US07715714B2
A laser power grid for operation with data networks employs WDM and incorporates wavelength addressing. The laser power grid (100) includes a laser power supply station (110) comprising a plurality of continuous-work laser sources (112, 114, 115, 116, 118), a laser distribution grid (130) for distributing light propagations of different wavelengths throughout a data network and an optical switching network (142, 144, 145, 146, 148) coupled to the laser distribution grid for locally turning the laser power on when it is needed. The laser power grid replaces systems of tunable lasers. It is considerably faster and cheaper than systems of tunable lasers and produces less waste heat within the data network surroundings. The laser power grid incorporates parallel fast optical communication in complex multi-node communication and computer networks and enables the implementation of burst switching and packet switching by wavelength addressing.
US07715700B2
An infusion fluid warming apparatus for warming an infusion fluid to a predetermined temperature prior to supply of the infusion fluid into a living body through an infusion fluid tube. The apparatus includes: (a) a tube holding device detachably holding the infusion tube; and (b) a heat accumulator member generating a latent heat in phase change thereof from liquid phase to solid phase. The heat accumulator member is disposed in the tube holding device, so as to warm the infusion fluid passing through the infusion fluid tube that is held by the tube holding device, by the latent heat generated in the phase change from the liquid phase to the solid phase. Also, disclosed is an infusion fluid warming method.
US07715691B2
A video image file constituted by video data and attendant data formed by an image pickup device is input to an image service providing apparatus. Image services such as image distribution, medium recording, and printing are described in the attendant data. In the image service providing apparatus, an image service type is specified by a service selecting device on the basis of the attendant data, and a service switching device is switched to output the video data to any one of a distribution device, a recording device, an image forming device, and a video editing device. Therefore, any one of distribution, recording, image formation, and image editing of the video image file can be easily executed.
US07715681B2
A cable management panel including a chassis, a drawer, and a rear latch arrangement. The rear latch arrangement including a latch having a free tab end. The free tab end engaging the front edge of a top wall of the chassis to prevent inadvertent closing movement of the drawer relative to the chassis.
US07715679B2
A fiber optic telecommunications device includes an enclosure defining an interior. A first fiber optic adapter is provided at the enclosure. A spool is provided at an exterior of the enclosure. A fiber optic cable, which includes a first optical fiber, is wrapped around the spool. A first fiber optic connector is mounted at a first end of the first optical fiber. The first end of the first optical fiber is positioned within the interior of the enclosure. The first fiber optic connector is inserted within the first fiber optic adapter. The enclosure and the spool are configured to rotate in unison about a common axis when the fiber optic cable is unwound from the spool.
US07715678B2
A telecommunications enclosure includes a housing for retaining telecommunication lines therein, the housing including at least one of a splice closure and a terminal closure. At least one of the terminal closure and the splice closure includes a loopback testing station having at least one coupling mounted therein. The coupling is adapted to receive a first terminated end of a first telecommunication line and adapted to receive a second terminated end of a second telecommunication line. The testing station permits loss testing of installed distribution lines at a terminal from a central network facility.
US07715658B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for super-resolution enhancement processing. The apparatus includes a low-resolution image capturing unit, a patch pair generating unit, a patch pair database, and a high-resolution image reconstructing unit. The low-resolution image capturing unit captures a low-resolution image. The patch pair generating unit divides each of a plurality of high-resolution images into patches and generates a plurality of patch pairs composed of medium-frequency patches and high-frequency patches for the patches. The patch pair database stores the plurality of patch pairs generated by the patch pair generating unit. The high-resolution image reconstructing unit divides the low-resolution image into patches, searches in the patch pair database for a patch pair including a medium-frequency patch that is similar to that of the low-resolution image, and generates a reconstructed high-resolution image by inserting a high-frequency patch included in the found patch pair into a corresponding patch of the low-resolution image.
US07715656B2
In one embodiment, an embedded device is provided which comprises a region of interest defining mechanism to define a region of interest (ROI) within an image. A transformation mechanism of the embedded device applies a nonlinear magnification or pinching transformation to the region of interest such that magnification or pinching within the region of interest varies from a greater amount at a focal point of the region of interest to a lesser amount at an outer border of the region of interest.
US07715645B2
A noise estimation system that estimates noises in a sequence of video frames, uses a an image structure remover and a noise variance calculator. The image structure remover computes the difference over a local window in two consecutive frames. The noise variance calculator estimates the noise variance (standard deviation) from the distribution of the local difference. If there is no motion or small motion between two consecutive frames, the image structure can be removed by calculating the local difference, whereby very robust estimation is obtained.
US07715639B2
This data encoding apparatus includes: a prediction unit for calculating a prediction value of target data using read data; a subtractor for calculating a prediction error value, which is the error between the target data and the prediction value; a filtering unit and a subtractor for performing filtering on the prediction error value relating to the target data and a determined prediction error value, to calculate a corrected prediction error value relating to the target data; an absolute value calculation unit for calculating the absolute value of the corrected prediction error value; a k parameter determination unit for determining the code length of a fixed length code part using the flatness and dynamic range of the absolute corrected prediction error value; and a Golomb-Rice encoding unit for encoding the absolute corrected prediction error value by dividing it into a variable length code part and the fixed length code part.
US07715629B2
Techniques for processing handwriting input based upon a user's writing style. Some techniques employ the style in which the user writes a single character, while other techniques alternately or additionally employ a group of allographs that form a handwriting style. Some implementations of these techniques, such as those implemented in writing style analysis tool, analyze one or more characters written by a user to identify a community, such as a geographic region or cultural group, to which the user's handwriting style belongs. Other implementations analyze one or more characters of a user's handwriting in order to alternately or additionally categorize the user's handwriting into a particular handwriting style. The writing style analysis tool may then provide the user with a handwriting recognition application specifically configured for that user's personal handwriting style. With still other implementations, the user's handwriting style alternately or additionally is employed to prevent a handwriting recognition application from using an aberrantly written character as training data for improving the recognition process, or to predict how a user writes other characters.
US07715627B2
A system and method for automatically determining the standard cardiac image views as defined by the American Heart Association from volumetric data of the chest including the heart. The system and method can be used by a health practitioner to quickly see the two dimensional views from which a diagnosis is generally made. The left ventricle is detected. Then the relative orientation of the right ventricle is determined and the standard cardiac views are determined.
US07715617B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a check unit which compares a value of a pixel of interest with values of neighboring pixels contained in an image signal supplied from an image sensor, and determines based on the comparison whether the pixel of interest is defective, and a defect correcting unit which corrects the value of the pixel of interest by using values of surrounding pixels in response to the determination by the check unit that the pixel of interest is defective.
US07715613B2
An ultraviolet (UV) detector for detecting and verifying the authenticity of documents placed therein and exposed to UV light and white light backlighting. The UV detector includes a detector housing, and a viewing chamber having a viewing mirror mounted therein for viewing documents. The detector housing also includes a document insertion slot for inserting documents into the viewing chamber adjacent to the viewing mirror. The detector housing further includes an LED holder for holding one or more LED'S to provide a source of UV light in the viewing chamber which is transmitted to the viewing mirror and to the documents for identifying UV activated features on the documents. Additionally, the detector housing includes an LED and translucent member disposed therein for providing diffuse visible white light for identifying watermarks on the documents. A user looks into the viewing chamber for viewing the UV activated features and watermarks on the documents.
US07715598B2
In a method for detecting facial expressions of a portrait photo by an image capturing electronic device, a face captured in the portrait photo is detected. The position and range of the opened and closed facial features are detected, and the facial features within an identified range are magnified according to a specific proportion. A patch of facial features and their surroundings within a specific range is cut according to the magnified identified range, so that the patch can show a change of facial expressions and a specific range of their surroundings. A facial feature classifier is trained by a specific number of opened and closed facial feature samples based on the Adaboost algorithm and used for detecting the facial features in the patch to determine whether the facial feature is situated at an opened state or a closed state.
US07715593B1
A method and system used to integrate and control multiple secure credentialing approaches including magnetic stripes, bar codes, contact and contactless SmartCard chips, Short Message Systems (SMS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), vicinity type Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID), and proximity type RFID, into compact, self-powered, biometrically-protected devices.
US07715592B1
Two video signals, typically an original signal and a degraded version of the same signal, are analyzed firstly to identify perceptually relevant boundaries of elements forming video images depicted therein. These boundaries are then compared to determine the extent to which the properties of the boundaries defined in one image are preserved in the other, to generate an output indicative of the perceptual difference between the first and second signals. The boundaries may be defined by edges, color, luminance or texture contrasts, disparities between frames in a moving or stereoscopic image, or other means. The presence, absence, difference in clarity or difference in means of definition of the boundaries is indicative of the perceptual importance of the differences between the signals, and therefore of the extent to which any degradation of the signal will be perceived by the human viewer of the resulting degraded image. The results may also be weighted according to the perceptual importance of the image depicted—for example the features which identify a human face, and in particular those responsible for visual speech cues.
US07715580B2
Attachment means for attaching a conductor to a hearing aid having a hearing aid housing. The attachment means is adapted to be located partially in said hearing aid housing wall, so as to have a first part located in said hearing aid housing wall and a second part protruding through an aperture in said hearing aid housing wall.
US07715571B2
A method for individually fitting a hearing instrument to a user, by: starting operation of the hearing instrument; pre-defining a desired target loudness function perceived by the user defined as function of frequency and input sound pressure level at the microphone; measuring for a given measurement parameter set of perceived loudness levels and frequencies or frequency bands the respective transducer input audio signal level to be applied to the transducer input to achieve the respective perceived loudness level at the respective frequency or frequency band, said measurement parameter set having at least a low, intermediate and high loudness levels, and said intermediate loudness level being measured for a larger number of frequencies or frequency bands and with a finer frequency resolution than said low and high loudness levels; calculating an individual gain function to be implemented in the audio signal processing unit to achieve the pre-defined target loudness function by taking into account the measured transducer input audio signal levels; and operating the hearing instrument with the individual gain function.
US07715561B2
Disclosed is an information protection system of an on-line service provider connected with customers' telephones through a telephone network for protecting important personal information of the customers from being leaked by tapping the customers' telephone lines, which includes an IVR system for collecting the customers' information-input patterns based on the customers' information-input signals received from the telephones and transmitting colored signals similar to the customers' information-input signals through the telephone network to the customers' telephone lines, and a control device for generating respective the colored signals similar to the customers' information-input signals based on the customers' information-input patterns, the colored signals being delivered to the IVR system. The IVR system transmits the colored signal to the customer's telephone line to scramble the customer's personal information being inputted. An echo canceller is provided to recover the customers' personal information from the scrambled information. An information-input pattern analyzer is provided to analyze the information-input pattern data to determine the customers' respective mean information-input patterns.
US07715545B2
A communication system that is configured to communicate with more than one call manager systems, the communication system comprising a routing system configured to receive signaling for a call wherein the signaling indicates a called number including an international country code, and process the international country code to transfer a first query including the international country code, and the communication system further comprising a call processing system configured to receive the first query, process the international country code to select one of the call manager systems from the more than one call manager systems, transfer a second query to the one call manager system, and process a response from the one call manager system to transfer a routing instruction for the call to the routing system.
US07715535B2
The present invention includes embodiments of an apparatus and method for selecting a line from two or more lines on a communication device. The communication device comprises a display module, an input module, a line selection module, and a communication module for making a call over a network to a target recipient. The method comprises the steps of storing line selection information; monitoring the input module for initiation of a call to the target recipient; upon detecting the initiation of the call, selecting a line from the at least two lines in the line selection module, the selected line is dependent on said line selection information; and making the call to the target recipient on the selected line.
US07715533B2
A mobile telephone of an advertiser broadcasts an advertisement over a wireless short range piconet link to a mobile telephone of a consumer. The advertisement is broadcast with a predetermined set of classification tags. The consumer phone has a filter set to accept only certain advertisements. When an advertisement of interest is received by the consumer phone it requests further details automatically via the piconet link and the advertiser phone provides the further details automatically via the piconet link. The consumer phone replies to the advertisement by sending a reply message to a broker device that changes (i.e., modifies or augments the reply message text) and communicates the changed reply message to the advertiser.
US07715528B2
X rays are emitted without injecting an angiographic contrast material, and a non-injection image acquiring device 7 acquires a non-injection image in the angiographic contrast material non-injection state. X rays are emitted after injecting the angiographic contrast material, and an injection image acquiring device 8 acquires an injection image in the angiographic contrast material injection state. A blood vessel locus image acquiring device 9 superimposes the non-injection image and injection image acquired, and processes image data of a DSA image obtained in each of the non-injection state and injection state of the angiographic contrast material to acquire a blood vessel locus image. An image processing device 10 carries out a black-and-white reversal of the blood vessel locus image acquired, and the blood vessel is displayed in white. Beam hardening filters are inserted, and X-ray fluoroscopic radiography is carried out while inserting a guide wire W into the blood vessel. An image superposing device 11 superimposes the X-ray fluoroscopic image and the blood vessel locus image. A composite image acquired is displayed on a display monitor 15.
US07715518B2
The invention concerns a method of producing a cladding tube for nuclear fuel for a nuclear boiling water reactor. According to the method, a tube is formed which comprises an outer cylindrical component (10) mainly containing zirconium and an inner cylindrical component (20) metallurgically bonded to the outer component (10), wherein also the inner component (20) at least mainly contains zirconium. The inner component (20) has a lower recrystallization temperature than the outer component (10). The cladding tube is final annealed at a temperature and during a time such that the inner component (20) substantially completely recrystallizes and such that the outer component (10) partly recrystallizes but to a lower extent than the inner component (20). The invention also concerns a cladding tube, a fuel assembly for a boiling water reactor as well as the use of a cladding tube.
US07715516B2
A method for delivery of a tool into a submerged bore includes controlling the movement of a tool delivery device in the pool by operating at least one propulsion drive located on the tool delivery device. The tool delivery device is coupled to an inlet to the bore and a tool is inserted from the tool delivery device through the inlet and into the bore.
US07715508B2
A receiver is configured for canceling intra-cell and inter-cell interference in coded, multiple-access, spread-spectrum transmissions that propagate through frequency-selective communication channels. The receiver employs iterative symbol-estimate weighting, subtractive cancellation with a stabilizing step-size, and mixed-decision symbol estimates. Receiver embodiments may be implemented explicitly in software or programmed hardware, or implicitly in standard Rake-based hardware either within the Rake (i.e., at the finger level) or outside the Rake (i.e., at the user or subchannel symbol level).
US07715506B2
The present invention relates to a broadcast signal receiver comprising a low noise amplifier for receiving an RF signal and selectively amplifying the received RF signal; a tuner for tuning the RF signal selectively amplified by the low noise amplifier to a predetermined channel; a signal analyzer for demodulating a signal output from the tuner and calculating a signal-to-noise ratio of the demodulated signal; and a controller for determining the strength of the signal output from the tuner, and controlling a selective amplifying operation of the low noise amplifier on the basis of the determined signal strength and the signal-to-noise ratio. Thus, the present invention provides a broadcast signal receiver and a control method thereof, which prevents poor picture quality when the LNA is turned on due to the RF signal having a weak electric field.
US07715505B2
Methods and apparatus for synchronization (SYNC) detection of a received serial offset quadrature pulse shaped waveform modulated by a symbol SYNC sequence are provided. The waveform is serially demodulated into a serial baseband signal and correlated in parallel with segments of the symbol SYNC sequence. Correlation strength estimates of each of the correlated output signals are computed and used to adjust a SYNC threshold level. The correlation strength estimates or the correlated output signals are combined and a peak is determined in the resulting signal. The peak in the resulting signal is compared to the SYNC threshold level to detect synchronization.
US07715502B2
A low-power pulse generator is provided for use in ultra-wideband (UWB) systems. In one embodiment, the UWB pulse generator includes four pulse generators, such as digital triangular pulse generators, that generate Gaussian-like pulses of alternating polarity at different time offsets. The resulting four Gaussian-like pulses are combined to generate a UWB pulse that approximates the fifth derivative of a Gaussian pulse. In other embodiments, different-order derivatives of a Gaussian pulse may be approximated by combining different numbers of Gaussian-like pulses. The UWB pulse generator is preferably implemented with CMOS circuitry to limit power consumption.
US07715486B2
A method of COFDM demodulation of successive symbols, each symbol comprising data carriers and pilots. The method includes, for each symbol, the determination of estimates of the transfer function of the channel for the symbol carriers, including the steps of determining, for first carriers such that, for the frequency positions of the considered carriers, symbols different from the symbol include pilots, a first estimate based on second estimates obtained for pilots having the frequency of the carrier; and determining, for second carriers, a third estimate based on the first estimates. For at least one first carrier, the first estimate is further determined based on at least the third estimate determined for a carrier of a symbol received before the symbol at the same frequency as the carrier.
US07715469B2
The present invention implements a method and system for dynamically adapting the modulation and coding scheme for radio links in a wireless communications network based on a retransmission environment model in order to maximize throughput and most efficiently allocate bandwidth resources. The present invention encompasses a refined calculus and methodology for deriving the link adaptation thresholds in a retransmission environment using a complex model and analysis of the retransmission environment. The present invention holds particular application for wireless data communications as opposed to real time data services because it is based on a retransmission model applicable primarily for data services. A critical component of this new link adaptation system is a “no transmission” cutoff mode that is selected for SIR below a base threshold value. This new mode prevents system instability and misallocation of bandwidth in a wireless communication system.
US07715468B2
A radio transmitter/receiver having a QoS control unit for outputting the transmission data in order taking the quality of service (QoS) into consideration. In the case where the information transmission rate for a radio section is not lower than a threshold value, the QoS control operation of the transmission data is omitted, and the transmission data are output in the order of input. In the case where the information transmission rate for the radio section is lower than the threshold value, on the other hand, the QoS control mode is switched in accordance with the information transmission rate for the radio section.
US07715462B2
A variable spreading factor-orthogonal frequency and code division multiplexing (VSF-OFCDM) system and receiver for use therein has a sequence extension remover for removing a predetermined number of chips from the received signal to form a modified signal, and a first converter for converting the modified signal from a serial sequence to a parallel sequence. A despreader is coupled to the first converter for despreading the parallel sequence to derive a group of symbols. An orthogonal transform block, such as a Fast Fourier Transform block is coupled to the despreader to transform the symbols from the time domain to the frequency domain. An equalizer block is coupled to the transform block for equalizing the transformed signal to reduce channel distortion. A deinterleaver block is coupled to the equalizer block to form a deinterleaved signal. The deinterleaved signal is then converted from a parallel sequence to a serial sequence.
US07715457B2
Semiconductor laser diodes, particularly high power AlGaAs-based ridge-waveguide laser diodes, are often used in opto-electronics as so-called pump lasers for fiber amplifiers in optical communication lines. To provide the desired high power output and stability of such a laser diode and avoid degradation during use, the present invention concerns an improved design of such a device, the improvement in particular significantly minimizing or avoiding (front) end section degradation of such a laser diode and significantly increasing long-term stability. This is achieved by separating the waveguide ridge into an active main ridge section (4) and at least one separate section (12) located at an end of the laser diode, which may be passive. The separation is provided by a trench or gap (10) in the waveguide ridge. The active waveguide section (4) is at least partly covered by the electrode (6) providing the carriers that does not extend to cover the separate ridge section (12), which thus remains essentially free of carriers injected through said electrode (6). There may be a plurality such separate ridge sections, e.g. two separate ridge sections (12, 212), one at each end of the laser diode, dividing the ridge waveguide into three ridge sections, an active main ridge section (4) in the center and a passive separate ridge section (12, 212) at either end. The trenches (10, 110) between the sections and/or the shape and size of the separate ridge section (s) (12, 212) may be adjusted to act as spatial mode filters.
US07715451B2
Apparatus for effecting harmonic conversion of a laser beam of predetermined frequency, to provide plural harmonic components of the laser beam at frequencies different from the predetermined frequency, includes a housing (40) defining a hermetically sealed chamber able to be maintained at a pressure below atmospheric pressure. Also provided are port means for evacuating the chamber, and means (36, 37) defining an optical path for the laser beam and the components thereof through the housing and the chamber. A plurality of individual holders (70, 72, 74) are arranged for retaining respective frequency conversion crystals at spaced locations in the optical path. The crystals (20, 22, 24) can be aligned individually and heated within the chamber.
US07715450B2
A sideband bus setting system in which multiple target devices (ICs) are communicably connected to a master device through a bus so as to set data to ICs mounted on an electronic device. The target device is provided with a target domain ID identifying a target domain-which is a subgroup of multiple target devices, and the master device is provided with the same target domain ID as that provided for the target device. The master device receives the target domain ID from the target device, and performs data-setting process to the target device when the target domain ID received from the target device coincides with the target domain ID provided for the master device. According to the above feature, the failure of the bus (for example, the failure of a sideband multiplexer) can be detected in advance, thereby preventing overlooking the improper data-setting operation.
US07715441B2
A local area network (60) within a residence or other building, including both wired (5) and non-wired segments (53). The wired segments are based on new or existing wires (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e) in the building, wherein access to the wires is provided by means of outlets (61a, 61d), such as a telephone system, electrical power distribution system, or cable television wiring system. The non-wired segments are based on communication using propagated waves such as radio, sound, or light (e.g. infrared). The wired and non-wired segments interface in the outlet, using a module (50) that serves as mediator between the segments. The module can be integrated into the outlet, partially housed in the outlet, or attached externally to the outlet. Such a network allows for integrated communication of data units (24b) connected by wires and data units (24a, 24d) connected without wires.
US07715437B2
A supervisory communications device, such as a headend device within a cable communications network, monitors and controls communications with a plurality of remote communications devices, such as cable modems, throughout a widely distributed network. The supervisory device allocates bandwidth on the upstream channels by sending MAP messages over its downstream channel. A highly integrated media access controller integrated circuit (MAC IC) operates within the headend to provide lower level DOCSIS processing on signals exchanged with the remote devices. The enhanced functionality of the MAC IC relieves the processing burden on the headend CPU and increases packet throughput. The enhanced functionality includes header suppression and expansion, DES encryption and decryption, fragment reassembly, concatenation, and DMA operations.
US07715428B2
Mechanisms for processing of communications between data processing devices are provided. With the mechanisms of the illustrative embodiments, a set of techniques that enables sustaining media speed by distributing transmit and receive-side processing over multiple processing cores is provided. In addition, these techniques also enable designing multi-threaded network interface controller (NIC) hardware that efficiently hides the latency of direct memory access (DMA) operations associated with data packet transfers over an input/output (I/O) bus. Multiple processing cores may operate concurrently using separate instances of a communication protocol stack and device drivers to process data packets for transmission with separate hardware implemented send queue managers in a network adapter processing these data packets for transmission. Multiple hardware receive packet processors in the network adapter may be used, along with a flow classification engine, to route received data packets to appropriate receive queues and processing cores for processing.
US07715424B2
Methods, systems and apparatus for billing network usage in a network are provided. Statistics of subscribers' network usage and subscriber information are transmitted from a plurality of First Hop Multicast Routers (FHMRs) to a Net Flow Collection Server (NFCS). The NFCS consolidates the statistics received and subscriber information into a report. Thereafter, a Billing Module (BM) prepares subscribers billing information based on the report and policies configured on the BM. Advantageously, subscribers are charged based on their individual network usage.
US07715423B2
A communication terminal device performs communication based on a communication protocol defined so that first identification information assigned to the device is transmitted to and received from a communication party. The device includes an identification information generating section for detecting, based on information unique to the device, second identification information different from the first identification information, a storage section for storing a table representing a correspondence between the generated second identification information and the type of the device, and a control section for controlling the storage section so that communication with the communication party is established based on the table. The control section transmits the second identification information and type of the device to unspecified destinations with predetermined timing, and updates the table based on second identification information and type of the communication party which are sent back as a response from the communication party.
US07715420B1
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates biasing receiver circuits within an integrated circuit. During operation, the system provides n receiver circuits within the integrated circuit to be biased. Next, the system provides n+m communication channels between n drivers and n receivers, wherein m is a number of additional communication channels, and wherein m>0. Then, the system couples the n+m communication channels to the n drivers, wherein each driver is selectively coupled to m+1 communication channels. The system also couples the n+m communication channels to the n receivers, wherein each receiver is selectively coupled to m+1 communication channels. In this way, at any given time n of the communication channels are active and m of the communication channels are inactive. Finally, the system refreshes inactive m communication channels' biases while the m inactive communication channels are not communicating signals.
US07715415B1
A network device for transferring data from a first network to a second network comprises a switch comprising a first port adapted to receive a frame of the data from the first network and a second port adapted to transmit the frame to the second network. The frame comprises a plurality of words including a first word comprising a first portion of an internet protocol address and a second word comprising a second portion of the internet protocol address. The switch adds one or more bits to the frame so that the first and second portions of the internet protocol address appear within a single word of the frame. A processor receives the frame from the switch, and to modify the internet protocol address in the frame. The switch receives the frame from the processor, and removes the one or more bits from the frame before the second port transmits the frame to the second network.
US07715398B2
A method for transmitting packets in an RPR includes: pre-setting an MAC table having an item which is a corresponding relationship between the node MAC address and the UE MAC address of each node; an RPR node receiving an insert packet, performing the MAC table lookup, deciding whether an item matching a destination MAC address of the insert packet exists; if there exists the item, converting the insert packet to an extended frame-formatted packet where the RPR destination node MAC address equals to the node MAC address of the item and sending the converted packet to the destination node, and performing the corresponding process; if there does not exist the item, converting the insert packet to an extended frame-formatted packet where the RPR destination node MAC address equals to a broadcast MAC address, broadcasting the converted packet on the whole network, and performing the corresponding process.
US07715396B2
To reduce the dependency of overlay networks on underlay networks to route messages, a virtual ring routing architecture may be formed that leverages the design of the overlay network to achieve their desirable scaling and robustness properties but also reduce the dependency on any underlay network to setup and maintain connectivity. More particularly, each node may have a single, fixed, location independent node identifier, to organize the nodes into a virtual ring. The connectivity between nodes through the actual network topology may be formed by a plurality of nodes in the virtual ring by maintaining connectivity to those nodes identified as virtual neighbor nodes within the virtual ring. The path segments defining communication connections between virtual neighbor nodes may be used to route messages between any pair of nodes in the network and may reduce route discovery overhead, reduce delay in transmission, and reduce or eliminate flooding to setup or maintain the path segments.
US07715394B2
The present invention is related to a method to forward an Ethernet packet in an Ethernet based access network. It comprises the step of receiving the Ethernet packet at a network access node being part of the access network and further the step of transforming at the network access node a first Ethernet MAC address contained in the Ethernet packet into a second Ethernet MAC address. Either the first or the second Ethernet MAC address comprises subscriber or subscriber line identification. Subsequently the step of continuing the communication protocol is performed.
US07715392B2
For use in a pipeline network search engine of a router, a path compression optimization system and method is disclosed for eliminating single entry trie tables. The system embeds in a parent trie table (1) path compression patterns that comprise common prefix bits of a data packet and (2) skip counts that indicate the length of the path compression patterns. The network search engine utilizes the path compression patterns and the skip counts to eliminate single entry trie tables from a data structure. Each path compression pattern is processed one stride at a time in subsequent pipeline stages of the network search engine. The elimination of unnecessary single entry trie tables reduces memory space, power consumption, and the number of memory accesses that are necessary to traverse the data structure.
US07715386B2
Methods and systems for reducing network load on a Teredo server.
US07715385B2
A multi-level lookup table includes a plurality of search levels with each search level including a plurality of subtrees, each subtree representing a plurality of nodes. A search of the multi-level lookup table for an entry corresponding to a search key results in a value stored in an entry associated with the node in a subtree. A default value is associated with the root of the subtree. Multiple entries for the subtree can store the default value. To minimize route update time, the default value associated with the subtree is stored in a single location. Instead of storing the default value in multiple entries, each entry stores a use default indicator to indicate that the default value stored in the single location is to be used. To further reduce the number of locations to modify to update the default route, the single location can store an inherit indicator to indicate that the default value for the subtree is inherited from another subtree.
US07715379B2
An Ethernet MAC sublayer is provided for supporting Ethernet MAC circuits in an Ethernet Network. In accordance with one embodiment, an Ethernet MAC sublayer is provided for processing and setting up circuits. The MAC sublayer provides support for higher level signaling and routing applications to implement Ethernet MAC circuit functionality. The MAC sublayer provides interrupts for WAN learning and circuit setup. The MAC sublayer also provides address table entry extension to allow for usage of multiple links between nodes. The routing application is used to manage routing information, maintain a MAC to port mapping database, and manage port resources. The signaling application is used to set up and manage circuits. In accordance to various embodiments, circuits of various types and properties can be managed in the Ethernet Network.
US07715371B2
Service resource items (49) for use in call setup in a telephone system are held on servers (58) that are connected to a computer network which is logically distinct from the telephone system infrastructure, this computer network may, for example, make use of the Internet. Each service resource item (49) is locatable on the network at a corresponding URI and is associated with a particular telephone number. A mapping is provided between telephone numbers and the URIs of associated service resource items. When it is desired to access a service resource item (49) associated with a particular telephone number, this mapping is used to retrieve the corresponding URI (step 55) which is then used to access the desired service resource item (56, 57, 59).
US07715370B2
For subscribing a user to a service offered by a first application server (SIP-AS1) of an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem, a request for the service, addressed to a public service identifier of the service, is received from the user in a Call Session Control Function unit (S-CSCF). The request is evaluated based on filter criteria (iCF) associated with the user. In absence of the filter criteria (iCF) associating the service with the first application server (SIP-AS1), the request is forwarded to a second application server (SIP-AS2) based on addressing information obtained from filter criteria (FC) associated with the public service identifier. The second application server (SIP-AS2) transmits to the user a message that includes means for enabling the user to subscribe to the service. Users can be subscribed to a service at the time they desire to use the service, immediately preceding usage of the service. IMS user profiles are used as the basis for deciding whether or not a user is subscribed to a service, consequently, there is no need to provide interfaces to data repositories of multimedia services for determining the subscription status of a user. Subscription mechanisms for multimedia services can be centralized in a dedicated application server.
US07715358B2
A method and apparatus for allocating subcarriers in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises allocating at least one diversity cluster of subcarriers to a first subscriber and allocating at least one coherence cluster to a second subscriber.
US07715351B2
A method and apparatus supporting the handling of calls using simulcasting of multimedia information via a broadband access gateway are disclosed. A broadband access gateway supporting both a personal area network and a broadband network may receive multimedia information simultaneously exchanged by an associated access device via a wide area network. The broadband access gateway may store the received multimedia information locally, within the broadband access gateway, or may communicate the multimedia information to storage accessible from the broadband access gateway. The broadband access gateway may cause a user of the access device to be notified of the availability of multimedia information for a recorded call, and may communicate the multimedia information to the access device for playback. A user may be notified if storage and bandwidth for the recording of a call is not available.
US07715349B2
In a 3GPP standards Release 6 UMTS system, in order to avoid searching at NodeB for a maximum E-DPCCH-associated metric at discrete possible valid index values, or over disjoint possible valid index regions, at the UE the three different sources of information, the fixed number bits that comprise the RSN, TFI and the H-bit components of the E-DPCCH bit field, are mapped so that the decimal equivalents of the possible E-DPCCH indices lie within a continuous range of values.
US07715339B2
Method and apparatus for dealing with a connection context request to establish a connection between a mobile station (MS) and a network gateway element. The gateway (such as a GGSN) determines whether binding information is required, then ascertains whether such information has been supplied. If the information is not supplied, the GGSN responds to the request on the basis of a policy determined by the operator of the network. This can include, for example, rejecting the request.
US07715338B2
In a communication system including an external maintenance terminal and a communication device in which boards including a maintenance-and-operation board and a switchboard are installed, the switchboard is directly connected to the external maintenance terminal, and a predetermined address is assigned for use only in communication between the maintenance-and-operation board and the external maintenance terminal, and set in the switchboard. When communication is performed between ones of the boards, the switchboard connects the ones of the boards on the basis of the local addresses of the ones of the boards. When communication is performed between the maintenance-and-operation board and the external maintenance terminal, the switchboard connects the maintenance-and-operation board to the external maintenance terminal, and translates a global address of the external maintenance terminal into the predetermined address and vice versa.
US07715336B2
A method of operation for wireless transmission of data to one or more destination devices across a network that includes a plurality of access points disposed about a building, each access point having a first transmission range of maximum bandwidth and a second transmission range of signal interference, the access points being arranged in a topology wherein each access point is spaced-apart from a nearest neighboring access point by a first distance less than the first transmission range. The data is transmitted by a first access point; then it is repeated by a series of additional access points that extends across the topology. Re-transmission of the data occurs in a manner wherein any pair of access points transmitting on the same channel is separated by a distance greater than the second transmission range. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US07715315B1
A data flow rate policer enforces data flow policies for a number of data flows using a probabilistic policy enforcement mechanism. The policer includes a memory that stores the state of each data flow in a compact data structure. Additionally, the policer includes one or more policing engines that implement the actual data flow policies based on information derived from the data structures. The policing engines may be implemented in hardware to increase performance.
US07715314B2
A retransmission control method of the present invention includes the steps in which a receiving terminal: measures a round trip time (RTT) between the receiving terminal and a sending terminal; calculates an RTO by using the measured RTT; and starts a time counting operation of the RTO upon reception from a point in time when a segment is received from the sending terminal; transmits a segment prompt signal which prompts the sending terminal to transmit a segment, when the segment is not received from the sending terminal until the RTO is completed, and in which the sending terminal: retransmits a segment to the receiving terminal when there is a segment to be retransmitted; and transmits a data-less signal to the receiving terminal when there is a segment that should be retransmitted, the data-less signal indicating that there is no segment that should be retransmitted.
US07715305B2
A method of recovering data for use in a receiver that simultaneously receives a plurality of code division multiple access data signals, each data signal experiencing a similar channel response. A combined signal over the shared spectrum in a time slot is received and sampled. The combined signal comprises the plurality of data signals. The sampled signal is used to estimate the similar channel response, and a channel response matrix is constructed. A channel correlation matrix is constructed based in part on the estimated channel response matrix. A fast Fourier transform (FFT) decomposition of a circulant matrix approximation of the channel correlation matrix, and the sampled data signals, are used to determine a spread data vector. The spread data vector is despread to recover data from the matrix.
US07715300B2
A diffraction element for diffracting a particular wavelength of incident optical beam includes: a base section made from a first resin and provided with a predetermined diffraction pattern; and a cover section made from a second resin and covering the diffraction pattern, wherein a rate of change of refraction index of the first resin is substantially the same as a rate of change of refraction index of the second resin in a temperature range between a first temperature and a second temperature.
US07715290B2
A method for correcting write strategy data of an optical disc may include setting initial values, measuring and storing the width of a generated write enable signal, and calculating an offset correction value. The initial values may include a data write rate, a number of write strategy data, a maximum number of steps of a time parameter to be applied to the write strategy data, step sizes of the steps in the time parameter, and a generated modulated signal. A write enable signal may be generated whenever the time parameter is varied by a step size, and a width thereof may be measured and stored. The offset correction may be determined by calculating an offset correction value corresponding to a difference between the stored width of the write enable signal and a predetermined value of the write enable signal.
US07715286B2
An optical pickup (20) projects a read beam onto an optical disc (40) as an optical storage medium which is driven to rotate by a spindle motor (30) and receives its reflection. A laser beam from a laser producing element (21) passes through a liquid crystal panel (25) and guided to an objective lens (26). The panel (25) is provided to correct spherical aberration caused by an irregular thickness of a transparent substrate of the optical disc (40). A control circuit (50) changes a spherical aberration correction signal SA to carry out sampling more than once, covering a range of the output of an optical sensor (31) where the output shows large changes. The circuit (50) determines the position of a peak of an approximation curve through calculation and designates that position as the magnitude of correction. Thus, the optical pickup (20) can quickly and accurately detect the magnitude of the correction of the spherical aberration caused by an irregular thickness of the optical disc (40).
US07715283B2
A method for storing information, in particular audio signals, received via radio, in particular broadcast radio, the received information being written to a first memory, where the information stored in the first memory is overwritten by newly received information, preferably no later than when the memory capacity of the first memory is exceeded by the sum of the information stored in the first memory, and where in response to a record command all or part of the information present in the first memory is transferred into a second memory. As a result, even when playback of information which is of interest to the user has already begun, the latter can nevertheless record the entire information unit, for example the whole piece of music, part of which has already been played back, in its entirety right from the beginning.
US07715282B2
A single day alarm clock includes circuitry for selecting an alarm mode to be an alarm-on mode or an alarm-off mode, circuitry for setting an alarm time at which an alarm will sound when the alarm mode is set to the alarm-on mode and circuitry for automatically setting the alarm mode to the alarm-off mode once the alarm has sounded in the alarm-on mode, thereby preventing the alarm from sounding the next day at the set alarm time.
US07715277B2
This invention relates to an interactive medication container or console that hold or otherwise organizes one or more medication vials or containers. Each vial has a memory strip containing medication and prescription information. Each vial can also include a reminder unit that is attached to and portable with the individual vials. The console or reminder unit reads the information strip of the vial and communicates this information to or interacts with a patient to remind them to take the medication. The medication container or reminder unit also gathers or tracks information such as consumption time, quantity remaining, patient feedback, and contraindication information. The medication container or reminder unit interacts with the patient by displaying questions or receiving and recording input from the patient before, during or after a dose of medication is taken. The patient input can be used to modify the dosing regimen for future doses of medication. The medication container reorders medication when the quantity remaining reaches a threshold level. Contraindication information in the memory strip is downloaded to a personal home computer or a hospital or nursing home computer.
US07715274B2
A seabed region (18) that lies under a seabed surface area of over one square meter, is analyzed by comparing a core sample taken near the middle of the region and/or data from a geotechnical insitu cone penetrometer installed at the middle of the region, to an acoustic analysis of the region. Locations of the acoustic analysis are precisely correlated to the location of the core test sample or cone test by mounting an acoustic imaging apparatus (16) that holds acoustic transducers (44, 46), on a carriage (26) that is positioned on the core drill (12) or cone penetrometer barrel staff. The carriage of the acoustic imager apparatus is clamped to the core drill when the core drill is not rotating. An arm (30 and/or 32) is supported on the carriage through a frame (28), with at least one acoustic generator (44) and one acoustic echo detector (46) mounted on the arm. The arm can be rotated to positions lying about the drill axis (14) to accurately scan a wide area.
US07715270B2
An address synchronous circuit includes an address control signal generating unit for generating a control signal in response to operation mode signals of a semiconductor memory and an internal clock signal, and an address synchronous unit for controlling output of an address which is buffered in accordance with a clock enable signal, in response to the control signal.
US07715262B2
In one embodiment, a hybrid DRAM is provided that includes: a sense amplifier including a differential amplifier and regenerative latch, wherein the differential amplifier and regenerative latch are constructed using core transistors that have a relatively thin gate oxide; and a plurality of memory cells coupled to the sense amplifier through a pair of bit lines, wherein each memory cell includes an access transistor coupled to a storage cell, the access transistor having a relatively thick gate oxide, whereby the storage capacitor is capable of being charged to a VIO power supply voltage that is greater than a VDD power supply voltage for the core transistors.
US07715261B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a layout for a semiconductor memory device that splits each memory bank into two blocks. Embodiments of the invention dispose input/output sense amplifiers between the two memory blocks to achieve relatively short global input/output lines to all areas of the memory bank. Shorter global input/output lines have less loading and therefore enable higher-speed data transfer rates. Some embodiments of the invention include column selection line repeaters between the two memory blocks. The column selection line repeaters reduce loading in the column selection lines, and increase column selection speed. Embodiments of the invention include both input/output sense amplifiers and column selection line repeaters disposed between the two memory blocks to increase data transfer rates on the global input/output lines and also increase column selection speed.
US07715256B2
An active termination circuit is used to set the input impedance of a plurality of input terminals. Each of the input terminals is coupled to a supply voltage through at least one PMOS transistor and to ground through at least one NMOS transistor. The impedances of the transistors are controlled by a control circuit that generates a first control signal to set the impedance of another PMOS transistor to be equal to a first predetermined resistance, and generates a second control signal to set the impedance of another NMOS transistor to be equal to a second predetermined resistance. The first control signal is used to control all of the PMOS transistors and the second control signal is used to control all of the NMOS transistors. As a result the PMOS and NMOS transistors coupled to each input terminal have impedances corresponding to the first and second resistances, respectively.
US07715252B2
A synchronous semiconductor memory device including a data alignment reference pulse generating unit configured to generate a data alignment reference pulse in response to a data strobe signal (DQS), an alignment hold signal generating unit configured to generate an alignment hold signal, which is activated during a period corresponding to a postamble of the data strobe signal, in response to the data alignment reference pulse and a data input clock, and a data alignment unit configured to align input data in response to the data alignment reference pulse and the alignment hold signal.
US07715250B2
Circuitry and a method for indicating a multiple-type memory is disclosed. The multiple-type memory includes memory blocks in communication with control logic blocks. The memory blocks and the control logic blocks are configured to emulate a plurality of memory types. The memory blocks can be configured into a plurality of vertically stacked memory planes. The vertically stacked memory planes may be used to increase data storage density and/or the number of memory types that can be emulated by the multiple-type memory. Each memory plane can emulate one or more memory types. The control logic blocks can be formed in a substrate (e.g., a silicon substrate including CMOS circuitry) and the memory blocks or the plurality of memory planes can be positioned over the substrate and in communication with the control logic blocks. The multiple-type memory may be non-volatile so that stored data is retained in the absence of power.
US07715245B2
A pipe latch device includes an output controller for outputting first and second output control signal groups based on a DLL clock signal and a driving signal; an input controller for generating an input control signal group; and a pipe latch unit for latching data on a data line when a corresponding input control signal is activated, and outputting latched data when a corresponding output control signal is activated, wherein the output controller includes a plurality of shifters, each for delaying an input data signal by half clock and one clock to output a first and second output signals in synchronization with the DLL clock signal and the driving signal; and a plurality of output control signal drivers for outputting the first and second output control signal groups based on the first and second output signals.
US07715241B2
A present invention relates to a method of erasing a P-channel non-volatile memory is provided. This P-channel non-volatile memory includes a select transistor and a memory cell connected in series and disposed on a substrate. In the method of erasing the P-channel non-volatile memory, holes are injected into a charge storage structure by substrate hole injection effect. Hence, the applied operational voltage is low, so the power consumption is lowered, and the efficiency of erasing is enhanced. As a result, an operational speed of the memory is accelerated, and the reliability of the memory is improved.
US07715236B2
Methods and structure for fault tolerant Non Volatile Memory (NVM) devices are provided. Readings of selected memory cells are compared to two thresholds above and below a neutral value. Consistency of comparison outputs is used to determine a good or bad reading. Parity bit correction can be used to correct bad readings.
US07715231B2
There is provided a flash memory device with multi-level cell and a reading and programming method thereof. The flash memory device with multi-level cell includes a memory cell array, a unit for precharging bit line, a bit line voltage supply circuit for supplying a voltage to the bit line, and first to third latch circuits each of which performs different function from each other. The reading and programming methods are performed by LSB and MSB reading and programming operations. A reading method in the memory device is achieved by reading an LSB two times and by reading an MSB one time. A programming method is achieved by programming an LSB one time and programming an MSB one time. Data having multi-levels can be programmed into memory cells by two times programming operations.
US07715226B2
An integrated circuit including circuitry configured to perform erase and write functions. One embodiment includes a programmable metallization memory cell, a conductive line connected to a first node of the memory cell, and a bitline connected to a second node of the memory cell. The memory device also includes circuitry configured to perform a write operation by applying a first voltage to the conductive line and a second voltage to the bitline, perform an erase operation by applying the second voltage to the conductive line and the first voltage to the bitline, and apply a voltage midway between the first voltage and the second voltage to the conductive line when the write operation and the erase operation are not being performed.
US07715225B2
According to an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a magneto-resistive memory cell. The magneto-resistive memory cell includes: a first ferromagnetic layer; a second ferromagnetic layer; and a nonmagnetic layer being disposed between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. The integrated circuit further includes a programming circuit configured to route a programming current through the magneto-resistive memory cell, wherein the programming current programs the magnetizations of the first ferromagnetic layer and of the second ferromagnetic layer by spin induced switching effects.
US07715223B2
The invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit device provided with an SRAM that satisfies the requirements for both the SNM and the write margin with a low supply voltage. The semiconductor integrated circuit device include: multiple static memory cells provided in correspondence with multiple word lines and multiple complimentary bit lines; multiple memory cell power supply lines that each supply an operational voltage to each of the multiple memory cells connected to the multiple complimentary bit lines each; multiple power supply circuits comprised of resistive units that each supply a power supply voltage to the memory cell power supply lines each; and a pre-charge circuit that supplies a pre-charge voltage corresponding to the power supply voltage to the complimentary bit lines, wherein the memory cell power supply lines are made to have coupling capacitances to thereby transmit a write signal on corresponding complimentary bit lines.
US07715221B2
A method and apparatus implementing domino static random access memory (SRAM) leakage current reduction include a local evaluation circuit coupled to true and complement bit lines of a pair of local SRAM cell groups, receives precharge signals and provides an output connected to a global dot line. A sleep input is applied to SRAM sleep logic and a write driver including sleep control. Data true and data complement outputs of the write driver are forced to a respective selected level to discharge the bit lines and global dot lines when the sleep input transitions high. Discharging the bit lines and global dot lines is implemented through gating in the write driver without requiring any additional devices in the local evaluation circuit.
US07715219B2
A non-volatile one time programmable memory cell couples in series a two terminal fuse and a three terminal antifuse. The non-volatile one time programmable memory cell includes a memory cell write enable node and a memory cell output node. The non-volatile one time programmable memory cell includes fuse having a first node and a second node, and an antifuse having a trigger node, a first node, and a second node. The trigger node is coupled to the memory cell write enable node. The first node of the antifuse and the second node of the fuse are coupled to the memory cell output node. First and second voltages appearing at the memory cell output node are indicative of first and second binary states of the memory cell. A plurality of such memory cells can be included in a non-volatile programmable memory array. A non-volatile programmable memory cell capable of re-programming is also included.
US07715217B2
A DC/DC converter includes a reactor, IGBT devices, a dead time generation unit, and a DC-CPU. The dead time generation unit operates in response to a reference signal for a duty ratio, to output first and second activation signals provided with an inactive period corresponding to a dead time preventing both of the IGBT devices from conducting. The DC-CPU corrects a tentative duty ratio calculated as based on a voltage control value, in accordance with a value of a current flowing through the reactor, to output the reference signal. Preferably the DC-CPU associates the value of the current of the reactor with three states and when the value approaches a value at which a state transitions to a different state, the DC-CPU gradually switches a correction value.
US07715208B2
A configurable multi-faceted input/output (I/O) panel may be used in a computer or electronic device to present multiple I/O interfaces to a user. The configurable multi-faceted I/O panels may be configured by a user such that one of a plurality of different I/O faces is accessible to the user. Of course, many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.
US07715204B2
Wiring an IC, using flexible circuits, by relating a circuit board to an IC and using traces on the circuit board as a second set of input to the IC. More specifically, a set of first lands on the circuit board are connected to a first set of lands on the IC. The circuit board and IC are positioned so as to present a second set of lands on the circuit board in close proximity to a second set of lands on the IC. A first flex circuit is connected to the second lands on the circuit board while a second flex circuit is connected to the second lands on the IC. The flex circuits may be connected to signal wires or may serve themselves as the main signal wires.
US07715200B2
A stacked semiconductor module, a method of fabricating the same, and an electronic system using the module are provided. A first semiconductor module having a plurality of semiconductor devices mounted on a rigid printed circuit board (PCB) and a second semiconductor module having a plurality of other semiconductor devices mounted on a flexible PCB are provided. On the rigid PCB a number L of first tabs may be disposed on a first surface, and a number K of second tabs may be disposed on a second surface of the rigid PCB. The flexible PCB may have a number M of third tabs on a third surface, and a number N of fourth tabs on a fourth surface of the flexible PCB. The second tabs may be combined with the third tabs using a conductive adhesive. The third tabs may be electrically connected to corresponding ones of the second tabs.
US07715199B2
An interface card installation apparatus for fixing an interface card includes a base and a rotating pressing means. The base may be assembled on a case. The case has an interface card flange. The interface card has a bracket. The bracket is contacted with the interface card flange. The base has a coupling portion and the rotating pressing means may be rotated to couple with the coupling portion of the base for fixing the rotating pressing means and the bracket pressed.
US07715182B2
A rack mount drive blade system having a chassis and a drive blade. The chassis has at least one blade bay to accept a drive blade, where the chassis accepts the drive blade into the blade bay with the drive blade in a horizontal orientation. Each blade bay has chassis to blade electrical contacts including at least one cable having a length, for making electrical connections between the chassis and the drive blade. Each blade bay also has slot portions for engaging the drive blade along a length of the drive blade. The chassis has at least one module bay to accept a shared resource module, where each module bay has chassis to module electrical contacts, for making electrical connections between the chassis and the shared resource module. The drive blade has a printed circuit board for providing electrical connections to and from components on the drive blade. The drive blade has at least one hard drive, and drive blade electrical contacts for making electrical connections to the chassis through the at least one cable. The drive blade has rail portions disposed along the length of the drive blade, the rail portions for engaging the slot portions of the bay. The drive blade can be at least partially removed from the chassis without breaking the electrical connections between the chassis and the drive blade.
US07715177B2
A power supply securing system includes a securing bracket (30) and a computer case (50). The securing bracket includes a securing portion (371), and is capable of receiving a power supply (10). The computer case includes a first side panel (53) and a second side panel (55) that is parallel to the first side panel. The first side panel includes a blocking member (533) capable of abutting the securing bracket and a securing piece (531) received by the securing bracket. The second side panel includes a tab (555). The securing bracket is pivotably mounted to the computer case about the securing piece and the securing bracket is capable of moving between a first position and a second position. The tab is engaged with the securing portion in the first position and is not engaged with the securing portion in the second position.
US07715169B2
Apparatus for electrically isolating interconnecting station nozzle and vehicle receptacle components during the refueling of high pressure gas into a vehicle tank comprising an electrically isolated vehicle tank inlet receptacle engageable with a refueling nozzle wherein the receptacle includes an assembly of mutually engageable electrically insulating media in conjunction with the vehicle receptacle mount to prevent electrical contact from the refueling nozzle to the vehicle chassis and gas tank in the refueling gas flow conduit system.
US07715164B2
An embedded type multifunctional integrated structure and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The present invention utilizes the concept of multi-layer design to integrated more than two passive components on a component structure that would be adhered to a substrate. Hence, the embedded type multifunctional integrated structure has an OCP function, an OVP function, an anti-EMI function, and an anti-ESD function at the same time. Therefore, the present invention effectively integrated two or more than one passive components in order to increase function of the embedded type multifunctional integrated structure. Moreover, the present invention effectively reduces the size of the passive components on a PCB and reduces the number of solder joints.
US07715160B2
A method and an apparatus for monitoring a load driven by a power semiconductor switch. The method may comprise, for example: driving a control electrode of the power semiconductor switch, in such a way that a rise in the load current through the power semiconductor switch is effected after a delay time; generating a diagnostic current flowing through the load, wherein the diagnostic current brings about a voltage drop across the load before the delay time has elapsed; and evaluating the voltage drop across the load before the delay time has elapsed.
US07715158B2
A ground detector circuit in the form of a live ground detector circuit. This live ground detector circuit can be combined with a circuit interrupting device. The circuit interrupting device can have a grounding conductive path, and a set of contacts which are configured to break an electrical connection between input and output terminals on the circuit interrupting device when operated. The ground detector when combined with a circuit interrupter, triggers the circuit interrupter into a fault condition when the detector circuit detects the presence of a signal or a fault.
US07715157B2
A small-scale semiconductor device having several trimming portions is disclosed. The device includes an auxiliary voltage regulator circuit outputting an output voltage and having a first trimming unit for adjusting the output voltage output from the auxiliary voltage regulator circuit; an auxiliary circuit comparing a first voltage with a second voltage and performing a prescribed operation based on the compared result, where the first voltage is in proportion to the output voltage of the auxiliary voltage regulator circuit and the second voltage is generated by a detecting unit, the auxiliary circuit including a second trimming unit for adjusting the first voltage; and a single test terminal, connected to receive any one of the first voltage and the second voltage, provided as an external terminal of the semiconductor device so as to adjust both the first and the second trimming units.
US07715154B2
An apparatus comprises a ferromagnetic free layer having a first magnetic moment and having a magnetization that rotates in response to an external magnetic field, a first ferromagnetic reference layer positioned adjacent to a first side of the ferromagnetic free layer and having a second magnetic moment that is greater than the first magnetic moment of the ferromagnetic free layer, a second ferromagnetic reference layer positioned adjacent to a second side of the ferromagnetic free layer and having a third magnetic moment that is greater than the first magnetic moment of the ferromagnetic free layer, a first non-magnetic spacer layer positioned between the ferromagnetic free layer and the first ferromagnetic reference layer, a second non-magnetic spacer layer positioned between the ferromagnetic free layer and the second ferromagnetic reference layer, and a source of magnetic field for biasing the first and second ferromagnetic reference layers.
US07715151B2
A microactuator includes: a base to be joined to a flexure; a pair of arms joined to the base; and PZT devices, mounted on the arms, to be deformed in an expanding or contracting manner based on driving signals applied, and the microactuator holds the side faces of the magnetic head slider between the arms. The length of each arm is set to a length same as or shorter than that of the magnetic head slider in a longitudinal direction.
US07715145B2
In a particular embodiment, a controller is adapted to control a spindle motor that controls rotation of at least one rotatable disc of a storage device. The controller is adapted to increase a spindle speed associated with the spindle motor to an unload spindle speed that is greater than an operating spindle speed during a ramp unload operation.
US07715133B2
A method of the present invention duplicates data of a source medium to target media. The source medium is stored ground data and effective data, wherein the ground data are repeated to fill up the source medium and the effective data overwrite some of the ground data. Next, reading data of the source medium and comparing the data to the ground data. If the data are not as same as the ground data, then copy the data to the at least one target medium. If the data are as same as the ground data, then read the next t data of the source medium and repeating the comparing step.
US07715118B2
A macro lens system includes a positive first lens group, a diaphragm, a positive second lens group, and a negative third lens group. Upon focusing from an object at an infinite distance to an object at a closer distance, the positive first lens group and the positive second lens group integrally move toward the object without changing a distance therebetween with respect to the negative third lens group which is stationary with respect to an imaging plane in a camera body. The positive first lens group includes a negative first lens sub-lens group and a positive second sub-lens group which are divided at a maximum distance between lens elements in the positive first lens group. The macro lens system satisfies specified conditions.
US07715115B2
A lens device comprises: an image-formation optical system that converges an incident luminous flux at an imaging element, to form an image; a diaphragm mechanism provided in the image-formation optical system; and a filter section that is provided on a subject side of the imaging element and through which the luminous flux incident on the image-formation optical system travels, wherein the filter section comprises: an infrared-ray cutoff filter; and a neutral density filter, and wherein the lens device further comprises a filter switching mechanism that places the infrared-ray cutoff filter and the neutral density filter in a range through which the luminous flux travels at the time of photographing of a high-luminance subject.
US07715096B2
A light diffusing screen for a single light source-type rear projection television, for use in combination with a Fresnel lens sheet, which can reduce scintillation and, regulate the surface roughness of the screen and provide good images. The light diffusing screen includes: a lens layer which can horizontally refract projected light; and a light diffusing layer provided on a light outgoing side as compared with the lens layer. The light diffusing layer includes a light transparent matrix and light diffusing fine particles formed of a light transparent material dispersed in the light transparent matrix. The light diffusing layer has a multilayer structure of which the outermost layer on the light outgoing side of the light diffusing layer is a layer which diffuses light most strongly, the outermost surface layer on the light outgoing side in the light diffusing screen having a surface roughness Ra of 0.2 μm≦Ra≦1.0 μm.
US07715090B2
An optical device for generating a beat frequency between two optical wavelengths includes two waveguides (2a, 2b) of different width and a grating layer (4) that is common to both wave guides.
US07715081B1
A number of electro-optic modulation systems, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed. For example, one radio frequency photonic link with differential drive to an optical resonator electro-optic modulator includes an optically resonant body having a surface for receiving an optical carrier beam, a first electrode for receiving a first electrical signal to the resonator body, and a second electrode for receiving a second electrical signal to the resonator body that is different than the first electrical signal.
US07715066B2
Document reading apparatus, image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and copying machine
An opening detector detects a state of a platen whether the platen is “opened” at a level equal to or above a set opening degree or “closed” at a level less than the set opening degree. A reading controller starts lighting of an illumination lamp in response to a change of the state of the platen from the “opened” to the “closed”. A rising detector detects a rising of light intensity of the illumination lamp. A size detector reads an image signal of an imaging element after the rising detector detects a rising of the light intensity, determines presence of a document in a main scanning direction, and decides a document size in the main scanning direction.
US07715065B2
An image processing apparatus includes a detecting unit that detects whether image data for each of the lines in generated image information is chromatic or achromatic; and a determining unit that determines whether the original is chromatic or achromatic based on a detection result of the detecting unit for a first area of the image information, excluding a detection result for a predetermined second area of the image information, the predetermined second area including an end line among the lines in a scanning direction of the original.
US07715063B2
A light-transmissive constant velocity transport platen. A light source is an integral part of the light-transmissive platen forming a light guide illuminator. The constant velocity transport integrated illuminator uses total internal reflection within the light-transmissive platen as well as frustrated total internal reflection at extraction surfaces to direct light out from an aperture to a document translated by a constant velocity transport system. For point light source, the system uses a deflector to avoid hot spots in the illumination profile. The deflector is no longer needed when line source is used in the constant velocity transport integrated illuminator.
US07715053B2
A printing method for performing a halftone process on image data representing input tone values of pixels constituting an original image to determine dot formation on each print pixel of a print image to be formed on a print medium, generating dot data representing the determined dot formation, and forming a dot on each of the print pixels for generating the print image according to the dot data. The step of generating the print image includes mutually combining dots formed on print pixels belonging to each of a plurality of pixel groups in a common print area, the plurality of pixel groups having a physical difference at dot formation, the dot formation being performed with respect to each of the pixel groups. A plurality of pixel groups having a physical commonality for the dot formation among the plurality of pixel groups constitute a pixel group family. The halftone process is configured to give specified characteristics with a first dot pattern being formed on print pixels of the print image, a second dot pattern being formed on print pixels belonging to each of the plurality of pixel groups, and a third dot pattern being formed on print pixels belonging to the pixel group family.
US07715048B2
A print-data generating apparatus utilizes advantages of both a printed matter and electronic data. Information to be contained on a sheet of paper is separated into secret information and public information. The public information is presented such that the content thereof can be made public on a sheet. The secret information is embedded in the sheet as watermark image data, which is reversibly convertible electronic data. Print data based on a portion including the public information and a portion including the secret information is generated on the same sheet and a printed matter is printed. Accordingly, information contained on paper is prevented from leaking, and the convenience of paper is ensured.
US07715043B2
A method of computing swath data in response to a digital image having a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, each pixel having a multitone code value, the swath data suitable for commanding an inkjet printer containing at least one printhead having plurality of nozzles, wherein the inkjet printer is capable of ejecting ink drops in response to the swath data.
US07715042B2
Utilizing an ink set that includes a plurality of chromatic primary color inks that, when used in combination, can reproduce achromatic color, and at least one spot color ink of hue different from any of the plurality of chromatic primary color inks. Color to be reproduced on a print medium according to any one input color is termed “reproduction color”, and the combination of ink quantities in the ink set for reproducing the reproduction color on the print medium is termed the “color separation ink quantity set.” The ink quantity of the spot color ink included in the color separation ink quantity set is adjusted in accordance with a lightness parameter value which is correlated to lightness of reproduction color, so as to reduce ink quantity at a rate of change greater than the rate of change of the lightness parameter in the direction of increasing brightness.
US07715041B2
A method for producing a content data file for a desired print job including a plurality of customized versions of a printable work includes the step of receiving an electronic template of the printable work including a common portion and a customizable portion. A form accessible via a network is developed to allow each of a plurality of users to associate a corresponding customized content with the customizable portion via the network. The corresponding customized content together with the template defines a corresponding customized version of the printable work. A desired number of copies is associated with each customized version of the printable work, and the customized versions of the printable work and the corresponding desired number of copies are aggregated to produce a content data file for the desired print job.
US07715040B2
An image processing apparatus selectively sets a feature of securing the confidentiality of real data indicated by allocation data by an enabler attached to the apparatus when the real data left in a storage device are no longer necessary. The image processing apparatus (100) stores in a memory (11) an erasing program for erasing used data in an HDD (19). After executing an image forming process using the data in the HDD 19, if it is detected that an enabler (1) is inserted into an USB interface 20 to lift the restriction on the use of the erasing program, a CPU (10) deletes the allocation data for the unnecessary data and starts the erasing program to overwrite/erase the corresponding real data to secure the confidentiality of the real data. If otherwise, the CPU (10) does not overwrite/erase the real data.
US07715036B2
A mobile telecommunications device including: a first receiver for receiving signals from a mobile telephony system; a first transmitter for transmitting signals over the mobile telephony system; and a stylus allowing the user to use the mobile telecommunications device as a writing or drawing device.
US07715023B2
A jig mounting apparatus has a detection optical system that detects reference marker of an eyeglass lens, is configured so as to determine an mounting point based on the reference marker detected by the detection optical system and position the mounting center of jig, which is used in processing the eyeglass lens, on the mounting point to mount the jig on the surface of the eyeglass lens, in which the detection optical system includes: a focusing optical system that focuses a light-emitting optical flux from a light source on the surface of the eyeglass lens, where hidden marks are formed, via an aperture stop; a reflection plate that reflects an optical flux focused by the focusing optical system and passed through the eyeglass lens; and an imaging device that is provided on a position optically approximately conjugate with the aperture stop and configured to focus on a space portion along an optical axis direction from the surface of the eyeglass lens.
US07715021B2
The invention provides a microscope for measuring the surface profile of an object, including (1) an illumination module which directs illumination radiation with different wavelengths to different surface portions of the object in such a way that a predetermined object intersection length range is illuminated for every portion, and (2) a detection module which detects sample radiation of every portion successively in time. Wherein the detection module directs the sample radiation into a detection beam path via a scanner and confocally images another wavelength of the sample radiation in a plane for every intersection length to be detected. The detection module also detects the intensity of the confocally imaged sample radiation in a wavelength-dependent manner and derives therefrom the position of the corresponding surface portion of the object. Wherein the detection module has a color module arranged between the scanner and the plane, through which the sample radiation passes.
US07715017B2
An apparatus and a method for measuring very small separations between a transparent or semi-transparent first body and a second body, wherein one or more light sources produce light that is split into two distinct paths. One path is directed through the first body at two locations, one where it reflects from the interface at the separation to be measured, and another where the second body does not affect the reflection. The second path is directed at a frequency shifter, which shifts the frequency of the light. The two paths are recombined and interfereometric variations of intensity, substantially at the frequency of the shifter, are detected. The difference in phase between the measurement and reference areas with the second body not present is subtracted from the difference in phase between the measurement and reference areas with the second body present. The difference in differences yields the phase change that occurs when the second body is introduced. Using this phase change and the optical properties of the bodies and the medium between them, the separation is calculated. The preferred embodiment applies to the field of magnetic recording on hard disk drives and is used to measure the spacing or “flying height” between a transparent or semi-transparent replica of a magnetic recording disk and an actual recording head.
US07715016B2
An image invariant optical speckle capturing device and method. A highly coherent light is used to illuminate a surface and is scattered by the surface, and is captured from the direction with a ±10° from the angle of specular reflection. A light restrictive module is designed to confine the angular field of view of the sensor, when the speckle capturing device has a relative motion with respect to the surface, the speckle only move on the image but the shape and the intensity are almost keep constant, that is favorable for high accuracy optical pattern recognition and positioning.
US07715006B2
A compact optical system for a particle analyzer and particle analyzer using same are provided. The optical system for a particle analyzer of the present invention comprises a light source, an irradiation optical system for irradiating particles passing through a flow cell with light from the light source, a photodetector for receiving the scattered light from the particles, a light shielding member for blocking the direct light from the light source from impinging the photodetector, and a detecting lens for directing the scattered light toward the photodetector, wherein the irradiation optical system forms a first focus that focuses the light from the light source on the particle passing through the flow cell, and forms a second focus that focuses the light from the light source at a position between the detecting lens and photodetector, and disposes the light shielding member at the position of the second focus.
US07715003B2
In one aspect, the present invention generally provides methods for fabricating substrates for use in a variety of analytical and/or diagnostic applications. Such a substrate can be generated by exposing a semiconductor surface (e.g., silicon surface) to a plurality of short laser pulses to generate micron-sized, and preferably submicron-sized, structures on the surface. The structured surface can then be coated with a thin metallic layer, e.g., one having a thickness in a range of about 10 nm to about 1000 nm.
US07714991B1
A fiber optic optical subassembly configuration for monitoring fibers. The configuration includes a hollow container, a laser for emitting laser signals towards the fibers being monitored, a photodetector for monitoring reflected laser signals from the fibers being monitored and for monitoring laser output power, a beam splitter and an optical fiber. The optical fiber, disposed within the hollow container, has a coated end face surface, the laser emits signals toward and through the beam splitter, whereby a portion of the laser signal illuminates the photodetector, and another portion traverses down the optical fiber toward the coated end face surface and reflects off the coated end face surface toward the fibers that are being monitored, and reflects back from the fibers being monitored to the photodetector such that faults on the fibers can be detected.
US07714985B2
At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a projection optical system that projects an image of a pattern of a first object onto a second object includes a first image forming optical system, a second image forming optical system, and a light-shielding member. The first image forming optical system forms an intermediate image of the pattern, and includes a concave mirror and a reflecting mirror. The concave mirror has a reflecting surface opposing the second object. The reflecting mirror directs light from the first object to the concave mirror. The second image forming optical system forms an image of the intermediate image onto the second object, and includes a lens. The light-shielding member is disposed between the concave mirror and the lens.
US07714981B2
In a lithographic apparatus, a slip of a patterning device relative to a support, the support being constructed to support the patterning device, may be provided by: measuring a position of the support relative to a structure of the lithographic apparatus; measuring a position of the patterning device relative to the structure of the lithographic apparatus; determining a correlation between the position of the patterning device and the position of the support; and deriving from the correlation a slip of the patterning device relative to the support. The structure may include a projection system to project a radiation beam patterned by the patterning device onto a target portion of the substrate. The projection system may be connected to a frame, such as a metrology frame of the lithographic apparatus.
US07714980B2
An exposure apparatus has a projection optical system configured to project an image of a reticle pattern onto a substrate, and exposes the substrate via liquid supplied to a space between the substrate and the projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes an oxygen removal unit configured to reduce dissolved oxygen in the liquid by bringing the liquid into contact with a gas other than oxygen, and a degassing unit configured to reduce a dissolved gas in the liquid.
US07714976B2
An optical resin sheet includes a cured resin layer containing glass fiber, wherein the ratio of the elastic modulus of the glass fiber to the elastic modulus of a cured resin material, which forms the cured resin layer, is 25 or more. With the thus arranged optical resin sheet, stress is applied to the glass fiber, thereby reducing the phenomenon of occurrence of birefringence, and when it is applied to a display device, there is achieved a significantly small light leakage in an oblique direction. The optical resin sheet is capable of achieving excellent display quality of an image display device such as a liquid crystal display device, as well as keeping the coefficient of thermal expansion lower and the mechanical strength higher.
US07714958B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device and the like with high visibility by forming a marker for alignment without increasing an additional step, thereby enabling alignment with high accuracy and reduction in time required for an inspection process in addition to suppressing reduction in yield. A pattern formed over an active matrix substrate which is one of a pair of substrates arranged to be opposed to each other and has a pixel portion is formed as a first marker for alignment, and an opening portion of a light-shielding film formed over an opposite substrate which is the other one of the pair of substrates is formed as a second marker for the alignment. It is to be noted that, by conducting alignment using these markers, alignment of the active matrix substrate and the opposite substrate with high accuracy can be conducted.
US07714954B2
Light-emitting elements can be accurately directly opposed to the entrance surface of a light guide at an accurate distance therefrom, and can be mounted on a single side of a printed circuit board together with other electronic components, whereby the number of manufacturing steps and the thickness of a liquid crystal display device can be reduced. The light guide and the printed circuit board are disposed on the back surface of the liquid crystal display panel, and the respective light-emitting elements are inserted through through-holes formed to extend through the printed circuit board, with the light-emitting portions of the respective light-emitting elements opposed to the entrance surface of the light guide. The light-emitting elements, together with the other electronic components, are mounted on the printed circuit board from one side. Electrodes of the light-emitting elements are bridged and secured to a mounting surface of the printed circuit board.
US07714953B2
A display device has a laminated body including a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate, and an inside frame for supporting the laminated body. A polarizing plate is provided on a first surface as one main surface of the first glass substrate, and a part of a second surface as one main surface of the second glass substrate faces a third surface as the other surface of the first glass substrate via a liquid crystal member. And a driver for controlling the liquid crystal is provided at the non-face-to-face area of the end of the second surface where the second surface does not face the third surface. An inside frame has a fifth surface which faces a fourth surface as the other main surface of the second glass substrate via the polarizing plate, and is formed with a notch at the end of the fifth surface on the side of the non-face-to-face area.
US07714946B2
An liquid crystal lens for improving a viewing angle and reducing crosstalk caused at the center of an electrode in a multi-view stereoscopic display fashion using an increased number of views per a viewing zone, and a stereoscopic display device using the same are disclosed. The display device includes a display panel having a plurality of sub-pixels in a matrix pattern to emit a 2-dimensional image signal, and an electrically-driven liquid crystal lens located at an upper surface of the display panel and including lens regions having a crosswise width equal to “m”, a multiple of a crosswise width of a single sub-pixel and a lengthwise width equal to “n”, a multiple of a lengthwise width of the sub-pixel, the lens regions of one line being shifted more than the lens regions of a following line by a distance “a” when viewed from a column direction.
US07714944B2
The main object of the present invention is to present a projection system excellent in visibility from inside of projection system to outside, and capable of obtaining a sharp contrast display without being influenced by the ambient light.The present invention provides a projection system comprising: a projection screen, containing a substrate and a polarized light selective-reflection layer formed on the substrate and diffuse-reflects right-handed circularly polarized light or left-handed circularly polarized light, which displays an image by reflecting an image light irradiated from a projector; a projector for projecting an image light on the projection screen; and an external light screen installed at an external light entrance, disposed in a sequence of a linearly polarizing plate and a retardation plate from an external side, and circularly polarizes a light in reverse direction to the circularly polarized light diffuse-reflected by the polarized light-selective reflection layer, wherein a transmission axis of the linearly polarizing plate is in vertical direction.
US07714942B2
A projector assembly having a mobile terminal, a first light source and a projection lens is provided. The mobile terminal has a display and a body where the display includes a first flat display panel and the body includes an input device. The first light source supplies light to the first flat display panel. The first flat display panel displays images using the light from the first light source. The projection lens projects the images displayed in the first flat display panel.
US07714940B2
A method and apparatus enables a user to assign a given key on an input device to any specific device on a data bus network connected to the apparatus, and thereby enables the user to quickly select the specific device for control using the given key. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes steps of enabling a user to assign a key on an input device of the apparatus to a device on the data bus network that is indirectly connected to the apparatus, and enabling the user to select the device for control responsive to an input of the assigned key.
US07714936B1
An apparatus and method is provided for converting digital images for use in an imaging system. The apparatus includes a data memory which stores digital data representing an image having a circular or spherical field of view such as an image captured by a fish-eye lens, a control input for receiving a signal for selecting a portion of the image, and a converter responsive to the control input for converting digital data corresponding to the selected portion into digital data representing a planar image for subsequent display. Various methods include the steps of storing digital data representing an image having a circular or spherical field of view, selecting a portion of the image, and converting the stored digital data corresponding to the selected portion into digital data representing a planar image for subsequent display. In various embodiments, the data converter and data conversion step may use an orthogonal set of transformation algorithms.
US07714916B2
In a solid-state imaging device, a primary color Bayer color filter is provided on an imaging pixel area defined by pixels having different structures. Color-component filters for the same color in the color filter are disposed correspondingly to pixels having the same structure. More specifically, pixels are arranged in consideration of the arrangement of color-component filters of the color filter, or the color-component filters are arranged in consideration of the arrangement of the pixels.
US07714913B2
An optical black level control circuit comprises a digital black level adjusting circuit for generating a black level correction signal by digital processing using a given time constant when an output error between an optical black level and a reference optical black level signal is within a predetermined range so that an error becomes less than a predetermined value and an analog black level adjusting circuit for compensating for said error when said error exceeds the predetermined range.
US07714908B2
A method of tracking digital images includes inputting data identifying a subject of an image into a camera, acquiring an image with the camera, and storing the image and the inputted data, as metadata, in an image file when the image is acquired. The method can be implemented using a scanner, a digital camera, and a data processor. The scanner obtains the identifying data and transmits the data to the camera. The camera obtains digital images and embeds the data into digital image files encoding the digital images. The identifying data has a format different from any of the formats processable by the digital camera. The data processor converts the format of the identifying data to one of the plurality of formats processable by the digital camera loads the converted information into the digital camera as metadata.
US07714907B1
A portable image capture device, program and method for controlling and managing data captured thereby. A device program residing on the portable image capture device generally associates data processing attributes with image files generated for image data captured by the portable image capture device. In some embodiments, the device program associates data processing attributes related to prompts for pre-defined image data with corresponding image files generated in response to the prompts. The device program, and attribute and prompt data therefor are created on a data processing system and are transferrable therefrom to the portable image capture device.
US07714906B2
According to the present invention, groups each of whose number of photographed image data is large and whose photographing dates/times are consecutive are integrated as an important group, so that image data, for example, corresponding to a series of images photographed during event or the like over a few days can be classified into an important group automatically, and a level of importance of the image data can be calculated. Thereby, retrieving of stored images is facilitated and utilization rate of images can be increased.
US07714898B2
Embodiments provide for an image capture device having a learning function. Briefly described, one embodiment comprises at least one manual control adapted to generate a control signal that controls image capture operation, the control operable by a user of the image capture device; at least one sensor adapted to sense an operating condition during image capture; a first element adapted to analyse inputs from the sensor to learn at least one associated operating condition, and adapted to analyse the control signal to learn a corresponding preference of the user; a second element adapted to predict a value corresponding to the control signal and the associated operating condition; and a third element adapted to compare the predicted value and the control signal, and adapted to determine a confidence level from the compared predicted value and control signal, wherein the confidence level corresponds to a degree of confidence in the predicted value.
US07714890B2
An image pickup apparatus configured to pick up a still image includes an image pickup device having a plurality of pixels to convert an object image formed by an optical system to an electric charge. A pixel reading circuit operates in either a first reading mode for reading electric charges obtained from the respective pixels of the image pickup device on a pixel by pixel basis or a second reading mode for adding and reading the electric charges obtained from the respective pixels of the image pickup device. A controller evaluates camera shake during exposure. When an evaluation level of the shake is greater than a predetermined level, this controller controls the pixel reading circuit to operate in the second reading mode. when the evaluation level is smaller than the predetermined level, the controller controls the pixel reading circuit to operate in the first reading mode.
US07714889B2
A digital camera with an auto exposure setting that adjusts the image data captured by the CCD in response to the lighting conditions at image capture; and, an image processor for processing image data from the CCD and storing the processed data; wherein, the image processor is adapted to use information from the auto exposure setting relating to the lighting conditions at image capture when processing the image data from the CCD.
US07714871B2
A system and method are provided for controlling a display unit of a mobile terminal which allows for enhanced display capabilities. A controller of the mobile terminal includes an output buffer region allocated within an external memory of the controller to receive and store screen data, and a display interface to transmit the screen data directly to the display unit. Screen data is stored and transmitted based on a clock cycle associated with an internal bus of the controller, thereby increasing display speed and maximizing the capabilities of a high performance, high speed display unit.
US07714869B2
Techniques that enable users (e.g., animators) to accurately animate models in a scene without having to load all the models involved in the scene concurrently in computer memory. For a particular model that a user wishes to animate, only a minimal set of models involved in the scene that are needed for the particular model to evaluate correctly are determined and loaded into computer memory. Additionally, if a particular model is to be unloaded from computer memory, then all models that depend, either directly or indirectly, on the particular model and that are loaded in memory are also unloaded from memory in order to avoid incorrect animation.
US07714865B2
A method of rendering an image one or more pixels at a time in scanline order, wherein the image includes objects described by one or more levels, includes the steps of identifying at least one edge of the objects, with the at least one edge intersecting a first scanline, and building a compositing list for at least one identified edge. The compositing list includes levels that are activated on the first scanline at the identified edge and that contribute to at least one pixel on the first scanline in the rendered image. Additional steps include caching one or more of the compositing lists, wherein each cached compositing list is associated with a corresponding edge, checking, for a current edge intersecting a second scanline subsequent to the first scanline, whether the cached compositing list associated with the current edge is valid for the current edge on the second scanline, retrieving the cached compositing list if the checking step indicates that the cached compositing list is valid, and rendering one or more pixels on the second scanline using the retrieved compositing list.
US07714858B2
The disclosed embodiments relate to a rendering cluster that renders an image of a scene object. The rendering cluster may comprise an illumination node that produces illumination output based on lighting properties of the scene object and a material node that produces material output based on material properties of the scene object. The illumination output is combined with the material output to form the image.
US07714855B2
An intersection of a cut plane with a proxy geometry representing a scan volume is determined with a processor. The intersection is simplified, such as identifying a quadrilateral or triangle most closely enclosing the intersection. The vertex processor of a GPU deforms a reference grid and determines Cartesian coordinates and the texture coordinates for grid points of the reference grid as a function of the input intersection. The vertex processor provides coordinates for data for subsets of cut planes. The fragment processor inputs the texture coordinates and retrieves the data from the texture memory. The data is blended. The blended subsets are then blended together in the frame buffer of the GPU.
US07714853B2
A display device and its method are proposed in the present invention. First, at least one input parameter sent from a host is received and the display device then produces an output image according to the input parameter for displaying the output image. The display device includes a scaling module and a digital display module. The scaling module receives the input parameter. Next, the scaling module receives an input image sent from the host to produce the output image in accordance with the input parameter. Finally, the output image is transmitted to the digital display module to display the output image.
US07714852B1
In an exemplary method, a filter driver on a computer system receives notification of an event during which a display screen on a display device of the computer system should be blank. An example of such an event is a remote management operation being performed on the computer system. The filter driver receives messages that are directed to a display driver for the display device. The filter driver receives the messages before they are received by the display driver. Some of the messages may comprise a power on message that, if received by the display driver, would cause the display screen to be powered on. The filter driver discards each power on message that is received during the event so that the display driver does not receive any power on messages during the event.
US07714849B2
A method and apparatus are provided for controlling at least one function of a motor vehicle utilizing a member such as a touch pad or touch screen for receiving inputs of the driver thereof, which member is generally located on the dashboard of the vehicle and may be plastic and curvilinear and may contain actuation devices such as knobs, sliders and switches. A computer analyzes data inputted by the driver and an active tactile feedback signal may be provided to the touch member to signal the driver.
US07714847B2
A capacitive touchpad comprises two traces with a plurality of first and second sensors coupled thereto respectively, and the first and second sensors are arranged interlaced and uneven spaced to each other. By detecting the capacitance variances produced by the sensors from the traces, phase leading or lagging Z-axis signals are generated to determine the moving direction of a finger sliding on the capacitive touchpad.
US07714843B1
A method and system for visually tracking a point of contact of an optical output from a computer input device includes an internal camera configured to visually track the point of contact of the optical output against a surface and an optical source to transmit the optical output from the computer input device. The camera also transmits the position of the point of contact as a computer input. In one form, the computer applies the position of the point of contact as an input to an application operating on the computer, such as a gaming application. In one form, the camera can visually track the movement of the computer input device along a surface.
US07714842B2
The present invention provides an intelligent mouse includes a physical environment conditions detector for sampling physical environment conditions in the intelligent mouse, a physical condition adjustor for adjusting the physical environment conditions; and a microprocessor unit for processing operations of the intelligent mouse. The microprocessor unit comprises a memory for storing a reference physical condition value represented a modest physical condition range; and an environment controller for processing the physical condition values and outputting a controlling command to the physical condition adjustor. The intelligent mouse can measure physical environment conditions automatically and adjust the physical environment conditions into a modest range automatically.
US07714835B2
The invention relates to an opto-electronic input device (10), wherein the input is formed by detected movements of an object (M), which opto-electronic input device is provided with an optical module (11) comprising at least one laser (1) mounted on a carrier plate (4), which laser emits a radiation beam (S) that is guided to a plate (V) close to the object (M) and, after reflection therefrom, causes a change in the resonant cavity of the laser (1) which is representative of the movement of the object (M), and which is measured within the module (11). According to the invention, the plate (V) close to the object (M) comprises, within a projection of the object (M), a first portion (VI) through which the beam (S) can pass and which has a fixed position with respect to the carrier plate (4), and a second portion (V2) which is movable in a direction perpendicular to the carrier plate (4) and which comprises signal means which, when they are moved, provide a signal that is observable by a user of the device (10). In this way, the device (10) provides feedback to a human user through his tactile sense and preferably also through his auditory sense. The invention also comprises a method of manufacturing such a device and a method of inputting the movement of an object (M) using such a device.
US07714831B2
Described herein are systems and methods that reduce power consumption for an electronics device that includes a display. The power conservation systems and methods alter background video information not needed for interactive use when a user returns to a display after some period of inactivity. Power conservation also preserves video information for one or more graphical user interface items. Preserving a graphics item maintains a person's ability to detect the graphical user interface item, and return to it at a later time, even though the background video information has been altered to conserve power.
US07714822B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a noise-receiving module for receiving external noise signals, a liquid crystal display module, and a frequency-switching means for switching scanning frequencies of the liquid crystal display module according to frequencies of the noise signals received by the noise-receiving module.
US07714818B2
A light emitting device and an element substrate which are capable of suppressing variations in the luminance intensity of a light emitting element among pixels due to characteristic variations of a driving transistor without suppressing off-current of a switching transistor low and increasing storage capacity of a capacitor. According to the invention, a driving transistor also serves as an erasing transistor and the driving transistor is operated in a saturation region. The gate of the driving transistor is connected to an erasing scan line and it can be selected whether or not to flow current by a potential of the erasing scan line. In addition, a current controlling transistor which operates in a linear region is connected in series to the driving transistor, thus a video signal transmitting a light emission or non-emission of a pixel is input to the gate of the current controlling transistor through a switching transistor.
US07714817B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device for reducing the number of lines of an organic light emitting diode panel is provided. The OLED display device includes first and second data lines; a power voltage supply line supplied with a power supply voltage; a gate line crossing the first data line, the second data line and the power voltage supply line; first and second organic light emitting diodes commonly connected to the power voltage supply line; a first organic light emitting diode driving circuit for driving the first organic light emitting diode with a data voltage from the first data line in response to a scanning signal from the gate line; and a second organic light emitting diode driving circuit for driving the second organic light emitting diode with a data voltage from the second data line in response to the scanning signal from the gate line.
US07714816B2
To provide a display device which can apply a voltage at which an operating point becomes a saturation region even when a light-emitting element deteriorates without applying a voltage to a driving TFT and the light-emitting element larger than necessary. A monitor pixel has a monitor pixel power supply line, a first light-emitting element, and a first TFT, while a pixel in the display region has a power supply line, a second TFT as a driving TFT, a signal line which gives a signal to a gate of the second TFT, a third TFT, and a second light-emitting element. A potential of the monitor pixel power supply line and a gate potential of the first TFT of the monitor pixel are sampled to be set as a potential of the power supply line of the pixel and a potential of the signal line of the pixel, respectively.
US07714809B2
A plasma display device and driving method thereof has a peak value of one frame is detected and then converted. A grayscale or a grayscale value is converted according to an original peak value and a converted peak value, and a total number of sustain pulses applied to the one frame is reset such that a brightness corresponding to the converted grayscale or grayscale value is set to be equal to a brightness corresponding to the original grayscale or grayscale value. In such a manner, the numbers of on-subfields and useable subfields corresponding to the grayscale of the input video signal are increased, so that the discharge characteristics are enhanced and the false contour is reduced.
US07714802B2
An integrated information presentation system includes environmental controls that at least enhances the experience of giving a presentation. During the presentation, multiple controls are available which enable the presenter to have direct control of the presentation environment. The system makes it easier to give presentations using computer-aided text, images, and sounds, yet it is far from just a tool to be used during these events themselves. Using this system, it is possible for presenters to practice a presentation before actually giving it, to transmit and/or receive a presentation, either pre-recorded or live to/from a remote location(s), to record a presentation for later distribution, to view a pre-recorded or live presentation from a remote location(s), or to upload a video or audio message to a website. This system includes an exemplary integrated information presentation device “Power Podium”) and an Integrated Presentation Environment Assembly a “Presentation Booth”).
US07714791B2
An antenna is provided including a first loop having at least one first conductor and a second loop having at least one second conductor, the second conductor connected to the first conductor. The first loop has a first enclosed area defined by the area inside the perimeter of the first loop and a first phase center point defined by the geometric center point of the first enclosed area. The second loop is coupled to the first loop and is disposed a distance from and substantially parallel to the first loop. The second loop has a second enclosed area substantially equal to the first enclosed area and a second phase center point. A line normal to the plane of the first loop passes through the first and second phase center points. The first and second loops are disposed to substantially reduce the far-field illumination, while substantially maintaining the near-field illumination at effective radio frequency identification system operational levels. The antenna may be used to energize devices through inductive coupling.
US07714787B2
In an antenna that has high sensitivity to frequencies of narrow bands and over a wide band and that can be small-sized, and in a wireless module, wireless unit and wireless apparatus using this antenna, the antenna is comprised of a transmission line, and variable capacitance means connected to this transmission line, and the variable capacitance means controls the resonant frequency.
US07714785B2
A GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna module includes a substrate, a first insulating layer, and a second insulating layer. The substrate is set on a bottom surface of a patch antenna. The first insulating layer is coated on the substrate and a layout circuit is formed thereon. A plurality of electronic elements are integrated on the substrate according to the layout circuit. Furthermore, the second insulating layer is coated on the first insulating layer to completely shield the electronic elements integrated on the substrate. Hence, the distance between the electronic elements and the antenna of the present invention can be shortened, space on the PCB and in the shielding case is saved. Moreover, an optimal high frequency character can be achieved, the volume of the antenna module is effectively reduced, the process is simplified, and production costs are reduced.
US07714782B2
In the context of array sensors such as radar, sonar, and communications receiver arrays, the present invention exploits the geometry phase components of radiated wavefronts associated with the signals of interest in order to reduce the bandwidth requirements for DOA and beamforming processing. Additionally, geometry phase is exploited in order to effectively increase the resolution of an array without changing the size of its physical footprint or the number of array elements. Other embodiments of the invention include the use of virtual array elements for increase in effective array size.
US07714775B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed that is capable of verifying on site the health, calibration and integrity of individual phased array modules of a phased array antenna system and, in certain cases, enabling the phased array antenna system to overcome element failures by use of a beam-steering computer. The present disclosure provides a test probe or RF radiator in or adjacent the antenna array for supplying and receiving test and calibration signals.
US07714767B1
A radar system is configured to predict future storm cell characteristics and display an indication of the characteristics on an electronic display. The system has an antenna configured to receive radar returns from radar scans of storm cells. The system includes processing electronics configured to determine a characteristic of a first storm cell from the radar returns and identify at least one second storm cell. The at least one second storm cell is in the same weather system as the first storm cell. The processing electronics are configured to determine the characteristic for the at least one identified second storm cell, compare the characteristic of the first storm cell with the characteristics of the at least one second storm cell, determine a growth rate of the first storm cell, and calculate a predicted height of the first storm cell at a future time based on the comparison and determined growth rate.
US07714765B2
A perimeter antenna array for a radar, in particular a slope monitoring radar, formed from a pair of parallel linear arrays of receiver elements and a pair of parallel linear arrays of receiver elements, together forming a rectangle of receiver and transmitter elements. Signals are switched to the transmitter elements and received by the receiving elements. The signals are processed to obtain signals for virtual elements located equidistant between transmitting and receiving elements. The signals from the virtual elements are analyzed to produce a radar image.
US07714764B2
An A/D converter is provided. The A/D converter determines a digital output value according to the resistance of the TMR device, resistance of which changes according to the magnetic field generated by at least one electrode into which current flows according to an analog input signal. Accordingly, an A/D converter to implement high resolution and high speed with low power consumption can be provided.
US07714761B2
A voltage error correction system includes a voltage converter, a first and a second analog to digital converters, a subtracter, an adder, and a digital voltage generator. The voltage converter adjusts an input voltage proportionally, adds the adjusted input voltage to a reference voltage to obtain a positive voltage, and outputs the positive voltage. The first analog to digital converter converts the positive voltage into a first digital voltage, the second analog to digital converter converts the reference voltage into a second digital voltage, the subtracter subtracts the second digital voltage from the first digital voltage and outputs a difference voltage, and the adder outputs a corrected voltage by adding the difference voltage of the subtracter to a compensation voltage.
US07714759B1
A resistor network digital-to-analog converter (DAC) subdivides each sampling clock cycle of the DAC into a number of phases. For at least one bit input of the DAC associated with a desired input resistor weight, the input bit value is sampled at each phase. Each of those sampled values is then applied to a respective resistor branch, the parallel set of resistor branches forming the parallel equivalent of the desired input resistor weight for that bit input. Such application may be, for example, via a slew-rate controlled driver, to smooth transient edges in the generated analog output signal. The resulting analog signal experiences reduced reconstruction errors at a higher frequency while consuming less power than a comparable oversampling DAC. Shifting reconstruction errors to higher frequencies relaxes downstream filtering requirements, which simplifies analog signal filtering and allows, for example, the use of current-mode low pass filters.
US07714758B2
An integrated circuit may include an operation amplifier, a first capacitor, a plurality of second capacitors, and/or a switching circuit. The operational amplifier may have a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and/or an output terminal. The first capacitor may have a first terminal and a second terminal. The second terminal of the first capacitor may be connected to the first input terminal of the operational amplifier. The plurality of second capacitors may each have a first terminal and a second terminal. The second terminal of each of the second capacitors may be connected to the second input terminal of the operational amplifier. The switching circuit may include a plurality of switches configured to switch in response to a plurality of switching signals. The switching circuit may be configured to transmit a reference voltage to the first terminal of the first capacitor and the first terminals of the second capacitors and/or connect the first input terminal of the operational amplifier to the output terminal of the operational amplifier during a first period. The switching circuit may be configured to isolate the first terminal of the first capacitor from the reference voltage, transmit a voltage selected from at least two selection voltages to the first terminals of the second capacitors, and/or connect the first terminal of the first capacitor to the output terminal of the operational amplifier during a second period.
US07714757B2
This disclosure describes a chopper-stabilized sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The ADC is configured to provide accurate output at low frequency with relatively low power. The chopper-stabilized ADC substantially reduces or eliminates noise and offset from an output signal produced by the mixer amplifier. Dynamic limitations, i.e., glitching that result from chopper stabilization at low power are substantially eliminated or reduced through a combination of chopping at low impedance nodes within the mixer amplifier and feedback. The signal path of the ADC operates as a continuous time system, providing minimal aliasing of noise or external signals entering the signal pathway at the chop frequency or its harmonics. In this manner, the chopper-stabilized ADC can be used in a low power system, such as an implantable medical device (IMD), to provide a stable, low-noise output signal.
US07714752B2
An image coding apparatus provides a run-length encoding unit RLE1 that subjects quantized coefficients which are obtained by quantizing frequency components of an image signal to a variable length coding process by using a run value Run that indicates the number of successive zero coefficients and a level value Lev that indicates a value of a non-zero coefficient following the zero coefficients. The run-length encoding unit RLE1 includes a reordering unit Lreodr for reordering level values Lev; a variable length coder LVLC for coding reordered level values ROLev by using a code table that is selected according to the value of a quantization parameter QP; a reordering unit Rreodr for reordering run values Run from high frequency component of the quantized coefficients to low frequency component; and a variable length coder RVLC for coding reordered run values RORun by using a code table that is selected according to the number of already-processed run values.
US07714749B2
The claimed embodiments provide methods, apparatuses and systems directed to run-length limited (RLL) coding of data. In one implementation, concatenatable RLL codes with run lengths of zeroes not exceeding k are constructed for any rate N/(N+1) where N≦2k−2+k−1. As code rates increase, the value of k departs from the minimum possible value more slowly than that of many other codes. Further, occurrences of k-bit run lengths occur only at the juncture of two codewords. Due to this, the codes are mostly k−1. This quality makes the codes ideal for parity bit insertion applications such as LDPC channels. The method, in one implementation, places the bit addresses of violating sequences in a table at the beginning of the codeword, and the user data, occupying the locations where the table entries are placed, are moved into the locations of the violating sequences. This is done iteratively and in a way which provides for cases in which the violating sequence is inside the address table itself.
US07714744B1
An airspace awareness and warning system (“AAWS”) provides input to an airspace alert (“AA”) processor from at least one real-time aircraft system or sensor, a navigation system, and an airspace database containing three-dimensional delineations of defined airspace; the processor determines an airspace clearance surface and an aircraft airspace alert surface, and if one surface penetrates the other, the processor generates an alert signal and provides an alert signal to a crew alerting system. The two surfaces are determined by the processor by executing an algorithm(s) embedded in software containing the disclosed embodiments and methods. At least one criterion used to define an aircraft airspace alert surface is programmed to include real-time and/or static input factor data provided by at least one system or sensor input from an aircraft. Such input factor could be used to define an airspace clearance surface.
US07714738B2
A method and arrangement for detecting rotational movement. The method comprises the steps of arranging a sensor at the end of a rotation axle of a rotating object and at a distance from the rotation axle, arranging a detector external to the end of the rotation axle of the rotating object in such a manner that the distance between the sensor and detector changes as the object turns around its rotation axle, transmitting an poll to from the detector to the sensor, receiving the poll at the sensor, and in response to receiving the poll, transmitting a reply from the sensor to the detector, determining the power used in signaling, and detecting rotational movement on the basis of the change in signaling power.
US07714736B2
A system for and method of estimating the state-of-age of a secondary cell utilizing an adaptive group filter algorithm, includes battery current, voltage, and temperature sensors, a communication device, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensors and device, configured to filter data by analyzing only sample data points from instantaneous charge or discharge events, selecting only a sample of n instantaneous points for further regression, including n/2 charge event points and n/2 discharge event points, and separately averaging the charge and discharge event points, and further configured to determine the state-of-age by determining a resistance slope based on the rate of current and voltage change between the averages of the points, and matching the slope to a calibrated scalar or relational database.
US07714731B2
A detection mechanism for monitoring airflow in an electronics enclosure includes a first thermal sensor positioned proximate the enclosure for measuring an ambient air temperature and a second thermal sensor positioned proximate an exit air stream for measuring the temperature of air that is heated by the electronics in the enclosure. A control circuit is coupled with the first and second thermal sensors and is configured for determining a temperature differential between the measured temperatures of the thermal sensors. The control circuit may initiate an alarm when the temperature differential exceeds a setpoint thereby indicating restricted airflow in the enclosure. The control circuit might also take other remedial steps prior to initiating the alarm.
US07714727B2
Methods and apparatuses for assembling and implementing tamper indicating RFID devices are presented. An RFID device includes a substrate, an electrically conductive pattern formed on the substrate configured to operate as an antenna by separating a portion of a first device section from a second device section, and an electrical circuit mounted on the substrate that is electrically coupled to the antenna. The electrical circuit stores an identification code.
US07714715B2
An apparatus such as a television signal receiver provides an emergency alert function, according to an exemplary embodiment, the television signal receiver includes a first tuner for tuning a first channel when the television signal receiver is in an on mode. A second tuner is provided for tuning a second channel when the television signal receiver is in the on mode and an off/standby mode. The second channel provides emergency alert signals capable of activating the emergency alert function.
US07714702B2
A method and apparatus for hazard prevention. A vehicle has a hazard prevention system. The hazard prevention system includes a plurality of hazard cause controls, a health monitor system, and a vehicle control system. The plurality hazard cause controls are associated with a hazardous conditions and each hazard cause control in the plurality of hazard cause controls is associated with a system in the vehicle to prevent a hazardous condition from occurring during operation of the vehicle. The health monitor system monitors the hazard cause controls to determine if each of these hazard cause controls is operating properly and generates an alert if a hazard cause control is operating improperly. The control system is in communication with the health monitor system, wherein the control system receives alerts and provides a corrective action to avoid the hazardous condition.
US07714701B2
A haptic alert system generally includes an active material based actuator for providing the haptic alert. The active material based actuators refer to the use of several different classes of active materials all of which exhibit a change in at least one attribute such as dimension, shape, and/or flexural modulus when subjected to at least one of many different types of applied activation signals, examples of such signals being thermal, electrical, magnetic, stress, and the like.
US07714693B2
A fuse element comprising a pair of female terminal portions into which the other pair of terminals is plugged, and which are disposed in parallel, and a blowout portion for coupling the pair of female terminal portions in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the other pair of terminals is plugged. A slow blow fuse comprising the fuse element accommodated in a housing made of an insulating resin and is provided with the insertion ports in which the other pair of terminals is plugged into the pair of the female terminal portions in the opposed surfaces of the housing.
US07714685B2
An electromagnetically operated unit for controlling a radial connection. The unit has a first device which is optionally coupleable with a second device. The second device includes a magnet and/or electromagnet. The unit also has radially movable switching elements that are supported about the circumference of one of the devices, which additionally has contoured and/or frictional surfaces, which mate with respective contoured and/or frictional surfaces of the other one of the devices, thus effectuate engagement of the first and second devices. When the unit is designed with a closed current system the switching elements are biased to disengage when current is applied to the magnet and with an open current system the switching elements are biased to engage, against the force of a spring, when current is applied to the magnet.
US07714679B2
An improved spiral coupler including a plurality of parallel, coextensive conductive strips disposed in a planar spiral path, including a first strip having an input port and a direct or through port, a second strip having a coupler port and an isolated port and a first cross-over connection for bridging the strips from the inside to the outside of the spiral path to provide all four the ports external access to the spiral path.
US07714656B2
An operational amplifier including an input amplifier configured to amplify at least one differential input signal, a first common mode feedback amplifier configured to amplify a first common mode voltage, a cascode amplifier configured to cascode-amplify output signals from the input amplifier and the first common mode feedback amplifier, a first common mode voltage generator configured to generate a central voltage of the output signal from the cascode amplifier and input the central voltage to the first common mode feedback amplifier, and a frequency compensator configured to feedback the output signal of the cascode amplifier to the first common mode feedback amplifier so as to compensate a frequency of the first common mode feedback amplifier.
US07714648B2
The performance of an amplifying system is improved by achieving adequate matching. The amplifying system for amplifying signals includes distributing means 1 that distribute a signal, a carrier amplifier 2 that amplifies the distributed first signal in Class AB, a peak amplifier 4 that amplifies the distributed second signal in Class B or Class C, a first transmission line having a given electric length and being connected to an output of the carrier amplifier, a second transmission line having a given electric length and being connected to an output of the peak amplifier, and a combining end 18 for combining an output of the first transmission line and an output of the second transmission line. An impedance of the combining end is differentiated from a parallel impedance of load impedances of the carrier amplifier and the peak amplifier at the maximum power converted respectively by the first transmission line and the second transmission line, or is set as a parallel impedance in which the load impedances of the carrier amplifier and the peak amplifier at the maximum power are changed.
US07714640B2
An optimized output voltage circuit and technique obtainable without trimming is set forth. A voltage reference circuit and method devoid of trim resistors comprising a high gain amplifier, a plurality of bandgap resistors, and at least a plurality of bipolar devices interconnected across circuitry in a predetermined configuration having emitter areas greater than traditional emitter areas of traditional bipolar devices is set forth.
US07714638B2
An arrangement, to ease restriction upon gate voltage (Vgg) magnitudes for a dynamic threshold MOS (DTMOS) transistor, may include: an MOS transistor including a gate and a body; and a body-bias-voltage (Vbb) governor (Vbb-governor) circuit to provide a governed version of Vgg of the MOS transistor to the body of the MOS transistor as a dynamic body bias-voltage (Vbb).
US07714632B2
A clock control circuit includes a first signal generation block for outputting a first internal clock signal, which is enabled after delay of a first time from a rising edge of a first input clock signal and has a high level pulse width shorter by a second time than a high level pulse width of the first input clock signal, and a second signal generation block for outputting a second internal clock signal, which is enabled after delay of the first time from a rising edge of a second input clock signal and has a high level pulse width shorter by the second time than a high level pulse width of the second input clock signal.
US07714631B2
There are provided, in a clock generator for generating a plurality of output clock signals, an apparatus and method for synchronizing the clock generator to an input reference clock in the presence of a jittery input clock provided to the clock generator from a PLL. The clock generator and the PLL each have a divider with the same ratio. The apparatus includes a synchronizer (205) and a state machine (210). The synchronizer receives the input reference clock and the jittery input clock, and generates there from a synchronized input clock signal with respect to the jittery input clock. The state machine receives the synchronized input clock signal and the jittery input clock, synchronizes with the synchronized input clock signal using the jittery input clock, and abstains from a re-synchronizing operation when the jittery input clock has a jitter of up to a pre-defined maximum number of clock widths.
US07714624B2
A method for controlling a vertical type MOSFET in a bridge circuit is provided to reduce diode power loss and improve a reverse recovery characteristic. The method includes controlling a forward voltage of a built-in diode of the vertical type MOSFET to be a first forward voltage by setting a gate voltage of the vertical MOSFET to a first gate voltage, so that the vertical type MOSFET is switched into a first off mode; and controlling the forward voltage of the built-in diode of the vertical type MOSFET to be a second forward voltage by setting the gate voltage of the vertical MOSFET to a second gate voltage, so that the vertical type MOSFET is switched into a second off mode.
US07714623B2
Jitterless transition of the programmable clock waveform is generated employing a set of two coupled direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuits. The first phase accumulator in the first DDS circuit runs at least one cycle of a common reference clock for the DDS circuits ahead of the second phase accumulator in the second DDS circuit. As a phase transition through the beginning of a phase cycle is detected from the first phase accumulator, a first phase offset word and a second phase offset word for the first and second phase accumulators are calculated and loaded into the first and second DDS circuits. The programmable clock waveform is employed as a clock input for the RAM address controller. A well defined jitterless transition in frequency of the arbitrary waveform is provided which coincides with the beginning of the phase cycle of the DDS output signal from the second DDS circuit.
US07714622B2
An input stage of an integrated circuit, includes a comparator for comparing the voltage of an input signal of the input stage with a reference voltage, and supplying a binary output signal the value of which depends on the result of the comparison of the input signal with the reference voltage. The input stage comprises a feedback circuit measuring a parameter representative of the operation of the comparator, and raising the reference voltage while the measured parameter reveals a faulty operation of the comparator.
US07714620B1
A comparator generates lower and upper reference voltages to establish an amplitude hysteresis. A first comparator circuit generates a first comparison signal indicating whether an input signal is above the upper reference voltage. A second comparator circuit generates a second comparison signal indicating whether the input signal is below the lower reference voltage. Further, the first and second comparison signals may be low-pass filtered to establish a time hysteresis. A latch is set to a first state if the first control signal indicates the input signal is above the upper reference voltage. The latch is set to a second state if the second control signal indicates the input signal is below the lower reference voltage. In some embodiments, the comparator has a rail-to-rail common mode input voltage range, a low-power mode of operation, and is self-biased to compensate for temperature, voltage, and process characteristics.
US07714619B2
In order to provide a high frequency clock detection circuit capable to detect a high frequency clock using any period as a threshold, the high frequency clock detection circuit of the present invention includes a delay circuit having a delay time set to be longer than a clock period corresponding to the irregular high frequency state, a first flip-flop circuit for delay flip-flopping according to the clock signal and for being provided with the inverted and feedback inputted output from the first flip-flop circuit, a second flip-flop circuit for delay flip-flopping according to the clock signal and for being provided with the inverted and feedback inputted output from the second flip-flop circuit through the delay circuit, and a detection-result output circuit for detecting a difference between the output signal from the first flip-flop circuit and the output signal from the second flip-flop circuit and for providing the function circuit with the high frequency clock detection signal indicating the irregular high frequency state corresponding to an occurrence of the difference.
US07714613B2
A level converter includes a cross-coupled section for holding data and a first switching section connected in series with the cross-coupled section and supplied with a differential input signal. The level converter has a second switching section, a current mirror connection section, a third switching section, and an input/output matching evaluation section. The second switching section is connected in parallel with the cross-coupled section, and the current mirror connection section is connected in a current-mirror configuration with a transistor in the second switching section. The third switching section is connected in series with the current mirror connection section, and the input/output matching evaluation section is used to control a transistor in the third switching section by receiving the input signal and an output node signal.
US07714604B2
A computer-implemented method for testing an operating condition of light emitting diodes (LEDs) on a motherboard includes assigning an LED identification for each LED according to positions of the LEDs on the motherboard, selecting a first LED identification for a first LED and a second LED identification for a second LED, setting the first LED in a bright state, the second LED in a dim state, and any remaining LEDs in a flicker state, and controlling the LEDs to operate. The method further includes determining whether the total count of the LEDs in the bright state is equal to one, and whether the total count of the LEDs in the dim state is equal to one, comparing the first LED identification input with the first LED identification, and comparing the second LED identification input with the LED identification, and reporting a comparison result.
US07714603B2
A main power source supplies current through path impedance to a power terminal of an integrated circuit device under test (DUT). The DUT's demand for current at the power input terminal temporarily increases following edges of a clock signal applied to the DUT during a test as transistors within the IC switch in response to the clock signal edges. To limit variation (noise) in voltage at the power input terminal, an auxiliary power supply supplies an additional current pulse to the power input terminal to meet the increased demand during each cycle of the clock signal. The magnitude of the current pulse is a function of a predicted increase in current demand during that clock cycle, and of the magnitude of an adaption signal controlled by a feedback circuit provided to limit variation in voltage developed at the DUT's power input terminal.
US07714586B2
A control device includes a control unit and an evaluation unit that is configured to generate a control signal by which the control unit is impinged upon. The control unit is provided with a voltage source and a reference resistor that can be connected in series to a sensor resistor whose value depends on the temperature thereof. An output voltage of the voltage source drops on the sensor resistor and the reference resistor in the connected state. The reference resistor is dimensioned in such a way that the maximum power loss of the sensor resistor lies in the specified value range of the sensor resistor.
US07714585B2
Measurements made with an induction logging tool are responsive to formation conductivity and permittivity. The effect of permittivity can be substantially removed by multifrequency focusing.
US07714576B2
The magnetic resonance apparatus comprises a carrier (8) to position an object (7), notably a patient to be imaged in an imaging volume V, first magnet system (2), a second magnet system (3), a power supply unit (4), an RF transmitter and modulator (6), an RF transmitter coil (5), a plurality of receiver elements (18, 19), a transmitter-receiver circuit (9), a signal amplifier and demodulation unit (10), a processing unit (12), an image processing unit (13), a monitor (14), and a control unit (11). The gradient coils (3) are fed by the power supply unit (4). The RF transmitter coil (5) serves to generate RF magnetic fields and is connected to the RF transmitter and modulator (6). The transmitter coil (5) is connected to the signal amplifier and demodulator unit (10) via the transmitter-receiver circuit (9). Receiver elements (18, 19), positioned at their respective locations L1, L2 on the carrier (8), are arranged to detect a response of the object to the RF magnetic fields. The control unit (11) controls the RF transmitter and modulator (6), the power supply unit (4) and automatically selects suitable receiver elements (18, 19) to detect the response of the object (7) to the magnetic resonance excitation.
US07714571B2
A method estimates variations of position of the rotor of a motor having a plurality of uniformly spaced sensors that generate a position pulse at every rotation by a pre-established angle of the rotor. The method may include generating a first clock signal at a first frequency, generating a second clock signal at a second frequency multiple than the first frequency by a first factor, in each interval between two consecutive position pulses, counting the number of pulses of the first clock signal comprised in the interval, counting the number of pulses of the second clock signal comprised in the interval. The method may also include that each time the number of counted pulses of the second clock reaches the number of pulses of the first clock counted in an interval that precedes the currently considered interval, signaling that the position of the rotor has varied of an angle equal to the ratio between the pre-established angle and the factor.
US07714566B2
A clamp-on current and voltage module for an electrical power monitoring system that monitors characteristics of power distributed through one or more power conductors includes a current transformer having a core divided into at least two parts so that the core can be installed around a power conductor without cutting the conductor. The transformer produces a current signal corresponding to current passing through the power conductor. A pair of clamping elements fit on opposite sides of the conductor, for gripping the conductor. The transformer core parts and the clamping elements have engaging surfaces that prevent relative movement between the CT enclosure and the power conductor in a direction transverse to the axis of the power conductor. A voltage sensor makes electrical contact with the power conductor and produces a voltage signal corresponding to the voltage on the power conductor.
US07714563B2
A low noise voltage reference circuit is described. The reference circuit utilizes a bandgap reference component and may include at least one of a current shunt or filter to reduce high and low noise contributions to the output. Further modifications may include a curvature correction component.
US07714559B2
A transient voltage compensation apparatus and a power supply using the same are provided. The power supply mainly uses an energy transferring circuit coupled between an input terminal and an output terminal of a power converter. When a load of the power supply is switched in a very short time, a power coupled to the energy transferring circuit is retrieved to compensate the output of the power supply, such that the output voltage is kept steady, and the transient response of the power supply is increased.
US07714556B2
A quick response switching regulator comprises a power stage having a pair of high-side switch and low-side switch and an inductor connected together by a switching node, a feedback circuit for producing a feedback signal, and a control circuit producing control signals with reference to the feedback signal to control the pair of high-side switch and low-side switch. The feedback circuit is connected to the switching node to shorten the feedback path and speed up the response. The control circuit further monitors the current flowing through the inductor to keep the low-side switch off before the peak of the inductor current becomes higher than a value.
US07714553B2
A voltage regulator includes an undervoltage detector having a charge transistor smaller than an output transistor of the voltage regulator, providing a detection path for fast response, compensating undervoltage without large control current when loading changes from light to heavy.
US07714550B2
An analog control circuit is coupled to an apparatus having a variable characteristic over an operating range. A sensing circuit is coupled to the apparatus and the control circuit during the range of operation of the apparatus and is operative to sense the variable characteristic. The operating parameter of the apparatus is controlled to be set at a level corresponding to a prescribed criterion, which may be a maximum or minimum, of the characteristic sensed over the range of operation.
US07714544B2
A switching device for bi-directionally equalizing charge between energy accumulators, particularly between capacitive energy accumulators in a motor vehicle electric system, includes: an integrated starter generator; a first connection coupled to the integrated starter generator; a second connection coupled to an energy source; a controllable transfer gate having a first load current-conducting path connected between the first and second connection, and a controllable switching controller having a second load current-conducting path connected between the first and second connection in parallel to the first load current-conducting path. There is also provided a motor vehicle electric system with such a switching device, and the implementation and use of a switching controller in a transfer gate for such a switching device.
US07714543B2
In input/output power control apparatus and method for a secondary battery, in a case where neither a current sensor nor a voltage sensor fails, allowable input/output powers which are an allowable input power by which the secondary battery allowably inputs and an allowable output power by which the secondary battery allowably outputs are calculated on the basis of an input and/or output current and a terminal voltage of the secondary battery and, in a case where the failure in either one of the current sensor and the voltage sensor is detected, the allowable input/output powers are calculated on the basis of a detected value of one of the current and voltage sensors in which no failure is detected, and each of input and output powers of the secondary battery is limited to be equal to or smaller than the corresponding one of the allowable input/output powers.
US07714541B2
The technology described herein provides a stand-alone intelligent battery charger and intelligent conditioner for use with a high-voltage battery, such as those used in hybrid automotive vehicles. Additionally, in various exemplary embodiments, this technology provides a system and method for validating the capacity of a high voltage battery. Other comparable uses are also contemplated herein, as will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art.
US07714536B1
A method and apparatus for charging energy supplies in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The present invention relates to a UAV that comprises an inductive charging device that utilizes the electromagnetic field emanated by overhead/utility power lines, to charge the energy supplies. The UAV also includes a releasable latch for holding power lines to allow for the perching of the UAV on power lines during the charging process. The latch and the inductive charging device may be provided on a single device, a battery augmentation trap (BAT). The UAV may be perched in an upright orientation to allow for takeoff after the charging of energy supplies on the power line.
US07714533B2
A system and method are disclosed for charging battery packs. A battery pack connects to an external battery charger. A processor of the battery pack recognizes that the processor is connected the external battery charger. The external battery charger provides charging parameters to the battery pack. The processor sends charging parameters to the external battery in response to recognizing that the processor is connected to the external battery charger.
US07714524B2
A system and method for controlling multiple cooling fans is presented. The circuitry for directly driving each of the motors is removed from the motor casings, thus increasing air flow and reducing replacement costs should a motor fail. The system includes a common processor for centrally controlling the speeds of the motors and monitoring the performance of each of the multiple motors.
US07714523B2
A load driving device controls two motors by PWM signals. When a standard duty ratio of the PWM signals is 50% and a level of a drive instruction is the standard duty ratio, the standard duty ratio are output to the respective motors to provide a reverse phase relationship that the PWM signal of the standard duty ratio does not overlap. A continuous off-period and the standard PWM signal output when the level of the drive instruction is lower than the standard, and the continuous on-period and the standard PWM signal output when the level of the drive instruction is higher than the standard are changed over at the ratios corresponding to the level of the drive instruction.
US07714519B2
An illumination stabilization apparatus for a vehicle headlamp is disclosed. The illumination stabilization apparatus supplies stable power to a headlamp using a SEPIC, thus increasing the lifespan of a headlamp, and reducing the dimming of light generated by the headlamp.
US07714509B2
A Plasma Display Panel (PDP) in which terminals of discharge electrodes are stably formed includes: first and second substrates spaced apart from each other and facing each other; first barrier ribs interposed between the first and second substrates and partitioning a plurality of discharge cells; and a plurality of pairs of discharge electrodes adapted to generate a discharge in the discharge cells. The discharge electrodes are buried in the first barrier ribs, extend along an outside of the discharge cells and are arranged in a direction to form a terminal in an edge of the discharge electrodes, and at least one groove is formed in an outermost side of the first barrier ribs through which the terminals of the discharge electrodes are exposed.
US07714502B2
A flat panel display device capable of implementing an ultra-slim flat panel display device having an improved aperture ratio by attaching two substrates having independently drivable OLED display elements respectively formed thereon to emit light in the same direction, without a separate sealing process, and preventing image sticking due to a reduction of lifetime of the emission layer, by using the OLED display elements in different uses.
US07714501B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a light emitting element which can reduce defective operation due to crystallization of a compound. One of the light emitting elements of the present invention has a layer, which generates electrons, between a first electrode and a second electrode. The layer generating electrons includes a phenanthroline derivative represented by the general formula (1) and a metal oxide. The metal oxide shows an electron donating property to the phenanthroline derivative represented by the general formula (1). Herein, in the general formula (1), R1 to R5 individually represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a halogen group, and further at least one of R1 to R5 represents a halogen group.
US07714500B2
To improve an image quality of an organic EL display by utilizing characteristics of a dual emission type organic light emitting element. A display device includes a first substrate over which a plurality of organic light emitting elements are provided and a second substrate over which an organic light emitting element is provided. The first and second substrates are facing each other. At least either the organic light emitting elements provided over the first substrate or the organic light emitting element provided over the second substrate emit/emits light toward both surfaces of the first or second substrate. Light emitting regions of the organic light emitting elements provided over the first substrate are overlapped with a light emitting region of the organic light emitting element provided over the second substrate as seen from the second substrate.
US07714498B2
An electroluminescent device having a phosphor layer including a phosphor material and a pair of electrodes for applying a voltage to the foregoing phosphor layer wherein an acetylacetonato complex salt is included in the phosphor layer to realize an electroluminescent device with high luminance. Further, the EL device realizes an electroluminescent device with higher luminance by constructing the foregoing phosphor layer so as to contain acetylacetonato complex salt, in which ligands coordinate with a trivalent metal atom, particularly a metal atom of Group III or Group XIII as the foregoing acetylacetonato complex salt.
US07714496B2
A field emission display device and a field emission type backlight device having a sealing structure for a vacuum exhaust are provided. The field emission display device is constructed with a cathode substrate and an anode substrate attached to each other and facing each other and a vacuum-exhausted panel space formed therebetween to generated a visual image. Also, the field emission display device is constructed with a sealing member disposed along edges of the cathode substrate and the anode substrate to seal the panel space. At least one inlet exposed to the panel space and an exhaust passage through which the inlet communicates with an outside of the field emission display device are formed in the sealing member. The field emission display device and the field emission type backlight device according to the present invention has a reduced number of manufacturing processes and is suitable for a compact, slim and lightweight design, and a large screen by having the sealing structure for the vacuum exhaust.
US07714493B2
A field emission device (6), in accordance with a preferred embodiment, includes a cathode electrode (61), a gate electrode (64), a separator (62), and a number of emissive units (63) composed of an emissive material. The separator includes an insulating portion (621) and a number of conductive portions (622). The insulating portion of the separator is configured between the cathode electrode and the gate electrode for insulating the cathode electrode from the gate electrode. The emissive units are configured on the separator at positions proximate to two sides of the gate electrode. The emissive units are in connection with the cathode electrode via the conductive portions respectively. The emissive units are distributed on the separator adjacent to two sides of the gate electrode, which promotes an ability of emitting electrons from the emissive material and the emitted electrons to be guided by the gate electrode toward a smaller spot they bombard.
US07714492B2
An electron emission material includes an electron emission material main body, a base metal layer disposed on the electron emission material main body, and a thermal electron emission layer disposed on the base metal layer.
US07714489B2
A spark plug comprising: a center electrode extending in a direction of an axis of said spark plug; a cylindrical insulator which has a shaft hole, and which holds said center electrode in said shaft hole in a state where a tip end of said center electrode is projected from a tip end face of said insulator; a metal shell which holds said insulator; and a ground electrode in which one end is joined to a tip end face of said metal shell, and which extends from said one end toward another end, wherein said ground electrode has an inner side face which faces said center electrode, and an outer side face which is a back face with respect to said inner side face, said outer side face is formed as an arcuately curved face when viewed from a side of said another end in an extending direction of said ground electrode, and a columnar noble metal tip is joined to said inner side face.
US07714478B2
In an electric rotary machine, a stator, a metallic supporting member configured to support the stator, and a rotor are provided, the rotor is relatively rotatably supported with respect to the stator, a magnetic path is formed via a gap portion between the stator and the rotor to give a torque to the rotor, and a space section is provided to interrupt the magnetic path at a position of the metallic supporting member near to a magnetic pole of the stator facing the gap portion.
US07714470B2
A connector portion of a resolver stator includes a connecting portion to which a lead wire is connected and a guiding groove which guides the lead wire in an axial direction. The lead wire connected to the connecting portion is retained by the guiding groove and guided in the axial direction.
US07714467B2
The aim of the invention is to optimise cooling electric machines. As a result, a coolant channel (7) is disposed around the cylindrically-shaped magnet arrangement of the electric machine. Said coolant channel can evenly distribute a coolant in the peripheral direction of the cylindrically-shaped magnet arrangement. The flow of coolant is then guided in an axial direction over the magnet arrangement (2), thereby enabling the electric machine to be evenly cooled on the entire periphery thereof.
US07714463B2
A device for controlling a single-phase power conditioner for a renewable energy system is disclosed. The device comprises: a power system, providing alternating current (AC) utility power; a renewable energy system, using a natural resource so as to generate direct current (DC) power; a DC-to-DC converter, accepting the DC power generated by the renewable energy system so as to convert an input DC voltage of the DC power to an output DC voltage at a voltage level different from the DC input voltage; a grid-tied power conditioner, transforming voltage levels of the AC power and DC power; a controller, issuing a control signal for controlling the grid-tied power conditioner; and a load, consuming electricity by way of the grid-tied power conditioner.
US07714454B2
A chip module comprises a substrate, a chip arranged on one side of the substrate and conductor structures arranged on at least one side of the substrate and conductively connected to the chip. At least one stiffening element is arranged on one side of the substrate and a moulding cap encapsulates at least the chip. For producing the chip module, provision is made for providing a substrate and applying conductor structures to at least one side of the substrate. At least one stiffening element is mounted onto one side of the substrate. Furthermore, a chip is mounted onto one side of the substrate and connected to the conductor structures. A moulding compound is applied on the substrate, such that the chip is covered.
US07714435B2
A method for fabricating a three dimensional type capacitor is provided. The method includes forming a first insulation layer including first contact layers over a substrate, forming a second insulation layer over the first insulation layer, forming second contact layers by using a material having an etch selectivity different from the first contact layers such that the second contact layers are connected with the first contact layers within the second insulation layer, forming an etch stop layer over the second insulation layer and the second contact layers, forming a third insulation layer over the etch stop layer, etching the third insulation layer and the etch stop layer to form first contact holes exposing the second contact layers, etching the exposed second contact layers to form second contact holes exposing the first contact holes, and forming bottom electrodes over the inner surface of the second contact holes.
US07714429B2
A semiconductor device that reduces the size and cost of functional macro chips used in a chip-on-chip configuration. Functional macro chips each include a macro region. The macro regions are formed adjacent to one another. A pad region for testing the functional macro chips is formed surrounding the macro regions.
US07714421B2
A small structure which uses bonding wires to prevent disturbance and provide support and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The small structure includes a floating body having a plurality of first contact pads, a base having a plurality of second contact pads, and a plurality of bonding wires electrically connecting the first and second contact pads and elastically supporting the floating body. The method of fabricating the small structure includes preparing a base, forming a sacrificial layer on the base, disposing a floating body on the sacrificial layer, connecting the base and the floating body with bonding wires, and removing the sacrificial layer. Thereby, fabrication costs of the small structure are reduced.
US07714416B2
An electronic circuit in a package-in-package configuration and a production method is disclosed. One embodiment provides an arrangement enveloped by an encapsulation and composed of at least one semiconductor element on an element carrier, at least one leadframe with at least one inner contact-connection, at least one inner lead running within the encapsulation, and at least one outer contact-connection led out from the encapsulation. The inner lead has an exposed inner lead section which can be contact-connected from the outer side of the package-in-package configuration.
US07714411B2
An electro-optical device includes: a substrate; a plurality of wiring lines which is formed on the substrate; and an IC which is mounted on the substrate so as to be electrically connected to the plurality of wiring lines. At least a pair of wiring lines among the plurality of wiring lines include a first conductive layer formed on the substrate and a second conductive layer formed on at least the first conductive layer. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer have different resistance values. The first conductive layer of one of the pair of wiring lines has a plurality of first resistors each extending toward the other wiring line, and the second conductive layer of the other wiring line has a second resistor extending toward the one wiring line. The plurality of first resistors is connected to the second resistor.
US07714402B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first pixel with a green color filter, a second pixel with a blue color filter and a third pixel with a red color filter. The first pixel includes a first area for generating an electric signal by photoelectric conversion, disposed in a first trench that is formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a first transistor area that outputs the electric signal obtained from the first area. The second pixel includes a second area formed in a flat shape on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a second transistor area that outputs the electric signal obtained from the second area. The third pixel includes a third area formed in a flat shape on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a third transistor area that outputs the electric signal obtained from the third area.
US07714400B2
A MISFET the channel region of which is a ferromagnetic semi-conductor has a feature that the drain current can be controlled by the gate voltage and a feature that the transfer conductance can be controlled by the relative directions of magnetization in the ferromagnetic channel region and the ferromagnetic source (or the ferromagnetic drain, or both the ferromagnetic source and ferromagnetic drain). As a result, binary information can be stored in the form of the relative magnetization directions, and the relative magnetization directions are electrically detected. If the magnetism is controlled by the electric field effect of the channel region of a ferromagnetic semiconductor, the current needed to rewrite the information can be greatly reduced. Thus, the MISFET can constitute a high-performance non-volatile memory cell suited to high-density integration.
US07714396B2
The invention is directed to a method for forming a metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor. The method comprises steps of providing a substrate having a gate structure formed thereon, wherein a plurality of isolation structures are located in the substrate adjacent to both sides of the gate structure and then forming a first spacer on the sidewall of the gate structure. A portion of the substrate between the first spacer and the isolation structures is removed to form a recession and a source/drain layer is deposited in the recession, wherein the top surface of the source/drain layer is higher than the top surfaces of the isolation structures. A second spacer is formed on the isolation structures and at the sidewall of the source/drain layer and a metal silicide layer is formed on the source/drain layer.
US07714392B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconducting substrate having CMOS transistors thereon. A composite etch stop layer including a lowermost silicon oxynitride portion and an uppermost silicon nitride portion is disposed on the semiconducting substrate including the CMOS transistors. At least one dielectric layer is on the composite etch stop layer. A first contact opening extends to a first level through the composite etch stop layer thickness and a second contact opening extends to a second level deeper than the first level through the composite etch stop layer.
US07714391B2
A thin film transistor formed by using a metal induced lateral crystallization process and a method for fabricating the same. The thin film transistor comprises an insulating substrate, an active layer formed of polycrystalline silicon and having source/drain regions and a channel region, and a gate electrode formed on a gate insulating layer. The active layer has at least two metal induced lateral crystallization (MILC) regions.
US07714386B2
A carbon nanotube field effect transistor includes a substrate, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a carbon nanotube. The carbon nanotube forms a channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode. The carbon nanotube field effect transistor also includes a gate dielectric and a gate electrode. The gate electrode is separated from the carbon nanotube by the gate dielectric, and an input radio frequency voltage is applied to the gate electrode.
US07714383B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor layer, a first semiconductor region provided on a major surface of the semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor region provided in a surface portion of the first semiconductor region, a trench extending through the second semiconductor region and the first semiconductor region to the semiconductor layer, a first insulating film provided on an inner wall of the trench, a third semiconductor region filling the trench below an interface between the semiconductor layer and the first semiconductor region, a second insulating film provided on the third semiconductor region, a gate electrode filling the trench above the second insulating film. A portion of the first insulating film in contact with the semiconductor layer is opened. The semiconductor layer is in contact with the third semiconductor region through the opened portion.
US07714381B2
In one embodiment, a vertical power transistor is formed on a semiconductor substrate with other transistors. A portion of the semiconductor layer underlying the vertical power transistor is doped to provide a low on-resistance for the vertical power transistor.
US07714380B2
A semiconductor device includes a pair of first source/drain regions disposed on a silicon substrate. A first silicon epitaxial layer pattern defines a gate forming region that exposes the silicon substrate between the pair of first source/drain regions. A first gate insulation layer is disposed on the silicon substrate in the gate forming region. A second gate insulation layer is disposed on a sidewall of the first silicon epitaxial layer pattern. A second silicon epitaxial layer pattern is disposed in the gate forming region and on the first silicon epitaxial layer pattern. A pair of second source/drain regions is disposed on the second silicon epitaxial layer pattern. A third gate insulation layer exposes the second silicon epitaxial layer pattern in the gate forming region and covers the pair of second source/drain regions. A gate is disposed on the second silicon epitaxial layer pattern in the gate forming region.
US07714370B2
A semiconductor storage device includes: a MOSFET formed on an SOI layer of the transistor forming region; and a MOS capacitor formed on the SOI layer of the capacitor forming region. The MOSFET includes: a gate insulating film formed; a floating gate electrode; a source layer and a drain layer formed; a channel region; a high-concentration diffusion layer, and impurities of a same type as impurities which are diffused in the channel region are diffused at a high concentration in the high-concentration diffusion layer; and a silicide layer covering the high-concentration diffusion layer and the source layer. The MOS capacitor includes a capacitor electrode at the SOI layer. The capacitor electrode of the MOS capacitor is disposed so as to oppose an end portion of the floating gate electrode of the MOSFET, with the gate insulating film therebetween.
US07714361B2
A method for forming a germanium-enriched region in a heterojunction bipolar transistor and a heterojunction bipolar transistor comprising a germanium-enriched region. A base having a silicon-germanium portion is formed over a collector. Thermal oxidation of the base causes a germanium-enriched region to form on a surface of the silicon-germanium portion subjected to the thermal oxidation. An emitter is formed overlying the germanium-enriched portion region. The germanium-enriched region imparts advantageous operating properties to the heterojunction bipolar transistor, including improved high-frequency/high-speed operation.
US07714357B2
The present invention has for its purpose to provide a technique capable of reducing planar dimension of the semiconductor device. An input/output circuit is formed over the semiconductor substrate, a grounding wiring and a power supply wiring pass over the input/output circuit, and a conductive layer for a bonding pad is formed thereover. The input/output circuit is formed of MISFET elements in the nMISFET forming region and the pMISFET forming region, resistance elements in the resistance element forming regions and diode elements in the diode element forming regions functioning as protective elements. A wiring connected to the protective elements and positioned under the grounding wiring and the power supply wiring is pulled out in a pulling-out region between the nMISFET forming region and the pMISFET forming region and between the grounding wiring and the power supply wiring to be connected to the conductive layer.
US07714348B2
A highly reliable, high voltage AC/DC LED device with integrated protection mechanism is disclosed. The protection element can be a current-limiting resistor, monolithically integrated on LED chip, or a discrete resistor assembled in the lamp package or submount. The protection elements may also include other parts integrated on a submount.
US07714331B2
A display device includes a gate line and a data line crossing each other to form a pixel; a thin film transistor (TFT) near the crossing, the TFT including a polycrystalline silicon layer, wherein the polycrystalline silicon layer includes a plurality of first, second and third circular crystals, and the three first, second and third adjacent circular crystals form one equilateral triangle, and six of the equilateral triangles form a regular hexagon, wherein the second crystals are grown radially staffing from circumferences of the first crystals and wherein the third crystals are grown radially starting from circumferences of the first or second crystals.
US07714328B2
The present invention provides an electro-optical device capable of achieving an increased light emission efficiency and an enhanced visibility. An organic electroluminescents (EL) display device has a plurality of material layers including a luminescent layer. In a plurality of material layers layered in the direction of light emission from the luminescent layer, first and second insulating interlayers are disposed between a substrate, which is positioned at the outermost surface, and the luminescent layer. The first and second insulating interlayers have a refractive index lower than that of the substrate. Accordingly, by forming predetermined materials having a low refractive index, the resulting low refractive index layers have a low dielectric constant, and consequently, the capacity between wires can be reduced.
US07714324B2
An organic TFT that has an improved contact between source and drain electrodes and an organic semiconductor layer, a method of manufacturing the same, and an organic light emitting display device having the organic TFT are disclosed. The organic TFT includes a substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the substrate, a gate insulating film covering the gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the gate insulating film, a peel-off preventive layer disposed on the gate insulating film to contact at least a portion of end surfaces of the source and drain electrodes, and an organic semiconductor layer that contacts the source and drain electrodes.
US07714319B2
A thin film transistor comprising at least three terminals consisting of a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode; an insulating layer and an organic semiconductor layer on a substrate, which controls its electric current flowing between the source and the drain by applying a electric voltage across the gate electrode, wherein the organic semiconductor layer comprises a heterocyclic compound containing a nitrogen atom formed by condensation between five member rings each having a nitrogen atom at their condensation sites or between a five member ring and a six member ring each having a nitrogen atom at their condensation sites. The transistor became to have a fast response speed (driving speed), and further, achieved a large on/off ratio getting an enhanced performance as a transistor.
US07714313B2
Resistive memory devices having at least one varistor and methods of operating the same are disclosed. The resistive memory device may include at least one bottom electrode line, at least one top electrode line crossing the at least one bottom electrode line, and at least one stack structure disposed at an intersection of the at least one top electrode line and the at least one bottom electrode line including a varistor and a data storage layer.
US07714312B2
A memory cell device includes a first electrode, phase-change material adjacent the first electrode, a second electrode adjacent the phase-change material, a diffusion barrier adjacent the phase-change material, and isolation material adjacent the diffusion barrier for thermally isolating the phase-change material. The diffusion barrier prevents diffusion of the phase-change material into the isolation material.
US07714311B2
A first variable resistor (5) is connected between a first terminal (7) and a third terminal (9) and increases/reduces its resistance value in accordance with the polarity of a pulse voltage applied between the first terminal (7) and the third terminal (9). A second variable resistor (6) is connected between the third terminal (9) and a second terminal (8) and increases/reduces its resistance value in accordance with the polarity of a pulse voltage applied between the third terminal (9) and the second terminal (8). Given pulse voltages are applied between the first terminal (7) and the third terminal (9) and between the third terminal (9) and the second terminal (8) to reversibly change the resistance values of the first and second variable resistors (5, 6), thereby recording one bit or multiple bits of information.
US07714299B2
A particle detector for detecting a particle beam includes a negatively charged electrode plate having a first side facing the particle beam, a second side opposite to the first side, and a through-hole extending from the first side to the second side for receiving the particle beam. A detection device adjacent to the second side of the electrode plate detects signals corresponding to the particle beam approaching the through-hole.
US07714289B2
When conditions for an electron gun mainly represented by extraction voltage V1 and accelerating voltage V0 are changed, a charged particle beam is once focused on a fixed position by means of a condenser lens and a virtual cathode position is calculated from a lens excitation of the condenser lens at that time and the mechanical positional relation of the electron gun to set an optical condition. For more accurate setting of the optical condition, a deflecting electrode device is provided at a crossover position of the condenser lens and a voltage is applied to the deflecting electrode device at a constant period so as to control the lens excitation of the condenser lens such that the amount of movement of an image is minimized on an image display unit such as CRT.
US07714279B2
In a time-of-flight mass spectrometer with orthogonal ion injection performed by a pulser to which the ions are fed by an RF ion guide, compensation is provided for mass discrimination that occurs when the ions are injected into the pulser. This is accomplished by designing at least a part of the ion guide as an ion storage device, by emptying the filled ion storage device mass-selectively in ion groups, group-by-group, and by serially feeding the ion groups to the pulser with correct timing, using the mass selectivity of the pulser filling process to compensate for the mass discrimination.
US07714278B2
An ion mobility spectrometer is described having an ion filter in the form of at least one ion channel having a plurality of electrodes. A time-varying electric potential applied to the conductive layers allows the filler to selectively admit ion species. The electric potential has a drive and a transverse component, and in preferred embodiments each of the electrodes is involved in generating a component of both the drive and transverse fields. The device may be used without a drift gas flow, Microfabrication techniques are described for producing microscale spectrometers, as are various uses of the spectrometer.
US07714277B2
A smart FAIMS sensor system and method includes a 2/2-electrode filter that pumps the ions through the system and separates the ionic species, a detector for collecting the separated ions and generating a detector signal in response to the collected ions, and a controller configured to change the operating parameters of the system in response to changes in the sensor's environment detected by the sensor. The ability to dynamically change the operating parameters of the sensor enables the sensor to maintain high sensitivity to environmental threats while decreasing the incidences of false positive events.
US07714276B2
The present invention relates to the use of post source decay (PSD) or collision induced dissociation (CID) direct tissue (DT) MALDI-TOF or DT-MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrographic identification of biological molecules in a tissue or cellular sample without the need for further protein extraction. This method provides for studying cells or tissues by direct tissue MALDI (DT-MALDI), thereby substituting in situ protein release for further protein extraction. Mass/intensity data was processed with Mascot© software interrogation of the NCBI database. These results are proof of principle that DT-MALDI, combined with bioinformatics, can directly identify proteins in cells and tissues from their mass spectra.
US07714270B2
An illuminator system comprising an illuminator array positioned adjacent to an image bearing surface, the illuminator array comprising a plurality of discrete illuminator elements spaced in a linear arrangement, the illuminating elements each being configured to emit a light beam for transmission to the image bearing surface at an incidence angle; a light diffuser comprising a plurality of rounded lenslets having convex or concave configuration positioned between the illuminator array and the image bearing surface, the rounded lenslets being positioned with respect to the illuminator array to receive the light beams emitted by the illuminator elements and to diffuse the light beams being transmitted to the image bearing surface in the linear direction of the illuminator array; and a linear sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors positioned adjacent to the image bearing surface such that the light beams reflecting off the image bearing surface at a reflectance angle are received by the sensors.
US07714266B2
Disclosed embodiments provide a method and apparatus for measuring the gain of output transistors of pixels in an imager device. Source/drain terminals of the output transistor and a reset transistor are driven with various input voltages to generate pixel output voltages. The slope of a line representing the relationship between the output voltages and the input voltages is determined. A component of the slope corresponding to gain not caused by the output transistor is removed from the slope to determine the gain of the output transistor.
US07714261B2
A system and method for protection of aircraft against surface-to-air missiles deploys sensors to provide coverage around an airport The use of a fixed (or slow moving) set of sensors around the airport allows detection of missile threats to all aircraft using the airport without requiring each individual aircraft to be provided with a threat detection system. Information about a detected threat is then typically transmitted in real time directly to the aircraft under threat to allow timely deployment of aircraft-based countermeasures. The detection system and method preferably employ spaced-apart sensors with overlapping fields of view to provide enhanced tracking through triangulation and reduced false alarm rates by redundancy of information. Airborne systems with overlapping coverage may be also used.
US07714256B2
The present invention relates to a heating element for heating at least one surface contacted at times by a user, with a plurality of heating conductors or heating conductor sections that are directly or indirectly connected electrically to one another, at least in part by mutual contact, with at least one heating conductor or heating conductor section which, upon exceeding a permissible maximum temperature, at least temporarily loses its electrical conductivity at least in part. It is provided that the electrical resistance of at least two heating conductors or heating conductor sections is dependent at least in part on its mechanical strain, that these heating conductors or heating conductor sections are electrically connected to one another in parallel, and that they are separated from one another at least in sections by a spacing zone in order to prevent electrical connection between them in spacing zone.
US07714252B2
A duty cycle controller having a processor configured to control a welding-type apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to control the welding-type apparatus according to a variable maximum duty cycle to substantially delay entry into a thermal shutdown mode of the welding-type apparatus based on at least one operating condition. Various additional devices and methods are also disclosed.
US07714250B2
A system for machining objects using a laser, including a supply of objects, an object support tray, a galvanometric head, a laser source, and a computer on which a shape recognition software is installed. The galvanometric head includes a first wide field camera, with a first filter located at the output of the first camera, a second narrow field camera, with a second filter located at the output of the second camera, guide mirrors, and a lens that displays at least one object or the part to be machined, located on the support tray.
US07714248B2
The present invention discloses a microwave plasma generator which includes a chamber, a conductive inorganic substance, a trace gas and a microwave source. The conductive inorganic substance and the trace gas are housed in the chamber with an inner pressure about 0.001˜10 torr. By irradiating the conductive inorganic substance and exciting the trace gas, clean and uniform plasma will be generated. The plasma generator of this invention is easily operated and can be applied to semiconductor manufacturing processes, for example, material modification, etching/cleaning, roughing and ion doping/hybrid.
US07714247B2
A weld cylinder having a single piston arrangement is provided. The cylinder has a movable retract piston assembly with the piston arranged within the retract piston assembly. The piston supports a rod that is movable between home, intermediate, work, and advanced work positions. The rod moves rapidly from the home position to the intermediate position however, the rod moves more slowly from the intermediate position to the work position to reduce the impact force. A cushion chamber slowly exhausts through a hole in the cushion valve while an isolator is in an open position. Once the cushion valve opens in response to a weld-forward pressure on the cushion valve, the cushion chamber exhausts rapidly so that weld force increases rapidly to minimize increases in cycle time.
US07714234B2
Alternating micro-vias and throughboard vias to create PCB routing channels in BGA interconnect grid
A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly having a plurality of circuit layers including outer layers and intervening layers with through-vias and micro-vias used to translate a portion of the signal connections of the grid, thereby creating a set of diagonal routing channels between the vias on internal layers of the board and a BGA package mounted on the printed circuit board.
US07714221B2
A page turning apparatus having a vacuum pad to vacuum suck the uppermost page of a booklet, a drive link plate to move the vacuum pad to pick up the uppermost page of a booklet at a predetermined angle in the direction of opening around a bound edge, a pinch-roller which goes under the uppermost page picked up at a predetermined angle, and a control unit which releases the vacuum suction of the vacuum pad, and moves the vacuum pad in the direction retreating from the uppermost page, after the pinch-roller goes under the uppermost page, and conveys a booklet so that the uppermost page is brought into contact with the pinch-roller, and opened.
US07714220B2
A method for self-instruction of a user's hands on an object such as a musical instrument or sports equipment. The method includes accessing finger placement data corresponding to a sequence of predetermined finger placements on a plurality of objects. A position for each finger is sensed on one or more object representations. A finger placement indication is provided on the one or more object representations. The finger placement indication corresponds to each finger of the based on the finger placement data. Each finger placement indication location is compared with an associated sensed position for each finger and a determination is made whether the finger placement indication matches the sensed position for each finger.
US07714214B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH163678. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH163678, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH163678 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH163678.
US07714208B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH791018. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH791018, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH791018 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH791018.
US07714207B1
An inbred corn line, designated LEP20, the plants and seeds of the inbred corn line LEP20, methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred corn line LEP20 with itself or with another corn plant, and hybrid corn seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line LEP20 with another corn line or plant and to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic corn plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line LEP20, to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line LEP20 and to the inbred corn lines derived by the use of those methods.
US07714201B2
The invention relates to the novel cotton variety designated 781000G. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants, plant parts and derivatives of the cotton variety 781000G. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the cotton variety 781000G and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing cotton plants by crossing the cotton variety 781000G with itself or another cotton variety and plants produced by such methods.
US07714197B2
A hybrid cucumber cultivar designated ‘Paraiso’ is disclosed which is the first parthenocarpic slicing cucumber that also has intermediate resistance to powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic virus, cucumber vein yellowing virus and cucumber yellow stunting disorder virus. The invention relates to the seeds of hybrid cucumber cultivar ‘Paraiso’, to the plants of hybrid cucumber cultivar ‘Paraiso’ and to methods for producing a cucumber plant, either inbred or hybrid, by crossing the hybrid cultivar ‘Paraiso’ with itself or another cucumber cultivar. The invention further relates to methods for producing a cucumber 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 cucumber cultivars derived from the hybrid ‘Paraiso’.
US07714196B1
The invention provides seed and plants of the pea line designated 08510617. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of pea line 08510617, and to methods for producing a pea plant produced by crossing a plant of pea line 08510617 with itself or with another pea plant, such as a plant of another line. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of pea line 08510617, including the seed, pod, and gametes of such plants.
US07714192B2
A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of nucleotide sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and 11, particularly SEQ ID NO: 3. The nucleotide sequence encodes at least a corresponding amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12-17 and 26. The nucleic acid sequences and corresponding amino acid sequences regulate the flavonoid pathway, and more particularly they regulate the proanthocynanidin biosynthetic pathway and proanthocynanidin biosynthesis in a plant. One embodiment relates to methods of producing transformed plants comprising introducing into a cell of a plant a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and 11, particularly SEQ ID NO: 3 and regenerating a transformed plant from the transformed cell. Another embodiment relates to a host plant cell comprising at least one of the nucleic acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1-6 and 11.
US07714184B2
Compositions and methods for protecting a plant from a pathogen, particularly a fungal pathogen, are provided. Compositions include novel amino acid sequences, and variants and fragments thereof, for antipathogenic polypeptides that were isolated from maize. Nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleotide sequences that encode the antipathogenic polypeptides of the embodiments are also provided. A method for inducing pathogen resistance in a plant using the nucleotide sequences disclosed herein is further provided. The method comprises introducing into a plant a DNA construct comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence that encodes an antipathogenic polypeptide of the embodiments. Compositions comprising an antipathogenic polypeptide or a transformed microorganism comprising a nucleic acid of the embodiments in combination with a carrier and methods of using these compositions to protect a plant from a pathogen are further provided. Transformed plants, plant cells, seeds, and microorganisms comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes an antipathogenic polypeptide of the embodiments, or variant or fragment thereof, are also disclosed.
US07714178B2
A method of producing high value products: kerosene including cosmetic kerosene, white oils, high value paraffin and purified liquid fuels, from polyolefin waste material and polyolefins, comprising (a) thermally or catalytically decomposing polyolefin waste material or polyolefins to yield vapor products; (b) condensing vapor products of thermal or catalytic decomposition of polyolefin waste material or polyolefins, to yield a first mixture; (c) catalytically hydrogenating said first mixture to reduce olefinic double bonds and acetylenic triple bonds to yield a second mixture; and (d) fractionally distilling said second mixture to yield one or more of the following: a kerosene fraction having a boiling range below 180° C., a cosmetic kerosene fraction having a boiling range of between 180 and 275° C., a white oil fraction having a boiling range of between 270 and 400° C., or a paraffin fraction having a boiling range above 400° C.
US07714176B2
A process for the production of methanol comprises feeding an amount of a hydrocarbon feedstock and an amount of an oxygen feedstock to a partial oxidation reactor to produce a partial oxidation reactor effluent comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; adding an amount of a hydrogen feedstock to the partial oxidation reactor effluent to produce a synthesis gas stream having a predetermined ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide; and, subjecting the synthesis gas stream to methanol synthesis to produce a methanol product stream and a tail gas stream wherein reformation is not used to provide hydrogen as a product. Reformation may be used to consume hydrogen so that carbon dioxide preferably obtained as a by product of another process so that the instant process becomes effectively a temporary carbon sink to convert carbon dioxide, which would otherwise be released to the atmosphere, to a stored carbon source.
US07714165B2
The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of unsaturated carboxylic acid anhydrides of general formula (I): R—C(O)—O—C(O)—R (I), wherein R is an unsaturated organic group with 2 to 12 C atoms, by reaction of a ketene with an unsaturated carboxylic acid of general formula (II): R—COOH (II), wherein R is defined as above, in an apparatus which has a reaction zone (1) for the reaction of a ketene with an unsaturated carboxylic acid of general formula (II), and a reaction zone (2) for the subsequent reaction of the crude anhydride mixture and a rectification column with an upper, a middle and a lower zone, in the sump of which an inert boiling oil is present.
US07714163B2
A process for preparing a quaternary ammonium salt of a fibric acid, represented by the following reaction scheme: is carried out in a single operation starting from a phenol of formula (I), an α-halogenated ester of formula (II) and a quaternary ammonium hydroxide of formula (III). This process makes it possible economically to prepare a choline salt of fenofibric acid in high purity that can be used directly as the active substance in a pharmaceutical composition intended for human consumption.
US07714151B2
Aminated isoflavonoid synthesized by aminating the 4-keto group of isoflavanone and isoflavanone ring systems, pharmaceutical compositions containing same and uses thereof as therapeutic agents.
US07714150B2
Compounds corresponding to formula I, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10 and n have the meanings given in the description, and also a process for the preparation of these compounds and intermediate products of this process. Furthermore, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of Formula I and related methods of treatment.
US07714148B2
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of liquid, storage-stable isocyanate mixtures of low color number and which contain carbodiimide (CD) and/or uretonimine (UI) groups, the isocyanate mixtures obtainable by this process, and to a process for the preparation of blends of these isocyanates with additional isocyanate components and to a process for the preparation of prepolymers containing isocyanate groups and of polyurethane plastics, preferably polyurethane foams.
US07714147B2
A novel process for the production of Fmoc (9H-fluoren-9-ylmethoxycarbonyl)-based compounds is provided, wherein a protecting group for the 9-hydroxymethyl group of the fluorene ring system is utilized. These compounds are useful for the modification of protein and peptide drugs.
US07714142B2
To provide a method for producing a (4,5-dihydroisoxazol-3-yl)thiocarboxamidine salt compound simply, safely and in good yield, whereby drawbacks of prior art have been solved.A method for producing a (4,5-dihydroisoxazol-3-yl)thiocarboxamidine salt compound of the formula (2): wherein each of R1 and R2 which are independent of each other, is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or a cycloalkyl group, each of R3 and R4 which are independent of each other, is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, provided that R1 and R2, or R2 and R3, may be bonded to each other to form a cycloalkyl group together with the carbon atoms to which they are bonded, and X2 is a halogen or an anionic residue derived from an acid, which comprises reacting a 3-halogeno-4,5-dihydroisoxazole compound of the formula (1): wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are as defined above, and X1 is a halogen, with thiourea in the presence of an acid.
US07714141B2
The invention provides a process for producing an optically active butyric acid compound and a production intermediate therefore at high yield and high purity.The present invention provides a process for producing Compound (6), including reacting Compound (1) with optically active 2-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxybutyrolactone (2a) in the presence of a base or reacting optically active 2-hydroxybutyrolactone (2b) under Mitsunobu reaction conditions, to thereby form Compound (3); reacting Compound (3) with an alcohol and a halogenating agent, to thereby form Compound (4); dehalogenating Compound (4), to thereby form Compound (5); and de-esterifying Compound (5).
US07714139B2
Compounds, compositions and methods for the treatment of malignancy are disclosed.
US07714135B2
Compounds of a certain formula (I), in which Ra and Rb have the meanings indicated in the description, are novel effective compounds with anti-proliferative and apoptosis inducing activity.
US07714134B2
The compounds of a certain formula (1) in which Ra and Rb have the meanings indicated in the description are novel for treating hyperproliferative diseases and/or disorders responsive to the induction of apoptosis. The invention further relates to certain compounds of formula (I), in which Ra and Rb have the meanings indicated in the description.
US07714132B2
The invention relates to tetrahydropyridoindole derivatives and their use as active ingredients in the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions. The invention also concerns related aspects including processes for the preparation of the compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more of those compounds and methods of treatment comprising administration of said compounds.
US07714122B2
Disclosed are methods of using enterovirus-specific primers for the detection and identification of enterovirus infection. Also provided are isolated nucleic acid molecules and kits useful for detection and diagnostic testing of enterovirus infection in a subject.
US07714114B2
Conjugates of an EPO moiety and one or more non-peptidic water-soluble polymers are provided. Typically, the non-peptidic water-soluble polymer is poly(ethylene glycol) or a derivative thereof. Also provided are compositions comprising such conjugates, methods of making conjugates, and methods of administering compositions comprising such conjugates to a patient.
US07714110B2
Cancer treatments use a therapy that: 1) interferes with the interaction between CD200 and its receptor to block immune suppression thereby promoting eradication of the cancer cells; and 2) directly kills the cancer cells either by complement-mediated or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity or by targeting cells using a fusion molecule that includes a CD200-targeting portion. The therapy includes the administration of novel antibodies, functional fragments thereof or fusion molecules containing portions thereof.
US07714108B2
The present invention provides methods and compositions for regulating ubiquitination in a cell. In particular, the present invention provides purified polypeptides comprising an ubiquitination-regulating domain. The invention also provides methods of using such polypeptides for screening for agents, for producing antibodies, and for treatment of diseases, e.g., proliferative diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disease and developmental abnormalities. The invention further provides antibodies that bind an ubiquitination-regulating domain and agents and antibodies that regulate ubiquitination in cells, e.g., by modulating the interaction between a TSG101 protein and an MDM2 protein.
US07714103B2
Human proIslet Peptides (HIP) and HIP analogs and derivatives thereof, derived from or homologous in sequence to the human REG3A protein, chromosome 2p12, are able to induce islet neogenesis from endogenous pancreatic progenitor cells. Human proIslet Peptides are used either alone or in combination with other pharmaceuticals in the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and other pathologies related to aberrant glucose, carbohydrate, and/or lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, overweight, obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, eating disorders and the metabolic syndrome.
US07714096B2
It is provided for a resin composition including (A) at least one polyamic acid having the structure represented by the following formula (1): wherein R1 is independently an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms or a cyano group; a is independently an integer of 0 to 4; R is a tetravalent organic group; n is an integer of 1 to 4; and m is an integer of 1 to 100,000, and (E) an organic solvent.
US07714089B2
Rubbery polymers can be formed having the general formula: R1R2N—(CH2)n—X—CH2—CHR3R4 wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from a group consisting of alkyls, cycloalkyls, alkenyls, cycloalkenyls, aryls, phenyls, heterocycles, acyls, and silanes, or R1 in combination with R2 forms a heterocyclic ring; n is an integer from 1 to 20; X is selected from a group consisting of sulfur, a phosphorus moiety, and a silicon moiety; R3 and R4 are one of hydrogen, alkyls, alkenyls, and at least one of which includes reactive unsaturation such as an alkenyl group. Moreover, this invention discloses a process of making functionalized rubbery polymers from the functionalized monomers.
US07714087B2
A polar group-containing olefin copolymer having excellent adhesion properties to metals or polar resins and excellent compatibility therewith, a process for preparing the copolymer, a thermoplastic resin composition containing the copolymer, and uses thereof. The polar group-containing olefin copolymer comprises a constituent unit derived from an □-olefin of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, and a constituent unit derived from a straight-chain, branched or cyclic polar group-containing monomer having at the end a polar group such as a hydroxyl group or an epoxy group and/or a constituent unit derived from a macromonomer having at the end a polymer segment obtained by anionic polymerization, ring-opening polymerization or polycondensation. The polar group-containing olefin copolymer can be prepared by polymerizing the α-olefin with the polar group-containing monomer and/or the macromonomer in the presence of a metallocene catalyst. The polar group-containing olefin copolymer and the thermoplastic resin composition containing the copolymer are used for films, sheets, modifiers, building/civil engineering materials, automobile exterior trim, electric/electronic parts, coating bases, compatibilizing agents, etc.
US07714081B2
The present invention relates to a heat storage material composition comprising 20 to 100% by weight of a heat storage material, 80 to 0% by weight of crystalline polyolefin (B) and 50 to 0% by weight of an elastomer (C), and the heat storage material described above contains a side chain-crystalline polymer (A), wherein the heat storage material described above comprises preferably a higher α-olefin polymer (a) containing 50 mole % or more of higher α-olefin having 10 or more carbon atoms and a petroleum wax (b) in which a melting point (Tm) is higher by 10° C. or more than that of the polymer (a). Provided is a heat storage material composition which has less bleeding and stickiness and is excellent in stability at high temperature and which can meet a change in temperature such as a difference in room temperature when applied to a material for floor heating and can avoid a heating state deviated to high temperature or low temperature.
US07714077B2
The present invention relates to a triblock copolymer, that is multipurpose yet has sufficient properties particularly for medical applications, and is useful as a material having excellent flexibility and water absorbability, as well as to a method for producing the same, and a biocompatible material. The copolymer of the present invention is composed of segments A1 and A2 each composed of a polymer having a depsipeptide unit, such as a segment selected from a homopolymer of depsipeptide or a copolymer of lactide and depsipeptide, and segment B composed of polyalkylene glycol, such as PEG, and is a A1-B-A2 triblock copolymer having a number average molecular weight of 8000 to 500000. The biocompatible material of the present invention contains the triblock copolymer as a main component, and may be used as a tissue anti-adhesion barrier.
US07714068B2
A method for producing film-forming materials including resins and/or crosslinkers having a —Si(OR)3 group. Methods of producing coating compositions and coating a substrate, such as a metal substrate, by electrodeposition. Applied coatings containing the film-forming materials can be cured to form crosslinked films on substrates.
US07714066B2
An impact-modified polycarbonate composition is disclosed. The composition features good processing stability, low temperature toughness and chemical resistance to stress cracking. It includes two copolymers of a vinylaromatic compound and a functionalized vinylolefinic compound and is suitable for the production of complex components.
US07714064B2
Water-soluble films are prepared from polymer blends of polyvinyl alcohol and sulfonate polymers. The sulfo group can be acid form, SO3H, as well as salt form of potassium, sodium, ammonium, i.e. —SO3K, —SO3Na, and —SO3NH4. Conventional film-forming processes can be used to produce the films. Polymeric films prepared from the blend compositions have unique characteristics. Their water solubility rate can be controlled by varying the composition ratio of the polymer blend. Their water solubility rate is increased even at a temperature of 0° C. The water-soluble polymeric films can be used as packaging materials and immersion transfer printing film.
US07714057B2
An automotive part containing at least one component formed from a composition comprising the following: (i) a crystalline, isotactic propylene homopolymer, (ii) an ethylene/α-olefin elastomeric impact modifier, and (iii) a reinforcing grade of filler, for example, talc. The crystalline isotactic propylene homopolymer has a flex modulus of greater than about 1930 MPa and a heat deflection temperature (HDT) of greater than about 100° C.; the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer has a Tg of less than about −30° C., and a tan delta measured at 0.1 radians/s at 190° C. of less than about 2; and the filler has a HDT reinforcing efficiency of at least about 2. The automotive part has an HDT of greater than about 100° C. and a flex modulus of greater than about 1930 MPa.
US07714054B2
A process which subjects a body of polymer to deformation to produce strain hardened polymeric products including blending a polymer and a nanoparticle material to produce a polymeric composition, forming a film from the polymeric composition, and subjecting the composition to strain hardening. The resulting product has improved clarity, dimensional stability, uniform thickness, due to the “self-leveling” properties of the polymeric composition.
US07714048B2
A biodegradable resin composition that exhibits excellent antistatic properties and antifogging properties while maintaining its molecular weight to such a degree as to provide practically satisfactory strength of a molded article molded even according to a kneading process.
US07714047B2
The present invention provides a method of producing a fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion by which the fluorine-containing emulsifier contained in the fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion as obtained after polymerization can be efficiently removed as well as a fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion low in fluorine-containing emulsifier concentration. The present invention is a method of producing a fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion which comprises carrying out a concentration treatment comprising a concentration operation of a pretreatment fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion, wherein the pretreatment fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion is obtained by carrying out a polymerization in an aqueous medium in the presence of a fluorine-containing surfactant (A), the fluorine-containing surfactant (A) is a fluorine-containing surfactant having an octanol/water partition coefficient of 1.5 to 3.5.
US07714042B2
The present invention provides a coating composition for cans comprising 100 parts by mass of a neutralized acrylic resin-modified epoxy resin (A), and from 1 to 50 parts by mass of anionic polymer crosslinked fine particles (B), (A) and (B) being dispersed in an aqueous medium, wherein the anionic polymer fine particles (B) are polymer fine particles comprising a polymer having an acid value of from 10 to 120 mg KOH/g and being produced by polymerizing radically polymerizable unsaturated monomers comprising from 2 to 30% by mass of a carboxyl group-containing radically polymerizable unsaturated monomer (b1), from 2 to 30% by mass of a polyvinyl compound (b2) and from 40 to 96% by mass of other radically polymerizable unsaturated monomer (b3) in the presence of water.
US07714035B1
There is provided a method for preparing a plumbing manifold for use in a water system in which the manifold after molding is subjected to cross-linking high energy radiation. The manifold is made by polyethylene or a metallocene polyethylene.
US07714024B2
Membrane transporter-targeted therapeutic agents and methods of making and using the same.
US07714023B2
Methods for prophylaxis of or treating or preventing migraine or migraine headaches, or other headache disorders include administering to a subject in need of treatment a therapeutically effective amount of citalopram, escitalopram, or a racemic or optically pure citalopram metabolite, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates, polymorphs, or hydrates thereof.
US07714022B2
Novel pyrrole derivatives are disclosed as Aβ42-lowering agents for the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the formation or accumulation of amyloid plaques comprising the Aβ42 peptide.
US07714017B2
Peri-substituted, fused bicyclic ring carboxylic acids useful for the treatment or prophylaxis of a prostaglandin-mediated disease or condition are disclosed. The compounds are of the general formula A representative example is:
US07714013B2
This invention provides certain compounds, methods of their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, and their use in treating human or animal disorders. The compounds of the invention are useful as modulators of the interaction between the receptor for advanced glycated end products (RAGE) and its ligands, such as advanced glycated end products (AGEs), S100/calgranulin/EN-RAGE, β-amyloid and amphoterin, and for the management, treatment, control, or as an adjunct treatment for diseases in humans caused by RAGE. Such diseases or disease states include acute and chronic inflammation, the development of diabetic late complications such as increased vascular permeability, nephropathy, atherosclerosis, and retinopathy, the development of Alzheimer's disease, erectile dysfunction, and tumor invasion and metastasis.
US07713997B2
The present invention provides an agent which exhibits excellent antibacterial activity, low toxicity, improved bioavailability, and low binding rate to serum proteins. The present invention is directed to a pyridonecarboxylic acid derivative represented by formula (1): or a salt thereof, wherein R1 represents a methyl group, a fluorine atom, or a chlorine atom; R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group; R3 represents an isopropyl group or a tert-butyl group; R4 represents a methyl group or a halogen atom; and R5 represents a fluorine atom or a chlorine atom. The present invention is also directed to an antibacterial agent and a medicament containing the derivative or the salt thereof as an active ingredient.
US07713987B2
The present invention relates to diaryl pyrimidine-2,4-diamines, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and the use of the compounds and compositions for the inhibition of kinases. The compounds, analogs, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions can be used in the treatment and prevention of cancer.
US07713975B1
Methods for treating an allergic or inflammatory disease or other Syk-mediated disease or Syk-mediated condition characterized by administering a composition which contains a therapeutically effective amount of a 3,6-substituted imidazol[1,2-b]pyridazine compound.
US07713974B2
The present invention provides for compounds useful for treating an HIV infection, or preventing an HIV infection, or treating AIDS or ARC. The compounds of the invention are of formula I wherein A is A1, A2, A3 or A4 and R1, R2, R3, R4a, R4b, R5, R6, Ar, X1, X2, X4, X4 and X5 are as herein defined. Also disclosed in the present invention are methods of treating an HIV infection with compounds defined herein and pharmaceutical compositions containing said compounds.
US07713966B2
The present invention relates generally to azabicyclic containing pharmaceutical agents, and in particular, to azabicyclic metalloprotease inhibiting compounds. More particularly, the present invention provides a new class of azabicyclic MMP-3, MMP-8 and/or MMP-13 inhibiting compounds, which exhibit an increased potency and selectivity in relation to currently known MMP-13, MMP-8 and MMP-3 inhibitors.
US07713963B2
The present invention relates to acylated indanyl amines according to the general formula (I) wherein R1—R4 have the meanings given in the description, A is CH2, CHOH or CH—(C1-C3-alkyl), B is CH2 or CH—(C1-C3-alkyl), and R5 is an aryl or heteroaryl group, possibly substituted by the substituents listed in the description. These compounds are useful in the upregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and may therefore be useful for the manufacture of medicaments for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, stable or unstable angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, Prinzmetal angina, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, thrombosis, peripheral artery occlusive disease, endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, restenosis, endothelial damage after PTCA, hypertension, essential hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, secondary hypertension, renovascular hypertension, chronic glomerulonephritis, erectile dysfunction, ventricular arrhythmia, diabetes or diabetes complications, nephropathy or retinopathy, angiogenesis, asthma bronchiale, chronic renal failure, cirrhosis of the liver, osteoporosis, restricted memory performance, a restricted ability to learn, or for the lowering of cardiovascular risk of postmenopausal women or after intake of contraceptives.
US07713955B2
A coating system and method are described. In some embodiments, a system may include a composition. The composition may include one or more bridged polycyclic compounds. At least one of the bridged polycyclic compounds may include at least two cyclic groups, and at least two of the cyclic groups may include quaternary ammonium moieties. In some embodiments, a method may include applying a coating to a surface. The coating may be antimicrobial. A coating may include antimicrobial bridged polycyclic compounds. Bridged polycyclic compounds may include quaternary ammonium compounds. Bridged polycyclic compounds based coating systems may impart self-cleaning properties to a surface.
US07713940B2
An isoflavone composition which contains an α-glucosyl isoflavone and isoflavone and optionally an isoflavone aglycone, wherein the ratio of the amount of aglycone in the isoflavone and the isoflavone aglycone in total to the amount of aglycone in the α-glucosyl isoflavone [(the amount of aglycone in α-glucosyl isoflavone)/(the amount of aglycone in isoflavone plus the amount of isoflavone aglycone)] is at least 2.5/1; a water-soluble isoflavone composition which contains an α-glucosyl isoflavone, isoflavone and isoflavone aglycone, wherein the ratio of the amount of isoflavone aglycone in the composition is 0.01 to 20% to the total amount of aglycone in the composition; and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, or feeds, which contain any one of the above compositions.
US07713925B2
The invention provides methods and materials related to modulating syndecan levels and angiogenesis in an animal. The invention provides syndecan polypeptides and nucleic acids encoding syndecan polypeptides, including dominant negative syndecan polypeptides. The invention also provides polynucleotides and polynucleotide analogues for modulating angiogenesis, as well as cells and embryos containing the polynucleotides and polynucleotide analogues. The invention further provides methods for identifying syndecan- and angiogenesis-modulating agents.
US07713923B2
The invention provides a self-assembling peptide comprising (a) a first amino acid domain that mediates self-assembly, wherein the domain comprises alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids that are complementary and structurally compatible and self-assemble into a macroscopic structure when present in unmodified form; and (b) a second amino acid domain that does not self-assemble in isolated form. In certain embodiments of the invention the second amino acid domain comprises a biologically active peptide motif, e.g., a peptide motif found in a naturally occurring protein, or a target site for an interaction with a biomolecule. In certain embodiments of the invention the naturally occurring protein is a component of the extracellular matrix, e.g., a component of the basement membrane. The invention further provides scaffolds comprising the self-assembling peptides and methods of using the scaffolds including for cell culture, tissue engineering, and tissue repair.
US07713922B2
Perfume compositions comprise over 50% by weight of perfume ingredients characterized by possessing (i) a molecular formula possessing from 8 to 13 carbon atoms, including at least one phenyl moiety, substituted or unsubstituted; (ii) an octanol/water partition coefficient (log P) of at least 1.5; (iii) a saturated vapour pressure (SVP) of at least 3 micron Hg at 25 C; and (iv) belonging to one of the following groups (i) ethers of general formula R1OR2; (ii) aldehydes or nitriles of general formula RIX, wherein X is CHO (formyl group) or CN (cyano group); (iii) esters of general formula R1CO2R2; (iv) alcohols or phenols of general formula R1OH; or (v) ketones of general formula R1COR2; wherein R1 and R2 are alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl residues, optionally substituted, whose alkyl moieties may be straight-chained or branched, and which may be linked as part of a ring structure. The compositions find particular application in the form of encapsulates for use in consumer products.
US07713921B2
Liquid detergent composition comprising greater than 5% anionic surfactant, less than 15% nonionic surfactant, a light-sensitive ingredient and an inorganic pearlescent agent.
US07713910B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacture of supported noble metal based alloy catalysts with a high degree of alloying and a small crystallite size. The method is based on the use of polyol solvents as reaction medium and comprises of a two-step reduction process in the presence of a support material. In the first step, the first metal (M1=transition metal; e.g. Co, Cr, Ru) is activated by increasing the reaction temperature to 80 to 160° C. In the second step, the second metal (M2=noble metal; e.g. Pt, Pd, Au and mixtures thereof) is added and the slurry is heated to the boiling point of the polyol solvent in a range of 160 to 300° C. Due to this two-step method, an uniform reduction occurs, resulting in noble metal based catalysts with a high degree of alloying and a small crystallite size of less than 3 nm. Due to the high degree of alloying, the lattice constants are lowered. The catalysts manufactured according to the method are used as electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), direct-methanol fuel cells (DMFC) or as gas phase catalysts for CO oxidation or exhaust gas purification.
US07713909B2
A catalyzed Diesel soot filter and process. The Diesel soot filter incorporates a porous filter element coated with a catalytic agent so that Diesel soot from Diesel exhaust gas is deposited into contact with the catalytic agent when Diesel exhaust gas is passed through the porous filter element and so that the ignition temperature or oxidation temperature of the deposited Diesel soot is reduced. The catalytic agent is a mixture of alkali metal and cerium oxides. The mole ratio of alkali metal to cerium of the catalytic agent is in the range of from 0.5 to 5.
US07713907B2
The invention provides a method for depositing catalytic clusters on a surface, the method comprising confining the surface to a controlled atmosphere; contacting the surface with catalyst containing vapor for a first period of time; removing the vapor from the controlled atmosphere; and contacting the surface with a reducing agent for a second period of time so as to produce catalyst-containing nucleation sites.
US07713894B2
A process of preparing an elastic thermally bonded nonwoven web, whereby the process is characterized by the following steps: (i) providing a thermally bonded nonwoven precursor web containing thermoplastic fibers, (ii) subjecting the precursor web of step (i) to a drawing treatment in a machine direction at a drawing rate of from 45 to 70%, and a strain rate within a range of from 1000 to 2400%/min at a temperature between the softening point and the melting point of the fibers for preparing the elastic thermally bonded nonwoven web.
US07713893B2
An integrally woven three-dimensional preform with stiffeners in two directions constructed from a woven base fabric having first, second and third woven fabrics. A plurality of yarns are interwoven over a region between the first and second fabrics such that the first fabric is foldable relative to the second fabric. An additional plurality of yarns are interwoven over a region between the second and third fabrics such that the third fabric is foldable relative to the second fabric. Upon folding of the woven base fabric, the integrally woven three-dimensional preform with stiffeners in two directions is formed.
US07713891B1
A process for imparting flame resistance and the flame resistant fabrics produced by such process are provided. The process for imparting flame resistant properties involves treating a target fabric with one or more flame retardant chemicals (and, preferably, a softening agent) and then curing the treated fabric to durably affix the flame retardant to the fabric. In many cases, it may be desirable to subject the treated fabric to mechanical face finishing to increase softness. Optionally, stain release agents, soil repellent agents, permanent press resins, and the like may be added to the bath of flame retardant chemicals, eliminating the need for one or more additional manufacturing processes. Alternately, soil repellent agents may be applied to only one side of the treated fabric after the application of the flame retardant chemicals. The present fabrics exhibit improved performance and tear strength, even after repeated launderings, as compared to conventionally treated fabrics.
US07713889B2
A device linewidth characteristic is predicted based on a sharp-edged feature of a projected image of a predetermined pattern (steps 104 to 110), and an exposure condition of the pattern is adjusted based on the device linewidth characteristic that has been predicted (step 112). Then, exposure is performed under the adjusted exposure condition. That is, patterning of a resist on a substrate is performed with the projected image of the pattern (step 114). And, by developing the substrate after patterning, a resist pattern that satisfies a desired device linewidth characteristic is formed on the substrate. Accordingly, by performing etching of the substrate with the resist pattern serving as a mask, a pattern after etching can be formed with a desired linewidth.
US07713886B2
Disclosed is a film forming method using a film forming gas composed of a metal alkoxide wherein clean film formation suppressed in contamination of a target substrate to be processed is achieved by restraining aluminum or an aluminum alloy in the processing chamber from dissolving. Specifically disclosed is method for forming a thin film on a target substrate to be processed which is held in a processing chamber, and this method comprises a step for heating the target substrate and a step for supplying a film forming gas into the processing chamber. This method is characterized in that the film forming gas is composed of a metal alkoxide, the processing chamber is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and a protective film composed of a nonporous anodic oxide film is formed on the inner wall surface of the processing chamber.
US07713881B2
A method for void free filling with in-situ doped amorphous silicon of a deep trench structure is provided in which a first fill is carried out in a way so that film deposition occurs from the bottom of the trench upwards, with step coverage well in excess of 100%. In a second fill step, deposition conditions are changed to reduce the impact of dopant on deposition rate, and deposition proceeds at a rate which exceeds the deposition rate of the first fill. In an application of this method to the formation of deep trench capacitor structures, the intermediate steps further including the capping of the void free filled trench with a thick layer of amorphous silicon, planarization of the wafer thereafter, followed by a thermal anneal to re-distribute the dopant within the filled trench. Thereafter, additional steps can be performed to complete the formation of the capacitor structure.
US07713875B2
The present invention facilitates memory devices and operation of dual bit and single bit memory devices by providing systems and methods that employ a salicide block to vary and equalize the resistance of a memory array during fabrication. The present invention includes utilizing a common charge dissipation region to mitigate charge-loss by providing protection against charging up of the various lines as a result of further plasma etching processes. The salicide block equalizes the charge dissipation in the memory array by providing each wordline path with a varied amount of resistance in addition to the total path resistance. Because the charge protection provided to each wordline otherwise varies depending on the resistance path to a common discharge element, a salicide block for resistance equalization provides greater reliability and predictability during processing. Other such shapes conducive for any desired resistance path fall within the scope of the invention.
US07713874B2
Methods for performing periodic plasma annealing during atomic layer deposition are provided along with structures produced by such methods. The methods include contacting a substrate with a vapor-phase pulse of a metal source chemical and one or more plasma-excited reducing species for a period of time. Periodically, the substrate is contacted with a vapor phase pulse of one or more plasma-excited reducing species for a longer period of time. The steps are repeated until a metal thin film of a desired thickness is formed over the substrate.
US07713865B2
Methods are disclosed for metal encapsulation for preventing exposure of metal during semiconductor processing. In one embodiment, the method includes forming an opening in a structure exposing a metal surface in a bottom of the opening, where the opening forming step occurs in a tool including at least one clustered chamber. An at least partially sacrificial encapsulation layer is then formed on the exposed metal surface in the tool to prevent reaction of the exposed metal surface with the ambient. Exposure of the metal is thereby prevented.
US07713856B2
The present invention relates to a high-power semiconductor laser having low divergence and low astigmatism, this laser being including, in an active layer, a first part in the form of a narrow monomode stripe with transverse index guiding terminating in a second part flaring out from the first part, also with transverse index guiding.
US07713849B2
Freestanding metallic nanowires attached to a metallic substrate are disclosed. A method of creating the nanowire structure using an anodized layer is presented. In one embodiment an optical SERS sensor is formed. The sensor head has at least one array of nanowires chemically functionalized to recognize molecules of interest. A method of forming a SERS sensor and using the sensor to analyze a sample is presented.
US07713832B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming an interlayer insulating pattern over a semiconductor substrate. The interlayer insulating pattern defines a plurality of storage node regions. A lining conductive film is formed over the interlayer insulating pattern including the storage node region. A capping insulating film is formed over the lining conductive film. The capping insulating film over the interlayer insulating film and the lining conductive film are selectively etched between two neighboring storage node regions to form a recess exposing the interlayer insulating pattern on the bottom of the recess and the lining conductive film on sidewalls of the recess. The capping insulating film and the lining conductive film is shaped to be planar so that the lining conductive layer is electrically separated from each other to form a respective lower storage electrode. A supporting pattern is formed to fill the recess. The capping insulating film and the interlayer insulating pattern are removed to expose the lower storage node.
US07713819B2
A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first conductor film on the first insulating film, forming a second insulating film on the first conductor film, forming a first line-and-space pattern by etching the second insulating film and the first conductor film, forming a etched region etched into a second line-and-space pattern perpendicular to the first line-and-space pattern by etching the second insulating film, the first conductor film, the first insulating film, and the semiconductor substrate, burying a third insulating film in the etched region, removing the second insulating film, forming a fourth insulating film on the first conductor film and the third insulating film, forming a second conductor film on the fourth insulating film, and forming a third line-and-space pattern parallel to the first line-and-space pattern by etching the second conductor film.
US07713818B2
A method of making a device includes forming a first photoresist layer over an underlying layer, patterning the first photoresist layer to form a first photoresist pattern, rendering the first photoresist pattern insoluble to a solvent, forming a second photoresist layer over the first photoresist pattern, patterning the second photoresist layer to form a second photoresist pattern over the underlying layer, and etching the underlying layer using both the first and the second photoresist patterns as a mask.
US07713816B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device having a capacitor is provided. The method includes forming an isolation layer on a substrate on which a capacitor region and a transistor region are defined, forming a trench in the isolation layer, sequentially forming a first polysilicon layer, a dielectric layer, and a second polysilicon layer on an entire surface of the substrate including the trench, forming a capacitor in the trench by performing a chemical mechanical polishing process until an upper surface of the isolation layer is exposed, forming a first photoresist pattern to expose the transistor region, removing the second polysilicon layer and the dielectric layer using the first photoresist pattern as a mask, forming a second photoresist pattern in the transistor region, and forming a gate electrode by selectively removing the first polysilicon layer in the transistor region using the second photoresist pattern as a mask.
US07713809B2
A method and structure for reducing dark current in an image sensor includes preventing unwanted electrons from being collected in the photosensitive region of the image sensor. In one embodiment, dark current is reduced by providing a deep n-type region having an n-type peripheral sidewall formed in a p-type substrate region underlying a pixel array region to separate the pixel array region from a peripheral circuitry region of the image sensor. The method and structure also provide improved protection from blooming.
US07713807B2
An integrated semiconductor structure containing at least one device formed upon a first crystallographic surface that is optimal for that device, while another device is formed upon a second different crystallographic surface that is optimal for the other device is provided. The method of forming the integrated structure includes providing a bonded substrate including at least a first semiconductor layer of a first crystallographic orientation and a second semiconductor layer of a second different crystallographic orientation. A portion of the bonded substrate is protected to define a first device area, while another portion of the bonded substrate is unprotected. The unprotected portion of the bonded substrate is then etched to expose a surface of the second semiconductor layer and a semiconductor material is regrown on the exposed surface. Following planarization, a first semiconductor device is formed in the first device region and a second semiconductor device is formed on the regrown material.
US07713794B2
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes the steps of forming an insulating film having a prescribed repetition pattern on one surface of a semiconductor substrate and then depositing semiconductor layers on the one surface of the semiconductor substrate; forming trenches from the other surface of the semiconductor substrate in such a manner that the trenches come into contact with the semiconductor layer, that plural trenches are formed for each semiconductor chip to be formed on the semiconductor substrate, and that at least one pattern of the insulating film is exposed through the bottom of each trench; and covering the inside surfaces of the trenches and the other surface of the semiconductor substrate with a metal electrode.
US07713792B2
A fuse structure, a method for fabricating the fuse structure and a method for programming a fuse within the fuse structure each use a fuse material layer that is used as a fuse, and located upon a monocrystalline semiconductor material layer in turn located over a substrate. At least part of the monocrystalline semiconductor material layer is separated from the substrate by a gap. Use of the monocrystalline semiconductor material layer, as well as the gap, provides for enhanced uniformity and reproducibility when programming the fuse.
US07713784B2
Embodiments of the present invention include a method of packaging semiconductor devices. The method comprises the steps of molding a surface of a wafer, sawing the wafer into individual devices, attaching the individual semiconductor device to an adhesive surface, molding the exposed surface, and sawing the wafer into individual semiconductor devices. The step of molding forms a continuous molded layer. The step of sawing results in each individual semiconductor having a molded layer. This molded layer corresponds to a portion of the continuous molded layer. The step of attaching includes attaching the molded layer of the individual semiconductor devices to the adhesive surface. The step of molding the exposed area includes molding an exposed area above the adhesive surface. This forms a solid expanse of material. The step of sawing the wafer into individual semiconductor devices includes sawing the solid expanse of material.
US07713783B2
An electronic component package that provides a high shielding performance and that can prevent failures such as short-circuiting with a component contained therein. A package includes a shield case formed of a metal plate and shaped to have a bottom portion, the bottom portion having a through hole; a resin case molded on inner and outer surfaces of the shield case and shaped to have a bottom portion; and a hot terminal that is insert-molded in the resin case such that the hot terminal is inserted into the shield case through the through hole without contact. One end of the hot terminal is exposed at an inner surface of the resin case, and the other end of the hot terminal is exposed at an outer surface of the resin case. An element contained in the package is surrounded by the shield case so that good shielding performance is obtained.
US07713775B2
Embodiments relate to a CMOS image sensor and to a method for manufacturing a CMOS image sensor that may disperse stray beam between microlenses. According to embodiments, the method for manufacturing the CMOS image may include forming an interlayer dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate including a plurality of photo diodes, forming a color filter layer corresponding to the photo diodes on the interlayer dielectric layer, forming a planarization layer on the color filter layer, forming microlenses on the planarization layer, after depositing an insulating layer over the microlenses, forming a trench in a concave lens shape in the insulating layer between the microlenses, and forming a concave lens gap-filling insulating materials inside the trench. In embodiments, concave lenses may be formed between microlenses in a CMOS image sensor and stray beams between the microlenses may be dispersed and recondensed into the microlenses.
US07713763B2
By providing a test structure for evaluating the patterning process and/or the epitaxial growth process for forming embedded semiconductor alloys in sophisticated semiconductor devices, enhanced statistical relevance in combination with reduced test time may be accomplished.
US07713762B2
Test methods and components are disclosed for testing the quality of lift-off processes in wafer fabrication. A wafer is populated with one or more test components along with the functional components. These test components are fabricated with holes in an insulation layer that is deposited between conductive layers, where the holes were created by the same or similar lift-off process that is used to fabricate the functional components on the wafer. The test components may then be measured in order to determine the quality of the holes created by the lift-off process. The quality of the lift-off process used to fabricate the functional components may then be determined based on the quality of the holes in the test components.
US07713754B2
This disclosure relates to amorphous ferroelectric memory devices and methods for forming them.
US07713744B2
A medical diagnostic method and instrumentation system for analyzing noncovalently bonded agglomerated biological particles is described. The method and system comprises: a method of preparation for the biological particles; an electrospray generator; an alpha particle radiation source; a differential mobility analyzer; a particle counter; and data acquisition and analysis means. The medical device is useful for the assessment of human diseases, such as cardiac disease risk and hyperlipidemia, by rapid quantitative analysis of lipoprotein fraction densities. Initially, purification procedures are described to reduce an initial blood sample to an analytical input to the instrument. The measured sizes from the analytical sample are correlated with densities, resulting in a spectrum of lipoprotein densities. The lipoprotein density distribution can then be used to characterize cardiac and other lipid-related health risks.
US07713740B2
A method for facilitating a delivery of a molecule into an interior space of a cell includes the steps of introducing a molecule into a target tissue comprising a cell and applying a substantially continuous low-level electric field to the target tissue. The field is applied for a duration sufficient to effect a change in porosity the cell of the target tissue sufficient to facilitate an entry of a desired molecule into an interior of the cell.
US07713737B2
Methods and compositions for needleless delivery of macromolecules to the bloodstream of a subject are provided herein. In one aspect, the invention provides a delivery construct, comprising a receptor binding domain, a transcytosis domain, a macromolecule to be delivered to a subject, and a cleavable linker. In certain aspects, the cleavable linker can be cleavable by an enzyme present in higher concentration at or near the basal-lateral membrane of a polarized epithelial cell or in the plasma than elsewhere in the body, for example, at the apical side of the polarized epithelial cell. In other aspects, the invention provides nucleic acids encoding delivery constructs of the invention, kits comprising delivery constructs of the invention, cells expressing delivery constructs of the invention, and methods of using delivery constructs of the invention.
US07713731B2
Systems and methods for the generation of compost are provided. In one embodiment, the system for generating compost comprises an aeration floor having a plurality of gas flow apertures that connect to a network of gas flow channels, and a compost cover constructed of a gas and liquid impermeable fabric that is provided with a plurality of ports that permit the passage of gas and liquid through the compost cover. A compost biomass is placed on the aeration floor and the compost cover is placed over the compost biomass. An air suction manifold, connected to an outlet of the gas flow channels, draws exhaust gases from the compost biomass, through the plurality of gas flow apertures and through the gas flow channels. The exhaust gases are then conveyed to an air distributor and directed to an odor control device for substantially eliminating odors.
US07713728B2
Systems, methods, compositions and apparatus relating to genome selection are disclosed.
US07713715B2
Antigens are removed from the surface of an organism, such as a microorganism, without disrupting the organism and releasing internal antigens of the organism. The free surface antigens of the organism may be used to determine the presence of infection in an animal due to the organism by determining the presence of antibodies that bind to the free surface antigens in a sample obtained from the animal.
US07713711B2
The present invention is directed to the detection of target analytes using electronic techniques, particularly AC techniques.
US07713708B2
An immunological or immunohematological assay system is disclosed that includes a filter vessel capable of containing an assay sample, an incubator, a sample separation system, an image acquisition system, and a robotic pipettor. The immunological assay system may also include a washer. Also disclosed is an immunological assay method that includes the steps of placing a immunological assay sample in a filter vessel, which includes a filter, adding testing reagents to the filter vessel, incubating the sample and reagent mixture in the filter vessel, separating the sample and reagent mixture in the filter vessel into components above and below the filter, and analyzing the filter vessel to determine the presence of interactions between the sample and reagents.
US07713707B2
The invention includes a process for extracting a target protein from Escherichia coli cells that includes lowering the pH of a whole Escherichia coli cell solution to form an acidic solution, disrupting the cells to release the protein into the acidic solution, and separating the cellular debris from the released protein to obtain a protein product enriched in the heterologous target protein. The invention also includes addition of a solubility enhancer.
US07713706B2
A method of fixing a low-molecular compound to a solid-phase support, by bringing a solution containing a low-molecular compound into contact with a solid-phase support having a photoreactive compound bonded to the surface, evaporating the solution containing a low-molecular compound to dryness, in the state of being in contact with the solid-phase support, and irradiating the solid-phase support with light to form a covalent bond between the photoreactive compound and the low-molecular compound. This fixing method enables a low-molecular compound to be fixed to a solid-phase support without the aid of a functional group.
US07713705B2
The present invention provides methods for the identification and use of diagnostic markers for differential diagnosis of diseases. In a various aspects, the invention relates to methods and compositions able to determine the presence or absence of one, and preferably a plurality, of diseases that exhibit one or more similar or identical symptoms. Such methods and compositions can be used to provide assays and assay devices for use in determining the disease underlying one or more non-specific symptoms exhibited in a clinical setting.
US07713704B1
Identified herein is the location of the MN protein binding site, and MN proteins/polypeptides that compete for attachment to vertebrate cells with immobilized MN protein. Such MN proteins/polypeptides prevent cell-cell adhesion and the formation of intercellular contacts. The MN protein binding site is a therapeutic target that can be blocked by organic or inorganic molecules, preferably organic molecules, more preferably proteins/polypeptides that specifically bind to that site. Therapeutic methods for inhibiting the growth of preneoplastic/neoplastic vertebrate cells that abnormally express MN protein are disclosed. Vectors are provided that encode the variable domains of MN-specific antibodies and a flexible linker polypeptide separating those domains. Further vectors are disclosed that encode a cytotoxic protein/polypeptide operatively linked to the MN gene promoter, and which vectors preferably further encode a cytokine. The MN gene promoter is characterized, and the binding site for a repressor of MN transcription is disclosed.
US07713700B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a nucleic acid amplification method for amplifying a desired nucleic acid while suppressing amplification of byproducts in a PCR reaction, a reagent kit used for nucleic acid amplification, a method of detecting single nucleotide polymorphism to detect single nucleotide polymorphism by utilizing that amplification of byproducts is suppressed in a PCR reaction, and a reagent kit used for detecting single nucleotide polymorphism. The method of amplifying nucleic acids by PCR is characterized by admixing in a reaction solution, a homologous recombinant protein which contains at least one of a RecA protein derived from Thermus thermophilus, and a modified RecA protein obtained by modification of the RecA protein and having a function similar to that of the RecA protein, and carrying out PCR.
US07713697B2
Novel methods of synthesizing multiple copies of a target nucleic acid sequence which are autocatalytic are disclosed (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, methods of nucleic acid amplification are disclosed which are robust and efficient, while reducing the appearance of side-products. In general, the methods use priming oligonucleotides that target only one sense of a target nucleic acid, a promoter oligonucleotide modified to prevent polymerase extension from its 3′-terminus and, optionally, a means for terminating a primer extension reaction, to amplify RNA or DNA molecules in vitro, while reducing or substantially eliminating the formation of side-pro ducts. The disclosed methods minimizes or substantially eliminate 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 disclosed methods minimize or substantially eliminate this problem, thus providing enhanced levels of sensitivity.
US07713695B2
The invention relates to the identification and selection of novel biomarkers and the identification and selection of novel biomarker combinations which are differentially expressed in individuals with mild osteoarthritis as compared with individuals without osteoarthritis. Polynucleotides and proteins which specifically and/or selectively hybridize to the products of the biomarkers of the invention are also encompassed within the scope of the invention as are kits containing said polynucleotides and proteins for use in diagnosing mild osteoarthritis. Further encompassed by the invention is the use of the polynucleotides and proteins which specifically and/or selectively hybridize to the product of the biomarkers of the invention to monitor disease regression in an individual and to monitor the efficacy of therapeutic regimens. The invention also provides for methods of using the products of the biomarkers of the invention in the identification of novel therapeutic targets for osteoarthritis.
US07713691B2
This invention provides novel processes for amplifying nucleic acid sequences of interest, including linear and non-linear amplification. In linear amplification, a single initial primer or nucleic acid construct is utilized to carry out the amplification process. In non-linear amplification, a first initial primer or nucleic acid construct is employed with a subsequent initial primer or nucleic acid construct. In other non-linear amplification processes provided by this invention, a first initial primer or nucleic acid construct is deployed with a second initial primer or nucleic acid construct to amplify the specific nucleic acid sequence of interest and its complement that are provided. A singular primer or a singular nucleic acid construct capable of non-linear amplification can also be used to carry out non-linear amplification in accordance with this invention. Post-termination labeling process for nucleic acid sequencing is also disclosed in this invention that is based upon the detection of tagged molecules that are covalently bound to chemically reactive groups provided for chain terminators. A process for producing nucleic acid sequences having decreased thermodynamic stability to complementary sequences is also provided and achieved by this invention. Unique nucleic acid polymers are also disclosed and provided in addition to other novel compositions, kits and the like.
US07713687B2
Devices, compositions, and methods for handling, separating, packaging, and utilization of spermatozoa (1) that can be derived from previously frozen sperm samples collected from a male mammal. Specifically, techniques to uniformity stain (2) spermatozoal DNA even when derived from previously frozen sperm and separation techniques to separate and isolate spermatozoa even when derived from previously frozen sperm samples into X-chromosome bearing and Y-chromosome bearing populations having high purity.
US07713684B2
A lithography system is disclosed that provides an array of areas of imaging electromagnetic energy that are directed toward a recording medium. The reversible contrast-enhancement material is disposed between the recording medium and the array of areas of imaging electromagnetic energy.
US07713671B2
A toner, which is semispherical and has plural dents on the surface, including a binder resin; and a pigment, wherein a circle circumscribing a circular profile of the toner provides an average envelopability (AE) of 10 to 10,000 particles thereof of from 74 to 84%, which is measured by the following formula: AE(%)=(AC−AD)/AC×100 wherein AC is an area of the circle and AD is a total sum of areas of the dents.
US07713670B2
A developer for an electrophotographic tandem image forming method is provided that contains a toner; and a carrier, wherein the toner has a shape factor SF-1 of from 120 to 160, an average circularity of form 0.93 to 0.98, a weight-average particle diameter (D4) of from 3.0 to 8.0 μm, and a ratio (D4/Dn) of the weight-average particle diameter (D4) to a number-average particle diameter (Dn) of from 1.01 to 1.20, and wherein the carrier is almost a spherical ferrite coated with a resin wherein alumina is dispersed, which has an average particle diameter of from 20 to 45 μm and the following formula: (MgO)x(MnO)y(Fe2O3)z wherein x is from 1 to 5 mol %, y is from 5 to 55 mol % and z is from 45 to 55 mol %.
US07713668B2
A toner composition having toner particles comprising a gel latex, a high Tg latex, a wax, and a colorant. The gel latex is present in an amount of from about 3 weight percent to about 30 weight percent of the toner composition, the high Tg latex is present in an amount of from about 50 weight percent to about 95 weight percent of the toner composition, the wax is present in an amount of from about 2 weight percent to about 40 weight percent of the toner composition, and the colorant is present in an amount of from about 1 weight percent to about 25 weight percent of the toner composition.
US07713662B2
The invention provides a lithium-manganese-based composite oxide containing Ti and Ni, which is represented by the compositional formula: Li1+x(Mn1−n−mNimTin)1−xO2, wherein 0
US07713660B2
The present invention relates to methods for manufacturing manganese oxide nanotubes/nanorods using an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. In the inventive methods, the manganese oxide nanotubes/nanorods are manufactured in mild conditions using only a manganese oxide precursor and an anodic aluminum oxide template without using any solvent. The nanotubes/nanorods having uniform size can be easily obtained by adsorbing the manganese oxide precursor onto the surface of the anodic aluminum oxide template by a vacuum forming process using a vacuum filtration apparatus so as to maintain the shape of nanotubes/nanorods and drying the manganese oxide nanotubes. The manganese oxide nanotubes/nanorods made according to the inventive methods can be used as economic hydrogen reservoirs, the electrode of lithium secondary batteries, or the energy reservoirs of vehicles or other transport means.
US07713659B2
An active material for a battery includes an electrochemically reversibly oxidizable and reducible base material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a lithium-containing alloy, a sulfur-based compound, and a compound that can reversibly form a lithium-containing compound by a reaction with lithium ions and a surface-treatment layer formed on the base material and comprising a compound of the formula MXOk, wherein M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a group 13 element, a group 14 element, a transition metal, and a rare-earth element, X is an element that is capable of forming a double bond with oxygen, k is a numerical value in the range of 2 to 4.
US07713656B2
A terminal platform comprising a first terminal block securable to a housing of the battery, a second terminal block configured to electrically connect to a terminal wire of the battery, and an insulating support electrically isolating the second terminal block from the first terminal block.
US07713654B2
A fixing structure of battery module for fixing a battery module in an electronic device is proposed. The fixing structure includes a first lid and a second lid, which are formed on a surface of the electronic device, wherein the first lid is formed with a first fastening part, and the second lid is formed with a second fastening part for being engaged with the first fastening part; a mounting cavity formed in the electronic device at a position corresponding to the second lid; a first locking part formed on the second lid; and a second locking part formed on the battery module, for being coupled to the first locking part so as to fasten the battery module to the second lid. When the first and second lids are coupled together by the first and second fastening parts, the battery module fastened to the second lid is received in the mounting cavity and fixed in the electronic device.
US07713651B2
A secondary electrochemical cell with at least one positive electrode includes an active material and one negative electrode, which are held directly in a hermetically tight housing which has at least one detector element or which is dynamically connected to one such detector element. The detector element is designed or can be set to acquire a predetermined unallowable operating state of the secondary electrochemical cell, and in an unallowable operating state of the secondary electrochemical cell, to actuate at least one switching element which prevents recharging and/or discharging of the secondary electrochemical cell. By making the housing as a hermetically tight protective housing, which is part of an implantable medical device, contamination of surrounding tissue with toxic substances and hazard to the implant wearer by the malfunction of the secondary electrochemical cell can be precluded under all operating conditions with simultaneously great reduction of all dimensions.
US07713649B2
A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cells, and a plurality of fuel delivery ports. Each of the plurality of fuel delivery ports is positioned on or in the fuel cell stack to provide fuel to a portion of the plurality fuel cells in each stack.
US07713647B2
The invention mainly concerns a fuel cell seal (52) designed to be affixed on a bipolar plate (22) in the form of a membrane whereof the profile corresponds approximately to the peripheral frame (50) of the bipolar plate (22) and comprising a central opening (66) coinciding approximately with the central zone (46) dispensing the reagents of the bipolar plate (22). The invention also concerns a fuel cell comprising an electrode membrane assembly (70) which includes in particular an active region (74), which is the site of anode and cathode reactions, and a peripheral frame (75) and which is sandwiched between two bipolar plates (22) whereon is affixed the inventive seal (52).
US07713641B2
A magnetic material includes a substrate and a composite magnetic film formed on the substrate. The composite magnetic film comprises a plurality of columnar members formed on the substrate and having a longitudinal direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, each of the columnar members containing a magnetic metal or a magnetic alloy selected from at least one of Fe, Co, and Ni, and an inorganic insulator formed between the columnar members and selected from an oxide, a nitride, and fluoride of metal. The composite magnetic film has a minimum anisotropy magnetic field Hk1 in a surface parallel to the substrate surface and a maximum anisotropy magnetic field Hk2 in a surface parallel to the substrate surface, a ratio Hk2/Hk1 is greater than 1.
US07713635B2
A copper oxide thin film mainly containing CuO is formed by a plasma film-forming process on a substrate for film formation. The friction coefficient of the copper oxide thin film can be controlled remarkably low.
US07713624B2
Luminescent inorganic nanoparticles comprising: (a) a core made from a first metal salt or oxide being surrounded by (b) a shell made from a second metal salt or oxide being luminescent and having non-semiconductor properties. These nanoparticles can be advantageously used in (fluorescence) resonance energy transfer ((F)RET)-based bioassays in view of their higher (F)RET efficiency.
US07713623B2
A process for producing a water-absorbent resin particle comprising subjecting a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer to a reverse phase suspension polymerization, characterized in that the process for producing a water-absorbent resin particle comprises the steps of (A) subjecting the water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer to a first-step reverse phase suspension polymerization in a hydrocarbon-based solvent using a water-soluble radical polymerization initiator in the presence of a surfactant and/or a polymeric protective colloid, and optionally an internal crosslinking agent; (B) carrying out at least one step of the procedures of adding an aqueous solution of a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a water-soluble radical polymerization initiator and optionally an internal crosslinking agent to a reaction mixture after the termination of the first-step reverse phase suspension polymerization in a state that the surfactant and/or the polymeric protective colloid is dissolved in the hydrocarbon-based solvent, and subsequently subjecting the mixture to a reverse phase suspension polymerization; and (C) post-crosslinking the resulting water-absorbent resin.
US07713622B2
A fixing solution for fixing toner to a recording medium, includes aliphatic ester held by solvent in a soluble manner, and having solubility or swelling property with respect to resin included in the toner.
US07713620B2
To provide a non-crosslinked flame-retardant resin composition possessing sufficient flame retardancy, mechanical properties, flexibility and workability, and also delivering excellent heat resistance over a long period of time as it is hard to be molten when used under high temperature environment and its material is not deteriorated even if used in contact with a vinyl chloride resin material and the like, and an insulated wire and a wiring harness using the same. The composition includes (A) a non-crosslinked base resin which contains a propylene resin containing 50 wt % or more of propylene monomer and a thermoplastic resin of which a melting point is 180° C. or more, (B) a metallic hydrate, (C) a hindered phenolic antioxidant, (D) a sulfurous antioxidant, and (E) a metallic oxide. Polymethylpentene, an imidazole compound and an oxide of zinc are preferably utilized as the thermoplastic resin, the ingredients (D) and (E), respectively. The composition is used as an insulated covering material for a non-halogenous insulated wire, which is used in a wire bundle of the wiring harness.
US07713618B2
The surface of a magnesium or magnesium alloy part is protected from corrosion by a coating of adherent, electrically conductive material that is electrolytically anodic to the magnesium-containing substrate. For example, the magnesium alloy has a microstructure with portions that are anodic and cathodic to each other, but the coating contains species (e.g., lithiated graphite particles in a polymeric binder) that are anodic to all phases in the magnesium alloy microstructure so that when the coating is damaged and the part surface is exposed, the coating is sacrificially consumed by electrochemical corrosion and the part is spared.
US07713615B2
In one embodiment, a reinforced fiber cement article comprising a fiber cement piece and a reinforcing fixture bonded to a portion of the fiber cement piece for improving the performance, strength and durability of the fiber cement piece. The reinforcing fiber cement article could be used as or in conjunction with a siding plank assembly, which further comprises an interlocking feature that allows the siding plank to be stacked with other siding planks in a manner such that a uniform and deep shadow line is created. The interlocking feature sets the gauge of the exposed plank face and allows for leveling of the plank during installation. The reinforcing fixture could also serve as a thick butt piece or a plastic spline that produces a deep shadow line. A cementitious adhesive is used to bond the reinforcing fixture to the fiber cement piece.
US07713612B2
A hard multilayer coating including: (a) a backing layer which is to be disposed on a body and which includes a TiAlN layer and a TiAlN+CrN mixture layer that are alternately superposed on each other; and (b) a CrN layer which is disposed on the backing layer and which provides an outer surface of the hard multilayer coating. The hard multilayer coating may further includes (c) an intermediate layer which is interposed between the backing layer and the CrN layer. Also disclosed is a hard multilayer coated tool including a tool substrate as the body which is coated with the hard multilayer coating.
US07713608B2
A silver alloy reflective film is used in an optical information recording medium and contains Ag as a main component, a total of 1 to 10 atomic percent of at least one selected from Nd, Gd, Y, Sm, La, and Ce, and a total of 2 to 10 atomic percent of at least one selected from Li, Mg, Al, Zn, Cu, Pt, Au, Pd, Ru, and Rh. The reflective film preferably further contains 0.01 to 3 atomic percent of at least one of Bi and Sb and/or 2 to 10 atomic percent of at least one selected from In, Sn, and Pb. An optical information recording medium includes the silver alloy reflective film. A silver alloy sputtering target has the same composition as the silver alloy reflective film.
US07713606B2
An adhesive product which has excellent glue cutting performance and provides an excellent finish to the pasted portion while effectively maintaining security is provided. An adhesive layer 10 is formed through pattern application, where an adhesive 100 is intermittently placed on the surface of a film 12, so that a broken paper phenomenon, such that the surface layer portion of a flap F1 or the vicinity of opening F2 adheres to the surface of the adhesive layer 10, and a white envelope F is ripped in the direction of the thickness, can be caused when a peeling movement for peeling the flap F1 from a state where the white envelope F is sealed via the adhesive layer 10.
US07713604B2
Curable adhesive articles having topographical features and methods of making curable adhesive articles are disclosed.
US07713599B2
The object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording material which has no cracks on the surface of the ink-receiving layer and possesses both the color developability and the absorbability of pigment inks. According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording material formed by coating a coating solution of a pigment layer and a coating solution of at least one ink-receiving layer in succession on at least one side of a paper support and drying the resulting coating layers, wherein the pigment contained in the pigment layer has an average secondary particle diameter of not less than 1 μm and not more than 5 μm, 50% by volume or more of the total volume of the pigment has a secondary particle diameter of not less than 1.2 μm and not more than 15 μm, a first ink-receiving layer directly coated on the pigment layer contains at least inorganic ultrafine particles, a hydrophilic binder and boric acid or a borate, and the dry coating amount of the first ink-receiving layer is not less than 20% by mass and not more than 120% by mass of the dry coating amount of the pigment layer.
US07713596B2
A light shading structure suitable for being disposed on a substrate is provided, wherein the substrate has a display region and a non-display region. The light shading structure includes a black matrix layer and a light shading layer. The black matrix layer is disposed on the substrate and defines multiple sub-pixel regions in the display region. The black matrix layer also covers the non-display region adjacent to the edge of the display region. The light shading layer is disposed on the black matrix layer in the non-display region adjacent to the edge of the display region and has at least one channel. The light shading structure can reduce light leakage at the edge of the display region of the LCD panel. During processes of manufacturing the LCD panel, the liquid crystal contamination caused by the contact of liquid crystal and sealant can be avoided by the light shading structure.
US07713591B2
An apparatus and method is disclosed for orienting the magnetic anisotropy of longitudinal patterned magnetic recording media. A disk-shaped longitudinal granular magnetic recording medium is provided having a high orientation ratio in the circumferential direction. The medium is then patterned to form a uniform array of magnetic islands. The magnetic islands are then irradiated with ions to increase the magnetic exchange coupling between the grains of each island. This aligns the axes of magnetic anisotropy of the individual grains with the average axis of magnetic anisotropy of the grains, thereby aligning the magnetic anisotropy of each island along the circumferential direction.
US07713544B2
A biocompatible biological component is provided comprising a membrane-mimetic surface film covering a substrate. Suitable substrates include hydrated substrates, e.g. hydrogels which may contain drugs for delivery to a patient through the membrane-mimetic film, or may be made up of cells, such as islet cells, for transplantation. The surface may present exposed bioactive molecules or moieties for binding to target molecules in vivo, for modulating host response when implanted into a patient (e.g. the surface may be antithrombogenic or antiinflammatory) and the surface may have pores of selected sizes to facilitate transport of substances therethrough. An optional hydrophilic cushion or spacer between the substrate and the membrane-mimetic surface allows transmembrane proteins to extend from the surface through the hydrophilic cushion, mimicking the structure of naturally-occurring cells. An alkylated layer directly beneath the membrane-mimetic surface facilates bonding of the surface to the remainder of the biological component. Alkyl chains may extend entirely through the hydrophilic cushion when present. To facilitate binding, the substrate may optionally be treated with a polyelectrolyte or alternating layers of oppositely-charged polyelectrolytes to facilitate charged binding of the membrane-mimetic film or alkylated layer beneath the membrane-mimetic film to the substrate. The membrane-mimetic film is preferably made by in situ polymerization of phospholipid vesicles.
US07713539B2
The present invention relates generally to radiation-resistant medical devices which contain polymer regions for release of therapeutic agents. The present invention also relates to radiation-resistant block copolymer materials for use in connection with insertable or implantable medical devices. The radiation-sterilized medical device comprise (a) a release region and (b) at least one therapeutic agent and the release region comprises a radiation resistant copolymer that includes (i) a low Tg hydrocarbon polymer block and (ii) one or more high Tg polymer blocks.
US07713529B2
Nucleic acid sequences containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotides that modulate an immune response including stimulating a Th1 pattern of immune activation, cytokine production, NK lytic activity, and B cell proliferation are disclosed. The sequences are also useful as a synthetic adjuvant.
US07713528B1
This invention relates to novel reagent conjugates and a novel multi-step process for delivering active compounds to target analytes of interest in a patient for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. According to the process, two novel reagents are bound to each other by linkage of the sequence-specific components they contain. The first reagent, which is comprised of a target recognition component and a first sequence-specific component, is introduced into the patient and allowed to achieve maximal localization on the target cells. The second reagent, which is comprised of an active compound component and a second sequence-specific component is then introduced into the patient, thereby forming a complex with the first reagent via the recognition and binding of the sequence-specific components of the two reagents to form the reagent conjugate of the invention. The active compound component is thereby efficiently and specifically delivered to the target analyte.
US07713507B2
A single crystal diamond grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition has a hardness of 50-90 GPa and a fracture toughness of 11-20 MPa m1/2. A method for growing a single crystal diamond includes placing a seed diamond in a holder; and growing single crystal diamond at a temperature of about 1000° C. to about 1100° C. such that the single crystal diamond has a fracture toughness of 11-20 MPa m1/2.
US07713503B2
A system for removing mercury from combustion gas. The system includes a combustion device, a stack, and a duct system that couples the combustion device to the stack. The system further comprises an injection system that is coupled to the duct system. The injection system injects sorbents including alkali-based sorbents and carbon-based sorbents into the duct system.
US07713491B2
Two or more cyclone systems can be contained in a single vessel. Each cyclone system can be in fluid communication with an inlet stream and a fluid discharge line. First cyclone system can include a vent open to the cyclone containing vessel. Second cyclone system can be sealed to restrict fluid entry from and/or exit into vessel, which can inhibit product vapors from exiting the vent of one cyclone system into the vessel and flowing into the vent of the other cyclone system.
US07713473B2
A sterilizer employs a vaporizer having sloped surfaces over which flow liquid sterilant solution for vaporization. The arrangement promotes even distribution of the sterilant solution for more efficient vaporization.
US07713469B2
Device for monitoring the production of tablets in a rotary press, with die bores in a circular die plate for the accommodation of a powder to be pressed, upper- and lower stamps, a pressing station for pressing the powder in the die bores by means of the upper and lower stamps, a tablet stripper for stripping off the tablets ejected by the lower stamps from the upper side of the circular die plate and a machine computer, wherein a contactless working temperature measurement device, being in communication with the machine computer, with a measurement plane between the pressing station and the tablet stripper, is arranged in the press room of the rotary press, and the measurement time of the temperature measurement device is such that at least some of the tablets per rotation of the circular die plate can be established in their temperature.
US07713466B2
The invention provides a valve-acting metal sintered body for anode of a solid electrolytic capacitor, having a high capacitance, well impregnated with cathode material, and exhibiting excellent properties particularly when having a large volume, a capacitor having a low ESR, an excellent tan δ value and good long-term reliability such as moisture resistance and heat resistance by using the sintered body, and a production method therefor comprising the following steps: coating/printing/shaping a granulated product of a mixed dispersion containing a pore-forming agent, an organic binder and a primary powder or secondary aggregated powder of at least one member selected from valve-acting metal, a valve-acting metal compound and a valve-acting metal alloy or a granulated powder thereof, and a solvent, or compressing and shaping the granulated product of a mixture obtained by removing the solvent from the dispersion; sintering the shaped article containing a pore-forming agent; and removing the pore-forming agent from the sintered body.
US07713463B1
A method for applying microwave techniques to embroidered surgical implants including using microwave technology in the process of acetate removal and using microwave technology in the process of drying implants.
US07713460B2
A method of preparing a plastic-based composite profile comprised of a plastic mass containing a plurality of wood particles embedded in the plastic mass by bringing a plurality of dried wood particles and a thermoplastic polymer together with optional additives together to form a plastic-wood particle mixture, blending the plastic-wood particle mixture in blending means at a temperature sufficiently high to at least partially melt the thermoplastic polymer so as to be capable of uniformly blending with the wood particles to form a blended plastic-wood particle mass constituting an initial agglomerate; transforming the initial agglomerate into a profile preform by subjecting the agglomerate to the action of a double screw multi-zone extrusion means thereby shaping the profile preform into a profile by pushtrusion so that the agglomerate flows under pressure as a plastic plug flow in the extrusion means and through orientation and shaping stages to thereby obtain the composite profile.
US07713458B2
A laminated seamless belt having at least a base layer and an outer layer. The base layer contains a polyester thermoplastic elastomer as its main component. The base layer has a volume resistivity set to not less than 1.0×106(Ω·cm) nor more than 1.0×1011(Ω·cm). A volume resistivity of the outer layer is set to not less than 1.0×1011(Ω·cm) and not less than 10 times as large as that of the base layer. The base layer and the outer layer are formed by laminated extrusion.
US07713449B2
A polymer electrolytic material has excellent proton conductivity and excellent fuel shutting property, and accordingly provide a polymer electrolytic fuel cell with a high efficiency. This polymer electrolytic material has an unfreezable water ratio Rw1 defined by the following expression (S1) in a range of 20 to 100% by weight in hydrated state: Rw1=[Wnf/Wfc+Wnf)]×100 (S1) in which Wnf represents the unfreezable water content per 1 g of the polymer electrolytic material in dry state and Wfc represents the low freezing point water content per 1 g of the polymer electrolytic material in dry state.
US07713448B1
Carbon nanomaterials are stabilized and uniformly dispersed in a liquid such as water using a simple procedure. Methylcellulose is added to hot water where it separates and expands with a temperature of about 80-90 degree Celsius. Methylcellulose swiftly dissolves when the water cools down. Carbon nanomaterials are dispersed in a solvent and sonicated. This nanomaterial dispersed solvent is then added to the methylcellulose dispersed water and mechanically stirred. The resulting uniform mixture is up to 90% by weight nanomaterials and is stable for months.
US07713437B2
The present invention provides a dual frequency addressable smectic A liquid crystal composition having a crossover frequency, wherein the smectic A phase is induced by mixing of at least a first nematic liquid crystal compound or composition and a second nematic liquid crystal compound or composition.
US07713434B2
Disclosed is a non-flammable refrigerant composition consisting of pentafluoroethane in an amount from 62% to 67% based on the weight of the composition; a second component selected from 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane, and mixtures thereof in an amount from 26% to 36% by weight based on the weight of the composition; and an ethylenically unsaturated or saturated hydrocarbon compound that is at least 80% isobutane in an amount of from 3% to 4% by weight of the composition. Optionally, the composition may include at least one lubricant, at least one additive or combinations thereof.
US07713433B2
W-type ferrite has improved magnetic properties, in particular, coercive force. A high coercive force (HcJ) and a high residual magnetic flux density (Br) can be simultaneously attained by a ferrite magnetic material comprising an oxide having a composition wherein metal elements Sr, Ba and Fe in total have a composition ratio represented by the formula Sr(1−x)BaxFe2+aFe3+b in which 0.03 ≦x≦0.80, 1.1≦a≦2.4, and 12.3≦b≦16.1. The ferrite magnetic material can form any of a ferrite sintered magnet, a ferrite magnet powder, a bonded magnet as a ferrite magnet powder dispersed in a resin, and a magnetic recording medium as a film-type magnetic phase. As for the ferrite sintered magnet, there can be attained a fine sintered structure that has a mean grain size of 0.6 μm or less.
US07713427B2
A water treatment and recycling system for filtering grey waste water to clear water for stone fabrication equipment includes a waste water storage tank connected to receive grey water from stone fabrication equipment and a clear water supply loop. The clear water supply loop includes a high capacity filter assembly receiving waste water from the waste water storage tank and filtering the waste water into clear water that is provided to the fabrication equipment through a clear water storage tank. The high capacity filter assembly includes at least one high pressure filter unit wherein each high pressure filter unit includes a duplex air diaphragm pump assembly, forfiltering the waste water into the clear water.
US07713421B2
The invention relates to a method of separating components of a fluid mixture comprising the steps of providing a fluid, providing a sorbent structure (120), sorbing a first component of the fluid, desorbing the first component, and electrokinetically biasing the first component in a direction other than the vector of the fluid mixture.
US07713407B2
A hydrocracking process for converting a petroleum feedstock to higher gravity, lower sulfur products, especially ultra low sulfur road diesel fuel. The process may be operated as a single-stage or two-stage hydrocracking. In each case, a hydrocracking step is followed directly by a post-treat hydrodesulfurization zone using a bulk multimetallic catalyst comprised of at least one Group VIII non-noble metal and at least two Group VIB metals with a ratio of Group VIB metal to Group VIII non-noble metal is from about 10:1 to about 1:10. In the two-stage option with interstage ammonia removal, the initial hydrocracking step may be followed by hydrodesulfurization using the bulk multimetallic catalyst prior to the ammonia removal which is followed by the second hydrocracking step. A final hydrodesulfurization over the bulk multimetallic catalyst may follow. The hydrodesulfurization over the bulk multimetallic catalyst is carried out at a pressure of at least 25 barg and preferably at least 40 barg.
US07713390B2
Apparatus for processing a substrate in a physical vapor deposition chamber is provided herein. In one embodiment, apparatus for processing a substrate in a physical vapor deposition chamber having a target disposed in a lid assembly and a grounded chamber wall includes a ground frame and a ground shield. The ground frame is configured to be insulatively coupled to the lid assembly and has an electrically conductive lower surface. The ground shield has an electrically conductive wall that is adjustably and electrically coupled to the conductive lower surface of the ground frame. The ground shield is configured to circumscribe the target and has an upper edge configured to provide a gap between the upper edge and a peripheral edge of the target when installed.
US07713388B2
A structure has at least one structure component formed of a first material residing on a substrate, such that the structure is out of a plane of the substrate. A first coating of a second material then coats the structure. A second coating of a non-oxidizing material coats the structure at a thickness less than a thickness of the second material.
US07713375B2
This invention relates to a dry erase writing board. The dry erase writing board comprises a chalk or erase board having a face side, and a multilayer film which is adhered to the face side of the chalk or dry erase board. The outer or exposed surface of the multilayer film which is adhered to the chalk board or erase board is a clear dry erasable layer comprising at least one fluorocarbon polymer. The invention also relates to a method of preparing the dry erase writing boards of the invention which utilizes a multilayer film having an adhesive layer for adhering the multilayer film to the chalk or erase board and a pattern of non-adhesive material forms embedded into the upper or lower surface of the adhesive layer, or adhered to the lower surface of the adhesive layer. The dry erasable multilayer films described herein are easily applied to substrates such as a chalk or erase board with little or no formation of visible bubbles or wrinkles in the film.
US07713370B2
A ventilation device to be applied to items of clothing, which includes an assembly with through holes, which is composed of a band of material that is at least partially transparent and impermeable and is configured to be arranged externally. A layer is provided to be placed in view and is made of natural or synthetic fabric or natural or synthetic leather. At least one layer of adhesive polymeric material mutually joins the outer and the layer, between which it is sandwiched. A membrane which is impermeable to water and permeable to vapor, provided to be arranged internally, is sealed at least perimetrically to the assembly on the side of the layer to be placed in view.
US07713369B2
The invention relates to the preparation of a thin layer comprising a step in which an interface is created between a layer used to create said thin layer and a substrate, characterized in that said interface is made in such a way that it is provided with at least one first zone (Z1) which has a first level of mechanical strength, and a second zone (Z2) which has a level of mechanical strength which is substantially lower than that of the first zone. Said interface can be created by glueing surfaces which are prepared in a differentiated manner, by a layer which is buried and embrittled in a differentiated manner in said zones, or by an intermediate porous layer.
US07713359B2
The present invention relates to a device for interior flushing of spaces in tanks or containers. At least one rotatable part (8) of a pipe (6, 8, 11) for the supply of flushing liquid (7) is provided in the space (2) and said rotatable part (8) has at least one flushing nozzle (9) for discharging jets (10) of flushing liquid. A driving or operating device (22) is provided to rotate said rotatable part (8) about a geometric rotation axis (R1A) and the flushing nozzle (9) about another geometric rotation axis (R2A). The driving device (22) is provided to be brought to rotate in opposite rotary directions (R1, R2) by reversing its rotary direction. A switch device (23) is provided to bring either said rotatable part (8) or the flushing nozzle (9) to rotate in dependence of the rotary direction (R1 or R2) of the driving device (22). A control device (48) is provided to control the driving device (22) to rotate in one or the opposite rotary direction (R1 or R2).
US07713358B2
A dishwashing machine comprising a washing station having a wash water tank, a plurality of wash water dispensing nozzles, a recirculation pump adapted to circulate the wash water from the tank to the nozzles; and a hydraulic filling container communicating with the recirculation pump via a first and a second conduit respectively connected to a delivery conduit and to a suction conduit of the pump itself.
US07713354B2
After silicon nitride films have been formed on wafers by a film forming process in a reaction vessel, the reaction vessel is processed by a purging process specified by a purging recipe and compatible with the film forming process to suppress production of gases and particles by removing surface parts of films deposited on the inside surface of the reaction vessel and causative of production of gases and particles.A wafer boat 25 holding a plurality of wafers W is loaded into a reaction vessel 2, and the wafers W are processed by a film forming process specified by a film forming recipe 1 specifying, for example, Si2Cl2 gas and NH3 gas as film forming gases. Subsequently, a purging recipe 1 specifying a purging process compatible to the film forming process is selected automatically, and the reaction vessel 2 is processed by the purging process specified by the purging recipe 1. A purging recipe is selected automatically from a plurality of purging recipes specifying purging processes respectively compatible with film forming processes. Unnecessary extension of purging time is suppressed and the reaction vessel 2 can be processed by an appropriate purging process compatible with the film forming process.
US07713351B2
The objective of the invention is a crystallizing method for macromolecules, especially proteins and polypeptides, in which selected polysaccharides of biological origin, such as alginate, pectin, dextrin or chitosan and hydrolysates thereof, are used as reagents. Sedimentation of the crystals can be prevented and thus the uniformity of the product contributed with the method. The method can be used to prepare new crystal forms of the polypeptide and to improve the stability of crystals.
US07713347B2
A binder formulation is provided that is capable of forming a heat and erosion resistant coating on the surface of a substrate, particularly a substrate comprising titanium or aluminum. The binder formulation comprises a metal alkoxide compound, such as a titanium alkoxide and an organosilane, such as 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GTMS). The binder material may be capable of strongly bonding the binder to the substrate. The binder coating may also include one or more additives that may help improve the heat resistance and impact absorbance of the coating. The binder may also include one or more pigments so that the resulting sol-gel coating has a desired appearance and properties. The sol-gel coating can be cured under ambient conditions and does not require additional heat curing.
US07713343B2
An ink set for ink-jet recording is formed from a yellow ink in which C. I. Direct Yellow 132 and C. I. Direct Yellow 86 are employed, a magenta ink in which a specific pyrazolylazopyridine-based (or pyrazolylazopyrazine-based) dye and another specific dye are employed, and a cyan ink in which two specific types of copper phthalocyanine-based dyes are employed.
US07713332B2
A carbon dioxide separation system for a fuel cell system having a small volume and weight of a separation device and of a membrane, at simultaneous increase of the separated volume of carbon dioxide, comprises a separation device for containing a fluid phase, a carbon dioxide phase, and a two phase fluid including fluid and carbon dioxide. The separation device comprises a two phase fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a carbon dioxide outlet, a carbon dioxide separation membrane, and a flow restrictor creating a backpressure which presses separated carbon dioxide through the carbon dioxide separation membrane. The flow restrictor comprises at least one narrow aperture, and is mounted downstream of the separation device. The carbon dioxide separation membrane is positioned in the separation device in such a manner that at least a part of the total membrane area is arranged above a two phase fluid level and is in touch with carbon dioxide contained in the separation device above the two phase fluid level.
US07713325B2
A method for manufacturing a honeycomb filter for purifying exhaust gas, including: providing a columnar body including porous ceramic and having a wall portion and through holes partitioned by the wall portion, the through holes extending in a length direction of the columnar body, coating a sealing material including one or more organic components over a circumferential surface of the columnar body to form a sealing material layer; and heating the columnar body having the sealing material layer on the circumferential surface of the columnar body at a temperature sufficient to lower a total weight of the organic component with respect to a total weight of the honeycomb filter, Vα.
US07713314B2
A candle formed of a composition comprising biodiesel. In preferred implementations, the candle composition includes fatty alcohols, e.g., cetyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol, in mixture with the biodiesel, to constitute a candle composition that can burned in a wicked or wickless form. The composition of biodiesel and fatty alcohols may include dyes and/or fragrances, to provide a candle article that is environmentally benign and of low cost.
US07713297B2
A vascular or endoluminal stent is adapted to be implanted in a vessel, duct or tract of a human body to maintain an open lumen at the site of the implant. The sidewall of the open-ended tubular structure of the stent is a base layer of a metal biologically compatible with blood and tissue of the human body. An intermediate metal particle layer of substantial greater radiopacity overlies the base layer, with particles bonded to the base layer and to each other to leave interstices therebetween as a repository for retaining and dispensing drugs or other agents for time release therefrom after the stent is implanted, to assist the stent in maintaining the lumen open. The particles are composed primarily of a noble metal—an alloy of platinum-iridium. The sidewall has holes extending therethrough, and the particle layer resides along the outward facing and inward facing surfaces, and the edges of the through holes and open ends of the sidewall. The larger particles are bonded to surfaces of the sidewall and progressively smaller particles are bonded to those and to each other up to the outer portion of the particle layer. Exposed surfaces of the particle layer are coated with ceramic-like iridium oxide or titanium nitrate, as a biocompatible material to inhibit irritation of tissue at the inner lining of the vessel when the stent is implanted. One or more anti-thrombotic, anti-platelet, anti-inflammatory and/or anti-proliferative drugs are retained in the interstices, together with a biodegradable carrier for time release therefrom. In an alternative embodiment, the intermediate layer is solid and the biodegradable carrier and drugs or agents therein are applied to the surface of the ceramic-like coating. Gene transfer is alternatively used to control tissue proliferation.
US07713289B2
The device is used for mutually securing or clamping a longitudinal carrier (e.g., a spinal rod) to a bone fixing element (e.g., a pedicle screw). The device includes a body having a channel that is open along its longitudinal axis on one side for receiving the longitudinal carrier. The body has a bore that extends fully through the body and at least partially intersects the channel. The bore is conical in form and has a large opening, a small opening, and an inner thread. The head of the bone fixing element has an outer thread that corresponds to the inner thread. As the fixing element is secured in the bore, it locks the longitudinal carrier to the device.
US07713288B2
Spinal stabilization devices, systems and methods are provided that include a spring junction wherein a structural member is mountable to a spine attachment fastener and a resilient element is affixed to the structural member along an attachment region of the resilient element. The attachment region is disposed physically separately with respect to an active region of the resilient element. The attachment region can include a weld region produced via an E-beam welding process involving temperatures of 1000° F. or greater, wherein a heat-affected zone adjacent the weld region is disposed physically separately with respect to the active region. The resilient element may be a coil spring including bend regions adjacent its outermost (i.e., last) coils wherein the material of the coil spring initially bends away from the last coil, then bends back toward the last coil before terminating near the last coil.
US07713278B2
The method disclosed may be used following a prostatectomy, and may comprise inserting an instrument into the bladder lumen through incisions in the abdomen and bladder wall; using an end effector thereon to urge the bladder wall to the pelvic floor and align the openings of the bladder and urethra, and drive an anchor through the bladder wall into the pelvic floor, thereby connecting a balloon harness to the pelvic floor; inflating a balloon within the harness, which holds the bladder wall surrounding the bladder opening against the pelvic floor; maintaining the balloon in place and draining the bladder via a catheter during the time required for the tissues to effectively knit; and then deflating the balloon, disconnecting the harness, and withdrawing the instrument. The instrument may comprise one or more tubes that support an end effector comprising a positioner, an anchor driver, a harness, a balloon and a catheter.
US07713276B2
An occlusion clip is disclosed that comprises an occlusion portion having an upper single element occlusion member having proximal and distal upper member ends and a lower single element occlusion member having proximal and distal lower member ends. The lower single element occlusion member and the upper single element occlusion member combine to define an occlusion member plane. The occlusion clip further comprises a spring portion having a torsion spring connecting the proximal upper member end to the proximal lower member end. The torsion spring has a spring height dimension in the occlusion member plane perpendicular to the upper and lower single occlusion members and is adapted to bias the upper and lower single element occlusion members toward a closed position wherein the upper single element occlusion member is in force contact with the lower single element occlusion member.
US07713274B2
A surgical instrument extendable through a cannula for moving a first bone portion relative to a second bone portion includes a first portion having a longitudinal axis engageable with a first member connected with to the first bone portion. A second portion is engageable with a second member connected with the second bone portion. The second portion is movable relative to the first portion from a first position toward a second position to move the first and second bone portions away from each other. An actuator connected with the second portion moves the second portion relative to the first portion in a direction extending transverse to the longitudinal axis.
US07713270B2
An endoscopic treatment instrument is provided which includes: a sheath 2 having electrical insulating properties; a pair of arm portions 3A and 3B which are disposed opposite to each other, which protrude and retract with respect to the sheath 2, and which accordingly open and close to thereby hold an object to be treated; a cutting electrode 5 which is protruded from and fixed to the distal end of the sheath 2 and which supplies a high-frequency electric current when it touches the object to be treated.
US07713269B2
Devices for electrosurgery by means of oxy-hydro combustion and methods for use of such devices in electrosurgical procedures. Provided are devices for combustion of oxygen and hydrogen, or other hydrocarbon fuels, wherein oxygen and hydrogen may be generated by electrolysis or oxygen and hydrogen, or other hydrocarbon fuels, may be supplied, such devices including an ignition source and an adjustable and translatable sheath for controlling such reactions. Also provided is a detachable and positionable sheath for controlling reactions and minimizing tissue damage with conventional electrosurgery devices.
US07713264B2
In one embodiment, a neck bridge for bridging the neck of an aneurysm includes a junction region, a number of radially extending array elements attached to the junction region, and a cover attached to one or both of the junction region and an array element. The array elements are configured to be positioned within the aneurysm after the neck bridge is deployed from a delivery device. In a second embodiment, the neck bridge includes a junction region and a braided or mesh-like structure secured to the junction region. The braided or mesh-like structure is made from an elastic material.
US07713262B2
A wearable infusion device delivers a liquid medicant, such as insulin, to a patient. The infusion device comprises a base that contacts a patient's skin and a reservoir arranged to contain a liquid medicant to be delivered beneath a patient's skin. The reservoir has an outlet through which the medicant flows. The infusion device further includes a flexible conduit communicating with the outlet of the reservoir and a pump that causes the medicant to flow down the conduit.
US07713250B2
A needleless luer access connector is disclosed having a septum disposed in a housing. The septum has a proximal portion with a cross section, a medial portion with a cross section smaller than the cross section of the proximal portion, and a distal portion. A longitudinal slit extends through the septum from the proximal portion to the distal portion. The septum and housing are designed so that septum will not be rotated or removed from the housing when the connector is accessed by a male luer taper. In addition, the septum and housing are designed to bias the slit at the distal portion closed and so a male luer connector does not have to extend completely through the distal portion to open the slit at the distal portion. Finally, the septum and housing are designed to minimize the amount of dead space in the connector when accessed with a male luer taper.
US07713241B2
A rapid infusion system for the intravenous delivery of fluids at standard and rapid flow rates. The system includes a pump assembly, a drive assembly to power the pump, and a fluid containment system that keeps the infused fluid out of direct contact with the pump assembly and that is preferably disposable and removable. In one embodiment the drive assembly includes a differential drive that interacts with more than one motor. In one embodiment, the pump assembly includes a roller pump and the pump chamber is a collapsible, preformed tube that is preferably attached to a pump cartridge frame. Optionally, the system includes a self-leveling drip chamber and the fluid containment system is disposable and includes a pump cartridge containing the drip chamber and the pump chamber, I.V. tubing, outlet infusion tubing, and a heater cartridge.
US07713231B2
An interventional catheter assembly has an operating head [400] and catheter system [300] that are inserted and navigated within a patient's body while an operator controls the system externally of the operating head. Fluidic communication is provided between the operating head and the external system controls, and rotation is provided to the operating head by means of an external drive system. Numerous system controls are provided, along with various operating systems, sealing assemblies, actuators, torque transfer systems, and the like are provided. Some systems and controls are provided in a control pod [200] and some controls, as well as displays, are provided in a console unit [100]. Control pod [200], catheter system [300] and operating head [400] may be provided as a sterile, single use interventional catheter system, while the console unit [100] may be provided as a multiple use device that communicates with the sterile, single use interventional catheter system during operation.
US07713227B2
An apparatus for collecting blood clots, plaque, and other debris in arteries or veins, said apparatus comprising: a filter assembly having a chamber with a paddle assembly and a porous floor disposed therein; and tubes for coupling said filter assembly to an artery and to a vein.
US07713225B2
A knee brace divided into anterior and posterior sides by a frontal plane, and having first and second sides divided by a median plane. The knee brace including a frame having proximal and distal portions, a stability strap having first and second ends respectively connected to first and second sides on the proximal frame portion along the posterior side thereof, and a cross strap having a first end connected to the first side of the proximal and a second end connected to the distal frame portions. A bracket assembly having a buckle connects the stability and cross straps to the frame. A sleeve is provided which covers the frame and upon which the bracket assembly rests.
US07713214B2
A device for use with a penetrating member driver to penetrate tissue is provided. The device includes a single cartridge coupled to a plurality of penetrating members and operatively couplable to the penetrating member driver. The penetrating members are movable to extend radially outward from the cartridge to penetrate tissue. A plurality of optical analyte sensors are coupled to the single cartridge and positioned to receive body fluid from a wound in the tissue created by the penetrating member.
US07713211B2
A method of data management for optimizing the patient outcome from the provision of external counterpulsation (ECP) therapy is described. This method describes a process by which sets of dynamic cardiopulmonary dependent variables are measured during steady-state conditions, displayed, and translated into quantitative and qualitative measurements while the independent variables of ECP, cuff inflation duration and cuff inflation pressure settings of ECP systems, are altered by a physician. In combination with visual observation and computer-assisted ranking of the dependent variables, a physician can utilize the resulting information to render decisions on the optimal choice of the independent variables. The method will enable physicians to collect, view, track and manage complicated data using well-understood visualization techniques to better understand the consequences, acutely and chronically, of their therapeutic actions in general, and of their provision of ECP therapy in particular.
US07713210B2
An imaging system is provided with an ultrasound catheter and a controller coupled to the ultrasound catheter. The catheter includes a localizer sensor configured to generate positional information for the ultrasound catheter, and an imaging ultrasound sensor having a restricted field of view. The controller co-registers images from the imaging ultrasound sensor with positional information from the localizer sensor.
US07713209B2
Contrast agent enhanced medical diagnostic imaging is provided. Substantially stationary or bound contrast agents are detected. By tracking relative motion between frames of data, spatial locations associated with consistent detection of contrast agents are identified. The contrast agent detected at the identified spatial locations are substantially stationary contrast agents.
US07713199B2
A medical diagnostic ultrasound transducer system has at least a first and a second set of transducer layers of an element. Each set has one or more transducer layers with independent electrical access. A transmit event through a first set of transducer layers with broadband electrical signals generates acoustic signals containing at least two different frequency bands, and a receive event through a second and different set of transducer layers receives multiple tissue harmonic signals to generate a wide bandwidth response. Fundamental signals can be reduced with a pulse inversion technique through a second transmit event of inverted pulses, a second receive event and superposition of signals from the two receive events.
US07713196B2
There is provided a system and method for evaluating skin hydration and fluid compartmentalization. The system includes a microneedle array configured to extract fluid from an interstitial space and a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure differential between the interstitial space and ambient pressure during extraction of the fluid. A processor coupled to the pressure sensor is configured to compute a hydration index based on the pressure differential. A display coupled to the processor is configured to display the hydration index.
US07713183B2
Apparatus (12) for storing robotic tooling for vehicle body sheet metal robotic assembly operates a robot to transfer robotic tooling between an assembly station and a rotary storage rack (56) of a storage rack assembly (28). The storage rack (56) has vertically spaced storage locations and is rotated about a vertical axis to provide circumferentially spaced storage locations.
US07713172B2
An exercise device configured to sense and respond to objects in proximity to the exercise device is provided. The device includes a sensor configured to sense objects in proximity to the exercise device other than the user who is operating the exercise device. A console is in communication with the sensor that instructs components of the treadmill to provide, for example, an audible and/or visual response to the user of the exercise device, or to slow or stop the exercise device from moving. Sensors that are capable of sensing whether objects are within different spatial zones of proximity are disclosed. Multiple pre-defined and/or user-defined responses to objects detected in multiple corresponding spatial zones of proximity are also disclosed herein.
US07713169B2
A method of controlling a vehicle transmission during a gear change thereof, the method comprising operating a plurality of power shift clutches to disengage the power shift input gearing and the power shift output gearing, disengaging the driving connection between the range shift input shaft and the range shift output shaft by means of the range selection gearing, engaging at least two of the power shift clutches to vary the rotational speed of the power shift output shaft and hence the range shift input shaft, and operating the range selection gearing to establish a driving connection between the range shift input shaft and the range shift output shaft.
US07713168B2
A control apparatus for a range changeover device checks whether an actual range agrees with a target range. If the actual range differs from the target range, the control apparatus performs vehicle driving force restriction control irrespective of a presence/absence of abnormality in a range changeover operation. The control apparatus may restrict an engine output power by closing a throttle valve of the engine to around an idle position, thereby restricting the vehicle driving force.
US07713159B2
A differential mechanism 3 is contained and supported at inside of a bell housing 7 integrally provided to a transmission case 11 of a transmission 9 to constitute a common lubrication environment. A limited slip differential mechanism 5 for limiting differential movement of the differential mechanism 3 is made to be selectively attachable to outside of the bell housing 7. The limited slip differential mechanism 5 is not restricted by a size of the bell housing 7, the sufficient limited slip differential mechanism 5 can be provided, and an interchangeability of presence/absence of the limited slip differential mechanism 5 can be provided.
US07713158B2
A transfer box with a housing, an input shaft, a first output shaft extending coaxially relative to said input shaft, and a second output shaft extending parallel to said two shafts, as well as with a differential gear assembly arranged between said shafts, wherein the input shaft carries a cross member with a plurality of radial bearing arms for the differential gears, wherein a first side gear is connected in a rotationally fast way to the first output shaft and wherein a second side gear is rotatably supported on the input shaft and drives the second output shaft, wherein the differential gears are spur gears and the side gears crown gears and wherein the teeth of the differential gears engage the teeth of the side gears.
US07713155B2
In the check valve of a hydraulic tensioner, a bell-shaped retainer is provided with plural, branched, leg portions which resiliently grip the outer surface of a ball seat. Oil induction slots are formed between adjacent branched leg portions of the retainer to provide oil flow paths that are unimpeded by the plunger-biasing spring of the tensioner.
US07713152B1
An arrowhead of the expandable or mechanical broadhead type, i.e., having blades which unfold to increase the effective cutting area of the arrowhead, includes a tip with a rearwardly-extending actuating member which triggers one or more blades into an open state when the tip strikes a target game animal. The blades are pivotable with respect to a body into which the actuating member extends, and they include ears against which the actuating member presses upon tip impact to trigger the blades open. A latching spring maintains the blades in a closed state until the tip and actuating member are driven rearwardly by tip impact, and the tip and actuating member are preferably maintained in a forward and ready-to-trigger state by an opening spring. The actuating member may extend between the blade ears after the blades are triggered open to fix the blades in the open state until the tip is pulled forwardly to withdraw the actuating member from the ears.
US07713149B2
A static aiming target for perfecting basketball bank shots appears to move horizontally and vertically along a backboard as a player moves back and forth across the court and towards and away from the backboard. This apparent movement of the aiming target is produced by visual aiming regions which allow for predetermined viewing of portions of the aiming target as a function of a player's position on the court. In each case, a player shoots for the aiming target in order to complete a proper bank shot.
US07713147B1
A clip, the clip attaches to a standard golf tee. The clip provides alignment to the target, the clip reduces the resistance normally created by a tee when a ball is hit off of a standard golf tee. The clip normally snaps off the cup of a standard golf tee when a golf ball is hit. By allowing the clip to snap off the cup of a standard golf tee, resistance is reduced.
US07713146B2
Golf balls consisting of a multi-layer core and a cover are disclosed. The multi-layer core comprises a thermoset rubber center, a thermoplastic intermediate core layer, and a thermoset rubber outer core layer. At least one of the core layers has a specific gravity of less than 1.05 g/cc and/or at least one of the core layers has a specific gravity of greater than 1.25 g/cc.
US07713145B2
Golf balls consisting of a multi-layer core and a cover are disclosed. The multi-layer core comprises a thermoset rubber center, a thermoplastic intermediate core layer, and a thermoset rubber outer core layer.
US07713140B2
A face or face insert (40) for a golf club head (20) is disclosed herein. The face (40) has an interior surface (40a) with a first thickness section (200) and a second thickness region (205). The first thickness section (200) preferably has a thickness that is at least 0.025 inch greater than the thickness of the second thickness region (205). In a most preferred embodiment, the first thickness section (205) has a X shape. The face or face insert (40) with variable thickness allows for a face or face insert (40) with less mass in a golf club head (20) that conforms to the United States Golf Association regulations.
US07713138B2
A wood type club is provided. A toe-side part and a heel-side part located between the crown part and the sole part of the head are provided with at least one concave groove opened outward in a horizontal direction and extending from the face part to the back part in a longitudinal direction to guide an air stream to the head in a swing action; and a whole or part of the concave groove has a curved part bulging outwardly so that an angle in which a concave groove bottom formed from an inlet of the concave groove to an inside thereof is inclined inward with respect to a line perpendicular to the face part is smaller than an angle in which a line connecting an inlet of the concave groove bottom and an outlet thereof is inclined inward with respect to the line perpendicular to the face part.
US07713137B2
A club grip includes an elongated body having an upper end and a lower end. The lower end has a hollow portion for receiving a shaft therein. A clamp is fixed in the hollow portion for clamping onto the shaft received therein to fix the shaft relative to the elongated body.
US07713136B1
An adapter that consist of a cylinder that contains three flat springs shaped to fit around a golf ball and a spring retainer. A golfer can permanently insert the adapter into the butt end of a golf putter shaft without the use of tools. The adapter is comprised of a cylinders with it's out side diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the butt end of a putter shaft. When the adapter is inserted into the butt end of a golf putter shaft with the springs positioned in the adapter, the springs will not interfere with the golfer while putting The three flat springs are shaped and spaced slightly smaller than a golf ball when extended to pick up a golf ball. To position the springs to pick up a golf ball, the golfer manually pulls the main spring out of the adapter to a stop that positions the three springs to the proper length to pick up a golf ball. For a golfer to pick up a golf ball, the golfer positions the springs over a golf ball. With pressure down ward over a golf ball the springs will pick up a golf ball. When the process is complete the golfer pushes the springs back into the cylinder for future use.
US07713134B2
A flume ride is provided having a funnel-shaped slide feature having a relatively larger entry end and a relatively smaller exit end, the funnel-shaped slide feature being configured and arranged such that a rider enters at the wider end with a predetermined expected velocity and swings back and forth and/or spins around the inner surface of the funnel before safely draining through the smaller end. Optionally, the wider end of the slide feature may be covered so as to darken its interior, and/or the slide feature may be configured such that the rider swings above a vertical portion of the inner surface. Additionally, a flume ride is provided having a plurality of such slide features.
US07713130B2
Tripod roller for a constant velocity joint in a tripod construction having an interior ring, an exterior ring, and roller bodies arranged therebetween, whereby provided on the interior and on the exterior ring are two mutually opposing annular shoulders that limit the axial movement of the roller bodies in one direction. One of the rings has another annular shoulder for limiting the axial movement of the roller bodies in the other direction, while other ring is axially extended and has a circumferential annular groove in which is received a radially projecting locking ring that laterally overlaps the one ring.
US07713117B2
Scoring a board configuration for a territory board game is often not straightforward and yet there is a desire to determine such scores quickly and accurately. For example, in the game of GO, determining the score at the end of the game involves assessing whether stones on the board are alive or dead which is a difficult judgment. Given a board configuration, the game is played by a scoring system to obtain a terminal board configuration. This is repeated to obtain a plurality of terminal board configurations from which an assessment can be made as to how likely each board position is to be won by a particular player at the end of the game. The scoring system obtains the terminal board configurations by playing random moves or by making a biased sampling of moves. The biased sampling is made using an evaluation function or in any suitable way. In the game of GO, seki positions are quickly and easily identified. An automated game playing system uses the output of the scoring system to assess when to offer to end a game. The output of the scoring system can also be used to provide hints to players during a game.
US07713108B2
In an eyeglass lens processing apparatus for beveling a peripheral edge of an eyeglass lens, if the high curve lens processing mode is selected by a mode selector, a computing unit acquires a high curve bevel path for locating the bevel apex on a front surface curve of the eyeglass lens or for locating the bevel apex at a position shifted by a predetermined quantity from the front surface curve toward the rear side on the basis of the edge position information acquired by the edge position detector, thereby providing high curve beveling data for the rear surface beveling grindstone, or for the front surface and rear surface beveling grindstones; and a beveling controller bevels the peripheral edge of the eyeglass lens by the rear surface beveling grindstone, or by the front surface and rear surface beveling grindstones on the basis of the high curve beveling data.
US07713104B2
Apparatus for the connection and/or disconnection of a marine riser to a floating vessel comprising, in a main embodiment, a plurality of connecting lines. The, lower ends of these connecting lines are attached to the riser and are arranged to be moveable between a first helical configuration which allows connection, via a turret, between the riser and the floating vessel and a second helical configuration wherein said connecting line is disconnected and. retracted from said floating vessel. A method of installing said connecting lines is also disclosed.
US07713103B2
Amphibious vehicle 3 has one or more ducts 9 running from a first to a second end of the vehicle; from vent 5 to vent 7, or vice versa. The vehicle prime mover 19, transmission, brakes, and/or electronic controls, may be cooled in the duct. Fan 19 draws or blows air through the duct. The hull may comprise one wall of the or each duct; hull surface coolers may be provided for cooling liquid. The duct(s) may pass through one or more bulkhead(s) 11, 13 of the vehicle. A separate engine cooling system may comprise a radiator 23 and fans 29. The marine drive may be a jet drive; the vehicle road wheels (6, FIGS. 4 and 6) may be retractable above the vehicle water line when the vehicle is in marine mode.
US07713101B2
A male terminal 10 has a wire connecting portion 13 at one end to be connected to an electric wire, and an inserting contact portion 12 at another end to be inserted into a female terminal 30. A plate member of the inserting contact portion 12 is bent to have a U-shape cross section. The female terminal 30 has a terminal energizing portion 31 composed of a high conductivity material having a frame structure for accommodating the male terminal 10, a terminal box 32 composed of a material having a strength higher than that of the high conductivity material of the terminal energizing portion 31 for covering the terminal energizing portion 31, and a spring 33 located within the terminal energizing portion 31 for fixing the male terminal 10. The spring 33 is formed integrally with the terminal box 32.
US07713100B2
This terminal includes a folded contact section which has a longitudinal junction line and defines contact surfaces, a securing section, suitable to be accommodated in a terminal accommodating chamber of an insulating housing, and an intermediate section extending between said contact section and securing section. The intermediate section is deformed in torsion around the longitudinal axis (X), whereby the junction line is angularly offset from the contact surfaces around the longitudinal axis (X). The invention also relates to a process for manufacturing such a terminal, and to an electrical connector including such a terminal.
US07713097B2
An adjustable adapter for a cable connector with a fixed cable takeoff direction, relative to the cable connector, includes an input member having first and second terminals. A connecting member having first and second bus bars is configured to selectively mate to the input member in at least two different connecting member positions relative to the input member. In each of the different connecting member positions, each of the first and second bus bars is in electrical communication with a respective one of the first and second terminals. The connecting member accepts at least one cable connector, which therefore has at least two different, selectable cable takeoff directions relative to the input member. An adapter plate may facilitate mating of the cable connectors to the connecting member and the connecting member to the input member. A third terminal and third bus bar may allow for cable connectors with three cables.
US07713094B1
A communication connector including a plug and jack configured to lessen potential for crosstalk caused by unintended mode conversion coupling along wire pairs connected to tine pair 2 (tines T1 and T2) and tine pair 4 (tines T7 and T8). In the plug, twisted pair 2, connected to tine pair 2, and twisted pair 4, connected to tine pair 4, exchange lateral positions with one another thereby reducing differential voltage therebetween and unwanted transmission line mode conversion coupling. In the jack, cross-members and insulators laterally exchange longitudinal routing of the jack tine pair 2 with the jack tine pair 4 for those portions extending away from the plug engagement area of the jack. In particular, the longitudinal routing between tine T1 and tine T8 are laterally exchanged and longitudinal routing between tine T2 and tine T7 are laterally exchanged.
US07713092B2
A backlight assembly and a display device having the backlight assembly are provided where the backlight assembly includes a plurality of light sources for emitting light and a plurality of metal core printed circuit boards on which the light sources are mounted. The metal core printed circuit boards are directly connected to each other in predetermined regions to emit light in a surface direction. A method of assembling the backlight assembly is further provided.
US07713089B2
A low profile integrated solar roofing tile connecting system for the formation of a solar roof. The system is aesthetically appealing because the tiles lay relatively flat with a very low profile without any bulges or ridges because all wires and connectors embedded in the tiles. This low profile optimizes the roof's ability to withstand wind loads as well as minimizes cracking or breaking of the tiles due to external load forces. The connectors produce uniform spaces between adjacent tiles as well as providing an easy way to extend or exchange tiles. An integrated shunting or bypasses diode provides a current shunt path in the event of a modules' impedance upsurge cause by shading or by non-functioning tiles. This also allows for the flexible arrangement of the PV roofing tiles for a variety of system configurations, e.g. grid-tied, and off-grid systems, while maintaining system reliability and a modularized design.
US07713087B2
A vacuum pump casing has an opening that is covered and sealed by a cover member. The cover member is formed of molded resin with connector pins molded therein. The connector pins project outwardly from opposite sides of the cover member and are connected outside the pump casing to cables leading to a control device and connected inside the pump casing to cables leading to components within the pump casing.
US07713081B2
A communication is jack adapted to connect a cable that has an exposed ground wire mesh. The communication jack includes a first member, a second member, and a clamping component. The second member and the first member are capable of pivotally rotating relatively to be combined to form a clamping area. The cable is gripped by the clamping component and the second member in the clamping area, and the clamping component and the second member keep in contact with the ground wire mesh of the cable. Thus, the cable is fixed and grounded by simply combining the first and second members.
US07713080B1
An electrical flex connector device for a printed circuit board, comprising a female member having a fixation portion for affixing the female member to an associated printed circuit board, a tab member extending from the fixation portion and configured to guide a male member of the flex connector device and to hold the male member between the tab member and the printed circuit board and a least one fastening member arranged on the female member for securely holding the male member in a predetermined position.
US07713074B2
Portable data storage apparatus includes a housing having a front wall, and an opening in the front wall. A circuit board is located within the housing. A connector is electrically connected to the circuit board and extends outwardly therefrom for movement therewith. A cap is pivotally connected to the housing for movement relative to the housing between a first position and a second position. An operating mechanism operatively connects the cap and the circuit board for moving the circuit board and the connector with the movement of the cap. The circuit board and the connector are in a retracted position when the cap is in the first position, and are in an extended position when the cap is in the second position.
US07713064B2
A practice model for holding training teeth on which dentistry work can be performed includes a shell into which training teeth are insertable, and a carrier plate disposed in the shell and adapted to support the training teeth.
US07713057B2
An oral mucous membrane protector for orthodontic appliances formed of a protective element or member arranged on the distal end of the archwire that projects from the molar tube, covering or enveloping the archwire and fixing it to the molar tube by means of an elastic ring joined to the protective element. The protective element may be reinforced on the bottom thereof so as to prevent tearing or perforation.
US07713053B2
The present invention is directed generally to templates used in the creation of thin-film replicas, for example, the creation of thin films, such as carbon films, for use as specimen support in electron-beam specimen analysis. More specifically, the present invention is directed to novel reusable patterned templates, the methodology of making these reusable templates, the templates made from such methodologies, the use and reuse of these templates to make thin films of any type for any purpose, and the thin films made from these templates. A feature of the novel template of the present invention is in its employment of one or more zones of discontinuity, or undercuts, associated with the patterns transferred into the template to allow for the removal of the thin film from the template without sacrificing the structural integrity of the template to prevent at least one re-use of the template.
US07713052B2
In a processing method of a fine structure according to the present invention, an opposed platen (211) is moved from a retreat position to a molding/processing position, so that a film (1) is pressed against a mold (5) and processed. Thereafter a second block (211b) is separated from a first block (211a). Thus, improvement of the cooling rate for the opposed platen (211) can be attained by reducing the total thermal capacity of the opposed platen (211) by reducing the volume of the opposed platen (211) in cooling and physically discharging heat stored in the opposed platen (211). Thus, cooling efficiency for the opposed platen (211) is improved, and the heat cycle of the opposed platen (211) can be reduced.
US07713051B2
An apparatus for forming a parison is described. The apparatus has a mandrel housing. The housing has an axially aligned hollow mandrel channel therein and a side channel substantially transverse to the mandrel channel. A mandrel is also provided. The mandrel has an axially oriented notch in an exterior surface. The notch is in fluid communication with two fluid channels that extend continuously downwardly around the mandrel to meet one another on an opposite side of the mandrel from the notch. When the mandrel is installed within the mandrel channel, a first radial gap and a second radial gap, both between the mandrel and the mandrel housing, are formed.
US07713050B2
A die for forming a honeycomb structure includes a die base having a first plate-like member and a second plate-like member, the first plate-like member is provided with groove portions on the side of a bonding surface between the first plate-like member and the second plate-like member, and a depth y (mm) of the groove portions satisfies: y≦a·(t1×E1+t2×E2)/(t1×t2×E1×E2) where t1 is a thickness (mm) obtained by subtracting the depth (mm) of the groove portions from a thickness (mm) of the first plate-like member, E1 is an apparent volume elasticity (GPa) of the first plate-like member at 25° C. in consideration of a state in which back holes are formed, t2 is a thickness (mm) of the second plate-like member, E2 is a volume elasticity (GPa) of the second plate-like member at 25° C., and a is a coefficient determined based on conditions during manufacturing.
US07713044B2
An apparatus and related techniques for making a golf ball with deep dimples are disclosed. The golf ball comprises a core and a cover layer, wherein the cover layer provides deep dimples that extend through the cover layer and/or into a layer or component underneath are disclosed. At least one percent (1%), preferably about five percent (5%), of the dimples of the ball comprise deep dimples. The cover may be a single layer or include multiple layers. If the cover is a multi-layer cover, the dimples extend to or into at least the first inner cover layer, and may extend to or into two or more inner cover layers. If the cover is a single layer, the dimples extend to or into the core. The dimples may be spherical or non-spherical, and the portion of the dimple that extends to or into the next inner layer may be the same or different shape as the outer portion of the dimple.
US07713041B2
The invention relates to a pump, in particular an oil pump, for internal combustion engines, comprising a pump case, with the pump case comprising a pump lid and a pump flange, with at least one toothed wheelset being arranged between the pump lid and the pump flange and the pump lid and the pump flange being connected via at least one distance element.
