US08015155B2
Various embodiments of a computer system and computer program product backup a dataset. An input image copy of the dataset is read, wherein the input image copy is prior to a start of dataset reorganization. A cursor value associated with reorganization of said dataset is determined. A backup copy is produced based on the input image copy, the changes from the log and the cursor value.
US08015149B1
Techniques for an asset repository are described, including storing an asset from a system in a repository, where the asset remains stored in a repository when power is removed from the system, the system including an application configured to access the asset and the repository, and configuring the repository to be accessed by the system and another system.
US08015142B1
In one aspect, the invention is based on a process that combines information present in a joint distribution of the predictor variables and the variable (or variables) to be predicted. This information may be captured in the form of a table or other like data structure that includes a set of vectors (referred to as a “TAB”). The process uses the information in the TAB in conjunction with one or more rules. In one embodiment, a set of different rules are applied to the TAB to determine which rule in the set produces the most accurate predictions. The RULE that produces the most accurate predictions is then used in conjunction with observed information to make predictions.
US08015141B2
A rule-based programming language may be devised for programming an entity in an environment. Computer systems may therefore be configured to program the entity with at least one rule comprising at least zero language conditions representing an action condition, at least one language verb representing an action, and at least zero language verb parameters representing an action object. The computer system may also be configured to facilitate entry by a user of a rule set according to the rule-based programming language by receiving user selections of language conditions, language verbs, and language verb parameters. By facilitating the programming by users of entities within environments, the computer system may facilitate individuals (such as non-technical individuals, aspiring programmers, and children) in understanding programming concepts, encourage the development of experience with computer programming, and permit the generation of useful computer programs by non-proficient programmers.
US08015129B2
Systems and methods are provided for parsimonious representation of large sets of multi-resolution value-item lists. A hierarchical data structure associated with the lists and conditioning variables is learnt while exploiting both semantics encoded in target variables and a notion of nearness among nodes at the same detail level in the hierarchical data structure. Such a level of description can be dictated by a depth in a tree data structure. A compression scheme that relies on (i) a similarity metric and (ii) recursive greedy pairing of value-item lists in order to promote elements populating a specific tree node upwards in the tree facilitates a parsimonious representation of the compressed hierarchic structure.
US08015127B2
Agent-based models (ABMs)/multi-agent systems (MASs) are one of the most widely used modeling-simulation-analysis approaches for understanding the dynamical behavior of complex systems. These models can be often characterized by several parameters with nonlinear interactions which together determine the global system dynamics, usually measured by different conflicting criteria. One problem that can emerge is that of tuning the controllable system parameters at the local level, in order to reach some desirable global behavior. According to one exemplary embodiment t of the present invention, the tuning of an ABM for emergency response planning can be cast as a multi-objective optimization problem (MOOP). Further, the use of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) and procedures for exploration and optimization of the resultant search space can be utilized. It is possible to employ conventional MOEAs, e.g., the Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) and the Pareto Archived Evolution Strategy (PAES), and their performance can be tested for different pairs of objectives for plan evaluation. In the experimental results, the approximate Pareto front of the non-dominated solutions is effectively obtained. Further, a conflict between the proposed objectives can be seen. Additional robustness analysis may be performed to assist policy-makers in selecting a plan according to higher-level information or criteria which is likely not present in the original problem description.
US08015126B2
In a feature filtering approach, a set of relevant features and a set of training objects classified respective to a set of classes are provided. A candidate feature and a second feature are selected from the set of relevant features. An approximate Markov blanket criterion is computed that is indicative of whether the candidate feature is redundant in view of the second feature. The approximate Markov blanket criterion includes at least one dependency on less than the entire set of classes. An optimized set of relevant features is defined, consisting of a sub-set of the set of relevant features from which features indicated as redundant by the selecting and computing are removed.
US08015123B2
Methods and systems for providing lyric information for a song within an audio signal. This may be done, for example, to allow a user to sing along with a song the user hears on a radio. To provide the lyric information, an interactive service may be accessed. A sample of an audio signal that includes at least a portion of the song may be captured. The sample of the audio signal may provided to the interactive service. Lyric information may then be received for the song at a user device. The user device may also display the lyric information in synchrony with the rendering of the song within the audio signal to, for example, allow the user to sing along with the song.
US08015119B2
Systems and methods for the display and navigation of a social network or set forth. According to one embodiment a method comprising identifying a first profile in a social network, identifying associated profiles associated with the first profile, ranking the associated profiles, wherein ranking is not based exclusively on a degree of separation, and outputting the associated profiles based at least in part on the ranking is set forth. According to another embodiment a method comprising identifying a user profile, identifying a member profile, determining an association path for the user profile and the member profile, and outputting the association path is set forth.
US08015112B2
A document distribution system transfers a document from a source computer to a destination computer in the form of a print file. The print file defines the appearance of the document in a code suitable for telling a printer how to print the document. The source computer executes “license stamper” software for embedding an encoded license stamp into the print file before it is sent to the destination computer. Viewer software executed by the source computer receives and parses the print file to determine whether it contains the license stamp. If so, the viewer may generate a video display of the document defined by the print file or may print the document by sending the print file to a printer. However if the viewer receives a print file not containing the embedded license stamp, the viewer refrains from displaying or printing the document.
US08015110B2
A system and method of aggregating multiple transactions over a network-based electronic payment transaction processing system is provided. The system includes a transport-aggregating clear-text Internet transaction (TACIT) server designed to allow conventional electronic payment transaction processing systems to work over networks which rely on the Internet Protocol, and to still support the fault-tolerance and load balancing. In one embodiment, the system aggregates multiple transmission control protocol sockets into a single socket to a back-end payment processing system in a single application. The transport-aggregating, cleartext Internet transaction (TACIT) server resides on an intermediate system that is positioned between the Internet endpoints and a payment transaction processing system (TPS).
US08015100B2
An interface for trading multiple tradeable objects includes a price axis or scale. A first indication of quantities represented in a market for a first tradeable object is displayed in association with the price axis or scale. A second indication of quantities represented in the market for a second tradeable object is displayed in association with the price axis or scale. The first tradeable object may be different than the second tradeable object. Alternatively, the first tradeable object and the second tradeable object may be the same, but the indications of quantity may be provided from different sources, such as different exchanges.
US08015095B2
Investment vehicles and methods for determining the composition of such investment vehicles are based on a valuation-tilted, capitalization-weighted technique. Assets are identified to be included in an investment vehicle, an asset valuation is calculated for each of the assets, the assets are ranked based on their respective asset valuations, and based on the ranking, groupings of the assets are identified, a group weighting factor is determined for each of the groupings, and the composition of the investment vehicle is based on the group weighting factors attributed to each of the groupings.
US08015094B2
A system and method for determining fair value prices of financial securities of international markets includes steps of selecting a universe of securities of a particular international market, computing overnight returns of each security in the selected universe over a predetermined past period of time, selecting at least one return factor of a domestic financial market from a plurality of return factors, computing, for each selected return factor, the return factor's daily return over said predetermined past period of time, calculating, for each selected return factor, a return factor coefficient for each security in the selected universe by performing a time series regression to obtain the contribution of each return factor's return to the security's overnight return, and storing each calculated return factor coefficient in a data file.
US08015090B1
The present disclosure describes systems and methods for distributing retirement assets. One or more embodiments include receiving personal data related to an individual, the personal data including a number of projected income sources and a value of projected expenses of the individual, and receiving retirement asset allocation data of the individual, the retirement asset allocation data including current fund allotments to a number of money classes each having disparate tax treatment. One or more embodiments include calculating a value of projected after-tax income of the individual, calculating a deficit amount when the value of projected expenses exceeds the value of projected after-tax income, and using orthogonal sampling to calculate a distribution schedule for funding the deficit amount, the distribution schedule including, for each of the number of money classes, a recommended sum for the individual to withdraw from the money class in order to fund the deficit amount.
US08015086B2
A method and apparatus for calculating employee expenses is disclosed herein. One embodiment of the method may include transferring first data from a first computer to a second computer. The first data causes the second computer to display text, wherein a portion of the text is a first inquiry related to at least one expense item of the employee. Second data is transferred from the second computer to the first computer, wherein the second data is representative of a response to the first inquiry and wherein the second data is smaller than the first data. A second inquiry related to the at least one expense item based on the response to the first inquiry is then determined. Third data representative of the second inquiry is transmitted from the first computer to the second computer. A portion of the text is modified upon receipt of the third data by the second computer, wherein the modified portion of the text is related to the second inquiry.
US08015076B2
A method and system for interactively shopping for groceries, especially on an Internet web site, where the user may create a shopping list, shop for items from the list at a selected grocery store, arrange for pick up or delivery of the selected items, and provide payment. A user may also download a created shopping list to a handheld computing device (e.g., PDA) or print the list with reference to the layout of a particular grocery store. Users are required to register and provide specific demographic information (useful to manufacturers and stores) to be eligible to receive the benefits of use of the web site, such as menu creation, coupon downloads, menu planning, and recipe input. Shopping lists may be created from a single input screen using standard language text. Products may be automatically suggested to the user based on best regular price or retailer's specials. Recipes may be altered to meet numbers of servings or to comply with dietary requirements.
US08015075B2
Technical systems and related methods for accounting and bookkeeping operations in an ecommerce enterprise combining elements of both franchise and multilevel business operations are provided that allow a franchisor to establish ecommerce franchisees as direct sales agents while maintaining the accounting and bookkeeping functions within the franchisor. The accounting and bookkeeping operational system allows for the use of a multilevel marketing organizational structure within an ecommerce franchise to motivate direct sales agents to make sales while maintaining the accounting functions at the franchisor and providing direct sales agents with the ecommerce sales tools needed to be successful.
US08015072B2
A method for automatically generating a custom name list for use in an order form which can be submitted to an Internet shopping site to complete an order. The method utilizes address book data, stored primarily online utilizing a third party service. In one method according to the invention, names and addresses are read from an address book database and incorporated into a form which enables the user to easily select recipients for one or more gifts.
US08015069B2
The present invention is a computer system or method for obtaining, maintaining and controlling an exchange of tangible assets over a global computer network. In one embodiment, the present invention is a computer system having memory, the system being adapted to identify one or more art assets which may be categorized into a collective art asset pool, to obtain an initial appraisal value for the art asset pool from third party appraisers or from an automated appraisal process, to calculate an appraisal value for the art asset based upon the appraisal information it obtained, to obtain orders from potential investors and/or brokers, process such orders, to continuously monitor art asset value against appraisal information, and is further adapted to automatically switch ownership units amongst art asset pools based upon pre-defined triggering threshold events. The present invention creates a dynamic buy-sell environment for art assets over a global computer network which utilizes typically non-utilized art assets in a way that creates demand and appreciation, while concurrently having little or no change or impact on the control and use of the actual art asset.
US08015063B2
A system and method for enabling information providers using a computer network to influence a search listing's position within a search result list generated by a search engine. Each network information provider has an account containing at least one search listing having at least three components: a description, a search term comprising one or more keywords, and a bid amount. A network information provider selects a search term relevant to the content of the web site. A search listing includes the search term and a description. A bidding process occurs when the network information provider enters a new bid amount for a search listing. The system then compares the various bid amounts for the same search term, and generates rank values for search listings having that search term. The rank value determines where the listing will appear on the search results page generated in response to a searcher's query.
US08015046B2
A computer-based method for representing a project includes accessing a description of the project, generating a graphic display of at least a portion of the project based on the description, and dynamically updating the graphic display in response to a change in the description of the project. A computer program product for representing a project includes instructions that cause a processor to convert a description of the project into display instructions for displaying relative progress of the project relative to, but independently of, an expectation of progress and displaying a relative rate of progress of the project relative to, but independently of, an expectation of a rate of progress. The computer program product is tangibly stored on machine readable media.
US08015045B2
The present invention applies a novel iterative algorithm to the problem of multidimensional optimization by supplying a strict, nonlinear mathematical solution to what has traditionally been treated as a linear multidimensional problem. The process consists of randomly selecting a statistically significant sample of a prospect list, calculating the value of the utility function for each pair of an offer and selected prospects, reducing the original linear multidimensional problem to a non-linear problem with a feasible number of dimensions, solving the non-linear problem for the selected sample numerically with the desired tolerance using an iterative algorithm, and using the results to calculate an optimal set of offers in one pass for the full prospect list.
US08015041B2
A system and method of managing purchasing contracts between supplier entities and customer entities for the purchase of products includes the step of generating at least one purchasing contract between at least one supplier entity (e.g., a product originator such as an airline company or a distributor such as travel agency) and at least one customer entity. The purchasing contract generated is one that is applicable to one or more contracted purchasing transactions effected, at least partially, through a computerized system. The generating step includes identifying one or more contract terms, wherein each contract term has one or more term attributes, and storing a term data set of the term attributes associated with each contract term in one or more computer databases. The method also involves collecting transaction data relating to one or more purchasing transactions and storing the transaction data in one or more computer databases. Preferably, a computer program is executed to identify one or more of the purchasing transactions as a contracted transaction (i.e., applicable to a specific contract) by selecting at least a portion of the transaction data for a purchasing transaction and comparing the selected portion with the term attributes for a contract term. In this way, the transaction may be identified as a contracted transaction if the selected portion is identified with one or more of the term attributes.
US08015040B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing product randomization and analysis in a manufacturing environment are provided. A method includes processing products for a plurality of lots, at process equipment, using a randomization technique for selecting each product in the lots. The method further including generating an operation identification record for each operation in the process recipe that includes mapping, for each operation, a slot identifier associated with a randomly selected product to a process variable identifier, a process tool, and the operation. The method also includes defining slot groupings using slot identifiers for a product carrier and identifying product yield patterns by analyzing historical yields for each of the slot groupings. The method also includes determining the frequency of occurrence of one or more product yield patterns for each operation in the process recipe by analyzing product yields from the operation identification records corresponding to the plurality of lots.
US08015038B2
A software tool enables sales organizations and sales representatives to graphically track past purchases from customers, as well as the customer's current holdings and install base of products and services, irrespective of whether the current holdings originated from the sales organization, from a competitor or from some non-competing supplier of goods or services. By tracking not only past purchases, but the totality of the customer's holdings, the sales representative may draw inferences from the customer's current installed base of products, identify new opportunities and potentially sell additional or complementary products to the customer. The tracked information is stored in a central repository such as a database, enabling the employer to maintain control over the information, thereby enabling the information to persist even after the sales representative has left the employ of his or her current employer. The central repository is preferably selectively available over a computer network, via a Web browser, for example.
US08015033B2
A method and system for interaction with a community of individuals, relating to compliance with and effectiveness of treatment regimens, including supply and use of pharmaceuticals, using a protocol or other intelligent message which acts in place of a service provider and which is capable of collecting or imparting information to patients in place thereof. Individuals interact with the protocol or intelligent message to provide assistance in all aspects of treatment regimen compliance, data collection, supply or delivery, review and modification.
US08015032B2
Techniques are disclosed for efficiently and securely handling of patient medical images and data. In one particular embodiment, an acquisition service and picture archive communication system (PACS) architecture are provided that facilitate the transmission and storage of medical image objects using reliable IP multicasting, packet encoded transmission, and digital rights management (DRM). The system effectively creates a broadcast signal in which all listening computers can securely receive medical image objects at once for purposes of interpretation/diagnosis, assisting in surgery, and other such appropriate medical uses.
US08015031B2
A method and a computer readable medium for merging two or more separate unique studies based upon context-specific content, and merging the two or more separate studies, each with a unique identifier, into a composite study containing artifacts of the two or more merged studies, with the composite study having a single unique identifier.
US08015019B1
Systems and methods for providing a document are described. In one described method, a document comprising a portion selected by a first member of a social network is hosted for the first member. The portion is dynamically updated with content. An audience criterion for the portion and a type of relationship between the first member and a second member of the social network are identified. If the type of relationship between the first member and the second member satisfies the audience criterion, the second member is provided access to at least the portion.
US08015017B2
Audio coding and decoding apparatuses and methods which support fine granularity scalability (FGS) using harmonic information of a high-band audio signal or wideband error audio signal when performing wideband audio coding and decoding, and recording mediums on which the methods are stored. The audio coding method includes detecting harmonics of a high-band audio signal or wideband error audio signal of an input audio signal; determining an order of the detected harmonics; and coding the detected harmonics based on the determined order.
US08015007B2
A speech recognition apparatus includes a first grammar storage unit configured to store one or more grammar segments, a second grammar storage unit configured to store one or more grammar segments, a first decoder configured to carry out a decoding process by referring to the grammar segment stored in the second grammar storage unit, a grammar transfer unit configured to transfer a trailing grammar segment from the first grammar storage unit to the second grammar storage unit, a second decoder configured to operate in parallel to the grammar transfer unit and carry out the decoding process by referring to the grammar segment stored in the second grammar storage unit, and a recognition control unit configured to monitor the state of transfer of the trailing grammar segment carried out by the grammar transfer unit and activate the both decoders by switching the operation thereof according to the state of transfer of the grammar segment.
US08014987B2
A method, system and computer program product for performing a drilling operation for an oil field, the oil field having a subterranean formation with geological structures and reservoirs therein. The method involves creating a finite-difference model to simulate behavior of a drilling assembly used to drill a wellbore in the drilling operation, performing a simulation of the drilling operation using the finite-difference model, analyzing a result of the simulation, and selectively modifying the drilling operation based on the analysis.
US08014986B2
A computer implemented method for simulating a final pattern of a droplet of a fluid having a plurality of fluid properties is disclosed. The method includes using lubrication equations to represent solute flow, diffusion and evaporation of a droplet on a substrate. The method further includes solving the lubrication equations through temporal discretization and spatial discretization; and deriving the final pattern of the droplet from results of the solving. The final pattern is stored on a computer readable medium.
US08014975B2
A data collection for utilization in failure analysis. The data collection includes a material data set including information associated with materials used in a component subject to a failure analysis process. The data collection also includes a source data set including information associated with the sources of the materials. The data collection further includes an image data set including graphical representations of the materials. The data collection is for providing identification of the composition of the contaminant and source of the contaminant.
US08014974B2
A system and method for analyzing and providing exception-based reports for machine data. The machine data is relayed to a remote system for automated analysis based on tests and parameters defined by an owner. If any exceptions are detected in the data based on the operator-defined input, output is generated. The output may take the form of exception-based printed or electronic reports, or the exception information may be relayed to a hand held device, preferably maintained by service personnel at the work site.
US08014972B1
A method for evaluating the success of a manufacturing process that includes creating a CUSUM chart permitting a mathematical determination of when a step change in an industrial process has occurred.
US08014969B2
There is provided a test apparatus for testing a plurality of devices under test. The test apparatus includes a signal input section that applies a test signal to the devices under test so as to cause the devices under test to concurrently output response signals, a combining section that generates a single combination signal by using the response signals output from the devices under test, and a judging section that judges whether the devices under test operate normally with reference to the combination signal.
US08014966B2
A setup and calibration unit for a barrier operator is operable to communicate with the operator's own controller. The calibration unit includes a control circuit connected to a visual display and to a set of switches controlled by switch actuators for placing the operator controller in a controller run mode or calibration mode, scrolling through selected actions displayed on the display in one direction or the other, a set/clear function and display backlighting for user interaction with the setup and calibration unit. The setup and calibration unit is particularly adapted for use with upward acting sectional and roll-up doors and other types of barriers movable between open and closed positions by motorized operators. The calibration unit may be operably connected to the operator controller via hard wiring, a radio frequency link or an infrared or visible light transmission link.
US08014964B1
A method, to decompose the total instantaneous power, into active and non-active components, using the voltages and currents at the metering point; and apparatus implementing the said method. The voltage and currents are transformed into Fourier components. The Fourier currents are separated into active and non-active parts. The active and non-active currents together with the corresponding voltage are used to define the instantaneous total, fundamental and five, active and non-active, power components. Definitions of average values for these are also stated. These components, in various combinations, are useful for measurement, compensation, detection of distortion and power quality. The method can be implemented in a signal processor based power meter, analyzer or controller or used in a software based application.
US08014958B2
The present invention provides a method for accurately and easily confirming that nucleic acid probes immobilized on a nucleic acid array are correctly arrayed on predetermined positions.
US08014956B2
Disclosed are methods of identifying microRNA motifs or microRNA precursors for a target gene or a set of target genes. Also disclosed are related computer-readable media.
US08014936B2
Techniques are described for assessing road traffic conditions in various ways based on obtained traffic-related data, such as data samples from vehicles and other mobile data sources traveling on the roads, as well as in some situations data from one or more other sources (such as physical sensors near to or embedded in the roads). The assessment of road traffic conditions based on obtained data samples may include various filtering and/or conditioning of the data samples, and various inferences and probabilistic determinations of traffic-related characteristics from the data samples. In some situations, the filtering of the data samples includes identifying data samples that are inaccurate or otherwise unrepresentative of actual traffic condition characteristics, such as data samples that are not of interest based at least in part on roads with which the data samples are associated and/or that otherwise reflect vehicle locations or activities that are not of interest.
US08014933B2
The invention deals with a method to determine the fuel composition of a fuel mixture from a first fuel and a second fuel for the operation of an internal combustion engine, wherein the first and the second fuel have different octane numbers and wherein the internal combustion engine has at least one knock sensor and a closed-loop knock control. Provision is made according to the invention for the composition of the fuel mixture to be determined by means of an output signal of the knock sensor. Provision is made in many cases for the knock sensor to already be in the internal combustion engine, so that it does not present any additional expenditure of money or effort. Because the octane number of the fuel mixture is determined by the mixing ratio of the fuels involved, which have different octane numbers, in retrospect the composition of the fuel mixture can be suggested from the signal of the knock sensor under suitable operating conditions.
US08014923B2
A travel device includes a plurality of wheels disposed parallel to one another, a step plate mounted between the wheels, a handle mounted to the step plate, and a driving motor that allows the step plate and handle to tilt in a roll axis direction. The device further includes a control unit that drives the motor so as to maintain the step plate horizontal or the handle vertical. The device also includes a measurement unit that measures a shift operation of the step plate or the handle. The plurality of wheels may change direction based on the value determined by the measuring unit.
US08014916B2
The internal-combustion-engine ignition diagnosis apparatus is configured in such a way that the first duration setting unit sets the first detection duration in a predetermined duration including a time instant when the spark discharge is generated, the second duration setting unit sets the second detection duration after the first detection duration, the diagnosis unit determines normality of the spark discharge, based on a signal state in the second detection duration, and regardless of the signal state in the second detection duration, determines abnormality of the spark discharge, based on a signal state in the first detection duration.
US08014913B2
A method includes controlling an aircraft during descent, and controlling the engine pressure ratio of a jet engine so that the engine has a substantially equal pressure at the exhaust, and at the front of the engine during the descent.
US08014911B2
Methods and systems are provided for reorienting an agile vehicle, such as a satellite or spacecraft, using a control moment gyroscope (CMG) array. The CMG array comprises a plurality of CMGs onboard the agile vehicle. A method comprises obtaining an input torque command for reorienting the vehicle using the CMG array and, when the angular momentum of the CMG array violates or is approaching a momentum boundary criterion, decreasing the input torque command in the kinetic momentum direction, resulting in a modified torque command, and operating the CMG array using the modified torque command.
US08014909B2
A system for controlling flight of an aircraft has sensors (37, 43), a receiver (45), and a digital control system (57), all of which are carried aboard the aircraft. The sensors (37, 43) determine the position of the aircraft relative to the earth and the inertial movement of the aircraft. The receiver (45) receives transmitted data (51, 55) communicating the position and movement of a reference vehicle relative to the earth. The control system (57) calculates the position and velocity of the aircraft relative to the reference vehicle using the data from the sensors (37, 43) and the receiver (45) and then commands flight control devices (33) on the aircraft for maneuvering the aircraft in a manner that maintains a selected position and/or velocity relative to the reference vehicle. The system allows use of a graphical or tactile user interfaces.
US08014905B2
An electricity demand limiting system for limiting the electricity consumption of at least one resistive load device. The demand limiting system includes a consumption controller associated with the resistive load device that is operable to infinitely vary the amount of electricity being consumed by the load device. The consumption control device is in operative communication with a load controller such that the load controller can generate a control signal to affect the operation of the consumption control circuit. Preferably, the consumption control circuit is a triac-based circuit that receives the control signal from the load controller and limits the amount of electricity consumed by the resistive load device. The load controller can receive input signals from sensors monitoring the electricity delivery system or from the premise electricity meter. Further, the load controller can receive external inputs from a third party that determine the operation of the load controller in limiting the electricity demands of the resistive load device.
US08014898B2
A robot controller (7) controlling a robot (1) used combined with a machine tool (5, 6) provided with a communication unit (9) connecting the robot controller to a machine tool, a detection unit (52) detecting through the communication unit a type and number of machine tools, and a setting unit (55) setting the robot controller based on the type and number of machine tools detected by the detection unit. Due to this, machine tool and robot startup work can be simply and easily performed without requiring skill or increasing the startup man-hours. The setting unit selects one setting file from among a plurality of setting files for the robot controller, stored in the robot controller, based on the type and number of machine tools detected by the detection unit.
US08014897B2
A system and method for operating robots in a robot competition. One embodiment of the system may include operator interfaces, where each operator interface is operable to control movement of a respective robot. A respective operator interface may be in communication with an associated operator radio, where each radio may have a low power RF output signal. A robot controller may be coupled to each robot in the robot competition. A robot radio may be coupled to a respective robot and in communication with a respective robot controller and operator radio. The robot radios may have a low power RF output signal while communicating with the respective operator radios. Alternatively, the radios may be short range radios, where a distance of communication may be a maximum of approximately 500 feet.
US08014893B2
A groove (Da) extending in a Y-axis direction of a workpiece (D) is finish machined with an offset tool (T) that has a cross-section with a shape (L3) offset in a reducing direction by only a predetermined offset amount relative to a finished shape (L1) of the groove (Da) and that rotates around an axis of rotation parallel to a Z axis. Each time an incising step in which the offset tool (T) is relatively moved within the X-Z plane only by a predetermined distance on the circumference of an imaginary circle (C) having an initial position as its center and the offset amount (o) as its radius is carried out, a cutting step in which the entire length of the groove (Da) is cut while relatively moving the offset tool (T) in the Y-axis direction is carried out repeatedly. This enables the load imposed on the offset tool (T) to be suppressed compared with the case of a forming tool, which cuts a wide region of the groove (Da) of the workpiece (D) all at once, thus providing a method of machining a workpiece with an offset tool (T), the method allowing the durability of the offset tool (T) to be enhanced and the finishing precision of a machined face to be increased.
US08014892B2
A method for compensating for at least one of positional deviations and shape deviations in NC-controlled cutting production machines where the method includes the steps of securing a new workpiece, processing the workpiece using the nominal data of the NC program, acquiring the set deviation data, optimizing the NC program using the acquired data and repeating these steps until at least one of required positional and shape tolerances have been achieved.
US08014882B2
A particular program detection device detecting a particular program segment even in a program signal contaminated with noise by adaptively modifying a detection sensitivity for a scene change point. A noise level detecting section detects a noise level of a program signal outputted from a signal input section. Based on the detected noise level, a detection sensitivity determining section determines a detection sensitivity which is used when a silent portion of the program signal is determined by a silent portion detecting section. In accordance with the determined detection sensitivity, the silent portion detecting section detects a portion having a low audio level of the program signal as a silent portion. A particular program determining section calculates a time difference between each silent portion and a silent portion following this, and based on the calculated time difference, determines whether or not the silent portion is a particular program.
US08014879B2
A digital controller includes a sampling component that samples an output signal from a system and an input signal to the system at a first sampling rate, which is at least equal to a predetermined operating rate. An input parameter obtaining component obtains a plurality of input parameters from the samples at the first sampling rate. A decimator component generates subsampled values for the plurality of input parameters at a second sampling rate, which is slower than the first sampling rate. An adaptive plant estimator component generates a model of the system based on the subsampled values. A compensator design component determines compensator parameters based on the model. The compensator parameters reflect changes in the system and are sampled at the second sampling rate. A feedback compensator adjusts the input signal to the system based on the compensator parameters.
US08014862B2
A subcutaneous cardiac device includes a subcutaneous electrode and a housing coupled to the subcutaneous electrode by a lead with a lead wire. The subcutaneous electrode is adapted to be implanted in a frontal region of the patient so as to overlap a portion of the patient's heart.
US08014861B2
Tools and methods are particularly suited for certain cardiac conditions advantaged by pacing of the right and left ventricles from a lead in the right ventricle, e.g., to facilitate mechanically and/or electrically synchronous contractions for resynchronization. Certain aspects involve pacing and/or mapping by delivering pulses to a cardiac site useful for improving heart function as measured, e.g., by QRS width, fractionation, late LV activation timing, mechanical synchronicity of free wall and septal wall, effective throughput/pressure, or a combination thereof. Other specific aspects include: determining a pacing threshold, beyond the capture threshold, to improve heart function; delivering pulses of opposite polarity to achieve such heart-function improvement; bi-ventricular pacing from a lead in the right ventricle for such improved heart function; delivering pulses of opposite polarity at a site near the His bundle; electrode-based His-pacing, without penetrating the myocardium; generating and/or delivering multiple pacing profiles including a pacing profile that delivers pulses of opposite polarity and another pacing profile; delivering a pacing profile to generate a synchronous contraction of the septal wall and free wall of the LV from a RV pacing location; and treating one or more of distal LBBB and/or diffuse LBBB by pacing at a site near the His bundle.
US08014857B2
An implantable shock electrode line having a proximal terminal for connection to an implantable defibrillator, an elongated flexible line body, and a shock electrode and a drug delivery device arranged at or near the distal end of the line body. A drug depot connected to the drug delivery device is provided in the shock electrode line, and the terminal is designed as a purely electric standard terminal. The drug delivery device is designed for control by an electric pulse transmitted over the electric terminal to the shock electrode line.
US08014856B2
In an embodiment, the invention includes a measurement system for measuring induced currents within an implantable medical device undergoing magnetic resonance imaging. The measurement system can include a resistor connected in series with a conductive loop and electronic circuitry configured to generate a signal representative of a voltage differential across the resistor. In some embodiments, the measurement system includes a fiber optic cable configured to transmit the signal away from the area subject to magnetic resonance imaging. In some embodiments, the measurement system includes a transmitter to wirelessly transmit the signal away from the area subject to magnetic resonance imaging. In an embodiment, the invention can include an implantable medical device including a measurement system for measuring induced currents. In an embodiment, the invention can include a method of measuring an induced current in an implantable medical device undergoing magnetic resonance imaging. Other embodiments are described herein.
US08014850B2
Provided is a data acquisition system comprising a CPU, radiation detector, buffer, and a storage device in communication with the buffer and which is capable of storing information received from the buffer. The data acquisition system includes a method for sequentially monitoring data from one region of interest based on data obtained from a previous region of interest, and finally recording the data of a final region of interest for use as medical data.
US08014847B2
Methods for determining whether the brain activity of a human subject in response to a stimulus of interest or question of interest is characteristic of a state of interest, such as a deceptive state or a truthful state, are disclosed. Some methods include the use of control questions, including truthful control questions and deceptive control questions, to provide bases for comparison for responses to stimuli of interest or questions of interest. In some methods, brain maps are generated and compared. Also disclosed are systems for detecting deception by measuring brain activity.
US08014843B2
A mobile electronic device is provided with a housing, a loudspeaker, a cavity coupled to the loudspeaker, and a slide mechanism configured to move a portion of the housing between a first position and a second position. In the second position of the slide mechanism, an inner volume of the cavity is increased as compared to the first position.
US08014842B2
A sliding mechanism is provided to couple slidably a first housing having on its surface a vertically long liquid crystal display part long in the vertical direction to a second housing having on its surface an operating part. This slide mechanism includes a rail part which is mounted on the surface of the second housing in a manner of extending in the vertical direction and is configured such that when the first housing has slidingly moved by means of the slide mechanism to the upper end side of the second housing, the operating part of the second housing will appear. Further, by means of the cam mechanism (support mechanism), the first housing is supported relative to the second housing in a switchable manner between the vertically long state and the horizontally long state.
US08014840B2
A portable terminal, including first and second housings, and a sliding module interposed therebetween to connect them. The second housing is slidable with respect to the first housing to upper and lower sides of the first housing along a first axis and to left and right sides of the first housing along a second axis. The sliding module includes a guide member disposed on a surface of the first housing, a first sliding member slidably engaged with the guide member, and a second sliding member on the second housing. The second sliding member slidably engages the first sliding member. The first sliding member moves the second housing to the upper side and the lower side of the first housing along the first axis and the second sliding member moves the second housing to the left and right sides of the first housing along the second axis.
US08014838B2
An electronic apparatus includes a first section and a second section which are foldable together in: a first mode in which respective front faces of the first and second sections face each other, and a second mode in which the front face of the first section faces a back face of the second section. A contact protector is provided on the front face of the first section. In the first mode, a first portion of the contact protector contacts the front face of the second section and forms a first clearance between the respective front faces, and a second portion of the contact protector is accommodated in a dent in the front face of the second section. In the second mode, the second portion of the contact protector contacts the back face of the second section and forms a second clearance between the respective front faces.
US08014825B2
Methods and apparatus for obtaining and providing status information for network devices. In one implementation, a wireless device includes: an antenna; a wireless communication interface connected to said antenna and supporting wireless communication across a wireless connection provided by said antenna; a memory supporting storing data; and a controller connected to said wireless interface and to said memory, supporting an application service and a network evaluation service; wherein said application service provides execution and management of one or more application programs accessible by said controller using application data stored in said memory, said network evaluation service provides evaluation of status information of other devices available for wireless communication through said wireless interface and provides status information of the wireless device to another device upon request, and status information provided by said network evaluation service includes information indicating at least one application program for which application data is stored in said memory.
US08014823B2
An intermediate element for a communications system is described that has at least one communications module (131) and at least one contact mechanism (134) that is independent in form in relation to the components (12) to be contacted with the contact mechanism (134). In addition, a communications system (10) as well as a method for producing a communications link between an electronic device (11) and a support element (12) is described.
US08014821B2
A mobile wireless communications device is for use with a hearing aid including a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil. The device may include a portable housing and a wireless receiver carried by the portable housing. The device may also include at least one image capture component and a positioning coil associated therewith and carried by the portable housing. A controller may also be carried by the portable housing for selectively operating the positioning coil for image capture, and for inductively coupling received signals from the wireless receiver to the HAC coil.
US08014820B2
Analog signal paths are utilized between a baseband processor and a radio front end to support high throughput communications for a multiple in multiple out radio transceiver that support communications over two or more antennas. Specifically, analog differential I and Q path communication signals are exchanged between a radio front end core and a baseband processor to maximize throughput capacity for high data rate signals. Along the same lines, the impedances of traces and the interface are matched to reduce I/Q imbalance.
US08014816B2
A mobile communication device (10) communicating with a communication network (20) includes a microphone (11) for receiving sounds of a user and converting the sounds into outgoing analog signals, a processor (13), a system memory (16) for storing system data from the processor, and a data converter module (12). The data converter module includes an A/D converter sub-module (120) for converting the outgoing analog signals into outgoing digital sound data; and a memory (121) for storing the outgoing digital sound data. The processor directly retrieves the outgoing digital sound data from the memory and converts the outgoing digital sound data into packets to be transmitted to the communication network.
US08014810B2
A cognitive telecommunication terminal designed to coexist with a primary telecommunication system using a set (B) of transmission frequencies comprising a plurality of spatially distributed transmitters, each transmitter being suitable for transmitting within a coverage area in a plurality of frequency bands in said set allocated to the transmitter. The terminal comprises positioning means, a database storing information defining the coverage area for each transmitter, calculation means suitable for determining the maximum power that the terminal can transmit for each frequency band in said set, and for sorting frequency bands as a function of the maximum powers thus obtained. Finally, the terminal comprises radio transmission/reception means suitable for detecting the presence of a signal in the frequency bands thus sorted, beginning with the frequency band associated with the highest maximum power.
US08014806B2
A method (500) for dynamically creating a communication group. The method can include identifying a first contact (100) and automatically identifying a plurality of contacts (110, 120, 130, 140, 150) within a number (N) of levels removed from the first contact. The first contact can be included as one of the plurality of contacts or excluded from such plurality of contacts. The method further can include selecting at least a portion of the identified contacts to include within the communication group. Identifying the first contact can include processing an image that includes first contact. In another arrangement, a selection of the first contact from a contact list can be received. In yet another arrangement, a selection of the first contact from a recent call list can be received.
US08014801B2
A component of the wireless network detects when a party who is sending an electronic message desires to have the sender's ID information blocked. If a determination is made that the sender's ID information is to be blocked, the network component removes the ID information from the communication and transmits the message to the intended recipient without the sender's ID information being included in the transmission.
US08014800B2
A method and arrangement for enabling a mobile terminal user currently roaming in a visited mobile network, to execute a purchase by means of an SMS payment mechanism. An SMS message containing a purchase request is received from the mobile terminal. After detecting that the SMS message is addressed to an external SMS center in a home mobile network different from the visited one, the address of the external SMS center in the SMS message is changed into the address of an internal SMS center in the visited network. The modified SMS message is then routed towards the internal SMS center where the purchase can be confirmed if a called number in the message matches a product/service provider registered as being authorized to offer said SMS payment mechanism.
US08014779B2
A system and method for wireless network connection switching management is shown. The system notifies a mobile user that his portable terminal is within an area where it can be provided with local fast wireless communication service such as a hot-spot service versus using a low speed, but wide coverage wireless access network. Radio waves for communication transmitted by a mobile wireless terminal are received at a WWAN receiving system provided in a WLAN system. The radio waves are capable of communicating with a WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) system utilizing a third generation mobile phone network and a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) system providing a hot-spot service. Instructions are output to the terminal via the Internet and a base station of the WWAN system that the mobile terminal is within an AP service area of an access point of the WLAN system. The user may choose to switch wireless network access networks in order to achieve faster access to the Internet. Additionally, the method incorporates mechanisms to achieve reduced power consumption by the mobile terminal.
US08014778B2
A mobile terminal of a digital cellular radiocommunication system that is in the receiving phase in a group call while roaming in a current cell, indicates to a fixed network element of the system, a given destination cell out of a number N of cells adjacent to the current cell. The system uses a time and/or frequency division multiple access method, and any modulation method. The mobile terminal sends an identification sequence of the destination cell in a time slot of an inbound signaling channel which is a contention channel. The identification sequence comprises a predetermined identification pattern out of a determined number P of identification patterns of different respective values, where P is an integer number such that 1
US08014777B2
A method and a system are disclosed for transmitting/receiving data in heterogeneous communication systems having a mobile station, a first communication system currently accessed by the mobile station, and a second communication system having an access scheme different from the first communication system. The method includes accessing, by the mobile station, the first communication system and maintaining an active session with the first communication system; accessing, by the mobile station, the second communication system and requesting an active session to the second communication system when sensing handover to the second communication system while the active session with the first communication system is maintained; and maintaining, by the mobile station, the active session with the first communication system by means of an active session with the second communication system created according to the requested active session.
US08014762B2
Systems and methods for sending and receiving ads from a server to a client device are disclosed. The ads can be sent based on the location of the client device and/or a designated time window. An ad manager on the client device can display, store and manage the received ads and activated additional applications based on the content of the ad.
US08014761B2
A service that provides playback of media content, that may include advertising content, to a user. The system comprises device, that may be a portable wireless device, where the wireless device has a media drive and an application that reads content from a medium inserted in the media drive. The system further comprises a service that communicates with the wireless device via a wireless network. The service provides control commands to the application program for controlling playback of content from the medium when inserted in the media drive. The service may also provide advertising content to the user based on a user profile. A fee may be paid for the delivery of the content and/or the advertising to the user.
US08014759B2
The invention provides an efficient transfer of video/audio contents recorded by a server in advance for a user to view the contents with a mobile terminal, whereby the user is relieved of troublesome operations. The information processor includes two record means for recording coded video/audio data, the second record means controls already played back data having already been viewed by the user of the data transferred from the first record means, and when data is newly transferred from the first record means, the retransfer means is provided which erases only the already played back data, and transfers the data corresponding to a capacity evacuated by the erasing from the first record means.
US08014758B2
In a mobile telephone apparatus, an information storing section stores information, and a control section receives a remote access request signal from an external network to access the information storing section.
US08014754B2
A method for location-dependent billing for a service available to a user with a mobile terminal having an identification module. Via a wireless interface of the identification module, a local communication connection is set up to at least one external location tag with a corresponding wireless interface. The method includes determining a location identification through evaluation of data of the at least one external location tag; and selecting a billing rate for billing for the service available to the user based on the determined location of the at least on external location tag.
US08014751B2
A method for assigning special number wireless call routing responsibilities among special number call answering positions, each respective special number call answering position having a respective designated special number service area, includes: (a) in no particular order: (1) establishing a plurality of cell sector areas for wireless call service; and (2) establishing respective special number service areas in the vicinities of the plurality of cell sector areas; (b) associating respective cell sector areas with the respective special number service areas to establish cell sector-special number areas; (c) establishing at least one population area in the vicinity of the cell sector-special number areas; (d) associating the cell sector-special number areas with the at least one population area to establish cell sector-special number-population areas; (e) determining portions of population attributed to each respective cell sector-special number-population area; and (f) assigning the responsibilities in proportion with the portions of population.
US08014749B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting Preferred Control Channel Cycle Attributes in a wireless communication system comprising generating a 8 bit Length field, a 8 bit AttributeID field, a 1 bit PreferredControlChannelCycleEnabled field, a 0 or 15 bits PreferredControlChannelCycle field, a 1 bit PreferredQuickPageEnabled field, a 0 or 15 bits PreferredRQuickPage field, a 1 bit PreferredPagingCarrierEnabled field, a 7 bits PreferredPagingCarrier field and a 0 or 7 bits Reserved field, wherein the Length field indicates the length of the complex attribute in octets and the length of the Reserved field is such that the attribute value is octet aligned; and transmitting the Preferred control channel cycle attribute over an OFDM communication link.
US08014730B2
A radio communication system has a plurality of transmission formats available for the transmission of data signals by a sending station, and a pilot signal is transmitted to enable channel estimation by the receiving station. A receiving station transmits a control signal indicating the transmission formats that the sending station may use for transmitting the data signals. The sending station selects one of the indicated transmission formats for transmitting a data signal and derives a transmission power level for the pilot signal from the control signal. The transmission power level of the pilot signal may be independent of the selected transmission format, or may depend on selected transmission format.
US08014722B2
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates connecting a wireless device to a secure network. A device can establish a near field communication link with a verified device on a network, wherein the near field communication link can be a secure and/or encrypted link to provision the device without comprising security constraints within the network. An installation component can invoke the transfer of provisioning data to the network via the near filed communication link to secure a wireless connection for the device to the network.
US08014718B2
A wireless communication system for providing a radio frequency (RF) link between an enclosed environment that is at least substantially shielded from RF signals, and the outside of the enclosed environment is disclosed. The wireless communication system includes at least one gateway antenna arranged at an entrance point of the enclosed environment. The gateway antenna radiates downlink RF signals into and receives uplink RF signals from, the enclosed environment, respectively. The system also includes at least one auxiliary repeater arranged within the enclosed environment, a donor antenna and a server antenna. Both the donor and the server antenna are coupled to the auxiliary repeater. The auxiliary repeater relays the downlink and the uplink RF signals using the donor antenna and the server antenna. A lift system including the wireless communication system is also disclosed.
US08014711B2
A fixing unit includes a rotatable fixing member and a rotatable pressure applying member. The rotatable fixing member has a heat generating layer to generate heat when subject to a magnetic flux. The rotatable pressure applying member contacts the rotatable fixing member and applies pressure to the fixing member. The rotatable fixing member and the rotatable pressure applying member form a nip therebetween, to which a recording medium is passed through to fix an image on the recording medium. The rotatable fixing member includes a magnetism regulating layer deformable when subject to pressure from the rotatable pressure applying member.
US08014708B2
A multi-layer endless belt member with a high-resistance surface layer for use in an image forming apparatus. A volume resistivity thereof ranges from approximately 8.0 to approximately 11.0 in log [Ω·cm]. An amount of resistivity change of a first surface thereof is greater than an amount of resistivity change of a second surface thereof by 0.05 or greater in log [Ω/square], where the amount of resistivity change of the first surface indicates a difference between surface resistivity values measured after a given voltage is applied for 1 second and for 100 seconds on the first surface thereof and the amount of resistivity change of the second surface indicates a difference between surface resistivity values measured after a given voltage is applied for 1 second and for 100 seconds on the second surface thereof.
US08014703B2
The development device includes a development member and a circulation member. The development member develops an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image carrier with a developer including toner and a carrier to make the electrostatic latent image visible. The circulation member receives the developer discharged from the development member and conveys the developer back to the development member. The circulation member includes a container provided upstream from the development member in a conveyance direction of the developer to store the developer. The container includes an agitator provided inside the container and agitates and mixes the developer and fresh toner supplied to the container. The agitator includes a rotatable agitation member in which one or more holes are formed through which the developer passes to mix the fresh toner and the developer to be agitated in the container.
US08014690B2
A developing unit has a voltage-applicator (80) to apply a developing bias voltage to a developing roller (72). The voltage-applicator (80) applies the developing bias voltage for a first duration to apply an AC voltage having a rectangular waveform, and a second duration to stop applying the AC voltage. The AC voltage has a duty ratio of 50% or more in a direction for causing toner to develop an electrostatic latent image. The number of cycles of the AC voltage in the first duration is two or more, and the AC voltage has a voltage in a direction for pulling the toner back to the developing roller, just before transition to the second duration. The developing unit suppresses occurrence of image unevenness due to a fluctuation in developing gap. Thus, an image forming apparatus equipped with the developing unit forms a high-quality image while suppressing image unevenness.
US08014686B2
An optical receiver utilizes differential quadrature phase-shift keying (DQPSK) demodulation and electrical crosstalk rejection to relax requirements on filter misalignment with a carrier signal and to enable electronic polarization demultiplexing of optical signals. The optical receiver uses additional polarization state information when performing differential phase measurements on the optical signals. This provides information that ensures that data can be recovered by the optical receiver regardless of the state of polarization introduced during transmission of the optical signals. The optical receiver over samples the optical signals, which enables electrical polarization demultiplexing of the optical signals. The electrical crosstalk rejection provides a tracking algorithm that isolates received optical signals, and reduces crosstalk between data sequences.
US08014682B2
A free-space communication system and method of operation includes a first communication device physically coupled to a substrate and having an optical transmitter for communicating information. A second communication device is physically coupled to the substrate and has an optical receiver for communicating information. An adjustable optical beam deflector is physically coupled to the substrate for optically coupling the first communication device and the second communication device via an optical beam including a free-space optical portion. A feedback system includes a non-optical communication link for receiving information regarding the optical beam. The feedback system controls the adjustable optical beam deflector to direct the optical beam to improve the quality of an optical link incorporating the optical beam. At least one sensor is physically coupled to the substrate for monitoring one or more environmental conditions and providing information of the one or more environmental conditions to the feedback system.
US08014681B1
A device can convert electrical signals into modulated light signals and conduct those modulated light signals between components within the device or between the device and another device through at least a portion of the housing of the device that is transparent to the light wavelength of the modulate light signals.
US08014677B2
To control activation of one or more communication units in a survey system that performs surveying of a subterranean structure, optical activity on at least one optical link connected to at least one communication unit that is part of a survey system is detected. In response to determining that the optical activity has a characteristic that satisfies a predetermined criterion, the at least one communication unit is awakened.
US08014673B2
A management method of an optical fiber network system is disclosed. The optical fiber network system includes at least one user apparatus and an optical network unit (ONU), and the ONU is connected with the user apparatus. The management method includes the steps of: adopting at least one information string, which is set by an ONU management and control interface (OMCI), by the optical network unit; packing the information string into a management packet; and transmitting the management packet to the user apparatus by the optical network unit according to an Ethernet protocol.
US08014665B2
The present invention relates to a method, apparatus or software for processing photographic image data using a photographic recording medium arranged for capturing successive optical images in a series of discrete frames.
US08014656B2
A camera mount is configured to attach a camera to a sports board. A camera is secured to the mount, which is secured to a sports board. The mount can secure to the sports board via an attachment device such as an embedded plug. The mount can be placed at the front or rear of the sports board. Furthermore, the mount can be configured to face either forwards or backwards to capture images and/or video from different viewpoints while participating in the board activity. Moreover, the mount includes a pivoting joint to allow a user to rotate the camera either upward or downward and then secure the camera at a fixed angle to capture images and/or video from different angles.
US08014655B2
A camera module includes a lens barrel, a first lens and a second lens. The lens barrel includes a substantially cylindrical inner wall. The first lens is received in the lens barrel. The first lens includes a first circumferential side surface spaced from the inner wall. The second lens is engaged with the first lens and received in the lens barrel. The second lens includes a second circumferential side surface. The second circumferential side surface has a first portion contacting the inner wall and a second portion spaced from the inner wall, thus a gap defined between the second portion and the inner wall. Adhesive is applied in the gap between the second portion and the inner wall.
US08014654B2
A softbox for a spotlight includes a device for mounting the softbox to the spotlight such that in operation, the spotlight shines through the softbox. For limiting the emerging angle of the light shining through the softbox, a light control grid is mounted at the light emitting aperture of the softbox. For mounting the light control grid to the light emitting aperture of the softbox, a frame surrounds the light emitting aperture of the softbox. The control grid for being mounted to the softbox is manufactured by fixing adjacent strips of a light absorbing material to one another.
US08014653B2
A spa heater includes a heater element having a single outer wall with indentations near each end for receiving clips for positioning the heater element. The indentations are preferably stamped or formed by some other method which does not weaken the outer wall and the heater element is retained by use of the clips in the indentations. Incorporation of the indentations and the clips allows use of a single thin outer wall thereby reducing cost. The heater element is held and sealed by a combination of O-rings, stepped washers, snap rings clips, and caps. An electrical connection may be made using ring type wire ends residing under the caps or by connecting to posts extending from the ends of the heater element. The heater element is preferably a spiral heater element and a titanium outer wall may be used to resist corrosion and increases heater element life.
US08014651B2
Trick mode playback is implemented by disengaging a frame synchronization signal, and then decoding “I” and “P” frames to two (or more) buffers. Specifically, each buffer has a pointer that is associated with a memory/origin address. The pointers are locked in place by disengaging the frame synchronization signal. Once the pointers are locked in place, the “I” frames and “P” frames are decoded to the two buffers in an alternating fashion based on a continuous swapping of the memory addresses associated with the two pointers. Because both “I” and “P” frames (as opposed to only “I” frames) are decoded and displayed, the trick mode playback appears smoother. In addition, because the frame synchronization signal was disengaged, the frames can be decoded at a rate faster than a single frame time. That is, one frame need not be completely decoded and read out before the next frame is decoded.
US08014645B2
A 1.55 μm band dispersion shifted optical fiber is provided which has a low loss and low dispersion slope. A core region “a” is heavily doped with GeO2 . A core region “b” is composed of pure SiO2 glass. A cladding section is arranged around the core region. The cladding section has a lot of holes extending in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber. The holes of the cladding section are not located at random, but have a honeycomb structure composed of regular hexagons which have a side length of Λ, and serve as a primitive lattice. The center of the core section has a region having a refractive index higher than that of the periphery of the core section. The core section has the refractive index distribution in which the group velocity dispersion at the operation wavelength of the region becomes the normal dispersion.
US08014639B1
An optical NOR gate is formed from two pair of optical waveguide devices on a substrate, with each pair of the optical waveguide devices consisting of an electroabsorption modulator electrically connected in series with a waveguide photodetector. The optical NOR gate utilizes two digital optical inputs and a continuous light input to provide a NOR function digital optical output. The optical NOR gate can be formed from III-V compound semiconductor layers which are epitaxially deposited on a III-V compound semiconductor substrate, and operates at a wavelength in the range of 0.8-2.0 μm.
US08014638B2
A signal transmission device includes a base plate and a photoelectric converter-sealed member. The base plate is structured to have an optical waveguide formed internally, an opening formed to expose the optical waveguide, and a mounting surface provided to allow an electronic part to be mounted thereon. The photoelectric converter-sealed member is placed in the opening of the base plate to include a photoelectric conversion module for making conversion between an electric signal and a light signal and provided by sealing at least the photoelectric conversion module with a predetermined material to expose at least part of a wiring from the photoelectric conversion module on a substantially identical plane with an opening end face of the opening of the base plate. The opening is either a recess or a through hole. This arrangement desirably ensures the higher-speed transmission of electric signals between the photoelectric conversion module and the LSI package.
US08014625B2
A first and a second image are expressed in a common coordinate system by applying a geometric transformation to the second image so as to map a structure in the second image onto a corresponding structure in the first image in a common coordinate system. Starting from initial values, the parameters of the geometric transformation are updated taking into account the result of an evaluation of a cost function.Measurements are performed in the common coordinate system.
US08014620B2
An image processing system includes an identification unit, a region division unit and a pixel value change unit. The identification unit identifies a second pixel among an image including a first pixel and the second pixel. A pixel value of the first pixel is not to be changed. A pixel value of the second pixel is to be changed. The region division unit divides the image into regions. The pixel value change unit changes the value of the second pixel to a predetermined value through a filtering process when the second pixel identified by the identification unit is included within the regions obtained by the region division unit.
US08014618B2
The present invention relates to a high-speed motion compensation apparatus and method. The high-speed motion compensation apparatus for H.264/AVC includes a bus interface unit for reading a plurality of word addresses from an external storage device, aligning the reference pixels arranged over the plurality of word addresses, temporarily storing the aligned reference pixels, and sequentially outputting the aligned and temporarily stored reference pixels. A buffer unit temporarily stores overlapping reference pixels, which are repeatedly used to generate the sub-pixels, among the reference pixels output from the bus interface unit. An interpolation unit generates first half pixels, second half pixels, first quarter pixels, and second quarter pixels, using the reference pixels output from the bus interface unit. A chroma filter unit generates chrome pixels using the reference pixels output from the bus interface unit.Therefore, the high-speed motion compensation apparatus is advantageous in that the number of accesses to memory can be reduced, and reference pixels are prevented from being repeatedly read, thus enabling motion compensation to be performed at high speed.
US08014609B2
A system allows greater dynamic range in fixed-width sample representations of waveforms. Known properties of the waveform are used to determine an unlikely, or impossible, data condition to be used as an exception condition. In a preferred embodiment that is directed to processing of audio waveforms, a first large value transitioning to a second large value of different sign is used to indicate an exception condition. Samples following the exception condition are assumed to be shifted by a predetermined amount so that their representation within the allowable dynamic range of the word results in an extended dynamic range. In a preferred embodiment, pre-processing of a waveform is used to create exception conditions and to perform “peak packing” to shift portions of the waveform that would otherwise become clipped, so that the waveform peaks reside in a shifted position within the digital representation. Analogously, playback processing serves to detect the exception conditions and to restore the peaks of the waveform back to their original status for, e.g., audible digital-to-analog playback, high-resolution processing, etc.
US08014607B2
A method and system provides intelligent node-link diagram creation and editing, including an electronic display device having a surface on which a writing and/or drawing canvas is provided. An input device permits writing and/or drawing of electronic ink strokes, and a computing device is in operative association with the electronic display and the input device, and has stored therein for operation in connection with actions of the input device, a user interface (UI). The UI includes a graphical user interface (GUI) module, which controls input and display of the ink strokes applied to the canvas by the input device, and a recognition module which interprets the ink strokes by performance of structure recognition operations.
US08014601B2
A pattern recognizing method for matching a binary or ternary reference image and an input grayscale image, having a precision similar to the method in which a plurality of binary reference images are generated by supposing settable various binarization threshold value and comparing the distances between the plurality of binary reference images and the grayscale image, and enabling the processing time to be shorter. The first accumulated histogram of the pixels of the grayscale image corresponding to a high density region of the binary reference image and the second accumulated histogram opposite to it and of the pixels of the grayscale image corresponding to the low density region of the reference image are generated and summated. The existence or absence of a pattern is judged by comparing the minimum value of the summated accumulated histogram and a threshold value.
US08014599B2
A color processing device performs a quantitative evaluation not influenced by the experience and sensitivity of a user, upon adjustment of a profile. The adjustment of first conversion data for converting device independent data included in a profile describing characteristics of a device into device dependent data is achieved by inputting sample data, which is the device independent data, converting the sample data into the device dependent data using the first conversion data, converting the converted device dependent data into the device independent data using second conversion data which is conversion data included in the profile and which is conversion data for converting the device dependent data into the device independent data, and calculating the color difference between the sample data and the device independent data.
US08014598B2
A method of changing a pixel color includes determining whether a chrominance of a pixel is in a preference chrominance area, where the preference chrominance area is defined as a conic section in a two-dimensional chrominance plane and an eccentricity of the conic section is not greater than 1, and changing the chrominance of the pixel to a preference chrominance to generate a preference pixel when the chrominance of the pixel is in the preference chrominance area. Therefore, the method may set a preference chrominance area in a simple manner, and hardware for setting the preference chrominance area may be easily implemented.
US08014583B2
A method for determining the quality of focus of a digital image of a biological specimen includes obtaining a digital image of a specimen using a specimen imaging apparatus. A measure of image texture is calculated at two different scales, and the measurements are compared to determine how much high-resolution data the image contains compared to low-resolution data. The texture measurement may, for example, be a Brenner auto-focus score calculated from the means of adjacent pairs of pixels for the high-resolution measurement and from the means of adjacent triples of pixels for the low-resolution measurement. A score indicative of the quality of focus is then established based on a function of the low-resolution and high-resolution measurements. This score may be used by an automated imaging device to verify that image quality is acceptable. The device may adjust the focus and acquire new images to replace any that are deemed unacceptable.
US08014577B2
There is described a system and a method for analyzing spots in a micro-array, the spots containing targeted specimen, the method comprising the steps of: providing a slide with a micro-array of the spots thereon; illuminating at least one of the spots; directing the light onto the at least one spot; collecting light emitted from the at least one spot; forming an image of the at least one spot using the collected light; and analyzing the image to distinguish at least one unit of the targeted specimen located within the at least one spot from any undesired material. The analysis results are aimed at the detection, classification and quantification of optically resolvable specimen such as micro-organisms or cells.
US08014573B2
The illustrative embodiments described herein provide a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for managing data. A plurality of devices dynamically capture data associated with the daily activities of a person. The data is transmitted to a mobile device associated with the person. The data is processed and then stored into a cache of the mobile device. The data stored in the cache of the mobile device is uploaded into a repository mass store in response to interfacing the mobile device with the repository mass store. A selected data segment stored in the repository mass store is presented in response to receiving a request for the selected data segment.
US08014569B2
A method and an apparatus for noninvasively and quantitatively determining spatially resolved absorption and reduced scattering coefficients over a wide field-of-view of a food object, including fruit or produce, uses spatial-frequency-domain imaging (SFDI). A single modulated imaging platform is employed. It includes a broadband light source, a digital micromirror optically coupled to the light source to control a modulated light pattern directed onto the food object at a plurality of selected spatial frequencies, a multispectral camera for taking a spectral image of a reflected modulated light pattern from the food object, a spectrally variable filter optically coupled between the food object and the multispectral camera to select a discrete number of wavelengths for image capture, and a computer coupled to the digital micromirror, camera and variable filter to enable acquisition of the reflected modulated light pattern at the selected spatial frequencies.
US08014560B2
Systems and methods are described that facilitate encrypting document status information into a scanned image of a document using a mixed raster content document parsing protocol, in accordance with various features described herein. A text string comprising status information can be imaged into a mask layer that overlays the scanned image. Additionally or alternatively, the text string can be encrypted into a binary image that is encoded into the mask layer and overlaid on the image. The image itself is parsed into a background layer and one or more mask layers comprising different portions of the document. The encrypted mask layer comprising the text string and/or binary image can be generated using the same color as the background layer, such that the document status information is invisible and does not cause unwanted artifacts during printing or conversion of the document between formats. The document status information can be scanner signature information, scan-to-file authentication information, object metadata, etc.
US08014557B2
A text watermarking method embeds an auxiliary message in an original electronic text document to form a watermarked text document. The method applies a spreading function to message symbols to spread the symbols over a carrier, which forms a modulated carrier. It maps elements of the modulated carrier to corresponding inter-word spaces in the electronic text document, and applies an embedding function to modify the corresponding inter-word spaces according to elements of the modulated carrier signal such that the modified inter-word spaces hide the modulated carrier signal in the watermarked text document. The message symbols are automatically decodable from the watermarked document without the original electronic text document. A compatible decoder extracts the auxiliary message from a printed or electronic watermarked text document. The decoder automatically measures inter-word spaces in the watermarked text document. It estimates elements of a modulated carrier signal embedded in the inter-word spaces to form an estimated modulated carrier signal, and applies a de-spreading function to the estimated modulated carrier signal to extract message symbols.
US08014548B2
A hearing instrument in accordance with the invention comprises an in-the-ear-canal component to be worn at least partially in the ear of a user. When the hearing instrument is worn, a remaining volume between the in-the-ear-canal component and the user's eardrum is defined. The hearing instrument includes at least one first microphone operable to convert an acoustic input signal incident on the hearing instrument into an electrical input signal, signal processing means operable to convert the electrical input signal into an electrical output signal on a signal path, and an electrical-to-acoustic converter (a receiver or a plurality of receivers with potentially different frequency characteristics). Between the remaining volume and surrounding atmosphere, a duct (such as a vent) is defined. A second receiver is in operative communication with the duct, i.e. an output directly opens out into the duct or to a sound conductor opening out into the duct. The hearing instrument further comprises a second microphone in operative communication with said duct and operable to record an error signal in said duct.
US08014546B2
A microphone has at least one non-conductive component with at least one side covered by a metal layer which in turn is covered by a protective layer, and the microphone can be a component of a delegate unit of a conference system or a congress system.
US08014544B2
The present invention is a stereo PA amplifier that is mounted inside a desktop computer. It is powered by the computer's 12-volt power supply and receives its input via a stereo mini cable from the computer's audio line out. Standard 8-ohm, non-powered speakers are then hooked up directly to the board via its speaker connector board. The volume of the present invention is adjusted by the computer's volume controls. The device eliminates the need for an external stereo amp and external mixer, which thereby reduces the installation time, cost, interconnecting cables, and the space needed for the overall computer system, while at the same time providing quality sound.
US08014541B1
A system and method for graphic equalization of audio signals is disclosed. Traditional graphic equalizers provide control over the gains in each of a set of frequency bands. However, the actual band gains vary from the desired gains due to crosstalk between bands. Prior art methods for addressing this difficulty include applying a correction filter to the equalizer, and adjusting the shape of the individual band filters, both of which increase the computational cost. In an embodiment of the present invention, the input gains are processed to produce a set of adjusted gains which take into account the crosstalk, and result in an equalization interpolating the input band gains.
US08014540B2
An interface circuit for interconnecting the fixed controls of a vehicle to a replacement stereo. The interface circuit is capable of receiving control signals from fixed controls, such as steering wheel controls, backseat controls, handlebar controls, and the like, and then transmitting corresponding control signals to a replacement stereo. In one embodiment, the output signals from the interface circuit are comprised of wireless signals, such as IR signals. In another embodiment, the interface device is programmable such that the interface device can be programmed to emit signals corresponding to the same signals that would be emitted from a handheld remote control sold in conjunction with an after-market stereo receiver.
US08014537B2
A frequency-characteristic-acquisition device that inputs a time-stretched-pulse signal to a system to be measured and that acquires information about a frequency characteristic of the system on the basis of a signal output from the system is provided. The frequency-characteristic-acquisition device includes a control unit which performs control so that the time-stretched-pulse signal is expanded in a time-axis direction and output to the system, and an acquisition unit that analyzes the signal output from the system and that acquires the frequency-characteristic information.
US08014526B2
A secure wireless local or metropolitan area network and data communications device therefor are provided, where the device transmits plain text in an encrypted message including cipher text and an initialization vector. The device may include a seed generator for performing a one-way algorithm using a secret key, a device address, and a changing reference value for generating a seed. Further, a random initialization vector (IV) generator may be included for generating a random IV, and a key encrypter may generate a key sequence based upon the seed and the random IV. Additionally, a logic circuit may be included for generating cipher text based upon the key sequence and plain text, and a wireless communications device may be connected to the logic circuit and the random IV generator for wirelessly transmitting the encrypted message.
US08014524B2
A robust technique to prevent illicit copying of video information notwithstanding the use of image scaling. A watermark is embedded into the video signal (e.g., DVD's content or other video sources) at different scales (i.e., sizes). The watermark is maintained at each scale for a predetermined time duration that is sufficient to allow the detector circuit in a DVD-recorder, DVHS recorder, DVCR, or any other digital format recorder to detect, extract, and process information contained in the watermark. At the end of the predetermined time duration, the watermark is changed to a different scale preferably on a pseudo-random basis to ensure that each one of all the scales in a predetermined scaling range is achieved a predetermined number of times. Thereby the recorder shuts off a number of times during play of the content, each time the detector circuit senses the watermark.
US08014519B2
Cross-correlation based echo canceller controllers are described herein. By way of example, a system for controlling an echo canceller having one or more adaptive filters can include one or more adaptive filter controllers each corresponding to one of the one or more adaptive filters and each configured to halt adaptation of its corresponding adaptive filter according to the cross-correlation of its corresponding corrupted signal and its corresponding error signal of its corresponding adaptive filter.
US08014514B2
The communication terminal device includes a handset, a central controller, a telephone network adaptor unit for converting analog signals transmitted/received between telecommunication network and the communication terminal device into digital signals, an interface unit physically isolating the central controller from the telephone network adaptor unit, and transmitting/receiving the converted digital signals between the central controller and the telephone network adaptor unit, and a telephone circuit unit which transmits the voice signals generated by processing the digital signals received from the telephone network adaptor unit to a handset through the interface unit and transmits the digital signals generated by processing the voice signals received from the handset to the telephone network adaptor unit through the interface unit. The telephone network adaptor unit is controlled by the central controller and changes the physical characteristics of the analog signals to be adapted to the physical characteristics of the telecommunication network.
US08014513B2
Caller identification information is conveyed to the called party in manners other than through the display of textual information on a display screen. The caller ID information may be provided as musical tones where the characters of the caller ID information are mapped to the musical tones being output, such as various musical notes and length of the note. The caller ID information may be provided as a light pattern where the characters of the caller ID information are mapped to the elements of the light pattern being output, such as colors, period of light, and flashes. The caller ID information may be provided as tactile patterns where the characters of the caller ID information are mapped to the elements of the tactile pattern being output, such as producing vibration patterns or Braille characters. The called party may then recognize the caller from the conveyed caller ID information.
US08014511B2
A method of transmitting a communication event from a calling entity to a called entity located in a communication system comprising a first network and a second network, said method comprising determining a first identity associated with the calling entity and a first and second identity associated with the called entity, wherein the first identities are recognizable in the first network and the second identity is recognizable in the second network; associating at a first node located in the second network the first identities with the second identity; establishing a connection between the calling entity and a second node; wherein the connection with second node is established using the first identity associated with the called entity; querying the first node with the first identity associated with the called entity and the first identity associated with the calling entity to determine the second identity associated with the called entity; and transmitting the communication event to the called entity using the second identity associated with the called entity.
US08014510B2
A signaling network node is configured for identifying a received signaling message as belonging to one of a plurality of prescribed originating node groups, based on prescribed message class selection criteria. Each originating node group has at least one originating node and is assigned at least one congestion threshold relative to a message rate (e.g., messages per unit time or number of bytes per unit time). The signaling network node determines the message rate for each corresponding originating node group; if the message rate for an originating node group exceeds the corresponding at least one congestion threshold, the signaling network node outputs a congestion signaling message to the originating node having sent the signaling message, for reduction of the corresponding message rate.
US08014500B2
Methods and systems for screening incoming calls for use in a device having telecommunication capability. An incoming call from a caller is received. In response to the incoming call, a prompt is generated to the caller, and a response corresponding to the prompt is received therefrom. It is determined whether the response conforms to a specific answer. If so, the device indicates the reception of the incoming call. The prompt and response may be voice and/or text.
US08014498B2
One preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for sending instant messages having audio recordings. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others, includes a communications client of a user that is configured to generate an instant message having an audio recording and send the instant message having an audio recording to another user. Methods and other systems are also provided.
US08014496B2
A system enables voice authentication via a network. The system may include an intelligent voice response engine operatively coupled to the network for receiving transaction or access requests from a plurality of telecommunications devices over the network. A speech recognition and verification services engine may be operatively coupled to the network and a database may be operatively coupled to the speech recognition and verification services engine for storing user voice print profiles. The speech recognition and verification services engine may receive a speaker verification call from the intelligent voice response engine and perform speaker verification on the received speaker verification call based on the stored user voice print profiles. The speech recognition and verification services engine may generate a verification score based upon results of the speaker verification.
US08014492B1
A method for nondestructively obtaining measurement information of a region within one or more ultra-hard polycrystalline constructions comprises conducting a first measurement using x-ray fluorescence by directing x-rays onto a surface of the diamond body, receiving x-ray fluorescence from the diamond body, and deriving measurement information regarding the region therefrom. A second method can be used on the same or other ultra-hard polycrystalline constructions to obtain measurement information regarding the region in a manner that is relatively more time efficient than the first method to facilitate use of the measurement method on a large number of constructions. The second measurement can be selected from the group including beta backscatter, x-ray radioscopy, eddy current, magnetic induction, and microresistance. In an example embodiment, the method is used to determine the thickness of a region within the diamond body that comprises less catalyst material than another region within the body.
US08014489B2
In a radiographic imaging apparatus capable of performing a first imaging in which radiographic imaging is performed with a first X-ray dose and a second imaging in which radiographic imaging is performed at a second X-ray dose that is less than the first X-ray dose, the timing corresponding to a particular phase of a periodically moving organ as a subject to be imaged is predicted, and the first imaging performed at the predicted timing and the second imaging performed a predetermined number of times before and after the predicted timing are repeated. Through this repetition, a shift between the timing of the particular phase that is recognized from images acquired through the execution of the first imaging and the second imaging and the predicted timing is detected, and the predicted timing is corrected based on the detected shift.
US08014485B2
A clock generator system (400) includes a phase locked loop (PLL) (402), a first clock generator (404), and a second clock generator (406). The PLL (402) includes a first output configured to provide a first clock signal at a first frequency and a second output configured to provide a second clock signal at the first frequency. The second clock signal is out-of-phase with the first clock signal. An output of the first clock generator (404) is configured to provide a first generated clock signal whose effective frequency is based on both the first and second clock signals and a first mode signal. An output of the second clock generator (406) is configured to provide a second generated clock signal whose effective frequency is based on both the first and second clock signals and a second mode signal.
US08014478B2
A method and apparatus for adaptive impulse noise detection and suppression (INDS) where information regarding detected impulse noise (IN) pulses is used to adjust detection and suppression parameters. To decrease the rate of false detection, groups of samples, instead of individual samples, of the digitized received signal are used to detect the presence of IN pulses. The method and apparatus for adaptive INDS may be used in communication systems employing single-carrier or multi-carrier modulation schemes, and is preferably used for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation. The proposed adaptive INDS systems may be used to effectively reduce the effects of impulse noise and improve the quality of received signals.
US08014474B2
A method for detecting a delimiter pattern (SOF) in a signal stream containing a carrier or subcarrier modulated by the delimiter pattern comprises: specifying an expected delimiter occurrence time (t1) of an occurrence of the delimiter pattern and a tolerance zone (tz) within which the expected delimiter occurrence time (t1) may jitter; approximating, within the tolerance zone (tz), a zero of a cross correlation function (CCF) of the data stream with the delimiter pattern, or detecting the phase (φ) of the carrier or subcarrier in respect to an arbitrarily defined reference position within the tolerance zone (tz), e.g. in respect to the expected delimiter occurrence time (t1); calculating a first maximum of the cross correlation function (CCF) within the tolerance zone (tz) by use of the approximated zero or phase (φ); calculating all other maxima of the cross correlation function (CCF) within the tolerance zone (tz); detecting the highest maximum among the calculated maxima, which highest maximum is representative for the moment in time of occurrence of the delimiter pattern.
US08014471B2
A high-speed bit stream interface module interfaces a high-speed communication media to a communication Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) via a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The high-speed bit stream interface includes a line side interface, a board side interface, and a signal conditioning circuit. The signal conditioning circuit services each of an RX path and a TX path and includes a limiting amplifier and a clock and data recovery circuit. The signal conditioning circuit may also include an equalizer and/or an output pre-emphasis circuit. The limiting amplifier applies respective gains to the RX path and to the TX path that are based upon respective dynamic ranges of the incoming signals.
US08014464B2
A communication apparatus used in a spectrum sharing environment in which multiple communication systems coexist using the same spectrum band is provided. The apparatus includes a transmission pulse shaper that performs bandwidth limitation on a pulse which is used to send data symbols; a monitoring unit that monitors in-band interference conditions from coexisting systems other than a target system to which the communication apparatus belongs, and availability of unused spectrum on adjacent channels of the target system; a controller that controls a pulse transmission period and a pulse width of the transmission pulse shaper based on the monitoring result; and a transmission unit that transmits the band-limited signal.
US08014463B2
A transmitter usable for wireless communication includes a plurality of transmit antennas. Each transmit antenna transmits a transmit signal. The transmitter also includes means for introducing time shifts to each of a plurality of spatial stream signals and means for operating on each of the plurality of spatial stream signals with a spatial rotation vector matrix, thereby mapping each of the plurality of spatial stream signals to one of the transmit signals.
US08014462B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems for alternating quadratures differential binary phase shift keying (AQDBPSK) modulation and demodulation radically increase overall energy efficiency of a communication system due to the combined effect of efficient utilization of transmitter power, high noise immunity of modulation and demodulation, fast synchronization, and simple implementation.
US08014455B2
Techniques for efficiently sending channel state information using differential encoding are described. Differential encoding may be performed across space, across frequency; across space and frequency, across space, frequency and time, or across some other combination of dimensions. In one design, spatial state information may be determined for multiple spatial channels on multiple subbands. The spatial channels may correspond to different antennas, different precoding vectors, etc. Channel quality indicator (CQI) values may be obtained for the multiple spatial channels on the multiple subbands. The CQI values may be differentially encoded across the multiple spatial channels and the multiple subbands to obtain differential CQI information. In another design, CQI values may be obtained for multiple spatial channels on the multiple subbands in multiple time intervals and may be differentially encoded across space, frequency and time. The differential CQI information and the spatial state information may be sent as feedback.
US08014454B2
A multicarrier communication apparatus capable of reducing an amount of information required for feedback, making a range of transmission power fluctuation small, and achieving rapid convergence on a target transmission power is disclosed. With this apparatus, subcarrier pair determination section (1142) puts a plurality of subcarriers contained in a multicarrier signal into pairs, notifies combining section (106) of information pertaining to the pairs of subcarriers, combines received power of each pair of subcarriers, and outputs combined received power obtained in this manner to command producing section (1146). Target power storage section (1144) stores target power for received power in such a manner that SIR at the subject apparatus becomes a desired SIR. Command producing section (1146) compares combined received power for the pairs of subcarriers and target received power, produces a command indicating a difference in power between these two received powers, and generates a control signal containing the produced command.
US08014448B2
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.
US08014446B2
A method is provided for receiving and processing a digital radio broadcasting signal. The method includes the steps of receiving a digital radio broadcasting signal including content, storing encoded content, and decoding the stored encoded content to recover decoded content. The stored encoded content can include protocol data units or packets. The stored encoded content can be recovered by decoding the encoded content according to a logical protocol stack.
US08014435B2
Methods and systems for packet preamble sequences are provided. The preamble sequences are produce by multiplying preestablished base sequences by cover sequences. The cover sequences are chosen for high-performance in multi-band OFDM systems with modes that include two-band hopping.
US08014427B1
The line imaging system includes a laser, first and second cylindrical optical systems with a first spatial filter disposed therebetween, a knife-edge aperture, a cylindrical relay system, and a cylindrical focusing lens. The first spatial filter is configured to truncate a line focus within the central lobe to form a first light beam. The second cylindrical lens system is arranged in the far field and is configured to perform spatial filtering to pass central intensity lobes of the first light beam while blocking outlying intensity lobes. The resultant twice-filtered light beam is has a relatively flat-top intensity distribution associated with the long direction of the line image so that subsequent truncation by the knife-edge aperture transmits more light than conventional line imaging systems. A laser annealing system that employs the line imaging system is also disclosed.
US08014426B2
An optical device includes an optical material comprising active dopant ions and absorber dopant ions spaced apart from the active dopant ions. The active dopant ions are provided to absorb a first radiation and convert a portion of the first radiation into sensible heat. A concentration profile of the absorber dopant ions is selected to absorb a second radiation different from the first radiation and optionally the first radiation in at least one direction of the optical material so as to control a refractive index profile in the at least one direction of the optical material. In another embodiment, a method of controlling a refractive index profile in an optical material includes exciting active dopant ions in the optical material with a first radiation, the active dopant ions converting at least a portion of the first radiation into sensible heat; and exciting absorber dopant ions in the optical material with a second radiation to control a refractive index profile in at least one direction of the optical material.
US08014425B2
A multiple access technique for a wireless communication system establishes separate channels by defining different time intervals for different channels. In a transmitted reference system different delay periods may be defined between transmitted reference pulses and associated data pulses for different channels. In addition, a multiple access technique may employ a common reference pulse for multiple channels in a transmitted reference system. Another multiple access technique assigns different pulse repetition periods to different channels. One or more of these techniques may be employed in an ultra-wide band system.
US08014423B2
A reference time distribution system and method use a data transmission network having a plurality of nodes to distribute the House Sync signal. A network-wide time signal is generated using a reference time generator, and the network-wide time signal is then distributed over the network to the plurality of nodes. At each node, the network-wide time signal is converted to a local synchronization signal for use in performing synchronization of the timing of each node. Either network-inherent timing and/or additional time signaling is used to provide the nodes attached to this network with a network-wide notion of time. The time information is converted locally into synchronization signals or time information as required by a respective application. When data is transported over the network, delay compensation is performed to simultaneously output different data streams that have been synchronously input into the network, regardless of the data path.
US08014418B2
A network device of a network environment may support burst switched technology. The network device may comprise a burst generator, a scheduler, and a content addressable memory to allocate the bursts to earliest available time slots. The burst generator may generate bursts, which may comprise packets having a common destination address. The scheduler may generate one or more content addressable memory entries comprising bits, which represent the time slots, generate key based on the size of the burst, and allocating the bursts to the earliest available time slots. The available time slots may be determined by comparing the key with the content addressable memory entries.
US08014416B2
A radio frequency (RF) transmitter is coupled to and controlled by a processor to transmit data. A physical layer circuit is coupled to the RF transmitter to encode and decode between a digital signal and a modulated analog signal. The physical layer circuit comprises a high rate physical layer circuit (HRP) and a low rate physical layer circuit (LRP). The low rate channels generated by the low rate physical layer circuit (LRP) share a same frequency band as a corresponding high rate channel generated by the high rate physical layer circuit (HRP).
US08014404B2
A method and system for routing a data packet, intended for a destination node, from a source node to a first intermediate node in a network is useful for improving the efficiency of the network. The method includes determining a priority level for a user of the source node and a priority level for a user of the destination node (step 505). A priority level is also determined for each of the following: a device associated with the source node, a device associated with the destination node, and a device associated with the first intermediate node (step 510). A routing path is then selected that routes the data packet from the source node to the first intermediate node based on a comparison of the priority level for the device associated with the first intermediate node, the priority levels for the users of the source and destination nodes, and the priority levels for the devices associated with the source and destination nodes (step 515).
US08014385B2
Provided are an integrated switch and a switching method for simultaneously processing IP data and voice signals using silent periods during communication. The integrated switch provides a function of transmitting data packets using the silent periods during the communication of an existing switch subscriber, so that an existing frequency band and apparatus can be used without use of a separate frequency band and a separate apparatus for data transmission such as an existing asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL). In addition, efficiency of an existing switch can be increased without use of an apparatus for collecting and processing data provided in front of subscriber line cards.
US08014383B2
A communication system capable of improving telephone communication service by effectively integrating communications with IP phones and with mobile phones. A connection controller controls a connection interface with a mobile phone and obtains the phone number of the mobile phone being connected thereto. A connect information transmitter transmits connect information including identification information and the phone number. A connect information manager stores and manages the received connect information. When a calling IP phone sends a request to call the mobile phone, a communication controller determines based on the connect information whether the mobile phone is connected to a receiving IP phone. If yes, the communication controller makes a call to the receiving IP phone to establish communication between the calling and receiving IP phones.
US08014382B2
A routing method, apparatus, and computer readable medium storing instructions to perform the method in a network having a set of communication nodes, to establish a route from at least one source node to a destination node, which includes broadcasting a request from the destination node, examining, in response to reception of the request at an intermediate node, whether the intermediate node previously received the request, and if the request was not previously received by the intermediate node, systematically rebroadcasting the request from the intermediate node with a delay that is a function of a routing metric associated with the intermediate node, and repeating the examining and rebroadcasting until the at least one source node is reached.
US08014379B2
A circuit for processing a packet based signal received over a Bluetooth radio link has a correlator to detect at least part of the access code. A correlator controller, reconfigures the correlator according to a timing of the access code, to detect at least part of the EDR synchronization sequence, and a demodulator demodulates the payload according to the detection. The correlator has an input signal register, a buffer for a sequence of at least part of the wanted signal values, and a series of comparators arranged to compare input signal values with corresponding ones of the wanted signal values at more than one offset. By such dual use of the same correlator, the receiver can be made more cost effective.
US08014376B2
The present invention provides for managing channel configuration information in a wireless communication system. Preferably, the present invention receives transport channel configuration information for configuring at least one transport channel currently not mapping a point-to-multipoint service, wherein the at least one transport channel is capable of mapping at least one new point-to-multipoint service at the start or before the stop of the at least one new point-to-multipoint service, determines whether to receive the at least one new point-to-multipoint service, and reads configuration information for the at least one new point-to-multipoint service at the start of the at least one new point-to-multipoint service if it is determined that the at least one new point-to-multipoint service is to be received.
US08014370B2
A wireless network device comprises a physical layer (PHY) module that sends and receives packets wirelessly, a first media access control (MAC) module that wirelessly communicates with a second wireless network device in an ad-hoc mode via the PHY module, and a second MAC module that wirelessly communicates with an access point in an infrastructure mode via the PHY module.
US08014368B2
A service provider discovery method in a wireless network environment, includes receiving, by the gateway, a service request (SREQ) packet which is broadcast from a first mobile node in the ad-hoc network; updating and transmitting, by the gateway, the SREQ packet to a service repository which stores at least one service provider information, in the infrastructure network; transmitting, by the service repository, a service reply (SREP) packet containing information relating to a service provider which provides a service requested by the SREQ packet to the gateway, and updating and transmitting, by the gateway, the SREP packet to the first mobile node. Accordingly, the service can be used in association with the ad-hoc network and the infrastructure network.
US08014353B2
A method and system for bits and coding assignment utilizing Eigen beamforming with fixed rates for a closed loop WLAN is provided. Aspects of the method for communicating information in a communication system may comprise transmitting data via a plurality of radio frequency (RF) channels utilizing a plurality of transmitting antennas and receiving feedback information related to the plurality of RF channels. Bits may be assigned for transmission via at least one of the plurality of RF channels based on the feedback information. At least a portion of subsequent data having at least a first coding rate based on the assignment of bits may be transmitted via at least one of the plurality of RF channels. The method may also comprise receiving data via a plurality of RF channels utilizing a plurality of receiving antennas, and transmitting feedback information related to the plurality of RF channels.
US08014350B2
The invention relates to a method of data transmission by an ad-hoc network of mobile communication equipment (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d), from at least one source equipment (12) to at least one collection terminal (14), by means of mobile relay equipment (16c), in which for each communication equipment, at least one quality factor is updated (Q0, Q1, Q2 Q3, Q4, Q5). According to the invention, the quality factor of each relay equipment depends on a history of data transmission, and data transmission from mobile equipment to mobile relay equipment is conditional on the quality factor of the relay equipment capable of receiving the data.
US08014348B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a radio access network system which can adapt to an environment in each network domain, and can carry out the priority transmission control of the IP packets in consideration of traffic requirements. The control apparatus 3 has a priority information setter configured to set priority information for determining a priority of the packet to be transferred in a transfer path set in the network, and a packet processor configured to determine the priority of the received packet in accordance with the priority information, and to add the priority to the received packet.
US08014345B2
A monitoring device (141) can include a transceiver (202) to receive a radio signal, and a controller (203) communicatively coupled to the transceiver to detect an infringement on the radio signal and report the infringement to a database. One or more policies within the database can be updated to mitigate the infringement. The monitoring device can also detect whether a cognitive radio (111) is generating interference on a primary spectrum used by an incumbent device (151). Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08014340B2
A method of optimising the bandwidth usage on a Real-Time Protocol (RTP) managed link transporting media between User Equipment (UE) and a Media Resource Function (MRF) of a cellular telecommunications network. The method comprises sampling, at one of the User Equipment and the Media Resource Function, the rate of packet loss on the link, and adapting the sending rate over the link in dependence upon the sampled values.
US08014338B2
An apparatus and method for configuring a subframe to support a relay service in a multi-hop relay BWA communication system are provided. The apparatus includes at least one of a BS-MS link subframe, a primary RS-MS link subframe, and a BS-secondary RS link subframe are configured in a first period of the subframe, and at least one of a BS-primary RS link subframe, an RS-RS link subframe, and a secondary RS-MS link subframe is configured in a second period of the subframe.
US08014332B2
A digital broadcasting system which is robust against an error when mobile service data is transmitted and a method of processing data are disclosed. The mobile service data is subjected to an additional coding process and the coded mobile service data is transmitted. Accordingly, it is possible to cope with a serious channel variation while applying robustness to the mobile service data.
US08014326B2
A method and system provide multiple-access control and frequency band allocation, and transmission time sharing among multiple users in orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) and time-division multiple-access (TDMA) networks. The method can be applied to uplinks and downlinks of multi-user, multi-carrier communication networks. Under a total transmission-power minimization constraint, the method can allocate carriers and transmission time to users optimally, and at the same time, can guarantee a data rate or equivalently a latency requirement of each user.
US08014325B2
In the P-MP wireless data communication via relay stations, a wireless base station forms a communication schedule between the relay station and the relay station and a communication schedule between the relay station and the subscriber station. For each subscriber station (SS), a connected station, an interference at downloading, an interference at uploading, a burst profile between the BS and the SS, and a burst profile between the RS and the SS are registered in an SS management table of the BS. An interference during downloading is generated by allowing each SS to send an identifier of a BS or an RS acting as an interference to a BS to which the SS is connected. An interference during uploading is generated by allowing the BS to capture ranging fixed at the starting time and the like from an SS being under the control of the RS.
US08014321B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for rendezvousing resource requests with corresponding resources. Doubly linked sorted lists are traversed using modulo arithmetic in both directions. Sorted lists can be partitioned based on a multiple proximity metrics. Node routing tables provide a logarithmic index to nodes within the ID space of the federation infrastructure to facilitate more efficient routing. Messages can be routed to nodes within a ring and proximally routed to nodes in other partitioned rings.
US08014315B2
A method includes determining a priority of each of a plurality of frames, wherein the priority is a function of an initial value dependent on content of each said frame and one or more adjustment values independent of content of each said frame, and selecting the frame with the highest determined priority for transmission through the device prior to transmission of any other of the frames. A system includes a receiving port configured to receive frames and assign an initial priority to each frame, a queue configured to insert queue entries associated with received frames on the queue, each queue entry being inserted at a queue position based on the initial priority assigned to the queue entry, the queue further configured to reorder queue entries based on readjusted priorities of the queue entries; and a transmitter switch configured to transmit the frame having the highest priority before transmitting any other frame.
US08014314B1
A digital subscriber link data network incorporates a throughput test server (TTS) to provide fault identification, isolation, and verification of DSL service availability and data rates. An asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) terminal unit-remote (ATU-R) is connected to an ADSL terminal unit-central office (ATU-C) over a conventional copper loop or equivalent. Data connectivity via a packet switch provides access to high speed data networks, TTS connectivity and interfaces to service providers (SPS). Upon receiving a test request, a technician routes a customer to the TTS. The customer uses a web browser to access the TTS and download executable testing software, e.g., a JAVA applet. The applet causes test messages to be sent to and received from the TTS and computes upstream and downstream data rates that is displayed to the customer together with whether the measured data rates are consistent with a specified class of service.
US08014308B2
The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate dynamically allocating resources (e.g., hardware, software, . . . ) supported by a third party service provider. The third party service provider can support any number of services that can be concurrently requested by several clients without user perception of degraded computing performance as compared to conventional systems/techniques due to improved connectivity and mitigated latencies. An interface component can receive a request from a client device. Further, a dynamic allocation component can apportion resources (e.g., hardware resources) supported by the third party service provider to process and respond to the request based at least in part upon subscription data. Moreover, a user state evaluator can determine a state associated with a user and/or the client device; the state can be utilized by the dynamic allocation component to tailor resource allocation.
US08014303B2
A network device may include logic configured to receive a problem report from a second network device, where the problem report includes event data, determine at least one of an action to perform or whether reconfiguration information is associated with the event data in the received problem report and add information to the received problem report to provide a reformatted problem report and transmit the reformatted problem report to a third network device when it is determined that reconfiguration information is not associated with the event data in the problem report.
US08014299B2
The invention includes a method and apparatus for detecting a forwarding loop at a network element. The method includes determining whether a received message was previously received by the first network element, and, if the received message was previously received, calculating a current routing digest and determining whether a header of the received message includes a previous routing digest. If the header of the received message includes the previous routing digest, a determination is made as to whether a forwarding loop exists. If the header of the received message does not include the previous routing digest, the current routing digest is inserted into the header of the received message and the message is forwarded toward the second network element. If the received message was not previously received, forwarding the received message toward a second network element.
US08014297B2
According to an aspect of an embodiment, an apparatus is transmitting/receiving an OAM frame containing kinds of tests indicating one or more tests for Ethernet-OAM to/from a relay apparatus, storing configuration information to generate a network configuration needed for each of the plurality of tests in a pseudo manner, distinguishing the kind of test contained in the relevant OAM frame and obtaining network information of a network to which the relay apparatus that transmitted the OAM frame belongs and obtaining configuration information corresponding to the obtained network information obtained from the stored configuration information.
US08014278B1
A packet network device has multiple equal output paths for at least some traffic flows. The device adjusts load between the paths using a structure that has more entries than the number of equal output paths, with at least some of the output paths appearing as entries in the structure more than once. By adjusting the frequency and/or order of the entries, the device can effect changes in the portion of the traffic flows directed to each of the equal output paths. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08014273B1
In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a system for providing user access to a public network that includes (a) a service modification agent 154 operable to (i) determine that public network resources are available for use; (ii) determine that a first class of users will be offered an upgrade in a Quality of Service (QoS) of communications over the public network; and (iii) determine that a first user in the first class of users may intend to use the public network resources and a service reporting agent 166 operable to provide the user with the higher QoS when the first user accesses the public network.
US08014266B2
A apparatus and method for allocating synchronization acquisition sequence in a time domain and allocating a cell ID search sequence in a frequency domain. In a method for transmitting a synchronization signal of a base station in a wireless communication system, a binary frequency-domain preamble sequence predetermined for cell ID search and a binary time-domain preamble sequence predetermined for synchronization acquisition are used to determine a complex time-domain preamble sequence except the binary time-domain preamble sequence among the time-domain preamble sequences that are generated according to an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) operation on the binary frequency-domain preamble sequence. The complex time-domain preamble sequence and the binary time-domain preamble sequence are transmitted to a mobile station.
US08014265B2
Techniques for sending multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmissions in wireless communication systems are described. In one design, a transmitter sends a first reference signal via a first link, e.g., a cell-specific reference signal via the downlink. The transmitter receives channel quality indicator (CQI) information determined by a receiver based on the first reference signal. The transmitter also receives a second reference signal from the receiver via a second link, e.g., a sounding reference signal via the uplink. The transmitter obtains at least one MIMO channel matrix for the first link based on the second reference signal. The transmitter determines at least one precoding matrix based on the at least one MIMO channel matrix, e.g., in accordance with ideal eigen-beamforming or pseudo eigen-beamforming. The transmitter then sends a data transmission to the receiver based on the at least one precoding matrix and the CQI information.
US08014254B2
In a multilayer optical disc having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, because the type of each information layer is not recorded in the other information layers, in read and write operations by a compatible optical disc device conforming to a plurality of optical disc standards, every time the information layer being accessed changes, it has been necessary to read the type of the information layer and select a method of generating a tracking error signal adapted to the type of information layer, so access has taken time. In order to solve the above problem, in the optical multilayer disc according to the present invention, having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, in an area in one of the information layers, information about the other information layers is recorded. The time required to access the other information layers can be reduced by using this information to select a tracking error signal generating method.
US08014251B2
A method for inspecting an optical information storage medium includes irradiating the medium with a laser beam and rotating the medium by a constant linear velocity control technique by reference to the radial location at which the laser beam forms a spot on the medium; changing the rotational velocities according to the radial location on the medium between at least two linear velocities; generating a focus error signal and/or a tracking error signal based on the light reflected from the medium; performing a focus control and/or a tracking control on the laser beam based on the focus and/or tracking error signal(s); and passing the branched outputs of control loops for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) through predetermined types of frequency band-elimination filters to obtain residual errors of the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) and comparing the residual errors to predetermined reference values.
US08014243B2
A method is disclosed for performing Beta prediction for high-speed writing on unknown recordable optical discs. Test recordings are performed in the inner (20) and outer test (40) zones of an unknown recordable optical disc, yielding results expressed as measured beta target values. At least one beta target value is computed in a data zone (30) of the unknown recordable optical disc. Beta (power) is predicted as a function of speed for continuous angular velocity (CAV) speed profiles, or equivalently, as a function of disc radius for CAV writing, for high speed writing on said unknown optical disc by constructing a piecewise linear interpolation of beta versus speed or disc radius using the measured target values and the at least one calculated beta target value.
US08014242B2
A laser driving circuit employing a recording compensation circuit configured to generate a light emission timing of a laser on the basis of recorded data and a recording clock signal which are supplied to the recording compensation circuit includes: a phase synchronization circuit; a skew determination circuit; and a data latching circuit.
US08014240B2
An optical disk device includes a DPDTE signal generating section that detects misalignment between a light spot and a mark or a pit, an FE signal generating section, an optical crosstalk correcting section which corrects a signal output by the FE signal generating section using the DPDTE signal generating section, and a focus control section which controls an actuator so that a light beam converges on an information layer. The DPDTE signal generating section detects the misalignment on the basis of phase information obtained from signals received from predetermined light receiving areas. The optical crosstalk correcting section performs a correcting operation of removing a signal component from predetermined receiving areas of a detector which component is used for a DPDTE signal, the signal component being contained in the signals from the predetermined light receiving areas of the detector which signals are used by the FE signal generating section.
US08014232B2
The present invention relates to assisting patients in the taking of medication, and to assisting third parties in accumulating information regarding patient medication intake. The invention may be embodied a system including a portable medication monitor used in association with an instrumented medication package to provide intake data acquisition and patient support functions. The system may further be connected to a computer or computer network allowing information distribution between the medication monitor and third parties, such as physicians or pharmacists.
US08014231B2
A capacitive membrane is used as a digital sensor. Membranes act as binary devices, such as being in a collapsed or non-collapsed state. By providing drum heads (membranes and associated gaps) with different response characteristics, the drum heads of an element digitally indicate the amplitude of the acoustic force by which of the drum heads are triggered or change states. The digital transducer may be used for different types of sensors, such as a CMUT, an air pressure, a temperature, a humidity, a chemical or biological stimulus or other sensor.
US08014227B2
A burst length control circuit capable of performing read and write operations in high speed according to a burst length and a semiconductor memory device using the same includes a clock signal generating unit for generating first and second internal clock signals from a clock signal in response to a first and second burst signals, a control signal generating unit for driving in response to the first and second internal clock signals, wherein the control signal generating unit for generating first and second control signals, enable sections of the first and second control signals being controlled according to the first and second burst signals at a read operation or write operation, and a burst termination signal generating unit for generating a burst termination signal in response to the first and second burst signals. The first control signal is disabled in response to the burst termination signal.
US08014226B2
An integrated circuit memory 2 incorporates a first array of bit cells 4 and a second array of bit cells 6 with word line driver circuitry 8 disposed therebetween. Word line helper circuitry 18, 20 is disposed at the opposite edges of the array 4, 6 to the word line driver circuitry 8. The helper circuitry is responsive to the word line signal on a word line 12 being driven towards an asserted value to switch on and further drive the word line signal towards the asserted value. The helper circuitry is switched off by a global reset signal, which may be a self-timed global reset signal.
US08014225B2
A voltage pump circuit includes a pumping unit configured to include a plurality of pumps and perform voltage pumping and a pumping control unit configured to generate control signals for selectively driving the pumps in response to a mode determination signal.
US08014224B2
There is provided a semiconductor device supplied with internal power generated by an internal power generation circuit to perform a stable operation and, also, suppress power consumption. A control circuit, a row/column decoder and a sense amplifier are driven by an internal buck voltage. On the other hand, a data path with high power consumption is driven by an external power supply voltage. A level conversion circuit receives an address signal or a command signal having a voltage level of the external power supply voltage, converts the voltage level to the internal buck voltage, and outputs a resultant signal to the control circuit. A level conversion circuit receives a control signal having a voltage level of the internal buck voltage from the control circuit, converts the voltage level to the external power supply voltage, and outputs a resultant signal to the data path.
US08014223B2
A semiconductor device including a plurality of semiconductor elements, a substrate on which the plurality of semiconductor elements are mounted, the substrate also having a plurality of terminals for connecting to external equipment, a fuse mounted on the outside of a mounting area of the plurality of semiconductor elements and mounted on a surface of the substrate near a power supply terminal among the plurality of terminals, and the power supply terminal and the plurality of semiconductor elements are connected via the fuse.
US08014219B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell having a resistance which differs based on stored data, a bit line connected to the memory cell, a first MOSFET which clamps the bit line to a read voltage when reading data, a sense amplifier which detects the stored data in the memory cell based on a current flowing through the bit line, a first switch element which connects the sense amplifier to a drain of the first MOSFET, a second switch element which connects a source of the first MOSFET to the bit line, a third switch element which connects the drain of the first MOSFET to a ground terminal, and a fourth switch element which connects the source of the first MOSFET to a ground terminal.
US08014215B2
A mechanism is provided for gating a read access of any row in a cache access memory that has been invalidated. An address decoder in the cache access memory sends a memory access to a non-gated wordline driver and a gated wordline driver associated with the memory access. The non-gated wordline driver outputs the data stored in a valid bit memory cell to the gated wordline driver in response to the non-gated wordline driver determining the memory access as a read access. The gated wordline driver determines whether the data from the valid bit memory cell from the non-gated wordline driver indicates either valid data or invalid data in response to the gated wordline driver determining the memory access as a read access and denies an output of the data in a row of memory cells associated with the gated wordline driver in response to the data being invalid.
US08014211B2
Selection circuitry for use in register files, multiplexers, and so forth is disclosed. The selection circuitry includes a plurality of local bit lines coupled to global bit line circuitry. Groups of cells or data inputs are coupled to each of the local bit lines. When a cell or data input of a given group is selected, a group select signal is provided to the global bit line circuitry. The global bit line circuitry drives a global bit line responsive to the group select signal and the data driven on (or provided to) the local bit line associated with the selected cell/input, thus providing a data output. When no cell of a given group is selected, the group select signal is de-asserted, causing the respective global bit line to be held in a predetermined state.
US08014204B2
A semiconductor device includes a first memory cell which includes a first memory transistor and a first selector transistor. The semiconductor device further includes a second memory cell which includes a second memory transistor and a second selector transistor. The semiconductor device further includes a first word line electrically coupled to a gate electrode of the first memory transistor and to a gate electrode of the second selector transistor, and a second word line electrically coupled to a gate electrode of the second memory transistor and to a gate electrode of the first selector transistor. The semiconductor device further includes a first source line electrically coupled to a source region of the first memory transistor and to a source region of the second memory transistor.
US08014203B2
The memory device is described, which includes a substrate, a conductive layer, a plurality of charge storage layers and a plurality of doped regions. The substrate has a plurality of trenches formed therein. The conductive layer is disposed on the substrate and fills the trenches. The charge storage layers are disposed between the substrate and the conductive layer in the trenches respectively, wherein the charge storage layers are separated from each other. The doped regions are configured in the substrate under bottoms of the trenches, respectively.
US08014199B2
A memory system is provided forming a switch element having a first side and a second side, forming a cell transistor having a gate terminal, forming a memory cell, having the switch element and the cell transistor, with the gate terminal connected to the second side, connecting a word line and the memory cell at the first side, connecting a bit line and the memory cell, and connecting a reference source and the memory cell.
US08014196B2
In one embodiment, a mobile electronic device has a host controller, an energy-saving encoder, an energy-saving decoder, and a multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory. The host controller provides raw user data to the energy-saving encoder in k-bit segments. The energy-saving encoder encodes each k-bit segment into an n-bit segment of encoded user data for programming the MLC NAND flash memory as a p-symbol codeword, where (i) k is smaller than n (ii) p(=n/log2 m) MLCs are used to store the p-symbol codeword (iii) each MLC stores one symbol of the codeword. The energy-saving decoder is adapted to read p-symbol codewords from the MLC NAND flash memory and decode each p-symbol codeword into a k-bit segment of raw user data for provision to the host controller. The host controller is adapted to vary k and n to conserve usage of power or memory-space, as needed.
US08014195B2
A semiconductor device along with circuits including the same and methods of operating the same are described. The device comprises a memory cell including one transistor. The transistor comprises a gate, an electrically floating body region, and a source region and a drain region adjacent the body region. Data stored in memory cells of the device is inherently refreshed during hold operations.
US08014186B2
A ferroelectric memory device includes: a plurality of memory banks configured to include a memory cell array composed of a ferroelectric memory; a cache bank configured to be bus-connected with the memory banks, and for copying data stored in the memory banks; and a memory bank/cache control sequencer for accessing and refreshing to the memory banks and the cache bank, wherein a random access control to the ferroelectric memory is possible during each memory cycle without delay of refresh operation.
US08014176B2
A resonant switching power converter having burst mode transitioning operates during low or zero load conditions with reduced audible noise and component stresses, while improving efficiency. Pulse bursts are generated with a beginning and/or ending pulse duration that differs from mid-burst pulse durations, in order to reduce an amplitude of transients otherwise generated at the beginning and/or end of the bursts. Alternatively, the spacing between the pulses at the beginning and/or end of the bursts may differ from the spacing between the pulses in the middle of the bursts to reduce the transient(s). A number of pulses at the beginning and/or end of the burst can also be set with gradually varying durations, to further reduce component stress and audible vibration in a transformer that couples the resonant tank to the output of the converter.
US08014172B2
A resonant mode power converter is controlled with a control unit including a feedback circuit coupled to generate a first current representative of an output of the power converter. A current limiting circuit is coupled to receive the first current and a second current generated in response to a reference voltage. The current limiting circuit is coupled to limit the first current in response to the second current. An oscillator is coupled to receive the first current to generate a control signal having a control frequency in response to the first current. An output voltage of the power converter is controlled in response to the control frequency of the control signal.
US08014142B2
A display window assembly is mounted in the opening of a bezel of a housing, and a force is exerted against the assembly by a suitable resilient element urging it outward through the opening. The assembly may be mounted on a support or frame, from which depends one or more tabs extending inwardly of the housing. At least one of the tabs is fastened with a fastener that extends from the exterior of the housing, through a portion other than the bezel and through a surface not generally facing the user when the user is viewing the display. The advancement/withdrawal direction of the fastener is not substantially normal to the display window. However, advancement/withdrawal of the fastener causes movement of the tab, and therefore of the assembly, in an adjustment direction substantially normal to the display window to adjust the position of the display window relative to the bezel.
US08014134B2
An electronic device assembly comprises a protecting panel an electronic device, which comprises a shell with a front cover and a back cover and a display panel received in the shell. A plurality of sliding grooves is opened in the shell and extends from the front cover to the back cover. The protective cover is slidably set in the sliding grooves so as to cover the display panel in a first state or expose the display panel in a second state.
US08014121B2
The present invention prevents occurrence of electrical discharge on an electrically conductive structure in an environment in which high-energy electrons impinge onto the structure or on an electronic element mounted to a surface of the structure, which electrical discharge would otherwise occur when the potential of the structure or the electronic element increases in the negative direction due to a negative charge flowing thereinto. An insulating tape bonded to the surface of the electrically conductive structure is partially cut-removed; an electrically conductive adhesive is applied to an exposed portion of the surface of the electrically conductive structure; and an insulating film is bonded to the electrically conductive adhesive, such that the electrically conductive adhesive is exposed to the outside. When encountering higher-energy electrons, the insulating film is charged, so that a strong electric field is applied to the electrically conductive adhesive, and electrons are emitted from the electrically conductive adhesive through field electron emission, to thereby prevent the potential of the electrically conductive structure from increasing in the negative direction.
US08014114B2
The invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit preventing an electrostatic breakdown due to a surge voltage applied to a power supply wiring or a ground wiring and preventing noise interference between a digital circuit and an analog circuit. By providing a first electrostatic breakdown protection diode and a first electrostatic breakdown protection bipolar transistor in a first island region, the first electrostatic breakdown protection diode and the first electrostatic breakdown protection bipolar transistor turn on when a surge voltage is applied to a first ground wiring and protect a digital circuit against an electrostatic breakdown. Furthermore, a first isolation layer is contacted with the first ground wiring in a position that is more adjacent to a first ground pad than the digital circuit, and a second isolation layer is contacted with a second ground wiring in a position that is more adjacent to a second ground pad than an analog circuit. This prevents noise interference between the digital circuit and the analog circuit.
US08014111B2
A method for preventing fire in electric circuits and arrangements includes measuring an electric current of a controllable section, separating a high frequency component therefrom, amplifying and rectifying a first harmonic signal, determining a spark current value, forming the first harmonic signal from a measured current signal range, measuring short-circuit and/or overload and/or a leak, and/or measuring the electric circuit voltage, in forming a warning and/or switching off signal of the controllable section. The signal amplitudes and/or other parameters including a spark striking-suppression cycle are measured for determining a spark current. The fire preventing device includes a unit for forming a signal of first and higher harmonics, a unit for determining a spark current quantity, a unit for measuring short-circuit and/or overload and/or leak currents, and/or electric circuit voltage measuring currents, units for forming a warning and/or switching off the controllable section signal. The spark current quantity determining unit has devices for measuring signal amplitudes and/or other parameters including a spark striking-suppression cycle.
US08014106B2
An apparatus and method for modifying a slider to increase head to disk interface reliability for contact recording systems. The method provides a suspension for reaching over a disk. A slider having a read/write head element on a trailing edge (TE) portion is also provided, the slider coupled with the suspension. In addition, an increased dynamic pitch of the slider is provided, the increased dynamic pitch increasing the height of a leading edge (LE) portion of the slider with respect to the disk and reducing the height of the TE portion of the slider with respect to the disk, wherein vertical motion of the TE portion does not collapse an air bearing provided by the LE of the slider flying above the disk.
US08014103B2
A suspension board with circuit includes a metal supporting board, an insulating layer formed on the metal supporting board, a conductive layer formed on the insulating layer, and a pedestal for supporting a slider. The pedestal includes a lower pedestal made of the insulating layer, and formed in a continuous frame shape so as to surround a bonding surface of the metal supporting board to the slider, and an upper pedestal made of the conductive layer, and formed in a discontinuous frame shape on the lower pedestal.
US08014101B2
A near-field light generator plate 36 of the present invention is arranged to face a medium 10, and one portion 36b and other portion 36a in a medium-facing surface S thereof are made of their respective electroconductive materials different from each other. Since the one portion and the other portion in the medium-facing surface are made of the electroconductive materials different from each other, this medium-facing surface is formed by a surface removing step such as polishing or etching from the medium-facing surface side so that a difference between heights of the one portion and the other portion is readily made based on the difference of the materials.
US08014096B2
A combined bulk thermal-assister and bulk eraser. The bulk thermal-assister is configured to produce a temperature in a magnetic-recording disk in a hard-disk drive when the hard-disk drive is disposed in the bulk eraser. The temperature is about equal to a second temperature greater than a first temperature of the magnetic-recording disk. The bulk eraser is configured to erase recorded information from the magnetic-recording disk at the second temperature. The second temperature lowers a coercivity of the magnetic-recording disk so that, when recorded information is erased from the magnetic-recording disk at the second temperature, recorded information on the magnetic-recording disk is erased from a second magnetic-recording track in closer proximity to an inside diameter of the magnetic-recording disk than a first magnetic-recording track from which recorded information on the magnetic-recording disk may be erased, if recorded information were erased from the magnetic-recording disk at the first temperature.
US08014093B2
The present principles provide methods for storing the write counts for each track on the track or alternatively in NVRAM in the hard disk. Most hard disks already have a mechanism to remap a sector that becomes un-writable. This mechanism is used to remap entire tracks when a track write count becomes too high. A track with an excessively high write count can be mapped by the hard disk firmware to a track with a very low write count. By automatically remapping these tracks based on the number of write the wear can be more evenly distributed across the platter thus increasing the service life of the hard disk without modification to the application software.
US08014088B2
Described is an image capturing apparatus, which makes it possible to accurately secure the distance between the two lens groups, even if the interval distance between the two lens groups varies from the default design-distance value. The image capturing apparatus includes a first lens group, a second lens group, a first driving section to drive the first lens group, a second driving section to drive the second lens group, a first detecting section to detect a first reference position for moving the first lens group, and a second detecting section to detect a second reference position for moving the second lens group. A control section controls either the first driving section or the second driving section so as to move a corresponding one of the first lens group and the second lens group between the first detecting section and the second detecting section at a predetermined timing.
US08014087B1
A lens holder comprises a suction part, at least one connecting part, and a transparent plate. The suction part defines a holding groove and a suction groove on two substantially opposite surfaces thereof respectively, and a connecting hole communicates with the holding groove and the suction groove, wherein the holding groove, the suction groove, and the connecting hole are coaxial. The connecting part is positioned on a side of the suction part and defines an air hole communicating with the connecting hole. The transparent plate is shaped corresponding to the holding groove and received in the holding groove.
US08014085B2
A lens apparatus includes a first lens holding member configured to hold a lens, and an actuator configured to move the first lens holder in an optical axis direction. The lens apparatus transfers to a retracted state by moving the first lens holding member to a retracted position via the actuator from an image picking-up state. The lens apparatus further includes a stopper configured to move in a direction different from the optical axis direction between a first position at which the stopper restricts a movement of the first lens holding member and a second position off the first position, and a driving member configured to move the stopper from the second position to the first position relative to the first lens holding member that has moved to the retreated position.
US08014079B2
A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising a first lens unit of positive power, a second lens unit of negative power, a third lens unit of positive power, and a fourth lens unit of positive power, wherein in zooming, the first to the fourth lens units are moved along the optical axis such that the air spaces between the individual lens units should vary, so that magnification change is achieved, and wherein the conditions: −0.60
US08014078B2
A zoom lens is composed, in order from the object side thereof, of a front side lens unit having a negative refracting power at the wide angle end and a rear side lens unit having a positive refracting power at the wide angle end. The front side lens unit includes a first lens unit located closest to the object side and having a positive refracting power and a second lens unit located on the image side of the first lens unit and having a negative refracting power. The distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit is larger at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end. The rear side lens unit includes a third lens unit located closer to the object side at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end and having a positive refracting power, the distance between the third lens unit and the second lens unit being smaller at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end. The third lens unit satisfies the following condition: 0.01
US08014064B2
A microscope illumination device comprising: a light source; an objective for illuminating a specimen; a collector lens for converting light from the light source into parallel light; a fly-eye lens placed near to rear focal point of the collector lens; an epi-illumination projection lens for projecting light source images generated by the fly-eye lens onto the objective pupil; a tube lens for imaging an observation light from the objective; and a fluorescence cube placed between the objective and projection lens and comprised a filter, satisfies the expression γ2*ffly*D<γ*ffly*φ−h*p, where γ is defined as the magnification of the projection lens, ffly as the focal distance of the fly-eye lens, D as the effective diameter of the fly-eye lens, φ as the effective diameter of the filter, h as the distance between the filter and the pupil, and p as the pitch of the fly-eye lens.
US08014060B2
In a substrate for a display apparatus, the substrate includes a base substrate and a shielding layer formed on a surface of the base substrate. The shielding layer has an energy bandgap corresponding to a reference wavelength of external light. Thus, the shielding layer blocks light having wavelength equal to or less than the reference wavelength, so that a wavelength band of light may be adjusted.
US08014056B2
Provided is a novel electrochemical display element which performs bright white display, high contrast black/white display and full-color display with a simple member configuration. A method for driving such display element is also provided. The display element contains an electrochromic compound, which is colored or has its color disappear due to oxidation or reduction, a metallic salt compound, an electrolyte and a white scattered material, between opposing electrodes. The display element substantially performs multiple color display of three colors or more, i.e., black display, white display and colored display other than black, by driving operation of the opposing electrodes.
US08014054B2
A dual display is disclosed, including a first electrowetting display device and a second electrowetting display device, and a reflection transmission switching device therebetween, wherein the first electrowetting display device and the second electrowetting display device have a function of displaying images and can be switched to a transmissive mode. The invention further provides a dual display, comprising a first substrate, a second substrate opposite the first substrate, a first patterned electrode and a second patterned electrode disposed on the first substrate, a reflective layer disposed on the first patterned electrode, a first patterned hydrophobic layer over the first patterned electrode, a second patterned hydrophobic layer over the second patterned electrode, a wall defining a pixel of the dual display, a first non-polar liquid disposed on the first patterned hydrophobic layer, and a second non-polar liquid disposed on the second patterned hydrophobic layer.
US08014051B2
At least one of a coupling lens and a cylindrical lens has a diffraction lens surface having a ring-band structure with a height h between adjacent ring-bands. The diffraction lens surface has an area A having a shape similar to that of the ring-band structure with a height h′, where h≠h′. The ring-band structure has a function of correcting a fluctuation in focal position of the scanning beam on the scanning surface, and the area A has a function of expanding a focal depth of a light spot on the scanning surface.
US08014050B2
A device that provides light beam switching, agile steering of the light beam over a range of angles, and generation of arbitrary wavefront shapes with high spatial and temporal resolution. The agile device can include a volume diffractive structure comprising Bragg planes having one refractive index and the Bragg planes separated by regions containing an active optical medium. Electrodes (which may be the Bragg planes themselves, or may be arrayed adjacent to the active optical medium) are used to control the electric field intensity and direction across the structure, and thereby control the diffraction efficiency of the structure and the local phase delay imposed on a diffracted wavefront. Means are provided for addressing the many thousands of electrodes required for precise and rapid wavefront control. Applications include free-space atmospheric optical communications, near-eye displays, direct-view 3D displays, optical switching, and a host of other applications.
US08014049B2
An apparatus for automatic color correction is provided, which includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a plurality of section adders and a micro control unit (MCU). The section adders divide a test image signal through the ADC into sections and count the gray-level amount in each section. The MCU adjusts the offset and the gain of the ADC for automatic color correction, thereby ensuring that the color in the image signal almost appear to our eye as the true color.
US08014040B2
A printer, scanner device and methods for using same are described herein. A printer device may include a dedicated input that, when actuated, generates and sends a request to a computer for known data or a predetermined print job, e.g., schedule information from a personal information management (PIM) application. A scanner device may include another dedicated input that, when actuated, automatically scans a document fed to the device by the user and sends the scanned image to IM (or other) software on a computer, bypassing the need to manipulate the scanned image using scanner software. The device may be used with printed metapaper, which includes a barcode or other indicia identifying the metapaper and corresponds to a stored template image of the metapaper. When the metapaper is rescanned, the scan can be compared to the stored template information to identify changes and synchronize the changes with the IM software.
US08014039B2
A document management system, a document management method, and a document management program for managing document data generated by scanning are disclosed.The document management system includes a scanning unit for reading a document and generating image data, an image data storing unit for storing a scanned image file, and a document management server that includes a destination folder for storing the scanned image file and a file name conversion table. A code attached to the document is acquired by one of a code converting process, an OCR process, and a code inputting process. A file name is generated based on the acquired code. The scanned image file is acquired from the image data storing unit, the destination folder and attribute information are acquired by converting characters of the file name using the file name conversion table such that the scanned image file is stored in the destination folder with the attribute information associated.
US08014027B1
In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes obtaining an image and a corresponding color profile including state information for the image in relation to the color profile, the state information selected from a group including a scene-referred state and an output-referred state; selecting, automatically in response to identification of the state information, a rendering intent for the image, based on the state information and a current task in an imaging workflow, from a group including relative colorimetric rendering intent, perceptual rendering intent and absolute colorimetric rendering intent; converting, automatically in response to the selecting, the image to a new color space based on the color profile and the selected rendering intent; and making the converted image available for processing and output.
US08014026B2
An image encoding/decoding system, medium, and method. The image encoding system includes a residue production unit arranged to produce first residues corresponding to differences between color components of a current image and color components of a predicted image, a unit arranged to perform spatial transform and quantization with respect to the first residue of a first color component and perform de-quantization and inverse spatial transform with respect to the quantized first residue of the first color component so as to reconstruct the first residue of the first color component, a residue prediction unit arranged to predict second residues with respect to the first residues of the other color components by using the reconstructed first residue of the first color component, and an encoding unit arranged to encode the first residue of the first color component and the second residues of the other color components.
US08014022B2
A mobile phone is provided having an elongate body defining a transverse print media path along which print media can be fed, a pagewidth printhead positioned in the body so as to extend transverse to the path, and a feed mechanism positioned in the body to feed the print media along the path during printing.
US08014017B2
An image processing apparatus is used for copying an original. A reading section reads an image of an original. An image forming section forms the image of the original on a medium. When an error detector has detected an error in the image processing apparatus, a network connecting section connects the image processing apparatus to a network so that a printer detector detects an external image forming apparatus connected to the network. Then, a selecting section selects the image forming apparatus connected to the network. The image forming apparatus is selected based on certain predetermined conditions. Then, an image transferring section transfers the image of the original to the image forming apparatus so that the image of the original is printed by the detected image forming apparatus.
US08014015B2
To provide a print data processing system, a printer, and a data processing indicating apparatus, for storing print data and a print history and notifying update of the print data, which is not necessarily registered separately in order to receive a notification of update. The printer stores name data of print data, identification data of a data processing indicating apparatus (or an external apparatus) that has sent storage indicating data of the print data, and identification data of a data processing indicating apparatus (or an external apparatus) that has sent print indicating data of the print data; judges if the print data is updated or not on the basis of the stored data; and notifies each data processing indicating apparatus (or the external apparatus) that has sent print indicating data of the print data of update of the print data.
US08014003B2
A method of measuring a metric of a measurement area of interest on a subject comprises contacting a part of the subject on a rest of a measurement apparatus that comprises an arm, a base attached to or formed on the arm, and a displacement sensor attached to the arm; adjusting the measurement apparatus to optimize the spatial relationship between the displacement sensor and the measurement area of interest on the subject; and measuring the metric.
US08014001B2
A system and method for measuring and developing a topography of a surface of a person or an object. The system includes a container having a flexible outer surface against which the person is to be placed. A deformable material located in the container can be rendered rigid while the person is positioned thereagainst to hold a shape of the outer surface of the container after the person is removed from against the container. A contact free measuring device is operatively connected to a memory device and arranged to measure distances from the measuring device to a plurality of points on the surface of the container and to store those distances in the memory device in digital form. A mounting mechanism may orient or couple the container to the measuring device, permitting the measuring device to be positioned and at least temporarily held fixed relative to the container within a predetermined distance range.
US08013997B2
Light is irradiated onto a glass substrate of an organic EL element, and the characteristics of an organic film are analyzed. In the sample analyzing apparatus, in such a way that the glass substrate is located on the upper side, the organic EL element is placed on a stage. The light is irradiated towards the glass substrate, and an amplitude ratio and a phase difference which are related to the organic EL element are measured. Also, the sample analyzing apparatus selects a model of a structure corresponding to reflected lights K1 to K3 of the irradiated light and calculates the amplitude ratio and the phase difference. The sample analyzing apparatus compares the measured result and the result calculated from the model, and properly executes the fitting, and determines the best model among the several models and then analyzes the characteristics related to the organic EL element.
US08013990B2
A calibration device for use in an optical, part measuring system is provided. The device has a central axis and a plurality of regions which are rotationally symmetric about the axis. The device includes a series of step-shaped portions defining a multi-step region having a plurality of step edges. A profile of the multi-step region contains information for calibrating the system. The device further includes a plurality of cylindrically-shaped portions spaced apart along the axis and defining constant diameter regions containing information for calibrating the system. The device still further includes a frustum-shaped portion defining a pair of spaced, slope edge regions and a sloped region having boundaries marked by the pair of slope edge regions. The frustum-shaped portion has first and second diameters at its boundaries which define a range of diameters of parts capable of being measured in the system. A profile of the slope edge regions and the sloped region contains information for calibrating the system.
US08013989B2
An inspecting apparatus and method including first and second illuminating units for illuminating a surface of a specimen to be inspected with different incident angles and first and second detecting optical units arranged at different elevation angle directions to the surface of the specimen for detecting images of the specimen illuminated by the first and second illuminating units.
US08013987B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for use in fiber optic signature recognition to analyze buried optical fiber to identify a non-threat area along a fiber route and to discontinue monitoring for disturbances along that area of the cable route. The technique includes determining the location of the zone of non-threatening disturbances from comparing an optical signal to the representation of a prearranged optical signal identified as friendly. Once a zone of non-threatening disturbances is identified, all subsequent disturbances in that zone are considered friendly. Cable monitoring is discontinued in the identified zone of non-threatening disturbances so as to avoid monitoring fiber cable when permitted workers are in the area.
US08013982B2
A drive unit drives a wafer stage in a Y-axis direction based on a measurement value of an encoder that measures position information of the wafer stage in the Y-axis direction and based on information on the flatness of a scale that is measured by the encoder. In this case, the drive unit can drive the wafer stage in a predetermined direction based on a measurement value after correction in which a measurement error caused by the flatness of the scale included in the measurement value of the encoder is corrected based on the information on the flatness of the scale. Accordingly, the wafer stage can be driven with high accuracy in a predetermined direction using the encoder, without being affected by the unevenness of the scale.
US08013981B2
A lithographic apparatus includes a movable table constructed and arranged to transport an object to a position in a beam path in a vacuum chamber, a first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode attached to the table, a first inductor assembly coupled to the capacitor electrodes, and configured to apply a voltage between the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode, and a second inductor assembly mounted at a position that remains fixed when the table is moved. The second inductor assembly is configured to generate a magnetic field. The presence of the object on the table is detected by applying a voltage on the second inductor assembly which will result in a magnetic field which when picked up by the first inductor assembly will create a magnetic field response in the first inductor assembly dependent on the capacitance of the capacitor electrodes.
US08013976B2
The present invention provides an exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate via a liquid, comprising a measurement substrate including a transmission part configured to transmit a light beam having passed through a projection optical system, a light-receiving unit including a light-receiving surface configured to receive the light beam transmitted through the liquid and the transmission part, and a calculator configured to arithmetically convert a light intensity distribution, on the light-receiving surface, of the light beam received by the light-receiving surface into a light intensity distribution on a pupil plane of the projection optigottacal system, based on information indicating a correlation between a position coordinate on the light-receiving surface and a position coordinate on the pupil of the projection optical system.
US08013973B2
It is an object to prevent disordered orientation of liquid crystal molecules which is due to division of substrates even when a liquid crystal dripping method is used, and to provide a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device in which liquid crystal is not adversely affected even when a sealant not cured and liquid crystal are in contact. In a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device using a liquid crystal dripping method, a scribe groove is provided for at least one of a pair of substrates with a diamond cutter or the like before the pair of substrates are attached under reduced pressure. After the scribing, the pair of substrates are attached under reduced pressure, heat treatment for curing the sealant and aligning the liquid crystal molecules is performed, and the substrates are divided by applying impact using a breaking apparatus.
US08013968B2
An array substrate for an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device particularly includes a first pattern in the pixel region on the passivation layer, the first pattern connected to the drain electrode through the first contact hole and overlapping the first extending portion, a plurality of first electrodes extending from the first pattern, the plurality of first electrodes parallel to the first and second data lines, a second pattern in the pixel region on the passivation layer and parallel to gate line, the second pattern electrically connected to the second data line, and a plurality of second electrodes extending from the second pattern and alternating with the plurality of first electrodes by a first distance between adjacent first and second electrodes, wherein one of the plurality of first electrodes is spaced apart from the second data line by a distance equal to the first distance or more than the first distance and less than double the first distance, and another of the plurality of first electrodes or one of the plurality of second electrodes is spaced apart from the first data line by a second distance narrower than the first distance.
US08013967B2
Two electrodes parallel to each other are formed on one of two substrates, homeotropic alignment films are formed on the substrates and a liquid crystal material having positive dielectric anisotropy is injected between the substrates. When a voltage is applied to the two electrodes, a parabolic electric field between the electrodes drives the liquid crystal molecules. Since the generated electric field is symmetrical with respect to the boundary-plane equal distance from each of the two electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules are symmetrically aligned with respect to the boundary-plane, and the optical characteristic is compensated in both regions divided by the boundary-plane, thereby obtaining a wide viewing angle. The electric field does not exert influences on the liquid crystal molecules on the boundary-plane since the electric field on the boundary-plane is parallel to the substrates and perpendicular to the two electrodes; and thus, it is perpendicular to the liquid crystal molecules. Here, the polarization of the light is changed while passing through the liquid crystal layer and as a result, only a part of the light passes through the polarizing plate The transmittance of the light can be varied by controlling the magnitude of voltage applied to the two electrodes. The alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules is changed in both regions of a bent portion of the electrodes by forming the electrodes in the saw shape in a pixel or in by pixel, and the retardation of the light is compensated, thereby obtaining a wider viewing angle.
US08013966B2
A display panel is provided. The display panel includes a substrate and a pixel electrode disposed on the substrate and having a pair of first primary edges facing each other and a pair of second primary edges connected to the first primary edges and facing each other, wherein the second primary edges include a plurality of protrusions of the pixel electrode having the shape of sawteeth.
US08013964B2
A liquid crystal display device uses a first quarter-wave retardation film and a hybrid aligned nematic film to reduce light leakage in dark state for reaching high contrast ratio, and uses multiple-gamma IC to provide different gamma-curve signals for pixels of different colors to solve color shift problem. In addition, the liquid crystal display device may use a second quarter-wave retardation film to reduce light leakage when viewed in a wide angle so as to further provide higher contrast ratio.
US08013960B2
A transflective liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the two substrates, color filter film, transparent units, reflective units, and a solid color film. The color filter film is disposed on a surface of the first substrate adjacent to the liquid crystal layer. The color filter film includes filter units. The transparent units are configured for transmitting light. The reflective units are configured for reflecting light. Each filter unit corresponds to a transparent unit and a reflective unit. The solid color film covers at least the transparent units. A permeability of the solid color film relative to a predetermined color light waves exceeds that relative to light waves of other colors.
US08013953B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device having a wide view angle, reduced power consumption and high quality with an absorption axis of a polarizing plate and an optical axis of a retardation plate made to coincide with high accuracy without using expensive equipment and complicated steps. On a transparent substrate 11 is formed a retardation film 21 that is self-organized due to irregularities on a surface of a metal wire 12 formed on a wire grid polarizer to thereby generate a retardation.
US08013952B2
A backlight device includes a first substrate having optical transparency and having a first surface and a second surface. An LED thin-film is fixed to the first surface of the first substrate. The LED thin-film is formed of epitaxially grown inorganic material layers as a P-N junction device. An anode electrode and a cathode electrode are formed on the LED thin-film. An anode driver IC and a cathode driver IC are provided for driving the LED thin-film. An anode wiring is provided for connecting the anode driver IC and the anode electrode, and a cathode wiring is provided for connecting the cathode driver IC and the cathode electrode. A second substrate has optical transparency and having a function to diffuse incident light. The second substrate is provided so as to face the second surface of the first substrate.
US08013943B2
A display device includes: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed to face each other; a display medium layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix between the first substrate and the display medium layer; a first transparent electrode, interposed between the second substrate and the display medium layer, for detecting a touched location; and a second transparent electrode, interposed between the first transparent electrode and the display medium layer, for receiving a display signal. The display device detects the touched location using a capacitive coupling method and displays an image. A shield electrode for suppressing capacitive coupling is formed between the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode.
US08013937B2
An apparatus for providing multiple screens and a method of dynamically configuring multiple screens are provided. The apparatus for providing multiple screens includes a digital signal processing module which receives video information, audio information, or data information and restores a service based on the video information, the audio information or the data information, a service processing module which generates a plurality of logical screens and an overlay screen for displaying the restored service, and an output module which maps the plurality of logical screens generated by the service processing module to different locations on a display screen and allows the overlay screen to overlay the display screen.
US08013936B2
A de-interlacing method is applied to a to-be-de-interlaced field including display pixels of display lines and to-be-interpolated pixels of to-be-interpolated lines. First, a corresponding edge-direction value of each of edge pixels in the to-be-de-interlaced field is determined. Next, it is judged whether one of the display pixels near each to-be-interpolated pixel has a corresponding edge-direction value so that a judgement result is obtained. Then, a corresponding edge-direction value of each to-be-interpolated pixel is set according to the corresponding edge-direction values of specific display pixels of the display pixels near the to-be-interpolated pixel if the judgement result is affirmative. Finally, a corresponding display pixel pair of up and down display lines near each to-be-interpolated pixel is selected according to the corresponding edge-direction value of each to-be-interpolated pixel so that a luminance value and a chrominance value of the to-be-interpolated pixel are calculated.
US08013933B2
An imaging-device cleaning apparatus is attached to a camera by engaging with a lens mount of the camera typically used for attaching a camera lens. The imaging-device cleaning apparatus includes a nozzle for removing dust and dirt in the vicinity of an imaging section of the camera, and a motor and a fan for supplying air to the nozzle to remove the dust and dirt from the vicinity of an image sensor of the camera.
US08013932B2
A waterproof electronic recording device with a display panel is disclosed. In an embodiment, a housing of the electronic recording device is cylindrical in shape with an electronic display module having a display panel disposed at a back end of the housing. A latch encloses the electronic display module and the display panel is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing in a waterproof configuration. In another embodiment, the latch is hingedly connected to the housing, and a lock is provided to connect the latch to the housing in a waterproof configuration.
US08013931B2
There is provided a solid-state imaging device having a pixel array section in which pixels including photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a matrix form, and sweeping out unnecessary charges by setting a predetermined number, two or more, of adjacent rows or a predetermined number, two or more, of adjacent columns, in the pixel array section, to a single group, and by applying a shutter pulse in units of groups before storing signal charges, and sequentially reading the signal charges in the units of groups. In the solid-state imaging device, a pre-shutter pulse is applied to pixels belonging to at least a single row or a single column within a succeeding group and adjacent to a preceding group, prior to the shutter pulse, before a reading timing for the preceding group, to sweep out unnecessary charges stored in the pixels.
US08013922B2
A digital camera (10) has nine imaging setting items. A plurality of operation modes are assigned to each imaging setting item. An imaging operation is performed according to valid operation modes selected for each imaging setting item one by one. When a mode key (50) is operated, three valid mode characters out of nine valid mode characters respectively corresponding to nine valid operation modes are displayed on a monitor (30). When a jog dial key (48) is operated, a display of the valid mode characters is renewed. As to the imaging setting item at the reference position, invalid operation modes are detected, and invalid mode characters indicative of the detected invalid operation modes are additionally displayed on the monitor (30). When a set key (44) is operated in a state that a cursor is pointed to an arbitrary invalid mode character, an operation mode corresponding to the invalid mode character is validated.
US08013913B2
An image recording comprising: an initialization step of generating a predetermined number of search points in a specified region of an image, a filtering step of updating coordinates of a plurality of search points, comparing a characteristic value of the specified region with a characteristic value of each of the search points after updated in the image, assigning to the search points weights determined so as to be increased in proportion to a degree of similarity therebetween, screening the search points according to the weights, calculating a variance and a weighted average of the coordinates of the screened search points, and an image recording determination step of determining, based on the variance and weighted average of the coordinates of the screened search points, and the tracking range, whether or not to record the image, and recording the image if it is determined to record the image.
US08013905B2
A method of processing, in a digital camera, an image captured by the camera is provided, which includes locating faces within the captured image by detecting regions of contiguous color which map a hue, saturation and value of the range of human face colors and passing the detected regions through heuristic tests which produce a resulting probability of a face being present in the image, locating eyes of the located faces, and determining if the captured image of the located eyes has been modified by the act of capturing the image. If the image has been modified any unwanted distortions of the located eyes are located in the captured image that have occurred as a result of the act of capturing the image, and the captured image is modified to at least reduce the effect of the unwanted distortions and to produce a modified image.
US08013899B2
A camera arrangement comprising a plurality of camera elements and a corresponding method of arranging camera elements is described. The camera arrangement improves the resolution of a stitched image by maintaining a uniform overlap between the fields of view of adjacent camera element. The uniform overlap is achieved. This is because the amount of unnecessary overlap required to achieve the required degree of overlap is reduced.
US08013893B2
A personal computer holds data of a plurality of types in a content storage unit and transfers items of data related across the types of data to a digital camera as group data. The digital camera stores the group data, which is received from the personal computer, in a content memory unit.
US08013887B2
Images are transferred to printing plates by illuminating light-responsive materials with patterns corresponding to the images to be printed. The present invention provides for the transferring of an image by the combined flux from two or more beams of light. Particular embodiments ablate the mask printing plates for CTP systems by the combined illumination from a first, broad beam and a plurality of controllable, pulsed beams that co-illuminate the plate with the first beam. The resulting system and method is less expensive than the prior art and produces a printing plate more efficiently and with improved productivity than the prior art.
US08013879B2
An image display apparatus including: a display panel configured to display a display image based on an image signal; an illumination unit configured to output an illumination light for illuminating the display panel; and a controller configured to correct, when a illumination request for illuminating the display panel is received, at least one of brightness and chromaticity of the illumination light based on light-on time and light-off time of the illumination unit previous to a time point at which the illumination request is received.
US08013875B2
Storage areas for storing four types of correction data tables for each color, which are configured by data to which gradation level data of a color is corrected, are provided as RAM1 to RAM4. A first selector selects three types of correction data tables, from which correction data for gradation level data of each of three primary colors of a color image is to be obtained, from among the correction data tables stored in the RAM1 to the RAM4. A second selector obtains correction data for gradation level data of each of the three primary colors from the correction data tables selected by the first selector. A CPU makes a RAM other than RAMs storing the correction data tables selected by the first selector among the RAM1 to the RAM4 store a correction data table, which is configured by data to which the correction data is changed.
US08013873B2
A rendering unit (300) for rendering an output image (102) comprising output pixels, on basis of an input image (100) comprising input pixels and on basis of depth related data elements corresponding to the respective input pixels is disclosed. The rendering unit (300) comprises: a shift computing unit (302) for computing shift values to be applied to the input pixels, on basis of the respective depth related data elements; and an interpolation unit (304) for computing the output pixels on basis of shifting the input pixels with the respective shift values. The shift computing unit (302) is configured to provide an output value as the first one of the shift values, which is substantially equal to zero if the corresponding first one of the input pixels corresponds to overlay, independent of the corresponding depth related data element.
US08013868B2
A color processing apparatus converts a target M-dimensional color signal in an input color space into an N-dimensional output color signal in an output color space. M and N are natural numbers and N>M. The apparatus includes a first calculation unit and a second calculation unit. The first calculation unit uniquely calculates (N−M) colorants of the converted output color signal from the target color signal with using plural color-signal pairs. In each pair, corresponding one of the (N−M) colorants of an output color signal in the output color space are associated with an input color signal in the input color space. The second calculation unit calculates the M colorants of the converted output color signal from the target color signal and the (N−M) colorants of the converted output color signal.
US08013867B2
Techniques for modifying aspects of the gamut mapping function in a multi-primary display system influence the performance of the display or the perception of certain ones of the colors. One embodiment of the system comprises a method for selecting a metamer. Other embodiments provide methods for modifying the output color produced by the gamut mapping operation for input colors that are on the darker or brighter surfaces of the input color gamut, or for certain out-of-gamut colors such as yellow colors.
US08013866B2
An image display apparatus disclosed in the present application is made up of an analytical precision calculating module, an image analyzing module, and an image providing module. The analytical precision calculating module calculates an analytical precision of an image which satisfies a designated restrictive condition. The image analyzing module analyzes image information based on the calculated analytical precision. The image providing module accepts an image designation, calculates differences between an analysis result of image information of the designated image and image information of images other than the designated image, and provides a list of images arranged in an ascending order of differences thereof as a search result.
US08013865B2
An image generation system including: a drawing section which draws an object to generate image data; and an overdrive effect processing section which performs overdrive effect processing for the generated image data and generates image data to be output to a display section. The overdrive effect processing section performs the overdrive effect processing based on differential image data between image data generated in a Kth frame and image data generated in a Jth frame (K>J).
US08013864B2
A method, apparatus and module for visualizing multivariate statistical measurements. A processing system receives multivariate statistical output data, such as scores or contributions from a multivariate statistical model and renders the multivariate statistical output data as a function of time as a color map on a display. Each multivariate statistical output data can be obtained at each time sample and rendered as a corresponding color patch on the display. The color, height and width of the corresponding color patch can be adjusted to correspond to the magnitude of the output data, the length of time of the time sample and the number of the output data. Normalized scores/contributions at each time sample can be rendered as a corresponding color patch on the display in response to said Q statistic exceeding said predetermined threshold.
US08013857B2
A method of generating a computer image wherein secondary raytrace vectors are calculated for the image after the image is rendered using rasterization. The secondary raytrace vectors are based on virtual camera angles that are stored during the rasterization process. The raytrace vectors can be calculated using the same processor as the rasterization, thereby providing greater consistency in the image. A metaprogrammed shader can also be applied to the generated image, wherein the shader uses the same processor as the raytrace and rasterization steps. The metaprogrammed shader allows the shader algorithm to be segmented for streamlined processing by the processor.
US08013851B2
A system, method, and computer program for storing a polygonal topology, comprising representing a primitive with a plurality of vertices, internal half-edges and external half-edges; and storing said plurality of vertices in a vertex array and said plurality of external half-edges in a half-edge array, wherein said arrays are indexed and parallel to one another; whereby said primitive is re-created from said parallel array with said internal half-edges that are implicit from a primitive structure and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions.
US08013849B2
An active-matrix device includes a substrate; a plurality of pixel electrodes provided on a first surface of the substrate; a plurality of switching elements provided to correspond to each of the pixel electrodes, each of the switching elements including a fixed electrode connected to the each pixel electrode, a movable electrode mainly made of silicon and displaceably provided so as to contact with and separate from the fixed electrode, and a driving electrode provided to oppose the movable electrode via an electrostatic gap; a first wiring connected to the movable electrode; and a second wiring connected to the driving electrode, wherein a voltage is applied between the movable electrode and the driving electrode to generate an electrostatic attraction between the movable electrode and the driving electrode so as to displace the movable electrode such that the movable electrode contacts with the fixed electrode to electrically connect the first wiring to the pixel electrode.
US08013846B2
A touch detection device for detecting touches on a given surface. The inventive device includes a surface where a touch generates acoustic waves, transducers that detect these waves, a controller that calculate the location of the touch and a host device where the touch position is used to communicate with the application program. The screen is formed from any material that is capable of propagating acoustic waves. Plurality transducers are placed on the screen. These transducers detect acoustic waves generated on the screen. The screen is calibrated by touching it once and a map of arrival time ratios are generated and saved in the storage unit. During the real time operation, a touch on the screen generates acoustic waves that are detected by transducers. The output of each transducer is sent to a controller unit where the time differences and their ratios are calculated and compared to time ratios in the storage unit to detect the touch location.
US08013843B2
The invention provides a method for providing human input to a computer which allows a user to interact with a display connected to the computer. The method includes the steps of placing a first target on a first portion of the user's body, using an electro-optical sensing means, sensing data related to the location of the first target and data related to the location of a second portion of the user's body, the first and second portions of the user's body being movable relative to each other, providing an output of the electro-optical sensing means to the input of the computer, determining the location of the first target and the location of the second portion of the user's body, and varying the output of the computer to the display based upon the determined locations for contemporaneous viewing by the user.
US08013839B2
A portable device with a touch screen display detects a contact area of a finger with the touch screen display and then determines a first position associated with the contact area. The cursor position of the finger contact is determined, at least in part, based on: the first position, one or more distances between the first position and one or more of the user interface objects; and one or more activation susceptibility numbers, each associated with a respective user interface object in the plurality of user interface objects. If the cursor position falls into the hidden hit region of a virtual push button on the touch screen display, the portable device is activated to perform operations associated with the virtual push button.
US08013838B2
A position determination module is described which receives image information from a video camera. The position determination module identifies at least one reference field in the image information to provide identified reference information. The position determination module then generates position information based on the identified reference information. The position information is associated with a position of the reference field with respect the video camera. In one implementation, the video camera is stationary and the reference field is coupled to a user-manipulated device. In another implementation, the reference field is coupled to a stationary display device and the video camera is coupled to a movable user-manipulated device.
US08013834B2
A display apparatus and a mobile communication terminal having the same. The display apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: a case; a display module mounted in the case for outputting visual information; a window mounted at a window groove of the case, and providing a visual passage through which the visual information can be seen from outside; and a signal generating unit mounted between the window and the display module, for generating a signal when the window is pressed. An additional input button for controlling an output from the display module need not be provided.
US08013833B2
A tag information display control apparatus disclosed allows information regarding a particular partial region in moving pictures to be displayed on a screen only by clicking the partial region. Movement of a pointer in a screen by a viewer of a main image is accepted, and the position of the pointer in the screen is acquired. A key image reproduced in synchronism with the main image is referred to decide whether the pointer is within a key region. Region identification information set with regard to the key region is read out when the pointer is within the key region. Index information with link information is referred to based on the region identification information together with time information of the key image to read out corresponding link information. Related information is acquired from a linking destination specified with the link information and is displayed.
US08013831B2
Various devices and methods of lighting a display are disclosed. In one embodiment, for example, a display device includes a transmissive display configured to be illuminated through a back surface and a reflective display configured to be illuminated through a front surface. A light source is disposed with respect to the back of the transmissive display to illuminate the transmissive display through the back surface. A light pipe is disposed with respect to the light source to receive light from the light source and is configured to propagate the light such that this light provides front illumination of the reflective display.
US08013823B2
A driving method with reducing image sticking effect is disclosed. The driving method includes applying a voltage on the data lines for trapping impurities crossing the data lines and lowering the degree of the image sticking effect, and applying different asymmetric waveforms to different data lines for trapping impurities crossing the data lines and lowering the degree of the image sticking effect.
US08013822B2
In a display element using cholesteric liquid crystal, to enable a high-speed partial screen rewrite, a region not to be partially rewritten is scanned in high-speed mode within the tolerance of crosstalk of the liquid crystal, and a region to be partially rewritten is partially rewritten by being scanned at a normal speed within a rewritable range with an inexpensive universal driver. As a result, a high-speed rewrite only to an arbitrary particular region can be made even with an inexpensive universal driver IC.
US08013811B2
An image display device incorporates a group of pixels of two or more types, each pixel including a light source whose primary wavelength is specific to the type of pixel; a generating device for generating analog pixel signals to be input to the group of pixels from input digital pixel data, wherein the generating device has a converter to convert input digital pixel data into different output digital pixel data appropriate for each type of pixel where the output digital pixel data contains more bits than the input digital pixel data; and an input device for inputting the analog pixel signals to the group of pixels, each pixel including a light emission driver for driving the light source according to the analog pixel signal. An organic EL display device having individual R, G, and B light emission elements enables displaying in desired colors and controllable tones with reduced packaging area for the components of the organic EL display.
US08013788B2
A method is described, for use with an SPS mobile terminal receiver 102, of providing a compact assistance vector to initialize and constrain the computation of the terminal's location within a region of validity. The compact assistance vector is provided to a computing node 108 able also to obtain measurements from a mobile terminal satellite positioning system receiver within said region. For a known reference point 104 within the region, the range or ranges from the reference point to one or more satellites 101 of the satellite positioning system are obtained. The range or ranges are represented by a number or numbers of ranging code repeat intervals in a limited resolution format. The compact assistance vector is created from the representation or representations of ranging code repeat intervals and transferred to the computing node 108. The compact assistance vector can then be used to initialize a location computation for the SPS mobile terminal receiver 102.
US08013774B2
Methods, systems, and products disclose a remote control device that controls multiple consumer electronics devices based on orientation.
US08013773B2
An analog lo digital converter comprising: a first set comprising nodes defined by circuitry such that each node is at a respective voltage, the voltages on the nodes being in an orderly progression between the voltage of a first current source and the voltage of a first input node; a second set comprising nodes defined by circuitry such that each node is at a respective voltage, the voltages on the nodes being in an orderly progression between the voltage of a second current source and the voltage of a second input node; a plurality of comparators, each comparator being arranged to compare the voltage on a node in the first set with the voltage on a respective node in the second set; and a pair of switching devices arranged between the first current source and the first set of nodes, the first switching device of the pair connected so as to supply the current from the first current source to all said nodes in the first set, and the second switching device of the pair connected so as to supply the current from the first current source to a subset of said nodes in the first set which are closest in voltage to the voltage of the first input node.
US08013761B2
The invention relates to a switching matrix for an input device such as a keyboard or a cursor device for the detection of different switching states. According to the invention the switching matrix has a group electrically connected to a microcontroller, with a plurality of N input and output lines (I/O-lines) with a serially connected terminating resistor to mass each and a group with a plurality of K switching lines with one switching element each. Each switching line connects two of the N I/O lines to each other. The K switching line have an additional series resistor each. According to an interrogation pattern, a first I/O-line as output line is configured with a high potential, a second I/O-line is configured as input line and each further I/O-line as output line is configured with a low potential of the microcontroller.
US08013759B1
A transmitter unit has a housing adapted to be coupled in association with a trailing vehicle. The housing also has a multiple axis accelerometer adapted to sense the status of the transmitter unit and a trailing vehicle. The housing also has electronic components coupled with the accelerometer. A receiver unit has a housing adapted to be coupled in association with a leading vehicle. A user in audio proximity to the receiver unit is wirelessly signaled in the event of an anomaly at the transmitter unit.
US08013758B2
An obstacle detecting portion (11) on a vehicle detects an obstacle behind the vehicle. A CPU (20) detects the direction of the driver's line of sight based on a driver's face image captured by a camera (12). The CPU (20) determines whether the direction of the driver's line of sight directed to mirrors (51L, 51R) reflecting an image of the obstacle behind the vehicle. According to the result of the determination, the CPU (20) sets the level of an alarm to be outputted by warning signal outputting portions (15, 16).
US08013726B2
A disclosed example receiver for receiving transmissions and data for both a remote keyless entry (RKE) system and a tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system tailors the data slice level to the characteristics unique to each of the RKE transmissions and the TPM transmissions.
US08013714B2
A radio frequency identification device having sensing elements incorporated in its tags, and the sensing value determines the width of a sensing pulse in its RFID code. Through a pulse-processing unit, during communication, digital sensing values are obtained by measuring the width of the sensing pulse. Since only discrete signals exist, the tag device is insensitive to the fluctuation in its power supply voltage, which is derived from a continuous wave RF carrier.
US08013713B2
The invention relates to a resistor (18), particularly an SMD resistor, including a planar, metallic support element (19) that has a top surface and a bottom surface, a planar resistor element (21) which is made of a resistive material and is disposed on the bottom surface of the support element (19), and at least two separate metallic connecting parts (23, 23) which electrically contact the resistor element (21) and are arranged in part on the bottom surface of the support element (19). The connecting parts (22, 23) are laterally exposed on the resistor (18) and can be laterally wetted in a visible manner by a solder. The invention further relates to a corresponding production method.
US08013709B2
The present invention provides a conductive module used for assembling a magnetic element and an electronic component. The conductive module includes a conductive base, an electronic component and a plurality of conductive units. The electronic component is electrically connected to the conductive base and disposed on one side of the conductive base. The conductive units have respective hollow portions. The conductive units are spaced from each other and fixed on the conductive base such that the hollow portions of the conductive units are aligned with each other to define a channel.
US08013700B2
The present invention relates to a field element which reduces a harmonic component of a magnetic flux density. Permanent magnets (20) are in contact with first magnetic plates (1, 3) in a direction parallel to a rotation axis (P). The first magnetic plate (1) includes first and second magnetic members (10, 12) and first and second non-magnetic members (11, 13). The first magnetic member (10) includes a pole center and is in contact with one of the permanent magnets. The first magnetic member (10), the first non-magnetic member (11), the second magnetic member (12) and the second non-magnetic member (13) are disposed in the stated order in a circumferential direction with the pole center and the rotation axis being as a starting point and a center, respectively. When Pn represents the number of pole pairs and i represents an odd number equal to or more than three, an angle θ1 defined by an end portion (131) of the second non-magnetic member (13) on the pole center side with respect to a pole gap is 0<θ1<180/(i·Pn). An angle θ2 defined by an end portion (111) of the first non-magnetic member (11) on the pole center side with respect to the pole gap is 180/(i·Pn)≦θ2≦180·2/(i·Pn).
US08013697B2
A method of manufacturing a solenoidal magnet structure, includes the step of providing a collapsible accurate mold in which to wind the coils winding wire into defined positions in the mold, placing a mechanical support structure over the coils so wound, impregnating the coils and the mechanical support structure with a thermosetting resin, allowing the thermosetting resin to harden, and collapsing the mold and removing the resultant solenoidal magnet structure formed by the resin impregnated coils and the mechanical support structure from the mold as a single solid piece.
US08013687B2
An ortho-mode transducer may include an annular common waveguide defined by an outside surface of an inner conductor and an inside surface of an outer conductor, the outside surface and the inside surface concentric about a waveguide axis. A first port may couple a first TE11 mode to the annular common waveguide. A second port may couple a second TE11 mode to the annular common waveguide, the second TE11 mode orthogonal to the first TE11 mode. A TEM probe may suppress resonance of a TEM mode within the annular common waveguide.
US08013685B2
According to one embodiment, a broadband transition to joint a via structure and a planar transmission line in a multilayer substrate is formed as an intermediate connection between the signal via pad and the planar transmission line disposed at the same conductor layer. The transverse dimensions of the transition are equal to the via pad diameter at the one end and strip width at another end; The length of the transition can be equal to the characteristic dimensions of the clearance hole in the direction of the planar transmission line or defined as providing the minimal excess inductive reactance in time-domain according to numerical diagrams obtained by three-dimensional full-wave simulations.
US08013684B2
In an integrated circuit having a number of circuit units on a single semiconductor chip, particularly in a system-on-chip integrated circuit including an integrated transceiver, interference between the circuit units is suppressed using on-chip resonant elements. Each resonant element has at least one on-chip capacitor and at least one on-chip conductive line constituting an inductance. The capacitance-inductance combinations are arranged to be resonant at one or more frequencies at which radio frequency energy is generated by the circuit units. The capacitive part of each series resonant combination is formed as a plurality of capacitor elements forming in an array to minimise self-inductance. Also disclosed is a filtering arrangement in which each circuit unit is individually supplied from the tap of a series resistive-capacitance combination to provide low-pass filtering. The resistance of such a combination may be configured as an FET to allow the circuit unit to be individually powered down to a low leakage state.
US08013680B2
Doherty and distributed amplifier (DA) designs are combined to achieve, wideband amplifiers with high efficiency dynamic range. A modified Doherty amplifier includes a wideband phase shifter providing first and second outputs, a main amplifier coupled to the first output, an auxiliary amplifier coupled to the second output, and a wideband combining network combining the outputs in phase. A multi-stage DA has a main output and a termination port, and a phase delay module and transforming network allowing power at the termination port to be combined in phase with power at the main output. In one combination, one or more stages of the DA may comprise a Doherty amplifier. In another combination, a modified series-type Doherty amplifying system is achieved by cascading main and auxiliary DAs. In any combination, Doherty topology may include a bias control module.
US08013679B2
An operational amplifier capable of suppressing power consumption and noise generation includes an offset modifier including a differential amplification circuit, and an offset memory for storing an offset voltage using a latch circuit. The differential amplification circuit includes first and second NMOS transistors connected to an input terminal, first and second PMOS transistors respectively connected to drains of the first and second NMOS transistors, a third NMOS transistor connected to sources of the first and second NMOS transistors, a third PMOS transistor connected to a source of the second PMOS transistor, a fourth NMOS transistor connected to the third PMOS transistor, to form an output to be applied to the offset memory, and left and right modification blocks each connected to an associated one of the first and second NMOS transistor in parallel.
US08013672B2
There is provided an integrated circuit having a programmable gain amplifier and an embedded filter. The programmable gain amplifier and the filter comprise a gain element having an inverting input for receiving an input and a feedback signal, a non-inverting input coupled to ground, and an output. The gain element also has one or more feedback loops coupling the output of the gain element to the inverting input of the gain element. Each feedback loop has a switch coupled in series with at least one passive component. Each switch has a first state to connect the corresponding feedback loop and a second state to disconnect the corresponding feedback loop. Each switch is programmatically configurable to provide a first gain and a first bandwidth and a second gain and a second bandwidth such that the first bandwidth is substantially equal to the second bandwidth.
US08013670B2
The present invention discloses a method, apparatus and system for obtaining the tuning capacitance of a Gm-C filter. The method includes: integrating a simulated capacitor within a given time via a current, where the simulated capacitor simulates the capacitor of the Gm-C filter which is set to an even capacitor array; and comparing the integral voltage obtained by the integration with the reference voltage, finding a simulated capacitance that makes the integral voltage equal to the reference voltage via gradual approaching by adjusting a control code, and determining the simulated capacitance as the tuning capacitance. The present invention improves the performance of a Gm-C filter without affecting the performance of the Gm-C filter.
US08013667B2
A plurality of capacitors each of which has a first and a second electrode. A plurality of first switches is connected between the first electrodes of the plurality of capacitors and a first power supply. A plurality of second switches is connected between the second electrodes of the plurality of capacitors and a second power supply. A plurality of resistances each of which is connected between the first electrode of one of the plurality of capacitors and the second electrode of another capacitor and which connect the plurality of capacitors in series, a voltage for driving an actuator being output from the last stage of the plurality of capacitors connected in series.
US08013664B2
A charge pump controller (20) comprises a configurable pump capacitor (15, 16). A charge pump controller (20) controls the charge supplied to a load (12) to be less than the charge stored on the pump capacitor (15, 16).
US08013659B2
A distributed signal multiplexer circuit programmably routes electronic signals. The circuit includes at least two distributor subcircuits. Each distributor subcircuit is configured to connect an input port to an output port through a switch, with a state of each switch being controlled by information received at a control port. The first and second distributor subcircuits are part of a first and second power domain, respectively. The distributed multiplexer circuit also includes an aggregator subcircuit. The aggregator subcircuit is configured to have a first input port connected with the output port of the first distributor subcircuit, a second input port connected to the output port of the second distributor subcircuit, and the output port signal being a signal selected from among the signals received at the input ports of the distributor subcircuits.
US08013654B1
A clock generator for generating a first target clock signal includes: a control circuit, receiving a reference clock signal, and for generating a first clock enable signal and a first delay selecting signal according to the reference clock signal; a first clock gating unit, coupled to the control circuit, for receiving the reference clock signal and the first clock enable signal, and for passing the reference clock signal according to the first clock enable signal to generate a first clock gated signal; and a first delay module, coupled to the first clock gating unit, for delaying the first clock gated signal according to the first delay selecting signal to generate the first target clock signal.
US08013649B2
A dynamic clock feedback latch includes a feedback path that generates a data value on an output as a function of data inputs in response to a clock input going low and generates a latching value on the output after a delay from the clock input going high. A first transistor pre-charges a node high while the clock input is low. A second transistor provides a drain path for draining the node low from the pre-charged value while the clock input is high. The output controls a third transistor during the delay to drain the node to a low value if the data value is high and to retain the high value if the data value is low. The feedback path generates the predetermined latching value on the output after the delay to cause an inverted value of the data value to be latched onto the node.
US08013648B1
An output slew-rate controlled interface is provided. The output slew-rate controlled interface includes: a standard slew-rate range generating circuit, for generating at least one standard signal defining a standard slew-rate range; a slew-rate comparing circuit, coupled to the standard slew-rate range generating circuit and a load circuit coupled to the interface, for comparing a response slew-rate of a response signal from the load circuit with the standard slew-rate range and producing a comparison result; and an outputting circuit, coupled to the slew-rate comparing circuit, for adjusting an output slew-rate of an output signal according to the comparison result and outputting the output signal to the load circuit.
US08013644B2
A power supply circuit for a south bridge chip includes a voltage sampling circuit, a control circuit, and an I/O controller. The voltage sampling circuit comprises an input terminal capable of receiving a first voltage, and an output terminal capable of outputting a control signal. The control circuit is capable of receiving the control signal from the voltage sampling circuit and outputting a power good signal when a high voltage level control signal is received. The I/O controller is capable of receiving the power good signal from the control circuit, adjusting time sequence for the power good signal to synchronize with the first voltage, and outputting the adjusted power good signal to provide power for the south bridge chip.
US08013643B2
A source driver, which has a first resistor string, a first digital-to-analog converter, and a channel buffer, is provided. The first resistor string has a plurality of resistors connected in series, wherein each of the resistors of the first resistor string provides a corresponding gamma voltage. The first digital-to-analog converter is coupled to the resistors of the first resistor string. The digital-to-analog converter selectively outputs one of gamma voltages provided by the resistors as a first output voltage according to a data code. The channel buffer is coupled to an output terminal of the first digital-to-analog converter to output a second output voltage by shifting a voltage level of the first output voltage.
US08013626B2
Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising a driver circuit that generates an output signal according to a prescribed input pattern and supplies the output signal to the device under test; and a measuring section that judges acceptability of the device under test by measuring a response signal output by the device under test. The driver circuit includes an input terminal that receives the input pattern; a switching section that operates according to a logic value of the input pattern to generate the output signal; and an emphasized component generating section that is provided between the input terminal and the switching section, and that (i) generates an emphasized component according to a prescribed high frequency component of the input pattern and (ii) superimposes the emphasized component onto a voltage supplied to the switching section.
US08013622B1
A measuring apparatus includes a measuring body and a probe device. The probe device includes a dome-shaped metal shield, a probe, and a cable. The metal shield defines an opening in a bottom of the shield. The probe is mounted inside the metal shield. A first end of the cable is connected to the probe, and a second end of the cable passes through a top of the metal shield and then is connected to the measuring body.
US08013602B2
Methods, computer program products and apparatus automate clinical NMR in vitro diagnostic analyzers. The clinical analyzer can automatically electronically monitor selected parameters and automatically electronically adjust parameters to maintain the analyzer within desired operational ranges.The clinical NMR analyzers can be configured as a networked system with a plurality of clinical NMR analyzers located at different use sites; and at least one remote control system in communication with one or a plurality of clinical NMR analyzers, the at least one remote system configured to monitor selected local operating parameters associated with a respective clinical NMR analyzer.
US08013588B2
Provided is a reference voltage circuit capable of generating a temperature-independent reference voltage more stably. Each of N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistors (1) and (2) has a source and a back gate that are short-circuited, and hence threshold voltages (Vth1) and (Vth2) of the NMOS transistors (1) and (2) respectively depend only on process fluctuations in the NMOS transistors (1) and (2) and not on process fluctuations in other elements. As a result, a temperature-independent reference voltage (Vref) may be generated more stably.
US08013584B2
A power supply regulator including a variable current limit threshold that increases during an on time of a switch. In one aspect, a power supply regulator includes a comparator coupled to receive a signal representative of a current through a switch during an on time of the switch. The comparator is further coupled to receive a variable current limit threshold that increases during the on time of the switch. The power supply regulator also includes a feedback circuit coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of a power supply. A control circuit is also included and is coupled to the switch, to an output of the comparator, and to an output of the feedback circuit. The control circuit is coupled to control a switching of the switch in response the output of the comparator and the output of the feedback circuit to regulate the output of the power supply.
US08013576B2
A method which supplies power to an electronic device from a power supply device. The method includes setting a minimum power level of a power supply battery of a power supply device, detecting a current power level of the power supply battery and determining a current supply of the power supply battery, determining if the current supply exceeds a preset minimum power level, setting a required power level for extracting power from the power supply battery, extracting the power from the power supply battery according to a preset required power level, and transferring the power to a power charging battery of the electronic device. A related system is also provided.
US08013575B2
To prevent a battery pack from being over-discharged even under a state that the battery pack (a secondary battery) is connected to a discharging device that is not connected to an ac input power source for a long time. A charging device has a pair of output lines and an anode terminal and a cathode terminal of a secondary battery electrically connected between the output lines to carry out a charging operation. In the charging device including a component circuit part electrically connected by traversing a part between the pair of output lines, a switching element is inserted between the component circuit part and one of the pair of output lines. When the charging device is not connected to an input power source, the switching element is allowed to be non-conductive to interrupt a discharging path so that the component circuit part does not form the discharging path.
US08013572B2
The present invention provides a recharging apparatus for use with portable electronic user devices such as cell phones, pagers, PDAs, as well as with portable battery powered devices such as flashlights. Charging circuitry is used to charge the user device battery from a battery of the recharging apparatus. The user is able to control the recharging process with a manual on/off switch that is part of the recharging apparatus. Optionally, a manual/automatic mode is provided that allows the user even greater flexibility over charging. Here, the user may select various conditions and options when recharging is permitted.
US08013565B2
The temperature of a stator coil is measured by a temperature sensor (14), amplified by a stator coil temperature amplifier (21), and transmitted to a vehicle control section (23). Further, motor cooling oil (17) for cooling the outer periphery of the stator cools the stator coil (16) along an end coil section of the stator coil (16). The temperature of the motor cooling oil raised by the stator coil (16) is measured by a temperature sensor (15) and transmitted also to the vehicle control section (23) via a motor cooling oil temperature amplifier (22). The vehicle control section (23) estimates the temperature of a rotor magnet based on a thermal model (relationship between temperature, a heat production amount, and heat resistance) of the motor cooling oil, the stator coil, and the rotor magnet by using the motor cooling oil temperature and the stator coil temperature as input values and sends a control instruction to a motor control section (24).
US08013561B2
A driving mechanism comprises a fixed housing, a movable housing on which an object to be driven is mounted and a driving motor which is operative to drive the movable housing to move linearly as well as to rotate relative to the fixed housing. An inductance-type encoder determines both linear and rotary displacement of the movable housing relative to the fixed housing, whereby to provide closed-loop control of the position of the object in both linear and rotary directions.
US08013557B2
A motor protection device includes a detection unit for detecting an operating state of a motor and outputting a detection signal; a reference unit for generating a variable reference signal; a discriminating unit for comparing the detection signal with the variable reference signal to discriminate whether the motor is in an abnormal condition; and a protection unit that receives a result of discrimination from the discriminating unit and limits a driving current for the motor when the motor is in an abnormal condition. The motor protection device is characterized in that the reference unit adjusts the variable reference signal according to a motor rotation detection signal, so that the motor rotation detection signal and the detection signal are used synchronously in discriminating whether the motor is in an abnormal condition, and the motor in an abnormal condition may be doubly protected.
US08013555B2
A drive system for operation of a tap changer for voltage regulation of a transformer on load. An electric motor is connectible to a movable part of the tap changer for moving the movable part for carrying out a tap change operation. An electric converter connects an electric power supply to the electric motor. A control arrangement is adapted to control the electric converter for controlling the operation of the motor and by that of the tap changer.
US08013544B2
A flyback controller may receive a chopped and rectified AC voltage from a dimmer control, each cycle of which may have a controllable off period that is substantially attenuated but not always zero due to leakage of the dimmer control, and a controllable on period that substantially tracks the AC voltage. The flyback controller may include a control circuit configured to generate a switching signal based on the signal from the dimmer input. The switching signal may controllably oscillate between its on and off states during the on periods of the chopped and rectified AC voltage so as to controllably regulate current that is delivered by a secondary winding of a transformer in a flyback converter. The switching signal may be in the on state during the off periods of the chopped and rectified AC voltage, thereby preventing a voltage build up from the dimmer control leakage.
US08013543B2
An exemplary backlight control circuit includes a transformer, a control circuit, a lamp. The control circuit and the transformer form an inverter circuit to providing an alternating current (AC) voltage for driving the lamp. When the backlight control circuit works in a startup mode, the backlight control circuit defines a first current path including the lamp and the first current path forms a first resonant circuit. When the backlight control circuit works in an operation mode, the backlight control circuit defines a second current path including the lamp and the second current path forms a second resonant circuit. The first and second resonant circuits have different resonant frequencies from each other.
US08013540B2
A light adjusting device for a light emitting diode includes a switch, a detecting unit and an illumination adjusting unit. The switch is coupled to a power terminal, which is utilized for providing power for the light emitting diode. The detecting unit is coupled to the switch, and is utilized for determining a status of the switch, so as to generate a detecting result. The illumination adjusting unit is coupled to the detecting unit, and is utilized for adjusting illumination of the light emitting diode according to the detecting result.
US08013535B2
Lighting apparatus, systems and methods are disclosed. One lighting apparatus includes a light source, a power source in electrical communication with the light source, and a power button arranged to control electrical flow from the power source to the light source. The lighting apparatus also includes a programmable circuit in electrical communication with the power button, where the programmable circuit is programmed to set predetermined flash patterns for illuminating the light source in response to detecting a predetermined sequence of actuations of the power button.
US08013529B2
A plasma display device includes a plasma display panel having a front panel, a rear panel, and a plurality of address electrodes therebetween, a chassis base affixed to the rear panel of the plasma display panel, a plurality of printed circuit boards which on the chassis base, each printed circuit board electrically connected to the electrodes via a flexible printed circuit, and an insert member between the chassis base and the printed circuit boards.
US08013525B2
A flexible emissive device, includes a flexible rough substrate having a rough substrate surface and defining a display area; an organic low-temperature adhesion layer formed on the rough substrate surface, at least a portion of the organic low-temperature adhesion layer having a thickness greater than or equal to five microns; a plurality of chiplets distributed in the display area and adhering to the organic low-temperature adhesion layer, each chiplet having one or more connection pads; a plurality of patterned bottom electrodes formed over the organic low-temperature adhesion layer in the display area, each bottom electrode being electrically connected to only one connection pad of a corresponding chiplet; one or more layers of light-emitting material formed over the bottom electrode; and a top electrode formed over the one or more layers of light-emitting material; and a flexible encapsulating layer located over the top electrode and adhered to the rough substrate surface.
US08013518B2
Top-emitting organic light emitting diode (OLED) structures and fabrication method thereof. A first electrode is formed on a substrate. A dielectric layer including at least one first opening is formed on the first electrode. An organic emission layer is formed on the dielectric layer and fills the first opening. A second electrode including at least one second opening is formed on the organic emission layer. The second opening corresponds to the first opening.
US08013515B2
A light-emitting module (1) includes a substrate (10), a plurality of light-emitting elements (14) formed on the substrate (10), and phosphor layers (15) covering each of the light-emitting elements (14). Each of the phosphor layers (15) includes a first phosphor region (15a) and a second phosphor region (15b) that are divided in the direction substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate (10). Each of the first phosphor region (15a) and the second phosphor region (15b) includes a phosphor that absorbs light emitted from the light-emitting element (14) and emits fluorescence. The maximum peak wavelength of fluorescence emitted from the first phosphor region (15a) is longer than that of fluorescence emitted from the second phosphor region (15b).
US08013497B2
A piezoelectric power generator that includes a support body, a piezoelectric element, and a bias compressive stress applying member. The piezoelectric element is placed on the support body. The piezoelectric element has a piezoelectric plate that is polarized in the thickness direction, and first and second electrodes that are each provided on a surface of the piezoelectric plate. The bias compressive stress applying member is supported on the side above the piezoelectric element by the support body. The bias compressive stress applying member applies to the piezoelectric element a bias compressive stress acting in the thickness direction of the piezoelectric plate, so that the magnitude of a compressive stress in the piezoelectric plate changes with a change in externally applied stress.
US08013484B2
A cooling apparatus is for dissipating heat from an electronic device. The cooling apparatus includes a casing, an impeller, and a motor. The casing is for absorbing the heat and allowing coolant to flow therein. The impeller is received in the casing. The motor is received in the casing, and is for providing a force to drive the impeller to rotate to force the coolant to flow. The coolant flows between the casing and the motor to take the heat away.
US08013480B2
A linear vibration motor according to an aspect of the invention may include: a case having a cavity to receive a mass therein; a movable part generating a magnetic field inside the case and moving in a transverse direction while being secured to the mass; a coil part generating a force, by which the mass performs a linear reciprocating motion, by interaction with the magnetic field generated from the movable part upon receiving power; and a support plate dividing the cavity in which the coil part is mounted to face the movable part.
US08013477B2
A power system having a power saving mechanism includes a voltage regulator, a power input module, and a switching signal generation unit. The voltage regulator performs a regulation operation on a first voltage for generating a second voltage. The power input module includes a transformer, a rectifying unit, a switch, and a switch control unit. The rectifying unit together with the transformer is put in use for converting an input voltage into the first voltage. The switch is employed to control a current flowing through the primary winding of the transformer. The switch control unit generates a control signal for controlling the switch according to a switching signal. The switching signal generation unit is utilized for generating the switching signal to disable the switch control unit during an energy transfer disable interval so as to decrease the first voltage from a first predetermined voltage to a second predetermined voltage.
US08013474B2
In some embodiments, an apparatus or system may include multiple power extractors each coupled to a different power source. The power extractors may be in parallel or in series. The extractors and power supplies may be joined together in a frame. A power source and power extractor may be included in an integrated circuit. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08013467B2
A method and network device increases the power of the signal transmitted by the device on a wired communications network, such as a powerline communications (PLC) network, without exceeding the maximum allowable common-mode (CM) current specified by regulatory bodies. The device is first tested for regulatory body compliance on a standard network. The output voltage of the device is adjusted until the maximum allowable CM current is detected, and this voltage level and CM current are recorded and stored in non-volatile memory of the device. The device is then connected to the actual network and the output voltage set to the previously recorded value. At this voltage level, the CM current in the actual network is measured and recorded. The difference between the CM current measured with the device on the actual network and the maximum allowable CM current is calculated and used to calculate the amount the output power of the signal from the device can be increased without exceeding the maximum allowable CM current.
US08013453B2
There is disclosed a mounting technique for mounting a semiconductor chip of the leadless or so-called flip chip type to a header. The header has an insert made of glass or other suitable non-conductive material within the header hollow. Mounted into the glass insert are a series of conductive metal pins which are placed in areas so that when a chip is mounted in the header, the chip makes contact with these conductive pins and allows one to make outside connections. Also positioned in the header are a series of nonconductive guide pins. These pins are placed in suitable positions in the header to enable one to contact the outside surfaces of the chip when the chip is placed in the header. In this manner, the chip is constrained from movement from side to side or from rotation. However, due to the positioning of the nonconductive pins within the header, it is possible to move the chip up and down while mounting.
US08013439B2
In some embodiments, an injection molded metal stiffener for packaging applications is presented. In this regard, an apparatus is introduced comprising a microelectronic device package substrate, a microelectronic device coupled with a top surface of the package substrate, and an injection-molded, metal stiffener coupled with the package substrate, wherein the stiffener includes a central opening and at least partially surrounds the microelectronic device. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US08013424B2
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes: a semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate via a gate insulating film; a channel region formed in a region of the semiconductor substrate below the gate electrode; an epitaxial crystal layer containing a conductive impurity, which is formed sandwiching the channel region and has a function as a source region and a drain region, and formed on a recess in the semiconductor substrate; and a growth suppressing portion formed on the recess in the semiconductor substrate, and configured to suppress an epitaxial growth of a crystal in the epitaxial layer from the semiconductor substrate.
US08013420B2
The invention relates generally to a fuse device of a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to an electrical fuse device of a semiconductor device. Embodiments of the invention provide a fuse device that is capable of reducing programming error caused by non-uniform current densities in a fuse link. In one respect, there is provided an electrical fuse device that includes: an anode; a fuse link coupled to the anode on a first side of the fuse link; a cathode coupled to the fuse link on a second side of the fuse link; a first cathode contact coupled to the cathode; and a first anode contact coupled to the anode, at least one of the first cathode contact and the first anode contact being disposed across a virtual extending surface of the fuse link.
US08013417B2
In one embodiment, the invention provides engineered substrates having a support with surface pits, an intermediate layer of amorphous material arranged on the surface of the support so as to at least partially fill the surface pits, and a top layer arranged on the intermediate layer. The invention also provides methods for manufacturing the engineered substrates which deposit an intermediate layer on a pitted surface of a support so as to at least partially fill the surface pits, then anneal the intermediate layer, then assemble a donor substrate with the annealed intermediate layer to form an intermediate structure, and finally reduce the thickness of the donor substrate portion of the intermediate structure in order to form the engineered substrate.
US08013414B2
A gallium nitride based semiconductor diode includes a substrate, a semiconductor body including a first heavily doped GaN layer and a second lightly doped GaN layer. The semiconductor body includes mesas projecting upwardly from a lower surface where each of the mesas includes the second GaN layer and a portion of the first GaN layer. Schottky contacts are formed on the upper surface of the mesas and ohmic contacts are formed on the lower surface of the semiconductor body. An insulating layer is formed over the Schottky and ohmic contacts and vias are formed in the insulating layer to the Schottky and Ohmic contacts. An anode electrode is formed in a first metal pad in electrical contact with the Schottky contacts. A cathode electrode is formed in a second metal pad in electrical contact with the ohmic contacts.
US08013405B2
A transducer for use in a harsh environment including a substrate and a transducer die directly coupled to the substrate by a bond frame positioned between the substrate and the transducer die. The transducer die includes a transducer element which provides an output signal related to a physical characteristic to be measured, or which receives an input signal and responsively provides a physical output. The transducer further includes a connecting component electrically coupled to the transducer element at a connection location that is fluidly isolated from the transducer element or the surrounding environment by the bond frame. The bond frame is made of materials and the connecting component is electrically coupled to the transducer element by the same materials of the bond frame, and the connecting component is electrically isolated from the bond frame.
US08013404B2
The MEMS package comprises a first and a second pre-molded lead-frame substrate, at least one of them having a cavity formed by plastic sidewalls along its periphery. The first and second pre-molded lead-frame substrates are interconnected with metal leads. At least one MEMS device is attached to one of the substrates. The first pre-molded lead-frame substrate is folded over and joined to the second pre-molded lead-frame substrate to house the at least one MEMS device. In one embodiment, the first pre-molded lead-frame substrate has metal leads extending outside of sidewalls of the cavities. The extended metal leads are folded over the top of the second pre-molded lead-frame substrate to form surface mounting pads. In some embodiments, extended metal leads are folded along the sidewalls and connected to ground for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.
US08013402B2
Transistors that include multilayered dielectric films on a channel region are provided. The multilayered dielectric comprises a lower dielectric film that may have a thickness that is at least 50% the thickness of the multilayered dielectric film and that comprises a metal oxide, a metal silicate, an aluminate, or a mixture thereof, and an upper dielectric film on the lower dielectric film, the upper dielectric film comprising a Group III metal oxide, Group III metal nitride, Group XIII metal oxide or Group XIII metal nitride. A gate electrode is provided on the multilayered dielectric film.
US08013396B2
A semiconductor component includes a mixed crystal layer of silicon and germanium having a first main surface, containing a III-group impurity, and having a first face orientation alone represented as a face (11N) by using N satisfying 1.2
US08013390B1
An insulated-gate field-effect transistor (100, 100V, 140, 150, 150V, 160, 170, 170V, 180, 180V, 190, 210, 210W, 220, 220U, 220V, 220W, 380, or 480) has a hypoabrupt vertical dopant profile below one (104 or 264) of its source/drain zones for reducing the parasitic capacitance along the pn junction between that source/drain zone and adjoining body material (108 or 268). In particular, the concentration of semiconductor dopant which defines the conductivity type of the body material increases by at least a factor of 10 in moving from that source/drain zone down to an underlying body-material location no more than 10 times deeper below the upper semiconductor surface than that source/drain zone. The body material preferably includes a more heavily doped pocket portion (120 or 280) situated along the other source/drain zone (102 or 262). The combination of the hypoabrupt vertical dopant profile below the first-mentioned source/drain zone, normally serving as the drain, and the pocket portion along the second-mentioned source/drain zone, normally serving as the source, enables the resultant asymmetric transistor to be especially suitable for high-speed analog applications.
US08013385B2
A semiconductor device of the present invention has a first contact and a second contact which are located over a device isolation film so as to be opposed with each other, and have a length in the horizontal direction larger than the height; a first electro-conductive pattern located on the first contact and is formed in at least a single interconnect layer; a second electro-conductive pattern located on the second contact so as to be opposed with the first electro-conductive pattern; and an interconnect formed in an upper interconnect layer which is located above the first electro-conductive pattern and the second electro-conductive pattern, so as to be located in a region above the first electro-conductive pattern and the second electro-conductive pattern.
US08013382B2
A semiconductor memory in which each memory cell in a NAND flash memory includes a columnar floating gate formed on an element region with a gate insulating film interposed between the floating gate and the element region, diffusion layers formed at portions of the element region located below both sides of the floating gate, and a control gate formed so as to surround the floating gate with an IPD film interposed between the control gate and the floating gate, the IPD film formed on a side surface of the floating gate.
US08013381B2
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; first to third high-voltage insulated-gate field effect transistors formed on a principal surface of the semiconductor substrate; a first device isolation insulating film that is formed in the semiconductor substrate and isolates the first high-voltage insulated-gate field effect transistor and the second high-voltage insulated-gate field effect transistor from each other; a second device isolation insulating film that is formed in the semiconductor substrate and isolates the first high-voltage insulated-gate field effect transistor and the third high-voltage insulated-gate field effect transistor from each other; a first impurity diffusion layer of the first conductivity type that is formed below the first device isolation insulating film; and a second impurity diffusion layer of the first conductivity type that is formed below the second device isolation insulating film.
US08013377B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to an integrated circuit comprising a carrier, having a capacitor with a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode has a dielectric layer A layer sequence is arranged on the carrier, the capacitor being introduced in said layer sequence, wherein the layer sequence has a first supporting layer and a second supporting layer arranged at a distance above the first supporting layer, wherein the first and the second supporting layer adjoin the first electrode of the capacitor. Methods of manufacturing the integrated circuit are also provided.
US08013376B2
Some embodiments include DRAM having transistor gates extending partially over SOI, and methods of forming such DRAM. Unit cells of the DRAM may be within active region pedestals, and in some embodiments the unit cells may comprise capacitors having storage nodes in direct contact with sidewalls of the active region pedestals. Some embodiments include 0C1T memory having transistor gates entirely over SOI, and methods of forming such 0C1T memory.
US08013373B2
A semiconductor device comprises MOS transistors sequentially arranged in the plane direction of a substrate, wherein a gate electrode and a wiring portion for connecting between the gate electrodes to each other are implanted into a layer that is lower than a surface of the substrate in which a diffusion layer has been formed. A first device isolation area with a STI structure for separating the diffusion layers that function as a source/drain area is formed on the surface of the substrate. A second device isolation area with the STI structure for separating channel areas of the MOS transistors adjacent to each other is formed in a layer that is lower than a layer that has the first device isolation area.
US08013370B2
A solid-state imaging device has a substrate in which are formed a pixel array portion having a plurality of pixels, and a peripheral circuitry portion. The device is characterized in that a first multilevel metallization structure is formed over the peripheral circuitry portion, and a second multilevel metallization structure thinner than the first multilevel metallization structure is formed over the pixel array portion.
US08013363B2
Under one aspect, a nonvolatile nanotube diode includes: a substrate; a semiconductor element disposed over the substrate, the semiconductor element having an anode and a cathode and capable of forming an electrically conductive pathway between the anode and the cathode; a nanotube switching element disposed over the semiconductor element, the nanotube switching element including a conductive contact and a nanotube fabric element capable of a plurality of resistance states; and a conductive terminal disposed in spaced relation to the conductive contact, wherein the nanotube fabric element is interposed between and in electrical communication with the conductive contact and the conductive contact is in electrical communication with the cathode, and wherein in response to electrical stimuli applied to the anode and the conductive terminal, the nonvolatile nanotube diode is capable of forming an electrically conductive pathway between the anode and the conductive terminal.
US08013360B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; a first semiconductor pillar region of the first conductivity type provided on a major surface of the semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor pillar region of a second conductivity type provided adjacent to the first semiconductor pillar region on the major surface of the semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor pillar region forming a periodic arrangement structure substantially parallel to the major surface of the semiconductor layer together with the first semiconductor pillar region; a first main electrode; a first semiconductor region of the second conductivity type; a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type; a second main electrode; a control electrode; and a high-resistance semiconductor layer provided on the semiconductor layer in an edge termination section surrounding the first semiconductor pillar region and the second semiconductor pillar region. The high-resistance semiconductor layer has a lower dopant concentration than the first semiconductor pillar region. A boundary region is provided between a device central region and the edge termination section. The first semiconductor pillar region and the second semiconductor pillar region adjacent to the high-resistance semiconductor layer in the boundary region have a depth decreasing stepwise toward the edge termination section.
US08013359B2
A power switching device includes an optically controlled component using a semiconducting carbon nanotube. An optical signal transmitted over an optical fiber controls the conductivity of the nanotube. The nanotube transmits a signal controlled by the optical signal to a wide-bandgap semiconductor power switch, which switches the power.
US08013330B2
Disclosed are a compound for an organic electroluminescent device (organic EL device) which is improved in luminous efficiency, fully secured of driving stability, and of simple constitution and an organic EL device using said compound. The compound for an organic EL device has two indolocarbazole skeletons each of which is bonded to an aromatic group or two skeletons similar thereto. The organic EL device comprises a light-emitting layer disposed between an anode and a cathode piled one upon another on a substrate and said light-emitting layer comprises a phosphorescent dopant and the aforementioned compound for an organic EL device as a host material.
US08013307B2
An imaging system (10) includes at least one radiation detector (20) disposed adjacent a subject receiving aperture (18) to detect and measure at least one of emission and transmission radiation from a subject, the detector (20) at a plurality of projection angles. A processor (64) determines which radiation data belong to a field of view of the radiation detector (20) at each projection angle. An image processor (70, 72) iteratively reconstructs the radiation detected only in the determined field of view into image representations. Truncated data is compensated by supplying the untruncated data from the projections taken at different angles at which the truncated data is untruncated.
US08013302B2
The present invention relates to an infrared detection countermeasure system for enabling concealment of objects from identification by thermal imaging night vision systems and/or for deception of heat seeking missiles. The system comprises a screen formed of at least one thermoelectric module, couplable to a target object, a controller for controlling the thermoelectric module, at least two temperature sensors for measuring ambient temperature and temperature of one side of the thermoelectric module and providing an indication of the temperature to the controller, and a power source coupled to the thermoelectric module. The controller is coupled to the power source for causing the power source to provide a level of power, selected in accordance with the temperature indications, to the thermoelectric module so as to generate a selected temperature in at least part of said screen.
US08013295B2
Methods and related apparatuses for chemically analyzing at least one sample of fluid, such that a gas flow of at least one fluid sample is directed into a mixing region of an ion mobility device, wherein the mixing region is in communication with at least one container having at least one other fluid. Further, creating an ion flow of gaseous ions, a mixture of gaseous ions or a gaseous neutral species from the at least one sample and the at least one other fluid. Further still, injecting the ion flow from the mixing region into at least one ion mobility assembly of the ion mobility device, the at least one ion mobility assembly comprising at least one mobility tube; and, detecting the ions from the ion flow exiting the ion mobility assembly.
US08013289B2
A lens array block comprises a plurality of lens barrels joined to one another form a three-dimensional unitary structure. Each lens barrel comprises a stepped cylindrical chamber having a through hole with an internal profile having first and second steps that are spaced apart through the height of the through hole, the second step being radially inward of the first step. An image capturing unit comprising the lens block array, and methods of fabrication and assembly are also described.
US08013286B2
A multiple transistor differential amplifier is implemented on a single graphene nanoribbon. Differential amplifier field effect transistors are formed on the graphene nanoribbon from a first group of electrical conductors in contact with the graphene nanoribbon and a second group of electrical conductors insulated from, but exerting electric fields on, the graphene nanoribbon thereby forming the gates of the field effect transistors. A transistor in one portion of the differential amplifier and a transistor in another portion of the differential amplifier are responsive to an incoming electrical signal. A current source, also formed on the graphene nanoribbon, is connected with the differential amplifier, and the current source and the differential amplifier operating together generate an outgoing signal responsive to the incoming electrical signal.
US08013285B2
An apparatus for capturing images. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises: a coded lens array including a plurality of lenses arranged in a coded pattern and with opaque material blocking array elements that do not contain lenses; and a light-sensitive semiconductor sensor coupled to the coded lens array and positioned at a specified distance behind the coded lens array, the light-sensitive sensor configured to sense light transmitted through the lenses in the coded lens array.
US08013280B2
A package configured to receive a food item for storage and heating therein is disclosed. The package includes an opening and a closure mechanism and comprises an insulating microwave material. A plurality of packages in a stacked relation also is provided.
US08013273B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for manufacturing an absorption pad used for picking up a package or a strip during a semiconductor manufacturing process. The apparatus includes a workpiece transfer device on which a workpiece is mounted, a laser generator installed above the workpiece transfer device while being spaced apart from the workpiece transfer device by a predetermined distance, a driving unit for moving the workpiece transfer device and the laser generator relative to each other, and a controller for controlling the laser generator. It is possible to precisely form patterns having various sizes and shapes according to use of the absorption pad and the size of the package. Processing conditions for the workpiece are standardized, so that the processing time and manufacturing cost for the absorption pad are minimized.
US08013271B2
To improve the quality of the products that are manufactured by soldering, through enabling highly reliable soldering while suppressing damages to the bonding targets caused due to the soldering. Provided is a soldering method for bonding each of bonding pads formed in respective bonding targets with solder. The method comprises: a bonding target placing step for placing each of bonding targets to a bonding position; a soldering step for placing solder between each of the bonding pads formed in each of the bonding targets, and for performing soldering by irradiating a heating beam to the solder; and a bonding target heating step for heating at least one of the bonding targets, which is executed before the soldering step and/or simultaneously with the soldering step.
US08013263B2
A transformer switch, such as a multi-deck tap changer, includes an assembly with a first housing coupled to a first cover. The first cover holds at least a first stationary electric contact. A second housing is formed integrally with the first cover, and is coupled to a second cover, the second cover holding at least a second stationary electric contact. The first housing and first cover together define a first interior volume within which the first stationary electric contact is disposed. The second cover and the second housing together define a second interior volume within which the second stationary electric contact is disposed. Each housing-cover coupled pair includes an interior rotor rotatable relative to the stationary electric contact in the cover of the pair. At least one movable contact is coupled to each rotor. The covers and housings can be molded from a non-conductive plastic.
US08013257B2
The present invention provides an electronic component which is capable of effectively suppressing the characteristic deterioration of the passive element portion. An electronic component comprises a ceramic substrate, a passive element portion on the substrate, an insulator layer which is provided over the passive element portion and comprises a through-hole, a lead terminal which is fitted in the through-hole of the insulator layer and electrically connected to the passive element portion, and an external connection terminal which is electrically connected to the lead terminal. The insulator layer comprises a first face on the side of the passive element portion, a second face on the side opposite the passive element portion, and a third face which connects the first face and the second face and constitutes the peripheral face of the insulator layer, the external connection terminal is in contact with the lead terminal and the second face and the third face of the insulator layer. In a cross-section of the through-hole in a thickness direction of the substrate, a boundary line between the internal surface of the through-hole and the lead terminal is inclined in a direction moving away from a region of the third face with which the external connection terminal is in contact with an end of the boundary line on the side of the first face being taken as a fixed point.
US08013253B2
An electrical connection board includes electrical connection terminals on one face with a view toward connecting with a semiconductor component and electrical connection tracks connected respectively to these terminals. The terminals are arranged in a square matrix having two orthogonal directions. On its face, the board includes a multiplicity of identical adjacent connection groups, each group having N adjacent terminals and N tracks placed along this direction while extending towards an edge of the matrix. The terminals of a group are offset by one pitch relative to the terminals of an adjacent group. The board and a semiconductor component are connected together by electrical connection balls.
US08013249B2
A shield conductor Wa comprises: a metallic pipe 20, a wire 10 to be inserted into the pipe 20, and a groove-like fitting member 22 provided in the pipe 20 as extending along the direction of axis of the wire 10, and at the same time, attached tightly to the circumference of the wire. With the inner surface of the groove-like fitting member 22 in the pipe 20 attached tightly to the circumference of the wire 10, the heat generated in the wire 10 is transmitted directly to the pipe 20, and then released to the air from the circumference of the pipe 20. This improves radiation performance of the shield conductor Wa.
US08013242B1
A connection box provides power and/or data distribution for outdoor structures including decks, terraces and patios by including one or more connection points that are sheltered from moisture and harmful weather conditions by a lid having drip edges and a gasket. The connection box mounts flush with a surface so that it does not pose a tripping hazard, and can include a light to aid in locating the connection points.
US08013230B2
Methods for music structure analysis of a piece of music includes determining predetermined features for a plurality of sections of the piece of music. The sections are longer than a shortest time span corresponding to a meaningful part of the piece of music. At least two sections are compared based on the predetermined features, and a chorus of the piece of music is determined based on a comparison result of the comparing. First and second groups of the sections are determined, such that a similarity among sections of the first and second groups lie within respective first and second ranges. The first range has a higher level than the second range.
US08013228B2
A musical instrument comprises a keyboard assembly including juxtaposed keys and juxtaposed swing weight mechanisms, each of the keys correspondingly linked with each of the swing weight mechanisms. The keyboard assembly is supported on a key bed having an aperture which is elongate in the direction of the key juxtaposition. Actuating members are provided corresponding to the respective swing weight mechanisms each of which in turn actuates each corresponding key. The actuating members are disposed in a lower yoke having a channel member and flanges integrally manufactured by bending a metal plate. The flanges are fastened to the key bed across and over the aperture so that the actuating members penetrate the aperture toward the swing weight mechanism. The height of the channel member determines a relative position between the actuating members and the swing weight mechanism.
US08013221B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated D5852641. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety D5852641. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety D5852641 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety D5852641 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08013218B2
Nucleotide sequences mediating male fertility in plants are described, with DNA molecule and amino acid sequences set forth. Promoter sequences and their essential regions are also identified. The nucleotide sequences are useful in mediating male fertility in plants. In one such method, the homozygous recessive condition of male sterility causing alleles is maintained after crossing with a second plant, where the second plant contains a restoring transgene construct having a nucleotide sequence which reverses the homozygous condition. The restoring sequence is linked with a hemizygous sequence encoding a product inhibiting formation or function of male gametes. The maintainer plant produces only viable male gametes which do not contain the restoring transgene construct. Increase of the maintainer plant is also provided by self-fertilization, and selection for seed or plants which contain the construct.
US08013206B2
The invention relates to a device for recording and transferring the contours of a wound or opening in tissue of a human being comprising a transparent polymer sheet having a first and a second surface, wherein the first surface faces the wound or opening and the second surface comprises a central portion and an edge portion wherein the edge portion is provided with an adhesive layer. The device is placed over the wound or opening and the contours are traced on the central portion of the device, then the device is reversed and transferred to an appliance, and an aperture is cut from the traced contours.
US08013205B2
A method for treating fly ash from incineration plants having at least one combustion chamber includes precipitating fly ash in a dust separator, and treating the fly ash using a gaseous reducing agent at a temperature between 600 and 700° C. so as to selectively convert a metal sulfate into at least one of a sulfide and a metallic form of the metal sulfate.
US08013202B2
Disclosed is a method for separating aromatic compounds using a simulated moving bed (SMB) operation, characterized by injecting each raw material having a different composition into each different part of an adsorption chamber so as to improve the recovery rate. More specifically, the present invention provides a method for separating aromatic compounds for improving p-xylene separation in a p-xylene separation process, by injecting a high p-xylene mixture from selective toluene disproportionation process (STDP) and low p-xylene mixture from other processes (for example, processes of reformer, isomerization reactor and transalkylation of aromatics having 9 carbon atoms) into each different part of an adsorption chamber.
US08013200B2
In a process for producing olefins by a metathesis reaction comprising feeding an olefin gas to pass the olefin through a catalyst bed in the presence of hydrogen gas to convert the olefin into another kind of olefin, the catalyst bed having a catalyst including at least one metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium, niobium, tantalum and vanadium, and a co-catalyst including a basic compound having at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Group Ia (alkali metals), Group IIa (alkaline earth metals), Group IIb and Group IIIa of the periodic table, the improvement lies in controlling the superficial velocity of the gas passing through the catalyst bed to 0.01 to 2.0 m/sec. According to the present invention, the presence of hydrogen gas dramatically increases the durability of the metathesis catalytic activity and the by-production of paraffins is suppressed.
US08013197B2
A method for the absorption of alkynes and diolefins from an ethylene or propylene containing stream with conversion to alkenes by catalytic hydrogenation in a solvent over a fixed bed comprising a supported catalyst.
US08013190B2
The present invention provides novel HIV protease inhibitors containing substituted borane, carborane or metallacarborane clusters with 6 to 12 boron atoms in each cluster. The charge of each borane, carborane or metallacarborane cluster is 0, −1 or −2. The number of borane, carborane or metallacarborane clusters in the inhibitor molecule is 1 to 9, and the carborane clusters in metallacarborane inhibitors are coordinated to transition metal atom, selected from the group containing cobalt, iron, nickel and ruthenium. In the cluster, heteroatoms can be present, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, germanium, tin and sulphur. The present invention covers pharmaceutical compositions containing these inhibitors and their use, both in vitro and in vivo. They are characterized by high effectiveness and stability.
US08013189B2
In a process for the accelerated reduction of organic substrates, selected from the group consisting of esters, amides, nitriles, acids, ketones, imines or mixtures thereof, they are reacted with an amine borane, sulfide borane or ether borane complex as a borane source in the presence of organic accelerator compounds containing either Lewis acidic or Lewis basic sites in their structure, of which the Lewis acidic site can coordinate with the carbonyl or nitrile or imine group of the substrate or the Lewis basic site can coordinate with the borane.
US08013179B2
Anionic acid-labile surfactants may generally comprise compounds represented by the formulas: and wherein R1 is independently selected from —(CH2)0-9CH3, R2 is selected from the group consisting of —H and —(CH2)0-5CH3, Y is an anion, X is a cation, and n is an integer from 1 to 8. Methods of making and using the anionic acid-labile surfactants are also disclosed.
US08013177B2
The present techniques relates generally to polyolefin catalysts and, more specifically, to preparing a precursor compound for an unsymmetric metallocene catalyst, for using the precursor compound to prepare catalysts, and for employing the precursor compounds to prepare catalysts for polyolefin polymerizations.
US08013176B2
Paricalcitol, a synthetic vitamin D analog, is purified to a purity greater than 99.7% by crystallization from solution in isopropyl acetate solvent, followed by filtration and vacuum drying. Isopropyl acetate appears to be unique among commonly available and pharmaceutically acceptable solvents in its ability to precipitate paricalcitol in this high purity, essentially free of isomers thereof. In addition, paricalcitol of purity of at least 99.9% has been shown to have exceptional storage stability.
US08013171B2
To provide an axially asymmetric optically active biaryl ester compound that can easily produced without the step of optical resolution which was almost indispensable in conventional methods. There is provided a method for producing an axially asymmetric ester compound, comprising a cycloaddition of a compound having a triple bond with the use of a catalyst containing rhodium metal and an optically active bisphosphine.
US08013163B2
The invention provides an acid addition salt of 4-(2,6-dichloro-benzoylamino)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid piperidin-4-ylamide and crystals thereof, the salt being formed with an acid selected from methanesulphonic acid and acetic acid and mixtures thereof. Also provided are the novel uses of salts of 4-(2,6-dichloro-benzoylamino)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid piperidin-4-ylamide, processes for the preparation of 4-(2,6-dichloro-benzoylamino)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid piperidin-4-ylamide and its salts and novel chemical intermediates.
US08013161B1
The present invention provides novel fluoroalkyl tetrabenazine carbinol compounds having structure I wherein R1 is a C1-C10 fluorinated aliphatic radical; R2 is a C1-C10 aliphatic radical; R3 is hydrogen or a C1-C10 aliphatic radical; R4 is hydrogen or a C1-C10 aliphatic radical; and R5 is hydrogen, a C1-C10 aliphatic radical, a C2-C10 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C2-C20 aromatic radical. In a particular embodiment, —OR5 is an ester moiety. The fluoroalkyl tetrabenazine carbinol compounds are provided in both racemic and enantiomerically enriched forms and may comprise either or both of fluorine-18 and fluorine 19. The fluoroalkyl tetrabenazine carbinol compounds are shown to possess high affinity for VMAT-2, a biomarker implicated in human diabetes. The fluoroalkyl tetrabenazine carbinol compounds comprising a fluorine-18 group are useful as PET imaging agents targeting the VMAT-2 biomarker. The non-radiolabled fluoroalkyl tetrabenazine carbinol compounds are useful as probes for the discovery of PET imaging agents.
US08013142B2
The present invention provides compositions, kits and methods for rapid identification and quantification of bacteria by molecular mass and base composition analysis.
US08013139B2
It is intended to provide a promoter for inducing expression selectively and strongly in an immunocompetent cell and/or a blood cell such as a lymphocyte. In the invention, the object was achieved by finding that HHV6 MIE promoter, HHV7 MIE promoter and HHV7 U95 promoter unexpectedly induce a specific expression in an immunocompetent cell and/or a blood cell such as a T lymphocyte. By utilizing the promoters, a selective delivery of a DNA vaccine or the like can be realized.
US08013135B2
Antibodies and molecules derived therefrom that bind to novel STEAP-1 protein, and variants thereof, are described wherein STEAP-1 exhibits tissue specific expression in normal adult tissue, and is aberrantly expressed in the cancers listed in Table I. Consequently, STEAP-1 provides a diagnostic, prognostic, prophylactic and/or therapeutic target for cancer. The STEAP-1 gene or fragment thereof, or its encoded protein, or variants thereof, or a fragment thereof, can be used to elicit a humoral or cellular immune response; antibodies or T cells reactive with STEAP-1 can be used in active or passive immunization.
US08013134B2
The present invention relates to sensitive, rapid and convenient assays for detection and or quantification of one or more analyte(s) in solution using multivalent proximity probes. The proximity probes each comprise several binding moieties, such as antibodies, and associated nucleic acid(s). When the binding moieties have bound to their analyte(s), the nucleic acids on opposite proximity probes interact with each other and a signal is generated based on this interaction. The multivalent proximity probes are especially valuable for highly sensitive and specific protein detection.
US08013129B2
The invention provides a protein separation device comprising a chaperone protein immobilized on a substrate. In one embodiment, the chaperone protein is an Hsp60 chaperone, preferably a group one chaperone, preferably GroEL. The invention also provides a method for isolating a protein from a biological sample using a protein separation device of the invention.
US08013125B2
Proteins that bind to matrix metalloproteinase 9 and to matrix metalloproteinase 2 and methods of using such proteins are described.
US08013118B2
The present invention provides a novel family of polypeptides which are ligand-gated channel receptor accessory molecules or ligands, denoted Lynx. This invention provides an isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of a Lynx polypeptide in which the amino acid sequence is set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, or SEQ ID NO:15, including fragments, mutants, variants, analogs, homologs, or derivatives of the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, or SEQ ID NO:15. This invention further provides an isolated immunogenic polypeptide; an isolated nucleic acid; pharmaceutical compositions and diagnostic and therapeutic methods of use of the isolated polypeptides and nucleic acids of the present invention; assays for compounds which mimic, alter or inactivate the polypeptides of the present invention for use in therapy; and methods of isolating Lynx polypeptides and the nucleic acids encoding such polypeptides.
US08013102B2
The present invention aims to improve spin performance and abrasion resistance for a golf ball having a cover using a nonionic polyurethane as a resin component. The golf ball of the present invention is a golf ball including a core and a cover covering the core and in which the cover contains a nonionic polyurethane as a resin component and the nonionic polyurethane has a hard segment content of 24.5% to 34.7% by mass.
US08013098B2
Branched polydiorganosiloxane polyamide, block copolymers and methods of making the copolymers are provided. The method of making the copolymers involves reacting one or more amine compounds including at least one polyamine with a precursor having at least one polydiorganosiloxane segment and at least two ester groups.
US08013086B2
Provided is a process for preparing copolymers of ethylene with α-olefin. More specifically, provided are transition metal compound being useful as catalyst for preparing those copolymers, a catalyst composition comprising the same, and a process for preparing elastic copolymers of ethylene with α-olefin, having the density of not more than 0.910, which can be adopted to a wide variety of applications including film, electric wires, and hot-melt adhesives. The catalyst composition is a catalytic system which comprises transition metal catalyst comprising a cyclopentadiene derivative and at least one anionic ligand(s) of aryloxy group with an aryl derivative at ortho-position, and boron or aluminum compound as an activator. Provided is a process for copolymerizing ethylene with α-olefin to produce copolymer having narrow molecular weight distribution and uniform density distribution with the density of not more than 0.910, with high activity and excellent reactivity on higher α-olefin.
US08013082B2
The invention provides a process of polymerizing ethylene and at least one α-olefin, said process comprises polymerizing the ethylene and the at least one α-olefin in the presence of 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, which comprises low levels of impurities, as determined by the absorbances at the following wavelengths: 320 nm and 343 nm. The invention also provides a method of increasing the catalysts efficiency, and a method of determining the expected catalyst efficiency, each in a polymerization of ethylene and at least one α-olefin in the presence of the 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, which comprises low levels of impurities, as determined by the absorbances at the above wavelengths. The invention further provides a method of purifying 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene to form a purified 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, which comprises low levels of impurities, as determined by the absorbances of the above wavelengths.
US08013080B2
The present invention has its object to provide, by using a non-organotin curing catalyst, a curable composition having a practical level of curability. Furthermore, the present invention has its object to provide a curable composition excellent in adhesiveness while it secures a practical level of curability. The present invention relates to a curable composition which comprises:(A) an organic polymer containing a silicon-containing group capable of crosslinking by siloxane bond formation and(B) a silanol condensation catalyst:and that the silanol condensation catalyst is an amine compound and that an aqueous solution prepared by adding 5 millimoles of the amine compound to 100 g of a mixed solvent composed of isopropyl alcohol and water in a weight ratio of 10:3 has a pH value of not lower than 13.4 as measured at 23° C. according to JIS Z 8802.
US08013067B2
A curable thermoplastic elastomeric blend comprising: (a) from 15 to 60 weight percent of a polyalkylene phthalate polyester polymer or copolymer and; (b) from 40 to 85 weight percent of a poly(meth)acrylate or polyethylene/alkyl (meth)acrylate rubber in combination with an effective amount of peroxide free-radical initiator and an organic multiolefinic coagent to cross-link which upon extrusion or injection molding dynamically cross-link producing a melt processible thermoplastic elastomeric composition having a polyalkylene phthalate polyester polymer or copolymer continuous phase and of a cross-linked polyacrylate or polyethylene/acrylate rubber dispersed phase. Such compositions are useful in the manufacture of rubber parts having excellent resistance to lubricating oils and greases.
US08013057B2
A white thermosetting silicone resin composition for molding an optical semiconductor case and a case for an optical semiconductor such as LED are provided. The composition comprises (A) a thermosetting organopolysiloxane, (B) a white pigment, (C) an inorganic filler (excluding the white pigment), (D) a condensation catalyst, and (E) a coupling agent represented by the following formula: R3dSi(OR2)e wherein R3 represents an organic group containing a mercapto group, a glycidyl group, or an amino group, R2 represents a C1-4 organic group, d represents 1 or 2, and e represents 2 or 3; wherein content of the white pigment (B) is 1 to 50% by weight in the entire composition, and total content of the white pigment (B) and the inorganic filler (C) is 70 to 93% by weight in the entire composition. When cured, it has excellent whiteness, consistency, and resistance to heat, light, yellowing, and warping.
US08013051B2
A liquid composition which can achieve superior scratch resistance of images at such a level that coloring materials are hardly scraped off even when images are scratched with finger nails under application of such strong pressure as to scratch a recording medium at its non-recorded areas. The liquid composition contains at least a modified siloxane compound having specific structure and a polymer whose acid value and hydrogen bond parameter (δh) are specified.
US08013050B2
The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a waterborne multistage polymer dispersion that has ethylenically unsaturated functional groups for crosslinking. The process comprises the steps of; a. making an aqueous emulsion or solution of a first stage polymer comprising carboxylic acid functionalized monomers to an amount sufficient to make the first stage polymer water soluble or dispersible, b. at least partially neutralizing the first stage polymer with a base, c. forming a two-stage polymer dispersion by adding to the at least partially neutralized first stage polymer a second stage monomer mixture and emulsion polymerizing said second stage monomer mixture to a second stage polymer which is less hydrophilic than the first stage polymer, d. reacting with the obtained two-stage polymer dispersion a bi-functional compound comprising an ethylenically unsaturated group and a group reactive towards the carboxylic acid in the two-stage polymer. The invention further relates to a water-borne curable multistage polymer dispersion, to coating compositions.
US08013048B2
The present invention discloses a polymeric polyamine which can be produced by polymerizing polyoxyalkylene-amine and a linker. The linker can be anhydride, carboxylic acid, epoxy, isocyanate or poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) copolymers (SMA). The present invention also discloses a method for stabilizing the Ag nanoparticles with polymeric polyamine. The polymeric polyamine serving as a stabilizer or dispersant is mixed with a water solution of silver salt and then a reducer is provided to reduce the silver ions and form an organic or a water solution of Ag nanoparticles. Water or solvent of this solution can be further removed through a heating, freezing or decompression process, and thus solid content of the solution can be increased. The concentrated solution also can be diluted to obtain a stable dispersion without aggregation.
US08013037B2
The invention provides a fire resistant material and a formulation thereof. The formulation comprises a liquid suspension of a modified inorganic particle and an organic component. The modified inorganic particle comprises an inorganic particle with hydroxyl groups and a surface modifier coupled to the inorganic particle via a urethane linkage, wherein the surface modifier has an ethylenically unsaturated end group. The organic component comprises a monomer, oligomer, prepolymer, polymer, or combinations thereof, capable of reacting with the ethylenically unsaturated end group.
US08013036B2
Modified scrap rubber particles, a method for forming the modified rubber particles and compositions including the modified rubber particles. The rubber particles are impregnated with at least one polymerizable monomer and polymerized to impregnate the rubber particles with a polymer. The impregnated polymer provides the modified rubber particles with improved properties which increase the potential uses for recycled scrap rubber. The modified rubber particles are useful in surface coatings, such as latex paint or powder coatings and can be used as a soil substitute.
US08013028B2
An embedded recycled container sheet binder includes a front cover and a back cover, the front cover and the back cover being connected to one another for opening and closing, at least one of the front cover and the back cover being, at least in part, a plurality of flattened recycled containers embedded in a plastic base, and each of the plurality of flattened recycled containers being visibly recognizable. The plurality of flattened recycled containers is preferably embedded between a base substrate of plastic and a top layer of plastic. The base substrate is a recycled plastic base substrate selected from the group consisting of clear plastic, opaque plastic, colored plastic and combinations thereof. In some preferred embodiments, the embedded recycled container sheet binder the top layer is a recycled plastic selected from the group consisting of clear plastic, opaque plastic and combinations thereof. In some preferred embodiments, the embedded recycled container sheet binder the front cover and the back cover are connected by a spine. In some preferred embodiments, the embedded recycled container sheet binder at least one of the front cover and the back cover has at least one pocket connected to it.
US08013027B2
A basket is made from embedded recycled container sheet. The basket includes: a side wall and a bottom, the side wall and the bottom being connected to one another in the shape of a basket with an open top, the side wall being, at least in part, a plurality of flattened recycled containers embedded therein, and each of the plurality of flattened recycled containers being visibly recognizable. In some embodiments, the basket also includes a hanging mechanism attached to at least one of the side wall and the bottom. The side wall has a footprint that may be circular, conical, oval, square, rectangular, polygonal or irregular.
US08013026B2
The present invention relates to a novel proton-conducting polymer membrane based on polyazoles which can, because of its excellent chemical and thermal properties, be used in a variety of ways and is particularly useful as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) to produce membrane electrode units for PEM fuel cells.
US08013018B2
Provided is a compound that is an NMDA receptor antagonist having a broader safety margin, and is useful as an agent for treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease, cerebrovascular dementia, Parkinson's disease, ischemic apoplexy, or pain.A novel compound or a salt thereof, which is characterized in that it has an amino group and R1 (lower alkyl, cycloalkyl, -lower alkylene-aryl, aryl which may be substituted, and the like) on carbon atoms of indane, cyclopenta[b]thiophene, cyclopenta[b]furan, cyclopenta[b]pyridine, or cyclopenta[c]pyridine ring, or 2,3 -dihydro-1-benzofuran, 2,3-dihydro-1-benzothiophene, indoline ring, or the like, and has R2 and R3 (the same or different, each lower alkyl or aryl) on carbon atoms beside them, and an NMDA receptor antagonist comprising the same as an active component.
US08013016B2
The use of acetyl L-carnitine or one of its pharmaceutically acceptable salts is described for the preparation of a medicament and/or dietetic product for the treatment of fibromyalgic syndrome.
US08013013B2
A formulation to deliver a full-spectrum of Vitamin E isomers for improved antioxidant capacity, bioavailability, dissolution and efficacy. The formulation includes dl-α-tocopheryl acetate or dl-α-tocopheryl succinate (synthetic Vitamin E), natural Vitamin E and mixed tocopherols, such as α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherol, as well as four isomers (α, β, γ and δ) of tocotrienols. This formulation is designed to deliver at least 17-times the antioxidant capacity of synthetic Vitamin E (dl-α-tocopheryl acetate), and at least twice the antioxidant capacity of natural Vitamin E (d-α-tocopherol) as measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. The potent antioxidant capacity of this formula affords protection against oxidative damage of cell membranes, heart disease, cancer and eye and skin disease.
US08013011B2
A method of treating a benign pigmented mole or a dermatomycosis. The method comprises locally applying to a subject in need thereof artemisinine and/or one or more structurally related compounds. Also disclosed is a plaster which comprises a topical formulation comprising artemisinine and/or one or more structurally related compounds.
US08013009B2
The invention relates to the use of plasma membrane calcium ATPase (PMCA) inhibitors for inhibiting sperm mobility to achieve a contraceptive effect. The invention further relates to contraceptive agents comprising one or more PMCA inhibitors.
US08012995B1
The present invention is related to sulfonamide derivatives of formula (I0 notably for use as pharmaceutically active compounds, as well as to pharmaceutical formulations containing such sulfonamide derivatives. Said sulfonamide derivatives are efficient modulators of the JNK pathway, they are in particular efficient and selective inhibitors of JNK 2 and 3. The present invention is furthermore related to novel sulfonamide derivatives as well as to methods of their preparation. The compounds of formula (I) according to the present invention being suitable pharmaceutical agents are those wherein Ar1 and Ar2 are independently from each other substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl groups, X is O or S, preferably O; R1 is hydrogen or a C1-C6-alkyl group, or R1 forms a substituted or unsubstituted 5-6 membered saturated or unsaturated ring with Ar1; n is an integer from 0 to 5, preferably between 1-3 and most preferred 1; Y within formula (I) is an unsubstituted or a substituted 4-12-membered saturated cyclic or bicyclic alkyl containing at least one nitrogen atom, whereby one nitrogen atom, whereby one nitrogen atom within said ring is forming a bond with the sulfonyl group of formula (I) thus providing a sulfonamide.
US08012989B2
A compound represented by the following general formula (I), wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 represent hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group and the like, R6 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group and the like, R7 and R8 represent hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a (lower cycloalkyl)(lower alkyl) group and the like, R9 represents hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkoxy group and the like, R10 and R11 represent hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a halo(lower alkyl) group and the like, and A represents a heterocyclic ring constituted by 6 to 10 atoms, which has potent inhibitory activity on cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP).
US08012985B2
The invention relates to compounds having an anti-parasitic, in particular antimalarial activity, characterized in that they correspond to general formula (I) Applications in particular as compounds with anti-parasitic activity.
US08012984B2
The present application provides compounds, including all stereoisomers, solvates, prodrugs and pharmaceutically acceptable forms thereof according to Formula I wherein R1, R2, R3, R8, and R9 are defined herein. Additionally, the present application provides pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one compound according to Formula I and optionally at least one additional therapeutic agent. Finally, the present application provides methods for treating a patient suffering from an MCHR-1 modulated disease or disorder such as, for example, obesity, diabetes, depression or anxiety by administration of a therapeutically effective dose of a compound according to Formula I.
US08012983B2
Novel [1.2.4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrazine and imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazine compounds are disclosed that have a formula represented by the following: The compounds may be prepared as pharmaceutical compositions, and may be used for the prevention and treatment of a variety of conditions in mammals including humans, including by way of non-limiting example, pain, inflammation, and others.
US08012982B2
The present invention is directed to compounds of formula (I): where X, Y, R1, R2 and R3 are defined therein, which can act as modulators of viral replication and/or virus production, especially of the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
US08012980B2
The present invention relates to isoquinolinone derivatives of formula (I): wherein are as herein defined; processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in therapy.
US08012962B2
The present invention relates to thiomorpholine derivatives of formula I or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and their use in treating seizure disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, neuropathic pain disorders and migraine pain disorders.
US08012958B2
The present invention relates to methods of and compositions for treating and relieving symptoms and disease associated with indications caused by a physiological drive to alleviate a sensation of anxiety. In one treatment method, methods of, and compositions for, modulating the expression of certain GABAA receptor subunits are used to treat anxiety-related disorders and depressive disorders associated with physiological tolerance to endogenous neurosteroids.
US08012953B2
Disclosed are novel compounds of the formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, n and X are as defined in the specification. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of formula I. Also disclosed are methods of treating cognitive or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are methods of treating a cognitive or neurodegenerative disease comprising administering to a patient I need of such treatment a combination of at least one compound of formula I and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of β-secretase inhibitors other than those of formula I, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, gamma-secretase inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, cholinesterase inhibitors and anti-amyloid antibodies.
US08012952B2
The present invention provides a novel series of cationic, lipid-based, 17α-substituted-estradiol derivatives. The present invention further provides a process for the preparation of a novel series of 17α-substituted-estradiol derivatives. The invention also provides information about highly selective anticancer activities of these molecules in estrogen responsive cell lines. The compound elicits high level of toxicity to gynecological cancer cell lines such as MCF-7, T47D (estrogen receptor positive cell lines), MDA-MB-468 (estrogen receptor knock-out cell line), HeIa (cervical cancer). The present class of cationic lipid-based, estradiol derivatives is likely to find specific use in developing target specifically deliverable anticancer drugs for the treatment of gynecological cancers that are most prevalent in women population irrespective of ethnicity.
US08012951B2
7-substituted tetracycline compounds, methods of treating tetracycline responsive states, and pharmaceutical compositions containing the 7-substituted tetracycline compounds are described.
US08012950B2
Disclosed are methods for detecting and treating joint disease. The methods of diagnosis include determining increased expression of enzymes that are upregulated during the progress of joint and ligament inflammation and degeneration. In addition, disclosed are methods of treating the disease including inhibiting the activity of responsible proteases.
US08012949B2
The disclosure provides, inter alia, novel bisphosphonate compounds and methods of making and using such compounds. In certain embodiments, compounds of the invention include bisphosphonates that are capable of selectively inhibiting one or more of farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS), geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPPS), and decaprenyl pyrophosphate synthase (DPPS). In preferred embodiments, compounds of the invention are capable of selectively inhibiting two or more of FPPS, GGPPS, and DPPS. In embodiments, compounds and methods of the invention demonstrate superior activity levels, such as in the anti-cancer context, immunostimulation context, and other contexts, which in several cases exceed the activity levels of previous generation bisphosphonate drugs by orders of magnitude. In embodiments, the invention provides compounds and methods in connection with research and therapeutic applications, e.g., for tumor or cancer cell growth inhibition, activation of gammadelta T cells, inhibition of certain enzymes related to the mevalonate metabolic pathway, bone resorption diseases, cancer, immune disorders, immunotherapy, and infectious diseases.
US08012946B1
Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for treatment of conditions requiring inhibition of angiogenesis. Such conditions include those characterized by neovascularization, such as retinopathies, macular degeneration and various malignancies.
US08012943B2
Described herein are novel macrolides, the preparation of novel macrolides, the use of novel macrolides for preventing, treating, or ameliorating various conditions, and the use of novel macrolides as antibacterial agents.
US08012941B2
Provided are imidazo[1,5-f][1,2,4]triazinyl, imidazo[1,2-f][1,2,4]triazinyl, and [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-f][1,2,4]triazinyl nucleosides, nucleoside phosphates and prodrugs thereof. The compounds, compositions, and methods provided are useful for the treatment of Flaviviridae virus infections, particularly hepatitis C infections.
US08012939B2
Inhibitors of HCV replication of formula (I) and the N-oxides, salts, and stereoisomers thereof, wherein each variable has specific definitions. Pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds (I) and process for preparing compounds (I) are also provided. Bioavailable combinations of the inhibitors of HCV of Formula (I) with ritonavir are also provided.
US08012936B2
The present invention relates to methods of treating and preventing Alzheimer's Disease or other tauopathies in a subject by administering a tau protein, its immunogenic epitopes, or antibodies recognizing the tau protein or its immunogenic epitopes under conditions effective to treat or prevent Alzheimer's Disease of other tauopathies. Also disclosed are methods of promoting clearance of aggregates from the brain of the subject and of slowing progression of tangle-related behavioral phenotype in a subject.
US08012933B2
Use of the antimicrobial cathelicidin peptide II-37, N-terminal fragments of LL-37 or extended sequences of LL-37 having 1-3 amino acids in the C-terminal end, for stimulating proliferation of epithelial and stromal cells and thereby healing of wounds, such as chronic ulcers. The cytotoxic effect of LL-37 may be reduced by including a bilayer-forming polar lipid, especially a digalactosyldiacylglycerol, in pharmaceutical compositions and growth media comprising LL-37.
US08012929B2
Peptides having at least 2 amino acids and no more than 15 amino acids are provided. The peptides comprise amino acid sequence X-Y or Y-X, wherein X is an aromatic amino acid and Y is any amino acid other than glycine. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions and kits including such peptides as well as methods using same for diagnosing and treating amyloid associated diseases.
US08012927B2
The present invention discloses a protein that has strong affinity to thrombopoietin receptor (C-MPL) and the nucleotide sequences of the protein. The protein is capable of increasing the numbers of platelets and enhancing the blood clotting in vivo and is named as platelet promoting protein (PPP). The protein and its nucleotide sequences can be used for the treatment of blood diseases including thrombocytopenia.
US08012926B2
An amino acid composition comprises alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, and glutamine. The amino acid composition of the present invention has such an effect that it can improve the action of promoting the process wherein the body fat is converted into the energy required for the physical exercise during and/or after the anoxic motions performed under an extremely high load.
US08012922B2
A wet cleaning solution, comprising 0.01-3 wt % of an amphoteric imidazolium surfactant capable of forming a complex with metal ions, a pH adjuster, and balanced deionized water. The wet cleaning solution is substantially free of corrosion inhibitor other than the imidazolium amphoteric surfactant.
US08012914B2
Many methods are provided including a method comprising: providing a surfactant gel having a first viscosity that comprises an aqueous base fluid and a surfactant; placing the surfactant gel into a subterranean formation at a pressure sufficient to create or enhance a fracture therein; providing an ortho ester breaker; contacting the surfactant gel with the ortho ester breaker; allowing the breaker to hydrolyze to produce an acid and an alcohol; and allowing the acid and/or the alcohol to interact with the surfactant gel so as to reduce the first viscosity of the surfactant gel to a second viscosity. Other methods are provided that include a method comprising: providing a surfactant gel residue having a first viscosity; providing an ortho ester breaker; contacting the surfactant gel residue with the ortho ester breaker; allowing the ortho ester breaker to hydrolyze to produce an acid and an alcohol; and allowing the acid and/or the alcohol to interact with the surfactant gel residue so as to reduce the first viscosity of the surfactant gel residue to a second viscosity.
US08012912B1
A method of increasing the recoverable sugar content in sugarcane. The method comprises an efficient nitrogen fertilization practice, and a monitoring system to allow assessment of the nitrogen status of the sugarcane plant, to more effectively predict maturation of sugarcane for applying a ripener prior to harvest.
US08012911B2
Provided herein are exemplary methods for increasing crop yield. One exemplary method for increasing a yield of a crop includes controlling plant tissue stress by at least partially coating a plant tissue with a composition comprising an agricultural sunscreen formulation and a second agricultural chemical. The agricultural sunscreen formulation and the second agricultural chemical may be applied to the plant tissue from separate containers, wherein each container either contains the agricultural sunscreen formulation or the second agricultural chemical. Further, the agricultural sunscreen formulation and the second agricultural chemical may be applied to the crop at or near the same time. Alternatively, the agricultural sunscreen formulation and the second agricultural chemical may be applied to the crop from a shared container, wherein the shared container contains both the agricultural sunscreen formulation and the second agricultural chemical.
US08012904B2
The present invention provides porous ceramic materials having good resistance to heat, acid and base, comprising three or more oxides selected from an oxide of silicon (SiO), an oxide of aluminum (AlO), an oxide of a transition metal, MxOy, [wherein M represents a 4B, 5B or 6B-group transition metal which can be selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W or Ce, x represents an integer of 1 to 3, and y represents an integer of 1 to 3] and its preparation. By applying ceramic materials prepared according to the present invention that are structurally, thermally and chemically stable to a porous honeycomb support for the purification of exhaust gas or to a filter (DPF, Diesel Particulate Filter) for the purification of diesel engine exhaust gas, it is possible to prevent or remarkably reduce any structural destruction caused by corrosive gas, which results from employing a cordierite material as a structural support.
US08012893B1
An appliqué is described that includes a woven fabric that is stretchable in a single direction.
US08012888B2
Provided is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a process chamber for processing a substrate; a heater for heating an interior of the process chamber; a holder for sustaining the substrate in the process chamber; and a substrate transfer plate for transferring the substrate to the holder; wherein the holder has a retainer for sustaining the substrate at its outer periphery and a main body for sustaining the retainer, a portion of the retainer extending at least from a back region thereof with respect to an inserting direction of the substrate transfer plate to a region adjacent thereto and to be sustained by the main body and lying outer than the substrate upon putting the substrate on the retainer being made thicker than other portions of the retainer.
US08012877B2
Exemplary embodiments provide a method for fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) device with reduced streak defects. In one embodiment, the IC device structure can be formed having a first pad oxide-based layer on a front side of a semiconductor substrate and having an oxide-nitride-based structure on a backside of the semiconductor substrate. The IC device structure can be etched to remove a nitride-related material from the backside oxide-nitride-based structure, and further to remove the first pad oxide-based layer from the front side of the semiconductor substrate. On the removed front side of the semiconductor substrate a second pad oxide-based layer can be formed, e.g., for forming an isolation structure for device component or circuitry isolation.
US08012875B2
In some embodiments, a workpiece-surface-influencing device preferentially contacts the top surface of the workpiece, to chemically modify the surface at desired field areas of the workpiece without affecting the surfaces of cavities or recesses in the field areas. The device includes a substance which is chemically reactive with material forming the workpiece surface. The substance can be in the form of a thin film or coating which contacts the surface of the workpiece to chemically modify that surface. The workpiece-surface-influencing device can be in the form of a solid state applicator such as a roller or a semi-permeable membrane. In some other embodiments, the cavities are filled with material that prevents surface modification of the cavity surfaces while allowing modification of the field areas, or which encourages surface modification of the cavity surfaces while preventing modification of the field areas. The modified surface facilitates selective deposition of materials on the workpiece.
US08012867B2
A wafer level chip scale package system is provided including placing a first integrated circuit over a semiconductor wafer having a second integrated circuit; connecting a second electrical interconnect between the first integrated circuit and the second integrated circuit; forming a stress relieving encapsulant on the outer perimeter of the second integrated circuit for covering the second electrical interconnect; and singulating a chip scale package, from the semiconductor wafer, through the stress relieving encapsulant and the semiconductor wafer.
US08012858B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device according to one embodiment includes: removing a native oxide film and adhering silicon nitrides on an area of a Si based substrate in hydrogen gas atmosphere under a condition in which a pressure is a first pressure and a temperature is a first temperature, a silicon nitride-containing member being formed on the Si based substrate, the area being a area not covered by the member; lowering the temperature to a second temperature from the first temperature while maintaining the pressure at the first pressure in hydrogen gas atmosphere; lowering the pressure to a second pressure from the first pressure while maintaining the temperature at the second temperature in hydrogen gas atmosphere; and epitaxially growing a crystal on the area of the Si based substrate in a precursor gas atmosphere after the pressure is lowered to the second pressure, the crystal including at least one of Si and Ge, the precursor gas atmosphere including at least one of hydrogen, Si and Ge.
US08012857B2
In one embodiment, semiconductor die are singulated from a semiconductor wafer by etching openings completely through the semiconductor wafer.
US08012854B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a peeling method that causes no damage to a layer to be peeled and to allow not only a layer to be peeled with a small surface area but also a layer to be peeled with a large surface area to be peeled entirely. Further, it is also an object of the present invention to bond a layer to be peeled to various base materials to provide a lighter semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. Particularly, it is an object to bond various elements typified by a TFT, (a thin film diode, a photoelectric conversion element comprising a PIN junction of silicon, or a silicon resistance element) to a flexible film to provide a lighter semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof.
US08012843B2
An improved method of performing pocket or halo implants is disclosed. The amount of damage and defects created by the halo implant degrades the performance of the semiconductor device, by increasing leakage current, decreasing the noise margin and increasing the minimum gate voltage. The halo or packet implant is performed at cold temperature, which decreases the damage caused to the crystalline structure and improves the amorphization of the crystal. The use of cold temperature also allows the use of lighter elements for the halo implant, such as boron or phosphorus.
US08012840B2
A semiconductor device includes a side wall spacer formed on the side surface of a gate electrode formed on the upper side of a semiconductor substrate with a gate insulation film therebetween, extension regions built up on the semiconductor substrate, and source/drain regions formed on the extension regions, wherein a first epitaxial layer is formed so as to fill up portions, cut out at the time of forming the side wall spacer, of the semiconductor substrate, and the extension regions are formed on the first epitaxial layer from a second epitaxial layer of a conduction type opposite to that of the first epitaxial layer.
US08012838B2
Disclosed is a method for fabricating a lateral double diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor, which includes implanting impurity ions onto a semiconductor substrate to form a drift region and a body region, forming a photoresist pattern to expose a region where an insulating oxide film is to be formed on the semiconductor substrate, implanting first impurity ions through the photoresist pattern to form a first impurity region, where the insulating oxide film is to be formed, in the semiconductor substrate, forming an insulating oxide film and an outer insulating oxide film on the semiconductor substrate by an oxidation process, and forming a gate electrode on the semiconductor substrate.
US08012836B2
Semiconductor devices and methods for fabricating the same are provided. An exemplary embodiment of a semiconductor device comprises a substrate with a plurality of isolation structures formed therein, defining first and second areas over the substrate. A transistor is formed on a portion of the substrate in the first and second areas, respectively, wherein the transistor in the second area is formed with merely a pocket doping region in the substrate adjacent to a drain region thereof. A first dielectric layer is formed over the substrate, covering the transistor formed in the first and second areas. A plurality of first contact plugs is formed through the first dielectric layer, electrically connecting a source region and a drain region of the transistor in the second area, respectively. A second dielectric layer is formed over the first dielectric layer with a capacitor formed therein, wherein the capacitor electrically connects one of the first contact plugs.
US08012833B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming an insulating pattern over a semiconductor substrate. An epitaxial growth layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate exposed by the insulating pattern to fill the insulating pattern with the epitaxial growth layer. A recess gate having a recess channel is formed. The recess channel is disposed between two neighboring insulating patterns.
US08012829B2
Example embodiments are directed to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device including a substrate including a plurality of active regions and a plurality of isolation regions between adjacent active regions, each active region including a groove, a bottom surface of the groove being below an upper surface of the active region.
US08012825B2
In a method of manufacturing a double-implant NOR flash memory structure, a phosphorus ion implantation process is performed, so that a P-doped drain region is formed in a semiconductor substrate between two gate structures to overlap with a highly-doped drain (HDD) region and a lightly-doped drain (LDD) region. Therefore, the electric connection at a junction between the HDD region and the LDD region is enhanced and the carrier mobility in the memory is not lowered while the problems of short channel effect and punch-through of LDD region are solved.
US08012823B2
Provided are methods of fabricating capacitors of semiconductor devices, the methods including: forming a lower electrode on a semiconductor substrate, performing a pre-process operation on the lower electrode for suppressing deterioration of the lower electrode during a process, forming a dielectric layer on the lower electrode using a source gas and an ozone gas, and forming an upper electrode on the dielectric layer, wherein the pre-process operation and the forming of the dielectric layer may be performed in one device capable of atomic layer deposition.
US08012821B2
Generating an embedded resistor in a semiconductor device includes forming a shallow trench isolation (STI) region in a substrate; forming a pad oxide on the STI region and substrate; depositing a silicon layer on the pad oxide; forming a photo-resist mask on a portion of the silicon layer disposed above the STI region; etching the silicon layer to yield a polyconductor above the STI region; oxidizing the polyconductor; depositing an oxide material or a metal gate material on the oxidized surface; depositing a silicon layer on the oxide material or metal gate material; depositing additional silicon on a portion of the silicon layer above the STI region; patterning a transistor gate with a photo-resist mask on another portion of the silicon layer away from the STI region; and etching the silicon layer to yield a transistor structure away from the STI region and a resistor structure above the STI region.
US08012816B2
A quantum well is formed for a deep well III-V semiconductor device using double pass patterning. In one example, the well is formed by forming a first photolithography pattern over terminals on a material stack, etching a well between the terminals using the first photolithography patterning, removing the first photolithography pattern, forming a second photolithography pattern over the terminals and at least a portion of the well, deepening the well between the terminals by etching using the second photolithography pattern, removing the second photolithography pattern, and finishing the terminals and the well to form a device on the material stack.
US08012809B2
Advanced Smart Cards and similar form factors (e.g. documents, tags) having high quality external surfaces of Polyvinylchloride (PVC), Polycarbonate (PC), synthetic paper or other suitable material can be made with highly sophisticated electronic components (e.g. Integrated Circuit chips, batteries, microprocessors, Light Emitting Diodes, Liquid Crystal Displays, polymer dome switches, and antennae), integrated in the bottom layer of the card structure, through use of injection molded thermosetting or thermoplastic material that becomes the core layer of said Advanced Smart Cards. A lamination finishing process can provide a high quality lower surface, and the encapsulation of the electronic components in the thermosetting or thermoplastic material provides protection from the lamination heat and pressure.
US08012804B1
A method and system for providing energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) heads including EAMR transducers are described. The method and system include aligning a laser bar to the EAMR heads on a substrate. The laser bar includes lasers in locations corresponding to a portion of the EAMR transducers. The method and system also include bonding the laser bar to the substrate and removing a portion of the laser bar to separate the plurality of lasers. The substrate is separated into the EAMR heads.
US08012796B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for high density packaging of semiconductor chips using silicon space transformer chip level package structures, which allow high density chip interconnection and/or integration of multiple chips or chip stacks high I/O interconnection and heterogeneous chip or function integration.
US08012789B2
A nonvolatile memory device, including a lower electrode on a semiconductor substrate, a phase change material pattern on the lower electrode, an adhesion pattern on the phase change material pattern and an upper electrode on the adhesion pattern, wherein the adhesion pattern includes a conductor including nitrogen.
US08012788B1
A method is provided for producing a film of compound material. The method includes providing a substrate and depositing a film on the substrate. The deposited film has a first chemical composition that includes at least one first chemical element and at least one second chemical element. At least one residual chemical reaction is induced in the deposited film using a source containing at least one second chemical element to thereby increase the content of at least one second chemical element in the deposited film so that the deposited film has a second chemical composition. The content of at least one second element in the second chemical composition is larger than the content of at least one second element in the first chemical composition.
US08012783B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor element containing an n-type gallium nitride based compound semiconductor and a novel electrode that makes an ohmic contact with the semiconductor.The semiconductor element of the present invention has an n-type Gallium nitride based compound semiconductor and an electrode that forms an ohmic contact with the semiconductor, wherein the electrode has a TiW alloy layer to be in contact with the semiconductor. According to a preferable embodiment, the above-mentioned electrode can also serve as a contact electrode. According to a preferable embodiment, the above-mentioned electrode is superior in the heat resistance. Moreover, a production method of the semiconductor element is also provided.
US08012770B2
Devices and methods for the detection of antigens are disclosed. Devices and methods for detecting food-borne pathogens are disclosed.
US08012769B2
A non-radioisotopic method of detecting thyroid analytes comprising detecting T3, Free T3, T4, Free T4 and thyroglobulin autoantibody in a sample of a non-human species. Each one of these analytes in an assay profile includes non-radio isotopic measurement of T3, Free T3, T4, Free T4 and thyroglobulin autoantibody in the sample from the non-human species. A non-radioisotopic method detects T3AA and T4AA thyroid autoantibodies in a sample from a non-human species such as the canine species. Antibodies and autoantibodies are bound, and a precipitated or bound antigen-antigen or antibody-autoantibody complex is formed. The supernatant or surrounding fluid of the bound or precipitated antigen-antigen or antibody-autoantibody complex is then removed. The thyroid activity of the bound complex, precipitate, supernatant or surrounding fluid is measured. The thyroid analyte is at least one of T3, Free T3, T4 or Free T4. A dialysis cell can be used to separate by dialysis the T3AA or T4AA from their respective T3AA or T4AA fractions without radioisotopes. A non-radioisotopic method detects Free T3 and/or Free T4 in a sample of a non-human species.
US08012767B2
A method of loading a plurality of pipette tips on a plurality of mandrels of a pipetter is provided. A plurality of pipette tips are inserted in a plurality of receptacles of a tip loading assembly. The plurality of pipette tips are oriented with respect to each other by a plate. The tip loading assembly includes, but is not limited to, an insertion surface. The insertion surface includes the plurality of receptacles configured to accept the plurality of pipette tips. A receptacle from among the plurality of receptacles includes a receptacle wall and a beveled surface that extends from at least a portion of the insertion surface. A retention force is applied to the plate. The plurality of pipette tips are attached to a plurality of mandrels of a pipetter and are separated from the plate.
US08012762B2
Test device for detection and visual indication of a specific analyte in a liquid sample such as a body fluid. The device includes a biodegradable housing, a test strip and a lid. The device is configured for placement in concentrate or dilute test liquid that is for example contained in a vessel. One end of the test strip wicks the liquid being tested into the housing and across a control site and test site which provide visual indication that the device is working correctly and whether the analyte being tested is present in the test liquid. An antibody specific to the antigen being tested may be provided on the test strip. The test device for example detects specific antigens in dilute urine, such that the device may be placed in a toilet bowl after urination.
US08012758B2
An apparatus and method for monitoring microbiological activity in a process stream by measuring dissolved oxygen is disclosed. Bulk microbiological activity and surface associated biological activity are measured using this apparatus and method.
US08012757B2
Provided are a method for preparing a standard sample in which a uniform dispersion of a predetermined concentration of red phosphorus is guaranteed even in a very small amount, and an analytical method for quantitatively determining red phosphorus contained in a resin by pyrolysis-GC/MS, in which the standard sample is used. The method for producing a standard sample for quantitatively determining red phosphorus contained in a resin includes the steps of preparing a red-phosphorus-containing compound by weighing a predetermined amount of red phosphorus and uniformly mixing the red phosphorus in a resin; decreasing the number of particles having a maximum diameter of 5 μm or more to 1/20 or less of the number of particles having a maximum diameter of 1 μm or more and less than 5 μm by pulverizing the red-phosphorus-containing compound; and obtaining a standard sample by weighing about 0.05 to 10 mg, preferably about 0.1 to 0.5 mg of the pulverized red-phosphorus-containing compound. The analytical method is a method for quantitatively determining red phosphorus contained in a resin by pyrolysis-GC/MS, in which the standard sample is used.
US08012755B2
A water quality evaluation method capable of evaluating quality of water to be evaluated with high precision and a substrate contacting apparatus used in the water quality evaluation method are provided. The substrate contacting apparatus 10 has a sealing performance keeping the interior at a vacuum degree lower than or equal to −0.094 MPa. A substrate W is accommodated in the substrate contacting apparatus 10 and water to be evaluated is fed therein, after stopping feeding water, the interior of the substrate contacting apparatus 10 is sealed, and the substrate contacting apparatus 10 is sent to an analysis device with the substrate W accommodated therein.
US08012752B2
The subject invention provides simple and consistent methods to break suspension cell aggregates to single cells with intact primary cell walls. The subject invention relates in part to cell separation of suspension cell aggregates cultured in medium containing pectin-degrading enzymes or tubulin de-polymerizing compounds including colchicine. The subject invention also relates to novel uses of compounds for such purposes. Another aspect of the subject invention relates to transformation of the subject, isolated cells. Such processes simplify and integrate single-cell-based transformation and selection processes into transgenic and transplastomic event-generation work processes. The subject invention also removes technical constraints and produces marker-free and uniformly expressing transgenic lines in a high throughput fashion to support various needs of animal health, biopharma, and trait and crop protection platforms.
US08012748B2
Cloning, expression, viral and delivery vectors and hosts which contain nucleic acid coding for at least one peripheral nervous system specific (PNS) sodium channel peptide (SCP), isolated PNS SCP, and compounds and compositions and methods, are provided, for isolating, crystallizing, x-ray analyzing molecular modeling, rational drug designing, selecting, making and using therapeutic or diagnostic agents or ligands having at least one peripheral nervous system specific (PNS) sodium channel (SC) modulating activity.
US08012744B2
This invention is in the field of medical devices. Specifically, the present invention provides portable medical devices that allow real-time detection of analytes from a biological fluid. The methods and devices are particularly useful for providing point-of-care testing for a variety of medical applications. In particular, the medical device reduces interference with an optical signal which is indicative of the presence of an analyte in a bodily sample.
US08012737B2
Methods and compositions for the optimization and production of influenza viruses, e.g., ca influenza B strains, in eggs and host cells suitable as influenza vaccines are provided.
US08012731B2
The present invention is to provide a novel phosphodiesterase and a gene thereof, specifically, Type 11 phosphodiesterase (PDE11) and a gene thereof, more specifically, a phosphodiesterase selected from (A) a protein having an amino acid sequenced shown by SEQ.ID.NO: 2, SEQ.ID.NO: 4, SEQ.ID.NO: 6 or SEQ.ID.NO: 39, and (B) a protein having an amino acid sequence shown by SEQ.ID.NO: 2, SEQ.ID.NO: 4, SEQ.ID.NO: 6 or SEQ.ID.NO: 39 in which one or several amino acids are deleted, substituted or added, and having an activity of hydrolyzing a cyclic nucleotide, and a gene thereof, and a method of characterizing, identifying and selecting a phosphodiesterase inhibitor by using the same.
US08012730B1
The Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage phi11 endolysin has two peptidoglycan hydrolase domains (endopeptidase and amidase) and a SH3b cell wall-binding domain. In turbidity reduction assays, the purified protein can lyse untreated staphylococcal mastitis-causing pathogens, S. aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci (S. chronogenes, S. epidermis, S. hyicus, S. simulans, S. warneri, and S. xylocus), making it a strong antimicrobial protein and an effective candidate for treating multidrug-resistant staphylococci. Lytic activity is maintained at the pH (6.7) and the ‘free’ calcium concentration (3 mM) of milk. Truncated endolysin-derived proteins, containing just the endopeptidase domain, also lyse staphylococci, in the absence of the SH3b-binding domain.
US08012724B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing fatty acid alkyl esters, such as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and fatty acid ethyl esters with a low level of impurities such as phospholipids. The method of the invention is simplified by combining two process steps into one single process step and is therefore economically cheaper. The method includes mixing water, alcohol, triglyceride and/or free fatty acids a lipolytic enzyme and a phospholipase. Subsequently the aqueous phase, which contains glycerine, residual enzyme and most of the hydrolyzed phospholipids, is separated from the non-aqueous phase, whereby the content of phospholipids in the non-aqueous phase is reduced.
US08012722B2
L-amino acids such as L-glutamic acid, L-glutamine, L-proline, L-arginine, L-leucine, and L-cysteine are produced by culturing in a medium a bacterium having an L-amino acid-producing ability and wherein the bacterium has been modified so that the phosphotransacetylase activity is enhanced.
US08012721B2
The present invention pertains to a method of converting cellulose to glucose by treating a pretreated lignocellulosic substrate with an enzyme mixture comprising cellulase enzyme and endoglucanase core proteins, wherein the endoglucanase core proteins are present in the enzyme mixture at an amount relative to all endoglucanases from about 35 wt. % to about 100 wt. % and wherein the endoglucanase cellulase enzymes are present in the enzyme mixture at an amount relative to the amount of CBH and EG enzymes from about 2 wt. % to about 50 wt. %. The pretreated lignocellulosic substrate is selected from the group consisting of agricultural residues, residues after starch or sugar removal, dedicated ethanol crops, forestry products, and pulp and paper products, or combinations thereof.
US08012719B2
Provided herein is a method for the quantitative detection of HHV-6 subtypes A and/or B based on the use of a calibrator, suitable primers and probes, and a nucleic acid polymerase with 5′-3′ nuclease activity.
US08012698B2
The present invention relates to a method of determining the microbial bioburden in a wound (in particular a diabetic ulcer) in a test subject, the method comprising the step of measuring the level of a cytokine in a wound sample, wherein a cytokine level lower than a reference level indicates a significant microbial bioburden in the wound (or a cytokine level higher than a reference level indicates an insignificant microbial bioburden in the wound). The invention provides methods of diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of wound infection, and devices and kits for use in such methods.
US08012690B2
Disclosed are methods for nucleic acid amplification wherein nucleic acid templates, beads, and amplification reaction solution are emulsified and the nucleic acid templates are amplified to provide clonal copies of the nucleic acid templates attached to the beads. Also disclosed are kits and apparatuses for performing the methods of the invention.
US08012685B2
Methods of detecting at least one analyte and at least one nucleic acid in a sample are provided. Reagents for carrying out the methods are also provided.
US08012673B1
Disclosed are organic semiconductor devices containing a copolymer layer that contains a polymer dielectric and a semiconducting polymer formed using actinic radiation. As initially formed, the copolymer layer has dielectric properties, but portions may selectively rendered conductive after those portions are exposed to actinic radiation. Also disclosed are methods of making the organic semiconductor devices. Such devices are characterized by light weight and robust reliability.
US08012668B2
A planographic printing plate precursor including: a support; a hydrophilic layer including a hydrophilic polymer chemically bonded to a surface of the support, where the hydrophilic polymer has a positively-charged substituent and at least one reactive group selected from the group consisting of a reactive group capable of directly chemically bonding to a surface of the support and a reactive group capable of chemically bonding to a surface of the support via a crosslinked structure; and an image forming layer, wherein the hydrophilic layer and the image forming layer are provided in that order on the support.
US08012666B2
Overcoating layer compositions are provided that are applied above a photoresist composition including for immersion lithography processing as well as non-immersion imaging.
US08012660B2
An image forming method is provided including: charging an image bearing member; irradiating the image bearing member with a light beam to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; developing the electrostatic latent image with a toner to form a toner image on the image bearing member; primarily transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto an intermediate transfer member; secondarily transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer-fixing member; heating the toner image on the transfer-fixing member; and fixing the toner image on a recording medium passing through a nip formed between the transfer-fixing member and a pressing member, wherein the toner has a weight average particle diameter (D4) from 3 to 5 μm.
US08012659B2
An image forming apparatus including a fixing device to fix a toner image on a recording medium including a heat roller and an oil applicator to apply a silicone oil to the heat roller, having a system speed of from 500 to 1700 mm/sec, and using a toner including a binder resin including a crystalline polyester resin and an amorphous polyester resin; a fatty acid amide compound; and a colorant, wherein a ratio (W/R) of a height (W) of a peak at a wavenumber of 1638 cm−1, specific to the fatty acid amide compound, to a height (R) of a peak at a wavenumber of 829 cm−1, specific to the amorphous polyester resin, is from 0.010 to 0.040 in an absorption spectrum obtained by an ATR method (total reflectance method) using a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometer.
US08012655B2
The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to an imaging member having an outermost layer formulation that includes wax particles which creates a rough surface morphology for the layer and imparts increased scratch resistance, reduced torque, and improved cleaning performance to the layer. In embodiments, the outermost layer is an overcoat layer used for an improved imaging member having a substrate, a charge transport layer, and an overcoat positioned on the charge transport layer.
US08012651B2
A pellicle membrane is mounted between an outer frame and an inner frame. At least one of the frames is attached to the reticle without using conventional adhesives. The pellicle and reticle may be used in a lithography system. The pellicle allows radiation to pass through the pellicle to the reticle and may prevent particles from passing through the pellicle.
US08012645B2
A differential pressure in a boundary portion between a streaked or linear fluid channel formed of a plurality of convex and concave portions disposed adjacent to one another in an undulated manner and a distribution channel for distributing a reactant gas or cooling water to be introduced into the plurality of fluid channels is reduced. In a structure of a separator of a fuel cell having a structure including streaked fluid channels formed of adjacent convex and concave portions formed on the surface of the separator, and a distribution channel which distributes, to these fluid channels, a fluid to be introduced into the fluid channels, in a boundary portion between the linear fluid channel and the distribution channel, a position of a terminal end of the convex portion constituting the fluid channel and a position of a terminal end of the concave portion are displaced in a streak direction of the fluid channel. It is preferable that the terminal end of the concave portion is positioned closer to the distribution channel than the terminal end of the convex portion. It is also preferable that the separator has a structure of such a type that front and back surfaces are integrated.
US08012632B2
A microbial fuel cell comprising a cathode module, an anode module, a means for feeding source water to the anode module, and a means for feeling air to the source water after said anode module, wherein the source water is introduced in the anode module and discharged at the cathode module, a membrane is not used to transfer electrons, and the source water does not flow through a layer between the cathode and anode modules, such as glass wool or beads.
