| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08843297B2 |
Rpm control device and rpm control method for a general-purpose engine
Provided is an rpm control device for a general-purpose engine, which is capable of realizing droop control in a spark-ignition engine only by the adaptation of isochronous control. When the droop control is selected, a rotation decrease rate (K) (value equal to or smaller than 1) is obtained from an engine rpm and a load. The result of multiplication of a basic target rpm (Nb) requested by a driver by the rotation decrease rate (K) is obtained as a target rpm (No). By setting the rotation decrease rate to a smaller value as the load becomes higher, the target rpm (No) is set smaller than the basic target rpm (Nb). The isochronous control is performed by using an electronic throttle so as to achieve the obtained target rpm (No) to realize the droop control in a pseudo-manner. |
| US08843281B2 |
Seed characteristic sensor
Seed meters, agricultural planters, and methods of planting seed are provided. Such meters, planters, and methods may include a housing defining a chamber, a seed disc rotatably coupled to the housing and at least partially positioned within the chamber with the seed disc adapted to engage a seed, and a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the seed after the seed disengages the seed disc and before the seed exits the seed meter. The sensor may be coupled to a seed chute of the seed meter and may detect a wide variety of seed characteristics such as seed position within the seed chute, seed size, and seed shape. The seed characteristic may be used to adjust operation of the seed meters, agricultural planters, and methods. In some instances, the adjustment may be manual. In other instances, the adjustment may be automatic. |
| US08843274B2 |
Suspension device
A suspension apparatus 1 includes an electric shock absorber 30 having a motor 40 and a ball screw mechanism 35, an electric circuit 101, an inverting amplification circuit 120, and an inertia compensation capacitor Cp. The electric circuit 101 electrically connects the two electricity supply terminals of the motor 40. The inverting amplification circuit 120 is connected to the electric circuit 101. The inertia compensation capacitor Cp is connected to the output terminal O of the inverting amplification circuit 120. As a result of approaching or separating motion between sprung and unsprung members, not only a generated current but also an inertia corresponding current Im which represents an inertial force of a rotation body, such as the ball screw shaft 36 and the rotor of the motor 40, flows through the motor 40 and the electric circuit 101. A current Ip which is antiphase to the inertia corresponding current Im flows through the inertia compensation capacitor Cp. This antiphase current Ip cancels out the inertia corresponding current Im. |
| US08843264B2 |
Method and apparatus for operation of a motor vehicle
For operation of a motor vehicle (2) having a propulsion system (4), when a critical operating state (STATE_CRIT) occurs and/or an operating error (ERROR) of the motor vehicle (2) and/or of the propulsion system (4) of the motor vehicle (2) occurs, the critical operating state (STATE_CRIT) and/or the operating error (ERROR) are signalled to a driver of the motor vehicle (2) by a reaction of the propulsion system (4) and/or by a reaction of the motor vehicle (2) which can be perceived by the driver. |
| US08843258B2 |
Battery unit heating apparatus
A battery unit heating apparatus installed in a vehicle which can drive by power from at least one of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor which is driven by a battery unit as a power supply, includes: an induction unit for drawing in air for heating the battery unit; and an induction control unit for controlling the induction unit, when a temperature of the battery unit is lower than a first predetermined value, so as to generate a drawing force larger than a drawing force resulting when the vehicle is set to the other mode of two modes having different drive ratios of the internal combustion engine to the electric motor while the vehicle is running in such a state that the vehicle is set to one of the two modes in which the electric motor is employed more positively than the internal combustion engine. |
| US08843241B2 |
Remote monitoring and control system comprising mesh and time synchronization technology
A remote monitoring and control system comprising synchronized wireless MESH technology for remote monitoring and control of utility grids (e.g., utility meters), commodity distribution networks, industrial equipment, and infrastructure including remote disconnection/connection and self-generating power. |
| US08843232B2 |
Control method for a complex consisting of a plurality of multiaxial handling devices arranged in succession and/or side by side, and also data storage medium, control system and complex
A control method for a complex consisting of a plurality of multiaxial handling devices arranged in succession and/or side by side, is provided. A complex consisting of a plurality of multiaxial handling devices, arranged in succession and/or side by side, for the execution of multidimensional working and/or handling movements and consisting of at least one conveyor facility for transporting objects is controlled. The handling devices are provided for picking up, processing and setting down the objects being transported along. The guide value for the multidimensional movement sequence of handling devices is modeled on one or more objects transported along by a conveyor facility as a guide value in a distributed multiaxial system with synchronous operation, such as for example in the case of a printing machine, a paper mill or rolling mill or the like. |
| US08843229B2 |
Metallic structures having porous regions from imaged bone at pre-defined anatomic locations
A method of forming an implant having a porous region replicated from scanned bone, the method comprising imaging bone with a high resolution digital scanner to generate a three-dimensional design model of the bone; removing a three-dimensional section from the design model; fabricating a porous region on a digital representation of the implant by replacing a solid portion of the digital implant with the section removed from the digital representation; and using an additive manufacturing technique to create a physical implant including the fabricated porous region. |
| US08843221B2 |
Automation management system and method
A method for monitoring performance of at least one task in controlled equipment is disclosed herein. The method includes collecting a series of signals associated with the at least one task, at least some of the signals in the series define timing values for the at least one task. comparing each of at least some of the timing values to a reference value, generating an accumulated variance value based on the comparisons and selectively generating a predictive failure indication based on the generated accumulated variance value. |
| US08843219B2 |
Control device
An RTC, having a crystal oscillator of different characteristics from those of a crystal oscillator, is provided, and the pulse period of the pulse signal from the RTC and the pulse signal based on the crystal oscillator are compared to detect a fault in the crystal oscillator. As a result, even if, for example, located in a high temperature environment, the degrees to the decrease in frequency will be different, thus making it possible to detect reliably a fault in the crystal oscillator. |
| US08843214B2 |
Low impedance, low modulus wire configurations for a medical device
Techniques are disclosed related to wires that may be used within a medical device. According to one example, a wire may include a core formed of a material having a resistivity of less than 25 micro-ohm-cm and a layer of a biocompatible beta titanium alloy surrounding the core. As one example, the beta titanium alloy has an elastic modulus ranging from 30 GigaPascals (GPa) to 90 GPa and comprises at least two elements from a group consisting of titanium, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, chromium, iron and tin. In one embodiment, the core may be formed of silver, tantalum, a tantalum alloy, niobium, a niobium alloy, platinum, a platinum alloy, palladium, or a palladium alloy. In some examples, one or more wires may be incorporated into a coil or a cable and one or more such coils or cables may be carried by a medical device such as a medical electrical lead. |
| US08843213B2 |
MRI compatible co-radially wound lead assembly
An MRI compatible lead assembly construct is provided. The construct includes at least two filter components constructed from an electrode wire. One filter component may be a resonant LC filter proximate an electrode that resolves the issue of insufficient attenuation by effectively blocking the RF induced current on the wire from exiting the wire through the electrode. The second filter component may include a non-resonant filter(s) positioned along the length of the electrode wire by co-radially winding at least two electrode wires. The non-resonant filter resolve(s) the issue of excessive heating of the resonant LC filter by significantly attenuating the current induced on the wire before it reaches the resonant LC filter. |
| US08843199B2 |
Cardiac response classification using multisite sensing and pacing
Methods and devices for classifying a cardiac pacing response involve using a first electrode combination for pacing and a second electrode combination for sensing a cardiac signal following pacing. The cardiac response to pacing may be classified using the sensed cardiac signal. One process involves using the sensed cardiac signal to detect the cardiac response as a fusion/pseudofusion beat. Another process involves using the sensed cardiac signal to classify the cardiac response to pacing as one of at least three cardiac response types. |
| US08843198B2 |
Apparatus and method to optimize pacing parameters
The present disclosure refers to a heart stimulator comprising a stimulation control unit, a stimulation unit, an impedance measurement unit and an impedance evaluation unit. The stimulation control unit is operatively connected to the stimulation unit to control timing of stimulation pulses by said stimulation unit. The impedance measurement unit is configured to determine an impedance signal reflecting intracardiac impedance. The impedance evaluation unit is operatively connected to the impedance measurement unit and to the stimulation control unit and is configured to evaluate the impedance signal so as to determine an isovolumic contraction time, an isovolumic relaxation time, an ejection time and a filling time from said impedance signal. The stimulation control unit is further configured to control timing of stimulation pulses depending on a performance index. |
| US08843196B2 |
Subcutaneous cardiac sensing and stimulation system
Cardiac systems and methods using ECG and blood information for arrhythmia detection and discrimination. Detection circuitry is configured to produce an ECG. An implantable blood sensor configured to produce a blood sensor signal is coupled to a processor. The processor is coupled to the detection and energy delivery circuitry, and used to evaluate and treat cardiac rhythms using both the cardiac electrophysiologic and blood sensor signals. The blood sensor is configured for subcutaneous non-intrathoracic placement and provided in or on the housing, on a lead coupled to the housing, and/or separate to the housing and coupled to the processor via hardwire or wireless link. The blood sensor may be configured for optical sensing, using a blood oxygen saturation sensor or pulse oximeter. A cardiac rhythm may be evaluated using the electrocardiogram signal and the blood sensor signal, and tachyarrhythmias may be treated after confirmation using the blood sense signal. |
| US08843185B2 |
Slide-type wireless terminal apparatus
A slide-type wireless terminal apparatus includes a first casing and a second casing slidable relative to the first casing. The wireless terminal apparatus includes a first circuit board which is provided in the first casing, an antenna which is provided in the first casing, a second circuit board which is provided in the second casing, a sliding member which is disposed between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the sliding member including a portion which faces the antenna, the sliding member having electrical conductivity and being electrically connected to the first circuit board, and a guide member which is provided in the second casing, the guide member being for guiding the sliding member such that the sliding member slides relative to the guiding member. |
| US08843175B2 |
Apparatus and methods for mitigating protocol-induced back-offs in a communication network
Methods and apparatus for mitigating data server time-outs in e.g., a hybrid wireless network. In one exemplary embodiment, a client device operating in a hybrid network environment utilizes its knowledge about tune-away periods so as to minimally affect data network operation. For example, during periods of data downlink activity, the client device induces some delay in the acknowledgement packets sent back towards the network prior to entering into a tune away period. These delayed acknowledgement packets result in an increased retransmission time out period value thereby reducing the probability of encountering a data server time-out. Alternative embodiments are also discussed which preoccupy the network apparatus during these tune away periods so as to also mitigate time-outs during these periods. These mitigation algorithms are useful in both downlink and uplink data transmissions. Apparatus for implementing these methodologies are also disclosed. |
| US08843171B2 |
Transmission power control method, base station apparatus and mobile station apparatus
To provide a transmission power control method, base station apparatus and mobile station apparatus for enabling the transmission power in the mobile station apparatus having a plurality of antennas to be properly controlled, enabled is one of a common control mode for transmitting a common TPC command to perform transmission power control common to antennas (102a, 102b) to the mobile station apparatus (100) and an individual control mode for transmitting individual TPC commands to perform transmission power control individually on the antennas (102a, 102b) to the mobile station apparatus (100). |
| US08843163B2 |
Wireless priority service within a distributed call processing architecture
A system, method, and call processing component for controlling an order of call processing among a plurality of call processing components. Each call processing component, upon receiving a call request when system resources are not available to process the requested call, creates a real queue entry in its call processing queue and sends a call-queued notification to all other call processing components in the system. The other call processing components in the telecommunication system then create a shadow queue entry in their respective call processing queues as a placeholder for the requested call. When system resources become available and the requested call is next in the queue, the call processing component that received the request de-queues and processes the requested call, and sends a call de-queued notification to the other call processing components. In response, each of the other call processing components removes the placeholder queue entry for the requested call from each call processing component's call processing queue. |
| US08843156B2 |
Discovering and preventing a communications disruption in a mobile environment
In one aspect, a method to discover and prevent a communications disruption in a mobile environment includes receiving data at a mobile platform from a geographical database, determining if the mobile platform will be blocked by a blockage event from accessing a network in response to data extracted from the geographical database and avoiding the blockage event if the mobile platform will be blocked from accessing the network. |
| US08843151B2 |
Systems and methods for providing data communications with burst transmissions
Burst quality of service (QoS) mode uses a higher modulation rate and coding scheme for transmitting data blocks in a short period of time between a transmitting terminal and a user terminal experiencing a channel state above a certain threshold in a wireless communication system. Burst QoS may reduce data transmission time, thereby achieving a higher level of channel efficiency as well as a reduction in the consumption of power. In burst QoS mode, the channel state information (CSI) may be repeatedly measured. When the CSI is above a certain threshold, a higher rate modulation and coding (MC) scheme is used for burst data transmission. After the burst, a short sleep is triggered to reduce power consumption. |
| US08843150B2 |
Beamforming method and apparatus for acquiring transmission beam diversity in a wireless communication system
A data transmission method for a base station to acquire transmission beam diversity in a wireless communication system is provided. The data transmission method includes selecting at least two transmission beams to be used for data transmission from among multiple transmission beams corresponding to transmission beam information, if receiving the transmission beam information regarding the multiple transmission beams from a terminal, and transmitting data encoded with a predetermined orthogonalization code to the terminal via the selected at least two transmission beams. |
| US08843147B2 |
Method and system of assigning a channel without paging
A method and system for setting up a communication with a given mobile station served by a RAN that defines one or more coverage areas. The RAN may receive an indication of a location of the given mobile station. The RAN may then use the location of the given mobile station to identify one or more wireless coverage areas associated with the given mobile station. The RAN may also receive a request to set up a communication with the given mobile station. In response, the RAN may assign a channel for the communication to the given mobile station in each identified wireless coverage area without first paging the given mobile station. |
| US08843144B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating a pilot signal adapted to the channel characteristics
A set of different pilot structures are designed for use in different environments and/or different user behaviors that are expected to occur in a cell. The radio conditions for a user are estimated. Each user is then assigned an area (108A-E) in resource space for its communication, which has a suitable pilot configuration. In one embodiment, the entire resource space is provided with different pilot structures in different parts (110A-D) In advance and allocation of resources to the users are then performed in order to match estimated radio conditions to the provided pilot structure. In another embodiment, allocation is performed first, and then the actual pilot structure is adapted within the allocated resource space area to suit the environmental conditions. |
| US08843140B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting a handover in a broadband wireless access communication system
A method and an apparatus for supporting a handover in a broadband wireless access communication system are provided. The method includes configuring mapping information based on information related to base station IDs (BS-IDs) and power used in a plurality of sub base station, and transmitting the mapping information to the plurality of femto base stations, and when a handover request is received from a terminal, performing a handover to one of the plurality of femto base stations is set as a target base station. |
| US08843139B2 |
Method and system for small cell discovery in heterogeneous cellular networks
A method and a user equipment in a network having a macro cell and at least one small cell, the method in one embodiment receiving a measurement restriction over a broadcast channel from the macro cell; and applying the restriction for a corresponding measurement at the user equipment. In one embodiment the method includes receiving a small cell list from the macro cell; and measuring at least one of a reference signal receive power and a reference signal received quality based on the received small cell list. The method includes, in one embodiment, receiving a neighboring small cell configurations from the macro cell; and utilizing the received small cell configurations to attach to a small cell. The method includes, in one embodiment, receiving an s-measure offset value over a broadcast channel from the macro cell; and applying the s-measure offset value to an s-measure for neighbor cell discovery. |
| US08843135B2 |
Method and apparatus for handover and session continuity using pre-registration tunneling procedure
A method and apparatus for session continuity using pre-registration tunneling procedure are disclosed. For session continuity, a tunnel is established between a multi-mode wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and a core network of a target system via a source system while the WTRU is still connected with the source system. An access procedure is performed toward the target system using the tunnel. A handover is the performed from the source system to the target system once the access procedure is complete. The access procedure includes session initiation protocol (SIP) registration, authentication of the WTRU at the target system, and internet protocol (IP) configuration. The handover may be from a third generation partnership project (3GPP) system to a non-3GPP system, or vice versa. |
| US08843123B1 |
Techniques for accelerating cellular measurements
Apparatus includes a receiver and a processor. The receiver includes at least first and second processing chains. The processor is configured to select a mode from a set of modes and to operate the receiver in accordance with the selected mode. The set of modes includes a first mode and at least one of a second mode and a third mode. In the first mode the first processing chain is configured to receive and demodulate serving cell signals from at least one serving cell that serves the apparatus, and the second processing chain is configured to receive and measure signals from the one or more neighbor cells. In the second mode the first and second processing chains are configured to receive and demodulate the serving cell signals. In the third mode the first and second processing chains are configured to receive and measure the signals from the neighbor cells. |
| US08843122B1 |
Mobile phone controls preprocessor
A method of policy management and control on a mobile phone. The method comprises receiving a user interface change request by a launcher application executing on the mobile phone, requesting permissions from an interface control application programming interface (API) by the launcher application, receiving a response from the interface control application programming interface by the launcher application, where the response indicates if the user interface change is permitted, and enforcing the received permission by the launcher application, where enforcing the received permission comprises executing the user interface change request when the user interface change is permitted, and where enforcing the received permissions comprises not executing the user interface change request and presenting a message to a user of the mobile phone when the user interface change is restricted. |
| US08843119B2 |
Method and apparatus for call handling
There is provided a system and method of call handling comprising a first communications device having an acceptor of call purpose from a first party for a call, a communications channel including a conveyor of call purpose and a second communications device coupled to the first communications device via the communications channel and having a presenter of call purpose to a second party. |
| US08843114B2 |
Method for transmitting a message from a portable communication device to a separate terminal, and associated portable device and terminal
The disclosure relates to a method for transmitting a message from a portable communication device to a separate terminal including a step of recording at the portable communication device a voice message, and a step of generating, at the portable communication device, a multimedia file including at least the voice message. According to the disclosure, the portable communication device transmits to the separate terminal a signal including the multimedia file and a specific flag for indicating that the voice message is to be displayed as a text message. Upon reception of the signal at the separate terminal, the voice message is extracted and specific flag is detected. Upon detection of the specific flag, speech-to-text conversion is performed at the separate terminal in order to transform the voice message into a text message to be displayed. |
| US08843107B2 |
Methods and apparatuses to connect users of mobile devices to advertisers
Methods and apparatuses to connect a user of a telephony device to a selected one of service providers of a predefined category. One embodiment includes: providing a user interface element on a dial interface of a telephonic device to represent a communication reference associated with a pre-defined category of services; and responsive to a user selection of the user interface element, initiating a request from the telephonic device using the communication reference for a telephone connection to a service provider of the pre-defined category; where the service provider is to be selected from a plurality of service providers of the pre-defined category in response to the request and to be charged in response to a telephone lead connected to the service provider. |
| US08843096B2 |
Multi-antenna system
An antenna system is disclosed which includes a frontend portion, a backend portion, a feed line for connecting the frontend portion and the backend portion with each other, and a control unit for controlling the frontend portion and/or backend portion. The frontend portion includes multiple antennas that supply antenna signals and at least one combiner network that connects the antennas to the feed line. The backend portion includes multiple receivers and at least one splitter network that connects the feed line to the receivers. The control unit is configured to evaluate the reception quality and adjust the at least one combiner network and/or splitter network dependent on the reception quality. The at least one combiner network combines the signals from at least two antennas in different, non-overlapping frequency ranges to form at least one combined signal thereof. |
| US08843095B2 |
Electronic circuit system, electronic circuit device, and wireless communication device in which antennas are selected to be paired for wireless communication and the selected antennas are connected to the electronic circuits
Provided is an electronic circuit system that reduces at least one of a constraint on a positional relation between two electronic circuit devices and a constraint on the number and an arrangement of coils included in each device, when close-coupled wireless communication is established. In the electronic circuit system, wireless communication utilizing inductive coupling between antennas is established between first and second electronic circuit devices. The second electronic circuit device includes an electronic circuit, a plurality of antennas, a connection information generation unit and a connection switching unit. The connection information generation unit selects one of the plurality of antennas to be paired with an antenna included in the first electronic circuit device for use in wireless communication, and the connection switching unit switches one or more of the plurality of antennas to be connected to the electronic circuit. |
| US08843091B2 |
Remote keyless entry and tire pressure monitoring radio communication system, receiver, and communication method that switches a reception mode of a receiver between a first reception mode and a second reception mode
A radio communication system includes: a receiver that is configured to receive a first radio wave sent according to a remote keyless entry system and a second radio wave sent according to a tire pressure monitoring system; and a reception mode switching unit that sets a reception mode of the receiver to a first reception mode, in which the first radio wave is received, when an ignition switch of a vehicle is off, and sets the reception mode to a second reception mode, in which the second radio wave is received, when the ignition switch of the vehicle is on. If the reception mode switching unit receives a first request to set the reception mode to the first reception mode while the reception mode is set to the second reception mode, the reception mode switching unit sets the reception mode to the first reception mode. |
| US08843087B2 |
Radio frequency combiner
A multichannel combiner formed from 2 to 1 combiners, wherein: a first input channel of each 2 to 1 combiner is connected to the output of a settable-gain amplifier of a signal to be combined; all 2 to 1 combiners are electrically connected in series; and an output of a first 2 to 1 combiner defines an output of the multichannel combiner. |
| US08843078B2 |
Method and device for processing firmware over the air (FOTA) upgrade
The invention discloses a method and device for processing the FOTA upgrade. The method comprises: a transmitting terminal configures resources and transmits an upgrade package for version upgrade to a receiving terminal; the receiving terminal is upgraded by the received upgrade package and transmits identification information which is used for indicating the upgrade result of the receiving terminal to the transmitting terminal over the resources corresponding to the upgrade package; and the transmitting terminal determines the upgrade result of the receiving terminal according to the identification information. The invention improves the reliability and stability of the system. |
| US08843076B2 |
Device, system and method of wireless communication over a beamformed communication link
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of wireless communication over a beamformed communication link. For example, a device may include a wireless communication unit to establish at least one beamformed communication link for communication with at least one other wireless communication device, wherein the wireless communication unit is to measure a link maintenance time period corresponding to the beamformed communication link, and wherein the wireless communication unit is to attempt to restore the beamformed communication link upon expiration of the link maintenance time period. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08843068B2 |
Supervisory headset mobile communication system
A supervisory mobile communication headset system comprises of a first mobile communication device and a mobile headset, each having an RF transceiver used to establish RF audio and RF supervisory communication between the first mobile communication device and the mobile headset, wherein when both devises carried by the user are within near communication proximity of the other. When the first mobile communication device moves away from communication proximity of the headset, the first mobile communication device in response to RF communication signal lose, it generates warning alarm signal(s) to remind the user to carry the mobile headset.The mobile communication device may securely be attached to the user limp with removal tamper detection circuitry. Further the mobile communication device may contain a GPS receiver used for a monitoring station to track the location of the mobile communication device, and establish communication with the headset user. |
| US08843067B2 |
Wireless communications apparatus and wireless communications method
A wireless communications apparatus (1) in the present invention transmits, via wireless communications, data recorded on a memory unit (13) to a recording apparatus (2). The wireless communications apparatus (1) includes: a communication area determining unit (19) determining whether or not the wireless communications apparatus (1) is in a communication area having a threshold value equal to MIDDLE or higher; a stillness detecting unit (15) detecting whether or not the wireless communications apparatus (1) remains still; and a wireless communications unit (17) starting to transmit, via the wireless communications, the data recorded on the memory unit (13) to the recording apparatus (2) in the case where (i) the communication area determining unit (19) determines that the wireless communications apparatus (1) is in the communication area having the threshold value equal to MIDDLE or higher, and (ii) the stillness detecting unit (15) detects that the wireless communications apparatus (1) remains still. |
| US08843062B2 |
Coupling area enhancement apparatus, system, and method
A coupling area enhancement device includes a small coil and a large coil on opposing sides of a sheet of electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorptive material. The coupling area enhancement device may include one or more holes and may include adhesive material and sticker covers. Placement of the coupling area enhancement device may be accomplished by sticking the small coil to a host device near a contactless antenna. The large coil may also be stuck to a battery cover. |
| US08843047B2 |
Toner fixer impinging heating liquid onto barrier
A toner fixing system for fixing toner onto a receiver medium includes a liquid-supply system for providing a heating liquid. A liquid-heating system warms the heating liquid to a temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the toner. A rotatable liquid-blocking barrier has an inner surface and an outer surface. A media-transport system transports the receiver medium along a transport path in which the receiver medium is brought into contact with the outer surface of the liquid-blocking barrier in a contact zone. A liquid-delivery system impinges the warmed heating liquid onto the inner surface of the liquid-blocking barrier. Heat is transferred through the liquid-blocking barrier from the heating liquid to the toner, raising a temperature of the toner to a level above the toner glass transition temperature. |
| US08843045B2 |
Fuser and image-forming apparatus that use endless belt
A fuser is equipped with a heating roller, fixing belt, pressure roller, pad, and spring. The heating roller is located on the downstream side of the fixing belt with respect to the sheet conveyance direction, and as the heating roller rotates, contacts the sheet toner side of a sheet, heating the sheet. The fixing belt contacts the side of the sheet opposite to the toner side of the sheet. The pressure roller comes into contact with the heating roller via the fixing belt. The pad is of a softer material than the fixing belt, and, as the pad exerts a force on the heating roller by pressing on the fixing belt, a downstream side of the pad with respect to the sheet conveyance direction is inclined away from the pressure roller. Springs urge the pad toward the pressure roller and the heating roller. |
| US08843044B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same
A fixing device includes a frame, a tubular heat pipe, a flexible fuser belt, a fuser pad, a pressure member, and a deformation relief mechanism. The heat pipe extends in an axial direction. The fuser belt is looped for rotation around the heat pipe. The fuser pad extends in the axial direction inside the loop of the fuser belt. The pressure member extends opposite the heat pipe in the axial direction. The fuser pad is pressed against the pressure member through the fuser belt in a load direction perpendicular to the axial direction to form a fixing nip. The heat pipe and the fuser pad establish stationary contact with each other at their respective axial ends upon formation of the fixing nip. The deformation relief mechanism is provided to at least one of the heat pipe and the fuser pad to relieve deformation of the fuser pad. |
| US08843039B2 |
Image forming apparatus with high-resistance layer and voltage application unit
An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member that has a core and a high-resistance layer; a facing member that is arranged to face the transfer member so as to sandwich an object to be transferred in cooperation with the transfer member; a contact member that is arranged so as to be capable of contacting the transfer member; and a voltage application unit that applies a voltage between the contact member and the facing member, to pass a transfer current between the transfer member and the facing member, such that the core is electrically floated. |
| US08843038B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and computer readable medium
An image forming apparatus includes first and second detection units, first to third image forming units, and first to third specifying units. The first and second detection units receive light reflected from first and second regions irradiated with first light and second light having a small range compared with the first light, and detect light-amount signals. The first image forming unit forms first images at first intervals in a first portion passing through the first region. The second image forming unit forms second images having a short length compared with the first images, at second intervals shorter than the first intervals, in a second portion passing through the second region. The third image forming unit forms a third image in the first portion. The first and second specifying units specify misregistration amounts in the first and second images. The third specifying unit specifies density deviation amounts in the third images. |
| US08843036B2 |
Doctor blade for image forming device
A doctor blade of an image forming device for controlling a thickness of a toner coated on a development roller to a uniform thickness inside the image forming device is disclosed. The doctor blade includes: a support rod serving as a support fixture; a plate formed in an L shape, the plate being mounted on the lower surface and the rear surface of the support rod in contact with them to thereby serve to keep a uniform thickness of the toner in a state where the bottom surface is in contact with the development roller, the plate including a base layer of a metallic material and a coated layer formed on the bottom surface of the base layer getting in contact with the development roller; and a torsion spring mounted above the support rod to pressurize the support rod and the plate in order to fix the support rod and the plate. The doctor blade is reusable because only the plate is simply replaced with a new one when the coated layer formed on the plate is worn out. |
| US08843033B2 |
Developer supplier, image forming apparatus, developer supplying method and image forming method
A developer supplier for supplying a developer to each of a plurality of developing devices, includes a plurality of developer supplying units each configured to supply a developer in which a toner and a carrier are preliminarily dispersed at a given concentration to each of the plurality of developing devices. A proportion of the carrier included in the developer which is supplied to one of the plurality of developing devices is set so as to be greater than a proportion of the carrier included in the developer which is supplied to the another one of the plurality of developing devices. |
| US08843032B2 |
Image forming apparatus with electrical discharge suppression
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging device for electrically charging the photosensitive member, an electrostatic image forming portion for forming an electrostatic image on the photosensitive member, and a developing device including a toner carrying member and a screw. In addition, a charging power source applies a charge potential to the charging device, a developing power source applies a developing potential to the developing device, a transfer device transfers a toner image formed on the photosensitive member, and an exposure device electrically discharges a surface of the photosensitive member by exposing it to light. A controller controls the exposure device so that an exposure operation is in an off state in the period in which a toner feeding operation is performed or so that an exposure amount of the exposure device in the period in which the toner feeding operation is performed is smaller than an exposure amount of the exposure device in a period in which the toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive member. |
| US08843030B2 |
Waste toner collection unit for an image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus using electrophotography includes a waste toner container and an accommodation unit. The waste toner container collects developer used for forming images and ejected from an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus as waste toner. The accommodation unit detachably accommodates the waste toner container in the image forming apparatus. The accommodation unit includes a reduction device to reduce a force required for withdrawing the waste toner container from an interior to an exterior of the image forming apparatus. The reduction device contacts a bottom face of the waste toner container when the waste toner container is partially withdrawn from a fully mounted position of the waste toner container in the accommodation unit to the exterior of the image forming apparatus. |
| US08843028B2 |
Image forming apparatus including an apparatus body and an alternative cartridge
Provided is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is provided with guide portions to be used to mount a cartridge group including plural cartridges in the image forming apparatus. Some of the guide portions are used also to mount an alternative cartridge, which is configured to occupy two or more of plural mounting spaces, in the image forming apparatus. |
| US08843015B2 |
Imaging device, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge
An imaging device provided with a latent image carrying body rotatably disposed to carry a latent image, a developing unit that develops the latent image carried on the carrying body by using a developer containing toner at least, and a duct disposed downstream of the developing unit and having a wall with an upstream suction port and a downstream suction port formed. An air flow path is formed by a surface of the latent image carrying body and a surface of the duct wall, between the upstream suction port and the downstream suction port. A gap of the air flow path is wider at the downstream side than at the upstream side with respect to the rotational direction of the latent image carrying body. |
| US08843001B2 |
Optical transmitter and optical transmission apparatus
An optical transmitter is disclosed. An optical modulator outputs an optical signal by modulating light being input, and has an optical absorption characteristic which changes a degree of optical absorption depending on a bias voltage being applied and includes a first characteristic region and a second characteristic region in which the degree of the optical absorption is greater than the first characteristic region. An power source applies an electric field generated by applying a predetermined shutdown bias voltage corresponding to the second characteristic region to electrodes provided in two interference optical guides formed in the optical modulator, when an output of the optical signal from the optical modulator is shut down to be less than or equal to a desired amount. |
| US08842985B2 |
Optical data transmission device, optical communication device, and automatic conveyance device
Reliable data transmission is secured without inviting large design changes by means of configuring an optical data transmission device in a manner so as to be provided with: data conversion units and optical communication control units that transmit to each of a first communication unit and a second communication unit disposed movably relative to one another an optical signal modulated in response to wired-line data input from a wired line, and that output wired-line data demodulated from the received optical signal to the wired line; a bit data input unit that receives input of bit data for emergency stops; a bit data output unit that outputs bit data for emergency stops; and bit data communication control units that control in a manner so as to transmit/receive input bit data via the optical communication control units using optical signals that are isolated from the optical signal corresponding to the wired-line data. |
| US08842981B2 |
Adapter for holding a camera-bearing device to an optical instrument
An adapter for holding a camera lens of a smartphone, digital mobile device or other camera-bearing device in alignment with an optical instrument has an optical instrument coupler with a pair of spaced-apart clamp members, one of which is used to clamp onto an eyepiece of the optical instrument, and a camera-bearing device coupler having a device clamp member which is used to clamp the camera-bearing device so that its camera lens is in optical alignment with the clamped eyepiece of the optical instrument. A mounting plate with a camera lens slot and a linearly movable locking bracket for the optical instrument coupler enables the position of the camera lens to be adjusted in alignment with the eyepiece of the optical instrument. |
| US08842978B2 |
Recording medium, reproduction device, program, reproduction method, and integrated circuit
A playback apparatus and method that executes an application while playing back a digital stream. A mixer is configured to, when a flag included in a playlist is set to ON, mix an output of a click sound using sound data with an audio output of the digital stream when a user performs an operation on an application while the application is executed. When the flag is set to OFF, the mixer refrains from mixing the output of the click sound with the audio output. |
| US08842970B2 |
Methods and systems for use in controlling playback of content in relation to recorded content
Some embodiments provide methods of playing back multimedia content relative to a portable storage medium to detect, at a playback device, an initial access to a portable storage medium; request pre-roll content corresponding to content recorded on the portable storage medium; and disguise the requesting of the pre-roll content and receiving of the pre-roll content such that a user of the playback device does not experience a delay in playback of content while the pre-roll content is being received, wherein the disguising comprises: playing back disguise content, locally accessible by the playback device, while requesting and receiving the pre-roll content at the playback device; and halting playback of the disguise content and initiating playback of the pre-roll content received from the remote source such that the user of the playback device does not perceive a delay associated with obtaining the pre-roll content from the remote source. |
| US08842965B1 |
Large scale video event classification
Systems and methods are provided herein relating to video classification. A text mining component is disclosed that automatically generates a plurality of video event categories. Part-of-Speech (POS) analysis can be applied to video titles and descriptions, further using a lexical hierarchy to filter potential classifications. Classification performance can be further improved by extracting content-based features from a video sample. Using the content based features a set of classifier scores can be generated. A hyper classifier can use both the classifier scores and the content-based features of the video to classify the video sample. |
| US08842961B2 |
Universal fan-out device
A universal fan-out device comprising a housing having first and second openings, the housing comprising first and second housing components, each of the first and second housing components having a first end and a second end, a channel running between the first and second ends, and sides along each side of the channel, a resilient material disposed in the channel to restrict movement of fibers within the channel, and an engagement mechanism operatively connected to the housing to inter-engage the first and second housing components together. |
| US08842958B2 |
Exchange cabling storage apparatus
Apparatus for accommodating an interconnection between a network and service equipment, comprising: network cable receiving means for receiving a network cable of the network, each network cable including a plurality of network fibers; service equipment fiber receiving means for receiving a service equipment fiber of the service equipment; an interconnected fiber store for storing connected fibers comprising the service equipment fiber interconnected to a selected one of the plurality of network fibers; a network cable store for storing unselected ones of the plurality of network fibers remotely from the interconnected fiber store, the network; and modifying means to modify the network cable store to protect the interconnected fibers. |
| US08842955B2 |
Optical fiber cable
An optical fiber cable enabling further reduction of possibilities of disconnection of optical fiber due to, for instance, cicada oviposition. The optical fiber cable (10) is provided with: an optical fiber core (1); a tension member (2), which is arranged in parallel to the optical fiber core (1) on one side or on the both sides of the optical fiber core (1); and a sheath (3) which integrally covers the optical fiber core (1) and the tension member (2). At least one portion of the sheath (3) is composed of a polymeric material having a yield point stress of 12 MPa or higher. |
| US08842951B2 |
Systems and methods for passive alignment of opto-electronic components
A method for aligning an opto-electronic component in an IC die with an optical port is disclosed. This is achieved, in various embodiments, by forming alignment features in the IC die that can mate with complementary alignment features of the optical port. The formation of alignment features can be performed at the wafer level during fabrication of the IC die. An optical signal carrier may be optically coupled to the optical port such that the signal carrier may communicate optically with the opto-electronic component. |
| US08842930B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method
An image processing device includes: a first band limiting unit that reduces noise included in an input image; and a restoring unit, wherein the restoring unit has a difference calculating unit that calculates a difference between the input image and a noise-reduced image, a predicted noise obtaining unit that obtains a predicted noise amount to be included in the input image, a correction signal generating unit that generates a correction signal for correcting the noise-reduced image and controlling an absolute value of the difference between the input image and the noise-reduced image within a range of the predicted noise amount, and an image synthesizing unit that corrects the noise-reduced image based on the correction signal. |
| US08842925B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding coding unit of picture boundary
A method and apparatus for encoding an image is provided. An image coding unit, including a region that deviates from a boundary of a current picture, is divided to obtain a coding unit having a smaller size than the size of the image coding unit, and encoding is performed only in a region that does not deviate from the boundary of the current picture. A method and apparatus for decoding an image encoded by the method and apparatus for encoding an image is also provided. |
| US08842923B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method
There is provided an image processing apparatus including a quantization unit that quantizes an image subjected to logarithmic conversion such that a quantization error is focused on a luminance region in which expansion of an error caused due to logarithmic inverse-conversion which is inverse conversion of the logarithmic conversion is relatively small or a luminance region in which no expansion of the error occurs; and an encoding unit that encodes an index image obtained through the quantization by the quantization unit. |
| US08842912B2 |
Method for processing highlights and saturated regions in a digital image
A method for performing highlight restoration on a digital image includes comparing the pixels in the image with a saturation level value to identify saturated pixels. A saturation map of saturated pixels is generated. Each selected saturated pixel is identified as a restorable pixel only if at least one color channel of the pixel is unsaturated. For each restorable pixel, a group of the closest unsaturated pixels above, below, to the left, and to the right of the select saturated pixel is identified. A replacement pixel value is generated for each saturated color channel of the restorable pixel, using a combination of the pixel values of the unsaturated color channels of the restorable pixel and the pixel values of the corresponding color channels of the nearby unsaturated pixels. |
| US08842907B2 |
Method for performing a multi-clustering merge for use in an image process
In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image defined by image locations, in a computer memory, generating a bi-illuminant chromaticity plane in a log color space for representing the image locations of the image in a log-chromaticity representation for the image, calculating a set of log-chromaticity cluster maps, each based upon an estimate for an orientation of the bi-illuminant chromaticity plane selected from a set of estimates and including a cluster for each one of the image locations, and merging the set of log-chromaticity cluster maps to obtain a single, merged log-chromaticity cluster map. |
| US08842905B2 |
2D to 3D image conversion apparatus and method thereof
A 2D to 3D image conversion apparatus includes a data queue, a conversion unit and an offset calculation unit. The data queue receives and temporarily stores an input data value corresponding to a current pixel. The conversion unit outputs a current offset table corresponding to a current depth parameter of the current pixel. The current offset table includes (m+1) reference offsets corresponding to the current pixel and neighboring m pixels. The offset calculation unit selects one of the reference offsets corresponding to the current pixel in the current offset table and multiple previous offset tables as a data offset corresponding to the current pixel. The data queue selects and outputs an output data value corresponding to the current pixel according to an integer part of the data offset and the input data value. |
| US08842901B2 |
Compact automated semen analysis platform using lens-free on-chip microscopy
A compact and light-weight lens-free platform to conduct automated semen analysis is disclosed. The device employs holographic on-chip imaging and does not require any lenses, lasers or other bulky optical components to achieve phase and amplitude imaging of sperm a relatively large field-of-view with an effective numerical aperture of approximately 0.2. A series of digital image frames is obtained of the sample. Digital subtraction of the consecutive lens-free frames, followed by processing of the reconstructed phase images, enables automated quantification of the count, the speed and the dynamic trajectories of motile sperm, while summation of the same frames permits counting of immotile sperm. |
| US08842898B2 |
Region-growing algorithm
A region growing algorithm for controlling leakage is presented including a processor configured to select a starting point for segmentation of data, initiate a propagation process by designating adjacent voxels around the starting point, determine whether any new voxels are segmented, count and analyze the segmented new voxels to determine leakage levels, and identify and record segmented new voxels from a previous iteration when the leakage levels exceed a predetermined threshold. The processor is further configured to perform labeling of the segmented new voxels of the previous iteration, select the segmented new voxels from the previous iteration when the leakage levels fall below the predetermined threshold, and create a voxel list based on acceptable segmented voxels found in the previous iteration. |
| US08842897B2 |
Quantification of the image quality for the motion-synchronized capture of a cross-sectional tomographic picture of an object
The invention relates to a method for the quantification of the image quality of at least one tomographic picture of an object, wherein at least one tomographic cross-sectional image is produced using a cross-sectional imaging method, in particular a magnetic resonance tomography method. As a measure of the image quality in a cross-sectional image, an image detail is measured, in particular the width of a boundary between two adjacent areas is determined, in particular with the signal intensity remaining constant in each such area, in particular said signal intensity remaining constant at least within predetermined/predeterminable boundaries. The invention further relates to a method for the motion-synchronized capture of at least one tomographic picture of an object, wherein at least one tomographic cross-sectional image is produced using a cross-sectional imaging method, in particular a magnetic resonance tomography method, wherein for a plurality of cross-sectional images of the same layer that are produced in a time-dependent manner, a measure of a detail, in particular the width of the boundary between two areas in at least one viewed direction is determined in a time-dependent manner. From the determined time-dependent measure, at least one time is determined for synchronizing and/or triggering a cross-sectional image capture device on a living organ, in particular the heart. The invention further relates to a cross-sectional image capture device designed to execute such a method. |
| US08842891B2 |
Ultra-low dimensional representation for face recognition under varying expressions
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for identifying an unknown subject using face recognition. In particular, upon receiving a plurality of images depicting a subject, the method may include deriving and storing a common component image and a gross innovation component image associated with the subject, wherein the subject can later be identified in a new image using these two stored images. The common component image may capture features that are common to all of the received images depicting the subject, whereas the gross innovation component image may capture a combination of the features that are unique to each of the received images. The method may further include deriving and storing a low-rank data matrix associated with the received images, wherein the low-rank data matrix may capture any illumination differences and/or occlusions associated with the received images. |
| US08842878B2 |
Methods and systems for solar shade analysis
A device for performing solar shade analysis combines a spherical reflective dome and a ball compass mounted on a platform, with a compass alignment mark and four dots in the corners of the platform. A user may place the device on a surface of a roof, or in another location where solar shading analysis is required. A user, while standing above the device can take a photo of the device. The photographs can then be used in order to evaluate solar capacity and perform shade analysis for potential sites for solar photovoltaic systems. By using the device in conjunction with a mobile device having a camera, photographs may be taken and uploaded, to be analyzed and processed to determine a shading percentage. For example, the solar shade analysis system may calculate the percentage of time that the solar photovoltaic system might be shaded for each month of the year. These measurements and data, or similar measurements and data, may be valuable when applying for solar rebates or solar installation permits. |
| US08842872B2 |
Keyed earphone caddy and carrying case
A keyed caddy storage system stores an earphone set proximate a digital media device (DMD). The keyed caddy storage system includes a first caddy configured for holding the earphone set and having a first keyed coupling. The keyed caddy storage system also includes a case configured for attachment to the DMD and forming a storage area for storing the earphone set held by the first caddy. The case has a second keyed coupling mateable with first keyed coupling to removably secure the first caddy within the storage area. |
| US08842865B2 |
Loudspeaker system and waveshaping unit
The invention concerns a loudspeaker system having a plurality of segmented line array speakers and a plurality of acoustic waveshapers. In addition there is provided an overlap region between two adjacent waveshapers. |
| US08842863B2 |
Two part hearing aid with databus connection
A two part hearing aid includes a base part (1) to be arranged outside the ear canal of a hearing aid user, the base part including microphone (3, 4), signal processor (23) and a power supply (8). The hearing aid also includes an ear plug part (2) having acoustic transmitter (5, 10) for transmitting sound into the ear canal, an ear canal microphone (11), and an electronic module (7) connected to said ear canal microphone (11). The hearing aid further includes an elongated member (40) having electrical wires (15, 17, 42, 43) for connecting the ear plug part (2) with the base part (1), using a serial databus. The invention further provides a method for communicating between two parts of a hearing aid. |
| US08842860B2 |
Apparatus and method for outputting sound in mobile terminal
An apparatus and method for outputting a sound with Hearing Aids Compatibility (HAC) in a mobile terminal. The sound output apparatus includes a modem chip including a first amplifier amplifying and transferring an electric signal to a switch, a switch that selectively connects an output line of the first amplifier to a receiver or a second amplifier, a second amplifier connected with the receiver and the switch and that amplifies and transfers an electric signal received from the first amplifier to the receiver when the switch connects the output line of the first amplifier to the second amplifier, and a receiver connected with the switch and the second amplifier and that converts and outputs an electric signal received from the first amplifier or the second amplifier into a sound. This allows for the stable transfer of a sound to hearing handicapped persons with HAC without distortion of the sound quality. |
| US08842856B2 |
Condenser microphone
A condenser microphone which prevents a directional axis from varying depending on a sound source frequency is provided. The condenser microphone includes a first reflector member 2 provided below the microphone unit 17 and covering an electronic circuit substrate 19 and a second reflector member 3 formed in the same shape as the first reflector member and provided above the microphone unit, the first reflector member and the second reflector member being disposed symmetrically with respect to the microphone unit. |
| US08842851B2 |
Audio source localization system and method
Systems and methods are described that perform audio source localization in a manner that provides increased robustness and responsiveness in the presence of acoustic echo. The systems and methods calculate a difference between a signal level associated with one or more of the audio signals generated by a microphone array and an estimated level of acoustic echo associated with one or more of the audio signals. This information is then used to determine whether and/or how to perform audio source localization. For example, a controller may use the difference to determine whether or not to freeze an audio source localization module that operates on the audio signals. As another example, the audio source localization module may incorporate the difference (or the estimated level of acoustic echo used to calculate the difference) into the logic that is used to determine the location of a desired audio source. |
| US08842847B2 |
System for simulating sound engineering effects
The invention provides an audio signal processing system for simulating sound engineering effects. The audio signal processing system may simulate, emulate or model sound engineering effects that may be present in a sample audio signal contained in a sound recording. The audio signal processing system may include an input signal, a first filter system, a nonlinear effect simulator and a second filter system. The input signal may include an audio signal and the sample audio signal. The audio signal may be a signal generated with a musical instrument and the sample audio signal may be a previously processed signal for a sound recording. The first filter system may include a chain of filters configured to condition the audio signal. The nonlinear effect simulator may receive the audio signal processed by the first filter system and modify the audio signal nonlinearly. The second filter system may be configured to receive the modified audio signal from the nonlinear effect simulator and process the modified audio signal according to a frequency response that corresponds to the sound engineering effects. The sound engineering effects are determinable based on the sample audio signal and the modified audio signal. |
| US08842842B2 |
Detection of audio channel configuration
For an audio file that includes multiple channels of audio data, a novel device for detecting the configuration of the audio channels in the multi-channel audio file is presented. The device performs one or more algorithms to determine whether two or more channels are related. Such algorithms are used to distinguish stereo recordings from dual mono recordings. The algorithms are also used to detect any number of related channels, such as distinguishing six related channels from a set of surround sound microphones versus six unrelated channels (e.g., mono or a mixture of stereo and mono audio channels, etc.) These algorithms compare audio channels in pairs in order to determine which channels are sufficiently related as to constitute a stereo pair or a group. |
| US08842835B2 |
Network security system
A system for restricting access to encrypted content stored in a consuming device (12) which is part of a network (10) including other devices (14), the system including a content storage medium to store the encrypted content, a secret-share distribution module to distribute secret-shares to the other devices (14), a secret-share receive module to receive the secret-shares from the other devices (14), a secret reconstruction module to form a content decryption input from the secret-shares received by the secret-share receive module, a content decryption module to receive the encrypted content from the content storage medium and the content decryption input from the secret reconstruction module and decrypt the encrypted content using the content decryption input thereby rendering decrypted content, and a content consumer to use the decrypted content, wherein the secret shares distributed to the other devices (14) are in an encrypted format for decryption by the consuming device (12) or the other devices (14). |
| US08842832B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting security in muliticast communication
A method of supporting a security for a multicast communication is provided in a mobile station. The mobile station shares an MAK with a base station, derives a prekey based on a first parameter including the MAK, and derives a multicast security key including an MTEK based on a second parameter including the prekey, and decrypts a multicast traffic using the multicast security key. |
| US08842813B2 |
Teleconferencing monitoring method
A method that allows a user to have his or her telecommunications terminal automatically monitor one or more teleconferences so that he or she participates in the relevant portions of a teleconference without the disadvantages associated with the prior art is described. The illustrative embodiment teaches a method that can monitor one or more teleconferences and determines when there is a discussion that is relevant to the user. At that point, the user is automatically joined to the teleconference bridge where the teleconference is taking place. |
| US08842812B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing improved support to users on interactive voice response breakout session
In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining context information associated with a call into a call center. The context information includes at least one input provided by a caller during the call. The method also includes determining when the caller requests an interaction with an agent associated with the call center, and providing the context information to the agent when the caller requests the interaction with the agent. A communications session is maintained between the caller and the agent when the caller requests the interaction with the agent. |
| US08842811B2 |
Computer-implemented system and method for providing recommendations regarding hiring agents in an automated call center environment based on user traits
A computer-implemented system and method for providing recommendations for hiring agents within a call center environment is provided. A list of candidates for hire as agents within a call center is maintained. A voice recording from each of the candidates is analyzed by measuring voice characteristics within the voice recording and by calculating a score for the voice recording based on the measured voice characteristics. A threshold is applied to the voice recording score. One or more of the candidates on the list of candidates for hire is retained when the voice recording score for that candidate satisfies the threshold. One or more of the candidates from the list is removed when the voice recording score for that candidate fails to satisfy the threshold. |
| US08842809B2 |
Method and apparatus for X-ray radiographic imaging
Embodiments of the invention relate to a method for x-ray radiography and apparatus for use in x-ray radiography. Specific embodiments can utilize a grid having a plurality of apertures therethrough with optical waveguides positioned in the apertures. The optical waveguides can incorporate a scintillating material, preferably throughout, that absorbs incident x-ray radiation and emits light that is then guided by the optical waveguide. In a specific embodiment, x-ray radiation incident on a first end of the aperture is absorbed by the scintillating material in the optical waveguide and light is emitted by the same scintillating material, a portion of which is guided by the optical waveguide to a second end of the aperture. In addition, secondary electrons created by absorption of the x-ray radiation by the scintillating material can be absorbed by the scintillating material to create more light such that a magnification effect can occur. The light exiting the second end of the aperture can then be detected. |
| US08842805B2 |
X-ray examination device and method
The present invention relates to an X-ray examination device and a corresponding method. A fast and periodical modulation of the X-ray flux within each detection interval is performed having a low X-ray flux at the beginning of the detection interval to ensure that no detection channel is overloaded. With increasing the X-ray flux particularly the peripheral detection channels will rum into saturation, which is detected. A saturated detector channel is stopped from further detecting radiation, and the time of effective radiation detection without saturation is measured for correcting those detection signals. From all detection signals, after any correction of detection signals from saturated detection channels, an X-ray image can be reconstructed. |
| US08842794B2 |
Semiconductor device, a parallel interface system and methods thereof
A method of communication to a semiconductor device includes: transmitting a sampling clock signal from a first semiconductor device to a second semiconductor device; transmitting a training signal from the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device while transmitting of the sampling clock signal, the training signal comprising plural test patterns sent sequentially to the second semiconductor device, phases of at least some of the test patterns being adjusted to be different from each other during transmitting of the training signal; receiving first information from the second semiconductor device over a first signal line, the first signal line separate from a data bus connected between the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device; and transmitting a data signal over the data bus while transmitting the sampling clock signal, the data signal sent at a timing with respect to the sampling clock signal responsive to the received first information. |
| US08842793B2 |
Communication circuit and method of adjusting sampling clock signal
A communication circuit includes a sampling clock generating circuit generating a sampling clock signal having a frequency that is “m” times greater than a bit rate of the communication data and containing “n” pulses in each bit period of the communication data; and a sampling circuit sampling the communication data based on the sampling clock signal to obtain “n” sets of received data in each bit period of the communication data. The sampling clock generating circuit delays the sampling clock signal when a first one or more of the “n” sets of received data are different from a value of the rest of the “n” sets of received data, and advances the sampling clock signal when a value of a last one or more of the “n” sets of received data is different from a value of the rest of the “n” sets of received data. |
| US08842792B2 |
Method and apparatus for close proximity device discovery
Method, apparatus and computer program for broadcasting a synchronization signal as a timing reference for slave devices; broadcasting by an impulse radio transceiver a discovery request packet with a given timing offset with relation to the timing reference, for reception by receptive slave devices with matching timing with the given timing offset; receiving by the impulse radio transceiver a response packet from each receptive slave device with the given timing offset; and detecting a timing conflict in which the impulse radio transceiver has simultaneously received two or more response packets, and responsively transmitting by the impulse radio transceiver to the receptive slave devices a response change request packet; the response change request packet requesting one or more of the receptive slave devices to cease sending response packets in response to a following discovery request packet sent with the given timing offset. |
| US08842791B2 |
Synchronization of a receiver to a desired signal
Apparatuses, methods and systems of synchronizing a receiver to a desired signal are disclosed. One method includes obtaining synchronization information of an interfering signal, and adjusting an out-of-band response of a receiver filter based at least in part on the synchronization information of the interfering signal, wherein the in-band response of the receiver filter is determined by frequency components of the desired signal. |
| US08842790B2 |
Methods and systems to synchronize network nodes
Methods and systems to synchronize to a remote node counting rate, symbol rate, and carrier frequency as functions of an estimated frequency offset and relationships between the remote node carrier frequency and counting rate, and between the remote node carrier frequency and symbol rate. The carrier frequency offset may be scaled in accordance with a ratio between the carrier frequency and the remote counting rate to synchronize the local counting rate with the remote counting rate, and/or scaled in accordance with a relationship between the carrier frequency and the remote symbol rate to synchronize the local receive path and/or transmit path sample rate with the remote symbol rate. The carrier frequency offset may be applied as compensation in the receive path and/or the transmit path. The remote and local nodes may correspond to a network coordinator and an existing node, respectively, in a Multimedia Over Coax (MoCA) environment. |
| US08842786B2 |
Methods for managing alignment and latency in interference suppression
An interference cancelling receiver combines data from multiple paths after aligning to transmitter timing, and uses either an equalizer or a Rake receiver to compute symbol estimates. Interference estimates are generated from the symbol estimates, and multiple interference estimates are combined after re-aligning the interference estimates to receiver timing. At least two segments of symbol estimates are computed for each segment of interference cancelled data.Various techniques may be employed for controlling the latency and sequencing of these operations, and the subsystems within the canceller may use different processing clock speeds. |
| US08842780B2 |
Method and apparatus for correcting signal dependent duty cycle errors in amplitude shift keying receivers
An apparatus for demodulating an Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) encoded signal is provided. The apparatus comprises a peak detector, a first comparator, a threshold generator, a delay circuit, and a second comparator. The peak detector is configured to detect a peak voltage, and the first comparator is coupled to the peak detector and receives a first threshold voltage. The threshold generator is coupled to the peak detector and is configured to generate a second threshold voltage that is proportional to peak voltage. The delay circuit is coupled to the first comparator, and the second comparator is coupled to the delay circuit and that is coupled to the threshold generator so as to receive the second threshold voltage. |
| US08842770B2 |
Method of coding and decoding a pulse signal, in particular an UWB-IR signal, and corresponding devices
A method is for decoding a pulse signal modulated through a transmitted reference modulation scheme. The modulated pulse signal may include, repetitively, a reference pulse followed by an information pulse delayed with a delay. The method may include subtracting or adding from the modulated pulse signal, a version of the modulated pulse signal delayed with the delay for obtaining a processed signal, and performing a non-coherent detection on the processed signal. |
| US08842763B2 |
Precoding weight generation method, mobile station apparatus and base station apparatus
To increase a data rate (spectral efficiency) of the entire system also in the case of dynamically switching between SU-MIMO transmission and MU-MIMO transmission, it is a feature that a mobile station apparatus (10) selects a PMI associated with a precoding matrix including matrix elements corresponding to a stream that most approximates a channel matrix indicative of a channel state in a channel transmission path to transmit to a base station apparatus (20) as feedback, and that the base station apparatus (20) extracts the matrix elements corresponding to the stream that most approximates the channel state in the channel transmission path from the precoding matrix associated with the PMI transmitted from the mobile station apparatus (10) as feedback, and based on the extracted matrix elements, generates precoding weights. |
| US08842748B2 |
Digital mobile communication system and transmission/reception method thereof
A radio communication system in which a transmission station performs window function processing on a transmission symbol to which cyclic prefixes have been attached for each specified number of samples, then transmits the signal, and a receiving station extracts and demodulates effective signal portions from the received signal, wherein the transmission station uses a control channel to notify the receiving station of window width Nwin of the window function; the receiving station adjusts the extraction position of the received signal based on the window width notified from the transmission station; and the receiving station uses the extracted received signal to execute demodulation processing of the transmission symbol. With this system, in an environment in which there are both transmission stations that perform window function processing on a transmission signal and transmission stations that do not perform window function processing, it is possible for the receiving station to effectively use cyclic prefixes CP and to perform demodulation without receiving the effect of distortion caused by the window function processing. |
| US08842741B2 |
Method and system for digital noise reduction of scaled compressed video pictures
In a video processing device, scale of a video image is detected for vertical and horizontal directions based on pixel information, for example, per pixel vertical and horizontal gradients. Gradients are utilized or discarded based on picture format, standard deviation of luma levels and pixel location relative to black border edges, graphics and/or overlaid content. Mosquito noise filters are adapted based on scale and/or noise strength. Median and/or linear filter results are selected based on a weakest, a strongest and/or a blended result. Horizontal and vertical operations are performed separately for edge detection, edge strength determination, filtering and filter correction control. Horizontal and vertical block grid spacing and grid shift are determined. Block noise strength is determined. Block noise filters are configured based on scaling and/or noise strength. Filter corrections are limited based on block noise strength. Noise reduction results may be blended to generate a pixel correction value. |
| US08842739B2 |
Method and system for communication of uncompressed video information in wireless systems
A method and system for communicating video information over wireless channels is provided. Communicating video information involves receiving a frame of video pixel information, partitioning spatially correlated pixels into different partitions and allocating pixel information from the pixel partitions across one or more of said multiple channels based on channel conditions. The allocated pixel information is transmitted on the one or more multiple channels. |
| US08842729B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for multi-view video coding
There are provided methods and apparatus for multi-view video coding. A video encoder includes an encoder for encoding a block in a picture by choosing between temporal prediction and cross-view prediction to enable a prediction for the block. The picture is one of a set of pictures corresponding to multi-view video content and having different view points with respect to a same or similar scene. The picture represents one of the different view points. A high-level syntax is used to indicate the use of cross-view prediction for the block. |
| US08842723B2 |
Video coding system using implied reference frames
A video coding/decoding system builds implied reference frames from a plurality of reference frames developed during coding. Coded data of reference pictures are decoded and stored in a reference picture cache. An implied reference frame may be derived from a plurality of reference frames and may be stored in the reference picture cache. Thereafter, coding of new input data may proceed using the implied reference frame as a source of prediction. The method may be used to identify visual elements such as background elements that may persist in video over a longer period that can be captured by the system under conventional reference frames assembly and eviction. Implied reference frames may be built at both an encoder and a decoder to serve as sources of prediction. |
| US08842718B2 |
Method of capturing satellite signal and device for capturing satellite signal
Every k (k≧2) sampling values of sampling values in a time series obtained by sampling reception signal from GPS satellite are selected, and addition-subtraction of the selected k sampling values is performed by changing the combinations of addition and subtraction. Using addition-subtraction results of a combination corresponding to time-series change in code values of a replica code from among the combinations of addition and subtraction, a correlation result of the reception signal and the replica code is calculated. The satellite signal of the GPS satellite is acquired using the correlation result. |
| US08842713B1 |
Method and apparatus for transmit beamforming
A method implemented in a multiple-antenna transceiver includes adapting a plurality of sets of rake coefficients based on a plurality of signals received via a plurality of single-input, multiple-output (SIMO) channels. Each signal of the plurality of signals corresponds to a single signal transmitted by a remote transceiver, and each set of the adapted sets of rake coefficients corresponds to an estimate of a respective one of the plurality of SIMO channels. The method also includes selecting, according to at least one selection criterion, one coefficient from each set of the plurality of sets of rake coefficients, generating a transmit steering vector based on the selected coefficients, and applying the transmit steering vector to a signal to be transmitted to the remote transceiver. |
| US08842710B2 |
Process for producing semiconductor device and semiconductor device
There are provided a process for producing a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device which allow conductivity distribution to be formed without making refractive index distributed even in a material system of a semiconductor difficult to be subjected to ion implantation. The process for producing a semiconductor device includes the steps of forming a semiconductor layer containing a dopant; forming a concave and convex structure on the semiconductor layer by partially removing the semiconductor layer; and forming a conductivity distribution reflecting the concave and convex structure in the semiconductor layer by performing heat treatment on the semiconductor layer in which the concave and convex structure has been formed at a temperature at which a material forming the semiconductor layer causes mass transport and filling up a hole of a concave portion of the concave and convex structure with the material forming the semiconductor layer. |
| US08842703B1 |
Practical method and device for enhancing pulse contrast ratio for lasers and electron accelerators
An apparatus and method for enhancing pulse contrast ratios for drive lasers and electron accelerators. The invention comprises a mechanical dual-shutter system wherein the shutters are placed sequentially in series in a laser beam path. Each shutter of the dual shutter system has an individually operated trigger for opening and closing the shutter. As the triggers are operated individually, the delay between opening and closing first shutter and opening and closing the second shutter is variable providing for variable differential time windows and enhancement of pulse contrast ratio. |
| US08842696B1 |
Guaranteed rate port scheduler
A guaranteed rate port scheduler (GRPS) is used for serving multiple destination ports simultaneously without under-runs, even if the total bandwidth of the ports is more than the bandwidth capability of the device. Certain network protocols, such as Ethernet, do not allow “gaps” (called under-runs) to occur between bits of a packet on the wire. If a network device is transmitting packets to several such ports at the same time and the combined bandwidth of these ports is more than the device can source, under-runs begin to occur within the transmitted packets. The disclosed GRPS solves this problem by: (a) the GRPS serves only as many destination ports at a given time as can be “handled”, and (b) the GRPS fairly selects new destination ports to serve after every end-of-frame data packet transmission by effectively “de-rating” the statistical bandwidth of each destination port in proportion to the diminished capacity of the device. |
| US08842693B2 |
Rank step-down for MIMO SCW design employing HARQ
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate reducing rank (e.g., of a user device) as a number of transmissions there from increases. Such rank step-down can improve interference resistance and facilitate maintaining code rate despite transmission propagation. Additionally, rank step-down information can be encoded along with CQI information to generate a 5-bit CQI signal that can facilitate updating a user's rank upon each CQI transmission (e.g., approximately every 5 ms). The described systems and/or methods can be employed in a single code word (SCW) wireless communication environment with a hybrid automatic request (HARQ) protocol. |
| US08842688B2 |
Reducing cabling complexity in large-scale networks
High speed switching networks can be created with a minimum of cabling complexity using pod switches that are connected to a core switch array. Each pod switch can include line cards arranged in parallel connecting on one side of a midplane circuit board that is orthogonal to the line cards and uplink cards also arranged in parallel connecting on an opposite side of the midplane circuit board. The uplink cards are orthogonal to both the midplane circuit board and to the line cards. Each line card provides links to computing nodes. The uplink cards connect to the core switch array. A simplified novel Ethernet extension protocol can be used in conjunction with the described hardware. Systems, methods, techniques, and articles of manufacture are also described. |
| US08842674B2 |
Communication system, communication device, controller, and method and program for controlling forwarding path of packet flow
A communication system includes a communication device controlling packet forwarding, and a controller setting a first table entry used for packet forwarding according to a request from the communication device. The communication device determines whether to forward a received packet according to the first table entry or forward the received packet according to a second table entry set by the communication device based on a rule for identifying a received packet. The load of the controller for controlling paths can be reduced. |
| US08842672B2 |
Systems and methods for modifying network packets to use unrecognized headers/fields for packet classification and forwarding
Systems and methods are disclosed for modifying network packets to use unrecognized headers/fields for packet classification and forwarding in packet processing systems, such as network tool optimizer (NTO) devices. The packet modifications described allow standard switch or routing integrated circuits (ICs) to process, classify, and forward packets based upon data that is not typically recognized by the hardware capabilities of the standard packet routing circuitry for packet processing. Input packets are modified so that unrecognized data becomes recognized data for purposes of packet processing, classification, and forwarding by the packet routing circuitry. These modifications are then removed after packets are processed to reform the original packets. The original packets are then provided to destination devices based upon packet classification and forwarding control information. As such, packet processing, classification, and forwarding is provided in packet processing systems using headers/fields that are not supported for processing by standard switch or routing integrated circuits (ICs). |
| US08842671B2 |
Packet switching based on global identifier
A communication method in a network operating in accordance with a standard that allocates a given number of bits m for layer-2 addressing of nodes in the network. The method includes accepting at a layer-2 switch in the network an assignment to one or more nodes in the network of respective layer-2 extended addresses, each including n=m+k bits, k>0. A given data packet is received at the switch for forwarding. The given data packet includes a layer-2 destination address and a layer-3 destination address in accordance with the standard. The layer-3 destination address includes t bits, t≧k. The given data packet is forwarded from the switch to one of the nodes by reading from the given data packet and combining the layer-2 destination address and k bits from the layer-3 destination address so as to reconstruct the n bits of the extended layer-2 address of the one of the nodes. |
| US08842669B2 |
Dynamic, condition-based packet redirection
In one embodiment, at a packet-forwarding engine for receiving packet flows and conditionally routing packets in the packet flows to one or more applications, a method includes receiving from a particular one of the applications a request that requests the packet-forwarding engine not to route the particular one of the packet flows to the particular one of the applications and identifies one or more conditions for routing particular ones of the packets in the particular one of the packet flows to the particular one of the applications. The method further includes, receiving a particular packet in the particular one of the packet flows, determining whether one or more of the conditions for routing the particular packet to the particular one of the applications are met, and routing or not routing the particular packet to the particular one of the applications based on the determination. |
| US08842667B2 |
System and method of automatically configuring I-SIDS in GMPLS controlled ethernet provider backbone bridged networks
A system and method of automatically configuring a Service Instance Identifier (I-SID) in a Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) controlled network. The method begins by identifying a specific I-SID for a specific service in the GMPLS controlled network. Next, the identified I-SID is automatically configured within a Backbone Edge Bridge (BEB) with a Resource Reservation Protocol-Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE) extension. The automatic configuration may be implemented by several different embodiments. In one embodiment, the I-SID may be carried in a SESSION_ATTRIBUTE object. In another embodiment, the I-SID may be mapped to a Short Call ID field in a Session object. Alternatively, the I-SID may be carried in an Endpoint ID Type-Length-Value (TLV). The I-SID may also be carried in a new TLV in a LSP_ATTRIBUTES or CALL— ATTRIBUTES object. |
| US08842665B2 |
Mixed radix fast hadamard transform for communication systems
A method of applying an order N fast Hadamard transform (FHT) of a vector U using a mixed radix FHT in a receiver of a communication system, the N a positive integer, when receiving signals from a transmitter over a channel and generating the vector U. The method includes, in an FHT module of a decoder in the receiver, planning n stages of the mixed radix FHT, where the n is a positive integer, each stage defined by corresponding logic, decomposing the order N FHT into n low order FHTs, such that N=KnKn−1 . . . K1 and U=UKnKn−1 . . . K1, where the K is a positive integer, calculating, via the corresponding logic, each low order FHT at each stage, wherein input vectors of a subsequent stage are calculated in a proceeding stage, and reconstructing, by the decoder, calculated results of the each low order FHT to form an output vector output the decoder. |
| US08842663B2 |
Situational awareness integrated network and system for tactical information and communications
A system for enabling interoperability among various kinds of communications equipment and information transmission formats on the battlefield or during tactical missions. The system includes a multi-message translator (MMT) for translating a source text message having a first set of word fields defined according to a source message format, into a sink message having a second set of word fields defined according to a sink message format. The system also includes a voice bridging gateway (VBG) for bridging multiple voice communication networks having associated transmission protocols that are incompatible with one another. Dismounted soldiers obtain location based services including geo-referenced maps, and tactical communications including voice and text messaging, using smart phones or other lightweight COTS client devices that link through a personal networking node (PNN) server to one or both of the MMT and the VBG. |
| US08842659B2 |
Routing method intended for intermittently connected networks
A routing method in a network with intermittent connectivity, characterized in that it includes, to determine the routing information, for an opportunistically defined routing, for a network comprising a number n of nodes, kmax being the maximum number of relays to be considered in the routing, and M1, a matrix of size n×n, iterative steps of estimating the delay with (k+1) hops and the list of corresponding relays from <λij> matrix of the inverses of the average inter-contact times and of the estimates of delays with k hops present in Mk, storing the estimated inter-contact delays in the matrix M(k+1)(i,j) and the list of the corresponding relays Vi(d)k+1, (M(k+1)(i,j), Vi(d)k+1), where Vi(d)k+1) corresponds to the list of the relay nodes considered at the node i when a message must be transmitted to the destination d, for a number of relays k+1. |
| US08842656B2 |
Communications in OFDMA-based wireless radio networks
The invention relates to a method for transporting a machine-to-machine, M2M, signal (7) over a wireless radio network (1) using an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access, OFDMA, signal (5), the method comprising: embedding the M2M signal (7) as a spread-spectrum waveform into the bandwidth range of the OFDMA signal (5), and transporting the OFDMA signal (5) containing the M2M signal (7) over the wireless radio access network (1). The invention also relates to a transmission device (2), to a receiving device (2), and to a wireless communication network (1) adapted for implementing the method. |
| US08842647B2 |
Wireless communication terminal
A wireless communication terminal includes: a communication timing arbitration section adapted to control the allocation of first and second communication protection periods. The communication timing arbitration section exercises control so that the first and second wireless communication terminals use the same frequency band before the first wireless communication terminal enters an active communication period, and also exercises control so that a packet containing a network allocation vector is transmitted according to the second communication scheme, the network allocation vector being adapted to define the communication protection period for the first wireless communication terminal. |
| US08842641B2 |
RAKE resource multiplexing for enhanced uplink data services
A receiver resource administrator coordinates uplink transmissions from a mobile terminal in order to reduce the RAKE resources required to support the mobile terminal and to provide greater predictability in the uplink transmissions. The reduction of RAKE resources and the increased predictability of the uplink transmissions enable multiplexing of multiple mobile terminals using the same RAKE resources. |
| US08842638B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for establishing S1 signaling connection in an evolved network
In a method for establishing S1 signaling connections in an evolved network during a handover of a UE moves from a first evolved NodeB to a second eNodeB, the first eNodeB sends to the second eNodeB information about a first S1 signaling connection parameter, which is associated with a first S1 signaling connection between the first eNodeB and a core network while the UE is in the first eNodeB. The second eNodeB allocates a second S1 signaling connection parameter associated with a second S1 signaling connection between the second eNodeB and the core network when the UE moves from the first eNodeB to the second eNodeB, and transmits the received first S1 signaling parameter and the allocated second S1 signaling parameter to the core network for establishing the second S1 signaling connection. |
| US08842633B2 |
Systems and methods for mobile stations to identify radio access technologies
A mobile station capable of being served via a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RAT. The mobile station includes a component configured to receive a permission to identify a cell of the first RAT in absence of a first radio access type neighbor cell list for a serving cell of the second RAT. The mobile station also includes a component configured to identify a cell of the first RAT after receiving the permission. |
| US08842627B2 |
Radio base station and mobile communication method
A radio base station (eNB) according to the present invention includes: a management unit (11) configured to manage the number of mobile stations UE corresponding to each carrier; and a scheduling unit (12) configured to perform a scheduling processing to a scheduling-target mobile station (UE#A), in which the “CA” is set to be performed, in at least one of a primary carrier (carrier #1) and a secondary carrier (carrier #2) of the mobile station UE#A based on the number of mobile stations UE corresponding to each carrier. |
| US08842626B2 |
Co-phasing of transmissions from multiple infrastructure nodes
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, mobile station or user equipment receives pilot signals from two or more infrastructure nodes in a distributed antenna system, and calculates phase or timing information, or combinations thereof, from the pilot signals. The mobile station feeds back the phase or timing information, or combinations thereof, to the infrastructure nodes, and then receives one or more subsequent transmissions from the infrastructure nodes with phase shift or timing adjustments, or combinations thereof, calculated by the infrastructure nodes and applied to the spatial streams transmitted by the infrastructure nodes. |
| US08842617B2 |
Method and device for wireless subframe resource allocation
The method for wireless resource subframe allocation comprises the following steps: allocation of the control channel based on the first RAT (Radio Access Technology) of the first control domain, which includes the OFDM symbol of the first number from the sub-frame containing multiple OFDM symbols and multiple subcarriers in the frequency domain; allocation of the control channel based on the second RAT of the second control domain including the OFDM symbol of the second number which follows said first control domain; and the allocation of a data channel in the data domain which includes the OFDM symbols positioned outside said first control domain and second control domain. This invention provides a sub-frame structure which is compatible with existing wireless communication systems. This method allows the continued use of existing control channel systems or base signal structures. The method is also capable of supporting advanced features. |
| US08842616B2 |
Method, network device and system for determining resource mapping in coordinated multi-point transmission
A method, a network device, and a system for determining resource mapping in CoMP transmission are disclosed. The method includes: the cooperative cells that perform CoMP transmission for a UE negotiate a mapping rule used by the cooperative cells when the status of the CoMP transmission of the UE changes, where the mapping rule includes the number of and position of OFDM symbols allocated to a PDCCH domain and/or a data channel domain; and the negotiated mapping rule is notified to the UE. In this embodiment, before the downlink signals are transmitted, the mapping rule used by each cooperative cell for CoMP transmission is negotiated between the cooperative cells, and therefore, the UE can accurately receive the signal sent by multiple cooperative cells and the performance of CoMP transmission in the system is improved. |
| US08842610B2 |
Method and apparatus for reporting channel status information in a wireless communication system
An apparatus and a method are provided for transmitting feedback information by a User Equipment (UE) in a communication system. The method includes generating, by the UE, first feedback information; transmitting the first feedback information at a first time point in a first period; generating second feedback information; and transmitting the second feedback information at a second time point in a second period. The first time point and the second time point are different points from start points of the first period and the second period, respectively. |
| US08842604B2 |
Wireless communication systems with femto nodes
Systems and methods for performing a handoff of an access terminal from a macro node to a femto node are disclosed. In one embodiment, the femto node is configured to transmit a predetermined signal for determining signal quality and an identifier that uniquely identifies the femto node to the access terminal. The access terminal is configured to transmit the identifier to the macro node. The femto node is identified as a hand in target based on the transmitted identifier and the macro node is configured to hand in the access terminal to the femto node. |
| US08842602B2 |
Enhancement of in-device coexistence interference avoidance
A method, system and device are provided for avoiding in-device coexistence interference between different radio technologies deployed in adjacent bands on the same device by reporting uplink buffer status information to the radio network and configuring LTE and non-LTE components to provide an in-device coexistence operation mode where non-LTE components use radio resources during the non-LTE on-intervals and during off-intervals inserted into the LTE on-intervals in response to predetermined trigger events. |
| US08842599B2 |
Relay node selection for network coding
A base station in a wireless network receives link quality data from multiple relay nodes that relay data from the user terminals to the base station and/or from user terminals. The base station applies one or more cost functions to the link quality data and selects a relay node from the multiple relay nodes for network coding of data from a group of the user terminals based on results of the one or more cost functions. The base station notifies the selected relay node to network code data from the group of user terminals. |
| US08842592B2 |
System and method for registration of a network access device during loss of power
A system and method for registration of a network access device including a processor configured to identify power loss at a network access device, initiate backup power at the network access device, identify when the backup power at the network access device decreases to or below a first predetermined level, and identify when backup power at the network access device is restored to or above a second predetermined level, and a transmitter configured to transmit, to a server, a registration extension message to reconfigure conditions for handling inbound communications and a registration extension cancellation message to restore original conditions for handling inbound communications. |
| US08842588B2 |
Wireless communication device and wireless communication method
A high error correction capability is kept while reducing a processing delay in application of the ECC in a multi-radio. A wireless communication device for performing data transmission by using a plurality of radio systems RAT1 and RAT2 includes, in a GLL 100 that absorbs a difference in physical layer and MAC layer among RATs, an encoder 301 that encodes transmission data, a multiplexer 302 that distributes encoded data in correspondence with the RAT1 and the RAT2, interleavers 303 and 304 that interleave a plurality of coded data that has been encoded and multiplexed, and a resource controller 305 that sets an interleaving size for each interleaving processing in the interleavers 303 and 304 based on a transmission delay difference between the RAT1 and the RAT2. |
| US08842587B2 |
Wireless channel calibration
This document describes, among other things, a method that includes transmitting a calibration initiation frame from a first wireless communication device to a second wireless communication device that comprises a single space-time stream transmitter via a wireless communication medium. The method also includes receiving at the first wireless communication device an acknowledgement frame sent from the second wireless communication device after the second wireless communication device receives the calibration initiation frame. The method further includes transmitting a null data packet (NDP) frame from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device after receiving the acknowledgement frame. In some implementations, the method also includes performing beamforming calibration of a wireless communication channel between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device based on the acknowledgement frame. |
| US08842585B2 |
Wireless communication system, base station apparatus, mobile station apparatus, wireless communication method and integrated circuit
When a common search space and a user equipment-specific search space overlap with each other, and bit numbers of DCI formats transmitted in the common search space and the user equipment-specific search space, respectively are the same as each other, a mobile station apparatus identifies a type of the DCI format. When the common search space and the user equipment-specific search space overlap with each other, and a bit number of a DCI format allocated in the common search space and a bit number of a DCI format allocated in the user equipment-specific search space are the same as each other, a base station apparatus does not allocate the DCI format allocated in the user equipment-specific search space in the overlapped space, and a mobile station apparatus performs blind decoding only of the DCI format allocated in the common search space in the overlapped space. |
| US08842582B2 |
Reducing power consumption by taking advantage of superior in-circuit duplexer performance
Although the duplexer in a full-duplex transceiver circuit may only be guaranteed by the duplexer manufacturer to have a transmit band rejection from its TX port to its RX port of a certain amount, and may only be guaranteed to have a receive band rejection of another amount, the actual transmit band rejection and the actual receive band rejection of a particular instance of the duplexer may be better than specified. Rather than consuming excess power in the receiver and/or transmitter in order to meet performance requirements assuming the duplexer only performs as well as specified, the duplexer's in-circuit performance is measured as part of a transmitter-to-receiver isolation determination. Transmitter and/or receiver power settings are reduced where possible to take advantage of the measured better-than-specified in-circuit duplexer performance, while still meeting transceiver performance requirements. Power settings are not changed during normal transmit and receive mode operation. |
| US08842576B2 |
Identifying modular chassis composition by using network physical topology information
A method and apparatus are provided for identifying internal occupants of a communications system with an Ethernet backplane and an internal occupant. Verification that a system switch processor (“SSP”) has been assigned an IP address is completed. A discovery protocol data package from the SSP is requested. A determination is made as to whether the discovery protocol data package corresponds to an internal occupant. If the discovery protocol data package corresponds to the internal occupant, then occupant information corresponding to the internal occupant is discovered. |
| US08842573B2 |
Communication device
Provided is a communication device for measuring a usable bandwidth without delay in transmission of primary data. The relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention, when measuring a usable bandwidth in communication with another relay device, processes a user packet including a user data to be transmitted to the other relay device so as to be changed into a specific packet size while the user data is maintained as it is, and utilizes it as a measurement packet. Accordingly, even though it is a measurement packet for performing measurement of a bandwidth, since it includes user data, it may be treated in the same manner as a user packet thereby enabling an efficient use of a communication network in communication. Also, even though UDP is used, since a usable bandwidth can be measured, it is possible to measure a bandwidth even though streaming data is distributed while preventing any influences on the distribution. |
| US08842567B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing random access procedures in a wireless communication system
Provided are a method and apparatus in which user equipment performs random access procedures in a wireless communication system. More particularly, an embodiment is provided in which a first type backoff parameter and a second type backoff parameter are provided from a base station. The backoff parameter is transmitted from the base station before the user equipment transmits a first random access preamble to the base station. The first type backoff parameter and the second type backoff parameter are included in a random access response. |
| US08842553B2 |
Correlative anticipatory deltacasting
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for improving utilization of a communications system (e.g., a satellite communications system) are provided through techniques referred to herein as “deltacasting.” Some embodiments use a server-side optimizer to intercept and create fingerprints of byte-level content data traversing links of the communications system. The content fingerprints are used to transparently identify communications patterns (e.g., repetitious downloads of the same content, correlations between users, etc.), which may then be used in exploiting multicasting and/or other opportunities for increased utilization of the communication links. |
| US08842552B2 |
Method of facilitating testing of multiple time-division-duplex (TDD) data packet signal transceivers
Method and system for facilitating testing of multiple time-division-duplex (TDD) data packet signal transceivers. Replicas of a data packet signal are transmitted by a tester to multiple TDD devices under test (DUTs), where the replicated signal is either a null or TDD data packet signal. In one embodiment, replica null data packet signals are transmitted for a predetermined time interval sufficient for the DUTs to synchronize with the tester. In another embodiment, following successful and unsuccessful receptions of responsive signals from respective DUTs indicating successful reception of their respective replica TDD data packet signals and, therefore, synchronization with the tester, corresponding replica TDD data packet signals are provided with data packet signal characteristics causing such replica data packet signals to fail to conform or to conform, respectively, with a predetermined data packet signal standard. Following synchronization, test and responsive data packet signals can be exchanged between the tester and DUTs. |
| US08842549B2 |
System and method for parallel testing of multiple data packet signal transceivers
System and method for facilitating testing of multiple data packet signal transceivers involving data-packet-signal replication and one or more status signals indicating successful and unsuccessful receptions of confirmation signals. Based upon the one or more status signals, one or more control signals cause the replicated data packet signals to be distributed to the devices under test (DUTs) such that, following successful and unsuccessful receptions of confirmation signals, corresponding replicated data packet signals are caused to fail to conform in part or to conform, respectively, with a predetermined data packet signal standard. |
| US08842548B2 |
Superset packet forwarding for overlapping filters and related systems and methods
Systems and methods are disclosed that allow for improved management and control of packet forwarding in network systems. Network devices and tool optimizers and a related systems and methods are disclosed for improved packet forwarding between input ports and output ports. The input ports and output ports are configured to be connected to source devices and destination devices, for example, network sources and destination tools in a network monitoring environment. The network devices and tool optimizers disclosed can use superset packet forwarding, such that ingress filter engines are configured with ingress filter rules so as to forward a superset of packets to output ports associated with overlapping filters. Egress filter engines are configured with egress filter rules to then determine which of the superset packets are actually sent out the output ports. |
| US08842546B2 |
Method for wireless communication in a device with co-existence radio
Various methods for wireless communication in a device with co-existed/co-located radios are provided. Multiple communication radio transceivers are co-existed/co-located in a user equipment (UE) having in-device coexistence (IDC) capability, which may result in IDC interference. For example, the UE is equipped with both LTE radio and some ISM band applications such as WiFi and Bluetooth modules. In a first method, the network identifies IDC capability by UE identification (e.g., UE ID). In a second method, the UE intentionally performs cell selection or reselection to cells in non-ISM frequency bands. In a third method, the UE signals the existence of ISM band applications via capability negotiation. In a fourth method, the UE signals the activation of ISM band applications by signaling messages (e.g., RRC message or MAC CE). Under the various methods, the UE and its serving eNB can apply FDM or TDM solutions to mitigate the IDC interference. |
| US08842545B2 |
Energy based communication path selection
A system and method for determining an information communication path based on energy requirements. Various aspects of the present invention provide a method that comprises identifying a plurality of information communication paths that may be utilized to communicate information (e.g., one or more units of information). A communication path identification module may perform such identification. Respective amounts of energy to communicate the information may be estimated for at least a portion of the identified plurality of information communication paths. A communication energy estimation module may perform such estimation. An information communication path may be selected from the identified plurality of information communication paths based, at least in part, on the estimated respective amounts of energy. A communication path selection module may perform such selection. |
| US08842541B2 |
Providing policies using a direct interface between network devices
A first device is configured to store network load information regarding one or more network devices connected to the first device. Each one of the one or more network devices may have a connection range. The first device is further configured to receive information regarding a second device. The information regarding the second device may include information identifying a network device, of the one or more network devices, in which the second device is within connection range of and network load information regarding the network device in which the second device is within connection range of. The first device is further configured to provide the information regarding the second device to a third device; receive, from the third device, a first policy based on providing the information regarding the second device to the third device; and provide the first policy to the second device. |
| US08842533B2 |
Traffic engineering and server selection for content distribution
An apparatus comprising a traffic engineering (TE) and server selection (SS) component configured to couple to an SS component and operate at a first time scale based on SS policies from the SS component, wherein the SS is configured to operate at a second timescale based on TE policies from the TE and SS component, and wherein the second timescale has a finer time granularity than the first time scale by at least one order of magnitude. Also disclosed is a network component comprising a receiver configured to receive one or more SS policies from a content provider or customer node, a logic circuit configured to compute a plurality of joint TE and SS policies for a plurality of network nodes based on the received SS policies, and a transmitter configured to send the joint TE and SS components to the content provider or customer node. |
| US08842532B2 |
Method and device for transmission opportunity truncation
A method and device for communicating in a contention-based communication network. According to an embodiment, the method includes obtaining, by a transmitter, an access to a channel during a transmission opportunity (TXOP) and transmitting, by the transmitter, a contention free (CF)-End frame to truncate the TXOP if the transmitter has no more data that the transmitter can send that fits within the TXOP, wherein the CF-End frame includes a duration field indicating a time required to complete the truncation of the TXOP. |
| US08842530B2 |
Deterministic placement of timestamp packets using a periodic gap
An apparatus comprising a timestamp support logic component configured to identify a plurality of timestamps for a plurality of network nodes on a single link and align the timestamps in a plurality of corresponding time slots for the network nodes within a periodic transmission time window and a scheduler coupled to the timestamp support logic component and configured to align a plurality of packets that do not comprise timestamps in a corresponding time slot subsequent to the time slots for the timestamps in the periodic transmission time window. |
| US08842522B2 |
Incremental deployment of MRT based IPFRR
A method supports incremental deployment of maximally redundant trees-fast reroute (MRT-FRR) by supporting MRT-FRR within an island of nodes in the network. A destination node and next hop failure selected to calculate detour paths. The clean set of nodes is calculated. The clean set of nodes is expanded with extended island candidate nodes that are reachable by a border node within the island via shortest path first (SPF) to the destination node that does not pass through the failed next hop. The extended island candidate nodes that are reachable by the border node within the island via SPF are part of an extended island. An MRT is calculated for each extended island candidate node. A candidate node is selected from the clean set of nodes according to a configured optimization option to serve as the endpoint of detour path to a destination node. |
| US08842518B2 |
System and method for supporting management network interface card port failover in a middleware machine environment
A system and method can support virtual network interface card (NIC) failover in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment includes a local management node and a remote management node. The system provides a local NIC driver and a remote proxy instance on a local management node. The remote proxy instance can associate a machine address with a remote NIC driver on a remote management node that is connected with the local remote management node in a subnet. Furthermore, the remote proxy instance operates to direct packets to and from the remote NIC driver using the machine address. |
| US08842511B2 |
Information storage medium, reproducing method, and recording method
A machine readable information storage medium, a reproducing method and apparatus which reproduces data from the storage medium, and a recording method and apparatus for recording data on the storage medium. The information storage medium includes a control area which stores within a data structure information usable by the recording or reproducing apparatus to record or reproduce the data on or from the storage medium. The information stored within the data structure includes a version corresponding to a specification, a revision number of recording speed, and an extended part version field. |
| US08842508B2 |
Data phase locked loop circuit and method for generating frequency of reference signal thereof
A data phase locked loop circuit includes a phase locked loop circuit, a judging circuit, a detecting circuit and a control circuit. The phase locked loop circuit outputs a reference signal according to a data signal, which is generated by an optical drive reading an optical disk. When the judging circuit judges that a jitter signal is smaller than a threshold value, the control circuit stores a frequency of the reference signal. When the detecting circuit detects a defect zone of the optical disk read by the optical drive, the phase locked loop circuit fixes the frequency of the reference signal to a latest stored one. |
| US08842498B2 |
Underwater acoustic array, communication and location system
An underwater communication system comprises a plurality of location and messaging units for sending and receiving ultrasonic energy through water. In accordance with one aspect, each of the location and messaging units comprising an array of four ultrasonic transducers positioned such that they define a generally tetrahedral shape, a transceiver adapted to generate a code element, generate a data element, generate a modulation element, and combine the code element, the data element and the modulation element into an analog wave form. The system is further adapted to transmit the analog wave form through each of the four ultrasonic transducers and receive the analog wave-form generated by at least one of the location and messaging units. |
| US08842492B2 |
Memory components and controllers that utilize multiphase synchronous timing references
Multiple timing reference signals (e.g., clock signals) each cycling at the same frequency are distributed in a fly-by topology to a plurality of memory devices in various embodiments are presented. These multiple clock signals each have a different phase relationship to each other (e.g., quadrature). A first circuit receives a first of these clocks as a first timing reference signal. A second circuit receives a second of these clocks as a second timing reference signal. A plurality of receiver circuits receive signals synchronously with respect to the first timing reference signal and the second timing reference signal, such that a first signal value is resolved using the first timing reference signal and a second signal value is resolved using the second timing reference signal. |
| US08842487B2 |
Power management domino SRAM bit line discharge circuit
A domino static random access memory (SRAM) having one or more SRAM memory cells connected with a local bit line is disclosed. The SRAM may include a global bit line, a first precharge device connected between a voltage supply and the local bit line, and a second precharge device connected between the voltage supply and the global bit line. In addition the SRAM may include a global bit line discharge logic connected with the global bit line and the local bit line. The global bit line discharge logic is adapted to draw the global bit line to a voltage below a precharge voltage and above a ground voltage during a read operation. |
| US08842474B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device and nonvolatile memory system including the same
A nonvolatile memory device includes a cell array including a plurality of pages, a selection unit configured to select one of the pages in response to a page selection address, an operation control unit configured to read data of a given number of pages adjacent to the selected page and output the read data as backup data, to erase data of the selected page, in response to a page erase command, and to reprogram update data and the backup data in the selected page and the adjacent pages, respectively, and a data storage unit configured to store the backup data. |
| US08842463B2 |
Storage apparatus and operation method for operating the same
A storage apparatus includes: a plurality of storage elements configured to have the resistance state thereof changed in accordance with an applied voltage; and a drive portion configured to perform a resistance change operation and a read operation, the resistance change operation involving writing or erasing information to or from the storage elements by changing the resistance state thereof, the read operation involving reading the information from the storage elements; wherein the drive portion includes an amplifier configured to output a read signal upon execution of the read operation, a constant current load, and a control portion configured to perform the resistance change operation and a direct verify operation on the storage elements, the direct verify operation involving carrying out, subsequent to the resistance change operation, the read operation for verifying whether the writing or erasing of the information to or from the storage elements has been normally accomplished. |
| US08842446B2 |
DC-DC converter
A controller controls a voltage-source power converter and a current-source power converter based on a detection value of a rail voltage input to the voltage-source power converter and a detection value of a charging voltage output from the current-source power converter, at the time of charging operation. |
| US08842445B2 |
Cable management in rack systems
A rack system includes one or more racks each configured to receive at least one distribution module. Each rack includes management sections located at the front of the rack; troughs located at the rear of the rack; horizontal channels extending between the management sections and the trough; a storage area located at a first of opposing sides of the rack; a front vertical channel that connects to the storage area and at least some of the management sections; and a travel channel at the rear of the first rack that connects the storage area to the troughs. |
| US08842430B2 |
Data center
A data center inside a shipping container having a lower plenum and an upper plenum in its interior, individual computing devices, and a humidity. Humidity inside the container is controlled by a humidity sensing device that reports the humidity level to a central controller. The central controller is connected to a humidity control device and the individual computing devices. Based on the humidity level, the central controller will adjust the output of the humidity control device to maintain the humidity internal to the container at a pre-determined level. The central controller energizes and de-energizes individual computing devices depending on the humidity level inside the container and other factors associated with the operation of computing devices. The central controller is also connected to, and communicates with, an external communication network. |
| US08842429B2 |
Method and apparatus for securing portable electronic device to accessory device
A system and method is described that includes a laptop style portable dock design referred to as the terminal system. The terminal system includes a user interface and provides a flip type dock located behind the terminal system display, and more particularly, but not exclusively, provides a flip type dock that when a mobile device is docked in the flip type dock. The terminal system provides power to the smart device, displays the smart device user interface on the terminal system display, and enables the user to use peripherals connected to the terminal system and interact with the smart device through the user interface of the terminal system. The terminal system provides a way to detachably mate a plurality of portable processor based devices to provide the combined functionality of the terminal system and smart device in an integrated structure. |
| US08842421B2 |
Arc-resistant switchgear enclosure with latch for vent flap
An arc-resistant switchgear enclosure has a vent opening and a vent flap. Normally the vent flap is open to allow air to circulate through the enclosure. However, in the event of an arc fault explosion in the enclosure, the vent flap is forced to close by the explosion. As the vent flap closes, a flexible latch member moves along a keeper and prevents the vent flap from reopening. In some embodiments, the latch member contacts the keeper and props the vent flap open for normal operation. |
| US08842420B2 |
Data center
A data center inside a shipping container having a lower plenum and an upper plenum in its interior. Heated air in the upper plenum exits therefrom into a plurality of heat exchangers adjacent thereto. Air cooled by the heat exchangers travels toward and enters the lower plenum. The data center includes a plurality of carriages each having an equipment receiving portion located between an open bottom portion in open communication with the lower plenum, and an open top portion in open communication with the upper plenum. Fans inside each of the carriages draw cooled air up from the lower plenum into the open bottom portion of the carriage, blow the cooled air up through the equipment receiving portion thereby cooling any computing equipment received therein, and vent the cooled air through the open top portion into the upper plenum. |
| US08842415B2 |
Multilayer ceramic capacitor
There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor, including: a multilayer body in which a plurality of dielectric layers are stacked in a thickness direction; and inner electrode layers formed within the multilayer body and including first and second inner electrodes disposed to be opposed to each other; wherein a ratio (MA1/CA1) of MA1 to CA1 is between 0.07 and 0.20, wherein CA1 represents an area of the multilayer body in a cross section of the multilayer body taken in a length and thickness direction, and MA1 represents an area of a first margin part in the cross section of the multilayer body taken in the length and thickness direction, the first margin part being a portion of the multilayer body, other than a first capacitance forming part thereof in which the first and second inner electrodes overlap in the thickness direction. |
| US08842413B2 |
Multilayered ceramic electronic component
There is provided a multilayered ceramic electronic component having a reduced thickness and exhibiting hermetic sealing. In multilayered ceramic electronic component, an external electrode includes two layers, that is, first and second layers, and the first and second layers contain glass with different compositions, respectively. Therefore, the multilayered ceramic electronic component having high reliability, such as strong adhesion between the external electrode and the internal electrode, prevention of glass exudation, or the like, may be obtained. |
| US08842412B2 |
Tapered via and MIM capacitor
A chip capacitor and interconnecting wiring is described incorporating a metal insulator metal (MIM) capacitor, tapered vias and vias coupled to one or both of the top and bottom electrodes of the capacitor in an integrated circuit. A design structure tangibly embodied in a machine readable medium is described incorporating computer readable code defining a MIM capacitor, tapered vias, vias and wiring levels in an integrated circuit. |
| US08842401B2 |
Protection system for an electrical power network
A protection system is provided for an electrical power network. The system has one or more circuit breaker arrangements which on activation isolate electrical faults within the network, and one or more fault detectors. The or each fault detector measures an inductance of a respective section of the network. The system is configured to activate one or more of the circuit breaker arrangements in response to measured inductances which are indicative of a fault. |
| US08842396B1 |
Magnetic sensor with differing stripe heights
A magnetic sensor may be generally configured in accordance with various embodiments to have a magnetically responsive stack with first and second free layers and without a fixed magnetization. The first and second free layers can be tuned to have different stripe heights from an air bearing surface (ABS) and square rear surface features distal the ABS. |
| US08842391B2 |
Recording head including a near field transducer
An apparatus including a near field transducer positioned adjacent to an air bearing surface, the near field transducer including an electrically conductive nitride; a first magnetic pole; and a heat sink, a diffusion barrier layer, or both positioned between the first magnetic pole and the near field transducer, wherein the heat sink, the diffusion barrier or both include rhodium (Rh) or an alloy thereof; ruthenium (Ru) or an alloy thereof titanium (Ti) or an alloy thereof tantalum (Ta) or an alloy thereof tungsten (W) or an alloy thereof borides; nitrides; transition metal oxides; or palladium (Pd) or an alloy thereof. |
| US08842388B2 |
Perpendicular magnetic recording head and method for manufacturing the same
Embodiments of the present invention provide a perpendicular magnetic recording head including a coil having small resistance. According to one embodiment, a nonmagnetic insulating layer formed on a main magnetic pole and a magnetic yoke are etched to form a recessed portion. The thickness of a conductive layer is increased by the depth of the recessed portion in a process for forming the conductive layer of the upper coil on the recessed portion to reduce resistance of the coil. Simultaneously with the formation of the recessed portion, a part of a second layer of a connection tab is removed. Simultaneously with the formation of the conductive layer of the upper coil, a space in which the part of the second layer of the connection tab is removed is filled with the same material as that of the conductive layer to further reduce the resistance of the entire coil. |
| US08842386B1 |
Spindle motor and disk drive apparatus
A base plate of a spindle motor includes a bottom plate portion and a wall portion. The bottom plate portion extends perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to a rotation axis. The wall portion extends in an axial direction from a radially outer edge portion of the bottom plate portion. The bottom plate portion includes a cup portion and an outer bottom plate portion. The cup portion is arranged radially inward of the wall portion, and includes a recessed upper surface. The outer bottom plate portion is arranged to extend between the cup portion and the wall portion. The base plate includes a first member made of a first type of metallic material, and a second member made of a second type of metallic material having a Young's modulus greater than that of the first type of metallic material. |
| US08842379B2 |
Image capturing lens assembly
An image capturing lens assembly includes, in order from an object-side to an image-side along an optical axis, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element and a fourth lens element. The first lens element with negative refractive power has an image-side surface being concave at a paraxial region. The second lens element with positive refractive power has an image-side surface being convex at a paraxial region. The third lens element with negative refractive power has an object-side surface being concave at a paraxial region, and an image-side surface being convex at a paraxial region. The fourth lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex at a paraxial region, and an image-side surface being concave at a paraxial region, and at least one of the object-side surface and the image-side surface is aspheric. |
| US08842369B2 |
Method and apparatus for combining light sources
An apparatus for combining light from multiple laser sources has a first laser array to emit beams of a first wavelength in parallel and in a first plane and a second laser array to emit beams of a second wavelength in parallel with emitted beams in the first laser array. A beam combiner on a transparent body has a rear surface and an incident surface at an oblique angle to the first plane. Intersection of the incident surface with the first plane is oblique to the emitted beams. The beam combiner has a first coating on the incident surface that intersects the first plane and transmits the first wavelength. A rear reflective coating reflects first and second wavelengths. A second coating on the incident surface is coplanar with the first coating and transmits the second wavelength and reflects the first wavelength. A third coating reflects first and second wavelengths. |
| US08842368B2 |
Head mounted display
A helmet or head-mounted apparatus has a visor or other curved optical element in front of at least one eye of a wearer, which element also is used as a waveguide. Image-bearing light is injected into the waveguide via an input diffractive element, and propagates through the visor to an output diffractive element which releases the light. The optical powers of the curved waveguide and the input and output diffractive elements are selected so that the released light is delivered as an image to the users eye. |
| US08842367B2 |
Superimposed lens module with lens array
The present invention provides a multiple-layered lens array assembly comprising: at least a lens array set comprising a plurality of lens units, each of the lens units having an engaging surface surrounding an optical axis thereof and formed on an object-side surface or an image-side surface thereof; and at least an independent lens unit having an engaging surface surrounding an optical axis thereof and formed on an object-side surface or an image-side surface thereof; wherein the engaging surface of each of the lens units of the at least an lens array set connects with the engaging surface of a corresponding independent lens unit. |
| US08842366B2 |
Transmissive body
An apparatus and method for transmitting, collimating and redirecting light from a point-like source to produce a collimated optical signal in a substantially planar form are provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus is manufactured as a unitary transmissive body comprising a collimation element and a redirection element, and optionally a transmissive element. In another embodiment, the apparatus is assembled from one or more components. The apparatus and method are useful for providing sensing light for an optical touch input device or for providing illumination for a display. |
| US08842364B2 |
Optical device, manufacturing method thereof, and method of manufacturing master
An optical device that has an antireflection function, the optical device including: a base; and a plurality of structural bodies, which are formed by convex portions or concave portions, arranged on a surface of the base with a fine pitch that is equal to or smaller than a wavelength of visible light, wherein the plurality of structural bodies are arranged so as to form tracks of a plurality of rows on the surface of the base and form a quasi-hexagonal lattice pattern, a tetragonal lattice pattern, or a quasi-tetragonal lattice pattern, and wherein a packing ratio of the structural bodies to the surface of the base is equal to or higher than 65%. |
| US08842358B2 |
Apparatus, method, and process with laser induced channel edge
An apparatus, method, and process that includes a substantially transparent substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and edge extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the substantially transparent substrate, wherein the edge being a laser induced channel edge having enhanced edge characteristics. |
| US08842356B2 |
Micromechanical device with temperature stabilization and method for adjusting a defined temperature or a defined temperature course on a micromechanical device
A micromechanical device includes a micromechanical functional structure and an electromagnetic radiation heating associated with the micromechanical functional structure, which is formed to cause a spatially and temporally defined temperature or a spatially and temporally defined temperature course in the micromechanical functional structure. |
| US08842351B2 |
Data storage method and device
A method for storing data including: providing a first substrate having a plurality of micro-holograms therein, the micro-holograms being indicative of the data; providing a second hologram-supporting substrate; illuminating the plurality of micro-holograms in the first substrate through the second substrate, thereby producing a holographic pattern in the second substrate indicative of reflections of the plurality of micro-holograms in the first substrate; providing a third hologram-supporting substrate; and, illuminating the holographic pattern in the second substrate through the third substrate, thereby substantially replicating the plurality of micro-holograms in the first substrate in the third substrate. |
| US08842346B2 |
Document reading device which includes automatic document conveying mechanism and reads plural documents one by one
A digital multi function peripheral includes a scanner for reading an image in a document read position; a document retaining cover for being able to change an opening and closing state between a state in which the scanner is closed and a state in which the scanner is opened, and conveying a document to the scanner when the scanner is closed; a registration sensor for detecting a leading end portion and a rear end portion of the document conveyed by the document retaining cover; and a controller for determining the opening and closing state of the document retaining cover based on a state of the leading end portion and the rear end portion of the document in the image read by an IR module at a time when a predetermined time frame elapses since a detection state of the registration sensor changes. Therefore, the opening and closing state of the conveyance unit for conveying the document can accurately be detected. |
| US08842339B2 |
Color processing apparatus and color processing method
The profile of a reference color space is acquired, and the acquired profile is converted into the profile of a uniform color appearance space which is a color space different from the reference color space. An evaluation value of color in the profile of the uniform color appearance space is calculated, and the profile of the uniform color appearance space is corrected based on the calculated evaluation value. The corrected profile is inversely converted into the profile of the reference color space. |
| US08842337B2 |
Printing apparatus and method for printing using two kinds of black inks
A printing apparatus, which performs printing using a cyan ink, a magenta ink, a yellow ink, and two kinds of black inks, includes an image data acquisition section configured to acquire image data representing an image targeted for printing; a black line specification section configured to specify a black line included in the image on the basis of the image data; a printing control section configured to perform control so as to, along with performing printing of the black line by using the two kinds of black inks, perform printing with respect to pixels forming at least one portion of the black line so as to overlap the two kinds of black colors, and perform printing of a portion other than the black line by using at least one of the cyan ink, the magenta ink, the yellow ink, and the two kinds of black inks. |
| US08842336B2 |
Printing apparatus, printing program and printing method configured to control a white toned color in printing
There is provided a printing apparatus which is configured to control a basic color in performing the basic color in a printing medium. The printing apparatus includes: a table in which a correspondence relationship between a grayscale value in image data of the basic color and a color material amount is defined; an obtaining section which is configured to obtain a density range of a color which is to be printed on the basis of the image data of the basic color; and an adjustment section which is configured to adjust a grayscale range of the table so that the grayscale value corresponding to a color material amount range which corresponds to the density range of the color is increased. |
| US08842335B2 |
Apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium to achieve appropriate color reproduction characteristics
Disclosed is an information processing apparatus including: a control section to obtain output condition information to show an output condition when a color chart is output, to obtain colorimetric data obtained by measuring the color chart, to create a color conversion profile based on the obtained colorimetric data, and to embed the output condition information in the created color conversion profile according to an order determined in advance. |
| US08842334B2 |
Maintaining print settings across multiple applications
A method, including: receiving a request to print a first document from a first application; displaying print settings and an option to maintain print settings (MPS); collecting a time limit, a selection enabling the option to MPS, and a selection enabling a print setting; sending a first print job corresponding to the first document and the print setting to a printer; initiating, in response to the selection enabling the option to MPS, a time window having a duration set to the time limit; receiving a request to print a second document from a second application; identifying a remaining time of the time window; retrieving, in response to the remaining time exceeding zero, the indication of the print setting; and sending, bypassing the printer driver GUI, a second print job corresponding to the second document and the print setting to the printer. |
| US08842321B2 |
Information processing apparatus, printer driver, print setting method and data structure
The information processing apparatus includes a storage section for storing function information on a function provided in a printing device, and a creating section for creating, based on the function information, a data structure having a data section for storing actual data of a setting value for the function and an index section for storing information for accessing the actual data of the setting value. In addition to the setting value for a printer driver which gives a printing instruction to the printing device, the creating section allows the data section to store a setting value which can be used by a printer driver which gives the printing instruction to a printing device of a different model and/or the printer driver of a different version. |
| US08842315B2 |
Print shop management method for customized print job duplication
A customized print job duplication method implemented in a print shop management system that includes a data processing apparatus having a non-transitory memory for storing a software program and a processor for executing the software program, wherein the software program includes program code configured to cause the data processing apparatus to execute a customized print job duplication process, which includes the steps of providing print job duplication options to allow selection of which sub-sections of a first print job will be duplicated, duplicating from the first print job the sub-sections selected for duplication, and creating a second print job with existing data and a set of settings to be applied to a second document processing job, the set including the settings duplicated from the first print job in the duplicated sub-sections. |
| US08842303B2 |
Image reading device and image forming apparatus with unit determining light-emitting element abnormality
In an embodiment, provided is an image reading device that includes: a light source that includes a first block and a second block arranged alternately, both blocks including light-emitting elements arranged linearly, the first and the second block lighting independently, and the light-emitting elements in a same block of the first and the second block lighting at a same time; a scanning unit that scans a document by irradiating the document with light from the light source; a lighting control unit that lights one of the first and the second block of the light source and then lights the other; a peak level acquiring unit that acquires a peak level of scanned data of each of the first and the second block; and an abnormality determining unit that determines that the light-emitting element is abnormal when the peak level becomes equal to or smaller than a given value. |
| US08842298B2 |
Camera on multifunction printer
A multifunction printer includes an image capture apparatus including an image capture platform for holding an object of which an image is to be captured; a lid having a closed position in which the lid is proximate the image capture platform, and an open position in which the lid is away from the image capture platform; and a camera that is pivotably affixed to the lid; and a printing apparatus including: a media advance system for advancing a sheet of media to a print region; and a printhead. |
| US08842290B2 |
Interferometric sensing apparatus including adjustable coupling and associated methods
A sensing apparatus comprises an excitation source configured to induce waves in a target, and a fiber optic interferometer configured to sense the induced waves in the target. The fiber optic interferometer comprises a probe segment having a probe segment end, and an adjustable coupler configured to permit setting a gap between the probe segment end and the target. A controller is coupled to the adjustable coupler and configured to set the gap between the probe segment end and the target. |
| US08842286B2 |
Suppression of quantization noise in a fiber-optic sagnac interferometer
In the case of a fiber-optic Sagnac interferometer, the output of an analog/digital converter and thus output signals processed in a main control circuit as well as a phase resetting signal for a phase modulation encompass a first word width. An input of a digital/analog converter and thus a resetting signal, which acts on the phase modulator, encompasses a second word width, which is smaller than the word width, with which the resetting and modulation signal is computed. A residual value signal comprising a third word width, which can be added to the output signal of the analog/digital converter via an adder, is obtained from the surplus, low-value bits. |
| US08842282B2 |
Optical reflectors for spectrometer gas cells
A spectrometer cell can include a spacer, at least one end cap, and at least one mirror with a reflective surface. The end cap can be positioned proximate to a first contact end of the spacer such that the end cap and spacer at least partially enclose an internal volume of the spectrometer cell. The mirror can be secured in place by a mechanical attachment that includes attachment materials that are chemically inert to at least one reactive gas compound. The mechanical attachment can hold an optical axis of the reflective surface in a fixed orientation relative to other components of the spectrometer cell and or a spectrometer device that comprises the spectrometer cell. The mirror can optionally be constructed of a material such as stainless steel, ceramic, or the like. Related methods, articles of manufacture, systems, and the like are described. |
| US08842280B2 |
Analytical apparatus and detection method employed in analytical apparatus
Disclosed is an analytical apparatus wherein a container is automatically transferred and the container is automatically closed with a cap member, said analytical apparatus being provided with a suitable mechanism that reliably closes the container. The analytical apparatus is provided with an optical sensor composed of at least one pair of a light source (4) and a light detector (5), which face each other with the container disposing position therebetween, and which are disposed such that the container disposing position is irradiated with light, and the analytical apparatus detects whether the container (1) is disposed or not or the absence/presence of the cap of the container, corresponding to a transmitted light quantity detected by means of the optical sensor. Thus, cap closing is prevented from being performed if there is no container, and the container is prevented from being transferred without the cap. |
| US08842275B2 |
Method for estimating light scattering
The invention relates to a method for estimating the quantity of light scattered by a heterogeneous participating media, the light being transmitted by a light environment comprising a plurality of light sources. In order to improve the display while minimising the required calculation time, the method comprises steps for: estimation of first projection coefficients in an orthonormal basis of spherical functions, said first projection coefficients being representative of the reduction of light intensity in a point of said media, said estimation of first projection coefficients being carried out for each point of a first set of points of said media, and estimation of the quantity of light scattered by said media, according to at least one scattering direction of the light, using said first estimated projection coefficients. |
| US08842272B2 |
Apparatus for EUV imaging and methods of using same
One embodiment relates to an apparatus that includes an illumination source (102) for illuminating a target substrate (106), objective optics (108) for projecting the EUV light which is reflected from the target substrate, and a sensor (110) for detecting the projected EUV light. The objective optics includes a first mirror (202,302, or 402) which is arranged to receive and reflect the EUV light which is reflected from the target substrate, a second mirror (204, 304, or 404) which is arranged to receive and reflect the EUV light which is reflected by the first mirror, a third mirror (206, 306, or 406) which is arranged to receive and reflect the EUV light which is reflected by the second mirror, and a fourth mirror (208, 308, or 408) which is arranged to receive and reflect the EUV light which is reflected by the third mirror. |
| US08842268B2 |
Measuring method for crosstalk between cores in multi-core optical fiber
The present invention obtains a statistical distribution of inter-core crosstalk by measuring the inter-core crosstalk of a multi-core optical fiber while changing the wavelength of incident light in a predetermined range including a specific wavelength relative to the multi-core optical fiber, or while changing a polarization state of incident light entering the multi-core optical fiber. According to the present invention, there is no need to measure the crosstalk by rewinding the multi-core optical fiber and changing the phase difference between cores around the zero point of the equivalent propagation constant difference between cores. |
| US08842264B2 |
Virtual separation of bound and free label in a ligand assay for performing immunoassays of biological fluids, including whole blood
Detection and characterization of immunologically detected substances are performed electronically on human and animal biological fluids such as whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, milk, pleural and peritoneal fluids, and semen, which fluids are contained in a thin chamber forming a quiescent fluid sample, which chamber has at least two parallel planar walls, at least one of which is transparent. |
| US08842262B2 |
Radar apparatus and light scan apparatus
A radar apparatus for detecting a distance to an object by receiving an electromagnetic wave reflected by the object is disclosed. The radar apparatus comprises a scan part and an electromagnetic wave emitter. The scan part includes a polarized light separation member configured to pass a preset first component of the electromagnetic wave and reflect a preset second component of the electromagnetic wave. The first and second components, respectively, are polarized lights having first and second polarization directions, which are perpendicular to each other. The scan part scans the second component of the electromagnetic wave in a predetermine scan angle range by rotating the polarized light separation member around a predetermined rotation axis. The electromagnetic wave emitter emits the electromagnetic wave toward the polarized light separation member of the scan part. |
| US08842258B2 |
Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and blind for exposure apparatus
An exposure apparatus includes a mask, a substrate which passes through a region disposed below the mask while moving in a first direction, a light source unit disposed above the mask, where the light source irradiates light on the substrate through the mask, and at least one blind disposed below the light source unit, where the blind blocks the light irradiated from the light source unit, where a second direction is perpendicular to the first direction in a same plane as the first direction, the blind is a polyhedron having a width, a length and a thickness and is disposed such that a direction of the length is substantially parallel to the second direction, and the blind is rotatable around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the second direction, and where the width is greater than the thickness. |
| US08842256B2 |
Awning-member molded article and awning
Provided is an easily fabricated awning-member molded article having excellent strength, and an awning formed from a plurality of such awning-member molded articles. When an awning-member molded article is viewed from its bottom surface, a small-triangular plate portion bent toward a bottom surface of a second dihedron and a small-triangular plate portion bent toward a bottom surface of a third dihedron have a predetermined thickness at their portions abutted against each other, so that the second dihedron and the third dihedron in each basic element are coupled to each other. Further, a middle-triangular plate portion bent toward the bottom surface of the second basic element and a middle-triangular plate portion bent toward the bottom surface of the third basic element are provided with a predetermined thickness at their portions abutted against each other, so that the second basic element and the third basic element are coupled to each other. |
| US08842248B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a pixel group having first to fourth pixels in a 2×2 matrix, wherein the areas of the first and second pixels is greater than the areas of the third and fourth pixels, so that, when a storage bridge which connects storage electrodes is formed between the first and second pixels, an opening area through which light is transmitted in each of the first and second pixels has the same area as the opening areas in each of the third and fourth pixels. |
| US08842247B2 |
Optical device and image display device
In an embodiment, an optical device includes a first substrate; a second substrate; a liquid crystal layer; a plurality of first electrodes; a second electrode; and a light shielding portion. The liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The plurality of first electrodes is provided on the first substrate and arranged in a first direction, extending in a second direction. The second electrode is provided on the second substrate. The light shielding portion is configured to be provided at a position between the first substrate and the second substrate to overlap with the first electrodes when viewed from the third direction. The light shielding portion covers a less space than the first electrodes. |
| US08842237B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel, a first back light module (BLU), a polarizer, a second BLU and a pattern retarder. The first BLU is disposed below the liquid crystal display panel for emitting light. The polarizer is disposed on the first BLU, to convert the light into a first light. The second BLU is disposed between the liquid crystal display panel and the first BLU for emitting a second light. The pattern retarder is disposed between the liquid crystal display panel and the first BLU. The pattern retarder includes plural first and second polarizing regions with orthogonal polarization states, and the first and second polarizing regions are arranged in an interlaced order. Also, the polarization state of the first light is orthogonal to the polarization state of the second polarizing region. |
| US08842234B2 |
Backlight module and LCD device having a gap between a top of a side wall of a rear panel and a groove on top of the side wall
The invention provides a backlight module and a LCD device. The backlight module includes a side frame, and a rear panel; the rear panel is provided with a side wall fixedly matched with the side frame, the side wall of the rear panel is provided with a light source, and a gap is reserved between the top of the side wall and the side frame. The invention can effectively block the path that the heat at the side of the light source is transferred to the LCD panel, and can effectively prevent the risk of the liquid crystal liquefaction of the LCD panel, thereby improving the optical display taste of the LCD panel. |
| US08842230B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
A method of manufacturing, with high mass productivity, liquid crystal display devices having highly reliable thin film transistors with excellent electric characteristics is provided. In a liquid crystal display device having an inverted staggered thin film transistor, the inverted staggered thin film transistor is formed as follows: a gate insulating film is formed over a gate electrode; a microcrystalline semiconductor film which functions as a channel formation region is formed over the gate insulating film; a buffer layer is formed over the microcrystalline semiconductor film; a pair of source and drain regions are formed over the buffer layer; and a pair of source and drain electrodes are formed in contact with the source and drain regions so as to expose a part of the source and drain regions. |
| US08842223B2 |
Transmitter apparatus, information processing method, program, and transmitter system
The present technology relates to a transmitter apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and a transmitter system capable of easily transmitting a wideband signal.The transmitter apparatus includes: a first acquisition unit that obtains first transmission control information; a second acquisition unit that obtains second transmission control information similar to information input to another transmitter apparatus; and a generating unit that processes transmission target data based on a parameter contained in the first transmission control information and generates data including the processed transmission target data and the second transmission control information. The present technology can be applied to a transmitter apparatus that transmits a DVB-C2 signal. |
| US08842222B2 |
Double stacked projection
A method for producing a first output image and a second output image for being projected by a first projector and a second projector, respectively, is disclosed. The method comprises: providing a source image comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a source value, providing an inverted threshold value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, and generating thereof a temporary image comprising a temporary value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels. The method further comprises: generating the first output image comprising a first output value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the first output value being generated from the temporary value and the source value for each pixel, and generating the second output image comprising a second output value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the second output value being generated from the temporary value. |
| US08842217B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus including an image acquisition unit configured to acquire, as an image, a result of imaging, on an image sensor unit, light traveling from an object via an opening of a stop, a control unit configured to control a shape of the opening based on a function which defines a temporal change of the shape of the opening when the image acquisition unit acquires the image, and a detection unit configured to detect a blur state in the image based on the function. |
| US08842214B2 |
Color imaging element, imaging device, and storage medium storing an imaging program
An image capturing element is provided with: a color filter in which a basic arrangement pattern having first and second arrangement patterns arranged to be symmetrical about a point is repeated. The first arrangement pattern comprises first filters arranged on pixels in 2×2 arrangement located at the upper-left portion and a pixel located at the lower-right in a 3×3 pixel square arrangement, second filters arranged on the center and lower end lines in the vertical direction of the square arrangement, and third filters arranged on the center and right lines in the horizontal direction of the square arrangement. The second arrangement pattern comprises the first filters having the same arrangement as in the first arrangement pattern, and the second filters and the third filters having the arrangements interchanged with each other compared to the arrangements in the first arrangement pattern. |
| US08842213B2 |
Image capture device, image capture device focus control method, and integrated circuit
The stability is improved with which focus control is performed by an image capture device that brings a face region image into focus according to the contrast method. A human detection circuit 3 performs a human image search by using a threshold value Thh1. A face detection circuit 2 performs a face image search by using a threshold value Thf1. When an entire body image region corresponding to an entire body of a person is detected and a face image region corresponding to a face of the same person is detected in the captured image through the human image search and the face image search, the face detection circuit 2 performs redetermination with respect to the face image region by using a threshold value Thf2. The redetermination by using the threshold value Thf21 has higher accuracy compared to the face image search by using the threshold value Thf1. |
| US08842211B2 |
Imaging element and imaging apparatus that extract light of a specific wavelength
An imaging element includes a light receiving surface having pixels, and a low-pass filter device configured to focus predetermined light on a predetermined pixel of the pixels of the light-receiving surface. |
| US08842209B2 |
Zoom lens system, interchangeable lens apparatus and camera system
A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising: a first lens unit having positive optical power; a second lens unit having negative optical power; a third lens unit having positive optical power; a fourth lens unit having positive optical power; and a fifth lens unit having negative optical power, wherein the first lens unit is composed of only optical elements having optical power, in zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit at the time of image taking, at least the first lens unit is fixed with respect to an image surface, and the condition: 0.7<|M4G/M5G|<11.0 (M4G: an amount of movement of the fourth lens unit with respect to the image surface in zooming, M5G is an amount of movement of the fifth lens unit with respect to the image surface in zooming) is satisfied. |
| US08842196B2 |
Data recording apparatus and camera configured to selectively process data stored in a recording medium
A data recording apparatus includes: a data recording device that records acquired data in a recording medium; a target data specifying device that specifies target data to which data processing is to be performed out of data recorded in the recording medium based on an instruction by a user; a recordable data number calculation device that calculates a number of the acquired data that will be able to be recorded in the recording medium by performing the data processing to the target data based on a remaining capacity of the recording medium and a content of processing of the data processing; a display control device that displays on a display device a result of the calculation by the recordable data number calculation device before the data processing is performed. |
| US08842183B2 |
Image-based inventory control system with automatic calibration and image correction
Systems for monitoring an inventory condition of objects based on captured images are described. An exemplary system includes at least one storage drawer, each storage drawer including a plurality of storage locations for storing objects, wherein each drawer is associated with an identifier with known color attributes; and an image sensing device configured to capture an image of one of the storage drawers along with the associated identifier. A data storage device of the system stores, for each storage drawer, information of the known color attributes of the associated identifier. A data processor of the system is configured to access information of the known color attributes of the identifier associated with the drawer corresponding to the captured image; determine color attributes of the identifier in the captured image; determine a correction factor based on the color attributes of the identifier in the captured image and the known color attributes of the identifier; and apply the correction factor to subsequent images captured by the image sensing device. |
| US08842176B2 |
Automatic vehicle exterior light control
A system and method of automatically controlling vehicle exterior lights including an image sensor and a controller to generate headlamp control signals. |
| US08842174B2 |
Method and apparatus for securing planar orientation of analysis chamber
An apparatus and method for imaging a biologic fluid sample quiescently residing within a chamber is provided. The chamber includes a first panel and a second panel, between which the biologic fluid sample quiescently resides. At least one of the first and second panels is flexible. The chamber has one or more fields that are each defined by a cross-sectional area. The apparatus comprises a field illuminator, a chamber flattener, a positioner, and an image dissector. The field illuminator has an objective lens. The chamber flattener has a platen with a window and a cover plate. The chamber flattener is operable to cause the chamber to assume a substantially uniform Z-axis position for substantially all of the fields within the chamber. The positioner is adapted to position the objective lens and the chamber relative to one another. The image dissector is adapted to image the sample residing within the chamber. |
| US08842171B2 |
Stereoscopic image display device and driving method thereof
A stereoscopic image display device comprises: a display device that displays left-eye image data in a left-eye frame and right-eye image data in a right-eye frame; liquid crystal shutter glasses that alternately open and close a left-eye shutter and a right-eye shutter in synchronization with the display device; and a control circuit that controls the ON duty ratio of a backlight of the display device to a first set value if the luminance of each of the left-eye and right-eye frames is less than a predetermined reference value, and controls the ON duty ratio of the backlight of the display device to a second set value if the luminance of each of the left-eye and right-eye frames is greater than the reference value. |
| US08842162B2 |
Method and system for improving surveillance of PTZ cameras
The subject matter discloses a method, comprising obtaining a scene from a video camera and defining at least one point of the scene; creating a first scene terrain model of the scene, said first scene terrain model comprises a typical human object size in pixels in said at least one point of the scene; creating a second scene model of the scene, said second model defines a false positive determination that said at least one point comprises a human object; wherein said second scene model is created when the scene does not contain a human object; obtaining an image of the scene, said image is captured by a video camera; determining whether the human object is detected at the at least one point of said captured image by applying said first scene terrain model and said second scene model on the least one point. |
| US08842157B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for implementing videoconferencing application
The present invention provides a method, an apparatus, and a system for implementing a videoconferencing application and relates to the field of communications technologies. The videoconferencing system can provide an application related to the geographic location of each participant, including: obtaining an address of at least one conference site by performing resolving; acquiring information related to the address of the conference site according to the address of the conference site; and sending the related information to one or more of the conference sites, where the related information is used to provide a reference for a user to attend a conference. When a conference is held by using the videoconferencing system, the videoconferencing system can provide an application related to the geographic location of each participant, enriching service functions that the videoconferencing system can provide and improving the user satisfaction. |
| US08842156B1 |
Unified interactive video kiosk for information management and method for the same
More specifically, the invention describes a public standalone information access tool, such as bidirectional video terminal/kiosk for receiving a variety of services and for information exchange. The kiosk is connected to a plurality of remotely located representatives/operators specializing in different services. The customer receives help and share documents with at least one operator. The kiosk provides people from small remote villages an opportunity to receive all services available in a large city. |
| US08842154B2 |
Systems and methods for providing personal video services
Systems and methods for processing video are provided. Video compression schemes are provided to reduce the number of bits required to store and transmit digital media in video conferencing or videoblogging applications. A photorealistic avatar representation of a video conference participant is created. The avatar representation can be based on portions of a video stream that depict the conference participant. A face detector is used to identify, track and classify the face. Object models including density, structure, deformation, appearance and illumination models are created based on the detected face. An object based video compression algorithm, which uses machine learning face detection techniques, creates the photorealistic avatar representation from parameters derived from the density, structure, deformation, appearance and illumination models. |
| US08842150B2 |
Session initiation protocol (SIP)-H.323 video interwork
In one embodiment, a first message for a video call is received from a first end point. The first end point may be communicating using a first protocol, such as H.323. The first message is for a second end point that communicates using a second protocol, such as SIP. The first message may be an early offer in SIP to start a video call. The first message includes media information that is needed to initiate the video call. The media information is stored and may be later used to initiate the video call with the second end point. The stored media information is mapped to one or more messages that are sent to the second end point to initiate the video call using a slow start initiation procedure in H.323. |
| US08842142B2 |
Print station system
A print station system having a chassis for housing a modular print station; a power source in communication with the print station; a controller circuit card assembly in communication with the print station; a display panel in communication with the print station; a media rewind hub; a pair of adjustable media guides connected about a base of the print station; and at least one sensor affixed to the print station base and being operable for detecting the presence and position of media passing through a media feed path of the print station system. |
| US08842140B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having multi-speed drive modes and image interpolation
To provide a liquid crystal display device capable of reducing the occurrence of a multi-contour in the display of a moving image to the minimum, the cycle of execution of an intermittent lighting operation in backlight scanning and the cycle of a vertical synchronization signal are made equal when an interpolation image insertion mode in which an interpolation image signal generated on the basis of two or more continuous frame images is inserted between frames and written into a liquid crystal panel is executed, and the cycle of the execution of the intermittent lighting operation in the backlight scanning is made longer than the cycle of the vertical synchronization signal (or the backlight scanning is disabled) when an overlapped image output mode in which the same frame image is written into the liquid crystal panel continuously n times is executed. |
| US08842139B2 |
Driving method for driving electrophoretic display apparatus, control circuit, and electrophoretic display apparatus
A driving method for driving an electrophoretic display apparatus includes writing first image data into a display unit provided with a plurality of pixels; creating second image data including image data which corresponds to first contour pixels, and which is extracted from the first image data, each of the first contour pixels being a first pixel located adjacent to a second pixel having a gray-scale level different from a gray-scale level of the first pixel, the first pixel and the second pixel being included in the plurality of pixels; and writing the second image data into the display unit. |
| US08842128B2 |
Image processing method and an image processing device for changing a saturation of image data
A method of processing image data that includes identifying picture elements of a first image portion having a first hue and a first saturation assigned to the first hue, the first hue lying in a first critical hue interval, identifying picture elements a second image portion having a second hue and a second saturation assigned to the second hue, the second hue lying in a second critical hue interval, and changing the first saturation by an amount delta S, at least one of the first and the second hues not being changed, and the delta S varying for picture elements lying in the first image portion. |
| US08842125B2 |
Automatically testing compatibility between a graphics card and a graphics program
A network server includes a processor, a network, and a computer-readable medium that stores content data for use on a client device having a graphics card with a GPU and a general purpose processor. The content data includes a graphics program configured to execute on the graphics card of the client device to generate graphics content. A compatibility test program includes a test instruction executable on the graphics card to generate a compatibility indication that is indicative of whether the graphics card of the client device is capable of correctly executing the graphics program. A request processing routine includes instructions that, when executed on the processor of the network server, are configured to receive a request for the content data from the client device via the network interface and, in response to the received request, automatically provide the compatibility test program to the client device. |
| US08842121B2 |
Stream compaction for rasterization
A single instruction multiple data (SIMD) processor with a given width may operate on registers of the same width completely filled with fragments. A parallel set of registers are loaded and tested. The fragments that fail are eliminated and the register set is refilled from the parallel set. |
| US08842119B2 |
Displaying system performance information
Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to display system performance information are disclosed. An example method involves normalizing data representative of an operation performed by a system, a first performance metric of the system, and an event that occurred during the operation and during measurement of the first performance metric. A first object indicative of a duration of the operation is displayed. A second object is displayed with the first object. The second object is indicative of the first performance metric during the performance of the operation. An event marker is displayed with the first and second objects. The event marker is indicative of the event. The event is representative of an instance in which the first performance metric exceeded a first threshold or fell below a second threshold. The first and second objects and the event marker are aligned along a same timeline in a same graph. |
| US08842114B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for adjusting a depth of displayed objects within a region of a display
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for adjusting a depth of displayed objects within a region of a display. In use, a display that displays one or more objects three-dimensionally is identified. Additionally, a region within the display is determined. Further, a depth of objects displayed within the region is adjusted. |
| US08842111B2 |
Techniques for selectively changing display refresh rate
Techniques are described that can be used to adjust a refresh rate of a display device. For example, the refresh rate change can be triggered by a user application for a variety of circumstances such as a change in power source from AC to DC or display of 24 frames per second (fps) video. Contents of a primary buffer can be copied to a dummy buffer and a display engine can read video from the dummy buffer to provide video to a display. The clock rate of a clock used to read out pixels can be adjusted using software commands. Video is written to another buffer and during a vertical blanking interval, the display engine reads frames from the another buffer instead of the dummy buffer. |
| US08842109B2 |
Image display device and image display method
The occurrence of the halo phenomenon caused in a display panel unit is detected in a liquid crystal display device that displays an image in the display panel unit including color filters of a plurality of colors by respectively controlling emission ratios of a plurality of LEDs emitting lights of colors respectively corresponding to the plurality of color filters. Upon detection, a part of the display panel unit, for example, the channel number and the vicinity thereof are set as a non-detection area in which the detection of the halo phenomenon is restricted and the remaining area is set as a detection area. The chroma of light, which corresponds to mixed light from the plurality of LEDs, is reduced by controlling the emission ratios of the LEDs on the basis of the detection result in the detection area, so that the color of light is closer to white. |
| US08842108B2 |
Array substrate for in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device
An array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes: a substrate; a gate line and a data line on the substrate; a common line parallel to and spaced apart from the gate line; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; a plurality of pixel electrodes in the pixel region; a plurality of common electrodes alternating with the plurality of pixel electrodes; at least one outermost common electrode at an edge portion of the pixel region; a black matrix corresponding to the thin film transistor, the gate line and the data line, the black matrix including an inorganic material and having an open portion; and a color filter layer in the open portion. |
| US08842107B2 |
Display device and method for operating the display device
A display device includes a display panel configured to receive a first-frame image signal for displaying a first-frame image in a first frame. The display panel is further configured to receive a second-frame image signal for displaying a second-frame image in a second frame that immediately follows the first frame such that the display panel appears to display a transition region associated with a boudary between a portion of the first-frame image and a portion of the second-frame image and moving in a moving direction. The display device further includes an optical effect layer and electrode sets. The electrode sets respectively overlap different portions of the optical effect layer and are configured for sequentially starting affecting the different portions of the optical effect layer such that the optical effect layer appears to display a light-blocking section that moves in the moving direction and overlaps the transition region. |
| US08842103B2 |
Method of driving liquid crystal display panel and liquid crystal display apparatus performing the same
A method of driving liquid crystal display panel includes generating a plurality of eye data frames from a received frame of image data. A high data frame having a first liquid crystal rotating attribute and a low data frame having a lesser second liquid crystal rotating attribute are respectively generated from a respective two of the generated plurality of eye data frames. The high data frame and the low data frame are alternatingly used to drive the liquid crystal display panel according to a time division rate such that liquid crystal molecules are subjected to low and higher crystal rotating forces. In one embodiment, each pixel is space-divided into first and second sub areas having different distances between the first and second pixel electrodes, and the high data and the low data are time-divided and displayed on the pixel, enhancing visibility of the resulting image for different viewing angles. |
| US08842093B2 |
Touch sensor and fluorescent display having the same
An electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor is provided. The touch sensor includes a substrate and a grid pattern formed on a surface of the substrate by a plurality of first linear wires and a plurality of second linear wires, the first linear wires being arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined interval, and the second linear wires being arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined interval and intersecting with the first linear wires. A separation portion is provided to the first linear wires and the second linear wires to form a sensor portion and a dummy sensor portion which are located next to each other and electrically separated from each other. The shape of a gap between the sensor portion and the dummy sensor portion located next to each other is improved not being formed into a band-like shape surrounded by two parallel conductive linear wires, and a boundary between the sensor portion and the dummy sensor portion located next to each other can be less-visible thereby improving the appearance, and the capacitance between the sensor portion and the dummy sensor portion located next to each other is reduced, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting a touch by adjusting the sensitivity. |
| US08842084B2 |
Gesture-based object manipulation methods and devices
Gesture based control of objects displayed on touch screen displays is described. An object is displayed on a touch screen display, and a first touch operation is detected at a first position on the display. The first position is within an area that is associated with the displayed object. A second touch operation is detected within the area. After detecting the first and second touch operations another, a third touch operation is detected at a third position. A distance between the third position and the first position is calculated. When the distance is greater than a predetermined value, a copy of the object is displayed on the touch screen display. |
| US08842074B2 |
Portable electronic device performing similar operations for different gestures
A portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display is disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which the portable electronic device: displays an application on the touch-sensitive display; and when the application is in a predefined mode, performs a predefined operation in response to each gesture of a set of multiple distinct gestures on the touch-sensitive display. Another aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which the portable electronic device: displays a first application; when the first application is in a first mode, performs a first operation upon detecting a first gesture on the touch-sensitive display; and performs the first operation upon detecting a second gesture on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second gesture is different from the first gesture. |
| US08842073B2 |
Keyboard, method of driving and assembling the same, and electronic device
A keyboard, a driving method and an assembling method for the keyboard, and an electronic device are described. The keyboard includes a base plate, on which a first magnetic member and a second magnetic member are formed; a keycap, disposed above the base plate; and an X-shaped holder disposed between the base plate and the keycap for supporting the keycap, and a third permanent magnet is provided on the sliding end, wherein the keycap is movable between a first position and a second position lower than the first position along a direction substantially perpendicular to the base plate, and wherein the third permanent magnet is in a position substantially opposite to the second magnetic member when the keycap is in the first position, and the third permanent magnet slides to a position substantially opposite to the first magnetic member when the keycap is in the second position. |
| US08842070B2 |
Integrated tracking for on screen navigation with small hand held devices
A method for navigating information displayed on a display of a computer system includes determining movement of the computer system. The movement of the computer system is sensed by a movement sensor. |
| US08842069B2 |
Input apparatus for multi-layer on screen display and method of generating input signal for the same
An input apparatus for a multi-layer on-screen display and a method of generating an input signal for a multi-layer on-screen display. The input apparatus includes: an acceleration sensing unit for sensing an acceleration of a motion of the input apparatus; a processing unit for obtaining information including a motion depth and a motion pattern of the input apparatus using the sensed acceleration and determining a layer to be activated from the information; and a transmitter for generating a signal including the determined layer and outputting the signal to the multi-layer OSD. |
| US08842064B2 |
Intra-pixel illumination system
Methods and systems are disclosed to provide intra-pixel illumination to a modulating display panel, where regions of a pixel are provided incident light with controlled intensity and color at different periods of the panel's addressing cycle. This can lead to increased resolution beyond that intrinsic to the panel's physical make up, providing an enhanced resolution 2D panel, as well as a high resolution panel suitable for autostereoscopic purposes when used with a further lens array. For example, when the left hand side of all pixels are illuminated in one frame creating an image, and the right hand side of the pixels are illuminated within a second frame creating a further image, then the combined image, assuming temporal averaging, is twice the native resolution. Despite the temporal trade off, the eye's tolerance to local variation of color and intensity makes this feasible with realistic addressing periods. |
| US08842062B2 |
Pixel driving circuit, driving method thereof, and pixel matrix
A pixel driving circuit is electrically coupled between a first data line and a second data line and between a first scan line and a second scan line, and includes a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a fourth switch, a liquid crystal capacitor electrically connected between the first switch and the second switch, a first capacitor electrically connected to the first switch, a second capacitor electrically connected to the second switch, a first storage capacitor, a second storage capacitor and at least one switching unit. The first storage capacitor is electrically connected to the third switch and supplied by a reference voltage. The second storage capacitor is electrically connected to the fourth switch and supplied by the reference voltage. The at least one switching unit is used for redistributing charges in the pixel driving circuit. |
| US08842055B2 |
High impedance surface
An apparatus for emitting radiation is provided. The apparatus comprises an antenna formed on a substrate, and a high impedance surface (HIS). The HIS has a plurality of cells formed on the substrate that are arranged to form an array that substantially surrounds at least a portion of the antenna. Each cell generally includes a ground plane, first plate, second plate, and an interconnect. The ground plane is formed on the substrate, while the first plate (which is substantially rectangular) is formed over and coupled to the ground plane. The first plate for each cell is also arranged so as to form a first checkered pattern for the array. The second plate (which is substantially rectangular) is formed over and is substantially parallel to the first plate. The first and second plates are also substantially aligned with a central axis that extends generally perpendicular to the first and second plates hand have a interconnect formed therebetween. The second plate for each cell is also arranged so as to form a second checkered pattern for the array. |
| US08842050B2 |
Methods and apparatus for beam steering using steerable beam antennas with switched parasitic elements
An antenna is described. The antenna includes a planar circular structure. The antenna also includes a radiating element located at the center of the planar circular structure. The antenna further includes one or more parasitic elements located on a contour around the radiating element. The parasitic elements are aligned in parallel direction with the radiating element. The parasitic elements protrude from the planar circular structure. The antenna includes switches separating each of the one or more parasitic elements from ground. A switch in a first position creates a short between a parasitic element and ground. A switch in a second position creates an open circuit between the parasitic element and ground. |
| US08842035B2 |
Sensor head
An apparatus includes an extendable wand, and a sensor head coupled to the wand. The sensor head includes a continuous wave metal detector (CWMD) and a radar. When the wand is collapsed, the wand and the sensor head collapse to fill a volume that is smaller than a volume filled by the sensor head and the wand when the wand is extended. Frequency-domain data from a sensor configured to sense a region is accessed, the frequency-domain data is transformed to generate a time-domain representation of the region, a first model is determined based on the accessed frequency-domain data, a second model is determined based on the generated time-domain representation, the second model being associated with a particular region within the sensed region, and a background model that represents a background of the region is determined based on the first model and the second model. |
| US08842033B1 |
Dynamic linearity corrector for digital-to-analog converters
A predistortion generator includes a sample input, a summing circuit to output predistorted samples to a DAC, and distortion term processors, each including a product generator and a FIR filter in tandem. The distortion term processors include a second-order and/or a third-order distortion term processor. In the second-order distortion term processor, the product generator generates a product of only two samples corresponding to a current sample as a respective second-order distortion term that is filtered by the FIR filter thereof using a respective FIR filter characteristic. In the third-order distortion term processor, the product generator generates a product of only three samples corresponding to the current sample as a respective third-order distortion term that is filtered by the FIR filter thereof using a respective FIR filter characteristic. The FIR filter characteristics of FIR filters are configured to reduce distortion in a designated Nyquist zone. |
| US08842032B2 |
Enhanced second order noise shaped segmentation and dynamic element matching technique
A method and circuit to perform noise shaped splitting of a digital input signal may include using multiple layers to process the input signal. In the first layer, the most significant bits of the input signal may be distributed to a plurality of branches. Dynamic element matching may be performed using the least significant bits of the input signal. Based on the results of the dynamic element matching, values may be added to the plurality of branches. If there is insufficient data activity, dynamics enhancement may be performed to increase the data activity. The output signals of each of the plurality of branches in the first layer may be provided to a second layer, in which these steps can be repeated on each of the output signals. The outputs of the second layer may be provided to a plurality of three level unit elements. |
| US08842031B1 |
Delta-sigma modulator with limiter
The stability of a delta-sigma modulator may be improved by limiting a value within the delta-sigma modulator. For example, the value provided to a quantizer may be limited, by a limiter circuit in the delta-sigma modulator, to a value within a single step range of the quantizer. The limiter circuit may be placed in an inner loop of the delta-sigma modulator to decouple the stability of the inner loop from an outer loop. For example, a delta-sigma modulator may be constructed with an inner loop having a sixth order and an outer loop having a second order, in which the stability of the delta-sigma modulator is proportional to that of a second order. |
| US08842027B2 |
Analog to digital converter and method for evaluating capacitor weighting of digital-to-analog converter thereof
A method for evaluating capacitor weighting of an analog-to-digital (ADC) is provided. An equivalent weighting value of each composed capacitor in each sub-capacitor-array may be obtained by adding the switch device to the ADC which enables each sub-capacitor-array in a digital-to-analog (DAC) to be measured by each other. The ADC can calculate and then obtain a correct digital output by using the calibrated equivalent weighting and successive approximation result of each input signal. |
| US08842025B2 |
Method of setting specific scan codes for manual input device
A method of setting specific scan codes for a manual input device includes the steps of establishing a transmission channel between the manual input device and a scan code register of a computing device, receiving at least one scan code, which corresponds to at least one input key of the manual input device and is for setting a customized specific code for enabling the computing device to perform a specific function, from the manual input device, saving the customized specific code to the scan code register of the computing device, and closing the transmission channel. |
| US08842012B2 |
Combination non-programmable and programmable key for security device
A combination non-programmable and programmable key for a security device of the type used to display items of merchandise includes a non-programmable portion for cooperating with a mechanical lock of the security device and a programmable portion for cooperating with a sensor of the security device that is operatively coupled to an alarm for indicating a security threat to the security device or to an item of merchandise displayed on the security device. The non-programmable portion includes a side assembly having a magnet that cooperates with a magnetically attractable locking pin to unlock the mechanical lock of the security device. The programmable portion emits an energy signal that cooperates with the sensor of the security device to disarm the alarm and thereby permit the security device to be removed or an item of merchandise to be removed without the alarm indicating a security threat. |
| US08842011B2 |
Timed locking anti-sweep method for a display device for merchandise
An anti-sweep device having a mechanism that allows a customer to take a pre-determined number of items from a peg or display hook, after which the hook is locked for a pre-determined period of time before allowing another predetermined number of items to be taken. |
| US08842006B2 |
Security system and method using mobile-telephone technology
Disclosed is a security and alarm system. When sensors detect something of note, they alert a master unit which in turn captures pertinent information (e.g., an image or sound) and places a mobile-telephone call to deliver the alert and the captured information. The recipient of the call (for example, an owner of the system or a security service) evaluates the information and takes appropriate action such as alerting a local police department. Some embodiments offer two-way service: In addition to delivering alerts, the system responds to calls from an authorized user requesting current information. Two-way communications allow some embodiments to deliver “Breach of Peace” alerts to users. In one scenario, a public security service sends out a warning within a geographical area that the peace has been breached. The system receives the warning and alerts its user to the situation. The user then takes appropriate action. |
| US08842003B2 |
GPS-based location and messaging system and method
A system and method for viewing a target in a background from a user's perspective. In one form, the views are selectable by the user on, for example, a GPS equipped cell phone, to include a view from the participant's position, zoom, pan, and tilt views, or views from another geographic location, giving increased situational awareness and identification of the target. Other information can be conveyed, such as messages or advertisements, on a billboard, which may be a geo-referenced area on or near the target. Preferably, an orientation mechanism shows when the device is correctly pointed to a target. |
| US08841999B2 |
Deceleration rate indicator apparatus
An apparatus for providing deceleration rate information of a user operating a vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes a unit including an accelerometer, a processor, and a lighting mechanism. The processor receives from the accelerometer deceleration info of the vehicle and variably adjusts at least one aspect of the lighting mechanism, thereby quantitatively signaling the deceleration rate to a driver of a following vehicle. The unit may be mounted on an article of clothing, a bag, or the vehicle itself. |
| US08841991B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method
Contact detection units are attached to an information transfer device in a predetermined arrangement pattern to detect contact with a human body. Presentation units are attached to the information transfer device in a predetermined arrangement pattern to present a tactile stimulus. A contact detection unit that has detected contact is specified. Based on the arrangement distribution of the specified contact detection unit and a type of information to be presented via a tactile stimulus, a presentation unit to be driven is specified. The specified presentation unit is driven and controlled. |
| US08841988B2 |
System having key fob operable to remotely control a garage door via remote keyless entry receiver and garage door opener transmitter interconnected by vehicle bus
A garage door opener (GDO) system and method include a remote keyless entry (RKE) receiver and a GDO system interconnected by a vehicle bus. Upon receiving a RKE GDO request signal from a key fob, the RKE receiver forwards a command signal over the vehicle bus to the GDO transmitter. Upon receiving the command signal from the RKE receiver, the GDO transmitter transmits a garage door signal to a GDO receiver of a garage to control a garage door. |
| US08841980B2 |
Coil with superconductive windings cooled without cryogenic fluids
A coil comprises a set of windings with a generally annular shape and formed by a plurality of series-connected partial windings made of a superconductor with a high critical temperature, in which these partial windings are arranged next to each other in stratified form, and at least one cooling sheet which is made of thermally conductive material and arranged in contact with this set of windings and which is designed to be connected in a thermally conductive manner to a cryogenic cooling system. |
| US08841978B2 |
Electronic component
An electronic component includes a capacitor having a desired capacitance value and a laminate including a plurality of laminated insulating material layers. Land electrodes are provided on a bottom surface of the laminate. Internal conductors face the land electrodes, respectively, across the insulating material layer within the laminate, have areas larger than those of the land electrodes, respectively, and contain the land electrodes, respectively, when seen in a planar view from a z-axis direction. A capacitor conductor is provided on the positive direction side of the capacitor conductors in the z-axis direction and faces the capacitor conductors. |
| US08841973B2 |
Circuit arrangement for generation of radio frequency output signals which form a broadband frequency ramp
A circuit arrangement for generation of radio frequency output signals which form a broadband frequency ramp, with a reference oscillator, a phase detector, a loop filter, a VC oscillator for generating the output signals, a frequency divider, a step-down mixer and a local oscillator for generating a local oscillator signal. The reference oscillator, the phase detector, the loop filter, the VC oscillator, the frequency divider and the step-down mixer belong to a phase-locking loop. The frequency divider and the step-down mixer are in the feedback path of the phase-locking loop. The step-down mixer mixes the output signals and the local oscillator signal. The frequency of the output signal is adjustable by varying the division ratio of the frequency divider. Characteristics of the output signal are improved using the adjustable frequency of the local oscillator signal. |
| US08841967B2 |
Noise optimized envelope tracking system for power amplifiers
A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier system that comprises a power amplifier configured to amplify an RF input signal to generate an RF output signal. The power amplifier has a gain that is controlled by a supply voltage to the power amplifier. An amplitude detector is configured to generate an amplitude signal indicative of an amplitude of the RF input signal. A power supply generates the supply voltage to the power amplifier based on the amplitude signal indicative of the amplitude of the RF input signal. The gain of the power amplifier is allowed to have variations over the amplitude range of the RF input signal in favor of having a supply voltage that is monotonic relative to the amplitude of the RF input signal across an amplitude range of the RF input signal. |
| US08841958B1 |
High-voltage charge pump
A charge pump circuit is disclosed. The charge pump circuit comprises a transfer capacitor receiving a first clock phase and a driving capacitor receiving a second clock phase, the second clock phase opposite to the first clock phase. The circuit includes a first switch coupling an input node to the transfer capacitor. The first switch being controlled by the driving capacitor. The circuit further includes a second switch coupling the input node to the driving capacitor. The second switch being controlled by the transfer capacitor. The circuit also includes a third switch coupling the transfer capacitor to an output node. The third switch being controlled by the driving capacitor. The third switch operating in phase opposition to the first switch. The circuit finally includes a charge storage capacitor coupled to the output node. |
| US08841955B1 |
Voltage level shifter
The voltage level shifter includes a first voltage shift circuit, a second voltage shift circuit, a first switch circuit, a second switch circuit, a third switch circuit and a fourth switch circuit. The first voltage shift circuit receives a first input voltage, and the second voltage shift circuit receives a second voltage shift circuit. When the first voltage is high level voltage, a second output voltage and a first voltage are transformed to a ground voltage so as to open the second switch circuit and the fourth switch circuit, and then the first output voltage is transited to a system voltage. When the second voltage is high level voltage, a first output voltage and a second voltage are transited to a ground voltage so as to open the first switch circuit and the third switch circuit, and then the second output voltage is transited to the system voltage. |
| US08841950B2 |
Pulse width modulation for switching amplifier
A device and a method for implementing pulse width modulation for switching amplifiers (120) is described herein. In one embodiment, the device includes a sampling signal generator (202) to generate a sampling signal (208) and a modulation unit (102) operatively coupled to the sampling signal generator (202). The modulation unit (102) generates differential pulse width modulated waveforms based on the sampling signal (208) and differential input signals (220-1 and 220-2) such that at least one differential pulse width modulated waveform has a duty cycle equivalent to a pre-determined non-zero minimum pulse width at all values of the differential input signals (220-1 and 220-2). |
| US08841943B2 |
Current driver damping circuit
Various apparatuses, methods and systems for damping a current driver are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments provide an apparatus for supplying current, including an output transistor connected between a voltage supply and a current output, and an active clamp connected between the current output and a current sink. The active clamp is adapted to connect the current output to the current sink when a voltage at the current output reaches a predetermined state relative to a voltage at a control input of the output transistor. |
| US08841942B2 |
Voltage switch circuit
A voltage switch circuit uses PMOS transistors to withstand high voltage stress. Consequently, the NMOS transistors are not subject to high voltage stress. The lightly-doped PMOS transistors are compatible with a logic circuit manufacturing process. Consequently, the voltage switch circuit may be produced by a logic circuit manufacturing process. |
| US08841924B2 |
Fingered electrodes for microfluidic single particle analysis
The electrical properties of particle solutions can be investigated on a single particle basis by using micro fluidic channels. The impedance can be measured across the channel using at least one pair of conductive electrodes, at least one electrode of a pair being a fingered electrode having a plurality of fingers. The pattern of fingered electrodes creates a longer and more complicated measurement signal shape which leads to a significant improvement of measurement sensitivity. An application for the proposed technology is to significantly improve the measurement sensitivity of impedance measurements on blood cells, leading to a better differentiation between different types of white blood cells. Better measurement sensitivity also enables the measurement of smaller particles and higher throughput. |
| US08841921B1 |
Adjustable signal sampling sensor and method
Wideband low loss signal couplers use an electric field antenna for voltage detection and a magnetic loop for current detection both placed inside and coupled to the center conductor of a coaxial or parallel plate airline. The signal coupling factor increases with frequency thus favoring detection of harmonic components generated by the nonlinearly operated RF transistors. In order to adapt also to various power levels and associated harmonic receiver sensitivity the detectors can be adjusted such as to vary the basic level of coupling. A calibration method allows considering non-infinite directivity of the signal couplers to be accurately considered even when they are terminated with very high VSWR, generated by impedance tuners connected to the signal couplers. |
| US08841920B2 |
Capacitive sensing system
The invention relates to a lithography system. The lithography system has a projection lens system and a capacitive sensing system. The projection lens system is provided with a final projection lens. The capacitive sensing system is arranged for making a measurement related to a distance between the final projection lens and a target. The capacitive sensing system includes at least one capacitive sensor. Additional, the capacitive sensing system is provided with a flexible printed circuit structure and at least one integrated flex print connector. The at least one sensor is located in the flexible printed circuit structure. The flexible printed circuit structure has a flexible base provided with conductive electrodes for the at least one sensor and conductive tracks. The conductive tracks extend from the electrodes along the at least one integrated flex print connector. |
| US08841917B2 |
Ground scheme identification method
The present techniques include methods and systems for detecting the grounding condition of an electrical system to automatically determine a suitable electrical drive configuration. The drive includes a test resistor which may be connected or disconnected from the drive to measure different drive voltages. The measured drive voltages are analyzed to determine a type of grounding configuration of the electrical system in which the drive is to be installed. Embodiments also include determining ground resistance condition such as a high resistance ground (HRG) fault or a ground resistance fault when the drive is in operation. |
| US08841916B2 |
System and method for flash bypass
A solar photovoltaic panel is disclosed that includes a photovoltaic cell, a local management unit connected between the cell and a string bus, and a bypass device connected to the cell that is operable to bypass the local management unit when conducting a flash test. The panel preferably further includes a transient detector connected to the cell that is operable to sense an output from the cell having a predetermined transient rise time. The transient detector and the bypass device may be contained within a junction box integrated into the panel and may include the local management unit within the junction box. The transient detector may include a switch connected to a circuit that electrically bypasses the local management unit when the switch is turned on as a result of an output transient rise time less than the predetermined time, thus facilitating a flash test of the photovoltaic panel. |
| US08841911B2 |
RF coil assembly for MRI using differently shaped and/or sized coils
A radio frequency coil assembly is provided that includes a first radio frequency coil for receiving a magnetic resonance signal from a tested body; a second radio frequency coil for receiving a magnetic resonance signal from the tested body; and a third radio frequency coil for receiving a magnetic resonance signal from the tested body and having a shape that is different from that of at least one of the first and second radio frequency coils so as to increase local sensitivity in an image-picked-up region. |
| US08841909B2 |
Balanced-to-unbalanced transformer for converting a symmetrical high-frequency signal into an asymmetrical high-frequency signal
The present embodiments relate to a balanced-to-unbalanced transformer for converting a symmetrical high-frequency signal into an asymmetrical high-frequency signal. The balanced-to-unbalanced transformer includes two coil windings made of wire. The two coil windings are electrically insulated from each other and are wound on a winding form. Each of the two coil windings has an input at one end of the winding form for the symmetrical high-frequency signal and an output at another end of the winding form for the asymmetrical high-frequency signal. The two coil windings lie on top of one another in a radial direction of the winding form. |
| US08841903B2 |
Metal detection apparatus
A metal detection apparatus that uses one or more operating frequencies. The metal detection apparatus comprises, among other things, a transmitter unit that provides transmitter signals to a transmitter coil that is coupled to a receiver coil, which is connected to the input of a receiver unit. The transmitter unit comprises a frequency generator that provides an operating frequency to the input of an amplifier stage, whose output is connected via a transformer to the transmitter coil. The amplifier stage is connected to a first tap and the transmitter coil is connected to a second tap of the same transformer winding of the transformer. A resonant circuit is formed that is tuned to the operating frequency, and can be tuned optimally and independently of other parts of the transmitter unit. |
| US08841902B2 |
Testing device and testing method for non destructive detection of a defect in a test piece by means of an eddy current
A test set-up (10) for non-destructive detection of a flaw in a device being tested by means of an eddy current has an excitation coil (14), to which an excitation signal (SE) can be sent to act on the device being tested (16) with an electromagnetic alternating field, a receiving coil (17) to generate a coil signal (SP), which is a function of the flaw in the device being tested (16), an analog-digital converter (21), which is coupled to the receiving coil (17) on the input side, a filter arrangement (22), which is coupled to the analog-digital converter (21) on the input side and is designed for band-pass filtering and scan rate reduction, and a demodulator (27), which is coupled to an output of the filter arrangement (22) on the input side. |
| US08841901B2 |
System and method for inspecting a subsea pipeline
The present invention is directed to a system and a method for inspecting a subsea pipeline. The method comprises the steps: detecting a defect along the subsea pipeline using a subsea magnetometric tomography method (MTM) module adjacent the subsea pipeline; and determining a position of the subsea MTM module, thereby determining the position of the defect. The method further comprises determining the position of the subsea MTM module relative to a surface vessel; and determining an absolute position of the surface vessel. |
| US08841884B2 |
Battery charging method and system with three-stage temperature-compensated charge profile
A battery charging method and system with a temperature-compensated charge profile requires that, during a ‘bulk stage’, a regulated constant charge current is provided to the battery until the voltage across it increases to a predetermined ‘absorption stage voltage limit’, at which time charging transitions to an ‘absorption stage’. During the absorption stage, a charge current is provided which maintains the voltage across the battery at the absorption stage voltage limit, until: 1) the charge current falls to a predetermined current threshold, 2) the charge delivered to the battery during the absorption stage reaches a predetermined charge threshold, or 3) the difference in charge between two successive intervals of equal duration becomes zero, at which time charging transitions to a ‘float stage’. During the ‘float stage’, a regulated constant charge current is provided, such that the voltage across the battery varies with the temperature of the battery. |
| US08841881B2 |
Energy transfer with vehicles
A method, computer-readable medium, system, and apparatus for improving energy transfer with a vehicle are disclosed. |
| US08841872B2 |
Method and arrangement in connection with electric device system
A method and arrangement in connection with an electric drive system are provided. The electric drive system includes an intermediate circuit with two or more supply units and two or more inverter units connected thereto, and an electric machine having two or more three-phase windings galvanically separated from each other. Two or more inverter units are connected to the three-phase windings. The arrangement also includes first main circuit switches to galvanically separate each supply unit from a supply, second main circuit switches to galvanically separate each supply unit from the intermediate circuit, first intermediate circuit switches to galvanically separate each inverter unit from the intermediate circuit, and second intermediate circuit switches to galvanically separate each inverter unit from the electric machine. |
| US08841868B2 |
Spherical ultrasound motor and control method for a spherical ultrasound motor
A substantially spherical rotor can be controlled with accuracy even in a relatively low speed rotation. In controlling rotational motions of a rotor 3 of a spherical ultrasonic motor 1, phases of voltages to be applied to three stators 9a, 9b, 9c are determined to set the direction of a rotation axis of the rotor 3. Frequencies of voltages to be applied to the three stators 9a, 9b, 9c are adjusted to control the rotation speed of the rotor 3. Thereby, control with high accuracy is enabled in a relatively low speed rotation. |
| US08841867B2 |
Crossed field device
A crossed field device, such as a magnetron or crossed field amplifier, that includes a cathode, an anode, one or more magnetic elements, and one or more extraction elements. In one embodiment, the crossed field device includes an annular cathode and anode that are axially spaced from one another such that the device produces an axial electric (E) field and a radial magnetic (B) field. In another embodiment, the crossed field device includes an oval-shaped cathode and anode that are radially spaced from one another such that the device produces a radial electric (E) field and an axial magnetic (B) field. The crossed field device may produce electromagnetic (EM) emissions having a frequency ranging from megahertz (MHz) to terahertz (THz), and may be used in one of a number of different applications. |
| US08841865B2 |
Lighting system and method for controlling the same
A lighting control system as disclosed herein may include a plurality of lighting apparatuses provided in a building, a display for displaying an image representing the plurality of lighting apparatuses, an input interface for selecting at least one region on the image that corresponds to one or more of the plurality of lighting apparatuses, a memory for storing the defined region of the image, and a controller configured to control the lighting apparatuses. One or more control groups may be configured based on the selected region and the image may be updated to display the control groups. |
| US08841859B2 |
LED lighting methods, apparatus, and systems including rules-based sensor data logging
In embodiments of the present invention, a method and system is provided for designing improved intelligent, LED-based lighting systems. The LED based lighting systems may include fixtures with one or more of rotatable LED light bars, integrated sensors, onboard intelligence to receive signals from the LED light bars and control the LED light bars, and a mesh network connectivity to other fixtures. |
| US08841848B2 |
Method of controlling illumination apparatus
A method of controlling an illumination apparatus includes a malfunction detecting step for detecting a malfunction of an organic electroluminescence element based on its electrical characteristic, a short-circuit malfunction restoration step for applying a short-circuit malfunction restoration pulse to an element that is determined to be a short-circuit malfunction, a short-circuit malfunction restoration determination step for determining whether the element that is determined to be the short-circuit malfunction is restored, a malfunctioning element determination step for storing into a storage, when an element that is determined to be the short-circuit malfunction is not restored, individual information including identification information on the element as a malfunctioning element, and a turn-on control step for controlling the turn-on state of a light-emitting surface based on a state of distribution of the malfunctioning organic electroluminescence elements. |
| US08841843B2 |
Short arc type mercury lamp
A short arc type mercury lamp structure has Hg and a rare gas which are enclosed inside a light-emitting tube. Kr is enclosed as the rare gas. It is possible to realize the initial intensity of radiation at the same level as in the case in which Ar is enclosed and prevent a sudden decrease in the intensity of radiation when the lamp is lighted for a long time. The longevity of the lamp is greatly increased than that of a lamp in which Ar is enclosed. The anode satisfies the formula: 1−r/(d0×tan θ)≧0.66, where r (mm) is the radius of the leading end surface of the anode, θ(°) is the angle between the electrode axis and the taper surface in the axial cross-section of the anode, and d0 (mm) is the inter-electrode distance. |
| US08841833B2 |
Organic el display and method of manufacturing the same
An organic EL display includes: lower electrodes arranged on a substrate so as to correspond to red, green and blue organic EL elements, respectively; hole injection/transport layers arranged on the lower electrodes so as to correspond to the red, green and blue organic EL elements, respectively, the hole injection/transport layers having one or both of hole injection and hole transport properties; red and green organic light-emitting layers arranged on the hole injection/transport layers for the red and green organic EL elements, respectively, and including a low-molecular material; a blue organic light-emitting layer arranged on whole surfaces of the red and green organic light-emitting layers and the hole injection/transport layer for the blue organic EL element; and an electron injection/transport layer and an upper electrode arranged on a whole surface of the blue light-emitting layer, the electron injection/transport layer having one or both of electron injection properties and electron transport properties. |
| US08841831B2 |
Light emitting device, and illumination apparatus and luminaire using same
A light emitting device includes a first luminous body having a first light source and a long wavelength cut-off filter; and a second luminous body generating light of different color from that of the first luminous body, and having a second light source and a short wavelength cut-off filter. The first and the second light source emit light in a first wavelength range and a second wavelength range extending to a longer wavelength side than the first wavelength range while overlapping with the first wavelength range, respectively. The long and the short wavelength cut-off filter cut off light having a wavelength longer than a first set wavelength and shorter longer than a second set wavelength, respectively. Thus, light emitted from the first luminous body and light emitted from the second luminous body are mixed together, such that light in between the first set wavelength and the second set wavelength is reduced. |
| US08841830B2 |
Field emission cathode device
A field emission cathode device includes a substrate and a carbon nanotube structure. The substrate includes a first surface. The carbon nanotube structure defines a contact body and an emission body. The contact body is contacted to the first surface of substrate. The emission body is curved away from the first surface. The carbon nanotube structure includes a number of carbon nanotubes joined end to end from the contact body to the emission body to form a continuous structure. |
| US08841825B2 |
Spark plug designed to increase service life thereof
A spark plug for an internal combustion engine is provided which is equipped with an inward top end protrusion. The inward top end protrusion extends inwardly from a top end of a cylindrical housing within which a porcelain insulator is disposed. The porcelain insulator has a center electrode disposed therein. The inward top end protrusion is at least partially located to be closer to the top of the spark plug than a top end of the porcelain insulator is in an axial direction of the spark plug. This enhances the strength of an electric field surrounding the center electrode, which facilitates the ease with which an electron is emitted by the center electrode and thus permits an initial required voltage at the spark plug to be decreased, thereby resulting in an increase in service life of the spark plug. |
| US08841823B2 |
Ultrasonic transducer wear cap
A wear cap including a flexible barrel and a rigid disc enables a high-frequency ultrasonic transducer to properly align to the surface of a material to be tested. The wear cap may be employed for any type of contact sensor that requires a protective wear cap and that needs to align to the surface of a material to be tested. An ultrasonic transducer assembly includes a wear cap and an ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic transducer is mounted in the wear cap and includes a transducer body with a cylindrical shape. A method of producing a wear cap for an ultrasonic transducer includes selecting a flexible material, forming a flexible barrel from the flexible material, selecting a rigid material, forming a rigid disc from the rigid material, and affixing the rigid disc to an end of the flexible barrel. |
| US08841822B2 |
Power generator employing piezoelectric elements
An efficient electrical power generator employs a plurality of piezoelectric devices in a rigid container. The top cover of the rigid container is capable of moving and in direct contact with a large hydraulic cylinder. A small cylinder, hydraulically coupled with the large one, through tubing is capable to displace a liquid contained in the tubing. An input force applied on the small cylinder, is multiplied by the large cylinder, which compresses the piezoelectric devices causing them to produce an electrical output. |
| US08841819B2 |
Acoustic wave device
An acoustic wave device includes: a first piezoelectric thin film resonator including a first lower electrode, a first upper electrode and a first piezoelectric film sandwiched between the first lower and upper electrodes; a decoupler film provided on the first upper electrode; and a second piezoelectric thin film resonator provided on the decoupler film and including a second lower electrode, a second upper electrode and a second piezoelectric film sandwiched between the second lower and upper electrodes, wherein the first piezoelectric film and the second piezoelectric film comprise aluminum nitride and include an element increasing a piezoelectric constant of the aluminum nitride. |
| US08841816B2 |
Energy conversion device of electrostatic induction type
On an upper surface of a fixed substrate, a plurality of strap-shaped base electrodes are arranged in parallel to each other. On each of the base electrodes, an electret is formed. The electret has a width wider than the width of each base electrode, and the electret covers an exposed surface of the base electrode. A movable substrate is disposed in parallel to and facing the surface of the fixed substrate where the electrets and others are formed. The movable substrate is movable relatively to the fixed substrate. On a facing surface of the movable substrate, strip-shaped counter electrodes are each formed so as to face each base electrode. |
| US08841814B2 |
Electric motor having sleeve mounted to rotary shaft with high precision
In an electric motor 11, a rotary shaft 12 has an outer circumferential surface 21 with a diameter that decreases from a larger diameter section 17 having a first diameter toward a smaller diameter section 18 having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. A sleeve 13 is mounted by interference fit with an inner circumferential surface 22 with a diameter that decrease from a front end adjoining the larger diameter section 17 toward a rear end adjoining the smaller diameter section 18, to the outer circumferential surface 21 of the rotary shaft 12. With such a construction, the sleeve 13 is fitted with the substantially entire surface of the inner circumferential surface 22 to the outer circumferential surface 21 of the rotary shaft 12. |
| US08841805B2 |
Motor and motor for electric power steering
A motor has a motor body and a control unit, which is joined to the motor body. A resolver is connected to the control unit through a flat cable. The flat cable is arranged such that the width direction of the flat cable corresponds with a circumferential direction of the motor body. The flat cable extends outwardly in a radial direction of the motor case. |
| US08841804B2 |
Electric motor with oil temperature sensor and coil temperature sensor, and vehicle drive device using such electric motor
An electric motor and a vehicle drive device having the same are provided. The electric motor includes a core unit having plural core assemblies, each being wound with a coil; an bus ring; plural supporting members having terminal accommodating portions; and an attachment member which includes at least one of a first holding portion for holding a first sensor for measuring a temperature of an oil stored in the case and a second holding portion for holding a second sensor for measuring a temperature of the coils at a predetermined second position. The attachment member is fixed to one of the supporting members such that the first or the second sensor is positioned at a corresponding one of the first position and the second position between adjacent terminal accommodating portions. |
| US08841798B2 |
Method, apparatus for emergency power supply and device associated thereto
An apparatus comprises a transformer coupled to a mains power, a backup power source comprising a first battery, a first power supply line switch configured to switch the power source between the backup power source and the mains power, a connecting interface coupling the power source to an external electronic device comprising a second battery which is rechargeable and a second power supply line switch which is configured such that the external electronic device is able to be powered by either the power source or a second battery, and a charging detector configured to detect the availability of the mains power, wherein the first power supply line switch is further configured to couple the backup power source to the external electronic device via the connecting interface when the mains power is not available such that the first battery is able to deliver power to the external electronic device. |
| US08841797B2 |
Wireless annunciator for an electrical generator
A wireless annunciator for an electrical generator displays data regarding operation of the electrical generator to provide feedback to a remote observer regarding performance of the electrical generator in meeting the demands placed thereon. The wireless annunciator wirelessly receives transmissions from one or more wireless modules and displays information based on the data contained in the transmissions. The wireless modules may be associated with sensors, for example, that measure various performance parameters of the electrical generator, such as current draw, fuel level, fuel pressure, and the like. A load management controller can communicate with one or more load-side modules, either wirelessly or across wired links, to control operation of one or more loads to avoid overloading of the electrical generator. |
| US08841796B2 |
Turbine farm having an auxiliary power supply
A turbine farm comprises a plurality of individual turbines each having an auxiliary component circuit. The farm further comprises; a master transformer arranged to be coupled between each of the plurality of individual turbines and an electrical grid and an auxiliary transformer coupled between the sub-station transformer and the auxiliary component circuit in each of the individual turbines. When in use power is transmitted from the sub-station transformer back to each auxiliary component circuit. |
| US08841788B2 |
Wave energy converter
A Wave Energy Converter (WEC) (70) to be applied in water vehicles (100, 200) and floating bodies (300) is described. The WEC (70) involves a mass-spring-damper system comprising at least one oscillating mass (12), springs (14) at the rate of at least two springs (14) for each oscillating mass (12), said springs (14) being arranged radially to said oscillating mass (12), and at least two power take-off (PTO) devices (13) having different degrees of freedom (DOF). WEC (70) is applied in the motoring and concomitant or alternative energy generation in water vehicles (100, 200) and floating bodies (300). Energy generation is consequent to external disturbances including waves, currents and conventional motoring which results in oscillations in the system containing said WEC (70). |
| US08841782B2 |
Integrated circuit package system with mold gate
An integrated circuit package system includes: providing a substrate; forming a conductive layer over the substrate; forming a mold gate layer having an organic material without polymerization over the conductive layer; and attaching an integrated circuit over the substrate adjacent the mold gate layer. |
| US08841781B2 |
Chip having a driving integrated circuit
A chip having a bump layout suitable for the chip on glass technology and a driving IC includes a plurality of first bumps and a plurality of second bumps for electrically connecting to a glass substrate of a displayer. The first and second bumps are disposed on a surface of the chip and near two opposite long sides of the chip respectively. The ratio of the total contacting area of the first bumps to that of the second bumps is between 0.8 and 1.2. Thus, a pressure applied on the chip and the glass substrate of the displayer for connection can be uniformly exerted all over the chip, and the stability of the connection is therefore improved. |
| US08841778B2 |
Three dimensional memory structure
A Three-Dimensional Structure (3DS) Memory allows for physical separation of the memory circuits and the control logic circuit onto different layers such that each layer may be separately optimized. One control logic circuit suffices for several memory circuits, reducing cost. Fabrication of 3DS memory involves thinning of the memory circuit to less than 50 microns in thickness and bonding the circuit to a circuit stack while still in wafer substrate form. Fine-grain high density inter-layer vertical bus connections are used. The 3DS memory manufacturing method enables several performance and physical size efficiencies, and is implemented with established semiconductor processing techniques. |
| US08841773B2 |
Multi-layer interconnect structure for stacked dies
A multi-layer interconnect structure for stacked die configurations is provided. Through-substrate vias are formed in a semiconductor substrate. A backside of the semiconductor substrate is thinned to expose the through-substrate vias. An isolation film is formed over the backside of the semiconductor substrate and the exposed portion of the through-substrate vias. A first conductive element is formed electrically coupled to respective ones of the through-substrate vias and extending over the isolation film. One or more additional layers of isolation films and conductive elements may be formed, with connection elements such as solder balls being electrically coupled to the uppermost conductive elements. |
| US08841772B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device capable of realizing highly reliable three-dimensional mounting, and a method of manufacturing the same, are provided. A projected electrode 9 is formed in a region outside of an element mounting region of a substrate 5. The projected electrode 9 includes a protruding portion that protrudes from the front face of a molding resin portion 10. The distal end of the protruding portion is a flat face 13. In addition, a portion of the projected electrode 9 whose cross section is larger than the protruding portion is positioned inside the molding resin portion 10. |
| US08841771B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device with a transistor region has a first conductor pattern formed within a multilayer interconnect structure positioned under a signal line and above the transistor region. The first conductor pattern is coupled to ground or a power supply and overlaps the transistor region. The signal line overlaps the first conductor pattern. |
| US08841768B2 |
Chip package and a method for manufacturing a chip package
A chip package is provided, the chip package including: first encapsulation structure; first passivation layer formed over first encapsulation structure and first electrically conductive layer formed over first passivation layer; at least one chip arranged over first electrically conductive layer and passivation layer wherein at least one chip contact pad contacts first electrically conductive layer; at least one cavity formed in first encapsulation structure, wherein at least one cavity exposes a portion of first passivation layer covering at least one chip contact pad; second encapsulation structure disposed over first encapsulation structure and covering at least one cavity, wherein a chamber region over at least one chip contact pad is defined by at least one cavity and second encapsulation structure; wherein second encapsulation structure includes an inlet and outlet connected to chamber region, wherein inlet and outlet control an inflow and outflow of heat dissipating material to and from chamber region. |
| US08841767B2 |
Bumping process and structure thereof
A bumping process comprises steps of forming a metal layer with copper on a substrate, and the metal layer with copper comprises a plurality of first zones and second zones; forming a photoresist layer on the metal layer with copper; patterning the photoresist layer to form a plurality of openings; forming a plurality of copper bumps within the openings, each of the copper bumps covers the first zones and comprises a first top surface; forming a connection layer on the first top surface; removing the photoresist layer; removing the second zones and enabling each of the first zones to form an under bump metallurgy layer, wherein the under bump metallurgy layer, the copper bump, and the connection layer possess their corresponded peripheral walls, and covering sections of a first protective layer formed on the connection layer may cover those peripheral walls to prevent ionization phenomenon. |
| US08841761B2 |
Organic light emitting diode display
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a display substrate; an organic light emitting element on the substrate; a sealing member covering the organic light emitting element; a sealant formed between a surrounding portion of the display substrate and a surrounding portion of the sealing member; and an impact absorption layer under the display substrate, wherein an area ratio of the impact absorption agent in the impact absorption layer increases from the surrounding portion of the display substrate to a center of the display substrate such that the impact absorption ratio of the outer portion of the surrounding impact absorption layer is higher than the impact absorption ratio of the center impact absorption layer, and accordingly, damage to the surrounding portion of the display substrate that is weak against external impact may be prevented. |
| US08841757B2 |
Film for the backside of flip-chip type semiconductor, dicing tape-integrated film for the backside of semiconductor, method of manufacturing film for the backside of flip-chip type semiconductor, and semiconductor device
An electromagnetic wave shielding layer can be provided on the backside of a semiconductor element that is flip-chip connected to an adherend, and a semiconductor device having the electromagnetic wave shielding layer can be manufactured without deteriorating productivity. The present invention provides a film for the backside of a flip-chip type semiconductor to be formed on the backside of a semiconductor element that is flip-chip connected to an adherend, having an adhesive layer and an electromagnetic wave shielding layer. |
| US08841755B2 |
Through silicon via and method of forming the same
The present invention relates to a through silicon via (TSV). The TSV is disposed in a substrate including a via opening penetrating through a first surface and a second surface of the substrate. The TSV includes an insulation layer, a barrier layer, a buffer layer and a conductive electrode. The insulation layer is disposed on a surface of the via opening. The barrier layer is disposed on a surface of the insulation layer. The buffer layer is disposed on a surface of the barrier layer. The conductive electrode is disposed on a surface of the buffer layer and a remainder of the via opening is completely filled with the conductive electrode. A portion of the buffer layer further covers a surface of the conductive electrode at a side of the second surface and said portion is level with the second surface. |
| US08841753B2 |
Semiconductor device having seal wiring
A semiconductor device includes: an interlayer insulating film formed on a substrate; a wiring formed in the interlayer insulating film in a chip region of the substrate; a seal ring formed in the interlayer insulating film in a periphery of the chip region and continuously surrounding the chip region; and a first protective film formed on the interlayer insulating film having the wiring and the seal ring formed therein. A first opening is formed in the first protective film in a region located outside the seal ring when viewed from the chip region, and the interlayer insulating film is exposed in the first opening. |
| US08841747B2 |
Capacitor structure with metal bilayer and method for using the same
A method for using a metal bilayer is disclosed. First, a bottom electrode is provided. Second, a dielectric layer which is disposed on and is in direct contact with the lower electrode is provided. Then, a metal bilayer which serves as a top electrode in a capacitor is provided. The metal bilayer is disposed on and is in direct contact with the dielectric layer. The metal bilayer consists of a noble metal in direct contact with the dielectric layer and a metal nitride in direct contact with the noble metal. |
| US08841741B2 |
High breakdown voltage semiconductor rectifier
A high breakdown voltage diode of the present embodiment includes a first conductive semiconductor substrate, a drift layer formed on the first conductive semiconductor substrate and formed of a first conductive semiconductor, a buffer layer formed on the drift layer and formed of a second conductive semiconductor, a second conductive high concentration semiconductor region formed at an upper portion of the buffer layer, a mesa termination unit formed on an end region of a semiconductor apparatus to relax an electric field of the end region when reverse bias is applied between the semiconductor substrate and the buffer layer, and an electric field relaxation region formed at the mesa termination unit and formed of a second conductive semiconductor.A breakdown voltage of a high breakdown voltage diode, in which a pn junction is provided to a semiconductor layer, is increased, and a process yield is improved. |
| US08841734B2 |
Sensor element
A sensor element includes: a first substrate in which a diaphragm is configured on a main surface; a second substrate which is provided on the side opposite to the diaphragm of the first substrate; a cavity which is provided just below the diaphragm of the first substrate; a bonding position which is provided at a bonding position between the first substrate and the second substrate for airtight sealing of the cavity; and a bump portion which is provided at the fitting portion, and protects a fitted state between the first substrate and the second substrate. |
| US08841732B2 |
Self-adjusting latch-up resistance for CMOS devices
CMOS devices (60, 61, 61′) having improved latch-up robustness are provided by including with one or both WELL regions (22, 29) underlying the source-drains (24, 25; 31, 32) and the body contacts (27, 34), one or more further regions (62, 62′, 62-2) doped with deep acceptors or deep donors (or both) of the same conductivity type as the corresponding WELL region and whose ionization substantially increases as operating temperature increases. The increase in conductivity exhibited by these further regions as a result of the increasing ionization of the deep acceptors or donors off-sets, in whole or part, the temperature driven increase in gain of the parasitic NPN and/or PNP bipolar transistors inherent in prior art CMOS structures. By clamping or lowering the gain of the parasitic bipolar transistors, the CMOS devices (60, 61, 61′) are less likely to go into latch-up with increasing operating temperature. |
| US08841728B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first diffusion layer of a first conductivity type and a second diffusion layer of a second conductivity type that are provided in a semiconductor layer at a distance, the second conductivity type being an opposite conductivity type of the first conductivity type, a first insulating film and a second insulating film that are provided on the semiconductor layer between the first diffusion layer and the second diffusion layer at a distance, a gate electrode provided on the first insulating film, and a threshold regulating electrode provided on the second insulating film. |
| US08841723B2 |
LDMOS device having increased punch-through voltage and method for making same
The present invention discloses an LDMOS device having an increased punch-through voltage and a method for making same. The LDMOS device includes: a substrate; a well of a first conductive type formed in the substrate; an isolation region formed in the substrate; a body region of a second conductive type in the well; a source in the body region; a drain in the well; a gate structure on the substrate; and a first conductive type dopant region beneath the body region, for increasing a punch-through voltage. |
| US08841716B2 |
Retrograde substrate for deep trench capacitors
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a first doped portion to a first depth and a second doped portion below the first depth. A deep trench capacitor is formed in the substrate and extends below the first depth. The deep trench capacitor has a buried plate that includes a dopant type forming an electrically conductive connection with second doped portion of the substrate and being electrically insulated from the first doped portion. |
| US08841707B2 |
Solid-state imaging device and method of controlling the same
According to one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor region, a first diffusion layer, a second diffusion layer, a third diffusion layer, an insulating film, a potential layer, and a read electrode. The semiconductor region includes first and second surfaces. The first diffusion layer is formed in the first surface. The first diffusion layer's concentration is a maximum value in a position at a first depth. The charge accumulation layer has a second depth. The second diffusion layer contacts the first diffusion layer. The third diffusion layer is formed in a position which faces the second diffusion layer in respect to the first diffusion layer. The insulating film is formed on the first surface. The potential layer is formed on the insulating film and has a predetermined potential. The read electrode is formed on the insulating film. |
| US08841696B2 |
High-trigger current SCR
An SCR includes a first doped region of a first type having a first doping concentration. A first well of the first type and a first well of a second type are disposed in upper areas of the first doped region of the first type such that the first well of the second type is laterally spaced from the first well of the first type by a non-zero distance. A second doped region of the first type has a second doping concentration that is greater than the first doping concentration and is disposed in the first well of the second type to form an anode of the SCR. A first doped region of the second type is disposed in the first well of the first type and forms a cathode of the SCR. |
| US08841692B2 |
Lead frame, its manufacturing method, and semiconductor light emitting device using the same
A lead frame comprises on a same plane, a pad part including an LED chip mounting upper surface A on which at least an LED chip is to be mounted, and a lead part including an electric connection area C in which an electric connection with the LED chip is made. A relationship between an area S1 of the mounting upper surface of the pad part 2 and an area S2 of a radiating lower surface opposite to the mounting upper surface is represented by 0 |
| US08841691B2 |
Light emitting diode structure utilizing zinc oxide nanorod arrays on one or more surfaces, and a low cost method of producing such zinc oxide nanorod arrays
A method of fabricating a Light Emitting Diode with improved light extraction efficiency, comprising depositing a plurality of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanorods on one or more surfaces of a III-Nitride based LED, by growing the ZnO nanorods from an aqueous solution, wherein the surfaces are different from c-plane surfaces of III-Nitride and transmit light generated by the LED. |
| US08841687B2 |
Light emitting device package and lighting system including the same
Provided are a light emitting device package and a lighting system including the light emitting device package. The light emitting device package includes a package body, at least one electrode on the package body, a light emitting device on the package body, a reflective structure around the light emitting device on the package body and a lens on the light emitting device and the electrode. |
| US08841686B2 |
Light emitting diode
A light emitting diode includes a carbon nanotube layer, a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, an active layer, a first electrode and a second electrode stacked on an epitaxial growth surface of a substrate. A first part of the carbon nanotube layer is covered by the first semiconductor layer and a second part of the carbon nanotube layer is exposed. The first electrode is electrically connected with the second semiconductor layer and the second electrode electrically is connected with the second part of the carbon nanotube layer. |
| US08841684B2 |
Light-emitting device
A light-emitting device includes a circuit substrate including at least a pair of electrodes, an LED element electrically mounted on the circuit substrate, a phosphor plate disposed on an upper surface of the LED element, a diffuser plate disposed on an upper surface of the phosphor plate, and a white resin disposed on an upper surface of the circuit substrate and covering a peripheral side surface of the LED element, a peripheral side surface of the phosphor plate, and a peripheral side surface of the diffuser plate. The present invention makes it possible to obtain a planar light-emitting surface even with a plurality of LEDs, and also, a problem of color-ring occurrence caused by a phosphor may be less represented. |
| US08841667B2 |
Transistor structure and driving circuit structure
A transistor structure disposed on a substrate includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer overlapping the gate electrode, a channel layer overlapping the gate electrode, and a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes overlapping the gate electrode. The gate insulating layer is disposed between the channel layer and the gate electrode. Besides, the gate insulating layer is located among the first electrodes, the second electrodes, and the gate electrode. The first electrodes and the second electrodes are alternately arranged along a first direction. Each of the first electrodes has a first width along the first direction. Each of the second electrodes has a second width along the first direction. A ratio of the first width to the second width ranges from 2 to 20. A driving circuit structure having the transistor structure is also provided. |
| US08841663B2 |
Oxide semiconductor thin-film transistor
A thin-film transistor includes a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate insulation layer and an oxide semiconductor pattern. The source and drain electrodes include a first metal element with a first oxide formation free energy. The oxide semiconductor pattern has a first surface making contact with the gate insulation layer and a second surface making contact with the source and drain electrodes to be positioned at an opposite side of the first surface. The oxide semiconductor pattern includes an added element having a second oxide formation free energy having an absolute value greater than or equal to an absolute value of the first oxide formation free energy, wherein an amount of the added element included in a portion near the first surface is zero or smaller than an amount of the added element included in a portion near the second surface. |
| US08841662B2 |
Semiconductor device
An object is, in a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, to reduce contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer. The source and drain electrode layers have a stacked-layer structure of two or more layers in which a layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer is formed using a metal whose work function is lower than the work function of the oxide semiconductor layer or an alloy containing such a metal. Layers other than the layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer of the source and drain electrode layers are formed using an element selected from Al, Cr, Cu, Ta, Ti, Mo, or W, an alloy containing any of these elements as a component, an alloy containing any of these elements in combination, or the like. |
| US08841655B2 |
Organic electroluminescence element, manufacturing method thereof, and organic electroluminescence display device
An organic EL element (1) includes a three-layer-structured light-emitting layer (5). A first light-emitting layer (5a) is made of a host material higher in HOMO than an organic light-emitting material (|HOMO (host material for first light-emitting layer)|>|HOMO (phosphorescence-emitting material)|). A second light-emitting layer (5c) is made of a host material lower in LUMO than the organic light-emitting material (|LUMO (host material for second light-emitting layer) |<|LUMO (phosphorescence-emitting material)|). A third light-emitting layer (5b) is made of a material higher in HOMO and lower in LUMO than the organic light-emitting material (|HOMO (host material for third light-emitting layer)|>|HOMO (phosphorescence-emitting material)|, |LUMO (host material for third light-emitting layer)|<|LUMO (phosphorescence-emitting material)|). This ensures transferring holes and electrons to the third light-emitting layer (5c). Consequently, a recombination ratio between holes and electrons increases, a voltage for driving the organic EL element (1) decreases, and light-emitting efficiency increases. |
| US08841645B2 |
Multi-level memory cell
Some embodiments include a memory device and methods of forming the same. The memory device can include an electrode coupled to a memory element. The electrode can include different materials located at different portions of the electrode. The materials can create different dielectrics contacting the memory elements at different locations. Various states of the materials in the memory device can be used to represent stored information. Other embodiments are described. |
| US08841638B2 |
Particle beam therapy system
An particle beam therapy system comprises a scanning electromagnet for scanning a particle beam which travels in a vacuum duct so as to irradiate an irradiation object and an irradiation unit comprising a beam outlet window, wherein the irradiation unit is configured such that the vacuum duct can be divided by a flange surfacewhich is provided at a position closer to an irradiation object than a scanning electromagnet, in a case where a vacuum duct for a scanning irradiation method which is provided at a position closer to an irradiation object than the flange surface is moved so as not to overlap a beam line of the particle beam, a ride filter for a broad beam irradiation method can be provided at space where the vacuum duct for a scanning irradiation method was provided before it was moved. |
| US08841637B2 |
Method for nanolithography
A method of performing nanolithography is disclosed, comprising use of an optical printing head that enables a super-resolution lithographic exposures compatible with conventional optical lithographic processes. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using light transmitted through specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the “bow-tie” and “C-aperture” are examples. These specially designed apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A printing head comprising an array of these apertures is held in close proximity to the object to be exposed. A data processing system is provided to re-interpret the layout data into a modulation pattern used to drive the multiple individual channels and the multiple exposures. |
| US08841634B2 |
Systems and methods for emitting radiant energy
Field balancing may be performed with an irradiation system including a plurality of adjustable radiant-energy emitters. The irradiation system powers the radiant-energy emitters from a power source and radiant energy is emitted from the radiant-energy emitters, where an amount of radiant energy emitted from each emitter is capable of being varied based on power received from the power source. A plurality of radiant-energy sensors detects an amount of radiant energy which includes radiant energy created directly by at least one of the radiant-energy emitters. The amount of radiant energy detected at at least two of the radiant-energy sensors is compared, and at least one of the radiant-energy emitters is adjusted by varying the power received from the power source so that the amount of radiant energy detected at each of the radiant-energy sensors tends towards becoming approximately equal. The emitting of radiant energy from each radiant-energy emitter is terminated when a total amount of radiant energy emitted from the plurality of adjustable radiant-energy emitters exceeds a predetermined threshold value, where the threshold value is sufficient to allow the total amount of radiant energy emitted from the plurality of adjustable radiant-energy emitters to sanitize a particular area in which the emitters are located. |
| US08841630B2 |
Corrector for axial aberrations of a particle-optical lens
Commercially available High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopes (HR-TEM) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopes (HR-STEM) are nowadays equipped with correctors for correcting the axial spherical aberration Cs of the so-named objective lens. Inevitably other aberrations become the limiting aberration. For the hexapole type correctors, also known as Rose correctors, or variants thereof, six-fold axial astigmatism, also known as A5, and sixth-order three lobe aberration, also known as D6, introduced by the corrector, are known to become the limiting aberration. The invention shows that by adding a weak hexapole (126) in the cross-over between the hexapoles, a Rose like corrector or a Crewe like corrector free of A5 or D6 can be made, or, by adding both the weak hexapole and a dodecapole, a corrector that is free of both A5 and D6. |
| US08841628B2 |
Radiological image-capturing device, radiological image-capturing system, radiological image-capturing method, and program
A radiological image-capturing device includes: a first read control section that executes a first read mode in which electric signals stored in a plurality of pixels are read out simultaneously in units of a plurality of rows; and an emission-start determining section that determines that the emission of radiation from a radiation source onto an image-capturing panel has started when the values of the electric signals read by the first read control section have become greater than an arbitrarily settable threshold. If it is determined by the emission-start determining section that the emission of said radiation has started, the first read control section terminates the reading of the electric signals, and thereby brings the image-capturing panel into an exposure state. |
| US08841627B2 |
Method for imaging object using photoneutron transmission and detector arrays using the same
A method for imaging an object by means of photoneutron transmission is provided. The method determines the position of the photoneutron rays based on the position of a neutron collimator, to overcome the problem of incapability of imaging due to loss of position information of the photoneutrons during moderation thereof. The method also images the object by arranging detector module arrays. |
| US08841624B2 |
Radiographic image detector, radiographic imaging apparatus, radiographic imaging system
The present invention provides a radiographic image detector that maintains even resolution in 6 directions before and after 4 pixel binning processing. In the radiographic image detector, first TFT switches of each pixel are switched ON according to control signals from plural first scan lines, and charge signals according to accumulated charges are transmitted through data lines. For each pixel group configured by combinations of plural adjacent pixels, second TFT switches of the pixels configuring each of the pixel groups are switched ON according to control signals from plural second scan lines, and binning processing is performed in which 4 pixels worth of charges are read simultaneously and are combined, and charge signals according to the amount of the combined charges are transmitted through the data lines. |
| US08841618B2 |
Device for examining an object, in particular for inspecting persons for suspicious items
For examining objects, in particular for inspecting persons for suspicious items, devices having a scanning system for scanning the object and having an evaluating system are known. An optical marking system is provided, which indicates the position of an item classified as suspicious on the object itself or in a mirror image of the object by means of visible light. |
| US08841611B2 |
Multi-capillary column and high-capacity ionization interface for GC-MS
A gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) system includes a multi-capillary GC column coupled to a mass analyzer through an ionization interface. The ionization interface includes an ionization device and an ion guide configured for receiving a high-capacity gas-sample flow from the GC column and transmitting a compressed ion beam to the mass analyzer. The ion beam may be converging. |
| US08841608B2 |
Method for enhancing the resolving power of ion mobility separations over a limited mobility range
A method for raising the resolving power, specificity, and peak capacity of conventional ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. Ions are separated in a dynamic electric field comprising an oscillatory field wave and opposing static field, or at least two counter propagating waves with different parameters (amplitude, profile, frequency, or speed). As the functional dependencies of mean drift velocity on the ion mobility in a wave and static field or in unequal waves differ, only single species is equilibrated while others drift in either direction and are mobility-separated. An ion mobility spectrum over a limited range is then acquired by measuring ion drift times through a fixed distance inside the gas-filled enclosure. The resolving power in the vicinity of equilibrium mobility substantially exceeds that for known traveling-wave or drift-tube IMS separations, with spectra over wider ranges obtainable by stitching multiple segments. The approach also enables low-cutoff, high-cutoff, and bandpass ion mobility filters. |
| US08841604B2 |
Mass analyser
A mass analyzer comprises: an electrical field generator, providing a time-varying electric field for injection of ions to be analyzed, excitation of ions to be analyzed or both; first and second detection electrodes, each of which receives a respective voltage pickup due to the time-varying electric field and provides a respective detection signal based on a respective image current at the detection electrode; and a differential amplifier, providing an output based on the difference between the detection signal for the first detection electrode and the detection signal for the second detection electrode. It may also be provided that the electrical field generator comprises at least one field generating electrode without a spatially symmetrical counterpart and the capacitance between each field generating electrode and the first detection electrode is substantially the same as the capacitance between that field generating electrode and the second detection electrode. |
| US08841600B2 |
Hysteresis-compensating interpolation circuits in optical encoders
Disclosed are various embodiments of circuitry and methods to compensate for variations in hysteresis associated with the comparators of an interpolation circuit in a single track optical encoder. Such variations in hysteresis may be minimized or eliminated by providing appropriately configured resistor ladder circuits to condition the inputs to the comparators, or by programming or trimming resistors in positive feedback loops of the comparators. The single track optical encoder configurations disclosed herein permit very high resolution reflective optical encoders in small packages to be provided. Methods of making and using such optical encoders are also disclosed. |
| US08841597B2 |
Housing for optical proximity sensor
An optical proximity sensor and housing for the same are disclosed. The housing is provided with at least two support structures and at least two modules. A first of the support structures transfers vertical forces applied to one end of a module to an opposite end of the opposite module. A second of the support structures inhibits a pivoting of the modules about the first support structure. |
| US08841595B2 |
Image sensor with sample and hold circuitry for addressing time variant noise
An image sensor includes an array of pixels. Each pixel has at least one photo-sensitive element. Readout circuitry receives an analog signal from each pixel at a first time and at a second time, between which the analog signal changes. The image sensor further includes associated support circuitry which is a source of time variant noise. The signal level at both first and second times includes pixel noise. Sample and hold circuitry is provided to maintain substantially level at least a proportion of this support circuitry noise time invariant at the sensor output between the first time and the second time. |
| US08841593B2 |
Sensing device and image sensor module thereof
An image sensor module is installed in a sensing device, and is used to detect a reflected light of an object. The image sensor module includes a carrier, a light sensing element, and a package body. The light sensing element is disposed on a substrate. The carrier is disposed on the substrate in the sensing device. The light sensing element is installed in the carrier, and is electrically connected with the substrate via multiple solder balls. The package body is installed on the carrier, and has a reflecting and diverting element, which is located between the light sensing element and the object and is used for reflecting reflected light of the object and diverting the reflected light towards a receiving direction of the light sensing element. The light sensing element receives the reflected light and generates a corresponding sensing signal. |
| US08841592B1 |
Solar glare hazard analysis tool on account of determined points of time
Technologies pertaining to determining when glare will be perceived by a hypothetical observer from a glare source and the intensity of glare that will be perceived by the hypothetical observer from the glare source are described herein. A first location of a potential source of solar glare is received, and a second location of the hypothetical observer is received. Based upon such locations, including respective elevations, and known positions of the sun over time, a determination as to when the hypothetical observer will perceive glare from the potential source of solar glare is made. Subsequently, an amount of irradiance entering the eye of the hypothetical observer is calculated to assess potential ocular hazards. |
| US08841582B2 |
Engine driven welding machine
An engine driven welding machine that includes a frame with lower tubular portions that extend across the ends of the frame. The lower tubular portions make it easier to lift the engine driven welding machine onto an elevated surface, such as the bed of a truck. The frame may include two different lifting portions that extend across the same side or end of the frame at different levels. For example, two tubular portions of the frame may extend generally horizontally across the same side or end of the frame to provide two lifting areas at different levels of the frame. |
| US08841580B2 |
Laser beam working machine
A cylindrical lens (4) diverges a laser beam (L1) in the Y-axis direction (i.e., within the YZ plane) but neither diverges nor converges it in the X-axis direction (i.e., within the ZX plane). An objective lens (5) converges the laser beam (L1) emitted from the cylindrical lens (4) into a point P1 in the Y-axis direction and into a point P2 in the X-axis direction. As a consequence, the cross section of the laser beam (L1) becomes elongated forms extending in the X- and Y-axis directions at the points P1, P2, respectively. Therefore, when the points P1, P2 are located on the outside and inside of the work (S), respectively, an elongated working area extending in the Y-axis direction can be formed in a portion where the point P2 is positioned within the work (S). |
| US08841578B2 |
Method for operating a laser blanking system for cutting a blank from a stock material
A laser blanking system for cutting material stock includes a first series of conveyor lanes that include a plurality of support conveyors which are situated in parallel, generally spaced apart relationships. A second series of conveyor lanes is situated downstream from the first series. The second series includes a plurality of support conveyors situated in parallel, generally spaced apart relationships with respect to each other. The laser blanking system further includes a multiple-axis gantry system. The multiple-axis gantry includes a moveable transverse-axis component is supported by and moveable along a longitudinal-axis component that is situated adjacent to a longitudinal edge of the first and second series. A moveable laser head is supported by the transverse-axis component. A controller operatively controls movements of each one conveyor of the first and second lanes, the transverse-axis component, and the laser head as stock material is indexed downstream and supported by the system. |
| US08841566B2 |
Load cell assemblies for measuring off-center loads
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to load cell assemblies configured for measuring loads or weight associated with a semi-trailer. In one embodiment, a load cell assembly includes a shear plate load cell configured to be coupled between a frame and a support member of the semi-trailer. The shear plate load cell detects or measures the trailer's weight with a sensor positioned on a strain sensing section of a plate. The strain sensing section is positioned at a location offset from the plate's centerline. The shear plate load cell is accordingly configured to provide an ideal moment balance that allows accurate load measurements independent of where the load is applied relative to the load cell or the support member. |
| US08841565B2 |
Multifingered scale
A filling system for containers that are supplied to a filling device via a supplying device and that are removed from the filling device via a removal device, said filling system includes a measuring device for weighing the filled containers. The measuring device is formed by circulating measuring sensors that convey containers from an inlet side to an outlet while concurrently weighing the containers, and circulating synchronously with the container flow. The measuring sensors are oriented at right angles to a direction along a horizontal belt along which the containers are conveyed. Each one has measuring fingers that collectively form a multi-fingered measuring device. |
| US08841539B2 |
High efficiency thermoelectric device
A thermoelectric device based on a multilayer structure having alternate layers of metal/material mixture. The alternate layers have differing metal content. The layer structure is irradiated with ionizing radiation to produce nanoclusters in the layers. The differing metal content serves to quench the nanoclusters to isolate nanoclusters along the radiation track. The result is a thermoelectric device with a high figure of merit. In one embodiment, the multilayer structure is fabricated and then irradiated with high energy radiation penetrating the entire layer structure. In another embodiment, layers are irradiated sequentially during fabrication using low energy radiation. |
| US08841535B2 |
Method and system for visual representation of sound
A system and method for visual representation of sound, wherein the system and method obtain sound information from a multimedia content; generate an icon based on the sound information obtained; generate a directional indicator based on the sound information; and then display the icon and the directional indicator on a display screen. The sound information typically includes various attributes that can be mapped to various properties of the display elements (icon and directional indicator) to provide details relating to the sound via a visual display. |
| US08841528B2 |
Keyboard device
A keyboard device of the present invention includes a front guide shaft that is provided on the front portion of a front lid and projects toward sides of the front lid, a rear guide shaft that is provided on the front portion of a rear lid and projects toward sides of the rear lid, and a guide groove that guides the front guide shaft and the rear guide shaft in the front and back directions of a musical instrument case. The guide groove is provided with a guide recess where the rear guide shaft comes in so that the front lid and the rear lid are placed on the same plane when a keyboard lid is closed and covers a keyboard section. |
| US08841524B1 |
Maize variety hybrid X75B219
A novel maize variety designated X75B219 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X75B219 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X75B219 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X75B219, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X75B219. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X75B219. |
| US08841519B1 |
Maize hybrid X08C990
A novel maize variety designated X08C990 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X08C990 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X08C990 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X08C990, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X08C990. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X08C990. |
| US08841514B2 |
Method of production of recombinant sucrose synthase, use thereof in the manufacture of kits for determination of sucrose, production of adpglucose and production of transgenic plants whose leaves and storage organs accumulate high contents of adpglucose and starch
A transgenic plant that overexpresses sucrose synthase. The transgenic plant has a genetic construct that encodes a sucrose synthase peptide. |
| US08841509B2 |
Gray leaf spot tolerant maize and methods of production
The invention relates to methods and compositions for identifying maize plants that have newly conferred tolerance or enhanced tolerance to, or are susceptible to, Gray Leaf Spot (GLS). The methods use molecular genetic markers to identify, select and/or construct tolerant plants or identify and counter-select susceptible plants. Maize plants that display newly conferred tolerance or enhanced tolerance to GLS that are generated by the methods of the invention are also a feature of the invention. |
| US08841500B2 |
Preparation of alkyl aromatic compounds
Provided is a process for preparing alkyl aromatic compounds. The process comprises contacting an alkane under dehydrogenation conditions in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst, e.g., a pincer iridium catalyst, to form olefins, and then contacting the olefins generated with an aromatic compound under alkylation conditions. Both reactions are conducted in a single reactor, and occur simultaneously. |
| US08841499B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for isomerization of paraffins
Embodiments of methods and apparatuses for isomerization of paraffins are provided. In one example, a method comprises the steps of compressing a C4− hydrocarbons-containing stabilizer vapor stream to form a compressed C4− hydrocarbons-containing stabilizer stream. A C4 hydrocarbons-containing feed stream that comprises unbranched C4 hydrocarbons is contacted with a chloride-promoted isomerization catalyst in the presence of hydrogen to form a branched C4 hydrocarbons-containing reaction zone effluent. At least a portion of the compressed C4− hydrocarbons-containing stabilizer stream is combined with the branched C4 hydrocarbons-containing reaction zone effluent to form a C4 hydrocarbons-containing combined stream. The C4 hydrocarbons-containing combined stream is separated into a C3− hydrocarbons-containing stabilizer vapor stream and a C4 hydrocarbons-rich product stream that comprises branched C4 hydrocarbons. |
| US08841495B2 |
Bubbling bed catalytic hydropyrolysis process utilizing larger catalyst particles and smaller biomass particles featuring an anti-slugging reactor
This invention relates to a process for thermochemically transforming biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks into high quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels. In particular, a catalytic hydropyrolysis reactor, containing a deep bed of fluidized catalyst particles is utilized to accept particles of biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks that are significantly smaller than the particles of catalyst in the fluidized bed. The reactor features an insert or other structure disposed within the reactor vessel that inhibits slugging of the bed and thereby minimizes attrition of the catalyst. Within the bed, the biomass feedstock is converted into a vapor-phase product, containing hydrocarbon molecules and other process vapors, and an entrained solid char product, which is separated from the vapor stream after the vapor stream has been exhausted from the top of the reactor. When the product vapor stream is cooled to ambient temperatures, a significant proportion of the hydrocarbons in the product vapor stream can be recovered as a liquid stream of hydrophobic hydrocarbons, with properties consistent with those of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel. Separate streams of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel may also be obtained, either via selective condensation of each type of fuel, or via later distillation of the combined hydrocarbon liquid. |
| US08841494B2 |
Thermal decomposition process of triglyceride containing mixtures, co-processed with low molecular weight olefins to produce a renewable fuel composition
Compositions and methods for forming hydrocarbon products from triglycerides are described. In one aspect, the methods involve the thermal decomposition of fatty acids, which can be derived from the hydrolysis of triglycerides. The thermal decomposition products can be combined with low molecular weight olefins, such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis products, and subjected to molecular averaging reactions. Alternatively, the products can be subjected to hydrocracking reactions, isomerization reactions, and the like. The products can be isolated in the gasoline, jet and/or diesel fuel ranges. Thus, vegetable oils and/or animal fats can be converted using water, catalysts, and heat, into conventional products in the gasoline, jet and/or diesel fuel ranges. These products are virtually indistinguishable from those derived from their petroleum-based analogs, except that they can have virtually no aromatic, sulfur or nitrogen content, they are derived, in whole or in part, from renewable resources, and can also be derived from domestically available coal and/or natural gas. |
| US08841492B2 |
Method for purification of mixtures comprising MTBE as well as production of isobutene by splitting of mixtures comprising MTBE
The present invention relates to a process for efficient purification of MTBE-containing mixtures and for preparation of isobutene by cracking of MTBE-containing mixtures. |
| US08841489B2 |
Method for carrying out multiphase aldol condensation reactions to give mixed α, β-unsaturated aldehydes
The invention relates to a continuous method for carrying out a multiphase aldol condensation reaction to obtain mixed α,β-unsaturated aldehydes by reacting a mixture of two aliphatic aldehydes having different numbers of carbon atoms, i.e. 2 to 5, in the molecule in a vertical tubular reactor in a concurrent flow in the presence of an aqueous solution of a basically reacting compound. In said method, the aldehyde mixture is dispersed in the aqueous phase in the form of drops, and the aqueous solution of the basically reacting compound flows through the tubular reactor as a continuous phase in laminar conditions. |
| US08841485B2 |
Liquid phenol resin and method of preparing the same
According to the present invention, a liquid phenol resin that has excellent characteristics of a phenol resin, such as thermal resistance and hardenability, and can produce a molded product having excellent flexibility, and a method of preparing the resin are provided.The present invention relates to a liquid phenol resin obtained by reacting (A) oils and (B) phenols with (C) a secondary and/or a tertiary alkylamine compound, wherein a nitrogen content based on the whole liquid phenol resin is 3% by weight to 30% by weight, and (A):(B)=10:90 to 90:10. |
| US08841483B2 |
Compositions useful as inhibitors of voltage-gated sodium channels
The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of voltage-gated sodium channels. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising the compounds of the invention and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disorders. |
| US08841480B2 |
Process for the preparation of light-colored iocyanates of a diphenylmethanediisocyanate series
The present invention accordingly provides a process for preparing light-colored polyphenylene-polymethylene polyisocyanates comprising the steps (a) providing an amount of chlorine, (b) separating the chlorine provided in the step (a) to obtain a first chlorine fraction having a content of free and bound bromine and iodine of <50 ppm and a second chlorine fraction having an increased content of free and bound bromine and iodine that depends on the original amount of bromine and iodine in the chlorine provided in step (a) and the separation split, (c) reacting carbon monoxide with at least a portion of the first chlorine fraction to form a first phosgene fraction, (d) reacting carbon monoxide with at least a part of the second chlorine fraction to form a second phosgene fraction, (e) reacting at least a portion of a first phosgene fraction with at least one amine of the diphenylmethane diamine series (MDA) to form the corresponding polyphenylene-polymethylene polyisocyanate (PMDI), and (f) reacting at least a portion of the second phosgene fraction with at least one primary amine with the exception of mono- and polyphenylene-polymethylene polyamines to form an at least one isocyanate-containing reaction solution. |
| US08841479B2 |
Low monomer 1 : 1 monoadducts of reactive olefinic compounds and diisocyanates using insertable inhibitors
The invention relates to low monomer 1:1 monoadducts of reactive olefinic compounds and diisocyanates, to the production and to the use thereof. |
| US08841478B2 |
Method for preparing trans-{4-[(alkylamino) methyl]- cyclohexyl}acetic acid ester
A method for preparing a trans-{4-[(alkylamino)methyl]cyclohexyl}acetic acid, which is useful as a raw material compound for manufacture of medicaments and the like, comprising the step of reducing amide group of a compound represented by the following general formula (6) (R1 represents hydrogen atom or a C1-6 alkyl group, and R2 represents a C1-6 alkyl group, a C3-6 cycloalkyl group, a (C3-6 cycloalkyl)(C1-6 alkyl) group, a C6-10 aryl group, or a C7-12 aralkyl group). |
| US08841472B2 |
Colored polysiloxanes
Disclosed are compounds of the formulae wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, and R13 are hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, or alkylaryl, R10, R11, and R12 are alkylene, arylene, arylalkylene, or alkylarylene, and the chromogen moiety is an atom or group of atoms that impart color to the compound in the visible, infrared, or ultraviolet wavelength range. |
| US08841462B2 |
Bicyclic heterocycles as MEK kinase inhibitors
The invention relates to bicyclic heterocycles of formulae I and II with anti-cancer and/or anti-inflammatory activity and more specifically with MEK kinase inhibitory activity. The invention provides compositions and methods useful for inhibiting abnormal cell growth, treating a hyperproliferative disorder, or treating an inflammatory disease in a mammal. The invention also relates to methods of using the compounds for in vitro, in situ, and in vivo diagnosis or treatment of mammalian cells, or associated pathological conditions. |
| US08841461B2 |
Method for producing aminothiazole derivative and production intermediate
Provided is a method for selectively demethylating a 2-methoxy group. Specifically provided is a production method of a compound represented by formula (7) below through the following reactions. |
| US08841451B2 |
Methods of nanoassembly of a fractal polymer and materials formed thereby
The invention relates to the formation of synthesized fractal constructs and the methods of chemical self-assembly for the preparation of a non-dendritic, nano-scale, fractal constructs or molecules. More particularly, the invention relates to fractal constructs formed by molecular self-assembly, to create synthetic, nanometer-scale fractal shapes. In an embodiment, a nanoscale Sierpinski hexagonal gasket is formed. This non-dendritic, perfectly self-similar fractal macromolecule is comprised of bisterpyridine building blocks that are bound together by coordination to (36) Ru and (6) Fe ions to form a nearly planar array of increasingly larger hexagons around a hollow center. |
| US08841441B2 |
Method for producing regenerated biopolymers and regenerated products obtained by said method
The invention relates to a method for producing regenerated biopolymers in the form of carbohydrates, using a solvent system that contains the biopolymers dissolved therein. The solvent system is based on a melted ionic liquid and optionally a protic solvent or a mixture thereof. The biopolymers dissolved in the solvent system are precipitated in a coagulation medium, said medium comprising a protic coagulant or a mixture of protic coagulants. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the surface tension σ of the coagulant or the mixture of coagulants is 99% to 30% of the surface tension σ of water, the surface tension being measured according to ASTM D 1590-60 at a temperature of 50° C. The method according to the invention is economical and flexible and leads to advantageous products, especially in the form of staple fibers which are especially not fibrillated and have an advantageous wet to dry strength ratio. |
| US08841432B2 |
Shuttle vectors for mycobacteria-escherichia coli and uses thereof
The present disclosure provides a DNA molecule capable of replication in Mycobacteria having a nucleic acid sequence as disclosed in SEQ ID NO: 1, a shuttle vector constructed using it and a transformed cells containing the present vector. The vector of about 18 kb of the present disclosure contains 16 ORFs, a replication origin and a rep-like protein essential for replication. Therefore, the plasmid of the present disclosure can be utilized as a gene delivery system/research, and also in a therapeutic system such as immune therapeutics by effectively delivering proteins or heterologous DNA and expressing the encoded DNA in cells. |
| US08841431B2 |
Hepcidin binding nucleic acids
The present invention is related to a nucleic acid capable of binding to hepcidin. |
| US08841430B2 |
Use of regulatory sequences for specific, transient expression in neuronal determined cells
The present invention relates to the use of regulatory sequences for mediating specific, early transient expression in proliverative neuronal determined cells. Furthermore, the uses of recombinant nucleic acid molecules comprising said defined regulatory sequences for mediating specific, early transient expression in proliverative neuronal determined cells as well as for the generation of non-human transgenic organisms and/or host cells are disclosed. In addition, the invention provides for transgenic non-human animals and/or host cells comprising said regulatory sequences and/or recombinant nucleic acid molecules. The invention also describes methods for the preparation of such vectors, host cells and transgenic non-human animals as well as methods for the detection and/or isolation of neuronal determined cells. Additionally, methods for screening of compounds capable of regulating neuronal determined cell activity, neurogenesis, stimulating proliferation of neuronally committed precursor cells and/or neuronal differentiation are provided and the invention also relates to methods for the detection and analysis of neuronal differentiation, neuronal migration and/or neuronal determination processes. Finally, the invention relates to diagnostic and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the regulatory sequences, recombinant nucleic acid molecules, host-cells or isolated neuronal determined cells described herein. |
| US08841421B2 |
S100A9 interaction screening method
A method of identifying a compound for use in therapy which modulates the interaction of S1OO A9 with a ligand comprising:—determining whether a candidate compound is capable of modulating the interaction of S1OO A9 with RAGE or the interaction of S1OO A9 with a TLR (Toll like receptor), or—determining whether a candidate compound is capable of binding to S100A9 in a manner which disrupts binding of S1OO A9 with RAGE or the binding of S100A9 with a TLR, to thereby identify whether the compound may be used in therapy. |
| US08841420B2 |
Synthetic peptide constructs for the diagnosis and treatment of periodontis associated with Porphyromonas gingivalis
The present invention relates to an oral composition and an immunogenic composition for the suppression of the pathogenic effects of the intra-oral bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis associated with periodontal disease. |
| US08841415B2 |
Crystal form of the amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain (AICD) in complex with human FE65-PTB2
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional structure of the intracellular domain (AICD) of human amyloid precursor protein (APP695) in complex with human Fe65-PTB2 (i.e. a protein-complex comprising the intracellular domain (AICD) of human amyloid precursor protein (APP695) and the human Fe65-PTB2), as well as to methods and uses of said three-dimensional structure for identifying ligands which modify the interaction between the AICD and the Fe65-PTB2. Moreover, the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions which contain one or more of such identified ligands for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. |
| US08841395B2 |
Method for producing a water-absorbent resin
The present invention provides a method for producing a water-absorbent resin by a reversed-phase suspension polymerization method, wherein an odor originating from a raw material component, in particular, a petroleum hydrocarbon dispersion medium, was reduced, and a water-absorbent resin obtained by the method. More specifically, the present invention provides a method for producing a water-absorbent resin comprising performing a reversed-phase suspension polymerization of a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer in a petroleum hydrocarbon dispersion medium by using a surfactant, wherein an aqueous solution of the water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer is dispersed in the dispersion medium at a specific pouring rate to reduce an odor, and a water-absorbent resin obtained by the method, are provided. |
| US08841389B2 |
Process for producing polymers by means of emulsion or suspension polymerization in a jet loop reactor
A process for preparing a polymer in the form of an aqueous dispersion or a water-redispersible powder includes free-radically initiated heterophase polymerization of one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers and optionally subsequent drying of the polymer dispersions obtained, wherein the polymerization is performed in a jet loop reactor. |
| US08841384B2 |
Material comprising polyazacycloalkanes, grafted on polypropylene fibres, its process of preparation, and process for removing metal cations from a liquid
Material composed of a polyazacycloalkane grafted on polypropylene fibres.Process for the preparation of this material.Process for removing metal cations present in a liquid by bringing this liquid into contact with the said material. |
| US08841376B2 |
Methods for identifying and utilizing rubber compositions with good wet traction performance
A rubber formulation with good wet traction properties includes one or more elastomers and at least two types of particulate filler materials including at least one of which has a relatively high free surface energy in water (i.e., a supplemental filler). The formulation containing the supplemental filler(s) can provide a vulcanizate that has a British pendulum (skid) number that is at least ˜5% greater than that of a vulcanizate made from an essentially identical formulation that does not contain the supplemental filler(s). Also provided is a method for providing such a formulation which involves identifying one or more supplemental fillers having relatively high free surface energies in water, replacing at least 15% (by wt.) of one or more of the conventional particulate fillers in the formulation with an approximately equivalent volume of supplemental filler particles, and providing the modified formulation. |
| US08841372B2 |
Method and compositions for the sealing and assembly of power train components
The present invention relates to a silicone composition cross-linkable into elastomer, and to a method which uses the composition of the invention to form joints for sealing and assembling the components of a power train. The silicone elastomers prepared from the composition according to the invention have the following properties: good resistance to aging in chemically aggressive fluids, such as those used for example in a power train, in this case motor oils, gearbox and axle lubricants, oil/gasoline mixtures, coolants, and fuels or antifreeze liquids; good adhesive properties including on surfaces soiled with oils used in power trains; and good mechanical strength properties, such as tensile strength, modulus at 100% elongation, and Shore hardness. |
| US08841343B2 |
Composition for repelling mosquitoes
The present invention relates to a mosquito repellent comprises at least one or more mosquito repelling compound selected from the group consisting of citronellic acid, geranic acid and derivatives thereof in an effective amount to repel mosquitoes. |
| US08841341B2 |
Pharmaceutical composition effective against biofilms
The invention provides a compound termed Carolacton having the structure and derivatives thereof for medical use against biofilm formation by bacteria. |
| US08841336B2 |
Tetrazole-substituted arylamides as P2X3 and P2X2/3 antagonists
Compounds of the formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein, R1 is optionally substituted tetrazolyl, R2 is optionally substituted phenyl, optionally substituted pyridinyl or optionally substituted thienyl, and R3, R4, R5, R6 R7 and R8 are as defined herein. Also provided are methods of using the compounds for treating diseases associated with the P2X3 and/or a P2X2/3 receptor antagonist and methods of making the compounds. |
| US08841328B2 |
Selective insecticides based on anthranilic acid diamides and safeners
The present invention relates to the use of selective insecticidal compositions, characterized by an effective amount of an active compound combination comprising (a) (1) at least one haloalkylnicotinic acid derivative of the formula (I) in which AA and R1A are as defined in the description, or (2) at least one phthalic acid diamide of the formula (II) in which XB, R1B, R2B, R3B, L1B, L2B and L3B are as defined in the description, or (3) at least one anthranilamide of the formula (III) in which A1C, A2C, XC, R1C, R2C, R3C, R4C, R5C, R7C, R8C and R9C are as defined in the description, and (b) at least one crop plant compatibility-improving compound from the group of compounds given in the description, in particular cloquintocet-mexyl, isoxadifen-ethyl and mefenpyr-diethyl for controlling insects and/or arachnids, and a method for controlling insects and/or arachnids using the compositions. |
| US08841326B2 |
Therapeutic curcumin derivatives
Curcumin analogs and methods are provided for treatment of disease. |
| US08841318B2 |
Substituted heterocycles as janus kinase inhibitors
The present invention provides substituted tricyclic heteroaryl compounds, including, for example, pyridoindoles, pyrimidinoindoles and triazinoindoles that modulate the activity of Janus kinases and are useful in the treatment of diseases related to activity of Janus kinases such as immune-related diseases, skin disorders, myeloid proliferative disorders, cancer, and other diseases. |
| US08841302B2 |
HCV inhibitor and therapeutic agent combinations
The present invention is directed to a combination product for treating or ameliorating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection or disorders or symptoms associated therewith in a subject in need thereof comprising, a HCV inhibitor and one or more therapeutic agents selected from either or both a HCV protease inhibitor and one or more different therapeutic agents administered in combination in an effective amount to the subject. |
| US08841301B2 |
Selective NR2B antagonists
The disclosure generally relates to compounds of formula I, including their salts, as well as compositions and methods of using the compounds. The compounds are ligands, antagonists of the NR2B receptor and may be useful for the treatment of various disorders of the central nervous system. |
| US08841293B1 |
Tetrahydropyrrolothiazine compounds
The present invention provides a compound of Formula I: Formula I wherein R is H or F; and A is: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. |
| US08841292B2 |
Induced hypothermia
Sudden cardiac arrest is treated by reducing blood temperature from about 37° C. to 33° C., following resuscitation, by injecting hypothermia inducing drugs such as a cannabinoid type into the patient's body, preferably in combination with physical surface body cooling. |
| US08841288B2 |
Quinolin-4 (1H)-one derivatives as inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases
Compounds of Formula (I): able to inhibit kinase activity, in particular Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases activity. The disclosure also relates to the use of compounds of Formula (I) for treatment of pathological conditions associated to alterations in Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases activity. |
| US08841279B2 |
Oligo-guluronate and galacturonate compositions
The invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a macromolecular drug and an oligoguluronate or oligogalacturonate, e.g., having a number average degree of polymerization in the range 5 to 18, a guluronate (or galacturonate) fraction (FG) of at least 0.80, a mannuronate fraction (FM) of no more than 0.20, and having at least 95% mole with a degree of polymerization less than 20. The composition may be used in a method of treatment which comprises administering the composition to a mucosal surface in a human or non-human vertebrate subject. |
| US08841278B2 |
Antiviral compounds
The invention is related to anti-viral compounds, compositions containing such compounds, and therapeutic methods that include the administration of such compounds, as well as to processes and intermediates useful for preparing such compounds. |
| US08841277B2 |
Methods for treating non-small cell lung cancer using 5-azacytidine
The present disclosure provides methods for treating subjects having non-small cell lung cancer, wherein the methods comprise administering to the subject a cytidine analog, such as 5-azacytidine. Also provided are methods relating to identification and treatment of particular non-small cell lung cancer types sensitive to particular cytidine analogs. |
| US08841269B2 |
Polynucleotides for use in treating and diagnosing cancers
The present invention provides methods for increasing sensitivity of cancer cells to an antiestrogen agent, such as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). The methods include administering to the subject a polynucleotide in an amount effective to increase the antiestrogen agent sensitivity of the cancer cells. The cancer cells may be estrogen receptor positive, such as ER-α66 positive or ER-α36 positive, prior to the administering. Also provided are methods for decreasing the amount of estrogen receptor present in a cancer cell, methods for determining whether antiestrogen agent sensitivity of cancer cells in a subject can be increased, methods for diagnosing whether a subject has, or is at risk for developing, cancer, and methods for identifying an agent that increases the amount of let-7 miRNA in a cell. |
| US08841265B2 |
Composition comprising triterpene saponins and compounds with angeloyl functional group, methods for preparing same and uses thereof
This invention provides a composition comprising a triterpenoid saponin, comprising two side groups attached to carbons 21, and 22 of the triterpenoid saponin backbone, for inhibiting skin or ovarian tumor cell growth. |
| US08841243B2 |
Natural gas engine lubricating oil compositions
A natural gas engine lubricating oil composition is disclosed which comprises (a) a major amount of an oil of lubricating viscosity, (b) one or more phosphorus-containing anti-wear additives, (c) one or more ashless dispersants, (d) one or more alkaline earth metal salts of an alkyl-substituted hydroxyaromatic carboxylic acid, and (e) one or more antioxidants, wherein the natural gas engine lubricating oil composition contains no more than about 0.03 weight percent of phosphorus, based on the total weight of the natural gas engine lubricating oil composition, and further wherein the natural gas engine lubricating oil composition is substantially free of any alkali metal-containing detergents. |
| US08841240B2 |
Enhancing drag reduction properties of slick water systems
Novel slick water fracturing fluid compositions are disclosed, where the compositions including with slick water fracturing compositions including a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide polymer system within invert emulsion and an effective amount of a friction reducer booster system, where the effective amount is sufficient to reduce a drag friction of the composition by an additional amount of at least 5% in the first 30 seconds of evaluation in high salinity and low temperature environments. |
| US08841239B2 |
Patterned nanosubstrates made by directed self assembly of amphiphilic molecules
Nanoscale patterns prepared by lithography are used to direct the self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules to form patterned nanosubstrates having a desired distribution of chemical functional moieties. These patterns can be fabricated over a large area and require no special limitations on the chemistry the assembled amphiphiles. Hydrophilic/hydrophobic patterns can be created and used to direct the deposition of a single functional component to specific regions of the surface or to selectively assemble polymer blends to desired sites in a one step fashion with high specificity and selectivity. The selective deposition of functional moieties on a patterned surface can be based on electrostatic forces, hydrogen bonding, or hydrophobic interactions. The methods and patterned nanosubstrates of the invention can be used in the assembly of functional polymer systems, polyelectrolytes, biomolecules, conducting polymers, colloids and nanoparticles, and find wide technological applications in biosensors, biochips, photonics and electronics. |
| US08841232B1 |
Advanced ceramic catalyst
The present disclosure generally relates to an advanced ceramic catalyst made by metal oxides dispersed in refractory ceramics and the process of making same. The advanced ceramic catalyst is capable of significantly lowering carbon foot prints and noxious emissions by generating the same heat energy with much lower quantity of fuel such as of natural gas, propane and other gaseous hydrocarbons. A process of making such a catalyst from inexpensive combination of metal oxide prepared in solution to have many oxygen lattice defects and particle size distribution selected from nanometer to millimeter range which can provide a huge surface area for combustion reaction thus lowering the activation energy of combustion. |
| US08841231B2 |
Process for the preparation of palladium-based catalysts and use of said catalysts in selective hydrogenation
The invention concerns a novel process for the preparation of supported metallic catalysts in which the metallic phase is deposited in the form of agglomerates of nanoparticles of metallic oxide and forms a layer of fine thickness at the surface of the support. The process for the preparation of a catalyst comprises preparing in aqueous phase a colloidal suspension of agglomerates of nanoparticles of metallic oxide, then depositing that suspension on a porous support, drying the catalyst precursor obtained, and optionally calcining and reducing the precursor by means of any reducing compound. The invention also concerns the catalysts obtained by said process and their uses in reactions for the transformation of unsaturated organic compounds. The invention is applied to the refining field and more particularly to the treatment of gasolines obtained by steam cracking and/or obtained by catalytic cracking. |
| US08841224B2 |
Dielectric ceramic composition and electronic device
Dielectric ceramic composition comprising a compound shown by a general formula {A1−x(RE)2x/3}y-B2O5+y and has a tungsten bronze-type structure. In the formula, “A” is at least one selected from a group comprising Ba, Ca, Sr and Mg, “B” is at least one selected from Nb and Ta, “RE” is at least one selected from Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu, and said “x” and “y” satisfies 0 |
| US08841219B2 |
Lithography processes utilizing extreme ultraviolet rays and methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices using the same
Lithography processes are provided. The lithography process includes installing a reticle masking (REMA) part having a REMA open region in a lithography apparatus, loading a reticle including at least one reticle chip region in which circuit patterns are disposed into the lithography apparatus, and sequentially exposing a first wafer field, which includes a first chip region corresponding to the reticle chip region, and a second wafer field, which includes a second chip region corresponding to the reticle chip region, of a wafer to rays using the reticle and the REMA part to transfer images of the circuit patterns onto the wafer. An edge boundary of the REMA open region transferred on the first wafer field is located on a scribe lane region between the first and second chip regions while the first wafer field is exposed. Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the lithography process are also provided. |
| US08841215B2 |
Polishing agent, compound semiconductor manufacturing method, and semiconductor device manufacturing method
Afforded are a polishing agent, and a compound semiconductor manufacturing method and semiconductor device manufacturing method utilizing the agent, whereby the surface quality of compound semiconductor substrates can be favorably maintained, and high polishing rates can be sustained as well. The polishing agent is a polishing agent for GaαIn(1-α)AsβP(1-β) (0≦α≦1; 0≦β≦1) compound semiconductors, and includes an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal organic salt, a chlorine-based oxidizer, and an alkali metal phosphate, wherein the sum of the concentrations of the alkali metal carbonate and the alkali metal organic salt is between 0.01 mol/L and 0.02 mol/L, inclusive. The compound semiconductor manufacturing method comprises a step of preparing a GaαIn(1-α)AsβP(1-β) (0≦α≦1; 0≦β≦1) compound semiconductor, and a step of polishing the face of the compound semiconductor utilizing an aforedescribed polishing agent. |
| US08841209B2 |
Method for forming coreless flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) substrates and such substrates formed by the method
A method for forming coreless flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) substrates comprising the steps of sequentially depositing a pair of laminates, each having a plurality of insulated metallization layers simultaneously respectively on each side of a temporary carrier substrate, and then removing the temporary carrier to separate the pair of laminates, so that each laminate has an outer ball grid metal pad array, and during the depositing of the pair of laminates on the carrier substrate, further depositing a supporting layer of dielectric material enclosing the metal pad array, wherein said supporting layers of dielectric material provides structural support for each of the laminates after the separation. |
| US08841198B2 |
Isolation layer having a bilayer structure for a semiconductor device and method for forming the same
An isolation layer of a semiconductor device and a process for forming the same is described herein. The isolation layer includes a trench that is defined and formed in a semiconductor substrate. A first liner nitride layer is formed on the surface of the trench and a flowable insulation layer is formed in the trench including the first liner nitride layer. The flowable insulation layer is formed such to define a recess in the trench. A second liner nitride layer is formed on the recess including the flowable insulation layer and the first liner nitride layer. Finally, an insulation layer is formed in the recess on the second liner nitride layer to completely fill the trench. |
| US08841187B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for fabricating semiconductor device
Disclosed is a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device. The method for fabricating the semiconductor device comprises steps of: forming a side cliff in a substrate in accordance with a gate mask pattern, the side cliff being substantially vertical to a substrate surface; forming a dielectric layer on the substrate that comprises the side cliff; etching the dielectric layer to have the dielectric layer left only on the side cliff, as a dielectric wall; and burying the side cliff by a substrate growth, the burying is performed up to a level higher than the upper end of the dielectric wall. |
| US08841182B1 |
Silane and borane treatments for titanium carbide films
Methods of treating metal-containing thin films, such as films comprising titanium carbide, with a silane/borane agent are provided. In some embodiments a film including titanium carbide is deposited on a substrate by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The process may include a plurality of deposition cycles involving alternating and sequential pulses of a first source chemical that includes titanium and at least one halide ligand, a second source chemical that includes metal and carbon, where the metal and the carbon from the second source chemical are incorporated into the thin film, and a third source chemical, where the third source chemical is a silane or borane that at least partially reduces oxidized portions of the titanium carbide layer formed by the first and second source chemicals. The treatment can form a capping layer on the metal carbide film. |
| US08841171B2 |
Method of making stackable semiconductor assembly with bump/flange heat spreader and dual build-up circuitry
A method of making a stackable semiconductor assembly that includes a semiconductor device, a heat spreader, an adhesive, a plated through-hole, first build-up circuitry and second build-up circuitry is disclosed. The heat spreader includes a bump and a flange. The bump defines a cavity. The semiconductor device is mounted on the bump at the cavity, electrically connected to the first build-up circuitry and thermally connected to the bump. The bump extends into an opening in the adhesive and the flange extends laterally from the bump at the cavity entrance. The first build-up circuitry and the second build-up circuitry extend beyond the semiconductor device in opposite vertical directions. The plated through-hole extends through the adhesive and provides signal routing between the first build-up circuitry and the second build-up circuitry. The heat spreader provides heat dissipation for the semiconductor device. |
| US08841170B2 |
Methods for scribing of semiconductor devices with improved sidewall passivation
A method of singulating semiconductor devices in the close proximity to active structures by controlling interface charge of semiconductor device sidewalls is provided that includes forming a scribe on a surface of a semiconductor devices, where the scribe is within 5 degrees of a crystal lattice direction of the semiconductor device, cleaving the semiconductor device along the scribe, where the devices are separated, using a coating process to coat the sidewalls of the cleaved semiconductor device with a passivation material, where the passivation material is disposed to provide a fixed charge density at a semiconductor interface of the sidewalls, and where the fixed charge density interacts with charge carriers in the bulk of the material. |
| US08841162B2 |
Germanium photodetector
A method for forming a photodetector device includes forming an insulator layer on a substrate, forming a germanium (Ge) layer on the insulator layer and a portion of the substrate, forming a second insulator layer on the Ge layer, patterning the Ge layer, forming a capping insulator layer on the second insulator layer and a portion of the first insulator layer, heating the device to crystallize the Ge layer resulting in an single crystalline Ge layer, implanting n-type ions in the single crystalline Ge layer, heating the device to activate n-type ions in the single crystalline Ge layer, and forming electrodes electrically connected to the single crystalline n-type Ge layer. |
| US08841156B2 |
Method for the production of micro-electromechanical semiconductor component
The micro-electromechanical semiconductor component is provided with a first semiconductor substrate, which has an upper face, and a second semiconductor substrate, which has an upper face. Both semiconductor substrates are bonded resting on the upper faces thereof. A cavity is introduced into the upper face of at least one of the two semiconductor substrates. The cavity is defined by lateral walls and opposing top and bottom walls, which are formed by the two semiconductor substrates. The top or the bottom wall acts as a reversibly deformable membrane and an opening extending through the respective semiconductor substrate is arranged in the other of said two walls of the cavity. |
| US08841148B2 |
Method for making light emitting diode
A method for making light emitting diode includes following steps. A substrate having an epitaxial growth surface is provided. A first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer is epitaxially grown on the epitaxial growth surface of the substrate in that sequence. A first optical symmetric layer is formed on the second semiconductor layer. A metallic layer is applied on the first optical symmetric layer. A second optical symmetric layer is formed on the metallic layer. The substrate is removed. A first electrode is configured to cover entire exposed surface of the first semiconductor layer. A second electrode is electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer. |
| US08841147B2 |
Method for making light emitting diode
A method for making a light emitting diode includes the following steps. A first epitaxial substrate having a first epitaxial growth surface is provided. A carbon nanotube layer is placed on the first epitaxial growth surface. An intrinsic semiconductor layer is grown on the first epitaxial growth surface epitaxially. A second epitaxial substrate is formed by removing the carbon nanotube layer, wherein the second epitaxial substrate has a second epitaxial growth surface. A first semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second semiconductor layer are grown on the second epitaxial growth surface in that order. A part of the first semiconductor layer is exposed by etching a part of the active layer and the second semiconductor layer. A first electrode is applied on the first semiconductor layer and a second electrode is applied on the second semiconductor layer. |
| US08841138B2 |
Surface of base material being inhibited in non-specific adsorption
A substrate surface on which either a substance to detect analyte or an analyte per se is immobilized, which surface is formed by a treatment of substrate surface with a liquid which contains uncrosslinked polymer based on polyethylene glycol chain segment, said treatment conducted either simultaneously with the immobilization of said substance or analyte or after said substance or analyte has been immobilized on said surface. The non-specific adsorption of impurity protein or the like which is co-existent in sample for assay is significantly restrained. |
| US08841132B2 |
Method for detecting compounds containing sulfenic acid using a 1,3-cyclohexanedione-based probe
The present invention provides compounds of Formula I: wherein: R1 is a label (e.g., a detectable group and an anti-tumor agent); L is present or absent and when present is a linking group; and x represents an integer from 1 to 10; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compounds are useful for, among other things, identifying cysteine sulfenic acids in proteins and monitoring oxidative damage in proteins and cells. Adduct formation can be detected using analytical methods such as electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and fluorescence. |
| US08841131B1 |
Cholesterol measuring apparatus and associated use thereof
A cholesterol-level measuring apparatus including a portable body having a cholesterol level detecting means for identifying a cholesterol level in a blood sample, and a display screen communicatively coupled to the cholesterol level detecting means for illustrating a learned cholesterol level in the blood sample. Notably, the cholesterol level detecting means includes a disposable test strip having a color-changing reactive reagent that changes color in response to the learned cholesterol level in the blood sample. |
| US08841130B2 |
Methods and kit for endometriosis diagnosis
An endometriosis diagnostic in which a biological sample of a female mammal having had a menstrual cycle within 90 days of the biological sample having been obtained from the female mammal is subjected to an in vitro diagnostic procedure in which the biological sample is contacted with an apatite compound for an effective time to provide a responsive visual appearance. Based on the visual appearance, a determination is made whether the female mammal has endometriosis. |
| US08841123B2 |
Methods for culturing undifferentiated cells using sustained release compositions
Methods for culturing undifferentiated mammalian cells, such as stem and progenitor cells, are provided. The methods involve incubating the cell in the presence of a sustained release composition containing at least one growth factor, wherein the sustained release composition continuously releases the growth factor(s), and wherein the presence of the sustained level of growth factor maintains the cell in an undifferentiated state. |
| US08841116B2 |
Inline-injection microdevice and microfabricated integrated DNA analysis system using same
Methods and microfluidic circuitry for inline injection of nucleic acids for capillary electrophoresis analysis are provided. According to various embodiments, microfabricated structures including affinity-based capture matrixes inline with separation channels are provided. The affinity-based capture matrixes provide inline sample plug formation and injection into a capillary electrophoresis channel. Also provided are methods and apparatuses for a microbead-based inline injection system for DNA sequencing. |
| US08841113B2 |
Alkaliphilic lactic acid bacterium
The present invention relates to a method for producing lactic acid from plant biomass without requiring sterilization, and specifically relates to a method for producing lactic acid comprising culturing alkaliphilic lactic acid bacteria under non-sterile condition and at a pH of 9 to 11 in a medium containing a cellulose glycosylation solution and then further culturing the bacteria at a pH of 5 to 9. |
| US08841108B2 |
Antibodies and pharmaceutical compositions containing same useful for inhibiting activity of metalloproteins
A method of producing a metalloprotein inhibitor, the method comprising generating antibodies directed at a composition including a metal ion-bound chelator, wherein the composition is selected having structural and electronic properties similar to a functional domain of the metalloprotein, thereby producing the metalloprotein inhibitor. |
| US08841104B2 |
Methods for isolating a target analyte from a heterogeneous sample
The invention generally relates to methods of using compositions that include sets of magnetic particles, members of each set being conjugated to an antibody specific for a pathogen, and magnets to isolate a pathogen from a body fluid sample. |
| US08841096B2 |
Method for producing multicyclical ring systems carrying amino groups
The invention relates to a method for the amination of at least one keto group in a multicyclic ring system comprising at least one keto group into an amino group, using at least one enzyme E having transaminase activity. |
| US08841092B2 |
Reversible natural product glycosyltransferase-catalyzed reactions, compounds and related methods
The present invention relates to methods of use of glycosyltransferases and related compounds. The invention exploits the reversibility of glycosyltransferases to generate new sugars, unnatural biomolecules and numerous one-pot reactions for generation of new biomolecules having varied backbones such as enediynes, vancomycins, bleomycins, anthracyclines, macrolides, pluramycins, aureolic acids, indolocarbazoles, aminglycosides, glycopeptides, polyenes, coumarins, benzoisochromanequinones, calicheamicins, erythromycin, avermectins, ivermectins, angucyclines, cardiac glycosides, steroids or flavinoids. In preferred embodiments, the invention specifically relates to biosynthesis of anticancer (the enediyne calicheamicin, CLM), anthelmintic agents (the macrolides avermectin, ivermectin and erythromycin) and antibiotic (the glycopeptide vancomycin, VCM) natural product-based drugs developed by reversible, bidirectional glycosyltransferase-catalyzed reactions. |
| US08841084B2 |
Methods for the detection and monitoring of acute myocardial infarction
Disclosed herein are methods of detecting and/or prognosing myocardial infarction by detecting a proteolytic fragment of caspase-3 such as the p17 fragment or the p12 fragment. The myocardial infarction can be STEMI or NSTEMI. |
| US08841082B2 |
Method and device for the determination of minor cell population in heterogeneous cell populations
The invention relates to a method for determining one or more cellularly bound analytes in a liquid sample, said method being carried out using a device comprising: at least one feeding zone (5) for applying the liquid sample; a porous membrane (2) that is suitable for letting cellular components penetrate therethrough and includes at least one indicator zone on the membrane, said indicator zone being able to interact with the cellularly bound analyte and containing at least one binding element against the cellularly bound analyte; and at least one absorption area (3) on the membrane, which absorbs the liquid after the liquid has passed the indicator zones. The at least one indicator zone lies between the feeding zone (5) and the absorption area (3). The method is carried out for concentrating and quantifying the minor cell population in heterogeneous cell populations, for example in cases of fetomaternal hemorrhage or in chimera, detecting an analyte provided at a low concentration on cells, determining the hematocrit value, and/or determining, in parallel, cellularly bound analytes in mixed-field reactions. |
| US08841075B1 |
Homologous pairing capture assay and related methods and applications
A Homologous Pairing Capture Assay is described which enables detection of coalignment between homologous DNA sequences. The assay involves ligating closely positioned homologous sequences to each other thereby generating head-to-head ligation products or inverted repeats. DNA fragments containing an inverted repeat are then converted into hairpin DNA molecules. The hairpin DNA molecules can then be readily separated from DNA molecules free of inverted repeats. Also described are various diagnostic applications and kits relating to the assay. |
| US08841069B2 |
Dendron-mediated DNA virus detection
The disclosure relates to chips containing nucleic acid probes or primers and their use in methods to detect nucleic acid molecules of DNA viruses. The disclosure includes DNA chips with probes immobilized via a dendron-mediated linkage in contact with a thermocycler capable of automatically regulating the temperature, temperature cycle times, and number of temperature cycles of the chips to provide genetic diagnosis in one step. |
| US08841061B2 |
Positive resist composition and patterning process
A positive resist composition comprising a polymer having carboxyl groups substituted with an acid labile group having formula (1) exhibits a high contrast of alkaline dissolution rate before and after exposure, a high resolution, a reduced acid diffusion rate, and forms a pattern with good profile, minimal edge roughness, and etch resistance. In formula (1), R1 is methylene or ethylene, R2 is alkyl, aryl, or alkenyl, which may contain oxygen or sulfur, R3 is fluorine or trifluoromethyl, and m is an integer of 1 to 4. |
| US08841057B2 |
Electrophotographic toner
A resin binder for use in a toner for electrophotography, containing a polycondensation resin obtainable by polycondensing an alcohol component containing an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol having two or more secondary carbon atoms with a hydroxyl group bound thereto (an alcohol A), and a carboxylic acid component, wherein the alcohol A is contained in an amount of from 10 to 100% by mol, of the alcohol component; and a toner for electrophotography containing the resin binder. The toner for electrophotography of the present invention is suitably used in developing latent images formed in electrophotography, electrostatic recording method, electrostatic printing method or the like. |
| US08841055B2 |
Super low melt emulsion aggregation toners comprising a trans-cinnamic di-ester
An emulsion aggregation toner composition is disclosed that includes toner particles with at least one small crystalline molecule, such as a trans-cinnamic diester, at least one amorphous resin, optional waxes, coagulants, pigments, and combinations thereof. In other embodiments, the small crystalline molecule is biodegradable and can be made using raw materials derived from renewable resources. Such small crystalline molecules are also compatible with amorphous binder resins, to provide toner compositions with reduced minimum fusing temperatures without sacrificing electrical performance. Processes for preparing emulsion aggregation toner compositions are also described. |
| US08841052B2 |
Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus
In order to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member with which a ghost is suppressed even under a low temperature and low humidity environment, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, and a photosensitive layer formed on the undercoat layer and comprising a charge generating material and a hole transporting material, wherein the undercoat layer comprises a particular amine compound. |
| US08841050B2 |
Photosensitive resin composition and applications thereof
A photosensitive resin composition includes: an alkali-soluble resin; an o-naphthoquinonediazidesulfonic acid ester; a silsesquioxane having at least two thiol groups in a molecule; and a solvent. The silsesquioxane is obtained by subjecting to condensation a silane material which includes a thiol-group-containing silane represented by RaSi(ORb)3. Ra represents a C1-C8 organic group that contains a thiol group and that is free from an aromatic group, or an organic group that contains a thiol group and an aromatic group. Rb independently represents hydrogen, a C1-C6 alkyl group, a C1-C6 acyl group, or a C6-C15 aromatic group. |
| US08841041B2 |
Integration of an organic rankine cycle with a fuel cell
An Organic Rankine Cycle system is combined with a fuel cell system, with the working fluid of the Organic Rankine Cycle system being integrated directly into the cooling system for the fuel cell. The waste heat from the fuel cell is therefore applied directly to preheat and evaporate the working fluid in the Organic Rankine Cycle system to thereby provide improved efficiencies in the system. |
| US08841040B2 |
Method to cold-start fuel cell system at sub-zero temperatures
In a method to cold-start a fuel cell system at sub-zero temperatures, the fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell stack, upstream of which is connected a heating device to heat a cooling agent to be circulated by a coolant pump. To reduce the demand for stored electrical energy, the cold fuel cell stack is operated at such a capacity that it generates power that is sufficient only to operate the heating device and the coolant pump. The power generated by the fuel cell stack is used to operate the heating device for heating the cooling agent as well as the coolant pump, whereby the coolant pump circulates the cooling agent between the fuel cell stack and the heating device. The heating device is switched off as soon as the fuel cell stack reaches a preset temperature that is higher than the original temperature. |
| US08841038B2 |
Fuel cell system having unreacted gas discharge pipeline
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack and a humidifier. The humidifier includes an unreacted gas inlet port connected to an end of an unreacted hydrogen discharge pipeline, which is connected at the other end to a hydrogen outlet port of the fuel cell stack, such that the unreacted hydrogen discharged from the fuel cell stack via the hydrogen outlet port is led by the unreacted hydrogen discharge pipeline into the humidifier. The humidifier regulates the humidity and concentration of the unreacted hydrogen led thereinto, and the unreacted hydrogen is then discharged from the humidifier. |
| US08841036B2 |
Flexible fuel cell
Disclosed herein is a flexible fuel cell including, one or a plurality of cell sections, and a sealing sheet covering the cell section or sections, wherein the cell section has, at least, a pair of electrode sheets which form an anode and a cathode and at least one of which is accompanied by an oxidoreductase present at a surface thereof, a separator which is disposed between the electrode sheets and which has a proton-permeable membrane, a pair of current collectors which are electrically conductively connected respectively to the electrode sheets with a conductive adhesive, and a fuel reservoir section which is provided at such a position as to make contact with the anode at least and in which a fuel solution containing a fuel component is reserved. |
| US08841035B2 |
Flame retardant electrolyte solution for rechargeable lithium battery and rechargeable lithium battery including the same
Disclosed are a flame retardant electrolyte solution for a rechargeable lithium battery including a lithium salt, a linear carbonate-based solvent, an ionic liquid including ammonium cations, and a phosphoric acid-based solvent, and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same. |
| US08841034B2 |
Electrolyte for electrochemical device, electrolyte solution using same, and non-aqueous electrolyte battery
An electrolyte for an electrochemical device according to the present invention has a chemical structure formula represented by a general formula (1): where M is a group 13 or 15 element of the periodic table; A+ is an alkali metal ion or an onium ion; m is a number of 1-4 when M is a group 13 element, and is a number of 1-6 when M is a group 15 element; n is a number of 0-3 when M is a group 13 element, and is a number of 0-5 when M is a group 15 element; R is a halogen atom, a C1-C10 halogenated alkyl group, a C6-C20 aryl group, or a C6-C20 halogenated aryl group; a hydrogen atom in R may be replaced with a specific substituent; and a carbon atom in R may be replaced by a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom or an oxygen atom. |
| US08841032B2 |
Microporous membranes, methods for making such membranes, and the use of such membranes as battery separator film
The invention relates to microporous membranes having high meltdown temperature, low shutdown temperature, and resistance to heat shrinkage at elevated temperature. The membranes can be produced by stretching a sheet comprising polymethylpentene, polyethylene, and diluent, and then removing the diluent. The membranes can be used as battery separator film in, e.g., lithium ion batteries. |
| US08841028B2 |
Lead acid storage battery
A lead acid storage battery composed of plates, the lead acid storage battery being obtained by packing an active material into a grid plate provided with a frame section having a quadrangular profile shape, and lateral grid strands and longitudinal grid strands that form a grid inside the frame section. The lateral grid strands are composed of thick lateral strands having a thickness equal to the thickness of the frame section, and thin lateral strands of smaller width and thickness than the thick strands, the longitudinal grid strands being composed of thick longitudinal strands that have a thickness that is less than thickness of the frame section, one end in the thickness direction being arranged in the same plane as one end of the frame section in the thickness direction, and thin longitudinal strands of smaller width and thickness than the thick longitudinal strands. |
| US08841024B2 |
Electrode for secondary battery, slurry for secondary battery electrode, and secondary battery
A secondary battery electrode which suppresses decrease in capacity and lithium deposition at low temperatures is provided. An electrode for a secondary battery includes an electrode active material layer containing a polymer having a cationic group, an anion corresponding to the cationic group, and an electrode active material, and the cation density in the polymer is 0.1 to 15 meq/g. |
| US08841022B2 |
Terminal of secondary battery and method of assembling the same
A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly; a first terminal electrically connected to the electrode assembly, wherein the first terminal includes a first collecting plate contacting the electrode assembly and having at least one opening; a first terminal plate comprising at least one protrusion extending into the at least one opening; and a first coupling terminal extending through the first terminal plate and electrically coupled to the first collecting plate; a case housing the electrode assembly; and a cap assembly sealing the case. |
| US08841013B2 |
Battery pack having reinforcement member
Disclosed is a battery pack including a battery module array, wherein a reinforcement member is coupled to side walls of end plates or sides of main members at an outer side of an outermost battery module of the battery module array to minimize deformation of the battery pack when the battery pack is vibrated in the front and rear direction. |
| US08840991B2 |
Composite carbon nanotube structure
A composite carbon nanotube structure includes a carbon nanotube film structure and a graphite structure. The carbon nanotube structure defines a number of micropores therein. The graphite structure and the carbon nanotube film structure are composited together. The graphite structure comprising a number of graphite segments filled in the micropores. |
| US08840990B2 |
Porous organosilicate layers, and vapor deposition systems and methods for preparing same
The present invention provides porous organosilicate layers, and vapor deposition systems and methods for preparing such layers on substrates. The porous organosilicate layers are useful, for example, as masks. |
| US08840987B2 |
Insulation apparatus and method
A layered insulation apparatus and method of making that contains a multiple layer insulation that has a top outside moisture barrier layer, followed by a first flame retardant layer, followed by a metal layer, followed by a second flame retardant layer, and finally followed by a bottom moisture barrier outside layer. A sound abatement layer may optionally be layered on top of the first moisture barrier layer. |
| US08840982B2 |
Textured substrate provided with a stack having thermal properties
The invention relates to a glass substrate (10) having a main face that exhibits a texture in relief having a depth of at least 1 mm, characterized in that said main face (11) is provided with a thin-film stack (100) having reflection properties in the infrared and/or in solar radiation. |
| US08840980B2 |
Stiffened structure integrating an opening
A stiffened structure includes stiffeners (14.1, 14.2, 14.3) and nodes (12) at which three stiffeners (14.1, 14.2, 14.3) of different directions intersect, with the surfaces of the stiffeners (14.1, 14.2, 14.3) being arranged in planes that are perpendicular to the same plane, whereby the stiffened structure includes at least one opening (26) and is characterized in that the opening (26) is surrounded by a hexagonal belt, formed by peripheral stiffeners (40). |
| US08840979B2 |
T-profile junction of composite materials
A T-profile junction of composite materials with a T-profile (1) and a base plate (2). The T-profile (1) comprises a web (3) and at least two flanges (4-7). The flanges (4-7) are angled with respect to the web (3). A fillet (11, 12) is provided between the web (3) and each of the flanges (4-7). At least one tension bar (16, 32, 40, 50, 65) is releasably mounted to the base plate (2). The web (3) is provided with at least one passage (23, 24, 33, 34). Said at least one tension bar (16, 32, 40, 50, 65) reaches through the at least one passage (23, 24, 33, 34). The at least one tension bar (16, 32, 40, 50, 65) is biased against the base plate (2) and the respective flanges (5, 6) of said T-Profile (1). |
| US08840978B2 |
Identification device having antimicrobial properties
An identification device, preferably a wristband or adhesive label, is configured to receive identifying indicia by means of a direct thermal printer. A direct thermal layer includes antimicrobial particles embedded therein and is exposed, i.e., does not have a protective overcoat or varnish covering the direct thermal layer. The antimicrobial particles increase the surface available silver ions and are preferably formed of an aqueous dispersion of silver chloride-coated titanium dioxide particles. The antimicrobial particles may also be formed of an inorganic silver-containing compound such as silver zirconium phosphates or a silver substituted zeolite. |
| US08840973B2 |
Retardation film, polarizing plate, liquid crystal display and manufacturing method of retardation film
A retardation film comprising a cellulose derivative and a plasticizer, wherein a total haze, Htotal, of the retardation film meets the following condition: 0.1%≦Htotal≦0.4%; and a ratio of a internal haze, Hi, to the total haze, Hi/Htotal, of the retardation film meets the following condition: Hi/Htotal≦0.5. |
| US08840966B2 |
Polyurethane coating composition
A polymer useful in coating compositions is described. The polymer is preferably an unsaturated polyurethane polymer, which preferably has an iodine value of at least 10. The polymer may be combined with one or more liquid carriers to form a liquid coating composition useful in coating a variety of substrates, including planar metal substrates. |
| US08840963B2 |
Environmentally friendly water-based epoxy resin composition and a use therefor
The present invention relates to an aqueous epoxy resin composition which is able to contain a large amount of water because it uses an epoxy resin and a coagulant and thereby allows an emulsifier and water to be stably adsorbed and captured on tangled particle surfaces of the coagulant. The aqueous epoxy resin composition according to the present invention comprises a highly compatible formulation producing a good cross-linking bond in a curing reaction with a curing agent and hence it can effect functions including those of a coating agent, a primer agent, a mortar agent and an adhesive agent in a two-part formulation, and it entails a formulation using absolutely no volatile organic compounds in large amounts and hence it is environmentally-friendly and can also markedly reduce production costs. |
| US08840961B1 |
Composition and method for cleaning and lubricating valves and slides within musical instruments
A sticky valve or slide mechanism within a musical wind instrument is opened, wiped dry, cleaned and lubricated with a composition including diatomaceous earth, a solvent, and a lubricant, and closed, making the instrument ready to play with the composition being left within the valve or slide mechanism. When the mechanism again becomes sticky, it is wiped dry and lubricated with a conventional lubricant. |
| US08840960B2 |
Method of cleaning carbon composite prior to application of thermal coating
A method of cleaning a carbon work piece includes the step of applying an acetone cleaning agent to the carbon work piece to remove debris therefrom. The removal of debris promotes adhesion between the carbon work piece and a subsequently applied coating. For example, other steps may precede the acetone cleaning step, such as submersing the carbon work piece in deionized water. In one example, a subsequent coating process deposits an alumina coating on the carbon work piece. |
| US08840958B2 |
Combined injection module for sequentially injecting source precursor and reactant precursor
Performing atomic layer deposition using a combined injector that sequentially injects source precursor and reactant precursor onto a substrate. The source precursor is injected into the injector via a first channel, injected onto the substrate and then discharged through a first exhaust portion. The reactant precursor is then injected into the injector via a second channel separate from the first channel, injected onto the substrate and then discharged through a second exhaust portion separate from the first exhaust portion. After injecting the source precursor or the reactant precursor, a purge gas may be injected into the injector and discharged to remove any source precursor or reactant precursor remaining in paths from the first or second channel to the first or second exhaust portion. |
| US08840952B2 |
Intragastric space fillers and methods of manufacturing including in vitro testing
An in vitro testing process for simulating conditions of a stomach, comprising, in combination: providing an intragastric device to an acetone bath; inducing swelling of the intragastric device; exacerbating weak spots in the intragastric device; observing the results; and estimating the results of an in vivo study. Improvements to an intragastric space filler to reduce failure at a balloon to shaft area including an adhesive fillet, washers, a balloon cuff and collar, a molded in balloon fillet, and a one-piece molded balloon assembly. |
| US08840944B2 |
Method for improving the sensory properties and resistance of food and drink products to micro-organisms
A method for improving the sensory properties and resistance of food and drink products, especially uncured meat products, to various kinds of micro-organisms and in particular food spoilage and food poisoning bacteria includes contacting the food or drink product with a composition comprising alkali metal salts having as anions propionate and a co-anion selected from lactate, acetate, and combinations thereof, and as cations potassium and hydrogen, wherein the weight-based ratio of lactate/propionate is in the range of 0 to 20 and the weight-based ratio of acetate/propionate is in the range of 0.05 to 3.5. |
| US08840942B2 |
Food product and method and apparatus for baking
Provide an oven and optional cooking accessories having a high emissivity thermal protective layer on a substrate surface which comprises a metal or ceramic. The layer comprises from about 5% to 30% of an inorganic adhesive, from about 45% to 92% of at least one filler, and from about 1% to 25% of one or more emissivity agents; or from about 5% to 35% of colloidal silica, colloidal alumina, or combinations thereof, from about 23% to 79% of at least one filler, and from about 1% to 25% of one or more emissivity agents. |
| US08840939B2 |
Vigna unguiculata seed extract and compositions containing same
The invention relates to a composition comprising a Vigna unguiculata seed extract. The composition is advantageously cosmetic, pharmaceutical, dermatological or nutraceutical. The invention further relates to a method for extracting a Vigna unguiculata seed extract, as well as to the resulting extract. The invention further relates to one such composition or one such extract for use in the prevention or treatment of disorders or pathologies of the skin, mucosae or appendages, for use in the prevention or treatment of vascular disorders, or for use in the prevention or treatment of adipose tissue alterations. Finally, the invention relates to a method for cosmetic care of the skin, appendages or mucosae, in order to improve the condition or appearance thereof, comprising the administration of one such composition or one such extract. |
| US08840927B2 |
Method of making anti-microbial polymeric surfaces
The present invention is a method for the modification of the surfaces of polymeric materials with polymer coatings that may be subsequently treated to be lubricious and anti-microbial. The method comprises incubating a photo-initiator-coated polymeric material with an aqueous monomer that is capable of free radical polymerization and exposing the incubating polymeric material to UV light creating a modified surface on said polymeric material. The method may additionally comprise adding a silver component to the modified surface. The silver component may be provided as a silver salt coating or a silver salt contained within a hydrogel bonded to the acrylate modified polymeric material surface. |
| US08840926B2 |
Sialic acid analogs
The present invention provides sialic acid analogs and their compositions useful for the treatment of sialic acid deficiencies. |
| US08840914B2 |
Method of manufacturing antimicrobial implants of polyetheretherketone
Methods of fabricating implantable medical devices, preferably with PEEK, having antimicrobial properties, are disclosed. The antimicrobial effect is produced by incorporating ceramic particles containing antimicrobial metal cations into molten PEEK resin, which is subsequently allowed to cool and set in its final shape achieved by injection molding, cutting and machining or other techniques. |
| US08840910B2 |
Antifouling coating composition and uses of the same
There is provided an antifouling coating composition capable of forming an antifouling coating film which has stable coating film consumption degree on ships, underwater structures and the like and which exhibits excellent antifouling property over a long term. The antifouling coating composition includes a hydrolyzable copolymer (A) and an antifouling agent (B), wherein the hydrolyzable copolymer (A) is, e.g., a metal salt bond-containing copolymer having a component unit derived from a monomer (a21) represented by the general formula (II): CH2═C(R2)—COO-M-O—CO—C(R2)═CH2 (II) [In the formula (II), M is zinc or copper, and R2 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group], and a component unit derived from other unsaturated monomer (a22) copolymerizable with the monomer (a21), and wherein the antifouling agent (B) includes at least medetomidine. |
| US08840909B2 |
Multipurpose ant bait
Subject of the present invention is a solid ant bait comprising an insecticide and a bait composition. Another subject is a process for the preparation of said ant bait, comprising extruding a mixture, which contains the insecticide and the bait composition. Yet another subject is a method for controlling ants, comprising offering to said ants the ant bait according to the invention. Finally, a subject is a use of the ant bait according to the invention for controlling ants. |
| US08840908B2 |
Vaccine composition containing synthetic adjuvant
Compositions and methods, including vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions for inducing or enhancing an immune response are disclosed based on the discovery of useful immunological adjuvant properties in a synthetic, glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant (GLA) that is provided in substantially homogeneous form. Chemically defined, synthetic GLA offers a consistent vaccine component from lot to lot without the fluctuations in contaminants or activity that compromise natural-product adjuvants. Also provided are vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions that include GLA and one or more of an antigen, a Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist, a co-adjuvant and a carrier such as a pharmaceutical carrier. |
| US08840907B2 |
Isolated protein and compositions comprising the protein
Two or more Neisserial proteins are joined such that they are translated as a single polypeptide chain. Hybrid proteins are represented by the formula NH2-A-[-X-L-]n-B—COOH where X is an amino acid sequence, L is an optional linker amino acid sequence, A is an optional N-terminal amino acid sequence, B is an optional C-terminal amino acid sequence, and n is an integer greater than 1. Proteins where each of the n -X- moieties shares sequence identity to each other -X- moiety, the protein is a ‘tandem protein’. |
| US08840906B2 |
Methods and compositions related to immunizing against Staphylococcal lung disease and conditions
Embodiments of the invention include methods and compositions useful in a vaccination strategy capable of neutralizing HIa to provide immunoprotection against S. aureus pneumonia. In certain aspects the invention includes a HIa with reduced toxicity, represented by a recombinant mutant form of HIa (HlaH35L) in which histidine 35 is converted to leucine, which can be used to abrogate the productive assembly of the toxin and protect a subject from staphylococcal pneumonia. |
| US08840905B2 |
Use of neurotoxin therapy for treatment of urologic and related disorders
The present invention relates to methods for treating neurological-urological conditions. This is accomplished by administration of at least one neurotoxin. |
| US08840899B2 |
Use of mTOR inhibitors to enhance T cell immune responses
It is disclosed herein that treatment of a subject with an mTOR inhibitor enhances antigen-specific T cell immune responses. Thus, provided herein is a method of enhancing an antigen-specific T cell response in a subject by administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an mTOR inhibitor. The antigen can be any antigen, such as an antigen from a pathogen or a vaccine, or a tumor antigen. In some embodiments, the method further comprises administering to the subject a vaccine, such as a virus vaccine or a cancer vaccine. The mTOR inhibitor can be administered either before or after vaccination to enhance the quantity and quality of the T cell immune response and immunological memory. In some examples, the mTOR inhibitor is rapamycin or a rapamycin analog. |
| US08840896B2 |
Anti-HER2 antibody variants
The present invention concerns novel antibody variants, particularly anti-HER2 antibody variants having substitutions at positions within the variable domains of the heavy and light chains. |
| US08840889B2 |
Methods of modulating immune function
Presented herein are therapeutic agents that modulate one or more immune functions and uses of such therapeutic agents in the prevention, treatment and management of diseases. In one aspect, the therapeutic agents modulate one or more signal transduction pathways induced by the binding of B7-H7 to B7-H7CR, or the binding of B7-H2 to either ICOS, CD28, or CTLA-4. In another aspect, the therapeutic agents modulate the binding of B7-H7 to B7-H7CR, or the binding of B7-H2 to either ICOS, CD28, or CTLA-4. The therapeutic agents can be used in the prevention, treatment and/or management of diseases in which it might be useful to modulate one or more immune functions (e.g., cancer, infectious disease, autoimmune disease, and transplantation rejection). In another aspect, presented herein are methods for identifying receptor-ligand interactions. |
| US08840887B2 |
Antibodies
The present invention relates to the use of VEGF antagonists and a novel anti-α5β1 antibody for treating cancer and inhibiting angiogenesis and/or vascular permeability, including inhibiting abnormal angiogenesis in diseases. The present invention also relates to compositions and kits comprising novel anti-α5β1 antibodies and methods of making and using them. |
| US08840869B2 |
Body cavity foams
The invention relates to an alcohol-free cosmetic or therapeutic foam carrier comprising water, a hydrophobic organic carrier, a foam adjuvant agent, a surface-active agent and a gelling agent. The cosmetic or therapeutic foam carrier does not contain aliphatic alcohols, making it non-irritating and non-drying. The alcohol-free foam carrier is suitable for inclusion of both water-soluble and oil soluble therapeutic and cosmetic agents. |
| US08840864B2 |
Method of preparing ZSM-5 zeolite using nanocrystalline ZSM-5 seeds
A method of preparing ZSM-5, including: providing a nanocrystalline ZSM-5 seed having a size of 70-150 nm; adding the nanocrystalline ZSM-5 seed to a stock solution including water glass as a silica source, an alumina source, a neutralizer and water to form a reaction mixture; and maintaining the reaction mixture at 150-200° C. to crystallize the reaction mixture. The method is advantageous in that ZSM-5 having small and uniform crystal sizes and including no impurities can be synthesized in a short period of time. |
| US08840859B2 |
Silica extraction from geothermal water
A method of producing silica from geothermal fluid containing low concentration of the silica of less than 275 ppm includes the steps of treating the geothermal fluid containing the silica by reverse osmosis treatment thereby producing a concentrated fluid containing the silica, seasoning the concentrated fluid thereby producing a slurry having precipitated colloids containing the silica, and separating the silica from the slurry. |
| US08840846B2 |
Method and apparatus for catalytic cracking
An apparatus for catalytic cracking of feedstock includes a first channel in which a feedstock is treated with an adsorbent to obtain a treated intermediate. The apparatus further comprises a separator-reactor vessel. The separator-reactor vessel includes an adsorbent separating region to remove the adsorbent from the treated intermediate. The separator-reactor vessel further includes a second channel connected to the adsorbent separating region. The treated intermediate is contacted with a catalyst in the second channel to produce a cracking yield. The second channel terminates in a catalyst separating region of the separator-reactor vessel. The catalyst is removed from the cracking yield in the catalyst separating region. The separator-reactor vessel further includes a physical partition disposed between the adsorbent separating region and the catalyst separating region to separate the two regions. |
| US08840837B2 |
Biological sterilization indicator and method of using same
A biological sterilization indicator (BI) and method of using same. The BI can include a housing, and a container positioned in the housing. The container can contain a liquid and at least a portion of the container can be frangible. The BI can further include a first chamber and a second chamber. The second chamber can include at least one source of biological activity. The BI can further include a first fluid path positioned to fluidly couple the first chamber and the second chamber, and a second fluid path positioned to allow displaced gas to move out of the second chamber. The method can include moving displaced gas out of the second chamber via the second fluid path as a sterilant is moved into the second chamber via the first fluid path and/or as the liquid is moved into the second chamber via the first fluid path. |
| US08840831B2 |
Polycrystalline diamond composites
A method of producing a PCD body includes the step of providing a region of coarser diamond particles between a source of binder phase and a region of fine grained diamond particles having a particle size less than 2 μm. The binder phase is caused to infiltrate the diamond mass through the region of coarser diamond particles under elevated temperature and pressure conditions suitable to produce PCD. The invention further provides for a PCD diamond composite manufactured by the method of the invention wherein the PCD body is substantially free of abnormal diamond growth. |
| US08840827B2 |
Method for molding cosmetic composite panels with visible carbon fiber weaves
One embodiment of the invention provides a method for compression molding cosmetic panels with visible carbon fiber weaves using clear or lightly filled resins. The method uses a modified, two-step compression molding process to reflow the surface of a partially cured preform of carbon fiber weave and epoxy resin. |
| US08840822B2 |
Method of manufacturing molded article including component insert-molded in molding material mixed with solid powder
The method of manufacturing a molded article including a component insert-molded in a molding material mixed with solid powder includes an injecting step of injecting the molding material and the solid powder into a molding die, an agitating step of agitating the molding material and the solid powder within the molding die to disperse the solid powder in the molding material, and an embedding step of pressing and embedding the component into an agitated mixture of the molding material and the solid powder. |
| US08840820B2 |
Foamed binder and associated systems and methods for producing a wood product
The disclosure relates to foamed binders for wood strand products and methods and systems for producing wood strand products using foamed binders. In some embodiments, the disclosure includes a method for producing a wood strand product from cellulosic particles, the method comprising the steps of foaming a phenol formaldehyde binder to produce a foam, tumbling the cellulosic particles in a rotary blender, applying the foam to the cellulosic particles in the rotary blender, blending the cellulosic particles and the foam so that the foam covers the cellulosic particles, and consolidating the cellulosic particles under heat and pressure. |
| US08840815B2 |
Composite cathode active material having improved power characteristics, and secondary battery, battery module, and battery pack including the same
Provided is a composite cathode active material including layered lithium manganese oxide and lithium-containing metal oxide.Also, the present invention provides a secondary battery, a battery module, and a battery pack which have improved power characteristics by including the composite cathode active material. |
| US08840810B2 |
Benzofuranone derivatives and application of the same
The present invention relates to the antioxidant compounds which are synthesized or derived from benzofuranone compound and benzoic acid compound. The antioxidant compound with remarkable heat resistance possesses carbon-centered radical quencher and primary antioxidant synergism. It can be use as additive for polymer to enhance its stability of melting flow and color. |
| US08840804B2 |
Calcium reduction composition and method
A formula and method for reducing water hardness includes the combination of a sulfate donor, salt of phosphoric acid, and salt of sulfamic acid. Preferred formulas include effective amounts of sodium bisulfate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and sulfamic acid. In a swimming pool, preferred formulas are effective in reducing calcium to under 200 ppm within a two day period. In addition, preferred formulas provide ongoing effectiveness in suppressing scaling, staining and cloudy water. |
| US08840802B2 |
Method of manufacturing hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder, magnetic recording medium and method of manufacturing the same
An aspect of the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder. The method of manufacturing hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder comprises wet processing hexagonal ferrite magnetic particles obtained following acid treatment in a water-based solvent to prepare an aqueous magnetic liquid satisfying relation (1) relative to an isoelectric point of the hexagonal ferrite magnetic particles: pH0−pH*≧2.5, wherein, pH0 denotes the isoelectric point of the hexagonal ferrite magnetic particles and pH* denotes a pH of the aqueous magnetic liquid, which is a value of equal to or greater than 2.0, adding a surface-modifying agent comprising an alkyl group and a functional group that becomes an anionic group in the aqueous magnetic liquid to the aqueous magnetic liquid to subject the hexagonal ferrite magnetic particles to a surface-modifying treatment, and removing the water-based solvent following the surface-modifying treatment to obtain hexagonal ferrite magnetic particles. |
| US08840801B2 |
Preparation method of magnetic cluster colloid and magnetic cluster colloid prepared thereby
This invention relates to a manufacturing method of colloid comprising magnetic nanoclusters and magnetic nanocluster colloid made by the same. More particularly, this invention relates to a manufacturing method of colloid comprising magnetic nanoclusters comprising magnetic precursor and heterometal precursor by a certain ratio and magnetic nanocluster colloid made by the same. |
| US08840798B2 |
Chemical mechanical polishing slurry composition and method for producing semiconductor device using the same
A slurry composition for chemical mechanical polishing, including 0.1% to 20% by weight of an aminosilane-surface treated polishing agent; 0.001% to 5% by weight of an additive selected from amino acids, amino acid derivatives, salts thereof, and combinations thereof; 0.0001% to 0.5% by weight of a corrosion inhibitor; and 0.01% to 5% by weight of an oxidizing agent, with the balance being a solvent, is provided. The slurry composition for chemical mechanical polishing has a conspicuously high polishing rate for silicon oxide films, is capable of selectively preventing the removal of silicon nitride films, does not cause an imbalance in polishing, gives an excellent degree of planarization, has excellent stability over time and dispersion stability, causes less generation of particles and scratches, and produces very satisfactory polished surfaces of barrier metal films and oxide films. |
| US08840794B2 |
Device for separating ferromagnetic particles from a suspension
A device for separating ferromagnetic particles from a suspension has a tubular reactor and a plurality of magnets which are arranged outside the reactor, the magnets (9) being movable along at least a part of the length of the reactor (2) up to the vicinity of a particle extractor (5) by means of a rotary conveyor (8). |
| US08840786B2 |
System and method for removing dissolved contaminants, particulate contaminants, and oil contaminants from industrial waste water
A system for removing dissolved contaminants, particulate contaminants, and oil contaminants from industrial waste water, the system including a gas floatation and primary oil contaminant removal subsystem including a tank for receiving a flow of the industrial waste water and a flow of gaseous microspheres, wherein the gaseous microspheres combine with oil droplets in the waste water to form flocs which float to the surface and are removed to provide processed waste water with the majority of the oil contaminants removed, and a contaminant removal subsystem for removing dissolved contaminants, particulate contaminants, and any remaining oil contaminants from the processed waste water. |