US07697542B1
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a data structure representing a schedule for a plurality of N resources, and apparatus, methods, and computer programs for generating and using the data structure, the data structure comprising: M records each representing a different one of M slots in the schedule, wherein M>1, wherein each of the M slots is allocated to one of the N resources, and wherein each of the M records comprises identifiers of the N ones of the M slots in the schedule allocated to a next occurrence of each of the N resources following the one of the M slots represented by the record, and an identifier of an order in which the N resources occur in the schedule following the one of the M slots represented by the record.
US07697538B2
A method transmits data packets on a data transmission link between two communication subscribers. The data packets respectively contain a check character which is calculated from the other data in the data packet. One communication subscriber uses the check character from the last data packet received by the other communication subscriber as start value for calculating the check character for a subsequent data packet which is to be sent to the other communication subscriber.
US07697536B2
Providing communications between operating system partitions and a computer network. In one aspect, an apparatus for distributing network communications among multiple operating system partitions includes a physical port allowing communications between the network and the computer system, and logical ports associated with the physical port, where each logical port is associated with one of the operating system partitions. Each of the logical ports enables communication between a physical port and the associated operating system partition and allows configurability of network resources of the system. Other aspects include a logical switch for logical and physical ports, and packet queues for each connection and for each logical port.
US07697532B2
A method for communication includes encapsulating multiple data packets, which carry data and have respective drop precedence (DP) values selected from a range of possible DP values, to produce a concatenated frame of a transport protocol. A composite drop precedence (CDP) value is assigned from the range to the concatenated frame using a pseudo-random assignment function that depends on a distribution of the DP values of the data packets in the concatenated frame. The concatenated frame is transported through a communication network using the transport protocol, in accordance with the pseudo-randomly assigned CDP value.
US07697531B2
A method and apparatus that routes packets in a network is disclosed. The method may include receiving a packet from a first communication device in the network requesting an IP address, determining if another communication device owns the requested IP address, wherein if another communication device does not own the requested IP address, giving the IP address to the first communication device, otherwise, if it is determined that a second communication device is claiming ownership of the IP address, determining whether the first communication device or the second communication device owns the IP address using an address request authority percentage protocol (ARAPP) function, wherein based on the results of the ARAPP function, the first communication device is given the IP address, otherwise the IP address request from the first communication device is denied.
US07697530B2
A method and apparatus for managing information regarding a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) device when an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the UPnP device is changed are provided. In the method, a second address of the UPnP device is obtained from a message indicating the end of a first address-based network connection based on a first address of the device, and information regarding the UPnP device is updated by using the second address.
US07697528B2
A node of a frame-based network has a group of outgoing links which are to be treated as an aggregated group of links. A frame distributor performs a distribution function on data frames which are intended for transmission on the group of links. The frame distributor determines if the data frame is an encapsulated data frame which forms part of a tunnelled traffic path across the network. If the data frame does form part of a tunnelled traffic path across the network, the frame distributor allocates the data frame to one of the group of links using at least part of an identifier from the header of the data frame. The identifier represents a service with which the data frame is associated, a customer or user of the data frame, or the tunnelled traffic path, which have greater variability than the backbone destination and source addresses.
US07697515B2
Data is transparently migrated between groups of logical units of storage presented as virtual arrays. A source virtual array has at least one source virtual port coupled to a fabric. Each source virtual port having a source virtual port name and a source virtual port address. A destination virtual array has one or more destination virtual ports coupled to the fabric, each destination virtual port having a destination virtual port name and a destination virtual port address. All data resident on the source virtual array is copied to the destination virtual array. The destination virtual port names and LUN names and numbers are then exchanged with the source virtual port names and LUN names and numbers. The fabric then updates its name server database so that the database associates the source virtual port name with the destination virtual port address.
US07697498B2
To provide high-quality communication even when the power for synchronization preamble is reduced in an OFDM communication device. To achieve symbol synchronization, an OFDM communication device obtains a zero amplitude reduced preamble signal by passing a specified synchronization preamble through an ideal low-pass filter to reduce a signal component near zero amplitude within a time domain, and time-multiplexes the obtained zero amplitude reduced preamble signal with transmit data to generate an OFDM transmit signal. A receiver section of the OFDM communication device determines the cross correlation between a receive signal and a specified synchronization preamble, which is patterned the same as the counterpart in a transmitter section of the OFDM communication device, and detects a synchronization position in accordance with the determined cross correlation.
US07697493B2
Wireless communication systems wherein services involving two or more stations in the system may be activated automatically. Data is communicated between airborne stations according to a TDMA protocol, where the data is transmitted in time slots organized in frames of a repeating frame structure. A link address is associated with at least one time slot. The stations select link addresses for transmission of data according to a self-organizing transmission algorithm. Each station broadcasts data messages of a first type at a first repetition rate and receives such corresponding messages from the other stations. At least based on the received data messages of the first type, each station determines whether a service activation criterion is fulfilled with respect to at least one other station. If the service activation criterion is fulfilled, the station starts to transmit data messages of a second type, which pertain to a service that involves the station itself and the at least one other station.
US07697476B2
An arrangement facilitating the connection of a client to a network through an access point, particularly in an area with overlapping 0.11n channels. Preferably, a client may communicate with two access points and “ask” one of them to stop transmitting long enough so as to facilitate communication with the other access point. Current specifications otherwise provide no workable arrangement for handling overlapping channels.
US07697456B2
Techniques are provided for selecting a root node in an ad hoc network that contains a plurality of nodes including a first node. According to one implementation of these techniques, a first node can receive a message from at least one of the other nodes. Each message includes a number of primary factors associated with a particular node regarding capabilities of the particular node. The primary factors associated with each node can then be evaluated, and an attempt can be made to select the root node based on the primary factors associated with each node. If the first node is unable to select the root node based on the primary factors associated with each node, then the root node can be selected based on secondary factors associated with each node.
US07697453B2
Systems and methods for synchronization techniques in multipoint-to-point communication using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing are provided. In one embodiment, a method for multipoint-to-point communication comprises: receiving at a host a plurality of upstream symbols transmitted from a plurality of remote units, the upstream symbols transmitted on a plurality of orthogonal carriers modulated using an inverse Fourier transform; and determining respective round trip path delay values associated with each of at least two of the plurality of remote units.
US07697446B2
A system and method in a communications network of testing a communications link between Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) and a Broadband Remote Access Server (BBRAS). The CPE and BBRAS communicate mutually via an intermediate Internet Protocol Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (IPDSLAM). The CPE is connected to the IPDSLAM via an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) link, and the BBRAS is connected to the IPDSLAM via an Ethernet link. When a customer complaint is received in a Customer Care Center (CCC), the IPDSLAM is instructed to test the link. The IPDSLAM executes a first loop-back test with the CPE according to the ATM standard, and executes a second loop-back test with the BBRAS according to the Ethernet standard. The results of the first and second loop-back tests are reported to the CCC.
US07697441B2
A computer system with black hole management. The black hole management system shares black hole status information among connections that employ the same path. The black hole status information may indicate either that a black hole exists on the path or that communications have been performed successfully on the path, indicating that no black hole exists. By sharing this information, delays in transmission caused by black hole probing may be reduced. Additionally, status information for a connection is reset when information indicates that the connection has been altered. By resetting the status information, delays in transmission associated with sending reduced sized packets over connections for which black holes were previously detected but may have been eliminated by changes in the connection, are avoided.
US07697436B2
In certain embodiments, a method for bandwidth allocation includes receiving at least a first traffic flow and a second traffic flow, each traffic flow including at least committed information rate (CIR) and excess information rate (EIR) parameters. The CIR parameter in each traffic flow is associated with a corresponding guaranteed pass-through rate. The first traffic flow and the second traffic flow are stored in first and second queues, respectively. The first queue is associated with a first provisioned weight, and the second queue is associated with a second provisioned weight. The method further includes scheduling downstream transmission of the first traffic flow and second traffic flow stored in the first and second queues according to at least first and second implementation weights that are determined based on a bandwidth of a downstream communication link, a CIR parameter of the first queue, a CIR parameter of the second queue, and each of the first and second provisioned weights.
US07697431B1
The bandwidth of a virtual circuit is changed when the aggregate bandwidth available on path(s) to an adjacent ATM device (through which the VC is provided) changes. The change of bandwidth may be implemented by changing the QoS parameters associated with the virtual circuits. Thus, for example, when one of the paths becomes non-operational, the bandwidth of a virtual circuit may be reduced in a fair manner.
US07697422B1
A network device adapted to process data packet traffic over a telecommunication network. The network device includes an ingress pipeline adapted to receive a data packet at a port of the network device. According to embodiments of the present invention, the data packet is characterized by an external QoS attribute having M bits. The network device also includes a processor adapted to form an internal QoS Profile associated with the data packet. The internal QoS Profile includes a QoS Profile Index having M+N bits and M and N are internally assigned. The processor is also adapted to process the data packet through the network device.
US07697421B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for QoS-based admission control (QBAC). The disclosed QoS-based admission control techniques use QoS parameter measurements. An admission control request for a call on a path in a packet network is processed by obtaining performance data for the path; and predicting a performance of the call on the path using performance data for the path. In one implementation, the predicted performance is based on one or more derivatives of the performance data. Typically, the performance data includes historical performance data and is based on at least one quality of service metric.
US07697418B2
A method for detecting anomalies in traffic patterns and a traffic anomalies detector are presented. The method and the detector are based on estimating the fan-in of a node, i.e. the number of distinct sources sending traffic to a node, based on infrequent, periodic sampling. Destinations with an abnormally large fan-in are likely to be the target of an attack, or to be downloading large amounts of material with a P2P application. The method and the anomalies detector are extremely simple to implement and exhibit excellent performance on real network traces.
US07697411B2
According to the present invention, when a terrestrial digital broadcasting is carried out by applying an OFDM modulation to transport streams MPEG-2 Systems, the plural transport streams subject to a connected transmission are divided into groups and these transport streams are coordinated. Then, a broadcasting station generates a connected transmission descriptor for coordinating the plural transport streams steams subject to the connected transmission and describes the generated connected transmission descriptor in an NIT to multiplex the transport streams.
US07697400B2
An optical pickup according to the present invention includes an integrated circuit element (LDD) 5 for driving first, second, and third semiconductor lasers 3, 4, and 5. The LDD 50 is shaped so as to have a rectangular principal face surrounded by one side, with a plurality of input/output pins being arranged along each side. The plurality of input/output pins include a first pin group connected to a blue-violet laser 5 whose oscillation wavelength is the shortest, a second pin group connected to a red laser 4, and a third pin group connected to an infrared laser 3. The wiring structure of the optical pickup includes a first transmission line 41 for connecting the first pin group to the blue-violet laser 5, a second transmission line 33 for connecting the second pin group to the red laser 4, and a third transmission line 31 for connecting the third pin group to the infrared laser 3, where the first transmission line 41 is shorter than both the second and third transmission lines 31 and 33. Of the rectangular principal face of the LDD 50, the side along which the first pin group is provided is orthogonal to the side along which the second pin group is provided or to the side along which the third pin group is provided.
US07697399B2
A method for controlling a specific output power level emitted from a laser diode (LD) in an optical pick-up head unit (OPU) is disclosed. The LD is configured to provide a plurality of output power levels for accessing/recording an optical disc. The method includes: determining a specific power control value according to a first output power level, a second output power level, a first power control value of the first output power level, and the specific output power level, wherein the first output power level is less than the specific output power level and greater than the second output power level; and driving the LD to emit the specific output power level according to the specific power control value, the first power control value, and a second power control value of the second output power level.
US07697378B2
An information reproducing device includes an information recording medium housing portion 8 for housing an information recording medium 7 that is detachably attached, a pickup 75 for reading information recorded at least on the information recording medium 7, and a pickup restrainer 94 for restraining a displacement that exceeds a normal operating range of the pickup 75, wherein the pickup restrainer 94 is constructed to displace in response to loading/unloading of the information recording medium 7 into/from the information recording medium housing portion 8.
US07697366B2
An integrated circuit having a three-dimensional memory array provides for a given number of memory planes, but may be fabricated instead to include a lesser number of memory planes by omitting the masks and processing steps associated with the omitted memory planes, without changing any of the other fabrication masks for the other memory planes or for the remainder of the device, and without requiring routing or other configuration changes to the read or read/write path for the array. Control circuitry for selectively enabling certain layer selector circuits is configurable, and the layer selector circuits are suitably arranged, to couple a respective array line on an implemented memory layer to each respective I/O bus line irrespective of the number of implemented memory planes.
US07697361B2
Provided is a fuse option device in a semiconductor integrated circuit. In the fuse option device, a pad receives an external fuse program signal, a program signal driving circuit is connected to the pad through a signal line and generates a program activation signal in response to the fuse program signal and an address validity signal. A fuse circuit is electrically programmed in response to the program activation signal, and a pull-down resistor is connected between the signal line and ground.
US07697352B2
A read-and-write assembly is described. The read-and-write assembly includes one or more coils and magnetizable pillars. The magnetizable pillar has a flask shape and a neck wrapped in the coil.
US07697350B2
A bit-line voltage generator is provided. The bit-line voltage generator includes a discharge enhanced bias source and a switch unit. The switch unit includes a clamp transistor having a source, a gate connected to the discharge enhanced bias source, and a drain receiving a voltage; a switch transistor having a gate receiving a control signal, a drain connected to the source of the clamp transistor, and a source connected to a memory array, wherein a parasitic capacitor exists between the gate and the source of the clamp transistor; a resistor having a first terminal connected to the drain of the switch transistor, and a second terminal connected to ground; and a capacitor having a first terminal connected to the drain of the switch transistor, and a second terminal connected to ground, wherein a charge in the parasitic capacitor, when the switch transistor is turned on, is almost identical to that when the switch transistor is turned off, so that a couple effect between the switch unit and the discharge enhanced bias source is reduced, thereby stabilizing a bias applied to the memory array.
US07697339B2
A sense amplifier overdriving circuit includes a first voltage driver which supplies an internal voltage from an internal voltage terminal to a sense amplifier in response to a first enabling signal, a logic unit which logically operates a block select signal for selection of a cell block and a second enabling signal enabled for a predetermined time after enabling of the first enabling signal, and outputs the resultant signal, and a second voltage driver which supplies an external voltage to the internal voltage terminal in response to the signal output from the logic unit.
US07697335B2
Non-volatile memory devices including multiple series-coupled select gates on the drain and/or source ends of strings of non-volatile memory cells. By utilizing multiple series-coupled select gates, each gate can be made using smaller features sizes while achieving the same level of protection against GIDL and other forms of current leakage. By reducing the feature size of the select gates, the footprint of the strings of memory cells can be reduced, thereby facilitating smaller memory device sizing. Further reductions in device sizing may be achieved utilizing a staggered self-aligned bit line contact configuration.
US07697332B2
A printed circuit board may include a memory controller, a plurality of synchronous data memory devices, each synchronous memory device including at least one data pin and at least one address/command pin, an ECC memory device including at least one ECC data pin and at least one ECC address/command pin, and at least one surface. The plurality of synchronous data memory devices may be arranged around a central location on the at least one surface and each synchronous data memory device may be oriented such that the at least one data pin is further from the memory controller than the at least one address/command pin.
US07697330B1
A non-volatile memory array for an FPGA comprises a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns and divided into a plurality of row segments. The source of each non-volatile memory transistor in each segment is coupled together to a common source line. A column segment line is associated with each segment of the array, and is coupled to the drains of each non-volatile memory transistor in the segment. A segment select transistor is coupled between each column segment line and its associated column line, and a high-voltage driver transistor is coupled to each column line.
US07697322B2
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to integrated circuits, to a method for manufacturing an integrated circuit, to a method for decreasing the influence of magnetic fields, and to a memory module. In an embodiment of the invention, an integrated circuit having a magnetic tunnel junction is provided. The magnetic tunnel junction may include a free layer with a magnetization orientation that is selected by the application of a write current through the magnetic tunnel junction, and a retention layer that retains the selectable magnetization orientation of the free layer at temperatures below a retention temperature.
US07697316B2
A bistable resistance random access memory comprises a plurality of programmable resistance random access memory cells where each programmable resistance random access memory cell includes multiple memory members for performing multiple bits for each memory cell. The bistable RRAM includes a first resistance random access member connected to a second resistance random access member through interconnect metal liners and metal oxide strips. The first resistance random access member has a first resistance value Ra, which is determined from the thickness of the first resistance random access member based on the deposition of the first resistance random access member. The second resistance random access member has a second resistance value Rb, which is determined from the thickness of the second resistance random access member based on the deposition of the second resistance random access member.
US07697314B2
A data line layout structure comprises a plurality of first data lines, second data lines, a third data line, a first data line driver, and a second data line driver. The plurality of first data lines are connected to sub mats in a memory mat so that a predetermined number of first data lines are connected to each sub mat. The second data lines are disposed in a smaller quantity than the number of the first data lines so as to form a hierarchy with respect to the first data lines. The third data line is disposed to form a hierarchy with respect to the second data lines, and transfers data provided through the second data lines to a data latch. The first data line driver is connected between the first data lines and the second data lines, and performs a logical ORing operation for output of the first data lines so as to drive a corresponding second data line. The second data line driver is connected between the second data lines and the third data line, and performs a logical ORing operation for output of the second data lines so as to drive the third data line.
US07697312B2
In a storage system directly connected to a network, if conventional interfaces and protocols are used when an I/O command issued from a file server is transmitted to the storage system, the command/data is serially transferred via a single transfer path so that the performance is lowered. Conventional interfaces do not provide the means to notify the storage system of the failure at the file server. The file server and a channel adapter of the storage system are mounted on the same board and connection paths therebetween are controlled so that a plurality of protocols can be operated independently. A path independent from a command/data path is provided between the file server and channel adapter, and the received failure information is stored in a shared memory of the storage system and used for the fail-over.
US07697307B2
An exemplary power supply circuit includes a transformer (21) having a primary coil (211) and a secondary coil (212); a rectification circuit and a transistor (26) respectively coupled to two terminals of the primary coil; a communicating and filter circuit (22) coupled to the secondary coil; a sampling circuit (13) having a first resistor (231) and a first capacitor (232) connected in series; and a pulse width modulation circuit (25) coupled between the transistor and the sampling circuit. Direct current (AC) voltage is applied to the rectification circuit and is converted into DC voltage via the transformer and the communicating and filter circuit. The DC voltage is fed back to the pulse width modulation circuit via a voltage applied to the first capacitor. The pulse width modulation circuit adjusts a gating time of the transistor so as to adjust the output DC voltage output by the power supply circuit.
US07697303B2
An integrated circuit package includes a first non-conductive substrate having a first inner surface and a second non-conductive substrate having a second inner surface. A die having a first thickness is disposed between the first and second inner surfaces. A leadframe includes a member having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end has a second thickness less than the first thickness. The distal end is disposed between the first and second inner surfaces. The distal end is undulated such that the distal end has an effective thickness greater than the second thickness.
US07697301B2
A printed circuit board having embedded electronic components and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. With the printed circuit board having embedded electronic components, including a core sheet, a first electronic component mounted on one side of the core sheet, a second electronic component mounted on the other side of the core sheet and overlapping the first electronic component, a first insulation layer stacked on one side of the core sheet and covering the first electronic component, a second insulation layer stacked on the other side of the core sheet and covering the second electronic component, and a circuit pattern formed on the surface of the first insulation layer or the second insulation layer, the density of the printed circuit board having embedded components is improved, as a plurality of electronic components are embedded simultaneously, and when a thin CCL substrate or a metal substrate is used as the core, a metal substrate in particular, the heat-releasing property and mechanical strength are improved, including increased bending strength in a thermal-stress environment, as electronic components are mounted on both sides of the core sheet.
US07697299B2
Apparatus and method for securing a heat sink to a heat-generating device on a circuit board. The apparatus clamps onto the heating-generating device and the circuit board in a manner that avoids bending of the circuit board. The apparatus includes a retention module having a plurality of retention features that extend through openings in the circuit board disposed about the perimeter of the heat-generating device, such as a processor. The apparatus also includes a heat sink having a heat sink base for contacting the heat-generating device in order to dissipate heat produced by the device. The heat sink is selectively securable to the retention features of the retention module using levers, such as a wire module, having a spring clip to engage the retention features and clamp the heat sink and retention module together.
US07697298B2
A heat dissipation apparatus (10) includes a heat spreader (30), and first and second resilient plates (40, 50) provided at two opposite sides of the heat spreader. The first resilient plate includes a mounting arm (41) and two fixing arms (42) extending from two opposite ends of the mounting arm, respectively. The mounting arm defines a first mounting hole (43) therein, and each of the fixing arms defines a first fixing hole (44) therein. The second resilient plate defines a second mounting hole (53) and two second fixing holes (54) therein. The first resilient plate is fixed on the heat spreader via the first fixing holes. The second resilient plate is fixed on the heat spreader via the second fixing holes. The heat spreader is fixed on a circuit board via the first and the second mounting holes.
US07697296B2
Adapter module securable to a socket frame, integrated circuit module assembly and method for securing a heat dissipation device in direct thermal communication with an integrated circuit module. The socket frame is positioned over a substrate having a land grid array and the frame is secured to the substrate. The frame defines a well for selectively receiving the integrated circuit module in electronic communication with the land grid array. The adapter module is secured to the frame and extends outside the perimeter of the frame. The adapter provides a feature outside the perimeter of the frame for fastening the heat dissipation device. Furthermore, the adapter body is secured to the frame without adding holes through the substrate, such as by extending under the frame to be secured between the frame and substrate, or by extending over the frame to be secured between the frame and fasteners.
US07697294B2
A heat dissipation device adapted for dissipating heat from a heat-generating electronic element, includes a plurality of fins assembled together. Each of the fins has a rectangular body and four arch-shaped flanges extending from edges of the body to form four round corners in four corners of the body. Each main body of the fins defines a plurality of locking members thereon to engage with corresponding locking members of a corresponding front fin. The arch-shaped flanges in four respective corners of the fins cooperate with each other to form four arced faces in four corners of the assembled fins along an entire length of the assembled fins.
US07697290B2
The invention discloses an electronic apparatus and a fan module thereof. The fan module includes a base, an impeller, a liquid container, an atomizing device and a cover. The impeller is provided in the base. The liquid container is placed at the center of the impeller, and the liquid container contains a liquid. The atomizing device is disposed on the liquid container, and the atomizing device can atomize the liquid to form a mist to spray in order to absorb the heat in the electronic apparatus. The cover covers the base and forms an air outlet with the base. Furthermore, the cover has an air inlet. When the impeller rotates, the blade of the impeller drives airflow mixed the heated mist to enter into the base through the air inlet of the cover, and to exit from the base through the air outlet.
US07697287B2
A mounting apparatus for fan includes a receiving bracket for receiving the fan, and two securing boards for sandwiching the fan therebetween. The receiving bracket includes a pair of opposite sidewalls. A top flange is perpendicularly bent from a top edge of each sidewall. A slot is defined in the top flange and corresponding sidewall. The securing boards are perpendicular to the pair of sidewalls and mounted therebetween. Two securing tabs protrude laterally from two sides of each securing board and are respectively received in the slots of the receiving bracket. The securing tabs are blocked by the top flanges to prevent the securing boards moving with the fan in directions parallel to the sidewalls.
US07697286B2
A fan holder for mounting a fan, includes two opposite sidewalls defining a receiving area therebetween, each of the sidewalls defining a through hole therein; two or more polygonal auxiliary members arranged in the through hole of each of the sidewalls and located about an axis; and wherein the polygonal auxiliary members are rotationally offset from each other.
US07697282B2
A support for a floor standing chassis includes a pair of spaced apart support members mounted on a support surface of the chassis. A support stand includes a first end operable for keyed engagement with a first one of the support members, and in response to the keyed engagement, a second end of the support stand is aligned for releasable engagement with the second support member. A pair of feet extend laterally from the stand.
US07697279B2
A mounting apparatus for mounting a data storage device with a sliding member attached thereon, includes a bracket and a latch member slidably mounted on the side plate. The bracket includes a side plate. The side plate defines a slideway for slidably receiving the sliding member of the data storage device. The latch member includes a resilient tab. The latch member is slidable on the side plate between a first position wherein the resilient tab is located at a halfway of the slideway so as to block the sliding member from passing therethrough, and a second position wherein the resilient tab is located outside the slideway so as to allow the sliding member to pass therethrough.
US07697277B1
A hard disk drive bracket includes a bezel, a lever arm attached to the bezel rotatably between a closed position against the bezel and an open position apart from the bezel, a release mechanism attached to the bezel including a locking member that latches the lever arm in the closed position and a release button arranged to unlatch the lever arm from the locking member when the release button is depressed, and a horn attached to the bezel translatably between a natural position apart from the release mechanism and a forced position that allows the horn and release mechanism to interact to unlatch the lever arm from the locking member. The horn and lever arm of the hard disk drive bracket may be adapted to serve as a cam that automatically depress the release button as the lever arm is being closed.
US07697274B2
An auxiliary input device for menu control on a portable computing device is provided. The auxiliary input device includes a lighting unit, an optical lens, and an optical sensor. The lighting unit is for projecting light to a surface upon which the portable computing device is moved upon. The optical lens is for receiving reflected light from the surface and focusing the reflected light on the optical sensor. The optical sensor is for periodically capturing images of the reflected light and transmitting information of the images captured to the portable computing device. The images captured map a movement of the portable computing device. Accordingly, the portable computing device scrolls through a menu displayed thereon according to the images captured. A related method is also provided.
US07697269B2
An exemplary housing mechanism (8) for an electronic device includes a cover (10) and a frame (20). The cover has a cover body (11), a sealing element (12), and a sidewall (13) formed around the cover body. A surface of a distal end of the sidewall is recessed thereby forming a receiving slot (16) therein. The sealing element has a connecting portion (122) and a positioning portion (124) connected to the connecting portion. The connecting portion is fixedly received in the receiving slot of the cover. The frame has a positioning slot (26) defined therein and the positioning portion of the sealing element is for reception in the positioning slot of the frame when the cover is closed to the frame.
US07697268B2
A universal power distribution system is provided for routing electrical circuits within a building structure to comprehensively provide electrical power to the building in ceiling configurations, wall-mounted configurations, raised floor configurations and in office furniture configurations. The system components for all of these configurations have common plug connectors that are engagable with each other so as to be readily usable in a wide variety of applications. The system is readily adaptable to form virtually any conventional circuit configuration found within conventional hard-wired systems yet is formed simply through the routing of the cables through the building cavities and interconnection is accomplished merely by plugging components together rather than through labor-intensive manual wiring.
US07697252B2
An overvoltage device that is formed from a MOV device that is coupled in parallel with a spark gap. This device is coupled upstream from electronic components to protect these components from damage. For example, in one embodiment, the overvoltage device is coupled to a fault circuit interrupter such as a GFCI, across the phase and neutral lines to protect components of the GFCI from an overvoltage condition. In one embodiment the overvoltage device is formed as an MOV physically coupled to a spark gap wherein the MOV and the spark gap are electrically coupled across the phase line and the neutral line in parallel.
US07697247B2
An arc suppression circuit in a protection relay having trip contacts is used to turn off a battery-powered solenoid and trip an AC power circuit breaker. The arc suppression circuit uses a switch-control circuit to control the turning off of a semi-conductor switch so that the semi-conductor switch provides a current path around the trip contacts, and is carrying all, or substantially all, of the load current, before the trip contacts are opened. When the trip contacts begin to open, the switch-control circuit holds the semi-conductor switch on for a sufficient time to prevent an arc from becoming established before turning the semi-conductor switch off. In a second embodiment, the arc suppression circuit provides a second switch-control circuit. This second switch-control circuit is configured to accept control signals from a microprocessor within a protection relay. The microprocessor turns the semi-conductor switch on before the contacts begin to open, thereby providing a current path around the contacts before the contacts begin to open. The microprocessor turns the semi-conductor switch off after a time sufficient to prevent an arc from becoming established.
US07697241B2
An actuator assembly is provided that includes a body portion, a first actuator arm assembly, a second actuator arm assembly, a first flexure assembly, and a second flexure assembly. Each of the first and second actuator arm assemblies projects from the body portion and has a distal end with different respective first and second mechanical configurations, sometimes referred to herein as “mounting configurations.” Each of the flexure assemblies is respectively mounted to the distal ends of the first and second actuator arm assemblies via the respective mounting configuration. The first and second mechanical configurations (mounting configurations) are selected to provide the first and second flexure assemblies with different mechanical resonance characteristics. In a preferred embodiment, the second actuator arm assembly includes an actuator arm and a spacer disposed between the actuator arm and the second flexure assembly. The spacer has a stiffness different from the stiffness of the actuator arm.
US07697234B2
A rotation disturbance compensation control unit applies a compensation signal to a positioning control unit so as to cancel out rotation disturbance vibration components detected by using acceleration velocity sensors. At predetermined timing, a position error detection unit detects respective position errors of the case in which the rotation disturbance compensation control unit is turned on and the case in which it is turned off. A compensation control switching unit switches the rotation disturbance compensation control unit to be on if the position error of the case in which the compensation control of rotation disturbance is turned on is small and switches the compensation control switching unit to be off if the position error of the case in which the compensation control of rotation disturbance is turned off is small.
US07697233B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head, and an actuator for actuating the head over the disk. The disk drive further comprises a state variable memory for storing a plurality of state variable sets, wherein each state variable set comprises a plurality of state variables and each state variable set corresponds to a task object. A coefficient memory for stores a plurality of coefficient sets, wherein each coefficient set comprises a plurality of coefficients and each coefficient set corresponds to a task object. A task object is executed by initializing a base state register to address a selected one of the state variable sets in the state variable memory, and initializing a base coefficient register to address a selected one of the coefficient sets in the coefficient memory.
US07697225B2
A storage apparatus comprises: a current parameter varying section that can make a write current used for writing information on the storage medium and an overshoot amount corresponding to the write current variable; a detection section that detects an error rate or its corresponding error rate parameter for a plurality of combinations of the write current and overshoot amount varied by the current parameter varying section; a saturation factor calculation section that calculates a saturation factor representing a change in the error rate relative to a unit write current value from the error rate or error rate parameter detected by the detection section; and a current parameter setting section that determines current parameters based on the saturation factor obtained by the saturation factor calculation section for setting.
US07697221B2
An imaging lens includes, in order from an object side, a first lens G1, a second lens G2, a third lens G3, an aperture stop St and a fourth lens G4. The first lens is a negative lens having a meniscus shape with a convex surface directed to the object side. The second lens is a negative lens. The third lens is a positive lens having a convex surface directed to the object side. The fourth lens is a biconvex lens. The following conditional expression is satisfied: 1.5
US07697219B2
A high efficiency and compact optical device comprising two or more active and resonating optical facet surfaces defined by a three-dimensional representation and configured to provide a three-dimensional device. A focal region, remote from the optical surfaces and non-contiguous therewith, is defined by two or more active optical resonant surfaces, at least one of which is self-resonant. The optical surfaces in general do not have a continuous second derivative and are defined by a piecewise continuous surface function providing radially directed facets. The optical device comprises a transparent dielectric body with its optical surfaces being formed on the surfaces of said transparent dielectric body. A light transducer may be located at a focal region to provide an energy conversion. A light source having a physical extension in space, such as an LED, may be located at the focal region to provide collimation. In some embodiments the active surfaces may be chosen to transform incident radiation into a predetermined shape and having a predetermined spatial power distribution.
US07697217B2
A lens barrel comprising: a plurality of lens groups including two lens groups for guiding object light; and a lens drive apparatus for moving the two lens groups in the plurality of lens groups in a direction of an optical axis, the lens drive apparatus includes a single motor and a lead screw rotated by the rotation of the motor; wherein the lens drive apparatus is structured in such a manner that one lens group of the two lens groups is moved linearly to the rotation of the lead screw, and the other lens group of the two lens groups is moved non-linearly to the rotation of the lead screw.
US07697215B2
The zoom lens system is used for forming an optical image of an object with a variable magnification, and, in order from the object side, comprises a first lens unit G1 of negative optical power, a second lens unit G2 of positive optical power and a third lens unit G3 of positive optical power. The lens units move respectively along the optical axis so that a magnification is changed with changing a distance between the respective lens units. The second lens unit G2 comprises at least three lens elements including an object side lens element of the second lens unit which is a positive lens element arranged on the most object side with the surface of strong curvature facing the object side, and an image side lens element of the second lens unit which is a positive lens element arranged on the most image side with the convex surface facing the object side.
US07697214B2
A fluidic lens may have a transparent window member, a transparent distensible membrane, an inner ring between the window member and membrane, and a top ring disposed such that the membrane is between the piston ring and the inner ring. A layer of liquid may be stored between the window member, the inner ring and the membrane. The top ring may be adapted to apply a liquid displacement force to the membrane in a direction perpendicular to a plane of an aperture of the inner ring to cause a change in a radius of curvature of the membrane. The membrane may be pre-tensioned prior to assembly with the other components.
US07697213B2
An optical element is disclosed. The optical element may include a container having a holding chamber, a polar or conductive first liquid filled in the holding chamber, a second liquid filled in the holding chamber and not mixing with the first liquid, first and second electrodes for applying an electric field to the first liquid, and voltage application means for applying voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.
US07697212B2
The present invention relates to the optimization of human visual function by correcting and/or optimizing high-order optical aberrations in high performance optical devices. The optimization is particularly useful for high performance devices used under low light conditions such as binoculars, rifle scopes, telescopes, microscopes, night vision goggles and laser eye protection devices.
US07697211B2
The invention features a system for microlithography that includes a mercury light source configured to emit radiation at multiple mercury emission lines, a projection objective positioned to receive radiation emitted by the mercury light source, and a stage configured to position a wafer relative to the projection objective. During operation, the projection objective directs radiation from the light source to the wafer, where the radiation at the wafer includes energy from more than one of the emission lines. Optical lens systems for use in said projection objective comprise four lens groups, each having two lenses comprising silica, the first and second lens groups on one hand and the third and fourth lens groups on the other hand are positioned symmetrically with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of said lens system.
US07697207B2
Arrangements for combination and fast-axis alignment of fast-axes of diode-laser beams are disclosed. Alignment arrangements include providing each diode-laser with a corresponding alignable fast-axis collimating lens, providing individually alignable mirrors for steering an re-orienting beams from each diode-laser, and providing single diode-laser slab-modules in which the diode-laser beams can be pre-aligned to a common propagation-axis direction, and in which edges and surfaces of the slabs can be used to align the fast and slow-axes of the beams. Beam combination methods include combination by dichroic elements, polarization-sensitive elements, and optical fiber bundles.
US07697204B2
An electrooptic device includes: a display panel for displaying images; an illumination system for applying light to the display panel; a polarizing-axis control unit disposed between the illuminating system and the display panel, the control unit allowing light having a first polarizing axis of the light emitted from the illuminating system to pass through, and changing part of the light from the illuminating system into light with a second polarizing axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first polarizing axis; a lens disposed between the polarizing-axis control unit and the display panel, the lens including a plurality of linear lens patterns directing the light with the first polarizing axis and the light with the second polarizing axis separated by the polarizing-axis control unit into specified directions; a first polarizing unit disposed between the illumination system and the lens; and a second polarizing unit disposed between the display panel and the lens. Both the polarizing axis of the first polarizing unit and the polarizing axis of the second polarizing unit are substantially parallel to or perpendicular to the extension of the lens patterns.
US07697201B2
A screen that displays images as a result of receiving projection light, includes: a plurality of plate components that are optically transparent and are provided apart from each other; a scatterer that is placed in a light scattering space that is formed between the plurality of plate components, and is formed by dispersing a light scattering material in a gas or liquid dispersion medium; a flow path that allows the scatterer to flow through the light scattering space; and a flow device that causes the scatterer to flow through the light scattering space.
US07697197B2
The present invention provides devices and methods for Raman amplification and dispersion compensation. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a dispersion compensating device includes a dispersion compensating fiber having a dispersion more negative than about −50 ps/nm/km over a wavelength range of about 1555 nm to about 1615 nm; a Raman gain fiber having a dispersion more positive than about −40 ps/nm/km over a wavelength range of about 1555 nm to about 1615 nm; and a pump source operatively coupled to the dispersion compensating fiber and the Raman gain fiber, the pump source operating at a pump wavelength, wherein the dispersion compensating fiber has a Raman Figure of Merit at the pump wavelength, and wherein the Raman gain fiber has a Raman Figure of Merit at least about equivalent to the Raman Figure of Merit of the dispersion compensating fiber, and wherein the dispersion compensating fiber and the Raman gain fiber are arranged in series between the input and the output of the device. The device provides higher Raman gain than a conventional Raman-pumped dispersion compensating device.
US07697192B2
A thin-film interference filter structure has a generally wavelength-dependent resonant response to incident optical energy in a predetermined range of wavelengths. The thin-film interference filter structure includes a thermally tunable layer having a thermally tunable optical characteristic such that a range of wavelength-dependent resonant optical responses of the thermally tunable layer are induced by a corresponding range of thermal conditions of the thermally tunable layer. The thin-film interference filter structure is configured to (1) receive a spatially varying pattern of thermal energy at the thermally tunable layer to impart a corresponding spatially varying pattern to the thermally tunable characteristic of the thermally tunable layer, and (2) receive the incident optical energy into the thermally tunable layer and output optical energy having spatial modulation corresponding to the spatially varying pattern of the thermally tunable characteristic.
US07697184B2
An optical scanning device includes a polygon mirror, a beam detector, a correcting unit, and a controller. The polygon mirror deflects and scans a light beam in a main scanning direction on a surface of an image carrier. The beam detector detects a beam position of the deflected light beam in a sub-scanning direction. The correcting unit calculates a correction amount of out-of-color registration based on the beam position, and corrects out-of-color registration in the sub-scanning direction based on the correction amount. The controller controls, during correction of out-of-color registration, a deflection speed of the deflector to be less than a deflection speed for writing a latent image on the surface of the image carrier.
US07697174B2
In an image reader having a static-document reading function and a moving-document reading function, a static-document pressing member is movably arranged on a cover portion and a sheet passing opening is opened or closed by moving the static-document pressing member. Further, the image reader includes a moving-document pressing member for pressing a document being automatically fed when it come to a document reading position on a platen glass when the static-document pressing member is moved to open the sheet passing opening.
US07697173B2
The present invention is an improved transparency scanning module, which is applied on a cover of scanning device. The transparency scanning module and the cover can be taken apart for different consuming groups. The features of the invention are that transparency scanning module is embedded in cover, and a slot of cover for holding transparency scanning module is set plural fillisters, and there are plural connectors set on the relative positions of transparency scanning module for connecting each other. When the fillisters connecting with the connectors, transparency scanning module is able to offer light and also transparency scanning module and cover are combined and fixed each other closely; on the other hand, rim of transparency scanning module is thinner, and most central part is protruding in z direction, thus transparency scanning module can be inserted and held in the slot of cover. This is another design for closely combination.
US07697166B2
A printing system is provided for color job matching of the output from a plurality of image marking engines. The system includes a first test image printed by a first image marking engine on a media document. The first test image having a data glyph and a plurality of reference patches. The system further includes a second test image printed by a second image marking engine on the media document. The second test image having a data glyph and a plurality of reference patches. The first and second test images are printed on the same side of the media document. A scanner is provided for scanning the media document. The scanned first and second test images provide calibration data for matching color correction tables of the first image marking engine and the second image marking engine, wherein the data glyph and the reference patches of the scanned image data are compared with retrieved color correction tables for generating compensation values based on a difference between the scanned image set-up data and the color correction tables for at least a first subsequent image document on the first image marking engine or the second image marking engine.
US07697165B2
A gamut compressing device for compressing video data in a first gamut into video data in a second gamut. The device includes a compression unit compressing a value of color data in the first gamut, not contained in the second gamut, into a value of color data contained in the second gamut through a predetermined compression calculation. A gradation generating unit generates gradation such that a plurality of values of color data having the same value as a result of the compression become different in the second gamut.
US07697164B2
The image processing device according to the present invention comprises: a first image acquisition device which acquires a portrait image, a first color conversion processing device which subjects the acquired portrait image to a first color conversion, a second image acquisition device which acquires a non-portrait image relating to the portrait image, a second color conversion processing device which subjects the non-portrait image to a second color conversion that is different from the first color conversion, an image superimposing device which superimposes the portrait image which is subjected to the first color conversion and the non-portrait image which is subjected to the second color conversion, and an image output device which outputs the superimposed image.
US07697161B2
A method of displaying wallpaper and an apparatus for displaying wallpaper includes displaying an input image to be displayed on wallpaper as a background image and a wallpaper displaying frame containing the entire image or a part of the input image on a wallpaper setting window, modifying a wallpaper displaying frame area according to a user's instruction, and displaying the modified frame area on the wallpaper. The apparatus for displaying wallpaper includes an application unit that displays an input image to be inputted as a background image for wallpaper and a wallpaper displaying frame containing the entire input image or a part of the input image on a wallpaper setting window, a modification unit that modifies a wallpaper displaying frame area specified by the application unit according to a user's instruction, and a wallpaper displaying unit that displays the frame area modified by the modification unit on the wallpaper.
US07697160B1
The Resolution and Device Independent Plain-Paper Input System allows for quick and easy creation of hard-copy data input packages without the use of special forms or complex and costly special forms scanning machines. Input pages may be created on any personal computer and printed using any laser or inkjet type printer or copy machine. Personalized data may easily be encoded onto the forms at the time of printing. Additionally, forms may be output directly to formatted disk files such as adobe acrobat for viewing before printing. Completed forms may be scanned and the data read using a large variety of scanning devices such as high-speed digital copy machines, personal computer page scanners and fax machines.
US07697154B2
A disclosed image file generating apparatus includes an original document reader, a dividing preferences input, a name preferences input, and an image file generator. The original document reader converts an original document to original image data. The dividing preferences input inputs dividing preferences information, including divide number information specifying a number of originals to be included in each of a predetermined number of image files. The name preference input inputs name preferences information, including file name information specifying a file name to be assigned to each of the image files and file initial number information specifying an initial sequential number to be assigned to each of the image files. The image file generator generates the image files corresponding to the original image data according to the dividing preferences and the name preferences.
US07697152B2
In a print system, without requiring a standardized command indicating use of a thumbnail image, and without causing an abnormal operation, a print content transmission device directs a print device to use the thumbnail image, wherein print content is described using XML format, and a direction command is described using XML format in the print content. Specifically, in a step S201, a processing control unit (111) proceeds to a step S202 in the case where there is input from a user I/F unit. In the step S202, a unique information addition unit (104) judges whether or not the thumbnail image should be used for printing. In the case where it is judged that the thumbnail image should be used (S202: Yes), the unique information addition unit (104) directs a print content generation unit (108) to add, to the print content, a direction to use the thumbnail image (step S203).
US07697147B2
An apparatus for the representation of an area on the three-dimensional surface of a patient's body, with a control device which provides three-dimensional coordinates of at least one area to be represented on the surface of the patient's body, wherein the area pre-sets a desired intersection area of a radiation area on the surface of the patient's body, characterized in that at least one projection device featuring a laser is provided, by which the desired intersection area can be projected to the three-dimensional surface of the patient's body on the basis of the provided coordinates, while at least one laser beam generated by the laser can be guided along the contour of the desired intersection area sufficiently rapidly, so that the impression of a closed contour around the desired intersection area results.
US07697144B2
A method and apparatus for reducing the thermal induced errors in an IFOG system. The apparatus including a highly thermally conductive material configured to encapsulate a waveguide of an interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG). The highly thermally conductive material more evenly distributes thermal changes encountered by a sensing coil of the IFOG thereby substantially reducing errors in the IFOG system.
US07697142B2
This invention relates to a method for the calibration of linear array photo sensors operating in a specular reflection mode. Errors may be introduced when a highly diffused image is measured by the linear array photosensor that was calibrated in a specular mode. These errors result in artifacts such as streaks in the captured image. The method measures non-uniformity errors using a highly diffuse white reflective surface, and then applies an appropriate scaled pixel-wise correction factor to the image when the sensor is used in the specular mode.
US07697140B2
A photoelectric smoke detector is provided which is suitable for being downsized without detection capability deterioration. The present invention relates to a photoelectric smoke detector for detecting presence of smoke by utilizing a light emitting element and a light receiving element whose optical axes intersect with each other. Then the photoelectric smoke detector has: a specialized labyrinth function fulfilling part for playing only a labyrinth function of bringing air flow into an interior space thereof and preventing entry of disturbance light into the interior space; and a smoke detecting part which is provided above the specialized labyrinth function fulfilling part so that an interior space of the smoke detecting part is communicated with the interior space of the specialized labyrinth function fulfilling part, and which has the light emitting element and the light receiving element built therein and has a small hole for extracting air flow that has passed through a detection area near an intersection between the optical axes of the light emitting element and the light receiving element.
US07697136B2
In a reflection characteristic measuring apparatus 10 and a method for calibrating the reflection characteristic measuring apparatus, multiple standard spectral characteristics, or multiple calibration data based on the multiple standard spectral characteristics are obtained in advance with corresponding reference values relating to an emission characteristic of a light source 21. An optimum standard spectral characteristic or an optimum calibration data is selected from the multiple standard spectral characteristics or the multiple calibration data obtained. A spectral reflection characteristic of a sample is calculated using the selected standard spectral characteristic or the selected calibration data.
US07697135B1
An optical metrology system collects spectral data while scanning over the focal range. The spectral data is evaluated to determine a plurality of peak intensity values for wavelengths in the spectra. The peak intensities are then combined to form the measured spectrum for the sample, which can then be used to determine the sample properties of interest. In one embodiment, the peak intensity is determined based on the measured maximum intensity and a number n of intensity values around the measured maximum intensity, e.g., using curve fitting. If desired, the number n may be varied as a function of wavelength to vary the effective spot size of the metrology system while optimizing noise performance. The peak intensity may also be derived as the measured maximum intensity or through a statistical analysis.
US07697132B2
A machine for distinguishing blisters from checks on the finish of a glass container. The captured objects are located in a band to define a cluster. The cluster is evaluated to determine whether it is a multiple cluster and each defined cluster is evaluated to distinguish a check from a blister.
US07697122B2
A frequency resolution for measuring transmission characteristics of a device under test is increased. With a measuring device including a first terahertz light generator that generates incident light, a second terahertz light generator that generates reference light having an optical frequency f1−f2−fIF different from an optical frequency f1−f2 of the incident light by a constant difference frequency fIF, a terahertz light detector which outputs an light detection signal having the difference frequency fIF based on response light obtained by making the incident light incident to an optical fiber and the reference light, and a network analyzer that receives the light detection signal, thereby measuring characteristics of the optical fiber, a spectrum of the incident light (terahertz light) incident to the optical fiber includes the carrier frequency (f1−f2), but does not include sideband frequencies (f1−f2±fIF). It is thus possible to reduce the effective spectrum width of the incident light. As a result, the frequency resolution increases in the measurement of the transmission characteristics of the optical fiber.
US07697121B1
The sensing system includes a plurality of modulators that are each configured to modulate a different light signal. The sensing system also includes optical pathways that transport the modulated light signals to one or more wavelength reflectors. Each wavelength reflector is configured to reflect a portion of the modulated light signals at a characteristic wavelength that is a function of an influence external to the wavelength reflector. The sensing system also includes a light sensor configured to receive the reflected light signals and to output a modulated electrical signal that is a function of the power of each of the reflected light signals. The sensing system can also include electronics configured to employ the modulated electrical signal so as to determine one or more results selected from a group consisting of: the characteristic wavelength of one or more of the wavelength reflectors and a level of the external influence on one or more of the wavelength reflectors. Examples of external influences include, but are not limited to, strain, stress, temperature, and properties of materials contacting the wavelength reflector such as index of refraction or pH.
US07697113B2
In a method of determining a focus position for a substrate exposure process and a substrate exposure apparatus capable of performing the same, a reticle having a light-transmitting region may be illuminated by an off-axis illumination light. A projected light, which is transmitted through the reticle and a projection optical system, may be detected by a light sensor disposed on a substrate stage. An intensity of the projected light measured at a light-receiving surface of the light sensor may vary in accordance with positions of the light-receiving surface. The focus position may be determined based on the variations in the intensity of the projected light.
US07697112B2
An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to light via a reticle includes a first plurality of optical elements configured to direct the light; a first vacuum chamber configured to accommodate said first plurality of optical elements; a first support configured to support said first vacuum chamber; and a second support configured to support at least one of said first plurality of optical elements substantially independently of said first support.
US07697110B2
An exposure apparatus for emitting exposure light onto a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid to expose the substrate includes a supply pipe which supplies the liquid; a recovery pipe which recovers the liquid; a connection pipe which connects the supply pipe and the recovery pipe; and a switching device which switches a flow path of the liquid so that when liquid supply is stopped, the liquid that has flowed into the supply pipe flows to the recovery pipe via the connection pipe. The apparatus may further include a temperature regulation apparatus connected to the supply pipe, which performs temperature regulation of the liquid supplied to the supply pipe, and has a rough temperature regulator which roughly regulates the temperature of the liquid, and a fine temperature regulator which is arranged between the rough temperature regulator and the supply pipe and performs fine regulation of this temperature.
US07697104B2
An exemplary sealing structure of a liquid crystal panel (2) is provided. The liquid crystal panel includes a pair of substrates (21, 22) and a liquid crystal layer (23) between the substrates. The scaling structure includes: a multi-layer structure (25) having a first layer (222) formed above one of the substrates and a second layer (223) formed above the first layer; an opening structure (226) having a first opening (226a) in the first layer and a second opening (226b) in the second layer and formed at the multi-layer structure. The first opening and the second opening are aligned with each other, the first opening is larger than the second opening, and a sealant (23) is sandwiched between the substrates, including in the opening structure. The adherence of the two substrates is improved.
US07697103B2
The present invention provides an image display device which includes the heat radiation structure with a high radiation effect without increasing the number of parts and requiring additional steps in the manufacture of the display device. A metal foil having a large area is formed on a COF film provided for mounting a driver chip on a display panel, and heat generated by the driver chip is led to the metal foil and is radiated.
US07697101B2
An array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes: a gate line on a substrate along a first direction; a data line along a second direction and crossing the gate line, the crossing of the data line and the gate line defining a pixel region having a parallelogrammic shape; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; and a pixel electrode in the pixel region and connected to the thin film transistor.
US07697097B2
The present invention is aimed to make displays with wide viewing angle possessing higher brightness in transmission mode and to develop more simple method for making such displays. This target is achieved by making in display with multiple pixels deflecting elements of dielectric material and depositing them over the electric conductive coating at least on one of the substrates the space between which is occupied by liquid crystal. Dielectric deflecting elements may be displaced along the perimeter of the pix as well as across its area. After applying electric voltage to the electrodes at the opposite substrates at the interface LC-dielectric deflecting dement distortions of the electric field arise with the component of electric field parallel to substrates.
US07697090B2
An illumination unit includes a light guide plate, and at least one optical sheet which is disposed on a major surface of the light guide plate. The optical sheet includes bent portions which are formed by bending portions of the optical sheet at a pair of opposed sides, and the light guide plate includes, at a pair of opposed end surfaces, recess portions in which the bent portions are inserted.
US07697085B2
A liquid crystal display is disclosed. The liquid crystal display comprises: a liquid crystal panel; a bottom cover disposed on the back surface of the liquid crystal panel and mounting and supporting the liquid crystal panel; a printed circuit board disposed on the back surface of the bottom cover; and a cover shield fastened to the bottom cover and the printed circuit board so as to cover the printed circuit board and comprising at least two depressed portions at a fastening portion fastened to the bottom cover and the printed circuit board.
US07697079B2
Provided are an illumination system and a projection TV employing the same. The illumination system includes: a laser light source including a plurality of lasers which emit laser beams including a plurality of beamlets; a first diffractive optical element which separates the laser beams according to wavelength and which focuses the separated beams onto different segments of a second refractive optical element; and the second diffractive optical element which focuses and superimposes a plurality of beamlets, of the laser beams transmitted by the first diffractive optical element, in order to spatially average the laser beams and to eliminate laser speckle.
US07697078B2
When setting reception channels, channel information and the direction information of a smart antenna are erased from a memory, and thereafter, the broadcast of a predetermined channel is automatically received while the direction of the directivity of the smart antenna is being switched in all directions. From among all the directions of the directionalities, the direction of the directivity as is capable of receiving and reproducing the broadcast of the predetermined channel best is determined, whereupon the channel information of the predetermined channel and the direction information of the determined direction of the directivity are automatically stored in the memory in association with each other.
US07697075B2
A method and system for suppressing color-crossing error in decoded video signals is presented. The color-crossing error suppression method and system uses a first suppression technique at a pixel location for a first subset of fields exhibiting color-crossing error at a pixel location then uses a second suppression technique at the pixel location for a second subset of fields exhibiting color-crossing error at the pixel location. The second subset of fields follows the first subset of fields in the video signals.
US07697074B2
Systems and methods for processing a video signal are disclosed and may include degrading a received video signal utilizing one or more of a plurality of video signal degrading methods. The degraded video signal may be processed to generate an improved video signal. At least a portion of the degraded video signal and a corresponding portion of the improved video signal may be displayed. Random noise may be added to the received video signal to generate the degraded video signal. Noise within the degraded video signal may be reduced to generate the improved video signal utilizing digital noise reduction and/or analog noise reduction. The received video signal may be compressed and decompressed to generate the random noise. The received video signal may be softened to generate the degraded video signal. The degraded video signal may be sharpened to generate the improved video signal.
US07697072B2
An image displaying method for a television includes: selecting a portion of a plurality of display regions of a screen of the television to display a still or animated image when a power-on signal is received; and utilizing all the plurality of display regions to display images corresponding to a television signal after a predetermined time period beginning from when the power-on signal is received. The present invention further discloses an image displaying method for a television, including: selecting a portion of a plurality of display regions of a screen of the television and stopping the displaying of images corresponding to a television signal on the selected display regions when a power-off signal is received; and stopping the displaying of images corresponding to the television signal on all the plurality of display regions after a predetermined time period beginning from when the power-off signal is received.
US07697071B2
A device for detecting a display mode of a video signal having first pixels corresponding to a first field, second pixels corresponding to a second field, and third pixels corresponding to a third field, includes a pixel converter, a measurement circuit, and a decision circuit. The pixel converter converts the second pixels to generate converted pixels. The measurement circuit generates measurement values related to differences between a converted pixel, a first pixel, and a third pixel. The decision circuit determines the display mode of the video signal according to the first, second, and third measurement values.
US07697070B1
A method and apparatus are disclosed that automatically switch between displaying local standard definition television content and non-local, high definition television content. When the same television content is available for display in both standard and high definition formats, the television converter device preferentially displays the high definition format.
US07697059B2
An apparatus has an image sensing device, and a signal processing device for performing a first image sensing operation for making the image sensing device perform an image sensing operation in an exposure state to obtain a sensed image signal, and a second image sensing operation for making the image sensing device perform an image sensing operation in a non-exposure state to obtain a sensed image signal, and processing the sensed image signal obtained by the first image sensing operation by the sensed image signal obtained by the second image sensing operation. The signal processing device determines in accordance with the image sensing time of the first image sensing operation whether or not the second image sensing operation is performed.
US07697051B2
An apparatus has a pixel that includes (i) a buffer transistor having an input, (ii) first and second capacitive storage elements each of which selectively can be coupled to the input of the buffer transistor, and (iii) a photosensitive element having an output which selectively can be coupled to the input of the buffer transistor. A readout circuit selectively can be coupled to an output of the buffer transistor. A first signal level, sensed by the photosensitive element, can be stored by the first capacitive storage element, and a second signal level, sensed by the photosensitive element, can be stored by the second capacitive storage element. The first and second signal levels can be read out from the pixel.
US07697050B1
A method and apparatus to perform low noise reset of a pixel circuit within an active pixel image sensor.
US07697048B2
A solid state imaging apparatus of which spatial phases of pixels forming a first matrix of adjoining rows and adjoining columns are relatively different from each other is characterized by that an intersection of a line between two pixels to be added in a row direction and a line between two pixels to be added in a column direction approximately agreed with a center of four pixels to be added when the four pixels adjoining in the row and column directions are added, and phases of said centers of four pixels adjoining in the row direction or column direction are relatively different from each other in a second matrix consisted of a plurality of said centers of four pixels.
US07697046B2
A device, for processing each pixel signal output from a solid-state imaging device, has a determination processor and an interpolation processor. Each pixel is defined as a center pixel of a k×k matrix. The interpolation processor presumes which pixels have the same color as one another in the k×k matrix, according to the plurality of pixel-array patterns, and conducts a pixel interpolation in each case of presumed color arrangement according to the plurality of pixel-array patterns, so as to generate signal groups of presumed interpolation signals of the center pixel. The determination processor determines a pixel-array pattern in the k×k matrix to be a pattern selected from the plurality of pixel-array patterns. One of the signal groups that is generated according to the determined pixel-array pattern is selected as interpolation signals of the center pixel.
US07697043B2
In a solid-state image pickup apparatus, a preliminary pickup circuit performs, during preliminary pickup, divided photometry on a photometry signal outputted from the primary cells of photo-sensors, determines an exposure condition in which photometry data in all divided blocks do not exceed the saturation maximum value of the primary cells, and calculates the individual photometry data tints under the above exposure condition. During actual pickup, a shading corrector included in an image processing circuit divides subsidiary image data in the same manner as during the divided photometry, calculates shading correction gains in accordance with the photometry data tints and those of the subsidiary image data, and interpolates the shading correction gains in accordance with the pixel for thereby executing color shading correction on the subsidiary image data.
US07697042B2
A solid-state image pickup device that reduces the number of necessary sampling and holding capacitors has signal lines to which photoreceiving elements are connected, a clamp circuit having clamp capacitors in which one terminal is connected to the signal lines and the other terminals are short-circuited and a switch applying a reference voltage to the other terminals by the clamping operation and adding signals from the photoreceiving elements provided in the row direction along with the clamping operation, an adder which is connected to the other terminals of the clamp capacitors, adds addition signals of the respective photoreceiving element rows outputted from the other terminals and adds the signals of the plurality of photoreceiving elements provided in the column direction, an amplifier connected to the adder, a switch resetting the input side of the amplifier, and a circuit for outputting an offset of the amplifier and the signal from the amplifier.
US07697038B2
An imaging apparatus comprises an image sensing unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged on an image sensing plane, and a control unit. The control unit has a first mode in which image signals are read out from a first photoelectric conversion element group arranged in a first region of the image sensing plane, and a second mode in which image signals are read out from a second photoelectric conversion element group arranged in a second region that is smaller than the first region of the image sensing plane In addition, the control unit performs control such that a readout period of a line arranged on the image sensing plane in the first mode is substantially equal to that of a line arranged on the image sensing plane in the second mode when switching between the two modes.
US07697028B1
A security system for recording information outside a vehicle and delivering such information to a remote location includes a plurality of cameras mounted within a housing with radial lines of sight for providing a panoramic view of the surroundings. The present invention further includes a communication mechanism for transmitting an image to a remote location. A user interface includes one of a hand-operable video phone, personal computer and cellcorder. The present invention further includes an image stabilizing mechanism for maintaining the lines of sight along a linear path. The image stabilizing mechanism is secured to the housing and cameras. Such an image stabilizing mechanism includes a housing that has a motor, a gyro, and a helical spring member, which provide support as the vehicle is in motion.
US07697026B2
A pipeline architecture for analyzing multiple streams of video is embodied, in part, in a layer of application program interfaces (APIs) to each stage of processing. Buffer queuing is used between some stages, which helps moderate the load on the CPU(s). Through the layer of APIs, innumerable video analysis applications can access and analyze video data flowing through the pipeline, and can annotate portions of the video data (e.g., frames and groups of frames), based on the analyses performed, with information that describes the frame or group. These annotated frames and groups flow through the pipeline to subsequent stages of processing, at which increasingly complex analyses can be performed. At each stage, portions of the video data that are of little or no interest are removed from the video data. Ultimately, “events” are constructed and stored in a database, from which cross-event and historical analyses may be performed and associations with, and among, events may be made.
US07697018B2
A technique can define a right position for forming a toner image on the transfer surface of an intermediate transfer body regardless of the size and the number of the sheets on which toner images are to be transferred. An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on the transfer surface of an intermediate transfer body by correcting the position for forming the toner image comprises a data acquisition section that acquires predetermined data relating to the printing data for forming an image on a sheet and a correction section that corrects the predefined value for defining the position for forming the toner image on the transfer surface according to a predetermined correction value corresponding to the predetermined data acquired in the data acquisition section. Upon determining that toner images are formed simultaneously on the transfer surface for a plurality of pages according to the predetermined data, the correction section corrects the respective positions for forming the toner images, using the correction values respectively corresponding to the plurality of pages.
US07697010B2
A system, method and apparatus to provide flexible texture filtering. A programmable texture filtering module is introduced into the graphics processing pipeline of a graphic coprocessor and graphic processor integrated with the host. A program from a defined instruction set may then be loaded into texture processing cores to process texture data consistent with the program.
US07697000B2
A system for typographic glyph construction includes a graphics system, a glyph server coupled to the graphics system, and an operating system coupled to the glyph server. An apparatus for typographic glyph construction of input text in a graphics system running on a computer system and output on an output device of the computer system includes a line layout core unit, a glyph cache unit coupled to the line layout core unit, an open font architecture services unit coupled to the glyph cache unit, at least one scaler unit coupled to the open font architecture unit, a font object management unit coupled to the at least one font scaler, and an attribute group support unit supporting a data structure for communication among the units of the apparatus. A method for processing input text in a graphics system running on a computer system and displaying typographic glyphs on a display device of the computer system includes mapping the input text into glyph codes, forming an initial glyph record array, the initial glyph record array comprising a plurality of glyph records for the glyph codes, processing a layout of the glyph codes to produce an updated glyph record array, rendering the updated glyph record array to produce a final glyph record array, and rendering a display of the typographic glyph output from the final glyph record array.
US07696998B2
A pen-based system allow users, such as artists, graphic designers sand illustrators, and the like, to create accurate curve models by sketching. A tool set implemented in software that runs on a computer system combines paper sketch metaphors and a minimalist gesture set. This tool set provides an environment where the artists can focus on the creative task at hand rather than the details of operating software. A pen-based drawing method and system allows users to create and edit three dimensional (“3D”) objects by sketching.
US07696997B2
Systems and methods for providing an interactive graphical representation of a market for an electronic trading system are provided. A graph may be displayed on a display of a workstation in an electronic trading system. In one example, the graph may include a curve corresponding to a range of values of a financial instrument. In another example, the graph may include symbols that represent bids and offers for one or more financial instruments. A user may be allowed to select a portion of the graph. In response to the user's selection, a trading dialog box may be provided, thereby allowing the user to place a trade directly from the graph.
US07696996B2
A laser scanning microscope capable of quickly and accurately setting control values of control items for a microscope apparatus is provided. The control items and a time line are displayed along a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, respectively. The laser scanning microscope includes a graphical user interface configured to set the control values of the control items along the time line and a control unit configured to acquire luminance information of a specimen by irradiating the specimen with a laser beam in accordance with the control values set by the graphical user interface.
US07696995B2
A system and method are directed to determining light illumination in a graphical environment. One or more light sources are illuminating a surface. The surface is divided into one or more cells. The orientation of each cell is determined and saved in an orientation field. A multidimensional light map value is derived and associated with the surface. The multidimensional light map value defines the combined illumination of the one or more light sources on the surface, and may optionally be a vector. At least one cell to be drawn is determined. For each cell to be drawn, an illumination value associated with that cell to be drawn is determined. The illumination value is based on the orientation field and the multidimensional light map value. The illumination value may be the dot product of the orientation field and the multidimensional light map value.
US07696994B2
A method and an apparatus are for displaying an image. The image is broken down in accordance with a scheme, which can be predetermined, into sections, so-called chunks. The chunks are supplied to a pipeline for processing, on the basis of a scheme which can likewise be predetermined. The pipeline includes a large number of pipeline processors, which operate at a specific resolution level. The chunks are then combined again to form an image at the specific resolution level, and are displayed as an intermediate result. This process is repeated iteratively until the highest resolution level is reached.
US07696982B2
A wired mouse containing a circuit board, a connection line to connect the mouse to a PC, and a built-in mobile power module; the mobile power module being charged by the PC external source, or a second connection interface being provided to the mouse, the power source module charging any other electronic product through the second connection interface while the mouse is operating.
US07696977B2
Provided is a method and an apparatus for driving a display panel with a temperature compensated driving voltage, which comprises a temperature sensor, a temperature section register, a comparing unit, a voltage register, a voltage controller and a driver. The comparing unit compares temperature data output from the temperature sensor to temperature section data stored in the temperature section register and outputs comparison data having predetermined bits. The voltage controller selects voltage data corresponding to the comparison data from the voltage data stored in the voltage register and outputs a voltage control signal corresponding to the selected voltage data. The driver outputs a driving voltage corresponding to the voltage control signal to the display panel from among the different driving voltages.
US07696975B2
A liquid crystal display includes an active display area and gate drivers. The active display area includes display blocks, each display block including pixel rows. The gate driver sequentially outputs gate signals to the display block and drives corresponding pixel rows to display pixel images, or outputs a dummy gate signal to the display block to drive the corresponding pixel rows to display a compensation image for improving motion image quality. A method of driving the liquid crystal display includes using the gate drivers to sequentially drive the pixel rows of each of the display blocks to display pixel images, and using the gate driver to output a dummy gate signal to simultaneously drive the pixel rows of another display block to display the compensation image.
US07696971B2
The invention provides a method for controlling the grey-scale modulation of a reflective bistable cholesteric display by applying selected sequences of high and low pulses to modulate the cholesteric domain size and helical axis orientation. Non-mesogenic dopants may also be added to reduce the drive voltage.
US07696967B2
A gamma control circuit includes a first gray-scale voltage selection unit that selects and outputs a highest gray-scale voltage and a lowest gray-scale voltage from among a plurality of first voltages present between a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage. A second gray-scale voltage selection unit receives the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages and selects and outputs a first intermediate voltage and a second intermediate voltage between the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages. A third gray-scale voltage selection unit receives the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages and the first and second intermediate voltages and generates a plurality of reference voltages from the received voltages. A gray-scale voltage generation unit receives the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages and the plurality of reference voltages and outputs a plurality of gray-scale voltages.
US07696965B2
A method of compensating an OLED display device having light-emitting elements that change with use, comprising the steps of: a) using the device to display images; b) sequentially displaying an ordered series of calibration images, wherein each of the calibration images have one or more corresponding flat fields, at least one of the corresponding flat fields of each calibration image of the ordered series has a different luminance value, and the calibration images are arranged in the ordered series so as to reduce perceived luminance discontinuities; c) measuring and recording current used by the display for each sequentially displayed calibration image; d) calculating compensation parameters based on the measured currents; e) compensating an input image using the compensation parameters; and f) displaying the compensated input image.
US07696963B2
In an organic light emitting display with a data integrated circuit using the same, a buffer circuit comprises: a first capacitor receiving gradation voltage through a first terminal; a first inverter having an input terminal connected to a second terminal of the first capacitor; a second capacitor having a first terminal connected to an output terminal of the first inverter; a second inverter having an input terminal connected to a second terminal of the second capacitor; a third capacitor having a first terminal connected to an output terminal of the second inverter; and a first transistor connected to a second terminal of the third capacitor and controlling current flowing from a first power source to a data line so as to supply the gradation voltage to the data line in correspondence to the voltage supplied by the third capacitor. With this configuration, the gradation voltage is supplied regardless of the threshold voltages of the transistors.
US07696962B2
A color balancing circuit for a flat panel display such as an electroluminescent display generates a primary current that can be varied to adjust the overall brightness of the display. Three currents related to the primary current by selectable ratios are generated, by current mirror circuits, for example; the ratios can be individually varied to adjust the color balance. Driving currents are generated from the three adjusted currents, by mirroring the adjusted currents, for example, and are used to drive display elements that emit light in the three primary colors. Image brightness and color balance can accordingly be adjusted separately, even though both are adjusted by adjusting the driving current. Circuit size is reduced in that the same primary current is used for all three primary colors.
US07696961B2
A counter 102 counts the accumulated lighting time or the accumulated lighting time and the intensity of lighting of each pixel by a first image signal 101A and stores them in a volatile memory 103 or a nonvolatile memory 104. A correction circuit 105 corrects the first image signal based on the correction data stored previously in a correction data storage section 106 in accordance with the degree of the degradation of each spontaneous light emitting element by the use of the accumulated lighting time or the accumulated lighting time and the intensity of lighting, and produces a second mage signal 101B. By the second image signal 101B, a display unit 107 can provide a uniform screen having no variation in luminance even if the light emitting elements in a part of the pixels are degraded.
US07696954B2
A multi display device includes: a first display disposed at a predetermined position; a second display disposed 10B in front of the first display 10A and being movable from a first position where the second display overlaps with the first display to a second position where the second display does not overlap with the first display; and a transferring member for moving the second display. When the first display is mainly monitored, the second display is transferred to the second position, and when the second display is mainly monitored, the second display is transferred to the first position.
US07696953B2
A portable, interactive display device is disclosed. The device presents to a user the graphical interface of a host computer. The host is separate from the display device and sits in a fixed location. The invention allows a user to carry with him the user interface capability of the host, limited only by the capabilities of a wireless communications channel to the host. The host provides processing, storage, and access to its own peripheral devices. The display device need only provide the amount of processing necessary to communicate with the host, to run the client side of the hosting software, and to provide security functions. The host provides a docking station that accommodates the display device. When in the docking station, the display device continues to operate but communicates with the host through the docking station rather than through the wireless channel. This allows for a higher quality video connection.
US07696950B2
An antenna, which is operable in a digital video broadcasting for handhelds (DVB-H) frequency range, includes first and second monopole radiating elements and a feeding element. The first and second monopole radiating elements are symmetrical about an axis of symmetry and have a meandering shape. The feeding element interconnects the first and second monopole radiating elements.
US07696943B2
An antenna assembly includes at least two active or main radiating omni-directional antenna elements arranged with at least one beam control or passive antenna element used as a reflector. The beam control antenna element(s) may have multiple reactance elements that can electrically terminate it to adjust the input or output beam pattern(s) produced by the combination of the active antenna elements and the beam control antenna element(s). More specifically, the beam control antenna element(s) may be coupled to different terminating reactances to change beam characteristics, such as the directivity and angular beam width. Processing may be employed to select which terminating reactance to use. Consequently, the radiator pattern of the antenna can be more easily directed towards a specific target receiver/transmitter, reduce signal-to-noise interference levels, and/or increase gain. A Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) processing technique may be employed to operate the antenna assembly with simultaneous beam patterns.
US07696933B2
A radio receiving apparatus deterioration of a receiving sensitivity of an antenna used in the radio receiving apparatus due to noise generated from a circuit board disposed within the radio receiving apparatus. The radio receiving apparatus includes a body, a printed circuit board provided within the body, an antenna provided at an area outside of the body and adapted to receive an external signal, and a noise attenuation member provided at the printed circuit board and adapted to attenuate noise generated from the printed circuit board, to prevent deterioration in the receiving sensitivity of the antenna.
US07696932B2
An antenna configured for low frequency applications on a mobile device includes an antenna element coupled to a conductive structure which, in turn, is coupled to the user of the mobile device such that the user of the mobile device effectively becomes part of the antenna. The conductive structure can include, for example, the device housing being made from a conductive material, a conductive structure embedded inside the device housing, or conductive pads exposed in the device housing. The antenna element is electrically connected to the conductive structure and the user can be coupled to the conductive structure either through direct contact or through capacitive coupling. In addition, the antenna can include an active element configured to boost free space operation efficiency. The active element can include, for example, a low noise amplifier integrated onto a low noise amplifier board. The active element can be at least partially surrounded by a hollow support structure around which an antenna coil is wrapped, where the antenna coil is coupled to the active element. Furthermore, one or more antenna coils can be utilized either separately or in conjunction with the antenna for low frequency applications, where the one or more antenna coils can have integrated therein inductive components and/or active/switching elements that allow the one or more antenna coils to be tuned to a desired frequency.
US07696925B2
Radiolocalization receiver with a massively parallel array of correlators, comprising a data compression module (199) to compress the incoherent integration values accumulated into the incoherent integration memories (176). By compressing incoherent integration values, relevant memory saving can be obtained or, in alternative, loss of data by excessive prescaling can be avoided or attenuated. The invention proposes a simple compression scheme based on offset subtraction which allows save memory size.
US07696922B2
The disclosure relates to method and apparatus for geolocation determination. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for detecting an erroneous satellite measurement by a receiver, including the steps of (a) determining an approximate location of the receiver; (b) for each of a plurality of satellites from which the receiver receives a signal: (i) determining a range difference between an expected range between the receiver and the satellite and a measured range between the receiver and the satellite; (ii) determining a median value of the range differences; (iii) determining an offset value between the range difference and the median value; (iv) comparing the offset value with a predetermined threshold to thereby detect an erroneous satellite measurement.
US07696921B1
A system and method of displaying an indication of a hazard associated on an aircraft display in an avionics system provides first radar pulses at a first pulse repetition frequency or having a first compression signature or carrier frequency. The system and method also provides second radar pulses at a second pulse repetition frequency higher than the first pulse repetition frequency or having a second compression signature or carrier frequency. The system and method receive radar returns associated with the first radar pulses and the second radar pulses and provide a turbulence assessment in response to the radar returns.
US07696917B2
An encode circuit includes a digital average unit that receives cyclic thermometer codes or standard thermometer codes, and that reduces a bubble error in the received thermometer codes by a majority vote rule, a logical boundary detection unit that detects a logical boundary in the thermometer codes output from the digital average unit, and an encoder unit that generates output codes based on output signals from the logical boundary detection unit.
US07696916B2
A parallel type analog-to-digital conversion circuit, including a reference signal generating portion and a comparison amplification portion, the comparison amplification portion including a plurality of amplifiers, input resetting switches, first sampling capacitors, second sampling capacitors, first sampling switches, and second sampling switches.
US07696911B2
Disclosed is a digital-to-analog conversion circuit in which first and second serial DACs and an amplifier circuit for driving a data line are provided. In a first data period, the first serial DAC converts a first digital signal received in the first data period to a first signal, the second serial DAC holds a signal obtained by converting a digital signal received in a data period one period before the first data period, and the amplifier circuit amplifies and outputs the signal held in the second serial DAC, to the data line. In a second data period following after the first data period, the second serial DAC converts the second digital signal received in a second data period, the first serial DAC holds the first signal converted in the first data period, and an amplifier circuit amplifies and outputs the first signal held in the first serial DAC, to the data line.
US07696907B2
An apparatus for processing a signal and method thereof are disclosed. Data coding and entropy coding are performed with interconnection, and grouping is used to enhance coding efficiency. The present invention includes the steps of obtaining a group reference value corresponding to a plurality of data included in one group through grouping including first grouping and second grouping and a first difference value corresponding to the group reference value and obtaining the data using the group reference value and the first difference value.
US07696906B2
An improved LZW algorithm creates images at the time of compression, and obtains codes from those images at the time of decompression. At the time of compression, string (x) is obtained from the input stream and code (x) is retrieved from the LZW table for string (x). Assuming that a valid image (x) exists for the code, the system and method of the present disclosure may either: 1) write code (x) to the output stream, or 2) write image (x) to the output stream. The enhanced decompression algorithm of the present disclosure in one embodiment retrieves the code or image and restores the original stream. In addition, 1 bit is removed from code (x+1), and its information is indirectly stored in code (x)/image (x). Thereafter, when the decompression program encounters image (x) in the compressed stream, the decompression algorithm adds binary bit ‘1’ (or ‘0’) to the code (x+1), and adds binary bit ‘0’ (or ‘1’) to code (x+1) when it encounters code (x).
US07696900B2
A method of responding to an anomalous change in downhole pressure in a bore hole comprises detecting the anomalous change in downhole pressure, sending a signal along the segmented electromagnetic transmission path, receiving the signal, and performing a automated response. The anomalous change in downhole pressure is detected at a first location along a segmented electromagnetic transmission path, and the segmented electromagnetic transmission path is integrated into the tool string. The signal is received by at least one receiver in communication with the segmented electromagnetic transmission path. The automated response is performed along the tool string. Disclosed is an apparatus for responding to an anomalous change in downhole pressure in a downhole tool string, comprising a segmented electromagnetic transmission path connecting one or more receivers and at least one pressure sensor.
US07696899B2
A marker navigation device for determining and/or tracking a location of a marker device is provided. The marker device is attachable to an object, said marker device including a plurality of markers having known dimensions and being in a known positional relationship relative to each other. The marker navigation device includes: a detection device operative to detect signals emitted by or reflected from the plurality of markers, wherein the detection device is formed such that in first locations of the detection device relative to the marker device, detection of signals from one marker of the plurality of markers is restricted or impossible due to a location of another marker of the plurality of markers. In second locations of the detection device relative to the marker device, the plurality of markers are detectable by the detection device. The navigation device also includes a processing device communicatively coupled to the detection device and configured to calculate the first locations based on the relative locations of individual markers of the plurality of markers and based on the known dimensions of the plurality of markers, and calculate an actual location of the marker device relative to the detection device based on detected signals from at least one marker of the plurality of markers, the known locations of the plurality of markers relative to each other, and the known dimensions of the plurality of markers. The processing device also can determines whether the actual location of the marker device is one of the first locations. A warning device is communicatively coupled to the processing device and operative to output a warning signal when the actual relative location is one of the first relative locations.
US07696898B2
An electronic instrument for which operating setting is possible according to operating signals transmitted from a plurality of kinds of remote operating devices of a differing operating signal structure, includes: an operating signal receiving section which receives the operating signals transmitted by the remote operating devices; an operating signal processing section which, when a specified operating signal based on a specified operating signal structure is input among the operating signals received by the operating signal receiving section, carries out a process control of the electronic instrument in accordance with the specified operating signal; and an operating signal conversion section which, being provided in a branch signal transmission system which diverges from a direct signal system, which directly transmits the operating signal from the operating signal receiving section to the operating signal processing section, converts an operating signal based on an operating signal structure which differs from the specified operating signal into the specified operating signal, wherein the operating signal conversion section transmits the converted operating signal to the operating signal processing section, whereon the operating signal processing section carries out an operating process in the electronic instrument based on the converted operating signal.
US07696894B2
In the method for determining a relative position of a mobile unit by comparing scans of an environment, scans of an environment of the mobile unit are recorded continuously by a distance sensor and stored in a memory. Furthermore the processing unit compares a first scan with a second scan, with a relative position of the mobile unit at the time of the second scan being determined in relation to a position at the time of the first scan. The method is characterized by the fact that the processing unit compares the first scan iteratively with subsequent scans, with a new relative position of the mobile unit at the time of the relevant subsequent scan being determined relative to the position at the time of the first scan, and with the last relative position determined in each case being taken into account as a-priori information.
US07696892B2
A protection device for an oscillating power circuit, namely for a demining coil, such device incorporating circuit breaking means positioned between an alternating current supply network and the power circuit, such device wherein it comprises at least one means to measure and analyze the current supplying the power circuit, means able to detect the appearance of a direct current and connected to triggering means ensuring the opening of the circuit breaking means when the alternating current ceases.
US07696888B2
A video baby monitor system has a child unit and a receiver unit. The receiver unit has a housing assembly with a first section having a viewing surface and a second section. The first and second sections are movable relative to one another between an open position exposing the viewing surface and a closed position where the second section covers the viewing surface. A video screen is provided on the viewing surface of the first section. The first section can be moved from the closed position to the open position such that the video screen faces upward for viewing.
US07696880B2
An RFID tag is provided including an object ID and a counter. Such an RFID tag may be employed in an RFID tag system including a parent RFID tag having an object ID and a counter, a child RFID tag, and a reader/writer configured to read the object ID and the counter of the parent RFID tag, combine values of the object ID and the counter, and write the combined value to an object ID of the child RFID tag.
US07696877B2
The presence or absence of objects is determined by interrogating or exciting transponders coupled to the objects using pulsed wide band frequency signals. Ambient or background noise is evaluated and a threshold adjusted based on the level of noise. Adjustment may be based on multiple noise measurements or samples. Noise detection may be limited, with emphasis placed on interrogation to increase the signal to noise ratio. Match filtering may be employed. Appropriate acts may be taken if detected noise is out of defined limits of operation, for example shutting down interrogation and/or providing an appropriate indication.
US07696876B2
A system for generating a magnetic field for excitation of a leadless marker assembly. The system of at least one embodiment includes a source generator that generates a plurality of alternating electrical signals each having an independently adjustable phase. A plurality of excitation coils are configured to simultaneously receive a respective one of the alternating electrical signals at a selected phase to generate a magnetic field. The phase of the alternating electrical signal for each excitation coil is independently adjustable relative to the phase of the alternating electrical signal for the other excitation coils so as to adjust the magnetic field from the respective coil. The magnetic fields from the excitation coils combine to form a spatially adjustable excitation field for excitation of the remote leadless marker assembly.
US07696856B2
A laminated chip varistor comprises a varistor body, first and second inner electrodes, a heat conductor, and first and second outer electrodes. The varistor body has first and second outer faces. The first and second inner electrodes are disposed in the varistor body so that at least portions thereof are opposing to each other. The first and second outer electrodes are formed on the first outer face, the first outer electrode being connected to the first inner electrode, and the second outer electrode being connected to the second inner electrode. The heat conductor is formed in the varistor body extending in a direction from the first outer face toward the second outer face with one end face thereof exposed on the first outer face and the other end face thereof exposed on the second outer face.
US07696855B2
The strain gauge for measuring large strains has metallic foil pattern sections including a gauge element pattern section, gauge tab pattern sections and connecting pattern sections attached to a gauge base. The gauge base having the metallic foil pattern sections attached and connected with the bases of gauge leads is almost entirely covered on the surface with a laminating film, and the tip of the laminating film is extended by a predetermined length from the tip end of the gauge base, to form a protruding portion. The protruding portion functions to prevent the separation of the gauge base from an object to be measured.
US07696853B2
A coupled inductor structure applied in a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer disposed under the first dielectric layer includes a first inductor element disposed on the first dielectric layer and a second inductor element disposed on the second dielectric layer. The first inductor element has a first bending segment, a second bending segment connected to the first bending segment, and a third bending segment connected to the second bending segment. The second bending segment of the first inductor element has on the second dielectric layer a projection intersecting a second bending segment of the second inductor element. A relative position of the first bending segment of the first inductor element to a first bending segment of the second inductor element is opposite to another relative position of the third bending segment of the first inductor element to a third bending segment of the second inductor element.
US07696851B1
A bobbin includes a first winding frame to wrap primary winding coils thereon, a first winding chassis defining a first opening to receiving the first winding frame therein, a pair of second winding chassis positioned at two opposite ends of the bobbin and each defining a second opening, a pair of second winding frames received in the second openings of the second winding chassis to wrap secondary winding coils thereon, and a receiving hole extending through the second winding chassis and the first winding frame. The first winding frame is positioned between the second winding chassis. Each of the second winding frames defines a through hole communicating with the receiving hole. The first opening of the first winding chassis faces to a first direction, and each of the second openings of the second winding chassis faces to a second direction different from the first direction.
US07696844B2
A filtering circuit based on a lattice structure comprising a first and a second input and a first and second output. The circuit further comprises two series impedance and two parallel impedance which each comprises an acoustic resonator associated with two inductive and capacitive components which can be adjusted by a first control value. The second and fourth impedance comprise each an acoustic resonator associated to two inductive and capacitive components which are adjustable by means of a second control value. A control circuit generates the two control values which simultaneously comprise a common mode potential and a differential mode potential which allows the emergence of first and second pass bands which are usable for realizing two different bandpass filters.
US07696836B2
Improved coupler for Ethernet over twisted pair. An improved coupler has a first common mode choke for connecting an Ethernet PHY to the primary winding of a transformer. The secondary winding of the transformer connects through a second common mode choke for connection to a twisted pair line. In one embodiment, the first common mode choke, transformer, and second common mode choke are placed in the same package. In a second environment, a plurality of choke-transformer-choke units are placed in the same package. In a third embodiment, the plurality of choke-transformer-choke units may be integrated into a connector. Pairs of the second common mode chokes may share cores.
US07696834B2
A voltage-controlled oscillator includes: a bias voltage generator operating to generate first and second bias voltages in response to a control signal; a voltage-controlled oscillation circuit connected to a control node and configured to generate oscillation signals in response to an input voltage; a selection signal generator operating to generate a selection signal in response each to the oscillation signals; and a selection circuit operating to select one of the first and second bias voltages in response to the selection signal and outputting the selected bias voltage to the control node.
US07696828B2
A modified derivative superposition (MDS) low noise amplifier (LNA) includes a main current path and a cancel current path. Third-order distortion in the cancel path is used to cancel third-order distortion in the main path. In one novel aspect, there is a separate source degeneration inductor for each of the two current paths, thereby facilitating tuning of one current path without affecting the other current path. In a second novel aspect, a deboost current path is provided that does not pass through the LNA load. The deboost current allows negative feedback to be increased without generating headroom problems. In a third novel aspect, the cancel current path and/or deboost current path is programmably disabled to reduce power consumption and improve noise figure in operational modes that do not require high linearity.
US07696826B2
A temperature compensation system for compensating a collector-voltage controlled RF amplifier. To overcome variation that occurs with temperature which can result in signal degradation of the adjacent channel spectrum, a temperature compensated current is utilized to create an offset signal. The offset signal is processed in connection with a control or data signal to generate a temperature compensated voltage source control signal. A differential amplifier may process the data or control signal and the offset signal. The compensated voltage control signal tracks temperature to adapt the applied collector voltage to temperature. This in turn forces the applied collector voltage to vary in response to temperature changes thereby maintaining a constant output power or RF swing. One example environment of use is in an EDGE type GSM system.
US07696823B2
An integrated receiver with channel selection and image rejection substantially implemented on a single CMOS integrated circuit. A receiver front end provides programmable attenuation and a programmable gain low noise amplifier. LC filters integrated onto the substrate in conjunction with image reject mixers provide image frequency rejection. Filter tuning and inductor Q compensation over temperature are performed on chip. Active filters utilize multi track spiral inductors with shields to increase circuit Q. The filters incorporate a gain stage that provides improved dynamic range through the use of cross coupled auxiliary differential pair CMOS amplifiers to cancel distortion in a main linearized differential pair amplifier. Frequency planning provides additional image rejection. Local oscillator signal generation methods on chip reduce distortion. A PLL generates needed out of band LO signals. Direct synthesis generates in band LO signals. PLL VCOs are centered automatically. A differential crystal oscillator provides a frequency reference. Differential signal transmission throughout the receiver is used. ESD protection is provided by a pad ring and ESD clamping structure. Shunts utilize a gate boosting at each pin to discharge ESD build up. An IF VGA utilizes distortion cancellation achieved with cross coupled differential pair amplifiers having their Vds dynamically modified in conjunction with current steering of the differential pairs sources.
US07696815B2
An electronic device includes: an integrated circuit having a first circuit part, a second circuit part, a first power source line of the first circuit part, a second power source line of the second circuit part, and a coupling switch coupling the first power source line and the second power source line; a power source supply part which generates a power source to be supplied to the first and second circuit parts and which has a power source supply control circuit controlling the supply of power source to the second circuit part; and a power source control part that controls the power source supply control circuit and the coupling switch, wherein the power source control part controls the power source supply control circuit so as to supply a power source in accordance with the operating state of the second circuit part and closes the coupling switch.
US07696800B2
Disclosed is a circuit that adjusts a characteristic of a signal transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver over a communication channel (e.g., a wire, a backplane, etc.). The circuit includes a latch that receives the signal at a predetermined point in the circuit and samples a voltage of the signal many times after a threshold voltage is applied to the latch. The circuit also includes a processor that determines the characteristic of the signal when the sampled voltages indicate a transition point and that adjusts the threshold voltage when the sampled voltages do not indicate a transition point. The processor adjusts the characteristic of the signal by adjusting at least one of a current and a voltage of the transmitter when the characteristic of the signal is outside a predetermined range.
US07696795B2
A power-on reset circuit includes a power detector to generate a detect voltage by detecting an internal voltage. An output unit outputs a power-up reset signal using the detect voltage. A delay unit is configured to delay the power-up reset signal and generate a delay voltage. A switch device is configured to be controlled using the delay voltage. A discharge unit discharges the detect voltage in response to the internal voltage and the power-up reset signal.
US07696787B2
A signal history controlled slew-rate transmission method and bus interface transmitter provide an improved channel equalization mechanism having low complexity. A variable slew-rate feed-forward pre-emphasis circuit changes the slew rate of the applied pre-emphasis in conformity with the history of the transmitted signal. The pre-emphasis circuit may be implemented by a pair of current sources supplying the output of the transmitter, and having differing current values. The current sources are controlled such that upon a signal value change, a high slew rate is provided and when the signal value does not change for two consecutive signal periods, the slew rate is reduced. A current source having a controlled magnitude may be employed to provide a slew rate that changes over time and is continuously reduced until another transmission value change occurs.
US07696786B2
A differential level shifter employs a variable current mirror to maintain a reference voltage at one output while the other output follows a differential input. Resistor networks allow postproduction trimming of load resistors and the current mirror, resulting in a precise and accurate output of the differential signal. An active cascode circuit enhances current mirror balance and high frequency operation.
US07696781B1
Circuitry and methods are provided for control and configuration of a PLD. An embodiment of the invention comprises hard IP circuitry embedded in the PLD. The circuitry may include a gigabit MAC, a hard processor, and a DMA engine. The invention permits a variety of operations, including real-time control and remote programming, without the use of dedicated external circuitry.
US07696779B2
A system LSI includes an input/output section and a logic circuit section. The input/output section includes an I/O power source cell having a supply voltage higher than a power source for the logic circuit section and a plurality of I/O cells in each of which an I/O power source line is provided for supplying source power from the I/O power source cell. The logic circuit section includes an I/O power consuming circuit which uses the I/O power source cell as a power source. The I/O power consuming circuit is connected to a line leading from an I/O power source line in at least one of the plurality of I/O cells.
US07696777B2
A communication system having first and second states for use with a shared transmission line composed of at least two conductors and composed of first and second transmission line segments connected to each other at a single connection point. In the first state, a termination is coupled to the single connection point and is operative to at least attenuate a signal propagated between the first and second segments. In the second state, a driver is coupled to the connection point and is operative to conduct a signal over the first and second segments.
US07696757B2
Measurements made by a four terminal resistivity imaging tool in a borehole using a voltage measurement device with two different input impedances. From the two measurements, formation resistivity is determined with minimal sensitivity to standoff.
US07696749B2
The resonator-based magnetic field sensor system has an oscillatory member as resonator, means for driving an electrical current through said resonator such that its resonance frequency is altered by an external magnetic field to be measured (measurand), and means for detecting or measuring said altered resonance frequency. A secondary excitation of the resonator is effected to determine the said altered resonance frequency from which the measurand can be deduced. In the preferred embodiment, the secondary excitation is included in a closed loop, thus creating an oscillator vibrating at the altered resonance frequency. Though it is known to use the oscillation amplitude of a suitable resonator for this purpose, the novel sensor system identifies and/or measures the frequency (not the amplitude) of the oscillation, which is a function of the magnetic field to be measured.
US07696746B2
A turbine wheel of a turbocharger has a turbine blade. The turbine blade has a fin shape of which width in the rotation direction of the turbocharger is narrow, and is projected from the base portion of the turbine wheel. An inclined part of the turbine blade is inclined with respect to the rotation direction of the turbocharger. A coil is disposed so that the inclined part passes nearby as the turbine wheel rotates in a posture that an end in the center axis direction is directed toward the turbocharger. A detector detects a change in inductance, which occurs when the inclined part of the coil passes nearby.
US07696740B2
A regulator circuit receives a power supply and provides a regulated power supply output suitable for integrated circuitry. It has a controllable current source circuit, a controller and a capacitor, such that an output of the controllable current source circuit can provide a lower frequency current part of the regulated power supply output, and the capacitor can supply a higher frequency current part of the regulated power supply output. The controllable current source circuit is controlled according to feedback from the regulated power supply output, and to restrict a rate of change of the output of the controllable current source circuit. The amount of EMI noise caused by high rate of change of current in power supply lines to the regulator circuit can be reduced. This can be done more efficiently or using a smaller capacitor than known arrangements.
US07696739B2
An electronic switch circuit includes an electronic switch having a first terminal, a second terminal and a third terminal, control means for applying to the first terminal a cyclic drive waveform which causes the electronic switch to conduct between the second and third terminals during a selected portion of each cycle of the waveform, operably coupled to the control means to control synchronisation of the cyclic drive waveform a detector operable to detect a change of direction of current flow at the second terminal of the electronic switch and means for monitoring and, where required, compensating for offset error of the detector. The electronic switch may beneficially be a synchronous rectifier. The synchronous rectifier may be used in DC-DC power converters to improve efficiency.
US07696731B2
The present invention discloses a method and a circuit for reducing switching ringing in a switching regulator. The switching regulator comprises two transistors, and the two transistors are never simultaneously OFF. A phase lock loop may be provided to fix the output signal frequency of a PWM control circuit to a set frequency.
US07696720B2
A battery pack includes a battery, a pair of output terminals connected to the battery, a switch inserted between the battery and one of the pair of output terminals, an acceleration sensor detecting a shock and outputting a detected value dependent thereon, and a control unit of a protection circuit. When a detected value of the acceleration sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit turns off the switch and thereby cuts off a current path between the battery and the pair of output terminals to cut off the current.
US07696713B2
Driving of a pulse motor is controlled in such a manner that a rotating body driven by the pulse motor rotates at a uniform angular velocity. Angular displacement of the rotating body is detected, a difference between a detection value of the angular displacement and a target value of angular displacement set in advance is calculated, and a drive pulse frequency of a drive pulse signal to be used for driving the pulse motor is calculated based on the difference and a reference drive pulse frequency. Whether the difference is added to the reference drive pulse can be selected.
US07696712B2
A motor controller employs absolute encoder signals to periodically assess the existence of cumulative error in a position signal derived from an incremental encoder signal. In one embodiment the absolute encoder signals are extracted from commutation switches of the motor eliminating the need for a separate absolute encoder.
US07696697B2
In the magnetron, an upper end hat 122A is used as a composing element of a cathode structure member 12A and includes a portion 122Aa which is in contact with one end portion 121a of a filament coil 121. The thickness of the portion 122Aa is reduced, whereby the portion 122Aa is held not in contact with a center lead 124. Owing to this, heat generated in the filament coil 121 can travel to the upper end hat 122A without traveling directly to the center lead 124. Therefore, even when the quantity of input power is reduced to such a degree as to be able to reduce noise, or even when the electron radiation area of the filament coil 121 is reduced, the getter effect can be displayed fully. As a result of this, noise reduction and cost reduction can be realized at the same time.
US07696695B2
A metal halide discharge lamp comprises a lamp body and a chamber formed within the body. A pair of electrodes extends into the chamber and have electrode tips spaced apart from one another. A discharge medium composition is sealed within the chamber that generates a plasma, which generates visible light. The composition comprises a rare gas, a first metal halide that produces a luminous flux and zinc iodide that generates a desired lamp operating voltage. The composition may also comprise zinc, sealed in the chamber, in elemental form that is not derived from the first metal halide or the zinc iodide. The zinc iodide halide serves as a substitute for mercury for purposes of generating desired lamp operating voltage; and, the excess pure zinc attracts or reacts with iodine atoms thereby making available electrons and the first metal halide for generation of a luminous flux.
US07696675B2
A surface acoustic wave device includes: a quartz substrate; and at least a single-type IDT electrode provided on a surface of the quartz substrate for exciting a Rayleigh surface acoustic wave in the upper limit mode of the surface acoustic wave stop band with the following relationships satisfied; φ=0°, 110°≦θ≦140°, and 38°≦|ψ|≦44°, when the quartz substrate cut angles and the surface acoustic wave propagation direction are represented by Euler angles (φ, θ, ψ), and wherein the electrode thickness relative to wavelength set such that H/λ≧0.1796η3−0.4303η2+0.2071η+0.0682, with the thickness of the IDT electrode defined as H, the width of an electrode IDT finger defined as d, the pitch between the electrode fingers of the IDT electrode as P, the wavelength of the surface acoustic wave as λ, and where η=d/P.
US07696667B2
A stator of an electric motor is formed by a plurality of split stators that are divided in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical stator. Each split stator comprises a yoke portion that is divided in the circumferential direction, a tooth portion that extends from the yoke portion a in a radial direction, and a coil wound on the tooth portion. The coil is pressed into the coil-housing portion, defined by the yoke portion and the tooth portion, by a press die. While the coil is pressed into the coil-housing portion by the press die, the coil may be covered by, for example, being integrated with a resin. Thus, the risk of damaging the coating of the coil is significantly reduced, the coil density is improved, and good circularity of the stator is ensured.
US07696659B2
An alternator for a vehicle has a rotor with a field wiring, a stator with a three-phase stator wiring, a regulator, and a rectifier. The regulator and rectifier are disposed away from each other with the rotor between. An alternating current is generated in the stator wiring in response to a rotation of the rotor and a field current received in the field wiring. The rectifier converts the alternating current into a direct current and outputs the direct current as an electrical energy generated in the alternator. The regulator regulates a value of the filed current to control the electrical energy. The rectifier acts as a heat generating member, but heat generated in the rectifier is hardly transmitted to the regulator disposed away from the rectifier.
US07696658B2
A magnet generator including a bowl-shaped flywheel which is formed of a cylindrical portion and a bottom portion on one end side of the cylindrical portion, a plurality of magnets which are arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the flywheel, and a power generation coil which generates power under an electromagnetic induction action with the magnets and which is disposed in opposition to the magnets within the flywheel, wherein the flywheel has a plurality of vent holes in its bottom portion, and the hole base part of each of the vent holes is formed in a droop or curved shape. Owing to the droop or curved shape, a cooling efficiency is enhanced, and a job for treating burrs and laps after cutting working can be relieved to enhance a productivity.
US07696655B2
An automatic balancing apparatus is disclosed. The automatic balancing apparatus includes a plurality of magnets, magnetic fluid, and a rotatable housing. The magnets function as balancers. The rotatable housing has a moving path disposed along a peripheral direction of the rotation. Each of the magnets is moved through the moving path. The rotatable housing accommodates the magnets and the magnetic fluid.
US07696650B2
A level shifting circuit, satisfying a requirement of a high tolerated dV/dt level, and a highly reliable inverter circuit, wherein a set pulse signal and a reset pulse signal, both of which are level-shifted to a potential side taking as reference a reference potential of a gate control terminal of a switching terminal, are obtained differentially and integrated, and, in case these pulse signals equal or exceed stipulated integrated values, are transmitted as regular control signals controlling the on/off state.
US07696634B2
Flexible and elastic mechanisms for extracting power from a moving fluid. Sheet-like material is deformed during fabrication through an applied force so as to create undulations in said material, whose stresses are maintained through restraining components, thereby maintaining the occurrence of said deformations in the material. When placed in moving fluid, the resulting pressure differentials cause the positions of the undulations within the material to travel along said material in the same direction as the moving fluid. Power is extracted in one of two principle ways. The first is via a mechanical coupling of the sheet-like material to a rotating mechanism, which turns an electro-magnetic dynamo or other output device. The second is via the utilization of a flexible material which exhibits an electrical response to mechanical strain, whereby the strains caused by the travel of undulations along the material create an electrical current which is extracted via two or more electrodes.
US07696632B1
A hydraulic air compressor and generator system may comprise: a hydraulic air compressor comprising a compressed air pipe for conveying the compressed air from the separator chamber; and an electrical power generator positioned in line with the compressed air pipe so that compressed air will directly power the generator. A method for operating an electrical power generator may comprise: positioning the electrical power generator in line with a compressed air pipe of a hydraulic air compressor; and using compressed air output from the HAC to directly power the electrical power generator.
US07696626B2
A semiconductor device and method of forming a pad thereof are provided. The device includes: a substrate; at least one first active region disposed in a first region of the substrate; at least one second active region disposed in a second region adjacent to the first region of the substrate; a plurality of first contacts disposed on the second active region; a first insulating layer disposed on the first active region and between the first contacts; a poly layer disposed on the first contacts and the first insulating layer; a plurality of second contacts disposed on the poly layer in the second region; a second insulating layer disposed between the second contacts and on the poly layer in the first region; and a pad disposed on the second insulating layer and the second contacts.
US07696623B2
An electronic carrier board and a package structure thereof are provided. The electronic carrier board includes a carrier, at least one pair of bond pads formed on the carrier, and a protective layer covering the carrier. The protective layer is formed with openings for exposing the bond pads. A groove is formed between the paired bond pads and has a length larger than a width of an electronic component mounted on the paired bond pads. The groove is adjacent to one of the paired bond pads and communicates with a corresponding one of the openings where this bond pad is exposed. Accordingly, a clearance between the electronic component and the electronic carrier board can be effectively filled with an insulating resin for encapsulating the electronic component, thereby preventing voids and undesirable electrical bridging between the paired bond pads from occurrence.
US07696618B2
A semiconductor device having package-on-package (POP) configuration, primarily comprises a plurality of vertically stacked semiconductor packages and a plurality of electrical connecting components such as solder paste to electrically connect the external terminals of the semiconductor packages such as external leads of leadframes. Each semiconductor package has an encapsulant to encapsulate at least a chip where the encapsulant is movable with respect to the electrical connecting components to absorb the stresses between the vertically stacked semiconductor packages. In one embodiment, a stress-releasing layer is interposed between the vertically stacked semiconductor packages.
US07696614B2
A driver module structure includes a flexible circuit board (2) provided with a wiring pattern (7), a semiconductor device mounted on the flexible circuit board (2), and an electrically conductive heat-radiating member (4) joined to the semiconductor device. The wiring pattern (7) includes a ground wiring pattern (8). The flexible circuit board (2) has a cavity (9) that exposes a portion of the ground wiring pattern (8). The exposed portion of the ground wiring pattern (8) and the heat-radiating member (4) are connected to establish electrical continuity via a member (11) that is fitted into the cavity (9).
US07696608B2
A semiconductor IC includes grooves formed in a substrate to define a first dummy region and second dummy regions formed at a scribing area, and third dummy regions and a fourth dummy region formed at a product area. A width of the first dummy region is greater than widths of each of the second and third dummy regions and a width of the fourth dummy region is greater than widths of each of the third dummy regions. A conductor pattern is formed over the first dummy region for optical pattern recognition. The first dummy region is formed under the conductor pattern so the grooves are not formed under the conductor pattern. The second dummy regions are spaced from one another by a predetermined spacing at the scribing area, and the third dummy regions are spaced from one another by a predetermined spacing at the product area.
US07696596B2
Embodiments relate to a horizontal type bipolar junction transistor element (BJT) and a CMOS image sensor having the same to form a photodiode. In embodiments, the bipolar junction transistor as well as collector current may flow uniformly in a horizontal direction, which may increase the entire amount of current. In embodiments, large current gain may be obtained. In embodiments, a bipolar junction transistor element with various current gains can be manufactured.
US07696589B2
Embodiments of an optical device including at least two transparent layers are disclosed.
US07696587B2
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device includes a semiconductor substrate, a MEMS including a fixed electrode and a movable electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate through an insulating layer, and a well formed in the semiconductor substrate below the fixed electrode. The well is one of an n-type well and a p-type well. The p-type well applies a positive voltage to the fixed electrode while the n-type well applies a negative voltage to the fixed electrode.
US07696583B2
A thin film transistor and a method of fabricating the same capable of reducing stress of a substrate caused by a metal layer of the drain and source electrodes, the thin film transistor including a substrate; a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and including source, drain and channel regions; a gate insulating layer disposed on the substrate including the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulating layer to correspond to the channel region of the semiconductor layer; an interlayer insulating layer disposed on the substrate including the gate electrode, and having contact holes connected with the source and drain regions of the semiconductor layer; and source and drain electrodes connected with the source and drain regions through the contact holes, wherein the source and drain electrodes include a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a metal oxide layer interposed between the first metal layer and the second metal layer. Accordingly, the thin film transistor can reduce stress of the substrate caused by a metal layer of the source and drain electrodes, thereby improving yield of an organic light emitting diode display device.
US07696579B2
Wells are formed in a substrate where standard Vt and low Vt devices of both a first and second type are to be fabricated. Wells defining the locations of first type standard Vt devices are masked, and a first voltage threshold implant adjustment is performed within wells defining the second type standard Vt devices, and each of the first and second type low Vt devices. Wells that define the locations of second type standard Vt devices are masked, and a second voltage threshold implant adjustment is performed to the wells defining the first type standard Vt devices, and each of the first and second type low Vt devices. Doped polysilicon gate stacks are then formed over the wells. Performance characteristics and control of each device Vt is controlled by regulating at least one of the first and second voltage threshold implant adjustments, and the polysilicon gate stack doping.
US07696578B2
A PMOS device less affected by negative bias time instability (NBTI) and a method for forming the same are provided. The PMOS device includes a barrier layer over at least a portion of a gate structure, a gate spacer, and source/drain regions of a PMOS device. A stressed layer is then formed over the barrier layer. The barrier layer is preferably an oxide layer and is preferably not formed for NMOS devices.
US07696575B2
A semiconductor device of complementary structure with increased carrier mobilities of both polarities by applying orientation-dependent mechanical stresses to their respective semiconductor channel regions, comprises a semiconductor region subjected to compressive stress in a first direction along a surface and tensile stress in a second direction different from the first direction, a field effect transistor of a first conductivity type formed in the semiconductor region and including source and drain regions separately arranged along the first direction and a field effect transistor of a second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor region and including source and drain regions separately arranged along the second direction.
US07696572B2
An RF MOS transistor having improved AC output conductance and AC output capacitance includes parallel interdigitated source and drain regions separated by channel regions and overlying gates. Grounded tap regions contacting an underlying well are placed contiguous to source regions and reduce distributed backgate resistance, lower backgate channel modulation, and lower output conductance.
US07696564B1
A lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor structure including a P substrate, an N+ buried layer, an N epitaxial layer, a P well, an N well, a drain region, a source region, and a body region is disclosed. The N+ buried layer is located between the P substrate and the N epitaxial layer, the P well contacts the N+ buried layer, the source region and the body region are located in the P well, the N well is located in the N epitaxial layer, and the drain region is located in the N well. When a high voltage is applied to the drain and the P substrate is grounded, a breakdown voltage with the P substrate is raised because of the N+ buried layer isolating the P substrate from the N epitaxial layer, so as to be able to avoid PN junction breakdown.
US07696563B2
A non-volatile memory device includes a tunnel insulating layer pattern on a channel region of a substrate, a charge trapping layer pattern on the tunnel insulating layer pattern, a blocking layer pattern on the charge trapping layer pattern, and a gate electrode including a conductive layer pattern on the blocking layer pattern and a barrier layer pattern on the conductive layer pattern. The conductive layer pattern includes a metal.
US07696552B2
A semiconductor device includes a first conductive layer on a semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer including a high-k dielectric material on the first conductive layer, a second conductive layer including polysilicon doped with P-type impurities on the dielectric layer, and a third conductive layer including a metal on the second conductive layer. In some devices, a first gate structure is formed in a main cell region and includes a tunnel oxide layer, a floating gate, a first high-k dielectric layer, and a control gate. The control gate includes a layer of polysilicon doped with P-type impurities and a metal layer. A second gate structure is formed outside the main cell region and includes a tunnel oxide layer, a conductive layer, and a metal layer. A third gate structure is formed in a peripheral cell region and includes a tunnel oxide, a conductive layer, and a high-k dielectric layer having a width narrower than the conductive layer. Method embodiments are also disclosed.
US07696551B2
A composite hard mask is disclosed that enables sub-100 nm sized MTJ cells to be formed for advanced devices such as spin torque MRAMs. The hard mask has a lower non-magnetic metallic layer such as Ru to magnetically isolate an overlying middle metallic spacer such as MnPt from an underlying free layer. The middle metallic spacer provides a height margin during subsequent processing to avoid shorting between a bit line and the MTJ cell in the final device. An upper conductive layer may be made of Ta and is thin enough to allow a MTJ pattern in a thin overlying photoresist layer to be transferred through the Ta during a fluorocarbon etch without consuming all of the photoresist. The MTJ pattern is transferred through the remaining hard mask layers and underlying MTJ stack of layers with a second etch step using a C, H, and O etch gas composition.
US07696550B2
A multi-layer PrxCa1-xMnO3 (PCMO) thin film capacitor and associated deposition method are provided for forming a bipolar switching thin film. The method comprises: forming a bottom electrode; depositing a nanocrystalline PCMO layer; depositing a polycrystalline PCMO layer; forming a multi-layer PCMO film with bipolar switching properties; and, forming top electrode overlying the PCMO film. If the polycrystalline layers are deposited overlying the nanocrystalline layers, a high resistance can be written with narrow pulse width, negative voltage pulses. The PCMO film can be reset to a low resistance using a narrow pulse width, positive amplitude pulse. Likewise, if the nanocrystalline layers are deposited overlying the polycrystalline layers, a high resistance can be written with narrow pulse width, positive voltage pulses, and reset to a low resistance using a narrow pulse width, negative amplitude pulse.
US07696548B2
An MRAM is disclosed that has a MTJ comprised of a ferromagnetic layer with a magnetization direction along a first axis, a super-paramagnetic (SP) free layer, and an insulating layer formed therebetween. The SP free layer has a remnant magnetization that is substantially zero in the absence of an external field, and in which magnetization is roughly proportional to an external field until reaching a saturation value. In one embodiment, a separate storage layer is formed above, below, or adjacent to the MTJ and has uniaxial anisotropy with a magnetization direction along its easy axis which parallels the first axis. In a second embodiment, the storage layer is formed on a non-magnetic conducting spacer layer within the MTJ and is patterned simultaneously with the MTJ. The SP free layer may be multiple layers or laminated layers of CoFeB. The storage layer may have a SyAP configuration and a laminated structure.
US07696544B2
Pixel portions each of which has a charge storage portion formed in a semiconductor substrate 11 and a transfer gate for transferring charges stored in the charge storage portion are isolated from each other by a device isolation region in the semiconductor substrate. A buried gate electrically connected to the transfer gate is embedded in the device isolation region. The buried gate includes a gate dielectric film and gate electrode formed in a trench of the semiconductor substrate.
US07696543B2
In each photosensitive cell, a photodiode 101, a transfer gate 102, a floating diffusion layer section 103, an amplifier transistor 104, and a reset transistor 105 are formed in one active region surrounded by a device isolation region. The floating diffusion layer section 103 included in one photosensitive cell is connected not to the amplifier transistor 104 included in that cell but to the gate of the amplifier transistor 104 included in another photosensitive cell adjacent to the one photosensitive cell in the column direction. A polysilicon wire 111 connects the transfer gates 102 arranged in the same row, and a polysilicon wire 112 connects the reset transistors 105 arranged in the same row. For connection in the row direction, only polysilicon wires are used.
US07696540B2
An apparatus and method for a fast recovery rectifier structure. Specifically, the structure includes a substrate of a first dopant. A first epitaxial layer lightly doped with the first dopant is coupled to the substrate. A first metallization layer is coupled to the first epitaxial layer. A plurality of trenches is recessed into the first epitaxial layer, each of which is coupled to the metallization layer. The device also includes a plurality of wells each doped with a second dopant type, wherein each well is formed beneath and adjacent to a corresponding trench. A plurality of oxide layers is formed on walls and a bottom of a corresponding trench. A plurality of channel regions doped with the first dopant is formed within the first epitaxial layer between two corresponding wells. Each of the plurality of channel regions is more highly doped with the first dopant than the first epitaxial layer.
US07696535B2
A gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor, in which an inner field-plate is disposed between the gate and drain of the high electron mobility transistor, so that an electric field is distributed between gate and drain regions to reduce a peak value and to reduce gate leakage current while maintaining high frequency performance, thus obtaining a high breakdown voltage, reducing the capacitance between the gate and the drain attributable to a shielding effect, and improving linearity and high power and high frequency characteristics through variation in the input voltage of the inner field-plate.
US07696528B2
A thyristor has a radiation-sensitive breakdown structure (20), a gate electrode (92) that is placed at a distance from the latter in a lateral direction and an ignition stage structure having at least one ignition stage (51, 91) equipped with an n-doped auxiliary emitter (51), which forms a pn-junction (55) together with the p-doped base (6), the thyristor being both electrically and radiation-ignited. In a method for contacting a thyristor that can be ignited by radiation with a gate electrode (92), a contact ram (200) that is adapted to the geometry of the gate electrode (92) is pressed against the thyristor. In a method for monitoring the ignition of a thyristor that is ignited by incident radiation, the electric voltage that is applied to the gate electrode (92) or the electrically conductive electrode (105, 201) is monitored.
US07696527B2
Provided is a light source that has high reliability and hardly causes conductivity failure between a light emitting device and a conductive land. In an LED light source of the present invention, an LED bare chip is mounted to conductive lands of a substrate, using bumps (55a, 55b). The LED bare chip (D65) is provided with a p-electrode (Lp) and an n-electrode (Ln) on a rear surface. The p-electrode (Lp) is larger in area than the n-electrode (Ln). The p-electrode (Lp) is bonded to a corresponding conductive land via four bumps (55a), whereas the n-electrode (Ln) is bonded to a corresponding conductive land via one bump (55b). A bonded area (Sn) between the n-electrode (Ln) and the bump (55b) is larger than a bonded area (Sp) between the p-electrode (Lp) and one of the bumps (55a).
US07696520B2
Provided is an organic thin film transistor that can prevents damage to source and drain electrodes when patterning an organic semiconductor layer, and a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device having the organic thin film transistor. The organic thin film transistor includes a source electrode and a drain electrode; an organic semiconductor layer that contacts the source and drain electrodes, and has an ashed surface except a channel area between the source and drain electrodes; a gate electrode insulated from the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the organic semiconductor layer; and a gate insulating film that insulates the gate electrode from the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the organic semiconductor layer.
US07696511B2
A memory element having a storage layer containing an ion source layer between a first electrode and a second electrode is provided. The memory element stores information by changing an electrical characteristic of the storage layer, wherein at least Zr is added to the ion source layer as a metal element together with an ion conducting material.
US07696506B2
A memory cell, the memory cell includes first and second electrodes and a memory material element electrically coupling the first and second electrodes. The memory material element comprises a first memory material, such as GST, the first memory material having an electrical property that can be changed by the application of energy. A thermal insulating layer surrounds the memory material element. The thermal insulating layer comprises a second memory material. A dielectric layer separates the thermal insulating material from the memory material element. A method for making a thermally insulated memory cell device is also disclosed.
US07696505B2
Carbon nanotube template arrays may be edited to form connections between proximate nanotubes and/or to delete undesired nanotubes or nanotube junctions.
US07696498B2
Embodiments of the invention include an electron beam lithography device using a dynamically controllable photocathode capable of producing a patterned electron beam. One such implementation includes a dynamic pattern generator configurable to produce an electron beam having a desired image pattern impressed thereon. Such an electron beam pattern being enabled by selectively activating programmable photoemissive elements of the pattern generator. The apparatus further including an illumination source arranged to direct a light beam onto the dynamic pattern generator to produce the electron beam having the desired pattern. The electron beam being directed through associated electron optics configured to receive the electron beam from the dynamic pattern generator and direct the electron beam onto a target substrate mounted on a stage.
US07696496B2
The apparatus for ion beam fabrication, which has been able to detect any anomalous condition of ion beams only by means of the current irradiated on the specimen, could not compensate the failure by investigating the cause and could not realize stable processing. To solve the problem described above, the present invention includes the first and second blankers and Faraday cups switches ON and OFF the first and second blankers and monitors beam current at two positions above and below the projection mask. By adopting this configuration, it will be possible to acquire the information on failure in ion beam, sort out the cause of the failure and to compensate the failure while limiting damages to the projection mask. As a result, it will be possible to realize stable processing by means of ion beam, and to use the ion beam fabricating device on a stable basis.
US07696495B2
A method and device for adjusting a beam property, such as a beam size, a beam shape or a beam divergence angle, in a gas cluster beam prior to ionization of the gas cluster beam is described. A gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) source is provided, comprising a nozzle assembly having a gas source, a stagnation chamber and a nozzle that is configured to introduce under high pressure one or more gases through the nozzle to a vacuum vessel in order to produce a gas cluster beam. Additionally, the GCIB source comprises a gas skimmer positioned downstream from the nozzle assembly that is configured to reduce the number of energetic, smaller particles in the gas cluster beam. Furthermore, the GCIB source comprises a beam adjustment device positioned downstream from the gas skimmer that is configured to adjust at least one beam property of the gas cluster beam, and an ionizer positioned downstream from the beam adjustment device that is configured to ionize the gas cluster beam to produce a GCIB.
US07696494B2
A steering component is included in an ion implantation system to direct or “steer” an ion beam to a scan vertex of a scanning component downstream of the steering component. In this manner, the scan vertex of the scanning component coincides with the focal point of a parallelizing component downstream of the scanning component. This allows the beam to emerge from the parallelizing component at an expected angle so that ions can be implanted in a desired manner into a workpiece located downstream of the parallelizing component.
US07696481B2
X-ray detector system 18 with improved spatial resolution for a computed tomography systems is provided. Detector system 18 may include pairs of first and second detector arrays 50 and 52, with each array containing detector elements of a different design. In one embodiment, the first array 50 may comprise a first, relatively thin and continuous (i.e., monolithic) scintillation layer 70 with an array of individual diodes 74 positioned to receive light generated within the scintillation layer 70. The second array may comprise a second, relatively thick scintillation layer 80 formed of separate scintillator elements 82. An array of diodes 86 may be positioned to receive radiation from the scintillation layer 80 such that each diode element 82 is aligned to primarily receive radiation from one scintillator element 82 in the layer 80. The structural arrangements of the detector system may also be adapted for applications involving direct conversion of x-ray energy.
US07696478B2
Provided are resistive materials for a microbolometer, a method for preparation of resistive materials and a microbolometer containing the resistive materials. The resistive materials for the microbolometer include an alloy of silicon and antimony or an alloy of silicon, antimony and germanium, which has a high TCR and a low resistance.
US07696477B2
In one aspect of the present invention, an electric-field-enhancement structure is disclosed. The electric-field-enhancement structure includes a substrate and an ordered arrangement of dielectric particles having at least two adjacent dielectric particles spaced from each other a controlled distance. The controlled distance is selected so that when a resonance mode is excited in each of the at least two adjacent dielectric particles responsive to excitation electromagnetic radiation, each of the resonance modes interacts with each other to result in an enhanced electric field between the at least two adjacent dielectric particles. Other aspects of the present invention are electric-field-enhancement apparatuses that utilize the described electric-field-enhancement structures, and methods of enhancing an electric field between adjacent dielectric particles.
US07696476B2
Disclosed is apparatus and method for improving the signal by changing the voltage applied to an analyzing trap of a high resolving power Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. More specifically, after the ion activation, a voltage different from that of a trap electrode is applied to an additional electrode in the center of the trap electrode, and the voltage is maintained until the end of a detection cycle. Applying the above method, the stability of the ions confined in a trap is more increased, and therefore, the detected time domain signal is being lengthened. The lengthened time domain signal results in an increase of the frequency or an improvement of the resolving power and the sensitivity of the mass-to-charge domain signal.
US07696475B2
An electrospray-assisted laser desorption ionization device includes: an electrospray unit including a nozzle; a voltage supplying member disposed to establish between the nozzle and a receiving unit a potential difference such that liquid drops of the electrospray medium formed at the nozzle are laden with charges, and such that the liquid drops are forced to leave the nozzle toward the receiving unit along a traveling path; a laser desorption unit adapted to irradiate a sample such that, upon irradiation, analytes contained in the sample are desorbed to fly along a flying path which intersects the traveling path so as to enable the analytes to be occluded in the liquid drops, and such that as a result of dwindling in size of the liquid drops when moving along the traveling path, charges of the liquid drops will pass on to the analytes occluded therein to form ionized analytes.
US07696468B2
A device is provided for detecting an object within a monitored area of a machine or installation. The device includes at least one sensor for detecting objects within the monitored area. At least one configuration module is fixedly connected to the machine or the installation. The configuration module includes configuration data for the sensor, wherein the at least one configuration module feeds the sensor with the configuration data upon being connected to the sensor.
US07696463B2
Photosensor circuit includes: a photoelectric conversion element; a first MOS transistor for converting a current signal into a voltage signal, a first capacitor element; a second capacitor element; a second MOS transistor for controlling charge transfer from the first capacitor element to the second capacitor element; and a control section for supplying gate voltages and drain voltages to the first and second MOS transistors. The control section performs initial setting and voltage control such that the charge transfer can be carried out efficiently for setting of the gate voltages and drain voltages to be supplied the first and second MOS transistors. Time length of the charge transfer is set so as not to exceed 100 μsec.
US07696462B2
An advanced image intensifier assembly provides enhanced functionality. A grounded photocathode provides shielding from electromagnetic interference, improving the ability to work in multiple light conditions. Bi-directional wireless communication and non-volatile storage allow critical information to be permanently stored and read wirelessly at a scanning station, easing in identification of units. Because bi-directional communication components can be embedded within an image intensifier assembly, existing end-user night vision devices can be upgraded by simply replacing the image intensifier assembly. For enhanced safety, a programmable shutdown capability is provided. This renders the device inoperative in the absence of continuous input, either wireless or manual, from an authorized operator, thus rendering the device useless if captured by enemy combatants. Finally, direct 1-volt operation enables the device to be powered by, for example, a single AA battery.
US07696456B2
An electrothermal deicing apparatus includes at least one heater conductor formed into a predetermined pattern for application to a structure. Each conductor of the pattern is coated with at least one layer of a material active to absorb electromagnetic energy. The pattern of the at least one coated heater conductor is operative to attenuate radar wave transmissions incident thereon to reduce the radar cross-section of the structure. A heater controller is coupled to the pattern of at least one coated heater conductor for controlling the deicing of the structure.
US07696452B2
A method for laser beam machining, in particular laser beam welding of bodywork components (14), with the aid of a remote laser head (3). The laser head is guided by a robot (5) including a multi-axial robot hand (7). During the welding process, the emitted laser beam (12) is guided along the welding path (19) on the component (14) by orientation modifications and with a variable irradiation angle beta. said orientation modifications only being produced by pivoting displacements (7) of the manipulator hand (7) about at least one of its hand axes IV, V, VI.
US07696448B2
The closing protection mechanism provided herein includes a control unit, a sensing switch and a sensing switch actuator. The control unit is coupled to, and in electronic communication with, the trip device. The control unit is structured to receive a sensing switch signal and to provide a control signal to the trip device. The sensing switch coupled to, and in electronic communication with, the control unit. The sensing switch is disposed adjacent to the toggle assembly. The sensing switch is structured to provide a sensing switch signal to the control unit. The sensing switch actuator is disposed on the toggle assembly. The sensing switch actuator is structured to actuate the sensing switch. The sensing switch is structured to be actuated by the sensing switch actuator when the toggle assembly is in the second, over-toggle configuration.
US07696438B2
Cables including a plurality of twisted pairs of insulated conductors, a separator disposed among the plurality of twisted pairs so as to physically separate a first twisted pair from a second twisted pair, and a jacket surrounding the plurality of twisted pairs and the separator. The jacket may include a plurality of protrusions extending away from an inner circumferential surface of the jacket toward a center of the cable. The plurality of protrusions are configured so as to hold the plurality of twisted pairs away from the inner circumferential surface of the jacket, and may provide an air gap between the plurality of twisted pairs of insulated conductors and the inner circumferential surface of the jacket. In one example, a boundary of the air gap adjacent the inner circumferential surface of the jacket is arc shaped.
US07696436B2
The multi-coaxial cable assembly includes a multi-coaxial cable in which a plurality of coaxial cables having insulators, external conductors, and jackets on an outer periphery of center conductors are arranged in parallel; inclined cross sections formed on the end part of the multi-coaxial cable in such a manner as exposing the center conductors and the external conductors of the coaxial cables; and a wiring board or a connector having a wiring pattern to which the center conductors and the external conductors of the coaxial cables exposed on the inclined cross sections are directly connected.
US07696418B2
Perennial ryegrass plants with a spreading habit are provided. The perennial ryegrass plants of the present invention display a growth habit with intertwining tillers that form a very dense sward of 10,000 tillers or more per square foot within one growing season. The ryegrass plants of the present invention also display secondary tillers, something not seen in currently available commercial perennial ryegrass varieties. The spreading growth habit of the plants of the present invention makes a very attractive turfgrass when grown for turf and also provides high seed production.
US07696417B2
An inbred corn line, designated IV2, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of inbred corn line IV2, to the plants and plant parts of inbred corn line IV2 and to methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, by crossing the inbred line IV2 with itself or another corn line. The invention further relates to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from the inbred IV2.
US07696414B1
The present invention is in the field of soybean cultivar S07-04KL019461 breeding and development. The present invention particularly relates to the soybean cultivar S07-04KL019461 and its progeny, and methods of making S07-04KL019461.
US07696412B2
The invention provides nucleic acids, and variants and fragments thereof, obtained from strains of Bacillus thuringiensis encoding δ-endotoxins having pesticidal activity against pests of the order Coleoptera. The invention further provides mutagenized nucleic acids that have been modified to encode endotoxins having improved pesticidal activity and/or altered pest specificity. Particular embodiments of the invention provide isolated nucleic acids encoding pesticidal proteins, expression cassettes comprising such nucleic acids, and transformed plants and seeds comprising a nucleic acid of the invention. These compositions find use in methods for controlling pests, especially plant pests.
US07696402B2
An absorbent article includes a compressed groove provided on a body-side surface of a sanitary napkin includes a pair of lateral groove segments extending substantially in the longitudinal direction symmetrically about a longitudinal center line and a pair of rear groove segments converging rearward from respective rear ends of the pair of lateral groove segments so that the compressed groove as a whole presents an elongated shape which is angular rearward. The rear side groove segment has a curve conforming, in the vicinity of its rear end, with an arc of a circle having a predetermined radius and inscribed to the rear side groove segment. A bottom covering region extending rearward from the rear end of the rear groove segment has a predetermined thickness and is adapted to be folded along the longitudinal center line so that the bottom covering region can become convex on the side of the body-side surface. A distance between a pair of proximal ends of the rear side groove segment as measured in the transverse direction is in a predetermined range and a distance from the pair of proximal ends to the rear end of the rear groove segment as measured in the longitudinal direction is in a predetermined range.
US07696400B2
A wound dressing includes an absorbent core defining opposed proximal and distal surfaces including a central portion and a border portion, and a liquid impervious, vapor permeable backing layer connected to the distal surface of the absorbent core. The backing layer defines a border portion extending beyond the periphery of the absorbent core. A skin adherent, perforated facing layer is secured to the proximal surface of the absorbent core. An adhesive layer is applied to at least a proximal segment of the border portion of the backing layer and has greater skin adherence properties than the facing layer.
US07696395B2
Process for the production of an isoprene containing rubber compound by dehydrogenation of an isoamylene containing feedstock supplied to a dehydrogenation reactor containing a particulate dehydrogenation catalyst comprising iron and potassium and having a pore diameter of at least 500 nanometers. The dehydrogenation reactor is operated at a temperature of at least 570° C. to dehydrogenate the isoamylene to produce isoprene. The product containing isoprene and unreacted isoamylene is recovered from the dehydrogenation reactor. Isoprene is polymerized to produce an isoprene containing rubber product. An unreacted feed component containing isoamylene is separated from the rubber product and recycled to the dehydrogenation reactor.
US07696394B2
Methods and processes for reducing alkylation catalyst poisoning are described herein. Such methods generally include providing a dehydrogenation system including a dehydrogenation reactor and a separation system, wherein the separation system includes a first column and a second column, introducing an alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon into the dehydrogenation reactor, contacting the alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon with a dehydrogenation catalyst disposed within the dehydrogenation reactor to form a dehydrogenation output stream comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon, passing at least a portion of the dehydrogenation output stream to first column, recovering a first overhead fraction including benzene and a first bottoms fraction from the first column, passing at least a portion of the benzene from the first column to an alkylation system including an alkylation catalyst, passing the first bottoms fraction from the first column to the second column, recovering a second overhead fraction and a second bottoms fraction from the second column, withdrawing offtest from effluent streams selected from the dehydrogenation output stream, the first bottoms fraction, the second bottoms fraction and combinations thereof to form withdrawn offtest and introducing the withdrawn offtest into the separation system downstream from the first column.
US07696392B2
Crude 1,1-difluoroethane containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of unsaturated compounds each having two carbon atoms within the molecule and saturated chlorine-containing compounds each having two carbon atoms within the molecule is brought into contact with a zeolite and/or a carbonaceous adsorbent, or crude 1,1-difluoroethane containing hydrogen fluoride and, as impurities, at least one compound selected from the group consisting of unsaturated compounds each having two carbon atoms within the molecule is brought into contact with a fluorination catalyst in a gas phase state. High-purity 1,1-difluoroethane usable as a cryogenic refrigerant, or as an etching gas, can be produced in an industrially advantageous manner.
US07696391B2
A method for producing nitrobenzene is disclosed which comprises forming a dispersion comprising benzene-containing droplets or particles dispersed in a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated sulfuric acid, wherein said particles have a mean diameter less than one micron, and subjecting the dispersion to reaction conditions comprising a pressure in the range of about 203 kPa (2 atm) to about 6080 kPa (60 atm) and a temperature in the range of about 20° C. to about 230° C., whereby at least a portion of said benzene is nitrated to form nitrobenzene. A system for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
US07696389B2
A method for reducing contaminants during synthesis of pentachlorophenol includes providing a phenol-based starting material and a catalyst, which form a reaction mixture. A chlorine flow is introduced so that it is in contact with the reaction mixture, and the starting material and chlorine are reacted via a temperature-programmed reaction. The chlorine flow is terminated at a predetermined temperature prior to an end of the temperature-programmed reaction and/or at a point where the yield of pentachlorophenol is less than about 95%.
US07696386B2
The invention is a process of using, as a reducing agent, a 12CaO.7Al2O3 electride containing electrons in a number of 1019 or more and 2.3×1021 cm−3 or less in its cages to subject a carbonyl compound to reductive coupling in a solvent, thereby synthesizing a diol or polydiol. The invention is also a process of reducing a ketone compound in a solvent, thereby synthesizing a secondary alcohol or diketone compound. According to the process of the invention, it is possible to synthesize a diol or polydiol, or a secondary alcohol or diketone compound through simple operations in a short period without using an expensive and harmful metal hydride or metal salt nor limiting the atmosphere for the synthesis to an inert gas atmosphere as in conventional processes.
US07696385B2
The invention relates to a method for producing amines of formula (1), wherein R3 is an organic group containing from 2 to 600 alkoxy groups and R1 and R3 groups are similar or different and represent a hydrogen atom or an organic group containing from 1 to 400 carbon atoms. The inventive method consists in bringing a compound of formula (2) into contact a compound of formula (3) in the presence of hydrogen with a metal-containing catalyst, wherein the metal content in cobalt is equal to or greater than 80% by weight.
US07696366B2
There is provided a novel method for producing a bifunctional epoxy monomer which comprises reacting diolefin with a hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution, in the presence of molybdenum or tungsten oxide as a catalyst to selectively epoxidize a double bound at a specific position. The bifunctional epoxy monomers provided by the present invention are substances widely used in various industrial fields such as chemical industry, as materials for resist materials (particularly solder resist materials), and intermediates of agrochemicals and medicines, and various polymers such as plasticizers, adhesives and coating resins.
US07696365B2
The present invention provides methods for the use of compounds as depicted by structure I, pharmaceutical compositions containing the same, and methods for the prophylaxis, management and treatment of metabolic diseases and diseases modulated by MCD inhibition. The compounds disclosed in this invention are useful for the prophylaxis, management and treatment of diseases involving in malonyl-CoA regulated glucose/fatty acid metabolism pathway. In particular, these compounds and pharmaceutical composition containing the same are indicated in the prophylaxis, management and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and obesity.
US07696355B2
Novel isothiazolecarboxamides of the formula in which R is as defined in the description, a plurality of processes for preparing the novel compounds and their use for protecting plants against attack by undesirable microorganisms and animal pests.
US07696354B2
A compound of the formula: (wherein, T is S, SO or O; X is halogen, CN, carbamoyl optionally substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, or lower alkylthio; A is substituted lower alkylene (wherein the substituent is optionally substituted mono lower alkyl, optionally substituted lower alkylidene, or optionally substituted lower alkylene); Z+ is an optionally substituted, a cation and an N atom-containing heterocyclic group), ester, amino-protected compound wherein the amino bonds to a thiazole ring at the 7-position, or pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof.
US07696352B2
The present invention is directed to compounds represented by Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, or prodrug thereof which are inhibitors of Factor Xa. The present invention is also directed to and intermediates used in making such compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, methods to prevent or treat a number of conditions characterized by undesired thrombosis and methods of inhibiting the coagulation of a blood sample.
US07696349B2
The present invention relates to a process for asymmetric synthesis in the presence of a chiral catalyst comprising at least one complex of a metal of transition group VIII with ligands capable of dimerization via noncovalent bonds, such catalysts and their use.
US07696340B2
The invention provides isolated nucleotide sequences from Xenorhabdus nematophila species Xs86068, and, in particular, nucleotide sequences that encode insect inhibitory proteins, the insecticidal proteins, and compositions that comprise one or more of the insecticidal proteins for use in controlling insect infestation.
US07696337B2
The present invention is directed to novel methods of synthesizing multiple copies of a target nucleic acid sequence which are autocatalytic (i.e., able to cycle automatically without the need to modify reaction conditions such as temperature, pH, or ionic strength and using the product of one cycle in the next one). In particular, the present invention discloses a method of nucleic acid amplification which is robust and efficient, while reducing the appearance of side products. The method uses only one primer, the “priming oligonucleotide,” a 3′blocked promoter oligonucleotide and optionally, a means for terminating a primer extension reaction, to amplify RNA or DNA molecules in vitro, while reducing or eliminating the formation of side products. The method of the present invention minimizes or eliminates the emergence of side products, thus providing a high level of specificity. Furthermore, the appearance of side products can complicate the analysis of the amplification reaction by various molecular detection techniques. The present invention minimizes or eliminates this problem, thus providing an enhanced level of sensitivity.
US07696336B2
A novel gene 251P5G2 and its encoded protein, and variants thereof, are described wherein 251P5G2 exhibits tissue specific expression in normal adult tissue, and is aberrantly expressed in the cancers listed in Table I. Consequently, 251P5G2 provides a diagnostic, prognostic, prophylactic and/or therapeutic target for cancer. The 251P5G2 gene or fragment thereof, or its encoded protein, or variants thereof, or a fragment thereof, can be used to elicit a humoral or cellular immune response; antibodies or T cells reactive with 251P5G2 can be used in active or passive immunization.
US07696334B1
The present invention relates to a group of novel viral RNA regulatory genes, here identified as “viral genomic address messenger genes” or “VGAM genes”, and as “genomic record” or “GR” genes. VGAM genes selectively inhibit translation of known host target genes, and are believed to represent a novel pervasive viral attack mechanism. GR genes encode an operon-like cluster of VGAM genes. VGAM and viral GR genes may therefore be useful in diagnosing, preventing and treating viral disease. Several nucleic acid molecules are provided respectively encoding several VGAM genes, as are vectors and probes, both comprising the nucleic acid molecules, and methods and systems for detecting VGAM genes, and for counteracting their activity.
US07696333B1
The invention provides a promoter that can be used in the presence of an organic acid. The promoter includes DNA with promoter activity of high osmolarity response 7 gene (HOR7 gene), glycelaldehyde 3 phosphate dehydrogenase 2 gene (TDH2 gene), heat shock protein 30 gene (HSP30), hexose transport protein 7 gene (HXT7 gene), thioredoxin peroxidase 1 gene (AHP1 gene), or membrane protein 1 associated gene gene) of yeasts.
US07696331B2
The present invention relates to a method of suppressing bone marrow (BM) and treating conditions that arise in or near bone such as cancer, myeloproliferative diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases or genetic diseases, with compositions having as their active ingredient a radionuclide complexed with a chelating agent such as macrocyclic aminophosphonic acid.
US07696329B2
The present invention is related to immunoglobulin peptides that recognize a thermostable antigen from bovine blood. The invention also provides methods for determining the presence of bovine blood in a food sample or an animal feed sample.
US07696328B2
This invention relates to isolated or recombinant N-carbobenzyloxy-deprotecting enzyme polypeptides that catalyze the removal of carbobenzyloxy from carbobenzyloxy-protected amino acids and alcohols. Also related are isolated nucleic acids encoding N-carbobenzyloxy-deprotecting enzyme polypeptides thereof, as well as vectors and host cells comprising these nucleic acids. The invention also relates to methods of obtaining isolated nucleic acids, polypeptides, and antibodies, and methods of using the polypeptides in various reactions for industrial or pharmaceutical applications.
US07696327B1
The invention relates to the identification and isolation of DNAs encoding the human Toll proteins PR0285, PR0286, and PR0358, and to methods and means for the recombinant production of these proteins. The invention also concerns antibodies specifically binding the PR0285, or PR0286, or PR0358 Toll protein.
US07696326B2
The invention of the present application relates to a method for obtaining antibodies directed against a carbohydrate moiety contained in a carbohydrate peptide conjugate, by administering to a subject a composition containing a carbohydrate peptide conjugate and collecting the antibodies directed against the said carbohydrate moiety from a serum previously obtained from the subject.
US07696325B2
This invention relates to reconstructed polypeptides which have properties of inducing apoptosis of nucleated blood cells having Integrin Associated Protein (IAP) and causing no hemagglutination. The reconstructed polypeptides comprise two or more H chain V regions and two or more L chain V regions of a monoclonal antibody which induces apoptosis of nucleated blood cells having IAP. The reconstructed polypeptides are useful as a therapeutic agent for blood dyscrasia such as leukemia.
US07696321B2
Disclosed are antibodies that inhibit proteolytic release of a soluble KIM-1 polypeptide from KIM-1 expressing cells. Also disclosed are methods of using the antibodies to inhibit shedding of the KIM-1 polypeptide.
US07696313B2
The compounds of the invention are modified forms of therapeutic agents. A typical prodrug compound of the invention comprises a therapeutic agent, an oligopeptide having an isoleucine residue, a stabilizing group and, optionally, a linker group. The prodrug is cleavable by an enzyme associated with the target cell. Methods of making and using the compounds are also disclosed.
US07696305B2
A method and apparatus for processing polystyrene. The method includes the steps: using at least one scrapped surface heat exchanger (160) to heat a solution of polystyrene dissolved in an organic solvent to provide a heated solution of polystyrene dissolved in the organic solvent, and separating the dissolved polystyrene from the organic solvent. The apparatus includes: a holding tank at least partly filled with a solution of polystyrene dissolved in an organic solvent, at least one scrapped surface heat exchanger (160), and a separator.
US07696294B2
A method for preparing a siloxane polymer comprising the steps of (a) providing an aldehyde-based redox initiator; and (b) reacting said redox initiator with a siloxane having a plurality of end-capped hydride moieties to form a siloxane polymer having a plurality of terminal aldehyde moieties.
US07696293B2
A method of neutralizing a polysiloxane having acidic residuals is disclosed. The method involves contacting a polysiloxane having acidic residuals with a carbon solid, and separating the carbon solid from the polysiloxane. This invention is particularly useful to neutralize residual acid polymerization catalysts in organopolysiloxanes.
US07696292B2
The invention pertains to low polydispersity acrylic polymers useful for photoimaging and photoresist compositions, and to the photoimaging processes which use these compositions. The low polydispersity polymers of this invention are prepared using controlled radical polymerization (CRP) techniques, such as RAFT (reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer) polymerization.
US07696287B2
The present invention discloses an olefin polymerisation process carried out in the presence of a Ziegler-Natta catalyst in two liquid full loop reactors connected in series wherein different molecular weight fractions are produced to form a polyolefin, said process being characterized in that the Ziegler-Natta catalyst has a particle size distribution d50 of less than 20 μm and greater that 5 μm.
US07696286B2
A resin composition for semiconductor encapsulation contains an epoxy resin (A); a phenolic compound (B) containing two or more phenolic hydroxyl groups; an inorganic filler (C); and a curing accelerator (D). The epoxy resin (A) contains an epoxy resin (a1) represented by the formula (1) wherein Ar is a C6-C20 aryl group, R1 is a C1-C6 hydrocarbon group, R2 is a C1-C4 hydrocarbon group, W1 is oxygen or sulfur, RO is a C1-C6 hydrocarbon group, a=0-10, g=0-3, 0
US07696283B2
The present invention provides fiber and a fiber structure having a high flame-retarding property and high moisture-absorptive property which do not generate noxious gases such as hydrogen halide gas upon burning, do not elute heavy metal compounds and phosphorus compounds therefrom even when reclaimed upon discarding including a burning treatment and have an excellent processing property.The present invention discloses a highly flame-retarding and moisture-absorptive fiber, characterized in that, it comprises an organic polymer having a cross-linking structure and a salt-type carboxyl group in which at least a part of such a salt-type carboxyl group is a magnesium salt type and a saturated moisture absorption rate at 20° C. and 65% relative humidity and a limiting oxygen index are not less than 35% by weight and not less than 35, respectively, and a flame-retarding fiber structure wherein the highly flame-retarding and moisture-absorptive fiber is used in at least a part of the structure.
US07696276B2
A process for producing a thermoplastic elastomer composition, the process comprising synthesizing an elastomeric copolymer by polymerizing ethylene, an α-olefin, and optionally a diene monomer within the gas phase to thereby produce a gas-phase elastomeric copolymer, blending the gas-phase elastomeric copolymer with a thermoplastic polymer to form a mix of the elastomeric copolymer and thermoplastic polymer, and dynamically vulcanizing the gas-phase elastomeric copolymer within the mix of the elastomeric copolymer and thermoplastic polymer.
US07696273B2
A method for improving the mechanical hardness of polymer particles is provided, the method comprising subjecting the polymer particles to a thermal cycle of heating and subsequently cooling. The method is applicable for use with combinations of preferably three monomers, the monomers having hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups in their polymer chain in order to achieve preferential orientation of the polymer chains in a polar solvent after applying the heating cycles of the invention (for example, but not limited to, polymethylmethacrylate and polystyrene based terpolymers and copolymers). Polymeric abrasives used in slurry compositions for polishing copper and their use in a chemical mechanical polishing method are also provided.
US07696272B2
Very low loading of impact modifier less than 4% can significantly improve elongation and impact strength of N6/clay nanocomposites and keep the high tensile strength and modulus. This rubber modified nylon nanocomposites have potential applications in fabricating high-strength fibers for textile industry, coatings for strings or polymer parts, and packaging industry.
US07696253B2
Emulsions are provided which are useful in imparting water-resistance to gypsum wood fiber products. In one embodiment, the emulsions comprise a wax or a combination of waxes, an alkyl phenol, at least one surfactant, Polynaphthalenesulfonic acid, and an alkali metal hydroxide. In another embodiment, the emulsions comprise a wax or a combination of waxes, an alkyl phenol, at least one surfactant, polynaphthalenesulfonic acid, an alkali metal hydroxide, and a complexed starch.
US07696248B2
The present invention discloses novel compounds of Formula I, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, which have glucagon receptor antagonist or inverse agonist activity, as well as methods for preparing such compounds. In another embodiment, the invention discloses pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of Formula I as well as methods of using them to treat diabetic and other glucagon related metabolic disorders, and the like.
US07696246B2
The present invention is directed to compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods for modulating processes mediated by AR and PR. More particularly, the invention relates to nonsteroidal compounds and compositions that are high affinity, high specificity agonists, partial agonists (i.e., partial activators and/or tissue-specific activators) and antagonists for AR and PR. Also provided are methods of making such compounds and pharmaceutical compositions, as well as critical intermediates used in their synthesis.
US07696234B2
The present invention discloses novel compounds of Formula I or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof which have histamine-H3 receptor antagonist or inverse agonist activity, as well as methods for preparing such compounds. In another embodiment, the invention discloses pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of Formula I as well as methods of using these compositions to treat obesity, cognitive deficiencies, narcolepsy, and other histamine H3 receptor-related diseases.
US07696231B2
The present invention is related to the use of oxindole hydrazide derivatives of formula (I) for the treatment and/or prevention of metabolic disorders mediated by insulin resistance or hyperglycemia, comprising diabetes type I and/or II, inadequate glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In particular, the present invention is related to the use of oxindole hydrazide derivatives of formula (I) to modulate, notably to inhibit the activity of PTPs, in particular of PTP1B, TC-PTP, SHP and GLEPP-1. The present invention is furthermore related to novel oxindole hydrazide derivatives and method of preparation thereof.(I).
US07696225B2
Amidoaryl/amidoheteroaryl substituted thiophenes, further substituted with a heteroarylmethylamino group, are useful in the treatment of cancer.
US07696215B2
The invention concerns a compound of the Formula (I) wherein m is 1-2 and each R1 is a group such as cyano, halogeno, trifluoromethyl heterocyclyl and heterocyclyloxy; R2 is trifluoromethyl or (1-6C)alkyl; R3 is hydrogen or halogeno; and R4 is isoxazolyl; or pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof; processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in the treatment of diseases or medical conditions mediated by cytokines.
US07696213B2
The present invention is directed to novel 4-methylpyridopyrimidinone compounds of Formula (I), and to salts thereof, their synthesis, and their use as inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase alpha (PI3-Kα).
US07696211B2
Methods and compositions for treating and preventing sepsis are provided. The methods of the invention comprise administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of an A1 adenosine receptor antagonist in combination with an antibiotic agent. The invention further encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising a combination of an A1 adenosine receptor antagonist and an antibiotic agent in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention find use in methods for treating and preventing sepsis.
US07696210B2
Compounds of Formula I, useful as Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (“GnRH”) (also known as Leutinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone) receptor antagonists, are disclosed.
US07696197B2
The invention concerns the use of a phenothiazine derivative of formula (I), wherein: R represents the hydrogen atom, an alkyl radical, arylalkyl, or —C(O)R′, for preparing a medicine for preventing and/or treating hearing loss.
US07696190B2
The invention makes a 16α-substituted steroidal compound available having formula 1, wherein the dotted ring is a fully saturated, a fully aromatic or a saturated ring with a Δ5-10 double bond; R1 is (C1-C3)alkyl or (C2-C3)alkenyl, and each of these groups can be substituted with one or more halogens; R2 is (C1-C4;)alkyl, (C2-C4)alkenyl or methylene, and each of these groups can be substituted with one or more halogens; R3 is methyl or ethyl; or a prodrug thereof, which compound can be used for an estrogen receptor α selective treatment
US07696182B2
The present invention relates to inhibiting or preventing infection and protecting against patency complications after a blood catheter has been inserted in a patient comprising administering to the device a pharmaceutically effective amount of a composition comprising: (A) at least one taurinamide derivative, (B) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of biologically acceptable acids and biologically acceptable salts thereof; and (C) heparin at a low concentration.
US07696175B2
Provided are methods of reducing the size of a tumor or inhibiting the growth of cancer cells in an individual or inhibiting the development of metastatic cancer by administering an effective amount of a soluble form of a co-stimulatory molecule from an antigen presenting cell and by reducing the activity of immunoregulatory T cells in the individual. Methods of reduction in the activity of immunoregulatory T cells involve removing them ex vivo or depleting or inactivating them in vivo. Also provided are cancer therapeutic compositions comprising a soluble form of a co-stimulatory molecule from an antigen presenting cell and an antibody specific for an intracellular antigen.
US07696171B1
The β-trefoil protein human fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1) is made up of a six-stranded anti-parallel β-barrel closed off on one end by three β-hairpins, thus exhibiting a three-fold axis of structural symmetry. The N- and C-termini β-strands hydrogen bond to each other and are postulated from both NMR and X-ray structure data to represent a structurally-weakened region of the β-barrel. Val mutations within the N- and C-termini β-strands are shown to stabilize the structure and to increase van der Waals contacts by filling local cavities present within this region. Mutations that increase van der Waals contacts between both the N- and C-termini β-strands are generally associated with significant reductions in the unfolding kinetics, and also increase the cooperativity of unfolding. Surprisingly, several mutant polypeptides herein disclosed greatly exceed the wild-type polypeptide in ability to stimulate human fibroblasts to proliferate.
US07696166B2
The present invention relates to methods of preventing or treating a mammal with a viral-induced disorder. The method involves administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a compound represented by Formula I, as shown below: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, with X, R0, R1, and R2 defined herein, under conditions effective to prevent or treat the viral-induced disorder.
US07696162B2
The invention relates to a formulation comprising a polypeptide selected from at least one of insulin, an insulin metabolite, an insulin analog, and an insulin derivative; at least one surfactant; optionally at least one preservative; and optionally at least one of an isotonicizing agent, a buffer or an excipient, wherein the formulation is free from or low in zinc. The invention also relates to the production of such insulin preparations and their use as pharmaceutical formulations.
US07696158B2
The use of IL-22 for the treatment of metabolic disorders including hyperlipidemia, obesity, hyperinsulinemia and diabetes. IL-22 may also be used in combination with insulin for diabetes.
US07696156B2
This invention features methods and compositions useful for treating and diagnosing diseases of the nervous system, retina, skin, muscle, joint, and cartilage using a Dragon family protein. Protein and nucleic acid sequences of human, murine, zebrafish, and C. elegans Dragon family members are also disclosed.
US07696151B2
The use of screening assays based on the role of human stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (“hSCD1”) in human diseases, disorders or conditions relating to serum levels of triglyceride, VLDL, HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, or production of secretions from mucous membranes, monounsaturated fatty acids, wax esters, and the like, is disclosed. Also disclosed are conventions useful in the prevention and/or treatment of such diseases.
US07696143B2
The present invention is directed to an acidic hard surface treatment composition which provides a cleaning and disinfecting benefit comprising: an acidic constituent which comprises water soluble organic acid; at least one anionic surfactant constituent; at least one nonionic surfactant constituent; at least one organic solvent constituent; optionally one or more further constituents and the balance, water. The compositions exhibit surprising efficacy against various gram positive and gram negative type pathogenic bacteria, as well as against fungi in the absence of known cationic quaternary ammonium compounds known to be effective against pathogenic bacteria, as well as other known-art antimicrobial constituents and bleach are excluded.
US07696142B2
A method for providing a ready to use cleaning composition is provided. The method includes diluting a concentrate with water of dilution. The concentrate includes an anionic surfactant, an alkanolamine and a water hardness anti-precipitant mixture. The water hardness anti-precipitant mixture includes a maleic anhydride/olefin co-polymer and an EO-PO co-polymer. The EO-PO co-polymer having the formula: (EO)x(PO)y(EO)x (PO)y(EO)x(PO)y (PO)y(EO)x(PO)y(EO)x(PO)y EO is an ethylene oxide group, PO is a propylene oxide group, x is between about 10 to about 130 and y is between about 15 to about 70.
US07696136B2
Disclosed herein is a composition comprising: (A) a lubricant or a hydrocarbon fuel; (B) at least one hydroxy carboxylic acid ester or hydroxy polycarboxylic acid ester having the generic formula defined herein; and (C) at least one phosphorus-containing additive.
US07696131B2
Diesel oil-based invert emulsion drilling fluids having fragile gel properties and improved performance. Methods are also disclosed for drilling, running casing, cementing, and/or producing hydrocarbons in a subterranean formation.
US07696130B2
Provided is a PNA (Peptide Nucleic Acid) chip in which a probe PNA containing a desired DNA sequence is immobilized on a plastic substrate coated with an epoxy group-containing polymer. Therefore, single-stranded PNAs can be immobilized on a transparent plastic substrate by means of an epoxy group-containing polymer layer in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Fluorescence signal detection based on PNA/DNA hybridization enables identification of SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism).
US07696120B2
Disclosed is method for restoring catalytic activity to a hydroprocessing catalyst that has become spent due to its use or to the deposition of carbon thereon. The method includes a carbon reduction step whereby carbon is removed from the spent hydroprocessing catalyst in a controlled manner to within a specifically defined concentration range. Following the carbon removal step, the resulting catalyst, having a reduced concentration of carbon, is subjected to a chelation treatment whereby the resulting carbon-reduced catalyst is contacted with a chelating agent and aged for a time period necessary for realizing the benefit from the controlled carbon reduction step. In a preferred embodiment, the catalyst resulting from the chelation treatment is subjected to a sulfurization treatment involving the incorporation of elemental sulfur therein and contacting therewith an olefin.
US07696119B2
A process for producing various organic carbonates by performing transesterification and disproportionation reactions in dual vapor/liquid phase mode preferably in the presence of solid catalyst composition selected from the group consisting of oxides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides or alkoxides of two to four elements from Group IV, V and VI of the Periodic Table supported on porous material which has surface hydroxyl groups and the method of reactivating catalyst deactivated by polymer deposition by contacting the deactivated catalyst with a solution of hydroxy containing compound in a solvent such as benzene or THF.
US07696113B2
Alkali-free glasses are disclosed which can be used to produce substrates for flat panel display devices, e.g., active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs). The glasses contain iron and tin as fining agents, and preferably are substantially free of arsenic and antimony. In certain embodiments, the glasses are also substantially free of barium. Methods for producing alkali-free glass sheets using a downdraw process (e.g., a fission process) are also disclosed.
US07696110B2
A sheet material for a seat characterized in that the stress at 5% elongation (A) is from 40 to 300 N/4 cm width wherein A is a larger value between a stress measured in the longitudinal direction and a stress measured in the lateral direction, that the ratio A/B is from 1.5 to 15.0 wherein B is the smaller value obtained in the above measurement, and that the reduction in width (H) is from 0 to 15% when the sheet material is fixed on a frame at the one end and the opposite end while stretched and pressured.
US07696103B2
Processes for the purification of silicon carbide structures, including silicon carbide coated silicon carbide structures, are disclosed. The processes described can reduce the amount of iron contamination in a silicon carbide structure by 100 to 1000 times. After purification, the silicon carbide structures are suitable for use in high temperature silicon wafer processing.
US07696102B2
A multi-layer fabrication method for making three-dimensional structures is provided. In one embodiment, the formation of a multi-layer three-dimensional structure comprises: 1) fabricating a plurality of layers with each layer comprising at least two materials; 2) aligning the layers; 3) attaching the layers together to form a multi-layer structure; and 4) removing at least a portion of at least one of the materials from the multi-layer structure. Fabrication methods for making the required layers are also disclosed. In another embodiment, the formation of a multi-layer three-dimensional structure comprises: 1) attaching a layer of a material to a substrate or a previously formed layer; 2) machining the attached layer to form a layer that comprises at least two materials; and 3) repeating the operations of 1) and 2) a plurality of times to form a multi-layer structure; and 4) removing at least a portion of at least one of the materials from the multi-layer structure to form a desired three-dimensional structure.
US07696097B2
Methods for the site-selective growth of horizontal nanowires are provided. According to the methods, horizontal nanowires having a predetermined length and diameter can be grown site-selectively at desired sites in a direction parallel to a substrate to fabricate a device with high degree of integration. Further provided are nanowires grown by the methods and nanodevices comprising the nanowires.
US07696093B2
Methods for forming copper interconnects for semiconductor devices are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a method for forming a copper interconnect comprises depositing copper into a trench formed in a dielectric material overlying a semiconductor material. A force is applied to the semiconductor material and stress is induced within the copper deposited in the trench. Recrystallization and grain growth are effected within the copper and the stress is removed.
US07696077B2
Bottom electrode contact structures for a semiconductor assembly and a method for forming same are described. An exemplary semiconductor device comprises electrode contact structures in a phase change memory device. The phase change memory device comprising a phase change cell is made up of a bottom electrode contact structure comprising a phase change material liner connecting between a conductive top electrode and a conductive bottom electrode where the resulting ultra-small contacts are determined by the intersection of the sidewall bottom electrode and the phase change liner.
US07696076B2
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a flash memory device. In a method according to an aspect of the present invention, a first hard mask film is formed over a semiconductor laminate. A plurality of first hard mask patterns are formed by etching an insulating layer for a hard mask. Spacers are formed on top surfaces and sidewalls of the plurality of first hard mask patterns. A second hard mask film is formed over a total surface including the spacers. Second hard mask patterns are formed in spaces between the spacers by performing an etch process so that a top surface of the spacers is exposed. The spacers are removed. Accordingly, gate patterns can be formed by employing hard mask patterns having a pitch of exposure equipment resolutions or less.
US07696067B2
A method of manufacturing a device includes: a laser beam-machined groove forming step of irradiating a wafer with a laser beam from the back side of the wafer along planned dividing lines so as to form laser beam-machined grooves along the planned dividing lines; an etching step of etching a back-side surface of the wafer having been subjected to the laser beam-machined groove forming step, so as to remove denatured layers formed at processed surfaces of the laser beam-machined grooves; an adhesive film attaching step of attaching an adhesive film to the back-side surface of the wafer having been subjected to the etching step, and adhering the adhesive film side of the wafer to a surface of a dicing tape; and an adhesive film rupturing step of expanding the dicing tape so as to rupture the adhesive film along individual devices.
US07696060B2
A recyclable stamp device and a recyclable stamp process for wafer bond are provided. The recyclable stamp device includes a substrate, a protective layer, a stack film structure and a cap. The protective layer is disposed on the substrate. An opening is positioned at the substrate and the protective layer to expose the substrate. The stack film structure includes an adhesion layer, a stress control layer and a wafer bond alignment mark layer. The adhesion layer is disposed on the protective layer and the exposed substrate. The stress control layer is disposed on the adhesion layer. The wafer bond alignment mark layer is disposed on the stress control layer. The wafer bond alignment mark layer includes an alignment mark at a side of the opening. The cap has a capping portion disposed on the wafer bond alignment mark layer corresponding to the opening.
US07696051B2
A MOSFET includes a semiconductor substrate with a first region having a relatively thick first thickness and a second region having a relatively thin second thickness; a gate insulating layer pattern formed on the first region of the semiconductor substrate; a gate conductive layer pattern formed on the gate insulating layer pattern; an epitaxial layer formed on the second region of the semiconductor substrate so as to have a predetermined thickness; spacers formed on sidewalls of the gate conductive layer pattern and part of the surface of the epitaxial layer; a lightly-doped first impurity region formed in the semiconductor substrate disposed below the spacers and in the epitaxial layer; and a heavily-doped second impurity region formed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate, exposed by the spacers.
US07696050B2
An N-type source region and an N-type drain region of N-channel type MISFETs are implanted with ions (containing at least one of F, Si, C, Ge, Ne, Ar and Kr) with P-channel type MISFETs being covered by a mask layer. Then, each gate electrode, source region and drain region of the N- and P-channel type MISFETs are subjected to silicidation (containing at least one of Ni, Ti, Co, Pd, Pt and Er). This can suppress a drain-to-body off-leakage current (substrate leakage current) in the N-channel type MISFETs without degrading the drain-to-body off-leakage current in the P-channel type MISFETs.
US07696049B2
A double diffused region (65), (75), (85) is formed in a semiconductor substrate or in an epitaxial layer (20) formed on the semiconductor substrate. The double diffused region is formed by first implanting light implant specie such as boron through an opening in a photoresist layer prior to a hard bake process. Subsequent to the hard bake process, a heavy implant species such as arsenic is implanted into the epitaxial layer. During subsequent processing, such as during LOCOS formation, a double diffused region is formed by a thermal anneal. A dielectric layer (120) is formed on the epitaxial layer (20) and gate structures (130), (135) are formed over the dielectric layer (120).
US07696039B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device employing a selectivity poly deposition is disclosed. The disclosed method comprises depositing selectivity poly on a gate poly and source/drain regions of the silicon substrate, and forming salicide regions on the gate and active regions from the deposited selectivity poly. Accordingly, the present invention employing selectivity poly deposition can reduce or minimize contact surface resistance and improve the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device by reducing the surface resistance in a miniature semiconductor device. In addition, because the size of the gate electrode is getting small, the present invention can be used as an essential part of the future generations of nano-scale technology. Moreover, mass semiconductor production systems can promptly employ the present invention with existing equipment.
US07696037B2
A method for forming semiconductor transistor. The method comprises providing a structure including (a) a semiconductor region, and (b) first and second dopant source regions on and in direct physical contact with the semiconductor region, wherein each region of the first and second dopant source regions comprises a dielectric material which contains dopants; causing the dopants to diffuse from the first and second dopant source regions into the semiconductor region so as to form first and second source/drain extension regions, respectively, wherein the first and second source/drain extension regions define a channel region disposed between; forming a gate dielectric region on a channel region; and forming a gate region on the gate dielectric region, wherein the gate dielectric region electrically insulates the gate region from the channel region.
US07696033B2
A method of fabricating a Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Thin Film Transistor (TFT) using a reduced number of masks includes: forming a buffer layer on the entire surface of a substrate; forming polysilicon and photoresist layers on the entire surface of the substrate having the buffer layer; exposing and developing the photoresist layer to form a first photoresist pattern having a first thickness in a region where a semiconductor layer of a first TFT is to be formed, a second thickness in a region where a channel and a Lightly Doped Drain (LDD) region of a second TFT are to be formed, and a third thickness in a region where source and drain regions of the second TFT are to be formed; etching the polysilicon layer using the first photoresist pattern as a mask to pattern the semiconductor layers of the first and second TFTs; performing a first ashing process on the first photoresist pattern to form a second photoresist pattern where the region having the third thickness has been removed from the first photoresist pattern; implanting a first impurity into the source and drain regions of the second TFT using the second photoresist pattern as a mask; performing a second ashing process on the second photoresist pattern to form a third photoresist pattern where the region having the second thickness has been removed from the first photoresist pattern; and implanting a second impurity into the second TFT using the third photoresist pattern as a mask to perform channel doping on the second TFT.
US07696026B2
An array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a substrate, a plurality of thin film transistors formed on the substrate, each thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a first gate insulation layer, a second gate insulation layer, an active layer, an ohmic contact layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode, a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines disposed orthogonal to the plurality of gate lines, a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed at pixel regions defined by intersections of the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of data lines, each pixel electrode electrically contacting each drain electrode of the plurality of thin film transistors, and a plurality of storage capacitors each including a portion of each gate line as a first capacitor electrode, the first gate insulation layer as a dielectric layer, and a capacitor electrode electrically communicating with each pixel electrode and functioning as a second capacitor electrode with a portion of each pixel electrode.
US07696018B2
Phase change devices, and particularly multi-terminal phase change devices, include first and second active terminals bridged together by a phase-change material whose conductivity can be modified in accordance with a control signal applied to a control electrode. This structure allows an application in which an electrical connection can be created between the two active terminals, with the control of the connection being effected using a separate terminal or terminals. Accordingly, the resistance of the heater element can be increased independently from the resistance of the path between the two active terminals. This allows the use of smaller heater elements thus requiring less current to create the same amount of Joule heating per unit area. The resistance of the heating element does not impact the total resistance of the phase change device. The programming control can be placed outside of the main signal path through the phase change device, reducing the impact of the associated capacitance and resistance of the device.
US07696016B2
Forming a packaged device having a semiconductor device having a first major surface and a second major surface includes forming an encapsulating layer over the second major surface of the semiconductor device and around sides of the semiconductor device and leaving the first major surface of the first semiconductor device exposed. An insulating layer is formed over the first major surface. A via is formed in the insulating layer. A tangible element is coupled to the semiconductor device through the via. At least a portion of the tangible element is surrounded with a cavity wall having a first face toward the element and a second face away from the element. A supporting layer, after surrounding the tangible element, is formed over the insulating layer so that the supporting layer is adjacent to the second face and blocked from the first face thereby providing protection for the tangible element.
US07696013B2
A method of providing connectivity to a microsized device, the method includes the steps of providing an ablative base material having at least a top surface; providing a die having a first and second surface and having bonding pads at least upon the first surface; placing the die with the at least first surface of the die contacting the at least first surface of the ablative base material; and ablating a channel in the ablative material proximate to the die.
US07696008B2
A wafer-level chip packaging process includes the following steps. First, a wafer having a plurality of chip units, an active surface, and a corresponding back surface is provided. Each chip unit has a plurality of pads on the active surface. Next, a plurality of through holes is formed under the pads. The through holes are filled with a conductive material such that the conductive material within each through hole is electrically connected to corresponding one of the pads and a portion of the conductive material is exposed and protrudes from the back surface of the wafer. Thereafter, a transparent adhesive layer is formed on the active surface. Next, a transparent cover panel is disposed on the transparent adhesive layer such that the transparent cover panel is connected to the wafer through the transparent adhesive layer. Afterwards, a singulation step is performed to form a plurality of independent chip package structures.
US07696005B2
This publication discloses a method for manufacturing an electronic module, in which manufacture commences from an insulating-material sheet (1). At least one recess (2) is made in the sheet (1) and extends through the insulating-material layer (1) as far as the conductive layer on the opposite surface (1a). A component (6) is set in the recess, with its contact surface towards the conductive layer and the component (6) is attached to the conductive layer. After this, a conductive pattern (14) is formed from the conductive pattern closing the recess, which is electrically connected from at least some of the contact areas or contact protrusions of the component (6) set in the recess.
US07695998B2
Inorganic semiconductive films are made by depositing a suitable precursor substance upon a substrate, irradiating the precursor substance with electromagnetic radiation to form a nascent film, and heating the nascent film at a predetermined temperature to form an inorganic semiconductive film.
US07695991B2
A method for manufacturing a GaN semiconductor light-emitting element is provided. The method for manufacturing a GaN semiconductor light-emitting element includes forming, by crystal growth, a first GaN compound semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, the top face of which corresponds to the A plane, an active layer composed of InxGa(1−x)N, the top face of which corresponds to the A plane, and a second GaN compound semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, the top face of which corresponds to the A plane, in that order on a base which is a nonpolar plane, wherein the active layer is formed at a crystal growth rate of 0.3 nm/sec or more.
US07695983B2
Independent control of ion density, ion energy distribution and ion dissociation in a plasma reactor
A method of processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor includes coupling RF power from at least three RF power source of three respective frequencies to plasma in the reactor, setting ion energy distribution shape by selecting a ratio between the power levels of a first pair of the at least three RF power sources, and setting ion dissociation and ion density by selecting a ratio between the power levels of a remaining one of the three RF power sources and an applied magnetic field. The three respective frequencies can be an LF frequency, an HF frequency and a VHF frequency, wherein the first pair corresponds to the LF and HF frequencies and the second pair corresponds to the HF and VHF frequencies.
US07695972B2
Method for the in vitro diagnostic or for the monitoring of a disease involving an inflammatory reaction within a patient, which comprises the steps of: a) providing a biological sample from the patient; b) measuring the amount of selenoprotein P which is contained in the biological sample; c) comparing the amount of selenoprotein P measured at step b) i) with the amount of selenoprotein P which is contained in a biological sample from an individual which is not affected with the disease; or ii) with the amount of selenoprotein P which was contained in a biological sample from the same patient.
US07695967B1
The present invention provides a novel substrate for use in growing cells and for the study of mechanobiology. The membrane of the present invention comprises appropriate microtopography and surface chemical modifications to facilitate the production of adherent and oriented cells that phenotypically resemble cells in vivo.
US07695966B2
A method for separating a multitude of biological objects by the type of the object. The method utilizes the differences in the viscoelastic properties for the different types of objects. As an example but not limited to: the method can be applied to most tumor cells that might be present in a sample of blood, allowing the tumor cells to be separated from the majority of the normal blood cells.
US07695963B2
Disclosed herein are methods for increasing the production of definitive endoderm cells from pluripotent stem cells. Also disclosed herein are agents capable of increasing definitive endoderm cell production.
US07695960B2
The invention relates to a peptidic compound containing a polyprotein NS3/NS4 of a hepatitis C virus and a polypeptide NS5b of hepatitis C virus. Said invention also relates to expression vectors such as adenovirus and poxyvirus in which nucleic sequences coding for the polyprotein NS3/NS4 and the polypeptide NS5b. The inventive compound can be used for a therapeutic application.
US07695958B2
To provide a cell-filled device that is suitable for use in, for example, an implantable or circulation type hybrid artificial organ. In a cell-filled device including hollow fiber membranes whose hollow portions are filled with cells, the hollow fiber membranes have modified cross sections, and a cell aggregate provided in each of the hollow portions has cells formed into two or more layers in arbitrary directions, provided that the distance from an arbitrary point of the cell aggregate to the nearest inner wall of hollow fiber membrane is less than 75 μm. This cell-filled device enables effective use of cells without the necrosis thereof. Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing the cell-filled device.
US07695949B2
The present invention provides a process for producing a target fermentation product. This process includes providing a fermentation medium containing a recombinantly-produced microorganism that over-produces a fermentation product and contains a mutation which causes auxotrophic growth of the microorganism wherein the auxotrophy within the microorganism does not compromise the ability of the microorganism to produce the fermentation product. The medium is then supplied in excess with all substrates required for production of the fermentation product and in growth limiting amounts with a substrate complementing the auxotrophy. Host cells, vectors, and polynucleotide sequences used in the process are also provided. The polynucleotide sequences of the present invention include sequences derived from the biotin operon of B. subtilis and in particular the bioFDB gene cassette.
US07695945B2
The present invention provides a process for preparing an enzyme catalyst having nitrilase activity for hydrolysis of glycolonitrile to glycolic acid with improved retention of recovered catalyst activity in consecutive batch reactions with catalyst recycle, said process comprising pretreating the enzyme catalyst with glutaraldehyde. The glutaraldehyde-pretreated enzyme catalyst has improved specific activity when compared to non-glutaraldehyde-pretreated enzyme catalysts, and thereby, has improved overall catalyst activity and productivity.
US07695942B2
The invention relates to a process for converting an epoxide to an alcohol. The process according to the invention is enzymatically catalyzed and highly enantioselective and regiospecific.
US07695939B2
The present invention relates to a method for the cultivation of primary cells. The primary cells are cultivated in a serum free medium comprising a factor selected from the group consisting of growth factors and attachment factors. The method for the cultivation of primary cells may be one step in a method for the amplification of viruses, such as poxviruses. According to this latter method the primary cells are cultivated in a serum free medium comprising a factor selected from the group consisting of growth factors and attachment factors. The cells are then infected with the virus and the infected cells are cultivated in serum free medium until progeny virus is produced.
US07695938B2
The present invention provides vectors and recombinant host cells comprising nucleic acid molecules encoding Fibroblast Growth Factor-like (FGF-like) polypeptides. The invention also provides methods for producing FGF-like polypeptides using such recombinant host cells.
US07695935B2
The present invention relates to novel human coagulation Factor VIIa variants having coagulant activity as well as nucleic acid constructs encoding such variants, vectors and host cells comprising and expressing the nucleic acid, pharmaceutical compositions, uses and methods of treatment.
US07695931B2
The present invention provides a Brevundimonas sp. strain SD212-derived peptide having β-ionone ring-2-hydroxylase activity and a gene encoding the same, to thereby make it possible to produce rare carotenoids in which a hydroxyl group is introduced at the position 2(2′) carbon in their β-ionone ring in large quantities.The present invention also provides a novel gene encoding an enzyme which introduces a hydroxyl group at the position 3(3′) carbon in the β-ionone ring of carotenoids, and a novel gene encoding a geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase.
US07695923B2
The invention relates to biosynthetic maturation of cell surface polypeptides and, more specifically, to particular CFTR polypeptides which exhibit increased transport to the cell surface and tripeptide amino acid sequences that promote or enhance transport of export-incompetent CFTR to the cell surface.
US07695921B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for cancer diagnosis, treatment and drug screening. In particular, the present invention provides compositions and methods for targeting the nuclear translocation of IkB kinase-α (IKKα) and the IKKα-mediated suppression of Maspin expression observed in metastatic prostate cancer cells.
US07695914B2
The invention provides DNA compositions that relate to transgenic insect resistant maize plants. Also provided are assays for detecting the presence of the maize DAS-59122-7 event based on the DNA sequence of the recombinant construct inserted into the maize genome and the DNA sequences flanking the insertion site. Kits and conditions useful in conducting the assays are provided.
US07695910B2
A method for manufacturing a biochip and a biochip manufactured by the method are provided. In the biochip manufacturing method, a star-like polyethylene glycol derivative having an epoxy group at its terminal is reacted with a low molecular weight hydrophilic polymer to form a matrix, and a probe is covalently bound to the matrix and immobilized on a solid substrate. The biochip has a 3-dimensional structure where it spatially protrudes from its surface and improved chip sensitivity. In addition, the biochip can be conveniently and efficiently manufactured using an aqueous solution at low costs.
US07695902B2
Oligomeric compounds including oligoribonucleotides and oligoribonucleosides are provided that have subsequences of 2′-pentoribofuranosyl nucleosides that activate dsRNase. The oligoribonucleotides and oligoribonucleosides can include substituent groups for increasing binding affinity to complementary nucleic acid strand as well as substituent groups for increasing nuclease resistance. The oligomeric compounds are useful for diagnostics and other research purposes, for modulating the expression of a protein in organisms, and for the diagnosis, detection and treatment of other conditions susceptible to oligonucleotide therapeutics. Also included in the invention are mammalian ribonucleases, i.e., enzymes that degrade RNA, and substrates for such ribonucleases. Such a ribonuclease is referred to herein as a dsRNase, wherein “ds” indicates the RNase's specificity for certain double-stranded RNA substrates. The artificial substrates for the dsRNases described herein are useful in preparing affinity matrices for purifying mammalian ribonuclease as well as non-degradative RNA-binding proteins.
US07695900B2
This application claims a method for detecting biologically active substances, comprising the following steps a) providing a support carrying substances to be tested b) providing a suspension containing luminescent microorganisms, c) coating the support with the suspension of microorganisms, d) detecting the biologically active substances on the support by detecting the change in luminescence of the suspension of microorganisms, and e) stimulating the luminescence of the microorganisms before or during detection, and/or f) extending the period of luminescence of the microorganisms by employing substances for regulating and extending the period of luminescence of the microorganisms.
US07695898B2
Disclosed is a photothermographic material having an image-forming layer containing a silver salt of an organic acid, photosensitive silver halide grains and a reducing agent on a support, wherein ratio of scratch strength measured before heat development and scratch strength measured 30 minutes after the heat development is in the range of 1:1-1:3 for a surface of the image-forming layer side. The photothermographic material shows improved film strength after heat development.
US07695879B2
A method for forming toner particles includes polymerizing monomers to form a latex comprising polymer particles; combining the latex with an unsaturated curable resin to form aggregates containing the polymer particles and the unsaturated curable resin particles; and heating the aggregates to form coalesced particles. A toner composition that may be formed by the process described herein contains toner particles containing: (i) a polymer comprising a photoinitiator, (ii) an unsaturated curable resin and, (iii) a colorant.
US07695873B2
A method and apparatus for producing a color filter is disclosed. It mainly uses an exposure apparatus which can produce a plurality of exposure light sources to do an exposure process. Through fast controlling the on/off time of the plurality of exposure light sources as well as making a relative moving between the plurality of exposure light sources and a substrate plane, a color photoresist layer on the substrate plane can be exposed to form a pattern thereon, wherein the on/off time of the exposure light sources are respectively controlled by a plurality of shutters of the exposure apparatus. Then, with a developing process to the exposed color photoresist layer, a color layer is formed on the substrate plane. The main advantage of the invention is that photo-mask is not needed in the exposure process and any size substrate plane can be handled by the present exposure apparatus.
US07695870B2
An organic/inorganic composite separator includes a porous substrate having a plurality of pores; and a porous coating layer formed on at least one surface of the porous substrate with a plurality of inorganic particles and a binder polymer. The binder polymer is a copolymer including: (a) a first monomer unit having a contact angle to a water drop in the range from 0° to 49°; and (b) a second monomer unit having a contact angle to a water drop in the range from 50° to 130°. This organic/inorganic composite separator has excellent thermal stability, so it may restrain an electric short circuit between a cathode and an anode. In addition, the separator may prevent inorganic particles in the porous coating layer from being extracted during an assembling process of an electrochemical device, thereby improving stability of an electrochemical device.
US07695861B2
A chemical source of electrical energy may include a positive electrode (cathode) made of an electrically conductive material, a mixture of lithium sulphide and sulphur, a permeable separator or membrane, and a negative electrode (anode) made of an electrically conductive material or a material that is able reversibly to intercalate lithium ions, wherein an aprotic electrolyte comprising at least one lithium salt in at least one solvent is provided between the electrodes.
US07695858B2
A battery pack including a cell unit containing at least one cell and a contact unit connected to the cell unit. The contact unit includes a housing containing connector parts for connection to external complementary connector parts and conductors electrically connecting the connecting parts to the at least one cell.
US07695851B2
The present teachings are directed toward electrocatalyst compositions of alloys of platinum, tungsten and nickel for use in fuel cells. The alloys consists essentially of platinum present in an atomic percentage ranging between about 20 percent and about 45 percent, tungsten present in an atomic percentage ranging between about 30 percent and about 70 percent, and nickel present in an atomic percentage ranging between about 5 percent and about 25 percent.
US07695850B2
The present invention is usable in oxygen electrodes and air electrodes for air cells, fuel cells, electrochemical sensors and like electrochemical devices. The present invention provides a very stable oxygen-reducing electrode that can achieve electrochemical reduction of oxygen at a noble potential. The oxygen-reducing electrode of the present invention contains a cobalt tetrapyrazinoporphyrazine derivative represented by the following Structural Formula (1) as a catalytic component
US07695832B2
In a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, a multilayered underlayer including a first metal underlayer, a second metal underlayer having no solid solution properties with respect to the first metal underlayer and having a hole, and a third metal underlayer having solid solution properties with respect to the first metal underlayer and having no solid solution properties with respect to the second metal underlayer is formed on a substrate, and a magnetic recording layer is formed on the multilayered underlayer.
US07695831B2
A coating composition and a cooking device and/or cooking receptacle coated with the coating composition are described. The coating composition includes 10 to 30 wt. % of SiO2, 10 to 30 wt. % of P2O5, 10 to 30 wt. % of Al2O3, 1 to 20 wt. % of TiO2, 7 to 15 wt. % of Na2O, 7 to 15 wt. % of K2O, 5 to 10 wt. % of ZrO2, 2 to 5 wt. % of BaO, 2 to 5 wt. % of B2O3, 1 to 2 wt. % of MnO2, and an adhesion enhancer. The coating composition provides favorable thermal resistance, acid resistance and mechanical properties, such that a cooking device and/or receptacle coated with the coating composition may be easily cleaned at a relatively low temperature.
US07695829B2
A hard coating film to be applied to the surface of a tool, said hard coating film having a composition represented by the formula Al1-a-b-cSiaMgbMc(BxCyNz), where M denotes at least one species of elements selected from Nb, V, Zr, Cr, Ti, Cu, and Y, and a, b, c, x, y, and z represent atomic ratios such that 0≦a≦0.35, 0≦b≦0.2, 0.03≦a+b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.1, 0.9≦Al+Si+Mg, 0≦x≦0.2, 0≦y≦0.4, 0.5≦z≦1, and x+y+z=1. A tool coated with the hard coating film defined above. The hard coating film has excellent wear resistance owing to its improved hardness, oxidation resistance, and toughness. It is used for coating on a tool to improve wear resistance.
US07695827B2
The invention relates to a component having a substrate and a protective layer, which consists of an intermediate NiCoCrAlY layer zone on or near the substrate and an outer layer zone which is arranged on the intermediate NiCoCrAlY layer zone, which is characterized in that the intermediate NiCoCrAlY layer zone comprises of (in wt %): 24-26% Co, 16-18% Cr, 9.5-11% Al, 0.3-0.5 Y, 1-1.8% Re and Ni balance.
US07695826B2
The present invention provides an alloyed molten zinc plated steel sheet having an area of the Fe and Zn alloy phase in the unformed parts in the plating layer of less than 10% of the area of the steel sheet as a whole and superior in strength and shapeability and a method of producing this alloyed molten zinc plating steel sheet by a continuous zinc plating production system which enables production at a low cost without modification of the system or addition of steps, said alloyed molten zinc plated steel sheet characterized by comprising a steel sheet including C: 0.05 to 0.40%, Si: 0.2 to 3.0%, and Mn: 0.1 to 2.5%, the balance comprised of Fe and unavoidable impurities, having on its surface a Zn alloy plating layer comprised of Fe in a concentration of 7 to 15 wt %, Al in a concentration of 0.01 to 1 wt %, and the balance of Zn and unavoidable impurities, said plating layer containing oxide particles of at least one type of oxide selected from an Al oxide, Si oxide, Mn oxide, and complex oxides of the same alone or in combination.
US07695822B2
A laminate film including a first polyolefin layer comprising of a blend of 50-95% ethylene-propylene copolymer and 50-5% ethylene polar terpolymer with a polar polymer layer on one side of said first polyolefin resin-containing layer is disclosed. The laminate film could further have additional layers such as a second polyolefin resin-containing layer, a metal layer, or combinations thereof.
US07695820B2
Aliphatic polyesters may be substituted at the alpha- and beta-positions. These aliphatic polyesters may have increased thermal, chemical and hydrolytic stability compared to conventional aliphatic polyesters. In addition, these aliphatic polyesters may be used as high performance lubricants, including lubricants for hard disk drives.
US07695818B2
Pressure sensitive adhesives and methods, wherein the adhesives include a silicone tackifying resin and a polydiorganosiloxane polyurea copolymer. The tack of these adhesives is improved by the use of a processing aid, such as a plasticizer.
US07695817B2
A thermally conductive grease includes (A) a polyorganosiloxane having a viscosity less than 50 cSt (mm2/s) at 25° C. and (B) a thermally conductive filler. The thermally conductive grease is useful as a thermal interface material for electronic devices.
US07695815B2
A laminate contains a first layer and a second layer. The first layer contains a first composition that contains polycarbonate, polycarbonate-polysiloxane copolymer, impact modifier and polyetherimide, wherein the polycarbonate constitutes at least about 50% by weight of the composition and a 3.2 millimeter thick, 7.6 centimeter square sample of the first composition produces a smoke density (Ds) of less than 275 after a 4-minute burn, measured according to ASTM E 662-03. The first composition may contain about 50 wt. % to about 97 wt. % polycarbonate, about 0.5 wt. % to about 25 wt. % polycarbonate-polysiloxane copolymer, about 0.5 wt. % to about 20 wt. % impact modifier, and about 2 wt. % to about 15 wt. % polyetherimide, by weight. An article may contain a sheet or film made from such a composition. A laminate or article may be made to include a first layer or sheet that includes such a composition.
US07695811B2
An on/off reversible adhesive mechanism, and method for fabricating same. The adhesive mechanism is a hierarchical system comprised of a micro-scale compliant surface having one or more nano-structures thereon, wherein the compliant surface is moved by applying a magnetic field either to engage the nano-structures with an adhering surface or to remove the nano-structures from the adhering surface.
US07695807B2
A non-stick coating on a substrate is provided wherein the coating comprises an overcoat and a primer adhering the overcoat to the substrate, the overcoat comprising fluoropolymer and an effective amount of ceramic particles, preferably at least 3 wt % based on the combined weight of the fluoropolymer and the ceramic particles in the overcoat, said ceramic particles having an average particle size of at least about 10 micrometers to increase the abrasion resistance of said coating as determined by the dry SBAR method.
US07695803B2
A sheet material for a radio wave absorber and a radio wave absorber formed from the sheet material, where the sheet material is light weighted and has excellent form-retaining capability and workability for field assembling. A sheet material (1) for a radio wave absorber has a corrugated paperboard structure with an undulated corrugated medium (2) and a planar liner (3) that are layered over each other. The corrugated medium (2) and/or the liner (3) are constructed from a sheet including an electrical-loss material. A radio wave absorber (10) is characterized in that the sheet material (1) for a radio wave absorber is cut, folded, and assembled as a hollow three-dimensional structure body, which has a shape of wedge, polygonal pyramid, or polygonal cylinder.
US07695802B2
A slat for use in a covering for an architectural opening is made from a base material of binder and matrix fibers which are formed into a nonwoven material by melting at least a portion of the binder fibers to thermally bond the binder and matrix fibers. A coating of resin is then applied to the thermally bonded base before the composite material is passed through a forming apparatus where the material is heated over a convex support having the desired curvature for the slat and subsequently cooled.
US07695800B2
A layer forming relief transferring and printing an application fluid applied on printing convex portions on a printing object, the layer forming relief including printing convex portions formed as a strip, and a plurality of micro-projections distributed on top faces of the printing convex portions so as to form a groove between adjoining micro-projections for retaining the application fluid.
US07695798B2
A honeycomb structure 1 for a catalyst carrier including partition walls 4 arranged so as to form a plurality of cells 3 which connect two end faces 2a, 2b, the partition walls 4 being porous and having a large number of pores; the structure further including plugging portions 10 arranged so as to alternately plug one of the end portions of each of the cells 3 in the two end faces 2a, 2b. A geometrical surface area (GSA: a value ((S1+S2)/V) obtained by dividing a total of the whole inner surface area (S1) excluding the cell pores and the whole inner surface area (S2) of the pores by the whole volume (V) of the honeycomb structure) is 80) cm2/cm3 or more and less than 300 cm2/cm3.
US07695792B2
A silver alloy reflective film is used in an optical information recording medium and contains silver as a main component, a total of 1 to 10 atomic percent of at least one rare-earth element, and a total of 1 to 15 atomic percent of at least one selected from In, Sn, Al, and Mg, in which the total content of the at least one rare-earth element and the at least one selected from In, Sn, Al, and Mg is 5 atomic percent or more. The silver alloy reflective film preferably further contains 0.01 to 3 atomic percent of at least one of Bi and Sb. A silver alloy sputtering target has the same composition as the silver alloy reflective film.
US07695791B2
An optical recording medium 1 includes a support substrate 2, an information layer 3 formed on one of the surfaces of the support substrate 2, a first resin layer 4 formed on the information layer 3 and having a thickness of 30 to 200 μm, a moisture-proof layer 5 formed on the other surface of the support substrate 2, a second resin layer 6 formed on the moisture-proof layer 5 and having a thickness of 30 to 200 μm, and a label layer 7 formed on the second resin layer 6, and has such a structure that a laser beam is irradiated through the first resin layer 4. The second resin layer 6 contains 0.5 to 2.8 mass part of a silicon antifoaming agent with respect to 100 mass part of an ultraviolet curing resin, and is formed by a screen printing method.
US07695790B2
A Ag alloy reflective film for an optical information recording medium contains Ag as a main component, and at least one selected from Nd, Sn, Gd and In in a total amount of more than 3.0 atomic percent and less than or equal to 10 atomic percent. The reflective film can further contain 0.01 to 3 atomic percent of at least one of Bi and Sb, and/or can further contain comprising 20 atomic percent or less of at least one of Mn, Cu, La and Zn. An optical information recording medium includes the Ag alloy reflective film and can be subjected to laser marking. A Ag alloy sputtering target has a similar composition to that of the Ag alloy reflective film.
US07695782B2
An optical laminate comprising an anti-reflection film 1, polarizing film 2, adhesive layer 3, glass cell for liquid crystal display 4, adhesive layer 5 and polarizing film 6 laminated sequentially, wherein the ratio (B/A) of the maximum value B of the loss tangent of the adhesive layer 5 to the maximum value A of the loss tangent of the adhesive layer 3 is 1.1 or more. The maximum value of the loss tangent means the maximum value of loss modulus (E″) storage modulus (E′) (=tan δ), each measured by heating the adhesive layer in a temperature range of −70° C. to 200° C. at a temperature rising rate of 4° C./min and a frequency of 1 Hz.
US07695780B2
An optical film, which contains a cellulose acylate, at least one compound of formula (I) in an amount of 0.01 to 20 mass parts, and at least one cyclic compound having at least three substituents in an amount of 0.01 to 20 mass parts, to 100 mass parts of the cellulose acylate: wherein R1 to R7, R9 and R10 each independently is a hydrogen atom or a substituent; at least one of R1 to R5 is an electron-donating group; R8 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkinyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an acylamino group, an alkylcarbonyloxy group, a cyano group, or a halogen atom; and an optical compensation sheet, a polarizing plate, and a liquid crystal display device, each of which uses the optical film.
US07695778B2
A liquid crystal composition includes a bicyclohexyl compound in an amount of about 35 percent by weight to about 50 percent by weight, a cyclohexyl phenyl compound in an amount of about 15 percent by weight to about 25 percent by weight, a bicyclohexyl phenyl compound in an amount of about 20 percent by weight to about 25 percent by weight, and a cyclohexyl biphenyl compound in an amount of about 15 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight. The liquid crystal composition can improve the display quality and response time of a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus.
US07695775B2
We have developed an improved vapor-phase deposition method and apparatus for the application of layers and coatings on various substrates. The method and apparatus are useful in the fabrication of biofunctional devices, Bio-MEMS devices, and in the fabrication of microfluidic devices for biological applications. In one important embodiment, a siloxane substrate surface is treated using a combination of ozone and UV radiation to render the siloxane surface more hydrophilic, and subsequently a functional coating is applied in-situ over the treated surface of the siloxane substrate.
US07695770B2
A multi-stage aqueous emulsion polymer including a first polymer having a calculated Hansch parameter >2.0, the first polymer including 0.5-5 wt. % copolymerized acid monomer, based on the weight of the first polymer, and a second polymer including from zero to less that half the wt. % of acid monomer in the first polymer, based on the weight of the second polymer, the second polymer being from 50% to 85% of the total weight of the first polymer and the second polymer, wherein the difference between the calculated Tgs of the first and the second polymer is from 0° C. to less than 20° C. is provided. Also provided is an aqueous coating composition including the multi-stage emulsion polymer and a method for providing a coating.
US07695769B2
Provided is a nanotube-polymer composite which can effectively utilize characteristics of a carbon nanotube structure. The composite includes a carbon nanotube structure and a polymer, in which: the carbon nanotube structure has a network structure constructed by mutually cross-linking functional groups bonded to multiple carbon nanotubes through chemical bonding of the functional groups together; and the polymer is filled in the network structure. Also provided is a method of manufacturing a composite which includes the steps of: supplying a base body surface with a solution containing multiple carbon nanotubes to which multiple functional groups are bonded; mutually cross-linking the multiple carbon nanotubes through chemical bonding of the multiple functional groups together to construct a network structure constituting a carbon nanotube structure; impregnating the network structure with a polymer liquid forming a polymer; and combining the carbon nanotube structure and the polymer by curing the polymer liquid.
US07695768B2
The invention is a die comprising a die body. The die body defines an internal cavity and an applicator slot. The cavity is in fluid communication with the applicator slot. A plurality of gas relief passages are in fluid communication with the internal cavity.
US07695764B2
A refined method to produce textured α-Al2O3 layers in a temperature range of from about 750 to about 1000° C. with a controlled texture and substantially enhanced wear resistance and toughness than the prior art is disclosed. The α-Al2O3 layer is deposited on a bonding layer of (Ti,Al)(C,O,N) with increasing aluminium content towards the outer surface. Nucleation of α-Al2O3 is obtained through a nucleation step being composed of short pulses and purges consisting of Ti/Al-containing pulses and oxidizing pulses. The α-Al2O3 layer according to this invention has a thickness ranging from about 1 to about 20 μm and is composed of columnar grains. The length/width ratio of the alumina grains is from about 2 to about 12, preferably from about 5 to about 8. The layer is characterized by a strong (116) growth texture, measured using XRD, and by low intensity of (012), (110), (113) (024) and diffraction peaks.
US07695741B2
Disclosed is a topical formulation for preventing or treating acne, in particular to a topical formulation for preventing or treating acne through the antimicrobial activity of the formulation against acne-causing bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes, inhibition of excess production of sebum by inhibition of excess production of sebum by inhibition of 5α-reductase, inhibition of comedo, keratolysis and anti-inflammatory action, which comprises extract obtained from at least one oriental medicine selected from the group consisting of Cavalia gladiata, Biota orientalis and Coptis chinensis.
US07695737B2
Spherical composite particles are formed of inorganic fine particles and resin fine particles joined together, and an average particle diameter is in the range from 1.1 to 100 μm, in which the average particle diameter of the inorganic fine particles is in the range from 5 to 600 nm and the average particle diameter of the resin fine particles is in the range from 10 to 500 nm. The inorganic fine particle and the resin fine particle have almost the same size, and the hardness, softness, and adaptability when spreading on a skin can finely be adjusted as desired in a wide range according to the contact feeling required for the cosmetics in which the particles are blended.
US07695735B2
The invention concerns an improved multiparticulate tablet disintegrating in the mouth in contact with saliva in less than 40 seconds. The invention is characterized in that it is based on particles of coated active principle, said particles having intrinsic compression properties and a mixture of carriers, the proportion of carrier mixture relative to coated active principle particles being 0.4 to 6 parts by weight, the carrier mixture comprising: a disintegrating agent; a diluting soluble agent with binding properties; a lubricant; a permeabilizing agent; and advantageously lubricants, sweeteners, flavoring and coloring agents, the proportion of disintegrating agent and soluble agent relative to the tablet mass being 1 to 15 wt. % for the former and 30 to 90 wt. % for the latter.
US07695734B2
An extended release tablet formulation comprising pramipexole or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in a matrix comprising at least one water swelling polymer other than pregelatinized starch.
US07695715B2
The invention concerns novel DNA and amino acid sequences of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) raised against lymphoblastoid cells and peptides to which the mAbs bind to. The invention also concerns diagnostic assays using said antibodies or peptides for detecting individuals with a high probability of having a malignant disease and, at times, for detecting an individual having a specific malignant disease. The invention further concerns pharmaceutical compositions comprising the mAbs or peptides of the invention for use in the treatment of various malignant diseases as well as methods for the treatment of malignant diseases using the mAbs or peptides of the invention.
US07695714B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to the use of placental alkaline phosphatase, and other members of the alkaline phosphatase family, to enhance protein synthesis in the muscle as well as the survival of non-cancerous differentiated cells in the muscle, adipose and other tissues. The ability of alkaline phosphatase to selectively enhance the survival of healthy cells and increase protein synthesis has many therapeutic applications. The use of alkaline phosphatase may prevent the loss of body weight and muscle mass typically experienced by diseased (such as cancer) or aging patients, or developing fetuses subjected to harmful conditions, or by patients who are treated with a toxic therapy including chemotherapy.
US07695707B2
A method for preparation of iodizing agent for the use in the formulation of iodized salt that offers excellent stability of iodine in iodized salt is developed and the unrefined salt iodized with this compound was tested for its stability in presence of moisture, temperature and metal salts at higher temperature. The hydrotalcite type layered compound was used to prepare such compound and part of carbonate was substituted with iodate anion. The iodizing agent exhibited excellent stability of iodine in iodized salt.
US07695705B2
Disclosed are methods for making ultrafine silica particles in a plasma system, apparatus for making ultrafine silica particles, and coating compositions comprising ultrafine silica particles made by such methods and/or apparatus.
US07695700B2
An effluent gas stream treatment system for treatment of gaseous effluents such as waste gases from semiconductor manufacturing operations. The effluent gas stream treatment system comprises a pre-oxidation treatment unit, which may for example comprise a scrubber, an oxidation unit such an electrothermal oxidizer, and a post-oxidation treatment unit, such as a wet or dry scrubber. The effluent gas stream treatment system of the invention may utilize an integrated oxidizer, quench and wet scrubber assembly, for abatement of hazardous or otherwise undesired components from the effluent gas stream. Gas or liquid shrouding of gas streams in the treatment system may be provided by high efficiency inlet structures.
US07695699B2
A metal sulfate alcohol composition as well as a process to produce such composition is disclosed. Also disclosed is a process to produce polyester containing the metal sulfate alcohol composition.
US07695694B2
A catalytic reactor comprises a plurality of fluid-impermeable plates defining side-by-side flow channels between them. Tight fitting within each flow channel is a sheet of corrugated material whose surfaces are coated with catalytic material. At each end of the flow channels there may be headers for supply gas mixtures to the flow channels, the headers communicating with adjacent channels being separate. The reactor enables different gas mixtures to be supplied to adjacent channels, which may be at different pressures, and the corresponding chemical reactions are also different. Where one of the reactions is endothermic while the other reaction is exothermic, heat is transferred through the wall of the tube separating the adjacent channels, from the exothermic reaction to the endothermic reaction. The provision of side=by-side flow channels provides for structural strength and for enhanced heat transfer.
US07695692B2
Provided are apparatuses and methods for making chlorine dioxide on demand by converting a chlorine dioxide generating solution into chlorine dioxide by exposure to UV light.
US07695690B2
An electro-kinetic air conditioner for removing particulates from the air creates an airflow using no moving parts. The conditioner includes an ion generator that has an electrode assembly including a first array of emitter electrodes, a second array of collector electrodes, and a high voltage generator. Preferably, a third or leading or focus electrode is located upstream of the first array of emitter electrodes, and/or a trailing electrode is located downstream of the second array of collector electrodes. The device can also include an interstitial electrode located between collector electrodes, an enhanced collector electrode with an integrally formed trailing end, and an enhanced emitter electrode with an enhanced length in order to increase emissivity.
US07695688B2
A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate can comprise a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. A substrate can comprise a first surface and an opposing second surface, a first assay input port for receiving the assay disposed on the first surface, a plurality of staging capillaries extending through the substrate, and a first plurality of microfluidic channels fluidly coupling the first assay input port with at least one of the plurality of staging capillaries. Each of the plurality of staging capillaries can comprise an inlet and an outlet and be sized to receive the assay.
US07695678B2
A method of isolating nucleic acid from a sample containing nucleic acid is provided. The method includes contacting the sample with a bifunctional material that contains an amino group and a carboxyl group and is positively charged at a first pH to allow binding of the nucleic acid to the bifunctional material; and extracting the nucleic acid at a second pH higher than the first pH from the complex.
US07695677B2
Glucose analysis instrument for diabetics, comprising a measuring device for determining glucose concentration values, a displaying device for displaying glucose concentration values, a signaling device for generating a reminder signal, and a control and evaluation device that comprises a processor and a data memory and is used to determine reminder times at which the signaling device is actuated. Event data are stored in the data memory, the event data containing information on events occurring in the life of a user of the glucose analysis instrument and on the time of occurrence of such events. The reminder times are determined by means of a reminder time determination algorithm taking into consideration event data from at least one previous day.
US07695672B2
A method and an apparatus in form of a disinfecting apparatus comprising a steam device for combating germs on the surface of products, in particular of food products. The apparatus employs a combination of steam and ultrasound to kill germs on the surface of a product which is conveyed past the steam device. Pressurized steam is fed through a steam passage to an opening conveying the steam to a cavity, in which the steam is made to oscillate at a ultrasonic frequency. The oscillations in the steam prevent the steam from heating the products excessively, while germs presents on the surface of the products are heated and killed.
US07695664B2
A production method for molding includes a. a first molding: depending on a shape to be molded, implementing a die feed-in on soft cloth, with the plastic that is injected in being fused and set with the cloth, for serving as a substrate layer; b. punching and trimming: punching and trimming the plastic that has been set to form a base; c. a second molding: implementing a second die feed-in on the base of a shaped product, with the injected-in plastic being fused and set with a surface of the base, to form the needed shape; d. tailoring and trimming: tailoring and trimming an edge interface between two layers of the assembled plastic to form a shaped product of a double-layer plastic on the soft cloth.
US07695661B2
Method for making, modifying and using machinable composite molds for use in molding composite structures. The mold includes a mold body having a tool surface that is shaped to provide the molded surface of the composite structure. The mold body is made up of at least one mold layer composed of a quasi-isotropic material composed of a plurality of randomly oriented fiber bundles or chips impregnated with a resin. The use of randomly oriented fiber chips allows post-cure machining of the mold body.
US07695648B2
A substantially transparent conductive layer is provided on a support, the layer comprising a conductive ionic liquid and a conductive metal network distributed therein.
US07695646B2
A composite material and related methods are described, the composite material configured to exhibit at least one of a negative effective permittivity and a negative effective permeability for incident radiation of at least one wavelength. The composite material comprises an arrangement of electromagnetically reactive cells of small dimension relative to the wavelength, each cell having a plurality of quantum dots associated therewith for enhancing a resonant response thereof to the incident radiation at the wavelength.
US07695641B2
The present invention provides an organic/inorganic composite containing a rare earth metal or/and Period IV transition metal in which the aforementioned rare earth metal or/and Period IV transition metal is doped at a high concentration, and control of quenching and optical transparency are assured thereby; and an optical amplifier, a light control optical element, and luminescent device utilizing the same. The organic/inorganic composite containing a rare earth metal or/and Period IV transition metal is one in which at least one species of rare earth metal or/and Period IV transition metal is dispersed in an organic polymer, with the aforementioned composite containing an optically transparent organic polymer and an inorganic dispersion phase comprising: (1) a rare earth metal and (2) another element coordinated thereto via an oxygen atom(s). The inorganic dispersion phase in which another metal coordinates to rare earth metal or/and Period IV transition metal via an oxygen atom(s) preferably has an average particle size ranging from 0.1 to 1000 nm. Preferably, the ratio of rare earth metal or/and Period IV transition metal when mathematically converted to solid content is 90 mass % or less of the total mass of the organic polymer and the rare earth metal dispersion phase.
US07695633B2
Independent control of ion density, ion energy distribution and ion dissociation in a plasma reactor
A method of processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor includes coupling RF power from at least three RF power source of three respective frequencies to plasma in the reactor, setting ion energy distribution shape by selecting a ratio between the power levels of a first pair of the at least three RF power sources, and setting ion dissociation and ion density by selecting a ratio between the power levels of a second pair of the at least three RF power sources. The three respective frequencies can be an LF frequency, an HF frequency and a VHF frequency, wherein the first pair corresponds to the LF and HF frequencies and the second pair corresponds to the HF and VHF frequencies. Alternatively, the power sources comprise four RF power sources, and wherein the first pair corresponds to an HF frequency and an LF frequency and the second pair corresponds to a VHF frequency and another frequency. In one embodiment, the second pair corresponds to an upper VHF frequency and a lower VHF frequency. The other frequency may be coupled through an inductive source power applicator, a toroidal plasma source power applicator or a ceiling electrode. Or, all three frequencies may be coupled through a wafer support pedestal of the reactor.
US07695609B2
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for detecting biological and chemical species in liquid and gaseous phase. The systems and methods utilize carbon nanotubes to enhance sensitivity and selectivity towards the reacting species by decreasing interference and detecting a wide range of concentrations.
US07695602B2
Various particle transport systems and components for use in such systems are described. The systems utilize one or more traveling wave grids to selectively transport, distribute, separate, or mix different populations of particles. Numerous systems configured for use in two dimensional and three dimensional particle transport are described.
US07695599B2
A discharging power supply including a direct current power supply unit, a control unit for controlling an output of the direct current power supply unit, and a vibrating current generation unit having a capacitance connected in parallel with a pair of outputs from the direct current power supply unit and an inductance connected to at least one of the pair of outputs, wherein the control unit controls the direct current power supply unit so that current outputted from the direct current power supply unit does not exceed a limit current value in at least a portion of a range of voltage that can be outputted from the direct current power supply unit. Thus, regardless of whether the discharge power is set to be high or low, discharge current exceeding the limit characteristic line can be prevented from flowing.
US07695594B2
A distillation process for separating a target component from a mixture containing a solvent and the target includes the steps of flashing off a vapor mixture of said solvent and said target in an evaporator, separating said target from said vapor mixture, and providing additional solvent to said evaporator to maintain the temperature of said evaporator substantially below the boiling point of said target. The process also includes the step of removing accumulated non-volatile components from said evaporator by allowing the non-volatile components to precipitate from a mixture of the target and the solvent.
US07695592B2
An image-based measurement technique that directly measures the orientation of fibers in a moving web that comprises nonwoven material measures the orientation angles of the individual fibers so that a more robust estimate of the statistical distribution of fibers is obtained. The technique includes the steps of: (a) illuminating an area on at least one side of the web with radiation; (b) obtaining at least one digital image of the illuminated area; and (c) calculating the fiber orientation of the web by processing the at least one digital image with a gradient operator thereby analyzing the distribution of observed fiber orientation angles within the image. The gradient operator is preferably of a non-integer order between ⅓ and ⅔ and particularly between ¼ and ¾. The use of fractional-gradient operators yields more reliable results than when integer order gradients are employed.
US07695587B2
The invention concerns an installation for manufacturing a drip irrigation pipe (8) formed of a pipe (8) provided with drippers (4), including a dripper feed station (37), followed by an extrusion station (10), including an extrusion head (14) producing a tubular blank (22) and means for welding the drippers (4) to the inner wall of said blank (22), characterized in that the dripper welding means (4) include a support surface (50) and a counter-support surface (56) between which the drippers (4) are pressed against said tubular blank (22) so as to be welded thereto, said support (50) and counter-support (56) surfaces being arranged upstream of the calibrating means (24).
US07695585B2
A method and system for repairing an insulation blanket having a metallized fabric that becomes disbanded from an underlying layer of the insulation blanket. The method includes cutting a first slit in the metallized fabric near a disbanded portion of the fabric, inserting a repair material through the first slit such that the repair material is between the disbanded portion of the fabric and the underlying layer, and adhering the disbonded fabric and the underlying layer to the repair material to restore the functionality of the metallized fabric.
US07695583B2
An apparatus for producing an elastomeric nonwoven laminate including a plurality of elastomeric strands joined to a nonwoven web in a controlled distribution is provided. The apparatus includes an extruder for extruding a plurality of elastomeric strands onto a cooled surface of a rotating drum, which transports the strands in parallel alignment to a nip formed between two rollers rotating about parallel axis. The drum transfers the plurality of strands to the nip in a controlled distribution where it is bonded with the nonwoven. The apparatus also includes elements which automate the apparatus for creating the elastomeric nonwoven laminate.
US07695580B2
A method of joining at least two sintered bodies to form a composite structure, includes: providing a joint material between joining surfaces of first and second sintered bodies; applying pressure from 1 kP to less than 5 MPa to provide an assembly; heating the assembly to a conforming temperature sufficient to allow the joint material to conform to the joining surfaces; and further heating the assembly to a joining temperature below a minimum sintering temperature of the first and second sintered bodies. The joint material includes organic component(s) and ceramic particles. The ceramic particles constitute 40-75 vol. % of the joint material, and include at least one element of the first and/or second sintered bodies. Composite structures produced by the method are also disclosed.
US07695577B2
The present invention discloses an aluminum alloy being excellent in wear resistance, containing, in mass %, 12.0 to 13.7% of Si, 2.0 to 5.0% of Cu, 0.1 to 1.0% of Mg, 0.8 to 1.3% of Mn, 0.10 to 0.5% of Cr, 0.05 to 0.20% of Ti, 0.5 to 1.3% of Fe, 0.003 to 0.02% of P, and has a Ca content controlled to less than 0.005 mass %, the balance being Al and inevitable impurities; and an aluminum alloy sliding member excellent in wear resistance, which has in mass %, 12.0 to 14.0% of Si, 2.0 to 5.0% of Cu, 0.1 to 1.0% of Mg, 0.8 to 1.3% of Mn, 0.10 to 0.5% of Cr, 0.05 to 0.20% of Ti, 0.5 to 1.3% of Fe, 0.003 to 0.02% of P, and has a Ca content controlled to less than 0.005 mass %, the balance being Al and inevitable impurities, and contains primary crystals of Si having a grain diameter of 20 μm or more in an amount of 20 pieces/mm2 or less. The alloy may contain one or two of 0.0001 to 0.01 mass % of B, and 0.3 to 3.0 mass % of Ni.
US07695575B2
A chain pin manufacturing method that requires only one heat treatment step of forming a boundary part composed of (V, Cr) 8C7 by Cr and C in a base material at first through a cementation process in a VCl atmosphere by using Cr-rich steel as the pin base material and of forming a surface layer composed of V8C7. A Cr content in the boundary part decreases gradually toward the base material and the surface layer and the boundary part is not clearly divided. The inventive manufacturing method is simple and enables to manufacture the pin having high abrasion resistance and suitably used in a severe environment like a timing chain.
US07695568B2
A method for assessing and guaranteeing the thermal hygiene efficiency in a multi-tank dishwasher in which there is at least one sensor that transmits a temperature inside at least one treatment zone to a machine control system, in particular to the control system of the multi-tank dishwasher, the method includes: detecting the temperature inside at least one of the treatment zones by the sensor; determining the heat input applied to the items to be cleaned in at least one of the treatment zones on the basis of the temperature determined; comparing the heat input in the at least one treatment zone with a predefined heat input; and, as a function of the result of the comparison of the heat input values, varying the transport speed of the items to be cleaned through the multi-tank dishwasher, or varying the temperature of at least one of the process parameters acting on the heat input values as a control variable in a control loop for at least one of the treatment zones.
US07695566B2
The present invention relates to a method and an installation for improving isolation and extraction of constituents from sugar beets (Beta vulgaris).
US07695562B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic garnet single crystal at a reduced Pb content, and a method for producing the same and an optical element using the same. The object is attained with a magnetic garnet single crystal represented by the chemical formula BiαNaβM13-α-βFe5-γM2γO12 (M1 is at least one element selected from Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu; and M2 is at least one element selected from Si, Ge and Ti, provided that 0.5<α≦2.0, 0<β≦0.8, 0.2≦3−α−β<2.5, and 0<γ≦1.6).
US07695560B1
The present invention relates to a composite concrete building material comprising cementatious materials; and foam glass aggregates. The cementatious materials may comprise cement, sand and fly ash. The cementatious materials may also comprise other materials, including, for example, reinforcing fibers. In one embodiment the reinforcing fibers are comprised of one or more of the following materials: glass, steel, titanium, other metals, carbon, or Kevlar. The foam glass aggregates may have a closed pore structure and average pore size of 1.0 mm or less, wherein said average pore size is measured based on the distance between two farthest points of pore surface. The foam glass aggregate may have an average density of 30 to 100 PCF. The foam glass aggregate may have a compression strength of 2000 PSI or greater. The foam glass aggregates may be on average between 0.1 inches and approximately 2.0 inches in their largest diameter.
US07695557B2
A coalescent composition for coating compositions such as paints, adhesives, and coatings comprising a blend of diesters, the blend comprising adducts of alcohol and diacids, the alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethyl, propyl, isopropyl alcohol and mixtures thereof, and the diacids selected from the group consisting of a blend of adipic, glutaric and succinic diacids (“AGS”) and a blend of adipic, methylglutaric, and ethylsuccinic diacids (“MGA”), and paint, adhesive, and coating compositions comprising such coalescent compositions are disclosed.
US07695555B2
The present invention relates to inkjet ink pigments having surface counter-ions replaced with other counter-ions with larger size and/or hydrophobicity. The effect of the replacement is to decrease pigment-ink-vehicle-separation in the inkjet ink printing process.
US07695553B2
The present invention relates to a method of reducing or elimination pressure pulsations and noise created by blowers in a gas separation plant. The method employs two identical and 180° out of phase blowers synchronized together to provide both a large flow of air and active noise cancellation to eliminate pressure pulsations. The two blowers are synchronized in such a way that pressure pulses created by one blower will actively be cancelled by the pulses generated by the other blower. At the same time, both blowers will work together to force a large quantity of gas flow in or out of the plant. The twin set of blowers can be used for feed or vacuum applications in the plant. This way large tonnage plant capital costs can be reduced by eliminating the need for an expensive silencer and a single large custom-made blower.
US07695545B2
A process for selectively separating hydrogen from at least one more strongly adsorbable component in a plurality of adsorption beds to produce a hydrogen-rich product gas from a low hydrogen concentration feed with a high recovery rate. Each of the plurality of adsorption beds subjected to a repetitive cycle. The process comprises an adsorption step for producing the hydrogen-rich product from a feed gas mixture comprising 5% to 50% hydrogen, at least two pressure equalization by void space gas withdrawal steps, a provide purge step resulting in a first pressure decrease, a blowdown step resulting in a second pressure decrease, a purge step, at least two pressure equalization by void space gas introduction steps, and a repressurization step. The second pressure decrease is at least 2 times greater than the first pressure decrease.
US07695539B2
Disclosed is a filter element (3) comprising a cylindrical, porous, longitudinally penetrated filter material core (5) and a frame (6) that tightly surrounds one end of the core in a radial direction and is provided with scaling and holding means via which the filter element (3) can be removably and tightly inserted into a filter housing (1, 2). In order to be able to produce said filter element (3) efficiently, embody the same so as to make it easy to handle, and mount the same in a dividable filter housing so as to make it easy to replace, such a filter element is characterized by the following features:—the frame (6) encompasses a first annular groove (10) that is open towards the filter material core (5);—said first annular groove (10) is entirely filled with a foamed filling material (11);—the foamed filling material is produced from a liquid which is filled for foaming purposes into the first annular groove (10) resting against the filter material core (5) through an inlet (27) that is located in the first annular groove (10).
US07695538B2
A negative pressure dust collector with a dust receiving bag comprises a ventilation hood and an exhaust device. The ventilation hood includes a motor, fan blades, and a first exit. A dust collection tank is positioned below the first exit. The exhaust device comprises a ventilation tube and a flexible tube.
US07695534B2
Synthesis methods are provided using electro-chemical catalysis. In one method, diesel fuel is made by (1) flowing a mixture of a triglyceride source and an alcohol through a high voltage electrical field, effective to convert the triglyceride into saturated mono alkyl esters; and (2) adding the saturated mono alkyl esters to a petroleum-derived diesel fuel to form a diesel fuel blend. In another method, a high temperature, oxidatively stable lubricant is made by (1) flowing a renewable oil including unsaturated fatty acids through a high voltage electrical field effective to convert the unsaturated fatty acids into saturated fatty acids; and (2) adding one or more functional additives to the saturated fatty acid-containing renewable oil to form a synthetic lubricant. In another method, ethanol is made by flowing a liquid which comprises a simple sugar through a high voltage electrical field effective to convert the sugar into ethanol without fermentation.
US07695519B2
A modular keel or stem for use as a tibial implant has a central stem portion including a tongue-like coupling portion for insertion into a grooved portion in a bone contacting portion of a tibial baseplate. The modular keel or stem may also include a pair of anti-rotation fins or ribs which extend medially and posteriorly on the medial side and laterally and posteriorly on the lateral side. Proximal portions of the ribs or fins may engage receptacles in the bone contacting of the tibial baseplate. A locking element is provided for engaging the keel or stem coupling portion and the baseplate after the coupling portion of the keel is inserted into the groove to prevent the disassembly the keel from the baseplate. In one embodiment, the baseplate is capable of being inserted in a direction offset from the anterior-posterior direction, such as a medial-lateral direction, after the keel has been implanted. A polymeric bearing insert is provided for placement onto the baseplate in a standard manner.
US07695514B2
An implantable device for stabilizing at least a portion of a spinal column. The implantable device comprises an implantable artificial facet joint and one or more artificial ligaments connecting the implanted artificial facet joint to a third vertebra disposed adjacent to either the first or the second vertebra. The artificial facet joint, when implanted, spans a first vertebra and a second vertebra, adjacent to the first vertebra.
US07695513B2
Systems and method in accordance with embodiment of the present invention can includes a distractible implant comprising a distracting insert and a body having a first part and a second part adapted to be positioned between adjacent spinous processes of cervical vertebrae. The distracting insert can be inserted into cavities of the body, thereby urging apart the first part and second part, and distracting the adjacent spinous processes.
US07695512B2
Disclosed are implants and methods for remote remodeling of a mitral valve annulus. The implant comprises a body transformable from a flexible configuration for navigation to a treatment site, to a remodeling configuration for, in one application, applying pressure to the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve. On board electronics allow post deployment adjustment of the implant.
US07695504B2
A method of treating spinal cord injury (SCI) includes transcutaneously irradiating at least a portion of a spinal environment of the patient with light having a power density of at least about 0.01 mW/cm2 at the portion of the spinal environment.
US07695503B1
An apparatus and method for fixing a selected graft relative to a selected anatomical portion. An anchor may be provided that may be interconnected with a selected graft portion that is operable to pass through a selected bore and then moved into an operable position to engage a selected portion of the bore to substantially eliminate the possibility of the graft moving in an unselected direction through the bore.
US07695496B2
Various methods and devices are provided for stabilizing the posterior elements of the spine, and more preferably methods and devices are provided for sharing the load with the intervertebral disc, the facet joints, the ligaments, and the muscles of the spinal column. In certain exemplary embodiments, methods and devices are provided for substantially controlling or providing resistance to movement, e.g., flexion, extension, lateral bending, and/or axial rotation, of the adjacent vertebrae.
US07695494B2
A device for attaching connective tissue to bone has a longitudinal axis and comprises an annular toggle member and a body member disposed distally of the toggle member, such that there is an axial space between the toggle member and the body member. The toggle member is movable between an undeployed position wherein the toggle member has a smaller profile in a direction transverse to the axis and a deployed position wherein the toggle member has a larger profile in the direction transverse to the axis. When installed in a desired procedural site, in suitable bone, suturing material extends axially through a center aperture in the annular toggle member, without being secured to or contacting the toggle member. This approach permits a suture attachment which lies entirely beneath the cortical bone surface, and which further permit the attachment of suture to the bone anchor without the necessity for tying knots, which is particularly arduous and technically demanding in the case of arthroscopic procedures.
US07695485B2
A surgical device includes a first jaw and a second jaw disposed in opposed correspondence with the first jaw. The second jaw is mechanically coupled to the first jaw at a proximal end opposite a distal end. A cutting element is disposed within the second jaw, and a first driver is configured to move the cutting element proximally from the distal end toward the proximal end of the second jaw to cut a section of tissue disposed between the first and second jaws. The device may also include a stapling element disposed within the second jaw. The cutting element and the stapling element may be contiguous so as to define a cutting and stapling element, such as a wedge having a blade disposed thereon. As the wedge is moved proximally from the distal end of the second jaw to the proximal end, the wedge pushes a plurality of staples against a plurality of opposing staple guides disposed in the first jaw in order to staple a section of tissue while cutting the section of tissue.
US07695483B2
A system and method of use for effecting the bypass or other anastomosis, connection, or port in a portion of a native blood vessel, duct, lumen or other tubular organ within the body of a living being. The system includes a connector assembly and a deployment instrument for carrying the device to the desired position within the vessel, duct, lumen or tubular organ. The system includes a piercer-dilator instrument to form an opening in the wall of the vessel, duct, lumen or tubular organ into which a connector assembly may be deployed by the deployment instrument. The connector assembly may be at least partially formed of a resorbable material and includes movable members for securing it to the tissue of the vessel, duct, lumen or tubular organ contiguous with the opening. Other components may be included in the device for expediting the procedure, with or without the use of sutures.
US07695479B1
A femoral sizer. The femoral sizer includes a stylus arm, and a stylus finger coupled to the stylus arm and movable relative to the stylus arm between a first configuration for insertion under soft tissue of a femur and a second configuration for sizing the femur.
US07695478B2
An instrument for holding an intervertebral spacer includes a shaft having a proximal end forming a handle, and a distal end forming a claw subassembly for holding the spacer; the claw subassembly including a first pincer which is fixed at the distal end of the shaft and a second pincer which is selectively rotateable into and out of spacer holding association with said first pincer to hold and release, respectively, the spacer. The instrument includes an actuation mechanism for selectively rotating the second pincer, wherein the first and second pincers have opposing inner curved surfaces that extend to a distal end of the instrument.
US07695474B2
A femoral neck fixation prosthesis and method of using same which reduces bone loss and the avoids the other shortcomings of the prior art by allowing the fixation of a stable femoral head replacement while reducing the amount of the femur which must be reamed for the insertion of the prosthesis. The preferred embodiment provides that the femoral head is attached to a fixation prosthesis, which extends coaxially through the canal of the femoral neck, into the femur, and is then attached to the opposite lateral wall of the femur. In this manner, the prosthesis serves to imitate the original structure of the femoral neck. No other support members, either crosspins or arms extending into the length of the femur, are required.
US07695468B2
An endoscopic surgery device for the insertion and recovery of a haemostatic plug at the surgical site. The device comprises a tubular body suitable for slidingly housing the plug, and a plunger slidingly engageable within the tubular body so as to push the plug outside the body, and to position it at the surgical site. The plug is connected to a locator that is radio-opaque, has a suitable color, and has a specific weight that allows it to float relative to the internal organs, blood or other fluids present at the surgical site. A loop is provided at a distal end of the plunger and at a proximal end of the plunger, a first handle is provided for actuating the plunger so as to grip the ball and recover the plug after use by retracting the plunger inside the tubular body.
US07695461B2
An absorbent article including a cover layer, a barrier layer and an absorbent system arranged between the cover layer and the barrier layer, the absorbent article being drapeable and possessing the absorbency attributes required of a sanitary napkin.
US07695457B2
Since this syringe has projections provided on the rear surface of a flange of a syringe barrel, when it is inserted in an insertion groove of a cylinder holder, the tips of projections are compressed and the flange is fixed. Consequently, even when a solution having high viscosity is injected at higher pressure, breakage does not occur easily. Further, pressure-receiving area may also be increased by providing a guide defining mounting direction of a syringe, alternatively, a positioning mechanism may be provided so as to obtain mounting at a correct position, or the surface of a flange may be roughened.
US07695452B2
A system is disclosed for cannulating the vena cava of a patient during cardiopulmonary bypass procedures. Such cannulation is necessary for drainage of venous blood from the patient so that it may be oxygenated and pumped back to the patient to perfuse tissues during cardiac surgery and, more specifically, during periods of ischemic cardiac arrest or dysfunction. The device of the present invention not only provides venous drainage for cardiopulmonary bypass, but also performs the function of routing cardioplegic solution through the heart in the retrograde direction. Such cardioplegia provides protection to the heart during periods of ischemic cardiac arrest. This invention replaces a plurality of cannulae currently used for open-heart surgery, thus simplifying the surgical field and improving visibility of the heart. The device allows for the delivery of retrograde cardioplegia to the coronary circulation of both the right and the left side of the heart. The device further includes protection mechanisms to prevent overinflation or excessive pressurization of the right atrium during retrograde delivery of cardioplegia solution.
US07695451B2
An apparatus including an elongate body having a lumen extending therethrough and a steering wire, having a distal portion defining a non-circular cross-section, associated with the distal portion of the elongate body.
US07695449B2
A liquid-powder drug prompt-mixing type automatic syringe includes an injecting assembly, a drug-mixing assembly and a shooting device. The injecting assembly includes an injecting outer sleeve, in which the mouth of a blocking ampoule is slidably socketed, a needle is coaxially connected to the blocking ampoule by a hub; the drug-mixing assembly includes a drug-mixing outer sleeve, in which a precharging pressure menstruum bottle by a drug-mixing needle bracket; the shooting device includes a shooting outer sleeve and a spring pushing rod mechanism slidably socketed in the shooting outer sleeve a movable joining mechanism allows the injecting assembly to alternatively connect the drug-mixing assembly and the shooting device respectively. A liquid drug automatic syringe includes said injecting assembly and the shooting device.
US07695446B2
Methods of treatment using a gastrointestinal implant device removably anchored within an animal's gastrointestinal tract. For example, the implant device includes a collapsible anchor for anchoring the device coupled to a proximal end of a flexible sleeve. The implant device can be anchored within the stomach, within the pyloric orifice, and/or distal to the pylorus and extended into the duodenum. All partially-digested food, or chyme, exiting the stomach is funneled through the device. Methods of treatment include treating obesity by one or more of: limiting the absorption of nutrients within the duodenum; delaying the mixing of chyme with digestive enzymes; alter hormonal triggers; and providing negative feedback. Alternatively or in addition, the desired result includes treating a diseases, such as diabetes, or temporarily shielding a portion of the intestine to promote healing within the intestine.
US07695440B2
A blood pressure measurement apparatus which can install cuffs at a tragus that has differences includes a holding member 3 having a shape part 52 to be installed in a space between an auricular concha and an antihelix, a first protrusion 54 extended from the shape part such that the first protrusion is directed towards the ear hole, a second protrusion 55 extended from the shape part such that the second protrusion is nearly right-angled with respect to the first protrusion and the second protrusion steps over the tragus, an integral member 50 having an ear hook part 51 that is extended from the shape part, the ear hook is integrally made with the integral member or made as an independent member, inner cuff 6 is supported at the end portion of the first protrusion, support member 15 is attached at the end portion of the second protrusion, cuffs 6,7 are attached to the support member through a clamping width adjustment part 11 that makes a clamping width adjustment against the tragus possible.
US07695429B2
An endoscope connector device comprises: a first cable of an endoscope, including a light guide for supplying illumination light and an electric wire for obtaining video signals from an image pickup device; a light guide connector connected to the first cable; and a second cable of the endoscope, including the electric wire led out of the light guide connector, wherein the second cable is attached diagonally from the light guide connector at an angle θ within a range of 0°<θ<90° from a first cable side of an axial direction of the first cable.
US07695414B2
A method for exercising one or more muscles of the body wherein one or more muscle(s) are contracted to move a limb through a range of motion in opposition to an oscillating resistive force. During a muscular contraction, the direction and/or the magnitude of the resistive force changes in an oscillatory fashion thereby inducing perturbations in the musculature. The oscillations in the magnitude and/or the direction of the resistive force include a plurality of cycles during a single repetition of muscular contraction. The waveform and frequency of the oscillations may vary during a repetition or remain constant. Embodiments of devices providing an oscillatory resistive force are presented. The embodiments provide means for enabling an exerciser to perform resistance-type exercises in accordance with the method. A guided spherical bearing may be used for rotating a lead pulley or a rigid arm to create lateral resistive force oscillations. Non-circular lead pulleys may be used to fluctuate the resistive force magnitude. The oscillations in magnitude and/or direction of the resistive force may be periodic or randomized such that during subsequent repetitions the oscillations occur at differing points.
US07695410B2
A lower body exercise device for use with a seat. Other embodiments of the seat mountable lower body exercise device include a lower body exercise mechanism (20) for simultaneous use by a user while working, reading or doing other sedentary activities, and a simple installation mechanism (10) for various forms of seat. In addition, simple detachable function (11a), (11c), and multiple adjustment functions (21aa), (23), (30) for various user's circumstances is available, and one or more exercise alteration is also available by adjustment (30), (33a), (27c), (24b). Other embodiments include a magnetic cycle system which may reduce the exercise device body (21″) in size.
US07695402B2
A split serial-parallel hybrid dual-power drive system, comprised of two or more than two separation drive systems allowing independent operation to respectively drive the load, or all loads driven individually are incorporated in a common frame to drive land, surface, underwater transportation means or aircraft, industrial machines and equipment or any other load drive by rotational kinetic energy.
US07695392B2
A differential assembly includes a first case portion, a second case portion secured to the first case portion, the first case portion and the second case portions enclosing a cavity and supported for rotation about a first axis, a spider pin located within and extending beyond the cavity at an axial position to engage the ring gear and secured to at least one of the first case portion and the second case portion for rotation therewith, and a ring gear secured to at least one of the first case portion and the second case portion, located radially outboard of the spider pins and at the axial position of the spider pins.
US07695387B2
A hybrid vehicle 20 of the invention is equipped with a power distribution integration mechanism 40 and a transmission 60. The power distribution integration mechanism 40 includes a carrier 45 connecting with a motor MG2, a sun gear 41 connecting with a motor MG1, and a ring gear 42 connecting with an engine 22. The transmission 60 includes a first change speed planetary gear mechanism PG1, a second change speed planetary gear mechanism PG2, a brake clutch BC1 configured to fix a ring gear 62 of the first change speed planetary gear mechanism PG1 in a non-rotatable manner and release the ring gear 62 in a rotatable manner and to couple the ring gear 62 with a common carrier 64 shared by the first change speed planetary gear mechanism PG1 and the second change speed planetary gear mechanism PG2, and a second brake clutch BC2 configured to fix a ring gear 66 of the second change speed planetary gear mechanism PG2 in a non-rotatable manner and release the ring gear 66 in a rotatable manner and to couple the ring gear 66 with the common carrier 64.
US07695386B2
A fabric or cord is treated with an elastomeric compound comprises 20-80 parts per hundred cross-linkable materials of liquid elastomer. The liquid elastomer has a complex dynamic viscosity less than 5 McP (5,000 N*s/m2) at a temperature between 20° C. and the maximum flow temperature TF, and the elastomeric compound the elastomeric material, prior to cure, has a complex dynamic viscosity of less than 5 McP (5,000 N*s/m2) for at least 2 minutes at a maximum flow temperature TF. The coated fabric and cord materials are useful as facing fabrics for power transmission products.
US07695381B1
Golf balls including at least one layer formed from high moisture barrier nanocomposite compositions that generally include a thermoplastic polymer and an intercalated clay that have increased moisture resistance.
US07695379B2
The invention provides a solid golf ball having a solid core and a cover layer that encases the core and has an outermost layer on an outside surface of which are formed a plurality of dimples. The solid core is formed of a rubber composition composed of 100 parts by weight of a base rubber that includes 60 to 100 parts by weight of a polybutadiene rubber having a cis-1,4 bond content of at least 60% and synthesized using a rare-earth catalyst, 0.1 to 5 parts by weight of an organosulfur compound, an unsaturated carboxylic acid or a metal salt thereof, and an inorganic filler. The solid core has a deformation, when compressed under a final load of 130 kgf from an initial load of 10 kgf, of 2.0 to 4.0 mm, and has a specific hardness distribution. The cover layer is formed by injection molding a single resin blend composed primarily of (A) a thermoplastic polyurethane and (B) a polyisocyanate compound, which resin blend contains a polyisocyanate compound in at least some portion of which all the isocyanate groups on the molecule remain in an unreacted state, and has a thickness of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, a Shore D hardness at the surface of 50 to 70. The golf ball has a deformation, when compressed under a final load of 130 kgf from an initial load of 10 kgf, of 2.0 to 3.8 mm. The solid golf ball is advantageous overall in competitive use.
US07695371B2
A constant velocity joint, where the tilt angle of a first trunnion relative to a plane crossing perpendicularly to the axis of a second shaft is set to be different from the tilt angle of a second trunnion and the tilt angle of a third trunnion. The tilt angle of the second trunnion and the tilt angle of the third trunnion are set to be equal to or different from each other, and three axes of the first to third trunnions are set to be included on a same plane.
US07695361B2
A pattern probability (302) is determined for each of a number of target patterns (301) achievable in a bingo-type game. Each pattern probability (302) comprises a probability of achieving the respective target pattern (301) in the bingo-type game. Different pattern sets are then associated with each different prize level in a desired prize distribution. The target patterns (301) and their respective pattern probabilities (302) are assigned or mapped to the different pattern sets so that the probability of achieving any target pattern included in a pattern set comprises a value approximating the desired probability of the prize level with which the pattern set is associated.
US07695359B2
The present invention provides methods and devices for providing wagering games. A player pays an initial price to play a wagering game according to normal game rules. Game information that would normally be concealed from the player is offered for an additional price. In some implementations, the wagering game is a poker game and the game information is draw card information. The additional price may increase according to the amount of game information provided. In some implementations, a paytable percentage for the wagering game decreases according to the amount of game information provided.
US07695352B2
The invention discloses a tool having a work plate which has a mounting area with a mounting opening for mounting the plate on a drive shaft of a drive, preferably an oscillatory drive, the mounting opening being suitably configured for being seated on the drive shaft, wherein centering elements, projecting toward the drive shaft, are provided for centering the tool on the drive shaft.
US07695349B2
To provide an apparatus for supplying a constant quantity of abrasive that can accurately control abrasive quantity supplied to a blasting machine.A rotating disk 20 that rotates in the horizontal direction is provided inside an abrasive tank 10, with a gap 3 being capable to rotate the rotating disk 20, being formed at an end 11a of a mixed fluid flow path 11 arranged on one surface of the rotating disk 20, and at an end 12a of a gas flow path 12 arranged facing other surface of the rotating disk 20 via the rotating disk 20 at the end 11a of the mixed fluid flow path 11. Hole sections 21 are provided in the rotating disk 20 on a rotation locus passing through the gap 3, equally spaced and passing through in a thickness direction of the rotating disk 20, with stirrer blades 22 protruding from the upper surface of the rotating disk 20, and the rotating disk 20 being immersed in abrasive stored inside the abrasive tank 10, except for a part positioned in the gap 3.
US07695340B2
An action figure toy may include a base, an action figure, and a flipping mechanism disposed on the base. In some embodiments, the action figure toy may include at least two cords suspended from the base, and the action figure may be configured to ascend the at least two cords toward the base by manipulation of the at least two cords by a user. The flipping mechanism may be configured to engage the action figure when the action figure ascends to the flipping mechanism. The flipping mechanism may enable the action figure to rotate about an axis that is transverse to a line parallel to at least a portion of at least one of the at least two cords when the flipping mechanism engages the action figure.
US07695339B2
A teething toy that is chewable and sensory stimulating uses a hollow cylinder made of a soft clear polymeric material. It is approximately half filled with a colored fluid. Shiny particle specks and different shaped multicolored floating objects are suspended in the fluid. Nipple shaped protrusions extend from end spherical end. A circular handle with oval cross section extends from the side of the cylinder. Directly opposite this handle is a rectangular shaped handle with oval cross section. The sides of both handles have small extension knobs protruding from the narrow sides of the cross sections. Options include longitudinal ribs running along the cylinder surface for easy grasp and manipulation. Additional options include rectangular grips extending, from the sides of the toy. Options include a suction cup and suspended from a flexible plastic cord that tethers the toy to a surface such as a high chair tray.
US07695336B2
A method is proposed for introducing an accurately dosable amount of mercury into the discharge vessel of a lamp, in particular into a straight fluorescent lamp, wherein both sides of the discharge vessel are connected to a lamp receptacle; and the discharge vessel is charged with a gas stream via the lamp receptacle and is filled, moreover, with a predetermined amount of mercury via a mercury introducing channel. Furthermore, it is provided that during or after dosing the amount of mercury to be introduced, the mercury is brought in a dosed volume in the form of a single, coalescing drop, and then in a fill step the entire amount of mercury to be introduced is transported into the discharge vessel, while still maintaining the previously formed drop. To this end, there is a change-over mechanism, which in the preparation step guides the gas stream past the drop via a bypass channel and in a fill step blocks the bypass channel in such a manner that, while the bypass channel is blocked, the gas stream is guided over the dosed volume and drags the drop along with it into the discharge vessel.
US07695327B2
The invention relates to a contact element for printed circuit boards, comprising a terminal body that has an insertion opening for the insertion of a conductor and a screw for the fastening by clamping of the conductor within the terminal body. A seating element with a seating surface is detachably fastenable by a fastening element to the contact element. The seating surface has a surface area that is greater than the cross-sectional surface area of the terminal body.
US07695325B2
An outer housing (10) includes a receptacle (12) projecting forward, and a connection space (14) is formed at a back end part of the receptacle (12). An inner housing (20) holding terminal fittings (50) is inserted into the receptacle (12) to be assembled with the outer housing (10) while being fitted in the connection space (14). Ribs (28a) to (28g) for preventing relative displacements of the inner housing (20) in directions intersecting with an assembling direction with respect to the receptacle (12) by coming into sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the receptacle (12) are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner housing (20).
US07695321B2
This screened connector for electrical conductors includes paired connector assemblies, namely a first connector assembly and a second connector assembly, the connector assemblies including an insulating body made of a molded material incorporating respectively male and female contacts, for mechanical fastening and electrical connection of contact terminals provided at the ends of the conductors to be connected, and a screening case that surrounds the insulator body. Each screening case has the general shape of a hollow cylinder internally defining a continuous passage so that the insulator bodies are in contact with each other via a seal.
US07695311B2
A connector which is improved in electrical characteristics thereof. A plurality of contacts which are held in a housing of the connector where an FPC is inserted include at least three supporting contacts each having a supporting portion that pivotally supports an operating member. The operating member is provide with conduction portions for electrically connecting the supporting portions of the supporting contacts and a ground pattern formed on an upper surface of the FPC.
US07695301B2
A submersible connector has releasably mateable first and second connector units. The first connector unit has at least one electrical pin extending through a bore in a retaining base and projecting outward from the forward end of the base. The second connector unit has at least one electrical socket module which receives a forward portion of the electrical pin when the units are mated. A pin seal device is located in one of the connector units and has a through bore which engages part of the pin at least in the mated condition of the units. The seal device has a first and second seals in sealing engagement with portions of the connector units when mated, and a chamber between the seals extends over an opposing portion of the pin at least in the mated condition of the units.
US07695299B2
A cable connector includes a housing and a first contact provided in the housing. The first contact includes a first engaging and pivoting unit opposed to a back surface of the cable. The cable connector also includes a second contact which is provided in the housing and which includes a second engaging and pivoting unit opposed to the back surface of the cable. The second engaging and pivoting unit has a root which is thicker than that of the first engaging and pivoting unit. The cable connector also includes a cover. The cover includes a first through hole into which the first engaging and pivoting unit is inserted, a first cam unit engaged with the first engaging and pivoting unit, a second through hole into which the second engaging and pivoting unit is inserted, and a second cam unit engaged with the second engaging and pivoting unit.
US07695295B2
An electrical connector is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board and for terminating a flat electrical circuit. The connector includes a dielectric housing for mounting on a printed circuit board and having an opening at a front portion thereof for receiving an end of the flat circuit. A mounting slot is provided at the front portion of the housing. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing and are spaced along the opening. A grounding retention member is mounted at the front of the housing and includes a locking portion, a grounding portion and a terminal portion. The locking portion is insertable into the mounting slot at the front portion of the housing. The grounding portion secures the connector to a ground circuit on the printed circuit board. The terminal portion engages a ground conductor on the flat circuit inserted into the opening at the front of the housing.
US07695286B2
A compliant electrical contact assembly for interconnecting a lead or terminal of an integrated circuit having two cantilever beams positioned within a slot in a housing arranged such that a portion of the beams slide along a portion of one another and within the housing as the beams are deformed elastically in order to allow more travel and compliance without yielding or totally deforming the beam. The sliding action during deformation effectively multiplies the total compliance in the assembly above and beyond the compliance otherwise available to elastic compression of the cantilever beams.
US07695285B2
A spring connector, includes: an electrically conductive metal tube, having a bottomed hole; a plunger, which is provided in the bottomed hole so as to freely move in an axial direction and so as not to slip out from the bottomed hole, and an tip end portion of which is protruded from the bottomed hole; and a spring coil, provided in the bottomed hole, and elastically urging the plunger in a protruding direction. The electrically conductive metal tube includes a small diameter tube part having a smaller outer diameter at a distal end side thereof from which the plunger protrudes, and a soldering part being larger than the small diameter tube part in width in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, at a backward side of the small diameter tube part in the axial direction, and a face of a distal end side of the small diameter tube part is separated from the soldering part in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
US07695283B2
An educational device is provided which can be used to teach arithmetic. The educational device comprises a track having a scale on an outer surface of said track. The scale is comprised of a plurality of evenly spaced apart unit markings, the markings being spaced apart by a unit length. Blocks are provided which are slidingly received on the track. Each block has a length based on the unit length, and indicium is provided on the each block to identify the length of the block in unit lengths. When a set of blocks is positioned on the track, the end of the last block will line up with a unit marking on the scale representing the overall length of the set of blocks in “units”, and hence showing the sum of the lengths of the set of blocks placed on the track. By adding and removing blocks to the track, addition and subtraction “facts” can be visually taught.
US07695281B2
The present invention relates to the production of dental replacement using a CAD system. In particular, the present invention relates to the design of the three-dimensional shape of a dental prosthesis, which has, for example, two prosthesis sections and a connector section, the connector section being connected to the two prosthesis sections.
US07695273B2
A furnace system responsive to a thermostat includes a pollutant sensor for sensing a pollutant concentration in the furnace system. The pollutant sensor is configured to open when the pollutant concentration reaches a pollutant threshold and close when the pollutant concentration falls below the pollutant threshold. When the thermostat is calling for heat, a furnace controller monitors the pollutant sensor and disables the furnace system for a lockout period if a lockout criterion related to the pollutant sensor is met.
US07695271B2
Disclosed is a nozzle tip, having a tip insert attached to a nozzle tip outlet end of a nozzle tip body, the tip insert being made of a material, or having a thermal barrier coating, having a thermal conductivity value of K<10 W/m ° K, and having a lower thermal conductivity than that of the nozzle tip body, to preclude the conduction of excessive heat to the nozzle tip outlet end, and promoting a more decisive fracture of the solidified resin at a gate orifice upon ejection of a molded product, thereby eliminating a string of molten resin and a vestige of excessive height, both of which are undesirable, on the molded product.
US07695270B2
A mould is provided for the injection molding of a plastic piece that includes at least two adjacent parts of two compatible plastic materials, assembled to one another by welding or gluing, of different types and/or colors. The mould includes a mould cavity defined by at least two non-planar walls and at least one retractable wall movable between extended and retracted positions, dividing the mould cavity into at least two compartments supplied separately with plastic. When extended, a non-linear edge of the retractable wall cooperates with a wall of the mould cavity in a play-free manner. The retractable wall includes panels joined in at least the extended or retracted position, movable in relation to one another so they can modify the shape of the non-linear edge of the retractable wall to adapt it to the shape of a second wall of the cavity in the retracted position.
US07695268B2
A system and method for manufacturing an uncured concrete block using the dry-cast manufacturing process includes a mold box having a pair of side walls, a pair of side plates, an open top side and an open bottom side defining a mold cavity. One or more end liners are disposed within the mold cavity and are selectively shiftable within the mold cavity with hydraulic cylinders between a first position and a second position. The end liners can be provided with a three-dimensional textured face to impart a decorative face to a side surface of the concrete block formed in the mold or can also provide blocks with a tapered face when disposed in the second position while the mold is filled with concrete. Before the block is stripped from the mold, the end liners are returned to the first position, so that the side surfaces are not damaged as the block is released.
US07695258B2
A hydraulic device includes a gerotor assembly, a wobble stick, an output shaft, a housing assembly, a first port in the housing assembly, a second port in the housing assembly, first brake disks, second brake disks, a piston, and a biasing member. The gerotor assembly includes a rotor and a stator. The wobble stick connects at a first end to the rotor. The output shaft connects to a second end of the wobble stick. The housing assembly receives the gerotor assembly, the wobble stick and the output shaft. The first port is in communication with the gerotor assembly. The second port is also in communication with the gerotor assembly. The first brake disks connect to the output shaft. The second brake disks connect to the housing assembly. The piston is disposed in the housing assembly adjacent at least one of the brake disks. The piston cooperates with the housing assembly to define a brake pressure chamber. The housing assembly and the first and second ports are configured such that pressurization of either port results in pressurization of the brake pressure chamber. The biasing member is disposed in the housing and contacts the piston. The biasing member urges the piston toward at least one of the brake disks.
US07695252B2
A pump system has a base unit and a pump unit. The base unit includes an input part operatively connected to a driving source and a plurality of output parts to which power is transmitted from the input part. The base unit is capable of being mounted to a support member. The pump unit includes a plurality of pump shafts respectively driven by the plurality of output parts, a plurality of hydraulic pump bodies respectively driven by the plurality of pump shafts, and a plurality of pump cases for respectively surrounding the plurality of hydraulic pump bodies, the pump unit detachably connected to the base unit. The pump shafts are connected to the corresponding output parts by connecting the pump cases to the base unit.
US07695248B2
According to the method, a blade is provided having at least one base for a rim at its free end, and the projecting portion of the rim is built up by depositing successive layers on the base by performing the following steps: activating a laser source connected to an optical head focused on a point of the surface of the top of the base and activating a powder source connected to a spray nozzle, whereby a localized melt is formed at said point, into which the powder is injected, thereby forming a localized region of extra thickness; and aiming the optical head and the nozzle on another point adjacent to said region of extra thickness and returning to the preceding step until a layer has been formed over substantially the entire base.
US07695243B2
A hollow turbine airfoil includes a tip cap bounding an internal cooling circuit between opposite pressure and suction sidewalls. The tip cap includes an internal dome surrounding a dust hole, and the dome is inclined inwardly toward the airfoil root both transversely between the opposite sidewalls and chordally between opposite leading and trailing edges of the airfoil.
US07695241B2
An downstream plasma boundary layer shielding system includes film cooling apertures disposed through a wall having cold and hot surfaces and angled in a downstream direction from a cold surface of the wall to an outer hot surface of the wall. A plasma generator located downstream of the film cooling apertures is used for producing a plasma extending downstream over the film cooling apertures. Each plasma generator includes inner and outer electrodes separated by a dielectric material disposed within a groove in the outer hot surface. The wall may be part of a hollow airfoil or an annular combustor or exhaust liner. A method for operating the downstream plasma boundary layer shielding system includes forming a plasma extending in the downstream direction over the film cooling apertures along the outer hot surface of the wall. The method may further include operating the plasma generator in steady state or unsteady modes.
US07695235B1
A warehousing system for palletized cargo, and an automated loading/unloading system for use with the same. The warehousing system includes a feed conveyer and a plurality of storage racks. A traveling conveyor carries the cargo from the feed conveyor to the individual racks, and from the racks to a loading/unloading conveyor which carries the cargo to the loading/unloading docks. The traveling conveyor rides on a wheeled chassis that is guided between the receiving and discharge locations on tracks. The storage racks are stackable in tiers, and the traveling conveyor has a deck that raises and lowers to be level therewith. The automated loading/unloading dock includes a rigid, extensible plate having an upper surface for supporting a load of palletized cargo, with a drive mechanism being mounted to the inner end of the plate to translate it in and out of the transport vehicle. The plate carries a load of palletized cargo into or out of the transport vehicle en masse. For loading, restraining doors hold the loaded cargo within the interior of the vehicle as the extensible dock is withdrawn. When unloading, a paddle is deployed above the upper surface of the lock member and is translated towards its inner end so as to push the cargo onto the loading/unloading conveyor.
US07695233B2
The substrate processing apparatus is capable of highly efficiently feeding and carrying out work and improving production efficiency. The substrate processing apparatus comprises: a processing chamber including a processing stage; a first load lock chamber for feeding the work, the first load lock chamber being communicated to the processing chamber; a second load lock chamber for carrying out the work, the second load lock chamber being communicated to the processing chamber; a first buffer storage being located between the processing chamber and the first load lock chamber, the first buffer storage storing the work to be transferred therebetween; and a second buffer storage being located between the processing chamber and the second load lock chamber, the second buffer storage storing the work to be transferred therebetween.
US07695219B2
An erosion control system for reducing shoreline erosion resulting from wave action, run-off and hydrostatic pressure. The system includes a flexible geotextile provided over a shoreline. A plurality of rigid erosion control mats are provided over the flexible geotextile and secured in place by a plurality of anchors secured into the shoreline. The geotextile, erosion control mat and anchors may be adjusted to accommodate shorelines of varying slopes and susceptibility to erosion.
US07695218B2
A method for increasing the load-sustaining capability of structural elements in soil, wherein metallic rostrums are positioned in a hole in the soil and subsequently extruded telescopically to force them to penetrate into the surrounding soil at a desired depth and inclination. Mortars or consolidation mixes may be injected through the rostrums to fill a volume in the soil to form reinforcement bulbs.
US07695216B2
A drain cover and pipe combination comprises a drain cover including a substantially elliptical frame portion defining a space, the space having an axis substantially normal to the frame, and at least one cross piece located in the space so as to define a plurality of openings in the drain cover. The pipe comprises a substantially tubular member having a longitudinal axis, with the pipe having a substantially elliptical shaped rim at one end thereof with a rim axis which is other than parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member. Securing means are provided for securing the drain cover over the rim of the pipe.
US07695215B2
Sub-aquatic sediment is covered with capping material by a capping system comprising a template barge and a spreader barge. While the spreader barge is distributing capping material, the template barge guides the spreader barge as it systematically moves over a pre-defined sediment capping region. The spreader barge comprises a spreader pool in which a broadcast spreader accurately and evenly distributes capping material within the pool, which then sinks to the sediment. The capping material is distributed with minimal disturbance to the sediment.
US07695214B2
An asphalt pavement remover includes a rectangular backplate for attachment to moving equipment, an L-shaped lifting blade attached to the front of the backplate and a wedge-shaped splitter attached to the L-shaped blade. The L-shaped blade includes an upstanding arm and a lower arm, the latter of which is similar to a fork-lift blade. The wedge-shaped splitter extends in the direction of the lower arm of the L-shaped blade, i.e., away from the upstanding arm. The splitter has a forward wedge-shaped edge which is located rearward of the forward end of the lifting blade.
US07695212B2
A ball and socket joint for a motor vehicle, with a housing (4) having a wall (7), a bottom (8) and an opening (9), with a ball pivot (3), which has a joint ball (1) and a pivot (2). The ball pivot is mounted with the joint ball (1) rotatably and pivotably in the housing (4) and the pivot extends out of the housing (4) through the opening (9). An electronic component (14) is arranged in the housing (4). An electrically conductive connection (17) is arranged in the housing (4) and is electrically connected to the component (14). The electrically conductive connection (17) extends out of the housing (4) from the component (14) in the area of the opening (9) or through the opening (9).
US07695203B2
An information processing apparatus includes an input device which allows input of a plurality of information so as to allow performance of a plurality of processes, an input information display device that displays input information that is the input one or more kinds of information, a delete menu storage device that stores a delete menu having a plurality of delete options, and a delete menu display device that displays only delete options corresponding to the information input by the input device from among the plurality of delete options, as the delete menu.
US07695191B1
An apparatus for use in positioning and obtaining of x-ray and other images of teeth and related structures, providing the practitioner with increased ease and accuracy of aiming, greatly simplified instrument configuration with significantly reduced number and complexity of the instruments employed, while providing patients with improved comfort and control during the imaging process.
