US08208493B2

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for transmitting broadcast data in a digital broadcasting service system. The apparatus includes a server terminal for receiving a digital broadcast transport stream from a digital broadcast service provider, removing a header used for the digital broadcast reception from the received broadcast stream, and transmitting a stream of broadcast data from which the header has been removed; and at least one client terminal for accessing the server terminal through an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and receiving and outputting the stream of broadcast data from which the header has been removed. The apparatus enables the user to view DVB-H broadcasts through an existing terminal, even without buying a terminal having the ability to receive a DVB-H transport stream.
US08208485B2

A routing method of a wireless network system is provided. Paths of the wireless network system are divided into down-stream and up-stream paths. The up-stream paths are reset for each period, or whenever a network is changed, or whenever transmission of data fails more than a predetermined number of times. Accordingly, it is possible to secure an average lifetime of a wireless network system by previously preventing a bottleneck from occurring at a specific node, increase a transmission speed of data by reducing the hop count to the sink node connected to the information collector, and reduce power consumption of a battery.
US08208481B2

In one embodiment, a system may determine receiver identifiers to identify affected receivers, where each of affected receivers failed to receive a packet identified within a packet stream. A loss signature may identify the packet. Each of the affected receivers may be identified by a corresponding one of the receiver identifiers. The system may also determine a packet loss location of the packet from a network topology tree. The network topology tree may include a model of a logical network over which the packet stream was transmitted from a stream source to the affected receivers. The packet loss location may correspond to a lowest common ancestor node of at least two of the affected receivers.
US08208478B2

A system for enabling communication between an underwater fluid extraction facility and a remote location comprises a fiber-optic cable connected between the facility to the remote location, signal transmission means at the remote location for transmitting signals to the fiber-optic cable, a distribution hub for receiving signals from the other end of the cable and at least one secondary hub located at the facility in communication with the distribution hub. Communication between the facility and the remote location is effected using a Local Area Network. Preferably Ethernet signalling is used throughout the network.
US08208474B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting a packet in a mobile communication system. A transmitting side allocates a short sequence number for an initial transmission packet using some bits among bits of a predetermined length for expressing a sequence number of the packet, and sets a first flag indicating use of the short sequence number. The transmitting side inserts the short sequence number and the first flag into the packet, and transmits the packet to a receiving side.
US08208472B2

A method is provided for setting up a network for Internet Protocol (IP) communication between mobile terminals. A first mobile terminal determines a second mobile terminal that will communicate with the first mobile terminal. The first mobile terminal generates network setup information of the first mobile terminal for the IP communication and performs network setup using the network setup information. The first mobile terminal generates a network setup message including network setup information of the second mobile terminal, and sends the network setup message to the second mobile terminal.
US08208469B2

A system that allows information of MPLS layers to be reported to PW layers by providing a function having a correlation between MPLS layers and PW layers. A PE uses MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) tunneling and label technology to map a communication service to MPLS, thereby providing bidirectional services on an end-to-end basis. a communication system comprising the PE to perform label assignment control for bidirectional services, the PE to transmit, after completion of assignment control, a message in which the LDP message used in assignment control is a payload and a tunnel-directed label (L2) used by bidirectional services is a header and the PE to associate, on the basis of the received LDP message used in assignment control, a service-directed label (P1) included in the LDP message with the received tunnel-directed label (L2) in the part where the message is terminated.
US08208466B2

A protocol circuit layer is described. The protocol circuit layer may employ a routing layer to determine optimal routes when establishing a circuit. The circuit layer may employ a link layer to send data packets over links to other network nodes. A naming layer may employ circuits to establish a distributed database of associations between network node addresses and their network locations.
US08208461B2

An SS7-based call protocol conversion gateway that translates between circuit-switched SS7 protocols and session initiation protocol (SIP) oriented protocol, allowing an E911 call initiated over a switched network to be routed by a VoIP network. The SS7-based call protocol conversion gateway provides a PSAP with MSAG quality (street address) information about a VoIP dual mode phone user without the need for a wireless carrier to invest in building out an entire VoIP core. Thus, wireless carriers may continue signaling the way they are today, i.e., using the J-STD-036 standard for CDMA and GSM in North America, yet see benefits of a VoIP network core, i.e., provision of MSAG quality location data to a PSAP.
US08208460B2

Methods and systems are provided for in-band signaling of at least two simultaneous digital media streams in a network, the two simultaneous streams being a part of a media session. Each of the at least two simultaneous streams is generated from a corresponding source. The generated simultaneous streams are synchronized by using a unique marker packet. Each synchronized stream is transmitted to a destination corresponding to each source.
US08208456B2

A method and an arrangement for obtaining efficient radio resource utilization in a communication network comprising a first communication network entity (10), a second communication network entity (15) connected to said first communication network over a communication interface and one or more user equipments (18) transmitting data to said second communication network entity (15) over a radio interface. The user equipments (18) perform the step of autonomously selecting a hybrid automatic retransmission request (HARQ) operating point in order to efficiently deliver transmitted data.
US08208450B2

Disclosed are a subscriber information management system and a method for a mobile communication service system for managing subscriber information. System comprises a subscriber information management system for a mobile communication service system that a wire terminal and a wireless terminal respectively connected with an integrating and managing server and provides at least one portal service from the integrating and managing server, the system comprising: a subscriber information management unit, wherein the subscriber information management unit is included in the integrating and managing server, and links subscriber information transmitted from the wireless terminal with subscriber information transmitted from the wire terminal using a predetermined key value.
US08208449B2

A novel solution is presented in which a MAC (Medium Access Controller) is implemented that includes multiple functionality types. This MAC may include functionality supporting communication according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) related standards and also to one or more of the standards generated by the IEEE 802.15.3 PAN (Personal Area Network) working group. By providing this dual functionality of a multi-mode WLAN/PAN MAC, a communication device may adaptively change the manner in which it communicates with other communication devices. For example, in an effort to maximize throughput and overall efficiency of communication within a communication system, certain of the various devices may change from using the WLAN related standards to using the PAN related standards, and vice versa, based on any one or more of a variety of operational parameters including system configuration.
US08208447B2

In a method and apparatus suitable to convey timely information for facilitating accurate reception of transmitted data, a pilot signal is modulated to convey information. The information may facilitate efficient interpretation of an associated traffic signal. Modulation of a pilot signal frame may be limited to ensure early detection, and/or to minimize impairment of pilot functionality. In one embodiment, a Secondary Pilot Channel (SPICH) is transmitted at one of several selectable power levels to boost effectiveness of a phase reference, and is modulated to indicate the selected level. Such timely information enables prompt optimal combining of the SPICH with a primary Pilot Channel (PICH), and/or permits processing efficiencies for an associated traffic channel. Pilot signal frames may be transmitted at a predetermined level during a detection preamble portion of a frame to ensure accurate and early detection, and at a more optimal level thereafter.
US08208445B2

A mobile station according to the present invention includes: a communication unit (14) configured to start a first communication using information included in a MIB, a SIB 1 and handover command in a handover-target cell when a broadcast information reception unit (12) succeeds in receiving the SIB 1, and to perform a second communication using information included in the MIB and the handover command in the handover-target cell when the broadcast information reception unit (12) fails to receive the SIB 1.
US08208443B2

A method for cell reselection from a serving cell to another cell in a radio access network covering a geographical area divided into a plurality of cells, the method comprising: attempting to reselect to a first other cell with a higher rank value than the serving cell; setting up a channel on the first other cell and initiating a completion period; conditional on the completion period expiring before the first other cell is identified as being a suitable cell, receiving cell measurements for cells and creating a cell ranking list of the cells based on rank values of the cells; conditional on a second other cell having a higher rank value than the serving cell or first other cell, attempting to reselect to the second other cell.
US08208440B2

The present invention relates to performing handover of a mobile terminal to a network. Preferably, the present invention generates a first heterogeneous protocol message from a heterogeneous network handover module to a medium access control (MAC) of the mobile terminal, wherein the heterogeneous network handover module is configured to provide convergence of information from at least one network interface module associated with one of a homogeneous and heterogeneous network into a unified presentation. A management request associated with a handover process is then transmitted to a serving network, wherein the management request comprises the first heterogeneous protocol message. Accordingly, messages can be remotely exchanged via a radio section between heterogeneous network handover modules of a mobile terminal and a serving network. Therefore, messages are transferred faster and media independent handover is performed more quickly.
US08208439B2

A method includes operating a receiver connected with nr receive antennas to receive uplink signals from K users having nt transmit antennas each; and scheduling which users are to transmit in a same time-frequency-code slot. A particular user pairing configuration is denoted by π within a set of all configurations Π, and scheduling includes expressing mutual information as an additive objective function and maximizing the additive objective function over a particular choice of πεΠ.
US08208433B2

A method and apparatus i.e. Base Station for allocating resources in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes generating a plurality of first groups of allocation units based on one or more of a plurality of Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCSs) and traffic characteristics in the wireless communication system. The method further includes generating a second group of slots including resource allocation information for mapping first groups of allocation units to Mobile Stations (MSs) based on MCSs and traffic characteristics associated with first groups of allocation units and the MSs. Thereafter, the method persistently allocates each first group of allocation units to the MSs based on one or more of the resource allocation information and a communication state associated with each MS. Further, the method also identifies if each MS has succeeded in decoding the persistent resource allocation sent in the second group of slots.
US08208429B2

A method of performing initial ranging in a wireless communication system includes transmitting a ranging request message and receiving a ranging response message including a temporary identifier for a mobile station which transmits the ranging request message. By using the temporary identifier which identifies the mobile station before establishing authentication, it is possible to prevent the MAC address from being exposed to a malicious attacker through a wireless interface and to secure location privacy.
US08208417B2

The invention relates to a method for transmitting data in a transmission interval (201) using a plurality of time slots (202) and a plurality of transmission channels (203) to a receiver (104A) of a radio network (100) comprising a transmitter (103) and at least one additional receiver (104B). The method according to the invention comprises the following steps: transmitting at least one data packet (204) having an embedded identification key (105) by the transmitter (103) via at least one transmission channel (203) in a time slot (202A) of the transmission interval (201), monitoring the at least one transmission channel (203) by means of the receiver (104A) for data packets (204) transmitted in the time slot (202A), said data packets having embedded identifiers (105) that are assigned to the receiver (104A), and switching the receiver (104A) to an idle state until the end of the transmission interval (201) if the receiver (104A) has received no data packet (204) with the embedded identifier (105A) assigned to the receiver (104A) during the time slot (202). The invention also relates to a radio network (100) and to a receiver (104) that are suitable for carrying out the method.
US08208414B2

A communication system comprises a first unit; and a second unit communicatively coupled to the first unit. The first unit is operable to receive a first original radio frequency signal via a first interface and the second unit is operable to receive a second original radio frequency signal via a second interface. The second unit is operable to output a first reproduced radio frequency signal via the second interface, the first reproduced radio frequency signal being derived from the first original radio frequency signal. The first unit is operable to output a second reproduced radio frequency signal via one of the first interface and a third interface, the second reproduced radio frequency signal being derived from the second original radio frequency signal. The first interface is operable as a simplex interface when the second reproduced radio frequency signal is output via the third interface and as a duplex interface when the second reproduced radio frequency signal is output via the first interface.
US08208410B1

A media portal is provided that is used to connect multimedia devices to other multimedia devices and content servers. When a call directed to a multimedia device busy in a call with the media portal is received, the media portal can provide a call waiting indication to the busy multimedia device without breaking the connection that is making the device busy. For example, if a first multimedia device is connected through the media portal to a content server providing streaming content of a football match, when a second device attempts to place a call to the first device, the media portal can provide a call waiting alert to the first device as part of, or as a substitute for, the delivery of the football match. Additionally the media portal can provide for the eventual connection of both devices while the previous call is still active.
US08208405B2

A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising transmitting a message to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the message comprises a Type-Length-Value (TLV) having a plurality of parameters, wherein the message comprises frequency dependency information for each of the parameters that is frequency dependent. Included is a method comprising communicating a message comprising a TLV to a control plane controller, wherein the TLV comprises a plurality of parameters and frequency dependency information for each of the parameters that is frequency dependent. Also included is an apparatus comprising a control plane controller configured to communicate a TLV to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the TLV indicates a plurality of parameters and frequency dependency information for each of the parameters that is frequency dependent.
US08208385B1

A method and apparatus for testing communications within a broadband network between a network edge device and a customer premises device. Network data traffic is diverted from the customer premises device to a test device. The test device emulates the customer premises device through the use of identifying data associated with the customer premises device. In one embodiment, data is diverted from the customer premises device to a test port loop back converter, which performs a DSL conversion of the data. The converted data is backhauled from the test port loop back converter to a test network edge device. The data is then sent from the test network edge device to a test customer premises device. The test customer premises device can be located at a site remote from the network edge device or can be collocated with and directly coupled to the network edge device.
US08208381B2

An improved root-cause approach to problem diagnosis in data networks in the form of a method comprising the steps of: associating each metric in a at least one set of metrics with at least one component and/or network device; obtaining values for each such metric from a monitoring system; determining whether each such metric is indicative of a problem within the data network; and ranking and correlating indicative problems to determine whether a problem may be symptomatic of another problem based on an interconnection and/or interdependency between a physical machine and a virtual machine, between components or between components and network devices.
US08208379B2

Data in a communications system including more than one higher layer data block within a lower layer protocol block is acknowledged by sending acknowledgement data and higher layer data in the same lower layer protocol block. Acknowledgement data, relating to all the higher layer data blocks in the or each lower layer protocol block, is coded according to the probability of an acknowledgement type.
US08208375B2

Several approaches to selectively filtering network traffic are described. One approach involves a system for selectively filtering network traffic. The system includes a helper application, which is coupled to a networking program, and is used to identify a user-initiated request. A network filter driver is coupled to the networking program, for intercepting the user-initiated request. A filtering service is coupled to both the helper application and the network filter driver, and is used to determine if the user-initiated request is allowable. If the request is allowable, the filtering service is configured to generate a special identifier, which the helper application is configured to include in a subsequent request. The filtering service is configured to allow a subsequent request which includes the special identifier, and the network filter driver's configured to strip a special identifier from subsequent requests.
US08208368B2

A hybrid routing protocol may be provided. A disruption tolerant mechanism may be provided for analyzing a network, detecting a disruption between nodes of the network, and activating a disruption tolerance mechanism in response to the network disruption. The disruption tolerance mechanism may comprise designating a non-disrupted network node as a cache node and routing traffic addressed to the disrupted node to the cache node for storage. Once the disrupted network node recovers from the disruption, the cache node may deliver the stored traffic to the disrupted network node.
US08208364B2

A MIMO system supports multiple spatial multiplexing modes for improved performance and greater flexibility. These modes may include (1) a single-user steered mode that transmits multiple data streams on orthogonal spatial channels to a single receiver, (2) a single-user non-steered mode that transmits multiple data streams from multiple antennas to a single receiver without spatial processing at a transmitter, (3) a multi-user steered mode that transmits multiple data streams simultaneously to multiple receivers with spatial processing at a transmitter, and (4) a multi-user non-steered mode that transmits multiple data streams from multiple antennas (co-located or non co-located) without spatial processing at the transmitter(s) to receiver(s) having multiple antennas. For each set of user terminal(s) selected for data transmission on the downlink and/or uplink, a spatial multiplexing mode is selected for the user terminal set from among the multiple spatial multiplexing modes supported by the system.
US08208363B2

A transmitter transmits data to a communicating opponent with a better channel condition with use of one or more frequency blocks including one or more carrier frequencies. The transmitter includes a communicating opponent selection unit evaluating the channel condition for each frequency block for each of plural communicating opponents and selecting one or more communicating opponents from the plurality of communicating opponents, a modulation scheme determination unit determining at least a modulation scheme depending on the evaluated channel condition, a control channel generation unit generating a control channel indicative of the determined modulation scheme and one or more frequency blocks available for the selected communicating opponents to receive a data channel, and a channel transmission unit providing the selected communicating opponents with the control channel and the data channel modulated in accordance with the modulation scheme.
US08208355B2

An information storage medium and a recording/reproducing apparatus and method are provided with the ability to extend at least one middle area of an information storage medium comprising two or more recording layers so as to ensure optimal data recording/reproduction. The information storage medium comprises a plurality of recording layers, each including a user data area for recording user data and at least one middle area used by a recording/reproducing apparatus that records/reproduces data on the information storage medium to move among two recording layers, wherein the at least one middle area is extended when the information storage medium is finalized. As a result, when an information storage medium that contains an OPC area for obtaining optimum recording conditions (such as recording power) in an outer circumference thereof is finalized, and if a middle area of the disk is not large enough, the middle area can flexibly be extended.
US08208353B2

Stable interlayer jump is realized by judging whether a signal is a false signal caused by noises, stray light, or interference of an adjacent layer or a true FE signal.
US08208351B2

An optical storage medium playback apparatus includes an optical storage access device, a connection port, and a controller. The optical storage access device is implemented for reading a multimedia content from an optical storage medium. The controller is coupled to the optical storage access device and the connection port, and is implemented for storing a portion of the multimedia content read from the optical storage medium into an external storage via the connection port when the external storage is electrically connected to the connection port, and for accessing the portion of the multimedia content which is stored in the external storage electrically connected to the connection port and performing a playback operation upon data read from the optical storage medium concurrently.
US08208349B2

A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a waveguide, a near-field optical device which emits near-field light from a near-field-light-generating end surface that forms a portion of an opposed-to-medium surface, and a magnetic pole generates write field from its end on the opposed-to-medium surface side. The near-field optical device includes a contact-to-waveguide surface, and a propagation edge configured to propagate there on the surface plasmon excited by the light. A gap between a near-field optical device-opposed surface of the magnetic pole and the propagation edge of the near-field optical device is larger at a section far from the end on the opposed-to-medium surface side than that at a section near the opposed-to-medium surface side.
US08208346B2

An assembly and method for assembling a tuning transformer (104) and printed circuit board (PCB) (108) to a transducer (110) to produce a tuned ultrasound transducer (100). The tuned ultrasound transducer allows a transducer to be made with some degree of inconsistency in its impedance magnitude and phase, but each transducer, when configured and coupled to a tuning transformer assembly, produces a signal that is substantially homogeneous.
US08208340B2

A latency counter includes an input selecting circuit that selects one of a plurality of signal paths and supplies an internal command to the selected signal path, a shift circuit that switches a correspondence relation between the signal paths and a latch circuit, and an output selecting circuit that causes the internal command taken in the latch circuit to be output. The input selection circuit includes a timing control circuit allocated to each of the signal paths. The timing control circuit includes an SR latch circuit that is set by the internal command and is reset in response to deactivation of a corresponding count value. Therefore, it becomes possible to suppress shortening of an active period of the internal command that is output from the input selecting circuit.
US08208327B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a first bitline pair equalized to a first voltage level by a first equalizer circuit, a second bitline pair equalized to a second voltage level by a second equalizer circuit, an isolation circuit disposed between the first bitline pair and the second bitline pair, the isolation unit configured to electrically connect or isolate the first bitline pair to or from the second bitline pair, and a sense amplifier electrically connected to the second bitline pair, the sense amplifier configured to sense a voltage difference of the second bitline pair, wherein the isolation circuit isolates one of the connections between the first bitline pair and the second bitline pair while the sense amplifier senses the voltage difference of the second bitline pair.
US08208326B1

Aspects of the disclosure provide an integrated circuit that is configured for parallel memory testing. The integrated circuit includes a first memory block and a first scrambler coupled to the first memory block during a memory testing. The first memory block includes a first memory array, and a first envelope configured to translate a driving address of the first memory block into a corresponding physical address of the first memory array based on a first memory configuration for using the first memory array. The first scrambler is configured to provide a first plurality of driving addresses and associated first data to the first envelope based on the first memory configuration. The first plurality of driving addresses and the first data are used to test the first memory array according to a first test pattern. Further, the integrated circuit includes a second memory block and a second scrambler coupled to the second memory block during the memory testing. The second memory block includes a second memory array, and a second envelope configured to translate a driving address into a physical address of the second memory array based on a second memory configuration for using the second memory array. The second scrambler is configured to provide a second plurality of driving addresses and associated second data to the second envelope based on the second memory configuration. The second plurality of driving addresses and the second data are used to test the second memory array according to a second test pattern.
US08208324B2

To comprise a memory cell array, a read amplifier that is provided outside the memory cell array and amplifies data read from the memory cell array, a write amplifier that is provided outside the memory cell array and amplifies data to be written in the memory cell array, and a relief storage cell that is provided outside the memory cell array and connected to an input terminal of the read amplifier and an output terminal of the write amplifier via a switch. With this configuration, a timing of operating a main amplifier and the relief storage cell does not need to be changed depending on a position of a memory block. Further, the number of components required for connecting to the relief storage cell can be minimized.
US08208320B2

A semiconductor device includes a reset sequence circuit, a latch circuit, and a reset control circuit. The reset sequence circuit is activated by receiving an externally input signal when a reset operation is started and outputs a first trigger signal. The latch circuit is capable of holding selection information on circuits capable of being reset. The selection information is externally input. The reset control circuit outputs a reset signal on the basis of the selection information held in the latch circuit in response to a power-on reset signal and the first trigger signal output from the reset sequence circuit.
US08208319B2

Circuitry and a method for indicating a multiple-type memory is disclosed. The multiple-type memory includes memory blocks in communication with control logic blocks. The memory blocks and the control logic blocks are configured to emulate a plurality of memory types. The memory blocks can be configured into a plurality of vertically stacked memory planes. The vertically stacked memory planes may be used to increase data storage density and/or the number of memory types that can be emulated by the multiple-type memory. Each memory plane can emulate one or more memory types. The control logic blocks can be formed in a substrate (e.g., a silicon substrate including CMOS circuitry) and the memory blocks or the plurality of memory planes can be positioned over the substrate and in communication with the control logic blocks. The multiple-type memory may be non-volatile so that stored data is retained in the absence of power.
US08208318B2

A system LSI (100) having a logic circuit (104) and a plurality of SRAM macros (103) includes a power supply circuit (102) configured to receive a voltage (VDDP) supplied from the outside of the system LSI (100), and to generate a stabilized voltage (VDDM) lower than the voltage (VDDP). An SRAM memory cell (103a) of each of the plurality of SRAM macros (103) is supplied with the voltage (VDDM) generated by the power supply circuit (102), and an SRAM logic circuit (103b) of each of the plurality of SRAM macros (103) is supplied with a voltage (VDD) supplied from the outside. In addition, the logic circuit (104) is supplied with the voltage (VDD) from the outside.
US08208302B2

Methods of maintaining a state of a memory cell without interrupting access to the memory cell are provided, including applying a back bias to the cell to offset charge leakage out of a floating body of the cell, wherein a charge level of the floating body indicates a state of the memory cell; and accessing the cell.
US08208295B2

A magnetic element for writing by thermally assisted magnetic field or thermally assisted spin transfer comprises a stack consisting of a free magnetic layer, also called storage layer or switchable magnetization layer, of which the magnetization direction is switchable between two nonwrite stable states, both directed out-of-plane and substantially perpendicular to the plane of said layer, and of which the magnetization is spontaneously reoriented from substantially perpendicular to the plane to substantially in the plane under the effect of the rise in temperature during the writing, at least one reference magnetic layer, called pinned layer, of which the magnetization is oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of said layer, a nonmagnetic spacer inserted between the two layers and means for making an electric current flow perpendicular to the plane of said layers.
US08208292B2

According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive element includes a first magnetic layer with a variable magnetization and an easy-axis in a perpendicular direction to a film surface, a second magnetic layer with an invariable magnetization and an easy-axis in the perpendicular direction, and a first nonmagnetic layer between the first and second magnetic layers. The first magnetic layer comprises a ferromagnetic material including an alloy in which Co and Pd, or Co and Pt are alternately laminated on an atomically close-packed plane thereof. The first magnetic layer has C-axis directing the perpendicular direction. And a magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer is changed by a current flowing through the first magnetic layer, the first nonmagnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.
US08208280B2

A nonvolatile memory device including one-time programmable (OTP) unit cell is provided. The nonvolatile memory device includes: a unit cell; a detecting unit configured to detect data from the unit cell; and a read voltage varying unit configured to vary an input voltage and supply a varied read voltage to the unit cell.
US08208279B2

A 3D memory device includes a plurality of ridge-shaped stacks, in the form of multiple strips of conductive material separated by insulating material, arranged as bit lines which can be coupled through decoding circuits to sense amplifiers. The strips of conductive material have side surfaces on the sides of the ridge-shaped stacks. A plurality of conductive lines arranged as word lines which can be coupled to row decoders, extends orthogonally over the plurality of ridge-shaped stacks. The conductive lines conform to the surface of the stacks. Memory elements lie in a multi-layer array of interface regions at cross-points between side surfaces of the conductive strips on the stacks and the conductive lines. The memory elements are programmable, like the anti-fuses or charge trapping structures. The 3D memory is made using only two critical masks for multiple layers.
US08208277B2

A memory module, system and method of forming the same includes a memory module including a plurality of memory devices having a first portion of memory devices cooperatively forming a first rank of memory devices and a second portion of memory devices cooperatively forming a second rank of memory devices. The first and second portions of memory devices are grouped into a plurality of memory device stacks, wherein each of the plurality of memory device stacks includes at least one of the plurality of memory devices coupled to a first portion of a plurality of DQ signals and at least another one of the plurality of memory devices coupled to a different second portion of the plurality of DQ signals.
US08208259B1

Cooling systems for computers are disclosed. In particular, embodiment of such cooling solutions may effectively be used in conjunction with mobile computers that have a polymer (or other type of) chassis. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention use micro vapor plates to conduct the heat generated by one or more electronic components of a mobile computer to the chassis of the mobile computer such that the heat from the electronic components is conducted into, and spread over, at least a portion of the surface of the chassis. The mobile computer can then be cooled by convection or radiation.
US08208254B2

A slide mechanism includes a first plate defining two first guiding slots, a second plate defining two second guiding slots, and two connecting bodies. Each connecting body passes through the first guiding slot and the corresponding second guiding slot to connect the first plate and the second plate, and the connecting body is slidable relative to the first guiding slot and the second guiding slot. The invention also discloses a portable electronic device applying the slide mechanism.
US08208247B2

An unloading mechanism includes a base and a pushing component installed on the base for pushing an electronic component out of a computer device. The unloading mechanism further includes a latch for latching the pushing component. When the electronic component pushes a first end of the pushing component in a first direction, a second end of the pushing component drives the latch to move in a second direction. The unloading mechanism further includes a first resilient component connected between the latch and the base for driving the latch to move in a direction opposite to the second direction, and a second resilient component connected between the pushing component and the base for driving the pushing component to move in a direction opposite to the first direction.
US08208245B2

A tablet computer is composed of a tablet component and a keyboard component. The tablet component houses all of the essential hardware of tablet computer including the central processing unit (CPU), the memory, the power supply, and a touch screen display. The keyboard component is a simple peripheral device that offers no computing functionality unless connected with the tablet component. The tablet component and keyboard component can mate to form a notebook-type computer. The tablet component and keyboard component can mate in an orientation allowing use of only a tablet computing user interface. The tablet component is removable from the keyboard component and functions independently as a tablet computing device. The keyboard component has a counterbalance armature to oppose the moment of inertia due to the changing center of mass of the tablet computer as the tablet component is moved from a closed to an open position.
US08208244B2

A tilting portable electronic device includes a main body, a cover having a sliding plate, a sliding mechanism connecting to the main body and the cover respectively. The sliding mechanism includes a first plate secured to the main body, a second plate slidably engaging with the first plate, two connecting bars and two swing arms. The connecting bars rotatably connect with the second plate and the sliding plate, the swing arms rotatably connect with the main body and the connecting bar. When the sliding plate is pushed and slides relative to the main body, the connecting bars slides, the first plate correspondingly slides relative to the second plate, and the swing arms rotates to support an end of the cover.
US08208242B2

An electrode foil includes a substrate made of metal and a rough layer disposed on a surface of the substrate and including plural fine metallic particles. The rough layer includes a lower layer, an intermediate layer which is disposed on the lower layer and is more distanced from the substrate than the lower layer is, and an upper layer which is disposed on the intermediate layer and is more distanced from the substrate than the intermediate layer is. The mode of diameters of fine particles in the intermediate layer is greater than the mode of diameters of the fine particles in the upper and lower layers. This electrode foil provides a capacitor having a small leakage current.
US08208220B1

A magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole layer and a yoke layer. The main magnetic pole layer generates a magnetic flux of a recording magnetic field and includes a magnetic pole front part and a magnetic pole rear part. The yoke layer is disposed at the magnetic pole rear part and includes a yoke front part and a yoke rear part. The magnetic pole front part extends on a magnetic medium-facing surface side of the magnetic pole rear part with a width in a track width direction being smaller than that of the magnetic pole rear part. The yoke front part extends on the magnetic medium-facing surface side of the yoke rear part with a width in the track width direction being larger than that of the magnetic pole rear part and that of the yoke rear part.
US08208217B2

A magnetic recording medium includes a tape-shaped nonmagnetic support, and a vertical magnetic layer formed on a main surface of the nonmagnetic support by a vacuum thin-film forming technique, signals being recorded on and reproduced from the vertical magnetic layer in a linear system. In the magnetic recording medium, the dipulse ratio of the vertical recording layer is 0.36 or more.
US08208213B2

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide data processing circuits that include a variable gain amplifier, a gain circuit, and hybrid gain feedback combination circuit. The variable gain amplifier is operable to apply a gain to a data input corresponding to a gain feedback value and providing an amplified output. The gain circuit is operable to calculate a first algorithm error component and a second algorithm error component based at least in part on the amplified output. The hybrid gain feedback combination circuit is operable combine the first algorithm error component and the second algorithm error component to yield the gain feedback value when the data input includes a synchronization pattern.
US08208202B2

A focus detection apparatus is provided with a light source 16 that emanates light with a given wavelength range; a reflection member 15 that reflects light emanated from the light source 16 to lead to an object 6a, reflects light from the light source 16 reflected from the object 6a, and transmits light from the object 6a with at least two different wavelength ranges except the light reflected from the object 6a; a photodetector 21 detecting the light from the light source 16 reflected from the object 6a; and a controller 22 detecting a focus shift between the objective lens 8 and the object 6a in the microscope 2 based on a signal detected by the photodetector 21, thereby providing a focus detection apparatus capable of limiting wavelength range of light for focus detection thereby able to use wider wavelength range for the microscope observation, and a microscope equipped therewith.
US08208201B2

An embodiment of the present invention provide for an optical microscope apparatus including a light source, a base unit, a rotary monochromatic dispersion unit, a condenser, a stage, an objective, a tubular assembly and an ocular assembly. In a preferred embodiment, light travels from the light source sequentially through each of these seven components, producing an image of the contents of a slide on the stage to a user looking through the ocular assembly. In the base unit, in place of a standard mirror which would direct the light vertically up into the scope along the z-axis, a right angle piece of single crystal Calcite, known as Iceland Spar is used, which has a birefringent affect upon the light as it passes up through the scope.
US08208199B2

A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective has a first, refractive objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part including at least one concave mirror for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; and a third, refractive objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging onto the image plane; wherein the projection objective has a maximum lens diameter Dmax, a maximum image field height Y′, and an image side numerical aperture NA; wherein COMP1=Dmax/(Y′·NA2) and wherein the condition COMP1<10 holds.
US08208191B2

A slow light system includes a substrate and a metal layer formed thereon, the metal layer having a graded grating structure formed at a surface thereof, wherein the grating depth of the grating structure is sized such that surface-plasmon polariton dispersion behavior of the grating structure differs at different respective locations along the grating structure. Different wavelengths of incident light waves can be slowed at the respective locations along the grating structure.
US08208190B2

An optical imaging system including an imaging lens and a spatial light modulator is provided. The imaging system has an aperture stop position. The spatial light modulator is disposed at the aperture stop position of the imaging system to serve as a pupil of the imaging lens. The spatial light modulator is adapted to modulate the light transmission rate of the spatial light modulator to change an amplitude and a phase of a light intensity of the pupil.
US08208189B2

A method of restoring hair to skin that has suffered hair loss includes optically ablating an array of spaced-apart microchannels or voids into the skin and transplanting into the voids stem cells, a scaffold and a differentiation factor for causing the stem cells to differentiate into hair follicles.
US08208187B2

An optical scanning device includes a plurality of converging lenses and a plurality of supporting members. Each supporting member supports a corresponding one of the converging lenses. Moreover, the converging lenses are arranged so as to be out of alignment with one another in a main-scanning direction and are arranged in a row in a sub-scanning direction in such a manner that no converging lens interferes with supporting members that support other converging lenses.
US08208186B2

An optical reproducing method. A diffracted light is generated by irradiating a reference light onto a hologram. A combined light is generated by applying a direct-current component formed by a polarized light having a third polarization component with a first polarization plane having a polarization direction orthogonal to the diffracted light and having the same phase as the diffracted light, and a fourth polarization component with a second polarization plane having an opposite phase to the diffracted light, onto the diffracted light. The combined light is separated into a fifth polarization component including a first polarization component and the third polarization component, and a sixth polarization component including a second polarization component and the fourth polarization component. A first reproduced image is reproduced from the separated fifth polarization component, and a second reproduced image is reproduced from the separated sixth polarization component.
US08208180B2

A covering device which includes a cover member that selectively covers a body, a first hinge mechanism, and a second hinge mechanism. The first hinge mechanism includes a first movable member that is pivotally coupled to the cover member and slidably attached to the body. The first movable member is configured to move relative to the body in a predetermined direction. The first hinge mechanism further includes a brake member which generates a brake force that applies resistance against the first movable member when a force is applied to move the first movable member relative to the body in the predetermined direction. The first hinge mechanism is positioned further from a center of gravity of the cover member than the second hinge mechanism.
US08208179B2

An image processing apparatus includes an image information acquisition device, an embedment information acquisition device, an embedment mode information acquisition device, an embeddability determination device, and an embeddability information output device. The image information acquisition device acquires image information on a target image into which supplemental information is to be embedded. The embedment information acquisition device acquires embedment information on the supplemental information. The embedment mode information acquisition device acquires embedment mode information on an embedment mode in which the supplemental information is embedded in the image information. The embeddability determination device determines embeddability of the supplemental information into the image information based on the embedment mode information, the embedment information, and the image information. The embeddability information output device outputs determination-result information on a determination result of the embeddability determined by the embeddability determination device.
US08208177B2

A method of correcting scan data obtained by an image forming device including a scan glass having a specific damaged area, the method including generating first scan data by scanning a file placed on the scan glass, generating second scan data by rotating the file by a first angle and scanning the file, correcting the first data values of the first scan data scanned in the specific damaged area by using the second scan data, and storing the corrected first scan data.
US08208176B2

The invention provides a printing method of printing on a printing medium. The method includes: generating dot data that represents state of dot formation at each print pixel of a print image to be formed on the printing medium by performing a halftone process on image data that represents an input tone value of each pixel making up an original image; and generating the print image by forming dots on each of the print pixels according to the dot data. The halftone process determines the state of dot formation by using a dither matrix that stores a plurality of threshold values, the plurality of threshold values being used for determining state of dot formation at each of print pixels of the print image to be formed on the printing medium according to an input tone value. The dither matrix is a matrix that stores each of the plurality of threshold values in each element such that a mutual difference in dot density formed at each predetermined print pixel group according to each input tone value falls within a predetermined range. The predetermined print pixel group is a cluster of plural print pixels corresponding to each of a plurality of element groups that are created by dividing the dither matrix into preset numbers of elements.
US08208175B2

A target pixel is processed according to a blended combination of two or more error diffusion techniques. For example, the two or more techniques may include a standard error diffusion technique and rank ordered error diffusion. Additionally, or alternatively, a quantization resolution is selected for the target pixel based on information regarding the pixel. For example, a quantization resolution is selected based on a relative position of the target pixel or based on a value of the target pixel and/or values of pixels neighboring the target pixel.
US08208174B2

In a method and printing device, a deviation from a predetermined desired pitch that occurs between at least two points of at least one print image in a print direction is reduced. In a printing step, the at least one print image is generated on a substrate with at least one print head of the printing device with a relative movement between the at least print head and the substrate. In a determination step preceding the printing step, an initial deviation from a desired pitch between the two points is determined first and correction information to reduce the deviation is determined from the determined initial deviation. In the printing step, control signals for the at least one print head are generated depending on the correction information to generate the at least one print image. A variable delay of at least one of the control signals is predetermined by the correction information.
US08208173B2

An image forming apparatus of the invention includes a read unit to read an original document, a storage unit to store an image file of the original document read by the read unit, a control unit to control storage and readout of the image file into and from the storage unit, and an image formation unit to print the image file read from the storage unit, and the control unit creates a template including one or plural elements, automatically creates an image file name based on the template when the image file is stored in the storage unit, and stores the image file. According to the image forming apparatus of the invention, when a file is stored, an operation burden is low and an easily identified file name can be created.
US08208171B2

The present invention aims to prevent a problem that an image on a document sheet is erased due to misdetection of a line-shaped noise. A copy machine 1 compares RGB values of a target pixel with averaged RGB values (Step S103). If only one of the RGB values has a difference that is greater than a prescribed value Ref2 (Step S103: YES), the copy machine 1 extracts the target pixel as a line-shaped noise pixel, and moves to a line-shaped noise correction (Step S108) while holding the address of the target pixel in a line-shaped noise address storing area 49b. If two of the RGB values have differences (Step S103: NO, Step S104: YES) and a difference between these two of the RGB values is no greater than a prescribed value Ref3 (Step S105: YES), the copy machine 1 extracts the target pixel as a line-shaped noise pixel, and moves to the line-shaped noise correction (Step S108) while holding the address of the target pixel in the line-shaped noise address storing area 49b.
US08208167B2

A data storing unit stores therein first data that includes replaceable data and can be printed by a printing unit or generate print data to be printed. A map-information storing unit stores therein data identification information for identifying the replaceable data and its position in the first data in association with each other. A replacement-data obtaining unit obtains the data identification information and replacement data for replacing the replaceable data. A data generating unit generates second data in which the replaceable data is replaced with the replacement data at the position corresponding to the data identification information.
US08208162B2

The present invention relates to an image processing device that can implement printing (both printing of variable pages and non-variable pages) of an entire document and printing of only variable pages in a simplified manner. The device includes a selecting unit, a determining unit, and outputting unit. The selecting unit selects a printing mode. The determining unit determines whether the selected printing mode is an ordinary printing mode or a variable page printing mode. The outputting unit outputs printing data for a variable page and a non-variable page when the selected printing mode is determined to be the ordinary printing mode the determining unit, and outputs printing data for the variable page when the selected printing mode is determined to be the variable page printing mode by the determining unit.
US08208161B2

A photo printing device includes a microprocessor, operable to receive photo printing data, a printer, configured to print photographs from the photo printing data, an order sorter, having a plurality of moveable bins for receiving prints from the printer, and means for conveying information to a user related to operation of the order sorter.
US08208157B2

An authentication apparatus outputs an application form to be used in applying for access authorization, which is printed with an identification image showing information including identification information of terminal equipment. The authentication apparatus scans the application form which is filled out by a user as required, recognizes the abovementioned information from the image data obtained by scanning, and authorizes the terminal equipment that corresponds to the abovementioned recognized information to have access to a specified network.
US08208155B2

A network apparatus configured to perform data communication using an address includes a value input unit configured to input a value describing at least one part of the address, a first mark input unit configured to input a mark for separating a plurality of values describing the address in a plurality of parts, and a second mark input unit configured to continuously input a plurality of marks.
US08208147B2

A method of high-speed processing and monitoring of a product, such as a pharmaceutical powder or tablet, comprises: moving the product (C) past an inspection station; illuminating at least a portion of the product with light; spectrally filtering a first portion of light carrying information about the product, o.g., transmitted or reflected light, by passing said first portion through at least one multivariate optical element (148) and detecting said filtered light with a first detector (152), —detecting a deflected second portion of said light with a second detector (156); and determining at least one selected property of the product based on the detector outputs.
US08208143B2

An exhaust gas analyzer capable of real-time analysis of the concentration, temperature, and the like of an exhaust gas component in a cross-section of an exhaust path in a spot-wise manner reduces analysis cost. An exhaust gas analyzer (10) comprises sensor units (11) to (14) disposed along the exhaust path, which comprises an exhaust manifold (3) for the engine (2) discharging exhaust gas, an exhaust tube (4), a first catalyst device (5), a second catalyst device (6), a muffler (7), and an exhaust pipe (8). Each sensor unit includes an optical fiber (25) for irradiating the exhaust gas with laser light, and a detector (26) for receiving the laser light emitted by the optical fiber that has been transmitted through the exhaust gas. Based on the laser light received by the detector, the condition of an exhaust gas component, such as its concentration, temperature, and the like, is measured for the analysis of the exhaust gas. The sensor unit has a through-hole (21) allowing the passage of exhaust gas that is formed in a shape matched with a cross-sectional shape of the exhaust path. The infrared laser light R is emitted via the optical fiber (25) into the through-hole (21), travels across the exhaust path, and is then received by the detector (26).
US08208141B2

Systems and methods for in-line inspection of plastic blow molded containers. The inspection system may comprise a plurality of emitter assemblies arranged in a vertical array. Each emitter assembly may cyclically emit light energy in at least two different narrow wavelength bands at a container as the container passes through an inspection area. The system may also comprise a plurality of broadband photodetectors arranged in a vertical array, each photodetector facing at least one of the emitter assemblies with the inspection area therebetween such that the photodetectors are capable of sensing light energy that passes through the container when it is in the inspection area. The system may also comprise a processor in communication with the photodetectors for determining a characteristic of the container based on signals from the photodetectors.
US08208135B2

In laser welding, the welding area is depicted coaxially in relation to the laser beam (3) through the laser optics (4), wherein not only a triangulation line and a grey or color image of the solidified weld is recorded but also the process radiation of the welding process. From these three image elements, an optimum quality assessment of the welding process and of the weld can be made.
US08208126B2

The present invention provides an exposure apparatus comprising an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a reticle with a light beam from a light source, and a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, the illumination optical system including a light amount adjusting unit configured to adjust an amount of the light beam, a polarization adjusting unit configured to adjust a polarization state of the light beam, and a beam splitter configured to split the incident light beam into two light beams, wherein the light amount adjusting unit, the polarization adjusting unit, and the beam splitter are set in an order from the light source side.
US08208119B2

An exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) on the substrate (P) through liquid (LQ). The exposure apparatus (EX) has a substrate holder (PH) for holding the substrate (P), a substrate stage (PST) capable of moving the substrate (P) held by the substrate holder (PH), and a temperature adjusting system (60) for adjusting the temperature of the substrate holder (PH). The temperature of the substrate (P) is controlled so that there is no difference in temperature between the substrate (P) and the liquid (LQ), thereby preventing a reduction in exposure accuracy resulting from variation in temperature of the liquid (LQ).
US08208116B2

Immersion lithography system and method using a sealed wafer bottom are described. One embodiment is an immersion lithography apparatus including a lens assembly comprising an imaging lens and a wafer stage for retaining a wafer beneath the lens assembly and comprising a seal ring for sealing a gap between a bottom edge of a wafer retained on the wafer stage and the wafer stage. The apparatus further includes a fluid tank for retaining immersion fluid, the fluid tank situated with respect to the wafer stage for enabling full immersion of the wafer retained on the wafer stage in the immersion fluid; a cover disposed over at least a portion of the fluid tank for providing a temperature-controlled, fluid-rich environment within the fluid tank; and at least one directional flow control fluid inlet surrounding the imaging lens for directing immersion fluid toward an edge of the wafer retained on the wafer stage closest to the imaging lens.
US08208106B2

A substrate for a liquid crystal display including a plurality of gate bus lines and a plurality of data bus lines that cross the gate bus lines, as well as a thin film transistor connected to one of the data bus lines. The display also includes a first electrode with a body portion and a plurality of branches extending from the body portion, wherein at least some of the branches include a first branch portion, which extends from the body portion and defines a first angle, and a second branch portion, which extends from the first branch portion, and which defines a second angle. The first angle is greater than said second angle, and both angles are between 0° and 90° Also included is a second electrode that overlaps at least a portion of the first electrode, and an insulation film between the first and second electrodes.
US08208100B2

A light-scattering film includes a support; and a layer including a light-scattering particle and a light-transparent resin, wherein the light-scattering film satisfies following formulae (1) to (3) at the same time: nB435
US08208099B2

Provided is a backlit liquid crystal display apparatus having one pixel unit comprising RGB three primary color regions and a white region or a region having low color concentration, so that high brightness can be compatible with color purity. A pixel unit comprises RGB main pixels and G/R sub-pixels. In a lower gray scale, color purity has priority in display with main pixels, while in a higher gray scale, color purity has priority in display with main and sub-pixels, whereby high brightness can be compatible with color purity. Sub-pixels may be consisted only by green sub-pixels.
US08208094B2

A display device includes a display panel including a substrate having electrodes for forming pixels therein, and a backlight which irradiates light to a rear surface of the display panel. The backlight has a plurality of light-emitting elements, a circuit substrate on which the plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in array. A resin material is filled around sides of the plurality of light-emitting elements.
US08208092B2

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight. The backlight includes: a light emitting diode substrate on which light emitting diodes are mounted; a reflection sheet that is provided on the light emitting diode substrate and has holes formed therein, each of the light emitting diodes being provided inside each of the holes; and lenses provided on the light emitting diodes, for diffusing light from the light emitting diodes. Each of the lenses is larger than the each of the holes, and entirely covers the each of the holes and also covers a part of the reflection sheet including an entire periphery of the each of the holes.
US08208091B2

A display includes a frame, a liquid crystal panel device, a flat light source device, a bracket structure, and a driving circuit board. The liquid crystal panel device and the flat light source device are disposed on the frame. The flat light source device has an illuminant surface toward the liquid crystal panel device. A first airway is formed between the flat light source and the liquid crystal panel device. The driving circuit board is fixed on the bracket structure and electrically connected with the liquid crystal panel device. A gap is formed between the driving circuit board and the flat light source to be an outlet of the first airway. The surface of the driving circuit board and the illuminant surface form an included angle, and the included angle is greater than or equal to 5 degrees and less than or equal to 135 degrees.
US08208087B2

A TFT array substrate comprising a substrate has a pixel region and a peripheral circuit region surrounding the pixel region, a TFT array, first lead lines, second lead lines, and first repair patterns is provided. The peripheral circuit region has an outer area and an inner area. The inner area is disposed between the pixel region and the outer area. The TFT array disposed in the pixel region includes a first conducting layer and a second conducting layer. The first lead lines and the second lead lines disposed in the peripheral circuit region are on the same layer of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer respectively. The first repair patterns disposed in the inner area are sandwiched between the second lead lines and the substrate. At least a first pre-repair area is at a region where the second lead lines and the first repair patterns are overlapped.
US08208086B2

Provided are an organic semiconductor structure and a method of manufacturing the same, an organic thin film transistor (OTFT) using the organic semiconductor structure and a method of manufacturing the OTFT, and a display apparatus using the same. The OTFT includes: an oxide layer formed on a base substrate; a source electrode on the oxide layer, wherein the source electrode includes a first source electrode portion and a second source electrode portion; a drain electrode on the oxide layer, wherein the drain electrode includes a first drain electrode portion and a second drain electrode portion; an organic layer pattern having an opening that exposes the first source electrode portion and the first drain electrode portion; an organic semiconductor pattern electrically connected to the first source electrode portion and the first drain electrode portion through the opening, wherein the organic semiconductor pattern has a conductive or an insulating property depending on an applied electric field in a location; a gate insulating layer covering the organic semiconductor pattern; and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating layer corresponding to the organic semiconductor pattern.
US08208084B2

An array substrate having a display region and a peripheral circuit region adjacent to the display region is provided. The array substrate includes a pixel array, a plurality of test shorting bars and a plurality of wires. The pixel array is disposed in the display region. The test shorting bars are disposed in the peripheral circuit region. The wires electrically connected with the pixel array are disposed in the peripheral circuit region. Specially, at least one wire and the test shorting bar share a part for connecting each other and the part forms a common trace.
US08208083B2

A mother substrate for a liquid crystal display panel includes a plurality of antistatic circuits connected with driving signal lines, respectively, and a plurality of switching circuits interposed between adjacent antistatic circuits of the antistatic circuits, respectively. Each switching circuit is controllable to electrically interconnect the adjacent antistatic circuits to one another when an inspection of a post-production available area is performed, and to electrically isolate the adjacent antistatic circuits from one another when a normal operation of the post-production available area is performed.
US08208073B2

A display device includes a display section configured to perform display and provided with a display screen; communicating sections configured to perform communication to receive pieces of content data from supply devices, respectively; and a controller configured to cause the received pieces of content data to be simultaneously displayed on corresponding divided areas of the display screen and to control the communicating sections to transmit, to the supply devices. The notification indicates that the pieces of content data are simultaneously displayed on the corresponding areas.
US08208062B2

An exemplary camera module includes a barrel, first and second lens assemblies, a circuit board, first and second image sensors. The barrel includes a first inner space, a first light incident opening in communication with the first inner space, a second inner space and a second light incident opening in communication with the second inner space. The first and second lens assemblies are received in the first inner space and second inner space, respectively. The circuit board is positioned between the first inner space and the second inner space, and has a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first image senor is mounted on the first surface of the circuit board, and configured for detecting light from the first lens assembly. The second image sensor is mounted on the second surface of the circuit board, and configured for detecting light from the second lens assembly.
US08208054B2

A solid state imaging device includes shared amplification transistors and reset transistors arranged, for example, in a checkered pattern so that centroid of photo diodes 2 of the same colors are arranged substantially at an identical pitch. As a result, the resolution of the solid state imaging device can be maintained without considering irregularities of the incident light for each unit pixel.
US08208053B2

An imaging device includes: plural pixel blocks with a predetermined number of pixel circuits of respective plural blocks set as one unit, the plural blocks being obtained by dividing a pixel area formed by arraying plural pixel circuits, which convert incident light into charges according to photoelectric conversion, in a matrix shape; and a selection control unit that selects desired ones of the pixel blocks and collectively executes reset control for discharging charges accumulated by the respective pixel circuits in the selected pixel blocks, wherein the selection control unit changes timing for executing the reset control for each of the selected pixel blocks and allocates different charge accumulating times to the pixel circuits.
US08208052B2

A color representation technique to be effectively applicable to a pixel shifted arrangement to realize high sensitivity and high resolution is provided by using a dipersive prism or diffraction.A dispersive element is provided for an image sensor in which photosensitive cells are arranged to be shifted from each other by a half pitch both horizontally and vertically. The dispersive element makes at least G rays fall straight down to a pixel right under itself and also makes either R rays or B rays incident on an adjacent pixel. Meanwhile, a photosensitive cell, for which no dispersive element is provided, receives directly incident light, too. Color information can be obtained by making computations on photoelectrically converted signals provided by these pixels.
US08208047B2

The invention provides an imager and imaging method for forming, on a plurality of photo -elements, an optical image of an object lying in a viewing plane defined by horizontal and vertical viewing axes. The imager comprises at least first, second and third video image sensors. Each video image sensor comprises a corresponding array of photoelements. The photoelements are arranged in rows and columns to define a first pixel resolution for each array. A lens is configured to focus at least a portion of light from the object onto the arrays. The arrays are arranged with respect to the lens such that the rows are aligned along avertical axis of the viewing plane. The columns are aligned along a horizontal axis of the viewing plane. An optical image of the object is formed. The image comprises a second pixel resolution higher than the first pixel resolution.
US08208043B2

Lens cleaning warning systems and methods. A system includes an image processing unit configured to analyze image data to determine whether the image data indicates lens flare and, if so, provide an indication to the user that the lens is contaminated.
US08208041B2

An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit that picks up an image of a subject; an internal memory; a removable external memory; a compression processing unit that compresses the image picked up by the image pickup unit to generate a picked-up image; a recording processing unit that records the picked-up image in the removable external memory and records the compressed image corresponding to the picked-up image in the internal memory; and an editing processing unit that edits the picked-up image in the removable external memory and the compressed image in the internal memory. For a compressed image in the internal memory, a reservation for editing a picked-up image corresponding to the compressed image and recorded in the unmounted removable external memory can be made.
US08208030B2

Method for motion detection in a current picture (CP) with respect to a reference picture (RP), wherein for a plurality of locations in the current picture (CP) respective difference values (|D|) are determined (B100). A respective difference value is determined based on a difference between a first value and a second value, wherein the first value is descriptive of a photometric measure of one of the locations in the current picture (CP) and the second value is descriptive of the photometric measure of a corresponding location in the reference picture (RP). Based on the difference values, a histogram is determined (B102). The histogram is used as a basis for determining (B104) a threshold (T1, T2, T3). At a respective location in the current picture (CP), motion is detected by comparing the threshold (T1, T2, T3) to the difference value (|D|) of the respective location.
US08208028B2

An apparatus for verifying subjects includes: a camera for photographing a plurality of subjects; a subject detector for detecting subject images of each of the subjects from the pieces of image information photographed by the camera; a subject tracking unit for tracking each of the subjects based on the movement of the subject images corresponding to each of the subjects and for forming tracking information of each of the subjects; a tracking information storage for storing the tracking information of each of the subjects; a subject selector for selecting a subject to be verified from the plurality of subjects based on the tracking information; a verification unit for verifying the selected subject; and a notification unit for notifying the verified result.
US08208026B2

One or more embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for processing an infrared image to receive infrared image data of a non-uniform scene, apply column noise filter correction to the infrared image data, and/or apply row noise filter correction to the infrared image data, and provide corrected infrared image data based on the column and/or row noise filter correction as infrared output image data.
US08208021B2

A vehicle includes: an image acquisition means (4) which acquires a road image via an imaging means (3); an edge extraction means (5) which extracts edge points from the acquired image; a line search means (6) which searches the extracted edge points for line components; an evaluation value calculation means (7) which calculates an evaluation value indicating the degree that each line component approximates a linear lane mark on the road for the line components searched for; a lane mark candidate selection means (8) which selects line components each having an evaluation value greater than a predetermined threshold value as candidates for a line component corresponding to the lane mark from the line components searched for; and a lane mark detection means (9) which detects the lane mark by determining the line component corresponding to the lane mark from the selected candidates for the line component. This allows the detection accuracy to be increased by preventing an object other than a lane mark on the road from being incorrectly detected as a linear lane mark such as a white line when detecting a linear lane mark such as a white line from the road image.
US08208012B2

The invention relates to a method for the multimodal representation of image contents on a display unit for video holograms. Said unit comprises at least one or several light sources (LS), an optical system (L), and a spatial light modulator SLM (S) with hologram contents. According to the inventive method, the unit directs the wavefront that an object would emit to the associated eye positions (EP) such that the viewer sees the reconstruction of the scene and different views are presented to the eyes by means of temporal or spatial multiplexing in order to generate the stereo effect. The inventive method is characterized in that the light of the zero order of diffraction is directed to the eye positions (EP) for a holographic representation in a first mode, whereby the viewer sees the reconstructed scene (3D-S), while the non-diffracted light is directed to the eye positions for a direct representation in a second mode, whereby the viewer sees an autostereoscopic and/or a 2D representation (3D-2D) on the SLM. The invention also relates to display units for implementing said method.
US08208004B2

Devices, methods, and media for providing multi-point video conferencing unit functions are provided. In some embodiments, devices for providing multi-point conferencing unit functions comprise: a combination of at least one input interface that receives a plurality of video signals, and that receives a visual layout from an EMCU end-point; a processor that selects a subset of the plurality of video signals; a combination of at least one output interface that sends the subset of the plurality of video signals to the EMCU end-point and that sends the visual layout to a video conferencing end-point, wherein the visual layout incorporates the subset of the plurality of video signals.
US08208001B2

A system and method for adjusting resolution for a video conference through a set-top box. An invitation to accept a video conference is accepted through a set-top box. A line resolution for the video conference is set based on user input. A determination is made whether available bandwidth is at a threshold to support the line resolution. The line resolution is adjusted based on the determination. The video conference is implemented utilizing the adjusted line resolution.
US08207990B1

Embodiments of the invention relate to merging and splitting intersecting geometry-only solids and surfaces in an intuitive manner. One embodiment is a method of merging and cutting geometry-only format CAD objects without related history information, using a single geometry modification tool and interface. In response to receiving a group selection from the user, of a plurality of CAD objects, the method infers a merge operation and automatically merges the plurality of CAD objects into a single merged CAD object. In response to receiving an individual selection from the user of a CAD object, the geometry modification tool enters a merged state when the subsequent second selection from the user is selected in a manner indicating a merger operation, or alternatively, enters a cut state when the subsequent second selection from the user is selected in a manner indicating a cut operation.
US08207985B2

The image processing apparatus executes a prescribed basic color space conversion regardless of content of the color space identification information when a reduced image is a processing target. The image processing apparatus executes a specified color space conversion utilizing a color space specified by the color space identification information when a main image is a processing target.
US08207983B2

The embodiments of the present disclosure teach overlaying videos on a display device. The technique involves one or more buffers at input such as a first buffer (Primary Buffer) and an overlay buffer, a blitting module, a second buffer(Frame Buffer), and a display screen. The first buffer provides a first image data to the blitting module and the overlay buffer provides a second image data to the blitting module. The embodiments of the present disclosure demonstrate overlaying the second image on the first image with enhanced configurable functionality (like stretching, clipping, color keying, Alpha Blending and Raster Operation) if required, without modifying the Primary Buffer without the need of any overlay support in hardware.
US08207981B2

A method of converting image signals for a display device including six-color subpixels is provided, which includes: classifying three-color input image signals into maximum, middle, and minimum; decomposing the classified signals into six-color components; determining a maximum among the six-color components; calculating a scaling factor; and extracting six-color output signals.
US08207980B2

A graphic processing system to compute a texture coordinate. An embodiment of the graphic processing system includes a memory device, a texture coordinate generator, and a display device. The memory device is configured to store a plurality of texture maps. The texture coordinate generator is coupled to the memory device. The texture coordinate generator is configured to compute a final texture coordinate using an arithmetic operation exclusive of a division operation. The display device is coupled to the texture coordinate generator. The display device is configured to display a representation of one of the plurality of texture maps according to the final texture coordinate. Embodiments of the graphic processing system facilitate a simple hardware implementation using operations other than division.
US08207971B1

A system includes a computer system capable of representing one or more animated characters. The computer system includes a blendshape manager that combines multiple blendshapes to produce the animated character. The computer system also includes an expression manager to respectively adjust one or more control parameters associated with each of the plurality of blendshapes for adjusting an expression of the animated character. The computer system also includes a corrective element manager that applies one or more corrective elements to the combined blendshapes based upon at least one of the control parameters. The one or more applied corrective elements are adjustable based upon one or more of the control parameters absent the introduction of one or more additional control parameters.
US08207966B2

Disclosed are systems and methods for rule-based procedural generation of terrain in real time for a virtual world. Using the terrain editor tool, the terrain system allows defining and modifying the terrain height, color, shaders, textures, flora, and environment, for example. Additionally, generating the terrain procedurally allows for detail by changing the parameters used to create the terrain geometry. These rules can also be added and removed dynamically, leading to terrain modification in real time. In addition, resources are managed for the terrain generation system, such as memory allocation and deallocation.
US08207961B2

A stereoscopic image display device for displaying a three dimensional (3D) stereoscopic image in real-time by using a 3D graphic contained within a 2D image. The stereoscopic image display device includes a controller, a 3D graphic processor, a driver, and a display unit. The controller receives 3D graphic data and a synchronization signal, and outputs a control signal and the 3D graphic data. The 3D graphic processor generates a plurality of stereoscopic matrices used to generate 3D stereoscopic image data for a plurality of viewing points according to the control signal, and transforms the 3D graphic data into 3D stereoscopic image data using the plurality of stereoscopic matrices. The driver generates a driving signal based on the image data output from the 3D graphic processor and the output control signal. The display unit displays an image corresponding to the image data according to the driving signal.
US08207953B2

The backlight apparatus allows brightness control with minimum image quality deterioration. This apparatus has: an illuminating section that radiates illumination light on a back of a liquid crystal panel comprising a plurality of image display areas; and a brightness determining section that determines a light emission brightness value of the illuminating section and renews a light emitting state of the illuminating section, based on the determined light emission brightness value. The illuminating section has light emitting areas illuminating each of a plurality of image display areas. The brightness determining section determines light emission brightness values of the image display areas, from values acquired by applying weights to the information based on input image signals of the image display areas, and changes the weights for the information based on luminance of ambient light surrounding the backlight apparatus.
US08207944B2

Disclosed are systems and methods of measuring a plate capacitance, which include accumulating a first signal representative of charge over a plurality of switch-controlled plate charging cycles and accumulating a second signal representative of charge over another plurality of switch-controlled plate discharging cycles. The accumulated first and second signals can then be used to determine the capacitance on the plate. Such systems and methods can be useful in capacitive touch sensing devices such as capacitive buttons and capacitive touch panels.
US08207941B2

In a lens module and an optical mouse using the lens module, the lens module includes a substrate, a light guide rod and a carrying base. The light guide rod is extended from the substrate along a predetermined direction and has a light incident surface. The carrying base is connected with the light incident surface and has a carrying surface for carrying a light source of the optical mouse. The substrate, the light guide rod and the carrying base are integrated into one piece. The lens module has lower cost.
US08207936B2

A device may include an image capture device and logic. The logic may be configured to receive voice input from a user and identify the voice input. The logic may further be configured to perform a control action associated with the image capturing device based on the identified voice input.
US08207928B2

The invention relates to an active matrix display device comprising a display with a plurality of display pixels, a data input for receiving a data signal and a controller for distributing said data signal over said display pixels to generate an image on said display with an overall brightness value for each display pixel during at least one frame period. The device is adapted to divide said frame period for at least one subset of said display pixels such that said display pixels of said at least one subset have at least a light output at a first non-zero brightness level during a first sub-period of said frame period and at a second non-zero brightness level during a second sub-period of said frame period, the time averaged sum of said brightness levels being substantially equal to said overall brightness level.
US08207923B2

The disclosure describes a liquid crystal display panel including a plurality of sub-pixels, a plurality of thin film transistors, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of gate lines. Each of the sub-pixels has first and second gray scale regions which are split up and down and have different areas, first and second gray scale regions of one sub-pixel having a staggered arrangement with respect to those of an adjacent sub-pixel. Thin film transistors are connected to first and second gray scale regions so that first gray scale regions are driven when one of gate lines is driven and the second gray scale regions are driven when another gate line is driven.
US08207922B2

The liquid crystal display comprises a first substrate including a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode, a second substrate with an opposed electrode formed on, and a liquid crystal layer sealed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The thickness d1 of the liquid crystal layer on the first pixel electrode in the first pixel region is larger than the thickness d2 of the liquid crystal layer on the second pixel electrode in the second pixel region. The first pixel region includes a first partial region and a second partial region where the threshold voltage is higher than in the first partial region. The second pixel region includes a third partial region and a fourth partial region where the threshold voltage is higher than in the third partial region. The threshold voltage in the first partial region and the threshold voltage in the third partial region are equal to each other, and the threshold voltage in the second partial region and the threshold voltage in the fourth partial region are equal to each other. Thus, it is possible to prevent large changes in the chromaticity due to gradation and visual angle changes, which lead to the prevention of the occurrence of the coloring. Thus, it is possible to provide a liquid crystal display having good display quality.
US08207921B2

A couple of scanning signals are applied to a pixel on the liquid crystal display panel. The scanning signals allows voltage to be separately written into a control electrode and a pixel electrode during two adjacent horizontal scanning periods or a vertical scanning period, and a coupled voltage is induced on the control electrode due to the potential variation of the pixel electrode during the next horizontal scanning period.
US08207918B2

During a first period of a set period, a reset switch element of each pixel is turned on to converge a voltage at a control electrode of a TFT to a predetermined voltage, and a step signal having a first voltage level is supplied from a step signal generation circuit. During a second period of the set period, the reset switch element is turned off, and a step signal having a second voltage level is supplied from the step signal generation circuit, whereby a voltage exceeding a second power supply voltage or a voltage exceeding a voltage range supplied from a signal driver section is input as a characteristic value set voltage to the control electrode. Accordingly, even when a relationship between a gate voltage and a drain current of the thin film transistor exhibits a hysteresis characteristic, uniform display can be achieved.
US08207915B2

It is provided a display device that prevents, when applying a reverse bias, an anode line and a power supply line included in a signal line driver circuit from being short-circuited, and a driving method thereof. According to the invention, a reverse bias applying circuit is provided in a scan line driver circuit or a signal line driver circuit, a signal from the reverse bias applying circuit is supplied to a transistor disposed between a signal line and an anode line, and thereby the transistor is turned off. The reverse bias applying circuit comprises an analog switch or a clocked inverter and a biasing transistor, and drives so as to invert potentials of the anode line and a cathode line and apply a reverse bias to a light emitting element, while turn off the analog switch and turn on the biasing transistor. Then, a potential of the anode line becomes equal to that of a scan line, and thereby turning off the transistor between the anode line and the signal line assuredly.
US08207914B2

A method of compensating image signals for driving an OLED display having a plurality of light-emitting elements having outputs that change with time or use, comprising the steps of: a) obtaining a measured or estimated first value of the current used by individual light-emitting elements in response to known image signals at a first time; b) specifying multiple groups of light-emitting elements at a second time, wherein at least one of the specified groups contains at least one light-emitting element common to another specified group; c) measuring total currents used by each of the specified groups in response to known image signals at a second time; d) forming an estimated second value of the current used by individual light-emitting elements based on the measured total currents, e) calculating correction values for individual light-emitting elements based on the difference between the first and second current values, and f) employing the correction values to compensate image signals for the changes in the output of the light-emitting elements and produce compensated image signals.
US08207911B2

A display device includes two or more plasma tube array units to provide a large sized screen. Each plasma tube array unit includes pairs of scan and sustain electrodes. The plasma tube array units are disposed adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the scan and sustain electrodes. One scan driver which selectively applies a scan signal to the scan electrodes is coupled to the two adjacent plasma tube array units at a position between the two adjacent plasma tube array units. Two sustain voltage drivers which apply respective sustain voltage to the sustain electrodes are coupled to the sustain electrodes of the two respective adjacent plasma tube array units on two respective outermost sides of the two respective adjacent plasma tube array units.
US08207908B2

It is an object to achieve downsizing and a thin shape of a display module and an electronic device provided with the display module. The display module includes a first display panel in which a first display screen is formed on one main side; and a second display panel that is smaller than and overlapped with the first display panel, in which a second display screen is formed on an opposite side of the one main side. The display module includes, over a sealing substrate of the first display panel and/or the second display panel, at least one integrated circuit, which is connected to input terminals of the first display panel and the second display panel and controls operation of the both panels, arranged in a peripheral portion of the second display panel, which is a surface on an opposite side of a display surface of the first display panel.
US08207907B2

An apparatus for interacting with electromagnetic radiation includes a plurality of elements each having a respective individual response. The plurality of elements is arranged in a pattern corresponding to a selected group response to the electromagnetic radiation. The selected group response is a function of variable inter-element couplings between selected ones of the elements and one or more other ones of the elements. The variable inter-element couplings are variable in response to an external input.
US08207895B2

The present invention discloses a shorted monopole antenna comprising a radiating portion comprises a first metal portion and a second metal portion and is located on the dielectric substrate, without overlapping with the ground plane. The first metal portion comprises a coupling section formed by bending the front portion of the first metal portion into two adjacent sections with a coupling gap. A first end of the feeding portion is electrically connected to the first metal portion. A second end of the feeding portion is the antenna's feeding point. The shorting portion is disposed on the dielectric substrate, without overlapping with the ground plane. A first end of the capacitive element is electrically connected to the antenna's feeding point. A second end of the capacitive element is electrically connected to a source.
US08207894B2

An antenna is provided. The antenna includes a dielectric material including a plurality of layers defined a first set of electrodes of a first polarity and a second set of electrodes of a second polarity, wherein the first set of electrodes and second set of electrodes alternate in position to form the plurality of layers; a first interconnect coupled to the first set of electrodes, the first interconnect coupled to a ground; a second interconnect coupled to the second set of electrodes, the second interconnect coupled to a voltage source, wherein a voltage is applied to the second interconnect to generate an electric field.
US08207893B2

A novel geometry, the geometry of Space-Filling Curves (SFC) is defined in the present invention and it is used to shape a part of an antenna. By means of this novel technique, the size of the antenna can be reduced with respect to prior art, or alternatively, given a fixed size the antenna can operate at a lower frequency with respect to a conventional antenna of the same size.
US08207888B1

Systems include at least one electronic waveform processor operatively associated with at least one reflected signal electronic sensor and configured and programmed to generate an estimate of the range from an object to a target and an estimate of the closing velocity of the object to the target using a reflected signal. Systems use a non-linear swept electromagnetic FM signal.
US08207880B2

A wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiving integrated circuit services voice communications in a WLAN with at least one other wireless device and includes a WLAN interface, a transcoder, and a switch box. The WLAN interface wirelessly communicates with at least one wireless device to receive inbound packetized audio data from the at least one wireless device and to transmit outbound packetized audio data to the at least one wireless device. The transcoder receives the inbound packetized audio data and converts the inbound packetized audio data to inbound Pulse Code Modulated (PCM) WLAN audio data. The WLAN interface also receives outbound PCM WLAN audio data and converts the outbound PCM WLAN audio data to the outbound packetized audio data. The switch box operably couples between the transcoder and a PCM bus, to which an audio COder/DECoder (CODEC) couples. A speaker and a microphone coupled to the audio CODEC. The switch box enables the wireless transceiving integrated circuit to perform call conferencing operations, call forwarding operations, call hold operations, call muting operations, and call waiting operations.
US08207879B2

An analog-to-digital converter includes a first switch circuit, a first integrator, a second switch circuit, a second integrator, a quantizer and a digital-to-analog converter. The first switch circuit receives an external analog signal, outputs the analog signal in reverse phase, and outputs the analog signal in positive phase. The first integrator receives and integrates the analog signal with cross-coupling. The second switch circuit outputs an output of the first integrator and a common mode output potential of the first integrator. The second integrator samples and integrates an output of the second switch circuit. The quantizer single-bit-quantizes an output of the second integrator to provide the output as a digital signal output. The digital-to-analog converter receives an output of the quantizer and provides the output as an analog signal output. Each of the first and second integrators receives and integrates an output of the digital-to-analog converter with cross-coupling.
US08207877B2

An apparatus for transferring serial data (e.g., a serial interface using a single wire) generally includes a detector configured to detect a first level time period and a second level time period of an input signal, and a computing unit configured to compute a duty or duty cycle of the input signal and generate an output signal based on the duty or duty cycle.
US08207874B2

An encoder employs a trellis coded quantization (TCQ) unit and a compression unit. The TCQ uses a set of polynomials that have been selected to maximize granular gain. The TCQ unit operates on a block of samples from a source. The compression unit compresses bit planes of the TCQ output, using parity check matrices of corresponding LDPC codes, to obtain corresponding syndromes. The parity check matrices are selected so their compression performance approaches close to the limit for Slepian-Wolf coding. A decoder employs a decoding unit and an estimation unit. The decoding unit decodes the syndromes using side information to produce an estimate for the TCQ output. The side information is correlated with the source. The estimation unit estimates the block of source samples using the estimated TCQ output and the side information. Trellis coded vector quantization may be used as an alternative to TCQ.
US08207859B2

An automobile monitoring system to monitor user body characteristics, includes at least one sensor to monitor at least one user body characteristic. The at least one sensor is operatively coupled to a body of a user to monitor the at least one user body characteristic while the user is operating an automobile. The at least one user body characteristic is at least a glucose level of the user's body. At least one transmitter is operatively coupled to the at least one sensor to communicate sensor data obtained from the at least one sensor while the user is operating the automobile. Automobile electronics are operatively coupled to the at least one transmitter to receive sensor data from the at least one sensor while the user is operating the automobile. The automobile electronics provide the sensor data to the user while the user is operating the automobile. A mobile telephone is operatively coupled to the automobile electronics, wherein the automobile electronics initiate a communication via the mobile telephone based on the sensor data received from the at least one sensor.
US08207855B2

A self-contained breathing apparatus safety mask, a system and a method includes a radio frequency identification tag reader arranged to communication with a radio frequency tag so that the breathing apparatus can obtain an identification of the user for wireless radio group communication with breathing apparatuses of other users. The identifier contains information for establishing and changing the group communication parameters. The system also includes a remote speaker microphone in short range radio communication with the mask. The remote speaker microphone may be connected to private mobile system.
US08207851B2

The present invention provides a system and method for tracking an interrogator relay unit disposed on a shopping cart within a store. The method comprises emitting an RF interrogation signal using the IRU; receiving, at the IRU, location data from an RFID tag in response to the RF interrogation signal; transmitting the location data, an identification information of the IRU, and timestamp data to a remote server using the IRU; and generating a behavior report using the transmitted location data, the identification information, and the timestamp data.
US08207846B2

In an electronic device having a graphical output device, a method of controlling input/output characteristics of the output device includes sensing at least one environmental condition, selecting display characteristics of the electronic device based on the environmental condition, and selectively altering size of text displayed on the graphical output device in response to the selected display characteristics.
US08207836B2

A vehicular collision avoidance system includes a sensor mounted on a vehicle, wherein the sensor is operative to measure the distance between an overhead obstacle ahead of the vehicle and the sensor; a processor connected to the sensor; means for determining a reference height which is the height above ground level at which the sensor is mounted on the vehicle, and wherein the reference height is entered into the processor; means for determining the height of the tallest portion of the vehicle above ground level, wherein the height of the tallest portion of the vehicle is also entered into the processor; and wherein the processor adds the reference height to the distance between the obstacle and the sensor to determine a measured height of the obstacle. The processor produces an alarm if the measured height of the obstacle is less than the height of the tallest portion of the vehicle.
US08207835B2

A vehicle safety system that provides an improved line of sight for oncoming traffic as the vehicle is backed out of a parking space. A set of rear side looking cameras input video information to a display used by the vehicle driver. The cameras are positioned on the rear side portion of the vehicle and are directed generally to traffic coming from the rear left or right side of the vehicle. The camera is automatically activated when the transmission is placed in reverse. The camera video is input to a driver display that allows the driver to view oncoming traffic before the vehicle backs into the traffic lane. The system can also be used to monitor blind spots when a turn signal is activated prior to a lane change.
US08207831B2

An RFID transponder having an antenna for receiving an RF signal including an amplitude modulated downlink data signal, and a demodulating stage coupled to the antenna for receiving a derived RF signal which is derived from the received RF signal. The demodulating stage has a first filter for extracting a field strength signal component from the derived RF signal and a second filter for extracting the modulated downlink data signal component from the derived RF signal. Further, a demodulator is coupled to the second filter to receive the modulated downlink signal for demodulating the modulated downlink data signal component and coupled to the first filter to receive the field strength signal such that the demodulator is adapted to vary a demodulation sensitivity parameter in response to the field strength signal.
US08207824B2

A radio frequency identification enabled dual-sided direct thermal image element and printer therefor are provided. One embodiment includes, a first substrate having an exterior side and an interior side, a radio frequency identification device attached to the interior side of the first substrate, and a second substrate having an exterior side and an interior side, wherein both the first substrate and the second substrate include a thermally sensitive coating on at least the exterior side thereof, and wherein the interior side of the second substrate is attached to the interior side of the first substrate, such that the radio frequency identification device is positioned between the first substrate and second substrate.
US08207821B2

Methods and systems are provided for lighting systems, including high output linear lighting systems for various environments. The linear lighting systems may include power systems for driving light sources in high-voltage environments.
US08207818B2

A movable barrier operator remote control transmitter kit comprises a transmitter (200) and, if desired, a user discernable listing (402) of a plurality of different remote control signal instruction protocols. This transmitter can be configured and arranged to automatically incrementally configure the transmitter using a series of protocols with each assertion of a user input (203) and also to cause the test configured transmitter to transmit a test transmission (701) to permit the user to ascertain whether a corresponding movable barrier operator responds positively. This listing can present the protocols in an order that matches a sequential order (401) by which the transmitter controller (201) will incrementally configure and test the transmitter. User discernable instructions (601) can provide advice to a user with respect to using the list (402) to quickly advance through the listing (401 to begin the compatibly testing with a particular selected candidate protocol.
US08207808B2

A coil component includes a core formed by a magnetic material, a coil embedded in the core, a part of a terminal portion of the coil protruded from a side surface of the core, and a tabular terminal, a part thereof protruded from the side surface of the core and partly connected with the protruded part of the terminal portion of the coil. The protruded part of the terminal portion of the coil and the protruded part of the tabular terminal are respectively bent toward the bottom surface side of the core along the side surface of the core, and the protruded and bent part of the terminal portion of the coil is arranged between the protruded and bent part of the tabular terminal and the core.
US08207801B2

A magnetically-tunable filter comprising a filter housing with two tunable resonator spheres made of magnetizable material, which are disposed one above the other in two filter arms. At least one filter arm provides a fin line or slot line disposed on a substrate layer and extending in the direction towards an electrical contact, and a common coupling aperture, thereby connecting the two filter arms to one another. In this context, one resonator sphere is positioned within each filter arm on each of the two sides of the coupling aperture.
US08207798B1

Embodiments of circuits, apparatuses, and systems for a matching network having a switchable capacitor bank are disclosed. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08207792B2

The phase-frequency detector (PFD) includes a frequency detector (FD) arranged to receive orthogonal signal pairs of a reference signal and a feedback signal and estimate a frequency error between a reference signal and a feedback signal; a FD voltage-to-current converter arranged to convert the frequency error into a first current; a phase detector (PD) arranged to receive the orthogonal signal pairs and estimate a phase error between the reference signal and the feedback signal, and a PD voltage-to-current converter arranged to convert the phase error into a second current.
US08207781B2

Provided is an SPDT switch having improved isolation characteristics in an RF band. The SPDT switch includes a serial switching unit, a current sink unit, a switching isolation unit, and a DC blocking unit. The serial switching unit includes first and second HBTs. The current sink unit sinks a current flowing from a common input terminal to each of first and second output terminals of the serial switching unit. The switching isolation unit causes an unselected output terminal of the first and second output terminals to be electrically isolated from the common input terminal when the serial switching unit operates. The DC blocking unit blocks a DC between the first HBT and the first output terminal and a DC between the second HBT and the second output terminal. Accordingly, it is possible to provide better insertion-loss and isolation characteristics in higher frequency bands than typical switches.
US08207779B2

A control circuit for controlling a switching device having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal is disclosed. The control circuit includes a first diode for coupling to the first terminal of the switching device, a second diode for coupling to the second terminal of the switching device, a first transistor for coupling to the control terminal of the switching device, and a second transistor coupled to the second diode. The first transistor is coupled to the first diode. The control circuit is configured to allow current flow in only one direction between the first and second terminals of the switching device.
US08207777B1

An input signal is applied to a ratiometric gain/attenuator circuit. A nulling circuit is arranged to null the input signal with an output from the ratiometric gain/attenuator circuit. The ratiometric gain/attenuator circuit may include a gain stage in series with a ratiometric attenuator. By implementing the attenuator ratiometrically, the gain may be compensated with reference to a ratio of component values. A limiting stage with an absolute reference may precede the gain stage, and a pair of detector cells may arranged at the inputs to the nulling circuit.
US08207772B2

A duty cycle correction circuit includes a duty adjustment circuit configured to generate an output clock by adjusting a duty cycle of an input clock in response to a duty adjustment code, a duty detection circuit configured to measure a difference between a width of a high pulse and a width of a low pulse of the output clock at each update period, and generate a duty detection code corresponding to the measured value, an accumulation circuit configured to generate the duty adjustment code by accumulating a value of the duty detection code outputted at each update period, and a toggling number adjustment circuit configured to adjust a toggling number of the output clock, which adjustment determines the update period, according to a frequency of the output clock.
US08207761B2

A semiconductor device has: a pull-up circuit connectable to an internal terminal; a pull-down circuit connectable to the internal terminal; and an operation mode switch circuit. The operation mode switch circuit switches an operation mode based on a potential of the internal terminal when the pull-up circuit is connected to the internal terminal and a potential of the internal terminal when the pull-down circuit is connected to the internal terminal.
US08207758B2

A Multi-Threshold CMOS NULL Convention Logic asynchronous circuit (MTNCL). The MTNCL circuit provides delay-insensitive logic operation with significant leakage power and active energy reduction. The MTNCL circuit is also capable of functioning properly under extreme supply voltage scaling down to the sub-threshold region for further power reduction. Four MTNCL architectures and four MTNCL threshold gate designs offer an asynchronous logic design methodology for glitch-free, ultra-low power, and faster circuits without area overhead.
US08207757B1

Apparatus and related fabrication and operating methods are provided for logic circuits that include ferromagnetic elements. An exemplary logic circuit includes a first ferromagnetic element having a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic element having a second ferromagnetic layer, and a transistor coupled to the first ferromagnetic element. The first transistor is configured to allow current to flow through the first ferromagnetic element. The current influences the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer, which, in turn, influences the magnetization direction of the second ferromagnetic layer.
US08207756B2

In a logic circuit where clock gating is performed, the standby power is reduced or malfunction is suppressed. The logic circuit includes a transistor which is in an off state where a potential difference exists between a source terminal and a drain terminal over a period during which a clock signal is not supplied. A channel formation region of the transistor is formed using an oxide semiconductor in which the hydrogen concentration is reduced. Specifically, the hydrogen concentration of the oxide semiconductor is 5×1019 (atoms/cm3) or lower. Thus, leakage current of the transistor can be reduced. As a result, in the logic circuit, reduction in standby power and suppression of malfunction can be achieved.
US08207752B2

A multi-chip module (MCM) is described. This MCM includes multiple sites, where a given site in the multiple sites includes multiple chips with proximity connectors that communicate information through proximity communication within the MCM via multiple components associated with the given site. Note that the MCM includes global redundancy and local redundancy at the given site. In particular, the global redundancy involves providing one or more redundant sites in the multiple sites. Furthermore, the local redundancy involves providing one or more redundant chips in the multiple chips and one or more redundant components in the multiple components.
US08207749B2

In a method and a sensor device for inductively producing an electrical measuring signal in dependence on a magnitude that is to be measured, there are provided at least two driver coils through which a current is caused to flow in turn at the clock pulse rate of a clock pulse circuit, this current induces a voltage which is dependent on the magnitude that is to be measured in a plurality of coils, the voltage being sub-divided at the clock pulse rate of the clock pulse circuit into voltage signals which are associated with the driver coils, where the voltage signals obtained thereby are evaluated for the purposes of obtaining the measuring signal, where at least two sensor coils are associated with the at least two driver coils, wherein either the sensor coils or the driver coils are connected up in the same sense, whereas the respective other coils are connected up in a mutually opposite sense, and the voltage signals of the sensor coil associated with the driver coils are sampled in certain time periods of the clock pulse signal for the purposes of obtaining the measuring signal.
US08207747B2

A sensor system includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and an analyzer circuit, the first sensor including a first seismic mass having a first resonance frequency and the second sensor including a second seismic mass having a second resonance frequency, and the analyzer circuit being provided for analyzing a first output signal of the first sensor as well as a second output signal of the second sensor and, moreover, the first resonance frequency being unequal to the second resonance frequency.
US08207744B2

There is provided a testing apparatus including a plurality of test units, a storage that is shared by the plurality of test units, where the storage stores therein wafers under test to be tested by the plurality of test units, a transport mechanism that transports the wafers under test between the storage and each of the plurality of test units, a mainframe that specifies a test procedure for each of the plurality of test units, a power source that is shared by the plurality of test units, where the power source supplies power to each of the plurality of test units, and a pressure source that is shared by the plurality of test units, where the pressure source supplies a pressure to each of the plurality of test units. Here, each of the plurality of test units includes a test module that transmits and receives a test signal to/from a plurality of circuits formed on a wafer under test, a connector that connects together transmission paths of the test signal between the test module and the wafer under test, a holding member that brings the wafer under test into contact with the connector when supplied with the pressure, and a housing that houses therein the holding member and the connector, where the wafer under test is to be tested within the housing.
US08207742B2

An improved method to detect and locate electrical faults is provided. A method of operating a circuit breaker in an electrical circuit configured with at least one of a first main circuit breaker at a first layer of circuit protection having a first direction of current flow, and at least one second circuit breaker downstream of said at least one first main circuit breaker having a second direction of current flow, and at least one third circuit breaker downstream of said at least one second circuit breaker having a third direction of current flow, wherein one of said at least one first, second, or third circuit breakers is in short time pick-up, is provided, and comprises steps to determine the location of the fault and adjust the trip time delay of the circuit breakers according to predetermined criteria.
US08207735B2

A method and apparatus for tuning the frequency and matching the impedance of an RF coil, or probe, used for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are provided. In NMR/MRI, the RF coils used to acquire the data are tuned and impedance matched for enhanced performance. An embodiment of the subject invention allows for enhanced frequency and impedance adjustments to be made remotely when, for example, space for accessing the mechanical matching components is limited or not available. Applications in which embodiments of the invention can be beneficial include, but are not limited to, medical systems, very high field research magnets and research or commercial MRI/NMR systems.
US08207721B2

A disclosed switching regulator includes: a switching element switching in accordance with an input control signal; an inductor charged with a supply voltage by the switching of the switching element; a rectifying element discharging the inductor when the switching element is switched off and charging of the inductor is stopped; and a control circuit unit generating an error voltage based on a voltage difference between a proportional voltage and a predetermined reference voltage, generating and outputting a pulse signal with a duty cycle in accordance with the error voltage to a control electrode of the switching element. The control circuit unit generates a feedback voltage from the duty cycle of the pulse signal, generates the pulse signal with the duty cycle from a voltage difference between the generated feedback voltage and the error voltage, and varies the voltage difference from the duty cycle of the pulse signal.
US08207716B2

The invention is for a 3-phase electronic tap changer commutation device to be utilized in electronic regulators, and more particularly to 3-phase alternating current (AC) electronic tap-changing voltage, current or phase correcting regulators. The present invention provides a specific transformer winding topology and commutation technique that improves performance and reduces cost compared to conventional methods.
US08207713B2

A switching power supply circuit that obtains a predetermined DC voltage output from an input AC power supply includes a full-wave rectifier and a boost circuit connected to the rectifier. The boost circuit generates a DC output having a predetermined voltage value from the rectifier output. A power factor improving circuit controls an ON-period of an output transistor of the boost circuit, based on feedback of the DC voltage output, and a dynamic over-voltage-protection circuit controls the ON-period of the output transistor as it performs a switching operation. The switching power supply circuit facilitates an over-voltage-protection function that prevents inductor buzzing with an integrated circuit having a small number of pins.
US08207710B2

Provided is a regulator adapted to the various vehicle alternators of the present invention. The regulator particularly includes a coding circuit and a control circuit. The coding circuit is used to provide the different selectable codes. A laser trimming technology is introduced to form an open circuit over the coding circuit, in order to set a code. The control circuit is used to predetermine the various function selections in accordance with the various codes. The coding circuit includes an amplifier, a first input resistor, and a second resistor. The first input resistor is interconnected to a high-voltage end and an input end of the amplifier in series. The second input resistor is further interconnected to the input end and a low-voltage end in series. The open circuit is particularly formed on the first input resistor or the second input resistor for regulating the output voltage and setting a code.
US08207677B2

An illumination apparatus, which controls a supply power supplied to a lamp according to an accumulated interval of on-time and a light control signal, is configured in which a maximum supply power supplied to the lamp according to the accumulated interval of on-time is supplied to the lamp when the supply power to the lamp corresponding to the light control signal is above the maximum supply power to the lamp according to the accumulated interval of on-time at a point when the illumination apparatus is turned on or the lamp starts lighting. When the light control signal is operated so as to exceed a level of the maximum supply power to the lamp according to the accumulated interval of on-time or the light control signal varies more than a prescribed level, the supply power is shifted to an adjustable condition so as to be higher than the maximum supply power to the lamp according to the accumulated interval of on-time.
US08207662B2

An organic light emitting display (OLED) apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same, the OLED apparatus including: a substrate; an active layer formed on the substrate; a gate electrode insulated from the active layer; source and drain electrodes insulated from the gate electrode and electrically connected to the active layer; a pixel defining layer formed on the source and drain electrodes, having an aperture to expose one of the source and drain electrodes; an intermediate layer formed in the aperture and comprising an organic light emitting layer; and a facing electrode which is formed on the intermediate layer. One of the source and drain electrodes has an extension that operates as a pixel electrode. The aperture exposes the extended portion. The intermediate layer is formed on the extended portion.
US08207657B2

A spark plug capable of increasing a welding strength between a leading end of a metal shell and a base end of a ground electrode to avoid fracture of a welded part due to vibrations and the like even when making the metal shell smaller. The spark plug satisfies a relation of S2≧S wherein S2 is a sectional area of the welded part between the metal shell and the ground electrode, the sectional area S2 being cut off by a plane including a leading end surface of the metal shell, and S is a sectional area of the ground electrode, the sectional area S being cut off by a plane passing to the most axial leading end of a boundary between the ground electrode and the welded part and perpendicular to the axial direction.
US08207654B2

A piezoelectric oscillator is provided, which has a through electrode providing reliable conduction between a piezoelectric vibrating piece and an external electrode with rare occurrence of a large stress caused by temperature variation in processing or deformation of a mounted base substrate, while the hermeticity of a cavity is maintained. A piezoelectric oscillator having a piezoelectric vibrating piece sealed in a cavity defined between a base substrate and a lid substrate includes a through electrode disposed in a through hole penetrating through the base substrate, and the through electrode has a glass frit filled in the through hole and fired and a core formed of a material containing only iron and nickel and disposed in the through hole together with the glass frit. The values of the thermal expansion coefficients of the base substrate, the glass frit, and the core are set as: base substrate glass≧frit>core.
US08207644B2

A hybrid cascading lubrication and cooling system (200, 400) for an electrical machine (102) with nested stages is provided. The electrical machine (102) includes an inner nested stage (444) nested with respect to an outer nested stage (446). An oil pump (222) is coupled to an oil pump inlet tube (226) to draw oil from an oil sump (224), and a cooling core (230) to distribute pumped oil within the electrical machine (102). A rotor member (212) is coupled to the inner nested stage (444) and the outer nested stage (446). The rotor member (212) centrifugally pumps oil from the cooling core (230) through inner radial holes (424) and outer radial holes (436) in the rotor member (212) upon rotation about a central axis (216) of the electrical machine (102).
US08207640B2

A rotation assembly for a motor comprises a hub, a shaft, a buckling member and a fixing plate. The hub has a through-hole and an assembling portion. The through-hole has a first opening and a second opening opposing to the first opening. The assembling portion is located surrounding the first opening. The shaft is inserted into the through-hole of the hub and has a first end and a second end, wherein a fixing slot and a restrain portion are located between the first end and the second end. The buckling member is coupled to the fixing slot of the shaft so as to prevent the shaft from disengaging from the hub. The fixing plate is coupled to the assembling portion of the hub and has an abutting portion abutting with the restrain portion of the shaft for preventing the shaft from rotating about the hub.
US08207638B2

A communication system in which an operating voltage can be selected from a plurality of interface voltages enables an interface voltage to be switched in a stable manner during operation of the system. When the interface voltage is to be switched, a host device (1) and a slave device (2) perform the switching while maintaining the signal level of buses in a stable manner. This structure enables the communication system to switch an interface voltage using a small number of signal lines.
US08207636B2

A solid state power control includes a sensor to detect when the power control is not connected to a power source. Disconnecting the power source turns off an output stage in the power control. If the power control receives a command to turn on its output stage while the power source is disconnected from the power control or otherwise not present, logic in the power control prevents the command from reaching the output stage. When the power source is connected or reconnected to the power control, the output stage remains off until the logic detects a zero crossing in the power source, thereby preventing high inrush currents into the power control. Suppressing high inrush currents caused by power source reconnection ensures that any current trip circuitry in the power control will be activated only by short circuit conditions and not by abnormal inrush currents.
US08207633B2

A battery backup system for providing uninterrupted power to components within a vehicle electronic control module (ECM). The backup system comprises a header connector with a recessed region for the battery. A connector plug is plugged into the header connector over the battery to cover the battery and shield the battery. The backup battery is disposed within the recessed region in contact with electrical contacts extending from the housing of the ECM, the electrical contacts providing a connection between the backup battery and an electronic component needing a backup power supply. Additional terminals on the connector plug can be used to provide power to the backup battery. The backup battery can be in a closed circuit with the electronic component, or the backup battery circuit can be switched to form a closed circuit with the electronic component when the electronic component no longer receives power from the primary power source.
US08207630B2

Techniques for DC-to-AC conversion are disclosed, and may be embodied in a solar inverter device that can operatively couple to a power grid. The device includes a photovoltaic (PV) stack including series-connected PV modules. Each PV module is associated with a capacitor for storing output of that PV module. A positive terminator circuit switches a negative end of the PV stack to ground during positive half of grid cycle, and a negative terminator switches a positive end of the PV stack to ground during negative half of grid cycle. A connecting branch couples each PV module output to a common bus, each branch including control circuitry configured to selectively couple the corresponding PV module output to bus. During a first half of grid cycle, some of the capacitors discharge to the grid while a balance of the capacitors charge in preparation for discharge during a second half of grid cycle.
US08207628B2

A power converter that gives priority to the high power output and only provides power to the low power output when the total potential output power is equal to or less than the rated power of the power converter. A specific power threshold is established, and when the high power output remains below this threshold for a period of time the low power output is allowed to turn on. If the high power output subsequently exceeds this threshold for a period of time, then an electronic circuit powers down the low power output in order to keep the total output power below the rated power of the power converter. Subsequently, the high power output is checked against the threshold to determine if the low power output can be turned on again. If the high power output is below the threshold, then the low power output is turned on.
US08207627B2

An adaptive power strip has a power rail. A power entry module and one or more receptacle modules having plug receptacles are mounted on the power rail. The power entry module has a power inlet to which a source of power can be coupled. The power entry module distributes power from the power source to the power rail. The receptacle modules distribute power from the power rail to the respective plug receptacles. In an aspect, the power entry module has a communications module that discovers receptacle modules on the power rail having data communications capability and if a receptacle module does not have a unique identifier assigned to it, assigns a unique identifier to the receptacle module that the receptacle module stores in a memory. The communications modules also retrieves from each receptacle module having data communications capability, information about the characteristics of the receptacle module that the communications module stores in a memory. The communications module maintains an inventory in memory of the receptacle modules on the power rail that includes information about the characteristics of the receptacle modules. In an aspect, receptacle modules determine their locations on the power rail and send information to the communications module that the communications module uses to determine the location of the receptacle modules on the power rail. In an aspect, the power entry module determines the type of power service provided to it at its power inlet.
US08207625B1

A wind turbine connected to an electrical generator and the turbine and electrical generator contained in inner tubular tower in which wind driven air flows downwardly in the inner tubular tower to drive the turbine and the air flow is directed to flow upwardly in the space between the inner tubular tower and an outer tubular tower in which the inner tubular tower is mounted to thereby provide a chimney effect.
US08207622B2

Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles of manufacture, may operate to receive oscillatory motion at an inertial mass to impart motion to a fluid, rotate a turbine or vibrate a beam using the motion imparted to the fluid, and generate power using a generator mechanically coupled to the turbine or beam. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08207609B2

A structure and a method. The method includes: forming a dielectric layer on a substrate; forming electrically conductive first and second wires in the dielectric layer, top surfaces of the first and second wires coplanar with a top surface of the dielectric layer; and either (i) forming an electrically conductive third wire on the top surface of the dielectric layer, and over the top surfaces of the first and second wires, the third wire electrically contacting each of the first and second wires, the third wire not detectable by optical microscopy or (ii) forming an electrically conductive third wire between the top surface of the dielectric layer and the substrate, the third wire electrically contacting each of the first and second wires, the third wire not detectable by optical microscopy.
US08207608B2

A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The semiconductor device has an active surface. The semiconductor device includes at least a connecting element and at least a bump. The connecting element is disposed on the activate surface and has a minimum dimension smaller than 100 microns. The bump is disposed on the connecting element and is electrically connected to the active surface by the connecting element. The bump includes a pillar part disposed on the connecting element and a top part disposed on the top of the pillar part. The pillar part has a first dimension and a second dimension both parallel to the active surface. The first dimension is longer than 1.2 times the second dimension. The top part is composed of solder and will melt under a pre-determined temperature. The pillar part will not melt under the pre-determined temperature.
US08207603B2

The present invention provides a stacked chip package structure with leadframe having inner leads with transfer pad, comprising: a leadframe composed of a plurality of inner leads arranged in rows facing each other, a plurality of outer leads, and a die pad, wherein the die pad is provided between the plurality of inner leads arranged in rows facing each other and vertically distant from the plurality of inner leads; an offset chip-stacked structure formed with a plurality of chips stacked together, the offest chip-stacked structure being set on the die pad and electrically connected to the plurality of inner leads arranged in rows facing each other; and an encapsulant covering the offset chip-stacked structure and the leadframe, the plurality of outer leads extending out of said encapsulant; the improvement of which being that the inner leads of the leadframe are coated with an insulating layer and a plurality of metal pads are selectively formed on the insulating layer.
US08207597B2

An integrated circuit package system is provided including forming a lead frame including forming an inner lead having a planar surface, the inner lead extending inwardly from the lead frame and forming a stiffening structure integral with the lead frame for maintaining the planar surface; encapsulating the inner lead with an electrical connection to an integrated circuit die and with a first inner lead body of the inner lead exposed; and singulating the inner lead from the lead frame.
US08207592B2

A capacitor in an integrated circuit (“IC”) has a first plurality of conductive crosses formed in a layer of the IC electrically connected to and forming a portion of a first node of the capacitor and a second plurality of conductive crosses formed in the metal layer of the IC. The conductive crosses in the second plurality of conductive crosses are electrically connected to and form a portion of a second node of the capacitor and capacitively couple to the first node.
US08207589B2

A photoelectric conversion device includes: a first substrate of which end portions are cut off so as to slope or with a groove shape; a photodiode and an amplifier circuit over the first substrate; a first electrode electrically connected to the photodiode and provided over one end portion of the first substrate; a second electrode electrically connected to the amplifier circuit and provided over an another end portion of the first substrate; and a second substrate having third and fourth electrodes thereon. The first and second electrodes are attached to the third and fourth electrodes, respectively, with a conductive material provided not only at the surfaces of the first, second, third, and fourth electrodes facing each other but also at the side surfaces of the first and second electrodes to increase the adhesiveness between a photoelectric conversion device and a member on which the photoelectric conversion device is mounted.
US08207587B2

A magnetic sensor for detecting magnetism in two-axial directions or three-axial directions is constituted of a substrate, a silicon oxide film that is formed on the substrate so as to form the planar surface and slopes, a plurality of magnetoresistive elements, each of which is formed by laminating a free layer, a conductive layer, and a pin layer on the substrate, a plurality of lead films that are formed to connect the magnetoresistive elements in series, a CVD oxide film for covering the magnetoresistive elements, and a non-magnetic film that is formed between the magnetoresistive elements and the CVD oxide film so as to cover the periphery of the free layer with respect to each magnetoresistive element. Thus, it is possible for the magnetic sensor to include the magnetoresistive elements having superior hysteresis characteristics.
US08207584B2

After forming a pure silicon oxide film on respective surfaces of an n-type well and a p-type well, an oxygen deficiency adjustment layer made of an oxide of 2A group elements, an oxide of 3A group elements, an oxide of 3B group elements, an oxide of 4A group elements, an oxide of 5A group elements or the like, a high dielectric constant film, and a conductive film having a reduction catalyst effect to hydrogen are sequentially deposited on the silicon oxide film, and the substrate is heat treated in the atmosphere containing H2, thereby forming a dipole between the oxygen deficiency adjustment layer and the silicon oxide film. Then, the conductive film, the high dielectric constant film, the oxygen deficiency adjustment layer, the silicon oxide film and the like are patterned, thereby forming a gate electrode and a gate insulating film.
US08207575B2

In a well region, an irregular structure is formed in a gate width direction, and a gate electrode is formed in concave portions and on top surfaces of convex portions via an insulating film. Upper and lower source regions are formed on one side of the gate electrode in a gate length direction, and upper and lower drain regions are formed on the other side thereof. By thus forming the lower source and drain regions in the source and drain regions, current concentration occurring in an upper portion of a channel region, which is generated as the gate length becomes shorter, may be suppressed and a current may be allowed to flow uniformly in the entire channel region, and hence an effective gate width is made wider owing to the irregular structure formed in the well region. Accordingly, an on-resistance of a semiconductor device is reduced to enhance driving performance.
US08207569B2

Capacitive structures in integrated circuits are disclosed. The capacitive structures are formed on a substrate. Each capacitive structure includes a first conductive finger and a second conductive finger. The first and second conductive fingers are arranged in parallel with each other and separated from each other by a dielectric material. The first finger is connected to a first interconnect and the second conductive finger is connected to a second interconnect. A first capacitor is formed from a first group of the plurality of capacitive structures having respective interconnects coupled together. A second capacitor is formed from a second group of the plurality of capacitive structures having respective interconnects coupled together. The capacitive structures of the first group are intertwined with the capacitive structures of the second group.
US08207568B2

Method of fabricating a MIM capacitor and MIM capacitor. The method includes providing a substrate including a dielectric layer formed on a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer formed over the dielectric layer, and patterning a mask on the second conductive layer. Exposed portions of the second conductive layer are removed to form an upper plate of a MIM capacitor having edges substantially aligned with respective edges of the mask. The upper plate is undercut so that edges of the upper plate are located under the mask. Exposed portions of the dielectric layer and the first conductive layer are removed using the mask to form a capacitor dielectric layer and a lower plate of the MIM capacitor having edges substantially aligned with respective edges of the mask.
US08207567B2

A stacked metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitor structure and method of forming the same to increase an electrode/capacitor dielectric coupling area to increase a capacitance, the MOM capacitor structure including a plurality of metallization layers in stacked relationship; wherein each metallization layer includes substantially parallel spaced apart conductive electrode line portions having a first intervening capacitor dielectric; and, wherein the conductive electrode line portions are electrically interconnected between metallization layers by conductive damascene line portions formed in a second capacitor dielectric and disposed underlying the conductive electrode line portions.
US08207564B2

A memory cell, device, and system include a memory cell having a shared digitline, a storage capacitor, and a plurality of access transistors configured to selectively electrically couple the storage capacitor with the shared digitline. The shared digitline couples with adjacent memory cells, and the plurality of access transistors selects which adjacent memory cell is coupled to the shared digitline. A method of forming the memory cell includes forming a buried digitline in a substrate and a vertical pillar in the substrate immediately adjacent to the buried digitline. A dual gate transistor is formed on the vertical pillar with a first end electrically coupled to the buried digitline and a second end coupled to a storage capacitor formed thereto.
US08207556B2

A group III nitride semiconductor device having a gallium nitride based semiconductor film with an excellent surface morphology is provided. A group III nitride optical semiconductor device includes a group III nitride semiconductor supporting base, a GaN based semiconductor region, an active layer, and a GaN semiconductor region. The primary surface of the group III nitride semiconductor supporting base is not any polar plane, and forms a finite angle with a reference plane that is orthogonal to a reference axis extending in the direction of a c-axis of the group III nitride semiconductor. The GaN based semiconductor region, grown on the semipolar primary surface, includes a semiconductor layer of, for example, an n-type GaN based semiconductor doped with silicon. A GaN based semiconductor layer of an oxygen concentration of 5×1016 cm−3 or more provides an active layer, grown on the primary surface, with an excellent crystal quality.
US08207543B2

A light source and method for making the same are disclosed. The light source includes a substrate, and a light emitting structure that is divided into segments. The light emitting structure includes a first layer of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type deposited on the substrate, an active layer overlying the first layer, and a second layer of semiconductor material of an opposite conductivity type from the first conductivity type overlying the active layer. A barrier divides the light emitting structure into first and second segments that are electrically isolated from one another. A serial connection electrode connects the first layer in the first segment to the second layer in the second segment. A power contact is electrically connected to the second layer in the first segment, and a second power contact is electrically connected to the first layer in the second segment.
US08207526B2

A phosphorescent-emitting layer contains a phosphorescent host and a phosphorescent dopant for providing phosphorescence, and a fluorescent-emitting layer contains a fluorescent host and a fluorescent dopant for providing fluorescence. A charge blocking layer blocks electrons injected into the fluorescent host of the fluorescent-emitting layer from being injected toward the charge blocking layer from the fluorescent-emitting layer, and also injects holes into the fluorescent-emitting layer from the phosphorescent-emitting layer. A triplet energy gap EgPD of the phosphorescent dopant of the phosphorescent-emitting layer, a triplet energy gap EgEB of the charge blocking layer and a triplet energy gap EgFH of the fluorescent host of the fluorescent-emitting layer satisfy the following formula (1). EgPD
US08207521B2

Disclosed herein is a method for producing catalyst-free single crystal silicon nanowires. According to the method, nanowires can be produced in a simple and economical manner without the use of any metal catalyst. In addition, impurities contained in a metal catalyst can be prevented from being introduced into the nanowires, contributing to an improvement in the electrical and optical properties of the nanowires. Also disclosed herein are nanowires produced by the method and nanodevice comprising the nanowires.
US08207513B2

A charged particle beam apparatus is provided which has high resolving power and a wide scanning region (observation field of view). The apparatus has a unit for adjusting the focus, a unit for adjusting astigmatism, a unit for controlling and detecting scanning positions and a controller operative to control the focus adjustment and astigmatism adjustment at a time in interlocked relation to the scanning positions, thereby assuring compatibility between the high resolving power and the observation view field of a wide area.
US08207512B2

The present invention provides a charged particle beam apparatus used to measure micro-dimensions (CD value) of a semiconductor apparatus or the like which captures images for measurement. For the present invention, a sample for calibration, on which a plurality of polyhedral structural objects with known angles on surfaces produced by the crystal anisotropic etching technology are arranged in a viewing field, is used. A beam landing angle at each position within a viewing field is calculated based on geometric deformation on an image of each polyhedral structural object. Beam control parameters for equalizing the beam landing angle at each position within the viewing field are pre-registered. The registered beam control parameters are applied according to the position of the pattern to be measured within the viewing field when performing dimensional measurement. Accordingly, the present invention provides methods for reducing the variation in the CD value caused by the variation in the electron beam landing angle with respect to the sample with an equal beam landing angle and methods for reducing the instrumental error caused by the difference in the electron beam landing angle between apparatuses.
US08207507B2

A method according to one embodiment includes growing an organic crystal from solution, the organic crystal exhibiting a signal response signature for neutrons from a radioactive source. A system according to one embodiment includes an organic crystal having physical characteristics of formation from solution, the organic crystal exhibiting a signal response signature for neutrons from a radioactive source; and a photodetector for detecting the signal response of the organic crystal. A method according to another embodiment includes growing an organic crystal from solution, the organic crystal being large enough to exhibit a detectable signal response signature for neutrons from a radioactive source. An organic crystal according to another embodiment includes an organic crystal having physical characteristics of formation from solution, the organic crystal exhibiting a signal response signature for neutrons from a radioactive source, wherein the organic crystal has a length of greater than about 1 mm in one dimension.
US08207505B2

A radiation detector using gas amplification includes: a first electrode pattern which is formed on a first surface of an insulating member and has a plurality of circular openings; and a second electrode pattern which is formed on a second surface of the insulating member opposite to the first surface thereof and has convex portions of which respective forefronts are exposed to centers of the openings of the first electrode pattern; wherein a predetermined electric potential is set between the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern; wherein edges of the first electrode pattern exposing to the openings are shaped in respective continuous first curved surfaces by covering the edges thereof with a first solder material.
US08207503B2

A detector of periodic packets of X photons, each packet having a duration shorter than 0.1 nanosecond, comprising a sensor comprising a semiconductor element of type III-V biased in a negative differential resistance region, said sensor being arranged in a resonant cavity tuned to a multiple of the packet repetition frequency.
US08207500B2

A sensor for detecting electromagnetic radiation, having a detection element; and at least one electrode; the detection element and the at least one electrode forming a variable capacitor, and a change in the capacitance of the capacitor being caused by the detected electromagnetic radiation.
US08207497B2

In various embodiments of the invention, a cargo container can be monitored at appropriate time intervals to determine that no controlled substances have been shipped with the cargo in the container. The monitoring utilizes reactive species produced from an atmospheric analyzer to ionize analyte molecules present in the container which are then analyzed by an appropriate spectroscopy system. In an embodiment of the invention, a sorbent surface can be used to absorb, adsorb or condense analyte molecules within the container whereafter the sorbent surface can be interrogated with the reactive species to generate analyte species characteristic of the contents of the container.
US08207494B2

Disclosed is an apparatus for performing mass spectrometry and a method of analyzing a sample through mass spectrometry. In particular, the disclosure relates to an apparatus capable of ambient mass spectrometry and mass spectral imaging and a method for the same. The apparatus couples laser ablation, flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow ionization, and a mass spectrometer.
US08207487B2

In order to improve resolution to the illuminance of light, the present invention comprises a photoelectric conversion circuit for generating a first current in accordance with illuminance of incident light, a charge/discharge circuit whose electrical capacitance changes in accordance with the first current, a first switching element which is turned on or off so as to control conduction between the photoelectric conversion circuit and the charge/discharge circuit, a current circuit for generating a second current with a constant amount, a second switching element which is turned on or off so as to control conduction between the charge/discharge circuit and the current circuit, and a comparator including a first input terminal and a second input terminal, wherein a signal with a reference potential is input to the first input terminal and the second input terminal is electrically connected to the charge/discharge circuit are provided.
US08207485B2

A pixel structure having a shielded storage node. A pixel comprises a sample transistor coupled to a light detecting stage. The sample transistor comprises an inner junction region surrounding and coupled to a storage node and a gate disposed around at least three sides of the inner junction region that operates as a charge barrier to shield the storage node. A memory capacitor is coupled to the storage node.
US08207482B2

A radiant energy trap. This diffuse and direct radiant energy concentrator comprises at least one reflector, a refractor substantially prism shaped and a receiver interfaced with the refractor. The invention is capable of a solid angle of acceptance of radiant energy, equivalent to that of a flat panel collector, while maintaining a relatively high concentration ratio of diffuse light. The invention can be embodied as an effective hybrid solar electric and thermal collector. A unique yet simple geometry results in relatively high optical and thermal efficiency. The invention can be embodied as a low profile 3-D diffuse light concentrator, combining reflection, refraction, and total internal reflection to approach the thermodynamic limit. It minimizes materials cost to the limits of cost reduction with relatively high efficiency PV cells. The invention increases the utilization of available solar energy and greatly reduces installed system payback periods, compared to prior art.
US08207477B2

A method of operating a household oven to cook vegetables using steam during a cooking cycle.
US08207473B2

A method for manufacturing a stretchable electronic device is disclosed. In one aspect, the device comprises at least one electrically conductive channel connecting at least two components of the device. The method comprises forming the channel by laser-cutting a flexible substrate into a predetermined geometric shape.
US08207470B2

Provided is an apparatus for generating remote plasma, which can improve thin-film quality by preventing an arc at a bias electrode. The apparatus includes a radio frequency (RF) electrode installed inside an upper portion of a chamber, a bias electrode installed apart from the RF electrode, and including a plurality of through holes through which plasma passes, wherein a bias power is supplied to the bias electrode, a plasma generating unit formed between the RF electrode and the bias electrode, wherein a plasma gas is supplied to the plasma generating unit, and a ground electrode installed under and spaced apart from the bias electrode, and including plasma through holes corresponding to the through holes of the bias electrode, wherein a pulsed DC bias of a second voltage level, which has a first voltage level periodically, is applied to the bias electrode.
US08207453B2

Disclosed are embodiments of a glass core substrate for an integrated circuit (IC) device. The glass core substrate includes a glass core and build-up structures on opposing sides of the glass core. Electrically conductive terminals may be formed on both sides of the glass core substrate. An IC die may be coupled with the terminals on one side of the substrate, whereas the terminals on the opposing side may be coupled with a next-level component, such as a circuit board. The glass core may comprise a single piece of glass in which conductors have been formed, or the glass core may comprise two or more glass sections that have been joined together, each section having conductors. The conductors extend through the glass core, and one or more of the conductors may be electrically coupled with the build-up structures disposed over the glass core. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08207439B2

A musical tone signal processing apparatus configured to extract musical tone signals that are signal processed for a plurality of localizations. Such an apparatus may be configured to carry out signal processing for signals that have been extracted by first retrieving processing (S100) and/or second retrieving processing (S200). The first retrieving processing (S100) and the second retrieving processing (S200) extracts a musical tone signal (e.g., the left channel signal and the right channel signal) that satisfies each of the conditions that have been set (e.g., frequency, localization, and maximum level) as the extraction signal. Accordingly, the extraction signal can be extracted to allow the musical tone signal processing apparatus to signal process the extraction signal for each of the plurality of conditions.
US08207436B2

A device for entering, editing, and outputting representations of notes to be played on a steel pan includes a processor, a display, an input and output device, and software adapted to display a representation of a steel pan having concentric rings of note pads, receive a user selection of a series of notes to be played, and display the user-selected note series with a tablature system, which includes a staff having three horizontal lines positioned atop each other, a first line representing a center ring, a second line representing an inner ring, and third line representing an outer ring of note pads. For each note pad, a rhythmic indicator is adjacent the horizontal line commensurate with the note pad position. The note name is positioned above the respective rhythmic indicator. At least a portion of an electronic representation of the user-selected note series is output to the output device.
US08207433B1

An apparatus for a guitar comprising a tremolo anchor, an upper post portion, a lower post portion, and a compressible material. The compressible material is compressible enough to allow for the tightening of the upper post portion but not compressible enough to loosen a guitar string.
US08207431B2

A transmission electron microscope (TEM) micro-grid includes a pure carbon grid having a plurality of holes defined therein and at least one carbon nanotube film covering the holes. A method for manufacturing a TEM micro-grid includes following steps. A pure carbon grid precursor and at least one carbon nanotube film are first provided. The at least one carbon nanotube film is disposed on a surface of the pure carbon grid precursor. The pure carbon grid precursor and the at least one carbon nanotube film are then cut to form the TEM micro-grid in desired shape.
US08207410B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1016317. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1016317. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1016317 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1016317 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08207396B2

The present invention relates to transgenic animals, as well as compositions and methods relating to the characterization of gene function. Specifically, the present invention provides transgenic mice comprising disruptions in PRO226, PRO257, PRO268, PRO290, PRO36006, PRO363, PRO365, PRO382, PRO444, PRO705, PRO1071, PRO1125, PRO1134, PRO1155, PRO1281, PRO1343, PRO1379, PRO1380, PRO1387, PRO1419, PRO1433, PRO1474, PRO1550, PRO1571, PRO1572, PRO1759, PRO1904, PRO35193, PRO4341, PRO4348, PRO4369, PRO4381, PRO4407, PRO4425, PRO4985, PRO4989, PRO5737, PRO5800, PRO5993, PRO6017, PRO7174, PRO9744, PRO9821, PRO9852, PRO9873, PRO10196, PRO34778, PRO20233, PRO21956, PRO57290, PRO38465, PRO38683 or PRO85161 genes. Such in vivo studies and characterizations may provide valuable identification and discovery of therapeutics and/or treatments useful in the prevention, amelioration or correction of diseases or dysfunctions associated with gene disruptions such as neurological disorders; cardiovascular, endothelial or angiogenic disorders; eye abnormalities; immunological disorders; oncological disorders; bone metabolic abnormalities or disorders; lipid metabolic disorders; or developmental abnormalities.
US08207392B2

A composite wound dressing apparatus promotes healing of a wound via the use of a micropump system housed within a wound dressing member. The micropump system includes a miniature pump that applies a subatmospheric pressure to the wound to effectively draw wound fluid or exudate away from the wound bed without the need for an external vacuum source. Hence, the wound dressing and micropump system is portable which allows the patient mobility that is unavailable when an external vacuum source is used. The patient does not need to be constrained for any period of time while exudate is being removed from the wound.
US08207391B2

An adsorbent for radioelement-containing waste composed of the following spherical layered double hydroxide (A) or spherical metal hydroxide (B) is provided. (A) is a nonstoichiometric compound represented by general formula (a) or (b): [M2+1-xM3+x(OH)2]x+[An−x/n·mH2O]x− . . . (a), [Al2Li(OH)6]x+[An−x/n·mH2O]x− . . . (b) wherein 0.1≦x≦0.4, 0
US08207389B2

We provide a process for making a base oil, comprising: oligomerizing an olefin feed comprising propylene and propane with an ionic liquid catalyst at a temperature from 0° C. to 150° C. to make a base oil having: i. from 45 to 70 wt % hydrocarbons boiling at 482° C. (900° F.) or higher, ii. a viscosity index from 25 to 90, and iii. a cloud point less than −25° C.
US08207385B2

A process is disclosed for fluid catalytic cracking of oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds such as glycerol and bio-oil.In the process the oxygenated hydrocarbon compounds are contacted with a fluid cracking catalyst material for a period of less than 3 seconds.In a preferred process a crude-oil derived material, such as VGO, is also contacted with the catalyst.
US08207384B2

The invention provides a process for preparing 1234yf, comprising: (i) contacting 243db with hydrogen fluoride HF in gas phase in the presence of a fluorination catalyst under conditions sufficient to produce a reaction mixture; (ii) separating the reaction mixture into a first stream comprising HCl, 1234yf and a second stream comprising HF, 1233xf and 245cb; (iii) recycling at least a part of the second stream at least in part back to step (i). The invention also provides a process for preparing 1234yf, comprising: (i) contacting 243db with hydrogen fluoride HF in gas phase in the presence of a fluorination catalyst under conditions sufficient to produce a reaction mixture; (ii) separating the reaction mixture into HCl and a stream containing the fluorinated products; (iii) separating said stream containing the fluorinated products into a first stream comprising 1234yf and a second stream comprising HF, 1233xf and 245cb; (iv) recycling at least a part of the second stream at least in part back to step (i).
US08207380B2

An alkylated hydroxyaromatic compound prepared by reacting at least one hydroxyaromatic compound with a branched olefinic oligomer having from about 20 to about 80 carbon atoms in the presence of a acid catalyst. The alkylated hydroxyaromatic compound has been determined to be substantially free of endocrine disruptive chemicals when the effects were quantified on pubertal development and thyroid function in the intact juvenile female rat.
US08207374B2

Ethers of aromatic acids are produced from halogenated aromatic acids in a reaction mixture containing a copper (I) or copper (II) source and a diketone ligand that coordinates to copper.
US08207373B2

HPV inhibitors with formula (I) where G1 represents a hydrocarbonated bond or chain possibly substituted by one or two alkyl groups, G2 represents a group (see formula Ia+Ib) or R represents a hydrogen, an alkyl, halogenoalkyl, or a prodrug radical such as carbamate, acetyl or dialkylaminomethyl, G represents a bond or a hydrocarbonated chain possibly substituted by one or two alkyls, W represents an oxygen or sulphur, R1 and R2 each represent a group chosen from among hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, thio, alkoxy, halogenoalkoxy, alkylthio, halogenoalkylthio, amino, monoalkylamino, dialkylamino, cycloalkyl, alkyl or halogenoalkyl, R3 represents an acid or a prodrug radical of the acid function or a bioisostere of the acid function, A represents an aryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or a heterocycle, each possibly substituted, and B represents an aryl or a heterocycle with 6 chains, each possibly substituted, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts.
US08207364B2

The present invention provides a process for the preparation of a complex of formula (A) or (B): wherein, M is a platinum group metal atom; each X is an anionic monodentate ligand; is a bidentate phosphine ligand; and R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of straight-chain C1-10 alkyl, branched-chain C3-10 alkyl, C3-10 cycloalkyl and optionally substituted aryl; comprising the steps of: (a) preparing  by reacting the lithium salt of R1R2PH with a dihaloalkane in a solvent comprising an alkyl ether and, optionally, an alkane, provided the alkyl ether is not diethyl ether; (b) reacting  with a platinum group metal precursor compound to form the complex of formula (A) or formula (B).
US08207357B2

An antitumor agent which is not easily excreted from tumor cells and is suitable for a topical treatment. Specifically disclosed is a rotaxane compound with contains a compound represented by chemical formula 1 as the base structure. (In chemical formula 1, m≧2, n≧3, and X represents an anionic molecule or an anionic atom.
US08207356B2

A method for the preparation of a duloxetine hydrochloride salt from a duloxetine base, comprising the steps of: reacting duloxetine base with concentrated hydrochloric acid in ethylmethylketone; and crystallizing duloxetine hydrochloride salt from said concentrated hydrochloric acid in ethylmethylketone.
US08207354B2

A process for preparing alkyl 2-alkoxymethylene-4,4-difluoro-3-oxobutyrates (VI) where R is methyl or ethyl, from crude reaction mixtures of alkyl 4,4-difluoroacetoacetates (I) by a) reacting  where M is a sodium or potassium ion, and  without additional solvent to form an enolate (V) b) releasing the corresponding alkyl 4,4-difluoroacetoacetate (I) from the enolate (V) by means of acid, c) removing the salt formed from cation M and acid anion as a solid and d) converting (I), without isolation from the crude reaction mixture, to the alkyl 2-alkoxymethylene-4,4-difluoro-3-oxobutyrate (VI), and the use of (VI) for preparing 1-methyl-3-difluoromethyl-pyrazol-3-ylcarboxyates VII
US08207350B2

The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) which inhibit acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and are useful for the prevention or treatment of metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases in humans.
US08207340B2

Compounds useful for treating cellular proliferative diseases and disorders by modulating the activity of one or more mitotic kinesins are disclosed.
US08207337B2

[Problem]To provide an organoboron compound-containing reagent for organic synthesis reactions which undergoes no trimerization with dehydration, does not necessitate activation with a base, and is stable and highly active.[Means for Solving Problems]The reagent for organic synthesis reactions contains an organic triol borate salt represented by any of the general formulae (I) to (III) and general formula (XVI): (wherein R1 represents alkyl, alkenyl, etc.; R2 represents optionally substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, etc. or represents hydrogen; m+ represents an alkaline metal ion, phosphonium ion, or given ammonium ion; M2+ represents an alkaline earth metal; X represents halogen or alkoxide; Y represents an alkali metal ion, etc.; A represents optionally substituted methylene; and n represents an integer).
US08207334B2

The present invention provides a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative, salt or prodrug thereof. Further provided is a method of treatment or prophylaxis of a viral infection in a subject comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative, salt or prodrug thereof. A pharmaceutical composition or medicament comprising a compound of Formula I is also provided.
US08207333B2

A new process for preparing pure amorphous rosuvastatin calcium, substantially free of impurities, is disclosed. A process comprising hydrolysing a C1 to C5 alkyl ester of rosuvastatin, preferably methyl rosuvastatin or tert-butyl rosuvastatin, with a base, e.g. sodium hydroxide, in the presence of an aprotic solvent, preferably tetrahydrofuran and N,N-dimethyl acetamide, or in the presence of a mixture of an aprotic solvent and water, to obtain a solution of rosuvastatin salt, which may be converted to another rosuvastatin salt using another cation, e.g. with calcium cation to obtain rosuvastatin calcium. Rosuvastatin amine salts may be obtained as well.In another preferred aspect of the invention rosuvastatin free acid may be converted to various rosuvastatin salts, e.g. to rosuvastatin calcium, rosuvastatin sodium or various rosuvastatin amine salts, including rosuvastatin solvates, e.g. rosuvastatin calcium hydrate.Rosuvastatin calcium is useful in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.
US08207325B2

The present invention relates to novel molecular markers for diagnosis and classification of human breast cancer and lung cancer.
US08207319B2

A nucleic acid probe for classification of pathogenic bacterial species is capable of collectively detecting bacterial strains of the same species and differentially detecting them from other bacterial species. Any one of the base sequences of SEQ ID NOS. 59 to 61 or a combination of at least two of them is used for detecting the gene of an infectious disease pathogenic bacterium.
US08207316B1

The present invention relates to a group of noel viral RNA regulatory genes, here identified as “viral genomic address messenger genes”or “VGAM genes”, and as “Viral genomic record”or “VGR genes”. VGAM genes selectively inhibit translation of known host target genes, and are believed to represent a pervasive viral attack mechanism. VGR genes encode an “operon”-like cluster of VGAM genes. VGAM and viral VGR genes may therefore be useful in diagnosing, preventing and treating viral disease. Several nucleic acid molecules are provided respectively encoding several VGAM genes, as are vectors and probes, both comprising the nucleic acid molecules, and methods and systems for detecting VGAM genes, and for counteracting their activity.
US08207308B2

The present invention is related to complementarity determining region (cdr)-grafted humanized r24 antibodies that bind to the gd3 ganglioside antigen. The humanized antibodies disclosed herein have characteristics that are comparable or superior to the murine r24 antibody, and the humanized antibodies are useful in treating cancer (e.g. Melanoma).
US08207300B2

The invention relates to CTSP polypeptides and the nucleic acid molecules that encode them. The invention further relates to the use of the nucleic acid molecules, polypeptides and fragments thereof in methods and compositions for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases, such as cancer. More specifically, the invention relates to the discovery of a novel cancer/testis (CT) antigen, CTSP-1.
US08207297B2

Peptide-based compounds including heteroatom-containing, three-membered rings efficiently and selectively inhibit specific activities of N-terminal nucleophile (Ntn) hydrolases. The activities of those Ntn having multiple activities can be differentially inhibited by the compounds described. For example, the chymotrypsin-like activity of the 20S proteasome may be selectively inhibited with the inventive compounds. The peptide-based compounds include at least three peptide units, an epoxide or aziridine, and functionalization at the N-terminus. Among other therapeutic utilities, the peptide-based compounds are expected to display anti-inflammatory properties and inhibition of cell proliferation.
US08207296B2

The present invention relates to the use of antisecretory factors, such as antisecretory proteins, homologues, derivatives and/or fragments thereof having antisecretory activity, for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition for use in the treatment and/or prevention of intraocular hypertension. The invention thus relates to the use of pharmaceutical compositions comprising antisecretory factors in the treatment and/or prevention of intraocular hypertension, which is preferably characterized by hampered outflow of body fluid resulting in elevated pressure in the eye. The invention provides for a novel approach for treating and/or preventing such a condition turning the intraocular pressure to an acceptable level, optionally 21 mm Hg, or less.
US08207279B2

Disclosed is a method for producing a norbornene monomer composition, a norbornene polymer produced using the norbornene monomer composition, an optical film including the norbornene polymer, and a method for producing the norbornene polymer. The method includes reacting a reaction solution that contains cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, or a mixture of cyclopentadiene and dicyclopentadiene, an acetate compound, and a solvent so that a content of an exo isomer is 50 mol % or more. Variables such as a reaction temperature, a reaction time, a molar ratio between reactants, and addition of a solvent are controlled so that the exo isomer is contained in content of 50 mol % or more. Accordingly, it is possible to industrially produce an acetate norbornene addition polymer by using the acetate norbornene monomer composition containing the exo isomer in content of 50 mol % or more.
US08207275B2

A functionalized polymer defined by the formula π-R1-α, where π is a polymer chain, R1 is a bond or a divalent organic group, and α is a sulfur-containing heterocycle.
US08207272B2

Heterophasic polypropylene composition comprising:—a polypropylene matrix (M) and—an elastomeric copolymer (E) being dispersed in the matrix (M), wherein the elastomeric copolymer (E) comprises units derived from—propylene and—ethylene and/or C4 to C20 α-olefin, and wherein further,—the intrinsic viscosity of the xylene cold soluble fraction (XCS) of the heterophasic polypropylene composition is above 2.1 dl/g measured according to ISO 1628-1 (at 135° C. in decaline) and/or—Mz/Mw of the xylene cold soluble fraction (XCS) of the heterophasic polypropylene composition is more than 2.6, preferably 2.7, wherein the Mz is the z-average molecular weight measured according to ISO 16014-4:2003 and Mw is the weight average molecular weight measured according to ISO 16014-4:2003.
US08207269B2

A terpolymer containing: a) from 90% to 50% by weight; preferably from 90% to 70% by weight of ethylene derived units; b) from 5% to 40% by weight; preferably from 5% to 20% by weight of derived units of alpha olefin of formula CH2═CHA wherein A is a C1-C20 alkyl radical; c) from 2% to 30% by weight, preferably from 5% to 20% by weight of cycloolefins derived units. Said terpolymer being characterized by the following features i) distribution of molecular weight Mw/Mn lower than 3.5; preferably lower than 3; more preferably lower than 2.7 ii) solubility in xylene at 25° C. higher than 99%.
US08207268B2

A thixotropic agent comprising a first polyurea reaction product of a first polyisocyanate with a first amine and a second polyurea reaction product of a second polyisocyanate with a second amine different from the first polyurea reaction product precipitated in the presence of the colloidal particles of the first reaction product.
US08207261B2

Disclosed herein is a type of two-shot molded article, comprising a metallizable composition and a less-metallizable composition, that can be partially coated with metal, as well as methods of making the articles.
US08207258B2

Linear acrylamide copolymer compounds which can comprise monomeric components comprising at least one N-substituted moiety capable of physical cross-linking, and related compositions and methods of use.
US08207255B2

A polyethylene composition comprising 0.01% to 1% by weight of at least one platelet-shaped nano boehmite nucleator, wherein the platelet-shaped nano boehmite nucleator comprises at least 70% by weight of Al2O3 and has a crystallite size of at least 5 nm, and the polyethylene composition comprises a density greater than 0.94 g/cm3, a melt index (MI2) ranging from equal to or greater than 0.3 g/10 min. up to equal to or less than 3 g/10 min., and a peak crystallization temperature (Tc) value determined according to ASTM D 3418, with an annealing temperature of 160° C. and a cooling rate of 10° C./min., that corresponds to formula (I): Tc≦(A*density)−73.5° C.  (I) where A is 200 cm3-° C./g, Tc is in units of ° C., and density is in units of g/cm3.
US08207253B2

Novel ester compositions are prepared by reacting 1) at least one diol, glycol or oligomeric glycol with 2) a mixture of at least one aromatic monocarboxylic acid and at least one aliphatic monocarboxylic acid containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms. The compositions are effective plasticizers for a variety of polymers, particularly those employed in water-borne adhesives. The freezing point of the present ester mixtures and their efficacy as plasticizers and other types of additives and/or modifiers for a variety of polymer compositions can be varied by adjusting the relative concentrations of the aromatic and aliphatic acids used to prepare the ester composition.
US08207249B2

A modified sulfur binder capable of implementing a physical property of being re-melted at a temperature less than 100° C., by mixing sulfur with a heterocyclicamine or alkylamine-based modifier and a dicyclopentadiene-based modifier, and a fabrication method thereof. A hydraulic modified sulfur material composition capable of being mixed with water by adding a surfactant to the modified sulfur binder, and obtained by mixing aggregate and a hydraulic material to the modified sulfur binder, and a fabrication method thereof. A hydraulic modified sulfur material obtained by molding the hydraulic modified sulfur material composition, and a fabrication method thereof. A combustible modified sulfur material composition obtained by adding aggregate to the modified sulfur binder, and by selectively adding a filler to the modified sulfur binder, and a fabrication method thereof. A combustible modified sulfur material obtained by molding the combustible modified sulfur material composition, and a fabrication method thereof.
US08207245B2

The present invention relates to silicon-containing biostable gels and processes for their preparation. The gels possess properties which make them useful in the manufacture and repair of biomaterials and medical devices, articles or implants, in particular the manufacture of soft tissue implants such as breast implants and the repair of orthopaedic joints such as spinal discs.
US08207240B2

A method to reduce or minimize the reduction in molecular weight of a stent during processing is disclosed. The stent has a scaffolding including a polymer formulation comprising PLLA and polymandelide. The polymandelide reduces the molecular weight drop during processing, particularly during sterilization. The stent scaffolding can further include one or more additional stabilizing agents that additionally reduce the molecular weight drop during processing.
US08207234B1

The present invention provides methods and pharmaceutical formulations for treating diabetic foot ulcers.
US08207230B2

The present invention relates generally to pharmacological methods for the amelioration of sleep-related breathing disorders via administration of inhibitors of endocannabinoid membrane transport and combinations thereof.
US08207227B2

The inventors have discovered that the disodium salt of certain delivery agents has surprisingly greater efficacy for delivering active agents than the corresponding monosodium salt. Furthermore, the inventors have discovered that the disodium salts of these delivery agents form solvates with ethanol and hydrates with water. The delivery agents have the formula wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently hydrogen, halogen, C1-C4 alkyl, or C1-C4 alkoxy; and R5 is a substituted or unsubstituted C2-C16alkylene, substituted or unsubstituted C2-C16 alkenylene, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C12 alkyl(arylene), or substituted or unsubstituted aryl(C1-C12 alkylene). The hydrates and solvates of present invention also have surprisingly greater efficacy for delivering active agents, such as heparin and calcitonin, than their corresponding monosodium salts and free acids. The present invention provides an alcohol solvate, such as ethanol solvate, of a disodium salt of a delivery agent of the formula above. The invention also provides a hydrate of a disodium salt of a delivery agent of the formula above. Preferred delivery agents include, but are not limited to, N-(5-chlorosalicyloyl)-8-aminocaprylic acid (5-CNAC), N-(10-[2-hydroxybenzoyl]amino)decanoic acid (SNAD), and sodium N-(8-[2-hydroxybenzoyl]amino)caprylate (SNAC). The invention also provides methods of preparing the disodium salt, ethanol solvate, and hydrate and compositions containing the disodium salt, ethanol solvate, and/or hydrate.
US08207216B2

Compounds of formula: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters and solvates thereof, where variables are defined in the specification, useful generally as inhibitors of protein kinases and particularly useful for inhibition of GSK-3. Pharmaceutically compositions and medicaments containing a compound of the invention are provided. The invention provides methods of treatment of protein kinase-related disease, disorders or conditions. The invention provides methods of treatment of GSK-3-related diseases, disorders or conditions. More specifically, methods of treatment of bipolar disorder, including mania, schizophrenia, stroke, epilepsy, motor neuron disease, cranial or spinal trauma, neurodegenerative disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease, Fragile X syndrome, autism, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, amylotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), AIDS-associated dementia, diabetes, particularly type II diabetes, cardiomycete hypertrophy, reperfusion/ischemia, cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, allergies and/or asthma and hair loss or baldness.
US08207213B2

A compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof, wherein, R1, R2, R3, X and Y are as defined in the specification; a process for preparing such compounds; a pharmaceutical composition comprising such compounds; and the use of such compounds in medicine.
US08207211B2

The present invention relates to photosensitizer compounds based on functionalized fullerenes useful in targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT), and methods of use thereof.
US08207203B2

This invention offers isoxazole derivatives represented by the following formula (I) in which R1 and R2 each stands for hydrogen, lower alkyl, amino and the like; R3 stands for substituted or unsubstituted aryl or hetero aryl; R4 stands for hydrogen or lower alkyl; R5 stands for substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, furyl and the like; and Y stands for —CH2—, —CO—, —O—, —NH— and the like, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof which exhibit excellent p38MAPkinase-inhibiting action with reduced side-effects, and are useful for treating such diseases as chronic rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and the like.
US08207199B2

A compound which is useful as an active ingredient of a pharmaceutical composition for treating neuropathic pain is provided. The present inventors have made extensive studies on compounds having an FAAH inhibitory activity, and as a result, have found that an azole compound substituted with an N-(pyridine-3-yl)oxycarbonyl-piperidin-4-yl group and a phenyl group or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof has an excellent FAAH inhibitory activity, thereby completing the present invention. The compound of the present invention is confirmed to have an excellent FAAH inhibitory activity and an antiallodynic effect in rat models with neuropathic pain, and thus is useful as an agent for preventing and/or an agent for treating neuropathic pain.
US08207176B2

The present invention is directed to novel substituted 2,4,8-trisubstituted 8H-pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7-one containing compounds, compositions, and use in therapy as CSBP/RK/p38 kinase inhibitors of Formulas (V) and (Va) wherein inter alia, G5 and G6 are nitrogen and CH, provided that only one of G5 or G6 is nitrogen and the other is CH; R1 is C(Z)N(R10′)(CR10R20)vRb, C(Z)O(CR10R20)vRb, N(R10′)C(Z)(CR10R20)vRb, N(R10′)C(Z)N(R10′)(CR10R20)vRb, or N(R10′)OC(Z)(CR10R20)vRb; R1′ is independently selected at each occurrence from halogen, C1-4 alkyl, halo-substituted-C1-4 alkyl, cyano, nitro, (CR10R20)v′NRdRd′, (CR10R20)v′C(O)R12, SR5, S(O)R5, S(O)2R5, or (CR10R20)v′OR13; Rb is hydrogen, C1-10 alkyl, C3-7 cycloalkyl, C3-7 cycloalkyl C1-10 alkyl, aryl, arylC1-10alkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylC1-10 alkyl, heterocyclic, or heterocyclylC1-10 alkyl moiety, which moieties, excluding hydrogen, may all be optionally substituted; X is R2, OR2′, S(O)mR2′, (CH2)n′N(R10′)S(O)mR2′, (CH2)n′N(R10′)C(O)R2′, (CH2)n′NR4R14, (CH2)n′N(R2′)(R2″), or N(R10′)RhNH—C(═N—CN)NRqRq′; and R3 is a C1-10 alkyl, C3-7 cycloalkyl, C3-7 cycloalkyl C1-10 alkyl, aryl, arylC1-10 alkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylC1-10 alkyl, heterocyclic or a heterocyclylC1-10 alkyl moiety, and wherein each of these moieties may be optionally substituted.
US08207158B2

The present invention relates to novel compounds of Formula (I): which act as 5HT2C receptor modulators. These compounds are useful in pharmaceutical compositions whose use includes the treatment of obesity.
US08207157B2

A method for repelling arthropods involving treating an object or area with an arthropod repelling effective amount of at least one compound having the formula wherein X is O, S, NH, N-NH2, N-CH3 or CH2, R′ is H or alkyl, R″ is alkyl, n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, and mixtures thereof, optionally including a carrier material or carrier. The compound is preferably selected from homopiperazine, 1-methylhomopiperazine, 1-methylpyrrolidine, (R)-(−)-2-methylpiperazine, (S)-(+)-2-methylpiperazine, 2-methylpiperazine, 1-methylpiperazine, pyrrolidine, 1-methylpiperidine, piperidine, 1-ethylpiperazine, 1-methylimidazolidine, 1-methylthiomorpholine, 1,4-dimethylpiperazine, homopiperidine, imidazolidine, 4-methylpiperidine, thiomorpholine, 1-amino-4-methylpiperazine, 4-methylmorpholine, azocane, 2,6-dimethylpiperazine, 2,5-dimethylpiperazine, piperazine, 1-methlyhomopiperidine, or mixtures thereof.
US08207156B2

The present invention relates to substituted pyrazoline compounds, methods for their preparation, medicaments comprising these compounds as well as their use for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of humans and animals.
US08207150B2

The 17β-cyano-19-nor-androst-4-ene derivatives of the present invention possess gestagenic activity. They have the general chemical formula 1, in which Z is selected from the group comprising O, two hydrogen atoms, NOR and NNHSO2R, in which R is hydrogen or C1-C4-alkyl, R4 is hydrogen or halogen, furthermore either: R6a, R6b together form methylene or 1,2-ethanediyl or R6a is hydrogen and R6b is selected from the group comprising hydrogen, methyl and hydroxymethylene, and R7 is selected from the group comprising hydrogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C2-C3-alkenyl and cyclopropyl, or: R6a is hydrogen and R6b and R7 together form methylene or are omitted with formation of a double bond between C6 and C7, R9, R10 are hydrogen or are omitted with formation of a double bond between C9 and C10, R15, R16 are hydrogen or together form methylene, R17 is selected from the group comprising hydrogen, C1-C4-alkyl and allyl, where at least one of the substituents R4, R6a, R6b, R7, R15, R16 and R17 is unequal to hydrogen or R6b and R7 are omitted with formation of a double bond between C6 and C7, and moreover comprise their solvates, hydrates, stereoisomers, diastereomers, enantiomers and salts.
US08207146B2

The present invention relates to substituted phenothiazines with a double bond and physiologically acceptable salts thereof, and their use as a medicament.
US08207145B2

The invention refers to the use of sulfated glycosaminoglycans having an anticoagulant activity of 100 BP units/mg or less for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical preparation for prophylactic priming or curative treatment of the cervix and the myometrium for establishing effective labor in women.
US08207142B2

Zebularine has hypomethylating activity, and can be used to inhibit, reverse, and/or reduce DNA methylation in vivo and in vitro. Methods are provided for treating methylation-linked conditions through the application of 2-pyrimidinone derivatives, such as Zebularine. Compositions, including pharmaceutical compositions, comprising such derivatives are also provided. Also provided are kits for use in inhibiting DNA methylation, which kits include an amount of a 2-pyrimidinone derivative.
US08207140B2

Oligonucleotides directed against the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) gene are provided for modulating the expression of HIF-1α. The compositions comprise oligonucleotides, particularly antisense oligonucleotides, targeted to nucleic acids encoding the HIF-1α. Methods of using these compounds for modulation of HIF-1α expression and for the treatment of diseases associated with the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α are provided. Examples of diseases are cancer and pre-eclampsia. The oligonucleotides may be composed of deoxyribonucleosides, a nucleic acid analogue, or Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) or a combination thereof.
US08207137B2

A method of inhibiting angiogenesis or invasion or formation of metastases in a mammal including administering a therapeutically effective amount of an active agent selected from the group consisting of a protein substance including all or part of a disintegrin domain of an adamalysin or a derivative thereof, a nucleic acid molecule including a polynucleotide sequence coding all or part of the disintegrin domain of an adamalysin or a derivative thereof to the mammal.
US08207135B2

Compositions comprising the compound of formula are provided herein. Also provided are methods of enhancing an immune response of a subject to an antigen by administering the antigen and the composition. The enhanced immune response may be an humoral immune response, a CD4+ T cell response, a CD8+ T cell response or result in activation of antigen presenting cells. Methods of enhancing the immune response by intramuscular administration of an antigen and the composition including the compound of formula I are also provided.
US08207133B1

The present invention relates to the use of a regulatory protein RS1 fragment or a nucleic acid molecule encoding said regulatory protein RS1 fragment for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for the amelioration, prevention and/or treatment of a metabolic disease or a secondary disorder caused by a (pathological) modification of homeostasis, wherein said RS1 fragment is characterized in comprising at least 3 consecutive amino acid residues as comprised in the amino acid sequence S-D-S-D-R-I-E-P (Serine-Aspartic acid-Serine-Aspartic acid-Arginine-Isoleucine-Glutamic acid-Proline) (SEQ ID NO: 9) or derivatives thereof. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for the amelioration, prevention and/or treatment of a metabolic disease or a secondary disorder caused by a (pathological) modification of homeostasis, said method comprising administering to a patient in need of such amelioration, prevention and/or treatment a pharmaceutically active amount of said regulatory protein RS1 fragment as defined herein or a nucleic acid molecule encoding said regulatory protein RS1 fragment. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of said regulatory protein RS1 fragment or a nucleic acid molecule encoding said regulatory protein RS1 fragment for the preparation of food, feed and/or food supplements.
US08207121B2

A method of sensitizing a mammal, especially a human, to another anticancer therapy by administering a sensitizing effective amount of a GST-activated anticancer compound. A method of ameliorating a side effect of another anticancer therapy in a mammal, especially a human, by administering an ameliorating effective amount of a GST-activated anticancer compound. Pharmaceutical compositions for the methods. The GST-activated anticancer compound is preferably a compound of U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,942, and more preferably canfosfamide, especially as the hydrochloride salt.
US08207116B2

The present invention relates to uses and methods of parathyroid hormone (PTH), preferably PTH (1-34), and/or parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), preferably PTHrP (1-34), for recruiting stem cells into tissue suffering from ischemia, wherein said stem cells are preferably capable of repairing and/or regenerating said tissue suffering from ischemia. Accordingly, the uses and methods of the present invention are preferably suitable for the prevention and/or treatment of ischemia. Moreover, the present invention relates to a composition comprising parathyroid hormone (PTH), preferably PTH (1-34), and/or parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), preferably PTHrP (1-34), and/or G-CSF or a G-CSF fragment for use as a pharmaceutical composition. In a particular aspect, a DPP IV antagonist is applied in the uses, methods and/or compositions of the present invention.
US08207090B2

A process for the anti-germination and/or biocide treatment of bulbs or tubers by separate application of 3-chlorophenylisopropylcarbamate (CIPC) and a component selected from the group consisting of clove oil and eugenol, in this order or vice versa. The process may be used for the treatment of potato tubers.
US08207082B2

This invention relates to a method for making shaped bodies having a silica content of at least 85 wt %, to shaped bodies made by such method, to catalyst compositions comprising shaped bodies made by such methods and to catalytic conversion processes using catalyst compositions comprising shaped bodies made by such methods. The method of making the shaped bodies comprises the steps of a) forming shaped bodies from a mixture obtained from at least one amorphous silica powder, at least one silica sol having a pH below 7, and at least one polymeric organic extrusion aid, optionally supplemental liquid medium and optionally crystallites of a zeolite or zeolite-type material; b) drying the shaped bodies obtained in step a); and c) heating the shaped bodies to a temperature ranging from about 500° C. to about 800° C.
US08207073B2

A highly water pressure-resistant polyester nonwoven fabric having a water pressure resistance of 2 kPA or more and composed of a laminated nonwoven fabric structure that is integrated by thermocompressive bonding an extremely fine fiber nonwoven fabric layer in which a polyester material is mixed with 1% or more of a polyolefin material and which has a fiber diameter of 5 μm or less, and a polyester filamentary fiber nonwoven fabric layer having a fiber diameter of 7 μm or more. The polyester nonwoven fabric is a nonwoven fabric material appropriate to moisture-permeable waterproof sheets used for building materials and shoe materials and, moreover, to fields requiring filtering properties, for example, various packaging materials such as dry packaging materials used as packaging materials and sterilization packaging materials also required to have radiation resistance and peel strength.
US08207072B2

An adhesive resin composition excellent in adhesiveness and heat resistance thereof, film-forming properties, and film quality and a laminate having an adhesive resin layer made of this adhesive resin composition are provided.The Composition is an adhesive resin composition comprising 10-99.5% by weight resin ingredient (A), 0.5-30% by weight another resin ingredient (unsaturated-carboxylic-acid-modified polypropylene), and 0-89.5% by weight still another resin ingredient (olefin resin).Resin ingredient (A): a product of successive propylene polymerization comprising 10-60% by weight (propylene homopolymer) component and 40-90% by weight (propylene/ethylene copolymer) component. The contents of room-temperature-xylene solubles derived from (a2), room-temperature-xylene insolubles derived from (a2), and room-temperature-xylene solubles derived from the same are 1-20% by weight, lower than 20% by weight, and 10-60% by weight, respectively, based on resin ingredient (A). The room-temperature-xylene solubles derived from (a2) have a content of α-olefins excluding propylene of 20% by weight or higher.
US08207071B2

The present invention teaches a vehicular upholstery PPT-fiber fabric that is formed from a double woven fabric in which a face weaving textile design has a number of intersections, called warp up intersections where a warp yarn passes over a weft yarn, and these are more than the number of intersections, called weft up intersection, where a weft yarn passes over a warp yarn. The warp yarn is formed by twisting an intermingled yarn composed of a PPT-multi-filament yarn and a high heat shrinkable PET-multifilament yarn whose shrinkage percentage in boiling water is more than 15%. An intermingle ratio of the PPT-multifilament yarn of the warp yarn is more than the intermingle ratio of the PET-multifilament yarn of the warp yarn. In the warp yarn, the PET-multifilament yarn is shrunk by heating, so that the substantial length of the PET-multifilament yarn becomes shorter than the substantial length of the PPT-multifilament yarn. The weft yarn is composed of PPT-multifilament yarn.
US08207070B2

Polyolefin woven and nonwoven fibers, filaments and fabrics made therefrom which comprise a melt blend which comprises (a) a polyolefin; and (b) at least one compound of the formula (I) R1—(hydrophilic oligomer)  (I) wherein R1 is a straight or branched chain alkyl of 22 to 40 carbon atoms and the hydrophilic oligomer is a homo- or co-oligomer consisting of monomer units derived from monomers selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, epichlorhydrin, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, ethylene imine, caprolactone, vinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate; and wherein the hydrophilic oligomer consists of between 2 and 10 monomer units, exhibit excellent durable wettability. The fabrics are useful in disposable diapers, training pants, feminine napkins, tampons, incontinence care products, wet and dry wipes, wound dressings, surgical capes, filter medial, battery separators and the like.
US08207069B2

An integrated processing tool is described comprising a full-wafer processing module and a combinatorial processing module. Chemicals for use in the combinatorial processing module are fed from a delivery system including a set of first manifolds. An output of each first manifold is coupled to at least one mixing vessel. An output of each mixing vessel feeds more than one of a set of second manifolds. An output of each set of second manifolds feeds one of multiple site-isolated reactors of the combinatorial processing module.
US08207066B2

The invention provides a dry etching method capable of obtaining a good profile with little side etch without receiving the restriction of a micro loading effect. A dry etching method for etching a sample having formed on the surface thereof a pattern with an isolated portion and a dense portion using plasma comprises a first etching step using an etching gas containing a CF-based gas and a nitrogen gas in which an etching rate of a dense portion of the pattern is greater than the etching rate of the isolated portion of the mask pattern, and a second etching step in which the etching rate of the isolated portion of the pattern is greater than the etching rate of the dense portion of the pattern.
US08207063B2

The present invention relates to a process of making a zinc-oxide-based thin film semiconductor, for use in a transistor, comprising thin film deposition onto a substrate comprising providing a plurality of gaseous materials comprising at least first, second, and third gaseous materials, wherein the first gaseous material is a zinc-containing volatile material and the second gaseous material is reactive therewith such that when one of the first or second gaseous materials are on the surface of the substrate the other of the first or second gaseous materials will react to deposit a layer of material on the substrate and wherein the third gaseous material is inert with respect to reacting with the first or second gaseous materials.
US08207061B2

Provided is a semiconductor device which has excellent adhesiveness to a copper film and a base film thereof and has a small resistance between wirings. The semiconductor device includes a porous insulating layer (SIOC film 11) which absorbed water from the atmosphere, and a substrate (wafer W) having a trench 100 formed on such insulating film is placed in a processing chamber. The substrate is coated with a first base film (Ti film 13) made of a valve metal. The surface of the first film brought into contact with the insulating film is oxidized by the water discharged from the insulating layer, and a passivation film 13a is formed. The surface of the first base film is coated with a second base film made of nitride or carbide of the valve metal, and a copper film 15 is formed on the surface of the second base film by CVD by using a copper organic compound as a material.
US08207058B1

A system and method are provided for fabricating a low electric resistance ohmic contact, or interface, between a Carbon Nanotube (CNT) and a desired node on a substrate. In one embodiment, the CNT is a Multiwalled, or Multiwall, Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT), and the interface provides a low electric resistance ohmic contact between all conduction shells, or at least a majority of conduction shells, of the MWCNT and the desired node on the substrate. In one embodiment, a Focused Electron Beam Chemical Vapor Deposition (FEB-CVD) process is used to deposit an interface material near an exposed end of the MWCNT in such a manner that surface diffusion of precursor molecules used in the FEB-CVD process induces lateral spread of the deposited interface material into the exposed end of the MWCNT, thereby providing a contact to all conduction shells, or at least a majority of the conduction shells, of the MWCNT.
US08207044B2

Methods of fabricating an oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate are provided herein. The oxide layer may be formed over an entire structure disposed on the substrate, or selectively formed on a non-metal containing layer with little or no oxidation of an exposed metal-containing layer. The methods disclosed herein may be performed in a variety of process chambers, including but not limited to decoupled plasma oxidation chambers, rapid and/or remote plasma oxidation chambers, and/or plasma immersion ion implantation chambers. In some embodiments, a method may include providing a substrate comprising a metal-containing layer and non-metal containing layer; and forming an oxide layer on an exposed surface of the non-metal containing layer by exposing the substrate to a plasma formed from a process gas comprising a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, and at least one of a supplemental oxygen-containing gas or a nitrogen-containing gas.
US08207043B2

A method for making a semiconductor MOS device is provided. A gate structure is formed on a substrate. A source and a drain are formed in the substrate on both sides of the gate structure. The substrate is then subjected to a pre-amorphization implant (PAI) process. A transitional stress layer is then formed on the substrate. Thereafter, a laser anneal with a first temperature is performed. After the laser anneal, a rapid thermal process is performed with a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. Subsequently, the transitional stress layer is removed.
US08207041B2

Some embodiments include methods in which a pair of spaced-apart adjacent features is formed over a substrate. The features have silicon dioxide surfaces. Silicon nitride is deposited between the features. A first region of the silicon nitride is protected with a mask while a second region is not. The second region is removed to form an opening between the features. Some embodiments include semiconductor constructions that contain a pair of spaced-apart adjacent features. The features are lines extending along a first direction, and are spaced from one another by a trench. Alternating plugs and intervening materials are within the trench, with the plugs and intervening materials alternating along the first direction. The intervening materials consist of silicon nitride, and the plugs have lateral peripheries that directly contact silicon dioxide of the features, and that directly contact silicon nitride of the intervening regions.
US08207026B2

To provide a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor and a display device using a small number of masks, a thin film transistor is manufactured in such a manner that a first conductive film, an insulating film, a semiconductor film, an impurity semiconductor film, and a second conductive film are stacked; then, a resist mask is formed thereover; first etching is performed to form a thin-film stack body; second etching in which the first conductive film is side-etched is performed by dry-etching to form a gate electrode layer; and a source electrode, a drain electrode, and the like are formed. Before the dry etching, it is preferred that at least a side surface of the etched semiconductor film be oxidized.
US08207024B2

At least two TFTs which are connected with a light emitting element are provided, crystallinities of semiconductor regions composing active layers of the respective TFTs are made different from each other. As the semiconductor region, a region obtained by crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor film by laser annealing is applied. In order to change the crystallinity, a method of changing a scan direction of a continuous oscillating laser beam so that crystal growth directions are made different from each other is applied. Alternatively, a method of changing a channel length direction of TFT between the respective semiconductor regions without changing the scan direction of the continuous oscillating laser beam so that a crystal growth direction and a current flowing direction are different from each other is applied.
US08207023B2

Methods for selectively depositing an epitaxial layer are provided herein. In some embodiments, providing a substrate having a monocrystalline first surface and a non-monocrystalline second surface; exposing the substrate to a deposition gas to deposit a layer on the first and second surfaces, the layer comprising a first portion deposited on the first surfaces and a second portion deposited on the second surfaces; and exposing the substrate to an etching gas comprising a first gas comprising hydrogen and a halogen and a second gas comprising at least one of a Group III, IV, or V element to selectively etch the first portion of the layer at a slower rate than the second portion of the layer. In some embodiments, the etching gas comprises hydrogen chloride (HCl) and germane (GeH4).
US08207018B2

A semiconductor package is disclosed. One embodiment provides a semiconductor package singulated from a wafer includes a chip defining an active surface, a back side opposite the active surface, and peripheral sides extending between the active surface and the back side; a contact pad disposed on the active surface; and a metallization layer extending from the contact pad onto a portion of the peripheral sides of the chip.
US08207016B2

The invention includes semiconductor packages having grooves within a semiconductor die backside; and includes semiconductor packages utilizing carbon nanostructures (such as, for example, carbon nanotubes) as thermally conductive interface materials. The invention also includes methods of cooling a semiconductor die in which coolant is forced through grooves in a backside of the die, and includes methods of making semiconductor packages.
US08207015B2

A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: applying a conductive material on a support structure; providing a bottom integrated circuit package having a bottom lead extended therefrom; attaching the bottom lead to the conductive material; stacking a top integrated circuit package over the bottom integrated circuit package, the top integrated circuit package having a top lead extending therefrom and the top lead over the bottom lead; attaching a conductive paste at an end portion of the top lead; and forming a stacking joint by flowing the conductive paste and the conductive material, the stacking joint below the top lead as well as below and above the bottom lead.
US08207012B2

A system and method of forming a thin film solar cell with a metallic foil substrate are provided. After forming a semiconductor absorber film over the front surface of the metallic foil substrate a back surface of the metallic foil substrate is treated using a material removal process to form a treated back surface in a process chamber. In one embodiment, the material removal process is performed while depositing a transparent conductive layer over the semiconductor absorber film in the process chamber.
US08207009B2

Methods for laser scribing a film stack including a plurality of thin film layers on a substrate are provided. A pulse of a laser beam is applied to the film stack, where the laser beam has a power that varies as a function of time during the pulse according to a predetermined power cycle. For example, the pulse can have a pulse lasting about 0.1 nanoseconds to about 500 nanoseconds. This pulse of the laser beam can be repeated across the film stack to form a scribe line through at least one of the thin film layers on the substrate. Such methods are particularly useful in laser scribing a cadmium telluride thin-film based photovoltaic device.
US08206999B2

In a chip-type LED according to an embodiment of the present invention, a first recess hole for mounting an LED chip and a second recess hole for connecting a fine metal wire are formed in an insulating substrate, a metal sheet serving as a first wiring pattern is formed at a portion that includes the first recess hole, a metal sheet serving as a second wiring pattern is formed at a portion that includes the second recess hole, an LED chip is mounted on the metal sheet within the first recess hole, the LED chip is electrically connected to the metal sheet within the second recess hole via a fine metal wire, the LED chip including the first recess hole and the fine metal wire including the second recess hole are encapsulated in a first transparent resin that contains a fluorescent material, a surface of the insulating substrate including the first transparent resin is encapsulated in a second transparent resin.
US08206998B2

A method for manufacturing a substrate for a liquid discharge head provided with a silicon substrate and a supply port, including: providing the silicon substrate having an insulating layer on a first surface and an etching mask layer having a plurality of apertures on a second surface which is a rear surface of the first surface, wherein the insulating layer is provided in a region ranging from a position opposing the apertures to a position opposing a portion between the adjacent apertures of the mask layer; and forming holes by etching a silicon part of the silicon substrate so that an etched region reaches a portion of the insulating layer opposing the apertures, wherein the silicon wall provided between the adjacent holes is etched so that the portion in the first surface side thereof can be thinner than the portion in the second surface side thereof.
US08206997B2

A probe having a sufficient height is manufactured by selectively depositing, over the main surface of a wafer, a copper film in a region in which a metal film is to be formed and a region which will be outside an adhesion ring when a probe card is fabricated; forming the metal film, polyimide film, interconnect, another polyimide film, another interconnect and a further polyimide film; and then removing the wafer and copper film. According to the present invention, when probe testing is performed using a prober (thin film probe) having the probe formed in the above-described manner while utilizing the manufacturing technology of semiconductor integrated circuit devices, it is possible to prevent breakage of the prober and a wafer to be tested.
US08206996B2

A method for providing a process indicator for an etching chamber is provided. A wafer with a blanket etch layer is provided into the etching chamber. A blanket etch is performed on the blanket etch layer. A blanket deposition layer is deposited over the blanket etch layer after performing the blanket etch has been completed. A thickness of the blanket etch layer and a thickness of the blanket deposition layer is measured. The measured thicknesses are used to determine a process indicator.
US08206995B2

A method for manufacturing a resistive switching memory device comprises providing a substrate comprising an electrical contact, providing on the substrate a dielectric layer comprising a trench exposing the electrical contact, and providing in the trench at least the bottom electrode and the resistive switching element of the resistive memory device. The method may furthermore comprise providing a top electrode at least on or in the trench, in contact with the resistive switching element. The present invention also provides corresponding resistive switching memory devices.
US08206990B2

The present invention is related to a method for isolating a target nucleic acid from a sample comprising said target nucleic acid, comprising the steps of mixing a sample containing said target nucleic acid with a binding solution and a nucleic acid binding matrix, binding at least part of said target nucleic acid to said nucleic acid binding matrix, wherein said nucleic acid binding matrix is treated simultaneously or has been previously treated with at least one compound comprising a metal substance selected from the group consisting of metals of the main groups 13 to 16, semimetals and transition metals for reducing non-target nucleic acid contaminations or wherein said nucleic acid binding matrix is modified with hydrophobic groups. Furthermore, respective kits and reagents are provided with the teaching of the present invention.
US08206989B2

The present invention relates to the biomarker TFF-3 that measures γ-secretase mediated Notch processing. TFF-3 has utility in predicting and/or determining in vivo Notch-related toxicity associated with inhibition of Notch processing mediated by γ-secretase. The reagents and methods of the invention can be utilized before, after, or concurrently with, pre-clinical, clinical, and/or post-clinical testing. The reagents and methods of the invention can be used to identify and maintain preferred doses of test compounds and thereby prevent medical complications, such as gastrointestinal cellular damage.
US08206973B2

An automated biological growth and dispensing system utilizing a modular growing tank which is removable for replacement by another growing tank. Mechanisms for the delivery of air, water and/or nutrients are adapted to permit the growing tank to be readily coupled and uncoupled for easy and inexpensive replacement. Mechanisms for agitation may be integral and removable with the growing tank or may be adapted for a quick connection and disconnection with the growing tank. The growing tank may be disposable and each new growing tank may be provided as a sealed container including a starting amount of a biomass and/or nutrient.
US08206972B2

A biologically pure culture of a yeast of the species Pichia anomala (WRL-076). The yeast is identified as NRRL Y-30842 and is applied to a site containing a deleterious microorganism. Further disclosed is a growth medium for increasing the viablility of yeast organisms.
US08206960B1

The present invention relates to variant endoglucanases and particularly endoglucanases having improved properties over wild-type endoglucanase.
US08206959B2

The invention is related to processing enzyme comprising an N-terminally attached tag derived from highly basic proteins from thermophilic bacteria. The processing enzymes are useful for modifying proteins. They can be produced in high yields and can be effectively separated from the modified protein after use.
US08206954B2

An L-amino acid is produced by culturing a bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, which has an L-amino acid-producing ability and inherently has a native activity of a glucose dehydrogenase that uses pyrroloquinoline quinone as a coenzyme, but has been modified so that the activity of the glucose dehydrogenase is reduced, in a medium, and collecting the L-amino acid from the medium.
US08206941B2

The present invention relates to a method of determining kinase or phosphatase activity based on a three parts system. The method comprises contacting a binding partner which can bind phosphorylated peptides, a detection molecule and a substrate peptide. Determination of activities is achieved by measuring energy transfer between an energy donor and an energy acceptor that are present on the detection molecule and the substrate molecule.
US08206940B2

Cell-based methods for rapid real time assay of a presence of Clostridium difficile toxin and/or cells are provided, using an assay having a toxin-enhancing antibody and a sensitive cell line carrying FcyR receptors, and kits for this assay. An ultrasensitive cell based immunocytotoxicity assay for detecting less then 1 pg/ml of C. difficile toxins in clinical samples. A TcdA-specific monoclonal antibody, AIH3, was found to significantly enhance the cytotoxicity of TcdA to macrophages and monocytes. The AIH3-dependent enhancement of glucosyltransferase activity, cytoskeleton disruption, and TNF-a production induced by TcdA was demonstrated also in RAW 264.7 cells. Methods for high level recombinant expression of C. difficile toxins in Bacillus cells, and vectors for expression, strains of Bacillus carrying the vectors are provided.
US08206938B2

The present invention relates to the discovery that the T1R receptors assemble to form functional taste receptors. Particularly, it has been discovered that co-expression of T1R1 and T1R3 results in a taste receptor that responds to umami taste stimuli, including monosodium glutamate. Also, it has been discovered that co-expression of the T1R2 and T1R3 receptors results in a taste receptor that responds to sweet taste stimuli including naturally occurring and artificial sweeteners.Also the present invention relates to the use of hetero-oligomeric taste receptors comprising T1R1/T1R3 and T1R2/T1R3 in assays to identify compounds that respectively respond to umami taste stimuli and sweet taste stimuli.Further, the invention relates to the constitutive of cell lines that stably or transiently co-express a combination of T1R1 and T1R3; or T1R2 and T1R3; under constitutive or inducible conditions. The use of these cells lines in cell-based assays to identify umami and sweet taste modulatory compounds is also provided, particularly high throughput screening assays that detect receptor activity by use of fluorometric imaging.Finally, the invention relates to the discovery that some compounds, e.g., lactisole, inhibit both the activities of human T1R2/T1R3 and T1R1/T1R3 receptors, and accordingly the sweet and umami taste, suggesting that these receptors may be the only sweet and umami receptors.
US08206930B2

Disclosed are oligonucleotides useful in methods for determining whether a sample contains Borrelia afzelii, a spirochete which is a causative agent of Lyme disease in humans. These oligonucleotides, which have nucleotide sequences derived from a coding segment of the gene encoding the p24 gene for the outer surface protein of Borrelia afzelii, are useful as forward and reverse primers for a polymerase chain reaction using nucleic acids from a biological sample as templates, and as probes for detecting any resultant amplicon. Detection of an amplicon indicates the sample contains Borrelia afzelii. Real-time PCR and detection using florescence resonance energy transfer is disclosed.
US08206927B2

The present invention is directed to methods useful for determining DNA quality after bisulfite treatment. The methods include a PCR-based assay, which allows ab-initio assessment of the DNA quality after bisulfite treatment and can help to prevent inaccurate quantitative measurement resulting from poor bisulfite treatment.
US08206925B2

There is disclosed the cloning and identification of human IL-23R splice variants caused by alternative splicing of the IL-23R mRNA in human. Alternative mRNA forms occur through skipping one, multiple full exons or partial exons, within the IL-23R gene. A total of twenty-five (25) different IL-23R transcripts were identified. A novel exon deletion (exon 9) isoform in the interleukin 23 receptor is disclosed, denoted as Δ9. The present application also describes a quantitative assay to measure different IL-23R isoform. Detection of Δ9 isoform of IL-23R is predominantly present in colon and cervical tissues. A decrease in Δ9 is observed in inflamed colon tissues in Crohn's patients. There is disclosed a method of predicting Crohn's disease by measuring Δ9 isoform of IL-23R.
US08206914B2

Nature evolves biological molecules such as proteins through iterated rounds of diversification, selection, and amplification. The power of Nature and the flexibility of organic synthesis are combined in nucleic acid-templated synthesis. The present invention provides a variety of template architectures for performing nucleic acid-templated synthesis, methods for increasing the selectivity of nucleic acid-templated reactions, methods for performing stereoselective nucleic acid-templated reactions, methods of selecting for reaction products resulting from nucleic acid-templated synthesis, and methods of identifying new chemical reactions based on nucleic acid-templated synthesis.
US08206912B2

A probe, a set of probes, and a probe carrier on which the probe or the set of probes is immobilized, are provided for classification of fungus species. The probe or the set of probes is capable of collectively detecting fungus of the same species and distinguishingly detecting those fungus from fungus of other species. The probe is an oligonucleotide probe for detecting a pathogenic fungus DNA and includes at least one of base sequences of SEQ ID NOS. 1 to 4 and mutated sequences thereof.
US08206908B2

The invention provides a combination of target genes that are useful as genetic markers for the strain-specific detection of Ehrlichia ruminantium. The invention also provides diagnostic methods using said combination of markers.
US08206907B2

This invention relates to methods of testing, diagnosing, monitoring, prognostically stratifying and classifying disease, disorders and other medical conditions and physiological states through the detection and analysis of soluble CD antigens in a body fluid sample.
US08206905B2

The objects of the present invention are to provide a new technology platform for quantitation number of copies of nucleic acid molecules of interest by lumonogenic (i.e., enzymatic luminescence) detection. The detection approach of the method of present invention is essentially employing time-resolved approach, e.g., based on detection transient parameters of luminescent signal. The various disclosed embodiments allow DNA and RNA quantification in a broad dynamic range; can be used for detection of DNA, as well as long (mRNA) and short (microRNA) RNA targets. The present invention provides methods, instruments, and kits for fast and highly sensitive identification and measurements of nucleic acids in various life science and biomedical applications.
US08206904B2

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the detection and characterization of small nucleic acid molecules (e.g., RNA (e.g., small RNAs such as micro RNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs)) and other short nucleic acid molecules). More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for the detection and quantification of RNA expression. The present invention further provides for the detection of miRNA and siRNA variants.
US08206903B2

The present invention includes devices and methods for transfecting a cell or cell population and dynamic monitoring of cellular events. A variety of microelectronic devices are provide that incorporate functions such as electroporation, modulation of a transmembrane potential and dynamic monitoring of cellular functions and mechanisms.
US08206902B2

A primer set that allows a target nucleic acid to be amplified specifically and efficiently. The primer set of the present invention includes at least two primers that allow a target nucleic acid sequence to be amplified. A first primer included in the primer set contains, in its 3′ end portion, a sequence (Ac′) that hybridizes to a sequence (A) located in the 3′ end portion of the target nucleic acid sequence. The first primer also contains, on the 5′ side of the sequence (Ac′), a sequence (B′) that hybridizes to a complementary sequence (Bc) to a sequence (B) that is present on the 5′ side with respect to the sequence (A) in the target nucleic acid sequence. A second primer included in the primer set contains, in its 3′ end portion, a sequence (Cc′) that hybridizes to a sequence (C) located in the 3′ end portion of a complementary sequence to the target nucleic acid sequence. The second primer also contains, on the 5′ side of the sequence (Cc′), a folded sequence (D-Dc′) that contains, on the same strand, two nucleic acid sequences that hybridize to each other.
US08206901B2

Disclosed is a method for obtaining a bifunctional complex comprising a display molecule part and a coding part, wherein a nascent bifunctional complex comprising a chemical reaction site and a priming site for enzymatic addition of a tag is reacted at the chemical reaction site with one or more reactants, and provided with respective tag(s) identifying the reactants(s) at the priming site using one or more enzymes.
US08206897B2

The disclosure relates to methods for identifying a subject having elevated CD200 levels and/or comprising cells overexpressing CD200, the method comprising the step of assaying a biological fluid from the subject to determine a level of soluble CD200, wherein a level above control indicates the subject has elevated CD200 levels. Diagnostic methods, methods of monitoring prognosis and methods of medical treatment relating to CD200 associated medical conditions are also provided. The disclosure also provides assays and kits useful in the diagnosis of a medical condition associated with elevated CD200 and/or comprising cells overexpressing CD200.
US08206895B2

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for forming a pattern including: applying a photosensitive resin onto a film on a wafer substrate; partly exposing the photosensitive resin to light and developing the photosensitive resin to form a first pattern having an opening portion; applying a photo-curable material onto the film exposed by the opening portion of the first pattern; bringing one face of an optically-transmissive template having a second pattern formed on the one face into contact with the photo-curable material, the second pattern including projections and reentrants; irradiating the photo-curable material with light; and separating the template from the photo-curable material.
US08206891B2

A positive resist composition including: a base component (A) which includes a polymeric compound (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by the general formula (a0-1) and a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester having an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group; and an acid generator component (B) which includes an acid generator (B1) containing an anion moiety represented by the general formula (I): (in the formula (a0-1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated lower alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R2 represents a bivalent linking group; and R3 represents a cyclic group containing —SO2— within the ring skeleton. In the formula (I), X represents a cyclic group of 3 to 30 carbon atoms, Q1 represents a bivalent linking group containing an oxygen atom; Y1 represents an alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a fluorinated alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms).
US08206890B2

A resist composition including: a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid; and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, wherein said acid-generator component (B) comprises an acid generator (B1) including a compound represented by general formula (b1-11) shown below: wherein R7″ to R9″ each independently represent an aryl group or an alkyl group, wherein two of R7″ to R9″ may be bonded to each other to form a ring with the sulfur atom, and at least one of R7″ to R9″ represents a substituted aryl group having a group represented by general formula (I) shown below as a substituent; X− represents an anion; and Rf represents a fluorinated alkyl group.
US08206887B2

A positive resist composition includes a base material component (A) which exhibits increased alkali solubility under an action of an acid, and an acid generator component (B) which generates an acid upon exposure, wherein the base material component (A) contains a compound (A1) in which phenolic hydroxyl groups in a polyhydric phenol compound (a) containing two or more phenolic hydroxyl groups and having a molecular weight of 300 to 2,500 are protected with acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting groups, and the compound (A1) exhibits a standard deviation (sn) of the number of protective groups per molecule of less than 1, or exhibits a standard deviation (sp) of a protection ratio (mol %) per molecule of less than 16.7.
US08206885B2

A toner prepared by pulverization methods, including a binder resin; and a colorant, wherein the binder resin is prepared by melting and kneading a polyester resin having an unsaturated bond with a crosslinking reaction initiator diluted with a release agent, and the colorant is a press cake pigment after washed.
US08206879B2

To provide an image forming method for obtaining excellent image quality under high humidity. The image forming method including charging a surface of a latent electrostatic image bearing member, exposing the charged surface of the latent electrostatic image bearing member so as to form a latent electrostatic image, developing the latent electrostatic image using a developer so as to form a toner image, and transferring the toner image from the latent electrostatic image bearing member to a transfer medium, wherein in the developing step, a toner is used that has an interparticle adhesion force of 500 nN to 1,200 nN when pressed at 500 nN and a volume average particle diameter of 4 μm to 8 μm, and in the transferring step, the transfer pressure applied to the transfer medium is 20 N/m to 60 N/m, and wherein a tandem image forming apparatus is used in the image forming method.
US08206877B2

A membrane electrode assembly includes an ion conducting membrane; an anode catalyst layer arranged on one side of the ion conducting membrane; a cathode catalyst layer arranged on the other side of the ion conducting membrane; an anode diffusion layer arranged on an outer side of the anode catalyst layer; and a cathode diffusion layer arranged on an outer side of the cathode catalyst layer. Only in the anode catalyst layer, the density of a first catalyst layer portion located close to the anode diffusion layer is smaller than the density of a second catalyst layer portion located close to the ion conducting membrane.
US08206874B2

This disclosure provides polymer electrolytes, polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM's) and membrane electrode assemblies (MEA's) such as may be useful in fuel cells which contain or comprise polyoxometalates (POM's) or heteropolyacids (HPA's). In some embodiments the polyoxometalate, it's counterions or both may comprise Mn and/or Ce. In some embodiments the polymer electrolyte is fluorinated. In some embodiments the polymer electrolyte comprises a second acidic functional group other than a polyoxometalate. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides methods of making polymer electrolytes including methods which comprising a step of copolymerizing monomers comprising a covalently bound polyoxometalates and methods which comprise a step of covalently attaching a polyoxometalate to the polymer.
US08206871B2

A fuel cell assembly is disclosed, the fuel cell assembly including a pair of terminal plates, one terminal plate disposed at each end of the fuel cell assembly, a fuel cell disposed between a pair of end fuel cells and the terminal plates, and a thermally insulating, electrically conductive layer formed between the fuel cell and one of the terminal plates adapted to mitigate thermal losses from the end plate, and fluid condensation and ice formation in an end fuel cell. The end fuel cells of the fuel cell assembly have a membrane and/or a cathode having a thickness greater than an average thickness of a membrane and/or a cathode disposed in the fuel cell that may be used in conjunction with, or instead of, the insulating layer to further mitigate thermal losses from the end plate, and fluid condensation and ice formation in the end fuel cells.
US08206870B2

A membrane electrode assembly comprising two electrode separated by a polymer electrolyte membrane wherein the surfaces of the membrane are in contact with the electrodes so that the first electrode partially or totally covers the front of the membrane and the second electrode partially or totally covers the back of the membrane; two gasket layers wherein the first gasket layer partially covers the front of the membrane and/or the first electrode and the second gasket layer partially covers the back of the membrane and/or the second electrode the assembly also comprises a second gasket material on the front of the first gasket layer and on the back of the second gasket layer; each of the gasket layers comprises at least one recess; the second gasket material on the front of the first gasket layer is in contact with the second gasket material on the back of the second gasket layer.
US08206863B2

A fuel cell system having a fuel cell, coolant circulating means which circulates cooling water into the fuel cell, temperature sensors which detect a cooling water outlet temperature and a cooling water inlet temperature, and temperature adjusting means which adjusts a temperature of the fuel cell by controlling a flow rate of the coolant on the basis of the cooling water outlet temperature, is characterized by including abnormality determining means which determines whether or not abnormality occurs in the temperature sensor, and coolant temperature estimating means which, when the abnormality determining means determines that abnormality occurs in the temperature sensor, estimates the cooling water outlet temperature on the basis of physical information relating to operating states of the fuel cell.
US08206858B2

A fuel cell system and a starting method therefor are capable of setting a start-up mode which is appropriate to energy stored in a secondary battery so as to eliminate problems in starting the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a secondary battery which is electrically connected with the fuel cell, a secondary-battery charge-amount detection unit which detects an amount of charge in the secondary battery, and a memory which stores at least one threshold value for determining the start-up mode of the fuel cell system. Stored electric energy which corresponds to the amount of charge in the secondary battery is calculated, and a start-up mode of the fuel cell system is determined based on the electric energy stored in the secondary battery and the threshold value stored in the memory.
US08206854B2

A composition comprising: hydrogen; and an oxygenate odorant; wherein the oxygenate odorant has a vapor pressure of about 0.002 psi. or greater at 25° C. and having a smell detectable at less than 1 ppm by a human nose; wherein the oxygenate odorant includes one or more carbonyl groups; and wherein the oxygenate odorant consists only of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The oxygenate odorants may be cyclic or acyclic.
US08206849B2

An integral cap assembly comprising a top cap mounted as a base plate to an opening of a battery can and a cap subassembly including a protective circuit module and the like integrally mounted on the top cap, a method for manufacturing a secondary battery comprising the same, and a secondary battery manufactured thereby are disclosed. The cap assembly is provided as an integral member comprising the top cap acting as the base plate, and the cap subassembly having the protective circuit module provided thereon, thereby simplifying a manufacturing process of the battery while minimizing frequency of defective products. Additionally, the integral cap assembly is manufactured through insert injection molding, thereby providing notable advantages over the conventional technology.
US08206837B2

According to one aspect, an interventional medical device includes a first wire disposed at a distal end and made of an alloy containing Ti and a transition metal other than Ti and Cr, and a second wire disposed at a proximal end of the first wire and made of an alloy containing Cr and a transition metal other than Cr and Ti. The device may include the first wire and the second wire being brazed to each other by a brazing material. The brazing material contains a metal whose ionization tendency is more basic than Ti and Cr. The brazing material is preferably an Ag—Mg alloy or an Ni—Mg alloy, and preferably has a composition near the eutectic point.
US08206822B2

A method of reshaping an article comprising a polyelectrolyte complex, the polyelectrolyte complex comprising an intermolecular blend of a predominantly positively-charged polyelectrolyte and a predominantly negatively charged polyelectrolyte by controlling the salt doping level.
US08206815B2

Disclosed is a metal-based carbon fiber composite material exhibiting an improved thermal expansion coefficient, improved thermal conductivity, and is smaller in weight, and a method for producing the same. The composite material includes a metal and a carbon fiber including a micron carbon fiber and a nanofiber; the composite material having a first surface; the micron-size carbon fiber being oriented in one direction parallel to the first surface and being continuous from end to end; at least 80% of the nanofiber being oriented at an angle within 30° with respect to the first surface; and the nano-size carbon fiber being oriented randomly in a plane parallel to the first surface. In the composite material, a surface region may include a smaller amount of micron carbon fiber than other regions, or include no micron carbon fiber; the nanofiber may have an orientation parallel to the surface of the composite material.
US08206813B2

Synthetic nano-sized crystalline calcium phosphate, particularly hydroxyapatite, having a specific surface area in the range of 150 m2/g to 300 m2/g, is described. The nano-sized crystalline calcium phosphate may be in the form of a powder or in the form of a coating on a surface. A method of producing a nano-sized crystalline calcium phosphate powder or coating is also described. The method comprises formation of a liquid crystalline phase in a water solution of calcium, phosphor and a surfactant, placing the phase in an ammonia atmosphere so that nano-sized crystals are formed, followed by either removal of the surfactant with a solvent and recovering the nano-sized crystals to obtain the powder, or diluting the ammonia-treated liquid crystalline phase with a hydrophobic organic solvent to create a microemulsion of the nano-sized crystals in water, dipping an oxide layer-coated surface of an object into the microemulsion, or alternatively saving the step of ammonia treatment of the liquid crystalline phase until after the dipping of the surface of an object into the microemulsion, followed by removal of the organic solvent and the surfactant from the surface to obtain the coating.
US08206812B2

The present invention relates to a coated cutting tool for metal machining with a from about 2.0 to about 20 μm thick PVD coating, having both the wear resistance of a coating of homogeneous layers and the toughness of a multilayer coating, comprising a first (Mec1,Mec2)(C,N,O) layer where Mec1 is one or more of the elements in the transition metal group IV-VI, Al and Si and Mec2 is one of the elements in the transition metal group IV-VI from about 1.0 to about 4.5 μm thick, a second (Med1,Med2)(C,N) layer where Med1 is one or more of the elements in the transition metal group IV-VI, Al and Si and Med2 is one of the elements in the transition metal group IV-VI and Y, from about 0.5 to about 4.5 μm thick, and in between the first and the second layer, an (Mee1, Mee2)(C,N,O) layer where Mee1 is one or more of the elements in the transition metal group IV-VI, Al and Si and Mee2 is one of the elements in the transition metal group IV-VI and Y, from about 0.1 to about 1.0 μm thick, where the thickness of the in between layer is less than about 0.5 times the thickness of thinnest of the first and the second layer and the layers in between has a composition differing from the first and the second layer, and a method of making thereof.
US08206811B2

A material of cured film, a thermosetting film and a display device are provided. The thermosetting composition includes a solvent and at least one siloxane polymer selected from the group consisting of siloxane polymer (A) obtained by hydrolyzing or condensing a silane mixture containing a monofunctional silane represented by formula (1) and a trifunctional silane represented by formula (2), and siloxane polymer (B) obtained by hydrolyzing or condensing a silane mixture containing a bifunctional silane represented by formula (3) and a tetrafunctional silane represented by formula (4). R independently represents hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbons whose arbitrary hydrogen can be replaced by a halogen, an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbons whose arbitrary hydrogen can be replaced by a halogen, or an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbons whose arbitrary hydrogen can be replaced by a halogen. R′ independently represents a hydrolyzable group.
US08206809B2

A matte seal includes a seal body that extends along and about a width-wise axis. The seal body has a first surface and an opposite parallel second surface and an outer peripheral surface extending to and between the first and second surfaces. The seal body has an inner through hole surface defining a through hole extending along and about the width-wise axis and between and through the first and second surfaces. The seal body has at least one recess formed into the first surface. The at least one recess is disposed apart from and between the inner through hole surface and the outer peripheral surface. The at least one recess extends parallel to the width-wise axis and partially into the seal body.
US08206804B2

Phase change memory materials and more particularly GeAs telluride materials useful for phase change memory applications, for example, optical and electronic data storage are described.
US08206803B2

Provided is an information storage medium using nanocrystal particles, a method of manufacturing the information storage medium, and an information storage apparatus including the information storage medium. The information storage medium includes a conductive layer, a first insulating layer formed on the conductive layer, a nanocrystal layer that is formed on the first insulating layer and includes conductive nanocrystal particles that can trap charges, and a second insulating layer formed on the nanocrystal layer.
US08206790B2

A polyurea-based curable coating for use with sports equipment, such as golf balls, golf shoes, golf clubs, footballs, billiard balls, baseballs, and the like, of which the coating may be cured over time, with heat, or a combination thereof, providing enhanced adhesion to equipment surfaces, improved abrasion resistance, and increased water resistance.
US08206773B2

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for assembling polymer-forming molecular components such that highly-structured arrays of polymer strands, such as collagen fibrils, are formed without the need for cells. A polymer nanoloom is designed to control the self-assembly of monomers into fibrils and related tissue constructs including ligament, tendon, cartilage, and bone. A nanoloom system comprises a polymer printhead, a temperature controller, and a movable substrate for polymer printing. A polymer printhead contains one or more nanoreactors that can control the assembly of collagen fibrils or other polymers on a nanoscale. Methods are provided for temperature-driven, enzyme-driven, and cholesteric assembly of collagen or other polymers into two- or three-dimensional tissue constructs.
US08206770B2

A frozen composition is provided which includes hydrophobin. Also provided is the use of hydrophobin in inhibiting ice crystal growth and/or modifying ice crystal habit in frozen food products.
US08206769B2

A large scale processing method for separating banana pulp from its peel is shown. In this method bananas are separated into two parts (generally in a transverse direction), each part having a tip end and a cut end. A compression force is applied to those banana parts such that the force increases from the tip end to the cut end. A device which implements that process, including a cutting device, a means for feeding bananas into the cutting device, and two processing conveyor devices (to apply the compression force to the banana parts), is also shown.
US08206766B2

A method for using a bamboo leaf extract as an acrylamide inhibitor for heat processing food, includes adding to the bamboo leaf extract at least one selected from a group consisting of ginkgo extract, tea extract, rosemary extract, apple polyphenol extract, haw extract, onion extract, licorice extract, root of kudzuvine extract, grape seed extract and leech extract; and preparing a composition, in which the bamboo leaf extract takes up 34-95% of the total weight of the composition. The bamboo leaf extract used as the acrylamide inhibitor in food systems has an inhibiting rate to acrylamide formation of up to 15-98%.
US08206761B2

A multipurpose cleaning composition. The composition is a mixture of therapeutic grade essential oils, distilled white vinegar, and purified water that disinfects, degreases, and deodorizes, and also provides bioseptic and therapeutic benefits. Also provided is a method of disinfecting a surface by shaking a spray bottle having the composition, spraying the composition on the surface to be disinfected, allowing the composition to remain in contact with the surface for an amount of time sufficient to disinfect the surface, and removing the composition by wiping with a cloth. Essential oils may include, but are not limited to, therapeutic grade essential oils of eucalyptus, lemon, lavender, and grapefruit.
US08206760B2

Disclosed is a composition for the inhibition of transplant rejection and the treatment of skin diseases, comprising a cordyceps mycellia extract as an active ingredient. The cordyceps mycellia extract significantly suppresses the production of antibodies to transplants without side effects, such as weight change. Based on natural material, the composition is non-toxic and harmless to the human body and thus can be used as an immunosuppressant for organ transplantation. Also, it stops oozing from sores and is useful in the treatment of skin diseases, including atopy, allergic reactions, decubitus ulcers, pemphigus and smallpox.
US08206759B2

Combinations of vasoprotective agents useful for the treatment of reducing blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels induced by an excess of plasma lipids. The agents include polycosanols, tocotriends and/or lycopene, procyanidole oligomers and vegetable oil rich in insaturated fatty acids.
US08206747B2

The present disclosure generally relates to nanoparticles having about 0.2 to about 35 weight percent of a therapeutic agent; and about 10 to about 99 weight percent of biocompatible polymer such as a diblock poly(lactic) acid-poly(ethylene)glycol. Other aspects of the invention include methods of making such nanoparticles.
US08206744B2

The invention concerns novel materials based on biodegradable branched polyaminoacids particularly useful for transporting active principle(s). The invention also concerns novel pharmaceutical, cosmetic, dietetic or phytosanitary compositions based on polyaminoacids. The invention aims at providing a novel polymeric material, capable of being used for transporting active principle(s) and enabling all the required relevant specifications to be optimally satisfied: biocompatibility, biodegradability, easy ability to be combined with a large number of active principles or to solubilize same, and to release the active principles in vivo. This is achieved by the present invention which firstly concerns branched polyaminoacids comprising aspartic acid units and or glutamic acid units, and which bear hydrophobic groups including 8 to 30 carbon atoms. The branched polyaminoacids are amphiphilic and are capable of being easily and economically transformed into particles for transporting active principles, the particles being themselves capable of forming stable aqueous colloidal suspensions.
US08206725B2

The present invention relates to an immunogenic agent comprising a low dose of an antigenic component from one or more pathogens and an agent capable of increasing an amount of IL-12 in animal, and use thereof for reducing infection or improving recovery from an infection from the pathogen. The immunogenic agent preferably comprises CpG nucleic acid, IL-12 protein and/or IL-12 nucleic acid. The pathogen is preferably an intracellular pathogen comprising one or more species and strains, such as Plasmodium spp. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the immunogenic agent. The pharmaceutical composition is preferably an immunotherapeutic composition. The immunotherapeutic composition, is preferably a vaccine capable of providing protection against or treating Plasmodium spp infection, the causative agent of malaria in humans.
US08206700B2

The disclosure provides an antigenic composition useful for immunization against tularemia. The disclosure provides a method for producing a vaccine for preventing tularemia in humans and animals, a new vaccine against tularemia in humans and animals, and a new approach to producing vaccines against tularemia.
US08206699B2

One form of the present invention is directed to a method of remyelinating demyelinated axons by treating the demyelinated axons with oligodendrocyte progenitor cells under conditions which permit remyelination of the axons. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating a subject having a condition mediated by a loss of myelin or a loss of oligodendrocytes by administering to the subject oligodendrocyte progenitor cells under conditions effective to treat the condition mediated by a loss of myelin or a loss of oligodendrocytes. A further aspect of the present invention relates to an in vitro method of identifying and separating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells from a mixed population containing other mammalian brain or spinal cord cell types. This further aspect of the present invention involves removing neurons and neuronal progenitor cells from the mixed population to produce a treated mixed population. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells are then separated from the treated mixed population to form an enriched population of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.
US08206694B2

A hair conditioning composition comprising a cationic surfactant, triglyceride oil, and an anti dandruff agent.
US08206692B2

The present invention relates to a method for screening compounds having the ability to prevent, treat or reduce malodor development on body surfaces. In particular, the method allows to efficiently screen for compound having the ability of preventing sweat malodor development caused by volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). The present invention is based on the finding of the direct precursor of naturally VSCs, which is present in human sweat and which will be metabolized by Staphylococci to VSCs.
US08206689B2

The invention provides an oral preparation or a chewing gum comprising an organic acid and/or inorganic acid and a fluoride ion supplying compound, wherein a light scattering layer is formed inside enamel of the teeth when the oral preparation or the chewing gum is applied to teeth. An internal tooth colored layer in the enamel is masked by the light scattering layer, and a white appearance is imparted to the teeth.
US08206682B2

A method for recovering catalytic elements from a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly is provided. The method includes converting the membrane electrode assembly into a particulate material, wetting the particulate material, forming a slurry comprising the wetted particulate material and an acid leachate adapted to dissolve at least one of the catalytic elements into a soluble catalytic element salt, separating the slurry into a depleted particulate material and a supernatant containing the catalytic element salt, and washing the depleted particulate material to remove any catalytic element salt retained within pores in the depleted particulate material.
US08206680B2

Calco-magnesian aqueous suspension having particles of solid matter with, before being put into suspension, a specific surface area, calculated according to the BET method, which is less than or equal to 10 m2/g, and its method of preparation. Such an aqueous suspension of calco-magnesian solid matter can achieve a very low viscosity, making it possible to greatly increase the solid matter concentration of the suspension, or again to reduce the size of the particles in suspension, thus obtaining a concentrated and reactive milk of lime.
US08206676B2

The method described herein provides a method for preparing a chlorinated silane at least one end product comprising SiH3Cl, SiH2Cl2, and combinations thereof in molar yields of 50% or greater with respect to silane in the feed stream. The method described herein therefore provides an end product comprising the one or more chlorinated silanes by contacting reaction mixture comprising silane and hydrogen chloride with a catalyst at a temperature and time sufficient to provide the end product.
US08206674B2

Boron nitride nanotubes are prepared by a process which includes: (a) creating a source of boron vapor; (b) mixing the boron vapor with nitrogen gas so that a mixture of boron vapor and nitrogen gas is present at a nucleation site, which is a surface, the nitrogen gas being provided at a pressure elevated above atmospheric, e.g., from greater than about 2 atmospheres up to about 250 atmospheres; and (c) harvesting boron nitride nanotubes, which are formed at the nucleation site.
US08206672B2

Disclosed herein are processes for making a plurality of substantially phase-pure metal oxide particles, the particles comprising a garnet structure, the process comprising: subjecting a dispersion of precursors to a solvothermal treatment to form a garnet intermediate and applying a flow-based thermochemical process to said garnet intermediate.
US08206664B2

Microfluidic devices are prepared by providing a substrate material having a solid adhesive thin sheet, printing solid ink on the substrate using a conventional printer, selectively etching the substrate using a wax masking layer to obtain a desired pattern, removing the masking layer from the substrate, aligning and bonding together the pattern of the substrate to a pattern of a second substrate to form a layer of substrates, and curing the layer of substrates to result in a three-dimensional microfluidic device.
US08206661B2

An assay device for testing of liquid samples for drugs of abuse has a transparent container for retaining a liquid sample. A backing member is within the container and is curved so that its front surface corresponds to the curvature of the container wall. Immunoassay test strips are on the front face of the backing and are visible through the container wall. Each test strip is enclosed in a transparent pocket which has a bottom opening through which the bottom portion of the test strip protrudes to contact the liquid sample within the container. The liquid then flows upwardly through the test strip to react with reagents within the test strip.
US08206659B2

Methods and devices for controlled evaporation of solvent from a solution are provided. In one embodiment, the device can control evaporation of different solutions comprising solvents of dissimilar volatilities simultaneously. In another embodiment, control over the flow of solvent vapor out of the device is provided by selecting the pressure at an inlet port and an exhaust port of the device. In yet another embodiment, control over the flow of solvent vapor out of the device is provided by selecting the size of a disk flow control orifice positioned between the wells and a vapor removal outlet of the device. In still another embodiment, control over the flow of solvent vapor out of the device is provided by the opening and closing of the vapor removal outlet of the device. In yet a further embodiment, the rate of evaporation of solvent is controlled by controlling the temperature of the solution. The flow rate control mechanisms can be used alone or in any combination to control evaporation of one or more solvents from solutions.
US08206657B2

An enclosure includes at least one packed bed and a mixture supply line for delivering at the bottom of the enclosure a mixture of a liquid with a gas. The enclosure includes a system for separating the liquid phase and the gas phase of the mixture, the system being arranged between the bed and the mixture supply line, and this system including a housing having a flow passage for the degassed liquid and discharge passages for the disengaged gas.
US08206655B2

An apparatus for burning sulfur to produce sulfur dioxide, which sulfur dioxide is associated with a multi-channel gas valve associated with other gas sources to selectively be blended each into water by a combination mixer/aerator to aerate water in one monde, admix sulfur dioxide with water to form sulfurous acid in another mode, and stir and mix water without gases in a third mode.
US08206642B2

A pivoting, liquid cooled slag door for metallurgical furnaces is disclosed. The slag door can pivot from the top using one or more robust mechanisms that enable the door to be moved into and stopped in any position between a closed position and an open position. The slag door can also incorporate wing walls disposed in close proximity to the sides of the slag door. The wing walls can minimize air infiltration into the furnace when the slag door is in an open position. The slag door can be disposed in close proximity to the hearth of the furnace to eliminate problems associate with conventional slag door tunnels. The slag door can be fitted with a furnace apparatus such as a burner or a lance and can be used to provide access to the interior of the furnace and to control the flow of material out of the furnace.
US08206640B2

A process and apparatus for collecting continuous fibers or filaments as a uniform batt comprises a filament emitter in the form of a spinning die, a venturi, a diffuser, and a fiber collection bed. The filaments move downward after being created by the emitter, and exhaust ports create in the diffuser an airflow having a direction against the flow of the filaments so that the filaments are decelerated before contacting the fiber collection bed.
US08206638B2

Methods of producing collection tubes are presented. The methods include providing a separator substance that can rapidly polymerize in a short time to a desired hardness and disposing the separator substance within the lumen of the tube. The separator substance is formulated to have a density between an average density of a serum fraction of whole blood and a cell-containing fraction of whole blood, and to be flowable with whole blood. Upon centrifugation of a tube having blood, the separator substance forms a barrier between the whole blood fractions. The barrier rapidly hardens forming a solid barrier when triggered by a suitable energy source.
US08206635B2

Tubular casting processes, such as dip-coating, may be used to form substrates from polymeric solutions which may be used to fabricate implantable devices such as stents. The polymeric substrates may have multiple layers which retain the inherent properties of their starting materials and which are sufficiently ductile to prevent brittle fracture. Parameters such as the number of times the mandrel is immersed, the duration of time of each immersion within the solution, as well as the delay time between each immersion or the drying or curing time between dips and withdrawal rates of the mandrel from the solution may each be controlled to result in the desired mechanical characteristics. Additional post-processing may also be utilized to further increase strength of the substrate or to alter its shape.
US08206613B2

Disclosed is a phosphor composite material which can be fired at low temperatures and enables to obtain a phosphor composite member which is excellent in weather resistance and reduced in deterioration after long use. Also disclosed is a phosphor composite member obtained by firing such a phosphor composite material. Specifically disclosed is a phosphor composite material composed of a glass powder and a phosphor powder, which is characterized in that the glass powder is composed of SnO—P2O5—B2O3 glass.
US08206607B2

A method for cooling an internal combustion engine using a reduced toxicity, ethylene glycol and water based heat transfer fluid is provided. A heat transfer fluid is formulated comprising water and a glycol component consisting of ethylene glycol and either propylene glycol or glycerol. Propylene glycol may be provided in an amount between 5% to less than 30% of the total weight of the glycol component. Glycerol may be provided in an amount between 5% to 20% of the total weight of the glycol component. The glycol component is less toxic than 10,000 mg/kg on an acute LD50(rat) oral toxicity basis. The water comprises between 40% and 70% by weight of the total weight of the heat transfer fluid. The cooling system of the internal combustion engine is substantially filled with the heat transfer fluid such that the heat transfer fluid absorbs heat that is produced by the internal combustion engine and releases the absorbed heat to the atmosphere.
US08206606B2

An oxide magnetic material includes a ferrite with a hexagonal structure as its main phase. Metallic elements included in the oxide magnetic material are represented by the formula: Ca1-x-x′LaxSrx′Fe2n-yCoy, where atomic ratios x, x′ and y and a molar ratio n satisfy 0.4≦x≦0.6, 0.01≦x′≦0.3, 0.2≦y≦0.45 and 5.2≦n≦5.8, respectively.
US08206602B2

According to one embodiment, there is provided a method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, including forming a first hard mask including carbon as a main component, a second hard mask including a main component other than carbon and a resist on a magnetic recording layer, contacting a stamper to the resist to transfer patterns of protrusions and recesses to the resist, removing residues in the recesses of the patterned resist, etching the second hard mask, etching the first hard mask, patterning the magnetic recording layer, and removing the first hard mask, the method further including, between etching the first hard mask and removing the first hard mask, removing the second hard mask remaining on the protrusions of the first hard mask, and removing a contaminating layer on a surface of the first hard mask by a mixed gas of oxygen-based gas and a fluorine compound.
US08206599B2

Exemplary systems and methods relating to washboxes are described.
US08206598B2

An adapter for the purging of lines is described that comprises a plate and an attachment mechanism. The plate includes a first side and an opposed second side that are connected by at least one edge. The plate has a first interface defined on the second side that is adapted to connect to a portion of a cap of a filter assembly in a close fitting relation. The first interface is also adapted to define an interior space between the portion of the cap and the plate. The interior space is in fluid communication with a first line that is connected to the filter assembly. The attachment mechanism secures the plate and the portion of the cap in the close fitting relation. The plate includes a second interface that is adapted to connect to an external source of pressure. The second interface is in fluid communication with the interior space.
US08206592B2

The invention relates to systems and methods of treating water by directing the water to a first reverse osmosis (RO) membrane; separating the water using the first RO membrane; adding a chelating agent to first permeate and/or raising the pH of the first permeate to between about 5.5 and 7.5 before a second RO membrane; and separating the first permeate into a second permeate and a second concentrate using the second RO membrane, thereby separating constituents from the water.
US08206585B2

An automatic oil-water separation and recovery device, which comprises a cylindrical tank, on the top of which exists an oil collector. The tank has an inflow pipe that links to a pre-separation regulating water distributor therein. The said water distributor is in the shape of an obconic bell mouth. At the lower part of the tank stands an outflow collector on which a bar-shaped oil-water separation unit is secured. The said outflow collector has an outlet. The said oil-water separation unit is made from stainless steel or plastic antipriming pipe firstly wrapped with unwoven cloth, and then taped with wires and outside the wires further wrapped with nonwoven cloth. All the cloth and wires are made of the same highly hydrophilic, oil-resistant material. The automatic oil-water separation and recovery devices described in this invention can be assembled together for separating and recovering ship-generated oily water. The assembled system works very well even though the oil content in the oily water fluctuates significantly. The average oil content in the treated water is about or lower than 5.0 m/L.
US08206575B2

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock by hydroprocessing using multi-metallic catalysts is disclosed. In one aspect, the invention relates to hydroprocessing of a hydrocarbon feedstock using a catalyst derived from a catalyst precursor of the formula Av[(MP)(OH)x(L)ny]z(MVIBO4), wherein A comprises an alkali metal cation, an ammonium, an organic ammonium or a phosphonium cation, MP is selected from Group VIII, Group IIB, Group IIA, Group IVA and combinations thereof, L is an organic, oxygen-containing ligand, MVIB is at least one of Group VIB metals, and the atomic ratio of MVIII:MVIB is between 100:1 and 1:100.
US08206571B2

The present invention claims a method for forming [18F] fluoride complexes suitable for performing radio-labelling reactions to generate [18F] fluorinated species. The present invention also provides for an apparatus for forming [18F] fluoride complexes suitable for performing radio-labelling reactions to generate [18F] fluorinated species. Kit claims for formation of [18F] fluoride complexes suitable for performing radio-labelling reactions to generate [18F] fluorinated species are also provided.
US08206560B2

Disclosed is an aluminum electrolytic cell having profiled cathode carbon blocks structures, comprising a cell case, a refractory material installed on the bottom, an anodes and a cathode. The cathode carbon blocks include a profiled structure having projections on the top surface of the carbon blocks, that is, a plurality of projections are formed on a surface of the cathode carbon blocks. The aluminum electrolytic cell having the cathode structure according to the present invention can reduce the velocity of the flow and the fluctuation of the level of the cathodal molten aluminum within the electrolytic cell, so as to increase the stability of the surface of molten aluminum, reduce the molten lose of the aluminum, increase the current efficiency, reduce the inter electrode distance, and reduce the energy consumption of the production of aluminum by electrolysis. With the above configuration, compounds or precipitates of viscous cryolite molten alumina can be formed on the lower portion between walls protruding on the upper surface of the cathode, which can prohibit the molten aluminum from flowing into the cell bottom through the cracks and apertures on cathodes, so that the life of the electrolytic cell can be extended.
US08206556B2

A blade for creping a paper web from a dryer surface is provided, said blade having a sliding surface facing the dryer surface during use of the blade, a web impact surface upon which the paper web impacts during creping, and a working apex formed between the sliding surface and the web impact surface, wherein the working apex is located no more than 30 percent of the total blade thickness away from a neutral fiber of the blade. Preferably, the working apex of the inventive creping blade is located at or close to the neutral fiber of the blade. A method for manufacturing the blade is also disclosed.
US08206546B2

A heat shield having a honeycomb core. The honeycomb core has a plurality of intersecting wall portions forming a plurality of cells. A strain compliant material is applied to the wall portions of the honeycomb core prior to filling of the cells with an ablative material. An ablative material at least substantially fills the cells of the honeycomb core.
US08206536B2

A method of stacking a flexible substrate is provided. The method includes the steps of: preparing a carrier substrate; stacking an adhesive layer on the carrier substrate; and stacking a flexible substrate having at least one image display device on the adhesive layer using a laminating or pressing method. Thus, the flexible substrate is easily fabricated without modification of conventional mass-production equipment for fabricating a display, and thereby a lightweight, thin, and compact flexible display can be realized.
US08206528B2

A method of applying a film to an endless moving handrail comprises the steps of adhering a first film layer, having sufficient resilience to accommodate strains occurring on the surfaces of the endless moving handrail and including a barrier coating on at least one of top and bottom surfaces of the first layer, to a top surface of an endless moving handrail, and adhering a substantially transparent film layer over the first film layer.
US08206523B1

A process of manufacturing a multi-shade design on an at least semi-transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The process comprising a template preparation step of preparing a template, the template being visible through the substrate, applying a first design film to a surface of the substrate, carving at least a portion of the first design film, applying a second design film over the first surface, and carving at least a portion of the second design film. An alternative process of manufacturing a multi-color design comprising the template preparation step, applying a first design film, of a first color, to the first surface, carving the first region, applying a second design film, of a second color, to the first surface, and carving the second region from the second design film.
US08206521B2

According to one embodiment, a high-strength stabilizer steel for vehicles having excellent corrosion resistance and low-temperature toughness, containing 0.07 to 0.20% C, more than 0.6% and 1.5% or less Si, 1 to 3% Mn, 0.1 to 1.0% Cr, 0.005 to 0.080% sAl, 0.005 to 0.060% Ti, 0.005 to 0.060% Nb, 0.070% or less Ti+Nb, 150 ppm or less N, 0.035% or less P, 0.035% or less S, 0.01 to 1.00% Cu, 0.01 to 1.00% Ni, the remainder being Fe, and unavoidable impurities, wherein a structure before molding a stabilizer is any one of a bainite, a martensite, and a mixed structure of bainite/martensite and an original austenitic crystal grain size number after a heat treatment of the stabilizer is Gh 9 or more.
US08206516B2

In a method for producing an R—Fe—B based rare-earth sintered magnet according to the present invention, first, provided is an R—Fe—B based rare-earth sintered magnet body including, as a main phase, crystal grains of an R2Fe14B type compound that includes a light rare-earth element RL, which is at least one of Nd and Pr, as a major rare-earth element R. Thereafter, the sintered magnet body is heated while a heavy rare-earth element RH, which is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Dy, Ho and Tb, is supplied to the surface of the sintered magnet body, thereby diffusing the heavy rare-earth element RH into the rare-earth sintered magnet body.
US08206515B2

A lead-free, cream solder composition that is printable includes a SnZn alloy which is lead-free and which is a powder; a solder flux including an epoxy resin; microcapsules that are organic carboxylic acid particles encapsulated with a resin selected from a group consisting of epoxy, polyimide, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyester, polyurea, polyolefin, and polysulfone resins; and a solvent which is a glycol. The presence of the organic carboxylic acid encapsulated with a resin as microcapsules suppresses reactivity of zinc in the SnZn alloy with the organic carboxylic acid Alternately, the solder flux may include the epoxy resin; an organic carboxylic acid; and the solvent; and microcapsules that are particles of a SnZn alloy encapsulated with the described resin. The presence of the SnZn alloy encapsulated with a resin as microcapsules suppresses reactivity of zinc in the SnZn alloy with the organic carboxylic acid so that viscosity and solderability are stabilized.
US08206514B2

A cleaning device for a medical implement is disclosed. The cleaning device includes a cap having an opening to an inner cavity, the opening being adapted to receive a site of the medical implement. The cleaning device further includes a compressible cleaning material that contains a cleaning agent prior to receipt of the site of the medical implement, i.e. the cleaning material is pre-loaded with the cleaning agent. The compressible cleaning material is at least partially secured in the inner cavity and adapted to swab and clean the site with the cleaning agent.
US08206511B2

A method of cleaning an uncoated surface includes providing a composition having a pH of between about 7 and about 11 and applying the composition to the uncoated surface. The composition includes a fatty acid salt constituting between about 5% and about 40% by weight of the composition, a gloss-enhancing agent constituting between about 0.1% and 20% by weight of the composition, an anti-slip agent constituting between about 0.5% and about 10% by weight of the composition, and water constituting between about 20% and about 94.6% by weight of the composition. The composition can be applied at least three times a week.
US08206505B2

The inventive method for forming nano-dimensional clusters consists in introducing a solution containing a cluster-forming material into nano-pores of natural or artificial origin contained in a substrate material and in subsequently exposing said solution to a laser radiation pulse in such a way that a low-temperature plasma producing a gaseous medium in the domain of the existence thereof, wherein a cluster material is returned to a pure material by the crystallization thereof on a liquid substrate while the plasma is cooling, occurs, thereby forming mono-crystal quantum dots spliced with the substrate material. Said method makes it possible to form two- or three-dimensional cluster lattices and clusters spliced with each other from different materials. The invention also makes it possible to produce wires from different materials in the substrate nano-cavities and the quantum dots from the solution micro-drops distributed through an organic material applied to a glass.
US08206503B2

A method for making a sludge aggregate concrete includes the steps of collecting and dehydrating sludge, sintering the sludge at a temperature of about 800˜900° C., grinding and sieving the sludge through a screen to obtain sludge ash, forming the sludge ash into an artificial sludge aggregate by mixing the sludge ash with an inorganic binder and water followed by granularizing, and mixing the artificial sludge aggregate with an inorganic binder and water to form the sludge aggregate concrete product.
US08206491B2

An apparatus is provided for implementing water separation in the vacuum system of a paper machine. The apparatus includes a guiding baffle structure connected to an inlet pipe and a water trap vessel, and a droplet separation cell mounted at the mouth of an outlet pipe.
US08206484B2

This invention is a method for fabricating fibers by melt-blowing a melt of a molecularly self-assembling material, the melt being at a temperature of from 130° C. to 220° C., thereby forming a fiber set having a distribution of fiber diameters wherein at least 95% of the fibers have a diameter of less than about 3 microns. The invention further comprises collecting the fiber set so as to form a fibrous non-woven web.
US08206478B2

The disclosure relates to a modular waste liquid separator and collector device, comprising component modules. A first module comprises a support structure, a second module comprises a droplet separator connectable to said support structure, and a third module comprises a waste liquid collector. The component modules are individually portable, and are assembled at the point of use.
US08206476B2

A cover (120) for a diesel particulate filter (106) includes a hollow chamber (128) with an open bottom (140) sized to receive the body of the diesel particulate filter (106), and a plenum (156) attached to the hollow chamber (128) to receive a supply of air, and to distribute that air to an air vent (152) formed in the top surface (150) of the hollow chamber (128) to direct the air across the top surface of the diesel particulate filter (106).
US08206468B2

An energy storage device includes a first electrode comprising a first material and a second electrode comprising a second material, at least a portion of the first and second materials forming an interpenetrating network when dispersed in an electrolyte, the electrolyte, the first material and the second material are selected so that the first and second materials exert a repelling force on each other when combined. An electrochemical device, includes a first electrode in electrical communication with a first current collector; a second electrode in electrical communication with a second current collector; and an ionically conductive medium in ionic contact with said first and second electrodes, wherein at least a portion of the first and second electrodes form an interpenetrating network and wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprises an electrode structure providing two or more pathways to its current collector.
US08206462B2

The present invention relates to the use of polymers comprising carboxyl groups in combination with bivalent cations for producing a protective layer on a textile sheet material and to textile treatment agents, in particular washing and cleaning agents containing said polymers in a suitable form of administration, in order to enable the formation of a protective layer on textile sheet materials.
US08206459B1

A prosthetic assembly for a residual limb that includes a sleeve for attachment to a distal portion of the residual limb, where the attachment member has a diametrically oriented magnetic field, and a prosthesis with a socket for receiving the sleeve, where the prosthesis socket has a distal end with an attachment member having a corresponding diametrically oriented magnetic field. The diametrically oriented magnetic fields of the sleeve and prosthetic attachment members may be oriented on the prosthesis and the residual limb to achieve a predetermined rotational orientation between the prosthesis and the residual limb and will facilitate removal of the prosthesis with a twisting action.
US08206458B1

A prosthetic device having a housing, an axle, at least three housing vanes, a flow medium and a valve. The axle is disposed within the housing and moveable independently of the housing. The axle has an axle reservoir and at least three axle vanes extending from the axle to contact the chamber wall. The three housing vanes extend from a chamber wall and contact the axle. A first opening and a second opening are formed in each axle vane. The flow medium is contained entirely within the chamber and the axle reservoir. The valve is disposed in the axle and operable in response to movement of the axle in a first direction relative to the housing to allow the flow medium to enter the axle reservoir from the chamber for storage under pressure.
US08206455B2

A hip prosthesis is provided for insertion into a femur. In one exemplary embodiment, the hip prosthesis includes a stem having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis. This stem may include anterior and posterior locking surfaces which diverge away from the longitudinal axis. A shank portion may extend distally from the anterior and posterior locking surfaces and converge at an angle distally toward the longitudinal axis.
US08206453B2

A sigmoid notch resurfacing prosthesis for application to the sigmoid notch of the distal radius. The sigmoid notch prosthesis generally includes a saddle and a radius portion for attachment to the distal radius. The saddle may be formed from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene or another durable self-lubricating material. The saddle includes an at least partially concave contoured depression having rounded edges that is securable to the radius portion. The saddle may be secured by a sliding notch snap fit design. The prosthesis may be adapted for articulation with the natural head of the ulnar or with an ulnar head prosthesis that has replaced the ulnar head.
US08206452B2

A prosthetic joint assembly supports articulation of a joint. The joint assembly includes a first component configured to be fixed to an anatomical feature. The first component includes a first impact surface and a second component that engages the first component. The second component includes a second impact surface that impacts the first impact surface as the first component moves relative to the second component. Furthermore, at least one of the first impact surface and the second impact surface includes a dampening member that dampens energy resulting from impact of the first and second impact surfaces.
US08206451B2

A posterior stabilized knee orthopaedic prosthesis includes a tibial bearing and a femoral component configured to articulate with the tibial bearing. The tibial bearing includes a spine having a concave cam surface and a convex cam surface. The femoral component includes a posterior cam having a concave cam surface and a convex cam surface. During flexion, the concave cam surface of the posterior cam contacts the convex cam surface of the spine and the convex cam surface of the posterior cam contacts the concave cam surface of the spine.
US08206449B2

An intervertebral disc placement system includes a multi part intervertebral disc, such as a mobile core disc, and an associated placement instrument. The placement instrument holds the disc securely with the disc endplates angled for ease of placement of the disc into an intervertebral disc space and quickly releases the implant within the disc space. The disc includes upper and lower plates having notches in inner surfaces for engagement of the placement instrument. The placement instrument has a rotatable key configured to fit into the first and second notches to grasp the disc from the interior and eliminate the need for an external grasping mechanism which could interfere with disc placement.
US08206447B2

A method for inserting an intervertebral disc prosthesis into a space between two vertebrae involves inserting the prosthesis partway into the space under constraint to prevent endplates of the prosthesis from articulating, releasing the prosthesis from constraint, and inserting the unconstrained prosthesis farther into the space. In some embodiments, the method involves grasping the prosthesis with a grasping device to insert the prosthesis partway under constraint, loosing the grasping device to release the prosthesis from constraint, and pushing the prosthesis farther into the disc space using the grasping device and/or one or more separate pusher devices. A system includes a grasping device, at least one separate pushing device, and optionally a vertebral spreading device and/or a vertebral midline indicator device.
US08206445B2

A method of ligament reconstruction comprising forming a femoral tunnel and a tibial tunnel, forming a plurality of supplemental femoral tunnels through a sidewall of the femoral tunnel, and forming a plurality of supplemental tibial tunnels through a sidewall of the tibial tunnel. The plurality of supplemental femoral tunnels and plurality of supplement tibial tunnels providing a basis for suture material fixation of graft tissue/material over cortical bone.
US08206438B2

Expandable, percutaneously deployable, prosthetic heart valves and systems for minimally invasive replacement of damaged or diseased native aortic valves comprise an expandable, tubular stent body and a unidirectional valve assembly. Embodiments of the stent body comprise an annulus anchoring section, a sinus section, and an outflow section, with the outflow section flared outward from the sinus section in an expanded configuration. Embodiments of the stent body are self-expanding, comprising, for example nitinol. The valve assembly disposed within the sinus section of the stent body and sutured thereto. Embodiments of the valve assembly comprise three leaflets, each leaflet comprising a curved outer edge sutured to the sinus section of the stent body, and a coapting free edge. Embodiments of the valve leaflets comprise pericardium. Embodiments of the prosthetic heart valve have a contracted configuration dimensioned for percutaneous delivery thereof.
US08206436B2

The present invention, in an exemplary embodiment, provides a stent, which combines many of the excellent characteristics of both silicone and metal stents while eliminating the undesirable ones. In particular, a principal objective in accordance with the present invention is to provide a family of stents where the relative hardness/softness of regions of the stent can differ from other regions of the stent to provide additional patient comfort and resistance to compression forces. Exemplary embodiments provide a stent that is coated in a manner that limits the amount of coating surface area that is in direct contact with the target lumen. In particular, a covered stent is provided that is coated internally such that the outer scaffolding surface of the stent is raised from the outer surface of the coating. To this end, cilia function is only partially limited and mucociliary clearance is not significantly affected. Moreover, the coating itself has anti-adherent properties such that bacteria, fungi or other microbials cannot colonize the cover in particular and the stent generally.
US08206433B2

A stent is described that is capable of expanding and thereafter recoiling to its initial coiled state within a biliary duct. A delivery system is utilized to deploy the stent in its natural coiled state into a targeted site of an occluded biliary duct. A balloon from the delivery system is positioned within a lumen defined by the inner coiled arm of the stent. The inflation of a balloon from the delivery system causes the inner coiled arm to radially move outward and engage the outer coiled arm to form an expanded stent. The expanded stent can revert back to its recoiled state by deploying a balloon through a lumen of the expanded stent. Inflation of the balloon disengages the inner coiled arm from the outer coiled arm thereby collapsing the inner coiled arm radially outward and onto the outer coiled arm to form a recoiled stent. The recoiled stent can be removed from the biliary duct.
US08206428B2

A structure and method associated with a tabbed stent that facilitates folding of its unconnected crowns over the adjacent connected crowns, to thus minimize the stent's compressed diameter. The middles of tabs and connected crowns are moved radially inwards with respect to unconnected neighbor crowns such that when in a compressed configuration the unconnected neighbor crowns overlap the connected crowns. The tabs of tabbed stent facilitate folding of the unconnected neighbor crowns over the connected crowns connected to the tabs. In this manner, the compressed profile of the tabbed stent and the crossing profile of the catheter containing the tabbed stent is minimized.
US08206425B2

A cranial fixation system and method are provided. The system includes two heads slidably connected with telescopic extensions and a spring or an elastomeric flexible component. The two heads are maintained in a distracted position by a locking mechanism until ready for cranial implantation. Once implanted, the locking mechanism is disengaged, thereby allowing the heads to compress towards each other by the spring and approximate the cranial bone flap to the skull.
US08206408B2

A surgical instrument having a shaft with a fixed handle part having a sliding part arranged thereon, and axially movable by means of a pivotable handle. The sliding part is guided on the shaft within an axial working stroke by proximal and distal guidance mechanism. A locking mechanism limit the axial displacement of the sliding part on the proximal end of the working stroke. In use, after unlocking the locking mechanism. the sliding part is movable beyond the proximal end of the working stroke into a cleaning position, in which the distal guidance mechanism are disengaged, so that the sliding part can be lifted away from the shaft.
US08206395B2

A surgical instrument for the distraction or compression of bones or bone portions comprises a pair of elongate cross members pivotally coupled for relative movement having at one end a respective pair of handles and at the other end a respective pair of jaws. The jaws are generally parallel to each other and define a first plane within which the jaws are relatively movable, the space on both sides of the plane defining a work space between the jaws. The instrument further comprises a fulcrum supported by at least one of the cross members projecting into the work space and having an axis spaced from the jaws.
US08206382B2

A surgical apparatus has a surgical instrument to treat a diseased part of a patient. An energy supply unit supplies energy for driving the surgical instrument. A sensor obtains information about states of the surgical instrument. An energy change detector detects whether magnitude of energy supplied to the surgical instrument is changed or not. A control unit controls driving of the sensor, based on a result of detection by the energy change detector.
US08206378B1

A number of parameters related to the operation of a fluid delivery device are determined based on pressures within the device sensed using multiple pressure sensors. In one example, the volume of therapeutic fluid within a reservoir of a fluid delivery device is estimated based on a measured pressure differential. In another example, the rate at which a therapeutic fluid is added to or removed from the reservoir is estimated based on the measured pressure differential.
US08206371B2

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for inserting flexible, multi-lumen catheters into blood vessels, and in particular, for inserting flexible, split-tip catheters into blood vessels. The invention accomplishes these objects by temporarily stiffening each catheter lumen and tip independently through use of intra-catheter stiffener elements disposed within the catheter lumens. This provides means for advancing the catheter/stiffeners assembly through a subcutaneous tunnel, and over a plurality of guidewires until a distal tip of the catheter is at a desired position within the vessel. The intra-catheter stiffener elements are sufficiently stiffening to allow advancing the catheter over guidewires, but sufficiently flexible to allow bending and looping of the catheter for proper placement within the vessel.
US08206363B2

The invention provides a device adapted to assist the sterilization of a limb surface, comprising a flexible tubular sleeve, closed at one end, shaped and sized so as to loosely fit, in use, around the limb of a patient whose limb surface is to be sterilized. The sleeve bas limb-sealing means, located close to or at each end of the sleeve, and each capable of forming, in use, a seal between the sleeve and the limb of a patient. The device is particularly suitable to assist in de-contamination of limbs prior to surgery thereon.
US08206357B2

A surgical portal apparatus is provided which includes a housing and a portal member. The portal member is connected to the housing which extends therefrom. The portal member has a longitudinal axis which includes a longitudinal passageway for permitting a surgical object to pass therethrough. A seal mount is mounted to the housing and has an internal seal adapted to establish a substantial sealed relation with the surgical object, the seal mount adapted to articulate relative to the housing between a first position relative to the housing and at least one second position relative to the housing, the seal mount being normally biased toward the first position.
US08206352B2

An apparatus for selecting a flow rate of a fluid includes an axle including an elongated cylindrical member having flow paths, each flow path being defined by a corresponding set of radial holes, each set of radial holes comprising at least one radial hole that extends substantially between an outer surface of the axle and an interior cavity of the axle, and a barrel including an elongated cylindrical member within which the axle is disposed, the barrel having input ports and an output port, the barrel being configured to enable the axle to rotate about an axis of rotation that extends along a length of the axle, wherein a flow rate of a fluid is selected by rotating the axle to a position so that a set of radial holes is in alignment with one or more ports of the barrel.
US08206338B2

A peritoneal dialysis system includes a dialysis machine including a pump chamber and a pump actuator moveable within the pump chamber; a pumping cassette including a rigid portion defining a pump well and a flexible membrane covering the pump well; and wherein the dialysis machine is configured to be mated with the pumping cassette so as to hold a vacuum between the pump chamber and the flexible membrane, the vacuum operable to cause the flexible membrane to follow the pump actuator as the actuator is retracted from the pump well of the rigid portion, the pump actuator operable to cause the flexible membrane to move into the pump well as the actuator is moved into the pump well.
US08206332B2

A catheter is adapted to exchange heat with a body fluid, such as blood, flowing in a body conduit, such as a blood vessel. The catheter includes a shaft with a heat exchange region disposed at its distal end. This region may include hollow fibers which are adapted to receive a remotely cooled heat exchange fluid preferably flowing in a direction counter to that of the body fluid. The hollow fibers enhance the surface area of contact, as well as the mixing of both the heat exchange fluid and the body fluid. The catheter can be positioned to produce hypothermia in a selective area of the body or alternatively positioned to systemically cool the entire body system.
US08206327B2

A head massager includes a helmet (10) having a first parallel hoop (11) and a second parallel hoop (12) connected to each other for forming a ring surrounding the user's head. The helmet (10) has a first meridian hoop (21) and a second meridian hoop (22) connected to each other to form an arc structure and hang the head massager on user's head. The distance adjustment devices (3) are provided to connect the first parallel hoop (11), the second parallel hoop (12), the first meridian hoop (21), and the second meridian hoop (22) together for adjusting the size of the helmet (10) to provide a comfortable fit to user's head.
US08206317B2

A lancet belt has a first belt tape with a longitudinal axis and an adhesion material disposed on an adhesion side of the tape. A second belt tape has a longitudinal axis disposed on the adhesion side of the first tape with the longitudinal axes of the first belt tape and the second belt tape being substantially parallel. A plurality of lancets are disposed between the first belt tape and the second belt tape. Longitudinal axes of the lancets are substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axes of the first and second belt tapes.
US08206305B2

Multiple twisted or rotated arrays are provided. For example, a memory alloy may allow manufacture of multiple rows of elements on a flat substrate. The memory of the alloy is activated to twist different rows in different ways, such as two adjacent substantially parallel but oppositely rotated arrays. By selecting different apertures along a given twist, different planes are scanned due to the difference in direction of the elements of the aperture. By selecting different apertures on differently rotated arrays, a larger volume may be scanned.
US08206297B2

Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.
US08206293B2

The retractor system for use in spinal surgery and other types of surgical procedures that is a simple and efficient solution for minimally invasive access to thoracolumbar spine is disclosed. The fully customizable design allows the surgeon to independently angle the retractor blades and expand the retractor in both cephalad-caudal and medial-lateral directions. With an offering of a range of blade lengths, access can be tailored to the patient's anatomy. Auxiliary instruments such as the retractor inserter, universal hex driver and blade removal instrument allow quick and controlled access to the surgical site. The retractor system provides versatility and control ensuring minimal tissue trauma.
US08206280B2

The present disclosure relates to implants having two arms and a support portion configured to support a body tissue, such as a urethra. The implants are anchored in soft tissue with tissue anchors having a plurality of barbs. The tissue anchors contain an aperture through which a portion of arm is maintained. A locking member is disposed within at least one of the arms to facilitate fixation of the arm to at least one of the anchors.
US08206276B2

A machine tool includes a headstock provided with a main spindle and movable in a direction different from a direction of axis of the main spindle, a tool post mounted on the headstock so as to be movable in the direction of axis of the main spindle, and a tool change unit configured to change a tool attached to the main spindle with another tool after an extremity of the main spindle has been moved to a predetermined tool change position. In this machine tool, when an extremity of the tool post is positioned in the tool change position by the movement of the headstock and also by the movement of the tool post, the tool change unit performs change of a tool attached to the tool post with another tool by the same tool change operation as that for the main spindle.
US08206273B2

An assembly for mounting of a hangboard includes first and second brackets each having first and second opposing end regions and a first elongate member having first and second spaced apart connection points configured for attachment to the first end regions of the first and second brackets. A second elongate member has third and fourth spaced apart connection points configured for simultaneous attachment to the first and second brackets. The second elongate member has a third connection point configured for attachment at a point along a portion of the first bracket between the first and second end regions thereof; and the fourth connection point configured for attachment at a point along a portion of the second bracket between the first and second end regions thereof. When the first and second members are so attached the assembly can be suspended within a wall opening.
US08206266B2

A trampoline exercise system that is designed to show an avatar of a user, which is jumping on a trampoline. The exercise system includes a computer module, a trampoline configured to provide a platform for a user to perform exercises thereon, and a sensor module designed to sense movements of a user performed on the trampoline. The sensor module provides information that is received by the computer module that controls the display of a users' avatar on a video monitor in response to the users' motion on the trampoline. Several types of sensor may be used to sense the movement of the user, including body mounted sensors, trampoline mounted sensors, and remote viewing sensors.
US08206265B2

The present invention provides a control system for a dual clutch automatic transmission having a torque converter. The transmission provides seven forward speeds or gear ratios and reverse. The control system includes a hydraulic pump, a pressure regulator assembly and control valves that provide and release pressurized hydraulic fluid to the torque converter, a pair of input clutches and eight synchronizer clutches. A first pair of control valves are high flow rate valves which are capable of rapidly engaging and disengaging the input clutches. A second pair of high flow rate valves, control valves and spool valves provide a branching control circuit which controls engagement and disengagement of the synchronizer clutches. A control valve linked to the shift lever blocks hydraulic fluid flow to the first pair of high flow rate valves to inhibit input clutch activation when the shift lever is in Park or Neutral.
US08206251B2

A double-cogged V-belt with the upper and lower cog profiles symmetric and having lines (“L”) and arcs (“A”) connected according to a sequence from the center of a root to the center of an adjacent cog of L1-A1-L2-A2-L3 for the upper profile and L4-A3-L5-A4-L6, and with at least one upper root and one lower root substantially aligned with each other, and with the sum of the length of L1 plus the radius of A1 equal to or within 20% of the sum of the length of L4 plus the radius of A3. The upper and lower pitches may be equal and all the roots aligned, or there may be more upper cogs than lower cogs. Some or all arcs and lines may be connected tangentially.
US08206250B1

A bat having a handle portion, a transition portion attached to the handle portion, and a barrel portion attached to the transition portion. The area(s) adjacent to the central portion of the barrel have an increased performance with respect to the central portion of the barrel to effectively enlarge the sweet spot, or preferred hitting area. At least one tubular member of the barrel is circumferential aligned and axially spaced from another tubular member.
US08206242B2

A golf club head with reinforced crown is described herein. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.
US08206239B2

A golf club head is disclosed. The golf club head has a body member and a face insert formed of different materials. The body material is relatively soft and ductile to allow the club to be customized, and the face insert member is relatively hard and wear resistant to ensure that the face groove geometry remains substantially unaltered through use.
US08206221B2

A method for coordinate generation to be implemented using an orientation device includes the steps of: providing at least three reference marks on a target; aiming the orientation device at a target point on the target, and operating the orientation device such that the orientation device is able to capture an image of the target that contains the reference marks; assigning absolute coordinates to the reference marks in the image captured by the orientation device; and determining relative coordinates of the target point in a coordinate space of the target with reference to the absolute coordinates assigned to the reference marks. An orientation device that performs the method is also disclosed.
US08206216B2

Systems and methods for operating a gaming machine that automatically detects peripherals and enables or disables features in accordance with the detected peripherals are disclosed. One aspect of the systems and methods is that the peripheral has an identifier associated with it. The identifier may be used to identify the type of peripheral attached to the gaming machine. After determining the type of peripheral, features associated with the peripheral type may be enabled and other features may be disabled. A further aspect includes reading configuration data for the gaming machine. The configuration data may be compared to the peripheral types that are automatically detected by the gaming machine.
US08206212B2

A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming tables. In one embodiment, the gaming system provides players with one or more loyalty incentives, such as one or more loyalty awards, utilizing one or more loyalty incentive award sequences. In one embodiment, the gaming system determines a loyalty award to provide to a player and then determines an appropriate loyalty award sequence to utilize to provide the player the determined loyalty award, wherein the loyalty award sequence is determined based on the individual gaming table at which that the player is currently playing.
US08206204B2

A method of cooling an engine control unit (ECU) coupled to an engine in a vehicle having a cabin climate control system, comprising operating the vehicle cabin climate control system according to a customer-based climate control setting during a first operating condition, and overriding said customer-based setting during a second operating condition including an ECU over-temperature condition.
US08206198B2

A wafer grinding machine and a wafer grinding method are disclosed. A barrier (60) is arranged around a holding unit (29) to hold at least a wafer (40) with a film (11) attached on the front surface (41) thereof and with the back surface (42) thereof directed upward. The upper surface (61) of the barrier unit is ground to the position between the back surface of the wafer held by the holding unit and the boundary between the wafer and the film. Then, the wafer is ground while being held with the back surface thereof up by the holding unit. As a result, the film is prevented from coming off from the wafer at the time of grinding the back surface of the wafer. Further, when the wafer is ground, a fluid may be supplied into the gap between the barrier unit and the outer peripheral portion of the wafer held by the holding unit.
US08206193B2

A buoy provided preferably for ascending in the water from an initial submerged position. The buoy comprises a buoyancy element positioned at an upper portion of the buoy in the ascending direction. Further the buoy comprises a storing structure for an elongated member positioned below the buoyancy element in the ascending direction, wherein one end of the elongated member is connected to the buoy and the other end of the elongated member is connected to an object submerged in the water. The buoyancy element is provided to obtain a rotation of the buoy around its central axis thereby paying out the elongated member while the buoy is ascending essentially vertically in the water.
US08206182B2

An electrical connector (100), comprising an insulative housing (1) defining a base portion (11) and a mating portion (12) extending from the front side of the base portion along a mating direction; a plurality of passageways (114) disposed in the base portion with an opening backwards and extending along the mating direction; a plurality of receiving spaces (121) disposed in the mating portion and communicating with the complementary passageways; a plurality of contacts (2) mounting to the insulative housing along the mating direction, and each contact including a flat base part (21) mounting to the base portion of the insulative housing, a connecting part (22) extending forwards from the base portion and received in the passageways, a mating part (23) extending from the connecting part and disposed in said receiving space, and a spacer part (24) located between the base part and the connecting part; wherein the spacer part covers the opening of the passageways.
US08206179B2

The present invention provides a modular connector system for, in some embodiments, interconnecting circuit boards. In some embodiments, the modular connector system includes a header assembly for blind mating with an adapter assembly.
US08206178B2

An electrical appliance includes a housing having a holding chamber and an insert slot, an insulation displacement connector (IDC), and an electrical component such as a battery inserted into the holding chamber. The component has an electric connector extending through the holding chamber into the insert slot. Upon insertion of the IDC into the insert slot, the IDC contacts the electric connector of the component and contacts a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted to the housing whereby the electrical component and the PCB are electrically connected via the electric connector of the component and the IDC. The holding chamber completely surrounds, at least in sections, the component within the holding chamber. The holding chamber includes a radially-pivotable latching clip which axially fixes in place the component within the holding chamber.
US08206177B2

An HDMI connector structure includes a base, a circuit board, a chassis and a metal casing. The base includes a containing space, a retaining wall formed at a front end of the containing space, and an opening formed on the retaining wall. The circuit board is installed in the containing space, and an end of the circuit board is passed through the opening and out of the retaining wall, and at least one surface of the circuit board has a plurality of conductive pins, and a transmission line segment is extended from an end of each conductive pin and electrically coupled to a conductive terminal The metal casing includes a hollow main body, and the base is installed in the empty main body, and a front end of the hollow main body is provided for exposing a port from an end of the circuit board.
US08206162B1

A connector module is disclosed in the present invention. The connector module includes a housing, a substrate whereon a first set and a second set of metal contacts are formed, and at least one conductive resilient piece piercing through the housing. The substrate is disposed inside the housing with the first set of metal contacts exposed outwardly. A first end of the conductive resilient piece is fixed on an outer surface of the housing, and the conductive resilient piece is resiliently deformed and electrically contacts the second set of metal contacts when the conductive resilient piece is pressed by a conductive component of an connector receptacle.
US08206149B2

A description is given of a burner for introducing solid, liquid or gaseous fuel into the burning zone of a kiln, such as rotary kiln for manufacturing cement clinker or “similar materials, said burner comprising a burner pipe (1) which encircles a number of ducts for conveying fuel and combustion air through the burner. The burner is characterized in that the burner pipe (1) is made up of modules (1a, 1b) which are fixed to another by fixing means (9) which will allow non-destructive assembly and disassembly of the modules. Hereby is obtained a burner in which it will be possible in a simple and non-destructive manner to disassembly the burner pipe (1) in modules (1a, 1b) in direction from the free end of the burner (7) or the burner tip. As a result, the outermost module of the burner pipe (1) which constitutes the burner tip can easily be disassembled for repair or replacement and/or for repair or replacement of components incorporated in the burner tip so that maintenance and upgrading of the burner to the latest technology can be carried out in the simple and non-destructive manner.
US08206130B2

A radial cylinder hydraulic motor comprises: oscillating hydraulic cylinders (1) driven to oscillate by means of an eccentric crankpin (2) formed on the motor shaft (3), the oscillating cylinder liners (4) being provided with trunnions (5) for oscillation about a parallel axis (C) to the axis (A) of rotation of the motor shaft which are coupled oscillably to the motor crankcase (6); reciprocating pistons (7) within said liners which are provided with a runner (8) for sliding over the outer surface (9) of said eccentric crankpin; and a rotary disk distributor (10, 23) coupled to the motor shaft for synchronized rotation therewith, adapted to place the conduits (12, 13) of the hydraulic circuit in fluid communication with the conduits (14) of the respective cylinders during the delivery and discharge strokes via ports of slanted or through-going configuration; and advantageously includes the rotating disk of the distributor formed with a connection/supply means (38, 40) to the passageway between one face (27) and the inner wall of the distributor cover (41) incorporating a seal (28), with pressurized fluid in the area outside the seal. In another embodiment, it has the trunnions (5) formed with trough-like channels (30) in their outer surface (31), at the area of rubbing contact with the trunnion journals, into a branched layout (30) having a roughly trapezoidal projected shape, the channels in the branched layout being supplied pressurized fluid through one or more supply channels (32) from within the cylinder.
US08206119B2

In one embodiment, a coverplate may be configured to axially overlay a plurality of blade retaining slots within a wheel post of a rotor wheel. The coverplate may include a tab for radially securing the coverplate within a complementary groove of the rotor wheel and an aperture configured to align with a corresponding aperture of the turbine wheel to receive a fastener for axially securing the coverplate to the rotor wheel.
US08206114B2

Gas turbine engine systems involving turbine blade platforms with mateface cooling holes are provided. In this regard, a representative turbine blade for a gas turbine engine includes: an airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side and a suction side; and a blade platform on which the airfoil is disposed, the blade platform having a pressure side mateface located adjacent to the pressure side of the airfoil and a suction side mateface located adjacent to the suction side of the airfoil, the blade platform having a cooling hole operative to direct a flow of cooling air toward an adjacent blade platform.
US08206104B2

A fan frame structure includes a plastic frame and a metal fixing frame, in which at least two support arms are disposed on the rim of the fixing frame and extended outwardly therefrom, the outwardly extended distance of each support arm shall be beyond the range of an accommodation space of the frame, the portion of the support arm beyond the accommodation space in integrally enclosed by the plastic material of the frame.
US08206102B2

A composite gas turbine engine duct receives a support ring that operates as an interface arrangement for attachment of engine system components. The support ring interfaces with the composite duct through a fastener shear load arrangement to provide a structurally sound interface which minimizes the risk of ply delamination.
US08206101B2

A turbine nozzle includes a hollow vane mounted between inner and outer bands. The inner band includes a mounting flange between forward and aft lips. An aft pocket is found in the inner band between the flange and aft lip. And, an impingement bore extends through the flange into the windward half of the pocket and is directed aft toward the opposite leeward half of the pocket for co-rotation with purge flow during operation.
US08206099B2

A fan includes at least one fan frame, at least one impeller and at least one active flow-control device. The fan frame includes at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet. The impeller is disposed in the fan frame. The active flow-control device, is disposed on the fan frame for adjusting the size of the air inlet or the size of the air outlet according to demands.
US08206089B2

A flow control device for controlling fluid flow into a turbine comprising a stator and a rotor located in a fluid flow direction downstream of the stator is provided. The stator has a plurality of vanes extending radially inwards from a casing. Nozzles are defined, with each being defined between each adjacent pair of vanes. A flow controller is arranged to control a nozzle area open for fluid flow from a stator to rotor by altering the radial length of at least one of the nozzles and comprises an actuator and baffle plates connected at first ends thereof to a periphery of the turbine and at second ends thereof to arcuate plates of the actuator. Each baffle plate extends through a corresponding nozzle from an upstream to a downstream side of the stator. The actuator may selectively move the baffle plates to adjust flow through the nozzles.
US08206084B2

A blade wheel consisting of sheet metal for use in motor vehicle refrigerant pumps has blades that are cut out of a disk and pitched and base disk segments that lie adjacent to the blades and remain between the latter. The blade wheel is formed by at least two different blade wheel elements which are provided with cut out, pitched blades, are interconnected in a fixed manner and are arranged so that their respective base disk segments are offset in relation to one another, forming a gap therebetween, the elements thus forming a common bottom disk. A hub sleeve is provided in the center of one of these blade wheel elements (the hub disk), and the center of the other blade wheel element or elements (the bore disk or disks) is provided with a hub sleeve receiving bore, which can be pushed onto the casing of the hub sleeve.
US08206082B2

In one embodiment, a packing seal has a plurality of lands that align with annular teeth. Each land has opposite axial sides relative to a rotational axis of a rotary component. Each land also has a recess in at least one of the opposite sides.
US08206079B2

An apparatus for controlling the temperature of a component, which is situated in use in a gas stream, provides a nozzle to create a jet of air at an angle to the gas stream, the jet being directed into the region of the stagnation point of the component so as to control the temperature of the component. The invention is particularly suited to preventing or reducing the formation of ice on vanes of gas turbine engines, but may also be applied to other components, and may equally be used in situations where a component is to be cooled rather than heated.
US08206072B2

A fastener is provided that may be readily threadingly engaged with and/or disengaged from a threaded shaft without the need to threadingly advance the fastener along substantially the entire length of the threaded shaft. In one exemplary embodiment, a quick release nut is provided that includes an upper body portion and a lower body portion that are rotatably connected to one another. Each of the upper body portion and the lower body portion include central apertures extending therethrough with the walls defining the central apertures of the upper and lower body portions being at least partially threaded.
US08206065B2

A recoverable gabion is disclosed. The gabion comprises opposed side walls connected together at spaced intervals by a plurality of partition walls such that spaces between neighboring pairs of partition walls define, together with the side walls, individual compartments of the gabion, adjacent side and partition walls being connected to one another by pivotal connections wherein at least one partition wail comprises at least three partition wall elements, a first partition wall element being pivotally connected to a first side wall and a second partition wall element being connected to a second side wall, and the partition wall comprising at least a third partition wall element between said first and second partition wall elements acting as a spacer element therebetween to extend the width of the gabion compartment and being releasably connected to the first and second partition wall elements.
US08206062B2

A method for in-situ reduction of contaminants in soil.
US08206061B1

A utility compactor is disclosed that includes a roller disposed on top of and connected to a base plate. The roller has two opposing vertical supports. The compactor also includes an eccentric vibratory shaft extending between and rotatably connected to the two vertical supports of the roller. The eccentric vibratory shaft includes a first rotor shaft coaxially spaced apart from a second rotor shaft. The first and second rotor shafts are coupled together by an offset shaft. The offset shaft has an I-beam cross section and includes a first angled portion, a second angled portion and a center portion disposed between and coupling the first and second angled portions together. The first angled portion is coupled to the first rotor shaft; the second angled portion is coupled to the second rotor shaft. The first and second angled portions are angled with respect to a first axis passing through the first and second rotor shafts such that the center portion has a second axis that is offset from and at least substantially parallel to the first axis.
US08206057B2

A plurality of biodegradable stakes for use as trail markers that are coated with a biodegradable coating comprised of an adhesive and a fluorescing compound for inserting into the ground such that the coated surface of the marker is exposed at various distances from each other such that the stakes glow when a source of ultra-violet light is present and thus form a route or trail by which a person can find their way to a point of interest even in low light conditions, while remaining unobtrusive so that one has difficulty seeing the stake without ultraviolet light and unless one is specifically looking for it thereby not detracting from the natural appearance of the location.
US08206055B2

A coupling mechanism secures a shaft-to-collar connection for two shafts, such as an extension shaft stub and a tractor PTO shaft. An annular locking element on the first shaft prevents an axial disconnection of an established connection. One of the shafts has a collar with a positive engagement element for a locking engagement with the other shaft. The other shaft includes a positive engagement for a locking engagement with the collar. To enable an easier handling of the axial locking of the shaft to collar connection, the locking element includes a first set of teeth which are complementarily to a second set of teeth on the second shaft. The locking element is rotatably arranged on the first shaft and can be rotated from a locked position to an unlocked position. In the locked position the teeth overlap.
US08206051B2

A cosmetic-containing applicator. The applicator is mounted, at its tip end, with an applicator body in which a flange-shaped engagement part is formed at an outer periphery at a rear end of a fiber bundle, comprising an accommodating part accommodating liquid cosmetics, a tip casing mounted on a tip end side of the accommodating part and formed with an insertion hole in which the applicator body (30) is mountable, a guiding part for guiding the cosmetics from the accommodating part to the applicator body, and a reduced-diameter part formed as an inwardly facing flange and reducing in diameter between the insertion hole and the guiding part. The reduced-diameter part is divided into claw-shaped holding pieces by slits, and its smallest-diameter part has a diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the engagement part.
US08206050B2

An elongate container includes a cylindrical chamber having an opening at one end of the container. A collar is affixed to the elongate container, and a threaded rod is axially disposed within the cylindrical chamber and coupled to the collar. The collar is adapted to rotate the threaded rod relative to the elongate container. A piston is disposed within the cylindrical chamber and is threadingly engaged with the threaded rod. The piston includes a sealing ring adapted to circumferentially seal against an inner wall of the cylindrical chamber and at least two axially aligned ribs. The ribs are disposed on a side of the piston and seated against the inner wall of the cylindrical chamber. With this arrangement, rotation of the threaded rod causes translation of the piston in the axial direction.
US08206047B1

A keyboard overlay for use on a touch screen is disclosed, as well as novel key structures for use on overlays. The keyboard overlay and key structures have novel structures which can provide finger resting resistance, deceleration during actuation, pre-actuation cues, finger positioning cues, key identification cues, and other desired aspects of a keyboard optimized for touch typing. Methods for stowing and deploying the keyboard overlay to align with the virtual keyboard of a touch screen are also disclosed. The disclosed keyboard overlay can provide optimal touch typing characteristics for use on all known types of touch screens.
US08206037B2

A linear guide, which has at least one approximately U-shaped carriage with side limbs that engage at least partially over a guide rail, at least two recirculating ball shoes for the longitudinally movable support of the carriage with respect to the guide rail and adjusting means for pressing the recirculating ball shoes against the guide rail without play. At least one component is provided which has, in cross-section, at least one wedge-shaped portion, which projects at least partially into a likewise wedge-shaped intermediate space between at least one recirculating ball shoe and one of the side limbs. It is possible to realize reliable and automatic play adjustment which can be realized in a cost-effective manner, with a compact design of the linear guide being maintained.
US08206026B2

A cooking apparatus includes a spatula assembly and a cooking container comprising an upper access opening and an inner, cooking surface having a spherical surface portion. The spatula assembly includes a spatula driver and a curved spatula pivotally mounted to the cooking container for moving along the cooking surface and about a pivot axis between first and second positions. The pivot axis passes through the center point of the spherical surface portion. The spatula assembly may be constructed so that at least one of the first and second positions is above the pivot axis. The curved spatula may also include a spatula body having an outer surface and a barrier member extending radially inwardly from the outer surface, the outer surface contacting the cooking surface of the cooking container.
US08206024B2

An ultrasonic mixing system having a particulate dispensing system to dispense particulates into a treatment chamber and the treatment chamber in which particulates can be mixed with one or more formulations is disclosed. Specifically, the treatment chamber has an elongate housing through which a formulation and particulates flow longitudinally from an inlet port to an outlet port thereof. An elongate ultrasonic waveguide assembly extends within the housing and is operable at a predetermined ultrasonic frequency to ultrasonically energize the formulation and particulates within the housing. An elongate ultrasonic horn of the waveguide assembly is disposed at least in part intermediate the inlet and outlet ports, and has a plurality of discrete agitating members in contact with and extending transversely outward from the horn intermediate the inlet and outlet ports in longitudinally spaced relationship with each other. The horn and agitating members are constructed and arranged for dynamic motion of the agitating members relative to the horn at the predetermined frequency and to operate in an ultrasonic cavitation mode of the agitating members corresponding to the predetermined frequency and the formulation and particulates being mixed in the chamber.
US08206023B2

A backlight assembly and a display device including the backlight assembly are provided for one or more embodiments, where the display device is slim, lightweight, and requires low manufacturing costs because the device integrates a receiving container and a light generating unit cover member. According to an embodiment, the backlight assembly includes a first light generating unit, a wire electrically connected to the first light generating unit, a first fixing member including a groove to fix the first light generating unit and a wire outlet, and a receiving container comprising a light generating unit cover member. The first fixing member includes a protruding portion extending outwardly from the receiving container and the wire outlet formed on the protruding portion.
US08206015B2

A light emitting diode (LED) based lamp may include a LED module having at least one LED to provide light, a housing to house the LED module, and a lens to receive the light from the LED and to direct the light in a specific direction. A microlens array may have a plurality of microlenses with a polygonal shape, and a distance between two opposing sides of one of the microlens is 0.7 mm to 1.2 mm.
US08206012B2

A layered dimmer formed of different layers. The front layer may be a scattering layer, and the back layer may be a reflective layer. The light beam is scattered prior to reflecting, to avoid reflection back to form hotspots.
US08206005B2

A light assembly is disclosed which can include an LED array and a reflector. The LED array can include a plurality of LEDs which are disposed such that each LED is substantially aligned to define a focal axis. Each LED can emit light substantially along an optical output axis, with each optical output axis being perpendicular to the focal axis. The optical output axis of the LED array can be disposed in intersecting relationship with the reflector surface. The reflector can be defined by a curve section defined with respect to a principal axis. The principal axis and the output axis of the LED array can be in non-parallel relationship with each other. The optical output axis of the LED array can be substantially perpendicular to the principal axis of the curve section of the reflector.
US08205999B2

A multi view display comprising a light emitting element having an optical cavity formed by a first and a second reflecting layer, at least said second reflecting layer being semi-transparent, and a light emitting layer arranged between said reflecting layers, wherein said optical cavity is designed so that light emitted in at least two preferred viewing directions has a higher intensity than light emitted in other directions. The invention is based on interference phenomena in the optical cavity, making it possible to realize a light emitting element that intrinsically emits more light in the preferential viewing directions than in other directions. This emission profile makes the light emitting element very useful in a multi view display, reducing the problems of cross talk.
US08205978B2

A head for ejecting a liquid from ejection holes, including: a first flow-passage member in which are formed (a) a liquid-supply passage, (b) branch passages connected to the liquid-supply passage, and (c) discharge passages each being connected to any of the branch passages; a second flow-passage member in which are formed (a) at least one common passage each communicating with at least one of the branch passages and (b) individual passages having respective pressure chambers, each individual passage being connected to any one of the at least one common passage and introducing the liquid to a corresponding one of the ejection holes via a corresponding one of the pressure chambers; a first filter disposed in the liquid-supply passage; second filters disposed between the branch passages and the at least one common passage: and at least one energy giving member for giving ejection energy to the liquid in each pressure chamber.
US08205975B2

A recording apparatus for performing recording by reciprocally moving a liquid discharge head includes the liquid discharge head, which includes a case, a connection terminal group including a plurality of connection terminals capable of electrically connecting to the recording apparatus and which is provided on one face of the case, a liquid discharge substrate for discharging a liquid from a discharge port according to a signal transmitted from the recording apparatus via the connection terminals, and a supporting substrate supporting the liquid discharge substrate, which is provided on another one face of the case. The recording apparatus includes a standby area provided on the one end of the recording apparatus where the liquid discharge head is on stand-by when recording is not performed, and a carriage including a connection terminal which can electrically connect to the liquid discharge head, is mounted with the liquid discharge head, and reciprocally moves between the standby area and another end of the recording apparatus.
US08205970B2

A method for bonding a polymer layer to an outlet plate for an inkjet print head has been developed that enables the polymer layer to be attached to the outlet plate with little or no bowing of the polymer layer. The method includes aligning recesses in a bonding plate with channels in an outlet plate, interposing a polymer layer between the bonding plate and the outlet plate, and pressing the bonding plate against the polymer layer to bond the polymer layer to the outlet plate.
US08205968B2

A liquid discharge head includes: a discharge port from which a liquid is discharged; a channel that communicates with the discharge port; and an energy generating element that is provided in the channel and generates energy used to discharge the liquid from the discharge port, wherein the channel includes a first inlet path supplying the liquid to the energy generating element; a second inlet path supplying the liquid to the energy generating element from a direction opposite to a direction in which the first inlet path supplies the liquid; and a outlet path allowing the liquid supplied to the energy generating element to run out.
US08205964B2

The present invention provides a head array unit in which a plurality of head members is easily aligned on an alignment member with a simple structure and a method for manufacturing the head array unit, and an image forming apparatus including the head array unit. The head array unit includes a head unit. The head unit includes a head member, a head member retainer, and an alignment member. The head member includes a plurality of nozzles and is configured to eject liquid droplets. The head member retainer, on which the head member is disposed and fixed thereto, includes a reference hole for aligning the head unit relative to the alignment member. The alignment member includes an opening formed at a location associated with the reference hole and relatively larger than the reference hole. The head member may be directly aligned and fixed on the alignment member.
US08205963B2

An ink jet print head, which can prevent test terminals from coming into contact with ink or moisture and thus being corroded or damaging other circuits or wires, includes a nozzle forming member that is located in the vicinity of an area with the test terminals arranged therein and is separated from a nozzle forming member located in the remaining area so as to have a reduced volume.
US08205956B2

An image recording apparatus configured to record images on front and back surfaces of a sheet, including: a head which ejects ink onto the sheet for recording; a sheet-supply roller which contacts the sheet so as to transfer the sheet for supplying to the head; a sheet-supply path which is provided between the sheet-supply roller and the head, which has a U-shape, and through which the sheet is transferred such that one of surfaces thereof opposite to the other of the surfaces contacted by the sheet-supply roller faces the head; and a sheet-stopping control section configured to control the sheet-supply roller such that the sheet transferred by the sheet-supply roller is stopped for a first time in the sheet-supply path in a state in which the sheet is deformed so as to have a U-shape, after an image has been recorded on the front surface of the sheet and before an image is recorded on the back surface thereof.
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