US07808812B2

This invention discloses a static random access memory (SRAM) cell which comprises a pair of cross-coupled inverters having a first storage node, a first NMOS transistor having a source and a drain connected between the first storage node and a bit-line, a second NMOS transistor having a source and a drain connected between a gate of the first NMOS transistor and a word-line, the second NMOS transistor having a gate connected to a first column select line, and a third NMOS transistor having a source and a drain connected between a ground (VSS) and the gate of the first NMOS transistor, and a gate connected to a second column select line, the second column select line being complementary to the first column select line.
US07808807B2

A memory is configurable among a plurality of operational modes and types of interfaces. The operational modes may dictate the number of storage levels to be associated with each cell within the memory's storage matrix. Individual operational modes may be matched to individual interfaces, operated one at a time or in parallel.
US07808805B2

A column address control circuit comprises a control unit for outputting a control signal in response to a DDR mode signal and a first signal, and an address counting unit configured to receive a start column address and output a start column address in response to the control signal. The first signal is a burst read single write mode signal. The control signal is activated when the first signal is activated in a DDR mode. The control unit includes a first logic unit for performing an AND operation of the DDR mode signal and the first signal, and a second logic unit for performing an OR operation of an output signal of the first logic unit and a SDR mode signal.
US07808799B2

A wiring board having an excellent electrical property and reliability or the like. The wiring board includes a core board, a capacitor and a resin filler. The core board includes an accommodation hole therein and a core board main surface side conductor disposed on the core main surface thereof. A capacitor main surface side electrode is disposed on a capacitor main surface of the capacitor. A gap between the capacitor accommodated in the accommodation hole and the core board is filled with the resin filler so that the capacitor is fixed to the core board. Further, the resin filler has a main surface side wiring forming portion on which a main surface side connecting conductor, which is connected to an end portion of a via conductor, is disposed so as to connect the core board main surface side conductor to the capacitor main surface side electrode.
US07808798B2

An apparatus is described incorporating an interposer having a cavity for a portion of an antenna structure, having conductor through vias, a top Si part having interconnection wiring and having pads for electrically mounting an integrated circuit chip thereon, wherein the top Si part mates with the interposer electrically and mechanically. The interposer and top Si part may be scaled to provide an array of functional units. The invention overcomes the problem of combining a high efficient antenna with integrated circuit chips in a Si package with signal frequencies from 1 to 100 GHz and the problem of shielding components proximate to the antenna and reduces strain arising from mismatching of TCEs.
US07808793B2

A console apparatus includes a console portion, which is detachably provided and with which a server apparatus can be operated, and further includes a tray portion that is attached on a rack chassis for the server apparatus and is electrically coupled to the server apparatus.
US07808789B2

The present invention relates generally to heat removal from circuit board components and, more specifically, to improved thermal management for circuit board components mounted on electrical wiring boards. The structure comprises a heat sink; and an auxiliary heat sink positioned in thermal contact with the heat sink and a circuit board component on a wiring board, the auxiliary heat sink having a plurality of slots located in a central portion of the auxiliary heat sink, wherein the auxiliary heat sink is both mechanically compliant and thermally conductive with both the heat sink and the circuit board component.
US07808788B2

A thermal conduction structure is integrated into a multi-layer circuit board to thermally couple a power electronic device to a heatsink while electrically isolating the power electronic device from the heatsink. The thermal conduction structure includes a stack of alternatingly insulative and conductive layers, a first set of vertical vias that thermally and electrically join the power electronic device to a first set of conductive layers, and a second set of vertical vias that thermally and electrically join the heatsink to a second set of conductive layers that are interleaved with the first set of conductive layers.
US07808787B2

A heat spreader having at least two adjoining strips of pyrolytic graphite material is made by cutting a strip from a sheet of pyrolytic graphite in the z direction. Thermal conductivity in the xy plane of the graphite sheet is greater than in the z direction. The z direction cut provides strips which are then each individually oriented 90 degrees such that the thickness direction of the original pyrolytic graphite sheet becomes the width or length of the cut strip. A face on the side of a first strip adjoins a face on the side of a second strip. Due to the greater thermal conductivity in the xy plane of the strips as compared to in the z direction heat transfers more rapidly in the length and thickness direction of the strips than across adjoining sides of the oriented strips.
US07808775B2

A power distribution system for a work machine includes a power electronics module having a set of power connectors to receive electrical power. A module rack has an opening for slidably receiving the power electronics module. A power bus assembly is mounted to the module rack. The power bus assembly has a set of power bus connectors located to be mechanically engaged by the set of power connectors of the power electronics module when the power electronics module is installed in the module rack. A gasket is interposed in a sealing arrangement between the power electronics module and the power bus assembly. The gasket is configured to extend completely around all power connectors of the set of power connectors and is configured to extend completely around each individual power connector of the set of power connectors.
US07808770B2

In an LW-reverse-type monolithic ceramic capacitor including external terminal electrodes each including a resistance component, internal electrodes include nickel or a nickel alloy, and the external terminal electrodes each include a first layer, a second layer provided on the first layer, and a third layer provided on the second layer. The first layer has a wrap-around portion extending from an end surface to principal surfaces and side surfaces of a capacitor main body, and contains a glass component and a compound oxide that reacts with Ni or the Ni alloy. The second layer covers the first layer such that the edge of the wrap-around portion of the first layer remains exposed, and contains a metal. The third layer covers the edge of the wrap-around portion of the first layer and the second layer, and is formed by plating.
US07808769B2

A dielectric device has a first conductor and a dielectric disposed thereon. An intermediate region is formed between the first conductor and dielectric. In the intermediate region, an additive different from the first conductor and dielectric and the dielectric are mixed with each other. The additive contains at least one element of Si, Al, P, Mg, Mn, Y, V, Mo, Co, Nb, Fe, and Cr.
US07808758B2

A protection device for monitoring current in a power cable to an electrical device and for controlling a remotely located starter for the electrical device in response to a system controller. The device includes a transformer magnetically linked with the power cable to produce a voltage signal in response to the presence of a changing current within the power cable. An input circuit located in a single housing together with the transformer is electrically connected to the transformer so as to receive the voltage signal. The input circuit produces, in response to the voltage signal, either a first signal or a first circuit condition at the output terminal of the input circuit, representative of the changing current in the power cable. A switch circuit also in the same container with the transformer has a terminal for sensing either a second signal or a second circuit condition of the remotely located system controller. The switch circuit has a second terminal to provide either a third signal or a third circuit condition effective to control the starter, in response to sensing one of the second signal and the second circuit condition. All of the transformer, the input circuit, and the switch circuit are located in a single unitary package which is easily mounted and adjusted to a desired position.
US07808755B2

There is provided an electronic control unit including: input terminals connected to output terminals of a magneto generator driven by an engine; DC output terminals; a control power supply circuit that converts an AC voltage input between the input terminals into a DC voltage equal to a set value; and a microprocessor that controls electrical components of the engine, wherein the electronic control unit further includes an interruption signal generation circuit that compares an output voltage of the control power supply circuit with a certain abnormality determination voltage and generates an interruption signal when the output voltage of the control power supply circuit becomes the abnormality determination voltage or less, and an abnormality state storage unit for storing that an abnormality occurs in a power supply portion when the interruption signal is generated.
US07808751B2

A magnetic interface circuit for interfacing between the line side and the circuit side of a communication channel, such as an Ethernet port, includes a transformer having a primary winding connected to the line side of the channel and a secondary winding connected to the circuit side of the channel. The primary winding is fortified to provide differential mode electrical surge protection on the line side. The transformer design having parasitic L, C and R and, saturation during the surge event, acting to suppress the coupling of the electrical surge to the secondary winding. A voltage limiting device is connected in the circuit side of the channel to limit any voltage surges on the circuit side to a safe level. A pair of voltage limiting devices connected in series with the connection therebetween connected to ground may be used to also provide common mode surge protection.
US07808749B2

A magnetoresistance effect element which is used in a magnetic sensor is disclosed. The magnetoresistance effect element includes a soft layer whose magnetization easy direction is changed by a direction of an external magnetic field, and a magnetization fixing layer whose magnetization direction is fixed by having a magnetic layer and an anti-ferromagnetic layer. A magnetoresistance effect is generated by a change of electric conduction which is caused by a relative angle between the magnetization easy direction of the soft layer and the magnetization direction of the magnetization fixing layer. When the magnetic sensor includes two or more magnetoresistance effect elements for having two-axis or more vectors of the magnetization directions, the two or more magnetoresistance effect elements are adjacently disposed.
US07808738B2

A storage apparatus including a motor for rotating a medium and a head that has a heater. The clearance between the medium and the head is controlled by expansion of the head by the heater. Some embodiments could include a monitor configured to monitor atmospheric pressure, and a controller configured to control the heater in accordance with the atmospheric pressure so as to control the clearance. Some embodiments could include a monitor configured to monitor a driving current flowing through the motor, and a controller configured to control the heater in accordance with the driving current so as to control the clearance.
US07808727B2

A field changer device (4) comprising: a rotary magazine (5) of spherical general shape mounted so as to rotate about a rotation axis (R) coincident with an axis of symmetry of the magazine (5), which is inclined to a fixed principal optical axis (X); and at least three optical channels (A, B, C) provided in said magazine (5) and having concurrent respective optical axes (XA, XB, XC) inclined at the same angle (α) to the rotation axis (R), it being possible for said magazine (5) to rotate about its rotation axis (R) through predetermined rotation angles (β1, β2, β3) in order to place each of the optical channels (A, B, C) alternately along the principal optical axis (X), the optical channels (A, B, C) being arranged in the magazine (5) in such a way that at least two of the rotation angles (β1, β2, β3) of the magazine (5) are different.
US07808709B2

Disclosed are a microlens array, and a method of positioning and aligning the microlens array on another device. Generally, the microlens array comprises an array of injection molded microlens elements, and a supporting flange. Each of the microlens elements has a generally spheroid or spherical shape, and the supporting flange connects together the array of microlens elements to facilitate positioning that array of lenses on a printed circuit board, semiconductor package or wafer. This array is well suited for use with vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs); and, in particular, the preferred embodiment of the invention addresses the problem of VCSEL laser array alignment by using arrays of microlenses elements fabricated by injection molding.
US07808701B2

Diffracted light generated by a diffraction grating passes through a tube lens, reflected by a reflection mirror and forms illuminating light in a strip pattern on the surface of a sample. Thus, fluorescence generated by an objective lens from the sample passes through the objective lens, the reflection mirror and a tube lens, and forms an image of the sample on the diffraction grating. When the diffraction grating is removed from an optical system and a dichroic mirror is arranged, in instead of the reflection mirror, fluorescence from the sample passes through the dichroic mirror, and forms an image of the sample on an imaging surface of an imaging device by an imaging lens. Thus, a microscope which can be used by being switched from a normal fluorescent microscope and uses the diffracted light is provided.
US07808698B2

A semiconductor device including a semiconductor optical amplifier in which a photodetector is integrated without causing power loss at a low cost. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor optical waveguide, at least partly capable of functioning as a semiconductor optical amplifier, to guide signal light, and a photodetector provided in a region other than a region where the semiconductor optical waveguide is provided, wherein the semiconductor optical waveguide and the photodetector are integrated on the semiconductor substrate.
US07808687B2

A hologram reconstructing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes: unnecessary light removing means for causing the imaging means to receive necessary light only included in the reconstruction light; driving means for operating the hologram recording medium or a reconstruction light optical system; light detecting means for detecting the state that reconstruction light is projected to the unnecessary light removing means of the light cut by the unnecessary light removing means; and control means for obtaining the displacement of the hologram recording medium based on the information on a specific part of the projection state information detected by the light detecting means and controlling the driving means to cancel the displacement and move the hologram recording medium or the optical system.
US07808683B2

An electrical appliance includes an upper and lower main bodies, in which the upper main body is pivotally movable about a side edge of the lower main body to selectively be in an open state in which the top surface of the lower main body is exposed and a closed state in which the upper main body is disposed above the lower main body. A liquid crystal display panel is disposed on the top surface of the lower main body in the vicinity of a side edge near the front surface thereof. A notched opening is formed in the upper main body so that the display surface of the liquid crystal display panel is visible when the upper main body is in the closed state.
US07808679B2

A printing system performing marginless printing. The system includes a host device operable to send image data, and a recording device performs marginless recording based on the image data received from the host device. The system includes a setting unit setting the width of the recording medium, a changing unit changing scaling ratio of the image data based on the width of the recording medium. Furthermore the system includes a recording unit recording the image on the recording medium based on the image data with the changed scaling ratio. An image is enlarged/reduced to the width of the roll paper sheet, thereby loss portions in the longitudinal direction are controlled to a minimum.
US07808660B2

Printer (1) is provided with a mode to edit and print forms without reference to or interruption of a host computer and with immediate printing of one or more of the forms. Page data for the forms is preferably stored in flash memory (21) in a high level printer language. Preferably, at initiation of the forms mode at least the first listed document is immediately prepared by the control data processor (17) of the printer in bit mapped form for printing. Documents can be listed on the control panel by name for ready selection for printing.
US07808655B2

A computer-controlled system automatically measures and records various physical characteristics of an elongated shaft or tube, such as a golf club shaft or other structural member. The characteristics measured include the principal planar oscillation plane, oscillation frequency, stiffness asymmetry, relative stiffness, torsional stiffness, shaft length, shaft straightness and tip angle.
US07808652B2

An explicit relationship is developed between the ratio of average interferometric modulation produced by diamond-like carbon (DLC)-coated magnetic-head surfaces and the thickness of the DLC layer. Accordingly, the thickness of the DLC layer is calculated in various manners from modulation data acquired for the system using object surfaces of known optical parameters.
US07808651B2

An endpoint detection system for detecting an endpoint of a process comprises a polychromatic light source which emits polychromatic light. The light is reflected from a substrate. A light wavelength selector receives the reflected polychromatic light and determines a wavelength of light at which a local intensity of the reflected light is maximized during the process. In one version, the wavelength selector comprises a diffraction grating to generate a plurality of light beams having different wavelengths from the reflected polychromatic light and a light detector to receive the light beams having different wavelengths and generate an intensity signal trace of the intensity of each wavelength of the polychromatic reflected light.
US07808647B2

A method for detecting shapes based on interferometric observation of an object surface subjected to narrow-band lighting. Movement of the interferometer (1) relative to the object surface (2) generates a measuring signal on a photo receiver, e.g., camera circuit (5), from which two extremely closely positioned signal frequencies (fo) and (fo+Δf) are extracted. The phase difference between the two signal components is used for determining the distance and/or the change in distance. The method has a large unambiguousness range, making it possible to have a large depth measurement range, and can be used for workpieces having offset areas on the surface, wherein the measurement is not disturbed along the edges and the offset areas. The method also allows examining strongly inclined surfaces having a steep inclination such that that traditional methods based on evaluating interference lines cannot be used because of a high density of the interference lines.
US07808644B2

A device is provided for optically measuring shapes and/or examining objects, comprising at least one camera, at least one lens, a scattering body and at least two light sources. The device is characterized in that the scattering body is opaque and that at least two light sources are disposed on the inside of the scattering body and illuminate the inside thereof, and that either only two light sources are used, which are disposed opposite from one another on an imaginary diameter line, or that the light sources are disposed at the corners of a—preferably equilateral—triangle or a cross.
US07808641B2

This disclosure relates generally to a sampling device, and, more particularly, a sampling device that facilitates spectroscopic measurements with a variable path length and the necessary software controlled algorithms, and methods for using such a device.
US07808638B2

Embodiments of the invention include a SCOL targeting groups configured to increase target to target separation and thereby increase target utility to simultaneous exposures to multiple illumination dots and associated inspection methodologies. The embodiments of the invention further relate to apparatus for projection simultaneous illumination dots onto different targets of the same targeting group on a wafer to conduct multiple simultaneous target inspections. Embodiments of the invention further relate to methods used to inspect SCOL targets using simultaneous illumination dots directed onto different targets of the same targeting group to conduct multiple simultaneous target inspections.
US07808631B2

A stirrer includes a vessel for holding a liquid to be stirred; and a sound wave generator that irradiates the liquid with a sound wave to stir the liquid by the sound wave. The sound wave generator includes a piezoelectric substrate, and a sound generating element provided on the piezoelectric substrate and arranged outside the vessel so as to be adjacent to the liquid across the vessel and the piezoelectric substrate to generate a sound wave for stirring the liquid.
US07808625B2

Disclosed is an aperture variable inspection optical system including a variable aperture unit 13 having a polygonal light transparent section and light collecting systems 12a, 12b for forming an irradiation spot U of light passing through the variable aperture unit 13 at the position of a sample S. The variable aperture unit 13 is capable of changing the shape/size of the polygon. The size of the irradiation spot U can be changed without rearranging the aperture unit.
US07808614B2

An immersion lithographic projection apparatus has a liquid confinement structure configured to at least partly confine liquid to a space between a projection system and a substrate, the confinement structure having a buffer surface, when in use, positioned in close proximity to a plane substantially comprising the upper surface of the substrate and of a substrate table holding the substrate, to define a passage having a flow resistance. A recess is provided in the buffer surface, the recess, when in use, being normally full of immersion liquid to enable rapid filling of a gap between the substrate and substrate table as the gap moves under the buffer surface. The recess may be annular or radial and a plurality of recesses may be provided.
US07808608B2

Disclosed herein is an LCD device having a drive area directly formed inside a non-pixel area of a substrate without an additional drive IC. The LCD device includes a first substrate having a pixel area and a non-pixel area disposed peripherally to the pixel area. The pixel area has a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode in each sub-pixel defined by gate and data lines crossing each other. A second substrate formed in opposition to the first substrate includes a color filter layer and a black matrix layer. A liquid crystal layer is formed between the first and second substrates. An opening in the black matrix layer reveals an alignment mark, which is disposed on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate.
US07808607B2

A liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate having a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing each other; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a first pattern spacer having an inverse tapered shape on an inner surface of the first substrate; a second pattern spacer having an inverse tapered shape on an inner surface of the second substrate; a seal pattern on a peripheral edge of the first and second substrates; and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.
US07808606B2

A method for manufacturing a substrate, includes: coating the substrate with a first layer including a first metallic element by a dry deposition technique; coating the first layer with a photo resist layer; forming on the photo resist layer an exposure portion, a pair of non-exposure portions being in contact with the exposure portion and having a substantially parallel stripe-like plan shape, and a half exposure portion that is a part of an inner region of the non-exposure portions and an outer region of the non-exposure portions; removing the exposure portion and an upper portion of the half exposure portion, the upper portion having been exposed; forming an electrode portion and a wiring portion by etching the first layer exposed by removing the exposure portion; exposing the electrode portion and the wiring portion by removing the half exposure portion of which the upper portion has been removed, and forming a pair of banks by the pair of non-exposure portions; applying a treatment solution including a second metallic element on a recess portion formed by the wiring portion sandwiched between the pair of banks and the pair of banks by a droplet discharge technique; and forming a second layer including the second metallic element on the wiring portion by hardening the applied treatment solution to thicken the wiring portion.
US07808604B2

An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device includes upper and lower substrates, first and second ferroelectric liquid crystal layers, a nematic system crystal layer, and first and second electrodes. The electrodes and liquid crystal layers are located between the substrates, with the nematic liquid crystal layer between the ferroelectric liquid crystal layers. The ferroelectric liquid crystal layers have different spontaneous polarization directions. An electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layers using the electrodes. The ferroelectric liquid crystal layers react to different electric field to conduct an in-plane driving of liquid crystal molecules in the nematic liquid crystal layer.
US07808602B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a sealing member. The sealing member is sandwiched between the first and second substrates, and forms a perimeter encircling a display area of the LCD device. After delivery of at least one drop of liquid crystal, any excessive liquid crystal trapped within the perimeter is discharged through an opening broken in the sealing member. The opening is plugged to enclose an amount of liquid crystal within the perimeter.
US07808594B2

A liquid crystal display apparatus including a plurality of pixels, including a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy inserted between the pair of substrates. First and second electrodes are formed on the pair of substrates, respectively. A first alignment control structure is formed linearly on one of the pair of substrates for controlling an alignment of the liquid crystal, and a second alignment control structure is formed linearly on the other of the pair of substrates for controlling an alignment of the liquid crystal. The first and second alignment control structures are bent in a zigzag fashion and extend parallel with each other, and at least one of the first and second alignment control structures includes a linear portion and a narrow portion having a width narrower than a width of the linear portion.
US07808591B2

A display device for displaying a three dimensional image such that different views are displayed according to the viewing angle. The display device includes a display panel having separately addressable pixels for displaying the image, where the pixels are grouped such that different pixels in a group correspond to different views. The display device further includes a retarder in optical association with the display panel. The retarder includes retarder pixels, where at least one retarder pixel is associated with each corresponding pixel in the display panel. Optical parameters of the retarder pixels are varied as function of the viewing angle associated with the corresponding pixel in the display panel.
US07808584B2

Disclosed are a polarizer, a method for fabricating the same, and a liquid crystal display having the same. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel and a polarizer attached to the liquid crystal panel. The polarizer includes a polarizing film, a first support film, and a second support film. The first support film has optical anisotropy and is attached to the polarizing film. The first support film has a first thickness. The second support film is attached to the polarizing film while facing the first support film and has a second thickness, which is greater than the first thickness. The polarizer is fabricated by evaporating a solvent from a solution including polymer resin to form an optical film and then elongating the optical film.
US07808568B2

The present invention concerns a liquid crystal display device including: a substrate; a plurality of thin film transistors each including a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode; a gate line and a data line electrically connecting with the gate electrode and the source electrode, respectively; and a pixel electrode electrically connecting with the drain electrode, wherein overlapping widths between the gate electrode and the source and drain electrodes vary in accordance with the position of the thin film transistor.
US07808566B2

It is an object of the present invention to provide an active matrix display device in which reliability of transistors in a pixel can be improved by reducing a voltage applied to the transistors. The active matrix display device includes a capacitor of a pixel provided for each pixel, storage capacitors provided for each pixel, a transistor in a first group, a transistor in a second group, and a data line. When the transistor in the first group is off and the transistor in the second group is on, the storage capacitors which store charge in accordance with a potential difference of a potential of the data line and a reference potential are connected in series and a voltage obtained by raising the potential difference is applied to the capacitor of the pixel and therefore, the voltage applied to the transistors can be reduced.
US07808565B2

An active matrix substrate is provided. The active matrix substrate includes a substrate, scan lines, data lines, and pixel units. The scan lines, data lines, and pixel units are all disposed over the substrate. The pixel unit includes an active component, a pixel electrode, and an auxiliary electrode. The active components are electrically connected with the scan lines and data lines. The pixel electrode has openings extended from the edge of the pixel electrode to the interior of the pixel electrode. The auxiliary electrode is electrically connected with the pixel electrode controlled by a previous scan line and includes a body portion and extending portions disposed in the openings. The pixel electrode is electrically connected with the auxiliary electrode of a pixel unit controlled by a next scan line.
US07808559B2

A method and system for accumulating stillness characteristics is presented. The method and system generates field stillness characteristics for a current pixel of a current field. The field stillness characteristic is accumulated with an accumulated stillness characteristic that corresponds to a pixel location of the current pixel. The accumulated stillness characteristic includes stillness information regarding previous pixels of previous fields in the same pixel location as the current pixel.
US07808558B2

A superior Color Transient Improvement technique is adaptive to the local image features, so that more natural color edge transition improvement can be accomplished. A gain control function is provided that depends on the local image feature so that different regions of the image can be treated differently. Further, a correction signal is controlled in such a way (by the local image feature) that neither undershoot nor overshoot occurs, eliminating the need for post-processing for undershoot/overshoot removal.
US07808554B2

The present invention involves inserting a sequence of computer-like commands into a video signal stream (230) and which contain data processing instructions (401; 457; 500) and video test patterns (407; 452) in order to automate the integration, configuration, set up, adjustment, calibration and control of the components (131; 132; 133) in a video system, such as an HDTV, a studio video camera, or Telecine conversion of filmed content. The command source can be any video hardware signal source or any video program content, such as a DVD being played in a DVD player, a game console, game software, a Set Top Box or broadcast video.
US07808551B2

An imaging module includes a flexible printed circuit board which has a first area on which a first functional element is mounted, a second area on which a second functional element is mounted, and a third area which is formed between the first area and the second area, an electronic component which is mounted on the first area, and an imaging device which is mounted on the second area. The flexible printed circuit board is formed by an insulating layer which is integrated, spreading over the first area, the second area, and the third area. The flexible printed circuit board is formed such that the flexible printed circuit board can be bent at least in the third area.
US07808546B2

An image processing system for properly correcting brightness of a subject area and a background area of a captured image. The image processing system includes an image capturing apparatus, including: an image capturing instruction unit for generating a first instruction signal and a second instruction signal for instructing a capturing of the subject; and an image pick-up unit for capturing a first image of the subject in response to the first instruction signal, and a second image of the subject in response to the second instruction signal. The image processing system also includes an image processing apparatus, including: a backlight status detector for detecting backlight status based on the first image and the second image; and a correction unit for correcting the second image when the backlight status detector detects the backlight status.
US07808541B2

To enable to display a scale indicative of a reference length on a screen of a display at an accurate length even when exchanging the lens in an image pickup apparatus to any lens.In a case of mounting an exchange lens (4F, 4Z) to an image pickup apparatus main body (3) and displaying an image of an object picked up by an image sensor (2) and a scale (5) indicative of a reference length in juxtaposition on a screen of a display (6), a previously measured optical magnification or an actual magnification is outputted from optical magnification outputting means (8) provided to the exchange lens (4F, 4Z) is outputted, an actual magnification on the screen of the display (6) is calculated based on the optical magnification, the size for the image sensor and the screen size, and the size of the scale on the screen is set based on the actual magnification and the reference length of the scale by a scale setting means (17).
US07808537B2

To provide a configuration including a fully differential amplifier in which decrease in a reading speed can be suppressed. A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to the present invention includes a pixel area where a plurality of pixels are arranged; an amplifier configured to amplify a signal from the pixel area; a plurality of signal paths for transmitting the signals from the pixel area to the amplifier. The amplifier is a fully differential amplifier which includes a plurality of input terminals including a first input terminal and a second input terminal to which the signals from the plurality of signal paths are supplied and a plurality of output terminals including a first output terminal and a second output terminal and the input terminals and the output terminals have no feedback path provided therebetween.
US07808532B2

A flash-based strategy is used to separate foreground information from background information within image information. In this strategy, a first image is taken without the use of flash. A second image is taken of the same subject matter with the use of flash. The foreground information in the flash image is illuminated by the flash to a much greater extent than the background information. Based on this property, the strategy applies processing to extract the foreground information from the background information. The strategy supplements the flash information by also taking into consideration motion information and color information.
US07808528B2

A variable acuity imager incorporates an array of detection elements for light energy, in the visible, infrared, ultraviolet, or light energy in another region of the electromagnetic spectrum with a means to change the spatial configuration of the array to include “superpixels” by combining energy detected by adjacent elements, thus permitting any number of high-resolution “foveal” regions to be placed within the confines of the focal plane array and moved around at the frame rate of the imaging device. Detectors to measure the pitch, yaw and roll angle rates of background imagery using velocity-sensing circuitry are employed for variation of the foveal regions to accommodate motion of the array.
US07808522B2

The invention discloses a method for calling video communication service by video communication terminal. The method comprises the steps of: (a) a first video communication terminal launches a call to a multipoint control unit (MCU) and sends an conference information needed for convening a conference to the MCU through an In-Band channel established between both sides; (b) the MCU convenes the conference according to the conference information received. The invention also discloses a message data form for transferring information through an In-Band channel in a video communication service. The message data form comprises: a data starting mark field, a data type field, a data length field, a field for no less than one piece of sub-information, a data ending mark field and a cyclic redundancy check field.
US07808521B2

A technique is provided for recording and manipulating a multimedia conference. For example, an audio and/or video conference is conducted via computer and the audio data from a set of one or more participants in an audio conference is received and recorded and stored, and the audio data for each participant is recorded onto a separate track of a file.
US07808518B2

There is provided an ink sheet cartridge that includes a cartridge case having a case body disposed opposite to an upper surface of an ink sheet unit, driving sidewall portions rotatably supporting driving shafts of respective sheet supply and winding bobbins, and a supporting sidewall portion to rotatably support supporting shafts of respective sheet supply and winding bobbins. The ink sheet unit is detachably insertable in the case body, receives an ink sheet wound around the sheet supply bobbin, and includes a supply sheet case capable of drawing out the ink sheet therefrom at the time of receiving the ink sheet. The ink sheet cartridge enables replacement of the ink sheet unit such that the cartridge case is reusable and protects the replacement ink sheet from foreign objects and substances.
US07808503B2

A deferred shading graphics pipeline processor and method are provided encompassing numerous substructures. Embodiments of the processor and method may include one or more of deferred shading, a tiled frame buffer, and multiple?stage hidden surface removal processing. In the deferred shading graphics pipeline, hidden surface removal is completed before pixel coloring is done. The pipeline processor comprises a command fetch and decode unit, a geometry unit, a mode extraction unit, a sort unit, a setup unit, a cull unit, a mode injection unit, a fragment unit, a texture unit, a Phong lighting unit, a pixel unit, and a backend unit.
US07808496B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying power source for providing certain voltage to a first display device and a second display device. The apparatus for supplying power source includes a boosting circuit, a boosted voltage detecting circuit and an output selecting circuit. The boosting circuit boosts a battery voltage. The boosted voltage detecting circuit detects the boosted battery voltage, and transmits the detection result to the boosting circuit. The output selecting circuit is coupled to the boosting circuit and the boosted voltage detecting circuit, and provides selectively the boosted battery voltage to a first display device and a second display device. The apparatus provides certain voltage to a first display device and/or a second display device, and thus the size of a dual panel apparatus employing the display devices may be reduced.
US07808493B2

A data line driving circuit includes a first buffer circuit configured to drive a data line, and a second buffer circuit configured to drive a data line. N first data lines (n is a natural number larger than 1), and m second data lines (m is a natural number larger than 1) are alternately arranged in units of data lines as a group. The data line driving circuit further includes a first switch circuit configured to select one of the n first data lines in a first ON period and to connect the selected first data line with the first buffer circuit, and a second switch circuit configured to select one of the m second data lines adjacent to the selected first data line in a second ON period and to connect the selected second data line with the second buffer circuit.
US07808481B2

An optical pointing device, which is to be disposed on a working surface, includes a casing, a light source, a light sensor, and an obstructing member. The casing has a light transmissible portion. The light source is mounted in the casing, and emits light that is directed through the light transmissible portion of the casing and that is reflected by the working surface back into the casing through the light transmissible portion. The light sensor is mounted in the casing, and detects the light reflected by the working surface. The obstructing member is disposed in the casing, and is capable of preventing the light sensor from detecting the light reflected by the working surface when the casing is moved beyond a predetermined distance above the working surface.
US07808480B2

A method and system for inputting a character string using a handheld input device, such as a mouse wheel or touchpad. Signals are grouped depending on a change in direction, depressing the mouse button as an interrupt, holding a mouse button down, etc., and the groupings are translated into symbols. Translation can be pre-determined or from a mapping file. Symbols can be appended into a character string and provided as a password, PIN, credit card, account number, or as other sensitive data.
US07808475B2

Backlight support is provided for flat panel displays through use of phospho-luminescent materials. Photo-luminescent materials are integrated into a flat panel display such as an LCD display as a back panel substrate or by embedding in display pixels. When ambient light levels exceed a predetermined threshold the material is activated allowing a reduction in active backlight power. The active backlight may be provided by an electrically supported system such as an ELP, a light pipe, an LED, etc. By reducing the power of the active backlight in an analog manner or through decreasing the duty cycle, an overall power savings is accomplished for the display. By embedding different photo-luminescent materials that operate at different wavelengths, color display may be enhanced while reducing power consumption. Display properties, such as transparency, contrast, etc., may be adjusted to affect phospho-luminescent backlight support.
US07808474B2

A light control circuit that makes it possible to, when the light intensity of the area surrounding a display screen varies in a relatively short time, prevent the brightness of a backlight from being erroneously adjusted as the result of the variation being detected is provided. The light control circuit controls the backlight of a display panel. This light control circuit is provided with functions of performing the following operation: detection signals from multiple optical sensors are taken into a common sampling means in a time division manner to acquire multiple sampling values temporally dispersed; a surrounding light intensity is determined by majority decision based on the multiple sampling values, and the result of determination is externally outputted.
US07808469B2

There is provided a liquid crystal display control device which can display pictures in a magnification mode by using only a memory having low-speed access and a low storage capacity. When a video signal has intermediate resolution or less, the enlargement processing is performed by a frame memory, a line memory and an enlargement processing control circuit. If the input operation and the output operation to and from the frame memory are synchronized with each other, it is sufficient for the frame memory to have a storage capacity of two lines. When the video signal has the same high resolution as a liquid crystal display panel, the video signal is output through a gate circuit to a display timing generating circuit, and it is displayed in a through mode. In this case, no processing is performed by the frame memory or the like.
US07808467B2

A method of driving an electro-optical device having a plurality of pixels which are formed to correspond to intersections between a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines and each of which exhibits a grayscale of output light corresponding to a data signal sampled and supplied to the corresponding data line when the corresponding scan line is selected is provided. The method includes: selecting the plurality of scan lines in a predetermined order; dividing a period of time, when one of the scan lines is selected, into a first period and a second period; selecting m (where m is an integer greater than or equal to 2) lines from one of an odd group and an even group consisting of odd-numbered and even-numbered data lines, respectively, in the first period; selecting m data lines from the other of the odd group and the even group of data lines in the second period; and sampling data signals supplied to m image signal lines and supplying the sampled data signals to the selected m data lines.
US07808455B2

Apparatus for compensating for a threshold voltage of a driver element having gate and drain electrodes which controls current flowing in a light emitting element effective in an on and off state. A capacitor is disposed between the gate electrode and a drain electrode when the light emitting element is in the on state emits light and when the light emitting element is in the off state, applying a voltage to the gate and the source of the driver element and a threshold voltage between the gate and drain electrodes is detected and stored in the capacitor, by writing a signal voltage closer to a potential which causes the driver element to turn off than the potential supplied to the gate electrode of the driver element when detecting a threshold value, the signal voltage being superimposed on the threshold voltage without losing the threshold voltage of the driver element.
US07808446B2

A display system, including an optical transmitter configured to optically transmit digital image information associated with an image to be displayed. The system also includes an active display including a decoder electrically coupled with a plurality of display elements that are configured to produce visible light in response to electrical stimulation. The decoder is configured to receive the digital image information and in response produce a control signal for each of the display elements, the control signals being usable to individually control visible light produced by the display elements so as to cause display of the image.
US07808443B2

The present invention relates to an antenna arrangement connectable to a transceiver for transmitting and receiving RF signals in at least two separate frequency bands. The antenna arrangement has at least two sets of antenna elements arranged on a reflector, and the antenna elements are arranged in an interleaved configuration along a single column. The two separate frequency bands are substantially non-overlapping but relatively close to each other, and the distance between adjacent antenna elements in said column is substantially the same along the column.
US07808436B2

In a communication terminal in which a first enclosure and a second enclosure are foldable, to provide the communication terminal with an antenna characteristic with a wide band performance in either when the enclosures are opened or folded. In a folding communication terminal comprising an upper enclosure 2 and a lower enclosure 3 which are foldable through a hinge, and an antenna 5 attached to the lower enclosure 3, the antenna 5 is arranged along the edge of the end face 3A on the upper side abutting on the hinge of the lower enclosure 3, a conductor is placed in the upper enclosure 2 not provided with the antenna, and a second printed board 31 is provided so that when the upper enclosure 2 and the lower enclosure 3 are opened, it is connected to the antenna 5 at a high frequency to operate as the antenna, thereby transmitting/receiving an electromagnetic wave.
US07808419B2

A digitizer includes an analog to digital converter (ADC), a sampling frequency generator, and a controller. The ADC samples an IF signal to generate a digital signal. The sampling frequency generator is connected to the ADC and provides a sampling clock of variable frequency to the ADC. The controller is connected to the sampling frequency generator and determines frequency of the sampling clock.
US07808414B2

An A/D conversion circuit includes a continuous-time filter that performs a filtering process on an input signal, an SCF that is provided in a subsequent stage of the continuous-time filter and performs a filtering process utilizing the continuous-time filter as a prefilter, a cut-off frequency of the SCF being variably set corresponding to a frequency band of the input signal, an A/D converter that is provided in a subsequent stage of the SCF and performs an A/D conversion operation utilizing the continuous-time filter and the SCF as prefilters, and a digital filter that is provided in a subsequent stage of the A/D converter and performs a digital filtering process utilizing the continuous-time filter and the SCF as prefilters, a cut-off frequency of the digital filter being variably set corresponding to the frequency band of the input signal.
US07808408B2

Skew between a first clock signal received by a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a second clock signal received by a second ADC is adjusted to minimize error. Each ADC has an ADC element that produces a respective first or second digital output signal in response to an analog input signal and a respective first or second clock signal. A correction signal is produced in response to the first and second digital output signals. The skew between the first and second clock signals is then adjusted in response to the correction signal.
US07808396B2

It is intended to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of reliably informing a running state of the apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus 100 having a signal indicator for indicating the running state, including a signal indicator 306 capable of setting at least one operation condition under which the signal indicator 306 operates as well as of operating under any one of a plurality of operation conditions and a display unit 314 capable of displaying that a cause of the operation is any one of the operation conditions during the operation of the signal indicator 306.
US07808379B2

A selectable mode field transmitter is configurable to operate in one of a plurality of operating modes having different combinations of function, performance, and power consumption. The selectable mode field transmitter includes a housing, a sensor located within the housing, and transmitter circuitry for transmitting data provided by the sensor to a receiver external to the housing. The transmitter circuitry includes a controller that electrically configures the transmitter circuitry to one of a plurality of operational modes in response to mode selection data received from a source external to the housing. Therefore, the selectable mode field transmitter can be configured based on the needs or requirements of a particular application.
US07808374B2

An apparatus is provided for measuring wear-induced displacement of a brake lining with respect to an associated brake caliper, comprising a gear mechanism for converting the wear-induced displacement into a rotary movement, having a sensor for detecting the rotary movement, wherein a contact-free coupling is provided for transmitting the rotary movement to the sensor. The apparatus is designed in such a way that the sensor generates an analogue or pulse-width-modulated detection signal for determining the wear-induced displacement of the brake lining, wherein the detection signal corresponds to the respective displacement caused by the rotary movement. The invention also related to a corresponding method for measuring the wear-induced displacement of a brake lining with respect to an associated brake caliper.
US07808370B2

Systems and methods provide for the creation of vehicle sound fonts, for utilizing the vehicle sound fonts to augment the engine sounds of a vehicle, and for establishing a network for sharing and controlling the playback of vehicle sound fonts and other media. The systems install in automobiles and play simulated engine sounds of other recorded vehicles in a controlled manner synchronized with the engine spark frequency of the playback vehicle. Automobiles with these systems may network together to share media and to coordinate playback in a synchronized manner among all vehicles of the network.
US07808368B2

An appliance network comprising an appliance in communication with an audio communication accessory to effect communication therebetween.
US07808366B2

A refrigerator and a method of controlling the same. The refrigerator includes: tags attached to goods stored in a storage chamber; a reader, including a plurality of antennas having different identification distances, identifying the tags using the antennas; and a control unit detecting locations of the tags attached to goods stored in the storage chamber using the different identification distances of the antennas.
US07808361B1

A dual protection device includes a cover, a first protection unit, a second protection unit and a base. The first protection unit includes an elastic contact piece and a first conductive member. The elastic contact piece has a first end fixed to the cover and a second end including a first contact point. The first conductive member has a second contact point to contact with the first contact point. The elastic contact piece bends to separate the first contact point from the second contact point when overloaded. The second protection unit has a second conductive member, which is respectively connected with the first conductive member and a second terminal by fuse members. A biasing member is compressed between the second conductive member and the base so as to separate the second terminal from the second conductive member when the fuse members melt.
US07808354B2

A magnetic element includes a first wire, a second wire, a third wire, a fourth wire and a first single-strand wire. The first wire is disposed at a first side of the magnetic element, and has a first end and a second end. The second wire is disposed at the first side of the magnetic element, and has a third end and a fourth end. The third wire is disposed at a second side of the magnetic element, and has a fifth end and a sixth end. The fourth wire is disposed at the second side of the magnetic element, and has a seventh end an eighth end. The first single-strand wire has one terminal simultaneously connected to the second end and the fourth end.
US07808345B2

A dielectric resonator is constructed so as to have a substantially cruciform shape in cross section by including four plate components. A first set of opposed plate components have respective first principal center planes separated from each other and substantially parallel with each other. A second set of opposed plate components also have respective second principal center planes separated from each other and substantially parallel with each other. The first principal center planes are orthogonal to the second principal center planes. With this configuration, a TE01δy mode in which an electric-field vector rotates within the first set of opposed plate components and a TE01δz mode in which an electric-field vector rotates within the second set of opposed plate components are coupled.
US07808342B2

According to one exemplary embodiment, a switching module includes a first harmonic phase tuning filter coupled to a first input of an RF switch. The first harmonic phase tuning filter is configured to provide an output impedance that substantially matches an input impedance of the RF switch at approximately a fundamental frequency and to provide a low impedance at approximately a harmonic frequency generated by the RF switch. The first harmonic phase tuning filter includes an LC circuit coupled between an output terminal of the first harmonic phase tuning filter and a ground and tuned to provide the low impedance at approximately the harmonic frequency generated by the RF switch. The RF switching module further includes a second harmonic phase tuning filter coupled to a second input of the RF switch. The first and second harmonic phase tuning filters can be fabricated on a single semiconductor die.
US07808340B2

Described herein are systems and methods for a JXP-type plug-in device that may be inserted within existing transmission equipment, such as RF amplifiers and the like, to provide an appropriate amount of flat attenuation to the lower frequencies of signals being processed in the equipment while allowing desired peaking at high frequencies of the same signals to compensate for high-frequency roll-off.
US07808337B2

A junction for connecting two waveguides having substantially a 90-degree angular offset between longitudinal symmetry axes of their cross-sections. The junction has a first interface and a second interface for connecting the waveguides, and at least a first transformer section and a second transformer section, both having cross-sections of substantially rectangular shape, and both having the 90-degree angular offset between longitudinal symmetry axes of their cross-sections. The first and second transformer sections are connected such that a T-shape connection is formed and the first transformer section has a first protruded ridge on its broad wall and the second transformer section has a second protruded ridge on its broad wall. The broad wall with the second ridge is connected to the top narrow wall of the first transformer section and the ridges are located such that they overlap.
US07808327B2

Methods and systems to provide digitally controlled crystal oscillators are disclosed. One example method includes determining a state of an oscillator system and selecting a first output of a digitally controlled crystal oscillator or a second output of a second oscillator based on the determination. In an example implementation, the second oscillator is a ring oscillator.
US07808325B2

A system and method for frequency pushing/pulling compensation in phase-locked loops including a method for cancelling frequency push/pull in an oscillator of a transmitter. The method includes computing an error signal from a signal of a phase locked loop, wherein the error signal includes an aggressor signal. Transfer characteristics are computed for the aggressor signal. A transmitted signal is filtered using the transfer characteristics to produce a correction term. The correction term is applied to a frequency control word being provided to the oscillator.
US07808320B1

A buffer amplifier includes an input stage circuit, an output stage circuit and a bias circuit, providing a buffered output signal at an output terminal according to an input signal applied to a first input terminal. The input stage circuit generates four control signals in response to the input signal when the logic level of the buffered output signal is opposite to that of the input signal. The output stage circuit includes four output transistors, wherein the first and second output transistor of a first type are provided for discharge in response to a first control signal and a second control signal, and the third and fourth output transistor of a second type are provided for charge in response to a third control signal and a fourth control signal. The bias circuit is used for determining the first, second, third and fourth control signal.
US07808317B1

An electrical circuit includes an amplifier. The amplifier includes an input circuit in communication with an input of the amplifier. A start-up circuit is in communication with the input circuit. The start-up circuit is configured to generate a start-up signal to enable subsequent operation of the amplifier. The start-up circuit turns off when an output of the amplifier reaches a threshold voltage. An output circuit is in communication with each of the outputs of the amplifier, the input circuit, and the start-up circuit.
US07808316B2

A differential amplifier is formed from a first single-ended amplifier circuit, a second single-ended amplifier circuit, and a four-port transformer circuit coupled to the first and second single-ended amplifier circuits to form the differential amplifier.
US07808315B2

A method or corresponding apparatus relates to a mathematical approach to efficiently search for and localize regions in a multi-dimensional signal space to enable inversion of power amplifier nonlinearities with a significant reduction in computational complexity and an efficient hardware implementation. To linearize a wideband power amplifier, an example embodiment of the present invention may represent a response of the wideband power amplifier using coefficients in a cube coefficient subspace, and search over the full multi-dimensional subspace according to an optimization criterion in order to identify a vector of cube coefficient subspace coefficients. The vector of coefficient subspace coefficients may be used to linearize the wide-band power amplifier.
US07808314B2

The invention relates to a circuit for adjusting an impedance between two terminals, said impendance including the input impedance of the circuit. The aim of the invention is to enlarge the adjustment range and to stabilize—the operating behavior of such a circuit. For this purpose, the circuit comprises amplifiers, adjusting means with which amplification of at least one amplifier and/or the circuit can be changed in general and the impedance between the two terminals can be modified by influencing the one or more adjusting means.
US07808308B2

A voltage generating apparatus is disclosed. The voltage generating apparatus includes a first N-type transistor and an enhancement MOSFET transistor. The first N-type transistor has a first drain/source coupled to a first voltage, a second drain/source generating a first output voltage, and a gate coupled to a second voltage. The enhancement MOSFET transistor has a first drain/source coupled to the second drain/source of the first N-type transistor, and a second drain/source and a gate coupled to a second voltage. The first N-type transistor is a depletion metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).
US07808305B2

A low-voltage band-gap reference voltage bias circuit is provided. In the low-voltage band-gap reference voltage bias circuit, a proportional-to-absolute temperature (PTAT) current is copied to two nodes, respectively, to generate a first voltage having a negative slope with respect to temperature variation, and a second voltage having a positive slope with respect to temperature variation, and first and second elements having high impedances are serially connected to each other between the two nodes, such that the sum of the negative slope of the first voltage and the positive slope of the second voltage is zero and an average voltage between the two nodes is extracted to output the extracted result as a reference voltage. Accordingly, a stable reference voltage of 1V or lower regardless of a power supply voltage and temperature variation can be supplied.
US07808301B2

A multiple-stage charge pump circuit includes first and second pump capacitors, a charge recycle circuit, and first and second transfer circuits. The charge recycle circuit includes first and second driving circuits and a switch circuit turning off to make a node floating and to couple first terminals of the first and second pump capacitors to the node in a first time period. The switch circuit and first and second driving circuits provide a specific voltage to the node and control voltages at the first terminals of the first and second pump capacitors in second and third time periods, respectively. The first and second transfer circuits provide a high voltage to a second terminal of the first pump capacitor in the second time period, and provide the voltage of the second terminal of the first pump capacitor to a second terminal of the second pump capacitor in the third time period.
US07808290B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a delay locked loop (DLL) control block configured to generate a buffer enable signal, the buffer enable signal being a pulse signal that is periodically enabled when a smart power down signal is enabled, and a DLL circuit configured to control a phase of an external clock signal in response to the buffer enable signal to generate an output clock signal.
US07808285B2

A power switch assembly for a capacitive load 10 which includes a common electrode 14 and first and second discrete electrodes 16, 18, includes a node n1 coupled to a voltage source Vcc for receiving power there from, a first switching device connected between the node n1 and ground, a second switching device connected between the node n1 and ground, and a dividing circuit connected between the node and ground. The dividing circuit includes an output terminal connected to the common electrode 14 of the capacitive load. The first switching device is coupled to the first electrode 16 of the capacitive load configured to control movement of the capacitive load 10 in a first direction. The second switching device is coupled to the second electrode 18 of the capacitive load configured to control movement of the capacitive load 10 in a second direction reverse to the first direction.
US07808282B2

Power-down mode is activated when equal voltages are detected on a pair of differential inputs. The voltage difference across the differential inputs is equalized by an equalizer and then applied to a multiplier and smoothed and filtered by a low-pass filter to produce an average signal. The average signal is compared to a reference voltage to detect when the voltage difference across the differential inputs is too small. A power-down signal is activated when the average signal is too small. The reference voltage compared can be generated by an equalizer, multiplier, and low-pass filter to match process, temperature, and supply-voltage variations in the primary signal path. The multipliers can be implemented with Gilbert cells. The equalizers can receive control signals to control attenuation of different frequency components.
US07808281B1

A differential CML driver includes an output stage, a control circuit and a reference circuit. The output stage includes a first loading component, a second loading component, a bias component, a first metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor and a second MOS transistor. The control circuit is coupled to the output stage and is for receiving a reference bias voltage, a first input signal and a second input signal to make one of the first and the second MOS transistor enter a cut-off region and the other of the first and the second MOS transistor enter a saturation region. The reference circuit is coupled to the output stage and the control circuit, and is for generating a common-mode voltage according to first and second output voltages of the output stage, and outputting the reference bias voltage to the control circuit according to the common-mode voltage.
US07808278B2

Described are amplifiers that facilitate high-speed communication with calibrated drive strength and termination impedance. Drivers and termination elements can be divided into a number N of parallel portions, one or more of which can be disabled and updated without interfering with signal (e.g., clock or data) transmission. Some embodiments identify inactive elements by examining incoming signals.
US07808276B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to a chip-to-chip communication system including a transmitter and a receiver connected to receive respective transmitter and receiver clock signals. The transmitter includes precharge and evaluation blocks connected to each other and to a transmitter clock terminal. The receiver includes a precharge block connected to a receiver clock terminal. The precharge blocks precharge an output terminal of the transmitter and an input terminal of the receiver, respectively, to a value corresponding to a first voltage reference during a low phase of the transmitter clock signal.
US07808271B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for time-balanced switching of multiplexer circuits. An embodiment of the invention includes a transistor chain coupled to the output of the multiplexer circuit. The transistor chain preferably delays transitions that would otherwise occur relatively quickly, to match the timing of transitions that occur relatively slowly. The timing of relatively slow transitions is left unaltered. The invention advantageously allows all selector input transitions to yield a data output transition with a substantially constant delay.
US07808262B2

A method of making and testing a system on chip (SOC) comprises providing an integrated system test (IST) module in each one of a plurality of SOC components. At least one of the SOC components communicates with an external interface and at least one other of the SOC components. The method includes receiving test configuration data, transmitting test result data, and transmitting and receiving application data via the external interface. The method includes using at least one of the IST modules to receive the test configuration data and configure the IST modules to test the plurality of SOC components.
US07808259B2

A method or an apparatus for aligning a plurality of structures can include applying a first force in a first plane to a first structure. The method can also include constraining in the first plane the first structure with respect to a second structure such that the first structure is in a position with respect to the second structure that aligns first features on the first structure with second features on the second structures. The second feature can be in a second plane that is generally parallel to the first plane. The first and second structures can be first and second electronic components, which can be components of a probe card assembly.
US07808252B2

Provided is a test apparatus for testing the jitter tolerance of a device under test which receives a data signal and a strobe signal indicating the timing at which the data signal should be received, and acquires the data signal at the timing indicated by the strobe signal, including a signal generating section which generates the data signal and the strobe signal to be supplied to the device under test, a jitter applying section which applies a combinational jitter obtained by combining a data jitter which should be tolerated for the data signal and a strobe jitter which should be tolerated for the strobe signal to the data signal or the strobe signal, and a signal supplying section which supplies the data signal and the strobe signal, to one of which the combinational jitter has been applied, to the device under test.
US07808240B2

An MRI apparatus includes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having a magnet to impress a polarizing magnetic field, a plurality of gradient coils positioned about the bore of the magnet to impose a magnetic field gradient, and an RF transceiver system and an RF switch controlled by a pulse module to transmit RF pulses to an RF coil assembly and to acquire MR images, and a computer programmed to apply a plurality of RF pulses configured to control RF excitation by a transmit coil array such that a waveform shape of each of the plurality of RF pulses is based on optimizing a spatial spectrum.
US07808230B2

A voltage detection device that is connected to a DC circuit to which a DC voltage is applied and that detects the DC voltage applied to the DC circuit comprises a voltage conversion means for outputting a first voltage that increases as the DC voltage increases and a second voltage that decreases as the DC voltage increases, a voltage calculation means for inputting the first voltage and the second voltage outputted from the voltage conversion means and calculating the DC voltage based upon a difference between the inputted first voltage and the inputted second voltage, and a first failure judgment means for judging that failure has occurred if at least one of the first voltage and the second voltage is not inputted to the voltage calculation means.
US07808226B1

A method, device, and apparatus for tracing a conductive line and locating any concealed surveillance devices coupled to the line uses a signal generator to produce a test signal having a fundamental frequency which is coupled to the line under test. The test signal flowing through the line under test creates electromagnetic waves that propagate through the atmosphere away from the line. A portable locator probe is used to detect the radiated signal and thus the conductive line by detecting the magnitude of the radiated signal. As the locator probe is moved closer to the line, the amplitude of the detected signal increases. In addition, the portable locator probe detects harmonic signals radiated from nonlinear junctions coupled to the line at harmonic frequencies of the fundamental test signal. By examining the relative strengths of the second and third harmonic signals, a user can determine if the detected non-linear junction is being produced by a semiconductor or a corrosive/dissimilar metal type non-linear junction. A DC bias voltage can be used to improve the responses of any semiconductor based non-linear junctions. Any semiconductor junctions located with the probe are manually examined to determine the cause of the non-linear junction.
US07808223B1

An integrated circuit device for delivering power to a load includes a composite transistor and a composite schottky diode. The composite transistor is formed by a plurality of component transistors that have commonly coupled source terminals, commonly coupled drain terminals and commonly coupled gate terminals. The composite schottky diode is formed by a plurality of component schottky diodes that have anodes coupled in common and coupled to the source terminals of the plurality of component transistors, and for which drain terminals of the commonly coupled drain terminals constitute respective cathodes.
US07808220B2

According to one or more aspects of DC-to-DC voltage conversion as taught herein, a DC-to-DC converter selectively operates in a first mode wherein an included linear pass output circuit supplies the output power from the DC-to-DC converter, in a second mode wherein an included charge pump output circuit supplies the output power, and in a third mode wherein the linear pass and charge pump output circuits operate in parallel to supply the output power. With this third mode, also referred to as a “dual” mode, wherein the linear pass and charge pump output circuits operate in parallel, the DC-to-DC converter keeps the more efficient output circuit on after it has begun switching to operation with the less efficient output circuit. Such switchover may be performed dynamically in response to changing operating conditions. Detected operating conditions may include input voltages, output voltages, and output load conditions.
US07808219B2

An AC/DC power converter has, as its first stage, a capacitor divider and rectifier and, as the second stage, a switch mode power supply. This configuration may be suitable for low power low voltage aerospace applications. The benefits of the circuit may include small reactive component size; near sinusoidal input current, low EMI emissions resulting from low inrush current; intrinsic current limiting that may eliminate the need for short circuit protection; and low overall component count.
US07808206B2

An electric power charge and discharge system for an electronic device having a battery, by which the electronic device can be used for a long period of time. In a wireless communication device including a wireless driving portion including a first battery and a wireless charging portion including a second battery, the first battery is charged by electric power from a fixed power supply and the second battery is charged by using electromagnetic waves existing in an external space. Further, the first battery and the second battery are discharged alternately, and during a period in which the first battery is discharged, the second battery is charged.
US07808205B2

A battery charger and method for communicating battery pack charging status information of a battery pack coupled to both the battery charger and an electronic device such as a radio is presented. An authenticity battery pack identifier and battery status information provided by the battery pack to the battery charger is read. The authenticity battery pack identifier and charging status information is transmitted over a wireless link from the battery charger to the radio. The charging status information is then processed by the radio when the authenticity battery pack identifier matches a currently coupled battery pack identifier stored on the radio. The currently coupled battery pack identifier identifies the battery pack that is coupled to the radio.
US07808201B2

A power converter circuit for providing maximum utilization of a DC bus voltage to a two-phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) is disclosed. The circuit includes first, second, and third nodes, each node being the junction between series connected high and low side switches connected across a DC bus; a PMSM having first and second windings and a star point at which the first and second windings are coupled to each other, the first winding having a terminal connected to the first node, the second winding having a terminal connected to the second node, and the star point being connected to the third node; and a controller for performing a three-point Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) coupled to a gate of each switch.
US07808195B2

To propose a control apparatus for an electric train, in which the regenerative energy of a DC power feed circuit can be consumed without disposing the brake chopper or electric-double-layer capacitor of the DC power feed circuit.A control apparatus for an electric train according to this invention includes an AC electric motor which drives the electric train, and a variable-voltage variable-frequency inverter which controls the AC electric motor, and further includes an auxiliary power source device connected to a DC power feed circuit, and load control means for controlling a load connected to the auxiliary power source device, wherein the load control means receives an inverter state signal representative of an operation state of the variable-voltage variable-frequency inverter from the it, and the load control means controls the load in accordance with the inverter state signal. Besides, the control apparatus for the electric train includes detection means for detecting DC power feed information representative of the DC power feed state of the DC power feed circuit, and the load control means controls the load in accordance with the DC power feed information.
US07808193B1

In a motor having a number of poles that have nominally equiangularly-spaced positions that in fact deviate from those positions, the actual periods between zero-crossings of the back-EMF generated during pole-pair interactions are measured. The ratios of the various pole periods can then be computed, and the motor drive profile can be adjusted for each pole by applying the respective ratio to fit samples of the back-EMF profile to each respective pole.
US07808184B2

Methods and apparatus for generating strongly-ionized plasmas are disclosed. A strongly-ionized plasma generator according to one embodiment includes a chamber for confining a feed gas. An anode and a cathode assembly are positioned inside the chamber. A pulsed power supply is electrically connected between the anode and the cathode assembly. The pulsed power supply generates a multi-stage voltage pulse that includes a low-power stage with a first peak voltage having a magnitude and a rise time that is sufficient to generate a weakly-ionized plasma from the feed gas. The multi-stage voltage pulse also includes a transient stage with a second peak voltage having a magnitude and a rise time that is sufficient to shift an electron energy distribution in the weakly-ionized plasma to higher energies that increase an ionization rate which results in a rapid increase in electron density and a formation of a strongly-ionized plasma.
US07808178B1

A method of manufacture and operation for plasma display panel (PDP) device having one or more substrates and a multiplicity of pixels or sub-pixels that are defined by a hollow plasma-shell filled with an ionizable gas. As used herein plasma-shell includes plasma-dome, plasma-disc, and plasma-sphere. The invention is described with reference to a plasma-dome, but other plasma-shells may be used including plasma-disc and plasma-sphere. The plasma-dome has a domed or round side and an opposing flat side such as a dome top and flat bottom. One or more other sides or edges may also be flat or not flat. The PDP contain inorganic and/or organic luminescent materials that are excited by a gas discharge within each plasma-dome. The luminescent material is located on an exterior and/or interior surface of the plasma-dome and/or incorporated into the shell of the plasma-dome. Up-conversion (Stokes) and down-conversion (Anti-Stokes) phosphor materials may be used.
US07808174B2

A light-emitting diode (1) has a first electrode (3), a second electrode (4), a light-emitting layer (5) which comprises a matrix, and ions. A layer (6) of a cation receptor (CR) is positioned adjacent to the first electrode (3), has captured cations, and has generated immobilized cations (+). A layer (7) of an anion receptor (AR) is positioned adjacent to the second electrode (4), has captured anions, and has generated immobilized anions (−). The ion gradients provide for quick response in emission of light (L) when the diode (1) is exposed to a forward bias. A diode (1) is manufactured by first forming a laminate (2) of the above structure. The laminate (2) is exposed to a forward bias to make the ions become immobilized at respective sites (S1, S2) of the respective receptors (CR, AR).
US07808168B2

A spacer for an image display apparatus includes a base material and a film configuration in which a first film having a structure that silver particles are dispersed in aluminum oxynitride and a second film containing tungsten, germanium and nitrogen are layered on the base material in this order.
US07808165B2

A spark plug for a spark-ignited internal combustion engine includes a generally tubular ceramic insulator. A conductive shell surrounds at least a portion of the ceramic insulator and includes at least one ground electrode. A center electrode is disposed in the ceramic insulator. The center electrode has an upper terminal end and a lower sparking end in opposing relation to the ground electrode, with a spark gap defining the space therebetween. The ground electrode extends from an anchored end adjacent the shell to a distal end adjacent the spark gap. The ground electrode includes a ledge formed on its distal end having at least one inset planar surface and an inset back wall. A high-performance metallic sparking tip is attached to the distal end of the ground electrode. The sparking tip has a base end disposed in surface-to-surface contact with the inset planar surface of the ledge. The inset planar surface completely covers the base end of the sparking tip and extends outwardly therefrom to provide an exposed peripheral interface.
US07808159B2

A power generation device generates power by subjecting a composite of magnetostrictive material and piezo material to a magnetic field. The composite of magnetostrictive material and piezo material may be incorporated in a battery or other storage device.
US07808158B1

An electrical generator includes a fluid-flow driven impeller including at least one impact arm; and at least one cantilevered beam disposed such that the impact arm strikes the cantilevered beam as the impeller rotates. The cantilevered beam at least partially includes a piezoelectric film.
US07808132B2

The aim of the invention is to improve the precision of measuring leakage field sensitive sensors on electric machines. According to the invention, the electric machine comprises a sensor device (4) which is sensitive to magnetic leakage fields mounted on one of the two active parts (1) or in a defined relative position in relation to the active parts. A magnetic screening device is arranged between the sensor device (4) and one of the two active parts (1). Also, the magnetic leakage fields no longer have an influence on the sensor device such that measuring precision is increased.
US07808128B1

Network protectors isolate the secondary side of a transformer from a load distribution network. It is useful to have information about the electrical parameters for the transformer and the load side of an open network protector and it is useful to have access to electrical parameters for a closed network protector. Information about a network protector can be provided to a transmitter used to convey information about the transformer associated with that network protector so that information about the network protector can be sent over power liner carrier to a centralized receiver.
US07808126B2

A method for controlling dynamic power factor or the reactive power of a wind farm is provided. The wind farm comprises a number of wind turbines connected to a utility grid driven with a requested power factor or a requested reactive power. The wind turbine output voltage is controlled to a specific voltage set point. In the method, the wind farm power factor is measured and compared with the power factor requested for the utility grid, or the wind farm reactive power is measured and compared with the reactive power requested for the utility grid, respectively; the ratio of the wind farm voltage to the utility grid voltage is adjusted, and the output voltage of the individual wind turbines is regulated to correspond to the specific voltage set point; the steps are repeated until the power factor of the wind farm electricity corresponds to the requested reactive power.
US07808121B1

An energy efficient land vehicle includes a.) a conventional land power mechanism, with a storage battery and power consuming mechanisms directly or indirectly connected to the storage battery, for controlled delivery of electric power to the power consuming mechanisms; b.) a supplemental electric power generation system located on the conventional land vehicle, the supplemental power plant including: i.) a housing; ii.) at least one set of rotatable blades mounted within the housing; iii.) a movable shaft connected to the set of rotatable blades; iv.) a generator for generating electricity connected to the shaft; v.) a voltage regulator; and, vi.) a connection to the storage battery for providing electric power. The housing has at least an open front for air ingress and an open area downstream from the blades for air egress, and the open front has at least one gate. The gate opens only when the vehicle is decelerating or stationary and is otherwise closed during vehicle movement.
US07808112B2

Flip chip packages formed at a wafer level on semiconductor wafers for electronic systems provide convenient prepackaging. The package, in one embodiment, includes an adhesive layer applied to an active side of the wafer. The adhesive layer has openings to permit access to the conductive pads on each die. A conductive material substantially fills the openings. A pre-packaged die diced from the semiconductor wafer is mounted to a support wherein the conductive material effects electrical interconnection between the conductive pads on the die and receiving conductors on the support. The pre-packaged die can be coupled to a processor for an electronic system. To provide greater mounting densities, two or more dice may be coupled with the adhesive layer providing a covering for the two or more dice. The prepackaged chip with two or more dice may be coupled to a processor reducing the volume needed in an electronic system.
US07808110B2

A semiconductor package substrate proposed by the invention includes a base body and a plurality of finger pads disposed on surface of the base body, wherein the finger pads are arranged in such a way that an angle is formed between connecting line of centers of two adjacent finger pads and the direction in which the finger pads are arranged. The finger pads are waterdrop shaped finger pads with arc ends and angle ends alternately disposed on surface of the substrate, alternately disposed waterdrop shaped finger pads and arc shaped finger pads, or alternately disposed arc shaped finger pads at a predetermined spacing. According to the present invention, distance between adjacent finger pads is reduced and problem of short circuit as a result of erroneous contact between bonding wire and adjacent finger pad is prevented.
US07808102B2

A DC-DC boost converter in multi-die package is proposed having an output Schottky diode and a low-side vertical MOSFET controlled by a power regulating controller (PRC). The multi-die package includes a single die pad with the Schottky diode placed there on side by side with the vertical MOSFET. The PRC die is attached atop the single die pad via an insulating die bond. Alternatively, the single die pad is grounded. The vertical MOSFET is a top drain vertical N-channel FET, the substrate of Schottky diode die is its anode. The Schottky diode and the vertical MOSFET are stacked atop the single die pad. The PRC is attached atop the single die pad via a standard conductive die bond. The Schottky diode die can be supplied in a flip-chip configuration with cathode being its substrate. Alternatively, the Schottky diode is supplied with anode being its substrate without the flip-chip configuration.
US07808093B2

A stacked semiconductor device is constructed by stacking in two levels: a lower semiconductor device having a wiring board, at least one semiconductor chip mounted on a first surface of the wiring board and having electrodes electrically connected to wiring by way of a connection means, an encapsulant composed of insulating plastic that covers the semiconductor chip and the connection means, a plurality of electrodes formed overlying the wiring of a second surface of the wiring board, and a plurality of linking interconnects each having a portion connected to the wiring of the first surface of the wiring board and another portion exposed on the surface of the encapsulant; and an upper semiconductor device in which each electrode overlies and is electrically connected to the exposed portions of each of the linking interconnects of the lower semiconductor device. The linking interconnects extend from the first surface of the wiring board to the side surfaces and upper surface of the encapsulant, and moreover, electrically connect with wiring of the wiring board that projects from the encapsulant.
US07808086B2

The present invention includes a plurality of mounting portions on which a semiconductor element is mounted, a plurality of electrodes to which the semiconductor elements that are mounted on each of the mounting portions are electrically connected, a corner portion which connects the plurality of mounting portions and which has a hanging lead piece that supports the mounting portions and an electrode connection piece that connects the plurality of electrodes, and a half-blanking portion that has a concave portion formed in a thickness direction of the lead frame and a protrusion formed at a position corresponding to the concave portion, and which is covered with a sealing resin material that seals the semiconductor element. A stress-dispersing portion for dispersing stress that arises, when the half-blanking portion is formed, is provided in the corner portion.
US07808080B2

The present invention provides a photorefractive potassium niobate (KNbO3 ) crystal including a first impurity added substitutionally to the niobium (Nb) site and a second impurity added substitutionally to the potassium (K) site, wherein the first and second impurities are different. There is also provided a method of making the codoped potassium niobate crystal (KNbO3 ) of the present invention wherein the method includes adding at least one of the impurities to a melt composition during crystal growth, adding at least one of the impurities into an existing crystal using thermal diffusion, and/or adding at least one of impurities into an existing crystal using electrically assisted diffusion.
US07808079B2

A circuit arrangement includes a plurality of type-identical and identically operated active components, or separate sections of an active component, and includes a branched wiring structure for the interconnection of component connections. In each case the wiring end portions lie between a branching point and an input of different components or sections, wherein the wiring end portions are formed with predetermined geometrical asymmetry with respect to one another in such a way that there is an electrical symmetry of the interconnection configuration between all the connected type-identical components or sections. More particularly, the impedance values between the branching point and the different inputs and outputs are substantially identical.
US07808075B1

The integrated circuit devices disclosed herein generally include two semiconductor dies. The first die generally has little or no I/O or ESD protection and includes a first plurality of exposed terminals (e.g., bump pads). The second die generally includes (i) a second plurality of exposed terminals, wherein at least one of the second plurality of terminals is in electrical communication with one or more of the first plurality of terminals, (ii) a plurality of input and/or output (I/O) circuits, wherein at least one of the I/O circuits is in electrical communication with one or more of the second plurality of terminals, and (iii) a plurality of I/O terminals, wherein at least one of the I/O terminals is in electrical communication with one or more of the I/O circuits. The present invention advantageously provides the ability to fabricate the second die using different (e.g., less expensive) manufacturing processes than those used to fabricate the first die.
US07808071B2

One aspect of a semiconductor device includes an active region located in a semiconductor substrate and having an isolation region located therebetween. The active regions have corners adjacent the isolation region. An oxide layer is located over the active regions and the corners, which may also include edges of the active regions, and a ratio of a thickness of the oxide layer over the corners to a thickness of the oxide layer over the active regions ranges from about 0.6:1 to about 0.8:1. A gate is located over the active region and the oxide layer.
US07808066B2

An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate including a pixel region and a peripheral circuit region; interlayer insulating films including metal wires arranged on the pixel region and the peripheral circuit region; and a photodiode and an upper electrode disposed on the interlayer insulating film of the pixel region. Further, the image sensor includes a protective layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate including the upper electrode and the interlayer insulating film of the peripheral circuit region and having a sloping portion in a region corresponding to the sidewall of the photodiode; via holes disposed on the protective layer so as to selectively expose the upper electrode and the metal wires of the peripheral circuit region; and upper wiring disposed on the protective layer including the via holes.
US07808063B2

Imaging devices having reduced fixed pattern noise are disclosed. The fixed pattern noise in the imaging devices is reduced by measuring and adjusting the spectral characteristics of the imager device on a pixel by pixel basis. The fixed pattern noise of the pixel cells are changed by modifying the absorption, reflectance, refractive index, shape, and/or micro structure of the material.
US07808061B2

An electronic apparatus includes a first die, a second die, a third die, and a fourth die, wherein a portion of the second die and a portion of the third die are movably connected between the first die and the fourth die.
US07808059B2

In a semiconductor substrate 1, a plurality of semiconductor elements 2 having diaphragm structures are formed in the form of cells in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction, and V-grooves 3 are formed by anisotropic etching continuously on only division lines 4 parallel formed in one direction, out of the division lines 4 which are orthogonal to each other and divide the respective semiconductor elements 2 individually.
US07808057B2

In manufacturing a PMOS transistor, a semiconductor substrate having an active region and a field region is formed with a hard mask layer, which covers a center portion of the active region on the substrate in a lengthwise direction of a channel. The hard mask layer exposes the center portion of the active region in a widthwise direction of the channel and covers both edges of the substrate and the field region adjacent to the both edges. The substrate is etched to a predetermined depth using the hard mask layer as an etching barrier. The hard mask layer is then removed. A gate covering the center portion of the active region is formed on the lengthwise direction of the channel. Source and drain regions are formed at both edges of the gate.
US07808056B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first field-effect transistor and a second field-effect transistor, each of the first field-effect transistor and the second field-effect transistor having a gate electrode formed as a ring shape, a drain diffusion layer formed inside the gate electrode and a source diffusion layer formed outside the gate electrode and a substrate potential diffusion layer or a well potential diffusion layer disposed to contact each of the source diffusion layers of the first and the second field-effect transistors of the same conductivity type, the substrate potential diffusion layer or the well potential diffusion layer being formed with a semiconductor of a different conductivity type from the source diffusion layer. Different signals are input to each of the gate electrodes, the substrate potential diffusion layer or the well potential diffusion layer are formed between the source diffusion layer of the first field-effect transistor and the source diffusion layer of the second field-effect transistor.
US07808038B2

A monolithic, three dimensional NAND string includes a first memory cell located over a second memory cell. A semiconductor active region of the first memory cell is a first pillar having a square or rectangular cross section when viewed from above, the first pillar being a first conductivity type semiconductor region located between second conductivity type semiconductor regions. A semiconductor active region of the second memory cell is a second pillar having a square or rectangular cross section when viewed from above, the second pillar located under the first pillar, the second pillar being a first conductivity type semiconductor region located between second conductivity type semiconductor regions. One second conductivity type semiconductor region in the first pillar contacts one second conductivity type semiconductor region in the second pillar.
US07808037B2

A high-voltage semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate having a main surface, a gate on the main surface of the silicon substrate, a source region in a portion of the silicon substrate proximate the main surface and a drain region in a portion of the silicon substrate proximate the main surface. The drain region is spaced apart from the source region. A channel region is defined in a portion of the silicon substrate proximate the main surface between the source region and the drain region. The channel region is at least partially beneath the gate. An additional region is disposed on the main surface proximate the channel region. The additional region being formed of one of a high-k material and a conductive material.
US07808036B2

A nonvolatile memory including a plurality of memory transistors in series, wherein source/drain and channel regions therebetween are of a first type and a select transistor, at each end of the plurality of memory transistors in series, wherein channels regions of each of the select transistors is of the first type. The first type may be n-type or p-type. The nonvolatile memory may further include a first dummy select transistor at one end of the plurality of memory transistors in series between one of the select transistors and the plurality of memory transistors in series and a second dummy select transistor at the other end of the plurality of memory transistors in series between the other select transistor and the plurality of memory transistors in series.
US07808031B2

The present fabrication method includes the steps of: providing a nitride film in a main surface of a semiconductor substrate; providing an upper trench, with the nitride film used as a mask; filling the upper trench with an oxide film introduced therein; removing the oxide film to expose at least a portion of a bottom of the upper trench and allowing a remainder of the oxide film to serve as a sidewall; providing a lower trench in a bottom of the upper trench, with the sidewall used as a mask; and with the upper trench having the sidewall remaining therein, providing an oxide film in the upper trench and the lower trench. This can provide a semiconductor device fabrication method and a semiconductor device preventing a contact from penetrating the device in an interconnection process.
US07808024B2

A ferroelectric polymer memory module includes a first set of layers including: a first ILD layer defining trenches therein; a first electrode layer disposed in the trenches of the first ILD layer; a first conductive polymer layer disposed on the first electrode layer and in the trenches of the first ILD layer; and a ferroelectric polymer layer disposed on the first conductive polymer layer and in the trenches of the first ILD layer; and a second set of layers disposed on the first set of layers to define memory cells therewith, the second set of layers including: a second ILD layer defining trenches therein; a second conductive polymer layer disposed in the trenches of the second ILD layer; and a second electrode layer disposed on the second conductive polymer layer.
US07808022B1

A method and apparatus for reducing cross-talk between pixels in a semiconductor based image sensor. The apparatus includes neighboring pixels separated by a homojunction barrier to reduce cross-talk, or the diffusion of electrons from one pixel to another. The homojunction barrier being deep enough in relation to the other pixel structures to ensure that cross-pixel electron diffusion is minimized.
US07808021B2

A lateral MOSFET according to the present invention has a trench gate structure having a cross sectional shape spreading toward an open end. The cross sectional shape is T-shape. The T-shaped cross section has a dimensional ratio of a width of a lower trench having a narrow width to a width of an upper trench having a wide width of 1:3, and a dimensional ratio of a depth of the lower trench to a depth of the upper trench of 1:1, the lower trench width having a same central axis as the upper trench width.
US07808008B2

A display device in which not only a variation in a current value due to a threshold voltage but also a variation in a current value due to mobility are prevented from influencing luminance with respect to all the levels of grayscale to be displayed. After applying an initial potential for correction to a gate and a drain of a driving transistor, the gate and the drain of the driving transistor is kept connected in a floating state, and a voltage is held in a capacitor before a voltage between the gate and a source of the driving transistor becomes equal to a threshold voltage. When a voltage obtained by subtracting the voltage held in the capacitor from a voltage of a video signal is applied to the gate and the source of the driving transistor, a current is supplied to a light-emitting element. A value of an initial voltage for correction differs in accordance with the voltage of the video signal.
US07808006B2

A phosphor has a general formula of (M1-m-nCemEun)3Al2O5X2, wherein M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr and Ba; and X is at least one selected from the group consisting of Cl and Br, while 0
US07807997B2

Two TEGs are used for acquiring FET capacity. A first TEG includes a first base section of the same shape and same dimensions as a gate electrode of the FET whose capacity is to be acquired, and a first additional section added at one end of the first base section. A second TEG includes a second base section of the same shape and same dimensions as the first base section, a second additional section having the same shape and same dimensions as the first additional section and added to one end of the second base section, and a third additional section having the same shape and same dimensions as the second additional section and added to the other end of the second base section. The capacity between the body and source or between the body and drain of the FET whose capacity is to be acquired is estimated from the difference in capacity between the body and source or between the body and drain of the first TEG and second TEG.
US07807990B2

A semiconductor device includes: a p-channel MIS transistor including: a first insulating layer formed on a semiconductor region between a source region and a drain region, and containing at least silicon and oxygen; a second insulating layer formed on the first insulating layer, and containing hafnium, silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen, and a first gate electrode formed on the second insulating layer. The first and second insulating layers have a first and second region respectively. The first and second regions are in a 0.3 nm range in the film thickness direction from an interface between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer. Each of the first and second regions include aluminum atoms with a concentration of 1×1020 cm−3 or more to 1×1022 cm−3 or less.
US07807988B2

Linear movement direction of the stage and the actual deflection direction of the electron beam deflected by the first command signal for deflecting the electron beam in the linear movement direction of the stage do not necessarily align with each other for reasons such as the disposition precision of the stage driving device, a lens system, and the deflecting device. Therefore, the first command signal output from the first command device is processed based on the angle between the linear movement direction of the stage driven by the stage driving device and the deflection direction of the electron beam deflected by the first command signal so that the deflection direction of the electron beam aligns with the linear movement direction of the stage. With this processed first command signal, the deflection direction of the electron beam can be changed (rotated) to align with the linear movement direction of the stage.
US07807984B2

Components in an ion implanter that may see incidence of the ion beam include a chamber having an elongate slot opening defined by edges so that a central portion of the ion beam enters the component through the opening with the edges clipping at least a peripheral portion of the ion beam. The arrangement mitigates the problem of sputtered material escaping back out from the component and becoming entrained in the ion beam.
US07807977B2

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments, row-correlated noise of a digital X-ray detector is monitored during idle operation of the digital X-ray detector and the magnitude of the row-correlated noise is compared to a visible threshold.
US07807974B2

A nuclear medical diagnosis apparatus capable of attaining improvement of the sensitivity by the reduction of a count loss of the data is provided. A data sort section inside a data acquisition unit re-arranges and outputs the data packet from a plurality of auxiliary data acquisition unit in order of the detection time data. A coincidence detection section includes a pair check section and a pair generation section. The pair check section refers to a context on the data packet re-arranged in order of the detection time, and judges a pair relating to a coincidence counting. The pair generation section, based on this judgment result, merges the data packet used as a pair, and outputs the same to the collection work station.
US07807972B2

The invention provides a sensor including a first sensor element formed in a first substrate and at least one optical element formed in a second substrate, the first and second substrates being configured relative to one another such that the second substrate forms a cap over the first sensor element. The cap includes a diffractive optical element and an aperture stop which collectively determine the wavelength of incident radiation that is allowed through the cap and onto the at least one optical element.
US07807967B2

Disclosed herein is an absorber with a hole for a metallic magnetic cryogenic detector and an aligning method. More specifically, the present invention is to provide an absorber with a small hole as an aligning mark for a temperature sensor used in a metallic magnetic cryogenic detector. A temperature sensor is bonded on the small hole of the absorber punched by a laser. Using the hole as an aligning mark the temperature sensor can be accurately positioned on the pick-up coil of the measuring means. Thus, the aligning method provides a magnetic measurement with an ideal coupling between the sensor and the pick-up loop. It eventually presents a precise measurement of the energy spectrum absorbed in a metallic magnetic cryogenic detector.
US07807958B2

An illumination device and a projection system including the same are disclosed. The illumination device can implement a small-sized and high-efficiency projection system, and the projection system includes the illumination device. The projection system generates a light signal in which a luminous flux is maximally distributed, and displays a desired image using the generated light signal.
US07807957B2

A projection display apparatus in which the longitudinal direction of an arc type lamp is parallel with the longitudinal direction of an aperture of a polarization exchange element.
US07807951B1

An imaging sensor system includes an optics system that images a point feature of a scene at an image plane with a blur-circle image having a blur diameter, and a detector array at the image plane. Special array patterns and signal detector logic are used to improve the accuracy of the determination of the object location. In one form, the detector array is a one-dimensional detector array comprising a plurality of detector subelements each having a width of from about ½ to about 5 blur diameters, and a length of n blur diameters. Each detector subelement overlaps each of two adjacent detector subelements along their lengths. An overlap of each of the two adjacent detector subelements is m blur diameters, and a center-to-center spacing of each of the two adjacent detector subelements is nO blur diameters. The value of n is equal to about 3m, and the value of m is equal to about nO/2. In another form, the detector is a two-dimensional detector array of detector subelements. The detector subelements are sized and staggered such that an area of the blur-circle image may not simultaneously be split equally among four detector subelements.
US07807950B2

The present invention relates to a susceptor for the microwave heating of food products that includes a metallized component and a printed component. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of fabricating a susceptor for the microwave heating of food products that includes a metallized component and a printed component.
US07807949B2

A cartridge system for a cartridge type soldering iron has a sleeve stopper with hooks and a sleeve which goes over the stopper. The hooks of the sleeve stopper lock with a socket assembly of the soldering iron which connects to an electrical source. A tip cartridge of the soldering iron has a tip retaining mechanism to fix the sleeve stopper with respect to the tip cartridge. The sleeve is made from a non-heat conducting material to protect a user's fingers from heat.
US07807945B2

An improved method of cutting a helical gear sector onto a pivoting arm of a casement window is disclosed. The method includes beginning with a pre-hardened flat sheet of steel stock and cutting the arm and the helical gear sector of the arm in two steps. The non-toothed portions of the arm are cut with a laser and nitrogen assist or shielding gas to prevent any oxidation to the non-toothed portions of the structure. The helical gear sector is also cut with a laser, but using oxygen assist gas. Use of the oxygen prevents recasts slag from accumulating in the gear sector. Thus, a finished part is completed with two laser cutting operations thereby eliminating the need for separate stamping, shaping, deburring and subsequent heat treatment processes used in conventional manufacturing methods. The subsequent heat treating is eliminated because a pre-hardened steel stock may be utilized.
US07807944B2

A laser processing apparatus for performing processing such as perforation on a ceramic green sheet etc. using a laser beam efficiently. The laser processing apparatus is provided with a plurality of optical path systems disposed between a laser oscillator and an irradiation position control optical system for irradiating a predetermined position on a work piece with a laser beam. The plurality of optical path systems includes an optical path system that guides the laser beam to the irradiation position control optical system without changing its cross sectional shape in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the laser beam and an optical path system that guides the laser beam while changing its cross sectional shape so that these optical path systems are selectively used in accordance with the processing condition.
US07807929B2

A lead for transmitting an electrical signal within a gas turbine engine, from a node at a first part of the gas turbine engine having a first surface to a second part of the gas turbine engine having a second surface, wherein the first part and the second part are coupled at a compressed joint, wherein the lead comprises: a node on the first surface of the first part; a first interconnect, adhered to the first surface of the first part; and a second interconnect, adhered to the second surface of the second part, wherein the first interconnect and the second interconnect abut at the compressed joint to provide, by their contact, a continuous electrical connection from the node to the second part.
US07807928B1

A cylindrical textile cover for electrical cords with an embedded elastic material to coil a conventional cord and to keep said cord from tangling is herein disclosed. A power cord for a styling appliance, tool, computer or the like, is placed within the elasticized textile cover and secured at both ends leaving a minimal amount of electric cord exposed. Thus, as the user of the appliance needs more cord, one would pull on the cord forcing the cover to stretch out. The maximum length of the cover is limited by the total length of the cord. As the cord is relaxed, the cover retracts upon itself taking on a convenient compact form.
US07807919B2

Apparatuses and methods to reduce safety risks associated with photovoltaic systems by providing a safety switch on a photovoltaic panel. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic panel includes: at least one photovoltaic cell; a connector to output energy from the photovoltaic panel; and a switch coupled between the at least one photovoltaic cell and the connector. The switch is configured to disconnect the at least one photovoltaic cell from the connector during installation of the photovoltaic panel, and to connect the at least one photovoltaic cell with the connector after installation of the photovoltaic panel.
US07807915B2

In general, the techniques of this disclosure may be used to control utilization of bandwidth allocated to an audio processing module. For example, to process various audio synthesis parameters, the audio processing module may retrieve reference waveform samples for use in generating audio information for voices within an audio frame, such as a MIDI frame. In some cases, the amount of bandwidth available for retrieving the reference waveforms from memory is limited. To manage the utilization of the allocated bandwidth a bandwidth control module estimates an amount of bandwidth required to retrieve reference waveforms for all the voices of the audio frame, and selects one or more voices to be eliminated from generated audio information when the bandwidth estimate exceeds the allocated bandwidth.
US07807905B2

The instant invention relates to an Impatiens plant having a trailing growth habit during its vegetative and generative growth phase. The invention particularly relates to such plants belonging to the African group of ornamental Impatiens. The invention further relates to pollen, seed and sexual as well as asexual progeny of such plants, to methods for obtaining Impatiens plants with a trailing growth habit, to methods for propagating said plants and to uses of said plants.
US07807892B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV473730. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV473730, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV473730 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV473730 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV473730.
US07807884B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated D5689411. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety D5689411. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety D5689411 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety D5689411 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US07807867B2

A gene is provided that encodes an amino acid sequence indicated in SEQ ID NO. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 originating in, for example, Arabidopsis thaliana.
US07807857B2

The present invention relates to novel catalyst compositions and their use in a process for the catalytic conversion of ethanol to a reaction product comprising 1-butanol. The catalysts comprise Group II metal salts selected from the group consisting of oxides, carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides, and mixtures thereof, supported on a lanthanum-promoted oxide containing alumina.
US07807854B2

To provide a medicament which efficiently expresses an immunosuppressive agent or an anti-inflammatory agent and reduces expression of side effect.A medicament includes diaryl sulfide or diaryl ether compound having a 2-amino-1,3-propanediol structure having an activity of reducing lymphocytes circulating peripherally, in combination with an immunosuppressive agent and/or an anti-inflammatory agent.
US07807849B2

The present invention relates to methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, in recombinant cells such as yeast or plant cells. Also provided are recombinant cells or plants which produce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a group of new enzymes which possess desaturase or elongase activity that can be used in methods of synthesizing long-chain poly unsaturated fatty acids.
US07807846B2

There is provided a method for producing a succinimide compound. The method for producing a succinimide compound of formula (3) comprises reacting an aminomalonic ester compound of formula (1) with a compound of formula (2) in a solvent in the presence of a base, wherein an alcohol is used as the solvent and an alkali metal alkoxide is used as the base. (where R1 and R4 independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atom(s) which may be a straight chain, branched or cyclic, etc., R2 and R3 independently represent a hydrogen atom, etc., R5 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atom(s) which may be straight chain, branched or cyclic, etc.).
US07807841B2

Described herein are compounds that have a spiro structural feature. Also described herein are methods for making such compounds, methods for using such compounds to modulate the activity of steroid hormone nuclear receptors, and pharmaceutical compositions and medicaments comprising such compounds. Also described herein are methods of using such compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and medicaments to treat and/or prevent diseases or conditions associated with the activity of steroid hormone nuclear receptors.
US07807836B2

A process for preparing perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, comprising: dimerizing a naphthalene-1,8-dicarboximide of the formula IIa; reoxidizing the resulting alkali metal salt of the leuco form of the perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide of the formula Ia; hydrolyzing the diimide to the tetraalkali metal salt of perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxylic acid in the presence of an inert organic solvent, of an alkali metal base and of water; and subjecting the tetraalkali metal salt of perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxylic acid to the action of an aqueous inorganic acid to convert it into perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride; wherein R3 is cyclohexyl or phenyl which may each be substituted by up to three C1-C4-alkyl radicals, and the dimerizing is in a substantially homogeneous reaction medium consisting essentially of an apolar aprotic organic solvent and an alkali metal base.
US07807834B2

The present invention relates to group of pyrazinoylguanidine compounds useful as sodium channel blockers. The compounds may be used to promote promoting hydration of mucosal surfaces.
US07807824B2

Derivatives are synthesised of starting materials, usually polysaccharides, having sialic acid at the reducing terminal end, in which the reducing terminal unit is transformed into an aldehyde group. Where the polysaccharide has a sialic acid unit at the non-reducing end it may be passivated, for instance by converting into hydroxyl-substituted moiety. The derivatives may be reacted with substrates, for instance containing amine or hydrazine groups, to form non-cross-linked polysialylated compounds. The substrates may, for instance, be therapeutically useful drugs peptides or proteins or drug delivery systems.
US07807822B2

Methods are provided for producing highly purified compositions of nucleic acids by using a highly streamlined and readily automated process. The methods use static mixers for lysing cells and precipitating debris, followed by centrifugation and ion exchange chromatography. The process may include a purification step using tangential flow ultrafiltration. A scaleable process for producing pharmaceutical grade plasmid DNA, useful for gene therapy, is provided.
US07807815B2

The present invention provides siRNA molecules and methods of using such siRNA molecules to modulate an immune response and to silence expression of a target gene.
US07807813B2

West Nile virus capture oligonucleotides, primers and probes derived from conserved regions of the West Nile virus genome are disclosed. Also disclosed are nucleic acid-based assays using the capture oligonucleotides, primers and probes.
US07807810B2

The present invention relates to diagnostic tools for serodiagnosing HGE. The diagnostic tools are structurally related proteins, the “Group 44 proteins”, and to antibodies to such proteins. the Group 44 proteins comprise a single central hypervariable region of approximately 94 amino acid residues, a first conserved region and a second conserved region which flank the central hypervariable region. The hypervariable region of each Group 44 protein has a higher hydrophilicity, a higher antigenic index, and a higher surface probability than either the first conserved region or the second conserved region of the respective protein. The hypervariable region is basic and has an isoelectric point, i.e., a pI, of from about 7.1 to about 9.2 and a molecular mass, i.e., an Mr, of from about 8.5 kDa to about 11 kDa. The Group 44 proteins comprise the P44 protein, the P44-2 protein, the P44-12 protein, the P44-15 protein, the P44-18 protein, and the P44-19 protein and variants of such proteins. The present invention also provides isolated polynucleotides or nucleic acids, referred to collectively hereinafter as the “Group 44 polynucleotides”, which encode the Group 44 proteins and fragments thereof. The present invention provides synthetic oligopeptides of 14-16 amino acids in length. Each of the oligopeptides comprise a sequence which is specific to one Group 44 protein. The present invention also relates to antibodies which are immunospecific for and bind to members of the P44 family of proteinss. The present invention also relates to kits containing reagents for diagnosing HGE.
US07807806B2

The present invention provides novel cleavage agents and polymerases for the cleavage and modification of nucleic acid. The cleavage agents and polymerases find use, for example, for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences and variations in nucleic acid sequences. In some embodiments, the 5′ nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave a target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof.
US07807803B2

The invention provides an immunostimulatory nucleic acid comprising CpG motifs, and methods of use thereof in stimulating immunity.
US07807790B2

An isolated sequence SGSSEEKQNAVSSEET (OPNcPEP) SEQ ID NO: 8, and uses thereof. The peptide enhanced soft agar clone formation but did not support the growth of cells in plastic dishes, consistent with supporting anchorage-independence rather than growth. This sequence represented and is unique for a domain around the splice junction of OPN variant-c (OPN-c). OPN-c was expressed in a variety of tumor cell lines, but not in normal tissues (e.g., non-cancerous tissue) or in benign tumors. OPN-c antibody may be administered to a patient with a cancer associated with OPN-c expression to prevent the formation and growth of metastases. OPN-c may be used as a diagnostic to determine whether a patient has a malignant, rather than a benign, growth. OPN-c may be used to detect or identify agents that inhibit or mimic OPN-c expression or activity.
US07807777B2

To provide a peptide obtainable by cleaving an N-terminal region and a C-terminal region of Alcadein α, Alcadein β, or Alcadein γ; and capable of being a diagnostic marker for Alzheimer's disease. It is possible to detect Alzheimer's disease at an early stage without burdening subjects to be tested by using the peptide as a diagnostic marker.
US07807776B2

The invention relates to a process of preparing regioregular polymers, in particular head-to-tail (HT) poly-(3-substituted) thiophenes with high regioregularity, to novel polymers prepared by this process, and to the use of the novel polymers as semiconductors or charge transport materials in optical, electrooptical or electronic devices including field effect transistors (FETs), electroluminescent, photovoltaic and sensor devices, to FETs and other semiconducting components or materials comprising the novel polymers.
US07807753B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a coating composition for forming a coating film having extremely high scratch resistance which could not be achieved up to now, concretely, such a degree of scratch resistance that even if the surface of a coating film is rubbed under strong external force by a cloud of sand flying and others while car washing and running, the surface can endure it. As a means of achieving this object, the coating composition according to the present invention comprises acrylic resin (A) having a short side chain hydroxyl group (a1) and a long side chain hydroxyl group (a2) and polyisocyanate prepolymer (C) as essential components and, as the need arises, further comprises polylactonepolyol (B), wherein the content ratio of the short side chain hydroxyl group (a1) to the long side chain hydroxyl group (a2), the total hydroxyl value of the short side chain hydroxyl group (a1) and the long side chain hydroxyl group (a2), the solid content ratio of the acrylic resin (A) to the polylactonepolyol (B), and the amount of the polyisocyanate prepolymer (C) being combined are in their respective specific ranges.
US07807748B2

A phenol-formaldehyde resin, having a low concentration of tetradimer, making the resin suitable for preparing a binder composition for making non-woven fiber products, such as fiberglass insulation, prepared by reacting phenol and formaldehyde in the presence of a sulfite source.
US07807743B2

A coating composition is used to form a clearcoat layer of a film system including a basecoat layer and the clearcoat layer. The coating composition includes a carbamate functional polymer, a cross-linking agent reactive with the carbamate functional polymer, and an acid functional polymer substantially non-reactive with the carbamate functional polymer and the cross-linking agent. The acid functional polymer has an acid value of at least 50 mg KOH/g and contributes to an increased resistance to acid etch of the clearcoat layer. The acid functional polymer also contributes to an increased intercoat adhesion of the basecoat layer and the clearcoat layer thereby decreasing a possibility of separation/delamination of the basecoat layer and the clearcoat layer.
US07807739B2

An aqueous composition for coating substrates comprising a blend of a metal-containing crosslinkable polymer, acrylic polymer, and an epoxysilane and method therefore.
US07807737B2

A flame retarded thermoplastic polymer composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a metal salt of phosphinic acid possessing a desired degree of volatility.
US07807735B2

Disclosed are methods for improving the water resistance of a lignocellulosic composite product prepared by mixing lignocellulosic material with a binder to form a mixture and solidifying the mixture in a selected configuration to form the composite product comprises adding to the mixture an emulsion including a wax component comprising a nonsaponifiable wax and a saponified wax, an alkyl phenol component comprising a C20-C42 alkyl group, a dispersant/surfactant, a carboxymethylcellulose component, and water. Also disclosed are lignocellulosic products resulting from said method.
US07807731B1

A biodegradable plastic used for disposable packaging and other product which will degrade when disposed of in a land fill. The biodegradation begins in about 10 years after disposal. The shelf life of the disposable products is about 90 to 120 days before the infused mineral oil will begin to weep out of the plastic. The shelf life will be decreased if the plastic is stored at above 50 degrees Centigrade. The biodegradable plastic is made from a mixture of about 11.5% by weight of medical grade mineral oil to polypropylene. A mixing device having a feed chamber with polypropylene and mineral oil added to the feed chamber at a rate coordinated with the movement of the mixing and infusion screw delivers infused mineral oil in the polypropylene at a desired mixture ratio to a mold.
US07807727B2

The invention relates to a method for selectively separating mixed synthetic organic materials such as filled or non-filled polymers and/or copolymers that are wastes, particularly used, for recycling in order to upgrade them. These synthetic organic materials result from the destruction by crushing of automobiles and durable consumer goods that have reached the end of their serviceable lives. Said selective separation method acts by separating these materials with regard to a density threshold selected in a dense medium consisting of separating fluid liquid suspensions composed of powdery particles dispersed in an aqueous phase. These suspensions are stabilized by using a dynamic stabilizing means at a density threshold value selected for causing the selective separation of a determined fraction from the mixture of the used materials to be separated.
US07807726B2

The invention provides a method for recovery of a fluorinated anionic surfactant from a basic anion exchange resin having quaternary ammonium groups, the method comprising eluting the anion exchange resin with a composition comprising an ammonium salt and a water miscible organic solvent. The method according to the invention may provide one or more of the following advantages. For example, the method can be designed to allow for recovery of substantially all of the fluorinated surfactant from a basic anion exchange resin having quaternary ammonium groups. Also, the liquid used for recovering the surfactant from the anion exchange resin is a simple liquid that can be readily and cost effectively manufactured. Further the process may be carried out in a convenient and easy manner. Furthermore, the method generally does not require large amounts of the eluting composition.
US07807722B2

A biobeneficial coating composition for coating an implantable device, such as a drug eluting stent, and a method of coating the device with the composition, and an implantable device coated with the composition are provided.
US07807711B2

The invention relates to an acidic cannabinoid for medical use and to a cannabis extract comprising an acidic cannabinoid. The extract may comprise one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiolic acid (CBD-A), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinolic acid (CBN-A) and cannabinol. The invention further relates to a method for preparing a preparation comprising extracting an acidic cannabinoid from cannabis.
US07807707B2

A hair and/or scalp treatment composition comprising an amino-oxo-indole-ylidene compound of general formula (I): (I) formula should be here in which: R1, R2, R3 and R4 are each, independently, hydrogen or a monovalent organic group selected from alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkylenearyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, and heterocyclyl.
US07807697B2

Compounds of formula (I) are useful in treating conditions or disorders prevented by or ameliorated by histamine-3 receptor ligands. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the histamine-3 receptor ligands and methods for using such compounds and compositions.
US07807695B2

The present invention relates to the cosmetic use, as an agent for combating wrinkles, especially expression wrinkles, and/or for dencontracting the skin and/or relaxing the features, of at least one piperidine derivative chosen from the compounds of formula (I): and the salts and optical isomers thereof. The invention also relates to novel piperidine derivatives and also to cosmetic compositions containing them.
US07807694B2

Compounds which modulate chemokine receptor activities are disclosed. These compounds are preferably tertiary amines comprising tetrahydroquinoline and benzimidazole.
US07807693B2

The present invention relates to new substituted prolinamides of general formula (I) wherein D, L, E, G, J, M, R3, R4, R5 and R13 are defined as in the specification, the tautomers, the enantiomers, the diastereomers, the mixtures, and the salts thereof.
US07807692B2

Phenoxyphenyl and phenoxybenzyl oxazolidine-2,4-diones and thiazolidine-2,4-diones are agonists or partial agonists of PPAR gamma and are useful in the treatment and control of hyperglycemia that is symptomatic of type II diabetes, as well as dyslipidemia, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and obesity that are often associated with type 2 diabetes.
US07807680B2

A controlled release sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation is provided which is formed of aripiprazole of a desired mean particle size and a vehicle therefor, which upon constitution with water and intramuscular injection releases aripiprazole over a period of at least about one week and up to about eight weeks. A method for preparing the controlled release freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation, and a method for treating schizophrenia employing the above formulation are also provided.
US07807679B2

The use of a compound of formula (I) wherein Y is a single bond, C═O, C═S or S(O)m where m is 0, 1 or 2; the ring is a 6-membered aromatic or is a 5 or 6 membered heteroaromatic ring; Ra, R1, R2, R4 and R8 are specified organic groups; n and p are independently 0-4; or salts or N-oxides thereof or compositions containing them in controlling insects, acarines, nematodes or molluscs. Novel compounds are also provided.
US07807677B2

Compounds of the formula I: wherein R1, R2, X and N are as defined in the specification; E is N, CH; A′ and A″ are terminal groups as defined in the specification. The compounds have utility as HIV-1 protease inhibitors.
US07807675B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a hyaluronic acid-methotrexate conjugate useful as a therapeutic drug for joint disorders. There is provided a hyaluronic acid-methotrexate conjugate useful for the treatment of joint disorders, wherein methotrexate is conjugated with a hydroxy group of hyaluronic acid through a linker containing a peptide chain consisting of 1 to 8 amino acids, and the linker is conjugated with the hyaluronic acid through a carbamate group.
US07807672B2

Disclosed are the ERK inhibitors of formula 1.0: and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof. Q is a piperidine or piperazine ring that can have a bridge or a fused ring. The piperidine ring can have a double bond in the ring. All other substituents are as defined herein. Also disclosed are methods of treating cancer using the compounds of formula 1.0.
US07807661B2

A biologically-active article includes a substrate having a substrate surface and a silver releasing chromonic material disposed adjacent to the substrate surface. The silver releasing chromonic material includes a chromonic compound and a silver ion source. Methods of forming the same are also disclosed.
US07807658B2

Novel compounds of formula I, with the exception of i) the racemate of (3-amino-2-hydroxypropyl)phosphinic acid; and ii) (2R/S, 3R)-(3-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)phosphinic acid, having affinity to one or more GABAB receptors, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates and stereoisomers, as well as processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing said therapeutically active compounds and the use of said active compounds in therapy.
US07807656B2

The invention relates to novel applications of pharmaceutical compositions containing preferably long-chain hyaluronic acids which are cross-linked or not cross-linked, and conventional adjuvants and/or supporting materials.
US07807654B2

Compounds, compositions, and methods are provided for treatment of disorders related to mitochondrial dysfunction. The methods comprise administering to a mammal a composition containing pyrimidine nucleotide precursors in amounts sufficient to treat symptoms resulting from mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiencies.
US07807650B2

Methods and compositions for the treatment of intestinal disorders, such as IBD and Crohn's disease, are disclosed. Preferred compositions include siNA. Also disclosed is a method of specifically targeting siNA to treat intestinal disorders by intrarectal administration of siNA compounds.
US07807649B2

Antisense compounds, compositions and methods are provided for modulating the expression of forkhead box O1A. The compositions comprise antisense compounds, particularly antisense oligonucleotides, targeted to nucleic acids encoding forkhead box O1A. Methods of using these compounds for modulation of forkhead box O1A expression and for treatment of diseases associated with expression of forkhead box O1A are provided, in particular, for methods of treating diabetes.
US07807647B2

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the inhibition of gene expression. In particular, the present invention provides oligonucleotide-based therapeutics for the inhibition of oncogenes involved in cancers.
US07807645B2

The invention herein related to methods and compositions for treating nervous system disorders. The methods comprise peptides that bind to receptors important in disease progression, thus attenuating the disease.
US07807642B2

The present invention relates to immunotherapeutic methods, and molecules and cells for use in immunotherapeutic methods. In particular, the present invention relates to the immunotherapy of cancer. The present invention furthermore relates to tumour-associated T-helper cell peptide epitopes, alone or in combination with other tumour-associated peptides, that serve as active pharmaceutical ingredients of vaccine compositions which stimulate anti-tumour immune responses. In particular, the present invention relates to 49 novel peptide sequences derived from HLA class II molecules of human tumour cell lines which can be used in vaccine compositions for eliciting anti-tumour immune responses.
US07807638B2

Gla domain variants of human Factor VII or human Factor VIIa, comprising 1-15 amino acid modifications relative to human Factor VII or human Factor VIIa, wherein a hydrophobic amino acid residue has been introduced by substitution in position 34 or having an amino acid substitution in position 36 of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1; and use of the variants for the treatment of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) or trauma.
US07807631B2

The invention relates to ALK7 soluble receptors and their uses as antagonists of the function of certain ligands such as GDF-8 (Myostatin) and GDF-11. The ALK7 soluble receptor of the invention is useful as antagonists of GDF-8 and GDF-11 in the treatment of neuronal diseases or conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury, and all peripheral nerve diseases. The ALK7 soluble receptor of the invention is also useful as GH (growth hormone) equivalent, and for increasing muscle mass.
US07807618B2

Disclosed are methods for delivering an enzyme to a subject's brain or bone. The methods include administering a hyaluronidase to the subject and administering the enzyme to the subject. The hyaluronidase and the enzyme are administered to the subject under conditions effective to deliver the enzyme to the subject's brain or bone. Compositions and kits which include hyaluronidase and an enzyme are also disclosed, as are methods for increasing blood-brain barrier permeability in a subject. Also disclosed are methods, compositions, and kits for delivering genes or other nucleic acid molecules to a subject's brain or bone, as well as methods, compositions, and kits for delivering enzymes to a subject's tissues. The methods, compositions, and kits are disclosed as being useful in treating or preventing a variety of enzyme deficiency diseases, such as those affecting brain and/or bone, e.g., as Canavan's disease, Fabry disease, Gaucher's disease, various forms of mucopolysaccharidosis (e.g., Hurler's syndrome, Scheie syndrome, Hurler-Scheie syndrome, Sanfillippo A syndrome, Morquio A syndrome, Morquio B syndrome, etc.), Niemann-Pick disease, Schindler disease, and Pompe disease.
US07807616B2

A fragrance preparation containing 3,7-dimethyloct-6-enenitrile and other compounds described herein is a geranonitrile substitute which has the advantages inherent to geranonitrile, such as fragrance freshness and composition stability but is less objectionable from a toxicological standpoint.
US07807613B2

The invention relates to aqueous, buffered, fluoride containing compositions having a pH of greater than 7.0 to about 11.0. In certain embodiments, the buffered compositions have an extended worklife because pH dependent attributes such as oxide and metal etch rates are stable so long as the pH remains stable.
US07807612B2

The invention provides personal care or hair liquid cleansing compositions comprising fatty acyl isethionate products having more than 5% by wt. free fatty acid/fatty soaps which are stabilized using specific mixture of long chain and short chain fatty acids/fatty soaps; as well as by using proper ratio of total linear fatty acid/fatty soap to total synthetic surfactants (the total synthetic is the sum of (1) fatty acyl surfactant component of (a)—that is, the “pure” fatty acyl isethionate which does not include free fatty acids and/or fatty acid soaps in the fatty acyl surfactant “product”—and (2) the synthetic co-surfactant of (b)).
US07807608B2

Coated conductors have a substrate, a high temperature superconductor layer and at least one or more buffer layers, wherein at least one of the buffer layers is a template for biaxially orienting the high temperature superconductor layer wherein the template is composed of a polycrystalline film consisting of a non-stoichiometric material having the nominal chemical formula A2−xB2+xO7 with B being at least one selected from Zr, Hf, Sn, Pb and Ti; A being at least one selected from La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Y, Tm, Yb and Lu; and x≠0; and wherein the substrate is textured.
US07807600B2

A catalyst for acrylonitrile synthesis is disclosed which is composed of particles containing silica and a composite oxide including at least molybdenum. When the Mo/Si atomic ratio in bulk composition of the catalyst is represented by A and the Mo/Si atomic ratio in surface composition of the particles is represented by B, B/A is not more than 0.6.
US07807595B2

This invention pertains to a chalcogenide glass of low optical loss that can be on the order of 30 dB/km or lower, and to a process for preparing the chalcogenide glass. The process includes the steps of optionally preparing arsenic monochalcogenide precursor or the precursor can be provided beforehand; dynamically distilling the precursor in an open system under vacuum from a hot section to a cold section to purify same; homogenizing the precursor in a closed system so that it is of a uniform color; disposing the distilled or purified precursor and at least one chalcogenide element at a hot section of an open distillation system; dynamically distilling under vacuum in an open system so that the precursor and the at least one chalcogenide element are deposited at a cold section of the open system in a more purified state; homogenizing the precursor and the at least chalcogenide element in a closed system while converting the precursor and the at least one chalcogenide element from crystalline phase to glassy phase.
US07807590B2

A method of manufacturing an isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber spun yarn fabric includes the following steps of: obtaining composite yarn by winding a water-soluble polymer fiber around a surface of isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber spun yarn; obtaining a composite yarn fabric by weaving the composite yarn; and obtaining the isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber spun yarn fabric by dissolving and removing the water-soluble polymer fiber from the composite yarn fabric.
US07807584B2

Example embodiments are directed to methods of forming a metallic oxide film using Atomic Layer Deposition while controlling the power reflected by a reactor. The method may include feeding metallic source gases, for example, first and second metallic source gases, and/or a reactant gas including oxygen into the reactor individually. One of the metallic source gases may include an amino-group or an alkoxy-group and another metallic source gas may include neither an amino-group nor an alkoxy-group. A plasma may be produced in the reactor from the reactant gas.
US07807576B2

A semiconductor structure which includes a trench gate FET is formed as follows. A plurality of trenches is formed in a semiconductor region using a mask. The mask includes (i) a first insulating layer over a surface of the semiconductor region, (ii) a first oxidation barrier layer over the first insulating layer, and (iii) a second insulating layer over the first oxidation barrier layer. A thick bottom dielectric (TBD) is formed along the bottom of each trench. The first oxidation barrier layer prevents formation of a dielectric layer along the surface of the semiconductor region during formation of the TBD.
US07807565B2

A method for forming a semiconductor device includes forming drain contact holes in a first interlayer insulating layer provided over a semiconductor substrate. First metal material is formed over the first interlayer insulating layer and fills the drain contact holes. A first metal layer formed by patterning the first metal material includes first lines and landing pads. Trenches formed in a second interlayer insulating layer formed over the patterned first metal material expose the landing pads. A second metal layer is formed by providing second metal material over the second interlayer insulating layer and filling the trenches. The second metal layer includes second lines within the trenches that contact the landing pads. The first and second metal layers define a first metal level of the semiconductor device. The first lines define odd-number lines of the first metal level, and the second lines define even-number lines of the first metal level.
US07807557B2

A semiconductor device includes: source/drain regions formed in a semiconductor substrate; a trapping film for storing information by accumulating charges, the trapping film being formed in a region on the semiconductor substrate which includes a region on a channel region between the source/drain regions; and gate electrodes formed on the trapping film. A silicon nitride film containing carbon is formed by low pressure CVD using an organic material so as to cover the gate electrodes and a part of the trapping film which is located between adjacent gate electrodes.
US07807556B2

A method for doping impurities into a device layer includes providing a carbonized dopant layer including one or more dopant impurities over a device layer and heat treating the carbonized dopant layer to thermally diffuse the dopant impurities into the device layer.
US07807554B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor element includes implanting ions of a dopant having a large diffusion coefficient into a semiconductor to provide a doped layer; and irradiating the doped layer with a plurality of pulsed laser beams supplied by a plurality of laser irradiation devices to activate the doped layer and provide an activated doped layer. The activated doped layer may be one of a single doped layer or a plurality of successive doped layers which each have respective conduction types that are one of identical or different. Device breakage and failure of the manufactured semiconductor element due to heat induced during laser irradiation are substantially prevented by this method.
US07807552B2

A method of inspecting defects in a semiconductor device includes forming a test pattern in a scribe lane region of a semiconductor substrate. The test pattern includes a second conductive layer formed on an isolation layer of the semiconductor substrate. Further, the method includes measuring a current flowing between the second conductive layer and the semiconductor substrate by applying a first voltage between the second conductive layer and the semiconductor substrate. Defects formed in the isolation layer can be inspected during a semiconductor manufacturing process. Accordingly, the yield of semiconductor devices can be improved with the inspection results.
US07807544B2

Large-area ICs (e.g., silicon wafer-based solar cells) are produced by positioning a mask between an extrusion head and the IC wafer during extrusion of a dopant bearing material or metal gridline material. The mask includes first and second peripheral portions that are positioned over corresponding peripheral areas of the wafer, and a central opening that exposes a central active area of the wafer. The extrusion head is then moved relative to the wafer, and the extrusion material is continuously extruded through outlet orifices of the extrusion head to form elongated extruded structures on the active area of the wafer. The mask prevents deposition of the extrusion material along the peripheral edges of the wafer, and facilitates the formation of unbroken extrusion structures. The mask may be provided with a non-rectangular opening to facilitate the formation of non-rectangular (e.g., circular) two-dimensional extrusion patterns.
US07807542B2

A highly reliable semiconductor device and a method fabricating the same are provided, the semiconductor device having a low resistance electrode structure. The semiconductor device includes an interlayer insulation film formed on a semiconductor substrate. A storage node electrode is formed on the interlayer insulation film. A protection film is formed on the storage node electrode and includes a nitrided metal film. A dielectric film overlies the protection film. A plate electrode is formed on the dielectric film.
US07807537B2

After forming a silicon nitride film 14 on a silicon oxide film 12 covering one main surface of a semiconductor substrate 10 by a CVD method, argon ions Ar+ are doped to a part (where oxidation speed should be reduced) of the silicon nitride film 14 by an ion doping process using a resist layer as a mask in a condition of acceleration voltage at 100 keV and a dose amount of 5×1015 inos/cm2. Thereafter, by performing a thermal oxidation process to the silicon nitride film 14, a thin silicon oxide film 18a is formed in a non-ion doped part and a thick silicon oxide film 18b is formed in an ion doped part. This method for forming silicon oxide films can be applied to a method for manufacturing capacitors of a MOS type IC, etc. Moreover, a silicon oxynitride film can be used instead of the silicon nitride film.
US07807526B2

The present invention provides two-transistor silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (2-Tr SONOS) non-volatile memory cells with randomly accessible storage locations as well as method of fabricating the same. In one embodiment, a 2-Tr SONOS cell is provided in which the select transistor is located with a trench structure having trench depth from 1 to 2 μm and the memory transistor is located on a surface of a semiconductor substrate adjoining the trench structure. In another embodiment, a 2-Tr SONOS memory cell is provided in which both the select transistor and the memory transistor are located within a trench structure having the depth mentioned above.
US07807523B2

By forming MOSFETs on a substrate having pre-existing ridges of semiconductor material (i.e., a “corrugated substrate”), the resolution limitations associated with conventional semiconductor manufacturing processes can be overcome, and high-performance, low-power transistors can be reliably and repeatably produced. Forming a corrugated substrate prior to actual device formation allows the ridges on the corrugated substrate to be created using high precision techniques that are not ordinarily suitable for device production. MOSFETs that subsequently incorporate the high-precision ridges into their channel regions will typically exhibit much more precise and less variable performance than similar MOSFETs formed using optical lithography-based techniques that cannot provide the same degree of patterning accuracy. A multi step epitaxial process can be used to extend the ridges with different dopant types, high mobility semiconductor, and or advanced multi-layer strutures. For CMOS integrated circuits a capping layer is formed over the a first region. Epitaxial layers are formed in a second region. Then the capping layer is removed from the first region and a capping layer is formed over the second region. Epitaxial layers can than be formed in the first region.
US07807520B2

To provide a method for manufacturing a large semiconductor device which easily operates normally and has excellent current characteristics. A first single-crystal semiconductor layer is provided over an insulating substrate. Then, the first single-crystal semiconductor layer is processed into an island shape. After that, a second single-crystal semiconductor layer is provided over the insulating substrate so as to overlap with part of a region where the first single-crystal semiconductor layer is provided. After that, the second single-crystal semiconductor layer is processed into an island shape. Thus, defects at joint portions in the case of providing the single-crystal semiconductor layers can be reduced.
US07807519B2

A thin film transistor including a gate, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer and a source/drain is provided. The gate is disposed over a substrate and includes at least one molybdenum-niobium alloy nitride layer. The gate insulating layer is formed over the substrate to cover the gate. The semiconductor layer is disposed over the gate insulating layer above the gate. The source/drain is disposed over the semiconductor layer.
US07807515B2

Disclosed is an oxide semiconductor having an amorphous structure, wherein higher mobility and reduced carrier concentration are achieved. Also disclosed are a thin film transistor, a method for producing the oxide semiconductor, and a method for producing the thin film transistor. Specifically disclosed is an oxide semiconductor which is characterized by being composed of an amorphous oxide represented by the following a general formula: Inx+1MZny+1SnzO(4+1.5x+y+2z) (wherein M is Ga or Al, 0≦x≦1, −0.2≦y≦1.2, z≧0.4 and 0.5≦(x+y)/z≦3). This oxide semiconductor is preferably subjected to a heat treatment in an oxidizing gas atmosphere after film formation. Also specifically disclosed is a thin film transistor which is characterized by comprising the oxide semiconductor.
US07807510B2

There are provided the steps of connecting a chip component 13 to a first substrate 10 through a wire 14, providing an electrode 21 on a second substrate 20, attaching, to the first substrate 10, a molding tool 30 having a protruded portion 31 formed corresponding to an array of a bump connecting pad 12 of the first substrate 10 and a cavity 32 formed corresponding to a region in which the chip component 13 is mounted, thereby forming a first sealing resin 34 for sealing the chip component 13 and the wire 14, bonding the electrode 21 to the bump connecting pad 12 through a solder, thereby bonding the first substrate 10 to the second substrate 20, and filling a second filling resin 40 in a clearance portion between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20.
US07807507B2

A semiconductor package forming method includes mounting a backgrinding-underfill film which includes a laminated backgrinding film and a laminated underfill film on a semiconductor wafer so that the underfill film adheres to a front side of the semiconductor wafer; backgrinding a back side of the semiconductor wafer on which the backgrinding-underfill film has been mounted and removing the backgrinding film of the backgrinding-underfill film from the semiconductor wafer. The method further includes dicing the semiconductor wafer from which the backgrinding film has been removed, so that semiconductor chips are separated from the semiconductor wafer.
US07807503B2

A die-wafer package includes a singulated semiconductor die having a first plurality of bond pads on a first surface and a second plurality of bond pads on a second, opposing surface thereof. Each of the first and second pluralities of bond pads includes an under-bump metallization (UBM) layer. The singulated semiconductor die is disposed on a semiconductor die site of a semiconductor wafer and a first plurality of conductive bumps electrically couples the first plurality of bond pads of the singulated semiconductor die with a first set of bond pads formed on the semiconductor die site. A second plurality of conductive bumps is disposed on a second set of bond pads of the semiconductor die site. A third plurality of conductive bumps is disposed on the singulated semiconductor die's second plurality of bond pads. The second and third pluralities of conductive bumps are configured for electrical interconnection with an external device.
US07807494B2

A method of monitoring the chalcogenation process in which the chalcogenide semiconductor layer is produced by initially sequentially depositing the two precursor layers of elements A and B and thereafter carrying out a chalcogenizing process with a simultaneous optical process control in which the layer sequence A B is irradiated by light from at least one coherent light source, the light diffusely scattered at the surface is detected and the scattered light signal measured as a function of time is evaluated such that characteristic changes in the layer developing during the chalcogenation are assigned to four characteristic points of the scattered light signal curve.
US07807483B2

An object is to provide a display device that can be manufactured by improvement of use efficiency of a material and simplification of a manufacturing process. A light absorbing layer is formed, an insulating layer is formed over the light absorbing layer, the light absorbing layer and the insulating layer are selectively irradiated with laser light, an irradiated region in the insulating layer is removed to form an opening in the insulating layer, and a conductive film is formed in the opening so as to be in contact with the light absorbing layer. The conductive film is formed in the opening so as to be in contact with the light absorbing layer, which is exposed, so that the light absorbing layer and the conductive layer can be electrically connected with the insulating layer interposed therebetween.
US07807471B2

An anti-IL-23 specific human Ig derived protein, isolated nucleic acids that encode at least one anti-IL-23 Ig derived protein, vectors, host cells, transgenic animals or plants, and methods of making and using thereof are useful as therapeutic and diagnostic compositions, methods and devices. The anti-IL-23 Ig derived protein preferably binds to one or more of the Seg 1, Seg 2, and Seg 3 epitopes of the p40 subunit of IL-23.
US07807469B2

A method of determining whether an animal has ingested a plant of interest is provided. The method includes screening the animal for the presence of at least one indicator of a plant of interest.
US07807466B2

Fat content is analyzed by extraction in a filtration vessel having a porous hydrophilic and oleophobic filter.
US07807452B2

The invention relates, generally, to a method of removing sharp edges from a microscope coverslip comprising grinding down the edges and polishing the edges The invention also relates to a device for determining cell motility comprising a slide, a coverslip, comprising at least one edge that has been smoothed and a chamber, created by the slide and the coverslip and which is tangential to the coverslip, such that motile cells entering the chamber are substantially undamaged. The invention also relates to a method for using the device to determine cell motility.
US07807451B2

The present invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus for detecting chemotaxis of cells. It aims at providing a structure for detecting chemotaxis of cells at an elevated accuracy with the use of a microquantity of cells. That is to say, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for detecting chemotaxis of cells by which cell injection and position control can be easily carried out while ensuring the prevention of unexpected migration of the cells definitely positioned in a well or the injected sample so that a stable concentration gradient due to the diffusion of the specimen can be maintained and which ensures further automated operation and controlling.Namely, an apparatus for detecting chemotaxis of cells with a structure wherein two wells are connected to each other via a channel having resistance to the passage of cells and each well has an opening for injecting cells or a specimen, characterized by having (1) a means of transporting a liquid and a means of stopping the transportation after the injection or the aspiration discharge of the liquid and (2) a means of sealing the opening(s) in one or both of the cell-injection side and the specimen-injection side.
US07807442B2

The invention generally relates to polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) polyketide synthase (PKS) systems isolated from or derived from non-bacterial organisms, to homologues thereof, to isolated nucleic acid molecules and recombinant nucleic acid molecules encoding biologically active domains of such a PUFA PKS system, to genetically modified organisms comprising PUFA PKS systems, to methods of making and using such systems for the production of bioactive molecules of interest, and to novel methods for identifying new bacterial and non-bacterial microorganisms having such a PUFA PKS system.
US07807439B2

The invention concerns a medium for specific detection of Staphylococcus aureus and/or discrimination between positive-coagulase Staphylococcus and negative-coagulase enabling Staphylococcus to isolate bacteria of the genus staphylococcus and identify the Staphylococcus aureus species, which use at least an enzymatic substrate, preferably a chromogenic or fluorescent agent, and still more preferably consisting of an indoxyl or naphthol base. The invention also concerns a method for identifying, and optionally counting, Staphylococcus aureus using such a medium. It consists of a Staphylococcus aureus culture medium and at least an enzymatic substrate enabling testing of an α-glucosidase activity. The invention is particularly applicable in the field of diagnosis.
US07807435B2

The present invention relates to a method for the purification of alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor (a1PI) from protein fractions. More specifically, the invention relates to an improved method for the purification of alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor (a1PI), wherein the yield of a1PI can be increased by thawing the starting material and incubating it for several hours before subjecting it to a washing step.
US07807417B2

This invention relates to the field of biotechnology or genetic engineering. Specifically, this invention relates to the field of gene expression. More specifically, this invention relates to a novel inducible gene expression system and methods of modulating gene expression in a host cell for applications such as gene therapy, large scale production of proteins and antibodies, cell-based high throughput screening assays, functional genomics and regulation of traits in transgenic plants and animals.
US07807410B2

A DNA sequence from the upstream region of cold-inducible hutU gene of the Antarctic Psychrotrophic Bacterium Pseudomonas syringae, comprising promoter elements and other regulatory sequences, with unique ‘CAAAA’ nucleotide sequence at −10 site of multiple transcription start sites and using said promoter to express genes of interest in the said bacterium at temperature as low as 4° C. and using the said bacterium with generation time ranging between two and half to three hours, as a system to produce heat labile proteins of pharmaceutical significance.
US07807409B2

A method for the recombinant production of a heterologous polypeptide in a eukaryotic host cell is described. The host cell comprises an expression plasmid, whereby the expression plasmid comprises in a 5′ to 3′ direction a) a promoter, b) a nucleic acid encoding a first polypeptide, whose amino acid sequence is selected from Table 1 depending on the first two amino acids of the second polypeptide, c) a nucleic acid encoding a second polypeptide comprising a nucleic acid encoding a heterologous polypeptide, a nucleic acid encoding a linker, and a nucleic acid encoding an immunoglobulin fragment, and d) a 3′ untranslated region comprising a polyadenylation signal. Further a plasmid and a kit are described.
US07807405B2

A chemoenzymatic method for the preparation of a homogeneous glycoprotein or glycopeptide, including (a) providing an acceptor selected from the group consisting of GlcNAc-protein and GlcNAc-peptide; and (b) reacting the acceptor with a donor substrate including an activated oligosaccharide moiety, in the presence of a catalyst comprising endoglycosidase (ENGase), to transfer the oligosaccharide moiety to the acceptor and yield the homogeneous glycoprotein or glycopeptide. The donor substrate includes, in a specific implementation, a synthetic oligosaccharide oxazoline. A related method of glycoprotein or glycopeptide remodeling with a predetermined natural N-glycan or a tailor-made oligosaccharide moiety, and a method of remodeling an antibody including a heterogeneous sugar chain, are also described. The disclosed methodology enables glycoprotein drugs to be modified for prolonged half-life in vivo, reduced immunogenicity, and enhanced in vivo activity, and for targeting and drug delivery.
US07807404B2

The invention deals with mutated truncated mt-pfkA gene encoding shorter fragment of 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase (PFK1), with no need for phosphorylation of the protein molecule for activation, that is not significantly inhibited by citric acid and/or its salts and ATP molecules. Active 49-52 kDa fragment encoded by mt-pfkA gene, retains positive regulatory properties of the native protein and is activated in the presence of specific activators, while citric acid and ATP, important metabolites that function as feed back inhibitors in higher organisms do not reduce its activity. The invention deals with the use of modified shorter fragment in biotechnological processes for fabricating primary and secondary metabolites.
US07807397B2

The use of copeptin as diagnostic marker for the determination of the release of vasopressin, especially in connection with disorders associated with non-physiological alterations of vasopressin release from the neurohypophysis, especially for detection and early detection, diagnosing and monitoring of the course of cardiovascular diseases, renal and pulmonary diseases as well as shock, including septic shock, sepsis and diseases/disorders of the central nervous system and neurodegenerative diseases.
US07807396B2

Estrogen has been shown to increase the expression and activity of amyloid peptide inactivating enzymes in the brain. Peptides have been shown to increase the activity of an amyloid peptide inactivating enzyme. Methods of identifying compounds for, and methods of treating patients with, Alzheimer's Disease is disclosed.
US07807394B2

The present invention relates to novel radioactively labeled bioreducible tracers of Formula I useful for detecting hypoxic tumors or ischemic tissue in vivo. In one embodiment, the tracers consist of a 2-nitroimidazole moiety, a triazole, metabolically stable linker with pharmacokinetics enhancing substituents, and a radioisotope. The preferred in vivo imaging modality is positron emission tomography.
US07807392B1

The present invention provides a method for diagnosing and detecting diseases associated with lung. The present invention provides one or more proteins or fragments thereof, peptides or nucleic acid molecules differentially expressed in lung cancer (LCAT) and antibodies binds to LCATs. The present invention provides that LCATs are used as targets for screening agents that modulates the LCAT activities. Further the present invention provides methods for treating diseases associated with lung.
US07807391B2

A protein utilizing an anti-gold antibody and a gold-binding side which is a part of the anti-gold antibody is constructed. This protein is capable of specifically binding to gold. This protein or a complex protein containing such a protein can be used for the detection of a target substance.
US07807388B2

The invention provides isolated nucleic acids molecules, designated hVR-1, hVR-2, and rVR-2 nucleic acid molecules, which encode novel members of the Capsaicin/Vanilloid receptor family. The invention also provides antisense nucleic acid molecules, recombinant expression vectors containing hVR-1, hVR-2, and rVR-2 nucleic acid molecules, host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced, and nonhuman transgenic animals in which an hVR-1, hVR-2, and rVR-2 gene has been introduced or disrupted. The invention still further provides isolated hVR-1, hVR-2, and rVR-2 proteins, fusion proteins, antigenic peptides and anti-hVR-1, anti-hVR-2, and anti-rVR-2 antibodies. Diagnostic methods utilizing compositions of the invention are also provided.
US07807381B2

As described herein, signaling events occurring in neurons or at neuronal synapses have been identified that involve Cdk5 and various other molecules which bind to, are activated by, and/or activate Cdk5. Of particular relevance are interactions that stimulate calpain cleavage of p35 into p25, which binds Cdk5 in pathologic states. Assays to identify modulators of these interactions are provided.
US07807378B2

The present invention relates to methods of diagnosing myasthenia gravis in a subject, by determining an amount of at least one autoantibody that specifically binds one or more autoantigens selected from heat-shock protein 60 (hsp60), heat-shock protein 90, alpha isoform (hsp90α), and heat-shock protein 90, beta isoform (hsp90β). The invention also provides diagnostic kits for identifying a subject having myasthenia gravis.
US07807368B2

The present invention provides methods of cell cycle control by administering opioid growth factor (OGF), which activates opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr) signaling. Particularly, the present invention provides a method for monitoring OGF modulation or treatment of a cell proliferation or growth related condition in a subject by assessing the level of the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor (CKI) relevant or corresponding to the condition. The present invention also provides a method for screening the eligibility of a subject for OGF modulation or treatment by assessing the level of OGF receptor (OGFr) and the relevant CKI. A method for enhancing the efficacy of OGF therapy by increasing the level of the relevant CKI and/or OGFr is also provided.
US07807359B2

Methods and compositions are described for use in the rapid and simultaneous screening of one or more samples for one or more mutations in the TPMT gene. The methods and compositions of the present invention can be used to rapidly determine if a mutation of the TPMT gene is present in the genome of a subject. Identifying which mutations are present in an individual allows the clinician to design an appropriate therapy using drugs metabolized by TPMT for that individual.
US07807357B2

The present invention provides DNA compositions and assays for detecting the presence of the DNA compositions in PV-GHGT07(1445) cotton event based on the DNA sequence of the recombinant construct inserted into the cotton genome and of the genomic sequences flanking the insertion site. Kits and conditions useful in conducting the assays are provided.
US07807356B2

Embodiments of labeled nucleotide compositions are described. Methods are described in which a sample containing RNA is contacted with an enzyme having an RNA ligation activity in the presence of a labeled nucleotide composition to provide labeled RNA. Methods of performing an array analysis of a labeled RNA sample are also described.
US07807350B2

The present invention concerns the methods and compositions for evaluating the risk of ironotecan toxicity in a cancer patient based on the genotype of the patient at position −3156 of the UGT1A1 gene or at any position in linkage disequilibrium with the −3156 variant.
US07807348B2

A method of imaging phenomena that occurs on a surface of a substrate includes contacting a fluid with a top surface of the substrate, and imaging phenomena that occurs on the top surface of the substrate by observing the substrate through polarized light in the absence of a liquid crystal after the liquid has contacted the top surface of the substrate. The top surface of the substrate has an anisotropic topography, and the wavelength of the polarized light is larger than the anisotropic topography of the top surface of the substrate. A method for determining the presence of an analyte in a sample includes: contacting a sample with a first portion of a top surface of a substrate that binds the analyte, the top surface of the substrate having an anisotropic topography; viewing the substrate through polarized light in the absence of a liquid crystal after it has been contacted with the sample; and determining whether the analyte is present in the sample by ascertaining whether the first portion of the top surface that was contacted with the sample appears different than it did before it was contacted with the sample. The wavelength of the polarized light is larger than the anisotropic topography of the top surface of the substrate. A difference in the appearance of the first portion of the top surface before and after contact with the sample indicates the presence of the analyte in the sample.
US07807345B2

The present invention provides compositions and methods for the detection of the presence, absence, or quantity of a segmented negative strand RNA virus such as an influenza virus. A genetically engineered vertebrate cell comprising an artificial segment comprising a 5′ UTR and a 3′ UTR of a segmented negative strand RNA virus and an open reading frame of a reporter gene, preferably in an anti-sense orientation, is contacted with a biological specimen suspected of comprising a segmented negative strand virus. Infection of the cell with a segmented negative strand RNA virus results in expression of a polypeptide encoded by the reporter gene. A genetically engineered cell of the invention can also comprise a recombinant DNA encoding the artificial segment. The recombinant DNA can comprise a promoter for RNA Polymerase I for directing transcription of the artificial segment.
US07807344B2

Aspects include claims, systems, and methods for testing bulk grain stores to identify the presence of contaminants. Such contaminants tested for may include biological, chemical, or radio nuclear material. Another aspect is marking and/or tracking grain stores that have been certified as either being contaminated or safe. Still another aspect is an automated or automatic system for measuring the level of contamination in a given grain store, and for marking and tracking grain stores tested for contamination.
US07807340B2

A method of creating patterned objects using a class of lithographic photoresist combinations is disclosed which is suitable for use with visible light and does not require a post-exposure bake step. The disclosed photoresists are preferably chemical amplification photoresists and contain a photosensitizer having the structure of formula (I): where Ar1 and Ar2 are independently selected from monocyclic aryl and monocyclic heteroaryl, R1 and R2 may be the same or different, and have the structure —X—R3 where X is O or S and R3 is C1-C6 hydrocarbyl or heteroatom-containing C1-C6 hydrocarbyl, and R4 and R5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and —X—R3, or, if ortho to each other, may be taken together to form a five- or six-membered aromatic ring, with the proviso that any heteroatom contained within Ar1, Ar2, or R3 is O or S. The use of the disclosed photoresists, particularly for the manufacture of holographic diffraction gratings, is also disclosed.
US07807337B2

An inductor for a system-on-a-chip and a method for manufacturing the inductor are disclosed. The inductor comprises a conductive line formed by connecting a plurality of conductive patterns grown from a seed layer formed on a lower wiring. The method comprises using an electrolytic plating process or an electroless plating process to grow the plurality of adjacent conductive patterns from the seed layer until they become connected. The method also enables adjusting the height and width of the conductive line to desired levels.
US07807320B2

A target and method for use in polarized light lithography. A preferred embodiment comprises a first structure located on a reference layer, wherein the first structure is visible through a second layer, and a second structure located on the second layer, wherein the second structure is formed from a photomask containing a plurality of sub-structures oriented in a first orientation, wherein a polarized light is used to pattern the second structure onto the second layer, and wherein a polarization of the polarized light is the same as the orientation of the plurality of sub-structures. The position, size, and shape of the second structure is dependent upon a polarity of the polarized light, permitting a single design for an overlay target to be used with different polarities of polarized light.
US07807318B2

A reflective photomask for EUV light is disclosed. The reflective photomask may include a projecting pattern selectively formed on a substrate and a reflective layer on the substrate and the projecting pattern.
US07807310B2

An end plate of an air breathing fuel cell stack and an air breathing fuel cell stack including the same. The air breathing fuel cell stack includes a membrane electrode assembly, including an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and an electrolyte positioned between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode; and an end plate contacting the membrane electrode assembly. The end plate includes a first surface contacting the membrane electrode assembly, an opposing second surface; and a collector positioned at the first surface and contacting the cathode electrode.
US07807308B2

A fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells is provided. An anode supply manifold and an anode exhaust manifold are in fluid communication with the anodes of the plurality of fuel cells. A first valve is in fluid communication with the anode supply manifold and a second valve is in fluid communication with the anode exhaust manifold. A pressure sensor is adapted to measure an anode pressure. In operation, the first valve and the second valve are controlled in response to the anode pressure, thereby militating against an undesired exhausting of an anode supply stream.
US07807301B2

Disclosed is a lithium battery including a silicon negative electrode, a lithium mixed metal oxide positive electrode, a separator disposed between the negative and positive electrodes to define a reservoir region, an electrolytic solution filled in the reservoir region, and a sealant structure wrapped around the silicon negative electrode, the lithium mixed metal oxide positive electrode, the separator, and the electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution includes an organic solvent, a lithium salt, and an additive. The additive includes a maleimide compound and vinylene carbonate. The silicon negative electrode of the lithium battery employing the described electrolytic solution has higher cycle efficiency and longer operating lifespan.
US07807298B2

A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an electrolyte, wherein the positive electrode comprises a positive electrode active material comprising a particle of a composite oxide represented by a general formula: LixMe1-y-zMyLzO2. In the general formula, the element Me is at least one transition metal element except Ti, Mn, Y and Zr, the element M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ti, Mn and Zn, and the element L is at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Ca, Ba, Sr, Y and Zr, and 1≦x≦1.05, 0.005≦y≦0.1 (with a proviso that 0.005≦y≦0.5 is satisfied in the case of the element M being Mn) and 0≦z≦0.05 are satisfied. The separator includes a plurality of laminated monolayer films, the plurality of monolayer films each have a microporous structure, and a positive electrode-side monolayer film selected from the plurality of monolayer films which faces the positive electrode is made of polypropylene.
US07807296B2

The present invention relates to a copper-manganese mixed oxide cathode material, which is suitable for use in a cathode of an electrochemical cell, and which has the formula MnxCuyOz.nH2O, wherein the oxidation state of Cu is between about +1 and about +3, the oxidation state of Mn is between about +2 and about +7, x is equal to about 3-y, y is less than about 3, z is calculated or experimentally determined, using means known in the art, based on the values of x and y, as well as the oxidation states of Mn and Cu, and nH2O represents the surface and structural water present in the mixed oxide material. The present invention further relates to an electrochemical cell comprising the noted cathode material.
US07807294B2

A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, including: an active material layer capable of electrochemically absorbing and desorbing at least Li; and a current collector sheet that supports the active material layer thereon and that does not react with Li, wherein the active material layer includes a plurality of deposited films or sintered films supported on a surface of the current collector sheet, and each of the deposited films or sintered films is provided with at least one groove formed in a side surface thereof, the groove extending from a top surface side towards the current collector sheet side thereof. It is preferable that the plurality of deposited films or sintered films are arranged in a grid configuration, a staggered grid configuration or a honeycomb configuration on a surface of the current collector sheet. It is preferable that, in a discharged state, the plurality of deposited films or sintered films have an average height of not less than 1 μm and not more than 30 μm.
US07807284B2

A fan structure is provided, which includes: a fan case having an inlet and an outlet; a bladed wheel provided inside the fan case; a motor for rotating the bladed wheel; a circuit substrate for controlling the motor; and a scroll housing formed between the fan case and the bladed wheel. Rotation of the bladed wheel causes a fluid to enter the scroll housing from the inlet and to exit from the outlet. The circuit substrate and the motor are arranged inside the fan case. The fan structure further includes a waterproof member for dividing the motor and the circuit substrate from the scroll housing, and a cylindrical seal for sealing a hole formed in the waterproof member through which an output shaft of the motor extends. The fan structure is compact and prevents adhesion of salt, water, or dust to the built-in circuit substrate.
US07807276B2

A light emitting layer for an organic LED, comprising at least one electron transporting compound, at least one hole transporting compound and a rare earth metal ion compound, whereby the light emitting layer furthermore comprises at least one exciton conducting compound.
US07807273B2

An alloy-coated boiler part is furnished with a melted coating of alloy material excellent in erosion/corrosion resistance when joined by welding, and free from thermal shock cracking. Super alloy coating (15) is applied over rapid temperature rise region width (C), where thermal shock cracking may occur at a welding operation, at end portions subjected to weld joint including the vicinity. Self-fluxing alloy coating (16) is applied on remaining regions other than the rapid temperature rise region width (C). While over a half proportion of each of the alloy coatings (15, 16) occupied by an Ni-enriched Ni—Cr component, the super alloy coating (15) has the contents of B and Si suppressed to equal or less than 0.1% and equal or less than 0.5%, respectively, and in the self-fluxing alloy coating (16), the content of each of B and Si is in the range of 1 to 5%.
US07807268B2

Pressure sensitive adhesive compositions comprising an unreactive mixture of polydiorganosiloxane polyurea copolymer, diluent, and silicate tackifying resin. The compositions are useful for articles such as medical devices.
US07807266B2

Composite elements having the following layer structure: (i) from 2 to 20 mm of metal, plastic or wood, (ii) from 10 to 300 mm of polyisocyanate polyadducts, (iii) from 2 to 20 mm of metal, plastic or wood, the layer (ii) containing prefabricated polyisocyanate polyadducts (x) which are adhesively bonded by polyisocyanate polyadducts (xx) to the layers (i) and (iii), and the polyisocyanate polyadducts (x) being pieces having a volume of from 4 to 1 000 cm3.
US07807265B2

A partially passivating core shell particle includes a luminescent nanocrystal core, and a partially passivating semiconducting core shell on a surface of the nanocrystal. The shell allows selected analytes to alter a luminescent response of the core shell particle. A quantum dot-based sensing system includes at least one partially passivating core shell particle, a light source for irradiating the partially passivating core shell particle, and a light detector for receiving emissions from the particle, wherein emissions from the core shell particle change in response to the presence of at least one analyte.
US07807261B2

A transparent conductive laminate consisting of a transparent polymer substrate, an uneven cured resin layer formed on at least one side of the substrate and a transparent conductive layer formed on the cured resin layer directly or through another layer. The cured resin layer contains fine particles A having an average primary particle diameter of 0.5 to 5 μm and super fine particles C having an average primary particle diameter of 100 nm or less made of a metal oxide and/or a metal fluoride. The above transparent conductive laminate does not cause the deterioration of visibility by sparkling even when a transparent touch panel is mounted on a high-definition display and can prevent “Newton rings” which occurs between two transparent electrode substrates constituting the transparent touch panel.
US07807259B2

The present invention relates to a container packing structure, characterized in that it comprises a crystalline phase containing 55 to 97% by weight of xonotlite crystallites and 3 to 45% by weight of tobermorite crystallites. It also relates to a method for fabricating such a packing structure, and the container containing same, and its use for storing fluids such as gases.
US07807257B2

The present invention relates to a ceramic sheet having uniform quality over its entire surface with a decreased number of detects such as foreign matters and flaws. When the ceramic sheet was divided into sections of 30 mm square or smaller, each divided section has 5 or less defects detected based on an image obtained with a charge coupled device (CCD) camera. The present invention also relates to a method for producing the ceramic sheet. In this method, a green sheet or a calcined sheet mainly including spherical ceramic particles having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to less than 5 μm was used as a spacer. By using this spacer, the green sheet for ceramic sheet slides smoothly on the spacer surface when it shrinks in baking, and the friction resistance between the green sheet for ceramic sheet and the spacer is lowered. In this manner, the method of the present invention can mass-produce the above-described high quality ceramic sheets.
US07807256B2

In one aspect of the present system and method, an electrophotographic media includes a base media, at least one sub-layer formed on a first side of the base media, and an image receiving layer formed on the at least one sub-layer, wherein the image receiving layer includes a cross-linked resin coating structure.
US07807255B2

A heat-shrinkable opaque white film of this invention includes a core layer, and white back and front layers, the core layer having a chromatic color impervious to light at wavelengths of 380 to 500 nm or an achromatic color. The core layer may contain a black, yellow, red, or brown pigment. The heat-shrinkable opaque white film in a preferred embodiment has a transmission factor to light at wavelengths of 380 to 500 nm of 5% or less. In another preferred embodiment of the heat-shrinkable opaque white film, the core layer has an achromatic color and the film has a transmission factor to light at wavelengths of 200 to 600 nm of 3% or less. A shrink label of this invention has the heat-shrinkable opaque white film, and a preprinted ink label layer arranged on a surface of the front layer of the film. A labeled container of this invention includes a container body and the shrink label arranged on the container body. This labeled container can prevent discoloration and deterioration of contents induced by light, enables clear printing typically of a design and gives excellent visual impression of the contents.
US07807244B2

A bendable touch fastener product having a longitudinally continuous foundation member that has an array of touch fastener elements, having respective resin stem extending outwardly from an outer surface of the foundation member, such that the array of fastener element is bounded by longitudinal array edges and spaced apart from opposite side sealing surfaces, and a method of manufacture of the bendable touch fastener product.
US07807235B2

The present invention relates to a retardation film having a homeotropic alignment liquid crystal film prepared from coating a liquid crystal mixed solution containing a polymerizable reactive liquid crystal monomer on an oriented retardation film so as to improve a viewing angle characteristic of an ISP mode liquid crystal display and reduce a color shift and a method for preparing the same. There is an advantage in that since a homeotropic alignment liquid crystal film with a retardation of a thickness direction is prepared using a liquid crystal mixed solution containing a reactive liquid crystal monomer, the retardation film according to the present invention is not required for high-temperature heat treatment and cooling processes so that it can be applied to a high-speed continuous process.
US07807232B2

In a continuous in-vacuum process for the manufacture of a film metallized with aluminum, the aluminum layer is exposed to a passivating agent, inline, immediately after deposition and prior to rewinding of the film onto a take-up roller. Passivation is carried out by plasma treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere (oxygen, nitrogen or others). The resulting product exhibits no peel-off problems during unwinding of the take-up roller and greatly improved corrosion resistance.
US07807231B2

A process for protecting a thermal barrier coating (TBC) on a component used in a high-temperature environment, such as the hot section of a gas turbine engine. The process applies a protective film on the surface of the TBC to resist infiltration of contaminants such as CMAS that can melt and infiltrate the TBC to cause spallation. The process generally entails applying to the TBC surface a metal composition containing at least one metal whose oxide resists infiltration of CMAS into the TBC. The metal composition is applied so as to form a metal film on the TBC surface and optionally to infiltrate porosity within the TBC beneath its surface. The metal composition is then converted to form an oxide film, with at least a portion of the oxide film forming a surface deposit on the TBC surface.
US07807218B2

A magnetic tunneling element is constructed from a MgO or Mg—ZnO tunnel barrier and an amorphous magnetic layer in proximity with the tunnel barrier. The amorphous magnetic layer includes Co and at least one additional element selected to make the layer amorphous. Magnetic tunnel junctions formed from the amorphous magnetic layer, the tunnel barrier, and an additional ferromagnetic layer have tunneling magnetoresistance values of up to 200% or more.
US07807204B2

Processes for the production of Hoodia plant extracts with a high content of steroidal glycosides and for minimizing heavy metal and/or polyaromatic hydrocarbon content in Hoodia extracts.
US07807196B2

Process for drying amoxicillin (compositions), characterised in that a gas, which is inert towards amoxicillin (compositions) and having a relative humidity content which is greater than zero is used for drying.
US07807192B2

This invention relates to a sheet membrane for repairing a damaged tissue. The membrane includes an isotropic layer of cross-linked biopolymeric fibers in which the fibers are 10 to 1,000 cm in length. This invention also relates to a method of making an isotropic layer of cross-linked biopolymeric fibers. The method includes: (1) coacervating biopolymeric fibers (e.g., collagen-based fibers) having lengths of less than 1 cm dispersed in an aqueous solution to obtain coacervated biopolymeric fibers having lengths of 10 to 1,000 cm; (2) flattening the coacervated biopolymeric fibers into a layer; (3) drying the layer; and (4) cross-linking the biopolymeric.
US07807190B2

A composition and method for eliminating foreign bodies from a host. The composition include active ingredients of menthol, camphor, and capsaicin, as well as additional components including aloe vera extract, carbomer, decyl polyglucose, deionized water, grapefruit seed extract, green tea extract, orange peel extract, queen of the prairie extract, rose water, silica, sodium, hydroxymethyl glycinate, vegetable glycerin, witch hazel, and yucca extract. The composition kills and eradicates the foreign bodies providing relief to the host.
US07807184B2

The present invention relates to a hybrid bacterial toxin subunit, to a hybrid bipartite bacterial toxin and to nucleic acid molecules comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding such bacterial toxins. Furthermore, the invention relates to vaccines comprising bacterial toxins and to their use in vaccines. Finally, the invention relates to methods for the preparation of such vaccines and to the use of such bacterial toxins for the manufacture of such vaccines.
US07807181B2

Provided herein are mutant strains of Neisseria meningitidis which produce Kdo-free lipid A as well as the Kdo-free lipid A molecules and immunogenic compositions containing such Kdo-free lipid A molecules from a Neisseria strain containing a genetically stable mutation which inactivates a gene selected from the group consisting of genes encoding arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase, CMP-Kdo synthetase and CMP-Kdo transferase. N. meningitidis NMB206 is a specifically exemplified strain which harbors a stable insertion mutation in the gene (kpsF) encoding A5P isomerase; strain NMB-249 is a specifically exemplified strain with a stable insertion mutation in the gene (kdtA) encoding CMP-Kdo synthetase, and strain NMB259 is specifically exemplified strain with a stable insertion mutation in the gene (kdsB) encoding CMP-Kdo transferase. Also provided by the present invention are methods for the production of Lipid A flee of 3-keto-3-deoxyoctanoic acid using these genetically stable N. meningitidis mutants. Also describes is pYT250, a plasmid functional in neisseriae and in enterics such as Escherichia coli.
US07807167B2

A method of chronically reducing a patient's pathological inflammation via the administration of an agent that specifically binds to an alpha-4 integrin or a dimer comprising an alpha-4 integrin is disclosed. The agent provided must have a binding affinity such that administration is sufficient to suppress pathological inflammation, and the agent is administered chronically to provide long-term suppression of pathological inflammation.
US07807163B2

GPR64 antibody compositions are provided. These antibodies may be used for diagnosis or treatment of cancer, especially ovarian cancer, Ewing's sarcoma, uterine cancer, and other GPR64 expressing tumor types.
US07807153B2

Novel polypeptides, designated Apo-2, which are capable of modulating apoptosis are provided. Compositions including Apo-2 chimeras, nucleic acid encoding Apo-2, and antibodies to Apo-2 are also provided.
US07807151B2

The present invention discloses compositions and methodologies for the utilization of probiotic organisms in therapeutic compositions. More specifically, the present invention relates to the utilization of one or more species or strains of lactic acid-producing bacteria, preferably strains of Bacillus coagulans, for the control of gastrointestinal tract pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant gastrointestinal tract pathogens, and their associated diseases by both a reduction in the rate of colonization and the severity of the deleterious physiological effects of the colonization of the antibiotic-resistant pathogen. In addition, the present invention relates to the utilization of therapeutic compounds comprised of lactic acid-producing bacteria and anti-microbial agents such as antibiotics, anti-fungal compounds, anti-yeast compounds, or anti-viral compounds. The present invention also discloses methodologies for: (i) the selective breeding and isolation of probiotic, lactic acid-producing bacterial strains which possess resistance or markedly decreased sensitivity to anti-microbial agents (e.g., antibiotics, anti-fungal agents, anti-yeast agents, and anti-viral agents); and (ii) treating or preventing bacteria-mediated infections of the gastrointestinal tract by use of the aforementioned probiotic bacterial strains with or without the concomitant administration of antibiotics. While the primary focus is on the treatment of gastrointestinal tract infections, the therapeutic compositions of the present invention may also be administered to buccal, vaginal, optic, and like physiological locations.
US07807143B2

Methods and compositions for the enteral treatment of autoimmune disease such a multiple sclerosis with polypeptide therapeutics. Enteral therapeutics comprise monomeric alpha-MSH polypeptides such as ACTH. Therapeutic formulations of the invention may be used to reduce the incidence or severity of autoimmune disease. For instance methods for the oral treatment of multiple sclerosis with alpha-MSH and ACTH are described.
US07807141B2

Peptides have been identified that bind to oral surfaces such as teeth and gums. Peptide based oral care reagents have been created by couple such peptides to oral care benefit agents such as whiteners.
US07807139B2

The present invention provides a method for the treatment and/or prevention of bacterial infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae and other gram-negative bacteria in central nervous system and/or peripheral blood circulation in a mammal by administering effective amount of outer membrane protein A (OmpA) or its derivatives to a mammal. Also provided are a method for vaccinating a mammal to produce an antibody against bacterial infection caused by Enterobacteriaceae family in central nervous system and/or peripheral blood circulation and a method of detecting or diagnosing bacterial infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae family in central nervous system and/or peripheral blood circulation in a mammal.
US07807137B1

A contrast agent having a metal core and an inert shell forming a single cluster is disclosed. The metal core is iron-based and has an octa-nuclear structure. It is surrounded by a cluster of pyrazolate groups. Ligands can be attached to the cluster to provide water solubility and to target specific tissues or provide specific contrast properties.
US07807136B2

The invention features compositions and methods for treating or alleviating a symptom of cancer. The compositions and methods of the invention direct supra-lethal doses of radiation, called Hot-Spots, to virtually all cancer cell types.
US07807130B2

Described herein is a fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a fuel source. The fuel processor comprises a reformer and burner. The reformer includes a catalyst that facilitates the production of hydrogen from the fuel source. Voluminous reformer chamber designs are provided that increase the amount of catalyst that can be used in a reformer and increase hydrogen output for a given fuel processor size. The burner provides heat to the reformer. One or more burners may be configured to surround a reformer on multiple sides to increase thermal transfer to the reformer. Dewars are also described that increase thermal management of a fuel processor and increase burner efficiency. A dewar includes one or more dewar chambers that receive inlet process gas or liquid before a burner receives the process gas or liquid. The dewar is arranged such that process gas or liquid passing through the dewar chamber intercepts heat generated in the burner before the heat escapes the fuel processor.
US07807126B2

A method for manufacturing a diamond single crystal substrate, in which a single crystal is grown from a diamond single crystal serving as a seed substrate by vapor phase synthesis, said method comprising: preparing a diamond single crystal seed substrate which has a main surface whose planar orientation falls within an inclination range of not more than 8 degrees relative to a {100} plane or a {111} plane, as a seed substrate; forming a plurality of planes of different orientation which are inclined in the outer peripheral direction of the main surface relative to the main surface on one side of this seed substrate, by machining; and then growing a diamond single crystal by vapor phase synthesis.
US07807122B2

A process for manufacturing a metalloaluminophosphate molecular sieve, the process comprising the steps of: (a) combining at least one silicon source, at least one metal source, at least one structure-directing-agent (R), at least one phosphorus source, and at least one aluminum source to form a mixture having a molar composition according to formula: (n)Si:Al2:(m)P:(x)R:(y)H2O:(z)M wherein n is in the range of from about 0.005 to about 0.6, m is in the range of from about 1.2 to about 2.4, x is in the range of from about 0.5 to about 2, y is in the range of from about 10 to about 60, and z is in the range of from about 0.001 to 1; and (b) submitting the mixture to crystallization conditions to form the metalloaluminophosphate molecular sieve, wherein the metalloaluminophosphate molecular sieve has an X-ray diffraction pattern having a FWHM greater than 0.10 degree (2θ) and an AEI/CHA framework type ratio of from about 0/100 to about 40/60 as determined by DIFFaX analysis.
US07807120B2

Several embodiments of high-efficiency catalytic converters and associated systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a catalytic converter for treating a flow of exhaust gas comprising a reaction chamber, a heating enclosure enclosing at least a portion of the reaction chamber, and an optional coolant channel encasing the heating enclosure. The reaction chamber can have a first end section through which the exhaust gas flows into the reaction chamber and a second end section from which the exhaust gas exits the reaction chamber. The heating enclosure is configured to contain heated gas along the exterior of the reaction chamber, and the optional coolant channel is configured to contain a flow of coolant around the heating enclosure. The catalytic converter can further include a catalytic element in the reaction chamber.
US07807116B2

A shell-and-tube reactor is disclosed. Contact tubes are disposed within a cylindrical housing and are secured to tube plates. Gas and liquid phases are received via a feed opening in a lower end cap and discharged via an upper end cap in the housing. A distributor device is disposed in the housing, such that the tube plates serve as a horizontal plate for the distributor device to back up the gas phase and form a gas cushion, and vertical elements extend from the contact tubes. The vertical elements are adapted to conduct the liquid phase, are open in the upstream direction, and project outward in the direction of the feed opening through the gas cushion. The vertical elements further include at least one first opening on the circumference for the gas phase and at least one second opening for the liquid phase.
US07807111B2

The invention is a method, triggering unit, and system for activating an oxygen scavenging composition at high speeds. The triggering unit includes a plurality of UV lamps that can operate at increased temperatures and have high output intensites from about 10 to 35 mW/cm2. The triggering unit can activate films at speeds from about 20 to 100 fps. Mercury amalgam lamps are useful in the practice of the invention. The invention also includes a UV dose management system and film tensioning system that facilitates triggering at high film speeds. The UV dose management system controls the amount of UV exposure that the film receives so that the oxygen scavenging rate of the activated composition can be controlled.
US07807107B2

A particle agglutination-evaluating container for immunological analysis, based on an agglutinate formed in an agglutination reaction between an antibody- or antigen-containing sample and agglutination particles, includes a transparent container body having a bottom face including a sloping bottom face and a raised bottom face extended in a horizontal direction at the top of the sloping bottom face to form an obtuse angle with the sloping bottom face, and a fluidal separation layer containing insoluble particles which are filled in the container body and where the agglutination particles are separated according to the agglutination degree, wherein agglutination is evaluated by observation from the bottom of the container body, where the agglutination reaction is judged positive when the agglutination particles are observed through the raised bottom face, negative when observed at the bottom end of the sloping bottom face, and weakly positive when observed in the middle of the sloping bottom face.
US07807105B2

A substrate for biochips has a substrate surface having a reaction region capable of reacting with biological substances and a non-reaction region not reacting with the biological substances, sunken bottomed wells formed in the substrate surface, and a layer of a material capable of reacting with the biological substances having a surface exposed only at the bottoms of the bottomed wells, the exposed surface forming the reaction region.
US07807098B2

The invention is related to a method for protecting a metal surface subject to erosion temperatures up to 850° C. The method comprises providing the metal surface with a cermet composition represented by the formula (PQ)(RS) comprising: a ceramic phase (PQ) and binder phase (RS) wherein, P is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Group IV, Group V, and Group VI elements, Q is boride, R is selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni, Co, Mn and mixtures thereof, S comprises Ti and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cr, Al, Si and Y.
US07807084B2

A method of selectively applying a pattern to a molded part comprises the steps of forming a mold (8); molding a three-dimensional object (10) having at least one face (12) in the mold, the three-dimensional object (10) being formed of a first material. Masking the at least the one face (12) of the three-dimensional object (10) with a mask (14) comprising a reverse image of a desired pattern while the three-dimensional object is still in the mold. Overmolding the three-dimensional object (10) with a second material to provide the reverse image. Removing the three-dimensional object (10) from the mold, coating at least the one face 12 of the three-dimensional object with a third material; and removing the second material to reveal the desired image.
US07807081B2

A method produces a supporting web made of a predeterminable amount of plastic material having a multitude of molded elements molded inside mold cavities (12) of a forming tool (5). While applying a negative pressure at least in one portion of the cavities (12), enough plastic material is always applied to the mold wall (13) of the respective mold cavity to form a cavity (22) inside the molded element. A supporting web has a multitude of molded elements produced by using this method.
US07807074B2

A dielectric gaseous compound which exhibits the following properties: a boiling point in the range between about −20° C. to about −273° C.; low ozone depleting; a GWP less than about 22,200; chemical stability, as measured by a negative standard enthalpy of formation (dHf<0); a toxicity level such that when the dielectric gas leaks, the effective diluted concentration does not exceed its PEL; and a dielectric strength greater than air.
US07807066B2

A method of manufacturing a perforated porous resin substrate, the method including the following steps: Step 1 of forming at least one perforation penetrating in the thickness direction from a first surface to a second surface in a porous resin substrate made of a resin material containing a fluoropolymer; Step 2 of etching treatment conducted by putting an etchant containing an alkali metal in contact with the wall face of each perforation; and Step 3 of putting an oxidizable compound or a solution thereof in contact with a degenerative layer generated by the etching treatment, and thereby removing the degenerative layer. A method of manufacturing a porous resin substrate in which electrical conductivity is afforded to the wall face of the perforation.
US07807065B2

A processing method for forming a first pattern on a substrate to which a resist is applied includes the steps of pressing an original having a second pattern that has a relief reverse to that of the first pattern, against the resist on the substrate, and irradiating light onto the resist via the original, wherein a size of a concave of the second pattern is greater than a size of a convex of the first pattern corresponding to the concave of the second pattern, and a size of a convex of the second pattern is smaller than a size of a concave of the first pattern corresponding to the convex of the second pattern.
US07807054B2

The present invention relates to a chromatography column that removes the longitudinal load from the column tube altogether and transfers it to a yoke and stanchion arrangement situated around but external to the column tube. By using the yoke/stanchion system, the central adjuster can be used to move the top end into and out of the housing. Thus, when internal pressure is applied to the column, the tube experiences no longitudinal load. Additionally, the yoke and stanchion design allows for complete removal of the end from the tube without cumbersome disassembly. Moreover, the yoke provides a place to retain the end while the tube is being filled, emptied, cleaned or repaired.
US07807050B2

The present invention relates to stationary cloth media filtration systems and devices, as well as processes and devices, including improved cloth media filter backwashing using a rotating backwash arm assembly.
US07807039B2

The present invention relates to electrolytes for electrochemically polishing workpieces consisting of titanium, titanium alloys, niobium, niobium alloys, tantalum and tantalum alloys, which electrolytes contain sulfuric acid, ammonium bifluoride and at least one hydroxycarboxylic acid, and a method for electrochemical polishing.
US07807036B2

A method and system for pad conditioning in an electrochemical mechanical planarization (eCMP) tool is disclosed. A polishing pad having a pad electrode is placed onto a platen of the eCMP tool. A conditioning disk, having a second electrode is placed on the polishing pad, such that the pad electrode and conditioning disk form an electrode pair. An electric potential is established between the conditioning disk and the pad electrode. This causes debris from the polishing pad to become ionized, and attracted to the conditioning disk. The conditioning disk is then removed from the eCMP tool, allowing the eCMP tool to resume operation on normal semiconductor wafers.
US07807035B2

The anode is separated from the alkaline electrode to avoid undesirable secondary reactions in an alkali zinc nickel electroplating bath.
US07807031B2

An improved disposable glucose test strip for use in a test meter of the type which receives a disposable test strip and a sample of blood from a patient and performs an electrochemical analysis is made using a non-conductive integrated reagent/blood separation layer containing a filler, an enzyme effective to oxidize glucose, e.g., glucose oxidase, and a mediator effective to transfer electrons from the enzyme. The integrated layer formulation is printed over a conductive carbon element to form a working electrode. The filler, for example a silica filler, is selected to have a balance of hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity such that one drying it forms a two-dimensional network on the surface of the conductive element. The response of this test strip is essentially temperature independent over relevant temperature ranges and is substantially insensitive to the hematocrit of the patient.
US07807018B2

Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for manufacturing a flat panel display device. The apparatus and method for manufacturing a flat panel display device contribute to a compact apparatus for etching a substrate and damage or breakage prevention of the substrate during the transfer of the substrate by virtue of stoppers. The etching apparatus comprises a loader for loading or unloading a substrate, an etching device for etching the substrate into a desired shape, a DI rinsing device for rinsing fine particles and etchant generated during the etching process from the etched substrate, an air knife for drying the rinsed substrate, and one or more turn stages provided at one or more locations between the above respective devices, and adapted to change a transfer direction of the substrate.
US07807012B2

Thermal curable compositions contains a glycidyl ether epoxide resin, a carbinol functional silicone resin or an anhydride functional silicone resin, and a thermal catalyst. An organic polyol, an organic anhydride, and filler, are optional components that may also be included in the composition. The glycidyl ether epoxide resin adds toughness and adhesion to the composition, whereas the carbinol functional silicone resin and the anhydride functional silicone resin provide water resistance, weatherability, thermal stability, and flexibility.
US07807009B2

An hermetic sealing apparatus is discussed. The apparatus may include one or more of the following a glass mask disposed on an upper surface of a first substrate, a support member disposed on an upper surface of the glass mask, a laser irradiation member positioned spaced on the upper surface of the glass mask, a plurality of lower support members disposed in a contour region of a lower surface of the second substrate, and pressing members disposed on a lower surface of the lower support members.
US07807008B2

A three layer coated fabric has a bottom backing layer, a top coating layer and a middle coating layer that contains recycled coated fabric material. All of the constituent parts of coated fabrics being recycled are included in the middle layer. The middle layer also sometimes contains other materials that can blend with the recycled coated fabrics or other recycled post-consumer materials. The three layer coated fabric is manufactured by transforming the recycled coated fabrics and other materials into a form that can be used to create the middle layer.
US07807005B2

A fabrication method of forming a thermoplastic composite laminate material with tailored and varying thickness in a continuous process. This process utilizes automated equipment or hand lay-up to collate parts or components into a multi-layer stack. Each stack contains all plies, including ply build-up areas, tacked in the proper location to maintain orientation and location. The consolidation tooling contains all necessary part features and is coordinated to the customized multiple ply stacks to form a single integrated thermoplastic composite laminate potentially having areas of differing thickness from these multiple ply stacks.
US07806990B2

A dishwasher is a type in which a part of wash water contained in a wash water tank is replaced with rinse water every washing cycle. The dishwasher determines whether a present washing cycle is in timing of executing a detergent increase supply processing or in timing of executing a detergent normal supply processing (S304). Based on this determination result, by the execution of the detergent increase supply processing, a supply amount of the detergent is increased (S309). Consequently, in the dishwasher, the detergent concentration in the wash water is properly adjusted.
US07806984B2

An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor or liquid crystal has, within a reaction chamber 1 to which a reactive gas is supplied, a ceramic holder 2 having a resistive heating element 7 embedded therein; and further comprises a ceramic cylindrical support member 3 one end of which supports the ceramic holder 2 and the other end of which is fixed to a portion of the reaction chamber 1, and an inert gas supply tube 4 and inert gas evacuation tube 5 each having an opening inside the cylindrical support member 3. It is preferable that the inert gas within the cylindrical support member 3 be maintained at less than 0.1 MPa (one atmosphere). By means of such an arrangement, oxidation and corrosion of electrodes provided on the rear surface of the ceramic holder can be prevented, without an oxidation-resistant seal or corrosion-resistant seal being applied. The semiconductor or liquid crystal manufacturing apparatus also ensures the thermal uniformity in the ceramic holder and eliminates useless power consumption. Moreover, the apparatus size can be reduced, and manufacturing costs can be decreased.
US07806976B2

There is provided an aluminum pigment including an aluminum particle having a film formed on a surface thereof, wherein the film contains a metallic amine salt and the metallic amine salt is represented by the compositional formula RmHnN+−O—M(═O)2—OH (wherein M represents a metal element, R represents a hydrocarbon chain optionally having a substituent, m represents an integer of 1 or more, and n represents an integer satisfying n=4−m).
US07806974B2

A viscosity controllable highly conductive ink composition. The highly conductive ink composition comprises an organic solvent, nanoscale metal particles or metallo-organic decomposition compounds, and a thermally decomposable organic polymer. Specifically, since the thermally decomposable polymer can increase the viscosity of the highly conductive ink composition and be removed by subsequent thermal treatment, so as to decrease the impact on conductivity by organic polymer. Therefore, a viscosity-controllable conductive ink composition is obtained.
US07806969B2

The present invention pertains to an aqueous-based black inkjet ink comprising a mixture of Direct Black 168, Acid Blue 290 and a certain magenta dye. The ink exhibits good color neutrality and gray scale.
US07806962B2

The present invention is for novel high performance cross-linkable and cross-linked mixed matrix membranes and the use of such membranes for separations such as for CO2/CH4, H2/CH4 and propylene/propane separations. More specifically, the invention involves the preparation of cross-linkable and cross-linked mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The cross-linkable MMMs were prepared by incorporating microporous molecular sieves or soluble high surface area microporous polymers (PIMs) as dispersed microporous fillers into a continuous cross-linkable polymer matrix. The cross-linked MMMs were prepared by UV-cross-linking the cross-linkable MMMs containing cross-linkable polymer matrix such as BP-55 polyimide. Pure gas permeation test results demonstrated that both types of MMMs exhibited higher performance for CO2/CH4 and H2/CH4 separations than those of the corresponding cross-linkable and cross-linked pure polymer matrices.
US07806957B1

A method is provided for producing a balanced fertilizer from an anaerobic digestion process. The process includes anaerobically digesting a diluted influent mixed slurry in a digestion area and producing an effluent. The process includes separating water from the effluent to produce a liquid effluent, which is used as recycle water and a dewatered solids effluent. The process includes separating toxic compounds from the recycle water via a toxics strip and recovery area. The process includes mixing the detoxified recycle water with an influent solids slurry in a mixing area to provide the diluted influent mixed slurry. The process includes combining the toxic compounds with the dewatered solids effluent to produce a balanced fertilizer.
US07806953B2

A manually guided implement having a tool driven by an internal combustion engine, which draws combustion air in via an air filter disposed on an air filter base. The air filter is secured to the implement via a releasable securement device that includes a first securement element, and a second securement element that cooperates with the first securement element. The securement elements can be released from one another, or connected to one another, by means of a rotational movement about an axis of rotation. To achieve easy handling of the air filter, the first securement element is fixedly connected to the air filter.
US07806945B2

A system and method for converting a high free fatty acid grease feedstock to biodiesel. The process comprises a glycerolysis reaction to convert free fatty acids to glycerides and a base catalyzed transesterification reaction to produce fatty acid methyl esters and glycerin in the absence of solvents. In preferred embodiments, both glycerin and methanol are recycled. The process can process a feedstock containing up to 100 percent free fatty acid content to produce biodiesel and glycerin with minimal waste generation.
US07806938B2

A method and apparatus are described that control the supply of electrical power to one or more components of a computing device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07806936B2

A modular femoral joint prosthesis includes a femoral component having a post extending therefrom, a femoral stem, and a femoral sleeve configured to be coupled to the post of the femoral assembly and to the femoral stem. The femoral sleeve is bowed posteriorly in the sagittal plane.
US07806935B2

A visco-elastic motion-limiting artificial intervertebral disc prosthesis is provided that mimics the physiologic function of a normal spinal disc. The disc comprises upper and lower endplates having therewithin channels or openings for optionally receiving one or more motion-limiting members fitted on each end with an enlarged portion. One or more compression stops is provided between the upper and lower endplates. Additionally, an elastomeric cushion is disposed between the endplates and surrounds the motion-limiting members. Also, force transducers and microelectronics can be utilized to provide data to the surgeon or the patient regarding the load state of the disc.
US07806926B2

A holder for a flexible leaflet prosthetic aortic heart valve that is less bulky than earlier holders and minimizes obstructions to vision and working space around the valve to facilitate implantation thereof. The holder may have a central hub and three outwardly extending legs that connect directly and exclusively to tips of the commissures of the aortic heart valve for better tactile feedback when parachuting and seating the valve in the annulus. The legs are sized so that they do not overlap the commissure tips and therefore afford a better view of the sewing ring adjacent the commissures. The legs may be narrow in the midsection or split into two rails to increase visibility of the valve leaflets. The hub may be vaulted axially upward relative to the outer ends of the legs to further increase visibility of the valve. A more secure engagement between the central hub and a delivery handle is also provided to ensure the holder/handle connection does not become loose during suture placement through the sewing ring and fewer handle revolutions are required to screw in and unscrew the handle from the holder.
US07806916B2

An application system for a stent comprising a catheter having at least one retention structure permanently connected to the catheter and a stent drawn onto the catheter using at least one retention element. The retention structure provides a retention area which receives and fixes the retention element. The retention element of the stent and the retention structure of the catheter have their geometry and position tailored to one another in such a way that the retention element is located in the retention area of the retention structure in the non-expanded state of the stent and the retention structure and/or the retention element are offset to one another upon expansion of the stent or at least in the expanded state of the stent so that the retention element is no longer located in the retention area of the retention structure.
US07806907B2

A skin lesion exciser including a moving blade, wherein excision of a skin lesion placed in proximity to the blade is effected by movement of the blade against the skin, a moving engagement portion, wherein the blade and the engagement portion have coincident movement, and a skin-closure device having an open condition prior to excision of the skin lesion, and a closed condition in which the device holds the skin closed after excision of the skin lesion. The device is in engagement with the engagement portion during movement of the blade, and the device is moved from its open to its closed condition in response to movement of the engagement portion. The excision of the skin lesion and the closure of the skin are substantially simultaneous. The present invention also provides a method for excising a skin lesion including: positioning a skin lesion above a moving blade; slicing the lesion from the skin with the blade; and substantially simultaneously with excision of the lesion, closing the skin beneath the moving blade. The present invention also provides a skin-closure device which may be used in conjunction with an inventive exciser.
US07806904B2

A clip for engaging tissue includes a generally annular-shaped body defining a plane and disposed about a central axis extending normal to the plane. The body includes alternating inner and outer curved regions, defining a zigzag pattern about a periphery of the clip. The body is biased towards a planar configuration lying in the plane and deflectable towards a transverse configuration extending out of the plane. Tines extend from the inner curved regions, the tines being oriented towards the central axis in the planar configuration, and parallel to the central axis in the transverse configuration. The tines include primary tines and secondary tines that are shorter than the primary tines. The primary tines may be disposed on opposing inner curved regions and oriented towards one another. The primary tines are configured such that they are offset from the axes of symmetry of the curved regions from which they extend and are connected to the curved regions by curved or linear regions or are connected directly to the curved regions. The primary tines may overlap the body and may be of different lengths.
US07806898B2

The present invention relates to guide systems and methods for resecting at least a portion of a joint articulation surface on a bone by mounting a first cutting guide on the joint articulation surface. A first portion of the joint articulation surface is resected using the first cutting guide as a guide for resecting. A second cutting guide is then mounted on the joint articulation surface following which the first cutting guide is removed. A second portion of the joint articulation surface is then resected using the second cutting guide template as a guide for resecting, at least a section of the second portion of the joint articulation surface having been previously covered by the first guide template.
US07806897B1

A method is provided for the preparation and performance of a total knee arthroplasty. The method includes making a primary incision near the knee joint of a leg of a patient. The incision is sized or located preserving a quadriceps mechanism in the leg of the patient. The method also includes resecting medial and lateral condyles of the femur of the leg to create at least one femoral cut surface and moving a femoral component of a total knee implant through the primary incision. The method further includes positioning the femoral component with respect to the at least one femoral cut surface.
US07806879B2

A disposable liner/lid system useable with a rigid canister and having an adhesive seal to provide improved sealing characteristics and effectively reduce the likelihood of spillage and leakage. The liner includes a flange and the lid includes adhesive that is secured to the interior of the lid and the flange of the liner when installed to provide a seal.
US07806878B2

A medicament applicator for use with a medicament cartridge is disclosed herein. The applicator comprises a first handle member and a second handle member, both of which are movable with respect to one another between a first handle position and a second handle position. The applicator further comprises a first separating member and a second separating member, which are movable between a first separating position, which corresponds to the first handle position, and a second separating position, which corresponds to the second handle position. The applicator further comprises a compressing apparatus attached to the applicator, which compresses the medicament cartridge and selectively expels the medicament from the medicament cartridge.
US07806874B2

A liquid coinjector is provided in which one or more connection ports may be connected to an outlet port and in which a valve body is provided for selecting the connection arrangement, the valve body being movable in an axial direction within a chamber of a main body.
US07806868B2

A drug reservoir loading and unloading mechanism for drug delivery device using unidirectional rotated lead screw and method thereof are disclosed. The drug reservoir loading/unloading mechanism allows exchanging the drug reservoir quickly with very few steps and with more safety. The invention neither requires rewinding of the drive system either automatically or manually while replacing the drug reservoir nor requires an additional adapter to secure the drug reservoir.
US07806860B2

A safety syringe is disclosed. The safety syringe has a retractable needle facility incorporated therein, the syringe comprising a barrel and plunger and needle assembly. The needle is caused to retract into the barrel of the syringe upon completion of injection once it has been used, by means of engagement between the needle assembly and the end of the plunger. Locking means preferably in the form of a locking bush is provided in the body of the syringe to engage the plunger once it is retracted after use, so that the syringe is rendered incapable of being used further.
US07806858B2

A retractable safety syringe is provided herein wherein an external vacuum compartment produces a retraction force which urges a piston of a plunger toward a retracted position. The retractable safety syringe may have a needle holder which is removably engageable to a distal portion of a syringe body. When the piston is traversed toward the engaged position, the external variable vacuum compartment produces a retraction force. When the piston is traversed to an engaged position, the piston engages the needle holder and disengages the needle holder from the syringe body. The medical professional may release a thumb pressure on a thumb platform of a plunger. At this point, the retraction force of the external variable vacuum compartment may traverse the piston along with the needle holder and needle toward the retracted position and into the syringe body. An internal variable vacuum compartment may also create a retraction force to assist retraction of the needle holder and needle into the syringe body.
US07806856B2

An apparatus for providing hemostasis within a puncture through tissue includes an elongate member having a lumen extending between proximal and distal ends thereof, an expandable member carried on the distal end and a housing on the proximal end, the housing including an interior communicating with the lumen, and further including a valve assembly with a one-way valve allowing access into the housing interior upon application of a pressure differential across the valve, and a movable plunger for overriding and opening the valve.
US07806855B2

A manual breast pump, including a housing; a funnel connected to the housing and forming a passage for breast milk; a cup for receiving a breast; a lid connected to an upper portion of the housing; a handle assembly connected to the lid; a substantially semi-circular finger grip connected to the housing; a piston movably connected to the handle assembly and reciprocally movable within the housing to create a negative pressure for the expression of breast milk from the breast; a flexible insert sealably secured to the cup and forming an isolated air volume between the cup and the flexible insert. A valve is removably connected to a lower portion of the housing; and a receptacle for receiving the breast milk, the receptacle being removably attached to a lower portion of the housing. The isolated air volume expands and contracts as the piston moves reciprocally within the housing, causing the flexible insert to move.
US07806854B2

An augmented, adaptive algorithm utilizing model predictive control (MPC) is developed for closed-loop glucose control in type 1 diabetes. A linear empirical input-output subject model is used with an MPC algorithm to regulate blood glucose online, where the subject model is recursively adapted, and the control signal for delivery of insulin and a counter-regulatory agent such as glucagon is based solely on online glucose concentration measurements. The MPC signal is synthesized by optimizing an augmented objective function that minimizes local insulin accumulation in the subcutaneous depot and control signal aggressiveness, while simultaneously regulating glucose concentration to a preset reference set point. The mathematical formulation governing the subcutaneous accumulation of administered insulin is derived based on nominal temporal values pertaining to the pharmacokinetics (timecourse of activity) of insulin in human, in terms of its absorption rate, peak absorption time, and overall time of action.
US07806843B2

An external fixator assembly structured for placement and use substantially adjacent the ankle area of the body and including a support assembly comprising at least one base segment and one or two contoured segments disposed substantially on opposite sides of the ankle area. Each of the contoured segments includes a contoured portion having a either different or substantially equivalent angular and/or convergent configurations disposed along a length or height of the ankle area. At least one transfixtion member may be connected along the length of the contoured portion(s) as well as a remainder of the contoured segment(s) so as to extend transversly inward there from into operative engagement with tissue associated with the ankle area patient's body.
US07806839B2

A system and method for medical treatment of tissue using ultrasound. The system comprises a probe having an array of transducer elements, an ultrasound waveform generator adapted to generate at least one electrical ultrasound signal, and a plurality of phase controls, each coupled to the ultrasound waveform generator and adapted to generate from the electrical ultrasound signal a phase-shifted drive signal that is coupled to an associated transducer element. The drive signal is effective to control grating lobe foci emitted by the array. The method employs the system.
US07806836B2

A guide wire for introducing an implantable electrode line, wherein the electrode line is particular a heart electrode line for intracardial sensing of cardiac actionpotentials and/or for electrical stimulation or defibrillation of the heart, and wherein the guide wire is adapted for interlocking with the electrode line, and wherein the guide wire comprises a deformation, in particular curved, wavy, V-shaped, zig-zag, or trapezoidal, enlarging the effective contact diameter of the guide wire to a value corresponding essentially to the inner diameter of a lumen of the electrode line or greater than this.
US07806834B2

A medical device for severing and removing small amounts of internal tissue for biopsy sampling or other purposes is disclosed. Versions of the device may include a hollow probe having a piecing tip, a tissue receiving aperture and a vacuum lumen; a cutter within the probe having a cutting edge that moves past the tissue receiving aperture, and a cutter driver mechanism. A cutter for use with versions disclosed herein may include an angled cutting tip and a cutting edge having a concave grind. Versions of the device also may include an aspirator fluidly connected to the vacuum lumen, coordinated operation of the aspirator and the cutter driver mechanism, and a fluid management system. Versions described may be used for removing multiple samples of tissue during a single insertion of the probe proximate to a target tissue mass.
US07806828B2

An apparatus is provided for cannulation of blood vessels. The apparatus comprises a sensor assembly including two linear transducer arrays oriented perpendicular to each other to form a “T” shape to provide ultrasound images of at least one blood vessel in a portion of a patient's body in two perpendicular planes. The sensor assembly includes a housing having a graphically marked surface to facilitate orientation of the sensor assembly on the patient and guidance of a needle toward a desired target vessel during the cannulation procedure. The housing is configured to engage a frame element having a pair of wings extending laterally therefrom, the wings each bearing a magnet to cooperate with a reference location element secured to a patient's skin and bearing magnetically responsive shims thereon to place, align and secure the sensor assembly to the patient's skin at a desired location.
US07806818B2

A method for applying a heat-shrink patch to a carton for forming a shape of the carton. The carton includes a top panel, a bottom panel, at least one side panel extending between the top panel and the bottom panel and a movable section that is movable between a first position and a second position. The method includes providing a heat-shrink patch in a pre-shrunk configuration. The heat-shrink patch is coupled in the pre-shrunk configuration to at least a portion of an interior surface of a blank of sheet material including at least a portion of the movable section. The carton is formed from the blank of sheet material. The movable section is moved from the first position to the second position to form the shape of the carton by heating the heat-shrink patch to shrink the heat-shrink patch to a shrunk configuration.
US07806815B2

The present invention is an exercise machine that is versatile, easily adjustable, and easy to store and transport. The machine may be used by varying sizes of users for a wide variety of exercises to increase strength. The Core trainer is comprised of a seat with a press bar attached to an adjustable arm, which is attached to a resistance arm. The press bar is available in various interchangeable designs. A pivot allows the adjustable arm and resistance arm to be placed in varying positions in relation to the seat to provide for a multitude of exercise options. The Core trainer can be used with a number of attachments, and also folds into a compact unit that takes up a fraction of the space of other exercise machines.
US07806810B2

A bicycle simulation system that can be easily transported includes a frame, a steering handle operated by a rider, a left-right pair of pedals to be operated by the rider for rotating a flywheel, two front forks for supporting the head tube and a rotatable rear wheel. The rear wheel is grounded on a floor so that it supports the frame, together with the front forks. The bicycle simulation system ensures that the operations of a brake lever are accompanied with the same feeling as that in operating a real bicycle. A brake lever is operated by the rider with a drum brake for frictionally braking the rotation of the flywheel in conjunction with the brake lever. A brake wire extending from the brake lever and is branched into two brake wires, one connected to the drum brake, and the other connected to the rotational sensor.
US07806809B2

An exercise device including at least one positionable component configured to be positioned by a user. The exercise device includes a frame to which a collar is mounted. The positionable component includes a member slidably received within the collar that may be positioned therein by sliding. A locking assembly is coupled to the collar and operable to lock the member in a selected position within the collar, release the member from the locked position, and when released, allow the member to slide within the collar. The locking assembly includes a cam pivotably mounted to the collar and a cam follower assembly selectively biased by the cam against a portion of the member disposed inside the collar. The locking assembly also includes a pair of engagement members disposed inside the collar opposite the cam. The engagement members are moveable relative to one another and biased by the cam against member.
US07806789B2

A sports racket is provided with a uniform elongated string bed, uniform main strings and cross strings segments, a uniform elongated sweet spot, a uniform head structure, robust yoke design, and handle.
US07806788B1

A pitching machine contains a pitching arm that vertically rotates at a speed of about 5 to 15 rpm, picks up a ball from the ball cradle at a pick-up point in its rotation, and then releases the ball at a release point in its rotation to provide a first velocity component to the ball. The pitching machine also contains a wheel that vertically rotates at a speed of about 300 to 3000 rpm. The wheel is positioned at the release point of the pitching arm to provide a second velocity component to the ball and to pitch the ball at an initial launch angle.
US07806780B1

A robotic golf swing trainer according to embodiments of this invention moves a golf club a golfer is holding in the same way as a modeled, well-executed swing such as that of a selected professional golfer. This robotically controlled movement is performed at a multitude of speeds up to and including real time identical speed as the modeled swing, if desired. Additionally, the controlled movement of the club is accomplished so as to not interfere with or touch the golfer in any way during the swing.
US07806777B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for determining a user skill level for user interaction with virtual equipment in an interactive computer game. The virtual equipment is capable of being manipulated through user interaction with an associated representation. Automatically adapting a virtual equipment model associated with the virtual equipment to reflect the determined user skill level. The virtual equipment model governs how the virtual equipment behaves in response to user interaction with the representation.
US07806773B2

A drive shaft, in particular a longitudinal shaft for a motor vehicle, includes at least one hollow shaft cross-section and at least one homocinetic joint whose external hub is connected to the hollow shaft cross-section. The homocinetic joint is sealed off from the hollow shaft section by a lid, the lid and the hollow shaft section being configured and disposed so that the inner hub of the homocinetic joint does not penetrate significantly into the hollow shaft section as a result of an axial force that act on it, such as an axial force resulting from an accident.
US07806771B2

A flexible solid plastic torque transmitting insert component having a plurality of exterior lobes and a plurality of interior lobes, each exterior lobe having a selected first width and first and second flat sides, the distance between the respective ends of the flat sides of each exterior lobe defining the first width, each exterior lobe further having a perimeter comprising the first flat side leading into a first radiused corner, the second flat side leading into a second radiused corner, the radiused corners being connected by a central circumferentially disposed segment; and each interior lobe having a selected second width and third and fourth flat sides, the distance between the respective ends of the flat sides of each interior lobe defining the second width; the third flat side leading into a third radiused corner, the fourth flat side leading into a fourth radiused corner, the third and fourth radiused corners being interconnected by a central circumferentially disposed segment.
US07806764B2

A gaming machine displays multiple game outcome presentations to one or more players playing the gaming machine. A player may initiate a new game on the gaming machine while the outcome of a previous game is being presented to the player. For a number of different games, two or more game outcomes may be presented simultaneously to the player on the gaming machine. The game outcome presentations for two or more of the games may appear to interact. However, the game outcomes determined by the gaming machine are independent of one another and do not depend on the game outcome presentation. Many different combinations of games may be played simultaneously on the gaming machine.
US07806760B2

A game for a wagering gaming device including an award indicator having a plurality of player selectable symbol indicators, a plurality of first award symbols and a plurality of second award symbols. The game also includes a plurality of activatable symbol indicators which are positioned adjacent to the first award symbols and the second award symbols. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the symbol indicators adjacent to the first award symbols and one of the symbol indicators adjacent to the second award symbols in a game. The gaming device then moves or rotates the award indicator. When the award indicator stops rotating, the activated symbol indicators indicate award symbols. The gaming device then provides the first and second awards associated with the indicated first and second award symbols to the player.
US07806757B2

An unloader for an agricultural harvester includes a telescopic belted conveyor that can be extended to opposite sides of the harvester. The conveyor can be operated at any selected elevation between a minimum elevation and a maximum elevation and at any extended length between a minimum extended length and a maximum extended length for the conveyor.
US07806756B2

A coin receiving device in a coin processing apparatus is provided with a flat belt stretched around a pair of rollers substantially horizontally. A reverse rotation roller is disposed above the flat belt so that it is parallel with the axial line of the rollers, and the lower circumferential face is separated from the flat belt by a distance which is larger than thickness of a coin. A movable restrictor is disposed above the reverse rotation roller, which extends upstream of the flat belt in substantially parallel with the flat belt. A distance between the movable restrictor and the top face of the flat belt is smaller than a diameter of a coin having the largest diameter. The movable restrictor is convex toward an upstream direction of the flat belt. The movable restrictor is replaceably attached to a frame.
US07806750B2

An apparatus and method for cutting a material using a water jet. A central shaft is mounted so as to extend outward from a material to be cut. A support member is mounted on the central shaft so as to extend transversely therefrom. At least one water jet cutting head is mounted on the support member so as to be translatable therealong. In addition, the at least one water jet cutting head is mounted so as to be rotatable about the central shaft. By controlling the translatory and rotational motion of the at least one water jet cutting head (for example, using computer numerical control or other computer control), a desired cut pattern can be followed with respect to the material being cut.
US07806748B2

A bra and a system have bays and a truss for supporting breasts of a user wearing the bra. The bra has a first bay and/or a second bay for receiving the breasts of the user wearing the bra. The bra has a first cup, a second cup and/or the truss for supporting and/or for enclosing the breasts of the user. The truss connects a rear end of the first portion to a rear end of the second portion. Liners are connected to an interior surface of the first portion and/or an interior surface of the second portion. The truss reduces stress of, strain of and/or pain in shoulders, a neck and/or a back of the user from the weight of the breasts of the user. The bays, the truss and/or the cups of the bra minimize unwanted movements of the breast of the user.
US07806745B2

An apparatus is provided for animating an image imprinted or otherwise disposed on a substantially flat surface, such as a photograph or a card. The image should include at least one element suitable for animation, such as the eyes and mouth of a face. The image is animated using an animation mechanism disposed behind the flat surface, which mechanism is connected by a solenoid to an element that is physically separate from the flat surface. The visible portion of the movable element is inserted from the back of the flat surface through a slit in the flat surface such that at least a portion of it is visible above the image. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of solenoids is utilized to move the element back and forth so as to create the illusion of animation to the picture. Also in the preferred embodiment, a device for playing an audio file associated with the image is provided, which device may be synchronized with the animation of the image so as to create a more lifelike appearance.
US07806739B2

A battery connector (100) includes an insulative housing (10) and a power contact (30A), a signal contact (30B) and a grounding contact (30C) received in the insulative housing. The insulative housing defines a mating face (101). Each of the power contact, the signal contact and the grounding contact has a contacting portion (307) extending out of the mating face of the insulative housing. A distance from the contacting portion of the power contact to the mating face is larger than a distance from the contacting portion of the signal contact to the mating face.
US07806737B2

An electrical connector includes a first and second array of flexible beams that are overlapped within a hood and that define a substantially cylindrically cavity for receiving a mating connector. Contact areas of each of the flexible beams may be shaped to define multiple contact points, thus increasing the overall area available for current to pass.
US07806734B1

An audio jack connector includes an insulating housing, a movable terminal, a fixed terminal, and a conductive ring. The insulating housing has a main body and a cylindrical sleeve, and defines an insertion hole therein for receiving an audio plug. A bottom of the insulating housing defines an opening across a junction of the main body and the sleeve and communicating with the insertion hole. The movable terminal has an elastic arm projected into the insertion hole from the opening. The fixed terminal has a contact arm attached to an outer periphery of the sleeve. The conductive ring encircles the sleeve with the contact arm against an inner side thereof. The movable terminal is electrically connected with the fixed terminal through the conductive ring when the audio plug is inserted into the insertion hole to push the elastic arm up to contact with the inner side of the conductive ring.
US07806724B2

A coaxial connector with a connector body is provided with a connector body bore. A grip ring is retained within the connector body bore, and an outer diameter of the grip ring abuts an annular wedge surface provided with a taper between a maximum diameter proximate the connector end and a minimum diameter proximate the cable end. The wedge surface may be provided directly on the connector body bore sidewall or alternatively on an inner diameter of a clamp ring coupled to the cable end of the connector body. An inner diameter of the grip ring is provided with a grip surface. A spring contact is retained within the connector body bore. The grip surface and an inner diameter of the spring contact are dimensioned to receive the outer conductor from the cable end there through and to then couple with an outer diameter of the outer conductor.
US07806721B2

A module assembly includes an interface module including a housing having a plurality of jack cavities and associated jack latch openings. The housing is configured to be mated with a patch panel. The module assembly also includes a plurality of modular jacks that are directly inserted into corresponding jack cavities. Each modular jack includes a single latch arm that engages the jack latch opening to retain the modular jack in the jack cavity. Optionally, each modular jack may include a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the latch arm extends from the top surface and wherein the bottom surface is planar. The bottom surface may rest flush with a bottom wall of the jack cavity.
US07806720B2

A wire harness has a joint connector having a joint terminal and a connector housing. The joint terminal has a short-circuit section and a plurality of electrical contact portions aligned in a direction substantially orthogonal to an axial direction of wires. The connector housing has an external wall surrounding terminal chambers and exposed to the outside; and a plurality of terminal locking tabs formed integrally with the external wall the terminal locking tabs locking wire terminals. Each of the terminal locking tabs has a shape deflectable between an engaging position that locks each wire terminal and a disengaging position. The joint connector is fixed to the peripheral surface of a wire harness main body while the outer surface of the external wall of the connector housing faces and contacts the peripheral surface of the wire harness main body the connector housing being provided with the terminal locking tabs.
US07806714B2

A connector assembly configured to engage a mating connector. The connector assembly includes a plug body that has loading and mating ends and a central axis extending therebetween. The mating end is configured to be inserted into a cavity of the mating connector to establish at least one of communicative and power connections. The plug body has an outer surface that surrounds and faces away from the central axis. The connector assembly also includes a ring that is slidably mounted over the plug body. The ring is configured to slide along the outer surface of the plug body in an axial direction between withdrawn and locked positions. The connector assembly also includes a sleeve member that is slidably mounted over the plug body and the ring. The sleeve member includes a plurality of fingers that extend toward the mating end and are biased toward the outer surface of the plug body. The ring is configured to engage the fingers and the fingers are configured to flex away and engage the mating connector.
US07806708B2

Means for transferring electric power and/or signals comprises an electrical power slip-ring system (EPSR) (3) comprising a housing (4) containing an electrical slip-rings, the housing (4) being connected to a support structure (6) of a vessel (7) and a brush carrier unit (8) that is in slidable contact with the electrical conductor means, the brush carrier (8) being fixed to a turret (2). A swivel unit (10) extends thorough the center of the housing (4). The turret (2) and support structure (6) may be disposed on the vessel in various configurations such as an internal turret configuration, a submerged turret configuration or an external turret configuration.
US07806707B1

A socket protection cover structure includes a socket body having a socket panel disposed thereon, the socket panel is disposed with two holes corresponding to each other for a sliding slot and a plurality of positioning holes to be disposed therebetween; a sliding cover having a pivot inserted through the sliding slot of the socket panel for the sliding cover to move on the socket panel; therefore an operator can use the sliding cover to expose or enclose the hole on the socket panel to enhance safety use of electricity.
US07806703B2

A component part has an electrical printed circuit board (12), which has an electronic circuit and has been contact-connected to a lead frame (10), which is generally surrounded at least partially by plastic (11), in which first contact elements (14) protrude on the lead frame (10) adjacent to the printed circuit board (12) and are mechanically connected to second contact elements (16) on the printed circuit board (12) via a flexible intermediate region (30), wherein the first and the second contact elements (16) are contact-connected to one another in pairs in such a way that in each case at least one punctiform and/or linear contact region (25, 27) on one contact element (14) interacts with a flat contact region on the other contact element (16) in a clamping connection.
US07806699B2

A multi-contact electrical connector and method of making are provided. An embodiment of a multi-contact electrical connector includes multiple small-scale densely packed contacts in the form conductive coils with wire loops whose elastic deformation provides a normal contact force for each contact in the connectors. The connector also includes a body that is configured to position the conductive coils. In some embodiments, the body may be elongate and the wire loop may be wrapped around the elongate body. In other embodiments, the body may have channels that extend through the body in which the conductive coils are disposed.
US07806692B2

An abutment clip for use in a dental implant system for orienting an abutment relative to features on a patient's teeth and jawbone so that a prosthesis, which is attachable to the abutment, will be correctly oriented. The abutment clip comprises a housing that includes a chamber sized to receive the abutment therein. The housing has at least one position indicator provided at one end thereof. The dentist engages the abutment clip over the abutment when it is still attached to a manufacturer's plaster model. He notes the position of the indicator on the housing in reference to features on the model and then detaches the abutment clip, abutment and abutment screw as a unit from the model. The combined abutment clip, abutment and screw are then positioned on an implant post in the patient's jaw bone and the position indicator is used to verify the orientation of the abutment before it is secured to the implant post.
US07806675B2

Suck back is started and a gradient of pressure (an amount of change in resin pressure while a screw or a plunger moves backward by a certain amount) is detected. Whether or not an absolute value of the detected gradient of the pressure is smaller than a reference value set in advance is determined, and it is determined that the reduction of the resin pressure has been completed when the absolute value becomes smaller than the reference value. A screw position at the time of the completion of the pressure reduction is stored and a screw movement amount from a suck back start position to a pressure reduction completion position is displayed on a screen.
US07806667B1

A dual pump apparatus having two pumps mounted in a housing, where the housing comprises two elements mounted on opposite sides of a hydraulic mounting member or center section. The pumps are mounted on one side of the hydraulic mounting member in a pump cavity, and the hydraulic mounting member and second housing element form a drive cavity in which gears or an endless coupling member such as a chain or belt to connect the two pump input shafts are located.
US07806665B2

An auxiliary braking device can be used for wellhead applications having a progressive cavity pump. A housing of the device independently mounts on the pump's existing drive using a mounting member, and an adapter on the housing connects to a rotatable drive shaft of the pump. A hydraulic motor on the housing has a motor shaft mechanically coupled to the adapter by a plurality of gears or the like. A control valve couples to the hydraulic motor and operates to control communication of hydraulic fluid through the hydraulic motor, thereby controlling rotation of the rotatable shaft. A controller and electric sensors can operated the control valve in response to the sensed rotation of the shaft. Alternatively, mechanical mechanisms can operate the control valve in response to the rotation of the drive shaft.
US07806661B2

A propeller attached to an output shaft of a boat motor is provided. The propeller may have a plurality of blades which define a leading edge. The leading edge may define leading edge angles which increase in a logarithmic manner from a base of the blade to a tip of the blade. This allows the blades of the propeller to cut and shed seaweed and/or kelp off of the blades when the boat is maneuvered into waters containing seaweed and/or kelp. Additionally, boats that employ the propeller of the present invention are quieter compared to boats that utilize prior art propellers.
US07806655B2

A method for assembling a stator assembly for a turbine engine is provided. The method includes providing a blade with a base including an end wall having at least one hole defined therein and providing a shim having at least one aperture extending therethrough. The shim aperture is aligned with the end wall hole, and the shim is secured to the blade base end wall using a fastener. The fastener is inserted through the shim aperture in an interference fit within the end wall hole. The blade and the shim are coupled to a turbine casing.
US07806654B2

A pump housing assembly which includes a pump casing and a liner, where the pump casing includes at least two parts which are adapted to be connected together in an assembled position with the pump casing having opposed front and rear sides and a common junction region which is disposed within one or more planes which pass through the front and rear sides of the assembled pump casing, the liner being formed in one piece and having sealing portions that are activated to provide a seal between the liner and the pump casing.
US07806643B2

A substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a casing, a low port interface and a carrier holding station. The casing has processing devices within for processing substrates. The load port interface is connected to the casing for loading substrates into the processing device. The carrier holding station is connected to the casing. The carrier holding station is adapted for holding at least one substrate transport carrier at the load port interface. The carrier holding station is arranged to provide a fast swap section for replacement of the substrate transport carrier from the carrier holding station.
US07806640B2

A bookbinding apparatus for forming a booklet by coating an adhesive on a spine of a stack of sheets, including: a coating apparatus, which has an adhesive reservoir to store a liquid of the adhesive, and a coating roller to coat on the spine the adhesive scooped up from the adhesive reservoir; a pellet storage section to store pellets of the adhesive; a replenishing section to replenish the pellets of the adhesive into the adhesive reservoir; an adhesive quantity sensor to detect a liquid level in the adhesive reservoir; and a controller to control the replenishing section based on a detection signal of the adhesive quantity sensor, wherein the controller controls a rate of replenishing amount of the pellets by controlling the replenishing section based on information of the stack of sheets.
US07806638B1

A reinstatement cutting machine having an air tube formed therethrough for carrying pressurized air to drive a cutting tool. The air tube is insulated to prevent condensation within the reinstatement cutting machine due to temperature changes caused by the pressurized air passing through the air tube. In a preferred embodiment, the air tube is insulated with a tubular member constructed of an insulating material.
US07806637B2

A tool, such as a pneumatic tool, includes a casing, tool-holder spindle extending along an axis, and a drive mechanism for the tool-holder spindle. The mechanism uses a first member for driving the spindle in rotation about its axis and a second member for driving the spindle in translation along its axis. The second drive member is screwed onto a threaded portion of the spindle so that the spindle advances or returns as a function of the relative rate of rotation of the drive members. The second drive member is displaced along the axis between an advanced position and a returned position.
US07806635B2

A tool for working a workpiece comprises an elongate member and a cam member. The elongate member comprises at least two extremities comprising at least one blade member. The at least two extremities are operable to separate in response to a pressurized medium. A conduit is in fluid communication with the extremities, and a pair of vents are in fluid communication with the conduit. The vents are operable to expel fluid communicated through the conduit. The cam member comprises an inner surface defining an opening. The inner surface of the cam resists expulsion of fluid from the vents, such that the cam and vents are operable to vary the pressure of fluid communicated through the conduit. The pressure variation varies the separation of the extremities as the elongate member is advanced through the cam toward a workpiece. The tool may be used to create bores having a non-cylindrical profile.
US07806631B2

The present invention is directed to a method for filling and sealing underground voids and the like with use of a grout comprising aggregate coated with a water-activated expanded hydrophobic polymeric resin, such as polyurethane.
US07806630B2

A set of components that can be used to construct a structurally sound dock are disclosed. The components can be extruded and the components are shaped such that interconnected components provide support for the other components thereby alleviating weak points due to welded only joints. A fascia channel provides additional strength by including structures that improve the vertical and horizontal strength of the fascia channel. HDPE plastic inserts and sheaves provide sound dampening for metal to metal contact points. Other components include a corner connector, a post system and a hinge system.
US07806627B2

A connection chamber for waste water and storm water collection, the connection chamber including an arch-shaped cut out in a side thereof, the arch-shaped cut out sized to receive an arch-shaped row connector, which is provided to couple rows of chambers to each other. The coupling of various rows of chambers to each other facilitates to relatively even flow of fluid throughout the field of chambers.
US07806624B2

A pavement joint 101, 102 disposed between two contiguous pavement slabs 103, 104 and 105 incorporating a shear key (12, 13, 22 and 23) and at least one hinge (37, 38, 39 and 40). The shear key and the at least one hinge are operative when at least one of the slabs is subjected to out-of-plane action P with the shear key transferring shear between the slabs, and the at least one hinge accommodating angular displacement of the slabs relative to the joint axis in at least one direction. In one form, a joint member 10, 20, 40, 50 and 60 is disposed between the slabs to provide the shear key and hinge. A joint member and pavement slab for use in the joint is also described.
US07806617B2

A document binding system for efficiently securing a plurality of documents together in a professional manner. The document binding system generally includes a first support including at least one post and a second support including at least one opening. The post extends outwardly from the first support and the opening extends through the second support. The post includes a plurality of teeth ending along an outer surface of the post and the opening includes a locking member extending within, wherein the locking member selectively engages at least one of the teeth to secure the first support to the second support, wherein a plurality of documents are preferably selectively secured between the first support and the second support.
US07806614B2

A container used for holding one or more product sticks. The container comprises a body and a sleeve. The container further comprises lifting means to independently propel and retract the product sticks. The container may further comprise a cover which engages the body.
US07806611B2

A modular printer including a housing having upper and lower covers, a first side wall and a second, opposed side wall and inlet and exit roller assemblies for feeding media through the housing. Also included is a print engine having two opposed arcuate printheads each with a radius of curvature which approximates a radius of inlet rollers of the inlet roller assembly. Each roller is at least partially received in said curvature of each respective printhead, the print engine configured to print ink followed by a fixative onto the media operatively fed between the printhead, the inlet and exit roller assemblies configured to feed the media through the housing at a predetermined rate so that said media only leaves the housing when the fixative has dried.
US07806608B2

A half cut portion is provided with a receiving base for receiving a tube, and a cutter for cutting the tube. The receiving base is provided with a stroke adjusting lever on an upper portion of the receiving base, and the stroke adjusting lever is provided with a cam face in which an amount of projecting is varied by being rotated. The cutter butts to the cam face and a depth of a half cut is set according to a displacement of the amount of projecting of the cam face from the receiving base.
US07806603B2

An optical power supply type sensing system includes: an optical directivity coupler (6) mounted in a sensor unit (1); a photo-electric converter (4) connected to a first optical fiber (5) among the first to the third optical fiber (5, 7, 8) connected to the optical directivity coupler (6); an optical output device (3) connected to the second optical fiber (7); and a measurement device (10) connected to the third optical fiber (8) drawn out of the sensor unit (1).
US07806597B2

A wheel bearing arrangement which as at least two rows of rolling bodies which are used to bear a wheel hub which can be driven by a drive element and which includes a wheel bearing arrangement. The wheel hub is connected to the drive element. The wheel hub and the drive element engage together in a positive fit via a pair of face splines which correspond to each other.
US07806584B2

A diffuser provides the ability to diffuse one or more infusion materials into a host material. A rotor and stator rotate relative to one another. The infusion materials are drawn through openings in the rotor and stator. These openings are also causing turbulence within the host material, which is flowing through an area between the rotor and stator. As aligned openings pass one another, succussion occurs, which provides energy to diffuse the infusion materials into the host material to an extremely high degree. The opening patterns in the rotor and stator can be designed to operate at a single frequency or at multiple frequencies. The frequencies of operation may affect bonding between the infusion materials and the host material and may also be effective in break down of complex molecular structures.
US07806583B2

A clamping mechanism particularly for clamping a vibrator to a reinforcing bar. The clamping mechanism provides a slot which intersects a channel. The channel is longitudinally open in one direction at one side of said intersecting slot and longitudinally open in the opposite direction at the other side of said intersecting slot. A reinforcing bar or other member to be engaged first enters the slot then moves into the channel. Once in the channel, the bar or other member is positively retained therein.
US07806581B2

A lighting lamp includes a light guide board, which is directly mounted in the cavity of a lamp holder, furniture, utensil, or the construction of a building, having a clear transmissive layer at the front side and a continuous piece of reflective layer a clear transmission layer at the front side and a reflective layer at the back side that has the shape of an umbrella surface and sloping from the periphery toward its center, and a plurality of LEDs mounted within the cavity outside the light guide board and controlled to emit light laterally into the inside of the light guide boards to provide a uniform lighting effect having an enhanced brightness without multi-image and to simulate the lighting effect of a ball lamp.
US07806571B2

An exemplary streetlight system for illuminating a road surface comprises an illuminating device, an infrared detection device and a controlling device. The illuminating device includes a light source. The infrared detection device is configured for detecting whether there are vehicles or passersby on the road surface and generating a detection signal. The controlling device is configured for receiving the detection signal, generating a controlling signal according to the detection signal and sending the controlling signal to the light source, thereby modulating the brightness of the light source.
US07806568B2

Reconfigurable lighting fixtures, household apparatuses and household fixtures include fixed components and a plurality of removable and interchangeable decorative adornments. The adornments each include at least one magnet that magnetically couples the adornment to a portion of the fixture or apparatus. Some or all of the set of interchangeable adornments may be interchanged to provide the fixtures or apparatus with a different appearance. The adornments may be of different shapes, sizes, and colors and they may be coupled to various non-fixed locations. The adornments may include multiple pieces coupled together and to the magnet using wire, string, chain or metal links. The fixtures or apparatus may be easily disassembled and reassembled by removing and replacing the adornments for cleaning or to change the appearance thereof. The fixture/apparatus may be a chandelier, candle holder, sconce, lamp, bobeche, tract lighting, ceiling fan, curtain rod, lampshade and the like.
US07806567B2

A backlight module includes a light source module and a diffuser plate. The diffuser plate has a plate body, a plurality of light-scattering areas and a plurality of light-gathering areas. The light-scattering areas and the light-gathering areas are alternately disposed on a light-entrance surface or a light-exit surface of the plate body. The light-scattering area includes a plurality of cambered units while each cambered unit has a convex cambered surface. The light-gathering area includes a plurality of prism lenses. Two side surfaces of the prism lenses intersect at an angle θ.
US07806563B1

A convection cooling system for high-output Light Emitting Diodes in outdoor illumination applications. The cooling system takes advantage of wide-angle LED output so as to allow placement of cooling fins directly on the shaded underside of the molded or extruded support structure. Accordingly, the cooling system provides a relatively large convective surface area with a substantial portion of that surface shaded from solar radiation so as not to collect solar heat during daytime periods while still expelling heat as it is collected from finned portions that are exposed to sunlight and so do collect solar heat.
US07806550B2

A lighting system has a sealable housing with a lamp cavity, a junction box and a partition wall there between with the junction box being laterally from beneath a lens opening. The system further includes a closure to close an access port in the partition wall which includes a conical wall with a circular plate truncating the wall. The plate extends across the bottom of the housing and a vertically extending sealing flange receives the closure. A ballast assembly is also located from beneath the lens opening. A formed seal is positioned about a lens which extends inwardly to capture optic components beneath the lens. A locking ring is restrained from compressing against the mounting flange of the lens. A lighting system employing an LED board array and LED power control includes a heat sink beneath the board array extending downwardly to a radiator for transfer of heat from the array downwardly to the lamp cavity for dissipation.
US07806540B2

A lighting device is provided that surface-emits the light evenly with less number of luminous bodies by comprising a transparent body 2 for light diffusion in a shape of a body of rotation having a center bore 11 and provided with a luminous surface 2c and a light introducing surface 2b, and multiple luminous bodies 3 that introduce the light into the light introducing surface 2c of the transparent body 2 and make the luminous surface 2c of the transparent body 2 surface-emit the light, wherein the light introducing surface 2b is arranged on an inner peripheral section forming the center bore 11 of the transparent body 2, a reflecting layer 41 is arranged to reflect the light on a surface other than the light introducing surface 2b and the luminous surface 2c of the transparent body 2, and the light from the luminous bodies 3 is emitted toward an outer surrounding surface 2e of the transparent body 2.
US07806538B2

An LED light source device can have a simple configuration which can easily create a desired light distribution pattern with a low profile and light weight. An illumination apparatus and a vehicle lighting device can also be configured to use the LED light source device. The light source device can include a light guide plate made of a flat plate-like material that is transparent in the visible range, and which has a front surface serving as a light emission surface. A point light source can be opposed to an end surface of the light guide plate. A rear surface of the light guide plate can include a luminance control element configured to control a luminance distribution on the light emission surface. The luminance control element controls light from the light source, incident through the end surface of the light guide plate, so that a reduced inversion of a light distribution pattern that is to be emitted is formed on the light emission surface as the luminance distribution. The light guide plate can include a polarizing film for making the light emission surface emit p-polarized (parallel polarized) light.
US07806537B2

A backlight module includes a light guide plate (52), a light source (51), a reflecting sheet (53), a diffusion sheet (54), and a reflective polarizing beam splitter (57). The light guide plate includes a light input surface (521), a light output surface (522) adjacent to the light input surface, a reflecting surface (523) opposite the light output surface, and a number of microstructures (524) located on the reflecting surface. In the light guide plate, stress-induced birefringence is introduced to achieve a polarization state conversion, thereby facilitating efficient use of the light generated by the light source.
US07806536B1

A convex mirror formed of a back board, a mirror, a ball head connecting rod, a ball socket, a socket cover and a mounting frame is disclosed. The back board has stub rods and retaining holes for receiving respective locating holes and hollow cylindrical posts of the ball socket to facilitate installation of rivets in affixing the ball socket and the back board together. The mirror has a rim inserted in between a rim and equiangularly spaced locating blocks of the back board to facilitate installation of self-tapping screws in affixing the rim of the back board and the rim of the mirror together.
US07806531B2

A projector includes: a casing having a surface; a cooling medium flowpath provided inside the casing, through which a cooling medium is allowed to flow; and a radiator in which a part of the cooling medium flowpath is arranged, the radiator being deployable by rotating with respect to the casing, and adapted to be accommodated in the casing and along the surface of the casing.
US07806524B2

An image recording apparatus has a platen supporting the under side of a sheet conveyed in a conveying direction. The platen has upstream ribs and a downstream rib, between which a marginless recording region lies. The platen also has first ribs, second ribs and third ribs, respectively supportable of front and rear end portions of the sheet, formed in the marginless recording region, and spaced at suitable intervals perpendicular to the conveying direction. Grooves are formed between the first to third ribs and extend in the conveying direction. An ink absorber is further provided on a bottom plate of the platen positioned under the downstream rib and communicates with groove absorbing a surplus portion of the discharged ink. The platen is simple in structure and performs marginless image recording without staining either side of the sheet with easy size control of the ink absorber.
US07806523B2

A liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention has a translationally movable member configured to be connected to a liquid container inserted in a container mounting unit, in link motion with a straight operation of the liquid container when inserting a liquid feed needle through a liquid feed port of the liquid container, translationally advance in the direction parallel with the straight operation, an apparatus side fixing structure for releasably restricting the movement of the liquid container in the mounting state in the pull-out direction, having a stopper pin to be stopped in a guide groove of a container side fixing structure formed in the liquid container, and apparatus side positioning structures installed in the translationally movable member, in cooperation with a container side positioning structure formed in the liquid container, for positioning the liquid container in a predetermined position to the translationally movable member. The liquid ejecting apparatus capable of connecting the liquid container to the translationally movable member arranged in the container mounting unit with high positioning precision is provided.
US07806510B2

An image recording apparatus comprises a carriage carrying a recording head for recording an image on a recording medium transported in a predetermined direction, first and second support members, disposed on an upstream side and a downstream side, respectively, in a transport direction of the recording medium, for supporting said carriage slidably by support surfaces thereof facing said recording head and an endless belt for moving said carriage reciprocally in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction wherein said carriage comprises a first contact section that comes into contact with the support surface of said first support member, and a second contact section that comes into contact with the support surface of said second support member, and a height position of a joint section of said endless belt and said carriage is at substantially the same height as a position of center of gravity of said carriage.
US07806504B2

An ink-jet head protection assembly of the present invention comprises an ink-jet head, a head cap that protects the ink-jet head and a support member supporting the head cap so that the head cap contacts an ejection face of the ink-jet head. In the head cap, a surface confronting the ejection face of the ink-jet head is formed with a protrusion contacting the ejection face. A contact surface of the protrusion to the ejection face surrounds, in plan view, an area in which ejection ports are formed. Gas is filled in a closed space defined by a surface of the head cap, the protrusion and the ejection face.
US07806501B2

A common data line serially connects a first dot memory group and a second dot memory group in layout order of driven devices so as to form each pair. First word lines are connected to the first dot memory group. Second word lines are connected to the second dot memory group. A data writing section supplies the correction values for the first dot memory group and the correction values for the second dot memory group while shifting the timing and supplies writing signals to the first word lines and the second word lines at predetermined timing. A chip area is reduced and costs of a driving apparatus is reduced.
US07806488B2

In a medication storage cart or ADM machine housing a plurality of individual drawers or bins holding medication and/or medical equipment, the invention provides devices and a method for reducing the risk of nosocomial infection through the use of disposable liners. Disposable liners may be placed within the bins, within drawer liners, or within cubies or mini-drawers. In some applications the liners may be color-coded for a predetermined use or patient compartmentalized with dividers, or customized with special labels. The disposable liners may have a tapered form so that multiple liners may be stored in a nested stack to minimize space requirements and to be loaded into a liner dispenser system.
US07806484B1

The removable wheel protector apparatus has a round flat disc with a plurality of spaced apart covered clips affixed to the perimeter. The handle is disposed in the center of the disc. The bottom perimeter of the disc features a rubberized seal. The apparatus is pushed onto and pulled off of a wheel and removably held via the clips. The suction cup further aids in retention of the cover on the wheel. The apparatus provides a hands-free seal against invasion of any foreign substance, including water. Edges of various apparatus components are coated or rounded to ensure against scratching any surface.
US07806483B2

A high visibility retractable safety strap and a method for securing a trailer to a towing vehicle is disclosed. The retractable safety strap is coupled to either the trailer or the towing vehicle. The high visibility nature of the strap increases safety for other motorists by making the presence of the coupling between the trailer and towing vehicle more perceivable. The safety straps also provide redundancy should the main coupling between the trailer and towing vehicle become detached.
US07806473B1

The specification discloses a stackable chair, and framework therefor, that adapted for vertical stacking in closely conforming relation with at least one other chair of identical configuration, the stackable chair comprising a framework dimensioned for a human being, the framework defining legs, a back rest support, and a seating surface support, and a seating surface and a back rest disposed on the framework. The framework is at least substantially comprised of one or more frame elements each having a thickness of less than 7/16th inches, the one or more frame elements further being configured so that the framework is characterized by a stacking thickness of less than 7/16th inches.
US07806471B2

A cushion for a baby chair comprises a head pad, a back pad and a buttocks pad arranged on a seat of the baby chair. The head is supported by a neck support portion projecting along a lower edge of the head pad and a pair of temporal support portions projecting along both side edges of the head pad. A trunk is supported from a side by a pair of trunk support portions projecting along both side edges of the back pad and extending from an upper to a lower edge of the back pad. Buttocks are supported by a buttocks support portion projecting along a lower edge of the buttocks pad. A thigh and a knee are supported by a pair of thigh support portions projecting along both side edge of the buttocks pad. The head pad, the back pad, and the buttocks pad are mutually detachable.
US07806466B2

A work vehicle includes a frame, and a cab structure and a seat each pivotably connected to the frame. A mechanical interconnection is provided between the cab structure and a seat. In response to the cab structure pivoting away from the frame by a predetermined amount, the seat is urged to pivot away from the frame by the mechanical interconnection.
US07806464B2

The present invention relates to a fairing for a trailer having a wheel assembly adapted to be movably attached to the trailer. The fairing is positioned to cover a frontal area of the wheel assembly. More specifically, the fairing includes a shell and an anchoring mechanism. The shell is designed to cover the frontal part of the wheel assembly. The anchoring mechanism allows attaching the shell to the wheel assembly so that the shell is adapted to freely follow a movement of the wheel assembly upon repositioning of the wheel assembly relative to the trailer.
US07806463B2

A travel trailer having exterior unitary lower and upper shells, an interior lower shell defining a pre-molded floor and side walls with a seating area, a cabinet for refrigerator and stove top, an opposing bench, a bathroom sink, and defining an aisle centrally therebetween; a shower pan attached to a side wall; an interior upper shell defining a pre-molded ceiling, side walls, and storage areas; a wall defining a door to a bathroom portion; and a wheeled chassis connected to the exterior lower shell with an extending tongue for attaching to a trailer hitch of a motor.
US07806460B2

An apparatus is provided for the actuation of at least one pivotable external element of a vehicle, in particular of a top element of a convertible vehicle, with at least one pivot joint and a drive. The drive may be an electric motor which introduces a drive torque directly into the at least one pivot joint.
US07806447B2

A gravity actuated locking device for a container having a hinged lid, comprises a base unit adapted to be fixed to the container and a pivoting unit pivotally mounted to the base unit. The pivoting unit includes a locking mechanism mounted therein for rotation about the base unit. In turn, the locking mechanism comprises a circular rolling member that translates from a blocking position preventing relative movement between the pivoting unit and the base unit to a release position permitting relative movement between the pivoting unit and the base unit.
US07806446B2

A locking device for an automobile tray is disclosed. The locking device includes an inner housing having a front panel formed with a holding recess, an outer housing internally defining an operating space for sliding movement of the inner housing therein, a mount member having a bottom opening for communicating with the holding recess and a front operating opening, a knob partially protruded outward through the operating opening of the mount member, the knob being linearly moved into the operating opening by the user's operation, a rotating member having a hinge shaft connected to the mount member so as to be rotated by the knob, a first elastic member having one end supported by the mount member and the other end supported by the rotating member, to provide the rotating member with an elastic restoration force so as to return the rotating member to its original position, a latch member configured to be caught by one end of the rotating member, the latch member being moved upward by the rotating member so as to be released from the holding recess, and a second elastic member installed between the latch member and the mount member and adapted to provide the latch member with an elastic restoration force so as to allow the latch member to be returned downward through the bottom opening of the mount member.
US07806443B1

A method and apparatus for connecting air conditioning coolant lines. The apparatus comprises a coupler body, a coolant line, a flexible annular seal, a nut, and a deformable annular retainer. The coupler body has a passageway extending therethrough and a coolant line has an end portion disposed at least partially within the passageway. A flexible annular seal is disposed within the passageway in the coupler body for sealingly engaging the deformable annular retainer. The nut receives the coolant line therein and threadedly engages the coupler body. The deformable annular retainer engages with the nut and the coupler body, and the end portion of the coolant line is disposed within the deformable annular retainer, wherein the threaded engagement of the nut with the coupler body urges the deformable annular retainer into a sealing engagement with the coupler body and the coolant line. The method includes swaging a deformable annular retainer to a coolant line, wherein the deformable annular retainer completely covers the end portion of the air conditioning coolant line; providing a nut on the coolant line; providing a coupler body having a passageway and a flexible annular seal disposed within the passageway; engaging the deformable annular retainer with the flexible annular seal to create a first seal; engaging the coupler body with the deformable annular retainer to create a second seal; and tightening a threaded engagement of the nut and the coupler body.
US07806438B2

A frame structure for a load-carrying vehicle includes at least one frame member extending generally in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the frame member being divided into an upper section and a lower section by a slit extending at least along a predetermined section of the frame member. The slit is shaped so as to allow a forced displacement of the upper section to a position in which it extends generally parallel to the lower section and in a manner so that the frame member is narrower along a section generally corresponding to the length of the slit, as compared with the remaining section of the frame member. A method for manufacturing a frame structure is also disclosed.
US07806436B2

A gas generating system includes a first enclosure containing a gas, and a second enclosure having a gas generant material contained therein. The second enclosure is operatively coupled to the first enclosure so as to enable fluid communication between the first enclosure and the second enclosure. After activation of the gas generating system, the gas in the first enclosure passes through the second enclosure prior to exiting the system.
US07806425B2

A trailer hitch having a retaining latch bolt to reduce shaking includes a locking head, a bolt seat, a retaining element, a latch bolt and an elastic element. The retaining element has a first directing rib to be rapidly positioned in a first bolt aperture of a first coupling member. The bolt seat has a positioning rib anchored in a second bolt aperture of a second coupling member to facilitate coupling of the first coupling member and the second coupling member. Hence the latch bolt can be coupled easily and adjustment of coupling tolerance can be performed as desired. Locking can be done to thwart pilferage of the trailer. And the latch bolt can be held firmly without sliding or shaking.
US07806423B2

A fifth wheel assembly for coupling a trailer to a truck tractor is provided and includes a fifth wheel and a supporting structure for supporting the fifth wheel on the rear part of the tractor truck. The supporting structure includes a sliding arrangement enabling the fifth wheel to be repositioned between different positions. A number of sensors are positioned on the supporting structure and on the fifth wheel and are included in a control system for predetermined information and control of operating conditions.
US07806422B2

A bicycle with a common point shock absorber comprises a bicycle frame and a shock absorber. The bicycle frame comprises a front frame and a rear frame, an upper linkage device and a lower linkage device connected pivotally to the front frame and the rear frame. The shock absorber is mounted in the bicycle frame and comprises a first connecting member connected pivotally to the upper linkage device, and a second connecting member connected pivotally and coaxially to the lower linkage device and the front frame. Thus, assembling the component and the assembly process can be simplified. Convenience for component assembly and repair has been improved. Manufacturing costs are reduced.
US07806417B1

A means to average the left and right tire height positions relative to the chassis of a vehicle having an independent suspension system. The averaging means uses a rigid member having a first end and a second end wherein the first end is combined with the driver's side independent suspension and the second end is combined with the passenger's side independent suspension. As each side of the vehicle's suspension moves up and down, the ends of the rigid member also move up and down. A sensor determines the average height of the rigid member and communicates that information to the ride-height control system.
US07806416B2

Cylinder head gasket with a ring-shaped metallic sealing element extending around a through-opening of the gasket, wherein, for automatic adaptation to changes in the width of the sealing gap to be sealed by the cylinder head gasket, the sealing element is of such spherical shape in cross section at its sides facing the two main surfaces of the gasket as to result in convex surfaces of the sealing element that face the main surfaces of the gasket and each have a crest, and, in the unpressed state of the gasket, these crests, in cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis of a metallic sealing strand forming the sealing element, are laterally offset from one another in the direction of a gasket plane defined by the gasket so that the spacing of planes running parallel to the gasket plane and tangentially to the convex surfaces of the sealing element varies when these convex surfaces tilt about the longitudinal center axis of the sealing strand.
US07806402B2

A bill discriminating and counting apparatus in which a plurality of bills with different sizes are filled between side hopper members and fed into a transport path by a feeding mechanism. The feeding mechanism comprises a plurality of rollers disposed in a bilaterally symmetrical state. The plurality of rollers are arranged so that, when a distance between the side hopper members is adjusted according to the longitudinal dimension of a bill with the maximum dimension in the longitudinal direction and a bill with the minimum dimension in the longitudinal direction is disposed at a position where the bill is brought into contact with one of the side hopper members, at least a part of the rollers installed on the opposite side of the side hopper member where the bill is brought into contact therewith is brought into contact with the bill. Also, the feeding mechanism comprises a guide member guiding the bill to the inlet of the transport path. The guide member comprises a guide surfaces formed so that the opening area thereof is gradually increased toward the both ends thereof, and the guide surfaces are formed so that the opening area thereof is converged to zero from the insert port toward the inlet of the transport path.
US07806390B2

A spring system in particular for bicycles includes a gas suspension spring with adjustable progression and a housing element for movably receiving the suspension piston of the gas suspension spring. The gas suspension spring includes a spring volume including a first spring chamber and at least a second spring chamber separated from one another by a partitioning member. The first spring chamber is arranged within the housing element and the second spring chamber extends internal of the housing portion consecutive to the housing element. One single adjustment element allows adjustment of both the damping system and the spring characteristics.
US07806389B2

A flexible aeration panel is described, which does not include a rigid support plate. The flexible aeration panel can comprise a first perforated, flexible sheet sealed to a second non-perforated flexible sheet at their peripheral edges, thereby defining one or more cavities that are in fluid communication with at least one gas inlet. The flexible aeration panel can be configured to produce preferably evenly spaced bubbles of gas when positioned in a liquid body. Applications include, but are not limited to, aeration of wastewater, lakes, streams, water basins and the like.
US07806387B2

A guide adapted to retain a flexible member can include a body defining an arcuate intermediate portion extending between a first end and a second end. The arcuate intermediate portion can define a generally u-shaped cross-section. The intermediate portion can define a throat adapted to slidably capture the flexible member. A mounting aperture can be defined through the first end. At least one finger can be formed on the body. The finger can extend toward the throat and is adapted to retain the flexible member within the throat.
US07806383B2

Embodiments of a valve assembly for a process chamber having improved seal performance are provided herein. In some embodiments, a valve assembly for a process chamber includes a housing having an opening disposed in a wall thereof and through which a substrate may be transferred; a door movably coupled to the housing in a plane substantially parallel to the wall of the housing for selectively sealing the opening; a compressible sealing member disposed at least partly between an upper surface of the door and a corresponding surface of the housing for forming a seal therebetween by compression of the compressible sealing member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wall when the door is in a closed position; and a mechanism for restricting the exposure of the compressible sealing member to an environment on a process chamber side of the housing.
US07806380B2

A furniture swivel of the thrust bearing type is taught herein having a top plate and bottom plate made entirely of an internally-lubricated polymer. A central top hole surface projects upwardly and integrally from the top plate, and a central top annular surface projects upwardly and integrally from the same plate wherein two flat, raised annular surfaces are integrally defined on the top inside surface of the top plate made of the polymer. The bottom plate is substantially similar to the top plate made entirely of the polymer and has a raised central bottom hole surface in face-to-face relation with the central top hole surface and a raised bottom annular surface in face-to-face relation with the top annular surface, wherein load support and low-friction rotation is maintained without overlain metal components.
US07806367B2

The invention relates to an integrated multispar torsion box structure of composite material for aircraft, comprising a lower skin (12), an upper skin (11), several spars (9), each of which comprises in turn a chord (13) and a web (14), several stringers (10) in the lower skin (12) and several stringers (10) in the upper skin (11), characterized in that the mentioned integrated torsion box structure is achieved by means of joining unitary U-shaped structural elements (15), unitary U-shaped structural elements (16) with a flap and unitary C-shaped structural elements (17) with a flap. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an integrated multispar torsion box structure of composite material for aircraft.
US07806366B2

Systems and methods for capturing and controlling post-recovery motion of an unmanned aircraft are disclosed herein. An aircraft system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, for example, can include a line capture assembly carried by an unmanned aircraft having a fuselage and a lifting surface. The line capture assembly can include a flexible support line having a first portion attached to an attachment point on the fuselage and a second portion extending from the attachment point spanwise along the lifting surface of the aircraft. The line capture assembly can also include an engagement device coupled to the second portion of the support line. The engagement device is releasably secured to the lifting surface.
US07806364B1

A containment system for a gas turbine engine comprises a force absorbing arrangement for absorbing the force exerted thereon by an ejected portion of a failed component of the engine. The force absorbing arrangement circumferentially surrounds a major proportion of the axial length of the engine.
US07806353B2

A crusher apparatus includes a crusher device having an inlet for receiving a supply of crushable bulk material, and an outlet for discharging crushed material; and a feeder device arranged to feed the supply of bulk material to the inlet of the crusher device in which the feeder device is adjustable between an operative feeding position in which the bulk material can be supplied to the inlet of the crusher device, and an inoperative position to discharge the material, without being fed to the crusher device, e.g. when undesirable material is present in the material for supply to the crusher device.
US07806350B2

A spray nozzle includes a body and a deflector. The body is aligned and connected to the deflector with a fastener. At least one pin can be used to further align the deflector relative to the body. A single mating surface is provided on each of the body and the deflector.
US07806349B2

The invention relates to a device for spraying water, provided with a seal support (21) arranged between the body (1) and the perforated sheet (23) and in contact with the above. The seal support is mounted such as to be able to be removed from the body (1) with the joint (20). The above finds application in the production of non-woven materials.
US07806343B2

The prevention of counterfeiting labels for various products is addressed by introducing counterfeit proof labels having optically concealed security safety features and clues for consumer's self identification and verification. The images of groups of questions and answers are printed in a precise serial formation, parallel to the optical center of the micro lenticule at the focal plane of a high resolution micro optic array of the label at the location in relation to the optical centers of the micro lenticule and viewing angle, so that each of the questions and answers can be read at a specific viewing angle. For identification, gently tilling the label back and forth, at different angles, each group of the question and answers will be displayed on the label. If the answers correctly match with the questions, the label is proved to be authentic; if one or more of the answers is wrong or not clear the label is a counterfeit. The label can be read under visible light source without any viewing aid.
US07806341B2

A tamper resistant, integrated circuit (IC) module includes a ceramic-based chip carrier; one or more integrated circuit chips attached to a top surface of the chip carrier; a ceramic-based cap structure attached to the top surface of the chip carrier, and covering the one or more integrated circuit chips; and a conductive grid structure embedded within the chip carrier and the cap structure, the conductive grid structure having a plurality of meandering lines disposed in an x-direction, a y-direction, and a z-direction; wherein the conductive grid structure is configured so as to detect an attempt to penetrate the IC module.
US07806318B1

An automated banking machine operates to carry out financial transfers responsive to data read form data bearing records. The machine includes a card reader that operates to read data from user cards. The card data corresponds to financial accounts. The automated banking machine further includes a cash dispenser. The machine is operative to dispense cash to an authorized user based on identifying data including card data, and to cause a financial transfer from an account corresponding to card data through communication with at least one remote computer. The machine is operative to receive a screen message from a host banking system. The screen message may include data indicating the presence of speech data in the screen message.
US07806312B2

A method and structure is disclosed for detaching a chip from a substrate that delays the delivery of shear force to the chip until the connectors attaching the chip to the substrate are soft enough that the delivery of shear force will not damage the chip's connectors. More particularly, the shear force is created by a bimetallic disk that, when heat is applied, is transformed into shearing force. The shearing force is delayed by a delaying device until the connectors connecting the chip to the substrate are soft enough that the application of shear force will separate the chip from the substrate without damaging the chip's connectors. The delaying device includes a physical gap that may be adjusted to control when the shear force is applied to the chip.
US07806302B2

A personal fluid dispenser includes a flexible container holding fluid to be dispensed. The flexible container is defined by a front wall, a rear wall, rounded shoulders joining a portion of the front wall to the rear wall, opposed rounded side walls extending from the rounded shoulders and joining additional portions of the front wall to the rear wall, a dispensing end providing access to the interior volume of the container; and a closed insertion end opposite the dispensing end and defined by first and second tapered walls meeting at a rounded apex, the insertion end joining additional portions of the front wall to the rear wall, the opposed rounded side wall also joining the first and second tapered walls along a portion thereof.
US07806297B2

The invention relates to a device comprising a mixer tube (2), whose diameter diminishes toward one end, a mixer helix (5), which is located inside the mixer tube (2), and comprising a plunger (6,7). According to the invention, the mixer helix can or should be accordingly compressed inside the mixer tube with the aid of the plunger that is inserted into the mixer tube. The device enables a largely complete dispensing of the material remaining in a static mixer helix during mixing and is suited, above all, for storing, mixing and dispensing dental materials.
US07806293B2

A shotgun shell storage and dispenser device in the form of a hollow elongated housing to hold the shotgun shells in vertical array, the housing adjusted for loading and dispensing shotgun shells through a loading end of the housing. Shotgun shells are positioned by structural elements on a rear wall of the housing and constant force springs in conjunction with a follower to urge the shotgun shells toward a loading and discharge end of the housing.
US07806292B2

A towelette dispenser is provided with an integrally molded lid. The lid has a central aperture for allowing access to a roll of towelettes maintained within a tub receiving the lid therein. The separation bar bridges the aperture, and provides a rip fence in the form of a fingered thimble that is angled with respect to the lid as a whole. The thimble is offset near one edge of the annular opening so that a user may access the back side thereof to thread an edge of the leading towelette through the thimble without having to remove the lid from the tub. A well is provided in the smaller portion of the aperture and a cap for the lid is provided with a stuffer tab to urge the leading edge of the next towelette into the well when the cap is closed. Barrier caps are also provided to seal the interior of the tub during shipment and storage before the first use of the towelette dispenser. The barrier caps have removable portions that permit access to the interior of the lid and are removable without having to remove the lid from the tub.
US07806288B2

The invention comprises a dish that can be folded to a compact size for use when camping or traveling. The dish is preferably folded along a central axis via living hinges that allow the dish to be collapsed and held in a collapsed position by snaps or other fasteners. In use, the dish is unfolded and formed into a stable position.
US07806286B2

A closure device and methods for manufacturing closure a device having a lid that is capable of alternating convex-to-concave movement and concave-to-convex movement. The lid may be mounted to a closure body, which may, for example, contain substances for attracting and exterminating pests, such as ants, other insects, snakes, and rodents. In other embodiments, the closure body may contain other substances, for example, a vaporizable air freshener. Certain embodiments may include a stake for affixing the closure body to the ground.
US07806283B2

An adjustable shelving assembly and a support structure for supporting the adjustable shelf assembly. The adjustable shelf assembly may include at least one extension shelf unit, slidably oriented with respect to a central shelf unit such that the width and/or depth of the shelf may be adjusted. The adjustable shelf assembly may be adjusted without removing the shelf from the accompanying support structure or causing the central shelf unit to be moved. The adjustable shelf assembly may also include structure for receiving advertisements, product identifiers or the like.
US07806271B1

A container for recreational or food items comprises a housing with a handle and a lid made of durable plastic and a compartment inside the housing. A portable CD player/radio and a battery compartment for rechargeable batteries are built in the housing under the compartment. The face of the CD player/radio with controls, display, and the front of a CD drawer being built onto the bottom of a front face of the housing, an AC adaptor jack and a first speaker for the CD player/radio are built into one side of the housing, a headset jack and a second speaker for the CD player/radio are built into another side of the housing.
US07806267B2

Article suitable for use as a medical device cover are disclosed. Methods of making and using the articles are also disclosed.
US07806259B2

A container for storing an article includes a base, a top, at least one upright, and an elastically deformable member. The top has an opening sized to permit an article to pass through the opening. The at least one upright extends between the base and the top. The elastically deformable member is shift able between a substantially undeformed position and a deformed position. The base, the top, the upright, and the elastically deformable member cooperate to form a storage cavity sized to store the article. The elastically deformable member and at least one of the uprights cooperate to form a gap sized to prevent passage of the article through the gap when the elastically deformable member is in the substantially undeformed position, and the size of the gap is expandable in response to deflection of the elastically deformable member to the deformed position to permit the article to pass through the gap.
US07806254B2

A belt conveyor includes at least one belt module defined by at least one drive pulley and at least one other pulley that is generally an idler pulley positioned between opposite sidewalls of the conveyor, and having a continuous belt routed around the drive pulley and the other pulley. The drive pulley is operable to drive the continuous belt around the pulleys to move articles along the zone assembly. The belt conveyor may incorporate features that allow for improved maintenance methods and reduced down time during service intervals. These features may include a removable belt module, at least one pulley mounted on at least one pivot arm, or a combination thereof. The belt may have a low modulus characteristic and may be initially stretched when the belt is reeved or routed around the pulleys and the pivot arms are moved into their operating position.
US07806249B2

The invention is related to radar system characterization. In one embodiment, a radar module characterization system comprises a target, a conveyor comprising at least one connector configured to removably couple a radar module to the conveyor and to linearly displace the radar module relative to the target, and a control system communicatively coupled to the conveyor. In another embodiment, a method comprises linearly displacing a radar module relative to a target, transmitting a signal from the radar module toward the target, and determining a characteristic of the radar module based on a reflection of the signal from the target.
US07806233B2

An access ladder for an access hole in a building includes a plurality of sections which telescope relative to each other between an extended position, where the sections define a plane and a user can climb the sections, and a retracted position where the sections are folded on each other. Several of the sections have a least one step which preferably moves between an unfolded position where the user can stand on the step when the sections are in the extended position, and a folded position when the sections are in the retracted position. Each section slides relative to another section of the plurality of sections which it is in contact in order for the sections to telescope. A method for using an access ladder attached to an end of an access hole of a building.
US07806228B2

An apparatus and method for attenuating the sound generated by a single duct terminal unit in an HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) system. The apparatus utilizes internal geometry to minimize noise due to air disturbances and aerodynamic effects within the apparatus.
US07806222B2

A collision detector for a vehicle that defines a width direction is disclosed. The collision detector includes a back plate for coupling to the vehicle. The collision detector also includes a plurality of chamber members coupled to the back plate. Each of the chamber members defines a chamber space therein. Also, the collision detector includes a pressure sensor for detecting pressure in at least one of the chamber spaces to thereby detect collision of the vehicle. The chamber members are provided across the width of the vehicle.
US07806219B2

An axle drive unit for an all-wheel drive train comprises an input element which is connectable to an input shaft, such as a cardan shafts. The input shaft extends in a longitudinal direction. The drive unit comprises a power-split device, of which the input member is connected to the input element and of which the output members are connectable to driveshafts of the axle. The axle is oriented in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction.The input member and the output members of the power-split device are mounted rotatably about axes parallel to the longitudinal direction. An angle drive is arranged in each case between the output members of the power-split device and the driveshafts.
US07806212B2

A vehicle, such as a motorcycle, includes an air intake assembly having a fixed funnel for introducing air to an intake port of an engine, and a movable funnel that selectively cooperates with the fixed funnel to introduce air to the intake port. The vehicle also includes a rotary shaft and a parallel linkage located on a first side of the movable funnel for movably supporting the movable funnel, and a drive source, such as a motor, located on a second side of the movable funnel generally opposite the first side for driving the parallel linkage. In one arrangement, the rotary shaft and parallel linkage are located on a forward side of the movable funnel and the drive source is located on the rearward side of the movable funnel.
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