US07734099B2
Image objects within two-dimensional images are identified by locating boundary points that describe line segments that define a polygon outlining each object. Processing follows lines of pixels between boundary points to determine whether additional pixels are a part of the same image object by reference to a discriminator, such as color. Boundary points are thus identified for contiguous pixels and contiguous lines. Arm-like regions are identified by recursive analysis in a similar manner. The resulting boundary point list may serve to identify the image object, such as for labeling or tagging in web-based manuals, catalogs, and so forth.
US07734093B2
A method and apparatus for performing paper-based upload and tracking of documents is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises scanning a version of a document to obtain an image, the document having machine readable information, decoding the machine readable information from the image to obtain a destination specification, and uploading information corresponding to the image to a destination host specified by the destination specification.
US07734089B2
A method of reducing mosquito noise in a digital image. As mosquito noise is often most plainly visible in the “background” of an image (e.g., the sky or some other backdrop to objects within an image), the luminance value of the background of the image is first determined. Then, the luminances of the pixels of the image are compared against this “background luminance” to determine which should be considered as part of this background. The luminances of these background pixels are then averaged so as to smooth out the representation of the background, and reduce mosquito noise.
US07734087B2
A face recognition apparatus and method using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) learning per subgroup, the face recognition apparatus includes: a learning unit which performs Principal Component Analysis (PCA) learning on each of a plurality of subgroups constituting a training data set, and then performs Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) learning on the training data set, thereby generating a PCA-based LDA (PCLDA) basis vector set of each subgroup; a feature vector extraction unit which projects a PCLDA basis vector set of each subgroup to an input image and extracts a feature vector set of the input image with respect to each subgroup; a feature vector storing unit which projects a PCLDA basis vector set of each subgroup to each of a plurality of face images to be registered, thereby generating a feature vector set of each registered image with respect to each subgroup, and storing the feature vector set in a database; and a similarity calculation unit which calculates a similarity between the input image and each registered image.
US07734085B2
A server (1) analyzes request information from a client (11) by a request analyzer (4) and selects necessary image data from multiple viewpoint image data (2) to be output to an image generator (3). The image data is generated by interpolation and output to an image synthesizer (5), in which a plurality of images data is synthesized in a form suitable for encoding. An encoder (6) encodes the image data and transfers it to a network (7). The client (11) receives the encoded image data, decodes the data through a decoder (12) and outputs the decoded image data to an image processor (13), where it is converted into a stereoscopic display format and displayed on a display unit (14). The client (11) includes an input unit (16) for changing the viewpoint, and transmits the request information of viewpoint alternation to the network (7) by a request output unit (15).
US07734083B2
The present invention relates to a bendable printed board, an image pickup apparatus, and a camera. The bendable printed board is provided with: a first end connected to a moving body movable in an arbitral direction within a predefined plane; a second end connected to fixed body with slack providing movability to the moving body; and a slit formed on at least a part of a slack portion of the printed board.
US07734081B2
A grinding method includes the steps of: enabling an image-capturing device to capture a set of consecutive images containing a workpiece being ground by a grinding device; enabling an image-processing device to identify the workpiece from the images, to detect a top edge of the identified workpiece from a latest one of the images, to locate a set of image pixels that lie on the top edge of the workpiece, and to determine relative heights of the image pixels; and enabling a controlling device to control grinding operation of the grinding device with reference to the relative heights of the image pixels. A system that performs the grinding method is also disclosed.
US07734074B2
A finger sensor may include a plurality of finger image sensing arrays for generating a respective plurality of finger image data sets based upon sliding finger movement over the finger image sensing arrays, and a processor cooperating with the finger image sensing arrays. The processor may determine finger movement based upon the finger image data sets, and generate a resampled finger image data set by resampling the finger image data sets based upon the determined finger movement. The processor may further deskew the finger image data sets when generating the resampled finger image data set.
US07734061B2
Vehicular system for determining the presence of an object in a passenger compartment of the vehicle includes a first image receiver arranged at a first location for obtaining a first two-dimensional view of a portion of the compartment, and a second image receiver arranged at a second location for obtaining a second two-dimensional view of the same portion of the compartment, the second image receiver being arranged relative to the first image receiver such that three dimensions of the portion of the compartment are encompassed by the first and second views. A processor receives images from the first and second image receivers and determines whether an object is present in the compartment based on the images. A reactive system, such as an airbag assembly, may be coupled to the processor and controlled thereby based on the determination of whether an object is present in the imaged portion of the compartment.
US07734056B2
A damper structure for a speaker is provided to preventing irregular vibrations, and the improvements comprises the damper having one or more elastic reinforcing pieces attached with a corrugated surface of the damper. The reinforcing pieces may be of smaller annular strips, larger annular strips, or straight strips corresponding to and attached to the corrugated surface of the damper in its inner region, outer region, and in its radial direction and preferably in equiangular distribution, respectively, to strengthen its structural strength and uniformity.
US07734053B2
An encoding apparatus compresses a stereo signal using a sum signal and a difference signal of a left component signal and a right component signal of the stereo signal. The encoding apparatus includes a calculating unit that calculates complexity of the sum signal and complexity of the difference signal; a setting unit that sets, based on the complexity, an allocation rate of bits to be allocated in quantizing the sum signal and the difference signal; and a quantizing unit that quantizes the sum signal and the difference signal based on the allocation rate.
US07734047B2
There are provided an information recording medium, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer program, which can realize users' convenience for using content in accordance with a license and copyright protection. An information recording medium stores an encrypted content file including encrypted content, usage right information of the encrypted content, and encryption key information necessary for a decrypting process for the encrypted content. Thus, a user can acquire a license (usage right information) and key information necessary for decryption of the content, together with the content, from the information recording medium, without acquiring the license (usage rights) by connection to a license provider. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to perform a process of acquiring the license (usage rights) from the license provider when the content is to be used, whereby user convenience is improved, and license-based content copyright management can also be ensured.
US07734042B2
An initialization vector (IV) is employed to decrypt a block of a stream that has been encrypted with Cypher Block Chaining (CBC) encryption, without requiring decryption of previous blocks within the stream. For example, a listener who accesses a distribution point to retrieve encrypted content authenticates himself to an application server that regulates access to encrypted content on the distribution point, and responsively receives a key. The listener then requests access to a reference point within the encrypted content stream somewhere after its beginning (e.g., using preview clips). The distribution point relates the reference point to a corresponding block of the encrypted stream, and identifies an IV previously used for encryption of that block. The distribution point provides the associated encrypted block of content and the IV to the listener to enable mid-stream rendering of the encrypted content, without requiring the listener to decrypt previous blocks within the encrypted stream.
US07734036B1
A method and corresponding apparatus for managing voice quality by optimizing the amount of attenuation placed in the echo return path based on the conditions observed during each telephone call. At the beginning of a telephone call, a pre-configured initial amount of attenuation is placed in the echo path of a communications connection that includes an echo canceller. After the call has begun, ERL is measured at a point in the communications connection that includes the attenuation. If the measured ERL is higher than necessary for the echo canceller to accurately perform double-talk detection, the attenuation in the echo path is slowly reduced from the initial amount. As the attenuation is reduced, the measured ERL reduces accordingly. When the measured ERL reduces to a minimum value required to perform double-talk detection, the reduction in attenuation is stopped.
US07734027B2
An apparatus in one example comprises one or more call control components. One or more of the one or more call control components connect an internet protocol call initiated by a communication device to an internet protocol endpoint. One or more of the one or more call control components collect identification information of the communication device and send the identification information to the internet protocol endpoint.
US07734018B2
A system and method for establishing a telephone call between a calling party telephone and a called party telephone over a wired network. A telephone number associated with the called party telephone is monitored using a telephone status monitor to obtain a status of the called party telephone. The status of the called party telephone is entered in a called party telephone status file that is accessible to a calling party processor over the wired network. The calling party processor dials the telephone number of the called party telephone when an on-hook status is detected by the calling party processor so as to establish a telephone call between the calling party telephone and the called party telephone over the wired network.
US07734015B2
The present invention relates to an X-ray tube in which X-rays are generated by making electrons from an electron gun incident onto an X-ray target of an anode, disposed inside an anode housing unit, and the generated X-rays are taken out from an X-ray emission window. The anode has a straight main body and a protruding portion, extending along an axis line direction of the main body from a tip of the main body. An inclined surface, onto which the electrons emitted from the electron gun collide, and a pair of side surfaces, disposed in parallel while sandwiching the inclined surface, are formed on the protruding portion. A distance between the pair of side surfaces of the protruding portion is shorter than a width of the main body in the same direction as the distance.
US07734013B2
A mammographic system as a radiation image capturing apparatus includes a radiation source for emitting a radiation, AEC sensors for detecting the radiation emitted from the radiation source and acquiring radiation image information for exposure control, a mammary gland position identifier for selecting at least one of the AEC sensors for outputting given radiation dose information based on the radiation dose information acquired by the AEC sensors thereby to identify a mammary gland position as a region of interest of a subject, a weighting coefficient allocator for multiplying output signals from the AEC sensors before the mammary gland position is identified by the mammary gland position identifier, by respective weighting coefficients depending on the installed positions of the AEC sensors, and a radiation source controller for controlling the radiation dose applied from the radiation source to the identified mammary gland position.
US07734010B2
Radiation may be delivered in a number of segments shaped by a multi-leaf collimator. The collimator may be at different angles of rotation for the different segments. A method for planning radiation treatment involves obtaining an optimized set of collimator configurations by a direct aperture optimization method that takes into account collimator rotation. In some embodiments, area constraints are applied to the optimization. Methods according to embodiments of the invention can generate efficient treatment plans.
US07733997B2
Systems and methods for adjusting a signal received from a communication path are disclosed. A receiver can receive a signal from a communication path which attenuates at least some frequency components of the signal. The receiver can include an equalization block that adjusts at least some of the frequency content of the received signal, a signal normalization block that provides a normalized signal amplitude and/or a normalized edge slope, and a control block. In one embodiment, the control block controls frequency adjustment in the equalization block for high frequencies. For low frequency adjustment, user-programmable parameters control the normalized signal amplitude in the signal normalization block and the low frequency adjustment in the equalization block.
US07733991B2
The apparatus (20) for determining a frequency offset error comprises an input (24.1) for receiving a digitally coded frequency demodulated signal (demod Ip2). The frequency demodulated signal (demod Ip2) is processed by digital means (35) for performing a correlation, and by digital means (36) for performing a minimum-maximum evaluation. In order to determine whether a conflation criterion and a minimum-maximum criterion are fulfilled, the apparatus (20) comprises digital processing means (38) to calculate the current offset of the frequency demodulated signal (demod Ip2) and to cancel the current offset if both criteria are fulfilled.
US07733990B2
A receive path in a receiver including circuitry for deriving a first stream of first digitized samples from a received analog signal at a first sampling rate, and at least one interpolating filter in parallel with the first stream of first digitized samples for generating at least a second stream of digitized samples at the first sampling rate but offset with respect to the first stream by a fraction of a sample time period.
US07733984B2
A method for implementing phase rotator circuits and phase rotator circuit of the invention includes a polyphase filter network to create a quadrature phase version of the input signal. The polyphase filter network is partitioned into a first part that is physically isolated from the phase rotator circuit and a second part that is embedded in the phase rotator circuit. The second part of the polyphase filter is coupled to the first part of the polyphase filter by a high-pass equalizing buffer stage. The second part of the polyphase filter is coupled to the phase rotator circuit by a bandlimiting buffer stage.
US07733978B2
A digital adaptive predistorter look up table (DAPD-LUT) technique dynamically adapts a look up table (LUT) an LUT spacing for linearizing a power amplifier (PA). It optimizes the LUT spacing for the PA without prior knowledge of system state information. A size-N LUT divides a whole unsaturated PA input amplitude range into N bins, each predistorted by an entry of the LUT. The LUT is indexed by an input amplitude of a modulated signal via an index mapper to implement an unconditionally non-uniform LUT spacing. A spacing adaptor online interactively adapts the LUT spacing. The adapted LUT spacing balances the inter-modulation distortion (IMD) power at the PA output corresponding to each bin, so that the total IMD power at the PA output is minimized. This dynamically-optimum technique is practical, robust, and with low complexity.
US07733976B2
Circuits and methods are provided for use in a wireline or wireless transmitter to complement the digital generation of non-constant envelope modulation signals therein. A digital signal processor is configured for deconstructing a predetermined signal having an undesirable property into one or more fragment signals which do not have the undesirable property. In a preferred embodiment the predetermined signal is preconditioned by applying a preconditioning deconstruction process to another signal from which the predetermined signal is derived, whereby that other signal is deconstructed into one or more preconditioned fragment signals having an improved property over the other signal. For OFDM modulation schemes this undesirable property may be a relatively high peak-to-average power ratio. Signals formed from the fragment signals are subject to conversion to analog signals and processing by power efficient, dynamic-range limited analog circuits i.e. S Class power amplifiers (and, for wireless applications, low compression-point up-converters), before being recombined for transmission.
US07733975B1
A method for estimating a phase error existing in a receiver of a MIMO OFDM communications system is disclosed. The method includes executing Hermitian transpose on channel coefficient matrix of the MIMO OFDM communications system for generating Hermitian-transposed channel coefficient matrix, multiplying received signal matrix of the receiver with the Hermitian-transposed channel coefficient matrix for generating converted signals, summing products of the converted signals and complex conjugates of pilot signals corresponding to the converted signals for generating a sum result, and generating the phase error according to the sum result, the converted signals, and the complex conjugates of the pilot signals. The pilot signals are extracted from the received signal matrix.
US07733972B2
A trellis decoder decodes a stream of encoded symbols, including symbols of a first type (e.g. symbols encoded with a first trellis code) and symbols of a second type (e.g. encoded with a second, more robust, trellis code), without storing path indicators along a trellis for symbols of the first type. In this way, limited memory may be used to store path indicators along the trellis for symbols of the second type. This allows for more accurate decoding of the symbols of the second type. For transitions from symbols of the second type to symbols of the first type, states of the trellis decoder may be stored. In this way, paths may be traced back along the trellis for trellis decoding, without the path indicators for the symbols of the first type.
US07733969B2
A method for generating a cyclic training sequence comprises the following steps: generating randomly the first information block with the length N, copying the last L samples of the first information block to the beginning of the block as the first CP, generating the second information block with the length N by using the first information block of the training symbol in a circle manner in which the last d samples of the first information block are shifted to the position before the rest (N−d) samples and the N samples thus rearranged forms the second information block, copying the last L samples of the second information block to the beginning of the block as the second CP to form the integrated cyclic training sequence.
US07733965B2
Encoding of a dual mode digital signal for transfer using a dual mode super source follower circuit to drive the signal across a pulse transformer is presented. The dual mode signal comprises data in one mode and power/control in the other mode. In the power/control mode the magnitude of the signal pulses are greater than the magnitude of the data pulses. Thus, the current sinking deficiencies of the super source follower may introduce waveform irregularities when transitioning from the high of the power pulse to the high of the data pulse. An encoding method described herein uses a return to zero scheme to avoid such waveform irregularities during power to data transitions.
US07733959B2
A video conversion method for frame rate reduction. Video data comprising at least one I-frame and a plurality of B- and P-frames is provided. The B- and P-frames are converted to P-frames using a first image processing method, thereby leaving the I-frame and a plurality of P-frames. A frame rate reduction operation is implemented based on the converted frames using a second image processing method.
US07733952B2
Various systems and methods providing high speed decoding, enhanced power reduction and clock domain partitioning for a multi-pair gigabit Ethernet transceiver are disclosed. ISI compensation is partitioned into two stages; a first stage compensates ISI components induced by characteristics of a transmitter's partial response pulse shaping filter in a demodulator, a second stage compensates ISI components induced by characteristics of a multi-pair transmission channel in a Viterbi decoder. High speed decoding is accomplished by reducing the DFE depth by providing an input signal from a multiple decision feedback equalizer to the Viterbi based on a tail value and a subset of coefficient values received from a unit depth decision-feedback equalizer. Power reduction is accomplished by adaptively truncating active taps in the NEXT, FEXT and echo cancellation filters, or by disabling decoder circuitry portions, as channel response characteristics allow. A receive clock signal is generated such that it is synchronous in frequency with analog sampling clock signals and has a particular phase offset with respect to one of the sampling clock signals. This phase offset is adjusted such that system performance degradation due to coupling of switching noise from the digital sections to the analog sections is substantially minimized.
US07733947B2
A special data including communication wire continuous dominant levels of a number of N more than the transceiving bit number of n of communication wire continuous dominant levels, set in a character as one unit of communication data, can be transceived by a widely-used serial communication interface such that a predetermined transmission rate is changed to n/N times the transmission rate only when the special data is transmitted, whereby the special data can be easily transceived at a low cost.
US07733946B2
This invention concerns a terrestrial repeater (RF) dedicated to a hybrid communication network comprising a satellite for transmitting to terminals (and at least to the repeater) signals (SPI) in the form of a first modulated carrier with data to be transmitted, encoded by suing initial sequences of at least two pseudo-random codes, and spectrally spread with spreading codes each associated with a sequence. The repeater comprises: i) first processing means (MRP, MTB) for dispreading and demodulating the received signals so as to retrieve the encoded data which they represent for decoding them, and ii) second processing means (MTPi, APi) for re-encoding the retrieved data with one first part of the codes of the corresponding sequence to constitute first encoded data, and with at least a second part of the codes of the corresponding sequence, at least complementary to the first part, to constitute at least second encoded data, and to generate to the terminals, first signals (SP″), in the form of the first modulated carrier with the first encoded data and spectrally spread, at lest second signals (SP2) in the form of at least and second modulated carrier with the second encoded data and spectrally spread.
US07733939B2
A system for implementing an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing scheme and providing an improved range extension. The system includes a transmitter for transmitting data to a receiver. The transmitter includes a symbol mapper for generating a symbol for each of a plurality of subcarriers and a spreading module for spreading out the symbol on each of the plurality of subcarriers by using a direct sequence spread spectrum. The symbol on each of the plurality of subcarriers is spread by multiplying the symbol by predefined length sequences. The receiver includes a de-spreader module for de-spreading the symbols on each of the plurality of subcarriers. The de-spreader module includes a simply correlator receiver for obtaining maximum detection. The correlator produces an output sequence of a same length as an input sequence and the de-spreader module uses a point of maximum correlation on the output sequence to obtain a recovered symbol.
US07733936B2
There is provided a novel surface emitting laser structure unnecessary to have multilayer mirrors in both of upper and lower sides of an active layer. A surface emitting laser comprises a two-dimensional periodic structure which is comprised of an active material having a gain in a specific wavelength band of electromagnetic waves, and a reflecting mirror arranged apart by a predetermined distance so as to face the above-mentioned two-dimensional periodic structure, and these are comprised so as to make laser oscillation possible. At that time, the above-mentioned two-dimensional periodic structure is formed of a two-dimensional photonic crystal which is comprised of a dielectric, and a resonator is comprised of a reflecting mirror pair formed by combination with the above-mentioned reflecting mirror to make laser oscillation generated.
US07733932B2
Laser diodes (120) emit laser beams along a vertical YZ plane at different distances from the YZ plane. The beams are collimated in their fast and slow axes, and are redirected by turning mirrors (162) to form a beam stack (130C) traveling along the XZ plane. The beam stack is turned by about 90°, then converged by a focusing lens (174) into an optical fiber (180). A compact assembly is thus provided. Each laser diode (120.i), its collimating optics (154.i, 158.i, i=1, 2, . . . ) and its turning mirror (162.i) are rigidly attached to a flat, heat-spreading surface (144.i) and thus remain aligned with each other in thermal cycling.
US07733927B2
The present invention concerns a laser light source device capable of multiwavelength oscillation. This laser light source device is provided with a laser light source; a laser cavity including a fiber, a first fiber grating provided at a side of the fiber toward the laser light source and having a plurality of reflection peaks, and a second fiber grating provided at a light emission end of the fiber and having a plurality of reflection peaks: a wavelength converter for converting a fundamental wave emitted from the laser cavity into a harmonic wave; a reflection wavelength varying unit capable of shifting the reflection wavelengths of the reflection peaks of the second fiber grating; and a controller for controlling phase matching conditions of the wavelength converter. Intervals between adjacent reflection peaks of the first fiber grating are different from those between adjacent reflection peaks of the second fiber grating.
US07733915B2
According to some embodiments of the invention, a method of minimizing buffer requirements, in a packet based multimedia system having a multimedia source device coupled to a multimedia display device by way of a bi-directional auxiliary channel arranged to transfer information between the display device and the source device and vice versa and a unidirectional main link arranged to carry multimedia data packets from the multimedia source device to the multimedia display device is disclosed. Interspersing special characters that allow the display device to distinguish each bit of pixel data included in the data packets thereby requiring only a small FIFO type buffer unit.
US07733912B2
In a wireless communication system, a multi-source data multiplexing system (e.g., a media access control (MAC)) accepts information packets from a plurality of signal sources, evaluates the relative efficiencies of data transmission, and transmits the information packets in provided grant regions for maximum efficiency. The multi-source data multiplexing system may accept any form of information packet from any form of signal source. The system receives a grant region, typically including a transmission time on a data channel, and inserts an information packet into the grant region. The actual information packet placed in the grant region may be one other than the packet for which the grant region was intended. Further, the multi-source data multiplexing system may fragment an information packet and transmit only a portion of the information packet in the grant region. Alternately, the multi-source data multiplexing system may concatenate multiple information packets, or information packet fragments, from any combination of signal sources and transmit the concatenated result in the grant region. As long as any signal source is active, the composite flow of information packets remains active, and the composite flow then serves as the primary mechanism for requesting and transmitting additional bandwidth in the wireless communication system.
US07733904B1
Systems and methods for roaming between a mobile node and at least one serving node connected to a network are disclosed. The present application provides a method for roaming between. In the system and method, a first communication is established between the mobile node and one of the serving nodes through a control server, when an Ethernet transceiver is used by the mobile node. Ethernet is used for communications between the mobile node and the control server, and a wireless communication technology for communications between the control server and the serving node. The control server also translates communications between Ethernet and the wireless communication technology. In the system and method, a second communication is established between the mobile node and one of the serving nodes with the wireless communication technology, when a wireless communication technology transceiver is used by the mobile node.
US07733902B2
Application protocol data units are conveyed in a universal serial bus so that a portable electronic object such as a smart card can be recognized by a terminal, such as a micro-computer, as being a peripheral. The header and the data field, when such a data field exists, of each command are encapsulated in data fields of data packets of respective downlink transactions. The data field, when such a data field exists, and the trailer of each response are encapsulated in the data packet data field of at least one uplink transaction. By means of this bus link, the data rate between the terminal and the electronic object is higher, and a plurality of portable electronic objects can be connected to the terminal.
US07733894B1
A method may include receiving a data unit and identifying a state of a memory storing data units. The method may include selecting a threshold value having a first threshold unit or a second threshold unit based on the state of the memory. The method may include comparing the threshold value to a queue state using the first threshold unit if the memory is in a first state. The method may include comparing the threshold value to the queue state using the second threshold unit if the memory is in a second state.
US07733892B2
A buffer management method based on a bitmap table includes: dividing the bitmap table into a plurality of areas each containing at least one bit; determining and recording an idleness status of each of the areas in accordance with an unoccupied status of the bit in the area; and performing a management on a buffer address pointer in accordance with the recorded idleness status of each of the areas. The entire inventive procedure of allocating a buffer address pointer is fixed and easily controllable, and the RAM consumed for management on each buffer element including at least a 1-bit buffer space is approximately 1 bit, with a relatively fewer resources being consumed. The invention can enable that it takes two clock cycles on average to complete one procedure of allocating a buffer address pointer, and thus the efficiency in allocating and reclaiming a buffer address pointer is high, and the controllability during buffer management is improved. In the case that as a few as possible resources are consumed, the capability in buffer management is improved to a maximal extent, and hence the inventive can satisfy the demand of a large bandwidth for a large buffer.
US07733891B2
Methods and apparatus to support dynamic allocation of traffic management resources in a network element. Shared pools of traffic management resources comprising an aggregation of local line card resources distributed across the line cards or a network element maintained by apparatus software. Incoming packets are classified into subscriber flows using a hierarchical classification scheme. In view of subscriber services and flow application types, traffic management resources are dynamically allocated from the shared pools, and traffic management policies associated with the subscriber services and application types are applied to the subscriber flows via the allocated resources. In response to detecting a subscriber flow has terminated, the allocated resources are release and made available to be dynamically re-allocated to subsequent subscriber flows.
US07733890B1
Virtual network interfaces receive data from distinct subsets of receive rings of a network interface card. In other words, each virtual network interface “owns” its own subset of receive rings of the network interface card. The assignment of virtual network interfaces to particular receive rings of the network interface cards may be determined, for example, dynamically, based on priorities associated with particular virtual network interfaces, based on function type, and/or based on service need.
US07733887B2
The system and method for implementing a Universal Messaging Gateway (UMG) disclosed herewith provides telecommunications Network Operators (NO) and like related parties with innovative and flexible art for delivering domestic and foreign network originated Multi-Media traffic and/or, more generally, interactive and/or synchronous mobile text and related telecommunications messaging or information services to a large number of related receiving telecommunications network equipment (as ESMEs and/or SMS-Cs in relation to SMS traffic).
US07733882B2
Both a connection server and a relay connection server are installed in an IP transfer network; a function similar to a line connection control of a subscriber exchanger is applied to a connection server; a function similar to a line connection control of a relay exchanger is applied to the relay connection server; and a terminal-to-terminal communication connection control method with using the IP transfer network is realized in such a manner that a telephone set and a terminal such as an IP terminal and a video terminal transmit/receive an initial address message, an address completion message, a call pass message, a response message, a release message and a release completion message, which can be made in a 1-to-1 correspondence relationship with line connection control messages of the common line signal system. Furthermore, while an address administration table is set to a network node apparatus of an IP transfer network, means for registering addresses of the terminals into this address administration table is employed, so that an IP packet communication by a multicast manner can be realized with improving information security performance.
US07733868B2
Embodiments include an overlay multicast network. The overlay multicast network may provide a set of features to ensure reliable and timely arrival of multicast data. The embodiments include a congestion control system that may prioritize designated layers of data within a data stream over other layers of the same data stream. Each data stream transmitted over the network may be given an equal share of the bandwidth. Addressing in routing tables maintained by routers may utilize summarized addressing based on the difference in location of the router and destination address. Summarization levels may be adjusted to minimize travel distances for packets in the network. Data from high priority data stream layers may also be retransmitted upon request from a destination machine to ensure reliable delivery of data.
US07733867B2
The disclosed techniques provide for eliminating real-time transport protocol, RTP, sequence number information and/or user data protocol, UDP, checksum information from the header of a packet for transmission.
US07733866B2
A wireless network includes a transmitting device and a plurality of receiving devices. The transmitting device is configured to receive a plurality of data packets, including a first data packet and a second data packet, prepare a preamble, prepare a signal field for each of the plurality of data packets, including a first signal field based on the first data packet and a second signal field based on the second data packet, and broadcast the preamble, the first signal field, the first data packet, the second signal field, and the second data packet as a concatenated packet.
US07733862B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for implementing an IPSec engine in IXDP2851. The apparatus for implementing an IPSec engine in IXDP2851 which is an IXP2850 network processor development platform, includes: a packet classifier/forwarding microblock classifying packets into an inbound packet and an outbound packet, using received packet information; determining whether IPSec processing should be performed on the inbound packet and the outbound packet, and performing packet forwarding on a packet not requiring the IPSec processing; an outbound IPSec processing microblock; an inbound IPSec processing microblock; and an IPSec forwarding microblock receiving packet information of a packet subjected to IPSec processing and performing forwarding on the corresponding packet. Therefore, by separately processing packets requiring IPSec processing and packets not requiring IPSec processing, it is possible to implement an IPSec engine without influencing a processing speed of general packets not requiring IPSec processing.
US07733860B2
The present invention provides a method for permitting fully detailed advertising of reachability information for some addresses in a network while efficiently summarizing reachability information for other addresses. At least one embodiment is implemented as part of a process used by logical nodes for advertising reachability information for members of a group of nodes represented by the logical node. At least one embodiment provides an “exception” instruction that allows detailed reachable address information to be advertised for an address that would otherwise be included in summary address information. At least one embodiment allows detailed reachability information to be advertised for the particular address while still allowing summarization of reachable address information for addresses sharing a common prefix with the “exception” address. At least one embodiment thereby allows detailed information to be advertised where needed while allowing summary address information to be advertised where such detailed information is not needed.
US07733850B1
A method and apparatus for enabling dynamic codec selection on a per application basis are disclosed. Specifically, before establishing call legs to connect VoIP endpoints, the Call Control Element (CCE) consults any invoked application server to determine the preferred codec method and communicates this preference to the appropriate Border Elements involved in the call. The preferred codec method is then negotiated between the corresponding calls legs while the call media path is being established.
US07733836B2
In one embodiment, a method of estimating location of a mobile beaconing device within a building includes steps: concurrently transmitting from the beaconing device at least first and second signals, which respectively indicates at least first and second transmit power levels thereof; receiving the at least first and second signals by a plurality of anchor devices at different known locations; estimating first distances between the beaconing device and each anchor device as a function of signal power levels of the first signal received by each anchor device, and second distances between the beaconing device and each anchor device as a function of signal power levels of the second signal received by each anchor devices; and calculating an estimated location of the beaconing device as a function of the estimated first distances and second distances.
US07733829B2
An apparatus and method for supporting mobility of a mobile terminal in a wireless local area network (LAN) environment deploying mobile IP are provided. The method for registering a mobile node using a virtual mobile node comprises: detecting whether or not a mobile node traveling among a plurality of networks is connected; and registering information on the mobile node whose connection is detected, with an agent relaying communication between the mobile node and a correspondent agent. By doing so, even when a mobile IP module is not installed, the mobile node can perform wireless communication seamlessly between networks in a wireless LAN environment deploying mobile IP.
US07733823B2
A method of scheduling for an Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) in a user equipment (UE) is disclosed. More specifically, a method of receiving an information indicating an allowable transmit power range from a base station and updating a group of Transport Format Combinations (TFCs) allowed by the base station by selecting the TFCs that can be used within the allowable transmit power range. Furthermore, the method comprises transmitting the E-DCH by at least one TFC selected from the group of TFCs.
US07733818B2
A method for node communication in a mobile ad hoc network, which network includes a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the nodes together, includes the steps of transmitting node condition information from a given mobile node using a signal; determining a node condition of the given mobile node, where the node condition includes priority of information to be transmitted by the given mobile node; and varying the signal by changing a transmission characteristic based upon changes in priority of information to be transmitted by the given mobile node.
US07733817B2
A service multiplexer of a digital broadcasting system includes a null data generator, a mobile service multiplexer, a main service multiplexer, and a multiplexer. The null data generator may generate null data. The mobile service multiplexer may multiplex and output compression encoded mobile service data, additional data for a mobile service, and null data at a pre-determined first data rate. The main service multiplexer may multiplex and output compression encoded main service data and additional data for a main service at a pre-determined second data rate. The multiplexer may multiplex the output data of the main service multiplexer and the output data of the mobile service multiplexer at a pre-determined third data rate and transmitting the multiplexed data to at least one transmitter located at a remote position.
US07733815B2
A data sampler including a first stage and a second stage. The first stage is configured to receive differential signals and provide a first edge rate in a first output signal and a second edge rate in a second output signal based on the differential signals. The second stage is configured to amplify the difference between the first output signal and the second output signal to provide regenerated output signals. The second stage provides a third edge rate in a first internal signal and a fourth edge rate in a second internal signal based on the first edge rate and the second edge rate.
US07733814B1
A time-division communication system wirelessly receives a communication signal during receive time periods and wirelessly transfers a communication signal during transmit time periods. These communication signals have multiple receive and transmit channels. The communication system circulates the received communication signal to various filters that pass particular receive channels and that reflect other receive channels back the circulator(s). Eventually, the reflected receive channels circulate to the appropriate filters and are passed. The filters also pass transmit channels to the circulator(s) where they are circulated and reflected until they combine into the transmit communication signal.
US07733809B2
A data aggregation method and data aggregation apparatus are provided. More particularly the data aggregation method includes: generating a plurality of data aggregation trees according to connection relationships between clusters that constitute a sensor network using a geographical code (GGC), selecting a single activation zone for each of the clusters which configures each of the plurality of data aggregation trees, selecting a maximum energy tree having a maximum total residual energy from the plurality of data aggregation trees, based on the single activation zone, and generating a tree list including activation zone information which corresponds to the maximum energy tree, and information about the maximum energy tree.
US07733805B2
A port monitor monitors network traffic that passes through a port of a switch. Frame flows routed through the switch are counted by hardware frame counting logic, which includes a content-addressable memory (CAM) and counters corresponding to various frame flows. Port monitor software includes logical containers (“buckets”), which are used to record and sort counts of the frame flows from hardware based on activity of the frame flows. Frame flow sorting is based on confidence building algorithms such that the thrashing of frame flows between buckets is reduced. Storage and sorting of the frame flows in software allows the activity level of any number of frame flows associated with the switch to be counted, regardless of hardware limitations on how many frame flows can be counted. This allows a real-time analysis of frame flows and a determination of frame flows that are major users of Fibre Channel bandwidth.
US07733784B2
In an apparatus and method of selecting a label switched path (LSP) in a network management system, a status analyzing unit analyzes and digitizes performance information, fault occurrence, and fault history of a link. A link weight managing unit which determines link weight values using a predetermined weight calculation algorithm on second constraints that corresponds to qualitative information related to performance analysis of a path. An LSP selecting unit selects a path, from among paths on a path list, that satisfies first constraints which corresponds to objective information related to a path selection required by the administrative network policy, and, when there are several selected paths, selects a path that minimizes expense using the link weight values.
US07733783B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for improving LAN availability and robustness employing adjacency status self-discovery on segment-to-segment communications paths. In some embodiments, the method and system may employ Logical Link Control Type 1 test frame messages between segment nodes to determine status. Adjacent node status may be determined by waiting a period of time for an acknowledgment message and marking the tested link as “down” if no response is received. Also disclosed is a method for compacting data transmitted over a network to reduce overhead.
US07733782B2
A method and an arrangement for avoiding unnecessary retransmissions in a packet-based radio-communication network by exchanging transmission state information between retransmission functionality entities (12, 21) located at respective protocol layers in different network nodes (1, 2), and performing inter-layer coordination of retransmissions between the network nodes (1, 2) based on the exchanged transmission state information to provide a more efficient overall scheme for retransmissions.
US07733777B1
A media, method, and system, are provided for dynamically allocating channel resources to multiple TCP sessions in a wireless network. The wireless network may be a multi-rate network having a base station controller that adapts wireless channel rates associated with a communication session based on a preemption probability associated with a high-rate channel. The base station controller includes a scheduler and optimization engine that probes the wireless network to gather TCP parameters, such as round trip times, etc. The optimization engine utilizes a long-term sending rate to generate a subset of channel rates from available channel rates associated with the wireless network. The scheduler engine utilizes the instantaneous sending rate to adapt the wireless channel rate by selecting a channel rate from the subset of channel rates.
US07733770B2
A source node receives related frames of data to be transmitted from the source node to a destination node and places the frames in a queue. The queue is associated with a communication path over which the related frames are to be transmitted to the destination node. An interface that couples the source node to the communication path receives an indication directed to the source node of traffic congestion in the communication path. In response, the source node controls the rate at which the related frames of data are transferred from the queue to a transmit buffer accessible to the interface, in order to relieve the traffic congestion in the communication path.
US07733765B2
A method and system for achieving frequency domain scheduling in a time division duplex system is disclosed, the method comprising: a first device transmits a non pre-coded reference symbol to a second device; from the reference symbol, the second device obtains a channel impulse response matrix experienced by the reference symbol transmitted from the first device, and according to the channel impulse response matrix, obtains linear spatial domain pre-coding matrix of candidate physical resource blocks used in transmitting data to the first device; from the channel impulse response matrix and the linear spatial domain pre-coding matrix, the second device obtains the channel quality indication of the candidate physical resource blocks; and performs the frequency domain scheduling according to the channel quality indication. The use of the method not only solves the problem in the prior art that the frequency domain scheduling is unable to be performed when a channel sounding method is employed, but also the contradiction in the use of the frequency domain scheduling and the linear spatial domain pre-coding. A communication system is also disclosed.
US07733757B2
In a method for recording information on an information recording medium having a data recording area for storing user data and a test area used for test recording by a recording apparatus, it is detected whether the test area is unusable when executing the test recording. The test recording is executed in the test area when the test area is detected not to be unusable, or executed in the data recording area when detected to be unusable. Management information relating to the test recording executed in the data recording area is recorded in a predetermined area. Hence, it is possible to eliminate a limit of number of times of test recording which depends on the size of the test recording area.
US07733751B2
A method of verifying whether a recording and/or reproducing apparatus that records and/or reproduces a disc having temporary defect management area (TDMA) information properly produces the TDMA information, the method including producing TDMA information produced by performing a recording test according to a series of recording operations based on a scenario using a blank test disc as test information; and providing a result of the recording test by confirming the test information using reference test information for the recording test.
US07733741B2
Time slices of seismic data are transformed from rectangular space-time domain to cylindrical space-time domain. 2-D seismic migration is performed on the transformed data for each radial direction. Slices of the migrated data are inverse transformed back to the rectangular space-time domain, generated migrated 3-D data for generally inhomogeneous media.
US07733740B2
A seismic streamer includes a jacket covering an exterior of the streamer. At least one strength member extends along the length of and disposed inside the jacket. At least one seismic sensor is mounted in a housing affixed to the at least one strength member. A void filling material fills the interstices inside the jacket. The housing is configured to isolate the at least one sensor from pressure variations in the void filling material, and the housing is configured to couple the at least one sensor to a body of water outside the streamer.
US07733739B2
A synchronous semiconductor memory device of the present invention includes: an operation controller for outputting a column active sense pulse in response to a column address and a column command signal; a shift register controller, activated in response to the column active sense pulse, for dividing a clock signal by N to thereby output a divided clock signal, N being a positive integer greater than 1; a plurality of shift registers connected in series and synchronized with the divided clock signal, wherein each shift register transmits the column active sense pulse to the next shift register; and a column active control signal generator for logically combining outputs of the shift registers to thereby generate a column active control signal.
US07733735B2
In the present invention, a row decoder circuit is made up of a transistor having a first gate oxide film thickness, a transistor having a second gate oxide film thickness, and a transistor having a third gate oxide film thickness. Thus even a control circuit at a lower voltage can drive word lines at high speeds while achieving reliability.
US07733722B2
Apparatus implements effective testing of a sense amplifier for an eFuse without having to program or blow the eFuse. After initial processing of the sense amplifier, testing determines whether the sense amplifier can generate a valid “0” and “1” before programming the eFuse. A first precharge device and a second precharge device that normally respectively precharge a true sense node and a complement sense node to a high voltage are driven separately. For testing, one of the precharge devices is conditionally held off to insure the sense amplifier results in a “0” and “1”. This allows the testing of the sense amplifier devices as well as down stream connected devices. Once testing is complete, both precharge devices are controlled in tandem.
US07733718B2
A one-transistor type DRAM including a floating body storage element connected between a bit line and a source line and controlled by a word line comprises a plurality of source lines and word lines arranged in a row direction, a plurality of bit lines arranged in a column direction, a plurality of clamp bit lines and reference bit lines arranged in a column direction, a cell array including the floating body storage element and formed in a region where the source line, the word line and the bit line are crossed, a clamp cell array including the floating body storage element and formed in a region where the source line, the word line and the bit line are crossed, a reference cell array including the floating body storage element and formed in a region where the source line, the word line and the bit line are crossed, and a sense amplifier and a write driving unit connected to the bit line and configured to receive a clamp voltage and a reference voltage.
US07733711B2
A memory has an array of memory cells, a word line driver, a sense amplifier, and a sense enable circuit. Each memory cell has a coupling transistor for coupling a storage portion to a bit line. The coupling transistors have an average threshold voltage and a maximum threshold voltage. The word line driver is coupled to the array and is for enabling a selected row of memory cells in the array. The sense amplifier detects a state of a memory cell in the selected row in response to a sense enable signal. The sense enable circuit provides the sense enable signal at a time based on the maximum threshold voltage. This timing enables the sense amplifier sufficiently late for low temperature operation while providing for faster operation at high temperature than would normally be achieved using just the average threshold voltage in providing timing of the sense enable signal.
US07733710B2
Integrated circuit devices include operational circuits that are configured to operate from power supply voltages and from high voltages that are generated in the integrated circuit device from the power supply voltages. A circuit for measuring the high voltages is also provided in the integrated circuit. The circuit includes a common high voltage measurement pad and high voltage switch units connected to the common high voltage measurement pad. A respective high voltage switch unit is configured to transmit a corresponding one of the high voltages to the common high voltage measurement pad in response to a corresponding enable signal. The operational circuits may be non-volatile memory cells, such as flash memory cells. Related methods of measuring high voltages in an integrated circuit device are also described.
US07733707B2
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more precisely to an 1-transistor type DRAM cell implemented using bulk silicon, a DRAM device and a DRAM comprising thereof and a driving method thereof and a manufacturing method thereof. The driving method of an 1-transistor type DRAM comprises: a data hold process biasing a word line at a negative voltage level and biasing a sensing line and a bit line at a first constant voltage level; a data purging process resetting data by biasing the word line at a second constant voltage level and biasing the sensing line and the bit line at the first constant voltage level; and a data write process allowing a write current to be flowed from the bit line to a floating body by raising the bit line to the second constant voltage level and raising the sensing line to the half second constant voltage level, while maintaining the bias of the word line at the second constant voltage level.
US07733700B2
A method programs a memory cell by controlling a reverse bias voltage across the PN junction between a source electrode of a MOSFET in the memory cell and the substrate, and pulling back the pinch-off point of the inversion region toward the source electrode, thereby increasing the programming efficiency of the memory cell. The method applies the main positive supply voltage Vcc to, the drain electrode of the memory cell from the chip main voltage supply, rather than the conventional method of using a higher voltage than Vcc. To optimize the programming condition, the source voltage and the substrate voltage are adjusted to achieve the maximum threshold voltage shifts under the same applied gate voltage pulse condition (i.e. using the gate pulse with the same voltage amplitude and duration regardless of the source voltage and the substrate voltage). The substrate voltage to the drain voltage can not exceed the avalanche multiplication junction breakdown for a small programming current during the bias voltage adjustment.
US07733699B2
A selected word line is biased with a program verify voltage. A predetermined quantity of unselected word lines that are between the selected word line and the bit line are biased with a modified Vpass voltage that is determined in response to a predetermined drain resistance. In one embodiment, the predetermined quantity is all of the word lines. Other embodiments can use smaller quantities. The remaining unselected word lines are biased with a normal Vpass voltage. The modified Vpass changes the resistance of the memory cells, acting as pass-gates during the program verification operation, to mimic a resistance of already programmed memory cells.
US07733697B2
An electrically programmable memory including: an array of a plurality of memory cells arranged accordingly to a NAND architecture, said memory cells grouped into a plurality of memory blocks and each memory block including a plurality of memory pages; means for receiving an address corresponding to a respective memory block; selecting means for selecting the addressed memory block; and means for detecting a failure of the addressed memory block, wherein the means for detecting a failure includes: a plurality of registers, each register corresponding to a respective memory block and storing an indication of the failure of the respective memory block; and means for reading the register corresponding to the addressed memory block in response to the receiving of the address, and wherein the programmable memory further includes at least one redundant memory block of memory cells including a plurality of redundant memory pages, the selecting means selecting the at least one redundant memory block in place of the addressed memory block in response to the reading of the indication of the failure.
US07733687B2
A memory circuit includes a bit line; a word line; a first power supply node having a first power supply voltage; a first power supply line connected to the first power supply node; a second power supply node selected from a group consisting of a floating node and a node having a second power supply voltage lower than the first power supply voltage; a second power supply line configured to switch connections between the first and the second power supply nodes; a write-assist-keeper (WAK) device coupling the first and the second power supply lines; and a static random access memory (SRAM) cell connected to the bit line, the word line and the second power supply line.
US07733680B2
A non-volatile memory module for preventing system failure and a system including the same, in which the non-volatile memory system includes a first socket and a second socket each having a notch coupler, a first memory module, a memory controller configured to control the first memory module, and a printed circuit board on which the memory controller and the first and second sockets are installed and electrical signal lines are formed between the memory controller and the first and second sockets. The first memory includes a plurality of non-volatile memory devices and stores system software. The first memory module has a structure such that it can be installed at the first socket but cannot be installed at the second socket. The non-volatile memory system may further include a second memory module for an extension of the memory capacity. The second memory module has a structure such that it can be installed at the second socket but cannot be installed at the first socket. Accordingly, system failure caused by misusage of a non-volatile memory module can be prevented.
US07733678B1
In a method and apparatus for controlling power factor correction in mixed operation modes, a frequency of the input voltage is obtained by detecting the zero crossing points of the input voltage. A peak of the input voltage is obtained by detecting input voltage with 90 degree phase. Thus, the present invention predicts the input voltage by its frequency and peak and the characteristic of the sine wave. A digital signal processor computes the duty and frequency of a boost switch, switching the operation mode of the boost converter among continuous mode, critical mode and discontinuous mode according to input voltage or the load. According to another aspect, the operation is switched to critical mode from the average current mode when a zero current is detected before the charging and recharging cycle of the boost switch is finished. Overcurrent protection may be achieved by controlling current in response to detected voltage to provide a substantially constant power level. The overcurrent protection may be adaptive in nature.
US07733673B2
A controller for use in a power supply regulator is disclosed. One controller includes a feedback circuit coupled to generate an equivalent switching frequency signal in response to a sense signal from a power supply regulator output. A comparator is coupled to compare the equivalent switching frequency signal with a reference signal. A period modulation circuit is coupled to the feedback circuit to generate a period modulation switching signal in response to the equivalent switching frequency signal. A multi-cycle modulator circuit is coupled to the output of the comparator. The multi-cycle modulator circuit is coupled to enable or disable a switch signal from the controller, which is to be coupled to a switch of the power supply regulator. A group of two or more consecutive switching cycles is separated from a next group having two or more switching cycles by a time of no switching. The time of no switching is adjusted in closed loop to regulate a transfer of energy from a power supply regulator input to the power supply regulator output.
US07733671B2
A switching regulator. A pulse width modulation (PWM) unit comprises an output stage and generates a PWM driving signal to control the output stage, such that an inductor delivers an inductor current signal to the load, and a slope compensation unit outputs a slope compensation signal with a compensation slope proportional to a falling slope of the inductor current signal to the PWM unit according to the inductor current signal.
US07733670B2
A bidirectional active power conditioner includes a DC side, a bidirectional DC/DC power converter, a DC/AC inverter and an AC side. The DC side electrically connects with a DC source while the AC side electrically connects with a load and an AC source. The bidirectional DC/DC power converter is controlled via high-frequency pulse width modulation (PWM) switching so as to generate a predetermined DC voltage or DC current while the DC/AC inverter is controlled to convert the predetermined DC voltage or DC current into a predetermined AC voltage or AC current.
US07733669B2
A resonant converter and burst mode starting method thereof are provided. The resonant converter includes a converting stage, a transformer to induce the output of converting stage from the primary side to the secondary side, a rectifying stage to rectify the output of the transformer, a filtering and load stage to filter the output of the rectifying stage, and a charge pump circuit coupled to the transformer or the rectifying stage. The charge pump circuit is for raising a voltage level of the filtering and load stage to higher than a predetermined value so that a feedback voltage of the resonant converter varies. The burst mode of the resonant converter is than started in accordance with the variance.
US07733668B2
A hybrid integrated circuit device includes: an insulating substrate (1) having a lower surface formed with wiring patterns including ends arranged along ends of the lower surface at a predetermined pitch (P); electronic components (3) mounted on the surfaces of the insulating substrate to be connected to the wiring patterns; a pair of insulating legs (2) arranged at the ends of the lower surface of the substrate (1), each insulating leg extending in parallel to the lower surface of the substrate (1); and a plurality of terminal electrodes (5) formed on each leg at the pitch and extending perpendicularly to the substrate, where the plurality of terminal electrodes are connected to the wiring patterns on the lower surface of the substrate (1). Each leg has a surface bonded to the substrate and formed with electrode films connected to the terminal electrodes. Each leg is fixed to the substrate by attaching the terminal electrodes to the wiring patterns on the lower surface of the substrate (1) by soldering or by an electroconductive paste.
US07733663B2
A multilayer ceramic substrate includes a plurality of ceramic layers laminated each other. The plurality of ceramic layers form a bulge and a cavity having such a shape that an opening area of the cavity gradually becomes smaller toward a bottom of the cavity.
US07733656B2
A heat sink unit includes: a cooling member including a metal plate having a plurality of attachment holes on edges thereof, a first surface of the metal plate adjoining a heat-producing electronic component, and a second surface of the metal plate having a plurality of cooling fins erected on an area other than the attachment holes. The heat sink unit further includes: an attachment member including an opening in which the cooling fins are disposed when the cooling member is installed and a plurality of threaded bosses protruding from the first surface to be inserted into each of the attachment holes; and coil springs into which the bosses are respectively inserted. The coil springs are interposed between the attachment member and the metal plate, and the bosses are inserted into the attachment holes to fix the cooling member by screws.
US07733650B2
A motor controller which eliminates a positioning operation between a power semiconductor element and a base plate to improve the assembly process is provided. The motor controller has a power semiconductor element closely contacted with a heatsink and mounted in a first base plate, wherein a spacer having an engaging section formed therein as a hole for the power semiconductor element is interposed between the heatsink and the base plate, and the power semiconductor element is positioned in the spacer. Further, the peripheral wall of the hole is arranged so as to shut off a space between a terminal projecting from the side of the power semiconductor element and the heatsink.
US07733648B2
A first printed wiring board extends in the vertical direction within a first duct that extends in the vertical direction. A first axial flow fan generates airflow which absorbs heat from the first printed wiring board. Second and third ducts extends in parallel with the first duct. A fourth duct extends between the second and third ducts. A second printed wiring board extends in the horizontal direction within the fourth duct. A second axial flow fan is connected to the third duct. The second axial flow fan generates airflow which absorbs heat from the second printed wiring board. The electronic apparatus can be reduced in size.
US07733645B2
A thin display structure including a case, at least two joining sleeves disposed at the bottom of the case, and at least two support units with the transverse width similar to the thickness of the case is provided. The support units are rotatably disposed in the joining sleeves, such that the support units can rotate with respect to the case, so as to have a receiving position hiding in the case and a supporting position protruding from the case. In the receiving position, the thin display can be received in a packing case or hung on a wall surface, and in the supporting position, the thin display can stand on a plane.
US07733641B2
A hard disk drive bracket including a bezel, a lever arm attached to the bezel rotatably between a closed position against the bezel and an open position apart from the bezel, and a unitarily formed body attached to the bezel. The lever arm includes an extension on the rotating end. The unitarily formed body includes a locking member adapted to secure the lever arm in the closed position and a release button arranged to release the locking member when the release button is depressed. The unitarily formed body may be adapted to serve as a horn attached to the bezel rotatably between a natural position in which the locking member impedes the path of the lever arm, and a forced position in which the locking member is clear of the path of the lever arm.
US07733630B2
A plurality of capacitor cells (10) are layered to form a cell group. On the top of each capacitor cell (10), a pair of electrode plates (10b) is formed to protrude upward. The adjacent electrode plates (10b) are connected to each other. A connection piece (20) protruding upward is attached to each of the electrode plates (10b). The connection piece (20) is connected to a circuit substrate (30). Thus, it is possible to effectively make a connection between the cell group of the capacitor cells (10) and the circuit substrate (30).
US07733629B2
A lithium ion capacitor including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an aprotic organic solvent solution of a lithium salt as an electrolytic solution. The positive electrode active material is capable of reversibly supporting lithium ions and/or anions, the negative electrode active material is capable of reversibly supporting lithium ions and anions, and the potentials of the positive electrode and the negative electrode are at most 2.0 V after the positive electrode and the negative electrode are short-circuited. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are alternately laminated with a separator interposed therebetween to constitute an electrode unit, the cell is constituted by at least two such electrode units, lithium metal is disposed between the electrode units, and lithium ions are preliminarily supported by the negative electrode and/or the positive electrode by electrochemical contact of the lithium metal with the negative electrode and/or the positive electrode.
US07733625B2
A substrate holding system including a substrate attracting device, an exhausting device, and a control device to operate the exhausting device so that a pressure around the substrate and a pressure at an interval between the substrate and the substrate attracting device are lowered to a first pressure and that only the pressure at the interval is subsequently lowered to a second pressure, which is lower than the first pressure.
US07733624B2
Method for handling a substrate with polarizable molecules including providing a carrier with a first junction electrode and disposing the substrate between the first junction electrode and a second junction electrode. Fixing the substrate on the carrier is achieved by applying a voltage between the first junction electrode and the second junction electrode, so that the polarizable molecules are polarized. After removing the second junction electrode, the substrate remains fixed on the carrier.
US07733620B2
Disclosed is a chip scale gas discharge protective device whose metal coupled electrodes are fabricated through processes of yellow light, image formation, and electro casting of metal electrode, and the two electrodes are facing each other in arch lines with the distance of a gap controlled within the range of 0.5˜10 μm, wherein the entire structure is performed by a bridge process without an extra gas filling procedure in the gap. Due to the fact that the gap is as small as only several μm, a relevant potential difference existing across there is sufficient to ionize the air thereby suppressing the electro-static discharge (ESD) through the protected electronic device, whereas the fabrication method is disclosed.
US07733613B2
A magnetic disk apparatus having a highly sensitive reproducing head and a method for manufacturing the magnetic disk apparatus are disclosed. A spin-value-type multilayer film composed of an antiferromagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic layer, a nonmagnetic layer and a free magnetic layer is used as a magnoresistive-effect device for the reproducing head. An antiferromagnetic reaction layer is formed between the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic layer. The antiferromagnetic reaction layer is formed of a metallic compound containing oxygen.
US07733610B2
An actuator assembly is provided having a ramp for unloading a transducing head from a storage medium. The actuator assembly includes an actuator arm rotatable about a pivot point and configured to access data on a storage medium. The actuator arm has a base end coupled to a lift tab and a distal end coupled to a transducing head. The actuator assembly also includes an inclined surface located adjacent the base end. The inclined surface is configured to engage with the lift tab to guide the transducing head away from the storage medium.
US07733605B2
A disk drive having a magnetic recording disk with a transition zone is described. A surface texture of the transition zone induces the head to fly at a greater height than when operating over a data zone, while transitioning the head to a landing zone to park.
US07733593B2
A magnetic recording device write channel includes a write equalization encoder for generating a write equalization level signal and a digital to analog converter for converting the write data signal to analog signals for recording. The write equalization level signal from the write equalization encoding device controls an impedance value at an output of said digital-to-analog converter. The output of the digital-to-analog converter is connected to an input of the data transmission line which transmits the write data signal to a write head of the magnetic recording device. Variation in the output impedance of the digital-to-analog converter by comparison to the input impedance of the transmission line controls the level of the equalization transmitted to the write head of the magnetic recording device.
US07733590B2
Optimal synchronization mark/address mark construction. These marks can generally be referred to as sync marks. A novel means is presented by which sync marks can be generated for use within a variety of communication systems including HDD systems. The sync marks generated hereby have a largest possible minimum distance measurement that ensures highly accurate detection of the transition between the data portion and the preamble portion of information that is processed. Various types of distance measurement criteria can be employed, including a Euclidean distance measurement or a Hamming distance measurement, when selecting the sync mark from among a plurality of possible sync marks.
US07733589B2
Embodiments of the invention prevent data loss due to very frequent writing onto adjacent data tracks. In one embodiment, an alternate zone made up of multiple adjacent data tracks is formed by setting data tracks whose usage is to be prohibited for every other data track. The data updated very frequently and data not updated too frequently are recorded in the alternate zone. Data tracks for recording the data updated very frequently, and data tracks for recording data not updated too frequently, each have one cylinder of spacing. Data loss due to leakage fluxes can thus be prevented.
US07733582B2
An imaging lens enables a large focal depth and low error sensitivity. The imaging lens satisfies “0.016<Δ/f<0.018,” where Δ is the absolute value of longitudinal chromatic aberrations at F curve and C curve wavelengths, and f is the combined focal distance of the entire compound imaging lens. A first, a second, and a third lens are disposed sequentially, the first lens disposed toward an object, and the third lens disposed toward an image surface. The first lens has a positive refraction, a meniscus shape, and a convex surface facing the object. The second lens has a meniscus shape with a concave surface facing the object. The third lens has a convex-type shape facing the object; and a concave-type aspherical shape facing the image surface, providing a negative refraction in a radially central portion and a positive refraction in a radially peripheral portion.
US07733574B2
There are provided an illumination optical apparatus and an optical apparatus using this illumination optical apparatus that are capable of efficiently collecting light emitted from a light-emitting section for illumination with less illumination nonuniformity, without having to employ a complicated structure. There are provided a light-emitting sections; a lens system for converting a diverging beam emitted from the light-emitting section into a beam of collimated light; an afocal optical system for adjusting the cross-sectional area of a beam of collimated light obtained by the lens array; a fly-eye lens for forming a plurality of light-source images from the collimated light whose cross-sectional area is adjusted by the afocal optical system; and a Koehler illumination optical system that uses the plurality of light-source images formed by the fly-eye lens as a light source.
US07733573B2
A lens and a light emitting device package formed by introducing surface mount technology (SMT) are disclosed. The lens includes a refractive portion which refracts incident light, and at least one surface mount portion, wherein a portion of the surface mount portion is formed in the refractive portion.
US07733572B1
A present novel and non-trivial system, apparatus, and method for employing a catadioptric optical system in a Head-Up Display (“HUD”) system are disclosed. A catadioptric optical module is configured to produce a large image size within a small space envelope by folding the optical path back through module and separating the paths by use of a beam splitter. Such module comprised of a beam splitter, collimating mirror, and correcting lens produces collimated beams of light from an image source providing either polarized or non-polarized beams of light. If polarized beams are provided, the module includes a quarter-wave retarder, and the configuration of the module permits the image source to provide either s-polarized or p-polarized beams. A combiner arm assembly comprising of at least one combiner receives the collimated beams, where the employment of a plurality of combiners extends the relatively small instantaneous field of view.
US07733567B2
A microlens has a surface with an effective index of refraction close to the index of air to reduce reflection caused by change in indices of refraction from microlens to air. The microlens having an index of refraction approximately the same as that of air is obtained by providing a rough or bumpy lens-air surface on the microlens. Features protrude from the surface of a microlens to create the rough surface and preferably have a length of greater or equal to a wavelength of light and a width of less than a sub-wavelength of light, from about 1/10 to ¼ of the wavelength of light. The features may be of any suitable shape, including but not limited to triangular, cylindrical, rectangular, trapezoidal, or spherical and may be formed by a variety of suitable processes, including but not limited to mask and etching, lithography, spray-on beads, sputtering, and growing.
US07733562B2
A method of optically equalizing a multi-level (amplitude or phase) optical signal through the effect of an optical equalizer wherein the optical equalizer (OEQ) is placed at either a transmission end or a receiver end of the optical communications link and a tap delay characteristic of the OEQ need not be determined by symbol spacing, rather it may advantageously be adjusted to desirably compensate non-linear mapping performed in the modulation process or simultaneous operation on a plurality of wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) channels.
US07733553B2
An electronic light modulator device for at least partially displaying a pixel of an image, the device comprising first and second reflectors defining an optical cavity therebetween, the optical cavity being selective of an electromagnetic wavelength at an intensity by optical interference, the device having at least first and second optical states, at least one of the optical states being tunable and the other not tunable.
US07733552B2
Devices, methods, and systems comprising a MEMS device, for example, an interferometric modulator, that comprises a cavity in which a layer coats multiple surfaces. The layer is conformal or non-conformal. In some embodiments, the layer is formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Preferably, the layer comprises a dielectric material. In some embodiments, the MEMS device also exhibits improved characteristics, such as improved electrical insulation between moving electrodes, reduced stiction, and/or improved mechanical properties.
US07733539B2
A method for scanning a media sheet with a scanning apparatus includes feeding the media sheet through the first set of rollers into a scanning area, such that a first portion of the media sheet is available for scanning. A first partial media sheet image of the first portion is scanned. The media sheet is fed into the second set of rollers, then out of the first set of rollers, such that a second portion of the media sheet is available for scanning. A second partial media sheet image of the second portion of the media sheet is scanned. At least the first partial media sheet image is combined with the second partial media sheet image to generate a full image of the media sheet. In a further embodiment, the number of partial scans may be increased as necessary to provide a complete image of the scanned object, e.g., the media sheet. For example, one or more intermediate scans may be performed in accordance with the present invention in addition to the scans occurring at the ends of media sheet. In another embodiment, multiple image sheets may be sequentially scanned forming a plurality of first and second partial media sheet images that are stitched together to form a panoramic image.
US07733533B2
Provided are a method, system, and program for generating threshold values in a dither matrix. A dither matrix of threshold values is generated. The threshold values in the dither matrix are filtered to generate a filtered dither matrix of filtered dither values by performing for dither values in the dither matrix: determining a region of dither values in the dither matrix that surrounds the value being considered, wherein the dither values in the determined region comprise one of dither values in a first portion of the region within the dither matrix or a wrap around dither value in a second portion of the region that extends beyond the dither matrix; and using an offset value to determine one wrap around dither value, wherein repeated instances of the dither matrix are designed to be applied to an image by forming a tile pattern of the repeated instances of the matrix over the image pattern, and wherein the repeated instances of the matrix in the tile pattern are offset in one direction by the offset value; and performing an operation on the determined dither values in the region to determine a filtered value for the dither value being considered.
US07733532B2
A printing system comprises a memory configured to store image data representing an image. The printing system comprises a processor configured to perform a first digital halftone process on a first portion of the image and a second digital halftone process on a second portion of the image.
US07733517B2
Bleed widths are set for finishing pages. An imposition method that requires to execute binding processing of sheets is set. Bleed regions including the finishing pages are determined based on the set bleed widths for the finishing pages, and the size of the finishing page. The allocation of manuscript data is so determined as to align the center of the manuscript data to be allocated to that of a bleed region on the side to undergo the binding processing of the determined bleed regions, based on the setting contents.
US07733493B2
The invention relates to a Fourier transform spectrometer comprising a binary grating with variable depth, the grating comprising a first set of mirrors and a second set of mirrors, the mirrors of the first set of mirrors and the mirrors of the second set of mirrors being arranged in an alternating order and at least one of the sets of mirrors being carried by fingers of a comb structure of a wafer, the spectrometer further comprising an actuator for prompting a motion of the second set of mirrors and a detector for detecting a radiation reflected by the grating, the mirrors being orientated in a plane defined by said wafer and said motion of the second set of mirrors being given by a translation in a direction vertical to said wafer plane.
US07733488B1
An optical reader having an array of differing-color light sources and a controller for controlling the light sources and acquisition of optical data. The light sources are arranged, and the controller is configured, to allow rapid acquisition of optical data regarding individual sample wells of a cluster of such wells. In some embodiments, multiple ones of the differing-color light sources are illuminated simultaneously for acquiring optical data on a corresponding number of sample wells. Depending on the configuration of the array and number of differing-color light sources illuminated simultaneously, the optical reader can acquire optical data for several wavelengths in a fraction of the time of conventional optical readers. Other embodiments include one or more non-contact temperature sensors for acquiring temperature data substantially simultaneously with the optical data. The temperature data can be used, for example, to adjust the optical data or warn a user of out-of-specification temperature conditions.
US07733485B2
Measuring method and system for measuring particle size and shape of powdery or grain like particles
The invention relates to a measuring method for measuring the properties of a powder or granular sample (1) from the surface information of the sample. According to the method the sample is leveled for the measurement, at least one image of the surface of the sample (1) is taken and the properties, such as the grain-size distribution, of the sample (1) are determined by processing the information material by calculation. According to the invention, the sample (1) is made to be supported on a transparent sample plate (2, 13, 14, 15) and an image is taken through this sample plate (2, 13, 14, 15).
US07733467B2
An identification apparatus for identifying an optical passive device product. The apparatus includes an optical input output monitor section for monitoring an optical input and an optical output of the optical passive device product respectively; a loss calculation section for calculating a loss in the optical passive device product based on a monitoring result of the optical input output monitor section; and a product identification section in which product information indicating a correspondence between a loss characteristic and a product has been stored in advance, and which identifies the optical passive device product by comparing the stored product information and the loss calculated by the loss calculation section.
US07733465B2
A method for transitioning a target from a missile warning system to a fine tracking system in a directional countermeasures system includes capturing at least one image within a field of view of the missile warning system. The method further includes identifying a threat from the captured image or images and identifying features surrounding the threat. These features are registered with the threat and image within a field of view of the fine tracking system is captured. The registered features are used to identify a location of a threat within this captured image.
US07733464B2
A vehicle mounted imaging system and method, enabling selective imaging of objects in a low-visibility environment. The system includes a light source providing non-visible light pulses and a camera having an image intensifier enabled to gate selected received images. The light source may be a laser generator, which may be enabled to generate a pulse width related to the depth of a field to be imaged. The gated image intensifier may determine gating time spans according to the depth of a field to be imaged.
US07733457B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display, which can surely perform an instillation process used when liquid crystal is sealed between substrates in a cell process, and a fabrication method thereof. A liquid crystal display comprises a sealing material made of a photo-curing type material which seals liquid crystal sandwiched between substrates, and a shading film having a shading area which overlays a red-colored layer transmitting red light, a green-colored layer transmitting green light and a blue-colored layer transmitting blue light, wherein only the blue-colored layer is formed in an area of the shading film contacting with the sealing material and the photo-curing type material of the sealing material is structured to have a light reactive area for a wavelength of blue color band.
US07733455B2
A liquid crystal display includes a pair of transparent substrates opposed to each other with liquid crystal therebetween, one of the pair of transparent substrates having a plurality of drain signal lines and a plurality of gate signal lines, and a plurality of pixel areas defined by the drain signal lines and the gate signal lines. The pixel areas includes a pixel electrode formed of a transparent electrode having a plurality of slits including a slit opened in a first direction and a slit opened in a second direction, and a counter electrode formed of a transparent electrode disposed between the transparent electrode of the pixel electrode having the plurality of slits and the one substrate.
US07733453B2
A fringe field switching thin film transistor substrate includes a gate electrode connected to the gate line, a source electrode connected to the data line, a drain electrode opposed to the pixel electrode and a semiconductor layer defining a channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode. A common electrode extends from the common line into the pixel area. A pixel electrode extends from the drain electrode into the pixel area overlapping the common electrode with the gate insulating film. The gate line and the common line are formed from a first conductive layer group having double conductive layers, and the common electrode is formed by an extension of the lowermost layer of the common line. The data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode are formed of a second conductive layer group having double conductive layers.
US07733443B2
A liquid crystal display with a backlight is described. The liquid crystal cell comprising a front panel and a rear panel with polarizing means on each panel, and the front polarizing means includes a reflective polarizer and a dichroic polarizer.
US07733439B2
A front light guide panel including a plurality of embedded surface features is provided. The front light panel is configured to deliver uniform illumination from an artificial light source disposed at one side of the font light panel to an array of display elements located behind the front light guide while allowing for the option of illumination from ambient lighting transmitted through the light guide panel. The surface embedded surface relief features create air pockets within the light guide panel. Light incident on the side surface of the light guide propagates though the light guide until it strikes an air/light material guide interface at one on the air pockets. The light is then turned by total internal reflection through a large angle such that it exits an output face disposed in front of the array of display elements.
US07733438B2
An area light source device, which is disposed between a liquid crystal display panel and a display medium and illuminates the liquid crystal display panel from a back side thereof, includes a light source, a light guide, and a first optical sheet and a second optical sheet which are stacked between the liquid crystal display panel and the light guide and impart predetermined optical characteristics to emission light emerging from the light guide. The first optical sheet is disposed on the liquid crystal display panel side, and the second optical sheet is disposed on the light guide side. The first optical sheet and the second optical sheet have opening parts opposed to the display medium, and the first optical sheet is disposed to cover edges that define the opening part of the second optical sheet.
US07733433B2
A liquid crystal display includes a substrate, a plurality of gate lines formed on the substrate, a plurality of data lines intersecting the plurality of gate lines, a plurality of thin film transistors connected to the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixel electrodes connected to the plurality of thin film transistors and arranged in a matrix, wherein each of the pixel electrodes includes a first side parallel to each gate line and a second side being shorter than the first side, the second side being formed next to the first side, wherein the plurality of pixel electrodes that are adjacent to each other in a column direction are connected to different data lines from each other.
US07733432B2
A liquid crystal display including the first and second substrates facing each other and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates is provided. A storage electrode, a transparent insulating layer pattern, and a pixel electrode are formed on the first substrate. A common electrode having a domain divider is formed on the second substrate. The transparent insulating layer pattern includes an opening having a first area having a first width and a second area having a second width narrower than the first width. The domain divider partially overlaps the storage electrode in the second area of the opening of the transparent insulating layer pattern.
US07733431B2
A laser repair structure and method for TFT panel. A first metal conductor is located in the source-drain layer and having a contact hole to the pixel electrode, and the region of the first metal conductor is within the region of the storage capacitance line. To repair a white defect of a pixel, make extending portions of the first metal conductor to overlap with the gate line of the previous pixel so as to electrically connect them by the laser irradiation. Another choice is setting two second metal conductors located in the gate-electrode layer and partially overlapped with the data line and the first conductor separately, then using laser irradiation to electrically connect one second metal conductor to repair the white defect of a pixel or electrically connect two second metal conductors to repair an open-circuited data line.
US07733426B2
A digital television (DTV) receiving system includes a tuner, a demodulator, a known data detector, an equalizer, a transmission detector, and a block decoder. The tuner receives a DTV signal having a data frame in which main and mobile service data are multiplexed. The demodulator demodulates the DTV signal, and the known data detector detects known data included in the mobile service data. The equalizer equalizes the demodulated DTV signal using the detected known data, and the transmission parameter detector detects an error correction mode from the equalized DTV signal. Finally, the block decoder decodes the equalized DTV signal for error correction using the detected error correction mode.
US07733402B2
A solid-state image sensing device includes a pixel unit, analog-to-digital converter, controller, and adder. In the pixel unit, cells are two-dimensionally arranged on a semiconductor substrate. An output analog signal from the pixel unit is converted into a digital signal by the analog-to-digital converter and output. The controller controls the pixel unit and analog-to-digital converter, and causes the analog-to-digital converter to digitize a plurality of analog signals different in storage time in the pixel unit during the storage period of the electric charge of one frame. The adder adds digital signals corresponding to the analog signals different in storage time and output from the analog-to-digital converter.
US07733401B2
An object of the present invention is to eliminate the influences of the leakage etc. of charges from a photodiode to a storage part during the electronic shutter operation. To achieve this object, the present invention includes: a photodiode which generates and accumulates a signal charge according to the amount of light from an object; an amplification part which amplifies a signal charge outputted from the photodiode and outputs the amplified signal to the outside; a storage part which temporarily stores the signal charge; and a transfer device which transfers the signal outputted from the photo-electric conversion device to the storage part via the amplification part.
US07733399B2
A method of acquiring traveling characteristics of rear blades in a camera having an image sensing element including a plurality of pixels. The method comprising acquiring the traveling characteristics of the rear blades based on an image signal output from a preset partial area of the image sensing element, and storing the acquired traveling characteristics (S34, S36), shifting the partial area to a different position along the traveling direction of the rear blades (S38), and updating the traveling characteristics of the rear blades stored in the storage medium, based on an image signal output from the partial area shifted to the different position (S35, S36).
US07733396B2
Digital video signals, such as the signals generated by an image sensor in a Bayer format, are converted into an encoded format. In the Bayer format, the pixels of each line are alternately coded with two colors, and then converted into the encoded format. In the encoded format, the pixels of the digital video signals are reordered into sets of adjacent pixels, such that the sets group pixels coded with the same color. The encoded signal data results in a reduced switching activity when transmitted over a bus.
US07733386B2
A method of controlling a digital photographing device for storing an image file obtained by taking a photograph in a storage medium, and reproducing an image file stored in the storage medium to display on a display unit, the method including: marking an image file corresponding to an image last displayed on the display unit when a playback mode for displaying an image on a display unit is terminated; and loading, when a playback mode is started, an image file corresponding to an image that has been last displayed on the display unit when a previous playback mode is terminated, to display on the display unit.
US07733385B2
First and second data areas are defined in an image file, and each area is defined to have an image data recording area and a header data recording area. When the image file is reproduced, header data in a first header data recording area at the leading end is read and first image data that has been recorded in the first image data recording area is reproduced. If an image file reproducing apparatus is one that can reproduce second image data that has been recorded in the second data area, then the second image data is read from the second area and reproduced. The first image data is data that has undergone JPEG compression, and the second image data is data that has not been compressed. Since the compressed first image data and uncompressed second image data can be stored in one file, an increase in number of files can be reduced even if there is an increase in types of image format.
US07733377B2
An information processing system, such as a camera system, includes a radio communication system and an information appliance (such as a camera) communicable with the radio communication system within a predetermined distance. The information appliance includes an image pickup for obtaining image data by photographing a subject, a storing part for storing information peculiar to a user of the information appliance, a radio communication part for transmitting a predetermined radio signal and for reading information from the radio communication system, and an authorization part for authorizing the user by collating information from the radio communication system read at the radio communication part with stored information peculiar to the user. The radio communication system includes storage for storing predetermined information and a transmission part for receiving a radio signal generated at the information appliance and for transmitting the stored predetermined signal as a radio signal.
US07733374B2
An image pickup device includes: a prism ii including light entrance holes (16, 16) and a light exit hole (17) for exiting incident light by refracting the incident light from the light entrance holes (16, 16) and; a lens (12) located on a light exit hole (17) side of the prism (11); a camera (13) located on an opposite side to the prism (11) with respect to the lens (12), and a base (14) that supports the prism (11), the lens (12), and the camera (13). The light exit hole (16) of the prism (11), the lens (12), and the camera (13) are arranged on the same optical axis (10). Any one or both of the prism (11) and the lens (12) and/or the lens (12) and the camera (13) are separated from each other.
US07733361B2
A thermal transfer printer having simpler structure, occupying less installation space, and enhancing the user convenience. The thermal transfer printer includes a cartridge having print paper wound in a roll, a capstan roller for conveying the print paper by applying frictional force on the print paper, a printing head for printing images on the print paper, and a platen roller for selectively pressing the print paper against the printing head. The housing of the cartridge has a first opening penetrating the housing and extending laterally. A paper roll case is rotatably installed in the housing and has a second opening penetrating the paper roll case and extending laterally. Inside the paper roll case, a paper roll is stuck on the inner surface of the paper roll case, and print paper is wound from the inner surface of the paper roll case to inward direction, while a first end of the print paper is exposed through the second opening.
US07733360B2
In a line head, a plurality of element arrays arranged in a first direction. Each array includes a plurality of light emission elements arrayed in a second direction which is perpendicularly to the first direction. The light emission elements emit light for forming an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive surface of an image carrier. A switcher activates the light emission elements in at least one of the element arrays while deactivating the others. A developer develops the latent image as a visible image with toner.
US07733357B2
One embodiment of a display system includes a control module that controls a position of an adjustable neutral density filter based on a calculated filter setting and that controls modulation of a set of frame data by an image modulator based on a calculated gain setting, and an image analysis module that calculates a gain setting and a filter setting for the set of frame data and forwards the calculated gain setting and the filter setting to said control module.
US07733354B1
Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for anti-aliased rendering. A plurality of objects is received. Each object in the plurality of objects is depth-ordered. Each object is rendered from back to front into a plurality of pixels. Each pixel in the plurality of pixels has a respective color value. The rendering includes selecting an object from the plurality of objects. Respective alpha values are determined for first pixels in the plurality of pixels based on coverage of the first pixels by the selected object. The respective color value of each of the first pixels is attenuated based on the respective alpha values. The respective color value of each of the first pixels is added to based on the respective alpha values and one or more color properties associated with the selected object.
US07733346B2
A method, comprising: generating facial muscle activations from facial marker data; animating a computer graphics facial model using the facial muscle activations; generating a skin layer overlaying the computer graphics facial model; and animating the skin layer using the facial marker data.
US07733343B2
The placement of a physical object at a location on a surface is detected. A virtual shadow for the physical object is displayed at the location on the surface.
US07733339B2
A slicing tool works with a solid modeling system to partition the geometric representation of a three-dimensional part into a series of simpler sub-parts the union of which replicates the original part in a manner that introduces a minimal number of new surfaces in each sub-part and in total. This approach uses the existing analytic surfaces that define the part geometry to partition the part and selects a partition from a quality metric based on the number of trimmed surfaces of the part being partitioned and the candidate sub-parts. This approach greatly reduces the complexity of any downstream solid modeling applications that perform combinatorial surface operations on the geometric representation of the series of sub-parts to analyze physical characteristics such as radiation, mechanical, optical, thermal, structural or biological of the original part.
US07733330B2
A keyboard for a mobile device is provided that includes a plurality of three-direction keys. The three-direction keys may include three protruding portions that each correspond to at least one character of the keyboard. At least one of the three-direction keys may be inverted with respect to other ones of the three-direction keys. The three-direction keys may be positioned on the mobile device to provide characters in at least three rows the keyboard.
US07733325B2
An electrophoretic display apparatus is equipped with first and second substrates, an electrophoresis dispersing liquid, and first and second electrodes, and has a display state made to be a planar distribution state of charged migration particles. A first planar distribution state with the charged migration particles spread on the first or second substrate from the first electrode toward the second electrode, and a second planar distribution state with the charged migration particles spread on the first or second substrate from the second electrode toward the first electrode are formed alternately.
US07733321B2
A shift register includes plural stages of flip-flops. The last-stage flip-flop Fn and the flip-flop Fn−1 that is the preceding flip-flop thereof are reset by inputting thereto an output signal from the last-stage flip-flop. A delaying means is provided, between an output terminal Q of the last-stage flip-flop for outputting the output signal and an input terminal R of the last-stage flip-flop for receiving the output signal, for delaying an input of the output signal to the input terminal R. The flip-flop Fn is reset at same time or after the preceding flip-flop Fn−1 is reset. With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent malfunctions of circuits due to a failure to reset the flip-flops.
US07733316B2
A display device with high productivity and high display quality and a driving method thereof are provided by suppressing generation of a luminescent spot. A first switching element and a second switching element each of which has a different polarity are disposed in series between a power source line for supplying power to a light-emitting element and a power source line having a potential which is equal to or lower than a threshold voltage of the light-emitting element; one electrode of the light-emitting element is connected to a connecting node of the two switching elements; and in the case where a potential which is equal to or higher than the threshold voltage of the light-emitting element is applied to the light-emitting element regardless of an on/off state of the first switching element, a potential applied to the light-emitting element is set to be lower than the threshold voltage by turning the second switching element on. Thus, generation of a luminescent spot is prevented.
US07733309B2
In a light emitting display apparatus requiring power supply lines, excellent uniformity in display luminance is provided over a relatively large screen by disposing at least one of input terminals for the power supply lines between input terminals for signal lines.
US07733304B2
A plasma display includes a plurality of scan electrodes. A scan voltage is sequentially supplied to the plurality of scan electrodes, and a non-scan voltage that is higher than the scan voltage is supplied to scan electrodes to which the scan voltage is supplied. The non-scan voltage is generated by dividing a voltage that is higher than the non-scan voltage and the scan voltage. Thus, a voltage source for supplying the non-scan voltage can be eliminated.
US07733297B2
An image display apparatus includes: a light modulation device having an electro-optic effect in which a refractive index changes according to electric field intensity; a plurality of control points provided on a surface of the light modulation device; and an electric field control section configured to control voltage values to be applied to the plurality of control points, and to form electric field displacement surfaces having a predetermined image pattern in the light modulation device.
US07733288B2
A tunable passive anti-jamming antenna array system and method for minimizing the effects of electromagnetic interference in radio frequency antenna systems. The system and method utilize an external array of passive open circuited antennas strategically arranged between an intended receiving antenna unit and interfering signals to disrupt the interference signals and reduce the electromagnetic energy, interference, and noise reaching the intended receiving antenna unit.
US07733279B2
A monopole-type antenna (10) for multi- or wide-band use to transmit or receive radio frequency electromagnetic energy. A feed point (12) provides energy into the antenna or receives energy from the antenna. A driven radiating section (16) includes a first top-loading element (22) and a feed conductor (20) that electrically connects the feed point linearly to the first top-loading element, yet with the driven radiating section not electrically connected to a grounding surface (14). A parasitic radiating section (18) includes a second top-loading element (26) and a bridge conductor (24) that electrically connects the second top-loading element linearly to the grounding surface When energy is then provided at the feed point and conducted to the driven radiating section, it produces a first resonance mode, coupling at least some of the energy into and exciting the parasitic radiating section to produce a second resonance mode.
US07733278B2
A portable wireless device is provided that eliminates the need for an antenna protruding from an housing by including a first housing and a second housing operating as a dipole antenna thus ensuring portability and delivering a high antenna performance despite its compact, low-profile and lightweight design.The portable wireless device according to the invention includes a first housing 1; a second housing 2; and a sliding unit 21 for slidably coupling the first housing 1 and the second housing 2 to each other; wherein the first housing 1 is arranged a predetermined spacing apart from the second housing 2 and includes a power feeding unit 7 for feeding power: between the first housing 1 and the second housing 2 and wherein the first housing 1 and the second housing 2 operate as a dipole antenna. The portable wireless device does not include an antenna protruding from an housing. This ensures portability and delivers a high antenna performance despite its compact, low-profile and lightweight design.
US07733266B2
There is provided a system in which when a gate having a reflection level of a threshold or higher and having been recognized as a control target by last time is not recognized as the control target this time, the gate is assumed to be actually detected, and extrapolation device extrapolates the gate (see ◯) up to a predetermined number of times (five times), wherein when the gate is a stationary object, and a reflection level of the gate at the next detection (Time 6) predicted from a reflection level at the previous detection (Time 4) and a reflection level at the current detection (Time 5) is lower than a detection threshold (see □), the limit of the number of extrapolations by the extrapolation device is reduced from five to two. Thus, the number of extrapolations is reduced of the gate whose reflection level is suddenly reduced as a subject vehicle approaches and that is estimated not to be a control target, and unnecessary vehicle control for the gate can be prevented to eliminate discomfort of a driver.
US07733265B2
The invention is a low-cost, compact radar for adaptively forming beams and independently steering the beams to improve the noise and sensitivity of the radar. The radar includes a printed circuit board, a low-cost multi-layer organic substrate, and a three dimensional (3D) radio frequency (RF) front end that is flood mounted on the substrate.
US07733257B1
A DAC includes a gamma voltage generator for generating a plurality of gamma voltages, and a decoder for receiving an M-bit digital value for selecting one of the gamma voltages, wherein the decoder comprises a first thermometer encoder, a first selector and a second selector. The first thermometer encoder is utilized to receive N bits of the digital value to generate a first thermometer code with 2N bits, wherein N is smaller than M, and M and N are positive integers. The first selector has a plurality of selecting groups, each selecting group having 2N switches controlled by the first thermometer code to output one gamma voltage, where the second selector receives the gamma voltages outputted by the selecting groups of the first selector and outputs one gamma voltage selected from the received gamma voltages based on the (M−N) bit of the digital value.
US07733256B2
The present invention provides an analog signal generator capable of simultaneously improving both items of the influence of noise on a peripheral circuit and the settling time for a desired voltage level. A D/A converter to which the analog signal generator is applied, is configured as follows. A controller supplies a fixed value to data generation units, which respectively generate data according to clock signals and output the same to a buffer unit. The buffer unit temporarily holds the data therein. Control signals generated from the controller are supplied to a selection unit or selector, which decodes the control signals and thereby generates selection signals to turn ON/OFF the output of the data held in the buffer unit in response to the selection signals, after which the corresponding data is supplied to a filter unit, where an analog signal is generated based on the data supplied to the filter unit.
US07733252B2
A system for signal processing is provided. A sampling delay system generates a plurality of sampling delay values. A plurality of programmable delays each receives one of the sample delay values. A plurality of sample and hold units, each coupled to one of the programmable delays, generates a sample of a received signal in response to an input from the programmable delay.
US07733251B2
A reference voltage generating unit generates a plurality of analog reference voltages, and an A/D converting unit converts the analog reference voltages thus generated and an analog input voltage input from an external device to digital reference values. A CPU generates, based on the analog reference voltages and the digital reference values converted from the analog reference voltages, an equation for correcting the analog input voltage to be converted to a digital value falling in a range of the digital reference values. With the equation generated, the CPU calculates the analog input voltage for the digital value obtained by conversion.
US07733248B2
A system and process for receiving a variable pulse width signal and measuring and serially sending the measurements to a receiver that deserializes and regenerates the variable pulse width signal. Data bits may be embedded with the variable pulse width clock measurements and serially sent out. The measurements are illustratively accomplished using a reference clock and a phase locked loop.
US07733243B2
The device relates to the signaling, to the pilot of a moving vehicle, for example an aircraft, of its lateral maneuvering margins taking into account obstacles placed in its maneuvering zone. This device determines, over the maneuvering zone of the moving vehicle, the contours of a first type of risk region that must be bypassed and those of two other types of risk region consisting of lateral margins surrounding the first type of risk region, of widths less than separation thresholds or their upper limit considered necessary for a lateral maneuver without space constraint and displays them for the pilot of the moving vehicle. The determination of the separation thresholds takes into account the bearing angle under which a point of the contour of a region of the first type is seen from the moving vehicle.
US07733240B2
A system for loading a hardware configuration into downhole configurable hardware includes a surface control unit in communication with a downhole tool string component over a downhole network. The surface control unit initially has the hardware configuration and transmits it through the downhole network to the configurable hardware. The hardware configuration is implemented in the configurable hardware. The configurable hardware is preferably an FPGA.
US07733235B2
A smoke detector system employs smoke detectors that enter a “lockout period” following receipt of an alarm signal, during which time a detector will not receive a RF alarm signal and will not transmit a RF alarm signal after a certain period of time if that detector does not detect, or no longer detects, a dangerous condition. The lockout period is of sufficient duration to prevent re-transmission of a RF alarm signal by a detector even though it may have received a RF alarm signal from another detector(s). Hence, after a short period of time, no RF alarm signals will be received or transmitted and each detector resets, unless a dangerous condition is detected.
US07733234B2
The present invention is a battery powered, portable microprocessor based early warning alarming smoke detector. It provides the user two different time limited unattended alarms, as well an alarm for a tipped smoke detector; an alarm for a bumped smoke detector; an alarm based on nearby or lower elevation smoke by either of the two smoke detection devices; and a low power alarm. It offers “full protection” for most of the likely scenarios encountered by residential users that could result in a fire. Since the device is microprocessor controlled, the timing intervals and magnitude of the different alarm notifications can be preprogrammed as well as the sensitivity of the smoke detector devices.
US07733231B2
A security card may include a printed portion that includes printed data fixed to a first portion of an outer surface of the card, an interface configured to receive digitally signed information from an external device, and a display located on a second portion of the outer surface of the card and configured to display a digital image based on the received digitally signed information.
US07733225B2
The present invention discloses an intelligent security apparatus for container, a mechatronic customs seal and a bracket, a bracket, internally installed with an antenna, a processing circuit and power with electrical connection thereamong and mounted on a door of a container; a hole for fitting a customs seal, opened on the bracket; and a mechatronic customs seal, internally provided with a detecting wire and a chip written with ID code and inserted through the hole in the bracket and lock rod handle; wherein the mechatronic customs seal is inserted in the hole of the bracket, the detecting wire and the chip written with ID code in the mechatronic customs seal is electrically connected to the processing circuit in the bracket. The intelligent security apparatus provided by the present invention has physical seal structure and electrical real-time monitoring function at the same time. While checking the integrality of the physical structure via visual observation, the apparatus can also perform electrical real-time monitoring and recording for the seal status. By adopting the principle of integrating mechanism and electronics, the mechatronic customs seal enables electrical detection and one-off physical structure, which ensures high security; the data storing and transmitting section of the bracket are reusable, and hence solve the problem of costly traditional one-off electrical seal.
US07733224B2
A monitoring system includes one or more wireless nodes forming a wireless mesh network; a user activity sensor including a wireless mesh transceiver adapted to communicate with the one or more wireless nodes using the wireless mesh network; and a digital monitoring agent coupled to the wireless transceiver through the wireless mesh network to request assistance from a third party based on the user activity sensor.
US07733222B2
A flexible audio output device includes control circuits couplable to a communications system and an audio announcement system. The communications system can transmit function specifying parameters to the device. Various forms of directional audio, or verbal messages can be emitted in accordance with received parameters.
US07733217B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting data in a radio frequency identification system, which includes a reader and at least one transponder, is provided. The reader transmits data sequences to the transponder including at least command data, associated check data, and a subsequent return link header data. Upon receiving unrecognized command data and/or unsupported parameter and address data the transponder notifies the reader of this condition. The notification takes place at times when the reader transmits end signals indicating an end of a data sequence, transmits an optional parameter and address data, or transmits the return link header data. Thus, communication between the reader and other transponders is not disrupted when a transponder cannot execute a command.
US07733209B2
A pressure transducer includes a diaphragm, having an active region, and capable of deflecting when a force is applied to the diaphragm; and a sensor array disposed on a single substrate, the substrate secured to the diaphragm, the sensor array having a first outer sensor near an edge of the diaphragm at a first location and on the active region, a second outer sensor near an edge of the diaphragm at a second location and on the active region, and at least one center sensor substantially overlying a center of the diaphragm, the sensors connected in a bridge array to provide an output voltage proportional to the force applied to the diaphragm. The sensors are dielectrically isolated from the substrate.
US07733191B2
Oscillator devices and methods of operating such oscillator devices are disclosed. The oscillator devices include a current source, and an oscillation module to provide a clock signal. The frequency of the clock signal depends on the relationship between a threshold voltage of a transistor at the oscillation module and the current level provided by the current source. The transistor at the oscillation module is matched to a transistor at the current source so that the frequency of the clock signal is relatively insensitive to changes in device temperature.
US07733187B2
A small, high performance high frequency power amplifier enables easily adjusting and switching the impedance. The high frequency power amplifier module includes a first semiconductor chip including one or a plurality of high frequency amplification devices, and a second semiconductor chip including one or more high frequency matching circuit devices and one or more switching devices. The second semiconductor chip includes the matching circuit for a high frequency amplifier device. The second semiconductor chip also includes a circuit composed of a capacitance and a switching device connected in series or parallel to the capacitance. The switching device switches on or off so that the capacitance is connected or is not connected as a part of the matching circuit.
US07733185B2
A plurality of transistors operate as amplification elements. An input side coupling circuit comprises a plurality of distributed constant lines connected in series, one terminal of which is an input terminal and the other terminal of which is a bias input terminal. Each of the connection nodes between these distributed constant lines is connected to each of the inputs of the transistors. An output side coupling circuit comprises a plurality of distributed constant lines connected in series, one terminal of which is an output terminal and the other terminal of which is a bias input terminal. Each of the connection nodes between these distributed constant lines is connected to each of the outputs of the transistors. A termination circuit is provided at the input side coupling circuit or the output side coupling circuit. The termination circuit comprises: a first resistor connected between the bias input terminal and a power supply; and a second resistor connected between this bias input terminal and the ground voltage. The resistance value of the first resistor is equal to or less than that of the second resistor.
US07733181B2
Methods and corresponding systems for amplifying an input signal include inputting first and second differential input signals into first and second circuit legs, respectively, wherein the first circuit leg includes a first transistor coupled in series with a first variable current source, and wherein the second circuit leg includes a second transistor coupled in series with a second variable current source. The first and second variable current sources are dynamically set to provide first and second bias currents in response to the first and second differential input signals, wherein the first bias current is set inversely proportional to the second bias current. The first and second bias currents are sunk in the first and second circuit legs, respectively. First and second differential output signals are output from the first and second circuit legs, respectively.
US07733177B1
An apparatus is provided to determine pre-distortion for a nonlinear system. The apparatus comprises a datapath and a power amplifier. The datapath employs predistortion data to generally linearized the power amplifier. To generate this predistortion data, an indirect learning circuit and a direct learning circuit can be employed. The indirect learning circuit is generally coupled to the amplifier circuit so that it can iteratively adjust predistortion data during an indirect learning mode until convergence is reached. The direct learning circuit is generally coupled to the amplifier circuit and the indirect learning circuit and that receives the input signal so that the predistortion data can be copied to the direct learning circuit from the indirect learning after convergence is reached and so that the direct learning circuit can adjust the predistortion data during a direct learning mode.
US07733175B2
The present invention is a feed-forward automatic-gain control amplifier (FFAGCA) for biomedical applications and associated method, the FFAGCA comprises a detector, a controller, a variable gain amplifier (VGA), an input and an output. The associated method to process various kinds of biomedical signals with the FFAGCA comprises acts of adjusting gain setting with control path and simultaneously a signal amplification with signal path.
US07733172B2
A single stage differential amplifier is disclosed as comprising a pair of vacuum tube triodes for amplifying two input signals and generating two output signals. The differential amplifier has DC self-biasing ability and grid-to-cathode over-voltage protection for directly coupling from the outputs of another differential amplifier. By possessing these unique features, this differential amplifier becomes an important building block in forming a balanced amplifier by cascading multi differential amplifiers in a directly coupled fashion.
US07733159B1
Circuits, methods, and apparatus for limiting voltages received by devices in input/output cells to less than the device's breakdown voltage. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an input/output cell having one or more clamp diodes and resistors configured to limit voltages seen by the gates of the devices in the input/output cell. In one embodiment, the clamp diodes are on-chip, while the resistors are off-chip. In a specific embodiment, the clamp diode is connected between an input pad for the input output cell and a supply voltage VCC, while a resistor is off-chip and in series with the input pad. In another specific embodiment, a series of clamp diodes are coupled between ground and an input pad, while a resistor is off-chip and in series with the input pad. In another embodiment, the clamp diode or diodes may be programmably or selectively disconnected. These clamp diodes may be disabled to protect against latch-up. Integrated circuits that are consistent with the present invention may include one or more of these and the other features described.
US07733154B2
A semiconductor device includes a level shift circuit to convert an input signal having an amplitude from a first power supply potential to a second power supply potential to a signal having an amplitude from the first power supply potential to a third power supply potential, a first output portion to output voltage generated from the third power supply potential to an output terminal based on the output of the level shift circuit, the first output portion including a NMOS transistor, and a second output portion to output voltage generated from the third power supply potential to an output terminal based on the output of the level shift circuit, the second output portion including a PMOS transistor.
US07733149B2
A programmable delay element, variable-length delay chain, and ring oscillator are disclosed. The programmable delay element performs phase interpolation of input signals in response to a control signal and can be used in combination with other delay elements to create a highly-modular, variable-length delay chain or ring oscillator. The ring oscillator can be used as part of a digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) in a digital clock synthesizer to adjust the frequency and phase of a clock signal by fractional unit delay steps. Optionally, the programmable delay element utilizes current-mode logic (CML) and the control signal is a thermometer coded digital signal. Within the variable-length delay chain, some programmable delay elements can be configured to scale the delay-step of other programmable delay elements so that a plurality of step sizes can be implemented with identical delay elements. Also, variations of the delay chain generate in-phase and quadrature phase (I/Q) signals in either an end-tap or center-tap configuration.
US07733140B2
A delayed lock loop for preventing a stuck fail in a dead-zone includes a clock buffering block for generating a first and a second internal clock signals; a phase comparison block for delaying a feedback signal by a first predetermined value and for respectively comparing a phase of a delayed feedback signal and a phase of the feedback signal with a phase of the external clock signal; a clock selecting block for selecting one of the first and second internal clock signals based on one comparison result to thereby generate a selected internal clock signal; a stuck checking block for determining a delay value based on the other comparison result; a delay line block for delaying the selected internal clock signal by the delay value; and an output buffer for buffering an outputted signal from the delay line block to thereby generating a DLL clock signal.
US07733136B2
A frequency synthesizer includes: a fractional-N synthesizer configured to provide, in a locked condition, an output signal with an output frequency based on an input signal with a reference frequency, the fractional-N synthesizer including a charge pump outputting a current to be calibrated; a lock detector coupled to the fractional-N synthesizer to detect the locked condition, the lock detector being configured to send a first signal indicating the detection; a calibration component coupled to the lock detector and the fractional-N synthesizer, the calibration component being configured to provide a second signal to calibrate the current after receiving the first signal, based on a voltage sampled from the fractional-N synthesizer; and a current source array coupled to the calibration component and the fractional N synthesizer, the current source array being configured to calibrate the current based on the second signal.
US07733132B2
There is provided a bulk bias voltage VBB level detector in a semiconductor memory device capable of improving tWR fail generated at a low temperature by compensating a temperature variance. The VBB level detector includes A bulk bias voltage level detector in a semiconductor memory device, comprising: a voltage divider for generating detection voltage based on an inputted bulk voltage; and a CMOS circuit for generating a output signal having predetermined logic value determined by the detection voltage wherein the voltage divider includes a first transistor having a gate coupled to a ground voltage and a second transistor having a gate coupled to an internal power voltage and a bulk coupled to the inputted bulk voltage.
US07733125B2
The invention in the simplest form is a programmable logic device consisting of gate arrays, external I/O endpoints, and an embedded switch fabric configurable for connecting gates to gates, endpoints to endpoints and gates to endpoints. The architecture may employ a fabric interface of non-blocking crossbar switches for making complex bus connections of multiple devices to facilitate high speed processing.
US07733105B2
In a voltage clamp circuit, a normally-on type field-effect transistor having a negative threshold voltage has a drain connected to an input node, a source connected to an output node and grounded via a resistance element, and a gate supplied with an output voltage of a variable direct-current power supply. When a voltage at the output node becomes higher than a clamping voltage because of voltage drop of the resistance element, the field-effect transistor is tuned off. Accordingly, the output voltage is limited to be at most the clamping voltage. Thus, a response speed is higher than those of conventional voltage clamp circuits using diodes or the like.
US07733104B2
A probe test card assembly for testing of a device under test includes a printed circuit board, a substrate and a substrate support structure. The substrate support structure holds the substrate in position with respect to the printed circuit board. The substrate support structure may include one or more alignment members, one or more hard stop members and/or a support plate attached to the printed circuit board for positioning the substrate with respect to the printed circuit board. The one or more alignment members may extend through the printed circuit board and be connected to the one or more printed circuit board stiffener members. The probe test card assembly may also employ a proximity detection feature to indicate when the substrate is in a particular position with respect to the printed circuit board.
US07733096B2
A method of testing a fuse element for a memory device is provided. A first test probe is electrically connected to a program terminal of the memory device. A second test probe is electrically connected to a ground terminal. The fuse element is on an electrical circuit path between the program terminal and the ground terminal. The first and second test probes are electrically connected to a testing device. A first voltage is applied with the testing device between the program terminal and the ground terminal. At least part of a first current of the first voltage flows across the fuse element. The first voltage and the at least part of the first current that flows across the fuse element is not large enough to change the conductivity state of the fuse element. The first current is measured and used to evaluated the conductive state of the fuse element.
US07733095B2
Wafer level arc detection is provided in a plasma reactor using an RF transient sensor coupled to a threshold comparator, and a system controller responsive to the threshold comparator.
US07733093B2
An induction or propagation apparatus for performing measuring the tensor resistivity of a sample of matter includes a non-conductive, generally cylindrical tubular member adapted to receive the matter therein, a triaxial transmitter, at least one triaxial receiver, and an electronic module. The electronic module is adapted to energize the triaxial transmitter, control acquisition of signals by the at least one triaxial receiver, and perform anisotropic measurements and analysis. The triaxial transmitter and the at least one triaxial receiver are disposed on the generally cylindrical tubular member in axial spaced relationship.
US07733081B2
An automated test equipment interface system, e.g., for attaching a handler to a test head, includes a device interface board assembly. The device interface board assembly includes a stiffener frame having a frame body that is configured for attachment to a test head, alignment brackets connected to the frame body, and cam followers connected to the alignment brackets. The system also includes a docking device. The docking device includes a docking plate that is configured for attachment to a handler, pull-down ramps connected to the docking plate and movable between a retracted position and an extended position, an actuator operable to initiate movement of the pull-down ramps, and a coupling that translates movement of the actuator to corresponding movements of the pull-down ramps. The pull-down ramps can include cam surfaces that are configured to engage the cam followers of the device interface board assembly during movement between the retracted and extended positions to pull the device interface board assembly towards the docking plate.
US07733075B1
A voltage regulator for supplying power to volatile memory cells during a suspend mode of an integrated circuit is described. The integrated circuit in an awake mode generates a regulated voltage at an output node using a first supply voltage and in the suspend mode generates the regulated voltage at the output node using a second supply voltage, at less voltage than the first supply voltage. The second supply voltage is electrically decoupled from the output node for transitioning from the suspend mode to the awake mode, and the first supply voltage is electrically decoupled from the output node for transitioning from the awake mode to the suspend mode.
US07733070B2
A multi-output type DC/DC converter including: a reactor connected to a direct-current power supply; a first switching circuit to apply a current to the reactor; a second switching to switch an output from the reactor to any one of output terminals; output voltage detection units to detect voltages of the output terminals; comparison circuits to compare outputs of the output voltage detection units with a waveform signal of a predetermined frequency; and an output selection unit to receive outputs of the comparison circuits as inputs, the output selection unit selecting an output of a comparison circuit, the output having an earlier rise or an earlier fall, to generate a plurality of control signals pertaining to on and off of the first switching circuit and/or the second switching circuit, the output selection unit treating the plurality of control signals in accordance with a predetermined priority order when the outputs of the plurality of comparison circuits change almost at the same time, wherein a current generated by a discharge of energy accumulated in the reactor is output to any one of the output terminals in accordance with the control signals generated by the output selection unit.
US07733068B2
A DC-DC converter includes a switching transistor connected to an inductor and a power input terminal, with the inductor connected to an output terminal, a synchronous rectification transistor connected to a junction node therebetween, a first electric current detector to detect whether or not an electric current flowing through the synchronous rectification transistor is larger than a first electric current, a second electric current detector to detect whether or not the electric current flowing through the synchronous rectification transistor is larger than a second electric current that is larger than the first electric current, and a selection mechanism to select one of the first and second electric current detectors in accordance with a control signal. The synchronous rectification transistor is turned off by outputting an output signal the selected current detector.
US07733059B2
An abnormality diagnostic device is configured to diagnose an abnormality in a battery pack having a plurality of cells connected in series. Each of a plurality of diagnostic voltage detecting circuits is configured to detect one of a voltage across a corresponding one of discharging circuits. An abnormality diagnostic control section is configured to perform a first diagnostic operation in which the switches corresponding to alternate ones of the cells are turned on and a second diagnostic operation in which all of the switches are turned on, and to determine whether a break exists in an electrical connection or an abnormality exists in one of the switches based on the voltages detected by the diagnostic voltage detecting circuits during the first diagnostic operation and the voltages detected by the diagnostic voltage detecting circuits during the second diagnostic operation.
US07733057B2
A power tool system has a power tool, a replaceable rechargeable battery unit for the power tool, and at least one coupling unit for charging the battery unit while being replaceably connected to the power tool; also a replaceable rechargeable battery unit for a power tool, a charger for charging a replaceable rechargeable battery unit for a power tool, and a power tool with a replaceable rechargeable battery unit are provided.
US07733056B2
The present invention relates to the prevention of electro-chemical corrosion at charging pins, especially of a battery-powered handpiece and its charging station.
US07733053B2
A charging circuit for a vehicle charger includes a front high-voltage protective circuit, a rear high-voltage protective circuit, a first filtering circuit, an over-voltage protective circuit, a high frequency step-down switching regulator, a second filtering circuit, a frequency modulation circuit, a reference voltage input circuit, a sampling circuit, a short-circuit protective circuit and two charging interfaces. The front high-voltage protective circuit connects to a vehicle DC power, the first filtering circuit connects the front high-voltage protective circuit to the switching regulator, the second filtering circuit connects to an output point of the switching regulator to the rear high-voltage protection circuit, the frequency modulation circuit connects to a second input point of the switching regulator, the third input point of the switching regulator connects to the reference voltage input circuit, the short-circuit protective circuit connects the second filtering circuit to the fourth input point of the switching regulator, the sampling circuit connects the second filtering circuit to the fifth input point of the switching regulator, the rear high-voltage protection circuit connects to the two charging interfaces. For the unique design, the charging circuit for a vehicle charger has a short-circuit protective function and provides two charging interfaces.
US07733037B2
An integrated skid system integrates the functions of multiple skids into a single skid to reduce the skid footprint and the complexity of the overall system. A multi-motor controller monitors the devices on the integrated skid to maintain proper temperature, pressure and current draw in the devices. Base on this information, the multi-motor controller can make decisions on faults and fault accommodation and communicate with a main controller regarding the operating states of the skid devices via a single serial or Ethernet-type connection.
US07733036B2
For driving one or more gas discharge lamps (2) to conduct or to block at any time and at the same time, a rectangular high voltage is generated from a high DC voltage, an alternating voltage with respect to a reference voltage (V−) is generated from the rectangular voltage, the alternating voltage is supplied to first electrodes (4) of the lamps, second electrodes (6) of the lamps are selectively connected to the reference voltage, a current flowing through each lamp is stabilized (26), the alternating voltage is filtered to provide a filtered voltage, a property of the filtered voltage is measured to provide a control signal, the control signal is used to control the frequency of the rectangular voltage, and the filtering has a response characteristic which is substantially identical to a response characteristic provided by a lamp when conducting and means for said stabilizing of current flowing through the lamp.
US07733025B2
A plasma display panel (PDP) is disclosed in which a film type filter is coupled with a panel. The PDP includes the panel, a transparent conductive film and a metal film formed on the transparent conductive film, and further includes the film type filter coupled with the panel. Accordingly, electromagnetic waves can be effectively shielded and the optical transmittance of the filter can be improved.
US07733016B2
An electroluminescent panel includes a partial electroluminescent panel base, a layer of electrically isolated conductive areas next to the partial electroluminescent panel base, and an activatable conductive layer next to the layer of electrically isolated conductive areas. The activatable conductive layer is selectively activated to electrically connect selected electrically isolated conductive areas together to define one or more electrically isolated conductive electrode regions.
US07733010B2
An organic electroluminescent device includes: a substrate; a plurality of first electrodes arranged on the substrate; a plurality of banks arranged on the substrate and the first electrodes to define pixels on the first electrodes, the plurality of banks being of an inorganic material; a plurality of separators arranged in stripe shapes on the plurality of banks between the pixels, the plurality of separators being of an organic material; organic Emitting Material Layers (organic EMLs), each having a predetermined color, the organic EMLs being arranged within each of the pixels; and a plurality of second electrodes arranged on the organic EMLs, the plurality of banks, and the plurality of separators.
US07733009B2
An electroluminescent device comprises a cathode, an anode, and has therebetween a light emitting layer (LEL), the device further containing an electron transport layer (ETL) on the cathode side of the LEL and an organic electron injection layer (EIL) contiguous to the ETL on the cathode side, wherein the ETL contains a monoanthracene compound bearing aromatic groups in the 2-, 9-, and 10-positions.
US07733005B2
A light emission device and a display device provided with the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the light emission device includes i) first and second substrates opposing each other, ii) a plurality of cathode electrodes that are arranged on the first substrate and spaced apart from each other, iii) a gate electrode that is electrically insulated from the cathode electrodes, iv) an insulation layer formed between the gate electrode and the cathode electrodes, wherein the insulation layer comprises first and second opposing surfaces which are directed to the first and second substrates, respectively, and wherein a plurality of opening are defined in the gate electrode and the insulation layer, v) a plurality of electron emitters that are electrically connected to each of the cathode electrodes and located in the openings, respectively, wherein the plurality of electron emitters are configured to emit electrons toward the second substrate, via the plurality of openings, respectively, vi) a phosphor layer that is formed on the second substrate, wherein the emitted electrons are configured to collide the phosphor layer and vii) an anode electrode that is located on the second substrate, wherein the second substrate is configured to emit light by way of excitation of the phosphor layer, wherein the gate electrode substantially completely covers the second surface of the insulation layer.
US07733002B2
A light emitting device is provided that has a semiconductor light emitting element and a phosphor which converts a part of the luminescence spectrum emitted from the semiconductor light emitting element. The luminescence spectrum of the semiconductor light emitting element is located between a near ultraviolet region and a short-wavelength visible region, and the phosphor is made by adding a red luminescent activator to a base material of a blue luminescent phosphor. Thereby, improving the color shading generated by the dispersion of the spectra of the light emitting elements and obtaining the light emitting device having a high brightness and a good color rendering properties. With the light emitting device, it is possible to provide the light sources for the lighting apparatus of medical treatments, the flash plate of a copying machine, etc., in which a good color rendering property is required.
US07733001B2
To devise a light source device with a low price and from which a sufficient amount of light can be obtained, in a light source device having a reflector and a discharge lamp, a hermetically sealed portion of the lamp is directly joined to a part of a neck region of the reflector with a processed portion being formed for setting the positional relationship between the lamp and reflector.
US07732990B2
A MEMS device includes: a first actuator having a first fixed end, including a stacked structure of a first lower electrode, a first piezoelectric film, and a first upper electrode, and being able to be operated by applying voltages to the first lower electrode and the first upper electrode; a second actuator having a second fixed end, being disposed in parallel with the first actuator, including a stacked structure of a second lower electrode, a second piezoelectric film, and a second upper electrode, and being able to be operated by applying voltages to the second lower electrode and the second upper electrode; and an electric circuit element having a first action part connected to the first actuator and a second action part connected to the second actuator.
US07732970B2
A rotor for an electric machine includes a rotor carrier having a cylindrical axial support portion which extends axially with respect to an axis of rotation of the rotor, a sheet pack which includes a plurality of lamellar sheets and is attached to the axial support portion at an attachment area, and a first weld in the sheet pack at a predetermined distance away from the attachment area to fasten a plurality of the lamellar sheets together.
US07732965B2
An embedded magnet type motor is disclosed. The rotor core of the motor has radially extending first accommodation holes and V-shaped accommodation holes. Each V-shaped accommodation hole includes a second accommodation hole and a third accommodation hole. A first gap is formed in each first accommodation hole. The first gap is not occupied by the corresponding first magnet. A second gap is formed in each second accommodation hole. The second gap is not occupied by the corresponding second magnet. A third gap is formed in each third accommodation hole at a radially outer portion. The third gap is not occupied by the corresponding third magnet. Each second gap and the adjacent third gap form one V-shaped gap. The angular width θa of each first gap and the angular width θb of each V-shaped gap are determined to satisfy the expression: 0.60<θa/θb<1.60.
US07732960B2
An electric motor includes a stator, a rotor including a rotor shaft having a locating groove formed therein, a thrust system mounted on the rotor shaft, and a locator disposed in the groove for locating the thrust system in a predetermined position.
US07732956B2
A motor includes a shaft that serves as a rotation center when a rotor is rotated with respect to a stator, a bearing that supports the shaft in a circumferential direction of the shaft, a thrust bearing that supports one end of the shaft in a thrust direction of the shaft, a magnet that is fixed to the rotor and alternately magnetized to different poles in a rotational direction of the shaft, a core that is fixed to the stator and disposed to face the magnet in a radial direction of the shaft, a coil that are wound around the core, and a magnetic shield that shields leakage flux leaking from the magnet to the coil. A magnetic center of the core is offset from a magnetic center of the magnet in the thrust direction, so that the shaft is attracted to the thrust bearing.
US07732951B2
A moving-magnet type linear motor is provided with cooling blocks which are attached to each of stator bases alongside a coreless coil and which allow coolant to flow therethrough for cooling the coreless coil. Each of the cooling blocks has in a base end portion thereof a fluid passage for flowing coolant and at an extreme end portion thereof a plurality of sheet-like protrusions like fins which are arranged alongside a part of the circumferential surface of the coreless coil with a clearance between each protrusion and the next thereto. Each cooling block is thermally closely jointed with the coreless coil at the extreme ends of the sheet-like protrusions.
US07732948B2
A portable energy device having a housing and an energy storage device is disclosed. The housing includes electrical input terminals and electrical output terminals, the input terminals being configured to receive electrical power from a vehicle having an electrical chassis operating at DC voltage, the output terminals being configured to provide electrical power to an electrical distribution system connected to a utility power grid operating at AC voltage. The energy storage device is in electrical communication with the input and output terminals, and is configured to store electrical power received from the vehicle via the input terminals and to provide the stored electrical power to the electrical distribution system via the output terminals. The housing is so dimensioned as to be insertable through a space defined by a trunk opening of the vehicle with the trunk open, or so dimensioned as to be insertable between a doorframe of the vehicle and a seat of the vehicle.
US07732947B2
Present invention uses the main power source and auxiliary power source to supply power to a load, makes them take partial charge of power supply, and when the load current reaches its peak, detects a current and a voltage generated by the auxiliary power source, and when the detected values are larger than set values or lower than the set values, controls the output current of the main power source.
US07732945B2
Disclosed is a rectifier circuit that realizes a low threshold voltage without using a process step to enable reduction in cost and in variation of devices. An NMOS transistor has a threshold voltage. In the transistor, a voltage to be rectified is inputted to a second node, and a rectified voltage is outputted to a first node. A threshold voltage generator is connected to a gate of the transistor and the first node. The generator generates a voltage and outputs it to the gate of the transistor. The voltage is a voltage which is elevated by the threshold voltage with respect to a voltage of the first node and is decreased by a microvoltage sufficiently small with respect to the threshold voltage. Thus, when the voltage of the second node is decreased by the microvoltage or more with respect to that of the first node, the transistor is turned on.
US07732939B2
On an aircraft, primary power distribution control and secondary power distribution control may be performed with a single line replaceable module (LRM) having an integrated architecture. The LRM may be provided with trip engines that are based on digital signal processors (DSP's). The DSP's may be programmed to allow the trip engines to perform either ELCU functions or SSPC functions. Use of the single LRM precludes a need for complex circuitry that might otherwise be required to coordinate prior-art independent ELCU and SSPC controls.
US07732935B2
A wiring board includes a substrate made of an insulation material and wired by a conductive material. A plurality of electrodes is formed on a surface of the substrate. A non-Au electrode not having an Au surface layer and an Au electrode having the Au surface layer are formed as the electrodes.
US07732930B2
A semiconductor device including a circuit substrate including n number of terminals; a semiconductor chip provided on the circuit substrate and including n number of terminals; and a relay chip including a triangular substrate having a first side, a second side and a third side which form triangle, n number of first terminals located along the first side, n number of second terminals located along the second side, and a plurality of wires connecting the first terminals and the second terminals respectively; a first wire connecting each of the n number of terminals of the circuit substrate to a corresponding first terminal among the n number of first terminals; and a second wire connecting each of the n number of terminals of the semiconductor chip to a corresponding second terminal among the n number of second terminals.
US07732924B2
Semiconductor wiring structures including a dielectric layer having a metal wiring line therein, a via extending downwardly from the metal wiring line, a metal cap layer over the metal wiring line, and a local dielectric cap positioned within a portion of the metal cap layer and in contact with the metal wiring line and a related method are disclosed. The local dielectric cap represents an intentionally created weak point in the metal wiring line of a dual-damascene interconnect, which induces electromigration (EM) voiding in the line, rather than at the bottom of a via extending downwardly from the metal wiring line. Since the critical void size in line fails, especially with metal cap layer (liner) redundancy, is much larger than that in via fails, the EM lifetime can be significantly increased.
US07732922B2
The invention is directed to an improved semiconductor structure, such that within the same insulating layer, Cu interconnects embedded within the same insulating level layer have a different Cu grain size than other Cu interconnects embedded within the same insulating level layer.
US07732915B2
A semiconductor sensor device includes a sensor chip. The sensor chip includes a sensor region and contact areas on its upper side and is further arranged in a cavity housing. The cavity housing includes side walls, a housing bottom, a cavity, external contacts on the outside of the cavity and contact pads on an upper side of the housing bottom facing the cavity. The sensor chip is embedded into a rubber-elastic plastic composition within the cavity of the cavity housing such that the sensor region of the sensor chip faces the housing bottom and the contact areas of the sensor chip are electrically connected to the contact pads on the housing bottom via elastic flip-chip contacts.
US07732909B2
A method, in which the semiconductor components forming part of an electronic circuit, or at least some of them, are embedded in a base, such as a circuit board, during the manufacture of the base, when part of the base structure is, as it were, manufactured around the semiconductor components. Through-holes for the semiconductor components are made in the base, in such a way that the holes extend between the first and second surface of the base. After the making of the holes, a polymer film is spread over the second surface of the base structure, in such a way that the polymer film also covers the through-holes made for the semiconductor components from the side of the second surface of the base structure. Before the hardening, or after the partial hardening of the polymer film, the semiconductor components are placed in the holes made in the base, from the direction of the first surface of the base. The semiconductor components are pressed against the polymer film in such a way that they adhere to the polymer film.
US07732908B2
A plurality of semiconductor elements configuring a first element group are stacked in a step-like shape on a wiring board. A plurality of semiconductor elements configuring a second element group are stacked in a step-like shape on the first element group toward a direction opposite to the stepped direction of the first element group. The semiconductor elements are electrically connected to connection pads of the wiring board through metallic wires. Among the plurality of semiconductor elements configuring the second element group, the lowermost semiconductor element has a thickness larger than those of the other semiconductor elements.
US07732903B2
A memory module includes a module substrate and a plurality of package units mounted to the module substrate such that they partially overlap each other. Each package unit has at least one memory semiconductor package attached thereto. Each package unit includes a flexible substrate, which has outer terminals provided over a lower surface adjacent to one edge thereof to form electrical connections with the module substrate, and the memory semiconductor package attached to one surface or each of both upper and lower surfaces of the flexible substrate.
US07732900B2
A wired circuit board having terminals that can provide reliable placement of molten metals on the terminals, to connect between the terminals and the external terminals with a high degree of precision. An insulating base layer 3 is formed on a supporting board 2, and a conductive pattern 4 is formed on the insulating base layer 3 so that a number of lines of wire 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, magnetic head connecting terminals 7, and external connecting terminals 8 are integrally formed and also first through holes 9 are formed in the external connecting terminals 8. Thereafter, after an insulating cover layer 10 is formed, third through holes 20 and second through holes 19 are formed in the supporting board 2 and in the insulating base layer 3, respectively, to communicate with the first through holes 9. This can provide the result that when the external connecting terminals 8 are connected to the external terminals 23, the connection can be performed while confirming the placement of the solder balls 21 from the respective through holes.
US07732895B2
In a semiconductor device, a plurality of triple-stacked structures all having the same structure are provided. Each of the triple-stacked structures includes one lower electrode layer, at least one upper electrode layer and one dielectric layer sandwiched by the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer.
US07732893B2
The present invention provides an electrical fuse structure for achieving a post-programming resistance distribution with higher resistance values and to enhance the reliability of electrical fuse programming. A partly doped electrical fuse structure with undoped semiconductor material in the cathode combined with P-doped semiconductor material in the fuselink and anode is disclosed and the data supporting the superior performance of the disclosed electrical fuse is shown.
US07732887B2
A Schottky junction diode device having improved performance is fabricated in a conventional CMOS process. A substrate including a material doped to a first conductivity type is formed. A first well is disposed over the substrate. The first well includes a material doped to a second conductivity type opposite that of the first conductivity type. A region of metal-containing material is disposed over the first well to form a Schottky junction at an interface between the region of metal-containing material and the first well. In one embodiment, a first well contact is disposed in a portion of the first well. A second well is disposed over the substrate wherein the second well includes a material doped to the first conductivity type. In one embodiment, the first well and the second well are not in direct contact with one another.
US07732877B2
A gated-diode semiconductor device or similar component and a method of fabricating the device. The device features a gate structure disposed on a substrate over a channel and adjacent a source and a drain. The top of the source or drain region, or both, are formed so as to be at a higher elevation, in whole or in part, than the bottom of the gate structure. This configuration may be achieved by overlaying the gate structure and substrate with a profile layer that guides a subsequent etch process to create a sloped profile. The source and drain, if both are present, may be symmetrical or asymmetrical. This configuration significantly reduces dopant encroachment and, as a consequence, reduces junction leakage.
US07732876B2
A power transistor includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type extending over and in contact with a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type. Gate trenches extend into the first semiconductor region. Well regions of a second conductivity type extend over the first semiconductor region and between adjacent gate trenches. A sinker trench extends through the first semiconductor region and terminates within the second semiconductor region, and is laterally spaced from an outer one of the gate trenches with no well regions abutting sidewalls of the sinker trench. Source regions of the first conductivity type extend over the well regions. A conductive material in the sinker trench makes electrical contact with the second semiconductor region along the bottom of the sinker trench and with a drain interconnect layer extending along the top of the sinker trench.
US07732874B2
A semiconductor structure includes a first finFET and a second finFET. The first finFET and the second finFET may comprise an n-finFET and a p-finFET to provide a CMOS finFET structure. Within the semiconductor structure, at least one of: (1) a first gate dielectric within the first finFET and a second gate dielectric within the second finFET comprise different gate dielectric materials; and/or (2) a first gate electrode within the first finFET and a second gate electrode within the second finFET comprise different gate electrode materials.
US07732873B2
In device isolation trenches, a first device-isolation insulator film is formed to have recesses thereon and a second device-isolation insulator film is formed in the recesses. The uppermost portions at both ends of the first device-isolation insulator film are located higher than the uppermost portions at both ends of the second device-isolation insulator film.
US07732872B2
A metal gate stack containing a metal layer having a mid-band-gap work function is formed on a high-k gate dielectric layer. A threshold voltage adjustment oxide layer is formed over a portion of the high-k gate dielectric layer to provide devices having a work function near a first band gap edge, while another portion of the high-k dielectric layer remains free of the threshold voltage adjustment oxide layer. A gate stack containing a semiconductor oxide based gate dielectric and a doped polycrystalline semiconductor material may also be formed to provide a gate stack having a yet another work function located near a second band gap edge which is the opposite of the first band gap edge. A dense circuit containing transistors of p-type and n-type with the mid-band-gap work function are formed in the region containing the threshold voltage adjustment oxide layer.
US07732871B2
Disclosed are a MOS transistor having a low resistance ohmic contact characteristic and a manufacturing method thereof capable of improving a drive current of the MOS transistor. A gate oxide layer, a gate electrode, and a spacer are formed on a silicon substrate, and a silicon carbide layer is deposited thereon. A photolithography process is performed, and the silicon carbide layer is etched except for predetermined portions corresponding to source-drain regions and the gate electrode. Then, a metal layer is formed on the resulting structure after performing a source-drain ion implantation process. The metal layer is heated to form a salicide layer on the gate electrode and the source-drain diffusion regions. Then, the unreacted metal layer is removed, thereby forming the MOS transistor.
US07732867B2
Hydrogen ions are implanted to a surface (main surface) of the single crystal Si substrate 10 to form the hydrogen ion implanted layer (ion-implanted damage layer) 11. As a result of the hydrogen ion implantation, the hydrogen ion implanted boundary 12 is formed. The single crystal Si substrate 10 is bonded to the quartz substrate 20 having a carbon concentration of 100 ppm or higher, and an external shock is applied near the ion-implanted damage layer 11 to delaminate the Si crystal film along the hydrogen ion implanted boundary 12 of the single crystal Si substrate 10 out of the bonded substrate. Then, the surface of the resultant silicon thin film 13 is polished to remove a damaged portion, so that an SOQ substrate can be fabricated. There can be provided an SOQ substrate highly adaptable to a semiconductor device manufacturing process.
US07732865B2
The present invention provides an epitaxial imprinting process for fabricating a hybrid substrate that includes a bottom semiconductor layer; a continuous buried insulating layer present atop said bottom semiconductor layer; and a top semiconductor layer present on said continuous buried insulating layer, wherein said top semiconductor layer includes separate planar semiconductor regions that have different crystal orientations, said separate planar semiconductor regions are isolated from each other. The epitaxial printing process of the present invention utilizing epitaxial growth, wafer bonding and a recrystallization anneal.
US07732861B2
A trench MOS type SiC semiconductor device includes a first conductivity semiconductor substrate, a first conductivity drift layer on the substrate, a second conductivity base layer on the drift layer, a first conductivity source layer on the base layer, a stripe shaped trench reaching from the surface of the source layer to the drift layer and having a gate electrode via a gate oxide film, a second conductivity layer on the bottom of the trench, and a second conductivity type region thereon on across-the-width side walls of at least one end of the trench, electrically coupling the second conductivity layer with the base layer. The device allows a low on-resistance without newly forming an electrode connected to the second conductivity layer even in the case of a device in which the second conductivity layer has to be grounded.
US07732860B2
In one embodiment, a transistor fabricated on a semiconductor die is arranged into sections of elongated transistor segments. The sections are arranged in rows and columns substantially across the semiconductor die. Adjacent sections in a row or a column are oriented such that the length of the transistor segments in a first one of the adjacent sections extends in a first direction, and the length of the transistor segments in a second one of the adjacent sections extends in a second direction, the first direction being substantially orthogonal to the second direction. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.
US07732857B2
A TFT substrate with reduced pixel defect rate is presented. The TFT substrate includes a pixel electrode, a negative line to apply a reverse voltage to the pixel electrode, and a recovery transistor including a drain electrode overlapping a part of the negative line with a insulating layer disposed between the negative line and the drain electrode. A contact hole is formed on the negative line and the drain electrode, and a bridge electrode connects the negative line and the drain electrode through the contact hole.The thin film transistor substrate and a display apparatus presented herein protect a data line assembly metal layer and decrease pixel defect. An improved reverse voltage efficiency is applied to a pixel electrode to protect a drain electrode.
US07732846B2
A semiconductor device includes: a plurality of pixel units disposed in a matrix shape, each of the plurality of pixel units including: a first photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light of a first color into signal charges; a second photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light of a second color into signal charges; a third photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light of a third color into signal charges; and a detector circuit shared by the first to third photoelectric conversion elements for detecting the signal charges converted by each of the first to third photoelectric conversion elements, wherein the plurality of pixel units are pixel units adjacently disposing a row (column) juxtaposing the first photoelectric conversion element and detector circuit and a row (column) juxtaposing the second and third photoelectric conversion elements.
US07732840B2
A second-conductivity-type transistor includes a source and drain formed by a second-conductivity-type diffusion layer formed on a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer; and a gate formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer sandwiched between the second-conductivity-type diffusion layer through an insulating film A first-conductivity-type transistor includes a source and drain formed by a first-conductivity-type diffusion layer formed on a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer; and a gate formed on the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer sandwiched between the first-conductivity-type diffusion layer through an insulating film. The second-conductivity-type diffusion layer for configuring the second-conductivity-type transistor is divided into a plurality of regions, each of which being separated by a device isolation region formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer. The first-conductivity-type diffusion layer for configuring the first-conductivity-type transistor is divided into a plurality of regions, each of which being separated by a device isolation region formed on the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer.
US07732837B2
In a nitride semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the invention, a p-type gallium nitride (GaN) layer electrically connected to a source electrode and extending and projecting to a drain electrode side with respect to a gate electrode is formed on an undoped or n-type aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) layer serving as a barrier layer.
US07732836B2
In a compound semiconductor epitaxial substrate used for a strain channel high electron mobility field effect transistor which comprises an InGaAs layer as a channel layer 9 and AlGaAs layers containing n-type impurities as electron supplying layers 6 and 12, the channel layer 9 has an electron mobility at room temperature of 8300 cm2/V·s or more by adjusting an In composition of the InGaAs layer composing the channel layer 9 to 0.25 or more and optimizing the In composition and the thickness of the channel layer 9. GaAs layers 8 and 10 having a thickness of 4 nm or more each may be laminated respectively in contact with a top surface and a bottom surface of the channel layer 9.
US07732813B2
An image sensor and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A metal wiring layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate including a circuit region, and first conductive layers are formed on the metal layer separated by a pixel isolation layer. An intrinsic layer is formed on the first conductive layers, and a second conductive layer is formed on the intrinsic layer.
US07732808B2
A light-emitting element is disclosed that can drive at a low driving voltage and that has a longer lifetime than the conventional light-emitting element, and a method is disclosed for manufacturing the light-emitting element. The disclosed light-emitting element includes a plurality of layers between a pair of electrodes; and at least one layer among the plurality of layers contains one compound selected from the group consisting of oxide semiconductor and a metal oxide, and a compound having high hole transportation properties. Such the light-emitting element can suppress the crystallization of a layer containing one compound selected from the group consisting of oxide semiconductor and a metal oxide, and a compound having high hole transportation properties. As a result, a lifetime of the light-emitting element can be extended.
US07732805B2
An image sensor and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The image sensor can include transistor circuitry on a substrate, and a photodiode arranged above the transistor circuitry. The photodiode can include carbon nanotubes and a conductive polymer layer on the carbon nanotubes. A transparent conducting electrode can be provided on the carbon nanotubes.
US07732803B2
A light emitting device and method of producing the same is disclosed. The light emitting device includes a heterostructure having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) stacked one on top of another.
US07732789B2
A cleaning arrangement for an optical system and in particular for an optical system designed for EUV radiation. The cleaning arrangement has a gas inlet (28) for a reactive gas (29). Contaminants (23) that have deposited on the surface of optical elements (110) are detached by the reactive gas. Also provided are getter surfaces (32) that are preferably arranged opposite the surfaces to be clean and by which the contaminants detached from these surfaces are absorbed. This absorption may take place as a result of condensation on the getter surface and also by chemical reaction.
US07732782B2
A corona detection device includes a bandpass filter having a primary passband that includes at least wavelengths in the range of about 250 nm to about 400 nm and a secondary passband that includes wavelengths in the range of about 675 nm to about 850 nm. The corona detection device also includes an image intensifier in optical communication with the bandpass filter. The image intensifier is configured to generate an image based on radiation passed through the primary passband and the secondary passband of the bandpass filter.
US07732779B2
A radiation imaging system is equipped with a radiation imaging apparatus and a control apparatus. The radiation imaging apparatus reads out image signals from a radiation detecting section that detects radiation which has passed through a subject, and outputs the read out image signals as wireless signals. The control apparatus outputs predetermined control signals to the radiation imaging apparatus as wireless signals. A second wireless communicating section of the control apparatus decreases the signal strength of communications to be lower during readout of the image signals than at times other than during readout of image signals.
US07732764B2
The object of the present invention is to enable the optical axis of an electron beam of a field emission electron gun mounting thereon an electron gun composed of a fibrous carbon material to be adjusted easily. Moreover, it is also to obtain an electron beam whose energy spread is narrower than that of the electron gun. Further, it is also to provide a high resolution electron beam applied device mounting thereon the field emission electron gun. The means for achieving the objects of the present invention is in that the fibrous carbon material is coated with a material having a band gap, in the field emission electron gun including an electron source composed of a fibrous carbon material and an electrically conductive base material for supporting the fibrous carbon material, an extractor for field-emitting electrons, and an accelerator for accelerating the electrons. Moreover, it is also to apply the field emission electron gun to various kinds of electron beam applied devices.
US07732763B2
A pattern inspection method includes: irradiating a first region of a surface of a sample having a pattern to be inspected with a charged particle beam; acquiring a first two-dimensional image showing a state of the surface of the sample; searching for a pattern similar to a previously prepared reference image within the first two-dimensional image; when the pattern similar to the reference image is not detected in the first two-dimensional image, irradiating a second region of the surface of the sample that has not been irradiated with a charged particle beam; acquiring a second two-dimensional image showing a state of the surface of the sample; and searching a pattern similar to the reference image within the second two-dimensional image.
US07732762B2
The invention relates to a method of inspecting a specimen surface. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of primary beams directed towards the specimen surface, focussing the plurality of primary beams onto respective loci on the specimen surface, collecting a plurality of secondary beams of charged particles originating from the specimen surface upon incidence of the primary beams, converting at least one of the collected secondary beams into an optical beam, and detecting the optical beam.
US07732753B2
The illumination system has a plurality of light sources (R, G, B), a light-transmissive light-sensing plate (5) and surface-modification structures (21, 22) provided at a limited number of pre-determined locations on a surface of the light-sensing plate (5). The surface-modification structures divert a portion of the light traveling through the light-sensing plate. The diverted light is guided towards an edge surface (15, 16) of the light-sensing plate, where at least one light sensor (11, 12) senses the diverted light. A first light sensor (11) preferably receives diverted light substantially exclusively from the first surface-modification structures (21), whereas the second light sensor (12) receives diverted light substantially exclusively from the second surface-modification structures (22). Alternatively, the illumination system further comprises a light-mixing chamber having a light-emission window for illuminating a display device, the light-sensing plate being arranged in the light-mixing chamber between the light source and the light-emission window.
US07732747B2
An electric tool has a handle, and an element for varying tool functions located in the handle and including a photoelectric cell incorporated onto the handle in such a way that if the photoelectric cell is completely or partly covered, a tool function is achieved on a specification in accordance with a predetermined sequence.
US07732738B2
A banquet cart includes a heater received in an opening in the bottom panel of the banquet cart. Plates of food are loaded into the interior compartment of the banquet cart in the kitchen. The heater includes a central heater unit and two heat retention material heating panels. The central heater unit heats the interior compartment of the banquet cart for twenty minutes. The central heater unit is turned off, and smaller heaters are turned on to heat the heat retention material heating panels for forty minutes. The smaller heaters are turned off and the banquet cart is rolled from the kitchen to a hallway proximate to the dining area for serving the plates of food to guests. The heated heat retention material heating panels can maintain the temperature of the air in the interior compartment of the banquet cart warm for approximately two hours and forty minutes, keeping the food in the banquet cart warm.
US07732733B2
The present invention provides a ferritic stainless steel welding wire which allows prevention of wire breaking, fine refining of crystal grains, and increased cracking resistance.A wire rod used essentially consists of, in mass %, 0.03% or less of C, 3% or less of B, 3% or less of Mn, 2% or less of Ni, 11 to 20% of Zr, 3% or less of Mo, 1% or less of Co, 2% or less of Cu, 0.02 to 2.0% of Al, 0.2 to 1.0% of Ti, 0.02% or less of O, 0.04% or less of N, at least one of Nb and Ta, the mass % thereof being eight times the total mass % of the C and N to 1.0 mass %, and the balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities. When the number of crystals per square mm (mm2) of a cross section of the wire rod is defined as m, a grain number of the crystal expressed by an exponent (G) in an expression of m=8×2G is set to 3 to 10 by the heat treatment.
US07732726B2
Processing metallic materials, such as copper, from waste materials. The systems and methods employ a dynamic sensor, which measures the rate of change of current generated by metallic objects that pass by the sensor to identify metallic objects in a waste stream. The dynamic sensor may be coupled to a computer system that controls a material diverter unit, which diverts the detected metallic objects for collection and possible further processing. The systems or methods may employ stages of sensors for sequential recovery of materials.
US07732722B1
A hermetically sealed pressure switch apparatus and method includes a metal bellows directly installed at an inlet port for providing hermetic sealing thereof. A spring (e.g. a wave spring) can be connected in parallel or series combination with the metal bellows. The metal bellows is capable of being extended when an input pressure is applied which in turn compress the wave spring. The compression of the spring transfers a required motion to a plunger associated with an electrical switch in order to actuate the electrical switch when a certain pressure relative to a perfect vacuum is attained. The metal bellows and the spring can be pre-compressed utilizing the plunger in order to maintain switch set point accuracy and spring stiffness.
US07732715B2
A wall flush mount supporting device for electric or electronic components. A wall recessed box with a collar has an external cover or finishing plate in perfectly co-planar position with the wall in which the supporting device is recessed. The external surface of the component and the external surface of the finishing plate do not protrude from the frontal edges of the collar.
US07732713B2
A robust mechanical structure is provided to prevent small foundation structures formed on a substrate from detaching from the substrate surface. The strengthened structure is formed by plating a foundation metal layer on a seed layer and then embedding the plated foundation structure in an adhesive polymer material, such as epoxy. Components, such as spring probes, can then be constructed on the plated foundation. The adhesive polymer material better assures the adhesion of the metal foundation structure to the substrate surface by counteracting forces applied to an element, such as a spring probe, attached to the plated foundation.
US07732699B2
A central processing unit (CPU) for an MP3 player and a karaoke system makes it possible to reduce the size of the MP3 and the karaoke system by integrally building various kinds of storage units in a DSP and an RISC processor for executing control commands and generating control signals. The CPU 100 includes a display device 160; a microphone 140; a loudspeaker 170; a data storage unit 130 for storing real-time recorded data inputted through the microphone and wave sample data for synthesizing sounds of musical instruments, and also storing a background image, a caption, and font data, which are visually and aurally provided to the user; a main storage unit 120 for sharing the sample data of the data storage unit 130; an RISC processor 102 for storing sound sources, which output information corresponding to sound pitches and volumes of musical instruments, in the form of a MIDI file; a DSP 101 for synthesizing the data outputted from the main storage unit and the RISC processor to provide the music desired by the user; a codec HO for converting an output of the DSP; and an USB input/output terminal 103 for connecting the CPU to external devices.
US07732696B1
An instantly playable stringed instrument having a body, neck and fret spaces is provided. The instrument includes a plurality of strings. The strings are tuned such that in combination the sound they produce is an open E minor chord. The instantly playable stringed instrument may further include a plurality of indicators, each indicator corresponding to one fret space. Each indicator indicates a minor chord to be played by depressing all the strings within the fret space the indicator is associated with. The stringed instrument may further include a minor third string that has a color identification to distinguish it from the rest of the plurality of strings. The minor third string may be depressed on an adjacent fret space thereby converting the minor chord associated with the fret space having all strings depressed to a major chord.
US07732695B1
A set of playing cards for teaching music fundamentals through the playing of traditional card games with the set of playing cards is provided. The set of playing cards is divided into a plurality of different card groups, each card group corresponding to a different octave group and including cards depicting the letter names and modifiers of musical pitches in the chromatic scale, each card is associated with only a single musical pitch of the chromatic scale and depicts the one or more letter names and modifiers corresponding to that musical pitch. Each card depicts one or more music scales in the key of the musical pitch associated with the respective card. Each card can depict one or more chords of a music scale in the key of the musical pitch associated with the respective card.
US07732693B2
In order to provide a resin-formed body including wood powder which is applicable to a material for a black key having a good external appearance and which has touch close to real wood with less difference in quality without using rare wood, the resin-formed body including wood powder (1) includes colored wood powder, resin and pigment. Moreover, with respect to the resin-formed body including wood powder (1), it is possible to use a mass ratio between the wood powder and the resin so as to be 90/10-60/40.
US07732692B2
An electronic percussion instrument stand includes a center pipe structure. The center pipe structure has at least one center pipe having a longitudinal axis. A center pipe structure with at least two center pipes provides increased stability. A crescent-shaped base structure supports the center pipe structure in an upright orientation. At least one first arm supports at least one electronic percussion instrument. At least one first joint connects first arm to the center pipe structure. Each joint is adjustable in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the center pipe and in a direction around the longitudinal axis of the center pipe, for adjusting the position of the first arm. Each joint is adjustable between a position for playing electronic percussion instruments supported on the at least one arm, to a retracted position for transportation.
US07732665B2
The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of transgenic plants, tissues or plant cells thereof having long-lasting resistant to the geminiviruses by a) “identification” or “selection” of a viral gene sequence encoding an amino acid sequence able to confer resistance against geminiviruses; b) mutagenesis or “choice” of the viral gene sequence so as to make it an ineffective target of the post-trascriptional silencing induced by infecting geminivirus; and c) insertion of the geminivirus mutated or chosen gene sequence obtained in step b) through a construct as described previously, in the plant, tissue or plant cell thereof.
US07732659B2
The present invention provides systems that allow reliable multiplexed transformation of Drosophila embryos. The present invention provides methods and reagents that allow preparation of injection-quality nucleic acid samples and that allow simultaneous preparation of multiple such samples. The present invention provides systems for simultaneous processing of multiple injected embryos. The present invention provides methods for transformation of Drosophila embryos involving use of virginator strains that can be used to increase the efficiency of setting up the crosses needed to produce the eggs for the injections and for the crosses needed to screen for transformants.
US07732653B2
High temperature treatment of graphite nanofibers to increase their catalytic activity. The heat treated graphite nanofiber catalysts are suitable for catalyzing chemical reactions such as oxidation, hydrogenation, oxidative-dehydrogenation, and dehydrogenation.
US07732649B2
Process for the manufacture of 1,2-dichloroethane starting with a hydrocarbon source according to which: a) the hydrocarbon source is subjected to cracking which produces a mixture of products containing ethylene and other constituents; b) the said mixture of products is separated into a fraction enriched with compounds which are lighter than ethylene, containing part of the ethylene (fraction A), into a fraction enriched with ethylene (fraction B) and into a heavy fraction (fraction C); c) fraction A is conveyed to a chlorination reactor and fraction B to an oxychlorination reactor, in which reactors most of the ethylene present in fractions A and B is converted to 1,2-dichloroethane; d) the 1,2-dichloroethane obtained is separated from the streams of products derived from the chlorination and oxychlorination reactors.
US07732648B2
A process for producing ethers by reacting alcohols and olefins in successive catalytic stages is disclosed. The process includes alternating catalytic reaction stages and separation stages.
US07732635B2
The utilization amount of steam generated by heat recovery tends to decrease in a production process of an organic acid when the concentration of an organic acid solution obtained in a step of collecting an organic acid with a solvent such as water becomes high. The purpose of the invention is to find an advantageous method for effectively utilizing reaction heat and contribute to global environmental preservation and saving product costs. The present invention provides a production method of an organic acid comprising carrying out a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction of raw material gas at the temperature from 250° C. to 450° C., recovering at least a part of reaction heat and/or heat generated in combustion of a waste as high pressure steam at a pressure of 1 MPaG or higher, supplying at least a part of the high pressure steam to a back pressure steam turbine connected with a blower to drive the blower, and supplying at least a part of discharged gas from the back pressure steam turbine, low pressure steam A at a pressure lower than 1 MPaG, to an absorption type refrigerator to utilize the low pressure steam A as a heat source of the absorption type refrigerator.
US07732633B2
Compositions are provided that include an electron donor and a sensitizing compound. More specifically, the electron donor is an arylsulfinate salt. Methods of polymerization are also provided that can be used to prepare polymeric material from a photopolymerizable composition that includes ethylenically unsaturated monomers and a photoinitiator system. The photoinitiator system includes an electron donor and a sensitizing compound.
US07732630B2
An alkanediol and a dialkyl carbonate are prepared in a process comprising: (a) reacting an alkylene carbonate and an alkanol feedstock in a reaction zone under transesterification conditions to obtain a product mixture of dialkyl carbonate, unconverted alkanol, the alkanediol, and unconverted alkylene carbonate; (b) separating dialkyl carbonate and unconverted alkanol from the product mixture to obtain a bottom product stream containing alkanediol and unconverted alkylene carbonate; (c) recovering the dialkyl carbonate; and (d) separating alkanediol from the bottom product stream to leave a recycle stream comprising unconverted alkylene carbonate, wherein the recycle stream comprising unconverted alkylene carbonate is split in at least two portions, and at least one portion is recycled to the reaction zone and another portion is subjected to hydrolysis to yield alkanediol and carbon dioxide.
US07732627B2
A high-purity cycloaliphatic diepoxy compound of General Formula (II) is an epoxidized product of a cycloaliphatic diolefinic compound of General Formula (I) having an isomer content as detected in gas chromatography (GC) of 15% or less: wherein X represents a bivalent group selected from the group consisting of, for example, O, S, —SO—, —SO2—, —CH2—, and —C(CH3)2—; and R1 to R18 may be the same as or different from each other and each represent hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydrocarbon group which may contain oxygen atom or a halogen atom, or an alkoxy group which may be substituted. Such a high-purity cycloaliphatic diepoxy compound is prepared by producing the cycloaliphatic diolefinic compound through distillation, epoxidizing the compound with an aliphatic percarboxylic acid containing substantially no water, carrying out desolvation, and further purifying the epoxidized compound through distillation.
US07732626B2
The present invention provides a compound represented by the formula (I): wherein each symbol is as defined in the description, or a salt thereof. The compound or a salt thereof or a prodrug thereof has a GPR40 receptor function modulating action and is useful as an insulin secretagogue or an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of diabetes and the like.
US07732617B2
Tocopherol derivatives having the general formula: wherein n is an integer of 6 to 13, R1 is hydrogen, a silyl ether or acetate, R2 is an optionally substituted nitrogen-containing heterocycle or a polycyclic nitrogen-containing heterocycle; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are provided. A method for synthesizing the compounds is also provided. The tocopherol derivatives are capable of inhibiting the primary enzyme responsible for the metabolism of the tocopherols and tocotrienols compounds of vitamin E, namely tocopherol-ω-hydroxylase, and thus increase the amount and prolong the availability of these compounds in plasma and tissue.
US07732613B2
The present invention is directed to compounds that are useful for treating cancer having one of the following Formulas:
US07732611B2
The invention provides an amine salt of a carbostyril derivative formed from a carbostyril derivative represented by the formula (1) [wherein R is a halogen atom; the substituted position of the side chain is 3- or 4-position in the carbostyril skeleton; and the bonding between 3- and 4-positions of the carbostyril skeleton is a single bond or a double H bond] and an amine; and the invention is useful as drugs for treating various diseases, especially as aqueous formulations due to the superior water solubility and the superior pharmacologic effects.
US07732606B2
An organic electroluminescent device having a pair of electrodes and at least one organic layer including a light-emitting layer interposed between the pair of electrodes, in which the organic layer contains at least one platinum complex compound having a quadridentate ligand containing a partial structure represented by formula (I): wherein Z1 represents a nitrogen-containing heterocycle coordinated to the platinum through a nitrogen atom; L1 represents a single bond or a linking group; R1, R3 and R4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent; and R2 represents a substituent.
US07732603B2
Compounds of formula I provide pharmacological agents which are inhibitors of the P450 enzyme, aldosterone synthase, and thus may be employed for the treatment of aldosterone mediated conditions. Accordingly, the compounds of formula I may be employed for prevention, delay of progression, or treatment of hypokalemia, hypertension, congestive heart failure, renal failure, in particular, chronic renal failure, restenosis, atherosclerosis, syndrome X, obesity, nephropathy, post myocardial infarction, coronary heart diseases, increased formation of collagen, fibrosis, and remodeling following hypertension and endothelial dysfunction. Preferred are the compounds of formula I which are selective inhibitors of aldosterone synthase devoid of undesirable side effects due to general inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes.
US07732600B2
Disclosed are methods for the preparation of compounds of formula (I): wherein R1, m, X, R2, n, W, p, Y, Z, R3, R4, R5 and q have the meanings as defined in the description.
US07732581B2
Disclosed is a compound of the formula and dimers thereof, wherein R, R′, X, (Y)m, and (Z)n are as defined herein. The compounds are useful as colorants, particularly in applications such as phase change inks.
US07732575B2
Disclosed are proteins which are covalently bound to a solid support at a first temperature where they have a first configuration, and then biomolecules are attached to the bound proteins at a higher temperature at which the proteins have more exposed functional groups, each such group being capable of covalently bonding to a biomolecule. The biomolecule can be, for example, a nucleic acid, including an amine functionalized oligonucleotide. The proteins can include, BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin) which can be bound using a reaction with the surface of a tosyl-activated microparticle.
US07732571B2
Chicken growth differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) is disclosed along with fragments and pharmaceutical compositions thereof.
US07732563B2
A method of preventing or inhibiting infection by a parasite or virus in vivo comprising administering to a human in need thereof a parasite or virus mitogen, such as a eukaryotic amino acid racemase, in a sub-mitogenic amount sufficient to induce a protective immune response against the parasite or virus in the human.
US07732557B2
The invention relates to methods and systems for selective removal of catalyst residue from a depolymerization product stream without a water quench, as well as methods and systems for subsequent recovery of residual linear oligomer. The substantially metal-free and substantially water-free residual oligomer byproduct can then be advantageously used as recyclate in a process for preparing MPO. For example, the residual oligomer recyclate can be used as a reactant in the polymerization and subsequent depolymerization (cyclization) of low-acid polyester to form MPO.
US07732556B2
A problem of the invention is to provide a process of producing polyesters having a stable quality and a process of producing polyesters with a greatly reduced load against the environment.The invention relates to a process of producing polyesters by using a polycondensation reaction apparatus provided with one or more sets of an ejector, a condenser placed in the downstream portion of the ejector and a hot well tank connected to the condenser via a barometric leg and including a step of driving the ejector by a vapor composed mainly of 1,4-butanediol, condensing the vapor composed mainly of 1,4-butanediol as discharged from the ejector in the condenser placed in the downstream portion of the ejector, and making the reactor in a reduced pressure state to undergo polycondensation reaction, characterized in that the concentration of tetrahydrofuran contained in a sealing liquid in at least one hot well tank is not more than 4% by weight.
US07732555B2
Unsymmetrical polyurethane polyol prepolymers are disclosed for use in the formation of coating compositions. The prepolymers are prepared as a reaction product of a diisocyanate with a short chain aliphatic diol and a long chain polymeric diol. The prepolymers are intended as the first component for reaction with a second component polyisocyanate in a two-component coating composition. The coating compositions exhibit excellent abrasion resistance and weatherability, and are particularly useful as coatings for polymeric window transparencies.
US07732554B2
The present invention relates to a process for the production of silylated polyurethane resins free of unreacted residual isocyanate possessing consistent viscosity and stability and products therefrom.
US07732545B2
An aqueous dispersion is prepared by subjecting (meth)acrylate containing a polyfluoroalkyl group and a polymerizable monomer containing no fluorine atom to an emulsification treatment in the presence of a surfactant and a polypropyleneglycol-based compound having a molecular weight of 250 to 5,000, followed by copolymerization reaction in the presence of a polymerization initiator. The resulting aqueous dispersion, even if prepared from (meth)acrylate copolymer containing mixed perfluoroalkyl groups including perfluoroalkyl groups having 12 or more carbon atoms as polyfluoroalkyl groups, has a distinguished emulsion stability and thus can be effectively used as a water and oil repellent, etc.
US07732544B2
The present invention relates to a titanium compound produced from a reaction mixture of a titanium tetraalkoxide compound with water and an optically active ligand represented by the following general formula (1), or a titanium oxoalkoxide compound and an optically active ligand represented by the following general formula (1), wherein, in the formula, R2, R3 and R4 independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or the like, and A* represents a hydrocarbon-containing group with three or more carbon atoms having an asymmetric carbon atom or axial asymmetry. The invention further relates to a process for producing optically active cyanohydrins which is characterized by reacting a carbonyl compound with a cyanating agent in the presence of such a titanium compound.
US07732541B2
The invention relates to polymers comprising a sequence of units comprising an ethylenic unsaturation, the unsaturation being located every 3 carbon atoms between two successive units.The invention also relates to processes for preparing such polymers.
US07732526B2
A green product for use in fabricating a ceramic article comprises a ceramic powder immobilized within a silicone matrix, wherein the silicone matrix comprises one or more cross linked or polymerized silicone monomers and/or oligomers, wherein the one or more cross linked or polymerized silicone monomers and/or oligomers have a alkenyl reactive functional group and a hydride reactive functional group. Processes for forming a green product and a ceramic core with the silicone monomers and/or oligomers are also disclosed.
US07732522B2
Reduced hysteresis silica-containing black sidewall compounds having increased toughness properties are provided, as are methods for preparing the same. Tires comprising the black sidewall compounds prepared according to the present embodiments are also provided.
US07732520B2
It is an object of the present invention that a resin composition which has high chemical resistance while retaining high fluidity, is excellent in impact resistance, heat resistance, stiffness and heat stability and comprises an aromatic polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate, a molded product thereof and a process of manufacturing a car exterior material.This invention provides the resin composition which comprises 50 to 100 wt % of a resin component and 0 to 50 wt % of an inorganic filler (component D), wherein the resin component is composed of (i) an aromatic polycarbonate (component A) having a specific viscosity average molecular weight and (ii) polyethylene terephthalate (component B) having a specific intrinsic viscosity (IV), a specific terminal carboxyl group content and a specific ratio (Mw/Mn) of weight average molecular weight (Mw) to number average molecular weight (Mn), and (iii) the weight ratio {(A+D)/B} of the total of the components A and D to the component B is 60/40 to 85/15, and a molded product thereof and a process of manufacturing a car exterior material.
US07732514B2
A composition comprising a plastics material, an inorganic particulate solid such as aluminium trihydrate and a coupling modified of formula A-(X—Y—CO)m(O—B—CO)nOH wherein A is a moiety containing a terminating ethylenic group with one or two adjacent carbonyl groups; X is a direct bond, O or N; Y is C1-18-alkylene or C2-18-alkenylene; B is C2-6-alkylene; m is from 1 to 4 and n is from 0 to 5 provided that when A contains two carbonyl groups adjacent to the ethylenic group then X is N. Specific examples of coupling modifiers are β-carboxyl ethylacrylate and 5-carboxy pentyl maleimide.
US07732511B2
The invention relates to anhydrous bituminous products containing one or several specific additives which make it possible to substantially reduce a temperature for producing aggregate and bituminous product mixtures in such a way that it ranges from 20 to 40° C., wherein the temperature of the aggregate and the bituminous product mixture during spreading ranges from 10 to 40° C. and the temperature in the core of the aggregate and bituminous product mixtures during compacting can be raised to 50° C. without degrading the standardized properties of the bituminous product and the bituminous product and aggregate mixture and ensuring the process continuity from transport to compacting according to the state of the art. The inventive aggregate and bituminous product mixtures are particularly suitable for tightening, building and servicing road surfaces, pavements and airfield runways.
US07732506B2
Disclosed are radiation-curable compositions comprising at least one ortho-phthalate (meth)acrylate, and optionally a (meth)acrylate monomer, a stabilizing package, an adhesion promoter, and/or a photoinitiator. The compositions maintain physical integrity when cured and then aged for seven days under the conditions of 70% relative humidity, 77° C. black panel temperature, 55° C. chamber air temperature and a light intensity of 0.51 W/m2/nm at 340 nanometer wavelength passed through a daylight filter. The preparation and use of these compositions are also disclosed.
US07732498B2
The present invention relates to innovative nanoparticles, to a process for preparing nanoparticles by recrystallization, and to the use thereof.
US07732488B2
The invention relates to a process for decreasing the amount of environmental pollutants in a mixture comprising a fat or an oil, being edible or for use in cosmetics, the fat or oil containing the environmental pollutants, which process comprises the steps of adding a volatile working fluid to the mixture, where the volatile working fluid comprises at least one of a fatty acid ester, a fatty acid amide, a free fatty acid and a hydro-carbon, and subjecting the mixture with the added volatile working fluid to at least one stripping processing step, in which an amount of environmental pollutant present in the fat or oil, being edible or for use in cosmetics, is separated from the mixture together with the volatile working fluid. The present invention also relates to a volatile environmental pollutants decreasing working fluid, for use in decreasing an amount of environmental pollutants present in a fat or oil, being edible or for use in cosmetics. In addition, the present invention relates to a health supplement, a pharmaceutical and an animal feed product prepared according to the process mentioned above.
US07732485B2
The invention relates to the treatment of cancers, in particular, cancers that are resistant to platinum based chemotherapeutic agents. A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of cancer comprising an effective amount of a compound having two gold(I) atoms each covalently bonded to a carbon atom in a covalent link connecting the two gold(I) atoms and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.
US07732481B2
Novel compounds of the formula (I), in which R, R1, R2, R3, X, X′ and Y have the meaning indicated in Patent Claim 1, are inhibitors of coagulation factor Xa and can be employed for the prophylaxis and/or therapy of thromboembolic diseases and for the treatment of tumors.
US07732480B2
There are disclosed bicyclic compounds according to formula I, pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds and methods of using such compounds in the treatment of androgen receptor-associated conditions, such as age-related diseases, for example sarcopenia, wherein R1, R2, R5, X and n are defined herein.
US07732479B2
Indole derivatives, compositions including same, and methods utilizing same for the treatment of amyloid associated diseases, such as type II diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's dementia or diseases, systemic and localized amyloidosis, and prion-related encephalopathies are provided.
US07732470B2
Derivative compounds of 11-nonyloxy-undec-8(Z)-eonic acid that mimic epoxide metabolites are provided. Also provided are compositions comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the derivative compounds. The present invention further provides methods for the use of such compositions for the treatment of renal or cardiovascular disease and/or related conditions.
US07732468B2
Disclosed are 3-aryl-6-aryl-7H-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazoles and related compounds thereof, represented by the Formula I: wherein Ar1, Ar2, and X are defined herein. The present invention relates to the discovery that compounds having Formula I are activators of caspases and inducers of apoptosis. Therefore, the activators of caspases and inducers of apoptosis of this invention may be used to induce cell death in a variety of clinical conditions in which uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells occurs.
US07732464B2
The present invention is concerned with novel compounds of formula (I) having 5HT4-antagonistic properties. The invention further relates to methods for preparing such novel compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising said novel compounds as well as the use as a medicine of said compounds.
US07732460B2
Tricyclic nitrogen containing compounds of formula (I) and their use as antibacterials.
US07732450B2
A pharmaceutical composition suitable for topical application comprising ketoconazole in a solution which comprises: (i) 13 to 50 wt % water; (ii) 45 to 85 wt % of an alcohol having a boiling point of less than 100° C.; and (iii) 2 to 30 wt % of a non-volatile, water miscible, non-ionic surface active agent; the ketoconazole being present in an amount of 0.5 to 3 st % relative to components (i), (ii) and (iii).
US07732449B2
The present invention provides compounds, compositions and methods for the selective inhibition of cathepsin S. In a preferred aspect, cathepsin S is selectively inhibited in the presence of at least one other cathepsin isozyme. The present invention also provides methods for treating a disease state in a subject by selectively inhibiting cathepsin S. More particularly, the present invention provides compounds having Formula 1: wherein Q is an optionally substituted piperazinyl; and A, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9 and Ar are substituents.
US07732444B2
A heterocyclic inhibitor having the formula I, with the variables defined herein, which is useful for treating inflammatory and other physiological disorders in which PKC-theta isoform plays a role:
US07732440B2
The invention relates to compounds of the formula I, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, A and B are as defined herein, the pharmaceutical compositions and the uses as pharmaceuticals.
US07732438B2
Compounds of Formula (I) and Formula (II) (where variables R1, R2, R4, A, B, W, X, Y and Z are as defined herein) useful as antagonists of CGRP receptors and useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the CGRP is involved, such as headache, migraine and cluster headache. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which CGRP is involved.
US07732428B1
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.
US07732417B2
The present invention provides methods for attenuating gene expression in a cell using gene-targeted double stranded RNA (dsRNA). The dsRNA contains a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under physiologic conditions of the cell to the nucleotide sequence of at least a portion of the gene to be inhibited (the “target” gene).
US07732414B2
C-glycoside compounds are suited for stimulating the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans containing a D-glucosamine and/or N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residue, advantageously hyaluronic acid, and/or proteoglycans, advantageously proteoglycans containing hyaluronic acid, by fibroblasts and/or keratinocytes.
US07732408B2
A method for breeding, especially a method for breeding dairy cattle without use of heat detection prior to insemination.
US07732402B2
Nucleic acids comprising the RNA component of a mammalian telomerase are useful as pharmaceutical, therapeutic, and diagnostic reagents.
US07732393B2
The present invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) composition comprising an amino compound, a radical-forming oxidizing agent, a radical trapping agent capable of inhibiting radical-induced oxidation of the amino compound, and an aqueous carrier therefore. The radical trapping agent is a hydroxyl-substituted polyunsaturated cyclic compound, a nitrogenous compound, or a combination thereof. Optionally, the composition comprises a metal oxide abrasive (e.g., silica, alumina, titania, ceria, zirconia, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing abrasives). The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the CMP compositions, as well as a method of enhancing the shelf-life of CMP compositions containing an amine and a radical-forming oxidizing agent, in which a radical trapping agent is added to the CMP composition.
US07732377B2
A member of a specific binding pair (sbp) is identified by expressing DNA encoding a genetically diverse population of such sbp members in recombinant host cells in which the sbp members are displayed in functional form at the surface of a filamentous bacteriophage particle containing DNA encoding the sbp member, wherein the sbp member has a binding domain that consists of a dAb fragment. The displayed sbps may be selected by affinity with a complementary sbp member, and the DNA recovered from selected filamentous bacteriophage particles for expression of the selected sbp members.
US07732375B2
The invention relates to novel hexylcarboxanilides of the formula (I) in which L, R1, R3 and A are as defined in the disclosure, to a plurality of processes for preparing these compounds and their use for controlling unwanted microorganisms, and to novel intermediates and their preparation.
US07732372B2
Solid absorbent materials that are useful for absorption of chemical species from a fluid, such as a gas stream or a liquid stream. The absorbent materials are formed by spray processing and posses a well-defined chemical composition and microstructure. The absorbent materials can have a high absorption capacity for a chemical species such as H2S, CO2, NOx, and H2 and have a high recylability, such that the chemical species can be absorbed and desorbed over a large number of cycles.
US07732355B2
A water-vapor permeable film. The film includes 90˜99 wt % polyurethane (PU) and 1˜10 wt % polyethylene (PE). The invention also provides a textile including the film.
US07732353B2
Methods for forming a denuded zone in an oxygen-containing semiconductor wafer using rapid laser annealing (RLA) are disclosed. The method includes scanning an intense beam of laser radiation over the surface of the wafer to raise the temperature of each point on the wafer surface to be at or near the wafer's melting temperature for a time period on the order of a millisecond or so. This rapid heating and cooling causes oxygen in the wafer near the wafer surface to diffuse out from the wafer surface. Oxygen in the body of the wafer remains unheated and thus does not diffuse toward the wafer surface. The result is an oxygen-depleted zone—called a “denuded zone”—formed immediately adjacent the wafer surface. The methods further include forming a semiconductor device feature in the denuded zone such as by implanting the wafer with dopants.
US07732352B2
By using a two-step RTP (rapid thermal processing) process, the wafer is provided which has an ideal semiconductor device region secured by controlling fine oxygen precipitates and OiSFs (Oxidation Induced Stacking Fault) located on the surface region of the wafer. By performing the disclosed two-step rapid thermal process, the distribution of defects can be accurately controlled and an ideal device active zone can be formed up to a certain distance from the surfaces of the wafer. In addition, it is possible to maximize the internal gettering (IG) efficiency by enabling the oxygen precipitates and the bulk stacking faults to have constant densities in the depth direction in an internal region of the wafer, that is, the bulk region. In order to obtain the constant concentration profile of the oxygen precipitates and the bulk stacking faults in the bulk region, the wafer is subjected to the aforementioned two-step rapid thermal process in a predetermined mixed gas atmosphere.
US07732345B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the method includes etching one or more openings within a substrate using an etch tool, and subjecting the one or more openings to a post-etch clean, wherein a delay time exists between removing the substrate from the etch tool and the subjecting the one or more opening to the post-etch clean. This method may further include exposing the substrate having been subjected to the post-etch clean to a rinsing agent, wherein a resistivity of the rinsing agent is selected based upon the delay time.
US07732339B2
An organic/inorganic hybrid film represented by SiCx- HyOz (x>0, y≧0, z>0) is plasma-etched with an etching gas containing fluorine, carbon and nitrogen. During the etching, a carbon component is eliminated from the surface portion of the organic/inorganic hybrid film due to the existence of the nitrogen in the etching gas, to thereby reform the surface portion. The reformed surface portion is nicely plasma-etched with the etching gas containing fluorine and carbon.
US07732331B2
The present invention provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, which could advance the commercialization of semiconductor devices with a copper interconnect. In a process of metal interconnect line fabrication, a TiN thin film combined with an Al intermediate layer is used as a diffusion barrier on trench or via walls. For the formation, Al is deposited on the TiN thin film followed by copper filling the trench. Al diffuses to TiN layer and reacts with oxygen or nitrogen, which will stuff grain boundaries efficiently, thereby blocking the diffusion of copper successfully.
US07732326B2
A method for processing a semiconductor structure includes the steps of capping a top surface of the semiconductor structure that defines the metallization layer with a thin stop layer, forming a dielectric layer over the thin stop layer, wherein the dielectric layer defines at least one area where the thin stop layer is exposed, and removing the exposed thin stop layer to expose a top surface of the metallization layer using etchant gases substantially free from oxygen, so that the metallization layer is substantially free of damage.
US07732322B2
In a first aspect, a first method of manufacturing a dielectric material with a reduced dielectric constant is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) forming a dielectric material layer including a trench on a substrate; and (2) forming a cladding region in the dielectric material layer by forming a plurality of air gaps in the dielectric material layer along at least one of a sidewall and a bottom of the trench so as to reduce an effective dielectric constant of the dielectric material. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US07732314B1
Methods for forming a metal diffusion barrier on an integrated circuit include at least four operations. The first operation deposits barrier material via PVD, ALD or CVD to provide some minimal coverage. The second operation deposits an additional barrier material and simultaneously etches a portion of the barrier material deposited in the first operation. The third operation deposits barrier material via PVD, ALD or CVD to provide some minimal coverage especially over the bottoms of unlanded vias. The forth operation deposits a metal conductive layer. Controlled etching is used to selectively remove barrier material from the bottom of vias, either completely or partially, thus reducing the resistance of subsequently formed metal interconnects. In addition, techniques to protect the bottoms of the unlanded vias are described.
US07732311B2
In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a conductive layer pattern may be formed on a substrate. An oxide layer may be formed on the substrate to cover the conductive layer pattern. A diffusion barrier layer may be formed by treating the oxide layer to increase an energy required for a diffusion of impurities. An impurity region may be formed on the substrate by implanting impurities into the conductive layer pattern and a portion of the substrate adjacent to the conductive layer pattern, through the diffusion barrier. The impurities in the conductive layer pattern and the impurity region may be prevented or reduced from diffusing, and therefore, the semiconductor device may have improved performance.
US07732305B2
In a first aspect, a method of forming an epitaxial film on a substrate is provided. The method includes (a) providing a substrate; (b) exposing the substrate to a silicon source and a carbon source so as to form a carbon-containing silicon epitaxial film; (c) encapsulating the carbon-containing silicon epitaxial film with an encapsulating film; and (d) exposing the substrate to Cl2 so as to etch the encapsulating film. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US07732298B2
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of techniques for preventing silicide stringer or encroachment formation during metal salicide formation in semiconductor devices. The disclosed technique involves depositing a protective layer, such as a nitride or other dielectric layer, over areas of the semiconductor device where metal silicide formation is not desired because such formation detrimentally affects device performance. For example, silicon particles that may remain in device features that are formed through silicon oxidation, such as under the gate sidewall spacers and proximate to the perimeter of shallow trench isolation structures, are protected from reacting with metal deposited to form metal silicide in certain areas of the device. As a result, silicide stringers or encroachment in undesired areas is reduced or eliminated by the protective layer.
US07732297B2
A method of forming an insulating layer and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using insulating layer are disclosed. A preliminary insulating layer including a material having a relatively low dielectric constant is formed on an object. An upper portion of the preliminary insulating layer is provided with an ozone gas to transform the preliminary insulating layer into an insulating layer having an upper insulating film including an oxide and a lower insulating film including the material having the relatively low dielectric constant. The upper insulating film may further be located on the lower insulating film.
US07732296B2
In a method of fabricating a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor and a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor fabricated according to the method, the method comprises: forming an insulating-layer pattern on a semiconductor substrate, the insulating-layer pattern having a plurality of openings that respectively define areas where capacitor cells are to be formed; forming a lower electrode conductive layer on the insulating-layer pattern and on the semiconductor substrate; forming a first sacrificial layer that fills the openings on the lower electrode conductive layer; forming a second sacrificial layer on of the first sacrificial layer; planarizing the second sacrificial layer; exposing an upper surface of the lower electrode conductive layer; removing the exposed lower electrode conductive layer to form a plurality of lower electrodes that are separated from each other, each corresponding to a capacitor cell; and forming dielectric layers and upper electrodes, that are separated from each other, each corresponding to a capacitor cell, on each of the lower electrodes to provide a plurality of MIM capacitor cells constituting one capacitor to which the same electric signal is applied.
US07732281B1
Methods for fabricating dual bit memory devices are provided. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method for fabricating a dual bit memory device comprises forming a charge trapping layer overlying a substrate and etching an isolation opening through the charge trapping layer. An oxide layer is formed overlying the charge trapping layer and within the isolation opening. A control gate is fabricated overlying the isolation opening and portions of the charge trapping layer adjacent to the isolation opening. The oxide layer and the charge trapping layer are etched using the control gate as an etch mask and impurity dopants are implanted into the substrate using the control gate as an implantation mask.
US07732277B2
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a semiconductor substrate; an isolation structure formed in a trench, formed in the semiconductor substrate, through a semiconductor oxide film; a floating gate formed on the semiconductor substrate between the isolation structures through an insulating film; a gate oxidation protection film formed on a side surface, on the isolation structure side, of the floating gate so that each of a part of a side surface and a bottom surface of the gate oxidation protection film contacts the insulating film; and a control gate formed on the floating gate through an inter-gate insulating film.
US07732274B2
A semiconductor process and apparatus provide a high voltage deep trench capacitor structure (10) that is integrated in an integrated circuit, alone or in alignment with a fringe capacitor (5). The deep trench capacitor structure is constructed from a first capacitor plate (4) that is formed from a doped n-type SOI semiconductor layer (e.g., 4a-c). The second capacitor plate (3) is formed from a doped p-type polysilicon layer (3a) that is tied to the underlying substrate (1).
US07732269B2
A method for forming an ultra shallow junction on a substrate is provided. In certain embodiments a method of forming an ultra shallow junction on a substrate is provided. The substrate is placed into a process chamber. A silicon carbon layer is deposited on the substrate. The silicon carbon layer is exposed to a dopant. The substrate is heated to a temperature greater than 950° C. so as to cause substantial annealing of the dopant within the silicon carbon layer. In certain embodiments the substrate is heated to a temperature between about 1000° C. and about 1100°. In certain embodiments the substrate is heated to a temperature between about 1030° C. and 1050° C. In certain embodiments, a structure having an abrupt p-n junction is provided.
US07732268B2
A method of manufacturing a display device to improve the quality of a polycrystal silicon upon dehydrogenating and polycrystallizing an amorphous silicon at the outside of a display region of a substrate, by forming a plurality of pixels having TFT devices using an amorphous silicon in the display region of the substrate, and forming a plurality of driving circuits having semiconductor devices using a polycrystal silicon at the outside of the display region, the method including irradiation of a first continuous oscillation laser only to the amorphous silicon in the region for forming the driving circuit and the peripheral region thereof to conduct dehydrogenation and then irradiation of a second continuous oscillation region only to the dehydrogenated region to polycrystallize the amorphous silicon, wherein the region to which the first continuous oscillation laser is irradiated is wider than the region to which the second continuous oscillation laser is irradiated.
US07732266B2
A thin film array panel is provided, which includes: a plurality of signal lines including contact parts for contact with an external device; a plurality of thin film transistors connected to the signal lines; an insulating layer formed on the signal lines and the thin film transistors; and a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the insulating layer and connected to the thin film transistors, wherein the insulating layer includes a contact portion disposed on the contact parts of the signal lines and having a thickness smaller than other portions and the contact portion of the insulating layer includes an inclined portion having an inclination angle smaller than about 45 degrees.
US07732247B2
Isolation methods and devices for isolating regions of a semiconductor device. The isolation method and structure include forming an isolating trench in an active area and filling the trench with a doped conductive material containing silicon. Suitable conductive materials containing silicon include polysilicon and silicon-germanium. There is also provided a method and structure for isolating the regions by providing a trench in an active area of a substrate, growing an epitaxial layer in the trench to fill the trench or to partially fill the trench and depositing an insulating material over the epitaxial layer and within the trench to completely fill the trench.
US07732246B2
A method of fabricating a vertical CMOS image sensor is disclosed, to improve the integration with the decrease in size of pixel by minimizing the lateral diffusion, in which phosphorous and arsenic ions are implanted while controlling the dose and energy, the method including forming a first photodiode in a semiconductor substrate; forming a first epitaxial layer on the semiconductor substrate; forming a first plug by sequentially implanting first and second ions in the first epitaxial layer; forming a second photodiode in the first epitaxial layer; forming a second epitaxial layer in the first epitaxial layer; forming an isolation area in the second epitaxial layer; and forming a third photodiode and a second plug in the second epitaxial layer.
US07732242B2
One aspect is a composite board including semiconductor chips in semiconductor device positions and a plastic housing composition partly embedding the semiconductor chips. A mould is provided for surrounding the semiconductor chips with plastic housing composition, the mould having a lower part and an upper part and a moldings cavity and the molding cavity having an upper contact area, which forms an interface with the top side of the plastic housing composition to be applied. The upper contact area is covered with a parting layer having essentially the same surface constitution and the same thermal conductivity as an adhesive film forming an interface with the underside of the plastic housing composition, with the result that a warpage of the composite board of less than 1% is obtained.
US07732241B2
An object is to provide a microstructure in which shear stress of a structural layer is increased, a manufacturing method thereof, and a microelectromechanical system. A sacrificial layer is formed over a substrate. A metal film is formed over the sacrificial layer. The metal film is irradiated with a laser beam. Needle-like crystals of the metal film are reduced or eliminated. The metal film is etched and processed into a predetermined shape to form a metal layer. Then, the sacrificial layer is removed. Accordingly, a microelectromechanical system which is excellent in reliability and in which a resistance property to breakage of a movable portion of the microstructure is improved can be provided.
US07732239B2
A method using a divided exposure technology is provided for restraining deterioration in the performance of a solid-state image sensor. A photoresist is formed over a semiconductor substrate and subjected to divided exposure. A dividing line for divided exposure is located at least over a region of a semiconductor substrate in which an active region in which a pixel is to be formed is defined. The photoresist is then developed and patterned. By utilizing the patterned photoresist, an element isolation structure for defining the active region in the semiconductor substrate is formed in the semiconductor substrate.
US07732238B2
A solid-state image sensing apparatus having a three-dimensional structure whose manufacturing process can be simplified is provided. A solid-state image sensing apparatus formed by bonding a first member and a second member is provided. The first member has a first surface on the side of the bonding interface between the first member and the second member and a second surface on the opposite side of the bonding interface. The second member has a third surface on the bonding interface side and a fourth surface on the opposite side of the bonding interface. The first member includes photoelectric conversion elements which are formed on the first surface before the first member is bonded to the second member. The second member includes circuit elements which are formed on the third surface before bonding.
US07732230B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a backlight including a plurality of LEDs arranged in a plane manner. The method includes: preparing LEDs which are classified into a plurality of ranks in accordance with brightness; mounting, in respective blocks each having a same number of points for mounting LEDs, LEDs which are at least two different-ranked; and causing combinations of ranks of the LEDs in the respective blocks to conform to each other. Alternatively, the LEDs, classified into ranks each having a known center value of brightness, are mounted in the blocks such that a total of the center values of the respective ranks in each of the blocks becomes substantially uniform. This realizes a backlight having a uniform in-plane brightness distribution with a merit of cost.
US07732226B2
Disclosed are methods of manufacturing a flash memory device. The method can include performing a first test on memory banks of chips on a wafer to record an availability of the banks; performing an inking process on each of the chips according to a number of available banks in the chip; performing a sawing process to divide the chips mounted on the wafer; packaging the divided chips according to the number of available banks in the chip; and performing a verification test on the packaged chips.
US07732219B2
A system for the detection of ligands comprising at least one receptor and an amplification mechanism coupled to the receptor wherein an amplified signal is produced as a result of receptor binding a ligand. Examples of suitable amplification mechanisms include antibody-embedded liquid crystalline materials; use of alpha-2-macroglobulin to encage an enzyme, whereby the enzyme is separated from its substrate by an receptor; and a receptor engineered to inhibit the active of site of an enzyme only in the absence of a ligand. Also provided are methods for the automatic detection of ligands.
US07732217B2
When detecting fluorescence of a bead chip array, reflected light from a bead is detected at the same time, so as to recognize the bead position. The reflected light can be detected in a similar manner for all beads, regardless of the presence or absence of a fluorescent substance. If the positions of all beads are detected, accurate detection can be achieved by quantifying only the fluorescence at the detected positions. The fluorescence wavelength alone is detected by a first detector using a wavelength selection filter. Other wavelengths are detected by a second detector, thereby obtaining the reflected light. Data on the reflected light is processed into an image for obtaining the bead profile, the bead position is recognized by detecting the center position based on the profile, and the fluorescence is quantified based on the bead position.
US07732211B2
The present invention relates to a method for screening of polycondensation catalysts, wherein at least two polycondensation catalysis reactions are performed simultaneously under substantially equivalent conditions in at least two reaction cells which are present in one and the same room, using a sample comprising material to be polycondensated and a catalyst to be screened, and wherein the performances of the catalysts are analyzed.The present invention further relates to an apparatus suitable for performing the method.
US07732197B2
The present invention relates to multi-ribozymes and their use to target RNA in a tissue-specific, target RNA-specific, or pathogen-specific manner for the treatment of cancers, proliferative disease, and bacterial, parasitic and viral infections. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of virions and viral vectors to package and deliver DNA encoding the multi-ribozymes to a host. The present invention relates to the use of liposomes and lipid-DNA complexes to deliver DNA encoding ribozymes to a host. Most specifically, the invention relates to the use of target specific virions to package and deliver DNA comprising a target specific promoter and encoding a ribozyme(s) directed to the target organism nucleic acids. The present invention further relates to a novel vectors encoding a multi-ribozyme structure with enhanced 5′ and/or 3′ autocatalytically cleaving ribozymes. The invention further relates to nucleotides encoding a multi-ribozyme comprising one or more ribozyme cassettes which contain one or more trans-acting ribozymes and one or more autocatalytically cleaving ribozyme sequences.
US07732190B2
Compositions, methods of manufacture and methods of treatment for post-myocardial infarction are herein disclosed. In some embodiments, the composition includes at least two components. In one embodiment, a first component can include a first functionalized polymer and a substance having at least one cell adhesion site combined in a first buffer at a pH of approximately 6.5. A second component can include a second buffer in a pH of between about 7.5 and 9.0. A second functionalized polymer can be included in the first or second component. In some embodiments, the composition can include at least one cell type and/or at least one growth factor. In some embodiments, the composition(s) of the present invention can be delivered by a dual bore injection device to a treatment area, such as a post-myocardial infarct region.
US07732181B2
The invention relates to modified neomycin phosphotransferase genes and their use in a selection method for high-producing recombinant cells. The invention further relates to expression vectors which contain a modified neomycin phosphotransferase gene and a gene of interest functionally linked to a heterologous promoter and a method of preparing heterologous gene products using these expression vectors.
US07732179B2
A mutant of PQQ-dependent soluble glucose dehydrogenase (s-GDH; EC 1.1.5.2) is provided with improved specificity for glucose as compared to maltose, having a substitution of threonine at position 348 by either glycine, alamine or serine, wherein said mutant additionally comprises, at least one mutation for improving the stability of the mutant and one or more mutation(s) for improving the affinity of the mutant to glucose, and/or one or more mutation(s) for further improving the specificity of the mutant for glucose as compared to maltose, and wherein position 348 correspond to the amino acid positions known from the A. calcoaceticus s-GDH wild-type sequence. Also disclosed are genes encoding such mutant s-GDH, and different applications of these s-GDH mutants, particularly for determining the concentration of glucose in a sample.
US07732178B2
The present invention relates to novel laccase enzymes obtainable from the strains of the genus Thielavia or from the strains of the genus Chaetomium. The invention relates also to nucleic acid sequences encoding the enzymes, recombinant hosts into which the nucleic acid sequences have been introduced and to methods for the production of the enzymes in recombinant hosts. The enzymes of the invention are suitable for several applications, for example for treating denim and for strain removal.
US07732170B2
The present invention provides a process for growing eukaryotic microorganisms which are capable of producing lipids, in particular lipids containing polyenoic fatty acids. The present invention also provides a process for producing eukaryotic microbial lipids.
US07732167B2
Polypeptides and multimeric polypeptides capable of binding interferon α and/or interferon β which are useful therapeutically in methods of treating interferon α/β-related conditions or diseases.
US07732164B2
Nucleic acid molecules which encode a branching enzyme from a bacterium of the genus Neisseria, vectors, host cell, plant cells and plants containing said nucleic acid molecules as well as starch obtainable from the plants described are described. Furthermore, an in-vitro method for producing α-1,6-branched α-1,4-glucans on the basis of sucrose and a combination of enzymes of an amylosucrase and a branching enzyme as well as the α-1,6-branched α-1,4-glucans obtainable by said method are described.
US07732160B2
Compounds of methamphetamine derivatives having a meta-substituted alkyl linker on the benzene ring and a protective group on the nitrogen of the methamphetamine hapten. Such compounds have the structure. wherein R1 is an alkyl linker comprising 2-15 carbon atoms and 0-6 heteroatoms, R2 is a leaving group, and R3 is a protecting group.
US07732155B2
Nucleic acid molecules identified in encode lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC) acyltransferases. Over-expression of the LPC acyltransferases in a cell may lead to enhanced production of PUFA, or other unusual fatty acids, and/or to increased oil content in the cell.
US07732138B2
The present invention discloses the use of Allele-Specific-Oligonucleotide (ASO) as a detection assay for human HLA classification. Using Reversed-Dot-Blotting format and flow through hybridization process, more efficient, faster and less expensive HLA classification can be achieved. A simplified procedure for HLA genotyping is also described. This invention further provides a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)-based DNA fingerprining method for rapid and accurate genotyping, identification as well as DNA analyses of genetic data from human beings and different organisms. In addition this invention also discloses a new device for rapid and sensitive analyses of nucleic acids, proteins and other analysts for diagnosis.
US07732135B2
A genetic marker of food allergy is disclosed. The marker comprises variants of IL-4 receptor alpha, IL13 and CD14.
US07732133B2
In the case when there are two objective biological activities, and the aim is to isolate a compound having at least one biological activity, the present inventors developed an assay method wherein a common detection marker is utilized for separately detecting the presence or absence of each of the biological activities. The present inventors discovered that a compound having at least one of two or more distinct biological activities can be efficiently and conveniently detected by simultaneously assaying at least one test sample or more by the above-mentioned method. Furthermore, for a test sample that proved to be positive by the detection method, they found that it is possible to efficiently and conveniently screen for a test sample having an objective specific biological activity by combining with a method wherein an individual activity of a test sample can be detected to specify the biological activity.
US07732124B2
A color-image forming method in a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material, having the steps of: performing exposure of the light-sensitive material cut into sheets; and subjecting the exposed light-sensitive material sheets to photographic processing, while conveying them with conveying rollers, with the sheet conveying speed being 40.0 to 100 mm/sec; wherein the light-sensitive material to be exposed contains any of: 1) a dye-forming coupler of formula (IA), 2) a compound of formula (I), and 3) 1.4 mg/m2 or more of a compound of formula (II); wherein R′ and R″ are a substituent; Z is a hydrogen atom, or a coupling split-off group; A is an alkyl group, M is a cation, and R is an atom or group having 100 or lower total molecular weight.
US07732117B2
The main object of the present invention is to provide a photocatalyst composition and a photocatalyst containing layer showing a high activity in a short period of time, and a pattern formed body using the photocatalyst containing layer.To attain the object, the invention provides a photocatalyst composition containing at least a photocatalyst, characterized by including a portion with the signal intensity of the electron spin resonance spectrum derived from the hydroxy radical increased to 1,000 times or more in 1 second within 600 seconds of the start of the ultraviolet ray irradiation at the time of measuring the electron spin resonance spectrum while irradiating the ultraviolet ray.
US07732116B2
The present invention is an electrophotographic photoconductor having a photosensitive layer on a conductive substrate. The photosensitive layer contains N-arylphthalimides additives.
US07732113B2
In an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a support, a conductive layer formed on the support, an intermediate layer formed on the conductive layer, and a photosensitive layer formed on the intermediate layer, the conductive layer has been formed by using a conductive layer coating fluid which contains TiO2 particles coated with oxygen deficient SnO2 having an average particle diameter of from 0.20 μm or more to 0.60 μm or less, and has a volume resistivity of from more than 8.0×108 Ωcm to 1.0×1011 Ωcm or less. The electrophotographic photosensitive member can keep charging lines from occurring.
US07732112B2
An imaging member includes a substrate; a charge generation layer positioned on the substrate; at least one charge transport layer positioned on the charge generation layer; and an undercoat layer positioned on the substrate on a side opposite the charge generation layer, the undercoat layer comprising a binder component and a metallic component comprising metal thiocyanate and metal oxide.
US07732106B2
Methods for etching devices used for lithography. In one aspect, a method includes etching, in a single etch, a first region and a second region on a substrate. The first region is to attenuate an intensity of the zero diffraction order of a radiation for patterning of a microelectronic device to a first extent. The second region is to attenuate the intensity of the zero diffraction order of the radiation to a second extent. The second extent being sufficiently different from the first extent to improve a quality of the patterned microelectronic device.
US07732096B2
An uncycled preconditioned electrode for a non-aqueous lithium electrochemical cell including a lithium metal oxide having the formula xLi2−yHyO.xM′O2.(1−x)Li1−zHzMO2 in which 0
US07732093B2
This invention relates to non-aqueous electrolytes, in particular, a non-aqueous electrolyte for lithium-ion secondary batteries. The electrolyte comprises regular organic solvents and electrolyte saline. The special characteristics are: the electrolyte also comprises mixed additives, said mixed additives comprising at least one of those of compound group A, at least one of those of compound group B, and one of those of compound group C wherein: compound group A are selected from inorganic saline including Li2CO3, Li2SO4, Li2SO3, LiNO3; compound group B are selected from vinylene carbonate, propylene carbonate; and compound group C are selected from ES, PS, DMS, DES, DMSO. The weight ratio can be A:B:C=0.1%-3.0%:0.5%-4.0%:1.0%-5.0%.
US07732066B2
Surface-coated machining tools in particular utilized in routing, slitting and drilling processes on printed circuit boards onto which integrated circuits and various electronic parts are populated. A cemented-carbide base material containing tungsten carbide and cobalt, with the cobalt inclusion amount being 4 weight % or more and 12 weight % or less, is furnished. A compound thin film made up of a combination of one or more elements selected from the group titanium, chromium, vanadium, silicon and aluminum, and one or more selected from carbon and nitrogen, is coated over the cemented-carbide base material. The compound thin film is coated in at least a single layer.
US07732049B2
Pellets encapsulating selenium or a compound of selenium comprise one hollow cavity filled with the selenium surrounded by a matrix which is able to form an eutectic with at least one of the constituents of a batch of molten raw materials for the manufacture of glass.
US07732046B2
The present invention discloses an adhesive article. The adhesive article comprises a first layer comprising a fluid transport substrate, comprising a low molecular weight hydrophilic polymer resin, the first layer having a first major surface and a second major surface. The adhesive article additionally comprises a second layer comprising a fluid transportable ink, the second layer being associated with the second major surface of the second layer. The adhesive article also comprises an adhesive layer.
US07732045B2
A film for a membrane structure, which comprises a film substrate containing a fluororesin, a photocatalyst layer and an interlayer interposed between the film substrate and the photocatalyst layer, wherein the fluororesin is at least one member selected from the group consisting of an ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer, a polyvinyl fluoride and a polyvinylidene fluoride; the interlayer contains an organic-inorganic hybrid polymer obtained by hydrolyzing/co-condensing at least one member selected from the group consisting of an organosilane, a hydrolysate of an organosilane and a condensate of an organosilane, and a silyl group-containing organic polymer; and the mass remaining ratio of the organic-inorganic hybrid polymer is from 50 to 80% at 500° C. measured by thermogravimetric analysis.
US07732043B2
A ceiling tile product and method in which a slurry formed mat primarily comprising mineral wool and binder is provided with a binder enhancement zone at its face. The binder enhancement zone can reduce the total required latex content, reduce the amount of finish or paint needed to achieve a commercially acceptable color and improve noise reduction.
US07732042B2
A laminated glass and an interlayer film for laminated glasses are provided, which have the high performance for mitigating the impact given externally and, particularly in the case of using it as glass for vehicles, and which have the high performance for mitigating the impact when a person's head comes into collision with the glass due to the occurrence of a personal accident. Also provided is a laminated glass, wherein at least an interlayer film for laminated glasses and a glass sheet are laminated and unified, Head Injury Criteria (HIC) values, measured according to regulations of European Enhanced Vehicle-safety Committee; EEVC/WG 17, being 1,000 or lower.
US07732037B2
A conductive porous material includes a matrix having a sintered compact of an oxide, a communicating opening formed in the matrix, having a small diameter and being permeable to gas and impermeable to substance other than gas, and a conductive layer provided on an internal wall of the communicating opening and receiving a current to generate heat. As conductive material is used, an organic substance adheres on the internal wall of communicating opening. To address this, conductive layer is caused to generate heat to decompose and thus remove the organic substance and thus prevent the communicating opening from clogging.
US07732036B2
There is provided an absorbent pad with contoured and/or complex shapes, and/or an absorbent pad having a single, double, or multi-layer islands. There is also provided methods for manufacturing such absorbent pads.
US07732035B2
A base for a plastic container is disclosed. The base includes a central vertical axis; an outer supporting annular portion for supporting said container on a surface; a central portion of the base, the central portion provided about said central vertical axis; and a base portion. The base portion extends between the annular portion and the central support portion of the base. The base portion includes at least two lugs that extend radially from a position adjacent the annular portion towards the central portion, the lugs including at least two stepped segments.
US07732033B2
Thermoplastic sealants and methods for forming a joint, such as a weld joint, between one or more structural members using thermoplastic sealants are provided. The thermoplastic sealants have melting temperatures lower than the melting temperature of at least one of the structural members. The thermoplastic sealants may further include fillers, and are disposed between faying surfaces of the structural members. The sealants can fill the spaces between the structural members to prevent the entry of chemicals, moisture, debris and other substances.
US07732031B1
A system including multiple items releasably secured on a smooth carrier sheet having a plurality of, or groups of striations ranging in depth from 5 to 99 percent of the thickness of the carrier sheet. In one exemplary embodiment, a first group of striation includes a plurality of parallel striations oriented generally along one axis, and a second group of striations includes a plurality of parallel striation oriented generally along a second axis. During shipment, the adhesive retains sufficient traction to the carrier sheet by engaging the striations to substantially eliminate the lateral movement or sliding of the items from their original position on the carrier sheet. When removed from the carrier sheet, the adhesive releases from the carrier sheet and remains retained by the items even though the adhesive partially flowed into the carrier sheet striations.
US07732029B1
A coating composition may include a fluoropolymer; a plurality of carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotubes are substantially non-agglomerated and substantially uniformly dispersed in the fluoropolymer; and a coupling agent. The coupling agent may include a first functional group, a second functional group, and a linking group. The first functional group may be bonded to the carbon nanotubes. The second functional group may be bonded to the fluoropolymer. The linking group may bond the first functional group to the second functional group.
US07732024B2
A homeotropic alignment liquid crystal film is provided with a liquid crystalline substance containing a side chain liquid crystalline compound having an oxetanyl group, as a constituent, aligned homeotropically on an alignment substrate while being in a liquid crystal state and fixed in the homeotropic alignment by allowing the oxetanyl group to react. Thus, the homeotropic alignment liquid crystal film can be stably produced without necessitating a complicated step such as light irradiation under an inert gas atmosphere and is excellent in alignment retainability after being fixed in the homeotropic alignment and in mechanical strength.
US07732023B2
A liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase that includes two components, wherein the first component is at least one compound selected from the group of compounds represented by formula (1), and the second component is at least one compound selected from the group of compounds represented by formula (2): wherein R1 is alkyl having 1 to 12 carbons, alkoxy having 1 to 12 carbons or alkenyl having 2 to 12 carbons; R2 and R3 are each independently alkyl having 1 to 12 carbons, alkoxy having 1 to 12 carbons, alkenyl having 2 to 12 carbons or alkenyl having 2 to 12 carbons in which arbitrary hydrogen is replaced by fluorine; ring A and ring B are each independently 1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,3-dioxan-2,5-diyl, 1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene or 2,5-pyrimidine; Z1 is a single bond, ethylene, carbonyloxy or difluoromethyleneoxy; X1 and X2 are each independently hydrogen or fluorine; and p is 0, 1 or 2.
US07732022B2
Disclosed are fluorostilbene compounds of formula I, liquid-crystal media which comprise these compounds, the use of the media in electro-optical displays, in particular in VAN LCDs, and a process for the preparation of these compounds.
US07732021B2
The invention relates to liquid-crystalline compounds of the formula I and to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds, characterised in that it comprises one or more compounds of the formula I in which R1, X, L1, L2 and L3 have the meanings indicated in Claim 1.
US07732016B2
A silane film that can be used in a wide range of environments, on metals of engineering interest, as a standalone process or as a primer for a top-coating by common paint systems. The film generally comprises: a) at least one bis-silane; b) a water soluble or dispersible polymer; c) nanoparticles; and, d) a water soluble solvent. It is also within the scope of the present invention to include a leachable inhibitor into the silane film. In sum, the present invention teaches a silane composition that may be applied by dipping, wiping, spraying, brushing, or other conventional techniques, whereby the film composition provides a metal treatment that is water soluble and may provide the availability of the coating to “heal” by utilizing a leachable inhibitor whenever damage occurs from scrapes or scratches.
US07732009B2
A method of cleaning a reaction chamber having a wafer holder is provided. First, the reaction chamber is cleaned by a cleaning gas. Next, a protection film is formed on the inner surface of the reaction chamber, wherein a gap is formed between the protection wafer and the wafer holder, and a cooling gas is guided therebetween simultaneously.
US07732008B2
A process for the production or coating of granules in a fluidized bed, which includes heating a fluidized-bed gas to produce the fluidized bed, and applying a liquid medium containing a granule-forming or coating-forming compound, or at least one reaction component therefore, by spraying particles located in the fluidized bed and at a same time vaporizing an organic solvent contained in the liquid medium, said particles having a smaller mean diameter than that of particles to be produced. The process also includes partial condensation of an organic solvent from at least a portion of a fluidized-bed waste gas leaving the fluidized bed, and re-heating the fluidized bed-gas leaving the condensation device and reintroducing the re-heated gas into the fluidized bed.
US07732004B2
A dispenser for a liquid crystal display panel includes a table for loading a substrate having at least one image display unit and being horizontally driven in a driving direction of a long side or a short side of the substrate, at least one support member to be horizontally driven in a driving direction perpendicular to the driving direction of the table, and at least one syringe aligned on the support member to supply a dispensing material to the substrate.
US07731997B2
Various packages for food products are provided herein. In one embodiment, a food package has a rectangular substantially planar rigid bottom wall; two slanted side/side walls extending angularly upwardly from the bottom wall, each forming an angle of from about 55 to about 75 degrees from vertical axes extending orthogonally from a plane formed by the bottom wall; and a rectangular opening opposite the bottom wall, the opening larger in area than the rectangular rigid bottom wall. A top side wall and a bottom side wall extend upwardly from the bottom wall; and a flexible film extends over the opening and seals the opening. The side walls are configured to engage and hold the food product, each side wall being angularly ramped and extending downward and inward toward the bottom wall, and having at least one wall which extends downwardly from the angularly upward extending side wall.
US07731985B2
A method is provided for the antimicrobial treatment of a surface which comprises the contacting a surface with substituted 4-aminopyrimidines.
US07731984B2
The present invention describes substantially pure cultures of three new species of fungi, Meira geulakonigae (CBS 110052), Meira argovae (CBS 110053) and Acaromyces ingoldii (CBS 110050) (all nom. prov.), wherein said cultures are biologically pure. The conditioned medium for all three new fungi species is also described, as well as their biologically active products. The biological product of the three new fungi species and their conditioned medium has miticidal and fungicidal activities. Thus, a composition for the control of mites and/or phytopathogenic fungi comprising a biocontrol agent derived from any one of the three new fungi species is also described, optionally comprising an agriculturally compatible carrier. Finally, the present invention describes a method for producing a fungicide and/or a miticide, wherein the active ingredient of said fungicide/miticide is any one of M. geulakonigae, M. argovae, or A. ingoldii, or any combination thereof, and/or a culture thereof, and/or any product or derivative thereof, comprising culturing said fungus and optionally isolating said active ingredient from the culture.
US07731982B2
The invention concerns an O/W emulsifier, an O/W emulsion prepared therefrom and the uses thereof. According to the invention the O/W emulsifier contains (a) 70 to 90 wt. % of glyceryl oleate citrate and (b) 10 to 30 wt. % of a viscosity modifier having a viscosity in the range from 1 to 10,000 mPas.
US07731980B2
The invention discloses the Chlamydia PMPE and PMPI polypeptide, polypeptides derived therefrp, (PMP-derived polypeptides), nucleotide sequences encoding said polypeptides, antibodies that specifically bind the PMP polypeptides and PMP-derived polypeptides and T-cells specific for PMP polypeptides and PMP-derived polypeptides. Also disclosed are prophylactic and therapeutic compositions, including immunogenic compositions, e.g., vaccines, comprising PMP polypeptides or PMP-derived polypeptides or antibodies thereto. The invention additionally discloses methods of inducing in animals an immune response to Chlamydia cells, Chlamydia elementary bodies, and/or cells expressing Chlamydial proteins, e.g., cell infected with Chlamydia.
US07731974B2
The present invention provides mutant viruses with a decreased ability to block nuclear transport of mRNA or protein in an infected cell which are attenuated in vivo. The mutant viruses of the present invention may also be capable of triggering the anti-viral systems of normal host cells while remaining sensitive to the effects of these systems. The present invention further provides for the use of the mutant viruses in a range of applications including, but not limited to, as therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and infections, as vaccines and adjuvants, as viral vectors, and as oncolytic and cytolytic agents for the selective lysis of malignant or infected cells.
US07731957B1
A novel computational method and generation of mutant butyrylcholinesterase for cocaine hydrolysis is provided. The method includes molecular modeling a possible BChE mutant and conducting molecular dynamics simulations and hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical calculations thereby providing a screening method of possible BChE mutants by predicting which mutant will lead to a more stable transition state for a rate determining step. Site-directed mutagenesis, protein expression, and protein activity is conducted for mutants determined computationally as being good candidates for possible BChE mutants, i.e., ones predicted to have higher catalytic efficiency as compared with wild-type BChE. In addition, mutants A199S/A328W/Y332G, A199S/F227A/A328W/Y332G, A199S/S287G/A328W/Y332G, A199S/F227A/S287G/A328W/Y332G, and A199S/F227A/S287G/A328W/E441D all have enhanced catalytic efficiency for (−)-cocaine compared with wild-type BChE.
US07731954B2
A skin dressing, particularly a wound dressing, comprises oxidoreductase enzyme and, optionally, peroxidase enzyme, wherein the enzyme(s) are present in hydrated condition, e.g. being present in one or more hydrated hydrogels. The dressing is used by being located on the skin of a human or animal e.g. over a wound. The oxidoreductase enzyme catalyses a reaction that produces hydrogen peroxide from an appropriate substrate, the substrate either being naturally present in body fluids and/or being supplied separately and/or being incorporated into the dressing. The currently preferred oxidoreductase enzyme is glucose oxidase. The catalyses reaction of β-D-glucose substrate to give hydrogen peroxide and gluconic acid. A mixture of oxidoreductase enzyme can undergo reaction (optionally catalysed by the peroxidase enzyme) to produce a variety of species including reactive oxygen intermediates that have antimicrobial properties and that can therefore assist in promoting wound healing.
US07731948B2
A stabilized HSA-free liquid pharmaceutical composition is described, which comprises an interferon (IFN), wherein said formulation is a solution that comprises a buffer, an amino acid and an antioxidant. Preferably, the interferon is human recombinant IFN-beta.
US07731947B2
A liquid composition in an osmotic drug delivery system and a dosage form in an osmotic drug delivery system is disclosed comprising an amphiphilic molecule, a non-aqueous liquid solvent, and a pharmaceutically active agent.
US07731945B2
A method for overcoming immune suppression includes the steps of inducing production of naïve T cells and restoring T cell immunity. A method of vaccine immunotherapy includes the steps of inducing production of naïve T cells and exposing the naïve T cells to endogenous or exogenous antigens at an appropriate site. Additionally, a method for unblocking immunization at a regional lymph node includes the steps of promoting differentiation and maturation of immature dendritic cells at a regional lymph node and allowing presentation of processed peptides by resulting mature dendritic cells, thus, for example, exposing tumor peptides to T cells to gain immunization of the T cells. Further, a method of treating cancer and other persistent lesions includes the steps of administering an effective amount of a natural cytokine mixture as an adjuvant to endogenous or exogenous administered antigen to the cancer or other persistent lesions; preferably the natural cytokine mixture is administered in combination with thymosin α1.
US07731936B2
Provided are radiolytically and metabolically stable metal complexes based on tetrathiol ligands useful for nuclear medical diagnostics and in endoradionuclide therapy. Methods for their preparation are also provided. The complexes can have a central ligand, Y, that can be 99mTcO, 186ReO, 188ReO, 99mTcN, 186ReN or 188ReN.
US07731933B2
An insulating target material for obtaining an insulating complex oxide film represented by a general formula AB1-XCXO3, an element A including at least Pb, an element B including at least one of Zr, Ti, V, W, and Hf, and an element C including at least one of Nb and Ta.
US07731923B2
The invention relates to a method for simultaneously producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide consisting in generating a synthesis gas and in processing it by decarbonising and removing water and remaining carbon dioxide by passing said gas through a bed of adsorbents, in separating remaining components by forming at least one H2 rich flow, a CO flow containing at least one type of impurity selected from nitrogen and argon, a methane-rich purge gas flow and a flash gas flow. The inventive method also consists in regenerating the bed of adsorbents by passing a regeneration gas comprising at least one non-zero proportion of the formed H2 flow and in recycling at least the purge and flash gases for feeding the synthesis gas generation stage.
US07731921B2
A process for sequestration of carbon dioxide comprising the following steps: (a) dispersing solid waste material comprising calcium oxide and a calcium-comprising mixed oxide in water to dissolve at least part of the calcium oxide and to form calcium oxide-depleted solid waste material in a calcium hydroxide solution; (b) separating the calcium hydroxide solution from the calcium oxide-depleted solid waste material; (c) converting the calcium hydroxide in the separated calcium hydroxide solution in precipitated calcium carbonate; and (d) contacting an aqueous slurry of the calcium oxide-depleted solid waste material with carbon dioxide for mineral carbonation of the carbon dioxide to form carbonated solid waste material.
US07731920B2
The present invention relates to a method and system for recovery of waste.
US07731918B2
A method and device for loading a catalyst into a chamber. The catalyst loading is well suited for production of hydrogen producing microreactors. The catalyst is coated onto a strip which is mountable within the chamber.
US07731905B2
An apparatus produces a probe carrier by discharging plural kinds of liquids respectively containing plural kinds of probes capable of specifically bonding to a target substance on a carrier. The apparatus includes a liquid discharge device, a positioning device for determining a position between the liquid discharge device and the carrier, and moving the carrier in the scanning direction, an application information detector to detect application information of discharged liquids, and a defective spot detector to detect defective spots where the liquids are not applied. Also included are a discharge data forming device for forming data on the defective spots, a processor for counting a number of redrawings, and a secondary scanning direction driver for relatively moving the carrier in a secondary scanning direction. In the apparatus, redrawing is performed according to discharge data, and when the number of redrawings exceeds a prescribed number, a message of abnormality is outputted.
US07731896B2
The present invention provides a low alloy steel and a weld joint thereof excellent in hydrochloric acid corrosion resistance and sulfuric acid corrosion resistance, said low alloy steel containing, in mass, C: 0.001 to 0.2%, Si: 0.01 to 2.5%, Mn: 0.1 to 2%, Cu: 0.1 to 1%, Mo: 0.001 to 1%, Sb: 0.01 to 0.2%, P: 0.05% or less, and S: 0.05% or less, with the balance consisting of Fe and unavoidable impurities; and the acid corrosion resistance index AI of said low alloy steel being zero or positive. Here, said AI is given by the following expression, AI/10,000=0.0005+0.045×Sb %−C %×Mo %, where % means mass %.
US07731890B2
Stents and methods of manufacturing a stents with enhanced fracture toughness are disclosed.
US07731873B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for making an ophthalmic lens. Apparatus are provided for filling contact lens shaped cavities of contact lens molding assemblies. Methods of coupling and fusing contact lens mold sections are also provided and generally include providing first and second mold sections which, when coupled together, are effective to form a lens-shaped cavity and contact regions between the mold sections. One or both of the mold sections may include one or more recessed regions or projections which provide areas of non-fusion and areas of fusion, respectively, when the mold sections have been filled with a contact lens precursor material and are fused together, for example, by focused ultrasound energy.
US07731867B2
The invention is directed to conductive polymer compositions, catalytic ink compositions (e.g., for use in screen-printing), electrodes produced by deposition of an ink composition, as well as methods of making, and methods of using such compositions and electrodes. An exemplary ink material comprises a metal catalyst (e.g., platinum black and/or platinum-on-carbon), graphite as a conducting material, a polymer binding material, and an organic solvent. In one aspect, the polymer binding material comprises a polymer binder blend comprising first and second polymers, wherein the first polymer has a glass transition temperature higher than the second polymer. In a second aspect, the polymer binding material comprises a hydrophilic acrylic polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer. The conductive polymer compositions of the present invention may be used, for example, to make electrochemical sensors. Such sensors may be used, for example, in a variety of devices to monitor analyte amount or concentrations in subjects.
US07731857B2
A method for treating a process water from a bitumen recovery process in order to obtain carbon dioxide from the process water, which method includes lowering the pH of the process water, thereby causing carbon dioxide to evolve from the process water as evolved carbon dioxide gas. The evolved carbon dioxide gas may be collected and compressed, and water vapour associated with the evolved carbon dioxide gas may be separated from the evolved carbon dioxide gas. After the carbon dioxide has been obtained from the process water, the process water and the water vapour separated from the evolved carbon dioxide gas may be recycled back to the bitumen recovery process. The evolved carbon dioxide gas may be stored for future use or sale. The method may also include heating the process water in order to reduce the solubility of carbon dioxide in the process water.
US07731856B2
A method of treating waste matter from animals, the method comprising: a) collecting waste matter from the animals; b) inhibiting urease activity in said collected waste matter; and c) separating said urease-activity inhibited waste matter into a urea-rich fraction and a urea-lean fraction; a system for treating waste matter from animals; a urea-lean biogas fuel product; a urea-rich animal waste-matter product; a method of controlling the content of nitrogen in manure from animals; a method of reducing gaseous ammonia in stables for animals; a stable for animals; a biogas reactor system for producing biogas from waste matter from animals; a method of producing urea from waste matter of animals; a method of producing urea formaldehyde; and a method of producing biogas fuel from waste matter of animals.
US07731851B2
The present invention relates to wastewater treatment in general and to methods of controlling odors and degrading compounds contained in wastewater in particular.
US07731850B2
An apparatus and method for treating wastewater are provided. The method for treating wastewater includes: a pre-treatment step of removing impurities contained in high concentration wastewater and crushing the impurities using a crusher; a first aerobic treatment step of supplying wastewater containing organic acids to a first aerobic tank and injecting air to the first aerobic tank to be aerobically treated; an anaerobic treatment step of supplying the wastewater, from which excess organic acids are removed by the aerobic treatment, to an anaerobic tank to be anaerobically treated; a degassing step of supplying the wastewater treated in the aerobic and anaerobic treatment steps to a degassing tank to remove air and gas; and a post-treatment step of precipitating the wastewater aerobically treated using a solid-liquid separation tank, a pressure floatation tank or a precipitation tank.
US07731847B2
An submersible desalination unit composed of a structure containing a water intake system for acquiring sea water, a sea water pre-filtration system for removing lager contaminants and debris, a reverse osmosis system for the purification of the water, a permeate transfer system to carry the water to where it will be used, a power source for powering the equipment used in the process and a control system that operates and monitors the equipment and process of removing salt from the water and transferring the desalinated water to other use and returning the brine solution to the sea.
US07731846B1
A grease collection system for collecting and storing cooking grease for disposal by a user. The grease collection system includes an inlet assembly being designed for being coupled to a cabinet. The inlet assembly is designed for receiving the cooking grease to be disposed of by the user. A collection assembly is in fluid communication with the inlet assembly whereby the collection assembly is designed for receiving and storing the cooking grease from the inlet assembly to be selectively disposed of by the user. A hose member is fluidly coupled between the inlet assembly and the collection assembly. The hose member provides fluid communication between the inlet assembly and the collection assembly whereby the hose member is designed for permitting the cooking grease to flow from the inlet assembly to the collection assembly when the inlet assembly receives the cooking grease from the user.
US07731830B2
An electroformed tool has an integrated base with channels contacting the tool with heat exchange fluids flowing through the channels during molding or embossing. A blank base is machined with a network of interconnected open channels on a top surface and end flow through passageways communicating with the channels. The tool is used as an electrode to erode the top surface of the blank base using plunge electro discharge machining by lowering the uneven deposit on the bottom of the electroformed tool down onto the top surface of the blank base in the electro discharge machining environment to form a top contoured surface to mate with the uneven deposit on the non-molding side of the substrate. Thermal management fluid channels are thereby conformal to the mold cavity. The tool and base are sealed together.
US07731824B2
Methods and systems for controlling operating conditions of electrolytic cells are provided, particularly aluminum electrolytic cells. The method may includes the steps of measuring offgas temperature from the electrolytic cell, comparing the measured offgas temperature to a target offgas temperature, and completing a predetermined action in response to the comparing step. The predetermined action may include one or more of changing a feed rate of feed materials supplied to the electrolytic cell or inspecting a crust of the electrolytic cell for an undesired condition, such as a crust hole. The system may include an electrolytic cell adapted to contain a molten metal mixture, a hopper adapted to provide feed material to the electrolytic cell, a hood adapted to contain offgas from the electrolytic cell, an exhaust duct interconnected to the hood and containing a thermocouple for measuring offgas temperature, and a control panel for receiving temperature measurements from the thermocouple.
US07731823B2
An acoustic system for applying vibratory energy including a horn connected to an ultrasonic energy source. The horn defines an overall length and wavelength, and at least a leading section thereof is comprised of a ceramic material. The leading section has a length of at least ⅛ the horn wavelength. In one preferred embodiment, an entirety of the horn is a ceramic material, and is mounted to a separate component, such as a waveguide, via an interference fit. Regardless, by utilizing a ceramic material for at least a significant portion of the horn, the ultrasonic system of the present invention facilitates long-term operation in extreme environments such as high temperature and/or corrosive fluid mediums. The present invention is useful for fabrication of metal matrix composite wires.
US07731814B2
Leather sheet material is made by hydroentangling a web (4) of mixed reclaimed leather fibers and synthetic fibers. The synthetic fibers are meltable bicomponent fibers which are heated prior to entanglement to fuse and form a supporting network for the leather fibers. A sheet of tissue paper (1a) is laid over the surface of the leather fiber web (4) and hydroentanglement jets (16) are directed through the tissue paper into the web.
US07731810B2
A nanocomposite comprising a plurality of nanoparticles dispersed in a molybdenum-based matrix, and an x-ray tube component formed from such a nanocomposite. The nanocomposite contains volume fraction of nanoparticle dispersoids in a range from about 2 volume percent to about 20 volume percent. A method of making such molybdenum-based nanocomposites is also disclosed.
US07731807B2
A high-performance stainless steel sheet which has a high strength which is optimal for a gasket for use in high-performance engines of automobiles and motorcycles and which also has excellent workability and fatigue properties and a method for its manufacture are provided.At least in a region from the surface of the sheet up to 3 μm in the thickness direction, nitrogen compounds of at least 10 nm and at most 200 nm are present in an amount of at least 200 per 100 μm2. The number of nitrogen compounds of at least 10 nm and at most 200 nm in a region from the sheet surface up to 3 μm in the thickness direction of the sheet is at least 2 times the number of nitrogen compounds of this size in the central portion of the sheet thickness.
US07731800B2
Inventive methods and systems of cleaning patterned integrated circuit (“IC”) substrates are described. The cleaning methods of the present invention include: (1) providing the patterned integrated circuit substrate having thereon poly silicon lines adjacent to each other; (2) charging a solution, which contains at least a solute selected to promote cleaning of the patterned integrated circuit substrate, to produce a charged solution, wherein at least a portion of the solute is present as clusters in the charged solution; and (3) conveying the charged solution for cleaning the patterned integrated circuit substrate.
US07731790B2
The invention concerns a conditioned composition comprising at least a liquid absorbed on a support containing a precipitated silica, said silica being in the form of substantially spherical beads and having: a mean pellet size greater than 150 μm; a filling density in compact state(DRT) greater than 0.29; an oversize rate for a grid with mesh aperture size of 75 μm of at least 92% by weight. The invention also concerns the use of such a silica as a support for liquid.
US07731783B2
A continuous pressure letdown system connected to a hopper decreases a pressure of a 2-phase (gas and solid) dusty gas stream flowing through the system. The system includes a discharge line for receiving the dusty gas from the hopper, a valve, a cascade nozzle assembly positioned downstream of the discharge line, a purge ring, an inert gas supply connected to the purge ring, an inert gas throttle, and a filter. The valve connects the hopper to the discharge line and controls introduction of the dusty gas stream into the discharge line. The purge ring is connected between the discharge line and the cascade nozzle assembly. The inert gas throttle controls a flow rate of an inert gas into the cascade nozzle assembly. The filter is connected downstream of the cascade nozzle assembly.
US07731781B2
The invention provides methods and apparatuses for removing aerosols and, in some cases, vapor phase contaminants, such as mercury, from a gas stream. One method is directed to the removal of additional aerosols from a gas stream from which aerosols have previously been removed by using a screen in combination with a primary aerosol collection device. Another method is directed to the removal of both aerosols and vapor phase contaminants by using a sorbent in combination with a screen. Another method is directed to the removal of vapor phase contaminants by using a catalyst to convert the contaminant to a form that is more easily removed from the gas stream and optionally injecting a chemical to increase the rate of conversion. The invention also provides various apparatuses for use in performing the various methods of the invention.
US07731777B2
The invention relates to a hydrometallurgical method for separating the precious metals and impurities of anode sludge obtained from copper electrolysis. According to the method, anode sludge copper is separated in atmospheric leaching; calcinated in two steps for separating selenium and for sulfatizing silver; the sulfatized silver is separated by leaching into a neutral aqueous solution, from which it can be separated by reduction or by extraction.
US07731776B2
Multimodal cermet compositions comprising a multimodal grit distribution of the ceramic phase and method of making are provided by the present invention. The multimodal cermet compositions include a) a ceramic phase and b) a metal binder phase, wherein the ceramic phase is a metal boride with a multimodal distribution of particles, wherein at least one metal is selected from the group consisting of Group IV, Group V, Group VI elements of the Long Form of The Periodic Table of Elements and mixtures thereof, and wherein the metal binder phase comprises at least one first element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni, Co, Mn and mixtures thereof, and at least second element selected from the group consisting of Cr, Al, Si and Y, and Ti. The method of making multimodal boride cermets includes the steps of mixing multimodal ceramic phase particles and metal phase particles, milling the ceramic and metal phase particles, uniaxially and optionally isostatically pressing the particles, liquid phase sintering of the compressed mixture at elevated temperatures, and finally cooling the multimodal cermet composition. Advantages disclosed by the multimodal cermets are high packing density of the ceramic phase, high fracture toughness and improved erosion resistance at high temperatures up to 1000° C. The disclosed multimodal cermets are suitable in high temperature erosion/corrosion applications in various chemical and petroleum environments.
US07731773B2
An emission reduction device which may be removably affixed to a diesel engine's exhaust system. The device comprises an outer casing which may be divided into a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion of which is removably attachable to the exhaust system of a diesel engine; a carcass for holding a bobbin wherein the carcass is attached to the lower portion of the outer casing at the point where the exhaust enters the outer casing and the carcass has a beveled opening in a diagonal line in its proximal part and a bobbin positioned in its distal part; one or more fibrous blanket cylinders; and a guide for arranging and securing the one or more fibrous blanket cylinders within the outer casing. The fibrous blanket cylinders may be wrapped in a wire mesh. In an alternative embodiment, a second fibrous blanket formed into a cone with the larger diameter of the cone positioned proximally may be removably inserted in the carcass.
US07731770B2
A separating apparatus includes a shroud that has a wall having a multiplicity of through-holes. At least one baffle is provided on the inner surface of the wall of the shroud. The baffle directs the airflow entering the shroud towards the central region of the shroud, thereby reducing conflicting air currents. The baffle may also be used to assist correct assembly of the separating apparatus. The baffle may be arranged to locate with a member provided on another component of the separating apparatus, such as a cyclone assembly, in order to locate that assembly in a predetermined orientation.
US07731769B2
Provided is a cyclonic dust collection unit for conveniently removing a foreign object filtered therein. The cyclonic dust collection unit includes: a first filtering chamber for filtering a first foreign object having a first size using a cyclone airflow; a second filtering chamber for filtering a second foreign object having a second size smaller than the first size of the first foreign object, the second foreign object being contained in the air passed through the first filtering chamber; a foreign object storing chamber for storing the first and/or second foreign object(s) separated through the first and second filtering chambers; a filter disposed in the first filtering chamber, for separating the first foreign object on an outer surface thereof; and a cutaway hole formed in a longitudinal direction thereof.
US07731760B2
Disclosed are certain oxazine disulfide dyes useful for the dyeing of organic materials, such as keratin fibers, preferably human hair. the dyes are for instance of the formulae
US07731756B2
There is described a biocompatible implant for the filling of a cavity in a living organism such as, for example, a bone defect or an extraction wound, comprising an open porous scaffold and/or a composite matrix comprising a plurality of inorganic or synthetic granules and a synthetic polymer matrix, and further comprising a biodegradable membrane which is interconnectibly sealed to a surface portion of the scaffold or composite matrix such, that the scaffold or composite matrix and the membrane form a single piece of matter. In one embodiment, the implant is biodegradable.
US07731752B2
The application is directed to implants that are adjustable between collapsed and expanded orientations. The collapsed orientation includes a smaller height to facilitate insertion into the patient. The expanded orientation includes a larger height for spacing and/or supporting the vertebral members. The implants generally include three or more separate sections that are nested together in the collapsed orientation. The sections move outward away from each other in the expanded orientation. An expansion means may be operatively connected to one or more of the sections to move the implants between the orientations. Methods of use are also included for moving the implants between the collapsed and expanded orientations.
US07731746B2
A radially expandable stent comprising a plurality of spaced band-like elements and intersecting links is disclosed. The band-like elements have a generally serpentine configuration to provide continuous waves of generally sinusoidal character to each band-like element. The waves are characterized by a plurality of peaks and troughs taking a generally longitudinal direction along the cylinder such that the waves in the band-like elements open as the stent is expanded from a first diameter to a second diameter. The intersecting links are substantially U-shaped and terminate in first and second shanks. The first shank of a link emanates from a region between a peak and trough on a band-like element and the second shank of the link emanates from a region between a peak and trough on an adjacent band-like element.
US07731743B2
A stent-graft having an exo-skeleton attached to a tubular graft, the tubular graft having a peripheral wall defining a lumen therein extending between first and second ends. One or more support elements, defining the exo-skeleton, are attached to the tubular graft, each support element extending generally peripherally around the tubular graft, each support element including generally axial segments and generally peripheral segments. A plurality of first fasteners attach the plurality of support elements to the wall of the tubular graft, at least one generally axial segment being slidably engaged by each first fastener. A plurality of second fasteners also attach the plurality of support elements to the wall of the tubular graft, each second fastener substantially anchoring a generally peripheral segment of the respective support element to the wall of the tubular graft. The stent-graft also includes first and second stents on the first and second ends for substantially anchoring the respective ends within a body passage.
US07731739B2
Apparatus for altering the body temperature of a patient comprises an inflatable mattress defining an interior space for receiving at least a portion of a patient's body therein. The inflatable mattress is constructed to conduct a heat transfer liquid into direct contact with the portion of the patient's body. The inflatable mattress includes a first zone inflatable to a first pressure and a second zone inflatable to a second pressure greater than the first air pressure. The inflatable mattress in an inflated condition defines a well for receiving the portion of the patient therein. A head positioner positions the patient's head so that the patient's breathing passageway remains out of contact with the heat transfer fluid. A method of adjusting the body temperature of a patient comprises filling the first and second zones, positioning the portion of the patient's body on the mattress, and directing the heat transfer liquid to contact the patient's body.
US07731731B2
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a system for widening passages in the body of a patient includes a member extendable into a patient with a proximal end and a distal end with a tip and a hollow interior extending therebetween; bristles adjacent the distal end of the member such that rotation of the proximal end of the member causes rotation of the bristles to remove material from walls of pre-existing passages in the patient and, all of the bristles are inclined away from the tip of the distal end as they extend out from the distal end; a guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end disposed within the hollow interior and extendable into the patient; and a non-rotating capture member coaxially aligned with and fixed near the guide wire distal end to be disposed within the hollow interior and extendable into the patient.
US07731726B2
A pre-tied knot is used in conjunction with a vascular closure device to approximate tissue surrounding an opening in a corporeal vessel. The pre-tied knot is positioned on a proximal end of the suture such that a distal end of the suture can be inserted through the pre-tied knot to complete the knot. A typical medical procedure as contemplated by the present invention is performed through a sheath inserted through an opening in the vessel wall to access the inside of the vessel. The device used to perform the medical procedure is then removed from the sheath and a vascular closure device is inserted through the sheath to position a suture across the vessel opening. The pre-tied knot assists in approximating tissue surrounding the vessel opening.
US07731722B2
A retrieval device for use in renal, biliary, vascular or other systems of a body includes a collapsible basket in a narrow sheath. A surgeon advances the device beyond an object to be removed from a body, such as a kidneystone, a gallstone, or a thrombus. The surgeon then retracts the sheath or advances the basket from the sheath. The basket deploys only to one side of the sheath. In some embodiments, the periphery of the basket has a flex point to enable the basket to easily collapse into the sheath. If the sheath is adjacent a body vessel, such as a blood vessel or a ureter, the sheath remains adjacent the wall, while the device deploys in such a manner as to seal against the walls of the vessel and block the flow of fragments, emboli, thrombi, or other undesirable objects.
US07731719B2
A cutting instrument for use in the complete removal of the annulus fibrosus of an intervertebral disc contains a curvature in the shaft. The curvature forms a guide that rests upon an intervertebral disc and guides the cutting head around the circumference of the intervertebral disc. The curvature of the shaft of the instrument conforms to the circumference of the intervertebral disc and prevents vessels and extra spinal tissue surrounding the intervertebral disc from being damaged particularly when cutting the posterior portion of the intervertebral disc where visibility is minimal. The cutting instruments contain blunt blade guards further minimizing any potential damage to tissue surrounding the intervertebral disc.
US07731716B1
An adaptor for an irrigation set which includes an elongated cannula having an enlarged portion opposite the operative end thereof and a downwardly extending channel removably coupled to the manifold of a standard or label suction irrigation set for suction and irrigation fluids. The manifold is connected to suction and irrigation lines through respective valves. A bracket extends downwardly from the enlarged cannula portion and a hand control panel is mounted thereon with switches to activate cutting and electrocoagulation with an electrode, which is retractable within the cannula.
US07731708B2
A hemodialysis catheter assembly adapted for use in a subcutaneous tunneling procedure incorporates a mechanism for securing the catheter hub member to the elongated catheter, and to provide the requisite fluid communication between fluid passages within the hub and the catheter lumens within the catheter. The catheter hub member may be connected to the elongated catheter after implantation of the catheter via a subcutaneous tunneling procedure.
US07731694B2
A hemostasis seal configured for use in a splittable hemostasis valve, hub, or introducer sheath to permit passage of a medical device therethrough. The seal provides a substantially fluid-tight seal around the medical device without causing excessive frictional resistance that would otherwise unduly restrict movement of the medical device through the seal. In one embodiment, the seal includes first and second resilient seal portions each having a contoured mating surface to provide a first fluid seal with respect to the medical device. The seal also may include one or more projecting portions and one or more mating receiving portions which interact to provide a second fluid seal with respect to the medical device.
US07731693B2
A coupling wire guide structured to be slidably coupled to a previously introduced wire guide. The coupling wire guide includes a main body having a distal section. The distal section includes an outer wire disposed over a safety wire. A loop wire is connected to the safety wire at two axially spaced points. At least a portion of the loop wire is positioned outside of the outer wire to define a loop area sized to receive the previously introduced wire guide.
US07731684B2
Systems and methods for treating a tissue region employ an expandable structure projecting beyond the distal end of a catheter tube. A distal tail projects beyond the far end of the basket assembly. The distal tail includes a guidewire lumen that accommodates passage of a guidewire without threading the guidewire through the catheter tube.
US07731683B2
A catheter system comprising a guidewire, an endovascular catheter, and an aspiration catheter. The guidewire has an expandable occluder mounted on a distal end. The guidewire and the endovascular catheter are insertable into a lumen of the aspiration catheter. The aspiration catheter also includes infusion and aspiration lumen(s) and port(s). Methods of using the catheter system for treating a vascular lesion and removing embolic material during the procedure are also disclosed.
US07731680B2
The disclosures made herein relate to an infusion device specifically adapted for syringe injections. In one embodiment of the disclosures made herein, an infusion device comprises a body including an accessible surface having a single inlet port therein, an engagement surface having a single outlet port therein, a medication delivery channel extending between the single inlet port and the single outlet port, and an identification feature on the accessible surface of the body adjacent to the single inlet port. The single inlet port of the medication delivery channel is tapered thereby forming a funnel-shaped entry into the medication delivery channel. A cannula is coupled to the body at the single outlet port and is adapted for receiving medication from the single outlet port and transmitting the medication therethrough.
US07731674B2
A walking assistance device having a leg link connected to a load transmit portion via a first joint and to a foot attachment portion via a second joint, and having an intermediate third joint moving such that a distance between the first joint and the second joint is variable; a drive source for the third joint; and a battery for the drive source. When in an upstanding position, force in the forward-backward direction is prevented from acting on the load transmit portion to enhance stability. Also, a moment of inertia of the leg link is decreased to curtail a load applied to the leg of the user. The drive source and the battery are located at positions higher than the third joint, and when the user is in an upstanding position, a plane passing through the second joint lies between the drive source and the battery.
US07731667B2
A biopsy needle for removal of tissue from a patient including an outer tube; an inner tube within the outer tube; and a snare connected to the inner tube and to the outer tube. The outer tube has an outer surface that has a first region that terminates in the distal end and is the distalmost section of the outer tube and a second region adjacent the first region. The first region represents a tip transition region and has a frustoconical shape that is defined by an outer surface area (A) and is defined by a cross-sectional area (Ba) at the interface between the first and second regions in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the needle, the interface representing a base of the frustoconical first region, wherein a ratio R=(A)/(Ba) is approximately 1 for a predetermined needle type, such as an 8 gauge needle.
US07731664B1
The present invention relates to a pressure sensor module for use in catheters having a pressure sensor operable to provide a signal representative of pressure. The pressure sensor includes a sensing side and a pressure reference side. At least one signal transmission media is coupled to the sensor for transmitting the signal representative of pressure. A convex-shaped carrier is provided having a slot formed to expose the sensing side of the sensor. The convex-shaped carrier is adapted for receiving the sensor such that the sensing side of the sensor is adjacent the slot. A bonding material is provided for mounting the sensor to the carrier. The pressure sensing module provides ease of installation and manufacture because the module may easily be bonded and installed within a catheter.
US07731658B2
An apparatus for monitoring a patient's blood glucose level. The apparatus includes an implantable medical device having a controller and an implantable heart sounds sensor configured to transmit signals to the controller of the implantable medical device. The controller is configured to determine if a patient is hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic based on the signals from the heart sounds sensor. A method is also disclosed that includes sensing the patient's heart sounds, determining the amplitude of the S2 heart sound, determining the length of the interval from the S1 heart sound to the S2max heart sound, determining the length of the interval from the S1 heart sound to the S2end heart sound, and determining the patient's blood glucose status based on the patient's heart sounds.
US07731652B2
A medical device for allowing a physician to unhand a scope or other instruments while maintaining control of the scope or other instruments during a medical procedure. The medical device includes at least one docks and a harness for attaching the dock to the physician's body. The harness can be adjustable, or sized to fit a specific physician. During a procedure, a physician outfitted with the medical device can place a scope and/or other instrument in the dock(s). Once the scope and/or other instrument is placed in the dock(s), the physicians hands are free to perform other procedures, while the physician continually controls the relative position of the scope with respect to the physician or the patient.
US07731646B2
A reclosable fastener (10) comprising a two-part body and a single flange (16) is located between two webs (34) of material from which a bag is to be made on a form-fill-seal machine. The fastener is attached initially to the inside of one web (34) by the flange (16). The combination passes between sealing jaws (44) to seal the webs to the fastener at thickened zones (30) at the margins of the body By making the body compact, and by using sealing jaws (44) which are longer than the body, the webs (34) form around the ends of the fastener body.
US07731641B1
An adjustable dumbbell includes a handle having a narrowed neck segment formed on each end portion and having a base plate attached to each end portion, two or more weight members each having a slot for receiving the narrowed neck segment of the handle, and each having an enlarged opening communicating with the slot for receiving the handle and for retaining the weight members to the handle when the weight members are offset from the narrowed neck segment of the handle, and a lock nut is engaged with the handle for quickly retaining the weight members to the handle after the weight members have been disengaged from the narrowed neck segment of the handle.
US07731640B1
An adjustable kettlebell includes a threaded shaft having a narrowed neck segment formed on one end portion and having a base plate attached to the other end portion, two or more weight members each having a slot for receiving the narrowed neck segment of the shaft, and each having an enlarged opening communicating with the slot for receiving the shaft and for retaining the weight members to the shaft when the weight members are offset from the narrowed neck segment of the shaft, and a lock nut is engaged with the shaft for quickly retaining the weight members to the shaft after the weight members have been disengaged from the narrowed neck segment of the shaft.
US07731637B2
The present invention relates generally to rowing machines, and, more particularly, to such rowing machines with internal environments that duplicate actual Olympic-class rowing shells in terms of both dimensions and appearance, and simulate the specific rowing motion and technique that occurs on the water.
US07731621B2
The transmission has a plurality of members that can be utilized in powertrains to provide eight forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio. The transmission includes three planetary gear sets, six torque-transmitting devices, and two fixed interconnections. The powertrain includes an engine and torque converter that is continuously connected to one of the planetary gear members and an output member that is continuously connected with another one of the planetary gear members. The six torque-transmitting devices provide interconnections between various gear members, and the transmission housing, and are operated in combinations of three to establish eight forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio.
US07731618B2
A clutch mechanism includes clutch members having an engaged position, in which torque generated by a drive is transmitted to an output, and a disengaged position, in which torque is not transmitted to the output. The clutch members are capable of slipping with respect to each other in order to prevent damage caused by overload conditions. The clutch mechanism further comprises an actuator associated with a clutch member. If the clutch members slip and a characteristic associated with slipping of the clutch members, such as the temperature rise of the slipping surfaces or the relative rotational speed of the clutch members is above a predetermined value, transmission of torque to the output is interrupted. The clutch mechanism is particularly suited for inclusion in a drive mechanism for the agitator of a surface treating appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner.
US07731617B2
In a transmission for a motor vehicle of a reduction gearing design with power branching including a main shaft and a counter shaft, a first component transmission and a planetary gear unit, power is branched to the countershaft by the first component transmission in certain gears and recombined via the planetary gear unit and a direct power transmission path is provided wherein the countershaft is decoupled selectively by means of a control device.
US07731616B2
Numerous implementations of variable motion control devices and methods of use thereof. The devices and methods provide variable output to such output devices as vehicles. The variable motion control devices are locatable between output devices and power sources, such as in vehicle transmission applications between the engine and driveline, wherein an output of a power source is input into the device, which, in turn, provides a variable output to the vehicle drive line or other output application.
US07731614B2
A differential assembly includes an electrically operated input device and a first planetary assembly in driving engagement with the input device. The first planetary assembly is drivingly connected to a first output assembly. A second planetary assembly is in driving engagement with the first planetary assembly and the second planetary assembly is drivingly connected to a second output assembly. The first planetary assembly co-acts with the second planetary assembly to provide substantially the same torque to the first and second output assemblies and the first and second planetary assemblies include axes of rotation substantially aligned with an axis of rotation of the input device.
US07731601B2
A pitch-mark repair tool to be carried by a golf club (e.g., a putter) to enable a golfer to quickly and easily repair an impact area at a putting green of a golf course caused by the impact of a golf ball striking the green during play. The pitch-mark repair tool includes a base to be affixed to the grip which surrounds one end of the golf club shaft. A plurality of upstanding earth leveling prongs project from the base for use in lifting up the earth to a level, smooth surface over the impact area to be repaired. A fastener having a set of helically wound screw threads extends through the base and the grip for receipt in the existing vent hole of the grip for holding the base against the grip. An end cap is detachably connected in surrounding engagement with the base to enclose the upstanding prongs therewithin and thereby prevent injury to the golfer. A recess is formed in the end cap within which a standard golf ball marking disk is seated so as to be readily available to the golfer for marking the position of his golf ball on a putting green.
US07731600B1
A generally cylindrical shaft has upper and lower ends and a handle at the upper end. A putter head has a forward face plate and a rear, a sole plate below and a weight plate above, a toe and a heel. The weight plate and the sole plate each have an upper and lower surface. The lower end of the shaft is coupled to the upper surface of the weight plate adjacent to the heel. An alignment assembly includes an upper line on the upper surface of the weight plate and a lower line on the upper surface of the sole plate parallel with and spaced from the toe and the heel. The upper line is located above and parallel with the lower line. The lower line extends rearwardly a greater distance than the upper line.
US07731598B1
A golf club incorporates a slope indicator on its shaft. to enable a golfer to estimate the slope of a putting green. When the golf club is placed on the ground, the slope indicator indicates a degree of slope. The golfer may engage a lock for the slope indicator. Engagement of the lock allows the golfer to lift the club off the ground to inspect the slope indicator.
US07731592B2
A universal joint yoke includes a yoke base and two yoke arms, each respectively having a through extending bearing bore, a circular arc groove having a center that is arranged on a bore axis or is off-set from the bore axis toward the yoke base, and at least one securing recess on the outer face. A separate securing element for each yoke arm has an engagement portion with an outer circumference that is adapted to the circular arc groove and engaging the same and at least one securing portion that projects from the securing element in the direction away from the center and that engages the at least one securing recess and that secures the securing element against rotation around the center. A securing device retains the securing elements on the universal joint yoke.
US07731587B2
A prize game apparatus that has plural pairs of pickup arms and can adjust the distance between the pairs of pickup arms is provided.A prize game apparatus includes: a pickup unit capable of moving in specified directions; plural pairs of pickup arms attached to the pickup unit; an opening/closing unit for opening and closing the pairs of pickup arms; and a distance adjustment unit for adjusting the distance between the pairs of pickup arms by moving the pair(s) of pickup arms; wherein a prize is picked up or released by closing or opening the pairs of pickup arms.
US07731585B2
A game system for playing a basic game, includes: slot machines which, when a combination of “BONUS” symbols stop in a winning line, transmit a signal for switching to a roulette game; a second game device, separate from the slot machines, which executes a second game; and a display for displaying an image corresponding to game status of the second game device. In cases in which the switching signal has been transmitted from any one of the slot machines, other slot machines enter a mode that allows the players at the other slot machines to participate in the second game. Furthermore, the game system includes a central controller which can communicate with the slot machines, the second game device, and the display, and which, upon reception of the switching signal from the slot machine, transmits a roulette game start signal to start the roulette game in the second game device.
US07731583B2
The present invention comprises a gaming apparatus that includes a display device comprising a display surface. The display surface comprises a plurality of indicia. A display device actuator is in communication with the display surface and is configured to move the display surface on a first predetermined path. A moveable indicator is included that is configured to indicate at least one indicia appearing on the display surface. A moveable indicator actuator is in communication with the moveable indicator and is configured to move the moveable indicator along a second predetermined path. A controller is in communication with at least one of the display device actuator and the moveable indicator actuator. The controller is configured to position at least one of the display device and the movable indicator so that the movable indicator indicates an indicia appearing on the display surface that conveys a game outcome.
US07731581B2
The invention is directed to methods and gaming units for conducting a multi-player wagering game, such as a Bingo game, in which at least one of the players may win the occurrence of the wagering game by matching a predetermined game-winning pattern of game indicia on one or more game arrays having unique combinations of game indicia based on matching the game indicia on the game arrays to game indicia randomly selected for the occurrence of the wagering game. The outcome of the multi-player wagering game may be displayed to the player at the gaming unit, along with an alternate outcome display at two or more alternate outcome display devices at the gaming unit. In one embodiment, an outcome of a Bingo game may be mapped to an outcome of a slot machine having a bonus feature such as a wheel. Outcomes of the Bingo game may then be displayed on the plurality of alternate display devices as outcomes of the slot game and accompanying bonus feature.
US07731578B2
A harvesting machine includes a self-propelled vehicle adapted for separating grain from non-grain material, a cleaning shoe and a fan for controlling air flow. The fan is positioned downstream of the cleaning shoe and the fan having an air inlet for providing air to the fan and an aspiration outlet for providing air from the fan. The fan assists in reducing static air pressure within the harvesting machine. The fan may be a centrifugal fan. The harvesting machine may further include a chopper operatively connected to the vehicle and adapted for receiving the non-grain material and chopping the non-grain material and a blower adapted for assisting in conveying the non-grain material from the chopper such as for collection in a collection container.
US07731576B2
A rigid rotor discharge deflector apparatus for a combine has a body member that is attachable to the side wall of a discharge passage at the downstream end of the rotor. The body has a face portion with at least one ridge portion thereon extending generally laterally across at least a portion of the face portion. The body also has an upper body portion above the level of the ridge portion, an upper ramp portion sloped and extending outwardly from the upper body portion to the ridge portion, and a bracing associated with the upper ramp portion maintaining the ridge portion essentially fixed relative to the side wall. The body member may also include a lower body portion below the level of the ridge portion, and the upper and lower body portions may both be attachable to the side wall.
US07731571B2
An electric sanding machine has a housing with a drive device disposed therein, a base plate disposed under the housing, and a driven shaft for driving the base plate. A sanding device is attached to the base plate. The housing has a drive device housing part substantially perpendicular to the base plate and a grip housing part substantially parallel to the base plate. A cross section of the housing in a vertical direction is substantially L-shaped. The drive device is disposed in the drive device housing part while the driven shaft is located in the grip housing part so that the drive device is departed from the driven shaft in a radius direction of the driven shaft. With this arrangement, the sanding machine is provided with stronger power and has a smaller contour size which may be controlled more effectively.
US07731570B2
The present invention is a micro-abrasive blasting device (55) with superior perturbation control via a plurality of delivery conduits (25) of various lengths and apertures. The user is able to individually open and close bypass conduit pinch valve (99) external to micro-abrasive blasting device (55) to affect the perturbation intensity internal to the mixing chamber (23). By selectively opening and closing flow through delivery conduits (25) it is possible to provide a more consistent perturbation rate and select the perturbation intensity internal to mixing chamber (23).
US07731559B1
A realistic electro-mechanical toy that can simulate lifelike purring and other vibratory sensations of animals and other creatures by transmission of vibrations to the body of the mechanical toy providing enhanced and lifelike interaction with a user. An arm is coupled to a body and includes a finger portion at an end of the arm. The finger portion is biased against a cam which is rotatably coupled to the body and includes one or more protuberances on a surface perimeter such that when the cam is rotated a vibration is transmitted to the body simulating lifelike purring and other vibratory sensations. The cam is rotated in a back and forth motion and is synchronized with a sound element producing a purring sound occurring around the time the vibration is transmitted to the body.
US07731551B2
To provide a contact, formed in an amorphous state, having better spring properties as compared to conventional one; a method for manufacturing the contact; a connection device including the contact; and a method for manufacturing the connection device.The present invention provides a contact comprising an elastically deforming portion that includes at least one amorphous part. The elastically deforming portion includes an auxiliary elastic member 41 made of, for example, NiP (a P content of 15 atomic percent). In this case, an amorphous phase 50 is predominant in the auxiliary elastic member 41. This enhances spring properties such as a yield stress.
US07731548B2
A coaxial connector having excellent shielding performance. The coaxial connector 30 includes a coaxial cable 12, an outer conductor terminal 32 connected to a top end of the coaxial cable 12, an opening portion 34, stabilizers 36, and an engaging piece 44. The opening portion 34 locks a locking piece of a connector housing used to house the coaxial connector 30, the stabilizers 36 control an insertion orientation of the coaxial connector 30 into the housing, the engaging piece 44 engages with the locking piece, and they are provided on a peripheral surface at a main section of the outer conductor terminal 32. The opening portion 34 is closed by a main section of an outer conductor terminal of a counterpart coaxial connector when the connectors are mated. The engaging piece 44 functions as a guide plane when the stabilizers 36 are inserted into a slit of the housing.
US07731547B2
An electrical contact device includes a housing having an insulating material and defining a first housing opening and a second housing opening, at least one shaft disposed in the housing, and a metal contact group disposed in the housing. The metal contact group includes a first contact connection assigned to the first housing opening and a second contact connection assigned to the second housing opening. The contact group has at least one attachment recess and the at least one shaft engages with the at least one attachment recess so as to secure the contact group.
US07731546B2
A probing apparatus can include a plurality of contact probes, which can be of a type that is disposed along an axis. Each contact probe can include a contact portion, a base portion, and resilient portion. Multiple arms can form the resilient portion, which can be disposed between the contact portion and the base portion. The contact probes can be configured to twist when compressed. The probing apparatus can also include a substrate with through holes, and the contact probes can be inserted into the through holes. The resilient portion of each of the contact probes can bias the contact portion such that at least a portion of the contact portion extends out of a through hole.
US07731533B2
A connector system is provided that includes electrical connectors, a substrate and a vibration dampening shell. The connectors each have first and second sides. The substrate has an upper surface with the connectors mounted thereon. The shell limits movement of the connectors with respect to one another and is coupled to the first sides of the connectors to limit the movement of the connectors toward and away from the upper substrate. The shell also is coupled to the second sides of the connectors to limit the movement of the connectors in directions transverse to the upper substrate surface.
US07731531B2
A power cord which prevents breakage of a plug or cord/conductors even when treated roughly, and thus has a longer life. The power cord includes a plurality of cores of a synthetic resin, each for covering a connection section of a single blade among a plurality of blades, and an outer skin of a synthetic resin, for covering the plurality of cores together such that the blades are held at a specified interval spacing so as to form a plug. The synthetic resin forming the outer skin is softer than the synthetic resin forming the cores. The outer skin includes a thicker part for covering a border part of each cord having an internal covering member between a part covered with the core and a part exposed from the core.
US07731524B2
Method and apparatus for blind docking an electronic device or module with an electrical connector, for example within a rack for a computer system. A forwardly-directed power connector is secured to a distal end of at least one rail or shelf bracket for blind docking with a rearwardly-directed power connector on the electronic module. The shelf bracket securing the forwardly-directed electrical connector is included in a pair of longitudinally-extending shelf brackets secured to opposing vertical side walls of a rack at a common elevation to form a module bay. The electronic module may slide along the shelf bracket until a rearwardly-directed power connector of the electronic module blind docks with the forwardly-directed power connector. A boss or alignment stud may be included on the bracket to improve alignment of the connectors. The forwardly-direct electrical connector may also be secured to the bracket with a floating connection to enable minor adjustments in alignment during blind docking.
US07731523B2
The invention relates to a modular electric cross connector for producing an electrically conductive connection, in particular of electric contacts (20) of relay sockets, comprising a carrier (100) and an electric bridge (200) partially received on/in the carrier (100), by means of which bridge the electrically conductive connection can be produced, wherein the carrier (100) can be mechanically connected by means of a mechanical plug connection to at least a second electric cross connector (1).
US07731520B1
An electrical connector for supplying power to a circuit board or the like. The electrical connector has a housing with contact receiving cavities extending from a wire-receiving face to a mating face. Alignment cavities are positioned adjacent the contact receiving cavities and extend from the mating face toward the wire-receiving face. Contacts are positioned in the contact receiving cavities. Each contact has a wire-receiving portion and a contact section. The wire-receiving portion has power wires terminated thereto, and the contact section is positioned in the contact receiving cavities proximate the mating face. A connector latch arm extends from the housing and has a latch projection provided proximate the mating face of the housing. The latch projection is movable relative to the housing.
US07731512B1
A grounding bracket for use with cable connectors, such as an F81 barrel connector, generally including a conductive body having a first major surface, a connector receiving area defined in the first major surface and adapted to receive the cable connector therein, and a latch member movably connected to the first major surface and positioned in communication with the connector receiving area.
