US07970433B2

A cellular handset, including a cellular base band modem, including a UART interface, and an SD host interface, a NAND flash memory, a NAND controller coupled with the NAND flash memory, a host device including a host controller, wherein the electronic host device supports an SD connection, and a convergence controller coupled with the cellular base band modem, the host device and the NAND controller, including a UART port for transferring data to and from the cellular base band modem via the UART interface, an SD port for transferring data to and from the cellular base band modem via the SD host interface, an SD port for transferring data to and from the NAND flash memory via the NAND controller, an SD port for transferring data to and from the host device via the host controller, a first mailbox into which the base band modem writes messages and from which the host device reads messages, and a second mailbox into which the host device writes messages and from which the cellular base band modem reads messages. A method is also described and claimed.
US07970429B2

Methods and apparatus for selecting a base station transceiver system for communication with a Third Generation (3G) (or better) mobile station are described. In one illustrative example, one or more base station transceiver systems are identified for communication with the mobile station through a scanning process. A first base station transceiver system is identified as providing a Third Generation (3G) communication service or better, whereas a second base station transceiver system is identified as failing to provide the 3G or better communication service (e.g. it may provide a Second Generation (2G) communication service). The first system is selected for communication over the second system based at least in part on identifying that the second system fails to provide the 3G or better communication service. For example, the first system may be chosen over the second system if the first system has a signal quality that is better than a minimum threshold, even if its signal quality is worse than that of the second system. Advantageously, even if an available 2G system has a better signal quality, preference for an adequate 3G or better system is given to ensure that a preferred data service is made available to the mobile station.
US07970424B2

A method and apparatus for floor control in a multi-media dispatch network is disclosed. The method includes receiving a floor request message related to a first media type at a dispatch network controller from a first user and receiving a floor grant request message related to a second media type at the dispatch network controller from the first user. The apparatus includes a dispatch network controller where the dispatch network controller receives a floor request message related to a first media type from a first user and receives a floor grant request message related to a second media type from the first user.
US07970423B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for linking a service context to a terminal connection in a network controlling device of a data network, wherein a service indication is forwarded via the terminal connection to the data network, and an association is established between the service context and the terminal connection based on a network response to the service indication. The desired link between the terminal connection and the service context can thus be established at the network controlling device based on the forwarded service indication, e.g. cause value for establishing the terminal connection. Thereby, network resources can be optimized by releasing non-valid terminal connections.
US07970418B2

An approach is disclosed for providing sharing of content relating to an event. Detection of a plurality of mobile communication devices within a predetermined location is performed. An event is identified corresponding to the predetermined location and a current time. The mobile communication devices are notified to enable exchange of content about the event. The content is received from one or more of the mobile communication devices, wherein the content is accessible by the mobile communication devices.
US07970417B2

An on-demand message system includes a profile proxy server and a plurality of message servers coupled to a wireless network for sending messages to mobile users under conditions specified by the users and sellers. Users provide profile information specifying categories and conditions for which they will receive messages. Sellers also provide profile information specifying conditions under which they want messages to be sent. A multicast message is sent and processed by target users in response to a predetermined event, e.g., location update, conveying information related to a seller for which target users have expressed an interest in receiving.
US07970414B1

A system for determining position of a mobile station is provided. The mobile station is equipped with a GPS receiver for receiving satellite signals from satellites. The system comprises a wireless wide area network (WWAN) configured to provide an acquisition assistance data for use in acquiring the satellite signals by the GPS receiver to the mobile station that is operable in the WWAN. A position determination entity (PDE) is provided to determine position of the mobile station based on the satellite signals received sent from the mobile station and the acquisition assistance data from the WWAN. A wireless local area network (WLAN) provides RF signals to the mobile station when the mobile station enters into a WLAN area. The mobile station determines the position of the mobile station using the WWAN transceiver and the GPS receiver at the time when the mobile station enters into the WLAN area. The MS then uses this position when it is operating in the WLAN and it is requested to provide location by a LBS application or by the emergency 911 calling service.
US07970411B2

An Aided Location Communication System (“ALCS”) is described that may include a geolocation server and a wireless communication device having a GPS section where the GPS receiver section is capable of being selectively switched between a standalone mode and at least one other mode for determining a geolocation of the wireless communications device. An Aided Location Communication Device (“ALCD”) is also described. The ALCD includes a position-determination section having a GPS receiver and a communication section where the position-determination section is selectively switchable between a GPS-standalone mode and at least one other mode for determining a geolocation of the ALCD.
US07970397B2

A network-initiated area event triggered positioning method for a terminal in a session-based position information system is discussed. Network-initiation of area-based positioning of a roaming terminal is discriminated according to a proxy mode and a non-proxy mode, and area-based positioning for the roaming terminal is performed in various manners according to whether an SLP for performing the positioning procedure with respect to the discriminated modes is a V-SLP or an H-SLP.
US07970384B1

The present invention is a phonebook system including a mobile, wireless communications device having a microprocessor and user interface giving the user the capability of inputting, accessing, and modifying communication recipient identities, state data required to establish and/or enhance a communication session between the communications device and one or more recipients, and expanded information data.
US07970382B2

A method and apparatus for programming a cellular telephone with activation parameters. A cellular telephone to be programmed is connected to a computer via a communications interface. A user input device is provided to allow a user to provide programming information, including a cellular telephone type, to the computer. A visual representation of the cellular telephone type is displayed on a display monitor to allow the user to interactively verify the inputted programming information. Upon such user verification, the computer determines activation parameters and transmits the activation parameters to the cellular telephone. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, certain activation parameters are dynamically computed based on the user provided programming information. In one embodiment, the user enters a cellular telephone number to be assigned to the cellular telephone. The computer looks up a system identification associated with the cellular telephone number in a memory unit. Certain activation parameters are dynamically computed based on the cellular telephone number and system identification.
US07970379B2

A method for providing broadcast content is disclosed. The method maintains a system to deliver regionally broadcasted content to an electronic device located outside a region of the regionally broadcasted content, provides an application for the electronic device that allows the electronic device to request a streaming media signal representing the regionally broadcasted content even if the electronic device is located outside of the region, and communicates the streaming media signal to the electronic device responsive to a user request.
US07970370B2

A signal conversion apparatus includes a local oscillator for locally generating a signal having a frequency, a phase shifter for shifting the phase of the locally generated signal output from the local oscillator by an amount determined based on a relationship between the amount of phase shift and the amount of frequency pulling, and a converter for converting an input signal by using the phase-shifted locally generated signal output from the phase shifter. The phase shifter varies impedance between the local oscillator and the converter so that the oscillating frequency of the locally generated signal output from the local oscillator remains unchanged.
US07970366B2

A diversity receiver is provided with antennas (1a) and (1b) in a first branch and antennas (1c) and (1d) in a second branch each of which antenna gains is controlled so that the offset between the directions of directional radiation patterns for the first and second branches becomes approximately π/2. Thereby, the diversity receiver can obtain a sufficient diversity gain even when it is incorporated into an indoor television with the antennas being built thereinto in close vicinity to one another.
US07970356B2

A terminal location estimation method in a wireless communication system in which an access point (AP) provides an access service to a plurality of terminals includes defining a plurality of beam spaces around the AP through space multiplexing; scheduling the beam spaces according to a predetermined pattern; simultaneously forming a beam in at least one beam space; and detecting the existence and location of a terminal according to whether a response message in response to the formed beam is received. Accordingly, an AP forms beams in a predetermined scheduling pattern, and each of the terminals detecting the beams registers its location by informing the AP that each of the terminals exists in a relevant beam area, and thus, a location of each of the terminals can be estimated without using a complex DOA algorithm.
US07970352B2

According to one embodiment, a wireless communication device includes a housing provided with a first face, a radio-frequency coupler installed in the housing so as to face the first face, a close proximity wireless transfer device configured to execute close proximity wireless transfer with the external device existing within a prescribed wirelessly communicable distance from the radio-frequency coupler, a pressure sensitive sensor configured to measure the pressure applied to the first face near the radio-frequency coupler, a reception data processor configured to process data received by the radio-frequency coupler and the close proximity wireless transfer device, and a controller configured to report to the reception data processor that close proximity wireless transfer is available when the close proximity wireless transfer is available and also a measured value of the pressure sensitive sensor is not smaller than a threshold value.
US07970345B2

Methods of transmitting an information signal in a satellite communications system include splitting the information signal into a first signal component and a second signal component, transmitting the first signal component to a first system element of the satellite communications system, transmitting the second signal component to a second system element of the satellite communications system, combining the first signal component and the second signal component to form a combined signal, and recovering the information signal from the combined signal. Related systems and components are also disclosed.
US07970344B2

The objective of the present invention is to suppress an increase in the power consumption for the relaying of signals. A relay station unit 150 is a relay station unit that has as a function the relaying of a signal, and includes: a wireless receiving unit 15; a relay determination unit 23, for determining that a signal received by the wireless receiving unit 15 does not satisfy a predetermined quality, and for permitting reception of a signal from a different relay station unit; a synthesizing unit 18, for generating a transmission signal based on a signal received from a base station unit and a signal received from the different relay station unit; and a wireless transmitting unit 13, for transmitting the signal that is generated.
US07970341B2

A method of processing an LNB power supply output signal comprising providing an LNB selection signal to select a first of the plurality of LNB signals as the input signal, superimposing a tone onto the LNB selection signal to select a second of the plurality of LNB signals as the input signal, providing a first transponder selection voltage to select a first set of transponders within the input signal, providing a second transponder selection voltage to select a second set of transponders within the input signal, and activating an adaptive load to preserve the tone if the second of the plurality of LNB signals is selected.
US07970338B2

A CPU of a bookbinding system sets one of a right-opening bookbinding mode for feeding a cover sheet on which a cover is laid out at the left of a spine portion thereof to create a right-opening book, and a left-opening bookbinding mode for feeding a cover sheet on which a cover is laid out at the right of the spine portion to create a left-opening book. Also, the bookbinding system controls a printer unit to invert a print sequence depending on whether the system is set in the right-opening bookbinding mode or is set in the left-opening bookbinding mode. The print sequence or inverted print sequence is set so that, of image data of multiple pages, print image data that should be the top page is arranged appropriately for creating a right-opening book or a left-opening book.
US07970313B2

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a housing having a first opening and a second opening which are directed in a same direction; a plurality of developing units which are disposed in parallel with each other in the housing along an oblique direction inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, the developing units which are configured to be attached to and detached from the housing along the oblique direction through the first opening; and a plurality of developer cartridges which correspond to the plurality of developing units, each of the developer cartridges being disposed in parallel with each other in the housing to be opposite to an end of a respective one of the developing units along a substantially horizontal direction in a longitudinal direction of the developing units, the developer cartridges which are configured to be attached to and detached from the housing through the second opening.
US07970312B2

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, an openable/closable cover panel, a unitary assembly, a holder, and a fastener. The openable/closable cover panel covers an opening in the main body. The unitary assembly is detachably attached to an inner side of the cover panel. The fastener fastens the assembly in place on the cover panel. The holder includes a positioning surface and first and second guide surfaces to hold the assembly on the cover panel. The positioning surface receives a positioning pin projecting from the assembly. The first and second guide surfaces are disposed on opposite sides of the positioning surface, and each guide surface slidably guides the positioning pin onto the positioning surface. The second guide surface is elastically displaceable to cause the positioning pin to slide off onto the positioning surface as the positioning pin presses against the second guide surface.
US07970306B2

An image forming apparatus includes a developing device for developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member on the basis of image information, into a developed image with a developer, the developing device including a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer and a stirring member for stirring the developer in the developer accommodating portion; an optical remaining amount detecting device for detecting a remaining amount of the developer in the developer accommodating portion, by passing light through an inside of the developer accommodating portion; a consumption amount calculation device for calculating information relating to a consumption amount of the developer on the basis of the image information; and an outputting device for outputting an information signal indicative of a developer remainder which is either one of a developer remainder based on a detection result of the optical remaining amount detecting device and a developer remainder based on the information relating to the consumption amount provided by the consumption amount calculation device, selected in accordance with information relating to continuous drive time of the stirring member after start of drive thereof during image forming operation.
US07970303B2

An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing body on which surface a solid lubricant is supplied, forming and bearing an image on the surface; a charging member to which a voltage is applied, being in contact with the image bearing body to impart a charge; a voltage applying section that applies the voltage to the charging member, capable of switching the voltage between superimposed voltage on which DC voltage and AC voltage are superimposed and non-superimposed voltage including only DC voltage; an image forming section that forms a toner image; a transfer device that transfers the formed toner image to a transferring body; a cleaning member that contacts the image bearing body to scrape unnecessary substance from the surface; and a voltage switching section that switches the voltage applied to the charging member between the superimposed voltage and the non-superimposed voltage according to an amount of the solid lubricant.
US07970301B2

Disclosed are printing methods, apparatus and systems to compensate for distortion caused by fusing toner to a media substrate. According to one exemplary embodiment, the method includes processing image data according to media characterization data for a measured fuser temperature. The media characterization data provides a basis to compensate for media substrate shrinkage due to fusing the printed image on the media substrate.
US07970293B2

The invention describes an image forming apparatus having a cartridge configured to be removably attached to a main body. The cartridge has a rotational body positioned within the cartridge and an extension portion protruding outward from the rotational body in an axial direction. The device body has a main body, which has a driving member that rotates the rotational body and the extension portion, a detecting unit for detecting a movement of the extension portion, and a determining unit for determining a type of the developer cartridge using either a time elapsed between a time in which the driving member begins driving the rotational body and a time in which the detecting unit detects the movement of the extension portion, or a drive amount of the drive device occurring during an elapsed time.
US07970292B2

A consumable unit and an image forming apparatus for controlling a consumable includes a first memory that stores consumable item information regarding the consumable and provides the consumable item information through password authentication, and a second memory that rewrites recycling prevention information, which indicates that recycling is impossible, a limited number of times. Therefore, if the consumable is replaced, it is possible to prevent the first memory and second memory from being recycled.
US07970287B2

A driver circuit is coupled to an optical waveguide transmitter. The driver circuit has a current generator that is in series with the transmitter, and a current robbing circuit is coupled to the transmitter. The current robbing circuit is to divert first and second amounts of current from the transmitter, in accordance with predetermined values of first and second bit streams, respectively, in which data is received to be transmitted. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US07970283B2

This disclosure concerns optoelectronic transceivers. In one example, a transceiver is implemented as an uncompensated architecture that is substantially compliant with the SFP MSA and is capable of effective operation at a data rate of about 8.5 Gb/s. The transceiver includes a TOSA, ROSA, a printed circuit board, an LDPA disposed on the printed circuit board and configured for communication with the TOSA and the ROSA. Finally, the transceiver includes SFP compliant optical and electrical connections.
US07970281B2

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method for managing different transmission architectures in a passive optical network (PON) is provided. In a particular embodiment, a method for managing different transmission architectures in a PON includes transmitting traffic in an upstream or downstream direction in a first time-slot in a PON at each channel of a first set of one or more channels. The method also includes transmitting traffic in the same upstream or downstream direction in a second time-slot in the PON at each channel of a second set of one or more channels that provide greater bandwidth than the first set of one or more channels, wherein at least one channel of the first set at least partially overlaps at least one channel of the second set but is not identical to the at least one channel of the second set.
US07970275B2

A digital camera system includes a print medium having a printing area and a magnetically-sensitive area, and a digital camera. The digital camera includes a photo-width printhead for printing digital images on the printing area of the print medium, and a magnetic recorder for recording information associated with the digital images on the magnetically-sensitive area of the print medium at the same time as the printhead prints the associated digital images onto the printing area.
US07970245B2

An optical biosensor using a surface plasmon resonance phenomenon includes an input optical waveguide including a first optical mode converting unit for converting a core mode to a cladding mode; and an optical sensing unit for allowing a specific wavelength among wavelengths constituting the converted cladding mode to be lost according to density of bio-material. The optical biosensor can accurately measure density of bio-material by using an optical signal.
US07970243B2

The present invention provides an MMI optical device that can prevent a possible decrease in transmission rate in spite of miniaturization and integration. The optical device includes a rectangular multimode waveguide and an electromagnetic wave absorber of a light source wavelength. The electromagnetic wave absorber is located on at least one side surface of the rectangular multimode waveguide and is located at a predetermined gap from a core of the rectangular multimode waveguide.
US07970236B2

An image transform apparatus includes: a resolution device performing wavelet resolution based on an image representing distribution of psycho-physical color to generate sub band images at one resolution level or more; a transform device transforming values of pixels of the sub band images from values of the psycho-physical color to values of perceived color based on a predetermined relation between the psycho-physical color and the perceived color; and a synthesis device performing wavelet synthesis based on the sub band images at one resolution level or more resulting from the transform by the transform device, to generate an image representing distribution of the perceived color, thereby correlating a color system of psycho-physical color (for example, the XYZ color system) and a color system of perceived color (for example, the L*a*b* color system) to each other without setting standard light.
US07970220B2

An image processing apparatus includes a decoding unit for performing a decoding process on coded data of a moving picture on a frame-by-frame basis, and a controller for controlling the decoding unit. The controller designates a first decoding condition using multiple attributes, such as resolution level, precinct, component, or layer, for each frame, and causes the decoding unit to perform the decoding process on those code streams that satisfy the first decoding condition among the coded data. If a decoding time required to perform the decoding process under the first condition is equal to or longer than a prescribed time period, the controller allows the decoding unit to finish the decoding process for a current frame. If the coding time is shorter than the prescribed time period, the controller designates a second condition as to the attributes for the current frame to cause the decoding unit to perform the decoding process on those codes streams that satisfy the second condition.
US07970211B2

The subject application relates to a system(s) and/or methodology that facilitate vision-based projection of any image (still or moving) onto any surface. In particular, a front-projected computer vision-based interactive surface system is provided which uses a new commercially available projection technology to obtain a compact, self-contained form factor. The subject configuration addresses installation, calibration, and portability issues that are primary concerns in most vision-based table systems. The subject application also relates to determining whether an object is touching or hovering over an interactive surface based on an analysis of a shadow image.
US07970207B2

An image evaluating apparatus capable of evaluating photographic images with expressions that approach human perception is provided. Boundaries among subjects are extracted from a digital photographic image in which a plurality of subjects are pictured. Image regions, which are divided by the boundaries, are extracted from the image. The position of each region is judged by determining which of a plurality of sections each image region is included in. The features of subjects pictured within each image region are judged. Then, the digital photographic image is evaluated based on the extracted boundaries, the sections in which each image region is included, and the features of the subjects pictured within each image region.
US07970206B2

Foreground images, such as cursors, may be displayed over an image by selecting individual pixel colors to contrast with surrounding background pixels. The background pixels in, around and behind the foreground image may be converted from a red-green-blue (RGB) color space to a luminance isolating color space, such as YUV, HSL or the like. The converted pixel information may be copied, stored, or drawn into a separate compositing window. After converting to the luminance isolating color space, the luminance values of the pixels may be adjusted to increase the contrast between the foreground image and the background image. Portions of the foreground image may also be blurred, such as by applying a Gaussian or box blur, such as to soften the edges. The pixel information may then be converted back into the RGB color space and blended with the background information using alpha information for the foreground and background images.
US07970200B2

A color image of an inspection object is taken by an imaging means capable of taking a color image to obtain color information of an RGB color space. A gray-scale image of a color component of the RGB color space or another color space is generated, and the inspection object is detected by a pattern recognition technique. Alternatively, a binary image is generated from the generated gray-scale image, and the inspection object is detected by performing pattern recognition on the binary image. Color data of a pixel occupied by the detected inspection object is compared with color data of a non-defective inspection object which is previously prepared to judge whether or not the inspection object is defective. In addition, this judgment result is reflected in another manufacturing step through a network and product quality is improved.
US07970195B2

The invention relates to a device and a method for the iterative reconstruction of the attenuation coefficients μj in a tomographic image of an object (1) from projection measurements mi. In the update equation for μjn during the n-th iteration the backprojected error (mi−mi−(μjn)) is weighted by a voxel dependent factor Formula (I). Such a voxel dependent update may particularly be included in the algorithms of ART or ML.
US07970193B2

An image processing system, for processing a 3-D image of a 3-D substantially tubular structure (AAA), formed of a lumen (LUM) limited by a wall (5,6), comprising processing means (102) for segmenting the 3-D external or internal surface of the structure; estimating a local parameter such as the local wall thickness (T) or diameters; and display means (105) for displaying the 3-D surface of segmentation with zones colorized according to a color code, so that to indicate the local parameter values in said zones. The system may comprise processing means to generate (107) a 3-D virtual cylinder and projecting (108) the color-coded 3-D segmentation surface onto the 3-D virtual cylinder surface colorized according to the same color-code; and projecting the 3-D virtual cylinder surface onto a 2-D color-coded map; and display means for displaying the 2-D color-coded map with colorized zones indicating the local parameter values (T) in said zones (109).
US07970188B2

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for automatic prioritization and routing of exams for patients in a medical center based on image classification. The method includes capturing an image and digitizing it, automatically classifying the image based on its content, prioritizing the image based on its classification, and routing the image based on its prioritization and classification to the appropriate medical practitioner.
US07970185B2

An apparatus and methods for capturing a fingerprint are provided. In a first example method, first fingerprint image may be obtained in a guard region within a captured image, the guard region including less than all of the captured image. A fingerprint region may be extracted from the captured image based on a predicted color distribution, the predicted color distribution based on color information associated with the first fingerprint image, the extracted fingerprint region including the first fingerprint image within the guard region and at least a portion of the fingerprint region extending beyond the guard region within the captured image. In a second example method, guard region may be defined within a picture boundary area, the defined guard region including less than all of the picture boundary area. At least one image may be captured, the captured image spanning the picture boundary area. Information associated with the captured image may be extracted from within the guard region. Portions of the captured image associated with a user's fingerprint may then be extracted based on the extracted information, the identified portions including a first portion within the guard region of the captured image and a second portion within the picture boundary area of the captured image outside of the guard region. In another example, an apparatus may be configured to perform either of the above-described first and second example methods.
US07970182B2

The detection of red-eye defects is enhanced in digital images for embedded image acquisition and processing systems. A two-stage redeye filtering system includes a speed optimized filter that performs initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions and optionally applies a speed-optimized set of falsing/verification filters to determine a first set of confirmed redeye regions for correction. Some of the candidate regions which are rejected during the first stage are recorded and re-analyzed during a second stage by an alternative set of analysis-optimized filters to determine a second set of confirmed redeye regions.
US07970181B1

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for correcting new images using example image sets, automatically or with user interaction, to produce corrected images in a manner that can be adapted to individual preferences, different image object orientations, image illumination conditions, and/or human and non-human features. In one embodiment, example image sets are provided that include information. The information can include a corrected example image, an original example image, and an example image mask. The example image mask includes information regarding the pixels corrected in the corrected example image. A new image is received that includes a defective area that needs to be corrected. The new image can be corrected using the information associated with the example image set.
US07970180B2

During red eye processing, whether a facial image detected from within an entire image is that of a specific person registered in a database is judged. In the case that it is judged that the facial image is of the specific person registered in the database, red eye detection is performed within the facial image, employing red eye detecting parameters, which are also registered in the database.
US07970178B2

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for estimating a visibility range in a visibility-degraded environment, e.g., fog. The methods and systems involve digital image processing.
US07970165B2

System and method for digitally watermarking data. A preferred embodiment comprises a quantizer to limit a data value provided by a signal input to a set of values, a rounder unit coupled to the quantizer, a control unit coupled to the rounder unit and to a watermark input, and a multiplexer having a first input coupled to the rounder unit and a control input coupled to the control unit. The rounder unit rounds a quantized data value to a nearest integer, the control unit provides a control signal based on the rounded, quantized data value and a parity of a watermark provided by the watermark input, and the multiplexer selects between an output of the rounder unit, an incremented output of the counter unit, and a decremented output of the counter unit, based on the control signal provided by the control unit.
US07970164B2

A digital watermark embedding method of the present invention includes: a step of sequentially obtaining each frame image of the moving image data and frame display time; a step of generating a watermark pattern using watermark information, the frame display time and watermark pattern switching information; a step of superimposing the watermark pattern onto the frame image, and combining watermark embedded frame images obtained by sequentially repeating the processes to generate watermark embedded moving image data. A digital watermark detection method includes a step of sequentially obtaining a frame image; a step of generating a difference image between the currently obtained frame image and a previously obtained frame image; and a step of performing digital watermark detection from the difference image to output digital watermark detection status, and when digital watermark detection process is continued, obtaining a new frame again to repeat the above processes.
US07970156B2

The protection of the ports of a hearing device, in particular microphone ports, is to be more easily operable in terms of installation and replacement. Provision is made for this purpose for protection to be provided by an adhesive film with a plastic membrane, which is essentially acoustically permeable, and an adhesive layer, which is attached to the plastic membrane. The adhesive is cut out in a predetermined shape at least one specified location on the plastic membrane. It is thus possible to affix an easily operable common microphone protection system to the hearing device shell, for example for a directional microphone with several microphone ports.
US07970140B2

A transmitting node produces synchronization data to be inserted into plain text and encrypts the thus generated data into multi-valued data so as to transmit the data. The synchronization data indicates the position of a running key used for encryption. A receiving node decrypts a signal including the synchronization data using the running key and detects the synchronization data from the signal to confirm synchronization of the running key between transmitting and receiving nodes. Then, the receiving node transmits a synchronization confirmation signal to the transmitting node. If the transmitting node does not receive the synchronization confirmation signal, it determines that synchronization of the running key is shifted, and re-synchronization is performed. To perform re-synchronization, a running key ahead of the position of the running key associated with synchronization data that has been stored is generated.
US07970139B2

The present invention aims to provide the technique of appropriately enabling the encryption and decryption to the partial area with respect to the image data to which the partial encryption and the multiple encryptions have been applied. More specifically, the predetermined image area in the image data is acquired by a reproduction area designation unit, the overlap area of the acquired image area and the encrypted encryption area is calculated by an overlap judgment unit, the key information corresponding to the calculated overlap area is acquired by a decryption key acquisition unit, and the image data corresponding to the overlap area is subjected to the encryption and decryption by an image decryption unit by using the acquired key information.
US07970118B2

A priority routing process is provided for routing calls received via a call routing system to a live call center agent. Routing is determined through collection of Automated Call Distribution (“ACD”) real-time performance based data and subjective non-ACD data, normalization and weighting of the ACD and non-ACD data through application of certain algorithms resulting in a derived priority score for each call center, and selection of a call center based upon the highest priority score.
US07970107B2

A method and system for providing a call completion service for a call between a caller and a destination over a network. Outgoing and Incoming call profiles, identifying enabled call completion services, are associated with callers and destinations, and are retrieved from a database based on the particular caller and destination. The caller and destination profiles are compared to select the appropriate call completion service for the call. In the absence of retrieving an outgoing call profile and an incoming call profile, a default profile can be generated and associated with the respective party to enable determination of the call completion service. The determination is made, at least in part, on the basis of a common call completion service identified as being enabled in both the OCP and the ICP. Additionally, a hierarchy of call completion services can be further considered in the determination of the call completion service.
US07970101B2

An X-ray tube which irradiates a primary X-ray to an irradiation point on a sample, an X-ray detector which detects a characteristic X-ray and a scattered X-ray emitted from the sample and outputs a signal including energy information on the characteristic X-ray and scattered X-ray, an analyzer which analyzes the signal, a sample stage on which the sample is placed, a moving mechanism which moves the sample on the sample stage, the X-ray tube, and the X-ray detector relative to each other, a height measuring mechanism which measures a maximum height of the sample, and a control unit which adjusts the distance between the sample and the X-ray tube and the distance between the sample and the X-ray detector by controlling the moving mechanism on the basis of the measured maximum height of the sample, are included.
US07970097B2

A method is disclosed for producing tomographic images relating to different movement phases of a periodically moving object with the use of a tomography unit that includes a recording system that is arranged rotatably about a z-axis of the tomography unit, the recording system including an X-ray tube to which a tube current can be applied and a detector (17, 18) for acquiring projections. In at least one embodiment, the recording system is initially positioned relative to the object at a first z-position, and projections are acquired from a multiplicity of different projection dimensions at this z-position, in a fashion triggered by a movement signal representing the movement of the object, projections relating to a first movement phase of the object being acquired in a prospectively defined first time window and projections relating to at least a second movement phase of the object being acquired in a prospectively defined second time window. In at least one embodiment, a modulation of the tube current is performed in such a way that different tube current values are set in the first and the second time window to attain a prescribable different signal-to-noise ratio in the produced images. The recording system is then positioned sequentially at further z-positions, and respectively corresponding projections are acquired there for the two movement phases until a prescribed examination area is scanned at the desired z-positions. Tomographic images are reconstructed in real time or subsequently on the basis of the obtained projections.
US07970093B2

The invention refers to a method for operating a nuclear light water reactor during an operation cycle including a cardinal cycle and a number of successive control rod cycles. The reactor includes a plurality of elongated fuel units containing a nuclear fuel in the form a fissible material, a burnable absorber, and a plurality of control rods introduceable in a respective control rod position. Substantially all control rods are introduced in the core before the reactor is started and an operation cycle is initiated. The reactor is operated during the cardinal cycle with a first control rod configuration with a first group of control rods at least partly introduced and the remaining control rods extracted. The reactor is operated during the subsequent control rod cycles with a respective control rod configuration which each includes a different group of control rods at least partly introduced, wherein the cardinal cycle is substantially longer than each of the subsequent control rod cycles.
US07970088B2

Systems and methods are provided for converting input data streams having variable input sample rates to an output sample rate, which systems and methods are used in processing the data streams. In one embodiment, a system includes a clock source, a counter configured to count cycles for a corresponding data stream, and a data processor. The data processor is configured to read the number of cycles counted by the counter between received frame sync signals and to convert the first data stream to the predetermined output sample rate based on the corresponding number of cycles counted.
US07970085B2

Methods and apparatuses for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication of non-OFDM radio signals are disclosed. The non-OFDM radio signals are force-modulated into OFDM signals. In one example, a non-OFDM signal is received and is processed into an OFDM signal to produce a created OFDM signal. An actual OFDM signal is also received and is processed together with the created OFDM signal.
US07970084B2

An adaptive scaling processor operates in combination with a conventional automatic gain control controller providing an amplification gain A to m-ary symbol-modulated communication signals, the scaling processor scaling by a scaling factor Z the m-ary communication signal for providing an over all gain of an (A)(Z) product minimizing the BER that is optimum for the communications channel for improved BER performance in communication systems.
US07970082B2

Embodiments include frequency offset correction when decoding a packet encoded in a frequency modulated signal. Different symbols encoded in the packet may be corrected by different frequency offsets. In an embodiment, the frequency modulated signal is received on one of the signals of a multi-carrier signal (e.g., based on Orthogonal Frequency Domain Multiplexing, OFDM) and each packet is encoded according to 802.11(a) having the same long sequence repeating multiple times in a header portion. The repetitive sequence is used to compute the different offsets for different symbols.
US07970079B1

A network device includes a first demodulation path to recover a header portion of a data packet. A second demodulation path recovers a payload portion of the data packet. The second demodulation path includes a down sampler to down sample a payload portion of the data packet. An equalizer equalizes an output of the down sampler. A correlator receives an output of the equalizer. A demodulation controller selects the output of the equalizer or an output of the correlator based on the header portion.
US07970077B2

A method of estimating a symbol that has been transmitted into a channel connecting a modulator for producing modulation symbols and an equaliser, wherein a channel estimate describes said channel and the method comprises: calculating a metric for each of a number of hypotheses of a sequence commencing with the symbol under estimation followed by a number of subsequently transmitted symbols, each symbol in the sequence occupying a respective node of the sequence; and deeming the symbol at the beginning of the hypothesis that has the best metric to be the symbol under estimation; wherein calculating a metric for a given hypothesis comprises: calculating a discrepancy metric at each node of the given hypothesis; and combining the discrepancy metrics of nodes in the given hypothesis to produce the metric; and wherein a discrepancy metric for a given node of a given hypothesis is an assessment of the difference between: a sample received from said channel at a time point corresponding to said given node; and a sample that would be received at that time point if said channel estimate were acting on a model signal comprising the symbols of the given hypothesis up to the given node preceded by any estimates of symbols transmitted into the channel immediately prior to said time point as may be required to fill the estimated channel. The invention also relates to corresponding apparatus.
US07970072B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing a signal. An object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies on a method and apparatus for processing a signal, which allows a signal having optimized signal transmission efficiency to be transmitted/received. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of processing a signal including receiving a broadcasting signal including audio data coded using a pilot reference value and a pilot difference value, demodulating the broadcasting signal in consideration of a scattered pilot which varies over time and a continual pilot which is fixed over time in a frame of the received broadcasting signal and decoding the demodulated signal to obtain a broadcasting transmission stream, demultiplexing the broadcasting transmission stream to obtain coded audio data in an Internet protocol (IP) packet and an identifier for identifying a method of decoding the audio data, obtaining the pilot reference value corresponding to a plurality of data and the pilot difference value corresponding to the pilot reference value from the coded audio data and obtaining the audio data using the pilot reference value and the pilot difference value.
US07970071B2

A method and a device for synchronizing the carrier frequency of a carrier signal comprising a frequency offset and/or a phase offset. According to the invention, the method estimates the frequency offset and/or phase offset of the carrier signal by means of a maximum likelihood estimation from a received signal, which comprises temporally discrete, complex rotary indices, for which only the temporally discrete phases are dependent on the frequency offset and/or phase offset. An offset quadrature-modulated received signal is thus converted into a modified received signal comprising temporally discrete, complex rotary indices, for which only the temporally discrete phases are dependent on the frequency offset and/or the phase offset.
US07970069B2

A wireless communication apparatus and a wireless communication method wherein even when the permissible delay amount of data is small, the permissible delay thereof can be satisfied. A data type determining part (101) determines whether the delay of transport data or control information should be allowed or not. A pilot signal insertion control part (102) decides, based on pilot insertion interval information and allowable delay information, that a pilot signal is placed adjacently to data that is not allowed to delay. A multiplexing part (106) multiplexes encoded and modulated transport data with the pilot signal generated by a pilot signal generating part (105) in such a manner that realizes the placement decided by the pilot signal insertion control part (102).
US07970058B2

Conventionally, there has been a case that the direct mode cannot be applied effectively depending on the block. With such being the case, information indicating whether a backward reference frame set by default can be utilized in the direct mode is provided to a decoder. A switching procedure to switch to a compensation method applicable when a collocated block has no forward motion vector for effective use, and the compensation method are also provided to the decoder. Thus, it is possible to clearly determine whether the reference frame can be used in the direct mode. Further, when the frame number has no time information, it is possible to effectively send information indicating the relationship between the reference frame and the current frame. Furthermore, the alternative mode and its switching procedure of the present invention make it possible to improve the prediction performance when the direct mode cannot be applied.
US07970051B2

A method of encoding moving pictures using a plurality of quantization matrices. The method involves selecting one of the plurality of quantization matrices in consideration of an at least one characteristics of an input image; transforming the input image; and quantizing the transformed input image using the selected quantization matrix.
US07970047B2

The present invention presents a simple and novel channel estimation scheme for UWB communication systems. As disclosed herein, the present invention maximizes the extraction of information by incorporating a new generation of transmitted-reference (Tr) transceivers that utilize a single reference pulse(s) or a preamble of reference pulses to provide improved channel estimation while offering higher Bit Error Rate (BER) performance and data rates without diluting the transmitter power.
US07970045B2

A method and device for adapting a signal is provided. The signal includes a number of recurring samples of data. In one example embodiment, the method receives recurring samples of data. Each of the samples of data includes a first number of elements. A second number of elements are selected from at least one of the recurring samples. The second number of elements is approximately less than the first number of elements. The selected second number of elements are substituted with respective phase altered elements. The subject matter also provides a method and device for identifying a signal property(ies) and a computer system for implementing these methods.
US07970041B2

A wavelength variable laser smaller in size than the conventional one can be achieved by arranging a gain chip, an etalon filter and a fifth reflective mirror on an AlN submount and longitudinally integrating the gain chip in which a 45° mirror and a lens are integrated and the etalon filter. A laser cavity has a structure in which light passes through an active layer from a first reflective mirror realized by an end surface of the gain chip, is reflected by the 45° mirror at an angle of 90° and then passes through the lens. The light having passed through the lens is converted into parallel light, passes through the etalon filter and reaches the fifth reflective mirror and is then reflected. The reflected light returns through the same optical path and reaches the first reflective mirror realized by the end surface of the gain chip.
US07970039B2

In a first embodiment, the invention makes use of a Neodymium doped YAG (Nd:YAG) gain medium placed in an optical resonant cavity formed by two mirrors. Power extraction is maximized for a specific laser cavity. In particular the concave curvature on the rod ends contributes a negative lensing component to modify the strength of the thermal lens. In a second embodiment the present invention uses an amplifier rod medium with curved ends to act as lensing elements to collect emission from the laser gain medium and/or oscillator described in the first embodiment of the invention. The combination of thermal lens and curved rod ends produces a lensing effect which allows light to be directly coupled from a laser. In addition, variation of the input pump power allows for control of the thermal lens formed within the amplifier rod.
US07970031B2

Embodiments of the invention concern a passive discharge assembly comprising one or more substantially sharp electrode pins that are positioned proximate to a charged, insulating surface, such as the optical entrance and exit surface of a Q-switch crystal, e.g., lithium niobate (LiNbO3). The electrode pins are connected either to the ground or, alternatively, to a static source of neutralizing charge. The purpose of the electrodes is to ionize the air near the tips due to the high electric field generated by the surface charge. The air ions, in turn, neutralize the surface charge as they are attracted to the surface due to the electrical attraction. In the absence of a surface charge, no air ionization occurs. In one embodiment, the electrode pins are located near the Q-switch crystal surface, but outside the path of the laser beam propagating into and out of the Q-switch crystal.
US07970022B2

In one aspect, the disclosure features an article, including a fiber waveguide extending along a waveguide axis, the fiber waveguide including a core extending along the waveguide axis and a confinement region surrounding the core. The confinement region is configured to guide radiation at a first wavelength, λ1, along the waveguide axis and is configured to transmit at least some of the radiation at a second wavelength, λ2, incident on the confinement region along a path, where λ1 and λ2 are different. The core includes a core material selected to interact with radiation at λ1 to produce radiation at λ2.
US07970018B2

Program clock references in first and second MPEG data streams are re-stamped in accordance with delays introduced into the first and second MPEG data streams. Accordingly, the program clock references in the first MPEG data stream are re-stamped according to a variable delay in the first MPEG data stream, and the program clock references in the second MPEG data stream are re-stamped according to a variable delay in the second MPEG data stream. The re-stamped program clock references in the second MPEG data stream are corrected according to a fixed delay in the second MPEG data stream. The first and second MPEG data streams are multiplexed, and the multiplexed first and second MPEG data streams are transmitted and received.
US07970010B2

A method for increasing upstream bandwidth per cable modem user in a cable communications system that includes a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a plurality of cable modems is provided. The method permits a cable modem to transmit data to the CMTS on multiple upstream channels simultaneously using a technique called “channel bonding.” Channel bonding allows smaller bandwidth upstream channels to be bonded together to create a larger bandwidth pipe.
US07969994B2

One embodiment relates to a method of a single network device outside of a group of switches connecting via multiple connections to the group of switches. Multiple ports of the single network device are connected with ports of at least one switch within the group, and the connected ports on the at least one switch are mapped to different virtual local area networks configured in the group of switches. A path from each of the connected ports on the at least one switch are replicated through the group of switches. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US07969993B2

Synchronization of presence information is established between different presence services. Presence information of each user is stored on the presence server 27 of the presence display system comprising mobile phones. Presence information of the SIP phone system comprising the SIP phone 29 and the SIPG/W (enterprise side) 30 is stored in the SIPG/W (enterprise side) 30. When presence information of the presence server 27 has changed, the presence server 27 notifies the SIPG/W (enterprise side) 30 of the change in presence information via the SIPG/W (mobile communication network side) 31. Conversely, when presence information of the SIP phone system has changed, the SIPG/W (enterprise side) 30 notifies the presence server 27 of the change in presence via the SIPG/W (mobile communication network side) 31.
US07969985B1

An improved system, method, and computer-readable instructions for scheduling, transporting, and receiving inbound packets efficiently in networks with cyclic packet scheduling is provided. The method provides for scheduling upstream packet transmission slots for each node in the network so that the spacing between the packet transmission slots is reduced; for each node in the network, if there is a locally originated packet of the node to be transmitted upstream, selectively activating a forwarding buffer to receive and temporarily store a packet received from a neighboring downstream node during upstream transmission of a locally originated packet of the node; and upon completion of the upstream transmission of the locally originated packet, transmitting upstream the packet stored in the forwarding buffer.
US07969984B2

The invention relates to a method and a system for the network-initiated IMS registration of a telecommunication terminal. According to said method, the network transmits a message having specific characteristics to the terminal via an existing communication link, and the terminal recognizes said message as an IMS registration request based on the characteristics of the message end subsequently sends a registration message to the network to register with the IMS.
US07969981B2

A method is provided in one example implementation and includes sending a PIM join message to the second spoke router by the hub router. The second spoke router dynamically determines each interested remote spoke router by parsing a hub-sent PIM message and accordingly constructs the multicast routing entry such that the first and second spoke routers establish multicast communication independent of a hub router. In more specific embodiments, the PIM join/prune messaging includes a list of each downstream spoke router that sent a PIM join/prune, in a new attribute. The PIM join/prune message is sent by the hub router towards a multicast source. A new receiver-list attribute is created that the hub router populates with a non-broadcast multi-access (NBMA) address for each interested spoke router.
US07969980B1

Methods and systems for distributing multicast messages in a network are disclosed. The use of such a method or system in an Ethernet network can result in a reduction in the number of flooded multicast messages. One method can involve receiving a companion message, which includes a multicast address, at a network device and extracting the multicast address from the companion message. The multicast address can then be associated with a VLAN and an interface of the network device. Another method involves receiving a join message, which identifies a multicast group being joined, and generating a companion message corresponding to the join message. The companion message includes an address of the multicast group.
US07969969B2

A signalling gateway for transmitting messages between a first network and a second network, where the first network comprises an SS7 network and the second network comprises an IP network, the second network comprising a plurality of application servers, the signalling gateway being operable to store SS7 characteristic information corresponding to the application servers, the signalling gateway being operable to receive a message via the first network, the message comprising destination information and origin information identifying a calling entity, read the destination information and identify an application server in accordance with the destination information, transmit the message to the application server, the message comprising the destination information and origin information, receive a response from the application server, the response comprising a destination identifier corresponding to the origin information and an origin identifier corresponding to the destination information, substitute the SS7 characteristic information in the response for the origin identifier, and forward the response via the first network to the calling entity.
US07969963B2

A method and system improves two-way radio ranging accuracy by estimating a relative clock frequency offset between a first clock X of a first transceiver and a second clock Y a second transceiver. The first transceiver transmits a first packet at time t0 received by the second transceiver at a time t1. The second transceiver transmits a second packet at a time t2 received by first transceiver at a time t3. The second transceiver transmits a third packet at a time t4 received at a time t5. The relative clock frequency offset is then Δ ⁢ ⁢ f XY ′ ≅ 2 ⁢ ⁢ f ⁡ ( N 24 Y - N 35 X ) N 24 Y + N 35 X , where f is a nominal clock frequency of the first and second clocks, NY24 is a measured first delay between times t2 and t4 of the second clock, NX35 is a measured second delay between times t3 and t5 of the first clock X.
US07969959B2

A system and method are provided for reliable, wireless group alerting in a system having a database, switch, wireless network, and a plurality of intelligent mobile receivers, and preferably employing a modified two-way paging based on ReFLEX™ protocol information service (IS) messages and a novel ALOHA command for multicast acknowledgement from mobile receivers. An encrypted message is broadcast to a group address and received by a selected number of the mobile receivers. The network replies to the sender with detailed information about the individual members in the alert group. Each of the mobile receivers in the group then acknowledges the common message back to the system, decrypts the message, displays it to the user, and allows the user to respond. The system employs centralized management to simplify the roles of the mobile users and administrators, minimizing configuration and operational human errors that would otherwise result in confusion or lost messages.
US07969954B2

A wireless station is connected to a wireless network through an access point and can establish a direct client-to-client connection to a second wireless station. The wireless station can communicate directly with the second wireless station without involving the access point. The wireless station communicates with the wired network and with other wireless stations through the access point. The second wireless station may have an infrastructure connection to the access point or may be independent.
US07969949B2

The present invention discloses a method and a base station for allocating bandwidth for subscriber stations and a backhaul station through taking into joint consideration uplink and down bandwidth requests from respective subscriber stations in a wireless single-hop self-backhaul network. Upon receipt of information on bandwidth requests from the subscriber stations, the base station takes uplink and downlink bandwidth requests into joint consideration, allocates bandwidth for the subscriber stations and the backhaul station, and then notifies the subscriber stations and the backhaul station. Since bandwidth allocation is no longer based on uplink and downlink resources separately, a relatively high system bandwidth utilization ratio can be achieved and uplink and downlink bandwidth fairness for asymmetric traffic be ensured even if the network is overloaded.
US07969948B2

The present invention discloses a method for implementing multi-carrier HSDPA for TD-SCDMA system, comprises: establishing a multi-carrier cell at the network side, wherein multiple carrier resources in the multi-carrier cell being managed and allocated as a whole at the network side; configuring HS-PDSCH resources on at least one of the carriers of the multi-carrier cell, and at least one pair of HS-SCCH and HS-SICH physical channel resources on at least one of the carriers, at the same time, creating a MAC-hs to manage the channel resources on the carriers and the configuration of the MAC-hs entity itself; the network side allocating HSDPA resources to a user terminal, and sending the HSDPA resources to the user terminal; and the network side dynamically allocating the HSDPA resources on at least one carrier for the user terminal to transmit service data.
US07969945B2

Systems and methods to manage network access (e.g., IPv4 and IPv6) and layer 3 mobility are provided. This can allow mobility management to be moved from a mobile node's stack to the access gateway, simplifying the stack and providing fast handoffs. The mobility management at an access gateway further allows a mobile node to keep its dynamically assigned IP address for the duration of a call session and through handoffs. The placement of access gateways in a domain of trust allows security information to be passed between access gateways in a handoff so that the security associations do not need to be re-authenticated with the mobile node. One or more of the above mobility management features can be used to provide a fast and seamless handoff for a mobile node.
US07969941B2

In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for configuring signaling radio bearer information in a user equipment protocol stack. A wireless network may be used that includes a radio access network for transmitting information between a user equipment device and a core network. An instruction may be received to generate a signaling radio bearer configuration information element (IE) that includes configuration information for a pre-selected number of signaling radio bearers. The signaling radio bearer configuration IE may then be generated, while ensuring that the signaling radio bearer configuration IE includes configuration information for a required minimum number of signaling radio bearers. The signaling radio bearer configuration information element may be transmitted from the radio access network to the user equipment device for use in configuring the signaling radio bearers in the user equipment device.
US07969929B2

A system for transferring data includes an interface configured to receive data that is sent via a first link, and a processor coupled to the interface. The processor is configured to: receive data that is sent via a first link; determine whether there is discontinuity in the received data, the determination being based at least in part on information included in the received data; in the event that the received data includes a discontinuity, generate replacement data that repairs the discontinuity; and transmit at least a portion of replacement data to a second link such that a synchronization requirement associated with the second link is fulfilled.
US07969919B1

A method for sharing thermal load between nodes in a communication network includes monitoring the thermal load of a first node in the communication network. The first node is an advantaged node. When the thermal load of the first node is a predetermined value, a second node is selected as an advantaged node. A notification message is transmitted to the plurality of nodes in the communication network identifying the second node as an advantaged node for at least a subset of message traffic of the first node.
US07969914B1

A method for creating an ad-hoc network that assembles a MANET inductively with no need for any node to request any information, needing only to hear information from an ad-hoc group of at least one node, to select its uplink relay node from the group. The resulting tree-structure network efficiently communicates information upstream to a root node and to all intermediate relay nodes. Downstream communication is enabled by having nodes remember node addresses of information packets arriving from respective downstream nodes.
US07969912B2

A method is provided for checking whether information on a request for a mode change is received for a prescribed channel time such that a device configuring a network enters a power save mode when not performing data transmission/reception and a modem enters an awake state from a sleep state for the prescribed channel time. The prescribed channel time is determined to correspond to a time for transmitting a beacon. The modem of a device in a power save mode enters an awake state for a channel time period for broadcasting a beacon and then checks whether information on a power management mode change is received. If the information is not received, a sleep state is reentered. If the power management mode change information is received, power is managed by performing data transmission/reception by switching to a normal mode.
US07969911B2

A hierarchical communication system, arranged in a spanning tree configuration, is described in which wired and wireless communication networks exhibiting substantially different characteristics are employed in an overall scheme to link portable or mobile computing devices. Copies of data, program code and processing resources are migrated from their source toward requesting destinations based on request frequency, communication link costs and available local storage and/or processing resources. Each appropriately configured network device acts as an active participant in network migration. In addition, portable two-dimensional (2-D) code reading terminals are configured to wirelessly communicate compressed 2-D images toward stationary access servers that identify the code image through decoding and through comparison with a database of images that have previously been decoded and stored.
US07969905B1

This is a method for use in detecting and measuring microcongestion on links where QoS is utilized to provide a prioritized packet delivery service. Microcongestion is a transient condition that occurs over extremely short periods of time and is generally invisible to the end user. However, the ability to monitor the frequency and severity of microcongestion can help identify link capacity issues with far greater accuracy than standard passive measurements and at a much earlier stage than traditional active measurements. This capability can be particularly valuable on very-high-speed links where even small periods of perceptible congestion can represent a significant number of queued packets.
US07969901B2

In a buffer (10) to compensate for runtime fluctuations of data packets (1) transmitted over a transmission line (40), in order to be able to set optimally an additional retransmission delay by the buffer (10) it is proposed to calculate the probable hold time of a data packet (1) immediately after arrival of a data packet (1) in the buffer (10). The additional retransmission delay by the buffer (10) is set based on the probable hold time of the data packets (1) in the buffer (10). To guarantee optimum setting of the retransmission delay, both the maximum detected probable hold time and the minimum detected probable hold time of the data packets (1) are used. This is achieved preferably by means of a minimum value detector and a maximum value detector which detect extreme values of the probable hold time occurring at specific time intervals.
US07969899B2

Therefore, an electronic device is provided which comprises a plurality of processing units (IP1-IP6), and a network-based interconnect (N) coupling the processing units (IP1-IP6) for enabling at least one first communication path (C) between the processing units (IP1-IP6). The electronic device furthermore comprises at least one first monitoring unit (P1) for monitoring a data traffic of the at least one first communication path and for outputting monitoring results via at least one second communication path (MC1), and at least one second monitoring unit (P2) for monitoring a data traffic of the at least one second communication path (C) and for outputting monitoring results via at least one third communication path (MC2).
US07969897B2

A relay device for relaying transfer data to be transmitted between the devices has a plurality of testers. Each of the testers determines whether received transfer data is normal or not, and discards the transfer data that is determined abnormal. The relay device also has a counter that counts a number of transfer data discarded by each of the testers respectively, and a determiner that determines whether an operation of each tester is normal or not based on the number of discarded transfer data counted by the counter.
US07969895B2

A switch apparatus providing with a loop detection function sets a port identification to a port which activates the loop detection function, only receives the loop detection frame by a high-order port in the switch apparatus connected with a backbone network or a high-order switch apparatus on the basis of the port identification set previously, and controls an inactivation of a sending source low-order port that sent the loop detection frame, when the loop detection frame is received by the high-order port.
US07969886B1

A method and system for bandwidth allocation over a hierarchical telecommunications network having a first hierarchical level of at least two trunks and a second hierarchical level of at least two flows in each trunk, the method including allocating bandwidth to each of the trunks; and separately allocating the bandwidth allocated to each trunk to the flows in that trunk.
US07969879B2

A method of managing a network includes configuring nodes and applications of the network to refer to the same framework of predefined network capabilities. Each of the applications is configured to implement one or more of the capabilities. Each of the applications also is configured to negotiate, as to each of the capabilities, with the nodes to obtain a network resource to support the capabilities. Each node is configured to negotiate, after an application obtains a network resource, with other nodes to optimize network resource allocation. This method provides a framework for application self-healing and network optimization that can improve network performance.
US07969875B2

A media gateway (MG) and a packet filtering method thereof are provided to enhance the adaptability of the packet filtering mechanism on the MG. The packet filtering rule for a service instance may be changed dynamically, namely, the MG analyzes the currently transmitted packets of a service instance, obtains the state change of the instance, and then dynamically changes the packet filtering rule of the instance according to the state change of the instance. The present invention extends the property parameters of the H.248 protocol or MGCP protocol and adds a property parameter that indicates the dynamic packet filtering function is enabled or disabled and a property parameter that indicates the service type so that the MGC can enable or disable the packet filtering function for the instance of the specified service type flexibly according to the values of such parameters.
US07969874B2

A method and system for Multiple Packet Routing is disclosed. A characteristic of a network may be monitored. Based on the characteristic, a network path of two or more redundant call streams sent from a first endpoint to a second endpoint may be controlled.
US07969870B2

A line accommodating device for accommodating lines of a first communication network and a second communication network, the line accommodating device includes an interface connecting to the first communication network; a connecting block for connecting to the interface; and a plurality of relay modules connecting to the connecting block and the second communication network, respectively, each of the relay module including a reporting unit for notifying the connected relay modules via the connecting block of identification information of the relay module's own, an obtaining unit for obtaining identification information of the connected relay modules via the connecting block, and a controller including processes of determining at least one connection target of the relay module in the properly obtained identification information of the relay module by the obtaining unit, and controlling for switching the connection target of the relay module in accordance with a determined result of the determining.
US07969868B2

A node, of a group of nodes, may detect a failure on a first path; establish a connection associated with a second path when the failure on the first path is detected; store an identifier in a field in an overhead portion of a data frame when the failure on the first path is detected, the data frame including a payload portion that contains a client signal, the identifier instructing another one of the nodes to establish a connection associated with the second path; and transmit the data frame to the other one of the nodes via the second path.
US07969865B2

When protection processing is applied after a fault in the optical switching unit while the path control unit is restarting. In network systems comprising a path control unit for setting the paths, and a data transmission unit coupled to the path control unit; the data transmission unit changes the path information, stores path information before and after the fault was detected, and transmits the path information from before or after fault detection to the path control unit, and decides either of the transmitted path information based on an internal status; and the path control unit stores the path information sent from the data transmission unit, and after restarting, receives path information from the data transmission unit and, acquires path information stored in the path control units controlled by the adjacently connected data transmission units and is restored to operation with path information from before restarting.
US07969864B2

An Unlicensed Mobile Access Network Controller (UNC) and method for providing an early indication of service failure to a mobile station registered with the UNC. When the UNC detects a network failure that prevents service to the mobile station, the UNC prohibits new registrations by other mobile stations, starts a timer, and monitors the network failure to determine if the failure clears. If the failure clears before the timer expires, new registrations are accepted from other mobile stations. However, if the timer expires before the failure clears, the UNC continues to prohibit new registrations from other mobile stations, and deregisters the mobile station when a network Keep Alive timer expires for the mobile station. When a plurality of mobile stations are registered with the UNC, the UNC deregisters the plurality of mobile stations one at a time as the network Keep Alive timer expires for each mobile station.
US07969844B2

An optical disc apparatus includes: a defect detecting section 124 for detecting, based on a light detection signal and with respect to a preset detection reference level, a fingerprint or a bubble on the disc 102 as a defect to output a defect detection signal; and a waveform shaping section 126 to output a hold signal that holds, in response to the defect detection signal, a signal from a tracking control section 109 at a level just before the defect has occurred. The apparatus is initially operated not to hold the signal from the tracking control section 109 even if there is a defect. But once a tracking failure has occurred during a read operation, settings are changed to hold the signal from the tracking control section 109 against the defect while the read operation is retried.
US07969838B2

An optical disk apparatus is provided which can: prevent an SNR deterioration attributable to an increase in read speed; overcome difficulty in separating a read signal and HF signal components; reduce laser noise; and maintain high reliability even during a high-speed read operation. An optical disk is irradiated with laser light pulsed by a high-frequency signal generated by a HF oscillator. The output of an optical detector which receives laser light reflected from the optical disk is converted into an electric pulse read signal using a current amplifier. The pulse read signal is converted into a temporally continuous read signal using a combination of an AD converter and a DA converter.
US07969831B2

A method of controlling a servo in an optical disc device and a servo control device using the method, in which the servo control device controls a servo for printing on a label surface of an optical disc and includes an optical pickup unit, an error signal generation unit, and a control unit. The optical pickup unit outputs a plurality of signals corresponding to a position of an object lens in response to light reflected from the label surface. The error signal generation unit outputs an error signal by selecting or combining one or more of the plurality of signals. The control unit adjusts the position of the object lens in response to the error signal. Therefore, because the position of the object lens can be adjusted with an increased range, the spot size of a beam condensed by the object lens can be adjusted within an increased range, and a data recording time can be reduced. Moreover, data retention characteristics and recording quality can be improved.
US07969827B2

A method, system and apparatus for testing a removable storage media drive device are disclosed. According to teachings of the present disclosure, a simulated storage media may be disposed within a removable storage media drive device. In the event removable storage media is not present in the drive device when testing of the device is desired, the simulated storage media may be substituted for at least purposes of testing the operability of one or more device components. In one embodiment, the simulated storage media may be in the form of an annular ring of CD-ROM material. In a further embodiment, the simulated storage media may be in the form of a hologram designed to mimic one or more removable storage media characteristics.
US07969822B2

A navigation system extends satellite navigation to divers, underwater vehicles, and surface vessels. The navigation system comprises a location reference unit and a plurality of sub-surface beacon units. The location reference unit includes a receiver to receive navigation signals from earth-orbiting satellites and/or an inertial navigation system. The location reference unit further includes control circuits to communicate with to sub-surface beacon units and to transmit location information to said sub-surface beacon units, and a transceiver to transmit location information to the sub-surface beacon units. The beacon units include control circuits to determine the location of the beacon unit based on location information received from the location reference unit, and a transceiver to receive location information from the location reference unit and to transmit location information to a guided unit to provide navigation assistance to the guided unit.
US07969818B2

Seismic data from towed marine streamers are sorted into two-dimensional common midpoint gathers of traces. The gathered traces are ordered by offset. The offset distribution of the ordered traces is regularized. The source and receiver coordinates of the regularized traces are adjusted to reflect the regularizing.
US07969808B2

Example embodiments are directed to memory cell structures, memory arrays, memory devices, memory controllers, and memory systems using bipolar junction transistor (BJT) operation.
US07969806B2

An integrated circuit includes memory segments, each having at least one memory cell configurable in first and second states to store data, and a controller that controls programming and erasing of the memory segments. The controller maps external memory addresses of write data to internal memory addresses of erased memory segments with no memory cells in the first state such that erased memory segments are programmed with write data. When a write access occurs for an external memory address previously mapped to an internal memory address of a programmed memory segment with at least one memory cell in the first state, the controller remaps the external memory address to another internal memory address of an erased memory segment. The controller identifies programmed memory segments to be erased and controls selective erasure of the identified programmed memory segments, such as programmed memory segments no longer mapped to an external memory address.
US07969805B2

A structure comprising (i) a first information device, (ii) a second information device, (iii) a first coupling element and (iv) a second coupling element is provided. The first information device has at least a first lobe and a second lobe that are in electrical communication with each other. The second information device and has at least a first lobe and a second lobe that are in electrical communication with each other. The first coupling element inductively couples the first lobe of the first information device to the first lobe of the second information device. The second coupling element inductively couples the first lobe of the first information device to the second lobe of the second information device.
US07969802B2

A timing signal generator generates a timing signal when an external clock is synchronized with a predetermined internal timing. A frequency-divided clock generator divide a frequency of a DLL (Delay Locked Loop) clock so as to generate an even-numbered divided clock and an odd-numbered divided clock. An even-numbered output enable signal generator generates an even-numbered output enable signal on the basis of an external read command, the timing signal, a CL (CAS Latency), and the even-numbered divided clock. An odd-numbered output enable signal generator generates an odd-numbered output enable signal on the basis of the external read command, a timing signal in which the timing signal is inverted, the CL, and the odd-numbered divided clock. A logical unit logically operates the even-numbered output enable signal and the odd-numbered output enable signal and outputs an output enable signal.
US07969787B2

The present invention provides a semiconductor memory and a control method therefor, the semiconductor device including a first current-voltage conversion circuit (16) connected to a core cell (12) provided in a nonvolatile memory cell array (10), a second current-voltage conversion circuit (26) connected to a reference cell (22) through a reference cell data line (24), a sense amplifier (18) sensing an output from the first current-voltage conversion circuit and an output from the second current-voltage conversion circuit, a compare circuit (28) comparing a voltage level at the reference cell data line with a predefined voltage level, and a charging circuit (30) charging the reference cell data line, if the voltage level at the reference cell data line is lower than the predefined voltage level during pre-charging the reference cell data line. According to the present invention, the pre-charging period of the reference cell data line can be shortened, and the data read time can be shortened.
US07969786B2

A method of programming nonvolatile memory devices. A program operation is performed by applying a dummy program pulse having a pulse width wider than a pulse width of a program start pulse. A program operation is performed by applying the program start pulse. It is then verified whether a program has been completed as a result of the program operation. A program operation is performed by applying a step-shaped dummy program pulse, which has a second pulse width and has been increased by a second step voltage. A program operation is performed by applying a program pulse having a first step voltage and a first pulse width. It is then verified whether a program has been completed as a result of the program operation.
US07969785B1

Methods, circuits, processes, devices, and/or arrangements for a non-volatile memory (NVM) cell operable at relatively low voltages are disclosed. In one embodiment, an NVM cell can include: (i) a gate over a charge trapping layer, the charge trapping layer being insulated from the gate by a first insulating layer, the charge trapping layer being insulated from a channel by a second insulating layer; and (ii) source and drain on either side of the channel, the channel being under the second insulating layer, where the NVM cell is configured to be erased by channel-induced hot holes (CHH).
US07969776B2

Disclosed are methods and devices, among which is a device that includes a first semiconductor fin having a first gate, a second semiconductor fin adjacent the first semiconductor fin and having a second gate, and a third gate extending between the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin. In some embodiments, the third gate may not be electrically connected to the first gate or the second gate.
US07969773B2

A computer system with an addressable medium is disclosed. The computer system comprises an addressable medium subsystem, a microprocessor and at least one input/output device. The addressable medium subsystem includes: a control logic which has a control circuit with an address table for storing a plurality of addresses, and an access logic with a storage medium layer and an electromagnetic induction circuit. The electromagnetic induction circuit includes a plurality of coils and a plurality of rods. Each rod is surrounded by one of the coils and corresponds to one of a plurality of regions on the storage medium layer. The access logic controls the coils to access the data stored on the regions for the control logic. Each region corresponds to one of the addresses on the address table. The microprocessor and the input/output device electrically couple with the control logic. Both the microprocessor accesses instructions for executing and the input/output device accesses data via the control logic.
US07969770B2

Programmable via devices and methods for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a programmable via device is provided. The programmable via device comprises a first dielectric layer; at least one isolation layer over the first dielectric layer; a heater within the isolation layer; a capping layer over a side of the isolation layer opposite the first dielectric layer; at least one programmable via extending through the capping layer and at least a portion of the isolation layer and in contact with the heater, the programmable via comprising at least one phase change material; a conductive cap over the programmable via; a second dielectric layer over a side of the capping layer opposite the isolation layer; a first conductive via and a second conductive via, each extending through the second dielectric layer, the capping layer and at least a portion of the isolation layer and in contact with the heater; and a third conductive via extending through the second dielectric layer and in contact with the conductive cap.
US07969766B2

In a multiport SRAM memory cell of the present invention, an access transistor of a first port is disposed in a p-type well, and an access transistor of a second port is disposed in a p-type well. The gates of all of transistors disposed in a memory cell extend in the same direction. With the configuration, a semiconductor memory device having a low-power consumption type SRAM memory cell with an increased margin of variations in manufacturing, by which a bit line can be shortened in a multiport SRAM memory cell or an associative memory, can be obtained.
US07969765B2

A direct sense amplifier of the present invention incorporates and isolates: an MOS transistor serving as a differential pair and having a gate connected to a bit line; and an MOS transistor controlled by a column select line wired between RLIO lines in a bit-line direction, and further connects a source of the MOS transistor serving as the differential pair to a common source line wired in the word-line direction. Since the direct sense amplifier only in a select map is activated by the column select line and the common source line during an read operation, power consumption is significantly reduced during the read operation. Also, since a parasitic capacitance of the MOS transistor serving as the differential pair is separated from the local IO line, a load capacity of the local IO line is reduced and the read operation is speeded up. In addition, during the read operation, a data pattern dependency of the load capacity of the local IO line is reduced and a post-manufacture test is easily made.
US07969762B2

The general field of the invention is that of spintronics, namely the field of electronics using the magnetic spin properties of electrons. The main fields of application are the very large-scale magnetic storage of information and the measurement of local magnetic fields. The object of the invention is to considerably reduce the energy needed to reverse the magnetic domains of the ferromagnetic elements of submicron dimensions using the mechanism of the domain wall displacements that is induced either by just a current of spin-polarized carriers or by the combination of a current of spin-polarized carriers and a magnetic field, at least one of these being variable. This domain wall displacement results in a change of magnetic polarization in a specified switching zone. Several devices according to the invention are described that possess from one switching zone up to a plurality of switching zones according to the invention.
US07969756B1

A vehicle or other complex system includes at least one switching power converter which generates direct output voltage with inherent ripple. A voltage estimator or simulator estimates the instantaneous output ripple voltage(s) of the converter in the time domain. The estimator is preprogrammed with state equations of the power converter, for generating the estimates of the output ripple voltage of the converter. A comparator compares at least the ripple voltage of the simulator with the actual voltage of the converter, to generate a difference signal. The difference signal is evaluated to identify a fault condition. The fault condition is reported andor switches to a backup converter.
US07969752B2

In accordance with the present invention, the switching power supply device using a current sharing transformer includes an inverter switching unit for switching an input voltage; a set of share inductors connected to the inverter switching unit for distributing a current applied by the inverter switching unit; first and second transformers of which each primary side connected to the set of share inductors is connected in parallel to each other; and a rectifying unit connected to secondary sides of the first and second transformers.
US07969751B2

A high-speed signal transmission apparatus comprises: a housing; a plurality of daughter boards juxtaposed to one another in the housing; board-side connectors each provided on corresponding each of the juxtaposed daughter boards; and cable-side connectors fixed in the housing; wherein each of the board-side connectors is insertable/removable into/from corresponding each of the cable-side connectors, and wherein a cable group whose impedance matching can be achieved makes connection between the predetermined cable-side connectors.
US07969748B2

According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are provided of slide assemblies for slidably opening and closing portable communications terminals, which also are configured to provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for electronic components of a substrate, such as board-mounted electronic components on a printed circuit board (PCB) of a cellular phone, etc. In one exemplary embodiment, a slide assembly generally includes first and second slide members slidably coupled so as to allow the first slide member to be slidably moved relative to the second slide member. EMI shielding structure is along at least one surface of at least one of the first and second slide members. The EMI shielding structure and the at least one of the first and second slide members are operable for cooperatively providing EMI shielding for one or more board-mounted electronic components of a substrate when disposed within the interior cooperatively defined by the EMI shielding structure, the at least one of the first and second slide members, and the substrate.
US07969744B2

The invention relates to a modular rear wall for a switching system module, in particular an insertion module. Said modular rear wall comprises a measuring device which is integrated therein and which forms an integral component of the switching system module. The invention also relates to a switching circuit module which comprises said type of modular rear wall, in addition to a switching system comprising at least one switching system module having a modular rear wall.
US07969739B2

A portable electronic apparatus includes a first unit, a second unit, and a hinge unit. The first unit includes a first housing, a heat generating component inside the first housing, a first heat diffusing member disposed inside the first housing and diffusing heat from the heat generating component, and a heat dissipating part dissipating heat diffused by the first heat diffusing member to the outside of the first housing. The second unit includes a second housing, a second heat diffusing member disposed inside the second housing and diffusing heat inside the second housing, and a heat receiving part conducting heat from the heat dissipating part to the second heat diffusing member upon the heat receiving part being in contact with the heat dissipating part.
US07969732B1

A support device has a base body having top and bottom surfaces. The bottom surface supports the base body upon a work-surface, and the top surface is disposed on a top surface plane that is rotated about 20 degrees from the plane of the work-surface. The top surface further includes a support slot construction that is adapted to support a tablet computer device in two work positions. The support slot construction includes a rear sidewall and a first front sidewall spaced apart from each other by a first bottom surface, which together hold the tablet computer device on a first plane that is rotated about 75 degrees from the work surface plane. A second front sidewall spaced apart from the first front sidewall by a second bottom surface together supporting the tablet computer device on a second plane that is rotated about 65 degrees from the plane of the work-surface.
US07969730B1

A portable computer having a partially sealed cooling system is disclosed. The portable computer contains heat transfer materials that function to remove heat from a sealed area of the portable computer to an unsealed area where the heat may be more effectively dissipated. A portable computer having a power source shield is also disclosed. The shield may be formed to partially surround a portion of the power source, and may be formed by partially enclosing a power source in a conductive material; forming an opening in the conductive material on one side of the power source; installing the power source near an edge of the electronic device; and orienting the power source so that the opening faces the edge of the electronic device.
US07969726B2

A fixing mechanism is used to fix a storage device to an electronic device. The electronic device includes a bracket. The fixing mechanism includes two latching members fixed to one of the bracket and the storage device, and a limiting member fixed to the other. The limiting member includes two side plates and at least one resilient hook. Each of the side plates defines a holding portion to receive the latching member. The at least one resilient hook engages with the latching members. The storage device may be secured by the fixing mechanism, or detached from the fixing mechanism depending on the resilient deformation or reformation of the resilient hooks.
US07969723B2

The invention relates to a portable communication device which comprises a first part, a second part, and one or more electroactive polymer actuators, where the electroactive polymer actuator is connected to the first part and to the second part. The invention also comprise a control unit, where the electroactive polymer actuator is adapted to move the first part in relation to the second part, and that the control unit is adapted to control the electroactive polymer actuator.
US07969722B2

The invention discloses a flip type portable electronic device which includes a main body and a cover. The main body includes a hinged end. The cover includes an assembling end that hinged with the hinged end of the main body. The assembling end of the cover defines a notch allowing for deformation of the assembling end. The flip type potable electronic device has simple structure and is easy to be assembled and detached that enhances the assembling efficiency and lowers the maintenance cost.
US07969717B1

A server includes a casing, a motherboard and a power supply module received in the casing. The casing includes a bottom plate and a first sidewall substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate. The first sidewall defines a through hole close to the bottom plate. The motherboard is substantially parallel with the bottom plate and is fixed above the through hole. The motherboard includes a first surface and a second surface. A receiving space is defined between the second surface and a bottom plate. A number of electrical elements are disposed on the first surface. The power supply module can be inserted through the through hole to be received in the receiving space.
US07969715B2

A power supply that includes a housing for retaining the electronic components needed to operate a tattoo machine. The housing includes a first region in which the tattooing controls are located and a second region that includes a display screen. The first and second regions are separated from each so that a plastic covering can be drawn over only the first region to protect the tattooing controls while leaving the display screen unobscured.
US07969708B2

A method for forming an alpha-tantalum layer comprising disposing a nitrogen containing base layer on a semiconductor substrate, bombarding the nitrogen containing base layer with a bombarding element, thereby forming an alpha-tantalum seed layer, and sputtering a layer of tantalum on the alpha-tantalum seed layer, thereby forming a surface layer of substantially alpha-tantalum.
US07969704B2

A circuit comprising a first transistor group configured to electrically isolate, at least in part, a second transistor group from an input voltage; the second transistor group configured to provide voltage protection to a third transistor group; and the third transistor group configured to switch on and off.
US07969701B1

A protection circuit includes a diode chip, and a switching device integrated with the diode chip, the switching device being isolated, optically triggered, optically powered, and the diode chip connected between a high side terminal of the switching device and an input to a first inverting amplifier, the diode chip further supplying a current when an overvoltage occurs between a drain and a source of the switching device.
US07969690B2

In a tunneling magnetoresistive element, an insulating barrier layer is made of Mg—O, and a first pinned magnetic layer has a laminated structure in which a nonmagnetic metal sublayer made of Ta is interposed between a lower ferromagnetic sublayer and an upper ferromagnetic sublayer. The nonmagnetic metal sublayer has an average thickness of about 1 Å or more and about 5 Å or less.
US07969689B2

An apparatus for attaching one or more HGAs to an actuator assembly including one or more actuator arms comprises a set of pivoting supports corresponding to the one or more HGAs and mechanisms that pivot each of the pivoting supports between open positions and closed positions. For each of the set of pivoting supports, in the open position, a gap adjacent to the pivoting support is sufficiently large to receive both a mounting platform of one of the actuator arms and a baseplate of one of the HGAs positioned in alignment with the mounting platform of the one of the actuator arms, and, for each of the set of pivoting supports, in the closed position, the gap is sufficiently small to constrain the baseplate of the one of the HGAs against the mounting platform of the one of the actuator arms.
US07969681B2

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention reduce the structural stress applied to a head, and to achieve the effective control, when the clearance between the head and a disk is adjusted by using a heater. According to one embodiment, the hard disk controller/microprocessing unit (HDC/MPU) controls a slew rate of a heater at the time of TFC (Thermal Fly height Control). In response to processing conditions, a HDC/MPU changes a slew rate of the output of electric current/voltage applied to the heater. This makes it possible to reduce the head stress, and to achieve the effective TFC. To be more specific, with reference to a temperature/slew rate table, the HDC/MPU changes a slew rate in response to the temperature in the read/write processing.
US07969670B2

Provided is a lens driving module including a housing that has a lens barrel housing portion provided therein; a lens barrel that has a bearing contact portion and a guide portion formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof and is mounted in the lens barrel housing portion of the housing; a piezoelectric motor that is mounted in one outer corner of the housing, which corresponds to the guide portion of the lens barrel, among the outer corners of the housing, and provides a driving force to the lens barrel; and a power connection member that is bent so as to cover the piezoelectric motor and the outer circumferential surface of the housing and is coupled to the housing.
US07969664B2

This invention provides an imaging lens assembly comprising: in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a second lens with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface; a third lens with positive refractive power having a convex image-side surface, at least one of both surfaces thereof being aspheric; and a fourth lens with negative refractive power having a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface on which at least one inflection point is formed; wherein there are four lenses with refractive power, an on-axis spacing between an aperture stop and an electronic sensor provided therein is SL, an on-axis spacing between the object-side surface of the first lens and the electronic sensor is TTL, they satisfy the relation: 0.75
US07969663B2

A projection objective suitable for immersion microlithography is designed as a single-waist system with five lens groups, and has a first lens group of negative refractive power, a second lens group of positive refractive power, a third lens group of negative refractive power, a fourth lens group of positive refractive power and a fifth lens group of positive refractive power. The fourth lens group has an entrance surface (E) that lies in the vicinity of a point of inflection of a marginal ray height between the third lens group (LG3) and the fourth lens group (LG4). No negative lens of substantial refractive power is arranged between the entrance surface and the system diaphragm (5). Embodiments of inventive projection objectives achieve a very high numerical aperture NA>1 in conjunction with a large image field and are distinguished by a compact design size. For working wavelengths below 200 nm, structural widths of substantially under 100 nm can be resolved when use is made of immersion fluids between the projection objective and substrate.
US07969656B2

An exemplary wafer level lens module array includes a first lens array, a second lens array above the first lens array, and a spacer array between the first and second lens arrays. The first lens array includes a number of first lenses, and two first aligning structures. The second lens array includes a number of second lenses, and two second aligning structures. The spacer array includes a number of through holes, and two third aligning structures. The first aligning structures respectively align with the third aligning structures, thereby the first lenses are coaxial with the respective the through holes. The second aligning structures respectively align with the third aligning structures, thereby the second lenses are coaxial with the respective through holes.
US07969651B2

An educational stereo microscopic image display apparatus includes a bag-shaped main box, a planar screen panel which is provided at a front portion of the main box and has a size of 20 inches to 40 inches, and a microscopic image optical system which is provided at a rear portion of the main box and has an objective lens and an image conversion device which converts an optical signal into an electric signal. An image of an object to be inspected is magnified by the microscopic image optical system, and the magnified image is displayed on the large-scale planar screen panel. Accordingly, a teacher and a large number of students (up to about one hundred) can conveniently observe the image of the object to be inspected at the same time.
US07969650B2

A near-field microscope using one or more diffractive elements placed in the near-field of an object to be imaged. A diffractive covers the entire object, thus signal may thereby be gathered from the entire object, and advantageously increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the resulting image, as well as greatly improve the acquisition speed. Near-field microscopy overcomes the limitation of conventional microscopy in that subwavelength and nanometer-scale features can be imaged and measured without contact.
US07969642B2

An electrophoresis display panel including an active device array substrate and an electrophoresis display film is provided. The active device array substrate includes a plurality of active devices and a shielding pattern. The electrophoresis display film is disposed on the active device array substrate. The electrophoresis display film includes a conductive layer, a dielectric layer and a plurality of electrophoresis display mediums. The dielectric layer is disposed on the conductive layer and has a plurality of micro-cups arranged in area array. The dielectric layer is between the conductive layer and the active device array substrate. Light passing through the dielectric layer is prevented from irradiating onto the active devices by the shielding pattern. In addition, the electrophoresis display mediums are filled within the micro-cups, respectively.
US07969639B2

A micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) electro optical modulator (2) having an electrically tuneable optical resonator comprising an asymmetric Fabry-Perot etalon incorporating a mirror (10) resiliency biased with respect to a substrate (13) and moveable in relation thereto in response to a voltage applied there-between. The optical modulator (2) is capable of modulating electromagnetic radiation having a plurality of wavelengths. The modulator is adapted to modulate the transmission of short wave infrared radiation (SWIR), medium wave infrared radiation (MWIR) and long wave infrared radiation (LWIR) and the reflection of visible radiation. A spatial optical modulator having a plurality of said MOEMS optical modulators (2). A method of addressing said spatial optical modulator.
US07969635B2

The optical scanning device includes a light source emitting multiple light beams; an optical deflecting device having a reflection surface on which the light beams are incident to be reflected while deflected; multiple scanning optics systems focusing the light beams on the surfaces of members to be scanned while scanning the surfaces with the light beams in a main scanning direction; and multiple glass plates located between the multiple scanning optical systems and the members on the light paths while slanted and having no refracting power in the main and sub-scanning scanning directions. The light beams include two or more light beams having different incidence angles in the sub-scanning direction relative to the normal line of the reflection surface of the optical deflecting device, and the slanting angles of the glass plates are determined depending on the incidence angles of the corresponding light beams passing through the glass plates.
US07969627B2

An image reading apparatus includes: three line sensors mutually spaced in a sub scanning direction; a platen arranged between the original and the three line sensors; a mover moving the platen relative to the three line sensors at a rate relative to the three line sensors, the rate being different from that of the original relative to the three line sensors; a lightness difference detector extracting a feature pixel having a predetermined feature from each of three data output from the three line sensors; and NOR and AND devices comparing a plurality of data corresponding to a single location on the original to detect the feature pixel extracted from one of the plurality of data, as a noise pixel if the feature pixel is not a feature pixel for the other data and also has at least a predetermined value in saturation.
US07969625B2

An automatic gray balance control system to produce TRCs for all primary colors in a reproduction device and for each pitch of a photoreceptor system by printing target patches for each pitch, measuring the output colors, and automatically readjusting the tone reproduction curves until a satisfactory level of accuracy is obtained as compared to the theoretical desired output. The system produces pitch-based gray balanced TRCs that are updated frequently for each pitch, with different TRCs for different pitches, to ensure consistency in output from pitch to pitch as well as from page to page on a given pitch.
US07969624B2

Disclosed herein are optimal or near optimal algorithms implemented as software tools that will allow the user/machine to identify optimal media out of the job set automatically. There are at least two main process steps to the exemplary embodiment. The first step involves the off-line characterization of the printing/image rendering system that will be used to extract the principal basis vectors from the experimental data. The second step involves the run-time mode, in which the pre-characterized basis vectors are used in conjunction with an optimal algorithm that will identify the media for re-calibration/re-characterization from the group of media set that the customer is interested to print. The optimal algorithm performs the combinatorial search every time the customer wishes to select the media. Once the optimal media is selected, the customer or the machine can print color patches (which are also optimal set) and execute the rest of the processing to reconstruct the best color management LUTs.
US07969622B2

In the so-called sky-shot in which reading is performed with a platen cover (32) open, an output signal of a read image is compared with a white reference value generated from a white reference member (40). Only if a value greater than or equal to the white reference value exists in the output signal of the read image, a reading operation to be performed with a light source unit in an image sensor unit (33) turned off during an original (34) reading operation is added to each scan line reading operation.
US07969614B2

An image forming apparatus outputting a color image and a monochrome image obtains data for output image by RIP-convert of accepted image data, and extracts feature of the data for output image. When the data for output image is determined to correspond to a color image, the image forming apparatus outputs a color image corresponding to the data for output image, on condition that the feature satisfies a determination reference.
US07969613B2

A print control system is provided. The print control system comprises an image capturing device configured to capture an image of at least a portion of a printed image on a printed product of a print device. The print control device further comprises a control system comprising an input device and a module. The input device is configured to allow a user to vary a print parameter. The module is configured to calculate a predictive image based on the print parameter variation from the input device. The predictive image is representative of a resultant image on the printed product following implementation of the print parameter variation on the print device.
US07969605B2

A recording apparatus configured to record on a recording medium by using a recording head, includes a first storage unit that stores input data including a command and a first image data, a reading unit that reads out the command and the first image data stored in the first storage unit by using a first pointer, a generating unit that converts the first image data read out from the first storage unit and generate a second image data, a second storage unit that stores the second image data generated in the generating unit, a determining unit that determines whether an amount of data stored in the first storage unit reaches a predetermined value by using a second pointer, and a recording unit that starts a scan for recording after the determining unit determines that the amount of data stored in the first storage unit reaches the predetermined value.
US07969598B2

An information processing apparatus includes a scanning unit adapted to scan an image of a document, a detection unit adapted to detect a document type by analyzing image data of the document scanned by the scanning unit, a storage unit adapted to store a storage period for each document type, a calculation unit adapted to calculate an expiration date for storage of the image data based on the storage period corresponding to the document type detected by the detection unit, and a management control unit adapted to manage the image data based on the calculated expiration date for storage.
US07969594B2

An object of this invention is to implement a user-friendly proxy process in a network system in which a plurality of devices connect to each other. According to this invention, an information processing method for an information processing apparatus which manages a license for a job process and communicably connects to a plurality of devices that are to execute a process for a job whose license is held includes a step of selecting, from the plurality of devices, a device which is to execute a proxy process of a job, a step of, when the selected device does not have a license to execute the process of the job, outputting the license as a file, and a step of monitoring whether the selected device has executed the proxy process of the job using the file, and when the proxy process is complete, requesting return of the output file.
US07969581B2

An endpoint detection method for detecting an endpoint of a process comprises reflecting polychromatic light from a substrate, the polychromatic light having a plurality of wavelengths. A plurality of light beams having different wavelengths are generated from the reflected polychromatic light. A wavelength of light is determined from the plurality of light beams, at which a local intensity of the reflected light is maximized.
US07969578B2

An apparatus and method are provided. In particular, at least one first electro-magnetic radiation may be provided to a sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation can be provided to a non-reflective reference. A frequency of the first and/or second radiations varies over time. An interference is detected between at least one third radiation associated with the first radiation and at least one fourth radiation associated with the second radiation. Alternatively, the first electro-magnetic radiation and/or second electro-magnetic radiation have a spectrum which changes over time. The spectrum may contain multiple frequencies at a particular time. In addition, it is possible to detect the interference signal between the third radiation and the fourth radiation in a first polarization state. Further, it may be preferable to detect a further interference signal between the third and fourth radiations in a second polarization state which is different from the first polarization state. The first and/or second electro-magnetic radiations may have a spectrum whose mean frequency changes substantially continuously over time at a tuning speed that is greater than 100 Tera Hertz per millisecond.
US07969572B2

A particle monitor system that can detect fine particles in a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus has a chamber in which a substrate is housed and subjected to processing, a dry pump that exhausts gas out of the chamber, and a bypass line that communicates the chamber and the dry pump together. The particle monitor system has a laser light oscillator that irradiates laser light toward a space in which the particles may be present, and a laser power measurement device that is disposed on an optical path of the laser light having passed through the space and measures the energy of the laser light.
US07969559B2

A laser distance measuring apparatus and control method thereof includes an emitter, a first and second liquid crystal display module, a receiver, a condensing lens, and a control unit. The emitter emits measuring light. The control unit sets the first liquid crystal display module to a second state and the second liquid crystal display module to a first state to receive the reflected light. When the reflected light is larger than a predetermined value, the control unit adjusts a transmittance of the first liquid crystal display module until the reflected light is lower than the predetermined value, and calculates a distance value based on phase difference between the reference light and the reflected light.
US07969558B2

A lidar-based 3-D point cloud measuring system and method. An example system includes a base, a housing, a plurality of photon transmitters and photon detectors contained within the housing, a rotary motor that rotates the housing about the base, and a communication component that allows transmission of signals generated by the photon detectors to external components. The rotary component includes a rotary power coupling configured to provide power from an external source to the rotary motor, the photon transmitters, and the photon detectors. In another embodiment, the photon transmitters and detectors of each pair are held in a fixed relationship with each other. In yet another embodiment, a single detector is “shared” among several lasers by focusing several detection regions onto a single detector, or by using a single, large detector.
US07969550B2

A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a shield device arranged between a source of air flows and/or pressure waves and an element sensitive for the air flows and/or pressure waves.
US07969545B2

A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device includes forming a black matrix layer on a first substrate, forming a groove on the first substrate, forming a color filter layer having a red resin, a green resin, and a blue resin on the first substrate, forming a common electrode on the color filter layer, and disposing spacers on the first substrate.
US07969543B2

This invention pertains to the design and construction of retardation films (or plates) with any targeted dispersive property, including those with no wavelength dependence for the entire visible range. In particular, this invention deals with specific design of films with broadband (achromatic) quarterwave and halfwave retardation.
US07969541B2

A retardation film which is manufacturable by a simple process, and being capable of preventing a decline in light use efficiency is provided. A retardation film includes: a substrate having a plurality of grooves extending in a specific direction on a surface thereof; and a retardation layer arranged in contact with the surface of the substrate, and including a liquid crystal material, the liquid crystal material being aligned along the extending direction of the plurality of grooves and being polymerized.
US07969540B2

A transflective liquid crystal display with uniform cell gap configuration throughout the transmissive and the reflective display region is invented. Mutually complementary common electrode pattern and reflector pattern or mutually complementary ITO pixel electrode pattern and reflector pattern produce an electric field in the transmissive display region that has a uniform longitudinal field and an electric field in the reflective display region that is a fringing field. An initially vertically aligned negative dielectric anisotropic nematic liquid crystal material between the electrodes forms a smaller tilt angle with respect to the substrate normal in the reflective display region while a larger tilt angle with respect to the substrate normal in the transmissive display region. Consequently, the ambient incident light experiences smaller phase retardation in the reflective display region while the light from the backlight source experiences larger phase retardation. Since the ambient light passes through the reflective display region twice while the light from the backlight source passes through the transmissive display region only once, by properly designing the electrodes and the reflector width, the light from both ambient light source and backlight source will experience almost the same phase retardation in both reflective and transmissive display regions. As a result, the electro-optical performance curves of both-transmissive display mode and reflective display mode overlap.
US07969532B2

A surface illuminator has a uniform luminance over a large area by using a laser light source, has a wide color reproduction range, and is capable of suppressing a speckle noise. A liquid crystal display uses such a surface illuminator. The surface illuminator includes the laser light source that emits a laser beam; a beam scan section that deflects and scans the laser beam; and a first plate-shaped light guide that causes the laser beam deflected and scanned by the beam scan section to be incident from an end face portion and causes the incident laser beam to emit from a first major surface. Further, the liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel and the surface illuminator, wherein the surface illuminator is used as a backlight illuminator that lights the liquid crystal display panel from the backside in this liquid crystal display.
US07969526B2

A display device is held together by an upper container section and a lower container section joined together, where the upper and lower container sections interlock with one another by virtue of, for example, each having a shape corresponding to that of a frusto rectangular pyramid shell and the upper container section wrapping over and about the lower container section such that they cannot be readily separated.
US07969525B2

There is provided a light source, which can efficiently be housed even if the area of the substrate increases while giving extra consideration to the heat radiation of the light emitting diodes in a liquid crystal display device using the light emitting diodes as a light source. A plate-like light source section is formed by arranging the light emitting diodes on a metal substrate. The plate-like light source section is formed to have a larger area than an entrance surface of a light guide plate, and is disposed so as to face the entrance surface of the light guide plate. The light guide plate and the plate-like light source section are housed in a housing case, and the housing case is formed to have a larger depth in a part for housing the plate-like light source section than in a part for housing the light guide plate. A cushion member is provided between the light guide plate and the housing case to prevent the light guide plate from being moved by vibrations.
US07969523B2

A liquid crystal display includes an insulating substrate, a plurality of parallel gate lines disposed on the insulating substrate, and a plurality of data lines disposed on the insulating substrate. The data lines insulatingly intercross the gate lines. An intersection between two of the plurality of gate lines and a corresponding two of the plurality of data lines defines a pixel region. Each pixel region includes a first thin film transistor (TFT), a first pixel electrode, and a second pixel electrode. The first TFT includes a first gate electrode connected with the gate line, a first source electrode connected with the first pixel electrode, and a first drain electrode connected with the first pixel electrode. A voltage of the first pixel electrode is different from a voltage of the second pixel electrode.
US07969518B2

An electro-optical device includes: a substrate; data lines and scanning lines extending to cross each other on the substrate; thin film transistors disposed below the data lines on the substrate; storage capacitors each of which is disposed in a region including a region facing a channel region of each of the thin film transistors in plan view above the substrate and is disposed above each of the data lines, each of the storage capacitors being formed by stacking a fixed-potential-side electrode, a dielectric film, and a pixel-potential-side electrode in this order from below; and pixel electrodes that are disposed for respective pixels defined in correspondence with the data lines and the scanning lines in plan view above the substrate and are disposed above the storage capacitors, each of the pixel electrodes being electrically connected to the pixel-potential-side electrode and each of the thin film transistors. At least one of the fixed-potential-side electrode and the pixel-potential-side electrode includes a first conductive light shielding film.
US07969517B2

An electrically-driven liquid crystal lens wherein an electrode is defined with a vertical or horizontal rubbing direction, achieving an improved lens profile effect, and a stereoscopic display device using the same are disclosed. The liquid crystal lens includes first and second substrates arranged opposite each other and each including a plurality of lens regions, a plurality of first electrodes formed on the first substrate to correspond to the respective lens regions while being spaced apart from one another, to which voltages gradually increasing from the center to the edge of each lens region are applied, a second electrode formed over the entire surface of the second substrate, a first alignment film formed over the entire surface of the first substrate including the first electrodes and having an alignment direction parallel to or perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first electrodes, a second alignment film formed on the second electrode and having an anti-parallel alignment direction relative to the first alignment film, and a liquid crystal layer filled between the first substrate and the second substrate.
US07969509B2

An adaptive compensation system for aspect ratio conversion. Video information, intended for her first aspect ratio display, e.g. the standard NTSC aspect ratio, is processed to determine additional information that can enable that video to be displayed and fill a wider aspect ratio screen. The processing can be a calculation which calculates, for example, texture, color and/or brightness of the edge portions, and automatically calculates video information to match the texture, brightness or color. The processing can be a database lookup, which automatically looks up likely portions from a database. The processing can also be an adaptive determination of what vertical portions of the image can be stretched without affecting the viewability, and then an adaptive stretching of different portions by different amounts.
US07969503B2

A portable electronic device having a main body, the device including a camera arrangement for capturing images in a plurality of directions relative to the main body of the device; a lighting element; and a reflector, at least a portion of which is movable about the lighting element to change the direction of light reflected from the lighting element.
US07969482B2

In an image pickup apparatus, image data obtained by an image pickup unit is subjected to predetermined image processing, and an image is displayed on an electronic viewfinder screen based on the image data that has undergone the image processing. A specified color is determined based on color information included in a predetermined region of an image that is currently being displayed on the electronic viewfinder screen, and image processing parameters are produced so that color conversion is carried out on the image while eliminating color components of colors other than the determined specified color.
US07969477B2

A camera sensing device includes an image sensor for capturing an image; a card reader including a linear image sensor having a series of LEDs for illuminating a card inserted therein, and a series of integrated lenses for focuses the illumination reflected from the card, whereby encoded instructions printed on a surface of the card is read; a printed circuit board (PCB) bearing a processor for manipulating the captured image in accordance with the encoded instructions; a print head unit including a second roller assembly and including an ink ejection printhead configured to print the manipulated image on print media fed by the second roller assembly; and a media and ink supply configured to supply ink and the print media to the printhead unit.
US07969472B2

An automatic camera steering control for directing video conferences including a communicator with a microphone and a voice activated LED emitter. Cameras receive an LED signal transmitted by the LED emitter and focus on the speaker associated with the activated LED emitter. A controller automatically selects and inserts into the video stream the audio and video of the speaker.
US07969470B2

A moving object detection device accurately detects moving objects. The device includes a motion vector calculation section calculating motion vectors from an input image; a motion vector removal section removing a motion vector having high randomness from the calculated motion vectors; a motion vector accumulation section temporally accumulating each motion vector not removed by the motion vector removal section, and calculating an accumulated number of occurrences and an accumulated value of each motion vector; and a moving object detection section determining, based on the calculated accumulated value and calculated accumulated number of occurrences of each motion vector, whether each motion vector corresponds to a moving object.
US07969469B2

A primary integrated image sensor is operatively connected to one or more secondary image sensors. The primary integrated image sensor includes a pixel array integrated on a semiconductor substrate along with one or more of an image signal processing circuit, readout circuitry, a digital serial interface, storage, a timing circuit, an analog-to-digital converter, and a bi-directional digital input/output circuit. Each secondary image sensor can be implemented as a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) or a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) image sensor and include a pixel array along with one or more of a readout circuitry, a digital serial interface, a timing circuit, an output circuit, and an optional analog-to-digital converter. Images captured by the primary integrated image sensor and each secondary image sensor are processed by the primary image sensor. Each secondary image sensor can also transmit physical and operational data to the primary integrated image sensor.
US07969466B2

A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus that extracts a body present in the surroundings of a vehicle as an object, based on an image captured by an infrared imaging device, including a binarized object extraction device that extracts a binarized object from image data obtained by binarizing a gray scale image of the image; a search region setting device that sets a search region at the lower part of the binarized object extracted by the binarized object extraction device; a vertical edge detection device that detects a vertical edge in the search region set by the search region setting device; and an object type determination device that determines a type of object based on a detection result of the vertical edge detection device.
US07969461B2

A videoconferencing system includes a first videoconferencing unit coupled to a network and associated with a first instant messaging identity. The first videoconferencing unit obtains a second instant messaging identity and automatically sends a request instant message requesting videoconferencing connection information to the second instant messaging identity. A second videoconferencing unit is coupled to the network and is associated with the second instant messaging identity. The second videoconferencing unit receives the request instant message and automatically returns a response instant message including videoconferencing connection information to the first instant messaging identity. The first videoconferencing unit receives the response instant message and automatically obtains the videoconferencing connection information from the response instant message. Using the videoconferencing connection information, the first videoconferencing unit initiates a videoconference call with the second videoconference unit.
US07969460B2

Disclosed is an optical scanning device including a light source including multiple light-emitting elements, the multiple light-emitting elements being arranged in a linear manner, a collimator lens to collimate a light beam from the light source, a light-deflecting device to deflect a light beam having passed through the collimator lens to a medium to be scanned and scan the medium with the light beam, and a rear optical system arranged in an optical path between the collimator lens and the medium to be scanned, wherein the collimator lens deviates an image surface in a direction opposite to an image surface deviation on the medium to be scanned by a nearly same amount as the image surface deviation, the image surface deviation being caused by a change of an image height of the light source, and the change being caused by the rear optical system.
US07969458B2

A thermal printhead (A1) includes a substrate (1) and a heating resistor (3) supported by the substrate (1). An electrode pattern (2) is formed in contact with the heating resistor (3) for applying driving voltage. The heating resistor (3) is covered with a protective film (5). The protective film (5) includes a high thermal conductivity layer (51) and a low thermal conductivity layer (52) laminated on the high thermal conductivity layer. The low thermal conductivity layer (52) is positioned farther from the heating resistor (3) than the high thermal conductivity layer (51) is.
US07969456B2

Processing data for a display including pixels, each pixel having color sub-pixels, comprises receiving pixel data, and converting the pixel data to sub-pixel rendered data. In one embodiment, the conversion generates the sub-pixel rendered data for a sub-pixel arrangement including alternating red and green sub-pixels on at least one of a horizontal and vertical axis. Processing the pixel data for the display also includes correcting the sub-pixel rendered data if a condition exists and outputting the sub-pixel rendered data.
US07969455B2

An image display device for displaying an image on the basis of an image signal supplied from an image supply device includes a brightness detecting section that detects a gray level which characterizes brightness of a predetermined pattern image from a pattern image signal when the predetermined pattern image is supplied from the image supply device; a storing section that stores a reference gray level predetermined in the pattern image; a correction parameter setting section that sets a correction parameter for compensating by a difference between the gray level detected by the brightness detecting section and the reference gray level stored in the storing section; and a correcting section that corrects the brightness of the image signal supplied from the image supply device on the basis of the correction parameter.
US07969454B2

A composite photograph creation system creates a composite photograph by pasting a user image at a previously determined user image combination position on a template image. The system comprises: a user terminal which sends the user image to one of transmission destinations independently assigned to a plurality of template images; a reception device which receives the user image sent to the one of transmission destinations; and a composite photograph creation device which creates the composite photograph by pasting the user image received by the reception device, at the user image combination position on one of the template images, in accordance with the transmission destination of the user image.
US07969452B2

A graphical modeling environment is provided for a user to build a model in which signals and/or block parameters can be represented using a fixed-point data type. When the graphical model is executed, the graphical model may generate fixed-point data type signals. An exemplary embodiment may information about fixed-point data type signals on the graphical model. Based on the information provided on the graphical model, the user may be able to determine whether an appropriate number of bits are allocated to the integer part of the fixed-point data type signals and/or whether the total number of bits, i.e., the word length is adequate or over-engineered.
US07969445B2

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for broadcasting write operations in a multiple-target system. In use, a write operation is received at one of a plurality of apertures of an address space. Such write operation is then replicated to produce a plurality of write operations. To this end, the write operations may be broadcasted to a plurality of targets. At least one of the targets includes another one of the apertures that produces at least one additional write operation.
US07969444B1

A method and apparatus for distributing the workload of rendering an image where texture mapping is involved among multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) are provided. The method generally entails dividing a texture map among multiple GPUs, performing texture mapping in each GPU to render image data in each GPU's frame buffer, combining the image data from each frame buffer, and scanning out the combined image to a display.
US07969423B2

A system includes a display, a touch panel, a controlling unit, and an LCD driver. The display can display, on a screen, different images when viewed from different sides. The touch panel is disposed on the screen. The controlling unit and the LCD driver cooperate to control the display. In one embodiment, identification signals for uniquely identifying the different sides are generated and are electrically applied to respective operators. A component of the identification signal transmitted through the body of the operator is detected to thereby identify from which side operation input was performed on the touch panel.
US07969408B2

An image display control device is capable of performing video image correction in real time. An effective pixel evaluation area Z1 corresponding to one frame is set in a statistical information acquisition section. The statistical information acquisition section finishes a statistical value acquisition process after acquiring a statistical value of the effective pixel evaluation area Z1, and calculation of a correction coefficient and the like using the statistical value is completed within the remaining time of the one frame period. When input of an image signal of the next frame is started, the image display control device performs image correction using the calculated correction coefficient. The image display control device can calculate a backlight luminance after reduction in luminance at the same time as the correction coefficient.
US07969407B2

An exemplary backlight driving circuit (20) a first power supply (260); a second power supply (270); a signal output terminal (280); an AND gate (210); a follower (220); a capacitor (290); a reverser (230); a first transistor (240), which is a N-Channel mode metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (N-MOSFET), having a gate electrode connected to an output end of the AND gate through the follower, a source electrode connected to the signal output terminal, a drain electrode connected to the first power supply; and a second transistor (250), which is a N-Channel mode metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (N-MOSFET), having a gate electrode connected to the output end of the AND gate through the reverser, a source electrode connected to the ground, a drain electrode connected to the signal output terminal.
US07969402B2

A gate driving circuit and a display device having the same, in which the gate lines can be divided into p groups using p shift registers and p-time gate lines can be driven using a signal shifted by 1/p, wherein p is an arbitrary natural number of three or more. Accordingly, since a number of gate lines can be driven using the plurality of shift registers, high-resolution display devices can be manufactured at a low cost.
US07969400B2

A display device includes a drive circuit to which video data is supplied from the outside; video lines to which video signals outputted from the drive circuit are supplied; and pixels to which the video signals are supplied through the video lines. The drive circuit includes a static random access memory which stores the video data in memory cells. The drive circuit is configured to perform writing only on selected memory cells that are connected to shared writing and reading word lines, to drive other memory cells connected to the shared writing and reading word lines and not selected to perform writing to output video data respectively stored therein to a reading data line, and then to rewrite the video data back to the non-selected memory cells, without precharging the memory cells that are connected to shared writing and reading word lines.
US07969398B2

A display pixel including a light-emitting element and a drive element for supplying current flowing in a current path to the light-emitting element is applied with a detection voltage based on a predetermined unit voltage. Based on a value of current flowing in the current path of the drive element, a specific value corresponding to an element characteristic of the drive element is detected. A gradation voltage corresponding to a luminance gradation of display data is generated. Based on the specific value and the unit voltage, a compensated voltage is generated. By compensating the gradation voltage based on the compensated voltage, a compensated gradation voltage is generated. And the compensated gradation voltage is supplied to the display pixel.
US07969397B2

A liquid crystal display device is disclosed which includes first, second and third data lines arranged in one direction, a data driver for alternately supplying a data signal of a first polarity and a data signal of a second polarity to each of the first, second and third data lines during an interval of two horizontal periods, first and second gate lines arranged to cross the first to third data lines, a gate driver for sequentially driving the first and second gate lines, and first red, first green, first blue, second red, second green and second blue pixels located between the first gate line and the second gate line and arranged in order along the first and second gate lines. The first red pixel cell is connected to one side of the first data line and the second gate line. The first green pixel cell is connected to the other side of the first data line and the first gate line. The first blue pixel cell is connected to one side of the second data line and the first gate line. The second red pixel cell is connected to the other side of the second data line and the second gate line. The second green pixel cell is connected to one side of the third data line and the first gate line. The second blue pixel cell is connected to the other side of the third data line and the second gate line.
US07969394B2

A transistor connected to a power source for driving a light-emitting element driving transistor and a transistor setting to a predetermined voltage a source voltage of the light-emitting element driving transistor are commonly controlled by a control signal that takes one of three levels.
US07969389B2

Pixel circuit 210 includes a current programming circuit 240 and voltage programming transistors 251 and 252. In order to set the tone of the light emission from the organic EL element 220, the first and second voltage programming transistors 251 and 252 are set to the OFF and ON state, respectively, and voltage programming is carried out using a voltage signal Vout. Next, the states of the first and second voltage programming transistors 251 and 252 are switched, and current programming is carried out using a current signal Iout.
US07969388B2

Initialization waveforms with different voltages are applied respectively to a predetermined subfield with a small number of sustain pulses, and a subfield with the smallest number of sustain pulses in subfields other than the predetermined subfield. This offers a plasma display device that achieves a correct write operation in all discharge cells even if discharge interference occurs between adjacent cells, and also achieves a high contrast.
US07969383B2

A method and information system for capturing signals, for processing signals, and for providing signals at least partially based on, or bearing correlation to, the captured signals is disclosed. The information system includes a signal input unit, a wireless communication unit, and an output unit. The signal input unit (preferably an optical signal unit) is constructed and is positionable to capture signals associated with an eye. The output unit is constructed to provide information based on the captured signals or to provide information as a function of the captured signals or in correlation with the captured signals.
US07969382B2

A separable portable multi-display device is provided. A portable multi-display device includes a main body panel housing having a first display, a sub-panel housing having a second display, and a coupling device for coupling the main body panel housing to the sub-panel housing such that at least one sides of the first display and the second display can contact each other. The panel housings are separable from and connectable to each other, a range of a border between the displays when the panel housings are interconnected being minimized so that the displays can be shown as if it is driven as a single screen.
US07969371B2

Provided is a small monopole antenna having a loop feeder. The small monopole antenna having a loop feeder includes: a loop element forming a loop along a predetermined plane and having a loop feeder at the center thereof; a non-feeding type monopole antenna element including one end connected to a wire of the loop element and other end connected to a ground unit by being bended at the center of the loop element; a ground unit for grounding other end of the non-feeding type monopole antenna; and a first connecting unit for connecting the non-feeding type monopole antenna to an external device for feeding the loop feeder of the loop element through the non-feeding type monopole antenna.
US07969369B2

A fastening device (200) for releasably securing an antenna assembly (100) on at least one garment (15) of a user (10) is provided. The antenna assembly (100) is part of a portable communication system (50) which includes a portable communication device (125) that is also worn on the garment (15) of the user (10). The fastening device (200) is comprised of a body portion (205) and an elongated receiver portion (210). The elongated receiver portion (210) defines an elongated channel (211) and a pair of resilient undulations (215, 216) which define an elongated opening (212). The pair of resilient undulations (215, 216) serve to guide a segment (110a) of the antenna assembly (100) through the elongated opening (212) and into the elongated channel (211). Once the segment (110a) is urged into the elongated channel (211), the undulations (215, 216) return to the normal position thereby securing the segment (110a) in the elongated channel (211). The fastening device (200) is attached to a loop (16) on the at least one garment (15) of the user (10) with straps using hook and loop fasteners, a pair of slide keeper clips, or a carabineer clip.
US07969366B2

Systems and methods for the operation of a dual mode wireless communication device are provided. A wireless communication device includes a scan module, a registration module and a learning module that cooperate to allow the device to identify available radio access technologies, select a radio interface, manage the radio interface, and learn behavioral patterns that optimize operation of the dual mode device. The dual mode device maximizes the overall time it is operational on the better radio access technology while not performing unnecessary scans. This helps in improving performance, preserving battery life and enhancing the overall user experience. In operation, the dual mode device scans for available voice or data networks upon identification of a trigger event, for example, a manual instruction, a drop in signal strength, a loss of signal, a time of usage on a particular network, a battery condition, an application preference, a state of the wireless communication device, or a geographic location. Various trigger events may be stored in a data storage area on the device and new trigger events such as geographic locations where manual scans are frequently requested by the user or geographic locations where signal strength is low or the network signal is typically lost can be stored for future reference by the device in order to improve performance.
US07969365B2

A radio frequency (RF) antenna arrangement for an electronic device includes a conductive ground reference element formed on a first circuit board, and a conductive antenna radiating element formed on a second circuit board. The two boards are coupled together such that the conductive ground reference element and the conductive antenna radiating element are facing each other. The RF antenna arrangement also includes a conductive radiating leg element for the conductive antenna radiating element, an electrical contact pin mounted on the first circuit board, and a conductive ground leg element that electrically couples the conductive antenna radiating element to the conductive ground reference element. The electrical contact pin is in physical and electrical contact with the conductive radiating leg element, and the electrical contact pin facilitates RF signal transmission to and from the conductive radiating leg element.
US07969364B2

A radio frequency device comprises a radio frequency transponder having a radio frequency circuit and a radio frequency antenna, and a sensor conductively connected to the radio frequency antenna so that a measurement can be retrieved from the sensor by communicating with the transponder. The radio frequency antenna comprises a first portion which is used primarily for receiving and/or sending of radio frequency signals, and a second portion which is used primarily for conductively connecting the sensor to the first portion of the radio frequency antenna and which enables placing the sensor in a spaced-apart spatial relation to the first portion of the radio frequency antenna.
US07969362B2

A super wide bandwidth coupling antenna comprises a first radiation portion made of electric conductor; the first radiation having a body and a feeding frame extending from a body of the first radiation portion; a second radiation portion formed by an electric conductor; a supporting frame extending from a body of the second radiation portion; a ground portion made of electric conductor; one end of the ground portion being connected to the supporting frame of the second radiation portion; a signal feeding wire having a main signal end wire which is electrically connected to the feeding frame of the first radiation portion; a ground end wire of the signal feeding wire being electrically connected to the ground portion; an isolation post for positioning the first radiation portion and second radiation portion with an insulating gap between the first radiation portion and second radiation portion.
US07969357B2

This invention concerns a system (1) for electronically aligning the polarisation of an antenna (2;2b) with the polarisation of a signal received therein or transmitted therefrom, said signal having two mutually orthogonal components, namely a vertical component (Cv) and a horizontal component (Co).
US07969347B2

By using the delay profile created by delay profile creating section 102 and the first threshold value 330 received from the first threshold value calculation 105, the first threshold value timing detection section 103 selects only the earliest receive timing exceeding the first threshold value, from all the timing that the correlation value in the delay profile becomes a maximum. By using the receive timing and the second threshold value 331 received from the second threshold value calculation section 107, reference timing calculation section 106 selects the reference timing required for calculating the receive timing for the incoming wave of the minimum propagation delay time. The timing delayed by previously set timing behind said reference timing is sent from receive timing calculation section 108 as the receive timing 113 of the incoming wave of the minimum propagation delay time.
US07969342B2

Disclosed is a differential amplifier which includes first and second input terminals, an output terminal, first and second differential pairs, and first and second current sources for supplying currents to the first and second differential pairs. The first differential pair has first and second inputs of an input pair connected to the first input terminal and the output terminal, respectively. The second differential pair has first and second inputs of an input pair connected to the second input terminal the output terminal, respectively. The differential amplifier further includes a load circuit connected to output pairs of the first and second differential pairs for outputting a signal obtained on combining outputs of the first and second differential pairs from at least one of a pair of connection nodes between the output pairs of the first and second differential pairs and the load circuit, an amplifier stage supplied with at least one signal at a connection node of the output pairs of the first and second differential pairs and the load circuit to output a voltage at the output terminal, and a current control circuit controlling the first and second current sources for controlling the ratio of currents supplied to the first and second differential pairs.
US07969336B2

A sample-hold circuit includes a voltage-current converter, having a first input terminal pair to which an input differential signal is input and a first output terminal pair which outputs current according to the voltage of the input differential signal, a spreading switch having a switch group which switches the first output terminal pair to inverting or non-inverting states, and an integrator having a second input terminal pair coupled to the first output terminal pair via the spreading switch, an output amplifier which outputs to a second output terminal pair an output differential signal amplified according to the differential signal at the second input terminal pair, a capacitor pair which is provided respectively between the second input terminal pair and second output terminal pair, and which is charged or discharged by current input to the second input terminal pair, and a reset circuit which resets charge states of the capacitor pair.
US07969332B2

A method and apparatus for encoding based on a linear block code, and a method and apparatus for generating a linear block code are provided. The method for encoding based on a linear block code includes: generating a linear block code; and encoding an information sequence with an encoding matrix of the linear block code to obtain a bit stream sequence. The linear block codes have a good minimum distance characteristic, so that the error correction performance is improved.
US07969328B2

A navigation apparatus of a vehicle includes: storage means for storing information about the vehicle and a road area; and guide route calculating means for calculating a guide route on the basis of the information stored in the storage means. The navigation apparatus determines whether to avoid an entry of the vehicle into the road area on the basis of the information about the vehicle and the road area.
US07969322B2

A processing apparatus that is connected with another processing apparatus via a network, receives a request for a processing from the other processing apparatus, executes the requested processing while not performing an originally intended process of the processing apparatus, and indicates that the processing apparatus is executing the requested processing, by causing an indicator to blink on and off.
US07969321B2

A smoke detector adapted for installation within a bracket of a ceiling downlight; the smoke detector comprising a lower body portion adapted for engagement with said bracket, and an upper body portion extending upwardly from said lower portion.
US07969317B2

A detection apparatus includes a casing, a movable member moving from a position outside the casing to a position inside the casing upon contact of a detection object, a radio communication device disposed on the movable member and configured for radio communication with a sending and receiving unit via radio waves, a shielding member for shielding the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit in a state that the movable member is located within the casing, and a controller for determining the presence of the detection object by determining whether the sending and receiving unit can communicate with the radio communication device.
US07969312B2

The present invention relates to a device with its related electronic circuit and to a detection process targeted to detect any magnetic material moving around the antennas/sensors used in Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) electromagnetic systems, which can be internally or externally coupled to these kind of anti-theft systems, significantly decreasing its current vulnerability to fraud since the current EAS electromagnetic systems are vulnerable for not being able to detect magnetic materials. The present process and detector device filter and treat the DC signal generated by the displacement of a magnetic material around one or more EAS electromagnetic system antenna/sensor(s). Magnetic material detection is achieved from a differential signal existing in the antenna/sensor receiver, such signal being forwarded to a control unit wherein there are coupled a device comprising a “n” order filter, a buffer, a sensitivity control circuit, a control logic and an alarm module.
US07969305B2

A security system and method for protecting an item of merchandise includes a programming station including a logic control circuit having a controller, a communication circuit operably coupled to the controller, and a memory operably coupled to the controller for initially providing a security disarm code (SDC) to a programmable key including a logic control circuit having a controller, a communication circuit operably coupled to the controller and a memory operably coupled to the controller. The programmable key subsequently provides the SDC to a security device configured for attachment to the merchandise and including a logic control circuit having a controller, a communication circuit operably coupled to the controller, and a memory operably coupled to the controller. Thereafter, the security device is disarmed by using the programmable key to verify the SDC in the memory of the key with the SDC in the memory of the security device. A wireless interface is provided for the communication circuit of the programming station, programmable key and security device. An internal timer in the programmable key invalidates the SDC after a preset period of time period to prevent use of the key for disarming a security device after the time period has expired.
US07969303B2

A safety barrier with an integrated alarm has a plurality of posts for supporting fencing material. Each post having an inner, portion, an outer portion, an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion of each post has embedded therein an alarm contact. A plurality of base supports are used for supporting the posts. Each base support has an interior portion, an exterior portion, a top portion and a bottom portion. The bottom of the interior portion of each base support has an alarm contact embedded therein at the end proximate to the base support which corresponds to the alarm contact embedded in the lower portion of each post.
US07969299B2

A method for monitoring a group of objects, and an arrangement to implement the method includes providing each object of the group to be monitored with a radio node of a self-networking radio network, whereby each radio node within the group has a unique identification. The radio nodes of the group automatically reveal themselves at a starting time and network with one another. The radio nodes of the group monitor themselves from the starting time and convey at least one specified change in an initial mutual situation. At least one of the radio nodes when notifying or recognizing a specified change, conveys information concerning the change to a monitoring unit and/or controls an alarm transmitter for activating an alarm.
US07969291B2

A method for signaling a driver of a motor vehicle that the motor vehicle is operating in a stoichiometric air/fuel mode or a non-stoichiometric air/fuel mode. The method includes providing an air/fuel sensor, the air/fuel sensor providing a signal that is representative of a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio mixture or a non-stoichiometric air/fuel ratio mixture being supplied to or burned by the motor vehicle. The method also includes providing a powertrain control module that is operable to receive the signal from the air/fuel sensor and to energize a light source when a non-stoichiometric air/fuel ratio mixture signal is received.
US07969290B2

An information device, e.g., inside a motor vehicle, includes at least one output device and a processing device, to which a memory device is assigned in which all types of vehicle data, in particular data of vehicle functions and/or vehicle elements, their operation, display or manipulation, and/or data of vehicle states, are stored, and a method is for supplying information about the mentioned vehicle data. The corresponding vehicle data, in particular vehicle functions and their operation or manipulation, and/or vehicle elements and/or their function and/or manipulation, and/or vehicle states and/or their change are displayed in animated fashion on the at least one output device.
US07969288B2

A force feedback system provides components for use in a force feedback system including a host computer and a force feedback interface device. An architecture for a host computer allows multi-tasking application programs to interface with the force feedback device without conflicts. One embodiment of a force feedback device provides both relative position reporting and absolute position reporting to allow great flexibility. A different device embodiment provides relative position reporting device allowing maximum compatibility with existing software. Information such as ballistic parameters and screen size sent from the host to the force feedback device allow accurate mouse positions and cursor positions to be determined in the force feedback environment. Force feedback effects and structures are further described, such as events and enclosures.
US07969271B2

A current transformer includes a bobbin, a primary winding coil, a conductive pillar, a magnetic core assembly, and a covering member. The bobbin includes a bobbin body and a concave structure. The primary winding coil is wound around the bobbin body. The conductive pillar is partially accommodated within the concave structure. The magnetic core assembly includes a first magnetic core and a second magnetic core. The first magnetic core and the second magnetic core are partially embedded into the channel. The concave structure is partially enclosed by the second magnetic core. The covering member cooperates with the concave structure to shield the conductive pillar. The conductive pillar and the second magnetic core are separated from each other by the covering member, so that a creepage distance between the conductive pillar and the primary winding coil and a creepage distance between the conductive pillar and the magnetic core assembly are increased.
US07969255B2

A printed circuit board (PCB) capable of decreasing wireless wide area network (WWAN) noise generated due to internal signal interference occurring in the PCB is disclosed. The PCB printed circuit board includes a first layer, a second layer, and at least one insulating layer formed between the first and second layers. The PCB board further includes a first signal line group disposed on the first layer while including a plurality of first signal lines each supplying a first signal, isolation patterns disposed on the first layer such that the isolation patterns are arranged between adjacent ones of the first signal lines, respectively, to prevent the adjacent first signal lines from interfering with each other, and a second signal line group disposed on the second layer while including a plurality of second signal lines each supplying a second signal different from the first signal. The second signal line group corresponds to the isolation patterns.
US07969249B2

A phase locked loop circuit is provided comprising a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), frequency divider, phase frequency detector (PFD), charge pump, waveform generator, loop filter, switching circuit, and lock detector. The VCO generates an oscillation signal. The frequency divider multiplies the frequency of the oscillation signal. The PFD compares the frequency-multiplied oscillation signal and an externally inputted reference signal to generate an error signal. The charge pump generates a signal according to the error signal. The loop filter controls the VCO to modulate the frequency of the oscillation signal and generate a spread spectrum clock based on the signal of the charge pump or waveform generator. The lock detector controls the switching circuit to selectively connect the charge pump to the loop filter during a non-lock state and the waveform generator to the loop filter during a lock state.
US07969246B1

Systems and methods are provided for positive and negative feedback of cascode transistors for a power amplifier. The systems and methods may include a first cascode stage comprising a first common-source device and a first common-gate device; a second cascode stage comprising a second common-source device and a second common-gate device; a first degenerative element or block provided for the first common-source device; a second degenerative element or block provided for the second common-source device; a first positive feedback block or element that connects a first gate of the first common-source device with a second drain of the second common-source device; and a second positive feedback block or element that connects a second gate of the second common-source device with a first drain of the first common-source device.
US07969244B2

A technique is provided for acquiring data with reduced correlated low frequency noise interference via a data acquisition circuit. The data acquisition circuit includes a plurality of data channels comprising a plurality of amplifiers and a biasing circuit for providing bias voltages to the plurality of amplifiers. The biasing circuit is configured to generate the bias voltages and establish a relationship between the bias voltages so as to reduce correlated low frequency noise in the plurality of amplifiers.
US07969243B2

Electronic circuits and methods are provided for various applications including signal amplification. An exemplary electronic circuit comprises a MOSFET and a dual-gate JFET in a cascode configuration. The dual-gate JFET includes top and bottom gates disposed above and below the channel. The top gate of the JFET is controlled by a signal that is dependent upon the signal controlling the gate of the MOSFET. The control of the bottom gate of the JFET can be dependent or independent of the control of the top gate. The MOSFET and JFET can be implemented as separate components on the same substrate with different dimensions such as gate widths.
US07969222B2

Methods and systems for a DC offset correction loop for a mobile digital cellular television environment are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include removing at least a portion of a DC offset from output of an amplifier. The DC offset may be removed from a single stage amplifier, or from each stage of a N stage amplifier, where N may be an integer. The DC offset may be removed by using second differential signals generated from first differential signals, where the second differential signals may be communicated to inputs of the amplifier. The first differential signals may by a first circuit that integrates outputs of the amplifier. The first circuit may perform the integration using a variable corner frequency that may be adjusted by changing a resistance of at least one variable resistor in the first circuit.
US07969217B2

An embodiment of a slew-rate enhancement output stage is disclosed. A first slew-rate enhancement circuit receives a first control voltage and outputs a first voltage. A second slew-rate enhancement circuit receives a second control voltage and outputs a second voltage. A first PMOS transistor includes a first first terminal coupled to a high voltage source, a first control terminal receiving the first voltage, and a first second terminal coupled to a voltage output terminal. A first NMOS transistor includes a second first terminal coupled to the voltage output terminal, a second control terminal for receiving the second voltage, and a second second terminal coupled to a low voltage source. The first voltage is higher than the first control voltage, and the second voltage is lower than the second control voltage.
US07969216B2

Embodiments of a method and system for both open-loop and closed-loop timing synchronization are provided in which a master clock signal, and a plurality of signals that define greater periods of time, are distributed to a plurality of host devices. A frame-sync signal is used to define a “frame” consisting of a predetermined number of clock periods, and a reset signal is used to define a larger period consisting of a predetermined number of frames. Due to a variety of system parameters, the innate delay time associated with each respective timing distribution path may differ. The system is operable to adjust the timing signals propagated to the plurality of host devices along each respective timing distribution path to compensate for these differences so that each host device remains synchronized with all other host devices.
US07969210B2

A master stage 101 comprises a differential circuit composed of transistors 1 and 2, a differential circuit composed of transistors 3 and 4, a differential circuit composed of transistors 5 and 6, a load circuit 7 (a first load circuit), a load circuit 8 (a second load circuit), and a current source transistor 9. The load circuit 7 (the first load circuit) is composed of an inductor 7A (a first inductor), an inductor 7B (a fifth inductor), and a capacity 7C (a first capacity). The inductor 7B and capacity 7C cooperates together in forming a parallel resonance circuit (a first LC parallel resonance circuit), while the parallel resonance circuit is connected in series to the inductor 7A.
US07969208B2

Disclosed is a control circuit for controlling a controllable power semiconductor switch, and to a power semiconductor module. The control circuit comprises at least two circuit sets, each having a power driver. The power driver of each of the circuit sets is provided with power via impedance components having an impedance other than zero.
US07969205B2

A technique wherein when signals, the modulation schemes of which are different, are to be combined, performing the peak suppression using amounts of the respective modulation schemes can effectively reduce the PAPR of a resulting combined signal. A peak suppressing method for use in a peak suppressing circuit, which combines input signals of different modulation schemes in a time domain to provide a combined signal, comprises detecting, as a peak, that portion of the combined signal which excesses a threshold value to generate a peak signal in accordance with the peak; converting the peak signal into a frequency domain signal and then dividing it into signals originating from the input signals to use these input-signal-originated signals as respective suppression signals; and adding, to the input signals, the suppression signals having different suppression amounts for the respective modulation schemes, thereby performing the peak suppression.
US07969200B2

A normally operable decoder circuit is obtained without entailing a delay in decoding operation, an increase in circuit area, and an increase in circuit design cost. An NMOS transistor in a high-voltage circuit portion is inserted between the output of a NAND gate and a node, and receives an input signal at the gate electrode thereof. A load current generating portion in the high-voltage circuit portion includes PMOS transistors coupled in series between a high power supply voltage and the node. One of the PMOS transistor receives a control signal at the gate electrode thereof. The other PMOS transistor receives a control signal at the gate electrode thereof. An inverter receives a signal obtained from the node as an input signal, and outputs the inverted signal thereof as an output signal.
US07969194B2

A semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises a first semiconductor integrated circuit 11 having a predetermined function, the first semiconductor integrated circuit outputting a required output signal, a second semiconductor integrated circuit 12 in which a plurality of MOS elements (PMOS transistor or NMOS transistor) for independently switching to and from a conducted state and a non-conducted state in accordance with a plurality of gate signals each having a different timing is provided and the plurality of MOS elements is connected in parallel to an output or an input of the first semiconductor integrated circuit, and a pulse generating circuit 13 for generating and outputting the plurality of gate signals φi (i=1, 2, 3) each having a different timing with respect to the plurality of MOS elements in the second semiconductor integrated circuit.
US07969186B2

A mixed signal integrated circuit includes a digital logic array and an analog cell array. Each cell of the analog cell array shares a common architecture and is fully programmable. An analog cell includes mirror NFETs, cascode NFETs, differential pair NFETs, differential pair PFETs, cascode PFETs and mirror PFETs. An analog cell may also include special purpose components, such as low value resistors, high value resistors and PFETs.
US07969185B2

A logical circuit device comprises a plurality of logical blocks including reconfigurable logical configurations and a network including reconfigurable connections among the plurality of logical blocks, wherein at least one of the plurality of logical blocks comprises a basic logical operation element. The basic logical operation element receives a first data signal and a first validity indication signal that becomes an asserted state when the first data signal is valid, outputs a second data signal generated by a first logical operation based on the first data signal and a second validity indication signal that becomes an asserted state when the second data signal is valid, and sets the second data signal to the asserted state in response to the asserted state of the first validity indication signal.
US07969184B1

Some embodiments of the invention provide an integrated circuit (IC) with configurable input/output (I/O) circuits for optimally operating with two or more interfaces. Some embodiments optimally operate over the two or more interfaces by supporting a particular voltage for each interface. Also, some embodiments optimally operate over two or more interfaces by supporting a particular frequency for each supported voltage whereby supporting a particular frequency involves producing sufficient current drive at each voltage to support the particular frequency.
US07969180B1

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes first and second bump pads configured to output data, a probe test pad coupled to the first bump pad, and a pipe latch unit configured to selectively transfer data loaded on first and second data lines to one of the first and second bump pads in response to a pipe output dividing signal during a normal mode, and sequentially transfer the data loaded on the first and second data lines to the probe test pad in response to the pipe output dividing signal during a test mode.
US07969177B2

This disclosure relates to a system and method for pulse generation. A system in accordance with the present disclosure may include a power dissipating element configured to receive power from a power source. At least one of the power source and the power dissipating element may be configured to generate a first signal. The system may further include a measuring instrument in communication with the power source. The measuring instrument may be configured to measure the first signal and to provide an input corresponding to a measured signal to a duty cycle limiter. The system may also include a pulse controller operatively connected to the power source. The pulse controller may be configured to control a duty cycle of the first signal and to receive a second signal from the duty cycle limiter. The pulse controller may be configured to disable at least one of the power source and the power dissipating element if the duty cycle limiter has determined that a maximum condition has been exceeded. Other embodiments are also within the scope of the present disclosure.
US07969168B1

An embodiment of the invention provides an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit has an analog device-under-test (DUT), a memory receiving and storing a test program and a processor. The processor tests the analog DUT and outputs a test result in digital format by executing the test program, wherein the test result indicates whether the analog DUT workable according to a specification.
US07969163B2

Systems and methods to measure signal propagation delay through objects. The system includes a controller, a single shot pulse generator, a first pulse/edge former, a multiplexer/demultiplexer, a second pulse/edge former, a timer, and a counter. The controller initializes the system, the clock and the counter. A pulse is sent from the single shot pulse generator to the first pulse/edge former. The pulse is propagated through the first pulse/edge former to the multiplexer, through a device under test, to the demultiplexer, and to the second pulse/edge former. The second pulse edge generator provides the pulse to the counter, which counts a predetermined number of pulses, and the clock, which measures the amount of time the counter counts the pulses. The propagation delay of the device under test is then calculated based on the counted number of pulses and the elapsed time measured by the clock.
US07969162B2

The present invention is to provide a method and device of dynamically adjusting the operating voltage of a network integrated circuit including the steps of detecting and ranking the signal-to-noise ratio of N ports to single out a port for arbitration, dynamically controlling the operating voltage according to the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration, decreasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit when the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration is greater than a first threshold, increasing the operating voltage to a default operating voltage when the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration is smaller than the first threshold, decreasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit when the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration is greater than a second threshold, and increasing the operating voltage by a voltage unit when the signal-to-noise ratio of the port for arbitration is smaller than the second threshold.
US07969160B2

The electrolytic capacitor has an insulating casing, at least one capacitor element and multiple external terminals. The casing has multiple through holes and mounting protrusions. The at least one capacitor element is mounted in the casing and has multiple inner conductive pins connecting to a coil. Each external terminal is attached to a bottom panel of the insulating casing, connects to a corresponding inner conductive pin and has a main body, a connecting portion and two fixing portions. The connecting portion is formed on and extends from a side of the main body and has a conducting hole attached to a corresponding conductive pin. The fixing portions respectively extend from two ends of the main body and engage with the mounting protrusions. Each external terminal provides a soldering surface being flat and having large soldering area, therefore the electrolytic capacitor can be firmly soldered on a circuit board.
US07969159B2

A system and method for determining the status of each monitored conductor, and optionally indicating peak current or other parameters are provided. Wireless self-powered sensor elements can eliminate much of the wiring required in traditional systems, and greatly ease the installation in difficult underground locations.
US07969153B2

A reactance is introduced into a flow path of axial currents in an induction logging tool. The reactance may be a capacitor or an inductor. A transmitter antenna is operated at a frequency defined by a cutoff frequency related to the reactance.
US07969151B2

A pre-amplifier circuit for connection to an antenna of a human-portable locator includes a differential amplifier/mixer pair and means for allowing a common-mode “phantom” signal to modulate a transfer function of the differential amplifier/mixer pair. The common-mode phantom signal modulates the transfer function of the differential pre-amplifier “onboard” the antenna without the usual requirement for onboard power supply and signal oscillator. This technique uses the same electronic components to provide both pre-amplification and mixing functions, thereby improving circuit performance-to-cost ratio, reducing mixer power consumption, situating the necessary signal oscillator remotely from the mixer, and greatly improving the available system bandwidth by limiting spectral transmission demands to the mixed signal bandwidth alone.
US07969142B2

A system and method for determining the location of a remote object connected to an induction coil using a magnetic tracking sensor. The system and method include locating a magnetic core asymmetrically disposed within the induction coil located near the remote object, and operably connecting a single DC electrical circuit o ends defining the induction coil. The DC electrical circuit provides a DC current to the induction coil while the induction coil is disposed in an external AC magnetic field. The DC current adjusts the level of saturation of the magnetic core, and hence varies a response signal of the induction coil disposed in the external AC magnetic field to provide magnetic tracking of the induction coil.
US07969138B2

A method enables measurement of an inverter loss within a motor control circuit for an appliance. The method includes applying a constant DC current generated from a first AC supply voltage to a motor winding through an inverter at a first duty cycle, measuring a first voltage corresponding to the current through the motor at a motor current sense resistor, computing a first ratio of the first measured voltage at the motor current sense resistor to a first DC input voltage corresponding to the first AC supply voltage, identifying a second duty cycle from the first computed ratio, comparing the second duty cycle to the first duty cycle, and identifying a first inverter loss factor from the difference between the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle.
US07969132B2

Decrease in a voltage supplied to a load caused by load fluctuations is minimized. A pulse frequency modulated signal generating unit 13 outputs a signal PFMOUT having a pulse frequency modulated according to a voltage supplied to the load 20. A pulse width modulated signal generating unit 14 outputs a signal PWMOUT having a pulse width modulated according to a voltage supplied to the load 20. In a state where the signal PFMOUT is selected, a selection unit 17 refers to a determination result of a frequency determining unit 15 and selects the signal PWMOUT as on/off signal for a semiconductor switch 11 when a low-level period in one cycle of the signal PFMOUT is not more than a predetermined time period. In a state where the signal PWMOUT is selected, the selection unit 17 selects the signal PFMOUT as on/off signal for the semiconductor switch 11 when a voltage determining unit 16 detects that a DC voltage (VOUT) at the load 20 exceeds a predetermined voltage.
US07969130B2

A voltage supply interface provides both coarse and fine current control with reduced series resistance. The voltage supply interface has a segmented switch having N component switches that are digitally controlled. The voltage supply interface replaces a conventional sense resistor with a calibration circuit that has a replica switch that is a replica of the N component switches. The calibration circuit includes a reference current IREF that is sourced through the replica switch. A voltage comparator forces a common voltage drop across the replica switch and the n-of-N activated component switches so that the cumulative current draw through the segmented switch is n·IREF. The current control of the voltage interface can be coarsely tuned by activating or deactivating component switches, and can be finely tuned by adjusting the reference current. The current sense resistor is eliminated so that the overall series resistance is lower.
US07969129B2

To provide a power supply apparatus which realizes a high-speed response, a stable operation, and a low output ripple with low power consumption. The first stage switching regulator receives an input voltage and forms a first voltage. The second stage switching regulator receives the first voltage and forms a second voltage. The second stage switching regulator includes an N-phase (N is two or more) switching regulator, and the first voltage is set to be N times a target value of the second voltage. The input voltage is set to be higher than the first voltage.
US07969126B2

An amplifier having improved distortion characteristics is set forth. The amplifier includes an interleaved PWM amplifier that generates interleaved PWM pulses in response to a modified input signal and one or more carrier signals. The interleaved PWM pulses of the amplifier are used to drive a power stage, such as an opposed current power stage. The amplifier also includes an interleaved PWM generator that provides interleaved PWM pulses in response to the modified input signal and one or more further carrier signals. The carrier signals used by the PWM generator may differ in phase from the carrier signals used by the interleaved PWM amplifier to generate its interleaved PWM pulses. One or more feedback circuits are employed in the generation of the modified input signal. More particularly, the feedback circuit(s) generates the modified input signal based on an input signal that is to be amplified and the interleaved PWM pulses of the interleaved PWM generator.
US07969116B2

A compact battery pack with high handling ability and restraining degradation of battery cells. The battery pack includes an insertion portion to be inserted into a handle portion of a cordless power tool and an accommodation portion in which all battery cells are accommodatable. A protection board with a protection circuit that protects batteries against overcharge and over-discharge is installed in the insertion portion. A switching element is connected between the battery cells and a drive motor of the power tool. An air passage in communication with the battery pack is formed within the handle and a main housing of the cordless power tool. The switching element is positioned at the air passage.
US07969100B2

A bulb detection circuit is associated with a dimmer circuit for a lighting system. The bulb detection circuit is operable to detect whether an incandescent or a fluorescent bulb is received in an electric light socket. The socket may be hardwired to the circuit, or could be plugged into an electrical outlet. The bulb detection circuit may utilize a separately inventive method of measuring the resistance by looking at an RC circuit time constant. Further, the bulb detection circuit may utilize a separately inventive method of identifying a short circuit by again looking at the RC circuit time constant.
US07969097B2

A lighting device comprising a group of one of more illumination solid state light emitters, a reference solid state light emitter and a reference sensor which detects an intensity of the reference solid state light emitter. Each of the emitters (1) has an illumination which is spaced from a first point by a delta u′, v′ distance on a 1976 CIR diagram of not more than 0.015, and/or (2) has a forward voltage temperature dependence which is within 5% of a first forward voltage temperature dependence. In addition, a lighting device comprising one or more illumination solid state light emitters, a reference solid state light emitter and a sensor which comprises at least two areas of individual sensors. Also, methods of lighting.
US07969093B2

A plasma display panel and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The panel includes a substrate having a plurality of discharge cells, and barrier ribs defining the discharge cells, the barrier ribs contain carbon in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight.
US07969076B2

An LED lamp includes a cooling member, a light source, a lamp cover and a pair of lamp caps arranged at opposite ends of the cooling member. The cooling member has an elongated heat absorbing plate forming a heat absorbing surface at one outer side thereof. The light source includes a plurality of LEDs arranged on the heat absorbing surface. The lamp cover covers the LEDs therein and engages with the cooling member. Each lamp cap includes an end cap fixed on the cooling member and a connector rotatably connected with the end cap. The connector includes a pair of poles being electrically connected to the LEDs and extending outwardly therefrom for inserting into a lamp holder to get a power for the LEDs.
US07969073B2

A tangentially poled piezoelectric single crystal ring resonator is disclosed. A single crystal material is machined into elements and formed into a ring structure. The single crystal elements have a <110> poled tangential axis. The elements may also have a <211>, <511> or <322> orientation range in the radial direction. The elements may have a generally wedge shape.
US07969061B2

A method for producing a claw-pole rotor, including: a step of mounting polar wheels on the shaft in such a way that each tooth of a polar wheel is located in the existing space between two consecutive teeth of the other polar wheel; a step of machining the lateral faces facing two adjacent teeth, whereby an axial groove is machined in each lateral face; and a step of mounting a magnetic element between two adjacent teeth such that the magnetic element is received in the axial grooves. The method is characterized in that the step of machining lateral faces is carried out before the step of mounting polar wheels on the shaft. The invention also relates to a rotor obtained by such a method.
US07969053B2

A flat type vibration motor with increased vibration amount comprises a vibrator (1), a hard circuit board (2), a rotor (3), a shaft (5), a lower case (9), a magnet (8), a flexible circuit board (11), a brush (10) and winding coils (a, b). The rotor (3) is formed by injection-molding the vibrator (1). The winding coils (a, b) and the hard circuit board (2) are both mounted on the vibrator (1), thus the outer edge of the vibrator (1) can be extended to the position beyond the winding coils (a, b) and the hard circuit board (2).
US07969052B2

A bus bar structure and an inverter-integrated electric compressor that absorb an impact while ensuring vibration resistance are provided. A bus bar structure used for an inverter-integrated electric compressor having a compressor; an electric motor for driving the compressor; an inverter device for converting DC power from a high-voltage power supply to AC power and supplying it to the motor; and a housing for accommodating the compressor, the electric motor, and the inverter device, the inverter device being formed of a circuit board and an electrical component, and an insulating resin for connecting and wiring the circuit board and the electrical component being applied. The bus bar structure is formed of a main body, which is integrally formed of the insulating resin, and an external connecting portion exposed from the insulating resin, the external connecting portion has a bent extending portion that is bent and extends with respect to the main body, and an elastic portion for absorbing vibration of the bus bar structure is formed in part of the bent extending portion.
US07969051B2

The invention concerns a ventilation system for a rotary electrical machine of the type comprising a rotor mounted so as to rotate in a stator and a device for cooling by forced flow of a cooling fluid, such as air, provided with at least one fan fixed to the rotor and an independent fan disposed so as to be decisive for cooling at relatively low speeds of rotation of the rotor.
US07969048B2

A linear actuator motor design including a rotor assembly that has an insert molded into a non-magnetic sleeve through a plurality of openings, which is kept from rotating within the non-magnetic sleeve by at least one opening arranged along the length of the non-magnetic sleeve which corresponds to at least one tab formed by the molded material of the insert and a stator assembly having a plurality of symmetrical and interchangeable magnetic pole plates. Each of the plurality of magnetic pole plates comprises a substantially planar plate portion with a central opening therein and a plurality of prongs extending from the central opening and substantially perpendicular to the plate portion. The prongs of the plurality of magnetic pole plates create an opening that is dimensioned to receive the rotor assembly therein. A non-conductive material is the molded over the plurality of magnetic pole plates.
US07969046B2

The present invention is to provide a power supply control apparatus which can connect a ground to a suitable electric potential when the ground is disconnected. The power supply control apparatus includes a control circuit having a switch element and a switch control unit, and a load. One terminal of load is connected to a direct-current power supply through the switch element, and the other terminal is connected to a ground electric potential. The switch control unit has a ground terminal connected to the ground electric potential and outputting a ground current flowing toward the ground electric potential. The control circuit includes a bypass device having a load side bypass system for passing the ground current to the ground electric potential through the load when connection between the ground terminal and the ground electric potential is disconnected. The load includes impedance for changing the electric potential of ground terminal into an electric potential in which the switch control unit stably acts when the ground current flows.
US07969038B2

Properly managing surges of regenerative power is needed in systems where power is generated and distributed to mechanical and electrical loads to protect them from overvoltage. A controller provides protection against excess regenerative power when these systems operate at a wide range of speeds. Controller functions and control methods for overvoltage protection may include an added control loop for detecting an overvoltage condition, calculating a power factor and generating a gating signal to transition the controller into a motoring mode that converts the excess regenerative power into mechanical power.
US07969036B2

An apparatus includes a blade unit including having upright blades connected fixedly to an upright rod that has a lower end disposed pivotally in a base such that the blade unit is rotatable relative to the base to convert wind energy into a mechanical rotary power output, and coupled to a generator in the base to convert the mechanical rotary power output into electric power. Each blade has opposite first and second side surfaces. The first side surface of each blade faces the second side surface of an adjacent blade. A wind-collecting unit includes upright plates fixed on the base, angularly equidistant and disposed around the blade unit. Any two adjacent plates define an inwardly converging wind-guiding channel therebetween. The plates are shaped so that wind is guided by the plates to blow onto the first side surfaces of the blades via the wind-guiding channels.
US07969035B2

An apparatus for generating electricity from a relatively low velocity exhaust produced by a piece of machinery. The apparatus includes a fan assembly located inside a frame mounted adjacent to the exhaust vent found on the piece of machinery. The fan assembly includes a plurality of fixed vanes that extend transversely into the exhaust gas. The ends of the vanes are attached to two side plates that rotate freely around the frame's center axis. Attached to the inside side plate is an outer housing with two magnetic plates mounted therein. The two magnetic plates are spaced apart thereby forming a gap in which a stator disc with a plurality of coil members is formed. The stator disc is fixed to an axle that is longitudinally aligned with the center axis of the outer housing and the fan assembly. During operation, the exhaust gas causes the fan assembly and the outer housing to rotate. Because the stator disc is stationary, an electric current is produced in the stator disc as the two magnetic discs rotate around it. The current is then transmitted to a rectifier and inverter for local use or transmission to a utility grid.
US07969034B2

A minimal maintenance paddle wheel electric generation device for producing no cost electricity includes an A-frame base disposed in a fast flowing stream with a paddle wheel mounted between A-frame supports, with the supports resting on the base, and the paddle wheel including radially arranged dip blades with the rotation of the paddle wheel by the swiftly running water turning a drive gear that engages a series of reduction gears that, in turn, actuate a generator for producing electricity. A pair of paddle wheels can be ganged together on several floating members with the floating members tethered by cables to stanchions fixed on opposed banks of the stream. The paddle wheel can also be supported on buoyant inflatable tubes that have curvilinear members attached to the rear ends for directing water into the channel formed between the tubes thereby enhancing water flow and the angular speed of the paddle wheel for increased power generation.
US07969032B2

An apparatus comprising: a first input that receives a first rotational speed information of a windmill mechanically generated by a mechanical rotation detection unit; a second input that receives a second rotational speed information of the windmill based on an alternating current output of a generator attached to the windmill; and a controller configured to compare the first and second rotational speed information, to determine whether a difference between the first and second rotational speed information is greater than a predetermined value and to execute a predetermined anomaly processing in response to the difference being greater than the predetermined value.
US07969029B2

A hydroelectric generator that provides a clean source of energy. The hydroelectric generator uses pressurized air as a driving force. The hydroelectric generator comprises of a pipe like housing structure that is anchored to a seabed, the structure is anchored so that water enters through the end of the structure adjacent to the seabed. The structure houses at least one impeller mounted on a shaft and the shaft is operatively connected to an electrical generator. The end of the pipe adjacent to the seabed further comprises of an air injection system., the air injection system has a plurality of openings that release pressurized air within the structure. At least one air compressor connected to at least one air tank. Each air tank is connected, to the air injection system. The air compressor, the air tanks, and the air injection system are all connected by air lines.
US07969028B2

A semiconductor device mounting structure includes a semiconductor device whose electrodes are aligned on its one main face; a circuit board having board electrodes electrically connected to the electrodes of the semiconductor device by solder bumps; and curable resin applied between at least the side face of the semiconductor device and the circuit board. Multiple types of thermally expandable particles with different expansion temperatures are mixed in this curable resin. This structure offers the semiconductor device mounting structure that is highly resistant to impact and suited for mass production, its manufacturing method, and a removal method of the semiconductor device. In addition, this structure facilitates repair and reworking, leaving almost no adhesive residue on the circuit board after repair. Stress applied to the circuit board during repair can also be minimized.
US07969021B2

A bonding wire for a semiconductor device has a core wire and a periphery comprising a conductive metal mainly composed of an element common to both and/or an alloy or alloys of said metal and, between the core wire and the periphery, a diffusion layer or an intermetallic compound layer composed of the elements constituting the core wire and the periphery and a bonding wire for a semiconductor device characterized by having a core wire comprising a first conductive metal or an alloy mainly composed of the first conductive metal, a periphery comprising a second conductive metal different from the first conductive metal of the core wire or an alloy mainly composed of the second conductive metal, and, between the core wire and the periphery, a diffusion layer or an intermetallic compound layer and a method of producing the same.
US07968999B2

A method of grounding a heat spreader/stiffener to a flip chip package comprising the steps of attaching an adhesive film to a substrate and attaching a stiffener to the adhesive film. The adhesive film may have a number of first holes corresponding with a number of grounding pads on the substrate. The grounding pads may be configured to provide electrical grounding. The stiffener may have a number of second holes corresponding with the number of first holes of the adhesive film and number the grounding pads of the substrate. The grounding pads are generally exposed through the first and the second holes.
US07968998B1

A semiconductor package which includes a generally planar die paddle defining multiple peripheral edge segments and a plurality of leads which are segregated into at least two concentric rows. Connected to the top surface of the die paddle is at least one semiconductor die which is electrically connected to at least some of the leads of each row. At least portions of the die paddle, the leads, and the semiconductor die are encapsulated by a package body, the bottom surfaces of the die paddle and the leads of at least one row thereof being exposed in a common exterior surface of the package body.
US07968996B2

An integrated circuit package system provides a leadframe having a short lead finger, a long lead finger, and a support bar. A first die is placed in the leadframe. An adhesive is attached to the first die, the long lead finger, and the support bar. A second die is offset from the first die. The offset second die is attached to the adhesive. The first die is electrically connected to the short lead finger. The second die is electrically connected to at least the long lead finger or the short lead finger. At least portions of the leadframe, the first die, and the second die are encapsulated in an encapsulant.
US07968990B2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes: mounting a semiconductor chip on a substrate; forming an upper connection terminal on a side of the substrate on which the semiconductor chip is mounted; forming a resin seal portion that seals the semiconductor chip and the upper connection terminal so that an upper surface of the upper connection terminal is exposed; and shaping the upper connection terminal so that the upper surface of the upper connection terminal becomes lower than an upper surface of the resin seal portion.
US07968973B2

A semiconductor element for macro and micro frequency tuning, and an antenna and a frequency tuning circuit having the semiconductor element, are provided. The semiconductor element includes first and second semiconductors which have a same polarity, a third semiconductor which has a polarity opposite to the polarity of the first and second semiconductors and is interposed between the first and the second semiconductors, a first intrinsic semiconductor which is interposed between the first and the third semiconductors, and a second intrinsic semiconductor which is interposed between the third and the second semiconductors.
US07968969B2

Electrical components for microelectronic devices and methods for forming electrical components. One particular embodiment of such a method comprises depositing an underlying layer onto a workpiece, and forming a conductive layer on the underlying layer. The method can continue by disposing a dielectric layer on the conductive layer. The underlying layer is a material that causes the dielectric layer to have a higher dielectric constant than without the underlying layer being present under the conductive layer. For example, the underlying layer can impart a structure or another property to the film stack that causes an otherwise amorphous dielectric layer to crystallize without having to undergo a separate high temperature annealing process after disposing the dielectric layer onto the conductive layer. Several examples of this method are expected to be very useful for forming dielectric layers with high dielectric constants because they avoid using a separate high temperature annealing process.
US07968959B2

Gray-tone lithography technology is used in combination with a reactive plasma etching operation in the fabrication method and system of a thick semiconductor drift detector. The thick semiconductor drift detector is based on a trench array, where the trenches in the trench array penetrate the bulk with different depths. These trenches form an electrode. By applying different electric potentials to the trenches in the trench array, the silicon between neighboring trenches fully depletes. Furthermore, the applied potentials cause a drifting field for generated charge carriers, which are directed towards a collecting electrode.
US07968957B2

Various embodiments of the invention relate to a PMOS device having a transistor channel of silicon germanium material on a substrate, a gate dielectric having a dielectric constant greater than that of silicon dioxide on the channel, a gate electrode conductor material having a work function in a range between a valence energy band edge and a conductor energy band edge for silicon on the gate dielectric, and a gate electrode semiconductor material on the gate electrode conductor material.
US07968956B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a p-channel MIS transistor formed on the substrate, the p-channel transistor having a first gate dielectric formed on the substrate and a first gate electrode layer formed on the first dielectric, and an n-channel MIS transistor formed on the substrate, the n-channel transistor having a second gate dielectric formed on the substrate and a second gate electrode layer formed on the second dielectric. A bottom layer of the first gate electrode layer in contact with the first gate dielectric and a bottom layer of the second gate electrode layer in contact with the second gate dielectric have the same orientation and the same composition including Ta and C, and a mole ratio of Ta to a total of C and Ta, (Ta/(Ta+C)), is larger than 0.5.
US07968952B2

A method for forming a slot contact structure for transistor performance enhancement. A contact opening is formed to expose a contact region, and a slot contact is disposed within the contact opening in order to induce a stress on an adjacent channel region. In an embodiment, a stress inducing barrier plug is disposed within a portion of the contact opening and the remainder of the contact opening is filled with a lower resistivity contact metal. By selecting the proper materials and deposition parameters, the slot contact can be tuned to induce a tensile or compressive stress on the adjacent channel region, thus being applicable for both p-type and n-type devices.
US07968951B2

An embodiment of a memory device has a plurality of conductive plugs formed on a semiconductor substrate and a pair of successively adjacent first and second bit lines overlying and in contact with each of the conductive plugs.
US07968947B2

This invention provides a semiconductor device that can prevent a deviation of work function by adopting a gate electrode having a uniform composition and exhibits excellent operating characteristics by virtue of effective control of a Vth. The semiconductor device is characterized by comprising a PMOS transistor, an NMOS transistor, a gate insulating film comprising an Hf-containing insulating film with high permittivity, a line electrode comprising a silicide region (A) and a silicide region (B), one of the silicide regions (A) and (B) comprising a silicide (a) of a metal M, which serves as a diffusing species in a silicidation reaction, the other silicide region comprising a silicide layer (C) in contact with a gate insulating film, the silicide layer (C) comprising a silicide (b) of a metal M, which has a smaller atom composition ratio of the metal M than the silicide (a), and a dopant which can substantially prevent diffusion of the metal M in the silicide (b).
US07968936B2

Fashioning a quasi-vertical gated NPN-PNP (QVGNP) electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device is disclosed. The QVGNP ESD protection device has a well having one conductivity type formed adjacent to a deep well having another conductivity type. The device has a desired holding voltage and a substantially homogenous current flow, and is thus highly robust. The device can be fashioned in a cost effective manner by being formed during a BiCMOS or Smart Power fabrication process.
US07968932B2

A semiconductor device which is formed in a self-aligned manner without causing a problem of misalignment in forming a control gate electrode and in which a leak between the control gate electrode and a floating gate electrode is not generated, and a manufacturing method of the semiconductor device are provided. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor film, a first gate insulating film over the semiconductor film, a floating gate electrode over the first gate insulating-film, a second gate insulating film which covers the floating gate electrode, and a control gate electrode over the second gate insulating film. The control gate electrode is formed so as to cover the floating gate electrode with the second gate insulating film interposed therebetween, the control gate electrode is provided with a sidewall, and the sidewall is formed on a stepped portion of the control gate-electrode, generated due to the floating gate electrode.
US07968931B2

A non-volatile memory device includes a tunneling insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate, a charge storage layer, a blocking insulating layer, and a gate electrode. The charge storage layer is on the tunnel insulating layer and has a smaller band gap than the tunnel insulating layer and has a greater band gap than the semiconductor substrate. The blocking insulating layer is on the charge storage layer and has a greater band gap than the charge storage layer and has a smaller band gap than the tunnel insulating layer. The gate electrode is on the blocking insulating layer.
US07968930B2

For an embodiment, a memory array has a plurality fins protruding from a substrate. A tunnel dielectric layer overlies the fins. A plurality floating gates overlie the tunnel dielectric layer, and the floating gates correspond one-to-one with the fins protruding from the substrate. An intergate dielectric layer overlies the floating gates. A control gate layer overlies the intergate dielectric layer. Each fin includes an upper surface rounded by isotropic etching.
US07968912B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate formed over the substrate, a gate spacer provided against first and second sidewalls of the gate, and a source/drain region formed in the substrate proximate to the gate spacer. The source/drain region includes first and second epitaxial layers including Ge, wherein the second epitaxial layer which is formed over an interfacial layer between the first epitaxial layer and the substrate has a higher germanium concentration than that of the first epitaxial layer.
US07968911B2

A crystalline wafer comprising of a support substrate, a first layer and an interface layer. The first layer is of a first material in a relaxed state having a lattice parameter that is substantially equal to the nominal lattice parameter of the first material. The interface layer is in an at least partially molten state disposed between the support substrate and the first layer. The first material is preferably silicon germanium, and the interface layer includes germanium in a higher concentration than that of first material.
US07968910B2

A method is provided of fabricating complementary stressed semiconductor devices, e.g., an NFET having a tensile stressed channel and a PFET having a compressive stressed channel. In such method, a first semiconductor region having a lattice constant larger than silicon can be epitaxially grown on an underlying semiconductor region of a substrate. The first semiconductor region can be grown laterally adjacent to a second semiconductor region which has a lattice constant smaller than that of silicon. Layers consisting essentially of silicon can be grown epitaxially onto exposed major surfaces of the first and second semiconductor regions after which gates can be formed which overlie the epitaxially grown silicon layers. Portions of the first and second semiconductor regions adjacent to the gates can be removed to form recesses. Regions consisting essentially of silicon can be grown within the recesses to form embedded silicon regions. Source and drain regions then can be formed in the embedded silicon regions. The difference between the lattice constant of silicon and that of the underlying first and second regions results in tensile stressed silicon over the first semiconductor region and compressive stressed silicon over the second semiconductor region.
US07968909B2

Reconditioned donor substrates that include a remainder substrate from a donor substrate wherein the remainder substrate has a detachment surface where a transfer layer was detached and an opposite surface; and an additional layer deposited upon the opposite surface of the remainder substrate to increase its thickness and to form the reconditioned substrate. The reconditioned substrate is recycled as a donor substrate for fabricating compound material wafers and is typically made from gallium nitride donor substrates.
US07968901B2

A light emitting unit includes at least one electrode member having high thermal conductivity and low resistance, and one or more flip-chip-type light emitting device of which an anode electrode side or a cathode electrode side is connected to the electrode member, and wherein the electrode member extends in a longitudinal direction thereof, and heat generated in the light emitting device is to be released along the longitudinal direction of the electrode member.
US07968899B2

A light source and method for making the same are disclosed. The light source includes a substrate, a die, and a cup. The substrate has a plurality of electrical traces thereon and the die includes an LED that is connected to two of the traces. The cup overlies the substrate and is filled with an encapsulant material. The die is located within the cup and is encapsulated by the substrate and the encapsulant material. The cup and encapsulant material have substantially the same coefficient of thermal expansion. The cup can include reflective sidewalls positioned to reflect light leaving the die. The cup, encapsulant and substrate can be constructed from the same material.
US07968895B2

A method for forming a conductor structure is provided. The method comprises: (1) providing a substrate; (2) forming a patterned dielectric layer with a first opening which exposes a portion of the substrate; forming a patterned organic material layer on the dielectric layer with a second opening which corresponds to the first opening and expose the exposed portion of the substrate; (3) forming a first barrier layer on the organic material layer and the exposed portion of the substrate; (4) forming a metal layer on the first barrier layer; and (5) removing the organic material layer, the first barrier layer thereon and the metal layer thereon.
US07968892B2

A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a principal surface and a backside surface; a drift layer disposed on the principal surface; a base region disposed on the drift layer; a source region disposed on the base region; a surface channel layer disposed on both of the drift layer and the base region for connecting between the source region and the drift layer; a gate insulation film disposed on the surface channel layer and including a high dielectric constant film; a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulation film; a source electrode disposed on the source region; and a backside electrode disposed on the backside surface.
US07968891B2

Disclosed is an organic light emitting display. In the organic light emitting display, a substrate is divided into a display region, in which an image is displayed, and a non-display region surrounding the display region. The organic light emitting display includes a plurality of pixels provided on the display region. At least one thin film transistor is formed on the non-display region. The display region includes a first electrode connected to the thin film transistor, an organic light emitting layer formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on the organic light emitting layer to apply voltage to the organic light emitting layer with the first electrode. A light blocking layer having an opening formed below the semiconductor layer is formed on the non-display region.
US07968883B2

An image detector which includes an active matrix substrate and a protection substrate bonded to the active matrix substrate by an insulating bonding member, in which the insulating bonding member is bonded to the active matrix substrate through an inorganic insulating film disposed in an area around the periphery of the semiconductor layer.
US07968878B2

A serpentine double gated diode array for monitoring stress induced defects is disclosed. The diode array is configured with adjacent gate segments and gate loops in close proximity to active areas to maximize a sensitivity to stress induced defects. The diode array is compatible with conventional electrical testing. Scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) and scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM) may be used to isolate individual stress induced defects. Variations in the gate configuration allow estimation of effects of circuit layout on formation of stress induced defects.
US07968870B2

A thin film transistor, e.g., for use in an organic light emitting display, may include: a gate insulating layer disposed on a gate electrode located on a substrate; a semiconductor layer, disposed on the gate insulating layer; and a planarization layer disposed on the gate insulating layer, the source and drain electrodes, and the channel area, and having openings exposing parts of the first source and drain areas and the source and drain electrodes, respectively. The semiconductor layer may include: a channel area corresponding to the gate electrode; first source and drain areas doped with an impurity outside the channel area; second source and drain areas, including a metal, outside the first source and drain areas; and source and drain electrodes disposed on the second source and drain areas and exposing the first source and drain areas. A pixel electrode may be disposed in one of the openings.
US07968869B2

Optoelectronic device modules, arrays optoelectronic device modules and methods for fabricating optoelectronic device modules are disclosed. The device modules are made using a starting substrate having an insulator layer sandwiched between a bottom electrode made of a flexible bulk conductor and a conductive back plane. An active layer is disposed between the bottom electrode and a transparent conducting layer. One or more electrical contacts between the transparent conducting layer and the back plane are formed through the transparent conducting layer, the active layer, the flexible bulk conductor and the insulating layer. The electrical contacts are electrically isolated from the active layer, the bottom electrode and the insulating layer.
US07968864B2

A group-III nitride light-emitting device is provided. An active layer having a quantum well structure is grown on a basal plane of a gallium nitride based semiconductor region. The quantum well structure is formed in such a way as to have an emission peak wavelength of 410 nm or more. The thickness of a well layer is 4 nm or more, and 10 nm or less. The well layer is composed of InXGa1-XN (0.15≦X<1, where X is a strained composition). The basal plane of the gallium nitride based semiconductor region is inclined at an inclination angle within the range of 15 degrees or more, and 85 degrees or less with reference to a {0001} plane or a {000-1} plane of a hexagonal system group III nitride. The basal plane in this range is a semipolar plane.
US07968861B2

Thin-film phase-change memories having small phase-change switching volume formed by overlapping thin films. Exemplary embodiments include a phase-change memory element, including a first phase change layer having a resistance, a second phase change layer having a resistance, an insulating layer disposed between the first and second phase change layers; and a third phase change layer having a resistance, and coupled to each of the first and second phase change layers, bridging the insulating layer and electrically coupling the first and second phase change layers, wherein the resistance of the third phase change layer is greater than both the resistance of the first phase change layer and the second phase change layer.
US07968858B2

A method for scanning and measuring points of an object is provided. The method includes: (a) selecting a measuring start point and a measuring end point from an image of the object; (b) controlling a laser to move and scan the object from the measuring start point to the measuring end point with a predetermined distance according to X-axis coordinate values and Y-axis coordinate values of the measuring start point and the measuring end point to obtain scanned measuring points; (c) obtaining a vertical distance between each of the scanned measuring points and the laser; and (d) computing measuring results, namely computing a Z-axis coordinate value of each of the scanned measuring points according to the corresponding vertical distance. A related system is also provided.
US07968857B2

A partial ion implantation apparatus and method are provided. The partial ion implantation apparatus includes an ion beam generator, a wafer chuck, and a plurality of atom-vibrating devices. The ion beam generator is configured to generate an ion beam. The wafer chuck is disposed to support a wafer into which the ion beam is implanted. The atom-vibrating devices are configured to vibrate silicon atoms in the wafer.
US07968852B1

Implementations of the present technology include error mitigation processes that determine gantry angle-dependent measures of detector deflections for a given class of systems using a first method, then determine gantry angle-independent deviations from the class measures using a second method on a specific system; then apply, to the specific system of the second method, the gantry angle-dependent class deflection results of the first method modified by the system-specific gantry angle independent deflections of the second method; and further include a system calibrated by such combinations of processes and computer program products for performing at least portions of the combination of processes.
US07968851B2

A method of reconstruction of a radioactive emission image. The method comprises providing a first system of voxels for a region of interest, obtaining radioactive-emission data from the region of interest, performing a first reconstruction, based on the radioactive-emission data and the first system of voxels, to obtain a first image, correcting the first system of voxels, by aligning voxel boundaries with object boundaries, based on the first image; thus obtaining a second system of voxels, and performing a second reconstruction, based on the radioactive-emission data and the second system of voxels, thus obtaining a second image.
US07968839B2

The invention relates to an optical tweezer device including at least one light source and one three-dimensional optical trap, said optical trap comprising one focusing micro-mirror which is adapted to reflect and focus at least a portion of the light emitted by said light source.
US07968836B2

Photonic crystal (PC) sensors, and sensor arrays and sensing systems incorporating PC sensors are described which have integrated fluid containment and/or fluid handling structures. The PC sensors are further integrated into a sample handling device such as a microwell plate. Sensors and sensing systems of the present disclosure are capable of high throughput sensing of analytes in fluid samples, bulk refractive index detection, and label-free detection of a range of molecules, including biomolecules and therapeutic candidates. The present disclosure also provides a commercially attractive fabrication platform for making photonic crystal sensors and systems wherein an integrated fluid containment structure and a photonic crystal structure are fabricated in a single molding or imprinting processing step amendable to high throughput processing.
US07968835B2

Various embodiments of a light on an electronic device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the light couples to a sensor and has a brightness that varies when ambient light incident on the sensor varies.
US07968829B2

An electrical connection for a heater for aerospace components having a titanium containing heater element; a copper containing conductor; and a welded or strong mechanical interface transition connecting the titanium containing heater element and the copper containing conduction transition. The transition has a titanium containing component and a copper containing component, where the titanium containing component is joined to the titanium containing heater element. A heater connection for a surface mounted heater for a jet turbine application having a titanium containing heater element, a copper containing conduction transition, and a weld transition connecting the heater element and the copper containing conduction transition. The weld transition has a titanium containing weld.
US07968828B2

A method of operating an electron bombardment heating apparatus, in which thermions emitted from filaments are accelerated and impinged upon a heating plate, so as to heat the heating plate, wherein a peripheral wall of a heated material supporting member having a heating plate as a ceiling thereof is made up of multi-staged peripheral wall portions, which are stacked vertically and different in the radius thereof, and those peripheral wall portions are connected with each other by a ring-like horizontal wall. With this, thermal stress which is caused due to the difference of temperature between the lower end portion of the heated material supporting member and the heating plate when heating up the heating plate can be mitigated, thereby preventing breakage in the heated material supporting member if conducting heating and cooling upon the heating plate, repetitively.
US07968821B2

A laser processing beam machine comprising a chuck table for holding a workpiece, a laser beam application means for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held on the chuck table, and a processing-feed means for moving the chuck table and the laser beam application means relative to each other, wherein the laser beam application means comprises a laser beam oscillation means for oscillating a laser beam and a condenser for converging the laser beam oscillated by the laser beam oscillation means; and the condenser comprises a condenser lens opposed to the workpiece held on the chuck table, a cylindrical lens arranged on the upstream side in the laser beam application direction of the condenser lens, and an interval adjustment mechanism for adjusting the interval between the condenser lens and the cylindrical lens.
US07968816B2

A weld fairing apparatus and a welding method using the apparatus effectively prevent a weld metal zone from forming a humping bead. The welding method includes: butting first and second object pieces together; heating the butted first and second object pieces using a heating device, thus forming a weld metal zone; and placing a fairing device such that the fairing device comes into contact with the weld metal zone and fairs the weld metal zone.
US07968805B2

A cable conduit system for a building frame structure having a bottom plate associated with each floor and a top plate associated with each ceiling. The system comprises a conduit stud and first and second header plates. The conduit stud has at least one cavity extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end. The first header plate is adapted to be fixedly mounted to an upper surface of the frame structure bottom plate and the second plate is adapted to be fixedly mounted to a lower surface of the frame structure top plate, respectively. The first end portion of the conduit stud is locked to the first header plate and the second end portion of the conduit stud is locked to the second header plate.
US07968795B2

An exemplary faceplate comprises a panel, a guiding ring and two hooks. The panel includes an inner surface and an opposite outer surface, on which a number of passageways are defined running through the inner and outer surface. The guiding ring is mounted on the inner surface of the panel around a corresponding passageway of the panel. The guiding ring defines a housing room therein that is aligned with and communicates with the corresponding passageway of the panel. Two hooks are separately mounted on the inner surface of the panel and being respectively adjacent to the guiding ring, and each hook includes a clasp formed on an end thereof and the clasp protrudes beyond the guiding ring. The height of the each hook with respect to the inner surface of the panel is higher than that of the adjacent guiding ring with respect to the inner surface.
US07968789B2

An apparatus for transmitting wide spectrum white light having a plurality of plastic optical fibers. The apparatus includes a sheath housing the plurality of fibers. An apparatus for providing energy in an airplane. The apparatus includes a light source which produces wide spectrum white light. The apparatus includes a cable through which the eye-safe and fire-safe light from the light source is transmitted. The apparatus includes an avionics box to which the cable is connected that is powered by the light transmitted by the cable. An apparatus for providing energy in an airplane. The apparatus includes means for producing energy that is eye-safe and fire safe. The apparatus includes an avionics box to which the producing means is connected that is powered by the energy form the producing means. A method for providing energy in an airplane. The method includes the steps of producing wide spectrum white light from a light source. There is the step of transmitting the eye-safe and fire-safe light from the light source through a cable. There is the step of powering an avionics box to which the cable is connected by the light transported by the cable.
US07968788B2

An electronic keyboard instrument in which the efficiency of sound emission is enhanced by preventing a soundboard portion having a large vibration amplitude from being hidden by a musical score plate to make sound emission of the soundboard to be hardly hindered by the musical score plate. A musical stand device is disposed rearward of a key-depression part of a keyboard and right above the soundboard, and has a musical score plate disposed close to and parallel to an upper surface of the soundboard when the musical score plate is in a fallen state. The soundboard is excited for sound production by transducers disposed on a lower surface of the soundboard. The transducers are disposed at positions where the transducers do not overlap, as viewed in plan, the musical score plate which is in the fallen state.
US07968783B2

Title information on music composition data recorded on a reproduction CD is acquired from a title information providing site and recorded on a recording MD together with composition data. A recording/reproducing apparatus (100) transmits TOC information acquired from the reproduction CD to a title information providing server (500) through a communication device (200), a wireless public communication network (WNET), a communication exchange (400), and the Internet (INET). The title information providing server (500) creates an inquiry code corresponding to the received TOC information and transmits it to a title information database (600). The title information database (600) sends a response code corresponding to the inquiry code as a reply to the title information providing server (500). The title information providing server (500) creates title information corresponding to the response code and transmits the title information to the recording/reproducing apparatus (100) through the devices and networks in the reverse direction to the direction in which the TOC information is transmitted. In the communication paths, the communication methods are converted for the respective devices.
US07968781B1

A resilient device for a drum pedal has a resilient member, an upper driven fastener, a lower driven fastener, a stationary fastener, an upper bearing, a connecting fastener and a lower bearing. The resilient member is connected between the upper and lower driven fasteners. The stationary fastener is connected pivotally to the upper driven fastener. The upper bearing is clamped between the stationary fastener and the upper driven fastener. The connecting fastener is connected pivotally to the lower driven fastener. The lower bearing is clamped between the connecting fastener and the lower driven fastener. The upper and lower bearings provide a reduction in friction between the elements so stepping on the pedal is easier and smoother and gives greater control.
US07968780B2

An apparatus is provided for maximizing the punch of any double membrane drum and simultaneously minimizing the ringing of the drum. An insert is provided having a body adapted to be slid into an opening formed in either the batter membrane or resonant membrane of the drum. The insert is held in contact with the membrane by one of several mounting techniques. The weight of the insert and the length and width of the body of the insert are sized in a manner to increase the “punch” of the drum and to minimize “ringing” of the drum. The insert may be retrofitted into an existing drum or attached to a batter head membrane or resonant membrane during original manufacture of the drum. The insert may be used with drum openings of any shape by making the cross-sectional shape of the insert conform to the shape of the drum opening.
US07968778B2

A combination of a capo with attached tuner having a sensor that picks up vibrations through the capo. The capo and tuner are connected together as a unitary accessory that is attachable along the neck of the guitar, in the manner of a conventional capo, but with the significant advantage of automatic and continuous visibility of the tuner display while tuning at a particular capo position and while pausing between songs.
US07968776B1

A novel maize variety designated PHHEN and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PHHEN with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PHHEN through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PHHEN or a trait conversion of PHHEN with another maize variety. Inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHHEN, methods for producing other inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHHEN and the inbred maize varieties and their parts derived by the use of those methods.
US07968775B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH652359. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH652359, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH652359 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH652359.
US07968754B2

The invention relates to a process for the continuous preparation of polyether alcohols by reaction of alkylene oxides with H-functional starter substances in the presence of DMC catalysts, which comprises, at the beginning of the process a) firstly placing initial charge material and DMC catalyst in a reactor, b) metering in alkylene oxide so that the metering rate which is maintained for continuous operation of the reactor is reached in a time of from 100 to 3000 seconds, c) metering in starter substance during or after step b) so that the metering rate which is maintained for continuous operation of the reactor is reached in a time of from 5 to 500 seconds, d) after the fill level in the reactor which is desired for continuous operation of the reactor has been reached, taking product off continuously from the reactor while at the same time metering in starter substance and alkylene oxides in such an amount that the fill level in the reactor remains constant and metering in DMC catalyst so that the catalyst concentration necessary for continuous operation of the reactor is maintained in the reactor.
US07968744B2

A method of imparting a physiological cooling effect to a consumer product is disclosed. The method comprises formulating into the consumer product a composition comprising at least one lactoyl ester of menthyl lactate. Also disclosed is a method of providing physiological cooling by contacting skin or mucous membranes with the lactoyl ester compositions. Coolants comprising the lactoyl esters and additional coolants are also disclosed. The lactoyl esters are conveniently prepared from menthol and lactic acid.
US07968743B2

A thiocarbonylthio compound and free radical polymerization employing the same. The thiocarbonylthio compound is represented by formula (I) or (II): wherein Z can be independently perfluoroalkyl, alkyl, haloalkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, haloalkylaryl, arylalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkylamino, alkoxy, alkoxyaryl, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfonylaryl, dialkylphosphinyl, or dialkylphosphinothioyl; R1 and R2 can be each independently hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkylamino, alkoxy or alkoxyaryl; R3 is alkyl, aryl, aminoalkyl, alkylamino, alkoxy or alkoxyaryl. Furthermore, R3 can also be alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, aminoalkyl, alkylamino, alkoxy, haloalkylaryl, alkylsilyl, alkylthio, alkylthioaryl, or substituent containing CN, CO, COOH, COOCH3 or heterocyclic moieties; and R4 is perfluoroalkyl. The thiocarbonylthio compound can be used as a reversible chain transfer agent in a free radical polymerization to obtain a polymer with a controlled molecular weight and narrow polydispersity.
US07968739B2

A method of electrochemically preparing a crystalline, porous, metal-organic framework material comprising at least one at least bidentate organic compound coordinately bound to at least one metal ion, in a reaction medium comprising the at least one bidentate organic compound, wherein at least one metal ion is provided in the reaction medium by the oxidation of one anode comprising the corresponding metal.
US07968735B2

The invention concerns novel 1,2-dioxetane derivatives of general formula (I) as defined in the description, capable of emitting a detectable luminescent signal, their use in a method for detecting and/or quantizing a physical, chemical or biological, in particular enzymatic, phenomenon, as well as a kit for implementing said method.
US07968733B2

To provide a pyrrolidine analogue having an inhibitory activity on the induction of allodynia, a method for producing the pyrrolidine analogue, and an agent for preventing a neurogenic pain.A pyrrolidine analogue which is a compound represented by the general formula (I) [wherein HOOC-φ represents an aromatic substituent having at least one carboxy group attached to the benzene ring] or a salt or ester of the compound. The compound has a potent inhibitory effect on the induction of allodynia.
US07968729B2

Methods useful for preparing compounds of formula I: and salts thereof are disclosed. Also disclosed are intermediates useful in the preparation of such compounds.
US07968727B2

4-bromomethyl-2′-formylbiphenyl and 4-bromomethyl-2′-hydroxymethylbiphenyl are useful starting material for the preparation various angiotenzin II antagonists, which are prepared from 4-bromomethyl-2′-cyanobiphenyl or 4′-bromomethylbiphenylcarboxyilic derivatives using selected hydride reagent.
US07968724B2

The invention provides inhibitors of the phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) enzyme. More particularly, the invention relates to compounds that are new ester derivatives, methods of preparing such compounds, compositions containing them, and therapeutic uses thereof.
US07968721B2

This invention relates to a process for preparing a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) compound represented by the structure of formula I: wherein X is O; and T, Z, Y, Q, R and R1 are defined herein. The process includes coupling between an amide of formula II and a phenol of formula III followed by a purification step consisting of precipitating the compound of formula (I) in a mixture of alcohol and water alone.
US07968718B2

A process is provided for preparing triazole substituted azaindoleoxoacetic piperazine derivative. Novel intermediates produced in the above process, and novel N-1 and amorphous forms of a 1,2,3-triazole substituted azaindoloxoacetic piperazine derivatives and processes for producing such novel forms are also provided.
US07968716B2

This invention provides novel caspase inhibitors of formula I: wherein R1 is hydrogen, CHN2, R, or —CH2Y; R is an aliphatic group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, a heterocyclyl group, or a heterocyclylalkyl group; Y is an electronegative leaving group; R2 is CO2H, CH2CO2H, or esters, amides or isosteres thereof; X2—X1 is N(R3)—C(R3), C(R3)2—C(R3), C(R3)2—N, N═C, C(R3)═C, C(═O)—N, or C(═O)—C(R3); each R3 is independently selected from hydrogen or C1-6 aliphatic; Ring C is a fused aryl ring; n is 0, 1 or 2; and each methylene carbon in Ring A is optionally and independently substituted by ═O, or one or more halogen, C1-4 alkyl, or C1-4 alkoxy. The compounds are useful for treating caspase-mediated diseases.
US07968712B2

The present invention refers to a process for the resolution into one of its enantiomers of the racemate of compound of formula (I): which comprises separating said one of its enantiomers from a diastereoisomeric salt of formula (II), which is formed by reaction of the racemic mixture with an optically active acetylated amino acid of formula (III). The invention also refers to new intermediates which are useful to carry out the process of the invention.
US07968708B2

Disclosed are compounds having the formula: wherein Z1 is an alkylene moiety; Q is a carboxylic acid derivative; and R1 and R2 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, hydroxycarbonyl, and alkoxycarbonyl or R1 and R2, taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bound, form a ring. Also disclosed are compounds having the formula: wherein Z1 is an alkylene moiety; Q is a carboxylic acid derivative; and R13 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aryl. The compounds can be used to modulate cell proliferation and/or apoptosis, for example, in the treatment of cancers and other proliferative diseases, disorders, and conditions.
US07968704B2

Disclosed is a method for producing polyalcohols in the form of sugar alcohols from the group comprising sorbitol and mannitol and other optional C2 to C6 polyols. According to said method, a monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide, or polysaccharide containing at least one glucose unit and/or at least one fructose unit is continuously reacted with hydrogen at an elevated temperature and at a great pressure in an aqueous phase in the presence of a hydrogenating catalyst based on ruthenium or ruthenium oxide so as to obtain the inventive polyalcohols. The minimum temperature is set at 100° C. while the minimum pressure is set at 150 bar and the maximum dwell time of the reactants during catalytic hydrogenation is set at 600 s. The inventive method is particularly suitable for producing the sugar alcohols sorbitol and/or mannitol or C2 to C6 polyols from glucose, fructose, or disaccharides, oligosaccharides, or polysaccharides containing glucose units or fructose units, especially saccharose, practically all the used saccharides being reacted without turning into caramel. Furthermore, the yield of said sugar alcohols or C2 to C6 polyols is exceptionally high while the selectivity for the desired products can be varied in a simple manner within broad boundaries.
US07968701B2

The present invention provides a polyribonucleoside ladder copolymer molecule of general formula (I)
US07968697B2

The creation of mutant hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4A genes encoding proteins with altered protease activity is disclosed. Embodiments include these NS3/4A genes, HCV peptides encoded by these nucleic acids, nucleic acids encoding these HCV peptides, antibodies directed to these peptides, compositions containing these nucleic acids and peptides, as well as methods of making and using these compositions including, but not limited to, diagnostics and medicaments for the treatment and prevention of HCV infection.
US07968695B2

The present invention provides the recombinant cloning and sequencing of two of the major Eimeria maxima gametocyte antigens having molecular weights of 56 and 82 kDa and the expression of these recombinant antigens in an E. coli expression system using the plasmid pTrcHis. The subject invention also provides a vaccine against coccidiosis comprising the recombinant 56 kDa or 82 kDa antigen. The subject invention also provides two 30 kDa proteins and three 14 kDa proteins from Eimeria maxima gametocytes having at the N-terminal end the amino acid sequence described herein. The subject invention also provides a vaccine against coccidiosis comprising the recombinant 56 kDa or 82 kDa antigen and any of the aforementioned proteins. Additionally, the subject invention also provides a method of immunizing a subject against infection by Eimeria tenella, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria necatrix, Eimeria praecox, Eimeria mitis or Eimeria brunetti, or a microorganism expressing an immunologically cross-reactive antigen, comprising the step of administering to the subject any of the aforementioned vaccines.
US07968676B2

A novel tumor antigen protein and gene therefor, tumor antigen peptides derived from said tumor antigen protein or derivatives thereof as well as medicaments, prophylactics, or diagnostics for tumors using such tumor substances in vitro or in vitro are provided.
US07968673B2

Polyazacrown polymers based on the azacrown monomer 1,4,7,10,13,16,21,24-octaazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosane (“H6Aza222”) are disclosed. Azacrown monomer units are preferably linked with a suitable linking agent, and the resulting polymers are can absorb mercury from a water stream and form a stable complex therewith. Methods of making and using the polyazacrown polymers are also disclosed. The polymers have a high absorption capacity for and selectivity towards mercury, which properties are useful for the remediation of mercury-contaminated water. The polymers can be regenerated by the efficient removal of the absorbed mercury. Further, the absorbed mercury that is liberated from the polyazacrown polymers can be effectively concentrated and captured to prevent its re-release into the environment.
US07968670B2

Disclosed is a polyimide resin, which is colorless and transparent and has superior properties, including mechanical properties and heat stability, and thus is usable in various fields, including semiconductor insulating films, TFT-LCD insulating films, transparent electrode films, passivation films, liquid crystal alignment layers, optical communication materials, protective films for solar cells, and flexible display substrates. Also, a liquid crystal alignment layer and a polyimide film using the polyimide resin are provided.
US07968659B2

Copolymers of ethylene and an alpha-olefin having (a) a density in the range 0.900-0.940 g/cm3, (b) a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) in the range 3.5 to 4.5, (c) a melt elastic modulus G′ (G″=500 Pa) in the range 40 to 150 Pa, (d) an activation energy of flow (Ea) in the range 28-45 kJ/mol, and (e) a melt index (g/10 ml) in the range 1.0-3.5. The copolymers are suitably prepared in the gas phase by use of a supported metallocene catalyst system. The copolymers show improved processability and are particular suitable for use in blown film applications.
US07968648B2

The invention provides polymer blends containing polyhydroxyamide and one or more flammable polymers. The polymer blends are flame retardant and have improved durability and heat stability compared to the flammable polymer portion of the blends. Articles containing the polymer blends are also provided.
US07968647B2

A method of synthesizing polyester toner resins comprises: polycondensing polycarboxylic acids, polyols and free fatty acids to form low molecular weight polyester resins with alkenyl group or hydroxyl group or a combination of both; wherein at least one of said polycarboxylic acids, said polyols or said free fatty acids derive from natural oils; crosslinking the polyester via alkenyl group with radical initiator and vinyl monomer or via hydroxyl group with diisocyanate to generate polyester of higher molecular weight and melting point; obtaining a first fraction with a molecular weight ranged between 3000 and 15000 and a second fraction with a molecular weight larger than 15000; and combining said first fraction with said second fraction to form said polyester toner resins.
US07968645B2

The invention relates to curable silicone compositions which contain silane based crosslinkers and a mixture of different organopolysiloxanes. The compositions are particularly suitable as curable impression materials in dental applications.
US07968643B2

The present invention relates to a graft copolymer for a transparent thermoplastic polyurethane resin prepared by graft copolymerization of (a) 50-85 weight % of rubber latex having a multi-layered structure composed of an inner layer and an outer layer comprising a conjugated diene monomer and an ethylenically unsaturated aromatic compound in which the refractive index of the inner layer is greater than that of the outer layer; and (b) 15-50 weight % of a C2-C20 vinyl monomer; a method for making same; and a thermoplastic polyurethane resin composition comprising same having excellent color properties, calendaring properties, low temperature impact strength and transparency.
US07968641B2

A polyurethane dispersion is prepared by reacting a hydroxy-functional sulfonated unsaturated alkyd with an isocyanate in the presence of one or more vinyl monomers to form a blend containing the vinyl monomers and a sulfonated polyurethane polymer containing ethylenic groups. The blend is dispersed in water and the vinyl monomers are reacted by free radical polymerization.
US07968630B2

The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having at least one component including a sulfur vulcanizable rubber composition, the rubber composition including at least one diene based rubber and at least one zinc porphyrin compound.
US07968617B2

The invention relates to a composition comprising an ethylenically unsaturated acidic compound, water, a functionalized silane, an initiator, optionally comprising a sensitising agent, a non-surface treated filler, optionally a solvent, optionally an ethylenically unsaturated compound, optionally additives selected from the group consisting of stabilizer(s), photobleachable colorant(s), fluoride release agent(s), pigments. The invention also relates to a process of producing such a composition by in-situ silanization of the non-surface treated filler.
US07968603B2

The present invention relates to solid forms of (S)-N-(4-cyano-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-3-(4-cyanophenoxy)-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanamide and process for producing the same.
US07968595B2

The present invention is directed to a substituted 4H-chromene represented by the Formula 1R, substantially free from the corresponding (S)-stereoisomer: The present invention also relates to the discovery that compound 1R, substantially free from the corresponding (S)-stereoisomer, is an activator of caspases and inducer of apoptosis, as well as an antivascular agent. Therefore, compound 1R, substantially free from the corresponding (S)-stereoisomer, can be used to induce cell death in a variety of clinical conditions in which uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells occurs. Compound 1R, substantially free from the corresponding (S)-stereoisomer, also can be used for the treatment of diseases due to overgrowth of vasculature, such as solid tumors and ocular neovascularization.
US07968584B2

This invention relates to a range of 1-aryl-4-cyclopropylpyrazoles in which the cyclopropyl ring is substituted at the angular position, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof, to compositions comprising such compounds, processes to their synthesis and their use as parasiticides.
US07968580B2

The present invention is directed to novel imidazolidin-2-one derivatives having a structure according to Formula I wherein a, b, R1, R2, R3, and R4 are as defined above, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in the treatment of disorders and conditions modulated by the androgen receptor.
US07968576B2

This invention relates to certain aryl alkyl acid compounds, compositions, and methods for treating or preventing obesity and related diseases.
US07968557B2

The invention provides a novel class of compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and methods of using such compounds to treat or prevent diseases or disorders associated with abnormal or deregulated kinase activity, particularly diseases or disorders that involve abnormal activation of the FAK, Abl, BCR-Abl, PDGF-R, c-Kit, NPM-ALK, Flt-3, JAK2 and c-Met kinases.
US07968552B2

A compound which can be used as a pharmaceutical, particularly a insulin secretion promoter or a agent for preventing/treating disease in which GPR40 is concerned such as diabetes or the like, is provided.It was found that an oxadiazolidinedione compound which is characterized by the possession of a benzyl or the like substituent binding to the cyclic group via a linker at the 2-position of the oxadiazolidinedione ring, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has excellent GPR40 agonist action. In addition, since the oxadiazolidinedione compound of the present invention showed excellent insulin secretion promoting action and blood glucose level-lowering action, it is useful as an insulin secretion promoter or an agent for preventing/treating diabetes.
US07968550B2

The invention relates to substituted N-aryl heterocycles and to the physiologically tolerated salts and physiologically functional derivatives thereof.Compounds of the formula I in which the radicals have the stated meanings the N-oxides and the physiologically tolerated salts thereof and process for the preparation thereof are described. The compounds are suitable for example as anorectic agents.
US07968545B2

The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of voltage-gated sodium channels. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising the compounds of the invention and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disorders.
US07968543B2

Provided herein are methods of administering N-(5-tert-butyl-isoxazol-3-yl)-N′-{4-[7-(2-morpholin-4-yl-ethoxy)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazol-2-yl]phenyl}urea, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, to human patients. Specifically, dosing, dosing schedules or dosing regimens are provided herein. Further, pharmaceutical formulations are provided. Methods of treating proliferative diseases or FLT-3 mediated diseases in humans are also provided.
US07968540B2

Compounds of formula I: (wherein variables A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, B1, B2, B3, B4, D1, D2, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, G1, G2, R6, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z are as described herein) which are antagonists of CGRP receptors and which are useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the CGRP is involved, such as migraine. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which CGRP is involved.
US07968537B2

The present invention relates to a pyrimidine compound of the formula (I): wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom or C1-C4 alkyl; R2 represents C3-C7 alkynyloxy; R3 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom or C1-C3 alkyl; X represents C6 polymethylene, in which a CH2—CH2 may be replaced with a CH═CH, optionally substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, trifluoromethyl and C1-C4 alkyls. This pyrimidine compound has an excellent activity of controlling pests.
US07968534B2

The present invention is directed to a compound of formula (I): wherein Ar1, Ar2, Ar3, R1 and T are as defined herein, its preparation, pharmaceutical composition and uses as orexin 2 receptor antagonist.
US07968531B2

The invention relates to the use of 2,5-dihydroxybenzenesulfonic acid in the production of medicaments for the treatment of angiodependent diseases. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of the aforesaid compound and, in particular, the calcium and potassium salts thereof, for the treatment of two angiodependent diseases, which present a reduction in the apoptosis, namely cancer and psoriasis. The invention also discloses the antiproliferative, antimigratory, antiangiogenic and proapoptotic capacity of said family of compounds in non-quiescent cells. In addition, the invention details the potentiating effect of said compounds on known cytostatic medicines in the treatment of tumours and, specifically, on gliomas. The invention further relates to the therapeutic efficacy of said compounds, based on the combined antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and proapoptotic capacities thereof, in the treatment of chronic psoriatic plaques.
US07968524B2

The present invention provides methods for screening a pharmaceutical agent for its ability to modulate long term memory formation, performance of a hippocampal-dependent cognitive task or Gpr12 function. The present invention also provides methods for modulating long term memory formation or performance of a hippocampal-dependent cognitive task by modulating Gpr12-dependent protein expression. The present invention further provides methods for treating a defect in long term memory formation by inhibiting Gpr12 function and methods for treating a defect in performance of a hippocampal-dependent cognitive task by inhibiting Gpr12 function.
US07968521B2

A stable and high-purity protected pseudouridine in crystal form is provided represented by the following structural formula: wherein M represents a trityl group or a derivative thereof, which is a useful material for producing an RNA oligomer or a similar substance. A method for producing the crystalline protected pseudouridine is also provided, which method includes crystallizing a protected pseudouridine from a solution containing the protected pseudouridine, by use of an ester solvent and/or an alcoholic solvent. The method, which does not need a silica gel column treatment, can be performed in a simple manner, does not impose a load on the environment, and realizes low-cost production of a target crystalline protected pseudouridine.
US07968517B2

The present invention provides a method for preventing or treating opiate tolerance and dependence by administering to an individual in need of such treatment with a pharmaceutically effective amount of a blocking reagent for ephrinB-EphB signaling. The opiate tolerance and dependence can be caused by chronic morphine treatment and withdrawal. The blocking reagent can be an EphB receptor blocker such as EphB1-Fc and EphB2-Fc.
US07968516B2

Described herein are compounds and methods for treating or preventing a neurologic, otologic, or ophthalmologic disease in a subject. Also described herein are compounds that can be used as therapeutics.
US07968515B2

Protein S is a significant neuroprotectant when administered after focal ischemic stroke and prevents hypoxic/re-oxygenation injury. Purified human plasma-derived or recombinant protein S improves motor neurological function after stroke, and reduced brain infarction and edema. Protein S also enhances post-ischemic reperfusion and reduced brain fibrin and neutrophil deposition. Cortical neurons are protected from hypoxia/re-oxygenation-induced apoptosis. Thus, protein S and variants thereof are prototypes of a class of agents for preventing injury of the nervous system. In particular, a disease or other pathological condition (e.g., stroke) may be treated with such agents having one or more protein S activities (e.g., anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory activities, direct cellular neuronal protective effects) although the latter activities are not be required.
US07968508B2

Washing and cleaning agents containing benzophenone or benzole anilide derivatives containing carboxyl groups, which function as protease inhibitors and are suitable as enzyme stabilizers. Additional subjects are the use of such compounds as reversible inhibitors of a protease and consequently for a washing or cleaning agent formulation, and additional methods and uses relating thereto.
US07968507B2

The present invention provides a stripping composition and a stripping method capable of easily stripping a color resist or an organic insulating film formed on a substrate to reuse the substrate when defects are found during a process of forming the color filter or organic insulating film on the substrate. In one embodiment, the stripping composition includes about 0.5 to about 45 wt % of hydroxide compound, about 10 to about 89 wt % of alkyleneglycolalkylether compound, about 5 to about 45 wt % of alkanolamine compound, and about 0.01 to about 5 wt % of inorganic salt compound. Advantageously, the stripping process can be performed without damaging a thin film transistor of a bottom substrate while removing the color resist or organic insulating film.
US07968501B2

A delayed crosslinker system useful in downhole treatment fluids is disclosed. The crosslinker system comprises water-reactive solids, a non-aqueous, non-oily, hygroscopic liquid, a suspension aid, and an optional polyol. The crosslinker system may be prepared at a remote location and transported to the site of its intended use. There it may be pumped into a formation and activated when a gel fluid is introduced into the wellbore, only then forming a high viscosity treatment fluid. Thus, the amount of energy required for pumping is reduced. The optional polyol component increases crosslink delay and enhances the rate of viscosity after high shear (shear recovery).
US07968496B2

A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, containing, on a support, at least one receptor layer containing a matting agent, in which average particle diameter of the matting agent is in the range of from 50% to 200% of the thickness of the receptor layer, and the receptor layer contains a releasing agent; a producing method thereof; and an image-forming method using the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet.
US07968495B2

A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet having, on a support, at least one receptor layer containing a latex polymer, and at least one heat insulation layer containing hollow polymer particles, in which the latex polymer has an average particle diameter of 0.05 to 0.5 μm; and a producing method of the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet.
US07968492B2

Low temperature activity and high temperature ammonia selectivity of a vanadium-free selective catalytic reduction catalyst are controlled with a mixed oxide support containing oxides of titanium and zirconium, and a plurality of alternating layers respectively formed of a metal compound and titanium oxide present on the surface of the mixed oxide support. The metal compound is selected from the group consisting of manganese oxide, iron oxide, cerium oxide, tin oxide, and mixtures thereof.
US07968489B2

A new method for preparing a supported catalyst is herein provided. Carbon nanotubes are functionalized by contacting them with an oxidizing agent to form functionalized carbon nanotubes. A metal catalyst is then loaded or deposited onto the functionalized carbon nanotubes. The mixture is then extruded to form the supported catalyst comprising a carbon nanotube structure containing metal catalyst more evenly dispersed within the internal structure of the carbon nanotube structure.
US07968473B2

A plasma enhanced physical vapor deposition process deposits an amorphous carbon layer on an ion-implanted wafer for use in dynamic surface annealing of the wafer with an intense line beam of a laser wavelength. The deposition process is carried out at a wafer temperature below the dopant clustering threshold temperature, and includes introducing the wafer into a chamber having a carbon-containing target overlying the wafer, and furnishing a carrier gas into the chamber. The process further includes generating a wafer bias voltage and applying target source power to the carbon-containing target sufficient to produce ion bombardment of the carbon-containing target. The wafer bias voltage is set to a level at which the amorphous carbon layer that is deposited has a desired extinction coefficient at the laser wavelength.
US07968470B2

A nitriding process is performed at a process temperature of 500° C. or more by causing microwave-excited high-density plasma of a nitrogen-containing gas to act on silicon in the surface of a target object, inside a process container of a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma is generated by supplying microwaves into the process container from a planar antenna having a plurality of slots.
US07968462B1

Processes for minimizing contact resistance when using nickel silicide (NiSi) and other similar contact materials are described. These processes include optimizing silicide surface cleaning, silicide surface passivation against oxidation and techniques for diffusion barrier/catalyst layer deposition. Additionally, processes for generating a noble metal (for example platinum, iridium, rhenium, ruthenium, and alloys thereof) activation layer that enables the electroless barrier layer deposition on a NiSi-based contact material are described. The processes may be employed when using NiSi-based materials in other end products. The processes may be employed on silicon-based materials.
US07968458B2

A production process for making an electronic circuit substrate comprising: a patterning step of forming a respectively anodically oxidizable conductor pattern and distribution pattern connected to the conductor pattern on a substrate; and an anodic oxidation step of generating an oxide film from the conductor pattern and the distribution pattern by contacting an electrolyte solution with the conductor pattern and the distribution pattern and carrying out anodic oxidation while applying current thereto, the patterns serving as anodes, wherein the width or film thickness of the distribution pattern is at least partially set so that an insulator portion is formed in the anodic oxidation step in which an oxide film formed on one of the side walls of the distribution pattern is integrated with an oxide film formed on the other side wall.
US07968450B2

Methods for fabricating a hybrid interconnect structure that possesses a higher interconnect capacitance in one set of regions than in other regions on the same microelectronic chip. Several methods to fabricate such a structure are provided. Circuit implementations of such hybrid interconnect structures are described that enable increased static noise margin and reduce the leakage in SRAM cells and common power supply voltages for SRAM and logic in such a chip. Methods that enable combining these circuit benefits with higher interconnect performance speed and superior mechanical robustness in such chips are also taught.
US07968441B2

A method and apparatus for forming a semiconductor device. A semiconductor substrate is implanted with dopants. The substrate is subjected to a cleaning process employing electrically neutral nitrogen and fluorine radicals to produce an oxygen-free surface having dangling bonds. Before any further exposure to oxidizing gases, the substrate is annealed by thermal treatment to activate and distribute the dopants. A gate oxide layer is formed over the annealed surface. The apparatus performs all such treatments without breaking vacuum.
US07968440B2

Described herein are processing conditions, techniques, and methods for preparation of ultra-shallow semiconductor junctions. Methods described herein utilize semiconductor surface processing or modification to limit the extent of dopant diffusion under annealing conditions (e.g. temperature ramp rates between 100 and 5000° C./second) previously thought impractical for the preparation of ultra-shallow semiconductor junctions. Also described herein are techniques for preparation of ultra-shallow semiconductor junctions utilizing the presence of a solid interface for control of dopant diffusion and activation.
US07968435B1

A semiconductor device and method are being disclosed. The semiconductor device discloses an InAs layer, a plurality of group III-V ternary layers supported by the InAs layer, and a plurality of group III-V quarternary layers supported by the InAs layer, wherein the group III-V ternary layers are separated from each other by a single group III-V quarternary layer. The method discloses providing an InAs layer, growing a plurality of group III-V ternary layers, and growing a plurality of group III-V quarternary layers, wherein the group III-V ternary layers are separated from each other by a single group III-V quarternary layer and are supported by the InAs layer.
US07968433B2

Methods of fabricating nanowire structures and nanodevices are provided. The methods involve photolithographically depositing a nucleation center on a crystalline surface of a substrate, generating a nanoscale seed from the nucleation center, and epitaxially growing a nanowire across at least a portion of the crystalline surface starting at a nucleation site where the nanoscale seed is located.
US07968431B2

The present disclosure provides a method of making an integrated circuit (IC) device. The method includes forming a first IC feature and a second IC feature in a semiconductor substrate, the first and second IC features being spaced from each other and separated by a scribe region; forming, in the semiconductor substrate, a doped routing feature at least partially within the scribe region and configured to connect the first and second IC features; forming a multilayer interconnect (MLI) structure and an interlayer dielectric (ILD) on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the MLI is configured to be absent within the scribe region; and etching the ILD and the semiconductor substrate within the scribe region to form a scribe-line trench.
US07968429B2

A semiconductor photodetector device (PD1) comprises a multilayer structure (LS1) and a glass substrate (1) optically transparent to incident light. The multilayer structure includes an etching stop layer (2), an n-type high-concentration carrier layer (3), an n-type light-absorbing layer (5), and an n-type cap layer (7) which are laminated. A photodetecting region (9) is formed near a first main face (101) of the multilayer structure, whereas a first electrode (21) is provided on the first main face. A second electrode (27) and a third electrode (31) are provided on a second main face (102). A film (10) covering the photodetecting region and first electrode is formed on the first main face. A glass substrate (1) is secured to the front face (10a) of this film.
US07968428B2

When a semiconductor wafer is formed to be thin, steps need to be taken to prevent warping of the wafer. For this purpose, a protective tape is affixed to a surface of the semiconductor wafer, and a back side of the semiconductor wafer is then ground to a predetermined thickness. A die bonding film is affixed to the back side of the semiconductor wafer, and a dicing tape is affixed on the die bonding film. The dicing tape that is affixed to the semiconductor wafer is held by a holding jig. The protective tape is peeled off from the wafer surface and the die bonding film is heated to improve the adherence between the semiconductor wafer and the die bonding film. The semiconductor wafer is subjected to dicing for separation into individual semiconductor chips. The semiconductor chips are then die-bonded in a predetermined number onto a wiring substrate to fabricate a semiconductor device.
US07968416B2

An integrated circuit arrangement and fabrication method is provided. The integrated circuit arrangement contains an NPN transistor and a PNP transistor. The PNP transistor contains an emitter connection region and a cutout. The cutout delimits the width of the emitter connection region. The electrically conductive material of the connection region laterally overlaps the cutout.
US07968414B2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed that is able to suppress a short channel effect and improve carrier mobility. In the method, trenches are formed in a silicon substrate corresponding to a source region and a drain region. When epitaxially growing p-type semiconductor mixed crystal layers to fill up the trenches, the surfaces of the trenches are demarcated by facets, and extended portions of the semiconductor mixed crystal layers are formed between bottom surfaces of second side wall insulating films and a surface of the silicon substrate, and extended portion are in contact with a source extension region and a drain extension region.
US07968413B2

Methods are provided for depositing materials in forming semiconductor devices on a substrate, such as metal oxide transistors. In one embodiment, the invention generally provides a method of processing a substrate including forming a gate dielectric on a substrate having a first conductivity, forming a gate electrode on the gate dielectric, forming a first pair of sidewall spacers along laterally opposite sidewalls of the gate electrode, etching a pair of source/drain region definitions on opposite sides of the electrode, depositing a silicon-germanium material selectively in the source/drain region definitions, and implanting a dopant in the deposited silicon-germanium material to form a source/drain region having a second conductivity.
US07968410B2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a first polysilicon layer having a first thickness in a peripheral circuit region formed on a substrate; forming a stack structure comprising a first tunneling insulating layer, a charge trap layer, and a blocking insulating layer in a memory cell region formed on the substrate; forming a second polysilicon layer having a second thickness that is less than the first thickness on the blocking insulating layer; and forming gate electrodes by siliciding the first and second polysilicon layers.
US07968407B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor memory device, the method including forming a tunnel insulation layer on a substrate, forming a preliminary charge trapping layer on the tunnel insulation layer, forming an etch stop layer on the preliminary charge trapping layer, wherein a portion of the preliminary charge trapping layer is not covered by the etch stop layer, removing the exposed portion of the preliminary charge trapping layer to form a charge trapping layer having a uniform thickness, forming a dielectric layer on the charge trapping layer, and forming a gate electrode on the dielectric layer.
US07968403B2

A method and structure are disclosed that are advantageous for aligning a contact plug within a bit line contact corridor (BLCC) to an active area of a DRAM that utilizes an insulated sleeve structure. A sleeve insulator layer is deposited in an opening to protect one or more conductor layers from conductive contacts formed in the opening. The sleeve insulator layer electrically insulates a conductive plug from the conductor layer and self-aligns the BLCC so as to improve contact plug alignment tolerances between the BLCC and the capacitor or conductive components.
US07968402B2

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a memory cell. In various embodiments, the memory cell includes an access transistor having a floating node, and a diode connected between the floating node and a diode reference potential line. The diode includes an anode, a cathode, and an intrinsic region between the anode and the cathode. A charge representative of a memory state of the memory cell is held across the intrinsic region of the diode. In various embodiments, the memory cell is implemented in bulk semiconductor technology. In various embodiments, the memory cell is implemented in semiconductor-on-insulator technology. In various embodiments, the diode is gate-controlled. In various embodiments, the diode is charge enhanced by an intentionally generated charge in a floating body of an SOI access transistor. Various embodiments include laterally-oriented diodes (stacked and planar configurations), and various embodiments include vertically-oriented diodes. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US07968401B2

A method of plasma immersion ion implantation of a workpiece having a photoresist mask on its top surface prevents photoresist failure from carbonization of the photoresist. The method includes performing successive ion implantation sub-steps, each of the ion implantation sub-steps having a time duration over which only a fractional top portion of the photoresist layer is damaged by ion implantation. After each one of the successive ion implantation sub-steps, the fractional top portion of the photoresist is removed while leaving the remaining portion of the photoresist layer in place by performing an ashing sub-step. The number of the successive ion implantation sub-steps is sufficient to reach a predetermined ion implantation dose in the workpiece.
US07968395B2

A method for reducing contact to gate shorts in a semiconductor device and the resulting semiconductor device are described. In one embodiment, a gate is formed on a substrate, a contact is formed on the gate and the substrate, and an insulator is formed between the gate and the contact. The insulator may be formed by oxidizing the gate to form a dielectric between the contact and the gate after the contact is formed on the gate.
US07968385B2

A thin film transistor panel includes; an insulating substrate, a gate line including a gate electrode disposed on the insulating substrate, a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode, a semiconductor layer disposed on the gate insulating layer, the semiconductor layer including a sidewall, a data line including a source electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer, a drain electrode disposed substantially opposite to and spaced apart from the source electrode, a first protective film disposed on the data line, the first protective film including a sidewall, a second protective film disposed on the first protective film and including a sidewall, and a pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode, wherein the sidewall of the second protective film is disposed inside an area where the sidewall of the first protective film is disposed, and the source electrode and the drain electrode cover the sidewall of the semiconductor layer.
US07968379B2

A method for the separation of multiple dies during semiconductor fabrication is described. On an upper surface of a semiconductor wafer containing multiple dies, metal layers are deposited everywhere except where a block of stop electroplating material exists. The stop electroplating material is obliterated, and a barrier layer is formed above the entire remaining structure. A sacrificial metal element is added above the barrier layer, and then the substrate is removed. After the semiconductor material between the individual dies is eradicated, any desired bonding pads and patterned circuitry are added to the semiconductor surface opposite the sacrificial metal element, a passivation layer is added to this surface, and then the sacrificial metal element is removed. Tape is added to the now exposed barrier layer, the passivation layer is removed, the resulting structure is flipped over, and the tape is expanded to separate the individual dies.
US07968378B2

One embodiment provides a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices. For example, a sawn and expanded wafer is utilized having dielectrical material deposited between the diced and deposited chips. The method includes placing at least two chips on a metallic layer, depositing mold material on the metallic layer and between the chips, and selectively removing a portion of the mold material from the metallic layer to selectively expose a portion of the metallic layer. The method additionally includes covering the selectively exposed portion of the metallic layer with a conductive material, and singulating the at least two chips.
US07968358B2

A method of manufacturing an imaging array includes providing a silicon tile having a first surface and a second, opposite surface. A buried dielectric layer is formed in the silicon tile between the first and second surfaces to define a bottom silicon layer between the first surface and the dielectric layer. A separation boundary is formed in the silicon tile between the second surface and the dielectric layer to define a top silicon layer between the dielectric layer and the separation boundary and a removable silicon layer between the separation boundary and the second surface. An oxide layer is formed on the first surface of the silicon tile and the silicon tile is bonded to a glass substrate at the oxide layer. The silicon tile is separated at the separation boundary to remove the removable silicon layer, exposing the top silicon layer. Semiconductive elements are formed using the exposed top silicon layer.
US07968355B2

The present invention is directed to a vertical-type luminous device and high through-put methods of manufacturing the luminous device. These luminous devices can be utilized in a variety of luminous packages, which can be placed in luminous systems. The luminous devices are designed to maximize light emitting efficiency and/or thermal dissipation. Other improvements include an embedded zener diode to protect against harmful reverse bias voltages.
US07968343B2

A chemical sensor including a substrate having at least two faces, at least one of the faces being covered by a thin film that includes a sensitive material, and a means for measuring a change in a physical property of the sensitive material; and, methods of detecting the presence of a nitro compound with the chemical sensor.
US07968342B2

Cells producing mutant phytases having modified activity are provided, as well as the phytases so produced. Also provided are methods of making and producing such phytases and the use of the expressed phytase protein in feed as a supplement.
US07968334B2

Methods and compositions for generating novel nucleic acid molecules through targeted spliceosome mediated RNA trans-splicing that result in expression of a apoAI protein, an apoAI variant, the preferred embodiment referred to herein as the apoAI Milano variant, a pre-pro-apoAI or an analogue of apoAI. The methods and compositions include pre-trans-splicing molecules (PTMs) designed to interact with a target precursor messenger RNA molecule (target pre-mRNA) and mediate a trans-splicing reaction resulting in the generation of a novel chimeric RNA molecule (chimeric RNA) capable of encoding apoAI, the apoAI Milano variant, or an analogue of apoAI. The expression of this apoAI protein results in protection against vascular disorders resulting from plaque build up, i.e., atherosclerosis, strokes and heart attacks.
US07968330B2

The present application includes a culture chamber, an observation chamber having an optical system of observation to observe samples to be cultured in the culture chamber, and a movement stage provided at a boundary which separates the culture chamber and the observation chamber, functioning as a wall to maintain an environment of both of the chambers, bearing the samples, and moving the samples on a light axis of observation of the optical system of observation. Due to such an arrangement, a culture observation equipment which has good response and excellent environmental resistance can be achieved, preventing problems such as the overall size of the device became large, maintenance work was difficult, and device cost became expensive.
US07968329B2

A method of yielding a functional human hybrid coronary bypass graft is provided. The method includes conditioning a hybrid synthetic tubular structure having stem cells and/or endothelial cells on at least one surface to yield the functional human hybrid coronary bypass graft. Specifically, the method includes placing the hybrid synthetic tubular structure in a system capable of producing three dimensional dynamic conditions for a sufficient time to yield said functional human hybrid coronary bypass graft.
US07968324B2

Helicobacter based preparations comprising a pharmacologically active molecule of interest are disclosed, as well as methods of preparing and using said preparations. In particular, Helicobacter pylori vectors, vector plasmids and recombinant cells that include a sequence encoding a pharmacologically active molecule of interest useful in therapeutic treatments and/or vaccination against disease are provided. Delivery of the pharmacologically active molecules is provided at the mucosal surface, such as the gastric mucosa or nasal membranes, to provide effective and continuous delivery of a pharmacologically active agent. Vectors and shuttle vector constructs are also provided.
US07968320B2

The present invention relates to a novel stabilized liquid yeast preparation which contains a polyhydroxy compound, preferably glycerol, and a gum, comprising carob, guar, tragacanth, arabic or xanthan gum, preferably xanthan gum. The invention also relates to a method for producing said preparation as well as the use of the same.
US07968317B2

This invention provides methods for detecting the presence of malignant or premalignant cells, or trophoblastic cells in a human wherein the malignant, premalignant or trophoblastic cells express 5T4. The methods of the invention detect 5T4 RNA in blood, blood plasma, serum, and other bodily fluids. The inventive methods are useful for detection, diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, or evaluation of neoplastic disease, and for the detection and evaluation of placental tissue in pregnant women.
US07968308B2

The invention is drawn to a method of isolating human antibodies.
US07968306B2

Methods of measuring the SFA and sPLA2 activities in a mammalian subject are provided. The methods include: providing a substrate comprising a fluorescently labeled carboxylic acid and a negatively charged phospholipid in an organic solvent such as ethanol, mixing the substrate with phospholipase A2 and a biological sample from the subject, and detecting the fluorescence intensity change to determine the SFA and sPLA2 activity in the sample. A decrease in SFA activity in the test sample as compared to the SFA activity in the control sample indicates that the subject has developed or is about to develop inflammation. An increase in sPLA2 activity in the test sample as compared to the sPLA2 activity in the control sample indicates that the subject has developed or is about to develop inflammation. Further disclosed is a kit for practicing the above methods.
US07968288B1

Disclosed are a method, device kit, and automated system for simple, reproducible, and high-throughput quantification of mRNA from whole blood. More particularly, the method, device, kit and automated system involve combinations of leukocyte filters attached to oligo(dT)-immobilized multi-well plates.
US07968287B2

The invention describes a method for isolating one or more genetic elements encoding a gene product having a desired activity, comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalising genetic elements into microcapsules; and (b) sorting the genetic elements which express the gene product having the desired activity; wherein at least one step is under microfluidic control. The invention enables the in vitro evolution of nucleic acids and proteins by repeated mutagenesis and iterative applications of the method of the invention.
US07968286B2

Described are of recombinant adenoviral vectors in vaccination regimens, such as prime/boost set-ups and subsequent vaccinations and applications for gene therapy. Moreover, described are assays to determine the best regimen for applying the most suitable recombinant viral vector in a vaccination or gene therapy setting.
US07968280B2

The invention provides methods and compositions for the detection and/or quantification of a Gram positive bacterial contaminant in a sample. In particular, the invention provides hemocyte-based preparations, methods of making such hemocyte-based preparations, and methods of using such hemocyte-based preparations for the detection and/or quantification of the Gram positive bacterial contaminant.
US07968277B2

A photolithographic method uses different exposure patterns. In one aspect, a photo-sensitive layer on a substrate is subject to a first exposure using optics having a first exposure pattern, such as an x-dipole pattern, followed by exposure using optics having a second exposure pattern, such as a y-dipole pattern, via the same mask, and with the photo-sensitive layer fixed relative to the mask. A 2-D post pattern with a pitch of approximately 70-150 nm may be formed in a layer beneath the photo-sensitive layer using 157-193 nm UV light, and hyper-numerical aperture optics, in one approach. In another aspect, hard baking is performed after both of the first and second exposures to erase a memory effect of photoresist after the first exposure. In another aspect, etching of a hard mask beneath the photo-sensitive layer is performed after both of the first and second exposures.
US07968275B2

A photoresist composition for immersion lithography and a method of forming a photoresist pattern using the photoresist composition are disclosed. The photoresist composition includes a photosensitive polymer including a cycloaliphatic group blocked with at least two cyclic acetal groups as a side chain, a photoacid generator and an organic solvent. The hydrophobic photoresist composition may be changed into the hydrophilic photoresist composition by an exposure process. Thus, before the exposure process, the photoresist composition may be insoluble in a liquid for the immersion lithography. After the exposure process, an exposure portion of a photoresist film formed using the photoresist composition may be effectively dissolved in a developing solution to form a uniform photoresist pattern.
US07968273B2

Methods for forming or patterning nanostructure arrays are provided. The methods involve formation of arrays on coatings comprising nanostructure association groups, formation of arrays in spin-on-dielectrics, solvent annealing after nanostructure deposition, patterning using resist, and/or use of devices that facilitate array formation. Related devices for forming nanostructure arrays are also provided, as are devices including nanostructure arrays (e.g., memory devices). Methods for protecting nanostructures from fusion during high temperature processing are also provided.
US07968264B2

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate; and a photosensitive layer that includes a phthalocyanine pigment, a charge-transporting substance and at least one kind of lignophenol derivative.
US07968263B2

A photoconductor that includes, for example, a supporting substrate, a photogenerating layer, and at least one charge transport layer comprised of at least one charge transport component, and wherein the photogenerating layer contains an amine phosphate.
US07968255B2

A photomask which improves the imaging performance that the photomask has and forming a good micro image on a wafer in photolithography with a half pitch of 60 nm or less. Provided is a photomask used for photolithography using an ArF excimer laser as an exposing source for immersion exposure by quadrupole-polarized illumination with a high-NA lens. The photomask includes a mask pattern of a light shielding film or semi-transparent film on a transparent substrate, and further, given that a thickness of the light shielding film or semi-transparent film is “t” nm, a refractive index is “n”, an extinction factor is “k”, and a bias of a space part of the mask pattern is “d” nm, when “t”, “d”, “n” and “k” are adjusted and the photomask is used for the photolithography, optical image contrast takes a value exceeding 0.580.
US07968254B2

A photomask reticle for use in projection exposure to form a resist pattern on a workable film formed over a semiconductor substrate, includes a first area in which a light shield is formed, a second area formed around said first area, a third area formed around said second area; and a fourth area formed around said third area, the areas being formed over a substrate, a relationship between transmissivities of said areas being second area transmissivity>fourth area transmissivity>third area transmissivity>first area transmissivity.
US07968248B2

The invention disclosed herein relates to fuel cell electrode pair assemblies, not having interposing proton exchange membranes, configured to receive and react with liquid anolyte and liquid catholyte microfluidic flowstreams. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a fuel cell electrode pair assembly, not having an interposing proton exchange membrane, configured to receive and react with a liquid microfluidic anolyte flowstream (e.g., laminarly flowing methanol solution) and a liquid microfluidic catholyte flowstream (e.g., laminarly flowing nitric acid solution), wherein the fuel cell electrode pair assembly comprises: a porous flow-through anode; a porous flow-by cathode confronting and spaced apart from the anode; and a central plenum interposed between and connected to the anode and the cathode.
US07968239B2

A fuel cell system (1, 100) adapted to be installed on a moving object (V) is provided with an electric power generating element (31, 45) including a fuel cell (31) supplied with fuel gas and oxidizing gas to generate electric power, a warm-up mechanism (21 to 23, 32 to 39, 41 to 50′) enabled to achieve warm up of the electric power generating element, and a controller (13), in response to reception of a control signal transmitted from an external remote operator unit (3) and commanding a start-up completion time at which start-up of the fuel cell system is to be completed through the warm-up of the electric power generating element, controlling the warm-up mechanism to allow the warm-up of at least the electric power generating element to be completed in alignment with the start-up completion time.
US07968230B2

A lithium/iron disulfide electrochemical battery cell with a high discharge capacity. The cell has a lithium negative electrode, an iron disulfide positive electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode mixture containing the iron disulfide contains highly packed solid materials, with little space around the solid particles, to provide a high concentration of iron disulfide within the mixture. The separator is thin, to allow more space within the cell for active materials, yet strong enough to prevent short circuits between the positive and negative electrodes under abusive conditions, even when swelling of the cathode during cell discharge places additional stressed on the separator. As a result, the ratio of the interfacial capacity of the positive electrode to the electrode interfacial volume is high, as is the actual capacity on low rate/low power and high rate/high power discharge.
US07968228B2

A secondary battery including an electrode assembly having a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator being wound together, a can for receiving the electrode assembly; the can having an opening. A cap assembly includes a cap plate having an electrolyte injection hole, the cap assembly sealing the opening of the can. A lead plate is welded to an exterior-facing surface of the cap plate so as to cover the electrolyte injection hole and a protection circuit board is electrically coupled to the cap assembly. At least one positioning member is located to be aligned with at least one edge of the lead plate, the at least one positioning member defining a region for receiving the lead plate.
US07968224B2

An electrochemical cell sub-assembly and a method for manufacturing same. The electrochemical cell sub-assembly includes a current collector sheet having a pair of opposite surfaces and a pair of opposite edges, each surface being coated with a respective layer of electrode material. A layer of polymer electrolyte envelopes both layers of electrode material and one of the pair of edges of the current collector sheet, thereby encapsulating the one edge of the current collector sheet while leaving exposed the other edge of the current collector sheet.
US07968219B1

A magnetic disk includes a substrate, a soft magnetic underlayer disposed over the substrate, and a media layer disposed over the underlayer. The underlayer includes a first plurality of layers each containing NiFe having an atomic concentration of iron that is at least about thirty percent. The underlayer further includes a second plurality of layers that is interleaved with the first plurality of layers. The second plurality of layers each contain FeCoN having an atomic concentration of iron that is greater than an atomic concentration of cobalt, and having an atomic concentration of nitrogen that is less than the atomic concentration of cobalt. The atomic concentration of nitrogen is less than eight percent. The media layer contains a magnetically hard material having an easy axis of magnetization oriented substantially perpendicular to both the media layer and the underlayer.
US07968215B2

An OLED device including a cathode, an anode, and having therebetween a light-emitting layer and further comprising a first layer between the light-emitting layer and the cathode containing a cyclobutene compound comprising a cyclobutene nucleus substituted in the 1-position with a five- or six-membered heteroaromatic ring group containing at least one trivalent nitrogen atom; substituted in the 2-position with an aromatic ring group; and substituted with a first methylene group in the 3-position and a second methylene group in the 4-position, provided said first and second methylene groups are further disubstituted in the 1′,1′-positions and the 1″,1″-positions with independently selected aromatic groups.
US07968213B2

A material for organic electroluminescence devices of the invention which is for use in combination with at least one phosphorescent metal complex has a specific heterocyclic structure. The material for organic electroluminescence devices is used as a host material or a hole transporting material. An organic electroluminescence device having an anode, a cathode and an organic thin film layer having one or more layers which is interposed between the anode and cathode, in which at least one layer of the organic thin film layer contains the material for organic electroluminescence devices, has a high emitting efficiency, causes little pixel defects, is excellent in heat resistance, and shows a long lifetime.
US07968205B2

A corrosion resistant member to be exposed to a halogen-containing gas atmosphere or a halogen-containing gas plasma atmosphere, comprising a substrate and a plurality of layers deposited thereon including a layer of rare earth fluoride providing the outermost surface and a layer of rare earth oxide having a porosity of less than 5% underlying the rare earth fluoride layer.
US07968195B2

The invention provides an adhesive sheet which can be stuck to a wafer at low temperatures of 100° C. or below, which is soft to the extent that it can be handled at room temperature, and which can be cut simultaneously with a wafer under usual cutting conditions; a dicing tape integrated type adhesive sheet formed by lamination of the adhesive sheet and a dicing tape; and a method of producing a semiconductor device using them. In order to achieve this object, the invention is characterized by specifying the breaking strength, breaking elongation, and elastic modulus of the adhesive sheet in particular numerical ranges.
US07968194B2

The invention provides an adhesive sheet which can be stuck to a wafer at low temperatures of 100° C. or below, which is soft to the extent that it can be handled at room temperature, and which can be cut simultaneously with a wafer under usual cutting conditions; a dicing tape integrated type adhesive sheet formed by lamination of the adhesive sheet and a dicing tape; and a method of producing a semiconductor device using them. In order to achieve this object, the invention is characterized by specifying the breaking strength, breaking elongation, and elastic modulus of the adhesive sheet in particular numerical ranges.
US07968192B2

A method of inhibiting oxidation of a porous carbon-carbon composite is disclosed and comprises the steps of: (a) contacting the carbon-carbon composite with an oxidation inhibiting composition comprising phosphoric acid or an acid phosphate salt, at least one aluminum salt, and at least one additional metal salt, the oxidation inhibiting composition penetrating at least some of the pores of the carbon-carbon composite; and (b) heating the carbon-carbon composite at a temperature sufficient to form a deposit from the oxidation inhibiting composition within at least some of the penetrated pores of the carbon-carbon composite. The foregoing oxidation inhibiting composition and carbon-carbon composites treated by the foregoing method are also disclosed.
US07968185B1

A transparent conductive laminated body comprising: a transparent film substrate having a thickness of 2 to 200 μm, and a first transparent dielectric thin film, a second transparent dielectric thin film and a transparent conductive thin film that are formed on one side of the substrate in this order from the side of the substrate, wherein the first transparent dielectric thin film is formed by vacuum deposition, sputtering or ion plating and comprises a complex oxide containing 0 to 20 parts by weight of tin oxide and 10 to 40 parts by weight of cerium oxide relative to 100 parts by weight of indium oxide, and the relationship: n2
US07968183B2

A hard-coating layer is formed on at least one surface of a transparent plastic film substrate using a material for forming a hard-coating layer. The material contains Components A, B, and C. Component A is at least one of urethane acrylate and urethane methacrylate. Component B is at least one of polyol acrylate and polyol methacrylate. Component C is a polymer containing a repeating unit represented by General Formula 1 indicated below.
US07968179B2

Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) is provided that can be molded to form composite parts that have high levels of both strength and damage tolerance without causing any substantial negative impact upon the physical or chemical characteristics of the uncured prepreg or cured part. This is achieved by including in the matrix resin a substantial amount of a multifunctional aromatic epoxy resin that has at least one phenyl group that is meta-substituted.
US07968177B2

An anti-dazzling laminate formed from an optical laminate having a light transparent base material and an anti-dazzling layer provided on the light transparent base material. The optical laminate is produced by providing the light transparent base material and forming the anti-dazzling layer having a concavoconvex shape on the light transparent base material, wherein the concavoconvex shape of the anti-dazzling layer satisfies the following requirements: Sm is not less than 100 μm and not more than 600 μm, θa is not less than 0.1 degree and not more than 1.2 degrees, and Rz is more than 0.2 μm and not more than 1 μm, wherein Sm represents the average spacing of concavoconvexes (or profile irregularities) in the anti-dazzling layer; θa represents the average inclination angle of the concavoconvexes (or profile irregularities); and Rz represents the average roughness of the concavoconvexes (or profile irregularities).
US07968174B2

A decorative material having a pattern on a surface thereof and exhibiting a difference in gloss according to the pattern which is visually recognized as a concave portion, the decorative material further exhibiting not only a good surface strength such as abrasion resistance but also good marring resistance and oil resistance. The decorative material includes at least a substrate, a low-gloss pattern ink layer formed on part of the substrate, and a surface protective layer which is present on and contacted with the low-gloss pattern ink layer so as to cover a whole surface including both a region where the low-gloss pattern ink layer is formed and a region where no low-gloss pattern ink layer is formed.
US07968169B2

Structural components are disclosed that are fabricated from unidirectional carbon fiber composite materials into compound contour profiles along a longitudinal axis thereof without wrinkling of composite material plies oriented in various directions relative to the longitudinal axis. Methods of stacking, sequencing, and applying the material plies to fabricate the components are also disclosed.
US07968158B2

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal alignment layer used in a liquid crystal cell, which is capable of providing high pretilt angles.
US07968157B2

A discotic nematic material comprising a compound of R1—H1—Ar—H2—R wherein Ar represents a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon ring; H1 and H2 represent an aromatic hetero ring; and R1 and R2 represent a substituent having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms. The discotic nematic material contains a discotic liquid-crystal compound having a smaller number of side branches and capable of expressing an ND phase.
US07968156B2

A compound useful for fabrication of retardation plates, which is represented by the formula (DI): wherein Y11 to Y13 represent methine or nitrogen; R11 to R13 represent a group of the formula (DI-A) below or others: wherein A11 to A16 represent methine or nitrogen; X1 represents oxygen, sulfur, methylene or imino; L11 represents —O—, —C(═O)—, —O—CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—O—, —S—, —NH—, —SO2—, —CH2—, —CH═CH—, or —C≡C—; L12 represents a divalent linking group; Q11 represents polymerizable group or hydrogen.
US07968155B2

An optically anisotropic material comprising at least one discotic compound having a cyclopropylcarbonyl group. The material is excellent in both the wavelength dispersion property and the refractive index anisotropy.
US07968153B2

A continuous method for production of a porous hollow fibre membrane having regioselective affinity for compounds in blood or other biologically active fluids to be removed during purification of blood or said fluids is disclosed, as well as a porous hollow fibre membrane produced by said method, an adsorption device containing such a porous hollow fibre membrane, and use of such a porous hollow fibre membrane.
US07968151B2

A process for the production of special effect multi-layer coatings, comprising the successive steps: (1) applying a 10 to 30 μm thick base coat layer onto a substrate provided with an EDC primer, (2) applying a clear coat layer onto the base coat layer, (3) jointly curing the base coat and clear coat layers, wherein the base coat layer is applied in a first layer and in a second layer; the first layer comprises a modified water-borne base coat produced by mixing an unmodified water-borne base coat with an admixture component and the second layer comprises the unmodified water-borne base coat, wherein the unmodified water-borne base coat has a ratio by weight of pigment content to resin solids content of 0.05:1 to 0.6:1 and wherein the pigment content of the unmodified water-borne base coat comprises at least one metal flake pigment having a thickness of 10 to 100 nm corresponding to a proportion of 0.1 to 5 wt. %, relative to the resin solids content of the unmodified water-borne base coat and at least one additional special effect pigment and wherein the composition of the pigment content is such that the UV light transmission through the base coat layer formed of the first and second layers is less than 0.1% in the wavelength range of from 290 to 380 nm and less than 0.5% in the wavelength range of from 380 to 400 nm.
US07968143B2

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a polarizing film, by which, even when a wide raw film is used, it is possible to obtain a polarizing film that achieves excellent optical characteristics as well as uniformity in in-plane optical characteristics. The method includes the steps of dyeing a polymer film; stretching the dyed film; and drying the film that has undergone the dyeing and stretching steps while conveying the film with rolls. In the drying step, at least two rolls are used as the rolls and the film is dried under a condition that a ratio (R/W) of a distance (R) between the adjacent rolls to an initial width (W) of the polymer film is not less than 0.5 and not more than 4.0.
US07968140B2

Cocoa components having enhanced levels of cocoa polyphenols, processes for producing the cocoa components while conserving a significant amount of the cocoa polyphenols, compositions containing the cocoa components or the cocoa polyphenols, and methods of using the cocoa components or the cocoa polyphenols for improving the health of a mammal are described. The cocoa components include partially and fully defatted cocoa solids, cocoa nibs and fractions derived therefrom, cocoa polyphenol extracts, cocoa butter, chocolate liquors, and mixtures thereof. The invention provides processes for extracting fat from cocoa beans and for otherwise processing cocoa beans to yield a cocoa component having conserved concentrations of polyphenols relative to the starting materials.
US07968139B2

Provided is a packaged beverage, which comprises, in the dissolved form, catechins composed of the following non-polymer component (A) and another non-polymer component (B): (A) non-epi-catechins, (b) epi-catechins, and has, per 500 mL of the packaged beverage, said components in amounts satisfying the following equations: (A)+(B)=460 to 2500 mg  (i) (A)=160 to 2250 mg  (ii) (A)/(B)=0.54 to 9.0.  (iii) The packaged beverages of the present invention are excellent in stability of color tone and transparent appearance even after long-term storage, have smooth feeling in the throat upon drinking, and have good palatability; and in addition, have PPAR-dependent gene transcription activating effects which are safe and effective for prevention and alleviation of obesity.
US07968135B2

A needleless injection device and method for injecting a food subject is disclosed in which one or more types of liquid food additive are individually and/or simultaneously delivered to a food subject within a sealed injection chamber or compartment. The needleless injection device and method of the present invention utilizes rapid, high pressure injection bursts to completely and uniformly inject the food subject, allowing different food subjects or different food additives to be sequentially injected in an efficient and instant manner. The needleless injection device and method for injecting minimizes contamination by totally enclosing the injection process within a sealed chamber, and by eliminating the need for the injection nozzles to contact, or be placed immediately adjacent to the food subject.
US07968127B2

A formulation or preparation for treating and preventing arterial and venous thrombi is provided. This preparation includes a non-metal containing photodynamic dye and a fat soluble vitamin. A method of administration for treatment and prophylaxis of arterial and venous thrombi is also provided. This method includes steps of: combining a non-metal containing photodynamic dye and a fat soluble vitamin; combining the non-metal containing photodynamic dye and fat soluble vitamin with a sodium solution; and administering the combination of non-metal containing photodynamic dye, fat soluble vitamin, and sodium solution as an intravenous drip.
US07968122B2

The present invention provides antiviral compositions that comprise one or more of an ionic multivalent metal component, a cationic polymer, and a cationic surfactant. The present invention also provides methods for making and using such antiviral compositions.
US07968119B2

A composition for oral, transdermal or subdermal administration to a subject is described. The composition contains: (a) an agonist component; (b) an antagonist component containing at least one antagonist and having a delayed time of release; and (c) an immediate release antagonist removal component, where the subject includes a gastrointestinal tract and the antagonist removal component is present in an amount sufficient to substantially remove the antagonist component from the gastrointestinal tract of the subject before the time of release of the antagonist component. The composition may be delivered to the subject by a method which includes the step of administering the composition orally, transdermally or subdermally to the subject. When the composition of the present invention is administered orally, the method of the present invention may include the step of administering a potassium compound to the subject.
US07968106B2

The invention relates to the abfB-1 gene of Penicillium funiculosum that codes for a type B α-L-arabinofuranosidase. This enzyme α-L-arabinofuranosidase can be incorporated in nutritional additives or in foods for animals for which it improves the digestibility and thus the nutritional value.
US07968096B2

This invention relates to a method for treatment of latent Toxoplasma gondii infection. The invention provides for the use of Hsp90 inhibitors for treatment of latent Toxoplasma gondii infection, particularly in an immunocompromised subject. Also provided is a screening method for identifying compounds useful for treating latent Toxoplasma gondii infection.
US07968075B2

A multi-element metal chalcogenide and a method for preparing the same are provided. The multi-element metal chalcogenide includes multiple metal elements. A multi-element metal chalcogenide powder is prepared, and all of the multiple metal elements of the multi-element metal chalcogenide are derived from at least one of simple substance powders of the metal elements and one or more alloy powders mixed in accordance with a mole ratio. A solution phase synthesis of the powder of the multi-element metal chalcogenide is then conducted under normal pressure to prepare the multi-element metal chalcogenide. The multi-element metal chalcogenide can be coated to obtain a film or used to make a target and then bombard the target for sputtering a film. In such a way, a selenization process which is conventional in fabricating the semiconductor solar cell is eliminated, thus improving production yield and efficiency.
US07968074B2

The method produces low-stress, large-volume crystals with low birefringence and uniform index of refraction. The method includes growing the crystal with larger than desired dimensions including diameter and height from a melt; cooling and tempering the crystal with the larger than desired dimensions and after the cooling and tempering removing edge regions of the crystal with the larger than desired dimensions so that a diameter reduction and a height reduction of at least five percent occurs respectively and so that the crystal has the desired dimensions of diameter and height. No further tempering takes place after removing of the edge regions.
US07968072B2

A novel method for simultaneously forming and filling and decorating carbon nanotubes with palladium nanoparticles is disclosed. Synthesis involves preparing a palladium chloride (PdCl2) solution in a container, having two graphite electrodes, then immersing the graphite electrode assembly, into the PdCl2 solution; connecting the graphite electrodes to a direct current power supply; bringing the electrodes into contact with each other to strike an arc; separating the electrodes to sustain the arc inside the solution; putting the container with electrode assembly in a water-cooled bath; and collecting Pd-nanoparticles encapsulated in carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotubes decorated with Pd-nanoparticles. The temperature at the site of the arc-discharge is greater than 3000° C. At these temperatures, the palladium is ionized into nanoparticles and the graphite electrodes generate layers of graphene (carbon), which roll away from the anode and encapsulate or entrap the Pd-nanoparticles. The unique nanotube structures have significant commercial potential as gas sensors or as a means for hydrogen storage.
US07968061B2

A microplate is provided herein having a plate body with at least one well formed therein, the well having a first open end, a second end, an aperture being formed in the second end, and a side wall extending between the first end and the second end. The microplate further has a dialysis membrane extending at least partially across the aperture formed in the second end. Advantageously, with the subject invention, a microplate is provided with a dialysis membrane which allows not only for removal of certain solutes from a solution (high or low molecular weight solutes), but also allows for separation of macromolecular mixtures. Accordingly, a solution may be manipulated with the subject invention to have its concentration altered, to be desalted, and/or to be fractionated.
US07968060B2

A wave-guide having an isolated coupling interface. In one variation, a constant negative pressure is maintained around the area surrounding the wave-guide. Coupling liquid may be directed to the tip of the wave-guide to provide the coupling interface between the wave-guide and a source fluid container. The suction from the constant negative pressure may remove excess coupling liquid and isolating the coupling liquid to the area around the tip of the wave-guide. The wave-guide assembly may also include mechanisms for adjusting the volume of fluid at the tip of the wave-guide. When the position of the wave-guide is displaced, fluid compensation mechanism may increase or decrease the volume of fluids at the distal end of the wave-guide to maintain proper coupling between the wave-guide and the source fluid container. Methods for utilizing negative pressure around the distal end of the wave-guide to isolate the coupling liquid are also described.
US07968052B2

An apparatus which enables characterization of particles suspended in a liquid includes a housing with a mixing chamber and a collection chamber separated by a wall containing an aperture for passage of particles between, the mixing chamber and the collection chamber, the mixing chamber further containing a mixing member, a first electrode in the mixing chamber and a second electrode in the collection chamber for conduction of an electrical current through the aperture, a processor that is adapted for controlling the measurement sequence of the apparatus and detecting possible blockage of the aperture by detecting extended duration of the electrical pulse caused by the blocking particle, and upon detection of a blockage, reversing the liquid flow while mixing in the mixing chamber for removal of the blocking particle, and restarting particle counting.
US07968047B2

A novel blaster nozzle (10) used for assisting in the pneumatic removal of cloggings and cakings during the transport of particulate matter through an enclosure housing is set such that it can be removed and replaced from outside the enclosure housing. The blaster nozzle includes a nozzle head (12) having an orifice for the conduction of high-pressure fluid, wherein the nozzle head is composed of a refractory concrete having from about 4-20% by volume metal fibers therein. The blaster nozzle also includes a flange member (14) connected to the nozzle head and a connection tube (18) extends from the flange member for connecting the blaster nozzle to an air cannon.
US07968046B2

An apparatus is described for cooling a metal strip (1), comprising at least two nozzle fields which are disposed opposite of each other with respect to the metal strip (1) conveyed continuously in its longitudinal direction and which comprise nozzles facing towards the respective strip surface and being attached to blowing boxes (3) for a cooling gas, and flow conduits (5) provided between the nozzles for discharging the cooling gas flows from the nozzles which are deflected on the surface of the strip. In order to provide advantageous cooling conditions it is proposed that the nozzles are combined in groups in nozzle strips (4) which are disposed next to one another in parallel with lateral distance and which consist of gas conduits (6) connected with the blowing boxes (3) and comprising nozzle openings (7) facing the respective strip surface and being distributed over the length of the nozzle strips (4), and that the flow conduits (5) for discharging the cooling gas flows are provided between the nozzle strips (4) extending transversally to the blowing boxes (3).
US07968043B2

An auxiliary-layer-lined unfired ceramic body, having a step portion in a principal surface thereof, has an unfired ceramic body and an auxiliary layer which is adhered to one principal surface of the unfired ceramic body and which is made of a material that is substantially unsinterable at a temperature at which the unfired ceramic body is fired. The auxiliary-layer-lined unfired ceramic body is fired at a temperature at which the unfired ceramic body is sinterable but the auxiliary layer is substantially unsinterable, while the auxiliary layer remains adhered to the unfired ceramic body. A pressing operation is performed using a die having a projection placed on the side of the auxiliary-layer-lined unfired ceramic body retaining the auxiliary layer, so that the step portion, having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the die projection, is formed in the side of the auxiliary-layer-lined unfired ceramic body retaining the auxiliary layer.
US07968030B2

The present invention relates to processes for hydrolyzing polyphosphoric acid in spun multifilament yarns.
US07968028B2

The present invention provides polymer gel-processing techniques and polymer articles of high modulus.
US07968026B1

The invention relates to the use of Fused Deposition Modeling to construct three-dimensional (3D) bioresorbable scaffolds from bioresorbable polymers such as polycaprolactone (PCL), or from composites of bioresorbable polymers and ceramics, such as polycaprolactone/hydroxyapatite (PCL/HA). Incorporation of a bioresorbable ceramic to produce a hybrid/composite material support provides the desired degradation and resorption kinetics. Such a composite material improves the biocompatibility and hard tissue integration and allows for increased initial flash spread of serum proteins. The basic resorption products of the composite also avoids the formation of an unfavorable environment for hard tissue cells due to a decreased pH. The scaffolds have applications in tissue engineering, e.g., in tissue engineering bone and cartilage.
US07968025B2

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing nonwoven and nonwoven obtainable by said method. Particularly, the invention relates to a nonwoven provided with improved tactile and absorbent characteristics, which make it suitable for use in the field of surface cleaning, personal hygiene, or formation of garments.
US07968024B2

A method for forming a molding compound including simultaneously chopping a non-synthetic reinforcement member and a synthetic reinforcement member and forming a hybrid reinforcement member from the chopped non-synthetic and synthetic reinforcement members. The hybrid reinforcement member can be molded into a molding compound.
US07968023B2

The invention relates to a process and a device for the production of polyurethane clock foam, in which the reaction mixture, after flowing through a mixer, flows freely from an outflow opening and then flows through an accumulation chamber, in which a static pressure is built up, a gap and finally an expansion chamber.
US07968020B2

Systems and methods for pelletizing hot asphaltenes are provided. Asphaltenic hydrocarbons can be dispersed to provide two or more asphaltenic particles. The asphaltenic hydrocarbons can be at a temperature of from about 175° C. to about 430° C. The asphaltenic particles can be contacted with a film of cooling medium. The film can have a thickness of from about 1 mm to about 500 mm. At least a portion of the asphaltenic particles can be solidified by transferring heat from the asphaltenic particles to the cooling medium to provide solid asphaltenic particles. The solid asphaltenic particles can be separated from at least a portion of the cooling medium.
US07968007B2

A trace amount of a tungstate added together with an ortho-phosphate and/or phosphonite is disclosed for inhibiting corrosion by a nitrogen fertilizer solution. In particular, an ammonium nitrate fertilizer solution is in contact with ferrous metal storage tanks, piping, and equipment surfaces. Tungstate added with an iron stabilizer including a dispersant polymer is also effective for inhibiting corrosion.
US07968006B2

Methods and apparatus may permit the generation of consistent output synthesis gas from highly variable input feedstock solids carbonaceous materials. A stoichiometric objectivistic chemic environment may be established to stoichiometrically control carbon content in a solid carbonaceous materials gasifier system. Processing of carbonaceous materials may include dominative pyrolytic decomposition and multiple coil carbonaceous reformation. Dynamically adjustable process determinative parameters may be utilized to refine processing, including process utilization of negatively electrostatically enhanced water species, process utilization of flue gas (9), and adjustment of process flow rate characteristics. Recycling may be employed for internal reuse of process materials, including recycled negatively electrostatically enhanced water species, recycled flue gas (9), and recycled contaminants. Synthesis gas generation may involve predetermining a desired synthesis gas for output and creating high yields of such a predetermined desired synthesis gas.
US07968005B2

The inventive white-light emitting diode is characterized in that it comprises a source emitting radiation whose wavelength band ranges from 370 to 420 nm, a first blue and red-light emitting phosphor of formula Ba3(1-x)Eu3xMg1-yMnySi2O8 (1), wherein 0 < x 0,3 and 0 < y 0,3 and a second green-light emitting phosphor. In another embodiment, said diode comprises the same source and a single phosphor whose chemical composition is Ba3(1-x)Eu3xMg1-yMnySi2O8, wherein 0 < x 0,3 et 0 < y 0,3 and which is embodied in the form of a mixture of at least Ba2SiO4, Ba2MgSi2O7 and Ba3MgSi2O8 phases. The inventive diode can be used for a lighting device.
US07968003B2

The present invention relates to a pyran derivative which manifests appropriate refractive anisotropy (optical anisotropy) and liquid crystal transition temperature and excellent dielectric anisotropy, and has excellent compatibility with various liquid crystal compounds, and thus, can be preferably used for the formation of a liquid crystal layer of a liquid crystal display device, its preparation method, a liquid crystal composition and liquid crystal display device comprising the same.
US07968002B2

A liquid crystal display panel includes: a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other, a first field-generating electrode and a second field-generating electrode formed on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrates, a homeotropic alignment layer formed on the first field-generating electrode and the second field-generating electrode and a liquid crystal material formed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal display panel further includes a polymer fixing a pre-tilt angle of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material, wherein the polymer is formed by polymerizing at least one selected from monomers represented by Chemical Formulas (I), (II), (III), and (IV). wherein, each of R1 and R2 includes at least one of acrylate, a vinyl group, and an epoxy group, n is 0 to 2, each of X1 to X4 is hydrogen or fluorine, Y is at least one selected from —CH2—, —O—, —CO—, —C(CF3)2—, and a single bond.
US07967998B2

The present invention relates to a method of polishing an implantable medical device. The method may include positioning an implantable medical device on a support. At least a portion of a surface of the implantable medical device may include a polymer. A fluid may be contacted with at least a portion of the surface of the positioned implantable medical device. In an embodiment, the fluid may be capable of dissolving at least a portion of the polymer at or near the surface of the implantable medical device. The method may further include allowing the fluid to modify at least a portion of the surface of the positioned medical device. A majority of the contacted fluid may be removed from the surface of the implantable medical device. In certain embodiments, the modified portion of the surface may be substantially less thrombogenetic and substantially more mechanically stable than an unmodified surface.
US07967995B2

The invention provides a method of processing a substrate using multilayer processing sequences and Multi-Layer/Multi-Input/Multi-Output (MLMIMO) models and libraries that can include one or more masking layer creation procedures, one or more pre-processing measurement procedures, one or more Partial-Etch (P-E) procedures, one or more Final-Etch (F-E) procedures, and one or more post-processing measurement procedures.
US07967989B2

A sulfurous acid treated wastewater disposal method employing soil aquifer treatment (SAT) for artificial recharge of groundwater through infiltration basins allowing fully or partially-treated sewage effluent to infiltrate into the soil and move down to the groundwater through a “vadose” zone, which acts as a natural filter to remove essentially all suspended solids, biodegradable materials, bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
US07967987B2

A system, method and device are disclosed for bio-processing a feed stream and providing a constant output by operating a continuous single-pass tangential-flow process. The single-pass process provides high conversion concentration while operating at relatively low feed flow rates, and the process can also be used to provide constant output diafiltration.
US07967983B2

This end-piece is of the type including two filtering membranes and support portions for supporting the membranes and channelling the fluid through the membranes. According to one aspect of the invention, it includes a connection portion which is moulded over the support portions in order to fix them together and the support portions include an upper support portion, a lower support portion and an intermediate support portion which is arranged between the upper support portion and the lower support portion, a membrane is retained between the upper support portion and the intermediate support portion and a membrane is retained between the intermediate support portion and the lower support portion and the membranes are overmoulded by the connection portion.
US07967981B2

A filter assembly (10) for fluids, comprising a generally cylindrical container (3), a cylindrical filter cartridge (4) housed inside said container (3) and a closing cover (1) with centering means (11) of the filter cartridge (4) on the bottom of the container. The centering of the cartridge (4) during its assembling is ensured by an annular centering member (9) disposed on the outer surface of the filter cartridge (4) and cooperating with engagement means (31) formed on the inner surface of the container (3). The seal between the container (3) and the cover (1) is formed by a member (13) overmoulded to the upper edge of the container (3).
US07967974B2

A method of recovering hydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous materials can include forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure. This constructed infrastructure defines a substantially encapsulated volume having substantially permeable side walls and a substantially impermeable cap. A comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can be introduced into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. The permeable body can be heated sufficient to remove hydrocarbons therefrom without contamination or substantial leaching of materials outside of the impoundment. During heating the hydrocarbonaceous material is substantially stationary as the constructed infrastructure is a fixed structure. Removed hydrocarbons can be collected for further processing, use in the process, and/or use as recovered.
US07967971B2

Sacrificial anode assemblies have the advantage that they can provide galvanic protection to steel in concrete and do not require long term maintenance of a DC power supply. However sacrificial anode assemblies often loose adhesion to the concrete surface. This invention discloses the use of a sacrificial anode (4) and a backfill (3) and a tape (5) and an adhesive to protect steel (8) in concrete. The backfill is preferably placed in a shallow cavity (1) in the concrete surface (2) and the sacrificial anode is inserted into the backfill. The cavity is covered with a tape that extends over the adjacent concrete surfaces on opposite sides of the sacrificial anode and backfill and the tape is attached to the concrete surface with the adhesive. The tape and the adhesive holds the anode in place and prevents a weathering environment from damaging the backfill.
US07967969B2

A substantially uniform layer of a metal is electroplated onto a work piece having a seed layer thereon. This is accomplished by employing a “high resistance ionic current source,” which solves the terminal problem by placing a highly resistive membrane (e.g., a microporous ceramic or fretted glass element) in close proximity to the wafer, thereby swamping the system's resistance. The membrane thereby approximates a constant current source. By keeping the wafer close to the membrane surface, the ionic resistance from the top of the membrane to the surface is much less than the ionic path resistance to the wafer edge, substantially compensating for the sheet resistance in the thin metal film and directing additional current over the center and middle of the wafer.
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