US08064937B2

A mobile user terminal (UE), which measures downlink channel quality, and which transmits downlink quality information indicating the measured downlink channel quality and an uplink pilot signal to be used for measuring uplink channel quality to a base station (BS), comprises a transmit time control unit (216), which synchronizes transmit time of the downlink quality information and transmit time of the uplink pilot signal relative to each other. And/or the mobile user terminal (UE) comprises a radio transmitting unit (212) which transmits the downlink quality information and the uplink pilot signal by using the same carrier frequency or by using adjacent carrier frequencies selected from among a plurality of preassigned carrier frequencies.
US08064935B2

A thermostat control system for monitoring and controlling environmental characteristics of a building includes a base station unit and a remote access unit continuously interfacing through instant wireless private direct connectivity. The system also includes a plurality of sensors that measure the environmental characteristics and provide the thermostat unit with the measurements.
US08064932B2

A communication apparatus is provided. A radio transceiver module receives paging indicators according to a first activation signal. A baseband processing module receives the paging indicators from the radio transceiver module and processes the paging indicators according to a second activation signal. A controller obtains corresponding system frame numbers of periodic radio frames, obtains a corresponding paging indicator position in each periodic radio frame, obtains a first and a second wake up time interval distributed within each periodic radio frame according to the corresponding paging indicator position, generates the first and the second activation signal to respectively activate the radio transceiver module and the baseband processing module during the first and the second wake up time interval, wherein both a length of the first wake up time interval and a length of the second wake up time interval are smaller than a length of a periodic radio frame.
US08064931B2

A cellular phone comprises a cellular phone control module that controls the cellular phone, a global positioning system (GPS) selectively generates vector and location data, and a transmitter. The cellular phone control module selectively wirelessly transmits the vector and location data using the transmitter when at least one of the cellular phone is traveling on a first set of predetermined roads and does not transmit the vector and location data when the cellular phone is traveling on a second set of roads, and the cellular phone is traveling at a first speed that is greater than a predetermined speed.
US08064928B2

Embodiments of a wireless access network and method for providing a location based service (LBS) to a visiting mobile station are disclosed. In some embodiments, a location data request forwarded by a home location server (HLS) is received at a visited location server (VLS). A subscriber profile and security query is generated for forwarding from a visitor authentication server to a home authentication server. When the home authentication server authenticates the request, location information for the visiting mobile station is obtained and a location data response message that includes the location information from the VLS is sent to the HLS for forwarding to the location client for use by the location client in performing a requested LBS.
US08064923B2

A circuit includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver that receives a GPS signal and that generates GPS position data based on the GPS signal. A wireless telephone transceiver section coupled to generate an outbound RF signal from an outbound symbol stream, and to convert an inbound RF signal into an inbound symbol stream. A processing module is coupled to convert outbound data into the outbound symbol stream, convert the inbound symbol stream into inbound data, to weight the GPS position data with a first weighting factor when the wireless telephone transceiver section is generating the outbound RF signal to produce first weighted GPS position data and weight the GPS position data with a second weighting factor with a second weighting factor when the wireless telephone transceiver section is not generating the outbound RE signal to produce second weighted GPS position data, and to generate position information based on at least one of the first and second weighted GPS position data.
US08064907B2

Some embodiments provide a method of associating Mobile Management Entities (MMEs) of an evolved packet system (EPS) and Voice over long term evolution (LTE) via Generic Access (VoLGA) network controllers (VANCs). The method includes at a serving VANC, receiving a registration message from a user equipment (UE). The registration message includes an assigned Globally Unique Temporary Identity (GUTI) of the UE and the serving VANC is provisioned with MME-to-VANC mapping information. The method extracts an identification of a MME from the GUTI and determines an associated VANC based on the provisioned MME-to-VANC mapping information. The method then sends a message from the serving VANC to the associated VANC, the message indicating that the serving VANC is now serving the UE.
US08064895B2

A method includes determining customization options available for customizing a recording based on ringtone capabilities of a phone and communicating the available customization options to the phone. The method further includes customizing the recording according to the available customization options selected by a user of the phone to thereby generate a customized recording. The method further includes generating a customized ringtone based on the customized recording and transmitting to the phone the customized ringtone to the phone for use by the phone in alerting of incoming communications.
US08064892B1

A method and system for conferencing a landline telephone into a cellular telephone call is disclosed. In response to a landline telephone going off-hook, a cellular telephone corresponding to the landline telephone is identified. When a determination is made that the corresponding cellular telephone is currently engaged in a call, the landline telephone is conferenced into the cellular call. If the cellular telephone is subsequently disengaged from the call, the original cellular call has been effectively transferred to the landline telephone. The inventive method and system may be linked to a cellular-landline conference call service. For example, a user may subscribe to such a service so that the user may automatically transfer a call from the user's cellular telephone to the user's home or office landline telephone when that landline telephone is taken off-hook.
US08064887B2

A cellular telephone handset stores audio files previously recorded by the user as well as voice mail messages from other users and selectively transmitted selected ones of these files to the remote listener, or to the voice mail system of a remote user. Voice mail messages are composed, stored, transmitted, forwarded and reviewed using a voice mail system without ringing the remote party's telephone, much as email is composed, stored, transmitted and reviewed using an email server.
US08064886B2

A control mechanism for a mobile communication device includes a first mode element, a second mode element and a third mode element. Each mode element corresponds to a distinct operational mode associated with a particular function of the mobile communication device. A physical switch mechanism, which has a first physical positional state corresponding to the first mode element, a second physical positional state corresponding to the second mode element, and a third physical positional state corresponding to the third mode element, is movable between each physical positional state to select an operational mode and to enable the mode element corresponding to the selected operational mode.
US08064876B2

Devices and methods are disclosed which relate to a multi-number cellular communication system that allows a single mobile device to use more than one telephone number. This cellular communication system assigns more than one telephone number to a mobile device. When a call is made to that mobile device from any of the assigned telephone numbers, a connection is made to the mobile device. When a user of the mobile device places an outgoing call, the user selects which telephone number to use for that outgoing call.
US08064874B2

This invention has as its object to reduce power consumption of dependent stations with low frequency of communication by controlling communications of the control station in a network. According to this invention, a control station communicating with dependent stations comprises a classification unit configured to classify the dependent stations connected to the control station into a plurality of groups; a first transmission unit configured to transmit first broadcast-frame to the dependent stations classified into first group; and a second transmission unit configured to transmit second broadcast-frame to the dependent stations classified into second group with lower frequency of communication compared to the first group, wherein the second transmission unit transmits the second broadcast-frame with a lower transmitting frequency compared to the first broadcast-frame transmitting frequency of the first transmission unit.
US08064869B2

The present invention discloses a mixer comprising with an input stage (100) for receiving and amplifying input signals (VINP, VINN) and an output stage (300) for outputting output signals (Voutp, Voutn). A switching stage (200) is coupled between the input stage (100) and the output stage (300), the switching stage (200) mixing the amplified input signals with a local oscillator signal (vlop, vlon) to produce the output signals (Voutp, Voutn) at the output stage (300). An RC circuit (cop, rop; con, ron) is connected to the output stage (300) and adapted to move the pole of the output signals.
US08064865B1

A tuning control system and associated method is provided for continuously and automatically tuning a lobed amplitude slope matching filter (ASMF) to a band center of an interfering signal to provide improved rejection of an interfering signal coupled from a transmission antenna into a local receive antenna in the presence of local multi-path, thereby Providing improved adaptive control loop performance. The tuning control system is provided as an element of an adaptive control loop.
US08064849B2

A wireless network (20) participates in radio frequency communication with plural wireless terminals (30). The network (20) comprises plural transmitters (40); a precoder value processor (42) configured to develop a set of precoder values; and a precoder (44) which uses the precoder values for coding the signals transmitted from the plural transmitters. The precoder value processor (42) is configured to develop a set of frequency-independent, linear precoder values for use in precoding signals transmitted from the plural transmitters (30). Each vector of the set is associated with one wireless terminal (30). The set of precoder values is determined such that a set of target average signal to interference noise (SINR) ratios is achieved by the plural wireless terminals with a predetermined total transmit power. Preferably, the predetermined total transmit power is minimum total transmit power.
US08064844B2

In a wireless communication apparatus in a time division duplex system, a transmission signal generation unit generates a transmission signal. A power amplifying device amplifies the generated transmission signal. A control signal generation device generates a drain voltage control signal for control of the drain voltage of the power amplifying device, and a gate voltage control signal for control of the gate voltage of the power amplifying device. The switch unit switches off the drain power supply of the power amplifying device during reception in the time division duplex system according to the drain voltage control signal. In addition, the power amplifying device sets a higher gate voltage during reception in the time division duplex system higher than during transmission according to the gate voltage control signal.
US08064840B2

A method and transceiver for determining spectrum availability within a give area is disclosed. The given area includes cells in a grid. A belief evaluator receives a measurement from a signal and assigns an instantaneous belief indicator, an instantaneous disbelief indicator and an instantaneous ignorance indicator based on a detection threshold and the power level of the measurement. The indicators quantify the probability of a presence of a transmitter within the grid cell. A belief accumulator uses the instantaneous indicators along with accumulated belief, disbelief and ignorance indicators from previous measurements to determine cumulative belief, disbelief and ignorance indicators. The accumulated belief, disbelief and ignorance indicators are the results of previous measurements and belief/disbelief/ignorance determinations for the grid cell. An allocator indicates the status of the grid cell and whether a spectrum is available. If a spectrum is available, then the grid cell is added to other available cells within the area to generate the spectrum hole.
US08064838B2

An information handling system includes a digital circuit having a first terminal connected to a first voltage reference, and a second terminal connected to a second voltage reference. The digital circuit is configured to be coupled to a radio device. The system also includes a band pass filter having a first terminal connected to the first voltage reference, and a second terminal connected to the second voltage reference. The bandpass filter is configured to produce a low impedance response, to reduce a radio frequency noise generated at a specific frequency band of the band pass filter, and to reduce a radio frequency interference produced by the digital circuit and received at the radio device.
US08064817B1

A network of terminals, where each terminal is operable by a student in a group as a response apparatus, is in contemporaneous communication with a teacher station. The modes of operation include visual, i.e. hand writing, hand drawing and typing, as well as audio, in particular the voice of the user, which may contemporaneously accompany the visual, such as when explaining what is being drawn. Such an apparatus can also be used by a teacher to author a lesson, including graphics and audio, providing information and questions which are recorded at the teacher station. The communication means between the student apparatuses and the teacher's station is in a preferred embodiment of the invention via an 802.11 wireless gateway when the students are in the same room as the teacher or in close proximity, or via the Internet especially in the case where individual students are remotely located from the teacher.
US08064810B2

An image forming apparatus includes first and second image bearing members on which toner images are to be formed, a conveying member, and a conveying member position index detecting device for detecting a conveying member position index provided on the conveying member. The apparatus also includes an image bearing member position index detecting device for detecting image bearing member position indices provided on the second image bearing member, an adjusting device for adjusting a rotational speed of the second image bearing member, and a controller for controlling the adjusting device so as to adjust a position of an image bearing member position index correspondingly to the conveying member position index, on the basis of detection results of the conveying member position index detecting device and the image bearing member position index detecting device.
US08064807B2

A developer supply system includes a container, a memory, and a positioning mechanism. The container has a deformable bag formed of flexible material to accommodate developer therein. The memory is attached to a given planar surface of the deformable bag to store information for communication to the image forming apparatus. The positioning mechanism holds the container therein while maintaining the given planar surface in position relative to the image forming apparatus when the deformable bag collapses as it discharges developer. An image forming apparatus employing such a developer supply system is also disclosed.
US08064805B2

A toner cartridge provided in an image forming apparatus in a removable manner for supplying toner to the image forming apparatus, the cartridge comprises a toner cartridge main body which contains the toner, a discharging opening for supplying the toner contained in the toner cartridge main body to the image forming apparatus and a shutter which opens the discharging opening when the toner cartridge main body is inserted in the image forming apparatus and closes the discharging opening when the toner cartridge main body is removed from the image forming apparatus, wherein the shutter has a concave part formed therein for engaging with a holding member which holds the shutter provided in the image forming apparatus to open and close the discharging opening when the toner cartridge main body is inserted in or removed from the image forming apparatus.
US08064780B2

A demodulating unit demodulates a differential M-phase shift keying signal light by causing delay and interference. A phase-error detecting unit detects an error of a control phase amount of the delay and the interference caused by the demodulating unit. A control unit adjusts the control phase amount to a predetermined phase amount based on the error. A data processing unit monitors an error state of data signal that is demodulated by the demodulating unit. The control unit changes the control phase amount from the predetermined amount when the error state is in a predetermined state, and determines a reception state of the differential M-phase shift keying signal light based on an error that is detected after the control phase amount is changed.
US08064777B2

A system includes a laser generator, and a signal distortion generator circuit inline with the laser generator modulation signal and configured to generate distortion vectors in any of four distortion vector quadrants.
US08064773B2

An optical fiber communications apparatus comprises a housing provided with a motherboard and a plurality of modular cards , each of which is engageable with the motherboard via one of the card receptors. A optical card includes an optical transceiver for communication using a digital, optical communications signal over a single optical fiber link. Each modular card is provided with a plurality of circuit sub-assemblies, each circuit sub-assembly being configured for digital communication with a respective local audio, video or data electronic device via a respective connector using a respective electronic information-carrying signal. Each circuit sub-assembly is configured for communication of an audio, video or data information-carrying signal with the transceiver using the digital, optical communications signal. Additionally, some circuitry assigns time periods for the individual information-carrying signals of the circuit sub-assemblies, and time division multiplexes the communications over the single optical fiber link.
US08064769B2

A method for switching from a first optical path optically coupled to an optical processing device to a second optical path, the first and second optical paths optically connecting, in parallel configuration, a first optical switch to a second optical switch, according to the following steps: directing optical radiation comprising at least a fast operating wavelength through the first optical path to the optical processing device, which is tuned to the first operating wavelength; tuning a resonant all-pass filter optically coupled to the second optical path so as to match, at least at a wavelength adjacent to the first operating wavelength, a phase distortion introduced by the optical processing device on the optical radiation; synchronously actuating the first and the second optical switch so as to switch the optical radiation from the first optical path to the second optical path.
US08064767B2

The present invention provides a system and method of optical communications that utilize coherent detection technique and optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing for phase encoded data transmission. In particular the invention addresses a device and method for digital polarization compensation of optical signals with up to 100 Gb/s transmission rate received via an optical link. The polarization compensation operates in two modes: acquisition mode and tracking mode. The polarization recovery is performed at the receiver side using the received digital signal conversion into frequency domain and separate reconstruction of the polarization state in each spectral component.
US08064766B2

A fiber optic network transmits data between a hub node and a plurality of local nodes connected by at least one unidirectional fiber ring. Downstream data streams are carried on wavelength-division-multiplexed optical carriers from the hub node to the local nodes. An optical carrier corresponding to a specific wavelength carries downstream data streams to a specific local node. Downstream data streams are multiplexed onto an optical carrier via orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. A parallel signal detector in each local node detects all downstream optical carriers. A signal processing module demultiplexes the data stream from the optical carrier having the specific wavelength corresponding to the local node. An upstream data stream is multiplexed via orthogonal frequency division multiplexing onto an upstream optical carrier having the same specific wavelength and transmitted from the local node to the hub node. Upstream data awaiting transmission is allocated to specific subcarriers and time slots.
US08064765B2

An optical signal monitoring system includes a bit rate information collecting unit and a monitoring unit. The bit rate information collecting unit gets bit rate information indicating a bit rate of an optical signal passing through an optical communication path. The monitoring unit extracts a monitoring optical signal from the optical communication path. When the bit rate information is not able to get, the monitoring optical signal is judged to be a noise. This system can make a sharp distinction between a broad optical signal whose bit rate is over 40 Gbit/sec and the ASE noise. Further, this system can correct optical signals dependently to those bit rates.
US08064764B2

A method is provided including the steps of monitoring at least one performance metric of at least one network component in an optical network system, determining whether the at least one network component is a rogue network component using the at least one performance metric, saving environment data to a non-volatile storage medium, and modifying the operation of the rogue network component to reduce interference of the rogue network component with the optical network system. In another embodiment, a method includes detecting a condition of a network component in an optical network system, and writing environment data of the network component to a non-volatile storage medium.
US08064761B2

An image is focused onto an image sensor array by efficient movement of an adjustable focus lens by a lens focus motor. A minimum of three focus positions is required to determine an estimated best focus position of the lens focus motor. After which a sweep of the focus positions surrounding the estimated best focus position is performed to verify and determine the best actual focus position of the lens focus motor. A sharpness value of the image being focused comprising a Sobel edge detection or other detections means provide sharpness data to evaluate image sharpness at various lens focus motor positions.
US08064755B2

The present invention records a main stream containing video contents and an auxiliary stream related therewith as logically-separated clip files on a recording medium. The logically-separated clip files, however, are interleaved on a physical recording area. Because the interleaved units of the auxiliary stream can be individually identified by a file system of the recording medium, the auxiliary stream recorded on the recording medium can be replaced with another one during reproduction or presentation.
US08064748B2

An interface is realized that can prevent video signals from being copied easily and which uses a luminance/color difference signal transmission scheme with an excellent harmony with a television circuit. In a video transmission using a digital interface, colorimetry information for defining the conversion from the luminance/color difference signal into a primary color signal and video aspect ratio information are transmitted along with the luminance/color difference type video signal. This allows reproduction of video with high quality and high resolution and also realizes a copyright protection which allows only the users authorized by key information to use the content of the video. With this transmission scheme, it is possible to provide a transmitting apparatus, a receiving apparatus and an interface which highly harmonize with a rationalized television-based circuit.
US08064743B2

In one aspect, a planar illumination area includes two light-guide elements, each with an out-coupling region. At least a portion of each out-coupling region overlaps with at least a portion of the other. The overlapping region emits a substantially uniform light output power.
US08064739B2

Examples of a computer system packaged in a three-dimensional stack of dies are described. The package includes an electrical die and an optical die coupled to and stacked with the electrical die. The electrical die includes circuitry to process and communicate electrical signals, and the optical die includes structures to transport optical signals. The electrical die has a smaller area than the optical die so that the optical die includes an exposed mezzanine which is configured with optical input/output ports. Additionally, the packaging can be configured to provide structural support against insertion forces for external optical connections.
US08064738B2

A leak detection apparatus comprising an optical fiber sensor (2) arranged to detect leakage of fluid through a hose carcass (6, 8), wherein the sensor is arranged to detect the location of the leak along a section (4) of the hose.
US08064724B2

An apparatus, and an associated methodology, by which to display multi-dimensional data. Data of a plurality of dimensions is mapped onto visualization dimensions of an asymmetrical facial image. The resultant image is of characteristics permitting a viewer of the image, once displayed at a display device, to readily discern the data or changes thereto.
US08064714B2

A method for binarizing a digital gray value image includes generating a binary edge image from the gray value image so as to cause existing edges to be determined as line areas around an edge; and, thereafter, computing a mean value of gray values of the gray value image in all regions which correspond to the line areas around an edge of the binary edge image with the mean value defining a threshold value for the generation of a binarized gray value image.
US08064706B1

A system of analyzing and processing images. The image is processed using machine vision techniques to find shapes and objects in the image. In one embodiment, the system finds geometric shapes and textures in the images. In another embodiment, the image processor finds actual objects in the image. Each of these items may be replaced with an indication of the item, along with difference information indicating the difference between the actual object in the image, and the object stored in the database. The difference information may include scale information, rotation information, color information and others. The information in the database may also include sub indicia, such as information about different parts of the item, and/or information about other things that may exist in the image.
US08064703B2

A method of extracting data from a document image includes selecting a document classification for the document image that includes text. The classification is selected from a plurality of predetermined document classifications based on recognized text. The method also includes selecting rules from a database of rules based on the document classification. The rules define data elements to be populated based on recognized document text. The method also includes selecting target data elements from a database of data elements based on the selected document classification and the selected rules. The method also includes recognizing selected portions of the document image. The selected portions are determined by the selected rules. Recognizing selected portions of the document image generates one or more character strings based on recognized text. The method further includes comparing a specific character string to a target data element, thereby producing a match measure based on the comparison. The method also includes creating validated data based on the character string and the match measure and storing the validated data as a data element.
US08064699B2

A signal is used to form intermediate feature vectors which are subjected to high-pass filtering. The high-pass-filtered intermediate feature vectors have a respective prescribed addition feature vector added to them.
US08064689B2

An image processor has: a unit that executes a conversion process on input image data represented by pixels of M grayscales (M≧3), to convert the input data into output image data represented by sub-pixels of two grayscales; and a unit that outputs the output data, wherein the conversion process includes: a process to determine a filling pattern of sub-pixels corresponding to a pixel of interest of the input data according to a corrected grayscale value obtained by adding a correction value to a grayscale value of the pixel of interest; and the pattern includes a core pattern which forms a core of a dot and a growth pattern which grows a dot, the correction value includes a diffused error, and at least a part of the diffused error obtained by weighting an error of a pixel determined as the core pattern is not included in the correction value.
US08064686B2

A device for the contactless optical determination of the position of an object. In particular, the present invention provides a method and device for the contactless optical determination of the 3D position of an object wherein an image of the object is generated by means of a camera and the 3D position of the object is calculated from the camera image based on the image information about detected geometrical characteristics. Determination of the 3D position of the object includes determination of the 3D position and the 3D orientation of the object.
US08064684B2

An interface that allows a user to explore complex three dimensional datasets. The user manipulates a physical modeling material that defines the geometry of a surface that intersects a voxel dataset and the intersected voxel values are projected back onto the surface of the physical material as image data. A position sensor captures position data specifying the geometry of the surface, a processor compares the array of data values with the captured position data to identify selected ones of these data values whose position in the array corresponds to the geometry of the surface, and a projector for illuminates the surface with an image representative of the data at the array/surface intersection.
US08064681B2

The present invention provides a reticle inspection technology that enables a relative position between patterns to be evaluated for a pattern that may become a defect at the time of exposure to a sample, such as a wafer, in the double patterning technology on the same layer. An apparatus for inspecting a reticle for inspecting two reticles that are used in order to form patterns in the same layer on a substrate using the double patterning technology has: a coordinate information input unit for inputting coordinate information of a pattern of a measuring object; an image input unit for acquiring images of patterns of the two reticles based on the obtained coordinate information; an image overlay unit for overlaying the images of the two reticles at the same coordinates; a relative position calculation unit for finding the relative position between the patterns on the two reticles; an evaluation unit for assigning an index of the overlaying accuracy based on the relative position and evaluates whether the two reticles need repair; and an evaluation result output unit for outputting an evaluation result.
US08064675B2

A method for detecting tubing in a radiographic image of a patient, executed at least in part by a control logic processor, obtains a radiographic image data for a patient and detects one or more possible tube segments in the image. At least one tubing candidate is formed by extending at least one detected tube segment or merging two or more detected tube segments.
US08064669B2

A novel framework for fast and continuous registration between two imaging modalities is disclosed. The approach makes it possible to completely determine the rigid transformation between multiple sources at real-time or near real-time frame-rates in order to localize the cameras and register the two sources. A disclosed example includes computing or capturing a set of reference images within a known environment, complete with corresponding depth maps and image gradients. The collection of these images and depth maps constitutes the reference source. The second source is a real-time or near-real time source which may include a live video feed. Given one frame from this video feed, and starting from an initial guess of viewpoint, the real-time video frame is warped to the nearest viewing site of the reference source. An image difference is computed between the warped video frame and the reference image. The viewpoint is updated via a Gauss-Newton parameter update and certain of the steps are repeated for each frame until the viewpoint converges or the next video frame becomes available. The final viewpoint gives an estimate of the relative rotation and translation between the camera at that particular video frame and the reference source. The invention has far-reaching applications, particularly in the field of assisted endoscopy, including bronchoscopy and colonoscopy. Other applications include aerial and ground-based navigation.
US08064666B2

A method for examining an interior surface of a cavity includes the steps of capturing partial images of an interior surface of a cavity; joining the captured partial images to form a complete image of said interior surface of the cavity; and providing an warning if the joined partial images does not form a complete image of said interior surface of the cavity.
US08064664B2

Systems and method are provided for registering medical images to reduce movement between the images. In one arrangement, a hierarchical image registration is performed where regions of the largest differences between images are identified and utilized to drive the deformation of one of the images. Such regions are identified in one arrangement by determining intensities and gradient magnitudes for corresponding regions of the images. In another arrangement, a multi-resolution registration strategy is applied.
US08064650B2

A method and apparatus for organizing digital images that contain a persons face is disclosed. A database of known faces allows the faces in the images to be identified. The names of the people identified in the image are used in naming the image files and in naming the path to the image files.
US08064647B2

A stand-off range or at-a-distance iris detection and tracking for iris recognition having a head/face/eye locator, a zoom-in iris capture mechanism and an iris recognition module. The system may obtain iris information of a subject with or without his or her knowledge or cooperation. This information may be sufficient for identification of the subject, verification of identity and/or storage in a database.
US08064644B2

This invention relates to digital image and video processing. It is concerned with determining the motion of pixels between frames in an image sequence. That motion relates to the motion of objects in the scene. The invention determines two kinds of motion information at each pixel site. The first kind of information is the displacement between a pixel site in the current frame and the corresponding site in me previous or next frame. This is the motion vector at that site. The second is an indication of whether that pixel is occluded or not in the previous or next frames. This allows any subsequent processing to take advantage of the fact that the pixel in the current frame may have been covered in the next (or previous) frame by some object moving over it (or revealing it). The invention also allows for prior knowledge of objects that are to be ignored in the process of motion determination.
US08064636B2

To accurately extract embedded information from a document image using line spacing watermark, an image processing apparatus for extracting watermark information includes an input unit which inputs a document image as image data, an image reduction unit which generates, from the image data, reduced image data reduced in the first direction, a detection unit which scans the reduced image data in the second direction and detects the length of a blank region as line spacing information, and an extraction unit which extracts watermark information embedded in the document image based on the line spacing information.
US08064634B2

A history image generating system and method is configured such that a determining unit determines whether or not an image to be combined with a history image stored as a history is a digital watermark image, and when it has been determined by the determining unit that the image is a digital watermark image, a processing unit performs, with respect to the digital watermark image, processing including enhancement processing such that the visibility of the image is increased, and a generating unit generates an image in which the digital watermark image with respect to which processing has been performed by the processing unit and the history image are combined. Further, a recording medium stores a computer program that causes a computer to execute operation of each unit of this history image generating system.
US08064630B2

A speaker apparatus has a container holding a volume of ferrofluid, a permanent magnet suspended in the ferrofluid, and a magnetic excitation apparatus proximate the container. Operation of the excitation apparatus causes movement of the permanent magnet, translated through the ferrofluid to walls of the container, which walls act as resonators creating sound waves in surrounding medium. Audio production is accomplished placing a ferrofluid and a permanent magnet in a container, placing an excitation apparatus in proximity of the permanent magnet, and driving the excitation apparatus to cause movement of the permanent magnet translated through the ferrofluid to walls of the container, which walls act as resonators creating sound waves in surrounding medium.
US08064619B2

The invention provides an integrated circuit of a microphone. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit receives a first signal converted from a sound and receives a reference signal with a digital format for echo cancellation. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit comprises a pre-amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, a digital signal processor, and a post amplifier. The pre-amplifier amplifies the first signal according to a first gain to obtain a third signal. The analog-to-digital converter converts the third signal from analog to digital to obtain a fourth signal. The digital signal processor cancels an echo component from the fourth signal according to the reference signal to obtain a fifth signal, and determines the first gain and a second gain, wherein a product of the first gain and the second gain is kept constant, and the first gain is determined so that an amplitude of the third signal is kept equal to an amplitude of the reference signal. The post-amplifier amplifies the fifth signal according to the second gain to obtain a second signal as an output of the integrated circuit.
US08064604B2

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates role-based cryptographic key management. The system operates by receiving a request at a database server from a user to perform a cryptographic operation on data on the database server, wherein the user is a member of a role, and wherein the role has been granted permission to perform the cryptographic operation on the data. Next, the system receives from the user at the database server a user key, which is associated with the user. The system then unwraps a wrapped role key with the user key to obtain a role key, which is associated with the role. Next, the system unwraps a wrapped data key with the role key to obtain a data key, which is used to encrypt and decrypt the data. Finally, the system uses the data key to perform the cryptographic operation on the data.
US08064599B2

Data is divided into a plurality of blocks. A unique identifier is assigned to each of the plurality of blocks. A key is generated that identifies how to reconstruct the data from the plurality of blocks. The key and each of the plurality of blocks are transmitted to a recipient.
US08064597B2

Methods and systems taught herein allow mobile device manufacturers to preconfigure mobile devices for subscription with any network operator having access to a centralized device directory server. The directory server stores device records, each including a preliminary subscription identity. Manufacturers individually provision new mobile devices with these preliminary subscription identities, and network operators preliminarily register subscribers by submitting requests to the directory server that cause it to link individual device records with the appropriate credential server addresses. Mobile devices gain temporary network access by submitting their preliminary subscription identities, which get passed along to the directory server for verification. In turn, the directory server generates authentication vectors giving the mobile devices temporary network access, and returns the appropriate credential server addresses. The mobile devices use the address information to submit secure requests for permanent subscription credentials, and the involved credential servers securely return permanent subscription credentials responsive to valid requests.
US08064594B2

There is provided a system for integrating at least one residential Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) phone to a cellular phone network. A Subscriber Line Interface Circuit (SLIC 120) interfaces audio from the cellular phone network to the at least one residential POTS phone. A line switcher (122), connected to the SLIC, connects the at least one residential POTS phone to any one of a POTS line or a cellular line. An audio gateway (116), connected to the SLIC, wirelessly receives the audio from a cellular phone connected to the cellular phone network for subsequent transmission to the at least one residential phone and wirelessly transmits the audio from the POTS line to the cellular phone.
US08064591B2

The invention relates to processing signal for improving a sound pick-up in telephone and/or videophone units. The inventive method consists in comparing (13) a signal transmitted by a unit microphone (Mic) with a threshold low value (THR_LOW) and in amplifying (14,15) said microphone-transmitted signal when it is less than the threshold low value. However, said steps depend on the test (10) carried out on a signal used for feeding the loud speaker (HP), in particular consisting in controlling said last signal (crete_HP) of a background noise order (BDFd) in such a way that the background noise is not amplified by an acoustical coupling between the microphone (Mic) and the loud speaker (HP).
US08064590B2

A method, apparatus, and system of a campaign in a geo-spatial environment is proposed. In one embodiment, a method includes populating each profile of a geo-spatial social network with an address data, forming a group in support of a campaign in the geo-spatial network when a particular user creates the group in support of the campaign and automatically communicating media to a physical location of a member of the group based on the address data associated with each profile of the geo-spatial network. The method may also include automatically creating the group based on a public data associated with each profile of the geo-spatial social network even prior to certain users associated with each profile registering geo-spatial social network by applying the public data to the each profile.
US08064588B2

The present invention provides flexible, user-definable call screening processes. The user can optionally define to which telecommunication terminals a screened call is to be broadcast to and under what conditions. An incoming call is forwarded to a call management system that asks the caller to leave a voice message. The call management system selectively couples the call to a POTS line or a VoIP-capable device so that the user can listen to the incoming message and thereby screen the incoming call. Based on the screening, the user can instruct the call management system to connect the caller to the user.
US08064587B2

An apparatus, system and method for monitoring calls that have been forwarded to a network-based voice mail system (VMS). The VMS receives the forwarded call and sends a start of greeting signal at the beginning and an end of greeting signal at the completion of the voice message greeting to the central office switch. The switch sends an activate call monitoring data message and a call monitoring alert signal to the customer premises equipment (CPE). If the CPE is adapted for call monitoring and includes a speaker assembly, then the speaker assembly is engaged in response to the activate call monitoring data message, thereby allowing hands-free call monitoring. If the CPE does not include a speaker assembly, then the called party may activate call monitoring by lifting the handset in response to detecting a call monitoring alert from the CPE. While monitoring the call, the called party may intercept the call to speak with the calling party.
US08064585B2

A communication system comprising at least one ubiquitous sensor for generating awareness data relating to a user, a context engine for receiving and processing the awareness data to determine the user's current context for the purpose of event handling, a policy engine for receiving and relating at least one pertinent evidential indicator of the relevance, urgency or importance of an incoming event from a caller to the user's current context and in response selecting a preferred event handling feature, and a delivery agent for executing the preferred event handling feature.
US08064581B1

A set of multiple prepaid calling cards that are associated with a single account is disclosed. A predetermined amount of minutes is associated with the set of cards. Cards within the set can be used simultaneously and extract minutes from the account in predetermined increments. Each card can use the same Personal Identification Number (PIN) or each card can have its own unique PIN. In some instances, any card in the set can recharge the account, (i.e., add more minutes to the account), or in some embodiments, only a control card can add minutes to the account.
US08064569B2

An X-ray CT imaging apparatus includes an X-ray generating section, an X-ray image capturing section, a supporting section, a holding section, a rotation driving section, and an X-ray controlling section, wherein the X-ray generating section generates an X-ray cone beam, the X-ray image capturing section detects the X-ray cone beam having passed through an object, the supporting section supports the X-ray generating section and the X-ray image capturing section with the object positioned therebetween, the holding section holds the object, the rotation driving section rotates the supporting section relatively to the object, and the X-ray controlling section alleviates an influence of a high X-ray absorption region, present inside the object, in the X-ray image capturing section by means of a control model formed based upon information on the high X-ray absorption region.
US08064567B2

A method for the incrementation of counter statuses in memory cells, which are arranged respectively in rows and columns of a first memory adds a “1” to the memory content of a memory cell of a second memory, which corresponds to the memory cell at the start of a sequence of memory cells to be incremented in a row or column of the first memory in the case of every incrementation of a sequence of memory cells of the first memory, and adds a “−1” to the memory content of a memory cell of the second memory, which corresponds to the memory cell immediately following the memory cell at the end of the sequence of memory cells to be incremented associated with the start of the sequence, in the case of every incrementation of a sequence of memory cells of the first memory. It then recursively adds the memory content of a memory cell arranged in a row or column of the second memory to the memory content of the memory cell arranged in the next lower row or column of the first memory and stores the result of the addition in the memory cell arranged in the row or column of the first memory.
US08064565B2

A reactor core, comprising: an outermost region; a core region surrounded by said outermost region; a plurality of fuel support members, each of which is disposed at a lower end portion of said outermost region and said core region; and a plurality of fuel assemblies loaded in said outermost region and said core region and supported by said fuel support members, wherein a plurality of fuel assemblies disposed in said core region include a plurality of first fuel assemblies, each of which is inserted into a first coolant passage which is formed in said fuel support member and has a first resistor having an opening, and a plurality of second fuel assemblies, each of which is individually inserted into each of second coolant passage which is formed in said fuel support member and has a second resistor having an opening and a larger pressure loss than that of said first resistor; and, four fuel assemblies, each of which is adjacent to each of four lateral sides of each of a plurality of first fuel assemblies, include either three or four second fuel assemblies.
US08064560B2

Systems and methods for detecting a signal across multiple Nyquist bands. The systems include an analog to digital converter (ADC), a clock signal generator configured to output a sample clock signal to the ADC, and a processor configured to process sampled signals and control the clock signal generator. The processor is configured to iteratively identify a desired signal, determine whether a possible interfering signal exists at a next sampling rate, and instruct the clock signal generator to generate the next sampling rate if the processor determines that a possible interfering signal does not exist. The methods include sampling an input signal at a first sampling rate, processing the sampled signal to extract information from a desired signal, determining whether a possible interfering signal exists at a next sampling rate, and sampling at the next sampling rate if it is determined that a possible interfering signal does not exist.
US08064557B1

A programmable synchronizing unit for a signal receiver has a received data memory for buffering received data, a correlation value data memory for storing correlation values, a data path for correlating the received data with the correlation values, a result data memory for buffering the received data correlated with the correlation values by means of the data path, and a control unit for addressing the received data memory, the result data memory and the correlation value data memory (26) and for controlling the data path as a function of a synchronization program which is stored in a program memory.
US08064542B1

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for accurate removal of I/Q mismatch in received signals of an analog FM receiver. The analog FM receiver includes a down-converter, a calibration circuit that estimates I/Q mismatch values, and a compensation circuit that uses the estimated mismatch values to reduce the effects of I/Q mismatch. In one aspect, the calibration circuit uses an adaptive dual-parameter compensation scheme to iteratively correct the received signals by approximating a coefficient value and an amplitude value that minimize the signals' amplitude variation from the amplitude value. In another aspect, phase and amplitude mismatch parameters can be determined using the coefficient value.
US08064540B2

A method for amplitude modulating a carrier signal according to one embodiment includes splitting the carrier signal into first and second paths; phase modulating the carrier signal on the first path; phase modulating the carrier signal on the second path; combining the phase modulated carrier signal on the first path with the phase modulated carrier signal on the second path for generating an amplitude modulated output signal; and wherein a first feedback loop couples the amplitude modulated output signal to circuitry for phase modulating the carrier signal on the second path but not to circuitry for phase modulating the carrier signal on the first path, the first feedback loop being for reducing a residual phase variation of the amplitude modulated output signal. Additional systems and methods are also presented.
US08064537B2

A power spectral density of a pilot symbol and a data symbol is controlled for an uplink transmission by a mobile station in a wireless network by determining a power spectral density of at least one of the data symbol and the pilot symbol based on a peak-to-average ratio (PAR) of at least one of the data symbol and the pilot symbol. A power spectral density of at least one of the data symbol and the pilot symbol is then dynamically adjusted based on a difference between the PAR of the data symbol and a PAR of the pilot symbol. Changes in the power spectral densities of the pilot symbol and the data symbol are signaled to a receiving side of the uplink transmission. If acceptable by the receiving side, the pilot symbol and the data symbol are transmitted to the receiving side of the uplink transmission.
US08064525B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting data frames, and a method and apparatus for data rate matching wherein, via an interleaver, elements to be transmitted are distributed over a plurality of radio frames and repeated, the repetition being carried out in such a way that, when put into its relationship with the original arrangement of the elements before the interleaving, the pattern prevents the spacing between arbitrary consecutive repeated elements from being substantially greater than the mean repetition spacing.
US08064520B2

For interlaced B-fields or interlaced B-frames, forward motion vectors are predicted by an encoder/decoder using forward motion vectors from a forward motion vector buffer, and backward motion vectors are predicted using backward motion vectors from a backward motion vector buffer. The resulting motion vectors are added to the corresponding buffer. Holes in motion vector buffers can be filled in with estimated motion vector values. An encoder/decoder switches prediction modes between fields in a field-coded macroblock of an interlaced B-frame. For interlaced B-frames and interlaced B-fields, an encoder/decoder computes direct mode motion vectors. For interlaced B-fields or interlaced B-frames, an encoder/decoder uses 4 MV coding. An encoder/decoder uses “self-referencing” B-frames. An encoder sends binary information indicating whether a prediction mode is forward or not-forward for one or more macroblocks in an interlaced B-field. An encoder/decoder uses intra-coded B-fields [“BI-fields”].
US08064514B2

A videoconferencing unit includes first and second encoder that each encodes a video stream of frames and generates variables indicating changes between frames of the video streams. The unit also includes a controller operatively coupled to the first and second encoders. The controller compares the variables from the encoders and determines first and second bit rates for the first and second encoders based on the comparison. Then, the controller sets the first and second encoders to the first and second bit rates, respectively. Preferably, comparing the variables, determining the bit rates, and setting the bit rates are dynamically repeated as the unit operates. In addition, the dynamic repetition is preferably allowed or limited to one or more predetermined intervals of time.
US08064513B2

A pulse generator which, by generating a carrier wave having a certain frequency over a predetermined unit duration time, generates a modulated pulse signal, having a pulse width regulated by the unit duration time, which bears information contained in a baseband signal, includes: a pulse width adjustment section which adjusts the pulse width by adjusting the unit duration time of the modulated pulse signal in accordance with a supplied pulse width control signal.
US08064505B2

A communication system is provided for transmitting video, audio, and data content between two or more nodes of a communications network comprised party of twisted pair links. Also provided, is a telecommunication system for transmitting spectrum, comprising transmission bandwidths that carry signals such as, video, audio, data and other services, over twisted pairs of telephone wires. Such system being adapted for dynamic assignment and management of frequency bands of spectrum over twisted pair links.
US08064501B2

In a method for generating a periodic training signal comprising cyclically expanded training symbols for a transceiver which transmits data via a data transmission channel using a predetermined number N of modulated carrier signals an address pointer for addressing a starting address in a memory is calculated for each training symbol on the basis of cyclic expansion parameters and, starting from the calculated starting address, 2*N stored samples of a transformed training symbol are read cyclically from the memory.
US08064492B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor laser device comprises steps of forming a first semiconductor laser device substrate having first grooves for cleavage on a surface thereof, bonding a second semiconductor laser device substrate onto the surface side having the first grooves and thereafter cleaving the first and second semiconductor laser device substrates along at least the first grooves.
US08064486B2

The present invention provides a system, apparatus, and method for determining latency differences in channels within a link at a single test site. In particular, the method allows for a single transmitting device to determine distinct latency differences on both transmitter and receiver-side paths without requiring a terminating node on the other side of the connection. In other words, a switch is used, in lieu of such a terminating node, at the other side of the paths that switches at least one channel's content onto another channel and sends it back for a round trip on various transmitter-and-receiver-side-paths combinations. The present invention is based on round trip measurements and switching capability of the receiving node.
US08064483B2

A protocol processing apparatus determines a unit size of a bitmap table to be used in reassembly based on the size of a received fragmented IP datagram. A bitmap table is generated according to the determined unit size, and the received fragmented IP datagram is reassembled using the generated bitmap table.
US08064477B2

The present invention relates to a multi-channel provision system for a wired network. The multi-channel provision system of the present invention includes a tap-off unit (330) for dividing a frequency band, assigned to a wired network for network communication, and providing resultant frequency bands to respective subscriber units belonging thereto. An optical network device (100) is disposed at a node where one or more sectors, divided according to a number of subscriber units that enable network access through the wired network, branch off. The optical network device (100) provides a frequency band for network access to each sector so that a same frequency band is assigned to each sector, thus generating a multi-channel for the frequency band, and reusing the frequency band, assigned to the wired network, a number of times corresponding to the number of the sectors through generation of the multi-channel.
US08064476B2

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of quick access channel information loading in wireless networks, comprising mapping at least one quick access channel to one distributed resource unit of control tiles, said control tiles being spread across consecutive sub-carriers and consecutive OFDMA symbols, wherein each control tile and a predetermined number of sub carriers are used to send a bandwidth indicator and a predetermined number of sub carriers are used to send a bandwidth request message, and wherein there exist unique orthogonal sequences for the bandwidth indicator and each of the sequences are capable of being selected as a preamble sequence.
US08064471B2

An Ethernet switch has at least one ingress/egress port 1 which is operable in two modes, in a first mode as a GE port and in a second mode as a plurality of FE ports. The port has 8 MAC interfaces 3 each of which is capable of receiving/transmitting FE packets, and at least one of the MAC interfaces can be configured to receive/transmit GE packets. Thus, the port has two modes of operation. The port further includes receive and transmit modules 5, 7 which receive GE and FE packets from, and transmit GE and FE packets to, the interfaces. If there are 8 such ports in the Ethernet switch, then by switching different numbers of the ports between the two modes, the switch may operate in 9 different modes: as 8 GE ports, 7 GE ports and 8 FE ports, 2 GE ports and 48 FE ports, 1 GE port and 56 FE ports, or simply as 64 FE ports.
US08064464B2

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for communicating inbound network data to provide QoS. The method includes receiving data over a network at a node, prioritizing the data at the node by assigning a priority to the data, and communicating the data to an application at the node based at least in part on the priority of the data. The data priority is based at least in part on message content. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a system for communicating inbound networking data to provide QoS. The system includes a data prioritization component adapted to prioritize data by assigning a priority to the data and a data communications component adapted to receive the data over a network and to communicate the data to an application based at least in part on the priority of the data. The data priority is based at least in part on message content.
US08064460B2

A method of delivering packet data units (PDUs) for a user equipment in a wireless communications system includes receiving a reordering PDU having at least one upper layer PDU from a protocol entity, determining whether the at least one upper layer PDU are segmented for reassembling with a previously stored segment of a upper layer PDU according to a segmentation indication message corresponding to the reordering PDU, and delivering the at least one PDU to an upper layer protocol entity and discarding the previously stored segment when the at least one upper layer PDU are all not segmented PDUs.
US08064459B2

Certain aspects of a method and system for transparent transmission control protocol (TCP) offload with transmit and receive coupling are disclosed. Aspects of a method may include collecting at least one received TCP segment for a determined network flow via a network interface card (NIC) processor. The state information for the received TCP segment and state information for transmitted TCP segments for the determined network flow may be stored at the NIC without transferring state information for the received TCP segment and the state information for the transmitted TCP segments to a host system communicatively coupled to the NIC. A new TCP segment comprising the collected TCP segments may be generated after a termination event occurs. The generated new TCP segment, new state information for the generated new TCP segment, and the state information for the transmitted TCP segments may be communicated to the host system for TCP offload.
US08064458B2

IP Multinetting on a local area network is simulated by performing VLAN translation at a port connecting to the local area network. This allows IP addresses from multiple subnets to be associated with a single VLAN on the Local Area Network (LAN), while allowing the core switch to process the packets with a one-to-one correspondence between IP Subnet and VLAN. When a packet is received from the local area network at an IP multinetting port, the VLAN ID will be read to determine if the packet contains the IP Multinetting VLAN ID. The IP Subnet address will also be checked to see if the packet is associated with an IP Subnet that is part of the Multinetting. If so, the multinetting VLAN ID will be changed to an IP Subnet specific VLAN ID before the packet is processed by the core switch. In the reverse direction, IP subnet specific VLAN IDs will be translated to the IP Multinetting VLAN ID.
US08064457B2

System and method for filtering a data packet using a combined filter are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes receiving a data packet and N filters each comprising a mask and value. The method includes receiving a data packet and N (wherein N is an integer and N>1) filters, each filter comprising a bit mask and corresponding bit values. The method further includes generating a common filter mask and the corresponding bit values by taking the overlapping mask bits among portions of the N filters corresponding to the common filter, the common filter being of a length smaller than each filter. The method further includes applying the common filter mask to the data packet to determine whether there is a match between the filtered data packet and each of the N filters.
US08064454B2

A network switch configured to detect protocol incompatibility and a corresponding method are described. The switch comprises one or more network ports and a memory. The memory stores a protocol set comprising one or more protocols each comprising protocol-specific identifying information and one or more actions to be taken by the network switch upon detection of the particular protocol. The memory also stores a protocol packet detection logic configured to perform at least one of the one or more actions responsive to detection of a corresponding protocol.
US08064433B2

A scalable switch, a system of switches and methods, configured to sense a carrier at the output of the respective switch. The invention intelligently, and dynamically, controls the connection of a respective switch input to a respective switch output as a function of a carrier being present, or absent, at a selected output. Alternatively, a control plane is adopted to make request to send and acknowledge clearance to send. These control methods operate on a step-by-step manner allowing fast and parallel connectivity to be established to connect a variety of interfaces, including Ethernet, PCI, SCSI, and FibreChannels. The present invention reduces switch cost, energy cost, and switch volume, while allowing scalability of connection requirements, reduction of delay, and promotion of green IT.
US08064416B2

A method and apparatus are described for locating a route between a source node and a destination node in an on-demand wireless network including flooding the wireless network with a route request message by the source node and receiving a route reply message responsive to the route request message from a first intermediate node having a valid route to the destination node, wherein the first intermediate node responds to the route request message based on a condition of a flag in the route request message. Also described are a method and apparatus for locating a route between a source node and a destination node in an on-demand wireless network including receiving a route request message from the source node and responding to the route request message with a route reply message by a first intermediate node having a valid route to the destination node, wherein the intermediate node responds to the route request message based on a condition of a flag in the route request message.
US08064413B2

A wireless local area network (WLAN) control system includes network elements (such as access points and clients) and a centralized dynamic performance management system. The network elements measure signal attenuation in communications with other WLAN network elements. The dynamic performance management system receives signal attenuation data from the network elements, and determines a frequency and/or transmission power level for each of the network elements to reduce interference with the other WLAN network elements. The dynamic performance management system also transmits instructions to each network element to control the frequency and/or transmission power level of the network elements.
US08064404B2

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of client device roaming from a home subnet to a foreign subnet of a network. The method includes the client device accessing the network through a first access node of the home subnet, and the client device roaming to a second access node of the foreign subnet, the client device accessing the network through the second access node, the client device maintaining a fixed client IP address, default gateway IP address and IP subnet attachment as the client device roams from the first access node to the second access node.
US08064397B2

A method for allocating a time and frequency resource of a resource request indicator (RRI), a method for transmitting an RRI, and a device thereof are provided, which relate to a wireless communication technique and reduce the overhead of the time and frequency resource. The method for allocating a time and frequency resource of an RRI includes: allocating codes for an RRI and other uplink control signaling; and multiplexing the RRI and other uplink control signaling in the same time and frequency resource in a code division manner.
US08064396B2

The network system of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing radio system measures a quality of a signal from a user terminal. At least one compared property of the signal is compared with a predetermined threshold. The comparison includes a comparison involving the measured quality. A number of sub-channels for the user terminal is decreased if each comparison operation indicates that a compared property is at the predetermined threshold or within a predetermined range of the threshold. A control signal about a decrease is transmitted to the user terminal. The user terminal transmits with the decreased number of sub-channels as a response to the control signal.
US08064394B2

In a transmitter or transceiver, codewords from HARQ processes can be mapped or assigned to various layers for transmission and/or retransmission of information on a radio channel. Exemplary embodiments provide for various mappings which facilitate, for example, HARQ processes. For example, a codeword can be mapped onto a plurality of layers which are equal in number to a channel rank of a radio channel to be used for the transmission.
US08064391B2

A system for monitoring and optimizing network performance to a wireless device including a wireless router in communication with the wireless device for transmitting and receiving RF signals between the wireless router and the wireless device, the wireless router configured to determine network performance information of the wireless network; concatenate the network performance information into data packets; a packet network switch in communication with the wireless router for communicating the data packets between the wireless router and the packet network switch; and a network management device in communication with the packet network switch for instructing the packet network switch to route the data packets to the wireless router based on the network performance information to optimize the network performance to the wireless device. A method for monitoring and optimizing network performance to a wireless device is also included.
US08064390B2

Systems and methods for signalling transitions between talk-spurt state and silence state for wireless terminals having semi-persistently allocated uplink resources are employed. A layer ½ indication of the state transitions may be transmitted using a resource that is specifically allocated for that purpose. Alternatively, ACK/NACK signalling may be employed. Layer 1 indications may be employed for both state transition types. Alternatively, in-band MAC layer signalling may be used to signal state transition from talk-spurt state to silence, or the network may deduce this state transition on its own. A different uplink wireless transition resource is allocated for the talk-spurt state vs. the silence state.
US08064385B2

In a mobile network system composed of a mobile network with a mobile router and a terminal interconnected, and of a home agent, when the mobile router connects to an external network, the mobile router informs the home agent of path information to the mobile network including the mobile router. Receiving the path information, the home agent inquires the mobile router in the home network whether or not the mobile router connects to the mobile network informed. Then, the home agent advertises path information to this mobile network only when the mobile router connecting to the mobile network does not exist. Accordingly, the home agent can rapidly switch to an optimum path to the external network.
US08064380B2

A communication system and method are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises a switch receiving information from at least one repeater for each packet received without errors by the at least one repeater, the switch, in response to the information, determining an amount of wireless communication activity each of the at least one repeater is experiencing, the switch determining whether to cause one or more repeaters to change status regarding wireless reception and transmission of packets from other devices in the network based on repeater location and repeater density and the information received from the at least one repeater, and the switch causing a change in the status for at least one of the one or more repeaters by signaling to the at least one of the one or more repeaters.
US08064364B2

Performance data relating to each of multiple network devices distributed in a geographic region is analyzed. That data can include values for various parameters measured automatically by routine polling of subscriber devices and/or network elements serving those subscriber devices. Measured parameter values can then be stored in a database and made available, together with information about subscriber device locations, to one or more analysis servers that analyze different portions of the network. As part of that analysis, groups of devices experiencing performance problems are identified based on device location. Information about those groups is then communicated and can be made available for, e.g., monitoring by service personnel.
US08064362B2

In an example embodiment disclosed herein, Wide Area Network optimization modules coupled to peers are configured to maintain peer routing tables. The peer routing table (PRT) is used by the Wide Area Network optimization module to determine the peer for a given destination, such as an Internet Protocol “IP” destination. Each peer is responsible for advertising to other peers which networks the peer is able to reach. This information is advertised when a tunnel is first created and subsequently whenever necessary. Initially, a peer sends out a list of entries corresponding to its directly connected networks, with the exception of the network connected to the interface on which the peer is advertising (e.g. the network used for the tunnel). This enables other peers on the network to populate their PRT entries.
US08064361B2

An original blanking period of a video signal is shortened to a set blanking period, and audio data is multiplexed into a resulting superimposing period. Table distinguishing data indicating the length of the superimposing period is inserted into the period as a blanking signal. With this configuration, it is possible to enable transmission and reception of an audio signal in a system capable of transmitting and receiving a video signal.
US08064360B2

A hierarchical wireless network is provided with a mesh backbone network portion and a switching tree network portion. The mesh backbone network portion includes first tier nodes each having at least one wireless link to another first tier node. The first tier nodes execute a link-state protocol for routing packets. The switching tree network portion includes second tier nodes each having a single wireless link to one first tier node and at least one wireless link to one third tier node, and third tier nodes each having a single wireless link to one second tier node. The second tier and the third tier nodes execute switching rules for switching packets.
US08064357B2

A method of providing communications can include transmitting a default username and password for a subscriber account from a Digital Subscriber Link (DSL) modem to an authentication server. The subscriber account is authorized based on the default username and password subscriber. A unique username and password for the subscriber account is transmitted to the DSL modem if the subscriber account is authenticated.
US08064353B2

The communication device has a frame transfer unit that executes frame transfer via the first communication link and the second communication link, a link confirmation frame sending unit, and a return link confirmation frame monitoring unit. The link confirmation frame sending unit causes the frame transfer processing unit to send a link confirmation frame for use in confirming a normal link status via the first communication link from the communication device to the counterpart communication device. The return link confirmation frame monitoring unit performs fault detection of the first and second communication links by monitoring a return link confirmation frame which is to be returned from the counterpart communication device to the communication device via the second communication link when the counterpart communication device receives the link confirmation frame via the first communication link.
US08064352B2

A method of implementing online maintenance in communication network, includes: recording, in any communication device of the communication network, communication data going through the communication device itself when the communication device has detected online a maintenance request; collecting, by an online maintenance server set in the communication network, online the communication data recorded in all the communication devices, and analyzing the communication data to find out a fault reason of the communication network. In the method, communication devices are triggered via a maintenance request to objectively record communication data, and an online maintenance server is set for analyzing the collected communication data to find out the fault reason. In this way, the communication procedure and maintenance procedure are separately performed, which is convenient for the communication service provider to solve problems.
US08064351B2

Methods for detecting and correcting data errors in an RF data link include identifying valid data frames and corrupted data frames by measuring a data corruption level for each transmitted data frame, comparing the measured data corruption level for each corrupted data frame to a data corruption threshold, reconstructing the corrupted data frames having a data corruption level below the data corruption threshold, reconstructing the data block using data from valid and reconstructed data frames, and/or verifying the data in the reconstructed data block.
US08064342B2

A device receives Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) requests that include registration information, and load balances a SIP call based on the registration information of the SIP requests.
US08064337B2

In a wireless data communication network, a mobile terminal is reconnected to a contents provider, when a connection established between the mobile terminal and the contents provider is interrupted or after a completion of the downloading of contents, by using return address information and contents address information including addresses of the contents provider and a web page including information relating to the downloaded contents, respectively. A WML (wireless markup language) script including the contents address information and the return address information is provided to the mobile terminal before initiating the downloading of the contents. In this way, the mobile terminal can easily be reconnected to the contents provider when the connection established between the mobile terminal and the contents provider is interrupted due to network congestion or the mobile terminal leaving the service coverage area.
US08064324B2

An electric field effect read/write head for recording/reproducing information on/from a ferroelectric recording medium using an electric field effect includes a semiconductor substrate, a recess portion formed in an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate facing the ferroelectric recording medium, and a recording/reproduction portion provided in the recess portion.
US08064323B2

An electro-optical device includes: a substrate; first films each of which is formed on the substrate and has an edge formed in at least a part thereof; a first insulating film that is laminated on the first films; second films that are laminated on the first insulating film; a second insulating film that is laminated on the second films; and contact holes each of which is formed in the second insulating film above the edge to pass through the second insulating film. In the electro-optical device, the contact hole is formed at a position apart from the edge by a distance equal to or larger than the thickness of the first insulating film in plan view.
US08064318B2

There is provided an optical pickup apparatus in which the collimator lens cannot be scratched before the support base for the objective lens actuator is fixed, and further dust can hardly come in and be deposited to result in contaminating the collimator lens and thereby degrading the performance for recording and/or reproduction. A pair of movement limiting walls 11 and 11 for limiting the horizontal movement of a support base 3 for an objective lens actuator 2 are formed on the upper surface of a base chassis 1 as contact prevention means for preventing the support base 3 from coming into contact with a collimator lens 5 before the support base 3 is fixed. The movement limiting walls 11 and 11 prevent the support base 3 from coming into contact with and scratching the collimator lens 5. Each movement limiting wall 11 has a wall length equal to or greater than the diameter of the collimator lens 5 to serve as a dust prevention wall, whereby dust can hardly come in and be deposited to result in contaminating the collimator lens 5 and thereby degrading the performance for recording and/or reproduction.
US08064314B2

A compact and inexpensive optical head that enables stable compatible playback and compatible recording with optical discs of different kinds with the use of a single objective lens is achieved. The order of diffracted light at which the diffraction efficiency by a diffraction element forming the objective lens becomes the maximum is set to the third order for blue light, the second order for red light, and the second order for infrared light in the inner peripheral portion of the diffraction element, and to the sixth order for blue light, the fourth order for red light, and the third order for infrared light to limit the aperture for infrared light in the intermediate peripheral portion. In the outer peripheral portion, the aperture for red light is limited by setting the order to an integer other than multiples of 3 for blue light.
US08064312B2

A disk accommodating device for accommodating a disk includes a housing on which an opening portion for allowing the disk to be accommodated into a disk accommodating section therethrough is formed, and a lid member for closing up the opening portion. The housing has a support portion for supporting a one-end side of the lid member for pivotal motion such that the other end side of the lid member may move toward and away from the housing. The disk accommodating section has an upright piece attached for pivotal motion on the side opposite to the side thereof on which the support portion is provided such that the upright piece engages at one end thereof with the disk accommodating section and at the other end thereof with the lid member so as to be erected uprightly from the disk accommodating section in response to pivotal motion of the lid member. The upright piece has a raising up portion provided thereon for raising up, when the lid member is pivoted in a direction in which the lid member is spaced away from the housing, the disk accommodated in the disk accommodating section from the disk accommodating section.
US08064310B2

An optical disk recording device that detects a shift of the recording position with respect to an optical disk, has a pre-pit distribution detecting circuit that detects the distribution of pre-pits for a plurality of wobbles based on binarized pre-pit signals obtained by binarizing pre-pit signals corresponding to pre-pits on said optical disk and a wobble counter value obtained by counting said binarized pre-pit signals in synchronization with a locked wobble, which is a wobble signal having a period corresponding to a wobble on said optical disk and fixed in phase; and a wobble slip determining circuit that compares the distribution of said pre-pits detected by said pre-pit distribution detecting circuit and a reference pre-pit distribution corresponding to a desired recording position, thereby determining the shift amount of the recording position with respect to said desired recording position for each wobble.
US08064307B2

There is provided, according to the present invention, a reproducing device capable of preventing illegal duplication and reproduction, as well as of reproducing content without degrading the quality of the audio and visual contents.The reproducing device (100) comprises a first storage area (110), in which data is stored, using file system which is not supported by operating system of the reproducing device, an interface part (120) supporting the file system which the first storage area uses, accepting only reproducing request, reading out and supplying the data stored in the first storage area, wherein the reading out and supplying operations are hidden, and a reproducing part (132) reproducing the data supplied by the interface part.
US08064304B2

A recording method for use by an apparatus and/or which is encoded on a computer readable medium includes selecting a defect management on mode or a defect management off mode that indicates whether defect management is to be performed or not while data is recorded in the recording medium, recording the data in the recording medium while defect management is performed on the recording medium, if the defect management on mode is selected, and recording the data in the recording medium without defect management, if the defect management off mode is selected.
US08064299B2

In an optical pick-up used in common with DVD/CD and BD, when the thickness is intended to be reduced by mounting a total reflection mirror, a cavity for passing through a laser light is necessary and, since this decreases the degree of freedom for arranging tracking coils and magnets and secondary resonance caused by a magnetic thrust in the tracking direction tends to be generated, an improvement therefor is necessary. In a lens coil holder of the optical pick-up having an objective lens and tracking coil mounted thereon each of the coils is arranged such that the thrust relative to the vertical center of the suspension wires that support the lens coil holder is well balanced. For example, most of the portion of the tracking coils is situated at one height relative to the suspension wire and the tilt coil is situated at the other remaining height.
US08064295B2

A motivational alarm having a timekeeping device; alarm programming means to produce an alarm signal at a programmed alarm time, the alarm programming means being operatively connected to the timekeeping device; a digital storage device operatively connected to the timekeeping device; a plurality of recorded messages recorded on the digital storage device; and playback means for converting at least a portion of the plurality of recorded messages into an audible signal upon receipt of the alarm signal. The recorded messages preferably have a topic related to exercise, spirituality, religion, religious text, esteem-building, health and wellness, encouragement for women, invigoration for long-term caretakers, wealth-building, or tragedy/loss recovery.
US08064280B1

An integrated circuit having a logic element that includes an array of storage elements convertibly functioning as either a configuration random access memory (CRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM) is provided. The logic element includes first and second pairs of data paths having dedicated multiplexers. In one embodiment, the first and second pairs of data paths are multiplexed into bit lines of a row of the array. The logic element also includes a data path control block generating control signals for each of the dedicated multiplexers. The control signals determine whether the storage elements function as a CRAM or a SRAM. A method for selectively configuring a memory array between a CRAM mode and SRAM mode are provided.
US08064278B2

A non-volatile memory including a plurality of memory cells configured to store data and a plurality of redundant memory cells configured to be used for functionally replacing defective memory cells. The memory further includes a protection register comprising storage elements configured to store configuration data of the memory device. The storage elements of the protection register are redundant memory cells not being used to replace defective memory cells.
US08064269B2

Electronic apparatus and fabrication of the electronic apparatus that includes detection of the majority of values in a plurality of data bits may be used in a variety of applications. Embodiments include application of majority bit detection to process data bits in a device for further analysis in the device based on the results of the majority bit detection. In an embodiment, such further processing in a memory device after majority bit detection may include data bit inversion prior to outputting the data from the memory device.
US08064250B2

A common standard may be used for both dynamic random access memories and non-volatile memories, despite the fact that the non-volatile memory generally needs bidirectional communications to coordinate writing with a memory controller. In one embodiment, a package connector on the non-volatile memory may be used for one function that does not involve communications with the memory controller during reading and may be used for communications with the memory controller during writing. Particularly, those communications during writing may be to indicate to the memory controller when the memory is ready for writing and when the memory is busy so that a write must be deferred until the memory is ready to be written to.
US08064248B2

A memory device as described herein includes an array of programmable resistance memory cells. The memory device further includes sense circuitry having a dual memory cell (2T-2R) mode to read a data value stored in a pair of memory cells in the array based on a difference in resistance between a first memory cell in the pair and a second memory cell in the pair. The sense circuitry also has a single memory cell (1T-1R) mode to read a data value in a particular memory cell in the array based on the resistance of the particular memory cell.
US08064245B2

A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)-based magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell with a thermally assisted switching (TAS) writing procedure and methods for manufacturing and using same. The TAS MTJ-based MRAM cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction that is formed with an anisotropic shape and that comprises a ferromagnetic storage layer, a reference layer, and an intermediate insulating layer. The ferromagnetic storage layer has a magnetization that is adjustable above a high temperature threshold; whereas, the reference layer has a fixed magnetization. The ferromagnetic storage layer is provided with a magnetocrystalline anisotropy that is oriented essentially perpendicular to a long axis of the anisotropic shape of the magnetic tunnel junction. The TAS MTJ-based MRAM cell advantageously limits the effects of dispersion in the magnetic tunnel junction shape anisotropy coming from the fabrication process and features a lower power consumption when compared with conventional MTJ-based MRAM and TAS MTJ-based MRAM cells.
US08064239B2

Data is stored in a quantum-well type structure with double gate control. According to an example embodiment, a transistor-based data storage circuit includes a gate, a back gate and a semiconductor channel between the gate and the back gate. Carriers are stored in a storage pocket structure in the channel, in response to biases applied to the gate and back gate. Current passing through the channel is sensed and used to detect the stored carriers and, correspondingly, a memory state of the storage circuit.
US08064237B2

In one embodiment of the invention, a memory integrated circuit is provided including a memory array, a register, and control logic coupled to the register. The memory array in the memory integrated circuit stores data. The register includes one or more bit storage circuits to store one or more identity bits of an identity value. The control logic provides independent sub-channel memory access into the memory integrated circuit in response to the one or more identity bits stored in the register.
US08064232B2

A power conversion device includes input terminals, first output terminals, second output terminals, and an insulation transformer. The insulation transformer includes a primary coil and a secondary coil of equal inductance. The polarity of one end of the primary coil is same as the polarity of the other end of the secondary coil. One of the first output terminals is connected to an input terminal and the one end of the primary coil. The other of the first output terminals is connected to an input terminal and one end of the secondary coil. One of the second output terminals is connected to the other end of the primary coil and the other end of the secondary coil. The other of the second output terminals is connected to an input terminal.
US08064231B2

A short circuit protection circuit for a pulse width modulation (PWM) unit which includes a PWM logic control circuit, an under voltage lookout (UVLO) circuit and an internal clock circuit; wherein the UVLO circuit detecting a bias power (Vcc) and delivering an UVLO signal when the bias power is judged excessively low, the PWM unit further comprising: a short circuit detector, a short circuit recovery circuit and a frequency multiplexer. The short circuit detector is to detect the UVLO signal and generate a short signal. The short circuit recovery circuit to set a pre-determined recovery time and generate a recovery signal when the pre-determined recovery time ends. The frequency multiplexer which is triggered by the short signal when the short circuit event occurs to change a switching frequency to a short PWM frequency, and triggered by the recovery signal to restore the switching frequency.
US08064230B2

A system and method for operating power supplies. A method comprises altering a current sense (CS) signal, turning off a switch of the converter in response to a determining that the CS signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and leaving on the switch of the converter in response to a determining that the CS signal is less than the first threshold.
US08064215B2

A semiconductor chip package and a printed circuit board having an embedded semiconductor chip package are disclosed. The semiconductor chip package may include a semiconductor chip that has at least one chip pad formed on one side, and a capacitor formed on the other side of the semiconductor chip.
US08064208B2

A mounting apparatus for a data storage device can prevent a bracket without data storage device from being placed in a computer enclosure. When the data storage device is not mounted in a bracket, a first end of a baffle extends into the bracket, a second end of the baffle extends out of the bracket under torque of a torsion spring. When the data storage device is mounted in the bracket, the data storage device drives the baffle to receive in the bracket.
US08064190B2

A small, large-capacitance multi-layer ceramic capacitor suppressed for remarkable lowering of permittivity, having a capacitor main body formed of ceramic dielectric layers comprising barium titanate as a main component and an Si oxide at a ratio of 0.5 to 10 mol being converted as SiO2 based on 100 mol of barium titanate and internal electrode layers, and a pair of external electrodes which are formed at the end faces of the capacitor main body and connected electrically with the internal electrode layers, in which the ceramic dielectric layer has crystal grains, crystal grain boundaries each present between the crystal grains and a grain boundary triple point, and B/A is 0.5 or less assuming the amount (mol) of an Si oxide being converted as SiO2 contained based on 100 mol of barium titanate as A and the volumic rate (vol %) of the Si oxide present at the crystal grain boundary and the grain boundary triple point of the ceramic dielectric layer as B, whereby remarkable lowering of a permittivity due to precipitation of an Si oxide to the crystal grain boundary and the grain boundary triple point is suppressed.
US08064185B2

The present invention includes methods and apparatus for repairing an electrical connection between bipolar electrodes contained within an electrostatic chuck and a conductive mask disposed atop the electrostatic chuck, known as a balancing circuit. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful after removal of an electrostatic chuck for refurbishment.
US08064183B2

Disclosed is an apparatus for destroying electronic memory media by use of a bi-directional degaussing device. The degaussing device utilizes an SCR gate controller to cause bi-directional polarity from a charged capacitor into a sealed chamber containing the magnetic media. The chamber has a movable steel plate cover and floor that encloses the chamber containing magnetic media during the degaussing stage. The cover and floor cause a reflective chamber that focuses and directs the flux level to the magnetic media. The gate controller allows the use of the same capacitor bank to power a coil in two different directions to obtain effective degaussing without multiple coils or directional capacitors.
US08064170B1

A novel method and device to align a flexure tail of a head gimbal assembly (HGA) to a flex cable of a head stack assembly (HSA) is disclosed. An alignment pin is passed through a first alignment hole in the flex cable, and a second alignment hole in the flexure tail. The second alignment hole is disposed in a region of the flexure tail that lies in a flexure tail plane that is approximately parallel to the flex cable plane adjacent the first alignment hole. A novel head gimbal assembly (HGA) has a flexure tail that includes a first bend line. The flexure tail is bent out-of-plane about the first bend line to create a residual bend angle in the range 10° to 80°. The first alignment tab is abutted against a first guide surface of an alignment fixture.
US08064168B1

A novel head stack assembly (HSA), and method for HSA assembly, are disclosed and claimed. A first flexure tail has a long axis approximately parallel to a side of the actuator arm. The actuator arm includes a slot in the side having a slot end. The first flexure tail is disposed partially within the slot. The first flexure tail includes a first raised region in contact with the slot adjacent the slot end. The first raised region includes an out-of-plane bend with cross-sectional curvature along the long axis. The first raised region may be squeezed while inserting the first flexure tail partially within the side slot, with the first raised region adjacent the slot end, and then allowed to expand into contact with the slot adjacent the slot end.
US08064167B2

An elastic plate that is supported at both ends by a pair of supporting pieces of a supporting part functions as the load bending part. A portion of a load beam base plate that is positioned on a distal end side from a load bending center line of the elastic plate includes a parallel region that is fixed to the elastic plate, an intermediate region that extends to a distal end side through a proximal-side bending line along a suspension widthwise direction, and a distal region that extends to a distal end side through a distal-side bending line and is formed with a dimple with which a head-mounting region of a flexure part is brought into contact. The distal-side bending line is positioned in the vicinity of an intermediate point between the load bending center line and the dimple in a suspension lengthwise direction.
US08064162B2

According to an embodiment, a magnetic head for perpendicular recording, includes a slider including a facing surface opposed to a recording medium, and a head portion on the slider and configured to perform information processing for the recording medium. The head portion includes a main pole configured to apply a perpendicular recording magnetic field to the recording medium, a recording coil configured to excite the main pole, a write shield pole opposing the main pole across a write gap, side shields arranged individually on opposite sides of the main pole in a track width direction and magnetically isolated from the main pole, and low-flux-density layers formed of a material having a saturation magnetic flux density lower than that of the main pole, located between the main pole and the side shields, and configured to regulate magnetic fluxes flowing from the main pole to the side shields.
US08064133B2

A light receiving optical system includes: a relay optical system for converging light to be measured which has been converged on an image plane of an objective optical system. The light receiving optical system has a relay optical system with a relay lens operable to be selectively switched between first and a second conjugate positions, and a first and a second light flux limiting aperture members selectively switched between the first and the second conjugate positions. The relay optical system selectively forms, on the image plane of the objective optical system, an enlarged image and a reduced image of a view angle defining aperture in the case where the relay lens is selectively switched between the first and the second conjugate positions to define an incident light flux through the view angle defining aperture by a first and a second light flux limiting apertures, respectively.
US08064122B2

A dark border region may be integrated with a window covering a patterning device, such that light from an active area of the patterning device passes through the dark border region, while excess light is removed from the system by the dark border region. The dark border region may be, for example and without limitation, a light-absorbing material, a wedged light reflective coating that reflects light out of the lithography system, or an interference grating that causes destructive interference in unwanted light to remove the unwanted light from the system. The dark border region may overlap a similar dark border region located on the surface of on the patterning device to optimize a width of the total dark border region without sacrificing excessive valuable real-estate area on the surface of the patterning device or compromising alignment tolerance levels of the lithography system.
US08064120B2

Electrochromic window assemblies and methods for providing electrochromic window assemblies are disclosed. In one embodiment, a window assembly includes a first transparent portion and a first trim portion. The first trim portion is located adjacent to the first transparent portion. The window assembly also includes a second transparent portion and a second trim portion. The second trim portion is located adjacent to the second transparent portion. The window assembly further includes an electrochromic assembly. The electrochromic assembly is disposed between the first transparent portion and the second transparent portion so that it is adjacent to both transparent portions.
US08064118B2

This invention provides a display system that receives an image signal containing a binary data of N bits, wherein N is a positive integer, for displaying an image with a grayscale corresponding to the binary data. The display system further includes a data converter for converting M-bit of the N bits of the binary data into a non-binary data, wherein M is a positive integer and N≧M, for applying the non-binary data as a sub-frame in controlling the gray scale in displaying the image. In an exemplary embodiment, the data converter converts consecutive M-bit of the N bits of the binary data into the non-binary data. The display system further includes a spatial light modulator (SLM) having a plurality of pixel elements and the SLM receiving the non-binary data of M bits for controlling the pixel elements.
US08064107B2

A rail system made of one or more flexible guide rods, each consisting of a tension rod, is used to support lightweight, mobile devices such as carriages, scanning heads or optical sensors. The rail is configured to permit movement of the mobile device, when driven by an external drive mechanism, along a main scanning direction but prohibits rotational movement of the mobile device. In this fashion, the mobile device remains substantially at the same measured distance from the flat surface of an object, e.g., moving sheet or web, being analyzed.
US08064099B2

An image forming apparatus includes an attribute determining unit that determines an attribute concerning a hue of an original; a multi-page layout unit configured to arrange image data of a plurality of originals on a single sheet thereby obtaining a multi-page layout; and a cost calculating unit that calculates a printing cost of the originals. The cost calculating unit calculates the printing cost for the multi-page layouts of different combinations of the image data of the originals arranged by the multi-page layout unit based on an outcome of determination by the attribute determining unit.
US08064098B2

In a method of substantially correcting gradation values in a gradation correcting unit, the number of reproducible gradations is substantially reduced. Selection information of a boundary value table for multi-value error diffusion is stored, by ejection condition, in an information storing unit of a liquid ejecting head that can represent one pixel with a large number of liquid droplets. When the liquid ejecting head is mounted, selection information matching an ejection condition is read out and a boundary value table corresponding to the selection information is set for reference by a half toning unit. Consequently, the boundary value table is optimized to correct a gradation characteristic without substantially reducing the number of reproducible gradations.
US08064087B2

A method to modify the availability of one or more attributes within a print network. One or more devices are interrogated to determine associated attributes. A first set of attribute combinations that cause device failure is determined and placed in an unsupported bank for each device. A second set of attribute combinations that do not cause device failure are determined and placed in a supported bank for each device. Access to the first set of attribute combinations is disabled and access to the second set of attribute combinations is enabled.
US08064084B2

A method and apparatus for distribution of a print job for digital printing by distributing elements of the print job between a plurality of processing means. The method and apparatus includes receiving a common job file (CJF) (41). Splitting the common job file into plurality of CJF chunks (74) wherein the number of the CJF chunks will be generated in accordance of availability of the processing means (42). Distributing the CJF chunks to the processing means for processing and generating a plurality of ready-to-print pages (RTP) (14) pages. Sending said generated plurality of RTP pages to a digital printer (52) by adhering to the page order of the print job.
US08064080B2

Upon distributing data from a first terminal apparatus to a second terminal apparatus, whether the data is to be distributed is determined in accordance with an access situation of a client to the first terminal apparatus, and, on the basis of a determined result, the data is distributed to the second terminal apparatus.
US08064070B2

Systems and apparatus are provided for locating the center of a substrate. The invention includes a frame, mounted between a slit valve assembly and a transfer chamber wall in substrate processing equipment; at least one emitter, housed in the frame, and adapted to emit a signal; at least one sensor, housed in the frame, and adapted to receive the emitted signal; and a controller adapted to determine a center of a substrate based on the signal received by the sensor. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08064069B2

The invention describes a method for measuring the shape of a reflective surface (14) and a corresponding system which has at least one pattern (15) for reflection at the reflective surface (14) and at least one camera (1) for viewing the pattern (15) which is reflected at the surface (14) pixel by pixel, wherein the position and orientation of the camera (1) and of the pattern (15) are known. In order to reliably measure the shape of reflective surfaces with a small amount of equipment complexity, the viewing directions of the camera (1), which are known for the pixels (8), and the positions of the pattern (15), which correspond to the mapping of the reflected pattern (15) to pixels (8) of the camera (1), are used to determine the surface angle and surface height for the purpose of measuring the shape.
US08064058B2

A disclosed optical testing apparatus comprises: a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a collection end in optical communication with an output end; and a support member supporting the collection ends of the optical fibers so as to simultaneously view an examination region from different angles. A disclosed optical testing apparatus comprises a plurality of optical fibers having collection ends arranged to simultaneously view an examination region from a plurality of different angles. A disclosed optical testing apparatus comprises a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a collection end, the collection ends of the optical fibers arranged in fixed spatial relationship respective to one another to simultaneously view an examination region from different angles.
US08064051B2

An apparatus for spectrophotometric analysis comprises a sample reception surface, which is arranged to receive a sample to be analyzed, and a sample contacting surface, which is moveable in relation to the sample reception surface such that it may be brought to a first position, where the surfaces are sufficiently far apart to allow the sample to be placed on the sample reception surface, and a second position, where the sample contacting surface makes contact with the sample and compresses the sample. The apparatus further comprises a sample thickness controller, which is arranged to control the distance between the sample reception surface and the sample contacting surface in the second position of the sample contacting surface, such that a sample thickness between the surfaces may be shifted for obtaining at least two measurements of the sample at different optical path lengths through the sample.
US08064049B2

The invention relates to a test vessel (1) for a monitoring device for vessels, comprising a plurality of first marking rings (2) which surround the bottle body (7) at least in some sections at predefined fixed heights, and a plurality of marking lines (4) which run in a longitudinal direction (L) of the test vessel (1). According to the invention, the first marking rings (2) are respectively arranged at constant, predefined distances from one another in the longitudinal direction (L) of the test vessel (1). The marking lines (4) intersect at least some of the first marking rings (2), and the marking lines (4) are respectively arranged at predefined distances from one another in a circumferential direction of the test vessel (1).
US08064044B2

An exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) on the substrate (P) via a projection optical system (PL) and a liquid (LQ) supplied from a liquid supply mechanism (10). The exposure apparatus (EX) has a pressure adjustment mechanism (90) for adjusting pressure of the liquid (LQ) supplied from the liquid supply mechanism (10). A liquid immersion area is satisfactorily formed to obtain high exposure accuracy and measurement accuracy.
US08064030B2

A liquid crystal display device includes an array of pixels each including a plurality of sub-pixels, a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed in the respective sub-pixels, and a plurality of common electrodes disposed in the respective sub-pixels. The common electrode disposed in each of the sub-pixels in one of the pixels on each row is connected to the common electrodes disposed in the corresponding sub-pixels in the others of the pixels on the each row, to form a group of common electrodes connected together.
US08064007B2

The present disclosure is a backlight module including a light guide plate, a supporter, and a light source module. The light guide plate has a light incident side. The supporter has a bottom plate, a sidewall, and a top plate corresponding to the bottom plate. The bottom plate extends from a first end of the sidewall toward the light guide plate, and the top plate extends along a second end of the sidewall toward the light guide plate. The length of the sidewall is longer than the length of the top plate, such that the top plate corresponding to the sidewall forms at least one breach to expose the second end of the sidewall. The bottom plate, the top plate, and the sidewall together form an accommodating space, and the light incident side of the light guide plate is disposed between the top plate and the bottom plate. The light source module is disposed in the accommodating space and partially exposed through the at least one breach. The light source module has at least one light emitting unit and a printed circuit board. The light emitting unit is disposed on the printed circuit board, such that an emitting surface of the light emitting unit can face the light incident side of the light guide plate.
US08064005B2

A display device includes a container having a bottom plate, a light source disposed in the container, which provides light, a circuit board disposed in the container, a socket terminal electrically connected to the light source and the circuit board, and a display panel which receives the light from the light source and displays images. The circuit board and the light source are positioned on a same side of the bottom plate of the container. The socket terminal includes a socket part and a fixing part, the socket part and the fixing part are connected to the light source and circuit board, respectively.
US08064002B2

A liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates; a first polarizing plate on an outer surface of the first substrate; a second polarizing plate on an outer surface of the second substrate, the second polarizing plate including an anti-static pressure sensitive adhesive (ASPSA) layer; and a conductive tape electrically connected to the ASPSA layer.
US08063998B2

The methods and systems of the present invention are particularly adaptable as additions in the form of displaying means, such as monitors, that can works in conjunction with any type of motor vehicle including cars, box trucks, boats, ships, yachts, trains, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, tractor trailer trucks, or motor scooters. The methods of the present invention can be combined as an addition to any part of the motor vehicle in order to turn the motor vehicle into a mobile displaying platform for displaying advertisements or other information.
US08063997B2

An integrated tuner is programmable to optimize its components for either analog signal reception or digital signal reception. Power to the components is increased for analog operation and decreased for digital operation. The tuner also includes a selectable and integrated low noise amplifier that may be selected for single-signal reception and bypassed for multi-signal reception.
US08063996B2

A simple antenna is connected to the RF input port on a conventional digital TV to receive video content from a plurality of video content sources wirelessly. The video content sources, such as a DVD player and cable/satellite box, may generate baseband signals in a variety of formats. The baseband signals are connected to a remote converter for converting the baseband signals to a low power RF transmission having a standard format typically received at the digital TV's RF input. The RF transmission has a range generally limited to within a home or room. The small antenna connected to the RF input of the digital TV will typically be located behind the TV so as not to be seen. The low power RF transmission is on a carrier frequency that is legally authorized by the FCC in frequency and power level.
US08063993B2

An image noise measurement system performs a noise estimation on a current image. A storage device stores a previous image. A noise estimator performs a noise estimation on sub-areas of the current image and the previous image to thereby produce a noise estimation index for the sub-area of the current image. A distribution calculator calculates a distribution of positive and negative signs of pixel differences in the sub-areas of the current image and the previous image to thereby output a positive sign number and a negative sign number. A confidence generator produces a confident level index according to the positive sign number and the negative sign number. A recursive filter performs a recursive filtering operation on the noise estimation index according to the confident level index to thereby produce a noise estimate for the current image.
US08063988B2

A TV receiver, which comprises an image character recognition means to recognize captions included in images of the TV programs as characters, a TV program type determination means to determine types of the TV programs, and an information screen generating means to generate information screens whose form and contents are adapted to each type of the TV programs. A main controller serves as the image character recognition means, the TV program type determination means, and the information screen generating means described above. When storing the TV programs in a hard disk, the main controller recognizes characters included in images of the TV programs and also determines type of the TV programs. After the determination described above, the main controller generates an information screen whose form and contents are adapted to the type of the TV program, which is determined by the TV program type determination means, with using the characters recognized in the recognition process described above, and then displays the information screen on a display.
US08063980B2

An accessory and an accessory for an image pickup apparatus are provided and are advantageous in reducing cost by reducing the number of parts. A retaining ring is engaged in an annular groove formed in an outer circumference of a cylindrical part of a wide-angle converter lens. Each of retaining ridges has a bottom wall extending from the inner circumference of the annular part in the direction of the width of the annular part in a recess, and a protruded wall extending radially outward of the annular part from the end of the bottom wall, spaced from the annular part, and protruding radially outward from the first outer circumference. When the parts, provided with the retaining ridges, of the annular part are depressed radially inward of the annular part, the protruded wall sink radially inward from the first outer circumference.
US08063974B2

In fixing prisms for a TV camera and solid-state image pickup element packages, two holding plates are fixed at two sides of each of the prisms, each of the holding plates having a wedge-shaped or semicircular tip surface, and an adhesive is provided in a gap formed by a surface of the solid-state image pickup element package and the wedge-shaped or semicircular tip surface of the holding plate, respectively. Then, relative to light axes, X, Y and Z axes and rotational axes θx, θy and θz for the axes X, Y, and Z of the solid-state image pickup element packages are aligned while inclining the holding plates in a front-rear direction simultaneously. The adhesive is cured by applying light or heat to thereby fix the holding plates, the solid-state image pickup elements and the prisms, respectively.
US08063956B2

It is to reduce a recording capacity required for recording image data acquired by composition bracket photographing. In order to attain the object mentioned above, an image processing section designates a plurality of subject trimming images generated by respectively clipping out a plurality of subject images included in the picked-up image obtained by the correction circuit so as to set the plurality of designated subject trimming images as a first trimming image, sets an image encompassing the plurality of subject trimming images as a second trimming image, calculates a data size of the first trimming image with a data size of the second trimming image so as to compare the data sizes of the first trimming image and the second trimming image with each other, and selects one of the first trimming image and the second trimming image to be recorded in a recording section, whose data size is smaller than that of the other one.
US08063952B2

An image-capturing apparatus includes an image-capturing unit configured to capture image data of a subject and to store the captured image data in an image-capturing operation; a speed detector configured to detect speed information; and a controller configured to control the image-capturing unit so that, in an automatic image-capturing process that is not based on a shutter operation of a user, a distance moved by the image-capturing apparatus is computed on the basis of information from the speed detector, and the image-capturing operation is performed in response to the fact that a computation result indicating that the image-capturing apparatus has moved a predetermined distance is obtained.
US08063950B2

An imaging apparatus with an automatic adjustment function, such as a white balance adjustment function, enables a result of such adjustment to be checked easily using a vector display. A waveform generation unit 3 generates a vector signal from a video signal in response to an operation to push a switch unit 6 for automatic adjustment of white balance etc., and outputs the vector signal for a predetermined period. A synthesized signal generation unit 4 combines (superimposes) the video signal with (on) the vector signal and displays the synthesized signal on a display unit 5. A vector display superimposed on a video is performed on the display unit 5 for the predetermined period after the switch is pushed. This enables an adjustment result of white balance etc. to be checked easily without requiring other operations. The vector display is stopped automatically after the predetermined period, and thus does not disturb an imaging operation.
US08063946B2

An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit configured to output a long-exposure image signal with a relatively long exposure time and a short-exposure image signal with a relatively short exposure time; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal with a relatively wide dynamic range at least wider than that of the long-exposure image signal or that of the short-exposure image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to generate a luminance integrated value of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value. The control unit initializes a correction value for use in the exposure correction control during a scene change.
US08063943B2

A digital photographing apparatus which automatically determines a face, as chosen by a user, on which autofocusing is to be performed while not imposing an excessive computational load on the digital photographing apparatus. Also provided is a control method for the digital photographing apparatus, and a recording medium storing a program for executing the control method. The digital photographing apparatus includes an image division unit dividing an image into a plurality of regions, a first score assignment unit assigning a first score to each face part included in the image according to a region to which the face part belongs, and a face part determination unit determining a face part on which autofocusing is to be performed, based on the first score assigned to each face part.
US08063939B2

An image processing apparatus (1), for performing image processing on image data which is obtained by performing imaging of a subject and in which the degree of motion blurring of an image represented by the image data changes in accordance with an imaging condition at the time of performing imaging of the subject, includes a motion information correcting unit (12) for correcting motion information representing motion concerning the image on the basis of imaging information representing the imaging condition, and a motion blurring adding unit (13) for adding motion blurring to the image by using the motion information corrected by the motion information correcting means to perform image processing on the image data.
US08063935B2

The present invention relates in particular to a method for the early detection of the arrival of a motor vehicle in a dark sector. In general terms, the invention proposes to use a camera for early detection of the arrival of the vehicle in a dark area, for example a tunnel. For this purpose, in the invention, provision is made in particular for using an image processing application for determining on a set of images supplied by the camera, whether the vehicle is ready to enter a dark area and, if it turns out that the vehicle will enter a dark area, to cause a switching on of the lights. Particular embodiments of the method according to the invention also make it possible to dispense with storing a plurality of templates corresponding to the various shapes of tunnel entrances, by providing judicious and reliable recognition criteria.
US08063932B2

The medical, particularly dental imaging camera including an elongated housing (2) that can be held by a single hand of a user and provided, at its front end, with an imaging element, this housing (2) including a sensitive control element capable of freezing, on a display (5), an image selected by the user, this control element having a detection area (9) situated on the housing (2) that is delimited by a surface discontinuity such as a recess or a relief (11). The housing (2) encloses a sensor element associated with an electronic driving circuit and an electrostatic foam element whose one end is applied against the sensor element and whose opposite end is applied against an area of the inner face of the housing (2) located to the right of the detection area (9).
US08063931B2

A stereoscopic display apparatus includes a display having pixels arrayed in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction to form a matrix, each pixel including sub-pixels with color components, and a control element opposed to the display and having linear openings extending in the longitudinal direction and arrayed in the lateral direction. The openings of any two sub-pixels adjacent in the lateral direction always overlap regardless of a position in the lateral direction. The sum of the longitudinal components of the opening ratios of s adjacent in the lateral direction is constant.
US08063904B2

Methods, systems, and computer readable storage mediums for presenting project information are disclosed. Project information may be presented by receiving electronic planning information associated with a project, the planning information including project resource data, transforming the received electronic planning information into a graphical representation of the received electronic planning information for visual presentation to a user and presenting the graphical representation of the received planning information for perception by the user, the presented graphical representation including one or more lines that varies in width symmetrically over time based on the project resource data.
US08063892B2

A haptic feedback touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch surface that provides position information to a computer based on a location of user contact. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphical environment based at least in part on the position information, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user. The actuator can move the touchpad laterally, or a separate surface member can be actuated. A flat E-core actuator, piezoelectric actuator, or other types of actuators can be used to provide forces. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.
US08063886B2

A data input device with a film-based pressure sensor including a first carrier film, a second carrier film and a spacer. The spacer has an opening delimiting an active zone, in which first and second electrodes are arranged such that, in response to a compressive force, an electrical contact is established. A control circuit able to operate in at least a first and a second mode is configured to measure, in the first mode a quantity indicative of electrical resistance and, in the second mode, a quantity indicative of a capacitance.
US08063883B2

The present invention relates to an optoelectronic device (100) for determining relative movements or relative positions of two objects, comprising a first object (10) fixed relative to a frame (1) of the device; a second object (20) mounted in spaced relation to the first object (10) and adapted for movement relative thereto; and at least one measuring cell for determining movement or displacement of the second object (20) relative to the first object (10). In one aspect, the invention provides a stop arrangement (40) for limiting the movement or displacement of the second object relative (20) to the first object (10), wherein the stop arrangement (40) comprises a mounting part (44) to be fixed relative to the frame (1) of the optoelectronic device (100), and at least one generally elongate stop member (41) arranged laterally of and substantially rigidly connected with the mounting part (44).
US08063880B2

A method and system for customizing a mobile host device is disclosed. An accessory device for interfacing with and customizing a mobile host device includes a communication channel designed to establish a bi-directional communication link between the accessory device and the host device. The accessory device also includes a processor communicatively coupled to the communication channel. The processor is designed to execute a plurality of applications. In addition, the accessory device includes an input assembly communicatively coupled to the processor. The input assembly is designed to minimize a total number of input elements included in the input assembly. Further, at least a first input element being selectively mapped to one or more input functions of the host device based on a user selection.
US08063878B2

An apparatus and method related to rendering substantially permanent aspects of electronic paper.
US08063867B2

A liquid crystal display and a method of driving the same are disclosed. The liquid crystal display includes a data drive circuit that supplies a data voltage, whose a polarity is periodically inverted, to the data lines, a gate drive circuit, and a timing controller. The gate drive circuit sequentially supplies a first gate pulse synchronized with a first data voltage to gate lines, and sequentially supplies a second gate pulse synchronized with a second data voltage having a polarity opposite a polarity of the first data voltage, to the gate lines. The timing controller generates a pre-gate start pulse for controlling an output of the first gate pulse during a blank period, and then generates a real gate start pulse for controlling an output of the second gate pulse during an initial period of a frame period following the blank period.
US08063858B2

A display includes connection lines each of which is provided for the corresponding scanning line of the display and is connected to a light emission element driving circuit, a ramp voltage generating section for generating ramp voltage for varying the control electrode voltage of each of the driver transistors relative to the voltage of the other electrode of the corresponding driver transistor to change the emission state of the corresponding light emission element, and a ramp voltage driver for supplying the ramp voltage to each of the connection lines provided for the corresponding scanning line in response to the scanning.
US08063850B2

A display apparatus having pixel areas defined on a substrate. First color pixels having a white color and second color pixels having a color different from that of the first color pixels are aligned in each pixel area in the form of a matrix. The second color pixels are adjacent to the first color pixels in the row and column directions.
US08063849B2

A method for a user to navigate in a surrounding world captured by one or more image sensors and displayed to the user in an image display area of a display device which in use is in front of the user's head and follows the movements of his head. When the user's head is directed in an area which the user can easily reach by turning his head, the display is controlled by his head direction. When the head direction reaches the edge of what the user can reach by turning his head, use is instead made of controlling by gaze direction of that displayed, in which case the point of the surrounding world pointed out by the gaze direction is continuously placed in a predetermined area of the image. The change occurs either automatically by the user's gaze direction being at the edge of the image display area or by a command, for instance with the user's voice or a motion of his hand.
US08063841B2

A radiator element for RF transmission and reception over a wide band of frequencies. The radiator element is formed of conductive material on substrate surface of conductive material in the form of a pair of horns extending in opposite directions to distal tips defining the widest distance of a mouth of a cavity. The mouth reduces in cross-section to a narrowest point in between said pair of horns. The resulting radiator element will radiate and receive frequencies between frequencies the distance of the widest point and narrowest point are sized to receive.
US08063825B1

A cooperative position location device (CPLD) that integrates a broadcast digital transmission (BDT) receiver, a data link transceiver, and a displacement sensor; a computer program product tangibly stored in computer-readable media; and associated methods for receiving and processing special codes embedded in BDT signals from a plurality of transmitters to produce time of arrival (TOA) measurements thereof; for sending and receiving special messages between cooperative position location devices (CPLDs) to produce time difference of arrival (TDOA) of common events of BDT at and time of flight (TOF) measurements between the CPLDs; and for integrating differential and relative ranges between CPLDs to a plurality of BDT transmitters and displacement measurements to yield a joint position solution of the CPLDs.
US08063824B2

In a geolocation system for determining a geolocation of a target emitter, a method for determining the geolocation. The method comprising: (a) receiving a signal transmitted from the target emitter at each one of a plurality of sensors, a frequency spectrum associated with each signal; (b) determining a pairwise correlation between a first signal and a second signal from among the plurality of signals, the pairwise correlation determined at frequencies or within frequency bands within the frequency spectrum of at least one of the first and second signals; (c) identifying pairwise correlations below a predetermined threshold; (d) filtering the first and second signals by reducing a magnitude of energy at one or more frequencies or within one or more frequency bands to produce first and second filtered signals, the one or more frequencies or the one or more frequency bands selected responsive to pairwise correlations below the threshold; (e) determining a time difference estimate responsive to the first and second filtered signals; (f) repeating steps (b) through (e) for signals received at other of the plurality of sensors to determine additional pairwise time difference estimates; and (g) determining the geolocation of the target emitter from the piecewise time difference estimates.
US08063822B2

A beamformer is arranged to receive an input from a first antenna element and from at least one other antenna element and to generate at least a first and second output beam. The first and second output beams are combined at a connecting port such that signals received at the first antenna element are constructively combined at the connecting port and signals received at another antenna element or elements are destructively combined at the connecting port, so that a receiver connected to the connecting port may receive signals from the first antenna element and may not receive signals from the other antenna element or elements. The arrangement may also be used to transmit a signal which is fed into the connecting point from the first antenna element and not from the other antenna element or elements.
US08063820B2

The disclosed subject matter generally relates to hybrid positioning systems and methods, more specifically, systems and methods of integrating a wireless local area network (WLAN) based positioning system (WLAN-PS) and a satellite positioning system (SPS) to improve accuracy of location estimates by selecting the best set of measurements from both systems.
US08063819B2

A positioning device comprising: a peak frequency determination section which determines a peak frequency which is a reception frequency corresponding to a maximum correlation value of a specific positioning base code replica and a positioning base code carried on a radio wave from a specific transmission source; a reference frequency calculation section which calculates a low frequency which is a frequency lower than the peak frequency and a high frequency which is a frequency higher than the peak frequency; a reference correlation value calculation section which calculates the correlation value corresponding to the low frequency and the correlation value corresponding to the high frequency; a corrected peak frequency calculation section which calculates a corrected peak frequency based on the correlation value corresponding to the peak frequency, the peak frequency, the correlation value corresponding to the low frequency, the low frequency, the correlation value corresponding to the high frequency, and the high frequency; and a radio wave reception section which receives the radio wave using the corrected peak frequency.
US08063807B1

An equalization circuitry that includes a digital-to-analog converter having a voltage divider and a multiplexer coupled to the voltage divider is described. In one implementation, the digital-to-analog converter provides a control signal to a plurality of single-stage equalizer control logic circuits. Also, in one implementation, the multiplexer receives a plurality of inputs from the voltage divider and selects an output from the plurality of inputs. Furthermore, in one implementation, the voltage divider includes a plurality of resistors coupled in series. Also, in one implementation, the voltage divider further includes a first resistor coupled to the plurality of resistors, ground, and a lowest voltage input terminal of the multiplexer, where a voltage across the first resistor is an input voltage to the lowest voltage input terminal. Additionally, in one implementation, the voltage divider further includes a second resistor coupled to the plurality of resistors and a supply voltage, where the supply voltage minus a voltage across the second resistor and a voltage across a resistor of the plurality of resistors is an input voltage to a highest voltage input terminal of the multiplexer. In one implementation, the first and second resistors are programmable in user mode.
US08063806B2

Various embodiments are disclosed relating to techniques of filtering and down-converting a received signal. In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an analog signal may be received and amplified in a transconductance amplifier. The amplified signal may be connected to a switching arrangement and an impedance circuit connected in series, and frequency down-converted in a second circuit. The resulting analog base band signal may be fed back to a base band input between the switching arrangement and the impedance circuit.
US08063801B2

A method for encoding an input sequence of symbols as a plurality of codewords including primary codewords and secondary codewords, and a method of decoding the plurality of codewords. The codewords are output as a bitstream including an associated codeword type indicator, which specifies whether its associated plurality of consecutive codewords includes at least one secondary codeword and, if so, the location of the first of the at least one secondary codewords. The decoder selects between a primary codeword decoding tree and a secondary codeword decoding tree, and decodes one of the plurality of codewords using the selected decoding tree.
US08063797B1

An integrated parking information system is disclosed. The system includes a collection system and a means for collection of parking data, and an information provision system and a method for the provision of parking information, for instance, enabling a driver to know exactly which city parking rules and fines apply for any given street parking space, as well as other associated information. The system can notify members about available parking spots through a GPS application that is integrated with phones & in dash navigation systems. The system can provide alerts to protect members against parking violations.
US08063795B2

An embodiment of the present invention is an illuminated stop sign for allowing pedestrians to control traffic. The system comprises a fixed support assembly; a pedestrian activated mechanism; a timer set for a predetermined period of time when the pedestrian activated mechanism is activated; and an octagonal display nonremovably mounted to the fixed support assembly comprising a backlight within the display and a display surface comprising a word “STOP” visible when the backlight is illuminated and substantially not visible when the backlight is not illuminated, the backlight being illuminated until the predetermined period of time is expired.
US08063791B2

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes: an indicator configured to indicate an operation status of a device; a switch configured to receive an input; a time determination module configured to determine whether an input time during which the input is continually received by the switch exceeds a predetermined first time; a lighting controller, when the time determination module determines that the input time passes the first time, configured to control the indicator so as to be turned on in a first lighting pattern; a detector configured to detect an end of the input received by the switch; and a processor, when the time determination module determines that the input time is greater than or equal to the first time and the detector detects the end of the input received by the switch, configured to perform predetermined first processing.
US08063790B2

In a reflection type proximity detector or method, a controller calculates a calibration value based on ambient conditions with the transmitter off and then performs tests. In each test, the calibration value is added to and subtracted from a measured value taken with the transmitter in one state (on or off) and a second measured value is then taken and compared with this range. In tests where the transmitter is switched from off to on between the measurements and the second value exceeds the range, and tests where the transmitter is switched from on to off between the measurements and the second value is below the range, an object is detected. When the transmitter does not switch states between the measurements, and the second value is less than or greater than the range, then no object is detected, as the change in measured value likely resulted from an outside signal.
US08063789B2

A method and an apparatus for monitoring the maximum distance between two objects, in particular between a child and its guardian, with the aid of two transceivers, the first of which periodically transmits status messages of a particular transmission power to the second, wherein an alarm is triggered in the second transceiver if the reception of the status messages decrease, and wherein a statement of the transmission power is concomitantly transmitted in each status message, are distinguished by the fact that the transmission power to be used for the next status message is determined by comparing the reception power with the transmission power stated in a status message and is transmitted back to the first transceiver in a confirmation message.
US08063785B2

A head gatch alarm system reduces medical risk for aspirational pneumonia when an angle of the head gatch section is outside a predetermined range. The system includes an inclinometer and a pump. The inclinometer is attached to the head gatch section for sensing an angle of the head gatch section. The inclinometer includes an RF receiver and RF transmitter for sending and receiving signals to a pump. An alarm or other means for alerting a medical professional is in communication with the inclinometer or the pump. The pump includes an RF transmitter and RF receiver for two way RF communication between the pump and the inclinometer. In operation, the alarm is triggered and the pump is turned off when the head gatch section is positioned outside a predetermined range.
US08063783B2

To realize smooth manufacturing of tag tape and RFID labels.The RFID tag label producing apparatus 1 comprises a tag inserter 26 for inserting at predetermined intervals RFID tags Tg between an adhesive layer 200Aa of a first tape 200A fed out from a first tape roll 211 and an adhesive layer 200Ba of a second tape 200B fed out from a second tape roll 213, and a base tape roll 215 for taking up a base tape 210 produced by bonding of the first tape 200A and the second tape 200B and attachment of the RFID tags Tg by the tag inserter 226, and making this a tag tape roll. The REID tag comprises RFID circuit elements To provided with an IC circuit part 151 for storing information and an tag antenna 152 connected to the IC circuit part 151 for performing transmission and reception of information.
US08063778B2

A device and method for temporarily plugging and visually identifying the condition of tubes.
US08063775B2

An energy management system includes a control and uplink module adapted to selectively monitor and control at least one energy consuming device, the control and uplink module in communication with an electronic storage device and adapted to transmit data to the electronic storage device, a sensor in communication with the control and uplink module, wherein the sensor is adapted to execute a pre-configured measurement and transmit a signal to the control and uplink module representative of the measurement, and an interface adapted for the entry of at least one operational parameter to the control and uplink module, at least one of the signal from the sensor and the operational parameter employed by the control and uplink module to facilitate an operation of the energy consuming device, the interface employing the data transmitted to the storage device to provide an analysis of an operation of the energy consuming device.
US08063771B2

Marine personal locator system including personal transmitters activated by immersion and a receiver. The transmitter includes a microprocessor adapted to effect transmission of a unique tone identifying the transmitter. The receiver includes an omnidirectional and a yagi antenna switchable to a tuned RF amplifier, mixed with a frequency doubled crystal oscillator local oscillator signal, filtering, processing to retrieve any unique identifying tone, and signal strength detection and indication means. The transmitters are worn by sailors and the receiver is located on a vessel. The receiver is operable to monitor for any signals of a transmitter worn by a sailor fallen overboard using the omnidirectional antenna and sound a siren in the event of reception of such a signal. A sailor operating the receiver can switch to use the yagi antenna and using the signal strength indication means determine and monitor the direction of an overboard sailor relative to the vessel.
US08063756B2

A tire pressure monitor provided on a wheel of a vehicle includes a pressure sensor, a transmitter, an acceleration sensor, and a controller. The pressure sensor works to output a pressure signal representative of the inflation pressure of a tire fitted on the wheel. The transmitter works to transmit the pressure signal. The acceleration sensor works to output an acceleration signal representative of a centrifugal acceleration which increases with the running speed of the vehicle. The controller is configured to: 1) determine a change in the centrifugal acceleration for a predetermined time period based on the acceleration signal, 2) determine the vehicle as being in running state when the determined change is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and 3) control the transmitter to transmit the pressure signal when the vehicle is determined as being in running state.
US08063746B2

A transponder detector is provided with capabilities for detecting the presence and type of a transponder in its read range while operating at low power. The transponder detector includes an antenna assembly and a detection signal generator circuit coupled to the antenna assembly. The detection signal generator circuit is capable of generating a progression of detection signals on the antenna assembly across a range of frequencies. The transponder detector further includes a response signal receiver circuit coupled to the antenna assembly to receive a progression of response signals from the antenna assembly resulting from the progression of detection signals. A controller is coupled to the response signal receiver circuit which determines the presence and type of the transponder based on an evaluation of a transponder detection parameter in the progression of response signals.
US08063745B2

A serial number detection portion simultaneously transmits a detection command for requesting a first digit of a serial number to plurality of indoor units, and the serial number detection portion simultaneously transmits a detection command for requesting a second digit immediately preceding the first digit to the indoor units when a response to the detection command is absent. That is, the address setting is performed again from the immediately preceding digit without returning to an initial digit of the serial number, so that the time necessary for the address setting can be shortened. When the address setting is performed again from the immediately preceding digit, the address setting can be performed more securely by changing a method of recognizing the detection command in the indoor units.
US08063735B2

A remotely actuable refrigerator door lock has a body portion attached to the cabinet and a door portion attached to an edge of the door. A latch in the body portion engages a strike plate in the door portion and can be remotely lifted to open the refrigerator. The door lock assembly is connected to a remote host computer via a USB or ethernet connection. Temperature and/or humidity in the refrigerator is compared with a predetermined limit, and in the event the sensed value is beyond the limit, the remote opening functionality is disabled, and a microprocessor automatically generates and sends a warning message. A key lock can provide access in the event of an adverse temperature or humidity event. The host computer keeps an audit trail of the times and personnel accessing each refrigerator. The system may be used in hospital for controlling access to pharmaceuticals or may be used in a weight loss program.
US08063725B2

The improved reed relay package provided a “pseudo” Form C relay that includes two Form A relays with at least one bridge filter element electrically interconnecting the signal outputs thereof to reduce stub capacitance and improve RF performance. As a result, the reed relay package can operate at very high frequencies, such as 18 GHz and higher. Also, vias can be provided through the support substrate to simulate a co-planar waveguide and RF shields profiled with cut-outs to better simulate a 50 ohm impedance environment throughout the path of the signal line.
US08063720B2

A microelectromechanical (MEMs) resonator includes a concave bulk acoustic resonator (CBAR). One embodiment of a CBAR includes a substrate and a resonator body suspended over the substrate by a pair of fixed supports that attach to first and second opposing ends of the resonator body. The resonator body has a first concave-shaped side extending between the first and second ends of the resonator body and a second concave-shaped side extending opposite the first concave-shaped side. The resonator body may be configured to have a minimum spacing of λ/2 between the first and second concave-shaped sides, where λ is a wavelength associated with a resonant frequency of said resonator body.
US08063716B1

A power divider includes an input port and a plurality of output ports. The power divider further includes a splitter fabricated from a plurality of discrete elements including at least one transformer having a ferrite core. The splitter has an input and a plurality of outputs. The power divider further includes a plurality of transmission lines fabricated on a printed circuit board. Each transmission line has a first end coupled to one of the outputs of the splitter and a second end coupled to one of the output ports, and includes a plurality of transmission line sections between the first end and the second end. The power divider further includes a plurality of balance resistors each having a first end connected between sections of one of the transmission lines, and having a second end connected between sections of another of the transmission lines.
US08063704B2

A gain adjustment device and a method thereof are provided. The device includes a first processing module, a gain adjustment circuit, a second processing module, and a gain control module. The first processing module receives an input signal and generates a first signal. An operating voltage of the first processing module is a first voltage. The gain adjustment circuit receives the first signal and adjusts a gain of the first signal according to a gain control signal to output a third signal. The second processing module receives the third signal and generates a second signal. An operating voltage of the second processing module is a second voltage. The gain control module generates the gain control signal according to the first voltage and the second voltage.
US08063693B2

A charge pump latch circuit is provided that includes at least one first and at least one second charge pump stage interconnected by an intermediate circuit node, and a stabilization stage connected to the intermediate circuit node and to control terminals of transistors of the first and second charge pump stages. The stabilization stage includes at least one first pair and at least one second pair of first and second enable terminals receiving suitable and distinct phase signals that ensure the turn-off of the stabilization stage during overlapping periods of the phase signals. Also provided is a method for using a stabilization stage to drive transistors in first and second charge pump stages that are interconnected by an intermediate circuit node.
US08063676B2

Methods, devices, modules, and systems for a band-gap reference voltage detection circuit are provided. One embodiment for a band-gap reference voltage detection circuit includes a Brokaw cell having a band-gap reference voltage, and a circuit portion for indicating the magnitude of an input voltage signal with respect to the band-gap reference voltage. The input voltage is applied to transistor bases of the Brokaw cell.
US08063675B2

Provided is a delay circuit that has a delay time period independent of a power supply voltage and has the equal delay time period between a case of a change in input signal from Low to High and a case of a change in input signal from High to Low. The delay time period is determined as a time period necessary for a voltage of a capacitor (17) (internal voltage (Va)) to increase from a ground voltage (VSS) to a voltage equal to or higher than an inverting threshold voltage of a constant current inverter (19) (threshold voltage (Vtn) of an NMOS transistor (16)). Therefore, the delay time period is determined with reference to the ground voltage (VSS). Note that the same holds true for an internal delay circuit (20). If the input signal (Vin) becomes High, the delay circuit utilizes the delay time period caused by an internal delay circuit (10). On the other hand, if the input signal (Vin) becomes Low, the delay circuit utilizes the delay time period caused by the internal delay circuit (20). Those internal delay circuit (10) and internal delay circuit (20) are identical with each other.
US08063665B1

A buffer circuit includes an input configured to receive an input signal; and a buffer configured to generate an output signal based on the input signal. In an embodiment, the output signal has a linear relationship with the input signal when the input signal is within the input voltage range; and the buffer circuit further includes a level-shifting circuit coupled with the input, wherein the level shifting circuit determines an input voltage range, and wherein one of an upper limit and a lower limit of the input voltage range is within 50 millivolts from a supply rail voltage. In another embodiment, the buffer circuit further includes a programmable chopping module coupled with the buffer, wherein the programmable chopping module is programmable with a selected configuration from a plurality of configurations, and wherein the programmable chopping modulates the input signal based on the selected configuration. In yet another embodiment, the buffer circuit further includes a programmable output filter coupled with the buffer, wherein the programmable output filter is programmable with a selected configuration from a plurality of configurations, and wherein the programmable output filter filters a frequency band of the output signal based on the selected configuration.
US08063659B2

An apparatus having a plurality of first circuits, second circuits, third circuits and fourth circuits is disclosed. The first circuits may be configured to generate a plurality of first signals in response to (i) a priority signal and (ii) a request signal. The second circuits may be configured to generate a plurality of second signals in response to the first signals. The third circuits may be configured to generate a plurality of enable signals in response to the second signals. The fourth circuits may be configured to generate collectively an output signal in response to (i) the enable signals and (ii) the request signal. A combination of the first circuits, the second circuits, the third circuits and the fourth circuits generally establishes a programmable priority encoder. The second signals may be generated independent of the enable signals.
US08063658B2

In a semiconductor device having a terminal connected to an internal portion, a termination circuit for providing on-die termination for the terminal of the device. The termination circuit comprises a plurality of transistors, including at least one NMOS transistor and at least one PMOS transistor, connected between the terminal and a power supply; and control circuitry for driving a gate of each of NMOS transistor with a corresponding NMOS gate voltage and for driving a gate of each PMOS transistor with a corresponding PMOS gate voltage, the control circuitry being configured to control the NMOS and PMOS gate voltages so as to place the transistors in an ohmic region of operation when on-die termination is enabled. The power supply supplies a voltage that is less than each said NMOS gate voltage and greater than each said PMOS gate voltage.
US08063654B2

An integrated circuit device includes a stacked die and a base die having probe pads that directly couple to test logic of the base die to implement a scan chain for testing of the integrated circuit device. The base die further includes contacts disposed on a back side of the base die and through-die vias coupled to the contacts and coupled to programmable logic of the base die. The base die also includes a first probe pad configured to couple test input, a second probe pad configured to couple test output, and a third probe pad configured to couple control signals. Test logic of the base die is configured to couple to additional test logic of the stacked die to implement the scan chain. The probe pads are coupled directly to the test logic such that configuration of the programmable logic is not required to implement the scan chain.
US08063652B2

The present invention stably maintains contact between probe pins and a wafer. Screws are provided at a plurality of positions in an outer circumferential portion of a printed circuit board. On a lower surface side of the outer circumferential portion of the printed circuit board, a retainer plate is provided, and a bottom end surface of each of the screws is held down with the retainer plate. Turning each of the screws in a state where the bottom end surface of the each of the screws is held down with the retainer plate causes the outer circumferential portion of the printed circuit board to be moved up and down. Adjusting a height of the outer circumferential portion of the printed circuit board by turning each of the screws located at the plurality of positions enables parallelism of the entire probe card with respect to the wafer to be adjusted.
US08063645B2

The invention relates to a method and a device for analyzing electric cables in a network, for the detection and location of defects in networks comprising at least one junction from which there depart N secondary cable stretches. The method includes interposing in the network, in series at the input of each the secondary stretches (T2, T3) starting from the junction (A), a respective bidirectional passive filter (FR2,FR3) able to cut off a frequency band associated with this stretch. The filters all allow through the useful frequencies for the normal operation of the network. A pulsed test is applied to the input of the network signal modulated by N different carrier frequencies each situated in one of the N frequency bands of the filters. The temporal position of test signal spikes reflected for each of the N frequencies is detected, and deducing therefrom the position of possible defects on a stretch of cable of the network.
US08063636B2

Magnetic resonance systems, devices, methods, and compositions are provided. A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging composition includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of target-selective ferromagnetic microstructures configured to generate a time-invariant magnetic field within at least a portion of one or more internal surface-defined voids.
US08063632B2

A method of magnetizing a permanently magnetizable element associated with a magnetic field sensor structure includes generating a test magnetic field penetrating the magnetic field sensor structure and the permanently magnetizable element, detecting the magnetic field and providing a test signal based on a magnetic field through the magnetic field sensor structure, aligning the test magnetic field and the magnetic field sensor structure with the permanently magnetizable element to each other, until the test signal reaches a set value corresponding to a predetermined magnetized field distribution with respect to the magnetic field sensor structure, and generating a magnetizing field for permanently magnetizing the element to be permanently magnetized, wherein the magnetizing field corresponds to the predetermined magnetic field distribution within a tolerance range.
US08063620B2

The present invention provides a switching power source and a semiconductor integrated circuit which realize an acquisition a sufficient driving voltage of a high-potential side switching element M1 even when a power source voltage VDD is low. In a switching power source which controls a current which flows in an inductor through a switching element which performs a switching operation in response to a PWM signal, and forms an output voltage by a capacitor which is provided in series in the inductor, a booster circuit which is constituted of a bootstrap capacity and a MOSFET is provided between an output node of the switching element and a predetermined voltage terminal, the boosted voltage is used as an operational voltage of a driving circuit of the switching element, another source/drain region and a substrate gate are connected with each other such that when the MOSFET is made to assume an OFF state, and a junction diode between one source/drain region and the substrate gate is inversely directed with respect to the boosted voltage which is formed by the bootstrap capacity.
US08063617B2

A per-phase quick response generation circuit generates a quick response signal to determine a quick response pulse to be inserted into a pulse width modulation signal of the corresponding phase. The quick response pulse will force the upper power switch of the corresponding phase on to increase the current supply ability during load transition. A multi-phase voltage regulator with the quick response generation circuit can have different quick response pulse widths for the interleaved phases, so as to decrease the current imbalance period of the voltage regulator after load transition.
US08063612B2

A diesel-electric drive system having a generator mechanically connected to a diesel motor on the rotor side and linked to a voltage source (intermediate) inverter on the stator side. The voltage source inverter is connected to a self-commuting pulse power converter on the generator and on the load side as well as to a brake resistor. The generator has two multiple-phase coil systems which are each electroconductively linked to a self-commuting pulse power converter on the generator side, wherein the second self-commuting pulse power converter on the generator side is switched electrically parallel to the voltage source (intermediate) circuit of the voltage source (intermediate) inverter on the generator side. At least one input phase of the first self-commuting pulse power converter on the generator side is electroconductively linked via a brake resistor to a input phase of the second self-commuting pulse power converter on the generator side.
US08063602B2

Different circuit-based implementations of stochastic anti-windup PI controllers are provided for a motor drive controller system. The designs can be implemented in a Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) device. The anti-windup PI controllers are implemented stochastically so as to enhance the computational capability of FPGA.
US08063591B2

The motor driving device includes a first function of supplying power to a motor so that the motor generates a driving force to drive a driven member, a second function of detecting a current flowing through the motor, a third function of performing a power supply control in order that a value of the current detected by the second function is maintained within a target range, a fourth function of performing a power supply operation in which the motor is supplied with power for a predetermined time period which is short enough to avoid the driven member from being driven by the motor, before the third function performs the power supply control, and a fifth function of making a judgment on a state of each of the first to third functions on the basis of the value of the current detected by the second function during the predetermined time period.
US08063586B2

Disclosed is a method of driving a discharge lamp, wherein a value of pressure in the lamp is determined during operation of the lamp at a dimmed power level, a correction factor is determined based on the dimmed power level pressure value, a required power value for a requested light output level is calculated using the correction factor, and the lamp is driven according to the required power value.
US08063577B2

A driver circuit for operating one or more light emitting diodes(LEDs) is disclosed. An alternating supply current is generated and transformed to an alternating secondary winding voltage. Using rectifier means, such as diodes or synchronous switches, the alternating secondary winding voltage is converted to a substantially constant load current by using a buffer element. The buffer element comprises an output choke, such as an inductor. The power transferred from the power source to the LEDs may be controlled by frequency control of the alternating supply current.
US08063573B2

A backlight assembly includes: a plurality of lamp units; and an inverter which includes a plurality of pattern capacitors, wherein each of the pattern capacitors is electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of lamp units, wherein each of the pattern capacitors comprises a printed circuit board, and a conductive layer formed on one side of the printed circuit board, and at least one of the plurality of pattern capacitors has a different electric capacity than another of the pattern capacitors.
US08063561B2

Disclosed is an organic light-emitting display device comprising: a pixel region wherein an organic light-emitting device comprised of a first electrode, an organic thin film layer and a second electrode is formed; a first substrate comprising a non-pixel region encompassing the pixel region; a second substrate disposed on the upper of the first substrate to be overlapped with the pixel region and a portion of the non-pixel region; and a plurality of frits provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and formed in parallel at spaced intervals along the peripheral portion of the pixel region, wherein the first substrate is bonded to the second substrate by the plurality of frits. Even in the case that a portion of the frit is delaminated due to a partial defection thereof, its encapsulation state can be maintained as it is by being encapsulated with the frit in a multi structure and even in the case that a substrate with a large diameter is used, the width and height of the frit do not need to increase.
US08063555B2

An organic EL device includes a substrate; a layered structure including a first electrode, an organic layer, and a second electrode disposed on the substrate in this order; and laminated protective layers surrounding at least the layered structure. The protective layers are composed of silicon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and fluorine. The fluorine content in the outermost protective layer is in the range of 0.01 to 1.0 atomic percent.
US08063550B2

The present invention discloses an organic light emitting device for preventing element defects and improving picture quality by reducing a taper angle of a substrate surface. The flat panel display of the present invention comprises, an insulating substrate, a lower layer formed on the insulating substrate and having a first step and a first taper angle with respect to the substrate surface, and an upper layer formed on the insulating substrate and for reducing the taper angle of the lower layer. The upper layer has a second taper angle smaller than the first taper angle of the lower layer. The upper layer is a conductive layer that may be applied by a wet coating method, has a charge transporting capability, and is selected from at least one of a small-molecule organic layer including a carbazole-based, arylamine-based, hydrazone-based, stilbene-based, oxadiazole-based, starburst-based derivatives, and a polymer organic layer including PEDOT, PANI, carbazole-based, arylamine-based, perylene-based, pyrrole-based, oxadiazole-based derivatives.
US08063549B2

A substrate for semiconductor device includes a graphite substrate, an amorphous carbon layer having a thickness of not less than 20 nm and not more than 60 nm formed on the graphite substrate and an AlN layer formed on the amorphous carbon layer. The amorphous carbon layer is obtained by oxidizing the surface of the graphite substrate.
US08063543B2

A piezoelectric thin film element includes a substrate, a lower electrode, a piezoelectric thin film, and an upper electrode. The lower electrode, the piezoelectric thin film and the upper electrode are formed on the substrate. The piezoelectric thin film includes a polycrystal thin film including crystal grains, an alkali niobium oxide based perovskite structure represented by a general formula: (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0.4
US08063540B2

A design and a manufacturing method of ultrasound transducers based on films of ferro-electric ceramic material is presented, the transducers being particularly useful for operating at frequencies above 10 MHz. The manufacturing technique can involve tape-casting of the ceramic films, deposition of the ceramic films onto a substrate with thick film printing, sol-gel, or other deposition techniques, where manufacturing methods for load matching layers and composite ceramic layers are described. The designs also involve acoustic load matching layers that provide particularly wide bandwidth of the transducers, and also multi-band operation of the transducers. The basic designs can be used for elements in a transducer array, that provides the frequency characteristics of the single element transducers, for array steering of the focus and possibly also direction of a pulsed ultrasound beam at high frequencies and multi-band frequencies.
US08063533B2

An electronic device having a piezoelectric pump. The electronic device includes: an audio input section; an audio recording section recording input sound from the audio input section; a piezoelectric pump cooling air by a piezoelectric element; a drive circuit driving the piezoelectric element; and a control circuit monitoring and controlling operation of the audio input section, the audio recording section, and the drive circuit, wherein when an operation mode being monitored is an audio recording mode, in which the input sound is used for recording by the audio recording section, the control circuit controls the drive circuit to decrease the amount of air flow exhausted outside from the piezoelectric pump, and when the operation mode being monitored is another mode without audio recording, the control circuit maintains the amount of the air flow.
US08063515B2

A system for compensating a power transmission grid is provided. The system includes one or more non-conventional power generating sources that are connected to the power transmission grid. At least one series compensation circuit is connected to at least a portion of the power transmission grid, to compensate the power transmission grid. At least one damping circuit is connected to at least a portion of the power transmission grid, and it mitigates subsynchronous series resonance caused by the series compensation circuit on the power transmission grid.
US08063513B2

The solution controls electric operational power to be fed to an amplifier. The control can be carried out, for instance, in accordance with a predetermined signal. The operational power is fed to the amplifier with a voltage source unit and a current source unit, and the operational voltage that the voltage source unit feeds to the amplifier is controlled. The current source unit feeds at least some of the operational electric current of the amplifier.
US08063511B2

Systems and methods for storing and releasing energy comprising directing inlet air into a vertical cold flue assembly, a portion of moisture being removed from the air within the cold flue assembly. The air is directed out of the cold flue assembly and compressed. The remaining moisture is substantially removed and the carbon dioxide is removed from the air by adsorption. The air is cooled in a main heat exchanger such that it is substantially liquefied using refrigerant loop air. The substantially liquefied air is directed to a storage apparatus. The refrigerant loop air is cooled by a mechanical chiller and by a plurality of refrigerant loop air expanders. In energy release mode, working loop fluid warms the released liquid air such that the released liquid air is substantially vaporized, and the released liquid air cools the working loop fluid such that the working loop fluid is substantially liquefied. A portion of the released liquid air is directed to the at least one generator and used as bearing air lor the at least one generator. The substantially vaporized air is directed to a combustion chamber and combusted with a fuel stream. Combustion gas may be directed from the combustion chamber to at least one expander, the expanded combustion gas split into two portions. The first portion may be directed to a first heat exchanger, and the second portion may be directed to a second heat exchanger such that the second portion heats and substantially vaporizes the released liquid air.
US08063508B2

A power control system is described that reuses current from segregated circuits of the mobile device. In some embodiments, the segregated circuits (or “sections”) can be “stacked” in series (with respect to the power supply) such that power is more efficiently used. The power can be more efficiently used by arranging a first section to reuse current that supplies power to a second section. A power control unit can be used to control regulators.
US08063493B2

A sacrificial substrate for fabricating semiconductor device assemblies and packages with edge contacts includes conductive elements on a surface thereof, which are located so as to align along a street between each adjacent pair of semiconductor devices on the device substrate. A semiconductor device assembly or package includes a semiconductor device, a redistribution layer over an active surface of the semiconductor device, and dielectric material coating at least portions of an outer periphery of the semiconductor device. Peripheral sections of contacts are located on the peripheral edge and electrically isolated therefrom by the dielectric coating. The contacts may also include upper sections that extend partially over the active surface of the semiconductor device. The assembly or package may include any type of semiconductor device, including a processor, a memory device, and emitter, or an optically sensitive device.
US08063492B2

A multi-chip stacked package primarily comprises a chip carrier, a first chip disposed on the chip carrier, a plurality of die-attaching bars, a second chip stacked on the first chip by the adhesion of the die-attaching bars, and a plurality of bonding wires electrically connecting the first chip to the chip carrier. The die-attaching bars are formed on the first chip in a specific pattern and have an adhesive surface away from the first chip for adhering the second chip. The bonding wires have a loop height lower than the adhesive surface in a manner that specific sections of the bonding wires are embedded in the corresponding die-attaching bar from the adhesive surface. Accordingly, the die-attaching bars can modify and fasten the bonding wires in advance to avoid collapse and deformation of the bonding wires during stacking of the second chip and encapsulating processes.
US08063482B2

A technique to fabricate a package. A thin wafer supported by a wafer support substrate (WSS) is formed. The WSS-supported thin wafer layer is diced into a plurality of WSS-supported thin dice. A WSS-supported thin die is bonded to a first heat spreader (HS) to form a HS-reinforced thin die.
US08063470B1

A leadframe for use in fabricating a no lead semiconductor package contains connecting bars between individual electrical contact pads. For embodiments having a die pad, the leadframe further includes connecting bars between the contact pads and the die pad. The lower surfaces of the connecting bars are coplanar with the lower surfaces of the contact pads and/or the die pad, and the upper surfaces of the connecting bars are recessed with respect to the upper surfaces of the contact pads and/or the die pad. The semiconductor package is fabricated by encapsulating the die and the leadframe in a molding compound and then removing the connecting bars. The leadframe is typically formed by half etching a metal sheet to form the connecting bars. The connecting bars are removed from the encapsulated package by a selected cutting, sawing, or etching means, based on a predetermined pattern.
US08063469B2

Structure and method for fabricating a system on chip with an on-chip RF shield including interconnect metallization is described. In one embodiment, the system on chip includes an RF circuitry disposed on a first portion of a top surface of a substrate, and a semiconductor circuitry disposed on a second portion of the top surface of the substrate. An interconnect RF barrier is disposed between the RF circuitry and the semiconductor circuitry, the interconnect RF barrier coupled to a ground potential node.
US08063468B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip, a moisture resistant ring provided in the semiconductor chip and having a chamfered flat part in a position corresponding to a corner of the semiconductor chip, and a first monitor pattern formed inside the moisture resistant ring. At least a part of the first monitor pattern is disposed inside an n-sided polygonal area (n is a natural number which is 4 or higher than 4) situated within the moisture resistant ring, and outside a quadrangular area situated inside the n-sided polygonal area. The n-sided polygonal area has a vertex at least at each of a first end and a second end of the chamfered flat part, and the quadrangular area has a vertex at least at a middle point of the chamfered flat part.
US08063462B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface in which a light-receiving portion and electrodes are provided. The semiconductor substrate has a penetrating wiring layer connecting the first surface and the second surface. A light-transmissive protective member is disposed on the semiconductor substrate so as to cover the first surface. A gap is provided between the semiconductor substrate and the light-transmissive protective member. A protective film is formed at a surface of the light-transmissive protective member. The protective film has an opening provided at a region corresponding to the light-receiving portion.
US08063457B2

A high-density impurity diffused layer of an identical conduction type to the semiconductor substrate on which the impurity is doped higher in density than the semiconductor substrate around the diffuse resistance region is provided, one side of the electrodes is formed extending to the high-density impurity diffused layer and the diffused resistance region and the high-density impurity diffused layer are connected in a semiconductor strain gauge that is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate of a fixed conduction type and is provided with the diffused resistance region of opposite conduction type to the semiconductor substrate and is provided with electrodes on both ends of the diffused resistance region.
US08063450B2

The present invention relates to vertical nanowire transistors with a wrap-gated geometry. The threshold voltage of the vertical nanowire transistors is controlled by the diameter of the nanowire, the doping of the nanowire, the introduction of segments of heterostructures in the nanowire, the doping in shell-structures surrounding the nanowire, tailoring the work function of the gate stack, by strain engineering, by control of the dielectrica or the choice of nanowire material. Transistors with varying threshold voltages are provided on the same substrate, which enables the design of advanced circuits utilizing the shifts in the threshold voltages, similar to the directly coupled field logic.
US08063438B2

In a vertical-type memory device and a method of manufacturing the vertical-type memory device, the vertical memory device includes an insulation layer pattern of a linear shape provided on a substrate, pillar-shaped single-crystalline semiconductor patterns provided on both sidewalls of the insulation layer pattern and transistors provided on a sidewall of each of the single-crystalline semiconductor patterns. The transistors are arranged in a vertical direction of the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern, and thus the memory device may be highly integrated.
US08063435B2

A semiconductor memory in which a gate insulating film (tunnel insulating film) in a memory cell provides higher operational reliability. The semiconductor memory includes an insulating film 3 between a silicon substrate 1 and a gate electrode 4. The insulating film 3 is composed of a silicon oxide film 3f, a silicon nitride film 3d and a silicon oxide film 3b, stacked in this order between the silicon substrate and the gate electrode from the side of the silicon substrate 1. There are provided hydrogen occluding films 3a, 3c and 3e on an interface between the silicon oxide film 3f and the silicon nitride film 3d, on an interface between the silicon nitride film 3d and the silicon oxide film 3b and on an interface between the silicon oxide film 3b and the gate electrode 4 (FIGS. 1A and 1B).
US08063431B2

An electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) is disclosed. The EEPROM includes a tunneling region in a semiconductor substrate, a control gate region in the semiconductor substrate and separated from the tunneling region by a device isolating layer, a tunnel oxide layer in a trench in the semiconductor substrate between the tunneling region and the control gate region, and a polysilicon layer on the tunnel oxide layer.
US08063420B2

A field-effect transistor with improved moisture resistance without an increase in gate capacitance, and a method of manufacturing the field-effect transistor are provided. The field-effect transistor includes: a T-shaped gate electrode on a semiconductor layer; and a first highly moisture-resistant protective film including one of an insulating film and an organic film having high etching resistance, the first highly moisture-resistant protective film being located above the T-shaped gate electrode, over all of a region in which the T-shaped gate electrode is located. A cavity is located between the semiconductor layer and the first highly moisture-resistant protective film, below a canopy of the T-shaped gate electrode. An end surface of the cavity is closed by a second highly moisture-resistant film.
US08063419B2

An integrated circuit and component is disclosed. In one embodiment, the component is a compensation component, configuring the compensation regions in the drift zone in V-shaped fashion in order to achieve a convergence of the space charge zones from the upper to the lower end of the compensation regions is disclosed.
US08063414B2

A standard cell, placed between a power rail and a ground rail in an integrated circuit, has active areas with connecting arms that extend beneath the power rail and ground rail. The connecting arms conduct current between the power and ground rails and the source regions of transistors in the active areas. The connecting arms include segments extending from these source regions to points beneath the power and ground rails, and segments running longitudinally beneath the power and ground rails. The connecting arms replace metal wiring that would otherwise be required, enabling the size of the standard cell to be reduced.
US08063411B2

A transparent layer and a phosphor layer are covered on the LED chip for increasing light emission efficiency and evenness of the LED. Based on angle-dependent emission strength of the LED chip, the phosphor layer is designed with different thickness or contains different phosphor powder concentration in different section. The lights emitted with different strength from different angle of the LED chip are transformed into uniform compound lights after passing through the phosphor layer that has different thickness or phosphor powder concentration. Micro structures capable of destroying the full reflection occurred on the incident lights are further configured on both the inner and outer surfaces of the phosphor layer to increase the light emission efficiency.
US08063403B2

An impurity element imparting one conductivity type is included in a layer close to a gate insulating film of layers with high crystallinity, so that a channel formation region is formed not in a layer with low crystallinity which is formed at the beginning of film formation but in a layer with high crystallinity which is formed later in a microcrystalline semiconductor film. Further, the layer including an impurity element is used as a channel formation region. Furthermore, a layer which does not include an impurity element imparting one conductivity type or a layer which has an impurity element imparting one conductivity type at an extremely lower concentration than other layers, is provided between a pair of semiconductor films including an impurity element functioning as a source region and a drain region and the layer including an impurity element functioning as a channel formation region.
US08063401B2

A probe electrode structure on a substrate is described, comprising a first probe electrode and a neighboring second probe electrode on a layer sequence that generally includes, in a direction from the substrate to the probe electrodes, an electrically conductive bottom layer, an electrically insulating center layer and a electrically conductive top layer. The probe-electrode structure of the invention provides a means to detect an undercutting of the first probe electrode in an etching step that aims at removing the top layer from regions outside the first probe electrode. An undercutting that exceeds an admissible distance from the first edge of the first electrode will remove the first top-layer probe section in the first probe opening, which causes a detectable change of the electrical resistance between the first and second probe electrodes.
US08063391B2

The present invention provides a light-transmitting electromagnetic wave-shielding material for use in displays or in-vehicle panels each having a polarizing plate or a retardation plate, wherein the light-transmitting electromagnetic wave-shielding material undergoes no generation of light interference fringes and is satisfactory in visibility even through sunglasses, goggles, glare-proof panels or glare-proof window materials having polarizing capability. By using unstretched light-transmitting organic polymer materials low in molecular orientation or small in molecular orientation unevenness as the base substrate of an electromagnetic wave-shielding layer, the light-transmitting electromagnetic wave-shielding material excellent in light interference fringe prevention capability can be obtained.
US08063390B2

An electron cooling system and method for increasing the phase space intensity and overall intensity of ion beams in multiple overlap regions, including a vacuum chamber to allow a single electron beam to be merged and separated with multiple ion beams, an electron supply device including a cathode to generate the electron beam, an electron collector device including a collection plate to collect the electron beam, multiple magnetic field generation devices to guide the electrons on their desired trajectories, and multiple electrodes to set the velocity of the electron beam independently in each overlap region. By overlapping the electron and ion beams, thermal energy is transferred from the ion beams to the electron beam, which allows an increase in the phase space density and overall density of the ion beams. Advantageously, the electron cooling system uses multiple magnetic field generation devices to guide the electrons into and out of multiple, separate, ion beam overlap regions, allowing the single electron beam to cool an ion beam in more than one overlap region. Advantageously, the electron cooling system uses electrodes to control the mean electron beam velocity in each overlap region, allowing for mitigation of electron beam emittance growth caused by scattering that occurs exterior to the overlap regions. Advantageously, the electrodes used to control the mean electron beam velocity in each overlap region allow for a single electron beam to achieve different velocities to match different desired ion beam velocities in the multiple overlap regions.
US08063382B2

In one embodiment, an air mover may include a first electrode, a second electrode and an ionization device to selectively ionize molecules in an electric field between the first and second electrodes. The ionized molecules can drive airflow between the first and second electrodes. In certain embodiments, the ionization device has an operational characteristic that prevents ionization of oxygen so that the airflow is ozone-free.
US08063369B2

The invention relates to a bolometer element, a bolometer cell, a bolometer camera, and a method for reading a bolometer cell. The bolometer cell comprises several bolometer elements. Each bolometer element comprises a first bolometer having a first heating resistance for sensing radiation power acting on the element, and a second bolometer having a second heating resistance, and in each bolometer element the first and second bolometers are electrically connected to each other in such a way that the heating resistance (611) of the first bolometer can be biased with the aid of a voltage through the heating resistance of the second bolometer in order to amplify the radiation power detected with the aid of the connection. With the aid of the invention, it is possible to implement an extremely sensitive bolometer camera.
US08063363B2

A method, apparatus and computer readable medium for charged particle beam inspection of a sample comprising at least one sampling region and at least one skip region is disclosed. The method, apparatus and computer readable medium comprise receiving an imaging recipe which at least comprises information of the area of the sampling and skip regions; calculating a default stage speed according to the imaging recipe; calculating an alternative stage speed at least according to the default stage speed, the sampling region area information, and the skip region area information; calculating at least one imaging scan compensation offset at least according to the alternative stage speed; and inspecting the sample at the alternative stage speed while adjusting the motion of the charged particle beam according to the imaging scan compensation offsets, such that the charged particle beam tightly follows the motion of the stage and images only the sampling regions on the sample.
US08063352B2

A color separation filter (100), for a solid state image sensor includes a micro lens array (108) adapted to collect a full color spectrum light source (104), a mask layer (120) is attached to the micro lens array (108), the mask layer (120) includes plurality of openings (124), each opening is positioned in front of a single micro lens from the micro lens array. Additionally it includes a first array of prisms (204), each prism is positioned in front of each of the openings, a second array of prisms (212) is attached to the first array of prisms with an optical glue layer (208). Each prism from the first array of prisms is positioned in front of a prism from the second array of prisms to create a symmetrical optical path for the color spectrum light source (304).
US08063349B2

A solar heliostat and system are described with various characteristics particularly suitable for concentrating systems with a relatively large number of small heliostats. Other features contribute to high performance, low cost, high durability, and high temperature operation, such as desired for high efficiency thermal power generation.
US08063348B1

A system for detection of optical type devices being used by an enemy sniper subject without alerting the enemy is shown. A coherent laser beam of a wave length in the visible color range, is sent along an axis and passing through a beam splitter device. A detection means is arranged to generate a signal when it detects retro-reflections from the target optical devices or subject including clutter reflections in a 180 degree direction relative to axis. The detection means is coaxially mounted with the source of illumination with a second detection means off axis therefrom to generate a second detection signal when it detects clutter reflections from the target optical devices or subject. A comparator means forms a difference signal between the retro-reflected detection signal and the second detection signal and indicates when the difference signal exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08063339B2

A spark gap device is described such as for use in welding systems. The device receives a high voltage, low current input signal and produces high frequency waveform output. The device includes one or more toroidal members surrounding a rod-like member with an annular gap therebetween. When the input signal is applied to the device, arcs are established in the gap between the toroidal members and the rod-like member, producing the high frequency output. Erosion and loci of arcs between the toroidal members and the rod-like member are distributed, resulting in extended life of the assembly. The gaps are also shielded from contaminants and moisture by an insolative body that maintains the toroidal members and the rod-like member in place with respect to one another.
US08063338B2

A system, method and masking arrangement are provided of enhancing the width of polycrystalline grains produced using sequential lateral solidification using a modified mask pattern is disclosed. One exemplary mask pattern employs rows of diamond or circular shaped areas in order to control the width of the grain perpendicular to the direction of primary crystallization.
US08063327B2

A switch assembly includes a shell, and a push button including a fixing member, a pushing member, an elastic member and an electrical-conductive member. A shell includes an upper surface and a cavity extending from the upper surface to a lower surface opposite to the upper surface. The fixing member is received in the cavity of the shell. The pushing member is slidably received in the fixing member and exposed out of the cavity. The elastic member is positioned between the pushing member and the shell. The electrical-conductive member is mounted on an end of the pushing member.
US08063321B2

A weighing apparatus adapted for use in an existing conveyor, and a method for attaching a weighing apparatus to an existing conveyor without removing components or modifying the conveyor. The apparatus comprises a roller, a load cell, a vertical support and a cross member. The cross member is secured to adjacent existing idlers or alternatively to the frame supporting the existing conveyor via non-invasive means that do not require the existing conveyor or components to be removed or modified by cutting, drilling or welding. The roller is capable of precise adjustment both horizontally and vertically relative to the conveyor to ensure levelness and accuracy without the use of tools.
US08063296B2

An Apparatus for Percussive Harmonic Musical Synthesis (APHAMS) which facilitates state-of-the-art musical expression, through generation of melodic sound, bearing well defined tone and note pitch, by the striking of uniquely configured multiple note activitation trigger mechanism surfaces, termed muzi-pads, with an appropriately sized mallet, stick, or other such similar playing implement, for the generation of a desired note, by a given MIDI device and which provides an enhanced emulation of the traditional tenor steelpan, in its interface with the player.
US08063294B1

A combining housing has first, second and third connectors. A music player has a first line adapted to be coupled to the first connector. A special effects box has a second line adapted to be coupled to the second connector. Earphones have a third line adapted to be coupled to the third connector. A musical instrument has a supplemental line adapted to be coupled to the special effects box. Positive, negative and ground wires are within each of the lines and continue within the combining housing. An electrical assembly includes the positive, negative and ground wires. The positive lines are coupled together within the combining housing forming a first junction. The negative wires are coupled together within the combining housing forming a second junction. The ground wires are coupled together within the housing forming a third junction.
US08063291B2

The disclosure of the present invention contemplates that provision is made for the guitar case to be supported from its bottom end by a foldable stand so that the case can be inclined upwardly at an angle relative to the horizontal, such as a floor surface. A guitar, when removed from the guitar case can then be suspended or hung from a hanger provided on the guitar case. The guitar is thereby oriented to be suspended substantially vertically, relative to the ground, and the bottom of the guitar is spaced from the ground or floor surface.
US08063285B1

A novel maize variety designated X7H211 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing maize variety X7H211 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X7H211 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X7H211, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X7H211. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X7H211.
US08063283B1

A soybean cultivar designated 96462908 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 96462908, to the plants of soybean 96462908, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 96462908, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 96462908 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 96462908, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 96462908, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 96462908 with another soybean cultivar.
US08063280B2

A soybean cultivar designated 8012419 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 8012419, to the plants of soybean 8012419, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 8012419, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 8012419 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety 8012419, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 8012419, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 8012419 with another soybean cultivar.
US08063275B2

A soybean cultivar designated 8249120 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 8249120, to the plants of soybean 8249120, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 8249120 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 8249120 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars and plant parts derived from soybean variety 8249120, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 8249120 and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 8249120 with another soybean cultivar.
US08063267B2

The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having endoglucanase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides.
US08063265B2

A hydrogel having a floatability where from 40% to 90% of a solution and/or suspension to be thickened are thickened starting from the surface of the liquid and the rest of the solution and/or suspension to be thickened is thickened starting from the bottom of the container, a process for preparing the hydrogel and also its use for absorbing blood and/or body fluids, especially in hygiene articles, or for thickening aqueous solutions and/or suspensions, especially for thickening medical wastes.
US08063263B2

Devices, bandages, kits and methods are described that can control or regulate the mechanical environment of a wound to ameliorate scar and/or keloid formation. The mechanical environment of a wound includes stress, strain, and any combination of stress and strain. The control of a wound's mechanical environment can be active, passive, dynamic, or static. The devices are configured to be removably secured to a skin surface in proximity to the wound site and shield the wound from endogenous and/or exogenous stress.
US08063262B2

A hazardous gas abatement system decontaminates an exit gas stream containing global warming gases using an electrical heater and a water scrubber. One or more top flow hazardous gas inlets introduce hazardous gases into a heater compartment. Air or oxygen is introduced into a separate chamber for dynamic oxidation and cooling. The streams are mixed and oxygen reacts with the hazardous gases. Solid particulates from the reaction are removed by a filter in a quick disconnect bottom chamber. Filtered exhaust gases flow upward in an exhaust chamber surrounding the heater compartment and through water spray scrubbers. A cleaning ring mounted on an eccentric rod cleans particles from the outside of the internal heater, and the inside of the external heater. An air cylinder drives the eccentric rod and cleaning ring down and up between the heaters and stores the ring above the gas inlets.
US08063261B2

A system for dehydrogenating a C3 or C4 hydrocarbon feed stream containing a first and second layer of catalysts placed in the hydrocarbon feed stream, wherein the feed stream first passes through the first layer and then the second layer of catalysts and wherein the catalysts of the first layer contain from about 50 to about 90 percent by weight of an eta-alumina carrier, from about 10 to about 50 percent by weight of chromia and from about 0.1 to about 5 percent by weight of a zirconium compound and wherein the catalysts of the second layer of catalysts contain from about 50 to about 90 percent by weight of an eta-alumina carrier and from about 10 to about 50 percent by weight of chromia, without an added zirconium compound.
US08063257B2

A method for preparing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene comprising contacting a reactant comprising CCl2═CFCH2Cl with a fluorinating agent, such as HF, under conditions effective to produce a reaction product comprising CF3CF═CH2.
US08063256B2

The invention provides a process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol from an alkene. The gas composition from an alkylene oxide reactor is contacted with lean absorbent in an alkylene oxide absorber in the presence of one or more catalysts that promote carboxylation. The lean absorbent comprises at least 50 wt % alkylene carbonate and less than 10 wt % water and is supplied to the alkylene oxide absorber at a temperature greater than 60° C. Alkylene oxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the absorber, forming alkylene carbonate, and fat absorbent comprising alkylene carbonate is withdrawn from the absorber. A portion of the fat absorbent is supplied to one or more hydrolysis reactors, wherein alkylene carbonate reacts with water in the presence of one or more hydrolysis catalysts. The product stream from the hydrolysis reactor is dehydrated and purified.
US08063251B2

A process for the preparation of optically pure R (−) salbutamol of formula (6) and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts by using a (+) 4-nitro tartranilic acid as the resolving agent and a binary solvent system comprising alkyl acetate and C1 to C4 branched or normal chain alcohol for dissolution of the racemic mixture and resolving agent and purification of the 4-nitro tartranilic acid salt of R (−) salbutamol. 4-nitro tartranilic acid salt of R (−) salbutamol is converted into formic acid salt of R (−) 4-benzyl salbutamol followed by basification and debenzylation to form optically pure R (−) salbutamol. Optically pure (R)-salbutamol is obtained in good yield and high purity. The optically pure R (−) salbutamol is optionally converted into pharmaceutically acceptable salts.
US08063240B2

A prostaglandin analog with selectivity to EP receptors and demonstrating EP agonist activity that may be used to expand hematopoietic stem cell populations or to treat or prevent influenza, bone fracture, bone disease, glaucoma, ocular hypertension, dysmenorrhoea, pre-term labor, immune disorders, osteoporosis, asthma, allergy, male sexual dysfunction, female sexual dysfunction, periodontal disease, gastric ulcer, renal disease, or other EP receptor-mediated conditions.
US08063237B2

A process for combining a polythiol reactant and an alkenyl silane reactant to form a polysulfide polysilane. The reactants are combined in a thiol-ene addition process driven by UV radiation. The polysulfide polysilane is then hydrolyzed and may be combined with other hydrolyzed compounds. For coatings, the polysulfide polysilane is hydrolyzed and may optionally be combined with nanoparticles. For bulk materials, the polysulfide polysilane is hydrolyzed, concentrated, and heated to form a high refractive index material which can be used to form optical articles such as lenses.
US08063235B2

Method for improving the performance of a preparative batchwise Super Critical Fluid Chromatographic separation for the recovery of a target fatty acid or derivative thereof, or of a group of target fatty acids or of derivatives thereof from a mixture, characterized in that the said Super Critical Fluid Chromatographic separation employs a chromatographic column charged with a stationary phase chosen from the group consisting of aluminium oxide or aluminium oxides, titanium oxide or titanium oxides, silica gel or silica gels, amino propyl modified silica gels, diol modified silica gels, phenyl modified silica gels and “reversed phase” phases, the former in turn chosen from the group consisting of RP18, RP8 and RP3, and in that the said Super Critical Fluid Chromatographic Separation further employs a mobile phase chosen from the group consisting of ethylene, propane, ammonia, dinitrogen dioxide and CO2, wherein in the said method, during the run of the said mixture on the chromatographic column, a pressure and/or temperature gradient is applied to the chromatographic column during the elution of the target fatty acid or derivative thereof.
US08063230B1

The present invention relates to tris(N-aryl-benzimidazole)benzene compounds of the formula: where R1-R6, Ar, m, n, p, q, r, and s are defined in the specification. Also provided are compositions comprising tris(N-aryl-benzimidazole)benzene compounds. The invention also relates to use of such compounds in electronic devices.
US08063228B1

Methods of preparing heterocyclic triazolium-based nitrate salts by a streamlined process are provided. Such salts offer energetic performance as well as pharmaceutical potential.
US08063224B2

Azacycloalkane derivatives of structural formula I are selective inhibitors of stearoyl-coenzyme A delta-9 desaturase (SCD1) relative to other known stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturases. The compounds of the present invention are useful for the prevention and treatment of conditions related to abnormal lipid synthesis and metabolism, including cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis; obesity; diabetes; neurological disease; metabolic syndrome; insulin resistance; and liver steatosis.
US08063223B2

Disclosed is a benzylpiperizine compound represented by formula (1) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, which is useful as a medicinal agent such as an antidepressant agent. (In the formula (1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R2 is a group bound in a p- or m-position relative to a methylene group and represents a chlorine atom bound in a p-position, a bromine atom bound in a p-position, a methyl group bound in a p-position, a chlorine atom bound in a m-position or a bromine atom bound to in a m-position; X represents a methylene or an oxygen atom; and n represents an integer of 1 to 3.)
US08063222B2

The present invention provides compounds of general formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1, X, Z, R2, X1, Ar, n, R3 and R4 are defined generally and in subsets herein. Compounds of the invention are inhibitors of CCR8 and accordingly are useful for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory and allergic disorders.
US08063219B2

The invention concerns nitrogenated heterocyclic compounds, their preparation and use as antibacterial drugs, compounds of general formula (I) wherein R1 represents a (CH2)n-NHR2 or (CH2)n-NHR radical, where R is a (C1-C6) alkyl and n is equal to 1 or 2; R2 represents a hydrogen atom; R3 and R4 together form an aromatic nitrogenated heterocycle with 5 apexes with 1, 2 or 3 nitrogen atoms optionally substituted by one or several R′ groups, R′ being selected in the group composed of a hydrogen atom and alkyl radicals with 1 to 6 carbon atoms; in free form, as zwitterions, and in the form of salts of pharmaceutically acceptable inorganic or organic bases and acids.
US08063217B2

A process for preparation of Methyl-(+)-(S)-alpha-(2-chlorophenyl)-6,7-dihydrothieno[3,2-c]pyridine-5(4H)-acetic acid methyl ester or salts thereof [clopidogrel or salts thereof of Formula (I)] having higher chiral purity and products thereof is provided. A process for purification of the compound prepared is also provided to enhance its efficacy by enhancing its optical rotation and chiral purity. In Formula (I), R is selected from a group comprising alkyl, alkoxy, hydroxy, amine etc., and R1 is selected from the group comprising C1-4 alkyl, C1-4 alkoxy, hydroxy, nitro & halogen. The particular salt of interest of the present invention is the hydrogen sulfate of compound of the Formula (I), wherein R and R1 are —OCH3 and chloro-group at position 2 respectively.
US08063215B2

Disclosed herein is at least one cyclopropyl amide derivative, at least one pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one cyclopropyl amide derivative disclosed herein, and at least one method of using at least one cyclopropyl amide derivative disclosed herein for treating at least one histamine H3 receptor associated condition therewith.
US08063213B2

An improved process for the manufacture of (E)-7-[4-(4-flurophenyl)-6-isopropyl-2-[methyl(methylsulfony)amino]pyrimidin-5-yl](3R,5S)-3,5-dihydroxyhept-6-enoic acid calcium salt, Formula (1), which is useful for the production of a pharmaceutical useful in the treatment of, inter alia, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipoproteinemia and atherosclerosis, is described.
US08063211B2

The present invention provides rosuvastatin and intermediates thereof having a low level of alkylether impurity and processes for the preparation thereof.
US08063201B2

Carbohydrates having functional groups, such as carboxylic acid groups and methods of making such carbohydrates.
US08063198B2

The present invention relates to processes and reagents for oligonucleotide synthesis and purification. One aspect of the present invention relates to compounds useful for activating phosphoramidites in oligonucleotide synthesis. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preparing oligonucleotides via the phosphoramidite method using an activator of the invention. Another aspect of the present invention relates to sulfur-transfer agents. In a preferred embodiment, the sulfur-transfer agent is a 3-amino-1,2,4-dithiazolidine-5-one. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preparing a phosphorothioate by treating a phosphite with a sulfur-transfer reagent of the invention. In a preferred embodiment, the sulfur-transfer agent is a 3-amino-1,2,4-dithiazolidine-5-one. Another aspect of the present invention relates to compounds that scavenge acrylonitrile produced during the deprotection of phosphate groups bearing ethylnitrile protecting groups. In a preferred embodiment, the acrylonitrile scavenger is a polymer-bound thiol. Another aspect of the present invention relates to agents used to oxidize a phosphite to a phosphate. In a preferred embodiment, the oxidizing agent is sodium chlorite, chloroamine, or pyridine-N-oxide. Another aspect of the present invention relates to methods of purifying an oligonucleotide by annealing a first single-stranded oligonucleotide and second single-stranded oligonucleotide to form a double-stranded oligonucleotide; and subjecting the double-stranded oligonucleotide to chromatographic purification. In a preferred embodiment, the chromatographic purification is high-performance liquid chromatography.
US08063196B2

The invention provides a set of highly orthogonal six-code universal sequences for use in bDNA singleplex and multiplex nucleic acid hybridization assays. The six-code orthogonal sequences do not cross-hybridize and thus, minimize or eliminate the 3-mer cross-hybridization inherent in the second and third generation bDNA assays. The highly orthogonal universal sequences may be used in singleplex or multiplex bDNA assays quantitatively and qualitatively to determine mRNA levels in a sample; to screen for and genotype targets, such as viruses, that are present in low volumes in a sample; to screen for and genotype SNPs; and to measure changes in the amount of a gene in a sample such as when gene amplifications or deletions occur. The highly orthogonal universal sequences may also be used as universal capture probes to selectively bind assay components in a way that facilitates their further analysis.
US08063195B2

NS4B is one of the non-structural proteins of classical swine fever virus. By using functional genetics, we have discovered, in the predicted amino acid sequence of NS4B of CSFV strain Brescia, a motif that resembles those found in the toll-like receptor (TLR) proteins, a group of host cell proteins involved in the development of anti-viral mechanisms. We have located the TLR motif in two groups of amino acid triplets at amino acid positions 2531-3 (residues IYK) and 2566-8 (residues VGI) of the CSFV NS4B glycoprotein. We have constructed a recombinant CSFV (derived from an infectious clone containing the genetic information of the highly virulent strain Brescia) containing amino acid substitutions in the three amino acid residues at positions 2566, 2567 and 2568, where the VGI triplet has been replaced by an AAA triplet inside the NS4B glycoprotein. The obtained virus, named NS4B-VGIv, was completely attenuated in swine, showing a limited ability in spreading during the infection in vivo. Although attenuated, NS4B-VGIv efficiently protected swine from challenge with virulent BICv at 3 and 28 days post-infection.
US08063194B2

The present invention relates to a polypeptide which has a novel specific arabinose transporter function as well as to nucleic acids coding therefore. The invention further relates to host cells, in particular modified yeast strains which contain the coding nucleic acids and express the polypeptide and functionally integrate it into the plasma membrane and are thus able to absorb L-arabinose. When using modified host cells which express additional proteins of the arabinose metabolic pathway, arabinose can be fermented by these cells, in particular into ethanol. The present invention is therefore relevant, inter alia, in connection with the production of biochemicals from biomass, such as bioethanol for example.
US08063190B2

Compounds that are readily dissociable conjugates of a multiplicity of biologically active molecules are formed by bonding to each biologically active molecule one or more oligonucleotide chains selected to comprise partially complementary sequences that form duplexes with other such oligonucleotides attached to other biologically active molecules. The claimed conjugates and methods for preparing the conjugates of the invention can be used to link two or more biologically active molecules, as well as conjugating a multiplicity of biologically active molecules. In alternative embodiments, conjugates comprising such covalently linked oligonucleotides linked by one or a multiplicity of “bridging” oligonucleotides are provided. Methods for making these different types of conjugates and for using such conjugates for research, immunoassay, medical and technical applications are also provided by the invention. The disclosed methods provide for the formation of intermolecular links which are hydrophilic, of relatively low toxicity and antigenicity, are as flexible and extensible as desired, and are stable yet dissociable. Both the components and the conjugates of the invention can be isolated and purified with relative ease compared with other intermediates and conjugates.
US08063183B2

In certain embodiments, this present invention provides polypeptide compositions, and methods for inhibiting Ephrin B2 or EphB4 activity. In other embodiments, the present invention provides methods and compositions for treating cancer or for treating angiogenesis-associated diseases.
US08063178B2

Trp cage binding domains polypeptides are disclosed. The Trp cage binding domains have the generic formulae of SEQ ID NO: 2, 7, 10 or 11. They can be efficiently produced and screened using phage display technology.
US08063174B2

A PBI compound includes imidazole nitrogens at least a portion of which are substituted with a moiety containing a carbonyl group, the substituted imidazole nitrogens being bonded to carbon of the carbonyl group. At least 85% of the nitrogens may be substituted. The carbonyl-containing moiety may include RCO—, where R is alkoxy or haloalkyl. The PBI compound may exhibit a first temperature marking an onset of weight loss corresponding to reversion of the substituted PBI that is less than a second temperature marking an onset of decomposition of an otherwise identical PBI compound without the substituted moiety. The PBI compound may be included in separatory media. A substituted PBI synthesis method may include providing a parent PBI in a less than 5 wt % solvent solution. Substituting may use more than 5 equivalents in relation to the imidazole nitrogens to be substituted.
US08063171B2

A three dimensional structure fabricated from a self-healing polymeric material, comprising poly(ester amides) obtained from ethylene glycol, azelaic acid and 1,1-aminoundecanoic acid, wherein polymeric material has a melt index above 2.5 g/10 min. as determined by ASTM D1238 at 190° C. and 2.16kg, impact resistance and ductility sufficient to resist cracking and brittle fracture upon impact by a 9 mm bullet fired at a temperature of about 29° C. at subsonic speed in a range from about 800 feet/sec to about 1000 feet/sec. It has been determined that the important factors necessary for self-healing behavior of polymers include sufficient impact strength, control of the degree of crystallinity, low melting point and the ability to instantly melt at impacted area.
US08063170B2

Radiation curable compositions comprising at least one radiation curable oligomer obtained from the reaction of one or more carboxyl functional polyester (a) having a glass transition temperature TG and/or melting temperature Tm of less than 30° C., with (b1) one or more (meth)acrylated mono-epoxide, and/or (b2) one or more polyepoxide and one or more α, β unsaturated carboxylic acid.
US08063158B2

There are disclosed polymerization processes and associated apparatuses. The polymerization processes involve both making a polymeric material in a fluidized bed reactor having a feed distributor and catching a spitwad with a spitwad catcher, and the apparatuses are those corresponding to such processes.
US08063150B2

Crosslinkable perfluoroelastomer compositions having low metal content and low compression set when crosslinked, and processes for producing the same, are provided. Compositions comprising terpolymers of TFE, PAVE, and CNVE having a metal content of less than 3000 ppb may be formed into high purity transparent perfluoroelastomer parts.
US08063148B2

The present invention relates to a polyolefin composition comprising an olefin homo- or copolymer (A) in an amount of 90 wt. % or more, and an olefin homo- or copolymer (B) comprising hydrolysable silicon-containing groups, wherein olefin homo- or copolymer (B) is present in the composition in an amount of from 0.01 to 2 wt. %.
US08063136B2

The novel process provides latices of homo- and copolymers of chloroprene and of one or more further copolymerizable monomers at a higher reaction rate and hence in an improved space-time yield. The latices obtained have a high gel content, distinctly lower levels of by-products, in particular of chloroprene dimer, than prior art products, and are useful, if appropriate in concentrated form, for a wide variety of applications.
US08063129B2

Use of a composition consisting essentially of a mixture of aliphatic esters as a slip agent in a polyester polymer, said composition comprising at least two esters selected from the group comprising: Myristyl myristate, Myristyl palmitate, palmityl myristate, palmityl palmitate, palmityl stearate, stearyl myristate, stearyl palmitate, stearyl stearate, stearyl arachidate and stearyl behenate.
US08063124B2

The use of oxidizable phosphorus or phosphorous stabilizers, such as the phosphites, to reduce the color formation of the ionomeric polyester compositions is disclosed.
US08063123B2

The invention relates to phosphorus-containing mixtures containing compounds of the formula RO—PO(A)-CH2—CH2—CO2H and  (I) HO—PO(A)-CH2—CH2—CO2R  (II) in which A is C1-C18-alkyl, C6-C18-alkylaryl, C6-C18-aralkyl or aryl, R is (D,E)C═C(B, R5) or H B, D, E are identical or different and are each H or C1-C18-alkyl R5 is —CO-alkoxy, a process for their preparation and their use.
US08063114B2

A chiral inorganic mesoporous material characterized by having a chiral twisted structure and being mesoporous; a process for producing the material; and a method of using the material. The process for inorganic mesoporous material production is a method in which one or more polymerizable inorganic monomers selected from the group consisting of polymerizable inorganic monomers and polymerizable inorganic monomers having a functional group capable of having a charge are polymerized in the presence of a solvent using as a template a self-assembly of a chiral surfactant such as an N-(higher alkanoyl)amino acid salt. Examples of the use of the inorganic mesoporous material include the separation of racemates and reaction fields for asymmetric syntheses.
US08063111B2

Anion-conducing polymers and membranes with enhanced stability to aqueous alkali include a polymer backbone with attached sulfonium, phosphazenium, phosphazene, and guanidinium residues. Compositions also with enhanced stability to aqueous alkali include a support embedded with sulfonium, phosphazenium, and guanidinium salts.
US08063110B2

Process for the conversion of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen-containing feedstocks to oxygen containing hydrocarbon compounds in the presence of a particulate rhodium-based catalyst, by reacting carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen in the presence of a particulate rhodium-based catalyst in a conversion reactor to form oxygen containing hydrocarbon compounds. At least one paraffinic aliphatic monohydric alcohol of the formula R-OH where R is a hydrocarbon radical having 1 or 3 to 5 carbon atoms is/are separated from the other oxygenates produced in the conversion reactor, and is/are then sent back to the conversion reactor.
US08063109B2

Formulations are provided for parenteral administration of (amino substituted (e)-2,6-dialkoxystyryl 4-substituted benzylsulfones and the sodium and potassium salts thereof for the prevention and/or treatment of conditions mediated by abnormal cell proliferation. Composition for parenteral administration are provided which comprise an effective amount of compound of formula I or a compound of formula IIa and at least about 50% by weight of at least one water soluble polymer selected from the group consisting essentially of polyethylene glycol (PEG), poly-oxyethylene, poly-oxyethylene-poly-oxypropylene copolymers, polyglycerol, polyvinylalcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinylpyridine N-oxide, copolymer of vinylpyridine N-oxide and vinylpyridine.
US08063104B2

Compounds of formula (I) have been found to be useful as inhibitors of DDAH. The present invention thus provides the use of a compound of formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, in the manufacture of a medicament for use in the treatment of a disease whose pathology is affected by DDAH
US08063094B2

Heterocyclic compounds which are inhibitors of Mitrogen-Activated Protein Kinase-Activated Protein Kinase-2 (MAPKAP-K2) as described, in addition to their use in the treatment of cytokine mediated diseases.
US08063091B2

Compounds having the formula are useful for inhibiting protein tyrosine kinases. The present invention also discloses methods of making the compounds, compositions containing the compounds, and methods of treatment using the compounds.
US08063079B2

A compound of the formula: and pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of diabetes.
US08063077B2

The present invention is directed to compounds of formula (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters, and prodrugs thereof which are inhibitors of Factor Xa. The present invention is also directed to intermediates used in making such compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing such a compound, methods to prevent or treat a number of conditions characterized by undesired thrombosis and methods of inhibiting the coagulation of a blood sample.
US08063072B2

Compounds having the formula I wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are as defined herein are Hepatitis C virus NS5b polymerase inhibitors. Also disclosed are compositions and methods for treating an HCV infection and inhibiting HCV replication.
US08063071B2

The invention is directed to novel indole carboxamide derivatives. Specifically, the invention is directed to compounds according to formula I: where R1, R2, R3, U and V are defined below and to pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The compounds of the invention are inhibitors of IKK2 and can be useful in the treatment of disorders associated with inappropriate IKK2 (also known as IKKβ) activity, such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Accordingly, the invention is further directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of the invention. The invention is still further directed to methods of inhibiting IKK2 activity and treatment of disorders associated therewith using a compound of the invention or a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the invention.
US08063063B2

The invention provides novel compositions comprising Imidazopyridine compounds. Also provided are methods of administering the compositions in an effective amount to enhance the immune response of a subject. Further provided are novel compositions and methods of administering the compositions in combination with (an)other agent(s).
US08063060B2

The invention features derivatives of R(−)-11-hydroxyaporphines and methods of treating Parkinson's disease, sexual dysfunction, and depressive disorders therewith.
US08063058B2

The present invention is directed to compounds of formula I-V and tautomers thereof or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters, and prodrugs thereof which are inhibitors of syk kinase. The present invention is also directed to intermediates used in making such compounds, the preparation of such a compound, pharmaceutical compositions containing such a compound, methods of inhibition syk kinase activity, methods of inhibition the platelet aggregation, and methods to prevent or treat a number of conditions mediated at least in part by syk kinase activity, such as undesired thrombosis and Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
US08063053B2

The invention relates to 1-(arylsulfonyl)-4-(piperazin-1-yl)-1H-benzimidazole compounds of the Formula I: or a tautomer, stereoisomer, or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the constituent variables are as defined herein, compositions comprising the compounds, and methods for making and using the compounds.
US08063047B2

The invention relates to novel chemical compounds of Formula I compositions and methods of using the same. In particular, the invention provides pyridazine compounds and/or related heterocyclic derivatives, compositions comprising the same, and methods of using pyridazine compounds and/or related heterocyclic derivatives and compositions comprising the same, for modulation of cellular pathways (e.g., signal transduction pathways), for treatment or prevention of inflammatory diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease), for research, drug screening, and therapeutic applications.
US08063046B2

Compounds having high angiogenesis inhibiting activity useful as agents for effective treatment and prevention of diseases involving pathologic angiogenesis, e.g. cancer and cancer metastasis, are of formula (II), where A1 is C—X1 or N; Q1 is -A2=A3-, or a heteroatom selected from —O—, —S—, and —N(R10)—; Q2 is -A4=A5-, or a heteroatom selected from —O—, —S—, and —N(R10)—; provided that Q1 and Q2 are not heteroatoms at the same time; A2 is C—X2 or N, A3 is C—X3 or N, A4 is C—X4 or N, and A5 is C—X5 or N; Y is C1-6alkyl, C3-9cycloalkyl, C2-7alkenyl, C2-7alkynyl, C1-6alkoxy, C2-7alkenyloxy, C2-7alkynyloxy, or C1-6alkylthio; Z is a hydrogen atom, hydroxy, C1-6alkyl, C3-9 cycloalkyl, or —NR1R2; and L is selected from the formula:
US08063027B2

A method of preventing or reducing the incidence of post-operative adhesions in or associated with a body cavity, which comprises introducing into the body cavity a composition containing an aqueous solution or suspension or gel formulation containing the polysaccharide dextrin.
US08063020B2

A method for treating conditions related to lack of blood supply with a lipid based resuscitation fluid is disclosed. The resuscitation fluid contains a lipid component and an aqueous carrier. The lipid component forms an emulsion with the aqueous carrier. The resuscitation fluid can be used to increase the blood pressure and to carry oxygen to tissues. The resuscitation fluid can also be used for preserving the biological integrity of donor organs for transplantation.
US08063019B2

The present invention relates to the use of Stefin A as a scaffold protein for the display of inserted peptides, particularly wherein the Stefin A is a human Stefin A. Several mutations are advantageously made in the wild type stefin A sequence to improve it as a scaffold; preferably the Stefin A comprises a heterologous peptide insertion at the Leu 73 site. Furthermore, preferably the scaffold protein comprises a V48D mutation; preferably the scaffold protein comprises a G4W mutation. Preferably the scaffold comprises Leu73, V48D and G4W mutations. The invention also relates to the scaffold proteins themselves, in particular a stefin A polypeptide having the Leu73, V48D and G4W mutations, such as shown as SEQ ID NO: 1. The invention also relates to a method for identifying binding proteins and to peptide A (RLNKPLPSLPV) and its use in treating yeast infections.
US08063011B2

An in vitro method for predicting the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1 D) in a subject, comprises the steps of: (a) measuring the concentration of at least one amino acid, amino acid derivative or amino acid metabolite in a biological sample taken from the subject; (b) determining the subject's HLA genotype; (c) assigning the subject's genetic risk of developing T1 D on the basis of the subject's HLA genotype; (d) combining the information obtained in step (a) with the information in step (c); and (e) predicting the likelihood of onset of T1 D based upon the combination of step (d). The diagnostic method can be used to select target subjects for T1 D prophylactic treatment, and as part of a T1 D preventative treatment regime for neonates having a likelihood of developing childhood T1 D.
US08063010B2

A solid detergent composition is provided according to the invention. The solid detergent composition is a result of solidifying a detergent composition precursor. The detergent composition precursor includes at least about 20 wt. % hydratable alkaline component, at least about 5 wt. % surfactant component, and water in an amount sufficient to allow the composition to solidify. Methods for manufacturing and using the solid detergent composition are provided.
US08063005B2

A non-aqueous cleansing formulation having cleansing, moisturizing and/or exfoliating properties includes an oil phase and a natural surfactant derived from legumes and/or grains. The oil phase can include an oil component and a thickening agent. The natural surfactant can be in the form of a particulate flour product derived from Vigna radiata, Vigna mungo, Glycine max, Cicer aerientinum, Vigna unguicalata, Pisum sativum, Phaseolus vulgaris, or combinations thereof, which is dispersed in the oil phase. The flour product suitably includes a high protein flour to emulsify the oil phase and provide improved cleansing action. Such non-aqueous cleansing formulation can be used as skin care products, hand cleansers, hair cleaners or general use cleansers. Advantageously, the cleansing formulations are free of synthetic soaps and/or synthetic surfactants.
US08063002B2

A solid lubricating composition having resin material is disposed between an outer ring and an inner ring of a ball bearing. As the resin material contained in the solid lubricating composition, resin material having a property of being solidified when the resin material in a fluid state is irradiated with an ultraviolet beam is used.
US08062993B2

The present invention relates to a developer mixture for a thermal recording material, which comprises a mixture of the first organic developer comprising a condensate or a condensed composition represented by the formula (I): wherein R is a lower alkyl group or an aralkyl group, n is an integer of 0 to 5, and X and Y are each a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or an aryl group, and the second organic developer other than the first organic developer (except 2,2-bis(3-methyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane), a developer mixture for a thermal recording material, and a thermal recording material having a heat-coloring layer containing the developer mixture. Using the developer mixture for a thermal recording material of the present invention, a thermal recording material sufficiently satisfying the recent requirement for high sensitivity, and having superior preservation stability of color images and non-image areas can be realized.
US08062990B2

A pliable refractory metal carrier (46) may have coated thereon an anchor layer (47) to improve adherence to the carrier (46) of a catalytic coating (48). The conformable catalyst member (26, 82, 82′, 126, 226, 326) may be bent to conform to a curved or bent exhaust pipe (20, 220, 320) within which it is mounted. The pliable metal carrier may be in the form of a tube such as carrier (46) having perforations (54) formed therein, or it may be a metal strip (76) which is folded into accordion pleats (80) and has perforations (78) formed therein. The perforations (54, 78) serve to permit the passage of exhaust gas therethrough. A series of interior closures (58) and annular baffles (60) may be provided to import a serpentine flow path to gases flowed through an exhaust pipe (22) containing a conformable catalyst member (226) therein. A mounting member (68) may be supplied to fasten one end of the conformable catalyst member (226) to the discharge end of an exhaust pipe (220).
US08062989B2

Catalyst precursors comprising Mg, Cl, Ti, and OR groups that are in molar ratios defined by the formula MgClnTip(OR)(2−n)+4p in which n is from 0.3 to less than 1.7, p is lower than 0.6, the molar ratio (OR)/Cl is lower than 4 and R is C1-C15 hydrocarbon groups. The said precursor, just upon activation with organo-Al compounds, are able to advantageously polymerize ethylene and alpha olefins, and that upon reaction with halogenating compounds generate in high yields catalyst components with high polymerization activity particularly in the polymerization of propylene also in combination with 1,3-diethers.
US08062984B2

A method of fabricating an electronic device, the device including a plurality of layers on a substrate, the layers including an upper conductive layer and at least one patterned underlying layer between said conductive layer and said substrate. The method includes patterning said underlying layer, and patterning said upper conductive layer by laser ablation using a stepwise process in which successive areas of said upper conductive layer are ablated by successively applied laser patterns. The successively applied laser patterns overlap one another in an overlap region. The method further includes configuring a said laser pattern and said patterned underlying layer with respect to one another such that in a said overlap region said patterned underlying layer is substantially undamaged by said stepwise laser ablation.
US08062980B2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device according to one embodiment includes: forming a core material on a workpiece; forming a coating film comprising an amorphous material so as to cover an upper surface and side faces of the core material; crystallizing the coating film by applying heat treatment; forming a sidewall mask by removing the crystallized coating film while leaving a portion thereof located on the side faces of the core material; removing the core material after forming the sidewall mask; and etching the workpiece using the sidewall mask as a mask after removing the core material.
US08062978B2

Crystalline aluminum oxide layers having increased energy band gap, charge trap memory devices including crystalline aluminum oxide layers and methods of manufacturing the same are provided. A method of forming an aluminum oxide layer having an increased energy band gap includes forming an amorphous aluminum oxide layer on a lower film, introducing hydrogen (H) or hydroxyl group (OH) into the amorphous aluminum oxide layer, and crystallizing the amorphous aluminum oxide layer including the H or OH.
US08062976B2

A method is for forming a vertical interconnection through a dielectric layer between upper and lower electrically conductive layers of an integrated circuit. The method includes forming an opening through the dielectric layer and placing a solidifiable electrically conductive filler into the opening via a printing technique. The solidifiable electrically conductive filler is solidified to thereby form a solidified electrically conducting filler in the opening. A metallization layer is formed over the dielectric layer and the solidified electrically conducting filler to thereby form the vertical interconnection through the dielectric layer between the upper and lower electrically conductive layers of the integrated circuit.
US08062957B2

The invention relates to a method for preparing a surface of a semiconductor substrate by oxidizing the surface of the semiconductor substrate to thereby transform the natural oxide into an artificial oxide and then removing the artificial oxide, in particular to obtain an oxide-free substrate surface.
US08062953B2

A method of making a semiconductor device is achieved in and over a semiconductor layer. A trench is formed adjacent to a first active area. The trench is filled with insulating material. A masking feature is formed over a center portion of the trench to expose a first side of the trench between a first side of the masking feature and the first active area. A step of etching into the first side of the trench leaves a first recess in the trench. A first epitaxial region is grown in the first recess to extend the first active area to include the first recess and thereby form an extended first active region.
US08062950B2

A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate, and a capacitor which is provided on the upper side of the semiconductor substrate and composed of a lower electrode, an upper electrode and a dielectric film, the dielectric film being placed in between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, the lower electrode including a noble metal film, and a plurality of conductive oxide films formed in an islands arrangement on the noble metal film.
US08062949B2

One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a method for forming a transistor. According to an embodiment of the method, a pillar of amorphous semiconductor material is formed on a crystalline substrate, and a solid phase epitaxy process is performed to crystallize the amorphous semiconductor material using the crystalline substrate to seed the crystalline growth. The pillar has a sublithographic thickness. A transistor body is formed in the crystallized semiconductor pillar between a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region. A surrounding gate insulator is formed around the semiconductor pillar, and a surrounding gate is formed around and separated from the semiconductor pillar by the surrounding gate insulator. Other aspects are provided herein.
US08062947B2

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a shared contact for connection between a source/drain region and a gate electrode. After formation of a gate electrode via a gate insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, a top surface of the substrate is covered with a cover film. After removal of the cover film from at least one of sidewall surface of the gate electrode and a part of the top surface of the substrate adjacent to the sidewall surface, a semiconductor layer is epitaxially grown on a top surface of an exposed substrate to electrically connect the substrate and the at least one sidewall surface of the gate electrode. Then, a source/drain region is formed in a top surface part of the substrate or the semiconductor layer using the gate electrode as a mask.
US08062939B2

A semiconductor storage element includes: a semiconductor layer constituted of a line pattern with a predetermined width formed on a substrate; a quantum dot forming an electric charge storage layer formed on the semiconductor layer through a first insulating film serving as a tunnel insulating film; an impurity diffusion layer formed in a surface layer of the semiconductor layer so as to sandwich the quantum dot therebetween; and a control electrode formed on the quantum dot through a second insulating film.
US08062931B2

In the preferred embodiments, a method to reduce gate leakage and dispersion of group III-nitride field effect devices covered with a thin in-situ SiN layer is provided. This can be obtained by introducing a second passivation layer on top of the in-situ SiN-layer, in combination with cleaning of the in-situ SiN before gate deposition and before deposition of the second passivation layer.
US08062918B2

This disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device layer and associated memory cell structures. By performing a surface treatment process (such as ion bombardment) of a semiconductor device layer to create defects having a deliberate depth profile, one may create multistable memory cells having more consistent electrical parameters. For example, in a resistive-switching memory cell, one may obtain a tighter distribution of set and reset voltages and lower forming voltage, leading to improved device yield and reliability. In at least one embodiment, the depth profile is selected to modulate the type of defects and their influence on electrical properties of a bombarded metal oxide layer and to enhance uniform defect distribution.
US08062916B2

LED layers are grown over a sapphire substrate. Individual flip chip LEDs are formed by trenching or masked ion implantation. Modules containing a plurality of LEDs are diced and mounted on a submount wafer. A submount metal pattern or a metal pattern formed on the LEDs connects the LEDs in a module in series. The growth substrate is then removed, such as by laser lift-off. A semi-insulating layer is formed, prior to or after mounting, that mechanically connects the LEDs together. The semi-insulating layer may be formed by ion implantation of a layer between the substrate and the LED layers. PEC etching of the semi-insulating layer, exposed after substrate removal, may be performed by biasing the semi-insulating layer. The submount is then diced to create LED modules containing series-connected LEDs.
US08062913B2

A semiconductor structure is formed of nitrides of group III metals having wurtzite crystal structure and grown in vapor phase on a (0001) oriented semiconductor substrate. The structure comprises a bottom cladding layer, a top cladding layer, and a diffusion region positioned between the cladding layers for diffusing light propagating within the semiconductor structure. The diffuse region has refractive index different from those of the cladding layers and non-flat surfaces for providing light diffusing interfaces between the diffusion region and the cladding layers. According to the invention, the diffusion region comprises a plurality of diffusion layers, compositions and thicknesses of said diffusion layers having been chosen to avoid formation of strain-induced dislocations in the diffusion region, and adjacent diffusion layers having different refractive indices in order to further enhance the diffusion efficiency.
US08062911B2

A probe having a sufficient height is manufactured by selectively depositing, over the main surface of a wafer, a copper film in a region in which a metal film is to be formed and a region which will be outside an adhesion ring when a probe card is fabricated; forming the metal film, polyimide film, interconnect, another polyimide film, another interconnect and a further polyimide film; and then removing the wafer and copper film. According to the present invention, when probe testing is performed using a prober (thin film probe) having the probe formed in the above-described manner while utilizing the manufacturing technology of semiconductor integrated circuit devices, it is possible to prevent breakage of the prober and a wafer to be tested.
US08062910B1

A sample that is processed to remove a top layer, e.g., using chemical mechanical polishing or etching, is accurately measured using multiple models of the sample. The multiple models may be constrained based on a pre-processing measurement of the sample. By way of example, the multiple models of the sample may be linked in pairs, where one pair includes a model simulating the pre-processed sample and another model simulating the post-processed sample with a portion of the top layer remaining, i.e., under-processing. Another pair of linked models includes a model simulating the pre-processed sample and a model simulating the post-processing sample with the top layer removed, i.e., the correct amount of processing or over-processing. The underlying layers in the linked model pairs are constrained to have the same parameters. The modeling process may use a non-linear regression or libraries.
US08062903B2

Methods and devices are provided for overcoming detrimental diffusive effects in a sample liquid stream by forming segmented liquid bodies (e.g., droplets) from a sample liquid stream in an immiscible liquid stream. The liquid bodies are formed at the intersection of a channel providing the sample liquid stream and a channel providing the immiscible liquid stream. The formed liquid bodies compartmentalize the portion of the sample liquid stream from which the liquid bodies are formed, thus minimizing the detrimental effects of diffusion that occur in a continuous liquid stream.
US08062900B2

A microplate for use within an interrogation system and a method of using the microplate are disclosed. The microplate contains within the bottom of each well, an optical waveguide grating based sensor. Approximate to each sensor is a mask having an aperture of predetermined size. The aperture regulates the light that enters and exits the sensor upon successive scans and ensures repeatable readings from the sensor. In an extended embodiment, a method of detection is disclosed that utilizes a launch and receive system while employing the aforementioned microplate.
US08062897B2

The present invention relates to a method for detecting one or more nascent RNAs in a tissue sample using FISH. In the method, a plurality of probes (8 to 82) may be used to detect a single species of nascent RNA. Further, a plurality of nascent RNA species may be detected simultaneously using between 8 and 82 probes for each nascent RNA. The invention comprises, in addition, methods of preparing a sample for nascent RNA detection by reducing autofluorescence of the tissue sample. These techniques may be synergistically combined to achieve significantly improved results.
US08062893B2

The present invention provides a sensor for detecting mercury, comprising: a first polynucleotide, comprising a first region, and a second region, a second polynucleotide, a third polynucleotide, a fluorophore, and a quencher, wherein the third polynucleotide is optionally linked to the second region; the fluorophore is linked to the first polynucleotide and the quencher is linked to the second polynucleotide, or the fluorophore is linked to the second polynucleotide and the quencher is linked to the first polynucleotide; the first region and the second region hybridize to the second polynucleotide; and the second region binds to the third polynucleotide in the presence of Hg2+ ions.
US08062887B2

The present invention provides a monoclonal antibody recognizing modification after translation of p53 in a manner specific to a modification site, an antibody microarray comprising the antibody immobilized on a substrate, etc. Disclosed is a monoclonal antibody which reacts specifically with a peptide consisting of an amino acid sequence of at least 6 consecutive amino acids containing a predetermined amino acid residue of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the amino acid residue is phosphorylated or acetylated, or with a peptide having one to several arbitrary amino acids added to the above peptide, but does not react with the above peptide which is not phosphorylated or acetylated.
US08062872B2

Embodiments described include methods for maintaining the pH and alkalinity during industrial fermentation processes are described that foster optimal microorganism activities throughout the duration of the fermentation process. Magnesium based buffering agents having sufficient buffering capacity and applied at sufficient concentration levels required to neutralize the acidic content of fermentation fluids during the fermentation process cycle are detailed. These magnesium based buffering agents control fermenter processes without causing extreme pH swings to maximize the production of desired fermentation products.
US08062867B2

The invention provides a rabbit-derived immortal B-lymphocyte capable of fusion with a rabbit splenocyte to produce a hybrid cell that produces an antibody. The immortal B-lymphocyte does not detectably express endogenous immunoglobulin heavy chain and may contain, in certain embodiments, an altered immunoglobulin heavy chain-encoding gene. A hybridoma resulting from fusion between the subject immortal B-lymphocyte and a rabbit antibody-producing cell is provided, as is a method of using that hybridoma to produce an antibody. The subject invention finds use in a variety of different diagnostic, therapeutic and research applications.
US08062861B2

To preprocess a tissue sample, a first permeable mesh membrane is tautly stretched out over the tissue sample and overlaid on top of a flat surface. This covering sandwiches and secures the tissue sample in between the first permeable mesh membrane and the flat surface. If it is desired to reinforce the mechanical strength of the first permeable mesh membrane, a second permeable mesh membrane can be tautly stretched out and overlaid on top of the sandwich. Alternatively, the second permeable mesh membrane can be attached onto a third component, such as a disposable solvent resistant frame, to create a framed mesh. Thereafter, the first permeable mesh membrane may be attached to the framed mesh to create a compound framed mesh. The tissue sample may then be sandwiched and secured in between the compound framed mesh and the flat surface. To retain and flatten the tissue sample, gentle pressure may be uniformly applied.
US08062856B2

The present invention provides systems, methods, screens, reagents and kits for optical system analysis of cells to rapidly determine the distribution, environment, or activity of fluorescently labeled reporter molecules in cells for the purpose of screening large numbers of compounds for those that specifically affect neurite outgrowth.
US08062853B2

The present invention is directed to methods for providing a polyelectrolyte multilayer film at a liquid-liquid interface. Such methods include steps of sequentially-depositing layers of cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes at a liquid-liquid interface that is formed between immiscible first and second liquids whereby a polyelectrolyte multilayer film is provided at the liquid-liquid interface. In certain preferred embodiments, the first liquid is an aqueous solution and the second liquid is a liquid crystal. In alternative embodiments, the first liquid is an aqueous solution and the second liquid is an oil. The invention further encompasses polyelectrolyte multilayer films provided by the disclosed methods as well as applications utilizing such materials.
US08062852B2

Disclosed herein are methods of treatment of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as well as clinical assays for detection of autoimmune disease activity in patients utilizing the involving a PD1 ligand.
US08062841B2

Method and device to collect multiplex data simultaneously in analyte detection and analyze the data by experimentally trained software (machine-learning) is disclosed. Various ways (magnetic particles and microcoils) are disclosed to collect multiple reporter (tag) signals. Multiplex detection can increase the biomolecule analysis efficiency by using small sample size and saving assay reagents and time. Machine learning and data analysis schemes are also disclosed. Multiple affinity binding partners, each labeled by a unique reporter, are contacted with a sample and a single spectrum is taken to detect multiple reporter signals. The spectrum is deconvoluted by experimentally trained software to identify multiple analytes.
US08062840B2

The present invention provides a transgenic corn event MON89034, and cells, seeds, and plants comprising DNA diagnostic for the corn event. The invention also provides compositions comprising nucleotide sequences that are diagnostic for said corn event in a sample, methods for detecting the presence of said corn event nucleotide sequences in a sample, probes and primers for use in detecting nucleotide sequences that are diagnostic for the presence of said corn event in a sample, growing the seeds of such corn event into corn plants, and breeding to produce corn plants comprising DNA diagnostic for the corn event.
US08062836B2

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical filter for a stereoscopic image display device, which forms an alignment layer having different orientating directions along a fine region via a one-time continuous photo orientation process. The method comprising: forming a polymer layer on a substrate; a photo-orienting step comprising positioning a patterned mask above the polymer layer, the patterned mask having alternating light transmission regions and light shield regions arranged in both horizontal and a vertical directions to selectively transmit different polarized light, positioning a polarizer above the patterned mask where the polarizer has two distinguishable regions that transmit different polarized light, and downwardly irradiating UV light onto the polymer layer from above the polarizer, thereby forming an alignment layer having different orientating directions in fine regions of the polymer layer; and forming a retardation layer on the orientation layer. The alignment layer in which the fine regions with different orientating directions are formed alternately and continuously is obtained via a one-time continuous photo-orientation process. Therefore, the photo-orientation process and the method for manufacturing the optical filter are simplified in comparison with the conventional art. As a result, the process yield and productivity in the manufacturing of an optical filter for a 3D image display device are improved.
US08062835B2

A method of manufacturing a master plate includes the steps of forming a photoresist film on a substrate, disposing a photomask having a plurality of island radiation shields on the photoresist film followed by integrating the photomask and the photoresist film, applying light from a light source to the photoresist film through the photomask for selectively exposing the photoresist film, and developing the photoresist film to form a master plate, in which the method includes irradiating the photoresist film with the light from plural directions through the photomask to selectively expose the photoresist film from the respective directions.
US08062826B2

A positive resist composition includes: (A) a resin capable of increasing the solubility in an alkali developing solution by the action of an acid, including: (a1) a repeating unit selected from repeating units represented by specific formulae (a1-1) to (a1-3); (a2) a repeating unit represented by a specific formula (a2); and (a3) a repeating unit selected from repeating units represented by specific formulae (a3-1) to (a3-4); (B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with actinic ray or radiation, (C) a resin including: at least one of a fluorine atom and a silicon atom; and a group selected from specific groups (x) to (z):(x) an alkali-soluble group, (y) a group capable of decomposing by the action of an alkali developing solution to increase the solubility in the alkali developing solution, and (z) a group capable of decomposing by the action of an acid; and (D) a solvent.
US08062818B2

An electrophotographic toner for electrostatic image development which is capable of obtaining a high chroma full-color image exhibiting clear color without color contamination and excellent light stability is disclosed, comprising a resin and a colorant, wherein the colorant comprises a pigment of C.I. Pigment Blue 76. There are also disclosed a full-color toner kit and an image forming method by use of the toner.
US08062816B2

A photoconductor that includes, for example, a substrate; a first layer like a ground plane layer; an undercoat layer thereover wherein the undercoat layer contains an aminosilane and a phosphonate; a photogenerating layer; and at least one charge transport layer.
US08062814B2

Photolithographic apparatus, systems, and methods that make use of optical compensation devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, an imaging mask includes an optically transmissive substrate. A first patterned region is formed on the substrate, and a second patterned region is formed on the substrate that is proximate to the first patterned region, the first patterned region and the second patterned region each having a plurality of optically transmissive and optically attenuating regions formed on the mask. An optical compensation region is positioned proximate to at least one of the first patterned region and the second patterned region that is configured to change a phase of the illumination radiation incident on the at least one of the first patterned region and the second region by altering an optical property of the substrate.
US08062811B2

A mask comprises a channel region half-exposure mask structure, a drain mask structure, and a source mask structure, wherein the channel region half-exposure mask structure comprises a channel region peripheral half-exposure mask structure, which extends from a portion that corresponds to a channel region of the TFT and is outside the portion. According to the present invention, problems such as a connection of the source/drain and a disconnection of the active layer in the channel region can be effectively prevented.
US08062810B2

The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device has deciding an amount of a correction of a mask pattern for a size of an active region of a semiconductor substrate, correcting the mask pattern on the basis of the decided amount of the correction, and exposing a resist film by using an exposure mask having the corrected mask pattern.
US08062809B2

Described are holographic storage mediums and method of making holographic storage mediums. The holographic storage mediums may have write components that bind to the matrix to form a pattern in the media. The holographic storage mediums may also be rewriteable.
US08062798B2

A fuel cell generator including a housing defining a plurality of chambers including a generator chamber having first and second generator sections. A plurality of elongated fuel cells extend through the first and second generator sections. An oxidant supply supplies oxidant to at least one of the chambers within the housing in order to provide oxidant to one end of each of the fuel cells. A fuel distribution plenum extends transversely to the elongated fuel cells and is located between the first and second generator sections. The fuel distribution plenum distributes fuel to the first and second generator sections in opposing directions within the generator chamber.
US08062789B2

A lithium secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator for separating the positive and negative electrodes, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The separator includes a porous film formed of a mixture of a ceramic material and a binder, and the binder is formed of acrylic rubber having a three-dimensional crosslink structure. The separator provides excellent safety characteristics such as resistance to a short circuit and thermal resistance. Also, the separator improves a high-rate discharge characteristics and increases the life span.
US08062786B2

Disclosed herein is a cylindrical secondary battery constructed in a structure in which a crimping region, at which a cap assembly is mounted to the open upper end of a cylindrical container having an electrode assembly mounted therein, is formed at the upper end of the container, wherein the crimping region is constructed in a structure in which the upper end of the crimping region is gently bent at a predetermined radius of curvature (R), such that the crimping region surrounds a gasket located at the inside of the crimping region, the bent front end extends inward, such that the bent end presses the gasket, and an inclination of a predetermined angle is formed at the sidewall of the crimping region, such that the upper part of the crimping region is directed inward. According to the secondary battery of the present invention, the sealability of the gasket is improved, and external impacts are partially absorbed by the inclination formed at the crimping region. Consequently, the deformation of the crimping region is minimized, whereby the leakage of the electrolyte is prevented, and the safety of the battery is greatly improved.
US08062785B2

In a battery module including a plurality of batteries 40 stored in a housing, each of the batteries 40 includes an electrode portion 16 protruding from a battery case 5, a base 30A is arranged on a side of the electrode portions 16 so that the base 30A is in contact with the battery cases 5, and the electrode portions 16 are inserted in through holes 36 provided in the base 30A. Connection portions 320 connected to the electrode portions 16 are formed on upper surfaces of the electrode portions 16. A connection terminal 32 for connecting the batteries 40 in parallel is formed in a region on the base 30A in which the connection terminal 32 does not cover the through holes 36. The connection terminal 32 is connected to the connection portions 320 by fusible links 320A straddling the through holes 36.
US08062773B2

Some embodiments provide a compound represented by Formula 1: wherein R1, R2, R3, R6, R7, and R8 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted C1-12 alkyl, optionally substituted phenyl, optionally substituted carbazolyl, optionally substituted diphenylamine and optionally substituted diphenylaminophenyl; provided that: at least one of R1, R2, and R3 is selected from optionally substituted carbazolyl, optionally substituted diphenylamine and optionally substituted diphenylaminophenyl and at least one of R6, R7, and R8 is selected from optionally substituted carbazolyl, optionally substituted diphenylamine and optionally substituted diphenylaminophenyl; and R4 and R5 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted C1-12 alkyl, optionally substituted phenyl, optionally substituted diphenylamine and optionally substituted diphenylaminophenyl. Other embodiments provide an organic light-emitting diode device comprising a compound of Formula I.
US08062772B2

Some embodiments provide a compound represented by Formula 1: wherein R1, R2, R3, R6, R7, and R8 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted C1-12 alkyl, optionally substituted phenyl, optionally substituted carbazolyl, optionally substituted diphenylamine and optionally substituted diphenylaminophenyl; provided that: at least one of R1, R2, and R3 is selected from optionally substituted carbazolyl, optionally substituted diphenylamine and optionally substituted diphenylaminophenyl and at least one of R6, R7, and R8 is selected from optionally substituted carbazolyl, optionally substituted diphenylamine and optionally substituted diphenylaminophenyl; and R4 and R5 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted C1-12 alkyl, optionally substituted phenyl, optionally substituted diphenylamine and optionally substituted diphenylaminophenyl. Other embodiments provide an organic light-emitting diode device comprising a compound of Formula I.
US08062762B2

A plywood comprising plys of Paulowina wood combined with plys of other hardwoods. The resulting Paulowina based plywood panels are lightweight, approximately 40% lighter than ordinary plywood. This reduction in weight when used for construction of Recreational vehicles (RV's), Campers, Tractor-trailer box sides, Ocean Shipping boxes, Crates, and Steamer trunks will reduce associated fuel consumption by reducing the overall weight of the cargo, and can lower employee related injury. The resulting Paulowina based plywood panels will reduce work place injury (lower back pain, herniated disks, hernia, etc.) resulting in lower healthcare premiums for both employees and employers. The shipping industry that supply cargo shipping boxes also demand that a lightweight construction material be used for goods that are sent by air cargo, land cargo, rail, and sea cargo in order to conserve energy and the Paulowina based plywood panels are well suited for these applications.
US08062758B2

A self-stabilizing dispersion composition having a copolymer having at least one polymerizable acid-containing moiety, wherein the at least one acid-containing moiety is at least partially neutralized before or during polymerization, and at least one hydrophobic moiety. A process for producing such compositions is also provided, as well as a process for encapsulating water-insoluble actives in such copolymers.
US08062751B2

The present invention discloses a method for forming a low biofouling filtration membrane. First, an ozone treatment is performed to a fluorine-based porous membrane to introduce peroxides on surface. Afterwards, a first grafting polymerization is initiated from the peroxides, and functional monomers are polymerized to introduce halide groups on surface. Finally, a second grafting polymerization is initiated from the halide groups, and macro-monomers are polymerized to introduce zwitterionic group on surface, so as to form the low biofouling filtration membrane.
US08062746B2

A fiber strand comprising at least one fiber at least partially coated with a composition formed from at least one rosin, at least one cationic lubricant, at least one film forming material, at least one organosilane coupling agent, and at least one dispersion of polymeric particles. A fiber strand comprising at least one fiber at least partially coated with a composition formed from components comprising at least one rosin, at least one polymeric lubricant, at least one film forming material, at least one organosilane coupling agent, and at least one dispersion of polymeric particles. A fiber strand comprising at least one fiber at least partially coated with a starch-free composition comprising at least one rosin, at least one cationic lubricant, at least one film forming material, and at least one organosilane coupling agent. A fiber strand comprising at least one fiber at least partially coated with a starch-free composition comprising at least one rosin, at least one polymeric lubricant, at least one film forming material, and at least one organosilane coupling agent. A fiber strand comprising at least one fiber at least partially coated with a composition comprising at least one rosin, at least one silyated polyamine, at least one film forming material, and at least one organosilane coupling agent. Also provided are fabrics and composite materials comprising at least one of these fiber strands.
US08062744B2

A fluoropolymer coated film comprising polymeric substrate film and fluoropolymer coating on the polymeric substrate film. The fluoropolymer coating comprises fluoropolymer selected from homopolymers and copolymers of vinyl fluoride and homopolymers and copolymers of vinylidene fluoride polymer blended with compatible adhesive polymer comprising functional groups selected from carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, aziridine, anhydride, amine, isocyanate, melamine, epoxy, hydroxy, anhydride and mixtures thereof. The polymeric substrate film comprises functional groups on its surface that interact with the compatible adhesive polymer to promote bonding of the fluoropolymer coating to the substrate film.
US08062738B2

Disclosed are a heat transfer medium and a heat transfer method that uses the heat transfer medium. The heat transfer medium comprises a light-transparent substrate coated with a plurality of nano particles. The nano particles absorb light incident thereon to thereby produce heat, which is transferred to a target object to be heated. Nano particles can be applied onto a target object. After heating, the particles are removed by etching. Nano particles can be selectively applied to the light-transparent substrate or directly to a target object to be heat so as to localize heat-production and thus heat selective portions of the target object.
US08062735B2

Retroreflective material is used to create security features in secure documents. Retroreflective material in the document or sheets used for document creation is laser engraved to create optically variable images, identification quality grayscale images, different directional images viewable at corresponding angles of incidence, multidimensional images, and floating images. High refractive index glass beads are selectively applied to areas of a document surface using a variety of techniques. The beads may be applied in the form of a pre-determined or personalized pattern.
US08062733B2

A high-silica glass sheet has an average thickness of less than 150 microns and an average surface roughness over one or both of its two major surfaces of less than 1 nm. The glass sheet is formed using a roll-to-roll glass soot deposition and sintering process. The glass sheet may comprise a plurality of substantially parallel surface protrusions, which are visible only when a major surface of the glass sheet is viewed at an angle sufficiently removed from normal incidence.
US08062730B2

A light diffusion film includes a thermoplastic resin, a surface of the light diffusion film has a roughness (Ra) of about 0.5 to about 3 μm and a height distribution index (HDI) of about 3 to about 8 μm, and the light diffusion film has a retardation of not more than about 25 nm.
US08062729B2

A polymeric material may be prepared by reacting a composition that includes polyol, polyisocyanate, and polyorganosiloxane having functional groups capable of reacting with the polyisocyanate, wherein the polymeric material has a surface which includes raised microdomains.
US08062720B1

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a printing member for imaging with an inkjet printer using pigment-based aqueous inkjet ink. The printing member may include a substrate and a hydrophilic coating layer. The coasting layer may include acidic colloidal silica whose particles have an elongated shape, a hydrophilic polymer and a crosslinking agent.
US08062715B2

Direct-metal deposition (DMD), preferably under closed-loop control, is used to fabricate alloy-variant material structures which provide a combination of desirable physical and mechanical properties. Use of the invention facilitates the production of high-strength, high-wear, and impact-resistant structures which decrease the likelihood of erosion, heat checking and brittle failure in injection molds, die casting, thixomolding and other, more exotic tooling. The invention uses DMD to deposit a first material or alloy in an area exposed to high wear, such as the tooling gate area, with a second material or alloy being used elsewhere in the tool for greater impact resistance. Advantageously, the areas may be of a user-defined thickness to further improve longevity. The resulting composite material structure has mechanical properties (i.e., yield strength, hardness and abrasion resistance) which exceed that of the homogeneous compositions currently used for mold materials, thereby enhancing productivity while improving part quality in these and other applications.
US08062710B2

A method for manufacturing a carpet material that typically includes applying a coating to a substrate where the coating includes the reaction product of a B-side that includes an esterified vegetable oil-based polyol and a catalyst and an A-side that includes an isocyanate and the reaction product of a B-side that includes a vegetable oil-based polyol and a catalyst and an A-side that includes an isocyanate. The polyols may optionally be blown, oxylated, and/or neutralized.
US08062709B2

A process for preparing polyurethane carpet backings uses a filled polyurethane-forming composition that contains a mixture of certain metal acetylacetonate and sulfur-containing organotin catalysts. The mixture of catalysts is particularly beneficial in instances where the composition is processed at temperatures of above 30 to about 500 C, as long pot life is provided together with a rapid thermally-induced cure.
US08062696B2

Disclosed is a front substrate of a plasma display panel and fabricating method thereof, by which color temperature, color purity, and contrast of PDP are enhanced. The present invention includes an upper dielectric layer containing a colorant therein. And, the present invention includes the step of forming an upper dielectric layer having a colorant added thereto.
US08062691B2

A non-metallic medical device treated with a antimicrobial agents is provided. Different combinations of antimicrobial agents can be used for different types of non-metallic medical devices depending on the types of infections related to each device. The combination of different antimicrobial substances has a synergistic effect against certain bacteria and fungi. An antimicrobial agent can be used to treat a non-metallic medical device by mixing the antimicrobial agent with an acid solution and glycerol and exposing the non-metallic medical device to the resulting mixture such that an enough of the antimicrobial agent binds to a portion of the non-metallic medical device to inhibit the growth of bacterial and fungal organisms.
US08062684B2

A general object of the present invention is to utilize “delayed dilution” of a concentrated extract to provide a beverage brewing system which immediately (upon customer selection) provides selective dilution (based on individual consumers selections) of a fresh-brewed coffee extract after the extract has been allowed to brew and held as an extract before dilution. It is also a general object of the present invention to utilize the undiluted extract to mix and dissolve other beverage compounds to make flavored coffees, cappuccinos, lattes, and the like. “Delayed mixing” and/or “delayed filtering” may also be utilized.
US08062681B2

A method for supplementing the levels of select amino acids in ruminants is provided. Amino acids are susceptible to microbial degradation in the rumen, where the relative susceptibility of an amino acid oligomer is determined primarily by its solubility in the rumen fluid. A method for designing and preparing microbial resistant amino acid oligomers based on relative solubility is also provided. Various compositions containing amino acids are described and shown to resist microbial degradation in ruminants.
US08062680B2

Phytoceutical compositions for the prevention and treatment of circulatory disorders, feminine endocrine disorders, and dermal disorders. A specific combination of extracts of plants is taught, as well as principles for varying the formulations based on categorizing plants into one of three groups, Energy, Bio-Intelligence, and Organization and selecting several plants from each group. Such combinations have synergistic effects, with minimal side effects.
US08062678B2

This is about a type of Piper laetispicum C.DC. extract and the preparation method thereof as well as the application of the extract in preparing drugs, healthcare products and food additives for treating and/or preventing diseases related to monoamine transmitters such as 5-hydroxytryptamine, noradrenaline and dopamine. The extract is obtained through impregnating or percolating at normal temperature or ≦70° C., or is obtained through supercritical fluid extraction method, and in comparison with the existing reflux method, it has higher alkaloid content and higher biological activity.
US08062665B2

Disclosed are novel pharmaceutical compositions containing 3′-[(2Z)-[1-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-1,5-dihydro-3-methyl-5-oxo-4H-pyrazol-4-ylidene]hydrazino]-2′-hydroxy-[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-carboxylic acid bis-(monoethanolamine) (eltrombopag olamine) and processes for preparing the same.
US08062662B2

A liposome composition having a compound entrapped in a supersaturated solution and method for preparing such a composition are described.
US08062661B2

Methods of debriding a skin wound are provided. Embodiments of the subject methods include contacting the skin wound with a hydrogel patch debridement composition to debride the wound. Also provided are systems and kits for use in practicing the subject methods.
US08062660B2

A delivery device including at least one stinging capsule and methods of use are described.
US08062654B2

The present invention relates to fiber compositions comprising gels or hydrogels. The invention further relates to the composition of a gel or hydrogel loaded biodegradable fiber and methods of fabricating such fibers. The present invention further provides tissue engineering and drug-delivery compositions and methods wherein three-dimensional matrices for growing cells are prepared for in vitro and in vivo use. The invention also relates to methods of manipulating the rate of therapeutic agent release by changing both the biodegradable polymer properties as well as altering the properties of the incorporated gel or hydrogel.
US08062651B1

A composition for attracting male pink hibiscus mealybugs which contains a carrier material or carrier and effective amount of (R)-lavandulyl (S)-2-methylbutanoate and (R)-maconelliyl (S)-2-methylbutanoate. Also a method for attracting male pink hibiscus mealybugs to an object or area, which method involves treating said object or area with effective amount of (R)-lavandulyl (S)-2-methylbutanoate and (R)-maconelliyl (S)-2-methylbutanoate. Cyclobutanes, 2,2-dimethyl-3-(1-methylethylidene)cyclobutanes, having the formula: wherein R1 is hydrogen, a C1-11 straight or branched alcohol, aldehyde, alkyl, ether (e.g. methanol, ethanal, 4-methylhexane, heptyloxymethane), or esters thereof with a C1-10 saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched acid (e.g., formic acid, acetic acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, 3-methyl-2-butenoic acid) and R2 is hydrogen, methyl, C1-10 saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched alkyl (e.g. hexane, isopropenyl, 4-methyl-4-pentene). A method of disrupting male pink hibiscus mealybug mating with female pink hibiscus mealybugs, involving exposing a pink hibiscus mealybug population to a composition containing a pink hibiscus mealybug mating disrupting effective amount of (R)-lavandulyl (S)-2-methylbutanoate and (R)-maconelliyl (S)-2-methylbutanoate, and optionally a carrier material or carrier.
US08062648B2

The present invention relates to a composition which comprises as active ingredients a combination of melatonin, ginkgo biloba and biotin. The composition is particularly suitable for producing formulations for topical application in the hair.
US08062628B2

This invention relates generally to an underarm hygiene product having the form of a deodorant patch between a top carrier sheet and a bottom carrier sheet. Deodorant patches dissolve upon contact with the underarm skin and provide a discreet, portable method of remaining fresh in any time or place. Convenient one time dispensing by a flat patch eliminates the need for bulky containers and provides an elegant solution to limitations on quantities of personal care products during airline flights while away from home. This invention also relates to a method of producing the underarm hygiene product.
US08062627B2

A method and composition are disclosed utilizing the pure (R,R) isomer of formoterol, which is a potent bronchodilator with reduced adverse effects, a low incidence of the development of tolerance and an increased duration of action, as compared to racemic formoterol.
US08062625B2

The invention relates to a method for predicting the efficacy of a cancer immunotherapy of an individual with respect to clinical benefit, which comprises the following steps: —providing a blood sample of said individual, —(a1) determining the number of lymphocytes in the blood of said individual, and/or (a2) determining the number of neutrophils in the blood of said individual, and —(b1) identifying the individual as having a predictive clinical benefit from the immunotherapy, if the number Of lymphocytes is below or equal to a lymphocyte baseline level of 1.4 to 1.8×109 per liter blood, especially below or equal to 1.6×109 per liter blood; or (b2) identifying the individual as having a predictive clinical benefit from the immunotherapy, if the number of neutrophils is below or equal to a neutrophil baseline level of from 4.0 to 6.0×109 per liter blood, especially below or equal to 5.0×109 neutrophils per liter blood; or (b3) identifying the individual as not having a predictive clinical benefit, if the number of lymphocytes is above a lymphocyte baseline level of 1.4 to 1.8×109 per liter blood, especially above 1.6×109 per liter blood and the number of neutrophils is above a neutrophil baseline level of from 4.0 to 6.0×109 per liter blood, especially above 5.0×109 neutrophils per liter blood.
US08062618B2

A diesel exhaust aftertreatment system and method are provided. The system includes a lean NOx trap for reducing NOx and a transition metal-exchanged zeolite booster catalyst positioned downstream from the lean NOx trap for further reducing NOx. The lean NOx trap includes a NOx adsorbent material and one or more platinum group metals, and has a platinum group metal loading of less than about 90 g/ft3. The aftertreatment system provides high NOx conversion over a broad temperature range without the use of ammonia as a major reductant.
US08062611B2

A fluid processing device is provided that includes a substrate, a plurality of fluid retainment regions formed in or on the substrate, and a barrier at least partially separating two or more of the fluid retainment regions. The barrier includes a mixture of a sequestering material and a reaction component. The reaction component can be at least one of a reactant, a reagent, a catalyst, an initiator, a promoter, a cofactor, an enzyme, a salt, or a combination thereof. The sequestering material can be a porous material, a dissolvable material, or both.
US08062609B2

A flow cytometer is provided which includes an interrogation flow cell and a plurality of assay fluidic lines extending into the interrogation flow cell. A method of operating such a flow cytometer includes priming the interrogation flow cell with a sheath fluid and injecting different assay fluids into a flow of the sheath fluid through the plurality of fluidic lines. A fluidic line assembly is provided which includes a plurality of capillary tubes coupled to a base section configured for coupling to an interrogation flow cell assembly of a flow cytometer. The capillary tubes are dimensionally configured such that when the fluidic line assembly is arranged within the flow cytometer and fluid is dispensed from one or more of the capillary tubes at a given pressure differential with respect to an encompassing sheath fluid within the interrogation flow cell the fluid is substantially centrally aligned within the interrogation flow cell.
US08062605B2

A cooling system for use in a shell-type reactor includes vertically extending double tubes with an inner tube and an outer tube closed at its lower end. The system also includes a distributor for supplying a fluid cooling medium into the upper end of the inner tubes and a horizontally extending plate, which on its upper surface includes at least two upwardly open, parallel grooves. Two adjacent grooves are separated by a common inner wall. At least one outer tube, having an upper end, is disposed in each groove, through the plate. Each outer tube is tightly welded to the plate on the groove base. The upper, open side of each groove is closed with a lid, so that each groove forms a collector for discharging the cooling medium from the outer tubes. Each inner tube opens through the lid into a distributor and is tightly attached to the lid.
US08062599B2

A catalyst cooled is employed for converting oxygenates to light olefins. The catalyst becomes spent as deposits from the reaction clog up pores on the catalyst surface. A portion of the spent catalyst is regenerated in a regenerator and a portion is circulated back to contact more of the oxygenate feedstream. A catalyst cooler attached to the reactor can cool the spent catalyst circulated through the cooler before the spent catalyst contacts more of the oxygenate feedstream. In an embodiment, all of the spent catalyst that enters the catalyst cooler is withdrawn from the bottom of the catalyst cooler.
US08062596B2

The present invention relates to a nanoparticle sensor which is capable to identify an existence/nonexistence, a concentration, a size distribution and a component of the nanoparticles using an electrode pair having a separated distance of a nano-gap, in which the nanoparticle sensor includes a unit element configured with a plurality of unit electrodes electrically operated independently from each other and detects the nanoparticles based on the number of the unit electrodes electrically changed due to the nanoparticles captured into the nano-gap. The nanoparticle sensor of the present invention can detect the component, the size, the size distribution and the concentration of the nanoparticles by single measurement, have high reliability and regeneration while reducing a detection time by statistical method via a plurality of electrode pairs having the nano-gap, and detect even very low concentration of nanoparticles.
US08062594B2

A fluid handling system adapted to provide storage and supply of a number of liquid solutions to an automatic clinical analyzer having three different bottle-like containers, a collapsible plastic-metal-plastic pouch having a mouth-like opening, a fitment to be sealed within mouth-like opening a septum within the fitment, and open meal band or cap to seal the septum into the fitment.
US08062589B2

An enclosure covers a UV lamp and has a mechanically-adjustable opening for changing an amount of the UV radiation being emitted from the enclosure, and an ozone-creating passageway receives the radiation being emitted from the enclosure. A method includes producing ozone-generating radiation, mechanically attenuating the ozone-generating radiation, and mixing the attenuated ozone-generating radiation with air to produce ozone. The method may include powering a lamp for emitting ozone-producing radiation, and adjusting an amount of ozone produced by the ozone-producing radiation by rotating a first opening with respect to a second opening.
US08062585B2

A method includes releasing mercury in devices requiring mercury, in particular fluorescent lamps. The method includes the use of manganese-mercury compositions.
US08062577B2

A high-temperature, heat-resistant fill material is disclosed. The high-temperature, heat-resistant fill material includes an alumina refractory waste material having one or more of a used alumina-magnesium-carbon material, a used high-alumina material and a used fused-grain alumina material is disclosed. A method for method for manufacturing a material is also disclosed.
US08062574B2

A method of manufacturing a polylactic acid resin injection molded article, having the step (1): a step of melt-kneading a polylactic acid resin composition containing a polylactic acid resin and a specified organic crystal nucleus agent, while contacting the composition with a supercritical fluid; and step (2): a step of filling the melted product obtained in step (1) in a die to mold with injection-molding. The manufacturing method of the present invention is used as an advantageous technique as compared with the technique of achieving satisfactory moldability by the addition of plasticizer in the field, for example, which requires a polylactic acid resin molded article having high rigidity.
US08062568B2

A method for manufacturing a nano pattern writer includes forming one or more grooves on a first layer, depositing a substance on the first layer to form a film on the first layer, polishing the film on the first layer to thereby form a patterned film that fills the one or more grooves on the first layer, placing a second layer over the patterned film to thereby form a layered structure interposing the patterned film between the first layer and the second layer, and removing a part of the first layer and the second layer to thereby expose portions of the patterned film.
US08062567B2

A process for manufacturing organic fibers containing an inorganic component comprising the steps of: (1) preparing an inorganic spinnable sol solution; (2) mixing the inorganic spinnable sol solution, a solvent capable of dissolving the inorganic spinnable sol solution, and an organic polymer capable of being dissolved in the solvent to prepare a spinning solution; and (3) spinning the spinning solution to form the organic fibers containing an inorganic component composed of an inorganic gel and the organic polymer, is disclosed. The inorganic spinnable sol solution preferably has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 or more, and the inorganic spinnable sol solution is preferably prepared from a material containing a metal alkoxide having an organic substituent. According to the process of the present invention, organic fibers containing an inorganic component having an improved mechanical strength can be produced by mixing an inorganic component into an organic component, and a nonwoven fabric containing the fibers can be provided.
US08062565B2

A non-woven material, that can be formed into an acoustic ceiling tile, is provided. The material includes a substantially planar and self-supporting core of an inorganic base fiber and a synthetic thermal bonding fiber. The synthetic thermal bonding fiber preferably has an increased bonding surface area that improves adhesion and porosity to provide a base mat or core with a low density to provide sound absorption required by an acoustic ceiling tile.
US08062562B2

A cellulose ester film exhibiting: a free volume radius of 0.25 to 0.31 nm and a half-width of 0.04 to 0.1 nm, the free volume radius and the half-width being determined by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy; and Ro of 0 to nm and Rt of −30 to +20 nm, Ro and Rt being defined by the following equations: Equation (a): Ro=(nx−ny)×d; Equation (b): Rt=((nx+ny)/2−nz)×d (Ro: in-plane retardation, Rt: retardation in the thickness direction of the film, nx: in-plane refractive index in slow axis direction, ny: in-plane refractive index in fast axis direction, nz: refractive index in the thickness direction of the film (refractive indexes being measured at wavelength of 590 nm), d: thickness of the film (nm)).
US08062559B2

A composite lithium compound having a mixed crystalline structure is provided. Such compound can be formed by heating a lithium, iron, phosphorous and carbon mixed compound with another metal compound together. The resulting mixed metal crystal can exhibit superior electrical property and is a better cathode material for lithium secondary batteries.
US08062557B2

Thermoplastic resin composition containing 18-80 weight % of a polyamide 6 resin with specific viscosity number and specific ratio of terminal carboxyl groups content to terminal amino groups content (component (A)); 5-25 weight % of a hydrogenated product of a block copolymer having a vinyl aromatic compound polymer block and a conjugated diene compound polymer block (component (B)); 3-15 weight % of a graft-modified hydrogenated product of such block copolymer (component (C)), said hydrogenated product being graft-modified with maleic anhydride in an amount of 2.6-5.0 weight % based on 100 weight % of said graft-modified hydrogenated product; 1-5 weight % conductive carbon black with specific BET specific surface area and specific DBP oil absorption (component (D)); 10-30 weight % talc having a specific average particle diameter (component (E)); 0.1-2 weight % of a phosphonite compound (component (F)); 0.5-5 weight % of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol resin (component (G)); 0-1 weight % of a pentaerythritol based phosphite (component (H)).
US08062554B2

Apparatus and methods according to various aspects of the present invention may operate in conjunction with composite matrix material and reinforcement material, such as nanostructures. The nanostructures may be evenly dispersed and/or aligned in the matrix material through application of an electromagnetic field, resulting in a nanocomposite material. In one embodiment, the nanocomposite material is suitable for large scale processing.
US08062544B2

Deicing compositions comprised of hydroxyl-containing organic compounds and/or organic acid salts are disclosed.
US08062540B2

A natural leather is treated with a tanning agent, a re-tanning agent, a dye and a greasing agent, wherein a treatment agent for inhibiting the generation of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde from the natural leather is added to the greasing step so that the natural leather is impregnated with the treatment agent. The treatment agent includes a hydrazide compound optionally together with sodium hydrogen sulfite.
US08062536B2

A method for depositing dielectric material into gaps between wiring lines in the formation of a semiconductor device includes the formation of a cap layer and the formation of gaps into which high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDPCVD) dielectric material is deposited. First and second antireflective coatings may be formed on the wiring line layer, the first and second antireflective coatings being made from different materials. Both antireflective coatings and the wiring line layer are etched through to form wiring lines separated by gaps. The gaps between wiring lines may be filled using high density plasma chemical vapor deposition.
US08062535B2

Method for producing a probe for atomic force microscopy with a silicon nitride cantilever and an integrated single crystal silicon tetrahedral tip with high resonant frequencies and low spring constants intended for high speed AFM imaging.
US08062534B2

An apparatus that allows for separating and collecting a fraction of a sample. The apparatus, when used with a centrifuge, allows for the creation of at various fractions in the apparatus. A buoy system that may include a first buoy portion and a second buoy member operably interconnected may be used to form at least three fractions from a sample during a substantially single centrifugation process. Therefore, the separation of various fractions may be substantially quick and efficient. Also selected fractions from the sample can be applied to a patient, either alone or as part of a mixture.
US08062524B2

An integrated oxidation ditch comprises a number of oval channels. There are two or more circular zones in the central island of the oxidation ditch, wherein, the two circular zones are tangential to the inner wall or share the inner wall with an adjacent channel. Wastewater of different zones is connected with others. The center island is used sufficiently in the oxidation ditch and all the channels and the deposition zone or the deposition zone and an anaerobic zone, inner/outer re-circulation zone are integrated together. So the oxidation ditch improves space utilization efficiency and reduces the land and cost.
US08062521B2

A filtering medium and method for removing contaminants from an organic-based feed stream which includes the use of a layer of ceramic filter units having a plurality of elliptical or trisoidal openings extending therethrough to filter organic-based feed streams and to provide liquid distribution upstream of the catalyst beds.
US08062513B2

In one embodiment an automated peritoneal dialysis (“APD”) machine includes: at least one pump; a logic implementer storing a plurality of therapy prescriptions by which to operate the at least one pump, each therapy prescription pre-approved for a particular patient; and an input device operating with the logic implementer to allow the patient to select one of the therapy prescriptions for a particular therapy. In another embodiment, the input device operating with the logic implementer allows a doctor/clinician to select or approve one of the therapy prescriptions to be run on the APD machine. In a further embodiment, the logic implementer is programmed to select or suggest one of the therapy prescriptions to be run on the is APD machine.
US08062510B2

A method for extracting hydrocarbons from a vessel by displacement. The method including the displacement of a hydrocarbon source with a material of different density and recovery of the hydrocarbons from the vessel. Additionally, a method for extracting hydrocarbons from a vessel by gas displacement through chemical introduction. The method including introduction of hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate into a vessel, production of carbon dioxide from the reaction of the hydrochloric acid and the sodium bicarbonate, displacement of a hydrocarbon source inside the vessel, and recovery of the hydrocarbon source from the vessel.
US08062509B2

One exemplary embodiment can be a process for desorbing one or more polynuclear aromatics from at least one fraction from a hydrocracking zone using an adsorption zone. The adsorption zone can include first and second vessels. Generally, the process includes passing the at least one fraction from an effluent of the hydrocracking zone through the first vessel containing a first activated carbon, and passing a petroleum fraction boiling in the range of about 200-about 400° C. for desorbing the one or more polynuclear aromatics through the second vessel containing a second activated carbon.
US08062507B2

A process for stripping gases from catalyst material in which catalyst travels down baffles at a first acute angle and then at a second acute angle on the same baffle. Traveling down the baffle at the second angle assures the catalyst will cross a downcomer channel and land on an adjacent baffle.
US08062493B2

The present disclosure generally relates to systems, arrangements, and techniques for electrophoretic deposition of a plating material on a surface of a substrate. Example systems may include one or more of a substrate for receiving the plating material, a gel, a source element, and a conductive layer.
US08062489B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for stably forming an artificial lipid membrane while suppressing the leakage and evaporation of an electrolytic solution. The present invention is an artificial lipid membrane forming method for forming an artificial lipid membrane using an artificial lipid membrane forming apparatus. The artificial lipid membrane forming apparatus comprises a first chamber, a second chamber, a dividing wall, and an artificial lipid membrane forming portion. Each of the first chamber and the second chamber has a capacity of not smaller than 10 pl and not larger than 200 μl. The artificial lipid membrane forming method of the present invention comprises the steps of: preparing the artificial lipid membrane forming apparatus; adding to the first chamber a first electrolytic solution having a viscosity of not lower than 1.3 mPa·s and not higher than 200 mPa·s; adding a lipid solution to the artificial lipid membrane forming portion; adding to the second chamber a second electrolytic solution having a viscosity of not lower than 1.3 mPa·s and not higher than 200 mPa·s; and forming the artificial lipid membrane.
US08062487B2

A wafer supporting device of a sputter apparatus includes a pedestal positioned in a sputtering chamber and used to load a wafer for sputtering, a deposition ring having a recess positioned on a peripheral portion of the pedestal, and a cover ring positioned on the pedestal and the deposition ring. The cover ring has a gate corresponding to the recess.
US08062478B2

Emulsions are provided which are useful in imparting water-resistance to gypsum wood fiber products. In one embodiment, the emulsions comprise a wax or a combination of waxes, an alkyl phenol, at least one surfactant, Polynaphthalenesulfonic acid, and an alkali metal hydroxide. In another embodiment, the emulsions comprise a wax or a combination of waxes, an alkyl phenol, at least one surfactant, polynaphthalenesulfonic acid, an alkali metal hydroxide, and a complexed starch.
US08062475B2

To provide a detaching method capable of detaching a first substrate and a second substrate bonded together through a pressure-sensitive adhesive film, while minimizing the physical external load imposed on these substrates. A method for detaching a first substrate and a second substrate bonded together by a pressure-sensitive adhesive film comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive polymer having dispersed therein a thermally decomposable metal hydroxide or metal salt hydrate filler, the method comprising a step of heating the pressure-sensitive adhesive film to a temperature capable of causing decomposition and dehydration of the metal hydroxide or metal salt hydrate, thereby accelerating the detachment.
US08062470B2

A method and an apparatus are proposed for simultaneously coating the inner walls of a plurality of hollow containers, such as bottles, with fluid-impermeable barrier layers applied by a PECVD method with the use of transversal antennas capable of creating plasma having density increased in the vicinity of the inner walls of the containers. The barrier-layer application period is divided into a coating period and a noncoating cooling period, with RF energy constantly maintained under working conditions with shunting thereof from the coating station to the dummy loads during noncoating periods used for cooling the plastic containers. The apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber with a conveyor that transports the containers in a preoriented state for interaction with a plurality of aligning elements that can be inserted into the container openings for subsequent fixation at equal distances in positions aligned with the antennas that can be inserted into the containers for generation of the coating-applying plasma.
US08062453B2

A method of winding fibers on a mandrel, the wound fibers being in tension, includes providing a source of fibers, imposing a torque on the source that resists dispensing the fibers from the source to exert a tension on the fibers, adding ultra-violet sensitive material that is polymerized by exposure to ultra-violet light to a resin matrix, impregnating dispensed fibers with the additive containing resin matrix, rotating a mandrel to wind the impregnated fibers on the mandrel, the rotation of the mandrel acting to overcome the torque on the source and putting the fibers in tension, and in situ, quasi instantaneously polymerizing the additive containing resin matrix on the mandrel by means of exposing the additive containing resin matrix to ultra-violet light for a selected period of time, such polymerization acting to lock in the tension in the fibers at the time of polymerization. A rail gun fabricated by means of the above method is further included.
US08062443B2

Embodiments of the present subject matter provide an improved percussion primer composition and improved hot-wire igniter acceptor, wherein lead styphnate is replaced with a lead-free material, 4,6-dinitro-7-hydroxybenzofuroxan, potassium salt (KDNP). Embodiments of the percussion primer composition include KDNP, a sensitizer, an oxidizer, calcium silicide, a fuel, and a binder. Sensitizers may include tetracene. Oxidizers may include alkali or alkaline earth nitrates, oxides, or peroxides (such as barium nitrate). Fuel materials may include metals, metal sulfides, or other non-metallic materials. Common binders may include nitrocellulose based shellacs, gum arabic/poly vinyl alcohol mixtures, and guar gum/poly vinyl alcohol mixtures. Embodiments of the hot-wire igniter device include a bridgewire, an acceptor, and an output, where KDNP is the acceptor. Power supply may be in the form of constant current/voltage or current flow from a capacitor discharge. Certain embodiments utilize a variety of output formulations, such as BKNO3, black powder, and Red Dot double base propellant.
US08062439B2

A magnesium alloy sheet having an adequate strength and an excellent bendability is provided along with a method of manufacturing such an alloy sheet. The method comprises, rolling a magnesium alloy sheet through a reduction roll, the alloy thereof containing about 0.1-10.0 mass % of Al and about 0.1-4.0 mass % of Zn, wherein the magnesium alloy sheet has a surface temperature of about 100° C. or below at the time just before it is fed in the reduction roll, and the reduction roll has a surface temperature in the range of about 100° C. to 300° C. Particularly, when executing multipass rolling, at least the last pass is accomplished in non-preheat rolling wherein the magnesium alloy sheet and the reduction roll have specified surface temperatures, respectively.
US08062430B2

Filters used in the beverage industry fouled by polyphenol-protein complexes and carbohydrate polymers can be cleaned by treating the filters either with the following methods: Solubilization of at least part of the carbohydrate polymers followed by a treatment of the resulting polyphenol protein complex with an oxidative chemical. Treatment of the fouled filters through a back-wash method using an oxidative chemical. In both cases it is not necessary to rinse the membranes after cleaning with a reductive chemical.
US08062427B2

Apparatus for metering and vaporizing a particulate material, includes a metering device for metering particulate material including: a reservoir for receiving particulate material; a housing having an internal volume and having first and second openings; a rotatable shaft disposed in the internal volume, the shaft having a smooth surface and a circumferential groove; a structure disposed in the reservoir for delivery and cooperating with the rotating shaft for fluidizing particulate material and transporting it from the reservoir into the groove; the shaft and internal volume cooperating such that particulate material is transported by the groove; a scraper cooperates with the groove to dislodge particulate material retained therein and fluidize the scraped particulate material, and deliver metered amounts of particulate material through the second opening; and a flash evaporator that receives and flash vaporizes the metered particulate material.
US08062420B2

Described are nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals, including aluminum-borate NLO crystals, that have low concentrations of contaminants that adversely affect the NLO crystal's optical properties, such as compounds that contain transition-metal elements and/or lanthanides, other than yttrium, lanthanum, and lutetium. Some NLO crystals with low concentrations of these contaminants are capable of second harmonic generation at very short wavelengths. Also described are embodiments of a method for making these NLO crystals. Some embodiments involve growing a single NLO crystal, such as an aluminum-borate NLO crystal, from a mixture containing a solvent that is substantially free of harmful contaminants. The described NLO crystals can be used, for example, in laser devices.
US08062411B2

The invention relates to an adsorptive filtering material endowed with integrated particle- and/or aerosol-protection and with protective performance with regard to biological and/or chemical noxiants, in particular biological and/or chemical warfare agents, the adsorptive filtering material having a multilayered construction comprising a support layer, an adsorptive layer associated to and preferably fixed to the support layer, and optionally a covering layer disposed on that side of the adsorptive layer that is remote from the support layer, wherein the adsorptive filtering material is additionally equipped with a particle- and/or aerosol-filtering layer. The adsorptive filtering material is particularly useful in NBC protective materials of any kind (as in protective apparel for example) and for producing filters.
US08062407B2

A relatively simple and inexpensive method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles within a short period of time using a household microwave or the like is provided. The energy needed to heat the synthesis reaction is minimized and the organic reducing reagents of the prior art are replaced with natural products such as purified carbohydrates (e.g., glucose, sucrose, fructose, galactose, ribose, lactose) or their readily available and inexpensive forms (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, sucrose syrup). The resulting nanoparticles are purified from the remaining silver ion which is then recaptured for the safe disposal of the waste reaction mixture.
US08062400B2

A drum is for a rotary separator including a shaft rotatable about a central axis. The drum includes an inner drum member having inner and outer circumferential surfaces and being disposed generally about the shaft such that a first flow passage is generally defined between the inner drum member inner surface and the shaft. The inner drum inner surface is configured to separate liquids from a fluid flow contacting the surface. An outer drum member has inner and outer circumferential surfaces and is disposed generally about the inner drum member such that a second flow passage is generally defined between the outer drum member inner surface and the inner drum member outer surface, the second flow passage being generally coaxial with the first flow passage. Further, the outer drum inner surface is also configured to separate liquids from a fluid flow contacting the surface.
US08062397B2

An air filter assembly for an evaporative emissions control canister used with an internal combustion engine fuel system. The assembly includes: a housing having: an air inlet formed in an upper portion of the housing; and an air outlet; and; a baffle disposed within the housing. The baffle extends vertically downward from the air inlet in the upper portion of the housing towards a bottom portion of the housing. The baffles forming a plurality of vertically extending channels interconnected through a horizontally interconnecting channel formed between a bottom edge of the baffle and the bottom portion of the housing. A first one of the vertically extending channel receives air entering the housing from the air inlet. The air passes downwardly in the first one of the channels, then passing laterally outwards through the horizontally interconnecting channel towards sidewalls of the housing, then passing upwardly through a second one of the vertically extending channels, and then finally exiting the housing through the air outlet. A filter structure is disposed in the second one of the vertically extending channels.
US08062396B2

The purpose of this invention is to provide a pleated-type filter used for an apparatus for collecting dust that is optimally designed and to provide the apparatus for collecting dust using the filter, wherein the pleated-type filter can keep the resistance to its ventilation low when the filter is installed in the apparatus for collecting dust so that the pleats are directed vertically, and wherein the area for installing the main bodies of the pleated-type filters can be reduced as much as possible.The ratio of the apertures of the pleats (P/H) that is defined by the intervals (P) between the crests of adjacent pleats of the main body and the heights (H) of its pleats ranges from 0.1 to 0.3. The ratio is determined based on the relationship between the area for installing the pleated-type filters and the ratio of the apertures of the pleats (P/H). This is done by using the resistance to ventilation of the contaminated filtering cloth, which resistance corresponds to a coefficient of resistance that is caused by a filtering cloth and residual dust that cannot be shaken off from the filter by means of the shaking-off operation.
US08062394B2

An abrasive product includes a plurality of abrasive particles and a resin cured with a polythiol group. A method of preparing the abrasive product includes contacting the plurality of abrasive particles with a curable composition that includes a resin and a polythiol group, and curing the curable composition to produce the abrasive product. A method of abrading a work surface includes applying an abrasive product to a work surface in an abrading motion to remove a portion of the work surface. A curable composition includes a formaldehyde resin and a polythiol group. A formaldehyde resin is crosslinked by a polythiol group. A method of crosslinking the formaldehyde resin includes reacting the polythiol group with the formaldehyde resin.
US08062392B2

The present invention discloses a system for biomass treatment which addresses the need to find economical solutions to transport biomass. In the present invention, small, distributed gasifiers convert the biomass into synthesis gas (“syngas”). The syngas is then transported via a pipeline network to a central fuel production facility.
US08062390B2

Provided are methods for binding particulate solids in a polymer fiber matrix utilizing composite waste products. A mixture of composite waste products and particulate solids is formed into solid products to create degradation resistant solid units which capture the particulate solids.
US08062389B2

Low vapor pressure compound-based fuels are provided. These fuels are useful in catalytic burner systems that can be used to disperse fragrances, insecticides, insect repellants (e.g., citronella), aromatherapy compounds, medicinal compounds, deodorizing compounds, disinfectant compositions, fungicides and herbicides.
US08062375B2

The present invention provides an expandable fusion device capable of being installed inside an intervertebral disc space to maintain normal disc spacing and restore spinal stability, thereby facilitating an intervertebral fusion. In one embodiment, the fusion device includes a body portion, a first endplate, and a second endplate, the first and second endplates capable of being moved in a direction away from the body portion into an expanded configuration or capable of being moved towards the body portion into an unexpanded configuration. The fusion device is capable of being deployed and installed in both configurations.
US08062372B2

A spinal fusion device abutting and fixed between adjacent vertebrae. The spinal fusion device includes a support frame. The support frame has a plurality of extending bodies, each radially extending from a center of the support frame. A predetermined gap exists between every two adjacent extending bodies, receiving a bone graft.
US08062369B2

A cervical intervertebral prosthesis system includes prostheses which each have a hinge with a predefined center of hinge movement. To permit better adaptation to the different hinge radii of the cervical intervertebral disks, the cervical intervertebral prostheses of the system include at least two different prostheses with different hinge radii.
US08062362B2

An intraocular lens for implantation in a capsular bag of an eye includes an optic disposed about an optical axis and a haptic including a protruding portion disposed inside the optic. The optic has an anterior face and an opposing posterior face that are configured to provide a lens power. In response to an ocular force of the eye, the haptic transmits a force that alters one or more of a shape of the optic and an axial thickness of the optic. The protruding portion of the haptic has a refractive index that is equal to a refraction index of the optic for at least one wavelength within the visible spectrum.
US08062359B2

A connecting band for a highly flexible tissue-type heart valve having a stent with cusps and commissures that are permitted to move radially. The connecting band follows the cusps and commissures and extends outwardly. The valve is connected to the natural tissue along the undulating connecting band using conventional techniques, such as sutures. The connecting band may be a cloth-covered inner suture-permeable member and attaches to the underside of the valve at the cusps to provide support to the stent and to the outer side of the valve at the commissures. The connecting band includes commissure portions defining generally axial gaps that help permit flexing of the valve. The inner member may include one or more slits along the cusps to enhance flexibility. The inner member may further include a continuous outwardly projecting sewing ridge around its periphery which includes a series of ribs separated by grooves around the inflow edge of the cusps. The sewing ridge enables supra-annular implant of a valve constructed with the connecting band.
US08062342B2

In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides an orthopedic plate blocking assembly that can be used for the fixation or fastening of an orthopedic plate to bone tissue. In particular, the present invention, in one embodiment, provides an orthopedic plate having a plurality of cavities where each cavity is configured and dimensioned to receive a bone anchoring member. The orthopedic plate further provides a blocking mechanism having a plurality of blocking members that block the bone anchoring members to prevent the bone anchoring members from “backing out” of cavities once the bone anchoring members are finally seated in the cavities.
US08062335B1

A spinal system having a plate with at least one nesting point and at least one screw hole for receiving a screw. The system also includes a keel having a first and second keel wing attached to the plate and a structure having at least one screw hole, the structure configured to be placed between two vertebrae in a spine. The first and second keel wing are configured with at least one screw hole each which correspond to the at least one screw hole of the plate and the at least one screw hole of the structure. The first and second keel wing are configured with a first and second bottom portion, and the first and second bottom portions having a first and second cup for receiving a portion of the screw and the first and second bottom portions being adapted to lock the screws from backing out.
US08062334B2

A bone anchor is described having pre-attached suture material. After insertion, lateral wings can be deployed on the bone anchor to prevent anchor pull-out. The suture may be attached at the tip of the anchor by tying it to a wire hook secured in a cavity in the anchor tip. The anchor may be inserted and deployed using an anchor inserter that is configured to apply an axial force to the anchor, thereby deforming the anchor to form the lateral wings.
US08062331B2

An internal and external medical closure system for a separation of first and second tissue portions is provided, which includes a mesh screen comprising tubular vertical risers, vertical strands with barbed filaments, and horizontal spacers connecting the risers and strands in a grid-like configuration. An optional perimeter member partly surrounds the screen and can comprise a perimeter tube fluidically coupled with the vertical risers to form a tubing assembly. Various input/output devices can optionally be connected to the perimeter tube ends for irrigating and/or draining the separation according to methodologies of the present invention. Separation closure, irrigation and drainage methodologies are disclosed utilizing various combinations of closure screens, tubing, sutures, fluid transfer elements and gradient force sources. The use of mechanical forces associated with barbed strands for repositionably securing separated tissues together is disclosed. The use of same for eliminating or reducing the formation of subcutaneous voids or pockets, which can potentially form hematoma and seroma effects, is also disclosed. Further disclosed are alternative embodiment medical closure screen installation systems and methods.
US08062322B2

A hair transplant apparatus and a method for placing hair grafts into pre-made wounds capture a hair graft into a hair graft chamber readily aligned for implantation into the human scalp. The hair graft can be placed into the hair graft chamber manually or mechanically (e.g., by vacuum). A hair transplant apparatus includes a housing and a sliding rod within the housing. When the sliding rod is away from an open distal end of the housing in a first position, a hair graft can be placed into the spacing between an end of the rod and the open distal end of the housing. In a second position, the rod is advanced so the end of the rod becomes substantially flush with the distal end of the housing, thereby pushing the hair graft out of the housing and into the pre-made wound. Advantageously, the housing is aligned with the direction of the pre-made wound allowing the hair graft to slide easily into the pre-made wound without damage. Extraneous forces are eliminated by the alignment of the housing to the wound, thus creating a linear path for the hair graft to move without obstruction to finally settle in the scalp wound.
US08062321B2

The catheter apparatus may be used to assist in creating a fistula between two adjacent blood vessels. The apparatus includes a catheter for inserting into a first blood vessel which lies adjacent to a second blood vessel, the catheter having a plurality of openings through which a physician may navigate a piercing tool. The physician maneuvers the tip of the catheter to a position within the first blood vessel adjacent to a portion of the first blood vessel wall in which the physician intends to create an opening. The physician may then rotate the piercing tool within the catheter and extend the piercing tool through one opening at a time, without rotating the catheter, until the physician chooses an opening that is properly aimed at the second blood vessel. Such a configuration allows for a wide arc of potential firing space.
US08062320B2

A puncture device is constituted such that a plunger (2) is provided with a lever (3) which is partially restricted in rotation, and a forward urging force is obtained by a contraction restorative force of a tension spring (4), and the tension spring (4) is again expanded with the lever (3) as a leverage when the plunger (2) further moves forward due to its inertia from a position where no urging force is not applied, and the plunger (2) is urged backward by a restorative force of the re-expansion. Further, a puncture needle cartridge is provided with a lancet body (203) having a puncture needle, and a puncture needle holder (201) in which the lancet body (203) is movably stored, and further, the lancet body (203) has an arm means (302) and the puncture needle holder (201) contains a to-be-latched means (303) that cooperates with the arm means (302). Thereby, the fabrication process is simplified, and plural times of punctures of the puncture needle is prevented, and further, the puncture speed is controlled, and moreover, the used puncture needle is discarded safely.
US08062317B2

A rotatable thrombectomy wire for breaking up thrombus or other obstructive material including an inner core composed of a flexible material and an outer wire surrounding at least a portion of the inner core. The outer wire has a sinuous shaped portion at a distal region. The inner core limits the compressibility of the outer wire. The outer wire is operatively connectable at a proximal end to a motor for rotating the wire to macerate thrombus.
US08062315B2

A variable parietal/visceral pleural coupling may be utilized to create an air-tight seal in the pleural space between the parietal and visceral pleura. This coupling may be utilized to create a seal for other implantable devices.
US08062314B2

A medical method includes sliding two substantially straight unconnected arms over a fold of body tissue such that a first arm contacts a first portion of the fold and a second arm contacts a second portion. Then, each arm is bent completely through the fold such that both of the arms compress the portions of the fold into contact with each other. Another method includes releasably coupling first and second substantially linear arms to a bridge, each of the arms having a substantially straight sliding portion and a bendable piercing portion. The arms are slid over opposing sides of two body tissue layers, the first arm sliding over the first layer and the second over the second layer. While the sliding portions of the arms remain substantially straight, each piercing portion is bent completely through the adjacent layer and halfway through the other layer to compress the two layers together.
US08062313B2

A device and method for treatment of atrioventricular regurgitation comprises a suturing device. The suturing device is configured to be introducible, via blood vessels leading to the heart, to two leaflets of the atrioventricular valve between the atrium and a corresponding ventricle of the heart. The suturing device is configured for binding together the two leaflets along the free edges of the leaflets. A method of using the device includes inserting the suturing device into a catheter, introducing the catheter to the heart and positioning a distal end of the catheter close to two leaflets of an atrioventricular valve, capturing the free edges of the two leaflets with the suturing device in its open state, binding together the two leaflets by transition of the suturing device into its closed state, and retracting the catheter from the heart. As a result, the closing of the valve is improved.
US08062309B2

Methods, apparatus, and systems for occluding a multiplicity of parallel membranes, such as found in a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Methods, apparatus, and systems include the use of a positioning device that can be seated on the limbus of the septum secundum (SS). The positioning device includes a piercing member that can pierce the SS and septum primum (SP). The positioning device also includes a fastening member that can engage the SS and SP to fasten the tissues and occlude a PFO.
US08062303B2

A system and method for inserting an implant into a cavity is disclosed, which may include advancing an implant insertion instrument toward a pair of adjacent bodies, the implant insertion instrument having two opposed ramps, wherein each ramp has a distal tip and wherein the longitudinal axes of the opposed ramps are separated by an initial angle; inserting the distal tips of the opposed ramps between the adjacent bodies, thereby creating an initial interbody cavity between the adjacent bodies; expanding the interbody cavity while maintaining the initial angle between the longitudinal axes of the opposed ramps; placing the implant in a final location between the adjacent bodies; transferring a compressive force urging the adjacent bodies together from the opposed ramps to the implant; and extracting the implant insertion instrument from the interbody cavity.
US08062299B2

A series of instruments (30, 80, 120, 210, 510, 550) are provided for direct-anterior and oblique-anterior disc space and end plate preparation. The instruments (30, 80, 120, 210, 510, 550) provide precise guidance for channel formation in the vertebral endplates by guiding rotating and bladed cutting instruments (122, 250, 580). Instrumentation (550) for oblique-anterior disc space preparation includes compound angulation to account for the angle of approach to the spine and the angulation between adjacent vertebrae. Methods and techniques for use of the instruments (30, 80, 120, 210, 510, 550) are also described.
US08062297B2

A bone fixation apparatus comprising a shape memory effect material includes a bridge member having at least three sides and an open center portion. Each of the bridge member sides defines a curve having a respective first radius when the shape memory effect material is in a first state, and a respective second radius larger than a corresponding first radius when the shape memory effect material is in a second state. Elongate members are connected to, and extend outwardly from, the bridge member. Each of the elongate members are connected to the bridge member at an approximate intersection of a respective two of the sides, such that each elongate member is subject to a force from each of two intersecting sides, and moves toward the open center portion of the bridge member when the shape memory effect material changes from the second state to the first state.
US08062294B2

An orthopaedic implant provides a simple yet effective retention system requiring no additional components beyond the implant and the associated fastener(s). A plurality of anti-rotation protrusions on the fastener or screw head that match recesses in the implant. The protrusions engage the recesses to prevent the fastener from reversing direction, thereby assuring that the associated fastener does not backout during normal motion of the spine and other anatomical structures. A land on the fastener screw thread assures the fastener will not disengage from the implant should it strip out of the bone. Preventing the fastener from backing out assures it will not detach from the implant or staple, assuring that the implant will remain in place until all fasteners in the system have catastrophically failed. The anti-backout features of the invention provide feedback as they engage, allowing the surgeon to move quickly when placing a fastener without the concern for inadvertent over-tightening. Although ideally suited to a spinal correction system such as a cervical plate, the invention is applicable to other orthopedic devices, including plates and staples for other applications.
US08062281B2

The invention relates to a device for injecting liquid, comprising a piece of tubing on which there is situated at least a first liquid occlusion system. According to the invention, a regulation system is situated upstream from the first occlusion system, the two systems defining an intermediate segment in which the pressure, in the absence of injection, is greater than the pressure that exists downstream from the first occlusion system so as to direct any leak of liquid from the first occlusion system downstream. The invention is applicable to a pump used for injecting contrast liquid for medical imaging.
US08062278B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure include disposable wearable absorbent articles with extensible sides. In an embodiment of the present disclosure a disposable wearable absorbent article includes a front, a back, and an extensible side configured to connect the front and the back, wherein the extensible side has a substantially laterally extensible area, which includes a first area, bounded in part by at least a portion of a longitudinally outboard side edge. An overall lateral extensibility of the first area is substantially less than an overall lateral extensibility of the substantially laterally extensible area.
US08062276B2

A reusable diaper may include an inner layer to wick moisture and an outer layer substantially impervious to liquids. A waist portion may include a corner region for securing the diaper in a desired position. The corner region may be resiliently stretchable and substantially impervious to liquids, and may include first and second layers coupled to the respective inner and outer layers. The coupled first layer and inner layer define a first seam allowance, and the coupled second layer and outer layer define a second seam allowance. The first and second seam allowances may be positioned within the corner region to help inhibit wicking of liquid through the seam allowances into the corner region. And a fluid-resistant region may be provided to help resist wicking of moisture through the inner layer past the fluid-resistant region.
US08062266B2

A vascular access device within an external environment may include a body and a septum at least partially housed within the body. Septum may at least substantially seal a lumen extending through the body. The septum may further include at least a first and a second material. At least one of the materials of the septum may be selected or adapted to resist tearing of the septum.
US08062263B2

A support system for supporting a feeding tube of a person is disclosed. The support system comprises an elongated flexible band, a disc and a sling mechanism. The elongated flexible band is adapted to circumscribe the person's body, at least partially covering abdomen region of the person. The disc is disposed on the elongated flexible band and is capable of securing the feeding tube. The sling mechanism is functionally coupled to the elongated flexible band and provides support to the feeding tube, for example, while the tube is not being used to feed a user.
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