US08014178B2
A converter station for connecting an AC system to a bipolar HVDC transmission line. A DC neutral arrangement is provided with first DC breakers enabling breaking of a first current path from a neutral bus of one pole of the transmission line to a neutral bus of another pole at bipolar operation of the station for isolation of a faulty section and changing to monopolar operation/metallic return thereof. The DC neutral arrangement has in the first current path at least two first DC breakers connected in series and adapted to act as a backup for each other would the other thereof fail to break the first current path upon a control to isolate a faulty section by changing from bipolar to monopolar operation.
US08014174B2
The present invention can include an image forming apparatus having an electrical load, a supplying circuit configured to supply an electrical power to the electrical load, and an output circuit configured to output a voltage according to a current value of the electrical power being supplied to the electrical load. The present invention may also provide for a controller configured to control an electrical current flowing in the electrical load based on an output voltage value of the output circuit as a feedback value, and an inhibiting circuit configured to inhibit a reverse current to flow in the output circuit when the supplying circuit is turned off.
US08014167B2
A hermetically sealed housing having a base deck, a cover member and a seal assembly constructed of a liquid crystal material (LCM), the base deck and cover member forming an enclosure containing an inert gas atmosphere. Various embodiments have the LCM seal bonded to one or both of the base deck and cover member and bonded to seal the enclosure by molding, compression, adhesive bonding, thermoplastic welding or soldering, or a combination of such.
US08014163B2
The present invention relates to a package module for a memory IC chip, in which first solder pads provided on an upper surface of the memory IC chip is electrically connected to lower contact pads provided on the periphery of the ground pad, lower contact pads is soldered upward with lead frames and upper contact pads, and lastly a molding layer is used for packaging and enclosing the above elements, while only exposing the lower contact pads and the upper contact pads. Therefore, it will facilitate that each of upper contact pads of a lower layer is correspondingly soldered to one of lower contact pads of an upper layer as the upper layer and the lower layer are stacked together. Thus, it is capable of obtain high acceptable production yield, while accomplishing the object of expanding the memory capacity in total when stacking the layers of the package structure.
US08014161B2
In a communication device, a ground plane disposed on the upper or lower surface of a board or inside the board includes a first ground region disposed on a semiconductor circuit and connected thereto, and a second ground region disposed under an amplifier and connected thereto. The first ground region and the second ground region do not overlap with each other.
US08014159B2
A mounting plane assembly (e.g., backplane or midplane) is provided for interconnecting a plurality of daughterboards in a server computer. The mounting plane assembly includes a printed circuit board (“PCB”) that has a plurality of shared mounting holes for attaching connector alignment pins to a front side of the PCB as well as mechanical support elements to a back side of the PCB through the same mounting holes.
US08014153B2
In one example embodiment, a host device includes a front panel, a bezel assembly, a floating PCB, and two host guides. The front panel defines an opening configured to receive a pluggable module in a plugging direction. The bezel assembly defines an opening configured to align with the front panel opening and to receive the pluggable module, the bezel assembly rigidly secured to the front panel. The host guides are rigidly secured to the floating PCB and are configured to guide the pluggable module when it is plugged into the host device. The host guides and bezel assembly operate together to allow the floating PCB to float with respect to the front panel in the plugging direction while remaining substantially aligned with the front panel in directions normal to the plugging direction.
US08014151B2
An electrical device, particularly for driving a motively and/or regeneratively operable electric machine, having at least one switching-element module, which may be for inverting and/or rectifying electric currents, the switching-element module being able to be cooled by a cooling device and resting at least indirectly thereon, a fixation element, at least one conductor, as well as the switching-element module and cooling device being disposed one above the other.
US08014143B2
A protective cover mechanism includes a cover head and a cover body, the cover head includes a head portion and a connecting portion integrally connecting with the head portion, the connecting portion forms latching members therein, a cover body forms ribs in the inter wall thereof, the cover head fixes to the cover body by latching the latching members with the ribs.
US08014133B2
A pendant mounting structure comprises a main body, a cantilever and two latching elements. The main body includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The cantilever protrudes from the first surface. The latching elements protrude from the second surface. The pendant mounting is separately manufactured and latched to a housing. Thus, when an external force exerted on the cantilever is more than the offset limit of the cantilever, the cantilever could be cracked to protect the housing from being damaged.
US08014129B2
A stacked solid electrolytic capacitor includes a plurality of stacked solid electrolytic capacitor elements. Each solid electrolytic capacitor element includes an anode formed of a valve action metal, an anode section formed on an end of the anode, a dielectric formed on the surface of the valve action metal and including an oxide of the valve action metal, and a cathode layer formed on the dielectric. The cathode layers and the anode sections of the solid electrolytic capacitor elements are, respectively, connected to each other across the plurality of stacked solid electrolytic capacitor elements. A conductive layer extending in the stacking direction is formed on at least part of a side face of an area where the cathode layers of the solid electrolytic capacitor elements are formed.
US08014127B2
In a solid electrolytic capacitor, a capacitor element laminate formed by stacking capacitor elements each using a valve metal as an anode body is bonded to a substrate by a conductive adhesive and packaged by a resin portion. The substrate includes a printed substrate made of an epoxy resin. On its mounting surface for the capacitor element laminate, there are provided an anode mounting portion and a cathode mounting portion each made of a copper base material. The anode mounting portion and the cathode mounting portion are electrically connected to an external anode terminal and an external cathode terminal, respectively, formed on the mounting surface of the solid electrolytic capacitor, through anode vias and cathode vias each penetrating through the epoxy resin. A part of the anode mounting portion on the substrate (6) extends to the outside of the packaging resin portion.
US08014125B2
Various capacitors for use with integrated circuits and other devices and fabrication methods are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes forming a first capacitor plate that has at least two non-linear strips and forming a second capacitor plate that has a non-linear strip positioned between the at least two non-linear strips of the first capacitor plate. A dielectric is provided between the non-linear strip of the second capacitor plate and the at least two non-linear strips of the first capacitor plate.
US08014120B2
The invention is a networked system of devices positioned in a hazardous environment to monitor/control process conditions. The devices include sensors and controls such as valves. The sensors detect process conditions/control device settings and are monitored by a slave devices having, generally microprocessor controlled and having associated memory to receive and record the sensor/control device data. The network includes master devices, each master device may be associated with one or more slaved devices and associated sensors, where the master device communicates to is associated slave devices through a digital communication bus. The master device can automatically detect its associated slave devices and detect the communication and data characteristics of the slave devices. The master may also set parameters for detected slave devices, such as needed for computations performed by the master (using its own microprocessor) using data received form the slave device(s). The master device receives slave device data by requesting or polling the data from the slave device over a digital communication bus.
US08014118B2
A load driving circuit in which a load is connected to the connecting point of transistors as low-side and high-side main switch elements that have a totem pole structure and are connected between a pair of drive voltage supply lines. A protection circuit section is provided for the high-side transistor. In the protection circuit section, a resistor as a voltage control element is provided for a MOSFET as an overvoltage prevention switch and a capacitor is connected between the gate and the drain of the MOSFET.
US08014115B2
A circuit breaker system and method having zone selective interlock features with separate restrained and unrestrained setting capability is provided. The system and method include the transmission of a selective interlock signal from a downstream circuit breaker to an upstream circuit breaker in the event of a fault condition. The upstream circuit breaker upon receipt of this signal changes the tripping response of the second circuit breaker to a restrained mode. The circuit breakers include features enabling the user to modify and adjust both the restrained and unrestrained trip curves associated with both the restrained and unrestrained modes of operation.
US08014113B2
A system of protecting a proximity communication system against electrostatic discharge (ESD). The proximity communication system includes two chips, each having an array of electrical pads at its surface and covered by a thin dielectric layer such that capacitive coupling circuits are formed between the chips when they are joined together. In at least one of the chips, an additional protection pad is formed away from the array, and heavy protection circuitry is connected to it. Its surface is exposed through the dielectric surface over it such that, when an ESD aggressor approaches, the discharge occurs to the protection pad.
US08014110B2
Systems and methods for operating a variable speed drive to receive an input AC power at a fixed AC input voltage and frequency and provide an output AC power at a variable voltage and variable frequency. The variable speed drive includes a converter stage to convert the input AC voltage to a boosted DC voltage, a DC link connected to the converter stage to filter and store the boosted DC voltage from the converter stage; and an inverter stage to convert the boosted DC voltage into AC power with variable voltage and the variable frequency. An integral bypass contactor is connected in parallel with the VSD between the AC power source and the AC output power. The integral bypass contactor is arranged to bypass the VSD when the VSD output frequency and voltage are approximately equal with the AC input voltage and frequency.
US08014109B2
A current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) spin-valve (SV) magnetoresistive sensor uses an antiparallel (AP) pinned structure and has a ferromagnetic alloy comprising Co, Fe and Si in the reference layer of the AP-pinned structure and optionally in the CPP-SV sensor's free layer. The reference layer or AP2 layer is a multilayer of a first AP2-1 sublayer that contains no Si and is in contact with the AP-pinned structure's antiparallel coupling (APC) layer, and a second AP2-2 sublayer that contains Si and is in contact with the CPP-SV sensor's spacer layer. The Si-containing alloy may consist essentially of only Co, Fe and Si according to the formula (CoxFe(100-X))(100-y)Siy where the subscripts represent atomic percent, x is between about 45 and 55, and y is between about 20 and 30.
US08014105B2
An apparatus and method for modifying the air bearing force of the trailing edge of 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, a shaped TE which minimizes the air bearing force at the TE portion of the slider, to minimize the normal load and friction during contact to reduce slider bounce.
US08014100B2
A servo write head that provides fast servo pattern writing and improved tape manufacturing speed is provided. The write head may be fabricated using thin-film fabrication techniques. A coil is formed on a bottom pole of the write head. The coil has a plurality of turns that enable the write head to generate a magnetic field sufficient for writing data with reduced current. The inductance of the coil is reduced due to its small dimensions. Reduced inductance of the coil may enable increased switching frequency of the write head, allowing data to be written at a higher frequency. The write head includes a planar top pole coupled to the bottom pole. The top pole has more than one write gap is formed therein.
US08014098B1
A circuit for providing a write current having a programmably adjustable duty cycle in a hard disk drive write channel has a differential pair gain circuit for receiving a data input signal and generating a differential output voltage to provide a differential write signal for generating the write current. First and second programmable current sources are connected to the differential pair gain circuit to create a programmable voltage offset of the differential output voltage to programmably adjust the duty cycle of the write current.
US08014094B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks. Data is read from one of the data tracks to generate a read signal, and a quality metric is generated in response to the read signal. When the quality metric exceeds a first threshold, a defect is detected in at least part of the data track. When the quality metric exceeds a second threshold different than the first threshold, the data track is reread to regenerate the quality metric, and when the quality metric exceeds the second threshold at least twice, the defect is detected.
US08014086B2
A housing assembly is provided including a housing, a lens panel received in the housing, and a shell. The shell includes latching end portions and secured with the housing by a latching of the latching end portions with the housing. The lens panel is secured between the housing and the shell and partially exposed through the shell.
US08014084B2
An optical imaging assembly having cylindrical symmetry, comprising a plurality of lenses having surfaces with curvatures and spacings between the surfaces, such that an optical image formed by the plurality of lenses has a defocus aberration coefficient greater than 0.1 at a focal plane of the assembly.
US08014082B2
One end of an FPC (21) for supplying power to the driving section of a light amount control section provided in a shutter unit (20) is disposed between a second lens holder (17) and the shutter unit (20) secured to this second lens holder (17) and is held between the second lens holder (17) and the shutter unit (20). Thus, the FPC (21) is prevented from being spaced apart from the shutter unit (20), and a member for securing the FPC (21) to the shutter unit (20) is eliminated, reducing the number of part items. Further, the second lens holder (17) and the shutter unit (20) blocks unwanted light toward the FPC (21), so that a ghost image is prevented from appearing on an image due to unwanted light reflected on the FPC (21).
US08014076B2
A variable focal length lens includes: a lens portion including a pair of light transmissive members, at least one of which is deformable, and a light transmissive liquid medium sealed between the pair of light transmissive members; and a liquid medium container including a chamber that communicates with the lens portion and is filled with the liquid medium, the liquid medium container causing the shape of the surface of the deformable light transmissive member or members to be changed by changing the volume of the chamber to adjust the amount of liquid medium with which the lens portion is filled.
US08014063B2
Apparatus for obtaining an image of a specimen (6) by optical projection tomography comprises a confocal microscope which produces a light beam which scans the specimen (6) whilst the latter is supported in a rotary stage (7). Light passing through the specimen is passed through a convex lens (8) which directs, onto a central light detector of an array of detectors (9), light which exits or by-passes the specimen parallel to the beam incident on the specimen.
US08014057B2
In a display system, a color gamut of the displayed images is extended by adding one or more primary colors lying outside a tristimulus color space triangle to a Red, Green, Blue (RGB) system, modulating light emitted by both light sources lying inside the tristimulus color space triangle and light sources lying outside the tristimulus color space triangle, and adding a non-tristimulus vertex to construct an extended-gamut polygon. The display system adds one or more primary colors to the RGB system, which lie outside the tristimulus color space triangle but within a CIE (International Commission on Illumination) color space.
US08014048B2
An image forming device including: a platen glass on which a document is placed; a platen cover that presses and retains the document placed on the platen glass; an engagement portion provided at a side surface of the platen cover; a link component attached to a side surface of the device main body to be movable in a substantially vertical direction; a groove portion provided at an upper end portion of the link component, that engages with the engagement portion when the link component is moved substantially upward from a housed position thereof, whereby the platen cover opens or closes due to movement of the link component, and that does not engage with the engagement portion when the link component is at the housed position; and an operating portion provided to be positioned beneath the platen cover, for moving the link component in the substantially vertical direction, is provided.
US08014047B2
An imaging system that includes a sheet media stack over a recording unit is provided. The imaging system generates image data in response to radiation received from a field of view encompassing sheet media edges of individual media within the sheet media stack. The imaging system detects edges of individual media within the image data.
US08014042B2
An image reading apparatus including an image reading portion reading an image of an original placed on an original stand; an original cover pressing the original on the original stand; a plurality of hinge portions pivotally supporting the original cover with respect to the image reading portion; a plurality of opening and closing drive portions arranged in the plurality of hinge portions, respectively to open-drive and close-drive the original cover; and a control portion open-driving and close-driving the plurality of opening and closing drive portions based on different drive profiles, respectively.
US08014036B2
A form of stochastic random distribution is used to print an invisible watermark using a typical, e.g., 600 dpi, printer. The watermark contains such information as “Do Not Copy,” or other such information. Although the watermark is not visible on a first generation version of a document that is printed, various techniques are used to print the watermark in such a way that it becomes readily apparent when the first generation document is photocopied. The preferred embodiment of the invention is concerned with a technique for improving such techniques, for example so that gray levels are improved to address variations from printer to printer. Another preferred embodiment of the invention is also concerned with a technique for performing error diffusion watermarking without the need for performing a calibration step.
US08014033B2
Disclosed is an image color management system and method for controlling an image output device. The method for controlling the image output device comprises generating an image output device profile LUT (look-up-table) characterizing the color profile of the image output device for a plurality of drift states associated with the image output device; generating a set of augmented basis vectors representing the LUT, L*a*b* values and multiple GCR/UCRs; storing the set of basis vectors in an image output device controller; and generating an image output device active profile associated with a current drift state of the image output device to convert image color data for display or printing by the image output device, wherein the image output device active profile is generated from the set of basis vectors.
US08014029B2
A printing system for printing an image swath by swath according to image data that is provided to an image memory buffer in raster format. The printing system includes a carriage that moves a printhead with a plurality of columnar marking elements based on input provided by an encoder and a printer controller for reformatting the image data and controlling the marking elements. The printer controller includes a direct memory access controller for extracting the data from the image memory buffer and rotating the data from raster format to column format, a plurality of stroke buffers for receiving image data in column format from the direct memory access controller, an encoder control portion for providing stroke firing strobes based on input from the encoder, and a printhead driver control portion for generating data requests from the stroke buffers based on input provided by the encoder and to provide signals necessary to cause the marking elements to print according to the timing of the stroke firing strobes.
US08014025B2
A universal output control system and method for outputting an output job at a target output location wherein a universal user interface facilitates access to and control of a plurality of output devices located on a network or at an output center such that specific details of each output device are encapsulated. The universal user interface provides searches of available output devices in a network, wherein printer drivers are automatically installed as needed. Alternatively, an output management application service stores an output job until output job data is generated for controlling the output of the output job on the selected output device, at which time the output job is output on the selected output device per the output job data. If the target output location is an output device on a network, an output device database service captures and generates the output job data. If the target output location is an output device at an output center, an output center interface is launched for capturing and generating the output job data.
US08014019B2
When an ID card (41, 81) including user ID stored therein is set in an image processing apparatus (1, 71), the user ID is read out of the IC card. Upon depression of a key instructing individual setting, ID information including the user ID and apparatus ID is transmitted to a computer terminal (3; 3-1, 3-2) which stores a plurality of user ID's and setting information corresponding to the apparatus. Responding to the ID information transmitted, the computer terminal transmits individual setting information stored therein for each user back to the image processing apparatus, whereupon the apparatus stores the individual setting information in a memory and realizes the individual setting for each user, which corresponds to the set user ID, in a control panel (8) of the apparatus.
US08014016B2
A retrieving system includes a requesting device and a plurality of storage devices. The requesting device includes an input unit configured to input image data, an extracting unit configured to extract a retrieval key from the image data input by the input unit, a selecting unit configured to select at least one retrieval device from the storage devices according to a characteristic of the image data input by the input unit, and a requesting unit configured to request the retrieval device selected by the selecting unit to perform a retrieval based on the retrieval key extracted by the extracting unit.
US08014006B2
A system and method are provided for delivering document print instructions in a system of network-connected devices. The method comprises: accepting printer control data at a network-connected email address; generating the printer-controller form in response to the printer control data; calling the printer-controller form; populating printer-controller form parameters; attaching a document to the printer-controller form; emailing the printer-controller form, with attachment, to a network-connected printer; and, printing the attached document in response to the printer-controller form parameters. Printing the attachment in response to the printer-controller form parameters includes the printer: opening the emailed printer-controller form; parsing the printer-controller form parameters; and, printing in response to the parsed parameters. In some aspects of the method, the printer-controller form is saved at a network-connected server, and calling a printer-controller form includes accessing the form from the server. Alternately, the printer-controller form is generated by the printer and delivered, via email.
US08014005B2
A method to generate a plurality of image panels for assembly as a poster includes determining an individual image boundary for each of a plurality of image data portions; associating a corresponding incising boundary with each individual image boundary, wherein at least a portion of each individual image boundary is coincident with the corresponding incising boundary; printing an image portion at a location on a sheet of media in accordance with the individual image boundary of an image data portion that corresponds to the image portion; incising the sheet of media with the incising unit along the corresponding incising boundary to form an individual image panel of the plurality of image panels; and repeating the printing and the incising until all of the plurality of image data portions are processed to form the plurality of image panels.
US08013996B1
Systems which utilize electromagnetic radiation to investigate samples and include at least one spatial filter which has an aperture having an opening therethrough of an arbitrary shape, including methodology for fabracting the aperture on an end of an optical fiber per se.
US08013984B2
A novel apparatus comprising three main systems: air sampling, detection and computerized electric system; and method of using the same in the sampling, detection and identification of bioaerosols, wherein the identification of the said bioaerosol is base on a multiphoton laser diagnostic technique along with the velocity and aerodynamic size of the particular bioaerosol. After exposing the said bioaerosols with near infrared wavelength laser, the obtained fluorescence spectra has been shown to be unique and particular for each bioaerosol, thus allowing the characterization of the said particles.
US08013977B2
A radiation sensor includes a radiation receiver positioned in a focal plane of the final element of the projection system; a transmissive plate supporting the radiation receiver at a side facing the projection system; a quantum conversion layer to absorb light at the first wavelength incident on the transmissive plate and reradiate light at a second wavelength; a fiber optics block with a plurality of optical fibers; and a radiation detector. In the radiation sensor, the plurality of optical fibers guide light is reradiated by the quantum conversion layer towards the radiation detector. The radiation sensor can be used as a substrate-level sensor in a lithographic apparatus.
US08013975B2
An exposure apparatus includes: a first optical member via which an exposure beam exits; a first movable body movable while holding a substrate in a predetermined area; a first holding device releasably holding a first cover member, capable of forming a space retaining a liquid between the first optical member and the first cover member, such that when the first movable body is away from the first optical member, the first cover member is arranged at the position opposite to the exit surface of the first optical member; a second holding device arranged on the first movable body and capable of holding the first cover member released from the first holding device; and a third holding device arranged on the first movable body and releasably holding a second cover member. Deterioration of the performance due to the cover member can be suppressed while suppressing operating rate deterioration.
US08013965B2
A liquid crystal display device is disclosed, which comprises an upper substrate, a lower substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The lower substrate has several pixel electrodes, metal lines, and switch elements thereon. Each switch element comprises a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate electrode, and an opening between the source electrode and the drain electrode. A passivation layer covering the surface of the source electrode and the drain electrode forms two inclined planes separately on two sides. The two inclined planes face each other and are locating on a kink or step of the source electrode and drain electrode. The inclined planes also contact each other at the upper side of the opening. The inclinations of the inclined planes to the lower substrate are in a range from 5 to 50 degrees.
US08013961B2
An object of the present invention is to implement a bright liquid crystal display device having a high contrast ratio and a wide viewing angle. A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention has: a number of data lines; gate lines formed so as to cross the number of data lines; a number of switching elements formed in locations where the number of data lines and the number of gate lines cross; a reflection area and a transmission area formed within each pixel; a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between first and second substrates; a common electrode placed between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer; and a pixel electrode placed between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer, and the common electrode has slits or protrusions, and the data lines overlap the slits in the common electrode or protrusions of the common electrode in the direction of normal to a surface of the first substrate in the configuration.
US08013959B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a transflective type LCD device in which each of a transmissive area and a reflective area can be driven in an OCB mode, and it is possible to prevent lowering of transmittance and reflectance, and to prevent a pixel from darkening in a case where each of the transmissive area and the reflective area is driven in an OCB mode. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes, in each pixel (11), a single nucleus generation section for generating a bend nucleus for promoting a transition of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer into a bend alignment. Application of a voltage to the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer in the transmissive area and the reflective area carries out a transition from a spray alignment into a bend alignment in response to an applied voltage.
US08013954B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display that can have both sufficient front contrast ratio and front white brightness. The present invention is a liquid crystal display including: a front polarizing plate; a liquid crystal cell; a back polarizing plate; and an optical element providing a polarizing effect, the components being arranged in the stated order, wherein the back polarizing plate has a higher transmittance than the front polarizing plate, the back polarizing plate has a lower contrast than the front polarizing plate, and the optical element providing a polarizing effect has a principal transmittance k1 of 80 to 86%, and a principal transmittance k2 of 2 to 8%.
US08013951B2
A multi-view liquid crystal display for different users to watch different images from different viewing angles is provided. The multi-view liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel, a first backlight module and a second backlight module. The first backlight module is disposed below the liquid crystal display panel. The second backlight module is disposed between the first backlight module and the liquid crystal display panel. Furthermore, the first backlight module provides a first plane light source and the second backlight module provides a second plane light source. An included angle α formed between transmitting directions of the first and the second plane light sources ranges from 6 degrees to 176 degrees. Therefore, when different users watch the multi-view liquid crystal display which displays different images from different viewing angles, the resolutions of the images are the same as the resolution of the multi-view liquid crystal display panel.
US08013950B2
An optical sheet combination structure disposed between a polarizer and a surface emitting unit, includes a first optical sheet having a number of columnar cubic structures of curing resin arrayed on a transparent base, a valley portion between adjacent cubic structures contacting a surface of the transparent base, and a second optical sheet disposed nearer to the side of the polarizer than the first optical sheet, having a number of columnar cubit structures arrayed on a surface, and a refractive index of the cubic structures along an extension direction thereof being different from a refractive index of the cubic structures along an array direction thereof.
US08013949B2
An LC display is disclosed that comprises a light source (5) that provides the background illumination, that emits light of only a part of the spectrum and that is disposed on the back (9) of the liquid crystal layer (10) so as to be protected and covered while it still is able to detect or emit light through the liquid crystal layer (10). The detected light is evaluated to control the background illumination and the inventive device enables data communication with an external device.
US08013947B2
Conventionally, when a protective/insulation film is present above a film to be corrected, only a defect of the film to be corrected below such an upper-layer film is corrected without damaging the upper-layer film. A display region of a display device has an insulation film, a semiconductor film and a conductive film formed in a given pattern and stacked on a substrate. When at least one of a correction portion out of a correction portion which separates a short-circuit defect, a correction portion which connects an opening defect, a correction portion which removes a standard deviation defect, and a correction portion which separates a standard deviation defect of the pattern is corrected, at least one upper-layer film is present above a film to be corrected at the correction portion and the correction is applied to the film to be corrected while leaving the upper-layer film intact.
US08013926B2
An exemplary digital photo frame includes an image memory configured for storing a display image, a display device configured for reading and displaying the display image, an infrared sensor configured for detecting infrared light, generating a first detecting signal when the infrared light is detected, generating a second detecting signal when the detected infrared light is no longer detectable, and a camera control circuit including a reference image therein. The camera control circuit generates an instant image and compares the instant image with the reference image when the first detecting signal is generated. The digital photo frame is configured to operate in a monitor mode or a display mode according to a comparing result when the infrared light is detected.
US08013925B2
An imaging device which is capable of realizing an easily viewable thumbnail display is provided. The imaging device includes: an imaging optical system for forming an optical image of an object; an imaging sensor for receiving the optical image of the object formed by the imaging optical system, for converting the received optical image into an electrical image signal, and for outputting the electrical image signal; an attitude detection section for detecting an attitude of the imaging device at the time of shooting; an image recording section for interrelating and recording the outputted image signal and attitude information indicative of the detected attitude; a display section for displaying a reduced image based on the recorded image signal; a reception section for receiving a selection of the attitude information from a user; and an image display control section for changing a location and a display size of the reduced image on the display section in accordance with the selected attitude information. The image display control section restores an orientation of the reduced image so as to correspond to the attitude of the imaging device at the time of the shooting in accordance with the attitude information, and causes the display section to display the restored reduced image.
US08013923B2
Disclosed herein is a picture display controlling apparatus capable of improving the user's ease of operation upon selecting picture data on a small-size screen of digital cameras or the like. Picture data items held in a data holding unit (310) are sorted into picture groups. The location of the picture data item most recently displayed from any of the picture groups is held as a picture resume pointer in a resume pointer holding unit (320). With an operation input accepted from the user by an operation inputting device (340), a display controlling unit (390) causes a displaying unit (350) to display the picture designated by the operation input while effecting transition from the current display status retained in a status holding unit (330). If the operation input designates transition from a first picture group to a second picture group, the location of the picture data item currently displayed from the first picture group is placed into the resume pointer holding unit (320), and the location of the picture data item to be displayed anew from the second picture group is retrieved from the resume pointer holding unit (320).
US08013918B2
There is described an image capturing apparatus, which makes it possible to unify the gradation characteristics all over the captured image into the same characteristic. The image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor that is provided with a first photoelectric conversion characteristic, a second photoelectric conversion characteristic being different from the first photoelectric conversion characteristic and a third photoelectric conversion characteristic being a transient characteristic between the first photoelectric conversion characteristic and the second photoelectric conversion characteristic; and a characteristic converting section to convert the first photoelectric conversion characteristic, the second photoelectric conversion characteristic and the third photoelectric conversion characteristic to a reference photoelectric conversion characteristic. The first photoelectric conversion characteristic is a linear characteristic, the second photoelectric conversion characteristic is a logarithmic characteristic and the reference photoelectric conversion characteristic is either a linear or a logarithmic characteristic.
US08013914B2
There is an imaging apparatus including a noise suppression circuit. The noise suppression circuit includes sorting of one signal of a central pixel and four signals of peripheral pixels having the same color which are close to the central pixel in the image signals in order of magnitude, calculating of an average value from the one signal of the central pixel and the four signals of the peripheral pixels, calculating of a difference value from a maximum value and a minimum value of the one signal of the central pixel and the four signals of the peripheral pixels, comparing of the difference value with an assumed noise level, and substituting of the one signal of the central pixel by an average value of two or more pixel values excluding the maximum or minimum values when the first difference value is larger than the noise level.
US08013904B2
A projection system uses a transformation matrix to transform a projection image p in such a manner so as to compensate for surface irregularities on a projection surface. The transformation matrix makes use of properties of light transport relating a projector to a camera. A display pipeline of user-supplied image modification processing modules are reduced by first representing the processing modules as multiple, individual matrix operations. All the matrix operations are then combined with, i.e., multiplied to, the transformation matrix to create a modified transformation matrix. The created transformation matrix is then used in place of the original transformation matrix to simultaneously achieve both image transformation and any pre and post image processing defined by the image modification processing modules.
US08013901B2
A camera apparatus for vehicles including an imaging element and a lens comprises a gradation generation unit for stepwise changing the light amount reaching a whole or part of the imaging element. By this, a gradation region is formed on the imaging element and it absorbs assembling errors during manufacturing and positional shifts attributed to a road surface slope or the like. Even when an inverse light state is caused, it is possible to improve the image processing performance with an ecconomical configuration.
US08013900B2
The invention provides a method for providing an image, the method includes: exposing a first group of pixels located at a first location to light, during an intermediate exposure period, to provide analog signals representative of the light; and transferring the analog signals to a second group of pixels located at a second location; whereas a relationship between the first and second locations is responsive to an estimated inter-image shift; then further exposure of the second group of pixels etc. The invention provides an apparatus for camera shake compensation, the apparatus includes: (i) a two dimensional array pixels, whereas multiple pixels of the array are adapted to receive light during an intermediate exposure period, and in response to provide analog signals representative of the light; and are further adapted to alter their condition in response to a reception of a right-back signals representative of previously received light; (ii) an analog memory, adapted to receive and store analog signals representative of light received a first group of pixels within the pixel array; and (iii) a write back circuitry, adapted to write back stored analog signals received from the first group to a second group of pixels located at a second location; whereas a relationship between the first and second locations is responsive to an estimated inter-image shift.
US08013884B2
A printing device transfers slide dependent information onto glass surfaces such as a glass slide for holding a medical specimen. A single slide is transferred from a storage section, passing under a thermal print head. The thermal print head defines and transfers an image from an ink media onto the slide as the slide passes across the print head. The print head utilizes pixel like heating elements to apply the desired image. The ink media moves in tandem with the motion of the slide, presenting a continuously fresh section of ink between the print head and the slide throughout the printing process. The information on the slide should be both human and machine readable to reduce any chances of misidentification of the specimen as to the patient. The ink media is endures any chemical processes and handling encountered throughout the expected life of the slide.
US08013883B2
An image forming apparatus is described. The image forming apparatus may include a first casing and a second casing above the first casing. The second casing is provided with an upper surface including a generally horizontal surface, a lower surface extending beyond the upper surface in a generally horizontal direction and a side surface connecting an end edge of the upper surface and an end edge of the lower surface with each other over the whole area. The first casing is provided with an upper surface coming into contact with the lower surface of the second casing over the whole area and a side surface including a generally vertical surface. An inclined surface connecting the generally vertical surface of the first casing and the generally horizontal surface of the second casing with each other, is provided continuously along the first casing and the second casing.
US08013874B2
To better realize the great potential of amateur digital photography, the present invention introduces an integrated system for the acquisition, organization, manipulation, and publication of digital images by amateur digital photography enthusiasts. The system of the present invention first acquires images from a number of different image sources. Images acquired in the same image importing session are marked as coming from the same conceptual film roll. Next, a user is empowered to organize and manipulate the acquired images. The images may be organized by tagging the images with informative keywords and grouping images together into conceptual photo albums. Furthermore, the images may be manipulated by rotating, cropping, and removing red-eye. Finally, the system of the present invention provides simple intuitive image publish systems. A selected group of images may be published in a photobook, published onto the World Wide Web, or published as individual image prints with minimal computer knowledge on the part of the user.
US08013856B2
This invention provides an image processing method for projecting a virtual ray onto volume data to create an image and making it possible to realize speeding up without performing preprocessing. A virtual ray 22 is projected from an eye O onto an object 21, a position P at which the remaining light amount of the virtual ray 22 first attenuates is acquired, and a traveling distance d of the virtual ray 22 at the position P is acquired. To project an adjacent virtual ray 23, the virtual ray 23 is projected from a position O2 offset distance Δd smaller than the traveling distance d from the eye O by a predetermined value. Thus, when projection processing is performed, depth information d of the position P at which a first object is acquired on the virtual ray is stored and an adjacent virtual ray is projected from the position O2 offset Δd slightly smaller than the depth d, thereby skipping calculation.
US08013854B2
The invention is directed to an apparatus, a computer program and a process for displaying objects of a PLM database, including the steps of providing a PLM database containing modeled objects and a graphical user interface (100), identifying (S200) a viewpoint on a view (110) of objects (21-24) to be rendered; and rendering (S210-270) said view according to the viewpoint, wherein the step of rendering includes determining (S210) a plurality of locations (32a-i) in the view, searching the database and identifying therein modeled objects according to the determined locations, and incrementally displaying (S220-S270) in the graphical user interface the modeled objects identified so as to rendering said view.
US08013852B2
An efficient technique to build subject-specific skeleton models from external measurements is provided. A generic human skeleton model is manipulated and deformed using marker positional data from human motion-captured sequences. The joint and bone geometry parameters are optimized to construct an estimate of the specific skeleton model of the human subject that originally performed the motion sequence. The scope of the fitting procedure can be adjusted to coincide with a series of smaller optimizations over local bone regions or expanded to a single global optimization over all skeleton geometry and joint parameters simultaneously.
US08013850B2
A driving circuit of an electrooptic device includes: a plurality of scanning lines; a plurality of data lines; first and second capacitor lines; a common electrode; pixels; a scanning-line driving circuit; a capacitor-line driving circuit; and a data-line driving circuit. The pixels each include: a pixel switching element; a pixel capacitor disposed between the pixel switching element and the common electrode; and a storage capacitor. When the one scanning line is selected, the capacitor-line driving circuit shifts the voltage of a first (or second) capacitor line corresponding to one scanning line to one of higher and lower levels from a predetermined voltage by a predetermined value, and holds the predetermined voltage after a scanning line apart from the one scanning line by a predetermined number of lines is selected until the one scanning line is selected again.
US08013840B1
A user notification system and a computer input device, such as a mouse. The computer input device includes an illumination member that enables a user to quickly and accurately position the input device during poor lighting conditions and determine whether the computer is ON. The input device includes a housing and an illumination device that is supported by the housing. Illumination from the illumination device is visible when the input device is placed on a supporting surface. The illumination member is also used to notify the user if one or more of various events have occurred in a computer application being run on the computer. The notification information is presented to the user by changing the state of the illumination member. An example of event for notification includes the receipt of a message in a communications program such as an e-mail message. The notification can make the illumination member blink as a function of the number of messages received. This enables information to be conveyed to the user without the need for text or audio, and without the need to view the computer monitor.
US08013835B2
A computer system includes a first electronic device having a first display. The first display includes a first electronic image having an anchor point. The computer system also includes a second electronic device that is moveable relative to the first electronic device. The second electronic device includes a movement sensor and a second display operatively connected with the first display. The second display includes a second electronic image that is associated with the first electronic image. Upon sensing movement of the second electronic device relative to the first electronic device, the movement sensor determines a direction of the movement relative to the anchor point and triggers a shifting of the second electronic image relative to the anchor point of the first electronic image.
US08013829B2
An exemplary liquid crystal display (300) includes a liquid crystal panel (301), a data circuit (303), and a black insertion controller (305). The liquid crystal panel includes a plurality of pixels (330). The black insertion controller receives a display signal of the pixel, and generates a black insertion control signal according to an address of the pixel, and the data circuit drives the pixel to display one of a black image unit and a normal image unit according to the black insertion control signal in a first sub-frame period of a frame period. The displayed black image unit of the pixel or the displayed normal image unit is converted into a normal image unit or a black image unit in a second sub-frame period of the frame period. A method for driving the liquid crystal display is also provided.
US08013826B1
A method is applied on an active matrix display. A pixel element includes a capacitive element, a nonlinear element, and a resistive element. The method includes the following steps: (1) selecting multiple pixel elements as selected pixel elements; and (2) charging the selected pixel elements. The step of selecting a pixel element includes applying a voltage to a first terminal of the resistive element in the pixel element to drive the nonlinear element into a conducting state. The step of charging a given selected pixel element includes generating a predetermined current that passes through both the nonlinear element in the given selected pixel element and the resistive element in the given selected pixel element.
US08013821B2
A liquid crystal display includes a display panel, a first sensor, a light emitting unit, a second sensor and a controller. The first sensor is provided in the display panel to detect input light, which is incident from an exterior. The second sensor is provided in the display panel or the light emitting unit so as to detect output light generated from the light emitting unit. The controller analyzes the input light detected by the first sensor and controls the light emitting unit so as to generate the output unit corresponding to an analysis value.
US08013818B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing and spaced apart from each other, a gate line and a data line on the first substrate, the gate line and the data line crossing each other to define red, green, blue and white sub-pixel regions, a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line, a color filter layer consisting of red, green and blue color filters on the second substrate, the red, green and blue color filters corresponding to the red, green and blue sub-pixel regions, respectively, and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate.
US08013817B2
A display with improved visual uniformity, comprised of an array of independently-addressable light-emitting elements, including at least a first independently-addressable light-emitting element for producing a first color of light and a second independently-addressable light-emitting element for producing a second color of light; wherein at least the first independently-addressable light-emitting element is subdivided into at least two spatially separated commonly-addressed light-emitting areas and wherein at least a portion of the second independently-addressable light-emitting element is positioned between the spatially separated commonly-addressed light-emitting areas of the first independently-addressable light-emitting element.
US08013815B2
An active matrix organic electro luminescence display in which two opposite pixels are formed in one pixel portion to achieve a high aperture ratio and to facilitate a fabrication process. The organic electro luminescence display is constructed with gate lines, data lines, and power lines which are formed on an insulating substrate, and pixel regions which is defined by the gate lines, the data lines and the power lines, wherein each of the pixel regions includes two opposite pixels, and the pixel regions are arranged in a matrix form.
US08013812B2
A pixel circuit includes: a switching transistor whose conduction is controlled by a drive signal supplied to the control terminal; a drive wiring adapted to propagate the drive signal; and a data wiring adapted to propagate a data signal. The drive wiring is formed on a first wiring layer and connected to the control terminal of the switching transistor. The data wiring is formed on a second wiring layer and connected to a first terminal of the switching transistor. A multi-layered wiring structure is used so that the second wiring layer is formed on a layer different from that on which the first wiring layer is formed.
US08013806B2
Image display apparatus comprising two or more arrays of light sources is described. Each array is rotatable around a common axis, and the light sources in each array are arranged so that each light source traverses along a unique path around the common axis. A controller is adapted to modulate the intensity of light emitted by each light source as it traverses its respective unique path such that the light sources in combination cause a desired image to be visible to an observer by virtue of persistence of vision.
US08013805B2
A system and method automatically scale the resolution of video output of a selected workstation blade so that an administrator can view the video output by the selected workstation blade in the same format as it is displayed at the user terminal associated with the selected workstation blade. The video is automatically switched from a multi-screen display to a single-screen display for both the user and the administrator so that the administrator may see the video output regardless of differences between the displays the user and the administrator each have.
US08013803B2
A double-sided video monitor has a pair of display panels mounted back-to-back. The panels are capable of displaying same or separate video signals at the same time. Each panel has an inset viewing area capable of displaying an additional video signal. Video input signals are received through a variety of connection protocols including Digital Video Interface (DVI), S-Video cable, YPbPr cable, composite cable, and VGA cable. Audio output devices are provided for each panel n receiving input from an audio harness. The output devices provide sound synchronized to either display panel or inset viewing area. The panels can be operated independently by individual controlling means, which include a plurality of control buttons for volume adjustment, picture adjustment, activation, deactivation, and so on. The monitor may have a single power supply providing power to one or more monitor controllers. The monitor can also be connected to a laptop, or similar computing device.
US08013802B2
A portable fairing for a mobile radar array system includes at least partially open housing surrounding the mobile radar array and a curved covering mounted on the housing. The curved covering is adapted to cover the radar array in a closed position. The sides of the housing are curved such that when the curved covering is closed, the housing and the curved covering form a generally curved structure.
US08013800B2
A multiband comformed-slotted-folded dipole antenna (200) having a unitary conformed shape conductor conforming to an internal communication device configuration (400). The antenna can include a folded dipole (203, 205, 209, 206, 204) forming a part of the unitary conformed shape and having a first portion (212 or 213) forming at least one slot in a slotted plane (220) and a second portion (210 or 211) forming at least one slot in a second plane (230) substantially perpendicular to the slotted plane. The at least one slot in the second plane controls high band antenna resonance and a length (209) of a metal portion in the slotted plane controls lower band resonance. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08013785B2
It is an object of the present invention to perform positioning at favorable positioning precision and in a favorable positioning time, according to whether a receiver is indoors or outdoors. A positioning server 10 comprises a reception state information acquisition component 12 that acquires reception state information indicating the reception state of a radio wave at a cellular terminal 20, a base station positioning calculator 13 that estimates the position of the cellular terminal 20 on the basis of the reception state information, an end decision component 14 that decides whether or not to end the position estimation on the basis of a specific end condition, and, if it is decided not to end, estimates the position of the cellular terminal 20 on the basis of new reception state information, an indoor/outdoor determination component 15 that determines whether the cellular terminal 20 is indoors or outdoors on the basis of the reception state information, and an end condition determination component 16 that determines the specific end condition on the basis of a result of determination by the indoor/outdoor determination component 15.
US08013777B2
An electromagnetic wave absorber includes a ground layer made of a metal conductor, a dielectric layer formed on the ground layer, and a unit cell pattern made of a resistive material, and formed on the dielectric layer. The unit cell pattern includes a fundamental patch having a regular square shape, in which a rectangular recess is formed on the center of each of the respective sides, the fundamental patch being located at the center of each of the unit cell pattern, and half cross dipole patches, which are respectively disposed at the four sides of the fundamental patch at a regular angle so as to be engaged with the recesses formed on the respective sides of the fundamental patch at a regular interval.
US08013775B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a radio frequency absorber that is operative for absorbing electromagnetic energy, scattering electromagnetic signals, and/or attenuating electromagnetic signals. In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, the radio frequency absorber is substantially flat and comprises an absorbing surface. The absorbing surface is operative to absorb electromagnetic energy, scatter electromagnetic signals, and/or attenuate electromagnetic signals. In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the radio frequency absorber comprises a plurality of holes disposed within the radio frequency absorber. The radio frequency absorber, according to various embodiments of the present invention, is configured to reduce cavity oscillations and/or cavity modes and resonances within an integrated circuit device, such as a device that houses a monolithic microwave integrated circuit.
US08013772B2
One embodiment of the invention includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) system. A resistive ladder comprises a plurality of resistors having an approximately equal resistance and is arranged in a respective plurality of resistive rungs between first and second ends of the resistive ladder. The first end of the resistive ladder can be coupled to an output and at least a portion of the plurality of resistors between the first end and the second end of the resistive ladder can have a physical size that is descending size-scaled in a direction from the first end of the resistive ladder to the second end of the resistive ladder. A switching circuit is configured to connect each of the plurality of resistive rungs to one of a first voltage and a second voltage based on a binary value of a digital input signal to generate a corresponding analog output voltage at the output.
US08013771B2
The disclosed embodiments provide method and apparatus for digital to analog conversion of a signal that may be limited to a bandpass frequency. In an exemplary embodiment, a bandpass DAC is disclosed which includes a plurality of gates. Each gate receives a carrier signal and one of a plurality of input bits of a digital data. A combiner network is provided which includes a plurality of lossless elements corresponding to each of the plurality of gates. The combiner network receives the gate outputs and provides a digitally weighted signal. A resonating element connected to the combiner network resonates the combiner network and provides a filtered output signal which is linearly combined.
US08013764B1
In one embodiment, a method and apparatus for shifting the bits of a data word are disclosed. For example, a deserializer according to one embodiment includes an input register bank for capturing serial data comprising n bits, an intermediate register bank, and a strobe mux coupled to an input of the intermediate register bank. An input of the intermediate register bank is coupled to an output of the input register bank. The strobe mux comprises a single multiplexer configured to select a bitslip strobe signal that controls an order in which the n bits of the serial data are captured in the intermediate register bank.
US08013760B2
An electronic toll collection system, reader, method and transponder for communicating occupancy status. The vehicle-mounted transponder includes a selection device that permits a user to select between a normal and high occupancy state. The transponder reports its occupancy status to a reader. If the electronic toll collection system processes a toll transaction and the transponder claims high occupancy status during the toll transaction, the fact that high occupancy status was claimed during the transaction is recorded in memory within the transponder for later enforcement and verification purposes.
US08013750B2
A device for detecting a hematoma or subcutaneous hemorrhage after a PCI, which includes a bandage provided with fastening elements for its placement at the PCI access site, and the use of a safety bandage for producing the same. In the device, the bandage includes a flexible and, in its longitudinal direction, non-elastic element connected to a strain sensor so arranged that the strain sensor, when the element after the placement of the bandage at the access site is subjected to a change in tension as a result of a hematoma or subcutaneous hemorrhage after the PCI, emits a signal that is indicative of the hematoma or hemorrhage.
US08013737B2
A system and method for monitoring a location having at least one sensor for sensing a change in at least one condition using voice tags to announce alarms. The system includes a registration process where a voice recorder and a digital conversion unit form digital voice tags from recorded speech representing the type and location of sensors. The voice tag is sent as part of an alarm message or pre-stored in a control panel for later retrieval such that the type and location of an alarm is reproduced vocally at the time of the alarm. The registration process may be completed with a registration module which may be a keypad or the voice recorder may be included in the sensors. Additional features include sensor location change notification to ensure the stored voice tag represents the current location of the sensor.
US08013730B2
The inventive system and method comprises a processor operable to detect an event, storage having detailed data corresponding to the event, an input device operable to receive the detailed data, one or more display devices, and an audio output device, wherein when an event is detected, a display is produced on one or more of the display devices and output on the audio output device in accordance with the detailed data corresponding to the event. In one embodiment, the detailed data includes a list of emergency telephone numbers corresponding to the event and an emergency message. In one embodiment, the input device is a graphics keypad that houses the processor, the storage, and at least one of the one or more display devices. The audio output device can be a speaker, and a microphone audio circuit. In one embodiment, the storage has battery backup.
US08013729B2
Rules are applied to video surveillance data to detect events. Localization of the events is achieved by decomposing events into distinct components, each of which can, in some embodiments, be defined at different locations and by different users.
US08013725B2
Pneumatic pressure monitoring units that measure pneumatic pressures of respective tires and that transmit results of the measurements of the pneumatic pressures from respective antennas by the use of radio signals are provided at the tires, respectively. A communication unit including a beam controller arranged to selectively direct reception beams towards the respective tires is provided at substantially the center near the bottom surface of a vehicle. The antennas of the respective pneumatic pressure monitoring units are constructed so that directivity patterns of transmission beams are directed towards the inside in axle directions of the tires.
US08013722B2
A system and method for warning vehicle operators of obstructions are provided. First clearance data of the vehicle, including vehicle height and width, are obtained and stored in memory. An obstruction in the vehicle's path and the travel surface between the vehicle and the obstruction are scanned by a sensor device. Second clearance data of the obstruction, including the height and width of the vehicle passage defined by the obstruction, are determined and are stored in memory. Utilizing a comparison/warning signal generating device, the first and second clearance data are compared, and a warning signal is generated when values of the first clearance data are equal to or greater than corresponding values of the second clearance data. A monitoring device monitors the time period between generation of the warning signal and responsive action by the vehicle operator to avoid a collision. The vehicle is automatically brought to a stop if, upon expiration of a preselected time limit, the vehicle operator has not taken appropriate action.
US08013710B2
A magnetic element module includes a magnetic core assembly and at least one first winding structure. The magnetic core assembly includes a first magnetic core and a second magnetic core. The first magnetic core includes a first magnetic slab and a first magnetic post. The second magnetic core includes a second magnetic slab and a second magnetic post. The first winding structure is sheathed around the first magnetic post. The first magnetic post is placed on a second edge of the second magnetic slab. The second magnetic post is placed on a first edge of the first magnetic slab. The first magnetic core, the second magnetic core and the first winding structure are combined together, thereby producing the magnetic element module.
US08013705B2
A field coil assembly of an electromagnetic clutch for a compressor and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein the field coil assembly includes a coil installed in a core and made by winding a wire W and a connector coupled thereto. The connector is provided with a terminal which is electrically connected to one end of the wire W. A protective coating is formed at a connecting portion between the terminal and the end of the wire W to prevent the connecting portion of the wire W and the terminal from being exposed to the outside. Accordingly, the connecting portion between the terminal and the coil is not exposed to moisture or air, thereby preventing electric short circuit from occurring by galvanic corrosion between the terminal and the coil.
US08013702B2
A versatile distribution transformer having an electromagnetic transformer and a power electronic module is provided. A pocket having connectors electrically connected to at least one winding structure of the electromagnetic transformer is mounted above the electromagnetic transformer. The power electronic module is removably mounted in a cavity of the pocket. The power electronic module includes a plurality of semiconductor switching devices and a plurality of connectors adapted to slidably engage the connectors of the pocket. The power electronic module is movable between a removed position, wherein the power electronic module is located outside the pocket, and an installed position, wherein the power electronic module is disposed in the cavity of the pocket and the connectors of the power electronic module engage the connectors of the pocket so as to electrically connect the power electronic module to the at least one winding structure.
US08013698B2
A magnetic actuator comprises at least one coil surrounded by a magnetic circuit. The magnetic circuit possesses three legs and two facing end plates. The three legs comprise two outer legs on either side of the coil and an intermediate leg passing through the coil. The legs have no direct mechanical contact with one another. The two facing end plates magnetically interconnect the three legs. The magnetic circuit comprises a moving armature comprising at least one of the end plates, and a stationary portion including a yoke having at least the other one of the end plates and at least one permanent magnet. The permanent magnet is placed at one end of the intermediate leg beside the end plate of the yoke. The magnetic actuator can control medium-voltage and high-voltage circuit breaker vacuum chambers.
US08013695B2
A magnetic circuit includes a stationary iron core, a permanent magnet, and an armature, in a circular pattern. A contact mechanism spring separates the armature from the stationary iron core to open the magnetic circuit to switch a contact mechanism to a reset position. A coil on the magnetic circuit generates a magnetic flux in a direction same as that of the permanent magnet when an overload is detected and in an opposite direction when a predetermined time is elapsed after detecting the overload. A reset bar switches a movable stopper between an engaging position and a non-engaging position with the contact mechanism against a biasing force of the contact mechanism spring.
US08013692B2
A boundary acoustic wave device includes an electrode structure that is provided at the interface between a piezoelectric substrate and a dielectric layer. The electrode structure defines a ladder filter in which at least two ground pads of a plurality of ground pads, to be connected to a ground potential, provided on the piezoelectric substrate are electrically connected by a connection conductor provided on the dielectric layer, and all of the ground pads are electrically connected.
US08013691B2
One end of a power-supply bus is connected to a power supply through a ferrite bead. The power-supply bus is connected to power-supply terminals. The power-supply terminals are connected at positions in such a manner that a terminal with a higher intensity is connected closer to the other end of the power-supply bus. Ground terminals are connected to ground. Capacitors are bypass capacitors or decoupling capacitors, for example, and connected between respective power-supply terminals and ground.
US08013683B2
A constant-temperature type crystal oscillator includes: a crystal unit that is installed on one principal surface of a circuit substrate, and chip resistors, which function as heating elements, and which are installed on the other principal surface of the circuit substrate so as to face a principal surface of the crystal unit, the chip resistors heating up the crystal unit to keep an operational temperature of the crystal unit constant. A heating metal film facing the principal surface of the crystal unit is provided on the one principal surface of the circuit substrate. A heat conducting material is interposed between the principal surface of the crystal unit and the heating metal film to perform thermal coupling therebetween. The heating metal film is thermally coupled to electrode terminals of the chip resistors via a plurality of electrode through holes.
US08013682B2
A frequency synthesizer includes compensation variable capacitance diodes 53 and 54 in a voltage-controlled oscillator 5 in addition to a variable capacitance diode 52 whose DC bias voltage is controlled by a control voltage signal 11 generated by a low-pass filter 3. A monitor circuit 8 monitors the control voltage signal 11 and changes the level of control signals 16 and 17 when the voltage of the control voltage signal 11 goes out of a range within which the capacitance of the variable capacitance diode 52 can be easily changed. A time constant circuit 72 supplies a DC bias voltage to the compensation variable capacitance diode for smoothing out the level change of the control signals 16 and 17 into a slow voltage change so that a locked state is not canceled.
US08013676B2
A high-efficiency power amplifier is provided, including a drive amplifier and a final power amplifier, and further including a first digital pre-distortion (DPD) correction module and a second DPD correction module. The first DPD correction module is configured to pre-distort nonlinear characteristics of drive signals output by the drive amplifier, and the second DPD correction module is connected to the first DPD correction module in series, and is configured to pre-distort nonlinear characteristics of amplified signals output by the final power amplifier. Another high-efficiency power amplifier is also provided, including a drive amplifier and a final power amplifier, and further including a second multi-path control module, a fourth DPD correction module, and a second gating module. The overall efficiency of the high-efficiency power amplifier is increased by improving the working efficiency of the drive amplifier. Further, higher overall efficiency is also achieved for a power amplifier with a higher gain.
US08013675B2
Multiple-Input-Single-Output (MISO) amplification and associated VPA control algorithms are provided herein. According to embodiments of the present invention, MISO amplifiers driven by VPA control algorithms outperform conventional outphasing amplifiers, including cascades of separate branch amplifiers using conventional power combiner technologies. MISO amplifiers can be operated at enhanced efficiencies over the entire output power dynamic range by blending the control of the power source, source impedances, bias levels, outphasing, and branch amplitudes. These blending constituents are combined to provide an optimized transfer characteristic function.
US08013663B2
In one embodiment, a method is provided for preventing reverse input current from flowing into a power source. The method includes: providing a system having a plurality of operating modes for driving a load, wherein in each operating mode the power delivered to the load is a multiple of the power output from the power source; transitioning the system from one operating mode into another operating mode under predetermined conditions; if the power delivered to the load is greater than the power delivered to the power source, delaying the transition of the system from the one operating mode into the other operating mode
US08013662B2
An internal voltage generating apparatus includes: a voltage detector that detects the level of the internal voltage and outputs a fixed level detection signal and a variable level detection signal. An oscillation controller generates an oscillation enable signal according to whether the fixed level detection signal and the variable level detection signal are enabled. An internal voltage generator generates the internal voltage in response to the oscillation enable signal.
US08013658B2
A circuit for controlling time sequence of an electronic device, the circuit comprises a delay unit to receive a first control signal, a first switch unit connected to the delay unit to receive the first control signal after a rising edge of the first control signal, a second switch unit to promptly receive the first control signal in response to a falling edge of the first control signal, and a voltage output unit connected to the first and second switch units. The voltage output unit is selectively controlled by the first or the second switch unit to output a second or a third control signal to turn on or off the electronic device.
US08013647B2
A physical quantity detection circuit (12) is used for a physical quantity sensor (10) that outputs a sensor signal according to a physical quantity given externally. A phase adjustment circuit (100) receives a reference clock (CKref) and operates in synchronization with an operation clock (CKa), to delay a transition edge of the reference clock by a predetermined number of pulses of the operation clock. A detection circuit (104) detects a physical quantity signal from the sensor signal (Ssnc) using a transition edge of a clock (SSS) from the phase adjustment circuit (100) as the reference.
US08013645B2
A DLL circuit is designed to adjust the delay time and the duty applied to an input clock signal, thus producing a DLL clock signal. In a non-clocking state of the DLL clock signal in which pulses disappear temporarily, the DLL circuit stops updating the delay time and the duty of the DLL clock signal. That is, the DLL circuit is capable of preventing a phase difference between the input clock signal and the DLL clock signal from being erroneously detected in the non-clocking state of the DLL clock signal, thus preventing the delay time and the duty from being updated based on the erroneously detected phase difference. Thus, it is possible to reduce the number of cycles adapted to the delay-locked control and to thereby stabilize the operation of the DLL circuit.
US08013641B1
There is provided a digital lock detector and a frequency synthesizer using the same. The digital lock detector includes a comparator unit receiving a plurality of control bits, and generating a bit signal to notice a lock condition of the plurality of control bits; a delay cell block generating a plurality of delay signals based on the bit signal, and outputting a clock signal by combining the bit signal and the plurality of delay signals; and a detection unit detecting a shift time of the clock signal, and generating a lock indication signal according to the detection result.
US08013640B1
An electrical waveform generating circuit has a programmable current source-driver. A digital switched current source is coupled to the programmable current source-driver and controlled by waveforms stored in the programmable current source-driver. A plurality of MOSFETs is coupled to the programmable current source driver. A center-tapped RF transformer is provided and has a primary coupled to the plurality of high voltage MOSFETs. A transducer is coupled to a secondary of the RF transformer.
US08013634B2
First and second devices may simultaneously communicate bidirectionally with each other using only a single pair of LVDS signal paths. Each device includes an input circuit and a differential output driver connected to the single pair of LVDS signal paths. An input to the input circuit is also connected to the input of the driver. The input circuit may also receive an offset voltage. In response to its inputs, the input circuit in each device can use comparators, gates and a multiplexer to determine the logic state being transmitted over the pair of LVDS signal paths from the other device. This advantageously reduces the number of required interconnects between the first and second devices by one half.
US08013632B1
Integrated circuits such as programmable logic devices are provided with hotsocket detection circuitry. The hotsocket detection circuitry monitors signals on data pins and power supply voltages. If the data pins become active before the power supply voltages have reached appropriate levels, a hotsocket condition is identified. When a hotsocket condition is identified, driver circuitry on the integrated circuit can be disabled by a hotsocket signal. The integrated circuit may include multiple blocks of input-output circuitry, each of which includes a local hotsocket circuit that uses global hotsocket and power-on-reset signals in disabling input-output circuitry in that input-output block. A power supply circuit in each input-output block may ensure that the local hotsocket circuit in that input-output block is powered.
US08013629B2
A family of reconfigurable asynchronous logic elements that interact with their nearest neighbors permits reconfigurable implementation of circuits that are asynchronous at the bit level, rather than at the level of functional blocks. These elements pass information by means of tokens. Each cell is self-timed, and cells that are configured as interconnect perform at propagation delay speeds, so no hardware non-local connections are needed. A reconfigurable asynchronous logic element comprises a set of edges for communication with at least one neighboring cell, each edge having an input for receiving tokens from neighboring cells and an output for transferring tokens to at least one neighboring cell, circuitry configured to perform a logic operation utilizing received tokens as inputs and to produce an output token reflecting the result of the logic operation, and circuitry. A reconfigurable lattice of asynchronous logic automata comprises a plurality of reconfigurable logic automata that compute by locally passing state tokens and are reconfigured by the directed shifting of programming instructions through neighboring logic elements.
US08013628B2
A circuit having an active clock shielding structure includes a logic circuit that receives a clock signal and performs a logic operation based on the clock signal, a power gating circuit that switches a mode of the logic circuit between an active mode and an sleep mode based on a power gating signal, a clock signal transmission line that transmits the clock signal to the logic circuit, and at least one power gating signal transmission line that transmits the power gating signal to the power gating circuit and functions as a shielding line pair with the clock signal transmission line.
US08013627B2
Provided is a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device may include at least one logic circuit and at least one spare circuit. The at least one spare circuit may be that is a substitute for the at least one logic circuit and may not be connected to a power voltage source and/or a ground voltage source.
US08013620B2
When a test handler loads semiconductor devices of user trays onto a test tray, the test handler adjusts a front/rear pitch or a right/left pitch between the semiconductor devices, adjusts the right/left pitch or the front/rear pitch, and loads the semiconductor devices. The test handler can sequentially adjust individually the front/rear pitch and the right/left pitch between the semiconductor devices, thereby reducing the apparatus weight and the loading time.
US08013615B2
A diagnostic circuit is configured for connecting to a unit under test that has a load and a sinusoidal source. The diagnostic circuit includes a voltage sensing device that has an input for sensing a signal, a first terminal for connecting to the load, a second terminal for connecting to the sinusoidal source, and a relay connected between the first and second terminals for connecting the sinusoidal source to the load. Clamping diodes are provide for clamping a sinusoidal signal and include a first clamping diode connected between a D/C voltage source and the input and a second clamping diode connected between ground and the input. A resistor is connected between the D/C voltage source and the first terminal. The diagnostic circuit verifies the operational functionality of the load, related wiring and connections.
US08013613B2
An electrical safety monitor includes line inputs for an L1, an L2, an L3, and a GND three-phase connections, a line monitoring circuit having a plurality of light indicators and configured to produce light if voltage exists between any two of the line inputs to thereby indicate presence of voltage to a user, and a current generating circuit electrically connected to the line monitoring circuit and adapted to generate a test current to the line inputs to transition the device from dead to live thereby allowing the user to discern between a failure state of the line monitoring circuit and an off state of the line monitoring circuit. The current inducing circuit can include a magnet which induces the test current, stored energy, a photocell, an electroactive material or other means for generating the test current.
US08013608B2
A high-resolution NMR probe is offered which is simple in structure and can be fabricated at low cost. The inside of the probe is maintained in a vacuum to adiabatically isolate the inside from the outside. Liquid helium is sent into a first heat exchanger located immediately close to a measurement portion via the innermost region of a triple tube placed in the vacuum. The helium is evaporated in the exchanger to cool a transmit-receive coil and a variable capacitor. The evaporated helium gas is returned via the outermost region of the triple tube. At this time, a radiation shield placed in the vacuum is cooled by a second heat exchanger placed in the return path.
US08013606B2
A coil arrangement (32) comprises individual coil segments (381, 382, . . . , 38n) disposed adjacently one another adjacent an examination field (14). At least one radio frequency shield (40) is associated with the coil segments (381, 382, . . . , 38n). The radio frequency shield (40) has a first portion (70), which shields the associated coil segments from adjacent magnetic field and magnetic field gradient generating coils (20, 30), and side elements (72, 74), which shield the coil segments or groups of the segments from each other.
US08013604B2
A method for improving the imaging quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment and MRI equipment, include obtaining a corresponding relationship between a deterioration factor of imaging quality and the cumulative energy of gradient pulses applied by successive scanning MRI sequences, then determining a predicted value of a current deterioration factor of imaging quality according to the currently applied cumulative energy of the gradient pulses and said corresponding relationship, adopting a corresponding method to carry out dynamic regulation or compensation using the predicted value of said deterioration factor of imaging quality as a reference, so as to cancel the influence produced by the heating effect of the gradient system to the imaging quality, thereby effectively improving the imaging quality of the MRI equipment.
US08013603B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an effective method for measuring by NMR in real time, an NMR-detecting cell for measurement of NMR, and an NMR-measuring apparatus, andspecifically, there has been found out a method for measuring NMR wherein a measurement sample is immobilized in a medium in an NMR-detecting cell that is an NMR detection part within an NMR-measuring magnet, and then measured by solution NMR in real time under the condition that the external environment around the immobilized measurement sample is consecutively changing.
US08013601B2
The viscosity η (in centipoise) of a heavy oil sample is determined according to an equation of the form ln η η g = - C 1 * ( T - c ′ 246 ) c ″ 47.10 + ( T - c ′ 246 ) , where T is the temperature of the heavy oil, T2LM is the logarithmic mean of the T2 distribution of the sample obtainable from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements, c′=1.0±0.05, c″=1.0±0.04, ηg is the glass transition temperature viscosity of the heavy oil and a function of T2LM, and C1 is a variable which is a constant for the heavy oil and is a function of T2LM. Both C1 and ηg are considered functions of certain NMR values associated with the heavy oil sample, with ηg and C1 preferably estimated by empirically fitting data to the equations ln T2LM=a′+b′ ln ηg and ln T2LM=a″+b″C1, where a′, b′, a″ and b″ are constants.
US08013597B2
A slide operation device is comprised of a movement guide of a rod-shape, and a moving block that slides on the movement guide for setting an electric parameter as a measurement value in accordance with a movement amount or position of the moving block in a slide direction along the movement guide. The movement guide is composed of a slide bar and a magnetic scale material. The slide bar is formed of a rigid member with strength difficult to be bent, and formed with a groove extending along the slide direction. The magnetic scale material is made from a resin and a magnetic material and filled in the groove. The slide bar is formed with a concave which is deeper than the groove and which extends in a direction perpendicular to the slide direction, and the magnetic scale material is also filled in the concave.
US08013595B2
Plural transmitter coils of a magnetic locating system are driven with widely-separated main frequencies. One of the transmitter coils is also driven with a marker frequency close to the main frequency applied to that coil. The receiver determines a phase relationship with the transmitter based on the main and marker frequencies, so that the receiver does not suffer from phase ambiguity. The main and marker frequencies may interfere with one another, and the receiver may correct for such interference based on known characteristics of the signals at the main and marker frequencies.
US08013594B2
A multimeter comprises a case having a circuit board located therein. The circuit board has a top side and a bottom side. A shield arrangement is configured to cover at least a portion of the top side and the bottom side of the circuit board. The shield arrangement includes a top shield part adjacent to the top side of the circuit board and a bottom shield part adjacent to the bottom side of the circuit board. The shield arrangement also includes a connecting structure by which the top shield part is interconnected with the bottom shield part. The connecting structure preferably forms at least one hinge configured such that the top shield part and the bottom shield part can be moved between open and closed configurations. Often, a plurality of hinges will be provided.
US08013586B2
A synchronous rectifier, including an energy storage element having a terminal; a power supply input, connected to the terminal of the storage element in a first time interval; a reference line connected to the terminal of the storage element in a second time interval; and a zero comparator, coupled to the terminal of the storage element to detect a current flowing in the energy storage element and disconnect the terminal of the storage element from the reference line upon detecting a zero current, the zero comparator having an offset and a propagation time; the zero comparator further having an offset control input and an output. An offset regulating loop is coupled between the output of the zero comparator and the offset control input and regulates the offset of the zero comparator to compensate the propagation time.
US08013585B2
An overcurrent detection circuit (50 in FIG. 1) in a DC-DC converter is connected to a switching control circuit (1), and detects an inductor current flowing through an inductor (L) during the ON control of a switching element (Mn), so as to decide whether the inductor current has decreased down to a prescribed value. The switching control circuit (1) alters the switching timing of a control signal to extend the OFF state of a switching element (Mp) until the decrease of the inductor current to a predetermined magnitude is decided by the overcurrent detection circuit (50). Even when a delay is involved in an overcurrent detection operation, the DC-DC converter is still capable of overcurrent limitation.
US08013580B2
A controller for use with a power converter including a switch configured to conduct to provide a regulated output characteristic at an output of the power converter, and method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the controller includes a linear control circuit, coupled to the output, configured to provide a first control signal for the switch as a function of the output characteristic. The controller also includes a nonlinear control circuit, coupled to the output, configured to provide a second control signal for the switch as a function of the output characteristic. The controller is configured to select one of the first and second control signals for the switch in response to a change in an operating condition of the power converter.
US08013574B2
There is provided a discharge controller for a multiple cell battery that has a plurality of storage cells connected in series with each other. A discharge path from the storage cell is connected a load. The discharge controller includes: cell voltage detection units for detecting respective cell voltages of the storage cells; a switch group comprising a plurality of switches each connected between the storage cells; and a control unit for performing ON/OFF control on the respective switches individually in response to detection results detected by the cell voltage detection units so as to form the discharge path from the storage cell to the load.
US08013566B2
A solar powered apparatus that includes a battery, at least one photovoltaic cell (which may be part of a solar module comprising multiple photovoltaic cells), and a DC-capable AC appliance, such as a compact fluorescent light. The solar powered apparatus may also include a first DC to DC converter that receives a first electrical signal from the at least one photovoltaic cell and provides a charging signal to the battery, and a second DC to DC converter that receives a second electrical signal from the battery and provides a DC power signal to the DC-capable AC appliance.
US08013554B2
A diagnostic system for a hybrid vehicle comprises a motor control module and a fault diagnostic module. The motor control module controls torque output of an electric motor having a predetermined number of phases. The fault diagnostic module determines a position of a rotor of the electric motor, aligns the rotor with a phase angle of one of the phases, selectively diagnoses a fault based on a current of at least one of the phases, and selectively disables the electric motor based on the diagnosis.
US08013551B2
A blower motor assembly having a variable speed motor that is suitable for direct, drop-in replacement in a residential HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system that employs a PSC motor. The blower motor assembly includes at least a neutral input and two hot AC line connections, one for connection to the heating power source and the other to the cooling power source. A sensing circuit senses which of the inputs is energized by sensing either voltage or current on the inputs. The sensing circuit delivers a corresponding signal to a motor controller to control the speed of the variable speed motor. The blower motor assembly may also be equipped with additional hot AC inputs, more than one neutral line, and several sensing circuits for sensing current or voltage in the hot inputs and/or the neutral lines for controlling various aspects of the variable speed motor.
US08013541B2
A system and method for producing a flattened characteristic for LED luminous output. The system may include an array containing one or more light emitted diodes, a power source connected to the LED array providing drive current to the LED array, a timer connected to a controller wherein the timer logs the on-time of the LED array and communicates the LED array on-time to the controller, and a controller connected to the power source wherein the controller adjusts the intensity of the drive current provided to the LED array based on the on-time data received from the timer such that the resultant relative luminous output is approximately equal to the initial relative luminous output.
US08013539B2
A drive system for powering LED triads includes a controller for supplying power to one or more LED triad modules with integral encoding of the desired hue and intensity information. The LED triad modules each include an LED triad and decoding circuitry for activating the individual LED elements of the triad according to the encoded hue and intensity information. In the illustrated configuration, the controller supplies power to the LED triad modules over a pair of conductors, and the supplied power is modulated using a four-phase encoding sequence that is decoded by the decoding circuitry of each LED triad module so that each LED triad module produces light of the desired hue and intensity.
US08013532B2
An extra-high pressure discharge lamp, comprises an optical transparent light emitting section, sealing sections connected to the light emitting section, a pair of electrodes which face each other in the light emitting section, wherein one of the electrodes having a thick portion, a thin portion and an intermediate portion which is formed between the thick portion and the thin portion, wherein 0.15 mg/mm3 of mercury is enclosed in the light emitting portion, and wherein the number of crystal grains which exist on a cross section perpendicular to an axis of the one of the electrodes is three.
US08013527B2
The present invention provides an organic light emitting diode unit including: a bar-shaped organic light emitting diode body; a glass protective tube having at least one opening and housing the organic light emitting diode body; and at least one seal cover provided with a moisture absorbent at the side facing the opening and closes at least one opening of the glass protective tube, and a method of manufacturing the organic light emitting diode unit.
US08013526B2
Methods for protecting circuit device materials, optoelectronic devices, and caps using a reflowable getter are described. The methods, devices and caps provide advantages because they enable modification of the shape and activity of the getter after sealing of the device. Some embodiments of the invention provide a solid composition comprising a reactive material and a phase changing material. The combination of the reactive material and phase changing material is placed in the cavity of an electronic device. After sealing the device by conventional means (epoxy seal for example), the device is subjected to thermal or electromagnetic energy so that the phase changing material becomes liquid, and consequently: exposes the reactive material to the atmosphere of the cavity, distributes the getter more equally within the cavity, and provides enhanced protection of sensitive parts of the device by flowing onto and covering these parts, with a thin layer of material.
US08013523B2
An organic light emitting device including a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate and including a recess portion, a partition formed on the first electrode and including an opening exposing the recess portion of the first electrode, an organic light emitting member formed in the recess portion of the first electrode and the opening of the partition, and a second electrode formed on the partition and the organic light emitting member. A gap is formed between a lower portion of the partition and the recess portion of the first electrode and at least a portion of the organic light emitting member is disposed in the gap.
US08013522B2
An organic light emitting device includes a substrate including a first region, a second region, a third region, and a fourth region, a thin film structure formed on the substrate, first, second, and third color filters formed on the thin film structure, and respectively disposed in the first, second, and third regions, an insulating layer formed on the first to third color filters and the thin film structure, first, second, third, and fourth translucent members formed on the insulating layer, and respectively disposed in the first, second, third, and fourth regions, first, second, third, and fourth pixel electrodes respectively formed on the first, second, third, and fourth translucent members, an organic light emitting member for emitting white light formed on the first to fourth pixel electrodes; and a common electrode formed on the organic light emitting member.
US08013519B2
An electroluminescent light source includes a substrate and a layer structure applied to the substrate for emitting light at least on the side facing away from the substrate. The layer structure includes an electroluminescent layer between two electrodes. A partially transparent encapsulation device forms a closed volume around the layer structure, and is filled with a dielectric fluid which is substantially chemically inert with respect to the layer structure. The fluid contains particles for absorbing parts of the light emitted by the layer structure and for re-emitting light of a different wavelength. The density of the particles is selected such that the particles in the dielectric fluid are in the suspended state in the operational state of the light source.
US08013517B2
Disclosed are a phosphor, a coating phosphor composition, a method for preparing the phosphor, and a light emitting device. A silicate-based phosphor is expressed in a chemical formula of (4-x-y-z)SrO.xBaO.zCaO.aMgO.2(SiO2).bM2O3:yEu, wherein M is at least one of Y, Ce, La, Nd, Gd, Tb, Yb or Lu, in which 0
US08013508B2
The invention relates to a high-pressure discharge lamp having a discharge vessel (10) sealed at both ends, a filling which can be ionized and is enclosed in the discharge area (106) of the discharge vessel (10), and electrodes (11, 12) which extend into the discharge area (106), in order to produce a gas discharge, with the discharge vessel (10) having an electrically conductive coating (107) which is designed as a starting aid and is arranged at least in the boundary area (109) between the discharge area (106) and a first sealed end (102) of the discharge vessel (10).
US08013504B2
A spark plug including: a center electrode; a substantially cylindrical insulator; a cylindrical metal shell; a ground electrode having a base end joined to a leading end portion of the metal shell and a distal end bent toward the axis line. The ground electrode includes: a thick portion provided on a base end side, a thin portion provided on a distal end side, and a stepped portion provided on an inner peripheral surface between the thick portion and the thin portion. A noble metal tip is joined to and partially embedded in the inner peripheral surface of the thin portion and disposed to form a gap between the noble metal tip and the leading end portion of the center electrode.
US08013500B2
A piezoelectric device according to the present invention includes lead wires (12) each having one end electrically connected to a circuit pattern, and a piezoelectric oscillator (13) made of quartz and having terminals (13a) electrically connected to the other ends of the lead wires (12), wherein the terminals (13a) of the piezoelectric oscillator (13) and the lead wires (12) are respectively capacitively coupled with each other via an insulation layer (14). According to the structure, the piezoelectric device can reduce its vertical height.
US08013499B2
There is provided a method of manufacturing a package 1 having a base substrate 10 and a lid substrate 20 bonded to each other and both formed of a glass base material; and a cavity C formed between the both substrates for storing an encapsulated object 2 in a state of being hermetically encapsulated, including: a depression forming step for forming a depression C1 for a cavity which defines the cavity when the both substrates are superimposed to each other on at least one of the both substrates; and a bonding step for superimposing the both substrates so as to store the encapsulated object in the depression and then bonding the both substrates to encapsulate the encapsulated object in the cavity, characterized in that in the depression forming step, printed layers 12 are laminated on an upper surface of a flat plate-shaped glass base material 11 in a frame shape in plan view by screen printing, and then the printed layers and the glass base material are baked at the same time to form the depression.
US08013487B2
With a hydrodynamic bearing device 10, a first gap G1 is formed between a shaft 12 and a sleeve 11. A second gap G2 is formed between a sleeve cap 16 and the sleeve 11, and holds a lubricant 17. A thrust bearing member 21 is disposed near the inner peripheral surface of a center hole 16a of the sleeve cap 16. A third gap G3 is formed between the thrust bearing member 21 and the sleeve cap 16, and is open to the atmosphere. A fourth gap G4 is formed between the thrust bearing member 21 and the sleeve 11. The lubricant 17 circulates along a circulation passage that includes a communicating path 11b, the first gap G1 and the second gap G2.
US08013470B2
System and methods for supplying electric power to a power grid are disclosed. The system includes a power generation source, a charging station for charging a zinc-based energy storage device from the power generation source, and a transport module for transporting the zinc-based energy storage device. The system also includes an input station for supplying power to the power grid from the zinc-based energy storage device, and a controller for selectively discharging the zinc-based energy storage device to the power grid based on the initiation signal.
US08013464B2
A power generating system for generating electricity from the kinetic energy of a wind flow. The power generating system includes a turbine assembly, and a generator assembly, and may be also provided with a main brake assembly, as well as an emergency brake assembly. The system includes a series of modular components which can be built and adjusted in a modular manner so as to alter the configuration of the system, and thus maximize a generation of electricity by the system, depending on the particular conditions of the wind flow. Other improvements reside in the mounting spokes and aerodynamic blades of the system, as well as in its main brake assembly.
US08013460B2
A method for controlling a tip speed of a blade of a wind turbine. The method includes determining the wind speed proximate the wind turbine; maintaining a first substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above a first predetermined nominal wind speed and below the second predetermined nominal wind speed; maintaining a second substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above a second predetermined nominal wind speed. The noise generated by wind at the second predetermined nominal wind speed is greater than noise generated by the blade at the second constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade.
US08013448B2
An integrated circuit module has a common function known good integrated circuit die with selectable functions. The selectable functions are selected during packaging of the known good integrated circuit die. The known good integrated circuit die is mounted to a second level substrate. The second level substrate has wiring connections to the input/output pads of the known good integrated circuit die that select desired input functions and output functions. Further, the wiring connections on the second level substrate provide signal paths to transfer signals to the desired input function and signals from the desired output function, and signals to and from the common functions. Also, the wiring connections form connections between the input/output pads and external circuitry. To select the desired input functions and the desired output functions, appropriate logic states are applied to input/output pads connected to a function selector to configure a functional operation of the integrated circuit module. The second level module substrate has connector pins to provide physical and electrical connections between the external circuitry and the wiring connections on the second level substrate.
US08013444B2
Electronic assemblies and solders used in electronic assemblies are described. One embodiment includes a die and a substrate, with a solder material positioned between the die and the substrate, the solder comprising at least 91 weight percent Sn, 0.4 to 1.0 weight percent Cu and at least one dopant selected from the group consisting of Ag, Bi, P, and Co. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08013443B2
An electronic carrier board and a package structure thereof are provided. The electronic carrier board includes a carrier, at least one pair of bond pads formed on the carrier, and a protective layer covering the carrier. The protective layer is formed with openings for exposing the bond pads. A groove is formed between the paired bond pads and has a length larger than a width of an electronic component mounted on the paired bond pads. The groove is adjacent to one of the paired bond pads and communicates with a corresponding one of the openings where this bond pad is exposed. Accordingly, a clearance between the electronic component and the electronic carrier board can be effectively filled with an insulating resin for encapsulating the electronic component, thereby preventing voids and undesirable electrical bridging between the paired bond pads from occurrence.
US08013436B2
A heat dissipation package structure and method for fabricating the same are disclosed, which includes mounting and electrically connecting a semiconductor chip to a chip carrier through its active surface; mounting a heat dissipation member having a heat dissipation section and a supporting section on the chip carrier such that the semiconductor chip can be received in the space formed by the heat dissipation section and the supporting section, wherein the heat dissipation section has an opening formed corresponding to the semiconductor chip; forming an encapsulant to encapsulate the semiconductor chip and the heat dissipation member; and thinning the encapsulant to remove the encapsulant formed on the semiconductor chip to expose inactive surface of the semiconductor chip and the top surface of the heat dissipation section from the encapsulant. Therefore, the heat dissipation package structure is fabricated through simplified fabrication steps at low cost, and also the problem that the chip is easily damaged in a package molding process of the prior art is overcome.
US08013435B2
A semiconductor module includes a base plate, at least one semiconductor chip mounted on the base plate, a case fixed to the base plate and surrounding the at least one semiconductor chip, an electrically insulating gel layer covering the at least one semiconductor chip, a thermosetting resin layer formed on top of the gel layer, and a lid formed on top of the thermosetting resin layer. The lid comprises a lid-extension, which defines a lid-opening. The lid-opening extends through the thermosetting resin layer to the gel layer and allows gel of the gel layer to expand into the lid-opening.
US08013433B2
A virtual wire assembly that includes a substantially electrically-nonconductive substrate and a plurality of hermetic feedthroughs including a conductive region extending transversely through the substrate to form a conductive pathway with accessible surfaces at opposing ends thereof, wherein each conductive pathway is electrically isolated from other conductive pathways. In certain embodiments of this aspect of the invention, the substantially electrically-nonconductive substrate is a semiconductor device, and the conductive regions each include an n-type or a p-type doped semiconductor material.
US08013422B2
A fuse corner pad is part of an integrated circuit that includes a built-in fuse contact and a plurality of auxiliary pads. The fuse contact is a conductive metallic or metalloid structure that is connected to a fuse element. The fuse contact and fuse element are used inside of the fuse corner pad for programmability (e.g., for security) and/or adjustment (e.g., trimming) of analog and/or digital signals. The fuse contact and fuse element are not required to be bonded to an external electrical connection (such as, a pin or ball). The auxiliary pads provide a variety of functional or non-functional applications, such as testing, probing, programming, and/or circuit adjustment.
US08013421B2
A semiconductor device has an electrical fuse formed on a substrate, having a first interconnect, a second interconnect respectively formed in different layers, and a via provided in a layer between the first interconnect and the second interconnect, connected to one end of the second interconnect and connected also to the first interconnect; and a guard interconnect portion formed in the same layer with the second interconnect, so as to surround such one end of the second interconnect, wherein, in a plan view, the second interconnect is formed so as to extend from the other end towards such one end, and the guard interconnect portion is formed so as to surround such one end of the second interconnect in three directions, while placing such one end at the center thereof.
US08013413B2
In a range image sensor 8, when a first reverse bias voltage applied between a semiconductor substrate 11 and first semiconductor regions 13 is an H bias, first depleted layers A1 and A1 expanding from the p-n junctions of the first semiconductor regions 13 adjacent to each other expand and link to each other so as to cover a second depleted layer B1 expanding from the p-n junction of a second semiconductor region 14. Accordingly, carriers C generated near the rear surface 11a of the semiconductor substrate 11 are reliably captured by the first depleted layers A1. Further, when a second reverse bias voltage applied between the semiconductor substrate 11 and the second semiconductor regions 14 is an H bias, the second depleted layers adjacent to each other expand and link to each other so as to cover the first depleted layer. Accordingly, carriers generated near the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate are reliably captured by the second depleted layers.
US08013409B2
A photoelectric conversion device comprises a high-refractive-index portion at a position close to a photoelectric conversion element therein. And, the high-refractive-index portion has first and second horizontal cross-section surfaces. The first cross-section surface is at a position closer to the photoelectric conversion element rather than the second cross-section surface, and is larger than an area of the second cross-section surface, so as to guide an incident light into the photoelectric conversion element without reflection.
US08013389B2
Nonvolatile memory devices are provided and methods of manufacturing such devices. In the method, conductive layers and insulating layers are alternatingly stacked on a substrate. A first sub-active bar is formed which penetrates a first subset of the conductive layers and a first subset of the insulating layers. The first sub-active bar is electrically connected with the substrate. A second sub-active bar is formed which penetrates a second subset of the conductive layers and a second subset of the insulating layers. The second sub-active bar is electrically connected to the first sub-active bar. A width of a bottom portion of the second sub-active bar is less than a width of a top portion of the second sub-active bar.
US08013388B2
Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that is adapted to improve the production yield. The method generally includes etching a semiconductor substrate to form a trench, filling the trench with a conductive material, separating the filled conductive material to form a plurality of gate patterns and a bit line contact region, and etching the substrate to define an isolation region.
US08013384B2
A process for the realization of a high integration density power MOS device includes the following steps of: providing a doped semiconductor substrate with a first type of conductivity; forming, on the substrate, a semiconductor layer with lower conductivity; forming, on the semiconductor layer, a dielectric layer of thickness comprised between 3000 and 13000 A (Angstroms); depositing, on the dielectric layer, a hard mask layer; masking the hard mask layer by means of a masking layer; etching the hard mask layers and the underlying dielectric layer for defining a plurality of hard mask portions to protect said dielectric layer; removing the masking layer; isotropically and laterally etching said dielectric layer forming lateral cavities in said dielectric layer below said hard mask portions; forming a gate oxide of thickness comprised between 150 and 1500 A (Angstroms) depositing a conductor material in said cavities and above the same to form a recess spacer, which is totally aligned with a gate structure comprising said thick dielectric layer and said gate oxide.
US08013378B2
A semiconductor memory device has an element isolation region between rewrite units of memory cells. A plurality of memory cells are memory cell groups arranged in a row direction, and each memory cell group consists of (8×N) memory cells arranged in a row direction as a unit to be used as a storage region. The number of a plurality of selection word lines is at least eight, and the number of selection transistors corresponding to at least N is connected to each of the plurality of selection word lines. At least one selection transistor in addition to (8×N) selection transistors are connected in total to the plurality of selection word lines. A plurality of main bit lines includes at least one main bit line in addition to (4×N) main bit lines connected to the common drain of a pair of selection transistors.
US08013375B2
A semiconductor memory device may include a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of active regions wherein each active region has a length in a direction of a first axis and a width in a direction of a second axis. The length may be greater than the width, and the plurality of active regions may be provided in a plurality of columns in the direction of the second axis. A plurality of wordline pairs may be provided on the substrate, with each wordline pair crossing active regions of a respective column of active regions defining a drain portion of each active region between wordlines of the respective wordline pair. A plurality of bitlines on the substrate may cross the plurality of wordline pairs, with each bitline being electrically coupled to a drain portion of a respective active region of each column, and with each bitline crossing drain portions of active regions of adjacent columns in different directions so that different portions of a same bitline are aligned in different directions on different active regions of adjacent columns.
US08013372B2
A method for fabricating an integrated circuit is provided. The method includes providing a substrate having an active region and an opening in the substrate adjacent to the active region. The opening is filled with a dielectric material so as to provide an isolation region in the substrate. A transistor is also formed in the active region and a pre-metal dielectric layer formed over the substrate and transistor. At least one of the dielectric layer in isolation region or the pre-metal dielectric layer includes a stressed O3 TEOS oxide having a stress retaining dopant, wherein the concentration of the stress retaining dopant is sufficient to retard stress degradation of the O3 TEOS oxide.
US08013369B2
A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a photoelectric conversion unit with a semiconductor region of a first conduction type, an amplifying transistor, and a contact. The contact supplies, via a semiconductor region of a second conduction type arranged along a side surface and a bottom surface of an element isolation region, a reference voltage to the semiconductor region of the second conduction-type arranged below source and drain regions of the amplifying transistor in a region below a gate electrode of the amplifying transistor.
US08013362B2
In a semiconductor integrated circuit requiring a large number of pads, an internal circuit is arranged in the center portion, and a plurality of two kinds of I/O circuits for inputting and outputting signals from and to the outside and many pads are arranged along four sides of the semiconductor integrated circuit. The plurality of I/O circuits that are of one of the foregoing two kinds are one-pad I/O circuits on which one pad is arranged in a direction toward the internal circuit, whereas the plurality of I/O circuits that are of the other of the foregoing two kinds are two-pad I/O circuits on which two pads are arranged in zigzag relationship in a direction toward the internal circuit. The number of arranged pads equals to the number of pads required for the semiconductor integrated circuit. The one-pad I/O circuits and the two-pad I/O circuits are provided with power source wirings for supplying power thereto. The power source wirings extend along the arrangement direction of the one-pad I/O circuits and the second-pad I/O circuits to be ring-shaped. power source wiring migration areas for changing power source wirings between the one-pad I/O circuits and second-pad I/O circuits are disposed in four corner portions of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
US08013361B2
Gate electrodes 5A through 5F are formed to have the same geometry, and protruding parts of the gate electrodes 5A through 5F extend across an isolation region onto impurity diffusion regions. The gate electrode 5B and P-type impurity diffusion regions 7B6 are connected through a shared contact 9A1 to a first-level interconnect M1H, and the gate electrode 5E and N-type impurity diffusion regions 7A6 are connected through a shared contact 9A2 to a first-level interconnect M1I. In this way, contact pad parts of the gate electrodes 5A through 5F can be located apart from active regions of a substrate for MOS transistors. This suppresses the influence of the increased gate length due to hammerhead and gate flaring. As a result, transistors TrA through TrF can have substantially the same finished gate length.
US08013357B2
Provided is a side view light emitting diode package including a housing that includes a front side part and a rear side part integrally formed with the front side part, the front side part having a light emission part; and a lead frame that is located between the front side part and the rear side part, wherein the lead frame includes a first lead connected to a first electrode of a Light Emitting Diode (LED) chip and a second lead connected to a second electrode of the LED chip, wherein the front side part includes a first groove, a second groove, and a third groove, wherein the first lead and the second lead are extended through the first groove and the second groove, respectively, and a heat dissipation part is extended from the first lead through the third groove to an outside of the LED package.
US08013354B2
A semiconductor light emitting device having a multiple pattern structure greatly increases light extraction efficiency. The semiconductor light emitting device includes a substrate and a semiconductor layer, an active layer, and an electrode layer formed on the substrate, a first pattern defining a first corrugated structure between the substrate and the semiconductor layer, and a second pattern defining a second corrugated structure on the first corrugated structure of the first pattern.
US08013345B2
An optical bonding composition and LED light source comprising the composition are disclosed, as well as a method of making the LED light source. The LED light source may comprise: an LED die; an optical element optically coupled to the LED die; and a bonding layer comprising an amorphous organopolysiloxane network, the organopolysiloxane network comprising a silsesquioxane portion derived from (R1SiO1.5)n wherein R1 is an organic group and n is an integer of at least 10; the bonding layer bonding the LED die and the optical element together. Efficiency of the LED light source may be increased when using an optical extractor as the optical element.
US08013344B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes steps of forming a semiconductor device layer on an upper surface of a substrate including the upper surface, a lower surface and a dislocation concentrated region arranged so as to part a first side closer to the upper surface and a second side closer to the lower surface, exposing a portion where the dislocation concentrated region does not exist above on the lower surface by removing the substrate on the second side along with at least a part of the dislocation concentrated region, and forming an electrode on the portion.
US08013340B2
Semiconductor device with semiconductor body and method for the production of a semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a front-sided surface. An active cell region with a semiconductor device structure and an edge region surrounding the active cell region are arranged in the semiconductor body. The front-sided surface of the semiconductor body includes a passivation layer over the edge region and over the active cell region. The passivation layer includes a semiconducting insulation layer of a semiconducting material, the bandgap of which is greater than the bandgap of the material of the semiconductor body.
US08013339B2
Thin film transistors and arrays having controlled threshold voltage and improved ION/IOFF ratio are provided in this invention. In one embodiment, a thin film transistor having a first gate insulator of high breakdown field with positive fixed charges and a second gate insulator with negative fixed charges is provided; said negative fixed charges substantially compensate said positive fixed charges in order to reduce threshold voltage and OFF state threshold voltage of said transistor. In another embodiment, a thin film transistor having a first passivation layer with negative fixed charges is provided, the negative charges reduce substantially unwanted negative charges in the adjacent active channel and hence reduce the OFF state current and increase ION/IOFF ratio, which in turn reduce the threshold voltage of the transistor.
US08013335B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device capable of preventing deterioration due to penetration of moisture or oxygen, for example, a light-emitting apparatus having an organic light-emitting device that is formed over a plastic substrate, and a liquid crystal display apparatus using a plastic substrate. According to the present invention, devices formed on a glass substrate or a quartz substrate (a TFT, a light-emitting device having an organic compound, a liquid crystal device, a memory device, a thin-film diode, a pin-junction silicon photoelectric converter, a silicon resistance element, or the like) are separated from the substrate, and transferred to a plastic substrate having high thermal conductivity.
US08013333B2
A semiconductor test pad interconnect structure with integrated die-separation protective barriers. The interconnect structure includes a plurality of stacked metal layers each having an electrically conductive test pad separated from other test pads by a dielectric material layer. In one embodiment, at least one metallic via bar is embedded into the interconnect structure and electrically interconnects each of the test pads in the metal layers together. The via bar extends substantially along an entire first side defined by each test pad in some embodiments. In other embodiments, a pair of opposing via bars may be provided that are arranged on opposite sides of a die singulation saw cut line defined in a scribe band on a semiconductor wafer.
US08013332B2
Improved techniques to produce integrated circuit products are disclosed. The improved techniques permit smaller and less costly production of integrated circuit products. One aspect of the invention concerns covering test contacts (e.g., test pins) provided with the integrated circuit products using printed ink. Once covered with the ink, the test contacts are no longer electrically exposed. Hence, the integrated circuit products are not susceptible to accidental access or electrostatic discharge. Moreover, the integrated circuit products can be efficiently produced in a small form factor without any need for additional packaging or labels to electrically isolate the test contacts.
US08013328B2
An active matrix organic optical device comprising a plurality of organic thin film transistors and a plurality of pixels disposed on a common substrate, wherein a common bank layer is provided for the organic thin film transistors and the pixels, the common bank layer defining a plurality of wells, wherein some of the wells contain the organic semiconducting material of the organic thin film transistors therein and others of the wells contain organic optically active material of the pixels therein.
US08013325B2
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor, a method thereof and an organic light emitting device including the thin film transistor. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thin film transistor includes a substrate, a control electrode, an insulating layer, a first electrode and a second electrode, a first ohmic contact layer and a second ohmic contact layer, and a semiconductor layer. The control electrode is formed on the substrate, and the insulating layer is formed on the control electrode. The first and the second electrodes are formed on the insulating layer. The first ohmic contact layer and the second ohmic contact layer are formed on the first electrode and the second electrode. The semiconductor layer is formed on the first ohmic contact layer and the second ohmic contact layer to fill between the first and the second electrodes.
US08013313B2
Laser scanner and method images or measures fluorescent samples on specimen slides treated with different fluorescent dyes. Motor-driveable sample table for the slides includes a laser and first optical system creating two laser beams of differing wavelength, a scanner with movable head and an optical deflection element for deflecting the beams toward the sample. Scanner has second optical system for forwarding emission beam bundles to two detectors for detecting emission beam bundles coming from the samples. A drive and counter oscillator connected to the drive by connecting rods drives the head for rapid back-and-forth movement and the counter oscillator has a mass at least equivalent to the head for compensation by opposite movement to the head. The optical deflection element causes spatial separation of two resulting focal points and a spatial separation of the two beam bundles in the direction of the detectors.
US08013312B2
Vapor delivery systems and methods that control the heating and flow of vapors from solid feed material, especially material that comprises cluster molecules for semiconductor manufacture. The systems and methods safely and effectively conduct the vapor to a point of utilization, especially to an ion source for ion implantation. Ion beam implantation is shown employing ions from the cluster materials. The vapor delivery system includes reactive gas cleaning of the ion source, control systems and protocols, wide dynamic range flow-control systems and vaporizer selections that are efficient and safe. Borane, decarborane, carboranes, carbon clusters and other large molecules are vaporized for ion implantation. Such systems are shown cooperating with novel vaporizers, ion sources, and reactive cleaning systems.
US08013305B2
An apparatus for detecting images in a first selected bandwidth includes a probe light source to generate a probe beam in a second selected bandwidth, an optical path including input imaging optics to capture an image in the first selected bandwidth and form an image beam and a beam combiner to optically combine the probe beam with the image beam to form a combined beam, and an optical readout quantum well device in the optical path of the combined beam, which simultaneously passes in an optical readout beam an intensity level of at least one wavelength within the probe beam in the second selected bandwidth in proportion to an intensity level of at least one wavelength within the image beam in the first selected bandwidth; and a detector sensitive to light in the second selected bandwidth and not sensitive to light in the first selected bandwidth.
US08013303B2
Apparatus for remote laser-based detection of a analyte in a remote target region; comprising a reference container for housing a reference substance identical with the analyte; a laser unit which constituted to emit a laser beam of a tuneable wavelength towards the target region to be analysed and along a reference path which passes through the reference container for detecting the reference substance; a laser control means constituted to control wavelength of the laser beam during detection periods such that the laser wavelength is changed to allow detection of an optical absorption profile of the analyte during detection periods; an analytical detection unit which detects light from the target region and generates analytical signals during the detection periods, a reference detection unit which detects laser light passed through the reference container and generates reference signals during the detection periods; and an analysing means constituted to analyse the similarity of the analytical and reference signals or of one or more calculated functions respectively calculated from the analytical and reference signals for determining the concentration of the analyte in the target region.
US08013296B2
Ions and charged droplets move from the nozzle (6) towards the orifice (22) of a charged-particle transport device or the desolvation pipe (7). This particle motion is governed by the distribution of the pseudo-potential along particle trajectories. There are RF-voltages applied to neighboring electrodes (241-246) of the electrode array (24) cause the charged particles to substantially hover above the electrode array (24). Right before the ions come to the electrode array (24) they thus experience a repelling force “F” perpendicular to the surface of the electrode array (24). This force “F” causes an effective barrier (B) right before the electrode array (24) and consequently a pseudo-potential well (A) where the charged particles stop their motion parallel to the plume axis (D). Thus they accumulate around the center line (C) of this well (A). Applying additionally to the RF-potentials also DC-potentials to neighboring electrodes within the electrode array (24) small DC-fields can be formed within the well area (23). These additional DC-fields drive the charged particles towards the axis of symmetry (C) and thus towards the orifice (22) of a charged-particle transport device or the desolvation pipe (7). Thus, many of the charged particles which would normally impinge on the wall (21) around the orifice (22) can now be analyzed.
US08013290B2
In a mass spectrometer a target volume is filled with ions of different mass but substantially the same energy from a distant storage device by forming a plurality of spatially-limited ion swarms consisting of ions having the same mass. The ion swarms are ordered either by a mass-sequential extraction from the storage device or by rearranging the order of flight as the ions are in flight, so that swarms of different mass ions simultaneously enter the target volume despite having different flight velocities. A mass-sequential extraction in the order of decreasing mass can be achieved in one embodiment by decreasing a pseudopotential barrier at the storage device which causes the heavy ions to emerge first. In another embodiment, the ions can be rearranged in flight by applying a bunching potential. A second reverse bunching potential then restores the energy of the ions to their original values.
US08013278B2
There are provided a ceramic heater in which a defect, such as generation of a gap at the interface between an insulating substrate and a heat-generating resistor, is unlikely to occur in the course of manufacture or use, and a glow plug using the ceramic heater. A ceramic heater 110 includes an insulating substrate 111 extending in the direction of an axis AX and a heat-generating resistor 115, which has a heat-generating portion 116, two lead portions 117, 117 and two lead lead-out portions 118a and 118b. The ceramic heater 110 satisfies an expression S1≦0.34 Sa, where Sa is the area of a cross section of the ceramic heater 110 taken perpendicular to the direction of the axis AX, and S1 is the total cross-sectional area of the two lead portions 117, 117 as measured in the cross section.
US08013272B2
A sheet processing apparatus having a laser processing unit, a collecting portion, and a detecting portion. The collecting portion is disposed below a laser processing position of the laser processing unit. The collecting portion collects a scrap of the sheet produced when the sheet is processed by the laser processing unit. The detecting portion is configured to detect the scrap collected into the collecting portion and reaching a predetermined height. A detection position of the detecting portion is lower than a processing range of the laser beam where processing by the laser beam is possible.
US08013269B2
A process and apparatus for synthesizing a nanopowder is presented. In particular, a process for the synthesis of nanopowders of various materials such as metals, alloys, ceramics and composites by induction plasma technology, using organometallic compounds, chlorides, bromides, fluorides, iodides, nitrites, nitrates, oxalates and carbonates as precursors is disclosed. The process comprises feeding a reactant material into a plasma torch in which is generated a plasma flow having a temperature sufficiently high to yield a superheated vapor of the material; transporting said vapor by means of the plasma flow into a quenching zone; injecting a cold quench gas into the plasma flow in the quenching zone to form a renewable gaseous cold front; and forming a nanopowder at the interface between the renewable gaseous cold front and the plasma flow.
US08013265B1
A switch device includes a box-shaped case, a harness portion, and a fixing member. The harness portion is connected to a switch contact point and includes a plurality of lead lines extending out of the case. The case includes a holding body and a guide portion. The holding body includes a fixing portion protruding from an outer face of the case and provided on a tip side, and a through-hole provided under the fixing portion. The guide portion is opposed to the through-hole and formed in a substantially concave curve shape. The guide portion is formed such that an end portion further from the through-hole is positioned to be above an end portion closer to the through-hole. The fixing member extends through the through-hole and fixes the harness portion to the holding body by winding the harness portion and the fixing portion together.
US08013264B2
A thin, film-form seating switch able to detect whether an occupant sits on the seat or not, wherein, with a spacer (5) in-between, a film-form substrate (3) is disposed on one surface of the spacer and a film-form member (7) on the other surface, a first conductor (13) equipped with a first terminal (9) and a first electrode (11A) conductive with this and a second conductor (19) equipped with a second terminal (15) and a second electrode (17A) conductive with this are fixed to one surface of the film-form substrate, and a third conductor (21A) for letting the first electrode conduct with the second electrode when an occupant is seated is fixed to the film-form member (7). The above arrangement solves a conventional problem that it is troublesome to connect the connection terminals of wires or the like provided on a wiring harness or the like to respective terminals that are separately provided on a film-form substrate and a film-form member.
US08013260B2
Electrical bushing, in particular for pressure applications, with a housing with at least one housing passage and with at least one electrical conductor, which is passed through the housing passage, protrudes at both ends on two housing sides, which are spaced apart from one another, out of in each case one opening of the housing passage out of the housing and is fixed in the housing by means of a tightly sealing material which fills at least the majority of the housing passage.
US08013250B2
A cable entry seal is provided for passing a cable through an opening within a structure. The cable entry seal includes a body extending a length. A passageway extends through the length of the body. The passageway is configured to receive the cable therethrough. The body includes a flange and a seal fitting extending outwardly from the flange along the length of the body. The seal fitting includes an exterior sealing surface. The cable entry seal includes a seal conduit having a sealing end surrounding and sealingly engaged with the exterior sealing surface of the seal fitting. The seal conduit is configured to surround the cable when the cable is received through the passageway of the body. The cable entry seal includes a lock ring connected to the body. The lock ring surrounds and sealingly engages with the sealing end of the seal conduit such that the sealing end is held between the exterior sealing surface of the seal fitting and the lock ring.
US08013239B2
An electrode for contacting an electrically conductive surface of a photovoltaic element includes an electrically insulating optically transparent film, an adhesive layer provided on a planar surface of the film, and a plurality of substantially parallel, electrically conductive wires embedded into the adhesive layer. The plurality of wires lies over the planar surface of the film. A part of the surfaces of the wires protrude from the adhesive layer. At least the part of the surfaces protruding from the adhesive layer are covered by a coating consisting of an alloy having a low melting point to solder the wires to the electrically conductive surface and to a first terminal bar. The adhesive layer has a thickness less than the thickness of the wires embedded therein.
US08013226B2
Methods for reducing leaf senescence in plants or portions thereof by treating them with methyl dihydrojasmonate are disclosed. The methyl dihydrojasmonate may be in the form of an aqueous foliar spray, which may also include additives such as wetting agents, adjuvants, emulsifiers, dispersants, spreaders, surfactants, anchorage, disintegrants, and plant nutrients.
US08013213B2
Transgenic guayule lines were created by constitutively expressing transgenes that encode for prenyltransferase and allylic diphosphate synthase. These new lines are important to rubber production because they result in plants that produce latex rubber which is lower in guayulin, a compound that produces a skin irritation in some animals. Controlling prenyltransferase production also permits the control of the production of resin by the plants, which has important industrial implications. Additionally, prenyltransferase manipulation can result in latex particles of different size, containing rubber of different molecular weight, which is also significant to industrial production. Although the elevated prenyltransferase activity in the transgenic lines resulted in shorter rubber molecules, the number of rubber molecules made by these transgenic lines was increased.
US08013210B2
The present invention provides multi-generational production methods for producing pharmaceutically active proteins and other proteins in corn. The present invention also provides methods for breeding corn capable of producing pharmaceutically active proteins or other proteins.
US08013201B2
An improved process for the production of olefins, and in particular for separation of olefins produced by a dehydrogenation process from paraffin feed stocks, is provided. A high pressure product splitter is used to separate olefins produced in a dehydrogenation plant from residual paraffin feed stocks. The use of a high pressure splitter to separate olefin products from paraffin feed stocks allows for recovery of a high purity olefin product with lower energy consumption compared to prior art processes. The process is particularly suited to separation of propylene from propane.
US08013199B2
This invention provides for a process for the alkylation of an aromatic hydrocarbon stream having impurities in which a hydrocarbon feedstock is contacted with a first molecular sieve comprising Linde type X molecular sieve and having a Si/Al molar ratio of less than about 5 to remove at least a portion of said impurities and to produce a partially treated aromatic hydrocarbon stream; and then contacting said partially treated hydrocarbons stream with a second molecular sieve comprising a zeolite Y and having a Si/Al molar ratio of greater than about 5 to remove substantially all of the remaining portion of said impurities to produce a fully treated hydrocarbon feedstock having a reduced amount of impurities. The fully treated hydrocarbon feedstock is contacted with an alkylating agent in the presence of an alkylation catalyst having a cycle length and under alkylation conditions to produce an alkylated aromatic hydrocarbon stream.
US08013196B2
The invention relates to a process for the production of ethylene, comprising the steps of a) thermally converting, by a pyrolysis or a partial oxidation process, a feed charge containing methane into an acetylene containing effluent, and b) in situ hydrogenating, by a non-catalytic reaction, the acetylene produced in the first step into ethylene by intimately mixing the acetylene containing effluent with an ethane feed. The process according to the invention is more efficient than other synthesis schemes, while simplifying the overall process design. This process thus offers an economically attractive scheme for mass production of ethylene from natural gas, based on a well-known and proven acetylene route.
US08013184B2
The present invention relates to a method of preparing N-substituted salicylamides or derivatives thereof and their derivatives, e.g. their salts. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of preparing (N-(5-chlorosalicyloyl)-8-aminocaprylic acid (5-CNAC) and its corresponding disodium monohydrate.
US08013183B2
The present invention is directed to compounds that are inhibitors of cysteine proteases, in particular, cathepsins B, K, L, F, and S and are therefore useful in treating diseases mediated by these proteases. The present invention is directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and processes for preparing them.
US08013181B2
There are provided processes for making rivastigmine. In one embodiment, the process includes reacting S-(−)-[1-(3-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]dimethylamine with N-ethyl-N-methyl carbamoyl chloride in the presence of an organic base to obtain a free base of rivastigmine.
US08013174B2
Specific photochromic spirodihydrophenanthropyrans and their use in synthetic resin materials of all kinds, particularly for ophthalmic purposes. The compounds of the invention are photochromic pyran compounds derived from 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene in which at least one of the two carbon atoms at positions 9 and 10 belongs to a further ring system and thus forms a spiro linkage point.
US08013167B1
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of 2-chloro-5-chloromethyl-thiazole, which is employed as intermediate in the preparation of compounds having a pesticidal action, which process comprises reacting a compound of formula (II), in free form or in salt form, (III), (IV), (V) or (VI) with a chlorinating agent, where R and M+ are as defined in claim 1; to the compounds of the formulae (III) and (IV), which are used in this process as intermediates; and to the use of, and a process for the preparation of, the compounds of formulae (III) and (IV).
US08013160B2
A fluorene-based derivative having a specific structure and an organic electroluminescence device in which an organic thin film layer comprising a single layer or plural layers including at least a light emitting layer is sandwiched between a cathode and an anode, wherein at least one layer of the organic thin film layers described above comprises the above fluorene-based derivative having a specific structure in the form of a single component or a mixed component. The organic electroluminescence device has a high luminous efficiency, and the fluorene-based derivative materializes the same.
US08013156B2
The present invention provides compounds for modulating protein kinase enzymatic activity for modulating cellular activities such as proliferation, differentiation, programmed cell death, migration and chemoinvasion. Compounds of the invention inhibit, regulate and/or modulate kinases, particularly Tie-2. Methods of using the compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof to treat kinase-dependent diseases and conditions are also an aspect of the invention.
US08013155B2
Disclosed a method for preparing a compound of Formula 1, wherein R1 is cyclopropyl, 4-chlorophenyl or 4-bromophenyl; and R2 is C1-C14 alkyl; comprising contacting a compound of Formula 2 with a persulfate oxidant in the presence of a strong sulfur- or phosphorus-containing mineral acid and an oxidation resistant solvent. Also disclosed are methods for preparing the compound of Formula 2 from a compound of Formula 5 as well as compounds of Formula 6 and salts thereof, wherein R is NH2, Cl or OH; X is H or Cl; R1 is cyclopropyl, 4-chlorophenyl or 4-bromophenyl; and R2 is C1-C14 alkyl; provided that when R is NH2 or Cl, then X is Cl; which are useful a process intermediates.
US08013152B2
The invention provides compounds of formula I: wherein a, b, c, m, s, t, W, Z, Ar, R1, R2, R3, R6, and R7 are as defined in the specification. The compounds of formula I are muscarinic receptor antagonists. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, processes and intermediates for preparing such compounds and methods of using such compounds to treat pulmonary disorders.
US08013149B2
A method of making a porphyrin (I) is carried out by condensing (i) a bis(imino)dipyrromethane of Formula II: with (ii) a dipyrromethaneto produce a reaction product; then (b) optionally oxidizing said reaction product with an oxidizing agent; and then (c) optionally demetallating said reaction product to produce the porphyrin. Methods of making compounds of Formula II are also described.
US08013147B2
The invention concerns compounds of the general formula (I) in which the residues R1 to R7 have the meanings given in the application as well as methods for their preparation. The compounds are in particular suitable as substrates for RNA or DNA polymerases and can thus be incorporated into RNA or DNA oligonucleotides and are especially suitable for labelling and detecting nucleic acids or for DNA sequencing.
US08013131B2
The invention relates to synthetic molecules that spontaneously and stably incorporate into lipid by-layers, including cell membranes. Particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to the use of these molecules as synthetic membrane anchors or synthetic molecule constructs to effect qualitative and quantitative changes in the expression of cell surface antigens.
US08013116B2
A polypeptide comprising one or more sequences derived from CDR2 or CDR3 of a TREM-1 protein, characterized by the ability to treat, ameliorate, or lessen the symptoms of conditions including sepsis, septic shock or sepsis-like conditions and IBD.
US08013099B2
Disclosed herein is a silane-functional mixture, comprising at least one phosphonic diester (A), at least one diphosphonic diester (A), or at least one phosphonic diester and one diphosphonic diester (A), and at least one compound (B) comprising at least two condensable silane groups.
US08013097B2
Silicone polyether copolymers are disclosed having the average formula E-B-[AB]n-E where E is an organofunctional endblocking group, B is a diorganopolysiloxane, A is a divalent organic group comprising at least one polyether group, and n is ≧1. The silicone polyether copolymers having an amine functional endblocking group are useful in the treatment of textiles and fibers.
US08013094B2
A gelling agent comprising an organopolysiloxane having a silicon-bonded organic group represented by general formula: R1—X—CO—NH—[X—N(—CO—X—R1)]p—X— (1) (wherein R1 designates a group containing metal salt of a carboxylic acid represented by formula —COO− (Mn+)1/n (where M is a metal that has a valence of 1 or higher); X's designate the same or different C2 to C14 bivalent hydrocarbon groups; and p designates an integer from 0 to 10.). Preferably, the organosiloxane has an optionally substituted C9 or more univalent hydrocarbon group. And a gelatinous composition comprising:(A) 1 to 99 wt. % of aforementioned gelling agent; and (B) 99 to 1 wt. % of a compound selected from the group consisting of a silicone oil, a no-polar organic compound, or a low-polar organic compound, or mixtures thereof. The gelatinous composition has excellent thermal stability, temporal stability, and properties of thixotropic rheology.
US08013092B1
A waterborne coating produced form a composition containing a binder resin having post crosslinking groups, an associative thickener having post crosslinking groups, a dispersant having post crosslinking groups, and a reactive diluent having post crosslinking groups.
US08013091B2
Provided are a resin for an optical component, which has heat resistance, does not suffer from yellowing because of its stability against heat, and is excellent in transparency and workability; a raw material composition used for the resin for an optical component; and an optical component. Specifically, provided is a resin for an optical component containing a (meth)acrylate compound unit (A1), in which a hydrocarbon group containing an adamantane structure is ester-bonded, and a (meth)acrylate compound unit (B1) having a polyfunctional group, which is other than the unit (A1). Also, provided is a raw material composition used for a resin for an optical component, which contains a (meth)acrylate compound (A2) in which a hydrocarbon group containing an adamantane structure is ester-bonded, and a (meth)acrylate compound (B2) having a polyfunctional group, which is other than the compound (A2). Further, provided is an optical component which is obtained by polymerizing and molding the raw material composition.
US08013087B2
A process for preparing water-absorbing polymer beads by polymerizing droplets of a monomer solution in a gas phase surrounding the droplets, the initiator being added to the monomer solution from 0.5 to 60 seconds before the droplets are generated.
US08013085B2
Process for preparing an aqueous polymer dispersion by polymerizing at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer B in an aqueous medium in the presence of polymer particles A and at least one dispersant.
US08013083B2
A method for inhibiting the premature polymerization of styrenic monomers is disclosed wherein the method comprises adding to said monomers a combination of: (A) at least one inhibitor that is a sulfonic acid compound in a concentration sufficient to initiate cationic polymerization of said styrenic monomers at any point of the manufacturing or purification process and cause a resulting temperature increase; and (B) at least one amine in a concentration sufficient to reduce said cationic polymerization and said temperature increase; whereby an uncontrolled exothermic reaction between said sulfonic acid compound and said styrenic monomers will be prevented.
US08013077B2
An insulating film forming composition, includes: a polymer compound obtained by polymerizing a cage-type silsesquioxane compound having two or more unsaturated groups as substituents; a heat-resistant organic polymer compound having a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond; and an organic solvent, and a method for producing an insulating film, includes: coating the insulating film forming composition on a substrate; and then curing the coating.
US08013076B2
A composition comprises a blend of an aromatic polyketone and a polysiloxane/polyimide block copolymer. The composition can further comprise one or more additives.
US08013073B2
Disclosed is a method for preparing polyolefins containing vinylidine end groups from quasiliving carbocationically terminated polyolefin polymers by contacting the quasiliving carbocationically terminated polymer with a suitable nonaromatic heterocyclic ring quenching agent and substituted derivatives thereof.
US08013066B2
A process for the production of impact-modified composition that contains polyalkylene terephthalate and polycarbonate resins is disclosed. The process includes (i) in a first step combining in the melt at 90 to 175° C. glycidyl ester with at least one member selected from the first group consisting of polyalkylene terephthalate and polycarbonate to obtain a molten mixture, said member in powder form, and (ii) in a subsequent step combining the molten mixture with at least one component selected from the second group consisting of polyalkylene terephthalate and polycarbonate to obtain a composition. The composition is characterized in high gloss value.
US08013064B2
To provide an elastomer composition that can be easily prevented from being blocking to a substrate. A perfluoroelastomer composition comprising (A) a perfluoroelastomer and (B) a fluorosilane compound.
US08013060B2
The present invention relates to a method for concentrating organic silicate polymer solution, and more precisely, a method for concentrating organic silicate polymer solution by distillation which is characterized by remarkably reduced distillation time realized by the short-term continuous distillation at low temperature under low pressure, minimized physical property changes attributed to the inhibition of the heat-induced reaction by making the solution pass through the thin film evaporator shortly, concentration without cake generation, and easy manipulation with high capacity, making the method highly economical.
US08013058B2
A composition and composite article have improved adherence with an addition-curable material. The composition and therefore the composite article, which includes at least one substrate formed from the composition, include a resin and an additive that is incorporated into the resin. The resin is organic and polymeric and free of ethylenically unsaturated and silicon hydride functional groups. The additive is selected from the group of a fluorine-substituted organopolysiloxane, an amino-functional organopolysiloxane, an unsaturated carboxylic acid or carboxylic acid salt, and combinations thereof. Further, the additive includes a hydrosilylation reactive group present at a surface of the substrate for reaction with the addition-curable material. This improves adherence of the substrate with the addition-curable material. The substrate and the addition-curable material bond together to make the composition article.
US08013056B2
A silicone resin composition comprising (A) a heat-curable organopolysiloxane having a melting point of 40-130° C., (B) a white pigment, (C) an inorganic filler, and (D) a curing catalyst is transfer or compression moldable at elevated temperatures into a cured product having white color, heat resistance, light resistance and minimal yellowing. The cured product is suited as a case in which an optoelectronic part is enclosed.
US08013043B2
A hazy polyester film with a thickness in the range from 10 to 100 μm including thermoplastic polyester as the main constituent and barium sulfate with a particle size in the range from 0.1 to 0.5 μm, expressed as d50, in an amount in the range from 5 to 25% by weight. The films exhibit a transparency, measured to ASTM-D 1003, of greater than 56% and a haze in the range from 40 to 95%. Owing to their particular optical properties in the form of high transparency with simultaneous scattering action in the form of volume scatter, the film is suitable particularly for use for internal and external window glazing, for interior paneling in bright rooms, for exhibition construction, in vehicles and buildings, in the lighting sector and in shopfitting and shelving.
US08013042B2
A multiple particle (e.g., a spherical particle) comprising an organic solid component (A) containing a plurality of organic solid materials (e.g., polymers) is produced by eluting a water-soluble auxiliary component (B) containing at least an oligosaccharide (B1) from a composition having a disperse system, in which a particulate dispersed phase comprising the organic solid component (A) is dispersed in a matrix comprising the auxiliary component (B). The organic solid materials may be different in affinity relative to the auxiliary component (B) from each other. The particle may have a core-shell structure which comprises a core containing a first organic solid material (e.g., a hydrophobic polymer) and a shell containing a second organic solid material (e.g., a hydrophilic polymer) immiscible with the first organic solid material.
US08013040B2
This invention is directed to an extruded product, extrudable compound, and an extrusion method using a polymer, a cellulosic fiber, and at least one lubricant selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated esters of hydantoins, ethoxylated esters of sorbitol or sorbitan, or N, N′-bisalkanoylethylenediamines containing from 8 to 14 carbons of the alkanoyl group and compositions manufactured through such processes which simulate conventional wood products. The N,N′-bisalkanoylethylenediamines are new compositions of matter containing from 8 to 14 carbons of the alkanoyl group having a particle size range from about 90 to 150 μm, preferably from about 120 to 140 μm.
US08013038B2
The object of the invention is a method for the dispersion of reactive monomers, wherein a monomer emulsion (8) is fed at a first pressure through a dispersion jet (7) and a second dispersion (9) is fed laterally behind the dispersion jet at a second pressure that is less than the first pressure, both the emulsion and the dispersion being dispersed with one another in a mixing chamber. Using the method, nanoparticle-laden monomer emulsions may be produced that, after polymerization, produce polymer-coated nanoparticles.
US08013033B2
An emulsion stabilizer is disclosed having a water tolerance value of between more than about 1.0 and equal or less than about 11.0.
US08013030B2
A process for the production of a moulding composed of foamed polytetrafluoroethylene by means of an extruder, includes introducing a foaming agent, which brings about foaming, into the polytetrafluoro-ethylene, where the extruder used includes a commercially available extruder, to which a thermoplastically processable, fusible polytetrafluoroethylene is fed, the polytetrafluoroethylene is fed to the extruder together with a foaming agent which has chemical action and which has a decomposition temperature of at least 320° C., and after its discharge from the extruder, the moulding is drawn off in the direction of production without any further measures relating to the foaming procedure.
US08013029B2
Disclosed are a mortar for concrete mainly consisting of urethane foam and a method for manufacturing the same, in which urethane foam and Styrofoam used as insulating materials for household electronic appliances and a pre-cast panel are not discarded, but recycled such that the urethane foam and the Styrofoam are mixed with concrete in the construction of flooring of apartments or an ondol of houses. Low weight structure, superior sound-absorption effect and heat insulation effect can be obtained, and cracks are prevented from being generated in the constructed part. Construction work is simplified, and economical efficiency is enhanced. Collected waste urethane foam and waste Styrofoam are pulverized into a size of 1 to 10 mm using a pulverizer. The pulverized urethane foam and Styrofoam are mixed to each other to form urethane foam. Admixture is added to the urethane foam, and then cement and water are mixed with the urethane foam in a predetermined ratio to form a lightweight insulating urethane foam concrete mortar using a mixer and a truck mixture. The lightweight insulating urethane foam concrete mortar is manufactured and is transported from a mixing area to a construction part such that materials of the concrete is prevented from being separated from each other. The concrete is poured using squeezing equipment and hydraulic transfer equipment and then cured for a predetermined curing time to prevent sudden change in the temperature.
US08013008B2
A compound represented by the formula (I) each symbol of which is defined in the specification, or a salt thereof which has a superior androgen receptor regulating activity.
US08013003B2
This invention relates to compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and methods for use in the prevention and treatment of cerebral insufficiency, including enhancement of receptor functioning in synapses in brain networks responsible for basic and higher order behaviors. These brain networks, which are involved in regulation of breathing, and cognitive abilities related to memory impairment, such as is observed in a variety of dementias, in imbalances in neuronal activity between different brain regions, as is suggested in disorders such as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, respiratory depression, sleep apneas, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and affective or mood disorders, and in disorders wherein a deficiency in neurotrophic factors is implicated, as well as in disorders of respiration such as overdose of an alcohol, an opiate, an opioid, a barbiturate, an anesthetic, or a nerve toxin, or where the respiratory depression results form a medical condition such as central sleep apnea, stroke-induced central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, congenital hypoventilation syndrome, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, sudden infant death syndrome, Rett syndrome, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, Cheney-Stokes respiration, Ondines curse, Prader-Willi's syndrome and drowning. In a particular aspect, the invention relates to compounds useful for treatment of such conditions, and methods of using these compounds for such treatment.
US08013000B2
Compounds of the formula where the variables have the meaning defined in the specification have analgesic and/or immunostimulant effect in mammals.
US08012998B2
The invention relates to a compound of formula I wherein Ar1, Ar2, R1, R2, R3, R4, n, o, p, and q are as defined herein and to a pharmaceutically active salt thereof, including all stereoisomeric forms, individual diastereoisomers and enantiomers of the compound of formula (I) as well as racemic and non-racemic mixtures thereof. The compounds are high potential NK-3 receptor antagonists for the treatment of depression, pain, psychosis, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
US08012994B1
A method for treating sensorineural hearing loss caused by different factors, such as hyperbilirubinemia, birth injuries, viral and bacterial infections, ototoxic medications, Usher's syndrome, craniocerebral trauma with a fracture of the base of the scull and the pyramid of the temporal bone, and neurinomas. The method includes administering donepezil hydrochloride (ARICEPT®) in a dosage of 2.5 to 5 mg for an adult, one to two times a day, for 3 to 15 courses of treatment of 20-25 days each. For a child, the dosage is reduced to a range of 0.625 to 1.25 mg.
US08012990B2
A method of converting a treatment for pain comprising intravenous administration of opioids, to a treatment for pain comprising oral administration of a first dose of an immediate release morphine-oxycodone combination in patients in need of analgesia. The method may comprise (1) determining a four-hour average oral morphine equivalents or determining a net average hourly intravenous dose, and (2) orally administering to the patient a first dose of a morphine-oxycodone combination in a 3:2 ratio by weight every four to six hours. Also, a method of treating pain in patients who had been administered opioids intravenously, comprising using a dosing algorithm to determine the first dose of the immediate release morphine-oxycodone combination.
US08012978B2
The present invention provides prodrugs of analogs of the anti-tumor antibiotic CC-1065 having a cleavable protective group containing a sulfonic acid containing phenyl carbamate, in which the protecting group confers enhanced water solubility upon the prodrug, and in which the prodrug also has a moiety, such as a sulfide or a disulfide, that can conjugate to a cell binding reagent such as an antibody, and for the therapeutic use of such prodrug and conjugates, and for processes for preparing such prodrugs and conjugates.
US08012972B2
Objects of the present invention are to study the synthesis of a novel pyridinecarboxylic acid (2-aminophenyl)amide derivative having a novel urea structure and to find a pharmacological effect of the derivative. The invention provides a compound represented by the formula (1) or a salt thereof. In the formula, R1 and R2 represent a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group or the like; R3 represents a hydroxy group, a lower alkoxy group, a lower cycloalkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, a carboxy group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group, —OCONRaRb, —NRcRd or the like; R4 and R5 represent a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a hydroxy group, a lower alkoxy group or the like; Ra and Rb represent a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group or the like; Rc and Rd represent a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower cycloalkyl group, an aryl group or the like; X represents a lower alkylene group; Y represents a single bond, a lower alkylene group; W1-W2 represents N—C or C—N; and l and m represent 0, 1, 2 or 3.
US08012971B2
Disclosed is a method for the prevention and/or treatment of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by administrating a 5-membered cyclic compound represented by the formula below: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound or a prodrug of the compound or salt: wherein X represents an oxygen or sulfur atom; R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or the like; R2 represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or the like; Y1 represents single bond, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene or the like; the wavy line means an (E) or (Z) coordination; R3 represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or the like; Y2 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene or an alkenylene; R4 represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkanoyl or the like; and R5 represents a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl.
US08012968B2
This invention relates to new quinolone based compounds that exhibit prolyl hydroxylase inhibitory activity. This invention also relates to methods of increasing HIF levels or activity in a subject or treating a condition associated with HIF levels or activity in a subject by administering to the subject at least one quinolone based compound. This invention further involves assays for the detection of a hydroxyproline residue in a HIF molecule.
US08012967B2
There is provided compounds of formula (I), wherein R1, R11, R12, Qa, X, Qb, Qc, A and D have meanings given in the description, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, which compound, salt or solvate binds to the minor groove of DNA.
US08012965B2
Bridged bicyclic aryl and bridged bicyclic heteroaryl substituted triazoles useful as axl inhibitors
Bridged bicyclic aryl or heteroaryl substituted triazoles and pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds are disclosed as being useful in inhibiting the activity of the receptor protein tyrosine kinase Axl. Methods of using the compounds in treating diseases or conditions associated with Axl activity are also disclosed.
US08012964B2
The present invention provides an 8-oxoadenine compound having immunemodulating activities such as an interferon inducing activity and useful as an antiviral agent and antiallergic agent, which is represented by the following formula (1): [wherein the ring A represents a 6-10 membered aromatic carbocyclic ring and the like, R represents a halogen atom, an alkyl group and the like, n represents an integer of 0-2, Z1 represents alkylene, X2 represents oxygen atom, sulfur atom, SO2, NR5, CO, CONR5, NR5CO and the like, Y1, Y2 and Y3 represent independently a single bond or an alkylene group, X1 represents oxygen atom, sulfur atom, NR4 (R4 is hydrogen atom or an alkyl group) or a single bond, R2 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, R1 represents hydrogen atom, hydroxy group, an alkoxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group or a haloalkyl group] or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt.
US08012955B2
The present invention provides N-substituted-heterocycloalkyloxybenzamide compounds, as well as pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use. One embodiment of the invention is a compound having the structure in which R1, R2, R3, R4, T, n, w and x are as described herein. In certain embodiments of the invention, a compound of the present invention activates the AMPK pathway, and can be used to treat metabolism-related disorders and conditions.
US08012948B2
Provided herein are methods and compositions for killing tumor cells. In certain embodiments, compositions can promote apoptosis by down-regulating FAPP2 and PATZ1 products.
US08012947B2
Provided herein are compositions and methods that inhibit expression of Adam12 gene products, such as ADAM12 mRNA and/or ADAM12 polypeptides, as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of, or promotion of healing of, wounds.
US08012940B2
To control neuropathic pain produced by various mechanisms. Disclosed is a composition for elimination, relief or reduction of neuropathic pain comprising, as an active ingredient, at least one substance selected from the group consisting of D-allose, a derivative of D-allose, D-psicose and a derivative of D-psicose preferably in an amount of 0.01 to 90% by weight. The composition may comprise a mixture of D-allose and/or a derivative thereof and D-psicose and/or a derivative thereof at a ratio of 1:1 to 10:1. The neuropathic pain may be one induced by a disease selected from the group consisting of trigeminal neuralgia, postoperative pain, periodontitis, gingivitis, gingivostomatitis, oral ulcer, herpes zoster, postherpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuritis, causalgia, phantom limb pain and malignant tumor. Also disclosed is use of the composition for elimination, relief or reduction of neuropathic pain by administering the composition to a patient with neuropathic pain in such an amount that 0.01 to 100 g of the at least one substance can be taken by the patient per day.
US08012937B2
A novel gene 098P4B6 (also designated STEAP-2) and its encoded protein, and variants thereof, are described wherein 98P4B6 exhibits tissue specific expression in normal adult tissue, and is aberrantly expressed in the cancers listed in Table I. Consequently, 98P4B6 provides a diagnostic, prognostic, prophylactic and/or therapeutic target for cancer. The 98P4B6 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 98P4B6 can be used in active or passive immunization.
US08012931B2
Modified FGF-21 polypeptides and uses thereof are provided.
US08012924B2
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.
US08012909B2
An heat-sensitive transfer image-forming method which uses a heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet and a heat-sensitive transfer sheet, in which the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet includes at least one receptor layer; and the heat-sensitive transfer sheet includes at least one yellow dye layer, at least one magenta dye layer, and at least one cyan dye layer: the method including superposing the heat-sensitive transfer sheet on the heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, and then heating to form an image on the receptor layer; and controlling the maximum value of E value represented by formula (1) having the range from 52 to 72, based on a* value and b* value in the region of L* value of the formed magenta monochromatic image ranging from 45 to 90: Formula (1) E=√(a*2+b*2).
US08012908B2
A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, which is used in an image formation system that continuously produces printed outputs at intervals of 5 seconds or below between the end of ejection of one sheet printed and the start of ejection of the next sheet printed, and which has on a support at least one receptor layer containing a latex polymer comprising repeating units of vinyl chloride component and at least one heat insulation layer containing hollow polymer particles; and a method of forming an image, which uses utilizes the above heat-sensitive image-receiving sheet.
US08012906B2
A high-temperature catalytic material and a method for producing the same are disclosed. The high-temperature catalytic material is obtained by subjecting a mixture of gibbsite and boehmite in a desired weight ratio to a single dry thermal treatment in the air, without alkaline or hydrothermal treatment, so as to obtain multiphase alumina powder as the high-temperature catalytic material. The multiphase alumina powder applied in the high-temperature catalytic material can raise the temperature of phase transformation, maintain its high specific surface area when suffering high temperatures for a long time, prolongs its lifetime, and reduces the usage of noble metals, resulting in great reduction of cost.
US08012899B2
Provided is a process for safely transporting or recycling an ionic liquid catalyst based on chloroaluminates. The process comprises mixing a secondary alcohol with an ionic liquid based on a chloroaluminate and allowing a reaction to occur forming an aluminum chloride adduct precipitate. The precipitate is filtered and the secondary alcohol removed, leaving a solid salt. This solid salt is the ionic liquid catalyst absent aluminum chloride, for example, Nbutylpyridinium chloride. This salt is recycled to the reactor. AlCl3 is added to the salt prior to introduction into the reactor to remake the ionic liquid catalyst, for example, Nbutylpyridinium heptachloroaluminate.
US08012890B1
Provided herein are flame resistant fabrics having a thermoplastic fiber content of as much as 65% (where no more than 5% of the fibers are non-thermoplastic synthetic fibers). The flame resistant properties are imparted by treating the fabric with one or more flame retardant chemicals and then by curing the treated fabric at high temperatures. Optionally, softeners, stain release agents, soil repellent agents, permanent press resins, and the like may be added to the bath of flame retardant chemicals. Alternately, the treated fabric may be subjected to mechanical treatment to increase softness. The fabrics produced by the present process exhibit improved performance and tear strength, as compared to conventionally treated fabrics.
US08012887B2
Methods of depositing silicon oxide layers on substrates involve flowing a silicon-containing precursor, an oxidizing gas, water and an additive precursor into a processing chamber such that a uniform silicon oxide growth rate is achieved across the substrate surface. The surface of silicon oxide layers grown according to embodiments may have a reduced roughness when grown with the additive precursor. In other aspects of the disclosure, silicon oxide layers are deposited on a patterned substrate with trenches on the surface by flowing a silicon-containing precursor, an oxidizing gas, water and an additive precursor into a processing chamber such that the trenches are filled with a reduced quantity and/or size of voids within the silicon oxide filler material.
US08012883B2
Methods are provided for manufacturing optical display devices which remove an etch resist and residual post-etch metal in a single step. These methods are particularly useful in the manufacture of LCDs.
US08012876B2
A method is disclosed that uses solid precursors for semiconductor processing. A solid precursor is provided in a storage container. The solid precursor is transformed into a liquid state in the storage container. The liquid state precursor is transported from the storage container to a liquid holding container. The liquid state precursor is transported from the liquid holding container to a reaction chamber. The molten precursor allows the precursor to be metered in the liquid state. The storage container can be heated only when necessary to replenish the liquid holding container, thereby reducing the possibility of thermal decomposition of the precursor.
US08012866B2
A method for bonding a semiconductor device onto a substrate is provided which comprises the steps of picking up a solder ball with a pick head, placing the solder ball onto the substrate and melting the solder ball on the substrate and placing the semiconductor device on the molten solder ball. The molten solder ball is then allowed to cool to form a solder joint which bonds the semiconductor device to the substrate.
US08012864B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a first face and a second face on a side opposite to the first face; an external connection terminal formed on the first face of the semiconductor substrate; a first electrode formed on the first face of the semiconductor substrate and electrically connected to the external connection terminal; an electronic element formed on or above the second face of the semiconductor substrate; a second electrode electrically connected to the electronic element and having a top face and a rear face; a groove portion formed on the second face of the semiconductor substrate and having a bottom face including at least part of the rear face of the second electrode; and a conductive portion formed in the groove portion and electrically connected to the rear face of the second electrode.
US08012863B2
A transistor with a gate stack having a metal electrode and a method for forming the same. The method includes providing a structure which includes (a) a substrate, (b) a gate dielectric layer on the substrate, and (c) a gate layer on the gate dielectric layer. The gate layer includes an oxidized layer. The oxidized layer comprises an oxidized material. Then, the structure is exposed to a first plasma resulting in removal of oxygen atoms from molecules of the oxidized material.
US08012851B2
A photovoltaic cell device, e.g., solar cell, solar panel, and method of manufacture. The device has an optically transparent substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface. A first thickness of material (e.g., semiconductor material, single crystal material) having a first surface region and a second surface region is included. In a preferred embodiment, the surface region is overlying the first surface of the optically transparent substrate. The device has an optical coupling material provided between the first surface region of the thickness of material and the first surface of the optically transparent material. A second thickness of semiconductor material is overlying the second surface region to form a resulting thickness of semiconductor material.
US08012847B2
First and second isolation trenches are formed into semiconductive material of a semiconductor substrate. The first isolation trench has a narrowest outermost cross sectional dimension which is less than that of the second isolation trench. An insulative layer is deposited to within the first and second isolation trenches effective to fill remaining volume of the first isolation trench within the semiconductive material but not that of the second isolation trench within the semiconductive material. The insulative layer comprises silicon dioxide deposited from flowing TEOS to the first and second isolation trenches. A spin-on-dielectric is deposited over the silicon dioxide deposited from flowing the TEOS within the second isolation trench within the semiconductive material, but not within the first isolation trench within the semiconductive material. The spin-on-dielectric is deposited effective to fill remaining volume of the second isolation trench within the semiconductive material. The spin-on-dielectric is densified within the second isolation trench.
US08012845B2
In an insulating film pattern, a first pattern part is formed at one surface of the insulating film pattern to form a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor. The first pattern part is recessed in one surface of the insulating film pattern. The insulating film pattern is formed on a substrate through an imprint scheme, and is deposited on a base substrate having a gate electrode and a gate line through a contact print scheme. A source electrode, drain electrode, and semiconductor layer of a thin film transistor are formed through an inkjet print scheme using a first pattern part of the insulating film pattern. A gate electrode and gate line may be formed using a second pattern part of the insulating film pattern.
US08012828B2
A recess gate of a semiconductor device is provided, comprising: a substrate having a recess formed therein; a metal layer formed at the bottom of the recess; a polysilicon layer formed over the metal layer; and a source region and a drain region formed adjacent to the polysilicon layer and spaced from the metal layer. A method of forming a semiconductor device is also provided, comprising forming a substrate and a source and drain layer; forming a recess and depositing a gate insulation layer therein; forming a first conductive layer on the gate insulation layer; forming a first conductive layer pattern by recessing the first conductive layer; forming a second conductive layer on the first conductive layer pattern; forming a second conductive layer pattern by patterning the second conductive layer to overlap the source and drain layer; depositing an insulating layer on the second conductive layer pattern and the source and drain layer; and planarizing the insulating layer to form a cap on the second conductive layer pattern.
US08012813B2
A three mask process for forming an LCD substrate includes, depositing in sequence on a base substrate a gate metallic layer, a gate insulation layer and a channel layer. A first photoresist pattern is used to form a gate electrode of a switching device, a channel pattern and a gate line on the gate electrode. A transparent conductive layer and a source metallic layer are deposited in sequence on the base substrate having the channel pattern. A source electrode and a drain electrode of the switching device, a pixel electrode and a source line electronically connected to the drain electrode, are formed by a second photoresist pattern. A first protective insulation layer is formed, and the first protective insulation layer on the pixel electrode is removed by a third photoresist pattern. Therefore, by the three masks process yields a simplified manufacturing process in which the lower portion of the source metallic pattern is not formed and display quality is improved.
US08012812B2
A separation layer is formed over a substrate, an insulating film 107 is formed over the separation layer, a bottom gate insulating film 103 is formed over the insulating film 107, an amorphous semiconductor film is formed over the bottom gate insulating film 103, the amorphous semiconductor film is crystallized to form a crystalline semiconductor film over the bottom gate insulating film 103, a top gate insulating film 105 is formed over the crystalline semiconductor film, top gate electrodes 106a and 106b are formed over the top gate insulating film 105, the separation layer is separated from the insulating film 107, the insulating film 107 is processed to expose the bottom gate insulating film 103, and bottom gate electrodes 115a and 115b in contact with exposed the gate insulating film 103 are formed.
US08012811B2
A feature is formed in an integrated circuit by providing one or more layers to be patterned, providing a first layer overlying the one or more layers to be patterned, and providing a second layer overlying the first layer. The second layer is patterned to form a raised feature with one or more sidewalls. Subsequently, the first layer is processed such that components of the first layer deposit on the one or more sidewalls of the raised feature to form a mask. The mask is used to pattern the one or more layers to be patterned.
US08012810B2
A method of manufacturing low parasitic capacitance bit line for stack DRAM, comprising the following steps: offering a semi-conductor base, which semi-conductor having already included an oxide, plural word line stacks, plural bit line stacks and plural polysilicons; applying a multi layer resist coat; removing the multi layer resist coat and further removing parts of the oxide located on the polysilicon to form contact holes exposing the plural polysilicons; depositing an oxide layer; etching the oxide layer to form the oxide layer spacer; depositing a polysilicon layer; performing lithography and etching on the polysilicon layer thereby allowing the rest of the polysilicon layer that is column-shaped to form capacitor contacts; and using another oxide to fill into the space among the word line stacks and the capacitor contacts.
US08012807B2
A method for producing chip packages is disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of chips is provided. The chips each have first pads. Second connection pads are applied on the wafer, wherein each second pad is electrically connected to a first pad.
US08012792B2
The invention provides a high quality composite phosphor powder which ensures diversity in emission spectrum, color reproduction index, color temperature and color, a light emitting device using the same and a method for manufacturing the composite phosphor powder. The composite phosphor powder comprises composite particles. Each of the composite particles includes at least two types of phosphor particles and a light transmitting binder. The phosphor particles have different emission spectrums. In addition, the light transmitting binder is formed between the phosphor particles and binds them together.
US08012785B2
An embodiment of a method is provided that includes providing a substrate having a frontside and a backside. A CMOS device is formed on the substrate. A MEMS device is also formed on the substrate. Forming the MEMS device includes forming a MEMS mechanical structure on the frontside of the substrate. The MEMS mechanical structure is then released. A protective layer is formed on the frontside of the substrate. The protective layer is disposed on the released MEMS mechanical structure (e.g., protects the MEMS structure). The backside of the substrate is processed while the protective layer is disposed on the MEMS mechanical structure.
US08012782B2
In a liquid crystal display device, a first substrate includes electrical wirings and a semiconductor integrated circuit which has TFTs and is connected electrically to the electrical wirings, and a second substrate includes a transparent conductive film on a surface thereof. A surface of the first substrate that the electrical wirings are formed is opposite to the transparent conductive film on the second substrate. the semiconductor integrated circuit has substantially the same length as one side of a display screen (i.e., a matrix circuit) of the display device and is obtained by peeling it from another substrate and then forming it on the first substrate. Also, in a liquid crystal display device, a first substrate includes a matrix circuit and a peripheral driver circuit, and a second substrate is opposite to the first substrate, includes a matrix circuit and a peripheral driver circuit and has at least a size corresponding to the matrix circuit and the peripheral driver circuit. Spacers is provided between the first and second substrates. A seal material is formed outside the matrix circuits and the peripheral driver circuits in the first and second substrates. A liquid crystal material is filled inside a region enclosed by the seal material. A protective film is formed on the peripheral driver circuit has substantially a thickness equivalent to an interval between the substrates which is formed by the spacers.
US08012779B2
A vertical GaN-based LED comprises an n-electrode; an n-type GaN layer formed under the n-electrode, the n-type GaN layer having an irregular-surface structure which includes a first irregular-surface structure having irregularities formed at even intervals and a second irregular-surface structure having irregularities formed at uneven intervals, the second irregular-surface structure being formed on the first irregular-surface structure; an active layer formed under the n-type GaN layer; a p-type GaN layer formed under the active layer; a p-electrode formed under the p-type GaN layer; and a structure support layer formed under the p-electrode.
US08012778B2
The invention provides an LED package capable of effectively releasing heat emitted from an LED chip out of the package and a fabrication method thereof. For this purpose, at least one groove is formed on an underside surface of the substrate to package the LED chip and the groove is filled with carbon nanotube material. In the LED package, a substrate having at least one groove on the underside surface is prepared. A plurality of electrodes are formed on a top surface of the substrate. Also, at least the one LED chip is mounted over the substrate to have both terminals electrically connected to the upper electrodes. In addition, carbon nanotube filler is filled in the groove of the substrate.
US08012773B2
A method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head includes providing a first layer containing a metal nitride to at least a portion on one surface of a silicon substrate corresponding to a supply port; providing a second layer on the first layer, the second layer including any one of aluminum, copper, and gold, or an alloy thereof; etching a portion of the silicon substrate corresponding to the supply port by reactive ion etching in a direction from the reverse surface towards the one surface so that the etched region reaches the first layer; and removing a portion of the first layer corresponding to the supply port and then removing a portion of the second layer corresponding to the supply port, thus forming the supply port.
US08012772B2
A substrate treating apparatus, in which a voltage is applied to between a treatment electrode and a target substrate in such a state that the treatment electrode is opposed to the target substrate to thereby perform substrate treatment for removing undesired substances on the target substrate, has a reference electrode, a transfer unit which transfers at least one of the treatment electrode and the reference electrode to thereby provide the treatment electrode so that the treatment electrode is opposed to the reference electrode, and a check unit for applying a voltage to between the treatment electrode and the reference electrode in such a state that the treatment electrode is opposed to the reference electrode and thereby checking an adhesion level of undesired substances onto the treatment electrode surface.
US08012771B2
A method for manufacturing magnetic field detection devices comprises the operations of manufacturing a magneto-resistive element comprising regions with metallic conduction and regions with semi-conductive conduction. The method comprises the following operations: forming metallic nano-particles to obtain regions with metallic conduction; providing a semiconductor substrate; and applying metallic nano-particles to the porous semiconductor substrate to obtain a disordered mesoscopic structure. A magnetic device comprises a spin valve, which comprises a plurality of layers arranged in a stack which in turn comprises at least one free magnetic layer able to be associated to a temporary magnetisation (MT), a spacer layer and a permanent magnetic layer associated to a permanent magnetisation (MP). The spacer element is obtained by means of a mesoscopic structure of nanoparticles in a metallic matrix produced in accordance with the inventive method for manufacturing magneto-resistive elements.
US08012764B2
A mass spectrometer and method of mass spectrometry are disclosed wherein two separate samples are mass analysed and then the relative intensity, concentration or expression level of one or more components, molecules or analytes in a first sample is quantitated relative to the intensity, concentration or expression level of one or more components, molecules or analytes in a second sample. The relative quantitation is performed probabilistically without the need to resort to using internal calibrants.
US08012759B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus that enable rapid and automatic determination of the coagulant injection rate in a process of water treatment through coagulation and sedimentation. Using a coagulation analyzer comprising sample tanks 1A to 1D each for keeping a predetermined amount of raw water, a water supply pump 7, water supply/discharge valves 4, 6 for raw water and washing water, mixers 3A to 3D, a coagulant injection unit 21, and a detector 30 for determining the particle size and the particle number of flocs, the time within which the coagulant 20 injected into the sample tanks is dispersed by mixing and the particles begin to agglomerate (agglomeration start time) is determined, and based on the thus-determined agglomeration start time, the coagulant injection rate is determined, or the amount of the coagulant to be injected is controlled.
US08012747B2
The present invention relates generally to methods and compositions for expression of polypeptides or delivery of interfering RNA's in various cell types.
US08012742B2
A tube and float system for use in separation and axial expansion of the buffy coat is provided. The system includes a transparent, or semi-transparent, flexible sample tube and a rigid separator float having a specific gravity intermediate that of red blood cells and plasma. The sample tube has an elongated sidewall having a first cross-sectional inner diameter. The float consists of a main body portion and one or more support members protruding from the main body portion to engage and support the sidewall of the sample tube. The main body portion and the support members of the float have a cross-sectional diameter less than that of the first cross-sectional inner diameter of the tube when the sample tube is expanded, such as by centrifugation. The main body portion of the float together with an axially aligned portion of the sidewall define an annular volume therebetween. The support members protruding from the main body portion of the float traverse said annular volume to produce one or more analysis areas. During centrifugation, the centrifugal force enlarges the diameter of the tube to permit density-based axial movement of the float in the tube. Thereafter, the centrifugal force is reduced to cause the tube sidewall to return to its first diameter, thereby capturing the float and trapping the buffy coat constituents in the analysis area. The bully coat constituents can then be evaluated or measured.
US08012741B2
The invention relates to a biogas measuring device comprising a bioreactor (9); a gas volume measuring appliance (2) which is connected to the bioreactor (9) in a communicating manner by means of a gas line (11) for biogas; a stirring machine (10) guided in the bioreactor in a gas-tight manner, and a measurement, control and evaluation unit for controlling the biogas measuring device and determining the gas volume (V) produced in the bioreactor according to gas volumes (ΔV) of consecutive measuring cycles, measured by means of the gas volume measuring appliance (2). The inventive biogas measuring device is characterized in that the bioreactor (9) is outwardly sealed in a gas-tight manner in such a way that all gas volumes produced in the bioreactor (9) can be recorded by the measuring chamber (3) of the gas volume measuring appliance (2); a cooling element is provided on the gas line (11) for the biogas; and the measurement, control and evaluation unit is used, in each measuring cycle, to introduce a gas quantity into the measuring chamber (3) by opening the gas inlet valve (12) until a defined threshold gas pressure is reached, to close the gas inlet valve (12) when a defined threshold gas pressure is reached, to measure the temperature (Ti) in the measuring chamber (3), to open the gas outlet valve (14) for a relief time, and to close the gas outlet valve (14), and to control the biogas measuring device, in such a way that the cooling element is controlled in order to reduce the water vapor concentration in the biogas by condensation, and the measured gas volume (ΔV) of a measuring cycle is standardized to standard conditions.
US08012740B2
Systems, methods, compositions and apparatus relating to genome selection are disclosed.
US08012738B2
The present invention relates to methods for purification of Vaccinia viruses (W) and/or Vaccinia virus (W) particles, which can lead to highly pure and stable virus preparations of predominantly biologically active viruses. The invention encompasses purifying a virus preparation in a sterilized way with high efficiency and desirable yield in terms of purity, biological activity and stability, aspects advantageous for industrial production.
US08012728B2
The production of a thrombin preparation which is obtained from prothrombin which is, after activation to thrombin without the addition of thromboplastin, purified by a hydrophobic interaction chromatography, it being possible subsequently also to inactivate or remove viruses, is described. Before or after the hydrophobic interaction chromatography it is also possible in addition to carry out a cation exchange chromatography. A thrombin preparation which contains as stabilizer a noncovalently binding inhibitor and to which further stabilizers can be added for stabilization in the liquid state is additionally described.
US08012702B2
The invention relates to an isolated or recombinant Na+/H+ exchanger comprising an isolated or recombinant Na+/H+ exchanger, particularly to the PBO-4 Na+/H+ exchanger. Also disclosed is an isolated or recombinant protein component of an H+-gated channel which can be affected by extracellular Ca2+ concentration. In particular, the invention relates to PBO-5 and/or PBO-8 and/or a H+-gated channel composed of PBO-5 and PBO-8. The invention relates to compounds isolated from a vertebrate organism, wherein said compounds comprise at least a part of a H+-gated channel or Na+/H+ exchanger. The invention also relates to a method for identifying a component of a H+-gated channel in a vertebrate organism.
US08012692B2
Methods for producing and using protein/peptide fingerprints, allowing identification and investigation of disease-associated proteins/peptides that can be linked to specific drug targets, or to specific drug target combinations. The methods are particularly useful for studies relating to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), especially for the enzyme MMP12.
US08012686B2
The present invention provides a method of predicting the risk of a patient for developing adverse drug reactions, particularly SJS or TEN. It was discovered that an HLA-B allele, HLA-B* 1502, is associated with SJS/TEN that is induced by a variety of drugs. The correlation with HLA-B* 1502 is most significant for carbamazepine-induced SJS/TEN, wherein all the patients tested have the HLA-B* 1502 allele. In addition, another HLA-B allele, HLA-B*5801, is particularly associated with SJS/TEN induced by allopurinol. Milder cutaneous reactions, such as maculopapular rash, erythema multiforme (EM), urticaria, and fixed drug eruption, are particularly associated with a third allele, HLA-B *4601. For any of the alleles, genetic markers (e.g., HLA markers, microsatellite, or single nucleotide polymorphism markers) located between DRB1 and HLA-A region of the specific HLA-B haplotype can also be used for the test.
US08012680B2
A new technical means is provided that can be produced and prepared at low cost, and in which the generation of stagnation in the flow of a liquid sample can be suppressed, microbeads can be smoothly and simply injected, filled and transported and the generation of dust can be also suppressed and a new extracting method for nucleic acid using the new technical means is provided. A microchip has a microchannel (3) formed by groove parts (11, 21) provided in connecting surfaces of upper and lower substrates (1, 2). In the microchannel (3), a gap part (31) in which the section of the channel is reduced is provided in a central part upward and downward, rightward and leftward, or upward and downward and rightward and leftward the section thereof, and microbeads are checked.
US08012679B1
Seven polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies were characterized for their ability to react specifically with either conformational or non-conformational epitopes of the HPV-1 virion. Using these antibodies, it was shown that the HPV-1 L1 protein (when expressed by an SV40 vector in cos cells) displayed conformational epitopes characteristic of intact viral particles. In addition, the L1 capsid protein was translocated normally into cell nuclei, was of appropriate size (57kD), and could be isolated in native form by immunoprecipitation techniques. Most importantly, the screening of expressed papillomavirus capsid proteins for reactivity with conformation-dependent antibodies represents a new, general methodology for ensuring that such proteins will be suitable for use in vaccine development or in the serologic detection/typing of human papillomavirus infections.
US08012678B2
Cervical cancer cells and HPV+ head and neck cancer cells express three testis-specific genes not normally expressed in somatic cells: testicular cell adhesion molecule 1 (TCAM1), synaptonemal complex protein 2 (SYCP2) and stromal antigen 3 (STAG3). Among the three markers, TCAM1 and SYCP2 are early detection markers. Various methods for identifying a human or non-human animal as a candidate for further examination for cervical cancer, preneoplastic lesion for cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, or preneoplastic lesion for head and neck cancer are disclosed. Methods of detecting said cancers and preneoplastic lesions, methods of screening for drugs for treating said cancers and preneoplastic lesions, methods for monitoring the effectiveness of a treatment for said cancers, and methods of treating said cancers are also disclosed. Further disclosed are kits that can be used to practice the above methods.
US08012677B2
An evaluation and preservation solution for human and animal organs, tissues and parts thereof is described, wherein it comprises serum albumin at a concentration of 55-105 g/L, a scavenger and coating compound, preferably dextran compounds and derivatives thereof having essentially the same structure at a concentration of 1-55 g/L weight, and a physiological serum concentration of salts and nutrients in a physiologically acceptable medium.
US08012675B2
A method of patterning a target layer on a substrate is described. A patterned photoresist layer is formed over the target layer, wherein the patterned photoresist layer has unexposed parts as separate islands and each unexposed part has a low proton concentration at least in its sidewalls. Acid-crosslinked polymer layers are formed only on the sidewalls of each unexposed part. A flood exposure step is performed to the substrate. A baking step is performed to the patterned photoresist layer. A development step is performed to remove the previously unexposed parts. The target layer is etched with the acid-crosslinked polymer layers as a mask.
US08012670B2
New photoresist systems are provided that comprise an underlying processing (or barrier) layer composition and an overcoated photoresist layer. Systems of the invention can exhibit significant adhesion to SiON and other inorganic surface layers.
US08012664B2
A compound of the formula (I) where the symbols and indices are each defined as follows: A is A′, R or O—R; where R is a straight-chain, branched or cyclic, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic radical having 1-8 carbon atoms; A′ is the same or different and is B is a bond, —O—C(O)—, —C(O)—O—, —O—C(O)—, —C(O)—NH—, —NH—C(O)—, —C(O)—O—CH2—CH(OH)—CH2—O, —O—CH2—CH(OH)—CH2—O—(O)C—, —O—C(O)—O—, —O—C(O)—NH— or —NH—C(O)—O—; R1 is H or OH; m is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5; Y is n is a positive rational number ≧3; E is the same or different and is —CH—CHR2—, —CHR2—CH2—, —CH2—CHR2—O—, —O—CHR2—CH2—, —(CH2)r—O— or —O—(CH2)—; R2 is H or CH3 and r is 1 or 4, is suitable as a light-sensitive component for photoresists.
US08012662B2
A method of manufacturing toner including; melting and kneading a mixture including a binder resin and a coloring agent; cooling down the melted and kneaded mixture to provide a cooled mixture; coarsely pulverizing the cooled mixture to provide a coarsely pulverized mixture; finely pulverizing the coarsely pulverized mixture by supplying it via a pulverized material supply to a pulverizer that includes a rotation axis, a rotor attached to the rotation axis, and stators arranged around the rotor with a gap between the stators and the surface of the rotor and that performs pulverization in a circular space formed by the gap; and classifying the finely pulverized material by a classifier into at least fine powder, a toner product and coarse powder, wherein the coarse powder is returned to the pulverized material supply as part of the coarsely pulverized mixture.
US08012661B2
A method for producing a developing agent contains mechanically shearing a mixture containing a polyester resin, a colorant and a releasing agent to form first fine particles, aggregating the first fine particles to form aggregated particles as a core, aggregating second fine particles containing a polyester resin onto the core to form a shell.
US08012658B2
A toner including a binder resin including a polyester resin and a vinyl resin; a wax; and a colorant, wherein the vinyl resin includes a unit obtained from a radically polymerizable monomer having an alkyloxysilyl group. An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic image thereon; a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic image with a developer including the toner to form a toner image on the image bearing member; and a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image onto a receiving material. A process cartridge including an image bearing member; and a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic image on the image bearing member with a developer including the toner, wherein the process cartridge is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus as a unit.
US08012657B2
A photoconductor that includes, for example, a supporting substrate, a photogenerating layer, and at least one charge transport layer comprised of at least one charge transport component, and wherein the photogenerating layer contains a phenol polysulfide.
US08012654B2
A photomask blank is provided comprising an etch stop film which is disposed on a transparent substrate and is resistant to fluorine dry etching and removable by chlorine dry etching, a light-shielding film disposed on the etch stop film and including at least one layer composed of a transition metal/silicon material, and an antireflective film disposed on the light-shielding film. When the light-shielding film is dry etched to form a pattern, pattern size variation arising from pattern density dependency is reduced, so that a photomask is produced at a high accuracy.
US08012640B2
A stable and high reliability fuel cell electricity-generating device capable of generating electricity even in the case of sudden drop of load power. A fuel cell generating electric power from a fuel and an oxidizer, a fuel processor producing fuel to be supplied into the fuel cell from an electricity-generating material, a combustion device combusting a residual fuel gas unconsumed in the fuel cell to raise the temperature of the fuel processor, and an electric power generation instructing means of determining the electric power generated by the fuel cell, wherein when the electric power generation instructing means decreases the electric power generated by the fuel cell depending on the decrease of load power to be supplied, the rate at which the generated electric power is decreased is made different depending on the change of the temperature of the fuel processor.
US08012636B2
Apparatuses and methods for accelerated activation of fuel cells are disclosed. The apparatuses include a fuel cell stack; an air supplying means coupled to a cathode catalyst side of the fuel cell stack through a mass flow controller and a humidifier; a hydrogen supplying means coupled to an anode catalyst side of the fuel cell stack through a mass flow controller and a humidifier; and a cable coupled to both ends of the fuel cell stack for short-circuiting the cathode and the anode.
US08012635B2
A fuel reforming apparatus which generates a reformed gas containing hydrogen by reforming a fuel and supplies the reformed gas to a fuel cell body is provided. The fuel reforming apparatus is constructed with a burner which generates a flame by burning the fuel together with the atmospheric air, a reforming reactor which receives thermal energy of the flame and generates the reformed gas through a reforming reaction between the fuel and steam, an evaporator in which a pipeline for allowing the fuel and water to flow is disposed in the direction of the flame sprayed from the burner, with the water being evaporated by using the flame and the fuel and steam being supplied to the reforming reactor, and a spraying unit which is disposed in a direction of the sprayed flame to spray additional air into the evaporator.
US08012631B2
A solid electrolyte including a lithium (Li) element, a phosphorus (P) element and a sulfur (S) element, the 31P MAS NMR spectrum thereof having a peak ascribed to a crystal at 90.9±0.4 ppm and 86.5±0.4 ppm; and the ratio (xc) of the crystal in the solid electrolyte being from 60 mol % to 100 mol %.
US08012630B2
A polymer electrolyte secondary cell that is superior in the cycle characteristic and security during cell overcharge is provided. The polymer electrolyte of the cell includes a non-aqueous solvent, a lithium salt, and a polymer. The non-aqueous solvent contains at least one of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate. The volume ratio (25° C., 1 atm) of the ethylene carbonate and the propylene carbonate combined to the non-aqueous solvent is equal to or more than 60%. The polymer is made of a copolymer having a monomer containing N,N-dimethyl acrylamide and a compound with three or more acrylate groups and/or methacrylate groups. The ratio of the compound to the total mass of the monomer is from 10 to 30 mass %. The ratio of the polymer to the polymer electrolyte is from 1.0 to 2.0 mass %.
US08012619B2
The gap between the bottom of a center gas vent pipe in a battery cell and the bottom of the cell can is established to be at least a minimum distance to reduce the risk of battery damage from inadequate gas venting.
US08012607B2
Provided are a cyclopentaphenanthrene-based compound represented by Formula 1 below and an organic light emitting device employing the same. Here, Y and Ar are described in the detailed description.
US08012593B2
Crosslinkable liquid silicone compostions suited, on curing, for the long-lasting protective and/or applicational coating/treatment of textile substrates, for example, for imparting softness, hydrophobicity, oleophobicity, hydrophilicity or antistatic properties thereto, comprise a formulation of (a) at least one particular polyorganosiloxane (POS) resin, (B) at least one metal alkoxide and/or polyalkoxide, or combination thereof with at least one optionally alkoxylated organosilane and/or at least one organosilicon compound bearing at least one epoxy, amino, ureido, isocyanato and/or isocyanurate substituent, (C) at least one functional coreactant therefor, (D), optionally, at least one nonreactive additive and (E), also optionally, at least one auxiliary agent other than an additive (D).
US08012591B2
A hydrophilic composition contains (A) a hydrophilic polymer represented by the following general formula (I); and (B) an alkoxide compound of an element selected from Si, Ti, Zr and Al: wherein the symbols in the formula are defined in the specification.
US08012586B2
Embodiments of the invention include articles comprising a diamond like carbon coating or doped diamond like carbon coating on one or more surfaces of a plastic substrate or a plastic enclosure. Embodiments of the DLC or doped DLC coatings reduce the gas permeation of the coated plastic or thermoplastic to hydrogen or helium compared to the permeability of the plastic alone. The DLC or doped DLC coatings coating provides a surface resistivity of from about 107 to about 1014 ohm/square and have a transmittance that range from about 0% to about 70% less than the transmittance of the underlying plastic substrate in the range of about 300 nm to about 1100 nm. The DLC coated plastic can be used in environmental enclosures for protecting environmentally sensitive substrates such as semiconductor wafers and reticles.
US08012580B2
An adhesive bonding sheet having an optically transmitting supporting substrate and an adhesive bonding layer, and being used in both a dicing step and a semiconductor element adhesion step, wherein the adhesive bonding layer comprises: a polymer component (A) having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or more including functional groups; an epoxy resin (B); a phenolic epoxy resin curing agent (C); a photoreactive monomer (D), wherein the Tg of the cured material obtained by ultraviolet light irradiation is 250° C. or more; and a photoinitiator (E) which generates a base and a radical by irradiation with ultraviolet light of wavelength 200-450 nm.
US08012561B2
A fiber-reinforced resin is provided which includes a fiber bundle 2 comprising a plurality of monofilament layers 20, 21, and 22 being laminated, each of the monofilament layers comprising a plurality of monofilaments 23 arranged in one direction and an adhesive 3 for adhering the monofilaments 23 of the fiber bundle 2 together, and the fiber bundle 2 has a honeycomb-shaped cross section.
US08012556B2
The present invention provides an acrylic rubber composition and its vulcanized product, having good vulcanization characteristics and an excellent balance between processability, mechanical properties of rubber and compression set.The acrylic rubber composition comprises a carboxyl group-containing acrylic rubber, a diazabicycloalkene compound, a polyamine compound, and a tertiary amine compound represented by the following formula (1): where each of R1, R2 and R3 is independently a substituent having at least one saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having a linear structure, a branched structure or a cyclic structure, or benzyl group.
US08012555B2
An improved fluoroplastic lined elastomeric tube that can maintain a stable flow rate while pumping aggressive chemicals in a peristaltic pump for an extended period of time and is fabricated in sizes ranging from 0.5 mm to 100 mm in inside diameter. The inner fluoroplastic liner comprises a composite of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and a fluoroplastic polymer resulting in improved flex life over single component fluoroplastics. The inventive liner is bonded to either an unreinforced elastomer or a fiber reinforced elastomer for use in both low and high pressure peristaltic pump applications.
US08012554B2
Bags or liners having incorporated therein an effective amount of odor management agents including a counteractant agent, a neutralizing agent and optionally, a masking agent, whereby the odor management agent imparts no perceptible scent to the bags or liners, such that the bags or liners are substantially free of fragrance while the odor management agent reduces malodor emanating from products disposed within the bag. Further, the invention is drawn to web materials for use in forming the bags or liners having odor management agents. The odor management agent is disposed within the bag or dispersed substantially uniformly throughout the web.
US08012552B2
The invention relates to smokable sausage casings which are based on polyamide and polymers containing polyamide blocks and polyether blocks. The said smokable, heat-shrinkable tubular sausage casings are particularly suitable for the manufacture of cooked meat sausages, scalded-emulsion sausages, cooked or rapidly fermented sausages containing fat and smoked ham. The smokable sausage casing comprises 15-85 wt % of a polyamide (i) or a combination of polyamides (i) and 15-85 wt % of a polymer (ii) containing polyamide blocks and polyether blocks or a combination of polymers (ii).
US08012549B1
A simulated balloon system for that does not utilize a pressurized gas. The simulated balloon system generally includes a simulated balloon unit having a first portion and a second portion defining a lower opening when attached, a plurality of fasteners connected to the simulated balloon unit for removably attaching the first portion and the second portion, a support member extending from the lower opening of the simulated balloon unit, and a base attached to a lower end of the support member. The base may be comprised of a magnet for attaching to a metal object such as a vehicle.
US08012543B2
The invention relates to a use of a composition containing polyorganosiloxane S and a method of reducing corrosion on steel reinforcement in reinforced concrete constructions, and also a concrete structure which is produced using such compositions. It is highly suitable for the renovation of old concrete but also for inhibition of corrosion of reinforcing iron in fresh concrete.
US08012540B2
Aqueous emulsion comprising: (i) at least one functionalized polyolefin (gPO), obtained by grafting, on at least one unfunctionalized polyolefin (PO), acid and/or anhydride groups, the acid and/or anhydride groups being optionally completely or partially neutralized by at least one neutralizing agent; (ii) at least one emulsifier; (iii) at least one dispersant containing water; and (iv) carbon nanotubes.
US08012537B2
A method for controlling the deposition of vaporized organic material onto a substrate surface, includes providing a manifold having at least one aperture through which vaporized organic material passes for deposition onto the substrate surface; and providing a volume of organic material and maintaining the temperature of such organic material in a first condition so that its vapor pressure is below that needed to effectively form a layer on the substrate, and in a second condition heating a volume percentage of the initial volume of such organic material so that the vapor pressure of the heated organic material is sufficient to effectively form a layer.
US08012528B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a composition for conductive materials from which a conductive layer having a high carrier transport ability can be made, a conductive material formed of the composition and having a high carrier transport ability, a conductive layer formed using the conductive material as a main material, an electronic device provided with the conductive layer and having high reliability, and electronic equipment provided with the electronic device. The composition for conductive materials of the present invention comprising a compound represented by the following general formula (A1): wherein eight Rs may be the same or different and each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group, Y represents a group containing at least one substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon ring or substituted or unsubstituted heterocycle, and X1, X2, X3 and X4 may be the same or different and each independently represents a substituent represented by the following general formula (A2): wherein n is an integer of 2 to 8 and Z1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.
US08012524B2
The present invention aims at providing novel spread and edible oil having excellent characteristics as a spread or an edible oil. An edible oil and a suitable emulsifier, in a water-in-oil type emulsion is filled with a suitable gas propellant into an aerosol container, and the emulsion is discharged as mousse form at the time of jetting.
US08012516B2
Disclosed are methods for administering hop acids to alter the microbial population of the gastrointestinal tract of animals and to inhibit the growth of pathogenic organisms in the gastrointestinal tracts of animals. Also disclosed are methods of increasing weight gain, feed efficiency, milk production in mammals, and egg and meat production in poultry by administering hop acids. Also disclosed are animal feeds containing hops and hop acids.
US08012515B1
A process for the preparation (decoction) of an herbal beverage from China Root (Smilax domingensis Willd), Bejuco indio (Gouania polygama) and Pimento leaves (Pimenta dioica Merr) and a modulation effective amount of Ginger root (Zingiber offiicinale); and the product prepared in accordance with this process.
US08012512B2
Phytate and/or phytin and/or phytic acid in an aqueous slurry of plant material is partially hydrolyzed by incubating the slurry with an enzyme product enriched in phytase. The soluble fraction of the slurry is separated into anionic and neutral fractions. The anionic fraction is then hydrolyzed further, and the hydrolyzate is separated into second ionic and neutral fractions. The second neutral fraction thus obtained is rich in inositol, and does not contain significant quantities of other sugars which would be hard to separate from it.
US08012497B2
The invention relates to a soothing lotion, which cleanses, moisturizes and protects the skin and controls odor from feces and urine on skin. The invention also relates to a cloth comprising said lotion.
US08012489B2
Recombinant VSV viral particles and the use thereof as vaccines for immunization are described.
US08012486B2
The present invention relates to a composition for treating atopic dermatitis comprising hirsutenone as an active ingredient. Hirsutenone as the active ingredient of the present composition decreases the number of eosinophil and the level of IgE increased in atopic dermatitis and remarkably reduces expression amounts of immune regulatory cytokine (e.g., IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13) associated with atopic dermatitis. In addition, hirsutenone decreases COX-2 and iNOS expression. Hirsutenone as the active ingredient of the present composition could be effectively used in drugs, cosmetics and foods for treating atopic dermatitis or relieving a symptom of atopic dermatitis.
US08012484B2
The present invention relates to a method for treating recurrent tumor metastases following liver resection that includes administration of an effective amount of an agonist of A2A adenosine receptors (ARs).
US08012483B2
IgG and IgM autoantibody levels against phosphorylcholine in subjects with hypertension (diastolic pressure >95 mmHg) were determined at baseline in order to determine the importance of antibodies for the development of atherosclerosis. The results show that increases in intima-media thickness (IMT) at a follow-up four years after baseline were significantly less prevalent in subjects having high autoantibodies particularly high IgM autoantibodies, to phosphorylcholine. The presence or absence of autoantibodies, particularly IgM autoantibodies, against phosphorylcholine is thus related to an increased or decreased risk of developing ischemic cardiovascular diseases. A method to determining antibodies, particularly IgM antibodies, toward phosphorylcholine is proposed in this invention to identify subjects at risk of developing ischemic cardiovascular diseases. Animal experiments show that medium to high levels of antibodies, particularly IgM antibodies, can be detected in plasma after active immunization with a keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH-phosphorylcholine conjugate. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a phosphorylcholine conjugate (active immunization) or an antibody preparation, for example a monoclonal antibody, with specificity to a phosphorylcholine conjugate (passive immunization) is proposed and the use of these compositions as active or passive immunogens is the treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis.
US08012482B2
Humanized anti-TGF-beta antibodies are provided, as well as methods for their preparation and use, including methods for treating TGF-beta disorders, for example, cancer. Also provided are articles of manufacture designed for various uses that contain the humanized antibodies.
US08012471B2
Polypeptides which are related to the neprilysin enzyme family and have zinc metalloprotease activities and are referred to as IGS5, polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, vectors containing such polynucleotides, host cells containing such vectors, processes for producing such polypeptides and/or polynucleotides, screening methods for identifying compounds which stimulate or inhibit IGS5 polypeptides and/or polynucleotides, and the use of such polypeptides and/or polynucleotides in therapy of various dysfunctions, disorders or diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus type II, and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease.
US08012464B2
The present invention encompasses albumin fusion proteins. Nucleic acid molecules encoding the albumin fusion proteins of the invention are also encompassed by the invention, as are vectors containing these nucleic acids, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the invention and using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells. Additionally the present invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising albumin fusion proteins and methods of treating, preventing, or ameliorating diseases, disorders or conditions using albumin fusion proteins of the invention.
US08012457B2
Clinical studies have been conducted and specific dosage formulations developed using polymeric microparticles having incorporated therein perfluorocarbon gases that provide significantly enhanced images of long duration. The dosage formulation includes microparticles formed of a biocompatible polymer, preferably including a lipid incorporated therein, and containing a perfluorocarbon that is a gas at body temperature. The microparticles are provided to a patient in an amount effective to enhance ultrasound imaging in the ventricular chambers for more than 5 minutes or in the mycocardium for more than a minute, in a dose ranging from 0.025 to 8.0 mg microparticles/kg body weight. Preferably the dose ranges from 0.05 to 4.0 mg microparticles/kg body weight. The dosage formulation typically is provided in a vial. A typical formulation is in the form of a dry powder that is reconstituted with sterile water prior to use by adding the water to the vial or syringe of the dry powder and shaking to yield an isosmotic or isotonic suspension of microparticles.
US08012445B2
A method and apparatus for producing a calcium carbonate product formed of small <100 μm sized separate calcium carbonate particles. Calcium hydroxide is fed through a disintegration and spraying apparatus (14), operating on the principle of a pin mill, into a gas which contains carbon dioxide for precipitating calcium carbonate particles and which is inside a precipitation reactor (10). The temperature in the precipitation reactor is maintained at <65° C.
US08012441B2
The invention relates to a method for isolating hydrogen sulphide from coke-oven gas with the subsequent recovery of elemental sulphur in a Claus plant. The hydrogen sulphide is eliminated from the coke-oven gas by gas washing using an absorption liquid. During the regeneration of the loaded absorption liquid, hydrogen sulphide is accumulated in concentrated form and is fed to the Claus plant. Said Claus plant comprises a Claus boiler, a waste-heat boiler, in addition to a reactor, which forms an additional catalyst stage. According to the invention, the Claus plant is operated with a single reactor, which operates at a working temperature of below 250° C. The process gas that exits the reactor is returned after the deposition of elemental sulphur with a non-reacted residual concentration of hydrogen sulphide to the coke-oven gas that is to be cleaned, prior to the gas washing stage.
US08012438B2
A method for controlling multipollutant (e.g., SO2, NOx, Hg0 and Hg2+) emissions from a gas stream of a stationary combustion source, an apparatus for controlling multipollutant emissions, and a wet scrubber additive composition for controlling multipollutant emissions are disclosed.
US08012431B2
A microfluidic manipulation system is provided that includes a blade for manipulating deformable material and at least one movable support that is capable of moving the blade into contact with a microfluidic device including a deformable feature. When the microfluidic device is operatively held by a holder, a movable support can position the distal end of the blade relative to the microfluidic device and move the contact tip surface of the blade such that it deforms the deformable feature.
US08012429B2
There is provided a simplified analyzer including a see-through hermetic container having powdery or granular color reaction reagent, and a tap member partially inserted in the hermetic container in an extractable state. The tap member is provided at one end with a finger stopper larger in diameter than another portion, so as to be drawn out while holding the finger stopper with user's fingers to form a through hole for letting air out of the hermetic container and applying suction to the testing liquid to be analyzed. By using the tap member prepared in advance, the through hole having a suitable diameter for applying suction to the testing liquid to be analyzed can be formed at the appropriate point in the container. According to the analyzer of the invention, differences among individuals in performing an analyzing test do not occur.
US08012420B2
Compositions for sensor films used for detecting chemical analytes within sensors, such as polymer-absorption chemiresistors (i.e., conductometric sensors) are provided. Robust sensor film compositions that have low resistance, high conductivity, and greater temperature stability and sensitivity to chemical analytes are provided, as well as methods of making these sensor films. Such sensor film compositions include a matrix having a polymer resin and a plurality of conductive particles comprising an axial-geometry conductive particle. Exemplary axial-geometry conductive particles comprise graphene, such as a carbon nanotube. Blends of conductive particles are also contemplated, including blends of axial-geometry conductive particles, such as carbon nanotubes, and carbon black.
US08012418B2
A specified time is determined which is a worst-case (or the longest) time period assumed as a time interval required between the instant at which an interface block receives an exposed substrate from an exposure unit and the instant at which a post-exposure bake process of the substrate starts in a heating part. A waiting time is calculated by subtracting a transport time from the specified time. The transport time is a time interval actually required between the instant at which the interference block receives the substrate from the exposure unit and the instant at which the substrate reaches the heating part. The post-exposure bake process of the substrate starts in the heating part after a lapse of the above-mentioned calculated waiting time since the arrival of the substrate at the heating part.
US08012416B2
A method and apparatus are provided for thawing and heating biological material such as plasma, bone marrow or stem cells. The apparatus includes a housing containing a fluid-filled, sealed bladder for receiving a bag of the biological material. An agitator is provided which is operable to inflate an actuator pillow causing a support plate to compress the fluid-filled bladder, thereby promoting movement of the fluid within the bladder to agitate the biological material. A heater is provided which heats the fluid while contained in the bladder.
US08012413B2
A gas-impervious container having a gas-permeable porous insert, wherein the insert contacts a flowable biomedical material, for improving access of the sterilant gas to the material.
US08012393B2
A method for manufacturing a multi-shot interior trim component within a mold tool, comprising the steps of moving a first mold portion adjacent a second mold portion to define a potential cavity volume; modifying the potential cavity volume to define a first reduced cavity volume; depositing a first material in the first reduced cavity volume; further modifying the potential cavity volume to define a second reduced cavity volume, wherein at least a localized portion of the first deposited material is utilized to define, with the mold tool, the second reduced cavity volume; providing a rib on one of the first and second mold portions; exposing the rib to one of the first and second reduced cavity volumes; depositing a second material in the second reduced cavity volume; attaching the second deposited material to the first deposited material at least proximate the localized portion of the first deposited material, wherein one of the first and second materials defines a substrate portion having an outboard surface, an inboard surface, a chute portion extending from the outboard surface, wherein the chute portion defines an axial opening, and, wherein, the other of the first and second materials defines an inflatable restraint door that closes-out the axial opening formed in the substrate portion to define an interior trim component of a vehicle; and defining the inflatable restraint door to include a pre-weakened portion corresponding to the rib of one of the first and second mold portions.
US08012392B2
Methods for cooling golf ball cores are provided. The methods involve passing a matrix of hot golf ball cores through a die plate to separate individual golf ball cores from the matrix. The die plate has a plurality of holes and each hole is sized to allow a single golf ball core to pass there through. A post-cure unit is arranged to receive the hot cores for additional curing and cross-linking. The hot, cured golf ball cores are then passed through a cooling section where high velocity air is passed over the golf ball cores to achieve the desired level of cooling. The cooling section may contain a fan assembly including an air diffuser to provide sufficient air flow coverage. The cooled golf ball cores may be delivered to a pneumatic delivery system for additional processing.
US08012389B2
A process for producing a thermoformable fibre-plastics composite product comprising lignolcellulosic or natural fibres, particularly but not exclusively useful as an intermediate product in subsequent manufacture, comprises conveying the fibres in a dry or wet air stream and applying to the fibres a thermoplastic binding agent, and forming the fibres into a solid or semi-solid product such as a panel, which is thermoformable. In at least a preferred embodiment the process may be carried out in known plant for manufacture of medium density fibre board.
US08012388B2
A stretchable sheet having a large stretch amount is produced by increasing a drawing amount given to the nonwoven fabric. A method for producing the stretchable sheet from a nonwoven fabric containing a plurality of types of fibers, that is the nonwoven fabric having a longitudinal direction, a width direction and a thickness direction. The method includes a first drawing step of drawing the nonwoven fabric in the longitudinal direction by applying a tension in the longitudinal direction of the nonwoven fabric, and a second drawing step of drawing, in the longitudinal direction, the nonwoven fabric that has been drawn in the first drawing step with a plurality of teeth formed on outer circumferential faces of each of a pair of gear rolls, the drawing being performed by passing the nonwoven fabric through a gap between the gear rolls that rotate while the teeth are being engaged with one another.
US08012387B2
A process for preparing a vesicle composition based upon mixing an organopolysiloxane having at least one hydrophilic substituent group, a water miscible solvent, and water is disclosed. The vesicle compositions produced by the method are useful in various personal, household, and health care applications.
US08012382B2
Chemically or biochemically active agents or other species are patterned on a substrate surface by providing a micromold having a contoured surface and forming, on a substrate surface, a chemically or biochemically active agent or fluid precursor of a structure. A chemically or biochemically active agent or fluid precursor also can be transferred from indentations in an applicator to a substrate surface. The substrate surface can be planar or non-planar. Fluid precursors of polymeric structures, inorganic ceramics and salts, and the like can be used to form patterned polymeric articles, inorganic salts and ceramics, reactive ion etch masks, etc. at the surface. The articles can be formed in a pattern including a portion having a lateral dimension of less than about 1 millimeter or smaller. The indentation pattern of the applicator can be used to transfer separate, distinct chemically or biochemically active agents or fluid precursors to separate, isolated regions of a substrate surface. Waveguide arrays, combinatorial chemical or biochemical libraris, etc. can be made. Differences in refractive index of waveguide and cladding can be created by subjecting the waveguide and cladding, made of indentical prepolymeric material, to different polymerization or cross-linking conditions. Interferometers are defined by coupling arrays of waveguides, where coupling can be controlled by altering the difference in refractive index between cladding and waveguide at any desired location of the array. Alteration and refractive index can be created photochemically, chemically, or the like. Sensors also are disclosed, including biochemical sensors.
US08012363B2
A method of fabricating a printhead having a hydrophobic ink ejection face, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a partially-fabricated printhead comprising a plurality of nozzle chambers and a nozzle plate having relatively hydrophilic nozzle surface, the nozzle surface at least partially defining the ink ejection face of the printhead; (b) depositing a hydrophobic polymeric layer onto the nozzle surface; (c) depositing a protective metal film onto at least the polymeric layer; (d) depositing a sacrificial material onto the polymeric layer; (e) patterning the sacrificial material to define a plurality of nozzle opening regions; (f) defining a plurality of nozzle openings through the metal film, the polymeric layer and the nozzle plate; (g) subjecting the printhead to an oxidizing plasma; and (h) removing the protective metal film, thereby providing a printhead having a relatively hydrophobic ink ejection face.
US08012355B2
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for separating particles and dissolved matter from an untreated fluid stream. Specifically, the present invention includes a first pressure source which transports untreated fluid or contaminated aqueous fluid into a separator annulus with a filter element disposed therein. The untreated fluid is placed under appropriate pressure sufficient to produce turbulent flow, increased particle kinetics and/or cavitation allowing the desired fluid to penetrate and pass into and through the filter media. The treated fluid is then transported to a collection tank. The contaminant matter retained by the filter media may be removed by the nearly instantaneous reverse pressurization of the separator annulus by a second pressure source thereby removing the contaminant particles away from contact with the filter media, and which may then be transported to a waste collection tank or a separator for further treatment.
US08012351B2
A concentrator is used for concentrating a fluid, particularly a plasma component out of blood, for treatment of a patient. The concentrator apparatus includes a main housing defining a centrifuge chamber, that also holds the filter. The concentrator allows viewing of the fluid after centrifuging, with an outlet port positionable at a height corresponding to the level of the fraction of the fluid to be further concentrated. Once the fluid is centrifuged, a portion of the fluid is drawn through the outlet, and then pressured past the filter to further concentrate the fluid using the same vessel as used for centrifuging. The same plunger is preferably used to draw centrifuged fluid from the centrifuge chamber as to pressure the centrifuged fluid past the filter.
US08012345B2
Disclosed herein is an improved pool cleaning vehicle. The vehicle includes a housing, a bottom frame and a filter bag between the housing the bottom frame and attached to the bottom frame. The vehicle includes an intake system for causing water to enter the vehicle housing and to trap dirt and debris in the filter bag. The intake system includes more than one intake, which are typically mounted front and aft of the vehicle. The vehicle includes an outlet for flowing water passing through the filter bag back into the pool. Of course, both of the intake and outlet ports are in communication with the filter bag. The housing typically includes a bottom frame. Both the housing and the bottom frame have side openings defining vents, which serve as side intake ports. In an exemplary embodiment, the intake ports include a duct attached thereto. The duct has an open duct intake. In another exemplary embodiment, the front and/or aft intake port include a duct.
US08012322B2
The present invention relates to a biosensor including: a bottom plate having a base film having a lead mounted at one side of the top surface thereof, an electrode member formed on the base film, a spacer formed on the top surface of the electrode member so as to secure a recess having a predetermined width formed on the electrode member, and an enzyme reaction layer formed transversely on the top surface of the electrode member in such a fashion as to be positioned in the recess of the spacer; and a top plate formed integrally with the bottom plate and having the same configuration as the bottom plate.
US08012316B2
A method of forming a CPP-GMR spin valve having a pinned layer with an AP2/coupling/AP1 configuration is disclosed wherein the AP2 portion is a FCC-like trilayer having a composition represented by CoZFe(100-Z)/Fe(100-X)TaX/CoZFe(100-Z) or CoZFe(100-Z)/FeYCo(100-Y)/CoZFe(100-Z) where x is 3 to 30 atomic %, y is 40 to 100 atomic %, and z is 75 to 100 atomic %. Preferably, z is 90 to provide a face centered cubic structure that minimizes electromigration. Optionally, the middle layer is comprised of an Fe rich alloy such as FeCr, FeV, FeW, FeZr, FeNb, FeHf, or FeMo. EM performance is improved significantly compared to a spin valve with a conventional AP2 Co50Fe50 or Co75Fe25 single layer. MR ratio is also increased and RA is maintained at an acceptable level. The coupling layer is preferably Ru and the AP1 layer may be comprised of a lamination of CoFe and Cu layers as in [CoFe/Cu]2/CoFe.
US08012306B2
Broadly speaking, the embodiments of the present invention provide an improved chamber cleaning mechanism, apparatus and method. The present invention can also be used to provide additional knobs to tune the etch processes. In one embodiment, a plasma processing chamber configured to generate a plasma includes a bottom electrode assembly with an inner bottom electrode and an outer bottom electrode disposed outside of the inner bottom electrode, wherein the inner bottom electrode is configured to receive a substrate. The plasma processing chamber also includes a top electrode assembly with a top electrode, wherein the top capacitive electrode is disposed directly above the inner and outer bottom electrodes.
US08012305B2
An exhaust assembly is described for use in a plasma processing system, whereby secondary plasma is formed in the exhaust assembly between the processing space and chamber exhaust ports in order to reduce plasma leakage to a vacuum pumping system, or improve the uniformity of the processing plasma, or both. The exhaust assembly includes a powered exhaust plate in combination with a ground electrode is utilized to form the secondary plasma surrounding a peripheral edge of a substrate treated in the plasma processing system.
US08012303B2
A container cleanliness measurement apparatus capable of preventing particles from being adhered to substrates, while improving the operation efficiency of a container for housing substrates. An FOUP inspection apparatus includes a particle-separation promoting nozzle for promoting separation of particles adhered to an inner wall of an FOUP and to carries for holding peripheral portions of wafers inside the FOUP, a particle collecting nozzle for collecting particles separated from the inner wall of the FOUP, etc., and a particle counter for measuring an amount of collected particles. The particle-separation promoting nozzle and the particle collecting nozzle constitute a probe nozzle which is adapted to enter inside the FOUP.
US08012300B2
A catheter having an elongated shaft and a balloon on a distal shaft section, the elongated shaft comprising an outer tubular member, and an inner tubular member which has a bonded portion along which an outer surface of the inner tubular member is bonded to an inner surface of the outer tubular member. The inner tubular member has a proximal portion proximal to the bonded portion, and a distal portion distal to the bonded portion with higher axial compression stiffness and column strength than the proximal portion thereof. The catheter has improved trackability, axial collapse resistance, pushability, and crossability, for improved ability to position the balloon at a desired location in a patient's body lumen.
US08012295B1
There is provided an adhesive composite cover and method of use in which the cover is well suited to effectively cover a temporary tattoo utilized in radiation therapy treatments. The cover includes a transparent, flexible layer with a rigid layer releasably adhered thereto. The first, flexible layer has a lower adhesive surface, an upper low-adhesion surface and a predefined peripheral edge. The second, rigid layer has a lower surface releasably adhered to the upper low-adhesion surface of the first layer, an opposing upper exposed surface, and a peripheral edge cooperative with the predefined peripheral edge of the first layer to preserve the integrity of the first layer during handling and application. The second layer is removed from the first layer only after the first layer is adhered to a patient's skin.
US08012292B2
One embodiment of the invention includes a multilayer dry adhesive system capable of reversible joining of rigid substrates.
US08012289B2
The invention relates to a method of fabricating a release substrate produced from semiconductor materials, the method comprising creating a reversible connection between two substrate release layers characterized in that the reversible connection is formed by a connecting layer produced using a first material as the basis, the connecting layer further comprising a nanoparticle concentrating zone of a second material disposed to facilitate release of the substrate, the first and second materials being selected to maintain the bonding energy of the reversible connection substantially constant even when the substrate is exposed to heat treatment.
US08012287B2
A via hole forming method and a multilayered board manufacturing method improve manufacturing yield by reducing the required processes. The via hole forming method includes a first step of forming a toner image by attaching toner particles, containing a conductive material and having a protruding portion, onto the surface of a first photosensitive member so that the protruding portion is directed to the outside; and a second step of opposing the surface of the first photosensitive member to one principal surface of a green sheet containing an insulating material and transferring the toner image to the one principal surface of the green sheet so that the protruding portions of the toner particles protrude into the green sheet so as to reach the other principal surface of the green sheet and the toner particles are buried in the green sheet. The via holes are formed using an electrophotographic printing method.
US08012285B2
This invention is directed to alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE)-free polymer binders formed by aqueous free radical emulsion polymerization and having specific peel and cure properties. The APE-free polymeric binders have a peel value, when adhered to a heated metal surface, of 35% to 200% of the peel value shown by a standard APE-based polymer binder control and exhibit a cure profile such that at least 55% cure is achieved within 30 seconds at a temperature required for cure, and a wet tensile strength at 30-seconds of cure of at least 1000 g/5 cm. Wet tensile strength is used as a measure of cure. Binders having the peel and cure properties described herein can be considered for use in crepe processes, especially DRC processes.
US08012281B2
A feed unit for feeding elastomeric material, extruded by at least one extruder, to at least one user unit, and wherein a variable-length conveyor is supported by a first and a second supporting device located at an input end and an output end of the conveyor respectively; and wherein the first supporting device is connected to the conveyor to allow the conveyor to rotate about a vertical first axis and a horizontal second axis, both crosswise to a travelling direction of the elastomeric material along the conveyor; the second supporting device is extensible vertically and connected to the conveyor by a first releasable joint; and the conveyor is connectable to the user unit by a second releasable joint.
US08012275B2
In a method for manufacturing a composite-metal-forming material, heating a metal material a Mg alloy or an Al alloy is heated to a temperature in a region where a solid and a liquid are both present to thereby yield a semi-molten metal material in a semi-molten state. An additive material is introduced to the semi-molten metal material and kneading is performed to obtain a composite metal material. The composite metal material is heated to a solution temperature of the metal material and a solution treatment is performed to thereby yield a composite-metal-forming material. The additive material introduced is a carbon nano-composite material formed by mixing a carbon nanomaterial and a metal powder to obtain a carbon nano-composite metal powder, compacting the carbon nano-composite metal powder into a solid to obtain a preform, heating the preform in a vacuum, inert gas, or non-oxidizing gas atmosphere to a temperature in a region where a solid and a liquid are both present, and applying pressure to the heated preform.
US08012255B2
An improvement to a method and an apparatus for growing a monocrystalline silicon ingot from silicon melt according to the CZ process. The improvement performs defining an error between a target taper of a meniscus and a measured taper, and translating the taper error into a feedback adjustment to a pull-speed of the silicon ingot. The conventional control model for controlling the CZ process relies on linear control (PID) controlling a non-linear system of quadratic relationship defined in the time domain between the diameter and the pull-speed. The present invention transforms the quadratic relationship in the time domain between the diameter and the pull-speed into a simile, linear relationship in the length domain between a meniscus taper of the ingot and the pull-speed. The present invention applies a linear control (modified PID) which operates in the length domain, and controls a system that has a linear relationship between the ingot taper and the pull-speed in the length domain to control the diameter of a growing silicon ingot.
US08012239B2
Methods and systems for detecting the presence of a leak in a baghouse bag installed in a baghouse system having at least one compartment. The methods include using a system to acquire electrical signals corresponding to the opacity of gas flow through an outlet of a baghouse system during a start-up of one or more compartments of the baghouse system and comparing the electrical signals corresponding to the opacity of the gas flow with electrical signals characteristic of a leak in at least one of the baghouse bags of the baghouse system.
US08012233B2
An air cleaner assembly is provided, which is configured for alternate installation therein of different sized filter cartridges. Features of the air cleaner assembly and components for use therewith, are described. Also methods of assembly and use are described.
US08012219B2
This invention discloses a system and method for selective erasure, encryption and or copying of data on a remote device if the remote device has been compromised or the level of authorization of a roaming user in charge of the remote device has been modified.
US08012218B2
There is disclosed a bone substitute material for medical use which satisfies all the requirements of (1) no histotoxicity, (2) osteoconductivity, (3) bone replacement capability, and (4) mechanical strength necessary for a bone reconstruction operation. The bone substitute material for medical use is predominantly composed of carbonate apatite and produced through the formation of carbonate apatite by contacting a block of calcium compound with a phosphate-containing solution, wherein the calcium compound block contains substantially no powders, and at least one of said calcium compound block and said phosphate solution contains a carbonate group, without any sintering. The block of calcium compound is preferably one prepared using an artificially synthesized calcium compound, most preferably a foamed calcium compound.
US08012214B2
A novel and improved elbow prosthesis and method of implanting same including a novel aggregate prosthesis having a retaining system in conjunction with a set plate.
US08012212B2
A cervical intervertebral disk prosthesis has two cover plates, at least one of which is provided with a wedge-shaped connection surface for connection to a vertebral body and which is wider than it is deep. The dorsal edge of the connection surface may be set back from the dorsolateral edge of the cover plate having the connection surface and be connected to the dorsal edge, protruding above it, via a rounding or bevel.
US08012188B2
Systems and methods are provided that include a plate member engageable to the spinal column with an anchor assembly. The anchor assembly includes a coupling member having a post extending through at least one opening of the plate member and an anchor member pivotally captured in a receiver member of the coupling member below a lower surface of the plate member. A locking member secures the plate member to the coupling member. The coupling member includes an extended post with a proximal removable portion. The extended post facilitates placement of the plate member in position relative to the anchor assembly when engaged to the patient and be employed to reduce the plate member toward the anchor assembly when engaged to a vertebra.
US08012183B2
A vertebral anchoring device includes connectors (2) linked to one another by connecting rods (3) and fixed on bone-anchoring screws (5) implanted in the vertebrae (4) of a vertebral column, each connector (2) being composed of a connection element (6) that includes receiving and fixing members to permit immobilization of the connecting rod (3) in translation and in rotation. Each connection element (6) includes, opposite the members for receiving and fixing the connecting rod (3), a seat (12) that cooperates with a connecting device (17) permitting assembly of the anchoring screw (5). The connecting device (17), before immobilization of the connecting rod (3) in the connection element (6), permits lateral and independent tilting movements of the connection element (6) and of the anchoring screw (5) relative to each other, and rotation of the anchoring screw (5) for fixing it in the body of the vertebra (4).
US08012174B2
A system and method for soft tissue to bone repair employing at least one suture anchor combined with at least one knotless fixation device. The method for soft tissue to bone fixation includes: (i) providing a first medial row constructed with a first plurality of fixation devices, at least one of the first plurality of fixation devices is an anchor; and (ii) providing a second lateral row constructed with a second plurality of fixation devices, at least one of the second plurality of fixation devices is a knotless fixation device, and suture or tape or allograft/biological component extending over the soft tissue and secured in place by the anchors in the first and second medial rows.
US08012172B2
A high strength abrasion resistant surgical suture material with improved tie down characteristics is color coded for visualization and identification purposes. The suture features a multifilament cover formed of strands of ultra high molecular weight long chain polyethylene braided with polyester, nylon or a bioabsorbable material. Selected nylon fibers in the cover are provided in a color contrasting with the other cover fibers to provide an identifiable trace. The cover surrounds a core formed of twisted strands of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene. The suture, provided in a #2 size, has the strength of #5 Ethibond, is ideally suited for most orthopedic procedures, and can be attached to a suture anchor or a curved needle.
US08012163B2
A method for occluding a blood vessel at a compression site is provided. Suction is applied to stabilize a surgical location adjacent the compression site. A first compressor is positioned proximal the surgical location and adjacent the blood vessel. The blood vessel is occluded with the first compressor in response to the positioning. Systems and apparatuses for using the method are also provided.
US08012160B2
The invention is directed to a system and method for releasably holding a surgical instrument (14), such as an endoscopic instrument configured for delivery through a small percutaneous penetration in a patient. The instrument comprises an elongate shaft (100) with a pair of mounting pins (116) laterally extending from the shaft between its proximal and distal ends. An instrument holder comprises a support having a central bore (202) and an axially extending slot (204) for receiving the instrument shaft and the mounting pins. A pair of locking slots (206) are cut into the support transversely to and in communication with the axial slot so that the mounting pins can be rotated within the locking slots. The instrument support further includes a latch assembly for automatically locking the mounting pins within the locking slots to releasably couple the instrument to the instrument holder. With this twist-lock motion, the surgeon can rapidly engage and disengage various instruments from the holder during a surgical procedure, such as open surgery, laparoscopy or thoracoscopy.
US08012153B2
Electrosurgical systems, apparatus, and methods for the controlled removal and treatment of a target tissue. An instrument of the invention includes a rotating member housed longitudinally within a shaft, a tissue removal port disposed at the shaft distal end portion, and an active electrode disposed at the instrument distal end. The active electrode is adapted to electrosurgically remove at least a portion of the target tissue as the rotating member rotates within the shaft. According to alternative embodiments, the active electrode may be disposed on the rotating member or on the shaft.
US08012151B1
Devices and methods are described for sealing tissue such as melding the two flaps of the foramen ovale together without the need for a permanent implant or closing openings in vessels.
US08012146B2
A variable-rigidity, small-gauge illuminator is disclosed, one embodiment being a small-gauge illumination surgical system comprising: a light source for providing a light beam; an optical cable, optically coupled to the light source for receiving and transmitting the light beam; a handpiece, operably coupled to the optical cable; an optical fiber, operably coupled to the handpiece, wherein the optical fiber is optically coupled to the optical cable to receive and transmit the light beam to illuminate an area; and a cannula, operably coupled to the handpiece, for housing and directing the optical fiber, wherein the cannula is operable to extend and retract from the handpiece to vary the length of the cannula extending from the handpiece, and wherein the optical fiber is operably connected to the cannula.
US08012145B2
A medical hub for connecting a tubular member to a fluid source has a first structure for connecting to the fluid source, a second structure for connecting to the tubular member, and a transparent portion formed between the first and second structures. The transparent portion in one embodiment has a generally spherical shape that allows visual monitoring of a fluid flowing through the hub from a wide viewing angle. The transparent portion can be formed of clear plastic or other suitable optical material that magnifies an image of the fluid flowing through the hub. Other embodiments are described in which the transparent portion has a cylindrical shape, a square shape, a multifaceted shape, and a combination of such shapes. The tubular member can be a catheter or other intravenous tubing.
US08012144B2
An elongate medical device including a hub assembly located at the proximal end. The hub assembly includes an interference fit member disposed about a portion of the hub assembly, whereby the interference fit member is configured to form an interference fit with the inner surface of a tubular packaging tube when the elongate medical device is placed in the packaging tube.
US08012134B2
A dialysis valve includes a tube attached between an artery and a vein which, when elongated, simultaneously narrows in diameter at at least one location. The narrowed portion of the tube decreases the volume and velocity between the arterial and venous side of the patient to prevent damage or intimal hyperplasia on the venous side between dialysis treatments. When the valve is opened for dialysis, an unrestricted blood flow exists between the arterial and venous side, permitting a controlled, open blood flow during dialysis.
US08012131B2
An injection device for dispensing a dose of a substance, the device including a housing, a dispensing element which can be displaced relative to the housing and a locking element which can be coupled with the dispensing element during or after a substance dispensing operation so that after the dispensing element has effected a dispensing operation once, it can no longer be operated to dispense another dose, and a method of locking an injection device after a substance has been dispensed once, whereby a dispensing element operated to dispense the substance is locked or blocked before, during or after dispensing a set dose so that no more substance can be dispensed.
US08012113B2
A spinal brace includes a flexible air injectable band configured to be disposed about a torso of a user and to provide traction to a spine of the user, at least one support panel configured to provide support by compression to at least a region of the torso, the at least one support panel being less flexible than the air injectable band, and at least one means of associating the at least one support panel with the flexible air injectable band.
US08012108B2
The application is directed to devices and methods useful for expanding the range of motion of joints based on principles of stress relaxation and creep. Expanded range of motion is achieved by placing body parts near the joint in positions that stretch tissue around the joint. Even when the device is in any one position, it can impart forces on the body members to urge them to stretch surrounding tissue even further.
US08012101B2
The invention relates to a punching tool for taking a biological sample from a filter using punching, the punching tool comprising a punch and a die provided with a punching channel for conveying the sample from the upper surface of the die towards the lower end of the die that includes a guidance means of the sample comprising a guidance channel arranged as an extension of the punching channel for receiving the sample from the punching channel, the diameter of the guidance channel is 1.02 to 2× the diameter of the punch and is greater than the diameter of the punching channel, and at the connecting point with the punching channel the guidance channel forms a shoulder and broadens towards the free end of the guidance means. In order to reduce the number of mistakes when taking samples, while the structure of the punching tool still remains simple at the end of the guidance means that faces towards the punching channel of the die, the diameter of the guidance channel is constant at a portion of the length thereof and the walls of the shoulder are placed at an angle from 170 to 300 degrees in relation to one another.
US08012096B2
The present invention contemplates a surgical device for both ablating a channel in a patient's tissue and also delivering a therapeutic agent. The device includes an elongated multi-lumen tube, an elongated tissue ablating assembly, and a therapeutic agent delivery assembly. The therapeutic agent is capable of being delivered into the channel and/or to the surrounding tissue. The device may further include a second multi-lumen tube also capable of delivering therapeutic agents. Although suitable for many operations, the device is particularly well suited for transmyocardial revascularization operations. The present invention also contemplates a procedure for using such a surgical device to ablate a channel in a patient's tissue and also deliver a therapeutic agent.
US08012084B2
An endoscope device comprises: an endoscope including an insertion portion and a first balloon attached to a distal end of the insertion portion; and an insertion guide that is to be covered on the insertion portion to guide insertion of the insertion portion, the insertion guide comprising a second balloon on its distal end, wherein the insertion portion or the insertion guide is fixed in a body cavity by expanding the first balloon or the second balloon, respectively, wherein the first balloon and the second balloon are substantially equal to each other in friction resistance against the body cavity when they are expanded.
US08012082B1
A sexually stimulating system includes a device insertable within a body cavity of a recipient, a signal generated by a non-recipient, and a controller attached to a recipient body. The controller is in wireless communication with the device and includes a mechanism for toggling the device between active and inactive modes based upon instructions from the activation signal. The mechanism generates and transmits a control signal to the device. An internal power supply source and a switch are intermediately seated between the power supply source and the device toggling mechanism. A first communications link transmits the activation signal to the controller and a second communications link transmits the control signal to the device. Each device includes a switch and an internal power supply source electrically mated thereto. A receiver is coupled to a digital to analog converter and a transducer is electrically coupled to the converter.
US08012078B2
Method and apparatus are disclosed employing ionizing radiation for forming lines of ablation or lesions in cardiac tissue to treat atrial fibrillation or other electrophysiological problems with the heart. The apparatus may include a catheter in which the radiation source is advanced hydraulically after the catheter is in place within the heart. Various fixation devices are also disclosed for fixing the location of the catheter within the heart.
US08012073B2
A fitness machine is provided, which includes a base frame having a pair of vertical side members; a track assembly rotatably mounted to the base frame between the vertical side members; a drive assembly for rotating the track assembly relative to the base frame; a bench rest assembly slidably mounted to the track assembly for supporting a user in a supine position; a handle assembly and a footrest assembly fixedly attached to the track assembly; and a control system for directing the drive assembly to alter the angular orientation of the bench rest assembly to vary the resistance experienced by a user during an exercise routine. The operation may be manual, programmable, or adaptive to the user's performance, based on repetition time and/or heart rate.
US08012067B2
This invention relates to a whole body vibrator platform which is attachable to a treadmill. The treadmill belt provides the power to move the platform, translating the horizontal, linear, belt movement into vertical oscillations through one or more eccentrically mounted rollers which support the platform. A person standing on the vibrator platform experiences a vertical vibration at frequencies established by the linear velocity of the treadmill belt.
US08012066B1
A trampoline has an enclosure which includes a wire ring; a plurality of connectors connected to the wire ring; and a plurality of support poles. The support poles have a top end. The support poles have a top bend that bends inward at the top end. The wire ring is substantially inflexible during trampoline use. The trampoline also includes trampoline frame. The plurality of support poles are rigidly connected to the trampoline frame. A trampoline enclosure net is suspended from the wire ring at an upper portion of the trampoline enclosure net. A trampoline mat is included and the trampoline enclosure net is bounded by the trampoline mat at a lower portion of the trampoline enclosure net. A bounding surface is supported by a plurality of springs connecting between the bounding surface and the trampoline frame.
US08012063B2
A pressure assisted park servo assembly for an automatic transmission includes a servo or spool valve which receives pressurized hydraulic fluid from various sources including two solenoid valves and transmission ports. The servo valve controls two flows of pressurized hydraulic fluid to a servo assembly to place the transmission in or release it from park. The improved park servo assembly exhibits enhanced operating speed.
US08012061B2
An overspeed system for a vehicle is disclosed. The overspeed system may have a power source, a transmission unit, and a torque converter assembly operatively coupling the power source to the transmission unit. The overspeed system may also have a travel speed sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a vehicle speed, and a controller in communication with the torque converter assembly and the travel speed sensor. The controller may be configured to prevent a decoupling of the torque converter assembly in response to the signal.
US08012051B2
An oil pressure control apparatus includes a belt-driven continuously variable transmission, a primary regulator valve that regulates a line oil pressure that becomes a source pressure of oil pressure of various parts, and a gear oil pressure control valve that supplies gear oil pressure to a driving-side pulley of the belt-driven continuously variable transmission. A failsafe valve is provided between the gear oil pressure control valve and the driving-side pulley. When the gear oil pressure control valve or a linear solenoid valve that controls the gear oil pressure control valve fails, the failsafe valve is switched so as to supply the line oil pressure to the driving-side pulley, and other than during such the gear oil pressure control valve's failure or the electromagnetic valve's failure, the failsafe valve is switched so as to supply the gear oil pressure to the driving-side pulley.
US08012041B2
A face or face insert (40) for a golf club head (20) is disclosed herein. The face (40) has an interior surface (40b) with a first thickness section (200) and a second thickness region (205). The first thickness section (200) preferably has a thickness that is at least 0.025 inch greater than the thickness of the second thickness region (205). In a most preferred embodiment, the first thickness section (200) has an X shape that is rotated around the Y axis (500) by at least 10 degrees. In another preferred embodiment, the face has a first thickness section (200), a second thickness region (205), and a central region (400) having a third thickness. The face or face insert (40) with variable thickness allows for a face or face insert (40) with less mass in a golf club head (20) that conforms to the United States Golf Association regulations.
US08012040B2
A golf club head (1) comprises a head main body (10) having a concave portion (11) formed in the face side and a face plate (20) fixed to the head main body (10). The face plate (20) is mounted on the head main body (10) such that a concave step portion (21) engages with a convex step portion (16a) of the head main body (10), and the upper edge portion, lower edge portion, and toe-side edge portion of the face plate (20) abut against edge portions (13), (14), and (15) of the head main body, respectively. The face plate (20) is laser-welded along its perimeter and fixed to the head main body (10).
US08012039B2
A golf club head with an increased moment of inertia (MOI) about the X axis and the Z axis. Generally, the MOI about the Z axis is at least about 4400 g·cm2 and the MOI about the X axis is at least about 2500 g·cm2. The radius of the bulge of the club face is increased while the radius of the roll is reduced to compensate for the gear effect produced by the increased MOIs. The bulge curvature is generally between about 0.016 cm−1 and about 0.028 cm−1, and the roll curvature is between about 0.033 cm−1 and about 0.066 cm−1. The roll curvature is greater than the bulge curvature.
US08012027B2
A gaming machine having a support bracket coupled to a cabinet front of the gaming machine, and a modular user interface hingedly coupled to the support bracket with at least one connector, the modular user interface having a button panel and a wrist support, wherein the modular user interface is configured to rotate along an axis of the at least one connector to expose an interior portion of the gaming machine.
US08012024B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for simultaneously indicating, on each of a plurality of communication terminals, instructions transmitted by each terminal and the identity of the respective terminals that transmitted the instructions. Such a feature can be used to indicate the moves of parties playing a game over a telephone line. Once a communications link is established between two or more parties, their terminals are placed in a game mode which activates inband signal detection and player identification circuitry located within the terminals. Multi-colored indicators and player identification displays at each terminal are activated, their color being dependent upon the source of received instructions. In one embodiment, player identification indicators may be incorporated into a touch tone keypad located on the terminals. The keypad's touch tone keys are modified such that each key has two or more color coded indicators incorporated within, each color representing a particular player's move.
US08012021B2
Gaming machines having video depictions of one or more mechanical reels projected onto a curved display are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the gaming machine includes a curved transparent material having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a radius of curvature similar to a mechanical reel. The curved transparent material further includes a glossy finish on the outer surface of the curved transparent material to provide a reflective surface. The gaming machine also includes a light emitting diode projector for projecting video images of one or more reels onto the inner surface of the curved transparent material. The gaming machine also has a liquid crystal display having an opening in which the curved transparent material extends through the opening of the opening of the liquid crystal display.
US08012020B2
In a game device (301) for showing a past operation history to a player in comparison with the current operation status, a first moving unit (303) moves a first object in a virtual space based on a moving instruction input received by an input receiving unit (302), an input history storage unit (304) stores the moving instruction input as input history information, a second moving unit (305) moves a second object in the virtual space based on input history information stored in the past, an assessment unit (306) assesses whether or not the first object and the second object are overlapping in the virtual space, and a display unit (307) displays the second object in a case where a non-overlapping state has been identified and stops the display of the second object in a case where an overlapping state has been identified.
US08012008B2
Two card decks A and B are allocated to and shared by a dealer and each of “main players 1 to 5”. Two cards to be dealt respectively to the dealer and each of the main players are determined from the two card decks A and B. On the other hand, two card decks C and D are allocated to “sub player 3”. Two cards to be dealt to the sub player are determined from the two card decks C and D. In the determination, the same cards which dealt to the dealer are excluded from the two card decks C and D. Similarly, with respect to “sub player 5”, two cards to be dealt to the sub player are determined from two card decks E and F. Further, with respect to “sub player 8”, two cards to be dealt to the sub player are determined from two card decks G and H.
US08012004B2
While a ball is rising, a point of attention of a virtual camera is set at the current position of the ball. At the instant when the movement of the ball is changed from rising to falling, the point of attention of the virtual camera is moved from the position of the ball to the position of the shadow of the ball. While the ball is falling, the point of attention of the virtual camera is set at the position of the shadow of the ball. Thus, in a baseball game or the like, a game image capable of providing a realistic feeling to the player and also allowing the player to grasp an area below the ball before the ball drops on the ground can be generated.
US08012000B2
A method and apparatus for extending a polishing article lifetime on a polishing tool with multiple platens is described. The apparatus includes an advanceable roll to roll platen with multiple embodiments of a polishing article to be used thereon. The polishing article is adapted to perform a polishing process by removing conductive and dielectric material from a substrate while minimizing downtime of the polishing tool. In some embodiments, the polishing article may be a dielectric material or a conductive material and is configured to include a longer usable lifetime to minimize replacement and downtime of the tool.
US08011994B2
An aspect of the present invention provides a toy assembly system comprising a central compartment configured to house a plurality of toy bodies, each toy body having magnetic hubs arranged in an outer region of the body. The system can include outer compartments that house ferromagnetic outer components (e.g., ferromagnetic spheres) separate from the toy bodies and a release mechanism configured to release during a single operation a single toy body and a set of outer components, wherein the single toy body and the set of outer components self-assemble and automatically align. Another aspect provides a toy track system comprising a launch portion configured to magnetically retain the magnetic vehicle in a launch position, a release configured to release the vehicle from the launch position, and a track portion coupled to the launch portion and configured to guide the released vehicle along a predetermined path.
US08011987B2
A TFT is formed on a substrate. TFT has first and second regions as a source and a drain, a channel region between the first and second regions, and a gate electrode. An interlayer insulating film is formed on the substrate, covering the thin film transistor. A pixel electrode disposed on the interlayer insulating film is electrically connected to the first region of TFT via a via hole formed in the interlayer insulating film. A cover film covers the edge of the pixel electrode, exposes the inner area of the pixel electrode, and covers the surface of the interlayer insulating film in the area superposed upon the channel region of the thin film transistor to shield an ultraviolet ray. An organic light emission layer and an upper electrode are disposed on and above the pixel electrode.
US08011986B1
The inflatable buoyant tent apparatus provides a buoyant shelter for use on water. The apparatus is deflatable and inflatable except for the battery pack, alarm, pump, and pressure sensor. The apparatus is therefore compactly transported. The included switched air pump provides for automatic inflation. The most complete apparatus embodiment provides a spine and ribs that ensure rigidity of the tent. Rigidity for the float chamber is aided by corrugations that extend from the chamber first end to the chamber second end. The pressure sensor provides constant monitoring of the inflatable apparatus, with automatic pump operation initiated at a given low pressure setting, and automatic pump cessation upon the apparatus reaching a given air pressure. The beacon atop the tent provides clear visibility of the apparatus, especially at night, to ensure the safety of the apparatus and anyone within the tent. Tent flaps are provided for each end of the tent.
US08011983B1
A marine drive has a break-away mount mounting first and second sections of the drive and breaking-away in response to a given underwater impact against the second section to protect the first section and the vessel.
US08011977B2
A connector has first and second housings (10A, 30A) that can be fit together along a fit-on direction. A female terminal (14) is mounted in a cavity (12) of a first housing (10A). A lance (19) is formed inside the first housing (10A) and locks the female terminal (14) in the cavity (12). The lance (19) can deform elastically in the flexibility allowance space (22) to unlock the female terminal (14). A retainer projection (34) is provided in a second housing (30A) and projects along a fit-in direction of the first and second housings (10A, 30A). The retainer projection (34) penetrates into the flexibility allowance space (22) as the first and second housings (10A, 30A) are fit together to prevent the lance (19) from flexing in an unlocking direction.
US08011976B2
The present invention is intended to provide a novel waterproof connector in which liquid such as water is securely prevented from adhering to the connection between a terminal fitting and an electrical conduit, and a novel method for producing the waterproof connector.The novel waterproof connector 1 comprises an electrical conduit (6), a terminal fitting (2), and a sealing member (4). The terminal fitting (2) has an electrical conduit-connecting portion (22) connected to an end portion (6a) of the electrical conduit (6). The connector housing (3) is integrally molded with both of the electrical conduit (6) and the terminal fitting (2). In this configuration, at least the electrical conduit-connecting portion (22) is embedded in the connector housing (3). The sealing member (4) comprises a synthetic polymer component having adhesion properties and elasticity. The sealing member (4) is at least partly wrapped around both the end portion (6a) of the electrical conduit (6) and the terminal fitting (2) so as to be in close contact with both the corresponding end portion (6a) of the electrical conduit (6), and the corresponding terminal fitting (2). In this configuration, wherein all of the corresponding end portion (6a) of the electrical conduit (6), the corresponding terminal fitting (2), and the sealing member (4) are embedded in the connector housing (3).
US08011972B2
A jack with a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) is provided. The FPC is connected to the plug interface contacts and has a compensation circuit to compensate for near-end crosstalk (NEXT) and far-end crosstalk (FEXT). Capacitive and inductive compensation in the compensation circuit are of opposite polarity and are substantially equal in magnitude. The compensation circuit has a FEXT compensation zone containing compensation for the FEXT. Inductive and capacitive compensation in the FEXT compensation zone are distributed.
US08011968B2
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing (1) having a chamber (101, 1121); a set of contacts (2, 23) retained in the insulative housing, and having contacting portions (21, 31) exposed to the chamber and tail portions (23, 34), the contacts including a second grounding contact (351) and a third grounding contact (355) perpendicular to the second grounding contact; an electrical means (5) electrically connecting the second grounding contact and the third grounding contact; and a metal shell (4) enclosing the insulative housing (1).
US08011966B1
A high speed connector includes a male connector portion and a female connector portion. The male connector portion includes a male-portion housing and high-speed male terminals and other male terminals received in the male-portion housing. The female connector portion includes a female-portion housing and high-speed female terminals and other female terminals received in the female-portion housing. The high-speed male and female terminals both include a fixing section for fixing the terminals in the respective housings. The high-speed male and female terminals both include flat-structured terminals and deviated-structured terminals. The fixing section of the flat-structured terminal is located on the same plane as other sections of the terminal, while the fixing section of the deviated-structured terminal is deviated sidways with respect to the other sections. Such an alternating arrangement allows the connector to be minatruized and interference and loss of signals transmitted therethrough are reduced.
US08011965B2
An electrical card connector includes an insulative housing (1), a number of contacts (3) assembled in the insulative housing, a pair of metal pads (5) assembled to the side walls of the insulative housing, and a metallic shell (2). The insulative housing has a base portion (10) and a pair of side walls (11) extending from the base portion. Each metal pad has a cavity (501) and an elastic tongue portion (53) extending into the cavity. The metallic shell forms a pair of pivots (220) extending through and movable in the cavity. The elastic tongue portion is resiliently engageable with the pivot in response to a movement of the pivot along an inner edge of the cavity.
US08011954B2
Characteristic impedances of a shielded connector and a shielded cable are matched by lowering that of the connector conventionally high in a connection portion of an inner conductor terminal of the connector to a signal conductor of the cable, and transmission loss by reflection of high-frequency signals is decreased. The connector for a shielded cable W comprising a signal conductor Wa, a shielded conductor Wd, an insulator Wb interposed between the conductors Wa and Wd, and a sheath covering the conductor Wd, comprises an inner conductor terminal 2 connected to the conductor Wa, and an outer conductor terminal 4 connected to the conductor Wd to house the terminal 2 interposing a dielectric 3 between the terminals. The terminal 2 comprises a connecting section 2a to the conductor Wa, and a crimping portion 5 for enlarging the outer diameter of the section 2a is crimped onto the section 2a after connection.
US08011948B2
An electrical connector assembly (1) for connecting with a cable (7), comprises a metallic housing (2) defining a receiving room (23), a pair of receiving spaces disposed at two sides of the receiving room and a pair of slits formed at two sides of the housing and respectively communicated with the pair of receiving spaces. A printed circuit board (3) is received into the receiving room and has a mating portion (31) extending forwardly from a front surface of the housing. A pair of latches (4) received into the corresponding receiving spaces, each latch having a base portion (41) disposed in the receiving space, an engaging portion (42) formed at a front end thereof and engaged with the housing and a pressing portion (43) extending rearwardly from the base portion and out of the housing, a latching portion (411) extending outwardly from the base portion and passing through the slit for latching with a complementary connector, an elastic portion (412) extending inwardly and rearwardly from the base portion to urge the latching portion extending out of the housing.
US08011945B2
The present invention provides a locking device and a high voltage shield connector having the same. The locking device of the present invention preferably includes a mounting hole configured to penetrate the circumferential surface of a female housing, a support member configured to be supported on an edge of the mounting hole, a restraining member extending to a lower portion of the support member and projecting to the inside of the female housing, and a locker formed on a male housing to restrain the restraining member to be connected to the female housing.
US08011942B2
There is provided a connector that allows easy engagement even when visual judgment is not possible and that has superior durability as well. In a connector for connecting a first connecting cable connected to one end of a socket and a second connecting cable connected to one end of a plug, through engagement between the socket and the plug, the socket includes a cutout portion formed by cutting away at least one portion from one opening of a cylinder along the peripheral direction thereof, the cutout portion having a V-shape at its deepest portion, a first guiding portion projecting from at least one portion of the opening along the peripheral direction, the first guiding portion having a substantial V-shape at its leading end, and a retaining portion to be retained to a lateral face of the cylinder at the time of engagement with the plug, thus retaining this engagement. The plug includes a second guiding portion engageable into the cutout portion and having a substantial V-shape at its leading end and a pawl portion to be retained to the retaining portion at the time of the engagement with the socket.
US08011938B2
An electrical connector assembly is shown having a housing member with a mating assist which rotatably draws complementary connectors together. The mating assist is actuated by way of a linear actuator which rotates the mating assist member.
US08011936B2
An electrical center includes a housing and a relay module that is disposed in a well of the housing. The relay module has a base, a printed circuit board assembly, plug in electronic components, a cover and means of coupling and latching of the base to the well in the housing. The base includes a tray having a depending shroud at one end portion. The end portion of the tray that has depending shroud has a plurality of apertures that extend through tie end portion of the tray. A plurality of terminals have first end portions that engage the printed circuit board for electrical connection to the plurality of relays and second end portions that plug into the apertures and terminate in free ends disposed in the space inside the shroud.
US08011931B2
A probe connector includes a barrel, a plunger, an elastic element, at least one first magnet, and at least one second magnet. The barrel defines an enclosure surrounding a chamber. An opening is formed at one end of the barrel. The elastic element is arranged in the chamber of the barrel. The plunger has a basic portion received in the chamber and against one end of the elastic element, and a contact portion extending out of the chamber through the opening. The first magnet is disposed on the enclosure of the barrel. The second magnet is disposed on the basic portion of the plunger. When the plunger is pressed inward, the plunger is leant towards one side with the basic portion against the enclosure because of the second magnet approaching the first magnet to produce a magnetic force interaction therebetween.
US08011930B2
Disclosed is an electrical power receptacle with rotatable USB jacks comprising a main body including at least one shaft section; at least one electrical outlet assembly being disposed on the main body; a rotating member, coupled to the main body via the shaft section, being rotatable along the shaft section, and a rotational angle thereof being determined with respect to structural designs; and at least one USB jack assembly, being disposed on the rotating member and rotatable along with the rotational movement of the rotating member. An electric plug assembly with conducting prongs is disposed on the main body for connecting with the public electrical power distribution system. Thus, by adjusting the direction of rotation in accordance with the USB jack assemblies according to the present invention, the restriction in application range thereof decreases.
US08011928B1
Mine-like explosion simulators are disclosed herein. According to aspects illustrated herein, a landmine simulator device includes a blast fixture; a lower portion of said blast fixture having a proximal end, a distal end and a hollow area therebetween, said hollow area being configured so as to direct channeling of an audio signature internally for maximum sound; and a top portion of said blast fixture having a top plate and a blast cover, said top plate having an opening for engaging and aligning with said proximal end of said lower portion, and said blast cover being configured so as to release a visible signature externally for maximum exposure.
US08011921B2
Disclosed is a method for detecting a combustion state of a boiler, and more particularly to a boiler and a method capable of exactly detecting an abnormal combustion state of a gas boiler using an air pressure sensor and a flame detection unit, thereby improving efficiency of the boiler. The method comprises the steps of (S1) supplying air to a burner through a fan, (S2) detecting whether an optimum amount of air is supplied through step (S1) by using the air pressure sensor, (S3) continuously detecting a status of a flame through the flame detection unit if the flame is made by an ignition part, (S4) converting a size of the flame into a corresponding voltage value, inputting the voltage value into a microcomputer, and comparing the voltage value with a preset target voltage value, (S5) stopping a combustion process if the microcomputer determines that the air pressure sensor erroneously operates based on a fact that a difference value between the voltage value and the preset target voltage value exceeds a reference value, and (S6) displaying an error message indicating an abnormal combustion state if the microcomputer determines that the air pressure sensor erroneously operates.
US08011918B2
A compact, flexible device capable of receiving a human finger which allows a person to easily and efficiently smooth filler material into a desired space, while also allowing the user to handle other objects and/or complete other tasks without removing the device from his or her person.
US08011915B2
A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that has a first substrate table arranged to hold a substrate and a second substrate table arranged to hold a substrate, an imprint template holder arranged to hold an imprint template, and an imprintable medium dispenser, wherein the first substrate table is moveable between a first position located at or adjacent to the imprintable medium dispenser, and a second position located at or adjacent to the imprint template holder, and the second substrate table is moveable between the first and second positions, such that the first and second substrate tables swap positions.
US08011896B2
A fan system is electrically connected with a driving source generator and includes a first fan, a second fan and an energy storage element. The second fan is rotated by the first fan for generating an electric energy. The energy storage element is electrically connected with the second fan for storing the electric energy and keep supplying power when the driving source generator is out of order or the fan is rotating in lower rotation speed.
US08011894B2
A sealing system for sealing a gap between a dovetail tab of a bucket and a rotor. The sealing system may include a sealing slot positioned about the dovetail tab and a pivot plate positioned within the sealing slot. The sealing slot may include a pivot point and a rest ledge such that the pivot plate pivots about the pivot point and into the gap when the bucket rotates.
US08011893B2
The invention concerns a module of a nacelle of a wind turbine, which is separately designed, manageable and comprise a housing part. The module is connectable to at least one further module of the nacelle, which is also separately designed, manageable and has a housing part, wherein the housing part of the module builds in the assembled status of the nacelle, which comprises several modules, a part of the housing of the nacelle. The invention concerns also a nacelle comprising several such modules, a wind turbine comprising such a nacelle as well as a method for the stepwise assembly of such a nacelle aloft.
US08011892B2
A turbine blade damper-seal assembly includes a seal nested within a damper such that both the seal and damper are disposed to provide sealing between adjacent blade platforms. The seal traverses the seal slot in the damper and seals the gap between adjacent blade platforms for the full axial length of the neck cavity between adjacent blades. The damper is located in an aft most position and includes features to facilitate vibration-dampening performance. The damper also includes features that cause entrapment between blades and therefore avoids the conventionally required protrusions on the blade to retain it in the assembled position.
US08011880B2
The invention relates to a vacuum pump in which the gas bearing is coated with a hard layer, and to a process for preparing such gas bearing of a vacuum pump.
US08011871B2
Reels of material are transported by being disposed on a first transport carriage which is, in turn, disposed on a second transport carriage. The second transport carriage travels between a reel storage area, that has a plurality of storage spaces, and a reel changer of a web-processing machine. The second transport carriage, together with the first transport carriage and the reel of material that is deposited on the first transport carriage then travels to an offload or unload position of the reel changer.
US08011856B2
The invention is a means to eliminate thermal or pressure walking of a pipeline by applying a constant axial force to the pipeline through the interposition of a constant-thrust device between a point fixed to the pipeline and a point on a foundation, which pair of points are otherwise unconstrained relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the pipeline.
US08011848B2
A quick change adapter for removeably mounting a finishing tool to a rotary drive shaft. The quick change adapter includes a shaft hub mount designed to be mounted to a rotary drive shaft, and a tool hub mount designed to hold a finishing tool and to be removably secured to the shaft hub mount. The shaft hub mount includes a shaft sleeve with an annular sleeve ring on it. An annular locking ring is biased against the sleeve ring and includes a locking tab that slides into a locking slot in the sleeve ring. The tool adapter includes a lock sleeve adapted to slide between the annular locking ring and the shaft sleeve. The lock sleeve has a locking finger this slides into a recess slot in the locking slot when the tool adapter mount is engaged with the shaft hub mount.
US08011844B2
A printer is disclosed. The printer includes a main body which contains a paper roll container where a paper roll is loaded, a lid for closing an opening section of the main body through which opening section the paper roll is loaded in the paper roll container, a letter printing mechanism which is formed when the lid is closed, and a detecting arm disposed on a rear surface of the lid for detecting a near-end state of the paper roll. When the paper roll is loaded in the paper roll container and the lid is closed, an arm main body of the detecting arm contacts an outer circumferential surface of the paper roll. When the paper roll reaches the near-end state, the detecting arm does not contact the outer circumferential surface of the paper roll and is moved, and a switch disposed at the main body becomes OFF.
US08011838B2
A focal-plane shutter 105 includes a leading blade driving member 4 rotatably fitted onto a first shaft 1d and driven by a biasing force of a leading blade driving spring 8, a trailing blade driving member 5 rotatably fitted onto a second shaft 1e and driven by a biasing force of a trailing blade driving spring 9, a leading blade adjusting member 6 rotatably fitted onto the first shaft 1d and adjusting the biasing force of the leading blade driving spring 8, a trailing blade adjusting member 7 rotatably fitted onto the second shaft 1e and adjusting the biasing force of the trailing blade driving spring 9, and an upper base plate 3 including a first surface 3a and a second surface 3b that are thrust position limiters. An area of the first surface 3a is larger than that of the second surface 3b.
US08011831B2
A zipper tape includes a pair of a male member and a female member including engagement portions and belt-like bases, continued to the engagement portions. The belt-like base includes a seal base defined by widening the belt-like base a larger width from the engagement portions to a crosswise end of the belt-like base than that of the belt-like base. A bond layer and an easy-peel layer are layered on a surface of the seal base in side of the engagement portion and heat-fused to a bag body. The seal base is formed of polypropylene. The bond layer is formed of a mixture of polypropylene and low density polyethylene. The easy-peel layer is formed of a mixture of low density polyethylene and polypropylene. A ratio of polypropylene in the easy-peel layer is smaller than a ratio of polypropylene in the bond layer.
US08011828B2
A shoulder joint is provided. The shoulder joint includes a main support; a fold-out arm including an upper arm and a lower arm, the upper arm operable to pivot about a pin and the lower arm operable to pivot on a spindle on one end of the upper arm; and a first wheel attached to the pin, and a second wheel attached to the spindle. The upper arm and the lower arm are mechanically linked via the two wheels in such a way that rotation of the upper arm about the pin cause rotation of the second wheel and the lower arm relative to the upper arm, resulting in a bending or straightening of the arm.
US08011823B2
A clay kneader has a drum having a pressure raising section on a supply opening side, an extrusion section having an inner diameter smaller than that of the pressure raising section on side of an extrusion opening for extruding clay as a columnar article, and a flow controlling section located between the pressure raising section and the extrusion section and being equipped with a supply opening for clay, a screw having a rotary shaft having a diameter which gradually decreases toward the extrusion opening in the flow controlling section and being ended around a boundary between the flow controlling section and the extrusion section, and a helical rotating blade provided along the rotary shaft for kneading the clay a rotary shaft.
US08011814B2
An illuminating device includes a circuit board, a light source, and a thermoelectric cooler. The circuit board has a first surface and a second surface at an opposite side of the circuit board to the first surface. The light source is electrically mounted on the first surface of the circuit board. The thermoelectric cooler is attached on the second surface of the circuit board.
US08011808B2
An LED illumination device includes an optical section at a front end thereof, an electrical section at a rear end thereof, and a heat dissipation section between the optical section and the electrical section. The optical section includes an LED electrically connecting with the electrical section, and a light output housing around the LED. The heat dissipation section includes a U-shaped heat pipe, a heat sink and a mounting seat. The heat pipe includes an evaporation section and two condensation sections extending backwardly from two opposite ends of the evaporation section, respectively. The condensation sections are inserted into the heat sink. The mounting seat bestrides on the evaporation section. The LED thermally connects with evaporation section via the mounting seat.
US08011807B2
The invention relates to a method for enabling transmission of substantially equal amounts of energy from at least one light source (LS) comprising intensity variations in time to at least two light sensitive points (LSP), said transmission being controlled by means of at least one illumination arrangement (1), and said method comprising establishment of a correlation between said intensity variations and at least one feature of said illumination arrangement. The invention furthermore relates to an illumination arrangement (1) for controlling transmission of energy to at least two light sensitive points (LSP), wherein said controlling transmission enables transmission of substantially equal amounts of energy to each of said at least two light sensitive points (LSP).
US08011806B2
According to a lighting fixture of an aspect of the present invention, only by holding the first and second strip-shaped luminous bodies on the strip-shaped luminous body holding device with the first and second strip-shaped luminous bodies being curved into a predetermined shape, the plurality of point light sources of the first strip-shaped luminous body and the plurality of point light sources of the second strip-shaped luminous body can be mounted at predetermined positions in appropriate postures (for example, such positions and postures as to illuminate a predetermined area of the front of the lighting fixture) at once. That is, each of the point light sources can be stereoscopically disposed at a predetermined position in an appropriate posture in a most expeditious manner. Also, the lighting fixture of novel visual quality capable of producing a stereoscopic effect by the real image can be provided.
US08011805B2
The present invention relates to a pointless illumination device, comprising: a body; a cover, made of a light spreading material which can uniformly spread out the light of a plurality of light emitting devices; a light source module; a first contact portion; and a second contact portion. The light emitted from the light source module is uniformly spread through the cover so that the phenomenon of pointwise illumination does not exist in the illumination device.
US08011803B2
A fog lamp may include a Lambertian LED, a collimating lens encompassing the Lambertian LED, a collimating surface including a total internal reflective surface and encompassing the collimating lens, and a corrugated surface attached to the collimating surface at an acute angle with respect to an optic axis of the corrugated surface.
US08011794B1
A light fixture can be affixed within a wall and powered using the same cable along which data signals are transmitted. The LED lights in the light fixture are sufficiently bright to be used for illumination and are powered by a voltage derived from power delivered via the data cable. The light fixture may be used in conjunction with a building automation system. The light provided by the LED lights may be modified based on control signals received via the data cable. Modifications may include changes to the perceived brightness and/or color of the light.
US08011790B2
An image display apparatus is provided that allows a user to check image content even in a place where there is no projection screen. A projector that is one mode of the image display apparatus includes a casing, a projection aperture provided in the casing, and an internal projection mirror and a built-in screen that are provided in a casing. When the projector is being folded, laser light emitted from the projection aperture is reflected by the internal projection mirror. The reflected light is projected onto the built-in screen, whereby an image is displayed.
US08011786B2
Disclosed is a multiperspective backprojection system for autostereoscopically displaying three-dimensional representations. Said backprojection system comprises a backprojection screen (2) and an image generation unit (1) which is disposed behind the backprojection screen (2) and is provided with a projector (7a to 7p) for each perspective of the three-dimensional representations. The rear face (3) of the backprojection screen (2) is fitted with a first lenticular screen plate (8) while the front face (4) thereof is equipped with a second lenticular screen plate (9). The inventive backprojection screen (2) encompasses a third lenticular screen plate (10) between the first lenticular screen plate (8) and the second lenticular screen plate (9). The three lenticular screen plates (8, 9, 10) are provided with parallel cylindrical lenses. The first and the second lenticular screen plate (8, 9) have the same number of lenses while the third lenticular screen plate (10) has at least N times as many lenses as the first lenticular screen plate (8), N being equal to the number of perspectives.
US08011784B2
Contact lenses, such as hydrogel contact lenses, are described. The present contact lenses include a lens body that is the reaction product of a polymerizable composition. The polymerizable composition includes one or more monomers and a crosslinker that crosslinks the one or more monomers during polymerization. The polymerization of the one or more monomers occurs in the presence of a hydrophilic polymer that is present in the polymerizable composition, which comprises a polymer of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine. The present lenses are capable of releasing the hydrophilic polymer from the contact lens for prolonged periods of time and also have a reduced surface friction compared to similar lenses without the hydrophilic polymer. The present invention also relates to packaging systems for use with such lenses and methods of producing such lenses.
US08011778B2
A sealant for an ink jet head includes at least an oxetane compound having a biphenyl skeleton, an alicyclic epoxy compound, and a cationic polymerization initiator.
US08011777B2
An ink set includes a combination of a first ink and a second ink, the first ink containing a self-dispersion pigment having at least one hydrophilic group directly or through another atomic group bonded to the surface of the pigment particle, and ammonium ions, the second ink containing a pigment, a polymer having an acid value of 160 mg KOH/g or less, and alkali metal ions, wherein the first ink further contains a compound (A) selected from nonionic surfactants and/or a compound (B) selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol with an average molecular weight of 600 to 2,000, α,ω-alkanediol having six carbon atoms, and an imidazolidinone derivative.
US08011774B2
An azo dye represented by formula (1): wherein, R11 represents a monovalent substituent, R12 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent, Ar1 represents a specific heterocyclic group such as a group such as a group shown below, and X represents atoms necessary to form a ring; wherein, in the heterocyclic group, R61 to R63 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent.
US08011773B2
An inkjet printer is provided. The printer comprises an inkjet printhead having a plurality of nozzles; at least one ink reservoir; and an ink supply system for supplying ink from the reservoir to the plurality of nozzles, the ink supply system comprising at least one pressure-dampening structure for dampening pressure fluctuations experienced by the nozzles. A distance between the pressure-dampening structures and at least one of the nozzles is less than 100 microns.
US08011771B2
Systems, methods and structures for remanufacturing inkjet printer cartridges and inkjet printer print heads by removing the print head and adhesive holding the print head to a used inkjet printer cartridge, preparing the cartridge housing for a new print head by routing out the used print head and used adhesive to create a new mounting surface for new adhesive and a new print head, placing the adhesive and new print head on the new mounting surface, curing the adhesive and assembling a re-manufactured cartridge from the cartridge housing having a new print head positioned thereon.
US08011767B2
An ink cartridge loading device has: a casing, a door, and a guiding member. The casing has a chamber that accommodates an ink cartridge, and an opening communicated with the chamber for loading and unloading the ink cartridge therethrough. The door is provided at the casing and is movable between a first position and a second position. The door closes the opening at the first position. The door opens the opening at the second position. The guiding member is provided on the door and partially guides the ink cartridge from the chamber through the opening to outside when the door moves from the first position to the second position. The guiding member supports the ink cartridge together with the door when the door is at the second position. The guiding member guides the ink cartridge into the chamber when the door is closing.
US08011763B2
A droplet ejecting apparatus, including: a head unit having a generally planar shape and including nozzles through which droplets are ejected, a holder holding the head unit, a reinforcing plate via which the head unit is held by the holder and which has an adhesion surface as at least a part of one of opposite surfaces thereof to which an adhesion surface of the head unit as at least a part of one of opposite surfaces thereof is adhered with an adhesive layer interposed between the adhesion surfaces, and an adhesion portion constituted by the adhesion surfaces and the adhesive layer, wherein the adhesion portion has a special region in which (a) first sections in each of which respective parts of the adhesion surfaces are opposed to each other with a part of the adhesive layer interposed therebetween and are adhered to each other and (b) second sections in each of which a part of the adhesion surface of one of the head unit and the reinforcing plate is opposed to a space and is not adhered to the adhesion surface of the other are alternately arranged.
US08011759B2
A liquid droplet transport apparatus, which is provided on a nozzle plate of an ink-jet head, including a first electrode and a second electrode which are arranged on a lower surface of the nozzle plate, a driver which applies electric potentials to the first electrode and the second electrode respectively, a resistor layer which is arranged on the lower surface of the nozzle plate and which makes electric conduction to both of the first electrode and the second electrode, and an insulating layer which covers the first electrode, the second electrode, and the resistor layer. Accordingly, the liquid droplet transport apparatus is provided, which makes it possible to transport liquid droplets over a long distance, while simplifying the arrangement for the liquid droplet transport.
US08011758B2
An inkjet printer with a printhead assembly and at least one replaceable ink cartridge, has an ink inlet valve on the printhead assembly for sealed connection to an outlet on the ink cartridge. The inlet valve has an inlet opening and a movable valve member biased into sealing engagement with the inlet opening. The outlet has a complementary member for depressing the movable valve member out of engagement with the inlet opening to open the valve. The inlet opening has an external formation about its periphery for sealing against the outlet before the complementary member depresses the movable valve member.
US08011757B2
An inkjet printhead includes a plurality of inkjet nozzles arranged in nozzle rows. Each nozzle row has a respective row of drive transistors. Drive transistors corresponding to one nozzle row are interleaved with drive transistors corresponding to an adjacent nozzle row.
US08011754B2
A print assembly (14) for a wide format pagewidth inkjet printer (10) includes an elongate carrier (187) that is mountable on a support structure (12) of the printer and is positioned an operative distance from a platen (106) of the printer (10). A number of printhead chips (186) are provided in a number and configuration such that the printhead chips define a printing zone (120) between the carrier (187) and the platen (106), the printing zone (120) having a length of at least 36 inches (914 mm). Each printhead chip (186) is of the type that incorporates a plurality of nozzle arrangements (210) and being in the form of a micro electromechanical system to achieve the ejection of ink from the nozzle arrangement (210). Control circuitry (190) is positioned on the carrier (187) and is operatively connected to the printhead chips (186) to control operation of the printhead chips (186).
US08011750B2
Provided is a method of detecting a missing nozzle in a thermal inkjet printhead. The method includes: applying an input energy high enough to eject ink to a heater corresponding to a target nozzle, and applying an input energy not high enough to eject ink to a heater corresponding to a nozzle adjacent to the target nozzle; when a predetermined time passes, detecting a difference between temperatures which are measured at points spaced by a predetermined distance from each of the two heaters; and determining whether the target nozzle is missing.
US08011749B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for measuring the thickness of an ink layer in a pixel and a method of controlling nozzles of an inkjet head using the apparatus and method. The apparatus includes: a substrate; a plurality of pixels disposed on the substrate and filled with ink due to a printing operation; first and second electrodes corresponding to the pixels, the first and second electrodes disposed on opposite sides of each of the pixels; and a capacitance measurement circuit electrically connected to the first and second electrodes to measure the capacitance of each of the pixels.
US08011748B2
An inkjet printhead with an array of nozzles 26 and corresponding heaters 10 configured for heating printing fluid 20 to nucleate a vapor bubble 12 that ejects a drop 24 of the printing fluid through the nozzle. Drive circuitry 22 generates an electrical drive pulse to energize the heaters 10 and is configured to adjust the drive pulse power to vary the vapor bubble nucleation time. By varying the power of the pulse used to generate the bubble, the printhead can operate with small, efficiently generated bubbles during normal printing, or it can briefly operate with large high energy bubbles if it needs to recover decapped nozzles.
US08011744B2
A refrigerator includes a main body, a receiving portion defined within the main body, a shelf disposed within the receiving portion having at least one auxiliary hinge portion disposed at a rear thereof, a storage tray slidably extractable from within the receiving portion and adjacent the shelf when the storage tray is received within the receiving portion, and a front cover disposed on a front surface of the storage tray to be rotated upward and opened when the storage tray is extracted from within the receiving portion and having at least one holder portion disposed on a rear surface thereof to be coupled to the at least one auxiliary hinge portion. By the configuration, the front cover is structurally reinforced, and it is possible to prevent the front cover from drooping and prevent a gap between the front cover and the upper shelf.
US08011737B2
A wheel for a toy vehicle includes a rim, a tire, and a ballast. The rim includes an outer circumferential surface. The tire is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the rim. The tire and the rim cooperatively define a ring-shaped receiving channel therebetween. The ballast is received in the ring-shaped receiving channel, and slidably connected to the outer circumferential surface of the rim. The weight of the ballast is greater than the frictional force between the ballast and the rim.
US08011735B2
A wheel assembly kit for a Mecanum wheel is provided. The kit includes a convex hub having a central axis and a perimeter. The perimeter comprises a plurality of flat spoke faces extending therearound. A spoke is releasably couplable to each spoke face. The spoke is alignable on the spoke face in a first orientation for one of left-handed and right-handed drive. When the spoke is rotated ninety degrees about its respective spoke face, the spoke is alignable in a second orientation for the other of the left-handed and the right-handed drive. A method of assembling the wheel assembly is also provided.
US08011725B2
A bicycle rider seat brace for maintaining the buttocks of a bicycle rider in a stationary position on a racing bicycle seat during seated pedaling includes an elongate member for being attached to the bicycle at a position below the bicycle seat and having a rearwardly extending end positioned behind the bicycle seat, and a bracing element carried by the rearwardly extending end of the elongate member and positioned proximate a rearward most portion of the seat for engaging a central part of the buttocks of the rider and preventing the buttocks from moving rearwardly past the bracing element.
US08011718B2
A pair of rear floor frames extend in a fore-and-aft direction in a lower part of a vehicle body. A pair of rear horizontal frames extend in the fore-and-aft direction above corresponding rear wheels. A door beam extends in the fore-and-aft direction in each side door in alignment with the corresponding rear horizontal frame. A pair of rear vertical frames each extend vertically behind the corresponding rear wheel and join rear ends of the corresponding rear floor frame and rear horizontal frame to each other. In a rear end crash with a vehicle having a front bumper at a relatively high position, the rear vertical frames allow the impact energy of the rear end crash to be evenly distributed, and deformation of the passenger compartment is minimized. The rear horizontal frames allow the impact energy to be transmitted to the door beams, contributing to reinforcement of the passenger compartment.
US08011715B2
To realizes an easy maintenance of the load sensor.A passenger's weight measurement device 1 comprises a left and right pair of fixed lower rails 3 which are fixed on the vehicle floor, a left and right pair of movable upper rails 4 which are disposed to move in a front-and-rear direction on the fixed lower rail 3, load sensors 50 and 60 which are fixed to an upper surface of the right movable upper rail 4, load sensors 70 and 80 which are disposed on the movable upper rail 4 to be movable in a left-and-right direction with respect to the right movable upper rail 4, a sub frame 110 which is mounted on the load sensors 50, 60, 70, and 80, side frames 141 and 142 which are welded to the sub frame 110, and a pan frame 143 which is detachably disposed to the side frames 141 and 142 to cover the front of the side frames 141 and 142. A gouged section 151 is formed on the side frame 141.
US08011714B2
The present invention discloses a stowable seat and seat storage structure that affords for storing of the stowable seat in a vehicle and yet not use or occupy any floor or sub-floor cargo space. An interior side wall for the vehicle is also provided, the interior side wall having a recess that is dimensioned for the stowable seat to fit at least partially therewithin when it is detached from the floor and folded into a stowed configuration.
US08011713B2
A seat arrangement is provided for a motor vehicle with a first vehicle seat and a second vehicle seat that is arranged adjacent to the first vehicle seat in the transverse direction. The vehicle seats include, but are not are not limited to a seat part and a back rest. The first vehicle seat can be displaced in the transverse direction from a first position into a second position in which the first vehicle seat is offset in the direction of the second vehicle seat. The second vehicle seat can furthermore be folded from a service position into an idle position. The seat part of the second vehicle seat is lowered in the idle position such that the seat part of the first vehicle seat is arranged above the seat part of the second vehicle seat in the second position.
US08011708B2
The invention relates to a robot gripper having a fixing flange for detachably attaching it to a robot manipulator arm, and at least one actuator element which is supported in a frame, that actuates at least two gripper jaws indirectly or directly kinematically via at least one articulated unit. At least the fixing flange, the frame and the actuator element are manufactured integrally using a generative manufacturing method, and the actuator element is in the form of a bellows, enclosed an internal volume, which can be filled with a medium via at least one opening, and is capable of expanding, when filled with a medium, along a linear axis predetermined by the bellows design of the actuator element and of contracting, when the volume is emptied, in the opposite direction.
US08011706B2
There is provided a suction gripper. An exemplary suction gripper comprises at least one needle adapted to grip an object. Also provided is a method of gripping an object. An exemplary method of gripping an object comprises gripping the object with a suction gripper comprising at least one needle adapted to grip the object to a suction gripper body.
US08011702B2
An outer operational device includes a cover mounted to a side of a door. An actuating member is mounted in the cover and includes an end engaged with a handle to rotate therewith. A sliding member is slideably received in the cover and operably connected to the actuating member, so that the sliding member slides when the actuating member rotates. A limiting member is pivotably received in the cover between a blocking position not allowing movement of the sliding member and a release position allowing movement of the sliding member. The handle is rotatable when the limiting member is in the release position. The handle is not rotatable when the limiting member is in the blocking position. A key-operable lock core is operably connected to the actuating member, so that the limiting member can be moved to the blocking position to provide a burglarproof function.
US08011701B2
A receptacle securing device designed to at least partially secure a receptacle in a generally static position during manipulation of contents in the receptacle. The receptacle securing device includes a base member that is designed to receive a bottom of a receptacle, at least one pressure pad that is designed to receive user generated pressure, and a plurality of arm members that are connected to the base member. At least one of the arm members is designed to pivot toward and grippingly engage the receptacle when the receptacle is positioned on the receptacle securing device. The receptacle securing device can be designed to be foldable upon itself to facilitate its shipping and transport by minimizing its size profile.
US08011696B2
A pre-tensioning device for a seat belt with a piston which is guided in a bent tube, and which in case of triggering is influenced by gas generated by a gas generator located in one section of the tube, to which a cable led into the tube by a cable opening is attached. The gas generator section (12) of tube (10) which accommodates gas generator (16) is offset from the piston path section (11) of tube (10) which accommodates piston (17) by creation of a narrowed cross-section inside the tube with a defined gas flow path (29, 41).
US08011694B2
A steering member unit includes a metal steering member body disposed to extend substantially in a vehicle width direction; metal side brackets that are fixed respectively to both ends of the steering member body and are attachable respectively to vehicle body side parts; and a metal stay that is fixed to an intermediate part of the steering member body and is attachable to a vehicle body floor. In an intermediate part of the steering member body, multiple ground current connecting members connectable to a vehicle body metal part are provided at intervals in a longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) of the steering member body. Thereby, a resonance frequency of a wavelength depending on the distance of a magnetic field generated by a current flowing into the steering member body can be changed and adjusted.
US08011692B2
A system to provide ballast weight and to secure accessories on a vehicle load bed includes a plurality of hollow planks placed on the load bed adjacent to each other with end edges of the planks substantially aligned with each other and with side edges of the planks adjacent to each other such that top surfaces of the planks form a substantially flat load surface. At least one plank includes a filling orifice with a removable cap to allow filling with ballast. Recesses at corners of the planks are configured to form a substantially horizontally oriented lobe on each corner of the planks, and adjacent planks are connected at right and left ends thereof by a clip extending into the corresponding recesses of the adjacent planks, and fastened to the lobes on the adjacent planks. At least one clip is fastened to the load bed.
US08011690B2
A trim panel overlaying a pillar includes a first trim portion and a second trim portion separable from one another. A handle attaches to the pillar at first and second points by fasteners extending through the second trim portion, the first and second points being vertically spaced apart from one another. An airbag disposed between the trim panel and the pillar deploys such that the first trim portion completely separates from the pillar and the second trim portion along a predetermined separation line. The airbag extends along the pillar alongside at least one of the first and second points and alongside an area between the first point and the second point. The first trim portion and the handle are configured such that the first trim portion is restrained to a limited distance of movement away from the pillar by the handle in response to deployment of the airbag.
US08011688B2
An air bag door in which the remaining thickness of a substrate at a centerline of a fracture groove formed into the shape of an air bag door on a back surface of the substrate is set to be smaller than other portions, and dotted fracture perforations for braking the superficial material are selectively provided at the centerline portion and near meeting points between sidelines and the centerline.According to the invention described above, the substrate and the superficial material of the air bag door are broken in a desirable order of breakage by portions synchronously with each other when the air bag is expanded and deployed.
US08011682B2
A transportation system cradle cradles and moves a transportation system structure of a transportation system in an assembly process. The transportation system cradle contains a drive unit connectable to the transportation system structure to move or transport the transportation system structure. The transportation system cradle also has at least one first and second cradle units that are designed to cradle a first or second foot area of the transportation system structure. Intermediate products, formed of a transportation system structure and a cradle, may be moved between assembly stations in an assembly plant.
US08011679B2
A wheel suspension device for a vehicle includes a wheel supporting member rotatably supporting a wheel. The wheel supporting member is linked to a vehicle-body side by a first link and a second link, with the second link arranged substantially parallel to the first link in a vehicle width direction. The first link has a projecting portion, and at least one elastic linking portion links the projecting portion to the second link.
US08011673B2
A dynamic shaft seal assembly is provided including a dynamic seal for engaging a rotary shaft. The dynamic seal includes a base portion that is mounted within a casing and has an axially extending barrel portion extending from a radially inner end of the base portion. The axially extending barrel portion terminates in a radially extending leg portion which extends inwardly from an end of the axially extending portion. A generally conically shaped seal portion extends from an end of the radially extending portion and the seal portion includes a radially inner face engaging the shaft and a radially outer face having a stiffening bead integrally formed thereon. The stiffening bead reduces the seal's propensity for “bell mouthing” while the axially extending barrel portion provides improved shaft followability for the dynamic seal.
US08011670B2
A sealing device formed to seal between a fixed side member and a rotating side member, comprising a slinger having a fitting cylindrical part fitted to the rotating side member and a flange part formed at one end part of the fitting cylindrical part positioned on the outer side of a sealed portion so as to be extended in the radial direction. A core comprises at least a fitting cylindrical part fitted to the fixed side member. The sealing device is characterized in that one end part of the fitting cylindrical part positioned on the outer side of the sealed portion is positioned on the sealed portion side more than the sealed portion side inner surface position of the flange part of the slinger and a part of a seal lip part is formed to be projected from near one end part of the fitting cylindrical part of the core and to be brought into elastically slidable contact with the extended end face of the slinger.
US08011668B2
The present invention provides a modular gland member for use in a mechanical seal, wherein the gland member has a radially or axially extending cavity adjacent to a seal face, and the cavity includes a solid or fluid thermal conducting member to dissipate heat from the seal face into the surrounding components.
US08011656B2
There is provided an image forming apparatus which does not need height adjustment of the main body and the sheet post-processing device at the time of attaching the sheet post-processing device to the main body and which can prevent jam from occurring while securing the conveying force to convey paper sheets. In an image forming apparatus 11 including a main body 11a having a delivery section 41 and a sheet post-processing device 12 having a reception section 43 for receiving paper sheets S, the delivery section 41 has a first paper conveying unit 46 for conveying paper sheets S toward the reception section 43, the reception section 43 has a pair of fixed guides 49 for receiving the paper sheets S conveyed from the first paper conveying unit 46, a pair of movable guides 48 is provided between the first paper conveying unit 46 of the delivery section 41 and the pair of fixed guides 49 of the reception section 43, so that when the sheet post-processing device 12 is brought close to the main body 12a, the pair of movable guides 48 comes into sliding contact with the pair of fixed guides 49 and rotates around a shaft.
