US07970800B2
Permissions using a namespace is described. In an embodiment, a namespace system includes a network resource that has a resource permission, and includes a namespace that has one or more members associated with the namespace. The namespace system also includes a namespace permission to permission the network resource to one or more of the members of the namespace.
US07970799B2
Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.
US07970791B2
A flexible and extensible architecture allows for secure searching across an enterprise. Such an architecture can provide a simple Internet-like search experience to users searching secure content inside (and outside) the enterprise. The architecture allows for the crawling and searching of a variety of sources across an enterprise, regardless of whether any of these sources conform to a conventional user role model. The architecture further allows for security, recency, or other attributes to be submitted at query time, for example, in order to re-rank query results from enterprise resources. The user query also can be transformed to provide for dynamic querying that provides for a more current result list than can be obtained for static queries.
US07970790B2
Architecture for cell-based security on a per-user basis. A security model for this capability includes not only dimension level tables, but is extended to include cell level tables. The security model can include existing dimension tables, plus cell security tables that include a cell permissions table, a cell qualifiers table and a table that includes both the cell permissions table, a cell qualifiers. Metadata associated with the security applied to the cells for a given user can be stored locally in a local metadata store for retrieval and application against a data cube that an authenticated and authorized user is querying. In a specific implementation, the cell level security is employed in a performance management server application, where authentication is performed remotely by an authentication service, but the authorization function is performed local to the performance management server application.
US07970789B1
The inventions relate generally to layered computing systems that provide public access to the content of the layers. Also disclosed herein are prioritization schemes usable in a layered computing system, including prioritization by layer type, by assigned priority weights, by access type, by sub-layers and by read-write indicators. Processes may further be associated to layers from which they originate, and priority given to associated layers thereby. Association may also be provided for installer services, thereby depositing an applications updates into its layer. Layers may also contain file reference information including exclusion or inclusion entries indicating what files may be written thereto. Paths recorded in layers may also embed variables to true paths on a layered system. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.
US07970787B2
A method and system for improving access concurrency to information stored in at least one table in a relational database system is disclosed. The method comprises providing a data cache, which stores a portion of the at least one table. The data cache includes a plurality of cache entries, wherein each cache entry comprises a first data item, a second data item, and a cache entry state. The method further comprises retrieving from the at least one table and storing in a cache entry's first data item a representation of committed information for a user, and retrieving from the at least one table and storing in the cache entry's second data item a representation of changes applied to the committed information, but not yet committed in the database system.
US07970784B2
A multi-lingual search and display system and/or methodology. The system providing a single point of access to information in multiple languages by executing a query against a set of targets, where the set of targets can include continents, countries, regions, geographic areas, languages, cultures, economies, markets, and so forth. Additionally, the subject invention translates the resulting documents and renders the translated results in a single view.
US07970780B2
A system including a search unit configured, when a user designates a search condition for the job log whose content to be changed and issues a job log change request, to search the database for a job log that satisfies the search condition, a re-search unit configured, if the search unit does not find the job log satisfying the search condition, to wait until the database managing the job log is updated and perform a re-search for the job log satisfying the search condition, without receiving a re-search instruction from the user, a changing unit configured, when the re-search unit finds the job log satisfying the search condition, to change the job log content according to the change request from the user, and a notification unit configured to send notification information about a change result of the changing unit.
US07970778B2
Projects often involve multiple teams of developers in different locations. The different teams make updates to a central or shared database(s) that can store information about the project, such as progress. Each team or even different members of the different teams can check out instances of a representation of a model for the project. The different teams/members can independently modify their instance with data specific to that member and/or team. Database operations embedded in the individual instances are then executed on the database(s) to persist the data from their individual instances to the database(s). Database mechanisms can handle locking and/or conflicts that may arise from performance of the database operations. A manager can then request a report from the database(s), and the report with data from the different members and/or teams can be generated from the database(s).
US07970770B2
A write allocation technique extends a conventional write allocation procedure employed by a write anywhere file system of a storage system. A write allocator of the file system implements the extended write allocation technique in response to an event in the file system. The extended write allocation technique efficiently allocates blocks, and frees blocks, to and from a virtual volume (vvol) of an aggregate. The aggregate is a physical volume comprising one or more groups of disks, such as RAID groups, underlying one or more vvols of the storage system. The aggregate has its own physical volume block number (pvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that pvbn space. Each vvol also has its own virtual volume block number (vvbn) space and maintains metadata, such as block allocation structures, within that vvbn space. The inventive technique extends input/output efficiencies of the conventional write allocation procedure to comport with an extended file system layout of the storage system.
US07970769B2
An optimized index-searching apparatus and method, the optimized index-searching method including: searching an index for a first field corresponding to a first key value; searching, when a search request is input, a second field corresponding to the search request based on the first field; and extracting an identifier corresponding to the found second field.
US07970757B2
A computer program product for database query optimization including a computer usable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to receive a database query, search the database query for a literal term, replace the literal term in the database query with a placeholder term to put the database query in a template form, search a directory for a replacement query that corresponds to the database query in the template form, replace the database query with the replacement query and include the placeholder term in the replacement query, and replace the placeholder term in the replacement query with the corresponding literal term to put the replacement query in an executable format, wherein the replacement query is an optimized substitute for the database query.
US07970743B1
Retention and disposition of stored content associated with multiple stored objects is disclosed. An indication is received that a first stored object associated with an item of content comprising a body of managed content is no longer subject to retention under a retention policy applicable to the first stored object. The item of content is deleted or otherwise disposed of only if the item of content is not associated with a second stored object that is still required or desired to be retained.
US07970741B2
A method and apparatus for protecting file data is provided that combines or merges revision based backup with backup based on time intervals. One embodiment is directed to a method for protecting data contained in a file of a computer system, wherein the computer system is useable to create multiple successive file versions. The method comprises the steps of specifying a maximum number of file versions that can be stored collectively at first and second storage locations, and apportioning the maximum number into a first number of file versions and a second number of file versions. The method further comprises storing the most recent of the multiple file versions, up to a number equal to the first number, at the first storage location. A number of file versions respectively created before the stored most recent versions, up to a number equal to the second number, are stored at the second storage location, over a pre-specified time period and in accordance with a pre-specified strategy.
US07970738B2
A method and an apparatus for handling updated or new entries for a document log are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a user input of a document identifier for a document and displaying information from metadata entries associated with the identifier.
US07970733B2
A method for transmitting data in an xDSL system is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes defining a data transmission unit (DTU) to be sent in an xDSL data stream, defining a retransmit container as a time slot that corresponds to a sent DTU, maintaining a copy of the sent DTUs and an index of corresponding retransmit containers in retransmission buffer, transmitting the DTUs in the xDSL data stream, determining whether a transmitted DTU should be retransmitted, identifying each corrupted DTU by its corresponding retransmit container, and retransmitting an uncorrupted copy of the DTU as identified by the corresponding retransmit container. The retransmission is deferred until the DTU is at a predefined position in the retransmission buffer.
US07970720B1
The invention provides systems and methods to facilitate user thinking about an arbitrary problem and particularly about a complex or multiple part arbitrary problem or related problems. Preferred embodiments of the systems and methods include outputs and interfaces to external systems, components and resources. Preferred embodiments may include creation and compositing capabilities regarding multiple, subdivided and complex or combined arbitrary problems, with regard to individual or multiple users or teams.
US07970718B2
A group of features that has been identified as “significant” in being able to separate data into classes is evaluated using a support vector machine which separates the dataset into classes one feature at a time. After separation, an extremal margin value is assigned to each feature based on the distance between the lowest feature value in the first class and the highest feature value in the second class. Separately, extremal margin values are calculated for a normal distribution within a large number of randomly drawn example sets for the two classes to determine the number of examples within the normal distribution that would have a specified extremal margin value. Using p-values calculated for the normal distribution, a desired p-value is selected. The specified extremal margin value corresponding to the selected p-value is compared to the calculated extremal margin values for the group of features. The features in the group that have a calculated extremal margin value less than the specified margin value are labeled as falsely significant.
US07970714B2
A system for producing a mailpiece for delivery in accordance with a Value Added (VA) service. The system comprises a computer processor having Value Added Services (VAS) program code adapted to operate in combination with the processor's print driver code. Further, the VAS program code is operative to receive operator input data in connection with a Value Added Service. Additionally, the system includes at least one peripheral device, operating in combination with the VAS program code, for (i) determining charges in connection with the mailpiece based upon the VA service and (ii) printing VAS data/postage indicia on the mailpiece. In one embodiment of the invention, the system includes a VAS database for collecting VAS data and performing various accounting services (e.g., charge-back, financial tracking) or producing a manifest document when using a Manifest Mailing System. The method includes the steps of attaching the VAS program code to the print driver code and/or registering the VAS code with the peripheral device to establish the location or portal for sending integrated VAS data.
US07970708B2
The present invention provides a value information management system capable of printing electronic data (e.g. electronic receipt) representing value information while restricting the electronic receipt to one of printed form and unprinted form so as to prevent fraudulent billing.A secure memory card 13 securely stores therein a payment-related electronic receipt, a printer 14 prints the electronic receipt, and deletes the electronic receipt from the secure memory card 13 after completion of the printing, and transmits a receipt ID identifying the electronic receipt to a receipt management server 17, so that the receipt management server 17 can manage the electronic receipt identified by the receipt ID as being printed out.
US07970701B2
A technique for evaluating fraud risk in e-commerce transactions between consumer and a merchant is disclosed. The merchant requests service from the system using a secure, open messaging protocol. An e-commerce transaction or electronic purchase order is received from the merchant, the level of risk associated with each order is measured, and a risk score is returned. In one embodiment, data validation, highly predictive artificial intelligence pattern matching, network data aggregation and negative file checks are used. The system performs analysis including data integrity checks and correlation analyses based on characteristics of the transaction. Other analysis includes comparison of the current transaction against known fraudulent transactions, and a search of a transaction history database to identify abnormal patterns, name and address changes, and defrauders. In one alternative, scoring algorithms are refined through use of a closed-loop risk modeling process enabling the service to adapt to new or changing fraud patterns.
US07970700B2
A method and apparatus for providing a financial product from a first party to a second party, wherein a processing system (10) is configured to receive loan parameters relating to a loan from the first party to the second party; and, determine, using the loan parameters and a repayment rule: payments to be paid by the second party to the first party, and an allocation defining: a first portion used for at least partially repaying the principal and/or interest on the loan; and, a second portion used for at least partially acquiring an investment for the second party. The method and apparatus also allows for the financial product to be maintained.
US07970682B2
In one aspect the invention comprises systems and methods for providing hedging against loss of value of a block of variable annuity policies to be sold, between the signing and closing dates of the transaction. In one embodiment, a purchase price adjustment grid (or formula) is used to adjust the purchase price for the sale of variable annuities between signing and closing dates as a result of changes in market parameters over that time period. One aspect comprising the steps of: (a) storing data representing at least one equity amount table having a horizontal axis corresponding to a first variable and a vertical axis corresponding to a second variable; (b) receiving a first value of the first variable and a second value of the second variable; and (c) calculating a table amount based on a bilinear interpolation of quantities in the equity amount table.
US07970681B1
An earnings volatility reduction procedure includes determining a first sensitivity value of a portfolio to underlying market conditions, trading in an immunizing instrument having a second sensitivity value substantially equal in magnitude and opposite in value of the first sensitivity value, and trading in a qualifying instrument having a third sensitivity value substantially equal to the first sensitivity value. A derivative portfolio (in particular, one that includes a financial instrument for which changes in value are characterized as earnings pursuant to FAS 133) is structured by determining a sensitivity of the derivative portfolio with respect to financial conditions in a trading market, executing an immunizing purchase of a second trading instrument in an amount equal to the magnitude of the current sensitivity and opposite in value, and executing a qualifying sale of a third trading instrument in an amount equal to amount of the current sensitivity.
US07970669B1
The invention provides a method for capturing, tracking and managing a transaction of a user at an advanced Point-of-Sale (POS) register. The method steps include obtaining transaction data of the transaction from the POS register using a mobile device and managing POS-based expenditures of the user using the transaction data including a transaction amount, a payment type of the transaction, and relevant bank or credit card account information for the method of payment used by the user. Managing POS-based expenditures may include generating a real-time balance of the account based on the transaction data and presenting the real-time balance of the account to the mobile device.
US07970660B2
A computer-implemented service analyzes collected data reflective of actions of users of an interactive system to identify items that are significantly more popular in specific user communities than in a general user population. The communities may, for example, include email-based communities (e.g., all users with email addresses associated with a particular company or other organization), shipping address based communities (e.g., all users with shipping addresses in Seattle), and/or communities based on other types of user attributes. The results of the analysis may be exposed to users to assist users in making item selection decisions, and/or may be used to provide item recommendations to users.
US07970655B2
Methods and apparatus are described which provide secure interactive communication of text and image information between a central server computer and one or more client computers located at remote sites for the purpose of storing and retrieving files describing and identifying unique products, services, or individuals. A feature of the system is the ability to associate an identification image with a plurality of accounts, transactions, or records and identify a user not physically present at the client computer. Textual information and image data from one or more of the remote sites are stored separately at the location of the central server computer, requests for information are entered from remote terminals, the system being able to respond to multiple user requests simultaneously, and the information requested is recalled and downloaded for review to be displayed at the remote site.
US07970643B2
A method and apparatus for a software tool that interfaces with a Field Operations software tool and incorporates Voter Score, Voter Scorecard, Post-Election Voter History, Household Visualization, Voter Support Visualization, Household Mailing Labels, E-Mail Voter Footer, and Voter List of Friends and Family.
US07970642B2
The present invention comprises a method for forecasting future economic conditions, land utilization and transportation network utilization and performance of a metropolitan area having a plurality of economic zones, the method includes the steps of: a) receiving a set of calibration values from a first input device; b) calculating a set of calibration constants with a first arithmetic logic unit; c) receiving a set of initial values for a set of desired outputs from a second input device, wherein the set of desired outputs includes regional economic, land use and transportation outputs; d) calculating the regional economic and land use outputs with a second arithmetic logic unit, wherein the regional economic and land use outputs include a first group of variable travel demands; e) calculating an origin to destination matrix with a third arithmetic logic unit, wherein the origin to destination matrix includes two-way daily person trips between an origin economic zone and a destination economic zone; f) calculating the transportation outputs with a fourth arithmetic logic unit, wherein the transportation outputs include a second group of variable travel demands; h) repeating steps d) through f) until the first group of variable travel demands is substantially the same as the second group of variable travel demands; and, g) providing the set of desired outputs to an output device.
US07970640B2
An automated system, method and media for optimizing the impact of a subset of an organization such as purchasing on the financial performance of said organization.
US07970629B2
A system improves payment claims transactions by analyzing payments transactions to update payment edit rules according to information derived from the transactions. A system adapts rules used for processing claim adjudication data provided by a payer organization concerning a claim for reimbursement for provision of healthcare to a patient previously submitted to the payer organization in a claim. The system includes a data processor for parsing claim adjudication data provided by a specific payer organization in an electronic transaction message to identify data comprising, (a) a payer organization identifier and (b) a reason for rejection of a claim. A rules processor automatically generates a payer specific rule for use in pre-processing a claim for submission to the specific payer identified by the payer organization identifier by translating data comprising the reason for rejection into a logical expression resolvable using data elements in a claim. A rules repository accumulates data representing automatically generated payer specific rules for pre-processing a claim for submission to the specific payer.
US07970625B2
A system and method for transmitting medical data. In one embodiment, a computer system receives filter criteria from a user of a first computer. Furthermore, the computer system may receive schedule information defining a schedule for checking for medical data. Depending on the embodiment, either the computer system or a remote server periodically selects, based upon the received schedule, medical data satisfying the received user-specific rules. The selected medical data is then transmitted to the computer system.
US07970621B2
A computer-implemented method for facilitating placement of health care order entry is provided. The method includes receiving input indicative of a desired healthcare order. The order has certain terms therein that are normalized. The method also finds possible order matches for the normalized terms, and calculates a rough score for the possible order matches. The method refines the rough score with a rough score adjustment, and then ranks the found possible order matches from the most-likely to match the desired order to the least-likely based upon the refined rough score. These possible order matches can then be displayed to the user for selection.
US07970619B2
A method for receiving data for an aircraft landing at an airport, the data including an aircraft type and one of an owner and an operator of the aircraft, the data excluding a unique identifier for the aircraft, retrieving additional data related to the aircraft based on the data, the additional data including a landing weight and reporting the landing weight and the landing to an airport operator.
US07970617B2
When registering speech onto an object, an information processing apparatus selects identification information from an identification information database and stores information including the object, speech for registration, and the selected identification information in a registration database. When a user performs a speech call, the information processing apparatus outputs identification information that is included in the information called by the user.
US07970604B2
System, method and computer-readable medium are disclosed for using filters signal processing. The system includes a module that receives information regarding a first filter, a module that receives information regarding a second filter, and a module that receives date to indicate switching between the first filter and the second filter across the spectrum of the received audio signal, and a module that processes the received audio signal according to the received data and switching between the first filter and the second filter, wherein at least one of the first filter and the second filter represent a merger of two initial filters.
US07970601B2
The invention relates to a method of creating a requirement description for an embedded system, including but not only a motor vehicle electronic control unit, in which a vocabulary of natural-language, selectable text segments is stored in a data processing system, said text segments being combinable with one another to form at least one natural-language sentence, possibly but not necessarily in the English language, to form a machine-readable requirement description, and that each text segment is linked to a set of further text segments that can be combined with it, whereby for a text segment that is selected, the data processing system automatically represents the further combinable text segments in selectable form on a display unit. The invention further relates to a computer program product stored on a data medium that, when executed on a data processing system executes a method according to one of the previous claims.
US07970598B1
The present invention allows subscribers to an online information service to participate in real-time conferencing or chat sessions in which a message originating from a subscriber in accordance with a first language is translated to one or more languages before it is broadcast to the other conference areas. Messages in a first language are translated automatically to one or more other languages through language translation capabilities resident at online information service host computers. Access software that subscribers use for participating in conference is integrated with speech recognition and speech generation software such that a subscriber may speak the message he or she would like to share with other participants and may hear the messages from the other participants in the conference. Speech-to-speech translation may be accomplished as a message spoken into a computer microphone in accordance with a first language may be recited by a remote computer in accordance with a second language.
US07970586B1
A method and apparatus for a virtual accelerometer is described. The virtual accelerometer includes an active process identifier engine to identify any active application that may use accelerometer data. The virtual accelerometer also includes an intelligent signal interpretation and separation (ISIS) engine to separate raw accelerometer data for each of the active applications that use the accelerometer data. Additionally, the virtual accelerometer includes a universal application program interface (API) to provide separated accelerometer data to an application.
US07970584B2
In determining a condition of a case under which the occurrence rate of the performance abnormality is high based on information related to a resource utilization situation acquired in a resource utilization situation acquisition step and an occurrence frequency of a request acquired in a request occurrence frequency acquisition step, and information related to the existence/nonexistence of the performance abnormality determined in a performance abnormality existence/nonexistence determination step, when branching a parent node that represents a situation of a decision tree to two child nodes using the method of decision tree, the decision tree is generated using an evaluation function which performs branching such that most of normal samples which belong to the parent node are contained in the one child node, and most of abnormal values which belong to the parent node are contained in the other child node.
US07970568B1
A method for detecting steps taken by a person in locomotion on foot having a step-detection apparatus carried on the person. The step-detection apparatus generates a signal in response to locomotion of the person. The signal is compared to the timing characteristics of human gait to identify steps taken. The step-detection apparatus can be carried in a front pants pocket of the person.
US07970560B2
A system and method for monitoring a power source using a site controller (905) and first and second sensors. The system includes a first power source in communication with a second power source. The system further includes a first sensor in communication with the first power source and the first sensor calculates an exponential discharge characteristic of the first power source. The system farther includes a second sensor in communication with the second power source and the second sensor calculates an exponential discharge characteristic of the second power source (902). The system further includes a controller in communications with the first sensor via the second sensor wherein the controller determines the characteristics of the first power source as a function of the exponential discharge characteristic of the first power source (901).
US07970556B2
A system and method for monitoring the condition of a gear assembly analyzes a signal output by a vibration detector that is attached to the gear assembly. Each time that an amplitude of the signal output from the vibration detector exceeds a threshold value, the system assumes that a debris particle has passed between meshing parts of the gear assembly. The number of times that this occurs, and possibly the amplitude of the vibrations are analyzed to determine a condition of the gear assembly, and possibly a damage index. This system and method are particularly applicable to planetary gear arrangements where the vibration detector can be mounted on a fixed ring gear of the gear assembly, or a structure upon which the fixed ring gear is mounted.
US07970550B2
A method of performing interactive clinical trials for testing a new drug. A pre-clinical phase is performed in which a computer model for pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drug is created and adjusted based on in vitro studies and in vivo studies in animals. A phase I clinical research is performed in which a clinical trial on at least a single dose is performed in parallel with performing computer simulation studies using the computer model. An optimal protocol is determined for the most responsive patient populations and indications for a phase II clinical trial. Phase II clinical trial is performed where a number of small scale clinical trials are performed in parallel based on results of the above. Phase III clinical research is performed for chosen indications by chosen protocols. Phase IV studies are performed for post-marketing subpopulation analysis and long term product safety assessment.
US07970548B2
The invention pertains to a method for the integration of physical and genetic maps and markers. The method is based on the use of AFLP fingerprinting with primers of varying selectivity on a library of artificial chromosomes such as a BAC library. The fingerprinting is performed on the individual BACs and on the pools of BACs. Subsequent alignment generates a contig and provides the integration of physical and genetic markers resulting in the integration of the physical and genetic map.
US07970543B2
A method of predicting the destructive capacity of a tropical cyclone based on a new Wind Destructive Potential (WDP) and Storm Surge Destructive Potential (SDP) scales which provide a manner to rate the severity of hurricanes and typhoons, based on information provided in operational forecast and warning products, experimental wind field products, or gridded numerical weather prediction model outputs. These new scales are formulated to be consistent with the physical mechanism through which tropical cyclones impact coastal communities through wind, storm surges and wave damage.
US07970541B2
A navigation device that obtains the current position based on information from a satellite, and guides a travel path from the current position to the destination on a map image includes: a display unit that displays the map image; a touch sensor unit that is arranged on the front surface of the display unit; an icon generation unit that generates a smooth scroll operation icon which is available for continuous performs smooth scroll processing for the map image and displays the smooth scroll operation icon on the map image; and a scroll control unit that executes the smooth scroll processing when the touch sensor unit detects that the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated, and executes a predetermined scroll processing when the touch sensor unit detects that a region other than the smooth scroll operation icon is touched to be operated on the screen of the display unit.
US07970540B2
A system and method of vehicular wireless communication over a Dedicated Short Range Communication service band. The system and method include a vehicle having a navigation system, a processor, and a communication system for transmitting a message via a wireless communications link. The system and method also include a control channel for communicating a safety communication and a service channel for communicating a non-safety communication.
US07970528B2
A gaseous fuel management system for an automotive vehicle includes at least one gas sensor for detecting the presence of gaseous fuel outside of the confines of the vehicle's fuel storage tank, fuel lines, and prime mover. In the event that fugitive gas is detected and the concentration exceeds a predetermined threshold, the fuel supply to the vehicle's prime mover will be shut off and, if so equipped, the vehicle may then be operated in a battery power mode for the convenience of the driver.
US07970526B2
An intensifier quill for a fuel injector fluidly connects a fuel injector to a common rail. The intensifier quill selectively supplies fuel to the fuel injector at either an intensified pressure or un-intensified common rail pressure. Fuel supplied by the quill at both the intensified and un-intensified pressure passes through a quill body, which includes an actuation chamber, a control chamber and a pressurization chamber. Energizing an actuator of the quill allows fuel from the control chamber to flow to drain, increasing pressure inside the pressurization chamber and the fuel injector to intensified pressure. Upon energizing the actuator of the fuel injector, fuel injector injects fuel at the intensified pressure. When the quill's actuator is de-energized and the fuel injector's actuator is energized, fuel injector injects fuel at the un-intensified pressure.
US07970524B2
In a method for monitoring a function computer in a control unit which controls the generation of torque by an internal combustion engine, a maximum acceptable torque value is determined from a driver request. A torque actual value is determined from operational characteristic variables of the internal combustion engine and is compared with the maximum acceptable value. The air supply is limited when there is an unacceptably large actual value. The method is distinguished by the fact that the limitation takes place when a fault counter reading exceeds a threshold value. The fault counter reading is increased if the torque actual value is higher than the maximum acceptable torque value and is reduced by a predetermined value if the torque actual value is lower than the maximum acceptable value. In addition, a control unit which is configured to carry out the method is presented.
US07970523B2
A torque estimator is disclosed for estimating torque on a machine. A computer system may include a torque estimator module located on the machine. The torque estimator module may be configured to receive a plurality of engine parameters, receive a drivetrain component parameter, determine an estimated torque value at the drivetrain component based on the plurality of engine parameters and the drivetrain component parameter. The computer system also may include an analysis module located on the machine. The analysis module may be configured to receive the estimated torque value and the drivetrain component parameter, and update a histogram data structure based on the estimated torque value and the drivetrain component parameter. The analysis module may also be configured to evaluate the histogram data structure in order to determine if excessive torque is being applied to a drivetrain component.
US07970521B2
Disclosed are algorithms for controlling multiple states of a dynamic system, such as controlling positioning and cable sway in cranes. Exemplary apparatus and methods may be implemented using first and second serially coupled feedback loops coupled to a plant and payload that are to be controlled. The first feedback loop comprises a first control module. It generates a filtered actuator command from an error signal derived from a signal representing a desired system state and a feedback signal indicative of the actual system state. The generated signal is operative to position the payload. The second feedback loop comprises a second control module that generates a second actuator command that is operative to cause the plant to have an output of zero, to eliminate disturbance-induced oscillations. Input shaping may be employed in the first loop for eliminating motion-induced oscillations. The first control module is used for precise payload positioning, and the second control module is used to reject disturbance-induced oscillations. A model reference loop may be employed that outputs a modeled response that is an estimate of the response of the plant in the absence of external disturbances, and which may be used to generate a second actuator command for causing the plant to follow the modeled response.
US07970514B2
A vehicle including a controller with a steering input module and a brake input module is disclosed. The steering input module (11) has a mechanical interface to which the exchangeable operating elements (12) for steering the vehicle can be attached. The brake input module (21) has a mechanical interface with touchless sensors (211a, b), to which the exchangeable operating elements (22) for braking can be attached. Per the steering input module (11) and/or brake input module (21), at least one main controller board (131a, b, 231a, b, 321, 332) is provided. For the steering input module, the main controller board sets the individual parameters with respect to the steering angle and straight-ahead position of the exchangeable operating elements (12) for steering the vehicle. For the brake input module, the main controller board sets the individual parameters with respect to the brake distance of the exchangeable operating elements (22) for braking. The invention further relates to a method for subsequently retrofitting a vehicle with the control system.
US07970513B2
A steering control apparatus is provided for a vehicle having a steering wheel for steering its steered wheels, a power source for generating power, and drive shafts for transferring the power to the wheels, to be served as driving wheels of the vehicle, and a traction control device for controlling braking torque applied to the wheels. The apparatus comprises a detection device for detecting the braking torque applied to the wheels, a calculation device for calculating a driving force difference between the wheels, on the basis of the detected braking torque, a power source state detection device for detecting an actuating state of the power source, and a control device provided for controlling steering torque created by the steering wheel, and applying torque steer reducing torque to the steering wheel. A desired value of the torque steer reducing torque is determined, on the basis of the driving force difference and the actuating state of the power source. And, the torque steer reducing torque is applied to the steering wheel, in accordance with the desired value of the torque steer reducing torque, to reduce the torque steer.
US07970507B2
This invention provides a system and method for autonomously tracking a moving target from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with a variety of airframe and sensor payload capabilities so that the target remains within the vehicle's sensor field of view regardless of the specific target motion patterns. The invention uses information about target location, UAV platform type and states, sensor payload capability, and ratio of target-to-UAV speeds to select from a suite of sub-algorithms, each of which generates desired platform positions (in form of waypoints) and/or sensor orientation commands to keep the target in view.
US07970505B2
A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle drive system including (a) an engine, (b) an electrically controlled differential portion having an input shaft connected to the engine, an output shaft, a differential mechanism, and an electric motor which is operatively connected to a rotary element of the differential mechanism and an operating state of which is controlled to control a differential state between rotating speeds of the input and output shafts, (c) a hydraulically operated automatic transmission portion which constitutes a part of a power transmitting path between the electrically controlled differential portion and a drive wheel of a hybrid vehicle, (d) a hydraulic control unit for controlling the hydraulically operated automatic transmission portion, (e) a mechanical oil pump operable by the engine to deliver a pressurized working fluid to the hydraulic control unit, and (f) an electric oil pump electrically operated independently of the mechanical oil pump, to deliver a pressurized working fluid to the hydraulic control unit, the control apparatus including a hybrid-drive-system starting portion configured to operate the engine, upon starting of the hybrid vehicle drive system, for operating the mechanical oil pump to deliver the pressurized working fluid of a predetermined pressure to the hydraulic control unit.
US07970504B2
A system which operates a digitally controlled model railroad transmitting a first command from a first client program to a resident external controlling interface through a first communications transport. A second command is transmitted from a second client program to the resident external controlling interface through a second communications transport. The first command and the second command are received by the resident external controlling interface which queues the first and second commands. The resident external controlling interface sends third and fourth commands representative of the first and second commands, respectively, to a digital command station for execution on the digitally controlled model railroad.
US07970500B2
This invention relates to a system for estimating the position, velocity and orientation of a vehicle, by determining the components of two noncollinear constant unit vectors b,b according to vehicle body axes; and determining the components of the noncollinear constant unit vectors {right arrow over (g)}t,{right arrow over (e)}t according to Earth's axes. The system further determines the three components of angular velocity b of the vehicle in body axes; corrects the angular velocity b with a correction uω and obtains a corrected angular velocity {circumflex over (ω)}b=b+uω; a control module implementing a control law to calculate the correction uω, where the control law is: uω=σ(b×ĝb+b×êb) [1] where σ is a positive scalar, such that upon using the corrected angular velocity {circumflex over (ω)}b=b+uω as input to a module for integrating the kinematic equations, the latter are stable in the ISS sense and the error in the estimation of the direction cosine matrix {circumflex over (B)} and of the Euler angles {circumflex over (φ)} is bounded.
US07970493B2
Provided are a management ship and working robots in waters based on a wireless network and a method for controlling working robots thereof. The robot-ship group includes: a signal strength measuring unit for measuring strengths of pre-defined signals; and a working robot control unit for determining which of the first mother ship and the second mother ship the working robot is to communicate with according to a comparison result of the signal strength, and controlling the working robots to perform the work according to a set-up route, wherein the first mother ship includes: a working robot preparing unit for performing a preparation work required before and after the working robots perform the work; and a mother ship control unit for transmitting the pre-defined signal to the working robot and communicating data with the working robot.
US07970486B2
A method for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing wafers divided for each lot, has acquiring quality control value data group containing quality control value data of wafers in a plurality of lots previously processed, and an equipment engineering system parameter group containing equipment engineering system parameters corresponding to the wafers; creating a prediction formula of quality control value data, acquiring a first equipment engineering system parameters; inputting the first equipment engineering system parameters to the prediction formula, and performing calculation to predict first quality control value data of the wafers in the first lot; determining processing of the wafers corresponding to the first quality control value data; acquiring measured first quality control value data of the wafers in the first lot; replacing the quality control value data corresponding to the wafers in the first processed lot; updating the prediction formula.
US07970480B2
In one embodiment, a medical lead comprises a lead body for conducting electrical pulses and a paddle. The paddle includes an intermediate metal layer, at least an insulative polymer backing layer, and an insulative polymer covering layer. The intermediate metal layer comprises a plurality of features defined by gaps in the metal material in the metal layer such that each feature is electrically isolated from each other feature, wherein each feature includes a respective connector element that is electrically coupled to at least one conductor within the lead body, wherein a portion of the insulative polymer covering layer is exposed above each feature to define a respective electrode for the corresponding feature. Also, the paddle possesses shape memory to cause the paddle to assume a substantially planar orientation when the shape memory is in a relaxed state.
US07970472B2
A method of diagnosing a malfunction of a pacing system includes the steps of receiving a biopotential signal, detecting a pacing system malfunction, detecting a cause of the malfunction, and displaying the detected malfunction and detected cause of the malfunction. A pacing system is also disclosed herein. The system includes an electrode array that receives a biopotential signal associated with the pacing system. A malfunction detector applies a malfunction logic to the biopotential signal to identify a pacing system malfunction and applies a morphology logic to the biopotential signal to identify a morphology of the biopotential signal. An output generator receives an indication of the identified pacing system malfunction and the identified cause of the malfunction and creates an output indicative of the identified pacing system malfunction and the identified cause.
US07970470B2
Methods and systems for diagnosing disorders, including, for example, disordered breathing, involve sensing one or more of a blood chemistry parameter and/or an expired gas parameter, such as expired respiratory gas concentration, blood gas concentration, and blood pH. Diagnosis of the disorder may be performed by a medical device, such as a respiratory therapy device or a cardiac therapy device, based on implantably detected blood gas/pH concentration/level or externally detected expired respiratory gas concentration. Cardiac and respiratory therapies for addressing the disorder may be adjusted based on the detected parameters.
US07970468B1
Embodiments of the present invention are for use with implantable cardiac devices that have discriminator parameters that the devices use to discriminate between ventricular tachycardia (VT) and supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SVT). A user is allowed to select a balance setting that specifies a balance between sensitivity and specificity, where an increase in sensitivity results in a decrease in specificity, and vice versa. In response to the user selecting the balance setting, a value of at least one of the discriminator parameters and/or how at least one of the discriminator parameters is used is automatically adjusted. The more the balance setting favors sensitivity, then the more likely an actual VT will be characterized as VT, but the more likely an actual SVT may be characterized as VT. The more the balance setting favors specificity, then the less likely an actual SVT will characterized as VT, but the less likely an actual VT may be characterizes as VT.
US07970455B2
An ingestible pill platform for colon imaging is provided, designed to recognize its entry to the colon and expand in the colon, for improved imaging of the colon walls. On approaching the external anal sphincter muscle, the ingestible pill may contract or deform, for elimination. Colon recognition may be based on a structural image, based on the differences in diameters between the small intestine and the colon, and particularly, based on the semilunar fold structure, which is unique to the colon. Additionally or alternatively, colon recognition may be based on a functional image, based on the generally inflammatory state of the vermiform appendix. Additionally or alternatively, pH, flora, enzymes and (or) chemical analyses may be used to recognize the colon. The imaging of the colon walls may be functional, by nuclear-radiation imaging of radionuclide-labeled antibodies, or by optical-fluorescence-spectroscopy imaging of fluorescence-labeled antibodies. Additionally or alternatively, it may be structural, for example, by visual, ultrasound or MRI means. Due to the proximity to the colon walls, the imaging in accordance with the present invention is advantageous to colonoscopy or virtual colonoscopy, as it is designed to distinguish malignant from benign tumors and detect tumors even at their incipient stage, and overcome blood-pool background radioactivity.
US07970445B2
A semiautomatic sliding structure of an electronic device includes a first sliding member, a second sliding member, a guide member with pillar shape, and an extension spring. The first sliding member has a first sliding structure. The second sliding member is arranged on the first sliding member. The guide member with pillar shape is arranged between the first sliding member and the second sliding member, and pivoted on the first sliding member. The extension spring is slipped onto the guide member and hooked onto the second sliding member.
US07970444B2
A mobile terminal has a first body, a second body and a connector. The connector includes a ring assembly that is fixed to the second body and rotatably and slidably connected to the first body. The first body is capable of slidably moving along the ring assembly along a longitudinal axis relative to the second body. Additionally, the first body is capable of slidably moving along the ring assembly along the lateral axis relative to the second body, and the first body is further capable of rotatably moving about the ring assembly relative to the second body while maintaining electrical communication with the second body.
US07970441B2
In a battery locking unit of a mobile terminal capable of increasing space usability of a terminal body and simplifying battery detachment operation by installing a battery locking unit on a cover, the locking unit consists of a battery installed at the rear of a terminal body; a cover attached/detached to/from the rear of the rear body by a sliding method and protecting the battery; and a locking unit installed at a certain side of the cover, locking the cover to the terminal body by restricting the sliding movement of the cover and releasing the locking of the cover by a pressing operation of a user.
US07970436B1
A wireless interface extension for mobile devices is provided. The wireless interface extension includes a user interface, a wireless communication link, and a processor. The processor communicates with a mobile device over the wireless communication link and enables a user to use the user interface to interact with at least one user application on the mobile device.
US07970435B2
A system for printing an advertisement on a print medium, the system comprising: a mobile telecommunications device which comprises: a printer module to print the advertisement on the print medium; and, a sensor module to sense a print media identifier of the print medium.
US07970428B2
A method and an apparatus is provided for monitoring and adjusting a power level of a transmitting component. The method comprises receiving a request from a remote unit to provide a power level associated with a transmitting component, wherein the request is transmitted over a communications protocol. The method includes measuring a power level of a signal provided by the transmitting component in response to receiving the request from the remote unit, and providing the measured power level to the remote unit over the communications protocol.
US07970416B2
A mobile communication terminal for receiving a multimedia broadcast signal comprises a controlling unit adapted to extract channel information associated with a first mobile communication terminal location from a signal at the first mobile communication terminal location. The mobile communication terminal also comprises a comparing unit adapted to compare extracted channel information associated with the first mobile communication terminal location against channel information associated with a second mobile communication terminal location in response to movement of the mobile communication terminal from the first mobile communication terminal location to the second mobile communication terminal location. The mobile communication terminal may further comprise a memory adapted to store channel information received from a base station and a broadcasting network.
US07970404B2
An automated technique for configuring a neighbor set for a base station (32) includes initializing the neighbor set based upon reported measurements from a mobile station (22). In a disclosed example, a newly installed base station (32) transmits a cell information list to a mobile station (22) requesting measurement reports regarding a plurality of candidate base station identifiers. Based upon the reported measurements, a determination is made regarding which of the base stations should be included in the neighbor set for the base station (32). A disclosed example includes the capability of automatically initializing the neighbor set and automatically updating the set. Disclosed examples include utilizing information from a plurality of mobile stations.
US07970390B2
A wireless communications network comprises a server in a central location storing matching profiles for a plurality of users of the network. The matching profile for each user is stored in the server through the user's mobile unit or a secure page on the Internet. Each matching profile is corresponded with a respective mobile unit using the same identification information (ID) of the respective mobile unit utilized for carrying out phone calls. The server has a customizable variable matching algorithm and probes the matching profiles corresponding to the respective mobile units in a cell or group of cells for a match every time a new mobile unit subscribes into the cell or group of cells. When there is a match of matching profiles, the two persons are put in contact or advised of each other through a phone call or other communications method.
US07970375B2
A system and method for expiring a software module on a wireless communication device is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the method comprises receiving, at the wireless communication device, an expiration notice for the software module and determining if license renewal of the software module is automatic. If the license renewal is not automatic, then the method includes notifying a user of the wireless communication device of the receipt of the expiration notice, and de-activating the software module upon receipt of instructions to not renew. In certain embodiments, the software module is de-activated after an expiration of a trial period if no instructions are received from the user in response to the notifying step. The method may further include sending the renewal instructions to the software module server upon receipt of instructions to renew, receiving an activation key from the software module server in response to sending the renewal instructions, and activating the software module utilizing the activation key. If the license renewal is automatic or receipt of instructions to renew are received, then the method includes sending the renewal instructions to the software module server, receiving an activation key from the software module server, and activating the software module utilizing the activation key.
US07970363B2
A terminal of a communication system includes a power amplifier, an open-loop power controller, a gain controller, a modulator, and a digital/analog converter. The power amplifier amplifies transmission power of a transmission signal. The open-loop power controller measures a received signal strength to control the transmission power, and increases a gain of the power amplifier according to the received signal strength. The gain controller sets a power concentration gain and applies the power concentration gain to the transmission signal when the gain of the power amplifier is maximized. The modulator modulates the transmission signal. The digital/analog converter converts an input signal to an analog signal. The gain controller applies the power concentration gain to the trans mission signal modulated by the modulator, and transmits the power concentration gain to the digital/analog converter.
US07970358B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention described and shown in the specification and drawings is a transceiver with a receiver, a transmitter, a local oscillator (LO) generator, a controller, and a self-testing unit. All of these components can be packaged for integration into a single IC including components such as filters and inductors. The controller for adaptive programming and calibration of the receiver, transmitter and LO generator. The self-testing unit generates is used to determine the gain, frequency characteristics, selectivity, noise floor, and distortion behavior of the receiver, transmitter and LO generator. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.
US07970343B2
A method, a wireless communication system, a tangible machine-readable medium, and a communication apparatus for transmitting and relaying a channel descriptor based on a multi-hop relay standard are provided. The wireless communication system comprises a BS and at least one RS. The BS divides the channel descriptor into a common channel descriptor and at least one particular channel descriptor. Then the BS broadcasts/multicasts the common channel descriptor to the at least one RS and transmits the at least one particular channel descriptor to the same. The at least one RS combines the common channel descriptor and the at least one particular channel descriptor to generate the channel descriptor.
US07970340B2
Adhesive applicator, and bookbinding apparatus and image-forming system equipped with the applicator
In replenishing a glue container with hot-melt glue, to enable stable supply of the glue in solid form without it clogging the resupply path from the hopper, provided are: a sheet retaining unit for retaining a sheaf in a glue application position; a glue applier in a hot-melt-glue-receiving container, disposed in the glue application position, for applying glue to an endface of a sheaf there; a heater, disposed in the glue container, for heating/melting the glue inside; a heater temperature controller; a resupply hopper above the glue container for replenishing it with solid glue; a vacuum ducting unit above the container and adjoining the resupply hopper, for suctioning up glue evaporation derivatives; and a control unit configured to run the vacuum ducting unit when the glue container is being replenished with glue, to prevent or mitigate invasion of evaporation derivatives into the resupply hopper.
US07970339B2
A bookbinding apparatus, having a sheet bundle storing device to store a sheet bundle, a grasping device to grasp the sheet bundle stored in the sheet bundle storing device, a square spine forming device to form a square spine, wherein a pair of forming members bend a coversheet bonded onto a back section of the sheet bundle grasped by the grasping device, a pressure force controlling device to vary a pressure force of the pair of forming members to press a bending section of the coversheet in accordance with bookbinding conditions.
US07970337B2
An automatic document feeder is mounted on a platen cover, which is located on a housing of a manuscript scanning section and movable relative to the housing to have open and shut states. The automatic document feeder is provided with: a manuscript stacker adapted to have manuscripts stacked on it; an outer frame structure having the manuscript stacker movable to attain the open and shut states; and a handle section provided integrally with the outer frame structure and disposed anteriorly to the manuscript stacker. The space between the manuscript stacker and the platen cover serves as a manuscript discharging section. The handle section is formed in a shape so as to avoid narrowing the entrance for inserting a hand into the manuscript discharging section.
US07970336B2
A powder housing unit includes a plate-shaped agitating unit that is horizontally arranged inside of a casing to accommodate a powder, a rotating shaft that causes the agitating unit to slide back and forth, and a powder conveying unit that conveys the powder in a horizontal direction during the sliding. The rotating shaft is supported by a shaft supporting unit in a rotatable manner such that a space is formed between the rotating shaft and the shaft supporting unit.
US07970335B2
A cleaning device includes a blade disposed so as to contact an image bearing body that bears a developer image. The blade scrapes off a developer adhering to the image bearing body. The blade has an edge portion including first and second surfaces, and is configured so that a distance between the first and second surfaces decreases toward a tip of the edge portion. The first and second surfaces form a predetermined edge angle at the tip of the edge portion. An area of the first surface is smaller than an area of the second surface, and the first surface contacts the image bearing body.
US07970328B2
Disclosed herein is printing system comprising a first printer configured to print a first set of data on a document, the first printer including a fuser employing fuser oil, and an in-line spray coater configured to deposit a wax coating on a portion of the document to repel or cover fuser oil. A corresponding method is also described. The method and system are useful for preparing MICR encoded documents such as checks.
US07970326B2
An image forming apparatus includes a determining unit, an image forming unit, a fixing member, a pressing member, a separating member and a release agent applying member. The determining unit determines whether to print a borderless image or not. The image forming unit forms a developer image on a recording medium in accordance with the printing data so that the developer image reaches the vicinity of a leading end of the recording medium. The fixing member fixes the developer image to the recording medium. The pressing member is pressed against the fixing member to form a nip portion therebetween. The separating member is disposed on a downstream side of the nip portion so that the separating member has no contact with the fixing member. The separating member separates the recording medium from the fixing member. The release agent applying member applies a release agent to the fixing member.
US07970325B2
A transfer fixing member containing a base, and an outermost surface layer composed of an elastic material in which a conductive material is dispersed, wherein when a pressure applied to a surface of the transfer fixing member by making a toner image bearing member in contact with the transfer fixing member upon transferring of a toner image on the toner image bearing member onto the transfer fixing member is 0.2 kg/cm2 to 2.0 kg/cm2, the transfer fixing member has a volume resistance of 106 Ω·cm or more to less than 1012 Ω·cm, and when a pressure applied to the surface of the transfer fixing member by making the transfer fixing member in contact with the recording medium located between the transfer fixing member and a pressurizing member upon transfer-fixing of the toner image onto the recording medium is 3.0 kg/cm2 to 20 kg/cm2, the transfer fixing is member has a volume resistance of less than 106 Ω·cm.
US07970323B2
A developing device including a developer bearing member configured to feed a developer to an image bearing member; a developer supplying member, which is contacted with the developer bearing member at a first nip while opposed thereto and which is configured to supply the developer to the developer bearing member; and a developer layer forming member, which is contacted with the developer bearing member at a second nip located on the downstream side from the first nip relative to the rotation direction of the developer bearing member to form the layer of the developer on the developer bearing member, wherein the developer is a nonmagnetic one component developer, and the distance between the front edge of the second nip and the rear edge of the first nip relative to the rotation direction of the image bearing member is greater than 0.8 mm and less than 2.0 mm.
US07970320B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charging device configured to charge the image bearing member. The charging device includes a magnetic particle carrier and a magnetic particle regulating member configured to regulate magnetic particles carried by the magnetic particle carrier. The charging device causes the magnetic particles carried by the magnetic particle carrier to contact the image bearing member, and applies a voltage to the magnetic particle carrier to charge the image bearing member. An electrode has a contact area via which the electrode can contact magnetic particles stored in a particle pool defined by the magnetic particle carrier and the magnetic particle regulating member. The contact area is variable according to an amount of the magnetic particles stored in the particle pool. A current detection device detects a value of current flowing from the magnetic particle carrier to the electrode via the magnetic particles.
US07970319B2
A charging apparatus includes a charging member and at least one projection formed on the charging member. The charging member includes a surface that faces the surface of a photoconductive body. The at least one projection is formed on the first surface to extend in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the photoconductive body. The projection is in contact with the surface of the photoconductive body.
US07970314B2
An image forming apparatus includes a detaching and pressing mechanism for releasing developing rollers of developer cartridges mounted in a drum unit from photosensitive drums and pressing the developing rollers on the photosensitive drums. The detaching and pressing mechanism includes a pair of translation members, intermediate members provided on the translation members, cam holders for holding the translation members in such a manner as to be linearly movable in an anteroposterior direction, and a synchronous movement mechanism for allowing the pair of translation members to linearly move in synchronization.
US07970310B2
In the image forming apparatus, in ending an image forming operation, a bias voltage having an opposite polarity from the transfer bias voltage is applied to the primary transfer device when at least a region passes through the primary transfer portion, the region passing through the development portion in a state in which the development bias voltage is applied in an uncharged region in the surface of the image bearing member after a charging operation of the charging device is stopped.
US07970307B2
A transfer apparatus capable of suitably measuring the amount of electric charges transferred from a transfer member to a transfer body and performing a transfer process without degrading the image quality by supplying an amount of electric charges suitable for any type of transfer body onto which an toner image is to be transferred. The transfer apparatus in an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic method includes the transfer member electrically charging the transfer body; a charging unit for electrically charging a surface of the transfer member; and voltage sensors for measuring the voltage at each of an upstream area and a downstream area on the transfer member with respect to a transfer nip section of the transfer member.
US07970302B2
An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an apparatus main body, an image creating unit that is provided in the apparatus main body and creates an image to be printed on recording paper, a paper feeding mechanism on which plural pieces of the recording paper are stacked as a paper bundle, a paper-type distinguishing device that distinguishes a type of the recording paper from the paper bundle stacked on the paper feeding mechanism, and a printing unit that prints, according to the type of the recording paper distinguished by the paper-type distinguishing device, the image created by the image creating unit on the recording paper.
US07970291B2
Optical-receiving apparatus and bias-voltage-control method used for the optical-receiving apparatus
According to an optical-receiving apparatus including an APD converting input light into an electric signal and a bias-voltage-control method used for the optical-receiving apparatus, a multiplication factor appropriate for the APD is predetermined and a multiplication factor used for the APD can be maintained at the level of the predetermined multiplication factor at all times according to a change in the ambient temperature of the APD so that the intensity of input light-transmitted to the APD can be monitored with accuracy. The optical-receiving apparatus further includes a bias circuit generating a bias voltage applied to the APD based on a control signal, a temperature-monitor circuit monitoring the ambient temperature, and an operating circuit that stores data on the predetermined multiplication factor and that controls the bias circuit so that the multiplication factor corresponding to the monitored temperature becomes the predetermined multiplication factor.
US07970277B1
A business card case is mountable on a notebook computer. The business card case has a receptacle for storing plural business cards. The business card case includes a protrusion part, a supporting part and a restriction structure. The protrusion part is inserted in a recess of a base of the notebook computer, so that the business card case is fixed on the notebook computer. The business card to be shot by an image pickup device of the notebook computer is supported on the supporting part. By adjusting the restriction structure of the business card case and rotating said upper cover of the notebook computer, a better shooting angle is defined between the image pickup device and the document.
US07970272B2
An electronic device and method for power management in an electronic device is provided. In an embodiment, the electronic device includes the functionality of a personal digital assistant, wireless email paging and a camera with a flash that is operated via self-contained power supply in the form of a battery. The device also includes a supervisor circuit which causes the device to enter sleep mode, or disables the device or certain features of the device, if the battery level falls below a certain threshold. A method in accordance with an embodiment performs, in response to a request to fire the flash, a pre-flash test which is selected so as to not trip the supervisor circuit. The battery level is examined after the pre-flash test. If the battery level meets certain criteria, the full flash is permitted to proceed, else the full flash is not permitted to proceed.
US07970271B2
In order to perform a brightness correction that is suited to a face image in a moving image, a still-image brightness correction parameter for performing a brightness correction suited to a subject image is calculated from a face image in the subject image and the overall subject image. A moving-image brightness correction parameter is calculated using the calculated still-image brightness correction parameter and a moving-image brightness correction parameter that has been calculated in a subject image of a previous frame. By using the moving-image brightness correction parameter calculated, the brightness of a subject image obtained subsequent to the first-mentioned subject image is corrected.
US07970269B2
The invention relates to an image acquisition apparatus, in particular a camera, for the identification of objects, comprising a focusable optical receiving system and an illumination unit including an object illumination and/or positioning illumination, wherein the object illumination and/or positioning illumination is adjustable and can hereby be matched to the focus of the optical receiving system, and wherein the object illumination and/or positioning illumination is coupled to the optical receiving system such that an adjustment of the focus of the optical receiving system automatically effects a matching of the object illumination and/or positioning illumination to the adjusted focus.
US07970268B2
Provided is a photographing parameter setting system including: a photographing device which photographs an image; and a photographing information providing device which provides photographing information for specifying predetermined photographing parameter values to the photographing device, wherein the photographing information providing device includes: a photographing information storage unit which stores photographing information corresponding to a photographing opportunity defined by a temporal range and a geographic range; and a photographing information transmission unit which transmits the photographing information stored in the photographing information storage unit, and wherein the photographing device includes: a photographing information reception unit which receives the photographing information transmitted from the photographing information transmission unit; and a photographing parameter setting unit which sets the predetermined photographing parameter values used for photographing at the photographing opportunity, on the basis of the received photographing information.
US07970266B2
A camera includes an optical system, a housing, an image blur corrector, a displacement acquisition section, a rotary driver, a correction computer, and a drive controller. The displacement acquisition section is configured to acquire the amount of displacement of the housing. The rotary driver is configured to rotationally drive the displacement acquisition section with respect to the housing. The correction computer is configured to calculate a first correction amount at the image blur corrector from the displacement amount acquired by the displacement acquisition section. The drive controller is configured to control the operation of the rotary driver, and also controls the operation of the image blur corrector on the basis of the first correction amount.
US07970265B2
A control system for compensating for image shake of an image capture device is provided, including a shake compensating module, a shake compensating switch, a control unit, and a shutter control element operated between a first operating stage and a second operating stage. The shake compensating switch is switched between an active state to enable the shake compensating module and an inactive state to disable the shake compensating module. The control unit enables the shake compensating module when the shake compensating switch is in the active state. The control unit produces a reset signal to disable the shake compensating module when the shutter control element is in the second operating stage before the shake compensating switch is switched to the inactive state. The control unit enables the shake compensating module after a specific period of time from when the shake compensating module was disabled.
US07970264B2
Water dispensers are disclosed which include a Sabbath function. When activating the Sabbath function, water refill of the hot water reservoir tank is prevented and the heating of the water in the hot reservoir tank is modified to provide a constant heating at a less than boiling temperature.
US07970252B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07970246B2
Embodiments of optical collimators are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises an optical waveguide having a first end, a second end opposing the first end, a viewing surface extending at least partially between the first end and the second end, and a back surface opposing the viewing surface. The viewing surface comprises a first critical angle of internal reflection, and the back surface is configured to be reflective at the first critical angle of internal reflection. Further, a collimating end reflector comprising a faceted lens structure having a plurality of facets is disposed at the second end of the optical waveguide.
US07970239B2
The registration of images comprising segmenting an image in a frame into a set of sectors which forms a circle. Generating a plurality of sets of projections in a base frame, wherein each set of projections is generated from any sector amongst the set of sectors from the base frame. Also generating a plurality of sets of projections in a movement frame, wherein each set of projections is generated from any sector amongst the set of sectors from the movement frame. Then summing each set of projections, from any sector amongst the set of sectors from the base frame and summing each set of projections from any sector amongst the set of sectors from the movement frame. Furthermore, comparing a set of each sum of projections from the base frame with a set of each sum of projections from the movement frame, and generating a rotation angle estimate to add to the base frame.
US07970235B1
In a method of automatically replacing undesirable pixels in an image, a local neighborhood of pixels is identified around an undesirable pixel. In addition, secondary neighborhoods of pixels are identified and feature values of the pixels contained in the local neighborhood and each of the secondary neighborhoods are calculated. The secondary neighborhoods having feature values within a predetermined range of the local neighborhood feature value are classified as candidates for pixel value replacement. Moreover, a replacement pixel value from at least one of the secondary neighborhoods classified as a candidate for pixel value replacement is determined and the undesirable pixel value is replaced with the replacement pixel value.
US07970227B2
An image processing apparatus that generates one output image front plural input images includes a detecting unit that detects a positional relation among the plural input images, a pixel-value calculating unit that calculates a pixel value of a pixel of the output image using pixel values of pixels of the input images and an interpolation function, a determining unit that determines whether the pixel of the output image is a motion pixel, and an adjusting unit that adjusts a high-pass characteristic of the interpolation function on the basis of a result of the determination on whether the pixel of the output, image is a motion pixel.
US07970224B2
A method and an apparatus relates to examining respective collections of coefficients out of a plurality of collections of coefficients according to a global coding order of the plurality of collections of coefficients, the respective collections of coefficients having respective priority levels as well as respective pluralities of coding units and truncation points which correspond to the coding units. In response to determining that an examined collection of coefficients out of the plurality of collections of coefficients has a priority level equal to a global priority level, encoding a first un-encoded coding unit according to a local coding order of the collection of coefficients and reducing the priority level of the collection of coefficients; and after each of the collections of coefficients in the plurality are examined, decreasing the global priority level. Repeating the examining, the encoding, the reducing and the decreasing for the plurality of collections of coefficients, and terminating the examining, the encoding, the reducing, and the decreasing in response to determining that a total amount of bits used is greater than a target bit rate.
US07970221B2
Decoding a multiview video signal comprises receiving a bitstream comprising the multiview video signal encoded according to dependency relationships between respective views, and view-dependency information representing the dependency relationships in a two-dimensional data structure; extracting the two-dimensional data structure and determining the dependency relationships from the extracted data structure; and decoding the multiview video signal according to the determined dependency relationships.
US07970217B2
A coded bit stream generated on a coding side consists of a VO header, a VOL header, a GOV header, a VOP header and VOP data, and the VOL header multiplexes an object intra-coded indicator signal indicating whether all the VOP data contained in a VOL or GOV are intra coded or not. This enables a decoding side to recognize whether all the VOP data contained in the VOL or GOV in the coded bit stream are intra coded or not by only analyzing the object intra-coded indicator signal. This can facilitate such processings as frame skip control or random access of the VOPs.
US07970213B1
Various embodiments of the invention describe a method, system and computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for improving the recognition of text present in an image. The image is processed by applying different operators to the image to obtain multiple processed versions of the image. Thereafter, characters and location information of the characters from each of the multiple processed versions of the image are obtained. The location information includes the pixel coordinates of the characters in the text. The text present in the image is edited, based on the relative location of the characters, to improve the recognition of the text in the image.
US07970210B2
An information system for capturing, processing, and transmitting recorded information via writing devices is described. The system comprises computing devices, an application stored on a stand-alone computer or on an application server, and client devices, which execute the application as well as collect and store data. The computing device for capturing the data is preferably a digital pen. A data collector includes specifically designed forms or a graphic user interface (GUI) that enables the collection of vital information. A data storage module stores vital information processed by the application. The computing device and the client device are usable online or offline a network. The client device is selected from the group consisting of a computer, printer, scanner, or other digital devices and is usable online or offline a network.
US07970209B2
There is provided an optical information detecting method. The method includes: detecting an image of a source data page coded with balanced codewords by the use of 1:N (where N is greater than 1) excessive detection pixels; determining a distribution pattern of valid detection pixels and invalid detection pixels to be corrected in the detected image by the use of a light intensity distribution of the detected image; and dividing the detected image into balanced codeword detecting areas corresponding to the balanced codewords and sampling data of the balanced codeword detecting areas by the use of the determined distribution pattern and an optical distribution characteristic of the balanced codewords. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently detect optical information by the use of a 1:N over-sampling method. Specifically, the distribution pattern of valid detection pixels and invalid detection pixels in the detected image of a data page can be properly used to sample a balanced code.
US07970202B2
A method for detecting defects of a material moving in a rolling mill generally comprises illuminating product, obtaining (ACQ) image thereof in at least one spectral band, in pre-processing the formed image, in detecting and extracting (DTEXTR) eventually suspected areas of the pre-processed image, and in classifying (CLASS) the suspected areas into one or several defect or defect-free categories. For hot-rolled materials, the product is inspected in three disjointed spectral bands, including infrared, red and, for instance, green band in such a way that the suspected areas are classified into one or several defect-free or defect categories including the surface and structural defects.
US07970198B2
A method for decomposing a target pattern containing features to be printed on a wafer. The method includes the steps of: (a) defining a kernel representing a function having positive values within an inner radius and negative values in an outer radius; (b) defining the features utilizing a plurality of pixels; (c) disposing the kernel over a first pixel of the plurality of pixels; (d) determining the value of the kernel at location of each of the plurality of pixels, storing the value for each of the plurality of pixels so as to define a pixel value for each of the plurality of pixels; (e) adding a previously stored value associated with a given pixel of the plurality of pixels with the pixel value of the given pixel determined in step (d); (f) disposing the kernel over another pixel of the plurality of pixels, and repeating steps (d)-(f) until each of the plurality of pixels has been processed; and (g) determining placement of the pixel in a first pattern or a second pattern based on the pixel value of the given pixel.
US07970189B2
An automated method (1) for the automatic extraction of a pulmonary vessel tree from a 3D medical image, such as multi-slice CT data, is disclosed. A segmented pulmonary vessel is identified as either an artery or a vein by determining a measure for arterialness for the vessel. The measure is based on a relation of the orientation of a local bronchus to the orientation of the segmented pulmonary vessel of the local bronchus. When a vessel is identified as a pulmonary artery, it is added to the pulmonary artery tree. Radii of the pulmonary artery and bronchus are measured automatically and positions where a ratio of these radii exhibits unusual values are presented in a display, preferably for suggesting further assessment by a radiologist, which for instance is useful for pulmonary embolism detection.
US07970183B2
A digital image acquisition device is for acquiring digital images including one or more preview images. A face detector analyzes the one or more preview images to ascertain information relating to candidate face regions therein. A speed-optimized filter produces a first set of candidate red-eye regions based on the candidate face region information provided by the face detector.
US07970175B2
The head pose of a motor vehicle driver with respect to a vehicle frame of reference is assessed with a relative motion sensor positioned rearward of the driver's head, such as in or on the headrest of the driver's seat. The relative motion sensor detects changes in the position of the driver's head, and the detected changes are used to determine the driver's head pose, and specifically, whether the head pose is forward-looking (i.e., with the driver paying attention to the forward field-of-view) or non-forward-looking. The determined head pose is assumed to be initially forward-looking, and is thereafter biased toward forward-looking whenever driver behavior characteristic of a forward-looking head pose is recognized.
US07970174B2
A method for tracking at least one medical marker is provided, wherein actual properties of the at least one marker are compared with nominal properties of the at least one marker. A basis for subsequent use of information obtained from the at least one marker is formed based on the comparison.
US07970172B1
An active device provides protection from the sun or other bright light source for improved vision, using a variable opacity medium that is electronically controlled to cast a shadow on an eye of a user and/or to otherwise reduce the amount of the light incident on the eye, thereby reducing glare. Miniature cameras monitor the user's eye movements and the scene in front of the user. If a bright light is detected, one or more dark spots is created in the variable opacity medium that acts as a shade or light filter for a pupil of the eye. The variable opacity medium, cameras, and associated electronics can be used in connection with eyeglasses (including sunglasses), as part of a device worn by the user (such as a helmet), a windshield, mirror, or other optical element having a view port through which light can be seen by the user.
US07970161B2
A transducer for a hearing aid includes a housing, a relatively thin membrane having a free end suspended in the housing for vibration in response to a motor. The motor has a coil and a magnet assembly, the coil being mounted in the housing beneath the membrane; the magnet assembly being mounted in the housing coaxially with the coil and to one edge of the membrane.
US07970158B2
A long and narrow loudspeaker on an entire wall gives off a cylindrical wave, which covers the entire room. Extra loudspeakers fixed at an angle against the wall will be heard in another direction, producing angle stereo independent of where one is in the room. Electro-dynamic loudspeakers are made of long plates of iron with air gapes between them where magnetic fields are produced. In the air gaps are strips, which conduct the sound currents. The strips influence directly one or more membranes. The magnetic field can be produced by permanent magnets, electromagnets or through concentration of geomagnetic fields. Long loudspeakers, which use other forces such as electrostatic forces, only need to be made for small sound pressure at the membrane.
US07970152B2
The phase differences of microphones of a hearing aid microphone are to be reduced. To do this, the level of an output signal of a directional microphone is compared with an omnidirectional signal. If the level of the output signal of the differential directional microphone is above the level of the omnidirectional signal, this level difference is minimized by an adaptive, frequency-selective transit time compensation in individual frequency bands and phase matching of the microphones is thus achieved. By means of an alternative method, microphone matching is achieved in that the measurable delay of the two microphone signals is adaptively limited in individual frequency bands to a maximum value corresponding to the sound transit time between the microphones. Phase matching without knowing the position of a sound source can thus be achieved.
US07970134B2
A method for generating, operating, and using a sparse w-NAF key for encryption is disclosed. The method for generating a key comprises generating a string of a number of coefficients, in which at most one coefficient, excluding 0, among a consecutive w number of coefficients, corresponds to a positive odd integer equal to or less than 2w (w being a natural number equal to or more than 2); and outputting the generated string as a key. Accordingly, an encryption is executed through an exponential operation or scalar multiplication using a sparse w-NAF key having the scarce coefficients, excluding 0, such that an encryption pace is improved.
US07970125B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes an operational amplifier having a first input to receive a first current formed of an input current and an offset current. A first MOSFET device having a gate terminal may be coupled to an output of the operational amplifier. An output stack including one or more cascoded devices to provide an output current corresponding to a gain of the operational amplifier may be coupled to a first terminal of the first MOSFET device. The operational amplifier may be used in various circuitry, such as a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC).
US07970121B2
In a voice activity detection (VAD) device a method for defining tone signals comprises defining a threshold for zero amplitude change, calculating a zero crossing rate of a signal, extracting a set of parameters from a plurality of duration periods of the signal, defining a tolerance threshold between the plurality of duration periods when a zero amplitude change occurs, calculating a maximum difference between the plurality of duration periods, and comparing the maximum difference with the threshold. The method is implemented in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) recommendation G.729 Annex B VAD.
US07970120B2
A cell phone based sound producing device is a sound producing device that takes advantage of the likelihood that a user is already carrying a cell phone and does not need to also carry an electronic sound producing device. Another advantage is that cell phones are designed to communicate across a communications network. As such, the cell phone based sound producing device can download call sounds from a server, store them, and play them. Electronic payment systems for ring tones and games that are played on a cell phone already exist. These electronic payment systems can be easily adapted for payment of sound producing device modules and sound producing device sounds. Recovery information can be used to restore modules and sounds that are lost due to cell phone breakage or upgrades.
US07970115B1
A communications system is provided that includes: (a) a speech discrimination agent 136 operable to generate a speech profile of a first party to a voice call; and (b) a speech modification agent 140 operable to adjust, based on the speech profile, a spectral characteristic of a voice stream from the first party to form a modified voice stream, the modified voice stream being provided to the second party.
US07970114B2
A system, apparatus and method are described for displaying multiple attributes relative to objects in a network management program. In one embodiment, multiple attributes from a plurality of different standards are coalesced together and the coalesced attributes are displayed by a user interface. These coalesced attributes may be shown in such a manner so that inconsistencies between attributes of objects from different standards are reduced or obviated.
US07970105B2
Subscriber line maintenance apparatus and methods are disclosed. A maintenance operation is performed on a subscriber line in a communication system by an embedded test unit. The test unit limits an effect of the maintenance operation on communication signals that are transferred on the subscriber line during the maintenance operation. In one embodiment, the communication signals are high-frequency signals, and the limiting is achieved by performing the maintenance operation through a low-pass filter, such as the low pass filter of a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) splitter. The test unit may be implemented as a daughter card carried by another electronic circuit card in a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM), for example, so that the test unit does not occupy its own card slot in an equipment shelf. One, or more than one, test unit may be provided to serve multiple equipment shelves in a distributed communication equipment architecture.
US07970103B1
According to one embodiment, a system for interrogating hidden contents of a container comprises a controller, a detector system, and a data system. The controller receives a selection of a source mode of source radiation to generate to interrogate contents of a container. The source mode selection comprises a neutron mode, a gamma ray mode, or a combined neutron-gamma ray mode. The controller instructs a cyclotron to generate the source radiation according to the source mode selection. The detector system detects radiation emitted from the contents in response to the source radiation. The data system analyzes the emitted radiation and describes the contents according to the analysis.
US07970094B2
A nuclear power plant and method of operation for augmenting a second reactor thermal power output in a second operation cycle to a level larger than a first reactor thermal power output in the previous operation cycle. The plant is equipped, for example, with a reactor; a steam loop comprising high and low pressure turbines; a condenser for condensing steam discharged therefrom the low pressure turbine; a feedwater heater for heating feedwater supplied from the condenser; and a feedwater loop for leading feedwater discharged from the feedwater heater to the reactor. The operation method includes decreasing a ratio of extraction steam which is led to the feedwater heater from a steam loop in the second operation cycle.
US07970086B2
A method for processing a signal includes monitoring an over-sampled signal to detect deviations in a number of fill samples, and providing an electronic delay adjustment to a signal path. If a deviation in the number of fill samples is detected, the electronic delay adjustment from the signal path is removed in one or more steps until all of the electronic delay adjustment is removed from the signal path.
US07970076B2
A wireless apparatus which performs a frequency conversion on a received signal with a mixer and an analog filter, and which corrects for distortion of the received signal, which occurs because the analog filter is not an ideal one, using a digital filter disables the filtering of the received signal by the digital filter when determining from the reception power level (or reception amplitude level) of the received signal that the filtering of the received signal by the digital filter will increase the distortion of the received signal.
US07970075B2
Apparatus and method for up-conversion of radio signals are disclosed. For example, an apparatus for up-conversion of radio signals is disclosed. The apparatus includes a signal conversion unit operable to convert an input signal to a plurality of single bits of data, a narrow pulse generator unit coupled to the signal conversion unit, the narrow pulse generator unit operable to generate a narrowly defined pulse for a single bit of data of the plurality of single bits of data, and a digital-to-analog conversion unit coupled to the narrow pulse generator unit, the digital-to-analog conversion unit operable to up-convert a frequency of the single bit of data.
US07970070B2
An apparatus, system, and method of performing adaptive frequency domain equalization in an Orthogonal Frequency Domain Multiplexing (OFDM) based communication system transmitting data information, wherein the method comprises receiving OFDM symbols comprising scattered pilots; obtaining channel estimates on every third bin of the scattered pilots in a frequency domain, wherein the channel estimates are obtained by performing an interpolation in a time domain across the received OFDM symbols; estimating an original channel based on the channel estimates, wherein the original channel in the time domain is estimated by applying a finite impulse response (FIR) low-pass filter in a frequency domain, wherein the FIR low-pass filter is adaptive according to a delay span of an original channel impulse response and is sufficiently wide to cover the delay span of the original channel impulse response; and dividing the received OFDM symbols by the channel estimate to obtain transmitted data information.
US07970062B1
A method and apparatus for distributing high-bandwidth and low-bandwidth voice channels is presented. An input signal is received and separated into a first low-band signal and a first high-band signal. The first low-band signal is compressed to provide a low-bandwidth channel and is used to carrying encoded voice signals (e.g. G.711). The high-band signal is also compressed to provide a high-bandwidth channel and is used to carry encoded voice signals (e.g. G.722).
US07970060B2
Time stamped streams respectively generated by an AV stream generating means and data stream generating means are combined by a time-stamped contents generating means. Consequently, a time-stamped contents stream is generated which synchronizes the processing of an AV stream and multimedia data.
US07970055B2
There is provided an image data compression apparatus capable of effectively suppressing an image data volume after compression processing. A bit rate value is detected according to the image data volume after the compression processing. According to the bit rate size value detected, a quantization step size value used in the compression processing is modified. According to the quantization step size value, a skip frame number is set and a frame skip of the image data before or after the compression processing is performed according to the number of frame skip frames which has been set.
US07970054B2
A method of encoding moving pictures using a plurality of quantization matrices. The method involves selecting one of the plurality of quantization matrices in consideration of an at least one characteristics of an input image; transforming the input image; and quantizing the transformed input image using the selected quantization matrix.
US07970048B2
Space-time code, and methods for constructing space-time codes are provided. The space-time coder performs a respective linear transformation on each of P sets of K modulated symbols of a modulated symbol stream to produce P sets of T linearly transformed symbols, applies a respective phase rotation to each set of T linearly transformed symbols to produce a respective set of T phase rotated symbols, and performs a threading operation on the sets of T phase rotated symbols to produce P threaded sequences that define M output sequences. During each of T symbol periods, a respective one of the P threaded sequences includes a symbol from one of the P sets of phase rotated symbols. At least one symbol from each set of phase rotated symbols appears in each output sequence, where M>=2, 2<=P<=M, and T>=M and M>=K.
US07970042B2
A spread spectrum clock generator (SSCG) control and inspection circuit provides a system and method for inspecting and controlling an external SSCG, and for verifying the modulation profile waveform of an external SSCG. An electronic circuit is included that can check for the presence of an optimal SSCG modulation profile in product subsystems, and in attached modular systems, including electronic plug-in features such as internal network adapters and cartridges. In one mode of the invention, an electronic circuit ensures continued radiated emissions compliance for field replaceable units or consumable parts within a product, such as a printer, a scanner, or a combination (or all-in-one) printer/scanner. In another mode of the invention, an electronic circuit may also act as a secondary security device for consumable products, such as toner cartridges or ink jet cartridges. In yet another mode of the invention, an electronic circuit may also adjust the attached SSCG clock.
US07970035B2
Disclosed are a nitride semiconductor laser element including a light emitting portion made of a nitride semiconductor, and an external-cavity semiconductor laser device using it. In the nitride semiconductor laser element, a coat film made of silicon oxynitride is formed on the light emitting portion, and the reflectance of the coat film to feedback light of laser light emitted from the light emitting portion is 0.5% or less.
US07970027B2
Output optical energy pulses including relatively high energy magnitudes at the beginning of each pulse are disclosed. As a result of the relatively high energy magnitudes which lead each pulse, the leading edge of each pulse includes a relatively large slope. This slope is preferably greater than or equal to 5. Additionally, the full-width half-max value of the output optical energy distributions are between 0.025 and 250 microseconds and, more preferably, are about 70 microseconds. A flashlamp is used to drive the laser system, and a current is used to drive the flashlamp. A flashlamp current generating circuit includes a solid core inductor which has an inductance of 50 microhenries and a capacitor which has a capacitance of 50 microfarads.
US07970021B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for derate matching a rate-matched data. The received data is deinterleaved and derate matched at a time, without using input buffers or constructing input buffers in parallel. Thus, a total process time necessary for the deinterleaving process and the derate matching process is reduced, and the use of memories such as the input buffers is minimized.
US07970020B2
A terminal (30, 30B) receives transmissions in a form of a media stream. The terminal comprises a jitter buffer (40) which receives data comprising the media stream and a buffer manager (80). The buffer manager (80) makes a selection between plural playback pointers as an operative playback pointer from which the data comprising the media stream is played out of the jitter buffer. In an example implementation, the buffer manager (80) updates at least one of the plural playback pointers. The manner and timing of the updating of the least one of the plural playback pointers can occur in any of a variety of ways. The terminal (30, 30B) can take various forms, and may be (for example) either a wireless terminal which receives the media stream across a radio interface, or a wireline terminal.
US07970008B2
A multiplexing transmission system for adding a management overhead to a client signal, and transparently accommodating or multiplexing the client signal to transmit it is provided. The multiplexing transmission system: accommodates a plurality of client signals of different bit rates including a client signal of a bit rate that is not an integral multiple or an integral submultiple of a bit rate of other client signal, and performs rate adjustment for a part or the whole of the plurality of client signals such that the bit rate of each client signal becomes an integral multiple or integral submultiple of the bit rate of other client signal.
US07970004B2
An approach is provided for providing contention resolution for resources of a network. Individual contention resolution parameters are determined for respective multicast groups of terminals. The terminals within each of multicast groups able to perform contention resolution over a contention channel based on the respective individual contention resolution parameters.
US07970003B2
A telemetry system is described in which a plurality of channels are coupled to a bus. A control subsystem controls the channels so that one of the channels presents to the bus during its designated time period a channel characteristic. The control subsystem interrogates in the analog domain each of the channels during its designated time period, and forms a signal representative of the channel characteristic. The control subsystem may combine one or more of the signals into a digital packet, and transmit the same over a network.
US07970002B2
The present invention provides a service transmission method for MBMS, comprising: a core network initiates an MBMS service; having received a session start instruction of the MBMS service, the RNC selects the PTM mode or the PTP mode as a service bearer mode to bear the MBMS service for each cell that belongs to the RNC. The method of the invention makes it possible to directly adopt the PTM mode or the PTP mode to bear an MBMS service, skipping the complicated Counting process adopted by the prior art, reducing the complexity of the system, decreasing interaction of signaling of the air interface, and lowering power consumption of the UE.
US07970000B2
A network device communicates in a cable network. The network device has a port to allow the device to communicate on a cable network. The network device also has a processor to send a message indicating that the device is assuming a dormant state. The processor then assumes a dormant state for the device, releasing the service identifiers and service flows associated with that device for use in the cable network.
US07969995B2
A method of constructing a forwarding database for a data communications network comprising a plurality of network components and supporting at least first and second topologies having one or more common network components is described. The forwarding database includes at least first and second database structures having records including forwarding information for data destined for related network components in the respective topologies. Each database structure has a plurality of elements including a pointer to one of a succeeding element or a record including said forwarding information. The method comprises the step, performed at a constructing network component of identifying a network component common to the first and second topologies for which a record exists in the second database structure. The method further comprises the step of including a pointer from the related element in the first database structure to a corresponding element or record in the second database structure.
US07969989B2
High performance ethernet networking utilizing existing fibre channel arbitrated loop HBA technology
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a device which may be used for communication through an Ethernet network. The device may comprise two modules. A first module may be based on an existing Fibre Channel arbitrated loop HBA technology. The second module may be configured to provide a virtual Fibre Channel arbitrated loop network for the first module utilizing the Ethernet network. In other words the second module may process communications generated by the first module as well as incoming communications from the Ethernet network in order to make it appear to the first module that it is communicating with an actual Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop network (whereas it is actually communicating through an Ethernet network). Thus, existing Fibre Channel technology can be used for the first module and the overall design cost of the device can be reduced.
US07969987B1
The present invention is directed to an intranet for providing on-demand Internet access to subscribers which includes a service node and a plurality of subscriber terminals coupled to the service node by corresponding xDSL lines. In turn, the service node includes a switch coupled to the xDSL lines, a gateway coupled to the Internet, a router which couples the switch to the gateway and a bandwidth measurement server coupled to the gateway. The bandwidth measurement server determines upload and/or download data transfer rates between the service node and requesting ones of said the subscriber terminals coupled thereto.
US07969983B2
In one example embodiment, a system and method are shown that includes receiving information defining a route to a network device. Further, a routing summary summarizing the route to the network device is generated. Additionally, an aggregate label is selected that corresponds to a defined class and to the routing summary. Moreover, the aggregate label and the defined class are advertised into a domain.
US07969978B2
A method and apparatus for enabling congruent multicast and unicast routing in a Virtual Private Network (VPN) are disclosed. For example, the present method receives a request to join a multicast group to receive multicast data traffic by a receiver behind a remote Provider Edge (PE) router. The method then discovers a multicast source to allow said remote PE router to use a direct path to receive said multicast data traffic from a source.
US07969977B2
A processing apparatus that processes received IP packets comprises a control unit and a processing unit, wherein the control unit controls a first memory. While data indicating a reception state of fragmented IP packets is transferred from a second memory to the first memory, the processing unit performs processing for determining whether a header of an IP packet has been properly received. The processing unit instructs the control unit to update the data stored in the first memory depending on a result of the processing for determining whether the header of the IP packet has been properly received.
US07969976B2
The present invention provides a gateway apparatus and a packet forwarding method for rewriting the application header of a forwarded packet without terminating a TCP connection between a client and a server. For that purpose, the gateway apparatus in accordance with the present invention uses the conversion section 116 of the gateway module 110 to register, in a conversion table 117, a pair of a sequence number (Seq#) which is expected to be contained in the TCP header of a next packet to forward and a Seq# after conversion which is obtained by considering a change in packet size due to application (AP) header rewriting as a pair of an expected Seq# and a conversion Seq# as well as a pair of an expected Ack# and a conversion Ack# contained in the TCP header of a packet in a direction opposite to that of the previously forwarded packet at the time of forwarding. Then, the conversion section 116 refers to the conversion table 117 at next packet forwarding to rewrite the Seq# and the Ack# contained in the TCP header of a packet to forward to the conversion Seq# and conversion Ack# corresponding to the expected Seq# and expected Ack# matching these numbers.
US07969970B2
In order to provide a switch device (100; 100′) connecting at least one first point (10, 12), in particular connecting at least one source device and/or at least another switch device, to at least one second point (20, 22, 24), in particular to at least one destination device and/or to at least another switch device, the switch device (100; 100′) comprising at least one virtual channel (30, 32), wherein it is possible to arbitrate and/or differentiate data, in particular data packets or data streams, being transmitted within the same virtual channel (30, 32), it is proposed that the switch device (100; 100′) comprises at least two ports (40, 42), in particular input ports, for receiving and/or at least two ports (50, 52), in particular output ports, for sending the data, in particular the data packet or data stream, the ports (40, 42, 50, 52) being respectively assigned to the virtual channel (30, 32).
US07969967B2
An apparatus and method for number portability for an IMS network. In one example the method may have the steps of: processing all calls with E.164 numbers in a BGCF (Breakout Gateway Control Function); executing digit analysis on a respective E.164 number in the BGCF; and querying, by the BGCF, a NPDB (portable number database) to retrieve a routing number if the respective E.164 number is ported.
US07969962B2
The present invention relates to compensation method and circuit for compensating time drifts in a receiver suited for multi-path environment. The time drifts are separated into a first component common to groups of paths belonging to the same radio link, for example a radio link of a connection between a user equipment and a base station, and second components valid for each individual path belonging to a group. The first component is processed by employing first feedback means with a first bandwidth, and the second components are processed by employing a second feedback means with a second bandwidth, wherein the first bandwidth is set to a value higher than the second bandwidth. Thereby, the bandwidth of the loop devoted to the individual tracking of each path can be slower and adjusted to environmental conditions, so as to allow application of a principle of interference mitigation for improving time resolution.
US07969953B1
A method, system, and computer-readable media are provided for allowing a mobile device to maintain communication connectivity during a handoff between wireless access points. In one aspect, the method may include negotiating security association information and establishing a first communication tunnel by tunneling an inner IP address within a first outer IP address. The method may further include authenticating a request for establishing a second communication tunnel by identifying the negotiated security association information within the request. Additionally, the method may include establishing the second communication tunnel by tunneling the inner IP address within a second outer IP address. Moreover, the method may include pushing data associated with the communication session through the second communication tunnel.
US07969952B2
Disclosed is a method of implementing a multicast routing system in a mobile ad-hoc network environment. The method includes causing control packets for data transmission to be transmitted from a source node to object nodes in accordance with a predetermined method when data to be transmitted from the source node to the object nodes exists, forming, in a tree structure, information concerning nodes on paths through which the control packets are transmitted, and causing the source node to transmit the data to the object nodes using the formed tree structure.
US07969943B2
A user apparatus transmits an uplink control signal to a base station apparatus using a single carrier scheme. The user apparatus includes: a unit configured to receive a downlink control signal and a downlink data signal; a unit configured to prepare acknowledgement information indicating positive acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement for the downlink data signal; a unit configured to prepare the uplink control signal including the acknowledgement information; a unit configured to transmit the uplink control signal using different resources which are different from resources that can be used for an uplink data signal; and a storage unit configured to store predetermined correspondence relationship which uniquely associates resources of the downlink control signal or the downlink data signal with resources used for the uplink control signal.
US07969939B2
There is disclosed method of measuring a received signal quality in a wireless telecommunications network. The method includes determining at least two signal parameters on the basis of measurements made on at least one of a plurality of physical channels, determining a calibration parameter indicative of variations common to the signal parameters, and determining the signal quality parameter on the basis of said at least one measured signal parameter and said calibration parameter.
US07969936B2
The invention relates to a method for improving the quality of control signalling based on signalling messages controlling speech or data transmission over an air interface between at least two radio terminals of a radio communications system, said speech or data being transmitted in at least one traffic channel of said radio communications system, and said signalling messages being transmitted in control channels associated with said at least one traffic channel. In order to allow for an improved performance of SACCH and FACCH, a first and a second signalling message with identical content are transmitted in two separate associated control channels. Alternatively, a signalling message included in a single ACCH is coded with a stronger coding. The invention relates equally to corresponding radio terminals and modules for such units.
US07969933B2
System and method for facilitating a persistent application session with anonymity between a mobile host and a network host in a wireless communication environment. The system and method include establishing a first communication session between the mobile host and the network host through a first radio access point; receiving a first mobile host identifier and a mobile host address from the mobile host during the first communication session, wherein the first mobile host identifier is different from the mobile host address; terminating the first communication session due to movement of the mobile host; establishing a second communication session between the mobile host and the network host using the first mobile host identifier, through a second radio access point; and receiving a second mobile host identifier from the mobile host during the second communication session, wherein the second mobile host identifier is different from the first mobile host identifier and the mobile host address.
US07969932B2
A method for establishing a connection between user equipment (UE) and an associated network includes receiving at the UE a notification indicating either a start of a broadcast service or an availability of the broadcast service, such that the notification comprises an identifier which identifies the broadcast service. The method further includes receiving at the UE a setup message which establishes a point-to-point radio bearer between the UE and the network, such that the setup message comprises the identifier which is used to identify that the radio bearer carriers the broadcast service.
US07969927B2
An apparatus and a method for efficient resource allocation using a cognitive radio communication in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)-based moving networks are provided. The method includes determining a minimum transmit power value of the MRS, which enables the internal terminal to have a receive Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR) greater than a first threshold; determining a transmit power value of the MRS by taking into account the determined minimum transmit power value; determining a transmit power value of the MRS per cellular terminal, which is transmittable at maximum while exerting interference less than a second threshold on a corresponding cellular terminal; searching one or more cellular terminals having the maximum transmittable transmit power value determined per cellular terminal greater than the determined transmit power value; and borrowing and allocating a resource allocated to the searched cellular terminal to the internal terminal.
US07969925B2
A technique is provided for a direct data transfer session, including for multimedia content, between mobile devices without the need for using a separate multimedia server to store multimedia content. Direct data transfer sessions between mobile devices are established by transmitting necessary address information through page-based messaging services that utilize the underlying digital mobile network databases and services to resolve the identification and location of the mobile devices.
US07969921B2
The present invention provides a method and system for data packet communication in wireless communication systems. One embodiment involves determining if one or more data blocks pending transmission in a current transmission opportunity period over the channel will expire before the start of another transmission opportunity period, and if a data block will expire before the start of another transmission opportunity period, then extending the current transmission opportunity period by an extension period for transmitting the expiring data block during the extension period. One or more expiring packets are transmitted during the extension period on a best-effort basis.
US07969917B2
A serial intelligent cell (SIC) and a connection topology for local area networks using Electrically-conducting media. A local area network can be configured from a plurality of SIC's interconnected so that all communications between two adjacent SIC's is both point-to-point and bidirectional. Each SIC can be connected to one or more other SIC's to allow redundant communication paths. Communications in different areas of a SIC network are independent of one another, so that, unlike current bus topology and star topology, there is no fundamental limit on the size or extent of a SIC network. Each SIC can optionally be connected to one or more data terminals, computers, telephones, sensors, actuators, etc., to facilitate interconnectivity among such devices. Networks according to the present invention can be configured for a variety of applications, including a local telephone system, remote computer bus extender, multiplexers, PABX/PBX functionality, security systems, and local broadcasting services. The network can use dedicated wiring, as well as existing wiring as the in-house telephone or electrical wiring.
US07969916B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems and methods for implementing telecommunications. More specifically, various embodiments of the present invention provide methods for interconnecting real-time communication links. Such methods include receiving the status of at least two communication links. The communication links may be established between endpoints and bridges in a network. One of the bridges associated with one of the communication links is selected to operate as a host bridge based at least in part on the status of the communication links. Then, after receiving the status from at least two of the communication links, the selected host bridge is automatically caused to initiate another communication link with at least another bridge associated with one of the aforementioned communication links.
US07969906B2
Broadcast messages are efficiently directed to nodes of an overlay network. Broadcast messages include an End ID parameter specifying the range of key values for nodes that should receive the broadcast message. Each node of an overlay network maintains a list of finger nodes and their respective key values. Upon receiving a broadcast message, a node assigns a finger node a new End ID value based upon the End ID value of the broadcast message or the key value of an adjacent finger node. The node compares a finger node's new End ID value with the finger node's key value to determine whether to forward the broadcast message to that finger node. A broadcast message forwarded to a finger node includes an End ID parameter equal to the new End ID value determined for the finger node. Nodes can aggregate response messages from its finger nodes.
US07969896B2
Method and system for providing network connectivity outage detection for MPLS cores based on service level agreement (SLA) parameters including receiving a service level agreement parameter, determining a probe interval associated with the service level agreement parameter, and performing network connectivity outage detection based on the service level agreement parameter, is disclosed.
US07969887B2
With the object of eliminating congestion that has occurred in a station which can not prevent or eliminate the occurrence of congestion autonomously, the SMPP response time in output interfaces 21h-21k of a first PPG 21 are measured and when the time mta, which is m-times of the SMPP response time ta in the normal state, is exceeded, congestion is assumed to occur in an interconnected station of the first PPG 21 and the response to push transfer request in an input interface 21a is delayed. Further, changes in the filling ratio in a buffer memory 21b are monitored and when the filling ratio exceeds h %, a decision is made that congestion has occurred in the first PPG 21 and the response to the push transfer request in the input interface 21a is delayed.
US07969883B2
A transmitter device (210) and associated receiver device (211) providing a retransmission scheme for use in communications involving lossy media. The transmitter device (210) receives data packets (201) from a source and adds protection to selected subflows before delivering (203, 206) them to the receiver device (211). The receiver device (211) is able to remove the protection and process (207) the data packets further. The retransmission scheme introduces greater reliability on the lossy medium by restricting the retransmission (208, 209) to a particular link and to selected subflows of traffic in the connection between a source and a destination.
US07969876B2
Network endpoints using TCP/IP operate to determine the maximum transmission unit (MTU) of the path between them. This determination is done so as to avoid the expensive IP fragmentation that will occur when transmitting links with a smaller MTU size. The standard method of determining the path MTU (PMTU) has several known deficiencies, including: inefficient use of bandwidth as proper operation will likely result in the loss of one or more packets and difficulty of implementation as the reverse channel communication mechanism, reception of ICMP messages indicating the discarding of unfragmentable packets, is frequently blocked by firewalls and other security apparatus.A method of determining the PMTU between intermediate proxies is disclosed that does not require reception of ICMP messages or the inefficient use of bandwidth due to the presumed dropping of packets with valid data.
US07969867B2
A method is provided for generating a backup route. Here, a route and a route distinguisher type associated with the route are received and a backup route is generated based on attributes of the route. A particular backup route distinguisher type that is associated with the route distinguisher type is assigned to the backup route. The backup route with the backup route distinguisher type are then advertised. Another method is provided that identifies the backup route. When the route and its route distinguisher type are received from the advertisement, an identification is made as to whether the route distinguisher type is assigned to a backup route. The route may then be designated as a backup route based on the identification.
US07969866B2
Techniques for recovering from hierarchical virtual private LAN service (HVPLS) hub connectivity failure are described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, a provider edge network element reuses an HVPLS spoke connectivity failure recovery mechanism in an MTU to protect against a failure of HVPLS hub connectivity. The PE network element monitors hub facing connectivity elements and declares a hub connectivity failure upon a certain amount of those hub facing connectivity elements failing, and fabricates a failure of its spoke facing connectivity elements causing the MTU to detect an HVPLS spoke connectivity failure and switch to a secondary HVPLS spoke connection. Other methods and apparatuses are described.
US07969858B2
More efficient utilization of available bandwidth is implemented in an OFDM wireless communication system. The partitions of bandwidth may be of different sizes and may be different from the original system design parameters. Basic system structure such as the number of tones used and the number of OFDM symbol times in a slot is maintained throughout the system. Bandwidth is varied by adjusting the inter-tone spacing or bandwidth associated with a single tone. As the inter-tone spacing is increased, the OFDM symbol transmission time is decreased following an inverse proportional relationship. A wireless communications device, during a first period of time transmits signals using a first uplink frequency band of a first number of uniformly distributed tones and during a second period of time transmits signals using a second uplink frequency band of a second number of uniformly distributed tones, the second number being the same as the first number, the second frequency band being wider than the first frequency band.
US07969854B2
An optical system has an optical functional surface including a common region used for conducting information recording and/or reproducing for both of a first optical information recording medium and a second optical information recording medium. The common region comprises a refractive surface of an imaginary basic aspherical surface and a optical path difference providing structure in which plural ring-shapes zones are separated around the center of an optical axis and neighboring ring-shaped zones are displaced to each other in a direction of an optical axis so as to cause an optical path difference obtained by multiplying a predetermined wavelength λs (λ1<λs<λ2) with almost an integer. The refractive surface of the imaginary basic aspherical surface is structured such that a spherical aberration becomes under on the first information recording medium and a spherical aberration becomes over on the second information recording medium.
US07969853B2
A servo objective lens and a recording/reproducing objective lens are commonly held on a holder. The servo objective lens and the recording/reproducing objective lens are integrally displaced, thereby pulling servo light onto a servo layer. Upon the pulling, focus positions of recording light and reproducing light follow a focus position of the servo light. As a result, the focus positions of recording light and reproducing light are set close to the servo layer. Thereafter, an optical element for displacing the focus positions of recording light and reproducing light in the optical axis direction is driven to pull the recording light and the reproducing light onto a targeted recording layer.
US07969852B2
An optical pickup apparatus includes: a first light source; a second light source; a light-converging optical system including a coupling lens and an objective lens; and a photodetector. The optical pickup apparatus is capable of recording and/or reproducing information by converging a light flux from each of the first and second light sources with the light-converging optical system on an information recording surface of each of first and second optical information recording media through a protective layer, and by detecting the light flux reflected from the information recording surface and passing through the light-converging optical system again, on the photodetector. The optical pickup apparatus satisfies predetermined conditions according to an optical path length from each of first and second light sources and the information recording medium, a magnification of the objective lens, and a magnification of the light-converging optical system.
US07969843B2
A write once disc allowing management of a data area, includes a lead-in zone, a data area, and a lead-out zone. The write once disc includes a predetermined area storing area allocation information which indicates whether at least one section of the data area is allocated for disc defect management. In the disc and method, area allocation information specifying a structure of the data area is recorded on the disc, thus allowing a recording/reproducing apparatus to recognize the data area structure. Therefore, allocating areas, such as a spare area, for disc defect management other than an area for storing user data, to the data area is possible. The allocation of the areas for disc defect management to the data area enables effective use of the write once disc.
US07969834B2
The optical pickup device according to the present invention includes: a light source which emits light at first, second and third wavelengths; an optical path combining unit which combines vectors of the light at the first, second and third wavelengths which is emitted by the light source, and matches optical axes of the light at the first wavelength and the light at the third wavelength; a light condensing unit which condenses the light from the optical path combining unit onto the optical information storage medium; a diffraction element which diffracts light at the first, second and third wavelength which is reflected from the optical information storage medium, in a first direction and a second direction respectively; a first photo detector which receives light at the first, second and third wavelength that is diffracted in the first direction by the diffraction element; a second photo detector which receives light at the first and third wavelength that is diffracted in the second direction by the diffraction element; and a third photo detector which receives light at the second wavelength that is diffracted in the second direction by the diffraction element.
US07969832B2
Disclosed herein are aspects of optical tape technology, tape manufacturing, and tape usage. Methods and systems of tape technology disclose optical tape media including: configurations, formulations, markings, and structure; optical tape manufacturing methods, systems, and apparatus methods and systems including: curing processes, coating methods, embossing, drums, testing, tracking alignment stamper strip; optical tape methods and systems including: pick up head adapted for the disclosed optical tape; and optical tape uses including optical storage media devices for multimedia applications.
US07969830B2
A near field optical disc and a near field optical disc reading apparatus are provided. The near field optical disc has at least one light source and a near field optical pick-up head, and the near field optical disc includes a light guiding substance, a first reflection layer and a second reflection layer. The light guiding substance has a first surface, a second surface opposite thereto and at least one light entrance window. Light emitted from the light source enters the light guiding substance through the light entrance window. The second reflection layer is disposed on the second surface. The first reflection layer is disposed on the first surface and has a plurality of light pervious holes. A part of the light is transmitted through the light pervious holes and picked up by the near field optical pick-up head.
US07969823B2
A hydrophone (10) for immersion in a liquid body defining a pressure is disclosed The hydrophone (10) includes a sensor (11) for providing an electrical signal indicative of the pressure; and a transducer (12) electrically connected to the sensor (11). The transducer (12) acts upon a fiber optic cable (15) so as to convert the electrical signal into a corresponding optical output signal for transmission within the fiber optic cable (15). The liquid body defines a depth-dependent static pressure and a dynamic pressure and the sensor (11) provides an electrical signal having a first component indicative of the static pressure and a second component indicative of the dynamic pressure. A filter (16) is electrically connected to the sensor (11) so as to receive (the electrical signal, filter out the first component, and output to the transducer (12) a uttered electrical signal indicative of substantially only the second component.
US07969820B2
An ultrasound position determination system includes a base unit and at least one mobile unit. Each of the mobile and base units are operable to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals. The mobile unit is adapted to transmit a predetermined signal in dependence upon the state of transmission of the base unit. The base unit is adapted to determine the time taken for the signal to pass from the mobile unit to the base unit and thereby calculate a distance between the mobile unit and the base unit.
US07969814B2
A memory READ command triggered clock synchronization mode turns on a clock synchronization circuit only for memory READ operations. The clock synchronization circuit achieves a signal lock with the reference clock signal in less time than the column address strobe latency. Precise memory READ operations are thus possible without wasting power when such operations are not performed by allowing the clock synchronization circuitry to be turned off.
US07969813B2
Circuits, memories, and methods for latching a write command and later provided write data including write command and write data timing circuits. One such timing circuit includes internal write command latch to latch an internal write command in response to write command latch signal. The internal write command latch releases the latched write command in response to the write command latch signal after a latency delay. The timing circuit further includes a write leveling flip-flop (FF) circuit and a write data register. One such method includes generating and latching an internal write command. The latched internal write command is released after a latency delay responsive to the memory clock signal. The internal write command is propagated over an internal write command path. Write data is captured and internal write command latched in response to a write clock signal. The captured write data is released to be written to memory.
US07969812B2
Apparatus and method for decoding addresses of control lines in a semiconductor device, such as a solid state memory (SSM). In accordance with some embodiments, a switching circuit includes an array of switching devices coupled to 2N output lines and M input lines, wherein M and N are respective non-zero integers and each output line has a unique N-bit address. A decoder circuit coupled to the switching circuit divides the N-bit address for a selected output line into a plurality of multi-bit subgroup addresses, and asserts the M input lines in relation to respective bit values of said subgroup addresses to apply a first voltage to the selected output line and to concurrently apply a second voltage to the remaining 2N-1 output lines.
US07969809B2
A method of managing operation of a plurality of devices that includes receiving operational information that pertains to each of a plurality of device and managing operation of at least one of the plurality of devices. Each of the plurality of devices is configured to perform operations, the operations including sub-operations. The operation management includes associating parameters for a given sub-operation of a device based on 1) operational information pertaining to at least one of the plurality of devices and on 2) a maximum allowable current consumption level. Also provided is a system that includes a plurality of devices and a controller that is operationally connected to each of the plurality of devices for setting values for parameters of a device for a given sub-operation based on 1) operational information pertaining to at least one of the devices and on 2) a maximum allowable current consumption level of the system.
US07969804B1
A memory architecture is provided with an array of non-volatile memory cells arranged in rows and columns, and a sense amplifier coupled to at least one column within the array for sensing a data bit stored within one of the non-volatile memory cells. In order to provide accurate sensing, a reference current generator is provided and coupled to the sense amplifier. The reference current generator provides a first reference current having adjustable magnitude and adjustable slope, and a second reference current having adjustable magnitude, but constant slope. The first reference current is supplied to the sense amplifier for sensing the data bit. The second reference current is supplied to a control block for generating clock signals used to control sense amplifier timing.
US07969803B2
A method and apparatus for protecting non-volatile memory is described. A write command is processed only when an operating voltage is between specified operating limits and when a data pattern stored in the non-volatile memory is repeatedly read successfully.
US07969798B2
A variable resistance memory device includes a memory cell connected to a bit line and a clamp circuit configured to provide either a first read voltage or a second read voltage to the bit line according to an elapsed time from a write operation of the memory cell. Related methods are also described.
US07969797B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a voltage detector configured to detect a level of an external power supply voltage and an internal voltage generator configured to generate an internal voltage in response to an active signal and drive an internal voltage terminal with a driving ability corresponding to an output signal of the voltage detector. A method for operating the semiconductor memory device includes detecting a level of an external power supply voltage, based on a first target level, to output a detection signal; and generating an internal voltage in response to an active signal, and driving an internal voltage terminal with a driving ability corresponding to the detection signal.
US07969795B2
A negative voltage generator of a semiconductor memory device includes: a flag signal generation unit for receiving a temperature information code from an On Die Thermal Sensor (ODTS) to output a plurality of flag signals containing temperature information of the semiconductor memory device; and a negative voltage detection unit for detecting a negative voltage to output a detection signal for determining whether to pump a negative voltage, wherein a detection level of the negative voltage is changed according to the flag signals.
US07969790B2
A method of erasing an NVM cell structure formed on a deep well of N-type semiconductor material, wherein the NVM cell structure includes a PMOS transistor formed in an N-type well, the PMOS transistor including spaced-apart p-type source and drain regions defining an n-type channel region therebetween, an NMOS transistor formed in a P-type well that is adjacent to the N-type well, the NMOS transistor including spaced-apart n-type source and rain regions defining a p-type channel region therebetween, a conductive floating gate that includes a first section that extends over the n-type channel region of the PMOS transistor and is separated therefrom by intervening dielectric material and a second section that extends over the p-type channel region and is separated therefrom by intervening dielectric material, and a conductive control gate formed over at least a portion of the second section of the floating gate and separated therefrom by intervening dielectric material, the erasing method comprising: biasing the deep N-type well at a selected erase voltage; holding the source and drain regions of the PMOS transistor at the erase voltage or floating; and holding the control gate at ground for a preselected erase time.
US07969789B2
In a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having n (n is an integer of two or more) electrode films stacked and having charge storage layers provided above and below each of the electrode films, when data “0” is written by injecting electrons into the charge storage layer on a source line side of a memory cell of the number k (k is an integer of 1 to (n−1)) as counted from an end on a bit line side in a selected semiconductor pillar, positive program potential is given to the electrode film of the number 1 to k as counted from the bit line side, and 0 V is given to the electrode film of the number (k+1) to n, therewith positive potential is given to the bit line and 0 V is given to the source line.
US07969779B2
An integrated circuit device (e.g., a logic device or a memory device) having a memory cell array including a plurality of bit lines (e.g., first and second bit lines) and a plurality of bit line segments (e.g., first and second bit line segments) wherein each bit line segment is selectively and responsively coupled to or decoupled from its associated bit line via an associated isolation circuit. The memory cell array further includes a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell includes a transistor having a first region, a second region, a body region, and a gate coupled to an associated word line via an associated word line segment. A first group of memory cells is coupled to the first bit line via the first bit line segment and a second group of memory cells is coupled to the second bit line via the second bit line segment. A plurality of isolation circuits, disposed between each bit line segment and its associated bit line, to responsively couple the associated bit line segment to or disconnect the associated bit line segment from the associated bit line.
US07969778B2
Shifts in the apparent charge stored on a floating gate (or other charge storing element) of a non-volatile memory cell can occur because of the coupling of an electric field based on the charge stored in adjacent floating gates (or other adjacent charge storing elements). To compensate for this coupling, the read or programming process for a given memory cell can take into account the programmed state of an adjacent memory cell. To determine whether compensation is needed, a process can be performed that includes sensing information about the programmed state of an adjacent memory cell (e.g., on an adjacent bit line or other location).
US07969775B2
An electronic memory and/or recording device includes a three dimensional magnetic medium. Three dimensional magnetic medium includes a plurality of magnetic sublayers, each of the magnetic sublayers being separated from one other by non-magnetic interlayers.
US07969761B2
In one embodiment, the semiconductor memory device includes at least a first semiconductor memory die, and a surface of the semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of connectors. At least one of the plurality of connectors is electrically connected to the first semiconductor memory die. The plurality of connectors include at least first and second control signal connectors. The first control signal connector is for a first control signal of a first type, the second control signal connector is for a second control signal of the first type, and the first and second control signal connectors are disposed in different areas of the surface. For example, the first type may be a chip select signal, a clock enable signal, or an on die termination enable signal.
US07969760B2
The invention provides a voltage applying structure having a reduced area penalty with respect to a data line. A wiring forming a global data line and a local data line formed in a p-type well region are connected via a select transistor. Two select lines are formed on a gate electrode of the select transistor. One select line is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the select transistor, however, the other select line is not connected to the select transistor. That is, an insulator film is formed between the select line and the gate electrode. As mentioned above, two select lines shorter than a gate length are provided on one select transistor. The select line is structured such as to be connected to the other select transistor.
US07969759B1
A memory cell includes a first access transistor, first and second pull-up transistors, a depletion transistor, and first and second pull-down transistors. The first access transistor is connected to a word line and connected between a first bit line and a first data node. The first pull-up transistor is connected to a first power supply point and the second pull-up transistor is connected to the first power supply point and the second data node. The first pull-down transistor is connected to a second power supply point and to the first data node and the second pull-down transistor is connected to the depletion transistor and to the second data node. The depletion transistor is connected to the word line and to the second power supply point.
US07969758B2
Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for multiple string searching using a ternary content addressable memory. The method includes receiving a text string having a plurality of characters and performing an unanchored search of a database of stored patterns matching one or more characters of the text string using a state machine, wherein the state machine comprises a ternary content addressable memory (CAM) and wherein the performing comprises comparing a state and one of the plurality of characters with contents of a state field and a character field, respectively, stored in the ternary CAM. In the method and apparatus described herein, one or more of the following search features may be supported: exact string matching, inexact string matching, single character wildcard matching, multiple character wildcard matching, case insensitive matching, parallel matching and rollback.
US07969754B2
A control circuit for a switch unit of a clocked power supply receives an auxiliary signal from a resonant transformer driven by the switch unit and detects reference crossing moments when the auxiliary signal crosses a reference value. A driver is controllable to switch the switch unit, and a synchronization circuit synchronizes a turn-on of the switch unit within a predetermined time interval around a zero crossing of a voltage present across the switch unit, or of a current flowing through the switch unit. The synchronization circuit receives information about the reference crossing moments and provides a turn-on signal to the driver with a fixed phase delay at the reference crossing moments, so as to define turn-on moments at which the driver is to turn on the switch unit.
US07969753B2
A lower-cost and more precise control methodology of regulating the output voltage of a flyback converter from the primary side is provided, which works accurately in either continuous voltage mode (CCM) and discontinuous mode (DCM), and can be applied to most small, medium and high power applications such cell phone chargers, power management in desktop computers and networking equipment, and, generally, to a wide spectrum of power management applications. Two highly integrated semiconductor chips based on this control methodology are also described that require very few components to build a constant voltage flyback converter.
US07969749B2
An electronic device includes a circuit board and a power connection interface. The power connection interface is formed on an edge region of the circuit board. The power connection interface includes a first trace portion for transmitting a DC voltage and second and third trace portions for transmitting an AC voltage. Plural trace wires of the first trace portion are arranged on first and second surfaces of the edge region. The second and third trace portions are arranged on opposite surfaces of the edge region.
US07969746B2
A system is provided that is securable to an electronic device. The system includes a module with a connection port that is configured to connect with a corresponding connection port of the electronic device. A securing structure is securable to portions of first ends of the module and electronic device to facilitate attachment of the module alongside the electronic device. When the module is attached to the electronic device with the securing structure, a side surface of the module engages with a corresponding side surface of the electronic device and the connection port of the module connects with the corresponding connection port of the connection device to establish an electrical connection between the module and the electronic device.
US07969741B2
It is intended to provide a substrate structure ensuring a shielding property and a heat discharge property of a resin part that collectively covers a plurality of electronic components and capable of downsizing, thinning, and a reduction in number of components. The substrate structure 20 of the first embodiment is provided with a substrate 21, a plurality of electronic components 22 mounted along the substrate 21, and a resin part 25 that covers the electronic components 22 and is in close contact with the substrate 21. In the substrate structure 20, the resin part 25 is provided with a reinforcing heat discharge layer 26 covering the electronic components 22 and having a heat conductivity and a reinforcing property and a shield layer 27 covering the reinforcing heat discharge layer 26, and a surface o28 of the shield layer 27 is formed into a predetermined shape corresponding to a surface structure of the display device 30 adjacent to the resin part 25.
US07969740B2
In a metal-based print board formed with radiators, a metal foil is affixed to a front surface of a metal plate having good thermal conductivity, an insulating adhesive layer interposed therebetween. A radiator is integrally provided on a reverse surface of the metal plate, the radiator having a plurality of thin radiating fins formed upright in a tabular shape due to having been dug out by an excavating tool. The radiating fins give the radiator a large area over which heat can be released. The thickness of a first metal plate portion formed between adjacent radiating fins is less than the original thickness of the metal plate. Heat generated by an electronic component or another component provided on a side of the front surface of the metal plate is rapidly transmitted from the reduced-thickness first metal plate portion of the metal plate to each of the radiating fins of the radiator on the reverse surface side, and efficiently released from each of the radiating fins, which have a large area over which heat is radiated.
US07969737B2
A heat dissipation apparatus includes a heat absorbing base, a heat conductive core, two fin assemblies and two heat pipes. The heat conductive core is attached to the heat absorbing base, and includes an elliptical, cylindrical body having an elliptical, cylindrical side surface. The two fin assemblies are located at two opposite sides of a major axis of the heat conductive core, respectively, and attached to the side surface of the heat conductive core. The two heat pipes connect the two fin assemblies with the heat absorbing base, respectively, transferring heat from the heat absorbing base to the fin assemblies.
US07969729B2
An assembly mechanism includes a case and a fastening structure disposed at a side of the case. The case includes a lower board, a connecting port, a fixing board, and a lateral board. The connecting port and the fixing board are connected to two ends of the lower board respectively. The lateral board is connected to the lower board, the connecting port, and the fixing board. The lateral board is used for containing an electronic device cooperatively with the lower board, the connecting port, and the fixing board. The fastening structure includes a base board and an elastic fixing part. The base board is connected to the connecting port in a rotatable manner. The elastic fixing part is connected to an end of the base board for inserting into a hole of the fixing board when the base board rotates to a first position relative to the connecting port.
US07969720B2
An exemplary display apparatus (2) includes a front cover (21) having an opening (210) and a peripheral side (211) beside the opening; an on screen display button board (22) having a main body (223) with locating holes (2234); and a display panel (23) having a display area (231) corresponding to the opening of the front cover and a peripheral area (232) around the display area. Locating pins (216) are provided on a rear face (215) of the peripheral side, and the locating pins pass through the locating holes of the main body, as well as part of the peripheral area of the display panel is overlapped with the main body, thereby, the main body of the on screen display button board is sandwiched between the rear face of the peripheral side of the front cover and the display panel.
US07969719B2
A back panel for a display device, such as a flat-panel television or computer monitor, which is very thin around the edges and houses all electronics in a “spine” near the vertical center of the back of the display. The back panel provides novel heat-dissipation, arrangement of electronics to save space, forces the center of gravity forward allowing the display to be set closer to a wall, and provides less interference and signal degradation than the prior art.
US07969718B2
A computer keyboard in one embodiment includes a plurality of keys, each of the keys including a suspension structure and a key body supported by the suspension structure, the key body comprising a color body member, a transparent colorless protective cover formed on the body member, and at least one character formed on the body member by laser engraving through the protective cover onto the body member wherein the body member has a flat top.
US07969714B2
An apparatus and method for controlling a monitor are disclosed to easily retract or protract a monitor. The method for controlling a monitor includes drawing out a monitor in a horizontal direction of the monitor from a monitor reception space; rotating the monitor by a first pre-set angle in the horizontal direction; and rotating the rotated monitor by a second pre-set angle in a left or right direction of the monitor.
US07969713B2
A solid electrolytic capacitor includes a capacitor element, an anode lead frame, a cathode lead frame, and a mold resin portion. The anode lead frame includes an anode terminal portion and a rising portion. The rising portion is formed integral with the anode terminal portion, extends from the anode terminal portion through the mold resin and is connected to an anode portion. At the rising portion, a catching portion receiving and supporting the anode portion from below and a hook portion surrounding and holding an outer circumferential surface of the anode portion, with the anode portion received in the catching portion, are formed. Therefore, a solid electrolytic capacitor can be provided, which allows highly accurate attachment of the capacitor element on the lead frame without applying any additional member and reduces equivalent series resistance.
US07969702B2
This invention includes a power supply having a plurality of cables, each corresponding to a unique electronic host device. The cable includes a memory device having predetermined power characteristics associated with an electronic host device. The cable further includes a unique mating connector for coupling to the electronic host device. The power supply includes a control circuit that reads the power characteristics and configures the power supply to charge the electronic host device. The system allows a user to carry a single power supply with multiple cables as opposed to having to transport many different power supplies.
US07969700B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a structure for the electrical protection of photovoltaic facilities in the event a photovoltaic generator (G1-Gp) is connected with its polarity reversed, for what it includes a protection cell that comprises two connection points (1, 2) at which the photovoltaic generator is connected (G1-Gp), at least one device (D) in charge of reducing the voltage of the photovoltaic generator (G1-Gp) in the event of polarity reversion, which is connected in parallel between the aforementioned two connection points, at least one element (M) of breakage and/or protection of the photovoltaic generator (G1-Gp) serially connected to the preceding elements, minimizing the loading on the aforementioned break and/or protection elements.
US07969695B2
A superconductive magnetic coil arrangement has a superconducting magnetic coil and a circuit for quench protection. The quench protection circuit includes at least one diode connected in parallel with a portion of the superconductive magnetic coil. The at least one diode is in thermal contact with the superconductive magnetic coil A magnetic resonance tomography apparatus embodies such a magnetic coil arrangement.
US07969672B2
It is intended to carry out a focusing operation suitably in each case of automatic focusing and manual focus adjustment. Therefore, in the present invention, there is provided a first focus ring 1 movable between a first position and a second position on an optical axis. Further, a first rotation-angle detection unit detecting a rotation amount of the first focus ring 1 at the first position, a second focus ring 2 coupled to the first focus ring 1 when the first focus ring 1 is at the first position, and a second rotation-angle detection unit detecting a rotation amount of the second focus ring 2 are provided. When the first focus ring 1 is at the first position, a focus lens is driven based on the rotation amount detected by the first rotation-angle detection unit, and when the first focus ring 1 is at the second position, the focus lens is driven based on the rotation amount detected by the second rotation-angle detection unit.
US07969669B1
A lens module includes a holder, a barrel, a lens, and a focus ring. The barrel is accommodated in the holder and threadedly coupled to the holder. The lens is received in the barrel. The focus ring surrounds and is securely fixed with the barrel. The focus ring is sandwiched between the holder and the barrel. The focus ring has at least two protrusions formed on an outer surface thereof. The at least two protrusions are symmetrical about a center of the focus ring.
US07969659B2
A device for magnifying an object comprising an SSID having at least one imaging array disposed on a distal end thereof. The device further comprises a first optical element disposed on the distal end of the SSID wherein the first optical element has a distal end and a proximal end defining a first longitudinal length. A GRIN lens is disposed on the distal end of the first optical element and a second optical element is disposed on the distal end of the GRIN lens defining a second longitudinal length. The first longitudinal length and the second longitudinal length are configured such that when viewing the object at a predetermined wavelength of light, the object is magnified at a predetermined level of magnification and the focal plane of the magnified object is aligned at the proximal end of the first optical element.
US07969657B2
Disclosed are imaging systems and eyeglass-based display devices. In one embodiment, an imaging system includes an image source that generates images, a optical element that manipulates the images, and a beam splitter positioned between the image source and the optical element that reflects the images onto an eye of a user of the imaging system, wherein each of the image source, optical element, and beam splitter are aligned along the same optical axis.
US07969653B2
It is possible to achieve a required field number and numerical aperture for microscope observation at a scanning speed equal to video-rate or higher and also to change the scanning speed with a simple configuration. The invention provides a laser microscope including a laser light source; a scanning unit configured to scan a specimen with laser light emitted from the laser light source; and an objective lens configured to focus the laser light scanned by the scanning unit on the specimen. The scanning unit is provided with an electro-optical deflecting element including an electro-optical crystal in which a refractive index gradient is induced by injecting electric current.
US07969652B2
A diffraction grating produces first diffraction light in a symmetrical direction with respect to the 0-th diffraction light and the optical axis. Each light flux forms two flux interference patterns on a sample surface through first and second objective lenses. A sample is illuminated by spatially modulated illumination light. Fluorescence is generated on the sample by structured illumination light as excitation light. The fluorescence caught by the first objective lens forms a modulated image of the sample on a sample conjugate surface through an objective optical system including the first and second objective lenses. The modulated image is further modulated through the diffractive grating. Fluorescence from the further modulated image passes through a lens and a dichroic mirror, enters into a single light path of an observation optical system, passes through a fluorescent filter, and forms an enlarged image of the further modulated image through a lens.
US07969645B2
A lens is provided, comprising a lens body. According to an embodiment, the lens body comprises at least one portion of electroactive material.
US07969640B2
An image display apparatus is disclosed in this invention. The image display apparatus includes a light source for emitting an illumination light, at least one spatial light modulator for receiving and applying an image signal for modulating illumination light from the light source, and a control circuit for controlling the light source and/or the spatial light modulator to project a modulated light for image display having different gray scale characteristics between at least two successive frames.
US07969636B2
A laser direct imaging apparatus which can expose photosensitive materials having various sensitivities and which can correct an imaging position in accordance with deformation of a workpiece. In the laser direct imaging apparatus, the workpiece is moved in a sub-scanning direction while a cylindrical lens is used to converge a laser beam, which has been modulated based on raster data, in the sub-scanning direction and deflect the laser beam toward a main scanning direction so as to image a desired pattern on the workpiece. The cylindrical axis of the cylindrical lens is designed to be able to rotate horizontally and to be able to change an angle with respect to the main scanning direction.
US07969634B2
An optical scanning device includes a light source, a deflector, and an image-forming optical system. The deflector includes a deflecting surface for deflecting light beams in a main scanning direction. The image-forming optical system includes two relay lenses having a positive power in the main scanning direction. The relay lenses cause main light beams of light beams emitted from the light source to cross near the deflecting surface in the main scanning direction.
US07969633B2
The data defining an object to be holographically reconstructed is first arranged into a number of virtual section layers, each layer defining a two-dimensional object data sets, such that a video hologram data set can be calculated from some or all of these two-dimensional object data sets. The first step is to transform each two-dimensional object data set to a two-dimensional wave field distribution. This wave field distribution is calculated for a virtual observer window in a reference layer at a finite distance from the video hologram layer. Next, the calculated two-dimensional wave field distributions for the virtual observer window, for all two-dimensional object data sets of section layers, are added to define an aggregated observer window data set. Then, the aggregated observer window data set is transformed from the reference layer to the video hologram layer, to generate the video hologram data set for the computer-generated video hologram.
US07969631B2
An image processing apparatus includes an area splitting section that splits whole image areas of a first page before edition and a second page which has been edited into plural regions; an alignment section that performs relative alignments between each of the corresponding split regions of the first page image and the second page image, produced by the area splitting section; and an extraction section that extracts edit information from the second page image by comparing the first page image with the second mage image which have been aligned by the alignment section.
US07969630B2
In an image forming apparatus and a data transmission method thereof, text data are extracted and transmitted for the purpose of the security management of data so that time and management cost of security violation are reduced. The image forming apparatus for security transmission of data includes a text extractor to extract text data from the data and a transmitter to transmit the text data to a management server to obtain transmission permission and then to transmit the data to a transmission target.
US07969626B2
A scanner and a method of scanning an image on an original includes an optical sensor having sensor elements for each of three basic colors that is used to generate pixel values of the scanned image. Each pixel value represents an optical density of a pixel of the image and is generated mainly on the basis of a signal of only one of the sensor elements. Each of the sensor elements for each of the basic colors is used to generate pixel values representing substantially different parts of the image.
US07969620B2
An image reader includes an image sensor including a plurality of light receiving elements. The plurality of light receiving elements receive a reflection light from a document and perform photoelectric conversion. The image reader further includes an MTF calculation portion which calculates an MTF of the image sensor based on image data which is obtained by reading a predetermined MTF detection pattern. Moreover, the image reader includes an image processing portion which divides the plurality of light receiving elements into a first MTF region and a second MTF region. The image processing portion performs a first image process on the plurality of image signals which are outputted from the light receiving elements in the first MTF region and a second image process on the plurality of image signals which are outputted from the light receiving elements in the second MTF region.
US07969619B2
A computer-executable information tracking method, an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and a program to adequately track the information flow of a paper document are disclosed. The method includes a first detecting step of, whenever an input or output of information is performed using a paper as a medium, detecting paper identification information that uniquely identifies the paper from other paper; a storing step of associating and storing the paper identification information with information regarding the input or output of information in a recording device; a second detecting step of detecting the paper identification information of a designated paper; an information searching step of searching for the information regarding the input or output of information on the designated paper by comparing the paper identification information of the designated paper with the paper identification information stored in the recording device.
US07969611B2
A display system and display control method for displaying an image based upon image data supplied from an image supply device or external storage unit. Information indicating whether editing of image data is allowed or not is appended to an image, the information is discriminated and display areas of images corresponding to the image data are displayed on a screen upon making the display areas appear different from each other in accordance with the information discriminated.
US07969608B2
A method is provided of delivering a greeting card using a form and computer system. The form includes an interactive element associated with delivery of the greeting card and tags encoding data relating to the interactive element. The method is carried out in the computer system and includes receiving indicating data generated by a sensing device through interaction with the interactive element, identifying, using the received indicating data, the interactive element, and delivering, using the identified interactive element, a greeting card. The sensing device senses the tags through the interaction, decodes the data encoded by the sensed tags and generates the indicating data to include the decoded data.
US07969602B2
A method for delivering a greeting card using a form in which information relating to at least one interactive element associated with the delivery of a greeting card, and an identity indicative of the at least one interactive element are determined, print data indicative of the information and the identity is generated, and then transferred to a printer. The printer is responsive to the print data to print the form including the information and coded data relating to the at least one interactive element, the coded data being coincident with the information. This allows a sensing device placed in an operative position relative to the information to sense at least some of the coded data and generate indicating data using the sensed coded data.
US07969597B2
A printing system comprises a processing unit provided in a printing portion B for performing print processing by transmitting image data acquired by a receiving terminal A to the printing portion B. The necessary present processing can be performed by logging on to the present system by inputting authentication information from a keyboard 12 and mouse 13 provided as an input terminal in the receiving terminal A to the processing unit 25 of the printing portion B. The print processing can be executed also when an operator is not logged in to the present system.
US07969589B2
In the invention, there is disclosed a print control device for overlaying, for example, a form being a fixed element of a form sheet with data to be embedded in the form and sending resulting data to a printing device to print the form sheet, including: overlay means for generating data obtained by overlaying a form corresponding to a selected form sheet with the data to be embedded in the form; transfer means for transferring environment information of the print control device, which affects output contents of the form sheet, to an external processing device; acquisition means for acquiring setting information sent back from the external processing device based on the environment information transferred by the transfer means and used at a time of printing; and sending means for sending the overlaid data so that an output operation is performed by use of the setting information acquired by the acquisition means.
US07969583B2
A system for determining an object distance z includes a plurality of light emitters. A group of at least one of the plurality of light emitters includes an emitter group, and the pattern projected when one emitter group is emitting includes a fringe set. The light pattern of one fringe set exhibits a phase-shift relative to the light patterns of the other fringe sets, and the phase-shift varies as the distance from the origin of the plurality of fringe sets varies. The system further includes a processing unit that is configured to compute a ripple metric value associated with each of a plurality of possible z values. The processing unit is further configured to determine an approximated z value using the computed ripple metric values. A probe system is also provided. The probe system is configured to project a plurality of fringe sets from the probe onto an object. The light pattern of one fringe set exhibits a phase-shift relative to the light patterns of the other fringe sets, and the phase-shift varies as the distance from the origin of the plurality of fringe sets varies. The probe system is further configured to compute a ripple metric value associated with each of a plurality of possible z values, where z is an object distance. The probe system is also configured to determine an approximated z value using the computed ripple metric values. A method for determining an object distance z is also provided.
US07969580B2
A method for step-and-align interference lithography is provided in the present invention, by which a displacement error relating to the moving of an interference light beam as the source of the interference light beam is being carried to move by a carrier is measured before interference lithography, and then the displacement error is used as a reference to compensate a positioning error between adjacent interference patterns during step-and-align interference lithography. Besides, the present invention further provides a system for step-and-align interference lithography, which is capable of compensating the positioning error caused by a stepping movement control used for moving a substrate or the light beams in a stepwise manner to form interference-patterned regions by interference lithography and thus the so-generated interference-patterned regions are accurate aligned with one another on a two-dimensional plane for preparing the same to be stitched together to form a two-dimensional large-area periodic structure.
US07969576B1
Techniques, apparatus and systems for using Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy measurements to optically monitor gas media such as gases in gas combustion chambers.
US07969566B2
An apparatus for detection of the existence of a film on a surface comprises a lens, a light emitter and a light sensor. The light emitter is preferably disposed in spaced relation to the lens and is configured to emit light toward the lens such that the light is incident thereupon. The light sensor is also preferably disposed in spaced relation to the lens and is mounted adjacent to the light emitter. The light sensor is configured to measure light reflected back from the lens. The presence or absence on the film on the surface is based upon the amount (i.e., intensity) of light that is reflected back from the lens. The apparatus may further comprise a temperature sensor or atmospheric sensor for measuring a temperature of the lens and atmospheric conditions in order to determine whether conditions are appropriate for the formation of ice, frost and other frozen contaminants.
US07969547B2
A dispenser system for a liquid crystal display panel includes a table to overturn a substrate having at least one image display part on a first surface of the overturned substrate, and at least one syringe system to supply sealant onto a first surface of the overturned substrate to form a seal pattern along outer edges of the image display part on the first surface of the overturned substrate, wherein the at least one syringe system moves along horizontal directions.
US07969544B2
To provide a plural-viewpoint display device having an image separating optical element such as a lenticular lens or a parallax barrier, which is capable of arranging thin film transistors and wirings while achieving substantially trapezoid apertures and high numerical aperture, and to provide a driving method thereof, a terminal device, and a display panel. A neighboring pixel pair arranged with a gate line interposed therebetween is connected to the gate line placed between the pixels, each of the pixels configuring the neighboring pixel pair is connected to the data line different from each other, and each of the neighboring pixel pairs neighboring to each other in an extending direction of the gate lines is connected to the gate line different from each other.
US07969539B2
An electro-optical device includes: an electro-optical panel; a light-transmissive member that overlaps the electro-optical panel and has a protruding part that protrudes so as to be positioned outside an edge of the electro-optical panel, the light-transmissive member having a first area and a second area that is located outside the first area; a coloration layer that is formed on a surface of the light-transmissive member at the second area; an adhesive material that is provided between a part of the coloration layer and a corresponding part of the electro-optical panel as well as between the part of the light-transmissive member and a corresponding part of the electro-optical panel; and a first light-shielding layer formed over one surface of the light-transmissive member, and the first light-shielding layer being formed at an area where the coloration layer does not overlap the adhesive material in a plan view.
US07969536B2
In an array substrate, the array substrate includes an insulation member in each pixel area and a color filter layer that surrounds each insulation member. The color filter layer includes color filters having two or more colors that are different from each other, and a color filter is formed in each pixel area. An insulation member is arranged in each pixel area and all the insulation members include the same material. The insulation members are partially removed in each pixel area to form contact holes having the same size.
US07969530B2
An LED which includes a substrate, at least one light-emitting element mounted on, and electrically connected to, the substrate, and a sealing member mounted to the substrate so as to seal the light-emitting element. The sealing member contains an inorganic material having a high contrast ratio and a high reflectivity in an amount which accords with the luminance of the light-emitting element.
US07969529B2
A backlight structural body of a liquid crystal display device includes, between a back plate and a frame-like mold frame, a plurality of external electrode fluorescent lamps which is arranged in parallel to each other and a pair of side frames which includes electricity supply terminals which electrically connect electrode portions of the plurality of external electrode fluorescent lamps in parallel to each other. The side frame is constituted of a lower side frame which fixes the electricity supply terminals and an upper side frame which is assembled to the lower side frame while covering the electrode portions of the external electrode fluorescent lamps which are connected to the electricity supply terminals. The upper side frame includes eaves which project in the longitudinal direction of the external electrode fluorescent lamps in a state that the eaves individually cover the respective electrode portions of the external electrode fluorescent lamps.
US07969527B2
A display apparatus includes a housing, a display, and a screen protection device. The housing defines a receiving portion therein. The display is received in the housing, and displays images in an operative state and is powered off in a non-operative state. The screen protection device is received in the receiving portion when the display is in the operative state, and covers the display when the display is in the non-operative state.
US07969515B2
A video display apparatus displays videos corresponding to a plurality of observers respectively and comprises a display device. A control unit controls a scan timing so that a sum of a video scanning period from an upper end to a lower end of the display device concerning one video input into the display device and a response period in the lower end of the display device is smaller than a field period of the video. The control unit allows an illumination system to emit light between the end of the response period of the lower end and the start of scanning of the next video in the upper end of the display device.
US07969504B2
A camera system including a camera having an image displaying unit that displays various images and an external flash device that is connected to the camera when in use. To the camera is connectable either a first external flash device whose light emission amount is settable according to an operation input to the first external flash device by a user or a second external flash device whose light emission amount is settable based on information on a light emission amount transmitted from the camera as the external flash device. The camera displays an image having a different content on the image display unit between when the first external flash device is connected thereto and when the second external flash device is connected thereto.
US07969502B2
An apparatus, such as a focus adjusting apparatus, includes a focus adjusting system, a driving device which drives the focus adjusting system from one of a state in which a near-distance object is in focus and a state in which a far-distance object is in focus to the other, and a control device which repeatedly performs determination of a focusing state of the focus adjusting system while causing the driving device to drive the focus adjusting system, and, if the focus adjusting system has been driven in one direction until the number of times of the determination repeatedly performed reaches a predetermined number of times, restrains the focus adjusting system from being driven in the one direction, so that a focus adjusting operation can be appropriately performed.
US07969495B2
A method for driving a CCD-type solid-state imaging device includes: reading charges detected by photoelectric conversion elements into potential packets A (B) formed in a charge transfer path, dividing each potential packet A (B) into plural segment packets A1, A2 (B1, B2) while narrowing a range where the charges are present in each potential packet A (B), by moving a split barrier D from one side of each potential packet A (B) toward the other side of each potential packet A (B), and transferring the charges along the charge transfer path after the dividing. Each split barrier D has a lower potential height than a partition barrier C that forms a boundary between the adjacent potential packets A, B.
US07969493B2
An active pixel sensor includes a photosensitive device and a dynamic comparator that when coupled with a voltage ramp will form a digital pixel sensor with pulse width modulated digital output. A number of switches are included in the digital pixel sensor to configure the input of the dynamic comparator to couple with the photosensitive device or the voltage ramp such that the dynamic comparator is free from input transistor mismatch problem, as both input use the same input transistor. A cascade of dynamic comparator is disclosed in this invention, such as to improve the sensitivity and conversion speed of the digital pixel sensor. There are a number of switches that connect and isolate the digital pixel sensor from the bit line, which is shared by a plurality of digital pixel sensors in the sensor array. Photosensitive devices in close proximity can share the dynamic comparator by a number of selection switches, such that each photosensitive device can be read out in a time shared manner. Such configuration reduce the average number of transistors in each digital pixel sensor and thus the total silicon area of the sensor array, and hence the cost of production of the image sensor.
US07969483B2
There is provided a white balance control method. A color space coordinate expressing a color signal of each divided block is transformed into a white balance determination space coordinate. A light source estimation area and a high-saturation determination area are set in a white balance determination space to which the transformed white balance determination space coordinate belongs. A kind of the light source is estimated based on a white balance determination space coordinate distribution in the light source estimation area. A kind of the light source is determined based on the estimated kind of the light source and a white balance determination space coordinate distribution in the high-saturation determination area. White balance control information is calculated based on the determined kind of the light source. White balance control with respect to an image signal is carried out based on the calculated white balance control information.
US07969479B2
A method for detecting color temperature and an apparatus thereof are disclosed. According to the present invention, the apparatus for detecting color temperature converts RGB color information, generated by interpolating an image signal sequentially inputted in units of pixel from an image sensor, to a three-dimensional coordinate value of luminance, R-G color difference information, and B-G color difference information, and then renews the added value per color, if included in a filtering zone corresponding to a characteristic curve of the image sensor. Then, an average value per color is generated in units of frame, and the compensation rate per color is determined such that the average value per color becomes identical to each other. With the present invention, accurate colors can be displayed by detecting the color temperature of the current light source and correcting the distorted color information.
US07969464B2
A microscope-use digital camera equipped with a sleep function includes an image pickup unit for picking up an image and a control unit for controlling so as to shift to a sleep state, or not shift thereto, based on an image picked up by the image pickup unit.
US07969462B2
A user portable viewing device includes a plurality of non-coaxially aligned sensors for sensing a scene. A processing element combines electronic images into a single electronic image. A display displaying the combined electronic image is adaptable for mounting in an optical axis including an eye of the user and an input end of the first sensor for direct view. In a second embodiment, a system for fusing images comprises sensors for generating sets of image data. An information processor receives and samples the sets of image data to generate sample data for computing a fused image array. A display receives the fused image array and displays a fused colorized image generated from the fused image array.
US07969457B2
An apparatus for marking a document includes a housing configured to be handheld having a display. The housing has an input element in communication with the display through which information to be marked on the document is entered and which appears on the display. The housing has a clock which keeps time and date. The housing has a stamp. The housing has an activation element which when activated causes the stamp to mark the time and date and information on the document. A method, for marking a document includes the steps of entering information into an input element of a housing configured to be handheld. There is the step of displaying the information on a display of the housing in communication with the input element. There is the step of keeping track of time and date with a clock of the housing. There is the step of activating an activation element of the housing which causes a stamp to mark the time and date and information on the document.
US07969451B2
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for storing colors in a color table used in displaying graphics in a data processing system. A request for a color map is received, wherein the request includes a number of entries for the color map. A color map location and size in the color table is set based on the number of entries in the request. Colors for the color map are loaded into the color table at the color map location, wherein dynamic sizing of color tables occurs.
US07969447B2
A method for a computer system includes retrieving a plurality of base poses for an object, retrieving a plurality of base texture maps associated with the plurality of base poses, receiving a desired pose for the object, determining a plurality of coefficients associated with the plurality of base poses in response to the desired pose and to the plurality of base poses, and determining a desired texture map in response to the plurality of coefficients and to the plurality of base texture maps.
US07969443B2
A system and method are provided for dynamically selecting one or more modules of a graphics processor for processing content to support communication of the content over a wireless network link for subsequent display of the content utilizing a display.
US07969438B2
A method and apparatus for high quality soft shadows for area lights in cinematic lighting for use in computer graphics, such as computer enabled animation. The method is an extension of traditional shadow maps, so the complexity of the present method is independent of geometric complexity. It uses multilayer translucent shadow maps, which can be used to produce high quality soft shadows for scenes with extremely complex geometry, fur, and volume objects. The present method computes the shadow factor by ray tracing the multilayer translucent shadow map.
US07969436B1
Z-buffer rendering of three-dimensional scenes is made more efficient through a method for occlusion culling by which occluded geometry is removed prior to rasterization. The method uses hierarchical z-buffering to reduce the quantity of image and depth information that needs to be accessed. A separate culling stage in the graphics pipeline culls occluded geometry and passes visible geometry on to a rendering stage. The culling stage maintains its own z-pyramid in which z-values are stored at low precision (e.g., in 8 bits). The efficiency of hierarchical z-buffering is improved through hierarchical evaluation of line and plane equations.
US07969434B2
For ray tracing scenes composed of primitives, systems and methods accelerate intersection testing by testing rays against elements of geometry acceleration data (GAD) arranged in a graph of nodes, where pairs of nodes are connected by edges, and each element bounds a varying granularity selection of the primitives. Upon detection of intersections between rays and elements, references to the rays are added to respective collections associated with the elements. Further processing of those rays is deferred until rays of a given collection are determined ready, and then rays from such a ready collection are tested for intersection with elements of GAD connected by edges to the element associated with the ready collection. When a primitive is bounded by no higher granularity GAD element, it is tested for intersection, and indications of intersection are output. Some examples encourage production of many secondary rays and collect such rays for parallelized testing, regardless of traversal order, camera ray association, or a time when each ray was spawned.
US07969431B2
A system and method for performing a measurement task. A node is displayed in a graphical program, and configured to receive a measurement task specification (MTS). The node may be coupled to an MTS node, or to a configuration node which constructs the MTS at run time. When the program executes, the node receives the MTS, invokes an expert system to analyze the MTS, optionally validate the MTS, generates a run-time specification for the task. The node them invokes a run-time builder to analyze the run-time specification and generate a run-time based on the run-time specification, where the run-time is executable to perform the measurement task. The node may be a read node, a write node, or a start node connected to a read or write node. Additional operations may be performed prior to or during the first iteration, and/or during or after the last iteration, of the task.
US07969430B2
A system for powering and controlling an LED backlight, the system comprising: a control circuitry; a controllable power source responsive to the control circuitry; and a plurality of LED strings receiving power from the controllable power source, the control circuitry being operative to control the output voltage of the controllable power source responsive to a function of an electrical characteristic of at least one of the plurality of LED strings.
US07969428B2
A full-color display system having improved apparent resolution comprising: a display formed from an array of full-color groups of light-emitting elements each comprising more than one luma-chroma sub-group of light-emitting elements; and a processor for receiving a full color input image signal that specifies full color image values at each of a two-dimensional number of sampled addressable spatial locations within an image to be displayed, for providing a full color image signal with image signal values corresponding to the spatial location of each luma-chroma sub-group, for computing a control signal representing the relative values, or difference between values, for the image signal values corresponding to each luma-chroma sub-group and at least one of each luma-chroma sub-group's neighbors, and for rendering a signal for driving each light-emitting element within each luma-chroma sub-group of light-emitting elements as a function of the values for the image signal corresponding to each luma-chroma sub-group and the control signal.
US07969427B2
A display panel control device comprises a first buffer, to which a current-frame data, is written in synchronization with a sync signal, and from which the written current-frame data is read in synchronization with a fast sync signal faster than the sync signal to be written to a frame memory, and a second buffer, to which the previous-frame data read from the frame memory is written in synchronization with the fast sync signal faster than the sync signal, and from which the written previous-frame data is read in synchronization with the above sync signal, for supply to the above driving data generation unit.
US07969426B2
According to one or more embodiments, a variation is detected in light that is cast over a display interface of a computing device. A characteristic of the light variation is identified. From this characteristic, a determination is made as to whether the variation in light is to be interpreted as an input or to be ignored.
US07969417B2
An in-vehicle multiple cursor system properly provides information necessary for a user in case that the number of wirelessly connected portable devices increases to thereby cause lack of a memory space for drawing. A cursor operation for requesting a drawing occurs in a portable device. An in-vehicle navigation system thereby makes a determination as to whether or not a segmental memory space assigned to the portable device in a memory space of a drawing memory device has at least a predetermined data volume. When the determination is affirmed, necessary drawing data are read out from a resource database and forwarded to a drawing memory device of the portable device to be developed therein. A screen window is then displayed in a display unit of the portable device based on the developed drawing data.
US07969416B2
A man-machine interface which provides tactile feedback to various sensing body parts is disclosed. The device employs one or more vibrotactile units, where each unit comprises a mass and a mass-moving actuator. As the mass is accelerated by the mass-moving actuator, the entire vibrotactile unit vibrates. Thus, the vibrotactile unit transmits a vibratory stimulus to the sensing body part to which it is affixed. The vibrotactile unit may be used in conjunction with a spatial placement sensing device which measures the spatial placement of a measured body part. A computing device uses the spatial placement of the measured body part to determine the desired vibratory stimulus to be provided by the vibrotactile unit. In this manner, the computing device may control the level of vibratory feedback perceived by the corresponding sensing body part in response to the motion of the measured body part. The sensing body part and the measured body part may be separate or the same body part.
US07969412B2
A screen display apparatus includes an operation information reception unit that receives operation information regarding an inclination direction and an inclination angle of a joystick from the joystick, and a screen controller that performs a scroll process for scrolling a screen and a zoom process for zooming based on the operation information. The screen controller scrolls the screen according to the inclination direction and the inclination angle of the joystick, and continues a zoom-out process for zooming-out of the screen based on a detection of the inclination angle that is greater than a predetermined angle for a predetermined period until detecting the inclination angle of the joystick to be equal to or smaller than the predetermined angle or until zooming out to a predetermined minimum zoom rate.
US07969409B2
An x-y user input device, such as a pen tablet or digitizing tablet, used to control a cursor on a display of a data processing system, comprises an imaging device or camera and an image processor for displaying a captured image of a user's hand operating the input device within a window of the display. The input device is generally operated using a pointing device that controls the cursor position on the display while being synchronously imaged and displayed with the user's hand on the display. The position of the captured image of the user's hand and pointing device in the window relative to the cursor corresponds to a position of the hand relative to the pointing device, thereby providing a visualization effect that increases user comfort and proficiency with the input device.
US07969405B2
There is disclosed a double-sided liquid crystal display (LCD) panel which includes a first polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) layer configured to be responsive to an applied DC voltage for making the first PDLC layer substantially transparent; a center liquid crystal cell layer; a second PDLC layer configured to be responsive to an applied DC voltage for making the second PDLC layer substantially transparent; and an LCD control module configured to control the first and second PDLC layers such that the center liquid crystal cell layer is viewable from a selected viewing side. Depending on the selected viewing side, the LCD control module is configured to select one of the first and second PDLC layers to make substantially transparent, and the other of the first and second PDLC layers to make substantially translucent. A light source may be applied to a side of a translucent one of the PDLC layers to provide a backlight for the center liquid crystal layer.
US07969399B2
A horizontal scanning period correction value setting circuit compares a video signal representing a display image of pixel formation portions of polarity-inverted lines and a video signal representing a display image of pixel formation portions of the next row, and generates a signal width correction value for correcting the length of the horizontal scanning period. For this, the signal width correction value is set such that the charge ratios of the pixel formation portions are constant, regardless of a difference between a target voltage of the driving video signals when the polarity is inverted and a target voltage of the driving video signals when the polarity is sustained. Then, a source output control signal and a gate output control signal are generated based on the signal width correction value, and the scanning signals and the driving video signals are generated based on the source output control signal and the gate output control signal.
US07969377B2
An antenna coupled to a wireless communication device is comprised of a conductive component, such as a series of conductive elements, that forms a conductor if placed under a threshold force. The conductor is coupled to the wireless communication device so that the wireless communication device is capable of communicating at an operating frequency defined by the length and construction of the conductor. By communicating using the conductor as an antenna, the wireless communication device may provide an indication of force to an interrogation reader. Furthermore, a conductive support element, such as a tuning ring, may be used for communication as well as coupling the conductive component to the wireless communication device. Multiple conductive components may be coupled to the wireless communication device for communicating at multiple frequencies if placed under multiple threshold forces.
US07969374B1
A multipath enhancer is disclosed ias including more than one antenna. At least one of a receiver and a transmitter is coupled to the more than one antenna. A selectively reflective surface is adjacent the more than one antenna. A controller is configured to alter the reflectivity of the selectively reflective surface.
US07969363B2
An object of the present invention is to prevent electrical characteristics of circuit elements from being adversely affected by copper diffusion in a semiconductor device having an integrated circuit and an antenna formed over the same substrate, which uses copper plating for the antenna. Another object is to prevent a defect of a semiconductor device due to poor connection between an antenna and an integrated circuit in a semiconductor device having the integrated circuit and the antenna formed over the same substrate. In a semiconductor device having an integrated circuit 100 and an antenna 101 formed over one substrate 102, when a copper plating layer 108 is used for a conductor of the antenna 101, it is possible to prevent copper diffusion to circuit elements and decrease an adverse effect on electrical characteristics of circuit elements due to the copper diffusion because a base layer 107 of the antenna 101 uses a nitride film of a predetermined metal. Moreover, by the use of nickel nitride as a metal nitride for the base layer of the antenna, poor connection between the antenna and the integrated circuit can be decreased.
US07969361B2
A low profile Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) comprises a radiating strip, an inductive tuning portion, a vertical feed portion, and a retracted ground plane. The radiating strip is approximately parallel to the ground plane and is suspended above the ground plane by the feed element at a certain distance. Further, the radiating strip, in part or entirely, overhangs the ground plane. In this way, the radiating strip may be suspended very close to the ground plane, but yet exhibits a large bandwidth.
US07969360B2
Method of high-resolution direction finding to an arbitrary even order, 2q (q>2), for an array comprising N narrowband antennas each receiving the contribution from P sources characterized in that the algebraic properties of a matrix of cumulants of order 2q, C2q,x(l), whose coefficients are the circular cumulants of order 2q, Cum[xi1(t), . . . , xig(t), xiq+1(t)*, . . . , xi2q(t)*], of the observations received on each antenna, for cumulant rankings indexed by l, are utilized to define a signal subspace and a noise subspace.
US07969354B2
Authentication of a signal, signalA, that is provided as having been received from a source at a first global location by comparing it to a signal that is received from the source at a second global location, signalB, where signalB contains an unknown signal that is unique to the source, and determining, that signalA contains the same unknown signal that is contained in signalB.
US07969353B2
A method, apparatus and system for time management in a position-location system is described. The method may include (i) obtaining, at a global-navigation-satellite-system receiver while being served by a first node of a wireless network a first time base, a relative-time difference, and a third time base; and forming a time relation as a function of the first time base, relative-time difference (“RTD”) and third time base. The first time base is associated with the first node, and may be, for example, a time base associated with an air interface for communicating with the first node. The RTD may be a difference between the first time base and a second time base associated with a second node of the wireless network. The third time base is associated with a constellation of satellites, and may be, for example, an absolute time associated with the constellation of satellites. The method may include using knowledge of a GNSS time to enhance sensitivity or time to first position of a GNSS receiver.
US07969351B2
The present invention discloses a system for determining the position of a GPS terminal. The system comprises a GPS terminal, a location aiding server, and a communications system. Messages are passed between the GPS terminal and the server, as well as within the GPS terminal, to determine the mode of operation of the GPS portion of the system. Decisions are made based on availability of aiding data and Quality of Service requirements.
US07969343B2
An analog-to-digital converter circuit includes: a capacitor array including a plurality of first capacitors, each having a first terminal connecting to a common node and having a capacitance represented by the nth power of 2 (2n) on the basis of the smallest of the capacitances of the first capacitors=1; a second capacitor for contributing to attenuation of the voltage on the common node; a switch array, each switch of the switch array supplying and disconnecting one of a first reference voltage, a second reference voltage, and the voltage of an input signal to and from a second terminal of an associated one of the first capacitors; a second switch supplying and disconnecting a third reference voltage to and from the common node; a comparator comparing a voltage on the common node with the third reference voltage; and a control circuit controlling the first switches and the second switch.
US07969341B2
A multi-stage sigma-delta modulator including bit truncation between stages. The bit truncation reduces the number of bits that must be processed in subsequent stages and thus allows for faster response times. In some embodiments, the gain of a feedback loop is selected to compensate for the bit truncation such that the sigma-delta modulator operates in a stable state.
US07969339B2
An integrated circuit comprises a delta-sigma modulator incorporating a delta-sigma modulation loop having an analog-to-digital converter in a forward path and a digital-to-analog converter in a feedback path such that the ADC is arranged to receive samples of an analog input signal. The ADC is operably coupled to auto-ranging logic arranged to shift a digital output signal from the ADC representative of the analog input signal to counteract an effect of an input variation of the analog input signal. In this manner, the application of auto-ranging logic with a self-recovery technique supports a reduction of the number of comparators required in a multi-bit delta-sigma ADC.
US07969326B2
A parking assist apparatus outputs display of a synthesized image of the periphery of a vehicle as a bird's-eye view image, and superimposes, on the synthesized image, turning guide lines based on the current steering angle of the vehicle and straight driving guide lines, along which the vehicle drives in a straight line after turning in accordance with the turning guide lines.
US07969316B2
A monitoring system for use with a leg hole device includes a sensor for monitoring a state of at least one leg of a child engaged with the leg hole device, a control system, and a user interface. A state of presence or absence of at least one leg may be monitored.
US07969315B1
A sensor device for monitoring physical stresses placed on a user has a sensor body with pressure sensors for sensing pressure and generating a pressure data signal indicating the pressures sensed. An alert mechanism functions to alert the user when the pressure sensed by the pressure sensors exceeds predetermined threshold force levels. The sensor device is utilized to enable a method of monitoring the physical stresses and alerting the user when the predetermined threshold force levels are exceeded.
US07969309B2
A RFID tag is partially separable from an article to which the tag is applied such that influence on the RFID tag from the article may be reduced thereby. A label is applied to an article, wherein the label is tacked on a backing paper. The label is fixed with a tag-fixed portion fixed with a RFID tag comprising an IC chip and a communication antenna. The tag-fixed portion has a predetermined size and is partitioned from a common label portion. The common label portion is partitioned into a first label portion that is articulated with the tag-fixed portion and a second label portion, from which the tag-fixed portion is separable along a partition line extending across the common label portion from a side of the tag-fixed portion. The method comprises associating the first label portion of the common label portion with a first surface of the article such that the partition line of the label follows a corner line of a corner portion of the article, and applying the label to the article such that the tag-fixed portion articulated with the first label portion is raised from the article.
US07969283B2
The RFID tag information communicating device is provided with a cartridge constructed in such a manner that a plurality of RFID circuit elements are stored and can be sequentially taken out therefrom, and an antenna for performing transmitting/receiving operations in a radio communicating operation between the own antenna and an antenna of a sequentially derived RFID circuit element, first access information for accessing RFID tag information of an IC circuit part is produced by a signal processing circuit; and the produced first access information is transmitted by a transmitting portion so as to access the RFID tag information of the IC circuit part. After the access operation is carried out, a control circuit judges as to whether or not the access operation can succeed, and controls a magnitude of transmission power from the transmitting portion in response to this judgment result.
US07969276B2
A method of forming a thin film varistor array includes creating a metal-metal oxide-metal layer stack without breaking vacuum. The stack is patterned as a plurality of bus lines, each having a plurality of varistor islands formed thereon.
US07969267B2
The invention relates to a reinforced fluoropolymer plate comprising a fluoropolymer layer on one of the faces thereof and a carbon fiber sheet on the other face of same, whereby at least part of the carbon fiber sheet is impregnated with fluoropolymer. The invention also relates to an acid-corrosion-resistant chemical reactor comprising said plates, the production methods thereof and the uses of same in processes in superacid media.
US07969265B2
A transformer includes a zigzag transformer comprising first, second and third magnetic cores. The transformer further includes an auxiliary winding set comprising respective pairs of series-connected windings on respective pairs of the first, second and third magnetic cores, the pairs of series-connected windings having respective first terminals connected to respective AC phases of the zigzag autotransformer and respective second terminals configured to provide respective AC output phases.
US07969264B2
A choke device for a frequency converter, comprising three windings composed of conductors wound around three substantially parallel axes (A, B, C), respectively, the windings being located triangularly with respect to each other in such a manner that, when the choke device is viewed in the longitudinal direction of said winding axes (A, B, C), the winding axes are located at the vertices of the triangle, the choke device further comprising an envelope (1) surrounding the windings, a first end (3A) thereof being provided with at least one opening (20) for receiving cooling medium to the inside of the envelope, and a second end (3B) being provided with at least one opening for discharging the cooling medium from the envelope, and an envelope axis (D) between said first and second ends being substantially parallel with the winding axes (A, B, C).
US07969261B2
A transmission line substrate includes: a dielectric substrate; a signal line disposed on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate; first and second ground conductors disposed on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate, field-coupled to the signal line, having potentials different from each other; a dielectric film disposed between an overlapping part of the first ground conductor and a part of the second ground conductor at which the first and second ground conductors overlap each other, to constitute a MIM capacitor; a capacitor connected between the first ground conductor and the second ground conductor in parallel with the dielectric film; and a resistor connected between the first ground conductor and the second ground conductor in series with the capacitor.
US07969251B2
A divider control circuit includes a first and a second delta sigma modulator configured to generate a divider control signal for a fractional-N divider and a fractional signal indicative of a phase error in the divider output. The fractional signal is supplied for control of an interpolator circuit. The divider control circuit may be implemented as a look-ahead circuit where two or more divider control signals and fractional signals are generated during a single cycle to allow the divider control circuit to be run at a reduced clock rate.
US07969245B2
Embodiments of a high-frequency millimeter-wave amplifier are generally described herein. The high-frequency millimeter-wave amplifier may be constructed on a substrate to operate at a frequency of at least 75 GHz. In some embodiments, the millimeter-wave amplifier may include at least first, second, third and fourth amplifier stages coupled in series. A single drain bias bond pad provided on the substrate to provide a drain bias voltage to the drains of the first, second, third and fourth amplifier stages. Drain bias lines may be electrically coupled to the single drain bias bond pad and extend at least partially alongside and between some of the amplifier stages. A signal path through the second amplifier stage extends in a direction opposite of signal paths through the first and third amplifier stages. In some embodiments, a 95 GHz amplifier is provided and configured occupy an area on the substrate of no greater than approximately four square millimeters.
US07969242B2
An apparatus and method for communications are disclosed. The apparatus may include an a quantizer having three levels, and a switching power amplifier configured to drive a load having first and second terminals, wherein the switching power amplifier is further configured to switch the first and second terminals between first and second power rails only if the output from the quantizer is at one of the three levels.
US07969233B2
In order to resolve a problem of the conventional technique in which there is a charge pump capacitance which is not used when a boosting method of the charge pump is changed, in a charge pump circuit unit, a connection switching terminal selects a power source voltage, a logically-inverting buffer gate and a capacitor to conduct an operation of boosting the power source voltage so as to be twice the power source voltage, and a connection switching terminal outputs the boosted voltage as a boost control voltage. In a charge pump circuit unit, a connection switching terminal selects the boost control voltage outputted from the charge pump circuit unit, and a logically-inverting buffer gate and a capacitor conduct an operation of boosting the inputted voltage so as to be 3×VRD. An internal voltage is generated by outputting the boosted voltage to an internal power line via a NMOS transistor.
US07969232B2
A booster and a voltage detection method thereof are provided herein. The booster includes a charge pump circuit and a voltage detection circuit. The charge pump circuit is controlled by a switching signal to generate an actual voltage according to the basis voltage, wherein the actual voltage is a product of the basis voltage multiplied by a first preset multiplier. The voltage detection circuit is coupled to the charge pump circuit. The voltage detection circuit selects one of a plurality of first multipliers to serve as the first preset multiplier according to a comparison result between the basis voltage and a target voltage, and generates the switching signal corresponding to the first preset multiplier. Therefore, the booster can properly select the first preset multiplier to generate the actual voltage as the basis voltage changes.
US07969231B2
An output terminal of a first boost circuit is connected to a second boost circuit. After the second boost circuit is started up, a boost clock frequency of the second boost circuit is reduced. A time required to start up the second boost circuit is reduced, and in addition, a current supply capability of the first boost circuit is increased after the second boost circuit is started up. When the second boost circuit is driven, output voltages of the first and second boost circuits are stably supplied without instantaneously changing the output voltage of the first boost circuit.
US07969230B2
A charge pump provides high boosting efficiency with low power loss even with a heavy load. Plural charge transfer switches are connected in series forming two lines of charge transfer circuits operated by out-of-phase clock signals. Capacitors are connected to each of nodes in the charge transfer circuits. The charge transfer circuits include a first control unit, a second control unit, and a voltage comparison output unit. The second control unit includes a switch unit configured to selectively feed a signal from a previous-stage node or a later-stage node to the gate of a charge transfer switch in the second control unit, depending on the phase of the clock signal.
US07969225B2
A circuit is provided to reduce power loss on switching. A pair of auxiliary switching devices is switched on before a pair of switching devices. The switching devices are switched on after a corresponding capacitor to the auxiliary switching devices is discharged to zero. Thus, the power loss of the switching devices is reduced.
US07969223B1
An embodiment of a logarithmic circuit may include a logging transistor, and a multi-tanh circuit arranged to provide temperature compensation to the logging transistor, where the multi-tanh circuit comprises a multiplicity of multi-tanh cells. In another embodiment, a logarithmic circuit may include a logging transistor, and a multi-tanh circuit arranged to provide temperature compensation to the logging transistor, where the multi-tanh circuit includes a first set of outputs arranged to provide an output signal and a second set of one or more outputs that are diverted.
US07969219B2
A delay cell with a wider delay range is provided. The delay cell employs frequency dependent current source to generate the majority of the delay of the cell, while a control circuit (which is generally a current source that is controlled by a control voltage) provides additional delay. Thus, the delay cell provided here can be used to improve the performance of delay locked loops (DLLs) and other circuits.
US07969207B2
An input circuit, includes a first buffer circuit whose output is couple to an output signal terminal of the input circuit, and whose input is coupled to an input signal terminal of the input circuit, a second buffer circuit, a third buffer circuit, a first differential amplification circuit whose first input is coupled to a first external power source terminal, whose second input is coupled to an output of the second buffer circuit, and whose output is coupled to an input of the second buffer circuit, a second differential amplification circuit whose first input is coupled to a second external power source terminal, whose second input is coupled to an output of the third buffer circuit, and whose output is coupled to an input of the third buffer circuit, a first resistance whose one end is coupled to the output of the first differential amplification circuit, and whose another end is coupled between the input signal terminal of the input circuit and the input of the first buffer circuit, a second resistance whose one end is coupled to the output of the second differential amplification circuit, and whose another end is coupled between the input signal terminal of the input circuit and the input of the first buffer circuit.
US07969204B1
A sample hold circuit and a method for eliminating the offset voltage of the analog signal are provided. The sample hold circuit includes a sample unit, a plurality of capacitors, a control unit and a hold unit. When the sample hold circuit is in a first state, the sample unit samples an analog signal. When the sample hold circuit is in a second state, the capacitors eliminate a DC offset voltage of the analog signal sampled by the sample unit, and the hold unit outputs an AC signal of the analog signal sampled by the sample unit. The control unit adjusts a number of the capacitances coupled to a common voltage according to a magnitude of the DC offset voltage, thus to determine the capacitance for eliminating the DC offset voltage.
US07969199B1
The invention provides a reduced complexity layout style based on applying a limited set of changes to an underlying repeated base template. With the templates properly defined in accordance with the characteristic features disclosed, the invention enables efficient implementation of logic circuitry, with a dramatic reduction in the pattern complexity (or number of unique layout patterns at each mask level) for realistically sized designs. This reduction in pattern complexity that the invention provides is particularly important for advanced and emerging semiconductor processes, because it enables effective use of SMO and full-chip mask optimization.
US07969196B2
Method and apparatus are provided for buffering a data signal to a low voltage logic device. A circuit for buffering the data signal to the low voltage logic device includes an output buffer and an N-type transistor. The output buffer has an input and an output, where the input is configured to receive the data signal. The output buffer is configured to produce an output signal based on the data signal, and the output signal has a maximum potential. The N-type transistor has a source coupled to the output, a drain configured to couple to the low voltage logic device, and a gate configured to receive a bias potential, where the bias potential is greater than the maximum potential.
US07969193B1
This disclosure uses a differential sensing and TSV timing control scheme for 3D-IC, which includes a first chip layer of the stacked device having a detecting circuits and a relative high ability driver horizontally coupled to the detecting circuits. A sensing circuit is coupled to the detecting circuits by a horizontal line, a first differential signal driver is coupled to the sensing circuit, horizontally. The Nth chip layer of the stacked device includes a Nth relative high ability driver and a Nth differential signal driver formed on the Nth chip layer. The Nth relative high ability driver is vertically coupled to the first relative high ability driver through one relative low loading TSV and (N−2) TSVs to act as dummy loadings. The TSV and (N−2) TSVs penetrate the stacked device from Nth chip layer to first chip layer. The TSV shares same configuration with the (N−2) TSVs. The Nth differential signal driver is vertically coupled to the first differential signal driver through a pair of TSVs and (N−2) pairs of TSVs, vertically. The pair of TSVs and the (N−2) TSVs penetrate the stacked device from the Nth chip layer to the first chip layer. Each of TSV is formed between a first and a second chip layers. Each of TSV is formed between any adjacent two chip layers of the stacked device.
US07969189B2
System and method for a clock driver. An input taking circuit is used for receiving small-signal logic inputs. A voltage follower circuit is coupled to the input taking circuit and used to generate a set of voltage follower outputs. An output circuit is coupled to the voltage follower circuit to receive the set of voltage follower outputs as inputs and generate output signals. The voltage follower circuit is coupled to a switching circuit, that is connected to the set of voltage follower outputs and is deployed for reducing the phase noise level of the output signals.
US07969182B2
Provided is a semiconductor device for performing a calibration operation without an external ZQ calibration command and a calibration method thereof. The semiconductor device includes a calibration circuit for performing a pull-down calibration operation in response to a pull-down calibration enable signal and a command control unit for generating the pull-down calibration enable signal in response to a DLL reset signal. The calibration method includes adjusting an impedance of a first pull-up resistance structure in response to pull-up calibration codes having a default value. A pull-down calibration enable signal may be generated in response to a DLL reset signal. A voltage of the first node and a reference voltage are compared by a comparator. The comparator outputs pull-down calibration codes based on the comparison. An impedance of a pull-down resistance structure is adjusted, so a resistance of the pull-down resistance structure is equal to a resistance of the first pull-up resistance structure.
US07969181B1
A device and method for adjusting an impedance of an output driver of an integrated circuit; the method includes: (i) receiving, by the output driver, a first square wave signal that should be driven by the output driver to provide a second signal; (ii) monitoring, by a monitoring circuit included in the integrated circuit, the second signal during an output driver transient period resulting from a first square wave signal transient to provide a monitoring result; (iii) determining whether to adjust the impedance of the output driver in response to the monitoring result; and (iv) adjusting the impedance of the output driver in response to the determination.
US07969169B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit wafer includes: a plurality of semiconductor integrated circuit regions each of which includes a semiconductor integrated circuit formed thereon; a scribe region which separates the semiconductor integrated circuit regions adjacent to each other; a build in self test (BIST) circuit which is provided in the scribe region and inspects the semiconductor integrated circuit; a connection wiring which is formed ranging from the scribe region to the semiconductor integrated circuit region and connects the semiconductor integrated circuit and the BIST circuit; a BIST switching signal input pad which is provided in the semiconductor integrated circuit region; and a BIST switching circuit which is provided in the semiconductor integrated circuit region and is driven by a driving signal input from the BIST switching signal input pad, the BIST switching circuit including: an input-output pad which connects with the semiconductor integrated circuit; a circuit wiring which connects the input-output pad with the semiconductor integrated circuit; and a switch element which is provided at a middle position of the circuit wiring and is driven by the driving signal input from the BIST switching signal input pad.
US07969164B2
A method for mini module EMI shielding effectiveness evaluation comprises providing a test vehicle including at least one test platform. The test platform includes at least one mini emitter, a mini receiver with a reference shield, and a mini receiver with a shield under test. EMI shielding effectiveness transmission signals are applied to the at least one mini emitter. Signals received by the mini receiver with a shield under test and the mini receiver with the reference shield are evaluated. The mini emitter, mini receiver with the reference shield, and mini receiver with the shield under test comprise components fabricated concurrently and under fabrication conditions used for fabrication of the test platform of the test vehicle. As used herein, a mini emitter and mini receiver may be interchanged according to the requirements of a given EMI shielding effectiveness evaluation.
US07969155B2
A method for identifying a fault condition associated with a power line conductor of an electrical power distribution network. The method determines if a load current carried by the conductor is above a minimum load current, determines a learned phase angle relationship between the load current and a source signal, determines a load current magnitude, determines a real-time phase angle relationship between the load current and the source signal and indicates a fault condition when the real-time phase angle relationship is within a predetermined number of angular degrees of the learned phase angle relationship and when the load current magnitude exceeds a fault-indicating current.
US07969148B2
A magnetic sensor device may include “A”-phase magnetic resistance pattern and “B”-phase magnetic resistance pattern which are provided with a phase difference of 90° from each other; wherein the “A” pattern is provided with “+a” phase magnetic resistance pattern and “−a” phase magnetic resistance pattern with a phase difference of 180° from each other for detecting movement of a magnetic scale, and the “B” pattern is provided with “+b” phase magnetic resistance pattern and “−b” phase magnetic resistance pattern with a phase difference of 180° from each other for detecting movement of the magnetic scale, and the “+a” pattern, the “−a” pattern, the “+b” pattern and the “−b” pattern are formed on a same face of one piece of board so that the “+a” pattern and the “−a” pattern are diagonally located and the “+b” pattern and the “−b” pattern are diagonally located.
US07969147B2
A rotation angle detecting device includes a signal generator, a magnetic rotor and a rotation angle calculating unit that calculates a rotation angle θ of the rotor based on the output signals of the signal generator. The signal generator includes a magnetic rotor that has a permanent magnet and a shaft connectable with the rotating object and at least three magnetic sensor elements disposed in the magnetic field to generate a plurality of output signals when the rotor rotates. The rotation angle calculating unit calculates a first candidate of the rotation angle θ from a first pair of the three output signals, examines whether the first candidate of the rotation angle θ is normal or not and calculates a next candidate of the rotation angle θ from another pair of the three output signals if the first candidate of the rotation angle θ is not normal, examines whether the next candidate of the rotation angle θ is normal or not, repeats the above two steps until a next candidate of the rotation angle θ is judged normal, and outputs one of the first and next candidates of the rotation angle θ as a formal rotation angle if it is judged normal.
US07969140B2
A magnetic field sensor comprises a magnetic field sensing cell and a magnetic shield comprising at least two parts separated by an air-gap and surrounding the magnetic field sensing cell positioned in a cavity of the magnetic shield.
US07969139B2
A Rogowski sensor is provided for measuring a current of an electrical conductor. The sensor has a Rogowski coil, which has an electrical winding resistor, and an integration device which is connected to the Rogowski coil and is intended to generate an output signal which is proportional to the electrical current to be measured by the Rogowski sensor. The integration device is formed by the winding resistor of the Rogowski coil and a capacitance which is connected to the two winding connections of the Rogowski coil, and for the output signal from the integration device to be formed by the voltage applied to the capacitance.
US07969137B2
A system for detecting a buried conductor comprises a transmitter for producing an alternating test current in the buried conductor and a receiver for detecting an electromagnetic field produced by the test current in the buried conductor. A communication link is provided between the receiver and the transmitter. The test current comprises first and second components of different frequency. The receiver monitors the phase creepage of the first and second components and controls the transmitter to reset the phase difference between the first and second components as phase creepage increases.
US07969131B2
The present invention relates to a converter circuit and a conversion method for converting an input signal of a first value to an output signal of a second value based on a switched operating mode, wherein an output feedback loop (40) and an additional input forward control loop (60) are provided. The additional input forward control loop (60) serves to correctly control a switching parameter not only with respect to the output load but also over a wide input voltage range. This leads to an improved power efficiency and reliability of the converter circuit.
US07969127B1
A method and circuit for controlling the start-up of a shunt regulator that uses an error amplifier for normal operation in a linear range of a target value output voltage set by a reference voltage upon circuit start-up clamps the output voltage to a first level value below the target value, next applies regenerative positive feedback independent of the error amplifier to force the output voltage through a range where adverse conditions can occur to a second level value below the target value, and then releases the positive feedback near the target value where the error amplifier assumes control of the regulation.
US07969122B2
Disclosed is a pole count changing generator capable of altering the number of poles contained within a generator. This pole count change is accomplished by changing the path through which electrical current is capable of traveling in response to a control signal sent to a pole count changing circuit.
US07969120B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for estimating discharge and charge power of battery applications, including battery packs used in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) and Electric Vehicles (EV). One charge/discharge power estimating method incorporates voltage, state-of-charge (SOC), power, and current design constraints and works for a user-specified prediction time horizon Δt. At least two cell models are used in calculating maximum charge/discharge power based on voltage limits. The first is a simple cell model that uses a Taylor-series expansion to linearize the equation involved. The second is a more complex and accurate model that models cell dynamics in discrete-time state-space form. The cell model can incorporate a inputs such as temperature, resistance, capacity, etc. One advantage of using model-based approach is that the same model may be used in both Kalman-filtering to produce the SOC and the estimation of maximum charge/discharge current based on voltage limits.
US07969117B2
The invention includes a peripheral charging system for a computer. The peripheral charging system comprises a retention mechanism configured to retain a peripheral having a battery, the retention mechanism comprising a charging mechanism, and a system battery electrically connected to the charging mechanism. When the peripheral is retained by the retention mechanism, the peripheral contacts the charging mechanism of the retention mechanism to charge the peripheral battery. The invention also comprises a method for charging a peripheral for a mobile computing device. The method comprises retaining the peripheral in a retention mechanism of the mobile computing device, and charging a battery of the peripheral device from a battery of the mobile computing device. The retention mechanism of the mobile computing device includes a charging mechanism configured to supply charge to a charging mechanism of the peripheral.
US07969115B2
A drive circuit drives a motor in a mode selected from first and second modes. A drive unit operates in response to a control signal received from a signal generation unit to control how the motor should rotate. The control signal is applied to drive the motor in the first mode. The signal generation unit receives a select signal indicating one of the first and second modes. When the select signal indicates the first mode, the signal generation unit outputs an input signal as the control signal. When the select signal indicates the second mode, the signal generation unit generates the control signal in accordance with the input signal. A motor drive circuit capable of driving a motor regardless of a difference between input modes in type, and electronics equipped with, can thus be obtained.
US07969113B2
A motor control system suppresses vibration of a machine base and achieves high-speed positioning without using a special sensor but using a model control system. A first feedback section outputs a first feedback command generated based on model machine base position information and containing at least position information on the machine base. A second feedback section outputs a second feedback command containing a filtered model torque command. A differential between the sum of the first feedback command and the second feedback command obtained by a second addition section and the model torque command is calculated to give the differential to an input portion of a model torque command low-pass filter and an input portion of a torque command low-pass filter. The model control system gives a model position command to a position controller as a position command, and model machine base position information generated based on the model position command is added to a speed command input from the position controller to a speed controller.
US07969111B2
A numerical controller capable of moving a tool end point position to an accurate position in a five-axis machining apparatus. Compensation amounts are set, which correspond to respective ones of a linear axis-dependent translational error, a rotary axis-dependent translational error, a linear axis-dependent rotational error, and a rotary axis-dependent rotational error, which are produced in the five-axis machining apparatus. A translational/rotational compensation amount Δ3D is determined from these compensation amounts and added to a command linear axis position Pm. As the compensation amounts, there is used a corresponding one of six-dimensional lattice point compensation vectors, which are determined in advance as errors due to the use of a mechanical system and measured at lattice points of lattices into which the entire machine movable region is divided.
US07969108B2
A control circuit (120, 140) for a brushless direct current (DC) motor (160) includes a current drive circuit (140), a current loop regulator (122), and a commutation loop regulator (124, 126). The current drive circuit (140) is adapted to drive the brushless DC motor (160) in a first polarity or a second polarity selectively in response to a control signal, and senses a current through the brushless DC motor (160) to provide a current sense signal. The current loop regulator (122) varies a duty cycle of the control signal to regulate the current in response to the current sense signal, and regulates the polarity of the current based on a state of a polarity signal. The commutation loop regulator (124, 126) regulates a transition of said polarity signal in response to a comparison of a pre-commutation duty cycle value and a post-commutation duty cycle value.
US07969106B2
A method of controlling a current command by comparing voltage with a set value needs to vary the set value depending on voltage fluctuation, which involves taking a complicated control. A vector controller for a permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, according to the present invention, can realize with a simplified configuration a field-weakening operation in a one-pulse mode in a high speed range by providing a current command compensator that corrects a current command by a corrected current command calculated based on a modulation index.
US07969101B2
An exemplary backlight control circuit includes a lamp, a transformer, and a lamp driving circuit. The lamp driving circuit includes a duty ratio determining unit, a duty ratio adjusting unit, and an output unit. The output unit is configured for outputting two pulse signals having a same duty ratio and opposite phases to the transformer. The transformer is configured for generating an alternating voltage for driving the lamp. The duty ratio determining unit is configured for determining if the duty ratio of the pulse signals is in a predetermined duty ratio range. The duty ratio adjusting unit is configured for adjusting the duty ratio of the pulse signals in order to adjust a brightness of the lamp.
US07969099B2
A lighting device for a display device includes a plurality of light sources, a power source arranged to provide drive power for the light sources, a common electrode arranged to supply the drive power to the plurality of light sources, a plurality of holder electrodes arranged to hold the respective light sources and supply the drive power from the common electrode individually to the respective light sources, and a dielectric portion provided between the common electrode and each of the holder electrodes.
US07969096B2
A method and apparatus for exciting gas that involves generating an alternating magnetic field unidirectionally through a magnetic core defining a gap, across the gap and through a plasma vessel that includes dielectric material. The magnetic field induces an electric field in the plasma vessel that generates the plasma.
US07969094B2
A light source apparatus, comprises a discharge lamp and an auxiliary start-up light source provided in a base for the discharge lamp, wherein first and second external electrodes of the auxiliary start-up light source are formed on an outer face of a discharge container thereof, wherein a first lamp power feeder connected to a first external lead extending from one of the sealing portions of the discharge lamp and a first auxiliary light source power feeder connected to the first external electrode of the auxiliary start-up light source are connected to the first power supply terminal, and wherein a second lamp power feeder connected to a second external lead extending from the other sealing portion of the discharge lamp and a second auxiliary light source power feeder connected to a second external electrode of the auxiliary start-up light source are connected to the second power supply terminal.
US07969090B2
A light emitting device containing a semiconductor light emitting component and a phosphor, the phosphor is capable of absorbing a part of light emitted by the light emitting component and emitting light of a wavelength different from that of the absorbed light, is provided. A straight line connecting a point of chromaticity corresponding to a spectrum generated by the light emitting component and a point of chromaticity corresponding to a spectrum generated by the phosphor is substantially along a black body radiation locus in a chromaticity diagram.
US07969088B2
New organic light-emitting diodes and related electroluminescent devices and methods for fabrication, using siloxane self-assembly techniques.
US07969075B2
A phase change material (PCM) is used as thermal storage for lighting systems. The PCM is placed in a thermally conductive container in close contact with the lighting system. As the PCM absorbs heat, it changes from a solid to a liquid state, but the temperature of the PCM is clamped at its melting point temperature. For LED-based systems, the PCM is selected to have a melting point such that the junction temperatures of the LEDs in the system are maintained at approximately their optimum operating temperature inside the lighting system housing. Because the thermal conductivity of the molten PCM is poor, a low thermal resistance heat flow path is provided from the PCM to the container.
US07969068B2
An ultrasonic transducer has a rectangular piezo-electric ceramic sheet piece 2 which has a retracted portion 1 on a side face, an upper electrode layer 3 placed on an upper surface of the ceramic sheet piece, 4 a first terminal electrode that is placed on the upper surface of the ceramic sheet piece and connected to the upper electrode layer 3, a lower electrode layer 5 placed on the lower surface of the ceramic sheet piece, an electro-conductive layer 6 that is placed on the retracted side face 1 and connected to the lower electrode layer 5, a second terminal electrode 7 that is placed on the upper surface of the ceramic sheet piece and is connected to the electro-conductive layer 6, a first lead wire 9a connected to the first terminal electrode, a second lead wire 9b connected to the second terminal electrode 7, an acoustic matching layer 10 placed on the upper electrode layer, and an acoustic absorbing layer 11 placed on the surface of the lower electrode layer.
US07969067B2
There is provided an ultrasound probe including a first substrate having a silicon substrate and an ultrasound transmit-receive element, an acoustic lens disposed over an upper surface of the first substrate, and a damping layer disposed under the first substrate, in which a second substrate is disposed between a lower surface of the first substrate and an upper surface of the damping layer, and the second substrate is made of a material having approximately the same linear expansion coefficient and acoustic impedance as the silicon substrate of the first substrate. With this structure, it is possible to provide the ultrasound probe which can prevent damage to the silicon substrate due to temperature change and has excellent transmission/reception performance and structure reliability while reducing noise by reflected waves in transmission and reception.
US07969055B2
The present invention relates to rotary motors in which the rotational motion of the motor is provided by the attractive (or repulsive) forces between a pair of cooperating magnets in response to tilting of the motor axle.
US07969054B2
A superconductivity utilizing support mechanism comprises a superconductive coil and a ferromagnetic body. One of the ferromagnetic body, so constituted as to slide in a direction of a center axis of the superconductive coil, and the superconductive coil, so constituted as to slide in a direction of the center axis thereof, is floated and supported relative to the other by axial magnetic attraction caused by a center plane of the superconductive coil and a center plane of the ferromagnetic body moving apart from each other.
US07969045B2
An installation for the non-contact transfer of energy includes at least one primary conductor system and a pick-up, including at least one secondary winding inductively coupled to the primary conductor system, the secondary winding including at least one flat ribbon cable, which has at least two electrical conductors extending in parallel, that are held at a distance from each other and are insulated with respect to each other, the secondary winding being made up of part windings, which in each case are formed from one of the electrical conductors, each of the part windings, together with an associated capacitance, forming a series resonant circuit, whose resonant frequency corresponds substantially to the medium frequency of the primary current.
US07969042B2
In various embodiments, various systems and methods are provided for power distribution. In one embodiment, power distribution apparatus is provided comprising a power multiplier comprising a multiply-connected electrical structure, and a plurality of power network couplings in the multiply-connected electrical structure. The multiply-connected electrical structure is a resonant circuit tuned to a nominal frequency of a power network.
US07969031B2
A system for generation of power using an apparatus in deep water is disclosed. The system includes a ballast buoy configured to achieve a desired depth in the deep water, a substantially vertical hollow tube attached to the ballast buoy that is submerged under water when the ballast buoy achieves the desired depth in the deep water, and a converter for converting the physical environment created in the substantially vertical hollow tube by placement of the ballast buoy at the desired depth in the deep water.
US07969030B2
A power generation system is provided that includes an internal combustion engine configured to provide rotational mechanical energy. A generator is configured to receive the rotational mechanical energy and generate electrical power in response to the rotational mechanical energy. A fluid medium is provided to the internal combustion engine and to the generator for removing thermal energy from the internal combustion engine and from the generator.
US07969024B2
A semiconductor package with improved joint reliability and a method of fabricating the semiconductor package are disclosed. A conductive connector may be formed on a surface of a semiconductor wafer on which semiconductor devices may be arranged. A first insulating layer including a first opening through which a portion of the connection pad is exposed may be formed on the connection pad and the semiconductor wafer. A rewiring line electrically connected to an exposed portion of the connection pad may be formed on the first insulating layer. A second insulating layer including a second opening through which a portion of the rewiring line is exposed may be formed on the rewiring line and the first insulating layer. A connection terminal including one or more entangled wires may be formed on an exposed portion of the rewiring line so as to be electrically connected to the rewiring line.
US07969019B2
Semiconductor device 1 includes: first wiring board 5 provided with a plurality of external terminals 9 on the under surface thereof; first semiconductor chip 3 with the under surface thereof mounted on the upper surface of first wiring board 5; and second semiconductor chip 10 with the under surface thereof mounted on the upper surface of first semiconductor chip 3. On the upper surface of first wiring board 5, connecting pad 6a and connecting pad 6b are provided, while connecting pad 6a is electrically connected with the under surface of first semiconductor chip 3 and connecting pad 6b is arranged closely to an end portion of first semiconductor chip 3. Connecting pad 6a and connecting pad 6b are electrically connected with external terminals 9. Semiconductor device 1 further includes: connecting pad 6c provided as contacting or as being close to an upper end portion of second semiconductor chip 10 while being electrically connected with the upper surface of second semiconductor chip 10, and wire 12 which electrically connects connecting pad 6b and connecting pad 6c.
US07969013B2
A through silicon via structure includes a top pad and a vertical conductive post that is connected to the top pad. The top pad covers a wider area than the cross section of the vertical conductive post. An interconnect pad is formed at least partially below the top pad. An under layer is also formed at least partially below the top pad. At least one dummy structure connects the top pad and the under layer to fasten the top pad and the interconnect pad.
US07969010B2
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate, a first interconnect made of a copper-containing metal which is formed over the semiconductor substrate, a conductive first plug formed over the first interconnect and connected to the first interconnect, a Cu silicide layer over the first interconnect in an area other than the area where the first plug is formed, a Cu silicide layer over the first plug, and a first porous MSQ film formed over an area from the side surface of the first interconnect to the side surface of the first plug and covering the side surface of the first interconnect, the upper portion of the first interconnect and the side surface of the first plug.
US07969009B2
An integrated circuit bridge interconnect system includes a first die and a second die provided in a side-by-side configuration and electrically interconnected to each other by a bridge die. The bridge die includes through silicon vias (TSVs) to connect conductive interconnect lines on the bridge die to the first die and the second die. Active circuitry, other than interconnect lines, may be provided on the bridge die. At least one or more additional die may be stacked on the bridge die and interconnected to the bridge die.
US07969008B2
A semiconductor device has: a circuit portion having semiconductor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate; insulating lamination formed above the semiconductor substrate and covering the circuit portion; a multilevel wiring structure formed in the insulating lamination and including wiring patterns and via conductors; and a pad electrode structure formed above the semiconductor substrate and connected to the multilevel wiring structure. The pad electrode structure includes pad wiring patterns and pad via conductors interconnecting the pad wiring patterns, the uppermost pad wiring pattern includes a pad pattern and a sealing pattern surrounding the pad pattern in a loop shape. Another pad wiring pattern has continuous extended pad pattern of a size overlapping the sealing pattern. The pad via conductors include a plurality of columnar via conductors disposed in register with the pad pattern and a loop-shaped wall portion disposed in register with the sealing pattern.
US07969007B2
A semiconductor device with improved moisture resistance and its manufacturing method as well as a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device which simplifies a manufacturing process and improves productivity are offered. This invention offers a CSP type semiconductor device and its manufacturing method that can prevent moisture and the like from infiltrating into it to attain high reliability by covering a side surface of a semiconductor chip with a thick protection layer. This invention also offers a highly productive manufacturing method of semiconductor devices by which a supporter bonded to semiconductor dice is etched from a back surface-side of the supporter so that the semiconductor devices can be separated without dicing.
US07969003B2
A manufacturing method of a bump structure having a reinforcement member is disclosed. First, a substrate including pads and a passivation layer is provided. The passivation layer has first openings, and each first opening exposes a portion of the corresponding pad respectively. Next, an under ball metal (UBM) material layer is formed on the substrate to cover the passivation layer and the pads exposed by the passivation layer. Bumps are formed on the UBM material layer and the lower surface of each bump is smaller than that of the opening. Each reinforcement member formed on the UBM material layer around each bump contacts with each bump, and the material of the reinforcement member is a polymer. The UBM material layer is patterned to form UBM layers and the lower surface of each UBM layer is larger than that of each corresponding opening. Hence, the bump has a planar upper surface.
US07969000B2
A semiconductor device having a plurality of chips is reduced in size. In HSOP (semiconductor device) for driving a three-phase motor, a first semiconductor chip including a pMISFET and a second semiconductor chip including an nMISFET are mounted over each of a first tab, second tab, and third tab. The drains of the pMISFET and nMISFET over each tab are electrically connected with each other. Thus, two of six MISFETs can be placed over each of three tabs divided in correspondence with the number of phases of the motor, and they can be packaged in one in a compact manner. As a result, the size of the HSOP for driving a three-phase motor, having a plurality of chips can be reduced.
US07968997B2
A semiconductor device includes a wring board having a first surface with external connection terminals and a second surface with internal connection terminals. On the second surface of the wiring board, a semiconductor chip having electrode pads is mounted. The electrode pads of the semiconductor chip and the internal connection terminals of the wiring board are electrically connected via connecting members. The external connection terminals are arranged along two opposite outer sides of the wiring board and each have a rectangular shape elongated in a direction toward the outer side.
US07968995B2
A method of manufacture an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a base substrate; mounting a first base integrated circuit over the base substrate; mounting a second base integrated circuit over the first base integrated circuit; attaching a stacking interconnect to the base substrate and adjacent to the first base integrated circuit; and forming a base encapsulation, having a recess portion from a corner of the base encapsulation and a step portion adjacent to the recess portion, with the step portion over the second base integrated circuit and the recess portion exposing the stacking interconnect.
US07968993B2
A stacked semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor element mounted on a wiring board and a second semiconductor element stacked on the first semiconductor element. Electrode pads of the first and second semiconductor elements are electrically connected to connection pads of the wiring board via first and second metal wires. The second metal wire is wired so that a part thereof is in contact with an insulating protective film covering a surface of the first semiconductor element.
US07968987B2
A chip module assembly includes a CO2 getter exposed through a gas-permeable membrane to a chip cavity of a chip module. One or more chips is/are enclosed within the cavity. The CO2 getter comprises a liquid composition including 1,8-diaza-bicyclo-[5,4,0]-undec-7-ene (DBU) in a solvent that includes an alcohol, preferably, 1-hexanol. In one embodiment, a sheet of gas-permeable membrane is heat-welded to form a pillow-shaped bag in which the liquid composition is sealed. The pillow-shaped bag containing the liquid composition is preferably disposed in a recess of a heat sink and exposed to the cavity through a passage between the recess and the cavity. The CO2 getter can remove a relatively large amount of carbon dioxide from the cavity, and thus effectively prevents solder joint corrosion. For example, based on the formula weights and densities of the DBU and 1-hexanol, 200 g of the liquid composition can remove over 34 g of carbon dioxide.
US07968984B2
An apparatus for coupling a plurality of surface mounted semiconductor device packages to a circuit board is provided. Each package including a semiconductor device die and a metal clip including a flat web portion having a bottom surface and at least one peripheral rim portion extending from an edge of said flat web portion, said bottom surface having solderable planar metal electrodes or pads on its bottom surface, the contact pads being formed in plurality of layouts having one or more columns and one or more rows. The apparatus including a circuit board contact pattern including one or more columns and one or more rows of contacts, a number of rows being equal to a largest number of contact pad rows in the plurality of contact pad layouts, a number of columns being equal to a largest number of contact pad columns in the plurality of contact pad layouts. The circuit board contact pattern is usable by all of the plurality of the contact pad layouts of the plurality of semiconductor device packages.
US07968963B2
A photodiode array with reduced optical crosstalk and an image pickup device using it are provided. The photodiode array 10 according to the present invention has an anti-crosstalk portion B dividing each adjacent pair of photodiodes S, the anti-crosstalk portion B and the photodiodes S individually have a p-type area 16 extending inward from the surface side of a semiconductor laminate, and the inner end of the p-type area of the anti-crosstalk portion, namely the front, is closer to the back surface of the semiconductor laminate than the front of the p-type area of each of the photodiodes.
US07968961B2
A solid-state image pickup device which includes a solid-state image pickup chip, a transparent plate disposed to face a light-receiving surface of the solid-state image pickup chip, a frame-like spacer disposed on a peripheral portion of the light-receiving surface of the solid-state image pickup chip for maintaining a space between the solid-state image pickup chip and the transparent plate, and an adhesion layer sealing a circumferential gap formed between the solid-state image pickup chip and the transparent plate, wherein the spacer includes a plurality of partition walls.
US07968945B2
An improved microelectronic device, and method for making such a microelectronic device. The device includes one or plural transistors and piezoelectric mechanisms, with an arrangement capable of applying a variable mechanical strain on transistor channels.
US07968938B2
The present invention provides a vertical tapered dielectric high-voltage device (10) in which the device drift region is depicted by action of MOS field plates (30) formed in vertical trenches. The high-voltage device comprises: a substrate (32); a silicon mesa (20) formed on the substrate and having a stripe geometry, wherein the silicon mesa provides a drift region having a constant doping profile; a recessed gate (22) and source (SN) formed on the silicon mesa; a trench (26) adjacent each side of the silicon mesa; and a metal-dielectric field plate structure (12) formed in each trench; wherein each metal-dielectric field plate structure comprises a dielectric (28) and a metal field plate (30) formed over the dielectric, and wherein a thickness of the dielectric increases linearly through a depth of the trench to provide a constant longitudinal electric field.
US07968937B2
A vertical transistor includes a substrate, a semiconductor structure, a gate, a gate dielectric layer, and a conductive layer. The semiconductor structure is disposed on the substrate and includes two vertical plates and a bottom plate. The bottom plate has an upper surface connected to bottoms of the two vertical plates and a bottom surface connected to the substrate. The gate surrounds the semiconductor structure to fill between the two vertical plates, and the gate is disposed around the two vertical plates. The gate dielectric layer is sandwiched in between the gate and the semiconductor structure, and the conductive layer is disposed on the semiconductor structure and electrically connected with tops of the two vertical plates.
US07968935B2
A reconfigurable semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first insulating material formed on the substrate, two channels having different polarities, a plurality of terminal electrodes formed on the insulating material and coupled in common with the channels at their opposite ends, a second insulating material formed on the terminal electrodes, and a control gate formed on the second insulating material. The channels have different polarity and a charge storage layer is formed inside the second insulating material. The control gate is applied with a forward bias or a reverse bias and then the bias is cut off. The voltage-current characteristics of the semiconductor device are changed according to an electrical charge created in the charge storage layer.
US07968921B2
An asymmetric insulated-gate field-effect transistor (100) has a source (240) and a drain (242) laterally separated by a channel zone (244) of body material (180) of a semiconductor body. A gate electrode (262) overlies a gate dielectric layer (260) above the channel zone. A more heavily doped pocket portion (250) of the body material extends largely along only the source. Each of the source and drain has a main portion (240M or 242M) and a more lightly doped lateral extension (240E or 242E). The drain extension is more lightly doped than the source extension. The maximum concentration of the semiconductor dopant defining the two extensions occurs deeper in the drain extension than in the source extension. Additionally or alternatively, the drain extension extends further laterally below the gate electrode than the source extension. These features enable the threshold voltage to be highly stable with operational time.
US07968914B2
A mechanical construction of an electrical module includes two or more electrical components (102-105). Each of the electrical components has a contact surface (106-109) that is capable of forming a galvanic contact with an external electrical conductor. The electrical module includes a holder element (101) that includes flexible material arranged to flexibly support the electrical components with respect to each other in such a way that the contact surfaces of the electrical components are capable of aligning with external surfaces independently of each other.
US07968907B2
An over-voltage protection thyristor has reduced junction capacitance making it suitable for use in high bandwidth applications. The reduced capacitance is achieved through the introduction of a deep base region. The deep base region has a graded doping concentration which reduces with depth into the substrate. The thyristor is useful for protecting sensitive electrical equipment from transient surges.
US07968904B2
There is provided an organic electroluminescence device that is high in light emitting efficiency and excellent in driving durability, which contains at least a light emitting layer between an anode and a cathode opposing each other, and further has either 1) an organic layer containing at least a first acceptor and a second acceptor between the light emitting layer and the anode, in which the first acceptor is a metal compound and the second acceptor is an organic compound which does not contain a metal, or 2) an organic layer containing a metal oxide as an acceptor between the light emitting layer and the anode, in which a concentration of the metal oxide in the organic layer is varied in a thickness direction and the concentration is lower in a portion near the light emitting layer than a portion near the anode.
US07968890B2
By providing appropriate TFT structures arranged in various circuits of the semiconductor device in response to the functions required by the circuits, it is made possible to improve the operating performances and the reliability of a semiconductor device, reduce power consumption as well as realizing reduced manufacturing cost and increase in yield by lessening the number of processing steps. An LDD region of a TFT is formed to have a concentration gradient of an impurity element for controlling conductivity which becomes higher as the distance from a drain region decreases. In order to form such an LDD region having a concentration gradient of an impurity element, the present invention uses a method in which a gate electrode having a taper portion is provided to thereby dope an ionized impurity element for controlling conductivity accelerated in the electric field so that it penetrates through the gate electrode and a gate insulating film into a semiconductor layer.
US07968871B2
Organic thin film transistors with improved mobility are disclosed. The semiconducting layer comprises a semiconductor material of Formula (I): wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, and substituted aryl; and R3 and R4 are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, and substituted aryl. A silanized interfacial layer is also present which has alkyl sidechains extending from its surface towards the semiconducting layer.
US07968862B2
A phase change memory element and method of forming the same. The memory element includes a substrate supporting a first electrode. An insulating material element is positioned over the first electrode, and a phase change material layer is formed over the first electrode and surrounding the insulating material element such that the phase change material layer has a lower surface that is in electrical communication with the first electrode. The memory element also has a second electrode in electrical communication with an upper surface of the phase change material layer.
US07968859B2
A wafer edge defect inspection method and apparatus for use in an integrated circuit fabrication system includes an image capturing device for capturing images of the edges of wafers, a database in which the images are stored and accessible for analysis and a computer for analyzing the images of one or more wafer edges to locate edge defects and for evaluating the performance of the fabrication system. The inspection and data storage are performed automatically. The database storage enables detailed analysis of many wafers and fabrication process steps.
US07968853B2
A radiation detector (24) includes a two-dimensional array of upper scintillators (30τ) which is disposed facing an x-ray source (14) to convert lower energy radiation into visible light and transmit higher energy radiation. A two-dimensional array of lower scintillators (30B) is disposed adjacent the upper scintillators (30τ) distally from the x-ray source (14) to convert the transmitted higher energy radiation into visible light. Respective active areas (94, 96) of each upper and lower photodetector arrays (38τ, 38B) are optically coupled to the respective upper and lower scintillators (30τ, 30B) at an inner side (60) of the scintillators (30τ, 30B) which inner side (60) is generally perpendicular to an axial direction (Z). Interference filters (110, 112) may be deposited on the active areas (94, 96) of the associated upper and lower photodetectors (38τ, 38B) to restrict radiation wavelengths received by the upper and lower photodetectors (38τ, 38B) to wavelengths emitted by the respective upper and lower scintillators (30τ, 30B). The upper scintillators (30τ) may include at least one of ZnSe(Te) and YAG(Ce).
US07968850B2
Methods and systems for producing an image. A measurement is obtained, and a projector function is generated using the obtained measurement. The generated projector function is modified based on an a priori image. An image is reconstructed using the modified projector function.
US07968847B2
The invention relates to the identification of a component of a medical device. The medical device is realized for the alternative attachment of a plurality of components. By means of infrared reflection sensors an emitted signal that is reflected by an attached component is detected. The reflected signal has a shape that is characteristic of the component. The component is identified through determination by the infrared reflection sensors that detect a reflected signal. The invention allows for alternative components that can be attached to be identified efficiently and with little outlay.
US07968844B2
Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for inspecting the via holes of a semiconductor device using electron beams. The apparatus includes electron beam irradiation means, a current measuring means, and a current measuring means and data processing means. The electron beam irradiation means radiate respective electron beams to inspect a plurality of inspection target holes. The current measuring means measures current, which is generated by irradiating the electron beams, radiated from the electron beam irradiation means, through a conductive layer located under the holes, or through the conductive layer and a separate detector. The data processing means processes data acquired through the measurement of the current measuring means.
US07968840B2
A validation apparatus for testing the measurement accuracy of a phase fluorimeter comprising: i) a photodetector responsive to the excitation light emitted by a phase fluorimeter; ii) electronics connected to the detector which calculates the phase of the light emitted by the phase fluorimeter and causes a light source in the validation apparatus to emit light of a wave length which will stimulate the detector of the phase fluorimeter but which is phase shifted relative to the light emitted by the phase fluorimeter.
US07968837B2
An object is to provide a separated sensor capable of synchronizing a light transmitting unit with a light receiving unit, without using a control line.There is provided a separated sensor including a light transmitting unit that transmits detection light to a monitoring area, and a light receiving unit that receives detection light transmitted by the light transmitting unit, the light transmitting unit and the light receiving unit laid out separately from each other. On one of the light transmitting unit and the light receiving unit, there is provided a synchronization-light transmitting unit that transmits, by wireless, synchronization light to synchronize the light transmitting unit with the light receiving unit. On the other of the light transmitting unit and the light receiving unit, there are provided a synchronization-light receiving unit that receives the synchronization light transmitted from the synchronization-light transmitting unit, and a synchronization-establishment processing unit that performs a predetermined process to establish the synchronization based on the synchronization light received by the synchronization-light receiving unit.
US07968833B2
The uppermost metallic wiring layer in light-blocking layers constituted by multilevel metallic wiring that prevents light from impinging on areas other than the light-receiving area of a photodiode in each picture cell is used as a measurement electrode to be directly contacted with a specimen to measure electrical signals. Furthermore, in each picture cell including a circuit for reading out electrical signals collected through the measurement electrode, another circuit for reading out electrical signals generated by the photodiode is provided in an independent or shared form. This configuration enables the photodiode for optical measurements and the measurement electrode for electrical measurements to be provided in every picture cell. Thus, in a hybrid image sensor having an optical measurement function for obtaining optical information due to specimen and an electrical measurement functions for obtaining electrical information due to the specimen, the spatial resolution of both types of two-dimensional images can be simultaneously improved.
US07968832B2
This invention provides an analyzer for judging whether or not a tangible component is present in a sample in a preparation, and analyzing, if a tangible component is present, the tangible component with efficiency and high accuracy. For this purpose, an analyzer (100) of the present invention analyzes a tangible component in a sample (23) held by a preparation (20). The analyzer (100) checks whether or not a tangible component is present in the sample (23) by extensively observing an area in a certain visual field in which area the tangible component is assumed to be present. If the tangible component is judged to be present, the analyzer (100) analyzes the tangible component. Then, another visual field is selected, and another analysis is started therein so as to analyze only in the vicinity of the area where the tangible component was judged to be present. The analyzer (100) can determine whether or not a tangible component is present, and can analyze the tangible component with efficiency and high accuracy.
US07968830B2
An attenuating adaptor is proposed in the form of a sleeve (23) which is composed of non-ferromagnetic metal for insertion radially during operation between a holding section (11) (which is provided with a central holding opening (15) for holding a tool shank with a press fit) of a tool holder (1) and an induction coil arrangement (19) (which concentrically surrounds the holding section (11) in order to widen it thermally) of a shrinkage appliance (5) which feeds alternating current to the induction coil arrangement (19). The sleeve (23) can be provided with slots which pass through its wall and whose number, axial length and circumferential width influence the attenuating characteristics of the sleeve (23). Sleeves (23) of different sizes are provided for a set of different tool holders (1), and their attenuating characteristics are chosen such that all of the tool holders (1) in this set can be shrunk using one and the same setting of the shrinkage appliance (5).
US07968825B2
A thermal plate of a heating unit is divided into a plurality of thermal plate regions, and a temperature can be set for each of the thermal plate regions. A temperature correction value for adjusting a temperature within the thermal plate can be set for each of the thermal plate regions of the thermal plate. The line widths within the substrate which has been subjected to a photolithography process are measured, and an in-plane tendency of the measured line widths is decomposed into a plurality of in-plane tendency components using a Zernike polynomial. From the calculated plurality of in-plane tendency components, in-plane tendency components improvable by changing the temperature correction values are extracted and added together to calculate an improvable in-plane tendency of the measured line widths within the substrate. The change of setting of the temperature correction value for each of the thermal plate regions of the thermal plate is performed only when the magnitude of the improvable in-plane tendency exceeds a threshold value set in advance.
US07968824B2
A method for controlling a heating cooking apparatus, in which an operation of a heating unit is appropriately controlled according to presence/absence or kinds of a load applied to a plate. When no load is applied to the plate, the duty cycle of a heat source is reduced, thereby preventing unnecessary operation of the heat source. Accordingly, power consumption is reduced. On the other hand, when a load is applied to the plate, the duty cycle of the heat source is increased. Speedy cooking may be possible with this control method.
US07968814B2
A grain images obtained by CCD line sensors are processed by binarization processing to obtain contour images of grains and images of colored portions in the grains. The images are displayed on a monitor screen of an operating panel 30. The contour images and the images of the colored portions are displayed in a superposed state. Box frames generated by a highlight display circuit in control means 12 are simultaneously displayed by being superposed on the contour images having defective portions, thus producing a highlight display of defective grains. The defective grains include a grain having a light colored portion and a grain having a dark colored portion.
US07968810B2
The present invention relates to an electronic signal switching module with connectors on a first side for connecting with a variety of devices and sources and with jacks for receiving patch cords on a second side. The switching modules include two position switches in the circuitry connecting the jacks with the connectors which allow the module to be configured as a straight-through patching module, a fully normal module with paired jacks or a half normal module with paired jacks. One alternative of the invention utilizes card edge connectors on the first side. Another aspect of the invention involves a chassis for holding a plurality of switching modules adjacent to and electronically connected with a plurality of connecting modules. The switching modules may also include designation lenses adjacent to the jacks for holding indicia.
US07968808B2
A compound operation input device of the invention includes: a body; a switch being disposed in the body and including a contact in an arcuate cross-sectional shape; and a lever. The lever includes: a basal portion disposed on a vertex of the contact; and an operating portion being swingable in swing directions and being depressible toward the switch from a predetermined position on a swing path. The body includes an arcuate abutting portion. The lever has a protrusion being disposed above the abutting portion. The abutting portion has a recess at a position thereof corresponding to the predetermined position. When the lever makes a depressing movement from a position other than the predetermined position, the protrusion abuts against the abutting portion. When the lever makes a depressing movement from the predetermined position, the protrusion is received in the recess such that the basal portion presses the vertex of the contact.
US07968802B2
A printed circuit board (PCB) includes a differential pair having a first differential trace and a second differential trace, a first via having an upper cap and a lower cap, and a second via having an upper cap and a lower cap. The first differential trace includes a first segment and a second segment, the second differential trace includes a third segment and a fourth segment. The first and the third segments are electrically coupled to the upper caps of the first and the second vias respectively. The second and the fourth segments are electrically coupled to the lower caps of the first and the second vias respectively. The first and the third segments extend from corresponding upper caps in different directions, the second and the fourth segments extend from corresponding lower caps in different directions.
US07968798B2
A base layer of a bent portion of a FPC is formed on the front side thereof with second ground bent lines arranged in a mesh pattern and third ground bent lines intersecting with the second ground bent lines in a lateral direction, and on the back side thereof with first ground bent lines along the bending direction. The first ground bent lines are electrically connected to the second ground bent lines and the third ground bent lines via through holes.
US07968796B2
A flexible signal transmission module and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The flexible signal transmission module includes a first connector, a first transmission strip, and a second transmission strip. The first and second transmission strips are respectively connected to the first connector and disposed side by side. The ends of the first and second transmission strips which connect to the first connector respectively have a first end folding line. The first and second transmission strips respectively folded along the first end folding lines toward a same direction while the folding portions of both strips partially overlap. The manufacturing method includes the following steps: disposing a plurality of transmission strips side by side; connecting the transmission strips to a first connector; and respectively folding the transmission strips along the first end folding lines toward a same direction.
US07968794B1
Particular implementations of electrical outlet cover comprise a base comprising a first opening allowing access to the electrical outlet, a first cover comprising a second opening allowing access to the electrical outlet, and a second cover covering the second opening. In particular implementations, the first cover and second cover have opening axes substantially perpendicular to each other. The second cover may be a flat cover or a while in use cover, and in particular implementations the first and second covers may be biased closed.
US07968791B2
In one aspect of the present invention, a solar energy collection system that includes multiple longitudinally adjacent collectors is described. The collectors are coupled end to end to form a collector row. The collector row extends along a longitudinal axis and is arranged to rotate about a pivot axis to track the sun in at least one dimension. Each collector includes a reflector, one or more solar receivers and a support structure. The support structure includes a tube assembly that underlies the reflector. The tube assemblies of the collector row are arranged end to end along the longitudinal axis. There is a space between the tube assemblies of adjacent collectors in the collector row, where the reflectors of the adjacent collectors extend beyond the underlying tube assemblies to form a substantially continuous reflective surface over the space. A coupling device is positioned in the space between the tube assemblies. The coupling device connects and helps to rotate the tube assemblies of the adjacent collectors. Some embodiments relate to various types of coupling devices and collector arrangements.
US07968784B2
A timer may be for timing a current time period corresponding to an amount of time since a previous operation of an operator. Circuitry may be for processing data to carry out a performance based on a set tempo. The circuitry may be configured to change a position of the performance to a specified position of the performance in a case where the operator is operated and the current time period equals or exceeds a specified time period. The circuitry may be configured to change the tempo based on the current time period in a case where the operator is operated and the current time period is less than the specified time period.
US07968782B2
A flexible one-piece self-gripping self-forming-loop attachment, comprising a single ergonomically shaped and dimensioned strip of elastic material with circular apertures at opposing ends for attachment to a drumstick by inserting one end of the drumstick through each aperture in turn giving rise to a loop which is slid along the drumstick to the desired playing position at which a finger is inserted. When the loop is fitted the material surrounding the apertures stretches and causes their shape to change according to the profile of the drumstick.
US07968773B2
The present invention relates to a method for detecting a quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated with resistance to Botrytis cinerea in tomato, including the steps of crossing a Botrytis-resistant donor tomato plant with a non-resistant, or Botrytis-susceptible, recipient tomato plant, contacting one or more offspring plants with an infective amount of Botrytis, quantitatively determining the disease incidence and/or the rate of lesion growth in the one or more offspring plants, establishing a genetic linkage map that links the observed disease incidence and/or rate of lesion growth to the presence of chromosomal markers of the donor tomato plant in the one or more offspring plants, and assigning to a QTL the contiguous markers on the map that are linked to a reduced disease incidence and/or a reduced lesion growth rate.
US07968757B2
A process for hydrocracking biomass, and the hydrocarbons produced therefrom. A feed stream having free fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof is contacted with a first catalyst under hydrogen pressure and heat. The hydrocarbon product stream which is comprised predominantly of n-paraffins is separated into heavy and light fractions. The heavy fraction is contacted with a second catalyst under hydrogen pressure and heat to produce an effluent stream which is combined with the light n-paraffin fraction to form a unique middle distillate product useful as a diesel or jet fuel.
US07968756B2
Process and apparatus to form vinyl chloride monomer from ethylene dichloride in a cracking furnace, including a firebox chamber having a thermal protective layer disposed on refractory walls and/or process tubes disposed within the chamber, a quencher to form vinyl chloride monomer, and fractionator separate products. The thermal protective layer which contains an inorganic adhesive for metal/alloy tubes or colloidal silica and/or colloidal alumina for refractory walls or ceramic tubes, a filler, and one or more emissivity agents.
US07968755B2
Methods and catalysts for producing alcohols, ethers, and/or alkenes from alkanes are provided. More particularly, novel caged, or encapsulated, metal oxide catalysts and processes utilizing such catalysts to convert alkanes to alcohols and/or ethers and to convert alcohols and/or ethers to alkenes are provided.
US07968720B2
The invention relates to novel secondary amine derivatives of formula (I) and the use thereof as active ingredients in the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions. The invention also concerns related aspects including processes for the preparation of the compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing one or more of those compounds and especially their use as inhibitors of renin.
US07968714B2
The present invention concerns an improved optical method and optical sensing device for determining the levels of polyhydroxyl-substituted organic molecules in vitro and/or in vivo in aqueous media. The range of detection is between about 400 and 800 nm. In particular, a sensory devise is implemented in a mammal to determine sugar levels. Specifically, a dye is combined with a conjugated nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic boronic acid-substituted bis-onium compound in the presence of a sugar, such as fructose or glucose. The viologens are preferred as the aromatic conjugated nitrogen-containing boronic acid substituted compounds. The method is useful to determine sugar levels in a human being.
US07968709B2
Tanaproget polymorph Form II, processes for preparing tanaproget polymorph Form II, pharmaceutical compositions including tanaproget polymorph Form II, micronized tanaproget polymorph Form II, and processes for converting Form II to tanaproget Form I are provided. Also provided are methods of contraception, hormone replacement therapy, stimulation of food intake and treating or preventing uterine myometrial fibroids, benign prostatic hypertrophy, benign and malignant neoplastic disease, dysfunctional bleeding, uterine leiomyomata, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, or carcinomas and adenocarcinomas comprising administering polymorph Form II to a mammalian subject.
US07968705B2
The present invention describes a composition comprising at least 55% w/w (on sodium chloride free dry matter weight) of 5′-ribonucleotides and a process for the production of this composition comprising the steps of: (i) treating microbial cells to release the cell contents comprising RNA; (ii) separating the RNA present in the released cell content from other soluble cell material; and (iii) converting the separated RNA into 5′-ribonucleotides.
US07968703B2
There is provided a method for resolving a compound of formula III, in the cis configuration: There is also provided a process for producing optically active compound of formula I or II: wherein: R1, R2, R3 are as defined herein, the method and process involving the production, recovery and conversion of diastereomeric salts.
US07968702B2
Labeled reactant compositions, and particularly labeled nucleic acid reaction compositions, that include structural components that maintain potentially damaging labeling components sufficiently distal from the reactant portion of the molecule such that damaging effects of the label group on other reaction components, such as enzymes, are reduced, minimized and/or eliminated.
US07968698B2
The present invention provides core promoter motif ten elements (MTE) and core promoter constructs comprising the MTEs and an initiator element (Inr) in combination with one or both of a TATA box and a downstream promoter element (DPE) which increases gene expression over the strongest known core promoters. Particularly, an optimized or super core promoter is provided which comprises Inr, MTE, TATA box and DPE elements. The present invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising the core promoter constructs. Additionally, methods of increasing production of a protein using the core promoter constructs are provided.
US07968685B2
Specific binding members against extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C, especially scFv antibody molecules against domain A1, domain C and domain D of tenascin-C. Anti-tenascin-C specific binding members conjugated with labels, cytotoxic molecules or cytokines. Use of anti-tenascin-C specific binding members in diagnosis and treatment, especially of cancer.
US07968672B2
A phenol aralkyl type phenolic resin represented by the general formula (1), wherein the total content of the compounds represented by formulae (2) to (4) is 58 to 92% as determined by GPC and the contents of the compounds represented by formulae (2) to (4) as determined by HPLC satisfy the following relationship: 0.60≦(2a+b)/(2a+2b+2c)≦0.90 wherein a is the content of the compound of formula (2); b is the content of the compound of formula (3); and c is the content of the compound of formula (4).
US07968667B2
To provide adhesive compositions for optical fibers which are curable with moisture and excellent in adhesiveness and resistance to moist heat.An Adhesive composition for optical fibers containing (A) a component having a reactive silicon containing group which contains (e) a compound obtained by reacting (a) an epoxy compound having at least one epoxy group with (b) a silane coupling agent having both a reactive silicon containing group and an epoxy-reactive group, wherein the component (A) has a molecular weight of 1000 or below per reactive silicon containing group; and an adhesive composition for optical fibers containing an alkylsilyl ester and (B) a compound other than the alkylsilyl ester which has at least one reactive silicon containing group.
US07968665B2
A 1-butene polymer satisfying the following (1), (2) and either (3) or (3′): a process for producing the polymer; a resin modifier comprising the polymer; and a hot-melt adhesive containing the polymer. (1) The intrinsic viscosity [η] as measured in tetralin solvent at 135° C. is 0.01 to 0.5 dL/g. (2) The polymer is a crystalline resin having a melting point (Tm-D) of 0 to 100° C., the melting point being defined as the top of the peak observed on the highest-temperature side in a melting endothermic curve obtained with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) in a test in which a sample is held in a nitrogen atmosphere at −10° C. for 5 min and then heated at a rate of 10° C./min. (3) The stereoregularity index {(mmmm)/(mmrr+rmmr)} is 30 or lower. (3′) The mesopentad content (mmmm) determined from a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum is 68 to 73%.
US07968658B2
Process for producing polymers by spray polymerization wherein the monomer solution is dispersed in a hydrophobic liquid, the use of the polymers for thickening liquids and also an apparatus for producing polymers by spray polymerization.
US07968652B2
The present invention provides a modified conjugated diene polymer that is prepared by polymerization of a conjugated diene compound using a catalyst containing a lanthanoid rare earth element compound in an organic solvent and then modifying the resulting polymer having an active organic metal site with a modifier, wherein the modification efficiency is not less than 15% and the cis-1,4 bond content in the conjugated diene moiety measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy satisfies the relationship (I): cis-1,4 bond content≧98.00(%) (I), or the modification efficiency is not less than 75% and the cis-1,4 bond content in the conjugated diene moiety measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy satisfies the relationship (II): 94.00(%)≦cis-1,4 bond content<98.00(%) (II). The invention further provides a rubber composition containing the modified conjugated diene polymer and giving a tire exhibiting low heat build-up, satisfactory failure characteristics, and high abrasion resistance, and a tire composed of the rubber composition and exhibiting these characteristics.
US07968649B2
The present invention provides a process for easily preparing a vinylidene fluoride homopolymer comprising an I-form crystal structure at high purity by selecting a solvent, and the process for preparing the vinylidene fluoride homopolymer comprises not less than 70% by mass of I-form crystal structure, which is obtained by dissolving a vinylidene fluoride homopolymer having a number average degree of polymerization of 3 to 20 in a solvent consisting of an organic solvent having a dipole moment of not less than 2.8 alone or comprising the organic solvent in a part, thereafter, evaporating the solvent.
US07968624B2
A highly filled system is provided which employs the combination of coated filler particles and a compatibilizer to allow extremely high filler loading while maintaining a low viscosity. The compositions of the present invention allows a filler level which was previously unachievable due to the increase in viscosity which is particularly evident when extremely small (nanometer sized) filler is added to a system containing conventional (micron sized) filler particles. This is accomplished through selection of a coating for the filler and selection of a compatibilizer which improves the affinity between the filler and the polymer, thereby improving nanometer sized filler wetting and dispersion and allowing the filler to be incorporated into the polymer matrix.
US07968622B2
An ink-jet composition for a color filter excellent in storage stability, straightness and sustainability at the time of ejection from a head, wherein a cured layer thereof is excellent in heat resistance, adhesive property, and solvent resistance. The ink-jet ink composition for a color filter is a specific epoxy group-containing polymer (A), a specific epoxy group-containing compound (B) having two or more specific epoxy groups and a polycarboxlic acid derivative (C) in which specific carboxylic acid (c1) having alicyclic hydrocarbon is rendered latent by vinyl ether (c2), wherein the equivalence ratio of carboxyl groups rendered latent by the polycarbonoxylic acid derivative (C) to the total epoxy groups contained in the epoxy-group containing polymer (A) and the epoxy-group containing compound (B) is in the range from 0.7 to 1.1.
US07968620B2
An insulation composition that comprises at least one nitrile butadiene rubber, basalt fibers, and nanoclay is disclosed. Further disclosed is an insulation composition that comprises polybenzimidazole fibers, basalt fibers, and nanoclay. The basalt fibers may be present in the insulation compositions in a range of from approximately 1% by weight to approximately 6% by weight of the total weight of the insulation composition. The nanoclay may be present in the insulation compositions in a range of from approximately 5% by weight to approximately 10% by weight of the total weight of the insulation composition. Rocket motors including the insulation compositions and methods of insulating a rocket motor are also disclosed.
US07968619B2
A composition useful for treating fabrics. The composition contains a silver-containing copolymer having polymerized units of a monomer X and a monomer Y; wherein monomer X is an ethylenically unsaturated compound having a substituent group selected from an unsaturated or aromatic heterocyclic group having at least one nitrogen atom; wherein monomer Y is selected from carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid salts, carboxylic acid esters, organosulfuric acids, organosulfuric acid salts, sulfonic acids, sulfonic acid salts, phosphonic acids, phosphonic acid salts, vinyl esters, (meth)acrylamides, C8-C20 aromatic monomers containing at least one exocyclic ethylenic unsaturation and combinations thereof.
US07968615B2
The present invention provides a polymerizable composition that imparts excellent adhesive properties with respect to tooth structure (particularly dentin) when applied as a dental material, and provides a polymerizable monomer that is used as a component of the polymerizable composition. The present invention is a compound (A) that is a compound represented by the following formula (1): where G indicates a polymerizable group, m indicates an integer of 2 or more, n indicates an integer of 1 or more, and the sequence order of m units having a polymerizable group and n units having a hydroxyl group is arbitrary. The present invention also is a polymerizable composition containing the compound (A).
US07968614B2
The invention provides compositions that include macromers and visible light-activated polymerization initiators, and methods for forming a matrix using these compositions in conjunction with a light source that emits light primarily in the visible light spectrum.
US07968612B2
There is provided a modified ion exchange resin catalyst which exhibits higher bisphenols selectivity than the conventional modified ion exchange resins in processes wherein bisphenols are produced by reacting a phenolic compound with ketones, and to provide such a process for producing bisphenols. A modified ion exchange resin is characterized in that at least one compound selected from (A) and (B) shown below is ionically bonded to an acidic functional group of an acidic ion exchange resin: (A) Compound represented by Formula (1) and (B) Compound represented by Formula (2)
US07968611B2
A method of producing an iron catalyst for catalyzing the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide is disclosed. The method comprises using a reduced amount of acid for iron dissolution compared to certain previous methods. The resulting acidic iron mixture is heated without boiling to obtain a nitrate solution having a Fe2+:Fe3+ ratio in the range of about 0.01%: 99.99% to about 100%:0% (wt:wt). Iron phases are precipitated at a lower temperature compared to certain previous methods. The recovered catalyst precursor is dried and sized to form particles having a size distribution between 10 microns and 100 microns. In embodiments, the Fe2+:Fe3+ ratio in the nitric acid solution may be in the range of from about 3%:97% to about 30%:70% (wt:wt) and the calcined catalyst may comprise a maghemite:hematite ratio of about 1%:99% to about 70%:30%.
US07968606B2
The present invention provides a perfume composition, which comprises at least one trimethoxybenzene in an amount of less than 0.5% by weight based on the total weight of the perfume composition. The present invention also provides a method for providing sedation in a subject, which comprises applying a perfume composition comprising at least one trimethoxybenzene in an amount of less than 0.5% by weight based on the total weight of the perfume composition to the subject.
US07968605B2
A method is disclosed for treating inflammatory disease in an animal in need thereof by administering to the animal a pharmaceutical composition containing an anti-inflammatory effective amount of an organic aldehyde compound or a derivative thereof in a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle.
US07968602B2
Analogs of 4-[(E)-2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-napthalenyl)-1-propenyl]benzoic acid and methods of manufacture and use thereof, such as for use in cancer prevention and treatment.
US07968599B2
The present invention relates to a chemically stable formulation of florfenicol, (and structurally related compounds) in compositions such as soluble blended powders, granules, fast-dissolving tablets or pellets suitable for rapid release of the drug in water, and to methods and kits for treating animals with aqueous compositions including florfenicol.
US07968597B2
(2R)-2-Phenylcarbonyloxypropyl (2S)-2-amino-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propanoate mesylate and crystalline form thereof, methods of making the same, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of using the same to treat diseases or disorders such as Parkinson's disease are provided.
US07968592B2
3-aminopyrrolidone compounds and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof that are active as sodium and/or calcium channel modulators and therefore useful in preventing, alleviating and curing a wide range of pathologies, including, but not limited to cardiovascular, inflammatory, ophthalmic, urologic, metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases.
US07968587B2
The present invention provides a compound of the formula: Formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of Formula (I) in combination with a suitable carrier, diluent, or excipient; and methods for treating physiological disorders, particularly reduced bones mass, osteoporosis, osteopenia, or reduced muscle mass or strength, comprising administering a compound of Formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. X-17142.
US07968583B2
Substituted pyrrolo-pyrazole derivatives of formula (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, as defined in the specification, process for their preparation and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them are disclosed; the compounds of the invention may be useful in therapy in the treatment of diseases associated with dysregulated protein kinase activity, like cancer.
US07968581B2
Novel compounds are disclosed that have a Formula represented by the following: wherein X, R1, R2a, R2b, R2c, R3a R3b, R4a, R4b, R4c, and m1 are as described herein. The compounds may be prepared as pharmaceutical compositions, and may be used for the prevention and treatment of a variety of conditions in mammals including humans, including by way of non-limiting example, cachexia, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, a decline in libido and/or sexual dysfunction.
US07968573B2
A hydrazide compound represented by the formula (1): (wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, A1, A2, J, Q and n are defined in the specification) has excellent pesticidal activity.
US07968561B2
There is provided a compound having Formula I wherein G is a fluorocarbyl group, and wherein R1 is any one of a sulphamate group, a phosphonate group, a thiophosphonate group, a sulphonate group or a sulphonamide group.
US07968553B2
Tetrahydro-4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidines and related compounds of Formula A: are described as inhibitors of HIV integrase and inhibitors of HIV replication, wherein n is an integer equal to zero, 1, 2 or 3, and R1, R3, R4, R12, R14, R16, R30, R32, R34 and R36 are defined herein. These compounds are useful in the prevention and treatment of infection by HIV and in the prevention, delay in the onset, and treatment of AIDS. The compounds are employed against HIV infection and AIDS as compounds per se or in the form of pharmaceutically acceptable salts. The compounds and their salts can be employed as ingredients in pharmaceutical compositions, optionally in combination with other antivirals, immunomodulators, antibiotics or vaccines.
US07968549B2
To provide a therapeutic agent for viral myocarditis and viral myocarditis-related viral diseases by treating the occurrence of cell damage in various organs regardless of the type of virus. A therapeutic agent for viral myocarditis and viral myocarditis-related viral diseases is provided that has as an active ingredient 2-[4-(dipehnylmethyl)-1-piperazinyl]-acetic acid, amide derivative, individual optical isomer or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US07968547B2
Disclosed are compounds which bind VLA-4. Certain of these compounds also inhibit leukocyte adhesion and, in particular, leukocyte adhesion mediated by VLA-4. Such compounds are useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases in a mammalian patient, e.g., human, such as asthma, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, AIDS dementia, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, tissue transplantation, tumor metastasis and myocardial ischemia. The compounds can also be administered for the treatment of inflammatory brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
US07968536B2
The present invention provides compounds useful as inhibitors of protein kinase. The present invention also provides compositions thereof, and methods of treating Raf-mediated diseases.
US07968533B2
The present invention provides compositions comprising a gas and a gastrointestinal smooth muscle relaxing agent comprising ethyl nitrite in a therapeutically effective amount. The present invention also provides methods of relaxing gastrointestinal smooth muscle, alleviating contraction or spasm of gastrointestinal smooth muscle to facilitate a diagnostic medical procedure and treating or preventing a gastrointestinal disorder using the compositions of the invention.
US07968530B2
Organic compounds are described, which are capable of forming quaternary salts, quaternary salts thereof with a structure having general formula (I) and their use for the control of phytopathogen fungi.
US07968529B2
The present invention is in the field of cholesterol and triglyceride-lowering methods and compositions. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of sphingolipids, more preferably phytosphingosine, sphingosine, sphinganine, ceramide, cerebroside and/or sphingomyelin for lowering the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in a subject and to the use of sphingolipids as a plasma and/or serum cholesterol and triglyceride lowering agent. The invention also encompasses methods of treatment of subjects suffering from high plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as food items and supplements with increased sphingolipid levels.
US07968526B2
The present invention provides antisense oligonucleotides directed to a mammalian ribonucleotide reductase R2 gene and combinations of the antisense oligonucleotides with one or more chemotherapeutic agents for use in the treatment of cancer.
US07968522B2
A method and composition for the prophylaxis or treatment of humans or animals for septic shock and sepsis using a mixture of sophorolipids.
US07968520B2
This invention features methods and compositions useful for treating and diseases caused by a dysregulation of the BMP/GDF branch of the TGF-β signaling pathway. Also disclosed are methods for identifying compounds useful for such therapy.
US07968519B2
Methods and compositions for the generation of polypeptides having varied material properties are disclosed herein. Methods include means for initiating the polymerization of aminoacid-N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomer by combining the monomer with an amido-containing metallacycle, for making self assembling amphiphilic block copolypeptides and related protocols for adding oligo(ethyleneglycol) functionalized aminoacid-N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) to polyaminoacid chains. Additional methods include means of adding an end group to the carboxy terminus of a polyaminoacid chain by reacting an alloc-protected amino acid amide with a transition metal-donor ligand complex to forming an amido-amidate metallacycle for use in further polymerization reactions. Novel compositions for use in peptide synthesis and design including five and six membered amido-containing metallacycles and block copolypeptides are also disclosed.
US07968518B2
Disclosed are non-immunosuppressive cyclophilin-binding cyclosporins, e.g., of formula (I, Ia or II) as defined herein, having useful properties in the prevention of Hepatitis C infections.
US07968511B2
Combination therapy with glatiramer acetate and mitoxantrone for the treatment of multiple sclerosis
The subject invention provides a method of treating a subject afflicted with a form of multiple sclerosis comprising periodically administering to the subject an amount of glatiramer acetate and an amount of mitoxantrone, wherein the amounts when taken together are effective to alleviate a symptom of the form of multiple sclerosis in the subject so as to thereby treat the subject. The subject invention also provides a package comprising glatiramer acetate, mitoxantrone and instructions for use of the together to alleviate a symptom of a form of multiple sclerosis in a subject. Additionally, the subject invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising an amount of glatiramer acetate and an amount of mitoxantrone, wherein the amounts when taken together are effective to alleviate a symptom of a form of multiple sclerosis in a subject. The subject invention further provides a pharmaceutical combination comprising separate dosage forms of an amount of glatiramer acetate and an amount of mitoxantrone, which combination is useful to alleviate a symptom of a form of multiple sclerosis in a subject.
US07968500B2
Methods and compositions useful in inhibiting the formation, growth, and/or maintenance of gas hydrates in a fluid mixture. The gas hydrate inhibitors comprise polyetheramines and acids that are exothermically reacted in situ to produce polyetherammonium compounds.
US07968494B2
A heat-sensitive recording material including: a substrate; a heat-sensitive color developing layer over the substrate, the heat-sensitive color developing layer composed mainly of a leuco dye and a color developer that develops color of the leuco dye upon heating; and a protective layer over the heat-sensitive color developing layer, the protective layer composed mainly of a water-soluble resin and a crosslinking agent, wherein the protective layer contains diacetone-modified polyvinyl alcohol as the water-soluble resin, and N-aminopolyacrylamide as the crosslinking agent.
US07968485B2
There is described a Ceramic Powder, a Ceramic Layer and a Layer System of Two Pyrochlore Phases and Oxides. Besides a good thermal insulation property, thermal insulation layer systems must also have a long lifetime of the thermal insulation layer. The layer system has a ceramic layer, which comprises a mixture of two pyrochlore phases.
US07968483B2
The invention relates to a fired refractory ceramic product. According to the invention, this generic term encompasses both shaped and unshaped products. Shaped products are ones which have a defined shape so that they can be manufactured in finished form on the premises of the manufacturer. Shaped products include: bricks, nozzles, tubes, stoppers, plates, etc. The term unshaped products includes ones which are usually produced by the user from a corresponding composition. They include bases for furnaces which are cast from a composition but also repair compositions, etc.
US07968468B2
In a substrate treatment method for supplying a coating solution to a substrate with projections and depressions on a front surface thereof to form a coating film on the front surface of the substrate, the coating solution is supplied to the rotating substrate to form a coating film on the front surface of the substrate, and the substrate having the coating film formed thereon is heated to adjust an etching condition of the coating film. Next, the etching solution is supplied to the rotating substrate to etch the coating film, and thereafter the coating solution is supplied to the substrate to form a flat coating film on the front surface of the substrate. Thereafter, the substrate is heated to cure the coating film. This flattens the coating film with uniformity and high accuracy without undergoing a high-load process such as chemical mechanical polishing.
US07968467B2
A method for forming patterns in a semiconductor memory device, wherein first spacers arranged at a first spacing and second spacers arranged at a second spacing are formed on a target layer which is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A mask pattern is formed to cover a portion of the target layer defined by the two adjacent second spacers. At least two first patterns and at least one second pattern is formed by patterning the target layer using the first spacers, the second spacers and the mask pattern as an etch mask. Here, the second pattern is wider than the first pattern.
US07968460B2
Semiconductor devices are described that have a metal interconnect extending vertically through a portion of the device to the back side of a semiconductor substrate. A top region of the metal interconnect is located vertically below a horizontal plane containing a metal routing layer. Method of fabricating the semiconductor device can include etching a via into a semiconductor substrate, filling the via with a metal material, forming a metal routing layer subsequent to filling the via, and removing a portion of a bottom of the semiconductor substrate to expose a bottom region of the metal filled via.
US07968452B2
This disclosure provides (a) methods of making an oxide layer (e.g., a dielectric layer) based on titanium oxide, to suppress the formation of anatase-phase titanium oxide and (b) related devices and structures. A metal-insulator-metal (“MIM”) stack is formed using an ozone pretreatment process of a bottom electrode (or other substrate) followed by an ALD process to form a TiO2 dielectric, rooted in the use of an amide-containing precursor. Following the ALD process, an oxidizing anneal process is applied in a manner is hot enough to heal defects in the TiO2 dielectric and reduce interface states between TiO2 and electrode; the anneal temperature is selected so as to not be so hot as to disrupt BEL surface roughness. Further process variants may include doping the titanium oxide, pedestal heating during the ALD process to 275-300 degrees Celsius, use of platinum or ruthenium for the BEL, and plural reagent pulses of ozone for each ALD process cycle. The process provides high deposition rates, and the resulting MIM structure has substantially no x-ray diffraction peaks associated with anatase-phase titanium oxide.
US07968447B2
A semiconductor device may include plugs disposed in a zigzag pattern, interconnections electrically connected to the plugs and a protection pattern which is interposed between the plugs and the interconnections to selectively expose the plugs. The interconnections may include a connection portion which is in contact with plugs selectively exposed by the protection pattern. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes, after forming a molding pattern and a mask pattern, selectively etching a protection layer using the mask pattern to form a protection pattern exposing a plug.
US07968445B2
A flip chip style semiconductor package has a substrate with a plurality of active devices formed thereon. A contact pad is formed over the substrate. An under bump metallization (UBM) layer is in electrical contact with the contact pad. A passivation layer is formed over the substrate. In one case, the UBM layer is disposed above the passivation layer. Alternatively, the passivation layer is disposed above the UBM layer. A portion of the passivation layer is removed to create a passivation island. The passivation island is centered with respect to the contact pad with its top surface devoid of the UBM layer. A solder bump is formed over the passivation island in electrical contact with the UBM layer. The passivation island forms a void in the solder bump for stress relief. The UBM layer may include a redistribution layer such that the passivation island is offset from the contact pad.
US07968432B2
A laser processing apparatus has one laser light source that simultaneously radiates laser beams with two wavelengths. Depth positions of focusing points for laser beams are gradually changed in a wafer. Three sets of modifying region groups, i.e., six layers of modifying region groups, are successively formed. One set of modifying region groups constitutes two layers and is formed at a time. The modifying region groups are separated, adjoined, or overlapped with each other along an estimated cut line of the wafer in a depth direction from a surface thereof.
US07968430B2
A compound semiconductor device includes a laminated body including a crystal substrate and a compound semiconductor multilayer film. The laminated body has a major surface, a first side face, a second side face, a third side face, and a fourth side face. The first and the second side faces are opposed to each other, substantially perpendicular to the major surface of the laminated body, made of cleaved surfaces. The third and the fourth side faces are perpendicular to the major surface and to the first and the second side faces, opposed to each other, and made of uncleaved surfaces. A groove is provided on the third side face, and the groove has a depth varied with position as viewed from the major surface, and has ends not reaching the first and second side face.
US07968423B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a hard mask pattern over a substrate, forming a protection layer by transforming a portion of a sidewall of the hard mask pattern, forming a trench by etching the substrate using the hard mask pattern and the protection layer as an etch barrier, forming an isolation layer by filling the trench with an insulation material, removing the hard mask pattern, and performing a cleaning process. By forming the protection layer, it is possible to prevent the isolation layer from being lost during the removing of the hard mask pattern and the cleaning process and thus prevent generation of a moat.
US07968412B2
According to an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a MISFET device, in a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor layer is formed, having a first type of conductivity and a first level of doping. A first body region and a second body region, having a second type of conductivity, opposite to the first type of conductivity, and an enriched region, extending between the first and second body regions are formed in the semiconductor layer. The enriched region has the first type of conductivity and a second level of doping, higher than the first level of doping. Moreover, a gate electrode is formed over the enriched region and over part of the first and second body regions, and a dielectric gate structure is formed between the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer, the dielectric gate structure having a larger thickness on the enriched region and a smaller thickness on the first and second body regions. To form the enriched region, a first conductive layer is made on the semiconductor layer, an enrichment opening is formed in the first conductive layer, and a dopant species is introduced into the semiconductor layer through the enrichment opening. Furthermore, the formation of the dielectric gate structure envisages filling the enrichment opening with dielectric material, prior to forming the first body region and the second body region.
US07968411B2
A threshold voltage adjusted long-channel transistor fabricated according to short-channel transistor processes is described. The threshold-adjusted transistor includes a substrate with spaced-apart source and drain regions formed in the substrate and a channel region defined between the source and drain regions. A layer of gate oxide is formed over at least a part of the channel region with a gate formed over the gate oxide. The gate further includes at least one implant aperture formed therein with the channel region of the substrate further including an implanted region within the channel between the source and drain regions. Methods for forming the threshold voltage adjusted transistor are also disclosed.
US07968409B2
A Mixed-Signal Semiconductor Platform Incorporating Castellated-Gate MOSFET device(s) capable of Fully-Depleted operation is disclosed along with a method of making the same. The composite device/technology platform has robust I/O applications and includes a starting semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type. One or more isolated regions of at least a first conductivity type is separated by trench isolation insulator islands. Within an isolated region designated for castellated-gate MOSFETs there exists a semiconductor body consisting of an upper portion with an upper surface, and a lower portion with a lower surface. Also within the castellated-gate MOSFET region, there exists a source region, a drain region, and a channel-forming region disposed between the source and drain regions, and are all formed within the semiconductor substrate body. The channel-forming region within the isolated castellated-gate MOSFET region is made up of a plurality of thin, spaced, vertically-orientated conductive channel elements that span longitudinally along the device between the source and drain regions. One or more of the trench isolated regions may contain at least one type or polarity of logic and/or memory computing device. Alternately or additionally, one or more type of Logic and/or memory device may be incorporated within vertically displaced regions above the active body region of the semiconductor wafer, embedded within Interlevel Dielectric Layers.
US07968405B2
A method of manufacturing a nonvolatile memory device is provided. The method includes forming an isolation layer in a semiconductor substrate defining an active region and forming a molding pattern on the isolation layer. A first conductive layer is formed on a sidewall and a top surface of the molding pattern and on the semiconductor substrate. The first conductive layer on the top surface of the molding pattern is selectively removed forming a conductive pattern. The conductive pattern includes a body plate disposed on the active region and a protrusion which extends from an edge of the body plate onto the sidewall of the molding pattern. The molding pattern is then removed. An inter-gate dielectric layer is formed on the isolation layer and the conductive pattern. Nonvolatile memory devices manufactured using the method are also provided.
US07968399B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate including first and second element-formation regions partitioned by an isolation trench, first and second lower gate insulating films formed on the first and second element-formation regions, first and second floating gates formed on the first and second lower gate insulating films, an isolation insulating film formed at least in the isolation trench and has a depression formed in an upper surface thereof, an upper gate insulating film formed on the first and second floating gates, and a control gate line including an opposed portion opposed to the first and second floating gates, with the upper gate insulating film being interposed, and a portion located inside the depression, the first floating gate including a side surface opposed to the second floating gate and entirely aligns with a side surface included in the first element-formation region and defined by the isolation trench.
US07968397B2
A semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulating film which is composed of a material whose main component is a tetravalent metal oxide, a mixture of a tetravalent metal oxide and SiO2, or a mixture of a tetravalent metal oxide and SiON and which containing B when it is in an nMOS structure on the semiconductor substrate or containing at least one of P and As when it is in a pMOS structure on the semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode made of a metal having a work function of 4 eV to 5.5 eV.
US07968393B2
A semiconductor device can include at least a first diffusion region formed by doping a semiconductor substrate and at least a second diffusion region formed by doping the semiconductor substrate that is separated from the first diffusion region by an isolation region. At least a first conductive line can comprise a semiconductor material formed over and in contact with the first diffusion region and the second diffusion region. A portion of the first conductive line in contact with the first diffusion region is doped to an opposite conductivity type as the first diffusion region. At least a second conductive line comprising a semiconductor material is formed in parallel with the first conductive line and over and in contact with the first diffusion region and the second diffusion region. A portion of the second conductive line can be in contact with the first diffusion region and doped to a same conductivity type as the first diffusion region. A portion of the second conductive line in contact with the second diffusion region can be doped to a same conductivity type as the second diffusion region.
US07968384B2
A method of horizontally stacking transistors on a common semiconductor substrate is initiated by providing a single crystal, generally silicon, semiconductor substrate. A plurality of transistors are formed on the single crystal semiconductor substrate and encapsulated in an insulating layer, such as silicon dioxide. One or more openings are formed through the insulating layer between the plurality of transistors so as to expose a surface of the single crystal semiconductor substrate. A layer of single crystal rare earth insulator material is epitaxially grown on the exposed surface of the single crystal semiconductor substrate. A layer of single crystal semiconductor material, generally silicon, is epitaxially grown on the layer of single crystal rare earth insulator material. An intermixed transistor is formed on the layer of single crystal semiconductor material.
US07968383B2
A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising the subsequent steps of: providing a thermal conversion material or an area comprising the thermal conversion material and, in an adjoining area or in a vicinity of the thermal conversion material or the area comprising the thermal conversion material, a material having an electromagnetic wave absorbing function or an area comprising the material having the electromagnetic wave absorbing function, in at least a portion on a substrate; and irradiating the substrate with an electromagnetic wave to transform the thermal conversion material into a functional material using a heat generated by the material having the electromagnetic wave absorbing function.
US07968373B2
An integrated circuit package on package system including: forming a first substrate assembly; forming a second substrate, having an auxiliary access port, supported by the first substrate assembly; exposing an integrated circuit die through the auxiliary access port; and coupling an external integrated circuit on the second substrate.
US07968371B2
A semiconductor package system is provided including providing a cavity substrate having a cavity provided therein, attaching a metal die pad to the cavity substrate, attaching a semiconductor die in the cavity to the metal die pad, and attaching solder connectors to the cavity substrate for connection on the system board with the metal die pad on the system board.
US07968370B2
There is a need for providing a technology capable of decreasing on-resistance of a power transistor in a semiconductor device that integrates the power transistor and a control integrated circuit into a single semiconductor chip. There is another need for providing a technology capable of reducing a chip size of a semiconductor device. A semiconductor chip includes a power transistor formation region to form a power transistor, a logic circuit formation region to form a logic circuit, and an analog circuit formation region to form an analog circuit. A pad is formed in the power transistor formation region. The pad and a lead are connected through a clip whose cross section is larger than that of a wire. On the other hand, a bonding pad is connected through the wire 29.
US07968353B2
Improved methods and apparatus for forming thin-film layers of semiconductor material absorber layers on a substrate web. According to the present teachings, a semiconductor layer may be formed in a multi-zone process whereby various layers are deposited sequentially onto a moving substrate web.
US07968352B2
The invention describes a method of achieving superconductivity in Group IV semiconductors via the addition of doubly charged impurity atoms to the crystal lattice. The doubly charged impurities function as composite bosons in the semiconductor. Increasing the density of the composite bosons to a level where their wavefunctions overlap, results in the formation of a Bose condensate. The concentration of the doubly charged impurity atoms in the host lattice and the binding energy of the impurities are important factors in determining whether a Bose condensate will form. Doubly charged impurities must be present in the semiconductor at a concentration at which they exhibit overlapping wavefunctions, but still exist within the crystal lattice as bosons.
US07968350B2
The invention involves obtaining signatures of species (including chemical, biological, or biochemical molecules) and/or signatures of interactions between species and using them to characterize species, characterize interactions, and/or identify species that could be useful in a variety of settings. Signatures can be obtained using aqueous multi-phase partitioning and can be used to predict molecular interactions for applications such as drug discovery. A plurality of aqueous multi-phase partitioning arrangements can define an overall system providing an information-intensive signature, maximizing precision and sensitivity.
US07968344B2
A protein analysis kit is disclosed. The kit includes a sample cup for mixing a protein sample with a dye-binding solution and a filter holder for being positioned in the sample cup. The filter holder includes a filter media and a depending spout below the filter media that reaches bottom portions of the cup when the filter media is positioned above the cup.
US07968338B1
The method of the present invention comprises: Obtaining an explant from the seeds of Jatropha curcas; Putting the explant derived from the seed of Jatropha curcas in a culture medium; Breaking the intercellular unions of the explants tissue, which generates individuals cells; Incubating for a determined time the culture medium with the generated individual cells, that were multiplied; and, Extracting oil from the cells that multiplied from the individual cells generated from the explants derived from the Jatropha curcas seed.
US07968336B2
The present invention is directed to pluripotent fetal stem cells derived from chorionic villus, amniotic fluid, and placenta and the methods for isolating, expanding and differentiating these cells, and their therapeutic uses such as manipulating the fetal stem cells by gene transfection and other means for therapeutic applications.
US07968335B2
A cell culturing method employing biomechanical stimulation loading and a system for applying, in in vitro culture, stimulation similar to vertical weight load stimulation or sideward shear stress stimulation acting on tissues in an aboveground living body as repeated biomechanical stimulation to culture cells, culture tissues or a construct including the culture cells. The system includes a mechanical stimulation loading device and a culture receptacle that are placed in a carbon dioxide incubator, and a control computer. The device includes a weight loading piston, a piston raising and lowering stage supporting piston to allow vertical movement of a piston within a designated range, and a stage lifting and lowering mechanism for vertically moving the stage. A computer drives the mechanism in a specified cycle to effect the vertical movement of the stage. When the stage is lowered, a culture in the receptacle is weighted with the piston.
US07968333B2
The present invention provides adenoviral vectors comprising cell status-specific transcriptional regulatory elements which confer cell status-specific transcriptional regulation on an adenoviral gene. A “cell status” is generally a reversible physiological and/or environmental state. The invention further provides compositions and host cells comprising the vectors, as well as methods of using the vectors.
US07968323B2
The invention relates to bacterial ghost preparation using betapropiolactone for final inactivation of bacteria.
US07968321B1
The present disclosure relates to methods and compositions for engineering photoautotrophic organisms to convert carbon dioxide and light into fatty acid esters and other molecules, including biofuels. The molecules are then secreted by the organism into a growth medium.
US07968314B2
The invention provides a method of evaluating metabolism-based drug interactions. The method involves selecting time points for the determination of the inactivation rate constant of a time-dependent enzyme inhibitor based on the results of a multi-time point IC50 test. Advantageously, with the subject invention, the determination and use of the multi-time point IC50 test provides an indication of the inactivation rate of a test compound and eliminates trial and error tests associated with the selection of appropriate assay conditions for the second assay conducted to determine the inactivation rate constant of the test compound.
US07968313B2
This invention is in the general field of recombinant expression of polypeptides in animal cell culture. More particularly, the invention concerns improved selection in cells of recombinantly engineered vectors designed to express polypeptides.
US07968305B2
The present invention recognizes that the determination of ion transport function or property using direct detection methods, such as patch-clamps, whole cell recording or single channel recording, are preferable to methods that utilize indirect detection methods, such as FRET based detection system. The present invention provides biochips and methods of use that allow for the direct analysis of ion transport function or property using microfabricated structures that can allow for automated detection of ion transport function or property. These biochips and methods of use thereof are particularly appropriate for automating the detection of ion transport function or property, particularly for screening purposes.
US07968304B2
The present invention provides BoNT/B peptides, BoNT/B peptide compositions, tolerogizing compositions, immune response inducing compositions, as well as methods of determining immunoresistance to botulinum toxin therapy in an individual, methods of treating immunoresistance to botulinum toxin therapy in an individual, methods of reducing anti-botulinum toxin antibodies in an individual and methods of inducing a BoNT/B immune response an individual.
US07968303B2
Methods for diagnosing risk of miscarriage and/or premature birth, foetal abnormalities, cancer (e.g. prostate cancer) and inflammatory disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) are disclosed which involve determining abnormal levels of macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) in a body sample or, otherwise, determining the presence of a MIC-1 variant protein. Also disclosed are methods for reducing the risk of miscarriage and/or premature birth in pregnant subjects, and methods for treatment of inflammatory disease and/or cancer.
US07968294B2
This invention relates to compositions and methods for cancer diagnosis, research and therapy, including but not limited to, cancer markers. In particular, this invention relates to SLIT2 cancer markers that are useful as diagnostic markers and clinical targets for prostate cancer.
US07968293B2
The present invention provides methods for providing a prognosis of treatment of diseases associated with inflammatory disease of the brain, including MS, e.g., relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease using molecular markers that are shown to be overexpressed or underexpressed in patients treated with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG). Also provided are methods to identify compounds that are useful for the treatment or prevention of MS, e.g., relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
US07968292B2
Compositions and methods for the rapid and sensitive detection of a carbapenemase in a sample is provided. The compositions include novel primer and probe compositions for use in detecting the presence of this enzyme in a sample, particularly using PCR methods. These primers and probe sets can be used in amplification methods (such as PCR, particularly quantitative PCR) and packaged into kits for use in amplification methods for the purpose of detecting carbapenemase in a test sample, particularly a patient sample, particularly a direct sample. Thus, in one embodiment, the present invention provides for novel oligonucleotide primers set forth in SEQ ID NOs:1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, 18, and 20, and the novel oligonucleotide probe sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs:3, 6, 9, 16, and 19. These sequences can be used in a method of detecting carbapenemase in a sample.
US07968291B2
The present invention relates to methods for evaluating the cell damaging potential of an agent by determining the ability of the agent to increase messenger RNA release in cells.
US07968282B2
A method for reducing resources for selecting seed to be produced in commercial quantities or for research is disclosed. Samples of seed which are candidates for selection are collected and given an identifier. Specific tissue or structure from candidate seed is removed. A test or analysis is performed on the candidate seed or the removed tissue or structure. Results of the test or analysis are recorded and correlated to the seed's identifier. The results are evaluated and a decision is made whether to select a candidate seed for commercial production or for research. Time, space, and labor associated with growing plants in an experimental plot or greenhouse and taking tissue samples from growing plants is saved.
