US08099075B2
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to providing session establishment for emergency VoIP (e.g., E911) calls.
US08099073B1
A multi-path amplifier can include a high frequency path, a low frequency path, and a summing node to sum an output from the high frequency path with an output from the low frequency path. The low frequency path can include a flicker noise reduction mechanism including an image band rejection mechanism. The low frequency path can include an in-phase path and a quadrature path.
US08099072B2
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, apparatus are provided. A filter is provided to receive from an antenna a receive signal of a given type and a low noise amplifier is provided to amplify the received signal. A translator down translates the receive signal carried at a radio frequency to be carried at an intermediate frequency. An I/Q channel separator is provided to separate the receive signal carried at the intermediate frequency into an analog in-phase (I) signal in an I channel and an analog quadrature-phase (Q) in a Q channel. An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter is provided to respectively convert the I signal and the Q signal to digital domain representations of the I signal and the Q signal. An intermodulation (IM) distortion avoider is provided to avoid IM distortion in the receive signal. The IM distortion avoider includes a carrier frequency exchanger to exchange an IM carrier frequency of IM distortion contained in the receive signal with a carrier frequency of the receive signal.
US08099061B2
Techniques are provided herein for a receiver protection circuit in a time-division duplex (TDD) system. The receive protection circuit has a first diode with an anode that is coupled to an input of a low-noise-amplifier (LNA) and a cathode that is coupled to a ground. A controller is coupled to the anode of the diode and is configured to generate a control signal for turning on the diode when the TDD system is in a transmission mode. A load is coupled to the diode such that a reflected transmit signal is shorted to the ground by the diode and the radio frequency energy carried in the reflected transmit signal is consumed by the load.
US08099052B2
There are provided a method and apparatus for an effective multi-cell interference control service, to make it possible for users located at a cell boundary to dynamically select a suitable interference control technique by monitoring interference information collected by user terminals and network conditions of a serving base station and adjacent base stations to solve co-channel interference by adjacent cell users.
US08099044B2
A radio frequency detection system is provided that includes at least two radio frequency detection devices, which have an antenna each with a detection range for a radio frequency identification and detect the radio frequency identification information provided in the detection range. The radio frequency detection system is designed to attenuate a detection range of a detecting radio frequency detection device in the detection range of the at least one other radio frequency detection device by means of a compensation member such that the radio frequency identification cannot be detected by the detecting radio frequency detection device in the detection area of the at least one other radio frequency detection device. The compensation member feeds a compensation current to the at least one other antenna to generate an opposing magnetic field, which attenuates or extinguishes the magnetic field of the detecting antenna in the at least one other detection range, by the at least one other antenna in the at least one other detection range.
US08099039B2
Apparatuses for playing signals received from the internet or other information highway on one or more speakers are described. The apparatus has a receiver for receiving information from a preselected address; a processor for interpreting the signals; and at least one sound emitting device for playing the processed signal. The apparatus has an ornamental design on the outside which is related to the topic of the signals received from the address.
US08099031B2
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a first photoconductive member used during monochrome printing; a plurality of second photoconductive members used together with the first photoconductive member during full-color printing and arranged in parallel to the first photoconductive member; a transfer belt that forms a loop-like moving path; a first transfer roller and a plurality of second transfer rollers provided on an inner peripheral side of the transfer belt; and a link member that shifts, during the full-color printing, the second transfer rollers to positions where the second transfer rollers are brought into press contact with the respective second photoconductive members via the transfer belt and shifts, during the monochrome printing, the second transfer rollers to positions where respective separations between an inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt and the respective second transfer rollers are substantially identical.
US08099023B2
Exemplary embodiments provide bias-able devices for use in electrostato-graphic printing apparatuses using conformable and electrically relaxable rubber materials. The rubber material can include a plurality of nanotubes distributed uniformly and/or spatially-controlled throughout a rubber matrix for providing the rubber material with a uniform mechanical conformability and a uniform electrical resistivity. The rubber material can be used as a functional layer disposed over a conductive substrate such as a conductive core depending on the specific design or engine architecture. Other functional layers can also be disposed over the conductive substrate and/or the rubber material of the bias-able devices including bias charging rolls (BCRs) and bias transfer rolls (BTRs).
US08099017B2
A frame structure includes three or more supporting members, a scanner support, a scanner cantilever support, and an adjuster. Three or more supporting members are provided vertically from a base portion. The scanner support is provided horizontally between upper portions of the supporting members. The scanner cantilever support extends horizontally from the upper portion of one of the supporting members. The adjuster is attached to a free end of the cantilever support, and includes an inclined slot. The cantilever support includes a protrusion provided in the free end of the scanner cantilever support. The protrusion is engageable with the slot of the adjuster to obliquely raise and lower the adjuster.
US08099016B2
An image scanner section is disposed above a printer section. The image scanner section is supported by the printer section in such a manner as to be pivotable about a pivotal axis. The printer section has a lower housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The image scanner section has an upper housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The upper housing and the lower housing are configured such that a second upper corner portion, which is a corner portion of the upper housing, projects beyond a second lower corner portion, which is a corner portion of the lower housing and is located just under the second upper corner portion.
US08099009B2
A print engine synchronization method enables the movement of a first print engine dielectric support member (DSM) having one or more image frames as well as the movement of a second print engine DSM having one or more image frames by monitoring a first frame signal from the moving first print engine DSM and a second frame signal from the moving second print engine DSM. An offset is determined for each of corresponding pairs of frames from the one or more image frames of the first and second print engine DSM and the determined offset for each corresponding pair of frames is compared to a target offset to maintain synchronization between the first and second print engines on a frame by frame basis by adjusting a second print engine DSM velocity based on the comparison of the determined offset and the target offset.
US08099007B2
In a heat roller of a fixing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a sleeve is slidable with respect to a supporting roller. Flanges that regulate the sleeve have smooth surfaces, are arranged at gaps apart from a foamed rubber layer of the supporting roller, and freely rotate with respect to the supporting roller. Edges at both ends of the foamed rubber layer of the supporting roller are formed in an R shape and set shorter than the length of a body of the press roller. The sleeve has markings for detecting a state of the heat roller.
US08098994B2
Provided is an optical interconnection system that transmits and receives a three-level signal. The optical interconnection system includes a first and a second optical interconnection device that transmits and receives a two-level signal, and a synthesizer that outputs a three-level signal by synthesizing signals from the first and second optical interconnection devices. The optical interconnection system may transmit and receive a three-level signal while using an optical interconnection device that interconnects a two-level signal.
US08098990B2
A network system and method include a wireless base station integrated at a central office of a service provider. The wireless base station is configured to provide portable and fixed services to customers. A passive optical network is coupled to the wireless base station at the central office to provide a link to extend an antenna for wireless operations of the wireless base station to a remote site such that a wireless signal from the wireless base station is transmitted in parallel with a passive fiber network signal through the link.
US08098989B2
An apparatus includes a first laser source for providing a first lightwave; a first optical coupler that is polarization maintaining for dividing the first lightwave into first and second optical carrier lightwaves; first and second modulators for modulating respective ones of the first and second carrier lightwaves with information; a polarization beam combiner for combining the modulated first and second carrier lightwaves which generates a polarization multiplexing optical signal; second and third lasers for providing second and third lightwaves whose wavelengths are one of both longer than that of the first lightwave and shorter than that of the first lightwave, a second optical coupler that is polarization maintaining for combining the second and third lightwaves; and a third optical coupler for combining the modulated first and second carrier lightwaves from the polarization beam combiner and the combined second and third lightwaves out of the second optical coupler for transmission over an optical medium.
US08098981B2
An image processing method and apparatus for automatically rotating an image and a display unit, and an information storage medium storing image information. The apparatus including a photographing unit which generates image data and a rotation sensing unit which generates rotational information of a rotation state of the photographing unit. When an object is photographed, the rotation information of the image is obtained and stored together, and when the image is displayed, the rotation is analyzed and the image and display unit are automatically rotated. When an image including moving picture information is watched, an image always optimized to be horizontal without additional work by a user can be seen.
US08098979B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for reproducing a recording medium that require input of a code number only once when the code number is required to be inputted to both a directory and a PlayList for reproduction. A plurality of directories such as DVR, DVR1, DVRn and the like are formed on a disk. One directory DVR has a flag DVR_protect_flag set therein for controlling reproduction of information belonging in the directory. Also, .rpls in PLAYLIST, which is one piece of information in the directory DVR, has a playback_control_flag set therein for controlling reproduction thereof. In a case where the DVR_protect_flag is 1, the reproduction is allowed only when a correct code number is inputted. In a case where the DVR_protect_flag and the playback_control_flag are both 1, input of the code number for the playback_control_flag is omitted when the correct code number has already been inputted for the DVR_protect_flag.
US08098971B2
An electromagnetic resonance device includes an input reflector, an output reflector, and a periodic dielectric medium (PDM) disposed between the input reflector and the output reflector. The input reflector and output reflector are configured to be reflective to radiation having a wavelength of interest. The PDM includes a periodic structure having a dielectric periodicity between a first surface and a second surface. The dielectric periodicity is configured with a negative refraction for the wavelength of interest. A first radiation is reflected by the input reflector toward the first surface of the PDM, passes through the PDM, and is focused on the output reflector as a second radiation. The second radiation is reflected by the output reflector toward the second surface of the PDM, passes through the PDM, and is focused on the input reflector as the first radiation.
US08098960B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a table generation unit that generates a table in which a coefficient set including predetermined weighting coefficients and pixels contained in a resolution converted image are related to each other on the basis of a size of an input image and a size of a resolution converted image; a coefficient selecting unit that selects a coefficient set to be applied for a calculation of a pixel value in the resolution converted image out of plural coefficient sets on the basis of a table generated by the table generation unit; and a pixel value calculating unit that calculates pixel values to be used in the resolution converted image resulting from the resolution conversion of the input image on the basis of the coefficient set selected by the coefficient selecting unit and plural pixel values contained in the input image.
US08098954B2
A distorted aberration correction processing apparatus includes DRAM and SRAM for storing an object image from an optical system. Further, the distorted aberration correction processing apparatus includes: a first address control circuit for reading out a pixel in the DRAM on a unit basis of an area including a plurality of the pixels along a curve corresponding to a distorted aberration of an optical system and writing the read-out pixel in SRAM; and a second address control circuit for reading out a pixel in the SRAM on a pixel basis and outputting the pixel read out on a pixel basis to an output portion so as to suppress the distorted aberration of the optical system. The first address control circuit effects control so that the signal of the areas is sequentially read out in a predetermined order, and the second address control circuit effects random access control.
US08098951B2
A sharpening technique for digital images for presentation on a display.
US08098950B2
A technique is provided for processing image data based upon determination of whether pixilated data tends to represent or exhibit one characteristic or another. Many such characteristics may be considered, such as whether the pixels probably represent structures or non-structures. Multiple thresholds for the classification of segmentation are used, and pixels falling within an overlapping regions are processed as if they exhibited both characteristics. Subsequent processing may include assignment of values for the overlapping pixels, such as by weighted blending.
US08098946B2
An image encoding and decoding method includes dividing an input image into a plurality of sub-planes by sub-sampling the input image, selecting one of the divided sub-planes and performing interprediction-encoding on the selected sub-plane, and performing interprediction-encoding on the remaining sub-planes based on motion vectors selected in interprediction-encoding of the selected sub-plane.
US08098940B2
A method of and an apparatus for encoding and decoding using transformation bases of a yet higher efficiency. In a method for encoding an object signal in compliance with a transformation rule, a signal correlating to the object signal is obtained, and a transformation base that forms the transformation rule is derived based on a characteristic of the obtained reference signal. The object signal is transformed and encoded in compliance with the transformation rule based on the derived transformation base. Accordingly, the object signal is transformed in compliance with the transformation rule based on the transformation base derived from the characteristic of the reference signal. Since the reference signal is correlated to the object signal, the transformation base derived from the characteristic matches the feature of the object signal.
US08098936B2
A method of detecting generally rectangular objects in an image comprises determining candidate rectangles in the image based on detected corners in the image, ranking the candidate rectangles on the basis of a set of differentiating factors and detecting objects in the images based on the ranked candidate rectangles.
US08098919B2
A method for the three-dimensional reconstruction of an object, or its surroundings, in a moving body volume of a patient includes obtaining a series of X-ray projection photographs produced from different directions, with a relevant ECG phase or respiration being recorded simultaneously. Projection photographs of the moving body volume are transformed such that the images of feature points that are located on the projection photographs respectively come to rest at a place on which randomly set spatial reference positions for the feature points are projected. With the projection photographs aligned onto the reference positions, three-dimensional reconstruction of the object can subsequently take place.
US08098916B2
A system and method for image-based correction including a receiver to acquire an image from one or more data storage systems, one or more processors to determine an attenuation mismatch estimate and calculate a correction for the image based on the attenuation mismatch estimate and the image, and an output to generate an attenuation mismatch corrected image based on the correction.
US08098902B2
Video data comprising a plurality of sets of frame data is captured by mobile video data capture device. The video data is processed by a method which comprises: (a) finding a face in each frame of the video, and (b) processing a corresponding set of frame data to: (i) maintain the area of the image occupied by the face substantially constant; and (ii) maintain the apparent direction of light incident upon the face substantially constant; and/or (iii) maintain the apparent color of the face substantially constant.
US08098899B2
In a camera location landmark search system, when an image is captured by a digital camera, a GPS calculator calculates position data indicating a camera position. The position data and image data of the captured image are memorized in association with each other. Map data is divided at regular intervals of latitude and longitude into a lot of areas. Based on the position data, a divisional area including the camera position is selected with reference to a divisional area index table of the map data, and landmark data prepared for the determined divisional area are retrieved from a landmark data table of the map data. Based on the landmark data, a landmark corresponding to the camera position is determined, and the landmark name is memorized in association with the image data. The image data as sorted according to the landmark names may be displayed with the landmark names.
US08098892B2
In a body position detecting apparatus, a controller repeatedly acquires image data that includes an object and an operator in a place where the operator is capable of operating the object. When the controller detects that the operator is in an operating position where the operator operates the object, the controller detects a position of a body part of the operator in the image data and the controller sets the position of the body part to an initial position. The controller detects a position of the body part of the operator in the image data that is acquired after the initial position is set, by detecting a displacement from a position of the body part detected last time and accumulating the displacement to the initial position.
US08098890B2
Kalman filter processing is applied to each of successive images of a scene obscured by fog, captured by an onboard camera of a vehicle. The measurement matrix for the Kalman filter is established based on currently estimated characteristics of the fog, and intrinsic luminance values of a scene portrayed by a current image constitute the state vector for the Kalman filter. Adaptive filtering for removing the effects of fog from the images is thereby achieved, with the filtering being optimized in accordance with the degree of image deterioration caused by the fog.
US08098886B2
Detection of image salience in a visual display of an image. The image is analyzed at multiple spatial scales and over multiple feature channels to determine the likely salience of different portions of the image. One application for the system is in an advertising context. The detection may be improved by second order statistics, e.g. mean and the standard deviations of different image portions relative to other portions. Different edges may be considered as being extended edges by looking at the edges over multiple spatial scales. One set of feature channels can be optimized for use in moving images, and can detect motion or flicker. The images can be obtained over multiple spectral ranges the user can be instructed about how to maximize the saliency. This can be applied to automatically evaluate and optimize sales or advertisement displays.
US08098885B2
Systems and methods are described for robust online face tracking. In one implementation, a system derives multiple resolutions of each video frame of a video sequence portraying movement of a visual object. The system tracks movement of the visual object in a low resolution as input for tracking the visual object in a higher resolution. The system can greatly reduce jitter while maintaining an ability to reliably track fast-moving visual objects.
US08098875B2
An audio system including a first audio source, including a surround channel signal, coupled to an electroacoustical transducer mounted in the back of a seat of, for example, an automobile, so that the surround channel is radiated from the electroacoustical transducer. In one embodiment, the electroacoustical transducer is oriented to radiate substantially upwardly.
US08098874B2
A hanging type earphone with a hinge unit includes an earphone body, a hang member and a hinge unit. The earphone body has a connecting base defining a receiving space. The hinge unit received in the receiving space includes a positioning base, an axis cover and a pivotal axis having a mating portion whose cross-section is a polygon. The axis cover presses against the positioning base to form a pivotal space, one end of the pivotal axis is fixed in the hang member and the other end passes through the pivotal space, the mating portion mates with the side walls of the axis cover, thereby, the earphone body is positioned after rotating relatively to the hang member. Moreover, the pivot axis can be pulled out from the pivotal hole and then inserted into the pivotal space from the opposite direction, so the hanging type earphone can be hung on either ear of the user.
US08098873B2
In headphones in which headphone units are worn on the head via a headband having a predetermined urging force, a substantially constant urging force is always obtained without being influenced by a difference in width and shape of the user's head. In headphones 100 including a headphone unit 200 in which an electroacoustic transducer is incorporated in a housing 210; and a head wearing means (for example, a headband 110) for supporting the headphone unit 200 via a hanger member, the headphone unit 200 being held at the ear position of the head in a state of being urged by the head wearing means, the hanger member is a support frame 120 arranged around the housing 210 of the headphone unit 200, and the headphone unit 200 is supported on the support frame 120 via a plurality of constant force spiral springs 130.
US08098858B2
The influence of interference from power supply lines in hearing devices is to be reduced. Thus a hearing device with an antenna for receiving and/or sending inductive signals, a signal processing device, to which the antenna is connected, a power supply unit for supplying power to the signal processing device and an electrical conductor for electrical connection of the power supply unit to the signal processing device is provided. The electrical conductor is L-shaped or U-shaped and closely follows the contours of the power supply unit. In addition the electrical conductor forms a part of an essentially round or rectangular ring, the axis of which has a main directional component perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the antenna. A magnetic field created by the conductor is thus perpendicular to the antenna, so that its magnetic interference influence is reduced.
US08098851B2
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a first mixer connects to a network and if a second mixer is detected on the network, the first mixer obtains an identifier for the second mixer, adds one or more audio signals from the second mixer to a mix of the first mixer, and stores a mix setting for the second mixer on the first mixer. If the second mixer is subsequently connected to the first mixer, the first mixer obtains the identifier for the second mixer, recalls the stored mix setting for the second mixer based at least in part on the identifier, and adds one or more audio signals from the second mixer to a present mix of the first mixer based at least in part on the recalled mix setting.
US08098844B2
Spatial noise suppression for audio signals involves generating a ratio of powers of difference and sum signals of audio signals from two microphones and then performing noise suppression processing, e.g., on the sum signal where the suppression is limited based on the power ratio. In certain embodiments, at least one of the signal powers is filtered (e.g., the sum signal power is equalized) prior to generating the power ratio. In a subband implementation, sum and difference signal powers and corresponding the power ratio are generated for different audio signal subbands, and the noise suppression processing is performed independently for each different subband based on the corresponding subband power ratio, where the amount of suppression is derived independently for each subband from the corresponding subband power ratio. In an adaptive filtering implementation, at least one of the audio signals can be adaptively filtered to allow for array self-calibration and modal-angle variability.
US08098839B2
A voltage generating apparatus for a headphone is provided, which includes a voltage generator, a charge pump circuit, an operating amplifier and a controller. The voltage generator generates a first operating voltage. The charge pump circuit receives the first operating voltage and an adjusting signal, and generates a second operating voltage according to the first operating voltage and the adjusting signal. The operating amplifier receives the first operating voltage and the second operating voltage serving as the operating voltages thereof and receives an input signal so as to generate an output signal. The controller receives the second operating voltage and a control signal, and generates the adjusting signal according to the second operating voltage and the control signal.
US08098826B2
A method of autocalibrating the timing of the laser in a quantum key distribution (QKD) system is disclosed. The laser generates photon signals in response to a laser gating signals from a controller. The method includes first performing a laser gate scan to establish the optimum laser gating signal arrival time corresponding to an optimum bit-error rate when exchanging photon signals between encoding stations of the QKD system. Once the optimum laser gating signal arrival time is determined, the laser gate scan is terminated and laser gate dithering is initiated. Laser gate dithering involves varying the arrival time of the laser gating signal around the optimum value of the arrival time. Laser gate dithering provides minor adjustments to the laser gating signal arrival time to ensure that the system operates at or near the optimum bit-error rate.
US08098816B2
Disclosed is a method for evaluating resistance to cryptanalysis of a cipher structure having a diffusion element including a linear transformation placed between differently-sized confusion elements at an input and an output of the diffusion element. A generalized minimum number of non-zero symbols at the diffusion element's input and output is determined. The diffusion element's input is divided into subset inputs, each having a size corresponding to the size of each confusion element at the diffusion element input. For each subset input, a subset number of non-zero symbols at the subset input and the diffusion element output is determined. Each subset number is summed to generate a summed subset number. The summed subset number is subtracted from the generalized minimum number to generate a worst-case number. An upper bound of a maximum differential characteristic probability is calculated and used to evaluate the cipher structure.
US08098804B1
Systems and methods which detect unauthorized, impermissible, or otherwise undesired call activity through the use of one or more third party databases are shown. For example, a controlled environment facility information management system may access a database external thereto, such as a victim notification database, which is created and maintained by a third party unrelated to the controlled environment facility. Such third party database access may be accomplished at the point of call validation or caller verification for determining the treatment of the call (e.g., allowed, blocked, allowed with limitations, etcetera). Such call treatment determinations may be made with respect a particular prisoner or other resident of the controlled environment facility making the call, may be made with respect to all calls made from a particular controlled environment facility, may be made with respect to a group of controlled environment facilities, etcetera.
US08098801B2
Systems, methods, protocols and apparatus for information exchange and synchronization using DTMF signaling over telephone communication channels are provided. Information is packetized and converted from one format, e.g., ASCII formatted data, to another format, e.g., BCD formatted data. The information is wrapped in one or more packets by a sending apparatus, each packet including one or more headers, such as a Name and Length field that identify the information being exchanged and the amount of data included in the packet payload/value field. The data in the packets are converted from BCD to DTMF signals and are transmitted over a telephone communication line to a receiving apparatus. The receiving apparatus converts the DTMF signals back to BCD formatted data and processes the packets to obtain the information contained therein.
US08098789B2
The present invention relates to targets, systems and methods for the cyclotron production of 124I from aluminum telluride (Al2Te3) targets. The systems and methods utilize low energy proton cyclotrons to produce 124I by the 124Te(p,n) reaction from enriched Al2Te3 glassy melts. The 124I is recovered in high yield from the glassy melt by adapted methods of common thermal distillation techniques.
US08098779B2
Techniques for detecting and mitigating interference are described. A device (e.g., a cellular phone) senses interference levels and digitally reconstructs the expected interference in the received signal. The device may correlate the reconstructed interference with the received signal and determine interference in the received signal based on correlation results. The device may adjust the operation of one or more circuit blocks (e.g., a mixer, an LNA, etc.) in a receiver based on the detected interference in the received signal. Alternatively or additionally, the device may condition the digital interference to obtain conditioned reconstructed interference matching the interference in the received signal and may then subtract the conditioned interference from the received signal.
US08098760B2
A method of generating a reference signal includes acquiring a base sequence and acquiring a reference signal sequence with a length N from the base sequence. Good PAPR/CM characteristics of the reference signal can be kept to enhance performance of data demodulation or uplink scheduling.
US08098754B2
Allocation of multiple training sequences transmitted in a MIMO timeslot from multiple transmit antenna elements is provided. For example, a method of generating signals in a MIMO timeslot, the method comprising: selecting a first training sequence; preparing a first data payload; generating a first signal including the prepared first data payload and the first training sequence; transmitting the first signal in a MIMO timeslot from a first antenna of a network element; selecting a second training sequence, wherein the second training sequence is different from first training sequence; preparing a second data payload; generating a second signal including the prepared second data payload and the second training sequence; and transmitting the second signal in the MIMO timeslot from a second antenna of the network element.
US08098751B2
Techniques for reducing peak-to-average power in multicarrier transmitters employ peak cancellation with subcarriers that are impaired by existing channel conditions. The use of Carrier Interferometry (CI) coding further improves the effectiveness of peak reduction. CI coding can also be impressed onto pulse sequences in the time domain, which enhances spectral selection and facilitates peak-power control.
US08098742B2
An analog/digital gain control device avoid some of the requirements associated with the nature of a closed-loop AGC circuits and which meets the remaining requirements without much difficulty uses an analog to digital conversion method that increases the number of effective ADC bits by compressing the baseband input analog signal using a logarithmic circuit. After the compressed analog signal is converted into a digital signal, a digital anti-log process or look-up table (LUT) is used to expand the digital signal back to the original linear scale. The word size of the output of the anti-log process is larger than the input word size due to the nature of the anti-log function. To reduce the word size of the digital signal an open loop normalization technique can be applied.
US08098735B2
A circuit generally having a first module, a second module and a third module is disclosed. The first module may be configured to (i) generate a plurality of parsed residual blocks by parsing an 8×8 CABAC (context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding) residual block received in an input signal and (ii) generate a plurality of metric signals resulting from the parsing of the 8×8 CABAC residual block. The second module may be configured to generate a scanning position signal based on the metric signals. The third module may be configured to generating a plurality of 4×4 CAVLC (context-based adaptive variable length coding) residual blocks in an output signal by sub-sampling the parsed residual blocks based on the scanning position signal.
US08098732B2
The present invention discloses systems for and methods of transcoding first video data in a first format, such as AVC, into second video data in a second format, such as MPEG-2. A method in accordance with the present invention disables deblocking filters, bypasses macroblock encoding for certain picture types, such as B-pictures, and re-uses motion vectors. In one embodiment, motion vectors for the second video data are set substantially equal to motion vectors for the first video data, when the two differ by less than a threshold value. In other embodiments, only macroblocks that contain all zero-valued blocks bypass the transcoding process, thereby simplifying the transcoding process further. Other embodiments further simplify the transcoding process by requiring that B-pictures are not used as reference pictures, reference pictures in the second video data are restricted to be the same as reference pictures in the first video data, and bi-predictions are not allowed.
US08098731B2
An intraprediction method which improves compression efficiency using the symmetry of a video in the intraprediction of the video and a video encoding and decoding method and apparatus using the intraprediction method. The intraprediction method includes performing intraprediction by predicting a first region to be encoded in a video based on axial symmetry of a second region of the video with respect to a predetermined axis.
US08098729B2
A method and apparatus are provided for implementing B-picture scene changes. A prediction stage predicts a B-picture scene change based upon a sequence of statistical information in an encoder order and a reaction stage is responsive to the prediction stage for modifying a quantization scale of a rate control algorithm.
US08098728B2
A process for compressing and decompressing non-keyframes in sequential sets of contemporaneous video frames making up multiple video streams where the video frames in a set depict substantially the same scene from different viewpoints. Each set of contemporaneous video frames has a plurality frames designated as keyframes with the remaining being non-keyframes. In one embodiment, the non-keyframes are compressed using a multi-directional spatial prediction technique. In another embodiment, the non-keyframes of each set of contemporaneous video frames are compressed using a combined chaining and spatial prediction compression technique. The spatial prediction compression technique employed can be a single direction technique where just one reference frame, and so one chain, is used to predict each non-keyframe, or it can be a multi-directional technique where two or more reference frames, and so chains, are used to predict each non-keyframe.
US08098722B2
An equalization filter is provided with the ability to softly switch between pure linear equalization and decision feedback equalization. A reliability gain factor and an associated gain factor calculated by a predetermined mapping relation are provided in a decision feedback path and a feedforward path, respectively. Increasing the reliability gain factor increases the significance of the decision feedback filtering. Better performance than pure linear equalization and pure decision feedback equalization can be achieved.
US08098709B2
A wireless device including a first radio communication portion configured to effect radio communication with a first external communication device while using frequency bands selected one after another from among a group of frequency bands, a field intensity measuring portion which is configured to measure a field intensity value for each of a plurality of frequency bands belonging to at least the group of frequency bands and which is provided in a portion different from the first radio communication portion, and an excluding portion configured to exclude each of the above-indicated plurality of frequency bands for which the measured field intensity value is higher than a predetermined threshold value, from the above-indicated group of frequency bands.
US08098697B2
The invention concerns an optical device comprising an optical source for emitting a light beam in a plurality of emitting wavelengths and at least one laser, each of said at least one laser including a holographic medium (MH), means for injecting (FO, MCS, MUX, CO, IO, AV) said light beam derived from said optical source into said at least one laser, said holographic medium (MH) being adapted to generate a laser in at least one oscillation mode, said at least one oscillation mode being determined by at least one excitation wavelength among the plurality of emitting wavelengths. The invention is characterized in that said optical source comprises a light source emitting simultaneously in said plurality of emitting wavelengths.
US08098692B2
A method and system communicates payload data over a plurality of low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) channels (50). First device (100) transmits the payload data and synchronization information to the second device (150) over N LVDS channels (50), along with a word clock synchronized to the payload data. The second device generates M LVDS receive clocks from the word clock, each having a same frequency that is P times a frequency of the word clock, and each having a different phase. Each of N LVDS receivers (160) of the second device (150): correlates the synchronization data with a reference word using each of the M LVDS receive clocks to produce a correlation value for each of the M LVDS receive clocks; selects a selected LVDS receive clock producing a greatest correlation value; and receives the payload data for the corresponding LVDS channel (50) using the selected LVDS receive clock.
US08098683B2
In a RF communications system, aspects for implementing a single weight single channel MIMO system with no insertion loss may comprise generating at least one control signal that is utilized to control at least one of a plurality of received signals in a WCDMA and/or HSDPA system. A phase of a first of the plurality of received signals may be adjusted outside of a first processing path used to process that signal so that it is equivalent to a phase of at least a second of the plurality of received signals. A gain in the first processing path may be equivalent to a gain in a second processing path that is utilized to process the second of the plurality of received signals. The control signal may be utilized to adjust a phase and/or an amplitude of at least one of a plurality of received signals.
US08098679B2
A method and apparatus for composite link assignment are provided such that network capacity is sufficient to handle all the traffic (e.g., load) while an objective function, e.g., the total cost of the capacity is minimized. The present method receives a plurality of weights for a plurality of arcs and a load for the network. An objective function is selected for minimization, where the present method then determines the composite link assignment to handle the load while the objective function is minimized. In one embodiment, the composite link assignment comprises a plurality of different link types for the plurality of arcs.
US08098673B2
A User Equipment UE sends a PDP context activation request with an invalid APN to an SGSN. When detecting an invalid APN the SGSN creates a PDP context activation request towards a GGSN and inserts a default APN. The GGSN detects the default APN and sends a RADIUS Accounting request message to a Device Management System DMS. The DMS initiates a device management configuration flow towards the UE using IP over the existing PDP context or an SMS bearer and responds with a RADIUS Accounting response message to the GGSN. When the RADIUS Accounting response message is received the GGSN will initiate a successful Create PDP context response towards the SGSN causing a successful PDP Context Activation Response towards the UE. An advantage of the invention is that it can detect devices having no GPRS configuration and devices having a faulty GPRS configuration.
US08098668B2
LAN emulation in a moving network environment is disclosed. An emulated LAN encompassing a number of moving networks is formed by means of a set of layer 2 tunnels that interconnect a home agent with mobile routers in the moving networks. The home agent and the mobile routers are arranged to perform layer 2 forwarding over the layer 2 tunnels in order to form the emulated LAN. The layer 2 tunnels can be established in a number of alternative ways. The moving networks that are part of the emulated LAN may move, i.e. change their points of attachment to the network infrastructure, in a dynamic fashion without disrupting the function of the emulated LAN.
US08098662B2
Methods and apparatus for communicating between an access terminal (AT) and remote device via an access point (AP) are described. For communications over the air link, between an AP and an AT, a short address corresponding to the remote device is used for routing packets to/from the remote device. This conserves air link resources. However, for communicating between the AP and the remote device a longer address, e.g., a full IP address corresponding to the remote device, is used. The AT converts between the long and short addresses as information, e.g., packets, is communicated between the remote device and the AT. The long address may be, for example, an IP address corresponding to the remote device used to route packets through a Layer 2 tunnel between the remote device and the AP. In some embodiments the remote device is a remote access point.
US08098660B2
To transmit multimedia data in such a manner that is adaptive to the transmission capability of a receiving apparatus and/or to the congestion state of a network. In a transmitting apparatus (100), a receiver capability estimating part (102) estimates, based on feedback information from a receiving apparatus (200), a useable band. A receiver classifying part (103) classifies, based on the useable band, the receiving apparatus. A receiver list rearranging part (105) rearranges, in order of transmission capability, a receiver list where classified receiving apparatuses are listed in classes. A packet generating part (106) generates a packet having the receiver list and transmits it at an appropriate transmission rate.
US08098651B1
The present invention monitors call signaling events stemming from a circuit-switched call between a caller and a called party and controls a packet-session between user agents on respective endpoints associated with the caller and called party. The endpoints may include any type of computational device capable of facilitating the packet-session over a packet-switched network. Control of the user agents may be provided via a proxy for the user agents and may use the session initiation protocol (SIP), or like session control protocol for communications.
US08098649B2
Service-based distribution paths that provide transport tunnels and control capabilities for data communication over a service are disclosed. Service-based distribution paths or transport tunnels include services mapped or bound to the transport tunnel. Encapsulation provides for packet-by-packet handling, including service separation of packets based on header data included within each packet. Services may be monitored, managed, and controlled by performing operational determinations between end points to ensure end-to-end service configuration and connectivity are established.
US08098648B2
When path status information is updated, the time at which the update is effective is recorded. A packet arrival time in each path is predicted based on new status information and data transmission history after the effective time. The packet is transmitted to the path that provides a fastest packet arrival time. This reflects the path status available from the reception side on the data transmitted in past, so that an actual data arrival time, an arrival time close to a reception completion time, or a reception completion time can be predicted.
US08098647B2
A method of performing cell search includes receiving a primary synchronization signal (PSS) comprising a primary synchronization code (PSC), and receiving a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) comprising a first secondary synchronization code (SSC) and a second SSC. The first SSC and the second SSC are respectively scrambled by using a first scrambling code and a second scrambling code, and the first scrambling code and the second scrambling code are associated with the PSC. Detection performance on synchronization signals can be improved, and cell search can be performed more reliably.
US08098638B2
A mobile node selects one or more network nodes of a network. Each network node of the network is communicatively coupled to a further network node of the network. The mobile node includes a communication unit configured to send a selection message that is receivable by a network node, the selection message including an identifier of the mobile node and a unique identifier of a current selection and the selection message being configured to select the one or more network nodes.
US08098631B2
The invention is a method directed to group MMSE-DFD with rate (SINR) feedback and without pre-determined decoding order for reception on a cellular downlink. The method includes initializing channel matrix estimates and inner codes of all co-channel transmitter sources in a wireless network. Each channel matrix estimate is converted into an effective channel matrix responsive to the inner code of the corresponding transmitter source; The channel estimates or the inner codes or the modulation and coding schemes are not known for some of the transmitter sources whose transmitted signals are consequently treated as interference and deemed un-decodable.
US08098626B2
Provided is a technique for eliminating buffer and transfer of a packet which is not required for an MN in a handover mechanism in which a packet to be sent to the MN performing handover is buffered and the buffered packet is supplied to the MN after the handover. Before handover, a mobile terminal (MN) notifies an access router (nAR) to be newly connected after the handover of information (buff_time/flow) indicating a correspondence between a flow label of a packet concerned with packet communication and a buffer time based on a delay allowance time of an application using the packet having the flow label. The nAR buffers the packet while the MN performs the handover. When performing packet transfer to the MN connected after the handover, the nAR does not transfer, to MN, the packet stored for a predetermined buffer time or more among the packets stored in the buffer.
US08098623B2
A radio access network (RAN) (20) comprise a base station (28) and a wireless terminal (30). The base station 28 comprises a transceiver (38) and a frame handler (40), the wireless terminal (30) comprises a transceiver (48) and a wireless terminal frame handler (50). The frame handlers (40, 50) handle a enhanced frame F having enhanced frame structure. At least a downlink portion of the frame is formatted and handled in a manner whereby the frame can be perceived as a first format type of frame if the wireless terminal is a first type of wireless terminal and perceived as an enhanced or second format type of frame if the wireless terminal is a second type of wireless terminal. The frame handler configures the frame as plural subframes, each subframe having a downlink burst followed by an uplink burst. The frame is preferably configured to afford the second type of wireless terminal sufficient time to develop an acknowledgement for a message transmitted in a downlink burst, the acknowledgement being sent to the base station in an uplink burst which is within one frame length of the message.
US08098621B2
Embodiments of the current invention reduce interference from a mobile station (UE) uplink transmission to a received broadcast downlink transmission through a network-based scheduling of time-slotted downlink broadcast transmissions, so that they do not occur concurrently with uplink transmissions. The invention allows low cost, low power UEs to be designed and built by use of the following techniques: (i) downlink broadcast transmissions are time-slotted; (ii) UEs operate either in half-duplex mode for transmission and reception of unicast services, or in full duplex mode where additional bandpass or additional highpass filtering can be applied to the DL unicast carrier; (iii) when unicast services are active for a UE, the UE informs the network of the broadcast services that are being decoded; and (iv) the network schedules unicast transmissions, broadcast transmissions, or both unicast and broadcast transmissions such that the uplink unicast transmission to a UE is never time-coincident with the broadcast transmissions to that UE.
US08098616B2
In the environment of a communication area including a SDM-compatible mobile station for space division multiplex transmission and a SDM-uncompatible mobile station not compatible with space division multiplex transmission, a base station having a plurality of antennas and capable of adaptively changing directivity performs allocation of a mobile station which simultaneously performs space division multiplex transmission (SDM) and space division multiplex access (SDMA) by using a predetermined space division multiplex transmission evaluation criterion and a space division multi access evaluation criterion. By using this radio communication method, it is possible to use the spatial degree of freedom at its maximum and provide a radio communication system having an improved communication capacity.
US08098605B2
Growth of a distributed communication system is facilitated through dynamic addition of routing elements. A new routing element may be added to a network of routing elements by first establishing a connection between the new routing element and an existing routing element in the network. The connection may be either wireless or wireline. At least one address is assigned to the new routing element. Each assigned address comes from a pool of addresses maintained at the existing routing element. At least one pool of addresses is issued to the new routing element, permitting the new routing element to dynamically add yet another new routing element to the network of routing elements.
US08098602B2
A data transmission technique where high speed data is transmitted differentially in a forward channel by way of a serial link, and relatively low speed data is differentially modulated onto the forward channel signal for transmission in a reverse channel via the link. By utilizing differential modulation in both forward and reverse channels, the resulting signal has a common mode voltage that is substantially constant, resulting in low EMI. The spectral content of the signal associated with the high speed data may be substantially non-overlapping with the spectral content of the signal associated with the low speed data. This facilitates the recovery of the high speed data and low speed data with minimal interference. The differential signaling lends itself for communicating data via an inexpensive medium, such as twisted wire pair or parallel PCB traces. The data transmission technique applies to various communication network topologies: point-to-point, daisy-chain, and point-to-multiple points.
US08098601B2
Systems and methods for performing MCS adaptation are provided. In some cases, the network performs MCS adaptation based on received NACKs. In other cases, the mobile station determines an MCS based on channel quality measurements, and feeds back the MCS adaptation decision to the network. In either case, NACK-only feedback may be implemented to reduce interference.
US08098597B2
A method and apparatus configure Femto Devices in an Ultra Mobile Broadband network system. A Femto Device transmits a Femto pilot signal to an Access Terminal, which is served by a plurality of base stations in the Ultra Mobile Broadband network system. The Access Terminal then transmits to the Femto Device an identifier of a base station that controls a macro cell where the Femto Device is located. Next, a Neighbor Discovery Request message is transmitted from the Femto Device to the base station in dependence upon the received identifier of the base station. In response to the Neighbor Discovery Request message received, a Neighbor Discovery Report message is transmitted from the base station to the Femto device. The Neighbor Discovery Report message includes a field indicating network addresses of a Session Reference Network Controller and an Access Gateway that connect to the base station. Finally, the Femto Device connects to the Session Reference Network Controller and the Access Gateway via the Femto device in dependence upon the network addresses of the Session Reference Network Controller and the Access Gateway.
US08098593B2
A method and system for providing a multi-level interconnection network is provided. A multi-level interconnection network comprises basic cells that are aggregated into higher level cells at each level of the network. At the first level, the basic cells are aggregated into first level cells. Each first level cell is an aggregation of a number of basic cells that is one more than the number of devices in a basic cell. The basic cells of a first level cell are fully connected; that is, each basic cell has a first level link or connection to each other basic cell. In a first level cell, each device of a basic cell has a first level link to each other basic cell. The multi-level interconnection network has higher level cells that are aggregations of lower level cells in a similar manner.
US08098586B2
A method of determining configuration parameters of a mobile network topology for testing and monitoring purposes at an interface (lub) located between a first node and a second node of the mobile network where between the first and the second node there exist several channels includes finding the channel having signaling information, analyzing signaling information to determine the configuration parameters, updating the configuration parameters dynamically, and performing a monitoring activity or test scenario based on the configuration parameters.
US08098580B2
A system schedules traffic flows on an output port using circular memory structures. The circular memory structures may include rate wheels that include a group of sequentially arranged slots. The traffic flows may be assigned to different rate wheels on a per-priority basis.
US08098576B2
A multicast service method and apparatus for providing multicast service with various types of protections and recoveries. The method includes splitting a multicast service into a plurality of unidirectional point-to-point services from a source node to each sink node, where a signaling message of each unidirectional point-to-point services is independent of one another; establishing, at the source node which publishes the multicast service, one or more label switch paths for each unidirectional point-to-point service with the signaling messages; and receiving a notification message when a failure occurs in the network, where the notification message carries ID(s) of one or more label switch paths that are affected by the failure; establishing, by the source node, a recovered label switch path or a new backup label switch path in response to the notification message.
US08098562B2
An objective lens includes a diffraction structure for distributing much of a quantity of an incident light beam into two diffracted lights having different diffraction orders from each other, wherein recording or reproduction of information on an optical disk is performed by converging the diffracted light having a longer focal length of the two diffracted lights onto an information recording surface through a protective layer of the optical disk, and a distance from the objective lens to a surface of the protective layer along an optical axis is longer than a distance between focuses of the two diffracted lights along the optical axis when the diffracted light having the longer focal length is converged onto the information recording surface of the optical disk.
US08098554B2
An information recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes an optical head, an analog signal processor, an analog/digital converter, a controller and a digital/analog converter. The optical head is used for emitting a light beam on a medium and receiving a reflected light beam from the medium. The analog signal processor is used for processing the reflected light beam to obtain a first analog signal. The analog/digital converter is used for converting the first analog signal into a digital signal. The controller is used for applying a low-pass filtering operation on the digital signal to obtain a digital controlling signal. The digital/analog converter is used for converting the digital controlling signal into a second analog signal. The second analog signal is transmitted to the optical head for correcting a tilt between the light beam and the medium.
US08098551B2
In an optimal recording power calibration method for improving seeking stability on a recording power calibration area, a specific area serves as a data recording area during an optimal recording power calibration, wherein a length of the specific area is such that a plurality of times of optimal recording power calibrations can be performed. The method includes: an optimal recording power calibration step of recording, with different recording power, a first length of calibration data in the specific area, and calibrating optimal recording power, wherein a data sector recorded in this step is defined as a calibration recording sector; and a data recording step of recording, with data recording power, a second length of information having a logical address beside the calibration recording sector of the specific area, wherein a data sector recorded in the step is defined as an information recording sector.
US08098539B2
A memory structure is described. In one embodiment, the memory structure comprises a memory controller configured to receive a clock signal and to be coupled to a plurality of memory modules via a single address/control bus. The memory controller couples to each of the plurality of memory modules via a separate chip select signal for each memory module. The memory controller issues commands across the address/control bus to the memory modules in an interleaved fashion in accordance with the timing supplied by the clock. During a waiting period after issuance of a command to one memory module, the memory controller can issue commands to a different memory module.
US08098534B2
In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes at least one logic circuit supplied by a first supply voltage and at least one memory circuit coupled to the logic circuit and supplied by a second supply voltage. The memory circuit is configured to be read and written responsive to the logic circuit even if the first supply voltage is less than the second supply voltage during use. In another embodiment, a method includes a logic circuit reading a memory cell, the logic circuit supplied by a first supply voltage; and the memory cell responding to the read using signals that are referenced to the first supply voltage, wherein the memory cell is supplied with a second supply voltage that is greater than the first supply voltage during use.
US08098523B2
A semiconductor memory device includes first memory cell transistors, a memory block, and word lines. Each of the first memory cell transistors has a stacked gate including a charge accumulation layer and a control gate and is capable of holding M bits (M≠2i, where i is a natural number and M is a natural number greater than or equal to 3) of data. The memory block includes the first memory cell transistors and is erase unit of the data. The data held in the first memory cell transistors included in the memory block is erased simultaneously. The size of data the memory block is capable of holding is L bits (L=2k, where k is a natural number). The word lines connect in common the control gates of the first memory cell transistors.
US08098518B2
A nonvolatile memory device may include a memory cell array with a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells arranged in an array of rows and columns. Each of a plurality of bit lines may be coupled to nonvolatile memory cells in a respective one of the columns of the array, and each of a plurality of column selection switches may be coupled to a respective one of the bit lines. A column decoder may be coupled to the plurality of column selection switches, and the column decoder may be configured to select a first one of the bit lines using a first column selection signal having a first signal level applied to a first one of the column selection switches. The column decoder may be further configured to select a second one of the bit lines using a second column selection signal having a second signal level applied to a second one of the column selection switches with the second signal level being different than the first signal level.
US08098513B2
The present disclosure relates to memory arrays with read reference voltage cells. In particular the present disclosure relates to variable resistive memory cell apparatus and arrays that include a high resistance state reference memory cell and a low resistance state reference memory cell that provides a reliable average reference voltage on chip to compare to a read voltage of a selected memory cell and determine if the selected memory cell is in the high resistance state or low resistance state. These memory arrays are particularly suitable for use with spin-transfer torque memory cells and resolves many systematic issues related to generation of a reliable reference voltage.
US08098507B2
A method and apparatus for reading data from a non-volatile memory cell. In some embodiments, a cross-point array of non-volatile memory cells is arranged into rows and columns. A selection circuit is provided that is capable of activating the first block of memory cells while deactivating the second block of memory cells. Further, a read circuit is provided that is capable of reading a logical state of a predetermined memory cell in the first block of memory cells with a reduced leak current by programming a first resistive state to the block selection elements corresponding to the first block of memory cells while programming a second resistive state to the block selection elements corresponding to the second block of memory cells.
US08098502B2
In one embodiment, a method of operating a switched-mode power supply that has a switch coupled to a drive signal is disclosed. The method includes deactivating the drive signal at a first instance of time, and comparing a power supply signal to a threshold after deactivating the drive signal. The method further includes activating the drive signal a variable period of time after the power supply signal crosses the threshold.
US08098500B2
A phase shift full bridge converter with a reduced current stress includes: a switching unit that switches an input voltage; a transformer that includes a first capacitor serially connected to, and having a primary side and a secondary side; an auxiliary circuit unit that includes a first switch, a second switch, and a second capacitor, which are connected in parallel to the secondary side of the transformer; and a rectification unit that is connected to the auxiliary circuit unit, with an output inductor being removed.
US08098498B2
A self-powered portable electronic device includes a main body, a cover slidably assembled on the main body, a sliding part secured on the cover, and a power generating device. The power generating device includes a rack secured on the sliding part, a power generating module assembled on the main body, and a gear engaging the rack and assembled on the power generating module. The cover slides the rack relative to the main body, and the gear is rotated by the rack and drives the power generating module to generate operating power.
US08098495B2
A differential mode and common mode combination choke (DCCC) includes: a theta-shaped magnetic core including an essentially round magnetic ring and a magnetic plate engaged with magnetic ring across the area surrounded by the magnetic ring; and two common mode coils with the same number of turns and the same winding direction being wound around the magnetic ring. An EMI (electromagnetic interference) filter and an EMI filter module including the DCCC are also provided.
US08098494B2
An electronic device includes a housing, a circuit board, a switch, and a side key. The housing has a plurality of side walls. The circuit board is disposed in the housing. The switch is disposed at an inner surface of the housing relatively close to the circuit board. The side key disposes through one of the side walls, and the location of the side key is corresponding to the switch. When the side key is pressed, the side key contacts the switch to make the switch electrically connected with the circuit board.
US08098483B2
The present invention is an electrochemical double layer capacitor (EDLC) series stack formed into a single electrolyte cell structure. The concatenated multiple electrode assembly stack has electrode assemblies electrically connected in series. The electrode assemblies have a double-sided activated carbon electrode formed on a current collector. Power tabs are connected to the end electrode assemblies. An electrolyte is also provided. A poly bag contains the electrolyte and the electrode assemblies. The electrode assemblies form a double-sided activated-carbon electrode on a current collector. The EDLC stack has a number of segments and mass free zones separating them. The segments are folded so that mass free zones are disposed at the apex of each fold.
US08098482B2
A double layer capacitor (DLC) containing at least one double layer capacitor cell is provided. Each double layer capacitor cell contains two current collectors, each containing a metallized carrier film with upper and lower planar surfaces, two thin electrode layers in direct contact with the lower and upper planar surfaces of the metallized carrier films of the first and second current collectors, and a polymer electrolyte layer in direct contact with the first and the second thin electrode layers. The polymer electrolyte is applied as a liquid which impregnates and encases the electrode layers and then solidified to form the electrolyte layer. The resulting DLC is preferably no thicker than about 20 microns, and may be as thin as 5 microns. Methods of producing a DLC and for forming a cross-linked electrolyte are also provided.
US08098474B2
A cartridge for a system that uses a stimulus signal for immobilizing a human or animal target includes a propellant and a projectile propelled away from about the cartridge by the propellant. The projectile includes a power supply, a waveform generator, and several electrodes. The waveform generator is powered by the power supply. The waveform generator includes a processor. The electrodes complete a stimulus delivery circuit to conduct a current through the target. The waveform generator generates the current to include a first series of pulses and a second series of pulses. The second series begins after the first series is completed. The first series has a first pulse repetition rate determined by the processor. Each pulse of the first series has a first pulse width of from about 10 to about 1000 microseconds. Each pulse of the first series delivers through the target a first charge per pulse of from about 50 to about 500 microcoulombs. The second series has a second pulse repetition rate determined by the processor to be less than the first pulse repetition rate. Each pulse of the second series delivers through the target a charge greater than a minimum charge per pulse. A product of the second pulse repetition rate and the minimum charge per pulse is greater than 250.
US08098471B2
One aspect is an integrated circuit arrangement. The arrangement includes a first terminal, which can be brought to a first supply potential, a second terminal, which can be brought to a second supply potential, and a supply potential path formed between the first terminal and the second terminal. There is an electrostatic discharge element at least in the supply potential path. There is a signal input pad, to which an input signal can be applied and a signal output, at an output signal can be provided. A first inductance is arranged between the signal input pad and the signal output, and a second inductance is arranged between the signal output and the first terminal.
US08098468B2
The invention relates to a voltage detection control technology, especially relate to a hardware overvoltage disconnecting circuit wherein a DC power supply module is disconnected from a power network when the AC power network is in the state of overvoltage. The hardware overvoltage disconnecting circuit comprises a disconnecting relay and a voltage detection circuit. The disconnecting relay is connected in series between an AC power network and a power factor correction circuit of a power supply module. A first sampling terminal of the voltage detection circuit samples the voltage of the AC power network between the AC power network and the disconnecting relay, and an output of the voltage detection circuit is connected to a control terminal of the disconnecting relay. When the AC power network is in the state of overvoltage, the disconnecting relay is disconnected and the power supply module is disconnected from the AC power network. When the voltage of the AC power network is normal, the disconnecting relay is connected. The circuit of the present invention is started up before the busbar voltage reaches its extreme value, and the relay can still work even if only the auxiliary power supply is working among all the components of the power supply module. The auxiliary power supply of the module is still in the work state. The cost of the system is reduced.
US08098464B2
A magnetic field detecting element includes: first and second free layers; a spacer layer; a first exchange coupling transmitting layer; a first pinned layer; a second exchange coupling transmitting layer; and a second pinned layer. The first and second pinned layers are magnetized in directions which are perpendicular to an air bearing surface and which are anti-parallel with each other, respectively. The first exchange coupling transmitting layer or second exchange coupling transmitting layer has a positive exchange coupling strength, while the other has a negative exchange coupling strength. The first or second pinned layer that is located adjacent to the first or second exchange coupling transmitting layer having the negative exchange coupling strength has a larger magnetic film thickness than the first or second free layer that is located adjacent to the first or second exchange coupling transmitting layer having the negative exchange coupling strength.
US08098462B2
A manufacturing method of a thin-film magnetic head, includes a step of forming many thin-film magnetic heads arranged along row and column directions on a wafer, each of the thin-film magnetic heads having a read head element, a write head element, and pairs of probe-use pads electrically connected with the read head element and the write head element, respectively, the pairs of probe-use pads being positioned so that at least part of each probe-use pad is removed by a cutting process along the row direction, a step of obtaining a plurality of row-bars by cutting the wafer along the row direction so that the at least part of each probe-use pad is removed, each of the obtained row-bars having the thin-film magnetic heads aligned in the row direction, a step of forming pairs of bonding pads electrically connected with the read head element and the write head element, respectively, on a surface opposite to an ABS of each thin-film magnetic head of each of the row-bars, and a step of cutting each row-bar along the column direction to separate into individual thin-film magnetic heads.
US08098450B2
A hard disk drive (HDD) including a first resistive temperature detector (RTD) configured to detect a temperature generated by proximity of a slider and a media. The first RTD is proximate an air bearing surface (ABS) of the slider. The HDD also includes a second RTD configured to detect at least one temperature correlated to a fly-height of the slider. The second RTD is not required to be proximate the ABS of the slider. HDD also includes a read/write integrated circuit (IC) configured to determine the fly-height of the slider based on detection of temperatures by the first RTD and the second RTD.
US08098449B2
A magnetic recording device includes: a magnetic recording medium including a write-synchronization region and a data region; a correction-value-storage unit configured to store therein a phase-correction value for correcting a phase of the write clock; a reading unit configured to read out a signal from the magnetic recording medium; a write-clock generator configured to generate the write clock based on a write-reproduction signal which is a signal read out from the write-synchronization region by the reading unit; a phase-correction unit configured to correct the phase of the write clock generated by the write-clock generator based on the phase-correction value stored in the correction-value-storage unit; and a data acquisition unit configured to acquire data included in a data-reproduction signal which is a signal read out from the data region by the reading unit based on a clock that is generated by correcting the phase by the phase-correction unit.
US08098445B2
A focusing device for a lens, including a frame, a lens carrier movable relative to the frame from a first position along an optical axis, a motor for driving the lens carrier along the optical axis, and at least one biasing member adapted to bias the lens carrier towards the first position. The biasing member may include one or more bending members.
US08098444B2
A clutching jig has a pair of holding arms which has upper ends connected together, and lower ends spaced away from each other. An inner surface of each holding arm has a through mounting hole of substantially ellipse shape, for allowing a connecting pole passing therethrough and moving therein. A trough is formed at a lower surface of each holding arm and passing through the corresponding inner surface. Two sliding elements are slidably mounted to the holding arms respectively, each of which has a basic plate. The basic plate has a though hole at an upper portion thereof, for engaging with the connecting pole. Two resisting pads are disposed between outer surfaces of the holding arms and the basic plates. Each of the resisting pads has a hole at an upper portion thereof, for engaging with the connecting pole.
US08098442B2
An object of the present invention is to provide: a zoom lens system that has a high resolution, high capability of compensating curvature of field, a high zoom ratio of, for example, 3 or greater, a reduced weight, and a reduced overall optical length at the time of non-use; and an imaging device and a camera that employ this zoom lens system so as to have a reduced thickness and excellent portability as well as high performance. The zoom lens system forms an optical image of an object with variable magnification and, in order from the object side to the image side, comprises: a first lens unit having negative optical power; a second lens unit that has positive optical power and that contains a bi-convex lens element composed of a resin material and serving as the most image side lens element; and a third lens unit having positive optical power. Then, the lens units move respectively along the optical axis in such a manner that intervals between the individual lens units should vary so that the variable magnification is achieved. Further, the condition |(R2mi1+R2mi2)/(R2mi1−R2mi2)|<1.0 (R2mi1 is a radius of curvature on the object side of the most image side lens element of the second lens unit, while R2mi2 is a radius of curvature on the image side of the most image side lens element of the second lens unit) is satisfied. The imaging device and the camera employ this zoom lens system.
US08098438B2
A pig-tailed optical component used in a powerful fiber laser system is configured with a power monitor unit. The monitor unit has a plate-shaped beam splitter operative to reflect portions of at least one of respective forward and backreflected light signals, and multiple photo-detectors.
US08098430B2
A grating structure having a fused silica base includes alternating ridges and grooves. The ridges and grooves form a fused silica to air interface. The ridges and grooves are configured such that the grating has a ratio between the effective refractive index difference between s-polarization and p-polarization of about 1/3. As such, for non-polarized light with an incident angle θin of between 40° and 90° and a wavelength λ=350-1600 nm, the grating directs both s-polarization and p-polarization components of the incident light to the −1st order diffraction mode.
US08098429B2
A projection-type image display apparatus includes a screen on which an image is projected; and a frame that holds a periphery of the screen. The frame includes a plurality of frame units that respectively extend along a plurality of sides of the screen and holds a rim of the screen, and a coupling member that couples the frame units that abut at a corner portion. Each end of the coupling member is fitted into an enclosed section formed at a rear portion of each of the frame units at a position hidden behind the screen.
US08098428B2
Example embodiments relate to a circular dichroism fluorescent microscope having a confocal section. In the circular dichroism fluorescent microscope, a circularly polarizing/modulating section converts, into right and left circularly polarized lights, a light beam emitted from a light source. As such, the obtained right and left circularly polarized lights are focused on a sample so that the sample is irradiated with the right and left circularly polarized lights. Then, an optical lens focuses fluorescence emitted from the sample. Further, a wavelength selecting section transmits only fluorescence having a predetermined wavelength. Subsequently, the fluorescence having passed through the wavelength selecting section is detected. Based on fluorescent intensity signals of the fluorescence, a difference between an intensity of the fluorescence emitted from the sample at the time of irradiation with the use of the right circularly polarized light and that with the use of the left circularly polarized light is calculated.
US08098425B2
The present invention discloses a fiber amplifier, a fabricating method thereof, and a fiber communication system. The fiber amplifier includes at least a pump laser, at least a gain medium and at least an integrated optical component. The integrated optical component includes multiple optical input/output ports, and the optical input/output ports are connected to the pump laser or gain medium directly or indirectly. The present invention may better address problems of unstable performance and difficulty in reducing the size of components in the prior art where fiber amplifiers are formed by a number of discrete components with many fiber fusion splices. In addition, the present invention may reduce the production complexity and costs of fiber amplifiers, and improve the productivity of fiber amplifiers.
US08098416B2
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device includes a first electrode, a second electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode, and a third electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode and the second electrode. The MEMS device also includes a support structure which separates the first electrode from the second electrode and a reflective element located and movable between a first position and a second position. The reflective element is in contact with a portion of the device when in the first position and is not in contact with the portion of the device when in the second position. An adhesive force is generated between the reflective element and the portion when the reflective element is in the first position. Voltages applied to the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode at least partially reduce or counteract the adhesive force.
US08098414B2
A scanning image display system which includes a plurality of scanning image displays each including a light source adapted to emit a laser beam, and a scan unit having a first scan section adapted to scan the laser beam emitted from the light source in a first direction on a projection surface, and a second scan section adapted to scan the laser beam in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The first scan sections are resonant scan sections which are faster than the second scan sections in scan speed. The first scan sections are heated with light during the time that an image is formed and a reset period of the second scan sections in order to control resonant frequencies of the first scan sections.
US08098413B2
An image output apparatus supplies output image data including color components of color materials to an image forming apparatus that prints an image represented by input image data using chromatic color material and/or achromatic color material. In a monochrome mode in which an amount of the chromatic color material is larger than an amount of the chromatic color material used in a neutral tone, the image output apparatus includes a gradation correction unit configured to correct gradation levels of the image data which includes the color components of the color materials and which has been converted using the color separation unit. The gradation correction unit processes the chromatic color material so that a value of the output image data corresponding to an intermediate value of intermediate image data obtained through the conversion using the color separation unit is equal to or smaller than a half of a maximum value of the output image data.
US08098410B2
During a sheet-through operation, for a first original, a shading operation is performed to acquire white data and a light-quantity measuring operation is performed to acquire a reference value. For subsequent originals, only the light-quantity measuring operation is performed to acquire a subsequent light quantity. If the reference value and the subsequent light quantity differ greatly, the shading operation is performed at this time point to acquire new white data. The sheet-through operation is not stopped when the shading operation is not performed and the sheet-through operation is stopped when the shading operation is performed.
US08098406B2
An image forming apparatus performs dither processing on image data to form an image subjected to pseudo-halftone processing. The image forming apparatus includes a dither processing unit that performs dither processing on image data, and a dither pattern generation unit that generates a dither matrix for use in the dither processing, in accordance with an output gradation level. The dither matrix has a size of M×N pixels, and has a plurality of halftone dots arranged in a predetermined pattern in accordance with the output gradation level in order to represent a gradation of each color. The plurality of halftone dots are arranged in the dither matrix such that the halftone dots corresponding to at least two colors are substantially identical in color area ratio to each other in the dither matrix irrespective of a relative position with respective to the colors.
US08098402B2
A raster image target tracking method, the raster image being a binary raster image or a targeted contone raster image, may include determining target information that corresponds to a target device for the raster image, saving the target information in a memory, comprising the raster image target device to a processing device by which the document is to be processed, and providing a warning message when the document target device does not correspond to the processing device. Also, a compound document analysis and target tracking method may include providing a compound document, analyzing each object of the compound document to determine target information, saving the target information in a memory, comparing the target devices of the respective objects to each other, and providing a warning message to a user when the target devices of the respective objects do not correspond to each other.
US08098400B2
Mapping spectral colors in an Interim Connection Space (ICS) of a full spectral space based on an objective function is provided. A spectral color value in the ICS is accessed, and a spectral gamut boundary of the destination gamut is accessed. The spectral color value is mapped into mapped spectral color value based on minimization of an objective function of coordinates of a first subspace of the ICS, by fixing coordinates of a second subspace of the ICS, subject to a constraint that a result is within the spectral gamut boundary. The first subspace is a null space of a transformation from the ICS to a color space, while the second subspace is an orthogonal complement of the first subspace in the ICS. The constraint is determined by a gamut section that is an intersection of the spectral gamut in the ICS and an affine subspace characterized by the fixed coordinates of the second subspace.
US08098398B2
A printing system configured to set a segment unit size serving as a unit of a display area for displaying, as images, a list of pages which form the document; acquire a width and a height of each page image from the document data; calculate, when a value of a ratio of the width and the height of the page acquired in the acquiring exceeds a predetermined value, a display area size having a display region larger than the segment unit size; determine, for a page having the value of the ratio exceeding the predetermined value, an enlargement/reduction ratio so as to fit the page into the display area size; and display, a list of pages which form the document, by enlarging or reducing the page based on the enlargement/reduction ratio determined in the determining and displaying the page in a display screen at the display area.
US08098388B2
A content transmission device for transmitting content, whose copying is controlled, includes an authentication section for performing an authentication procedure between the content transmission device and a content receiving device, a first copy-control-information processing section for processing first copy control information describing copy control information concerning the content, a second copy-control-information processing section for processing second copy control information including content information different from the first copy control information, and a content transmission section for generating and transmitting, to the content receiving device, a packet including a header including the first copy control information and the second copy control information, and a payload obtained by encrypting the content with a predetermined content key.
US08098384B1
Provided is a coplanarity-testing machine. The coplanarity-testing machine includes a working stage, an illuminant, an image picking-up processor, a frequency converter, a double-cross lines generator, a linear module and a display. The linear module includes a test vehicle, a linear drive mechanism and a regulating block. The linear drive mechanism can drive the test vehicle to linearly move to and fro on a bearing surface of the working stage. The regulating block is placed on a supporting surface of the test vehicle. By adjusting the double-cross lines generator, horizontal lines of the generator can coincide with a projecting line of the bottom surface of the regulating block, and vertical lines of the generator can measure the height of the regulating block. The coplanarity-testing machine can timely and exactly display the testing result, is easily operated, and has a high testing efficiency and a high exact degree of testing.
US08098383B2
The invention relates to a method for the optical detection of the position and orientation of an object by means of an optical device comprising at least one parallelogram fastened to said object, the optical device comprising optical means and electronic analysis means making it possible to determine the coordinates of the four vertices of the parallelogram A′B′C′D′, in an orthonormal frame with center 0, denoted R0 (O, {right arrow over (i)}, {right arrow over (j)}, {right arrow over (k)}). The principle of the device consists in determining the vertices of the parallelogram A′B′C′D′, on the basis of the knowledge of the characteristics of the parallelogram and of four known points of a quadrilateral ABCD. This quadrilateral represents the drawing arising from the projection of the parallelogram A′B′C′D′ in a known image plane. The characteristics A′B′C′D′ of the parallelogram can be for example its height, its width and the coordinate of one of its points in the frame R0.
US08098375B2
In various embodiments of the invention, a unique construction for Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) with at least one luminescent rod and extracting optical elements used to generate a variety of high brightness light sources with different emission spectra. In an embodiment of the invention, forced air cooling is used to cool the luminescent rod. In an embodiment of the invention, totally internal reflected light can be redirected outward and refocused. In another embodiment of the invention, light emitted by the luminescent rod is out-coupled for use in a variety of applications.
US08098373B2
System and method for spatially and spectrally parallelized FAST. A sample is illuminated to thereby produce interacted photons. The photons are passed through a filter and received at a two-dimensional end of a FAST device wherein said FAST device comprises a two-dimensional array of optical fibers drawn into a one-dimensional fiber stack so as to effectively convert a two-dimensional array of optical fibers into a curvilinear field of view, and wherein said two-dimensional array of optical fibers is configured to receive said photons and transfer said photons out of said fiber array spectral translator device and to a spectrograph through said one-dimensional fiber stack wherein said one-dimensional fiber stack comprises at least two columns of fibers spatially offset in parallel at the entrance slit of said spectrograph. The photons are then detected at a detector to thereby obtain a spectroscopic data set representative of the sample.
US08098370B2
Egg candling methods and apparatus are provided wherein the optical path between a light source and light detector is monitored for obscuring debris and/or malfunctions. A method of candling eggs includes illuminating an egg with light from a light source; receiving light passing through the egg at a light detector; generating an output signal that corresponds to light received at the light detector for the egg; and analyzing the output signal to determine whether the optical path between the light source and light detector has been altered. In response to determining that a respective optical path has been altered, the light source and/or light detector is cleaned and/or inspected for malfunctions. Cleaning the light source and/or light detector may include wiping a surface of the light source and/or light detector and/or spraying a surface of the light source and/or light detector with a fluid.
US08098362B2
By irradiating a detection beam from an irradiation system of a detection device to a scale used for measuring the position of a wafer stage, and detecting the detection beam via the scale by a photodetection system, a surface state (an existence state of foreign substance) of the scale is detected. With this operation, detection of the surface state can be performed contactlessly with respect to the scale. Moreover, movement control of the wafer stage can be performed with high precision by taking the surface state into consideration.
US08098359B2
A liquid crystal display device in accordance with one aspect of the present invention includes a liquid crystal panel including a electrode substrate, a opposed substrate disposed opposite to the electrode substrate, and liquid crystal sandwiched between the electrode substrate and the opposed substrate, and a transparent conductive film formed on the opposite surface of the opposed substrate to the liquid crystal, wherein the thickness d1 (cm) of the transparent conductive film satisfies the equation d1>0.5×R1×∈0×∈r×S/d0 (cm), where R1 (Ω·cm) is specific resistance of the transparent conductive film, ∈0 (F/m) is the electric constant, ∈r (F/m) is relative dielectric constant of the opposed substrate, d0 (cm) is thickness of the opposed substrate, and S (m2) is size of the display area of the liquid crystal panel.
US08098358B2
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display that includes: gate lines and data lines arranged on a first substrate; pixel electrodes connected to the gate lines and the data lines, and including a first sub-pixel electrode and a second sub-pixel electrode separated from each other by a gap; a common electrode arranged on a second substrate, and facing the pixel electrodes; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode and including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules, wherein each of the first sub-pixel electrode and the second sub-pixel electrode includes a plurality of fine branch portions, the second sub-pixel electrodes include a connection portion surrounding the fine branch portions of the first sub-pixel electrodes, and a plurality of notches are formed in the connection portion of the second sub-pixel electrode.
US08098354B2
In a vertical alignment liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor is formed on a first insulating substrate, and a pixel electrode (ITO) including cutouts (OPEN) is formed on the first substrate or a second substrate. A width of the cutouts of the upper and lower substrates gradually increases or decreases along a length thereof.
US08098349B2
A backlight module includes a plate and a plurality of light sources. The plate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The plate is bent to form a plurality of first grooves on the first surface and a plurality of second grooves on the second surface. The light sources are respectively disposed in the first grooves and the second grooves. The backlight module is capable of providing two plane light sources to different directions and has thinner thickness. A double-sided liquid crystal display using the above-mentioned backlight module is also provided.
US08098342B2
A liquid crystal display is provided, which includes a plurality of pixels including first and second thin film transistors, and a pixel electrode connected to the first and second thin film transistors, a first gate line transmitting a first gate signal and connected to the first thin film transistor, a second gate line transmitting a second gate signal and connected to the second thin film transistor, and a data line transmitting a data signal and connected to the first thin film transistor. The second thin film transistor receives a uniform voltage and transmits the uniform voltage to the pixel electrode according to the second gate signal.
US08098337B2
A remote control device establishes a bi-directional communication with a television receiver and uploads a set of remote control codes associated with a target component selected by the user. One method includes storing, within a television receiver, a set of remote control codes associated with a corresponding set of component types; presenting a component-selection user interface; receiving a target component type selected from the set of component types presented by the component-selection user interface; determining, from the set of remote control codes, a target remote control code associated with the target component type; and transmitting the target remote control code to the remote control device.
US08098325B2
A digital camera of the present invention has: an optical housing having a bending optical system for reflecting photographic object light entering along a first optical axis to a second optical axis direction perpendicular to the first optical axis to form an image on an image pickup device; a camera main body having a containing portion for containing the optical housing slidably only in the second optical axis direction and having support portions for supporting the optical housing provided on each of both sides surfaces of the containing portion across the second optical axis of the bending optical system; and a shock absorbing unit provided between an inner surface of the containing portion of the camera main body in which the support portions are not provided and an outer surface of the optical housing facing thereto.
US08098323B2
A camera system having a camera body and an interchangeable lens is made more convenient to use. A camera system 1 includes an interchangeable lens unit 2 and a camera body 3. A body microcomputer 10 of the camera body 3 decides whether or not the interchangeable lens unit 2 is compatible with moving picture mode on the basis of lens information about the interchangeable lens unit 2. If the interchangeable lens unit 2 is not compatible with moving picture mode, the body microcomputer 10 prevents the operation of an imaging sensor 11 from being set to moving picture mode.
US08098319B2
To improve the consumer experience with portable electronic devices, a high-resolution digital camera function is incorporated into a multifunction portable electronic device. In exemplary embodiments, a clamshell portable electronic device, such as a mobile telephone, is provided with a digital camera/video function. The lens of the camera/video function is separated from an image sensor in a manner such that the two are not linearly aligned. Light coming through the lens is reflected by a reflective element, such as prism, onto the image sensor. The sensor is movable relative to a fixed position of the prism to provide an auto focus feature. In an exemplary embodiment, the sensor is movable along a portion of the width of the portable electronic device, the width being substantially greater in distance than the thickness of one of the clamshell portions. In this manner, the width of the portable electronic provides a greater distance available for the focal length than in the typical configuration, in which the lens and image sensor are linearly aligned within a clamshell portion. By increasing the focal length, higher resolution can be obtained.
US08098318B2
The decode control unit (103) has control over a video decode unit (101) so as to cause the video decode unit (101), which decoded images obtained from respective normal coded data items and high-speed coded data items, to start decoding of some of the normal coded data items with timings which are ahead of predetermined timings so that the video decode unit (101) starts decoding of the beginning one of the high-speed coded data items with a timing which is ahead of a predetermined timing by a period of time necessary for the display unit (105) to display the images sequentially.
US08098309B2
At least a solid-state imaging device and one or a plurality of bare ICs that are disposed on the back face or on the back face side of the solid-state imaging apparatus and serve as peripheral circuits are provided. The bare ICs are sealed by a resin. A circuit board may be interposed between the solid-state imaging device and the bare ICs, or the solid-state imaging device and the ICs are directly bonded together. According to another aspect, IC chips and other parts as peripheral circuits of a solid-state imaging device are disposed on the inner surface, mainly the ceiling surface, of a light-shielding case. According to a further aspect, a solid-state imaging apparatus for photoelectrically converting, with an imaging device, an image formed by introducing imaging light into the inside of the apparatus is provided with a package having a dark space in itself and accommodating the imaging device in the dark space, and a pinhole for introducing imaging light into the dark space and forming an image of an imaging object on the imaging face of the imaging device.
US08098301B2
Provided is a zoom lens including a first lens group, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, wherein conditional expressions f12/fw>2.0, f2/fw<−2.0, −2.0≦f12/f2≦−0.5, and νd21−νd22>20 are satisfied, where f12 is a focal length of a single lens having a positive refractive power in the first lens group, f2 is a focal length of the second lens group, fw is a focal length of the total lens system at a wide angle end, νd21 is an Abbe number of the lens having a negative refractive power in the second lens group for the d-line, and νd22 is an Abbe number of the lens having a positive refractive power in the second lens group for the d-line.
US08098288B2
In an imaging apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention, three images are picked up by a CCD having a color filter, and thirteen images are picked up by a CMOS having no color filter. Three of thirteen images are picked up at the same timing as by the CCD. A motion vector data between the images is calculated from the thirteen image data of the CCD. Further, the motion vector data is integrated to calculate motion vector data between a previous pickup image and a present pickup image, and motion vector data between the present pickup image and a following pickup image. A predicted image of the present pickup image is generated from the motion vector data, the previous pickup image, and the following pickup image. A weighted average is calculated between the predicted image and the present pickup image, which are synthesized into an image having decreased hand jiggling.
US08098277B1
Systems and methods are provided for communication between a reactive video engine and a mobile communication device. In a system according to one embodiment, a reactive video engine is coupled to a communication interface. The communication interface is configured to facilitate communication with the reactive video engine and a mobile communication device.
US08098268B2
A thermal head includes a glass layer provided with a groove section formed inside the glass layer, a heat generating resistor disposed outside the glass layer, and a pair of electrodes provided to both sides of the heat generating resistor, wherein a part of the heat generating resistor exposed between the pair of electrodes is defined as a heat generating section, and at least one of the pair of electrodes has a smaller width in an end section on an opposite side to a side of the heat generating section than a width of an end section on the side of the heat generating section.
US08098265B2
This invention describes an apparatus, methods and a system for high speed hierarchical multiplexing the native color primaries of SSL-based display systems in order to improve color quality and stability as well as brightness and the efficiency of the display system.
US08098259B2
An image display device having an image generation unit for generating an image according to an instruction, a display unit able to display in color the image generated at the image generation unit, a user interface unit including a color designation part enabling selective designation of any color from among a plurality of colors and an adjustment degree designation part able to instruct the degree of adjustment of at least attributes of the color designated by the color designation part, and a control unit for instructing the image generation unit so as to generate an image able to display at least a color designated by the color designation part of the user interface unit.
US08098248B2
A method for modeling components of a stream processing application, includes: defining an input message pattern of a processing element, wherein the input message pattern includes variables representing data objects that must be included in a message input to the processing element, and a graph pattern that semantically describes the data objects that must be included in the message input to the processing element; and defining an output message pattern of the processing element, wherein the output message pattern includes variables and new data objects, the variables and new data objects representing data objects that must be included in a message output from the processing element, and a graph pattern that semantically describes the data objects in the message output from the processing element.
US08098246B2
The present invention relates generally to computer graphics, and more specifically to methods of, and systems for, configuring, controlling and accessing multiple hardware graphics layers that are used to compose a single video display. One aspect of the invention is broadly defined as follows: in a computer environment including a software application and an operating system running on a computer, the computer including a graphics card and a video display, the graphics card being operable to render images to the video display, the improvement comprising: the operating system including a universal application programming interface (API) which supports hardware layers on graphics cards; the operating system being operable to: receive draw events via the universal API; determine what hardware layers are available on the graphics card, and what their parameters are; and respond to draw requests from the software application by rendering the draw requests selectively to any of the available hardware layers on the graphics card; whereby the computer environment allows software applications to exploit available hardware layers on the graphics card.
US08098238B2
A handheld electronic apparatus comprises a touch keypad, a circuit board, a base and a support mechanism. The touch keypad is configured to receive a user's touch operation and comprises a plurality of icons. The circuit board is placed below the touch keypad and has a dome switch providing tactile feedback to the user when the user presses the touch keypad. The base is placed between the touch keypad and the circuit board and has a first opening through which the touch keypad can trigger the dome switch. The support mechanism is placed between the touch keypad and the base to support the touch keypad.
US08098231B2
An apparatus comprising: a display for presenting information to a user; a housing connected to the display for supporting the display; and a keyboard assembly deployable through a sliding connection to the housing, the keyboard assembly deployable in multiple directions, the information presented to the user through the display is oriented based on deployment of the keyboard assembly, direction of deployment of the keyboard assembly, and input from an application resident on the device. The application prescribes the orientation of the information presented on the display to the user in relation to the direction of keyboard assembly deployment.
US08098217B2
Any of first and second sub-field configurations is selected. In the first sub-field configuration, a width of a write pulse of a sub-field with a lowest display luminance is not more than widths of write pulses of the other sub-fields. In the second sub-field configuration, the width of the write pulse of the sub-field with the lowest display luminance is larger than the widths of the write pulses of the other sub-fields. When the first sub-field configuration is selected, a voltage applied to a sustain electrode in a write period of the sub-field with the lowest display luminance is set higher than a voltage applied to the sustain electrode in write periods of the other sub-fields. When the second sub-field configuration is selected, the voltage applied to the sustain electrode in the write period of the sub-field with the lowest display luminance is set to be the same as the voltage applied to the sustain electrode in the write period of any of the other sub-fields.
US08098212B2
A method for partitioning a plurality of antennas in a wireless communication system, in which the antennas are grouped into a first set of partitions and a second set of partitions. One or more signal transmission schemes are performed with the antennas grouped into the first set of partitions for a first time period, and then with the antennas grouped into the second set of partitions for a second time period.
US08098210B2
A method of matching a receive-only antenna (60) for use in receiving video signals in which measurements made on a transceiver's antenna (14) when in an transmitting mode are used in matching the receive-only antenna. The ratio of the amplitude of the reflected signal to the strength of the transmitted signal strength is used not only in selecting components for matching the transceiver's antenna (14) but also in selecting components for matching the receive-only antenna (60). The ratio may be applied to respective look-up tables (54, 64) for selecting the components to be used in matching the respective antennas.
US08098200B1
A method and system determine a location of an emitter using at least three sensors, each receiving a signal from the emitter. Cross-correlation data is determined for the received signals at sensor pairs, and one or more peaks are identified in the cross-correlation data. A likelihood function is determined for each sensor pair. A total likelihood function is determined for the sensors using the likelihood functions for each sensor pair, and the location of the emitter is determined as the point where the total likelihood function is maximized. The individual likelihood function for each sensor pair can be determined by selecting, at each point in a grid, a peak in the cross-correlation data that generates a minimum residual according to a minimum residual criterion, and using the selected peak in the cross-correlation data for each point in the grid to calculate the likelihood function.
US08098193B2
An ultra wide band (UWB) millimeter (mm) wave radar system includes a signal source having a control input, a GHz signal output and a frequency controlled output. A control loop is coupled between the GHz signal output and the control input including a frequency divider and a digitally controlled PLL that provides a locked output coupled to the control input of the signal source to provide frequency locked output signals that are discrete frequency swept or hopped. A frequency multiplier is coupled to the frequency controlled output of the signal source for outputting a plurality of mm-wave frequencies. An antenna transmits the mm-wave frequencies to a surface to be interrogated and receives reflected mm-wave signals therefrom. A mixer mixes the reflected mm-wave signals and mm-wave frequencies and processing circuitry determines at least one parameter relating to the surface from the mixing output.
US08098191B1
An apparatus and method for protecting against incoming projectiles comprising transmitting two radar waveforms, the first waveform comprising a pulsed continuous wave waveform, and the second waveform comprising a pulsed linear chirp waveform over a bandwidth, and based on returned radar data, causing deployment of a defense mechanism to intercept a detected incoming projectile.
US08098177B2
A keypad comprising a plurality of numerically labeled keys; wherein each key on a numeric keypad as mapped to letters of alphabet in a language, wherein a plurality of alphabetic letters are assigned to at least one key on the numeric keypad; wherein a first alphabetic letter is selected from among the plurality of alphabetic letters assigned to the key, in response to a first interaction with said key, such that the first alphabetic letter is the first most frequently used letter from among said plurality of letters assigned to the key in said language.
US08098168B2
A utility meter comprises a measurement circuit configured to measure consumption, a remote communications port, a local communications port, and a meter communications indicator. The meter communications indicator is configured to provide an indication that the meter is communicating with a remote device external to the meter over the remote communications port. The meter communications indicator is also configured to provide an indication that the meter is communicating with a local device external to the meter over the local communications port. The indication that communications are occurring over the local communications port is different from the indication that communications are occurring over the remote communications port. In at least one embodiment, the communications indicator is configured to provide an indication that communications are occurring simultaneously over the remote communications port and the local communications port.
US08098165B2
A system, apparatus and associated methodology for interactively monitoring and reducing driver drowsiness use a plurality of drowsiness detection exercises to precisely detect driver drowsiness levels, and a plurality of drowsiness reduction exercises to reduce the detected drowsiness level. A plurality of sensors detect driver motion and position in order to measure driver performance of the drowsiness detection exercises and/or the drowsiness reduction exercises. The driver performance is used to compute a drowsiness level, which is then compared to a threshold. The system provides the driver with drowsiness reduction exercises at predetermined intervals when the drowsiness level is above the threshold.
US08098159B2
A Radio Frequency (RF) device such as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag according to one embodiment includes a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) for generating a reference signal based on a stored digital comparison criteria value, and a mechanism for comparing an incoming signal to the reference signal. The device performs an action such as backscattering based on the comparison. Additional systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08098158B2
The subject invention provides a system and/or a method that facilitates implementing an RFID process by providing creation and/or execution of the RFID process as it relates to a provider(s) and the associated devices related to such provider(s). A receiver component can receive information relating to at least one or more providers. An RFID server component can employ the information in connection with providing an RFID process that can be applied generically to a plurality of devices associated with a subset of providers. An RFID engine can process an RFID event including an event processing tree that abstracts a logical entity, wherein the logical entity consists of a logical source can define the RFID process.
US08098157B2
A zoned interactive control area (10) wherein an architectural space is divided in to a plurality of zones (16), each having its own sensor (22) and zone lights (18). In a normal operating mode (50) the sensors (22) are used to detect the presence of a person such that the zone lights (18) can be turned on and/or adjusted for light level. Each zone light (18) also has a light sensor (24) used, at least in part, for communication with the other zone lights (18), such that the light level can be adjusted not just in response to a presence in the respective zone (16) but also in response to presence in other zones (16). According to a security method (70) when the zone lights (18) are not in use for normal lighting (as when they are turned off) then if the sensors (22) detect the presence of an intruder the zone lights (18) flash to deter the intruder and also communicate the fact of the presence of the intruder to the other zone lights (18) via the light sensors (22).
US08098150B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that locates a set of target transmitting mechanism using a mobile sensing infrastructure. During operation, the system determines a reference frame of a sensing mechanism by detecting signals from at least two transmitting mechanisms. The system further determines locations of the target transmitting mechanism relative to the reference frame using the sensing mechanism. In addition, the system produces a result to indicate the locations of the target transmitting mechanisms.
US08098149B2
A wireless patient monitor for MRI provides for on-board filtering of physiological signals from the patient to provide improved assessment and processing of MRI noise before the signal is affected by the transmission process. A system of powering of a wireless patient monitor using capacitors is also provided.
US08098148B2
A sensor signal processor apparatus having good characteristics and providing an easy and simple interface for various sensors. The sensor signal processor apparatus includes a current source, a sensor, a ramp integrator, a comparator, and a controller. The current source generates a constant current according to a preset value, and the sensor outputs a sensor voltage using the current from the current source. The ramp integrator generates and outputs an integral voltage according to an input command, and the comparator compares the sensor voltage of the sensor with the integral voltage of the ramp integrator and outputting a result of the comparison. The controller controls the generating and outputting of the integral voltage of the ramp integrator according to the comparison result of the comparator.
US08098147B2
This invention provides a tire monitoring system, comprising a remote tire monitoring unit installed in the tire, a central controller, a speech indicating unit and a brake deceleration mechanism; wherein the remote tire monitoring unit is used to monitor and sample the pressure and temperature within the tire, and generate the sampling data signals of tire conditions which are subsequently wirelessly transmitted to the central controller; the central controller wirelessly receives sampling data signals of tire conditions, and calculates received data signals so as to generate speech indicating command and/or brake deceleration command, and afterward conveys the speech indicating command to the speech indicating unit, while the brake deceleration command to the brake deceleration mechanism; a speech indication unit, provided to receive said speech indication command and output the speech indication information; and a brake deceleration mechanism, provided to receive said brake deceleration command and performs action of brake deceleration so as to provide effective security protection when quick deflation and tire burst suddenly occur in a short time.
US08098146B2
A tire pressure monitoring using wireless network includes a remote command device and a valve-stem mountable tire pressure gauge. The tire pressure gauge includes a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure of a fluid in a tire and providing an output signal indicative of the detected fluid pressure, and a first radio-frequency module for transmitting data indicative of the detected fluid pressure based on the output signal of the pressure sensor. The remote command device includes a second radio-frequency module for wirelessly receiving the data transmitted by the data transmitted by the first radio frequency module, a wireless communication module for communicating via a wireless network, information based at least one data received by the second radio frequency module, and a display for displaying at least the fluid pressure detected by the pressure sensor.
US08098136B2
Integrated switch systems and methods for locating ID tags are disclosed. One system includes an application, a plurality of different tag readers in communication with the ID tags, and an integrated switch configured to enable the application to receive tag information from the different tag readers. An integrated switch includes multiple reader adapters, an application adapter, and a virtualization core. The virtualization core is configured to provide a common interface between each tag reader and the application. One method includes receiving a first signal from a first tag reader and receiving a second signal from a second tag reader, the first and second signals having information related to first and second ID tags, respectively. The method also includes normalizing the first and second signals such that the signals are compatible with the application and transmitting an ID tag report based on the normalized first and/or second signal to the application.
US08098133B2
An RFID tag having mounted thereon an IC chip capable of receiving and delivering information from and to an external source without contact. In the RFID tag, a central axis of its own antenna having mounted thereon the IC chip coincides with a center of the RFID tag, and an antenna width is controlled. That is, a position of the central axis of the antenna is controlled to correct the mass eccentricity of the RFID tag. Further, the RFID tag is an RFID tag having mounted thereon the IC chip capable of receiving and delivering information from and to an external source without contact, and an RFID tag having attached thereon the IC chip at a position in which a first and a second antenna lengths are different from each other.
US08098122B2
A magnetic attachment system for attaching a first object to a second object. A first magnet structure is attached to the first object and a second magnet structure is attached to the second object by the magnetic attraction between the first magnet structure and second magnet structure. The magnet structures comprise magnetic elements arranged in accordance with patterns based on various codes. In various embodiments, the code has certain autocorrelation properties, the code may be from a set of codes with low cross correlation; an attachment and a release configuration may be achieved by a simple movement of the magnet structures; the magnetic pattern may be configured to allow installation of a selected panel of a set of panels in a given location or orientation while rejecting the remaining panels of the set; or the magnetic pattern is configured using codes with low cross correlation.
US08098118B2
A bandpass filter includes a combination of a BAW filter and a patterned planar filter with stubs. The BAW filter is composed of a plurality of piezoelectric resonators to give a specific frequency bandpass, while the planer filter is configured to attenuate frequencies near and outside the bandpass. The resonators are connected in a ladder configuration between a first signal transmission path and a ground. The planar filter includes a strip line formed on a dielectric layer to define a second signal transmission path. The BAW filter and the planar filter are formed on a common substrate with the first and second transmission paths connected to each other. The BAW filter, in combination with the patterned planar filter added with the stub, can improve a deep near-band rejection inherent to the BAW filter, exhibiting an excellent out-of-band rejection over certain adjacent frequency ranges outside of the bandpass, and therefore give a sharp and wide bandpass.
US08098108B2
The invention relates to a millimeter frequency oscillator using integrated circuit technology. The oscillator includes a microwave output (Sf) providing an oscillation frequency Fout as a function of a control signal Vt. The oscillation frequency Fout may be modulated around a central frequency Fc via two control inputs of the oscillator, a first control input Ec1 driven by a first control signal Vt1 fixing the central frequency Fc of the oscillator and a second control input Ec2 driven by a second control signal Vt2 allowing linear modulation of this central frequency Fc. The control signal Vt of the oscillator is a function of the two control signals Vt1 and Vt2.
US08098107B2
A system for providing voltage and current regulator sources based on a oscillator having variable loop gain is described. Only when the oscillator loop gain is at least the value of one does the oscillator oscillate. The oscillator's ability to oscillate is controlled by the one or more variable impedance or gain devices. Negative feedback of the voltage or current output level is used to control the loop gain of the oscillator circuit.
US08098101B2
According to some embodiments, an apparatus may comprise an amplifier, wherein the amplifier comprises: an output stage formed of a positive output terminal providing a positive output voltage and a negative output terminal providing a negative output voltage; a load tank coupled in parallel with the output stage and configured to filter signals received at the amplifier; and a negative resistance block coupled in parallel with the output stage and the load tank.
US08098091B1
In a method and an amplifier for the compensation of unlinearities e.g. of the class D type, wherein an audio signal is pulse-width modulated, e.g. with a carrier wave signal in the form of a triangular signal to provide a pulse-width modulated small-signal, the so-called multiplicative error signals, which occur prior to the provision of a pulse-width modulated great-signal (7), are detected in a detector (10)).It is noted that the carrier wave signal could be analog as well as digital.The signal from the detector, which is derived on the basis of differences between the pulse widths of the small-signals and the pulse widths of the great-signals, is used for changing the carrier wave signal so that the amplifier gets a constant gain in the entire audio range and is thereby linearized.To compensate additionally for the multiplicative errors which manifest themselves in the pulse height as well as the pulse width of the pulse-width modulated great-signal (7), the value of the carrier wave signal is changed as a function of the pulse-width modulated small-signal (5) multiplied by the pulse-width modulated great-signal and the inverted pulse-width modulated small-signal multiplied by the inverted pulse-width modulated great-signal.
US08098087B1
A method and apparatus is provided for standby voltage offset cancellation at inputs to a comparator within a receiver channel. Each of a first comparator input and second comparator input is isolated from an input signal such that each of the first and second comparator inputs attains a respective standby voltage level. A voltage level on one of the first and second comparator inputs is incrementally changed, while the output signal of the comparator is monitored. Upon detecting a state transition in the output signal of the comparator, the incremental changing of the voltage level on the one comparator input is stopped at a final voltage level setting. The final voltage level setting is stored in a computer memory for reference in setting of the voltage level at the one comparator input so as to compensate for the standby voltage offset at the inputs to the comparator.
US08098085B2
A time-to-digital converter (TDC) with fine resolution of less than one inverter delay is described. In an exemplary design, the TDC includes first and second delay paths, a delay unit, and a phase computation unit. The first delay path receives a first input signal and a first reference signal and provides a first output. The second delay path receives a second input signal and a second reference signal and provides a second output. The delay unit delays the second input signal relative to the first input signal or delays the second reference signal relative to the first reference signal, e.g., by one half inverter delay. The phase computation unit receives the first and second outputs and provides a phase difference between the input signal and the reference signal. Calibration may be performed to obtain accurate timing for the first and second delay paths.
US08098080B2
An ePLX unit includes a logic unit having an SRAM and a MUX, and a switch unit having an SRAM and a TG for establishing wiring connection in the logic unit. When a composite module is set in the first mode, an Add/Flag control unit uses the SRAMs as a data field and a flag field, respectively, to autonomously control the read address of each of the data field and the flag field in accordance with a control flag stored in the flag field. Furthermore, when the composite module is set in the second mode, the Add/Flag control unit writes configuration information into each of the SRAMs to reconfigure a logic circuit. Consequently, the granularity of the circuit configuration can be rendered variable, which allows improvement in flexibility when configuring a function.
US08098079B2
Embodiments of a circuit for use with an inter-chip connection that has a variable complex impedance (which can be conductive, capacitive or both), a system that includes the circuit, and a communication technique are described. This inter-chip connection may be formed between a microspring or an anisotropic film and a metal connector on or proximate to a surface of a chip. Moreover, the circuit may mitigate signal distortion associated with the variable complex impedance. For example, the circuit may include an internal impedance that is electrically coupled in series with the metal connector, and that has an impedance which dominates the variable complex impedance over a range of operating frequencies. Separately or additionally, the circuit may be adapted to correct for the signal distortion.
US08098067B2
The present invention provides a fluxgate magnetic sensor element which includes: a substrate; an exciting pattern which is disposed on the substrate to generate a magnetic field; a magnetic thin film pattern for detection which is disposed adjacent to the exciting pattern; and a detection coil pattern which is disposed adjacent to the magnetic thin film pattern for detection. In the magnetic sensor element, the exciting pattern, the magnetic thin film pattern for detection, and the detection coil pattern are formed on the substrate. Therefore, the magnetic sensor element can be formed into a flat shape. Moreover, since the length of the generated magnetic field is short in a long-axis direction, the size and thickness of the element itself can be reduced.
US08098057B2
A constant voltage circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage having a predetermined level is disclosed. The constant voltage circuit includes a differential amplifier circuit configured to produce an output signal having a voltage level in response to a reference voltage and the output voltage; and an output circuit configured to receive the output signal and produce a current in response to the voltage level of the output signal. The output voltage is proportional to the current. The output circuit includes plural output transistors and a transistor selecting unit configured to select one or more output transistors to be operated among the plural output transistors to produce the current depending on the level of the output voltage.
US08098054B2
A method and device for optimizing power output of a power generation system having a load engaging system, a load optimizing system, a load selection system, a motive driver and one or more loads or power transfer parameters. The power generation system is illustrated using an electrical generator to consume system power out, however the load(s) may be other than an electrical generator. The load engaging system decides when and how the load or power transfer parameters are applied to and removed from the system. The load selection system enables multiple power transfer parameters to be optimized by selecting and isolating one power transfer parameter at a time to be optimized. The load optimizing system optimizes system power output by manipulating the selected power transfer parameter, dynamically in response to change in power output.
US08098040B1
A system and method to convert the ram air energy resulting from the movement of an electric vehicle through the air mass into electric energy to recharge the energy storage devices of the vehicle while minimizing the apparatus caused drag effect on the vehicle, thereby extending the driving range of the vehicle between external charging. At least one ram air driven turbine is positioned within the vehicle, the turbine driving a mechanically coupled generator to charge the battery. Ram air is ducted in the front of the vehicle to cause the turbine generator to rotate and output electrical energy to charge the battery. The effect of variation in vehicle speed on both turbine generator output and turbine caused drag is optimized by adjusting the pitch angle of the turbine blades. At least one included ultra capacitor will implement a pre-programmed charge/discharge profile to reduce charge resistance electrical loading on the turbine generator and enable continued battery charging with minimal increase of turbine caused drag.
US08098029B2
A load control device for controlling an amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source, the load control device comprising a semiconductor switch operable to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the load, the semiconductor switch having a control input for controlling the semiconductor switch between a non-conductive state and a conductive state; a controller operatively coupled to the control input of the semiconductor switch for controlling the semiconductor switch between the non-conductive state and the conductive state; a touch sensitive front surface; a touch sensitive device responsive to a point actuation on the touch sensitive front surface, the point actuation characterized by a position and a force, the touch sensitive device comprising a resistive divider and an output operatively coupled to the controller for providing a control signal to the controller; and a capacitor coupled to the output of the touch sensitive device for stabilizing the control signal; wherein the capacitor is operable to charge and discharge through the resistive divider of the touch sensitive device, such that the control signal is representative of the position of the point actuation.
US08098017B2
An automatic, low level floor lighting system includes a light unit including a light operable to produce visible light when energized by a power source and a control means for allowing a user to adjust an intensity of the visible light. The light unit also includes an ambient light sensor to inhibit the light from being energized when an ambient light is above a predetermined level. The light unit further includes a receiver for receiving an activation signal to energize the light and a deactivation signal to de-energize the light. A transmitter transmits the activation and deactivation signals to an additional light unit. The system also includes a remote activation unit for transmitting the activation and deactivation signals to the receiver when the user engages the remote activation unit where the user can remotely turn the light on and off when the ambient light is below the predetermined level.
US08098012B2
A photosensitive composition, which has a cross-linking monomer having at least two ethylenic double bonds, a photopolymerization initiator, and an organic solvent, and a method of preparing a barrier rib for a plasma display panel, wherein the photosensitive composition is used. The photosensitive composition provides improved adherence to an inorganic material and an organic material.
US08098002B2
The invention relates to a silicon resonator (10) of the tuning-fork type in which the linear frequency drift depending on the temperature is compensated. The resonator includes a silicon base (14), a plurality of parallel arms (11, 12, 13) capable of vibrating and actuator (18, 21, 22), wherein the arms include a silicon layer provided between two layers of silicon oxide having a thickness, relative to that of the silicon layer, such that it ensures the first-order compensation of the resonator thermal drift.
US08098001B2
A component has a substrate and a compensation layer. A lower face of the substrate is mechanically firmly connected to the compensation layer. The lower face of the substrate and the upper face of the compensation layer have a topography.
US08097999B2
Piezoelectric actuators having a piezoelectric layer in which a cantilever portion is formed are disclosed. In one embodiment, an actuator includes a support layer and a piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer may include a supported portion formed on the support layer and a cantilever portion which extends beyond the support layer.
US08097996B1
A method of manufacturing a stator bar in large dynamoelectric machines, with the bar insulation made of solid materials with high thermal conductivity and high dielectric strength. In the present invention, the bar insulation is provided by thermally conductive shells whose inner cavity conforms to the bar stock. The manufacturing process comprises slipping one or more thermally conductive shells at the substantially central straight portion of the bar stock, bending the ends of the bar stock to form end-arms, insulating the end-arms with tape or extrusion insulation and bonding all members to form a solid stator bar. In short, the bent end-arms are insulated by the tape or extrusion insulation while the straight portion of the bar is insulated by the thermally conductive shells. This greatly increases the effective thermal conductivity of the stator bar. The high dielectric strength of the materials significantly reduces the wall thickness of the bar insulation. The space freed by the thinner bar insulation can be filled beneficially by copper or iron thereby reducing the size of the machine. The high thermal conductivity of the bar insulation will increase the life of the stator bar, while the thinner bar insulation will reduce the size of the machine.
US08097995B2
A split stator for an electric motor includes a core having a tooth portion, a coil formed around the tooth portion, insulation spacers arranged between a surface of the tooth portion and an inner periphery of the coil, and holding the inner periphery of the coil with a space kept from the surface of the tooth portion, and a resin filler material having high thermal conductivity and filling the space. The resin filler material is configured to allow heat release from the inner periphery of coil to the core.
US08097988B2
The present invention provides a horizontal linear vibrator which can reduce the thickness but increase the strength of vibrations while at the same time guaranteeing a sufficiently long lifetime and satisfactory responsivity. The horizontal linear vibrator includes a casing, a bracket, a vibration unit, a cylindrical coil and springs. The bracket is coupled to the casing to form an internal space. The vibration unit includes a weight, a pair of yokes and magnets. The weight has an opening therein. The yokes are disposed on the inner surfaces of the weight. The magnets are provided in the yokes such that different poles of the magnets face each other. The cylindrical coil is perpendicularly mounted to the bracket and disposed in space between the pair of yoke. The springs are coupled to both ends of the casing or the bracket. The springs elastically support the vibration unit to allow the vibration unit to vibrate in the horizontal direction.
US08097983B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for use in wireless energy transfer, which includes a first resonator structure configured to transfer energy non-radiatively with a second resonator structure over a distance greater than a characteristic size of the second resonator structure. The non-radiative energy transfer is mediated by a coupling of a resonant field evanescent tail of the first resonator structure and a resonant field evanescent tail of the second resonator structure.
US08097978B2
A system for extending backup times using networks of direct current (DC) uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) is provided. A first DC UPS has a first input and a first output. A second DC UPS has a second input coupled to the first output of the first DC UPS, a second output coupled to at least one electrical load, and a third output coupled to the first input of the first DC UPS. Battery current from the first and second DC UPS is shared with the at least one electrical load in the event of a power loss.
US08097977B2
A multi-output power supply device includes a first power switch, a first switch controller that controls the first power switch, a transformer that transforms a power supplied from the first power switch, first through Nth output circuits connected to a secondary side of the transformer, where N is a positive integer greater than 1, a second power switch that switches the power output from one of the first through Nth output circuits, a second switch controller that controls the second power switch, a feedback circuit that feeds back output voltages of the first through Nth output circuits, and a feedback compensation circuit that performs a switching operation complementarily with the second power switch to compensate for a resistance of the feedback circuit. Accordingly, when power output to one of the output circuits is blocked, the multi-output power supply device can stably control the power output to the other output circuits.
US08097976B2
A lighting controller has current driving means which include a shunt resistor connected in series to each of multiple LEDs to detect an LED driving current, a PMOS transistor connected to the positive electrode side of each of the LEDs, and an amplifier for sending an output according to the result of comparison between the respectively detected driving current values and a reference value, and which subject each of the PMOS transistors to ON/OFF operation. Control means includes a Zener diode ZD1 and a Zener diode ZD2 for detecting an abnormality occurring in the current driving means and for sending the abnormality detection result. The control means controls the PMOS transistor to be turned OFF after elapse of a predetermined time upon receipt of the abnormality detection result.
US08097972B2
A gas turbine engine including a first shaft being one of a main shaft concentrically mounted to at least one turbine rotor and a tower shaft directly driven by the main shaft and extending generally radially therefrom, the first shaft having a reduced diameter portion located within the gas turbine engine, an electrical assembly having a rotor comprising permanent magnets retained on an outer surface of the reduced diameter portion and a stator comprising a magnetic field circuit disposed adjacent an outer periphery of the rotor, and an electrical connection between the magnetic field circuit and at least one of a power source and an electrically drivable accessory.
US08097967B2
Energy systems, energy devices, energy utilization methods, and energy transfer methods are described. In one arrangement, energy utilization methods include providing first energy from a power grid to an induction generator at a first moment in time; using the induction generator and the first energy from the power grid, charging an energy storage device; using second energy from the energy storage device, powering a motor causing the induction generator to generate third energy during a second moment in time; and providing the third energy to the power grid. Other arrangements are described.
US08097960B2
There is provided a bonding wire which does not cause a leaning failure or the like. A semiconductor mounting bonding wire has a breaking elongation of 7 to 20%, and stress at 1% elongation is greater than or equal to 90% of a tensile strength and is less than or equal to 100% thereof.
US08097957B2
A Flash memory card is disclosed comprising a substrate, a Flash memory die on top of the substrate, a controller die on top of the Flash memory die, and an interposer coupled to with the controller die and on top of the Flash memory die wherein the interposer results in substantial reduced wire bonding to the substrate. The interposer can surround or be placed side by side with the controller die. A system and method in accordance with the present invention achieves the following objectives: (1) takes advantage of as large of a Flash memory die as possible, to increase the density of the Flash card by reducing the number of wire bond pads on the substrate and enabling insertion of the largest die possible that can fit inside a given card interior boundary; (2) more efficiently stacks Flash memory dies to increase density of the Flash card; and (3) has a substantially less number of bonding wires to the substrate as possible, to improve production yield.
US08097953B2
A system, a structure and a method of manufacturing stacked semiconductor substrates is presented. A first substrate includes a first side and a second side. A through substrate via (TSV) protrudes from the first side of the first substrate. A first protruding portion of the TSV has a conductive protective coating and a second protruding portion of the TSV has an isolation liner. The system further includes a second substrate and a joint interface structure that bonds the second substrate to the first substrate at the conductive protective coating of the first protruding portion of the TSV.
US08097951B2
When an integrated circuit having an interlayer insulation film built up on top of a wiring layer is subjected to a heat treatment, it is unlikely that a void formed in the interlayer insulation film will rupture in a portion wherein are connected a narrow gap between wirings and a wide open part contiguous therewith. A corner part of a wiring positioned at a portion where a gap and an open part are connected is chamfered, and an end part of the gap is shaped so as to widen toward the open part. Providing the widening end part in the gap thus mitigates any discontinuity in the built up interlayer insulation film between the gap and the open part. As a result, the interlayer insulation film does not readily seal off an end of a void formed in the gap.
US08097948B2
To provide a semiconductor device having a structure in which a barrier metal film containing nitrogen is formed in a connection surface between a copper alloy wiring and a via, in which the electric resistance between the copper alloy wiring and the via can be prevented from rising, and the electric resistance can be prevented from varying. A semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises a first copper alloy wiring, a via and a first barrier metal film. The first copper alloy wiring is formed in an interlayer insulation film and contains a predetermined additive element in a main component Cu. The via is formed in an interlayer insulation film and electrically connected to the upper surface of the first copper alloy wiring. The first barrier metal film is formed so as to be in contact with the first copper alloy wiring in the connection part between the first copper alloy wiring and the via and contains nitrogen. The predetermined additive element reacts with nitrogen to form a high-resistance part. In addition, the concentration of the predetermined additive element is not more than 0.04 wt %.
US08097941B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of wiring lines provided on one side of the semiconductor substrate, each of the wiring lines having a connection pad portion. An overcoat film is provided on the wiring lines and the one side of the semiconductor substrate. The overcoat film has a plurality of openings in parts corresponding to the connection pad portions of the wiring lines. A plurality of foundation metal layers are respectively provided on inner surfaces of the openings of the overcoat film and electrically connected to the pat portions of the wiring lines. A plurality of projecting electrodes are respectively provided on the foundation metal layers in the openings of the overcoat film.
US08097937B2
A leadframe, a housing, a radiation-emitting component formed therefrom, and a method for producing the component includes the leadframe having a mount part with at least one bonding wire connecting area and at least one electrical solder connecting strip into which a separately manufactured thermal connecting part, which has a chip mounting area, is linked. To form a housing, the leadframe is sheathed, preferably, with a molding compound, with the thermal connecting part being embedded such that it can be thermally connected from the outside.
US08097933B2
A flexible semiconductor package includes a flexible substrate. A data chip is disposed over the flexible substrate. The data chip includes a data storage unit for storing data and first bonding pads that are electrically connected to the data storage unit. A control chip is disposed over the flexible substrate. The control chip includes a data processing unit for processing the data in the data chip and second bonding pads that are electrically connected to the data processing unit. Wirings are formed in order to electrically connect the first bonding pads to the second bonding pads.
US08097918B2
A semiconductor arrangement including a load transistor and a sense transistor that are integrated in a semiconductor body. One embodiment provides a number of transistor cells integrated in the semiconductor body, each transistor cell including a first active transistor region. A number of first contact electrodes, each of the contact electrodes contacting the first active transistor regions through contact plugs. A second contact electrode contacts a first group of the first contact electrodes, but not contacting a second group of the first contact electrodes. The transistor cells being contacted by first contact electrodes of the first group form a load transistor, with the second electrode forming a load terminal of the load transistor. The transistor cells being contacted by first contact electrodes of the second group form a sense transistor.
US08097917B2
A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a silicon carbide substrate, a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, and a third semiconductor layer; a trench penetrating the second and the third semiconductor layers to reach the first semiconductor layer; a channel layer on a sidewall and a bottom of the trench; an oxide film on the channel layer; a gate electrode on the oxide film; a first electrode connecting to the third semiconductor layer; and a second electrode connecting to the silicon carbide substrate. A position of a boundary between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer is disposed lower than an utmost lowest position of the oxide film.
US08097916B2
A method for insulating a semiconducting material in a trench from a substrate, wherein the trench is formed in the substrate and comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion being lined with a first insulating layer and filled, at least partially, with a semiconducting material, comprises an isotropic etching of the substrate and the semiconducting material, and forming a second insulating layer in the trench, wherein the second insulating layer covers, at least partially, the substrate and the semiconducting material.
US08097912B2
A non-volatile memory device implements self-convergence during the normal erase cycle through control of physical aspects, such as thickness, width, area, etc., of the dielectric layers in the gate structure as well as of the overall gate structure. Self-convergence can also be aided during the normal erase cycle by ramping the erase voltage applied to the control gate during the erase cycle.
US08097908B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods are described to assist in reducing dark current in an active pixel sensor. In various embodiments, a potential barrier arrangement is configured to block the flow of charge carriers generated outside a photosensitive region. In various embodiments, a potential well-potential barrier arrangement is formed to direct charge carriers away from the photosensitive region during an integration time.
US08097904B2
The images sensor includes a readout circuit capacitatively coupled to a memory circuit. The readout circuit includes: (i) a photon detector to receive a plurality of photons and to provide a charge signal corresponding to the received photons, (ii) a resettable integrator that is reset multiple times over a single exposure time and provides an analog representation of the incident photons during the last integration cycle, and (iii) a comparator that monitors the integrator output and generates a reset pulse when the integrator reaches a built-in threshold value. The memory circuit includes: (i) a receiver circuit that detects the output of the digital driver in the front-end readout circuit via capacitive coupling and generates a digital voltage pulse for each received signal, and (ii) a digital counting memory to count the received pulses to provide a coarse digital representation of how many times the integrator is reset.
US08097887B2
The present invention provides a light emitting device. The light emitting device has a light distribution in which a light distribution I (θ, φ) obtained when light emitted from a chip of the light emitting device is directly measured is not dependent on a direction φ and is substantially represented by I (θ, φ)=I (θ). I (θ, φ) represents a light intensity distribution in a direction (θ, φ), θ represents an angle from a direction of a normal to a light extraction surface of the light emitting device (0≦θ≦90°), φ represents a rotation angle around the normal (0≦φ≦360°), and I (θ) represents a monotone decreasing function with which 0 is approached when θ=90° is satisfied. In the light emitting device, of a structural body constructing the chip of the light emitting device, with regard to a size of a portion of the structural body which is transparent to light emitted from a light emitting layer, a ratio (an aspect ratio) between the size in a lateral direction and the size in a thickness direction is not less than 5 and a structure having a light scattering function is provided on a surface of the light emitting device chip or in an interior of the transparent portion of the structural body.
US08097882B2
An organic electroluminescent device includes first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a gate line on the first substrate; a data line intersecting the gate line to define a pixel region; a switching element connected to the gate line and the data line; an organic electroluminescent diode on the second substrate; and a driving element connected to the switching element and the organic electroluminescent diode, the driving element including a plurality of driving negative-type polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors connected to the organic electroluminescent diode in parallel.
US08097876B2
Compositions for use in hole transporting layers (HTLs) or hole injection layers (HILs) are provided, as well as methods of making the compositions and devices fabricated from the compositions. OLED devices can be made. The compositions comprise at least one conductive conjugated polymer, at least one semiconducting matrix component that is different from the conductive conjugated polymer, and an optional dopant, and are substantially free of an insulating matrix component.
US08097866B2
An apparatus and a method for detecting particle beam characteristics are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus may have a body including a first end and second end and at least one detector between the first and second ends. The apparatus may have a transparent state where a portion of the particles entering the apparatus may pass through the apparatus. The apparatus may also have a minimum transparency state where substantially all of the particles entering the apparatus may be prevented from passing through the apparatus and detected. Different transparency state may be achieved by rotating the apparatus or the detector contained therein. With the apparatus, it is possible to detect the beam properties such as the beam intensity, angle, parallelism, and a distribution of the particles in a particle beam.
US08097860B2
A gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) processing system using multiple nozzles for forming and emitting at least one GCIB and methods of operating thereof are described. The GCIB processing system may be configured to treat a substrate, including, but not limited to, doping, growing, depositing, etching, smoothing, amorphizing, or modifying a layer thereupon. Furthermore, the GCIB processing system may be operated to produce a first GCIB and a second GCIB, and to irradiate a substrate simultaneously and/or sequentially with the first GCIB and second GCIB.
US08097854B2
The invention relates to a surface sensor (100, 200), comprising a frequency-selective surface with periodically arranged THz structures (1), in particular THz resonance structures (1) which are sensitive to THz radiation, a polarization axis (3) being associated with each structure. In order to improve remote field characteristics, the invention provides for a THz structure (1) to be configured asymmetrically, and a group of two or more THz structures (1) to have essentially centrosymmetrically aligned polarization axes (3) for forming a unit cell.
US08097853B2
Systems and methods for a front-end circuit receiving a current from a photodiode receiving a signal light and ambient light have been disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the front-end circuit accommodates a photo diode current, generated by a signal light from an infrared LED diode in presence of a current generated by ambient light for a rain-sensing system. The circuit invented has a high dynamic range comprising a programmable transresistance amplifier, a switched capacitor programmable gain amplifier and a switched capacitor fourth-order oversampled sigma-delta A/D converter including an optimized digital filter. Furthermore coarse and fine IDACs are used to successively subtract a current generated by ambient light.
US08097845B2
An apparatus and process are disclosed that deliver an analyte deposited on a substrate to a mass spectrometer that provides for trace analysis of complex organic analytes. Analytes are probed using a small droplet of solvent that is formed at the junction between two capillaries. A supply capillary maintains the droplet of solvent on the substrate; a collection capillary collects analyte desorbed from the surface and emits analyte ions as a focused spray to the inlet of a mass spectrometer for analysis. The invention enables efficient separation of desorption and ionization events, providing enhanced control over transport and ionization of the analyte.
US08097836B2
A system manages the temperature of thermoplastic material by initiating a default heating cycle in response to a sensor failure. The system may thus continue to heat the thermoplastic material according to the default heating cycle until the sensor can be repaired or replaced. A system controller implements the default heating cycle using a stored profile. That is, the controller causes a heating element to generate heat according to a default heating profile retrieved from a memory. The profile may be determined using historical heating data, user input and/or a factory setting.
US08097831B2
A method for welding two metal parts, in which: the metal parts are positioned against each other in a welding position, the parts being respectively in surface contact along their welding surfaces, at least one of the parts having at least one extra-thick zone along its welding surface; TIG welding is carried out on the welding surfaces (v) of the metal parts by means of a TIG welding torch, a method in which a penetrating welding flux is applied locally on said extra-thick zone of the metal part prior to the TIG welding step.
US08097821B2
The movable contact unit with a light-guiding function has the following structure. An uneven section is formed in a section that is to be lighted on the lower surface of a TPU base sheet. A film with a refractive index of light lower than that of the base sheet is disposed beneath the lower surface of the base sheet in a manner that the uneven section is embedded in the film. Besides, an adhesive layer is disposed beneath the film so as to hold a movable contact. The movable contact unit structured above is effectively employed for a lighted panel switch capable of reducing loss in amount of light and providing the section that is to be lighted with required illuminance.
US08097818B2
The invention concerns a panel box, for the electrical connection of a photovoltaic module for a solar installation, with a base piece (1) for mounting on the photovoltaic module and for the electrical connection of a connection line of the photovoltaic module, and with another part for placement on the base piece (1). According to the invention, the other part is designed as a functional part (2), having at least one functional device performing an electrical and/or electronic function. This provides a panel box which is easy to install and, what is more, it enables an easy replacement of a defective component in event of a fault.
US08097805B2
The present invention is directed to a “while-in-use” electrical box device including an electrical box housing and pivotable cover which function as an integral unit and rotate on a fixed frame.
US08097803B2
A solar energy system includes a reflecting unit, a heat absorber and a first solar panel. The reflecting unit having a photovoltaic cell with a first energy band gap and a reflecting surface reflects or focuses sunlight. The reflecting unit converts the sunlight with a wavelength shorter than or equal to x nm into electric energy according to the first energy band gap, and reflects or focuses the sunlight with a wavelength longer than x nm onto the heat absorber and the first solar panel. The heat absorber converts the sunlight that has a wavelength longer than or equal to y nm and is reflected by the reflecting unit into thermal energy. The first solar panel having a photovoltaic cell with a second energy band gap converts the sunlight penetrating the heat absorber and having a wavelength shorter than or equal to z nm into electric energy.
US08097799B2
This invention relates to providing a plectrum holder device that may be easily attached to a guitar at the desired location of the guitar player. More particularly, this invention relates to providing a system for retaining multiple plectrums close to the surface of a guitar, in a low profile configuration, in a convenient location for easy access by the guitar player. Also, a guitar comprising the plectrum holder may still fit in its guitar case due to the low profile of the plectrum holder. Further, the plectrum holder holds picks of a variety of shapes and sizes.
US08097794B2
The invention provides seed and plants of tomato hybrid PS01059664 and the parent lines thereof. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of tomato hybrid PS01059664 and the parent lines thereof, and to methods for producing a tomato plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another tomato plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.
US08097793B2
The invention provides seed and plants of tomato hybrid PS02420487 and the parent lines thereof. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of tomato hybrid PS02420487 and the parent lines thereof, and to methods for producing a tomato plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another tomato plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.
US08097790B2
The invention provides seed and plants of tomato hybrid PS01544291 and the parent lines thereof, such as inbred parent line FDS 15-2102. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of tomato hybrid PS01544291 and the parent lines thereof, and to methods for producing a tomato plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another tomato plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.
US08097789B2
The invention provides seed and plants of tomato hybrid PS01533588 and the parent lines thereof, such as inbred tomato line FDR 15-2090. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of tomato hybrid PS01533588 and the parent lines thereof, and to methods for producing a tomato plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another tomato plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.
US08097786B2
A soybean cultivar designated 1000680 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 1000680, to the plants of soybean 1000680, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 1000680, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 1000680 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 1000680, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 1000680, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 1000680 with another soybean cultivar.
US08097784B1
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated XB37V09. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety XB37V09, to the plants of soybean XB37V09 to plant parts of soybean variety XB37V09 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety XB37V09 with another soybean plant, using XB37V09 as either the male or the female parent.
US08097764B2
A xylene isomerization process includes introducing gas comprising hydrogen and a base to a reaction zone in which a catalyst comprising a Group VIII metal and a zeolite support resides. In one embodiment, the base may be formed in situ within the reaction zone from nitrogen and hydrogen that are introduced to the reaction zone. In another embodiment, the base is introduced directly to the reaction zone. The conditions in the reaction zone are effective to reduce the catalyst. A stream comprising C8 aromatics, e.g., xylenes and ethylbenzene may then be fed to the reaction zone containing the reduced catalyst. The reaction zone may be operated at conditions effective to isomerize the xylenes and hydrodealkylate the ethylbenzene. The xylene loss during the isomerization of the xylenes is lowered as a result of using the catalyst reduced in the presence of the gas comprising a base and hydrogen.
US08097756B2
A process for producing carboxylic acid anhydrides by the carbonylation reaction of a carboxylic acid ester, derived from an alcohol and a carboxylic acid, with carbon monoxide containing a small amount of hydrogen in a liquid reaction medium in the presence of a Group VIII B catalyst to produce a carboxylic acid anhydride. The reaction medium comprises the Group VIII B catalyst, an organic halide, the carboxylic acid ester, an alkali metal salt, the carboxylic acid anhydride, the carboxylic acid, and at least one ionic liquid consisting of a cation and an anion where the cation of the ionic liquid has a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic structure. The ionic liquid has at least one of the following structural forms: The reaction rate of the carbonylation reaction is increased by the use of the specified ionic liquid promoters.
US08097754B2
Provided are syntheses of (S)-(+)-3-(aminomethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid, (S)-Pregabalin via a chiral intermediate of the following formula 4 wherein Ar is a C6-10 aromatic group, R is a straight or branched C1-4 alkyl, ester, or carboxylic acid, and R1 is a straight or branched C1-5 alkyl, aralkyl, or substituted aralkyl.
US08097746B2
The present invention provides a method of producing 2-isopropenyl-5-methyl-4-hexen-1-yl 3-methyl-2-butenoate industrially advantageously in a high yield. More particularly, the present invention provides a method of producing 2-isopropenyl-5-methyl-4-hexen-1-yl 3-methyl-2-butenoate represented by the following formula (IV): which comprises reacting 2-isopropenyl-5-methyl-4-hexen-1-ol with an organic sulfonyl halide in the presence of a basic substance to give a sulfonate compound represented by the following formula (III): wherein R is a hydrocarbon group, and reacting the obtained sulfonate compound with senecionic acid in the presence of a basic substance.
US08097743B2
Blocked mercaptosilanes can be manufactured by reacting mercaptosilanes with organic or inorganic halides or anhydrides in the presence of an acid acceptor and washing the resulting reaction product with water/brine to yield two immiscible phases: an organic phase containing blocked mercaptosilane product and an aqueous phase containing the salt of the acid acceptor. Recycle of the acid acceptor is achieved by adding base to the aqueous phase. The process is suitable to be run in either batch or continuous mode. The blocked mercaptosilane compounds are used as coupling agents in rubber mixtures.
US08097727B2
Compounds of the formula (I), in which R1a-R1e, R2a, R2b, R3 and R5 have the meanings indicated in claim 1, are inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, in particular TIE-2, and Raf kinases and can be employed, inter alia, for the treatment of tumors.
US08097723B2
Process for the preparation of abacavir, or its salts or its solvates comprising the step of reacting a compound (IV) where R1 is a (C1-C4)-alkyl radical with anhydrous hydrochloric acid/(C1-C6)-alcohol, and then with tri(C1-C4)-alkyl orthoformate, in the absence of water. The preparation process may include further steps of reacting the compound obtained with cyclopropylamine and subsequently hydrolysis to yield abacavir.
US08097714B2
The present invention provides polynucleotide molecules isolated from Oryza sativa and Zea mays and useful for expressing transgenes in plants. The present invention also provides expression constructs containing the polynucleotide molecules useful for expressing transgenes in plants. The present invention also provides transgenic plants and seeds containing the polynucleotide molecules useful for expressing transgenes in plants.
US08097700B2
The present invention is directed to compositions of matter useful for the diagnosis and treatment of tumor in mammals and to methods of using those compositions of matter for the same.
US08097696B2
A method for preparing multi-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chlorides from multi-arm PEG polyols is described. The method comprises a process, wherein the multi-arm PEG polyol is reacted with thionyl chloride to form the multi-arm PEG chloride.
US08097695B2
The present invention provides both crosslinked polymer compositions capable of forming hydrogels upon exposure to an aqueous environment and thiosulfonate hydrogel-forming components. The thiosulfonate hydrogel-forming components of the invention are preferably multi-arm thiosulfonate polymer derivatives that form a crosslinked polymer composition when exposed to a base without requiring the presence of a second cross-linking reagent, redox catalyst, or radiation. Methods for forming hydrogel compositions, as well as methods for using the hydrogels, are also provided.
US08097694B2
Disclosed are organic semiconductor thin films using aromatic enediyne derivatives, manufacturing methods thereof, and methods of fabricating electronic devices incorporating such organic semiconductor thin films. Aromatic enediyne derivatives according to example embodiments provide improved chemical and/or electrical stability which may improve the reliability of the resulting semiconductor devices. Aromatic enediyne derivatives according to example embodiments may also be suitable for deposition on various substrates via solution-based processes, for example, spin coating, at temperatures at or near room temperature to form a coating film that is then heated to form an organic semiconductor thin film. The availability of this reduced temperature processing allows the use of the aromatic enediynes derivatives on large substrate surfaces and/or on substrates not suitable for higher temperature processing. Accordingly, the organic semiconductor thin films according to example embodiments may be incorporated in thin film transistors, electroluminescent devices, solar cells, and memory devices.
US08097688B2
The present invention provides an ink composition containing (A) a polymer compound having (a-1) a photoradical generation site and (a-2) at least one segregation site selected from a fluoroalkyl group, a siloxane structure, and a long-chain alkyl group, (B) a radical-polymerizable compound, and (C) a photoradical generator having a structure different from that of (A).
US08097683B2
A thermoset and method of making such by crosslinking a mixture of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having pendent siloxane groups or unsaturated carbon bonds and a siloxylcarborane compound having unsaturated carbon bonds.
US08097676B2
An impact modified thermoplastic molding composition comprising aromatic polycarbonate and/or polyester carbonate and a rubber-modified graft polymer prepared by the bulk, solution or bulk-suspension polymerization process is disclosed. The composition that is characterized by its low content of lithium ions and its content of sodium and/or potassium ions exceeding a minimum level features improved hydrolytic resistance.
US08097663B2
A non-aqueous inkjet ink containing a pigment includes C.I. Pigment Violet 19 and a polymeric dispersant according to Formula (I): wherein, T represents hydrogen or a polymerization terminating group; Z represents the residue of polyethyleneimine having a number-average molecular weight of at least 100; A represents an oxyalkylene carbonyl group; T-C(O)An- represents a TPOAC-chain which is bound to Z through an amide bond; and n and m are integers wherein m is at least 2 and n is from 2 to 100; wherein the polymeric dispersant fulfills the conditions of: WTPOAC>57 and NAmide≧65 mol % with WTPOAC representing the ratio of the weight percentage of TPOAC-chains over the weight percentage of amide bonds in the polymeric dispersant; NAmide representing the mol % of amide bonds based on the total nitrogen content of the polymeric dispersant; and wherein the values of WTPOAC and NAmide are calculated from the total nitrogen content determined by dry combustion of the polymeric dispersant and from the amine content determined through potentiometric titration in a mixture of CH3COOH:THF (14.5:0.5) with 0.1N aqueous perchloric acid.
US08097653B2
A dosage unit for treating constipation in a human patient is described. The dosage unit of the invention comprises a halogenated prostaglandin analog and a pharmaceutically suitable excipient. The dosage unit relieves constipation without substantial side effects.
US08097640B2
A prophylactic or therapeutic agent for diabetic maculopathy, which can be administered for a long time and exhibits efficacy in a mechanism different from that of existing medicines. The invention relates to a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for diabetic maculopathy, comprising, as an active ingredient, a compound represented by the general formula: wherein X represents a halogen or a hydrogen atom, R1 and R2 concurrently or differently represent a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted C1 to C6 alkyl group, or R1 and R2, together with a nitrogen atom bound thereto and optionally another nitrogen atom or an oxygen atom, are combined to form a 5- to 6-membered heterocycle. Preferably, the compound is (2S,4S)-6-fluoro -2′,5′-dioxospiro chroman-4,4′-imidazolidine]-2-carboxamide. The invention also provides a model animal with diabetic maculopathy produced by subjecting a diabetic animal to intraocular ischemia/reperfusion to express edema in a retinal visual cell layer or in a macula lutea.
US08097635B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a safe and highly effective insulin resistance improving agent or therapeutic agent for type II diabetes. According to the present invention, an insulin resistance improving agent or a therapeutic agent for type II diabetes comprising a compound represented by general formula (I) (wherein R1, R2, and R3 are the same as or different from each other, and each represents lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, aralkyl, araryl, phenyl, or a hydrogen atom) or a salt thereof as an active ingredient can be provided.
US08097631B2
A fungicidal composition in the form of a liquid concentrate, which, in addition to at least one formulation adjuvant, comprises cyprodinil and an unsaturated C18-fatty acid selected from oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid.
US08097627B2
The invention relates to multiply-substituted tetrahydronaphthalene derivatives of formula (I) process for their production and their use as anti-inflammatory agents.
US08097625B2
One aspect of the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing two or more active agents that when taken together can be used to treat, e.g., insomnia and/or depression. The first component of the pharmaceutical composition is a GABA receptor modulating compound. The second component of the pharmaceutical composition is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, a 5-HT2A modulator, or dopamine reuptake inhibitor. In certain embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition comprises eszopiclone. In a preferred embodiment, the pharmaceutical composition comprises eszopiclone and fluoxetine. The present invention also relates to a method of treating a sleep abnormality, treating insomnia, treating depression, augmenting antidepressant therapy, eliciting a dose-sparing effect, reducing depression relapse, improving the efficacy of antidepressant therapy or improving the tolerability of antidepressant therapy, comprising co-administering to a patient in need thereof a GABA-receptor-modulating compound; and a SRI, NRI, 5-HT2A modulator or DRI.
US08097623B2
There is provided compounds of formula (I), wherein X1, Q, T, Y, R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 have meanings given in the description, and pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof, which compounds are useful in the treatment of diseases in which inhibition of the activity of a member of the MAPEG family is desired and/or required, and particularly in the treatment of inflammation.
US08097621B2
This invention relates to compounds of formula (I)
US08097606B2
The invention provides a method of ameliorating the symptoms of catatonia in a patient who is in need of treatment for catatonia. The method comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist to the patient.
US08097598B2
The invention provides means and methods for inhibiting T-cell mediated rejection of a xenotransplanted organ by blocking the delivery of co-stimulatory signal 2 (the B7/CD28 interaction) in order to prevent the activation of xenoreactive T-cells in the recipient. In a first aspect, co-stimulation is prevented by administration to the organ recipient of a soluble form of CTLA-4 from the xenogeneic donor organism. This preferentially binds B7 on the xenograft and blocks the interaction between B7 on the xenogeneic donor cells and CD28 on recipient T-cells. In a second aspect, co-stimulation is antagonized by expressing a ligand for CTLA-4 on the xenogeneic donor cells. This ligand binds to CTLA-4 on activated T-cells of the recipient and antagonizes signal 2. In a third aspect, co-stimulation is prevented by expressing recipient organism MHC class II on the surface of the cells of the xenogeneic donor organ. The donor cells are thus able to present xenoantigens to a recipient T-cell in the context of self-MHC class II. If the donor cells do not express B7, or if B7 is blocked, the xenoreactive recipient T-cell becomes anergic.
US08097591B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods of their production and use, including use in increasing de-N-acetyl sialic acid antigen of a mammalian cell and methods that exploit the increase in deNAc sialic acid antigen on such cells.
US08097576B2
The present invention provides a composition. The composition comprises zinc and bismuth. The composition is for use in the protection of glassware in an automatic dishwashing process.
US08097572B2
The present invention relates to a cleanser composition comprising a) from about 1% to about 20% of fatty acid soap containing from about 8 to about 16 carbon atoms; b) from about 2% to about 20% of a synthetic surfactant; and c) water, wherein the composition comprises a metal ion in a level no more than a predetermined amount to provide a turbidity no higher than about 9NTU.
US08097571B2
Composition which, in a preferred embodiment, contains, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, at least one monosaccharide and/or disaccharide, at least one α-hydroxy acid, and at least one ceramide compound. Uses include topical application for the treatment of keratinous substances, in particular keratinous fibres, especially the hair.
US08097556B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust gas-purifying catalyst that is less prone to cause a decrease in its activity even when used at high temperatures in an atmosphere whose oxygen concentration is high. An exhaust gas-purifying catalyst of the present invention includes a composite oxide of alkaline-earth metal and aluminum, and platinum, wherein at least a part of the composite oxide and at least a part of the platinum forms a solid solution.
US08097550B2
A low-cost spinel sintered body having small polarization and high heat-conductivity is provided. Also, a useful light-transmitting window and light-transmitting lens for light-emitting device is provided. For such purpose, the spinel sintered body of the present invention has a contrast ratio of 300 or more in the case of white light, where the contrast ratio is defined as the quotient obtained by dividing an amount of transmitting light in the case of being arranged between two polarizing plates, the polarizing directions of the two polarizing plates being parallel to each other, by an amount of transmitting light in the case of being arranged between two polarizing plates, the polarizing directions of the two polarizing plates being orthogonal to each other.
US08097549B2
A method for manufacturing cordierite ceramics is provided, including forming and heating a cordierite-forming raw material containing α-alumina. The degree of orientation, expressed by (I006/(I300+I006), where Ihkl is height of X-ray diffraction intensity of an hkl-face of an α-alumina crystal, by X-ray diffraction measurement of an α-alumina crystal in a formed article of the raw material for forming cordierite is 0.10 or more.
US08097541B2
Native oxide film on a semiconductor silicon wafer(s) is dry etched at a temperature of 50° C. or less. Hydrogen treatment is then carried out a temperature of 100° C. or more to bond the dangling bonds with hydrogen. A jig 9 that has been used is again used for loading new semiconductor silicon wafer(s) 10. The wafer(s) on the jig 9 is subjected to removal of a native oxide film and then hydrogen bonding. The resultant heat remains in jig and makes it difficult to maintain the wafers to temperature appropriate to removal of a native oxide film.After treatment of hydrogen bonding, inert gas having temperature of from 0 to −30° C. is injected into reaction vessel 5 and/or treatment preparing vessel 21, in which a native oxide film has been removed.
US08097537B2
Phase change memory cell structures and methods are described herein. A number of methods of forming a phase change memory cell structure include forming a dielectric stack structure on a first electrode, wherein forming the dielectric stack structure includes creating a second region between a first region and a third region of the dielectric stack structure, the second region having a thermal conductivity different than a thermal conductivity of the first region and different than a thermal conductivity of the third region of the dielectric stack. One or more embodiments include forming a via through the first, second, and third regions of the dielectric stack structure, depositing a phase change material in the via, and forming a second electrode on the phase change material.
US08097521B2
An electronic device (ICD) comprises an integrated circuit (AIC) and a capacitance element (PIC). The integrated circuit (AIC) is provided with a plurality of circuit contact pairs (CI). The capacitance element (PIC) is provided with a plurality of capacitance contact pairs (CC). A capacitance is present between each of at least part of the capacitance contact pairs (CC). The plurality of capacitance contact pairs (CC) faces the plurality of circuit contact pairs (CI). At least a part of the capacitance contact pairs (CC) is electrically coupled in a pair-by-pair manner to at least a part of the circuit contact pairs (CI).
US08097514B2
A support material for a semiconductor device is processed. An opening having a width is etched into the support material for the semiconductor device using a first etch mask. A portion of the opening is etched using a second etch mask without alignment thereof to the width of the opening.
US08097511B2
A semiconductor device is provided, which includes a substrate; a P-N column layer disposed on the substrate; a second conductivity type epitaxial layer disposed on the P-N column layer. The P-N column layer includes first conductivity type columns and second conductivity type columns, which are alternately arranged. Each column has a tapered shape. A portion of the first conductivity type column located around the substrate has a smaller impurity concentration than another portion of the first conductivity type column located around the second conductivity type epitaxial layer. A portion of the second conductivity type column located around the substrate has a larger impurity concentration than another portion of the first conductivity type column located around the second conductivity type epitaxial layer.
US08097502B2
Provided is a semiconductor light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor light emitting device. The semiconductor light emitting device includes a substrate, at least two light emitting cells located on the substrate and formed by stacking semiconductor material layers, a reflection layer and a transparent insulating layer sequentially stacked between the light emitting cells, and a transparent electrode covering the upper surface of the light emitting cells.
US08097500B2
In one embodiment, the invention is a method and apparatus for fabricating a high-performance band-edge complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor device. One embodiment of a method for fabricating a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor device includes fabricating an n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor device using a gate first process, and fabricating a p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor device using a gate last process.
US08097498B2
A method of making a device includes providing a first device level containing first semiconductor rails separated by first insulating features, forming a sacrificial layer over the first device level, patterning the sacrificial layer and the first semiconductor rails in the first device level to form a plurality of second rails extending in a second direction, wherein the plurality of second rails extend at least partially into the first device level and are separated from each other by rail shaped openings which extend at least partially into the first device level, forming second insulating features between the plurality of second rails, removing the sacrificial layer, and forming second semiconductor rails between the second insulating features in a second device level over the first device level. The first semiconductor rails extend in a first direction. The second semiconductor rails extend in the second direction different from the first direction.
US08097497B2
A method of connecting a chip to a package in a semiconductor device includes printing an encapsulant to a predetermined thickness on at least a portion of the chip and package and printing a layer of conductive material on the encapsulant in a predetermined pattern between the chip and package. The printed conductive material conforms to an upper surface of the encapsulant such that the encapsulant defines a distance from the printed conductive material to the chip and package. The method further includes printing a second layer of encapsulant over the printed conductive material curing at least the second layer of encapsulant.
US08097494B2
Electromagnetic shielding for an integrated circuit packaged device. The method includes forming shielding structures by forming openings in an encapsulated structure. The openings are filled with conductive material that surrounds at least one die. The encapsulated structure may include a plurality of integrated circuit die. A layered redistribution structure is formed on one side of the encapsulated structure.
US08097488B2
A method for forming a pattern includes the steps of forming a resin pattern through printing on a substrate, forming a water-repellent pattern in such a way that an opening bottom of the resin pattern is covered with a fluorine based material by feeding the fluorine based material from the top of the resin pattern, forming an open window in the water-repellent pattern by removing the resin pattern, and forming a desired pattern composed of a pattern-forming material by feeding the pattern-forming material into the open window of the water-repellent pattern.
US08097478B2
The present invention provides a method for producing a light-emitting diode, the method comprising a lamination step of forming a laminated semiconductor layer by sequentially laminating an n-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer and a p-type semiconductor layer onto a substrate, as well as forming a plurality of reflective p-type electrodes on top of the p-type semiconductor layer, a plating step of forming a seed layer that covers the reflective p-type electrodes and the p-type semiconductor layer, and fowling a plating layer on top of the seed layer, a removal step of removing the substrate from the n-type semiconductor layer, thereby exposing a light extraction surface of the n-type semiconductor layer, and an electrode formation step of performing dry etching of the light extraction surface of the n-type semiconductor layer using an etching gas containing the same element as a dopant element within the n-type semiconductor layer, and subsequently forming an n-type electrode on the light extraction surface.
US08097476B2
This invention discloses a light emitting diode, a wafer level package method, a wafer level bonding method, and a circuit structure for a wafer level package. The light emitting diode includes a package carrier, a conducting material, at least one light emitting diode structure and a package material. The package carrier has at least one package unit and two through holes on the package carrier and corresponding to the package unit. The conducting material is disposed in the through holes and formed at the bottom of the package unit. The light emitting diode structure is formed on a substrate. The substrate having a light emitting diode structure is flipped over in the package unit, and the electrodes of the light emitting diode structure are bonded with the conducting material. After the substrate is removed, a package material is stuffed in the package unit or on the light emitting diode structure.
US08097465B2
A holographic sensor comprising a thin film polymer matrix that undergoes a change in response to a substance to be sensed, the matrix containing within its volume a set of two or more holographic recordings, each recording providing a holographic image when the sensor is illuminated, wherein the presence or appearance of each image is visible to the eye as a function of the response of the sensor to the substance to be sensed. The images provide the dynamic range of the sensor. Such a sensor can be used to provide a visible image that changes or appears to the eye in response to an analyte.
US08097464B2
Device comprising: a first substrate; a plurality of first raised elements on the first substrate, the first raised elements mutually spaced apart by first channel regions on the first substrate, each of the first raised elements having a first distal end, the first distal ends forming a first array; hydrophobic molecules on the first raised elements; and primary reactive molecules on the first raised elements for generating hydrophilic reaction products. Techniques for utilizing the device.
US08097463B2
Tagging of Histidine in polypeptides with arylboronic acid tagging reagents for identifying proteins in a sample by isolating and identifying Histidine-comprising peptides from one protein sample or a pool of protein samples. Databases of Histidine-including peptides from in silico cleaved proteins are uses in the identification of proteins.
US08097462B2
A medical diagnostic method and instrumentation system for analyzing noncovalently bonded agglomerated biological particles is described. The method and system comprises: a method of preparation for the biological particles; an electrospray generator; an alpha particle radiation source; a differential mobility analyzer; a particle counter; and data acquisition and analysis means. The medical device is useful for the assessment of human diseases, such as cardiac disease risk and hyperlipidemia, by rapid quantitative analysis of lipoprotein fraction densities. Initially, purification procedures are described to reduce an initial blood sample to an analytical input to the instrument. The measured sizes from the analytical sample are correlated with densities, resulting in a spectrum of lipoprotein densities. The lipoprotein density distribution can then be used to characterize cardiac and other lipid-related health risks.
US08097457B2
The present invention is directed to liquid crystalline substrates useful in the culture of cells and methods of their use. In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods and devices for imaging changes (e.g., reorganization) of extracellular matrix components by living cells.
US08097454B2
A model system for screening and identification of compounds that interfere with Gli2 dependent tumorigenesis and provide potential use as anticancer agents is provided. In particular, the invention includes a Gli2 protein having an S662A point mutation that interferes with binding by the ubiquitin-ligase β-TrCP. The mutation inhibits Gli2 degradation by the ubiquitin pathway. Gli2 stability and half-life are increased in the host cell resulting in an increase in Gli2-dependent transcription and concomitant neoplasia and tumorigenesis. Expression of the Gli2 mutant allows for the high throughput screening of compounds that interfere with the tumorigenesis thereby identifying anticancer agents.
US08097447B2
The present invention relates to a solid nutrient media composition having alkaline pH, useful for isolating and identifying alkaliphilic microorganisms in pure form. The media composition consists of 5-15 g of carbon source, 2.5-10 g of peptone, 2.5-10 g of yeast extract, 0.5-1.5 g of dipotassium hydrogen phosphate; 0.1-0.5 g of magnesium sulphate heptahydrate, 30 μl-4 ml of super saturated solution of sodium hydroxide, 5-20 g of potassium chloride and 10-30 g of κ-carrageenan in one liter of distilled water. The potassium salt in combination with κ-carrageenan in specific proportion has been found to be a suitable replacement of agar in solidifying bacteriological media especially, for isolation of extreme alkaliphiles. The present invention also provides a method of using the solid nutrient media composition having alkaline pH to study biodiversity of cultivable alkaliphilic bacteria.
US08097446B2
This disclosure presents embodiments of novel strains of Staphylococcus aureus that through genetic engineering produce type 5 capsular polysaccharide at greater levels than Staphylococcus aureus strain Reynolds.
US08097441B2
The present invention relates to a carbohydrate hydrolase-immobilized magnetic nanoparticle; a method of preparing ethanol from graminaceous plants and a continuous system of preparing ethanol.
US08097438B2
The present invention provides nucleic acids comprising nucleotide sequences encoding modified cytochrome P450 enzymes; as well as recombinant vectors and host cells comprising the nucleic acids. The present invention further provides methods of producing a functionalized compound in a host cell genetically modified with a nucleic acid comprising nucleotide sequences encoding a modified cytochrome P450 enzyme.
US08097429B2
It is described a method to detect and phenotype target cells in cell suspensions by using particles coated with antibodies/ligands directed to antigenic determinants/receptors expressed on the target cells, characterized in that several types of particles, each particle coated with different antibody or ligand, are incubated simultaneously or subsequently with cell suspensions containing the target cells, in connection or not with a per se known enrichment procedure, a use of the method and a kit.
US08097424B2
The present invention relates to a method for predicting the outcome of a critically ill patient, said method comprising measuring the concentration of Chromogranin A or a fragment thereof in a biological sample obtained from said patient.
US08097423B2
Herein disclosed are methods that are predictive of resistance to endocrine therapy in an estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) breast cancer patient. An exemplary method comprises detecting the overexpression of MN/CA9 gene expression product(s) in a sample from an affected subject, wherein if MN/CA9 is overexpressed, then the subject is considered to have a greater probability of resistance to endocrine therapy, particularly tamoxifen, and a corresponding poorer prognosis if undergoing endocrine therapy, than if MN/CA9 is not overexpressed. MN/CA9 gene expression products useful in the predictive/prognostic methods include MN/CA IX, MN proteins/polypeptides, MN nucleic acids and soluble MN/CA IX antigen (s-CA IX). The methods are useful as an aid in the selection of treatment for a patient with an ER-positive breast tumor. The methods of the invention can be used, for example, to identify those patients requiring additional/alternative therapies, preferably, but not necessarily, therapies that are not affected by acidic pH. The methods also comprise the use of diagnostic/prognostic imaging to detect MN/CA IX in a patient tumor, wherein the presence of MN/CA IX in one or more tumors is indicative of probable resistance to antiestrogen therapy, particularly to tamoxifen.
US08097410B2
The present invention provides a method of identifying a human subject having increased or decreased sensitivity to warfarin, comprising detecting in the subject the presence of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the VKOR gene, wherein the single nucleotide polymorphism is correlated with increased or decreased sensitivity to warfarin, thereby identifying the subject having increased or decreased sensitivity to warfarin.
US08097400B2
Provided is a low cost system and method for forming electronic devices, especially large surface area devices. The process of imprint lithography is combined with alternate manufacturing techniques to fabricate the devices. Initially, a template imprints a three-dimensional pattern into a resist layer deposited on a flexible substrate. The resist layer is cured using ultraviolet light or other curing techniques. After curing, the 3-D pattern is modified using one of several techniques to include inkjetting, electrodeposition or laser patterning. In one embodiment, a semi-fluid material may be jetted into channels formed in the pattern, thereby forming conductive or insulating lead lines. Alternatively, a two-dimensional pattern may be jetted onto the resist layer. Final processing may include multiple etch-mask-etch steps. The integration of techniques into a single system provides a low cost, efficient method for manufacturing high quality, large surface area electronic devices.
US08097391B2
Provided is a toner for developing electrostatic image which is excellent in shelf stability, and is further excellent in low-temperature fixability so as to be capable of maintaining a high fixing rate even at a low fixing temperature.A toner for developing electrostatic image is used which comprises colored resin particles containing a binder resin, a colorant, and a parting agent, wherein the parting agent is an aliphatic hydrocarbon polymer obtained by polymerizing an aliphatic hydrocarbon monomer.
US08097387B2
Described herein are photoreceptor devices that include aligned domains of charge transport materials that have a pi-pi orbital overlap.
US08097381B2
A solid oxide fuel cell generator is provided for electrochemically reacting a fuel gas with a flowing oxidant gas at an elevated temperature to produce power. The generator includes a generator section receiving a fuel gas and a plurality of elongated fuel cells extending through the generator section and having opposing open fuel cell ends for directing an oxidant gas between opposing plena in the generator. A sealant defines a seal on the fuel cells adjacent at least one of the fuel cell ends. The sealant is a modified lanthanum borate aluminosilicate glass composition having a minimal amount of boron oxide and silica, and in which the sealant maintains substantially constant physical characteristics throughout multiple thermal cycles.
US08097380B2
A fuel cell unit (1) according to the present invention comprises a fuel cell (6) having an inner electrode layer (16), an outer electrode layer (20) and a through passage (15); and inner and outer electrode terminals (24, 26) fixed at the opposite ends (6a, 6b) of the fuel cell (6). The fuel cell (6) has an inner electrode peripheral surface (21) electrically communicating with the inner electrode layer (16) and an outer electrode peripheral surface (22) electrically communicating with the outer electrode layer (20). The inner and outer electrode terminals are respectively disposed so that they cover over the inner and outer electrode peripheral surfaces (21, 22) and they are electrically connected thereto. The inner and outer electrode terminals have respective connecting passages which are communicated with the through passage (15).
US08097376B2
There is described a fuel cell power system including a fuel processor subsystem, a fuel cell subsystem, and a power conditioning subsystem. The fuel processor subsystem comprises a main module for producing hydrogen rich streams from a hydrocarbon fuel, a balance of plant module for auxiliary components, and a control and electronic module for monitoring and controlling the fuel processor subsystem. The fuel cell subsystem comprises a main module for generation of electric power and thermal energy from hydrogen rich streams produced by the fuel processor module and air, a balance of plant module for auxiliary components, and a control and electronic module for monitoring and controlling the fuel cell subsystem. Each module has individual components attached thereto, the modules being designed and manufactured separately and assembled together to form the respective subsystems.
US08097370B2
A direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) system comprises at least one fuel cell assembly including a cathode and an anode with an electrolyte positioned therebetween; a source of liquid fuel in fluid communication with an anode inlet; an oxidant supply in fluid communication with a cathode inlet; a liquid/gas (L/G) separator in fluid communication with anode and cathode outlets for: (1) receiving unreacted fuel and liquid and gaseous products of electrochemical reactions at the cathode and anode, and (2) supplying the unreacted fuel and liquid product to the inlet of said anode; and a control and/or regulation system for determining a fuel efficiency value of the DOFC system during operation and determining and regulating and/or controlling oxidant stoichiometry of the DOFC system at an appropriate value in response to the determined fuel efficiency value.
US08097368B2
The present invention provides a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein the non-aqueous electrolyte comprises a non-aqueous solvent and lithium salt as an electrolyte, and wherein the non-aqueous solvent contains chain fluorinated carboxylic acid ester represented by the formula CH3COOCH2CH3-xFx (wherein x is 2 or 3) and a film forming chemical decomposed in the range of +1.0 to 3.0 V based on an equilibrium potential between metal lithium and lithium ion.
US08097366B2
An alkaline battery separator including 25 to 62% by mass of an alkali-resistance synthetic fiber, 5 to 25% by mass of a fibrillated organic solvent-spun cellulose fiber having a Canadian standard freeness value of 10 to 280 ml, and 33 to 50% by mass of a mercerized pulp having a Canadian standard freeness value of not less than 550 ml, wherein the fibrillated organic solvent-spun cellulose fiber intertwines with the mercerized pulp.
US08097360B2
A method for producing an electrolyte solution for a lithium ion battery involving reacting a lithium halide selected from the group consisting of lithium fluoride, lithium chloride, lithium bromide, lithium iodide and a mixture of at least two of these, with phosphorus pentachloride and hydrogen fluoride in a nonaqueous organic solvent, thereby producing lithium hexafluorophosphate as an electrolyte of the electrolyte solution.
US08097355B2
Embodiments of battery holders with dual-contact assemblies are disclosed. One embodiment comprises a battery holder with a substrate and a spring dual-contact assembly, wherein the spring dual-contact assembly comprises a positive contact configured to contact a positive terminal of a battery positioned in the battery holder with the positive terminal oriented toward the spring dual-contact assembly and a negative contact configured to contact a negative terminal of a battery positioned in the battery holder with the negative terminal oriented toward the spring dual-contact assembly. The positive and negative contacts are coupled to an insulator configured to hold the positive contact and negative contact in a fixed relation to one another. Further, one or more cantilever wire springs hold the negative contact, positive contact and insulator in a resiliently displaceable relationship to the substrate.
US08097351B2
A magnetic recording apparatus has a magnetic recording media including a substrate and a magnetic layer containing magnetic patterns on the substrate, the magnetic layer including data zones to constitute recoding tracks and servo zones, the magnetic patterns of the servo zones being used as address bits, and a magnetic head configured to read signals from the magnetic recording media while flying over the magnetic recording media, in which, in a case where two magnetic patterns used as address bits on the servo zones corresponding to two adjacent recording tracks are arranged in such a manner that one corner of one magnetic pattern is closest to one corner of the other magnetic pattern, the corners of the two magnetic patterns are substantially separated from each other.
US08097350B2
A glass ceramic composition which is formed by firing into a sintered body having a relatively high relative dielectric constant and Q value is provided. It includes a CaZrO3-based ceramic and a Li2O—MgO—ZnO—B2O3—SiO2-based glass. The Li2O—MgO—ZnO—B2O3—SiO2-based glass is 1 to 12 percent by weight of the total composition, the content of Li2O is 3.5 to 15 percent by weight, the content of MgO is 20 to 50 percent by weight, the content of BaO is 0 to 25 percent by weight, the content of CaO is 0 to 10 percent by weight, the content of SrO is 0 to 25 percent by weight, the content of B2O3 is 16 to 29 percent by weight, the content of SiO2 is 11 to 35 percent by weight, the content of ZnO is 5 to 20 percent by weight, and the content of Al2O3 is 0 to 15 percent by weight. This glass ceramic composition is advantageously used for green glass ceramic layers to form a green laminate structure useful as a main component body of an LC filter or the like.
US08097348B2
Pi-conjugated organoboron polymers for use in thin-film organic polymer electronic devices. The polymers contain aromatic and or unsaturated repeat units and boron atoms. Pi-conjugated organoboron polymers which are end capped, derivatized with solubilizing groups or both exhibit improved solubility and handling properties beneficial for the formation of thin films useful for device fabrication. The vacant p-orbital of the boron atoms conjugate with the pi-conjugated orbital system of the aromatic or unsaturated monomer units extending the pi-conjugation length of the polymer across the boron atoms. The pi-conjugated organoboron polymers are electron-deficient and, therefore, exhibit n-type semiconducting properties, photoluminescence, and electroluminescence. The invention provides thin-film organic polymer electronic devices, such as organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), organic diodes, organic photodiodes, organic thin-film transistors (TFTs), organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), printable or flexible electronics, such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, electronic papers, and printed circuit elements, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs), and energy storage devices employing the pi-conjugated organoboron polymers. In OLED and PLED applications these materials are used as the electron transport layer (ETL) to improve device efficiency. The polymers which exhibit photo- and electroluminescence are also useful as light-emitting material in PLEDs.
US08097346B2
Films containing microlayer structures are provided. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides a film containing a first microlayer of a heat resistant polymer and a second microlayer of a barrier polymer having a heat distortion temperature ranging between about 50° C. and about 120° C. attached to the first microlayer. Each of the first microlayer and the second microlayer has a thickness ranging from about 0.01 microns to about 10 microns.
US08097345B2
Disclosed is an excellent gas barrier laminate whose gas-barrier property has little dependency on temperature and which hardly causes fracture even when the laminate is stretched. A gas barrier film comprising a polymer (A) of an unsaturated carboxylic acid compound monovalent metal salt (a), wherein the polymer (A) contains a modified vinyl alcohol polymer (B); a gas barrier laminate comprising a base layer and the gas barrier film formed on at least one surface of the base layer; and a method for production of a gas barrier laminate comprising the steps of: coating a solution of an unsaturated carboxylic acid compound monovalent metal salt (a) having a polymerization degree less than 20 on at least one surface of a base layer, wherein the solution contains a modified vinyl alcohol polymer (B); performing the polymerization to form a layer of the polymer (A) of the unsaturated carboxylic acid compound monovalent metal salt (a) containing the modified vinyl alcohol polymer (B).
US08097338B2
An in-mold label comprising an olefinic resin substrate layer (A) having a wetting index (α) of from 34 to 74 mN/m and a heat-sealable resin layer (B) with an antistatic layer having a wetting index (β) of from 30 to 54 mN/m, wherein the absolute value of the initial frictional charge voltage of the substrate layer (A) relative to a sheet offset printing blanket is from 0 kV to 15 kV. This label has good workability in printing, cutting and blanking even in a low-humidity environment.
US08097336B2
A beaded preform includes a plurality of adjacently positioned beads for forming a plurality of voids in an engineered material. The beaded preforms may be comprised of a filaments (single strand of beads) and mats (two-dimensional and three dimensional arrays of beads). The filaments and mats may be coated to become tows and laminates, respectively, which may then be assembled into composite materials. The preforms may be produced using novel manufacturing apparatuses and methods, and incorporated into known manufacturing processes to produce porous structures, including stress-steering structures, in any material including metals, plastics, ceramics, textiles, papers, and biological materials, for example. Permanent bead material is preferably made of polyacrylonitrile, carbon fiber, or graphite.
US08097335B2
Prepregs, laminates, printed wiring board structures and processes for constructing materials and printed wiring boards that enable the construction of printed wiring boards with improved thermal properties. In one embodiment, the prepregs include substrates impregnated with electrically and thermally conductive resins. In other embodiments, the prepregs have substrate materials that include carbon. In other embodiments, the prepregs include substrates impregnated with thermally conductive resins. In other embodiments, the printed wiring board structures include electrically and thermally conductive laminates that can act as ground and/or power planes.
US08097330B2
A transparent conductive multilayer body of the invention comprises a transparent film substrate with a thickness of 2 to 120 μm; a first transparent dielectric thin film, a second transparent dielectric thin film and a transparent conductive thin film laminated in this order on one side of the transparent film substrate; and a transparent substrate bonded to the other side of the film substrate through a transparent pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, wherein the second dielectric thin film is made of an inorganic material or a mixture of an organic material and an inorganic material, and the conductive thin film contains a crystalline material in which the content of crystal particles whose maximum particle sizes are at most 300 nm is higher than 50% by area. Such a transparent conductive multilayer body fully satisfies the pen input bending durability for a touch panel.
US08097319B2
Exemplary embodiments provide a fuser member containing an interfacial layer and methods for forming the interfacial layer and the fuser member. In one embodiment, the fuser member can include a substrate, a resilient layer, a surface layer and an interfacial layer disposed between the resilient layer and the surface layer. The resilient layer can include, for example, a silicone rubber layer and the surface layer can include, for example, a fluoropolymer such as a fluoroplastic of PFA or PTFE. The interfacial layer can include a diamond-containing polymer composite to provide improved thermal/electrical/mechanical properties. The surface layer and the fuser member can thus be treated at a temperature of about 250° C. or higher with high quality and an improved adhesion between layers of the fuser member.
US08097314B2
The present invention provides a large diameter thin-walled fluororesin tube, which has, even with a large diameter (for example, ø 100 mm or more), excellent wall thickness precision and a low degree of stable orientation; and a process for producing the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to a fluororesin tube having an average thickness of 70 μm or less and an outer diameter of 100 mm or more, wherein variation in the tube thickness is within ±20% with respect to the average tube thickness and a degree of orientation (F) is within a range of 0.25 to 0.55.
US08097293B2
The invention relates to an operating method for an atomiser (1) for the coating of structural components, particularly of vehicle body parts, with the following steps: Application of a spray jet of a coating agent through the atomiser (1); discharge of a first guide air flow (11) for the formation of a spray jet; determination of at least one application parameter (η, γ, T, BC/CC, Qvarnish, n, U,) which reproduces a property (η, γ, T, BC/CC) of the applied coating agent or an operating variable (Qvarnish, n, U) of the atomiser (1) as well as influencing of the first guide air flow (11) as a factor of the application parameter (η, γ, T, BC/CC, Qvarnish, n, U,). Within the framework of the invention, there is the alternative option that fluctuations of the application parameters and, based thereon, variations of the spray jet width are taken into account by means of an adaptation of the path spacing (d) between the adjacent coating agent paths for the purpose of keeping the path overlapping constant. Furthermore, the invention comprises a corresponding coating apparatus.
US08097292B2
A stent mandrel fixture for supporting a stent during the electrostatic application of a coating substance is provided.
US08097285B2
The purpose is to prevent, ameliorate or relieve various conditions induced in the dried oral cavity or to improve the stability of a denture during use. A solution for treating a denture or a denture stabilizer comprising sericin can be used.
US08097280B2
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for producing an enhanced fertilizer, comprising the step of mixing a granular fertilizer with a ferment comprising active bacteria in a fermentation medium, to obtain an enhanced fertilizer. The ferment is used at a rate of at most 3 liters of ferment per ton of fertilizer. In accordance with the present invention, there is also provided an enhanced fertilizer comprising a fertilizer and bacteria chosen for their specific properties on crops or vegetation.
US08097275B2
An object of the invention is to provide a hydrous external skin patch, which has adherence sufficient for adhering to an affected area for several times without using an auxiliary tape or the like and is excellent in utility so that the patch can be easily peeled off even if the paste adheres to itself before application to the affected area.The hydrous external skin patch is characterized in that a paste of the patch comprises 0.1 to 10 wt % of a drug, 0.1 to 20 wt % of an adhesive base, 0.001 to 3.0 wt % of a crosslinker, 15 to 60 wt % of water, 2 to 20 wt % of a tackifier resin, 0.4 to 10 wt % of a dissolving agent for the tackifier resin, 0.1 to 30 wt % of an oil absorbing inorganic powder, and 0.1 to 20 wt % of a dextrin fatty acid ester and has a thickness of 100 to 1,000 μm.
US08097273B2
The invention relates to a honeycomb film made of a biodegradable polymer which has biodegradation properties as an anti-adhesion membrane for preventing adhesion after an operation, is excellent in handling properties, and exhibits a satisfactory adhesion preventive effect stably over a desired period of time, and to a production process of the same. Above all, the invention provides an anti-adhesion membrane of a honeycomb film made of polylactic acid as a biodegradable polymer and a phospholipid and a production process of the same.
US08097272B2
The invention provides a wound dressing comprising a layered material comprising a hydrophilic foam layer formed from a first polyurethane and a hydrogel layer formed from a second polyurethane, wherein the hydrogel layer is laminated to the hydrophilic foam layer. The invention also provides methods for preparing the same.
US08097269B2
Implantable medical devices employing a sol-gel composition coatings that functions as a bioactive material reservoir, and the use of sol-gel composition coatings for improved adhesion of organic and inorganic substrates are disclosed.
US08097261B2
A composition, device, kit and method for detecting the presence or absence of roundworm in a fecal sample. The composition, device, kit and method of the present invention may be used to confirm the presence or absence of roundworm in a fecal sample from a mammal that may also be infected with one or more of hookworm, whipworm, and heartworm.
US08097255B2
Nucleic acids encoding mammalian, e.g., primate, receptors, purified receptor proteins and fragments thereof. Antibodies, both polyclonal and monoclonal, are also provided. Methods of using the compositions for both diagnostic and therapeutic utilities are described.
US08097254B2
The present invention relates to antibodies with sub-nanomolar affinity specific for a characteristic epitope of the ED-B domain of fibronectin, a marker of angiogenesis. Furthermore, it relates to the use of radiolabelled high affinity anti ED-B antibodies for detecting new-forming blood vessels in vivo and a diagnostic kit comprising said antibody. Furthermore, it relates to conjugates comprising said antibodies and a suitable photoactive molecules (e.g. an appropriately chosen photosensitizer or radionuclide), and their use for the selective light-mediated occlusion of new blood vessels.
US08097249B2
The present invention relates to novel regulatory T cell proteins. One protein, designated PD-L3, resembles members of the PD-L1 family, and co-stimulates αCD3 proliferation of T cells in vitro. A second, TNF-like, protein has also been identified as being upregulated upon αCD3/αGITR stimulation. This protein has been designated Treg-sTNF. Proteins, antibodies, activated T cells and methods for using the same are disclosed.
US08097248B2
The present invention relates to a novel mite composition comprising a population of the phytoseiid predatory mite species Amblyseius swirskii. and a factitious host population, which may be employed for rearing said phytoseiid predatory mite species or for releasing the phytoseiid predatory mite species in a crop. According to further aspects the invention relates to a method for rearing the phytoseiid predatory mite species Amblyseius swirskii, to the use of the mite composition and to a method for biological pest control in a crop, which employ the mite composition.
US08097246B2
The invention provides functional food and beverage that produce, through oral intake, a promotive effect on normal epidermal keratinization, and an epidermal differentiation and keratinization promoter for use in such functional food and beverage. The epidermal differentiation and keratinization promoter of the present invention contains, as an active component, fermented milk whey obtained by fermentation of milk with bacteria including lactic acid bacteria, such as Latobacillus helveticus. The functional food and beverage for promoting epidermal keratinization of the present invention contains the epidermal differentiation and keratinization promoter.
US08097241B2
The invention is directed to a formulation and method for treating solid waste from animals. The formulation comprises a surfactant having antimicrobial activity, preferably a cationic surfactant, and a solvent, preferably water. The preferred cationic surfactant is a quaternary ammonium compound. The formulation may further include one or more of acids, bases, enzymes, oxidizing agents, foamants, colorants, and/or fragrances. The formulation is prepared as a concentrate composition for use with a suitable diluent, such as water. The diluted composition is applied to the waste as a pressurized jet of fluid, such as using a sprayer attached to a garden hose. The result is that the solid waste is substantially sanitized, disintegrated and/or deodorized.
US08097238B2
The present invention relates to cell targeting conjugates and in particular, but not exclusively, to methods of their use in selectively eliminating and in selectively imaging target cells. The invention also relates to processes for production of the conjugates and to intermediate compounds that may be used in production of a specific class of cell targeting conjugates. In one embodiment there is provided a cell targeting conjugate comprising the following components that are covalently conjugated via a linker that is degradable within the target cells: i) a DNA minor groove binding ligand incorporating an effective Auger electron-emitting and/or gamma-emitting and/or positron-emitting atom or photoactive moiety; ii) a target cell specific protein or peptide that is capable of internalization by target cells.
US08097237B2
The present invention is directed to novel non-invasive diagnostic tools to image cancers, especially, leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) with minimal toxicity in vivo. The present invention represents a clear advance in the art which presently relies on tissue biopsy for diagnoses of these cancers. The novel imaging probe is capable of detecting precancerous cells, as well as their metastatic spread in tissues. This represents a quantum step forward in the diagnosis and staging of NHL using non-invasively molecular imaging techniques. This novel probe will also be useful to monitor patients response to chemotherapy treatments and other interventions or therapies used in the treatment of NHL. Compounds according to the present invention may be used as diagnostic tools for a number of conditions and diseases states as well as therapeutic agents for treating such conditions and disease states.
US08097234B1
A capsule having a hydrogen gas permeable shell with solid-state hydride material, such as hydrogen rich LiAlH4, Li3AlH6, and/or AlH3 encapsulated therein. The hydrogen gas permeable shell has pores that are between about 1 nm to about 150 μm in diameter to allow hydrogen gas to be extracted from the capsule. After passing the capsule through a hydrogen extraction zone, the capsule containing the spent solid-state hydride material is removed and is sent to recycling, wherein the capsule is opened to remove the spent solid-state hydride material, and the spent solid-state hydride material is rehydrogenated and repacked in a hydrogen gas permeable shell. The shell of the spent solid-state hydride material can be recycled and reused to make new shells.
US08097233B2
The present invention relates to the synthesis of nanoparticles by laser hydrolysis. For this purpose, a precursor interacts with a laser beam (LAS) in a pyrolysis reactor (REAC) for producing nanoparticles (nP), characterized in that the precursor is firstly in the liquid state and is then converted into the vapor phase and in that the flow rate of the precursor is controlled in the liquid phase.
US08097226B2
A catalytic reaction device for fluid-solid heterogeneous catalytic reactions including a distributor, flow controllers, parallel reactors, temperature controllers, coolers and product receivers with reactive fluids flowing into the flow controllers to control the total flow of a fluid is provided.
US08097216B2
A process and apparatus for fluidizing a population of catalyst particles having a low catalyst fines content includes a fluidized bed reactor which includes a plurality of catalyst particles in the reactor wherein the catalyst particles having a d2 value of greater than about 40 microns. The catalyst particles are contacted with a fluidizing medium under conditions to fluidize the particles, the reactor includes a continuous reaction zone and separation zone and the fluidized of the catalyst particles are situated within the reaction and both the reaction zone and the separation zone include obstructing members which obstruct the flow of particles such that the catalyst particles can be maintained at an axial gas Peclet number from about 10 to about 20.
US08097215B2
A wall-mounted aromatic air freshener device includes a board, and a housing and a frame, both disposed at a backside of the board, a container disposed in the housing for containing an essential oil, a light emitting element and a light emitting control element, both installed in the frame, a switch device for turning on or off the light emitting element, such that an oil wick can absorb and vaporize an essential oil to disperse an aromatic air, and the light emitting element produces an optical decorative effect, so as to constitute the aromatic air freshener device.
US08097213B2
Material delivery systems, methods of delivering material and methods of calibrating such systems and methods are disclosed. The material delivery system includes a delivery vessel, a load cell, and automated weight calibration device. The delivery vessel has at least an outlet adapted for coupling to an unit. The load cell is configured to provide a metric indicative of an amount of material in the delivery vessel. The automated weight calibration device is configured to impart a known force onto the at least one load cell. A method includes delivering material to a unit and determining how much material is delivered by a change in weight of a delivery vessel, wherein the delivery vessel comprises a load cell; applying a known calibration force to the load cell; and comparing a metric from the load cell of the known calibration with an expected metric.
US08097209B2
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting substances or analytes form the analysis of one or several samples. The method comprises mixing the sample with a suitable liquid buffer, homogenizing said sample, adding reagents thereto, filtering it, injecting the sample into the incubation chamber, allowing the sample to react with a biosensor, washing the non-reacted sample excess and detecting the sample retained in the biosensor. The apparatus includes a sample homogenizer module with an ultrasonic piezoelectric device formed by a converter (49) and a horn (16); a sample processing module including a homogenization container (6) and a moving frame (17); a reagent and solution management module including a motorized syringe (60), a reaction module consisting of a support (50) forming a reaction chamber (51) and a data reading module including a laser diode (66) and a CCD camera (67).
US08097208B2
A white bronze alloy consisting essentially of, in weight percent, about 0.3-1.5 wt % aluminum, about 0.5-2.0 wt % bismuth, about 61-66 wt % copper, about 0.0-0.5 wt % iron, about 11-15 wt % manganese, about 4.0-6.0 wt % nickel, about 0.5-2.0 wt % tin, and about 16-20 wt % zinc, as well as incidental amounts of impurities. The alloy is expected to have antimicrobial properties which make the alloy desirable for fabrication into food handling equipment and products for hospitals, bathrooms, and kitchens.
US08097196B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a method and device are disclosed for manufacturing a mould for the manufacture of at least one product. The product can be a concrete body. The method includes: adjusting a rough shape which roughly approximates, with clearance, the shape of a side of the product; arranging a layer of processible material over the rough shape, and processing the layer of material in accordance with almost exactly the shape of the product.
US08097194B2
A method for making a damper component for absorbing and dissipating vibration and/or noise resonation is provided. The method features heating a laminate including a viscoelastomer-containing damper layer and an adjacent melt-flowable, curable sheet molding compound. Heating is conducted under pressure in a mold to cure the sheet molding compound to form a continuous constraining layer that intimately contacts and encases the damper layer.
US08097193B2
There are provided a first process T1 in which a mold clamping motor 4 is driven-controlled so as to move a cross head 5h of a toggle link mechanism 5 to a preliminary position Xr set in advance so as to become a position on the mold open side rather than a mold closure position Xs; a second process T2 in which after the first process T1 is finished, a mold thickness adjusting motor 2 is driven-controlled so as to move a pressure receiving platen 3 forward to a mold closed position Xc where a mold C is closed; a third process T3 in which after the second process T2 is finished, the mold clamping motor 4 is driven-controlled so as to move the cross head 5h forward, while the mold C is pressurized by torque limitation of the mold clamping motor 4, and the mold thickness adjusting motor 2 is driven-controlled so as to move the pressure receiving platen 3, while the cross head 5h is moved to the mold closure position Xs; and a fourth process T4 in which, after the third process T3 is finished, a clamping margin Lp of the mold C corresponding to a predetermined mold clamping force is set.
US08097191B2
An injection molding quality control system which seeks to ensure greater accuracy and consistency in parts, more specifically more accurate and consistent part weight, utilizes measured part weight to adjust mold separation to better achieve a desired part weight. The mold separation is controlled via both a cycle-to-cycle adjustment in switchover point (preferably based on injected mass within the cavity), and within-cycle adjustment of holding pressure. The system can result in superior accuracy and consistency in molded parts in both the long term (i.e., over many cycles) and in the short term (from cycle to cycle).
US08097189B2
A method for manufacturing an optical disc master using an existing exposure system, and a method for manufacturing an optical disc having higher recording capacity. The method for manufacturing an optical disc, using a master to produce the optical disc having an irregular pattern thereon, the master being produced by the steps of forming a resist layer composed of a resist material including an incomplete oxide of a transition metal such as W or Mo on a substrate, the oxygen content of the incomplete oxide being smaller than the oxygen content of the stoichiometric composition corresponding to a valence of the transition metal; selectively exposing the resist layer with laser according to a recording signal pattern using a light source with an irradiation power that is less than an irradiation threshold power at which exposure of the resist starts; and developing the resist layer to form the predetermined irregular pattern.
US08097183B2
A liquid pigment dispersion is disclosed. The dispersion comprises a pigment dispersed in a blend of two or more active hydrogen-containing materials that together have a freezing point that is room temperature or below. The pigment remains dispersed in the blend, even if the dispersion is subjected to freezing and thawing. A curative blend comprising at least two active hydrogen-containing materials, which is liquid at room temperature, is also disclosed. The dispersions and curative blends of the present invention can be solvent-free. Resins and prepolymers comprising the curative blends of the invention, either pigmented or unpigmented, are also disclosed.
US08097179B2
A method for abating effluent from an etching process in one embodiment includes advancing etch gas product into a passageway of a gas connector in direct fluid communication with a first chamber of an interior void of an apparatus, advancing a gas from a gas source into said passageway of said gas connector at the same time said etch gas product is being advanced into said passageway, and advancing humidified gas from a humidified gas source into a second chamber of said interior void.
US08097166B2
This invention offers effective and efficient method to produce and to use LIQUID defined as activated liquid which contains sufficient amount of micro bubbles of diameter less than 10 micrometers. LIQUID exhibits very useful properties for the purification of liquid, sterilization, extinguishment of undesirable bubbles, preservation of freshness of food, storage of gas in liquid, the decomposition of pollutants etc. The method to produce LIQUID comprises a means to rotate a rotor installed in a fixed tube wherein the rotor and the fixed tube are provided with a set of permanent magnets and a set of linear protuberances, and liquid and gas are introduced in the gap formed between the fixed tube and the rotor by pumping means driven by the motor. The micro bubbles are effectively produced with the repulsive magnetic field generated by the S (or N) pole of at least 30% of the whole magnets faced with the said gap. An annular activator made from far infrared emitting materials is assembled in the path of liquid in order to increase the efficiency for producing LIQUID.
US08097160B2
Even when a membrane sheet contains an inorganic material, the membrane sheet and a support plate are properly deposited by a laser emission. In a manufacturing method of a flat membrane element lapping a membrane sheet performing solid-liquid separation on a support plate supporting the membrane sheet and emitting a laser to a mutual joint portion to deposit the membrane sheet and the support plate, when the membrane sheet contains an inorganic material, the support plate is formed by a material having laser penetration and the laser is emitted from the support plate side to the joint portion.
US08097114B2
A non-autoclave process for producing a glass laminate comprises applying a sub-assembly including a rigid layer and an ionomer interlayer in a vacuum bag or vacuum press under vacuum followed by heating, cooling, and releasing vacuum.
US08097112B2
A method for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly of the present invention includes: a reinforcing member disposing step of disposing a reinforcing member (104A, 104B), whose frame portion is formed to surround an opening of the reinforcing member, on a polymer electrolyte membrane (102) such that the frame portion covers a peripheral portion of at least one surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane; a catalyst layer applying step of applying a coating of a catalyst layer (109A, 109B) on at least an entire surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane (102) which surface is exposed from the opening of the reinforcing member (104A, 104B); and a gas diffusion layer disposing step of disposing a gas diffusion layer (114A, 114B) such that the gas diffusion layer covers the catalyst layer (109A, 109B).
US08097110B2
A placement apparatus comprising an anvil roller, a die roller communicatively associated with the anvil roller, and a bump transfer roller communicatively associated with the vacuum roll. The invention also provides a process for placing articles on a web, comprising the steps of providing a stream of articles, placing the articles on the anvil roller, moving the anvil roller, moving an output web, and periodically bringing the output web into communicative association with the anvil roller whereby the articles are transferred to the output web at a predetermined distance from each other.
US08097108B2
A laminate is provided for forming an aesthetically pleasing fire worthy exterior surface on an object, for example a decorative interior sidewall used in a commercial aircraft. A first film layer forms an exterior surface of the sidewall, and an ink layer is disposed adjacent to the first film layer to provide color and/or images in an aesthetically pleasing manor, and to protect the subsequent layer from damaging UV light exposure. An embossing resin layer is disposed adjacent to the ink layer to improve the fire worthiness of the laminate by being situated adjacent to the exterior surface of the laminate. A second film layer is disposed adjacent to the embossing resin layer and a surface of the sidewall. The location of the embossing resin layer enhances the fire worthiness of the laminate by operating to absorb thermal energy released by the sidewall in the event the sidewall is exposed to fire or to a high temperature sufficient to otherwise cause higher thermal energy release of a conventional laminate.
US08097087B2
A method of cleaning a support plate according to which, while no waste solution is produced after cleaning the support plate, the support plate can be treated at low cost. The method of cleaning the support plate includes the step of removing an organic substance adhered to the support plate by putting the support plate in contact with oxygen plasma.
US08097082B2
A method and apparatus for adjust local plasma density during a plasma process. One embodiment provides an electrode assembly comprising a conductive faceplate having a nonplanar surface. The nonplanar surface is configured to face a substrate during processing and the conductive faceplate is disposed so that the nonplanar surface is opposing a substrate support having an electrode. The conductive faceplate and the substrate support form a plasma volume. The nonplanar surface is configured to adjust electric field between the conductive plate and the electrode by varying a distance between the conductive plate and the electrode.
US08097077B2
Pressable glass-ceramic compositions for dental purposes of the composition I, II or III IIIIII (percent by weight)(percent by weight)(percent by weight) ZrO217-70% ZrO2/Al2O315-70% Al2O315-70% SiO217-59% SiO217-59% SiO217-59% Al2O3 2-15%ZrO2 2-15%ZrO2 2-15% Y2O3 0-6%Y2O3 0-6%Y2O3 0-6% K2O3-12.5% K2O3-12.5% K2O3-12.5% Na2O0.2-8.5% Na2O0.2-8.5% Na2O0.2-8.5% Li2O0-1.5%Li2O0-1.5%Li2O0-1.5% CaO0.3-2%CaO0.3-2%CaO0.3-2% B2O30.1-5%B2O30.1-5%B2O30.1-5% F0-2.5%F0-2.5%F0-2.5% CeO20.2-2%CeO20.2-2%CeO20.2-2% TiO20-1.5%TiO20-1.5%TiO20-1.5% are particularly suitable for the manufacturing of ceramic veneer frames.
US08097072B1
Apparatuses and methods for reducing pollutants in a gas stream are disclosed. The gas stream is introduced into a condensation chamber to condense the gas stream. It then proceeds into a first reaction chamber adapted to electrochemically alter the gas stream. From there, the gas stream is directed into a reduction chamber adapted to reduce pollutants and a resonance chamber adapted to ionize the gas stream. The gas stream is then directed into a second reaction chamber adapted to further reduce pollutants in the stream. After treatment, the gas stream may be discharged into the atmosphere or recirculated through the apparatus to further reduce pollutants in the gas stream, the latter providing for a closed-looped system.
US08097057B2
Apparatus for separation of particles from a fluid stream entraining said particles comprises an inlet zone, a centrifugal separation zone, particles collection means and exhaust means, in which the inlet and separation zones are in communication via a transition zone for inducing vortical flow in the fluid stream, the transition zone having a diameter greater than the diameter of the inlet zone and comprising means defining an outlet port to the separation zone, an entry port being formed in the transition zone upstream of the baffle means, the entry and outlet ports being mutually arranged to minimise fluid perturbation in the fluid stream in use.
US08097054B2
A dust filter bag is in the shape of a flat bag for a vacuum cleaner, which is formed from a first layer and a second layer made of a weldable material. The layers are welded together circumferentially along the circumference thereof.
US08097052B2
A filtration system for a particulate-laden stream of gas utilizes a group of fabric bags within the upper chamber of a housing as the means by which particulate matter is filtered out of the gas. The gas inlet into a lower chamber of the housing is provided with an inlet guide that directs the incoming gas against the lower side of a porous diffuser located below the group of bags and spanning at least most of the separation zone defined by the bags. Passages through the diffuser are configured to present an array of nozzles so that the gas is subjected to a pressure drop across the diffuser before flowing to the bags. The nozzle effect causes the particulate-laden gas to spread out evenly on the lower, upstream side of the diffuser and pass through the diffuser at substantially equal velocity at all passages, thereby smoothing the flow and distributing it evenly to all bags.
US08097049B2
A quick, economical and environmentally friendly, “green”, process for the continuous purification of biodiesel (fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAE)) is described using a powdered, granulated or extruded adsorbent. The adsorbent is contained in a column system and is regenerated for reuse multiple times. The process employs an adsorbent such as, but not limited to, carbon, silica, clay, zeolite or a metal silicate contained in a column to remove the impurities from fatty acid alkyl esters (FAAE) or crude biodiesel in a continuous process. The process utilizes the adsorbent column system for the purification of biodiesel, rather than water or filtration, to remove soaps and other impurities entrained in a crude biodiesel. The crude biodiesel is contacted with an adsorbent packed into a column, or multiple columns in series, for a sufficient amount of time to remove impurities such as, but not limited to, soaps, metals, free glycerin, sterol glucosides and many of the other impurities that reduce the stability of biodiesel. The resulting finished biodiesel exiting the column(s) is ready for the methanol recovery process. Once the adsorbent no longer removes the desired amount of impurities, it is regenerated for reuse. The solvent used for the regeneration process is reclaimed and reused by recycling it back to the transesterification reaction.
US08097045B2
Disclosed are olymeric dye of formula (1a), (1b), (1c), A and B, independently from each other represent a polymer backbone; X1 and X2 independently from each other are a linkage group selected from —C1-C30alkylene- or —C2-C12alkenylene-, which is interrupted and/or terminated at one or both ends by one or more than one —S—, —N—, —N═—, —N(R5)—, —S(O)—, —SO2—, —(CH2CH2—O)1-5—, —(CH2CH2CH2—O)1-5—, —C(O)—, —C(O)O—, —OCO—, (II), —CON(R1)—, —C(NR1R2)2—, —(R1)NC(O)—, —C(S)R1—; or an optionally substituted, saturated or unsaturated, fused or non-fused aromatic or nonaromatic (heterocyclic) bivalent radical optionally comprising at least one heteroatom; a saturated or unsaturated, fused or non-fused aromatic or nonaromatic bivalent radical comprising at least one heteroatom, which is optionally substituted by C1-C30alkyl, C1-C30alkoxy, C2-C12alkenyl, C5-C10aryl, C5-C10cycloalkyl, C1-C10alkyl(C5-C10arylene), hydroxy or halogen; R1 and R2 independently from each other are hydrogen; unsubstituted or substituted, straight-chain or branched, monocyclic or polycyclic, interrupted or uninterrupted C1-C14alkyl; C2-C14alkenyl; C6-C10aryl; C6-C10aryl-C1-C10alkyl; or C5-C10alkyl(C5-C10aryl); Y1 and Y2 independently from each other are a residue of an organic dye; or hydrogen; wherein at least one of Y1 and Y2 is a residue of an organic dye; An1, An2 and An3, independently from each other are an anion; a and b independently from each other are a number from 1 to 3; m is a number from 0 to 5000; n is a number from 0 to 5000; and p is a number from 1 to 5000; wherein the sum of m+n+p≧3. The dyes are distinguished by their depth of shade and their good fastness properties to washing, such as, for example, fastness to light, shampooing and rubbing.
US08097039B2
In one embodiment, a method for treating an infected implant area of a knee joint comprises surgically accessing the implant area, and inserting a tibial component into the tibia using an antibiotic-impregnated material. A femoral component is formed that is configured to interact with the tibial component by stable knee joint articulation and motion. The femoral component is formed of an antibiotic-impregnated material using a mold. The femoral component is attached to the femur using an antibiotic-impregnated material, and the tibial component is interfaced with the femoral component to form a stable temporary knee joint capable of reducing the spread of infection while permitting movement of the knee joint.
US08097036B2
A motion restoring intervertebral device includes first and second articulating components positioned between adjacent vertebrae with the articulating surface of the first component being formed by a circular domed convex projection having a first radius. The articulating surface of the second component is formed by a generally concave recess having the first radius in the medial-lateral direction and a second larger sweeping radius in the interior-posterior direction so that the components are capable of rotating against each other in all directions and translate against each other in the anterior-posterior direction, whereby translation away from the center of the first radius will produce device and joint distraction to limit excessive translation.
US08097027B2
Instruments and methods for inserting one or more implants to a surgical site in a patient in a surgical procedure, including minimally invasive surgical procedures are provided. The implant is mountable to the instrument in a reduced profile orientation and after insertion is manipulated with the insertion instrument to the desired orientation.
US08097018B2
An apparatus includes a support member having an outer surface configured to be disposed between adjacent spinous processes and a retention member rotatably coupled to the support member. A first end portion of the retention member is spaced apart from the outer surface by a first distance along an axis substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the support member when the outer surface is disposed between the adjacent spinous processes. A second end portion of the retention member is spaced apart from the outer surface by a second distance along the axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis when the outer surface is disposed between the adjacent spinous processes. The first end portion of the retention member and the second end portion of the retention member are configured to cooperatively limit movement of the support member relative to the adjacent spinous processes.
US08097000B2
A method for performing a hybrid laparoscopic-endoscopic procedure is achieved by inserting a medical instrument laparoscopically through an abdominal wall and into a gastric cavity, inserting an overtube and endoscope transorally into the gastric cavity to provide an access path to the gastric cavity, passing an end effector transorally to the surgical site translumenally within the endoscope, and attaching the end effector to a distal end of the medical instrument while the instrument is positioned within the gastric cavity.
US08096995B2
An apparatus includes a first elongate member, a second elongate member and a connector. The second elongate member is movably disposed within a distal end portion of the first elongate member. The second elongate member is configured to engage an inner member of an implant disposed within an outer member of the implant. The connector is disposed at the distal end portion of the first elongate member and is configured to releasably connect the distal end portion of the first elongate member to the outer member of the implant.
US08096992B2
An orthopaedic reamer, which includes a reamer with a partially hemispherical shell which has a base including three circumferential base segments. The shell has three cutouts each extending to the base. Each of the three circumferential base segments are separated from another of the three circumferential base segments by one of the three cutouts. A driver attachment is directly connected to the three circumferential base segments.
US08096989B2
A motorized gastric ring or “AGM” including a motor acting on a diameter of the ring and actuated by induction toward an integrated receiving antenna from at least one outer transmitting antenna, wherein the ring includes at least one receiving antenna, the at least one antenna being disoriented relative to a plane extending through the gastric ring, and integrated electronics adapted to substantially optimally use energy received.
US08096987B2
Methods and apparatus for translating a continuous-delivery delivery profile into a plurality of periodic bolus deliveries.
US08096986B2
While waiting for prostate-size-reducing drugs or herbs to have an effect, it's often necessary to have a catheter, like the Foley, inserted into the bladder. Urine passing through such collects in a plastic bag which must be drained, regularly, and is awkward to carry and difficult to disguise under clothing. In lieu of a Foley, full-length self-cathetering is less awkward, but the recurring process can irritate the urethra and prostate, and increase the chance of getting cystitis. The present new catheter type has a barb-like tip to retain such inside the bladder. A urine drainage inlet is located less than an inch below the barb. The easy drainage of urine is facilitated simply by pushing the catheter upward until the inlet opening is inside the bladder. Because the required insertion distance is much reduced, there's less likelihood of there being irritation of the organs, and less likelihood of getting cystitis.
US08096976B2
A valve body is formed from an elastic member in the form of an elliptic or circular film (disk shape) having an upper face and a lower face. The valve body has an opening and closing section which is opened and closed in response to insertion and pulling out of a dilator and is formed from a first slit, a second slit, a second concave portion and two third concave portions. A pair of ribs and six projections are formed on the lower face side of the valve body. The ribs are disposed in opposing relationship to each other with the second slit interposed therebetween and extend along the lower face. Further, the projections are disposed such that they are positioned on the inner side of the ribs and are opposed to each other with the second slit interposed therebetween.
US08096975B2
An apparatus for injecting a material comprising an injector barrel in communication with a delivery needle and a plunger, wherein at least a portion of the plunger is slidably disposed within a proximal portion of the injector barrel, and a proximal end of the delivery needle is in communication with a distal end of the injector barrel, and a thermal jacket surrounding at least a portion of the length of the injector barrel is disclosed. The thermal jacket may be used to regulate the temperature of the material to be delivered.
US08096972B2
A therapeutic agent delivery device that is particularly suitable for delivery of a therapeutic agent to limited access regions, such as the posterior chamber of the eye and inner ear. Preferred devices of the invention are minimally invasive, refillable and may be easily fixed to the treatment area. Preferred delivery devices of the invention also include those that comprise a non-linear shaped body member housing one or more substances and a delivery mechanism for the sustained delivery of the one or more substances from the non-linear shaped body member to the patient.
US08096970B2
A device for protecting the diaphragm of a pump, such as a diaphragm pump for a breastpump, from fluid (air/milk) is disclosed. A mounted flexible cover is located between the shell of the pump and the movable diaphragm membrane within the shell which isolates the membrane from fluid.
US08096966B2
The invention relates to improved means for preventing eversion and subsequent obstruction of thin-walled, floppy gastrointestinal liners implanted in the digestive tract of an animal. The implantable devices include an anchor adapted for attachment within a natural body lumen and a thin-walled, floppy sleeve open at both ends and defining a lumen therebetween. A substantial length of the sleeve has material characteristics that result in the sleeve being prone to eversion in the presence of retrograde pressures. Exemplary eversion-resistant features provide an increased stiffness and/or an increased friction coefficient between the anchor and the proximal end of the sleeve to resist eversion. In some embodiments, the eversion-resistant feature includes an anti-buckling element, such as a wire coupled along the substantial length of the sleeve.
US08096965B2
An exoskeleton bracing system includes: a trunk support for affixing to the trunk of a disabled person and leg braces for connecting to the legs of the person, each leg brace including limb segment braces. Motorized joints are adapted to provide relative angular movement between the limb segment braces of the leg braces and between the leg braces and the trunk support. One or more ground force sensors are designed to sense ground force exerted on each of the leg braces. The system also includes a controller for receiving sensed signals from said one or more ground force sensors, with an algorithm for identifying a stance from the sensed signals and, based on the identified stance, actuating the motorized joints to perform an action relating to a mode of locomotion selected from a set of predefined actions corresponding to the identified stance.
US08096957B2
The invention comprises a method for removal of bone marrow tissue from a patient's body. The method generally comprises the steps of providing an apparatus comprising an elongate member for receiving bone marrow tissue. The elongate member defines a lumen and comprises a distal end defining an aperture and a proximal end. The apparatus further comprises an elongate tissue removal member for conveying bone marrow tissue through the lumen. The tissue removal member is rotatably disposed within the lumen. The method further comprises gathering a sample of said tissue into said lumen; and conveying with said tissue removal member at least a portion of the tissue sample proximally along said lumen. The step of gathering may be accomplished by advancing the apparatus through the tissue.
US08096947B2
An ultrasonic imaging system and method are described for quantification and display of myocardial wall thickening. The endocardial and epicardial borders in an image sequence are defined over a heart cycle and changes in the distance between the borders are tracked at specified locations around the myocardium over the heart cycle, The changes in distance are presented to the user in a graphical format, preferably together with another measure of the cardiac cycle such as chamber volume variation, ejection fraction, or the ECG waveform. The changes in the distance of chord lengths across the myocardium provide a direct indication of wall thickness variation at the specified locations. Preferably the tracking of the specified locations over the heart cycle is done by speckle tracking. The inventive technique can also represent strain at the specified locations of the myocardium.
US08096931B2
A cutting device feeds a web between a die roll and an anvil roll, and cuts a continuous portion of the web. The cutting device includes a continuous portion transport unit configured to hold and transport the continuous portion of the web being continuous in a moving direction of the web, and a discontinuous portion transport unit configured to hold and transport a discontinuous portion of the web being discontinuous in the moving direction of the web. The die roll includes a first large diameter portion whose outer peripheral surface is provided with a cutting blade configured to cut the continuous portion of the web. The anvil roll includes a second large diameter portion disposed to face the first large diameter portion. By the discontinuous portion transport unit, the discontinuous portion passes through between the die roll and the anvil roll without contacting the first large diameter portion and the second large diameter portion.
US08096926B1
A multi resistance ratio exercise apparatus may provide at least one arm assembly which includes multiple flexible connector ends exiting which can be pressed or pulled to perform user defined functional and strength training exercises. A handle assembly may be attached to one or more flexible connector ends. The flexible connector ends may be interconnected with resistance wherein the pressing or pulling of one flexible connector end will provide the user with an alternate ratio of resistance and flexible end travel distance capability than the pressing or pulling of an alternate flexible connector end.
US08096918B2
A variator (10) has two races (12, 12) mounted for rotation about a common axis. Opposed, shaped faces (14, 18) of the races define an annular space containing at least one roller (38, 40) which runs upon the races to transfer drive between them. The roller is mounted on a carrier (42, 44) in such a way that its inclination to the common axis is able to change, to enable changes in variator ratio. The rollers and their carriers are controlled through a mechanism comprising a sun (46, 48) and a ring (50, 52) with which the carrier engages. Relative rotation of the sun and ring causes a tipping motion of the carrier (42, 44), so that the rollers steer themselves to a new inclination. To control the sun and ring, there is provided a planet (100) which engages them both. The rotational position of the carrier is controlled independently of its engagement with the sun and the ring.
US08096915B2
A transmission of the present invention has an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices may include clutches and brakes. The torque transmitting devices are selectively engageable in combinations of at least three to establish at least ten forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio.
US08096914B2
An automatic transmission including three single pinion planetary gearsets and six friction elements, in which an input shaft is always connected to a first sun gear of a first planetary gearset, the output shaft is always connected to a second ring gear of a second planetary gearset, a third sun gear of a third planetary gearset is always kept in a fixed state relative to a transmission case of the automatic transmission, a first ring gear of the first planetary gearset and a third pinion carrier of the third planetary gearset are always connected to each other and constitute a first rotary member, and at least eight forward speeds and one reverse speed are respectively established by simultaneous engagements of three friction elements selected from the six friction elements.
US08096907B2
An apparatus for driving and braking a shaft of an engine is disclosed. The apparatus includes a pulley driven by the engine. The shaft extends through a housing. The apparatus includes means for biasing the pulley toward the housing, and means for translating the pulley away from the housing. The apparatus has a stopped position in which the pulley and housing are in friction contact, and has a driving position in which the pulley and housing are not in friction contact.
US08096905B1
A broadhead with removable and replaceable blades has a forward body end which receives the forward ends of the blades, and the rear ends of the blades are then engaged to the rear body end by a spring or other retaining member which can be moved to engage or disengage the rear blade ends. The broadhead can then receive an arrow shaft, with the arrow shaft fitting over and encasing the retaining member and preventing its accidental (or otherwise undesirable) release of the blades.
US08096896B2
The present invention resides in a golf club head having a high COR that is durable and has desirable acoustic qualities. The club head includes a body portion, a striking face and a crown forming a hollow cavity of at least 150 cc in volume. The body portion defines a front opening and an upper opening, and it includes a sole and a side section that extends rearward of the front opening. The striking plate is secured to the body portion, enclosing the front opening. While partially assembled, final weighting and/or other attachment of other members to the inner surface of the club head can be preformed, as desired. The crown is secured to the body portion, enclosing the upper opening. A surface veil may also be provided about a junction of the crown and body. The crown has a maximum thickness no greater than about 2 mm. The density of the crown is less than the density of the body portion. At least one of the striking plate and the crown is attached to the second portion by adhesive bonding, and the golf club head has a maximum coefficient of restitution of at least 0.80.
US08096895B2
A golf club (20) having a club head (22) with an interchangeable shaft (40) is disclosed herein. The golf club (20) includes a tube (44, 144) mounted in the club head (22), and a sleeve (46, 146) mounted on a tip end (50) of the shaft (40). The tube (44, 144) includes a tapered portion (60, 160) and a rotation prevention portion (62, 162). The sleeve (46, 146) has a frustoconical portion (72, 172) and a keyed portion (74, 174) that are respectively received in the tapered portion (60, 160) and the rotation prevention portion (62, 162) of the tube (44, 144). The golf club (20) further includes a mechanical fastener (48, 148) for removably securing the shaft (40) to the club head (22).
US08096892B2
A control system for a water amusement system is described. The control system is configured to operate the water amusement system to produce water effects, sound effects, and/or light effects when the control system receives an activation signal. The activation signal may be sent to the control system by an activation point, such as an optical touch button, or a water target. The control system is further configured to produce water effects, sound effects, and/or light effects in the absence of an activation signal to attract participants to the water amusement system.
US08096885B2
A vibration damper including a first spline having a plurality of first teeth, a second spline having a plurality of second teeth, a third spline having a plurality of third teeth and at least one spring interconnected between the first and second splines, wherein the plurality of third teeth are intermediate the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth, and the at least one spring biases the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth against the plurality of third teeth. A method of preventing lash in a vibration damper, the vibration damper including a first spline having a plurality of first teeth, a second spline having a plurality of second teeth, a third spline having a plurality of third teeth and at least one spring interconnected between the first and second splines, the method including the steps of: introducing the plurality of third teeth intermediate the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth; and, biasing the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth against the plurality of third teeth with the at least one spring.
US08096878B2
A gaming machine for playing a wagering game includes a housing having a display region, a curved transparent layer located in the display region, and a video display. The video display is located behind the transparent layer for projecting moving images onto the transparent layer. The images including a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game. The curved transparent layer can be moving as well. Environmental mapping may be used to sense the location of the player and/or the ambient lighting surrounding the gaming machine and alter the images based on the sensing. The altering may include spectral highlights, shading, and the parallax effect. The video images may further include imperfections normally found in mechanical reel strips. The gaming machine provides video images that more closely simulate the look of traditional mechanical reels.
US08096867B2
A slot machine 10 is provided with a display device 30 for displaying an image and display control means for causing the display device 30 to display an image relating to a game. The slot machine 10 is further provided with a subsidiary control board 74 having the display control means packaged therein, and a scale board 76 having control means packaged therein for accepting image signals fed from the display control means, to convert the image signals into enlarged image signals having a larger display size than that displayed by the image signals, thereby to feed the enlarged image signals to the display device 30.
US08096862B1
An isolation damper for preventing the migration of air from a ventilated space includes a high differential pressure sealing chamber in the damper assembly that prevents the flow of air from the “clean” side of the damper assembly to the “dirty” side thereof. Pressurized air leaking out of the sealing chamber creates reverse flow leakage toward the dirty side which assures the clean side air is not contaminated by the dirty side air. Differential pressure between the sealing chamber and the dirty side is monitored with the differential pressure reported and alarmed externally if reductions in pressure indicate the sealing effect of the sealing chamber could be affected.
US08096861B2
According to one embodiment, a housing apparatus for a heat generating device includes a housing being provided with sidewalls arranged sideward to separate from each other, and shelf members placed at a plurality of positions along the sidewalls between the sidewalls. The shelf members support a plurality of devices including a heat generating device, and each sidewall has a plurality of ventilation openings corresponding to the devices held by the shelf members. A duct member is provided on at least outermost sidewall to correspond to at least two adjacent ventilation openings in the outermost sidewall. An airflow producing unit is provided in the duct member and includes at least two airflow producing devices performing one of supplying outside air into the inside of the housing and evacuating the inside air from the housing through the at least two adjacent ventilation openings.
US08096856B2
A motor-driven machine tool (1) with a tool (7) that can be rotatably driven comprises a drive shaft (5) and a driven shaft (6) on which the tool (7) is received, the rotational movement of the drive shaft (5) being transmissible onto the driven shaft (6) via a coupling device (8). The drive shaft and the driven shaft are arranged in parallel, the driven shaft (6) extending at least partially at the level of and parallel to the drive unit.
US08096844B2
An engine control system, for controlling an engine of a jet-propulsion boat, includes a cavitation-control-mode determination unit, which starts a cavitation-control mode when an engine speed not faster than 3200 rpm is maintained for a predetermined time period. During a normal sailing operation, ignition timing is set by a first ignition-timing setting unit. Upon detection of a cavitation-control-mode by the cavitation-control-mode determination unit, an engine speed is raised up to a speed not slower than 3200 rpm, which makes an ignition-timing switching unit to select a second ignition-timing setting unit. The second ignition-timing setting unit retards the ignition timing for the normal sailing operation when the engine speed becomes 6500 rpm or faster. In addition to retardation of the ignition timing, a boost pressure control command upper-limit value is switched to a value at a startup operation, which is less than a value at the normal sailing operation.
US08096838B2
A header assembly for an implantable medical device (IMD). The header assembly includes a plurality of cavities with a plurality of insulating rings interdisposed between adjacent ones of the cavities. The cavities receive electrical contact rings. In certain embodiments, the insulating rings are formed integrally with a body of the header assembly.
US08096834B2
A connector to be disposed within a housing of an electronic device includes a main body and a conduction member. The conduction member includes a connecting portion and a resilient portion. The resilient portion is formed on the connecting portion and configured to abut against the housing.
US08096832B2
An electrical connector may include a first connector with electrically-conductive contacts. The contacts may have blade-shaped mating ends, and may be arranged in a centerline. The electrical connector may include a second connector with electrically-conductive receptacle contacts, which may also be arranged in a centerline. The connectors may be mated such that the mating portion of a first contact in the second connector may physically contact of a corresponding blade-shaped mating end of a contact in the first connector.
US08096825B2
In one embodiment, a coupler system is configured to couple to electrical terminals of a battery. The coupler system comprises a coupler bridge comprising a first section, where the first section comprises a first height and a first edge. The coupler system also comprises a second section adjacent to the first section and opposite the first edge, a first coupler coupled to the second section of the coupler bridge, and a second coupler coupled to the second section of the coupler bridge. The first section of the coupler bridge is configured to restrict the first and second couplers from being electrically coupled to the electrical terminals of the battery when the first edge faces towards the battery. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.
US08096814B2
A pair of mating connectors includes a receptacle having an insulative housing and at least one conductive receptacle contact with a pair of spaced walls forming a plug contact receiving space. The plug connector has an insulative housing and at least one conductive contact having a pair of spaced walls which converge to form a projection engageable in the plug receiving space of the receptacle contact. The electronic power connectors can also be modified to accommodate connections for an external AC power supply. The connector housing incorporating the AC power connection capability can accommodate different forms of AC power supply termination contacts, such as spade-type contacts having a spring-like plug for receiving discrete quick connect socket terminals.
US08096813B2
A method of installing an adapter, a kit including an adapter, and an adapter are disclosed. The adapter includes a first connector, a second connector, and a component adapted for facilitating the second connector to electrical communicate with a portion of a plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in a predetermined pinout. The first connector has a first plurality of pins or sockets. The second connector has a plug and a socket. Each of the plug and socket has a second plurality of pins or sockets. One of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to mechanically communicate with a first portion of a third plurality of electrical conductors to facilitate electrical communication. The other of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to electrically communicate with a first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector.
US08096810B2
Methods and apparatus for use in fire extinguisher training are provided. These methods and apparatus are implemented electronically without the need for an open flame. The training apparatus includes a display having a plurality of light sources adapted to display a varying light pattern simulating a dynamic flame; a sensor adapted to detect a stimulus emitted by one of a fire extinguisher and a fire extinguisher simulator and output a signal corresponding to the detected stimulus; and one or more processors adapted to receive the output from the sensor and vary the light pattern simulating the dynamic flame on the display in response to the stimulus detected by the sensor. The methods and apparatus may be used to train firefighters in the proper use of a fire extinguisher, for example, training in the techniques typically required when suppressing class A, B, C, D, and K type fires.
US08096807B2
An instrumentation delivery unit which supports hand-held dental instruments. In one example first and second housing members form a sealed chamber. When the members are separated, access is permitted to the interior of the chamber, e.g., for maintenance purposes. A first portal suitable for connection to a vacuum line provides a partial vacuum in the chamber, and second portals provide connection via second vacuum lines between the chamber and dental devices to operate the devices. The housing includes hand piece holders each of an initial diametric size for receiving hand pieces up to a maximum diametric dimension, with one of the hand piece holders formed along two adjoining ones of the housing members. The adjoining housing members secure inserts between one another to provide a second diametric size smaller than the initial diametric size to thereby selectably accommodate hand pieces having a smaller diametric dimensions.
US08096805B2
A manufacturing apparatus for a semiconductor device that includes a bake chamber for a wafer with a coating film formed thereon to be baked at a predetermined temperature, a cooling chamber connected to the bake chamber, a first carrying unit for the baked wafer to be carried in the cooling chamber, a first temperature control unit for the wafer carried by the first carrying unit to be cooled down, and an unloading gate for unloading the wafer cooled down from the cooling chamber.
US08096798B2
A molding machine for production of gas hydrate pellets under a high pressure in gas hydrate forming conditions, which is inexpensive through minimizing of the use of expensive mechanical seal. The molding machine comprises two forming rolls each fitted to a rotary shaft whose both ends are supported by bearings; a drive unit for rotating the forming rolls; a screw transfer unit for supplying powder to the forming rolls; and a high-pressure vessel, wherein the bearings, the rotary shaft and the forming rolls are all disposed in the high-pressure vessel.
US08096790B2
The invention provides an oil pump resonator in which various vibrations caused by pulsations that change in response to changes in oil pressure on a discharge port side can be attenuated by a resonator that comprises only one chamber, whereby the volume occupied by the resonator can be minimized. An oil pump in an engine, for feeding oil from a suction port to a discharge port through rotation of a rotor fitted in a pump housing, includes: a discharge flow channel communicating with the discharge port; a resonator comprising an introduction channel formed in the discharge flow channel and a chamber communicating with the introduction channel; and a piston having a leading end face section that makes up an inner wall face of the chamber, and reciprocating in response to pulsation changes. The piston slides so as to reduce the volume of the chamber as the frequency distribution of the pulsations becomes higher.
US08096789B2
A device for difficult intervention in a closed enclosure, having an enclosure connected to the closed enclosure via a duct, a piston that can be moved by a motor, a geometry allowing a contact with the outside air when the piston occupies a certain position within the enclosure in order to generate a sudden release of pressure, and an outlet valve remaining closed when the piston increases the volume of the enclosure so as to cause the pressure reduction within the enclosures.
US08096788B2
A pump having adjustable pumping pressures includes a tube, first and second chambers and a channel extending from the first end to the second end of the tube, and an orifice extending through the tube and opening to the channel. A base connected to the second end of the tube includes a first passage opening to the first and second chambers and a second passage opening to the first passage and the channel. A switching device includes a rod disposed in the channel and a shaft received in the orifice for selectively moving the rod to a first position for permitting air flow through the second passage to the channel and a second position for preventing air flow through the second passage to the channel.
US08096779B2
A rotorcraft blade (P) is provided in succession with a radial segment (1) and then a swept segment (2), the swept segment (2) being provided with at least one forwardly-swept segment (2′) and/or rearwardly-swept segment (2″). In addition, the blade has a single spar coming from the blade root. The invention is remarkable in that the single spar includes a radial spar (10) in the radial segment (1), after which the single spar splits where the radial segment (1) becomes the swept segment (2) to form thereafter in the swept segment (2) a primary spar (11) and a secondary spar (12).
US08096770B2
A gas turbine engine hollow turbine airfoil having chordwise spaced apart leading and trailing edges, and widthwise spaced apart pressure and suction sidewalls extending chordwise between the leading edge and the trailing edge. A trailing edge rib extends from the trailing edge toward the leading edge, and forms a solid member between the pressure and suction sidewalls. A cooling fluid channel extends in the spanwise direction through the airfoil adjacent to the trailing edge rib. A plurality of fluid chambers are formed in the trailing edge rib. Film cooling holes extend from the fluid chambers to the pressure and suction sidewalls, and trailing edge discharge holes extend from the fluid chambers to the trailing edge. A metering hole is associated with each of the fluid chambers to define a flow restriction connecting the cooling fluid channel to a respective fluid chamber.
US08096765B2
A wind turbine rotor blade includes a plurality of lightning receptors configured along either or both of the pressure side or suction side of the blade. At least one looped lightning conductive circuit is provided, with the lightning receptors configured in communication with a respective lightning conductive circuit. The lightning conductive circuit has terminal ends that extend through the root for connection of each terminal end with a grounding system within the wind turbine. The looped lightning conductive circuit provides a redundant path to each lightning receptor for conducting a lightning strike to ground.
US08096762B2
A wind turbine is presented where the operation lifetime of the main bearing is extended by relieving the main bearing by reducing the mean bending moment on the bearing by means of individual pitch control of the blades of the rotor so as to create an aerodynamic mean tilt moment on the rotor by means of aerodynamic forces on the blades, the tilt moment at least partly counteracting the bending moment caused by the overhang load forces on the main bearing from the gravitational pull on the rotor mass.
US08096754B2
An exhaust turbocharger is enhanced in durability and reliability by making the valve body of the waste gate valve contact the seat face of the turbine housing at the opening of two exhaust gas bypass passages uniformly without being affected by the end face of the partition wall partitioning the two bypass passages, thereby preventing generation of vibration and vibration sound(chattering) of the valve body and the occurrence of gas leakage due to defective seating of the valve body against the seat face of the turbine housing. The waste gate valve for opening/closing the two exhaust gas bypass passages has a plate-like valve body to seat against and depart from a seat face at an outlet end side of the two bypass passages, wherein a depression is formed to a seat-side face of the valve body or to the end face of the partition wall so that the seat-side face of the valve body does not contact the end face of the partition wall at least in the central region of the end face of the partition wall when the valve body seats against the seat face at the outlet end side of the bypass passages.
US08096752B2
Disclosed is a compressor discharge can including a transition piece and a flow redirector located about the transition piece, defining an airflow space therebetween, the flow redirector configured to reduce recirculation of flow in the airflow space.
US08096750B2
The present invention is directed to a turbine comprising a pair of opposing end discs concentrically aligned with a central axis of the turbine and a plurality of blades extending between the end discs. At least one end discs is adapted for engaging with a generator for generating power. The plurality of blades rotates in a single direction when exposed to fluid flow and thereby rotates the pair of opposing end discs. The plurality of blades are interconnected by at least one faired ring oriented parallel to the pair of opposing end discs and intersecting the plurality of blades, wherein the at least one faired ring is in concentric alignment with the central axis. The present invention further comprises a method for generating power comprising engaging the turbine with a generator to create a turbine generator unit and deploying the turbine generator unit within a fluid flow.
US08096744B2
Two load lock chambers having a load lock pedestal are provided adjacent to a vacuum process chamber through a vacuum intermediate chamber. A passage opening is provided between the vacuum process chamber and the vacuum intermediate chamber. Two wafer retaining arms are installed between a platen device in the vacuum process chamber and the vacuum intermediate chamber. The two wafer retaining arms are reciprocatingly movable between the corresponding load lock pedestals and the platen device while passing through the passage opening and crossing with an overpass each other at different levels. By retaining an unprocessed wafer by one of the wafer retaining arms and retaining a processed wafer by the other wafer retaining arm, transfer of the unprocessed wafer from one of the load lock pedestals to the platen device and transfer of the processed wafer from the platen device to the other load lock pedestal are performed simultaneously.
US08096743B2
A press-in element for pressing into a non-pierced or pre-pierced component, in particular a sheet metal part is described. The press-in element has a head part having a ring surface confronting the component and a neck part which projects away from the ring surface, i.e. from the component contact side. The head part further has a ring-like projection surrounding the neck part with a radial spacing and projecting away from the ring surface and the neck part has a radially outwardly projecting ring bead, which can be formed as a continuous ring bead or as a ring bead interrupted at points, with the apex of the ring bead having an axial spacing from the ring surface which is larger than the axial spacing of the apex of the ring-like projection from the ring surface, which lies radially within this projection and together with it and the ring bead forms a pocket which receives material of the component.
US08096716B2
If a top cover 5 has been opened, a link lever 34 is moved backward in conjunction with the motion of the top cover 5, so that a release lever 51 is rotated clockwise as seen from the left side about a level shaft 50. Also, a release gear 49 and a release shaft 48 are rotated about 180° counterclockwise as seen from the left side, via a lever gear 52. Accordingly, a head supporting member 37 is rotated downward, resisting an urging force of a pressing spring 36, so that a thermal head 32 is separated from a platen roller 35 and entry of a roll sheet 3A becomes possible through an insertion port 26.
US08096709B2
A sliding bearing comprises a shaft hole for rotatably supporting a shaft that is inserted thereinto, an inner circumferential surface on which the shaft slides, and plural linearly oblique grooves. The grooves extend in a direction crossing a circumferential direction of the sliding bearing and are formed on the inner circumferential surface at intervals, and the grooves are provided with a lubricant. The oblique grooves have an oblique angle in a range of 10° to 60° with respect to a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction and have a width B in a range of 0.5 to 5 mm in the circumferential direction. The adjacent grooves have a land with a surface as a sliding surface therebetween, and the sliding surface has a width A in a range of 1 to 7 mm in the circumferential direction. A ratio A/B of the width A of the sliding surface of the land to the width B of the groove is in a range of 0.5 to 5.0.
US08096703B2
The invention comprises a timepiece including a middle part (4) and a bezel (6) capable of rotating on the middle part (4), the bezel (6) and the middle part (4) delimiting between them an annular chamber (38) in which there is arranged a sealing gasket (40) with a U-shaped profile. A compression member (42) such as an O-ring type joint with a smooth external surface is housed in the sealing gasket (40).
US08096689B2
A motor-vehicle headlight is specified, having at least one light-emitting diode, and an apparatus for controllable manipulation of the beam path of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the light-emitting diode. The described motor-vehicle headlight is distinguished inter alia by a particularly variable emission characteristic.
US08096683B1
A reflective LED light tube assembly includes a bulb portion, a plurality of LEDs disposed inside the bulb portion on two longitudinal parallel facing heat dissipating reflective PCBs, both longitudinal PCB edges are longitudinally connected to a longitudinal reflective top portion and a longitudinal clear bottom portion, a pair of internally reflective end caps disposed at opposite ends of the bulb portion, a power supply circuit is disposed within one or both of the end caps or on the back of both PCBs, and a pair of male bi-pin electrical connectors extending from both end caps for electrical communication with the fluorescent light fixture's two tombstone female electrical connectors. One or both of the tombstone electrical connectors are in direct communication with an AC or DC power supply or circuit, which may also include a dimming feature. The LEDs illuminate in response to the electrical AC or DC current received in the power supply circuit.
US08096679B2
An LED light-emitting unit comprises an LED element having an optical axis and a reflector covering the LED element. The reflector comprises a light-reflecting unit recessed downwardly from a top surface of a top wall of the reflector and located corresponding to the LED element. The light-reflecting unit has a reflecting face comprising two curved faces intersecting with each other at two lines. The curved faces have axes intersecting with each other. A distance between two intersecting points of the two lines with a cross section of the reflector which is parallel to the top surface of the top wall of the reflector is larger than that between any other two intersecting points of the reflecting face intersecting with the cross section of the reflector.
US08096671B1
An illumination panel has four peripheral edges constructed of an upper plate and a lower plate. Each of the plates has aligned peripheral edges and an upper and lower surface. The upper plate is fabricated of an optically reflective material. The lower plate is fabricated of an optically diffusive material. Each of the illumination panels includes a peripheral frame formed of four edge pieces. Each of the edge pieces is in a cross sectional configuration to receive and support the peripheral edges of the plates. A pair of opposed recesses face each other in the edge pieces. A printed circuit board with a plurality of light emitting diodes is supported in the edge pieces by the recesses. An electrical connector is adapted to disperse electrical power to the light emitting diodes.
US08096666B2
An enlarging optical unit receives laser light emitted from a laser light source, enlarges a light flux of the received laser light to have a diverging angle corresponding to a swing angle of a scanning mirror and provides it to the scanning mirror.
US08096665B2
A high-resolution image is generated using multiple spatially offset lower-resolution digital micro-mirror device (DMD) panels. Multiple lower-resolution subframe signals for controlling the spatial light modulators are generated from a high-resolution image signal using a resolution reduction and interpolation algorithm. The spatial light modulators under control of the subframe signals are illuminated by a light source and light beams reflected from the spatial light modulators are combined and directed onto a screen for display.
US08096658B2
A fundus oculi observation device 1 can form a near-infrared motion image and a color image (still image) of a fundus oculi Ef. The device 1 specifies an image region within the near-infrared motion image corresponding to a region of interest within the color image while the near-infrared motion image is being formed. The device 1 scans with a signal light LS based on the specified image region, thereby forming a tomographic image along the scanning line. According to the device 1, it is possible to determine a region of interest within a still image having a comparatively high image quality, specify the image region within the motion image corresponding to this region of interest, set a measurement site for the tomographic image.
US08096654B2
An active contact lens system (100) and method for fabricating an active contact lens (200) are disclosed. The system comprises an active contact lens (110) worn like a conventional contact lens, and comprising a transparent substrate (112) having a circuit formed of one or more of a semi-transparent display (114), a display drive circuit (116), a data communications circuit (118), one or more biosensors (122), an energy transfer antenna (120) and an interconnect network (124). The substrate may be a conventional contact lens material, such as PMMA or RGP, and the display may be formed from a plurality LEDs. A method for fabricating the active contact lens includes fabricating the template (202), forming solder compatible pads (204), assembling the circuit elements (206) and micro-molding the lens (208). The template is fabricated with an interconnect network and shape-specific recesses for receiving the circuit elements. Preferably, the assembly is done using fluidic self-assembly.
US08096652B1
Mask headband eyeglasses include a mask body and a pair of eyeglass lenses contained in the mask body. The mask body has a substantial headband shape. The mask body includes a front portion and a pair of support arms. Strip headband eyeglasses include a strip of material and a pair of eyeglass lenses. A top of the pair of eyeglass lenses are secured to the strip of material. Fabric covered headband eyeglasses include a fabric body and a pair of eyeglass lenses retained in the fabric body. Styled rod headband eyeglasses include a rod body and a pair of eyeglass lenses retained in the rod body. The rod body includes a bridge rod, a first lens retainer, a first support arm, a second lens retainer and a second support arm. The headband eyeglasses are worn as either a headband or as eyeglasses/sunglasses. Reversible headband eyeglasses may be worn upside down.
US08096650B2
The present disclosure provides a method for controlling printing in a solid ink jet printing system. The method comprises forming a first ink image and a second ink image on a transfer surface; passing a receiving substrate through a first nip simplex path of a first ink jet printer at a first print speed; exerting a first pressure on the receiving substrate in the first nip to transfer the first ink image from the transfer surface to a first side of the receiving substrate; moving the receiving substrate through an inverter path; passing the receiving substrate through a second nip simplex path of a second ink jet printer at a second print speed; and, exerting a second pressure on the receiving substrate in the second nip to transfer the second ink image from the transfer surface to a second side of the receiving substrate.
US08096645B2
A fluid ejection device ejecting a fluid, the fluid ejection device includes: a fluid ejection unit; a main chassis case; a fluid-containing pack; a container case; and a plurality of holders. The fluid ejection unit ejects a fluid onto an ejection target. The main chassis case houses the fluid ejection unit. The fluid-containing pack contains a fluid for ejection. The container case houses the fluid-containing pack. The plurality of holders is disposed inside the container case. Each of a plurality of holders includes an incline panel that inclines toward the inside base plane, and the fluid-containing pack rests on the incline panel.
US08096644B2
A print head, which ejects ink by using a method whereby a bubble generated by a heat generating element communicates with the air, and for which the occurrence of cavitation is deterred and the durability is improved, is provided. According to the print head, a bubble grows until the maximum volume is attained, and then, at a volume reduction step, communicates with the air. As a result, a liquid in a bubble generation chamber is ejected. An ejection port and the heat generating element are arranged so that the center of the ejection port is shifted away from the center of the heat generating element in a direction leading from an ink supply port to the ejection port.
US08096643B2
A fluid ejection device includes a fluid chamber, a resistor formed within the fluid chamber, and an orifice communicated with the fluid chamber, wherein the fluid ejection device is adapted to eject drops of a non-aqueous fluid, and wherein a ratio of a square root of an area of the resistor to a diameter of the orifice is in a range of approximately 1.75 to approximately 2.25.
US08096642B2
An inkjet nozzle includes a first wafer having active drive circuitry together with an ink jet print nozzle formed therein; a second wafer having an ink channel formed therein; and a paddle layer sandwiched between the first and second wafers in a chamber complementarily defined by the wafers. The paddle layer is in signal communication with the active drive circuitry so that ink supplied via the ink channel is ejected via the print nozzle upon actuation of the paddle layer by the circuitry. The first wafer includes a silicon wafer upon which is fabricated an epitaxial boron doped layer, an epitaxial silicon layer, drive transistors and distribution circuitry forming a CMOS logic and drive transistor level, and a silicon nitride layer.
US08096635B2
The present invention relates to a duplex printer. The printer includes a support assembly and a pair of printheads mounted for movement with respect to the support assembly and configured to each eject ink upon print media. A print media feed mechanism is configured to feed the print media between the printheads during printing. A pair of movably mounted capping members is configured to cap respective printheads. A printhead movement actuating mechanism is configured to move the printheads into position for capping. A capping member actuating mechanism is configured to move the capping members into position for engagement with the moved printheads.
US08096628B2
A latching mechanism is particularly suited for use in latching a slide mechanism, such as used to slidably mount a drawer. The latching mechanism includes a latch assembly comprising a latch lever mounted for movement between a first, second and third positions, a latch tab for selective engagement with a second end of the latch lever, and a piezo electric controller. The controller has a plunger configured to selectively control the movement of the latch lever between the first and second positions, the plunger movable between an extended position corresponding to a first, locked position of the latch lever and a retracted position corresponding to the second, unlocked position of the latch lever, the controller when unpowered preventing the plunger from moving from the extended to the retracted position and the controller when powered permitting the plunger to move from the extended to the retracted position.
US08096623B2
A protection structure for outer shell of a hub comprises: a hub and an outer shell mounted at one end of the hub, the outer shell is provided at one end close to the hub with an enlarged flange, on an outer peripheral surface of the outer shell are annularly and spaced-apart formed a plurality of splines and at least one positioning rib, at least at one side of each splines is disposed with a protecting member whose material is different from that of the outer shell. By such arrangements, the protecting member can be assembled with a sprocket to prevent the sprocket from touching the splines. Thus, damages of the outer shell of the hub are prevented.
US08096619B2
A foldable leisure chair includes a seat unit having a pair of side frames, a pair of armrest members connected pivotally and respectively to the side frames, and a pair of support units. Each support unit includes a coupling seat defining a receiving space therein and having a pivot end part that is connected pivotally to a respective side frame, a seat-engaging rod having an engaging end part that extends telescopically into the receiving space and a connecting end part that is connected pivotally to a corresponding armrest member, and an adjusting mechanism disposed in the receiving space for positioning the seat-engaging rod relative to the coupling seat so as to maintain the corresponding armrest member at a selected one of a plurality of angular positions relative to the respective side frame.
US08096618B2
A recliner mechanism for use with a vehicle seat having a floor striker engaging bottom and a pivotally associated seatback. A seatback is pivotally secured to a fixed support and includes an arcuate lower surface upon which are defined teeth. A pawl is pivotally secured to the support and includes an upper surface with additional inter-engaging teeth when the seatback is in an upright position. A release cam secures to the support proximate a recessed underside location of the pawl and maintains the pawl in locking engagement with the seatback sector in a first position. The release cam rotates to cause the pawl to pivot out of engagement with the seatback, allowing it to pivot to a dump position opposing the seat bottom and concurrent with the seat bottom releasing from the floor striker and tumbling to a forward rotated position. A floor latch release lever is also pivotally secured to the support and, upon being contacted by the release cam, in turn pivots so that an end feature displaces to prevent the locking pawl from pivoting in a reverse direction against the seatback. The release lever reverse pivots in response to the seat bottom reengaging the floor striker, causing the pawl to reverse pivot its teeth into reengagement with the seatback upon the latter rotating back to the upright position.
US08096617B2
A seat is disclosed herein. The seat includes a seat cushion frame assembly. The seat also includes a seat cushion mounted on the seat cushion frame assembly for pivoting movement about a cushion pivoting axis. The seat also includes a cushion lock operably disposed to selectively lock the seat cushion frame assembly and the seat cushion relative to one another and thereby prevent the pivoting movement. The cushion lock defines a plurality of locked positions such that the seat cushion is positionable in a plurality of different orientations relative to the seat cushion frame assembly.
US08096612B2
A releasing device for a table part of a seat system for passenger vehicles. In a releasing device for a table part of a seat system for passenger vehicles, in particular for aircraft, comprising seat components such as a seat structure, a seat part, a seat back and an armrest, the position of at least one of these seat components being adjustable, wherein the table part is arranged on the seat structure to be tiltable between an operative position and a stowed position, the table part can be secured in the stowed position by means of a locking device which, for releasing the table part into its operative position, can be actuated by the adjustment movement of at least one armrest.
US08096611B2
A vehicle front-part structure comprises a radiator support upper (5) which extends in a vehicle width direction in a vehicle front, a cowl (9) which is coupled to an apron upper member (2) provided on a side in the vehicle width direction and extending in a vehicle lengthwise direction, and which is located to rearward of the vehicle (1) further than the radiator support upper, and a hood framework (21) which constitutes a part of the hood inner panel (17). The hood framework extends in the vehicle lengthwise direction, the hood framework is disposed between the radiator support upper and the cowl such that at least a part of a front end-face (21a) faces the radiator support upper and at least a part of a rear end-face (21b) faces the cowl.
US08096610B2
A device for securing a rear seat within a cab of a vehicle, comprising a crossmember configured for attachment to a floor pan of the vehicle, the crossmember cooperating with the floor pan to provide a cavity for storing items within the cab. When the crossmember is attached to the floor pan and the rear seat is attached to the crossmember, the crossmember is contained within the space between the seat and the floor pan without extending into a passenger leg room area.
US08096609B2
The construction machine according to the invention is distinguished by the fact that an air-processing apparatus (28) is arranged outside the cab (9) on the machine frame (2), wherein a device (13, 22) for feeding processed and/or fresh air into the cab and used air from the cab is provided, said device having a feed air duct for processed air for the cab and a discharge air duct for used air from the cab. The feed air duct of the air-processing apparatus (13, 22) is connected to the outlet (28C) of the air-processing apparatus (28) and the discharge air duct is connected to the inlet (28B) of the air-processing apparatus. In a construction machine whose control station is rotatably arranged on the machine frame, the arrangement with the air-processing apparatus outside the cab has the decisive advantage that it is not necessary to run hoses and/or lines between the rotatable cab and the machine frame. A preferred embodiment of the construction machine provides for the feed and discharge air duct of the air-processing apparatus (13, 22) to have an outer section (30) which is formed by a component connected to the machine frame in a rotationally fixed manner and an inner section (31) which is formed by a component connected to the cab in a rotationally fixed manner, wherein the outer section encloses the inner section. Thus concentric air conduction via the swivel joint of the control station is possible.
US08096608B2
In a working vehicle having a tilt floor, a torsion bar has one end mounted on the tilt floor and the other end thereof mounted on a base frame, and is disposed on the tilt floor which is tilted up and down relative to the base frame. In a maximally opened position where the tilt floor is tilted up and a closed position where the tilt floor is tilted down, a position of a barycenter (G) of the tilt floor on which the driving room (C) is disposed is opposite from each other relative to a turning center of the tilt floor across the top dead center.
US08096607B2
A system that attaches an edge-supported curved metal plate floor to a load carrying body of a vehicle, such as a truck or rail wagon, is disclosed. The attachment system includes a series of tensile members that are connected directly or indirectly at opposite ends to the plate floor and the body of the vehicle. The tensile members principally transfer forces from the floor plate to the body.
US08096605B2
A sliding door for a vehicle such as a motor vehicle, on its inside has a guide rail which is mounted longitudinally displaceable in a slide. A hinge shackle is swivel mounted between the door and the vehicle. A state quantity of the vehicle is provided and the travel of the sliding door is established based on the state quantity.
US08096600B2
A pick-up style utility vehicle has a driver's seat, a seat next to the driver's seat, one or more passenger seats behind the driver's seat, and a cargo bed. Each of all the passenger seats and the seat next to the driver's seat is independently changeable between a first state in which the seat is seatable and a second state in which the seat is retracted so that an occupied space of the seat can be used as part of the cargo bed. Preferably, a screen shield partitioning the cargo bed and a riding space in front of the cargo bed is provided. The screen shield is divided into left and right screen shield members.
US08096599B2
A stowable table unit system for a motor vehicle comprises a table portion, a support leg portion, and a lifting mechanism. The table portion has a top surface and a bottom surface. The lifting mechanism connects to the table portion and positions the table portion between a stowed position and a deployed position. The support leg moves between a stored position within the bottom surface of the table portion when the table portion is in the stowed position and an extended position when the table portion is in the deployed position.
US08096590B2
A seal material and a washer are fitted on a piping main body of a first piping, a bead portion is inserted into a bead portion insertion hole and the seal material and the washer are inserted into a seal material insertion hole. In this state, a female screw is threaded onto a male screw until a piping side stopper and a nut side stopper are abutted, and the nut member is joined to a piping side tube portion. In a state where the piping side stopper and the nut side stopper are abutted, the seal material is compressed in an axial direction via the washer by the small diameter tube portion and the seal material pressure-contact surface. The seal material is elastically joined to an outer circumferential surface of the piping main body and an inner circumferential surface of the bead portion insertion hole in a radial direction.
US08096582B2
A carrier rack for a vehicle is provided that includes a tubular frame member and a plurality of strapping members. The tubular frame member includes at least four corner portions and defines an outer perimeter of the carrier rack and also defines a carrier plane. Each of the strapping members is secured to a respective one of the corner portions, and is spaced apart from the carrier plane and positioned entirely interior of the outer perimeter of the carrier rack. The carrier plane is generally horizontally oriented, and each of the strapping members is below the carrier plane, when the carrier rack is attached to a vehicle and oriented to carry objects.
US08096580B2
An airbag device may include a gas generator comprising: an initiator that is activated by an impact on a vehicle; an ignition agent that is ignited by the initiator; an ignition agent housing chamber that houses the ignition agent; a gas generating agent that is ignited and burned by the ignition agent; and a combustion chamber housing the gas generating agent. An airbag may be inflated by a gas generated by the combustion of the gas generating agent. Further, the ignition agent housing chamber is only partially filled with the ignition agent, thereby forming a space in the ignition agent housing chamber that is not filled with the ignition agent.
US08096574B2
An air bag system for a vehicle including a cover for housing an air bag in a folded state along a side of a roof of the vehicle is provided. The cover includes a pair of opposed walls approximately parallel to each other, a connection wall that connects the pair of the opposed walls, an opening that is defined by the pair of the opposed walls and opens downward, a bent section that is formed to be bent three-dimensionally upward and inward so as to go along a face shape of the vehicle body where the cover is installed, at least one load transmission part that is provided on the connection wall so as to transmit a load from a vehicle interior side to a vehicle exterior side, and a locking portion that is provided on the load transmission part on the vehicle exterior side.
US08096571B1
A tractor hitch assembly comprises a drawbar with a hydraulic pump mounted to a pump mount extending below the drawbar and drawbar couplers formed thereon. A trailer tongue coupler is pivotally connected to the drawbar for pivoting about a roll axis and a yaw axis. The tongue of a trailer is removably securable to the trailer tongue coupler in a plurality of selected vertical alignments. The trailer tongue is formed integral with a main beam of the trailer frame extending the length of the trailer.
US08096570B2
A cable actuator comprises a housing, a handle, and a locking pin. The handle is pivotally connected to the housing and is moveable between a released position and a locked position. The handle has a slot that terminates in a locking detent. The locking pin has a first end configured to pass through the slot and a second end configured to engage the locking detent. The locking pin is biased toward engagement with the locking detent such that when the lever is pivoted to the locked position, the locking detent aligns with the locking pin permitting the second end to engage the locking detent.
US08096569B2
A convertible cycling-stroller apparatus is provided. The convertible cycling-stroller apparatus includes a two-part frame; at least one wheel each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the first frame; at least one wheel each rotably mounted on the at least one axle on the second frame; a riding seat; a drive mechanism; at least one handlebar post attached to the first frame; and a carrier attachable to the first frame.
US08096567B2
A carrier housing for receiving a drive shaft that is drivingly coupled to a drive axle is provided, where the carrier housing is also connected to a sub-frame. To provide an adjustable relationship between the carrier housing and the sub-frame, the carrier housing further comprises a cover gear that may be removably coupled to a ring gear, which is attached to the sub-frame. By removing either the cover gear or the ring gear, the carrier housing may be repositioned with respect to the sub-frame.
US08096563B2
A recreation device, used for sliding downhill on a surface, on which the rider is suspended above the surface, either in a generally horizontal position—face up or face down—or in a reclined position, thereby providing the rider with a unique experience or sensation. The winter recreation device comprises a slide member having a top and a low friction bottom adapted for sliding on the surface, a support connected to the top of the slide member and extending upward away from the slide member, and a harness suspended from the support, wherein the support and harness are adapted to suspend a user of the apparatus above the surface.
US08096558B2
This is a game combining darts, a game board, a non-standard dartboard, and non-standard cards to simulate a football game. The dartboard includes a center scoring region at the center of the dartboard, concentric rings of varying radii surrounding the center scoring region, and multiple scoring regions within each ring labeled with either a yardage target label or an alphabetic label describing a state of play. The cards include starting yard line cards, yard line cards, red zone cards, interception or fumble cards, and penalty cards. The yard line cards indicate on one side of each card a yard range on a simulated football field corresponding to a player's position on this field and on an opposite side of each card a plurality of yardage targets to be achieved by the player by means of darts thrown at the dart board.
US08096553B2
A sheet stacking apparatus includes a gripper configured to discharge a sheet, a plurality of stacker trays arranged in a row and configured to stack the discharged sheet, and a guiding unit configured to guide the discharged sheet to a predetermined position. The plurality of stacking trays are horizontally arranged so that a large number of sheets can be stacked without increasing the size of the sheet stacking apparatus.
US08096549B2
In an image generating apparatus, a push-up member for pushing up a paper and bringing the same into contact with a paper feed roller includes a first push-up member, a second push-up member and a torsion coil spring, a second engaging portion of the second push-up member is rotatably engaged with a first engaging portion of the first push-up member, a second spring engaging portion of the second push-up member is engaged with a coil portion of the torsion coil spring, and a first spring engaging portion of the first push-up member is engaged with a first arm portion of the torsion coil spring.
US08096546B2
A paper sheet pickup device includes a pickup belt configured to run along one of accumulated paper sheets, which is positioned at the most downstream side with respect to a direction of accumulation, and a negative pressure chamber provided inside the pickup belt. The negative pressure chamber is connected to a pump, and a valve unit is interposed therebetween. Further, an air inlet tube is connected to the negative pressure chamber for supplying air therein.
US08096543B2
A post-processing apparatus including: a first conveyance section which superposes a plurality of paper sheets conveyed from an image forming apparatus, and conveys with superposed state; a second conveyance section which conveys the paper sheets, sheet by sheet; a switching section which switches to convey the paper sheets either to the first or to the second conveyance section; a punch processing section which temporally stops the paper sheets from the first or the second conveyance section, and forms punch holes on the paper sheets; and a control section, wherein if determined, based on the basis weight or thickness information of the paper sheet, that the punch processing is not executable on the paper sheets with the superposed state, the control section controls to convey the paper sheets into the second conveyance section, and to execute the punch processing sheet by sheet.
US08096542B2
A method for producing perfect-bound book blocks for books or similar printed products, including driving successively arranged clamps to circulate along an endless path of a perfect binding apparatus, positioning loose book blocks composed of gathered printed sheets inside conveying units of a conveying device, supplying the book blocks upon or prior to reaching the transfer region below the endless path to the clamps of the perfect binding apparatus, the supplying including inserting the book blocks into the clamps pivoted by approximately 90° around a perpendicular axis from a processing position for the book blocks and clamping the book blocks in the clamps with spines facing downwards, and transporting the clamped book blocks in an upright position for further processing in the perfect binding apparatus. An arrangement for producing perfect-bound book blocks is also provided.
US08096539B2
An o-ring free cooling pallet for holding a carrier is disclosed. The pallet comprises a first clamp fixed to a planar surface of the pallet for coupling with a first edge of the carrier. The pallet also comprises a second clamp removably coupled to the planar surface of the pallet for coupling with a second edge of the carrier, wherein the second clamp comprises a spring mechanism for applying a force to the second edge of the carrier that is substantially parallel to the planar surface, the force for coupling the carrier to the pallet.
US08096523B2
Non-contact torque, thrust, strain, and other data sensing of a valve actuator or valve is disclosed. A sensor may include a surface acoustic wave device.
US08096518B1
A hanger support system that provides for attachment and suspension of materials from an elongated support structure such as an angle iron truss. The system includes a hanger support having a main body with means for attaching items to the hanger support, and an elongated tongue projecting upward from the main body to form a hook for hanging the hanger support upon the support structure. The hanger support further includes gussets projecting upward from the main body to engage the tongue and various bores in the main body for accepting threaded rod, or the shanks of bolts, to attach items to be suspended from the support structure.
US08096515B2
A hanging apparatus is provided that facilitates the attachment of a medical instrument to a support structure. The mechanism includes a generally longitudinal, telescoping assembly that extends outward from the back of the medical instrument and positions a rotatable arm to serve as one face of a clamp, opposing the back of the medical instrument as the second face of the clamp. The mechanism assembly includes a cylindrical shaft that extends outward against the tension force of a spring from a housing component of the assembly. A cam mechanism within the hanging apparatus allows for locking and tightening of the clamp against the support structure after closure of the clamp under the influence of the tensioning spring.
US08096514B1
A rigid support base has flat parallel top and bottom surfaces separated by a thickness. The support base has a front edge and a parallel rear edge. The support base has parallel first and second side edges. The support base has a plurality of holes including two holes adjacent to the front edge and two holes adjacent to the rear edge. A plurality of rigid rods are provided. Each rod has a lower end received and retained within an associated hole. Each rod is in a cylindrical configuration. Two elevational retainers are provided. Each elevational retainer has two holes slidably received on two rods. The elevational retainer is adapted to contact and hold a bowl on the support base.
US08096513B2
A high-lift flap of an aircraft is provided having a device for influencing the flap vortex as well as a device for influencing the flap vortex at the lateral edge of the aerodynamic high-lift flap, which can be achieved effectively and at low cost.
US08096493B2
A bail assembly for a spinning-type fishing reel is disclosed that includes a first bail arm, a second bail arm, a bail wire disposed between the first bail arm and the second bail arm, and a readily releasable attachment device disposed on the first bail arm to readily releasably attach the first bail arm to the reel.
US08096491B2
An elastomer membrane based, regulated drip emitter unit, equipped with a non-drip valve, wherein the drip emitter is characterized by that it includes an opening that is exposable to an approximate atmospheric pressure that prevails on the water outlet from the drip emitter; and an additional elastomer membrane portion that is strained and biased against the water inlet opening of the drip emitter for creating a seal with its one side for a non-drain valve and on its other (second) side it is connected to that atmospheric pressure prevailing opening, and wherein the elastomer membrane portion is movable towards that opening in order to open the water inlet opening for enabling a water flow passage from a water supply conduit to the drip emitter, and this from the specific instant that the force exerted by the water pressure prevailing in the water supply conduit on one side of that elastomer portion, overcomes the strain at which that portion was strained and biased against the water inlet opening, as well as the approximate atmospheric pressure that prevails on the other side of that elastomer portion.
US08096488B2
An improved showerhead provides a fluid diverter valve that allows quick connection and disconnection of a hand held sprayer used for cleaning shower stalls and bathrooms. The diverter valve includes a valve housing having a water inlet, a first water outlet and a second water outlet. A valve runner moves between a first position wherein the valve runner seats to permit fluid communication between the inlet and the first outlet and a second position wherein the valve runner seats to permit fluid communication between the inlet and the second outlet. The valve runner is moved from the first position to the second position substantially by gravity.
US08096480B2
Disclosed herein are a bar code encoding system and a bar code decoding system. The bar code encoding system includes a method for compressing the original data and adding data for error detection and correction to the compressed data to generate a large capacity 2-dimensional color bar code so as to be used as prints in an off-line environment and a large capacity 2-dimensional bar code pattern. The decoding system includes a method for receiving the prints including the 2-dimensional bar code generated by the encoding system through an input device such as a scanner and a camera, searching the 2-dimensional bar code to recognize it, performing color correction and error detection and correction, decompressing the compressed data to decode the original data.
US08096477B2
A semantic note taking system and method for collecting information, enriching the information, and binding the information to services is provided. User-created notes are enriched with labels, context traits, and relevant data to minimize friction in the note-taking process. In other words, the present invention is directed to collecting unscripted data, adding more meaning and use out of the data, and binding the data to services. Mutable and late-binding to services is also provided to allow private thoughts to be published to a myriad of different applications and services in a manner compatible with how thoughts are processed in the brain. User interfaces and semantic skins are also provided to derive meaning out of notes without requiring a great deal of user input. Linking physical objects to notes are also provided, such as through QR codes.
US08096473B2
An optical reader comprises a housing, at least one light source inside the housing and an image sensor whose terminus is inside the housing. The housing has a longitudinal axis and a disc-receiving portion for receiving an optical disc so that the optical disc is coaxial with the longitudinal axis. The at least one light source is positioned on the longitudinal axis to illuminate the identification code on the optical disc and be reflected therefrom. The terminus of the image sensor is also positioned on the longitudinal axis, further from the disc-receiving portion than the at least one light source, and oriented to capture the identification code within its field of view. The image sensor and the at least one light source are cooperatively configured so that the terminus of the image sensor receives light reflected from the identification code and thereby readably detects the identification code.
US08096472B2
There is described an optical assembly. In one aspect, the optical assembly can be used in an optical reader. In another aspect, the optical assembly can include a support for supporting various components.
US08096468B2
A method for conducting a transaction is disclosed. The method includes using a first portable electronic device, and directly transmitting a request for payment to a second portable electronic device through a wireless link. Then, the second portable electronic device transmits an approval of the request for payment to the first portable electronic device. One of the first and the second portable electronic devices then sends the request for payment to a payment hub service. The payment hub service then facilitates the transfer of funds from a payer institution to a payee institution to complete the transaction.
US08096464B2
A method and device for depositing a solder mass within a plated opening that is formed in a side edge of an electronic device includes the steps of carrying the solder mass in a carrier device and orienting the carrier device with respect to the side edge such that the solder mass is aligned with the plated opening. The method further includes reflowing the solder mass to cause the solder mass to be deposited and securely held within the plated opening and then removing the carrier device leaving the solder mass behind within the plated opening and along the side edge of the electronic device.
US08096462B2
A modified ultrasonic bonding machine and process uses a sharpened bonding wedge to perform cutting of short material. The sharpened wedge is controlled by the same position control device control used to position the bonding wedge for bonding. The software is modified to permit selection of bonding or cutting, and the bonding wedge is replaced with a cutting wedge. The modified ultrasonic bonding machine allows the operator to use the automated system of the machine to do the cutting, and the precision gained ensures that no damage to the parts is caused by the cutting process.
US08096456B2
A fastener driving tool arranged to drive fasteners into a workpiece includes a support, a pair of sub-assemblies movably mounted on the support, each sub-assembly comprising a motor and an associated flywheel, and a nose part retractable relative to the support. The tool is arranged such that, in use, when the nose part is retracted, its movement relative to the support mechanically forces the sub-assemblies toward each other. The forcing of the sub-assemblies toward each other by the retraction of the nose part may move the sub-assemblies from an inoperative position to an operative position.
US08096453B2
A security holster for use with a handgun. A locking device secures and engages various safety features of the handgun, and retains it in the holster until released by the user. The security holster provides for one handed insertion and withdrawal of a handgun, and prevents unauthorized removal of the handgun. An audible indication of insertion and locking is provided by the locking mechanism security holster.
US08096450B2
A fluid spray device comprising a reservoir (10) containing fluid; a pump or a valve (20) mounted on the reservoir (10) by means of a fixing ring (30) for selectively dispensing the fluid; and a dispenser head (40) including a dispenser orifice (45), the device further comprising an actuator device (50) that is displaceable between a rest position and a dispensing position, the actuator device (50) being displaced in a direction that is different from the direction in which the fluid is sprayed through the dispenser orifice (45), said fluid spray device being characterized in that said actuator device (50) is formed on the dispenser head (40), and co-operates with the fixing ring (30), or with an element secured thereto, in order to actuate the pump or the valve (20).
US08096444B2
A product discharge and delivery system for a vending machine includes a product delivery cup including a carriage portion and a shroud portion having an open bottom section and a discharge element. After receiving a selected product, the product delivery cup is shifted toward a dispensing chamber causing the discharge element to engage with a discharge member mounted within the vending machine. Engagement of the discharge element and discharge member causes the shroud portion to pivot relative to the carrier portion exposing the open bottom section allowing a selected product to release into a dispensing chamber. A delivery port is mounted in the dispensing chamber that rotated between a product receiving position and a product delivery position.
US08096439B2
A rechargeable battery, such as a 12 Volt battery that is recharged by a solar panel, is placed into a container system that includes an enclosure, having a top portion that is open and a bottom portion that is open, that is substantially buried underground. A sleeve, having a bottom portion that is open and a top portion that is closed, is lowered into the enclosure such that air is trapped inside the top portion of the sleeve when water collects against the enclosure. The trapped air prevents flood water from rising high enough to contact terminals of the battery. When flood conditions subside, the water drains out the bottom portion of the container system into the ground. Additionally, a ridge around the bottom of the sleeve makes it easier to insert the sleeve into the enclosure because the ridge slides over the dirt and debris, but the ridge scrapes and removes unwanted dirt and debris from the enclosure whenever the sleeve is removed to access the battery. A battery platform may be used to raise a battery higher into the sleeve. The entire container system can be completely buried underground, but access to a battery in the container only requires that the dirt covering the top most part of container be removed, and then the sleeve is simply lifted out of the enclosure without having to dig around the enclosure.
US08096431B2
A draft gear assembly for cushioning buff and draft dynamic impact forces being applied to a center sill member of the railway vehicle during make-up of a train consist and in-track operation of such train consist includes a resilient cushioning member and a friction mechanism both axially mounted within the yoke with the friction mechanism positioned between the front end of the resilient cushioning member and the front coupler follower. A pair of the resilient cushioning members with the friction mechanism mounted therebetween may also be provided.
US08096429B2
A rack for comestible fluids with conduit portals in front and rear rails for passage and support of the conduits passing from the fluid container to the pump.
US08096427B2
An integrated “T” assembly combines into a single integrated assembly, a track portion along both sides of a divider. The T assembly may have a wide-base portion, which may include a spring-urged-pusher track, on one side of the divider and a narrow-base portion on the opposite side of the divider. An offset pusher may have an upper portion that is offset, via an angled offset portion, from a lower portion of the pusher. Additional supporting bases, any of which may include spring-urged-pusher tracks and/or a spring-urged pusher, may be used under a wide product. Left and right side finisher components may be paired with T assemblies near the sides of a merchandise-display shelf. The T assembly, base, and/or end finishers may be coupled to a front rail via a complimentary tongue and groove arrangement and/or a non-slidable engagement.
US08096424B2
Using the methods of the invention, an elastomeric polymer is dissolved in a suitable solvent, cast in one of the membrane casting techniques using a phase inversion technique, and immersed in a coagulation bath comprised of suitable solvent/non-solvent pairs (e.g., THF/water and ethanol). Asymmetric membranes having a dense discriminating layer and a thicker porous support layer suitable for application in pervaporation processes were obtained in a single step. An increase of the polymer concentration in the casting solution gives a more dense layer. When cast as formed using the methods of the invention, the membrane obtained is an integrally skinned membrane comprising a thin, dense separation layer over a porous support layer (asymmetric membrane) formed in a single casting operation. The resulting membrane is homogenous with respect to chemical composition.
US08096409B2
The invention relates to a transporting apparatus for transporting products, which includes a linear drive mechanism, a continuous conveyor system, having two parallel straight conveyor regions and two curved conveyor regions each connecting one end of the straight conveyor regions, and a plurality of conveyor elements. The conveyor elements extend along the continuous conveyor system and convey the products to be conveyed along at least a portion of the conveyor system while being guided along a guide path. The linear drive mechanism includes a first linear segment and a second linear segment, which are disposed parallel to the straight conveyor regions. The curved conveyor regions of the conveyor system are advantageously embodied as driveless.
US08096404B2
An apparatus for resorting piece goods assortments comprises a supply device, which transports along a first predefined transport path a piece goods assortment containing a plurality of piece goods arranged in predefined geometric positions, and at least one redistribution unit arranged at least partially downstream of the supply device along the transport path of the piece goods assortment. The redistribution unit comprises at least one pick-up element for picking up an individual item of piece goods of the piece goods assortment or a group of piece goods of the piece goods assortment, and a discharge device which is arranged downstream of the redistribution unit along the transport path. The pick-up element of the redistribution unit is movable in at least two different directions. The pick-up element removes individual piece goods or groups of piece goods from the piece goods assortment and transfers said piece goods to the discharge device.
US08096403B2
The invention relates to a machine for orienting and aligning articles, of the type that comprises: orientation cavities which can move along a closed path and which are equipped with an upper inlet for loading articles and an open base through which the articles can pass, a plurality of aligning conduits which are disposed below the orientation cavities, means for temporarily supporting the articles in the orientation cavities and for dropping same into the conduits, and support and/or end stop elements in each of the orientation cavities. In addition, each of the cavities comprises several seats or housings at different positions for receiving a first support and/or end stop element of the aforementioned support and/or end stop elements and retaining means for retaining said first support and/or end stop element in any of the seats or housings.
US08096401B2
A mechanical pallet lift, such as incorporated into a conveyor driven process, having a base. A lower frame is displaceably supported upon the base and includes a first plurality of upwardly extending and spaced apart walls. An upper frame includes a second plurality of downwardly extending and spaced apart walls which nest in offsetting fashion with the first plurality of walls in an initial position. A rotary driven crank includes a first linkage elevating the upper frame so that the second walls are located above the first walls, a second linkage successively displacing the lower frame to cause the first walls to align with the second walls concurrent with the first linkage reverse lowering the upper frame to seat upon the lower frame. A limit stroke bracket surrounds the base includes column supports which, upon shifting in the elevated position, are engaged by horizontal exterior supports mounted to said upper frame upon reverse actuating of said crank at an intermediate elevated position.
US08096393B2
In the breakdown preventive mechanism of a rotary damper, when the upper rotor is rotated in one direction, a communication path is formed between the valve body and the lower rotor, and the pressure in the pressure chamber is formed between the lower rotor and the lower housing is lowered, and rotation is easily performed. When the upper rotor is rotated in another direction, the viscous fluid does not flow between the valve body and the lower rotor, and the pressure in the pressure chamber formed between the lower rotor and the lower housing is raised. As a result, the viscous fluid pushes down the relief valve and a cage type relief valve by resisting the elastic element, and thereby prevents breakdown of the rotary damper.
US08096381B2
A motorcycle including a propelling group or engine, a saddle support, a support for the rear wheel and a front directional group including a handlebar integral to a steering headstock functionally associated to a supporting organ of the vehicle front wheel. The front group is connected to a box-like body incorporating the function of filtering box, constrained to the engine and apt to support the latter by connecting it, therethrough, to the front directional group. The support for the rear wheel and the saddle support being constrained to the engine. The vehicle not equipped with additional members apt to constrain the engine to the front directional group.
US08096379B2
The disclosure includes a force assist arrangement for a slidable coupling, a slidable coupling including the force assist arrangement, and a machine including respectively slidable portions, such as, the slidable coupling, and the force assist arrangement. The force assist arrangement includes at least first and second links pivotably coupled together at one end and to the respectively slidable portions at the other ends, and a force assist device pivotably coupled to the links along their respective lengths.
US08096378B2
A golf bag vehicle includes a vehicle body and a driving wheel. The vehicle body includes an axle mounting on a lower portion thereof. The driving wheel includes a wheel frame, a motor and a wheel circle. The wheel frame detachably connects to the axle, and has an inner room. The motor mounts inside the inner room, for electrically connecting with a power supply. The wheel circle receives the wheel frame therein, and is rotatable with respect to the wheel frame. The wheel circle connects with the motor, and is driven by the motor, so that the driving wheel forms a self-driven structure.
