedia contents, to mobile telephonic terminals of service subscribers; service subscription agreements information are stored in a repository of a service provider for each subscriber; and this information includes service conditions desired by each subscriber; such service conditions including specification of contents desired by each subscriber. Contents are provided to mobile telephonic terminals in push mode according to the conditions desired by each subscriber.
US08433300B1 Communication device
The system comprising a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein when the door is locked by the first communication device, a door locked message is operable to be displayed on the first communication device and the second communication device, wherein when the door is unlocked by the first communication device, a door unlocked message is operable to be displayed on the first communication device and the second communication device, and wherein when a phone call is received by the first communication device and a message is left for the first communication device, a message leaving log data is produced.
US08433297B2 System for targeting advertising content to a plurality of mobile communication facilities
A system for targeting advertising content includes the steps of: (a) receiving respective requests for advertising content corresponding to a plurality of mobile communication facilities operated by a group of users, wherein the plurality includes first and second types of mobile communication facilities with different rendering capabilities; (b) receiving a datum corresponding to the group; (c) selecting from a first and second sponsor respective content based on a relevancy to the datum, wherein each content includes a first and second item requiring respective rendering capabilities; (d) receiving bids from the first and second sponsors; (e) attributing a priority to the content of the first sponsor based upon a determination that a yield associated with the first sponsor is greater than a yield associated with the second sponsor; and (f) transmitting the first and second items of the first sponsor to the first and second types of mobile communication facilities respectively.
US08433290B2 Mobile communication device capable of functioning in transmitter disabling state
A mobile communication device, such as a cellular phone, for example, is capable of functioning in a transmitter disabling mode and is set to the transmitter disabling mode in automatic response to a power-on operation and then automatically changed to a transmitter enabling mode provided that a predetermined condition is confirmed. The communication device is instantly set to the transmitter disabling mode in automatic response to the initiation of use of an earphone or camera function and kept in the transmitter disabling mode even if the earphone or camera function enters an out of use condition. Surrounding people are informed of the transmitter disabling mode without fail by a standardized appearance of the earphone or a standardized blinking of a flash unit of the camera function.
US08433289B2 Communication apparatus
A communication apparatus in a radio access network relays data transmission to and from a remote network. The communication apparatus includes a monitoring unit to monitor an authentication procedure performed when a mobile station makes a connection of a link to the remote network, as well as when the mobile station disconnects the link to the remote network. The communication apparatus also includes a producing unit to produce information for disconnecting a session of the mobile station based on progress of the authentication procedure monitored by the monitoring unit. For example, the producing unit produces information for disconnecting a session of the mobile station when the monitoring unit has observed deauthentication of the mobile station.
US08433281B1 Emergency cordless telephone system
A telephone system includes a user-carried emergency communication system in combination with a cordless telephone. The user-carried handset has a large button on a first face. Pressing the button summons help by automatic connection to the 911 emergency telephone network. It also activates a signaling device mounted on the inside glass surface of a window that illuminates a message that 911 has been called. It may also sound an alarm. A pre-recorded massage may also be sent to the emergency call center. The other face has the functions of a cordless telephone. All elements are within the building, with installation by simply plugging cords into power and telephone outlets the same as any cordless phone and mounting the signaling device with suction cups. There are no monthly fees except for the usual cordless phone fee.
US08433280B2 Method of managing reception of natural disaster warning notification messages for a wireless communication system and related communication device
A method of managing notification message reception of a user equipment corresponding to natural disaster warning for a wireless communication system includes managing the notification message reception according to a reception property of the notification message reception, configuration information broadcasted or paged by a network of the wireless communication system, or a connection state of the user equipment, where the connection state of the UE includes the connection state of the UE corresponding to radio resource control, to a radio access technology, and to cell selection or cell reselection.
US08433272B2 Reconfigurable high linearity low noise figure receiver requiring no interstage saw filter
A receiver includes a jammer detector configured to detect the presence or the absence of jamming in a communication signal within a gain state. The receiver further includes an amplifier configured to amplify the communication signal in a high linearity receiving mode or a low linearity receiving mode, wherein the high linearity receiving mode corresponds with a lower gain for the gain state in the amplifier relative to that of the low linearity receiving mode. In addition, the receiver includes a processing unit coupled to the jammer detector, the processing unit being configured to control the amplifier to amplify the communication signal in either the high linearity receiving mode or the low linearity receiving mode, based on the output of the jammer detector detecting the presence or the absence of jamming in the communication signal. A method is also provided for processing a communication signal in a receiver.
US08433271B2 Performing impulse blanking based on blocker information
One aspect of the present invention is directed to an apparatus to perform impulse blanking of a received signal at multiple locations of a signal processing path. To effect such impulse blanking, multiple impulse detectors and blankers may be present, in addition to other circuitry. The impulse detectors may operate at different bandwidths, and the impulse blankers may be located at different locations of the signal processing path and may be differently configured.
US08433270B1 Method for tuning an oscillator frequency and device implementing the method
A method for tuning an oscillator frequency produced in a radio-receiver chain is based on a slope analysis of a residual difference between the oscillator frequency and a carrier frequency of a radio-received signal. Depending on the slope value calculated, a bandwidth of a low-pass time-filtering that is effective for the frequency difference is increased or set back to a default value. The method provides an improved trade-off between tuning precision and dynamic behavior when the frequency difference drifts rapidly.
US08433269B2 Compact satellite antenna
An apparatus, such as an antenna assembly, can include a flexible dielectric sheet, a first flexible conductor coupled to the flexible dielectric sheet, a second flexible conductor coupled to the flexible dielectric sheet, a matching section electrically coupled to the first and second conductors, and a hollow dielectric housing having a curved interior surface. The first and second flexible conductors can be sized, shaped, and laterally spaced a specified distance from each other to provide a specified input impedance corresponding to a specified range of operating frequencies for use in wireless information transfer between the antenna assembly and a satellite. The first and second flexible conductors can be located along the curved interior surface of the hollow dielectric housing following an arc-shaped path along the curved interior surface.
US08433268B2 Apparatus and method for controlling gain of polar transmitter
Disclosed is an apparatus for transmitting complex signals in a wireless communication system. The present invention, there is provided a method for controlling gain according to a magnitude change of output signals in a polar transmitter including an amplification unit having two or more amplification degrees, the method includes processes to control an output level of a modulated signal when a output-required power of transmission signals are less than a predetermined threshold value, and to perform a basic amplification through the amplification unit; to amplify the amplification unit at a first amplification level when the output-required power of the transmission signals is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value and is less than a predetermined second threshold value; and to amplify the amplification unit at a second amplification level when the output-required power of the transmission signal is equal to or greater than the second threshold value.
US08433265B2 Providing a temperature dependent bias for a device
In one embodiment, a method includes generating a first current in a bias current circuit and biasing an amplifier with the first current when the amplifier is operating in a first temperature range, and generating a second current in the bias current circuit and biasing the amplifier with the second current when the amplifier is operating in a second temperature range. These two currents may correspond to different profiles with respect to temperature, to maintain substantial linearity of the amplifier over the temperature ranges.
US08433258B2 Rate-adaptive multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) systems
A rate-adaptive method of communicating over a multipath wireless communication system uses multiple links such that each end of a link uses multiple transmit and receive antennas. A number of independent streams that are to be transmitted for each link is determined based on an overall system performance measure. In addition, the system may also jointly determine the best modulation, coding, power control, and frequency assignment for each link, based on an overall system performance measure. In OFDM systems, the number of independent streams, as well as the modulation, coding, and power control, may be determined on a tone-by-tone basis based on an overall system performance measure.
US08433256B2 Communication devices with integrated thermal sensing circuit and methods for use therewith
A communication device includes an integrated circuit having an on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the integrated circuit. A processing module processes the temperature signal to generate temperature information that can be transmitted to a remote device or processes the temperature signal to generate control for adjusting transmit and/or receive characteristics of an RF transceiver.
US08433249B2 Interference reduction for terminals operating in heterogeneous wireless communication networks
A wireless communication infrastructure entity in a wireless communication system implementing an uplink control channel using a narrowband frequency resource within a wideband frequency resource. The entity includes a controller communicably coupled to the transceiver wherein the controller is configured to cause the transceiver to signal a location for an uplink control channel within the wideband frequency resource. The uplink control channel includes at least a pair of uplink control channels separated within the wideband frequency resource and accommodates simultaneous uplink transmissions by multiple user equipment communicating in the wireless communication system.
US08433248B2 Dynamic RFI detection using signal strength values
An apparatus may include a radio interface to receive a plurality of signal strength values of a radio. An interference module can identify a radio frequency interference impact on the radio based on the plurality of signal strength values. In one embodiment, the radio interface issues a plurality of interference calls to the radio, where each of the plurality of signal strength values corresponds to an interference call.
US08433247B2 Radio communication system, radio communication apparatus and radio communication method
In a radio communication system, a first radio communication station transmits a radio signal including information for designating a condition for a radio communication counterpart. A second radio communication station which receives the radio signal transmitted by the one radio communication station, and transmits a response radio signal when a situation of the second radio communication station meets the condition designated by the information included in the radio signal. The condition for a radio communication counterpart is whether the radio communication counterpart moves, and the second radio communication station transmits the response radio signal when the second radio communication station meets the condition that the radio communication counterpart moves.
US08433244B2 Orientation based control of mobile device
A mobile device (e.g. a smartphone) controls a feature of a non-navigation related application (e.g. arrangement of menu items, function controlled by a quick launch key, etc.) based on the orientation of the device. These controls may be context-specific such that the orientation is only used to control the feature in particular contexts. Context may be implied from various factors such as time and date information, the location of the device, other devices in proximity to the device, etc. The particular commands to be controlled based on the orientation can be set using the device, or can be loaded from a data file provided from a third party.
US08433239B2 Data receiving circuit with current mirror and data slicer
A data receiving circuit is capable of properly receiving current modulated signals having a wide range of frequencies. According to an exemplary embodiment, the data receiving circuit includes a current mirror operative to receive a current modulated signal from an external device and to convert the current modulated signal to a voltage signal. A data slicer is operative to generate digital data responsive to the voltage signal.
US08433234B2 Image forming apparatus and method thereof
An image forming apparatus includes a housing formed with a discharge port, a printing device mounted in the housing, a discharge reverse unit to reversely move paper passing through the printing device, and a discharge unit to convey the paper, moving reversely by the discharge reverse unit, to the discharge port. The discharge reverse unit includes a guide member to guide the paper passing through the printing device to the discharge unit, and a lifting part to lift the guide member up and down. The image forming apparatus can prevent jams in a paper discharge device even when increasing a discharge speed in a discharge path, through which a printed printing medium is discharged in such a state that a printed surface of the printing medium is directed in a down direction.
US08433223B2 Image forming apparatus forming transparent toner coat layer on recording medium
An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor drum, a charging part, an exposure unit, a developing part which feeds a photoreactive toner, a color formation exposure part, a transfer part, a recording medium feeding part, a fixing part, and a control unit part which controls operations of the above elements. The control unit part controls such that a photoreactive toner processed so as not to develop a color is transferred to a recording medium having transferred or fixed thereto a toner image processed so as to develop a color, and a photoreactive toner processed so as not to develop a color is fixed to an image formed on the recording medium, thereby forming a transparent toner coat layer which is a colorless and transparent toner layer.
US08433222B2 Single layer photoreceptor and methods of using the same
The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to layers that are useful in imaging apparatus members and components, for use in electrophotographic, including digital, apparatuses. In particular, the present embodiments pertain to an improved imaging member comprising a single layer in which the single layer further comprises a photoactive material in a polymeric binder. The embodiments are free of photosensitive pigments and traditional electron transporting small molecules.
US08433219B2 Cartridge, mounting method for coupling member, and disassembling method for coupling member
A cartridge includes a coupling member for receiving a rotational force for rotating a developing roller. A cylindrical member movably supports one end portion of the coupling member inside of the cylindrical member. A cylindrical member side force receiving portion is provided inside the cylindrical member, with the cylindrical member side force receiving portion receiving the rotational force received by the coupling member. A first regulating portion is provided inside of the cylindrical member for preventing one end portion of the coupling member from disengaging in an axial direction of the cylindrical member. The first regulating portion is deformable outwardly in a radial direction of the cylindrical member so as to allow the one end portion of the coupling member to disengage in the axial direction of the cylindrical member.
US08433214B2 Image forming system, user authenticating method thereof, and control method thereof
An image forming system, and a user authenticating method and a control method thereof, the image forming system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses communicably connected and performing a first authentication of a user in a first image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses; requesting a second authentication of the user from at least one second image forming apparatus of the plurality of image forming apparatuses in response to the first authentication failing in the first image forming apparatus; and finally authenticating the user based on a result of the second authentication.
US08433206B2 Burst-mode optical receiver and timing control method
A burst-mode optical receiver and a timing control method are provided. The receiver receiving the burst-mode optical signal includes a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) for receiving a single current information signal and converting the single current information signal into a single voltage signal, a differential signal converter for converting the single voltage signal, received from the TIA, into differential signals, and an automatic offset control limiting amplifier (AOC-LA) for automatically controlling and amplifying an offset of the differential signals. The receiver further includes a gain controller for generating a gain value control signal based on an intensity of a burst packet of the single voltage signal to control a gain value of the TIA, and a burst detector for receiving the differential signals, detecting burst packets, and generating a burst detection signal for the start timing of each of the burst packets.
US08433205B2 Crosstalk-free high-dimensional constellations for dual-polarized nonlinear fiber-optic communications
A method reduces time-varying polarization crosstalk due to XPolM by transmitting multi-dimensional orthogonal constellations. Three variants of crosstalk-free constellations are provided: Grassmann constellations, unitary constellations, and rotation codes. The method uses the Grassmann constellations and the unitary constellations to deal with fiber nonlinearity by applying as a polarization-time coding. The rotation codes exploit a fiber channel characteristic to improve performance and to reduce computational complexity. The underlying orthogonality behind those constellations enables the receiver to decode it as if there is no polarization crosstalk. Moreover, the required computational complexity at the receiver is significantly reduced because neither crosstalk cancellers nor channel estimators are needed.
US08433204B2 DQPSK demodulator
A phase shift keyed demodulator includes first and second beam splitters, a first optical path, a second optical path, and a wavelength tuner. The first beam splitter splits an input signal into first and second output signals. The second beam splitter splits each first and second output signal into a transmitted signal and a reflected signal. The first optical path includes an optical path of each transmitted signal from a beam splitting surface to a reflector and back to the beam splitting surface. The second optical path includes an optical path of each reflected signal from the beam splitting surface to a mirror surface and back to the beam splitting surface. A path difference introduces a delay between the transmitted signal and the reflected signal. The wavelength tuner tunes the demodulator to a predetermined central wavelength and introduces a phase shift between first and second transmitted signals.
US08433203B2 Visible light communication system and method
Disclosed is a visible light communication system including a transmission device, including multiple light emitting units emitting light of different colors and mapping transmission data to a chromaticity point, calculating luminescence of each of the light emitting units, generating a preamble signal for channel matrix estimation, and emitting light based on the preamble signal and calculated luminescence amount. A reception device of the visible light communication system includes multiple light receiving units and estimates a channel matrix based on a corresponding optical signal when an optical signal corresponding to the preamble signal is received in each light receiving unit, compensates the optical signal corresponding to the chromaticity point for a propagation path based on the estimated channel matrix, detects a chromaticity point on the chromaticity coordinates based on a signal after the propagation path compensation, and demodulates the transmission data.
US08433200B2 Method and system for quantum key delivery utilizing a conversion efficiency of DFG
A quantum key delivery system includes an optical circulator, an optical low-pass filter, optical splitters, and first and second optical couplers arranged for outputting various wavelength components including correlated-photon pair wavelength components outputted from an optical loop path. The first and second optical couplers output light beams, which are sent over first and second quantum channels to first and second recipients, respectively. Other optical splitters are adapted to output light rays, from which first and second control signals are produced. From auxiliary idler light components transmitted over the first and second quantum channels, clock signals are extracted. The system thus extracts a clock signal for detecting arrival of photons, and stably operates with an expected value of the number of generated correlated photon pairs maintained at a substantially constant value.
US08433196B2 Optical band splitter/combiner device comprising a three-arms interferometer
A three-arm-Mach-Zehnder interferometer for splitting/combining first and second wavelength bands is provided, wherein the optical device includes first and second optical splitting/combining elements; a differential optical delay device comprising first, second and third optical paths; the first, second and third optical paths of the differential optical delay device are configured to introduce, at a wavelength λz within the first optical band, a phase delay of 2πm.
US08433194B2 Communications network
A PON in which parallel optical fiber paths are provided between dual OLTs and the ONTs, one of the optical fiber paths providing an active connection and the other optical fiber path providing a standby connection. Respective VLANs may be formed over the parallel optical fiber paths. If performance indicators, for example Ethernet continuity check messages, indicate that an ONT is no longer in communication with the OLT then data may be sent via the VLAN associated with the standby connection.
US08433190B2 Hot-swapping in-line optical amplifiers in an optical network
An amplifier node, in an optical network, includes a first switch connected to a working path from which network traffic is received; a second switch connected to the working path to which the network traffic is transmitted; and two amplifiers that interconnect the first switch and the second switch, where the network traffic travels from the first switch to the second switch via a first amplifier. The amplifier node also includes a controller to receive an instruction to switch the network traffic from the first amplifier to a second amplifier that enables the first amplifier to be repaired; send, to the first switch and the second switch, another instruction to switch the network traffic from the first amplifier to the second amplifier; receive an indication that the network traffic is traveling via the second amplifier; and send a notification that the first amplifier can be repaired based on the indication.
US08433189B2 Linear protection method of the optical network
The present invention discloses a linear protection method for an optical network, used for protecting a failed service path in the optical network, and the method comprises: setting priorities of services carried on service paths participating in linear protection of the optical network as service priorities; selecting, from the service paths participating in the linear protection, a service path of which the service priority is lower than that of the failed service path as a protection path, and bridge switching the service on the failed service path to the protection path. The present invention implements protection of service paths according to the priority of the service carried on the failed service path, and enhances the security of service paths.
US08433188B2 Actuator and camera module having same
An actuator includes a base, a stationary frame mounted on the base, a moveable frame received in the stationary frame and supported on the base, a shaft mounted on a side surface of the moveable frame, a flexible printed circuit, a piezoelectric motor, a first guide pole and a second guide pole. The flexible printed circuit is mounted on a sidewall of the stationary frame facing the shaft. The piezoelectric motor is mounted on the flexible printed circuit and engages with the shaft, and the first and second guide poles prevent any misalignment of the movable frame at any time and allow only axial movement of the movable frame.
US08433186B2 Imaging apparatus, control apparatus, control method therefor, and recording medium
An imaging apparatus receives a signal regularly transmitted from a control apparatus, determines whether or not the imaging apparatus is disconnected from the network based on a status of the reception of the signal, transmits a request for participation in the network to the control apparatus according to a determination that the imaging apparatus is disconnected from the network to notify the control apparatus that the imaging apparatus is disconnected from the network, and participates in the network after the control apparatus receives the request for participation.
US08433184B2 Method for decoding image block
Disclosed is a method for decoding an image block. The method comprises a step of decoding an image block of a first layer based on a corresponding block of a second layer encoded with an intra mode, wherein a first area is formed with pixels, which are adjacent to a corner pixel positioned in the corresponding block in a diagonal direction and extend in vertical and horizontal directions away from the corresponding block, and data are padded in the first area based on the corner pixel and the pixels positioned in the first area and at least one of first and second blocks, which are simultaneously adjacent to the corresponding block and encoded with the intra mode. Accordingly, a reference block required when a macro block is encoded in an intra base mode or when a macro block encoded in the intra base mode is decoded has more precise values, thereby enabling improvement of a coding efficiency.
US08433182B2 Video data recorder with personal channels
A video data recordable having integrated channel guides allowing a user to control recording and storage of television signals into personal channels for later playback and viewing. In the described embodiment, the user may specify criteria for recording of shows from an input source such as a broadcast signal and shows are then selected based on the user specified criteria and recorded for later playback. Storage of the shows may be organized into personal channels in order to facilitate later playback, e.g., the user may specify a channel of action movies, a channel of nature programming, a channel for sports, etc. The shows to be recorded may also have a predefined format which may be used to ease playback of recorded programming by allowing the user to easily locate and playback sections of programming of interest.
US08433177B2 Information recording method, information recording medium, and information reproducing method, wherein information is stored on a data recording portion and a management information recording portion
With this invention, at least one of a video file containing video information, a still picture file containing still picture information, and an audio file containing audio information and a management file having management information on a control method of reproducing the information in the file are recorded on an information storage medium. This realizes a data structure that causes the recording and deleting places on the information storage medium to correspond spuriously to places on a single tape, such as a VTR tape. Use of the data structure provides users with an easy-to-use interface.
US08433167B2 Fused array preform fabrication of holey optical fibers
This invention pertains to a holey fiber and to a fabrication method for making the fiber. The holey fiber can transmit light by total internal reflection or by Bragg diffraction, can be single mode or multimode and can have solid core or a hollow core. The holey fiber has outside diameter typically of 20 microns to 5 mm, a hollow core of a diameter typically of 0.2 micron to 150 microns and longitudinal channels therethrough of a diameter typically of 0.1 micron to 150 microns. The channels are disposed in a desired arrangement with center-to-center distance variation of less than about 2% along the length of the fiber and the cross-section thereof is round that varies less than about 2%.
US08433165B2 Optical-electrical hybrid transmission cable
An optical-electrical hybrid transmission cable (100), comprises: an insulative layer (2); a shielding layer (3) located on an inner side of the insulative layer; an optical cable (4) disposed in the shielding layer and comprising two optical fibers (41) and an insulative sheath (42) enclosing the two optical fibers; two coaxial cables (5), a power wire (6) and a grounding wire (7) disposed in the shielding layer; and a filler (8) disposed in a center of the optical-electrical hybrid transmission cable and surrounded by the two coaxial cables, the power wire, the grounding wire and the optical cable which are arranged along a circumferential direction.
US08433163B2 Bi-directional signal interface with enhanced isolation
A bi-directional signal interface includes a carrier signal source that generates a carrier traveling wave at an output. A first traveling wave structure includes a first and a second waveguide having an input that is coupled to the output of the carrier signal source. The first and second waveguide propagate the carrier traveling wave. A second traveling wave structure includes an outgoing signal port that receives an outgoing signal and a bi-directional signal port that receives an incoming electrical signal and provides the outgoing signal. The first and second traveling wave structures have an electromagnetic interaction region with a geometry that is chosen for a desired outgoing-to-incoming signal isolation. A detector having an input coupled to the output of the first traveling wave structure generates an electrical signal related to the incoming electrical signal.
US08433161B2 All glass fiber laser cladding mode stripper
A system configured to generate an optical beam from a fiber laser is presented. The system includes a fiber gain medium having a core and a cladding, the core being configured to convert radiation from a pump beam into an output beam, the cladding having a mode propagating section and a mode stripping section bounded on a near end and a distal end by the mode propagating section, the mode stripping section of the cladding being configured to scatter excess pump radiation received from the mode propagating section in a substantially outwardly radial direction. The system also includes a rigid support member into which the fiber gain medium is placed, the rigid support member completely encompassing the mode stripping section of the cladding and joined to the fiber at the mode propagating section of the cladding.
US08433159B1 Compressed target movement model using interpolation
Systems and methods for generating a movement model that requires less storage space than movement models of the prior art are disclosed. This movement model may be based on x-ray images of a patient and may be configured for estimating movement of organs within the patient during medical treatment. The movement model comprises at least two deformation fields associated with strong time points and a plurality of interpolation parameters associated with weak time points. In contrast with the prior art, the stored movement model does not include deformation fields associated with all time points. Because interpolation parameters rather than deformation fields are associated with the weak time points, the movement model requires less storage than movement models of the prior art. The stored movement model is optionally used to calculate interpolation fields that can be used to model movement of a patient.
US08433156B2 Interpolation frame generating apparatus and method
According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a motion estimation unit, a generating unit, a detection unit, and a filtering unit. The motion estimation unit is configured to estimate a first motion vector from a first reference frame to a second reference frame. The generating unit is configured to assign a first pixel value and a second motion vector to an interpolation frame. The detection unit is configured to detect an occlusion region in the interpolation frame. The filtering unit is configured to assign the second motion vector to the occlusion region as a third motion vector, calculate degrees of difference between second pixel values derived from the second motion vectors and third pixel values derived from the third motion vectors, and assign a fourth pixel value derived from a fourth motion vector to the occlusion region, wherein the fourth motion vector is calculated based on the degrees of difference.
US08433149B2 Image transmitter and image receiver, for transmitting/receiving image data to/from a device connected by a signal data line
A system LSI serving as an image transmitter is a device for transmitting image data to a display device LCD connected by a data signal line. The system LSI comprises: an output image memory for storing the image data to be transmitted; a subtraction processing unit for reading the image data from the output image memory and obtaining the data of the difference between mutually adjacent pixels of the image data; and a data transmission unit for sequentially outputting a data signal, which expresses the difference data corresponding to the pixels as a binary number, to the data signal line in accordance with the arrangement of the pixels; wherein the data signal of the difference data in which the number of signal changes is reduced more than the case of outputting the pixel data to the data signal line is output.
US08433134B2 Image processing device and image processing method for generation of color correction condition
Included are determining a position of a pixel serving as an extraction subject by using first image data photographed under a first light source; determining an extraction range corresponding to the determined position, by using a color value of the pixel at the determined position and a color value of a pixel at a peripheral position around the determined position in the first image data; calculating a first representative color value from the first image data and a second representative color value from second image data photographed under a second light source, on the basis of the position of the pixel serving as the extraction subject and the extraction range; and generating a color correction condition for converting a color value depending on the first light source into a color value depending on the second light source.
US08433130B2 Methodology to optimize and provide streaming object rotation using composite images
Optimizing and presenting various sequences of images and/or photographs for viewing with a Web browser, is accomplished without the necessity of loading the entire image set, for example in connection with the 3D display of a product of interest. To represent an object that is rotating, a set of images must be taken. These images are taken at various angles, typically using either using a fixed camera or a turntable. The illusion of an object being rotated is created when the captured images based on the angle being viewed are displayed. To ensure a seamless rotation of an object, a technique is taught that significantly concentrates on reducing the loading time of the captured images by prioritizing which images should be transferred first according to their size, and their number of object views or view angles. A seamless rotation is thus achieved while less than the total number of images is loaded. In fact, an embodiment of the invention teaches that, by selectively loading certain images with specific angular values, it is possible to achieve an object rotation, i.e. using horizontal and vertical adjacent images positioning.
US08433120B2 Method for image processing of mammographic images
A method for rendering a mammography image. Mammography image data is obtained and stored in a computer-readable electronic memory. A mapping transforms the data to an output data space by estimating a relative amount of dense tissue from the image data; identifying at least a first control point that delineates tissue from non-tissue image content and a second control point that delineates a fatty from a dense tissue region; allocating output image data values in the output data space for the identified fatty and dense tissue content according to the estimated relative amount of dense tissue; and mapping image data values to the allocated output image data values according to the first and second control points. The mammography image is rendered on a display according to the mapping.
US08433107B1 Method of enhancing a nose area of an image and related computing device
A method of enhancing a nose area of an image containing a face with a nose visible on the face includes loading the image into a computing device having a processor. The processor defines the nose area on the image, the nose area including a highlighted region corresponding to a middle of the nose, a first shaded region being located on a left side of the nose and bordering the left side of the nose, and a second shaded region being located on a right side of the nose and bordering the right side of the nose. The processor next performs an image enhancement process on the image to create an enhanced image, the image enhancement process including increasing the brightness of the highlighted region and decreasing the brightness of the first shaded region and the second shaded region. The processor then outputs the enhanced image.
US08433095B2 Drowsiness detector
A drowsiness detector detects the drowsiness by measuring a distance of an eyebrow at three points from a reference line defined by an inner eye corner and an outer eye corner. The three distances of the eyebrow from the reference line are respectively standardized by an inter-eye distance between the inner eye corners of the left and right eyes, and are respectively compared with thresholds for determining the rise of the eyebrow. The rise of the eyebrow is then translated as the start of the drowsiness, and is associated with an operation such as a doze prevention operation or the like.
US08433092B2 Scrambling, descrambling and secured distribution of audio-visual sequences from video coders based on wavelets processing
A process for secured distribution of video sequences according to a digital stream format stemming from an encoding based on a processing by wavelets including frames including blocks containing coefficients of wavelets describing the visual elements, including analyzing the stream prior to transmission to client equipment to generate a modified main stream by deletion and replacement of selected information coding the original stream and having the format of the original stream, and complementary information of any format comprising the digital information coding the original stream and suitable for permitting reconstruction of the modified frames; and transmitting the modified main stream and the complementary information separately from a server to addressed equipment.
US08433088B2 Switching structures for hearing aid
A hearing aid is provided with a switch that automatically, non-manually switches at least one of inputs, filters, or programmable parameters in the presence of a magnetic field.
US08433077B2 Noise removal device and noise removal method
The invention provides a noise removal device and method capable of more proper interpolation on an input signal. The noise removal device is for removing noise in an input signal and includes: a noise detector detecting noise in an IF signal and outputting a noise detection signal; an interpolation controller determining a period and amount of interpolation for noise correction processing, based on the IF signal and the noise detection signal; and a noise gate processor performing the noise correction processing on the IF signal, based on the interpolation period and amount supplied from the interpolation controller. The interpolation controller sets a predetermined first interpolation period, based on a first noise detection signal inputted from the noise detector, and redefines a second interpolation period longer than the first interpolation period when a second noise detection signal is detected within the first interpolation period.
US08433074B2 Echo suppressing method and apparatus
Converter 100 uses either the output signal of a sound pickup device or the signal obtained by subtracting the output signal of an echo canceller from the output signal of the sound pickup device as a first signal, uses an estimated crosstalk value indicative of an estimated value of the amount of crosstalk of an echo leaking into the first signal to correct the first signal, and limits the corrected first signal not to be smaller than estimated near-end noise.
US08433062B2 Tilting portable electronic device
A tilting portable electronic device includes a housing, a cover, a sliding mechanism connecting to the housing and the cover, and at least one swing rod rotatably connecting to the cover and the housing. The sliding mechanism includes a fixing plate, a sliding plate, and an elastic member connecting the fixing plate and the sliding plate. The fixing plate is secured to the housing, the sliding plate rotatably connects to an end of the cover, the cover is pushed, the sliding plate slides to the end of the cover, the swing rod rotates to lift the other end of the cover, after the sliding plate slides over a predetermined distance. The elastic member releases energy to drive the sliding plate slide automatically, and the cover opens slantingly relative to the housing.
US08433057B2 Voice band extender separately extending frequency bands of an extracted-noise signal and a noise-suppressed signal
A voice band extender includes a component separator for receiving a band-limited speech signal over a telecommunications line to separate the speech signal into a noise-suppressed signal and an extracted-noise signal, a noise-suppressed signal component extender for adding a signal having its frequency band higher than that of the noise-suppressed signal to thereby produce an extended noise-suppressed signal, an extracted-noise signal component extender for producing an extended extracted-noise signal, a signal intensity adjuster for adjusting signal intensity of either or both of the extended noise-suppressed signal and the extended extracted-noise signal, and a synthesizer for combining the extended noise-suppressed signal and the extended extracted-noise signal obtained by the intensity adjustment. The respective frequency bands of the extracted-noise signal and the noise-suppressed signal are thus extended.
US08433051B2 Method and apparatus for busy override in an internet protocol-based telephone system
Method and apparatus for busy override in an internet protocol-based telephone system are described. In some examples, a first communication attempt of a third party to a first party is received, the first party being in an established communication session with a second party. A busy operation is performed with respect to the third party in response to the first communication attempt. At least one additional communication attempt by the third party is received. A busy override operation is performed with respect to the first party in response to the first communication attempt and the at least one additional communication attempt satisfying at least a threshold pattern of communication attempts.
US08433043B2 Telephonic voice message transmission control method
The present invention is directed to a method of controlling transmission of voice messages or information via telephonic voice message systems, which are sometimes referred to as Voice Mail Systems. Users of the system selectively specify voice message transmission instructions for controlling transmission of voice messages directed to them. Upon receipt of a user's voice message address, the voice message system determines whether the destination voice message address has a specified voice message transmission instruction previously selected by the recipient and processes the voice message in accordance with the instruction.
US08433032B2 Arrangement and method in digital mammography imaging
The invention relates to an arrangement and method in digital mammography imaging especially for use for imaging of small breasts. In the invention, a so-called full-field sensor and an upper compression plate substantially equal in width with this sensor are used. According to the invention, the beam is limited to a width narrower than the width of the sensor and the compression plate and directed for oblique imaging non-centrally relative to the center of said sensor and the upper compression plate, while the automatic exposure system of the imaging apparatus is caused to adapt itself for imaging in accordance with this imaging position non-central relative to the sensor and the upper compression plate.
US08433030B2 Crystal habit modifiers for nuclear power water chemistry control of fuel deposits and steam generator crud
Crystal habit modifiers (CHM) are provided to ameliorate deposit-related concerns in nuclear plant systems. The principal targets for utilization of crystal habit modifiers are Pressure Water Reactor (PWR) primary-side fuel rod crud and secondary-side steam generator deposits and Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) coolant system deposits.
US08433023B2 Method and apparatus for generating a phase dependent control signal
A computer system with a phase detector that generates a phase dependent control signal according to the phase relationship between a first and second clock signal. The phase detector includes first and second phase detector circuits receiving the first and second clock signals and generating select signals having duty cycles corresponding to the phase relationship between the clock edges of the first and second clock signals. The phase detector also includes a charge pump that receives select signals from the phase detector circuits and produces an increasing or decreasing control signal when the first and second clock signals do not have the predetermined phase relationship, and a non-varying control signal when the first and second clock signals do have the predetermined phase relationship. The delay value of a voltage-controlled delay circuit and the phase relationship between the first and second clock signals to a predetermined phase relationship are thereby adjusted.
US08433018B2 Methods and apparatus for frequency synthesis with feedback interpolation
A frequency synthesis circuit includes a phase locked loop and an interpolator circuit. The phase locked loop circuit receives a reference clock and a feedback clock and generates an output clock with a frequency based on the reference clock and the feedback clock. An interpolator circuit is coupled in the feedback path of the phase locked loop circuit. An interpolator control circuit generates an interpolator control word that specifies a variable time delay for the interpolator circuit. The interpolator circuit receives the output clock, and generates the feedback clock by introducing a variable time delay in the output clock in accordance with the interpolator control word. The time variable delay varies the frequency of the output circuit. Embodiments for frequency synthesis circuits that include a spread spectrum frequency clock generator, frequency modulators, and a fixed frequency clock generator circuit are disclosed.
US08433017B2 System and method for transmit signal pulse shaping in automotive applications
A system and method for transmit signal pulse shaping in automotive applications. Automotive vehicle manufacturers that incorporate electronic components into an automotive vehicle must consider emission requirements masks that can be dependent on particular geographic markets as well as the other electronic components contained within a particular automotive vehicle design. A physical layer device is provided that can be configured to operate in multiple emissions configurations using configurable parameters specified for the modulation and wave shaping modules.
US08433012B2 Timing synchronization method and apparatus in a wireless communication system
Provided are a timing synchronization method and apparatus in a wireless communication system that may synchronize timing based on channel energy having a low Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) in a wideband (WB) system. The timing synchronization apparatus in the wireless communication system may capture optimal channel energy by performing a comparison using a timing estimation scheme based on a correlation peak.
US08433007B2 Receiver and method for receiving digital signal
The present invention provides a receiver for receiving digital signals including frames with a binary modulated cyclic preamble, comprising: means for correlating at least part of a first cyclic preamble in a first frame and at least part of a second cyclic preamble in a second frame, and for determining a carrier frequency offset based on said correlation.
US08433003B1 Frame synchronization in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing systems
A system including a magnitude measuring module, an energy normalization module, and a metric generation module. The magnitude measuring module is configured to measure magnitudes of real portions of differentially demodulated signals, wherein the differentially demodulated signals are generated by differential demodulation of signals received from a base station. The energy normalization module is configured to generate a sum of energies of a plurality of subcarriers included in the signals received from the base station. The metric generation module is configured to generate a plurality of metrics for a plurality of symbols included in the signals received from the base station. The metric generation module is further configured to detect, based on the plurality of metrics, a preamble symbol included in the signals received from the base station.
US08432994B2 Method for determining demodulation reference signal in the uplink, UE and uplink system
The present invention discloses a method for determining an uplink demodulation reference signal (DMRS), which includes: taking one of multiple transmit antennas in the uplink as a base transmit antenna, taking other transmit antennas as subordinating transmit antennas and setting a DMRS for the base transmit antenna; establishing DMRS subordinating relationships between the base transmit antenna and each of the subordinating transmit antennas; and setting a DMRS for each of the subordinating transmit antennas according to the DMRS of the base transmit antenna and the DMRS subordinating relationship between the base transmit antenna and each of the subordinating transmit antennas. The present invention also provides a user equipment (UE) and an uplink system for providing DMRSs for multiple transmit antennas. The method, UE and system are applicable in both SU-MIMO transmission and MU-MIMO transmission.
US08432990B2 System and method for employing a six-bit rank 1 codebook for four transmit antennas
A system and method for employing a six-bit rank 1 codebook for four transmit antennas is provided. A method for communications device operation includes estimating a communications channel between the communications device and a controller serving the communications device, thereby producing a channel estimate, quantizing the channel estimate using a codebook, thereby producing a selected codeword, and transmitting an index corresponding to the selected codeword from the codebook to the controller. The codebook includes a plurality of first level codewords, and each first level codeword includes a plurality of subsidiary codewords.
US08432982B2 Techniques for estimating channel and interference in OFDM wireless communication system with multiple antennas
A method and multiple antenna transmitting apparatus for transmitting a midamble in a wireless communication system, and a method and receiving device for receiving a midamble in a wireless communication system are provided. A method for transmitting a midamble by a multiple antenna transmitting device includes determining a pattern for a midamble including null subcarriers and pilot subcarriers, wherein each of the pilot subcarriers corresponds to one of a plurality of pilot signals, and each of the plurality of pilot signals corresponds to a different one of a plurality of transmit antennas, and transmitting the pilot signals in corresponding pilot subcarriers based on the determined pattern, wherein the pilot signals are transmitted in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of a resource block comprising a plurality of subcarriers and a plurality of OFDM symbols.
US08432974B2 Method and system for compression of hyperspectral or multispectral imagery with a global optimal compression algorithm (GOCA)
A computer based method and system for compressing digital hyperspectral or multispectral image data. The method includes initially reducing the plurality of spectral bands of the hyperspectral data to a smaller number of spectral bands using principal component analysis, determining an optimum compression ratio for each of the smaller number of spectral bands for use in a wavelet transform, and subsequently compressing the smaller number of spectral bands spatially using the wavelet transform with the optimum compression ratios.
US08432972B2 Method and apparatus for decoding/encoding a video signal
The method includes the steps of receiving the multiview video data stream including a random access picture including a random access slice, the random access slice referencing only slice corresponding to a same time and a different view of the random access picture, obtaining initialization information of a reference picture list for the random access slice, the initialization information representing a reference relation for a single direction or a bi-direction between a plurality of views with view number information and view identification information, obtaining type information indicating whether the random access slice is predicted for a single direction or a bi-direction, initializing the reference picture list using the view number information and the view identification information according to the type information, obtaining a difference value from the a multi-view video data stream according to the type information, the difference value representing a residual of inter-view reference index in the initialized reference picture list, determining an assignment modification value for modifying the inter-view reference index in the initialized reference picture list according to the difference value, modifying the initialized reference picture list for inter-view prediction using the determined assignment modification value, determining a prediction value of a macroblock in the random access picture based on the modified reference picture list, and decoding the macroblock using the prediction value, wherein the initialization information is obtained from an extension area of a sequence header.
US08432969B2 Method of deriving a motion vector of a bi-predictive block based on a motion vector of a co-located block in a reference picture
In one embodiment, the method includes selecting the list 1 motion vector of the co-located block in a first reference picture if the co-located block only has the list 1 motion vector. The first reference picture is a type of reference picture permitted to be located temporally before or after a current picture. The current picture includes the bi-predictive block. The method further includes scaling the selected motion vector based on temporal distance between the current picture and the first reference picture, and deriving at least one motion vector of the bi-predictive block by applying a bit operation to the scaled motion vector.
US08432968B2 Scalable video coding techniques for scalable bitdepths
This disclosure describes video coding techniques that are executed in a bitdepth-based scalable video coding (SVC) scheme. Base layer video data and enhancement layer video data may be defined at different bitdepths. The techniques of this disclosure concern the coding of enhancement layer video blocks using a unique combination of inter-layer predictive coding modes after determining that inter-layer prediction should be used. In particular, two or more different inter-layer predictive coding modes may be utilized block corresponding to inter base layer blocks, and one of these inter-layer predictive coding modes may also be utilized for blocks corresponding to intra base layer blocks. Syntax information can be generated at the encoder and communicated with the bitstream, so that a decoder can use the proper inter-layer predictive coding mode in the decoding.
US08432962B2 Switched mode power amplification
The invention concerns a method of amplifying a radio frequency signal, a switched mode power amplifying device and a radio transmission device comprising such a power amplifying device. The switched power amplifying device (10) comprises an envelope signal input (El), an arithmetic combining unit (SUB) between the envelope signal input and a modulating unit (PWM), configured to modulate a modified envelope signal (E′) output by the arithmetic combining unit with a carrier (C) for obtaining a modulated signal, an amplifying unit (PA) connected to the modulating unit providing an output signal (O) and a feedback path connected between the amplifying unit (PA) and the arithmetic combining unit (SUB). The feedback path comprises a low pass filter (LPF) for filtering the output signal (O) and a signal processing unit (DSP) processing the filtered signal (Vf) in order to obtain an estimated radio frequency amplitude (AE) for provision to the arithmetic combining unit.
US08432957B2 Carrier phase independent symbol timing recovery methods for VSB receivers
The present invention provides a novel symbol timing recovery method for VSB receivers. Systems are described that comprise a timing error detector (TED) that produces an exact symbol timing error even in the presence residual carrier phase offset, loop filter that controls the characteristics of acquisition and tracking of digital PLL loop, Voltage/Numerically Controlled Oscillator (VCO/NCO) that adjusts the sampling instant and phase, A/D converter that samples a continuous VSB input signal, and a interpolating squared root raised cosine filter that performs both matched filtering and a compensation of constant timing offset of quarter symbol caused by the invented TED. The timing error detector in this invention comprises an envelope detector, band pass filter, squaring block, high pass filter, and decimator. It uses both in-phase and quadrature-phase component of received VSB signal, is operated at twice of a symbol frequency F, and guarantees consistent symbol timing error signal resulting in the improvement of receiver's performance.
US08432953B2 Method and apparatus for efficient gold code generation and management in WCDMA systems
A method and an apparatus for efficient Gold code generation and management in WCDMA systems are presented. Aspects of the method may include simultaneously generating, based on the codeword sequence, a plurality of scrambling code segments associated with a scrambling code. A plurality of scrambling code segments, where each is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of scrambling codes, may also be simultaneously generated. The plurality of scrambling codes may form a scrambling code group. Based on the codeword sequence, a plurality of time shifted versions of at least one scrambling code segment associated with a scrambling code may also be simultaneously generated.
US08432952B2 Method and apparatus for DS-CDMA interference suppression using code-specific combining
Interference, such as inter-symbol interference, from a symbol of interest in a RAKE receiver is reduced. The RAKE receiver comprises a plurality of RAKE fingers, a processor, and a combiner. The plurality of RAKE fingers despread symbols received over multiple paths of a multi-path channel. The processor determines cross-correlations between symbol waveforms from different symbols and multiple paths. The combiner combines the despread symbols using the cross-correlations to reduce interference from the symbol of interest.
US08432949B2 High-power, high-throughput microwave discharge singlet oxygen generator for advanced electrical oxygen-iodine lasers
A laser device includes an optical resonator, a microwave driven discharge device, and a source for a second gas. The microwave driven discharge device is disposed relative to the optical resonator. The microwave driven discharge device operates at a discharge power and gas flow rate to produce a selected amount of energetic singlet oxygen metastables flowing in the direction of the optical resonator. The second source for the second gas is disposed between the optical resonator and the microwave driven discharge device. The second gas reacts with the selected amount of energetic singlet oxygen metastables to form an excited species in an amount sufficient to support lasing of the excited species in the optical resonator.
US08432936B2 Transmission of multiplex protocol data units in physical layer packets
A transmitter generates MUX-PDUs for video, audio, data, and/or control streams based on a fixed PHY packet size such that all or a substantial percentage of the MUX-PDUs conform to the PHY packet size. The MUX-PDUs have variable sizes and are mapped to PHY packets such that (1) each MUX-PDU that is smaller than the PHY packet size is sent in one PHY packet and (2) each MUX-PDU that is larger than the PHY packet size is sent in a minimum number of PHY packets. Each MUX-PDU is padded with one or more null MUX-PDUs and/or one or more padding bytes, if needed, to obtain the PHY packet size. Each PHY packet is sent in one transmission time interval (TTI) to a receiver. The receiver performs the complementary processing on the received PHY packets to recover the MUX-PDUs. The receiver forwards each valid MUX-PDU and discards any padding.
US08432933B2 Method for transmission of time division multiplexed pilot symbols to aid channel estimation, time synchronization, and AGC bootstrapping in a multicast wireless system
Systems and methods are provided for the transmission of waveforms to aid channel estimation, timing synchronization, and AGC bootstrapping in a wireless network. The method includes inserting at least one TDM pilot symbol located at a transition between wide area and local area waveforms to facilitate decoding of the transmission block.
US08432929B2 Multi-beam cellular communication system
A cellular communication system comprising a plurality of geographically spaced base stations (2) each of which comprises an antenna arrangement (4, 6, 8) per base station sector, each of which antenna arrangements has an antenna element for generating an array of narrow beams (10, 12, 14) covering the sector. Timeslots are simultaneously transmitted over each of the beams so as to generate successive sets of simultaneously transmitted timeslots per sector. The timeslots are each split into multiple orthogonal codes, for example Walsh codes. The communication system additionally comprising a scheduling device (31) for allocating for successive sets of timeslots common overhead channels, including a common pilot channel, which are allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set. For successive sets of timeslots different data traffic is allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set. This effectively generates a sector wide antenna beam carrying the common overhead channels and a plurality of narrow beams each of which carry different data traffic. Inter-beam interference is addressed by the application of Adaptive Modulation and Coding and by an inter-beam handoff scheme. The handoff scheme ensures that when an end user equipment is located in a cusp region between adjacent beams the antenna arrangement simultaneously transmits data traffic to that mobile station on at least both of the adjacent beams.
US08432925B2 Apparatus and method for controlling buffering of an arrival packet
An apparatus for controlling buffering of an arrival packet. The apparatus includes a packet buffer for temporarily storing each of one or more packets to be transmitted in association with an arrival time thereof, and a packet discard section for determining an arrival packet to be discarded or to be stored in the packet buffer, based on a discard condition defined by using a packet residence time that is calculated on the basis of one or more residence times of one or more packets staying in the packet buffer, wherein the arrival packet is defined as a packet that has newly arrived at the apparatus.
US08432922B2 Method for managing IP tunnels
A method for managing Internet Protocol (IP) tunnels is provided. The method is executed by a local host. There is at least one IP tunnel planned between the local host and a remote host. The method comprises the following steps. If the local addresses of the tunnels include dynamic IP addresses, acquire the dynamic IP addresses. All tunnels with known remote addresses are built. If there are known remote addresses and the local addresses include dynamic IP addresses, send a notification to the remote host, wherein the notification includes all local dynamic IP addresses. If any local address changes, all tunnels with changed local addresses and known remote addresses are rebuilt. A message is received from the remote host and classified. If the message is a notification, the tunnels are updated according to the remote addresses included in the message, and an acknowledgement is sent back to the remote host.
US08432921B2 Bundling data in a single optical channel
A forwarding node decapsulates and encapsulates data. The decapsulation may be performed using pattern matching techniques and the encapsulation may be performed using pattern insertion techniques. The decapsulation and encapsulation are preferably performed by hardware devices such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) to enhance the speed of such operations. The decapsulation and encapsulation may be independent of each other and performed on a per virtual circuit basis.
US08432919B2 Data stream classification
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with data stream classification are described. One example method includes identifying packets associated with the data stream. The example method may also include updating a set of characterization data associated with the data stream based on information associated with a packet. The example method may also include assigning a data stream classifier to the data stream by comparing characterization data to identification data upon determining that the set of characterization data indicates that the data stream is able to be classified. The example method may also include providing a signal associated with the data stream classifier.
US08432911B2 Method and apparatus for reducing effects of lost packets on redundancy reduction in communication networks
A capability is provided for reducing the effects of lost packets on algorithms used for reducing or eliminating redundant traffic in cellular wireless networks. An encoding node encodes a target packet using a reference packet from a packet cache of the encoding node, and transmits the encoded packet to a decoding node having a packet cache. The decoding node receives the encoded packet and attempts to decode the encoded packet to recover the target packet. The decoding node detects that the reference packet identified in the encoded packet is missing from the packet cache of the decoding node. The decoding node generates a control packet identifying the missing reference packet and transmits the control packet to the encoding node. The encoding node receives the control packet and processes the reference packet stored in the packet cache of the encoding node in a manner for preventing use of the reference packet, by the encoding node, for encoding packets for transmission to the decoding node.
US08432906B2 Method and apparatus for sending BFD packets, method and apparatus for detecting link faults
A method for sending a BFD packet includes: obtaining information about intermediate nodes to be passed by the BFD packet, where the information about the intermediate nodes uniquely corresponds to a link to be traveled by the BFD packet or a session on the link; setting the obtained information about the intermediate nodes into the BFD packet; and sending the BFD packet to a peer through the link corresponding to the information about the intermediate nodes. A method for searching for session ID locally, a link fault detection method and a link fault detection apparatus are provided herein.
US08432905B2 Geographic redundancy at session border controllers based on host name schemes
A method including provisioning geographically redundant network devices with a shared host name or provisioning each of geographically redundant network devices with multiple host names in correspondence to each geographically redundant network device, wherein one of the multiple host names include a primary host name associated with one of the geographically redundant network devices and one or more secondary host names associated with the other geographically redundant network devices; receiving one or more packets; inspecting one or more headers associated with the one or more packets; determining a host name based on the one or more headers inspected; rewriting the one or more headers to include the shared host name or one of the multiple host names; and forwarding the one or more packets to another device.
US08432900B2 Hybrid type telephony system
A hybrid type telephony system capable of establishing a connection between conventional type telephone sets contained in an exchange unit and LAN type telephone sets contained in an IP network, the system comprising: a gateway circuit connected between the exchange unit and the IP network and performing voice data format conversion, and a central control unit connected to the LAN of the IP network for establishing a communication path to the exchange unit via a control bus, controlling switching of IP packets of the IP network, managing IP address information of the LAN type telephone sets and the gateway circuit via the LAN, and controlling connection between the LAN type telephone sets and connection between the LAN type telephone sets and the gateway circuit.
US08432898B2 End-to-end test and diagnostic management system
An end-to-end test and diagnostic manager and a method of diagnosing service problems in a multi-domain, multi-service network are provided. A database receives and stores service and network inventory data identifying and describing the customer and the network components necessary to deliver a service to the customer over a multi-domain network. An interface for displaying service information to an operator and for receiving commands from an operator is also provided. A plurality of test tools for testing operational status and verifying the configuration of components necessary to deliver the service to the customer. An application server is configured to execute instructions for invoking the test tools. The results of the test are displayed for the operator via the interface.
US08432894B2 Asymmetrical forwarding in layer 3 IP VPNs
A first forwarding instance is provided that includes a first set of routes. A second forwarding instance is provided that includes a second set of routes comprising a subset of the first set of routes. The first routing instance and the second routing instance are associated with a same virtual private routed network (VPRN).
US08432893B2 RLAN wireless telecommunication system with RAN IP gateway and methods
A Radio Local Area Network (RLAN) includes a Radio Access Network Internet Protocol (RAN IP) gateway that enables connectivity to the public Internet. The system may serve as a stand-alone system or be incorporated into a UMTS used with conventional Core Network, particularly for tracking and implementing AAA functions in the Core Network.
US08432892B2 Method and system for WLAN synchronization
A first access point for a multi-channel radio system includes a wireless transceiver to send and receive data; and a clock, with the first access point to: scan the multi-channel radio system to receive beacon signals transmitted from other access points operating in the multi-channel radio system; determine a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) level for each beacon signal received from another access point operating in the multi-channel radio system; identify a second access point from which a beacon signal was received having a lowest RSSI level of all beacon signals received from other access points in the multi-channel radio system; and synchronize the clock with the second access point such that a beacon signal transmitted by the first access point is transmitted at the same time as a beacon signal from the second access point.
US08432890B2 Mobile radio communication system
A mobile radio communication system having a mobile radio communication network and a mobile radio subscriber appliance, wherein a unit in the network layer of the core network of the mobile radio communication network is configured to transmit to the mobile radio subscriber appliance a first message, based on an occurrence of a predetermined event, with a request for a statement which describes at least one radio characteristic of the mobile radio subscriber appliance.
US08432889B2 Method and apparatus for configuring protocol header in wireless communication system
Provided are a method of configuring a protocol header in a wireless communication system, and a communication apparatus and method using the protocol header configuration method. The protocol header configuration method may include: configuring a variable length physical layer (PHY) header and a fixed length PHY header; encoding the fixed length PHY header according to a first coding scheme; generating a Header Check Sequence (HCS) to check an error regarding a combination of the fixed length PHY header, the variable length PHY header, and a Media Access Control (MAC) header; scrambling the MAC header and an HCS to generate a scrambled MAC header and HCS; and encoding the variable length PHY header and the scrambled MAC header and HCS according to a second coding scheme.
US08432884B1 System and method for increased bandwidth efficiency within microwave backhaul of a telecommunication system
An apparatus for transmitting information in a wireless communication system includes a first interface for receiving a plurality of input data streams. Signal processing circuitry transmits and receives the plurality of input data streams on at least one frequency. Each of the plurality of input data streams on the at least one frequency have a different orbital angular momentum imparted thereto.
US08432863B2 Method and system for integrated link adaptation and power control to improve error and throughput performance in wireless packet networks
The invention provides a system that implements an algorithm for integrated link adaptation and power control to achieve specified error rates and to improve an overall throughput for real-time applications in wireless packet networks. The system initially divides wireless terminals into groups according to their signal path gains. Afterwards, the system can periodically adapt transmissions (i.e., link adaptations) based on the required error rates, actual error statistics and average transmission power for each wireless terminal group. Furthermore, transmission power can be adjusted by an enhanced Kalman-filter method to ensure successful reception.
US08432847B2 VTS frame format
Methods and apparatus for transmitting a video frame in wireless local area network communications are proposed. In one aspect, a method generates and transmits an IEEE 802.11 media access control (MAC) frame containing a video transport stream (VTS) frame. The VTS frame includes a video frame and a VTS control header that includes control information with respect to the video frame.
US08432846B2 Point-to multipoint wireless display method
The present invention discloses a point-to-multipoint wireless display method comprising steps of establishing connection between a data processing device and multiple display devices, acquiring pixel data, generating pixel data packets and transmitting the pixel data packets over the air in a multicast manner at the data processing device side, receiving the multicast data packets over the air, unpacketizing the data packets in accordance with a multicast protocol and restoring the pixel data from the multicast data packets at the display device side, and performing display output according to the pixel data. Preferably, the transmitting rate at the data processing device side can be determined according to signal strength, and the display devices can be divided into several multicast groups.
US08432845B2 Semi-persistent scheduling and discontinuous reception alignment
A method is provided for detection of an uplink grant for a user agent (UA). The method comprises detecting a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) activation/reconfiguration signaling over a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) only during an SPS activation window, wherein the SPS activation window precedes a discontinuous reception (DRX) on-duration by a predetermined amount of time. Also included is a UA comprising a component configured to detect an SPS activation/reconfiguration signaling over a PDCCH only during an SPS activation window, wherein the SPS activation window precedes a DRX on-duration by a predetermined amount of time.
US08432843B2 Method and system for the control of discontinuous reception in a wireless network
Methods and apparatus for controlling discontinuous reception on a mobile device and in particular to control a short discontinuous reception timer in response to receipt of a medium access control control element. The methods and apparatus include stopping, restarting or maintaining the short discontinuous reception timer. Methods and apparatus for limiting or stopping a retransmission timer by providing user equipment with a maximum retry value for transmissions, by providing a maximum redundant version value, or by providing a medium access control control element to stop or prevent the start of a retransmission timer.
US08432840B2 Full duplex network radio bridge with low latency and high throughput
A full duplex radio bridge using two transceivers coupled to a first packet network, one for transmitting data toward another radio bridge coupled to a second packet network, and the other for receiving data transmitted from the first packet network toward said second packet network by a transceiver of the other radio bridge. Each radio bridge is coupled to its packet network through one network port whose transmit data path is coupled to one of the transceivers, and whose receive data path is coupled to receive data from the other transceiver. An inner loop and outer loop is used. Management packets are routed to the various transceivers using the inner loop and outer loop by routing and filtering functions. Payload packets are transmitted from one packet network to the other using only the outer loop.
US08432837B2 Apparatus and method for frame synchronization timing detection and mobile terminal
A synchronization timing detecting method for a receiving device which receives a radio signal including a known symbol on a certain cycle and a gap period which is formed with a certain timing relation based on a transmit timing of the known symbol, wherein synchronization is not achieved in the gap period and the gap period has a longer duration than a certain time, includes receiving the radio signal to detect the gap period in which symbol synchronization is not achieved and which is longer than the certain time, and detecting the known symbol at a timing determined by the certain timing relation based on the gap period detected.
US08432835B1 Secure videoconferencing equipment switching system and method
Examples of systems described herein include videoconferencing systems having audio/visual components coupled to a codec. The codec may be configured by a control system. Communication networks having different security levels may be alternately coupled to the codec following appropriate configuration by the control system. The control system may also be coupled to the communication networks.
US08432828B2 Method of transmitting data in multiple antenna system
A method of transmitting data in a multiple antenna system, including: transmitting a channel estimation signal including a first pilot for channel estimation of a first UE supporting multiple antennas and a second pilot for channel estimation of a second UE supporting a larger number of multiple antennas than that of the first UE; and receiving feedback data in response to the channel estimation signal.
US08432826B2 Channel scanning and channel selection in a wireless communication network
A method and apparatus to select the best channel of a wireless network for data communication at any given time, during normal operation of the network, is described. The network may be an IEEE standard 802.11 compliant network. Channel scanning may be performed in any station on the wireless network, such as an access point (AP) or a mobile station, or both. Channel scanning may be performed during data communication idle time, or simultaneously with data communication on the network. The technique can be implemented in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system, where the antenna or antennas used for channel scanning can be selected dynamically during operation, to optimize one or more performance characteristics.
US08432818B2 System and method for link adaptation overhead reduction
Systems and methods of providing link adaptation information feedback are provided. A mobile device that receives packets generates link adaptation information based on incorrectly received packets. This can involve sending link adaptation information in association with NACKs (negative acknowledgements) generated by the mobile device. The network receives this link adaptation information and performs link adaptation accordingly.
US08432817B2 Integrated self-optimizing multi-parameter and multi-variable point to multipoint communication system
The invention provides a method and system for adaptive point to multipoint wireless communication. The wireless physical layer and the wireless media-access-control (MAC) layer collectively include a set of parameters, which are adaptively modified by a base station controller for communication with a plurality of customer premises equipment. The base station controller adjusts communication with each customer premises equipment individually and adaptively in response to changes in characteristics of communication, including physical characteristics, amount of communication traffic, and nature of application for the communication traffic.
US08432816B2 VoIP terminal having QoS monitoring function and QoS monitoring method
A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) terminal has a Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring function and uses a QoS monitoring method. In a VoIP system performing real-time voice communication over an IP network, a packet loss value and a time-axis index value are detected, and are calculated from a real-time transport protocol (RTP) packet and an RTP control protocol (RTCP) packet, a QoS state value of the network is obtained in real time, the detected QoS state value is compared to a preset QoS state table, and thus a QoS state of the IP network is displayed for users.
US08432815B2 Optimization of the data throughput of a mobile radio connection by efficient packet type changing
A packet-oriented mobile radio transmission system takes account of a packet utilization level that indicates how much of the maximum amount of payload information that can be transmitted is used for transmission. Such packet utilization level is a function of the packet type. A packet type that is suitable in the respective reception conditions is selected at the receiving end as a function of a variable that is characteristic of the integrity of the received data, and of the packet utilization level. At the transmission end, the packet type is switched as a function of the selection result.
US08432814B2 Node of a distributed communication system, node and monitoring device coupled to such communication system
The present invention relates to a node in distributed communication system operating under a time triggered protocol, further it relates to distributed communication system and to a monitoring device coupled to such node of a communication system. To provide a node in a distributed communication system, a distributed communication system and a monitoring device increasing the error detection and reducing complexity for providing a high availability for systems which require a non 100% fail safe solution a node is proposed comprising: a communication controller (15) coupled to a receiving and a transmission path, a host (13) for performing an application, and a monitoring device (16) coupled at least to one of a transmission path of the communication controller (15), an interface (91) between communication controller (15) and the host (13), and to internal lines of the communication controller (15), wherein the monitoring device (16) is provided for evaluating information provided by the communication controller (15) to monitor at least one state of the communication controller (15), wherein in case of detecting a non-defined state the host (13) is informed for performing predetermined actions in respect to the state of the communication controller (15). Thereby, an easy cost reduced solution is provided adapted to detect a predetermined number of faults in a distributed communication system.
US08432810B2 Techniques for reducing buffer overflow in a communication system
A technique for operating a wireless communication device includes transmitting a first downlink rate in a first control message. The first downlink rate is based on a latency of an inter-processor communication link associated with the wireless communication device. First downlink data at the first downlink rate is then received for a first time period. Following the first time period, second downlink data is received at a second downlink rate that is higher than the first downlink rate.
US08432808B1 Opportunistically delayed delivery in a satellite network
Systems and methods are described for using opportunistically delayed delivery of content to address sub-optimal bandwidth resource usage in network infrastructures that allow subscribers to share forward link resources. According to some embodiments, content is identified as delayable and assigned to a delaycast queue and/or service flow. For example, a server system of a satellite communications system identifies content that can be delayed to exploit future excess link capacity through multicasting and to exploit subscriber-side storage resources. Some implementations attempt to exploit any excess link resources at any time, while others exploit unused bandwidth only during certain times or when a certain threshold of resources is available. Various embodiments also provide content scoring and/or other prioritization techniques for optimizing exploitation of the delaycast queue.
US08432807B2 Network traffic analysis using a flow table
A device may receive a data unit at a line interface of a network device, convey the data unit to a first component in the line interface, update a flow table in the first component based on the data unit, send a message to a second component in the network device, the message describing the update to the flow table, and forward the data unit from the first component to another line interface in the network device.
US08432801B2 System and method for identifying multiple paths between network nodes
Aspects of the invention pertain to transmitting packet data across a computer network. The packets may be sent via one or more distinct routes from a source to a destination. Each route may employ multiple routers disposed along the network. Non-colliding routes are determined by transmitting pairs of probe packets along the routes. A first probe packet has a maximal length, and a second probe packet has a minimal length. Depending on the order of arrival of the probe packets, the system determines whether two transport layer ports at the destination device collide. If there is a collision, then the system searches for a set of non-colliding ports. Once the non-colliding ports are determined, application data may be sent as packets along the different routes to those ports.
US08432793B2 Managing recovery of a link via loss of link
A computer program product, apparatus and method for managing recovery of a link in a multi-tasking multi-processor environment. An exemplary embodiment includes shutting off timers for a failed channel associated with the communications link, storing a loss of link condition in a data structure, disabling communications on the failed channel and sending an external notification of the loss of link condition.
US08432786B2 Control channel design to support one-to-one, many-to-one, and one-to-many peer-to-peer communications
A protocol is provided that facilitates downlink concurrent peer-to-peer communications (within a time slot or traffic slot) between one device and many terminals as well as uplink concurrent peer-to-peer communications (within a time slot or traffic slot) between a plurality of terminals and one device. The concurrent peer-to-peer communications may take place within an ad hoc network of devices. To facilitate such operation, a time-frequency structure is provided within a control channel that allows the device and terminals to identify the peer-to-peer connections. This time-frequency structure also allows terminals to identify other sibling terminals that have a connection with the same device, thereby allowing to more efficiently performing interference mitigation. That is, sibling peer-to-peer connections with the same device may be treated different from other non-related peer-to-peer connects for purposes of interference mitigation in a wireless network.
US08432777B2 Method and system for fluid mediated disk activation and deactivation
Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, fluid-mediated modification of information or access to information is utilized. According to various embodiments, data storage devices designed for rotating access are described which include rotation-activated fluid control mechanisms.
US08432772B2 Chronograph
A chronograph with a chronograph driving mechanism through which a chronograph hand staff of a chronograph hand can be driven in rotation, with a rattrapante hand staff, arranged coaxially to the chronograph hand staff, of a first rattrapante hand that can be driven in superimposed position with the chronograph hand. The chronograph hand staff and rattrapante hand staff are connected to one another in locked-rotation, wherein the rotation of the rattrapante hand staff can be blocked in order to display a split time. A second rattrapante hand is connected frictionally with a second rattrapante hand staff arranged coaxially to the chronograph hand staff. The chronograph hand and the second rattrapante hand can be driven in movement synchronously in superimposed position, wherein the rotation of both rattrapante hand staffs can be blocked independently from one another in order to display two different lap times.
US08432759B2 Measuring electrical resistance
A circuit having a first circuit configured to receive an input voltage and generate a first voltage that generates a first current flowing through a resistive device and a second voltage that generates a second current; a node electrically coupled to the resistive device and having a third voltage that generates a third current; and a second circuit configured to generate a fourth voltage having a logic state indicating a logic state of the resistive device.
US08432756B1 Collision prevention in a dual port memory
A dual port memory includes a mechanism for preventing collisions. The memory includes dual port bit cells arranged in rows and columns and each bit cell stores a data bit. The memory also includes a wordline unit that may provide a respective write wordline signal and a respective read wordline signal to each row of bit cells. The wordline unit may also selectively inhibit the read wordline signal for a given row based upon address information that is indicative of whether a write operation will be performed to the given row.
US08432747B2 Static random access memory (SRAM) and test method of the SRAM having precharge circuit to prepcharge bit line
A method of testing a static random access memory (SRAM), the method including writing a data into the SRAM cell to store a first potential level at a first node and a second potential level greater than the first potential level at a second node, supplying a power supply voltage from a power supply terminal to first and second bit lines by activating first and second transistors and deactivating first and second transfer gates, and supplying the power supply voltage to the first bit line by activating the first transistor and activating the first and second transfer gates.
US08432744B2 Semiconductor storage device with a well control circuit
A semiconductor storage device according to an embodiment includes multiple memory cells which electrically rewrite data, a well control circuit which outputs an erasure voltage to be applied to a well through an output terminal, a first pump circuit which outputs a voltage set by boosting an input voltage to the output terminal, a second pump circuit which outputs a voltage set by boosting the input voltage to the output terminal and outputs a voltage higher than an output voltage of the first pump circuit, a pump switching detecting circuit which outputs an assist signal to perform a boosting operation on at least one of the first pump circuit and the second pump circuit and an erase pulse control circuit which sets target voltages of the first pump circuit and the second pump circuit, on the basis of setting values to set a target voltage of the erasure voltage.
US08432742B2 Non-volatile memory device, system, and cell array
A non-volatile memory cell array, comprising sector selection transistors controlled by a voltage applied to sector selection lines, first through fourth memory cells connected in series to the sector selection transistors, a first common source line connected between the first memory cell and the second memory cell, and a second common source line connected between the third memory cell and the fourth memory cell and separated from the first common source line. A first voltage is applied to the first common source line, and a second voltage different from the first voltage is applied to the second common source line.
US08432741B2 Nonvolatile memory device and nonvolatile memory system employing same
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a memory cell array, a row selection circuit and a voltage generator. The memory cell array comprises a first dummy memory cell, a second dummy memory cell, and a NAND string comprising a plurality of memory cells coupled in series between a string selection transistor and a ground selection transistor through the first dummy memory cell and the second dummy memory cell. During a read-out operation mode, a dummy read-out voltage is applied to a first dummy wordline coupled to the first dummy memory cell, and to a second dummy wordline coupled to the second dummy memory cell. The dummy read-out voltage has a lower magnitude than a read-out voltage applied to an unselected memory cell during the read-out operation mode.
US08432738B2 Apparatus and method for reduced peak power consumption during common operation of multi-nand flash memory devices
System and method for executing a global memory command in a multi-chip non-volatile memory device having a plurality of non-volatile memories. The global memory command is received at each non-volatile memory concurrently. The memory command is initiated at different times relative to receiving the global memory command for at least two of the plurality of non-volatile memory to mitigate peak power consumption.
US08432731B2 Magnetically coupled electrostatically shiftable memory device and method
A method, system, and apparatus magnetically coupled electrostatically shiftable memory device and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes electrostatically decoupling a separate structure and a surface that are magnetically coupled (e.g., an electrostatic force to decouple the separate structure and the surface is generated with an electrode), shifting the separate structure between the surface and a other surface with the electrostatic force (e.g., shifting the separate structure moves the entire separate structure), and magnetically coupling the separate structure to the other surface.
US08432729B2 Phase-change memory with multiple polarity bits having enhanced endurance and error tolerance
A Phase-Change Memory (PCM) apparatus including a data field for storing a data bits representing a data value or an inversion of the data value and a polarity field for storing a plurality of polarity bits for indicating that the data bits stored in the data field represent the data value or the inversion of the data value. In one embodiment an odd number of set polarity bits indicates that the data bits represent the inversion of the data value and an even number of set polarity bits indicates that the data bits represent the data value. The PCM apparatus has enhanced endurance and improved error tolerance.
US08432726B2 Secure non-volatile memory
A secure memory includes a bistable memory cell having a programmed start-up state, and means for flipping the state of the cell in response to a flip signal. The memory may include a clock for generating the flip signal with a period, for example, smaller than the acquisition time of an emission microscope.
US08432725B2 Static random access memory structure and control method thereof
A static random access memory (SRAM) is provided. The SRAM structure includes an SRAM array, a word line decoder, and a reference bit line device. The SRAM array comprises at least one SRAM bit cell made up of six transistors. The word line decoder is used for decoding a word line of the SRAM bit cell array such that the word line is activated at a starting time and is deactivated at a ending time. The reference bit line device is connected between the SRAM array and the word line decoder and is used for pre-deactivating the word line at a predetermined time before the ending time such that a voltage difference between a bit line and a bit line bar of the SRAM bit cell is equal to a predetermined voltage.
US08432720B2 Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
A memory cell array having a 1R structure is composed of nonvolatile variable resistive elements each including a variable resistor formed of a metal oxide film whose resistance changes depending on an oxygen concentration in the film, and first and second electrodes sandwiching the variable resistor. The first electrode and the variable resistor form a rectifier junction through a rectifier junction layer composed of an oxide layer and a layer (oxygen depletion layer) of the metal oxide film having an oxygen concentration lower than a stoichiometric composition. The oxygen moves between the first electrode and the metal oxide film when a voltage is applied, and a thickness of the oxygen depletion layer changes, so that the resistance of the metal oxide film changes and the rectifying properties are provided. A thickness of the oxygen depletion layer is set to allow the variable resistive element to show the sufficient rectifying properties.
US08432715B2 Power conversion control apparatus for power conversion circuit including high-side and low-side switching elements and power storage device
The power conversion control apparatus is for controlling a power conversion circuit in which a plurality of pairs each including a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element connected in series to each other are connected in parallel to a capacitor, and an external battery is connected to the capacitor through a relay. To discharge the capacitor, the power conversion control apparatus turns on both the high-side and low-side switching elements of at least one of the pairs to make a short circuit between both electrodes of the capacitor on condition that the relay is open.
US08432710B2 Power conversion apparatus
A power conversion apparatus has a rectification circuit provided for converting AC power supplied from an AC power supply into DC power. The rectification circuit has a configuration in which series circuit whose number corresponds to the number of phases of an input AC are connected in parallel between a positive-side line and a negative-side line. The AC power supply is connected to AC input points, each corresponding to a connection point between a rectifying device and a semiconductor switching device in each of the series circuits, and connected to a point having ground potential through noise suppressing series circuits respectively. In each of the noise suppressing series circuits, a switch unit and a capacitor are connected in series. In this manner, it is possible to provide a power conversion apparatus which can reduce a noise terminal voltage while solving problems in volume and cost simultaneously.
US08432706B2 Printed circuit board and electro application
A printed circuit board and an electronic product are disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the printed circuit board includes a first board, which has an electronic component mounted thereon, and a second board, which is positioned on an upper side of the first board and covers at least a portion of an upper surface of the first board and in which an EBG structure is inserted into the second board such that a noise radiating upwards from the first board is shielded. Thus, the printed circuit board can readily absorb various frequencies, be easily applied without any antenna effect and be cost-effective in manufacturing.
US08432704B2 Clip for BIOS chip
A clip for a basic input/output system (BIOS) chip includes a main body, two spindles, two clipping elements, and two torsion springs. The main body includes a number of connecting pins mounted on a bottom of the main body, and a number of signal pins mounted on a top of the main body and electrically and correspondingly connected to the number of the connecting pins. The clipping elements are rotatably mounted to opposite ends of the main body through the spindles. The torsion springs are mounted between the clipping members and the main body. The connecting pins of the main body respectively electrically contacts a number of chip pins of the BIOS chip in response to the clipping elements clipping the BIOS chip.
US08432702B2 Electronic apparatus and printed wiring board
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printed wiring board including: a substrate including an edge and a fixing hole located adjacent to the edge, the fixing hole configured to receive a bolt; and a land formed in a vicinity of the fixing hole and extending in at least a first direction and a second direction, the first direction being a direction from the fixing hole toward a center of the substrate, the second direction being direction along the edge.
US08432701B2 Storage device and storage system including storage device
A storage device for storing units includes, a housing, wherein selective insertion of one of a first unit and a second unit that respectively have different shapes is possible, a stopper positioned such that movement is possible between an initial position, a first position wherein insertion of the first unit is allowed and insertion of the second unit is prevented, and a second position wherein insertion of the second unit is allowed and insertion of the first unit is prevented, wherein insertion of the first unit moves the stopper from the initial position to the first position and insertion of the second unit moves the stopper from the initial position to the second position, and a lock capable of locking the stopper into one of the first position and the second position.
US08432699B2 Junction box and electrical connection mechanism thereof
A junction box for a solar module is disclosed and comprises a housing having an opening for introducing a plurality of conductor strips; and an electrical connection mechanism disposed in a receptacle of the housing. The electrical connection mechanism comprises a plurality of conductor strip connection devices disposed on an inner surface of the housing for connecting to the conductor strips; and a current-path arrangement module detachably connected with the conductor strip connection devices and comprising a carrier, a plurality of electricity conveying elements and a plurality of electronic components, wherein the electricity conveying elements and the electronic components are disposed on one surface of the carrier, and each electronic component is connected with two adjacent electricity conveying elements.
US08432696B2 Using a battery pack to facilitate thermal transfer in a portable electronic device
The disclosed embodiments relate to techniques for facilitating thermal transfer in a portable electronic device. This portable electronic device may include a battery pack, which includes a battery cell and enclosure material for enclosing the battery cell. This enclosure material extends beyond the enclosure for the battery cell to facilitate thermal transfer within the portable electronic device.
US08432694B2 Power converter module with cooled busbar arrangement
A power converter module includes at least two power semiconductor modules, which are mechanically connected to a liquid-cooled heat sink and electrically connected to terminals of the power converter module by a busbar arrangement having at least two busbars. The busbars are insulated from one another by an insulation layer. The insulation layer is composed of two insulating layers, which are materially connected with one another so as to form therebetween a cavity having a predetermined shape and an entrance side and an exit side disposed on least one side face of the insulation layer. A connector is provided on the entrance side and the exit side and fluidly connected to the liquid-cooled heat sink. The rectifier module is thus able to sustain relatively high electrical loads compared to conventional rectifier modules, while maintaining a permitted temperature for the insulation layer and the lamination material of the busbar.
US08432690B2 Data center cooling
A system for restricting mixing of air in a data center includes a plurality of racks, each of the racks having a front face and a back face. The system includes an enclosure for collecting air released from the back faces of the plurality of racks, the enclosure configured to substantially contain the air in an area between the first row and the second row and having a roof panel coupled to the first row of racks and the second row of racks configured to span a distance between the first row of racks and the second row of racks. The enclosure is configured to maintain a first air pressure inside of the enclosure that is substantially equal to a second air pressure outside the enclosure.
US08432686B2 Computer enclosure
A computer enclosure includes an enclosure, an air conduction member mounted in the enclosure to guide airflow, and a data storage device mounted to a top of the air conduction member.
US08432681B2 Removable vibration-resistant tray
A vibration-resistant tray for carrying an electronic device includes a bracket, two arms and a plurality of fastening devices. The bracket includes a pair of parallel side plates. Each side plate has two first connecting sheets at opposite ends thereof. The two arms are provided to be attached onto opposite sides of the electronic device. Each of the arms has two second connecting sheets at opposite ends thereof and corresponding to the first connecting sheets. Each of the fastening devices includes a connecting member and a shock-proof washer. The shock-proof washer is mounted around the connecting member. Each of the first connecting sheets is engaged with the respective connecting member. Each of the second connecting sheets is engaged with the respective shock-proof washer. Additionally, each of the side plates of the bracket is spaced apart from the adjacent one of the arms.
US08432679B2 Silicone barrier for drive window
An optical drive dust guard can include an elongated strip of silicone having a front surface, a back surface and an adhesive along one of the surfaces, an elongated slit formed along and through a center portion of the elongated strip, and one or more elongated notches formed along the elongated strip. The elongated notches result in at least a portion of the elongated strip becoming hinged to another portion of the elongated strip about the notches, so as to allow a hinged frontwards or backwards passage of an optical media therethrough. The elongated slit can be formed after the silicone dust guard is already installed in the host device.
US08432677B2 Hinge assembly for foldable electronic device
A hinge assembly includes a first cam, a second cam, a third cam, at least one resilient member and a shaft. The first cam includes an outer cam surface and an inner cam surface. The third cam is slidably received in the second cam, and the second cam and the third cam respectively engage with the outer cam surface and the inner cam surface. The resilient member provides an elastic force making the third cam and the second cam abut against the first cam. The shaft extends through the first cam, the second cam, the third cam and the at least one resilient member.
US08432672B2 Flat panel display
A flat panel display device including a display panel, a bezel having a substrate to support the display panel and configured to receive the display panel, and a bonding agent disposed between the substrate of the bezel and the display panel. Further, the substrate of the bezel and the display panel may be bonded and fixed to each other. Therefore, it is possible to provide a flat panel display device having a small thickness and capable of improving strength against an external pressure.
US08432666B2 Method of manufacturing a switchgear panel
A method of making a panel for a switchgear cabinet is provided. In accordance with the method one or more base plates, a plurality of main cover plates of different types and a plurality of auxiliary cover plates of different types are provided. One or more main cover plates and one or more auxiliary cover plates are selected and mounted to the base plate. One or more electrical devices are mounted to at least one of the selected main cover plate and the selected auxiliary cover plate.
US08432651B2 Apparatus and method for electronic systems reliability
Apparatuses and methods for protecting electronic circuits are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for providing protection from transient signals comprises an integrated circuit, a pad on a surface of the integrated circuit, and a configurable protection circuit within the integrated circuit. The configurable protection circuit is electrically connected to the pad. The configurable protection circuit comprises a plurality of subcircuits arranged in a cascade, and selection of one or more of the plurality of the subcircuits for operation determines at least one of a holding voltage or a trigger voltage of the configurable protection circuit.
US08432644B2 Spin torque oscillator sensor enhanced by magnetic anisotropy
A spin torque oscillator device having a magnetic free layer with a magnetic anisotropy that has a component that is oriented perpendicular to a direction of an applied magnetic field. The spin torque oscillator device includes a magnetic reference layer, a magnetic free layer and a non-magnetic layer sandwiched there-between. A component of the magnetic anisotropy of the free layer can be oriented perpendicular to a magnetization of the reference layer, and this orientation relative to the magnetization of the reference layer can be either in lieu of or in addition to its orientation relative to the applied magnetic field. The magnetic anisotropy cants the magnetization of the free layer which would otherwise be oriented antiparallel with the magnetization of the reference layer. The magnetic anisotropy in the free layer improves performance of the spin torque sensor by reducing noise.
US08432642B2 Magnetic head suspension having a supporting part with an edge formed into a concave shape
In a magnetic head suspension according to the present invention, each of paired right and left connecting beams that are positioned on both sides of an open section, with which paired piezoelectric elements are at least partially overlapped in a plan view, in a suspension width direction and connect a proximal end section that is directly or indirectly connected to a main actuator and a distal end section to which the load bending part is connected includes proximal-side and distal-side beams. The distal-side beam is inclined with respect to the proximal-side beam in a plan view such that a connection point between the proximal-side and distal-side beams is located closer to a suspension longitudinal center line relative to a virtual line connecting the proximal end of the proximal-side beam and the distal end of the distal-side beam.
US08432640B2 Tape drive having a flangeless roller
A tape drive comprising a head configured to read data from a tape and to write data to the tape, a pair of flanged guide rollers arranged one on either side of the head to guide the tape longitudinally over the head, and a flangeless inertial roller arranged between a flanged guide roller and the head to add inertia to the tape so as to limit speed and movement of the tape as it passes over the head.
US08432639B2 PMR writer with π shaped shield
A perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) head is fabricated with a pole tip shielded laterally by a pair of symmetrically separated side shields that extend from an edge of a trailing edge shield to form a shield with the shape of a π. The easy axis direction of the side shields is in the in-track direction. As a result, the side shields effectively shield the fringing fields of the magnetic pole tip from causing adjacent track erasures, while not adding their own fringing fields that could cause erasures even beyond adjacent tracks.
US08432630B1 Disk drive component test system
A hard drive component test system is provided. The hard drive component test system includes a rack having multiple test bays with first test sub-assemblies mounted in respective ones of the of test bays. A test control system is electrically coupled to each of the first test sub-assemblies. Each of the test bays is configured to receive a second test sub-assembly and to engage the second test sub-assembly with the first test sub-assembly mounted in the respective bay to form a drive assembly. The test control system is configured to selectively execute a test process on the drive assemblies mounted in the rack.
US08432620B2 Photographic lens optical system
A lens optical system having first to fourth lenses sequentially arranged from an object, and between the object and an image sensor on which an image of the object is formed. The first lens has a positive refractive power and is convex toward the object. The second lens has a negative refractive power and is biconcave. The third lens has a positive refractive power and is convex toward the image sensor. The fourth lens has a negative refractive power and at least one of an incident surface and an exit surface of the fourth lens is an aspherical surface. An aperture may be arranged between the first and second lenses.
US08432619B2 Image capturing lens assembly
An image capturing lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side: the first lens element with positive refractive power, the second lens element with refractive power, the third lens element with positive refractive power, the fourth lens element with refractive power, the fifth lens element with refractive power, and the sixth lens element with refractive power, at least one surface of the sixth lens element thereof being aspheric and having at least one inflection point. By such arrangement, total track length and the photosensitivity of the image capturing lens assembly can also be effectively reduced while retaining high image quality.
US08432616B2 Zoom lens system, imaging device and camera
A zoom lens system has a plurality of lens units each composed of at least one lens element and, in order from the object side to the image side, comprises: a negative first lens unit being composed of two lens elements; a positive second lens unit; and a positive third lens unit, wherein in zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit during image taking, the individual lens units are moved along an optical axis such that an interval between the first lens unit and the second lens unit decreases and that an interval between the second lens unit and the third lens unit increases, so that magnification change is achieved, and wherein on the image side relative to the second lens unit, an aperture diaphragm is arranged that moves along the optical axis integrally with the second lens unit during zooming.
US08432615B2 Image taking apparatus
An image taking apparatus including a zoom lens; and a solid-state image pickup element, wherein the zoom lens includes, a first lens unit; a second lens unit; and a third lens unit, the first lens unit, the second lens unit and the third lens unit moving during zooming, wherein the first lens unit includes a lens 1a; and a lens 1b, wherein the second lens unit includes a lens 2a; a cemented lens wherein a lens 2b and a lens 2c are cemented; and a lens 2d, and wherein a curvature radius R2cr of an image-side lens surface of the lens 2c, a refractive index n2c of a material of the lens 2c, a focal length ft of an entire system at a telephoto end, an F-number Fnow at a wide-angle end, and a half angle of field ωW at the wide-angle end are appropriately set.
US08432611B1 Method and system for managing light at an optical interface
An interface between two different optical materials can comprise a stack of thin film layers that manage light incident on that interface. One of the optical materials can have a first composition and a first refractive index, while the other optical material can have a second composition and a second refractive index. The stack can comprise thin film layers of the first optical material interleaved between thin film layers of the second optical material. The layers of the stack can be configured to provide the stack with an aggregate composition of at least one of the optical materials that progressively varies from one end of the stack to the other end. To provide the progressive variation in composition, the layers of one of the optical materials can have a progressively increased thickness across the stack, or can progressively increase in number, for example.
US08432595B2 Scanning image displayer, mobile phone, mobile information processor, and mobile imager
A scanning image displayer, including a beam provider emitting a laser beam; a beam scanner including a two-dimensional drive deflecting mirror, deflectively scanning the beam in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction; and an optical element including a reflection surface before the two-dimensional drive deflecting mirror, deflecting the beam in a direction of the two-dimensional drive deflecting mirror such that the beam obliquely enters a mirror thereof. The two-dimensional drive deflecting mirror deflectively scans the beam to project the beam onto a surface to be projected, and the light intensity of the beam is controlled according to image information to form an image. A flat surface of a substrate where the mirror is formed is located parallel or almost parallel to an optical axis of the beam, and the reflection surface is located so as not to receive the beam deflectively scanned by the two-dimensional drive deflecting mirror.
US08432593B2 Optical scanning apparatus and image forming apparatus using the same
An optical scanning apparatus includes a plate member, having a rotation axis and a reflection surface, that deflects and scans a laser beam emitted from a light source by performing reciprocating-rotation around the rotation axis, an actuator configured to drive the plate member, an fθ-lens configured to focus the laser beam deflected by the plate member on a surface of a photosensitive drum, and an optical box configured to house the plate member, the actuator, and the fθ-lens. The actuator is provided nearer to a side of the optical box toward which the laser beam is reflected by the reflection surface than the reflection surface of the plate member is.
US08432586B2 Image reading apparatus
Prior to reading an original image, whether to read the original image in a monochrome image mode in which the image reading apparatus reads the original image in use of the monochrome line sensor or a multi color image mode in which the image reading apparatus reads the original image in use of the multi color line sensor is predicted. Preparation of reading an original image based on parameters corresponding to the predicted mode is completed before the start of reading the original image. This arrangement reduces a time loss arising from switching of a color mode associated with a user color setting at the start of a job, and thus shortens the FCOT. This arrangement can shorten the time until the first copy is output after designating the start of copying when reading an original image based on different parameters.
US08432576B2 Threshold matrix generating device and threshold matrix generating method
Disclosed is a threshold matrix generating device including a basic dot pattern generating unit for obtaining a basic dot pattern by carrying out a filter process by a convolution filter to an initial dot pattern in which dots are arbitrarily arranged, by obtaining a dot density of the dots included in the initial dot pattern and by repeating a process of moving dots to a pixel in which the dot density is smallest from a pixel in which the dot density is greatest and a threshold setting unit for generating a threshold matrix of a FM screen by increasing or decreasing dots from the basic dot pattern and by repeating a process of setting a threshold to a pixel in which the dots are increased or decreased, and the threshold matrix has a shape which is to be arranged in an oblique direction by having an angle.
US08432574B2 Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium
An information processing apparatus for laying out a plurality of drawing data elements contained in a document in one or more pages includes a rearrangement determining portion configured to determine whether at least one of the plurality of drawing data elements can be rearranged in a blank area in a different page and a color output determining portion configured to, when the rearrangement determining portion determines that the drawing data element can be rearranged in the blank area, determine whether rearrangement of the drawing data element in the different page will change a color output result of the drawing data element.
US08432573B2 Printer, dedicated USB flash drive and printing system
A printer includes a processor configured to execute, when a dedicated USB flash drive is plugged in a second USB port, a process of (i′) making a USB ordinary storage region in the dedicated USB flash drive recognized as a removable drive while managing an access to the USB ordinary storage region in the dedicated USB flash drive, with respect to a host connected to a first USB port, and to further execute, when the execution file of a second application program is read and executed by the host, processes of (a′) renewing a command file in a command-purpose memory region with a command file received from the host; (b′) analyzing the command file currently renewed and taking out print data therefrom, and (c′) making a printing device execute printing based on the print data currently taken out.
US08432572B2 Systems and methods of trapping for print devices
Systems and methods are provided for identifying candidates for trapping in a frame buffer by correlating display list object information stored in an object-ID plane with pixel data in the frame buffer. In some embodiments, the display list of objects may be generated from the PDL description of a document. In some embodiments, object boundaries may be computed by assigning unique identifiers to objects in the object-ID plane and using morphological techniques to identify object boundaries. Object boundary information may then be utilized to perform trapping on pixels in the frame buffer. The methods described may be performed on a computer and/or a printing device and implemented using one or more of combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware.
US08432566B2 Printer driver and method of printing print data
A printer driver conserves recording paper by removing blank space formed at the top and bottom of each page when printing. The printer driver acquires the coordinates of the top and bottom of the part of the print image, and calculates the page length required to print the middle area between the top and bottom blank space areas based on these coordinates. The print data for printing this middle area is then extracted and printed. When printing is completed, the recording paper is conveyed only the difference between the page length and the transportation distance of the recording paper to set the print head to a position separated only the page length from the printing start position of the area print data, that is, to a position touching the middle area. As a result, blank space between the middle areas of consecutively printed pages is eliminated.
US08432563B2 Systems and methods for dynamically re-configuring imager and caching modules to optimize raster image processing performance
Systems and methods for generating a dynamic re-configuration with a DFE imager and caching modules to optimize RIP performance by analyzing pages within the job that collect page with job heuristics and statistics. Enabling the functionality to assess the information, thereby re-configuring a digital printer's imager and caching module dynamically during the job RIP to achieve improved overall RIP performance. Accordingly, a system collects and assesses job statistics across multiple jobs to enable optimum performance over time.
US08432554B2 Surface position detecting apparatus, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
A surface position detecting apparatus is arranged to be able to detect a surface position of a detection target surface with high accuracy, while restraining influence of a relative positional deviation between polarization components in a beam totally reflected on an internal reflection surface of a prism member, on detection of the surface position of the detection target surface. At least one of a light projection system and a light reception system is provided with a total reflection prism member (7; 8) having an internal reflection surface (7b, 7c; 8b, 8c) which totally reflects an incident beam. For restraining influence of the relative positional deviation between polarization components of the beam totally reflected on the internal reflection surface of the total reflection prism member, on the detection of the surface position of the detection target surface (Wa), a refractive index of an optical material forming the total reflection prism member and an angle of incidence of the incident beam to the internal reflection surface of the total reflection prism member are set so as to satisfy a predetermined relation.
US08432538B2 Measuring modal content of multi-moded fibers
The output modal content of optical fibers that contain more than one spatial mode may be analyzed and quantified by measuring interference between co-propagating modes in the optical fiber. By spatially resolving the interference, an image of the spatial beat pattern between two modes may be constructed, thereby providing information about the modes supported by the optical fiber. Measurements of the phase front exiting the optical fiber under test are advantageously performed in the far field.
US08432533B2 Method and system for photolithographic fabrication with resolution far below the diffraction limit
A method and system for photolithography is provided. The system includes a photoresist comprising a photoinitiator and a prepolymer resin. The system further includes a first light source operable to generate at least a first beam of light which is focused on a first area of the photoresist. The first beam of light is configured to excite the photoinitiator. The system further includes a second light source operable to generate at least a second beam of light which is focused on a second area of the photoresist, the second beam of light configured to deactivate at least temporarily the photoinitiator excited by the first beam of light. The first area and second area overlap at least partially. A time difference of at least 10 ns exists between the photoinitiator being excited by the first beam of light and the photoinitiator initiating polymerization.
US08432530B2 Device, method, and system for measuring image profiles produced by an optical lithography system
Measuring an aerial image with an aerial image measuring device having a light detector and a light blocking layer for separating polarization components of light incident thereon. The light blocking layer has first and second apertures structured differently from each other, wherein the different structures transmit at least one of the polarization components differently. The detector provides separate samples for light transmitted through the first and second apertures. Separate image profiles for each polarization component of the aerial image are generated using the samples provided by the detector. Image recovery for each of the generated image profiles is performed to generate estimated image profiles for each polarization component of the aerial image that exclude the effects of transmission through the first and second apertures of the aerial image measuring device.
US08432519B2 Liquid crystal display device
A pixel includes a plurality of first linear alignment regulating structures (22) provided on the liquid crystal layer side of a first substrate and a plurality of second linear alignment regulating structures (44) provided on the liquid crystal layer side of a second substrate. The first and second linear alignment regulating structures each have a first component (22a, 44a) extending along a first axis and a second component (22b, 44b) extending along a second axis which is different from the first axis, the second linear alignment regulating structures being linear dielectric protrusions. The liquid crystal display device further includes a connection dielectric protrusion (45a, 45b, 45c) for interconnecting two linear dielectric protrusions which belong to pixels adjoining each other and which are not collinear. The connection dielectric protrusion has a plurality of edges, the plurality of edges including at least one edge extending in a direction which is different from the direction of an edge of the first electrode (21) and different from the direction of an edge of the linear dielectric protrusion. According to the present invention, an enhanced design freedom can be obtained without deteriorating the display quality of an MVA-mode liquid crystal display device.
US08432512B2 Backlight assembly and display device having the same
A backlight assembly includes a light source part, a total reflection plate and an array sheet. The light source part generates light. The total reflection plate totally internally reflects or transmits the light selectively according to an incident path of the light. The array sheet disposed on the total reflection plate includes a plurality of units having an incident surface making contact with the total reflection plate and an emitting surface facing the incident surface, refracts the totally internally reflected light at a contact surface between the incident surface and the total reflection plate to emit the refracted light, and emits the transmitted light as a non-refracted light. Accordingly, luminance of the display device is enhanced.
US08432507B2 Attachment frame for a display module and portable electronic device using the same
An attachment frame for a display module includes a bezel in a periphery of the display module, and at least one pair of tabs integrally formed on inner sides of the bezel. Each tab includes a connecting portion connected to the bezel and a mounting portion fixed to the display module.
US08432505B2 Display device and manufacturing method thereof
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device that has a structure of an electrode where a residue of a transparent conductive film is not generated when a weak acid solution is used in etching, which is particularly appropriate for an electrode of a light-emitting element.A display device according to the present invention has an electrode that has a laminated structure of laminated transparent conductive films, and the electrode has a first transparent conductive film as the bottom layer, where no residue is generated when a weak acid solution is used in etching, and a second transparent conductive film as the top layer, which has a work function of 5.0 eV or more.
US08432502B2 Display device and electronic device including the same
A low-power-consuming display device including a liquid crystal material which exhibits a blue phase is provided. A display device includes a first substrate having a pixel portion in which a pixel including a transistor is provided; a second substrate which faces the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate; in which the liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal material which exhibits a blue phase; a gate of the transistor is electrically connected to a scan line, one of a source and a drain of the transistor is electrically connected to a signal line, and the other of the source and the drain of the transistor is electrically connected to an electrode; and the transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer a hydrogen concentration of which is 5×1019/cm3 or less.
US08432489B2 System and methods for enhancing the experience of spectators attending a live sporting event, with bookmark setting capability
A handheld electronic device for use at a venue hosting a live sporting event, having a receiver for receiving a wireless RF transmission conveying a plurality of video streams derived from video cameras filming the live sporting event, a display and a user interface for selecting a video stream among the plurality of video streams to be displayed on the display. The handheld electronic device is capable to acquire a locked mode of operation and an unlocked mode of operation, in the locked mode of operation the handheld electronic device being precluded from displaying the video streams to a spectator, in the unlocked mode of operation the handheld electronic device being enabled to display the video streams to the spectator, the handheld electronic device capable to acquire the unlocked mode of operation in response to reception of authentication data wirelessly transmitted to the handheld electronic device.
US08432488B2 Video processing apparatus and video processing method
A video processing apparatus for converting frame rates of video signals includes: a video characteristic detection unit (29) that detects, from an input video signal, as characteristics of the video signal, whether or not the video signal is of a film material and/or whether or not character information is displayed in the video signal; and an interpolation phase calculation unit (21) to a merge unit (28) that constitute an image generation unit that uses the characteristics detected by the video characteristic detection unit, to generate an intermediate frame image having a phase different from the phase of an input frame image of the video signal. In accordance with the characteristics detected by the characteristic detection unit, the image generation unit moves the phase of the intermediate frame image to a phase different from a logical interpolation phase determined based on an input frame frequency and an output frame frequency.
US08432486B2 Heat dissipating structure for an imaging unit
A heat dissipating structure for an imaging unit includes an imaging element configured to convert light into an electrical signal, a first heat dissipating plate, a second heat dissipating plate, and a heat dissipating portion. The first heat dissipating plate has a first end and a second end disposed opposite to the first end, and is positioned on the rear face side of the imaging element. The second heat dissipating plate is positioned on the rear face side of the first heat dissipating plate. The heat dissipating portion is fixedly coupled to the first end of the second heat dissipating plate.
US08432485B1 Optimized designs for embedding webcam modules with superior image quality in electronics displays
The present invention is an apparatus and method of manufacture for providing image capturing modules which can be embedded into thin displays (e.g., in laptop computers) while providing for improved image quality. In accordance with several embodiments, a webcam module embedded in a display has multiple positions. A first position (or a “rest” or “park” position) is the position of the webcam module when it is not in use. In this first position of the webcam module, it is in its most compact configuration, and lends itself to integration into a very thin display. In other positions, the webcam module has a more expanded configuration, thus leading to better image quality. Such an expanded configuration leads, amongst other things, to a larger depth of focus. In one embodiment, a stepped PCB is used to provide good image quality while maintaining a compact form factor as well as structural rigidity.
US08432481B2 Image sensing apparatus that controls start timing of charge accumulation and control method thereof
An image sensing apparatus has an image sensing element which accumulates received light as a charge, a mechanical shutter which travels to shield the image sensing element, and a scan unit which makes a scan for starting charge accumulation. The image sensing apparatus executes the scan for starting charge accumulation prior to traveling of the mechanical shutter and controls the scan for starting charge accumulation and traveling of the shutter to serve as a front curtain and a rear curtain of a shutter. Note that a scan pattern setting unit (113b) sets the scan pattern of the charge accumulation start scan based on information associated with a mounted photographing lens.
US08432472B2 Camera for displaying digital images
A camera includes memory for storing one or more stored images each with at least a day and month of capture; a processor which, based on the stored images, determines which day and month at least an image was captured; and a display that displays only the day and month on which at least an image was captured along with a visual indicator of whether a plurality of images was captured on the displayed day and month.
US08432471B2 CMOS image sensor and image signal detecting method
A CMOS image sensor includes a photodiode, a switch configured to transfer a signal sensed by the photodiode to a sensing node, and a comparator electrically and directly connected to the sensing node and configured to compare the sensed signal of the sensing node and a ramp signal. Reset offset of the comparator is maintained at a constant offset voltage level during an initialization mode.
US08432461B2 Wireless camera with automatic wake-up and transfer capability and transfer status display
The present invention relates to a digital camera that includes a wireless modem for transferring images via a wireless network. Before taking photos, the user can select various configuration settings, one of which uploads tagged images to a photo service provider or other website. If a network connection is not available when images are captured, the camera automatically wakes up later to check for network availability. If a suitable network connection is available, the camera operates in a reduced power state to upload the images from the camera. Data indicating whether or not each image has been uploaded and/or transferred via the wireless network is stored in the camera, and icons are displayed along with the images, to indicate to the user whether or not an image has been transferred to their computer or uploaded to their website.
US08432456B2 Digital camera for sharing digital images
A digital camera capable of sharing digital images using a plurality of host computers, comprising: memory for storing captured digital images and for storing installation software that can be used to install digital image sharing software on the plurality of host computers; a user interface for designating captured digital images to be shared; and a communication interface for communicating with a host computer. The communication interface can be configured to use a first logical protocol where the digital camera appears to the host computer as a data storage device in order to install the digital image sharing software on the host computer. A second logical protocol, where the digital camera appears to the host computer as an image capture device, is used when the digital image sharing software is running on the host computer that enables the digital image sharing software to automatically share designated digital images.
US08432455B2 Method, apparatus and computer program product for automatically taking photos of oneself
A method for capturing an image may include receiving a start command, determining whether one or more predefined conditions are satisfied, and capturing an image when the predefined conditions are satisfied. The start command and/or the predefined conditions may be dependent on an audible signal. The predefined conditions may include predetermined reception angles of the audible signal, ratios of foreground to background, and/or reception of a remote control signal. The method may also require that no visual feature is occluded. Individualized feedback may be provided which can direct a specific person within an image to correct a failed predefined condition. An apparatus and computer program product corresponding to the method are also provided.
US08432452B2 Imaging system and information processing apparatus for presenting functional information relating to a shooting mode to an imaging apparatus
The present invention is directed to providing a shooting mode according to a user's need of an imaging apparatus, whereby a user can easily select the shooting mode. Firstly, an information processing apparatus provides a list, which includes a shooting mode corresponding to attribute information received from the imaging apparatus, to the imaging apparatus. Next, setting information including a shooting parameter of the shooting mode designated by the imaging apparatus from the list is transmitted to the imaging apparatus. The imaging apparatus selects one of the shooting modes corresponding to the setting information transmitted from the information processing apparatus, and executes image processing by using the setting information.
US08432450B2 Surveillance system having status detection module, method for self-monitoring of an observer, and computer program
A surveillance system (1) for monitoring a plurality of surveillance regions (5) is controllable and/or controlled by at least one human observer (4). The system includes a state detection module (8) which is designed and/or situated such that the surveillance state of the observer (4) may be determined on the basis of optically detected state signals of the observer (4).
US08432439B2 Endoscope apparatus and method of inputting character string
An endoscope apparatus including: an endoscope; an image signal processing portion; a display signal generating portion for displaying an image and a character input screen; an operation portion that inputs a character; a character string storage portion that stores a character string and an operation state of the apparatus in a state where the character string is correlated to the operation state; a display instruction detecting portion that detects a display instruction of the character input screen; an operation state detecting portion that detects an operation state of the apparatus; a reading portion that reads a character string, which corresponds to the detected operation state; and a control portion that controls the display signal generating portion to display a screen including a component for selecting the read character string and controls the display signal generating portion to display a character string corresponding to the component.
US08432437B2 Display synchronization with actively shuttered glasses
An actively shuttered glasses synchronization signal generated by a 3D TV is detected by a device that has an output display. A periodicity of actuation of the actively shuttered glasses synchronization signal is determined. A display refresh rate of the output display is synchronized to the periodicity of actuation of the actively shuttered glasses synchronization signal. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US08432434B2 Camera and method for focus based depth reconstruction of dynamic scenes
A dynamic scene is reconstructed as depths and an extended depth of field video by first acquiring, with a camera including a lens and sensor, a focal stack of the dynamic scene while changing a focal depth. An optical flow between the frames of the focal stack is determined, and the frames are warped according to the optical flow to align the frames and to generate a virtual static focal stack. Finally, a depth map and a texture map for each virtual static focal stack is generated using a depth from defocus, wherein the texture map corresponds to an EDOF image.
US08432432B2 Eye gaze reduction
Eye gaze reduction may be provided. First, a location of a near-end camera relative to a near-end screen may be determined. Next, based upon the determined location of the near-end camera, a location may be determined for a video window on the near-end screen. The determined location for the video window may be configured to reduce an eye gaze error in a near-end image transmitted to a far-end device from the near-end camera. Then video data from a far-end camera corresponding to the far-end device may be received and rendered in the video window at the determined location for the video window on the near-end screen.
US08432429B2 Multimedia effect processing device for videophone and related method
The present invention discloses a videophone for displaying a first multimedia data, wherein the videophone communicates with a remote videophone. The videophone includes a database, a processing unit and an output unit. The database stores a plurality of multimedia files. The processing unit is coupled to the database, for selecting a second multimedia file from the database according to a first control signal, and integrating the first multimedia data with the second multimedia file into a first integrating data, wherein the first control signal is generated by the remote videophone. The output unit is coupled to the processing unit, for outputting the first integrating data.
US08432417B2 User interface and methods for sonographic display device
A user interface for a sonographic device is disclosed that displays a sonographic image and at least one reference object corresponding to a catheter size. The reference object may be scaled in proportion to the sonographic image. In addition, the user interface may further display a plurality of vertical lines and a plurality of horizontal lines arranged in a grid-like pattern and placed over the sonographic image. The size of both the sonographic image and the at least one reference object may change in proportion to a chosen insertion depth. A display device, a sonographic device and corresponding methods are also disclosed.
US08432404B2 Media action script acceleration method
Exemplary apparatus, method, and system embodiments provide for accelerated hardware processing of an action script for a graphical image for visual display. An exemplary method comprises: converting a plurality of descriptive elements into a plurality of operational codes which at least partially control at least one processor circuit; and using at least one processor circuit, performing one or more operations corresponding to an operational code to generate pixel data for the graphical image. Another exemplary method for processing a data file which has not been fully compiled to a machine code and comprising interpretable descriptions of the graphical image in a non-pixel-bitmap form, comprises: separating the data file from other data; parsing and converting the data file to a plurality of hardware-level operational codes and corresponding data; and performing a plurality of operations in response to at least some hardware-level operational codes to generate pixel data for the graphical image. Exemplary embodiments also may be performed automatically by a system comprising one or more computing devices.
US08432402B2 Apparatus for retouching and displaying image and method of controlling the same
Disclosed is an improved apparatus and method for display of retouched images. The apparatus includes a storage medium, a display unit, and an image file retouch unit. The storage medium stores a plurality of image files, including both original and retouched images. When an image is retouched, the image file retouch unit stores the retouched image and modifies the original image file to include information about the retouched image (such as name or storage location). The display unit may then display both the original image and any retouched images associated therewith.
US08432401B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and image processing program
[Problems] An appropriate motion expression in which a processing load on image processing for a motion of a character is reduced and a predetermined site of the character is in contact with a contact allowed object appropriately is carried out.[Means for solving the Problems] An image processing apparatus 100 generates motion information by blending plural kinds of sample motion information with an arbitrary blend ratio; detects, on the basis of the generated motion information, a reachable position P when a character C is operated; associates coordinate information indicating the detected reachable position P with the blend ratio; causes virtual spheres B, which are arranged within a range in which the reachable position P exists in the virtual space, to correspond to the reachable position P; outputs a virtual sphere according to a state of the character C in the virtual space on the basis of virtual sphere information; receives selection of a virtual sphere that is in contact with the contact allowed object; and controls an action of the character C on the basis of motion information corresponding to a blend ratio associated with the coordinate information indicating the reachable position P, which is caused to correspond to the virtual sphere for which the selection is received.
US08432400B1 Transitional animation for generating tree maps
A two-dimensional tree representation of a hierarchical data structure is displayed. A first transitional animation is generated that graphically represents a first portion of the two-dimensional tree representation of the hierarchical data structure as a sequence of three-dimensional parallelograms, the sequence to be displayed between a first location with respect to the two-dimensional tree representation and a second location with respect to a two-dimensional tree representation of the hierarchical data structure. A final form three-dimensional parallelogram included in the sequence of three-dimensional parallelograms is displayed at the second location with respect to the three-dimensional tree representation of the hierarchical data structure.
US08432398B2 Characteristic determination for an output node
Systems, methods, and computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon determine whether an output value of a dependency graph has a particular characteristic. In one embodiment, to make this determination, a dependency graph is generated that illustrates external and internal nodes, in addition to their dependency to one another. External nodes, or those nodes that do not depend on other nodes, are analyzed to determine whether they have a particular characteristic. Depending on the operation associated with the characteristic, it may then be determined whether the output value of the dependency graph also has that characteristic.
US08432390B2 Apparatus system and method for human-machine interface
There is provided a 3D human machine interface (“3D HMI”), which 3D HMI may include: (1) an image acquisition assembly, (2) an initializing module, (3) an image segmentation module, (4) a segmented data processing module, (5) a scoring module, (6) a projection module, (7) a fitting module, (8) a scoring and error detection module, (9) a recovery module, (10) a three dimensional correlation module, (11) a three dimensional skeleton prediction module, (12) an output module and (13) a depth extraction module.
US08432378B2 Touch panel display with light source modules and camera for touch point detection
An exemplary touch panel display includes a display panel, light source modules, and a camera. The display panel includes a touch surface. The light source modules are disposed on a periphery of the display panel. Light from the light source modules cooperatively forms a substantially planar illumination field. The camera is provided at a periphery of the display panel. When an object contacts or is adjacent to the touch surface, some of the light of the illumination field is reflected by the object to the camera.
US08432374B2 SNR enhancement for differential input device
The present invention relates to a position detector and a touch sensing device of using same with SNR enhancement. In one embodiment, the position detector has (P+1) inputs, each input for receiving an input signal associated with a position, P being a positive integer, and P operational amplifiers, each operational amplifier having a non-inverting input and an inverting input, where the inverting input of the j-th operational amplifier is electrically connected to the non-inverting input of the (j+1)-th operational amplifier, and the non-inverting input and the inverting input of the j-th operational amplifier are electrically connected to the j-th input port and the (j+1)-th input port, respectively, j=1, 2, 3, . . . , (P−1).
US08432370B2 Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is disclosed. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel including a pixel array and touch sensors, a transparent conductive layer on one substrate of the liquid crystal display panel transmitting display light, a polarizing plate on the transparent conductive layer, a driving voltage supply circuit, and a signal transmitting unit electrically connecting the transparent conductive layer to the driving voltage supply circuit. A portion of the transparent conductive layer is connected to a ground level voltage source. The driving voltage supply circuit generates a driving voltage required to perform light sensing operations of the touch sensors during a touch period based on changes in an amount of surface charge of the transparent conductive layer depending on whether or not the polarizing plate is touched.
US08432368B2 User interface methods and systems for providing force-sensitive input
Methods and systems implement touch sensors or force sensitive materials disposed on the case of a computing device in order to enable user input gestures to be performed on portions of the device case. The force sensitive elements may generate an electrical signal in response to a gesture, such as a tap, squeeze, swipe or twist. The properties of the generated electrical signal may be compared to various reference templates to recognize particular input gestures. The force sensitive elements may operate in conjunction with more traditional input methods, such as touch-screen display and electromechanical buttons. By enabling user input gestures on the case of computing devices, the various aspects permit one hand operation of the devices including intuitive gestures that do not require the users focused attention to accomplish. Thus the various aspects may enable users to utilize their computing devices in situations not suitable to conventional user input technologies.
US08432365B2 Apparatus and method for providing feedback for three-dimensional touchscreen
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for providing various feedbacks for a proximity based systems or a 3D touchscreen. According to the embodiments, a field (or a recognition region) above a 3D touchscreen may be divided into a predetermined number of levels of sub fields and a configuration of a feedback provider or a feedback changed according to the change of the level in which an object such as a finger may be changed.
US08432361B2 Computer mouse
A computer mouse includes a driver module, a plurality of wheels, a control module, and a plurality of sensors. The control module is electrically connected to the driver module and the sensors, and is capable of controlling the driver module to drive the wheels. The driver module is capable of providing driving force and driving the wheels. The sensors are capable of sensing movement information of the computer mouse, and the control module controls the driver module to adjust the movement state of the wheels according to the movement information. Thus, the sensors can accurately sense and obtain the movement information to prevent the computer mouse from falling from a support plane.
US08432356B2 Button with edge mounted pivot point
A device disclosed herein reduces inadvertent activation of buttons mounted on edges of an electronic device. The button moves around an axis of rotation proximate to, and parallel with, the adjacent edge of the device. Thus, inadvertent pressure on an edge of the button adjacent to the edge of the device will not inadvertently activate the button. Additionally, the presence of the axis of rotation proximate to the edge maintains a desired reveal.
US08432351B2 Driving system for matrix type backlight module
A driving system for a matrix type backlight module having a plurality of light spots is provided. The driving system includes a timing controller providing a timing signal to control a starting up sequence and a turning on time for each of the plurality of light spots, a row driver electrically connected to the timing controller and providing a turning on time of the matrix type backlight module in a row direction according to the timing signal, and a column driver electrically connected to the timing controller and providing a turning on time of the matrix type backlight module in a column direction according to the timing signal.
US08432349B2 Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes plural video signal lines, plural video signal input terminals less in number than the video signal lines, and a switch circuit interposed between the video signal input terminals and the video signal lines. The switch circuit has plural switch elements and plural switching wires, wherein each of the video signal lines is connected to one of the video signal input terminals via one of the switch elements, and each of the video signal input terminals is connected to a plurality of the video signal lines. Further, switching wires, to which are connected the switch elements connected one to each of the plural video signal lines, differ from one another.
US08432332B2 Extensible user interface for digital display devices
In one embodiment, a system to manage video content comprises an index file management module comprising logic to generate an index file to describe content in an associated video file, store the index file for a video file in a first memory location, separate from a second memory location in which the video file is stored, receive, from a requesting entity, a request for access to the index file, in response to the request, download the index file to the requesting entity, and download the video file to the requesting entity.
US08432322B2 Electronic devices with capacitive proximity sensors for proximity-based radio-frequency power control
An electronic device may have a housing in which an antenna is mounted. An antenna window may be mounted in the housing to allow radio-frequency signals to be transmitted from the antenna and to allow the antenna to receive radio-frequency signals. Near-field radiation limits may be satisfied by reducing transmit power when an external object is detected in the vicinity of the dielectric antenna window and the antenna. A capacitive proximity sensor may be used in detecting external objects in the vicinity of the antenna. The proximity sensor may have conductive layers separated by a dielectric. A capacitance-to-digital converter may be coupled to the proximity sensor by inductors. The capacitive proximity sensor may be interposed between an antenna resonating element and the antenna window. The capacitive proximity sensor may serve as a parasitic antenna resonating element and may be coupled to the housing by a capacitor.
US08432317B2 Antenna module
An antenna module for a portable device includes a first antenna section, a second antenna section, a third antenna section, a feed section, and a ground section. The first antenna section and the third antenna section form a first groove. The feed section and the ground section are parallel to each other. The first antenna section and the second antenna section jointly connect with the feed section.
US08432312B2 System and method to obtain signal acquisition assistance data
Signal acquisition assistance data is obtained for receiving devices such as wireless position assisted location devices seeking signals from any source, such as satellite vehicles and base stations. The data may be obtained from previously acquired data, based upon evaluation of changes in parameters such as time and location that may jeopardize validity. In some cases the data may be adjusted for the changes in parameters. Refined data may be calculated by a receiver using partial measurements of signal sets, particularly if the acquisition assistance data provided by a remote entity includes more distinct parameters than have typically been provided. New data need not be obtained until the validity of previous data expires due to limitations upon temporal extrapolation using Doppler coefficients, unless mobile station movement that cannot be compensated is detected, and jeopardizes validity of the previous data.
US08432305B2 Electronic apparatus, control method thereof, remote control apparatus, and control method thereof
An electronic apparatus, control method thereof, remote control apparatus that controls the electronic apparatus, and control method thereof. The remote control apparatus includes a communication unit which communicates with the electronic apparatus; a user input unit which receives a user button selection indicating an input button; a sensing unit which senses movement of the remote control apparatus; and a control unit which controls the communication unit to transmit information about the user button selection to perform a function corresponding to the input button if the remote control apparatus is in a button input mode, and to transmit information about the movement of the remote control apparatus to the electronic apparatus to control the electronic apparatus by the movement if the remote control apparatus is in a motion recognition mode. Accordingly, controlling a game or a multimedia content is easier, and the user is provided with a new and interesting experience.
US08432298B2 Aircraft visual display system with direct page navigation
A visual display system is provided for an aircraft having a flight plan with a plurality of flight plan pages. The system includes a display unit configured to display at least one of the flight plan pages; an input device configured to receive an input from a user corresponding to a selected flight plan page from the plurality of flight plan pages; and a processor coupled to the monitor and the input device. The processor is configured to receive the input from the input device and provide the selected flight plan page to the display unit for display based on the input.
US08432296B2 System and method for deterring vehicle theft and managing vehicle parking
At the control apparatus which is at a location external to a vehicle, a communication link is established with a transponder at the vehicle. The vehicle is located in the immediate vicinity of the location. A continued presence of the vehicle in the vicinity of the location via the communication link is monitored.
US08432291B2 Diagnostic system and method for home appliance
A diagnostic system and method for a home appliance is provided. When the home appliance outputs product information as a sound signal, a service center remotely performs fault diagnosis of the home appliance by receiving the sound signal, detecting the product information from the sound signal, checking the state of the home appliance using diagnostic data included in the product information to determine whether the home appliance is out of order, diagnosing, when water supply malfunction including a water supply error or a water level sensor error has occurred, a cause of the water supply malfunction, and deriving a solution to the water supply malfunction. Upon deriving a diagnosis result through the fault diagnosis of the home appliance, the service center immediately notifies the user of the diagnosis result and may dispatch a service technician or may provide the user with a solution to allow the user to easily fix the fault without dispatching a service technician.
US08432290B2 Force measuring ratchet tie down
The present invention provides a force measuring ratchet tie down in the field of goods holding. The force measuring ratchet tie down of the invention addresses the technical problems such has insufficiently tight binding, severe difficulty in control and trouble in adjustment. The force measuring ratchet tie down includes a body assembly, a handle, a teeth stop board, a catch and a scroll. The handle is connected with the body assembly through the scroll. A binding belt having a fixable outer end is connected to the body assembly. Another binding belt having a fixable outer end is rolled on the scroll. A ratchet is fixed on the scroll. The body assembly is movably connected with a teeth stop board the end of which could be embedded among the teeth of the ratchet. The handle is movably connected with a catch the end of which could be embedded among the teeth of the ratchet. A sensor is placed at a forced part of the tie down, which is linked with a signal processing circuit and could generate a signal corresponding to the size of the tensioning force of the binding belt when the tie down is in operation. A display device is connected to the signal processing circuit. The force measuring ratchet tie down of the invention has advantages including a high safety property, a compact structure and a low manufacturing cost.
US08432288B2 Sensors in communication devices
Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for communication. In certain aspects, an apparatus for communication includes one or more sensors configured to measure a condition external to the apparatus, a circuit configured to determine when to transmit data based on the measurement to another apparatus, wherein the determination is based on at least one parameter configurable by the another apparatus, and a transmitter configured to transmit the data.
US08432280B2 System and method for indicating a swept mail sort pocket
Systems and methods for indicating a swept pocket in a mail processing system. A mail processing system includes a plurality of pockets configured to receive and retain processed mail until the processed mail is removed by a user, and a movable paddle disposed in each pocket to retain the processed mail in the respective pocket. The user moves the paddle in order to remove processed mail from the respective pocket. The mail processing system includes a sensor connected to detect when the paddle in one of the plurality of pockets has been moved by the user, and an indicator associated with each pocket and connected to activate when the sensor detects that the paddle in the associated pocket has been moved by the user.
US08432273B2 Method and apparatus for providing device recovery assistance
An apparatus for providing device recovery assistance may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least causing a device to be registered with a service, receiving a verification procedure from a platform associated with the service, the verification procedure defining device recovery parameters associated with maintenance of a loss status indicator indicating a loss status of the device, causing a device identifier associated with the device to be stored in a permanent storage medium of the device, and enabling device location reporting based on the received verification procedure in response to a determination that the device is classified as lost or stolen. A corresponding method and computer program product are also provided.
US08432272B2 Display device of a motor vehicle
A display device (1) of a motor vehicle, wherein the display device (1) has a display area having a display area center (3), wherein the display area has at least one inner area (4) and at least one lateral area (5), wherein the lateral area (5) is formed as a partial lateral area of a first cone which is characterized by an angle of aperture (φ) and a first cone axis (6), wherein a viewing ray (8) directed form at least one viewing unit (7) onto the display device center (3) intersects the first cone axis (6) in an intersecting angle (α) so that the sum of the half of the angle of aperture (φ/2) and the intersecting angle (α) is in an angular range from 75 degrees to 105 degrees, wherein the viewing unit (7) is positioned within a predefined position volume (11) in the motor vehicle.
US08432270B2 Mobile terminal for bicycle management and method for controlling operation of the same
A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the same are provided. In the method, position information of a different bicycle user or bicycle riding course information is displayed. Riding information of the different bicycle user is displayed or the bicycle riding course information is changed according to weather or the like. The method provides a navigation screen for bicycle riding and supports prevention of bicycle theft and accident.
US08432267B2 Method and apparatus to remotely set alarms on a mobile device
A method and apparatus for a mobile device to set an alarm based on an external request is described. In one embodiment of the invention, the mobile device receives the external request which includes a set of one or more parameters at least partially defining the alarm and a set of one or more actions to take upon the alarm triggering. Upon determining that the external request is trusted, the mobile device automatically sets the alarm on the mobile device according to the set of parameters included in the request. Upon the alarm triggering, the mobile device performs the set of actions included in the external request. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08432253B2 Zone determination by combining signal strength with topological factors
Active RFID technologies are used to tag assets and people within buildings or open areas, such as parking lots or military bases; and to identify, preferably within a few meters, the real-time location (RTL) of the tag, i.e. to create a real-time location system, known as an RTLS. A novel and complex algorithm is provided that combines signal strength computations with factors that incorporate physical realities, such as walls and floors, to determine a tag's real-time location more accurately.
US08432242B2 Soft latch bidirectional quiet solenoid
Embodiments of soft latching solenoids comprise a coil assembly (24); a plunger assembly (26); at least one flux conductor (28) comprising a flux circuit. The coil assembly (24) is fixedly situated with respect to a solenoid frame (21). The plunger assembly (26) is configured to linearly translate in a first direction along a plunger axis (32) upon application of a pulse of power to the coil assembly (24). The flux conductor(s) (28) is/are positioned radially exteriorly to the plunger assembly (26) to form the flux circuit. The flux circuit comprises the solenoid frame (21), the plunger assembly (26), and the at least one flux conductor (28). The flux circuit is arranged and configured so that the plunger assembly (26) is held in a plunger detent position upon cessation of the pulse of power.
US08432228B1 Power control circuit for radio frequency power amplifiers
A power control circuit for regulating an output voltage applied to a radio frequency power amplifier. The power control circuit includes an amplifier, a pass transistor and one or more saturation detectors. An input ramp voltage having a magnitude equal to a first voltage level is applied to a negative terminal of the amplifier. The pass transistor provides an output voltage at a drain terminal of the pass transistor. The saturation detector detects a magnitude of a voltage at a gate terminal of the pass transistor and generates a control current based on the magnitude of the voltage at the gate terminal of the pass transistor. The voltage regulating circuit reduces the magnitude of the input ramp voltage from the first voltage level to a third voltage level based on the control current.
US08432227B2 Power amplifier
A power amplifier includes: an amplifying element having a base into which input signals are inputted, a collector to which a collector voltage is applied, and an emitter; and a bias circuit supplying a bias current to the base of the amplifying element. The bias circuit includes a bias current lowering circuit which lowers the bias current when the collector voltage is lower than a prescribed threshold value.
US08432218B1 Harmonic-rejection power amplifier
A harmonic-rejection power amplifier is disclosed. In an embodiment, the harmonic-rejection power amplifier includes a plurality of stages, each stage comprising a respective signal-generation component coupled to a respective power amplifier, wherein the respective signal-generation component is configured to output a respective signal having a respective phase, and wherein the respective power amplifier is configured to output an amplified version of the respective signal. In the harmonic-rejection power amplifier, each respective phase differs from each other respective phase by a respective amount that is predefined based on a number of stages in the plurality of stages, and the plurality of stages are coupled in parallel to a combiner configured to combine the output of each respective power amplifier into a combined output. At least one harmonic in the combined output may be at least partially rejected.
US08432217B2 Amplifier
A configurable low noise amplifier circuit which is configurable between a first topology in which the low noise amplifier circuit includes a degeneration inductance stage whereby the low noise amplifier circuit operates as an inductively degenerated low noise amplifier, and a second topology in which the low noise amplifier circuit includes a common-gate low noise amplifier stage whereby the low noise amplifier circuit operates as a common-gate low noise amplifier. The second topology includes one or more internal input impedance matching components and the first topology does not include the one or more internal input impedance matching components.
US08432209B2 Method for power reduction and a device having power reduction capabilities
A device that includes a dual edge triggered flip-flop that has state retention capabilities, the dual edge triggered flip-flop includes: a retention latch that includes a first inverter, a second inverter and a first transfer gate; wherein the first and second inverters receive power during a power gating period; a second latch that includes a third inverter, a fourth inverter and a second transfer gate; wherein the third and fourth inverters are powered down during a power gating period; a third transfer gate that is coupled between input nodes of the retention latch and the second latch; wherein the third transfer gate is opened during the power gating period; wherein the first transfer gate is controlled by a control signal and the second transfer gate is controlled by an inverted control signal; wherein the retention latch stores, at the end of the power gating period a retention value; wherein the retention value is selected, in response to a value of the control signal when the power gating period starts, out of a first initial value stored at the retention latch at the beginning of the power gating period and a second initial value stored at the second latch at the beginning of the power gating period.
US08432206B2 Delay lock loop system with a self-tracking function and method thereof
A delay lock loop system includes a timing controller, an OR gate, an input buffer, a pulse generator, and a delay lock loop. The timing controller is used for outputting an external enable signal periodically while a power saving signal is at a logic-low voltage, and being disabled according to a logic-high voltage of the power saving signal. The pulse generator is used for generating a pulse according to the positive edge of the power saving signal. The OR gate is coupled to the timing controller for receiving the power saving signal, the pulse, and the external enable signal, and outputting an enable signal according to the power saving signal and the external enable signal. The delay lock loop is coupled to the OR gate and the input buffer for enabling the delay lock loop again according to the enable signal.
US08432203B2 System including circuitry for controlling a characteristic of a periodic signal and method for adjusting a signal
System and circuitry controlling characteristics of periodic signals. In one embodiment adjustment circuitry modifies periodic signal characteristic. A phase detector generates analog input signals indicative of a phase difference between the periodic signal and a reference signal. Conversion circuitry translates the analog input signals into digital signals. Signal driving circuitry, comprising a current source, provides control signals to the signal driving circuitry based on the digital signals. First input circuitry provides a first adjustment signal to the adjustment circuitry. Second input circuitry provides a second adjustment signal to the adjustment circuitry in response to the control signal. The first adjustment signal is based on input of analog signals to a circuit element in the first input circuitry to control the first adjustment signal. The second input circuitry is responsive to the control signal to provide the second adjustment signal with the digital version of the input signals.
US08432201B1 Phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit
A phase-locked loop (PLL) generates an oscillator signal based on an input reference signal. A voltage-to-current oscillator converts generates the oscillator signal based on a control. A charge pump circuit generates the charge pump current based on an error (feedback) signal. A low pass filter generates the control voltage based on the charge pump current. A capacitor is connected to an input terminal of the low pass filter that is charged to a voltage level of the control voltage by the low pass filter when the PLL is switched OFF. The voltage across the capacitor is buffered and fed back to the low pass filter when the PLL is switched ON, to reduce time taken by the VCO to generate the oscillator signal. The PLL is used in an electronic circuit to reduce the wake-up time of the electronic circuit.
US08432185B2 Receiver circuits for differential and single-ended signals
Receiver circuits for differential and single-ended signals are disclosed. A receiver may include a differential amplifier configured to receive a first signal of a differential pair at a first input and a second signal of the differential pair at a second input when operating in differential mode, and a single-ended signal at the first input and a reference signal at a third input when operating in single-ended mode. The receiver may also include an inverter coupled to the differential amplifier. The inverter may be configured to provide a first beta ratio in differential mode and a second beta ratio in single-ended mode. Several receivers may be used, for example, to process a differential clock signal and one or more single-ended data signals referenced to the clock signal and/or differential data signals referenced to a single-ended clock signal. The rise/fall delays of each signal through each respective receiver may be independently adjusted.
US08432173B2 Capacitive position sensor
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving one or more first signals indicating one or more first capacitive couplings of an object with a sensing element that comprises a sensing path that comprises a length. The first capacitive couplings correspond to the object coming into proximity with the sensing element at a first position along the sensing path of the sensing element. The method includes determining based on one or more of the first signals the first position of the object along the sensing path and setting a parameter to an initial value based on the first position of the object along the sensing path. The initial value includes a particular parameter value and is associated with a range of parameter values. The range of parameter values is associated with the length of the sensing path.
US08432161B2 Frequency selection method and hardening depth measurement method of eddy current measurement
Disclosed is a method of appropriately and easily selecting a combination of two different frequencies of an AC exciting signal used for eddy current measurement while decreasing or removing the dependence of the measurement accuracy on temperature. Three or more AC exciting signals of different frequencies are applied to an object under measurement by an exciting coil, and an induced current is produced. Detection signals corresponding to the frequencies are detected by a detection coil, and the phase difference between each detection signal and the AC exciting signal corresponding to each frequency is calculated from the detection signals corresponding to the frequencies. From the phase differences, a combination of two frequencies the phase differences of which are within a predetermined range is extracted. The lower frequency of the extracted combination is used for a first frequency, and the higher one is used as a second frequency. Thus, the combination of two frequencies are selected.
US08432160B2 Method for estimating the weight of the contents of a household appliance
A method for estimating the value of the weight of the contents of the oscillating assembly of an electronically controlled household appliance is provided. The oscillating assembly is connected to a frame by a suspension system having a damper. The damper includes at least two mechanical elements adapted to move reciprocally, a magnetic element which detects reciprocal motion, depending upon the distance between the two elements, the magnetic sensor generates an electrical signal. A reading of an initial value of an electric parameter, is taken when the oscillating assembly is empty. A mathematical function is identified on the basis of the initial value and of a plurality of predetermined parameters, which relate the electrical parameter to the weight of the contents. A second reading is taken when contents have been loaded in, and the value of the weight of the contents is estimated by using the mathematical function and electric parameters.
US08432159B2 Method and apparatus for monitoring wall thinning of a pipe using magnetostrictive transducers and variation of dispersion characteristics of broadband multimode shear horizontal (SH) waves
Magnetostrictive transducers for monitoring wall thinning in a pipe, and an apparatus and method for monitoring wall thinning in a pipe using magnetostrictive transducers are provided. The magnetostrictive transducers generate broadband multimode shear horizontal (SH) waves, and allow the generated SH waves to travel along the pipe, thus correctly monitoring a status of the wall thinning of the pipe. The apparatus includes a transmitting transducer which is installed outside of a pipe and generates shear horizontal (SH) waves traveling along the pipe, a receiving transducer which is spaced apart from the transmitting transducer and measures the shear horizontal (SH) waves traveling along the pipe, and a controller for monitoring wall thinning of the pipe by exciting and measuring output signals of the transmitting and receiving transducers.
US08432151B2 Film-thickness measuring device using PLL circuit
A phase comparator (4) for detecting a phase difference between a first signal and a second signal, a first oscillating circuit (1) for supplying the phase comparator with a reference signal as the first signal, and a DDS (8) as a second oscillating circuit for outputting a signal according to an output of the above-mentioned phase comparator are provided.As for a filter-thickness measuring device using the PLL circuit as a frequency measurement circuit, a crystal oscillator (11) which is made of quartz etc. and connected to the first oscillating circuit is accommodated in a vacuum chamber (C). It is arranged that the frequency measurement circuit which constitutes the PLL circuit measures a film thickness of the film forming material based on a change of a natural frequency of a piezoelectric crystal, the change being caused by the film forming material deposited on the piezoelectric element in the vacuum chamber.
US08432150B2 Methods for operating an array column integrator
Methods are described for reading a chemically-sensitive field-effect transistor (chemFET) with an improved signal-to-noise ratio. In one embodiment, a method is described for reading a chemFET having a first terminal and a second terminal, and a floating gate coupled to a passivation layer. The method includes biasing the first terminal of the chemFET to a first bias voltage during a read interval. The second terminal of the chemFET is coupled to a data line during the read interval. A current is induced through the chemFET via the data line. An output signal proportional to an integral of a voltage or current on the data line is generated in response to the induced current through the chemFET during the read interval.
US08432134B2 Electronic apparatus with remaining battery power indicating function
An electronic apparatus has a multiplicity of display units including an electronic viewfinder and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. The apparatus has various display modes. The remaining battery power, i.e., estimated amounts of remaining battery times relative to a current remaining battery capacity, are calculated for the respective display modes. The calculated remaining battery power is collectively displayed as the remaining battery power information on the respective display units. The remaining battery power can be obtained for all the display modes even when the battery is being charged, so that a user can always grasp the remaining battery power of any of the display modes.
US08432132B2 Battery pack manager
A manager that lessens a difference in state of charge of a battery pack. The battery pack is constituted of a plurality of blocks. A slave unit is provided for each of the blocks, to thus detect a terminal voltage of the block and supply the detected terminal voltage to a master unit. A difference arises in state of charge among the blocks for reasons of a difference in current consumption of the respective slave units. The master unit makes up an operation clock signal for each of the slave units from a high frequency signal and a low frequency signal. A difference in state of charge among the blocks is lessened by controlling an appearance ratio of the high frequency signal to the low frequency signal for each of the slave units.
US08432130B2 Wireless rechargeable battery
A wireless rechargeable battery includes a housing, a circuit module, an energy storage unit, and a plurality of electrodes. The wireless rechargeable battery is adapted to be disposed on a wireless charging device to be wirelessly charged. The circuit module includes a receiving unit and a power management unit. The receiving unit is disposed in the housing and adapted to receive electric energy from the wireless charging device. The power management unit is disposed in the housing and electrically coupled to the receiving unit. The energy storage unit is disposed in the housing and electrically coupled to the power management unit. The electric energy is adapted to be inputted to the energy storage unit via the power management unit. The electrodes are disposed on the housing and electrically coupled to the power management unit. The electric energy is adapted to be outputted to the electrodes via the power management unit.
US08432126B2 Rapid offboard charging via selective energizing of designated semiconductor switches and induction coils in an electric or hybrid electric vehicle
A vehicle includes an energy storage system (ESS) rechargeable using electrical power from an off-board AC power supply, a traction power inverter module (TPIM), one or two motors, and a controller. The TPIM has two inverters. The controller energizes designated semiconductor switches of the TPIM and designated induction coils of the motor to boost electrical power from the AC power supply for charging the ESS when the vehicle is not running. With two motors, a contactor allows induction coils of a first motor to be connected to the switches of the first inverter as an input filter, and an additional semiconductor switch is positioned between the ESS and an output side of the switches of the second inverter. A controller charges the ESS by energizing designated semiconductor switches of the TPIM and induction coils of the motor to charge the ESS without using an onboard battery charger module.
US08432122B2 Method and device for starting single-phase asynchronous motors
A method and device for starting single-phase asynchronous motors which substantially consists in disengaging the start winding of a single-phase asynchronous motor, after its starting, by using a switching means that is connected in series to the start winding. The switching means is controlled as a function of a starting time and of a starting voltage.
US08432115B2 Motor drive circuit
A motor-drive circuit includes: H-bridge circuits in a pair each including first-source and first-sink transistors, and second-source and second-sink transistors, wherein a motor coil connected between a connection point of the first-source and first-sink transistors and a connection point of the second-source and second-sink transistors; a current-detection circuit to detect a current flowing through the motor coil of each of the H-bridge circuits; an oscillation circuit; and a control circuit to control the H-bridge circuits so as to turn on the first-source and second-sink transistors of each of the H-bridge circuits at intervals of a predetermined period based on an oscillation signal, and turn off the second-sink transistor of each of the H-bridge circuits after a value of a current flowing through the motor coil of each of the circuits reaches a predetermined value, based on a detection result of the current-detection circuit.
US08432113B2 Brushless fan motor control circuit assembly
A brushless fan motor control circuit assembly consists of a high-frequency filter circuit, a rectifier circuit, a power factor enhancing circuit, a current-limit and voltage regulation circuit and a brushless fan motor driving circuit. By means of the high-frequency filter circuit to suppress high frequency noises, the power factor enhancing circuit to enhance the power factor and to save power consumption, the current-limit and voltage regulation circuit to limit the current and to achieve overload protection, the brushless fan motor control circuit assembly controls the operation of a motor of an electric accurately and safely, avoiding fan vibration.
US08432109B2 Method and apparatus for a LED driver with high power factor
A control circuit of a LED driver according to the present invention comprises an output circuit, an input circuit and an input-voltage detection circuit. The output circuit generates a switching signal to produce an output current for driving at least one LED in response to a feedback signal. The switching signal is coupled to switch a transformer. The input circuit samples an input signal for generating the feedback signal. The input signal is correlated to the output current of the LED driver. The input-voltage detection circuit generates an input-voltage signal in response to an input voltage of the LED driver. The input circuit will not sample the input signal when the input-voltage signal is lower than a threshold. The control circuit can eliminate the need of the input capacitor for improving the reliability of the LED driver.
US08432105B2 Light control apparatus for lighting an organic electroluminescence device and lighting appliance using the same
A light control apparatus and a lighting appliance using the same enable increased luminous efficiency in light control and elongated operative life of a light source. The lighting appliance includes a light source and a light control apparatus. The light control apparatus comprises an electric current output circuit that outputs a constant electric current for lighting to a light source configured of an organic electroluminescence device, and a light control circuit that performs light control of the light source by intermittently supplying the constant electric current outputted from the electric current output circuit. The light control apparatus also comprises an electric discharge prevention circuit (diode) that prevents electric discharge of an electric charge charged in a capacitive component of the organic electroluminescence device.
US08432103B2 LED drive circuit, LED illumination fixture, LED illumination device, and LED illumination system
An LED drive circuit in which an alternating voltage is input and an LED is driven, and which is capable of connecting to a phase control dimmer. The LED circuit is provided with a current extractor for extracting a current from a power supply feed line for feeding an LED drive current to the LED; and an extraction timing adjuster for operating the current extractor for a predetermined period of time after the start of a voltage fluctuation in the power supply feed line, the voltage fluctuation accompanying output oscillation of the phase control dimmer.
US08432101B2 Display device
A display device includes a display unit in which display elements provided with pixel circuits are arranged so as to have a sequence of three different colors in a row direction and the colors are shifted in a column direction by 1.5 columns. A scanning line is provided in every row of the display unit, a signal line is provided in every column of the display unit, and a column control circuit outputs a display signal for every column. The positions of the pixel circuits are displaced in the row direction with respect to the arrangement of the display elements, and are thus aligned in the column direction and also connected to the signal line only on one side of the signal line. No inversion of the pixel circuit pattern occurs and variations of the circuit characteristics in every row are suppressed.
US08432099B2 Systems and methods for controlling brightness of cold-cathode fluorescent lamps with wide dimming range and adjustable minimum brightness
System and method for adjusting brightness of one or more cold-cathode fluorescent lamps. The system includes a voltage selector configured to receive a dimming voltage and a first threshold voltage and generate an output voltage. The output voltage is selected from a group consisting of the dimming voltage and the first threshold voltage. Additionally, the system includes an oscillator coupled to a first capacitor and configured to generate a ramp signal with the first capacitor, and a signal generator configured to receive the ramp signal and the output voltage and generate a first signal. The first signal corresponds to a lamp brightness level. Moreover, the system includes a brightness detector configured to receive the first signal and output a second signal. The second signal indicates whether the lamp brightness level is higher than a threshold brightness level.
US08432085B2 Multi-layer piezoelectric element having low rigidity metal layers, and ejection apparatus and fuel ejection system that employ the same
A multi-layer piezoelectric element having high durability of which amount of displacement is suppressed from varying even when operated continuously over a long period of time with a higher electric field under a high pressure is provided.The multi-layer piezoelectric element which has a multi-layer structure, the multi-layer structure comprising a plurality of piezoelectric material layers and a plurality of metal layers that are stacked alternately, wherein the piezoelectric material layer is constituted from a plurality of piezoelectric crystal grains, the plurality of metal layers comprise internal electrodes and low-rigidity metal layer that has rigidity lower than those of the internal electrodes and the piezoelectric material layer, and wherein the low-rigidity metal layer has a plurality of metal parts that are separated from each other, and an end of the metal part infiltrates between the piezoelectric crystal grains.
US08432082B2 Armature and motor
An armature includes a core-back, insulator members, coils and insulating sheets. The insulating sheets are arranged between the coils adjacent to one another. Each of the insulator members includes a flange-shaped inner wall portion positioned radially inwards of each of the insulating sheets. The inner wall portions of the insulator members adjacent to each other include opposing portions opposed to each other in a radially spaced-apart contactless relationship.
US08432075B2 Electric machine having an integrated coolant level sensor
An electric machine includes a housing having a coolant collection area, a stator mounted within the housing, a rotor assembly rotatably mounted within the housing relative to the stator, and a coolant level sensor arranged at the coolant collection area. The coolant level sensor includes a sensing surface configured and disposed to detect a level of coolant collected in the coolant collection area.
US08432066B2 Non-contact power transmission apparatus and method for designing non-contact power transmission apparatus
A non-contact power transmission apparatus having a resonance system is disclosed. The resonance system includes a primary coil to which an alternating-current voltage from an alternating-current source is applied, a primary-side resonance coil, a secondary-side resonance coil, and a secondary coil to which a load is connected. The impedance of the primary coil is set such that the output impedance of the alternating-current source and the input impedance of the resonance system are matched to each other.
US08432047B2 Device for conversion of thermodynamic energy into electrical energy
A device for conversion of thermodynamic energy into electrical energy includes a piston/cylinder unit (16), a generator (18), and a controller (14). The piston/cylinder unit (16) includes a pressure cylinder (24) and a piston (26) arranged in the pressure cylinder (24) and linearly movable by a change in volume of a working medium. The generator (18) includes a coil (22) and a magnet (20). The magnet (20) is coupled to the piston (26) such that a linear movement of the piston (26) effects a linear movement of the magnet (20) within the coil (22). The controller (14) controls the working stroke of the device as a function of at least one measured process parameter.
US08432038B2 Through-silicon via structure and a process for forming the same
A through-silicon via (TSV) structure and process for forming the same are disclosed. A semiconductor substrate has a front surface and a back surface, and a TSV structure is formed to extend through the semiconductor substrate. The TSV structure includes a metal layer, a metal seed layer surrounding the metal layer, a barrier layer surrounding the metal seed layer, and a metal silicide layer formed in a portion sandwiched between the metal layer and the metal seed layer.
US08432029B2 Signal light using phosphor coated LEDs
A method for creating an improved signal light is disclosed. For example, the improved signal light includes a housing, one or more first type of light emitting diodes (LEDs) emitting a light energy having a first dominant wavelength deployed in the housing, one or more second type of LEDs emitting a light energy having a second dominant wavelength deployed in the housing, a filter and a mixer. The filter may filter the light energy of the one or more second type of LEDs such that only a third dominant wavelength passes from the one or more second type of LEDs. The mixer may mix the light energy having the first dominant wavelength and the filtered light energy having the third dominant wavelength to form a light energy having a desired fourth dominant wavelength.
US08432013B2 Semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device is provided with a peripheral region that has a narrow width and exhibits good electric field relaxation and high robustness against induced charges. The device has an active region for main current flow and a peripheral region surrounding the active region on a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type. The peripheral region has a guard ring of a second conductivity type composed of straight sections and curved sections connecting the straight sections formed in a region of the principal surface surrounding the active region, and a pair of polysilicon field plates in a ring shape formed separately on inner and outer circumferential sides of the guard ring. The surface of the guard ring and the pair of polysilicon field plates of the inner circumferential side and the outer circumferential side are electrically connected with a metal film in the curved section.
US08432007B2 MEMS package and method for the production thereof
A micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) package is described herein. The package includes a carrier substrate having a top side, a MEMS chip mounted on the top side of the carrier substrate, and at least one chip component on or above the top side of the carrier substrate or embedded in the carrier substrate. The package also includes a thin metallic shielding layer covering the MEMS chip and the chip component and forming a seal with the top side of the carrier substrate.
US08432000B2 Trench MOS barrier schottky rectifier with a planar surface using CMP techniques
High Efficiency Diode (HED) rectifiers with improved performance including reduced reverse leakage current, reliable solderability properties, and higher manufacturing yields are fabricated by minimizing topography variation at various stages of fabrication. Variations in the topography are minimized by using a CMP process to planarize the HED rectifier after the field oxide, polysilicon and/or solderable top metal are formed.
US08431989B2 Shielded gate trench (SGT) MOSFET devices and manufacturing processes
This invention discloses a semiconductor power device that includes a plurality of power transistor cells surrounded by a trench opened in a semiconductor substrate. At least one of the cells constituting an active cell has a source region disposed next to a trenched gate electrically connecting to a gate pad and surrounding the cell. The trenched gate further has a bottom-shielding electrode filled with a gate material disposed below and insulated from the trenched gate. At least one of the cells constituting a source-contacting cell surrounded by the trench with a portion functioning as a source connecting trench is filled with the gate material for electrically connecting between the bottom-shielding electrode and a source metal disposed directly on top of the source connecting trench. The semiconductor power device further includes an insulation protective layer disposed on top of the semiconductor power device having a plurality of source openings on top of the source region and the source connecting trench provided for electrically connecting to the source metal and at least a gate opening provided for electrically connecting the gate pad to the trenched gate.
US08431979B2 Power converter having integrated capacitor
A power supply module (400) comprising a metal leadframe with a pad (401) and a first metal clip (440) including a plate (440a), an extension (440b) and a ridge (440c); the plate and extension are spaced from the leadframe pad, and the ridge connected to an input supply. A synchronous Buck converter is in the space between the clip plate and the leadframe pad, the converter including a control FET die (410) soldered onto a sync FET die (420), the clip plate soldered to the control die having an input inductance (462), and the sync die soldered to the leadframe pad having an output capacitance. A capacitor (480a, 480b) integrated into the space between the clip extension and the leadframe pad, the clip extension soldered to the capacitor having a desired integrated inductance (463) operable to channel electrical energy from the switch node to ground.
US08431967B2 Semiconductor device
A layout of a semiconductor device is capable of reliably reducing a variation in gate length due to the optical proximity effect, and enables flexible layout design to be implemented. Gate patterns (G1, G2, G3) of a cell (C1) are arranged at the same pitch, and terminal ends (e1, e2, e3) of the gate patterns are located at the same position in the Y direction, and have the same width in the X direction. A gate pattern (G4) of a cell (C2) has protruding portions (4b) protruding toward the cell (C1) in the Y direction, and the protruding portions (4b) form opposing terminal ends (eo1, eo2, eo3). The opposing terminal ends (eo1, eo2, eo3) are arranged at the same pitch as the gate patterns (G1, G2, G3), are located at the same position in the Y direction, and have the same width in the X direction.
US08431961B2 Memory devices with a connecting region having a band gap lower than a band gap of a body region
Memory devices are shown that include a body region and a connecting region that is formed from a semiconductor with a lower band gap than the body region. Connecting region configurations can provide increased gate induced drain leakage during an erase operation. Configurations shown can provide a reliable bias to a body region for memory operations such as erasing, and containment of charge in the body region during a boost operation.
US08431955B2 Method and structure for balancing power and performance using fluorine and nitrogen doped substrates
Methods and systems evaluate an integrated circuit design for power consumption balance and performance balance, using a computerized device. Based on this process of evaluating the integrated circuit, the methods and systems can identify first sets of integrated circuit transistor structures within the integrated circuit design that need reduced power leakage and second sets of integrated circuit transistor structures that need higher performance to achieve the desired power consumption balance and performance balance. With this, the methods and systems alter the integrated circuit design to include implantation of a first dopant into a substrate before a gate insulator formation for the first sets of integrated circuit transistor structures; and alter the integrated circuit design to include implantation of a second dopant into the substrate before a gate insulator formation for the second sets of integrated circuit transistor structures. The method and system then output the altered integrated circuit design from the computerized device and/or manufactures the device according to the altered integrated circuit design.
US08431949B2 Semiconductor light emitting device and method for manufacturing the same
A light emitting device includes a semiconductor light emitting element, a first lead including an element mount portion on which the semiconductor light emitting element is mounted, and a second lead electrically connected to the semiconductor light emitting element. The light emitting device further includes a resin package covering the semiconductor light emitting element and part of each of the first and the second leads. The resin package includes a lens portion facing the semiconductor light emitting element. The first lead includes a pair of standing portions spaced from each other with the element mount portion intervening between them and a pair of terminal portions extending from the standing portions in mutually opposite directions. Each of the standing portions projects from the resin package in a direction away from the lens portion.
US08431948B2 Light emitting diode package and fabrication method thereof
A light emitting diode package and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The light emitting diode package comprises a lead frame, having a frame body and a conductive layer covering the frame body. A reflector has a first portion and a second portion sandwiching the lead frame, wherein the first portion has a depression to expose the lead frame, and a light emitting diode chip is disposed on the lead frame in the depression. The fabrication method comprises forming a frame body and forming a conductive layer covering the frame body to form a lead frame. A first portion and a second portion of a reflector are formed to sandwich the lead frame, wherein the first portion has a depression to expose the lead frame. A light emitting diode chip is disposed on the lead frame in the depression.
US08431945B2 Light emitting device, light emitting device package, and lighting system
Disclosed are a light emitting device, a light emitting device package, and a lighting system. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer on, a light transmissive substrate having a refractive index lower than a refractive index of a compound semiconductor layer, and a mirror structure layer having a structure in which a first mirror layer having a first refractive index and a second mirror layer having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index are alternately stacked on each other. The first mirror layer has a thickness of W·λ/(4·n1·m), and the second mirror layer has a thickness of W·λ/(4·n2·m) in which the W represents a weight constant in a range of about 1.05 to about 1.25.
US08431934B2 Light emitting diode chip and manufacturing method thereof
An exemplary LED chip includes a substrate, a buffer layer formed on the substrate and a light emitting layer formed on the buffer layer. The light emitting layer includes an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer. A first electrode is electrically connected with one of the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer. A second electrode is electrically connected with the other one of the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer. A bonding pad is formed on a top surface of the first electrode. A bonding wire is secured to the bonding pad. A ratio between a contacting area between the bonding pad and the top surface of the first electrode and an area of the top surface of the first electrode is no less than 6:10.
US08431926B2 Semiconductor device having oxide semiconductor layer
It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor whose electric characteristics are stable. An insulating layer which covers an oxide semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor contains a boron element or an aluminum element. The insulating layer containing a boron element or an aluminum element is formed by a sputtering method using a silicon target or a silicon oxide target containing a boron element or an aluminum element. Alternatively, an insulating layer containing an antimony (Sb) element or a phosphorus (P) element instead of a boron element covers the oxide semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor.
US08431924B2 Control of tunneling junction in a hetero tunnel field effect transistor
A method to fabricate a hetero-junction in a Tunnel Field Effect Transistor device configuration (e.g. in a segmented nanowire TFET) is provided. A thin transition layer is inserted in between the source region and channel region such that the out-diffusion is within a very limited region of a few nm, guaranteeing extremely good doping abruptness thanks to the lower diffusion of the dopants in the transition layer. The transition layer avoids the direct contact between the highly doped source region and the lowly doped or undoped channel and allows to contain the whole doping entirely within the source region and transition layer. The thickness of the transition layer can be engineered such that the transition layer coincides with the steep transition step from the highly doped source region to the intrinsic region (channel), and hence maximizing the tunneling current.
US08431922B2 Lateral phase change memory
A lateral phase change memory includes a pair of electrodes separated by an insulating layer. The first electrode is formed in an opening in an insulating layer and is cup-shaped. The first electrode is covered by the insulating layer which is, in turn, covered by the second electrode. As a result, the spacing between the electrodes may be very precisely controlled and limited to very small dimensions. The electrodes are advantageously formed of the same material, prior to formation of the phase change material region.
US08431921B2 Memristor having a triangular shaped electrode
A memristor includes a first electrode having a triangular cross section, in which the first electrode has a tip and a base, a switching material positioned upon the first electrode, and a second electrode positioned upon the switching material. The tip of the first electrode faces the second electrode and an active region in the switching material is formed between the tip of the first electrode and the second electrode.
US08431920B2 Information recording and reproducing device for high-recording density
According to one embodiment, an information recording and reproducing device includes a recording layer which includes a typical element and a transition element, and stores a state of a first electric resistivity and a state of a second electric resistivity different from the first electric resistivity by a movement of the typical element, and an electrode layer which is disposed at one end of the recording layer to apply a voltage or a current to the recording layer. The recording layer includes a first region which is in contact with the electrode layer and the electrode layer includes a second region which is in contact with the recording layer. The first and second regions are opposite to each other. And the first and second regions include the typical element, and a concentration of the typical element in the second region is higher than that in the first region.
US08431913B2 Charged particle beam processing method
In a method for processing a surface of an object by radiating a plurality of charged particle beams to the surface of the object while moving the charged particle beams relative to the surface of the object, steps includes radiating a first charged particle beam and a second charged particle beam simultaneously to the surface of an object, and controlling a relative speed of the movement of the first charged particle beam to the surface of the object to correct the shape of the surface of the object with the first charged particle beam. In addition, the second charged particle beam is controlled according to a variation in the relative speed of the movement of the first charged particle beam so as to make a number of particles of the second charged particle beam that reach a unit area of the surface of the object constant, thereby smoothing the surface of the object.
US08431912B2 Simultaneous measurement of beams in lithography system
The present invention relates to a lithography system in which intensities of individually modulated beams from a multitude of beams are determined, comprising a measuring device with a sensor having a sensor area adapted for simultaneously sensing a plurality of beams and providing an aggregated signal thereof. The beams are individually modulated according to associated temporal blanking patterns. The present invention further relates to a method for calculating individual beam intensities dependent on the measured aggregated signal and the temporal blanking patterns of the beams.
US08431904B2 Data-processing electronics for use in a positron-emission tomography system
Improved processing electronic hardware are disclosed that facilitate the efficient processing of PET system data, while enhancing accuracy and compatibility of PET systems with other analytical methods (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging). Improvements include the use of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for summing, by row, column, and diagonal, the output signals from an array of photodetectors in the PET system.
US08431896B2 Method for obtaining images from slices of specimen
The invention relates to a method for obtaining images from slices of a specimen, the method comprising: repeatedly obtaining an image of the surface layer of the specimen (1) and removing the surface layer of the specimen, thereby bringing the next slice to the surface; characterized in that after at least one of the removals of a surface layer the specimen is exposed to a staining agent. This method is especially suited for use in a particle-optical instrument equipped with both a scanning electron microscope column (20) and a focused ion beam column (10). The specimen can e.g. be stained in situ by admitting a gas, such as OsO4 (osmiumtetroxide), to the specimen. This method also makes it possible to perform differential staining by first making an image of the specimen exposed to a first staining agent, and subsequently making an image of the specimen when it is additionally stained by a second staining agent.
US08431894B2 Electron beam device
An electron beam device has an electron gun for generating an electron beam, an objective lens for focusing the electron beam on an object and at least one detector for detecting electrons emitted by the object or electrons backscattered by the object. Detection of electrons emitted by or backscattered by an object may be simplified and improved using quadrupole devices and certain configurations of these devices provided in the electron beam device.
US08431891B2 Dual beam apparatus with tilting sample stage
An ion beam processing apparatus includes an ion beam irradiation optical system that irradiate a rectangular ion beam to a sample held on a first sample stage, an electron beam irradiation optical system that irradiates an electron beam to the sample, and a second sample stage on which a test piece, extracted from the sample by a probe, is mounted. An angle of irradiation of the ion beam can be tilted by rotating the second sample stage about a tilting axis. A controller controls the width of skew of an intensity profile representing an edge of the rectangular ion beam in a direction perpendicular to a first direction in which the tilting axis of the second sample stage is projected on the second sample stage surface so that the width will be smaller than the width of skew of an intensity profile representing another edge of the ion beam in a direction parallel to the first direction.
US08431885B2 Gamma-ray detectors for downhole applications
Methods and related systems are described for gamma-ray detection. A gamma-ray detector is made depending on its properties and how those properties are affected by the data analysis. Desirable properties for a downhole detector include; high temperature operation, reliable/robust packaging, good resolution, high countrate capability, high density, high Z, low radioactive background, low neutron cross-section, high light output, single decay time, efficiency, linearity, size availability, etc. Since no single detector has the optimum of all these properties, a downhole tool design preferably picks the best combination of these in existing detectors, which will optimize the performance of the measurement in the required environment and live with the remaining non-optimum properties. A preferable detector choice is one where the required measurement precision (logging speed) is obtained for all of the required inelastic elements and/or minimization of unwanted background signals that complicate the data analysis.
US08431883B2 Photoelectric conversion device comprising a current mirror circuit connected to a field effect transistor, a buffer and a voltage detection circuit
It is an object to provide a photoelectric conversion device which can solve the problem of leakage current or noise caused when the photoelectric conversion device is connected to an external circuit by amplifying the current flows through the photoelectric conversion element, and which can widen dynamic range of the output voltage which is obtained in accordance with the current flowing through the photoelectric conversion element. The photoelectric conversion device includes a voltage detection circuit, and a photoelectric conversion circuit including a photoelectric conversion element, a current mirror circuit, and a field effect transistor. The current mirror circuit is a circuit which amplifies and outputs a photocurrent generated at the photoelectric conversion element. The voltage detection circuit is connected to the gate terminal of the field effect transistor so as to detect generated voltage.
US08431876B2 System for controlled aging of electrical windings
The present invention provides system for testing an electrical winding element that is usually a stator bar or a stator winding. The stator bar is attached to a short circuit conductive element to form a closed short circuit of a single turn that acts as a primary circuit. The closed short circuit is connected to a step-up transformer that will act as a secondary circuit and which has at least two turns. The step-up transformer uses a controlled variable voltage source that charges the closed short circuit. Charging the closed short circuit creates a current in the stator bar inner conductive element, causing heat on the stator bar by induction. The system of the present invention is suitable for an accelerated thermal aging test that simulates closely how heat is created by induction on stator bars of electric machines.
US08431866B2 Method of installing and removing a bracket on a mounting surface
A heat pad assembly for installation and/or removal of a bracket from a structure comprises a heating element. The heat pad assembly may have at least one and, more preferably, a plurality of perforations formed therein. The heating element may be configured to generate heat upon the application of electrical current passing therethrough. The heat pad assembly may be used for temporary installation of a bracket to a mounting surface through the use of an adhesive which is installable between the bracket and the structure.
US08431855B2 Method of making a metal bellows assembly having an intermediate plate
The formation of a bellows made up of a stack of a predetermined number of ring-convolutions and having an intermediate plate supported within said stack is achieved by supplying several thin metal rings, each having inner and outer edges. A pair of these metal rings are positioned in contiguous relationship and their adjacent inside edges are welded together to form a ring-convolution. This process is repeated until a sufficient number of ring-convolutions are made to eventually make the desired bellows. Before these separate ring-convolutions are fused to each other, an intermediate plate and a support ring are made. The intermediate plate is a disc of metal that is sized smaller than the inside diameter of the rings and is secured to the support ring. The support ring is then positioned between two formed ring-convolutions in contiguous relationship and the three abutting outside edges are welded to each other to form a support plate convolution. The already made ring-convolutions and the support plate convolution are then stacked in the desired order and in contiguous relationship. All not-yet welded adjacent outside edges of said ring-convolutions and said support plate convolution are then welded to form the bellows. A bottom plate is formed and welded to the outside edge of the bottommost ring-convolution and a top ring is finally welded to the uppermost convolution to complete the bellows. The top ring is meant to be welded to a base plate of an infusion pump.
US08431847B2 Turning direction indicator device
A turning direction indicator device includes an actuator that rotates by an operation of an operating lever so as to be positioned at neutral and operational positions, a cover that has a lower surface having a guide groove therein extending in a rearward direction toward the cancel cam, a cam body that has an upper surface sliding with respect to the lower surface of the cover, an urging spring that urges the cam body in the rearward direction, a release element that rotates together with the actuator, and a grease provided between the upper surface of the cam body and the lower surface of the cover. The cam body includes ridges projecting from the upper surface of the cam body. The turning direction indicator device suppresses a hitting noise produced by the cam body and the release element with such a simple structure, and operates reliably.
US08431846B2 Transfer device for automatic transfer switch
Disclosed is a transfer device for an automatic transfer switch. With the configuration of the transfer device, the transfer device, which is installed between a plurality of air circuit breakers to allow switching of a closed state and a tripped state of the plurality of air circuit breakers, can be modularized so as to be easily assembled. A length of a transmission rod can be adjusted so as to facilitate assembly and maintenance of the transfer device and also minimize the probability of occurring an assembly error, allowing accurate closing and trip operations. The transmission rod may be provided with a buffer to reduce impact noise generated upon switching of the closing and trip operations of each air circuit breaker and enhance reliability of the device. Also, the transmission rod can be formed with a preset thickness without being curved (bent), thereby avoiding the transmission rod from being curved (bent), resulting in preventing a mis-operation from occurring during the closing and trip operations.
US08431845B2 Electrical switching apparatus and levering assembly therefor
A levering assembly for an electrical switching apparatus, such as a circuit breaker, which is removably disposed in a cassette, includes a mounting member coupled to the housing of the circuit breaker. A drive assembly is coupled to the mounting member and cooperates with the cassette. A powered actuator, such as an electric motor, is disposed on the mounting member and actuates the drive assembly to move the circuit breaker with respect to the cassette. The powered actuator is disposed within the housing of the circuit breaker. The mounting member, drive assembly and powered actuator form a self-contained sub-assembly, which is substantially disposed behind the circuit breaker cover. The levering assembly is operable from a remote location to automatically move the circuit breaker with respect to the cassette, to provide enhanced safety among other benefits.
US08431843B2 Luminous keyboard
The present invention discloses a luminous keyboard. The luminous keyboard includes an illumination element, a membrane circuit board, and a plurality of keys. The membrane circuit board includes an upper board and a lower board with a plurality of light guide points. The lower board and the upper board have a first circuit layout and a second circuit layout respectively to form a plurality of membrane switches. The plurality of light guide points of the lower board are used to aggregate and scatter light beams provided by the illumination element. Besides, the lower board includes a first membrane and a second membrane in order to increase the upward-scattering light quality of the plurality of light guide points.
US08431830B2 Interposer and electronic device
An interposer for connecting a semiconductor and a circuit board includes an insulating material sheet, a through hole which is formed in the insulating material sheet and an elastic conductive contact which is formed from an elastic conductive sheet and provided in the through hole.
US08431822B2 Electrical system having an electrical distribution center
An electrical distribution assembly is disclosed. The electrical distribution assembly includes an insulating base member having a primary bus bar channel. The insulating base member includes an isolation plate and sidewalls, to electrically isolate and support a current carrying primary bus bar and position the primary bus bar in the electrical distribution assembly. A plurality of bus bar securing bosses are disposed in the primary bus bar channel and are located between the sidewalls. The bus bar securing bosses are configured to engage a bus bar opening in the primary bus bar. A plurality of sub-bus bar channels, that are smaller in size than the primary bus bar channel are separated by the bus bar securing bosses. The sub-bus bar channels are defined by the isolation plate and sidewalls, and are configured to electrically isolate and support a secondary bus bar.
US08431817B2 Multi-junction solar cell having sidewall bi-layer electrical interconnect
Nanostructure array optoelectronic devices are disclosed. The optoelectronic device may be a multi junction solar cell. The optoelectronic device may have a bi-layer electrical interconnect that is physically and electrically connected to sidewalls of the array of nanostructures. The optoelectronic device may be operated as a multi junction solar cell, wherein each junction is associated with one portion of the device. The bi-layer electrical interconnect allows current to pass from one portion to the next. Thus, the bi-layer electrical interconnect may serve as a replacement for a tunnel junction, which is used in some conventional multi junction solar cells.
US08431815B2 Photovoltaic device comprising compositionally graded intrinsic photoactive layer
Photovoltaic devices and methods of making photovoltaic devices comprising at least one compositionally graded photoactive layer, said method comprising providing a substrate; growing onto the substrate a uniform intrinsic photoactive layer having one surface disposed upon the substrate and an opposing second surface, said intrinsic photoactive layer consisting essentially of In1-xAxN,; wherein: i. 0≦x≦1; ii. A is gallium, aluminum, or combinations thereof; and iii. x is at least 0 on one surface of the intrinsic photoactive layer and is compositionally graded throughout the layer to reach a value of 1 or less on the opposing second surface of the layer; wherein said intrinsic photoactive layer is isothermally grown by means of energetic neutral atom beam lithography and epitaxy at a temperature of 600° C. or less using neutral nitrogen atoms having a kinetic energy of from about 1.0 eV to about 5.0 eV, and wherein the intrinsic photoactive layer is grown at a rate of from about 5 nm/min to about 100 nm/min.
US08431805B2 Rice cultivar Roy J
A rice cultivar designated Roy J is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of rice cultivar Roy J, to the plants of rice cultivar Roy J, to plant parts of rice cultivar Roy J, and to methods for producing a rice plant produced by crossing rice cultivar Roy J with itself or with another rice variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a rice plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic rice plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to rice cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from rice cultivar Roy J, to methods for producing other rice cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from rice cultivar Roy J, and to the rice plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid rice seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing rice cultivar Roy J with another rice cultivar.
US08431800B1 Soybean cultivar 13285180
A soybean cultivar designated 13285180 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 13285180, to the plants of soybean cultivar 13285180, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 13285180, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 13285180. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 13285180. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 13285180, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 13285180 with another soybean cultivar.
US08431786B2 Soybean variety A1024751
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1024751. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1024751. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1024751 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1024751 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08431778B2 Soybean variety A1024341
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1024341. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1024341. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1024341 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1024341 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08431777B2 Soybean variety A1023849
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1023849. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1023849. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1023849 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1023849 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08431775B2 Methods and compositions for enhanced yield by targeted expression of knotted1
Methods and compositions for modulating expression of knotted1 (kn1) polypeptides in seed and reproductive tissue are provided. Polynucleotide sequences encoding knotted1 transcription factor polypeptides are expressed in a spatially and/or temporally regulated manner with expression preferentially in developing flowers, pods, ears and/or seeds, or to other reproductive structures during flowering and seed development, to create a sequestered effect resulting in plants that produce increased yield and may have greater flower, pod, ear and/or seed retention. Transformed plants, plant cells, tissues and seed are also provided.
US08431771B2 Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH041754
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH041754. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH041754, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH041754 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH041754.
US08431769B2 Non-aggregating fluorescent proteins and methods for using the same
Nucleic acid compositions encoding non-aggregating chromo/fluoroproteins and mutants thereof, as well as the proteins encoded by the same, are provided. The proteins of interest are polypeptides that are non-aggregating colored and/or fluorescent proteins, where the non-aggregating feature arises from the modulation of residues in the N-terminus of the protein and the chromo and/or fluorescent feature arises from the interaction of two or more residues of the protein. Also provided are fragments of the subject nucleic acids and the peptides encoded thereby, as well as antibodies to the subject proteins and transgenic cells and organisms. The subject protein and nucleic acid compositions find use in a variety of different applications. Finally, kits for use in such applications, e.g., that include the subject nucleic acid compositions, are provided.
US08431764B2 Para-xylene-separation with aluminosilicate X-type zeolite compositions with low LTA-type zeolite
A process for separating para-xylene from a mixture of C8 alkylaromatics comprises contacting the mixture of C8 alkylaromatics with a zeolitic binder-converted composition comprising (a) a zeolite X composition having at least a first zeolite X having a mean diameter not greater than 2.7 microns, and a second zeolite X, wherein the second zeolite X is obtained by converting a binder material to the second zeolite X and the binder material is in a range from 5 to 50 wt % of the zeolite X composition; and (b) an unconverted binder material content, after conversion to the second zeolite X is complete, in a range from 0 to 3 wt % of the zeolite X composition. The zeolite X composition has an average Si/Al framework mole ratio in a range from 1.0 to 1.5, and a relative LTA intensity not greater than 1.0, as determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD).
US08431761B2 Hydrocarbon dehydrogenation with zirconia
A method for obtaining an olefin is disclosed, the method comprising subjecting a paraffin to dehydrogenation in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of a catalyst comprising a crystalline substrate, to obtain an olefin. The catalyst includes an inert stabilizing agent for maintaining the catalyst crystal structure. The catalyst may be regenerated by being subjected, in air, to a temperature between about 550° C. and about 750° C., for a period of time between about 15 minutes and about 4 hours.
US08431759B1 Heavy alkylbenzene transalkylation operating cost reduction
A process for increasing the production of monoalkylbenzenes is presented. The process includes utilizing a transalkylation process to convert dialkylbenzenes to monoalkylbenzenes. The transalkylation process recycles a portion of the effluent stream from the transalkylation reactor back to the feed of the transalkylation reactor. The recycled dialkylbenzenes and a portion of the recycled benzene are converted to monoalkylbenzenes.
US08431754B2 Process for nitroalkane recovery by aqueous phase recycle to nitration reactor
Disclosed are a process and an apparatus for synthesizing nitroalkanes by reaction of a hydrocarbon feedstock with aqueous nitric acid. Energy and capital costs may be reduced by recycling a majority of the aqueous phase back to the reactor.
US08431739B2 Process for the preparation of gabapentin
This invention discloses a process for converting gabapentin acid salt to free gabapentin, where the salt is dissolved in an organic solvent in which both gabapentin acid salt and free gabapentin are soluble. The solution is treated with a powdered alkaline base to liberate free gabapentin which will remain in solution. The insoluble alkali salt of the acid is removed by filtration. From the filtrate free gabapentin is obtained either by adding anti-solvent or by extraction with water.
US08431727B2 Process for the manufacture of chroman derivatives, especially α-tocopherol and alka-noates thereof
The present invention relates to novel processes for the manufacture of chroman derivatives such as α-tocopherol (TCP) and alkanoates thereof, especially α-tocopheryl acetate (TCPA), whereby at least one step of the processes is carried out in the presence of a Lewis acid or a mixture of a Lewis acid with a Bronsted acid as the catalyst under pressure, preferably at an absolute pressure of at least 1.1 bar.As starting materials for the manufacture of TCP and its alkanoates either a mixture of 2,3,5-trimethylhydroquinone (TMHQ) or 2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-alkanoate (TMHQA) and a compound selected from the group consisting of phytol (PH), isophytol (IP) and (iso)phytol derivatives or 2-phytyl-3,5,6-trimethyl-hydroquinone (PTMHQ)/3-phytyl-2,5,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-alkanoate (PTMHQA) and/or an isomer thereof are used.Suitable Lewis acids are indium(III) salts and scandium(III) salts. Suitable acid mixtures are iron/iron(II) chloride/hydrogen chloride and zinc(II) chloride/hydrogen chloride.
US08431724B2 Iejimalid analoga and uses thereof
The invention relates to Iejimalides having the following formula (I) in which a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p are simple or double bonds, the continuous lines representing at least one simple bond, the dotted lines representing a possible bond. A double bond can be present but it is not necessary, and provided that a continuous line is also present, or a simple bond can be present if no other line is represented; m=0-20 and n1-n18=1, 2. The bonds can be used as chemotherapeutic agents for treating cancer.
US08431721B2 Oxygen scavenging molecules, articles containing same, and methods of their use
The invention relates to compounds of the structure of formula I and II: where X is selected from the group consisting of O, S and NH; Y, A and B are independently selected from the group consisting of N and CH; D, E and F are independently selected from the group consisting of CH, N, O and S; the symbol represents a single or a double bond; and R1, R2 and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, electron withdrawing groups and electron releasing groups. In other embodiments, the compounds are used as oxygen scavengers and in barrier compositions and articles.
US08431718B2 Process for the preparation of 5-fluoro-1-alkyl-3-fluoroalky1-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonyl chlorides and fluorides
The present invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of 5-fluoro-1-alkyl-3-fluoroalkyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonyl halides and the intermediates occurring in this process, ethyl 5-chloro-1-methyl-3-difluoromethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate and ethyl 5-fluoro-1-methyl-3-difluoromethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate.
US08431716B2 Preparation of alkylimidazolidone (meth)acrylates in water
The invention relates to special (methyl)acrylaic monomers and concerns more particularly an enhanced process for preparing solutions of alkylimiozolidone (meth)acrylates in water solutions of alkylimidazolidone (meth)acrylates in a light (meth)acrylate.
US08431715B2 Thiazole compound (as PPARδ) ligand and pharmaceutical, cosmetic and health food comprised thereof
The present invention relates to a thiazole compound as a peroxisome proliferator activated receptor δ (PPARδ) activator or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and a pharmaceutical composition, a functional cosmetic composition, a health food, health beverages, a food additive and animal feeds containing the same.
US08431706B2 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroqinoline derivative useful for the treatment of diabetes
The present invention provides a compound of the formula below or a pharmaceutical salt thereof, methods of treating diabetes using the compound and a process for preparing the compound.
US08431697B2 Triallyl isocyanurate, triallyl cyanurate and process for producing triallyl isocyanurate
The present invention provides triallyl isocyanurate comprising a less amount of corrosive substances by identifying the corrosive substances among impurities included in the triallyl isocyanurate. Triallyl isocyanurate of the present invention comprises an organic chlorine compound represented by the following general formula (I) in an amount of not more than 100 ppm: wherein R1 and R2 are respectively a chlorine atom or an allyoxy group with the proviso that at least one of R1 and R2 is a chlorine atom.
US08431696B2 Method for continuously producing melamine
A process for the continuous production of melamine from urea by means of a fluidized-bed reactor, wherein process gas guided in the process circuit is used as fluidizing gas and wherein the temperature of the process gas at the inlet of the conveying means for the fluidizing gas is adjusted by adjusting the mixing ratio of a process gas stream guided over a scrubber and of a process gas stream guided past the scrubber.
US08431692B2 Compositions and methods for treatment of ear disorders
The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions useful for topical, non-invasive delivery of an oligonucleotide to the ear and to methods for the treatment of an ear disorder, including hearing loss arising from chemical-induced ototoxicity, acoustic trauma and presbycusis; and microbial infections. The method comprises topically administering to the ear of a subject in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition comprising an inhibitory oligonucleotide, a permeability enhancer and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the oligonucleotide reduces or inhibits expression of a gene associated with the ear disorder in the subject.
US08431690B2 T cell receptors and related materials and methods of use
The invention provides an isolated or purified T cell receptor (TCR) having antigenic specificity for a cancer antigen, e.g., a renal cell carcinoma antigen, wherein the TCR recognizes the cancer antigen in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-independent manner. Also provided are related polypeptides, proteins, nucleic acids, recombinant expression vectors, isolated host cells, populations of cells, antibodies, or antigen binding portions thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions. The invention further provides a method of detecting the presence of cancer in a host and a method of treating or preventing cancer in a host using the inventive TCRs or related materials.
US08431686B2 Monoclonal antibodies directed against LG4-5 domain of alpha3 chain of human laminin-5
The present invention relates to a monoclonal antibody binding to the LG4/5 domain of chain alpha3 of human protein laminin-5, wherein said monoclonal antibody inhibits the binding of syndecan-1 to said laminin-5 alpha3 chain LG4/5 domain, in particular 1H12 monoclonal antibody produced by the hybridoma cell line named 1H12 deposited on Jan. 8, 2008 at the C. N. C. M. under number 1-3890, as well as chimerized, humanized derivatives and fragments thereof, and nucleic acid sequences encoding them, as well as vectors and host cells expressing them. The invention further relates to the medical application of such antibodies, in particular for treating cancer.
US08431667B2 Guayule natural rubber latex thin film articles
The present disclosure provides for a formula and process for making elastomeric rubber thin film articles. In particular, the formula and process is a system which produces non-Hevea or Guayule natural rubber latex (GNRL) thin film articles which have a thickness of 30-80 microns (0.03-0.08 mm), and preferably less than 40 microns (0.04 mm). These thin film articles exhibit physical strength properties similar to that of Hevea brazilensis natural rubber latex (NRL). More specifically, the disclosed thin rubber thin film articles exhibit unaged tensile strength of at least 24 MPa (about 3500 psi) and aged tensile strength of at least 19 MPa (about 2800 psi).
US08431660B2 Non-metallocene catalysts having tetrazol group for olefin polymerization and polymerizing method of olefin using the same
The present invention provides a non-metallocene transition metal compound that is easily produced, includes a tetrazol group having the high polymerization activity and high temperature stability in the polymerization of olefins, and a catalytic composition that includes the transition metal compound and a cocatalyst. In addition, the present invention provides a method for efficiently producing an olefin homopolymer or copolymer by using the catalytic composition.
US08431659B2 Prepolymerized catalyst for olefin polymerization, method of producing this prepolymerized catalyst and method of producing olefin polymer
A method of producing a prepolymerized catalyst for olefin polymerization comprising a fine powder removal step of removing fine particles from olefin-prepolymerized catalyst particles for olefin polymerization. The prepolymerized catalyst having a low fine particle content is applicable suitably to the field of continuous polymerization of olefins.
US08431649B2 Organosilicon compounds, production processes thereof, pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions containing the organosilicon compounds, self-adhesive polarizers and liquid crystal displays
Organosilicon compounds are represented by the following formula: wherein R is a hydrolyzable group, R′ is an alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, A is an alkylene having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, X is O or S, Y is —NH— or S, L1 and L2 are C or N, Z and M are —NH—, O or S, R1 to R11 are H, alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, alkoxy or fluoroalkyl, or amino, m is 1 to 3, and n is 0 to 3. R1 and R2 or R2 and R3 may bonded together. R5 and R6 or R9 and R10 may directly bond together. R4 and R2 or R8 and R11 may form a ring skeleton. Their production processes, pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions, self-adhesive polarizers and LCDs are also disclosed.
US08431634B2 Polypropylene resin composition and process for producing the same
A polypropylene resin composition comprising (a) 100 parts by weight of a resin composition, which contains 51 to 99% by weight of a propylene polymer and 1 to 49% by weight of an ethylene polymer having a density of 0.85 to 0.93 g/cm3, and (b) 0.001 to 0.5 part by weight of a metal salt defined by a specific chemical formula; and a process for producing such a polypropylene resin composition, comprising the steps of (1) mixing 1 to 100 parts by weight of the metal salt with 100 parts by weight of the propylene polymer and/or the ethylene polymer, thereby producing a master batch, and (2) mixing the master batch with a mixture containing the propylene polymer and the ethylene polymer.
US08431631B2 Aqueous pigmented yellow inkjet ink composition
The invention relates to an aqueous yellow inkjet ink composition for use in ink jet printers comprising an aqueous carrier, a yellow pigment, a polymeric dispersant, a surfactant, and a specific cosolvent mixture comprising a C2-C8 terminal alkanediol or a mixture thereof, a polyol/polyalkylene oxide condensate, a cyclic amide and its derivative, and a trihydric alcohol. The yellow inkjet ink demonstrates excellent stability, good maintenance characteristics and high heater reliability in permanent and semi permanent printheads. The ink also reduced post print paper curl without sacrificing print quality.
US08431629B2 Wet friction material including an inorganic filler
In a wet friction material, inorganic filler of small particle size is added to fill clearances or space between fibers with the inorganic filler. The inorganic filler is attached to the fibers with each other to reinforce strength of the wet friction material when an impregnated resin is hardened. Absolute specific gravity of the inorganic filler is set at a fixed value so as to make its compounding quantity small, thereby assuring a pore diameter of a friction material substrate without filling pores of the friction material substrate with the inorganic filler.
US08431619B2 Aqueous composition for cosmetics and cosmetic including the same
An aqueous composition, for alleviating at least one problem that conventional aqueous cosmetic compositions, includes (A) at least one selected from the group consisting of a cross-linked product of a hydroxyalkyl modified starch with a carbon number of 2 to 5, a cross-linked product of a hydroxyalkyl modified starch with a carbon number of 2 to 5 and an acyl modified starch with a carbon number of 2 to 18 and a cross-linked product of an acyl modified starch with a carbon number of 2 to 18; and (B) a water-soluble polymer material. When the water-soluble polymer material (B) is an association type poly(meth)acrylate polymer, a nonionic or cationic cellulose polymer, a poly(meth)acrylic acid polymer or xanthan gum, the aqueous composition exhibits excellent viscosity increase ratio and temporal stability.
US08431610B2 Alkanoylamino benzamide aniline HDAC inhibitor compounds
The present invention provides a compound of general Formula (I) having histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitory activity, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound, and a method useful to treat diseases using the compound.
US08431609B2 Process for preparation of pyrazole derivatives
A process for preparation of Pyrazole derivatives adapted for one pot reaction involving the use of a pyclizing agent and involving the step of amidation in the presence of a catalyst. The steps for isolation and purification of found Pyrazole derivatives are also disclosed.
US08431600B2 Carboxamides
Use of carboxamides of the formula (I) in which A, R1, M, Q and R are as defined in the description for controlling certain rust fungi, such as soya bean rust and coffee rust, in crop protection.
US08431596B2 [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine and [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine compounds and their use
The present invention pertains generally to the field of therapeutic compounds, and more specifically to certain triazolo compounds (referred to herein as TAZ compounds), and especially certain [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine and [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine compounds, which, inter alia, inhibit AXL receptor tyrosine kinase function. The present invention also pertains to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds and compositions, both in vitro and in vivo, to inhibit AXL receptor tyrosine kinase function, and in the treatment of diseases and conditions that are mediated by AXL receptor tyrosine kinase, that are ameliorated by the inhibition of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase function, etc., including proliferative conditions such as cancer, etc.
US08431594B2 Bridged bicyclic heteroaryl substituted triazoles useful as AXL inhibitors
Bridged bicyclic heteroaryl substituted triazoles and pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds are disclosed as being useful in inhibiting the activity of the receptor protein tyrosine kinase AxI. Methods of using the compounds in treating diseases or conditions associated with AxI activity are also disclosed.
US08431591B2 R(−)-2-methoxy-11-hydroxyaporphine and derivatives thereof
The invention features derivatives of R(−)-2-methoxy-11-hydroxyaporphines and methods of treating Parkinson's disease and sexual dysfunction therewith.
US08431582B2 Inhibitors of fatty acid uptake and methods of use
The present disclosure describes inhibitors of fatty acid uptake and methods of using such inhibitors. Specifically, the present disclosure describes inhibitors with specificity for FATP2.
US08431578B2 Organic compounds
Compounds of formula (I) in free or salt or solvate form, where T1, T2, and T3 have the meanings as indicated in the specification, are useful for treating inflammatory or obstructive airways, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, liver fibrosis, muscle diseases and systemic skeletal disorders. Pharmaceutical compositions that contain the compounds and processes for preparing the compounds are also described.
US08431561B2 Methods and compositions for treatment of excess nitric oxide or cyanide toxicity
Methods for treating disease states in a subject caused or exacerbated by the presence of excess nitric oxide (NO) or excess cyanide are provided. Methods for alleviating the symptoms of a disease state in a subject caused or exacerbated by the presence of excess nitric oxide (NO) or excess cyanide in the subject are also provided. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising cobinamide and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier are also provided.
US08431553B2 Combination of methylxanthine compounds and steroids to treat chronic respiratory diseases
There is provided the use of a methylxanthine derivative such as theophylline and a steroid in a synergistic combination for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, wherein the combination is administered by the inhaled route for pulmonary delivery.
US08431552B2 Composition for treating metabolic syndrome
The invention relates to a composition that includes a first agent selected from the group consisting of an oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor, an ionophore, and an adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated Protein kinase (AMPK) activator; a second agent that possesses anti-inflammatory activity; and a third agent that possesses serotonin activity.
US08431547B2 Synthetic genes and genetic constructs
The present invention relates generally to synthetic genes for modifying endogenous gene expression in a cell, tissue or organ of a transgenic organism, in particular a transgenic animal or plant. More particularly, the present invention provides novel synthetic genes and genetic constructs which are capable of repressing delaying or otherwise reducing the expression of an endogenous gene or a target gene in an organism when introduced thereto.
US08431528B2 Antibacterial Lactobacillus GG peptides and methods of use
The present invention provides antibacterial peptides isolated from lactobacillus GG. Also provided are methods of treating an individual having a bacterial infection or at risk for developing a bacterial infection, comprising the steps of administering an antibacterial peptide of the invention to an individual having a bacterial infection or at risk for developing a bacterial infection.
US08431526B2 Compositions and methods for prion decontamination
The invention relates to compositions and methods for prion degradation, decontamination or disinfection. The composition comprises an oxidizing agent, one or more proteases and a surfactant such as an ionic surfactant/detergent. The method comprises contacting a prion contaminated entity with a prion-degrading composition comprising an effective amount of an oxidizing agent, an effective amount of at least one protease, and an effective amount of a surfactant. The components of the composition may be contacted with a prion-contaminated entity sequentially or simultaneously using an aqueous composition. Typically at least two different proteases are used for optimal efficacy. Preferably the oxidizing agent comprises peracetyl ions or a source thereof. The invention also relates to kits comprising the various reagents.
US08431517B2 Surface corrosion protection detergent compositions containing polyvalent metal compounds and high levels of low foaming, nonionic surfactants
Automatic dishwashing detergent compositions and compositions of matter, having polyvalent metal compounds and high levels of low-foaming, nonionic surfactants, are provided for protecting glassware from corrosion.
US08431500B2 Lead-containing space glass, its production and its use
The space glass has a composition, in wt. % based on oxide content, of: SiO2, 5-65; B2O3, 0-40; Al2O3, 0-12; PbO, 25-50; Na2O 0-8; K2O, 0-20; Σ alkali metal oxides, at least 0.25; and at least 0.1 wt. % of a total amount of three or more doping agents selected from CeO2, MoO3, Bi2O3, WO3, Ag2O, SnO2, Sb2O3 and As2O3. In addition, it contains one or more of the following doping agents in the following amounts: at most 1 wt. %, CeO2; at most 0.02 wt. %, As2O3; at most 0.3 wt. %, Sb2O3; and at most 0.5 wt. %, SnO2. Light-weight optical systems for space are made from it, because of its high radiation resistance. A preferred process for making space glass includes melting the oxide starting ingredients at 1050° C. to 1200° C. to form a melt and refining the melt at 1230° C. to 1350° C.
US08431490B2 Method of chemical mechanical polishing a substrate with polishing composition adapted to enhance silicon oxide removal
A method for chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate is provided, comprising: providing a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises silicon oxide; providing a chemical mechanical polishing composition, comprising, as initial components: water; an abrasive; and a substance according to formula I wherein R1, R2 and R3 are each independently selected from a C1-4 alky group; providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad with a polishing surface; moving the polishing surface relative to the substrate; dispensing the chemical mechanical polishing composition onto the polishing surface; and, abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate; wherein the substance according to formula I included in the chemical mechanical polishing composition provides an enhanced silicon oxide removal rate and an improved polishing defectivity performance; and, wherein at least some of the silicon oxide is removed from the substrate.
US08431486B2 Interconnect structure for improved time dependent dielectric breakdown
The present disclosure provides a method of forming an interconnect to an electrical device. In one embodiment, the method of forming an interconnect includes providing a device layer on a substrate, wherein the device layer comprises at least one electrical device, an intralevel dielectric over the at least one electrical device, and a contact that is in electrical communication with the at least one electrical device. An interconnect metal layer is formed on the device layer, and a tantalum-containing etch mask is formed on a portion of the interconnect metal layer. The interconnect metal layer is etched to provide a trapezoid shaped interconnect in communication with the at least one electrical device. The trapezoid shaped interconnect has a first surface that is in contact with the device layer with a greater width than a second surface of the trapezoid shaped interconnect that is in contact with the tantalum-containing etch mask.
US08431481B2 IC device having low resistance TSV comprising ground connection
A method of forming a semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit (IC) die which is provided with a substrate with surfaces. At least one through substrate via (TSV) is formed through the substrate to a protruding integral tip that includes sidewalls and a distal end. A metal layer is formed on the bottom surface of the IC die, and the sidewalls and the distal end of the protruding integral tips. Completing fabrication of at least one functional circuit including at least one ground pad on the top surface of the semiconductor, wherein the ground pad is coupled to said TSV.
US08431480B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
The reliability of wirings, each of which includes a main conductive film containing copper as a primary component, is improved. On an insulating film including the upper surface of a wiring serving as a lower layer wiring, an insulating film formed of a silicon carbonitride film having excellent barrier properties to copper is formed; on the insulating film, an insulating film formed of a silicon carbide film having excellent adhesiveness to a low dielectric constant material film is formed; on the insulating film, an insulating film formed of a low dielectric constant material as an interlayer insulating film is formed; and thereafter a wiring as an upper layer wiring is formed.
US08431476B2 Method to prevent surface decomposition of III-V compound semiconductors
A method of preventing surface decomposition of a III-V compound semiconductor is provided. The method includes forming a silicon film having a thickness from 10 Å to 400 Å on a surface of an III-V compound semiconductor. After forming the silicon film onto the surface of the III-V compound semiconductor, a high performance semiconductor device including, for example, a MOSFET, can be formed on the capped/passivated III-V compound semiconductor. During the MOSFET fabrication, a high k dielectric can be formed on the capped/passivated III-V compound semiconductor and thereafter, activated source and drain regions can be formed into the III-V compound semiconductor.
US08431475B2 Method for fabricating a low-resistivity ohmic contact to a p-type III-V nitride semiconductor material at low temperature
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for fabricating a group III-V nitride structure with an ohmic-contact layer. The method involves fabricating a group III-V nitride structure with a p-type layer. The method further involves depositing an ohmic-contact layer on the p-type layer without first annealing the p-type layer. The method also involves subsequently annealing the p-type layer and the ohmic-contact layer in an annealing chamber at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time, thereby reducing the resistivity of the p-type layer and the ohmic contact in a single annealing process.
US08431469B2 Method for depinning the Fermi level of a semiconductor at an electrical junction and devices incorporating such junctions
An electrical device in which an interface layer is disposed between and in contact with a metal and a Si-based semiconductor, the interface layer being of a thickness effective to depin of the Fermi level of the semiconductor while still permitting current to flow between the metal and the semiconductor. The interface layer may include a layer of a passivating material (e.g., made from nitrogen, oxygen, oxynitride, arsenic, hydrogen and/or fluorine) and sometimes also includes a separation layer. In some cases, the interface layer may be a monolayer of a semiconductor passivating material. The interface layer thickness corresponds to a minimum specific contact resistance of less than or equal to 10 Ω-μm2 or even less than or equal to 1 Ω-μm2 for the electrical device.
US08431468B2 Noise reduction in semiconductor devices
An integrated circuit and method of making it, includes a semiconductor substrate and a support layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate. A gate insulator including a support layer doped using a noise-reducing dopant can be disposed on the semiconductor substrate. A gate stack can be disposed on the gate insulator.
US08431464B2 Process for producing silicic coating, silicic coating and semiconductor device
A silicic coating of 2.4 g/cm3 or higher density, obtained by forming a silicic coating precursor with the use of at least one type of silane compound having a photosensitive functional group and thereafter irradiating the silicic coating precursor with at least one type of light. This silicic coating can be used as a novel barrier film or stopper film for semiconductor device.
US08431462B2 Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a gate structure on a substrate; forming a sacrificial spacer may be formed on a sidewall of the gate substrate; implanting first impurities into portions of the substrate by a first ion implantation process using the gate structure and the sacrificial spacer as ion implantation masks to form source and drain regions; removing the sacrificial spacer; and implanting second impurities and carbon atoms into portions of the substrate by a second ion implantation process using the gate structure as an ion implantation mask to form source and drain extension regions and carbon doping regions, respectively.
US08431456B2 Methods of forming high density structures and low density structures with a single photomask
Some embodiments include formation of polymer spacers along sacrificial material, removal of the sacrificial material, and utilization of the polymer spacers as masks during fabrication of integrated circuitry. The polymer spacer masks may, for example, be utilized to pattern flash gates of a flash memory array. In some embodiments, the polymer is simultaneously formed across large sacrificial structures and small sacrificial structures. The polymer is thicker across the large sacrificial structures than across the small sacrificial structures, and such difference in thickness is utilized to fabricate high density structures and low-density structures with a single photomask.
US08431450B1 Methods and apparatus for LDMOS transistors
An LDMOS transistor includes a gate including a conductive material over an insulator material, a source including a first impurity region and a second impurity region, a third impurity region, and a drain including a fourth impurity region and a fifth impurity region. The first impurity region is of a first type, and the second impurity region is of an opposite second type. The third impurity region extends from the source region under the gate and is of the first type. The fourth impurity region is of the second type, the fifth impurity region is of the second type, and the fourth impurity region impinges the third impurity region.
US08431447B2 Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device with a front-end insulating layer interposed between a semiconductor layer and an insulating substrate
A semiconductor device in which a semiconductor layer is formed on an insulating substrate with a front-end insulating layer interposed between the semiconductor layer and the insulating substrate is provided which is capable of preventing action of an impurity contained in the insulating substrate on the semiconductor layer and of improving reliability of the semiconductor device. In a TFT (Thin Film Transistor), boron is made to be contained in a region located about 100 nm or less apart from a surface of the insulating substrate so that boron concentration decreases at an average rate being about 1/1000-fold per 1 nm from the surface of the insulating substrate toward the semiconductor layer.
US08431424B2 Liquid crystal display panel and fabrication method thereof
A method for manufacturing a LCD panel includes providing a substrate defining a TFT region and a pixel region; forming a transparent conductive layer and a first metal layer on the substrate in that order; forming a gate line in the TFT region, and a pixel electrode within the pixel region via a first photo-etching process; forming an insulating layer and a semiconductor layer on the substrate in that order; removing the insulating layer and the semiconductor layer from the pixel region; removing the first metal layer from the pixel region; forming a second metal layer on the substrate; forming a source electrode and a drain electrode in the TFT region via a second photo-etching process, and forming a protecting layer above the substrate.
US08431419B2 UV absorption based monitor and control of chloride gas stream
A semiconductor growth system includes a chamber and a source of electromagnetic radiation. A detector is arranged to detect absorption of radiation from the source by a chloride- based chemical of the reaction chamber. A control system controls the operation of the chamber in response to the absorption of radiation by the chloride-based chemical. The control system controls the operation of the chamber by adjusting a parameter of the reaction chamber.
US08431417B2 Methods for increasing carbon nano-tube (CNT) yield in memory devices
In some aspects, a method of forming a carbon nano-tube (CNT) memory cell is provided that includes (1) forming a first conductor; (2) forming a steering element above the first conductor; (3) forming a first conducting layer above the first conductor; (4) forming a CNT material above the first conducting layer; (5) implanting a selected implant species into the CNT material; (6) forming a second conducting layer above the CNT material; (7) etching the first conducting layer, CNT material and second conducting layer to form a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) stack; and (8) forming a second conductor above the CNT material and the steering element. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08431414B2 Methods and compositions for directed microwave chemistry
The present invention concerns a novel means by which chemical preparations can be made. Reactions can be accelerated on special cartridges using microwave energy. The chips contain materials that efficiently absorb microwave energy causing chemical reaction rate increases. The invention is important in many chemical transformations including those used in protein chemistry, in nucleic acid chemistry, in analytical chemistry, and in the polymerase chain reaction.
US08431407B2 Temperature/irradiation/polymerization indicators
Temperature and/or irradiation and/or polymerization indicators comprise at least one 1,3-dipole and at least one dipolarophile, the dipole preferably being an ylide from the group of azomethines (sydnones), azomethinylides (munchnones), carbonylylides (isomunchnones), thiocarbonylylides (thioisomunchnones), or 1,3-dithiolylium-4-olates.
US08431405B2 Hyperglycosylated hCG detection device
The present invention related to a pregnancy test device that can selectively detect hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG-H) in a liquid sample. The sample can be deposited on a proximal portion of the device for transport to a distal portion of the device. The device can include a release medium formed of a first material and including a detectable label thereon and a capture medium, including a capture site, in fluid communication with the release medium and formed of a second, different material. At least one of the release medium and the capture medium includes a binding member that exhibits a moderate to high affinity for hCG-H and is selectively or preferentially reactive with hCG-H.
US08431404B2 Apparatus for transfer of liquid for processing samples
An apparatus for transfer of a liquid using a diaphragm that separates a working fluid volume from a working air volume and can controllably induce a change pressure to draw or expel a target fluid into a tube. The apparatus is particularly suitable for automated processing of nucleic acids and other samples includes a disposable container comprising a tray and a flexible barrier. The barrier is configured to seal with a top edge of the tray, providing a closed, aseptic work area within the sealed tray. A pipette head and/or other sample manipulation device can be attached to the inside of the barrier under the diaphraghm, and the barrier can include an interface for a robotic arm or other device. When the barrier is sealed over the tray, the barrier separates the contents of the tray from the robot or other manipulation device.
US08431387B2 Chemical temperature control
Exothermic and/or endothermic chemical reactions in combination with phase change materials can produce output temperature(s) within strict tolerances without requiring expensive and complicated external equipment to generate and maintain an output temperature. Similarly, an exothermic phase change material, which generates heat as a consequence of crystallizing a supercooled liquid, can generate heat at a constant temperature, without requiring expensive and complicated external equipment, as a consequence of the liquid form of the exothermic phase change material being in equilibrium with the solid form of the exothermic phase change material. Numerous biological and chemical processes and/or diagnostic devices require a constant temperature or temperatures for set periods of time. An example completely non-instrumented diagnostic platform based on nucleic acid amplification is described, which is particularly suited for use in developing countries that may not have access to expensive and complicated external equipment.
US08431375B2 Method for marking materials
The invention relates to a marking system for marking objects wherein said system comprises a microparticle comprising a cross-linked polymer and a marker component wherein the release of said marker component is triggered by contact of the microparticle with an external stimulus and wherein said polymer is a carbohydrate or a protein.
US08431371B2 Expression system for producing multi-enzyme complexes and uses thereof
An expression system for producing a multi-enzyme complex, the system including a nucleic acid molecule containing a promoter operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence including multiple genes encoding multiple enzymes that are components of the multi-enzyme complex.
US08431368B2 Method for the enzymatic production of fatty alcohol and/or fatty acid
The invention relates to a method for the enzymatic production of C6-C18 fatty alcohol and/or C8-C18 fatty acid, by carbon chain elongation, comprising the steps of: i) providing organic C2-C6 compounds; ii) subjecting the organic C2-C6 compounds to enzymatic carbon chain elongation in the presence of an electron donor; and iii) separating the formed C6-C18 fatty alcohol and/or C8-C18 fatty acid.
US08431365B2 β1,3-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine transferase protein, nucleic acid encoding the same and method of examining canceration using the same
The N-acetyl-D-galactosamine transferase protein of the present invention is characterized by transferring N-acetyl-D-galactosamine to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with β1,3 linkage, and it preferably has the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4. The canceration assay according to the present invention uses a nucleic acid for measurement which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 or a nucleotide sequence complementary to at least one of them.
US08431342B2 MiR-182-, miR-191, miR-199a-based methods for the diagnosis and prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
The present invention provides novel methods and compositions for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
US08431338B2 Self-directing and self-assembling nanomedicine into quantized conductance junctions and its process
A self-directed and self-assembled nanomedicine of quantized conductive junction and its preparation process are introduced. In the present disclosure, bio-organic medicine proteins are prepared into a quantized conductive junction with a nanostructure quantum dot and a polymer monolayer on an inorganic silicon surface by seven cooperative modes; and the preparation process of this inorganic-organic-biological hetero-polymer nano-structure component with free radical electrons, aromatic hetercycle structures, bio-fluorescence, and redox bioactivity is consist of making unitary, binary, ternary, and/or quaternary liquid biochemical medicines ingredients of an antioxidase antioxidant, a β-adrenergic receptor agonist, a P2-purinergic receptor agonist, and/or a phenylalkylamine calcium channel blocker into a solid state quantized conductance junctions using L16(2)15 and L9(3)4 orthogonal protocol. Uses of self-directed and self-assembled nano-medicine molecules into quantized conductance junctions and its process cover quantum informatics, photoelectron nano-devices and nano-metrology.
US08431334B2 Method for removing antiplatelet agent and anticoagulant from a platelet composition by diafiltration
The present invention relates to methods for preserving platelet. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of mixing platelets with a platelet preservation composition to form a platelet preparation, storing the platelet preparation for a desired period of time, and removing the antiplatelet agent and the anticoagulant from the platelet preparation by diafiltration prior to transfusion of the platelets. The platelet preservation composition comprises an effective amount of an antiplatelet agent and an effective amount of an anticoagulant.
US08431331B2 Method of forming fine patterns of semiconductor device by using double patterning process which uses acid diffusion
A method of forming fine patterns of a semiconductor device according to a double patterning process that uses acid diffusion is provided. In this method, a plurality of first mask patterns are formed on a substrate so as to be separated from one another. A capping film including an acid source is formed on sidewalls and an upper surface of each of the plurality of first mask patterns. A second mask layer is formed on the capping films. A plurality of acid diffused regions are formed within the second mask layer by diffusing acid obtained from the acid source from the capping films into the second mask layer. A plurality of second mask patterns are formed of residual parts of the second mask layer which remain in the first spaces after removing the acid diffused regions of the second mask layer.
US08431328B2 Exposure method, method for manufacturing flat panel display substrate, and exposure apparatus
An exposure method and exposure apparatus optimal for the formation of a fine pattern of an electronic device, such as a flat panel display. The exposure method and apparatus provides a high resolution and is inexpensive. The exposure method exposes a pattern onto a substrate with the use of an optical system that performs interference exposure for exposing a pattern parallel to a predetermined scanning direction with an interference optical system and variable shaping exposure with a variable shaping optical system while performing relative scanning in the scanning direction.
US08431326B2 Salt and photoresist composition comprising the same
The present invention provides a salt represented by the formula (I): wherein Q1 and Q2 independently each represent a fluorine atom or a C1-C6 perfluoroalkyl group, L1 represents a C1-C17 divalent saturated hydrocarbon group in which one or more —CH2— can be replaced by —O— or —CO—, ring W represents a C3-C36 aliphatic ring in which one or more —CH2— can be replaced by —O—, —S—, —CO— or —SO2— and in which one or more hydrogen atoms can be replaced by a hydroxyl group, a C1-C12 alkyl group, a C1-C12 alkoxy group, a C3-C12 alicyclic hydrocarbon group or a C6-C10 aromatic hydrocarbon group, Rf is independently in each occurrence a fluorine atom or a C1-C6 fluorinated alkyl group, n represents an integer of 1 to 10, and Z+ represents an organic counter ion.
US08431319B2 Toner wash comprising ionic liquid
A washing process using one or more ionic liquids (ILs) as a washing aid agent for toners, including toners produced using such ILs, such as, low melt toners, is provided. ILs are environmentally sound, green solvents that act to swell toner particle surfaces so that surface absorbed and adsorbed pollutants, such as, surfactants and other manufacturing reactants, can be effectively removed. The resulting toners have good charging, charge maintenance and RH sensitivity.
US08431316B2 Toner manufacturing method
A toner manufacturing method is provided. The toner manufacturing method includes a step of adhering fine resin particles whose volume average particle size is 5% or more and 17% or less of a volume average particle size of toner base particles, to surfaces of the toner base particles; and a step of plasticizing the toner base particles and the fine resin particles by adding mechanical impact thereto while spraying lower alcohol, and fusing the fine resin particles to the surfaces of the toner base particles to form a plurality of projections of the fine resin particles, on the surfaces of the toner base particles. Surface coverage of the surfaces of the toner base particles with the projections is 10% or more and 50% or less.
US08431310B2 Image forming method
A color particle is disclosed, comprising a color-exhibitive piece which comprises microparticles for structural color and a matrix and is dispersed in a binder resin, wherein the color particle meets the following requirement: 1.5≦A/B≦5.0 wherein A is a major axis diameter of the color particle and B is a minor axis diameter of the color particle; and an angle of a longitudinal direction of the color-exhibitive piece to a major axis direction of the color particle falls within a range of ±20 degrees.
US08431302B2 Tunable gloss toners
The present disclosure provides toners having a tunable gloss level, electrophotographic apparatuses for using such toners as well as processes for making such toners.
US08431300B2 Toner for electrophotography and developer
Toner for electrophotography contains toner base particles containing a binder resin, a colorant, and a wax, resin particles containing a binder resin and a wax, but substantially not containing a colorant, and an external additive that is externally added to the toner base particles and the resin particles, with a mean domain diameter of the wax in the resin particles being larger than a mean domain diameter of the wax in the toner base particles.
US08431298B2 Toner and toner manufacturing method
Provided are a toner and a toner manufacturing method with which high image density and a broad range of color reproduction are obtained, and with which high-quality images are also obtained. The toner is composed of toner particles that comprise a binding resin containing a polyester resin and a colorant, and contains 10-1,500 ppm of a metal element selected from titanium, germanium, and aluminum, and a cyclic phenol sulfide represented by general formula (1) selected from thiacalixarene, sulfinyl thiacalixarene and sulfonyl thiacalixarene.
US08431289B2 Photosensitive composition for volume hologram recording, photosensitive medium for volume hologram recording and volume hologram
The volume hologram recording photosensitive composition provided by the present invention contains at least a fluorine-contained photoreactive compound represented by the following formula (1): R1—R3—(CF2)n-R4—R2 wherein R1 and R2 are photoreactive groups which can be bonded to each other by photoreaction, and each of R3 and R4 is independently a single bond or a bivalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 1 or more. This volume hologram recording photosensitive composition is used to form a recording section of a recording medium, and then the section is exposed to light, whereby a bright volume hologram can be obtained.
US08431285B2 Edge design for ePTFE-reinforced membranes for PEM fuel cells
Edge designs, especially for ePTFE-reinforced membranes for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, wherein the designs provide a proton barrier at the electrode edge of the PEM fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (MEA) to provide, among other things, resistance to membrane chemical degradation. A portion of the ePTFE layer is imbibed with a proton-impermeable polymer at the electrode edge. The polymer can include, without limitation, B-staged epoxides, B-staged phenolics, hot melt thermoplastics, and/or thermosets or thermoplastics cast from liquid dispersions.
US08431283B2 Process for molding composite bipolar plates with reinforced outer edges
A process for molding a composite unipolar plate for a fuel cell stack that increases the strength of a header region of the plate. High strength, non-conductive prepeg inserts are positioned within the mold that are shaped to the configuration of the header region, including the openings that define the various inlet and outlet manifolds. A bulk molding compound charge is positioned in the mold and pressed under high heat so that the bulk molding compound disperses in the mold, and covers the prepeg inserts so that the prepeg inserts are cured to the bulk molding compound.
US08431280B2 Fuel utilisation in electrochemical fuel cells
A fuel cell assembly provides for the delivery of fluid into a channel of a fluid flow field plate in alternating flow directions through the channel for delivery of the fluid to a membrane-electrode assembly. The fuel cell includes a fluid flow field plate having a channel for delivery of fluid to a membrane-electrode assembly, the channel having a first inlet/outlet port communicating therewith and a second inlet/outlet port communicating therewith; and a fluid delivery system connected to the fluid flow field plate adapted for bi-directional delivery of fluid into the channel of the fluid flow field plate.
US08431277B2 Fuel cell system and generation control device
A fuel cell system capable of accurately and precisely determining the wet condition inside a fuel cell. The fuel cell system includes a solid polymer electrolyte type fuel cell having a stack structure. The fuel cell is connected to an air supply system, a hydrogen gas supply system, an output system, and a control unit. The control unit receives flow rates of air and hydrogen gas which flow into the fuel cell, their pressures when exhausted, and a generated current measurement signal. The control unit calculates the amounts of water exhausted from the fuel cell as a gas component and as a liquid component and determines the water balance in the fuel cell.
US08431276B2 Using an effectiveness approach to model a fuel cell membrane humidification device
A method for determining the water transfer in a water vapor transfer unit of a fuel cell system that employs a model based approach. The method includes determining a capacity ratio of wet streams and dry streams flowing through the water vapor transfer unit, determining the number of mass transfer units of the water vapor transfer unit, estimating a mass transfer effectiveness value given the capacity ratio and the number of mass transfer units for the water vapor transfer unit, and determining the amount of water transferred in the water vapor transfer unit using the mass transfer effectiveness value, the mass flow rates on a dry basis of the dry stream and the wet stream, and the mass flow rates of water of the dry inlet stream and the wet inlet stream.
US08431263B2 Automated composite battery
A composite battery capable of adjusting its own power output in response to predetermined signals or lack of predetermined signals is provided. The composite battery has a set of terminals, a battery, a sensing device and a switch, all housed within a casing, which can be in the shape of a conventional battery. The sensor captures signals which upon reaching a certain threshold cause the switch to engage or disengage to selectively provide a load current to an electronic device. The battery may be used in battery-controlled consumer electronics articles, such as toys, to prevent avoidable battery drain or unintended activation when the electronics article is not in use.
US08431260B2 Interconnection system for an energy storage assembly
The invention concerns an interconnection system (100) of an energy storage assembly (200), with an electronic support for controlling (300) the health status of the energy storage assembly (200), the interconnection system (101) being characterized in that it comprises an interconnection support (101) including a conductive circuit (800) formed on electrically conductive surface, said circuit (800) forming an electrical connection between the electronic control support (300) and the pole terminals (500) of the cells to which it is connected, respectively, through connecting means and through retaining means (110, 120, 150), said retaining means (110, 120, 150) being adapted to urged into contact, on the pole terminals (500), with support means (510) so as to arrange the pole terminals (500) on the interconnection support (101) and adapted to provide a direct electrical connection of the pole terminals (500) with the conductive circuit (800). The invention is applicable in high energy storage technologies such as lithium polymer technology.
US08431257B2 Perpendicular magnetic recording medium
A perpendicular magnetic recording medium is used for information recording of a perpendicular magnetic recording type. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a soft magnetic layer, an underlayer, and a magnetic layer having a multilayered structure including a plurality of magnetic layers. The soft magnetic layer, the underlayer, and the magnetic layer are formed on the substrate. At least one of the magnetic layers includes CoPt magnetic grains containing oxide. The oxide includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of SiO2, TiO2, Cr2O3, Ta2O5, WO3, CoO, and Co3O4.
US08431252B2 Anthracene derivative, and light-emitting element, light-emitting device, electronic device using anthracene derivative
An object is to provide a novel anthracene derivative. Another object is to provide a light-emitting element with high luminous efficiency. Yet another object is to provide a light-emitting element with a long lifetime. Still another object is to provide a light-emitting device and an electronic device having a long lifetime by using the light-emitting elements of the present invention. The anthracene derivative represented by General Formula (1) is provided. The ability of the anthracene derivative represented by General Formula (1) to exhibit high luminous efficiency allows the production of a light-emitting element with high luminous efficiency and a long lifetime.
US08431241B2 Organic light-emitting device
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a heterocyclic compound and an organic light-emitting device including the heterocyclic compound. The organic light-emitting devices using the heterocyclic compounds have high-efficiency, low driving voltages, high brightness and long lifespans.
US08431240B2 Metal plating using seed film
A seed film and methods incorporating the seed film in semiconductor applications is provided. The seed film includes one or more noble metal layers, where each layer of the one or more noble metal layers is no greater than a monolayer. The seed film also includes either one or more conductive metal oxide layers or one or more silicon oxide layers, where either layer is no greater than a monolayer. The seed film can be used in plating, including electroplating, conductive layers, over at least a portion of the seed film. Conductive layers formed with the seed film can be used in fabricating an integrated circuit, including fabricating capacitor structures in the integrated circuit.
US08431233B2 Gas-barrier film, device and optical component comprising same, and method for producing gas-barrier film
A gas-barrier film comprising an organic layer and an inorganic layer on a substrate film, wherein the organic layer is formed by vacuum vapor deposition of a composition containing a radical-polymerizable monomer and a polymerization initiator, followed by curing the composition, the polymerization initiator being liquid at 30° C. under one atmosphere and/or having a melting point of not higher than 30° C. The gas-barrier film has a low water vapor permeability.
US08431232B2 Aromatic-aliphatic polyester hot melt adhesives for roll-applied labels
Disclosed are hot-melt adhesives prepared from aromatic-aliphatic polyesters containing terephthalic acid in combination with adipic acid, glutaric acid, or a mixture thereof, as diacid components and a diol component containing 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, or a combination thereof. These adhesives set up rapidly within a well-defined temperature window. The hot-melt adhesives can be used in a variety of applications, but are especially suited as seaming adhesives for roll-applied labels. These adhesives have melting temperatures and crystallization properties that allow their application at temperatures cool enough to prevent curling and premature shrinkage of the shrink label during seaming, and yet produce strong label seams that can withstand the elevated temperatures of a shrink tunnel without sacrificing line speed. Also disclosed are labeled containers and a process for applying a roll-on, shrink label to a container using the hot-melt adhesives of the invention.
US08431222B2 Circuit materials with improved bond, method of manufacture thereof, and articles formed therefrom
A circuit material, comprising a conductive metal layer or a dielectric circuit substrate layer and an adhesive layer disposed on the conductive metal layer or the dielectric substrate layer, wherein the adhesive comprises a poly(arylene ether) and a polybutadiene or polyisoprene polymer.
US08431216B2 Optical film for a display device and method of fabricating the same
An optical film for a display device including a substrate and a coating layer in which a first material has a first range of surface energy value and a second material has a second range of surface energy value smaller than the first range of surface energy value such that the first material is mainly distributed on a first side of the coating layer contacting the substrate and the second material is mainly distributed on a second side of the coating layer opposite to the first side.
US08431209B2 Breathable low-emissivity metalized sheets
A moisture vapor permeable metalized composite sheet is formed by coating a moisture vapor permeable sheet with at least one metal layer and at least one outer organic coating layer. The moisture vapor permeability of the composite sheet is at least about 80% of the moisture vapor permeability of the starting sheet. The composite sheet provides a barrier to air and liquid water infiltration while having high moisture vapor permeability and good thermal barrier properties. The composite sheet material is suitable for use as a building construction wrap such as roof lining and house wrap.
US08431204B2 Acoustic part and method for manufacturing the same
An object is to provide a structure in which when a waterproof filter having an adhesive layer 1 attached thereto is attached to a housing of an electronic device, the adhesive layer 1 hardly rides onto a stepped portion 13. An acoustic part includes a housing 11 having at least one sound hole 12, an adhesive layer 1 formed into a frame shape, and a waterproof filter attached so as to cove the sound hole 12 with the adhesive layer 1 interposed therebetween, wherein the housing 1 is provided with a step position 13 for allowing the waterproof filter to engage therewith or a stepped portion 13 as a marker showing an attachment position of the waterproof filter, and an outer peripheral portion of the frame-shaped adhesive layer 1 is positioned at an inner side than an outer peripheral portion of the waterproof filter.
US08431199B2 Container containing the PMMA powder fraction of a two-component system made up of PMMA powder component and MMA monomer component
Containers that are soluble in liquid methylmethacrylate and contain the PMMA powder fraction of a two-component system made up of PMMA powder component and liquid MMA monomer component are useful as components of packaging of powder/liquid two-component material, such as dental material, investment material for histology or metallography or in veterinary medicine.
US08431198B2 Multilayer coextruded shrink labels of oriented polystyrene film containing small rubber particles and low rubber particle gel content and block copolymers
A multilayer film comprises at least 3 layers including a first outer layer, a second outer layer and between the first and second outer layers at least one core layer. The first and second outer layers each comprise at least 75 weight percent of (a) at least one high impact polystyrene component. The core layer(s) comprises(s) (b) at least one styrene block copolymer that is present at a concentration of at least about 2 weight percent of the polymers in the film; and polymers (a), (b) and (c) at least one general purpose polystyrene having a Mw of more than 200,000 and 350,000 or less and that is present at a concentration of at least about 10 wt. % and up to at most about 50 wt. % of the polymers in the composition account for 100 percent by weight of the polymers in the polymer composition excluding polymeric additives.
US08431196B2 Method for fixing the position of a glass tube or glass rod spiral in a glass tube, glass tube assembly and the application of the same
The glass tube assembly has an outer glass tube provided with a tapered section and an inner glass tube or rod, which is arranged inside of the outer glass tube and which has a spiral section. The tapered section is formed by one or more projections on the inner surface of the outer glass tube. Each projection extends in a longitudinal direction of the outer glass tube and does not extend around its entire circumference. The internal width of the tapered section is smaller than the outside diameter of the spiral section of the inner glass tube or rod, so that the inner glass tube or rod is reliably prevented from slipping or rotating out of the outer glass tube by its spiral section. A method of making the glass tube assembly is also described.
US08431190B2 Method for depositing hard metallic coatings
A method for depositing a hard metallic chrome coating or similar metal by chemical vapor deposition on a metallic substrate, includes: a) preparing a solution containing, in an oxygen-free solvent, i) a molecular compound of the bis(arene) family that's a precursor of the deposited metal with a decomposition temperature 300° C.-550° C., and ii) a chlorinated additive; b) introducing the solution as aerosol into a heated evaporator at a temperature between the solvent boiling temperature and the precursor decomposition temperature (PDT); and c) driving the vaporized aerosol from the evaporator towards a CVD reactor including a susceptor carrying the substrate, heated above the PDT, up to 550° C., the evaporator and CVD reactor being subjected to atmospheric pressure. This DLI-CVD method performed at low temperature and atmospheric pressure enables continuous industrial treatment of large metallic plates, producing hard, monolayer or nanostructured multilayer metallic coatings. An appropriate injectable solution is also described.
US08431183B2 Surface layer
The present teachings provide a composition that includes a functionalized polyfluoropolyether and functionalized polybutadiene in a weight ratio of functionalized polyfluoropolyether/functionalized polybutadiene of from about 20/80 to about 80/20 in a solvent. The composition can be used to form a surface layer having a water contact angle of greater than about 90° and a hexanedecane contact angle greater than about 45°.
US08431181B2 Method for surface treating cold cathode
A method for surface treating a cold cathode includes the following steps. A cold cathode is provided and the cold cathode includes a plurality of field emitters. A liquid glue is placed on a surface of the cold cathode. The liquid glue is cured to form solid glue on the surface of the cold cathode. The solid glue is removed to allow the plurality of field emitters to stand upright.
US08431180B2 Paint shop and method of operating a paint shop
In a paint plant which comprises at least one spray-painting device incorporating at least one application unit for painting workpieces and in particular motor vehicle bodies with a fluid paint, in order to enable the fluid paint overspray i.e. the paint particles which are not adhering to the workpieces that are to be painted and which are picked up and carried along in an air flow passing through the application area of the paint shop, to be re-separated from this air flow and also to enable the cleansed air flow to be returned to the application area in an air re-circulating system or else expelled into the environment of the plant, the paint shop comprises a device for separating fluid paint overspray from a stream of crude gas that contains overspray particles wherein this device comprises at least one filter element for separating the overspray from the stream of crude gas.
US08431171B2 Partially neutralized acid coated food-grade particles
The present invention relates to coated food-grade particles, preferably coated food-grade acids and/or their salts, wherein the particles are coated food-grade cores with coating comprising partially neutralized polycarboxylic acid. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing said coated food-grade particles and to the use hereof in food applications. The invention also encompasses the use of specific partially neutralized polycarboxylic acids, in particular sodium and/or potassium hydrogen malate, as coating agent. Furthermore, the invention is directed to food and drink products comprising said with partially neutralized polycarboxylic acid coated food-grade particle.
US08431167B2 Plant extracts composition for the treatment of liver dysfunction-jaundice
Plant extracts compositions comprising extracts of Curcuma longa, Phyllanthus emblica and Gymnosporea montana and at least a carrier. The extracts used to prepare the composition are prepared from specific parts of the respective plants like extract of Curcuma longa; Phyllanthus emblica and Gymnosporea montana are prepared from tubers, fruits and leafs of respective plants. The compositions can be used to treat liver dysfunction.
US08431162B2 Subpopulations of bone marrow-derived adherent stem cells and methods of use therefor
The presently disclosed subject matter provides an isolated subpopulation of bone marrow-derived adherent stem cells that are purified from bone marrow-derived adherent cells. Also provided are methods for isolating the subpopulation of bone marrow-derived adherent stem cells from bone marrow-derived adherent cells and for using the isolated subpopulation of bone marrow-derived adherent stem cells for treating tissue and/or organ damage in a subject.
US08431151B2 Antimicrobial nanostructured hydrogel web containing silver
Robust polymeric hydrogels and a method to fabricate antimicrobial non-woven fibrous wound dressing with controlled silver release that may be used for anti-infective medical implants and anti-infective coating for implantable medical device. The hydrogels may be provided in non-woven fibrous wound dressing and anti-infective implantable medical devices, especially for reconstructive oral and bone surgery.
US08431148B2 Bone void filler
A novel composition and kit for a bone void filler are provided. The improved bone void filler includes a porous, collagen scaffolding admixed with calcium phosphate and at least one stabilizer agent. Optionally, the bone void filler further includes at least one bioactive agent.
US08431137B2 Influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase variants
Polypeptides, polynucleotides, methods, compositions, and vaccines comprising (avian pandemic) influenza hemagglutinin and neuraminidase variants are provided.
US08431131B2 CD38 and obesity
This document provides methods and materials relating to obesity. For example, methods and materials related to treating obesity and identifying agents having the ability to treat obesity are provided.
US08431116B2 Norovirus vaccine formulations
The present invention relates to antigenic and vaccine compositions comprising Norovirus antigens and adjuvants, in particular, mixtures of monovalent VLPs and mixtures of multivalent VLPs, and to a process for the production of both monovalent and multivalent VLPs, the VLPs comprising capsid proteins from one or more Norovirus genogroups.
US08431109B2 Process for production of composition
The invention provides a process for production of a composition comprising a perovskite structure compound, the process comprising: a first process to heat a hydrous oxide of at least one B group element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, and Sn at a temperature within a range of 80 to 300° C. in the presence of an aqueous medium so as to dehydrate the hydrous oxide; and a second process to heat a reaction product obtained in the first process and a hydroxide of at least one A group element selected from the group consisting of Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg and Pb at a temperature within a range of 100 to 300° C. in the presence of an aqueous medium.The process provides a composition comprising an ABO3 compound in the form of uniform and fine spherical particles which have an average particle diameter of 1 μm or less, preferably within a range of 0.01 to 0.5 μm, high crystallinity, and a controlled A/B ratio as desired, as well as few internal pores in the crystalline particles.
US08431106B2 Method for generating micronized sulphur
A method of producing micronized sulphur wherein elemental sulphur is dissolved in a solvent for sulphur to produce a sulphur-solvent solution and precipitation of the dissolved sulphur is effected or controlled by manipulation of at least one of pressure, temperature or water content in the solvent to produce the micronized sulphur.
US08431104B2 Process for the production of chlorine dioxide
The invention concerns a process for the production of chlorine dioxide comprising formation of chlorine dioxide in a reaction medium in at least one reaction vessel and withdrawing chlorine dioxide from said at least one reaction vessel, the process further comprising a step of treating reaction medium or at least one process stream originating directly or indirectly from said at least one reaction vessel with an adsorbent efficient for removing chlorinated organic compounds from said at least one process stream.
US08431096B2 Process for high temperature solution polymerization
The current invention provides a method of improving the efficiency of one or more heat exchangers used in cooperation with a high temperature solution polymerization process. Addition of surface active agents, such as C6 to C22 carboxylic acids, to a two phase liquid-liquid polymer solution downstream of a reactor system and upstream of a heat exchanger system can increase the efficiency of heat exchange by more than 10 %.
US08431086B2 Medical fluid access device with antiseptic indicator
A medical device, such as a vascular access device, is disclosed for providing access to a medical fluid flow path for the introduction or withdrawal of medical fluids to and from the flow path. The access device includes an indicator for providing a visual indication when the access device has been exposed to an antiseptic agent.
US08431085B2 Apparatus for treating material comprising pressure vessel with drum rotatable arranged inside
An apparatus for treating material includes a pressure vessel and an agitation device for agitating the material received in the pressure vessel. The agitation device may include a drum which may be rotatably arranged inside the pressure vessel and which has an inner space for receiving the material that is introduced into the pressure vessel. The agitation device may include one or more agitation blades mounted in the drum so as to act on the material received in the inner space of the drum as the drum rotates in relation to the pressure vessel. A drive mechanism may rotate the drum in relation to the pressure vessel. Waste, such as garbage, may be treated with steam and pressure using the apparatus.
US08431082B2 Apparatus and method for producing purified hydrogen gas by a pressure swing adsorption processes
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing purified hydrogen gas by a pressure swing adsorption process. Further the invention relates to detecting an operating life of adsorbents in a adsorption tower. The method and the apparatus have a gas supply unit for adding an inert gas to an unpurified hydrogen gas and a detector for measuring an inert gas in a purified hydrogen gas discharged from the adsorption tower.
US08431072B2 Cast alumina forming austenitic stainless steels
An austenitic stainless steel alloy consisting essentially of, in terms of weight percent ranges 0.15-0.5C; 8-37Ni; 10-25Cr; 2.5-5Al; greater than 0.6, up to 2.5 total of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb and Ta; up to 3Mo; up to 3Co; up to 1W; up to 3Cu; up to 15Mn; up to 2Si; up to 0.15B; up to 0.05P; up to 1 total of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Hf, and Zr; <0.3Ti+V; <0.03N; and, balance Fe, where the weight percent Fe is greater than the weight percent Ni, and wherein the alloy forms an external continuous scale comprising alumina, and a stable essentially single phase FCC austenitic matrix microstructure, the austenitic matrix being essentially delta-ferrite free and essentially BCC-phase-free. A method of making austenitic stainless steel alloys is also disclosed.
US08431067B2 Method for making a reservoir
The invention described herein relates to a method by which a reservoir having desired end connection profiles may be made using shape memory characteristics of crosslinking to compressively seal the connection profiles into the reservoir.
US08431062B2 Tire unloading apparatus and method in a curing line
A tire unloading apparatus for separating a cured tire from a toroidally shaped segmented core body configured to carry the cured tire includes a plurality of tire engaging paddle mechanisms positioned in a spaced apart circular array defining a cured tire receiving central opening, the cured tire mounted to a core body. The paddle mechanisms operatively move between a radially outward tire release position and a radially inward tire gripping position. The tire unloading apparatus further includes a core segment manipulating apparatus operative to move individual core segments from a radially outward tire supporting core body position to a radially inward segment removal position. A plurality of segment support arms forming a circular array below the tire receiving opening are in an operative location to support respective core body segments.
US08431055B2 Method of forming a textured condom
A method of manufacturing a condom having an open end and a closed end, wherein the method is comprised of the steps of coating a bare mandrel with a pattern of coating material to form visual stimulation means, and subsequently uniformly applying additional material over these patterns to complete the formation of the condom, and thereby create projections between the ends of the condom for stimulation.
US08431047B2 Polyvinyl acetal resin composition
It is an object of the present invention to provide a polyvinyl acetal resin composition capable of giving a ceramic green sheet which has sufficient flexibility and is hardly damaged even when being formed into a thin film and comprises a polyvinyl acetal resin composition containing a polyvinyl acetal resin A and a polyvinyl acetal resin B incompatible with the polyvinyl acetal resin A, which is formed by acetalizing a mixed polyvinyl alcohol containing two or more kinds of polyvinyl alcohols wherein a phase composed of the polyvinyl acetal resin A and a phase composed of the polyvinyl acetal resin B form a sea-island structure.
US08431043B2 System and method for on-board waste heat recovery
A technique is described including receiving a hydrocarbon stream, and heating the hydrocarbon stream with an exhaust steam from an internal combustion engine. This technique may include reacting the hydrocarbon stream catalytically to produce hydrogen and a modified hydrocarbon stream having a lower saturation state than the hydrocarbon stream, recovering energy from the hydrogen stream, and/or providing the modified hydrocarbon stream to a fuel supply for the internal combustion engine.
US08431033B2 High density plasma etchback process for advanced metallization applications
A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system and method includes a chamber including a target and a pedestal supporting a substrate. A target bias device supplies DC power to the target during etching of the substrate. The DC power is greater than or equal to 8 kW. A magnetic field generating device, including electromagnetic coils and/or permanent magnets, creates a magnetic field in a chamber of the PVD system during etching of the substrate. A radio frequency (RF) bias device supplies an RF bias to the pedestal during etching of the substrate. The RF bias is less than or equal to 120V at a predetermined frequency. A magnetic field produced in the target is at least 100 Gauss inside of the target.
US08431031B2 Method for producing a bulk wave acoustic resonator of FBAR type
A method for fabricating a bulk wave acoustic resonator (FBAR) which includes at least locally a partially suspended thin layer of piezoelectric material, and includes the following steps: the formation of at least one first so-called lower electrode on the surface of a thin layer of piezoelectric material; the deposition of a so-called sacrificial layer on the surface of the said thin layer of piezoelectric material and of the said first electrode defining a first set; the assembling of the said first set with a second substrate; the formation of at least one second electrode termed the upper electrode on the opposite face of the said thin layer of piezoelectric material from the face comprising the said first electrode; and the elimination of the sacrificial layer so as to unveil the said thin layer of piezoelectric material and the said first electrode and define the bulk wave resonator.
US08431024B1 Method for enhancing biotransformation of groundwater contaminants
A method for enhancing biotransformation of groundwater contaminants is provided. The method comprises steps of providing an injection column at an upstream of a contaminated source for injecting a compost solid; providing a recirculation device at a downstream of the contaminated source; forming a compost liquid by mixing surface water or groundwater from the recirculation device with the compost solid, and the groundwater bringing the compost liquid to the contaminated source at the downstream; and producing a reaction at the contaminated source and the downstream. Also, the groundwater contaminants can be adsorbed and biodegraded in the injection column at the upstream by the recirculation of the recirculation device.
US08431021B2 Exchangeable media filter
A filter element for positioning in a filter compartment of a spa includes a plastic mesh outer cylinder and a plastic mesh inner cylinder, the inner cylinder being positioned coaxially with respect to the outer cylinder to define an annular interior chamber with a filter element of annular cross-section disposed in the chamber and having keyed landings formed on the top and bottom thereof, which respectively mate and interlock with one or more keyed landings on top and bottom caps of the filter element. The apparatus may further include a plurality of vertically disposed mesh compartments interlinked in a ring and disposed within the filter element, the compartments being filled with a selected filter medium or filter media.
US08431017B2 Gel assisted separation method and dewatering/desalting hydrocarbon oils
A method for separating polar hydrocarbon compounds from a hydrocarbon oil containing polar hydrocarbon compounds comprising the steps of: a) forming a gel in the hydrocarbon oil, and thereafter b) separating the gel from the hydrocarbon oil to produce a separated gel and a separated hydrocarbon oil.
US08431014B2 Process and catalyst system for improving dewaxing catalyst stability and lubricant oil yield
The invention provides for a process for dewaxing a waxy hydrocarbon feedstock to form a lubricant oil. The invention is also directed to a catalyst system comprising a hydrotreating catalyst upstream of a dewaxing catalyst, used in the dewaxing of a waxy hydrocarbon feedstock to form a lubricant oil. In particular, the invention is directed to a process and catalyst system designed to maintain yield of lubricant oil product. Specifically, the yield of lubricant oil does not decrease more than 2%, at a target pour point, over a dewaxing temperature range. The hydrotreating catalyst helps prevent aging of the dewaxing catalyst and maintains lubricant oil product yield at a target pour point over a wide temperature range. The hydrotreating catalyst comprises platinum, palladium, or combinations thereof on a low acidity inorganic oxide support where acidity is measured by a decalin conversion of less than 10% at 700° F.
US08431013B2 Process and facility for treatment of crude oil with asphaltenic residue conversion
A process for refining or pre-refining a crude oil P is described in which P is fractionated into several fractions, wherein partial oxidation of an asphaltenic residue R1 derived from P is carried out to produce a synthesis gas SG1 with an H2/CO ratio of less than 1, steam cracking is carried out of an external light hydrocarbon fraction to produce a synthesis gas SG2 with a H2/CO ratio of more than 3; SG1 and SG2 are mixed to produce a synthesis gas SG with a H2/CO ratio in the range 1.2 to 2.5, and SG is converted by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, then the waxes produced are converted into middle distillates. Preferably, a vacuum distillate VGO and/or a deasphalted oil DAO derived from P are hydrocracked mixed with the waxes. The invention also pertains to a facility for carrying out the process.
US08431011B2 Method for automatically and rapidly distinguishing between control and sample solutions in a biosensor strip
The present invention is directed to electrochemical sensors and systems and methods for electrochemically sensing a particular constituent within a fluid through the use of a diagnostic test. The methods provide for automatic discrimination of sample from control or standard solutions. A device and system used to determine a constituent level within a fluid that employ such automatic sample discrimination methods or specially formulated solutions is also provided.
US08431010B2 Method and apparatus for removing impurities from a liquid
A method and system for purifying liquid is disclosed that includes combining powdered metal particles with the fluid to be treated. The mixture of powdered metal particles or metal and liquid to be treated is then passed through an electrolytic cell. The cell forms multivalent ions which attach to contaminants in the liquid and are subsequently separated out from the liquid using conventional solid/liquid separation techniques. The multivalent ions may also be formed from thin strips of aluminum or formed by pressing layers of powdered metallic particles together and installing in the electrolytic cell between two cathodes, the powdered metal electrode being the anode.
US08431008B2 Electrolytic disinfection system and method for purifying water
Provided is an electrolytic disinfection system and method for purifying water. The electrolytic disinfection system includes; an electrolytic disinfection device which includes; a chamber, a first electrode disposed in the chamber, a second electrode disposed in the chamber and spaced apart from the first electrode, a water inlet part connected to the chamber, wherein the water inlet part allows influent water to be introduced to the chamber therethrough, and a water outlet part connected to the chamber, wherein the water outlet part allows the influent water to be discharged from the chamber therethrough, and an influent water heating device which is disposed upstream of the water inlet part and heats the influent water introduced to the chamber through the water inlet part.
US08431004B2 Antireflective member, optical element, display device, method of making stamper and method of making antireflective member using the stamper
A method for making a stamper which has an uneven surface pattern, in which unit structures are arranged in x and y directions at respective periods that are both shorter than the shortest wavelength of an incoming light ray, on the surface of a substrate and satisfies the following Inequality (1): Λ ⁢ ⁢ x , y λ min < 1 ni + ni · sin ⁢ ⁢ θ ⁢ ⁢ i max ( 1 ) where λmin is the shortest wavelength of the incoming light ray, θimax is the largest angle of incidence of the incoming light ray, ni is the refractive index of an incidence medium, Λx is the period of the uneven surface pattern in the x direction, and Λy is the period of the pattern in the y direction. As a result, diffraction of short-wave light components can be reduced in a broad wavelength range.
US08430998B2 Sputtering apparatus
A sputtering apparatus includes a preheating chamber, a deposition chamber, a passage in communication with the preheating chamber and the deposition chamber, a first support assembly received in the preheating chamber, a second support assembly received in the deposition chamber, a number of posts capable of mounting on each of the first and second support assemblies, a transferring robot arranged in the preheating chamber, and a magnetic assembly fixed on the transferring robot. The transferring robot is configured for demounting the post from the two support assemblies, transferring the demounted post between the preheating chamber and the deposition chamber, and mounting the transferred post on the two support assemblies. The magnetic assembly is configured for collecting iron workpieces dropped on a bottom in the preheating chamber, the deposition chamber, or the passage.
US08430996B2 Electrocoagulation reactor having segmented intermediate uncharged plates
An electrocoagulation reactor for the treatment of wastewater. The electrocoagulation reactor typically engages a DC power source and a source of wastewater to be treated. It has a housing with walls and a wastewater inlet, and a treated wastewater outlet. There is at least one anode/cathode pair of oppositely charged spaced apart plates that engage the power source to charge the anode with a positive charge and the cathode with a negative charge. Between each anode/cathode pair is at least one segmented intermediate plate, which is not engaged to the power source of electrical energy, and which intermediate plate is segmented into multiple segments, which multiple segments lay generally in the same plane.
US08430994B2 Making sheets
The invention is directed toward improvements in security substrates, such as paper, used for making security documents, such as bank notes, having anti-counterfeit able features and in particular to security substrates incorporating an elongate security element and methods of making the substrate. The invention comprises a security substrate for making security documents and the like comprising a fibrous base substrate and an elongate security element at least partially embedded therein. At one surface of the security substrate one portion of the security element is exposed to provide a continuous track along the length of the security element. A plurality of other portions along at least one edge of the security element are partially covered by overlapping regions of the fibrous substrate. The invention further comprises a method of manufacturing such a security substrate.
US08430990B2 Adhesive resin composition and bonding method
The present invention relates to an inexpensive adhesive resin composition which is applicable even to a base material having a poor bonding property. The adhesive resin composition comprises (A) a polymer having no radical-polymerizable double bond and (B) a radical generating agent in which the radical generating agent (B) is present in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight on the basis of 100 parts by weight of the polymer (A). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive resin composition further comprises (C) a radical-polymerizable monomer wherein the monomer (C) is present in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight on the basis of 100 parts by weight of the polymer (A). The radical-polymerizable monomer (C) is a glycidyl group-containing monomer, and the glycidyl group-containing monomer is 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate glycidyl ether.
US08430986B1 Method for manufacturing a golf club head
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a golf club head. The method comprises using a bladder with an open face and a flange clamped over the open face during pressurization and molding. In a preferred embodiment, the bladder is composed of a material with a higher rigidity than latex.
US08430985B2 Microporous layer assembly and method of making the same
One embodiment includes a process including coating a first microporous layer onto a first decal and curing the first microporous layer and the first decal.
US08430978B2 Sputtering target and method for production thereof
A sintered sputtering target having a structure where the average crystallize size is 1 nm to 50 nm and preferably comprises an alloy having a three-component system or greater containing, as its primary component, at least one element selected from among Zr, Pd, Cu, Co, Fe, Ti, Mg, Sr, Y, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te and a rare earth metal. This target is manufactured by sintering atomized powder. Thereby provided is a high density target having an extremely fine and uniform structure manufactured with the sintering method, in place of a conventional bulk metal glass produced by the quenching of a molten metal, which has a coarse crystal structure and requires a high cost for its production.
US08430968B2 Method of extracting starches and sugar from biological material using controlled cavitation
A method of extracting sugar, starch, and/or carbohydrates from feed material such as corn or corn stover is disclosed. The feed material is mixed with liquid and perhaps accelerants to form a mixture. The mixture is pumped through a controlled cavitation reactor, where it is exposed to shockwaves from cavitation events. The shockwaves open pores in the feed material and force liquid in and out of the pores to liberate trapped sugars and starches, which are dissolved in the liquid for subsequent removal.
US08430965B2 Epitaxial growth system for fast heating and cooling
A system for crystal growth having rapid heating and cooling. A fluid-cooling jacket having a reflective shield contained therein is disposed around a heating cylinder in which crystal growth takes place. A heating coil is disposed round the cooling jacket. The invention also includes a method of crystal growth and semiconductor devices formed using the inventive methods and systems.
US08430964B2 Coating apparatus
A coating apparatus includes a chamber device and a transporting device. The chamber device defines two separated coating chambers, two coating channels, which are alternately arranged, two coating slots communicating the coating chambers with the coating channels respectively, and a transportation channel extending to intersect the coating chambers and the coating channels and communicate with the coating channels. The transporting device includes a carrying board for carrying a substrate to be coated and an a driver for driving the carrying board to move along the transportation channel and to rotate the carrying board into one of the coating channels so that the substrate faces and aligns a corresponding coating chamber via a corresponding coating slot.
US08430960B2 Deposition systems and susceptor assemblies for depositing a film on a substrate
Parasitic deposits are controlled in a deposition system for depositing a film on a substrate, the deposition system of the type defining a reaction chamber for receiving the substrate and including a process gas in the reaction chamber and an interior surface contiguous with the reaction chamber. Such control is provided by flowing a buffer gas between the interior surface and at least a portion of the process gas to form a gas barrier layer such that the gas barrier layer inhibits contact between the interior surface and components of the process gas. A deposition system for depositing a film on a substrate using a process gas includes a reaction chamber adapted to receive the substrate and the process gas. The system further includes an interior surface contiguous with the reaction chamber. A buffer gas supply system is adapted to supply a flow of a buffer gas between the interior surface and at least a portion of the process gas such that the flow of the buffer gas forms a gas barrier layer to inhibit contact between the interior surface and components of the process gas when the process gas is disposed in the reaction chamber.
US08430954B2 Crystal forms of quinacridones made from 2,9-dimethoxyquinacridone and 2,9-dichloroquinacridone
Novel crystal forms of solid solutions of 2,9-dimethyoxyquinacridone and 2,9-dichloroquinacridone. The crystal forms may be formed by a process comprising the steps of: a) heating a mixture of 2,5-di(4-methoxyanilino)terephthalic acid, and 2,5-di(4-chloroanilino)terephthalic acid in polyphorsphoric acid at a temperature less than 1050 C to form a mixture of 2,9-dimethoxyquinacridone and 2,9-dichloroquinacridone; b) combining the mixture of 2,9-dimethoxyquinacridone and 2,9-dichloroquinacridone with water; and c) heating the mixture of 2,9-dimethoxyquinacridone and 2,9-dichloroquinacridone at a temperature not more than 110° C. Another crystal form may be formed by the process of heating a mixture of 2,9-dimethoxyquinacridone and 2,9-dichloroquinacridone in a polar aprotic solvent. These products are may be used for coloring fibers, plastics, paints, coatings, printing inks, color filters, cosmetics, automotive coatings, textiles, fibers, powder coatings, in-mold coatings, laminate films, and the like.
US08430950B2 Device for removing fine-grained or dust-like solids from a container
A device for removal of fine-grained or dust-like solids from a container that is to be pressurized or is pressurized, whereby the container is equipped with a double-walled discharge cone or funnel, avoids the use of porous materials, such as sintered metals or the like, while making available good conveyance properties in the transfer funnel, without restricting the grain sizes of the material, in each instance, whereby even particle-charged gas can be used for conveyance. The gas exit openings are larger than the largest particles of the solid to be removed, and the gas exit openings are provided with a pipe connector or gas feed channel that projects into the interior of the ring chamber and has at least one angle with an imaginary horizontal plane, and the gas feed channel is part of a retention device for preventing solid from trickling into the ring chamber.
US08430944B2 Fine particle recovery methods for valve metal powders
A process and system for producing tantalum or other valve metal particles is provided comprising forming tantalum particles in a reduction process carried out in a reactor vessel, and using a siphon to transfer fine tantalum particles out of the reaction mixture to a recovery vessel. This particle transfer can occur while the reaction mixture is agitated. The tantalum particles can be automatically withdrawn when the reaction mixture has a depth level greater than the fluid level of the tantalum fine particle recovery vessel, and outflow automatically stops when the fluid levels of the reactor and particle recovery vessel equilibrate. Tantalum or other valve metal powders made by the processes, and capacitors made with valve metal powders are also provided.
US08430941B2 Filter element arrangement and portable air cleaner incorporating same
A portable dust collection air cleaner assembly is provided. A access hatch is hinged to a dust collection bin to provide ready access to the filter element. The filter element may include an outer annular flange carrying a gasket that rests upon, engagement and seals against a top panel of the dust collection bin.
US08430935B2 Colorants for keratinic fibres having optimized viscosity adjustment
A multi-component packaging unit includes a first container containing a color changing preparation comprising, in a cosmetic carrier, a color-changing component and a second container packaged separately from the first container and containing an oxidizing agent preparation. The oxidizing agent preparation comprises at least two phases separated from one another. A first phase has an aqueous phase that comprises, in a cosmetically acceptable carrier, a chemical oxidizing agent and an anionic polymeric thickener chosen from homo- and copolymers of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid. A second phase has a hydrophobic phase that comprises an oil chosen from paraffin oil, liquid carboxylic acid esters of C2 to C8 monoalkanol with a mono- or dicarboxylic acid, and combinations thereof.
US08430925B2 Prosthetic heart valves, scaffolding structures, and systems and methods for implantation of same
Prosthetic valves and their component parts are described, as are prosthetic valve delivery devices and methods for their use. The prosthetic valves are particularly adapted for use in percutaneous aortic valve replacement procedures. The delivery devices are particularly adapted for use in minimally invasive surgical procedures.
US08430923B2 Radiopaque intraluminal stent
The present invention includes a radiopaque stent comprising a cylindrical main body. The tubular main body comprises a cobalt chromium alloy that comprises cobalt, chromium and one or more radiopaque materials.
US08430922B2 Stent customization system and method
Methods and systems are described for receiving a parameter relating to a specific patient, and for customizing one or more attributes of a stent ex situ as an at-least-roughly contemporaneous response to receiving the parameter relating to the specific patient or for customizing one or more junctions of a stent ex situ in response to the received parameter relating to the specific patient.
US08430921B2 Portable moist heat system
A portable moist heat delivery system comprising a water vapor generating portion comprising a water vapor source and a heat source; a water vapor-air regulating portion, said water vapor-air regulating portion comprising a water vapor-air mixing layer, and a water vapor-air distribution layer; said water vapor generating portion and said water vapor-air regulating portion being in fluid communication; and said water vapor-air regulating portion having a latent heat delivery surface disposed adjacent said water vapor-air regulating portion which delivers moist heat at a preselected temperature range wherein about 15% to about 95% of the moist heat is latent heat of condensation. Methods include delivering improved pain relief, blood flow, relaxation, and reduced cardiac workload.
US08430918B2 Vertebral fixing system
A vertebral fixing system suitable for being mounted on a vertebra of the spine for connecting it to a rod. The system includes: a connecting part suitable for being connected to the rod, a flexible ligature of elongate shape having two free ends suitable for connecting together the connecting part and at least a portion of a vertebra and/or a rib, and an adjustable locking member mounted on the connecting part. The connecting part defines at least one passageway for passing the ligature in such a manner that two distinct strands of the ligature can be engaged in the passageway so that the two strands of the ligature define a first ligature portion forming a loop extending from one side of the connecting part, and second and third ligature portions extending from the other side of the connecting part.
US08430915B2 Spinal osteosynthesis device and preparation method
A spinal internal implantation device for osteosynthesis has one or more bars for supporting for moving the spine and at least one implant for connecting the bars and vertebrae. The implant includes a blown anchor attached to a body of the implant and a fixation arrangement for the bars. The fixation arrangement includes a clamp for clamping the bar against internal walls of a channel formed in the body of the implant. At least part of the length of the bars includes a transversal bearing structure that is a cross-section of the bars having at least one flat part of a part having a lower forepost convexity than the rest of the cross section.
US08430910B2 Adjustable spinal rehabilitation device
An adjustable spinal rehabilitation device includes a bed frame, three soft pads thereon, five elevation adjustment mechanisms provided between the bed frame and the soft pads for adjusting inclinations of the soft pads, an inverted U-shaped frame provided outside the bed frame and coupled thereto from above, two tractors provided outside the inverted U-shaped frame, and five fastening belts. Four fastening belts are tied to the bed frame bilaterally for fixing in position a rehabilitation patient. Cords coupled to two fastening belts extend from the tractors and penetrate holes of the inverted U-shaped frame so as for the cords to be coupled to pulley trains disposed on rails provided on inner sides of the inverted U-shaped frame, respectively. The tractors pull the rehabilitation patient to increase inclination of the rehabilitation patient's thoracic and lumbar spine to a required angle and pull the rehabilitation patient's cervical spine from a required angle.
US08430909B2 Knotless graft fixation using an implant having a pointed tip
A method for securing soft tissue to bone which does not require the surgeon to tie suture knots to secure the tissue to the bone. Suture is passed through the graft at desired points. A cannulated plug or screw is pre-loaded onto the distal end of a driver provided with an eyelet implant at its distal end. Suture attached to the graft is passed through the eyelet of the implant located at the distal end of the driver. The distal end of the driver together with the eyelet implant is inserted into the bone. Tension is applied to the suture to position the graft at the desired location relative to the bone. The screw or plug is advanced into the pilot hole by turning the interference screw or tapping the plug until the cannulated screw or plug securely engages and locks in the eyelet implant, so that the cannulated plug or screw with the engaged eyelet implant is flush with the bone. Once the screw or plug is fully inserted and the suture is impacted into the bone, the driver is removed and any loose ends of the sutures protruding from the anchor site are then clipped short.
US08430908B2 Process and instrument for stretching tissue of skin
An instrument for stretching tissue is provided. The instrument can include opposing hook jaws 10 movably coupled to a rod 12 and movable toward each other, and each hook jaw 10 can have a hook receptacle 18. A hook module 20, having at least one hook 22, can be seated in the hook receptacle 18. An adjustment cam 28 can be connected to each hook module 20 and an adjustment drive 26 can be coupled to the adjustment cams 28 where the adjustment drive 26 moves the adjustment cams 28 to cause a skin stretching force at one or more hook modules 20 and to cause a skin reperfusion force at one or more hook modules 20.
US08430903B2 Embolus blood clot filter and delivery system
A blood filter delivery system for delivering a filter into a vein includes an introducer and a push rod with a spline member disposed along the push rod. The spline member has a main body, and first and second boss portions spaced apart along the longitudinal axis to provide a gap for retaining anchor member of the filter during delivery via the introducer.
US08430898B2 Ultrasonic surgical instruments
A surgical instrument. The surgical instrument may comprise a transducer and an end effector. The transducer may be configured to provide vibrations along a longitudinal axis at a predetermined frequency and may comprise a piezoelectric stack positioned along the longitudinal axis. The transducer also may comprise a first metallic end mass positioned along the longitudinal axis adjacent a first end of the piezoelectric stack and a second metallic end mass positioned along the longitudinal axis adjacent a second end of the piezoelectric stack. The length of the transducer may be greater than or equal to of one wavelength and less than ½ of one wavelength. The end effector may be coupled to the transducer and may extend along the longitudinal axis. The length of the transducer and the end effector may be a multiple of ½ of one wavelength.
US08430897B2 Ultrasonic wound debrider probe and method of use
An ultrasonic probe includes a shaft having a longitudinal axis and a head disposed at a distal end of the shaft. The head has a cylindrical lateral surface and an end face oriented perpendicularly to the axis. The head has three shaping surfaces at a distal end of the cylindrical surface, each shaping surface extending at an acute angle to the axis. Each of the shaping surfaces intersects or is contiguous with both the cylindrical surface and the end face.
US08430894B2 Floating gastrointestinal anchor
Apparatus (90) is provided for use in a stomach of a subject. The apparatus includes a balloon (92), adapted for placement in the stomach, and all anchor (102), coupled to the balloon. The anchor is adapted to prevent the balloon from passing into a duodenum of the subject. The apparatus further includes an inflation tube (96), coupled to the balloon to permit inflation of the balloon, and is adapted to stretch from the stomach to a mouth of the subject to facilitate inflation of the balloon. Other embodiments are also described.
US08430890B2 Method and apparatus for endoscopically treating rectal prolapse
In one form of the invention, there is provided a method for treating rectal prolapse, the method comprising: inserting an expandable element into a prolapsed rectum via the anus; expanding the expandable element so that the expandable element securely engages the rectum; advancing the expanded element distally so as to return the prolapsed rectum to its normal, non-prolapsed state; and securing the rectum to supporting tissue whereby to retain the rectum in its normal, non-prolapsed state. In another form of the invention, there is provided an endoscope assembly for treating rectal prolapse, the endoscope assembly comprising: an endoscope; a balloon catheter; and a tacker; wherein the endoscope, balloon catheter and tacker are mounted together for insertion as a unit.
US08430888B2 Minimally invasive methods for locating an optimal location for deep brain stimulation
Methods of locating an optimal site within a brain of a patient for deep brain stimulation include positioning a guiding cannula in a lumen of a main cannula, passing a microelectrode through a lumen of the guiding cannula into the brain, adjusting an insertion depth and a longitudinal angle of the guiding cannula such that the microelectrode locates the optimal site for the deep brain stimulation, and passing a distal end of a macroelectrode or a deep brain stimulation lead through the lumen of the main cannula and into the brain at the optimal site.