US08797340B2

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for modifying a pixel value as a function of a display duration estimate. In use, a value of a pixel of an image frame to be displayed on a display screen of a display device is identified, wherein the display device is capable of handling updates at unpredictable times. Additionally, the value of the pixel is modified as a function of an estimated duration of time until a next update including the pixel is to be displayed on the display screen. Further, the modified value of the pixel is transmitted to the display screen for display thereof.
US08797339B2

Some embodiments provide a system that executes a web application. During operation, the system loads the web application in a web browser and loads a native code module associated with the web application into a secure runtime environment. Next, the system writes a set of rendering commands to a command buffer using the native code module and concurrently reads the rendering commands from the command buffer. Finally, the system renders an image for use by the web application by executing the rendering commands using a graphics-processing unit (GPU).
US08797338B2

A method for platform agnostic screen capture is provided. The method includes acquiring screen data from a computer having a display screen, where the screen data represents an image currently displayed on the display screen. The screen data is converted into a representation capable of being expressed in a plurality of software platforms. The representation of screen data is rendered into a vector graphics file that may be published to a plurality of platforms.
US08797323B2

A dynamic volumetric medium, such as hair, fog, or smoke, may be represented, for purposes of shadow mapping, by transmittance versus depth data for that medium. In one embodiment, the representation may take the form of a plot of transmittance versus depth, with nodes where the transmittance changes non-live linearly with respect of depth into the medium. The number of nodes in the representation may be reduced to reduce memory footprint and to enable the storage of the representation on the same chip doing the shadow mapping. In some embodiments, the number of nodes may be reduced, one node at a time, by removing the node whose underlying trapezoid has the least area of all the remaining nodes.
US08797313B2

In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, a driving device for a discharge lamp includes an alternating current supply section and a frequency modulation section. The alternating current supply section supplies two electrodes of the discharge lamp with an alternating current. The alternating current comprises a plurality of modulation periods. The frequency modulation section modulates a frequency of the alternating current so as to provide a plurality of retentive periods within each of the modulation periods. Each retentive period has a constant frequency that is different from a frequency of its temporally adjacent retentive periods. The frequency modulation section shortens a length of at least one of the retentive periods in the modulation period in response to a predetermined condition occurring. The frequency of at least one of the retentive periods is equal to or less than a predetermined reference frequency.
US08797312B2

Disclosed herein is a display apparatus, including, a pixel array section including a plurality of pixels disposed in rows and columns, and a number of power supply lines and scanning lines equal to the number of the rows of the pixels, each of the power supply lines being wired commonly to those of the pixels which are juxtaposed in a direction of a row.
US08797297B2

Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device (1) that is provided with a function of identifying the position of a subject to be detected (finger) in an image display region (12b) of a liquid crystal panel (10) by emitting light to the image display region (12b) and by detecting light reflected by the subject to be detected (finger). The liquid crystal display device is provided with a backlight (30) and a front light-emitting unit (40), which radiate light to the image display region (12b). The backlight (30) is disposed on the side of the liquid crystal panel (10) opposite to the image display surface (10a), and emits light to the image display region (12b) from the rear side of the liquid crystal panel (10). The front light-emitting unit (40) is disposed outside of the image display region (12b), and emits light to the image display region (12b) without having the liquid crystal panel (10) therebetween. With such a configuration, even when the subject to be detected and the display panel are apart from each other, the position of the subject to be detected can be accurately identified.
US08797295B2

Electronic devices may use touch pads that have touch sensor arrays, force sensors, and actuators for providing tactile feedback. A touch pad may be mounted in a computer housing. The touch pad may have a rectangular planar touch pad member that has a glass layer covered with ink and contains a capacitive touch sensor array. Force sensors may be mounted under each of the four corners of the rectangular planar touch pad member. The force sensors may be used to measure how much force is applied to the surface of the planar touch pad member by a user. Processed force sensor signals may indicate the presence of button activity such as press and release events. In response to detected button activity or other activity in the device, actuator drive signals may be generated for controlling the actuator. The user may supply settings to adjust signal processing and tactile feedback parameters.
US08797293B2

An electronic device and a method for inputting information through touch input device of an electronic device is provided. The method inputs information including at least one of symbols and characters through touching of a screen displayed on the touch input device, and executes a specific application capable of processing the input information.
US08797288B2

A method is provided for a user interface recognizing the interruption of the execution of a first gesture with the execution of a second gesture. Measured information responsive to user interaction actions made by a user is received from a user interface sensor. At least one operation is applied to the measured information to produce a sequence of symbols or gestemes. The sequence of symbols is first used to determine that the user's execution of a first gesture has been interrupted. The sequence of symbols is used to determine that the user's execution of a second gesture has been started and completed resuming the first gesture. The sequence of symbols is used to determine that the user's execution a first gesture has been completed. Both the first and second gestures are recognized. Semantic content can be assigned to the existence of and various details regarding the interruption and gestures involved.
US08797277B1

A method of estimating multiple touch positions on a touch sensor array, based on centroids calculated in the vicinity of a local maxima determined for the touch sensor array.
US08797271B2

The aggregation of multiple inputs in a touch-sensitive input device is disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises receiving multiple inputs related to a virtual object, aggregating the inputs into an aggregated output, and providing the aggregated output to an application that controls the virtual object.
US08797264B2

Predetermined image processing is performed in accordance with an input operation performed by an input device having image pickup means for taking an image of one or a plurality of imaging targets. Target image data, which is obtained from one target image of the one imaging target or a plurality of target images of the plurality of imaging targets in the image taken by the image pickup means and which indicates a distance between the plurality of target images or a size of the one target image, is sequentially obtained. A display image is enlarged and reduced in accordance with a change in the target image data. Then, the display image processed in such a manner is displayed on a display device.
US08797253B2

In an LCD device, picture quality luminance is controlled through the combination of pulse-width modulation (PWM) system and current value control system, reducing the electrical power consumption associated with turning on an LED. In the LED backlight, the light emitting luminance of the LED is controlled by both PWM and also by current value control, which selects the value of the current supplied to the LED from a plurality of set values. At least one of the plurality of set values is a predetermined current value at which duty reaches a maximum value at the maximum luminance value used in a specified picture quality mode of the picture quality modes established in the liquid crystal display device. In the aforementioned specified picture quality mode, the greatest luminance value to be used is smaller than at least the greatest luminance value used in other specified picture quality modes.
US08797249B2

A thin-film transistor (TFT) array structure and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel thereof are described. The TFT array structure includes a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of first data lines, a plurality of second data lines, a plurality of pixel units and a plurality of control module. Each of the control modules is coupled among the scan line, one second data line and one pixel unit. The second data line charges the later control module when the scan line is selected to be activated for charging the pixel unit by the first data line. The charged later control module charges another pixel unit when the scan line is inactivated and another scan line is selected to be activated for charging another pixel unit by the first data line. The TFT array structure can reduce the charging duration of the pixels.
US08797243B2

A method of driving a liquid crystal display device includes supplying data voltages to a pixel on a moving path of an image during a scroll operation, wherein the data voltages displaying the image have opposite polarities.
US08797241B2

A scan driving circuit includes a shift register unit and a logic circuit unit. The start of a start pulse of an output signal STp+1 of a p+1'th shift register is situated between the start and end of a start pulse of the output signal STp of a p'th shift register, and one each of a first enable signal through a Q'th enable signal exist in sequence between the start of the start pulse of the output signal STp and the start of the start pulse of the output signal STp+1. The operations of a (p′, q)'th NAND circuit are restricted based on period identifying signals, such that the NAND circuit generates scanning signals based only on a portion of the output signal STp corresponding to the first start pulse, the signal obtained by inverting the output signal STp+1, and the q'th enable signal ENq.
US08797237B2

A plasma display apparatus and method are provided. The plasma display apparatus includes a plasma display panel in which first electrodes and second electrodes are arranged adjacently and third electrodes are arranged to cross the first and second electrodes. The method for driving a plasma display apparatus in which first electrodes and second electrodes are arranged adjacently and third electrodes are arranged to cross the first and second electrodes and in which one field comprises subfields having a reset period followed by an address period and a sustain period includes in a reset period, applying to second electrodes a voltage of a first waveform in which an applied voltage value increases according to a lapse of time and applying to second electrodes a voltage of a second waveform in which an applied voltage value decreases according to a lapse of time.
US08797231B2

To overcome issues generated due to the light-shield part in a display device which displays different images towards a plurality of viewpoints, and to provide a device for easily synthesizing images to be displayed on a display part. A display controller includes: an image memory which stores viewpoint image data for a plurality of viewpoints; a writing control device which writes the viewpoint image data inputted from outside to the image memory; a parameter storage device which stores parameters showing a positional relation between a lenticular lens and the display part; and a readout control device which reads out the viewpoint image data from the image memory according to a readout order obtained by applying the parameters to a repeating regulation that is determined based on layout of the sub-pixels, number of colors, and layout of the colors, and outputs it to the display module as synthesized image data.
US08797225B2

An antenna device includes a plate-shaped radiating element, a frame-shaped radiating element arranged to surround the plate-shaped radiating element, and a feeding unit that includes a feeding circuit and a frequency stabilizing circuit and that is connected between the plate-shaped radiating element and the frame-shaped radiating element. The plate-shaped radiating element and the frame-shaped radiating element are connected to the feeding circuit through the frequency stabilizing circuit as a result of a first terminal portion of the frequency stabilizing circuit being connected to the frame-shaped radiating element, a second terminal portion of the frequency stabilizing circuit being connected to the plate-shaped radiating element, and a third terminal portion of the frequency stabilizing circuit being connected to the feeding circuit.
US08797213B2

Methods and systems for estimating an angle of arrival are provided. In an embodiment, a system for estimating angle of arrival includes a snapshot determining module configured to receive a signal from each antenna of an antenna array and to generate a snapshot vector including values based on the signals and an angle of arrival processing module configured to estimate an angle of arrival for the electromagnetic signal relative to the antenna array based on the snapshot vector. Each signal is representative of an electromagnetic signal incident on a respective antenna of the antenna array and each value is representative of a phase of a respective signal.
US08797212B1

A plurality of received signals are received at a first communication device, the plurality of received signals corresponding to at least one training signal having been transmitted by a second communication device a plurality of times via a plurality of antennas by the second communication device applying a respective antenna weight vector from a plurality of different antenna weight vectors each time the at least one training signal is transmitted. The first communication device generates a transmitter antenna weight vector based on a mathematical combination of at least i) the plurality of received signals, ii) the antenna weight vectors applied by the second communication device when transmitting the at least one training signal the plurality of times, and iii) the at least one training signal. The first communication device transmits the transmitter antenna weight vector to the second communication device.
US08797194B2

One embodiment includes a phase-based analog-to-digital converter (ADC) system. The system includes a voltage-to-phase converter configured to convert an input voltage to a phase difference corresponding to a phase-delay with respect to an input clock signal that is based on a magnitude of the input voltage. The system also includes a phase-to-digital converter configured to convert the phase difference into a digital output signal having a digital value corresponding to a magnitude of the phase difference.
US08797190B2

A method for selecting and displaying a flight path for an aircraft on a display of a flight deck of the aircraft that allows a user to input a selected flight path on a map displayed on the display. A final flight path will be displayed on the display of the flight deck that is based on the input of the selected flight path.
US08797186B2

A parking assistance system is described for assisting in a parking operation of a vehicle when a plurality of parking spaces is present. A method in a parking assistance system includes performing the following: detecting a plurality of parking spaces; selecting one of the detected parking spaces based on a degree of comfort; and assisting in the parking operation into the selected parking space. The degree of comfort includes at least one predefined condition, on the basis of which the detected parking spaces are classifiable according to the presumed driver acceptance.
US08797169B1

A system for sensing and indicating orientation of electrical equipment comprises an orientation sensor and control logic. The control logic is configured to compare predefined data with an orientation of the electrical equipment sensed by the orientation sensor in order to determine whether the sensed orientation of the equipment is within an acceptable range such that sufficient cooling by a cooling system is likely to occur. If the sensed orientation of the equipment is not within the acceptable range, the control logic transmits a notification signal so that corrective action can occur. As an example, the notification signal may be used to notify a user of the improper orientation. In another example, the notification signal automatically triggers an action that compensates for the improper orientation.
US08797163B2

The invention relates to a transponder unit (1) and to a method for transmitting data between the transponder unit and a reader (100). The aim of the invention is to increase the transmission range of the transponder unit (1) to the reader (100). For this purpose, means are integrated into the transponder unit (1) for actively transmitting a signal to the reader (100). The reader (100) evaluates said signal as a modulation of its own field (110) by a transponder.
US08797162B2

A detection unit positioned on a package includes a magnet, a first magnetic switch, a second magnetic switch, a processor, and a clock. The first magnetic switch outputs a first control signal or a second control signal according to magnetic flux density of the magnet. The second magnetic switch outputs a third control signal or a fourth control signal according to the magnetic flux density of the magnet. The first control signal is the same as the third control signal; the second control signal is the same as the fourth control signal. When the processor receives the first control signal and the third control signal at the same time, the processor reads a first real-time clock (RTC) signal from the clock. When the processor receives the second control signal and the fourth control signal at the same time, the processor reads a second RTC signal from the clock.
US08797158B2

An emergency notification system is provided. The emergency notification system comprises an emergency notification server (206), a signage server (202), digital signage displays (208); and a data communications network (134), wherein the emergency notification server (206) is configured to communicate with the signage server (202) via the data communications network (134) and wherein the emergency notification server (206) is configured to indicate if the emergency notification system (100) is in a non-emergency state or in an emergency state, and wherein the signage server (202) serves different data to the plurality of digital signage displays (208) depending on if the state of the emergency notification system (100) is in a non-emergency state or in an emergency state.
US08797157B2

A system and method for monitoring usage and predicting failure of visual notification appliances are disclosed. The visual notification appliances may be strobe lights, which can be provided with an internal counter circuit that obtains a cumulative tally of the number of times the strobe has flashed. Since strobe service life is directly proportional to the number of flashes, monitoring the number of flashes enables proactive repair or replacement of the strobe prior to failure. Flash counts can be stored in the appliance and periodically transmitted to a remote location such as a fire panel or remote monitoring center. Flash counts can also be locally displayed, or can be readable by a user with a handheld device. Alarms or other indications may automatically be generated to alert building or service personnel when an end of life condition is approaching for one or more strobes. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US08797156B1

In some embodiments, techniques comprise receiving route data that includes information relating to a stop, at a portable device that is personal to a passenger on a public conveyance; determining a second destination; determining a first destination that is related to the stop, wherein the first destination is a transfer destination en route to the second destination; determining a current location of the portable device; determining, based at least in part on the current location, that the portable device has nearly reached the first destination; providing a first alert at the portable device; determining a second current location; determining that the second current location is related to the second destination; and providing a second alert.
US08797155B2

A method of communicating medical sensing data including receiving, at a patient communication system, medical sensing data collected by a medical sensing device during a medical sensing procedure. The method also includes creating, with the patient communication system, a data message, the data message including at least a portion of the medical sensing data, information about the medical sensing procedure, and information about the medical sensing data and transmitting, with the patient communication system, the data message to a centralized computing device over a data network.
US08797151B2

There is provided a remote commander including an input section which accepts input of operation information from a user, a communication section which communicates with a control target device via a radio signal, a service information-acquisition section which acquires, from the control target device via the communication section, service identification information for identifying each of one or a plurality of services which the control target device is capable of providing the remote commander with, and a notification section which selects any of one or a plurality of pieces of the service identification information acquired by the service information-acquisition section based on the operation information, the input of which is accepted by the input section, and which notifies the control target device of the selected service identification information via the communication section.
US08797149B2

A state-based remote control system for providing efficient and simple operation of a plurality of electronic devices as a coordinated system based upon an overall task. The state-based remote control system includes a housing, a keypad in communication with an electronic system contained within the housing, and a communication device in communication with the electronic system for communicating with external electronic devices. The electronic system monitors the buttons selected by a user to determine the state of all external electronic devices that are to be controlled. When the user selects a task (e.g. watch television), the electronic system automatically determines the actions required to achieve the desired task based upon the current state of the external electronic devices. After the task has been fulfilled, the electronic system updates the data to reflect the modified state of the external electronic devices.
US08797141B2

A reverse RFID location system is based on set of RFID tags in which each tag stores data representing its position.
US08797131B2

A thermal shield and method for thermally cooling a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system are provided. One thermal shield includes a cooling tube forming a frame. The cooling tube is configured to receive therethrough cryogen fluid from a cryogen vessel of an MRI system. The thermal shield further includes at least one thermal control layer surrounding the frame and together with the frame is configured to provide thermal shielding of the MRI system.
US08797127B2

The present disclosure provides in one embodiment, a semiconductor device that includes a MEMS switch having a substrate, a first dielectric layer disposed above the substrate, and a bottom signal electrode, a bump, and a bottom actuation electrode disposed above the first dielectric layer. The MEMS switch further includes a second dielectric layer enclosing the bottom signal electrode, and a movable member including a top signal electrode disposed above the bottom signal electrode and a top actuation electrode disposed above the bottom actuation electrode and the bump, wherein the top actuation electrode is electrically coupled to the bump. A method of fabricating a MEMS switch is also disclosed.
US08797126B2

The present invention relates to a tunable microwave arrangement (100) comprising a waveguide arrangement and tuning elements comprising a number of varactors for tuning an electromagnetic signal input to the waveguide arrangement. It comprises a substrate (1), a layered structure (20) comprising at least two conducting layers (2,3) and at least one dielectric layer (4) which are arranged in an alternating manner. The layered structure is arranged on the substrate (1) such that a first of said conducting layers (2) is closest to the substrate (1). It also comprises at least one surface mounted waveguide (5), a second of the conducting layers (3), most distant from the substrate, being adapted to form a wall of the surface mounted waveguide (5), which wall incorporates said tuning elements which are arranged to enable control of surface currents generated in said wall, hence loading the waveguide (5) with a tunable, controllable impedance.
US08797124B2

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a support assembly for a planar filter. The assembly includes a u-shaped housing with angled surfaces at the inner corners of the u-shape, a first dielectric plate having a first angled surface in contact with one of the angled surfaces of the housing, a second dielectric plate having a second angled surface in contact with the other angled surface of the housing, at least one compressible ring, and a cover. The planar filter is supported between the first dielectric plate and the second dielectric plate. The cover compresses the compressible ring to apply downward force on the first and second dielectric plates. The downward force is translated to an inward force by the angled surfaces of the housing. The angled surfaces of the housing apply an inward force on the first dielectric plate and the second dielectric plate.
US08797119B2

Methods for tuning a tunable matching network can involve comparing a source impedance of a source to a real part of a load impedance of a load. Depending on characteristics of the network, capacitances of one or more tunable capacitors can be set to correspond to device boundary parameters, and capacitances of remaining tunable capacitors can be set based on a predetermined relationship between the parameters of the capacitors, the source, the load, and other components. From these initially determined values, the capacitance value of one or more of the capacitors can be adjusted to fall within device boundary conditions and achieve a perfect or at least best match tuning configuration.
US08797118B2

A first passive component includes one unbalanced line having one unbalance input terminal, one balanced line installed opposite to the unbalanced line and having two balanced output terminals (first balanced output terminal and second balanced output terminal), and a capacitor formed between the balanced line and a fixed potential (e.g. the ground potential). Furthermore, the relation d1>d2 is satisfied, where d1 is the physical length of the unbalanced line and d2 is the physical length of the balanced line.
US08797113B2

A power amplifier comprises: polar modulator that receives modulated signal including amplitude-modulated component and phase-modulated component, outputs the amplitude-modulated component, superimposes the modulated signal on carrier wave to generate signal output as RF-modulated signal, and delays at least one of the amplitude-modulated component and the RF-modulated signal; first amplitude modulator that receives the amplitude-modulated component, pulse-modulates the amplitude-modulated component to generate signal output as pulse-modulated signal, and amplifies the amplitude-modulated component with the amplitude-modulated component and the pulse-modulated signal as control signals; second amplitude modulator that receives the amplitude-modulated component and the pulse-modulated signal, and amplifies the amplitude-modulated component with the amplitude-modulated component and the pulse-modulated signal as control signals; and first RF amplifier that receives the RF-modulated signal, amplifies the RF-modulated signal, and amplitude-modulates the amplified RF-modulated signal with output signal of second amplitude modulator.
US08797110B2

A system for managing a reference clock signal includes an XO; a signal buffer coupled to the XO and configured to drive a reference clock signal generated by the XO; and a first IC coupled to the signal buffer. The first IC includes an XO input buffer configured to receive the reference clock signal, to switch between an enabled, operational state and a disabled state, and to have a first operational impedance while in the enabled state; an impedance equivalence circuit configured to be in an enabled, operational state when the XO input buffer is in its disabled state and vice versa and to have a second operational impedance while in the enabled state that is equivalent to the first operational impedance; and a control mechanism configured to switch the XO input buffer and the impedance equivalence circuit between the enabled state and the disabled state.
US08797104B2

A low-noise amplifier includes a first transistor having a gate configured to receive an oscillating input signal and a source coupled to ground. A second transistor has a source coupled to a drain of the first transistor, a gate coupled to a bias voltage, and a drain coupled to an output node. At least one of the first and second transistors includes a floating deep n-well that is coupled to an isolation circuit.
US08797103B2

Apparatus and methods for capacitive load reduction are disclosed. In one embodiment, a power amplifier system includes an envelope tracker configured to provide a supply voltage to a plurality of power amplifiers. The power amplifiers include power supply inputs electrically connected in a star configuration so as to reduce a capacitive load of the envelope tracker. The distributed capacitance of the power amplifiers is used to provide RF grounding so as to reduce the size of or eliminated the use of bypass capacitors.
US08797100B2

Circuit unit (CU) comprising a heterojunction bipolar transistor and a long-gate pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor. Either a source (S) or a drain (D) of the long-gate pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor is electrically coupled with either a collector (C) or an emitter (E) of the heterojunction bipolar transistor.
US08797098B2

A method may include applying an input differential voltage to input terminals of an amplifier, a first input terminal coupled to a gate of a first transistor and a second input terminal coupled to a gate of a second transistor. The method may also include varying a gain of the amplifier by varying at least one of: a resistance of a first resistor, the first resistor coupled between a source of the first transistor and a source of the second transistor; and a resistance of a second resistor, the second resistor coupled between a source of a third transistor and a source of a fourth transistor; wherein: the third transistor is coupled at its drain to the drain of the first transistor; and the fourth transistor is coupled at its drain to the drain of the second transistor and a gate of the third transistor and coupled at its gate to the drain of the third transistor.
US08797096B2

Structures and methods are provided for reducing or eliminating crosstalk in devices. Based on a predetermined compensation schemes, a compensation scheme is selected that minimizes the deviation of the non-aggressed victim signal caused by one or more aggressor signals. Instances of a compensation circuit corresponding to the selected compensation scheme are placed along a victim signal line at locations defined by the compensation scheme.
US08797092B2

An embodiment of a discharge circuit for evacuating electric charge accumulated in circuit nodes of a charge pump during a discharge phase consequent to a shutdown of the charge pump is proposed. The charge pump is configured to bias each circuit node with a corresponding pump voltage during an operational phase of the charge pump. The discharge circuit includes a generator circuit configured to generate a discharge current during the discharge phase. The discharge circuit further includes means for evacuating the electric charge stored in each circuit node of the charge pump during a corresponding portion of the discharge phase; such means for evacuating include a respective discharge stage for each circuit node of the charge pump. Each discharge stage includes a first discharge circuit branch and a second discharge circuit branch coupled to the corresponding circuit node. The discharge stage is configured to cause the discharge current flowing through the first discharge circuit branch—during the portion of the discharge phase of the corresponding circuit node—when the pump voltage of the corresponding circuit node is higher than a respective threshold, and through the second discharge circuit branch when the pump voltage of the corresponding circuit node is lower than said respective threshold.
US08797090B1

A charge pump circuit is disclosed. The charge pump circuit comprises a transfer capacitor receiving a first clock phase and a driving capacitor receiving a second clock phase, the second clock phase opposite to the first clock phase. The circuit includes a first switch coupling an input node to the transfer capacitor. The first switch being controlled by the driving capacitor. The circuit further includes a second switch coupling the input node to the driving capacitor. The second switch being controlled by the transfer capacitor. The circuit also includes a third switch coupling the transfer capacitor to an output node. The third switch being controlled by the driving capacitor. The third switch operating in phase opposition to the first switch. The circuit finally includes a charge storage capacitor coupled to the output node.
US08797082B2

A system and method for efficiently performing timing characterization of high-speed clocks signals with low-speed input/output pins. An integrated circuit includes a clock generator that generates a high-speed clock signal. A clock characterizer circuit receives the high-speed clock signal. The clock characterizer generates a corresponding low-speed clock signal. The generated low-speed clock signal is output through a low-speed general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pin for measurement. The generated low-speed clock signal is sent to a sequential element for staging. The staging of the generated low-speed clock signal is done with sequential elements that use a reverse polarity of a clock signal than the polarity used by a previous stage. The high-speed clock signal is used for the staging. The output of each stage is sent to a low-speed GPIO pin for measurement.
US08797081B2

The circuit for the clocking of an FPGA comprises an FLL-circuit; a reference clock of a first frequency, or a reference clock input for the reception of a signal of a reference clock of a first frequency; and a digitally controlled oscillator, which outputs a clocking signal for the FPGA, wherein the FLL-circuit is designed in order to register a first number of clocking signals from the digitally controlled oscillator during a second number of periods of the reference clock, the first number is larger than the second number, and, in order to give out a feedback signal to control the ratio between the first number and the second number, as the feedback signal acts on the frequency of the digitally controlled oscillator.
US08797078B2

The invention pertains to a latch circuit comprising a sensing arrangement with one or more sensing transistors adapted to sense an input signal and to provide a first signal based on the sensed input signal, and a sensing arrangement switch device connected or connectable to a first current source, the sensing arrangement switch device being adapted to switch on or off a current to the one or more sensing transistors based on a first clock signal. The latch circuit further comprises a storage arrangement with one or more storage transistors adapted to store the first signal and to provide a second signal based on the first signal, and a storage arrangement switching device connected or connectable to the first current source or a second current source, the storage arrangement switching device being adapted to switch on or off a current to the storage transistors based on a second clock signal, as well as a tuning arrangement connected or connectable to a temperature sensor, the tuning arrangement being adapted to bias a current of the sensing arrangement and/or the storage arrangement based on a temperature signal provided by the temperature sensor. The invention also pertains to a flip-flop circuit with two or more latch circuits and a frequency divider comprising at least one latch circuit as described.
US08797074B2

Disclosed herein is a device that comprises a delay line delaying a first clock signal in response to the delay control information to produce a delayed clock signal, a phase detector unit controls the delay control information in response to a relationship in phase between the first clock signal and a second clock signal, and an inverting control unit receiving the delayed clock signal and producing a third clock signal, the second clock signal being produced in response to the third clock signal. The third clock signal is in phase with the delayed clock signal when the inverting control unit is in a first state and complementary to the delayed clock signal when the inverting control unit is in a second state.
US08797069B2

High-speed RF differential, Quadrature, divide-by-2 clock divider designs are based on inverters and clocking circuits connected in a serial ring formation. In one embodiment, only NMOS transistors are used in the inverters, and only PMOS transistors are used in the clocking circuits. This structure uses only 12 transistors. The input can be coupled directly to a VCO output, and provides minimum loading, as each VCO output is connected to only two transistors. Another embodiment comprises clocked inverter stages connected in a serial ring configuration with inverters between stages. The RF clock (or VCO signal) is used at the outer side of the inverters for speed improvement. In both circuits, positive and negative clock inputs are connected alternately at each stage of the ring.
US08797068B2

An input/output sense amplifier is configured to amplify data inputted through a pair of local transmission lines in response to a sense amplifier enable signal and a test mode signal, output the data through a global transmission line, generate a control signal by sensing whether the data have been amplified, and halt amplification of the data in response to the control signal when amplification is completed.
US08797067B1

A circuit, set forth by way of example and not limitation, includes a signal detector operative to detect two types of signals, where the two types of signals include a higher-frequency signal and a lower-frequency signal. The signal detector is operative to detect that a received input signal is one of the two types of signals. An output driver is operative to receive the input signal and to adjust conditioning performed on the input signal to create an output signal for transmission over a communication channel, where the adjustment is based on the detection by the signal detector.
US08797054B2

Timing, power and SPICE analysis are performed on a circuit layout, based on temperature and stress variations or gradient across the circuit layout. Specifically, the temperature and stress values of individual window locations across the layout are used to obtain temperature and stress variation aware resistance/capacitance (RC), timing, leakage and power values. In addition, in 3D integrated circuits (IC), the stress and thermal variations or gradients of one die may be imported to another die located on a different tier.
US08797052B2

A thermal gradient is induced in a device-under-test (DUT) and used to determine the location of a defect. In one embodiment, a laser creates a moving thermal gradient from a test site on the DUT and a respective time of flight for the thermal gradient to trigger a condition associated with the defect is determined. Repeating the time of flight testing at additional test site provides information used to trilaterate the defect in three dimensions. Alternately, a static thermal gradient is induced across at least a portion of the DUT along a first axis. The thermal gradient is incrementally walked along the first axis until the condition associated with the defect is triggered, thereby defining a first region. The thermal gradient is then induced along a second axis of the DUT and the process is repeated to define a second region. The location of the defect is determined to be the intersection of the first region with the second region.
US08797040B2

The invention relates to a method for determining a characteristic status parameter of a memory unit via an electric circuit arrangement. In the circuit arrangement at least one inductive component and at least one capacitive component are arranged, forming a tuned circuit with the memory unit. The method has the following steps of energizing the tend circuit by temporary charging of the capacitive component, the energizing being carried out by an energizing device electrically supplied by the memory unit, and determining a time-dependent voltage change at the capacitive component after terminating the energizing and determining the characteristic status parameter from the time-dependence of the voltage change. The invention further relates to a corresponding electrical circuit arrangement and an electrical memory, including such a circuit arrangement.
US08797037B2

A method of approximating or determining at least one dimension or other characteristic of at least one underground geological feature in a zone of interest proximate to a well bore includes generating an electric field in the zone of interest. At least two sensing electrodes are provided in the well bore and configured to detect differences therebetween in electric potential caused by at least one target object in the zone of interest. Proppant containing signal generating devices (SGD) is delivered into the geological feature(s). The SGD generate a detectable signal in response to at least one downhole condition or property. At least one receiver receives the detectable signals and provides data relating thereto. At least one dimension or other characteristic of the geological feature is approximated or determined based at least partially upon data provided by the sensing electrodes and receiver(s).
US08797031B2

A system provides B1- and B0-insensitive, blood flow and motion-robust T2-preparation and T2-preparation combined with inversion recovery. An MR imaging system discriminates between imaged tissue types based on transverse relaxation time (T2) or transverse relaxation time combined with longitudinal recovery time (T1). A signal generator generates a pulse sequence for T2 preparation or combined T2-preparation with inversion recovery comprising one or more B1 independent refocusing (BIREF-1) pulses for refocusing of magnetization of an anatomical region of interest being imaged, and different combinations of adiabatic or non-adiabatic tip-down and flip-back pulses. Multiple RF coils transmit RF pulses in response to the pulse sequence and acquire RF data in response to transmission of the RF pulses. A processing system processes the RF data to provide a display image indicating different tissue types with enhanced discrimination based on T2 relaxation time difference or combined T2 and T1 time difference.
US08797020B2

Electrical current sensor comprising a measuring circuit (6) and an inductor (4) for measuring a primary current IP flowing in a primary conductor (2), the inductor comprising a saturable magnetic core (10) made of a highly permeable magnetic material and a secondary coil (12) for carrying an alternating excitation i configured to alternatingly saturate the magnetic core, the coil being connected to the measuring circuit. The measuring circuit is configured to supply a positive or negative voltage to the inductor, to switch off the voltage when a condition signalling saturation is reached, to measure the time to saturation t1 in one direction and the time to saturation t2 in the other direction of the magnetic core and determine therefrom a value of the primary current for small current amplitudes, the measuring circuit being further configured for evaluating the average value of the excitation current i and determining therefrom the value of the primary current for large currents.
US08797005B2

A boost converter is disclosed in the present disclosure. The boost converter includes a switching element, a first diode, a second diode, a first inductor, a second inductor, a DC voltage input terminal and a DC voltage output terminal. The first inductor, the second inductor and the second diode are connected in sequence between the DC voltage input terminal and the DC voltage output terminal. The second diode has an anode connected to the second inductor and a cathode connected to the DC voltage output terminal. The switching element includes a first end, a second end and a third end for controlling connection or disconnection between the first end and the second end. The first end is connected between the first and the second inductor. The boost converter of the present disclosure is convenient to use and features high inductance coupling efficiency.
US08796999B2

Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless power transfer to simultaneously recharge power to more than one device and a user interface for setting charging duration. A method of operating a wireless receiver may comprise receiving wireless power with a receive antenna and conveying power from the receive antenna to a chargeable element. The method may further include electrically isolating the receive antenna from the chargeable element upon detecting that the chargeable element is fully-charged.
US08796996B2

A charge control circuit includes a charge control unit that controls an operation of a charging unit that charges a rechargeable battery; and a voltage detection unit that detects a terminal voltage of the rechargeable battery, wherein when a terminal voltage of the rechargeable battery as detected by the voltage detection unit is lower than a predetermined first threshold-value voltage, being lower than a full-charge voltage which is a terminal voltage of the rechargeable battery in full charge, the charge control unit causes a constant current charging to the rechargeable battery by requesting the charging unit to supply a charging current of a predetermined first current value, causing the charging unit to supply a charging current of the first current value to the rechargeable battery, when the terminal voltage of the rechargeable battery as detected by the voltage detection unit exceeds the first threshold-value voltage but is less than the full charge voltage, the charge control unit causes the constant current charging to the rechargeable battery by requesting the charging unit to supply a charging current of a second current value that is smaller than the first current value, causing the charging unit to supply a charging current of the second current value to the rechargeable battery, and when the terminal voltage of the rechargeable battery as detected by the voltage detection unit is equal to or greater than the full charge voltage, the charge control unit causes a constant voltage charging to be carried out by causing the charging unit to supply the full charge voltage to the rechargeable battery, as a charge voltage.
US08796990B2

A method and apparatus for hands free inductive charging of batteries for an electric vehicle is characterized by the use of a transformer having a primary coil connected with a charging station and a secondary coil connected with a vehicle. More particularly, the when the vehicle is parked adjacent to the charging station, the primary coil is displaced via a self alignment mechanism to position the primary coil adjacent to the secondary coil to maximize the inductive transfer of charging current to the secondary coil. The self alignment mechanism preferably utilizes feedback signals from the secondary coil to automatically displace the primary coil in three directions to position the primary coil for maximum efficiency of the transformer.
US08796986B2

A battery management system of a vehicle utilizing electrical energy and a driving method thereof is provided. The battery management system includes a sensing unit and a main control unit (MCU). The sensing unit detects voltage of a battery cell. MCU determines an operation state of a vehicle, and generates a sampling signal depending on the operation state of the vehicle. The sampling control signal transmits to the sensing unit, and controls the detection of the voltage of the battery cell. The operation state of the vehicle includes a running state and a stopping state.
US08796983B2

A data storage device stores previous position readings of the rotor for a previous cycle of a pulse width modulation signal applied to the motor. A current raw position reading for the current cycle is received. A predicted position reading for a current cycle is determined based on at least one of the stored previous position readings of the previous cycle. A data processor determines whether a difference between the current raw position reading and the predicted position reading for a first mode and a second mode is within one or more preset thresholds. The data processor selects the current raw position reading as a verified reliable final position reading if a first difference for the first mode is equal to or less than a primary preset threshold or if a second difference for the second mode is equal to or less than a secondary preset threshold.
US08796982B2

A system and method for detecting input phase loss in an adjustable speed drive (ASD) includes an input unit to detect operating data from the ASD. The operating data includes a DC link current of the ASD. The system also includes a state observer that is adapted to receive the operating data from the input unit and extract a DC link capacitor current of the ASD using the DC link current. The system also includes a controller programmed to compare the extracted DC link capacitor current to a predetermined fault range and generate a fault indication of an input phase loss if the extracted DC link capacitor current is within the predefined fault range. The controller is also programmed to calculate an estimated lifespan of the DC link capacitor based on the extracted DC link capacitor current.
US08796978B2

Embodiments of the present method and system permit an effective method for determining the optimum selection of pulse width modulation polarity and type including determining machine parameters, inputting the machine parameters into a predicted duty cycle module, determining the optimum polarity of the pulse width modulation for a predicted duty cycle based on a pulse width modulation generation algorithm, and determining the optimum type of the pulse width modulation for a predicted duty cycle based on the pulse width modulation generation algorithm.
US08796977B2

A voltage regulator for a pair of electric motors has an input for a signal indicative of the desired speed for the motors and a pulse width modulation control circuit device. A control module provides a conditioning signal to the control circuit to output to the motors a square wave voltage having a duty-cycle which varies according to a predetermined function of the signal applied to the input of the regulator. The control circuit device has first and second electronic solid state switches associated with the motor and controlled by the control module.
US08796976B2

An electric power tool includes a motor that rotary drives an output shaft; an operation unit to input a drive command of the motor; a torque setting device that sets an upper limit value of a rotational torque of the output shaft in accordance with a torque setting command; and a control device that drives the motor in one of a forward direction and a reverse direction in accordance with the drive command, and stops driving of the motor when the rotational torque of the output shaft has reached the upper limit value set by the torque setting device during driving of the motor. The torque setting device is configured to set the upper limit value such that the upper limit value during driving of the motor in the forward direction and the upper limit value during driving of the motor in the reverse direction are different.
US08796974B2

A system for determining an initial position of a rotor (9) of a PMSM motor includes a motor controller (2) coupled to a plurality of phase windings of the motor by means of an actuation circuit (3). A processor (12) and an interface circuit (14) are coupled to the processor and the phase windings. The processor determines if the rotor speed is zero, and if so causes the actuation circuit to sequentially apply voltage signals (Vab, Vba, Vac, Vca, Vbc, and Vcb) to the phase windings to produce corresponding phase winding current signals (Iab, Icb, Ica, Iba, Ibc, Iac) in the various phase windings. The phase winding current signals are sensed and digitized. The processor then determines a position of a magnetic flux path associated with the rotor by computing the initial position of the rotor from one of the digitized phase winding current signals associated with the predetermined magnetic flux path.
US08796971B2

In a motor drive apparatus for driving a three-phase AC motor, a first mounting part of a heat sink is formed along an end. A second mounting part is formed in a direction perpendicular to the first mounting part and includes a first column part and a second column part. Three motor relay FETs are mounted on the first mounting part. Six inverter FETs and two power relay FETs are mounted on the second mounting part. Leads of the FETs are electrically connected to an electric circuit substrate. Heat generated by the FETs is radiated to the heat sink through an insulating and heat radiating sheet. By thus arranging the FETs, the motor drive apparatus is reduced in size.
US08796970B2

A method serves for starting a polyphase electric motor which is operated in a star connection. The method conductively bridges at least one winding part of a phase of the motor and electrically disconnects the bridged winding part, in order in this manner, to supply a higher voltage to the remaining, electrically effective windings, and thus to increase the flow of current and thus the torque.
US08796969B2

An switch array for use in a motor control circuit with a power source, controller and a motor includes a plurality of bidirectional switches positioned between the power source and the motor, wherein the bidirectional switches are PWM controlled by high speed control signals from the controller to provide power from the power source to the motor as desired, wherein the switch array is positioned substantially adjacent to the motor. The power source may be a three phase AC power source. The switches are preferably bidirectional gallium nitride (GaN) switches.
US08796961B2

A complex joystick system master unit embodiment utilizes joystick segments and joystick joints arranged in a particular order with a slave unit arranged in a similar order. A sample master unit with three joystick segments has segment lengths that provide a relative ratio of lengths between themselves. The slave unit articulated arm utilizes controlled segments and articulated arm joints arranged in the same order and having the same relative ratio of lengths between themselves. Articulated arm electronic angle sensors and joystick segment angle sensors produce signal that are applied to a plurality of servos. The servos control movement of the articulated arm so that said respective relative angular articulated arm positions of the articulated arm controlled segments match those of the complex joystick segments.
US08796957B2

A multi-string LED driving method and system requires generating pulse-width-modulated (PWM'd) driving signals to respective LED strings to control their brightness levels, and staggering the timing of the driving signals such that the number of LED strings driven on simultaneously varies over time by no more than one LED string. The PWM'd driving signals are generated to, for example, achieve local dimming for a display device which employs a multi-string LED backlight system; the present method enables local dimming to be achieved while maintaining a relatively constant load on the drive circuit. The staggering of the timing of the PWM'd driving signals is preferably implemented by arranging the ON times of the driving signals such that they occur serially, such that the loading imposed by the LED strings is spread throughout each switching cycle.
US08796950B2

A feedback circuit for a power converter (e.g., a non-isolated converter) is disclosed. The feedback circuit may include a sense circuit coupled to receive an output current of the converter. A sense voltage may be generated across the sense circuit and a voltage-to-current converter may be used to convert the sensed voltage into a feedback signal representative of the output current. The voltage-to-current converter may include a variable shunt regulator, resistor, and transistor. A voltage across the shunt regulator may change in response to a change in voltage across the sense circuit, and the feedback signal may change in response to a change in the voltage across the shunt regulator. A controller may be coupled to receive the feedback signal from the feedback circuit and may control switching of a power switch to regulate the output current based at least in part on the feedback signal.
US08796946B2

An LED driver for operating a light source, in particular an LED, includes an energy storage unit, a driver circuit supplied by the energy storage unit during emergency lighting operation, for operating the light source, and a control unit that activates the driver circuit in such a way that the light source is operated with a constant power or constant current irrespective of the state of charge of the energy storage unit, where the control unit, for the purpose of regulating the power, determines indirectly the level of the current supplied to the light source.
US08796943B2

In an LED lamp according to one embodiment of the present invention, a PWM control unit 25 performs PWM control of a current i flowing through an LED unit 24 using by driving a pulse at a frequency higher than a predetermined frequency when a frequency of an external alternating current inputted between input terminal parts 20a, 20b is lower than the predetermined frequency, and does not perform PWM control of the current i flowing through the LED unit 24 when a frequency of the external AC inputted between the input terminal parts 20a, 20b is higher than the predetermined frequency. Accordingly, by replacing a previously mounted fluorescent lamp, the LED unit drives pulses at a high frequency and lights up for illumination, regardless of whether a ballast of an illumination device is of a glow starter, rapid starter or inverter lighting type.
US08796942B2

There is provided an LED circuit including a light emitting unit including a plurality of light emitting diodes; and a switching unit switching to apply only positive voltage of an AC power supply to an anode of the light emitting unit. Through this, the LED circuit can reduce complexity of a driving circuit. Further, lifespan and efficiency of the LED circuit may be improved since an electrolytic capacitor and a bridge circuit are not used. Further, any one light emitting diode may be prevented from determining the lifespan of all of the light emitting diodes since all of the light emitting diodes are driven at all times, thereby improving the lifespan of the light emitting diode.
US08796937B2

A driver circuit for a light-emitting device includes a light-emitting device, a data receiving unit, a storage unit, a driver unit and a voltage divider. The data receiving unit receives a data signal, the storage unit stores a capacitor voltage, and a positive correlation exists between the capacitor voltage and the data signal. The driver unit is coupled to the light-emitting device, and the driver unit is turned on to drive the light-emitting device according to the capacitor voltage and to generate a threshold voltage of the driver unit. The voltage divider is coupled between the data receiving circuit and the light-emitting device and turned on by the capacitor voltage to generate a divided voltage. The voltage divider detects a voltage variation in the threshold voltage and in a voltage across the light-emitting device and adjusts the divided voltage according to the voltage variation.
US08796936B2

An ambient light sensor integrated in a compact fluorescent lamp that, in turn, may include a controller and a radiation source. The ambient light sensor may include a radiation receiver to receive and filter incident radiation to obtain a value of the level of infrared radiation, and an electronic module to determine if the value is above a reference threshold value to enable the controller to switch the state of the radiation source.
US08796932B2

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement microscale digital vacuum electronic gates. In one embodiment, a microscale digital vacuum electronic gate includes: a microscale field emitter that can emit electrons and that is a microscale cathode; and a microscale anode; where the microscale field emitter and the microscale anode are disposed within at least a partial vacuum; where the microscale field emitter and the microscale anode are separated by a gap; and where the potential difference between the microscale field emitter and the microscale anode is controllable such that the flow of electrons between the microscale field emitter and the microscale anode is thereby controllable; where when the microscale anode receives a flow of electrons, a first logic state is defined; and where when the microscale anode does not receive a flow of electrons, a second logic state is defined.
US08796930B2

An LED lamp is placed in service on an automotive vehicle to enhance nighttime visual ability or anywhere where increased lighting is needed. The LED lamp utilizes a multi-stage power and control design, where the LED drive current is managed by an LED constant current controller that is coupled to a microprocessor that commands the intensity value of an LED array. The microprocessor manages the light intensity of the LED array using well known pulse-width modulation control methods. The microprocessor measures the voltage of the DC power source and to detect when DC power is removed. Once this detection has occurred, the microprocessor signals the LED current controller to change the current operational mode being delivered to the LED array to the next available operational mode, or alternatively, to the next appropriate operational mode to be used as determined by software stored within the microprocessor.
US08796929B2

A daytime running lamp (DRL) controller for controlling power to a light source of a vehicle includes a switch, an engine starting-up detector and a switch control circuit. The switch is coupled to the light source. The engine starting-up detector is coupled to the switch, and generates a trigger signal if the engine is starting up. The switch control circuit is coupled to the switch and the engine starting-up detector, and includes a controller. The controller generates a first control signal to switch on the switch to power on the light source responsive to the trigger signal, and keeps outputting the first control signal if a holding signal is generated within a first time period after the trigger signal is received. The first time period is a time period during which the controller is reset after receiving the trigger signal.
US08796918B2

Discloses is an organic light emitting display device including a first substrate divided into a pixel region and a non-pixel region. An organic light emitting element includes a first electrode, an organic thin film layer and a second electrode formed in the pixel region. A scan driver and a metal film corresponding to a region of the scan driver are formed in the non-pixel region. A second substrate is spaced apart from the pixel region and the non-pixel region of the first substrate. A frit is formed along an edge of a non-pixel region of the second substrate, wherein the frit is formed so that it can be overlapped with an active area of the scan driver formed in the non-pixel region.
US08796910B2

Embodiments provide a halogen lamp configured to minimize a short circuit of a filament.Provided is a halogen lamp that includes a support part passing through a bulb and disposed in the bulb. A filament is hung on the support part. Thus, a short circuit of the filament is minimized.
US08796901B2

A micro-electro-mechanical transducer (such as a cMUT) having two electrodes separated by an insulator with an insulation extension is disclosed. The two electrodes define a transducing gap therebetween. The insulator has an insulating support disposed generally between the two electrodes and an insulation extension extending into at least one of two electrodes to increase the effective insulation without having to increase the transducing gap. Methods for fabricating the micro-electro-mechanical transducer are also disclosed. The methods may be used in both conventional membrane-based cMUTs and cMUTs having embedded springs transporting a rigid top plate.
US08796899B2

The stator winding includes: a first three-phase wye-delta hybrid winding that is configured by connecting phase windings of a first wye winding to respective output ends of a first delta winding; and a second three-phase wye-delta hybrid winding that is configured by connecting phase windings of a second wye winding to respective output ends of a second delta winding. The phase windings of the first and second wye windings are configured by connecting two winding portions in parallel, and those two winding portions are configured such that distributions of radial positions inside slots of conductor wires that constitute the winding portions are equal.
US08796894B2

An electromagnetic actuator includes a body and first and second poles residing apart from the body. The first and second poles communicate magnetic flux across a gap with opposing end facing surfaces of the body. The body, the first pole, and the second pole are magnetically coupled and define an axial magnetic control circuit. A plurality of radial poles reside apart from the body, adjacent a lateral facing surface of the body, and communicate magnetic fluxes with the lateral facing surface. The body and the plurality of radial poles define a plurality of radial magnetic control circuits. The plurality of radial poles communicate magnetic fluxes with the lateral facing surface and at least one of the first pole or the second pole, and the body, the plurality of radial poles, and at least one of the first pole or the second pole define a magnetic bias circuit.
US08796892B2

A generator includes a drive gear mounted to a main rotor shaft though a drive gear bearing and an input jaw plate keyed to the drive gear for rotation therewith, the input jaw plate defines input jaws which selectively mesh with the disconnect jaws, the disconnect shaft axially movable in response to a disconnect system which axially separates input jaws and the disconnect jaws to permit relative rotation between a main rotor shaft and the drive gear through the drive gear bearing.
US08796891B2

A brushless DC motor is provided and includes: a stator assembly; a rotor assembly including a sleeve; a case assembly; and a circuit board assembly which has an electronic component mounted thereon. The case assembly is provided with an opening, the electronic component passes through the opening so as to protrude inside the case assembly, and a groove is formed at an axial end of the sleeve of the rotor assembly in order to prevent the electronic component from making contact with any part of the rotor assembly. Thus, the axial dimension of the brushless DC motor that includes the electronic component disposed to protrude inside the case assembly can be successfully reduced in such a manner that the electronic component is accommodated within the groove. Further, no electronic component is disposed around the outer circumference of the stator assembly and therefore the radial dimension also can be kept small.
US08796890B2

A power control module including a socket, a switch circuit and an interface control circuit is provided. A plug is adapted to be inserted into the socket, and the socket has a positive terminal, a first negative terminal and a second negative terminal. When the plug is inserted into the socket, a negative terminal of the plug sequentially contacts the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal. The switch circuit receives a power voltage through the positive terminal. The interface control circuit determines whether to generate a switching signal to the switch circuit according to a voltage level of the second negative terminal. When receiving the switching signal, the switch circuit outputs the power voltage.
US08796881B2

A system that enables power flow management for electrical devices, such as electric vehicles. Power flow managers can coordinate charging activities. Power flow decisions may be based on site-level information. Power flow management strategies may be optimized. Power spikes may be avoided by using safe failure modes. Generation stacks may be used for reducing cost. AGC commands are used to control power resources. Power regulation are apportioned to power resources, and power regulation ranges may be determined. Power flow strategies are implemented in response to changes in intermittent power flow. Locations of devices may be determined using network fingerprints. Power flow measurements are determined, and AC power flows are inferred from DC power flows. Network traffic consumption are minimized. Communication protocols are translated. Enhanced vehicle communications are provided that communicate to vehicle subsystems, that arbitrate smart charge points, and that use existing hardware, non-specific hardware, or control extensibility systems.
US08796880B2

A first resistance (125) within a power supply (110) can be connected to a power supply output (120). A variable resistance (130) can be serially coupled with the first resistance, thereby providing a first intermediate voltage at a point (115) disposed between the first resistance and the variable resistance. The variable resistance can be at a maximum in the absence of an expansion device (140) and at less than maximum in the presence of an expansion device. The first intermediate voltage and a second intermediate voltage (145) can be introduced to a comparator (150). The comparator can provide an output signal (170) when the first intermediate voltage exceeds the second intermediate voltage. The comparator output signal can be used to confirm the power supply capacity to power an external device (180) and to enable one or more external device functions.
US08796873B2

This invention relates to a wind turbine of variable speed type including: a wind turbine tower; a nacelle on said wind turbine; a wind turbine rotor hub rotatably mounted at said nacelle, said wind turbine rotor hub having at least one wind turbine blade mounted thereon and a shaft coupled to said wind turbine rotor hub and to, optionally via a gear box, a primary generator which via power lines has a primary stator electrically connected to a grid connection and a primary rotor electrically connected to a back-to-back converter at a generator side converter end wherein the back-to-back converter at a grid side converter end is electrically connected to the grid connection. The wind turbine further includes a secondary generator coupled to the shaft via a mechanical coupling and electrically connected to the primary rotor of the primary generator and the generator side converter end of the back-to-back converter.
US08796870B2

An electric power generator having two water tanks, and two chambers movable up and down inside the two water tanks respectively in opposite directions. Each chamber has a top wall having an air outlet covered by a pressure valve, and a bottom wall having a plurality of apertures serving as both water inlets and outlets. An electric motor drivably connected to two chains from which the two chambers are hung respectively. Upper and lower electromagnetic holding devices provided at top and bottom of each water tank for holding or releasing the chambers. Continuous up and down movement of the two chambers in opposite directions by buoyancy and gravity alternately and continuously drives the electric motor to generate electric power. A method of generating electric power is also disclosed.
US08796865B1

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are provided, along with apparatuses and methods for making. In some embodiments, the RFID tags include an RFID tag chip that is attached to an inlay and/or a strap. The inlay or strap has one or more contact bumps formed thereon. In some of these embodiments, the RFID tag chip includes pads for electrical contacts, but not chip-bumps, thanks to the contact bump.
US08796855B2

An electric device with vias that include dielectric structures to prevent conductive material in the vias from electrically connecting conductive structures on a top of the vias with conductive structures on the bottom of the vias. The dielectric structures are formed in selected vias where other vias do not include the dielectric structures.
US08796850B2

By forming a metal layer 14 on at least one of a connecting electrode 12 of a first substrate 10 and a connecting electrode 17 of a second substrate 15, placing the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 15 together in order that the connecting electrode 12 and the connecting electrode 17 face opposite to each other via the metal layer 14, increasing temperature up to anodic bonding temperature, and applying DC voltage between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 15 while maintaining that temperature, the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 15 are anodically bonded, and at the same time by melting the metal layer 14, the connecting electrode 12 and the connecting electrode 17 are electrically connected. The method achieves anodic bonding of substrates with high yield and at the same time establishes wiring connection, effective for packaging.
US08796838B2

A semiconductor device includes a header, a semiconductor chip fixed to the header constituting a MOSFET, and a sealing body of insulating resin which covers the semiconductor chip, the header and the like, and further includes a drain lead contiguously formed with the header and projects from one side surface of the sealing body, and a source lead and a gate lead which project in parallel from one side surface of the sealing body, and wires which are positioned in the inside of the sealing body and connect electrodes on an upper surface of the semiconductor chip and the source lead and the gate lead, with a gate electrode pad arranged at a position from the gate lead and the source lead farther than a source electrode pad.
US08796834B2

A stack package includes a core layer having a first surface and a second surface, and including first circuit wiring lines; a first semiconductor device disposed on the second surface of the core layer; a first resin layer formed on the second surface of the core layer to cover the first semiconductor device; second circuit wiring lines formed on the first resin layer and electrically connected with the first semiconductor device; a second semiconductor device disposed over the first resin layer including the second circuit wiring lines and electrically connected with the second circuit wiring lines; a second resin layer formed on the second circuit wiring lines and the first resin layer to cover the second semiconductor device; and a plurality of via patterns formed to pass through the first resin layer and the core layer and electrically connecting the first circuit wiring lines and the second circuit wiring lines.
US08796825B2

Highly reliable interconnections for microelectronic packaging. In one embodiment, dielectric layers in a build-up interconnect have a gradation in glass transition temperature; and the later applied dielectric layers are laminated at temperatures lower than the glass transition temperatures of the earlier applied dielectric layers. In one embodiment, the glass transition temperatures of earlier applied dielectric films in a build-up interconnect are increased through a thermosetting process to exceed the temperature for laminating the later applied dielectric films. In one embodiment, a polyimide material is formed with embedded catalysts to promote cross-linking after a film of the polyimide material is laminated (e.g., through photo-chemical or thermal degradation of the encapsulant of the catalysts). In one embodiment, the solder resist opening walls have a wettable layer generated through laser assisted seeding so that there is no gap between the solder resist opening walls and no underfill in the solder resist opening.
US08796823B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a through electrode provided in a through hole formed in the semiconductor substrate. The through electrode partially protrudes from a back surface of the semiconductor substrate, which is opposite to an active surface thereof. The through electrode includes a resin core and a conductive film covering at least a part of the resin core.
US08796820B2

A semiconductor wafer having a disc shape includes a chamfer provided around a circumferential edge of the wafer, and an anti-cracking and chipping groove provided in one or more areas around one circumference of an end face of the wafer along a circumferential direction of the end face. The anti-cracking and chipping groove is configured to prevent cracking or chipping of the end face in back grinding.
US08796818B2

A semiconductor memory device that has an isolated area formed from one conductivity and formed in part by a buried layer of a second conductivity that is implanted in a substrate. The walls of the isolated area are formed by implants that are formed from the second conductivity and extend down to the buried layer. The isolated region has implanted source lines and is further subdivided by overlay strips of the second conductivity that extend substantially down to the buried layer. Each isolation region can contain one or more blocks of memory cells.
US08796812B2

A stack of a first hard mask portion and a second hard mask portion is formed over a semiconductor material layer by anisotropically etching a stack, from bottom to top, of a first hard mask layer and a second hard mask layer. The first hard mask portion is laterally recessed by an isotropic etch. A dielectric material layer is conformally deposited and planarized. The dielectric material layer is etched employing an anisotropic etch that is selective to the first hard mask portion to form a dielectric material portion that laterally surrounds the first hard mask portion. After removal of the second and first hard mask portions, the semiconductor material layer is etched employing the dielectric material portion as an etch mask. Optionally, portions of the semiconductor material layer underneath the first and second hard mask portions can be undercut at a periphery.
US08796807B2

By incorporating germanium material into thermal sensing diode structures, the sensitivity thereof may be significantly increased. In some illustrative embodiments, the process for incorporating the germanium material may be performed with high compatibility with a process flow for incorporating a silicon/germanium material into P-channel transistors of sophisticated semiconductor devices. Hence, temperature control efficiency may be increased with reduced die area consumption.
US08796805B2

A method includes forming an opening extending from a back surface of a semiconductor substrate to a metal pad on a front side of the semiconductor substrate, and forming a first conductive layer including a first portion overlapping active image sensors in the semiconductor substrate, a second portion overlapping black reference image sensors in the semiconductor substrate, and a third portion in the opening to contact the metal pad. A second conductive layer is formed over and contacting the first conductive layer. A first patterning step is performed to remove the first and the second portions of the second conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer is used as an etch stop layer. A second patterning step is performed to remove a portion of the first portion of the first conductive layer. The second and the third portions of the first conductive layer remain after the second patterning step.
US08796798B2

An imaging module includes an imaging chip including a micro-lens guiding incident light and an imaging element in a semiconductor substrate and converting the incident light into an electric signal, and a polarizing glass chip including a polarizing filter glass having a polarizer determining a polarization direction of the incident light arranged on a transparent substrate such that the polarizer faces the micro-lens and a spacer member connected to the polarizing filter glass to adjust a gap between the polarizer and the micro-lens of the imaging chip. In the imaging module, a melt-bonding surface of the spacer member is melt-bonded to the semiconductor substrate such that the polarizer of the polarizing glass chip and the micro-lens of the imaging chip are arranged close to each other via the gap, and the imaging element and the micro-lens of the imaging chip are sealed by the polarizing glass chip.
US08796797B2

Perpendicular spin transfer torque memory (STTM) devices with enhanced stability and methods of fabricating perpendicular STTM devices with enhanced stability are described. For example, a material layer stack for a magnetic tunneling junction includes a fixed magnetic layer. A dielectric layer is disposed above the fixed magnetic layer. A free magnetic layer is disposed above the dielectric layer. A conductive oxide material layer is disposed on the free magnetic layer.
US08796793B2

A magnetoresistive element includes: a lower magnetic layer; a barrier layer; and an upper magnetic layer. The barrier layer is provided on the lower magnetic layer. The upper magnetic layer is provided on the barrier layer. One of magnetization directions of the lower magnetic layer and the upper magnetic layer is fixed. The barrier layer has a first surface which includes a surface contacted with an upper surface of the lower magnetic layer. The upper magnetic layer has a second surface which includes a surface contacted with an upper surface of the barrier layer. Each of the first surface and the second surface is larger than the upper surface of the lower magnetic layer in area.
US08796783B2

Each gate structure formed on the substrate includes a gate dielectric, a gate conductor, a first etch stop layer, and a gate cap dielectric. A second etch stop layer is formed over the gate structures, gate spacers, and source and drain regions. A first contact-level dielectric layer and a second contact-level dielectric layer are formed over the second etch stop layer. Gate contact via holes extending at least to the top surface of the gate cap dielectrics are formed. Source/drain contact via holes extending to the interface between the first and second contact-level dielectric layers are subsequently formed. The various contact via holes are vertically extended by simultaneously etching exposed gate cap dielectrics and exposed portions of the first contact-level dielectric layer, then by simultaneously etching the first and second etch stop layers. Source/drain contact vias self-aligned to the outer surfaces gate spacers are thereby formed.
US08796781B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor substrate, an active region including a plurality of unit active regions and disposed over and spaced from the semiconductor substrate, a pair of word lines formed on a top surface and sides of the unit active region, a dummy word line disposed at a contact of the unit active regions and formed on top surfaces and sides of the unit active regions, a source region in the unit active region between the pair of word lines and electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate, drain regions formed in the unit active region between the pair of word lines and the dummy word line, and first storage layers formed on the drain regions and electrically connected to the drain regions.
US08796779B2

A first MIS transistor and a second MIS transistor of the same conductivity type are formed on an identical semiconductor substrate. An interface layer included in a gate insulating film of the first MIS transistor has a thickness larger than that of an interface layer included in a gate insulating film of the second MIS transistor.
US08796769B2

A method including introducing a species into a substrate including semiconductor material; and translating linearly focused electromagnetic radiation across a surface of the substrate, the electromagnetic radiation being sufficient to thermally influence the species. An apparatus including an electromagnetic radiation source; a stage having dimensions suitable for accommodating a semiconductor substrate within a chamber; an optical element disposed between the electromagnetic radiation source and the stage to focus radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source into a line having a length determined by the diameter of a substrate to be placed on the stage; and a controller coupled to the electromagnetic radiation source including machine readable program instructions that allow the controller to control the depth into which a substrate is exposed to the radiation.
US08796758B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate formed of a first semiconductor material; two insulators on the substrate; and a semiconductor region having a portion between the two insulators and over the substrate. The semiconductor region has a bottom surface contacting the substrate and having sloped sidewalls. The semiconductor region is formed of a second semiconductor material different from the first semiconductor material.
US08796754B2

A memory structure including a memory cell is provided, and the memory cell includes following elements. A first gate is disposed on a substrate. A stacked structure includes a first dielectric structure, a channel layer, a second dielectric structure and a second gate disposed on the first gate, a first charge storage structure disposed in the first dielectric structure and a second charge storage structure disposed in the second dielectric structure. At least one of the first charge storage structure and the second charge storage structure includes two charge storage units which are physically separated. A first dielectric layer is disposed on the first gate at two sides of the stacked structure. A first source and drain and a second source and drain are disposed on the first dielectric layer and located at two sides of the channel layer.
US08796749B2

A high-speed photodiode may include a photodiode structure having a substrate, a light-absorbing layer and a light-directing layer that is deposited on a top surface of the photodiode structure and patterned to form a textured surface used to change the angle of incident light to increase a light path of the incident light when entering the photodiode structure. In one embodiment, the light-directing layer may include a plurality of polygon such as triangular projections to refract the incident light to increase the light path thereof when entering the photodiode structure. In another embodiment, a plurality of nanoscaled sub-triangular projections can patterned on both sides of each triangular projection to more effectively increase the light paths. In a further embodiment, porous materials can be used to form the light-directing layer.
US08796736B1

A monolithically integrated device includes a substrate, a first set of Group III nitride epitaxial layers grown for a first HFET on a first region of the substrate, and a second set of Group III nitride epitaxial layers for a second HFET grown on a second region of the substrate.
US08796726B2

Disclosed is a semiconductor light emitting device. The semiconductor light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductive semiconductor layer. An electrode is on a bottom surface of the light emitting structure and an electrode layer and a conductive support member are disposed on the top surface of the light emitting structure. A recess is recessed from a top surface of the light emitting structure. A transmittive layer is between the light emitting structure and the electrode layer. The transmittive layer includes a first portion having a protrusion disposed in the recess.
US08796721B2

A semiconductor light emitting device including a substrate, an electrode and a light emitting region is provided. The substrate may have protruding portions formed in a repeating pattern on substantially an entire surface of the substrate while the rest of the surface may be substantially flat. The cross sections of the protruding portions taken along planes orthogonal to the surface of the substrate may be semi-circular in shape. The cross sections of the protruding portions may in alternative be convex in shape. A buffer layer and a GaN layer may be formed on the substrate.
US08796717B2

An LED package is provided. The LED package comprises a metal plate, circuit patterns, and an LED. The metal plate comprises grooves. The insulating layer is formed on the metal plate. The circuit patterns are formed on the insulating layer. The LED is electrically connected with the circuit pattern on the insulating layer.
US08796716B2

A light emitting diode including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer is provided. The first semiconductor layer includes a first surface and a second surface, and the first surface is connected to the substrate. The active layer and the second semiconductor layer are stacked on the second surface in that order, and a surface of the second semiconductor layer away from the active layer is configured as the light emitting surface. A first electrode covers the entire surface of the first semiconductor layer. A second electrode is electrically connected with the second semiconductor layer. A number of three-dimensional nano-structures are located on the surface of the first surface of the first semiconductor layer and aligned side by side, and a cross section of each of the three-dimensional nano-structure is M-shaped.
US08796715B2

There is provided a phosphor blend for an LED light source comprising from about 25 to about 35 weight percent of a cerium-activated yttrium aluminum garnet phosphor, from about 5 to about 10 weight percent of a europium-activated strontium calcium silicon nitride phosphor, and from about 50 to about 75 weight percent of a europium-activated calcium magnesium chlorosilicate phosphor. An LED light source in accordance with this invention has a B:G:R ratio for a 5500 K daylight balanced color film of X:Y:Z when directly exposed through a nominal photographic lens, wherein X, Y and Z each have a value from 0.90 to 1.10.
US08796683B2

Provided is a transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor film and has stable electrical characteristics. In the transistor, over an oxide film which can release oxygen by being heated, a first oxide semiconductor film which can suppress oxygen release at least from the oxide film is formed. Over the first oxide semiconductor film, a second oxide semiconductor film is formed. With such a structure in which the oxide semiconductor films are stacked, the oxygen release from the oxide film can be suppressed at the time of the formation of the second oxide semiconductor film, and oxygen can be released from the oxide film in later-performed heat treatment. Thus, oxygen can pass through the first oxide semiconductor film to be favorably supplied to the second oxide semiconductor film. Oxygen supplied to the second oxide semiconductor film can suppress the generation of oxygen deficiency, resulting in stable electrical characteristics.
US08796681B2

A semiconductor device which is miniaturized and has sufficient electrical characteristics to function as a transistor is provided. In a semiconductor device including a transistor in which a semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer, and a gate electrode layer are stacked in that order, an oxide semiconductor film which contains at least four kinds of elements of indium, gallium, zinc, and oxygen, and in which the percentage of the indium is twice or more as large as each of the percentage of the gallium and the percentage of the zinc when the composition of the four elements is expressed in atomic percentage is used as the semiconductor layer. In the semiconductor device, the oxide semiconductor film is a film to which oxygen is introduced in the manufacturing process and contains a large amount of oxygen, and an insulating layer including an aluminum oxide film is provided to cover the transistor.
US08796677B2

An apparatus includes a substrate; and a photoactive layer disposed on the substrate. The photoactive layer includes an electron acceptor material; an electron donor material; and a material having dipoles.
US08796665B2

Solid state radiation transducer (SSRT) assemblies and method for making SSRT assemblies. In one embodiment, a SSRT assembly comprises a first substrate having an epitaxial growth material and a radiation transducer on the first substrate. The radiation transducer can have a first semiconductor material grown on the first substrate, a second semiconductor material, and an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials. The SSRT can also have a first contact electrically coupled to the first semiconductor material and a second contact electrically coupled to the second semiconductor material. The first substrate has an opening through which radiation can pass to and/or from the first semiconductor material.
US08796664B2

A graphene-based composite structure is disclosed. The graphene-based composite structure includes a graphene layer, a transition metal layer, and a substrate. The graphene layer, transition metal layer, and substrate are stacked together in series to form a sandwich structure. The graphene layer and the transition metal layer are coupled by d-p orbitals hybridization. The transition metal layer and the substrate are also coupled by d-p orbitals hybridization. A method for making graphene-based composite structure is also disclosed.
US08796661B2

A method of forming a nonvolatile memory cell includes forming a first electrode having a first current conductive material and a circumferentially self-aligned second current conductive material projecting elevationally outward from the first current conductive material. The second current conductive material is different in composition from the first current conductive material. A programmable region is formed over the first current conductive material and over the projecting second current conductive material of the first electrode. A second electrode is formed over the programmable region. In one embodiment, the programmable region is ion conductive material, and at least one of the first and second electrodes has an electrochemically active surface directly against the ion conductive material. Other method and structural aspects are disclosed.
US08796651B2

A sample fabricating method of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam at an incident angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the surface of the sample, eliminating the peripheral area of a micro sample as a target, turning a specimen stage around a line segment perpendicular to the sample surface as a turn axis, irradiating the sample with the focused ion beam while the incident angle on the sample surface is fixed, and separating the micro sample or preparing the micro sample to be separated. A sample fabricating apparatus for forming a sample section in a sample held on a specimen stage by scanning and deflecting an ion beam, wherein an angle between an optical axis of the ion beam and the surface of the specimen stage is fixed and formation of a sample section is controlled by turning the specimen stage.
US08796646B2

A method of depositing material onto a substrate at cryogenic temperatures using beam-induced deposition. A precursor gas is chosen from a group of compounds having a melting point that is lower than the cryogenic temperature of the substrate. Preferably the precursor gas is chosen from a group of compounds having a sticking coefficient that is between 0.5 and 0.8 at the desired cryogenic temperature. This will result in the precursor gas reaching equilibrium between precursor molecules adsorbed onto the substrate surface and precursor gas molecules desorbing from the substrate surface at the desired cryogenic temperature. Suitable precursor gases can comprise alkanes, alkenes, or alkynes. At a cryogenic temperature of between −50° C. and −85° C., hexane can be used as a precursor gas to deposit material; at a cryogenic temperature of between −50° C. and −180° C., propane can be used as a precursor gas.
US08796644B2

The invention relates to a charged particle beam lithography system comprising: a charged particle optical column arranged in a vacuum chamber for projecting a charged particle beam onto a target, wherein the column comprises deflecting means for deflecting the charged particle beam in a deflection direction, a target positioning device comprising a carrier for carrying the target, and a stage for carrying and moving the carrier along a first direction, wherein the first direction is different from the deflection direction, wherein the target positioning device comprises a first actuator for moving the stage in the first direction relative to the charged particle optical column, wherein the carrier is displaceably arranged on the stage and wherein the target positioning device comprises retaining means for retaining the carrier with respect to the stage in a first relative position.
US08796643B2

A radiographic image erasing device includes: a first light source that applies first erase light including a wavelength in the ultraviolet region to a storage phosphor sheet in which a radiographic image has been stored and recorded; a second light source that is placed at a height identical to that of the first light source and applies second erase light including a wavelength of a longer wavelength than that of the first erase light to the storage phosphor sheet to which the first erase light has been applied; drive mechanisms that switch the orientations or positions of the first light source and the second light source; and a controller that controls the drive mechanisms in accordance with a conveyance direction of the storage phosphor sheet such that the first erase light and the second erase light are applied in this order to the storage phosphor sheet.
US08796641B2

An installation for treating articles with radiation, the installation comprising a structure having pivotally mounted thereon an inlet starwheel and an outlet starwheel respectively arranged facing an inlet and an outlet of a shielded enclosure in which there are mounted at least one pivotal treatment starwheel and at least one electron emitter in the vicinity of the treatment starwheel. The installation comprises a linear inlet conveyor and a linear outlet conveyor extending inside the shielded enclosure respectively facing the inlet and the outlet, the linear conveyors each comprising a respective transporter surrounding a shielded wall forming a baffle.
US08796632B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for radiation analysis, comprising a pulse discrimination module arranged to receive a signal corresponding to a pulse output by a scintillator and to determine a discrimination value indicative of one or more characteristics of the pulse, and a radiation type determination module for determining a type of radiation responsible for the pulse according to the discrimination value.
US08796617B2

The invention relates generally to sample ionization, and provides ionization probe assemblies, systems, computer program products, and methods useful for this purpose.
US08796616B2

A miniature mass spectrometer that may be coupled to an atmospheric pressure ionisation source is described. Ions pass through a small orifice from a region at atmospheric pressure or low vacuum, and undergo efficient collisional cooling as they transit a very short, differentially pumped ion guide. A narrow beam of low energy ions is passed through a small aperture and into a separate chamber containing the mass analyser.
US08796608B2

Embodiments of dual stage active pixel devices are described herein. Other examples, implementations, and related methods are also disclosed herein.
US08796603B2

An appliance including a cabinet having a first PCB located therein, a door connected to the cabinet, the door being moveable between an open position and a closed position to open and close the cabinet, and a second PCB located in the door. In addition, at least one first connector is connected to the first PCB. At least one second connector is connected to the second PCB and is electronically connectable to the first connector. In particular, the second connector is electrically connected to the first connector when the door is in a substantially closed position.
US08796599B2

An induction heat cooking device is provided that finishes preheating in a short time and maintains the temperature obtained at the finish of the preheating. When a preheating heating mode is selected as an operation mode, a control unit (8) arranged in the induction heat cooking device starts operation in a preheating mode in which a cooking container is heated with a first heating output. When an increment of an output value of an infrared sensor exceeds a first predetermined increment since the heating starts with the first heating output, the control unit causes a notification unit to notify a user that the preheating is finished, and the operation mode is changed to a waiting mode for performing heating with a second heating output that is lower than the first heating output. Further, when the user sets a heating power by means of a heating power setting unit in the preheating mode, the control unit prohibits changing to the heating power set by the user. When the user sets a heating power by means of a heating power setting unit in the waiting mode, the control unit permits changing to the heating power set by the user, and the operation mode is changed to a heating mode for performing heating with a third heating output corresponding to the heating power set by the user.
US08796598B2

An induction cooking utensil is constructed such that it cooks food within its chamber while maintaining a relatively cool outer surface (e.g., preferably an outer surface that is cool enough to pick up with one's bare hands). The cooking utensil includes an inner wall that is made at least in part of an electrically conductive material and an outer wall that is made at least in part of the electrically non-conductive material. A reflective layer, a vacuum-sealed thermal insulator and/or a gas more resistant to conducting heat than air is disposed between the inner and outer walls to resist the transfer of heat from the inner wall to the outer wall.
US08796597B2

An in-line package apparatus includes a first treating unit, an input storage unit, a heating unit and an output storage unit. The first treating unit performs a ball attach process or a chip mount process. A processing object that a process is completed in the first treating unit is received in a magazine so as to be vertically stacked and a plurality of magazines each having one or more processing objects is stored in an input stacker. The heating unit performs a reflow process on the processing objects in the magazine stored in the input stacker by an induction heating method. A processing object that a reflow process is completed is received in a magazine and then stored in an output stacker.
US08796589B2

In a first aspect, a first substrate processing system is provided that includes (1) a chamber having a plurality of opening through which a substrate may be transported; (2) a substrate carrier opener coupled to a first one of the plurality of openings; (3) a thermal processing chamber coupled to a second one of the plurality of openings; and (4) a wafer handler contained within the chamber, having a substrate clamping blade and a blade adapted to transport high temperature substrates.
US08796587B2

A welding gun, including a contact tip assembly, a diffuser cap, a tip holder, and a shielding gas diffuser, where the shielding gas diffuser includes a casing and an axial tube extending within the casing, and where the casing and the tip holder are connected via a connection system that includes threads with reduced peaks.
US08796583B2

A structured surface is formed with the method of the present invention. The method of making this structured surface includes the steps of applying an ablatable radiation sensitive coating on the major surface of the substrate, and exposing the ablatable radiation sensitive coating to radiation such that exposed portions of the ablatable radiation sensitive coating ablate from the substrate to form a structured surface. The structured surface then includes a substrate and a pattern of structures framed by at least one separation bank. The method may also include the steps of depositing a flowable material on to the structures and the separation bank to form a pattern of flowable material in the structures.
US08796580B2

The invention is directed at a method for welding a composite material and to welded structures thus prepared. The method includes a step of contacting a substrate material with a composite material, wherein the composite material includes a pair of spaced apart steel sheets and a core layer between the sheets; the volume of the core layer is about 25 volume % or more, based on the total volume of the composite material; the core layer includes a plurality of steel fibers arranged in one or more masses of fibers that extend the thickness of the core layer so that the core layer is in electrical communication with the steel sheets; and the steel fibers have a cross sectional area perpendicular to the length of the fibers from about 1×10−5 mm2 to about 2.5×10−2 mm2.
US08796579B2

A flange (13) for use in direct resistance heating of a glass-carrying vessel (10), such as a finer, is provided. The flange comprises a plurality of electrically-conductive rings which include an innermost ring (140) which is joined to the vessel's exterior wall (12) during use of the flange and an outermost ring (150) which receives electrical current during use of the flange. The innermost ring (140) comprises a high-temperature metal which comprises at least 80% platinum and the outermost ring (150) comprises at least 99.0% nickel. This combination of materials both increases the reliability of the flange and reduces its cost. In certain embodiments, the flange can also include one or more rings (190) composed of a platinum-nickel alloy which has a lower thermal conductivity than platinum or nickel and thus can serve to reduce heat loss through the flange.
US08796578B2

A method, apparatus, and structure are provided for implementing selective rework for chip stacks. A backside metal layer to create resistive heating is added to a chip backside in a chip stack. A rework tool applies a predefined current to the backside metal layer to reflow solder connections and enables separating selected chips in the chip stack.
US08796572B2

A molding process is performed by molds such that a primarily molded body 12 mounted with a detecting element 11 for detecting a vehicle condition is subjected to a secondary molding process, and that a hollow portion 19 within a connector housing portion 15 to be formed by the secondary molding process is penetrated to the face area of the primarily molded body 12 corresponding to the position of the detecting element 11.
US08796570B2

An interlock device of a draw-out type circuit breaker, provided with a tripping button that is linked to a tripping mechanism of the draw-out type circuit breaker and an interlock rod that is placed so as to be movable up and down, and constructed so that the tripping button mechanically prevents an operation to raise the interlock rod unless the tripping button is operated to place the draw-out type circuit breaker in the open state, so a power distribution board floor surface or a member fixed on the power distribution board floor surface and the interlock rod interfere with each other, thereby the draw-out type circuit breaker is fixed at a prescribed position in a power distribution board.
US08796564B2

A produce transaction system and method which is located in a produce section of a store. The produce transaction system includes a scale below a container in a produce section of a store, the container storing a single type of produce item, and a computer coupled to the scale for receiving a weight decrease signal from the scale when a customer removes an amount of the single type of produce item from the scale and for storing produce purchase information associated with the single type of produce item for later retrieval by a checkout computer.
US08796563B2

In ultrasonic bonding of a metal terminal to a substrate pad, a thin buffer metal layer which is formed of a soft metal or a highly slidable metal is interposed between a terminal edge and a pad so as to prevent direct contact between an end of the terminal and the pad upon bonding. This makes it possible to prevent abrasion and a crack in the pad at the end of the terminal caused by pressure and an ultrasonic wave upon the ultrasonic bonding. This makes it possible to realize a compact bonded structure with high reliability.
US08796562B2

A combiner box includes a combiner module and an electrical connector unit disposed in a casing. The combiner module includes an insulating board, and plural first and second input electrodes disposed on opposite surfaces of the insulating board along a first direction and corresponding respectively to plural first and second input sockets of the casing. The second input sockets are disposed below and alternatingly arranged with the first input sockets along the first direction. The electrical connector unit includes plural first and second input terminals disposed in the first and second input sockets and electrically connected to the first and second input electrodes, respectively.
US08796560B2

A package includes a body that encapsulates a semiconductor die, the body having a first pair of opposing lateral sides, a second pair of opposing lateral sides, a top, and a bottom. The bottom has a primary surface and a plurality of protrusions that extend outward from the primary surface. When the package is mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) the protrusions contact the PCB and the primary surface is disposed a first distance away from the PCB. The package further includes a plurality of leads that extend outward from the first pair of opposing lateral sides.
US08796551B2

A power supply control device includes a body part in which a circuit block is accommodated; a first cable drawn outside from the body part to be connected to a charge circuit of an electric vehicle; a second cable drawn outside from the body part to be connected to a power source; and a sealing member sealing a gap between each of the cables and a corresponding cable passing port of the body part. The power supply control device further includes an outer restriction member provided at each of the cables on an outer side than the sealing member to prevent the corresponding cable from being bent.
US08796546B2

A plastic shield for a cable and insulator is described having a center section for covering the insulator. The center section has an opening at both its ends for the cable. Proximate each opening is a pivotable and bendable flange, where the flange pivots at one end of the flange and freely bends. An arm extends from each of the cable openings of the center section, and each arm covers the cable exiting the center section. Each arm is pivotally attached to the other end of the associated flange. The flange allows its associated arm to be moved over a wide range of horizontal and vertical angles (e.g., up to 45 degrees) and allows the arms to have a variable horizontal and vertical offset relative to the center line of the center section and insulator to accommodate a cable that is offset from the center line.
US08796541B2

In order to provide a see-through solar cell module in which the manufacturing costs can be reduced and transmittance can be readily modified without modifying the manufacturing steps, there is provided a solar cell module comprising solar cells in which are layered a conductive substrate, and a lower electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and an upper electrode layer in the stated order on the conductive substrate; the solar cell module having a configuration in which a plurality of through-openings that pass through the conductive substrate to the upper electrode layer in the layering direction is formed over the entire surface of the solar cells.
US08796539B2

A solar cell, wherein contamination with an undesired impurity is suppressed, and solar cell characteristics are excellent. This solar cell is provided with: a semiconductor substrate having a photoreceiving surface and a back surface; a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type formed on a prescribed region of the back surface of the semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type formed to extend over the back surface of the semiconductor substrate and the surface of the first semiconductor layer; and a cap layer formed between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and containing no impurity of the first conductivity type.
US08796530B2

The musical instrument has a acoustic transducer, which transforms an excitation signal generated by at least one resonator into an acoustic signal. The acoustic transducer is provided with an adjustable oscillation profile, in which at least one profile parameter is defined by a reference profile of a reference instrument.
US08796523B1

A wheat variety designated W010712A1, the plants and seeds of wheat variety W010712A1, methods for producing a wheat plant produced by crossing the variety W010712A1 with another wheat plant, and hybrid wheat seeds and plants produced by crossing the variety W010712A1 with another wheat line or plant, and the creation of variants by mutagenesis or transformation of variety W010712A1. This invention also relates to methods for producing other wheat varieties or breeding lines derived from wheat variety W010712A1 and to wheat varieties or breeding lines produced by those methods.
US08796522B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH637365. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH637365, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH637365 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH637365.
US08796520B1

A novel maize variety designated PH1M3T and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1M3T with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1M3T through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1M3T or a locus conversion of PH1M3T with another maize variety.
US08796519B1

A novel maize variety designated PH1CMM and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1CMM with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1CMM through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1CMM or a locus conversion of PH1CMM with another maize variety.
US08796518B1

A novel maize variety designated PH1D9K and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1D9K with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1D9K through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1D9K or a locus conversion of PH1D9K with another maize variety.
US08796511B2

The present invention relates to a plant, which is resistant to a pathogen of viral, bacterial, fungal or oomycete origin, wherein the plant has an increased homoserine level as compared to a plant that is not resistant to the said pathogen, in particular organisms of the phylum Oomycota. The invention further relates to a method for obtaining a plant, which is resistant to a pathogen of viral, bacterial, fungal or oomycete origin, comprising increasing the endogenous homoserine level in the plant.
US08796501B2

The invention provides an optimal method for stabilization of heavy metal bearing paint residue subject to acid and water leaching tests or leach conditions by addition of environment safe, worker safe, multi-media compatible, non-separating, non-embedding, stabilizing agent and optional complexing agent(s) to the blast media, thus allowing for pre-blending of stabilizer and blast media and field production of a uniform and steady state stabilizer within media for stabilization outside or within an OSHA containment building or collection device, such that leaching of heavy metals such as lead are inhibited to desired levels. The resultant stabilized paint residue and spent blast media mixture is suitable for on-site reuse, off-site reuse, or disposal as RCRA non-hazardous waste.
US08796497B2

A method for the oxidative coupling of hydrocarbons, such as the oxidative coupling of methane to toluene, includes providing an oxidative catalyst inside a reactor, and carrying out the oxidative coupling reaction under a set of reaction conditions. The oxidative catalyst includes (A) at least one element selected from the group consisting of the Lanthanoid group, Mg, Ca, and the elements of Group 4 of the periodic table (Ti, Zr, and Hf); (B) at least one element selected from the group consisting of the Group 1 elements of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and the elements of Group 3 (including La and Ac) and Groups 5-15 of the periodic table; (C) at least one element selected from the group consisting of the Group 1 elements of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and the elements Ca, Sr, and Ba; and (D) oxygen.
US08796493B2

The present invention provides a method for separating halocarbons. In particular, the invention provides a method for separating halogenated olefin impurities from 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoropropane (HCFC-244bb) using a solid adsorbent, particularly activated carbon. More particularly the invention pertains to a method for separating 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoro-propene (HCFO-1233xf) from HCFC-244bb, which are useful as intermediates in the production of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf).
US08796491B2

The present invention pertains to process for the amidation of a substituted 1-bromo-adamantane comprising a step (0) of reacting a substituted adamantane with an excess of bromine to obtain a 1-bromo-adamantane and a step (i) of reacting said substituted 1-bromo-adamantane with an amide, wherein the substituted 1-bromo-adamantane is used in the form of a mixture comprising bromine as obtained in step (0), wherein in step (0) a bromine: substituted adamantane molar ratio of from [2.5:1] to less than [5:1] is employed.
US08796488B2

A novel process for the synthesis of Lacosamide using D,L-serine as starting material is described, where the methylation reaction of hydroxyl is carried out using an inexpensive base such as NaOH and an inexpensive alkylating agent, non-toxic and non-carcinogenic, such as methyl p-toluenesulfonate; the R enantiomer is isolated from the racemic mixture of Lacosamide after selective hydrolysis of the acetamide, salification of the racemic mixture with a chiral acid (HX*) in an organic solvent, resolution of the diastereoisomeric mixture, preferably by precipitation of the R enantiomer, and subsequent acetylation of the optically pure intermediate.
US08796487B2

An improved process for production of dialkyldithiophosphinic acid including sulfurizing a purified dialkylphosphinic acid by: reacting a hypophosphorous acid or salt with a stoichiometric excess of an alpha olefin in the presence of a free radical initiator to form a reaction product comprising monoalkylphosphinic acid and dialkylphosphinic acid; adding sufficient aqueous base to the reaction product to i) form the salts of the phosphinic acids, and ii) establish an aqueous phase and an organic phase, wherein a monoalkylphosphinic acid solubilizes into an aqueous phase; separating the organic phase from the aqueous phase; acidifying the organic phase and removing the olefin from the organic phase; isolating the purified dialkylphosphinic acid product; and sulfurizing the purified dialkylphosphinic acid product to form a dialkydithiophosphinic acid. The present invention also provides a process for preparing purified dialkylthiophosphinic chloride, and a process for preparing purified dialkylmonothiophosphinic acids.
US08796481B2

The present invention relates to a crystalline non-solvated form of 6,6′-[[3,3′,5,5′-tetrakis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-2,2′-diyl]bis(oxy)]bis-dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]-dioxaphosphepine (compound I) and toluene-solvates and acetone-solvates thereof.
US08796476B2

Pest controlling compositions exhibiting enhanced pesticidal activity levels and methods for preparing the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a liquid composition that includes at least one pesticide and at least one co-ingredient that enhances pesticidal activity of the composition compared to a composition dissimilar only in not having the at least one co-ingredient. The at least one co-ingredient may include at least one metal oxide, a combination of at least one transition metal salt and at least one proteinaceous material or a combination of at least one proteinaceous material and at least one polymeric material. The method further includes spray drying the liquid composition to provide a solid composition. In one aspect of this embodiment, the solid composition provided by the spray drying exhibits enhanced pesticidal activity compared to the liquid composition.
US08796465B2

The present invention relates to processes for the preparation of triazoles. These compounds are useful as anti-infective, anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, and prokinetic agents.
US08796464B2

A production method of an isoxazoline-substituted benzoic acid amide compound of Formula (1) where X is a halogen atom, C1-6 haloalkyl, etc., Y is a halogen atom, C1-6 alkyl, etc., R1 is a C1-6 haloalkyl, etc., R2 and R3 independently of each other are a hydrogen atom, C1-6 alkyl, etc., R4 is C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 haloalkyl, etc., R5 is a hydrogen atom, C1-6 alkyl, etc., m is an integer of 0 to 5, n is an integer of 0 to 4, including: reacting an isoxazoline-substituted benzene compound of Formula (3) where X, Y, R1, m, and n are the same as defined above, L is a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, —C(O)OH, —C(O)J, etc., J is a halogen atom, with a 2-aminoacetic acid amide compound of Formula (2) where R2, R3, R4, and R5 are the same as defined above, or a salt thereof; crystal forms and the production method thereof.
US08796459B2

The invention provides synthetic processes and synthetic intermediates that can be used to prepare 4-oxoquinolone compounds having useful integrase inhibiting properties.
US08796451B2

New crystalline forms of lopinavir are disclosed.
US08796448B1

Novel methods and compounds for treating Alzheimer's Disease are provided. In one aspect, the invention provides methods for treating Alzheimer's Disease by administering certain phenothiazine derivatives. In one embodiment, the methods include administering an effective amount of a 3-oxo-7-dialkyl-amino-phenothiazine derivative, or 3-oxo-7-dialkyl-amino-phenothiazine. In another embodiment, the invention provides methods for treating Alzheimer's Disease by administering an effective amount of a 3,7-diazetidin-1-yl-phenothiazine or a derivative thereof. In another aspect, the invention provides novel azetidinyl phenothiazine compounds.
US08796436B2

The invention relates to iRNA agents, which preferably include a monomer in which the ribose moiety has been replaced by a moiety other than ribose. The inclusion of such a monomer can allow for modulation of a property of the iRNA agent into which it is incorporated, e.g., by using the non-ribose moiety as a point to which a ligand or other entity, e.g., a lipophilic moiety. e.g., cholesterol, is directly, or indirectly, tethered. The invention also relates to methods of making and using such modified iRNA agents.
US08796435B2

Described are nucleic acids encoding a polypeptide for delivery of a nanoparticle to the cytosol, the peptide comprising: (a) a nanoparticle association domain, (b) a spacer domain, (c) an uptake domain, and (d) a vesicle escape domain, wherein the domains (a) through (d) appear in the same order as listed above, and wherein the peptide, upon addition of a non-hydrolyzable lipophilic moiety to the vesicle escape domain and binding to a nanoparticle, is effective to induce uptake of a nanoparticle by a cell and delivery of the nanoparticle to the cytosol of the cell. Also described are methods of delivery of a nanoparticle to the cytosol of a cell, the method comprising providing to a cell a nanoparticle attached to such a peptide. Exemplary nanoparticles include quantum dots.
US08796431B2

The present invention relates to processes for the production of peptides, and the peptides produced accordingly. Peptides produced according to the invention may be produced more efficiently than peptides produced according to prior art processes. The production process of the invention may lead to advantages in yield, purity, and/or price. Methods of marketing peptides are also disclosed.
US08796429B2

Compositions and methods for producing monoclonal antibodies and their derivatives reactive against bioactive lipid targets are described. These compositions include derivatized lipids, each of which comprises a bioactive lipid that having a polar head group and at least one hydrocarbon chain (e.g., a lysolipid such as lysophosphatidic acid or sphingosine-1-phosphate) in which a carbon atom has been derivatized with a pendant reactive group; immunogens made by linking a derivatized lipid to a carrier moiety (e.g., a carrier protein, polyethylene glycol, colloidal gold, alginate, or a silicone bead); monoclonal antibodies and derivatives produced by immunizing an animal with such an immunogen; and therapeutic and diagnostic compositions containing such antibodies and antibody derivatives. Methods for making such derivatized lipids, immunogens, and monoclonal antibodies and derivatives, methods for detecting such antibodies once generated, and therapeutic and diagnostic methods for using such antibodies and derivatives, are also described.
US08796417B2

It is to provide an inorganic thin film of titanium dioxide or the like which is controlled at the nanoscale and a three-dimensional structure of a functional material such as semiconductor nanoparticles. A three-dimensional structure of an inorganic material is manufactured by introducing onto a surface of an inorganic substrate ferritin presenting on its surface a plurality of inorganic material-binding peptides; binding the ferritin in a monolayer onto the inorganic substrate; introducing an inorganic material onto the ferritin which is bound in a monolayer, while the inorganic material-binding peptides is having a binding and/or biomineralization ability for the inorganic material; forming a biomineral layer utilizing the biomineralization ability of the inorganic material-binding peptides; and subsequently repeating one or more times the steps (a) and (b) of a multilayering operation: (a) introducing onto the biomineral layer thus formed the ferritin having a binding ability to the biomineral layer, and binding the ferritin in a monolayer onto the biomineral layer; (b) introducing the inorganic material onto the surface of the ferritin which is bound in a monolayer, and forming a biomineral layer.
US08796415B2

A peptide including the amino acids sequence X9CGYX13X14AX16X17X18MX20X21X22X23X24X25X26X27CPLCX32X33, a nucleic acid coding for the peptide, and/or a recombinant vector including the nucleic acid for the preparation of a drug intended for the treatment of cancer.
US08796414B2

Disclosed are compositions relating to novopeptides identified by the presence of frameshift mutations in tumor genes previously not identified as being oncogenic. The disclosed peptides can be used in the disclosed methods for the treatment of cancer.
US08796413B2

Provided are a method for producing a polymer material having a high degree of crystallization, a small variability in degree of crystallization, and a three-dimensionally isotropic crystallinity to thus give high thermal resistance, high isotropy of resin physical properties, and a small variability in resin physical properties; and the polymer material. The method for producing a polymer material includes the steps of: heating a thermoplastic resin to or above a melting point determined from a melting peak measured by DSC into a thermoplastic resin melt; applying a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure to the thermoplastic resin melt; starting cooling the thermoplastic resin melt with a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure applied thereto; releasing the pressure on the thermoplastic resin melt after cooling the thermoplastic resin melt to a cooling-end-temperature lower than an upper limit of a crystallization temperature range, wherein during the cooling, the pressure on the thermoplastic resin melt is maintained at the pressure higher than atmospheric pressure or raised. The polymer material is one obtained by the above production method.
US08796412B2

Disclosed are a multi-block copolymer, its producing method and an electrolyte membrane using the same. The multi-block copolymer includes a hydrophobic block having a plurality of repeating units represented as chemical formula 1; and a hydrophilic block having a plurality of repeating units represented as chemical formula 2. The multi-block copolymer is acidified, and can be used to an electrolyte membrane and a fuel cell. The use of the multi-block copolymer as an electrolyte membrane ensures excellent dimensional stability.
US08796407B2

An extrudable polyvinyl chloride composition comprising from 80 to 99.9 percent by weight polyvinyl chloride for use in extruding a first part and a second part, wherein a fusion joint between the first extruded part and the second extruded part is formed by: A) composition at least a portion of a first terminal edge of the first extruded part and a first terminal edge of the second extruded part; B) engaging the melted terminal edges; and C) maintaining pressure between the engaged terminal edges to create a fused joint having a strength that is at least 50% of the tensile strength of the extruded part as measured by ASTM D638-2a. The extruded parts can be pipe sections.
US08796406B2

A copolymer suitable for use in forming a solid polymer electrolyte film comprising a first monomer represented by Formula (1): wherein n is 2 to 1,000; m is 2 to 1,000; x and y are individually 1 to 100; p is 0 to 10; and q is 1 to 10, R1 is an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and A is an alkyl acryloyl group an acryloyl group, alkyl acryloyl group, methacryloyl group, alkyl methacryloyl group, a vinyl group, an allyl group, a styryl group, or a combination of two or more thereof; and a second monomer chosen from a hydroxyl-substituted alkyl acrylate, a hydroxyl-substituted alkyl methacrylate, or a combination of two or more thereof. The copolymer may be used to form a solid polymer electrolyte composition comprising (i) the copolymer, (ii) a plasticizer, and (iii) a salt. The solid polymer electrolyte may be used to form a solid polymer electrolyte film, which may be suitable for use in electrochemical devices.
US08796397B2

Provided are a silicone resin that yields a cured product excellent in flexibility, toughness, and heat resistance and high in transparency, a process for producing the said silicone resin, and a curable resin composition comprising the said silicone resin. The silicone resin is obtained by reacting an organopolysiloxane containing SiH groups represented by general formula (3) with an organopolysiloxane containing hydroxyl groups at both ends represented by general formula (5) and an alcohol containing radically reactive groups represented by general formula (6) in the presence of a hydroxylamine compound represented by general formula (4) as a catalyst and this silicone resin is used in formulating a curable resin composition. In the general formulas, R is an alkyl group of 1-12 carbon atoms optionally containing an oxygen atom or an aryl group, R1 is an alkyl group, Y is a hydrocarbon group of 1-12 carbon atoms optionally containing an oxygen atom, Z is a (meth)acryloyl group, a vinyl group, or an allyl group, and n, s, m, and r are numbers respectively expressed as 0
US08796396B2

A polylactic acid has a terminal-modified structure represented by the following formula (1): wherein in the formula (1), R represents a residue of an organic phosphorus compound containing an epoxy group, and n represents an integer from 100 to 5000.
US08796386B2

A thiocarbonyl compound represented by the following formula (a) is useful as a RAFT agent. By using this, a process for producing a polymer having a excellent reactivity or monomer conversion rate and its polymer are provided. In the following formula (a), n indicates 1 to 6, and Z indicates an organic group selected from a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl
US08796383B2

Films (or a cap layer of co-extruded films) and methods of forming the same are described herein. The films generally include a modified olefin based polymer including polypropylene and from 1 wt. % to 30 wt. % polylactic acid (PLA), wherein the modified olefin based polymer exhibits a seal initiation temperature (SIT) that is at least 5° C. less than a seal initiation temperature of the polypropylene absent the PLA and a hot tack range of at least 20° C.
US08796382B2

Disclosed herein is a two-component structural adhesive based on organic compounds containing radically polymerizable multiple bonds, in particular substituted acrylates and/or methacrylates, which on account of their lack of acids are particularly suited for adhering rare earth permanent magnets based on neodymium-iron-boron.
US08796381B2

Encapsulated cure systems are provided wherein a curative is incorporated into a solid or semi-solid carrier material whereby mere fracturing or failure of the capsule wall encapsulating such cure systems will not provide for or allow sufficient release of the curative. Also provided are adhesive systems incorporating said encapsulated cure systems.
US08796380B2

The present disclosure relates to processes for recovery of derivatives of native lignin from lignocellulosic feedstocks wherein the derivatives have a certain aliphatic hydroxyl content. Surprisingly, it has been found that stable and predictable antioxidant activity is provided by selecting for derivatives of native lignin having a certain aliphatic hydroxyl content.
US08796377B2

The invention relates to a hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive. The hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive is particularly well suited for flexible substrates such as plastic and paperboard packaging.
US08796360B2

The invention relates to an epoxy/rubber composition comprising an epoxy resin which comprises an epoxy compound X, the epoxy compound X has epoxy equivalent weight (EEW) from 150 up to 200 and viscosity from 2,000 up to 10,000 cps (25 C), a curing agent, a liquid rubber that is liquid at room temperature and comprises at least 1.5 reactive terminated group, a fluorine contained organic matter, selected from a group, including where: n=1-20; X=—COOH, —CONH2, —CON(C6H5)2, —CH2OH. b) CF3(CF2)nCOOH, where: n=7-9. where: n=3-20.
US08796359B2

The invention provides a method of polymerizing monomer to form polymer at the surface of solid particulate material, said method comprising: providing a dispersion of said solid particulate material in a continuous hydrophilic liquid phase, said dispersion comprising a hydrophilic RAFT agent as a stabilizer for said solid particulate material, and said continuous hydrophilic liquid phase comprising one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers; and polymerizing said one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers under the control of said hydrophilic RAFT agent to thereby form polymer at the surface of said solid particulate material.
US08796353B2

This invention includes a wettable biomedical device containing a high molecular weight hydrophilic polymer and a hydroxyl-functionalized silicone-containing monomer.
US08796352B2

Provided is a material suitable for an optical element, which can be applied by inkjet, has an ultraviolet curable characteristic, and yields a cured product excellent in transparency and hardness and having a refractive index of more than 1.5. Specifically, an optical element excellent in transparency and hardness and having a refractive index of more than 1.5 is obtained by preparing a resin composition including at least: (A) 5 to 45 mass % of a vinyl group-containing copolymer obtained by copolymerization of a divinyl aromatic compound; (B) 55 to 94 mass % of a liquid photocurable polyfunctional (meth)acrylate having two or more (meth)acryloyl groups; (C) 0.97 to 20 mass % of a photopolymerization initiator; and (D) 0.03 to 1 mass % of a surfactant, and applying the resin composition onto a support substrate by inkjet, followed by photocuring.
US08796345B2

A method to form a urethane material, the method comprises blending and reacting at least one isocyanate, at least one isocyanate reactive compound and a metallized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane to provide said urethane material, the metallized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane is a dimeric structure with general formula wherein M represents a metal providing a 6-coordinated metal center, x and y being 1, R1O and R2O represent an alkoxide bridging the 6-coordinated metal centers, R3OH and R4OH represent an alcohol ligand and each of R5, to R18 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl-, polyether- and polyester ligands.
US08796340B2

The invention provides novel pharmaceutical compositions comprising the active ingredient propofol. Preferably, propofol is dissolved in at least one semifluorinated alkane. The compositions, which are preferably liquid or gel-like, may optionally comprise further excipients. They may be used as fill material in capsules, as buccal or nasal sprays, or as aerosols for pulmonary administration. They are particularly useful for the transmucosal administration of propofol.
US08796323B2

Disclosed are methods of treating and/or preventing infections in mammals caused by microorganisms, by administering to a mammal a therapeutically effective amount of at least one defensin-like molecule, e.g., in a composition that includes such molecule. Also disclosed are the use of such defensin-like molecules for treating and/or preventing infections in mammals; and kits that may include such molecules, or compositions that include such molecules, as well as instructions for using such molecules to treat a mammal.
US08796322B2

Novel 1,2,4-oxadiazole benzoic acid compounds, methods of using and pharmaceutical compositions comprising an 1,2,4-oxadiazole benzoic acid derivative are disclosed. The methods include methods of treating or preventing a disease ameliorated by modulation of premature translation termination or nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, or ameliorating one or more symptoms associated therewith.
US08796312B2

The present invention relates to modulators of ATP-Binding Cassette (“ABC”) transporters or fragments thereof, including Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (“CFTR”), compositions thereof, and methods therewith. The present invention also relates to methods of treating ABC transporter mediated diseases using such modulators.
US08796310B2

The invention provides certain amino-pyridine-containing compounds of the Formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, and n are as defined herein. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and methods of using the compounds for treating diseases or conditions mediated by Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (Syk) kinase.
US08796308B2

This invention relates to a compound of Formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R is COOH or CH2OH.
US08796307B2

Compounds of formula in free or salt or solvate form, where Ar is a group of formula Y is carbon or nitrogen and R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, X, n, p, q and r are as defined in the specification, their preparation and their use as pharmaceuticals, particularly for the treatment of obstructive or inflammatory airways diseases.
US08796305B2

The present application relates to novel substituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3-carboxamides, to processes for their preparation, to their use alone or in combinations for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases and to their use for preparing medicaments for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, in particular for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of cardiovascular disorders.
US08796304B2

The invention is directed to compounds with the structure which are PDE10A enzyme inhibitors. The invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The present invention also provides processes for the preparation of the compounds of formula I. The present invention further provides a method of treating a subject suffering from a neurodegenerative disorder comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula I. The present invention also provides a method of treating a subject suffering from a drug addiction comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula I. The present invention further provides a method of treating a subject suffering from a psychiatric disorder comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula I.
US08796298B2

The present invention relates to a method of treating cancer in a human and to pharmaceutical combinations useful in such treatment. In particular, the method relates to a cancer treatment method that includes administering N-{3-[5-(2-Amino-4-pyrimidinyl)-2-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3-thiazol-4-yl]-2-fluorophenyl}-2,6-difluorobenzenesulfonamide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and N-{(1S)-2-amino-1-[(3-fluorophenyl)methyl]ethyl}-5-chloro-4-(4-chloro-1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-2-thiophenecarboxamide, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to a human in need thereof.
US08796295B2

Disclosed are negative allosteric modulators of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5); synthetic methods for making the compounds; pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds; and methods of treating neurological and psychiatric disorders associated with glutamate dysfunction using the compounds and compositions. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.
US08796292B2

The invention features compounds of formula (I): The compounds are useful as antibacterial agents, especially again Clostridium difficile-associated diseases.
US08796291B2

Disclosed are A3 adenosine receptor antagonists and/or partial agonists of formula (I): wherein R1 to R5 are as described herein, as well as pharmaceutical compositions thereof and methods of use thereof. The antagonists or partial agonists find use in treating a number of diseases including cancer, glaucoma, inflammatory diseases, asthma, stroke, myocardial infarction, allergic reactions, rhinitis, poison ivy induced responses, urticaria, scleroderma, arthritis, brain arteriole diameter constriction, bronchoconstriction, and myocardial ischemia, as well as in preventing cardiac ischemia. Also disclosed are radiolabeled compounds of formula (I) and the use thereof in diagnostic imaging of tissues and organs.
US08796288B2

The invention comprises (1) anhydrous crystalline forms of N-[1-(2-ethoxyethyl)-5-(N-ethyl-N-methylamino)-7-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl-amino)-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine-3-carbonyl]methanesulfonamide, (2) pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one such form, (3) methods for the treatment of a phosphodiesterase-5-mediated condition using at least one such form, and (4) methods for preparing such forms. The compound N-[1-(2-ethoxyethyl)-5-(N-ethyl-N-methylamino)-7-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl-amino)-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine-3-carbonyl]methanesulfonamide has the following structure (I).
US08796282B2

A method of treating a dermatological disorder in a subject includes the step of administering a therapeutically effective amount of at least one PPARγ agonist or derivative thereof to the subject.
US08796266B2

Methods of using compounds which are progesterone receptor agonists for contraception and the treatment of progesterone-related maladies alone or in combination with an estrogen receptor agonist or progesterone receptor antagonist are provided. These compounds have the structure: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and Q1 are defined herein.
US08796263B2

Aminoquinazolinyl compounds of formula (I) are described, which are useful as prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors. Such compounds may be used in pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the treatment of disease states, disorders, and conditions mediated by prolyl hydroxylase activity. Thus, the compounds may be administered to treat, e.g., anemia, vascular disorders, metabolic disorders, and wound healing.
US08796258B2

Novel compounds of structural formula (I) are activators of AMP-protein kinase and are useful in the treatment, prevention and suppression of diseases mediated by the AMPK-activated protein kinase. The compounds of the present invention are useful in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, hyperglycemia, metabolic syndrome, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension.
US08796256B2

The present invention relates to compounds of Formula (I), methods for preparing these compounds, compositions, intermediates and derivatives thereof and for treating a condition including but not limited to ankylosing spondylitis, artherosclerosis, arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis, infectious arthritis, childhood arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis), bone-related diseases (including those related to bone formation), breast cancer (including those unresponsive to anti-estrogen therapy), cardiovascular disorders, cartilage-related disease (such as cartilage injury/loss, cartilage degeneration, and those related to cartilage formation), chondrodysplasia, chondrosarcoma, chronic back injury, chronic bronchitis, chronic inflammatory airway disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, disorders of energy homeostasis, gout, pseudogout, lipid disorders, metabolic syndrome, multiple myeloma, obesity, osteoarthritis, osteogenesis imperfecta, osteolytic bone metastasis, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, Paget's disease, periodontal disease, polymyalgia rheumatica, Reiter's syndrome, repetitive stress injury, hyperglycemia, elevated blood glucose level, and insulin resistance.
US08796250B2

The present invention provides methods for treating and/or preventing conditions and diseases in humans and other mammals that are associated with and/or mediated by signal transduction pathways comprising platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) by administering diaryl ureas of Formula I. The present invention also provides devices and methods for treating, ameliorating, preventing, or modulating restenosis following angioplastic surgery or other invasive procedures that affect or injure the vascular system, and graft rejection following transplantation of a donor tissue into a host, where a stent or other omplantable device comprises an effective amount of diaryl ureas of Formula I.
US08796245B2

The present invention is directed to a compound represented by Structural Formula (A): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The variables for Structural Formula (A) are defined herein. Also described is a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of Structural Formula (A) and its therapeutic use.
US08796244B2

The invention relates to new bicyclic heterocyclic derivative compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds and to the use of the compounds in the treatment of diseases, e.g. cancer.
US08796242B2

A hydrogel tissue adhesive formed by reacting an aldehyde-functionalized polysaccharide containing pendant aldehyde groups with a water-dispersible, multi-arm amine is described. The hydrogel may be useful as a tissue adhesive or sealant for medical applications that require a more rapid degradation time, such as the prevention of undesired tissue-to tissue adhesions resulting from trauma or surgery.
US08796240B2

An object is to provide a cell growth inhibitor also effective for androgen-independent prostate cancer. The present invention provides a cell growth inhibitor having, as an active ingredient, an expression inhibitor or function inhibitor of an antisense RNA (CTBP1-AS) expressed in the vicinity of an androgen receptor (AR) binding site of a C-terminal binding protein (CTBP1) gene.
US08796239B2

The invention relates to modified siRNA compounds which down-regulate target gene expression, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and to methods of treating and/or preventing the incidence or severity of various diseases or conditions associated with the genes and/or symptoms associated with such diseases or conditions.
US08796237B2

The invention provides an isolated nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide capable of inhibiting angiogenesis or neovascularization, wherein the nucleic acid comprises a first polynucleotide sequence comprising a coding sequence at least 95 percent identical to a sequence selected from the group consisting of a polynucleotide SEQ ID NO:6, a polynucleotide that encodes a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:12, and a polynucleotide that encodes a fragment of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:12; and wherein the nucleic acid does not encode for the amino acid sequence of amino acids 71-93 of SEQ ID NO:1. Pharmaceutical compositions, vectors, and methods for inhibiting neovascularization or angiogenesis comprising or utilizing the nucleic acids also are provided.
US08796230B2

A method for reducing alcohol consumption in a subject includes a step of identifying a subject exhibiting at least one symptom of alcoholism and then administering a therapeutically effective amount of an Ivermectin analogue-containing composition to the subject. A method of screening Ivermectin analogues for reducing alcohol consumption is also provided.
US08796229B2

Compounds and methods for use in selectively inhibiting a lytic enzyme based on feedback inhibition are described. The conjugated compound serves as a substrate for a lytic enzyme. Cleavage of the conjugated compound by the lytic enzyme releases an inhibitor of the enzyme.
US08796227B2

Novel peptidic or peptidomimetic agents or small molecules for modulating the biological effect of a chemokine. According to the present invention, the therapeutic agents preferably are endowed with the capacity to bind to certain chemokines in order to modulate the biological interaction between the target ligand, chemokine, and the respective target receptor, chemokine receptor. These peptides may be described as agonist ligands or antagonists. Next, preferably certain peptides share consensus sequences are described which characterize the families or categories of these modulator peptides.
US08796226B2

Long acting parenteral pharmaceutical compositions comprising a therapeutically effective amount of glatiramer are provided. In particular, the long acting pharmaceutical composition comprises a therapeutically effective amount of glatiramer acetate in depot form suitable for administering at a medically acceptable location in a subject in need thereof. The depot form is suitable for subcutaneous or intramuscular implantation or injection.
US08796225B2

The present invention relates to the use of chaperonin 10 to modulate the function of antigen presenting cells. More particularly the invention resides in the modulation of cell surface expression of MHC molecules such as HLA.
US08796216B2

The present invention relates to a method for suppressing neuroendocrine disease. The therapy employs use of a non-cytotoxic protease, which is targeted to a neuroendocrine tumor cell, preferably via a somatostatin or cortistatin receptor, a GHRH receptor, a ghrelin receptor, a bombesin receptor, a urotensin receptor a melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1; a KiSS-1 receptor or a prolactin-releasing peptide receptor. When so delivered, the protease is internalized and inhibits secretion from said tumor cell. The present invention also relates to polypeptides and nucleic acids for use in said methods.
US08796209B2

The invention relates to an isolated amino acid that can act as an antagonist to FGF signaling, comprising at least a portion of the FGF protein amino acid sequence, and including a mutation in either a) the integrin αvβ3 binding region of FGF-1; or b) the FGFR binding region of FGF-1.
US08796207B2

The present invention relates to a compound which is a polysaccharide derivative of EPO, or of an EPO like protein, wherein the polysaccharide is anionic and comprises between 2 and 200 saccharide units. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the novel compounds, and methods for making the novel compounds.
US08796201B2

Administering an effective dose of glutenase to a Celiac or dermatitis herpetiformis patient reduces levels of toxic gluten oligopeptides, thereby attenuating or eliminating the damaging effects of gluten.
US08796194B2

The lubricating oil composition of the invention includes a lubricating base oil with a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of 1-6 mm2/s, a % Cp of 70 or greater and a % CA of no greater than 2, and a viscosity index improver which, when added to the lubricating base oil, results in an A/B ratio of less than 3.2 and a C/B ratio of less than 1.5. A is the thickening effect on the kinematic viscosity at 100° C., B is the thickening effect on the HTHS viscosity at 150° C., and C is the thickening effect on the HTHS viscosity at 100° C.
US08796192B2

A natural gas engine lubricating oil composition is disclosed which comprises (a) a major amount of an oil of lubricating viscosity, (b) one or more phosphorus-containing anti-wear additives, (c) one or more oil soluble overbased alkaline earth metal-containing detergents; and (d) one or more oil soluble neutral alkali metal-containing detergents, wherein the natural gas engine lubricating oil composition contains no more than about 0.03 weight percent of phosphorus, based on the total weight of the natural gas engine lubricating oil composition.
US08796191B2

The disclosed invention relates to a biodegradable grease composition. The grease composition comprises the reaction product of a dispersion of metal oxide and/or hydroxide particulates with at least one animal or vegetable oil. The dispersion comprises an organic medium and has a water content of up to about 0.5% by weight water. The particulates have a mean particle size up to about 15 microns. A process for making a grease composition using a dispersion of metal oxide and/or hydroxide particulates is disclosed.
US08796190B2

A thermally conductive silicone grease composition comprising at least the following components: an organopolysiloxane (A) represented by the following general formula: [wherein R1 designates identical or different univalent hydrocarbon groups; X designates identical or different univalent hydrocarbon groups or alkoxysilyl-containing groups of the following general formula: —R2—SiR1a(OR3)(3-a) (wherein R1 designates the previously mentioned groups; R2 designates oxygen atoms or alkylene groups; R3 designates alkyl groups; and ‘a’ is an integer ranging from 0 to 2); and ‘m’ and ‘n’ are integers equal to or greater than 0, respectively]; a thermally conductive filler (B); and an organopolysiloxane (C) having silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms on both molecular terminals and in the molecular chains; is characterized by excellent resistance to heat and reduced oil bleeding.
US08796186B2

A system and method for processing biological sensors. The system includes a support component configured to support a fluidic component. The fluidic component includes at least a first container and a second container. The first container is capable of holding a first volume of a first fluid, and the second container is capable of holding a second volume of a second fluid. Additionally, the system includes a hybridization component configured to perform a hybridization process on a first sensor and a second sensor. Moreover, the system includes a transport component configured to move the first sensor, directly or indirectly, from the hybridization component into the first container and in contact with the first volume of the first fluid.
US08796182B2

The invention relates to variants that predispose to risk of type 2 diabetes, basal cell carcinoma and breast cancer. It has been discovered that certain genetic variants confer risk of these diseases when inherited from one parent, but not the other. The invention provides methods of disease management, including diagnostic methods, utilizing such parental origin effects.
US08796181B2

The invention pertains to creating new extremely low resistance (“ELR”) materials, which may include high temperature superconducting (“HTS”) materials. In some implementations of the invention, an ELR material may be modified by depositing a layer of modifying material unto the ELR material to form a modified ELR material. The modified ELR material has improved operational characteristics over the ELR material alone. Such operational characteristics may include operating at increased temperatures or carrying additional electrical charge or other operational characteristics. In some implementations of the invention, the ELR material is a cuprate-perovskite, such as, but not limited to YBCO. In some implementations of the invention, the modifying material is a conductive material that bonds easily to oxygen, such as, but not limited to, chromium.
US08796166B2

The invention relates to compositions based on Ce-stabilized ZrO2, and single- and multi-colored blanks made from oxide ceramics, and a process for their preparation, in which oxide ceramic powder is coated with a coloring substance, the coated powders are preferably graded and at least one colored powder is filled into a compression mould, the colored powder or powders are compressed to produce a shaped body, and the compressed shaped body is sintered to produce a blank, and to the use of these blanks for the preparation of dental restorations. The compositions exhibit high fracture toughness and high flexural strength.
US08796151B2

Systems for and methods of laser-enhanced plasma processing of semiconductor materials are disclosed. The method includes supporting a semiconductor material in a processing chamber interior and subjecting the semiconductor material to a plasma process. The method also includes simultaneously heating the wafer surface with a laser beam through a window in the processing chamber to increase the reaction rate of the plasma process. Other methods include performing laser heating of the semiconductor material before or after the plasma process but while the semiconductor material resides in the same chamber interior.
US08796147B2

Insulating layers can be formed over a semiconductor device region and etched in a manner that substantially reduces or prevents the amount of etching of the underlying channel region. A first insulating layer can be formed over a gate region and a semiconductor device region. A second insulating layer can be formed over the first insulating layer. A third insulating layer can be formed over the second insulating layer. A portion of the third insulating layer can be etched using a first etching process. A portion of the first and second insulating layers beneath the etched portion of the third insulating layer can be etched using at least a second etching process different from the first etching process.
US08796146B2

Method and apparatus for direct writing of passive structures having a tolerance of 5% or less in one or more physical, electrical, chemical, or optical properties. The present apparatus is capable of extended deposition times. The apparatus may be configured for unassisted operation and uses sensors and feedback loops to detect physical characteristics of the system to identify and maintain optimum process parameters.
US08796134B2

Methods of forming integrated circuit devices include forming first and second electrically conductive lines at side-by-side locations on an integrated circuit substrate. Steps are performed to selectively etch each of the first and second electrically conductive lines into a respective pair of interconnects having facing ends that are separated from each other. This selective etching step is performed using a photolithography mask having a modified-rectangular mask pattern thereon, which is configured to define a shape of the facing ends of each of the pair of interconnects.
US08796123B2

An impurity of a first conductivity type is implanted onto a silicon carbide substrate through an opening in a mask layer. First and second films made of first and second materials respectively are formed. It is sensed that etching of the first material is performed during anisotropic etching, and then anisotropic etching is stopped. An impurity of a second conductivity type is implanted onto the silicon carbide substrate through the opening narrowed by the first and second films. Thus, the impurity regions can be formed in an accurately self-aligned manner.
US08796121B1

A method of forming a REO dielectric layer and a layer of a-Si between a III-N layer and a silicon substrate. The method includes depositing single crystal REO on the substrate. The single crystal REO has a lattice constant adjacent the substrate matching the lattice constant of the substrate and a lattice constant matching a selected III-N material adjacent an upper surface. A uniform layer of a-Si is formed on the REO. A second layer of REO is deposited on the layer of a-Si with the temperature required for epitaxial growth crystallizing the layer of a-Si and the crystallized silicon being transformed to amorphous silicon after transferring the lattice constant of the selected III-N material of the first layer of REO to the second layer of REO, and a single crystal layer of the selected III-N material deposited on the second layer of REO.
US08796112B2

A method of forming a three-dimensional electronic device includes forming at least one electronic device on a two-dimensional, flexible substrate, the electronic device being formed according to a three-dimensional structure, cutting the two-dimensional, flexible substrate, the cuts being located to allow the two-dimensional substrate to be shaped, the cuts having at least one stress relief feature, and shaping the two-dimensional, flexible substrate to form the three-dimensional structure, the stress relief features arranged to alleviate stress in the three-dimensional structure. A method of forming a three-dimensional electronic device includes forming at least one electronic device on a two-dimensional, flexible substrate, the electronic device being formed according to a three-dimensional structure, cutting the two-dimensional, flexible substrate, the cuts being arranged to as to increase a radius of curvature to meet a stress relief parameter when the substrate is shaped, and shaping the two-dimensional, flexible substrate to form the three-dimensional structure.
US08796105B2

A method for depositing a polysilazane on a semiconductor wafer is provided. The method includes steps of disposing a silazane onto the semiconductor wafer, and heating the silazane to form the polysilazane on the semiconductor wafer. An apparatus for preparing a polysilazane on a semiconductor wafer is also provided.
US08796100B2

The present invention discloses a method of manufacturing an N-type LDMOS device. The method comprises forming a gate above the semiconductor substrate; forming a body, comprising forming a Pwell apart from the gate and forming a Pbase partly in the Pwell, wherein the Pbase is wider and shallower than the Pwell; and forming an N-type source and a drain contact region. Wherein the body curvature of the LDMOS device is controlled by adjusting the layout width of the Pwell.
US08796083B2

A method is provided for controlling the channel length in a thin-film transistor (TFT). The method forms a printed ink first source/drain (S/D) structure overlying a substrate. A fluoropolymer mask is deposited to cover the first S/D structure. A boundary region is formed between the edge of the fluoropolymer mask and the edge of the printed ink first S/D structure, having a width. Then, a primary ink is printed at least partially overlying the boundary region, forming a printed ink second S/D structure, having an edge adjacent to the fluoropolymer mask edge. After removing the fluoropolymer mask, the printed ink first S/D structure edge is left separated from the printed ink second S/D structure edge by a space equal to the boundary region width. A semiconductor channel is formed partially overlying the first and second S/D structures, having a channel length equal to the boundary region width.
US08796078B2

An object is to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics. In addition, another object is to manufacture a highly reliable semiconductor device at low cost with high productivity. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer as a channel formation region, the oxide semiconductor layer is heated under a nitrogen atmosphere to lower its resistance, thereby forming a low-resistance oxide semiconductor layer. Further, resistance of a region of the low-resistance oxide semiconductor layer, which is overlapped with a gate electrode layer, is selectively increased, thereby forming a high-resistance oxide semiconductor layer. Resistance of the oxide semiconductor layer is increased by forming a silicon oxide film in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer by a sputtering method.
US08796077B2

Provided is a semiconductor device with a semiconductor chip mounted on a small-sized package substrate that includes a slot, a large number of external connection terminals, and bonding fingers. The bonding fingers are connected to the external connection terminals. The bonding fingers constitute a bonding finger arrangement in a central section and end sections of a bonding finger area along each longer side of the slot. The arrangement includes a first bonding finger array, which is located at a close distance from each longer side of the slot, and a second array, which is located at a farther distance than the distance of the first bonding finger array from each longer side of the slot. The central section of the bonding finger area includes the second bonding finger array, and the end sections of the bonding finger area include the first bonding finger array.
US08796076B2

After formation of an opening by exposing and development of the photosensitive surface protection film and adhesive layer which is formed on the circuit side of the semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor chips having a photosensitive surface protection film and adhesive layer thereon is fabricated by cutting individual chips from the semiconductor wafer. After the second semiconductor chip is placed over the first semiconductor chip up by the suction collet, the second semiconductor chip is bonded with the first semiconductor chip by the first surface protection film and adhesive layer. The suction side of the suction collet has lower adhesion to the second semiconductor chip than that between the now bonded semiconductor chips.
US08796073B2

The cost associated with alignment in a stacked IC device can be reduced by aligning multiple die instead of a single die during the alignment step. In one embodiment, the alignment structures are placed in the scribe line instead of within the die itself. Aligning four die instead of one eliminates the need for as many alignment indicators and thus more silicon on the wafer can be used for active areas. In addition, this method allows for yield improvement through binning of dies having the same yield configuration.
US08796071B2

The present invention related to a method for manufacturing a thermal dissipation substrate and a thermal dissipation substrate. The method includes steps of: (a) providing a substrate body having a surface; (b) forming a plurality of concave regions on the surface; and (c) filling the plurality of concave regions with a plurality of diamond materials. The thermal dissipation substrate includes: a substrate having a surface at a first horizontal; a plurality of regions formed on the surface at a second horizontal; and a plurality of diamond materials having a relatively high thermal coefficient and disposed on the plurality of regions.
US08796065B2

An electrochemical cell and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The electrochemical cell comprising: a first conductive layer; a metal oxide layer formed on the first conductive layer, the metal oxide layer comprising a plurality of adjacent metal oxide cells, spaced from one another; a functional dye layer formed on the metal oxide layer; a second conductive layer; and an electrolyte between the functional dye layer and the second conductive layer, wherein at least one of the first and second conductive layers is transparent, and wherein the metal oxide layer is formed from a metal oxide particle dispersion liquid.
US08796061B2

Solar cells are packaged by placing the solar cells between sheets of encapsulants. The encapsulants are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the encapsulants and bond the encapsulants together to encapsulate the solar cells. The UV curing steps may be performed to bond one of the encapsulants to a transparent top cover and the solar cells, and to bond the other encapsulant to the solar cells and a backsheet. A protective package that includes the transparent top cover, encapsulated solar cells, and the backsheet is then optionally mounted on a frame.
US08796051B2

A bonding apparatus for a display device includes a film bonding device for bonding an anisotropic conductive film to a display substrate; and a pressure device for bonding a driving chip to the anisotropic conductive film of the display substrate, wherein the pressure device includes a pressure head with a heat source, and a pressure tip attached to a lower surface of the pressure head and including a plurality of sub-pressure tips that are separated from each other.
US08796050B2

Methods and apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device that emits white light by forming a phosphor layer on an emission surface of the semiconductor light-emitting device at a wafer-level. The method includes: forming a plurality of light-emitting devices on a wafer; thinning the wafer, on which the plurality of light-emitting devices are formed; disposing the thinned wafer on a carrier film; and forming a phosphor layer on an emission surface of the plurality of light-emitting devices on the wafer.
US08796048B1

The present disclosure provides methods and structures for measurement, control, and monitoring the thickness of thin film layers formed as part of a semiconductor manufacturing process. The methods and structures presented provide the capability to measure and monitor the thickness of the thin film using trench line structures. In certain embodiments, the thin film thickness measurement system can be integrated with thin film growth and control software, providing automated process control (APC) or statistical process control (SPC) capability by measuring and monitoring the thin film thickness during manufacturing. Methods for measuring the thickness of thin films can be important to the fabrication of integrated circuits because the thickness and uniformity of the thin film can determine electrical characteristics of the transistors being fabricated.
US08796045B2

A method of forming a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device includes forming at least one write line, forming a first insulating layer over the at least one write line and forming a heating line on the first insulating layer. The method includes forming at least one tunnel junction above the at least one write line, the at least one tunnel junction connected to the heating line, forming a second insulating layer on the heating line and forming heat current supply vias at each end of the current line. The method further includes forming heat current supply lines connected to each heat current supply via and forming at least one read line above the at least one tunnel junction and physically connected to the at least one tunnel junction.
US08796041B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate including an M2 patterned area. A VA pillar structure is formed over the M2 patterned area. The VA pillar structure includes a substractively patterned metal layer. The VA pillar structure is a sub-lithographic contact. An MTJ stack is formed over the oxide layer and the metal layer of the VA pillar. A size of the MTJ stack and a shape anisotropy of the MTJ stack are independent of a size and a shape anisotropy of the sub-lithographic contact.
US08796040B2

A system of quantitatively determining a biomolecule, which has: allowing fluorescent silica particles capable of emitting fluorescence detectable by a flow cytometer to capture a target biomolecule fluorescent-labelled for quantitative determination; detecting the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent silica particles themselves by using the flow cytometer; and measuring the intensity of the fluorescence of the labelled target biomolecule, thereby quantitatively determining the target biomolecule.
US08796035B2

The invention relates to a method and to a device for sulfur characterization and quantification in a sample of sedimentary rocks or of petroleum products wherein the following stages are carried out: heating said sample in a pyrolysis oven (1) in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, oxidizing part of the pyrolysis effluents and continuously measuring the amount of SO2 generated by said part after oxidation, then transferring the pyrolysis residue of said sample into an oxidation oven (1′) and continuously measuring the amount of SO2 contained in the effluents resulting from said oxidation heating.
US08796034B2

A handheld, small but accurate and reliable device for diagnostic NO measurements using a NO sensor, where the parameters governing the taking of the sample are different from the parameters optimal for the accuracy of said NO sensor. By temporarily storing a portion of the exhaled air, and feeding this to the sensor at a flow rate adapted to the NO sensor, the accuracy and sensitivity of a system/method involving NO sensors, in particular electrochemical NO sensors, can be increased. The method for diagnostic NO measurements comprises steps for controlling the inhalation of NO free air, as well as the exhalation, both by built-in means and by audible and/or visual feedback to the patient.
US08796030B2

The present invention relates generally to encoding samples. More specifically, it relates to barcodes and compositions involving upconverters and methods including them. In a composition aspect of the invention, a composition comprising two or more lanthanide materials is provided. Each lanthanide material comprises a host, an absorber, and an emitter, and the materials emit detectable electromagnetic radiation upon excitation with absorbable electromagnetic energy. One or more relative ratios of emission intensities uniquely identify the composition.
US08796022B2

The present invention provides method, compositions, and systems for generating basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) using FGF8, SHH, LXH8, GBX1, or vectors encoding these ligands, as well as using such BFCNs to treat neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
US08796021B2

The present invention relates generally to the field of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and to the creation of cloned animals and cells. The disclosure relates to a method of cloning a mammal, obtaining pluripotent cells such as embryonic stem cells, or for reprogramming a mammalian cell using an oocyte and a fertilized embryo.
US08796019B2

The invention relates to the field of medical science, in particular to technology directed at repairing defects in living, preferably human, tissue. The present invention provides a method for inducing differentiation of multipotent cells to a desired cell type, as well as a method for repairing a tissue defect in a human or animal patient using the concept of said method for inducing differentiation of multipotent cells. The invention further relates to a kit for carrying out the method for repairing a tissue defect.
US08796017B2

A blood storage container suitable for quick and efficient production of a large amount of serum while ensuring high safety, and a method of separating blood and a regenerative medical process using the same are provided. In a blood component separator 1 for separating collected blood into a plurality of blood components and preserving them, the separator 1 including a blood reservoir 10 for reserving the blood and a component storage part 20 aseptically connected in an air-tight manner to this blood reservoir 10, to the aforementioned blood reservoir 10 being imparted a serum producing function to remove coagulation factors from the blood to an extent enabling use in practical applications as a serum, and the aforementioned component storage part 20 storing each blood component generated by separation of the blood in the blood reservoir 10.
US08796013B2

The compositions and methods of the invention described herein provide pre- or post-exposure treatments against filovirus or arenavirus infection by expressing one or more genes (e.g., two ore more genes) from filoviruses or arenaviruses in a delivery vehicle (e.g., a recombinant viral vector or a liposome).
US08796008B2

The present invention includes compositions and methods related to the structure and function of the cellular polyadenylation and specificity factor 30 (CPSF 30) binding site on the surface of the influenza A non-structural protein 1 (NS1). Specifically, critical biochemical reagents, conditions for crystallization and NMR analysis, assays, and general processes are described for (i) discovering, designing, and optimizing small molecule inhibitors of influenza A (avian flu) viruses and (ii) creating attenuated influenza virus strains suitable for avian and human flu vaccine development.
US08796006B2

The present invention relates to a crystal. In particular the present invention relates to a crystal of the N-domain of ACE protein. The present invention also relates to methods, processes, domain specific modulators, pharmaceutical compositions and uses of the N-domain crystal and the structure co-ordinates thereof.
US08796004B2

The invention is directed to treatment of systemic DNA mutation diseases accompanied with development of somatic mosaicism and elevation of blood extracellular DNA. The inventive method comprises introducing a DNASE enzyme into the systemic blood circulation of a patient in doses and regimens which are sufficient to decrease average molecular weight of circulating extracellular blood DNA in the blood of said patient.
US08795998B2

The present invention relates to a yeast cell, in particular a recombinant yeast cell, the cell lacking enzymatic activity needed for the NADH-dependent glycerol synthesis or the cell having a reduced enzymatic activity with respect to the NADH-dependent glycerol synthesis compared to its corresponding wild-type yeast cell, the cell comprising one or more heterologous nucleic acid sequences encoding an NAD+-dependent acetylating acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.10) activity. The invention further relates to the use of a cell according to the invention in the preparation of ethanol.
US08795997B2

The present invention provides a method for decreasing the fermentation inhibition in a process for producing a target chemical from a pretreated cellulosic material, the process comprising enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated cellulosic material and fermentation of hydrolysed material, wherein the fermentation inhibitory properties of the material subjected to fermentation is decreased by an addition of at least one reducing agent to the pretreated material or hydrolysed material. Moreover, the present invention provides the use of dithionite for decreasing the fermentation inhibitory properties of a material being subjected to simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation.
US08795994B2

The present invention relates to a method of producing biofuel, more specifically a method of producing biofuel comprising the steps of generating monosugars from marine algae, or from polysaccharides extracted from marine algae by treating the marine algae or the polysaccharides with a hydrolytic enzyme and/or a hydrolytic catalyst; and fermenting the monosugars using a microorganism to produce biofuel. The method of producing biofuel of the present invention solve the problem of raw material suppliance since it uses marine algae as a raw material for biomass, and reduce the production costs by excluding lignin eliminating process that has been required by the conventional method using wood-based raw materials, resulting in economic and environmental advantages.
US08795988B2

Functional shRNA is produced from an expression vector prepared by selecting a two primer design in which the primers are less than about 50 nucleotides in length, annealing and extending the primers using primer extension, digesting the primer extension product and inserting the digestion product into a suitable vector. When the shRNA vectors are inserted into a cell, shRNA transcribed from the vectors modulates gene activity within the cell.
US08795986B2

The invention relates to a method for the Bio-transformation of Thiocolchicine a colchicinoid compound into its glycosylated form using a selective microorganism Providencia vermicola. Use of bacterial strain, Providencia vermicola for microbial bio-transformation of thiocolchicine (TCN) to their corresponding 3-0-glycosyl derivative as well as specific strains of that species Providencia vermicola for microbial transformation of other colchicinoid compounds such as colchicine, thiocolchicine, 3-demethylcolchicine, 3-demethylthiocolchicine and N-deacetylthiocolchicine to its corresponding glycosylated form and subsequent isolation of the transformed compounds from the bacterial culture medium is disclosed. Providencia vermicola (MTCC 5578) a gram negative bacteria has been identified having trans-glycosylation ability and convert thiocolchicine (TCN) to Thiocolchicocide (TCS).
US08795970B2

There is a need for improved methods for determining the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with conditions, including autoimmune disease and cancer. Provided herein are methods for using DNA sequencing to identify personalized biomarkers in patients with autoimmune disease and other conditions. Identified biomarkers can be used to determine the disease state for a subject with an autoimmune disease or other condition.
US08795968B2

A method for producing a single stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecule of a defined length and sequence is disclosed. This method enables the preparation of, inter alia, probes of greater length than can be chemically synthesized. The method starts with a double stranded molecule, such as genomic, double stranded DNA (dsDNA) from any organism. A fragment of the starting molecule (dsDNA) is amplified by specific primers engineered to introduce cleavage sites on either side of the desired sequence. Cleavage steps on the amplified, engineered fragment are combined with a phosphate removal step, thereby creating a construct that can be digested with an exonuclease without damage to the desired ssDNA. Probes, which hybridize with large gaps between the ends of the probes, are also disclosed.
US08795955B2

A naphthalene derivative having formula (1) is provided wherein cyclic structures Ar1 and Ar2 denote a benzene or naphthalene ring, X is a single bond or C1-C20 alkylene, m is 0 or 1, and n is such a natural number as to provide a molecular weight of up to 100,000. A material comprising the naphthalene derivative or a polymer comprising the naphthalene derivative is spin coated to form a resist bottom layer having improved properties. A pattern forming process in which a resist bottom layer formed by spin coating is combined with an inorganic hard mask formed by CVD is available.
US08795953B2

In a pattern forming method, a first L & S pattern is formed on a wafer; a first protective layer, a second L & S pattern having a perpendicular periodic direction to that of the first L & S pattern, and a photoresist layer are formed to cover the first L & S pattern; a third pattern having first apertures is formed in the photoresist layer to be overlapped with a part of the second L & S pattern; second apertures are formed in the first protective layer via the first apertures; and a part of the first L & S pattern is removed via the second apertures. Accordingly, a pattern including a non-periodic portion finer than a resolution limit of an exposure apparatus is formed.
US08795948B2

A resist composition including a base component (A) which generates acid upon exposure and exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under the action of acid, the base component (A) containing a polymeric compound (A1) including a structural unit (a0) represented by general formula (a0-1) shown below, a structural unit (a1) containing an acid decomposable group which exhibits increased polarity by the action of acid and a structural unit (a6) which generates acid upon exposure (wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or a halogenated alkyl group; W represents —COO—, —CONH— or a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group; Y1 and Y2 represents a divalent linking group or a single bond; R′1 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R′2 represents a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group; and R2 represents an —SO2— containing cyclic group).
US08795945B2

An actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition, and a resist film and a pattern forming method using the composition are provided, the composition including (A) a compound capable of decomposing by the action of an acid to increase the solubility of the resin (A) in an alkali developer; (B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation; (C) a basic compound; and (D) a specific compound containing at least two specific alicyclic hydrocarbon groups each substituted with a hydroxyl group.
US08795944B2

Provided is an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition including: (A) a resin capable of increasing the solubility in an alkali developer by the action of an acid, (B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation, and (C) a resin which contains (c) a repeating unit having at least one polarity conversion group and has at least either a fluorine atom or a silicon atom.
US08795932B2

A method of fabricating a polarized color filter wherein a transparent substrate is provided and coated with a photoresist layer. A wave-shaped mask may then be prepared and a periodic wave-shaped surface may be placed in contact with the photoresist layer, treating the photoresist layer with a primary exposure process. An external force may be applied to the wave-shaped mask, and the transparent substrate or wave-shaped mask by be rotated by a predetermined degree. The photoresist layer may be treated with a secondary exposure process, wherein the photoresist layer is developed in order to obtain a photoresist pattern layer. A metal layer may be coated on the transparent substrate with the photoresist pattern layer. The photoresist pattern layer and the portion of the metal layer on the photoresist pattern layer may then be removed such that the remaining metal layer forms a periodic hole substrate.
US08795928B2

A wave-shaped mask for fabricating a nano-scale structure is disclosed. The wave-shaped mask comprises an elastomeric transparent substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a light-penetrable thin film layer disposed on the upper surface of the elastomeric transparent substrate. The upper surface of the elastomeric transparent substrate and the light-penetrable thin film layer are in a periodic wave shape, and the lower surface of the elastomeric transparent substrate is in a plate shape.
US08795927B2

An electrode catalyst layer characterized by comprising composite particles comprising electrode catalyst particles supported on electrically conductive particles, a perfluorocarbonsulfonic acid resin (component A) and a polyazole compound (component B), the content of the composite particles being 20 to 95% by weight, the total weight of component A and component B being 5 to 80% by weight, the weight ratio between component A and component B (A/B) being 1 to 999.
US08795924B2

A membrane electrode assembly for fuel cells includes a proton conducting membrane having a first side and a second side. The membrane electrode assembly further includes an anode disposed over the first side of the proton conducting layer and a cathode catalyst layer disposed over the second side of the proton conducting layer. One or both of the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer includes a first polymer which has cyclic polyether groups. An ink composition for forming a fuel cell catalyst layer is also provided.
US08795916B2

A fuel cell system includes a first heating mechanism and a second heating mechanism. The first heating mechanism directly heats a reformer using some of an exhaust gas discharged from a fuel cell stack. The second heating mechanism supplies the remaining exhaust gas to a heat exchanger and indirectly heats the reformer by the heat generated in the heat exchanger. The reformer performs preliminary reforming to produce a reformed gas. The reformed gas is supplied to an anode. At the anode, water produced in the power generation is present as a water vapor. The reformed gas is further reformed by steam reforming to produce a hydrogen gas.
US08795913B2

A fuel cell system including a fuel cell, and a converter which is connected between the fuel cell and a high voltage system and which sets an output ceiling voltage of the fuel cell, the fuel cell system comprising fuel gas supply stopping means for stopping the supply of fuel gas to the fuel cell in an intermittent operation mode, remaining fuel gas amount determination means for determining whether fuel gas in at least an amount capable of generating power remains in the fuel cell, converter driving means for driving the converter so that, when it is determined that fuel gas in at least the amount capable of generating power remains in the fuel cell, the output ceiling voltage of the fuel cell becomes a first voltage capable of preventing deterioration of the fuel cell, and converter stopping means for stopping the converter when it is determined that fuel gas in at least the amount capable of generating power does not remain in the fuel cell.
US08795912B2

Processes and systems for operating molten carbonate fuel cell systems are described herein. A process for operating a molten carbonate fuel cell system includes providing a hydrogen-containing stream comprising molecular hydrogen to an anode portion of a molten carbonate fuel cell; controlling a flow rate of the hydrogen-containing stream to the anode such that molecular hydrogen utilization in the anode is less than 50%; mixing anode exhaust comprising molecular hydrogen from the molten carbonate fuel cell with a hydrocarbon stream comprising hydrocarbons, contacting at least a portion of the mixture of anode exhaust and the hydrocarbon stream with a catalyst to produce a steam reforming feed; separating at least a portion of molecular hydrogen from the steam reforming feed; and providing at least a portion of the separated molecular hydrogen to the molten carbonate fuel cell anode.
US08795910B2

The present invention comprises individual fuel cells 84 disposed within a fuel cell module 2; a reformer 20; a reformer temperature sensor 148 and generating chamber temperature sensor 142 for detecting the reforming state temperature inside the reformer, and a control section 110 for controlling the fuel cell module operation. In a state whereby a stopping of fuel cell module operation has been executed from a high temperature, this control section skips the normal startup ATR and executes a restart control by the SR when the reforming state temperature is within the normal startup ATR temperature band and a restart of operation has been executed.
US08795907B2

A fuel cell system is disclosed that employs an expander for recovering mechanical energy from a cathode exhaust fluid produced by the fuel cell system to generate torque. The expander is coupled to a shaft of a compressor with a freewheel mechanism, wherein the freewheel mechanism transfers the torque from the expander to the compressor when a rate of rotation of a driveshaft of the expander is greater than the rate of rotation of the shaft of the compressor, and selectively militates against the expander acting as a restrictor to the shaft of the compressor when a rate of rotation of the driveshaft of the expander is substantially equal to or less than a rate of rotation of the shaft of the compressor.
US08795905B2

A family of electrolytes for use in a lithium ion battery. The genus of electrolytes includes ketone-based solvents, such as, 2,4-dimethyl-3-pentanone; 3,3-dimethyl 2-butanone(pinacolone) and 2-butanone. These solvents can be used in combination with non-Lewis Acid salts, such as Li2[B12F12] and LiBOB.
US08795900B2

Single-layer or multilayer, biaxially oriented, microporous foil having a shut-off function, which comprises propylene homopolymer and propylene block copolymer, polyethylene and β-nucleating agent.
US08795899B2

An electrochemical energy storage device, lithium super-battery, comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a porous separator disposed between the two electrodes, and a lithium-containing electrolyte in physical contact with the two electrodes, wherein the positive electrode comprises a plurality of chemically functionalized nano graphene platelets (f-NGP) or exfoliated graphite having a functional group that reversibly reacts with a lithium atom or ion. In a preferred embodiment, a lithium super-battery having a f-NGP positive electrode and Li4Ti5O12 negative electrode exhibits a gravimetric energy ˜5 times higher than conventional supercapacitors and a power density ˜10 times higher than conventional lithium-ion batteries. This device has the best properties of both the lithium ion battery and the supercapacitor.
US08795889B2

The present invention provides a transition metal phosphate and a production process thereof, a positive electrode, and a sodium secondary battery. The transition metal phosphate contains sodium (Na), phosphorus (P) and a transition metal element and having a BET specific surface area of 1 m2/g to 50 m2/g. The process for producing a transition metal phosphate comprises steps (1) and (2): (1) a step of bringing a phosphorus (P) source, a sodium (Na) source, an M source (M is one or more transition metal elements) and water into contact with each other, and obtaining a liquid material thereby, and (2) a step of separating water from the liquid material and obtaining a transition metal phosphate thereby.
US08795883B2

Disclosed herein is a secondary battery constructed in a structure in which an electrode assembly having a cathode/separator/anode arrangement is mounted in a battery case made of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer, electrode tabs of the electrode assembly are coupled to corresponding electrode leads, and the electrode assembly is sealed in the battery case while electrode leads are exposed to the outside of the battery case, wherein a protective film is attached to coupling regions between the electrode tabs and the electrode leads for sealing the coupling regions between the electrode tabs and the electrode leads. The secondary battery according to the present invention is constructed in a structure in which the coupling regions are sealed by the protective film, unlike a conventional secondary battery constructed in a structure in which the coupling regions between the electrode tabs and the electrode leads are exposed in the battery case. As a result, the electrode leads are protected from external impacts, such as falling of the battery. Consequently, no internal short circuit occurs, and therefore, the safety of the battery is increased.
US08795877B2

A connection member connects a plurality of secondary battery cells when the secondary battery cells are mounted in a battery pack case. The connection member includes terminal connection parts connected to each other for connecting the battery cells. Each terminal connection part includes a first contact part, contacting the electrode terminal of a lower battery cell. An elastic pat tapers upward from the first contact part towards a central axis of each terminal connection part for elastically supporting the lower battery cell. Coupling parts protrude upward from the elastic part such that the protruding coupling pats are coupled to an electrode terminal of an upper battery cell. A second contact part is disposed on the central axis of each terminal connection part such that the second contact part is depressed from the protruding coupling parts, the second contact part contacting the electrode terminal of the upper battery cell.
US08795875B2

Disclosed herein is a battery pack having a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other, the battery cells being chargeable and dischargeable, wherein the battery pack includes two or more kinds of battery groups having different capacities or sizes, wherein each of the battery groups includes two or more battery cells having the same capacity or size, the battery cells in each of the battery groups are connected in series to each other, and the battery cells between the battery groups are connected in parallel to each other.
US08795865B2

A battery pack that prevents a solder material from flowing down due to a tab electrically connecting a battery to a protective circuit board, thereby improving reliability, coupling efficiency, safety, and productivity is disclosed. The battery pack includes: a multi-cell battery having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, in which a plurality of battery cells are electrically connected to each other; a protective circuit board electrically connected to the multi-cell battery and having via holes; a pair of conductive tabs each including an insert portion inserted into a corresponding via hole and a bending portion integrally extending from the insert portion and bent from the insert portion; and a pair of soldering portions each being formed at at least some portions of a corresponding insert portion and a corresponding bending portion.
US08795863B2

Provided is a technology for detecting abnormal temperature rise of a battery regardless of the number of batteries, and preventing a trouble caused by abnormal temperature rise. A battery production facility (30) for producing a secondary battery (1) comprises an abnormality detector (40) for detecting abnormal state (especially, abnormal temperature rise) of a plurality of secondary batteries (1, 1, . . . ), and a detector (45) for generating a control signal in order to take a predetermined step according to the detection result from the abnormality detector (40). The abnormality detector (40) comprises a low temperature reactant (41) provided in contact with a part of the secondary battery (1) which becomes high temperature easily and reacts at a temperature lower than the temperature at which the secondary battery (1) becomes abnormal state, and a detection sensor (42) for detecting change of the low temperature reactant (41), and detects abnormal state of the secondary battery (1) according to the detection result from the detection sensor (42).
US08795861B2

A fuel cell system and a fuel cell vehicle equipped with the fuel cell system are provided. In a case where the voltage of a battery is outside a voltage range of fuel cells where oxidation-reduction proceeds, an ECU controls a DC/DC converter to be placed in a direct connection state (Vbat≈Vfc), and controls a gas supply unit so as to regulate concentration of oxygen or hydrogen supplied to the fuel cells in accordance with a target power generation electric power determined based on electric power required by a load.
US08795860B2

Disclosed herein is a secondary battery pack including a battery cell having a first electrode terminal, a second electrode terminal and a pair of coupling grooves formed at the top of a battery case, a protection circuit module (PCM) including a protection circuit board (PCB), connection members A and B connected to the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal, respectively, and a safety element, and an electrically insulated top cap having through holes communicating with the respective coupling grooves.
US08795857B2

A perpendicular magnetic recording medium of the invention is characterized by having, on a disk substrate 110, a soft magnetic layer 14, a magnetic recording layer 22, a continuous layer 24 magnetically continuous in the in-plane direction of the substrate, a blocking layer 25 for blocking shock imposed on the continuous layer, and a medium protective layer 28 containing carbon formed on the blocking layer.
US08795847B2

The present invention relates to anthracene derivatives, to the use thereof in organic electroluminescent devices, and to organic electroluminescent devices comprising these compounds.
US08795843B2

Provided is an acrylic film for punching excellent in transparency and free from breakage or whitening even if it is punched. The present invention is an acrylic film for punching containing a polymer (C) containing a di(meth)acrylate (A) unit represented by general formula (1) below and a mono(meth)acrylate (B) unit: —CH2—CR1—COO—(X)n—COCR1—CH2—  (1) wherein (X) represents at least one repeat unit selected from C2H4O, C3H6O and C4H8O; the molecular weight of (X)n is 500 or more; and R1 represents H or CH3.
US08795842B2

The invention relates to fiber-containing pasty construction materials, containing a) one or more fillers, b) optionally additives, characterized in that they contain c) fibers, d) one or more polymers based on one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers, having a glass transition temperature Tg of ≧−15° C., e) ≦5% by weight hydraulically setting binders and f) water, wherein the information in % by weight relates to the dry weight of the fiber-containing pasty construction materials. The invention also relates to a process for producing a reinforcing composition free of woven reinforcing fabrics.
US08795839B2

A method for repairing optical elements having a coating, in which the coating is fully or partially removed or left on the optical element, a polishing layer being provided in the coating or a polishing layer being applied, which allows simple processing of the surface to achieve high geometrical accuracy and lower surface roughness. A new coating is applied onto the corresponding polishing layer. Also addressed are corresponding optical elements, including optical elements recycled according to the method.
US08795822B2

[Problems to be Solved] A neutron scintillator excellent in neutron detection efficiency and n/γ discrimination ability, and a metal fluoride eutectic preferred for the neutron scintillator are provided.[Means to Solve the Problems] A metal fluoride eutectic having a cerium-containing calcium fluoride crystal phase and a lithium fluoride crystal phase present in a phase-separated state, and a neutron scintillator comprising the metal fluoride eutectic.
US08795820B2

A composite material (1) comprising at least one prepreg (3), said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and optionally at least one fibrous reinforcement; and a conducting ink (2) applied to at least one surface of said prepreg (3); where the conducting ink (2) has a surface tension lower than the surface energy of the at least one surface of said prepreg (3) to which the ink (2) is applied.
US08795819B2

A recording material produced by using an ultraviolet-curable composition for inkjet that includes a polymerized compound and a glittering powder includes a recording medium and a print layer formed on the recording medium. The thickness of the print layer is T (μm). When an area that is thickness 0.5T (μm) from an outer surface in the print layer is a first area and an area that is thickness 0.5T (μm) from a contact surface contacting the recording medium in the print layer is a second area, a ratio of the glittering powder included in the first area of the print layer is more than 70 percent by volume and less than 95 percent by volume, and a ratio of the glittering powder included in the second area of the print layer is more than 5 percent by volume and less than 30 percent by volume.
US08795818B2

A liquid toner digitally printable media including: a paper substrate; and a toner receiving layer established on at least one surface of the paper substrate. The toner receiving layer includes: pigments, binders, and at least one of cationic polymers and metallic salts. The pigments are from 60 to 95% of total dry weight of the toner receiving layer. The pigments include a major pigment which is at least 60 weight percent of total pigment dry weight. The major pigment includes a rod-like pigment selected from the group consisting of ground calcium carbonate, precipitated calcium carbonate, other rod-like forms of calcium pigment, and combinations thereof.
US08795817B2

There are provided a phosphor film, a method of manufacturing the same, and a method of coating an LED chip with a phosphor layer. The phosphor film includes: a base film; a phosphor layer formed on the base film and obtained by mixing phosphor particles in a partially cured resin material; and a cover film formed on the phosphor layer to protect the phosphor layer.
US08795812B2

A glass substrate having an oleophobic surface. The surface is substantially free of features that form a reentrant geometry and includes a plurality of gas-trapping features extending from the surface to a depth below the surface and a coating comprising at least one of a fluoropolymer and a fluorosilane. The gas-trapping features are substantially isolated from each other, and trap gas below droplets to prevent wetting of the surface.
US08795811B2

Embodiments herein relate to a polyolefin-containing film comprising a solidified form of a melt, the melt comprising at least 1 weight percent shredded recycled crosslinked vinyl-alcohol polymer coated polyolefin material and an amount of a compatibilizing agent and/or an un-crosslinking agent configured to un-crosslink the crosslinked vinyl-alcohol in the melt, the polyolefin-containing film having an average dimple count of less than about 50 dimples/4 in2, and method of manufacturing the same.
US08795807B2

A unitary structural assembly including a first component having a plateau-receiving aperture and a compression-molded, composite second component having a sandwich structure is provided. The second component includes a first outer layer, a second outer layer, and a core positioned between the outer layers and having a large number of cavities. The outer layers are bonded to the core by a press molding. A portion of the second component including the first layer and the core defines a raised plateau having upper and side surfaces. The plateau has a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the plateau-receiving aperture. A height of the plateau corresponds to the depth of the plateau-receiving aperture. The plateau is inserted into the plateau-receiving aperture so that corresponding surfaces of the plateau and the plateau-receiving aperture are in abutting engagement to unitarily connect the components and form the assembly.
US08795796B2

An article in the form of a paper substrate having a water-swellable substrate coating on at least one of the first and second surfaces at a thickness of less than about 10 microns and. The substrate coating has an amount of a coating pigment sufficient to impart a Parker Print Smoothness value of at least about 4 to the at least one surface and is dispersed in a water-swellable coating pigment binder matrix in a coating pigment to binder matrix weight ratio of at least about 2:1. The coating pigment has larger porous coating pigment particles, and smaller coating pigment particles in a weight ratio of at least about 0.2:1. The substrate coating provides an ink-receptive porous surface. Also, a method for preparing such coated paper substrates, as well as a method for printing an image on the coated paper substrate with an inkjet printer using a lower ink usage level.
US08795786B2

Disclosed are a transparent conductive substrate comprising a transparent conductive thin film layer and a transparent metal oxide layer disposed in this order on one or both surfaces of a substrate, the transparent metal oxide layer having numerous fine pores penetrating from the front surface to the rear surface thereof, and the pore diameters of the pores at the surface that is opposite to the surface that is in contact with the transparent conductive thin film layer being larger than those at the surface that is in contact with the transparent conductive thin film layer; and a method for producing the transparent conductive substrate, comprising forming the transparent metal oxide layer on the surface of the transparent conductive thin film layer or transparent conductive thin film layers by oblique deposition.
US08795785B2

Methods and apparatuses for a deposition system are provided to deposit a thin coating layer on flat substrates, such as semiconductors or panels. In an embodiment, liquid supplied rollers accepting liquid media provide liquid chemicals to the substrates for coating the substrates. The liquid delivery system can control the flow and the pressure of the liquid to achieve optimum process condition with minimum excess waste. In another embodiment, rollers with non-uniform distribution of liquid media provide a non-uniform thickness profile on the substrates, which can be used to compensate for the non-uniformity of subsequent processes.
US08795783B2

A method for making a layered material can include providing a substrate having a surface with at least one region having a charge and forming layers by sequentially contacting the at least one region with a first solution and a second solution. The first solution comprises a first layering material in an ionic liquid and the second solution comprises a second layering material in a second ionic solution. The first and second layering materials can have a chemical affinity to each other. The first layering material and/or the second layering material can include polyelectrolytes, polymers, carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.
US08795780B2

Provided are a textile fabric sheet having stain and liquid resistance including a fabric sheet, a polyurethane coating layer formed on the fabric sheet and a silicon coating layer formed on the polyurethane coating layer and a method of preparing the same. Thus, a texture characteristic of the fabric substrate itself can be exhibited, and due to the polyurethane coating layer and the silicon coating layer stacked in two steps, excellent water resistance, stain resistance and air permeability can be exhibited.
US08795775B2

A method for applying a patterned coating of resist onto a surface of a substrate, includes embossing flowable resist at least once, wherein the flowable resist is respectively embossed between a patterned surface of a stamp and a carrier, whereby the stamp surface is provided with a patterned resist surface. The stamp carrying a first patterned part of the resist coating and the carrier carrying a second part of the resist coating are separated from each other. The patterned resist coating is transferred, wherein the first patterned part of the resist coating on the surface of the stamp is pressed against the surface of the substrate and the patterned resist coating is transferred onto the surface of the substrate. The first patterned part of the resist coating is cured and a demolding step is performed by separating the stamp from the first patterned part of the resist coating.
US08795760B2

A high cysteine content zein composition is provided. A method and system for the manufacture of the bioproduct is likewise disclosed herein.
US08795758B2

The present invention relates to a process to prepare a dried vegetable product comprising the steps of —subjecting a vegetable to a hypertonic heat shock by contacting (preferably submerging) the vegetable with (in) a hypertonic heat shock solution comprising at least one edible salt, at a temperature of 101 to 112 degrees C.; —coating the hypertonically heat shocked vegetable with a coating mix and —drying the coated hypertonically heat shocked vegetable.
US08795754B2

Preparing soluble oat or barley flour in one-step using an extrusion (continuous cooking) process to dextrinize and gelatinize cook the oat or barley flour.
US08795747B2

Packaging comprising:—at least a foodstuff (2), the foodstuff being a fresh, peeled and natural kiwi,—an atoxic wrapping (4) completely sealed in which said foodstuff (2) is completely contained, and—a handgrip element (3) associated or associable with said foodstuff (2).
US08795741B2

Disclosed are methods of reducing the risk that a medical treatment comprising inhalation of nitric oxide gas will induce an increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in the patient, leading to pulmonary edema.
US08795740B2

A tablet for use in a drip tray including an excipient selected so that the tablet will not fully dissolve in water at ambient temperature for a period of at least one month, more preferably up to 12 months, a biocide, at least one enzyme, preferably a proteolytic or hydrolase enzyme, and enzyme preserving means, such as a boron compound for maintaining enzyme activity in a moist environment. The excipient may be for example poly vinyl alcohols, high molecular weight polyethylene glycols, high molecular weight polypropylene glycols, esters or partial esters of polyethylene glycols or of polypropylene glycols, and high molecular weight thermoplastic surfactants. The invention also relates to methods for inhibiting the growth of biofilm in an drip tray or the like, including the step of adding to the tray a tablet according to the invention.
US08795724B2

The present invention relates to delayed release oral formulations comprising active ingredients and modified proteins used as excipients. The proteins have chemical modifications such as succmylation, deammation, glytarylation or phosphorylation which decrease the isoelectric point of the protein compared to the protein's native isoelectric point and enhance protem-protem interactions, thereby reducing solubility and swelling, and delaying release of the active ingredient when the formulation is ingested orally. Particularly, the invention relates to tablets that comprise an excipient of chemically-modified food proteins such as soy proteins or -lactoglobulm useful for delaying release of an active ingredient such as a pharmaceutical drug or a probiotic.
US08795722B2

The present invention is a composition for coating comprising a wet-milled product obtained by suspending low-substituted cellulose ether having a molar substitution of from 0.05 to 1.0 per anhydrous glucose unit in water and then applying a shear force to the aqueous dispersion. The present invention is also a coated preparation prepared using the composition for coating so as to mask an unpleasant taste and to control a sticky or slimy feel by administration.
US08795711B2

An implant for insertion into a punctum of a patient comprises a body. The body has a distal end, a proximal end, and an axis therebetween. The distal end of the body is insertable distally through the punctum into the canalicular lumen. The body comprises a therapeutic agent included within an agent matrix drug core. Exposure of the agent matrix to the tear fluid effects an effective therapeutic agent release into the tear fluid over a sustained period. The body has a sheath disposed over the agent matrix to inhibit release of the agent away from the proximal end. The body also has an outer surface configured to engage luminal wall tissues so as to inhibit expulsion when disposed therein. In specific embodiments, the agent matrix comprises a non-bioabsorbable polymer, for example silicone in a non-homogenous mixture with the agent.
US08795707B2

A compliant composite for delivering a bioactive agent including a scaffolding material and a polymer coating that together can be attached to compliant tissue surfaces is disclosed, along with methods for constructing and applying these composites. In some embodiments, the composite further comprises a barrier layer for localized delivery of the bioactive agent.
US08795703B2

A stand-alone film is derived at least in part from fatty acids. The stand-alone film can have anti-adhesive, anti-inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and wound healing properties, and can additionally include one or more therapeutic agents incorporated therein. Corresponding methods of making the stand-alone film include molding, casting, or otherwise applying a liquid or gel to a substrate, and curing or otherwise treating to form the stand-alone film. The resulting stand-alone film is bioabsorbable.
US08795687B2

The present invention provides virus-like particles (VLP) highly secreting or producing signal peptide obtained by altering a signal sequence derived from West Nile virus (WNV), the signal peptide, a WNV VLP secretion expression vector containing a nucleic acid encoding prM protein and E protein, a WNP VLP highly secreting or producing animal cell line harboring the vector, a WNV vaccine containing WNV VLP obtained by the cell line as an active ingredient, and a WNV DNA vaccine containing the VLP secretion expression vector as an active ingredient.
US08795667B2

The present invention relates to improved compositions for the prevention and treatment of smallpox, and in particular to the use of compositions containing an antibody that binds to an epitope found on the MV form of the smallpox virus and an antibody that binds to an epitope found on the EV form of the smallpox virus. The invention relates to such compositions, especially to non-blood derived antibody compositions, such as chimeric or humanized antibodies, and to methods for their use in imparting passive immunity against smallpox infection to individuals at risk of smallpox virus infection or who exhibit smallpox.
US08795666B2

Nucleic acids encoding mammalian, e.g., primate, receptors, purified receptor proteins and fragments thereof. Antibodies, both polyclonal and monoclonal, are also provided. Methods of using the compositions for both diagnostic and therapeutic utilities are described.
US08795661B2

The present invention provides molecules, including IgGs, non-IgG immunoglobulins, proteins and non-protein agents, that have increased in vivo half-lives due to the presence of an IgG constant domain, or a portion thereof that binds the FcRn, having one or more amino acid modifications that increase the affinity of the constant domain or fragment for FcRn. Such proteins and molecules with increased half-lives have the advantage that smaller amounts and or less frequent dosing is required in the therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic use of such molecules.
US08795658B2

The present invention provides, among other aspects, storage stabile aqueous formulations of immunoglobulins with histidine at a mildly acidic to neutral pH. The present invention also provides methods for stabilizing immunoglobulin compositions by formulating with histidine at a mildly acidic to neutral pH. Advantageously, the methods and formulations provided herein allow stabile aqueous compositions of immunoglobulins at mildly acidic to neutral pH useful for parenteral administration.
US08795651B2

The present invention generally relates to the field of sialic acids, in particular to the field of sialic acid enriched food products and their uses. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a food product enriched with food-grade sialic acid producing bacteria and/or a fraction thereof containing sialic acid.
US08795649B2

The present invention relates to baits, especially baits to be used in humane methods for controlling feral omnivore populations. The invention also relates to methods of manufacturing the baits.
US08795647B2

The invention relates to the field of polymers and olefin polymerization, and more specifically olefin metathesis polymerization. The invention provides regioregular alternating polymers and methods of synthesizing such polymers.
US08795639B2

An ingestible oral care product includes a composition with xylitol, glycerin, carboxymethylcellulose, sodium bicarbonate and at least one flavoring agent.
US08795631B2

The present invention relates to 18F radio-chemistry and in particular to a method for synthesising radiofluorinated amides and amines. The method of the invention has particular application in the radiosynthesis of a variety of 18F-labelled positron emission tomography (PET) tracers.
US08795627B2

The present invention relates to the use of receptor-associate protein (RAP) and fragments and variants thereof to improve delivery of therapeutic compounds to the liver and provides methods to treat liver disorders and conditions, such as hepatic carcinoma, by administering RAP or RAP variants conjugated to active agents.
US08795624B2

Provided is a monocrystalline silicon carbide ingot containing a dopant element, wherein a maximum concentration of the dopant element is less than 5×1017 atoms/cm3 and the maximum concentration is 50 times or less than that of a minimum concentration of the dopant element. Also provided is a monocrystalline silicon carbide wafer made by cutting and polishing the monocrystalline silicon carbide ingot, wherein a electric resistivity at room temperature of the wafer is 5×103 Ωcm or more. Further provided is a method for manufacturing the monocrystalline silicon carbide including growing the monocrystalline silicon carbide on a seed crystal from a sublimation material by a sublimation method. The sublimation material includes a solid material containing a dopant element, and the specific surface of the solid material containing the dopant element is 0.5 m2/g or less.
US08795616B2

A system and method of using a double-effect-reactor to dispose incinerated flue gas and improve cement yields. The double-effect-reactor features an incinerated reaction chamber and a gas-solid suspension mixing chamber. The system includes the double-effect-reactor, a high temperature dust-arrester, a system for recovery of thermal energy and dust removal, a triple valve, and an independent chimney. Also disclosed is a method in which combines the double-effect-reactor with a cement production system.
US08795615B2

A boundary layer carbonation process for producing sodium bicarbonate crystals having specific surface area in the range 0.4 m2/g to 2.5 m2/g from Trona, wherein in one embodiment the process comprises the steps of: providing Trona particles having a particle size range of −4 +120 mesh; pre-wetting the Trona particles with water to provide a plurality of pre-wetted Trona particles each having a liquid water solution boundary layer deposited thereon; and carbonating the pre-wetted Trona particles across the water boundary layer to provide a product comprising sodium bicarbonate crystals.
US08795611B2

A method with which uranium from a natural uranium concentrate may be purified, including a) extracting the uranium present as uranyl nitrate in an aqueous phase A1 resulting from the dissolution of the natural uranium concentrate in nitric acid, by means of an organic phase which contains an extractant in an organic diluent; b) washing the organic phase obtained at the end of step a), with an aqueous phase A2; and c) stripping the uranyl nitrate of the organic phase obtained at the end of step b), by circulating this organic phase in an apparatus, as a counter current against an aqueous phase A3. The extractant is an N,N-dialkylamide and the ratio between the flow rate at which the organic phase obtained at the end of step b) and the aqueous phase A3 circulate in the apparatus where step c) occurs, is greater than 1.
US08795606B2

Disclosed herein are fluid handling devices that include integrated card and pipette tip devices, for use with multichannel liquid dispensing devices.
US08795604B2

The invention relates to a novel installation for providing a product in pasteurized form, said product comprising at least one liquid component and fibrous and/or solid components.
US08795596B2

The present invention relates to a gas sensor (1) for detecting gases, with at least one gas-sensitive layer which is applied to a substrate (2), wherein at least one conductor track (3) for contact-connecting the layer is also provided on the substrate (2), and wherein the conductor track (3) is formed from a doped metal oxide material with non-catalytic properties in order to avoid the conductor track (3) influencing the detection of the gas. This avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and provides contact-connection of the gas-sensitive layers which does not influence the sensitive properties when detecting the gas by means of the layer.
US08795593B2

An automated testing system includes one or more laboratory devices that operate together to perform an assay. The testing system is designed such that a laboratory device may be seamlessly integrated with the remaining devices in a quick and effortless manner. Specifically, the laboratory device is securely mounted on a slidable cart with fluid and electrical connections established therebetween. The slidable cart is in turn adapted to releasably engage with a docking station that is fixedly mounted on the workspace floor, the docking station being provided with at least one fluid input connection, an input power connection and at least one communication signal connection that are relatively permanent in nature. In order to couple the cart to the docking station, the cart is rolled generally into position above the docking station using complementary alignment posts and tracks.
US08795591B2

An apparatus for oxygenating blood including a housing and an oxygenator bundle. The housing defines a primary chamber, a blood inlet port open to the primary chamber, and a blood outlet region. The outlet region includes a blood outlet port, an outlet chamber open to the outlet port, and a partition. The partition establishes spaced apart, first and second passageways from the primary chamber to the outlet chamber. The oxygenator bundle is disposed within the primary chamber. A blood flow path is formed from the blood inlet port, through the oxygenator bundle and to the blood outlet port, and includes first and second outlet flow paths within the outlet chamber via the first and second passageways, respectively. The first and second outlet blood flow paths merge at the blood outlet port. A dual port blood outlet is created, increasing mixing of blood immediately upstream of the outlet port.
US08795568B2

The technology disclosed herein generally relates to methods of making a spacer. At least a portion of a first elongate strip and a portion of a second elongate strip are arranged to define a space there between. A first sidewall is extruded through a first extrusion nozzle in the space. The first sidewall is adhered to the first elongate strip and the second elongate strip and the first extrusion nozzle is moved relative to the first and second elongate strips while extruding the first sidewall.
US08795561B2

A process for forming a nanofiber non-woven includes mixing a first and second thermoplastic polymer and a plurality of particles, then subjecting the mixture to elongational forces when the first and second polymers are in a softened condition forming nanofibers of the first polymer. Next, the mixture is brought to a condition where the temperature is below the softening temperature of the first polymer forming a first intermediate. The first intermediate is consolidated forming the second intermediate where at least 70% of the nanofibers are fused to other nanofibers. Next, at least a portion of the second polymer is removed and at least 50% of the particles are positioned adjacent a surface of the nanofibers.
US08795557B2

Disclosed herein is a flame resistant composition comprising a compatibilized blend of a polyphthalamide and a poly(arylene ether); and a phosphinate, wherein the composition is substantially free of linear aliphatic polyamides.
US08795552B2

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium containing one or more compounds of the formula I and one or more compounds selected from the group of the compounds of the formula IA to IE in which R0, R1, R2, X0, X1, X2, A1, Z1, m, p, q, v have the meanings indicated in Claim 1, and to the use thereof in electro-optical liquid-crystal displays.
US08795546B2

This invention relates to a magnetic ceramic material comprising, as main components, (a) at least one magnetic iron oxide selected from the group consisting of Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O3, and (b) an amorphous phase, and a process for producing a magnetic ceramic material, comprising (1) heating a microorganism-derived iron oxide ceramic material containing an iron atom, and (2) reducing the iron oxide ceramic material obtained in Step (1) by heating in the presence of hydrogen gas.
US08795542B2

A method to remove excess material during the manufacturing of semiconductor devices includes providing a semiconductor wafer comprising silicon nitride deposited thereon and applying a chemical solution to the semiconductor wafer, wherein the chemical solution comprises a combination of sulfuric acid and deionized water.
US08795537B2

A method for controlling fouling of a settler vessel overflow system comprises maintaining at least a minimum stream flow in the overflow system by recirculating a portion of the overflow stream. A system for performing the method is also disclosed.
US08795535B2

An apparatus is disclosed for separating minerals in drilling fluid based primarily on density. The separator creates and maintains a slurry with a controllable density for separating minerals from drill cuttings. The density is controlled through the use of an electrode array. The separator comprises a housing have a fluid inlet for the fluid mixture, at least one rotating disk having an electrode array positioned inside the housing to suspend a first material of the fluid mixture, and a mechanism configured to rotate the disk. A second and third material is separated from the fluid via use of the suspended first material.
US08795531B2

An embodiment of the present invention includes: a recycle line that brings a part of salt-enriched membrane separation concentrated water 26 back to the rear flow side of a pretreatment apparatus 12; a water discharge line that discharges the remained concentrated water into a sea area; and a control apparatus 31 that controls to adjust the ratio between the discharging amount of the discharging membrane separation concentrated water to be discharged into a sea area and the supplying amount of supplying seawater. A pH is set to be equal to or less than 7.3 by adding acid 21. The salt 18 is obtained from the dryer 19, and produced water (fresh water) 29 is obtained by combining evaporated water 28 supplied from the evaporator 16 with the permeated water 24 supplied from the reverse osmosis membrane apparatus 25.
US08795529B2

Permeable polymeric monolithic materials are prepared in a plastic column casing. In one embodiment, the permeable polymeric monolithic materials are polymerized by the application of heat from an external source starting at a low temperature such as 40 degrees centigrade, depending on the mixture and size of the column, and continuing at a higher temperature, such as 60 degrees centigrade. The temperature at the start of the polymerization is low enough so as not to cause exothermal run-away conditions and to avoid high heat of reaction that would prevent a substantially constant temperature across the cross-section of the column. The higher temperature is used after sufficient monomer depletion has occurred and steric interference has increased so the polymerization reaction is sufficiently slow to avoid heat of reaction generation high enough to cause significant reduction in the homogeneousness of the pore sizes.
US08795509B2

A process for preparing a pure ammonium perrhenate includes producing a first aqueous suspension containing an ammonium perrhenate. A stoichiometric amount of a nitric acid is added to the first aqueous suspension so as to produce a second suspension. The second suspension is introduced into a cathode space of an electrolysis cell. The electrolysis cell is divided by a cation-exchange membrane into the cathode space and an anode space. The nitric acid is cathodically reduced to a nitrous acid in the cathode space by applying an electric potential. The nitrous acid is reacted with ammonium ions of the ammonium perrhenate so as to form an aqueous perrhenic acid. Potassium ions are removed from the aqueous perrhenic acid. At least a stoichiometric amount of ammonia is added to the aqueous perrhenic acid so as to produce the pure ammonium perrhenate.
US08795501B2

A dielectrophoretic particle concentrator includes first substrate, detection electrodes, second substrate, protrudent structure and edge wall structures. The first substrate extends along first direction. The detection electrodes are disposed on the first substrate and extend along second direction. The second direction crosses the first direction. The second substrate is disposed over the first substrate and extends along the first direction. The protrudent structure is disposed on the second substrate and protruded towards the first substrate. A top portion of the protrudent structure includes a line-like structure extending along the second direction and adjacent to the detection electrodes. The edge wall structures are integrated with the first substrate and the second substrate, to form pipe-like structure to enable a fluid flowing through the protrudent structure from an end to another end. The particle concentration can trap particles at the gap by continuously trap mode or bidirectional trap mode with changing frequency.
US08795498B2

The invention comprises two key components: dielectrophoresis (DEP) and reversible binding surfaces. DEP has become an important tool for trapping dielectric particles. Moreover, DEP can manipulate cell movement as dictated by the intrinsic dielectric constant of the cell without modification. DEP therefore provides a mechanism by which to force targets in a flow channel to a reversible binding surface. By building selectivity into the binding surface, the capacity to choose which targets can be held after the dielectric field is turned off, providing a separation strategy that does not suffer from fouling issues, as large foulants can freely pass over the surface through the flow channel.
US08795495B2

A method for manufacturing a one-dimensional nano-structure-based device includes the steps of preparing a solution (14) containing one-dimensional nano-structures (18); providing a plurality of electrical conductors (42), each of the electrical conductors having a first tip (421) to be treated; providing a fixing device (44) having a second tip (441); connecting at least one of the one-dimensional nano-structures with one of the electrical conductors; and repeating the connecting step to another one of the first tips to be treated. Therein, the connecting step further includes the steps of, in part: applying at least a drop of the solution to the first and second tips thereby the first and second tips being interconnected by the solution; applying a voltage between the first and second tips thereby at least one one-dimensional nano-structures being interconnected therewith; and separating the second tip from the first tip.
US08795479B2

A wafer clamp assembly for holding a wafer during a deposition process comprises an outer annular member defining a central recess that has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the wafer. A plurality of finger members are carried by the outer annular member and extend radially inwardly from the outer annular member into the central recess, wherein each of the finger members has a free end for contacting the wafer during the deposition process.
US08795477B2

The subject invention provides conductive stripes, suitable for use as electrodes, and methods of making conductive stripes.
US08795469B2

Paper comprised solely of a nonwood fiber mix is demonstrated to meet the technical physical specifications of commercially produced papers made from wood. The esthetically impressive paper meets nearly every technical specification of commercially produced paper.
US08795460B2

A method of making a construction for an indexable cutter insert, the method including providing a wafer (20) comprising ceramic material, the wafer (20) being substantially unsupported by a cemented carbide substrate and having a mean thickness of at most 2 mm; providing an insert base (30) having proximate and distal major ends (33, 34) connected by peripheral sides (36), the proximate end (33) of the insert base (30) being configured to have at least two corners (35) defined by junctions of the peripheral sides (36); the wafer (20) being configured to have at least two corners (25) corresponding to the two corners (35) of the proximate end (33) of the insert base (30); the method including bonding the wafer (20) to the proximate end (33) by means of a bond material, the corners (25) of the wafer (20) being disposed adjacent the corresponding corners (35) of the proximate end (33) to provide the construction.
US08795457B2

A fabrication method of forming a thermoplastic composite laminate material with tailored and varying thickness in a continuous process. This process utilizes automated equipment or hand lay-up to collate parts or components into a multi-layer stack. Each stack contains all plies, including ply build-up areas, tacked in the proper location to maintain orientation and location. The consolidation tooling contains all necessary part features and is coordinated to the customized multiple ply stacks to form a single integrated thermoplastic composite laminate potentially having areas of differing thickness from these multiple ply stacks.
US08795453B2

A device and a method is proposed whereupon the device for processing a packing material using ultrasound comprises the following elements: at least one sonotrode (10), at least one anvil (12), whereupon a gap is constructed between sonotrode (10) and anvil (12) through which the packing material can be passed for the purpose of ultrasonically sealing a packing material, at least one adjustment means (50) that adjusts the gap (s) between sonotrode (10) and anvil (12), at least one generator (70) that changes an input voltage into an output voltage, which a converter (74) transforms into mechanical oscillations in order to generate ultrasonic oscillations on the sonotrode (10), whereupon a regulation device and/or control device (78) is arranged to regulate or control the gap (s) between sonotrode (10) and anvil (12) depending on at least one electric variable (P,E,R) that acts on the sonotrode (10).
US08795451B2

A propellant for guns includes at least one energy carrier, nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate butyrate. At least part of the nitrocellulose is alcohol-soluble nitrocellulose. The nitrocellulose serves as a binder and for that purpose is present in a concentration of at least 15% by weight in the propellant. A process for producing a propellant is also provided.
US08795436B2

A cleaning liquid is pressurized and superheated to a condition, in which temperature of the cleaning liquid is above an atmospheric boiling point. A product to be cleaned is interposed between a pair of liquid holding blocks, so that gaps are respectively formed between side surfaces of the product and the liquid holding blocks. The pressurized and superheated liquid is injected to the product so that layers of condensate of vapor of injected cleaning liquid are formed in the gaps. Contamination on the surface of the product is removed by the cleaning liquid and the surface is dried by latent heat of the condensate of the vapor of the cleaning liquid.
US08795434B2

A method and apparatus for mass production of graphene and carbon tubes is presented. A carbon-containing gas (CCG) inside a set of thin gaps formed by an array of flat plates, or small multiple bores in a cylindrical shell, is maintained under free molecular conditions at all times. A train of intermittent light pulses of a tunable high power laser beam compatible with the CCG's major absorption bands is sent through the CCG inside the gaps, or bores, to cause dissociation of the carbon atoms from the CCG molecules in said molecules' one mean free path of flight and deposition of said atoms onto the adjacent solid surfaces (plate or bore walls) during each pulse, and after a pre-determined number of pulses to form a one-atom-thick layer of hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms. Said carbon atom layers on the flat plate surfaces are graphene, those on the shell bore walls carbon tubes. Large quantity and size, and predicted high quality of products are special features of this method.
US08795433B2

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus that can easily grasp the relationship of a defect substrate between plural batches.A substrate processing apparatus 10 includes: a display unit 16; a storage unit that accumulates and stores production information of the substrate for each batch, the production information being produced when the substrate is processed; a selection receiving unit that receives the selection of plural batches stored in the storage unit; and a display control unit that controls such that substrate information is displayed on the display part, the substrate information being information relating to a state in which the substrates are held the substrate holding part in the plural batches received by the selection receiving unit.
US08795419B2

An air dryer comprises an annular filter element (5) and a desiccant container (4) in a housing (2), the end faces of the filter element (5) being closed by end plate-type elements. The desiccant container forms at least one end plate-type element.
US08795415B2

A process for removing carbon dioxide from a fluid comprises the steps of: (a) treating the fluid by bringing it into countercurrent contact with a liquid absorbent in a first absorption zone and thereafter in a second absorption zone to absorb at least part of the carbon dioxide contained in the fluid into the absorbent; (b) depressurizing the loaded absorbent to release a first stream of carbon dioxide and yield a partially regenerated absorbent; (c) recycling a first stream of the partially regenerated absorbent into the first absorption zone; (d) heating a second stream of the partially regenerated absorbent to release a second stream of carbon dioxide and yield a regenerated absorbent; (e) recycling the regenerated absorbent into the second absorption zone; (f) condensing water vapor entrained in the second stream of carbon dioxide by cooling the second stream of carbon dioxide and transferring at least part of the heat recovered to the partially regenerated absorbent by indirect heat exchange. The invention provides a two-stage carbon dioxide recovery process wherein the overall energy required for carbon dioxide recovery is reduced and/or wherein at least part of the carbon dioxide is recovered at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure so as to reduce the energy required for compression of the carbon dioxide, e.g., for sequestration. Also disclosed is a plant for removing carbon dioxide from a fluid.
US08795411B2

Method for recovering a desired component from a waste gas comprising (a) at an operating facility, introducing a waste gas comprising the desired component and one or more undesired components into an adsorber containing adsorbent material selective for the desired component, adsorbing at least a portion of the desired component therein, (b) terminating flow of waste gas into the adsorber; and (c) recovering and concentrating the desired component by either (1) isolating the adsorber, transporting the adsorber to a central processing facility, or (2) withdrawing from the adsorber an intermediate gas enriched in the desired component, compressing the intermediate gas and storing it in a vessel, isolating the vessel, transporting the vessel to a central processing facility to provide a concentrated product further enriched in the desired component.
US08795400B2

Producing and using very low packing density ceramic abrasive grits comprising various fused aluminum oxide materials with or without other oxide additives, fused aluminum oxide-zirconium oxide co-fusions with or without other oxide additives, or sintered sol gel aluminum oxide materials with or without other oxide additives where the ceramic abrasive grains are preferably made by crushing bubbles of the material.
US08795389B2

Tanned leather, skin or pelt is produced by non-metal tanning, comprising the step of tanning a bated hide, skin or pelt with a tanning agent (A), the tanning agent (A) being at least one compound of a formula (I), wherein X signifies fluorine or chlorine, and/or (+NR3)0-1, wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted C1 to C6 alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted C6 to C10 aryl or a C5 to C6heteroaryl group, R1 signifies hydrogen, C1-8-alkyl or an alkyleneoxy radical of a formula (Ia), -(—C2-3 alkylene-O—)q—H (Ia), R2 signifies hydrogen or hydroxyl, m, signifies 1, 2 or 3, q is of from 1 to 10, M signifies hydrogen or an alkali metal cation or an ammonium cation, being a protonated tertiary amine or a quaternary ammonium cation, in a tanning bath having a pH of from 6 to 10 at the beginning of tanning step.
US08795387B1

A prosthetic wrist for attaching between an arm prosthesis and a prosthetic accessory includes proximal section, a central section pivotally attached to the proximal section with a first joint, and a distal section pivotally attached to the central section with a second joint. The second joint includes a second pivot axis that is substantially orthogonal to and non-intersecting with the first pivot axis. The distal section further includes at a distal end thereof a terminal device attachment mechanism. The first and second joints each include a proximal portion, a distal portion, a pivot, and a lock mechanism adapted for allowing angular selection between the proximal and distal portions and locking thereof.
US08795383B2

An improved composite prosthesis for laparoscopic repair of inguinal or femoral hernias, and also for the laparoscopic repair of large incisional ventral hernias incorporates two different layers, namely an upper layer made of polypropylene mesh to promote tissue ingrowth, and a lower layer formed with an adhesion barrier material to prevent adhesions to the intestines. Both layers are secured together with a highly visible dark seam at the perimeter of the prosthesis to assist the surgeon in visualizing the peripheral edge. The lower layer is slightly larger than the polypropylene mesh so there is an adhesion barrier edge around the prosthesis to conceal the edges of the polypropylene mesh. The upper layer includes a guiding cone to facilitate placement of the prosthesis at the exact center of the hernial defect. The base of this cone is attached to the central part of the prosthesis, and the apex of the cone will be attached later to a guiding thread that is inserted to from the outside of the abdomen using a long straight needle through the skin and hernial sac. Furthermore the laparoscopic hernia prosthesis lower layer is provided with a bounding rim to guide the tip of the spiral tacker to the very edges of the prosthesis in order to stretch the prosthesis in place, and also to conceal the staples or tacks.
US08795377B2

The present invention relates to mosaic implant (15) comprising a plurality of mosaic plates (17) connected by a wire or mesh anchoring arrangement (9). Methods for forming such implants and methods for using said implants for correction of bone and soft tissue defects are described.
US08795361B2

Each of an osteochondral plug graft and a kit comprises a trapezoid shaped construct configured for osteochondral implanting. An osteochondral regeneration method comprises forming a recipient socket in a chondral area of an articular joint in need of repair; harvesting a trapezoid shaped graft from another chondral area; and implanting the trapezoid shaped graft into the recipient socket.
US08795358B2

The invention relates to a device (1) for the vision correction of an eye (6), comprising: a converter (3, 3A, 3B, 5A, 5B) which can generate an electrical and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic signal in response to the mechanical energy generated by a movement of the eye; and a soft lens (2) intended to be aligned with the eye. The converter is positioned in relation to the lens such that the electrical and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic signal generated during the movement of the eye causes the optical properties of the lens to change. The invention is characterised in that the lens (2) includes a polymer material (7) containing a material (4) having a refractive index that can vary under the action of the electrical and/or magnetic and/or electromagnetic signal generated during a movement of the eye.
US08795355B2

Apparatus for delivering a prosthetic heart valve into a patient by means that are less invasive than conventional open-chest, open-heart surgery. The prosthetic valve may be collapsed while in a delivery device. When the valve reaches the desired implant site in the patient, the valve can be released from the delivery device, which allows the valve to re-expand to the configuration in which it can function as a heart valve. For example, the delivery device may be constructed to facilitate delivery of the prosthetic valve into the patient via the apex of the patient's heart.
US08795351B2

An embolic filter is disclosed and can include a head. A plurality of bent legs can extend from the head. Each bent leg can be configured to engage an inner wall of a vein and prevent the embolic filter from migrating in a cranial direction. A plurality of straight legs can also extend from the head. Each straight leg can be configured to prevent the embolic filter from migrating in a caudal direction.
US08795344B2

A basic idea of the invention is to categorize color of light into groups on the basis of dominant wavelength. After the colors have been categorized into different groups, a particular group of colors may be selected on the basis of a predetermined criterion, one criterion being that an individual is to perceive the ambient temperature as higher than it actually is, while another criterion may be that the individual is to perceive the ambient temperature as lower than it actually is. Thereafter, a control signal is generated for controlling the dominant wavelength of light emitted from at least one light source in accordance with the selected group of colors. Finally, the generated control signal is transmitted to the light source(s) to be controlled, for emitting light of the selected group of colors, thereby influencing the thermoregulation of an individual being exposed to the light of the selected group of colors on the basis of the predetermined criterion. The present invention is advantageous, in that colored lighting is employed for changing an individual's perception of ambient temperature, which enables energy savings for heating and air conditioning systems. Using a lighting control device for varying color of light results in a flexible solution since the device easily facilitates changing to an environment that is perceived as warmer or as cooler than the actual room temperature.
US08795341B2

A bone plate screw-blocking system and method that comprises a plate with at least two bone screw receiving holes, blocking elements, bone screws, and a tool capable of simultaneously actuating at least two blocking elements. The plate includes an upper surface and a lower surface with bone screw receiving holes that extend through both surfaces of the plate. The bone screws couple the plate to the bone via the bone screw receiving holes. The blocking elements are movably positioned proximate each bone screw receiving hole. In an initial unblocked position, the blocking elements do not cover the bone screw receiving holes. Upon movement into final blocked positions, the blocking elements cover at least a portion of the bone screw receiving holes and preferably extend over at least a portion of the bone screw during use.
US08795336B2

A stabilization device for bone parts or vertebrae includes two bone anchoring devices for anchoring in the bone parts or vertebrae. At least one of the bone anchoring devices includes an anchoring element with an anchoring section for anchoring in a bone part or a vertebra and a head, and a receiving part for receiving a stabilization rod. The receiving part has a seat for receiving the head so that the head can pivot with respect to the receiving part. The stabilization device includes a first pressure element which is movable in the receiving part so that it can be pressed onto the head to lock the angular position of the head. The stabilization device includes at least two stabilization rod sections, and at least two guiding channels within the receiving part which have a distance from each other for guiding through the at least two stabilization rod sections so that the rod sections do not touch each other.
US08795335B1

Disclosed is an orthopedic implant and methods of implantation for fixing adjacent bones. In an embodiment, the implant includes a locking mechanism that is adapted to be advanced by a locking instrument, wherein advancement of the locking mechanism in a first direction produces rotation of a first rigid abutment surface from a first orientation to a second orientation, and continued advancement of the locking mechanism produces advancement of the first rigid abutment surface towards a second rigid abutment surface and placement of a compressive load onto and sufficient to immobilize the implant relative to the first bony surface and the second bony surface.
US08795324B2

A working mechanism for a medical manipulator and a cleaning method therefor are provided. A working unit of a medical manipulator is equipped with a hollow connecting shaft, wires of a motive force transmitting member disposed in the connecting shaft, and a distal end working unit disposed on one end of the connecting shaft and which is moved by the wires. A cover covers at least a portion of the distal end working unit. A gap is provided between the cover and the connecting shaft, with oblong holes being disposed laterally on right and left sides of the cover. A cleaning agent is made to flow through the holes and the gap and/or a brush may be inserted through the holes and the gap for cleaning the distal end working unit.
US08795322B2

A seamless, self-expanding implantable device having a low profile is disclosed along with methods of making and using the same. The implantable device includes a frame cut out of a single piece of material that is formed into a three-dimensional shape. The implantable device may comprise an embolic filter, stent, or other implantable structure. The present invention also allows complicated frame structures to be easily formed from planar sheets of starting material, such as through laser cutting, stamping, photo-etching, or other cutting techniques.
US08795316B2

An implantable medical device delivery system is provided with a carrier member having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a frangible portion intermediate the proximal and distal portions. The frangible portion includes at least one notch providing a break hinge. A locking member is fixedly secured to the proximal portion of the carrier member and is releasably connected to an implantable medical device at or adjacent to the distal portion of the carrier member. In use, the implantable medical device is positioned generally adjacent to a target location of a body vessel and the frangible portion is broken about the break hinge. The proximal portion of the carrier member is then moved away from the distal portion to retract the locking member, thereby deploying the implantable medical device.
US08795309B2

A device for inserting a needle used to introduce a cannula can include a housing including a closed end, an open end, and an arm including a tab extending from the open end, and a sleeve configured to be placed against the patient's skin, the sleeve defining a slot extending along a length of the sleeve, and a barb positioned adjacent to an end of the slot. The slot is sized to receive at least a portion of the arm and the tab of the housing so that the arm and the tab of the housing slides within the slot as the housing is moved relative to the sleeve, and the barb is positioned to engage the tab of the housing to limit movement of the housing relative to the sleeve. The device can also include a threaded portion of the housing extending towards the closed end of the housing.
US08795307B2

An ultrasonic treatment device includes a probe in which a hole-shaped portion, being opened at a first opening position placed at a distal end portion of the probe and a second opening position placed at an outer peripheral portion of the probe and allowing the first opening position and the second opening position to communicate with each other, is formed. The ultrasonic treatment device includes a path which is extended in the hole-like portion from the first opening position to the second opening position along the longitudinal axis, and which is extended to an outside of the probe from the second opening position, and the path being extended to the extending position of the fixed handle toward the handle extending direction in the fixed handle.
US08795292B1

A post-partum hemorrhage treatment device includes an anterior wall, a posterior wall, and a flexible joint that connects the anterior and posterior walls. The anterior and/or posterior wall includes an inflation chamber that is adapted for selective inflation. A left stud fastener and a left stud-receiving aperture are both located on a left lateral side of the device. A right stud fastener and a right stud-receiving aperture are both located on a right lateral side of the device. The left and right stud fasteners are selectively inserted into and retained in the left and right stud-receiving apertures, respectively, for securing the treatment device relative to a human uterus. A fluid is communicated into the inflation chamber to urge the anterior and posterior surfaces of the uterus toward each other. The stud fasteners are inflatable so as to be secured in their respective stud-receiving apertures.
US08795274B2

A bipolar forceps for sealing tissue includes an end effector assembly having opposing first and second jaw members having a proximal end and a distal end. The jaw members are moveable relative to one another from a first spaced apart position to a second position in which the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue. Each of the jaw members includes an electrode having an electrically conductive tissue sealing surface. An electrical energy source may be connected to the tissue sealing surfaces so that the sealing surfaces can conduct energy to tissue. Each electrode may be hingedly connected to the respective jaw member to promote parallel closure of the sealing surfaces against tissue between the jaw members.
US08795273B2

In this treatment tool for endoscope, a sheath includes, at the distal end thereof, a tubular extended part having a predetermined thickness in the radially outward direction from an inner peripheral face of a first hole and extending further to the distal-end side, and a passive electrode is disposed such as to surround the outer periphery of the extended part.
US08795271B2

A probe that facilitates the creation of lesions in bodily tissue. The probe includes a relatively short shaft and an inflatable therapeutic element.
US08795270B2

An electrosurgical system and method for performing an electrosurgical procedure are disclosed. The electrosurgical system includes a high frequency generator to supply energy, the generator including one or more electrical connections. The system also includes one or more instruments configured to be inserted into tissue of the patient's body having a hardened tissue volume. The instruments are configured to penetrate the hardened tissue volume to create at one or more orifices defined therein. The instruments are also configured to selectively encapsulate one or more active electrodes that are coupled to the electrical connections. Each of the electrodes has an elongated shaft terminating in an exposed, conductive tip. The electrodes are configured to be inserted into the tissue of the patient's body and into the hardened tissue volume through the orifices to subsequently apply energy from the high frequency generator to the exposed, conductive tip to induce a coherent heating effect in the hardened tissue volume from power deposition therein, thereby producing a heat ablation volume in the hardened tissue volume.
US08795269B2

A surgical instrument includes an end effector assembly defining a feed-in side. The end effector assembly includes first and second rotatable gear members positioned adjacent one another to define a gap therebetween. When the first and second gear members are rotated, tissue positioned adjacent the feed-in side of the end effector assembly is engaged by the first and second gear members and is fed into the gap between the first and second gear members for one or both of sealing and dividing tissue disposed between the first and second gear members.
US08795262B2

A method of suturing the lens capsule of the eye in the event of accidental rupture thereof or to create a valve and/or to close a capsulorhexis by laser-induced welding onto the capsule's surface of a flap of biocompatible biological tissue prepared so as to be optically absorbent at the wavelength of the laser being used for welding. The method is suitable for use in so-called Phaco-Ersatz or “lens refilling” ophthalmologic surgery. Welding is desirably performed using laser devices that comprise a laser generator and a fiberoptic system for conveying the laser beam, complete with an applicator handpiece suitable for use in welding the flaps onto the lens capsule in a liquid environment. The handpiece is shaped so as to exert moderate pressure on the tissues to be welded with the free end of the optic fiber.
US08795254B2

Medical devices and methods for making and using the same. A medical device may include an elongate tubular member. The tubular member may include a first circumferential tube segment, a second circumferential tube segment disposed next to the first circumferential tube segment, and a third circumferential tube segment disposed next to the second circumferential tube segment. The first tube segment and the second tube segment may be separated by a first set of slots formed in the tubular member. The second tube segment and the third tube segment may be separated by a second set of slots formed in the tubular member. The second tube segment may be connected to the first tube segment with a proximally-extending beam formed in the tubular member. The second tube segment may also be connected to the third tube segment with a distally-extending beam formed in the tubular member. A ring may be defined in the second tube segment between the proximally-extending beam and the distally-extending beam. The ring may have a first portion with a first width and a second portion with a second width different from the first width.
US08795253B2

A bi-directional perfusion cannula is provided that includes an elongate tube for insertion into an artery. The elongate tube has a first aperture at a distal end of the tube which is forward during insertion and configured so that blood can flow into the artery in the direction of insertion, an elbow formed in the elongate tube, and a second aperture formed in or slightly rearward of the elbow and configured for supplying blood into the artery in a second direction which is generally opposite to the insertion direction.
US08795249B2

A disposable diaper is provided with a skin-contactable sheet piece above a liquid-pervious topsheet. The skin-contactable sheet piece is formed with openings extending in a back-and-forth direction through which body waste is guided toward the topsheet and both lateral zones of the sheet piece on both sides of these openings as viewed in a transverse direction B are provided with elastic members attached under tension. Outside the skin-contactable sheet piece as viewed in the transverse direction B, leak-barriers are provided and the lateral zones of the skin-contactable sheet piece are bonded to the leak-barriers along regions defined between proximal edges and free edges of the respective leak-barriers.
US08795246B2

Described herein are alarm systems for suction devices for reduced pressure therapy. Alarms systems provide alerts to the patient and/or practitioner regarding the ability of the suction device to continue to provide negative pressure to a tissue region. Alarm systems comprise a sensor mechanism, which is capable of detecting the position of a slidable seal within the suction device, and generating an alert. Certain variations of alarms systems comprise magnetic field sensitive switches and/or electric switches. Other variations of alarm systems comprise rotary encoders to detect the motion and location of constant force springs, which signal the notification mechanism to issue alerts accordingly. Described herein are alarm devices configured to retain a suction device therein and to attach the suction device to a patient. The alarm devices disclosed herein detect the depleted state of the suction device and are capable of retaining the suction device in a plurality of orientations.
US08795239B2

The invention refers to a method and an element for biasing a cartridge in a drug delivery device. The element for biasing the cartridge in a cartridge housing of a drug delivery device and an according system comprising the element and the drug delivery device are provided which is a self retained element comprising a first member having a shape that allows passage of a spindle of the drug delivery device. The self retained element biases the cartridge against an inner surface of the cartridge housing. This cartridge could be a removable cartridge.
US08795227B2

This invention is new apparatuses and methods for treatments to be used from inside conduits or biological pathways. Examples of the biological pathways in which these new apparatuses and methods may be used include arteries, veins, and respiratory ways. Multi-purpose catheters (10) and catheter systems using structures including wires (2108), balloons (2150), and cords (2204) are described as well as methods to use such catheters and catheter systems. One of the embodiments is a configurable wire system which carries or transports radioactive sources. The wire is used in conjunction with a closed-end channel catheter.
US08795221B2

A bypass device for influencing blood pressure, including an implant with a volumetric chamber, having a connector or connecting means for connecting the volumetric chamber to a natural cardiovascular system, and having an adaptor or adaptation means, by which a change in volume of a volume of the volumetric chamber is enabled or effected upon a pressure change in the cardiovascular system or in the volumetric chamber. According to this invention, a change in volume in a lower pressure range between 50 mmHg and a pressure threshold value amounting to at least 100 mmHg amounts to at most 10 cm3, and in an upper pressure range between the pressure threshold value and 150 mmHg amounts to at least 10 cm3. With the device according to this invention, high blood pressure can be reduced in a carefully directed way.
US08795220B2

A blood processing apparatus may include a heat exchanger and a gas exchanger. At least one of the heat exchanger and the gas exchanger may be configured to provide a circumferential blood flow through the heat exchanger and/or gas exchanger.
US08795214B1

An orthotic brace comprises a flexible panel having a first panel portion, a second panel portion and a central portion connecting the first and second panel portions, the first panel portion and the second panel portion being of sufficient length to wrap around a torso of a user, a closure structure disposed near ends of the first and second panel portions to secure the panel about the torso, an upper cord system and a lower cord system connected to the panel, the upper and lower cord systems being independently adjustable for a more anatomically correct fit and providing a mechanical advantage, the upper cord system and the lower cord system each having a first pull and a second pull, movable along upper and lower edges of the first and second panel portions, respectively, the first pull disposed at one of the first panel portion and the second panel portion, the second pull disposed at the other of the first panel portion and the second panel portion, wherein right side and left sides of the upper and lower cord systems may be tightened independently to tighten or loosen upper and lower portions of the orthotic brace at the central portion.
US08795197B2

In an embodiment of the invention, a frictional tissue sampling device with a head designed to be rotated without rotating off the designated site can be used to obtain tissue biopsy samples. A frictional tissue sampling device with a head designed to be rotated without rotating off the designated site can be used to obtain an epithelial tissue biopsy sample from lesions. The device can be otherwise used to sample specific locations. In various embodiments, the head of the device is narrow and pointed with a hybrid pear shaped diamond facet. Abrasive material can be adhered to the facet.
US08795187B2

A device and a process are provided for recognizing a correct use of an alcohol measuring device by a test subject. At least one alcohol measuring device is provided with a signal transmitter, an analysis and control unit and a camera unit. An image field of the camera unit is divided into an inner image field area and an outer image field area. The inner image field area detects at least the face area of the test subject. The camera unit records changes at a boundary between the inner image field area and the outer image field area. A signal sent by the signal transmitter in the inner image field area can be detected by the camera unit.
US08795182B2

Switching is provided in a transducer array of medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging. The switching controls the formation of macro elements or aperture for scanning a plane or volume. The switches are implemented with one or more transistors. The control causes the gates of the transistor to float during the “on” connection. While on, the switch connects, allowing ultrasound signals to pass through the switch.
US08795178B2

An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring ultrasound data of a region-of-interest including an interventional device with a probe, identifying a position of the interventional device with respect to the probe, and identifying a shadow region within the region-of-interest based on the position of the interventional device. The system and method includes identifying a subset of the ultrasound data acquired from the shadow region, generating an image including a graphical indicator identifying a shadow region area generated from the subset of the ultrasound data, and displaying the image.
US08795175B2

Cerebral blood volume changes are measured to evaluate, from properties of low-frequency components of such changes and heart rate changes calculated by analysis, a distribution of cerebral blood vessel hardness and its change over time to thereby estimate and display diseased and dangerous portions based on the evaluation. This is attainable by a biological measurement system having a cerebral blood volume measurement unit which measures a regional cerebral blood volume of a body under test, an analyzer unit that analyzes a signal measured by the cerebral blood volume measurement unit, an extraction unit for extracting, based on an output of the analysis unit, information concerning a regional cerebral blood vessel state of the test body, and a display unit which displays a measurement result of the cerebral blood volume measurement unit, an analysis result of the analyzer unit or an extraction result of the extraction unit.
US08795173B2

In exemplary implementations of this invention, sensor measurements are taken before, during and after an epileptiform seizure of a human. The sensors measure electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate variability (HRV) of the human.The EDA and HRV measurements are used to assess sympathetic activity and parasympathetic activity, respectively. More particularly, in the case of HRV measurements, HF power is used to assess parasympathetic innervation of the heart. HF power is the power of the high frequency (e.g. 0.15 to 0.4 Hz) spectral component of the RRI signal.One or more processors analyze the sensor data to calculate the magnitude of a post-ictal autonomic disturbance. Based on that calculated magnitude, the processors assess the severity of the seizure.A wrist-worn sensor may take long-term, continuous EDA and motion measurements. The processors may analyze these measurements to detect the onset of a tonic-clonic seizure.
US08795171B2

A health monitoring system is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the health monitoring system includes a first server configured to receive a first set of information from a monitoring device, wherein the first set of information includes a health condition reading of a subscriber, and wherein the first server is configured to process the first set of information and transmit a second set of information to the monitoring device and/or a telecommunications device, wherein the second set of information includes medical treatment information and/or medical advice concerning the subscriber. The health monitoring system also includes a database in communication with the first server and configured to store a third set of information therein, wherein the third set of information includes emergency contact information, one or more health conditions of the subscriber, monitoring time intervals, and/or numerical ranges defining acceptable health conditions and medical alert conditions.
US08795170B2

Improved human health monitoring is provided in the context of sensor measurements of typical vital signs and other biological parameters, by a system and method using an empirical model of the parameters and disposed to estimate values of the parameters in response to actual measurements. Residuals resulting from the difference between the estimates and actual measurements are analyzed for robust indications of incipient health issues. Residual analysis is both more robust and more sensitive than conventional univariate range checking on vital signs.
US08795169B2

The monitoring device incorporates transducing devices for converting the desired measured parameters into electrical signals capable of being processed by a local computer or microprocessor system. The device interacts with the ambulatory patient and then, via a modem or other electronic communication device, transmits the measured parameters to a computer located at a remote site. At the remote location. the various indicia of the ambulatory patient's condition are monitored and analyzed by the medical professional caregiver. To provide the ambulatory patient with an added level of convenience and ease of use, such monitoring device is contained in a single integrated package.
US08795164B2

A surgical port includes a port body having a lumen extending therethrough and a plate having an opening. The port body may be made from foam. The port is configured such that rotation of the plate with respect to the port body aligns the opening and lumen defining a passage therethrough for the insertion of surgical instruments.
US08795160B2

An endoscope apparatus includes an insertion part which has an imaging mechanism at a distal end portion and which is bendable and elongated; a display part which displays an image acquired by the imaging mechanism; a manipulating part which has a swinging body and which performs curving manipulation of the insertion part; and a housing which provides the display part and the manipulating part to a front face thereof, and which connects the insertion part with a back face opposite to the front face.
US08795159B2

An endoscope includes a flexible portion extended to a part on a proximal direction side of an insertion main body along a longitudinal axis, and a passive bending portion provided to a distal direction side of the flexible portion in the insertion main body, being more flexible than the flexible portion, and configured to passively bend when external force acts thereon. The endoscope includes an attachment unit which includes a fin portion spirally extended along the longitudinal axis, and through which the insertion section is inserted, and a holding portion provided to the insertion main body, and configured to hold the attachment unit in a state that the attachment unit covers the passive bending portion and that the attachment unit is rotatable about the longitudinal axis with respect to the insertion main body.
US08795144B2

An apparatus for automatically centrifuging test tubes containing biological material including a plurality of centrifuges functionally identical to one another yet independent and adapted to centrifuge test tubes offered to an interface for centrifuging test tubes using a conveying system included in an automatic conveyor of test tubes. The plurality of centrifuges is fitted on a turntable adapted to offer each centrifuge at a suitable loading/unloading point adjacent to the loading/unloading point of the interface. Each centrifuge is provided with a motor adapted to generate the centrifugal motion by setting a rotor in rotation, and a test tube handling device including an arm with a first gripper adapted to load test tubes to be centrifuged and a second gripper adapted to unload centrifuged test tubes, simultaneously to the loading, the arm sliding along a curved guide adapted to generate a forced rotation of the grippers.
US08795143B2

A spinning force system and methods of operation are provided for measuring a characteristic of a sample. The system includes a detection module having a light source for illuminating the sample and an objective being aligned to the light source to define a light path for producing an image of the sample. A rotor is mechanically coupled to the detection module and configured to rotate the light path for applying a force to the sample. The force may include a centrifugal force and other forms of force (such as a viscous drag force) resulted from the rotation. In some examples, the force is applied in a direction that is not parallel to a surface of the sample.
US08795140B2

A starting block for swimming equipped with a single curved surface to facilitate track starts while reducing the trip hazard of such a surface. This allows for safer mounting from rear and side steps and removes undesirable gaps in the top surface of the starting block. A pliable embodiment of said curved surface can modify the distance of the curvature from the leading edge of the starting block to adapt to different swimmer needs. An apparatus to obtain said distance for a given swimmer from a meet management system to modify the pliable embodiment for quick change during time-constrained events such as meets.
US08795139B2

This invention provides a lower-limb off-axis movement training apparatus, which is mounted on the movement part of a sagittal plane exercise machine and allows the user to perform off-axis movement training during sagittal plane functional movements. The said apparatus for the lower limb off-axis training consists of a base, an off-axis movement generating part mounted on the base, and a foot container supported by the off-axis movement generating part. The said off-axis movement generating part comprising at least one of the following two: (1) off-axis pivoting generating part, which generates the pivoting movement of the foot container; (2) off-axis sliding generating part, which generates the sliding movement of the foot container. A feedback training system including the said training apparatus is provided. While the user performs sagittal plane movements of the lower limbs, the said system provides off-axis movement training integrated with the sagittal plane movements. The invented off-axis training apparatus and system can be used to help human subjects improve off-axis and sagittal plane neuromuscular control, reduce the incidence of lower limb injuries and facilitate post-injury rehabilitation.
US08795136B2

An actuating device includes a vehicle operating brake and parking brake. A first braking effect is generated by the parking brake independently of a braking procedure for the operating brake. The actuating device comprises a first switched state, wherein the first braking effect of the parking brake cannot be provided, and a second switched state, wherein the first (full) braking effect of the parking brake is provided. The actuating device further comprises a manually actuatable operating element for actuating the parking brake that comprises travel positions. The actuating device is switched to the second switched state in a first travel position when the parking brake is released, and to the first switched state when the parking brake is applied. Also, the actuating device is switchable to a further switched state. In an actuating method, the actuating device is switched to the further switched state in response to an actuation.
US08795120B2

A drive unit for an electric bicycle, the drive unit including a motor configured to generate a rotary force to drive a wheel of the electric bicycle, a reduction gear unit provided with a plurality of gears to decelerate a rotary force generated from the motor, and a ring gear configured to output the rotary force which is decelerated by the reduction gear, wherein a rib is formed on at least one of two lateral sides of the ring gear.
US08795118B2

A method for assisting a transmission oil pump in a hybrid electric powertrain to generate transmission oil pressure rapidly during vehicle start. An electric motor is initially utilized to provide momentary torque to rotate an oil pump and rapidly generate transmission oil pressure. After initial assistance is provided by the electric motor, an oil pump electric motor powers the oil pump and maintains oil pressure within the hybrid powertrain.
US08795109B2

An arrow construction system comprising a tip canister configured to receive an arrow tip and to attach to an arrow shaft. The tip canister contains a power source and sensitive electronics. The power circuit may be a battery, a primary storage capacitor, a coil and a rectifier, and/or a solar cell. The tip canister may be electrically connected to the nock via the shaft electrical conduction system. The electrical conductors may be integrated into the shaft. The wires may form a cable with standard connectors. The nock may contain a light. Alternatively, the fletching may comprise light emitting film or fibers. The circuits may include a flash circuit, an audio circuit, a radio beacon, a wireless transmitter, environmental sensors, a camera, a switch, and/or a GPS device. The switch may be activated by a current detected in a coil or by an accelerometer.
US08795108B2

A ball bat includes a barrel in which one or more stiffening elements or damping elements, or both, are located. The stiffening or damping elements may be positioned at a variety of locations, and may have a variety of configurations, for selectively reducing the barrel's performance without appreciably increasing the bat's moment of inertia.
US08795096B2

A method and apparatus for a motion ride that creates the illusion of teleportation on passengers in a passenger vehicle. This is accomplished in four steps of the method. Multiple embodiments of varying apparatus are presented for completing the four steps of the method. Passengers in the first step view a primary environment, in the second step passengers are surrounded by a secondary environment, in the third step passengers experience Galilean invariance by viewing the velocity of multiple of images of motion of the secondary environment being relative to the velocity of the passenger vehicle as selected from a group consisting of equal magnitude and same direction, equal magnitude and opposite direction, greater magnitude and same direction, greater magnitude and opposite direction, lesser magnitude and same direction, and lesser magnitude and opposite direction, and in the fourth step passengers again view the primary environment.
US08795086B2

Systems and methods for providing referee control over game play within a gaming environment are provided herein. Exemplary methods may include establishing a referee role that allows an end user to exert referee control of game play relative to a competition, within a gaming environment, between a plurality of participants, establishing referee rights for the referee role, the referee rights being made available only to the end user upon which the referee role has been conferred; and, conferring the referee role upon the end user.
US08795085B2

A computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon for operating a computer system to track golf scores and side games. The computer program may comprise a code segment for receiving with the computer system course information and player information for a round of golf; a code segment for receiving with the computer system side game information for side games to be played by players of the round of golf; a code segment for receiving with the computer system scoring information for the players as they play the round of golf; and a code segment for scoring with the computer system the round of golf and calculating results of the side games based at least partially on the player information and the scoring information.
US08795084B2

The methods and systems disclosed herein include a gaming platform that may support massively-multiplayer online computer games, with elements of social networking, in which players may use mobile devices in order to verify their location and claim a measure of control over the location. Players may function like game pieces in association with other members on a team and participate in competitions to capture and defend real-world territory as part of the gaming experience. The gaming platform and associated entities may share revenue and other incentives with entities associated with the locations controlled by the players on the game platform.
US08795082B2

A gaming system is disclosed comprising a console unit having a processor and transceiver circuitry. The transceiver circuitry couples to the processor and includes respective receiver and transmitter circuits. A first phased array antenna interface is employed to transmit and receive directional signals in response to the processor. The system employs a mobile game controller including a second phased array antenna interface to receive and redirect the directional signals back to the first phased array antenna interface. The processor generates proximity data based at least in part on a parameter associated with the directional signals, the proximity data representing the proximity of the mobile game controller with respect to the game console unit.
US08795077B1

A personal control mechanism is disclosed. The personal control mechanism includes at least one controller with full functionalities in a sense that the controller does not need any attachment and is operable with one hand to fully control an interactive environment being shown. According to one embodiment of the controller, the controller has a top surface including a number of buttons and a joystick operable by a finger of one hand, and a bottom surface including a trigger operable by another finger of the hand. A housing of the controller is sized comfortably to fit into either hand of a user and has a holding portion designed in a way that the trigger, the buttons and the joystick are readily operated when the holding portion is being held in either hand.
US08795073B2

A first display section is caused to perform stereoscopic display, and a second display section is caused to perform non-stereoscopic display. A pointed position within an image displayed on the second display section is detected on the basis of an input of a player, it is determined that a second object within the image displayed on the second display section is operated, on the basis of a result of the detection, and a first object displayed on the first display section is changed on the basis of the determination.
US08795071B2

System and methods are provided for effecting user experience in an electronic game environment through use of virtual currency or vCoins. In a multi-level game, the systems and methods include memory for storing information on game play, the information including input received from the user, information relating to levels within the multi-level game and game display information for output to the user. A processor is coupled to the memory for generating game play information, preferably including game play with virtual money. The virtual money is acquired through game play or cash purchase. The virtual money is convertible into a non-cash good comprising advancement to another level within the game.
US08795070B2

Provided in embodiments of the present invention is an access mechanism that provides access to a plurality of internal portions of a gaming device through a plurality of securing mechanisms. In one embodiment, a gaming device includes first and second internal cabinet portions, a first interface device, a second interface device, and an actuator unit. The first and second interface devices secure access to the first and second internal cabinet portions, respectively. The actuator unit is structured to allow access to the first secured cabinet portion in response to a first valid key being applied to the first interface device and to allow access to the second secured cabinet portion in response to a second valid key being applied to the second interface device.
US08795069B2

A bonus game having multiple levels of play includes credit-based and jackpot awards at one or more of the levels. The jackpot awards remain at a constant value regardless of the wager made. The expected return at the jackpot award level is generally held constant despite varying wagers through the use of a feature that provides for early termination of the bonus game at one or more levels played prior to that of jackpot award level. A reduced probability of reaching the jackpot award compensates for increased wagers and maintains the expected return constant or increasing with wager.
US08795068B2

A gaming device including a plurality of reels with a plurality of symbols on each of the reels. At least one and preferably a plurality of the symbols on the primary reels are designated as tracking or back symbols. A tracking symbol is a symbol that, when generated on a reel, causes the gaming device to flag the outcome of the current and all tracking spins in a memory storage device. A back symbol is a symbol that, when generated on a reel, causes the gaming device to retrieve the flagged outcomes of each flagged spin and to re-display the outcomes in a sequential manner and to provide the awards associated with the outcomes to the player. An additional embodiment of the invention automatically flags all spins of the gaming device for retrieval and display upon the generation of a back or bonus symbol. The gaming device determines if an award is associated with one or more of the symbols generated on the reels and provides any determined award to the player.
US08795060B2

A game processing server apparatus providing a game service to a plurality of terminal devices connected with each other via a network, includes a game data generation unit that generates game data in the game service; a player information storing unit that stores player information including registration date data indicating a date when the player operating the terminal device is registered in the game service; and a group allocation unit that determines a player group to which the player belongs based on the registration date data of the player, wherein the game data generation unit generates game data for training, which is different from normal game data, to the player who belongs to the player group.
US08795058B2

The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides and tracks bonus event eligibility points accumulated by players playing the gaming devices in the gaming system. Upon a triggering of a bonus event, the gaming system generates, for each bonus event eligibility point accumulated for each player, a random number from a predefined range of numbers. The gaming system determines which one of the accumulated bonus event eligibility points is the designated bonus event eligibility point, such as by determining which bonus event eligibility point is associated with the highest valued random number generated. The gaming system then enables the player that accumulated the designated bonus event eligibility point to participate in the bonus event. In the bonus event, one or more awards are provided to the player that accumulated the designated bonus event eligibility point.
US08795053B2

The present disclosure is directed to a gaming system and method providing one or more indications associated with a player-selected winning symbol combination for a play of a Pachisuro-style slot game. The gaming system includes a plurality of reels, each of which includes a plurality of symbols, and a separate stop input device associated with each reel. While each reel is spinning, the gaming system enables the player to activate the associated stop input device to cause the gaming system to stop that reel from spinning. For a play of the game, the gaming system enables a player to select a desired winning symbol combination. The gaming system spins the reels and, while the reels are spinning, indicates when the player should activate the stop input devices to cause the gaming system to stop the reels such that a probability of the desired winning symbol combination being displayed is maximized.
US08795047B2

A game machine includes a cabinet, a supporting rod disposed in the cabinet, a retaining base secured on top of the rod, a lighting device disposed on the retaining device, and a drive mechanism disposed in the cabinet. The rod defines a bore therein. The retaining base defines an aperture in communication with the bore in the rod. The lighting device has its electric wire extending through both of the aperture in the retaining base and the bore in the rod. The target is made of a light-transmissive material. The retaining base and the lighting device are housed in a receptacle of the target. The drive mechanism is configured to drive the rod to move up to have the target pop out of a hole in a table of the cabinet.
US08795042B2

Provided is a defroster nozzle 4 which blows out air to an inner surface of a windshield 2 of a vehicle 1. The defroster nozzle 4 includes center-duct 45 forming member 41 and two end-portion-duct forming members 50. The center-duct 45 forming member 41 forms a center duct through which the air circulates, and has a center ventilation outlet 47 through which the air in the center duct is blown out to the inner surface of the windshield 2. The two end-portion-duct 54 forming members 50 are coupled respectively to two joint end portions 42, on outer sides in the vehicle width direction, of the center-duct forming member 41. Each end-portion-duct forming member 50 forms an end-portion duct which communicates with the center duct, and each end-portion-duct forming member 50 has an end-portion ventilation outlet 55 through which the air in the end-portion duct is blown out to the inner surface of the windshield 2. Each of the end-portion-duct forming members 50 is coupled to the center-duct forming member 41 so as to be capable of tilting relative to the center-duct forming member 41.
US08795041B2

When conditioned air is supplied in an aircraft, the conditioned air in which at least one of oxygen concentration and humidity is adjusted is generated in the aircraft. The generated conditioned air is blown via a plurality of air blow-off ports 40a disposed inside the aircraft cabin so that the conditioned air reaches face disposition regions of passengers H in a plurality of seat locations inside the cabin.
US08795038B2

A suspension apparatus and a method for suspending sausages, in particular sausage chains, including a plurality of circulating suspension hooks, where the suspension apparatus is configured such that it is able to accommodate a plurality of groups of sausages, the respective sausages being suspended from n suspension hooks. The apparatus includes at least one variable indicator capable of indicating a group end and/or a group beginning.
US08795035B2

A CMP pad conditioner including a substrate having a transparency window represented by an average internal transmittance of not less than about 90% over a wavelength range extending from about 400 nm to about 500 nm along a path length extending through the substrate of not less than about 10 mm a bonding layer overlying a surface of the substrate, and abrasive grains contained within the bonding layer.
US08795034B2

A dressing blade for finishing and reconditioning new and used abrasive grinding and cutting tools has a slab-shaped shank with an extension protruding longitudinally from the shank. Superabrasive grains are disposed on the surface of the extension and held in place by a brazed metal composition. This composition is formed by brazing a powdered mixture of brazing metal components and active metal components. Specific extension configurations are provided which allow aligning the superabrasive grains in single layer arrangement for precise dressing and simple fabrication of the tool. The novel dressing tool exhibits excellent wear characteristics.
US08795029B2

An endpoint detection method includes processing an outer surface of a substrate, directing an incident light beam through a window in an opaque metal body onto the surface being processed, receiving at a detector a reflected light beam from the substrate and generating a signal from the detector, and generating a signal based on the reflected light beam received at the detector, and detecting a processing endpoint. The signal is a time-varying cyclic signal that varies as the thickness of the layer varies over time, and detecting the processing endpoint includes detecting that a portion of a cycle of the cyclic signal has passed, the portion being less than a full cycle of the cyclic signal.
US08795027B2

A CO2 gas-propelled model car launcher permits two or more model vehicles to be launched substantially simultaneously. Launching of the vehicles is achieved by moving a trigger plate sidewise which disengages a disc and thereby releases a firing pin whose forward movement punctures the CO2 cartridge. A height adjustment feature permits the launcher to accommodate model cars of different sizes. Multiple launchers may be ganged together and their trigger plates rigidly connected in such a way that sidewise movement of one trigger plate launches all of the model vehicles.
US08795023B2

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a children's play gym configured for being converted between different configurations providing unique functionalities. In certain embodiments, the convertible play gym is provided with one or more adaptable entertainer components including various entertainment features (e.g., lights and sound producing devices). In a first configuration adapted for infants, at least one of the entertainer components is suspended above the play gym's mat and configured for reacting to movement, sound, or other input provided by an infant child laying on the play gym's mat. In a second configuration adapted for toddlers, the suspended entertainer component may be detached from the play gym's support members and reconfigured as a children's entertainment table (e.g., by itself or as part of an assembly with other entertain components).
US08795019B2

To prevent bending of an electrode shaft portion by a method which requires minimum increase in production cost, in an electrode mount for a high pressure discharge lamp. A manufacturing method of an electrode mount for the high pressure discharge lamp includes: a process of subjecting the electrode mount to a heat treatment, the electrode mount including an electrode and a metal foil which are welded to each other; and an oxidation process of producing an oxide on a surface of the electrode shaft portion of the electrode by laser irradiation to form an oxidation portion on the surface, wherein a laser irradiation position is determined such that a whole or part of the oxidation portion is included in a sealing portion of the high pressure discharge lamp when the electrode mount is embedded in the sealing portion.
US08795014B2

Disclosed is a flotation platform engineered to permit aquatic based exercise routines in a pool or Shallow calm waters for fitness or rehabilitation. An exercise method directed for a total body workout. A raft that exercise routines are performed on water to reduce stress, as if compared to ones workout With heavy equipment or on hard surfaces. The workout raft includes a removable pillow to allow more Resistance for both upper and lower body. The raft includes flexible connectors for the arm rest for a Variety of arm exercises. The raft includes a quarter hole behind the users knees to allow the user to Bend the raft easily in and out of the water. Disclosed is a raft that works out about every part of the Body. It has a number of color coded chambers that can be inflated for the desired level of resistance.
US08795005B2

A high current connector for transmitting electric currents, having a housing made of electrically conductive material for mechanical and electrical connection to a cable, an open side for the insertion of a matching plug connector made of an electrically conductive material, and a contact element disposed and formed in the housing such that it produces an electrical contact with a contact surface and contact pressure between the housing and the matching plug connector inserted therein, wherein the contact element has at least one annular helical spring.
US08795004B2

Disclosed is an ECG electrode lead wire connector which provides improved electrical and mechanical coupling of the ECG electrode press stud to the lead wire, provides enhanced ergonomics to the clinician, and may alleviate patient discomfort associated with the attachment and removal of ECG leads. The connector may be engaged and disengaged with little or no force imparted to the patient or the ECG pad, which significantly minimizes the risk of inadvertent dislodgement of the pad. In one embodiment the disclosed connector provides a thumb cam lever which affirmatively engages the press stud to the connector, and provides tactile feedback to the clinician that the connector is properly engaged. In other embodiments, the connector provides a pushbutton to enable the clinician to easily engage and disengage the connector from the ECG stud. The disclosed connectors may also decrease clinician fatigue, and may provide more reliable ECG results.
US08795000B2

A housing (10) includes locking lances (15A, 15B) for retaining terminal fittings (30) inserted into terminal accommodating chambers (11A, 11B) arranged side by side in upper and lower levels and deformation spaces (16A, 16B) extending in an arrangement direction of the locking lances (15A, 15B) and allowing the locking lances 15A, 15B to be resiliently deformed away from the terminal fittings (30). When deformation preventing portions (41A, 41B) of a retainer (40) are inserted into the deformation spaces (16A, 16B), the locking lances (15A, 15B) are prevented from being deformed away from the terminal fittings (30). The retainer (40) includes a rectangular tube (45) formed by the two deformation preventing portions (41A, 41B) and two couplings (44) coupling the deformation preventing portions (41A, 41B), and the housing (10) includes accommodating portions (18) for accommodating the couplings (44).
US08794989B2

A modular driveline includes a modular portion including a cable and a connector, the cable having terminations, and a percutaneous portion including a cable and a connector, the cable having terminations. The percutaneous portion connector couples to the modular portion connector, and cable terminations at the connectors are captured in the connectors by potting. The cable can include an inner member, conductors disposed about the inner member, a covering about the conductors, a layer extruded onto the covering, an armor braid over the extruded layer, and an outer jacket extruded over the armor braid.
US08794987B2

A connector device for the production of an electrical connection between a mains cable and a cable harness in an electrical device, in particular, a domestic device, is disclosed, comprising a first plug-in connector, for the production of a detachable, mechanical and electrical connection to the cable harness of the electrical device and a second plug-in connector, for the production of a detachable, mechanical and electrical connection to the mains cable, whereby the second plug-in connector is provided for a number of differing mains cables and has an identical connector configuration for each of the differing mains cables.
US08794976B2

Method are provided for evaluating reaction time data obtained from a stimulus-response testing system. One exemplary method comprises: obtaining reaction time data, the reaction time data comprising a plurality of reaction times, each reaction time comprising an estimate of a time required for a subject to respond to a corresponding stimulus event; assigning a weight to each reaction time in the reaction time data in accordance with a weighting function, the weighting function comprising a rule that defines a mapping between reaction times and corresponding weights; and determining a weighted reaction time metric based at least in part on a sum of the weights assigned to the reaction times in the reaction time data.
US08794975B2

The motor and cognitive skills development system includes a series of exercise mats having various instructional patterns thereon in increasing degrees or levels of physical and mental difficulty from very basic to more advanced moves and instructions. Each mat includes a complete series of exercise instructions thereon, with the exercises ranging from a relatively simple series of progressive jumps along the mat, to more complex jumps requiring only one foot, lateral or backward jumps, jump turns, etc. The instructions may range from simple representations of foot patterns through representations of various objects, colors, alphanumeric indicators, caricatures, etc. The development system thus challenges students both physically and mentally, with the instructor determining the exercise(s) to be performed and the corresponding mats according to the needs of the student(s) and/or curriculum. The system is adaptable to very young children, autistic students, adults and younger people with special training or rehabilitation needs, etc.
US08794973B2

Provided are contamination detection simulation systems and methods comprising a control unit that generates a first signal comprising data corresponding to a simulated source of contamination; a simulated detector that receives the signal from the control unit, the simulated detector positioned at a distance from a surface; a proximity detector that determines the distance between the simulated detector and the surface and outputs a distance result; and a processing unit that generates a second signal in response to the first signal and the distance result.
US08794972B2

A standardized parsing and mark-up technique is provided for printings or displays of textual materials, including complex legal documents such as statutes or contracts, to enhance readability and understanding of same. A presentation may be provided in which textual terms indicating if-then statements are enhanced with at least one of a first-level if-then visual marking or a second-level if-then marking throughout the textual material before the text is presented. Textual terms indicating skeletal sentence structures are enhanced with a skeletal sentence visual marking throughout the textual material before the text is presented. A legend for the textual material may be provided having representations of the visual markings and their corresponding meanings.
US08794959B2

A completely disposable cooking apparatus used for filling and decorating of foods, that is a one-piece disposable construction, comprising a one-piece, funnel-shaped bag with a soft side wall, having an open first end at the “top” or wider end of the funnel through which food material can be inserted into the bag and a closed second end at the “bottom” or narrow end of the funnel, with an integral, malleable, conical shaped, discharge orifice (also sometimes referred to as a nozzle or a tip). The orifice has serrations or ridges extending inwardly from the internal wall of the orifice, running longitudinally or parallel to the cone axis for all or a part of the length of the orifice. The orifice can either be initially closed or manufactured with a small opening or hole. The orifice is made of a material so that it is capable of being cut at any point along its longitudinal axis to yield an exit opening or hole with a desired size. Regardless of the point of cut, i.e., regardless of the size of the hole or opening, the inwardly extending serrations or ridges that remain after the cut insure that the material is “treated” as it is expelled from the bag through the orifice. While the orifice is capable of “treating” the material as it is discharged from the bag, the orifice is also either: (a) elastic or flexible enough in order to allow the hole or opening in the orifice to expand to pass “clogs” or “lumps” and then return to its original shape; or (b) supple or deformable enough in order to allow the orifice to be compressed or collapsed “upstream” of the hole or opening so that the “clogs” or “lumps” can be broken up and then passed through the hole or opening when the orifice returns to its original shape.
US08794956B2

A mold system for forming a multilevel block is disclosed which comprises a multilevel mold box insert for forming a multilevel block, a mold box frame adapted for receiving therein the multilevel mold box insert, a multilevel plunger assembly, and a press head plate adapted for receiving thereon the multilevel plunger assembly.
US08794949B2

The invention provides devices that are attached to an extruder making the operation thereof more efficient and convenient and allowing for a quick change over of parts used to make various products prepared in the extrusion process. A high pressure relief assembly is attached to the extruder that allows for the rapid release of pressure from the extruder at the end of the process by venting product under pressure from the extruder and the extruder also has attached thereto a quick assembly locking device that allows for the exchange of assemblies, such as a density control assembly and other assembles, without the removal of nuts, bolts, and clamps by attaching the assembly to an arm that can be moved in and out of place in front of the extruder and wherein the device has a locking mechanism that seals and releases the assembly from the extruder.
US08794944B2

A screw spindle machine having a tubular casing (10) that is made of cast metal and is lined with a wear resistant layer (16), with the wear resistant layer (16) being encapsulated in a steel shell (20) that matches the outer peripheral shape of the layer (16).
US08794942B2

The invention relates to a vacuum pump comprising a cup-shaped housing, a rotor eccentrically mounted for rotation in the housing, and a housing cover closing the cup-shaped housing, wherein the rotor has a rotor shaft that passes through the cup-shaped housing and by which the rotor is driven, wherein the rotor shaft is provided with a bore for delivering a lubricant, and a connection nipple is seated in the free end section of the bore.
US08794929B2

The present invention provides a fluid delivery system having a first chamber, a second chamber and a third chamber; a flow-through pump element separating the first chamber from the second chamber; a moveable pump element separating the second chamber from the third chamber; a first outlet in communication with the third chamber; and second outlet in communication with the second chamber. Additionally, the present invention provides methods of operating a fluid delivery system having a first chamber, a second chamber and a delivery chamber by reducing the volume of the second chamber while increasing the volume of the delivery chamber without operation of a flow-through pump element that separates the second chamber from the first chamber.
US08794923B2

Independent axial preloading of compressor and turbine disks in a gas turbine engine rotor is achieved by a dual tie shaft arrangement wherein a forward tie shaft engages forward and aft portions of a compressor hub within which the compressor disks are disposed to axially and compressively preload the compressor disks between the forward and aft portions of the compressor hub. An independent tie shaft engages an aft portion of a turbine hub within which turbine disks are disposed and an aft portion of the compressor hub to axially and compressively preload the turbine disks between the turbine and compressor hubs.
US08794919B2

The present invention relates to a wind turbine blade for a rotor of a wind turbine having a substantially horizontal rotor shaft. The blade may comprise a profiled contour comprising a pressure side and a suction side as well as a leading edge and a trailing edge, a chord extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and the profiled contour generating a lift when being impacted by an incident airflow. In a cross section of the wind turbine blade perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the wind turbine blade, a suction side point is defined on the suction side at the trailing edge of the blade, and a pressure side point is defined on the pressure side at the trailing edge of the blade. The suction side point is movable in relation to the pressure side point, and the blade is further provided with a displacement device configured to displace the pressure side point and the suction side point so that a distance between the suction side point and the pressure side point can be varied. The present invention further relates to a wind turbine including such a wind turbine blade and to a method of operating a wind turbine including such a wind turbine blade.
US08794918B2

A system includes a brush seal segment. The brush seal segment includes a movable support including a head, an extension, and a seal surface, wherein the head is configured to mount in a chamber. The brush seal segment also includes a brush coupled to the movable support along the seal surface, wherein the seal surface consists essentially of the brush. The brush seal segment also includes a biasing element coupled to the movable support, wherein the biasing element is configured to bias the movable support from a first position to a second position to increase a brush clearance in a space between the brush and a rotor, and the movable support is configured to move from the second position to the first position to decrease the brush clearance in response to a fluid flow from the space to the chamber.
US08794910B2

A synchronizing assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a synchronizing ring. A composite bumper is secured to the synchronizing ring by a fastener. A structure is arranged between the bumper and the synchronizing ring. The fastener applies a first load through the structure to the synchronizing ring and a second load through the bumper. The second load is substantially less than the first load. In one example, the structure includes a bushing that extends through a hole in the bumper. The bushing is proud of the hole on the other side of the bumper and protrudes into the counterbore. The fastener is arranged in the bushing and applies a clamping load through the bushing to secure the bumper to the synchronizing ring.
US08794908B2

A turbomachine stator stage including two coaxial shrouds, respectively an inner shroud and an outer shroud with substantially radial vanes extending therebetween, the radially outer ends of the vanes being welded to the outer shroud and the radially inner ends of the vanes passing through orifices in an outer ring of the inner shroud, the inner ends being held by elastomer spacers in an annular cavity formed between the outer ring and an inner ring that is fastened to the outer ring.
US08794904B2

A water wheel impeller blade type electric power generating apparatus with which, on the forward motion side, the hydraulic pressure applied to the impeller blade is reduces, and the mud, sand, dirt, and the like will not be collected into the water wheel. The impeller blade is rotatably disposed on the rotor, and has a stopper part and a fluid receiving part extending from this stopper part and being longer than the stopper part, the fluid receiving part being provided with a length large enough that when the impeller blade is thrust down the fluid receiving part covers the stopper part of an adjacent impeller blade. To a top plate constituting a frame body of the apparatus, a fluid guide plate inclined inward being fixed for guiding the fluid to the impeller blades positioned under the rotating shaft of the rotor.
US08794897B2

In accordance with example embodiments, a sweep may include a pivot assembly, a first arm extending from the pivot assembly, a second arm extending from the pivot assembly, a first driving mechanism attached to the first arm, a second driving mechanism attached to the second arm, and a control device configured to control the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism. In example embodiments, the control device may be configured to control the first and second driving mechanism based on a detected variable.
US08794896B2

A vacuum processing apparatus includes a vacuum processing chamber; a load lock chamber connected to the vacuum processing chamber via a gate valve or via a gate valve and a depressurized space and also connected to an atmospheric space via a door valve, an interior atmosphere of the load lock chamber being changed between a substantially atmospheric state and a depressurized state; an air blowing portion, provided at a vicinity of the door valve in the atmospheric space, for blowing a zonal airflow vertically downward from a position substantially even with or higher than a top end of a passageway of the door valve; and an air suctioning portion for suctioning the airflow or the inert gas from the air blowing portion by a vacuum force at a position substantially even with or lower than a bottom end of the passageway of the door valve.
US08794895B2

Decompression seal (1) for connecting components (3, 4, 5) having openings (2) which opens on excessive pressure. It consists of a retaining-bolt-like arrangement (6) with a bolt head (7) and a locking head (8) with recesses (8-1, 8-2) into which, in the retaining position, the ends of leaf-spring arms (9-3, 9-2) engage. These recesses (8-1, 8-2) and the leaf-spring arms are formed in such a way that when a certain pressure accumulates on the side of the upper component (5) the retaining position is released and the retaining-bolt-like arrangement (6) is pushed axially (17) in direction (R) towards the bolt head (7). Through the threaded connection of the shafts (11, 12) this decompression seal (1) allows the components (3, 4, 5) to be drawn together by turning the bolt head (7). A rotation lock (15, 16) prevents the connection from working loose.
US08794891B1

A round top set screw is provided, including a first section having a shape of substantially a cylinder having a threaded side surface, a second section for wrenching drive, the second section formed contiguously and concentrically to the first section and having a shape of substantially a polygonal prism, and a third section formed contiguously and concentrically to the second section, the third section having a cylindrical portion and a round top having a convex shape, the edge of which contiguously connects to a side surface of the cylindrical portion, wherein the curvature of the convex shape is predetermined to prevent damages to a metal plate when it is pressed at an angle against the third section of the screw. A tool is provided for attaching the screw to a base board and securing it by using a corresponding nut. An apparatus including the screws for flattening a metal plate is also provided.
US08794887B2

Insertion force for installing a clip to a body panel, and retaining force of the clip after installation, are obtained by an engagement leg section. A click sensation when the clip is installed to the body panel is obtained by a click leg section.
US08794884B2

A clip for securing a part, having a body portion having a first wall surface and a supporting surface adjacent the first wall surface, a retaining arm connected to the body, the retaining arm comprising a second wall surface opposite the first wall surface, an engaging portion at the distal end of the retaining arm, and an engaging surface on the engaging portion generally opposite the supporting surface. The first and second wall surfaces cooperate to define a groove that is sized and shaped to receive a portion of the part therein. The retaining arm is moveable between an open position wherein the portion of the part may be received in the groove, and a locked position wherein the engaging surface at least partially overhangs the groove and the engaging surface and the supporting surface cooperate so as to retain the portion of the part when received within the groove.
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