US07829959B2

In a semiconductor device having line type active regions and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device, the semiconductor device includes a device isolation layer which defines the line type active regions in a in a semiconductor substrate. Gate electrodes which are parallel to each other and intersect the line type active regions are disposed over the semiconductor substrate. Here, the gate electrodes include both a device gate electrode and a recessed device isolation gate electrode. Alternatively, each of the gate electrodes is constituted of a device gate electrode and a plan type device isolation gate electrode, and a width of the plan type device isolation gate electrode greater than a width of the device gate electrode.
US07829956B2

Both a compressive-stress-applying insulating film and a tensile-stress-applying insulating film cover an N-type MIS transistor formed at an SRAM access region of a semiconductor substrate. On the other hand, a tensile-stress-applying insulating film covers an N-type MIS transistor formed at an SRAM drive region of the semiconductor substrate.
US07829952B2

A memory cell of an SRAM has two drive MISFETs and two vertical MISFETs. The p channel vertical MISFETs are formed above the n channel drive MISFETs. The vertical MISFETs respectively mainly include a laminate formed of a lower semiconductor layer, intermediate semiconductor layer and upper semiconductor layer laminated in this sequence, a gate insulating film of silicon oxide formed on the surface of the side wall of the laminate, and a gate electrode formed so as to cover the side wall of the laminate. The vertical MISFETs are perfect depletion type MISFETs.
US07829950B2

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory has a semiconductor substrate, a first insulating film formed on a channel region on a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate, a charge accumulating layer formed on the first insulating film, a second insulating film formed on the charge accumulating layer, a control gate electrode formed on the second insulating film, and a third insulating film including an Si—N bond that is formed on a bottom surface and side surfaces of the charge accumulating layer.
US07829947B2

Lateral DMOS devices having improved drain contact structures and methods for making the devices are disclosed. A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; an epitaxial layer on top of the substrate; a drift region at a top surface of the epitaxial layer; a source region at a top surface of the epitaxial layer; a channel region between the source and drift regions; a gate positioned over a gate dielectric on top of the channel region; and a drain contact trench that electrically connects the drift layer and substrate. The contact trench includes a trench formed vertically from the drift region, through the epitaxial layer to the substrate and filled with an electrically conductive drain plug; electrically insulating spacers along sidewalls of the trench; and an electrically conductive drain strap on top of the drain contact trench that electrically connects the drain contact trench to the drift region.
US07829945B2

A gate stack comprising a uniform thickness gate dielectric, a gate electrode, and an oxygen-diffusion-resistant gate cap is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Thermal oxidation is performed only on the drain side of the gate electrode, while the source side is protected from thermal oxidation. A thermal oxide on the drain side sidewall of the gate electrode is integrally formed with a graded thickness silicon oxide containing gate dielectric, of which the thickness monotonically increases from the source side to the drain side. The thickness profile may be self-aligned to the drain side edge of the gate electrode, or may have a portion with a self-limiting thickness. The graded thickness profile may be advantageously used to form a lateral diffusion metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor providing an enhanced performance.
US07829939B1

A metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor structure and a method for fabricating the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor structure provide for a halo region that is physically separated from a gate dielectric. The structure and the method also provide for a halo region aperture formed horizontally and crystallographically specifically within a channel region pedestal within the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor structure. The halo region aperture is filled with a halo region formed using an epitaxial method, thus the halo region may be formed physically separated from the gate dielectric. As a result, performance of the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is enhanced.
US07829937B2

A semiconductor memory device performing an erase operation using an erase gate and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The memory device may include a charge trap layer storing a first charge transfer medium having a first polarity and at least one erase gate. The at least one erase gate may be formed below the charge trap layer. A second charge transfer medium, which has a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, may be stored in the at least one erase gate. During the erase operation, the second charge transfer medium migrates to the charge trap layer causing the first charge transfer medium to combine with the second charge transfer medium.
US07829936B2

Methods of forming a memory cell containing two split sub-lithographic charge storage nodes on a semiconductor substrate are provided. The methods can involve forming two split sub-lithographic charge storage nodes by using spacer formation techniques. By removing exposed portions of a first poly layer while leaving portions of the first poly layer protected by the spacers, the method can provide two split sub-lithographic first poly gates. Further, by removing exposed portions of a charge storage layer while leaving portions of the charge storage layer protected by the two split sub-lithographic first poly gates, the method can provide two split, narrow portions of the charge storage layer, which subsequently form two split sub-lithographic charge storage nodes.
US07829928B2

A semiconductor structure of a high side driver and method for manufacturing the same is disclosed. The semiconductor of a high side driver includes an ion-doped junction and an isolation layer formed on the ion-doped junction. The ion-doped junction has a number of ion-doped deep wells, and the ion-doped deep wells are separated but partially linked with each other.
US07829923B2

In a particular embodiment, a method of forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device includes applying a dielectric layer to a surface, applying a metal layer to the dielectric layer, and adding a cap layer on the dielectric layer. The method also includes forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack such that an electrode of the MTJ stack is disposed on the metal layer and the cap layer contacts a side portion of the metal layer. An adjustable depth to via may connect a top electrode of the MTJ stack to a top metal.
US07829919B2

A semiconductor device which can prevent peeling off of a gate electrode is provided. The semiconductor device has GaN buffer layer 12 formed on substrate 11, undoped AlGaN layer 13 formed on this buffer layer 12, drain electrode 16 and source electrode 17 formed separately on undoped AlGaN layer 13, which form ohmic junctions with undoped AlGaN layer 13. Between drain electrode 16 and source electrode 17, insulating layer 20 which has opening 19 is formed, and metal film 21 is formed on a surface of insulating layer 2. Gate electrode 18 which forms a Schottky barrier junction with undoped AlGaN layer 13 is formed in opening 19, and gate electrode 18 adheres to metal film 21.
US07829915B2

The present invention changes layer polarities of an epitaxy structure of an avalanche photodiode into n-i-n-i-p. A transport layer is deposed above an absorption layer to prevent absorbing photon and producing electrons and holes. A major part of electric field is concentrated on a multiplication layer for producing avalanche and a minor part of the electric field is left on the absorption layer for transferring carrier without avalanche. Thus, bandwidth limit from a conflict between RC bandwidth and carrier transferring time is relieved. Meanwhile, active area is enlarged and alignment error is improved without sacrificing component velocity too much.
US07829912B2

Semiconductor devices such as VCSELs, SELs, LEDs, and HBTs are manufactured to have a wide bandgap material near a narrow bandgap material. Electron injection is improved by an intermediate structure positioned between the wide bandgap material and the narrow bandgap material. The intermediate structure is an inflection, such as a plateau, in the ramping of the composition between the wide bandgap material and the narrow bandgap material. The intermediate structure is highly doped and has a composition with a desired low electron affinity. The injection structure can be used on the p-side of a device with a p-doped intermediate structure at high hole affinity.
US07829900B2

A nitride-based semiconductor element having superior mass productivity and excellent element characteristics is obtained. This nitride-based semiconductor element comprises a substrate comprising a surface having projection portions, a mask layer formed to be in contact with only the projection portions of the surface of the substrate, a first nitride-based semiconductor layer formed on recess portions of the substrate and the mask layer and a nitride-based semiconductor element layer, formed on the first nitride-based semiconductor layer, having an element region. Thus, the first nitride-based semiconductor layer having low dislocation density is readily formed on the projection portions of the substrate and the mask layer through the mask layer serving for selective growth. When the nitride-based semiconductor element layer having the element region is grown on the first nitride-based semiconductor layer having low dislocation density, a nitride-based semiconductor element having excellent element characteristics can be readily obtained. The first nitride-based semiconductor layer is formed through only single growth on the substrate, whereby a nitride-based semiconductor element having excellent mass productivity is obtained.
US07829895B2

The pixel structure and the repairing method of the TFT array substrate are provided. The pixel has a semiconductor electrode which is partially overlapped with a floating metal located in the first conductive layer. Both the data line and the drain electrode have protruded regions partially overlapped with the semiconductor electrode and the floating metal. Once the pixel is found to be a white defect, a laser beam is used to irradiate the protruded region of the data line to electrically connect the data line and the floating metal and so as to form a diode structure having the rectified effect. Consequently, after the laser repair, the pixel defect will display as the non-flicked white point and black point in the white-picture inspection and the black-picture inspection respectively.
US07829880B2

A quantum dot semiconductor device includes an active layer having a plurality of quantum dot layers each including a composite quantum dot formed by stacking a plurality of quantum dots and a side barrier layer formed in contact with a side face of the composite quantum dot. The stack number of the quantum dots and the magnitude of strain of the side barrier layer from which each of the quantum dot layers is formed are set so that a gain spectrum of the active layer has a flat gain bandwidth corresponding to a shift amount of the gain spectrum within a desired operation temperature range.
US07829879B2

An integrated circuit includes a first contact, a second contact, and a U-shaped access device coupled to the first contact and the second contact. The integrated circuit includes self-aligned dielectric material isolating the first contact from the second contact.
US07829864B2

A grid structure and method for manufacturing the same. The grid is used for gating a stream of charged particles in certain types of particle measurement instruments, such as ion mobility spectrometers and the like. The methods include various microfabrication techniques for etching and/or depositing grid structure materials on a silicon substrate.
US07829854B2

A thermal imaging device including: a substrate; and an array of thermally tunable pixel elements for generating a thermal image, each thermally tunable pixel element including: a plurality of thermally tunable filter islands, each of which has a thermally tunable optical filter, wherein each of the plurality of tunable filter islands within that pixel element is thermally isolated from the other tunable filter islands within that tunable pixel element; an absorption structure for absorbing incident optical thermal energy; and a mechanical structure supporting the plurality of tunable filter islands and the absorption structure on the substrate.
US07829853B2

A surface of a sample is observed by acquiring an image of the surface of the sample. An electron beam I irradiated onto the surface of the sample in which wiring including an insulation material and an electrically conductive material is formed. Electrons that acquired structure information regarding a structure of the surface of the sample are detected. An image of the surface of the sample is acquired by a result of the detection of electrons. The surface of the sample is observed using the acquired image of the surface of the sample. The electron beam is irradiated onto the surface of the sample in a state where a brightness of the insulation material and a brightness of the electrically conductive material in the image of the surface of the sample are set equal to each other.
US07829851B2

A method and apparatus for identification of activating ions by collisions is described. The method uses a plurality of linear ion taps and a plurality of sources of ions and a mass measuring device. A first source is operated to dispense first ions into first trap, where the ions may be kinetically cooled. A second source is operated to dispense second ions into the first trap, where the first and the second ions are stored. Ions in the first trap are ejected so as to enter a second trap, where the ions are stored prior to mass spectrometry. The apparatus may use quadrupole rods to form the ion traps, and the voltage and pressure differences between the first and second traps are controllable values.
US07829850B2

Systems and methods of the invention include a branched radio frequency multipole configured to act, for example, as an ion guide. The branched radio frequency multipole comprises multiple ion channels through which ions can be alternatively directed. The branched radio frequency multipole is configured to control which of the multiple ion channels ions are directed, through the application of appropriate potentials.
US07829848B2

A gas monitoring apparatus includes a sample introducing portion, a measurement portion, an ionization portion, a mass analysis portion, a data processing portion and a display. The sample introducing portion introduces a sample gas including an object material to be measured. The measurement portion measures a concentration of a predetermined coexisting material, which coexists with the object material in the sample gas. The ionization portion ionizes the sample gas. The mass analysis portion analyzes mass of an ion produced by the ionization portion. The data processing portion analyzes signals detected by the mass analysis portion to calculate a concentration of the object material. And the display displays results of analysis conducted by the data processing portion. The data processing portion includes an adjustment portion which adjusts the concentration of the object material according to the concentration of the predetermined coexisting material.
US07829839B2

An optical tweezers lifting apparatus is provided. The optical tweezers lifting apparatus includes an optical tweezers and a particle-lifting device. The particle-lifting device includes a substrate and a plurality of electrodes that are disposed on the bottom of a flow path in the substrate. When a dielectrophoresis (DEP) solution with a plurality of floating particles is conducted into the flow path and upon those electrodes and a voltage is applied to these electrodes, these particles would be driven by a negative DEP force to move upward to a specific depth in the flow path. Meanwhile, the optical tweezers of the apparatus is selectively focused at the specific depth in the flow path.
US07829835B2

Disclosed is a projection type image display apparatus including a projection section to output a projection light in which an image is attached through a projector lens and a photographing section to photograph a projected image projected by the projection section through a photographing lens, and the projected image which is projected on a screen by the projection section is obtained by the photographing section and a focus of the projected image is adjusted based on a photographing result of the image obtained by the photographing section, and the projector lens and the photographing lens are movable in a direction to change the focus of the projected image or a focus of the photographed image by a same drive section.
US07829817B2

In a basic variant of a soldering device whereby a laser device is used for melting solder material (3), a protective device is provided which protects the laser lens system (22) from suctioned liquid solder material. Protection of the laser lens system can be achieved by a transverse flow from an inlet channel (23) into an outlet channel (24) and/or by a diaphragm (39) arranged in front of the laser lens system.
US07829816B2

Plasma arc torches described herein include a torch tip with an improved nozzle that provides angular shield flow injection. In particular, the nozzle provides angular/conical impingement of a fluid (e.g., a shield gas) on an ionized plasma gas flowing through a plasma arc torch. Some of the torch tips described herein include a nozzle with a conical external shape combined with a shield with complementing internal geometry to form the angular fluid flow. As a result, a plasma arc torch including the improved nozzle have the benefits of a stabilized ionized plasma gas flow together with enhanced nozzle cooling and protection from reflecting slag during torch use.
US07829810B2

The present invention provides a pushbutton switch cover sheet formed by using a thin metal plate, in which damage or deformation, such as bending or denting, of the thin metal plate is prevented, thereby making it possible to continuously maintain a satisfactory design. The pushbutton switch cover sheet comprising: a plurality of display portions; a plurality of depressing-operation portions for effecting key input on the display portions, respectively; a base sheet formed of a rubber-like elastic material; and a thin metal plate provided on the base sheet, wherein a reinforcing member formed of a polymeric material is provided for each depressing-operation portion so as to be adjacent to the thin metal plate in a direction of a thickness of the thin metal plate.
US07829805B2

A shifting device for a motor vehicle is provided with a bracket (3), with a selector lever (7) mounted at the bracket (3) pivotably via a joint (12) and with an angle-measuring device having a signal transmitter (13) and two sensors (14, 15). The angle-measuring device is arranged in the joint (12) and is electrically connected to a control means (19) connected to a motor vehicle transmission (21).
US07829797B2

A raceway system routes power and communication cabling in separate channels but terminates the power and communication cabling in a common center channel. The raceway system includes a base, outer walls and inner walls, one of the outer walls and one of the inner walls define a first outer channel, adjacent inner walls define a center channel and one of the outer walls and one of the inner walls define a second outer channel. The raceway system also includes a plurality of covers connected to the inner and outer walls to cover the channels.
US07829789B2

A power feeding apparatus includes: a wire harness which includes a first portion, a second portion, and a bended portion connected to the first portion and the second portion, the bended portion has a substantially U-shape; a first protector which supports the first portion; and a second protector which supports the second portion. The second protector includes a guide portion having an opening. The guide portion receives the second portion so as to lead-out the second portion from the opening.
US07829787B2

A telecommunications system including a frame to which telecommunications equipment is mounted. Fiber cables exiting the equipment are routed upward along each of the right and left sides of the frame. The fiber cables routed along the right and left sides merge within a horizontal trough section of a cable exit assembly. The cable exit assembly is located adjacent to the top of the frame and defines a single common exit point at which the merged fiber cables exit the frame.
US07829779B2

An electronic music apparatus has a tone generator section that generates tone signals based on at least one of performance operation or automatic performance data. The generated tone signals are recorded by a recording section for a predetermined time. When tone signals to be generated by the tone generator section on the basis of automatic performance data requiring copyright protection, recording by the recording section is temporarily stopped. Then, upon completion of the generation of the tone signals based on the automatic performance data requiring copyright protection, recording by the recording section is automatically resumed. Alternatively, for a period from the start to end of the generation of the tone signals based on automatic performance data requiring copyright protection, the recording section is inhibited from recording the tone signals based on the automatic performance data requiring copyright protection.
US07829776B2

A water music device is provided. In one embodiment, the device permits a child to play a song wherein the different tones of the song are generated by tubes filled to different levels using any liquid, such as water. In another embodiment, the water music device may be one or more water drum devices.
US07829769B1

An inbred corn line, designated XHH12, the plants and seeds of the inbred corn line XHH12, methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred corn line XHH12 with itself or with another corn plant, and hybrid corn seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line XHH12 with another corn line or plant and to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic corn plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line XHH12, to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line XHH12 and to the inbred corn lines derived by the use of those methods.
US07829767B2

The invention relates to the novel cotton variety designated 04Q035. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants, plant parts and derivatives of the cotton variety 04Q035. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the cotton variety 04Q035 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing cotton plants by crossing the cotton variety 04Q035 with itself or another cotton variety and plants produced by such methods.
US07829760B2

Compositions and methods for modulating MIOX activity are provided. Such compositions include nucleotide sequences for novel MIOX sequences obtained from maize, amino acid sequences for the proteins encoded by the nucleotide sequences of the invention, and variants and fragments thereof. Methods of the invention involve introducing into a plant a nucleotide construct comprising a MIOX nucleotide sequence operably linked to a promoter that drives expression in a plant. Expression of the novel nucleotide sequences disclosed herein confers advantageous agronomic properties on a plant. Transformed plants, plant cells, and seeds are additionally provided.
US07829753B2

Catalytic system for partial oxidation reactions of hydrocarbons characterized in that it contains: one or more metals belonging to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd transition series; one or more elements of group IIIA, IVA or VA, wherein at least one of said metals or said elements is in the form of a nitride.
US07829740B2

A process for producing lactic acid according to the invention is characterized in that glycerin is subjected to a hydrothermal reaction under an alkaline condition at a temperature in the range of 150 to 400° C. and under pressure equal to or more than the saturated vapor pressure at the temperature. The glycerin produced from plant fats, animal fats or the like or pure product synthesized chemically or a discharge containing glycerin generated at the production of diesel fuel oil from fats, in which the fats are subjected to a transesterification with alcohol in the presence of an alkali catalyst in order to obtain fatty acid ester is preferably used as a starting material.
US07829714B2

The present invention relates to compounds useful for measuring aromatase activity. The invention further provides methods for measuring aromatase activity and for screening test agents which modulate aromatase activity. A kit is also provided for use in such screening methods.
US07829690B2

Non-coding regulatory element polynucleotide molecules isolated from a nopaline synthase gene and vitopine synthase gene of Agrobacterium vitis are useful for expressing transgenes in plants.
US07829688B2

The present invention relates to peptides of CaV2.2 and their use in the treatment of pain. The sequence of the peptides is derived from the C-terminus of CaV2.2. and is believed to inhibit the interaction of CaV2.2 with Mint1-PDZ1. The invention is related to use of this peptide to treat pain and to use of this peptide in binding reaction with int-PDZ to screen for small molecules that can inhibit pain.
US07829685B2

Reagents which regulate human RC Kinase activity and reagents which bind to human RC Kinase gene products can be used to regulate this protein for therapeutic effects. Such regulation is particularly useful for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, cancer, and diseases in which cell signaling is defective.
US07829680B1

The present invention is a method for protein isolation as a co-product of alcohol production. The method includes receiving grain product at a holding receptacle, the grain product being at least one of whole stillage, dried distillers grain, and wet distillers grain. The method further includes directing the grain product from the holding receptacle over a plurality of screens, thereby allowing a fiber-containing portion of the grain product to be collected on the plurality of screens and further allowing a protein-containing portion of the grain product and an oil-containing portion of the grain product to pass through the plurality of screens. The method further includes directing the protein-containing portion and the oil-containing portion over a finishing screen, thereby allowing remaining fiber fractions from the protein-containing portion and the oil-containing portion to be collected on the finishing screen and further allowing the protein-containing portion and the oil-containing portion to pass through the finishing screen. Further, the method includes centrifuging the protein-containing portion and the oil-containing portion for isolating a protein fraction, an oil fraction, and a water and minerals fraction.
US07829672B2

A novel tetrodotoxin resistant sodium channel is described, along with isolated nucleotides that encode this receptor. Methods for identifying agents that modulate the Na+ current through the receptor are provided, as well as related therapeutic and diagnostic methods.
US07829671B2

An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a human DNA repair enzyme, MED1, is disclosed. Like other mismatch repair genes which are mutated in certain cancers, MED1, encoding nucleic acids, proteins and antibodies thereto may be used to advantage in genetic or cancer screening assays. MED1, which recognizes and cleaves DNA, may also be used for the diagnostic detection of mutations and genetic variants.
US07829668B2

The present invention provides methods to produce immunotoxins (ITs) and cytokines with a reduced ability to promote vascular leak syndrome (VLS). The invention also provides ITs and cytokines which have been mutated to lack amino acid sequences which induce VLS. Also disclosed are methods for producing peptides that inhibit the induction of VLS by ITs and cytokines. Also disclosed are peptides comprising the (x)D(y) sequence to promote the extravasation of other molecules. Toxins mutated in the (x)D(y) motif or active site residues are disclosed for used in vaccines.
US07829666B2

Derivatives of Maurotoxin (MTX) in which the native disulfide bridge pattern (Cys3-Cys24, Cys9-Cys29, Cys19, Cys31-Cys34) has been disrupted are useful for the treatment of pathologies associated with dysfunctioning and/or activation of Ca2+-activated and/or voltage-gated K+ channel subtypes, such as IKCa1 or Kv1.2. In one group of derivatives, one or two of the amino acid residues of maurotoxin have been replaced by different amino acid residues resulting in the disulfide bridge pattern being changed to Cys3-Cys24, Cys9-Cys29, Cys13-Cys31, Cys19-Cys34. Exemplary substitutions include the Arg residue at position 14 and/or the Lys residue at position 15 replaced by a Gln residue and the Gly residue at position 33 replaced by an Ala residue. Pi1 and HsTx1 derivatives with disrupted native disulfide bridge patterns are similarly useful.
US07829664B2

An isolated chimeric GLP-1 nucleic acid sequence encoding a human pro-insulin leader, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and a furin cleavable site between the human pro-insulin leader sequence and the GLP-1 is provided. Also provided is an isolated modified chimeric GLP-1 nucleic acid sequence encoding a human pro-insulin leader, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and a furin cleavable site between the human pro-insulin leader sequence and the GLP-1. Recombinant expression vectors comprising the chimeric GLP-1 nucleic acid sequences, which produce GLP-1 constitutively are provided, as are human cells transfected with such an expression vector in combination with an expression vector comprising a proinsulin nucleic acid sequence and an expression vector comprising a furin and a glucose-regulatable TGF-alpha promoter. Methods of producing human GLP-1 constitutively are provided as are method of producing GLP-1 and insulin or in a glucose-dependent manner using such transfected cells. Methods of treating a subject having Type II diabetes and methods of treating a subject prone to hyperglycemia or suffering from hyperglycemia are provided in which transfected cells produce human GLP-1 and insulin in a glucose-dependent manner. Also provided are methods of reducing weight in a subject by implanting into the subject transfected cells which produce human GLP-1 and insulin in a glucose-dependent manner.
US07829659B2

The invention provides compositions and methods of identifying, modifying and producing modified target molecules, including therapeutic molecules by modification with non-natural amino acids. Certain aspects of the invention include methods of adding a chemical moiety to a target molecule, and the compositions resulting therefrom. Certain aspects of the invention also relate to kits for identifying, modifying and producing modified target molecules described herein.
US07829658B2

The invention relates to novel mono-, oligo- and polymeric compounds comprising thienothiazole groups, to their use as semiconductors or charge transport materials, in optical, electro-optical or electronic devices, and to optical, electro-optical or electronic devices comprising the novel compounds.
US07829657B2

Disclosed is a composition for the delivery of nucleic acid to target cells or tissues, which comprises a polycationically charged polymer as a carrier of nucleic acid. The polycationically charged polymer is a polymer which may comprise a charged polymer segment having a main chain based on poly(amino acid), polysaccharide, polyester, polyether, polyurethane or vinyl polymer and having, as a side chain, a group of formula —NH—(CH2)a—(NH(CH2)2)e—NH2 (wherein a and e independently denote an integer of 1 to 5) which is connected to the main chain either directly or via a linker. The disclosed composition has low toxicity, and has a high efficiency in introducing nucleic acid into cells.
US07829652B2

A composition including a polyarylether copolymer is provided. The copolymer includes a polyarylether backbone; and a sulfonated oligomeric group bonded to the polyarylether suitable for use as a cation conducting membrane. Method of bonding a sulfonated oligomeric group to the polyarylether backbone to form a polyarylether copolymer. The membrane may be formed from the polyarylether copolymer composition. The chain length of the sulfonated oligomeric group may be controlled to affect or control the ion conductivity of the membrane.
US07829642B2

3,4-isoprene-based polymer having high isotacticity can be produced by polymerizing an isoprene compound using a complex represented by the general formula (A) and a catalyst activator: wherein R1 and R2 independently represent an alkyl group, a cyclohexyl group, an aryl group or an aralkyl group; R3 represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, an aliphatic, aromatic or cyclic amino group, a phosphino group, a boryl group, an alkylthio or arylthio group, or an alkoxy or aryloxy group; M represents a rare earth element selected from Sc, Y, and La to Lu with promethium (Pm) excluded; Q1 and Q2 independently represent a monoanionic ligand; L represents a neutral Lewis base; and w represents an integer of 0 to 3.
US07829640B2

A process for producing polymer and more particularly adhesive using a recirculating loop reactor. In one embodiment the reactor includes one or more mixers to mix feed stock with the polymerized material recirculating in the reactor. In another embodiment a planetary roller extruder (PRE) may be used for this purpose. In still another embodiment, a combination of one or more static mixers and one or more PREs may be used.
US07829638B2

Hardmask compositions having antireflective properties useful in lithographic processes, methods of using the same, and semiconductor devices fabricated by such methods, are provided.
US07829628B2

Color concentrates for thermoplastic biofiber composites are disclosed. The concentrates employ three factors to achieve concentrated delivery of color to the processing machine and excellent and substantially uniform dispersion of color in the processing machine: melt flow of the concentrate exceeding at least 4 g/10 min. using ASTM D-1238; pellet size of the concentrate such that at least 50 pellets weigh less than one gram; and weight percent of the colorant ingredients in the concentrate exceeding at least 30 weight percent.
US07829625B2

A process for fabricating an electronic device including: depositing a layer comprising a semiconductor; liquid depositing a dielectric composition comprising a lower-k dielectric material, a higher-k dielectric material, and a liquid, wherein the lower-k dielectric material and the higher-k dielectric material are not phase separated prior to the liquid depositing; and causing phase separation of the lower-k dielectric material and the higher-k dielectric material to form a phase-separated dielectric structure wherein the lower-k dielectric material is in a higher concentration than the higher-k dielectric material in a region of the dielectric structure closest to the layer comprising the semiconductor, wherein the depositing the layer comprising the semiconductor is prior to the liquid depositing the dielectric composition or subsequent to the causing phase separation.
US07829622B2

Methods of forming carbon nanotube-polymer composites comprising single-walled carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotube-polymer composites comprise highly dispersed carbon nanotubes having high melt elasticity and high conductivity.
US07829611B2

A curable binder composition comprising an emulsion polymer, an extender and a hydryoxyamide.
US07829606B2

High durable polarized film comprising a radiation curable PSA layer for lamination in TFT/LCD applications have high humidity and heat resistance. In one embodiment, the adhesive comprises a UV curable acrylic polymer, a compatible tackifier, a multifunction unsaturated oligomer, and a long chain alkyl acrylate monomer.
US07829604B2

The invention provides a golf ball composed of a hot-molded material obtained by vulcanizing a rubber composition made primarily of a base rubber and an unsaturated carboxylic acid or salt thereof, wherein the rubber composition additionally includes a vulcanized rubber powder from which soluble ingredients have been removed by liquid washing. The golf ball of the invention is able to increase the hardness (deflection) of the core and has an excellent durability, in addition to which it effectively re-uses vulcanized rubber powder that is a waste material and so is industrially beneficial by lowering manufacturing costs and reducing the burden on the environment.
US07829599B2

Methods of making emulsions comprising: adding an emulsifying agent comprising glucoside alkyl urethanes of formula: A(O—CO—NH—R)S, wherein A represents a glucosyl unit having a Dextrose Equivalent (D.E.) ranging from 1 to 47, and wherein R represents a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group containing from 3 to 22 carbon atoms, and s is the degree of substitution (DS) ranging from about 0.01 to about 2.0; to an aqueous based liquid and a dispersed product; followed by mixing to create a stable dispersion. The glucoside alkyl urethanes present properties of thermal and chemical stability with biodegradability and free of phosphor/phosphates. The glucoside alkyl urethanes are suitable as surfactants for use in household and industrial applications, e.g., as detergents, emulsifiers, emulsion stabilizers, foaming agents, foam stabilizers, dispersants and wetting agents.
US07829597B2

The present invention is directed to compounds of formula (I) which are inhibitors of the beta-secretase enzyme and that are useful in the treatment of diseases in which the beta-secretase enzyme is involved, such as Alzheimer's disease. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the treatment of such diseases in which the beta-secretase enzyme is involved.
US07829591B2

Each of an antioxidant, an antimicrobial agent, an antitumor agent, a food and beverage product, cosmetics, a quasi-drug and a pharmaceutical of the present invention contains a new flavanone compound represented by the following structural formula: Alternatively, each of an antioxidant, an antimicrobial agent, an antitumor agent, a food and beverage product, cosmetics, a quasi-drug and a pharmaceutical of the present invention contains at least one flavanone compound selected from the group consisting of nymphaeol-A, nymphaeol-B, and nymphaeol-C.
US07829590B2

The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of protein kinase, represented by structural formula I: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein values of the variables of structural formula are as described in the specification and claims. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising the compounds or salts, and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disease, conditions, or disorders. The invention also provides processes for preparing compounds of the inventions.
US07829584B2

The present invention describes compounds of Formula I: wherein W, X, Y, Z, and Q are defined herein, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, for the prophylaxis, or treatment of diseases and conditions related to thrombin activity in a mammal.
US07829583B2

This invention provides biphenyl derivatives of formula I: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, W, a, b and c are as defined in the specification, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate or stereoisomer thereof. The biphenyl derivatives of this invention possess both β2 adrenergic receptor agonist and muscarinic receptor antagonist activity and therefore, such biphenyl derivatives are useful for treating pulmonary disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.
US07829575B2

One embodiment is directed toward a method for treating an individual with a disorder affected by androgen receptor activity. This method includes administering a therapeutic amount of DL3 (6-amino-2-(2-4-tert-butyl-phenoxy)-ethylsulfanyl)-1H-pyrimidin-4-one) to the individual. In an additional embodiment, the disorder affected by androgen receptor activity includes cancer. Another embodiment is directed toward a method for treating an individual with prostate cancer. This method includes administering to the individual a therapeutic amount of an androgen receptor antagonist which reduces the production of prostate specific antigen and has only negligible androgen receptor agonist effects.
US07829571B2

The present application describes modulators of MCP-1 of formula (I): or pharmaceutically acceptable salt forms thereof, useful for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis and asthma.
US07829570B2

The present application is directed to compounds of the formula (I) wherein the substituents are as defined herein, which are useful as kinase inhibitors.
US07829566B2

Quinazolines of the formula I in which R, R1, R2, R3, R4 and Y have the meaning indicated in Patent Claim 1, and their salts or solvates as glycoprotein IbIX antagonists.
US07829560B2

1,4 disubstituted napthylenes, of formula (I), are disclosed. These compounds may be useful in treating cell-proliferative diseases.
US07829558B2

The present invention provides novel fused ring heterocycle kinase modulators and methods of using the novel fused ring heterocycle kinase modulators to treat diseases mediated by kinase activity.
US07829557B2

The present invention provides 2-heterosubstituted 3-aryl-4H-benzopyran-4-one compounds for the treatment of cancers, namely breast cancer. This invention further provides a method of synthesis of 2-(alkylthio)isoflavones that can be carried out at ambient conditions. This invention further provides a method of synthesis of the 2-heterosubstituted 3-aryl-4H-benzopyran-4-one from a 2-(alkylthio)isoflavone. The invention further provides methods of using the 2-heterosubstituted 3-aryl-4H-benzopyran-4-one compounds for the treatment of breast cancer in mammals.
US07829555B1

The invention provides a method of targeting a drug to areas of hypoxic and/or ischemic tissue within the body in which the desired drug species is linked to a non-cytotoxic bioreductive carrier. Also provided by the invention are novel bioreductive conjugates comprising a non-cytotoxic bioreductive moiety with linked-thereto at least one therapeutic agent. The compounds of the invention are particularly suitable for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritic conditions, diabetes, atherosclerosis, stroke, sepsis, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders, cancer, kidney disease, digestive diseases, liver disease, chronic periodontitis or ischemia following tissue transplantation.
US07829549B2

Methods for treating bleeding disorders using non-anticoagulant sulfated polysaccharides (NASPs) as procoagulants are disclosed. NASPs can be administered as single agents, or in combination with one another, or with other medications (such as factors VII, VIII and IX) to promote hemostasis. In particular, the use of NASPs in treatment of bleeding disorders, including congenital coagulation disorders, acquired coagulation disorders, and trauma induced hemorrhagic conditions is described.
US07829546B2

A method for immobilizing a self-organizing material or fine particles on a substrate, and a substrate whereupon the self-organizing material or the fine particles are immobilized. More specifically, the method for immobilizing the fine particles including a nucleic acid (for instance, DNA or RNA) or a metal oxide on the substrate, and the substrate whereupon the nucleic acid (for example, DNA or RNA) or the metal oxide is immobilized.
US07829541B2

Novel compositions and formulations are disclosed that have use as toxicity-reducing agents for various chemotherapeutic agents and as treatment for certain diseases and conditions. The compositions of matter are amino acid and peptide heteroconjugated disulfides of 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate sodium.
US07829539B2

Novel compositions and formulations are disclosed that have use as toxicity-reducing agents for various chemotherapeutic agents and as treatment for certain diseases and conditions. The compositions of matter are amino acid and peptide heteroconjugated disulfides of 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate sodium.
US07829531B2

Drug-Linker-Ligand Conjugates are disclosed in which a Drug is linked to a Ligand via a peptide-based Linker unit. In one embodiment, the Ligand is an Antibody. Drug-Linker compounds and Drug compounds are also disclosed. Methods for treating cancer, an autoimmune disease or an infectious disease using the compounds and compositions of the invention are also disclosed.
US07829514B2

The disclosure relates to novel detergent and conditioning compositions comprising, in a cosmetically acceptable aqueous medium, (A) at least one anionic surfactant comprising at least one group chosen from sulfate, sulfonate and phosphate, (B) at least one carboxylic anionic surfactant other than the at least one anionic surfactant of (A), (C) at least one amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant, (D) at least one alkylpolyglycoside nonionic surfactant, (E) at least one cationic polymer with a cationic charge density of greater than or equal to 4 meq./g, and (F) at least one beneficial agent other than the at least one cationic polymer of (E), wherein the sulfate, sulfonate or phosphate anionic surfactant/amphoteric surfactant weight ratio is in a range from 0.1 to 2. Also disclosed are uses of said composition for cleansing and caring for the hair or the skin.
US07829511B2

A stabilized lubricant composition is disclosed that comprises lubricating oil and a mixture of (a) at least one organophosphite compound and (b) at least one aromatic secondary amine or one substituted phenol or mixtures thereof. The compositions have been found to be highly resistant to oxidation under demanding service conditions and to be useful as turbine lubricants.
US07829510B2

A composition for treating solid materials is disclosed, where the treating compositions coats surfaces or portions of surfaces of the solid materials changing an aggregation or agglomeration propensity of the materials. Treated solid materials are also disclosed. The methods and treated materials are ideally suited for oil field applications.
US07829508B2

The invention provides a method for treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of formulating a treatment fluid and introducing the treatment fluid through the wellbore. The treatment fluid comprises water; diutan; and a sufficient amount of salt to increase the density of the treatment fluid to at least 8.5 lb/gal, wherein at least 50% by weight of the salt is selected from the group consisting of: bromide salts, non-bromide salts having a higher salting-in effect than bromide according to the Hofmeister series as measured by the salt's effect on the cloud point of poly(ethylene oxide) that has a molecular weight of 4×106, and any combination in any proportion thereof. The invention also provides a treatment fluid for use in a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, the treatment fluid comprising: water; diutan; and a sufficient amount of salt to increase the density of the treatment fluid to at least 8.5 lb/gal, wherein at least 50% by weight of the salt is selected from the group consisting of: bromide salts, non-bromide salts having a higher salting-in effect than bromide according to the Hofmeister series as measured by the salt's effect on the cloud point of poly(ethylene oxide) that has a molecular weight of 4.106, and any combination in any proportion thereof.
US07829505B2

Disclosed herein is a method for the preparation of oligonucleotide microarrays obviating the drawbacks to an extent, such as time consuming complex chemical reactions, preparation of modified supports/oligomer modifying reagents, use of activating/condensing reagent, low signal to noise ratio, poor immobilization and hybridization efficiencies, etc. Further, the prepared arrays can be used to detect single or multiple nucleotide mismatches using hybridization assay.
US07829504B2

Peptides have been generated that have binding affinity to carbon nanostructures and particularly carbon nanotubes. Peptides of or the invention are generally about twelve amino acids in length. Methods for generating carbon nanotube binding peptides are also disclosed.
US07829503B2

The present invention relates to a method for screening and identifying compounds that modulate the activity of a fungal tRNA splicing endonuclease. In particular, the invention provides assays for the identification of compounds that inhibit or reduce the activity of a fungal tRNA splicing endonuclease. The methods of the present invention provide a simple, sensitive assay for high-throughput screening of libraries of compounds to identify pharmaceutical leads useful for preventing, treating, managing and/or ameliorating a fungal infection or fungal infestation or one or more symptoms thereof.
US07829501B2

Conventional many fungicidal compositions have had practical problems such that either a preventive effect or a curing effect is inadequate, the residual effect tends to be inadequate, or the controlling effect against plant diseases tends to be inadequate depending upon the application site, and a fungicidal composition to overcome such problems has been desired. The present invention provides a fungicidal composition containing an acid amide derivative of the formula (I) or a salt thereof, as an active ingredient: wherein A is phenyl which may be substituted, benzyl which may be substituted, naphthyl which may be substituted, heterocyclic ring which may be substituted, fused heterocyclic ring which may be substituted, or the like; B is heterocyclic ring which may be substituted, fused heterocyclic ring which may be substituted, or naphthyl which may be substituted; each of R1 and R2 which are independent of each other, is alkyl, or the like; R3 is hydrogen, or the like; each of W1 and W2 which are independent of each other, is oxygen or sulfur.
US07829494B2

A method for synthesizing carbon nanocoils with high efficiency, by determining the structure of carbon nuclei that have been attached to the ends of carbon nanocoils and thus specifying a true catalyst for synthesizing carbon nanocoils is implemented. The catalyst for synthesizing carbon nanocoils according to the present invention is a carbide catalyst that contains at least elements (a transition metal element, In, C) or (a transition metal element, Sn, C), and in particular, it is preferable for the transition metal element to be Fe, Co or Ni. In addition to this carbide catalyst, a metal catalyst of (Fe, Al, Sn) and (Fe, Cr, Sn) are effective. From among these, catalysts such as Fe3InC0.5, Fe3InC0.5Snw and Fe3SnC are particularly preferable. The wire diameter and the coil diameter can be controlled by using a catalyst where any of these catalysts is carried by a porous carrier.
US07829492B2

A process for removing sulfur and sulfur compounds from a catalyst includes the following steps: exposing the catalyst to a reducing atmosphere and exposing the catalyst to microwave energy. Desorption of the sulfur and sulfur compounds from the catalyst occurs at a temperature less than 600 degrees centigrade.
US07829491B2

A silicon nitride sintered body comprising β-sialon expressed by a composition formula of Si6−ZAlZOZN8−Z, wherein z value being the dissolved amount is 0.1 to 1, as a main phase, a grain boundary phase and Fe silicide particles. The grain boundary phase contains RE (Group III elements in the periodic table)-Al—Si—O, and component ratios of Al, Si and RE in terms of Al2O3, SiO2, RE2O3, respectively is 5 to 50 mass % of Al2O3, 5 to 20 mass % of SiO2, and the balanced amount of RE2O3, the grain boundary phase is contained in a range of 20 volume % or less to 100 volume % of the sintered body, and the Fe silicide particles is contained in 0.02 to 3 mass % in terms of Fe to 100 mass % of the sintered body. Its high thermal shock resistance provides suitable applications to members for molten metal, hot working, and digging.
US07829490B2

Glass compositions are provided that are useful in electronic applications, e.g., as reinforcements in printed circuit board substrates. Reduced dielectric constants are provided relative to E-glass, and fiber forming properties are provided that are more commercially practical than D-glass.
US07829489B2

The present invention describes a composition, method and article for a photomachinable glass having a coefficient of thermal expansion from less than 6×10−6/° C. in the temperature range of 0° C. to 300° C. The photomachinable glass composition is a low expansion glass having an amorphous glass phase and crystalline phases selected from the group consisting of spudomene and lithium disilicate.
US07829486B2

The leather-like sheet substrate of the present invention comprises a fiber-entangled nonwoven fabric that comprises a microfine fiber bundle (A) and a microfine fiber bundle (B) in a blending ratio (A)/(B) of 30/70 to 70/30 by mass and a polymeric elastomer contained in the fiber-entangled nonwoven fabric. The microfine fiber bundle (A) comprises 10 to 100 microfine fibers each of which has a single fiber fineness of 0.5 dtex or less and which are made of an elastic polymer having a JIS A hardness of 90 to 97. The microfine fiber bundle (B) comprises a microfine fiber which has a single fiber fineness of 0.5 dtex or less and which is made of a non-elastic polymer. Because of its excellent stretchability in both the machine and transverse directions and drapeability, the leather-like sheet substrate is particularly suitable as the material for clothing.
US07829485B2

An integral composite fiber is formed by integrally joining a stretchable fiber and unstretchable fibers. The stretchable fiber has longitudinally extending first exposed surfaces that are circumferentially spaced from each other. The unstretchable fibers has longitudinally extending second exposed surfaces each disposed between a circumferentially adjacent pair of the first exposed surfaces. One of the first exposed surfaces has a larger surface area than the other or others of the first exposed surfaces. Said other or each of the others of the first exposed surfaces has a surface area ratio of less than 0.8 with respect to the surface area of said one of the first exposed surfaces. By longitudinally stretching this integral composite fiber, because shear stress is large due to a large difference in shrinkage stress between said one of the first exposed surfaces and the other or others of the first exposed surfaces, the unstretchable fibers easily separate from the stretchable fiber, and are three-dimensionally crimped. The unshrinkable fibers are thus helically wrapped around and covers the shrinkable fiber, which has a rubber-like feel to the touch. Thus, the composite fiber obtained is bulky and feels good to the touch.
US07829484B2

The present invention is aimed at a method of providing wettability to polyester fibers or filaments, to woven or nonwoven fabrics made therefrom and to resultant articles of manufacture. The method comprises melt extruding a mixture comprising a polyester and one or more alkyl metal sulfonates where the metal is Na, Li or K and the alkyl is straight or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 24 carbon atoms, or is straight or branched chain alkenyl of 2 to 24 carbon atoms. The alkyl metal sulfonates are present from about 0.1% to about 1.9% by weight based on the weight of the polyester. A post treatment step such as an alkaline treatment step is not included. The melt extrusion mixtures do not include certain additives such as polyoxyalkylene compounds, alkylmonoethonolamide compounds, alkyldiethanolamine compounds and polyetheramide compounds.
US07829476B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device has forming a capacitor having electrodes and a ferroelectric film provided therebetween above a substrate, forming a pad electrode electrically connected to one of the electrodes of the capacitor above the substrate, forming a protective film covering the pad electrode over the substrate, forming an opening in the protective film exposing at least a part of the pad electrode, bringing a measurement terminal into contact with the exposed surface of the pad electrode, etching the surface of the pad electrode after the measurement terminal is brought into contact therewith, and forming a hydrogen absorbing film on the protective film and the pad electrode exposed through the opening.
US07829472B2

A method of forming openings is disclosed. A substrate is first provided, and the tri-layer structure is formed on the substrate. The tri-layer structure includes a bottom photoresist layer, a silicon-containing layer and a top photoresist layer form bottom to top. Subsequently, the top photoresist layer is patterned, and the silicon-containing layer is etched by utilizing the top photoresist layer as an etching mask to partially expose the bottom photoresist layer. Next, the partially exposed bottom photoresist layer is etched through two etching steps in turn by utilizing the patterned silicon-containing layer as an etching mask. The first etching step includes an oxygen gas and at least one non-carbon-containing halogen-containing gas, while the second etching step includes at least one halogen-containing gas. The substrate is thereafter etched by utilizing the patterned bottom photoresist layer as an etching mask to form at least an opening in the substrate.
US07829458B2

A wiring structure includes a first insulation layer located on a substrate, and first and second plugs located on the substrate and extending through the first insulation layer. The first plug includes an upper peripheral portion that defines a recess and the second plug is adjacent to the first plug. A second insulation layer is located on the first insulation layer, the first plug and the second plug. A bit line structure is located on the second insulation layer and is electrically connected to the first plug. A protection spacer is located on the recess of the first plug and a sidewall of an opening in the second insulation layer. The opening exposes the recess of the first plug, the second plug and the sidewall of the bit line structure. A pad is located in the opening and contacts the second plug.
US07829454B2

A method for integrating selective Ru metal deposition into manufacturing of semiconductor devices to improve electromigration and stress migration in bulk Cu. The method includes selectively depositing a Ru metal film on a metallization layer or on bulk Cu using a process gas containing Ru3(CO)12 precursor vapor and a CO gas in a thermal chemical vapor deposition process. A semiconductor device containing one or more selectively deposited Ru metal films is described.
US07829452B2

Terminal pads and methods of fabricating terminal pads. The methods including forming a conductive diffusion barrier under a conductive pad in or overlapped by a passivation layer comprised of multiple dielectric layers including diffusion barrier layers. The methods including forming the terminal pads subtractively or by a damascene process.
US07829450B2

In a method of processing a contact pad, a passivation layer stack including at least one passivation layer is formed on at least an upper surface of a contact pad region. A first portion of the passivation layer stack is removed from above the contact pad region, wherein a second portion of the passivation layer remains on the contact pad region and covers the contact pad region. An adhesion layer is formed on the passivation layer stack. The adhesion layer is patterned, wherein the adhesion layer is removed from above the contact pad region. Furthermore, the second portion of the passivation layer stack is removed.
US07829442B2

Dislocation pile-ups in compositionally graded semiconductor layers are reduced or eliminated, thereby leading to increased semiconductor device yield and manufacturability. This is accomplished by introducing a semiconductor layer having a plurality of threading dislocations distributed substantially uniformly across its surface as a starting layer and/or at least one intermediate layer during growth and relaxation of the compositionally graded layer. The semiconductor layer may include a seed layer disposed proximal to the surface of the semiconductor layer and having the threading dislocations uniformly distributed therein.
US07829435B2

A GaN-based thin film (thick film) is grown using a metal buffer layer grown on a substrate. (a) A metal buffer layer (210) made of, for example, Cr or Cu is vapor-deposited on a sapphire substrate (120). (b) A substrate obtained by vapor-depositing the metal buffer layer (210) on the sapphire substrate (120) is nitrided in an ammonia gas ambient, thereby forming a metal nitride layer (212). (c) A GaN buffer layer (222) is grown on the nitrided metal buffer layers (210, 212). (d) Finally, a GaN single-crystal layer (220) is grown. This GaN single-crystal layer (220) can be grown to have various thicknesses depending on the objects. A freestanding substrate can be fabricated by selective chemical etching of the substrate fabricated by the above steps. It is also possible to use the substrate fabricated by the above steps as a GaN template substrate for fabricating a GaN-based light emitting diode or laser diode.
US07829426B2

A semiconductor component that includes an integrated passive device and method for manufacturing the semiconductor component. Vertically integrated passive devices are manufactured above a substrate. In accordance with one embodiment, a resistor is manufactured in a first level above a substrate, a capacitor is manufactured in a second level that is vertically above the first level, and a copper inductor is manufactured in a third level that is vertically above the second level. The capacitor has aluminum plates. In accordance with another embodiment, a resistor is manufactured in a first level above a substrate, a copper inductor is manufactured in a second level that is vertically above the first level, and a capacitor is manufactured in a third level that is vertically above the second level. The capacitor may have aluminum plates or a portion of the copper inductor may serve as one of its plates.
US07829418B2

A semiconductor apparatus including a trench gate transistor having at least an active region surrounded by a device isolation insulating film; a trench provided by bringing both ends thereof into contact with the device isolation insulating film in the active region; a gate electrode formed in the trench via a gate insulating film; and a diffusion layer formed close to the trench; on a semiconductor substrate, and also includes an opening portion positioned on one surface of the semiconductor substrate; a pair of first inner walls positioned in a side of the device isolation insulating film and connected with the opening portion; a pair of second inner walls positioned in a side of the active region and connected with the opening portion; and a bottom portion positioned opposite to the opening portion and connected with the first inner walls and the second inner walls, wherein a cross sectional outline of the second inner wall is substantially linear, and a burr generated inside the trench is removed or reduced.
US07829415B2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of pillar patterns on a substrate, filling a gap between the pillar patterns with a first conductive layer, forming a first hard mask layer pattern over the pillar patterns adjacent in one direction, etching the first conductive layer using the first hard mask layer pattern as an etch barrier, forming a second hard mask pattern over the pillar pattern adjacent in the other direction that crosses the one direction, and forming a gate electrode surrounding the pillar patterns by etching the first conductive layer etched using the second hard mask layer pattern as an etch barrier.
US07829413B2

Methods for forming a gate using quantum dots are disclosed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for forming quantum dots for fabrication of an ultrafine semiconductor device includes a gate with quantum dots. The present invention is capable of forming quantum dots in uniform sizes and at uniform intervals so as to achieve an electrically stable device.
US07829402B2

A MOSFET device and a method for fabricating MOSFET devices are disclosed. The method includes providing a semiconductor device structure including a semiconductor device layer of a first conductivity type, and ion implanting a well structure of a second conductivity type in the semiconductor device layer, where the ion implanting includes providing a dopant concentration profile in a single mask implant sequence.
US07829397B2

A bottom-gate thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer and a microcrystalline silicon layer. The gate electrode is disposed on a substrate. The gate insulating layer is made up of silicon nitride and disposed on the gate electrode and the substrate. The microcrystalline silicon layer is disposed on the gate insulating layer and corresponds to the gate electrode, in which a contact interface between the gate insulating layer and the microcrystalline silicon layer has a plurality of oxygen atoms, and concentration of the oxygen atoms ranges between 1020 atoms/cm3 and 1025 atoms/cm3. A method of fabricating a bottom-gate thin film transistor is also disclosed herein.
US07829391B2

An active matrix substrate includes base substrate, gate lines, data lines, thin-film transistors and pixel electrodes. The gate lines are formed on the base substrate. The data lines are formed over the gate lines. Each of the data lines crosses all of the gate lines with an insulating film interposed therebetween. The thin-film transistors are formed over the base substrate. Each of the thin-film transistors is associated with one of the gate lines and operates responsive to a signal on the associated gate line. Each of the pixel electrodes is associated with one of the data lines and one of the thin-film transistors and is electrically connectable to the associated data line by way of the associated thin-film transistor. Each of the pixel electrodes and the associated thin-film transistor are connected together by way of a conductive member. Each of the pixel electrodes crosses one of the gate lines, while the conductive member for the pixel electrode crosses another one of the gate lines that is adjacent to the former gate line.
US07829390B2

A manufacturing method for a packaging structure of SIP (system in package) includes the following steps. First step is providing a substrate having electronic devices thereon. Second step is covering the electronic devices by a mixture of a molding compound and a conductive polymer precursor so as to form a molding structure, wherein the substrate, the electronic devices and the molding structure forms a collective electronic module. Third step is separating the collective electronic module into a plurality of individual electronic modules. Fourth step is performing a doping step by using a doping element for transforming the conductive polymer precursor in the mixture into a conductive layer near the surface of the molding structure. Therefore, the manufacturing method is optimized for forming a shielding structure of the SIP module.
US07829378B2

A method includes a step of forming a bump 104 having a projection 104B on an electrode pad 103 provided on a semiconductor chip 101, a step of exposing a part of the projection 104B to an upper surface of an insulating layer 105 formed on the semiconductor chip 101, a step of forming a conductive layer 107A on the upper surface of the insulating layer 105 and an exposed part of a tip portion 104D, a step of removing a protruded portion of the conductive layer 107A which is opposed to the tip portion 104D by means of a grinding roll 112, thereby exposing the projection from the conductive layer 107A, and a step of forming a conductive layer 108A through electrolytic plating using the conductive layer 107A as a feeding layer and patterning the conductive layer 108A.
US07829376B1

A p-type ZnO-based II-VI compound semiconductor layer has silver, potassium and/or gold dopants therein at a net p-type dopant concentration of greater than about 1×1017 cm−3. A method of forming the layer includes using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. This technique includes exposing a substrate to a combination of gases: a first reaction gas containing zinc at a concentration that is repeatedly transitioned between at least two concentration levels during a processing time interval, a second reaction gas containing oxygen and a p-type dopant gas containing at least one p-type dopant species selected from a group consisting of silver, potassium and gold. A concentration of oxygen in the second reaction gas may also be repeatedly transitioned between at least two concentration levels. The concentration of zinc in the first reaction gas and the concentration of oxygen in the second reaction gas may be transitioned in an alternating sequence, so that relatively high zinc concentrations in the first reaction gas overlap with relatively low oxygen concentrations in the second reaction gas and vice versa.
US07829368B2

A pinned photodiode, which is a double pinned photodiode having increased electron capacitance, and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The invention provides a pinned photodiode structure comprising a substrate base over which is a first layer of semiconductor material. There is a base layer of a first conductivity type, wherein the base layer of a first conductivity type is the substrate base or is a doped layer over the substrate base. At least one doped region of a second conductivity type is below the surface of said first layer, and extends to form a first junction with the base layer. A doped surface layer of a first conductivity type is over the at least one region of a second conductivity type and forms a second junction with said at least one region of a second conductivity type.
US07829358B2

Embodiments of an LED disclosed has an emitter layer shaped to a controlled depth or height relative to a substrate of the LED to maximize the light output of the LED and to achieve a desired intensity distribution. In some embodiments, the exit face of the LED may be selected to conserve radiance. In some embodiments, shaping the entire LED, including the substrate and sidewalls, or shaping the substrate alone can extract 100% or approximately 100% of the light generated at the emitter layers from the emitter layers. In some embodiments, the total efficiency is at least 90% or above. In some embodiments, the emitter layer can be shaped by etching, mechanical shaping, or a combination of various shaping methods. In some embodiments, only a portion of the emitter layer is shaped to form the tiny emitters. The unshaped portion forms a continuous electrical connection for the LED.
US07829356B2

A method and apparatus for improving a thin film scribing procedure is presented. Embodiments of the invention include a method and apparatus for determining a scribe setting for removal of an absorber layer of a photovoltaic device that improves contact resistance between a back contact layer and a front contact layer of the device.
US07829353B2

A system for delivering a desired mass of gas, including a chamber, a first valve controlling flow into the chamber, a second valve controlling flow out of the chamber, a pressure transducer connected to the chamber, an input device for providing a desired mass to be delivered, and a controller connected to the valves, the pressure transducer and the input device. The controller is programmed to receive the desired mass from the input device, close the second valve and open the first valve, receive chamber pressure measurements from the pressure transducer, and close the inlet valve when pressure within the chamber reaches a predetermined level. The controller is then programmed to wait a predetermined waiting period to allow the gas inside the chamber to approach a state of equilibrium, then open the outlet valve at time=t0, and close the outlet valve at time=t* when the mass of gas discharged equals the desired mass.
US07829350B2

The present invention provides novel compositions of binding moiety-nanoparticle conjugates, aggregates of these conjugates, and novel methods of using these conjugates, and aggregates. The nanoparticles in these conjugates can be magnetic metal oxides, either monodisperse or polydisperse. Binding moieties can be, e.g., oligonucleotides, polypeptides, or polysaccharides. Oligonucleotide sequences are linked to either non-polymer surface functionalized metal oxides or with functionalized polymers associated with the metal oxides. The novel compositions can be used in assays for detecting target molecules, such as nucleic acids and proteins, in vitro or as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents to detect target molecules in living organisms.
US07829345B1

A method for detection of a peroxide-based compound includes directing ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light source toward a location remote from the ultraviolet light source, where the ultraviolet light induces photodissociation of a peroxide-based compound located at the remote source into hydroxyl radicals and excitation of the hydroxyl radicals to fluoresce, capturing any fluorescence from the remote location that has been induced by the ultraviolet light directed from the ultraviolet light source toward the remote location, and analyzing the fluorescence that has been captured from the remote location to determine the presence of the peroxide-based compound at the remote location. A system for detection of a peroxide-based compound that performs such method steps is also described herein.
US07829342B2

A composition including a complex of a metal, a tetradentate ligand, at least one ancillary ligand, and a counterion may be used for selective sp3 C—H bond oxidation. The tetradentate ligand may include a N-heterocyclic-N,N′-bis(pyridyl)-ethane-1,2-diamine group or a N,N′-bis(heterocyclic)-N,N′-bis(pyridyl)-ethane-1,2-diamine group. The composition can be used in combination with H2O2 to effect highly selective oxidations of unactivated sp3 C—H bonds over a broad range of substrates. The site of oxidation can be predicted, based on the electronic and/or steric environment of the C—H bond. In addition, the oxidation reaction does not require the presence of directing groups in the substrate.
US07829334B2

The object of the present invention is to provide a method of preparing excellent cultured muscle cells having high metabolic capacity and insulin responsiveness, and further provide a method for the measurement of sensitive metabolic capacity using the cells. The present invention is a method of preparing myotube cells, comprising a step (1) of culturing myoblast cells, a step (2) of differentiation-inducing the myotube cells into the myoblast cells in a culture medium with a high content of amino acids, and a step (3) of applying an electric pulse to the differentiation-induced myotube cells.
US07829332B2

The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting differentiation of a population of neural stem cells by contacting a purinergic receptor agonist and a population of neural stem cells under conditions effective to inhibit differentiation of the population of neural stem cells. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of producing neurons and/or glial cells from a population of neural stem cells by culturing a population of neural stem cells with a purinergic receptor antagonist under conditions effective to cause the neural stem cells to differentiate into neurons and/or glial cells. The purinergic receptor agonist can also be used in a method of inducing proliferation and self-renewal of neural stem cells in a subject and a method of treating a neurological disease or neurodegenerative condition in a subject. The purinergic receptor antagonist can also be used in treating a neoplastic disease of the brain or spinal cord in a subject.
US07829329B2

Adenoviral vectors, including mutant adenoviruses, that have restriction sites in the E3 region, that facilitate its partial or total deletion, or select genes contained therein, and optionally compositions and methods for substituting heterologous gene(s) in the partially or totally deleted E3 region(s), which heterologous gene(s) being operably linked to endogenous adenoviral transcriptional control sequences will exhibit an expression pattern, both in terms of timing and degree of expression, similar to the endogenous adenoviral gene(s) that it replaces, and further optionally including mutations in other parts of the adenoviral genome, including certain E1B or E1A regions, and that have applications for diagnosing or treating disease, preferably disease involving unwanted cell growth, including cancer.
US07829326B2

An encoded carrier includes a code region having a code, and a reaction region separate from the coded region, the reaction region having a variation in its refractive index or dielectric constant in a direction generally parallel to the surface of the reaction region.
US07829321B2

Methods and compositions are provided for the enhanced production of bacterial toxins in large-scale cultures. Specifically, methods and compositions for reducing bacterial toxin expression inhibitors are providing including, but not limited to, addition of toxin expression inhibitor binding compounds, culture media having reduced concentrations of toxin inhibitor metabolic precursors and genetically modified toxogenic bacteria lacking enzymes required to metabolize the toxin inhibitor metabolic precursors.
US07829319B2

The invention relates to a process for the recombinant production of a heterologous polypeptide of interest by cultivating a bacterial host cell transformed with an expression vector comprising a nucleic acid molecule encoding a fusion polypeptide wherein (a) the amino-proximal fusion partner is an autoprotease Npro comprising the replacement(s) by glutamic acid of one or more cysteines at positions corresponding to the positions 112, 134, and 138 of the autoprotease Npro of classical swine fever virus and (b) the carboxyl-proximal fusion partner is an heterologous polypeptide of interest fused to the autoprotease Npro so that it is capable of being cleaved from the fusion polypeptide by autoprotease Npro autoproteolytic activity, said process comprising (i) cultivating the transformed host cell under conditions permitting the expression of the fusion polypeptide and the formation of corresponding cytoplasmic inclusion bodies, (ii) isolating the inclusion bodies from the host cell, (iii) solubilizing the isolated inclusion bodies, (iv) inducing autoproteolytic cleavage of the heterologous polypeptide of interest from the fusion polypeptide, and (v) isolating the cleaved heterologous polypeptide of interest.
US07829316B2

Disclosed is a process for production of succinic acid, which comprises the step of reacting a bacterium which has been modified so as to increase the expression of a sucE1 gene or a product produced by any treatment of the bacterium with an organic raw material in a reaction solution containing a carbonate ion, a bicarbonate ion or carbon dioxide gas to thereby yield the desired succinic acid.
US07829307B2

GLP-2 peptides and analogs thereof are produced in high yield and with desired, authentic termini by isolation from a GLP-2 peptide multimer in which at least two units of GLP-2 peptide are coupled through a linker that presents an N-terminal acid cleavage site and a C-terminal enzyme cleavage site. In a specific embodiment, [Gly2]hGLP-2 is produced from a multimeric precursor comprising 2-30 units thereof.
US07829293B2

The present invention concerns a member of the human chemokine CC protein family. In particular, isolated nucleic acid molecules are provided encoding the chemokine β-15 protein. Chemokine β-15 polypeptides are also provided. The invention further concerns diagnostic methods for detecting thymus disorders and therapeutic methods for modulating bone marrow cell proliferation and differentiation.
US07829292B2

The present invention provides methods of diagnosing the presence of an autoimmune disease in a patient, methods of predicting the response of an autoimmune diseased patient to therapeutic treatment, and methods of monitoring an autoimmune patient's response to therapy. In particular, these methods comprise the use of a glycoprotein from the inner-ear organ of Corti reactive with a KHRI-3 monoclonal antibody.
US07829272B2

A method of generating pathogen detecting liposomes includes a step of providing molecular beacons with fluorescing components. The molecular beacons include either strands of RNA or DNA and the fluorescing components include an emitter and a quencher. The method further uses nanodroplet technology to encapsulate the molecular beacons within a lipid membrane. Subsequently, receptors are assembled in association with the membrane.
US07829264B1

A method and system for providing a microelectric device are described. The method and system include providing a photoresist layer having a surface. The method and system also include setting a focus range and exposing the photoresist layer over the focus range to form a photoresist mask having a trench therein. The focus range corresponding to a plurality of focus distances. The focus range also corresponds to a nonzero angle to be formed in the photoresist layer and to the structure. The trench has at least one sidewall that forms the angle with a normal to the surface. The method and system also include providing the structure utilizing the trench.
US07829255B2

Emulsion aggregation toners comprising a polyester-wax resin, wherein the polyester-wax resin includes a wax that is chemically incorporated into the main chain of the polyester.
US07829246B2

Formation of a constricted portion in an interconnect pattern is inhibited while moderating design rule for a phase shifting mask. When an interconnect pattern including a plurality of straight lines that are arranged in parallel is formed in a photoresist film on or over a wafer, the process thereof comprises: providing different phase apertures 114 and 116 in longitudinal external side of the interconnect apertures 110 and 112 in the phase shifting mask 100, the different phase aperture providing a phase of light that is different from a phase of light through the interconnect apertures 110 and 112; transferring a basic pattern in the photoresist film via an exposure by using the phase shifting mask 100, the basic pattern containing the interconnect pattern and a temporary pattern formed from an end of the interconnect pattern toward a longitudinal external side thereof; and transferring a temporary pattern in the photoresist for removing the temporary pattern from the basic pattern via an exposure by using a trim mask.
US07829242B2

Separator-electrode assemblies (SEAs) comprising a porous electrode useful as a positive or negative electrode in a lithium battery and a separator layer applied to this electrode, the separator layer being an inorganic separator layer comprising at least two fractions of metal oxide particles different from each other in their average particle size and/or in the metal, and the electrode having active mass particles that are bonded together and to a current collector by an inorganic adhesive; and a process for their production.
US07829241B2

The present invention provides for a construction for a bipolar plate for a fuel cell stack that enables the bipolar plate to be a more compliant member in the fuel cell stack. The bipolar plate can be configured to provide varying levels of compliance, as demanded by the design of the fuel cell stack. The bipolar plate can be more compliant than the diffusion media members and the active elements used to form the individual fuel cells. The compliant nature of the individual bipolar plates enables localized dimensional changes that occur within the fuel cell stack to be compensated by a localized deformation of the portions of the bipolar plate within that region. The bipolar plate has an internal coolant flow field where some opposing pairs of lands are spaced apart with a gap therebetween while other opposing pairs of lands are in contact with one another.
US07829239B2

A fuel cell including a membrane electrode assembly composed of a ionically conductive member sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. At least one of the electrodes including a catalyst loading characterized by catalytic activity that varies in proportion to the catalyst loading. Moreover, the fuel cell includes a flow path for supplying gaseous reactants to the electrodes and the catalyst loading is varied according to the flow path geometry.
US07829236B2

A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell stack and at least one hydration sensor apparatus for measuring membrane hydration in the fuel cell stack is disclosed. The hydration sensor apparatus comprises (1) an electrically insulated sensor comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane, (2) a power supply, and (3) a load resistor. The sensor, the power supply and the load resistor of the hydration sensor apparatus are electrically connected and the sensor of the hydration sensor apparatus is fluidly connected to the fuel cell stack such that, during operation of the fuel cell system, the polymer electrolyte membrane of the hydration sensor apparatus is exposed to a fuel fluid stream of the fuel cell stack.
US07829231B2

A fuel cell assembly having a flow distribution subassembly that comprises four sets of flow channels, the first set facing an anode for distribution of a fuel reactant to said anode, the second set facing a cathode for distribution of an oxidant to said cathode, the third set in flow communication with said second set and in heat transfer relation with at least one of said anode and said cathode, and the fourth set receiving a coolant different from said oxidant.
US07829224B2

A nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a negative electrode including a current collector and a negative electrode active material having a Li ion insertion potential not lower than 0.4V (vs. Li/Li+). The negative electrode has a porous structure. A pore diameter distribution of the negative electrode as determined by a mercury porosimetry, which includes a first peak having a mode diameter of 0.01 to 0.2 μm, and a second peak having a mode diameter of 0.003 to 0.02 μm. A volume of pores having a diameter of 0.01 to 0.2 μm as determined by the mercury porosimetry is 0.05 to 0.5 mL per gram of the negative electrode excluding the weight of the current collector. A volume of pores having a diameter of 0.003 to 0.02 μm as determined by the mercury porosimetry is 0.0001 to 0.02 mL per gram of the negative electrode excluding the weight of the current collector.
US07829218B2

Aspects of the present invention provide a proton conductive electrolyte suitable for a fuel cell material and a fuel cell including the proton conductive electrolyte. More particularly, aspects of the present invention provide a proton conductive electrolyte that has good proton conductivity and can be used to form a membrane having good flexibility. As a result, the proton conductive electrolyte can be used in a fuel cell, the electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell or the electrodes thereof, and can provide a solid polymer fuel cell having high current density, high power and long life-time in a dry environment (relative humidity of 50% or less) at an operating temperature of 100 to 200° C.
US07829210B2

A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell module, at least a cathode gas supply unit in contact with the cathode, at least one gas delivery unit and at least one anode fuel supply unit in contact with the anode. The fuel cell module comprises at least one fuel cell having one anode and one cathode. The cathode gas supply unit comprises at least one gas input port for receiving cathode gas and at least one gas exit for exhausting the cathode gas. The gas delivery unit guides the cathode gas to the gas input port. The anode fuel supply unit having a fuel comprises at least one fuel input port for receiving a resupplied fuel and at least one cathode gas input port for receiving the cathode gas from the gas exit.
US07829207B2

A manufacture method that can manufacture ZnO based compound semiconductor crystal of good quality. A ZnO substrate is prepared to have a principal surface made of a plurality of terraces of (0001) planes arranged stepwise along an m-axis direction, the envelop of the principal surface being inclined relative to the (0001) plane by about 2 degrees or less. ZnO based compound semiconductor crystal is grown on the principal surface.
US07829205B2

An organic light emitting device includes a first electrode, a hole injection layer, an inorganic layer, a hole transport layer, an emitting layer which are sequentially formed on the first electrode; and a second electrode. The organic light emitting device has a high emission efficiency and an extended lifetime.
US07829200B2

The present invention relates to a magnesium-based composite material includes at least two magnesium-based metallic layers; and at least one magnesium-based composite layer respectively sandwiched by the at least two magnesium-based metallic layers. The present invention also relates to a method for fabricating a magnesium-based composite material, the method includes the steps of: (a) providing at least two magnesium-based plates; (b) providing a plurality of nanoscale reinforcements; (c) sandwiching the nanoscale reinforcements between the at least two magnesium-based plates to form a preform; and (d) hot pressing the preform to achieve the magnesium-based composite material.
US07829189B2

Provided is a chemical wet preparation method for Group 12-16 compound semiconductor nanocrystals. The method includes mixing one or more Group 12 metals or Group 12 precursors with a dispersing agent and a solvent followed by heating to obtain a Group 12 metal precursor solution; dissolving one or more Group 16 elements or Group 16 precursors in a coordinating solvent to obtain a Group 16 element precursor solution; and mixing the Group 12 metal precursors solution and the Group 16 element precursors solution to form a mixture, and then reacting the mixture to grow the semiconductor nanocrystals. The Group 12-16 compound semiconductor nanocrystals are stable and have high quantum efficiency and uniform sizes and shapes.
US07829179B2

A photoluminescent sheet is disclosed. In one embodiment, the photoluminescent sheet has a phosphor, absorbs some light, of at least one wavelength, of light emitted from a light source, emits particular light of a wavelength different from the wavelength of the emitted light and allows the remaining of the light emitted from the light source to penetrates the photoluminescent sheet, whereas the photoluminescent sheet comprises at least a surface comprising a wet preventing layer for minimizing a contracting area between the photoluminescent sheet and another sheet. According to at least one embodiment, wet is not generated on a screen even though the photoluminescent sheet is connected to other sheets.
US07829177B2

A web substrate comprising a plurality of embossment regions and an embossment pattern for a web substrate are disclosed. Each of the embossment regions is bounded by a first axis and a second axis orthogonal thereto. Each of the first axis are collectively elongate and each of the second axis are collectively parallel and discontinuous.
US07829161B2

An inkjet recording element comprises a support having thereon at least one ink-receiving layer, including a porous fusible layer comprising fusible polymeric particles and a thermoresponsive polymer that is capable of exhibiting a lower critical solution temperature below 20° C.
US07829140B1

A method of forming mono-disperse iron-oxide core metal shell nanoparticles is disclosed. Particle size of the oxide core seeds is controlled and capped seeds are formed. The capping layer is desorbed by a thermally activated process and metal such as gold is chemically deposited on the core seeds in situ. This process can be repeated to produce multi-metal or different metal shells. A second capping layer is applied on the core/shell composite nanoparticles. In another step, the particles are sized by centrifuging to obtain a tightly controlled and narrow particle size distribution. The water-dispersibility of the particles is achieved by a thiol exchange reaction on the gold shell of the core/shell nanoparticles or by deposition of gold on ferritin-derived iron oxide cores in aqueous solution. Mono and multilayer thin films are assembled on different substrates using the core/shell particles and linking molecules.
US07829138B2

A Ni alloy layer is formed on a surface of a steel base on the side to be in direct contact with a molten aluminum alloy, and titanium carbide (TiC) is bonded in a particulate state to the surface of the Ni alloy layer. This makes it possible to provide a metal material having materially enhanced melting loss resistance without resorting to conventional techniques, such as the provision of a ceramic coating by PVD or CVD.
US07829119B2

A method for making hollow nanoparticles, comprises a) providing an amount of a polyelectrolyte having a charge, b) providing an amount of a counterion having a valence of at least 2, c) combining the polyelectrolyte and the counterion in a solution such that the polyelectrolyte self-assembles to form spherical aggregates, and d) adding nanoparticles to the solution such that nanoparticles arrange themselves around the spherical aggregates. The polyelectrolyte may have a positive or negative charge. The charge ratio R of total charge of the counterions to the total charge of the polyelectrolyte is greater than 1.0.
US07829111B2

Stents with coatings comprising a combination of a restenosis inhibitor comprising an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and a carrier. Also provided are methods of coating stents with a combination of an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and a carrier. A preferred example of a restenosis inhibitor is cerivastatin. The stent coatings have been shown to release restenosis inhibitors in their active forms.
US07829101B2

An improved method for recovering the protein expressed by open reading frame 2 from porcine circovirus type 2 is provided. The method generally involves the steps of transfecting recombinant virus containing open reading frame 2 coding sequences into cells contained in growth media, causing the virus to express open reading frame 2, and recovering the expressed protein in the supernate. This recovery should take place beginning approximately 5 days after infection of the cells in order to permit sufficient quantities of recombinant protein to be expressed and secreted from the cell into the growth media. Such methods avoid costly and time-consuming extraction procedures required to separate and recover the recombinant protein from within the cells.
US07829100B2

A composition comprising: (a) one to three bioactive agents; and (b) a modified liquid vehicle; wherein immediately after manufacture of the composition, said composition can be administered to a host such that the one to three bioactive agents is released to the host on a sustained basis is provided.
US07829094B2

Methods of treating or preventing an IL-1 related disease or condition in a mammal comprising administering an effective amount of an IL-1β binding antibody or IL-1β binding fragment thereof. An IL-1β binding antibody or IL-1β binding fragment thereof is provided comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15 and SEQ ID NO: 11, and related nucleic acids, vectors, cells, and compositions, and a method of preparing an affinity matured IL-1β binding polypeptide. IL-1β binding antibodies or IL-1β binding fragments thereof are provided which have desirable affinity and potency.
US07829092B2

The present invention disclosed recombinant anti-VLA-4 antibody molecules, including humanized recombinant anti-VLA-4 antibody molecules. These antibodies are useful in the treatment of specific and non-specific inflammation, including asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, the humanized recombinant anti-VLA-4 antibodies disclosed can be useful in methods of diagnosing and localizing sites of inflammation.
US07829087B2

Methods and compositions for suppressing amyloid-mediated inhibition of long-term potentiation (LTP) are provided.
US07829081B2

The invention relates to the discovery of novel soluble neutral active Hyaluronidase Glycoproteins (sHASEGPs), methods of manufacture, and their use to facilitate administration of other molecules or to alleviate glycosaminoglycan associated pathologies. Minimally active polypeptide domains of the soluble, neutral active sHASEGP domains are described that include asparagine-linked sugar moieties required for a functional neutral active hyaluronidase domain. Included are modified amino-terminal leader peptides that enhance secretion of sHASEGP. The invention further comprises sialated and pegylated form of a recombinant sHASEGP to enhance stability and serum pharmacokinetics over naturally occurring slaughterhouse enzymes. Further described are suitable formulations of a substantially purified recombinant sHASEGP glycoprotein derived from a eukaryotic cell that generate the proper glycosylation required for its optimal activity.
US07829080B2

The present invention provides a method for stabilizing reduced coenzyme Q10, which is useful as a food, nutritional product, nutritional supplement, animal drug, drink, feed, cosmetic, pharmaceutical product, therapeutic drug, prophylactic drug and the like. The present invention also provides a method of producing a reduced coenzyme Q10-containing composition which includes the co-presence of reduced coenzyme Q10 and reduced coenzyme Q9 and/or reduced coenzyme Q11.
US07829076B2

The present invention relates to polynucleotide and polypeptide molecules for zcyto20, zcyto21, zcyto22, zycto24, and zcyto25 proteins which are most closely related to interferon-α at the amino acid sequence level. The receptor for this protein family is a class II cytokine receptor. The present invention includes methods of reducing viral infections and increasing monocyte counts. The present invention also includes antibodies to the zcyto20 polypeptides, and methods of producing the polynucleotides and polypeptides.
US07829074B2

Isolatable, hydroxyapatite-targeting polymeric structures, and biologically active conjugates thereof, are provided. The polymeric structure includes a linear or branched water-soluble and non-peptidic polymer backbone, such as a PEG backbone, having at least two termini, a first terminus being covalently bonded to a hydroxyapatite-targeting moiety, such as a bisphosphonate, and a second terminus covalently bonded to a chemically reactive group, wherein said chemically reactive group is protected or unprotected. Methods of preparing and using hydroxyapatite-targeting polymeric structures, and biologically active conjugates thereof, are also provided.
US07829066B2

This invention relates, e.g., to a method for identifying an agent that inhibits a metastatic cell (e.g. that inhibits cancer metastasis), comprising measuring the amount of seeding of a tumor by a detectably labeled, metastatic cell, in a subject, in the presence and absence of a putative agent, wherein the amount of seeding by the metastatic cell is proportional to the metastatic potential of the cell, and wherein a significant amount of inhibition of the seeding by the putative agent indicates that the putative agent is effective to inhibit the metastatic cell (e, g, cancer metastasis). Also described are kits suitable for performing methods of the invention.
US07829065B2

Therapeutic methods for inhibiting the growth of preneoplastic/neoplastic vertebrate cells that abnormally express MN protein are disclosed. Screening assays are provided for identifying compounds, preferably membrane-impermeant compounds, which inhibit the enzymatic activity of MN protein/polypeptides and that are useful for treating patients with preneoplastic/neoplastic disease. Further methods are disclosed for the preparation of positively-charged, membrane-impermeant heterocyclic sulfonamide CA inhibitors with high affinity for the membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase CA IX. Preferred CA IX-specific inhibitors are aromatic and heterocylic sulfonamides, preferably that are membrane-impermeant. Particularly preferred CA IX-specific inhibitors are pyridinium derivatives of such aromatic and heterocyclic sulfonamides. The CA IX-specific inhibitors of the invention can also be used diagnostically/prognostically for preneoplastic/neoplastic disease, and for imaging use, for example, to detect precancerous cells, tumors and/or metastases. The CA IX-specific inhibitors can be labelled or conjugated to radioisotopes for radiotherapy. The CA IX-specific inhibitors may be combined with conventional therapeutic anti-cancer drugs, with other different inhibitors of cancer-related pathways, with bioreductive drugs, or with radiotherapy to enhance the efficiency of each treatment. The CA IX-specific inhibitors may also be combined with CA IX-specific antibodies, preferably monoclonal antibodies or biologically active antibody fragments, more preferably humanized or fully human CA IX monoclonal antibodies or biologically active fragments or such monoclonal antibodies. Still further, the CA IX-specific inhibitors can be used for gene therapy coupled to vectors for targeted delivery to preneoplastic/neoplastic cells expressing CA IX on their surfaces.
US07829062B2

A method of preparing a crystalline molecular sieve is provided, which method comprises (a) providing a reaction mixture comprising at least one source of ions of tetravalent element Y, at least one source of alkali metal hydroxide, water, optionally at least one seed crystal, and optionally at least one source of ions of trivalent element X, said reaction mixture having the following mole composition: Y:X2 =10 to infinity OH−:Y =0.001 to 2 M+:Y =0.001 to 2 wherein M is an alkali metal and the amount of water is at least sufficient to permit extrusion of said reaction mixture; (b) extruding said reaction mixture to form a pre-formed extrudate; and (c) crystallizing said pre-formed extrudate under vapor phase conditions in a reactor to form said crystalline molecular sieve whereby excess alkali metal hydroxide is removed from the pre-formed extrudate during crystallization. The crystalline molecular sieve product is useful as catalyst in hydrocarbon conversion processes.
US07829059B2

A method for synthesizing a chalcogenide nanoparticle is provided. The method comprises reacting a metal component with an elemental chalcogen precursor in the presence of an organic solvent. The chalcogenide nanoparticles include ternary, binary and/or multinary chalcogenide nanoparticles and the metal component comprises metal halides or elemental metal precursors. The alkylamine solvent has a normal boiling temperature of above about 220° C. and an average particle size of from about 5 nm to about 1000 nm.
US07829058B2

A process for treating a composition comprising one or more desired (hydro)halocarbons and one or more undesired sulphur containing impurities so as to reduce the concentration of at least one undesired sulphur containing impurity, the process comprising contacting the composition with an adsorbent comprising an acid stable molecular sieve having a pore size of from 2 to 10 Å and/or an activated carbon.
US07829053B2

Non-cementitious CO2 sequestering compositions are provided. The compositions of the invention include a CO2 sequestering additive, e.g., a CO2 sequestering carbonate composition. Additional aspects of the invention include methods of making and using the non-cementitious CO2 sequestering compositions.
US07829051B2

Methods for the reduction of gaseous carbon dioxide emissions from combustion or oxidation reactions are provided. The various methods involve the formation of carbon suboxides and/or polymerized carbon suboxides (PCS), preferentially over gaseous carbon oxides to thereby reduce gaseous carbon dioxide emissions. The various methods can be employed for efficient generation of energy and/or hydrogen. In addition, various methods for the use of polymerized carbon suboxide are disclosed.
US07829050B2

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods of forming single-crystal metal-silicide nanowires and resulting nanowire structures. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method of fabricating nanowires is disclosed. In the method, a number of nanowire-precursor members are formed. Each of the nanowire-precursor members includes a substantially single-crystal silicon region and a polycrystalline-metallic region. The substantially single-crystal silicon region and the polycrystalline-metallic region of each of the nanowire-precursor members is reacted to form corresponding substantially single-crystal metal-silicide nanowires. In another embodiment of the present invention, a nanowire structure is disclosed. The nanowire structure includes a substrate having an electrically insulating layer. A number of substantially single-crystal metal-silicide nanowires are positioned on the electrically insulating layer.
US07829047B2

The present invention discloses a catalyst, system, and process for oxidizing mercury. The catalyst can include a substrate and a layer attached to at least part of the substrate. The layer contains a noble metal and has an average thickness of less than 100 nanometers. The substrate can be a plurality of glass fibers that provides for a relatively high surface area for the layer to be attached to. In the alternative, the substrate can be a porous substrate that provides for a high surface area for the layer to be attached to.
US07829043B2

Method for coprecipitation (or simultaneous precipitation) of at least one actinide in oxidation state (IV) with at least one actinide in oxidation state (III), wherein: a solution i.e. mixture of actinide(s) in oxidation state (IV) and actinide(s) in oxidation state (III) is prepared by adding to it a singly charged cation whose presence makes it possible to stabilize the aforementioned oxidation states in the mixture, or a singly charged cation which does not act to stabilize the aforementioned oxidation states in the mixture; a solution containing oxalate ions is mixed with the said mixture of actinides in order to carry out coprecipitation, i.e. simultaneous precipitation, of the said actinides in oxidation states (IV) and (III) and a fraction of the singly charged cation. According to another embodiment, a solution i.e. mixture of actinide(s) in oxidation state (IV) and actinide(s) in oxidation state (III) is prepared and a solution containing oxalate ions and a singly charged cation is added to the said mixture of actinides in order to carry out the coprecipitation.Method for preparation of mixed compounds of actinides by calcining the precipitate which is obtained.These mixed oxides such as mixed oxides, carbides or nitrides can be used especially in the fabrication of nuclear fuel, in the fabrication of transmutation targets or for the stable packaging of nuclear materials.
US07829042B2

A personal sanitation device comprises a container, a substrate disposed within the container and a disinfecting agent carried by the substrate. The personal sanitation device is utilized by the user, for example, by inserting a portion of their body into the container to contact the substrate. The disinfecting agent is transferred from the substrate to the inserted body portion to sanitize that portion of the user. Objects may also be placed within the container to come in contact with the substrate so as to have the disinfecting agent transferred to said objects, thereby disinfecting them.
US07829038B2

A radial flow reactor design is presented. The reactor has individual and interchangeable screens that are arrayed circumferentially around the inside of the reactor. The reactor includes a plurality of screens held out from the reactor wall to form a circumferential screen, with channels defined between the reactor wall and the circumferential screen.
US07829036B2

A fluid jet cutting process for fibrous materials, such as inorganic fibrous material articles is provided. A fluid composition for use in the fluid jet cutting process is also provided. The cutting fluid composition contains a carrier fluid and coating composition for the cut surfaces of the fibrous material. An apparatus for carrying out the fluid jet cutting process of fibrous materials is also provided.
US07829034B2

The instant invention provides for a gas purification system in which a reaction chamber combines with catalysts and heating to oxidize and reduce the compounds contained in a gas stream to oxygen and other non-deleterious components. By use of this system closed loop air systems can be effectively supplied with oxygen by chemically converting the volatile organic components to desired gasses and thereby remove unwanted contaminants.
US07829032B2

The present application relates to microfluidic devices and related technologies, and to chemical processes using such devices. More specifically, the application discloses a fully automated synthesis of radioactive compounds for imaging, such as by positron emission tomography (PET), in a fast, efficient and compact manner. In particular, this application describe an automated, stand-alone, microfluidic instrument for the multi-step chemical synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals, such as probes for PET and a method of using such instruments.
US07829029B2

A urinary catheter clip-on device applies surface acoustic waves of Rayleigh-Lamb and/or Love type to a urinary catheter for preventing biofilms on the catheter surfaces. The bacteria is forced to move relative to the vibrating catheter surface. The amplitudes of bacteria vibrations are in nanometer range. The relative motion of bacteria results in bacteria quorum sensing, and disrupts the bacteria attachment process. The method is preventive as surface acoustic waves create low acoustic energy and bacteria is not killed.
US07829028B2

A storage unit for biological samples has a horizontal footprint and multiple storage compartments separated by intermediate walls and enclosed by a peripheral frame. The storage compartments have first and second openings and are tailored to the shape of a biopsy cassette or a glass slide and have a retention mechanism preventing the essentially vertical cassettes or slides in the storage compartments through the first opening and/or the second opening from falling out through the first opening and/or the second opening. A transfer system allows at least two storage units or at least one storage unit and one collection unit to be situated one above the other in register and displaced in relation to one another. The transfer system has a manipulator by which a biopsy cassette or a glass slide may be pushed from one storage unit to another, or into the collection unit.
US07829026B2

A magnetic separation device, comprising: at least a test tube base, for receiving at least a test tube; and a magnetic member, pivotally connected to the at least one test tube base and capable of generating a magnetic force. With the aforesaid device, the test tube being received in the test tube base can be moved toward/away from the magnetic member while the magnetic member and the test tube base are driven to rotate about a pivotal end connecting the two, and thereby, the strength of the magnetic force applied on a mixture containing in the test tube by the magnetic member is varied accordingly.
US07829019B2

A casing for use as a test kit that employs crushable ampoules prefilled with chemical or biological reagents, comprising a molded casing having a distinct reaction chamber, and at least one distinct cell adapted for receiving a crushable ampoule. The cell has a flexible pressing area at its outer wall for pressing and crushing the ampoule. An opening exists between the chamber and the cell that is either narrow enough, or provided with filtering means so as to allow passage of the reagent while preventing passage of glass shards from the cell to the chamber. The casing further comprises an inlet leading from the exterior of the casing into the inner space of the reaction chamber and a sampling probe, for enabling obtaining samples of material and delivery of said material through the inlet to the reaction chamber.
US07829017B2

In a sterilisation system for sterilising and/or neutralising the activity of micro-organisms in liquids and gasses, and in a sterilisation and/or neutralisation process, sterilisation is carried out by exposing the micro-organisms to a potential difference ranging from 200 to 1000 mV.
US07829011B2

A metal powder production system includes a vacuum chamber having a vacuum chamber interior, a stock feed mechanism communicating with the vacuum chamber interior, a radiation source provided in the vacuum chamber interior, a cooling chamber having a cooling chamber interior communicating with the vacuum chamber interior and a container communicating with the cooling chamber interior. A metal powder production method is also disclosed.
US07829010B2

An end-piece for an additive guide tube is disclosed. Such an end piece may have a durable sleeve and a sloughable sleeve. The sloughable sleeve may have a channel through which an additive may be delivered, and the sloughable sleeve may reside in the through-hole of the durable sleeve and may be secured to the durable sleeve. When molten metal contacts the sloughable sleeve, the sloughable sleeve burns or melts and sloughs off, thereby preventing the molten metal and slag from sticking to the end-piece, which in turn prevents buildup of metal and slag.
US07829009B2

The invention relates to a process for the production of a polymer layer of a flexible unbonded offshore pipe. The process comprises the steps of shaping a polymer material by extrusion into or onto a supporting unit in an extrusion station and cross-linking said extruded polymer material, said polymer material comprising a polyethylene and a peroxide for providing a cross-linking of the polymer material. The peroxide has an activation temperature substantially above the temperature of the polymer material during the extrusion thereof. The cross-linking of the extruded polymer material is carried out by exposing the extruded polymer material to electromagnetic waves, selected from the group consisting of infrared radiation and microwave.The invention also relates to a flexible unbonded offshore pipe comprising such polymer layer.
US07829002B2

The invention relates to a method for the production of a cutting filament for a device used to cut vegetation such as a trimmer or border cutter. The filament is made of a synthetic material having extended molecular chains. According to the invention, (a) the filament is brought to a controlled viscous state, (b) the filament is stretched according to the length thereof in order to perform a first longitudinal molecular orientation, (c) a cross-sectional change, resulting in a partial reorientation of molecular chains in a transversal direction, is imposed upon the filament, whereupon filaments having multiple molecular orientations are produced, having improved mechanical properties (e.g. a better resistance to tearing).
US07828975B2

To provide an apparatus for treating oil- and fat-containing wastewater for the purpose of degrading and treating oils and fats within a grease trap, which has the advantages from the viewpoint of a high versatility, and also from the viewpoints of cost and maintenance, and a method of treating oil- and fat-containing wastewater, which efficiently degrades and treats oils and fats within the grease trap. An apparatus for treating oil- and fat-containing wastewater 100 is an apparatus for treating oil- and fat-containing wastewater which degrades oils and fats of oil- and fat-containing wastewater within a grease trap by the action of immobilized lipase E and a microbe utilizing an organic matter, which comprises a container body 60 having an intake port 61 for incorporating oil- and fat-containing wastewater rich in oils and fats stored in the upper layer within the grease trap which has been absorbed and taken out and an discharge port 62 formed in a way that the wastewater is capable of being removed while part of the wastewater degraded and treated has been remained, an enzyme holder 70 provided and installed within the container body 60 containing the immobilized lipase E while preventing the immobilized lipase E from being flown and lost, in which the above-described oil- and fat-containing wastewater can pass through and agitating means 75 for agitating the above-described oil- and fat-containing wastewater within the above-described container body 60 and it is provided and installed exterior of the grease trap.
US07828968B2

A system for enumeration of cells in fluids by image cytometry is described for assessment of target populations such as leukocyte subsets in different bodily fluids or bacterial contamination in environmental samples, food products and bodily fluids. Briefly, fluorescently labeled target cells are linked to magnetic particles or beads. In one embodiment, a small, permanent magnet is inserted directly into the chamber containing the labeled cells. The magnets are coated with PDMS silicone rubber to provide a smooth and even surface which allows imaging on a single focal plane. The magnet is removed from the sample and illuminated with fluorescent light emitted by the target cells captured by a CCD camera. In another embodiment, a floater having a permanent magnet allows the target cells to line up along a single imaging plane within the sample solution. Image analysis can be performed with a novel algorithm to provide a count of the cells on the surface, reflecting the target cell concentration of the original sample.
US07828964B1

The pool filter cleaner is a device for simultaneously cleaning the interior and exterior surfaces of a conventional cylindrical pool filter. The pool filter cleaner includes first and second elongated pipes, each having an upper end and a lower end. A hose connector provides fluid connection between an external hose, the upper end of the first elongated pipe and a first end of a cross pipe. A second end of the cross pipe is in fluid communication with the upper end of the second elongated pipe. A sprinkler head is mounted on the lower end of the first elongated pipe, and a nozzle is mounted on the lower end of the second elongated pipe. A cap is slidably mounted on the first elongated pipe, the cap being adapted for covering and sealing an upper opening of the pool filter when the sprinkler head is inserted within the pool filter.
US07828962B2

An integrated unit operations for the treatment of a waste stream, such as spent caustic, is provided in a single vertical vessel having at least three separate zones: a mixing, a settling, and a mass transfer zone.
US07828961B2

A differential rate rotary thickener; a power detector which is disposed in a sludge receiver tank for thickened sludge thickened in the differential rate rotary thickener; a discriminator which receives an electric signal for a thickened sludge concentration (X) detected by the power detector and which calculates and discriminate the data; a first controller which receives an instruction signal being a discriminated result in the discriminator and which operates an outer cylinder driving machine and a screw driving machine; a ratio setter which receives a discriminated signal of the discriminator and which increases or decreases a chemical feed rate (α) of flocculant stepwise; and a second controller which receives an instruction signal from the ratio setter and which operates a flocculant-feeding pump are provided. Thickening of sludge is performed by controlling the chemical feed rate (α), a rotational speed (S) of a screw, and a rotational speed (C) of an outer cylinder screen.
US07828957B2

In one embodiment, we disclose hardened olefin waxes and processes for preparing them. In another embodiment, we disclose oxidized olefin waxes having low viscosity and processes for preparing them. The waxes are suitable for use as polishes, coatings, or inks, among other uses. For example, a hardened olefin wax composition produced from a feedstock olefin wax composition by contacting the feedstock olefin wax composition with an oxygen-containing gas at a temperature greater than a melting point of the feedstock olefin wax composition, the hardened olefin wax composition having: a needle penetration value at 25° C. at least 5 percent less than a needle penetration value at 25° C. of the feedstock olefin wax composition; a a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of up to about 200% greater than the kinematic viscosity of the feedstock olefin wax composition; and a saponification number less than 5 mg KOH/g hardened olefin wax composition.
US07828942B2

A device (10) for producing a biocidal solution has a sealed and replaceable reservoir (16) with a low volume capacity which contains pre-prepared aqueous salt solution (18) with a pre-determined concentration, an electrolytic cell (20) for electrochemically treating the salt solution (18), a pump (28) for delivering a flow of accurately measured volumes of the salt solution (18) to the electrolytic cell (20), a restrictor valve (36) for controlling further the flow rate of the salt solution (18) to a cathode chamber (24) of the electrolytic cell (20), an electrical circuit (46) for connecting the pump (28) and the electrolytic cell (20) to a mains supply source (48) and including a power pack (50) for providing a substantially constant direct current of (7) to (12) amps to the electrolytic cell (20) and an operator-controlled switch (52) for completing the electrical circuit (46) when the switch (52) is operated to produce a biocidal solution (12) having a predetermined level of available free chlorine and pH.
US07828917B2

A rail manufacturing method is provided, in which a billet is hot-rolled into a rail form and the rail is cooled to ambient temperature. The foot part of the rail can be mechanically restrained to improve the straightness of the rail during at least the period of cooling where the surface temperature is between 800° C. and 400° C. In the subsequent cooling process, at least while the surface temperature of the foot of the rail is between 400° C. and 250° C., the rail is kept in an upright state, and cooled naturally without using insulation or accelerated cooling.
US07828904B2

A cleaning apparatus useful for cleaning the interior of a pipeline contains: (A) a platform of a dimension sufficient to be inserted through an opening in the pipeline, the platform containing one or more portions; (B) a fluid interrupter having one or more parts to provide a surface to contact fluid flow and thereby interrupt fluid flow, the fluid interrupter constructed and arranged to be attached to the platform; a downstream side of the fluid interrupter being supported by members connected to the platform to dispose the fluid interrupter against fluid flow; (C) runners attached to the underside of the platform to contact an inner diameter of the pipeline; whereby the supported fluid interrupter, platform and runners redirect fluid flow between an underside of the platform and an inner surface of the pipeline; and (D) a device located downstream of the fluid interrupter to constrict the volume of the redirected fluid and increase its flow rate; whereby fluid flow is increased to move solid waste in the pipeline; and method for utilization of the cleaning apparatus to assist in relocation of solids in a pipeline for extraction therefrom, such as sewer lines or storm drains. The apparatus may further have opposing support members on an upper face of the platform; a rudder to orient disposition of the apparatus; one or more ballasts to correct any listing of the apparatus during use; and/or one or more seals or skirts that help the sled better form to the pipe.
US07828901B2

An apparatus to produce acoustic cavitation by controlling cavitation events in a liquid insonification medium utilizing a waveform to excite a transducer with a series of bipolar inharmonic tone bursts having medium recovery intervals between respective bursts so that the medium repeatedly recovers from cavitation events between bursts. The apparatus may be used to clean a semiconductor wafer, to de-coat a painted surface having, to induce a chemical reaction, and/or to provide recycled paper made from inked paper de-inked by cavitation. Cavitation events are generated using a transducer and a waveform generator, e.g., square wave tone bursts, to excite the transducer with a signal controlled in frequency, burst repetition rate, duty-cycle and/or amplitude, e.g., utilizing bursts having a frequency between 500 KHz and 10 MHz, and a duty cycle between 0.1% and 70%.
US07828893B2

A silicon wafer having no epitaxially deposited layer or layer produced by joining to the silicon wafer, with a nitrogen concentration of 1·1013-8·1014 atoms/cm3, an oxygen concentration of 5.2·1017-7.5·1017 atoms/cm3, a central thickness BMD density of 3·108-2·1010 cm−3, a cumulative length of linear slippages ≦3 cm and a cumulative area of areal slippage regions ≦7 cm2, the front surface having <45 nitrogen-induced defects of >0.13 μm LSE in the DNN channel, a layer at least 5 μm thick, in which ≦1·104 COPs/cm3 with a size of ≧0.09 μm occur, and a BMD-free layer ≧5 μm thick. Such wafers may be produced by heat treating the silicon wafer, resting on a substrate holder, a specific substrate holder used depending on the wafer doping. For each holder, maximum heating rates are selected to avoid formation of slippages.
US07828890B2

The invention relates to effect pigments having an aluminum core or aluminum alloy core and an aluminum oxide-containing or aluminum oxide/hydroxide-containing layer enveloping said aluminum core or aluminum alloy core, obtained by chemical wet-process oxidation of lamellar aluminum pigments or aluminum alloy pigments, the content of metallic aluminum in the aluminum core or aluminum alloy core being not more than 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the pigment, wherein the oxidized aluminum pigments or aluminum alloy pigments exhibit at least one highly refractive metal chalcogenide layer having a refractive index of >1.95, and a mixed layer is formed between the highly refractive metal chalcogenide layer and the enveloping aluminum oxide-containing or aluminum oxide/hydroxide-containing layer. The invention further relates to a process for the production of such effect pigments and to the use thereof.
US07828889B2

Methods, treatment compositions and treatment systems are disclosed for forming a detachable and renewable coating on a receptive surface by a process of applying a treatment composition comprising a plurality of hydrophobically modified fumed silica particles colloidally dispersed in a volatile solvent; allowing the volatile solvent to evaporate; and thereby depositing a protective coating on the receptive surface consisting of a layer of the hydrophobically modified particles, which provide a substantially transparent coating with dirt- and water-repellency properties that effectively shed dry particulate soils as well as water from the treated surface or treated article bearing a receptive surface. The methods, treatment compositions and treatment systems employing the hydrophobically modified fumed silica particle are particularly useful in providing nearly invisible detachable coatings and treated articles featuring surface protective benefits including dirt- and water-repellency, self-cleaning with water, and easier cleaning benefits when applied to a variety of automotive and home surfaces, both interior and exterior, including articles and materials such as metals, painted materials, sealed materials, plastics and polymeric articles, wood, textiles and the like.
US07828881B2

A filter assembly having a filter head having inlet and outlet ports and a top cap having a substantially curved, non-planar flange portion, the non-planar flange sealingly received within the filter head such that the filter head is divided into inlet and outlet partitions. In some embodiments, the flange portion has a generally s-shaped cross-sectional profile. The flange portion incorporating a modified venturi for improved flow of both inlet and outlet streams through the filter assembly.
US07828880B2

A liquid film is formed on the surface of a porous body provided with a hydrophobic layer and hydrophilic layer, by moving thereon an ionic liquid having a selective absorption capacity of specific gas, and the specific gas within the gas to be processed is absorbed into the liquid film by bringing pressurized gas to be processed into contact with the liquid film. The specific gas is, for example, a carbon dioxide gas and the ionic liquid is, for example, an imidazolium salt. The specific gas absorbed into the liquid film is passed through the porous body by the use of a difference in pressure, whereby it is collected on a low pressure side. The specific gas absorbed into this collected liquid is then separated into a gas and a liquid by a separator, and the specific gas is released and collected.
US07828871B2

The present invention provides fertilizer compositions comprising calcium and magnesium phosphates together with alkali metal double phosphates, and process for their preparation. The solid composition is freely flowing and well soluble.
US07828866B2

A cyclonic separating apparatus includes a first cyclonic separating unit including at least one first cyclone, a second cyclonic separating unit located downstream of the first cyclonic separating unit and including at least one second cyclone, and a third cyclonic separating unit located downstream of the second cyclonic separating unit and including at least one third cyclone. The separation efficiency of the second cyclonic separating unit is substantially the same as the separation efficiency of either the first cyclonic separating unit or the third separating unit, providing an apparatus which achieves a higher separation efficiency than known separation apparatus.
US07828855B2

A textile prosthesis comprising a unitary body of predetermined shape having structural integrity, the body including at least one anchorage body portion for attachment to an anatomical body part, the body being composed of a combination of binding yarns and tensile load bearing filaments, the binding yarns being located at least in the or in each of said anchorage body portions and being interconnected to one another by sewn stitches, the tensile load bearing filaments being located in between said stitches so as to be constrained to extend through said unitary body along predetermined pathways extending in one or more predetermined directions so as to render the body resistance to stretch when a tensile load is applied in said one or more predetermined directions.
US07828848B2

An expandable osteosynthesis implant has branches each connected at one end to a seat which is pierced by an orifice, suitable for being slid from a posterior direction between the facing faces of two consecutive vertebrae in order to hold them a given distance apart and restore stability of the spinal column. The branches and the seat define a hollow cage which, in a “rest” position, has an outside general shape that is a cylinder of circular section, and a portion at least of the inside volume of the cage towards the distal ends of the branches is in the form of a circular truncated cone whose large base is towards the seat, which implant has at least three branches and, inside the inside volume at least one spacer suitable for passing through the orifice and the large base of the truncated cone.
US07828847B2

A bone prosthesis device is comprised of an upper and lower abutment surfaces and an intervening malleable member. The device is sufficiently small so that implantation into an inter-vertebral disc space can be performed from a substantially posterior approach without significant impingement upon the neural elements.
US07828846B2

A space keeper for vertebrae or intervertebral disks is provided, which has a tubular section and teeth on the respective ends of the space keeper. On at least one end of the tubular section an element is provided, which has a top plate which is tiltable about an angle to the longitudinal axis of the tubular section.
US07828843B2

An assembly and method for effecting the condition of a mitral valve annulus of a heart includes a guide wire configured to be fed into the coronary sinus of the heart, and a mitral valve annulus therapy device configured to be slidingly received on the guide wire and advanced into the coronary sinus of the heart on the guide wire. A guide tube may further be employed for guiding the device into the coronary sinus. An introducer which may be employed for pushing the device into or pulling device out of the heart has a mechanism for releasably locking to the device. This enables substitution of the device if needed. Also, the crossover point of the circumflex artery and coronary sinus may be determined and avoided when the device is deployed.
US07828842B2

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a tissue shaping device adapted to be disposed in a vessel near a patient's heart to reshape the patient's heart. Such tissue shaping device can include an expandable proximal anchor; a proximal anchor lock adapted to lock the proximal anchor in an expanded configuration; an expandable distal anchor; a distal anchor lock adapted to lock the distal anchor in an expanded configuration; and a connector disposed between the proximal anchor and the distal anchor, the connector having a substantially non-circular cross-section.
US07828841B2

An intravascular support device includes a support or reshaper wire, a proximal anchor and a distal anchor. The support wire engages a vessel wall to change the shape of tissue adjacent the vessel in which the intravascular support is placed. The anchors and support wire are designed such that the vessel in which the support is placed remains open and can be accessed by other devices if necessary. The device provides a minimal metal surface area to blood flowing within the vessel to limit the creation of thrombosis. The anchors can be locked in place to secure the support within the vessel.
US07828840B2

This invention relates to medical devices and an angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor antagonist compound, the medical device being adapted to release the AT2 receptor antagonist compound within a body of a patient. This invention also relates to medical devices and methods of treatment of disease, such as aneurysms and aortic dissection. Medical devices may include coated stents, grafts, stent grafts, balloons and catheters.
US07828837B2

An endograft for a vessel having a vascular branch extending from the vessel is provided. The endograft includes a main body having a wall separating interior and exterior surfaces and adapted to be inserted within the vessel. The main body is characterized by a single proximal opening and a single terminal opening and at least one aperture extending through the wall. At least one stent is secured to the main body that upon expansion pressure fits the main body into the vessel. An open tunnel is secured to the interior surface of the main body around the main body aperture and secured somewhere along the tunnel length to provide fluid communication between the interior and exterior surfaces of the main body through the aperture and with the vascular branch in proximity to the main body aperture. The tunnel is readily formed independent of an expandable stent. Through the addition of further apertures and tunnels, an endograft is well suited for revascularizing the superior mesenteric artery and renal arteries for the treatment of a suprarenal aortic aneurysm. The insertion of a sleeve positioned partly within the tunnel and extending beyond the exterior surface of the main body into the vascular branch assures continued fluid flow to the vascular branch.
US07828828B2

An intervertebral joint with one embodiment comprising a socket screw, a ball screw, and two support screws. The socket screw and ball screw form a socket joint between two vertebral members. A first support screw braces the socket screw. A second support screw braces the ball screw.
US07828821B2

A nipple simulating the shape and function of a woman's breast is provided. The nipple has a stem and a base. The nipple preferably has a securing structure integrally formed to the base. The base has an areola region and a bulbous region. The areola region is positioned between the stem and the bulbous region, and is designed to simulate the shape of the areola region of a woman's breast. The bulbous region is positioned between the areola region and the securing structure, and is designed to simulate the shape of the region of a woman's breast surrounding the areola region.
US07828818B2

The present invention relates to heart septal defect occlusion devices with adjustable length tether which can adapt the interseptal length of the device to the unique anatomy of the patient. The right disc as recited in the present invention is made from a double-deck metal mesh with contraction function, and the left disc is made from at least two skeletons covered by membranes. The two discs are active linked together. Because the connection of the two discs has gimbal function and the distance between the two discs may expand and contract suitably, the device can adapt to the unique anatomy of the patient. Therefore the two discs may attach to the heart valves closely and increase its closing ability. Furthermore it can reduce the thrombus and operate more easily.
US07828815B2

Medical devices for filtering fluids flowing through a lumen and a method of forming medical devices. The devices can be used in vascular channels, urinary tracts, biliary ducts and the like, and filter emboli and other debris generated at a treatment site.
US07828814B2

A shunt rivet for implantation in the aorta and inferior vena cava to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a method of treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
US07828804B2

Methods and devices for treating diseases and conditions that change the spacial relationship between the vertebral bodies and the intervertebral disks, or that cause instability of the vertebral column, or both, and a method and devices that allow the surgeon to access the intervertebral space to restore a more normal three-dimensional configuration of the space, with or without additionally fusing two adjacent vertebrae.
US07828802B2

A bone treatment device comprises a shaft having a tubular wall, a lumen extending within the tubular wall, openings through the tubular wall, and anchoring elements adjacent the openings that can be deployed out of the openings in the presence of an actuating force within the shaft lumen. The bone treatment device may further comprise an actuator configured to be received within the shaft lumen to deploy the anchoring elements out of the openings.
US07828801B2

An external fixation device and method, which is designed for the setting and corrective treatment of bone fractures. More particularly, the provision is made for an external orthopaedic wrist fixation device for the setting and corrective treatment of bone fractures which may be encountered in the distal radial portion of the forearm of a patient, through the utilization of novel cross pin arrangements extending through the site of the fracture for fracture fixation and with the absence of the risks and discomfort of encountered Ligamentotaxis.
US07828797B2

Method, system and apparatus for carrying out electrosurgical procedures interstitially. Elevated temperature fluid such as steam generated by an instrument born electrosurgical cutting arc is evacuated through an intake port located adjacent the cutting electrode. Instrument cannula surface heating caused by transport of the heated fluid is isolated. Such thermal isolation is provided by a thermal shield which may be configured as an enveloping sheath.
US07828793B2

A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.
US07828781B2

An implantable access post having a port casing core with an aperture therethrough, a patch associated with the port casing core, the patch adapted to be sewn to a vessel to connect the port casing core to the vessel to permit fluid communication from the vessel through the aperture of the port casing core, and an insert disposed within the aperture of the port casing core, the insert adapted to prevent fluid flow through the aperture. The insert may be self-sealing and may include a valve. The port may also include a port outer casing at least partially surrounding the port casing core and further including an anti-vessel-compression mechanism.
US07828779B2

An injection device including a housing with a reservoir for an injectable product, a delivery device used to dispense a product dose from the reservoir, and a dose metering member which, in order to select the product dose, can carry out a rotational displacement in relation to the housing in a first direction until it reaches an end position and can be displaced in an opposite second rotational direction, wherein the dose metering member is coupled to the delivery device in such a way that the latter, when actuated, dispenses the product dose that has been selected by means of the dose metering member, the injection device also including an anti-twist safety device which has at least one anti-twist stop and at least one anti-twist counter-stop, one of which is formed by the housing and the other by the dose-metering member, wherein the anti-twist stop and the anti-twist counter-stop come to rest against one another in the end position in order to prevent the rotational displacement of the dose metering member in the first rotational direction from continuing beyond the end position.
US07828777B2

A sealing element is suggested, in particular one for closing primary packaging for medications, that has at least two parts, which touch each other at least in some areas. This is characterized in that steam-permeable channels are provided for sterilization of the contact surfaces. In addition, a method is suggested for manufacturing a syringe system with a sealing element. This is characterized by the steps—preliminary assembly of the sealing element, —sterilization of the sealing element, —final assembly of the sealing element.
US07828774B2

The present invention relates to a safety clip device for shielding and retaining a tip of an introducer needle following insertion of a vascular catheter. The safety clip device includes a sleeve having an interlock system for locking together the sleeve and the catheter adapter. The sleeve houses a safety clip wherein a portion of the introducer needle extends through the safety clip and is pinched between arm portions of the safety clip. As the tip of the introducer needle is withdrawn from the catheter adapter, the tip of the introducer needle is retained in the safety clip, whereafter the safety clip is retained within the sleeve and the sleeve is released from the catheter adapter for safe disposal.
US07828772B2

A compact fluid dispenser for use in controllably dispensing fluid medicaments, such as antibiotics, blood clotting agents, analgesics, and like medicinal agents from collapsible containers at a uniform rate. The dispenser includes a novel stored energy source that is provided in the form of a compressible-expandable member that functions to continuously and uniformly expel fluid from the device reservoir. The apparatus further includes a novel fluid flow control assembly that precisely controls the flow of the medicament solutions from the device reservoir to the patient.
US07828770B2

A compact fluid dispenser for use in controllably dispensing fluid medicaments, such as antibiotics, blood clotting agents, analgesics, and like medicinal agents from collapsible containers at a uniform rate. The dispenser includes a novel stored energy source that is provided in the form of a compressible-expandable member that functions to continuously and uniformly expel fluid from the apparatus reservoir. The apparatus further includes a novel fluid flow control assembly that precisely controls the flow of the medicament solutions from the apparatus reservoir to the patient.
US07828766B2

A balloon catheter having a multi-layered balloon which has a first layer and at least a second layer, and which has noncompliant limited radial expansion beyond the nominal diameter of the balloon. By selecting the polymeric materials forming the balloon layers, and arranging and radially expanding the multiple layers of the balloon in accordance with the invention, a balloon is provided having an improved low compliance, preferably in combination with high flexibility and softness.
US07828765B2

The invention relates to a method and device for treating or preventing or suppressing a disease or condition in a non-human animal. The method comprises the steps of providing a single delivery device containing two components for sequential delivery from the delivery device. A first component is delivered from the single delivery device into a teat canal of a non-human animal and subsequently the second component is delivered from the single delivery device into the teat canal. The components are delivered without substantial mixing of the components.
US07828764B2

A system includes a durable portion with a durable housing and a separable disposable portion with a disposable housing that selectively engage with and disengage from each other. The disposable housing secures to a patient and may be disposed of after it has been in use for a prescribed period. Components that normally come into contact with a patient or with an infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion to allow for disposal after a prescribed use. A reservoir for holding the infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion, and may be supported by the disposable housing. The durable portion may include other components such as electronics for controlling delivery of the infusion medium from the reservoir, and a drive device including a motor and drive linkage.
US07828757B2

An air flow sleeve system for injecting air flow from an air producing mechanism into a cast system preferably includes an air flow sleeve having at least one aperture through which air may flow. A separator is preferably positioned within the air flow sleeve such that it is at least partially longitudinally coextensive with the air flow sleeve. The air flow sleeve may be used with a coupler that may be integrated with the cast system. Preferred embodiments of the cast system include casting material, a comfort layer, and a backing/padding layer. When air from the air producing mechanism flows into the air flow sleeve, the air flow sleeve expands. The backing/padding layer compacts to allow the expansion of the air flow sleeve. The present invention also includes a method for creating a cast structure including the air flow sleeve.
US07828756B2

A chair-type massage machine is provided which comprises a seat, backrest and leg portion having a plurality of preset reclining angles for giving an effective massage to the user in various postures. The massage machine comprises a seat pivotally movably supported by a base, a backrest pivotally movably supported by the seat at the rear end thereof, a leg portion pivotally movably supported by the seat at the front end thereof, control means for controlling seat moving means, backrest moving means and the leg portion moving means and a manual controller. The control means has stored therein a plurality of preset reclining angles with respect to the angle of the seat, backrest and the leg portion. The manual controller has reclining selection buttons for selecting one of the reclining angles and an initial position button. The control means operates the moving means for the seat, backrest and leg portion when the reclining angle is selected by the reclining selection button and pivotally moves the seat, backrest and leg portion to the selected angle.
US07828753B2

An electrode interface system for providing a connection between at least one electrode and a maternal-fetal monitor, wherein the interface system converts electrical muscle activity captured by the electrode(s) into uterine activity data signals for use by the maternal-fetal monitor. The electrode interface system of the invention preferably includes a conversion means for converting the signals from the electrode(s) into signals similar to those produced by a tocodynometer.
US07828749B2

A device and method for lancing a patient, virtually simultaneously producing and collecting a small fluid sample from a body. The device comprises a blood collection system including a lancing needle (16), drive mechanism (11), kneading or vibration mechanism (25), optional suction system (7), and sample ejection mechanism. The device is preferably sized to be hand-held in one hand and operable with one hand. The device can optionally contain integral testing or analysis component (83) for receiving the sample and providing testing or analysis indication or readout for the user. A method involves piercing the skin at a rapid rate, kneading the surrounding area by ultrasonic action, piezoelectric or mechanical oscillation to stimulate the blood flow from the wound, drawing the fluid using a pumping system.
US07828725B2

A bent state holding mechanism for an endoscope which includes a control portion and an insertion portion extending therefrom, the insertion portion having a bendable portion at a distal end thereof, including a bendable portion control mechanism provided on the control portion, which is operated to bend the bendable portion, and at least two frictional resistance producing members which rotate relative to each other upon operation of the bendable portion control mechanism, to exert a frictional resistance for holding the bendable portion at any operated position. The two frictional resistance producing members include a radial plate spring made of resilient metal which includes a ring portion and a plurality of radial projections which project radially outwards from the ring portion; and an annular friction member having a pressure surface which is brought to be pressed obliquely against flat surfaces of the plurality of radial projections.
US07828724B2

There is provided a flexible tube for an endoscope, including a framed structure unit having a plurality of joint members rotatably coupled to each other so that the framed structure unit is able to bend freely, each joint member having a form of a short cylinder, a reticulated tube that is reticulated with thread and is formed to cover the framed structure unit, and a flexible sheath that has flexibility and is formed to cover the reticulated tube. Further, a cross section of an outer surface of the flexible sheath has a circular shape, and a cross section of an outer surface of each joint member has a non-circular shape so that a wall thickness of the flexible sheath has a thicker part in a particular direction about an axis line of the flexible tube than another part of the wall thickness of the flexible sheath.
US07828722B2

Where two axes X and Y using the axial center position as the origin are set on a section orthogonal to the axial line of the distal end hard portion, the observation portion and the treatment equipment lead-out portion are disposed at both side positions between which the Y-axis is placed, the surface on which the solid-state image pickup device of the substrate is incorporated is disposed in a direction parallel to the X-axis, the center of the treatment equipment lead-out port is disposed between a plane parallel to the X-axis including the center of the optical axis of the object lens and a plane including the plane of the substrate, the line connecting the centers of both the illumination portions are roughly parallel to the Y-axis, and is drawn near the center of the optical axis of the object lens, and the distances between the center of the optical axis and both the illumination portions are made as equal to each other as possible.
US07828715B2

A method for treating anal incontinence is provided, in which a support member is implanted in a tissue pathway extending from a first location posterior to and adjacent the anus, through the perineum anterior to the anus and terminating at a location posterior to and adjacent the anus opposite the first location.
US07828713B2

A gastrointestinal device including a casing including fixation elements adapted for intraluminal fixation of the device in a gastrointestinal tract (e.g., the anorectal wall), a valve disposed in the casing and controllable to move from a closed position, which significantly restricts passage of gastrointestinal (e.g., fecal) matter therepast, and an open position, which permits passage of gastrointestinal matter therepast, and a controller operatively connected to the valve for externally controlling the position of the valve between the closed and open positions.
US07828702B2

A weight plate have integrally formed handles is provided. The weight plate has a weight plate body having an outer periphery, a first side, and a second side that is substantially flat. The weight plate also has a central bore extending through the body, a raised flange member forming a portion of the outer periphery on the first side, and at least one handle opening extending through the body and through ht least a portion of the outer periphery. The handle formed by each handle opening, the corresponding recess, and the raised flange member is sufficient for a human hand to grip.
US07828699B2

A base for a treadmill has a bottom board, two side frames and two stepping frames. The bottom board has two sides. The side frames are attached respectively to the sides of the bottom board, and each side-frame has a top. The stepping frames are connected respectively to the side frames, and each stepping frame has an anti-slipping frame and a side wing. The anti-slipping frame is mounted securely on the top of a corresponding side frame and has a top and an anti-slipping member mounted on the top of the anti-slipping frame. The side wing is connected to the anti-slipping frame and extends toward a side opposite to the bottom board. Accordingly, the base can fit with different running belts with different widths and is versatile and convenient in use.
US07828698B2

An exercise apparatus may include a frame. A crank system may be coupled to the frame. A brake/inertia device may be coupled to the crank system. A pivotal linkage pendulum system may be coupled to the crank system. The pivotal linkage pendulum system may include one or more link members. An upper pivot of at least one of the link members may be coupled to the crank system. In some embodiments, the upper pivot point of the at least one of the link members may be coupled to the crank system through a movable member. The upper pivot point may move in a closed path motion. A foot member may be coupled to one or more of the link members. The foot member may include a footpad. A majority of a path of motion of the footpad may be below the closed path during use.
US07828697B1

A portable personal training device is disclosed. The device generally includes a location determining component operable to determine a geographic location of the device, a housing having a first portion and a second portion coupled to the first portion at an angle, and a strap operable to secure the housing to a user's wrist such that the first portion is operable to be positioned on a top of the wrist and the second portion is operable to be positioned offset from the top of the wrist. Such a configuration facilitates both wearing and operation of the device.
US07828681B2

Ball structures, such as basketballs, are formed to include regions with different and distinct tactile characteristics or “feel.” Such ball structures may include a cover member divided into plural panels that are separated by channels. The exterior surface of one or more of these panels may include regions having different textures. One region, which extends over a central portion of the panel, includes raised elements, such as raised ribs or other structures, that may extend at least 0.5 mm outward from a base surface of the cover member.
US07828680B2

A sheath for a lacrosse stick includes a cap and a rolled sheath. The cap is mounted on the free end of a lacrosse stick and the sheath is unrolled onto the stick to the desired length or the entire length of the stick. The cap and sheath are preferably made from injection molded rubber, neoprene of other polymers that permit production in various thickness, colors and lengths. The elasticity of the material preferably gives it memory and durability. The diameter of the sheath is preferably smaller than the diameter of the lacrosse stick so that it stretches to a tight fit. After the sheath is unrolled to the desired length, excess material may be cut off, if desired.
US07828679B2

The present invention discloses a play implement positioning device including an implement support for holding a first play implement in a play position to be struck. The invention also discloses a mechanism for selectively, automatically placing multiple stored play implements onto the implement support after the first implement has been struck and dislodged from the implement support.
US07828674B2

An iron golf club head includes: a block that is made by a magnesium alloy; and a metal head main body, wherein the block is embedded into the metal head main body.
US07828667B2

A water transportation system and method are described, generally related to water amusement attractions and rides. This transportation system comprises at least two water stations and at least one water channel connecting the at least two water stations for the purpose of conveying participants between the at least two water stations. In addition, a floating water park positioned in a body of water is described, as well as, a floating marine park. A floating marine/water park may include one or more floating containers positioned in a body of a first fluid. One or more of the floating containers may function to hold a second fluid, marine life, and/or participants in water amusement activities. A floating container may include an access point functioning to allow participants to enter/exit one or more of the floating containers. The access point may include a gradually sloping beach portion.
US07828664B2

An upholstery tack strip includes a metal ribbon and a thermoplastic sleeve covering at least a portion of the ribbon. The sleeve includes at least one, and possibly a pair of, lengthwise removed strip section(s) so as to expose a corresponding lengthwise surface of the metal ribbon. The metal ribbon integrally includes nail sections which protrude outwardly from said tack strip. At least one, and preferably both, lateral edges of the metal ribbon are knurled or serrated so as to assist in anchoring the ribbon to the sleeve.
US07828658B2

An input device configured to generate at least two inputs, such as two signals, in response to input movement from a first to a second position, a first and a second speed of input, a first and second applied input force, or an input movement of a first and second distance. When associated with a gaming machine, a player's input effects generation of multiple inputs which are provided to a gaming controller for playing a game. The input device has utility to games, such as a Class II bingo type game, where a player is required to provide multiple inputs over the course of the game in order to participate in the game.
US07828657B2

Methods and systems are provided for transforming music played by characters, objects and non-player characters in order to produce an enhanced audio experience for players within a massively multiplayer game.
US07828656B2

In a gaming method for facilitating game play via a gaming apparatus, the gaming apparatus comprising a controller and a first display unit, the controller communicatively coupled to the first display unit, a game software application may be executed, and value input data may be received. The first display unit may be caused to display a game image representative of one of the following games: poker, blackjack, slots, keno, or bingo. A secondary software application may be executed, and an icon associated with the secondary software application may be displayed simultaneous with the display of the game image, wherein a foreground of the game image is substantially unobstructed by the icon, and wherein the icon is substantially unobstructed by the foreground of the game image. Information may be conveyed using the secondary software application upon detecting an event, and a value payout associated with an outcome of the game may be determined.
US07828655B2

A computer game depicts or represents actual or imaginary geographic locales as part of the play scenarios of the games. The computer game uses a map database that contains data that represent geographic features, such as roads, in a locale. A game engine program presents a game play scenario to a user via a user interface of the game. An application programming interface program accepts requests for data from the game engine program, accesses data from the map database, and provides the data in a suitable format to the game engine program for use in presenting the game scenario to the user.
US07828650B2

Systems and methods of generating electronic gaming tickets provide for receiving an asynchronous reply from an access device over a network. An electronic gaming ticket is sent toward the access device over the network based on the asynchronous reply. By providing asynchronous communication with the access device, a number of advantages are achieved.
US07828646B2

A casino all-in-one kiosk includes a card issuing unit that enables self service registration and dispensing of casino loyalty cards, in addition to cash-dispensing, and ticket redemption functions. The kiosk may also be adapted to provide ancillary services such as hotel check-in/check-out, reservations and ticketing, and coupon printing, and may further be integrated with a financial services network to provide banking and credit card services.
US07828644B2

A scatter object symbol is randomly selected among plural symbols. The symbols are rearranged. A payout determined by a combination of the symbols rearranged on a payline is awarded. When a predetermined number or more of the scatter object symbols are rearranged, the scatter object symbol is set as a scatter symbol. It is notified contents of a payout determined on the basis of the scatter symbol and the corresponding payout is awarded.
US07828636B2

Methods, devices, and systems are provided for washing an animal intestine. The device may include one or more flushing arms connected to a rotating fluid tank. The rotating fluid tank provides the fluid to the flushing arms, which in turn provide the fluid to the animal intestine. The rotating fluid tank may be adapted to rotate about a substantially vertical axis and during such rotation moves the flushing arms through a number of working sections around the washing machine.
US07828635B2

The invention concerns a tool for gutting fish (12) which have been opened at the stomach cavity (11), the tool (13) being designed as a suction element (23) for extraction of the entrails by suction, which is distinguished in that the suction element (23) is allocated an element (35) for clamping and/or squeezing the entrails to be removed. Furthermore the invention concerns an apparatus for gutting fish (12) which have been opened at the stomach cavity (11), including a tool (13) for extraction of the entrails by suction, a measuring instrument (14) which is configured so as to detect specific fish data, and at least one control unit for controlling the tool (13) depending on the specific fish data detected by the measuring instrument (14), which is distinguished in that the tool (13) is designed as mentioned above. The invention further concerns a corresponding method for gutting fish (12).
US07828624B2

A method of manufacturing ophthalmic lenses comprises the steps of: a) mounting lens blanks on lens blocks at a blocking location; b) transporting the blocked lens blanks to at least one manufacturing site that is remote from the blocking location; and c) selectively machining ophthalmic lens from the blocked lens blanks at the manufacturing site on a machining platform, wherein the selective machining of ophthalmic lens includes back surface generation of the lens blanks and edging of the lens blanks at the manufacturing site on a single manufacturing platform.
US07828612B2

A crimp terminal includes a sheath mounting portion for mounting a sheath portion of a wire thereon, at least two sheath fixing portions that press-fastens to the sheath portion of the wire, wherein each of the sheath fixing portions has a pair of sheath press-fastening pieces extended respectively from opposite side edges of the sheath mounting portion, and a crimping connection portion that electrically connects to the conductor portion of the wire exposed at a distal end of the sheath portion. Extending directions and lengths of the pair of sheath press-fastening pieces of each of the sheath fixing portions are set so that distal end portions of the pair of sheath press-fastening pieces of each of the sheath fixing portions are superposed to each other when the pair of sheath press-fastening pieces are press-fastened on the sheath portion.
US07828606B2

A plug connector (11, 12), having a body (13, 16) with boreholes containing contacts (14, 15), and a detent (23-26) that protrudes into the boreholes (21, 22) behind a contact collar (65). To make possible the locking insertion of not only thicker and therefore relatively stiff cables but also of such thin cables, for example those that are braided, which due to their relatively small cross section easily buckle when stressed in the sliding longitudinal direction, it is provided that the detent (23-26) can be inserted into the borehole (21, 22) in two successive positions, whereby in the first, preliminary locking position, the deflection resistance of the detent (23, 26) is smaller than it is when bringing the plug contact (14, 13) into the second, and final locking position.
US07828604B1

A connector assembly includes a plug connector having a base body and at least one inserting portion extended from a front of the base body. The inserting portion has a substantially circular plug groove of which an inner wall has a portion formed with an anti-mismating portion of plane shape. The anti-mismating portion has a null terminal recess for receiving a null terminal. A socket connector coupled with the plug connector defines an insulating housing having at least one receiving groove at a front surface thereof and a substantially circular receiving portion surrounded by the receiving groove. The receiving portion has a portion formed with an anti-mismating face of plane shape, corresponding to the anti-mismating portion, with a null pin recess formed thereon. A null pin is received in the null pin recess for electrically connecting with the null terminal of the plug connector.
US07828590B1

An electronic device includes an enclosure, a battery mounted the enclosure to supply power to the electronic device, a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted in the enclosure, at least one electrical connector attached to the PCB, and at least one contact probe. The enclosure includes a pair of sidewalls and at least one receiving hole defined in one of the pair of sidewalls. The electrical connector includes a fixing member including a hook located at a distal end thereof. The contact probe is received in the receiving hole to electrically connect the battery to the PCB, and includes a contact portion including a receiving groove defined at a distal end thereof. The hook is received in the receiving groove to electrically connect the contact probe to the PCB.
US07828588B2

This invention discloses a connector structure including a base, a plurality of metal pins, and a cover. The metal pins are disposed at the base. The cover has a first side and a second side being separately and pivotally connected to the base, respectively. The first side is capable of being operated to be separated from the base and to rotate around the second side for exposing one part of the metal pins. The second side is capable of being operated to be separated from the base and to rotate around the first side for exposing one part of the metal pins.
US07828584B2

The invention relates to a plug-type connector (1) for printed circuit boards, comprising a two-part housing and a number of contact elements (10), the contact elements (10) each having two connection sides the one connection side being in the form of a contact for connecting wires and the other connection side being in the form of a pluggable contact for a printed circuit board, the contact element (10) further having an interface, via which surge protection elements can be connected, the housing being formed with receptacles (20, 21), into which two-pole surge arresters (24) are inserted, the interfaces of the contact plane (10) protruding into the receptacles (20, 21) and each making contact with a first pole of the surge arresters (24), contact being made with the other pole of the surge arresters (24) by means of a ground element, in each case two receptacles (20, 21) being arranged in the transverse direction (Q) of the housing, which receptacles are separated by a common wall (22), the contacts for connecting the wires being arranged in a row which extends in the longitudinal direction, the interfaces of the contact elements being arranged in two rows which each extend in the longitudinal direction, the surge arresters (24) being aligned axially flush with one another in the transverse direction (Q).
US07828582B2

An electrical connector (100) for mating with a mating connector (800) along a mating direction includes an insulative housing (1), a pair of latches (7) and a number of terminals (5) received in the insulative housing. The insulative housing has a front face (11), a pair of side walls (13) each defining an opening (131), a pair of receiving spaces (12, 14) defined between the pair of side walls, and a partition (16) disposed between the pair of receiving spaces. The pair of latches are mounted in the openings and each formed with an engaging portion (75). The latch resiliently yields in the opening along a moving direction perpendicular to the mating direction to permit the engaging portion moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position.
US07828577B2

A socket for electrically connecting an IC package to a printed circuit board, comprises an insulative housing, a stiffener surrounding the housing and having a front wall defining a hole; and a load plate pivotably mounted to the front wall of the stiffener. The load plate has a pivotal portion with a hook, the hook has a latching finger engaging with the latching hole of the stiffener, a protruding finger and a gap defined between the latching finger and the protruding finger. The protruding finger resists the stiffener when the load plate deflects on a top-to-bottom direction relative to the stiffener. The protruding finger also can engage with the stiffener to guide the load plate to rotate in a correct direction.
US07828572B1

An electric socket includes an electrically insulative bottom shell, two metal electrode clamps mounted inside the electrically insulative bottom shell, an electrically insulative top shell covering the electrically insulative bottom shell and having two bottom spacer ribs set between the two metal electrode clamps to keep them apart, and a sliding block slidably coupled to the electrically insulative top shell and movable between a locking position where a bottom protruding block of the sliding block pushes the free end of each spacer rib sideways against the front clamping strips of the metal electrode clamps, thereby causing the metal electrode clamps to be locked to the metal conducting blades of the inserted electric plug and an unlocking position where the bottom protruding block of the sliding block is released from the spacer ribs, thereby unlocking the meal electrode clamps from the metal conducting blades of the inserted electric plug.
US07828567B2

A carrier useful in the field of telecommunications to which a plurality of telecommunications modules are mountable. The carrier includes at least one spacer adapted to create a wire or cable slack by spacing the wires or cables from that part of the carrier on which the spacer is provided. An assembly comprising at least one carrier and at least one telecommunications module is also disclosed.
US07828564B2

A card edge connector for receiving a module, includes an elongated insulative housing having a pair of side walls, a central slot extending therebetween for insertion of the module, a plurality of terminals positioned in the side walls and extending into the central slot; and a pick-up member having a fixing portion and a connect portion connecting the fixing portion. the insulative housing includes a latch pair of portions formed on opposite ends thereof and disposed at an outer sides of the terminals along a lengthwise direction thereof, the latch portion fixes with the fixing portion of the pick-up member.
US07828561B2

A pin having a contact part may be inserted into a receiving opening in a printed circuit board and anchored in the receiving opening with a press fit. Also, a method provides for inserting a pin into a receiving opening in a printed circuit board, in which the pin is inserted into the receiving opening from one side of the printed circuit board, and a contact part of the pin is anchored in the receiving opening with a press fit. The contact part is inserted into the receiving opening in a contactless manner or with a sliding fit and is subsequently deformed within the receiving opening by expansion transversally to the insertion direction in order to anchor the contact part in the receiving opening with a press fit.
US07828557B2

A printed circuit board having an upper face provided with contact traces and pads with a light-emitting diode fixed to the board and connected to the traces. A connector juxtaposed is with the pads and carries a contact element having a leg bearing with spring force on one of the pads and formations gripping a hookup wire. At least one fastener engages through the connector and circuit board with a heat-sink base and presses the connector against the circuit board and the circuit board against the base.
US07828553B2

An apparatus and method for teaching involving teaching manipulatives. The teaching manipulative comprises a longitudinal rod having a plurality of multi-faced objects disposed upon its surface which are capable of substantially sliding along the length of the rod and have a unique object identifier disposed on each face. On either end of the rod is a stop member having a row identifier substantially in alignment with the unique identifiers on the faces of the multi-faced object.
US07828549B1

A self-ligating orthodontic bracket system is provided, comprising a bracket to be mounted on the lingual side of the tooth and a self-ligating insert. The insert comprises a retention arm and a lockarm pivotally engaged together. The retention arm includes: a retention spring; a topside arm; and a pivot ring connecting the retention spring to the topside arm. The lockarm includes: an attachment portion having a pivot bar configured to be received in the pivot ring of the retention arm; a strut portion connected to the attachment portion; and a clasp portion having a clasp lock and an unlocking opening. The clasp lock is configured to engage a chokebox stem of the bracket. A retention groove in the bracket retains the retention arm of the insert. The bracket includes slots for occlusal, edgewise and gingival archwires. A method of providing orthodontic treatment and an orthodontic system are also provided.
US07828548B2

Disclosed is a process for reducing metallic oxide or sulfide materials in a rotary kiln and a rotary kiln for reducing such materials. The materials are heated in a reducing atmosphere as they travel along the axial length of the rotary kiln. The materials are discharged from the kiln at a discharge point in the kiln away from its lower material outlet end, wherein the temperature within the kiln at said discharge point is greater than the temperature at the lower material outlet end.
US07828545B2

A method is disclosed for producing structures having a plurality of stems extending away from a fenestrated base to undercut ends. Such structures include slidingly-engaging fastener portions, hook-and-loop hook portions, self-engaging fastener portions, and other structures with similar aspects. The method includes providing a set of partially bypassing dies to define a fenestrated common cavity contiguous with pluralities of undercut stem chambers, filling the cavity with a moldable material, and ejecting the resultant product. The resultant product includes a plurality of undercut stems spaced away from a base with undersides projecting over fenestrations in the base.
US07828541B2

A mold includes a controller and core actuators that may independently drive a plurality of mold cores positioned with the mold. Sensors may be included whereby the mold cores are positioned in the mold core responsive to the sensor feedback. The core actuators may be servomotors and may further include motor controllers, one for each servomotor, for use in actuating the mold cores.
US07828539B1

Disclosed are methods of forming three dimensional arrays of aligned nanofibers in an open, loose structure of any desired depth. The arrays are formed according to an electrospinning process utilizing two parallel conducting plates to align the fibers and rotating tracks to distribute the fibers throughout the array. Arrays can be used as formed, for instance in tissue engineering applications as three dimensional scaffolding constructs. As-formed arrays can be combined with other materials to form a composite 3-D structure. For instance, composite polymeric materials can be electrospun to form composite nanofibers within the array. Multiple polymeric materials can be electrospun at different areas of the array to form a composite array including materially different nanofibers throughout the array. The arrays can be loaded with other fibrous or non-fibrous materials to form a composite array. Arrays can also be rolled to form a uniaxial fiber bundle.
US07828530B2

The invention concerns a dual pump, comprising an electric motor (18) including a drive shaft, the shaft including, at each of its axial ends, a shaft output (21, 22), and two pump impellers, each shaft output driving a respective pump impeller, one first of the pump impellers (23) operating at low pressure and high flow rate, and the second of the pump impellers (30) operating at higher pressure and lower flow rate. The water pumped by the second pump impeller (30) is drawn proximate the outlet of the first pump impeller (23) and returns to the inlet of the second pump impeller. The drawing point is situated in a low pressure pump chamber, upstream of the low pressure outlet (16). The invention is applicable to swimming pool maintenance.
US07828529B2

A regulatable drive for a motor vehicle, in particular for a water pump in a motor vehicle, has a rotatably mounted shaft, on which is located a rotatably mounted drive member and a rotationally fixed driven member. Between the drive member and driven member, a coupling region is defined, which can receive a viscous fluid for selectively coupling the drive member and driven member. The regulatable drive includes at least one first and at least one second flow path, which connect a fluid storage space to the coupling region, and it has a device which can be varied in its position by means of at least one actuator and which varies at least one passage orifice of at least one of the flow paths.
US07828524B2

A personal cooling device especially adapted to be worn around the neck of the user formed by an enclosure, a power source carried in the enclosure, a centrifugal flow impeller carried within the enclosure, a motor carried within the enclosure for powering the impeller and an air duct formed around the impeller. The enclosure is provided with an air inlet and an air discharge opening adaped to direct an air stream toward the user when hung around the user's neck.
US07828518B2

A securing arrangement 32 for securing an actuating lever 20 to a spindle 14, for example a spindle 14 of a variable inlet guide vane 10 in a gas turbine engine, comprises a fastening formation 38 rotatably co-operable, in use, with a corresponding fastening formation 30 on the spindle 14. The securing arrangement 32 is rotatable relative to the spindle 14 to a securing position in which the respective fastening formations 30, 38 co-operate so that the securing arrangement 32 secures the actuating lever 20 to the spindle 14. The securing arrangement 32 includes anti-rotation means 42, preferably in the form of anti-rotation tabs 44, for preventing rotation of the securing arrangement 32 from the securing position.
US07828514B2

A rotor (10) for a power plant, in particular an aero engine or a gas turbine, whereby the rotor (10) includes at least two bonded rotor discs (12, 14). The rotor (10) has an inlet opening (30) for inlet of fluid from around the rotor (10) into a chamber (26, 44) in one or between two adjacent rotor discs (12, 14) and at least one interrupter element (38) with at least one fluid passage (40) is arranged in the chamber (26).
US07828508B2

A fuel pump includes an outer partitioning wall formed with an intake port; an inner partitioning wall formed with a discharge port; and an impeller housed between the outer partitioning wall and the inner partitioning wall, wherein each of the outer partitioning wall and the inner partitioning wall is formed with a fuel flow path that communicates with the intake port and the discharge port in a portion opposing a blade body provided on a periphery of the impeller, and the intake port is provided with an eddy current prevention section that prevents inflowing fuel from forming an eddy current.
US07828502B2

A mounting unit (1) serves to rotatably and captively fasten a screw (2) to a mounting part (3), especially the fastening eyelet (4) of a belt buckle of an automobile, a truck or a different commercial vehicle. The mounting unit (1) includes a screw (2) including a head (5), a shank portion (6) and a threaded portion (7) including a thread (8), the shank portion (6) being arranged in a region between the head (2) and the threaded portion (7). The mounting unit (1) furthermore includes a mounting ring (10), the mounting ring (10) being arranged on the shank portion (6) not to be movable in a direction of the screw axis (11), the mounting ring (10) including at least one retaining element (13) being designed and arranged such that a mounting part (3) can be pushed over and beyond the retaining element (13) in a way that the mounting part (3) can be fastened by the retaining element (13) such that the screw (2) is arranged to be rotatable with respect to the mounting part (3) and not to be movable in the direction of the screw axis (11).
US07828495B2

A supplemental fluid adjustable depth air sparging system which is used to remediate contaminants from groundwater within the soil. An adjustable depth air injection point injects compressed air mixed with a chemical oxidizer or nutrient into saturated or groundwater regions of the soil's subsurface to remove contaminants including chlorinated solvents from the soil's subsurface.
US07828493B1

An artificial reef device comprising an axle rod supporting a plurality of buoyant reef bodies rotatably mounted on the axle rod. The axle rod and buoyant sections are suspended at a desired level above a water bottom by anchors attached to anchor lines further attached to the axle rod. A plurality of distally projecting rods is mounted on the buoyant reef bodies. The distally projecting rods are mounted in a manner such that the buoyant reef bodies rotate independently of each other on the axle rod without interference from the distally projecting rods. Some of the projecting rods may be hollow to receive soluble fish attractant for disbursement through the hollow rods.
US07828492B2

A security barrier system for use with a trafficable surface and a site requiring protection from advancing vehicles includes a composite bed system having a plurality of elevations and comprising a first layer beneath a second layer. The first layer includes a deformable material configured to collapse when subjected to vehicle loads, and the second layer includes a pedestrian cover surface over the deformable material that conceals the deformable material. The pedestrian cover surface is configured to support pedestrian traffic over the deformable material without permanently collapsing the deformable material and to collapse along with the first layer when subjected to vehicle loads. A structure beyond the bed system is provided to resist the impact of a vehicle that has traversed the bed system.
US07828491B2

A ring mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages has supporting hinge plates for pivoting motion relative to a housing to open and close ring members. The mechanism further includes a thin, flat travel bar between the housing and the hinge plates. The travel bar moves relative to the hinge plates between a position blocking the hinge plates against pivoting when the ring members are closed and a position allowing the hinge plates to pivot when it is desired to open the ring members. The travel bar is supported in a generally vertical orientation by the hinge plates within a guide in the housing. The guide controls movement of the travel bar lengthwise of the housing.
US07828490B2

A thermal printer has a main body, a cover body, a hinge mechanism, a first locating mechanism, and a second locating mechanism. At the time of a shift from a second state where the cover body is opened with respect to the main body to a first state where the cover body covers the main body, the first locating mechanism locates a first platen roller of the cover body with respect to a first thermal head of the main body, and arranges a second thermal head of the cover body in the vicinity of a second platen roller of the main body. The second locating mechanism locates the second thermal head arranged in the vicinity of the second platen roller by the first locating mechanism with respect to the second platen roller of the main body.
US07828489B1

A computer keyboard incorporates a base member, a keying module and a spacing member coupled therebetween. The spacing member is pivotable over a range of angles to allow the keying module to be retained at a range of discrete, desired angles above a support structure such as a desktop. An embodiment incorporates two such assemblies linked together by a sliding member, further allowing the keying modules to be spaced apart laterally from each other by a desired distance. Another embodiment incorporates a hinged linking member, allowing the keying modules to also be angled with respect to each other about an axis normal to the support plane.
US07828484B2

The radial antifriction bearing has an outer bearing ring, an inner bearing ring and roller bodies, which are arranged between the bearing rings, are held at uniform distances from one another in the peripheral direction by a bearing cage. The roller bodies are discs that each have two parallelly arranged lateral surfaces which are symmetrically flattened from a spherical basic shape. In order to prevent edge stresses between the discs and the raceways, at least the raceway in the inner bearing ring, on its outer edge areas, transition into a logarithmically decreasing profile.
US07828477B2

A total air temperature probe includes an inlet through which airflow enters a primary airflow passage through the probe. A sensor flow passage is connected to the primary flow passage. Bleed ports extend between the primary airflow passage and a cross-port which extends laterally across the probe. An aspiration aperture in the cross-port couples the cross-port to an internal cavity of a strut of the probe. The aspiration aperture can be centered within the cross-port to provide symmetrical deicing heater error behavior of the probe during changes in angle of attack. An aspiration tube couples the internal cavity of the probe to a pressure source.
US07828470B2

In one implementation, a method provides a plurality of graphics. The method backlights the graphics by using reflected light and/or blocking direct light. The method also highlights one of the graphics by using direct light that overpowers the backlighting of the one of the graphics.
US07828464B2

An LED lamp structure with high-efficiency heat-dissipating function includes a heat-dissipating module, a light-emitting module, a power-transmitting module, and a casing module. The heat-dissipating module has a plurality of heat-dissipating fins, and the heat-dissipating fins are combined together to form a radial shape and a receiving space. The light-emitting module is received in the receiving space of the heat-dissipating module. The power-transmitting module is electrically connected with the light-emitting module. The casing module has a top board body, a bottom board body mated with the top board body, and a joint board body disposed between the top board body and the heat-dissipating fins. Both the top board body and the joint board body have an opening for exposing the light-emitting module. Each heat-dissipating fin has a top side contacted with the joint board body and a bottom side separated from the bottom board body by a predetermined distance.
US07828461B2

A luminaire that can provide a beam pattern having a substantially uniform illuminance across a target plane includes a plurality of LEDs mounted on a support and at least one reflector fixed with respect to the support and cooperating with the plurality of LEDs.
US07828445B2

A display projector lamp module includes a lamp, a mounting member supporting the lamp, a metal cover and a heat pipe. The mounting member and the metal cover cooperates to defines a room, and the lamp is received in the room. A plurality of first and second fins is mounted on opposite sidewalls of the cover to dissipate heat generated by the lamp. The heat pipe is mounted around a periphery of the cover and thermally contacts with the first and second fins.
US07828443B2

A projector includes an integrator illumination optical system. The integrator illumination optical system includes: a first lens array having a plurality of first small lenses, a second lens having a plurality of second small lenses, and a polarization converter including: polarization separating layers. The second small lenses of the second lens array are each arranged with its convex surface oriented to the light-irradiation side. A light shield section is provided on a portion on an incident-side surface of the polarization converter, the portion excluding a light-incident surface corresponding to the polarization separating layers. An extending portion is formed on one of the second lens array and the polarization converter in a manner extending toward the other one of the second lens array and the polarization converter, the second lens array and the polarization converter bonded and fixed to each other by bonding and fixing the extending portion to the other one.
US07828440B2

A method of testing for an ocular disease in an eye includes measuring a condition of the eye to receive a first value, placing an instrument adjacent the surface of the eye, changing the pressure in the eye using the instrument after measuring the condition, measuring the condition of the eye, after changing the pressure, to receive a second value, and comparing the first value to the second value.
US07828438B1

The objective of the present method and apparatus is to provide a portable diagnosis system for a quick and reliable method to examine the conditions of a human eye-lens. The method provides precise and safe technique for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) which is not involved brain surgery or biopsy. The detection of deposited layers of amyloid plaque in the eyes of the patient has been discovered to be a possible diagnosis solution. The disclosed method uses terahertz waves instead of laser for scanning the eye of the AD patient to precisely image the amyloid layer non-evasively in real time and to map the deposited plaque with high resolution which can easily distinguish the abnormality of an AD patient with the comparison of the patient eye-lens test to the available signature of a normal person and the signature of a person with common age-related cataracts.
US07828437B2

A fundus oculi observation device comprises: an image forming part configured to optically acquire data and form a tomographic image of a fundus oculi of an eye; a storage configured to store optical information representing a state of an ocular optical system of the eye; a calculator configured to calculate a magnification of the ocular optical system, based on the optical information; and an analyzer configured to analyze the tomographic image, based on the magnification.
US07828431B2

Methods for producing a junctionless ophthalmic lens are provided. Additionally, ophthalmic lenses having junctionless, three dimensional surfaces, for example, asymmetrical anterior and/or posterior surfaces, as well as molding tools used in the production of such lenses, are also provided. The method generally include providing sample data points to define a surface contour, and interpolating between these data points using an algorithm to produce a simulated three dimensional surface. The simulated three dimensional surface is used in producing an ophthalmic lens, for example, in cast molding a contact lens.
US07828410B2

An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a brush, a suction unit, and a wiper. The brush brushes off matters adhering to an ink ejection face of an ink-jet head. The suction unit sucks the matters brushed off by the brush. The wiper has a contact face to be brought into contact with the ink ejection face to remove matters adhering to the ink ejection face. A brush moving mechanism is provided for moving the brush in parallel with the ink ejection face. A wiper moving mechanism is provided for moving the wiper in parallel with the ink ejection face. The wiper moving mechanism can move the wiper with bringing the contact face of the wiper into contact with the ink ejection face. A controller of the ink-jet recording apparatus controls the brush, the suction unit, and the wiper.
US07828405B2

In a multi-valued printer that uses discontinuous index patterns, if a tone correction table is generated using sampled density patches, a table which is different from a table to be obtained and has no inflection point is obtained, and the print density characteristics after tone correction suffer discontinuity. To solve this problem, an output gamma table used to output measurement patches is set to linearly correct the printer print characteristics. Patches are output and their densities are measured. A reverse table of a “signal value—density” table is generated, and is smoothed using a recursive curve. The smoothed reverse table is finely adjusted to generate an intermediate output gamma table. The generated table undergoes index component correction, thus generating a tone correction table.
US07828403B2

A system and a method for improving the quality of prints using a print mask for a printer with at least one printhead with a plurality of dot forming elements arranged in dot forming element sections, and at least one of the masks are altered so that mask data corresponding to at least one complementary set of dot forming elements is activated or deactivated in response to the paper location and the dot forming element section is shifted as the printhead passes a transition position. As the mask size is reduced, for example, the mask contents are shifted to one end of the printhead. This remapping of the mask within the head allows the page advance distance to be changed to the new page advance distance only once.
US07828399B1

A universal locker system that enables different sizes of lockers for custom configuration of a row of lockers. The number of lockers using a common housing may be one, two, three, four or six. Also, lockers with taller and shorter portions can be accommodated. A universal housing and universal, segmented hinge enable insertion of dividers at pre-selected elevations in the housing and installation of independently operable locker doors covering the distance between the pre-selected elevations and thus the opening between the dividers to create individual lockers from portions of the universal housing. The dividers thereby serve as the top of the locker below and the bottom of the locker above. Special dividers with two elevations may alternatively be inserted to create lockers having taller portions and shorter portions.
US07828388B2

An armrest for use with a motorized vehicle is provided comprising first and second substantially opposing surfaces elongated longitudinally along the vehicle's interior surface and extending laterally inward therefrom. The armrest also includes a substantially vertical wall portion extending from the inner periphery of the first and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces define a plurality of channels oriented substantially parallel to one another and elongated longitudinally relative to the vehicle, in either a parallel or oblique fashion relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The plurality of channels is configured to sustain substantial vertical loading and controllably deform under a predetermined threshold lateral crush load. In addition, the plurality of channels preferably includes one or more partitions within each of the channels that are oriented relative to one another to thereby create a load path for lateral loads imparted to the armrest assembly.
US07828383B1

A rotating seating assembly for use in marine vessels. The seat assembly includes a car and track assembly with moveable sections. The sections can move about curvilinear paths which are defined by the curved track segments. A unique bearing/track linkage mechanism, interlocking the component parts, is incorporated into the novel design. In one configuration, the seating sections rotate about a circle track, a full 360 degrees. Bearing assemblies and rolling mechanisms provide smooth, quiet and efficient operation of the system.
US07828378B2

A bicycle seat includes a seat base and a bladder assembly mounted to the seat base. The bladder assembly includes an inner bladder surrounded by an outer bladder and at least partially ringed by a ring bladder. Each bladder can be filled to a desired pressure for any type of rider or riding mode. Accordingly, the bicycle seat offers improved cushioning and stability.
US07828373B2

A vehicle glazing panel assembly has a polycarbonate panel supported by a vehicle body, and has a plurality of peripheral regions. A reinforcement member is mounted to the polycarbonate panel proximate at least one of the plurality of peripheral regions to stiffen the polycarbonate panel. A method of manufacturing a vehicle glazing panel assembly thermoforms a polycarbonate panel. A reinforcement member is injection molded. The reinforcement member is joined to the polycarbonate panel to stiffen the polycarbonate panel. A vehicle glazing panel assembly is manufactured by a method of thermoforming. A reinforcement member is formed and joined to the polycarbonate panel to stiffen the polycarbonate panel.
US07828371B2

A restraining means includes a shaft member projecting laterally from a frame member, and a plate which is fixed to a base frame and in which an insertion hole capable of inserting the shaft member therethrough is formed. The restraining means is configured so that an inner surface of the insertion hole and the shaft member are not in contact with each other within a moving range of a drivers cab allowable by an installation mount, and so that the inner surface of the insertion hole is in contact with an upper surface of the shaft member when the drivers cab is lifted from the base frame beyond the moving range.
US07828364B2

A durable soft-top cover used to cover the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The durable soft-top cover includes a rigid member that prevents the annoying and turbulent flapping of the soft-top at high rates of speed when the vehicle velocity and wind speed is increased. The durable soft-top cover is reinforced with rigid members that support the canvas-like material of the soft-top. The rigid members are disposed adjacent to and/or within a material making up the durable soft-top. The durable soft-top may be portably rolled and/or folded and compactly stored. The rigid construction may be composed of at least one or more rigid member to provide the rigidity to the durable soft-top.
US07828356B2

A cargo bed management system including a storage system composed of a receptacle integrated into a sidewall of a bed of a motor vehicle and a dividing system that divides or extends a bed of the motor vehicle. The dividing system includes a main panel having a length approximately equal to a width of the bed, and a pair of side panels hingedly connected to the main panel so that the side panels may rotate relative to the main panel from a stowed position where the side panels are integral with the main panel to an extended position where the side panels extend outward from the main panel. At least one bumper is affixed to an end of each of the side panels that are hingedly connected to the main panel such that the bumper increases a length of the main panel when said the panels are in the stowed position. The bumpers compress to secure the main panel and the side panels to the bed.
US07828353B2

Slidably mounted within the cylinder 108 of the accumulator 46 is a piston 48. A spring 50 is positioned behind the piston 48, which biases the piston 48 toward port 56. The portion of the cylinder 108 occupied by spring 50 is vented to the atmosphere by breather 52, which allows air to pass in and out of cylinder 108. As a result of the spring 50 acting on the piston 48, fluid is collected, stored, and released from the cylinder 108 under pressure. It should be understood that the accumulator could collect, store and release fluid under pressure using energy storage devices other than spring 50. For example, the accumulator 46 could be gas.
US07828348B2

A single piece striker for a latch formed from stock, comprising a mounting plate with an integral striker bar. The striker bar extends out from the mounting plate via a neck portion. The engagement area of the striker bar has a greater diameter than the thickness of the mounting plate. The striker is formed using a progressive die. The striker bar is formed by compressing a portion of the stock to a greater thickness than the rest of the striker. Compressing a portion of the stock also provides a rounded engagement area across the length of the strike bar. Compression occurs over a series of dies that provide a progressively rounder shape. Locator channels within the dies help retain the striker bar during compression.
US07828345B2

The system described here is a shipping container security system which includes an RF data communications device; and an RF device mounted on an interior surface of a door of the shipping container and configured to form a short-range communications link with the radio communication component inside the shipping container via the antenna mounted on the exterior of the shipping container when the RF device and the radio communication component are within radio communications range. The RF device is mounted on the interior surface of the door such that, the RF device and the radio communication component are within radio communications range when the door is closed, and the RF device and the radio communication component are outside of radio communications range when the door is opened, whereby the opening and closing of the door of the shipping container is determinable.
US07828344B2

The system described here is a bolt-type seal lock which includes a bolt, having a shaft with proximal and distal portions, a head that is wider than the distal portion of the shaft and located at the proximal portion of the shaft, and a microchip containing a unique serial number of the bolt; a locking body having a passageway with an open end for receiving and retaining the distal portion of the shaft of the bolt in locking engagement after the shaft has been inserted a predetermined extent into the open end of the passageway, at which point the shaft cannot be withdrawn from the open end of the passageway; and a housing connected to, and movable relative to, the locking body, having electronics and a power source therein. The electronics and the housing are configured to read the unique serial number of the bolt from the microchip.
US07828334B2

A joint part including a welding portion with a rim of an opening of a fuel resin tank as well as a high barrier property on its interface. The joint part has a multi-layer structure including a barrier layer and at least one of an inner layer and an outer layer coaxially laminated on an inner periphery and/or an outer periphery of the barrier layer, respectively, wherein the barrier layer is formed by a compound material composed of one or more of fuel permeation-resistant resin, such as ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyamide polyester or liquid crystal polymer, and polyethylene, while the inner layer and the outer layer are composed of high-density polyethylene or modified high-density polyethylene.
US07828331B2

A variable load limiting device for a vehicle safety belt assembly is provided for controllably restraining a vehicle occupant by the vehicle safety belt assembly during deceleration of a vehicle. The device includes a body including a fluid chamber for containing a free-flowing fluid therein. A wiper assembly is operably disposed in the fluid chamber and selectively coupled to the vehicle safety belt assembly. The wiper assembly creates a pressure differential within the fluid chamber when a force in excess of a predetermined value is applied to the vehicle safety belt assembly. A throttle valve is operably connected to the body for controlling fluid pressure in the fluid chamber.
US07828321B2

Apparatus (10) helps protect an occupant (152) of a vehicle (12) that has a side structure (16) and a roof (18). The apparatus (10) includes a vehicle occupant protection device (14) deployable away from the vehicle roof (18) into engagement with the occupant's head (150) positioned against the side structure (16) to move the occupant's head laterally away from the side structure.
US07828320B2

In a knee protecting airbag device of the present invention, in the lower area inside a column cover, a case housing an airbag is attached to a steering column. The steering column includes a movable member for moving toward the front side of a vehicle along the axial direction of the column at the time when an impact on the front of the vehicle acts, and an unmoving stationary member, so that the column can absorb the impact when the movable member moves. The case is attached to such an area of the movable member that the case hits the stationary member when the moving member moves and absorbs impact, and the case can be deformed before or at the time of hitting the stationary member so that the moving stroke of the movable member is preserved when it moves.
US07828317B2

An integrated support structure apparatus is provided for attaching either a fifth wheel trailer hitch or a gooseneck trailer hitch to a truck bed. The integrated support structure comprises an H-shaped body that is attached to at least one truck frame rail below the truck bed. A gooseneck ball receiver is attached to a central portion of the body and aligned with a gooseneck opening in the truck bed. A plurality of receptacles are attached to the body in an array and are aligned with a corresponding plurality of pedestal access openings in the truck bed.
US07828315B2

An adjustable attachment apparatus for adjusting the position of a footpeg of a motorcycle relative to a frame of the motorcycle includes a primary adjuster, a secondary adjuster and a tertiary adjuster. The primary adjuster and the secondary adjuster adjust the footpeg in a first direction. The tertiary adjuster is spaced apart from the primary adjuster and the secondary adjuster, and adjusts the footpeg in a second direction that is different than the first direction. The second direction has a vector component that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The second direction can includes a first vector component that is substantially similar to the first direction and a second vector component that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The adjustable attachment apparatus can also include a footpeg positioner. The primary adjuster can include a plurality of sets of at least two attachment holes. Further, the footpeg positioner can be secured to at least one set of attachment holes. Movement of the footpeg positioner relative to the plurality of sets of attachment holes moves the footpeg along the first direction. The secondary adjuster can include a slot within which the footpeg is adapted to slidably move. A distance between adjacent sets of attachment holes is not greater than a distance that the footpeg slidably moves within the slot.
US07828313B1

An adjustable bicycle seat which is supported on a seat tube. The seat is vertically adjustable and held in place by a clamp. A spring is located within the tubular seat frame. The lower end of the spring is supported within the tubular seat frame. A seat tube clamp is positioned about the tubular seat frame which adjustably holds the seat tube at a desired height. Means are provided for limiting the upward movement of the seat to retain the seat tube within the tubular seat frame.
US07828312B1

A folding bicycle includes: a front body having a front frame and a front wheel pivotally coupled to the front frame; a rear body having a rear frame axially coupled to and freely separable from the front frame and a rear wheel pivotally coupled to the rear frame; a folding mechanism provided between the front frame and the rear frame and configured for connection thereof; and a fastening mechanism for fastening the folding mechanism to at least one of the front frame and the rear frame so as for the front frame and the rear frame to be coupled together axially, firmly, and integrally, and allowing the folding mechanism to be received in at least one of the front frame and the rear frame.
US07828304B2

The present invention is an apparatus or device for jacking an individual axle of a truck or a truck trailer having an air line. The device includes a valve in fluid communication with the air line, a first air bag in fluid communication with the valve, and a second air bag in fluid communication with the first air bag.
US07828299B2

Systems and methods associated with a fluid-activated shaft seal are provided. The systems, which feature multiple components, include a support component defining an exterior surface, a carrier component including an interior surface to slideably engage the exterior surface of the support component, and a seal disposed relative to the carrier component. The seal includes a lip portion and a fluid-responsive gel material that expands when exposed to a fluid to urge the lip portion towards or into contact with a shaft. The gel material contracts in the absence of the fluid to form or increase the size of a gap between the shaft and the lip portion. Methods of assembling and installing such a system are also described.
US07828294B2

A gaming system and method involving a dice game. The gaming system displays a plurality of wager areas. Each wager area is associated with a wager area value. The gaming system indicates a plurality of different reward ratios associated with the wager areas. One or more of the wager areas are selectable by the player for wagering. A plurality of dice are simulated as rolled. If the sum of the stopped dice is equal to the value of any of the wagered upon areas, the gaming system provides an award. If a bonus condition is satisfied, the gaming system provides a bonus outcome.
US07828293B1

A game assembly and its method of play. The game assembly has a game board. A three-dimensional underlay is positioned under the game board. Openings are formed through the game board that enable a person to see into the underlay. The underlay is comprised of a basin that is partially occupied with fill material. Search objects are mixed with the fill material. Sometimes the search objects are covered by the fill material, at other times they are not. Cover structures are provided. The cover structures selectively cover the openings in the game board. To play the game, a player selects a search object. A player also selects a cover structure. The cover structure selected by the player is removed and the player looks through the exposed opening for the selected search object. The game is won when a predetermined number of search objects are found by a single player.
US07828287B2

A printer includes a housing, one or more print cartridges, and a positioning system configured to position print media for printing by the one or more print cartridges. The positioning system including a rotatable star wheel for translating the print media relative to the housing, the star wheel including a plurality of teeth disposed around an outer perimeter of the star wheel. At least the tips of the star wheel teeth are formed from plastic.
US07828279B2

A method of scanning documents obtains the document that is to be scanned from an input tray, transports the document at a transport velocity past a scanner to obtain image data therefrom, and stacks each scanned document aligned with trailing-edge registration in a sloped output tray, in the order of scanning, by a sequence that detects the trailing edge of the scanned document, feeds the leading edge of the scanned document from an exit nip in a forward direction and above the sloped output tray at a transport velocity, then changes the speed at the exit nip to an exit velocity, different from the transport velocity, according to the timing of the trailing edge detection. The trailing edge of the scanned document is ejected at the exit velocity. The exit nip speed is restored to the transport velocity for feeding the leading edge of a subsequent document.
US07828273B2

For the reliable condensation of steam on condensation nuclei in an aerosol flow and therefore for enlarging the particles in the aerosol, the invention provides a method which is characterized in that condensation nuclei are passed through an inner area of an evaporating zone forming a flow area, the liquid to be evaporated is contacted with the flow area and evaporated therein and the thus produced steam is condensed on the condensation nuclei. The invention also provides an apparatus for condensing steam on condensation nuclei with an inlet for condensation nuclei and an evaporating zone constructed in such a way that a flow area for the condensation nuclei has a heated liquid duct open thereto and that a condensation flue is connected to the flow area. The invention also provides methods and apparatuses for counting particles, for producing monodisperse aerosols using the aforementioned method or the aforementioned apparatus.
US07828272B2

The carburetor (1) includes a flow duct including rich (60) and lean (50) flow passage in parallel, through which, in use, air flows in a flow direction and which are separated by a substantially planar partition (30), at least one fuel jet 5 communicating with the rich passage (60), the partition (30) including an aperture (40) towards which the fuel jet (5) is directed, and a substantially planar butterfly valve (20) being received in the aperture (40) so as to be pivotable between a first position, in which the flow duct is substantially closed and the aperture (40) is substantially open, and a second position, in which the flow duct is substantially open and the aperture (40) is substantially closed, the upstream half of the aperture (40) being defined by an upstream semi-annular seating ledge (48) affording an upstream seating surface which is engaged by one of the surfaces of the butterfly valve (20) when it is in the second position and a first end surface which extends between the upstream seating surface and that surface of the partition (30) which is directed towards the lean passage (50), the downstream half of the aperture (40) being defined by a down-stream semi-annular seating ledge (49) affording a downstream seating surface which is engaged by the other surface of the butterfly valve (20) when it is in the second position and a second end surface, which extends between the downstream seating surface and that surface of the partition (30) which is directed towards the rich passage.
US07828264B2

A capacity control valve where a valve section is caused to be in contact with and separated from a valve seat by a valve rod to control the flow rate of pressurized fluid. The capacity control valve includes a first valve rod having a valve section and having a first peripheral surface formed on its outer periphery, a first valve chamber having a valve seat that comes into contact with and is separated from the valve section and having a first path into which pressurized fluid flows, and a valve housing having a through-hole that is movably fitted on the first peripheral surface of the first valve rod. The through-hole of the valve housing has a first tapered surface diverging as it goes away in the axial direction from the first valve chamber.
US07828261B2

A molten metal pump apparatus that includes a base member, at least two (2) support members or posts, and post sockets. The lower end of the posts are mounted to the base and forms a cement-less pump joint which is an objective of the present invention. The upper end of the post is connected to the post socket to form a cement-less pump joint which is a further object of the present invention. The connection joint between the posts and the base member and the post socket does not require cement to form or secure the joint. Therefore a replacement post identical to posts of the present invention may be provided without the need to dig out a cement joint but instead can be more easily removed and replaced.
US07828260B2

A support unit is provided for supporting reading material at a selected and convenient angle and height for facilitated viewing. The support unit is deployable between a collapsed and generally flat or two-dimensional non-deployed position, and a deployed position with a support platen at an adjustably selected angle and height for comfortable viewing. In one embodiment, the support platen is pivotally mounted onto a base plate for swinging movement between the non-deployed and deployed positions. In another embodiment, the support platen is pivotally mounted onto an intermediate bracket plate which is in turn pivotally mounted onto the base plate, wherein the bracket plate permits the support platen to be raised or lowered relative to the base plate with the support platen oriented in one of multiple angular settings relative to the bracket plate. The support platen and base plate may respectively incorporate a computer screen and a keyboard/processor unit.
US07828259B2

An electronic device holder includes: a base; a pivot seat extending uprightly from the base; first and second pivot joints; a connector having front and rear end portions, the rear end portion of the connector being pivoted to the pivot seat through the first pivot joint so as to permit rotation of the connector relative to the pivot seat about a first axis; and a device holding seat having front and rear sides. The rear side of the device holding seat is pivoted to the front end portion of the connector through the second pivot joint so as to permit rotation of the device holding seat relative to the connector about a second axis.
US07828257B2

An anesthesia equipment lift which couples to a table to provide an anesthesia equipment mount surface coupled to a lift element which travels from a first location to a second location to position mounted inhalation anesthesia equipment proximate to a patient located on the table surface to perform inhalation anesthesia.
US07828255B2

A supporting rack having a compensating mechanism includes a rack body, an action force compensating assembly, a transmission element and a supporting plate. The rack body has a base and support arms. The action force compensating assembly is provided in the rack body. The elastic element is firmly connected to the base. One end of the dragging piece is connected to the hooking plate. The rotating piece is provided on a distal end of the support arm. The other end of the dragging piece is connected to the rotating piece. One end of the transmission element is firmly connected to the rotating piece and pivoted on the support arm. Via the above arrangement, an appropriate force can be applied to the supporting plate. When the user intends to adjust the supporting plate, the elastic element can generate an effect for compensating the action force, thereby providing a better operation feeling.
US07828253B2

A portable laptop computer stand comprises a support assembly mounted atop a pedestal. The pedestal includes a base assembly having a post extending upwardly therefrom. The base assembly is supported by a plurality of radially outwardly extending spokes having castors mounted on free ends thereof. The post may include a telescopic mechanism to allow for vertical height adjustment of the support assembly. The support assembly includes a support panel atop of which is mounted the laptop computer in a secured manner via a pair security devices mounted on opposing sides thereof. The support assembly may further include a pull-out drawer, pull-out keyboard tray having a pull-out mouse panel.
US07828251B2

An interconnecting alignment and support system for supporting and maintaining alignment of at least one conduit or pipe is disclosed. The system may be used, for example, during a concrete pour operation or other construction operation. The system comprises a base spacer and, optionally, one or more of an intermediate spacer and/or another base spacer. The base spacer is constructed to be capable of interlocking with another spacer on each side and the top. The intermediate spacer is constructed to be capable of interlocking with another spacer on each side and both the top and bottom. The interlocks on the spacers may be releasably latched when fully interlocked. By interlocking the spacers, a matrix structure for aligning and supporting conduit or pipe may be created. The base spacer is attachable to a surface, so that the alignment and support system may be fixed in place.
US07828250B2

The present invention is directed generally toward leading edge flap apparatuses and corresponding methods. One aspect of the invention is directed toward an aircraft system having an airfoil, an actuator driver, and a leading edge device with two flow surfaces and six links. In a further aspect of the invention, the flow surfaces of the leading edge device are at least approximately located in the same position when the actuator driver is in two different positions. Another aspect of the invention is directed toward an aircraft system having an airfoil and a leading edge device movable between at least a retracted position and an extended position along a motion path having two segments. The second flow surface can be positioned generally behind and/or generally above the first flow surface when the first and second flow surfaces are located in the first segment of the motion path.
US07828245B2

An actuator control system has a dual concentric servo valve having a spool and at least one motor adapted to selectively displace the spool.
US07828235B2

The present invention is generally related to an apparatus having cutter elements for destroying articles such as paper sheets and a mechanism for advancing at least a top sheet from a stack of paper in a tray into the cutter elements for shredding. In one embodiment, the apparatus uses a rotatable feed roller to feed paper atop the stack to the cutter elements. The feed roller moves in an alternating manner between a lowered and raised position to engage and disengage the stack when advancing the paper therethrough. Alternatively, a rotatable cam may be used. In an embodiment, the apparatus uses a rotatable drum or rotatable belt with an internal vacuum to lift paper from the stack and feed into the shredder mechanism.
US07828232B2

A fuel injection valve includes a valve body having a valve seat, a nozzle plate arranged on an injection side of the valve body, a valve plug for intermitting fuel injection through the nozzle hole, and a sleeve. The nozzle plate has a nozzle hole through which fuel is injected from the injection side of the valve body. The sleeve makes contact with an end surface of the nozzle plate on an opposite side of the valve body with respect to the nozzle plate to partially cover the nozzle plate. Fuel is injected to an outside of the sleeve through the nozzle hole of the nozzle plate and an opening of the sleeve. The end surface of the nozzle plate makes contact with the sleeve in a contact portion. The contact portion has at least one groove that extends from the opening outwardly with respect to a substantially radial direction of the sleeve.
US07828231B2

A discharge head for fluids, with a discharge nozzle (1) which has a discharge opening (2) and accommodates an internal sleeve (5) in which is arranged an internal body (4) which delimits an outlet channel (7) and has a connecting element (8) for connection to a counterpart (9) of a discharging apparatus, the internal sleeve (5) having, on the end side adjacent to the discharge opening (2), a sealing surface (10) against which a valve stopper (3) which is located on the internal body (4) and closes the outlet channel (7) is spring prestressed.
US07828222B2

Disclosed is a radio frequency identifier tag having a microchip with first and second contact nodes, an antenna formed by a conductive line connected between the first and second contact nodes, and first and second conductive line segments connected in parallel and to the first and second contact nodes to form a tail capacitance modifying the antenna capacitance.
US07828221B2

Provided are a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna and an RFID tag including the RFID antenna. The RFID antenna includes an electric conductor and a conductor that radiate electromagnetic fields isotropically. The RFID tag including the RFID antenna can be installed on a metal plate.
US07828218B1

A method and a communicating system to enhance the reliability of communication between devices by protecting against failure of a device, e.g. due to power interruption. Additional data is included in communication primitives transmitted between communicating devices. The additional data relates to state data of the device having generated the additional data. The additional data is used to check the state data. The state data may also be derivable from the additional data upon receiving the additional data back from an other device.
US07828214B2

An electronic transaction card communicates with an add-on slot of an intelligent electronic device. The add-on slot may be a memory card slot. The intelligent electronic device may be a mobile phone or other device with or without network connectivity. The electronic transaction card may have magnetic field producing circuitry compatible with magnetic card readers, smartcard circuitry, other point-of-sale interfaces, or any combination thereof.
US07828190B2

In an ultrasonic mounting apparatus, a pressing shaft coupled with a voice coil motor to apply a load on a part to be mounted is placed independently from components including a bonding tool, ultrasonic horn, transducer, and horn support member. The components can move coaxially with the pressing shaft which is an application axis of a driving force. Abutting position of the bonding tool and pressing shaft is brought into coincidence with a node of a standing wave generated in the bonding tool.
US07828184B2

A miniature spring-actuated stapler includes a tapered, flat power spring to store energy and eject staples. The power spring pivots at a rear of the stapler housing and includes three co-extensive arms terminating near the striker. As the L-shaped handle of the stapler is pressed, it acts on the center arm of the power spring to deflect it downward while the outer arms deflect upward. The arms are integral at a rear end and the outer arms are linked to the striker at the front. A tapered, flat reset spring disposed generally parallel to the power spring is used to reset the internal action. The housing includes open top and rear areas with the handle providing the enclosure thereof. A base assembly is slidably attached at a bottom of the stapler with an open position exposing a staple-loading chamber.
US07828175B2

A beverage dispensing system with a base to which a dispensing head is removably attached without additional fasteners, wherein beverage forming liquids are supplied through a plurality of separate conduits in the base. Each base conduit has a normally closed valve that normally blocks fluid flow. The dispensing head has at least one passageway that receives liquid from an associated one of the base conduits. A projection associated with each dispensing head passageway opens the associated conduit valve to allow fluid flow from the base to the head. Dispensing valves in the dispensing head are independently accountable to regulate the dispensing of the beverage. In one version of the invention, four liquids are supplied to the dispensing head through the conduits, namely two liquid concentrates; carbonated water; and non-carbonated water. By selective opening of the dispensing valves, a plurality of beverages are formed from combinations of one or more of the liquids. A dispensing head for dispensing at least one carbonated fluid includes an inlet opening and an outlet opening at each end of a passage extending through a body, the inlet opening having a smaller cross-sectional area than the outlet opening.
US07828171B2

The container holder device includes a rotary body which is fixed to the lid body and held so as to slide up and down with respect to the holder body and so as to rotate, and a guide body which is formed on a side wall of the holder body. The rotary body is engageable with the guide body to rotate, along with the upward and downward sliding movements of the rotary body. Because the rotary body is engageable with the guide body to rotate, along with the upward and downward sliding movements of the rotary body, the rotary body can stably rotate while sliding. Because the lid body will rotate together with the rotary body while sliding, the lid body will move stably between the closed position and the open position. As the results, the moving orbit of the lid body can be made small, and the inner diameter of the storage space can be made small.
US07828169B2

A merchandiser (10) is disclosed having a main body (20), top shelf (110) and bottom shelf (31). A slidable graphics panel (90) with a bumper (100) formed in the back thereof is positioned such that the interlocking channels (60,61) permit the graphics panel (90) to move between upper and lower positions relative to the main body (20). When the graphics panel (90) is in the upper position, the wares (200) on the bottom shelf (31) are viewable to potential purchasers and when the graphics panel (90) is in the lower position, the wares (200) on the upper shelf are viewable to potential purchasers. A sample opening (80) is also constructed in the body (20) wherein a product sample (200) may be conveniently removed, tested or demonstrated and returned to the merchandiser (10).
US07828168B2

A vacuum-operated trash receptacle which is characterized by a container fitted with an air blower, vacuum pump or the like, either on the perforated lid, bottom or on the side thereof and having a like-shaped, removable, typically slotted liner inserted therein. In a preferred embodiment, the outer wall or walls and/or bottom of the liner are spaced from the corresponding inside wall or walls and bottom panel of the container, respectively, to define a separate or connected annulus between the bottom and wall or walls of the container and liner. The container is further provided with a top flange which receives a corresponding liner flange on the liner to seal the separate or connected bottom and wall annulus and facilitate development of a vacuum in the bottom annulus and wall annulus or both and in the liner by operation of the air blower. This vacuum operates to deploy a trash bag against the inside wall of the liner, either when the container is open or when a perforated lid is fitted over the container to close the liner.
US07828152B2

The invention provides carrier tapes in which, when the carrier tapes are wound up, regardless of the positions of accommodating portions of the upper and lower carrier tapes that overlap each other, electronic components accommodated in the accommodating portions can be reliably secured, so that the electronic components can be prevented from becoming dislodged from the accommodating portions; and electronic-component accommodating members including the carrier tapes.In each carrier tape having the plurality of accommodating portions that accommodate the electronic components and that are formed in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of protrusions are disposed at the bottom surfaces of the accommodating portions, and surfaces of interval portions provided between the accommodating portions that are adjacent to each other are formed lower than surfaces of guides of the carrier tapes.
US07828150B2

There is provided a container for a medicament powder formed from a material comprising a desiccant. In one embodiment the container is a medicament dispenser comprising a body defining a reservoir for medicament in powder form, and an outlet in communication with said reservoir. In another embodiment the container is a medicament dispenser comprising a body defining a chamber for receipt of a medicament carrier, and an outlet in communication with said chamber. Methods of controlling moisture flow are also described.
US07828146B2

An inflatable container generally includes a flexible housing having an interior cavity and a flexible valve in operative association with the housing, wherein, when a first force is exerted on the housing and a second force is exerted on the valve, or the valve is attached to an external object such as another container, the housing and the valve each undergo a change in shape to draw fluid from the ambient environment, through the valve, and into the interior cavity.
US07828136B2

A conveyor is described comprising an endless side-flexing conveyor belt made from a number of rows of hinged interconnected belt links, where each row comprises at least one link, where each link has a front end, a back end, a top surface, a bottom surface and two sides, where hinge parts separated by apertures are arranged along the front end and the back end such that front hinge parts on the front end will fit inside apertures on the back end of an adjacent belt link, and where the front end and back end are substantially parallel to a first axis parallel to the width direction of the link, wherein the hinge parts of each link are defined by a top and bottom that are substantially flush with the top and bottom surfaces respectively, and two side surfaces and a free front surface, and that at least some of the front hinge parts are provided with a protrusion on one or both side surfaces, where these protrusions fit inside elongated apertures provided in the side surfaces of the rear hinge parts on the opposite end of the links; and further that the portions of the protrusions and/or of the elongated apertures that engage each other during use of the belt are arranged such that the they are parallel to different axes depending upon whether they are closer to the middle or one of the two ends so that there will be multiple points of contact between adjacent links even when the belt is side-flexing around a curve.
US07828134B2

There is provided an article alignment apparatus 10 including an article alignment device for aligning orientations of articles by arranging two aligners 21, 21 having cylindrical surfaces, rotating each of the aligners 21 while keeping it at a predetermined inclination with respect to a horizontal direction, placing the articles on cylindrical outer surfaces of the two aligners 21, and carrying the articles from one side to the other side, in which protrusions 22 are provided on the surfaces of the aligners 21.
US07828123B2

A brake calliper for a disc brake, in particular for motor cycles and/or bicycles, includes a housing (30) for accommodating brake linings (40) which grip a brake disc during braking, with the housing having an abutment area (33) for contact with the brake linings during braking in the forward direction of travel and an assembly opening (29) which is opposite the abutment area (33) and through which the brake linings (40) can be inserted into the housing (30). A brake lining securing device (50) secures the brake linings in the housing (30) on the side opposite the abutment area (33), and a brake lining support device (31) supports the brake linings (40) between the abutment area (33) and the brake lining securing device (50). The brake linings can be arranged so that firstly the danger of undesired blocking during the braking process and secondly the danger of vibration of the brake during driving are substantially reduced. Specifically, the brake calliper has a prestressing device (32) which prestresses a brake lining (40) inserted into the housing (30) in a defined position.
US07828121B2

An elevator support, such as a cable or a belt connected with an elevator car or counterweight, has load-bearing synthetic material strands, which are reinforced by the introduction of a second phase and have a higher modulus of elasticity than that of the unreinforced strands.
US07828090B2

Core drill bits with long crown heights are described herein. The core drill bits have a series of slots or openings that are not located at the tip of the crown and are therefore enclosed in the body of the crown. The slots may be staggered and/or stepped throughout the crown. As the cutting portion of the drill bit erodes through normal use, the fluid/debris notches at the tip of the bit are eliminated. As the erosion progresses, the slots become exposed and then they function as fluid/debris ways. This configuration allows the crown height to be extended and lengthened without substantially reducing the structural integrity of the drill bit.
US07828081B2

A method of drilling a bore hole in a fractured formation. A drill pipe is deployed into the borehole, whereby an annular space is formed between the drill pipe and the borehole wall. A drilling fluid is pumped, by means of primary pumps, into the borehole via an internal conduit of the drill pipe and a drill pipe fluid outlet present in the vicinity of a distal end of the drill pipe. The annular space is pressure sealed using a pressure seal such as a rotating head on a BOP. A well control fluid is pumped into the annular space via a well control conduit that fluidly connects the annular space, in a location between the pressure seal and the drill pipe fluid outlet, to a backpressure system. The well control fluid is pressure-balanced against the pressure seal and the backpressure system.
US07828079B2

Slough removal assemblies and methods for removing slough from boreholes are described. A slough removal assembly containing a slough barrel is lowered into a borehole having excess slough, driven into the slough to cause the slough to enter the slough barrel, and the slough removal assembly is then removed along with the excess slough. The slough removal assembly may contain a shoe coupled to the slough barrel and configured to be driven into the slough, a retainer positioned between the shoe and the slough barrel to retain slough inside of the slough barrel, and a driving mechanism (such as a drop hammer) to drive the slough assembly into the slough. The slough removal assembly may be coupled either to a wireline system or to a drill string for insertion into and removal from the borehole.
US07828076B1

A valve tester suspension assembly for allowing one person to perform the tasks necessary to test underground valves includes an articulated arm attached to a mobile base such as a vehicle. The articulated arm may be biased such that the biasing assists in supporting the weight of a rotating assembly positioned at a distal end of the articulated arm. The articulated arm is pivoted to permit positioning of the rotating device in a substantially horizontal orientation at a desired position within a three dimensional space adjacent to the base to which the articulated arm is attached. A method of use is also described.
US07828065B2

A system that is usable with a well includes a closed loop network that is located entirely downhole in the well. The system also includes valves that are located in a wellbore of the well and are interconnected by the closed loop network. Each valve is associated with a different isolated region of the wellbore and is adapted to regulate a flow through the valve based at least in part on a flow condition of the isolated region associated with the valve and a flow condition of each of the other isolated regions.
US07828052B2

A well tool for applying a pulling or a pushing force to an object in an interior of a well bore comprising: a) an inner member comprising a first elongated member, a second elongated member and an actuation means axially interconnecting the first elongated member and the second elongated member; b) an outer elongated member longitudinally moveably engaged with the inner member; c) a first seal defined between the first elongated member and the outer elongated member; d) a second seal defined between the second elongated member and the outer elongated member; e) a first piston area defined at a first end portion of the outer elongated member between an outer diameter of the outer elongated member and a sealed outer diameter of the first elongated member; f) a second piston area defined at a second end portion of the outer elongated member between the outer diameter of the outer elongated member and a sealed outer diameter of the second elongated member; and g) a sealed chamber defined between the first seal and the second seal, the sealed chamber including a fluid at a fluid pressure; wherein operation of the actuation means axially reversibly moves the outer elongated member relative the inner member while the fluid pressure remains constant; and wherein the first piston area and the second piston area are substantially equal and external pressure acting on these two piston areas, generates two opposing forces substantially balanced during relative movement.
US07828049B2

A heat exchanger includes left and right header tanks disposed in parallel; top and bottom side plates that couple respectively both ends of the pair of the header tanks; a first plurality of tubes connected between the pair of the header tanks at both ends that are disposed in a region nearer the bottom side plate as a condenser; and a second plurality of tubes that are disposed in a region nearer the top side plate as an oil cooler. Each tube in the second tubes has a cross-sectional shape identical to that of each tube in the first tubes and the top side plate is formed to have a squared U-shaped cross section so that a return pipe communicating with the second tubes can be disposed along a groove having the squared U-shaped cross section of the top side plate.
US07828048B2

A tank for use in a system that outputs a liquid at a user defined constant temperature in order to regulate the temperature of a piece of equipment includes a body of material having a plurality of walls which collectively define a chamber for receiving and storing the liquid. The top wall has a manual fill port and one of the other walls includes an outlet port. An auxiliary port is located on the manual fill port and a return fluid port is located on the auto refill port. The body further includes a well which extends down into the chamber from an opening in top wall of the tank and which can be removed. The well is sized to accommodate a deionizer cartridge. When the well is removed, either a heater or an immersion pump can be disposed within the chamber. The tank also features a bag filter, a sight gauge and a flow velocity reducer. Finally, a cover assembly is removably mounted on the manual fill port and includes a funnel shaped cover and a removably sealing plug.
US07828045B2

The present invention relates to a heat sink. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heat sink used for radiating heat from an integrated circuit package such as a micro-processor arranged in a portable type electronic apparatus such as a notebook type personal computer and also used for radiating heat from a hard disk unit used in an electronic apparatus. The heat sink comprises: a heat transmitting member for transmitting heat generated by a heating component; a holding section for holding the heat transmitting member; and a heat sink body having a space in which a cooling fan having at least blades and a drive motor is embedded, wherein a portion of the holding section for holding the heat transmitting member, the portion being located below the space, is cut out.
US07828029B2

A puncture and abrasion resistant, air and water impervious laminated fabric is provided. The laminated fabric includes a woven fabric base layer having warp and weft yarns, with at least 50 percent of the fibers in the warp yarns being formed of high performance material. A first thermoplastic film is bonded by heat and pressure to at least one of the sides of the fabric base layer. The first thermoplastic film is formed of ethylene vinyl acetate. A second thermoplastic film is bonded by heat and pressure to the first thermoplastic film on at least one of sides of the fabric. The second thermoplastic film is formed from either high density polyethylene or low density polyethylene.
US07828019B2

A fabric for detecting vital signals from human body includes a layer of fabric and electrically conductive yarns. The layer of fabric is formed of weft and warp electrically insulating yarns woven together. Electrically conductive yarns is woven in parallel with weft or warp electrically insulating yarns and interval-spaced from one another. Each of the electrically conductive yarns has a wave-shaped detecting section. All wave crests of the wave-shaped detecting section are protruded out of a surface of the layer of fabric while all wave troughs of the wave-shaped detecting section are woven within the layer of fabric. Each of electrically conductive yarns has its all wave crests misaligned in position with all wave crests of its immediately adjacent electrically conductive yarn. Each of electrically conductive yarns has its all wave troughs misaligned in position with all wave troughs of its immediately adjacent electrically conductive yarn.
US07828012B2

A valve body defines a fluid passage and a valve sealing body is positioned there. The valve sealing body is operable between open and closed positions which allow for fluid-flow and non-flow, respectively. The valve stem has a free end and an engagement end where the engagement end engages the valve sealing body so that rotation of the valve stem operates the valve sealing body between the open and closed positions. A measurement passage is defined through the valve stem from the free end to the engagement end. The measurement passage is in fluid communication with the fluid passage when the valve sealing body is in the open position, and at least one sealing member is positioned within the measurement passage.
US07828008B1

A system and a method for partial stroke testing of a critical valve using a bypass valve includes flowing two streams of gas simultaneously through a bypass valve, opening the critical valve with the gas from the bypass valve, and determining a calibration time interval for closing the opened critical valve to a preset partial stroke testing position. The method includes determining a measured time interval for closing the opened critical valve, creating a tolerance band, and comparing the measured time interval to determine if the critical valve passes the partial stroke testing. The system includes a two stage bypass valve, having four solenoid valves. The system includes a processor with a memory having partial stroke testing logic. Each solenoid valve and the bypass valve include a pressure sensor.
US07828007B2

An automatic pump control device for an injection pump used to inject fluid (typically methanol) into oil or natural gas wells to prevent freezing. The device enables the pump to operate at rates as low as one full stroke per 1.5 minutes (i.e., 0.67 stroke/min), substantially slower than current rates of approximately fifteen strokes per minute. The device comprises a main body; an extension air pilot; a retraction air pilot; a toggle mechanism that actuates the extension air pilot to extend the pump piston, that at the end of the extension stroke actuates a retraction air pilot to retract the pump piston, and that automatically continues the two stroke cycle; a drive mechanism for driving the toggle mechanism; an overstroke mechanism to prevent over driving the retraction air pilot at the end of its stroke; an optional stroke speed adjustment valve; a circuit to circulate and transport a gas; and piston, spool, and sleeve for switching the path of the gas. The automatic pump control device operates over a wide range of flow rates and pressure ranges, thus enabling installation of the automatic pump control device to virtually all manufacturers' injection pumps.
US07827996B2

Smoking articles which involve the use of amphiphile-modified sorbents are disclosed. The amphiphile-modified sorbent has at least one amphiphilic compound bound to an inorganic molecular sieve substrate. The amphiphile-modified sorbent selectively removes certain constituents from cigarette smoke, while maintaining other constituents, such as those that contribute to flavor. Methods for making cigarette filters and smoking articles using amphiphile-modified sorbents, as well as methods for smoking a cigarette containing an amphiphile-modified sorbent, are also provided.
US07827994B2

The present invention is directed at various apparatus and methods for forming a sealed hollow core tobacco rod. The methods of the invention at least comprise passing a trimmed tobacco column and paper under a tongue that widens and flattens the column and paper; forming the tobacco and paper into a cylindrical shape; forming an inner hollow core; maintaining the hollow core shape; and outputting the sealed hollow core tobacco rod.
US07827992B2

An article and method for preventing a continuous passive motion (CPM) device from moving out of position or alignment that include a holding member adapted to pass around a portion of the CPM device and an anchoring member coupled with the holding member for retaining the CPM device holding member in position. The anchoring member is adapted to be placed under the user of the device and held fast by the weight of the user, thereby assuring secure control of the CPM device position by the user.
US07827989B2

A rotatably actuated counter is disclosed. The counter includes a ratchet driven unit wheel nested within a tens wheel. Each wheel has a radial face displaying counting indicia. The tens wheel is transparent, allowing the indicia on the unit wheel to be viewed adjacent to the indicia on the tens wheel to provide a total count. A slave wheel is positioned between the unit and tens wheels. A gear on one face of the slave wheel engages gear teeth on the tens wheel. A Geneva mechanism on the other face is engaged by a foot on the unit wheel once per rotation. The wheels are rotatably mounted within a housing having a sidewall with a window through which the count indicia may be viewed. The unit wheel rotates in ten increments and then rotates the tens wheel through one increment by engaging and rotating the slave wheel.
US07827988B2

A pressure support system and method of treating disordered breathing that optimizes the pressure delivered to the patient to treat the disordered breathing while minimizing the delivered pressure for patient comfort. The controller in the pressure support system operates as a set of prioritized control layers, wherein each control layer competes for control of the pressure generating system to implement a unique pressure control process. The pressure support system also controls the pressure provided to the patient based on the variability of the monitored data and a trend analysis of this data, including an indication of the skewness of the patient's inspiratory waveform.
US07827987B2

A system for adjusting a gas delivery mask is provided. The system may include a first housing portion, a first rim flexibly coupled to the first housing portion by a flexible member, a second housing portion coupled to the first housing portion, a second rim associated with the second housing portion, and a ball rotatably disposed between the first and second rims and having a gas passageway extending therethrough. The ball may be maintained in contact with both the first and second rims by a resiliency of the flexible member.
US07827969B2

The present invention provides a fuel supply device that can suppress the excessive heating of a fuel supplied from a fuel pump into an internal combustion engine even if a control module is cooled. The fuel supply device (1) comprises a set plate (10) attached to a mounting hole (34a) of a fuel tank (34), an electric fuel pump (30) attached to an inner surface of the set plate (10), a control module (14) attached to an outer surface of the set plate (10), the control module driving the fuel pump (30) using electric power supplied from the exterior, and a heat radiating member (32) for radiating heat generated in the control module. One end of the heat radiating member (32) is thermally connected to the control module (14), and the other end of the heat radiating member (32) protrudes downward from the inner surface of the set plate (10).
US07827968B2

An engine control system comprises a camshaft, a cam phaser module, a pressure sensor, and an engine control module. The camshaft is operably coupled to a crankshaft of an engine. Rotation of the camshaft operates a fuel pump in driving communication with a cam of the camshaft. The cam phaser module provides hydraulic pressure to change a rotational position of the cam about the camshaft. The pressure sensor determines a cam phaser pressure signal based on a pressure of fluid in the cam phaser module. The engine control module diagnoses a condition of the fuel pump based on the cam phaser pressure signal.
US07827967B2

An engine assembly may include an engine structure defining a combustion chamber, a fuel injector in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, a fuel supply and a fuel pump assembly. The fuel pump assembly may include a housing, a reciprocating member, and a solenoid valve assembly. The housing may define an inlet in fluid communication with the fuel supply, an outlet in fluid communication with the fuel injector, and a bypass passage. The reciprocating member may be located within the housing to define a compression chamber in fluid communication with the inlet, the outlet, and the bypass passage. The solenoid valve assembly may include a valve member located within the bypass passage and displaceable between open and closed positions to selectively provide fluid communication between the compression chamber and the fuel supply during a compression stroke of the reciprocating member.
US07827964B2

A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel injector pocket, formed within a cylinder head, for housing an injector which sprays fuel into a combustion chamber defined by the cylinder head and a piston crown. The injector is mounted with an isolator which is loaded at a lower, elastic rate during lower power operation, with the elastic load element being stacked solid and subject to higher rate column loading during high power operation of the engine and injection system. The isolator controls unwanted injector ticking noise, while protecting the integrity of the injector's tip seal.
US07827956B2

A revolving piston engine incorporating revolving pistons for improving fuel efficiency, increasing power output, easy cooling and reduced vibration. One or more of revolving piston pairs, each consisting of one piston and one cylinder head, revolve within a ring cylinder, around a common axis in a same direction, but with different velocities. A revolving piston compressor is also disclosed, incorporating appropriately designed and relocated ports/valves for both of associated intake and outlet components.
US07827953B2

The invention proposes a switchable support element (1) for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, said support element comprising a housing (2) in whose bore (3) an axially displaceable inner element (4) is received, a coupling means (6) extending in the inner element (4) can be brought partially into engagement with an entraining surface (7) of the housing (2) for achieving coupling, and said support element (1) further comprising at least one vertical stop means (10) that overlaps an annular groove (9) between the inner element (4) and the housing (2) for defining a coupling position of said coupling means (6) with coupling lash relative to said entraining surface (7), the vertical stop means (10) is constituted by at least one thin-walled ring comprising a slot (11), the ring is placed or slipped, slot (11) ahead, onto an outer peripheral surface (12) of the housing (2) to extend parallel to a transverse plane of the support element (1), the housing (2) comprises at least one aperture (13) through which an inner peripheral segment (14) of the ring extends, a longitudinal groove (16) extends in the outer peripheral surface (15) of the inner element (4), and an underside (18) of the inner peripheral segment (14) comes to abut against a lower end (17) of said groove for defining the coupling position.
US07827951B2

In a gas exchange valve operating apparatus with at least one overhead camshaft for actuating the gas exchange valves, with a hydraulic medium supply passage extending through the camshaft and with at least one hydraulic switchable support unit cooperating with a lever-like cam follower which is disposed on a switchable support unit and on a gas exchange valve and is furthermore in contact with the overhead camshaft, the support unit is disposed in communication with at least one pressure medium supplied via the hydraulic medium supply passage of the camshaft.
US07827950B2

A valve cover assembly for sealed engagement with a cylinder block includes a cover portion, a rail and a molded-in-place elastomeric bridge molded to the cover portion and the rail maintaining the cover portion and the rail in spaced relation to one another. The rail has an outwardly extending mounting flange providing a hard mounting bottom surface that is coplanar with the rail sealing surface. A seal depends from the sealing surface of the rail when in an uninstalled, uncompressed state for compression against the cylinder block upon the sealing surface and the hard mounting bottom surface being brought into engagement with the cylinder block, thereby establishing fluid-tight seal between the valve cover assembly and the cylinder block.
US07827947B2

A variable displacement pump including a chamber volume varying mechanism including a moveable member, a first biasing member always biasing the moveable member in such a direction as to increase volumes of the working fluid chambers, and a second biasing member that is disposed with a set load and applies a biasing force to the moveable member in such a direction as to increase the volumes of the working fluid chambers when the moveable member is displaced against a biasing force of the first biasing member by a predetermined amount or more. The biasing force of the first biasing member is set such that before the moveable member is displaced against the biasing force of the first biasing member, the valve timing control device is shifted to a release state in which an open-and-closure timing of an engine valve is variably controlled.
US07827945B2

In a camshaft operating unit having a friction torque variation simulation arrangement for controlling a camshaft adjustment device with at least two camshafts one of which is at least adjustable camshaft and at least one camshaft adjusting unit, the friction torque variation simulation arrangement is provided to simulate a friction torque camshaft required to rotate the camshaft.
US07827941B2

To provide a boiler equipped with a water tube group performing heat recovery effectively and having expansion heating surfaces (fins or the like) of high durability, the present invention provides a boiler (1) including: a boiler body (10) having an inner water tube group (20) and an outer water tube group (30) that are arranged in an annular fashion; and a burner (40) arranged at a central portion of the inner water tube group (20), in which: intervals between adjacent inner water tubes constituting the inner water tube group (20) are closed except for portions where a gas flow passage is provided; and stud fins (22 and 32) are provided on a portion of at least one of the inner water tube group (20) and the outer water tube group (30) in a vicinity of the gas flow passage.
US07827940B2

A modular enclosure system, for example, for housing plants and/or animals is provided. The enclosure system includes a frame assembly having a plurality of vertical and horizontal members, and a plurality of connectors adapted to engage the horizontal and vertical members. The members include longitudinal projections or ribs adapted to engage a plurality of panel assemblies. The panel assemblies include first ends adapted to pivotally engage a rib of one member and a second end having a releasable locking mechanism adapted to engage a rib of a member. The enclosure may be used for any type of storage or housing, but is uniquely adapted to house animals, for example, pets, or plants. Aspects of the invention also include a structural system having horizontal and vertical members and connectors adapted to engage the members.
US07827935B1

A restricted animal access feeder which includes the concept of having vibratory means and noise emitting means which will scare an animal away from eating food in a desired dish. The vibratory means and noise emitting means are generated by closing of a magnetic circuit so that the vibratory mechanism and noise activating mechanism is activated. An animal who is desired not to eat from a specific food dish will wear a specific magnetic collar that will close the activation circuit. An animal that does not have such collar will not close the activation circuit and therefore, will have access to the food. The invention also includes means to enable the magnet to detach from a magnetic object so that the animal will not be permanently attached to a magnetic object such as a refrigerator.
US07827934B2

An automated method and system for individual animal electronic identification, measurement, and management of cattle in a feedlot. Through the use of a computer system integrated with individual animal identification, multiple measurement and remeasurement systems, and a handling and sorting system, animals are individually identified and measured. The computer system calculates optimum slaughter weight, economic end point and marketing date for shipment to a packing plant. Individual animals are sorted by the computer in response to calculations from the measurements. The computer system stores individual animal measurement, performance and location data, which is used to select animals for shipment to slaughter at the optimum time. At the slaughter facility, the animal's identification is used to correlate the live animal physical characteristics and performance data to the carcass characteristics data and build a database to more accurately identify and measure value-based characteristics in subsequent animals for more effective selection and management.
US07827930B2

An electroless deposition system is provided. The system includes a processing mainframe, at least one substrate cleaning station positioned on the mainframe, and an electroless deposition station positioned on the mainframe. The electroless deposition station includes an environmentally controlled processing enclosure, a first processing station configured to clean and activate a surface of a substrate, a second processing station configured to electrolessly deposit a layer onto the surface of the substrate, and a substrate transfer shuttle positioned to transfer substrates between the first and second processing stations. The system also includes a substrate transfer robot positioned on the mainframe and configured to access an interior of the processing enclosure. The system also includes a substrate a fluid delivery system that is configured to deliver a processing fluid by use of a spraying process to a substrate mounted in the processing enclosure.
US07827926B2

A pontoon for a watercraft. The pontoon has a vertical inboard side and a generally angled bottom defined by the inboard side height of the pontoon being greater than its outboard side height. The bottom has planing surfaces that define one or more channels, which produce lift upon the watercraft increasing its speed on water. An inboard horizontal planing surface allows relatively low speed planing.
US07827920B2

A system for defining a plurality of work zones within an otherwise open area. The system includes a framework formed from a plurality of spaced apart poles extending upward from a base surface. The poles are interconnected by a plurality of crossbeams at a height substantially above a standing user. At least some of the poles are adapted to provide a raceway for the delivery of utilities. The framework is capable of being arranged in a plurality of substantially non-linear patterns and includes an at least partially open area between adjacent poles.
US07827917B1

A guideway system and method of operating a guideway is included comprising a guideway with entrance and exit ramps and vehicles having both a smooth, servo-based primary steering systems based upon proximity sensing of the side of the guideway and a backup mechanical steering system. The backup steering system is selectively engaged and disengaged based on location with respect to the entrance and exit ramps and provides vehicle wheel steering in the event of a failure of the primary servo steering system. The backup steering comprises one or more vertical members affixed to the guideway and one or more steering elements engageable with the member(s). The elements may be pivoted into and out of backup steering engagement.
US07827914B2

In one embodiment, a method includes applying at least one invisible mark to media, sensing the at least one invisible mark with separate sensors, and determining a speed of the media from signals of the separate sensors.
US07827911B2

Method for printing on a pharmaceutical tablet by etching a printing plate to form a pattern of etchings therein within an area corresponding to an outline of the tablet, varying the ink-retaining volumes of the etchings in a pre-determined manner and in a direction across the etching pattern from one side to an opposite side, placing ink into the etchings, and transferring ink from the etchings in the etched printing plate onto an outer surface of the tablet. Variations in the ink-retaining volumes of the etchings cause a larger amount of ink to be transferred from etchings having a larger ink-retaining volume than from etchings having a smaller ink-retaining volume during the ink transfer stage. This causes different changes in the color of the outer surface of the tablet dependent on the amount of ink being transferred.
US07827910B2

A method of conveying imprint material and a printing table for a flatbed printing machine are described. The method of conveying imprint material, particularly solar cell wafers, in and out of a processing area of a flatbed printing machine includes the steps of moving the imprint material by means of a conveyor belt on a first conveyor belt section into the processing area, processing the imprint material and further moving the imprint material on the first conveyor belt section out of the processing area. An automatic checking of the first conveyor belt section for soiling or damage takes place and, as a function of the checking result, a moving-back of the first conveyor belt section into the processing area or a moving of a second conveyor belt section into the processing area takes place.
US07827908B1

Systems and methods which employ a movable platen and associated print head which travel in a same direction to interact with a same surface of an item to be printed upon are shown. The movable platen according to embodiments includes a printing orifice through which the print head may interact with a surface of an item for printing. The movable platen preferably engages the surface of the item and applies a pressure thereto sufficient to substantially flatten the surface. Embodiments implement a print head platen which engages the surface of the item to be printed to provide flattening of the surface localized to the print head. A printer assembly of embodiments may not employ a lower platen or other structure to support an item to be printed, thereby facilitating the use of the printer with respect to any size of item.
US07827906B1

A deep fryer cooking apparatus includes a base that has an upper end and a lower end. A container c has a bottom wall and a perimeter wall that is attached to and extends upwardly from the bottom wall. The container is positioned on the upper end of the base. A plurality of dividing walls is attached to the bottom and perimeter walls and vertically extends from the bottom wall to a position adjacent to a top edge of the perimeter wall. The dividing walls divide the container into a plurality of compartments. A heating assembly is attached to the base to selectively heat the container. A plurality of mesh baskets each has a size and shape approximately conforming to a size and shape of one of the compartments. Each of the mesh baskets includes a grip for removal of the mesh baskets from a respective one of the compartments.
US07827905B2

Taught is an espresso coffee machine comprising a supply unit (101) supplying hot water; and filter-holder means (2, 102) for containing a pre-packaged measure (3) of coffee powder; said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102) being sealingly engaged with each other along a path of the engaging movement, said path of the engaging movement lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102), the surfaces of said unit (101) supplying said filter-holder means (2, 102) coming into contact only upon engagement of the latter; and an ejection member (401) arranged in the vicinity of the periphery of said supply unit (101) and projecting perpendicularly with respect to the middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102).
US07827904B2

A beverage making apparatus, method, method of using such a beverage making apparatus and method of cleaning a beverage making apparatus is disclosed. The beverage making apparatus includes a liquid basin (16) for receiving a quantity of liquid and is in communication with a reservoir (20) for retaining a volume of heated liquid. A control valve (40) is provided and positioned for communication with the basin and reservoir for controlling flow of liquid from the basin to the reservoir. A controller (14) is coupled to the control valve for at least selectively operating the control valve for selectively controlling the flow of liquid from the basin to the reservoir. The control valve can be selectively operated to produce a generally continuous flow of liquid from the basin to the reservoir or may be controller for multiple dispensings of liquid from the basin to the reservoir during a brewing cycle. A liquid delivery assembly shown in one form as a tube (18) which communicates with the reservoir and a beverage substance retaining funnel (28) is provided without any interruptions along its length. The absence of any control devices along the length of the tube allows for particles, lime and other mineral deposits to be removed from the tube along its entire length extending from a spray head to a port in the reservoir.
US07827901B2

The invention relates to positive-displacement free-piston heat machines with variable working chambers, which could be applied as an internal or external combustion engine, compressor, pump. The machine comprises two analogous assemblies of pistons, each consisting of two or more vanes having form of symmetrical star and attached to the hub. The assemblies of pistons are placed in the cylindrical cavity that is limited by two concentric cylindrical surfaces and two planes at the ends. The vanes the different assemblies are alternately displaced in the cavity. When the assemblies of pistons swing in opposite directions, variable working chambers are got between the adjacent vanes. The external loading or driving devices are connected directly to the assemblies of pistons either by coaxial shafts, radial junctions, planar or cylindrical rings. The machine with two bodies swinging in opposite direction presents well-balanced mechanical system, and vibration of the frame is avoided.
US07827892B2

An apparatus for trimming paper rolls or logs (2) including: a section for the entry of the logs (2) to be trimmed; a section for the exit of the trimmed logs (2′); a station with a cutting device (6) for trimming the logs (2); a device (3) for moving the logs (2, 2′) between the entry section, the cutting station and the exit section; a device (4), associated with the log-moving device (3), for retaining the logs when subjected to movement.
US07827887B2

A ratchet wrench allowing ratcheting rotations for applying a series of turning strokes to a bolt without disengaging between the strokes. The ratchet wrench has a wrench body and a ratcheting jaw. The wrench body has a head and a curved slot. The head has an inner surface. The curved slot is formed in the inner surface of the head. The ratcheting jaw is slidably mounted in the curved slot for applying a torque to a blot head during a rotation in the forward direction as well as for ratcheting rotation during a backward rotation.
US07827884B2

An opening location marker for pop-top cans in combination with an improved opener for both pop-top cans and bottles is formed to include an elongated lever body. A lifting element is positioned on the lever body and is sized shaped to fit underneath the lift tab on a pop-top can. A dent making element comprising an elongated fulcrum element is further formed on the lever body in physical association with the lift element but spaced away from the lift element so as to form a channel between the lift element and the fulcrum element. The channel is sized and shaped such that the lift tab of the pop-top can be sheaved in the channel between the lift element and the fulcrum element for manipulation of the lift tab to open the pop-top can. The opener further includes an edge gripper located on the lever body in physical association with the elongated fulcrum element. For marking the location of the opening on pop-top cans, the edge gripper is positioned on the pop-top can so that it engages the inside edge of the top of the pop-top can at the site of opening such that when the device is rotated the elongated fulcrum element may impact and “dent” the side of the pop top can. For removing bottle caps from capped bottles, the edge gripper is positioned on the opener such that it engages the edge of the bottle cap when the elongated fulcrum element is positioned in the center of the bottle cap.
US07827876B2

In a method for controlling, and a control device of, an automated non-synchromesh multi-speed motor vehicle transmission, wherein, upon selection of a target gear, a form-fitting connection is to be established between shift elements of the target gear, wherein, however, with a certain rotational speed difference between the shift elements which causes chattering, no engagement takes place during actuation of the shift actuator for the target gear, when, upon monitoring, a certain chattering of the shift elements is detected, and, as a result, the engagement of the target gear is aborted in order to prevent the transmission from being damaged.
US07827874B2

According to the present invention, a sample treatment system is capable of successfully detecting the shape of a stopper of a stopper-equipped sample vessel. A sample treatment system comprises: a sample rack for supporting a stopper-equipped sample vessel in which collected samples are stored; a transfer line for transferring the sample rack; a pretreatment unit that is lined up along the transfer line, and that performs various kinds of pretreatment; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the transfer line and that of the pretreatment unit; wherein the pretreatment unit includes a sample rack supplying unit, a centrifugal separation unit, a stopper opening unit, a dispensing unit, a stopper closing unit, a classification unit, and a sample storing unit, the sample treatment system further comprising shape detection means for detecting the shape of the stopper.
US07827871B2

An antifriction bearing provided with sensors for recording physical quantities that act upon the hearing and with strip conductors and electronic components for evaluating and/or transmitting sensor output signals or characteristic values derived therefrom to electrical or electronic devices located outside of the bearing. To this end, the sensors, strip conductors and electronic components are placed on at least one bearing part while forming a measurement data recording and/or measurement data processing system. The sensors, strip conductors and/or electronic components are made from at least one electrically conductive or semiconducting organic material.
US07827870B2

A fluidic oscillator liquid flow meter comprising a body having an inlet portion to receive a flow of liquid to be measured, an outlet portion, a main channel defining a flow path between the inlet and outlet, the flow path including feedback structure to induce oscillations in the flowing fluid, the oscillations being detected by detector comprising means to apply a magnetic field across the flow path and sensing electrodes to detect the resulting e.m.f., the electrodes being positioned such that they protrude from the body into the flow path. A meter having driving signal means, which applies an alternating driving signal to the sensing electrodes, is also disclosed.
US07827869B2

In order to extract a part of a three-phase flow from a pipe line, a pair of communication pipes, which are connected to upstream and downstream sides of an orifice provided in the pipe line, and a gas-liquid extraction tank are used. Flowing of a slag flow or the like into the pipe line causes a periodical change in a pressure difference between input and output sides of the orifice. This causes extraction of gas-liquid and discharge mainly of gas to be simultaneously effected in the pair of communication pipes and the gas-liquid extraction tank. Within the gas-liquid extraction tank, the gas-liquid is forcibly shaken horizontally, vertically, etc. for agitating, whereby gas-liquid of high liquid-phase rate remains. Then, the gas is removed from this gas-liquid of high liquid-phase rate to thereby extract mixture liquid, which is accumulated in a liquid storage tank. The mixture liquid flows from the liquid storage tank in an amount required at a Coriolis meter. As a result, high precision density measurement is performed at the Coriolis meter.
US07827866B2

A pressure transducer for a pressure sensor (2) for determining at least one pressure (pa, pb) in a process media (3a, 3b) has a housing (4) with a separating diaphragm (5a, 5b), at least one first pressure-sensing element (6a, 6b), a contact media (7a, 7b), at least one first connection element (8a, 8b) and at least one first seal (9a, 9b). The separating diaphragm (5a, 5b) separates the process media (3a, 3b) from the contact media (7a, 7b), the contact media (7a, 7b) conveys the pressure (pa, pb) of the process media (3a, 3b) determined by the separating diaphragm (5a, 5b) to the first pressure-sensing element (6a, 6b). The first seal (9a, 9b) houses the first connection element (8a, 8b) and the housing (4), the separating diaphragm (5a, 5b) and the first seal (9a, 9b) form a first pressure chamber (10a, 10b). A second pressure chamber (14) is provided on the side of the first pressure chamber (10a, 10b) opposite the first seal (9a, 9b) and a second pressure-sensing element (15) is arranged in the second pressure chamber (14).
US07827865B2

The present invention is to provide a semiconductor acceleration sensor capable of sensing accelerations in two directions parallel to the surface of a diaphragm and orthogonal to each other with respective proper sensitivities. A semiconductor acceleration sensor is constituted of diaphragm pieces extending from the center of the diaphragm surface to a wafer outer-circumferential frame section, respectively, along an X axis direction and a Y axis direction orthogonal to each other. On the upper surface of the diaphragm pieces, there are formed piezo resistors Rx1 to Rx4, Ry1 to Ry4, Rz1 to Rz4. In the diaphragm pieces disposed on a single line along the X axis direction and the diaphragm pieces disposed on a single line along the Y axis direction, the areas of cross section orthogonal to the axis are set according to a maximum value of acceleration, respectively, in the X axis direction or Y axis direction.
US07827857B2

An estimation method of the crank angle at which 50% of the fuel mass has been burnt in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine with spontaneous ignition of the mixture provided with a drive shaft coupled to a phonic wheel presenting a number N of teeth; the method contemplates the steps of: reading the passage of each tooth of the phonic wheel in front of a sensor; determining the angular speed of the drive shaft at each tooth event of the phonic wheel; determining at least one harmonic of the speed signal; determining an inverse mechanical model of the transmission; determining at least one torque harmonic by applying the inverse mechanical model to the speed signal harmonic; determining an algebraic function which puts a combustion index into relation with the phase of the nth torque harmonic; and determining the combustion index by applying the algebraic function to the nth torque harmonic.
US07827855B2

The present invention generally relates to methods and kits for measuring and analyzing degradation of adsorbent materials, particularly for adsorbent materials used in gas separation processes. The present invention can assess the damage to adsorbent due to contamination including moisture contamination and it can assess damage that is not contaminant-related. The advantage to the present invention is that it can detect degradation of adsorbent directly at the plant site before the degradation affects production. Another advantage is that it can conclusively determine whether the adsorbent is damaged. Because it is so inexpensive to run, the test of the present invention can be conducted to determine adsorbent damage and to confirm whether the damage continues to be an issue. The present invention can test adsorbents in any form, including, but not limited to, bead, pellet or powder form.
US07827854B2

The present invention generally relates to methods and kits for measuring and analyzing degradation of adsorbent materials, particularly for adsorbent materials used in gas separation processes. The present invention can assess the damage to adsorbent due to moisture contamination and it can assess damage that is not moisture-related. The advantage to the present invention is that it can detect degradation of adsorbent before the degradation affects production. Another advantage is that it can conclusively determine whether the sieve is damaged. Because it is so inexpensive to run, the test of the present invention can be conducted to determine adsorbent damage and to confirm whether the damage continues to be an issue. The present invention can test adsorbents in any form, including, but not limited to, bead, pellet or powder form.
US07827851B2

The present invention provides a packaging structure of a gas detector and the method for making the same. The packaging structure of the gas detector includes a printed circuit board, a detection device and a ventilation cover. The detection device is attached to the printed circuit board by adhesive, and metallic wires are formed on the printed circuit board by wire-bonding process. The ventilation cover is positioned at the printed circuit board to cover the detection device. Signal terminals of the detection device are electrically connected with the contact terminals of the printed circuit board so as to test and check signals of the detection device. In this regard, the present invention is used to test and package a plurality of detection devices using one printed circuit board and without metallic terminals so that cost of the gas detector is significantly reduced.
US07827850B2

This invention provides a chromatographic apparatus comprising an introduction part for a carrier gas as a main mobile phase medium, a sample injection part, a separation column comprising a stationary phase formed by coating a polymeric material, a part for housing the separation column, and a detector. The sample injection part is provided between the carrier gas introduction part and the inlet of the separation column. The chromatographic apparatus further comprises a solvent introduction means for adding a liquid solvent as a second mobile phase medium to a carrier gas and mixing them together, a mechanism for regulating the amount of the carrier gas introduced and the amount of the solvent added, and a mechanism for regulating the temperature of each flow passage. A plurality of clogging liquid stoppers, of which the liquid film thickness is equal to the inner diameter of a capillary column, are partly provided at predetermined intervals within the column in a longitudinal direction of the column. In such a state that a gas phase and a liquid phase are intermittently alternated, a mobile phase medium is moved toward a column outlet and a sample is separated by utilizing distribution between the solvent liquid film of the mobile phase medium and the column stationary phase. There is also provided a chromatographic analytical method utilizing this apparatus. According to this method, a sample can be separated without using any high pressure pump.
US07827844B2

A method and apparatus for validating the flow calibration factor of a Coriolis flowmeter. In accordance with a first embodiment, an improved material density is obtained by measuring material density when the temperature of the material is equal to a predetermined reference temperature. In accordance with a second embodiment, a preprogrammed data base stores density/temperature relationships. Improved density information is obtained by measuring the density and temperature of the material, applying the measured density/temperature information from the data base, and obtaining density information compensated for a predetermined reference temperature. The improved density information obtained for both embodiments is unaffected by temperature changes and is used to validate the flow calibration factor. The flow calibration factor compensation for pressure changes and changes in material composition is obtained in a similar manner.
US07827829B2

An elastic fabric useable for covering pillows, seats, mattresses and the like is disclosed. The fabric is formed from elastic yarns having a breaking elongation greater than 60%, a rate of elastic recovery after 15% elongation of more than 90% and a stress at 10% elongation greater than 150 N/5 cm and less than 600 N/5 cm oriented in a direction parallel to the elastic yarn, and a rate of hysteresis loss between 20% and 45%. The fabric may be woven or knitted and provides a stable, comfortable feeling for sitting or reclining and deforms when supporting weight but returns readily to its undeformed shape.
US07827828B2

A sinker cam ring for a circular knitting machine comprises a plurality of sinker cam segments arranged edge-to-edge to form the sinker cam ring, each sinker cam segment defining a portion of a sinker cam track that defines sinker-advancing and sinker-retracting surfaces. Breaks between adjacent sinker cam segments are located in linear portions of at least one of the sinker-advancing surfaces and sinker-retracting surfaces where substantially only frictional forces act on the sinkers, and thus where radial acceleration of the sinkers caused by the cam surfaces is substantially zero. The breaks for a given sinker cam segment can be circumferentially staggered relative to each other.
US07827823B2

An optical glass having high refractivity and a low sag temperature and having a low-temperature softening property that enables precision press-molding is provided, and the optical glass contains, by mol %, 5 to 50% of B2O3, 3 to 50% of SiO2, 5 to 40% of TiO2, 1 to 40% of ZnO, 5 to 20% of La2O3, 0 to 10% of Gd2O3, 0 to 15% of Nb2O5, 0 to 10% of ZrO2, 0 to 5% of Ta2O5, 0 to 10% of Bi2O3, 0 to 10% of MgO, 0 to 8% of CaO, 0 to 10% of SrO, 0 to 10% of BaO, provided that the total content of MgO, CaO, SrO and BaO is 15% or less, 0 to 20% of Li2O, and 0 to 5% of Na2O, optionally containing Sb2O3 as a refining agent, and having a refractive index (nd) of 1.8 or more and an Abbe's number (νd) of 35 or less.
US07827816B2

A transport refrigeration unit has a front cover that includes a grille supported by and attached to a surround assembly by means of latch members.
US07827814B2

The present invention relates to a geothermal water heater system, and methods of heating water for domestic uses utilizing geothermal energy. More specifically, the present invention provides a geothermal heat pump water heater system includes a hot water tank, a cold water tank and at least one water-to-water heat pump. As contemplated, the water-to-water heat pump includes one or more heat exchangers which control heat transfer from water drawn from an outside water source. The outside water source water is supplied to both the hot water tank and the cold water tanks whereupon heat exchangers which comprise a cold water side heat exchanger and a hot water side heat exchanger, allow water entering the cold water tank to be cooled and returned to the cold water tank while water entering the hot water tank is heated and returned to the hot water tank.
US07827813B2

Systems and methods to regulate the amount of outdoor air that is introduced into a building. These systems and methods determine the mechanical load requirements based on adaptive control functionality. These systems and methods utilize extremum seeking control logic to vary the flow of outdoor air into the building in response to these load determinations.
US07827800B2

A combustor heat shield comprises a heat shield member defining at least one opening for receiving a fuel nozzle. A louver is received in the opening. The louver has a flow diverting portion extending radially outwardly from the opening for directing air along the hot side of the heat shield member.
US07827795B2

A fuel injector and turbine engine incorporating the fuel injector are provided. The fuel injector includes an active cooling system that insulates fuel flowing through the fuel injector from heat energy within the turbine engine. The cooling system includes a cooling air passage that includes an inlet and an outlet. The inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with the interior of an engine case of the turbine engine. The inlet is at a higher air pressure location than the outlet such that air is siphoned through the cooling air passage. A portion of the cooling air passage includes a heat exchanger for extracting heat energy from the cooling air. The cooling air passes through the fuel injector after it has passed through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is positioned external to the engine case and in thermal communication with the ambient.
US07827790B2

A torque base control unit calculates target torque based on an accelerator position and engine speed. The control unit further executes calculation of target airflow rate, calculation of target intake pressure, and calculation of target boost pressure based on the target torque. Target throttle position is calculated based on the target airflow rate, target intake pressure, target boost pressure, actual boost pressure, and throttle passed intake temperature. An assist control unit calculates target turbine power based on the target airflow rate and the target boost pressure calculated by the torque base control unit and calculates actual turbine power based on exhaust information. Assist power of a motor attached to a turbocharger is calculated based on the power difference between the target turbine power and the actual turbine power.
US07827788B1

A tidal power generator has a floating vessel hull that is subject to rising and falling water levels so that the hull moves vertically up and down. Linear-to-rotary converters are coupled between the vessel hull and a fixed object. The converters allow the hull to move vertically while constraining the horizontal movement of the hull. The converters convert the vertical movement of the hull into rotary movement, which is then used to drive an electrical generator. A harborage is provided to protect the hull and the converters and to regulate the water level for the vessel hull as well as become a fixed object relative to the vessel from which a change in relative position causes power to be developed. If the hull is subject to tidal variations, vertical movement of the hull can be desynchronized from the tidal variations so as to store energy during slack tides.
US07827787B2

A ground engaging vehicle including a movable member, a hydraulically driven actuator, a hydraulic pump, a plurality of valves and at least one hydraulic conduit. The hydraulically driven actuator is coupled to the movable member and the actuator has a first chamber and a second chamber. The plurality of non-proportional valves include a first valve, a second valve, a third valve and a fourth valve. The at least one hydraulic conduit couples the pump with the first valve and the second valve. The first valve is in direct fluid communication with the first chamber. The second valve is in direct fluid communication with the second chamber. The third valve is in direct fluid communication with the first chamber and the fourth valve is in direct fluid communication with the second chamber. The first valve and the second valve each include an open position and a closed position.
US07827781B2

A liquid propelled rocket engine comprising a unique pintle injector, radial injector plate and ablative insert to improve combustion stability and reduce harmonic disturbance within the chamber. The injector plate is generally in the shape of a ring surrounding a combination spud and pintle injector, the two allowing at least one liquid propellant and one liquid oxidizer to be injected into the chamber. The injector plate has an array of injectors for injecting liquid propellant into the chamber and a series of cavities within allowing the harmonic disturbance to be damped and providing a more stable combustion environment. The number of cavities and the unique pintle injector's length and width are chosen to reduce harmonic disturbance in the longitudinal, radial and lateral modes. A method for designing engine components and tuning harmonic frequencies within a combustion chamber is also disclosed.
US07827778B2

Power plants and process for lowering CO2 emissions generally includes extracting a portion of the recirculated CO2-rich flue gas mid-way through the compression pathway of a gas turbine and removing the CO2 in a separation unit. The remaining portion of the CO2 rich flue gas (i.e., the portion of the recirculated flue gas that was not fed to the separation unit) is mixed with fresh air coming from an additional compressor-expander and then fed back to the compression pathway. As a result, flue gas recirculation increases the CO2 concentration within the working fluid, leading to an additional increase in CO2 partial pressure. As the concentration and partial pressure of CO2 is increased, a lower energy penalty is observed to remove the CO2. Moreover, a reduced volume is fed to the CO2 separation unit during operation. Consequently, the size of the separation equipment can be reduced as well as the energy required for the separation process.
US07827770B2

A method for operating a package emptying station having a work station, in which an emptying step is performed, an inlet via which the package to be emptied is inserted into the work station, an outlet via which the emptied package is ejected, and a product outlet through which the emptied contents of the package is discharged. Continuous tubular film packs are provided both at the inlet and also at the package outlet which seal off the inlet and the outlet and encase the package to be emptied or the emptied package during the insertion or corresponding ejection of the package. The film is sealed off and severed between individual packages such that the interior and the exterior do not come into contact. In this manner, both contamination of the package contents by environmental substances and also any contamination of the environment by the package contents can be avoided.
US07827753B2

A roofing shingle comprising a mat having regions of various thicknesses. A layer of asphalt-based material coats the mat and a layer of granules is deposited on the asphalt-coated mat. The variations in the thickness of the regions of the mat give the shingle differences in thickness corresponding to the thickness variations in the regions of the mat, thereby giving the shingle an appearance of depth.
US07827744B2

A plurality of elongated panels of light transmitting plastics sheet material each have longitudinally extending parallel spaced ribs and longitudinally extending co-planner opposite edge portions. An elongated support member for each panel has a base portion secured to the opposite edge portions of the panel adjacent the upper end portion of the panel and includes a hook portion adapted to engage a hook-shaped support rail mounted on a building over a window or door opening. Each hook portion has end surfaces recessed inwardly from opposite edge surfaces of the panel and provide for overlapping edge portions of adjacent panels. The lower end portion of an outer panel is supported by a sill bracket mounted on the building under the opening and receives a U-shaped track member secured to the panel. The bracket and track member are connected by pull pins located within the ribs of the outer panel.
US07827736B2

A door handle device for a vehicle includes a frame member mounted to a door of the vehicle, a handle main body fitted with the frame member, an engaging arm formed at the handle main body and engaging with the frame member, a handle axial portion formed at the engaging arm and serving as a pivotal center of the handle main body, a bearing member pivotally supported by the frame member, and a holding portion formed at the bearing member for holding the handle axial portion, wherein the holding portion is shifted between a released position where the handle axial portion is engageable with or disengageable from the holding portion and a supported position where the handle axial portion is pivotally supported with a pivoting of the bearing member.
US07827729B2

A portable fishing pole holder is a device for supporting a fishing pole without manually holding the pole. It is a substantially “Y” shaped frame which further comprises a support and an anchor. The support contains the fishing pole. The anchor secures the fishing pole holder. Optionally, the fishing pole holder includes a bridging member to more securely contain the fishing pole. The an anchor for securing the in which the fishing pole is placed while fishing. The other end is used to anchor the device. Optionally, it has members to more securely support the fishing pole or to more securely anchor the device.
US07827722B1

A rifle with an upper receiver and a barrel attached to the upper receiver and including a bolt carrier, and operating, buffer, and cooling systems. The operating system includes a cylinder and a piston coupled to receive propelling gases from the barrel. As the piston moves between retracted and extended positions the bolt carrier is moved between closed and open positions. The bolt carrier includes a weight movable within a guide frame between rearward and forward limits. The buffer system includes a compression spring in a tube attached to the upper receiver in abutting engagement with the bolt carrier. A partially fluid filled cylinder is attached to a coil of the spring and includes a piston and shaft. The piston is formed so that fluid in the cylinder restricts movement in one direction and allows free movement in a second direction.
US07827721B2

A collapsible firearm stock system is generally provided and preferably includes a shoulder stock system adapted to receive a buttstock thereon, and a locking linkage having a first linkage portion, a second linkage portion, and a hinge pin operatively uniting the first and said second linkage portions. One of the linkage portions is carried by the shoulder stock assembly so as to define a terminal end therefore, the other of the linkage portions being adapted to be carried by a firearm. Each of the linkage portions are adapted so as to automatically unite in locking engagement upon axial alignment of the shoulder stock assembly with the firearm about the hinge pin.
US07827718B2

A hand-held power tool includes a housing (4), and a tag-shaped identification element (14.1; 14.2) mountable on the housing (4) so that it becomes visible on an outer side of the housing (4), provided with an identification mark (16.1; 16.2), insertable in a receptacle (20.1; 20.2) provided on the housing.
US07827717B1

A foldable traffic sign system comprises a relatively rigid sign panel and a plurality of folding lines disposed in the sign panel, for permitting ready folding of the sign panel into a substantially smaller configuration. In a preferred embodiment, at least one cut is disposed partially along a dimension of the sign panel, to further facilitate ready folding of the sign panel. One of the folding lines is disposed substantially horizontally across a center region of the sign panel, and at least one of the folding lines is disposed substantially vertically on the sign panel, and intersects with the horizontal folding line. The plurality of folding lines creates a plurality of sign sections, preferably six, defined by a combination of the folding lines and cuts in the sign panel. The sign system further comprises a folding sign stand, and a tote for containing both the sign panel and sign stand.
US07827710B2

A card may include a generally planar panel and a plurality of opposing retaining members disposed on the panel. The plurality of opposing retaining members may be arranged to retain a substantially rectangular transaction card having a first longitudinal axis in a first orientation with respect to the panel and to retain a substantially rectangular paper gift having a second longitudinal axis in a second orientation with respect to the panel, so that the orientation of the first longitudinal axis is substantially transverse to the second orientation of the second longitudinal axis. The paper gift may be, for example, paper monetary currency, a paper bank check, or a paper gift certificate. The transaction card may be, for example, a debit card, a credit card, a gift card, a prepaid phone card, a card containing a merchandise credit usable at a retail establishment.
US07827700B2

A method of measuring a three-dimensional shape of a connection assembly of a stator coil in a turbine generator, includes first measuring a three-dimensional shape of a measurement area of the connection assembly of the stator coil in a measurement range set in advance by a laser non-contact three-dimensional shape measurement device, second measuring a three-dimensional shape of a measurement area of the connection assembly of the stator coil in a measurement range set in advance by a multi-joint contact three-dimensional shape measurement device, the multi-joint contact three-dimensional shape measurement device including a plurality of arms being coupled via a joint including a built-in encoder, and integrally synthesizing the three-dimensional shape data measured in the first measurement, the three-dimensional shape data measured in the second measurement, and shape measurement data of a local area measured manually, thereby drafting a plan of the stator connection assembly.
US07827694B2

A method for manufacturing a one-piece dental implant. The method includes the steps, in any order, of manufacturing an outer body of metal having a cavity and manufacturing an inner body of plastic or composite material having an outer profile. The cavity has an inner profile, and the outer profile of the inner body is complementary to the inner profile of the cavity of the outer body. The inner body includes a core manufactured within the cavity of the outer body. The respective profiles are wavelike rounded in an axial direction of the dental implant and tapering from the crestal end of the outer body to the apical end of the outer body, such as to decrease tension between the inner and the outer bodies and/or such that to provide for an anti-rotation lock between the two bodies.
US07827692B2

A gear and a method of making a forged powder metal gear having a plurality of teeth and a variable case depth profile forged in the plurality of teeth. Each tooth of the plurality of teeth has a first surface and a tooth root. A variable case depth profile is formed in each tooth of the plurality of teeth, whereby the variable case depth profile exhibits greater tooth wear resistance on the first surface and greater impact resistance in the tooth root.
US07827687B2

A support for the upper drive shaft of a marine stern drive unit. The support has an axial body installable in the axial bore of the upper case. Retainers on the body are engageable with the upper case to secure the support in place. One or both retainers are axially adjustable relative to the body. Adjustment may be achieved at threaded sections on the body which matingly engage threaded sections on the retainer.
US07827686B2

A method for the maintenance of gas turbines is provided. According to the method, a gas turbine is dismantled and modules, structural components, or component parts of the aeroplane mechanism are subsequently inspected and/or repaired. Then, an aeroplane mechanism consisting of inspected and/or repaired or new modules, structural components or component parts is mounted. Dismantling and/or mounting is divided into at least two work steps. A work station is provided for each work step and the aeroplane mechanism, modules, structural components or component parts of the aeroplane mechanism are displaced by the work station provided for carrying out one work step.
US07827676B2

The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for installing a stator core, or portions thereof, into a power generator frame 2 that comprises assembling the stator core inside of a container 60, and then moving the container to the power generator 1. The container 60 is horizontally aligned with the power generator 1, and the stator core is transferred from the container to the power generator.
US07827670B2

A universal joint includes a spider, first and second yokes drivingly interconnected by the spider, a plurality of bearing cups and a plurality of retaining members. The first yoke includes spaced apart arms with apertures extending through each arm. The apertures are coaxially aligned with one another and include a circumferential groove spaced apart from an edge of the arm. Each bearing cup is positioned within one of the apertures and in receipt of one of the trunnions. A portion of each bearing cup is positioned in communication with a corresponding groove. Each retaining member is operable to complement the size and shape of the corresponding groove, bearing cup and aperture such that each retaining member couples one of the bearing cups to its associated arm.
US07827665B2

A gasket and mandrel assembly, including a gasket having an annular main body portion with an anchor flange and a pipe sealing portion. The gasket is foldable between a folded position in which the pipe sealing portion is disposed substantially within the main body portion and an unfolded position in which the pipe sealing portion extends outwardly of the main body portion along its longitudinal axis. A pair of mandrels are respectively fitted on opposite sides of the folded gasket to enclose most of the gasket for casting the gasket within a wall in a concrete structure. At least one of the mandrels includes an annular outer surface aligned parallel or substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the gasket. Removal of the mandrels results in the cast opening in the concrete structure having a circular inner surface which is disposed parallel or substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gasket and the resulting opening such that, if the gasket should fail, the gasket may be removed from the opening and an expansion-type gasket may be sealingly compressed against the opening surface with an expansion band assembly.
US07827652B2

A windscreen wiper structure includes a supporting object, a windscreen wiper strip, and a connecting device. The windscreen wiper strip fixes to the supporting object's lower surface. The connecting device includes a center stand, a hook stand, an outer housing, and a lid body. The center stand fixes in the middle of the supporting object's upper surface. The center stand has an axle. The hook stand has a pivoting hole. The hook stand's pivoting hole connects to the axle. The outer housing disposes in the center stand's exterior. There is an opening hole in the outer housing's upper part. A piercing hole sets in the lid body's upper part. One end of the lid body pivotally connects to the outer housing. The lid body opens or closes with the outer housing's opening hole. Hence, the connecting device and the windscreen wiper strip joins together quickly, making assembly and disassembly easier.
US07827651B2

A quick-release paint roller having a roller cover that can be removed from a handle assembly without requiring the user to apply a force directly to the roller cover. The paint roller includes a tube-shaped roller cover having an outer surface of paint absorbing material and a rotatably mounted roller core. When the actuator is in the release position, the roller mounting device is free of the latching mechanism, thus permitting the roller core and roller cover to be removed from the handle assembly.
US07827647B2

By providing a gear assembly employing drive gears which engage at least two associated gears for simultaneous rotation, with the gear assembly being constructed for axially driving the bush-bearing shaft/cable member, a new fully automatic, portable tube/conduit cleaning system is attached, with the components forming the system being capable of being easily held and carried to any desired job site. By employing this construction, the cleaning system of the present invention enables the shaft/cable carrying the rotating brush to be driven in both a forward and reverse direction, along the axis of the tube or conduit, making it easier for an operator to clean extremely difficult pipes and conduits, while also controlling the relative speed of the brush rotation. In the present invention, the elongated flexible shaft/cable is controllably fed at a low rate of speed, while the cleaning brush is rotated at a relative very high rate of speed, thereby achieving superior cleaning results.
US07827643B2

A self-propelled apparatus for cleaning the submerged bottom surfaces of a pool or tank in a predetermined regular pattern includes a reversible drive means for propelling the apparatus in opposite directions corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus. A housing is formed by a top wall, depending front and rear walls and depending side walls, where the side walls defining the periphery of the apparatus. At least one projecting pivot member extends from a side wall of the housing, wherein the end of the projecting pivot member serves as a pivot point in contact with a side wall of the pool to change the orientation of the apparatus with respect to the side wall of the pool.
US07827637B2

A flame resistant moisture barrier and a mattress having such a barrier and related methods of manufacture provide mattresses, furniture cushions and other products that provide resistance to flame and moisture.
US07827629B1

A folding furniture structure for converting between a folded seating condition and an unfolded sleeping condition comprises a floor-supported base, and plural frame sections supported on the base. The frame sections include a first seat section fixed to the base in a horizontal orientation, a second seat section having one side pivotally connected to a forward side of the first seat section, and a seat back section pivotally connected to an opposite side of the second seat section. The frame sections are movable between the folded seating condition with the second seat section pivoted into overlying superposed face abutment to the first seat section and the seat back section extending angularly upwardly from the second seat section for use as a seat, and the unfolded sleeping condition with the second seat section and the seat back section aligned horizontally with the first seat section for use as a bed.
US07827621B2

A hair drying head-piece that absorbs moisture from the hair of a wearer, said headpiece having a cap portion having a top part and a bottom part, said cap bottom part having an opening sized to fit about the top of the wearer's head and said cap top part having a hole therein to allow at least a portion of the wearers's hair to exit the cap therethrough; and at least 4 flat water-absorbing fabric strips attached to the cap top part, each of the 4 flat water-absorbing fabric strips having a length of between 12 and 30 inches and a width between 0.6 inches and 2 inches, wherein said strips fall freely with the wearer's hair.
US07827617B2

A helmet chin strap assembly includes a nape pad that is adjustably attached to straps extending below the ears of the user. The straps of the assembly are connected to a helmet by a coupling unit including an anchor strap and a plastic or polymeric reinforcement member attached to the strap. The strap and the reinforcement member are provided with aligned holes through which a threaded post is inserted to cooperate with a bolt or screw to attach the anchor strap to a helmet.
US07832011B2

Malicious code detection code is executed by an information handling system. The malicious code detection code includes detection routines. The detection routines are applied to executable code under investigation. The detection routines associate weights to respective code under investigation in response to detections of a valid program or malicious code as a function of the detection routines. It is determined whether code under investigation is a valid program or malicious code as a function of the weights associated by the detection routines.
US07832010B2

The apparatus analyzes management information about network information collected from a computer and a router, detects a change in the management information specific to the activity of an unauthorized access program (worm), and generates alert information including a type of apparatus whose collected management information indicates the detected change and address information about an apparatus suspected of performing the activity of a worm. When the type of apparatus in the alert information refers to a computer, the apparatus generates an instruction to delete relayed information for the computer. When the type of apparatus refers to a network connection apparatus, the apparatus generates an instruction to set a filter for cutting off the communications of a worm with the network connection apparatus. Thus, the apparatus transmits the instructions.
US07832009B2

Techniques for detecting and responding to attacks on computer and network systems including denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. A packet is classified as potentially being an attack packet if it matches an access control list (ACL) specifying one or more conditions. One or more actions may be performed responsive to packets identified as potential attack packets. These actions may include dropping packets identified as potential attack packets for a period of time, rate limiting a port over which the potential attack packets are received for a period of time, and other actions.
US07832002B2

The invention particularly relates to an electrical device for connection to a predetermined network containing at least one watchdog device. The electrical device comprises configuration means for authorizing its operation in the presence of said watchdog device, where these configuration means are based on the recording of a watchdog device public identifier in storage means of the electrical device; means for identifying at least one watchdog device when the electrical device is connected to any network containing such a watchdog device, and means for disabling the electrical device if the watchdog device identified does not correspond to the watchdog device for which it was configured or if said network does not contain a watchdog device. The invention also concerns an antitheft system and a method for pairing devices.
US07831992B2

A method of processing television content metadata in a communications system. The system includes a consumer device (e.g., a set-top box and/or television) in communication with an auxiliary display device (e.g., webpad). A broadcast television channel video image signal and the metadata are received by the consumer device. A single video image frame of the broadcast television channel video image signal is captured when a predefined indicator is detected in the metadata. The metadata is modified by changing the predefined indicator to an image identifier associated with the single video image frame. The single video image frame is converted to a well-known format, and the consumer device sends the modified metadata and the converted single video image frame to the auxiliary display device for display thereon.
US07831989B1

Methods and systems are provided for intelligently managing on-demand content in a cable services system. High demand video programs (e.g., movies, documentaries, mini-series, educational films, and the like) are stored at cable system hubs that service a number of individual cable customers. When a given video program is requested, the requested title is steamed from the hub servicing the requesting customer rather than streaming the requested program from the cable system head end. The video programs cached at the cable system hubs are determined based on attributes associated with individual video programs including time since initial release, association with other programs, association with hub locations, association with current events, and the like.
US07831980B2

Scheduling threads in a multi-processor computer system including establishing an interrupt threshold for a thread, where the interrupt threshold represents a maximum permissible number of interrupts during thread execution on a processor; executing the thread on a current processor, where the thread has thread affinity for one or more processors including the current processor; counting a number of interrupts during execution of the thread on the current processor; and removing thread affinity for the current processor in dependence upon the counted number of interrupts and the interrupt threshold.
US07831977B2

Computer system, method and program for defining first and second virtual machines and a memory shared by the first and second virtual machines. A filesystem cache resides in the shared memory. A lock structure resides in the shared memory to record which virtual machine, if any, currently has an exclusive lock for writing to the cache. The first virtual machine includes a first program function to acquire the exclusive lock when available by manipulation of the lock structure, and a second program function active after the first virtual machine acquires the exclusive lock, to write to the cache. The lock structure is directly accessible by the first program function. The cache is directly accessible by the second program function. The second virtual machine includes a third program function to acquire the exclusive lock when available by manipulation of the lock structure, and a fourth program function active after the second virtual machine acquires the exclusive lock, to write to the cache. The lock structure is directly accessible by the third program function. The cache is directly accessible by the fourth program function. Another computer system, method and program is embodied in logical partitions of a real computer, instead of virtual machines.
US07831972B2

An apparatus and method for scheduling a job process on at least one node in a server data processing network. The scheduling is based on a state of at least two nodes in the network as well as a cost metric of installing a required application on at least one of the nodes in the network of nodes. The apparatus and method gathers metrics indicating properties associated with at least two nodes on the network, the metrics including a presence of an application necessary for running the process. A first cost factor for scheduling the process on a node in the network having the application necessary for running the process is compared with a second cost factor for scheduling the process on a node in the network that does not have the application necessary for running the process. Finally, a node in the network is selected for scheduling the process.
US07831970B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for scheduling one or more tasks to be performed by a resource modeled as a mathematical group. One or more tasks to be performed by a resource modeled as a mathematical group are scheduled by selecting a coset representative k of a subgroup of the mathematical group based on predefined criteria for homogenization of the one or more tasks. The one or more tasks may comprise, for example, packets and the resource may be, for example, one or more communications links in a packet network. The predefined criteria for homogenization of the one or more tasks includes, for example, a time-based or a size-based homogenization of the tasks (or both).
US07831968B1

Method and system are disclosed for restoring multiple instances of a software application to a predetermined baseline state. The method/system of the invention creates a baseline template from a single correct or “golden” installation of the software application. The baseline template may then be deployed to restore previously used instances of the software application to a baseline state.
US07831967B2

A method and apparatus for updating the software of a device that is a controlled device linked to a control device over a network. According to the method, a control device obtains information regarding updating of the software of a controlled device, determines whether updating is available using the information, and allows the controlled device to update its software, thereby easily updating the software of device. The apparatus can be a network device, connected to an update server and another network device in a network, for updating software of the other network device. The network device can include a control circuit configured to determine whether the updating of the software is required based on update information; and a transceiving unit configured to communicate with the other network device and the update server.
US07831965B1

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that resolves references in an in-place execution file for a platform-independent virtual machine into physical addresses. During operation, the system receives an in-place execution file in which references have been replaced with in-place encoded metadata specifying attributes of the references. The system then resolves a reference by obtaining in-place encoded metadata for the reference from a location in the in-place execution file, using the in-place encoded metadata to determine an address of an associated referent, and then replacing the in-place encoded metadata at the location in the in-place execution file with the address of the referent.
US07831961B1

By encoding an exception triggering value in storage referenced by an instruction in an otherwise unused slot (e.g., the delay slot of a delayed control transfer instruction or an unused instruction position in a VLIW-based architecture) coinciding with a safe point, an efficient coordination mechanism can be provided for multi-threaded code. Because the mechanism(s) impose negligible overhead when not employed and can be engaged in response to an event (e.g., a start garbage collection event), safe points can be defined at call, return and/or backward branch points throughout mutator code to reduce the latency between the event and suspension of all threads. Though particularly advantageous for thread suspension to perform garbage collection at safe points, the techniques described herein are more generally applicable to program suspension at coordination points coinciding with calls, returns, branches or calls, returns and branches therein.
US07831960B2

A method for configuration of a program with a plurality of configuration variables to operate on a computer system that includes obtaining a plurality of priority semantics for the plurality of configuration variables, wherein the plurality of priority semantics are heterogeneous, assigning a value for each of the plurality of configuration variables based on the plurality of priority semantics, and configuring the program using the value to operate on the computer system.
US07831956B2

In a composition model for large-scale extensible applications, applications are constructed in a modular fashion. The modules integrate with each other by producing and consuming functionality that conforms to a common definition. Producer modules and consumer modules are kept independent of one another, and are linked together indirectly via a definition module. .NET attributes are used to identify various code artifacts (such as classes, methods, properties, etc.) as being functionality definitions, productions, and/or consumptions. These attributes are examined by the module loader and used to create relationships between individually installed producer and consumer modules. The consumer uses .NET attributes to declare dependency on functionality and filter out implementations that don't meet the criteria specified by those attributes.
US07831955B2

An architecture for development and execution of a system for implementing business logic includes an engine providing management of the system and execution of the business logic. A single service-side interface connects the engine to service side plug-in modules, and a single resource side interface connects the engine with resource-side plug-in modules. The server-side and resource-side plug-in modules connect to users and resources, respectively. The single interfaces conform the plug-in module interfaces to one interface to communicate with the engine. The single interfaces employ a single command definition. Development code defining the business logic is written by a user and executed by the engine.
US07831954B2

An embodiment of the present invention provides a system that computes the effect of perturbations to a pattern layout during an OPC process. During operation, the system receives a pattern layout and a set of lithography model kernels. The system then obtains a set of convolved patterns by convolving the pattern layout with each of the set of lithography model kernels. The system additionally receives a perturbation pattern to be added onto the pattern layout. Next, for a query location on the pattern layout, the system obtains a set of convolution values at the query location by using model flash lookup tables to convolve the perturbation pattern with the set of lithography model kernels. The system then updates the set of convolved patterns at the query location to account for the effect of the perturbation pattern by combining the set of convolution values with the set of convolved patterns.
US07831953B2

A lithography simulation method which predicts the result that a pattern formed on a mask is transferred onto a sample by use of a simulation based on pattern data of the mask includes subjecting a mask layout containing a pattern whose periodicity is disturbed to the simulation. At this time, a calculation area of pattern data used for the simulation is set to an integral multiple of minimum periodic length of the mask layout.
US07831951B2

A system and method of designing digital system. One aspect of the invention includes a method for designing an essentially digital system, wherein Pareto-based task concurrency optimization is performed. The method uses a system-level description of the functionality and timing of the digital system. The system-level description comprises a plurality of tasks. Task concurrency optimization is performed on said system-level description, thereby obtaining a task concurrency optimized system-level description, including Pareto-like task optimization information. The essentially digital system is designed based on said task concurrency optimized system-level description. In one embodiment of the invention, the description is includes a “grey-box” description of the essentially digital system.
US07831946B2

A wiring structure for clock signals has two or more parallel clock signal wires disposed in adjacent power wire bays that span the distance between the sinks to which the clock signal wires are to be coupled. The parallel clock signal wires are shorted one to another by stubs placed at locations in order to time the clock wiring structure. The delay tuning of the structure is obtained by the discrete movement of wiring stubs between the wiring bays of the pre-defined power grid.
US07831936B2

A design structure for a circuitry access system for controlling access to addressable circuit elements of an integrated circuit. The circuitry access system includes a first storage element having a first listing of unique identifiers each identifier representing one of the addressable circuit elements. A selector distinguishes a first subset of unique identifiers from the first listing. A second storage element receives and stores the first subset in an arrangement that does not include an indication of the absence of any unique identifier of the first listing that is not included in the first subset. An output of second storage element allows a user of the integrated circuit to access one or more of the addressable circuit elements corresponding to the first subset of unique identifiers.
US07831933B2

A method and system for implementing a user interface for a device through user created graphical elements. The method includes recognizing a graphical element icon created by a user. Once recognized, a function related to the graphical element icon is accessed and an output in accordance with the function is provided. The function is persistently associated with the graphical element icon. Menu selection and navigation is implemented through interaction with the graphic element icon. A listing of options associated with the graphical element icon is audibly rendered. In response to a selection of one of the options, the selected option is invoked.
US07831931B2

Successively displaying panels in a computer user interface. A method includes displaying a first panel of a plurality of panels. Each of the panels includes different information. The computer user interface has a plurality of navigation controls by which a user can navigate to any of the panels to access its information. A first setting of the navigation controls causes the first panel to be displayed. A user input requesting access to a second panel is received, there being at least two settings of the navigation controls that will cause the second panel to be displayed. The method includes ceasing to display the first panel and displaying the second panel using one of the at least two different settings by which more of the navigation controls remain unchanged from the first setting. Methods may be used in hierarchies and in arrangements that do not form trees.
US07831927B2

An image forming device includes a display, a reading unit, a display controlling unit, and an operating unit. The reading unit reads at least one file stored in a removable memory. The display controlling unit displays on the display a first selection item together with at least one second selection item. The first selection item is used for performing index printing for the at least one file. The at least one second selection item is used for printing each of the at least one file. Each of the at least one second selection item corresponds to one of the at least one file. The operating unit is capable of selecting one of the first selection item and the at least one second selection item.
US07831926B2

Mobile devices enabled to support resolution-independent scalable display of Internet (Web) content to allow Web pages to be scaled (zoomed) and panned for better viewing on smaller screen sizes. The mobile devices employ software-based processing of original Web content, including HTML-based content, XML, cascade style sheets, etc. to generate scalable content. The scalable content and/or data derived therefrom are then employed to enable the Web content to be rapidly rendered, zoomed, and panned. Display lists may also be employed to provide further enhancements in rendering speed.
US07831925B2

A method of displaying data on a display screen is provided wherein first and second display zones are provided on the display screen. The display zones are sized so that, in combination, they substantially occupy a predetermined display area of the display screen which may, for example, be the display screen of a handheld device. In one embodiment, the relative sizes of the display zones are dynamically set dependent upon content to be displayed in each display zone. For example, a display zone for displaying list content may be larger than a display zone for displaying form content. The display zones may be arranged in a lateral fashion wherein they have substantially similar heights, or arranged in a stacked fashion with substantially similar widths. The respective widths or heights, as the case may be, may be sized dependent upon the content for display in each zone.
US07831921B2

Navigation connection points for separating navigation business logic from user interface elements. Computer executable instructions are used in a navigation framework for implementing navigation business logic separated from user interface elements. This allows the navigation business logic and user interface elements to be developed separately and later combined. A computer readable storage medium includes computer executable instructions configured to perform navigational tasks. The computer readable storage medium further includes a computer implemented interface operatively connected to the computer executable instruction configured to perform navigational tasks. The computer implemented interface is configured to connect to an external computer implemented user interface module. The computer implemented interface allows an external computer implemented user interface module to be selected from one of a number of external computer implemented user interface modules such that the navigation business logic is not limited to a single user interface implementation.
US07831919B1

A publisher uses a toolbox to graphically define web forms, by selecting and configuring components such as buttons, text boxes, menus, etc. Underlying code for the web forms (such as Extensible Markup Language, or XML) is automatically generated. The publisher defines transforms (such as Extensible Stylesheet Markup Language Transforms, or XSLTs) that process the exchange of data between the front end and the backend web service. The transforms and the code underlying the web forms is automatically combined into a frontend to the web service. The web based frontend is published on a user site, such that users can access the backend web service through the frontend.
US07831908B2

A mixed text and image layout algorithm capable of supporting Unicode text and arbitrary content definitions for geometric layout with worst case two-pass layout placement procedure. Layout of Unicode text requires a number of distinct processing steps commencing with classification of input characters into contiguous groups of identical directionality, writing system and possibly script (and language) followed by mapping of character groups to glyphs for display purposes followed by a layout taking into account font display characteristics, embedded directionality level and shape of container for layout contents. Layout is best-case achieved in a single layout pass and worst-case in two passes. During layout information is cached to facilitate incremental changes to an existing layout in order to minimize refresh operations for editing display purposes. An optional two-pass operation on the layout result may be used to generate ordered rendering operation to support so-called Z-index display. An optimized Unicode character classification method utilizing reduced memory is also disclosed. Additionally a method to selectively display caret location for mixed font and/or directional text is disclosed.
US07831907B2

A method for computing apparatus to create a page with a plurality of information items laid out upon it is described. A plurality of information items and a definition of one or more groups of information items to be formed on the page are received, as is a candidate layout of the information items on the page. Perceptual distances between information items in the candidate layout are determined, the perceptual distances representing both physical distance and graphical variation between relevant information items. It is determined from the perceptual distances whether the candidate layout satisfies predetermined criteria such that the candidate layout is perceived as visually representing the one or more groups. If the candidate layout is not perceived as visually representing the one or more groups, it is modified or regenerated until it does so.
US07831898B2

A document, publication or a portion of a publication containing collateral information (e.g. advertisements) is delivered in electronic form, preferably appearing electronically as it appears in traditional printed form. Collateral information associated with the document, publication or portion of the publication is dynamically replaced, enabling the user to potentially receive more useful and relevant information and enabling the publisher to potentially generate new revenue from the replaced collateral information.
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