US07930254B1

Property value estimation employs a comparable sales technique that calculates a feature distance between a target property and corresponding comparable properties. Determining estimated values for properties includes performing a regression based upon property features for properties in a relatively large geographical area. A set of comparable properties from a section of the relatively large geographical area is identified, and a feature distance between each property from the set of comparable properties and a target property is calculated using information from the regression. The feature distance provides a quantified indication of the difference between each property from the set of comparable properties and the target property for the plurality of property features. An estimated value for the target property is then determined based upon a value of each of the comparable properties and adjustments based upon the calculated feature distances.
US07930233B2

System, method, and program products offer flexibility to the rather rigid way of trading in an electronic trading system. Orders for a tradeable object may typically get matched according to set terms and/or conditions at an electronic exchange. A trader may log onto the electronic exchange to trade the tradeable object, and may choose to display and trade the tradeable object according to a different set of terms and/or conditions. As such, the market data sent to the trader from the exchange is converted to a format according to the trader's selection, so that it may be presented to the trader in this format. Transaction messages sent to the exchange from the trader are converted to the format readable by the matching process, so that it can process the messages. Other features and advantages are described herein.
US07930228B1

Various methods for allowing a due diligence service provider to assist a financial institution with a regulatory or statutory compliance requirement are disclosed. The method may include receiving data from at least one recordkeeping system operatively associated with client accounts of the financial institution, wherein the account data include at least one account of a foreign financial institution; reviewing the account data to identify at least one foreign correspondent account which triggers at least one regulatory or statutory compliance requirement; eliminating account records not associated with a foreign financial institution; and, validating at least part of the account data by communicating a supplemental application to a client of the financial institution to determine applicability of the compliance requirement to the account data. Also, if it is determined that the compliance requirement is applicable to the account data, then a risk assessment may be performed for the account data using a risk ranking tool which applies a risk ranking to the account data. In addition, the method may include monitoring changes in the account data and/or activity in the account at a frequency based at least in part on the applied risk ranking.
US07930216B2

A method for processing person-to-person payments and money requests using a computer network. A payment enabler linked to the Internet enables an individual to register for an account through which the individual can make payments to other individuals, request money from other individuals, and access other functionality to facilitate the management of the individual's financial transactions. At the time an individual authorizes a payment to another person or directs the payment enabler to request money from another person, the person to whom the payment or money request is directed may, but need not, have already registered for an account with the payment enabler. To communicate with individuals, the payment enabler may use both Web pages and e-mail. An intermediary typically operates the payment enabler and acts as a conduit for the money transfer from one individual (the payor) to another individual (the payee). This enables the payor to pay through a variety of different payment methods and the payee to receive payment through a variety of different methods. Individuals may make payments from and receive money transfers into a stored value account. In addition to initiating immediate money transfer and request money transactions, an individual may use the payment enabler to schedule future or recurring transactions. Address book functionality may provide users the ability to retain information on counter parties. The address book may be integrated into the money transfer and money request interfaces to allow an individual to quickly select the counter party for a transaction.
US07930212B2

An electronic talking menu system for the visually impaired includes a battery powered portable electronic, audio output device having large back-lighted buttons corresponding to menu items. Each button corresponds to contents of the restaurant's menu, such as appetizers, drinks, seafood, desserts, etc. Pressing a particular button activates a pre-recorded description of the menu item, or menu items within the selected category. An electronic menus system thus provides a system for enabling a visually impaired person to review and select desired menu items using audio feedback. Delivery of pre-recorded content is accomplished via either a logically-managed service wherein formatted sound files are uploaded to a memory card from a personal computer via the Internet, and/or a courier-based service wherein formatted memory cards are delivered to restaurants via a third party parcel delivery service with a round-robin mailer to exchange memory cards.
US07930206B2

A computer-implemented method and system for advertising that performs the steps of delivering an electronic advertisement comprising one or more menu options and a reference to a network location for retrieving specified content associated with each menu option for inclusion in a first electronic document, receiving a selection of one or more menu options from the electronic advertisement and delivering a subsequent accessible document including content from the referenced network location associated with the menu option selected, the subsequent accessible document including the electronic advertisement.
US07930194B2

A plan of countersuit insurance provided to professionals, possibly as part of or along with their professional liability insurance, deters frivolous professional malpractice claims. The plan of insurance pays legal costs of countersuits for improper prosecution when a frivolous claim has been made and, preferably, tried to a judgment for the accused professional, and an objective review concludes that the claim was frivolous. The objective review may include initiating a disciplinary proceeding against any expert witness before a professional society to which the witness belongs, for violation of the code of conduct imposed by the society on its members. Ordinarily, such a proceeding would not be initiated unless an initial review indicated at least a possibility of frivolousness, and therefore of success in the proceeding. The outcome of the proceeding could be treated as conclusive proof of frivolousness, or could be treated as just another factor in a frivolousness determination.
US07930188B2

A computerized method and system for generation an immunization schedule for a person in healthcare environment is provided. The system receives a request for an immunization schedule for a person and obtains information from an electronic medical record of the person stored within a comprehensive healthcare system. The system obtains one or more immunization schedules and utilizes the information from the electronic medical record of the person and the immunization schedule to generate a customized immunization schedule for the person. In another embodiment, the system receives immunization information for a person and stores the immunization information in the electronic medical record of the person within a comprehensive healthcare system.
US07930186B1

A system and method for remotely connecting client computers to a communication network such as the Internet by way of a server system handling a plurality of client computers and having the capability of dynamically providing network connections to the client computers, separately billing usage time and tracking usage and preferably updating access software on the client computers.
US07930183B2

A method of analyzing dialog between a user and an interactive application having dialog turns is provided. The method includes accessing information indicative of a plurality of dialog turns between the application and at least one user and identifying instances where the application determined a response was received before an associated prompt had completed. The accessed information includes information related to operation of the application with a first grammar to recognize the response. The method includes identifying whether the response was received in a particular limited time period from when the associated prompt began. If the response was received in the limited time period, the method determines whether the response included one or more terms from the associated prompt by performing recognition on the response using a second grammar having more information related to grammar of a language than the first grammar.
US07930182B2

A machine-implemented method of building a speech application includes generating a graphical user interface to enable a user to create and edit a speech application, and receiving user inputs directed to the graphical user interface, where the user inputs specify a set of dialog flows representing the speech application. The method further includes, based on the user inputs, automatically generating executable code representing the speech application and a functional specification document describing the speech application.
US07930179B1

Systems and methods for unsupervised segmentation of multi-speaker speech or audio data by speaker. A front-end analysis is applied to input speech data to obtain feature vectors. The speech data is initially segmented and then clustered into groups of segments that correspond to different speakers. The clusters are iteratively modeled and resegmented to obtain stable speaker segmentations. The overlap between segmentation sets is checked to ensure successful speaker segmentation. Overlapping segments are combined and remodeled and resegmented. Optionally, the speech data is processed to produce a segmentation lattice to maximize the overall segmentation likelihood.
US07930177B2

In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an audio data frame having at least one channel. The channel is subdivided into a plurality of blocks, and at least two of the blocks are capable of different lengths. The embodiment further includes obtaining information from the audio signal indicating the subdivision of the channel into the blocks, and decoding the channel based on the obtained information. In one embodiment, an optimum prediction order is obtained for each block in the channel, where a prediction order indicates a number of prediction coefficients. The optimum prediction order indicates a minimum one of a global prediction order and a local prediction order. The global prediction order is determined based on a maximum permitted prediction order, and the local prediction order is determined based on a length of the block.
US07930174B2

An analog signal is sampled to provide a digitized signal and the resultant digitized signal is output to a delay element, which provides a delayed digital signal. The analog signal is also input to an analog noise detector, which provides a noise detector output signal to a digital logic unit. The digital logic unit processes the noise detector output signal to determine if noise is present in the analog signal, and provides a control signal. An amplifier receives the delayed digital signal and reduces a gain applied to the delayed digital signal in response to the control signal, and provides an amplifier output signal.
US07930164B1

A computer storage system executes a host operating system on the computer. A plurality of storage operating system simulators are executed by the host operating system, each storage operating system simulator simulating an operating system of a storage system. Input/output operations are performed between the simulators through an interprocess data pathway, the interprocess data pathway connecting storage operating system simulators.
US07930163B2

Example embodiments provide various techniques for modeling a storage environment at various times. A computer model can be composed to simulate a storage environment at various time periods. In an example, the computer model may simulate the storage environment in the past. As the storage environment is running, it continuously stores its existing state. This existing state can be accessed and a simulated workload may be applied to this previous state to identify an impact of the simulated workload on the existing state. A computer model may also simulate the storage environment in the future. Here, the future state of the storage environment may be projected from the existing state. Various extrapolation techniques may be used to project the future state of the storage environment.
US07930162B1

An integrated circuit configured for hardware co-simulation can include a command processor, a replay buffer storing a command template, wherein the command template specifies an incomplete command, and a command first-in-first out (FIFO) memory storing complementary data for completion of the command template. The integrated circuit further can include a multiplexer coupled to the command processor, the replay buffer, and the command FIFO. The multiplexer, under control of the command processor, can selectively provide data from the replay buffer or the command FIFO to the command processor. The command processor, responsive to a replay command read during a hardware co-simulation session, can enter a replay mode, obtain the command template from the replay buffer, obtain the complementary data from the FIFO memory according to a symbol read from the command template, and form a complete command by joining the command template with the complementary data.
US07930159B1

A method and apparatus are provided for multi-realm system modeling (MRSM) for dividing systems into components, defining realms containing objects representing system components, defining relationships between the system components, defining relationships and/or associations between realms sufficient to unify objects in the realms, and unifying objects in the realms based on the relationships and/or associations.
US07930155B2

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for simulating and analyzing a change in concentration of solute in a solution. The solution being simulated is encompassed by an interface. The concentration at a first point in time is determined at a set of nodes encompassed by the interface. A spatial cell is associated with each node. An extended concentration is calculated at an extended node. The extended node is not encompassed by the interface. The concentration is calculated at a second point in time at a set of nodes encompassed by the interface, based upon the concentration at the set of nodes encompassed by the interface at the first point in time and the extended concentration.
US07930154B2

A method is provided for simulating a vehicle crash on a fuel delivery module of a vehicle. The fuel delivery module (11) has a flange (10) constructed and arranged to be coupled to a fuel tank, a fuel pump (12) for delivering fuel from the tank and through the flange, a reservoir (18) housing the fuel pump, and strut rods (14). Each strut rod has an end coupled to the reservoir or fuel pump and another end coupled to the flange at an interface. The method models a fuel tank associated with the fuel delivery module as a rigid or elastic shell. A solid model of the fuel delivery module is created. The solid model is meshed to create a finite element model. Fluid in the fuel tank is modeled with Lagrangian or arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian finite elements, or smoothed particle hydrodynamics particles. Solid fluid interactions are added to the meshed solid model. A vehicle crash simulation is run on the solid model together with the fluid interactions to determine the effect of the fluid interactions on the interface of each strut rod with the flange and to determine any effect on the flange.
US07930152B2

A method for simulating a partial differential equation to perform image and signal processing. The method utilizes quantum and classical lattice gas processes to simulate the partial differential equation. The lattice gas processes may be run on a type I quantum computer, type II quantum computer or a classical computer. A system for simulating and solving a partial differential equation comprising a quantum computer and a classical processor.
US07930151B2

A method of calculating an individual progressive lens creates one or more basic designs for lenses based on theoretical specifications, and then creates starting designs from these basic designs. Individual progressive lenses are calculated from the starting designs corresponding to the individual data from wearing test subjects. Valid starting designs are then created for production. The individual lenses are calculated from the starting designs according to individual customer data.
US07930139B2

There is provided a probability density function separating apparatus that separates a predetermined component in a given probability density function. The probability density function separating apparatus includes a domain transforming section that is supplied with the probability density function and transforms the probability density function into a spectrum in a predetermined variable axis, and a deterministic component computing section that multiplies a multiplier coefficient according to a type of distribution of a deterministic component included in the given probability density function by a value, in the variable axis, of a first null of the spectrum and computes a peak to peak value of the probability density function with the deterministic component.
US07930137B2

Provided is an availability prediction method for a high availability. The method includes calculating a basic survival probability that the other node survives until a failure on one node of two nodes constituting a cluster is fixed, and determining an optimal number of nodes meeting a preset reference availability probability by calculating an availability probability for a predetermined range of the number of nodes on the basis of the basic survival probability. The method determines the number of nodes in the high availability cluster so as to match a reference availability probability, and is able to accomplish an optimal configuration of a cluster by calculating the availability probabilities for combinations between active node and passive nodes and between head nodes and switches.
US07930134B2

An electronic measuring device for measuring and displaying a linear displacement of a horizontal screw mechanism, the device comprising: a gravity acceleration sensor adapted for measuring an angle of rotation value of a horizontal rotational shaft of a screw mechanism; a data processing unit for converting the angle of rotation value into a linear displacement value according to characteristics of the linear screw mechanism; and a digital display unit for displaying the linear displacement value; in which the gravity acceleration sensor, the data processing unit, and the digital display unit are electronically or electrically connected.
US07930131B2

Systems and methods for measuring and analyzing the pressure distribution on the foot of a bowler. Methods are taught for analyzing a bowler's performance. In some embodiments, the bowler performs a plurality of bowling motions. The distribution of pressure exerted on the foot are measured and recorded at regular time intervals. The bowler's performance is evaluated based upon the recorded pressure distributions. Methods are also taught for using recorded foot pressure distribution data to fit a bowler with proper footwear.
US07930128B2

A method of improving damage detection in a structural health monitoring system includes obtaining a baseline set of signals corresponding to a range of values of an environmental effect variable for a plurality of first selected paths between pairs of a plurality of transducers configured in an array attached to a structure. Threshold levels are established for each of the selected paths for determining detection of damage in the structure based on differences in the baseline set of signals for the selected path. A current signal is acquired for each of the selected paths. The plurality of current signals are analyzed based on the threshold levels to detect damage in the structure.
US07930125B2

A computer-implemented method for positioning a coordinate system in relation to a workpiece receives positioning elements including feature elements selected from the workpiece. A normal vector of a first axis, an origin, a normal vector of a second axis are determined according to the positioning elements. A positioned coordinate system is generated according to the normal vectors of the first axis and the second axis, and the origin, for positioning the coordinate system.
US07930124B2

This invention provides a protection control measurement system, with excellent economy and maintainability. In the protection control measurement terminal 1, electric quantity acquisition and transmitter 14-1 determines synchro-phasor quantities from electric quantity data and transmits the synchro-phasor quantities to arrival time-guaranteed transmitter 15-1. The arrival time-guaranteed transmitter 15-1 transmits in real- time the synchro-phasor quantities to the parent station device 3. Setting value transmitter 14-2 transmits setting value data to the message transmitter 15-2, which performs message transmission to the parent station device 3 over the communication network 2. In the parent station device 3, electric quantity arithmetic processor 32-1 calculates electric quantities as close as possible to true values by multiplying received synchro-phasor quantities by setting value data. The protection control measurement arithmetic processor 32-2 performs arithmetic operations for accident judgment for protection control measurement terminals 1 from the magnitudes of electric quantities and voltage phase differences.
US07930119B2

A method is disclosed for analyzing an AC voltage signal with a transformation which transforms the signal from a representation in the time-domain to a representation in the frequency-domain. This transformation can be a fast Fourier transform, a discrete Fourier transform or a Laplace transform. By selecting a second higher sampling frequency which is an integer multiple of a first sampling frequency, the zero crossings of the AC voltage signal can be accurately determined.
US07930087B2

A method of operating an engine for a vehicle having at least a first cylinder, the method comprising of operating the first cylinder to provide at least one of compression braking and expansion braking by holding one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of the first cylinder closed while opening, closing, and opening the other of the intake valve and the exhaust valve during a cycle of the first cylinder and during a first vacuum level of an intake manifold upstream of the first cylinder; and operating the first cylinder to provide at least one of compression braking and expansion braking by operating both the intake valve and the exhaust valve of the first cylinder during a cycle of the first cylinder to allow at least some air to flow through the first cylinder during a second vacuum level of the intake manifold.
US07930076B2

A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive is provided for a locomotive including a plurality of axles. The system includes one or more speed inferring systems coupled to each axle to detect rotation of each axle and generate detection signals based upon detecting rotation of each axle. The detection signals include one of speed signals indicative of locomotive speed and non-rotating signals indicative of a non-rotating axle. More particularly, a main controller is coupled to each speed inferring system and is responsive to each detection signal. The main controller identifies non-rotating signals of the detection signals to initiate one or more alert signals of one or more respective non-rotating axles of the plurality of axles. Additionally, the main controller is coupled to an operator panel to alert a locomotive operator of an applied status of a locomotive parking brake in response to the alert signal.
US07930070B2

A system, method, and module capable of curtailing energy production within congestive grid operating environments, according to are an aspect, including a method of managing power generation of a power generation site operable to be coupled to a transmission line is disclosed. The method can also include detecting a transmission line operating characteristic, and detecting a curtailment action data of the transmission line operating characteristic. Additionally, the method can include determining a forecasted curtailment probability level as a function of the transmission line operating characteristic and the curtailment action data.
US07930069B2

The present invention is directed to an intelligent water management irrigation system for monitoring the total water usage for a billing site and preventing cumulative water usage from exceeding a water budget by adjusting the amount of water used for irrigation. Irrigation zone priority values are selected for each irrigation zone that specify a percentage of the full water need that the foliage in the zone can survive and are saved in an intelligent water management irrigation (IWMI) controller. The IWMI controller receives water usage information originating from a property's water meter and compares the measured water usage with the allowable water budget. Water usage is tracked separately for the household use and landscape use (irrigation). Prior to each irrigation cycle, the IWMI controller estimates the amount of water that will be needed by the landscape and for household use during the remainder of a billing cycle; household use is given precedence over landscape use. If the water budget will support both, irrigation can proceed normally. If the budget will not support both, the IWMI controller estimates the amount of water needed for the remainder of the billing cycle if only a priority watering amount is allocated for each landscape zone. If the water budget will support priority irrigation, landscape watering can proceed in priority irrigation mode. If the water budget will not support priority irrigation watering, the irrigation cycle is skipped and the water usage estimations are recalculated prior to the next irrigation cycle.
US07930063B2

A reworking system includes a reworking machine configured for reworking products belonging to a first type and a second type, a main conveyer belt configured to transport the products to be reworked, first and second branch conveyer belts connected to the main conveyer belt and configured to transport the first and second types of the products to be reworked, a primary scanner installed on the main conveyer belt and configured to scan bar codes of the products to be reworked, and a computer configured to receive and process scanned data from the primary scanner, and actuate the main conveyer belt, the first branch conveyer belt, and the second branch conveyer belt.
US07930058B2

Processing a wafer using a double side grinder having a pair of grinding wheels. Warp data is obtained by a warp measurement device for measuring warp of a wafer as ground by the double side grinder. The warp data is received and a nanotopography of the wafer is predicted based on the received warp data. A grinding parameter is determined based on the predicted nanotopography of the wafer. Operation of the double side grinder is adjusted based on the determined grinding parameter.
US07930051B2

A method and system for allowing a vehicle dealer and manufacturer to match dealer orders and manufacturing plant shipments easily and equitably are disclosed. The method significantly decreases processing time, saving valuable time, money, and manpower resources. An automated linear expression calculation for determining and balancing vehicle allocation allows for equitable balancing of manufacturing plant orders and efficient optimization. The linear expression calculation may be performed in an iterative series of steps. The linear expression calculation handles a plurality of attribute features, thereby accommodating a plurality of dealer requests and vehicle options. The linear expression calculation creates a matrix representing the plurality of attribute features, and with each iteration the values within the matrix are refined and optimized, with the resulting matrix representing an optimized and balanced allocation of manufacturing plant production orders among a plurality of manufacturing plants.
US07930049B2

A centralized control apparatus includes a data collecting part that gathers data at a predetermined interval from a substrate processing apparatus for each component in the substrate processing apparatus; a data processing part that determines a status of each component based on the gathered data and regulation control information including attribute information about each component, maintenance information and previously established status-determined information about each component, at a predetermined timing established for each component, and performs thinning-out-processing to the gathered data on a determination result and prepares processed data by processing data obtained by the thinning-out-processing; and a data transmitting part that sends the regulation control information including the determination result and the processed data to a terminal unit.
US07930030B2

An implantable pulse generator includes a current steering capability that allows a clinician or patient to quickly determine a desired electrode stimulation pattern, including which electrodes of a group of electrodes within an electrode array should receive a stimulation current, including the amplitude, width and pulse repetition rate of such current. Movement of the selected group of electrodes is facilitated through the use of remotely generated directional signals, generated by a pointing device, such as a joystick. As movement of the selected group of electrodes occurs, current redistribution amongst the various electrode contacts takes place. The redistribution of stimulus amplitudes utilizes re-normalization of amplitudes so that the perceptual level remains fairly constant. This prevents the resulting paresthesia from falling below the perceptual threshold or above the comfort threshold.
US07930025B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods to predict and/or prevent episodes of ventricular tachyarrhythmia (for example, ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation). A method is provided for predicting an episode of ventricular tachyarrhythmia by detection and analysis of multiple patterns of vagal fatigue and/or a threshold-exceeding heart.
US07930021B2

A body composition measuring apparatus includes a right hand grip having electrodes to be contacted with the right hand of a subject, and a left hand grip having electrodes to be contacted with the left hand of the subject. The right hand grip and the left hand grip are disposed such that their respective axis lines overlap with each other on the same straight line. The left hand grip is coupled to the right hand grip in a freely movable manner such that the left hand grip can move in the axis line direction. This configuration allows a small-sized body composition measuring apparatus suitable for carrying along to be achieved.
US07930018B2

A non-contact cardiac mapping method is disclosed that includes: (i) inserting a catheter into a heart cavity having an endocardium surface, the catheter including multiple, spatially distributed electrodes; (ii) measuring signals at the catheter electrodes in response to electrical activity in the heart cavity with the catheter spaced from the endocardium surface; and (iii) determining physiological information at multiple locations of the endocardium surface based on the measured signals and positions of the electrodes with respect to the endocardium surface. Related systems and computer programs are also disclosed.
US07930016B1

Tissue closure systems are described herein. Such a system may include a deployment catheter and an attached imaging hood deployable into an expanded configuration. In use, the imaging hood is placed against or adjacent to a region of tissue to be imaged in a body lumen that is normally filled with an opaque bodily fluid such as blood. A translucent or transparent fluid, such as saline, can be pumped into the imaging hood until the fluid displaces any blood, thereby leaving a clear region of tissue to be imaged via an imaging element in the deployment catheter. Additionally, the system can be deployed in a number of various ways to effect the closure of wounds or openings in the patient body.
US07930009B2

An electronic apparatus, comprising a lid member including a display section; an intermediate member including the lid member connected thereto, that is configured to slide in a first direction, and including a second operation section which is exposed in an interlocking relationship with the sliding movement of the lid member; and a base member including the intermediate member connected thereto, that is configured to slide in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and including a first operation section which is exposed in an interlocking relationship with the sliding movement of the intermediate member, wherein at least one of the sliding movement of the lid member and the sliding movement of the intermediate member is an arcuate movement.
US07930003B2

Disclosed herein is a communication terminal which has an adequate structure for keys so as to sufficiently fulfill various communication services, to thereby make the communication terminal compact, and can control operation of the keys so as to minimize a data input error of the keys. The communication terminal includes a first housing, a second housing which is oppositely coupled to the first housing, and a control unit which interrupts operation of a data input part provided at either the first housing or the second housing according to movement of the second housing with respect to the first housing.
US07930002B2

A method for using a multi-function key for a portable phone having a multi-function key for generating a plurality of input signals. First, menu items are displayed in a main menu upon generation of a first input signal according to manipulation of multi-function key in a stand-by state, an intended menu item is shifted to by generating a second input signal by manipulating the multi-function key, and the menu item is selected by generating a third input signal by manipulating the multi-function key.
US07930001B2

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a control unit configured to allow a device to perform an operation consuming a first amount of electrical power when the processing unit uses the device and allow the device to perform an operation consuming a second amount of electrical power less than the first amount of electrical power when the device is not used for a predetermined period of time after the device use, the control unit configured to determine the predetermined period of time in accordance with a request of the processing unit; and a plurality of processing units configured to use the device and request a length of the predetermined period of time to the control unit.
US07929994B2

There are provided a communication system, a base station control device, and a base station device capable of improving communication quality. In the communication system (100), the base station control device (120) totalizes information on the number of base stations as the number of base station devices (130) which can communicate with a mobile station device (140), makes Nb copies of a data frame, successively assigns integer values from 1 to Nb as stream numbers Ns to the data frames copied, and forms Nb copied data frames including Nb and Ns in header information. Copied data frames having different Ns in the header information are sent to the base station devices (130) which can communicate with the mobile station device (140). According to the Ns and Nb contained in the copied data frame, the base station device (130) subjects the data in the copied data frame to temporal/spatial encoding to form a temporal/spatial encoding series. The mobile station device (140) receives the temporal/spatial encoding series signal from each of the base station devices (130).
US07929990B2

A radio communication terminal includes a detection unit configured to detect a plurality of usable frequencies of a frequency range, in which the radio communication terminal plans to transmit, at least depending on whether or not a power of a first received signal is greater than a first threshold, a selection unit configured to select, when a first frequency band from f0+f1 to f0+f1+Δf1 (f1 is a first frequency, and Δf1 is a first bandwidth) and a second frequency band from f0−f1−Δf1 to f0−f1 are simultaneously usable with respect to a center frequency f0 of a utilizing frequency range including the usable frequencies, the first frequency band and the second frequency band as a pair of utilizing frequency bands, and a transmission unit configured to transmit different signals in the pair of utilizing frequency bands.
US07929989B2

Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.
US07929988B2

Provided is a radio communication method or the like for making compatible an improvement in error rate characteristics and a reduction in delay. The radio communication method is used in a mobile communication system (1) including a mobile station (10), a relay station (20) and a base station (30). A transmitted signal containing a signal addressed to the base station (30) is transmitted at first from the mobile station (10) to the relay station (20). A non-reproduced relay signal obtained in the relay station (20) from the transmitted signal is transmitted from the relay station (20) to the base station (30). On the basis of the reception result of the non-reproduced relay signal at the base station (30), a re-transmission request of the transmitted signal is transmitted from the base station (30). A reproduced relay signal, as obtained from the transmitted signal in the relay station (20), is transmitted from the relay station (20) to the base station (30) in accordance with the re-transmission request transmitted from the base station (30).
US07929985B2

A wireless communication device includes at least two antennas with at least two corresponding receive chains. Selectively activating and deactivating the receivers as needed for a desired quality of reception controls the performance and power consumption of the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may operate in a single receiver mode or a dual receiver diversity mode. In the dual receiver diversity mode, the wireless communication device may selectively control the gain of one or more antennas and/or reconfigure one or more receive chains to minimize power consumption while maintaining a desired performance.
US07929984B2

A communication system has a first plurality of wireless basestations having adaptive antennas with a plurality of main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams. The system further includes a gateway station coupled to the first plurality of wireless basestations. The gateway station forms a plurality of beams commands by communicating plurality of a control signals to the first plurality of wireless basestations to form the communication beams. A second plurality of wireless base stations having a second plurality of adaptive antennas with a second plurality of main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams to communicate with said mobile user. A gateway station coupled to said first plurality of wireless base stations and said second plurality of wireless base stations through a plurality of multiple dynamic links, said gateway station forming a plurality of beams with a plurality of data packets by communicating plurality of a control signals to the base station to form the communication beams using at least one link from a first base station and a second link through a second of the base station.
US07929982B2

A dispatch communication and management system method is provided, allowing a dispatcher and remote service technicians to exchange messages over a network in a prescribed format to notify the technicians of new dispatch orders, and to update status information for dispatch orders in corresponding customer service records in a database.
US07929981B2

A method for sending and receiving a virtual “shout” between two mobile terminals is provided. The method includes the steps of detecting mobile terminals in a near area of the sending terminal and presenting the detected terminals on a display on the sending terminal. At least one of the detected terminals may be selected and a “shout” is sent to the selected mobile terminal. The “shout” may be received in the selected mobile terminal and the user a user of the selected receiving terminal may be alerted as indication of a received “shout”.
US07929978B2

A communication system has a cellular telephony interface in individual ones of two or more mobile vehicles, a position determination system in individual ones of the mobile vehicles, a network of cellular base stations coupled to the mobile vehicles, individual base stations coupled to one or both of a packet-switched or a line-switched telephony system, a router coupled to the base stations and enabled to retrieve GPS position from the telephony events, and a plurality of service centers coupled to one or both of the telephony systems. Telephony events from individual ones of the mobile vehicles are routed according to position reported by the position determination system.
US07929970B1

Methods and systems are disclosed for temporarily modifying a macro-network neighbor list to enable a mobile station to hand off from a macro network to a femto cell. A method includes receiving a signal indicating that the mobile station detected coverage of a femto cell; after receiving the signal, adding the femto cell to the neighbor list, thereby enabling the mobile station to handoff to the femto cell; detecting that the mobile station completed handoff to the femto cell; and in response to detecting that the mobile station completed handoff to the femto cell, removing the femto cell from the neighbor list.
US07929967B2

Apparatus, and an associated method, by which to facilitate selection of a WLAN through which a mobile node communicates. Selection takes into account the geographic positioning of the mobile node. The mobile node ascertains its geographic positioning by monitoring cellular-positioning signals. And, availability of WLANs through which to communicate is ascertained by detecting signals broadcast by the WLANs.
US07929963B2

A cognitive radio-based wireless communication system and an air interface method in a physical layer and a data link layer, which constitute a cognitive radio-based next-generation wireless communication system. The air interface method for wireless communication in the cognitive radio-based wireless communication system of the present invention is provided in the cognitive radio-based wireless communication system including a base station system and a plurality of mobile station systems. The base station system and a certain mobile station system communicate with each other using an overlay method that uses a spectrum hole. The base station system and the mobile station system switch from the overlay method to an underlay method to communicate with each other when a paying user having high priority performs communication using the spectrum hole.
US07929953B2

A system for controlling traffic of an inbound roaming mobile station between a first Visiting Public Mobile Network (VPMN), a second VPMN and a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN) is provided. The system includes a detection unit for detecting a possible change in registration of the inbound roaming mobile station at a second VPMN upon receipt of a first registration cancellation message of one or more registration cancellation messages at the first VPMN from the HPMN. The system further includes redirection unit for attempting to redirect the traffic of the inbound roaming mobile station back to the first VPMN by sending one or more registration messages from the first VPMN to the HPMN subsequent to receipt of one or more registration cancellation messages from the HPMN. For each registration cancellation message received, one or more registration messages are sent within a first pre-defined interval of time (T0) until one registration message is recorded as a successful transaction. Further for all registration cancellation messages received in current attempt to redirect the inbound roaming mobile station to the first VPMN, all the registration messages are sent either within a second pre-defined interval of time (T1) and/or a re-registration threshold number of times.
US07929946B2

The present invention discloses a Remote Subscriber Identification (RSID) system with a remote database capable of seamlessly storing, linking, and transferring mobile data to a user's communication device. The user's data can be used on any communication device that capable of recognizing personal identifying information, transmitting this information to the remote database, accessing the user's subscriber specification information and any subscriber personalized information, and transmitting it to the user's communication device, enabling the user to use this information with the communication device.
US07929941B2

The system for providing emergency voice mail service includes two components: a first component that informs a calling party that emergency voice mail service has been activated due to an interruption in telephone service provided by the affected local exchange(s), and a second component that provides emergency voice mail service to customers who are displaced from their residences or simply affected by the service outage. The calling party that wishes to leave a message or the customer whose service is interrupted and wishes to listen to their messages calls a nationwide toll free number and is routed to the Emergency Voice Mail System. The caller is asked to enter the telephone number of the customer who is out of service and then can enter a predetermined code to leave a voice mail message or retrieve a voice mail message for the wire -line or wireless customer who is out of service.
US07929928B2

A frequency phase correction system and method are described that provides a receiver with a greater ability to lock onto relatively weak radio frequency signals by determining and estimating an amount of frequency error in a local frequency reference of the receiver, and using the error estimate to maintain frequency coherence with a received signal, thereby allowing tracking over a longer period of time, enabling longer integration times to capture weaker signals without losing frequency coherence.
US07929924B2

A mobile phone includes a controller; a receipt adjusting unit for controlling receipt of the (RF) radio frequency signal and controlling receipt diversity under control of the controller; a first RF signal receiver for converting the RF signal received through the first antenna into a baseband signal to be transmitted to the controller under control of the receipt adjusting unit; a second RF signal receiver for converting the RF signal received through the second antenna into a baseband signal to be transmitted to the controller under control of the receipt adjusting unit; a transmission diversity adjusting unit for controlling transmission diversity under control of the controller; and an RF signal transmitter for converting the baseband signal transmitted from the controller into an RF signal to be transmitted to the first antenna and transmitting the RF signal to the second antenna under control of the transmission diversity adjusting unit.
US07929921B2

A wireless communications device (100) includes a primary radio frequency branch (134) and a diversity branch (136), which is enabled and disabled to balance performance and power consumption. Diversity mode operation of the device is controlled, for example, based on one or more of an estimated channel quality indicator, data reception, data rate, state or mode of the station, estimated signal to noise ratio of a pilot signal, battery power level, distance from a serving cell, among other factors.
US07929914B2

A mote network having and/or using one or more directional antennas.
US07929913B2

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and technique for a wireless communications receiver architecture and, more particularly, to an apparatus and technique for an analog adaptive receiver architecture.
US07929906B2

A forward and reverse link automatic power controlled repeater in an apparatus for measuring a path loss between a base-station and a repeater, includes a repeater control part device for controlling a repeater run and for processing forward and reverse gain of the repeater using received information. A mobile communication modem device transfers base-station signal information and base-station power transmission, and provides a wireless connection pathway of the repeater control part. A repeater element management system (EMS) device transfers information extracted from the base-station to the repeater control part and exchanges information with the repeater control part to control a repeater through the modem.
US07929901B2

The invention is directed to a recording medium storage container such as a paper supply cassette and an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine. The paper supply cassette includes an interconnection mechanism for interconnecting a tray and a handle. The interconnection mechanism includes a connection portion having cylindrical protrusions, a connection portion having cylindrical protrusions, and a plurality of locking portions. The connection portions are connected from a upward and downward direction that is different from a direction for drawing the tray from the copying machine, or a direction for inserting the tray into the copying machine.
US07929888B2

A developing unit which forms an image on a photosensitive medium, includes a housing which accommodates a developer, a magnetic cylinder having a catch pole which picks up the developer in the housing by a magnetic force, and a main pole which couples a carrier among the picked-up developer, a sleeve rotatably installed on a circumference of the magnetic cylinder to form a magnetic brush having a predetermined width on the circumference by the developer picked up by the catch pole, and a sealing member provided at opposite end parts in an axial direction of the sleeve to prevent a leak of the developer, wherein a width Ws of the sleeve, a magnetized width WM of the main pole, a magnetized width Wc of the catch pole, and a width WB of the magnetic brush satisfy WS>WM>WB>WC.
US07929887B2

Exemplary embodiments provide a direct imaging system and methods for direct marking an image using the system. The disclosed direct imaging system can eliminate the creation of a latent image and can be used in an electrophotographic machine and related processes. Specifically, the direct imaging system can include a direct marking substrate (e.g., a printing substrate) and a development belt member closely spaced from the direct marking substrate. In one embodiment, the development belt member can include a plurality of actuator cells with each actuator cell controllably addressable to eject one or more toner particles adhered thereto. The ejected toner particles can transit the space between the donor belt member and the direct marking substrate, and directly marking onto the direct marking substrate forming an image.
US07929885B2

An image formation apparatus includes: a casing defining a first direction, a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions; and first and second developer storage members, each having an developer supply port. The first and second developer storage members are disposed in the casing to be juxtaposed substantially in the first direction and to elongate in the second direction so that the developer supply ports of the first and second developer storage members are offset in the second direction.
US07929883B2

An image forming apparatus includes driving device frame having a base plate on which is formed integrally with the base plate one or more supporting shafts for supporting one or more power transmission members that transmit driving power from a driving source to driven bodies of the image forming apparatus.
US07929880B2

A cleaning blade anti-peeling apparatus includes a transfer apparatus that transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier to an endless transfer member. An image carrier cleaning member captures toner remaining on the image carrier after the toner image is transferred. A cleaning recovery member recovers the toner on the image carrier cleaning member. A bias applying apparatus applies a bias voltage to move the toner of the image carrier cleaning member to the image carrier. An endless transfer member cleaning blade removes toner adhering to the endless transfer member after the toner image of the endless transfer member is transferred to a transfer material while abutting against the endless transfer member. The following relationship is satisfied: cleaning recovery member width
US07929877B2

An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt, a photosensitive belt, a primary transfer roller, a secondary-transfer opposing roller, and a secondary transfer roller. The photosensitive belt comes into contact with a surface of the intermediate transfer belt to form a primary transfer nip. The secondary-transfer opposing roller comes into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt to form a secondary transfer nip. The closest distance between a surface of the photosensitive belt and that of the primary transfer roller is greater than the thickness of the intermediate transfer belt. A toner image on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred onto a recording sheet at the secondary transfer nip while a transfer bias is applied to the secondary transfer roller.
US07929872B2

A method and apparatus for maintaining color consistency includes varying a sampling interval to balance the benefit of xerographic process controls regulation with the cost of sampling. The request to sample is triggered by external indicators (area coverage, carrier age, relative humidity, temperature, etc.). Before the developed mass is expected to go out of range because of the external indicators, a patch measurement is made and the system is controlled back towards its desired set-point.
US07929871B2

A technique is provided which enables keeping color developers of yellow, magenta and cyan in developing devices in a satisfactory state even in a circumstance where a black toner is mainly used, in an image forming apparatus which is capable of executing image quality maintenance control and the like and which carries out printing to a photoconductor, a belt and so on while stirring the developer of each color. A determination standard for determining whether the quantity of remaining developer in a developing device housing a developer of a color that is not black should be detected or not can be selected and set from plural kinds of determination standards. Information used for determination based on the set determination standard is acquired. On the basis of the set determination standard and the acquired information, the quantity of remaining developer in the developing device housing the developer of the color that is not black of the plural colors is detected.
US07929867B2

An LED is used as a light source of the emergency light. Data are normally received through a power line, demodulated at a modem section, and stored in a data memory. In an emergency, a change sectio switches the power line to a battery, and LED emits light and functions as the emergency light. At this time, the data stored in the data memory is read and demodulated at a light modulation section, and used to control blinking of the LED and the light intensity. Thereby, the data can be transmitted by the light. In an emergency, information on an emergency exit, an escape route, etc. can be received, if a mobile terminal having a light-receiving section receives the light from the emergency light.
US07929866B2

A system, method, and computer readable medium for passive optical network media access controller assisted clock recovery which enables an optical receiver to recover a clock phase of an incoming data stream from an optical network unit comprises collecting phase data from a previous data stream clock recovery for an optical network unit, and providing the collected phase data as a starting value phase clock for subsequent incoming data streams for the optical network unit.
US07929860B2

A fiber-optic communications interface (110) and method of operation that operates with a paired fiber-optic communications interface (112) in a redundant communications termination point (101). The fiber-optic communications interface (110) has a paired card interface (122) that exchanges at least a first subset of status data between a local bearer processor (124) and a paired bearer processor (144) located within a different card cage (112). The local bearer processor (124) processes bearer data channels communicating with a remote site (102) through a remote site fiber-optic line (106). A local data interface (128) exchanges data contained in the bearer data channels between the local bearer processor (124) and a local user data network (114). The local data interface (128) also exchanges at least a second subset of the status data with the paired bearer processor (144) through the local user data network (114).
US07929839B2

There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07929834B2

There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07929831B2

A recording method consistent with certain embodiments involves monitoring an output from a video source for video signals encoded in a first format; detecting a frame synchronization signal in the video signal; and responsive to detecting the frame synchronization signal in the video, beginning a recording process. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US07929830B2

In recording, reproducing, and recording/reproducing apparatuses and methods thereof, while endlessly-recording first data, desired second data can be easily stored. The present invention comprises recording means for endlessly-recording the first data in a recording medium, input means for inputting a start and end point of the second data out of the first data, and control means, when the start point and end point are designated, for controlling the recording means so as to endlessly-record the first data while avoiding a recording region for the second data. Thereby, the second data can be stored without replacing the recording medium even if the second data is endlessly-recorded. In addition, when the start point and end point of the desired second data out of the first data are designated, the start point and end point are recorded, and then the first data is endlessly-recorded based on the recorded start point and end point while avoiding the recording region for the second data. Thereby, the second data can be stored without replacing the recording medium.
US07929829B2

An information recording medium is provided with: a file for storing object data which constitutes a series of content information, such as picture information or video information and audio information, and a play list information file for storing play list information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data by a unit of play list. The information recording medium is further provided with a disc information file for storing a plurality of title play lists including information for specifying the play list information which defines the play list to be reproduced, Pre command information and Post command information, which indicate commands to be executed before and after the reproduction, respectively, based on the play list information.
US07929826B2

In the case of recording information in a DVD-R 1R as complying with a DVD video standard, which is configured with including at least of a VTS including a VOBS to be reproduced and VTSI and VMGI for controlling the reproduction of one or plural VTSs, the VTS is recorded in the DVD-R 1R. After the VTS is recorded, the tentative VMGI as the tentative control information corresponding to the recorded VTS to form the VMGI after that and to record this VMGI in the DVD-R 1R. Then, the generated tentative VMGI is recorded in the DVD-R 1R every when the VTS is recorded in the DVD-R 1R.
US07929824B2

An optical image recordation and image evaluation system has an imaging beam path and at least two digital cameras and a beam splitter. The beam splitter splits the light of the imaging beam path and conducts the same to respective digital cameras. The start time points for image recordation by the digital cameras are synchronized with respect to each other and the beam splitter is a dichroic beam splitter. The synchronization of the start time points preferably has an accuracy which is equal to or less than 1/1000th of the shortest exposure time of the digital cameras so that simultaneous images are recorded in different spectral ranges.
US07929819B2

A field termination kit includes an optical fiber preparation device for preparing an end of an optical fiber, an optical inspection device for inspecting the end of the optical fiber, and a termination assembly for terminating the end of the optical fiber. A method of using a field termination kit includes rotating an end of a first optical fiber about a center of an abrasive portion of an optical fiber preparation tool. The end is pressed against an adhesive portion of the optical fiber preparation tool to clean contaminants from the end. The end is inserted into an inner passage of an optical fiber inspection device for viewing. The end is inserted into a termination assembly. The end is terminated to an end of a second optical fiber in a termination region of the termination assembly.
US07929814B2

A set of planar, two-dimensional optical devices is able to be created in a sub-micron surface layer of an SOI structure, or within a sub-micron thick combination of an SOI surface layer and an overlying polysilicon layer. Conventional masking/etching techniques may be used to form a variety of passive and optical devices in this SOI platform. Various regions of the devices may be doped to form the active device structures. Additionally, the polysilicon layer may be separately patterned to provide a region of effective mode index change for a propagating optical signal.
US07929813B2

An exemplary optical modulator includes an interferometer. The interferometer includes an input optical coupler, an output optical coupler, and two or more controllable optical waveguides. Each controllable optical waveguide connects the input optical coupler to the output optical coupler and has an electro-absorption modulator along a segment thereof. Two of the controllable optical waveguides are connected to transmit to an output of the output optical coupler light of substantially different maximum amplitude.
US07929805B2

In a system and method for the generation of attack-resistant, user-friendly, image-based CAPTCHAs (Completely Automated Public test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart), controlled distortions are applied to randomly chosen images and presented to a user for annotation from a given list of words. An image is presented that contains multiple connected but independent images with the borders between them distorted or otherwise visually obfuscated in a way that a computer cannot distinguish the borders and a user selects near the center of one of the images. The distortions are performed in a way that satisfies the incongruous requirements of low perceptual degradation and high resistance to attack by content-based image retrieval systems. Word choices are carefully generated to avoid ambiguity as well as to avoid attacks based on the choices themselves.
US07929803B2

Methods for the registration of images typically assume that there are only two images, an assumption that is not always valid. By using the remaining images to obtain a choice of paths between two selected images, the transformation between the two can be determined with greater accuracy by averaging those paths. When averaging the paths, greater weight can be given to paths whose accuracy is known or reasonably believed to be greatest. Iteration of the process may be possible, where the available computation power is available.
US07929798B2

A method of reducing noise in an image including steps for obtaining a first value for a target pixel, obtaining a respective second value for each neighboring pixel surrounding the target pixel and having the same color as the target pixel, for each neighboring pixel, comparing a difference between said first value and said second value to a threshold value, and replacing the first value with an average value obtained from the first value and at all second values from the neighboring pixels which have an associated difference which is less than or equal to the threshold value based on a result of the comparing step.
US07929791B2

Subtitling aims at the presentation of text information and graphical data, encoded as pixel bitmaps. The size of subtitle bitmaps may exceed video frame dimensions, so that only portions are displayed at a time. The bitmaps are a separate layer lying above the video, e.g. for synchronized video subtitles, animations and navigation menus, and therefore contain many transparent pixels. An advanced adaptation for bitmap encoding for HDTV, e.g. 1920.times.1280 pixels per frame as defined for the Blu-ray Disc Prerecorded format, providing optimized compression results for such subtitling bitmaps, is achieved by a four-stage run length encoding. Shorter or longer sequences of pixels of a preferred color, e.g. transparent, are encoded using the second or third shortest code words, while single pixels of different color are encoded using the shortest code words, and sequences of pixels of equal color use the third or fourth shortest code words.
US07929790B2

Subtitling aims at the presentation of text information and graphical data, encoded as pixel bitmaps. The size of subtitle bitmaps may exceed video frame dimensions, so that only portions are displayed at a time. The bitmaps are a separate layer lying above the video, e.g. for synchronized video subtitles, animations and navigation menus, and therefore contain many transparent pixels. An advanced adaptation for bitmap encoding for HDTV, e.g. 1920.times.1280 pixels per frame as defined for the Blu-ray Disc Prerecorded format, providing optimized compression results for such subtitling bitmaps, is achieved by a four-stage run length encoding. Shorter or longer sequences of pixels of a preferred color, e.g. transparent, are encoded using the second or third shortest code words, while single pixels of different color are encoded using the shortest code words, and sequences of pixels of equal color use the third or fourth shortest code words.
US07929773B2

A method for recognizing characters is provided. All the characters to be recognized are categorized into a plurality of character categories according to the relative positions of the characters in the typographical lines before the characters are recognized. When recognizing the characters, a character is compared with only those characters in the corresponding character category of the character in the character database. Therefore, the range and number of characters to be compared are reduced, and the accuracy and speed for recognizing characters are improved.
US07929768B2

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve cursive handwriting recognition. Cursive handwriting input is received from a user. The system performs a hierarchical prototype search as part of a recognition operation. A same space search is performed against a mixed database that has both print and cursive samples. A same space search is also performed against a cursive database that has only cursive samples. The results of these two same space searches are merged into a combined alternate list. The combined alternate list is then used as a constraint for the dynamic time warp searches that are performed against the mixed and cursive databases, respectively. The results of the dynamic time warp searches are also merged into a final combined alternate list, and the combined alternate list is used to make a recognition decision regarding the user's handwritten input.
US07929767B2

A mechanism for recognizing and inputting handwritten mathematical expressions into a computer by providing part of a multi-path framework is described. The part of the multi-path framework includes a subordinate sub-expression analysis component. A method for analyzing a handwritten mathematical expression for a subordinate sub-expression includes identifying sub-expressions based on dominant symbols and determining a character for potential dominant symbols based upon sub-expression information. A determination may be made whether an expression structure candidate is valid and valid expression structure candidates may be stored in a parse tree.
US07929758B2

Disclosed are methods and devices for adjusting an image color in an image projector. In one aspect, the method for adjusting an image color in an image projector, includes the steps of obtaining information on an external image projection environment to determine color conversion information for adjusting the color of a projection image and converting the color of an image to be projected using the determined color conversion information to project the image. The device for adjusting a projection image color in a mobile communication terminal provided with an image projector, includes an image projector for performing an image projection function under the control of a controller, a camera for performing a camera function under the control of the controller; and the controller for obtaining color information of an external screen on which an image is projected through the camera, and adjusting the color of an image to be projected onto the image projector using the color information.
US07929755B1

A planar map to process a raster image is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of tracing a raster image includes generating a planar map having at least one region and applying the planar map to the raster image to create a traced image. The method may include reducing the number of colors of the raster image prior to the generating the planar map having at least one region. In addition, the method may include formulating a geometry to associate with the at least one region. The at least one region may include a contiguous set of common color pixels.
US07929750B2

In a method and apparatus for an object using a representational image, positioning the object at a predetermined position relative to the representational image, illuminating the representational image, presenting information from the representational image to an operator, at least one of controlling the illuminating of the representational image and presenting of information from the representational image to an operator, using a processing arrangement, and processing the object using the information obtained from the representational image.
US07929748B2

This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for efficiently calculating a colon segmentation from one or more candidate virtual three-dimensional objects. A sequence of image scans are analyzed and candidate segments are identified. Landmark segments are identified from the candidate segments. A characteristic path is generated for each candidate segment. The paths are joined using a cost network and reoriented to be consistent with a typical flythrough path. The connected path is then used to generate a continuous volumetric virtual object.
US07929746B2

A system and method includes using a point spread function based rule to classify regions in a dataset and processing the dataset based on the point spread function based classification.
US07929745B2

A method and system for characterizing a knee joint in terms of its skeletal morphology. A plurality of loci associated with a model of skeletal structure of a knee joint are fitted and used to parameterize positions of the plurality of loci in a given subject and, thereby, to derive parameters of a deformable statistical template. The skeletal morphology is then characterized on the basis of the derived parameters of the deformable statistical template.
US07929742B2

The present invention is a method and system for computed tomography imaging. The system for computed tomography imaging may comprise: a) an x-ray source; b) an x-ray detector; and c) a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to carry out the steps: i) obtaining CT projections of an object, the projections comprising at least one truncated projection; ii) calculating material-equivalent thickness (MET) values for the truncated projection; iii) establishing parameterized point-pairs separated in distance by the MET values; iv) fitting the parameterized point-pairs to a parameterized curve or to a set of curves according to a set of constraints on spatial relationships between the point-pairs; v) completing the truncated projections; and vi) reconstructing a CT image from non-truncated projections and the completed truncated projections.
US07929726B1

A planar diaphragm acoustic loudspeaker having a planar diaphragm biased with a high magnetic flux density magnetic circuit which feeds an acoustic waveguide. The apparatus provides high fidelity and efficient acoustic reproduction of high frequency alternating current signals with a minimum of diaphragm resonance and with a substantially flat electrical input impedance versus frequency. The diaphragm has a substantially uniform drive across an acoustically active portion and is held in three dimensional space whereby any mass or diaphragm resonances are controlled and minimized. The acoustic waveguide mates with said diaphragm and ensures a uniform acoustic phase field and an optimal diaphragm acoustic impedance match with atmosphere.
US07929720B2

A position detecting system capable of detecting the position of a user as a listener in a simple manner. The position detecting system comprises a speaker system comprising a plurality of spatially-arranged speakers including at least a first speaker and a second speaker, a user terminal apparatus transmits a wireless signal to the speaker apparatus, and a position detecting apparatus which is provided in the side of the speaker apparatus. The position detecting apparatus computes the position of the user terminal apparatus based on a first time elapsed since the first speaker outputs a first measurement sound signal and until a receiving command transmitted by the user terminal apparatus in response to receiving the first measurement sound signal is received, and a second time elapsed since the second speaker outputs a second measurement sound signal and until a receiving command transmitted by the user terminal apparatus in response to receiving the second measurement sound signal is received.
US07929714B2

An integrated audio transducer with associated signal processing electronics is disclosed. A silicon audio transducer, such as a MEMS microphone or speaker, can be integrated with audio processing electronics in a single package. The audio processing electronics can be configured using control signals. The audio processing electronics can provide a single line serial data interface and a single line control interface. The audio transducers can be integrated with associated processing electronics. A silicon microphone can be integrated with an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC). The ADC output can be a single line serial interface. The ADC can be configured using a single line serial control interface. A speaker may be integrated with a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC). Audio transducers can also be integrated with more complex processing electronics. Audio processing parameters such as gain, dynamic range, and filter characteristics may be configured using the serial interface.
US07929712B2

An electronic volume apparatus sets an amplification factor (Gamp) of a digital potentiometer in response to a requested sound volume value (Vreq) transmitted thereto from a remote controller and sends back an actual result sound volume value (Vrep) with respect to the requested sound volume value. A coordination relationship among requested sound volume values (Vreq), actual result sound volume values (Vrep) and amplification factors (Gamp) is defined in a coordination relationship storage section. A search section searches an amplification factor (Gamp) and an actual result sound volume value (Vrep) coordinated with the requested sound volume value (Vreq) received from the remote controller from within the coordination relationship storage section. A sound volume control section controls the potentiometer based on a result of the search of the amplification factor. A responding section sends back the actual result sound volume value to the remote controller.
US07929703B2

A system for managing security keys in a wireless network includes a manufacturer certification authority (MCA) for providing a signed digital MCA certificate for installation into a new network element (NE) at the manufacturer's facility prior to the new NE being installed and initialized in the network. The MCA also provides a source of trusted authority for authenticating legacy NEs in the network. The system includes a service provider certification authority for managing certificates and files used by the NEs to communicate securely within the network, a signing server for providing signing services to NEs for authentication, an element manager for providing security key and digital certificate management, and a management agent (MA) for providing proxy functionality of the EM security key services to NEs not directly connected to the EM.
US07929699B2

Systems and methods of securing wireless communications between a network and a subscriber station include inserting a marker denoting an encryption type within a random value used for authentication, calculating a first session key and a first response value as a function of the random value, then calculating a second session key and a second response value as a function of the random value, first session key and first response value. The two levels of session keys and response values may be used by upgraded subscriber stations and network access points to prevent attackers from intercepting authentication triplets.
US07929698B2

Certain embodiments consistent with the present invention involve a method of selectively encrypting digital video content that involves receiving a plurality of packets containing the digital video content; identifying packets containing start of frame (SOF) headers; inserting padding into the packets containing SOF headers to move the content of the packets containing the SOF headers to a previous or subsequent packet and create padded packets containing the SOF headers; selecting certain of the packets for encryption according to a selection criterion, wherein the selected packets exclude the padded packets containing SOF headers; encrypting the selected packets; and retaining the padded packets containing the SOF headers unencrypted to form selectively encrypted digital video content. Corresponding decoding method as well as encoding and decoding apparatus are also taught. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US07929696B2

A digital television (DTV) signal converter consistent with certain embodiments has a satellite band receiver that receives satellite television broadcast data from a satellite service and demodulates the satellite television broadcast data into a digital data stream. The digital data stream contains television content, satellite television logical channel identification information and electronic program guide data, and wherein television content, the logical channel identification information and the electronic program guide data are associated with a set of logical channels provided on the satellite service. A data mapper maps the satellite television logical channel identification information in the data stream to DTV channel identification information. A quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulator modulates the DTV channel identification information, the television content and the program guide data for transmission as an output comprising one or more QAM transport streams to a digital television. The data mapper further determines whether or not the satellite television logical channel will fit within one QAM transport stream, and assigns the satellite television logical channel to one or more QAM transport streams for transmission. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US07929691B2

Cryptographic methods are known that involve the computation of a non-degenerate bilinear mapping of first and second elements one of which comprises a secret of a first entity. For a mapping implemented as, for example, a Tate pairing, the mapping is computable by applying a predetermined function to the first and second elements and then exponentiating the result with a known exponent. Improvements in respect of computational loading, size of output, and security are enabled for the first party by arranging for the first entity to carry out only part of the mapping, a second entity being used to complete computation of the mapping. Cryptographic applications using these improvements are also disclosed.
US07929685B1

A system and method gathers data from callers and call center sites and incorporates that information in call routing decisions. To make call routing decisions, a database structure keeps track of the calls in a queue before efficiently distributing the calls to agents at various call center sites. In one embodiment, a call routing system may comprise a web application server, a caller server, and a call center server. A method for distributing a call from a caller to a call center site may comprise collecting a first dataset relating to the call from the caller, queuing the call based on the first dataset, collecting a second dataset from the call center site, and routing the call to the call center site based on the first and second datasets.
US07929678B2

A method for managing conference resources includes receiving from an endpoint of a user a call to join a multipoint conference between a plurality of participants. Each participant communicates on the multipoint conference through a respective endpoint. The method includes determining that an insufficient amount of resources exist to allow the user to communicate on the multipoint conference and determining participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference. The method also includes communicating the participation instructions. Location information associated with the user and location information associated with at least one of the plurality of participants may be used to determine the participation instructions to enable the user to communicate on the multipoint conference.
US07929676B2

An embodiment of a method includes determining a customer service plan identifier from information associated with a received call, determining a route plan associated with the identified customer service plan, and routing the call on a trunk group identified in the determined route plan. The method may further include determining a jurisdiction of the call based on a dialed number identified in the call, determining a local routing number (LRN) associated with the call, and using a portion of the LRN to determine the trunk group. An embodiment of a system includes a switch operable to select a route for routing a call received on an ingress trunk associated with a customer that subscribes to a service plan, wherein the switch is further operable to select the route based on the service plan subscribed to by the customer associated with the ingress trunk.
US07929667B1

An x-ray metrology tool having only one x-ray source. The x-ray source includes a liquid metal source for heating and melting at least one metal and producing a liquid metal jet, a liquid metal collector for acquiring the liquid metal jet, a liquid metal circulation system for returning liquid metal from the liquid metal collector to the liquid metal source, and an electron beam source for directing an electron beam at the liquid metal jet anode, thereby producing an incident x-ray beam that is directable towards a sample. A detector receives emissions from the sample in response to the incident x-ray beam, and produces signals indicative of properties of the sample. A controller controls the x-ray source, acquires the signals from the detector, and determines the properties of the sample based at least in part on the signals.
US07929664B2

CT scanning of transportation containers is performed by generating X-rays at various points at the opposite sides of the containers, detecting the X-rays passing through the containers, and analyzing the data received to determine the presence of contraband. The X-rays are generated by modulating a magnetic field through which a high-energy electron beam passes to deflect the beam successively to different targets positioned around the sides of the container, while the electron beam source remains stationary. The X-rays are detected by an array of cells using X-ray responsive storage phosphor material to emit light which is sent to analyzing and comparing equipment. The targets and detectors and the cargo container are moved relative to one another to scan a selected volume of the container.
US07929662B2

Method and apparatus for screening chemicals using micro x-ray fluorescence. A method for screening a mixture of potential pharmaceutical chemicals for binding to at least one target binder involves flow separating a solution of chemicals and target binders into separated components, exposing them to an x-ray excitation beam, detecting x-ray fluorescence signals from the components, and determining from the signals whether or not a binding event between a chemical and target binder has occurred.
US07929658B2

A shift register includes a plurality of shift register stages for providing gate signals. Each shift register stage has a pull-up unit, a carry unit, a carry control unit, an input unit and a pull-down unit. The pull-up unit is employed to pull up a gate signal according to a driving control voltage and a first clock. The carry unit generates a preliminary start pulse signal based on the driving control voltage and the first clock. The carry control unit outputs the preliminary start pulse signal to become a forward or backward start pulse signal according to first and second bias voltages. The input unit is utilized for inputting a start pulse signal generated by a preceding or succeeding shift register stage to become the driving control voltage. The pull-down unit pulls down the gate signal, the preliminary start pulse signal and the driving control voltage according to multiple clocks.
US07929656B2

An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection apparatus for inspecting weld zones in a reactor pressure vessel, the inspection apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic probe 6 for emitting an ultrasonic wave; a probe holding unit 60 for holding the ultrasonic probe 6 such that a ultrasonic wave transmitting surface of the ultrasonic probe 6 is kept in direct contact with or at a constant distance from the outer surface of the reactor pressure vessel 1; a pressing unit 50 for pressing the probe holding unit 60 parallel to a central axis of a control rod drive housing 8 against the reactor pressure vessel; and a rotator 40 for rotating the probe holding unit 60 and the pressing unit 50 about the central axis of the control rod drive housing 8.
US07929655B2

A system for controlling the transfer of a signal sequence in a first clock domain to a plurality of other clock domains. The system comprising: detecting circuitry for detecting receipt of the signals from the clock domains and setting an update signal when all of the signals received from the clock domains have a common state; and gating circuitry for receiving the update signal and operable, when the update signal is set, to allow a next signal in the sequence to be received at the input of the first circuitry.
US07929653B2

A method and apparatus for increasing the capacity of a system that use four transmit antennas and that employs conventional channel coding by performing space-time coding in a particular way. Each of two pairs of symbol sub-streams is space-time coded to form a respective pair of transmit-sequence chains, where at least one of the formed pairs of the transmit-sequence chains is a function of symbols of the respective symbol-sub-stream pair and not a function of the symbols of the other symbol-sub-stream pair. Four transmit sequences—two transmit sequences from each of the two pairs of symbol sub-streams—may be viewed as forming a transmission matrices B or B′ arranged as follows: Antenna 105 ⁢ - ⁢ 1 Antenna 105 ⁢ - ⁢ 2 Antenna 105 ⁢ - ⁢ 3 Antenna 105 ⁢ - ⁢ 4 ⁢ [ b 1 b 1 - b 2 * - b 2 * b 2 b 2 b 1 * b 1 * b 3 - b 3 - b 4 * b 4 * b 4 - b 4 b 3 - b 3 * ] ⁢ T 1 T 2 ⁢ T 3 ⁢ T 4 ⁢ ⁢ or , ⁢ ⁢ Antenna 105 ⁢ - ⁢ 1 Antenna 105 ⁢ - ⁢ 2 Antenna 105 ⁢ - ⁢ 3 Antenna 105 ⁢ - ⁢ 4 ⁢ [ b 1 - b 2 * 0 0 b 2 b 1 * 0 0 0 0 b 3 - b 4 * 0 0 b 4 b 3 * ] ⁢ T 1 T 2 ⁢ T 3 ⁢ T 4 , respectively, where b1, b2, b3, and b4 are the symbols derived from a respective one of four symbol sub-streams, and b1*, b2*, b3*, and b4* are, respectively, the complex conjugate of the aforementioned symbols. The rows of the matrix represent the different antennas, while the columns represent different symbol periods.
US07929652B2

Techniques for performing adaptive channel estimation are described. A receiver derives channel estimates for a wireless channel based on received pilot symbols and at least one estimation parameter. The receiver updates the at least one estimation parameter based on the received pilot symbols. The at least one estimation parameter may be for an innovations representation model of the wireless channel and may be updated based on a cost function with costs defined by prediction errors. In one design, the receiver derives predicted pilot symbols based on the received pilot symbols and the at least one estimation parameter, determines prediction errors based on the received pilot symbols and the predicted pilot symbols, and further derives error gradients based on the prediction errors. The receiver then updates the at least one estimation parameter based on the error gradients and the prediction errors, e.g., if a stability test is satisfied.
US07929648B2

An error detection apparatus and method compares a first hardwired value such as a first clock threshold, and a second hardwired value such as a second clock threshold, and generates an indication that there is an error in a clock signal based on a comparison of the first hardwired value and the second hardwired value to the clock signal. If an error is detected, the error detection apparatus will, for example, interrupt clock recovery logic to take proper action for recovery of a clock generation circuit that generated the clock signal. The clock signal may be generated based on, for example, a reference clock signal that may be provided by an external source clock, or any other suitable source.
US07929645B2

An efficient channel estimation system and method provides good performance under high Doppler conditions and is suitable for OFDM systems such as DVB-T. A number of different pilot interpolations techniques enable the estimation of channel for the OFDM systems. For 2k and 4k modes, the channel is estimated using the preceding symbol, the present symbol, and two succeeding symbols. For an 8k mode, only one future symbol is used to estimate the channel.
US07929644B2

Methods and systems for recovering clock and data in data streams communicated over serial communications links. An exemplary serial communications receiver system includes a line receiver configured to receive a data stream from a serial communications link and an instant-acquisition clock and data recovery circuit coupled to the line receiver. The instant-acquisition clock and data recovery circuit includes a time interval detector and a sampling clock selector. The time interval detector is operable to sample the data stream received by the line receiver according to a multi-phase set of sampling clocks. The sampling clock selector is operable to designate one of the sampling clocks of the multi-phase set of sampling clocks as a recovered clock, based on a data transition in the received data stream detected by the time interval detector. The clock selector is configured to designate the sampling clock as the recovered clock independent of data transitions in the data stream that may have occurred prior to the data transition detected by the time interval detector.
US07929625B2

Methods and apparatus for use in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system transmitting a plurality of data substreams to a receiver employing ordered successive interference cancellation detection according to a predetermined sequence for decoding the data substreams. A quality of service (QoS) requirement is determined for each of two or more application-specific data streams, and the application-specific data streams are assigned to the data substreams according to the determined QoS requirements and the predetermined sequence, so that application-specific data streams having more stringent QoS requirements are decoded earlier than application-specific data streams having less stringent QoS requirements. In some embodiments, the determined QoS requirements comprise maximum delay requirements, and application-specific data streams requiring shorter maximum delays are assigned to earlier-decoded data substreams than application-specific data streams having less stringent maximum delay requirements. In other embodiments, the determined QoS requirements comprise an application-specific robustness.
US07929622B2

A method of channel estimation is provided. The method is applied to a communication system having signals transmitted via a plurality of pilot and non-pilot sub-channels. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a first and second channel responses of each pilot sub-channel using pilot symbols received during a first and second time duration respectively, obtaining an estimated channel response of each pilot sub-channel by averaging the first and second channel responses thereof, and obtaining an estimated channel response of each non-pilot sub-channel by interpolation of those of the pilot sub-channels.
US07929618B2

A modulator performs data processing operations such as interpolation and fractional delay adjustment on amplitude and/or phase data by performing shift operations in lieu of multiplication operations. In selected embodiments, the modulator samples input data at a first rate, processes the sampled input data using the first rate, and then interpolates the processed data to produce interpolated data. The modulator then samples the interpolated data at a second rate higher than the first rate and generates output data at the second rate.
US07929614B2

Provided is an apparatus, medium, and method for processing neighbor information in a video decoder that can minimize the number of memory accesses. The apparatus includes a neighbor information providing unit and a storage unit. If at least one spatially neighboring block of a current block exists in memory, the neighbor information providing unit can access information of all neighbor blocks from the memory and provides the accessed information as neighbor information. The storage unit stores the neighbor information provided by the neighbor information providing unit and outputs the stored neighbor information to the plurality of modules.
US07929612B2

An image interpolation apparatus includes a half pel interpolation unit that is configured to perform half pel interpolation on input data to provide half pel interpolation results. A data selection unit is configured to select a portion of the half pel interpolation results to provide a selected portion of the half pel interpolation results. A quarter pel interpolation unit is configured to perform a quarter pel interpolation on the selected portion of the half pel interpolation results, in response to a motion vector. The half pel interpolation unit can operate independent of the motion vector. The quarter pel interpolation unit can generate a data selection signal in response to the motion vector, and the data selection unit can be responsive to the data selection signal. Related methods also are disclosed.
US07929609B2

Estimating and/or compensating motion in a video image is provided wherein an image segment of the video image is selected, a search area is defined around the image segment, the defining being based on a range of possible motion vectors for the image segment, and image data related to said search area is retrieved. The search area is defined to have its center offset from a center of the image segment. The offset may be determined by a global motion parameter.
US07929607B2

A video encoding method includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07929605B2

In order to make it possible to obtain the correct decoded image even in the case of not decoding a particular frame of the encoded data and improve the coding efficiency, the predicted image production unit 103 selects the image data from the image data of a plurality of frames in the reference image memory 107 which are encoded in the past, of the i-th (1≦i≦j) category, for the current frame which is classified as the j-th category by the image classifying unit 102, and produces the predicted image. The difference encoding unit 104 encodes a difference between the image data of the current frame and the predicted image. Also, the current category encoding unit 106 encodes the category number of the current frame, and the reference image specifying data encoding unit 105 encodes the reference image specifying data which specifies the image data selected from the reference image memory 107.
US07929603B2

A method and system for encoding a video frame. The method includes grouping macroblocks of a video frame into a plurality of groups and determining a first encoding rate for at least one of the plurality of groups based on at least one quantization parameter value associated with the group. The method further includes determining a distortion value associated with the first encoding rate and determining a distortion reduction density value based on the distortion value and the first encoding rate. The method further includes accessing a rate budget associated with the frame and adjusting simultaneously a plurality of quantization parameter values associated with one or more of the plurality of groups.
US07929602B2

There are provided an apparatus and method for performing dynamic capacitance compensation (DCC) in a liquid crystal display (LCD). The DCC apparatus includes: a first line buffer reading and temporarily storing pixel values of an image for each line; an encoder transforming and quantizing the pixel values stored for each line for each block and generating bit streams; a memory storing the generated bit streams; a decoder decoding the bit streams stored in the memory for the each block and outputting the decoded bit streams; a second line buffer reading and temporarily storing the decoded pixel values for the each block; and a compensation pixel value detector detecting a compensation pixel value for each pixel, from pixel value differences between pixel values of a current frame stored in the first line buffer and pixel values of a previous frame stored in the second line buffer. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of pins of a memory interface by reducing the number of memory device for storing pixel values of image data, required for performing DCC of a LCD, resulting in minimizing a chip size, and to enhance compression efficiency without visual deterioration in images.
US07929600B2

In difference coding, each of a first to M-th channel signals is divided into frames and independent energy of every channel signal and difference energy of difference signals between all channel signals are calculated for each frame. In ascending order of energy, if a signal corresponding to an energy value is independent signal, it is determined that independent coding should be used for the signal. If the signal is a difference signal and the type of coding for one of channel signals has been determined, it is determined that the other should be difference-coded using the former channel signal as a reference signal. If the type of coding for neither of the channel signals has been determined, it is determined that one of them should be independently coded and the other should be difference-coded using the former channel signal as a reference signal.
US07929585B2

Systems and methods for high brightness, improved phase characteristics laser diodes.
US07929583B2

A system and method for optical frequency conversion having asymmetric output include a coherent light apparatus. The coherent light apparatus includes a coherent light source that produces a first coherent light, a frequency converter optically coupled to the coherent light source, and a coupling optic optically coupled between the coherent light source and the frequency converter. The frequency converter converts the first coherent light to a second coherent light at a second frequency and includes an asymmetric frequency converter (AFC) that nonlinearly converts the first coherent light to the second coherent light with the frequency conversion being more efficient in a first direction than in a second direction. A resonant cavity formed about the AFC circulates the first coherent light and transmits the second coherent light propagating in the first direction.
US07929581B2

A testing method of a wavelength-tunable laser having a resonator including wavelength selection portions having wavelength property different from each other includes a first step of controlling the wavelength-tunable laser so as to oscillate at a given wavelength according to an initial setting value, a second step of tuning the wavelength property of the wavelength selection portions and detecting discontinuity point of gain-condition-changing of the wavelength-tunable laser, and a third step of obtaining a stable operating point of the wavelength selection portion according to a limiting point of an oscillation condition at the given wavelength, the limiting point being a point when the discontinuity point is detected.
US07929566B2

A terminal includes a higher level bandwidth manager and a lower level bandwidth manager. The higher level bandwidth manager generates a guaranteed access request message including size information of a bandwidth corresponding to user data, transmits the guaranteed access request message, and transmits a user data transmission message including the user data. The lower level bandwidth manager uses the guaranteed access request message transmitted from the higher level bandwidth manager, generates a bandwidth request message using a guaranteed access, transmits the bandwidth request message to a base station, obtains the user data from the user data transmission message when receiving a bandwidth allocation signal from the base station, and transmits the user data to the base station.
US07929563B2

Embodiments of methods, devices and/or systems for estimating channel state information are described.
US07929559B2

In one embodiment, a network element of the wireless communication system receives a request from a scheduling party. The request is for scheduling message delivery to a destination party. Message delivery parameters are obtained in response to the request. The message delivery parameters may include a date of delivery and contact information for the destination party. The message to be delivered is also obtained. The obtained message is then sent to the destination party as set forth by the obtained message delivery parameters.
US07929556B2

A method is disclosed, by which a local mobility anchor (LMA) In a proxy mobile IP network can perform address assignment for a mobile node in cooperation with network address translation, so that the mobile node can be configured with a private HoA. In one embodiment, the LMA obtains the NAI of a mobile node (MN) that is: (i) operating as an IPv4 host and (ii) seeking entry to the network as its home network. The LMA identifies a DHCP server located in the network and serving at least one NAT, and sends it a request message in which the ClientId is set equal to the NAI of the mobile node. The LMA receives a private HoA from the DHCP server, which it forwards in a PBA message to a mobile access gateway (MAG) connected to the MN.
US07929554B2

In one embodiment, when a frame is directed to one or more customer instance ports (CIPs) of a switch having received the frame, the frame (a “local frame”) may be forwarded on the one or more CIPs based on only a customer space (C-space) lookup operation. Also, if the frame is not directed to any CIPs of the switch, the frame (a “transient frame”) may be forwarded on at least one or more provider backbone ports (PBPs) of the switch based on only a backbone space (B-space) lookup operation. For example, a unicast frame may be forwarded based on whether the frame terminates at the switch having received the frame (to a CIP of the switch), while a multicast frame may be forwarded based on determining whether an instance service identifier (I-SID) of the frame maps to a local VLAN ID (L-VID) at the switch (to any CIPs servicing that L-VID).
US07929553B2

A system and method for adjusting a level of compression for endpoint devices. Endpoint devices in a network can stream audio/video traffic over a network. Such a connection between the endpoint devices can be reserved with guarantees of latency being obtained. Latency guarantees across multiple intermediary switches can be used to define a compression level for the end devices.
US07929547B2

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of communicating in a network with a plurality of nodes. In the method, information is gathered from the plurality of nodes, where information from each node specifies other nodes from which the node detected messages. Based on the gathered information, a transmit sequence according to which the plurality of nodes are to transmit is determined. Other methods and devices are also disclosed.
US07929545B2

Network interconnection apparatus comprising a platform with interface ports for network interconnection and comprising in turn a first series and a second series of interface port cards and an interconnection unit for commanded interconnection at least between the cards of the first and second series and between cards of the first series. The cards of the first series have their own associated MAC address tables for addressing traffic between ports through the interconnection unit. Each entry of the table has an age field defining in time the age of the entry. The content of the age field is periodically verified and if it reaches a preset maximum figure the entry is updated on the basis of the content of the age field by a corresponding entry in the table of another card of the first series and associated therewith by the information in the entry to be updated. If the content of the age field of the corresponding entry is also a maximum figure, both the entries can be deleted.
US07929542B2

A method of managing resources in a network. For each application executing on a host device, data transfer requirements are determined based on a capability level currently acceptable for the application. Methods of data transfer currently available to the host device for applying toward the data transfer requirements of the applications are determined. The method includes arbitrating allocation of network resources to a gateway and allocation of resources of the gateway to the host device based on probability of application effectiveness and network bandwidth management priorities, and arbitrating allocation of host device resources to the applications based on current acceptable capability level and probability of application effectiveness.
US07929538B2

Provided is an information processing system and the like that can make a communication between plural information processing devices belonging to different LANs. A first tunnel communication device includes a first address correlating information memory unit that stores information for correlating an address in a first LAN with an address in a second LAN, a first address translating unit that translates an address of a packet on the basis of the correlating information, a first P2P communication setup unit that sets up a P2P communication with a device as a destination, and a first tunnel communication unit that makes a tunnel communication through a path of a P2P communication. The packet transmitted from a first information processing device is translated in address, is encapsulated, and is then transmitted through the path of the P2P communication. The packet transmitted from the device as a destination is decapsulated, is translated in address, and is then transmitted to the first information processing device.
US07929529B2

A digital broadcasting system and a data processing method thereof are provided. An apparatus for generating a transport stream includes a packet generator for generating a plurality of packets by compressing video and audio signals; a counter for counting the number of the generated packets and outputting the count result; and an information controller for determining whether the count result of counting reaches a predetermined number of packets, inserting packet start information into the packets according to the count result, and transmitting the packets with the packet start information inserted therein. The packet start information is added to a packet to be transmitted in a transmitter, and the packet start information is extracted from the received packet in a receiver, so that the waste of frequency resources can be reduced.
US07929523B2

A system, method and computer readable medium for mediating communication between a mobile device and a data source over a network is described. The system includes an asynchronous message receiver that is configured to receive an asynchronous request message from the device. The asynchronous request message includes an identifier field for identifying the asynchronous request message and a message field. The system also includes a synchronous message transceiver communicatively coupled to the asynchronous message receiver and configured to synchronously communicate with the data source by sending a synchronous request message to the data source and receiving a synchronous response message from the data source in return. The synchronous request message includes the message field of the asynchronous request message. A rules processor also forms part of the system, and is communicatively coupled to the synchronous message transceiver. The rules processor is configured to apply a set of rules to combine the identifier field and the message field of the asynchronous request message with a message field of the synchronous response message to form an asynchronous response message that is correlated with the asynchronous request message, thereby allowing the device to use application logic resident thereon to resolve the relation between the asynchronous request and response messages by using the identifier field, and to process the asynchronous response message without having to store the message field of the asynchronous request message on the device after the asynchronous request message has been asynchronously pushed from the device.
US07929521B2

An IP telephone device may be configured to obtain identification information of each of a plurality of receiver devices, create text data including the identification information of each of the plurality of receiver devices, receive a call request, send the text data to a sender of the call request, receive at least one identification information selected in the sender of the call request in accordance with the text data, send a first call request notice instruction to a receiver device corresponding to the received identification information, transfer voice data sent from the receiver device which has been a destination of the first call request notice instruction to the sender of the call request, and transfer voice data sent from the sender of the call request to the receiver device which has been the destination of the first call request notice instruction.
US07929520B2

In a method, apparatus and system for transmitting packet loss concealment (PLC) information, a subscriber device divides a voice sample into a plurality of packets, each including a plurality of successive frames having portions of the voice sample. The subscriber device determines if a predetermined look ahead time duration from the final frame of the plurality of successive frames in a current packet of the plurality of packets includes a noise to voice transition. When the predetermined look ahead time duration is determined to include the noise to voice transition, the subscriber device packs packing information regarding the predetermined look ahead time duration into the current packet. Finally, the subscriber device encodes the plurality of successive frames into the current packet for transmission.
US07929516B2

The present invention is an intelligent services network that uses a switch controller. The switch controller controls the operation of one or more programmable switches to accept calls from a public switched telephone network. The intelligent service network comprises intelligent service network components that are used for enhanced service processing, interconnection to external networks, and other call functions. Communication between the components allows for call set-up, connection to a terminating party, transfer to an alternate intelligent service network component, and termination of the call.
US07929501B2

Methods and apparatus related to efficiently communicating information, such as base station identification information and/or timing information, via beacon signals are described. Base station identification information and/or timing information is communicated via beacon signals. A beacon coding scheme is utilized in which different base station sectors in the communications system are associated with different sub-sets of beacon tones, e.g., a sub-set of 4 beacon tones. Different beacon tone sub-sets have at most 1 tone in common. A base station sector transmitter transmits a sequence of beacon signals, in accordance with a predetermined beacon tone hopping pattern, in a recurring timing structure, each beacon signal including one of the tones from its associated beacon tone subset. The structure of the beacon tone subsets and the hopping pattern facilitates efficient communication of information, efficient recovery of information being communicated and/or a simple implementation decoder by a wireless terminal.
US07929499B2

In a method of multipath acquisition for a dedicated traffic channel, path positions of the traffic channel that have desired signal energy for processing in a base station receiver may be determined as a function of information contained in a data part and a control part of the traffic channel.
US07929497B1

A method of operating a communication system is disclosed. A first communication session between a first base station and a mobile station is established. A service session between a first access network and the mobile station is established. When the mobile station moves to the service area of a new base station, a second communication session between a second base station and the mobile station is established. A distance between the first base station and the second base station is determined. If the distance exceeds a criteria, the service session is handed off a second access network. The criteria, which must be greater than zero, corresponds to the number of base station service areas separating the first base station and the second base station.
US07929489B2

A method for discovering a network service provider, a network side transmitting apparatus and a network discovering apparatus for a user side device are disclosed. The method is used in a wireless communication network which includes a network access provider, a user side device and a network service provider. The method includes: issuing, by a network side, information that identifies a network access provider sharing mode; discovering the network service provider by the user side device in a manner corresponding to the information that identifies the network access provider sharing mode, when the user side device accesses the network. The present invention discovers a network service provider by incorporating different network access provider sharing modes into the existing wireless communication networks, and thus can utilize network resources effectively.
US07929485B2

A home agent receives a communication packet sent out from a source terminal to a mobile terminal as a destination to transfer the communication packet to the mobile terminal connected to a foreign network. This home agent requests the mobile terminal, based on a measured result of internal resources, to bypass the home agent to perform a communication with a source terminal.
US07929484B2

A wireless communication network is provided that includes a plurality of communication cells each defined by at least one communication coverage area and a plurality of access points each corresponding to a different one of the plurality of communication cells. Each access point is configured to communicate on a first frequency with at least one of (i) a subscriber in the at least one communication coverage area in a first communication cell and (ii) a subscriber in a second communication cell. Each access point is further configured to communicate on a second frequency with an access point in a third communication cell.
US07929480B2

Techniques for generating quality indicator bits in a wireless communication system (e.g., a cdma2000 that implements IS-2000). In one method, a determination is first made whether a good data frame was received from a first transmission for the current frame interval. This first transmission may be a non-continuous transmission on a forward dedicated control channel (F-DCCH) defined by IS-2000. If a good data frame was received, then a quality indicator bit is generated based on the good data frame. Otherwise, the quality indicator bit is generated based on a second transmission, which may comprise power control bits that are transmitted even when no data frames are sent in the first transmission. The received signal quality for the power control bits can be measured and compared against a threshold, and the quality indicator bit is then set based on the result of the comparison. The threshold may be dynamically updated.
US07929478B2

An optimal resource allocation strategy for OFDMA multi-hop wireless networks is disclosed. The system allocates one or more resources in a multi-hop network by solving one or more higher-layer sub-problem; solving one or more physical layer and media access control (PHY/MAC) layer sub-problems per tone per time slot with one of cooperative relaying of radio signals or spatial reusing of radio spectrum; updating prices; and allocating radio resources based on the PHY/MAC layer sub-problems.
US07929477B2

The embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus and a system for data transmission, the method comprises: reusing, when the hop number of a branch in a radio communication network is greater than a predetermined hop number, resources of the predetermined hop number on links with different hop numbers in the radio communication network. The method, apparatus and system provided by the embodiments of the present invention may guarantee the real time traffic transmission of a forwarding network, improve the spectrum efficiency of the forwarding network and assure the dynamic expansion of the forwarding network.
US07929475B2

An Internet protocol (IP) packet switching communication system using real time transport protocol (RTP). Control packets map group identification codes to a multicast address on a network. Control packets are distributed on the network using simple object access protocol (SOAP) messages with extensible markup language (XML) payloads. Mapping may include dynamic or static functions. Multicast address data is distributed among routers. A message from a caller is multicast by the routers, based on the multicast address, to one or more destinations.
US07929472B2

A method and an apparatus for improving power efficiency of a User Equipment (UE) by using channel state information between a Node B and the UE and power headroom information of the UE in a mobile communication system. The method includes acquiring power information in relation to transmission powers of UEs; arranging the UEs in a sequence based on the power information; determining, for each UE according to the arranged sequence, whether a first reception power of a Node B exceeds a second reception power; allocating a resource area including partially consecutive sub-carriers to at least one corresponding UE when the first reception power exceeds the second reception power; allocating a resource area including entirely consecutive sub-carriers to at least one corresponding UE when the first reception power does not exceed the second reception power; and transmitting resource allocation information indicating the allocated resource area to the each UE.
US07929468B2

A method for reducing interference between FDD and a TDD interfering radio networks including identifying respective radio entities for which the interferences should be reduced; defining a time pattern comprising time slots on each of the interfered channels, and receive time intervals for radio entities that may be interfered, and aligning the time patterns so that receive time intervals for the radio entities that are potentially exposed to interferences, overlap each other. The radio entity that might create interference to the radio entity of the pre-defined type of the other network, is prevented from transmitting communications that might create e substantial interference to the radio entity associated with the other radio network, and communications transmitted to some radio entities of the pre-defined types that might experience interference, are scheduled at intervals in which communications are received with substantially reduced interference.
US07929462B1

A method and server are disclosed for providing floor control in a full-duplex communication session. When no participant currently holds the floor, a server grants the floor in response to receipt of a media stream from a participant, by outputting the participant's media more loudly than one or more other participants' media, while concurrently outputting media from multiple participants. Further, the server may grant levels of the floor with varying levels of loudness, perhaps based on an order in which the server receives media streams as implicit floor requests from the various participants.
US07929457B2

The performance of a network can be managed by receiving a set of key quality parameters, wherein a key quality parameter represents a characteristic associated with at least one network component; identifying a service quality mapping module based on one or more network components associated with providing an end customer service, wherein the service quality mapping module corresponds to at least one service instance and defines a correlation between the set of key quality parameters and a set of customer quality parameters; applying the service quality mapping module to the set of key quality parameters to generate the set of customer quality parameters; and outputting a signal representing at least one customer quality parameter included in the set of customer quality parameters. Further, the service quality mapping module can define a linear dependency between a customer quality parameter and at least one key quality parameter.
US07929452B2

Apparatus, system, and method having a first memory to receive a parameter associated with a second operating system protocol stack; and a first operating system protocol stack to be configured with said parameter. The system includes a communication medium and a manageability module. The method includes monitoring content of messages communicated between a host client computer and a server computer over a network, inspecting the content of the messages for protocol parameters, providing the protocol parameters to a manageability module associated with the host client computer, and configuring a second operating system protocol stack associated with the manageability module to match a first operating system protocol stack associated with the host client computer.
US07929449B2

System, method and program product for determining a cause of a failure of a communication from a source device to a destination device. A preferred route from the source device to the destination device comprises a series of routers in a forward order. First program instructions determine one or more initial routers in the series in the forward order from the source device toward the destination device. A last of the initial routers does not designate a next router in the series in the forward order toward the destination device. Second program instructions determine the series of routers in a reverse order from the destination device toward the source device. Third program instructions determine from the series of routers in reverse order as determined by the second program instructions which router the last of the initial routers should designate as its next router in the forward order toward the destination device, and send a notification as to which router the last of the initial routers should designate as its next router in the forward order toward the destination device.
US07929447B2

An isochronous back channel is configured between a transmitting device and a receiving device. The isochronous back channel provides retransmission and flow control information from the receiving device to the transmitting device related to a stream of isochronous data packets transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device. An isochronous back channel packet for indicating a retransmission or flow control function to perform is configured and transmitted from the receiving device to the transmitting device over the isochronous back channel. A transmitting plug is configured on the receiving device and a receiving plug is configured on the transmitting device for implementing the isochronous back channel. The isochronous back channel packet includes a control instruction that instructs the transmitting device to either reset, stop or resume transmission of the stream of isochronous data packets being transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device.
US07929445B2

Provided is an apparatus and method for determining a data transmission rate in consideration of the queue length of a Relay Station RS in a multi-hop relay system. A Base Station BS apparatus of the multi-hop relay system includes a receiver and a calculator. The receiver receives channel condition information and queue length information for a Mobile Station MS from an RS. The calculator of the BS apparatus determines a data transmission rate between the BS and the RS for data of the MS using the channel condition information and the queue length information.
US07929443B1

A system for providing session based resource allocation in a core or edge networking device are disclosed. Session awareness is provided in networking devices by session control signal interception and interpretation, followed by session based resource commitment, session based data packet treatment, and session management within the networking devices. The session awareness provided to networking devices through the convergence software provides the networking devices with the ability to differentiate between packets belonging to different communication sessions, and to provide the services needed for each committed session.
US07929441B1

A method and system of assigning DSP resources in a voice gateway which first seeks to assign the calls to DSPs on a best fit basis using information in a best fit (BF) pool. If a call can not be assigned on a BF basis, the call is assigned to a DSP based on information in a load balancing (LB) pool. The BF pool indicates which DSPs will be completely loaded by calls using various codecs and which DSPs have calls that have a first channel penalty (FCP). The LB pool indicates the number of calls each DSP is handling.
US07929439B1

A network interface controller and network interface control method comprising providing a single integrated circuit as a network interface controller and employing a plurality of network interface cores on the single integrated circuit.
US07929427B2

In a method for enabling facilitation of re-convergence, designation information for a first port of each one of a plurality of bridges in a multi-bridge ring is received and designation information for a second port of each one of a plurality of bridges in a multi-bridge ring is received. The first port of each one of a plurality of bridges is a first direction Ring Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RRSTP) port and the second port of each one of a plurality of bridges is a second direction RRSTP port. The first direction around the ring (e.g., a forward direction) is opposite the second direction around said ring (e.g., a backward direction). A first reserved RRSTP MAC address is associated with the first direction port of each one of the bridges and a second reserved MAC address is associated with the second direction port of each one of the bridges.
US07929422B2

A method is disclosed for providing fault tolerance of an application over a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) connection. A method for moving a transport connection from a first host to a second host on a network is also described. After establishing a transport connection between the first host and a peer host, first information about the transport connection is transferred to the second host. Upon the first host becoming unavailable, the second host sends to the peer host a request to update the state of the transport connection. The peer host then updates the transport connection. Without resetting the transport connection, the second host then establishes the same transport connection with the peer host.
US07929416B2

A receiver in an OFDM based communication system is adapted to perform channel estimation using a received reference signal transmitted from at least one antenna The reference signal is substantially located into at least two OFDM symbols of a transmission time interval comprising of more than two OFDM symbols. A power level of said reference signal is divided into said non-consecutive OFDM symbols in said transmission time interval and adapted to use the reference signal located in a first OFDM symbol in succeeding transmission time intervals in addition to the reference symbols in a current transmission time interval and a preceding transmission time interval.
US07929413B2

A transmission system capable of obtaining an effect of orthogonality among time block codes and an effect of path diversity on a distorted channel is provided. In the transmission system including: a transmitter device transmitting an information signal S[n] multiplied by a code, the code being a time block code constituted by a plurality of time series symbols, the transmitter device multiplying the information signal by a plurality of the time block codes, respectively, multiplexing multiplication results on a time axis and transmitting multiplexed signals; and a receiver device including a reception filter, if an impulse response matrix of a channel is a matrix H, a characteristic of the reception filter is set to be represented by a complex conjugate transpose matrix HH to the matrix H and each of the time block codes is set by an eigen code E_I[n] represented by an eigen vector of a matrix HHH representing a coupled system in which the channel is coupled to the reception filter.
US07929410B2

A protocol engine (PE) for processing data within a protocol stack in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is disclosed. The protocol stack executes decision and control operations. The data processing and re-formatting which was performed in a conventional protocol stack is removed from the protocol stack and performed by the PE. The protocol stack issues a control word for processing data and the PE processes the data based on the control word. Preferably, the WTRU includes a shared memory and a second memory. The shared memory is used as a data block place holder to transfer the data amongst processing entities. For transmit processing, the PE retrieves source data from the second memory and processes the data while moving the data to the shared memory based on the control word. For receive processing, the PE retrieves received data from the shared memory and processes it while moving the data to the second memory.
US07929407B2

Methods and systems are provided that enable an OFDM transmitter to be used for transmitting conventional OFDM or a form of transformed OFDM. A technique is provided for transforming a coded and modulated sequence of samples prior to an IFFT that enables the transformed sequence of samples to be transmitted using conventional OFDM or transformed OFDM. The selection of a transform function for transforming the coded and modulated sequence of samples may be based on optimizing the transform function for particular operating conditions between the transmitter and receiver. In some embodiments of the invention OFDM and time transformed OFDM are multiplexed in time and/or frequency in a transmission frame. In some embodiments of the invention a pilot pattern is provided in which the pilot are sent using OFDM and data is sent using OFDM and/or transformed OFDM.
US07929404B2

An information recording medium (100) is provided with a plurality of recording layers (L0 layer, L1 layer) to record therein record information, and property information (200) indicating properties of the each recording layer is recorded in each of the plurality of recording layers.
US07929403B2

To record information in an optical storage medium, a pulsed laser beam produced by a laser light source is split into first and second pulsed laser beams by a beam splitter. The first pulsed laser beam to be concentrated in the optical storage medium supported by a medium support part is interrupted and resumed by a shutter. The second pulsed laser beam is received by a photosensor which produces a detection signal. A controller includes a sync-generator configured to receive the detection signal from the photosensor and to generate a synchronizing signal based upon the received detection signal, and a shutter driver configured to drive the shutter in synchronization with timing represented by the synchronizing signal generated by the sync-generator.
US07929401B2

An objective lens used for an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus for an optical disc based on a predetermined standard is made of resin and has a numerical aperture larger than or equal to 0.75. When f (unit: mm) represents a focal length at a wavelength λ (unit: nm), d (unit: mm) represents a thickness, and n represents a refractive index of the objective lens at the wavelength λ, the objective lens satisfies following conditions: 1.00
US07929400B2

The present invention relates to an optical scanner system for scanning of an optical sound track with a beam of light, comprising a light emitter for emission of a light beam, a device for scanning the light beam across an optical sound track, the light beam forming a scanning spot on the optical sound track, an optical detector for detection of the light beam upon interaction of the light beam with the optical sound track and generating an electronic signal representing the sound recorded in the optical sound track.
US07929392B2

According to one embodiment, an optical disk apparatus is provided with a read section which reads data from an optical disk to output read information, a determination section which determines presence/absence of an error of the read information to output an error presence/absence signal, a transfer processing section which receives the error presence/absence signal and receives a hash request signal and transfers the hash request signal when the error presence/absence signal indicates the absence of an error, and does not transfer the hash request signal when the error presence/absence signal indicates the presence of an error, and a processing section which performs hash processing to the read information upon reception of the hash request signal.
US07929391B2

A write-once optical recording medium, a method for allocating a defect management area of the write-once optical recording medium, and a method for allocating a spare area of the write-once optical recording medium are provided. A method of managing defects on a write-once optical recording medium having at least one recording layer includes the steps of allocating at least one temporary defect management area having a fixed size and at least one temporary defect management area having a variable size to said optical recording medium, respectively, recording defect management information on the at least one temporary defect management area having a fixed size and the at least one temporary defect management area having a variable size; and using the at least one temporary defect management area having a fixed size and the at least one temporary defect management area having a variable size is provided herein.
US07929386B2

A focus error signal is generated by a first-order diffracted light diffracted by regions 23b, 24b on a hologram plane 2a, and an offset of a tracking error signal is canceled by first-order diffracted light diffracted by regions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a on the hologram plane 2a. Consequently, even when there is an error in the substrate thicknesses of optical discs, jitter of a reproduction signal at a focus control point can be reduced by decreasing the distance between the focus control point and the point where the jitter is minimized.
US07929383B2

A optical disc drive is disclosed. The optical disc drive includes a housing and a tray configured to accommodate a disc therein. The optical disc drive also includes an automatic return-type eject switch, a drive controller, and an eject controller. Mounted in the housing, the automatic return-type eject switch is configured to generate an eject signal. In response to the eject signal, the drive controller ejects the tray. In response to the eject signal, the eject controller supplies an electric power to the optical disc drive, and transmits a pseudo eject signal to the drive controller to eject the tray by way of a line through which the eject signal has been transferred after a predetermined time period from the supply of the electric power has lapsed.
US07929374B1

Methods, computer-readable means, and systems for minimizing false alarm rates and operator loading while conducting multistatic active sonar operations are disclosed. A plurality of sensor nodes is established, with each sensor node including an active sonar source, and a receiver. Each sensor node has a local storage center, and each node is connected to a data fusion center. During active sonar operations, a high threshold (HTH) and a low threshold (LTH) setting is established. For each sensor node, all sonar return data above the LTH setting are stored at its respective storage center. The HTH is set so that only specular echo returns exceed the HTH; when the HTH setting is exceeded, the fusion center retrieves LTH data from each storage center corresponding to the same specular echo return, in order to establish a track for the contact.
US07929369B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array having at least one memory bank. The memory bank being divided into memory blocks such that the memory blocks have a block position including at least one edge memory block at an edge of the memory bank and at least one non-edge memory block. Each memory block includes a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell associated with at least one bit line and at least one word line. The semiconductor memory device includes a refresh execution circuit configured to activate a less than or equal number of word lines one at a time during a refresh operation for the memory cells in the edge memory block as activated one at a time during a refresh operation for the memory cells in the non-edge memory block.
US07929368B2

Memory devices and methods are described such as those that monitor and adjust characteristics for various different portions of a given memory device. Examples of different portions include tiles, or arrays, or dies. One memory device and method described includes monitoring and adjusting characteristics of different portions of a 3D stack of memory dies. One characteristic that can be adjusted at multiple selected portions includes refresh rate.
US07929365B2

A memory structure that improves a sensing accuracy of memory cells by dividing the main array into a number of memory units and sensing memory cells of each memory units with an appropriate set of reference currents. Each of the memory units corresponds to a reference group bit value, which indicates the appropriate set of reference currents. The appropriate set of reference currents is chosen from a number of sets of selective reference currents according to the threshold voltage distribution of each of the memory units. Thus, each of the memory units of the memory structure is sensed correctly with its own appropriate set of reference currents, and the improvement of sensing accuracy is therefore achieved.
US07929364B2

Disclosed is a semiconductor memory apparatus capable of improving precharge performance. The semiconductor memory apparatus includes a plurality of memory banks, data input/output lines commonly connected to the memory banks, and a plurality of precharge circuit units connected to the data input/output lines and aligned in an extension direction of the data input/output lines while being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.
US07929363B1

A method of optimizing memory cell write/read is disclosed. The memory cell write/read is optimized by first reading the memory cell data using the normal mode. Next the page latch data that was used to NV (Non-Volatile) write the memory is also read back directly from the page latches. The two data are then compared to verify a successful and optimized memory cell write/read. NV writes and reads are performed with various high voltage parameters and sense amplifier reference settings to arrive at the most optimal one that gives the largest sense window for best write/read reliability. The page latch read mode is also used as a DFT (Design for Test) test mode to check for page latch functionality and page address uniqueness without having to write the memory cell. The page latch is written with logic data and read out directly using the page latch read mode to verify page functionality.
US07929362B2

In an embodiment, an integrated semiconductor memory includes a plurality of data lines via which data read out or to be read out from memory cells can be communicated, wherein the data lines comprise redundant data lines and non-redundant data lines, wherein the semiconductor memory has at least one data distributor line, and wherein a plurality of redundant data lines are connected up to the at least one data distributor line in such a way that in each case a redundant data line or a group of redundant data lines from the plurality of redundant data lines can be selected and can be connected to the at least one data distributor line.
US07929361B2

A transceiver (222) includes a receive circuit (320), a transmit circuit (340), a shared delay locked loop (DLL) (360), and a controller (210). The receive circuit (320) has a first input coupled to an external data terminal, a second input coupled to an external data strobe terminal, and an output coupled to an internal data terminal. The transmit circuit (340) has a first input coupled to the internal data terminal, a second input for receiving an internal clock signal, a first output coupled to the external data terminal, and a second output coupled to the external data strobe terminal. The controller (210) enables the shared DLL (360) for use by the receive circuit (320) during a receive cycle, and enables the shared DLL (360) for use by the transmit circuit (340) during a transmit cycle.
US07929354B2

A flash storage device includes flash storage units that are purged in response to a condition or command wherein, during or subsequent to the purge, the purge is verified. A flash controller interface receives a command for purging the flash storage device and provides a purge command to flash controllers in the flash storage device. Alternatively, the flash storage device detects a condition in response to which the flash controller interface provides a purge command to the flash controllers. Each flash controller independently erases a flash storage unit in response to receiving the purge command such that the flash storage units are erased substantially in parallel with each other. The purge of the flash storage device is subsequently verified.
US07929353B2

A method and apparatus are provided for adaptive memory cell overerase compensation. A semiconductor memory device (100) is provided for performing the adaptively compensating erase verify operation (500, 600). The memory device (100) includes at least one word line (402). One or more memory cells (200) and one or more reference cells (406, 408) are connected to the word lines (402), where the one or more reference cells (406, 408) include an erased reference cell (408) connected to each word line (402). The method (500, 600) for adaptive memory cell overerase compensation includes determining an erase verify gate voltage (506, 608) utilizing the erased reference cell(s) (408) and verifying an erase voltage (514) of the memory cells (200) in response to the erase verify gate voltage (512, 614).
US07929344B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell, a bit line, a source line, a detection circuit, and a sense amplifier. The memory cell holds or more levels of data. The bit line is electrically connected to a drain of the memory cell. The source line is electrically connected to a source of the memory cell. The detection circuit detects a current flowing through the source line during a read operation and a verify operation on the data. The sense amplifier reads the data by sensing a current flowing through the bit line during the read operation and the verify operation. Whether or not the sense amplifier reads the same data plural times is determined according to a current amount detected by the detection circuit.
US07929337B2

A semiconductor memory device includes at least one write global bit line connected to a plurality of local bit lines and at least one read global bit line connected to the local bit lines. The phase-change memory device having the write global bit line and the read global bit line suppress coupling noise generated during a read-while-write operation.
US07929329B2

A memory array contains a plurality of banks coupled to each other by a plurality of data lines. Each of the data lines is divided into a plurality of segments within the array. Respective bidirectional buffers couple read data from one of the segments to another in a first direction, and to couple write data from one of the segments to another in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The data lines may be local data read/write lines that couple different banks of memory cells to each other and to respective data terminals, digit lines that couple memory cells in a respective column to respective sense amplifiers, word lines that activate memory cells in a respective row, or some other signal line within the array. The memory array also includes precharge circuits for precharging the segments of respective data lines to a precharge voltage.
US07929324B1

A direct current to pulse amplitude modulated (“PAM”) current converter, denominated a “PAMCC”, is connected to an individual source of direct current. Some embodiments provide a PAMCC for each direct current source in an array, for example multiple solar panels. The PAMCC receives direct current and provides pulse amplitude modulated current at its output. The pulses are produced at a high frequency relative to the signal modulated on a sequence of pulses. The signal modulated onto a sequence of pulses may represent portions of a lower frequency sine wave or other lower frequency waveform, including DC. When a PAMCC's output is connected in parallel with the outputs of similar PAMCCs an array of PAMCCs is formed, wherein the output pulses of the PAMCCs are out of phase with respect to each other. An array of PAMCCs constructed in accordance with the present invention form a distributed multiphase inverter whose combined output is the demodulated sum of the current pulse amplitude modulated by each PAMCC.
US07929319B2

A positioning structure for portable electronic device includes two latching elements and a positioning element. Each latching element includes a blocking portion. The positioning element includes a cover portion and two fixing portions formed at two ends thereof. The cover portion defines a plurality of cavities for receiving electronic components. Each fixing portion defines a hole, and the blocking portion is received in the hole.
US07929312B2

The present invention provides a device mounting structure and a device mounting method in which the short circuit can be prevented between a device lead part and a device ground part when the reflow process is executed. Thus, in the device mounting structure of the present invention, the device is contained in an aperture part provided in a wired board on a heat-radiating plate, a device main part of the device being fixed on the device ground part, a device lead part extending from opposing sides of the device main part is connected to a wiring part on the wired board, and an internal wall of the aperture part positioned just under the device lead part and the device ground part positioned on the heat-radiating plate are separated by a predetermined distance.
US07929310B2

According to at least one embodiment, a cell board interconnection architecture comprises an interconnection structure for interconnecting a plurality of cell boards, the interconnection structure configured to allow air to pass therethrough in a direction in which the cell boards couple therewith.
US07929302B2

A cooling device for dissipating heat for an electronic device includes a shell to absorb heat generating from a heat generating element in the electronic device, and a number of fins. The shell bounds a heat exchanging space and defines an air intake and an air outlet. The number of fins extends into the heat exchanging space. The shell guides air outside the shell to enter into the shell through the air intake and to exit from the shell through the air outlet after exchanging heat in the heat exchanging space.
US07929298B2

A notebook computer include a base unit having a pivot end, a display unit piovtably attached to the pivot end of the base unit, and two support stands attached to the base unit near the pivot end. The base unit includes a top surface defining a recessed portion and two side surfaces. Each of the support stands includes a first supporting element slidable along the recessed portion includes a first and second boards. A first pivot post is formed on the first board to be slidably received in a first sliding slot defined in a first sidewall of the recessed portion, and pivotable when the first pivot post reaches an end of the recessed portion near the corresponding side surface, the first board pivotable to a position that is substantially perpendicular to a plane to seat the second board on a plane thereby tilting the base unit on the plane.
US07929292B2

An electronic device with a heat dissipation mechanism includes a main body, at least one supporting member, at least one driving device, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The main body defines a plurality of heat dissipation holes and at least one through hole. The heat dissipation holes are configured for dissipating heat of the electronic device. The supporting member passes through the through hole, and one end of the supporting member protrudes from the bottom of the main body. The driving device is configured for driving the supporting member to move along its axis, causing the electronic device to be kept in a flat state or in an inclined state. The temperature sensor is for sensing the temperature of the electronic device. The controller is for driving the driving device, causing the supporting member to move a predetermined distance along its axis, according to the sensed temperature.
US07929287B2

An electronic apparatus includes a display unit, a driving circuit, and a base chassis. The driving circuit is configured to drive the display unit. The base chassis is made of a transparent material and includes a first region that extends outward from at least one end on a circumference of the display unit, the first region provided with an operation button used for operating the driving circuit.
US07929270B2

Wireless detonator assemblies (51-59) in use, form a cross-communicating network of wireless “detonator assemblies, such that communication of each wireless detonator assembly (57-59) with an associated blasting machine (50) can occur either directly, or via relay of signals (61-69) between other wireless detonator assemblies (51-56) in the network. Wireless detonator assemblies (51-59) can disseminate information (such as status information, identity information, firing codes, delay times and environmental conditions) among all of the wireless detonator assemblies in the network, while compensating for signal transmission relay delays at nodes in the network, thereby enabling the wireless detonator assemblies to detonate the explosive charges in accordance with the delay times. Various wireless detonator assemblies and corresponding blasting apparatus are disclosed and claimed. Methods of blasting using the wireless detonator assemblies and blasting apparatus are also disclosed and claimed.
US07929268B2

An exciting voltage arithmetic portion calculates an exciting voltage of an electromagnet using a signal of a gap sensor. On the other hand, a sensorless exciting voltage arithmetic portion calculates an exciting voltage of the electromagnet using a signal of the current sensor. The exciting voltage adjusting portion adjusts a mixing ratio between an output value of an exciting voltage arithmetic portion and an output value of the sensorless exciting voltage arithmetic portion corresponding to a gap length. The excitation of the electromagnet is controlled according to an output value of the exciting voltage adjusting portion so as to reduce influences of noises on the gap sensors thereby always achieving a stable levitation control.
US07929259B2

A magnetic sensor includes a sensor stack having a first magnetic portion, a second magnetic portion, and a barrier layer between the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion. At least one of the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion includes a multilayer structure having a first magnetic layer having a positive magnetostriction adjacent to the barrier layer, a second magnetic layer, and an intermediate layer between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The magnetic sensor has an MR ratio of at least about 80% when the magnetic sensor has a resistance-area (RA) product of about 1.0 Ω·μm2.
US07929242B2

A magnetic disk apparatus includes: a driving section for moving a magnetic head recoding and reproducing information in a magnetic disk; and a controller for controlling the driving section. The controller includes: a position-error feedback control system having an integrator and a phase lead compensator and obtaining a position command based on difference between target position and detection position of the magnetic head to perform feedback control of the driving section; and a two-freedom-degree control system inputting a target move distance of the magnetic head and outputting a current command to the driving section by using a mathematic model of the driving section. The controller providing the driving section with an output of the integrator and therewith updating the mathematical model by using an output of the phase lead compensator, in each of the times of positioning control and seek of the magnetic head.
US07929227B2

An optical assembly supported in an arrangement, especially in an objective or in an illuminating or exposure system, in the interior of a housing comprising at least one optical element, especially a lens, a mirror, or an aperture, wherein the at least one element is influenceable by at least one manipulator is characterized in that the at least one manipulator is arranged either outside of the housing or in a holding means that is separated entirely or to a large extent by the help of a decoupling means, and that there is provided an effective coupling between the manipulator and the element to be influenced by the manipulator in the interior of the arrangement.
US07929217B2

The present disclosure relates to a projection lens. The projection lens includes, in order from the magnified end to the minified end thereof, a first lens of negative refraction power, a second lens of positive refraction power, a third lens of negative refraction power, a fourth lens of positive refraction power, and a fifth lens of positive refraction power. The forth lens and the third lens are bonded to integrally form a compound lens of negative refraction power. The projection lens satisfies the following condition: 0.4
US07929213B2

An exemplary prism sheet includes a transparent main body. The transparent main body includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are on opposite sides of the transparent main body. The first surface defines a plurality of a plurality of elongated arc-shaped grooves. The second surface defines a plurality of parallelogram microstructures. Each parallelogram microstructure defines four adjacent triangular pyramid depressions.
US07929194B2

Glazing comprising, in succession: a first rigid substrate (S1); a second rigid substrate (S2); a third rigid substrate (S3); at least one “active” system (A) that includes at least one layer and is placed between the substrates (S1 and S2), the first substrate (S1) optionally being set back in relation to the other two substrates (S2, S3); and at least one polymer film having the function of retaining glazing fragments should the glazing break, said film being placed between the substrate (S1) and the substrate (S2) and between the substrate (S2) and the substrate (S3).
US07929186B2

An image reading apparatus capable of reading images according to a plurality of reading methods, comprising a manuscript table on which manuscripts are placed, a reading section for reading images from the manuscripts placed on the manuscript table, and a plurality of detecting sections for detecting the manuscripts placed on the manuscript table, wherein an image reading method is determined according to the detection states of the respective detecting sections, and the images of the manuscripts are read using the reading section according to the determined reading method.
US07929180B2

A printing system, printing method, and host apparatus is capable of analyzing the degree of ink blur in consideration of print conditions and the properties of an image typified by a photograph or the like, and prompting a user to change the print conditions depending on the analysis result. The system sets print conditions upon printing an image on a printing medium via a man-machine interactive operation by the user. If the system determines that ink blurs upon printing on the printing medium on the basis of the generated print data in accordance with the set print conditions, it warns the user about the print conditions.
US07929179B2

A monitor having a flat panel display, a printer and a sheet feeder disposed within a housing is disclosed. The flat panel display displays a video signal provided from an external computer through a video input socket of the monitor. The printer is disposed behind the flat panel display as viewed by the user. The printer includes a pagewidth printhead which prints onto print media print data provided from the external computer through a serial data connection of the monitor. The sheet feeder feeds a sheet of print media from a stack of print media past the pagewidth printhead. The stack of print media is located behind the flat panel display such that, immediately prior to commencement of printing, at least an edge of the print media is visible above an upper edge of the flat panel display.
US07929177B2

An image forming device includes an image generating section that generates an image including a plurality of screen types, an image processing section that performs a grayscale screen process on the image and generates grayscale data and screen type data for each pixel, a line head to which the grayscale data for each pixel section is sequentially transmitted, and a light intensity correction circuit that corrects light intensity of each pixel. The image processing section transmits the screen type data for each pixel to the light intensity correction circuit. The light intensity correction circuit transmits a light intensity correction value for each pixel to the line head. The light intensity correction value for each pixel is obtained based on the corresponding screen type data so that pixels of different screen types of the image are corrected in accordance with the corresponding screen types.
US07929174B2

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method capable of printing part of a book file by designating the range. A setting user interface window is displayed from a print setting menu, a desired unit is selected from a print target column, and the range is designated in the selected unit. The designated range is printed including an original page within the designated range and another original page to be printed on the same paper sheet as that of the original page. The range can be designated by an entire book file, chapter, page, or booklet.
US07929169B2

It is necessary to switch print settings and color processing tables to optimum ones in accordance with a type of sheet which is used in a printer. In the case of enabling a new sheet to be used, a setting can be easily added without newly forming a whole printer driver. Print set information regarding the new sheet is set into a media script and fetched into a media block via a compiler. Control is made so as to store the print set information from a media database API into a media database. When the new sheet is selected on a driver display screen, the media database is searched from the media database API and print data is formed on the basis of the print set information.
US07929165B2

A method for controlling a printer in a networked environment utilizes printer usage statistics and document features to determine whether to print a document or portion of a document. The networked environment includes printers, devices permitting the submittal of print job requests, a print server, and a document repository. The method includes receiving a job request to print a document from a device on the network and obtaining the document in digital form from the document repository or placing the document in digital form. Document and page specific information are extracted from the document. It is then determined whether printing of the document or a portion of the document is necessary based on analysis of the document and page specific information.
US07929158B2

An image forming apparatus includes a controller that is operable to: access files that is created by an external device and stored in the external storage device, the files containing images that are to be formed on the sheet by the image forming unit; generate auxiliary identification information including character string that is uniquely assigned for each of the files and for each of folders containing the files by using character information stored in a storage; control at least one of the display and the image forming unit to display file specifying information including filenames of each of the files and the auxiliary identification information so as that the auxiliary identification information is displayed preferentially from the filenames; and allow a user to select a target file that contains an image to be formed on the sheet based on the file specifying information.
US07929156B2

In an image output control system of the invention, an image processing device makes image data subjected to a preset series of image processing and supplies the processed image data to an image output device, which then outputs a resulting processed image. The image processing device determines the number of dots to be created in each pixel group, which has a preset number of multiple pixels included in an image, and outputs the determined number of dots as dot number data to the image output device. The image output device stores multiple options for a priority order of individual pixels included in each pixel group for dot formation. In response to reception of the dot number data, the image output device selects one among the multiple options for the priority order, determines the positions of dot-on pixels in the pixel group, and actually creates dots at the determined positions of the dot-on pixels to output a resulting image. In the image output control system of the invention, the image processing device supplies the dot number data to the image output device. Even when an image includes a large number of pixels, this arrangement ensures quick data supply and thereby prompt image output.
US07929155B2

The present invention provides a method and system for on-machine 3-D depth measurement. The same image retrieving apparatus measures the first distance for the width of the similar gray-level region of cutting-surface from the first angle, and measures the second distance for the width of the similar gray-level region of cutting-surface from the first angle superimposing the second angle. The width of the similar gray-level region of cutting-surface comprises the cutting-surface and the shadow of the bottom portion of the cutting-surface. And then the cutting-surface depth is calculated according to the first angle, the second angle, the first distance, and the second distance.
US07929154B2

The present invention provides a laser irradiation apparatus and a laser irradiation method which can conduct irradiation of a laser beam accurately by correcting misalignment of an irradiation position of the laser beam from the predetermined position due to temperature change. A laser irradiation apparatus includes a laser oscillator emitting a laser beam; an XY stage provided with an irradiation object; an optical system which shapes the laser beam into a linear beam on a surface of the irradiation object provided on the XY stage; an illumination device which emits light to the surface of the irradiation object; and a camera for imaging reflected light of the light on the surface of the irradiation object, in which misalignment of an irradiation position of the linear beam detected from the reflected light imaged by the camera is corrected.
US07929149B2

A method and a coordinate measuring machine (1) are provided, wherein the non-linearities of an interferometer (24) can be corrected. A measuring stage (20) traversable in a plane (25a) is provided for measurement. The substrate (2) is placed in a measuring stage (20); wherein the position of the measuring stage (20) along each of the motion axes is determined by at least one interferometer (24) in each case. A computer (16) is provided for compensating the non-linearity inherent in each of the interferometers (24), wherein the position of the measuring stage (20) to be determined by the interferometers (24) is arranged along a trajectory (52, 60, 67) of the measuring stage (20), which is composed at least partially of components of the axes.
US07929143B2

An integrated interferometric gyroscope and accelerometer device. An example device includes a cantilever beam, a package having a post connected to one end of the beam, a piezoresistor driver, a piezoresistor sensor, and a semiconductor interferometric optical gyro. The piezoresistor driver is incorporated within the beam at a first area proximate to the post. The driver electro-thermally resonates the beam. The piezoresistor sensor is incorporated within the beam at the first area. The sensor piezoresitively senses a signal that relates to an acceleration force out-of-plane of the beam. The semiconductor interferometric optical gyro is also incorporated within the beam at a second area of the beam. The gyro senses rotational motion about an axis approximately equivalent to the acceleration force out-of-plane of the beam. The gyro includes a waveguide, a laser source and a light detector. The beam is formed from a semiconductor substrate.
US07929132B2

Systems and methods for performing transmission microscopy on a sample material are disclosed. The sample material is placed on a metal nanoparticle substrate. High intensity light, such as an infrared laser, is focused on the nanoparticle substrate, thereby exciting the silver nanoparticles. The excited nanoparticles emit intensely focused, spectrally broad white light that is able to pass through the sample material without significant scattering even when the sample material is highly diffuse. The emitted light that passes through the sample material is detected and used to generate images and characterize features of the sample material, including the internal structural composition of the sample material.
US07929113B2

A measurement apparatus which illuminates a pattern positioned on an object plane to form an aerial image 40 on an image plane and measures a light intensity distribution of the aerial image 40 via a slit 54 on the image plane, the measurement apparatus including a stage 60 moving the slit, a light receiving element 53 mounted on the stage 60 and including at least two light receiving portions which receive the light transmitted through the slit, a storage unit which stores a relationship between an angle ε and a distance between a center position of the slit 54 and a position where a intensity of light that the light receiving element 53 receives is maximum, a calculation unit which obtains the angle ε, and a stage driving unit 80 which rotates the stage 60 so that the angle ε is equal to zero.
US07929112B2

A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed in which measures are taken to prevent or reduce the presence of bubbles in liquid through which the projection beam radiates. This may be done, for example, by ensuring that a gap between a substrate and a substrate table is filled with immersion liquid or by causing a localized flow radially outwardly from the optical axis in the vicinity of the edge of the substrate.
US07929094B2

A liquid crystal display device 700 includes a pair of substrates, a vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer 490 provided between the pair of substrates, and electrodes 481 and 485 for applying a voltage to the vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer 490. At least one of the pair of substrates has a rugged structure on a surface which is in contact with the vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer. The surface having the rugged structure formed thereon has a region in which the height of the rugged structure varies along a first direction with a first period and varies along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with a second period different from the first period. The first period is no less than 0.1 μm and no more than 10 μm, and the second period is no less than 0.1 μm and no more than 10 μm. The vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer 490 has a pretilt due to the rugged structure with no voltage applied thereacross.
US07929093B2

A pixel structure including an active device and a pixel electrode is provided. The pixel electrode is electrically connected with the active device and has a plurality of alignment domains. Each of the alignment domains of the pixel electrode has one group of alignment slits parallel with one another, wherein each group of the alignment slits includes a plurality of first alignment slits with a first length and the first alignment slits are majority of each group of the alignment slits. At least one group of the alignment slits includes at least a second alignment slit with a second length longer than the first length of the first alignment slits.
US07929088B2

A liquid crystal display comprises two parallel spaced substrates and a liquid crystal layer with negative dielectric anisotropy interposed between the substrates. The ratio d/p, the cell gap d between the substrates to the pitch p of the liquid crystal layer, is equal to or less than 0.3, and the retardation value Δn*d may be in the range of 0.25-0.4. In absence of electric field, the liquid crystal molecules are arranged vertically to the substrates, and when the sufficient electric field is applied, the liquid crystal molecules are parallel to the substrates and twisted by 90° from one substrate to the other.To the outer surface of a liquid crystal cell having a liquid crystal material with a negative dielectric anisotropy, a combination of a-plate, c-plate or biaxial compensation films is attached. The direction having the largest refractive index of the a-plate or the biaxial film is parallel or perpendicular to the polarizing direction of adjacent polarizer. The difference between the summation of the retardation (nx−nz)*d of the a-plate, the c-plate and the biaxial films and the polarizers, and the retardation due to birefringence of the liquid crystal cell is equal to or less than 15% of the retardation due to birefringence of the liquid crystal cell. The retardation (nx−ny)*d of the a-plate or the biaxial film is 0-100 nm. nx, ny and nz are the refractive indices of the x, y and z axes respectively when the z axis is perpendicular to the surface of the liquid crystal cell, the x axis is in the surface of the liquid crystal cell and having the largest refractive index of the a-plate or the biaxial film and the y axis is in same plane as the x axis and perpendicular to the x axis, and d is the thickness of the film.
US07929084B2

A transflective liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing each other, a gate line and a data line on the first substrate, the gate and data lines intersecting each other and defining a pixel region having a transmissive region and a reflective region, a thin film transistor at an intersection between the gate line and the data line, a pixel electrode in the pixel region connected to the thin film transistor, an organic insulating layer on the second substrate, the organic insulating layer including a through-hole in the transmissive region, a reflective electrode on the organic insulating layer in the reflective region, a black matrix on the second substrate, a color filter layer on the second substrate in the pixel region, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.
US07929081B2

A color filter layer structure usable in a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a color filter layer on a substrate, the color filter layer having a polarizing function and made of a liquid crystal material deposited on the substrate, wherein a force is applied to the deposited liquid crystal material in one direction to form the color filter layer.
US07929078B2

A liquid crystal module includes a frame, a light reflecting sheet, a cold cathode tube, an optical sheet, a liquid crystal panel, a bezel and a pair of lamp frames. The frame includes a pair of opposing side plates and a bottom plate. The side plates have a plurality of engagement components. The bottom plate has a plurality of latching holes. Each of the lamp frames has a front plate part with a latching leg piece and a rear plate part with a latching component. The latching leg piece is inserted into one of the latching holes of the bottom plate of the frame to latch to the respective one of the latching hole. The latching component latches upward to respective one of the engagement components of the side plates of the frame.
US07929076B2

An optical module includes: a base plate; a light emitting element mounted on the base plate; an integrated circuit element of the light receiving element built-in type mounted on the base plate by bonded wires and having a light receiving portion for receiving returning light originating from light emitted from the light emitting element; and a circuit board having a window for allowing light to pass therethrough and connected to the integrated circuit element in a state wherein the light receiving portion is exposed through the window.
US07929073B2

An exemplary liquid crystal display module includes a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight unit, a bottom frame, and an upper frame. The backlight unit is positioned on the bottom frame. The upper frame is assembled on the bottom frame to fix the backlight unit in position. The upper frame includes four sidewalls, a top flange extending from the four sidewalls towards a center of the upper frame, and a plurality of supporting members defined at the inner surfaces of the sidewalls adjacent to the top flange. At least one of the supporting members is resilient. The liquid crystal display panel is held in place between the top flange and the supporting members. A method for assembling the liquid crystal display module is also provided.
US07929061B2

An apparatus and a method for allowing a digital broadcast receiver smoothly to switch from one broadcast channel to another. In response to a reproduction output request, encoded data that are requested to be reproduced and output are selected and decoded accordingly. At substantially the same time, arrangements may be provided to select and decode other encoded data in accordance with a predetermined rule. Whenever the encoded data selected using the predetermined rule are to be reproduced and output on request, conventionally required demultiplexing and decoding processes are not needed.
US07929060B2

An integrated circuit device having a television signal tuner, video decoder and power control circuit. The television signal tuner selects one of a plurality of television channels, and the video decoder converts a television signal conveyed in the selected television channel into a video display signal. The power control circuit alternately enables and disables the television tuner to enable reception of a first portion of video information conveyed in the television signal and to disable reception of a second portion of the video information.
US07929052B2

A camera module includes a lens module, an image sensor, and a circuit board. The image sensor module is disposed in an image side of the lens module. The circuit board is electronically connected with the image sensor module. The circuit board includes a receiving chamber defined therein. The receiving chamber receives the image sensor module. The lens module is mounted on the circuit board and covers the receiving chamber. The image sensor module is fixed in the receiving chamber that is defined in the circuit board therein. Therefore, a thickness of the camera module along the axis of the camera module is decreased and a volume of the camera module becomes thinner compare with the conventional camera module.
US07929047B2

When a release button is pressed in the image adding mode and flash-on mode, a system control section instructs a timing generation section to continuously supply a timing signal to an imaging section, thereby causing the imaging section to perform high speed continuous shooting. A flash is caused to emit light in sync with taking the last one of images taken by the continuous shooting such that the amount of the emitted light results in underexposure for one image. The continuous images taken by the imaging section are sequentially output via a preprocessing section to a blurring correction section where the taken images are superimposed upon each other to obtain an image of appropriate exposure in which blurring has been corrected.
US07929046B2

An image-pickup system is disclosed which is capable of performing highly accurate back focus adjustment for each combination of an image-pickup apparatus and a lens apparatus. The system includes a first memory provided in the image-pickup apparatus and stores first identification information unique to a combination of the image-pickup apparatus and a certain lens apparatus, a second memory provided in the lens apparatus and stores second identification information unique to a combination of the lens apparatus and a certain image-pickup apparatus. A comparator compares the first identification information with the second identification information. The generator generates, when the comparison results that the first identification information does not match the second identification information, identification information unique to the combination of the image-pickup apparatus and the lens apparatus. The controller causes the first memory and the second memory to store the identification information generated by the generator.
US07929043B2

An image stabilizing apparatus includes a motion vector calculating part that calculates a motion vector between a plurality of images including a displacement caused by a motion of an image-pickup apparatus, a shake-correction parameter calculating part that receives the motion vector as input to calculate a shake correction amount, and an image transforming part that performs geometric transformation of the image in accordance with the shake correction amount. The shake-correction parameter calculating part performs variation amount calculation, variation amount correction and correction amount calculation based on the motion information between the plurality of images. The image stabilizing apparatus preserves a motion in video from an intended camera work and allows image stabilization for an unintended shake.
US07929042B2

An imaging apparatus is disclosed. The imaging apparatus includes: a face detecting part configured to detect a face area from an input image in the imaging apparatus; a measurement frame setting part configured to set a measurement frame corresponding to a face area that includes a face area and a measurement frame corresponding to a body area that includes a body area based on the face area detected in the face detecting part; and a focus control part configured to apply each of the plurality of the measurement frames set by the measurement frame setting part to detect in-focus positions corresponding to the individual measurement frames based on a check of information about the detected in-focus positions corresponding to the individual measurement frames, and to decide a final in-focus position.
US07929041B2

An image pickup device that picks up an image of an object with an image pickup element, consisting of: a lens connecting portion that connects an interchangeable lens that can be attached and detached; a lens distinguishing portion that distinguishes the type of the interchangeable lens that is connected to the lens connecting portion; a plurality of optical filters that are capable of being disposed to the optical rear side of the interchangeable lens in the image pickup optical path when picking up an image of an object on an image pickup element with the interchangeable lens; and a moving portion that moves at least any of the plurality of optical filters to a position that corresponds to the type of the interchangeable lens that the lens distinguishing portion has distinguished.
US07929040B2

A switch for changing the mode of a device main body accompanied with the rotation of an image capture unit and an operation section provided in the device main body and performing inputting or outputting operations of the external information are included, and the external information outputting unit and the operation section change a plurality of modes controlled according to the mode change of the device main body by the switch.
US07929035B2

A column buffer for use with a pixel cell array includes an amplifier coupled to three read-out circuits in parallel providing a signal corresponding to accumulated photon-generated charge in a pixel cell plus noise, a reset level plus noise, and a pedestal level, respectively. These three signals are used to generate an ultra-low noise signal Di=Si−Pi-1−G*(Ri−Ri-1), wherein S is the sampled signal, P is the pedestal level, R is the reset level, and G is a gain associated with a pixel cell, and wherein i is a frame number greater than 0. The three signals can be read-out simultaneously. In another embodiment, the three signals are obtained from a column buffer having only one output. In this case, the signals are read-out sequentially.
US07929032B2

An image processing apparatus and method for detecting and correcting a defective pixel in an image output from an image sensor including a plurality of pixels, comprising detection of an edge direction based on the image data, detection of a defective pixel included in the image sensor based on the detected edge direction, and correction of the selected defective pixel.
US07929026B2

An image sensing apparatus comprising: a CCD, optical system for forming an image on the CCD; A/D converter for converting an image signal outputted by the CCD to a digital signal; color interpolator for performing color interpolation on the digital signal converted by the A/D converter and generating image data on R, G and B color planes; color space converter for converting RGB color space to YUV colorimetric system; and median filter for reducing pseudo color components, generated by the color interpolator, by controlling color difference signals U and V. By cutting high frequency components of the signal, filtered by the median filter, then thinning out YUV signals and performing JPEG compression, pseudo color components generated by color interpolation can be reduced.
US07929023B2

In a camera device having a function for converting an image formed by a lens and captured by an imaging element into image data and correcting distortion of the image data caused by distortion aberration of the lens, the camera device includes a first storage unit for storing first distortion correction parameters for correcting the distortion of the image data in a first state, a second storage unit for storing second distortion correction parameters for correcting the distortion of the image data in a second state, and a distortion-correction-parameter interpolator for generating distortion correction parameters through interpolation when transition of the image data from the first state to the second state is performed. The distortion correction parameters indicate states of the image data during the transition of the image data and correct the distortion of the image data caused by the distortion aberration of the lens.
US07929014B2

With a bronchial tube insertion support system according to the present invention, a route setting unit comprises a route starting-point setting function for setting the insertion starting-point of a bronchial tube, a region-of-interest setting function for setting a region of interest serving as the insertion end-point of the bronchial tube, a route extracting function for extracting an insertion route from an insertion start point to an insertion end point, and a route verifying function for performing verification of the extracted insertion route. According to these functions, of multiple insertion routes, the most appropriate insertion route when performing insertion support is determined.
US07929013B2

A desktop electronic magnifier in a first embodiment includes a monitor and a control panel mounted to the monitor so that access to the control panel cannot be blocked by any position of the monitor. In a second embodiment, a monitor is positioned atop a flat platform that surmounts the camera so that access to the control panel cannot be blocked by any position of the monitor. In a third embodiment, the control panel is mounted to the camera and the monitor is supported by a support surface independent of the magnifier. Access to the control panel is blocked only if the user positions the monitor in blocking relation to the control panel.
US07929009B2

An electrophotographic photosensitive drum with a simple structure for realizing a seamless digital photosensitive drum having an exposure source and a photosensitive member which are integrated with each other. The electrophotographic photosensitive drum includes a self-luminous device portion, a functional separation portion, and a photosensitive portion. The self-luminous device portion includes a first electrode wire layer including multiple first electrode wires provided in a circumferential direction of a cylindrical substrate and arrayed in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical substrate so as to be separated from each other by an insulating member, and each of the multiple first electrode wires is annularly formed.
US07928992B2

The subject application is directed to a system and method for transparent object rendering. An electronic document, inclusive of a plurality of objects, is first received. The electronic document is then parsed so as to generate a transparency table. The generated table includes entries corresponding to transparency characteristics of each of the objects. Each object of the received electronic document is then processed in accordance with a corresponding transparency table entry. The system further comprises means adapted for generating a scan-line representation of each of the plurality of objects, the scan-line representation including a scan-line corresponding to an associated backdrop and a scan-line corresponding to associated pixel data. The received electronic document is thereby rendered so as to generate a rendered document.
US07928981B2

Instinctive operation of editing parameters of waveform is provided. Tabs 38, 40 and 42 are displayed on a display screen 14 to show existence of parameter edit screen layers of different combinations of characters, waveforms and channels. If one of the tabs are selected the display is switched to show the corresponding parameter edit screen layer. Channel characters or waveforms are displayed on the tabs 38, 40 and 42 and are changed dynamically according to the setting so that a user can easily realize setting outlines of the respective channels at a glance.
US07928980B2

In order to address the challenge associated with the analysis and visualization of large datasets, a method and apparatus provides for visualizing data clouds using color and opacity blending. The information stored within the data cloud is represented using a data container object. The colors and opacities associated with the container object's data point or points is blended to develop two-dimensional computer generated imagery that is unique to the virtual reference point chosen, typically within an OpenGL environment. The result is the ability to understand the sample density of large interactively rendered datasets from different reference points and as the datasets change over time.
US07928978B2

Disclosed is a method for generating a multi-resolution three-dimensional model, and for extracting feature lines using texture images and geometric data from a three-dimensional model. First, contours are detected for texture images using an image processing on the texture-mapped three-dimensional mesh data. With respect to geometric data, a discrete curvature is measured. The geometric data is parametrized into parameters in a two-dimensional domain, and contour images are detected using an image processing. The detected two contour images are generated into one model map, which is then reversely mapped to a reverse three-dimensional model, then next feature lines are extracted. Accordingly, a multi-resolution three-dimensional model can be generated while maintaining the extracted feature lines.
US07928973B2

A power supply circuit is provided with a temperature gradient variable circuit that produces a gradient voltage whose voltage level varies with a temperature gradient commensurate with the ambient temperature and a temperature gradient setting circuit that produces an output voltage (and hence a drive voltage of an LCD panel) by adjusting the temperature gradient and the voltage level of the gradient voltage. With this configuration, it is possible to supply the optimal drive voltage despite variations in the ambient temperature or variations in characteristics of LCD panels.
US07928965B2

The efficient incorporation of RFID circuitry within touch sensor panel circuitry is disclosed. The RFID antenna can be placed in the touch sensor panel, such that the touch sensor panel can now additionally function as an RFID transponder. No separate space-consuming RFID antenna is necessary. Loops (single or multiple) forming the loop antenna of the RFID circuit (for either reader or tag applications) can be formed from metal on the same layer as metal traces formed in the borders of a substrate. Forming loops from metal on the same layer as the metal traces are advantageous in that the loops can be formed during the same processing step as the metal traces, without requiring a separate metal layer.
US07928957B2

According to one embodiment, a light-emission control device controls light emission of light sources of a light emitter including a plurality of light source areas each corresponding to one of the light sources, and includes a light-value calculator, a light-value modifying module, and a light controller. The light-value calculator calculates a light value for each of the light source areas. The light source areas include a target area for which a light value is to be modified and surrounding areas surrounding the target area. The light-value modifying module modifies a light value calculated for the target area using light values for the surrounding areas. The light controller lights a light source in the target area based on the modified light value.
US07928952B2

An image display device has a display pixel area having plural pixels arranged in a matrix fashion, plural signal lines for supplying display signal voltages to the pixels, and plural pixel selection lines for selecting pixels from among the pixels to be supplied with the display signal voltages. The pixel selection lines include Y-direction selection lines for selecting rows of the pixels arranged in the matrix fashion and X-direction selection lines for selecting columns of the pixels, and the image display device includes a circuit configuration in which the display signal voltages are supplied from the signal lines to only ones of the pixels each having selected simultaneously both of a corresponding one of the Y-direction selection lines and a corresponding one of the X-direction selection lines.
US07928950B2

The present invention provides a data latch circuit which can operate stably with a low-amplitude signal, which consumes less electric power, and which is resistant against the variation in TFTs.When an analog switch is turned on, a data signal is inputted to a gate electrode of an n-channel TFT and, at this time, VDD is supplied to an input terminal of an inverter. When the analog switch in turned off, the n-channel TFT is turned on or off depending on a level of the data signal. When the data signal is at an H level, the n-channel TFT is turned on and VSS is supplied to the input terminal of the inverter. When the data signal is at an L level, VDD is supplied to an input terminal of the inverter. Therefore, only VDD and VSS levels are applied to the input terminal of the inverter.
US07928947B2

A liquid crystal display device and a method of driving the same is disclosed. The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel including a liquid crystal panel including a plurality of first and second pixel cells supplied with data of the opposite polarities to display a picture, and a pre-charging unit to electrically connect a first one of the first pixel cells and a first one of the second pixel cells to each other just prior to a period of supplying the data to the first ones first and second pixel cells, and to electrically disconnect the first ones of the first and second pixel cells from each other for a period of supplying the data to the first and second pixel cells.
US07928946B2

The method of fine gradation display by an electro-optical device with little influence by difference in elemental devices, is disclosed, which is an object of the present invention. In case of an active matrix electro-optical device, a visual gradation display can be carried out by digitizing an analog image signal externally supplied by means of binary notation, by temporarily storing the digital signal thus obtained, by outputting the digital signal to a circuit of next step in a proper order, and by controlling the output timing of the signal so as to output the signal to the active matrix electro-optical device, and whereby digitally controlling the time for applying voltage to a picture element.
US07928926B2

The present invention provides a display apparatus which enables high-accuracy, hands-free operation, while adopting a low-cost configuration. The display apparatus according to the present invention includes: an obtainment unit that obtains a display element which is information to be displayed to the user; a determining unit that determines a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the obtained display element can not be seen by the user; a display unit that displays the display element at the determined display position; a detection unit that detects a direction of change when an orientation of the user's head is changed; a selection unit that selects the display element to be displayed in the detected direction of change; and an execution unit that executes a predetermined process related to the selected display element.
US07928921B2

The present invention relates to a tag-use antenna allowing a miniaturization while maintaining a constant minimal change of a communication distance. The tag-use antenna has a feed part of a folded dipole antenna of a size of 53 mm long and 7 mm wide being connected to, and equipped with, an LSI chip of Rc=500 ohms and Cc=1.4 pF and is covered with plastic resin 13 of the dielectric constant ∈r=3 and thickness of t=0.75 mm on both sides of the antenna. The dipole part of 1 mm wire path width of the tag-use antenna is formed in a rectangular spiral by being bent inward from both ends at bending parts at four places. The entire length of the dipole antenna when extending the four bending parts straight is featured so as to be shorter than one half of a resonance wavelength of the antenna. An inductance part is formed in the neighborhood of the center of the dipole antenna, and placed in the middle of the dipole antenna, which is formed in said rectangular spiral, of the dipole antenna.
US07928918B2

The invention concerns a method for adjusting frequency tuning of a resonant circuit with turns having a regular spacing generating stray inter-turn capacity. The adjusting of the frequency tuning of the resonant circuit is performed, at the level of the stray inter-turn capacity, by varying the regular spacing of adjacent turns on at least one zone of the antenna. The invention uses this adjusting method for producing an adjusted antenna for a resonant circuit, the resonant circuit and a non-contact product. The invention concerns a device programmed for antenna production and/or definition.
US07928914B2

To address the above-mentioned need an antenna (100) is provided having a conductive-strip radiating element (102) supported above a substrate (206) via three legs (201-203). The point where the substrate contacts the three legs form two antenna ports and a ground utilized for feeding the RF signal, tuning the antenna, and grounding. More particularly, a first leg (201) of the radiating element is used solely as a tuning port, while a second leg (202) is grounded, and a third leg (203) is utilized solely as a feed port. The tuning port is substantially maximally distal to the feed port on the substrate. Reactive loads are provided at the tuning port to effectively tune the central operating frequency of the antenna.
US07928913B2

A method and apparatus providing a tunable channelized patch antenna by selectively adjoining one or more radiating element extensions successively to a radiating element of the patch antenna, and adjusting fringe capacitance at active outer edges of the patch antenna.
US07928912B2

A multiband antenna includes a long radiating branch, a short radiating branch, a short strip, a feed point, a grounding portion, a connecting portion, a long parasitic strip, and a short parasitic strip. The feed point, the long radiating branch, the short radiating branch, and the short strip are in a first plane. The grounding portion connects to the short strip. The connecting portion connects the long radiating branch, the short radiating branch, and the short strip. The long radiating branch, the short strip, and the connecting portion form a first inverted-L shaped antenna structure. The short radiating branch, the short strip, and the connecting portion form a second inverted-L shaped antenna structure. The long parasitic strip and the short parasitic strip are in a second plane and respectively connected to the grounding portion. The first plane is parallel to the second plane.
US07928911B2

The present invention discloses a DTV antenna apparatus build in a portable device. The portable device includes a system ground. The DTV antenna includes a ground plane with a short circuit point, an extending metal arm with a grounding point and a radiation element. The ground plane is the system ground. The radiation element and the ground plane are arranged in parallel to each other. The extending metal arm connects with the short circuit point. The antenna receives signals with frequencies in the range from 470 MHz to 870 MHz. The radiation element includes a radiation arm and a parasitic arm. The radiation arm has a feeding terminal. The parasitic arm connects with the short circuit point.
US07928904B2

A signal acquiring method of a GPS receiver and a digital camera thereof, suitable for accelerating a signal acquiring speed of the GPS receiver, are described. The signal acquiring method includes the following steps receiving a plurality of satellite signals; performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) demodulation procedure, so as to parse a receiving time base of the satellite signals; next, transforming the satellite signals into a code information and a navigation frequency according to the receiving time base of the satellite signals; then, performing a correlation correction procedure to acquire a navigation information from the satellite signals according to the code information and the navigation frequency; which thus accelerates the processing speed on the signal acquiring flow through calculation characteristics of the DCT.
US07928901B2

Systems and methods for producing radar images are provided. In illustrated embodiments, a representative system includes: a transmitter operative to transmit a pulsed signal; a receiver operative to sample the pulsed signal after reflection; a Doppler-shifting mechanism operative to create a Doppler shift in the pulsed signal; and a platform upon which the transmitter and the Doppler-shifting mechanism are mounted, the Doppler shift being associated with relative motion between the Doppler-shifting mechanism and the platform.
US07928900B2

An antenna array includes at least one transmit array comprising a plurality of metamaterial elements. The antenna array further includes at least one near-field stimulator for inputting electromagnetic signal to the transmit array so that a sub-wavelength target is illuminated with an electromagnetic wave.
US07928897B2

A radar device includes a transmission antenna and a reception antenna having a plurality of antenna elements. The radar device switches the antenna elements in synchronization with a modulation cycle, thereby obtaining a reception signal. At this time, the radar device obtains the reception signal by switching the antenna elements using a first measurement phase and a second measurement phase having different switching cycles as one set. The radar device calculates an azimuth sine value sin θ1 from the reception signal in the first measurement phase and also calculates an azimuth sinusoidal value sin θ2 from the reception signal in the second measurement phase. Then, the radar device calculates a relative velocity V from the azimuth sine value sin θ1, the azimuth sine value sin θ2, an interval time difference Δt between switching cycles, and an inter-antenna element spacing d.
US07928894B1

A polarimetric radar with V and H polarized array antenna elements which transmit a V component modulated by a V code and the H component modulated by an H code orthogonal thereto. Unwanted polarization errors occur at off-boresight angles, which tend to obscure the polarization characteristics of the target. Radar returns are processed to form four independent channels by convolving the signals received by the V and H antennas with the mutually orthogonal V and H codes. This overcomes the polarization obscuration and allows determination of the polarimetric ratio of the target with high accuracy.
US07928891B2

A GPS system includes a frame having a window, a GPS navigator supported by the frame, wherein a display of the GPS navigator is facing opposite to the window of the frame, a radar detector received in the frame to align with the window thereof, and an attaching element attaching the GPS system to an interior side surface of a vehicle such that the display of the GPS navigator is rearwardly facing towards the driver while the radar detector is forwardly sending out detecting signal through the window of the frame. The GPS system integrates the two important driving assistant equipments together, occupies minimal mounting space, and utilize only one car power outlet.
US07928890B2

A phased array radar antenna includes at least two antennas (11, 12, 13, 14) adapted for simultaneous operation at different non-mutually interfering frequencies. The phased array radar antenna may be fitted to an aircraft having a fuselage supporting first and second radar side antennas (11, 12) on opposite sides thereof, a nose portion supporting a first radar end antenna (13), and a tail portion supporting a second radar end antenna (14). Respective radomes cover the first and second radar end antennas so as to provide a smooth aerodynamic contour, and a radar control unit (15) is disposed within the fuselage and coupled to the first and second radar side antennas and to the first and second radar end antennas for operating the first or second radar side antenna simultaneously with the first or second radar end antenna at respective first and second different frequencies.
US07928885B2

An A/D converter provides one or more operational amplifiers as components. The A/D converter includes a current controlling unit that is activated before an actual operation of the A/D converter to control a current of at least one of the operational amplifiers based on a settling characteristic of the operational amplifier.
US07928879B2

An audio processor is provided which includes a digital signal processor for processing a digital audio data in an inputted digital audio file and a digital analog converter for converting the digital audio data processed by the digital signal processor into an analog audio data in accordance with a sampling frequency of the digital audio data. If a sampling frequency of a digital audio data in a digital audio file which is earlier inputted is different from that of a digital audio data in a digital audio file which is subsequently inputted when a plurality of digital audio files are successively inputted, the digital signal processor adds a silent data of time which is the same or longer as time for completing a setting of the sampling frequency in a beginning of the digital audio data in the subsequently inputted digital audio file.
US07928878B1

An analog to digital converter includes a delta sigma modulator with a modified distributed feed-forward (DFF) topology. The modulator includes low pass filter circuitry that provides a first path to a first integrator and a second, feed-forward path to a second integrator that significantly reduce the out of band signal transfer function (STF) peaking of the modulator.
US07928877B1

A continuous time delta-sigma modulator having a sampling frequency includes a distributed resonator having a length about equal to a reciprocal of an integer times a velocity of a signal in the distributed resonator divided by twice the sampling frequency of the continuous time delta-sigma modulator.
US07928871B2

A successive approximation A/D converter includes a capacitive D/A converter including capacitors, and generates a voltage based on the input voltage and a first digital signal including J bits; a resistive D/A converter that generates a voltage based on a second digital signal; a capacitor that capacity-couples the voltage to an output node; a comparator that generates a result based on the voltage; a control circuit that supplies the first digital signal to the capacitive D/A converter according to the result and outputs a third digital signal indicating a correction and a fourth digital signal including K bits; and a digital calculating circuit that generates the second digital signal including K bits based on the third digital signal and the fourth digital signal, and supplies the second digital signal to the resistive D/A converter, a (J+K) bit digital data is generated based on the input signal.
US07928870B2

A signal reader system having a processor for reconstructing a relatively high-frequency input signal to a low-pass filter from an output of the filter based on a characterization of the filter. The characterization may be adapted to compensate for filter output changes due to temperature. A signal reader may be connected to the output of the processor to determine certain things, such as a pulse count, about the filter input signal.
US07928868B1

An entropy decoding device offers all nodes on a decoding tree, and a most probable symbol for each node, and predicts presumptive information of a next node. The entropy decoding device decodes an encoded bit stream, and output a decoded content that includes real information of the next node. The entropy decoding device further generates a flush instruction to the table look-up module, when the prediction misses, and updates the most probable symbol.
US07928865B2

There are provided a method and apparatus for embedding a second level code into a first level code of an optical disc by data modulation rule variation. The apparatus includes a multi-level, varying rule based modulator (199) for modulating the first level code to obtain a channel bit stream representative of the first level code and having the second level code embedded therein. The multi-level, varying rule based modulator modulates the first level code using modulation rules respectively having different statistical properties of pit-land length distributions that preserve a readability of the first level code and that are distinguishable at readout of the optical disc. The different statistical properties represent binary or multilevel data of the second level code.
US07928861B2

Non-contacting means of measuring the material velocities of harmonic acoustic telemetry waves travelling along the wall of drillpipe, production tubing or coiled tubing are disclosed. Also disclosed are contacting means, enabling measurement of accelerations or material velocities associated with acoustic telemetry waves travelling along the wall of the tubing, utilizing as a detector either a wireless accelerometer system or an optical means, or both; these may also be applied to mud pulse telemetry, wherein the telemetry waves are carried via the drilling fluid, causing strain in the pipe wall that in turn causes wall deformation that can be directly or indirectly assessed by optical means.The present invention enables detection of telemetry wave detection in space-constrained situations. The invention also teaches a substantially contactless method of determining the time-based changes of the propagating telemetry waves. A final benefit of the present invention is that it demonstrates a particularly simple contacting means of directly measuring wall movements in live coiled tubing drilling environments.
US07928854B2

Techniques for smoke detection are provided. In one aspect, an exemplary smoke detection device is provided. The smoke detection device comprises an infrared beam transmitting unit; an infrared beam receiving unit; and a control module associated with the infrared beam transmitting unit and the infrared beam receiving unit. The infrared beam transmitting unit and the infrared beam receiving unit are configured to communicate with each other, via an infrared beam, and with the control module, via a signal produced in response to smoke being present at a level that is greater than a threshold smoke level.
US07928853B2

An alarm unit, for sounding an alarm on detection of a fire emergency condition, which comprises a smoke detector, an alarm indicator and a heat detector wherein the smoke detector is capable of receiving power from a first power source and the heat detector is capable of receiving power from a second power source.
US07928848B2

This disclosure discloses an RFID tag producing apparatus comprising: a first antenna device that transmits and receives information to and from an RFID circuit element; a writing control portion that writes a command signal for commanding operation of at least one operating device so as to produce a command RFID tag; a second antenna device that transmits and receives information to and from the command RFID tag; a reading control portion that acquires the command signal; and a device control portion, based on information obtained by the reading control portion, that controls the at least one operating device.
US07928847B2

A series of parallel spaced conductors through which currents are sequentially switched. A spatial relationship of the sequentially switched currents is chosen such that, at different times, tangential and normal magnetic fields are produced at the same location. The conductors are preferably arranged in a planar fashion and the tangential and normal magnetic fields are produced above the planar surface. A single layer of parallel spaced conductors provides substantially two dimensional operations. Adding a second parallel layer of orthogonally oriented parallel spaced conductors provides substantially three dimensional operations where currents are sequentially switched in both layers.
US07928828B2

An electrical assembly includes a housing and at least two PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) resistor elements in the housing. Each of the at least two PTC resistor elements includes a body having a flat construction and electrodes on main surfaces of the body. Each of the at least two PTC resistor elements includes an electrically insulating envelope. The housing is closed.
US07928825B2

A safety plug, comprising: a housing a first metal blade a second metal blade a conducting device a bimetallic strip an isolating-equipment an elastomer a cover and an isolator, wherein all of its apparatus are all well-located even after encountering overloading. Both the bimetallic strip and the conducting device are fixed together in the housing of the safety plug thus makes sure that their restoring back at the same exact location. It increases the safety and the practical utility of the safety plug in this way.
US07928824B2

The invention relates to a high frequency inductor device with high quality factor (Q). The inductor device comprises a substrate and a gradually sized conductive coil with a plurality of windings surrounded and disposed on the substrate. The windings comprises a first conductive segment disposed on a first surface of the substrate, a second conductive segment disposed on a second surface of the substrate, a first conductive via hole connecting the first and second conductive segments, and a second conductive via hole connecting the second conductive segment to a first conductive segment of the following winding. The length of the first conductive segment is different than that of the first conductive segment of the following winding.
US07928821B2

A high-strength ignition coil that can reduce stress produced in a coil case and prevent a casting material from being cracked when the ignition coil is mounted on an engine block. A coil case has a mounting flange on an outer surface thereof. A coil assembly is housed in the coil case. A casting material is filled into a gap between the coil case and the coil assembly and gaps which the coil assembly has. A plurality of first guide ribs are provided on an inner wall surface of the coil case or an outer surface of the coil assembly, for positioning the outer surface of the coil assembly with respect to the inner wall surface of the coil case. A limited area in which there is no first guide rib is provided on the inner wall surface of the coil case which faces the mounting flange, or the outer surface of the coil assembly which faces the mounting flange via the inner wall surface of the coil case.
US07928811B2

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for using a switched mode TCXO or VC-TCXO in a satellite navigation receiver where the switched mode TCXO or VC-TCXO may operate either in an active compensation mode to compensate for temperature induced frequency error or in a second fixed compensation mode where the TCXO or VC-TCXO is not compensated for temperature. The switched mode TCXO or VC-TCXO is operated in the active compensation mode when satellite acquisition performance may be improved from a reduction in the range of oscillator frequency error. The switched mode TCXO or VC-TCXO may be switched to operate in the fixed compensation mode when satellite tracking performance is sensitive to discontinuities in the phase, frequency, and/or frequency rate of the oscillator clock when temperature compensation is applied.
US07928808B2

A selectable local oscillator provides an output frequency signal having a selectable frequency within a desired output frequency range. The selectable local oscillator comprises first, second and third signal generators configured to provide first, second and third frequency signals having frequencies in first, second and third input frequency ranges. A first mixer provides a first mixed product signal having an upper sideband and a lower sideband. A frequency selector selects one of the upper and lower sidebands of the first mixed product signal. A second mixer provides a second mixed product signal having an upper sideband and a lower sideband. An output stage selects at least one of the upper and lower sidebands of the second mixed product signal as the output frequency signal.
US07928806B2

Provided is a low voltage frequency synthesizer using a boosting method for a power supply voltage of a charge pump. The low voltage frequency synthesizer includes a phase/frequency detector (PFD) that receives and compares a reference frequency and a feedback frequency to output a comparison signal, a charge pump that receives the comparison signal to output a current corresponding to the comparison signal, a low-pass filter (LPF) that generates a voltage corresponding to the output current of the charge pump, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) that receives the voltage of the LPF, amplifies the voltage to generate a boosting voltage, and outputs a frequency corresponding to the received voltage, and a DC converter that receives the boosting voltage of the VCO, converts the boosting voltage into a DC voltage, and applies the DC voltage as a power supply voltage of the charge pump. Since the supply voltage of the charge pump is provided from the LC-circuit-based VCO, the frequency synthesizer has superior characteristics such as a wide locking range, low phase noise, and the prevention of performance degradation caused by an external environment or process variations.
US07928803B2

An amplifying circuit includes amplifying unit comprising a first transistor unit having a gate width that is controllable and is controlled based on a first control signal.
US07928797B2

The invention relates to electronic integrated circuits capable of operating either in active mode or in standby mode and of having, in standby mode, a very low current consumption. According to the invention, the leakage current of a power transistor inserted in series between a supply terminal and an active circuit is controlled by a gate reverse overbias in the following manner: a voltage step-up charge pump generates a gate bias voltage from pulses delivered by an oscillator having its frequency controlled by a current. The control current Ic is the leakage current of a transistor having technological characteristics similar to those of the power transistor. The system optimizes the current consumption in standby mode, the frequency of the oscillator being reduced when the gate is biased so as to minimize the leakage current. The invention is applicable to circuits powered by a battery or a cell (mobile telephones, cameras, portable computers, etc.).
US07928792B2

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for outputting complementary signals using bootstrapping technology. The apparatus for outputting complementary signals includes a precharaged logic block, one or more output nodes, and a bootstrapping circuit block. The precharged differential logic block generates a differential signal depending on an input signal. The one or more output nodes output the complementary signals depending on the differential signal. The bootstrapping circuit block is shared by the one or more output nodes, and amplifies the complementary signals.
US07928791B1

Methods and apparatuses provide a clocked digital device having dynamically adjustable operating characteristics. The digital device comprises a digital clock management (“DCM”) circuit in which the amount of delay between receipt of an active edge of a clock signal at the input of the DCM circuit and appearance of an active edge of another clock signal at the output of the DCM circuit depends on a phase adjustment signal applied to the DCM circuit's phase adjust input. A phase adjustment circuit provides the phase adjustment signal to the DCM circuit's phase adjust input for controlling the amount of the delay between the clock signal at the input of the DCM circuit and the clock signal at the output of the DCM circuit.
US07928787B2

An apparatus for providing programmable hysteresis control using an enable pin of a device is disclosed. An enable pin is configured to receive an input signal to enable and disable an associated device responsive to the input signal. A current sink is attached to the enable pin and is responsive to circuitry that disables the current sink responsive to application of the input signal at a first voltage level and enables the current sink responsive to application of the input signal at a second voltage level.
US07928786B2

A clock buffer circuit of a semiconductor device is disclosed which receives an external clock signal and generates an internal clock signal with no duty distortion. The clock buffer circuit includes a first clock buffer for receiving and buffering a normal-phase clock signal, a second clock buffer for receiving and buffering a reverse-phase clock signal, and an internal clock generator for generating an internal clock signal in response to output signals from the first and second clock buffers.
US07928779B2

In a phase-locked loop, a desired change in frequency is indicated. The phase-locked loop locks to the new frequency and a loop bandwidth of the phase-locked loop is changed. In changing the loop bandwidth, a frequency adjustment signal to a voltage-controlled oscillator may include a voltage spike. The voltage spike is reduced by detecting a lock when the reference clock and a feedback clock reach a same frequency, then waiting for a time delay after the detecting the lock, and adjusting a current level of a charge pump pulse by an incremental amount to achieve a fractional portion of a new loop bandwidth. The charge pump pulse is filtered to generate the frequency adjustment signal and the frequency spike reduction process is repeated until the new loop bandwidth is achieved.
US07928775B2

High-side switch arrangement having a switching transistor, the collector of which is connected to a battery connection of the high-side switch arrangement and the emitter of which is connected to an output connection of the high-side switch arrangement, an actuating transistor, the emitter of which is connected to the battery connection of the high-side switch arrangement and the collector of which is connected to the base of the switching transistor, and a diagnosis transistor, the emitter of which is connected to the battery connection of the high-side switch arrangement and the collector of which is connected to the output connection of the high-side switch arrangement, wherein the diagnosis transistor has a saturation collector for sensing the saturation current of the diagnosis transistor.
US07928774B2

An embodiment of the invention relates to a driver adapted to provide a drive signal with an adjustable waveform for an external bridge to control EMI. The driver includes a detector configured to measure a switching characteristic of a switch in the external bridge to produce the drive signal with an adjustable waveform characteristic. The driver includes an adjustable circuit element to adjust the waveform characteristic in response to the measured switching characteristic. The measured switching characteristic may be a derivative of a voltage of the switch in the bridge such as a derivative of a drain-to-source voltage of a half-bridge circuit. The driver may be formed with an amplifier with an adjustable gain controlled by the signal produced by the detector. The adjustable gain amplifier may be formed with a transistor coupled in series with a leg of a current mirror.
US07928769B1

Some embodiments regard a circuit comprising a current source network configured to generate a first current; a leakage circuit having a leakage current in at least two leakage conditions; the leakage currents affecting the flow of the first current; a current source generator configured to generate a similar first current corresponding to the first current, a similar first leakage current corresponding to a first leakage current in a first leakage condition, a similar second leakage current corresponding to a second leakage current in a second leakage condition; and a current control circuit configured to provide a current control signal controlling the first current based on the similar first current, the similar first leakage current, and the similar second leakage current.
US07928760B2

An input and/or output pad is dedicated to an integrated circuit comprising a core with input and/or output pins. This pad comprises a pad cell comprising a pad block connected to an input buffer and/or an output buffer and arranged to be connected to one of the core input and/or output pins. The pad also comprises a pad logic module comprising a first and/or a second boundary scan cell, connected to the pad block through the input buffer and/or output buffer and arranged to feed input signals to and/or deliver output signals from the pad block, and control means connected to the first and/or second boundary scan cell(s) and adapted to receive control signals for controlling access to the first and/or second boundary scan cell(s) and feeding the first boundary scan cell with the input signals and/or outputting the output signals delivered by the first boundary scan cell.
US07928753B2

A device and a method for evaluating ESD protection capabilities of an integrated circuit, the method includes: connecting multiple test probe to multiple integrated circuit testing points. The method is characterized by repeating the stages of: (i) charging a discharge capacitor to an ESD protection circuit triggering voltage level; (ii) connecting the discharge capacitor to the integrated circuit during a testing period such as to cause the discharge capacitor to interact with the integrated circuit; (iii) measuring at least one signal of the integrated circuit, during at least a portion of the testing period; and (iv) determining at least one ESD protection characteristic of the integrated circuit in response to the at least one signal.
US07928751B2

A Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) interconnection pin is fabricated on a sacrificial layer, which is formed on a conductive layer and a substrate. The MEMS interconnection pin has a pin base attached to a frame that has direct contact to the conductive layer. The sacrificial layer is then removed, at least partially, to detach the MEMS interconnection pin from the substrate. In one embodiment, the MEMS interconnection pin has a pin base, two springs extending out from two different surfaces of the pin base, and a tip portion attached to each spring. The tip portions include one or more contact tips to make contact to conductive subjects.
US07928750B2

An interface device receives test data from a tester. A signal representing the test data is transmitted to a device under test through electromagnetically coupled structures on the interface device and the device under test. The device under test processes the test data and generates response data. A signal representing the response data is transmitted to the interface device through electromagnetically coupled structures on the device under test and the interface device.
US07928749B2

A vertical probe comprises a linear body, a tip portion connected to one side of the linear body, and at least one slot positioned on the linear body. In particular, the vertical probe includes a depressed structure having a plurality of slots positioned on the linear body in parallel and on one side of the linear body. The present application also provides a probe card for integrated circuit devices comprising an upper guiding plate having a plurality of fastening holes, a bottom guiding plate having a plurality of guiding holes and a plurality of vertical probes positioned in the guiding holes. The vertical probe includes a linear body positioned in the guiding holes, a tip portion connected to one side of the linear body and at least one slot positioned on the linear body.
US07928744B2

A measuring apparatus including a self test function, the circuit comprising a capacitor; first to fourth switches; a test signal injector; at least one comparator having a signal input and a reference input the first switch being interposed between a first plate of the capacitor and a first input node, the second switch being interposed between a second plate of the capacitor and a second input node, the third switch being interposed between the first plate of the capacitor and the signal input of the comparator and the fourth switch being interposed between the second plate of the capacitor and a voltage reference, wherein the self test function comprises the steps of i) operating the signal injector to produce a first signal representative of an out of range voltage for an expected voltage difference between the first and second input nodes, and using the signal to cause the at least one comparator to place its output in an error state, and to charge the capacitor to the out of range voltage, ii) isolating the capacitor from the signal injector and voltage reference, and connecting the capacitor between the first and second input nodes such that the voltage stored on the capacitor is overwritten by the voltage difference between the first and second nodes, and iii) and reconnecting the capacitor to the comparator and monitoring the comparator's output.
US07928732B2

A subsurface imaging cable includes a plurality of sensor modules, wherein the plurality of the sensor modules are flexible and each of the plurality of the sensor modules is spaced apart on the subsurface imaging cable at a selected distance; and a flexible medium connecting the plurality of the sensor modules, wherein the subsurface imaging cable is flexible and adapted to be wound on a reel. A method for subsurface images includes acquiring direct-current measurements at a plurality of sites in a survey area; acquiring a first set of electric and magnetic measurements from natural electromagnetic fields at the plurality of sites; acquiring a second set of electric and magnetic measurements using controlled electric and magnetic sources at the plurality of sites; and determining a subsurface conductivity distribution from the direct-current measurements and the first set and the second set of electric and magnetic measurements.
US07928728B2

A method for displaying diffusion data includes defining intra-voxel coherence and inter-voxel coherence of the diffusion data. On the basis of the inter-voxel coherence and the intra-voxel coherence, a multiplicity of tracks can be defined. Only those tracks having a selected characteristic are displayed.
US07928723B2

The invention concerns a method of determining the dissipated power of an electronic switch. According to the invention it is proposed that the instantaneous value of a physical quantity is detected, a value correlated with the instantaneous value is polled from a first memory, the two values are processed together in a predetermined manner and the result of the processing operation is outputted.
US07928720B2

A system measures power conversion efficiency of a voltage regulator. A measurement setting module presets a maximum output current and a total measurement number, and calculates each target output current of the voltage regulator. A load adjustment module adjusts an impedance of the electronic load to equal current passing through the electronic load to the target output current of the voltage regulator. A calculation module calculates each output power and input power, and power conversion efficiencies for each sequence number of measurement.
US07928716B2

Embodiments of methods and apparatus for modulating a power source are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method may comprise predicting, by a current control logic, a potential voltage transient on a power supply bus, and modulating, by the current control logic, a current source, based at least in part on said predicting, to control the predicted voltage transient. Additional variants and embodiments may also be disclosed and claimed.
US07928707B2

A method of switching a low dropout regulator includes determining an actual active time of a power request from an electronic device; enabling the low dropout regulator in response to said power request at a time corresponding to a start of the actual active time of the power request for an active enabled time having a duration at least the same as the actual active time and long enough to sufficiently settle the output voltage of the low dropout regulator; and disabling the low dropout regulator. In embodiments, the active enabled time is prolonged beyond the actual active time of the power request for all or at least some power requests. An electronic device includes circuits for controlling the switching of a low dropout in the described manner.
US07928699B2

A system for optimizing battery pack charging is provided. In this system, during charging the coupling of auxiliary systems (e.g., battery cooling systems) to the external power source are delayed so that the battery pack charge rate may be optimized, limited only by the available power. Once surplus power is available, for example as the requirements of the charging system decrease, the auxiliary system or systems may be coupled to the external power source without degrading the performance of the charging system.
US07928696B2

A battery pack is disclosed. The battery pack includes a battery, an impact sensor, a processor and a memory. The impact sensor is capable of generating an impact signal in response to a detection of an impact on the battery pack. The processor is capable of generating impact information based on the impact signal, and processor continues to count a number of charging times to the battery after the generation of the impact information. The memory is capable of storing the impact information and the number of charging times. The processor can refer to the memory to deliver a control command to a battery charger so that the battery can only be charged up to an allowable charge capacity smaller than a full charge capacity after an occurrence of an impact when the battery pack is attached to the battery charger. The charging to the battery stops when the number of the counted charging times reaches a predetermined number of allowable charging times that is allowed after the generation of the impact information.
US07928695B2

A rechargeable battery protection device has a voltage detector, a logic circuit, an output stage, a first switch, a second switch and inverter circuits. The device turns on a charger to charge a rechargeable battery or turns off the charger not to charge the rechargeable battery depending on the purpose for battery protection.
US07928694B2

An overcharge detecting comparator (121) detects an overcharged state of a battery (101), and an overcurrent detecting comparator (120) detects an overcurrent state of the battery (101). In response to output signals from those comparators, a control circuit (210) performs on/off control of each of a switch (102) and a protection circuit (50). In response to an output signal from the control circuit (210), the protection circuit (50) is turned on, to thereby connect a resistor (125) to a path connecting a VSS terminal and an overcurrent detecting terminal, and is turned off, to thereby disconnect the resistor (125) from the path. As a result, even when the battery is in the overcurrent state, current consumption can be reduced.
US07928687B2

A charging current for a secondary battery is reduced when the secondary battery voltage gets close to a previously set constant voltage. When the charging current has become less than a charging completion current value as a reference for determining whether the charging has been completed, a charging control sequence circuit determines that the charging of the secondary battery has been completed and proceeds to a first flow consumption current mode. The charging control sequence circuit turns off a first switch to cut off an electrical connection to stop the operation of the charging control circuit, whereby a switching element and a switching element for synchronous rectification are turned off to cut-off electrical connections so that the charging current becomes 0 mA.
US07928684B2

An article of furniture includes a drive device for moving a movable furniture part. The drive device includes an electric drive unit and a coupling device for at least temporarily transmitting a force of the electric drive unit to the movable furniture part, and the coupling device has a drive and a drive output. Operating between the drive and the drive output are coupling elements by which, in a first operating position, a clamping connection between the drive and the drive output and thus coupling between the drive and the drive output can be produced, and, in a second operating position, the coupling elements are movable into a position in which the drive and the drive output are not coupled.
US07928679B2

Thermistor monitoring arrangement of an alternating-current electric motor controlled by a power transformer, such as a frequency converter, for at least one thermistor monitoring the temperature of the motor, in which is a power transformer (200), in which is a power stage (203) and a control unit (204), controlling an alternating-current electric motor (201) provided with a thermistor (202), and into which power transformer, such as a frequency converter, an input circuit connected to a thermistor located in the motor is integrated, to which input circuit a safety circuit (a so-called Safe Stop circuit) that prevents unexpected starting or ensures safe stopping of the frequency converter is connected.
US07928677B2

A method of controlling a motor connected to an unbalanced load in accordance with an embodiment of the present application includes operating the motor for a predetermined period of time with a first performance parameter held constant, monitoring a signal related to a second performance parameter, monitoring electrical rotation within the motor and providing an electrical rotation signal indicative of the electrical rotation angle, sampling the signal related to the second performance parameter at a predetermined angle of electrical rotation, arranging samples provided in the sampling step in predetermined order and generating a mechanical rotation signal representing the mechanical rotation angle of a rotor of the motor based on the arrangement of samples. The mechanical rotation signal is used to control at least one of the first and second performance parameters of the motor.
US07928674B2

A motor speed control system includes a pulse outputting device capable of outputting a pulse each time a motor rotates, a pulse interval determining device capable of determining a pulse interval between the pulses outputted, and a comparative value calculating device capable of obtaining a comparative value as the product of a first value and a second value. The first value can correspond to the pulse interval determined, and the second value can correspond to a set rotational speed of the motor. The system can further include a set value calculating device capable of obtaining a set value as the product of the second value and a third value and a controller capable of controlling a supply of power to the motor such that a difference between the set value and the comparative value decreases.
US07928673B2

A method and apparatus for controlling a plurality of different motors used in a corresponding plurality of power tool applications requiring different operational characteristics. In one implementation a method involves the use of a single universal control module to store a generic, non-application-specific control algorithm. The generic, non-application-specific control algorithm has at least one programmable constant. The programmable constant is selected to transform the generic, non-application-specific control algorithm into an application-specific control algorithm. The programmable constant represents a function parameter relating to a specific functionality of a specific, selected motor used in a specific, selected motor application to implement a phase control over the specific, selected motor.
US07928672B2

Described herein is a modulator circuit for generating discrete energy pulses in a device. The circuit includes a high voltage power source intermittently coupled to a saturable first inductor, a second inductor and a capacitor coupled in parallel between the high voltage power source and the saturable first inductor and second inductor. When the first inductor is unsaturated, its inductance is high and it isolates the capacitor from the second inductor. When the first inductor saturates, the inductance collapses and the capacitor discharges a high energy pulse into the second coil. By controlling the time to saturation, the timing of the pulses is controlled. The modulator circuit is effective to control pulses applied to a circular induction accelerator, such as a Betatron.
US07928652B2

An organic EL element includes a pair of electrodes and an emitting layer interposed therebetween. The emitting layer is made of a mixture containing a host material and a dopant material. In the emitting layer, a concentration profile of the dopant material along a thickness direction includes at least two relative maximums or at least two relative minimums.
US07928646B2

An organic electroluminescent display device and fabrication method thereof is provided. The device includes a first substrate having at least one thin film transistor; an electroluminescent unit formed on the first substrate and electrically connect to the thin film transistor; a first protective layer formed on the electroluminescent unit; a second protective layer formed on the first protective layer; and a third protective layer formed on the second protective layer and in contact with the first protective layer. The device further comprises a second substrate sealed to the first substrate to form the electroluminescent unit between the first substrate and second substrate. In the device, the first protective layer comprising inorganic material, the second protective layer comprising organic material and the third protective layer comprising inorganic material are formed on the electroluminescent unit to reduce oxidation of electrodes by preventing infiltration of moisture.
US07928640B2

A display apparatus includes a substrate; a plurality of pixels arranged above the substrate, each including a plurality of sub-pixels emitting light of different colors; a circularly polarizing member disposed above the pixels, the transmittance of light of a selected color through the circularly polarizing member being higher than that of light of the other colors therethrough; and a light-absorbing member disposed only above the sub-pixels, emitting light of the non-selected colors. The light-absorbing member absorbs light of the selected color.
US07928627B2

A laminated core (10) and a method for manufacturing the same formed with multiple continuous segment core pieces (13) wound in a spiral form by bending connecting portions (12) mutually connecting the segment core pieces (13), the connecting portions (12) being formed in an outer peripheral area (11), while the connecting portions (12) of vertically adjacent layers being displaced in a circumferential direction with inner edges or outer edges of the segment core pieces (13) fitted, the laminated core comprising: a concave cutout (21) provided in a radial exterior of each connecting portion (12) to dispose a radially expanded portion (20) within an outer circle of the laminated core (10), the radially expanded portion (20) being formed with each connecting portion (12) expanding radially outward at the time of bending each connecting portion (12); an interior cutout (22) provided in a radial interior of each connecting portion (12) to define a bending position of each connecting portion (12); and a receptacle (16) provided in a radial exterior of each segment core piece (13) to receive an expanded part (15) formed in the thickness direction at the time of bending each connecting portion (12).
US07928623B2

An apparatus for producing electrical power from mechanical power, includes a generator with a rotor and a stator for conversion of mechanical power to a polyphase alternating current having more than three phases. The stator has a stator core with a cylindrical stator bore and a plurality of parallel stator slots disposed at a distance from one another, extending axially along a length of the stator core and being open towards the stator bore. A plurality of stator winding bars are disposed in the stator slots so as to form delta-connected windings for producing the polyphase alternating current. A static frequency converter in the form of a matrix converter converts the polyphase alternating current to a desired output alternating current, wherein the stator is a polygonal stator having external winding connections that are bridged, wherein inputs to the matrix converter are connected to end connections of the winding bars. For k stator slots and for a polyphase output with m phases, every k/m-th end connection of the winding bars or evolvent is connected, forming one phase of the polyphase stator output.
US07928608B1

The invention comprises a terminal unit for a flat cable comprising a BNC-PCB connector having a pin for electrically contacting one or more conducting elements of a flat cable, and a current viewing resistor having an opening through which the pin extends and having a resistor face that abuts a connector face of the BNC-PCB connector, wherein the device is a terminal unit for the flat cable.
US07928607B2

An aircraft power system is provided having an aircraft power supply and a bidirectional switch. The aircraft power supply includes an alternator, a battery and a load. The bidirectional switch is coupled between one of the alternator and the battery, and the load. The switch includes a first FET, a second FET and timing circuitry. A source of the first FET is coupled with a source of the second FET. A drain of the first FET is coupled with one of the alternator and the battery. A drain of the second FET is coupled with the load. The timing circuitry is configurable to generate a control signal deliverable to a gate of the first FET and the second FET for setting the first FET in selective on and off positions and the second FET in corresponding selective off and on position.
US07928596B2

The present invention is directed to a power transfer system and method for utilizing the electrical power generated by a powered vehicle, such as a locomotive. The power transfer system comprises an electromotive machine configured to generate electrical energy on the powered vehicle and an electrical system located outboard from the powered vehicle, which is configured to receive electrical energy. Interface equipment is provided, which is electrically coupled to the electromotive machine and the electrical system, to transfer electrical energy from the electromotive machine to the electrical system.
US07928595B1

An electric power generation system that includes a platform positioned above a water surface, an anchoring system to secure the platform to a floor below a body of water, at least one turbine extending below the platform to harvest underwater ocean currents and at least one electrical generator positioned upon the platform for outputting electrical energy. The turbine includes a rotatable shaft and a plurality of rotatable blades connected to the rotatable shaft. A first rotational axis of the rotatable shaft is vertically oriented and wherein a second rotational axis of the plurality of rotatable blades is horizontally aligned with an underwater current stream. The electrical generator is mechanically connected to the shaft of the turbine to convert a rotational torque of the shaft to electrical energy.
US07928594B2

A tandem axial turbine that comprises a front confusor, a funnel-shaped runner having inner blades and capable of accelerating and directing an oncoming flow toward a co-axial rear runner which rotates in an opposite direction. A tangential turbine has a hub, blades capable of rotating in relation to the hub between positions across and along the flow, and propulsion springs for controlling the movement of the blades in relation to the hub and the transfer of the energy. A second tangential turbine comprises a runner having a hub and blades and a shroud capturing the runner from above and around and permitting the blades to dip into water flowing immediately below the hub and an opening of the shroud. A surface vessel comprises a stabilized frame rotatably affixed on a vessel hull about a center of wave induced rocking motions of the vessel and therefore isolated from a rocking motion of the vessel.
US07928592B2

A system and method are provided to isolate outputs of parallel converter threads of a power system converter on a generator side of a wind turbine generator by utilizing isolated power windings on the wind turbine generator. Such isolation eliminates the circulating common mode current between the parallel converters of the wind turbine system and eliminates the need for a common mode inductor. System reliability is enhanced and total system cost is reduced.
US07928589B2

The present invention provides a non-insulated type DC-DC converter having a circuit in which a power MOS•FET for a high side switch and a power MOS•FET for a low side switch are connected in series. In the non-insulated type DC-DC converter, the power transistor for the high side switch, the power transistor for the low side switch, and driver circuits that drive these are respectively constituted by different semiconductor chips. The three semiconductor chips are accommodated in one package, and the semiconductor chip including the power transistor for the high side switch, and the semiconductor chip including the driver circuits are disposed so as to approach each other.
US07928587B2

A power semiconductor module having a surface of the power semiconductor chip and an external circuit pattern connected by an aluminum wire, and sealed with an epoxy resin, wherein wire diameter of the aluminum wire is 0.4±0.05 mmφ, and coefficient of linear expansion of the epoxy resin in a rated temperature range of a module is from 15 to 20 ppm/K.
US07928581B2

A manufacture method for semiconductor device (1, 21) including: a sealing-resin-layer forming step of forming a sealing resin layer (7) on a conductive member (13) formed at lest on one surface of a base substrate (11) formed with a plurality of wiring boards (2) therein, the conductive member spanning a boundary between a respective pair of adjoining wiring boards; and a step of moving the base substrate and a cutting tool (B) relative to each other in a manner to allow the cutting tool to pass through the base substrate from the other surface (2b) opposite from the one surface thereof toward the one surface thereof, thereby cutting the base substrate along the boundary between the respective pair of adjoining wiring boards.
US07928580B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a first wiring region and a second wiring region located adjacent to the first wiring region. First lines located in the first wiring region include a first portion, a first lead portion and first inclined portion. Second lines located in the second wiring region include a second portion, a second lead portion and a second inclined portion. The first and second portions are located in parallel with a same pitch, the first and second lead portions are located with a pitch which is larger than the pitch of the first and second portions, the first and second inclined portions extend the same direction at a predetermined angle.
US07928575B2

In an electronic device comprising a first electrodes consisting of a metal oxide and a second electrode consisting of an aluminum alloy film directly contacted and electrically connected to the first electrode, the contact interface between the aluminum alloy film and the first electrode is constructed so that at least a part of alloy components constituting the aluminum alloy film exist as a precipitate or concentrated layer. This construction enables direct contact between the aluminum alloy film and the electrode consisting of a metallic oxide and allows elimination of a barrier metal in such an electronic device, and manufacturing technology therefor.
US07928566B2

Conductive bump (17) formed on a surface of electrode terminal (11) of an electronic component. Conductive bump (17) is composed of at least a plurality of cured resin materials having different conductive filler densities. Thus, a short circuit and a connection failure due to crush of conductive bump (17) at the time of mounting can be prevented.
US07928563B2

Three dimensional integrated circuits with microfluidic interconnects and methods of constructing same are provided. According to some embodiments, and microfluidic integrated circuit system can comprise a plurality of semiconductor die wafers each having a top and bottom exterior surface. The semiconductor die wafers can form a stack of die wafers. The die wafers can comprise one or more channels formed through the die wafers. The channels can extend generally between top and bottom exterior surfaces of the semiconductor die wafers. A plurality of micro-pipes can be disposed between adjacent semiconductor die wafers in the stack. The micro-pipes can enable the channels to be in fluid communication with each other. A barrier layer can be disposed within at least one of the channels and the micro-pipes. The barrier layer can be adapted to prevent a coolant flowing through the at least one of the channels and the micro-pipes from leeching into the channels and micro-pipes. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.
US07928559B2

A semiconductor element is provided with a heat dissipating path defined by a non-through hole in a first principal surface and that is filled with a conductive material. The semiconductor element is bonded to a heat sink with the conductive material disposed therebetween. Solder can be used as the conductive material, for example. By introducing molten solder into the non-through hole while having solder disposed between the semiconductor element and the heat sink, the heat dissipating path is provided and the heat sink is bonded to the semiconductor element.
US07928543B2

A tape wiring substrate may have dispersion wiring patterns. The dispersion wiring patterns may be provided between input/output wiring pattern groups to compensate for the intervals therebetween. Connecting wiring patterns may be configured to connect the dispersion wiring patterns to a first end of the adjacent input/output wiring pattern.
US07928528B2

The invention provides an LCD panel with main slits corresponding to alignment protrusions. The gate lines are shielded by the electrode portion and do not overlap the main slits. Because the gate line and the major slits do not overlap, the liquid crystal molecule arrangement of the liquid crystal layer is not affected by the operating voltage of the gate line.
US07928527B2

A plurality of image sensor structures and a plurality of methods for fabricating the plurality of image sensor structures provide for inhibited cracking and delamination of a lens capping layer with respect to a planarizing layer within the plurality of image sensor structures. Particular image sensor structures and related methods include at least one dummy lens layer of different dimensions than active lens layer located over a circuitry portion of a substrate within the particular image sensor structures. Additional particular image sensor structures include at least one of an aperture within the planarizing layer and a sloped endwall of the planarizing layer located over a circuitry portion within the particular image sensor structures.
US07928522B2

In one embodiment a micro-electro mechanical system is disclosed. A MEMS structure can include a frame, a movable structure and a set of structural beams to suspend the movable structure from the frame. The system can also include a set of conductor routing beams. The conductor routing beams can provide a conductive path from the frame to the movable structure. The set of structural beams can have a spring rate that is more than ten times the spring rate of the set of conductor routing beams. Accordingly, multiple routing beams can be utilized to support multiple conductors without significantly affecting the mechanical movement or dynamic properties of the movable structure.
US07928517B2

An RF field effect transistor has a gate electrode, and comb shaped drain and source electrodes, fingers of the comb shaped drain being arranged to be interleaved with fingers of the source electrode, the source and drain electrodes having multiple layers (110,120,130,140). An amount of the interleaving is different in each layer, to enable optimization, particularly for low parasitic capacitance without losing all the advantage of low current density provided by the multiple layers. The interleaving is reduced for layers further from the gate electrode by having shorter fingers. The reduction in interleaving can be optimized for minimum capacitance, by a steeper reduction in interleaving, or for minimum lateral current densities in source and drain fingers, by a more gradual reduction in interleaving. This can enable operation at higher temperatures or at higher input bias currents, while still meeting the requirements of electro-migration rules.
US07928503B2

Some embodiments include methods of forming memory cells. Dopant is implanted into a semiconductor substrate to form a pair of source/drain regions that are spaced from one another by a channel region. The dopant is annealed within the source/drain regions, and then a plurality of charge trapping units are formed over the channel region. Dielectric material is then formed over the charge trapping units, and control gate material is formed over the dielectric material. Some embodiments include memory cells that contain a plurality of nanosized islands of charge trapping material over a channel region, with adjacent islands being spaced from one another by gaps. The memory cells can further include dielectric material over and between the nanosized islands, with the dielectric material forming a container shape having an upwardly opening trough therein. The memory cells can further include control gate material within the trough.
US07928501B2

Provided are a semiconductor device and a methods of forming and operating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device may include active pillars extending from a semiconductor substrate and disposed two dimensionally disposed on the semiconductor substrate, upper interconnections connecting the active pillars along one direction, lower interconnections crossing the upper interconnections and disposed between the active pillars, word lines crossing the upper interconnections and disposed between the active pillars, and data storage patterns disposed between the word lines and the active pillars.
US07928486B2

A photoelectric conversion device comprising a semiconductor substrate of a first conduction type, and a photoelectric conversion element having an impurity region of the first conduction type and a plurality of impurity regions of a second conduction type opposite to the first conduction type. The plurality of second-conduction-type impurity regions include at least a first impurity region, a second impurity region provided between the first impurity region and a surface of the substrate, and a third impurity region provided between the second impurity region and the surface of the substrate. A concentration C1 corresponding to a peak of the impurity concentration in the first impurity region, a concentration C2 corresponding to a peak of the impurity concentration in the second impurity region and a concentration C3 corresponding to a peak of the impurity concentration in the third impurity region satisfy the following relationship: C2
US07928481B2

An semiconductor device is disclosed. The device includes a semiconductor body, a layer of insulating material disposed over the semiconductor body, and a region of gate electrode material disposed over the layer of insulating material. Also included are a source region adjacent to gate region and a drain region adjacent to the gate region. A gate connection is disposed over the semiconductor body, wherein the gate connection includes a region of gate electrode material electrically coupling a contact region to the gate electrode. An insulating region is disposed on the semiconductor body beneath the gate connection.
US07928479B2

A ferroelectric capacitor is formed over a semiconductor substrate (10), and thereafter, interlayer insulating films (48, 50, 52) covering the ferroelectric capacitor are formed. Next, a contact hole (54) reaching a top electrode (40) is formed in the interlayer insulating films (48, 50, 52). Next, a wiring (58) electrically connected to the top electrode (40) through the contact hole (54) is formed on the interlayer insulating films (48, 50, 52). At the time of forming the top electrode (40), conductive oxide films (40a, 40b) are formed, and then a cap film (40c) composed of a noble metal exhibiting less catalytic action than Pt and having a thickness of 150 nm or less is formed on the conductive oxide films (40a, 40b).
US07928478B2

An image sensor comprises a substrate of a first conductivity type. First and second pixels are arrayed over the substrate. A potential barrier is formed in a region of the substrate corresponding to the first pixel but not in a region of the substrate corresponding to the second pixel. The second pixel is responsive to a color having a wavelength longer than the color to which the first pixel is responsive. The potential barrier is doped with dopants by a high energy ion implantation dopants or by an ion implantation or diffusion during epitaxial growth of the P-type epitaxial layer.
US07928477B2

A solid-state imaging apparatus, controlling a potential on a semiconductor substrate for an electronic shutter operation, includes: a first semiconductor region of the first conductivity type for forming a photoelectric conversion region; a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, formed separately from the photoelectric conversion region, for accumulating carriers; a third semiconductor region of a second conductivity type arranged under the second semiconductor region, for operating as a potential barrier; a fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type extending between the first semiconductor region and the semiconductor substrate, and between the third semiconductor region and the semiconductor substrate; and a first voltage supply portion for supplying a voltage to the third semiconductor region; wherein the first voltage supply portion includes a fifth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type arranged in the pixel region, and a first electrode connected to the fifth semiconductor region.
US07928463B2

A light emitting device is provided, which includes a light-emitting structure and a magnetic material. The light-emitting structure has an exciting binding energy of a bandgap. The magnetic material is coupled with the light-emitting structure to produce a magnetic field in the light-emitting structure. The exciting binding energy may be higher than about 25.8 meV at room temperature.
US07928462B2

A light emitting device having a vertical structure, a package thereof and a method for manufacturing the same, which are capable of damping impact generated in a substrate separation process, and achieving an improvement in mass productivity, are disclosed. The method includes growing a semiconductor layer having a multilayer structure over a substrate, forming a first electrode on the semiconductor layer, separating the substrate including the grown semiconductor layer into unit devices, bonding each of the separated unit devices on a sub-mount, separating the substrate from the semiconductor layer, and forming a second electrode on a surface of the semiconductor layer exposed in accordance with the separation of the substrate.
US07928455B2

A semiconductor light-emitting device includes a light-impervious substrate, a bonding structure, a semiconductor light-emitting stack, and a fluorescent material structure overlaying the semiconductor light-emitting stack. The semiconductor light-emitting stack is separated from a growth substrate and bonded to the light-impervious substrate via the bonding structure. A method for producing the semiconductor light-emitting device includes separating a semiconductor light-emitting stack from a growth substrate, bonding the semiconductor light-emitting stack to a light-impervious substrate, and forming a fluorescent material structure over the semiconductor light-emitting stack.
US07928450B2

A pixel structure is disclosed. The pixel structure includes a substrate, a first data line having at least one end formed on the substrate, a first insulation layer overlying the first data line and exposing a part of the end of the first data line, a shielding electrode disposed on the first insulation layer and overlapped with the first data line, a second data line formed on the first insulation layer and electrically connected to the exposed end of the first data line, a second insulation layer overlying the shielding electrode and the second data line, and a pixel electrode formed on the second insulation layer and overlapped with the shielding electrode. The invention also provides a method for fabricating the pixel structure.
US07928443B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having at least one gap, extending under a portion of the semiconductor substrate. A gate stack is on the semiconductor substrate. A strain layer is formed in at least a portion of the at least one gap. The strain layer is formed only under at least one of a source region and a drain region of the semiconductor device.
US07928438B2

After an amorphous semiconductor thin film is crystallized by utilizing a catalyst element, the catalyst element is removed by performing a heat treatment in an atmosphere containing a halogen element. A resulting crystalline semiconductor thin film exhibits {110} orientation. Since individual crystal grains have approximately equal orientation, the crystalline semiconductor thin film has substantially no grain boundaries and has such crystallinity as to be considered a single crystal or considered so substantially.
US07928434B2

The invention relates to an organic electronic component, such as e.g. an organic light diode or an organic solar cell with structures made of passivation material, the passivation material comprising at least one dessicant.
US07928429B2

An organic thin film transistor (TFT), a method of making and a display including the organic TFT. In the TFT, the disconnection of a channel region does not occur because a step difference between a substrate and source and drain electrodes is lessened or eliminated by forming the source and drain electrodes in grooves in a buffer film. The method of manufacturing the organic TFT includes forming a buffer film on a substrate, forming concave units separated by a distance from each other in the buffer film by etching the buffer film, forming an electrode layer on the buffer film, forming source and drain electrodes within the concave units by etching the electrode layer using a photolithography process, forming a semiconductor layer on the source and drain electrodes and on the buffer film, forming a gate insulating film on the semiconductor layer and forming a gate electrode on the gate insulating film.
US07928413B2

The present invention relates to components in an ion implanter that may see incidence of the ion beam, such as a beam dump or a beam stop. Such components will be prone to the ions sputtering material from their surfaces, and sputtered material may become entrained in the ion beam. This entrained material is a source of contamination. The present invention provides an ion implanter comprising power supply apparatus and an ion-receiving component. The component has an opening that receives ions from an ion beam such that ions strike an internal surface. The power supply apparatus is arranged to provide an electrical bias to the internal surface to decelerate the ions prior to their striking the surface, thereby mitigating the problem of material being sputtered from the surface.
US07928407B2

In an immersion lithographic apparatus, bubble formation in immersion liquid is reduced or prevented by reducing a gap size or area on a substrate table and/or covering the gap.
US07928389B1

An apparatus and method for a detector are disclosed. The apparatus disclosed contains an extractor layer, an absorber layer disposed adjacent to the extractor layer, a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact. The absorber layer is configured to absorb photons of incident light and generate minority electrical carriers and majority electrical carriers. In the disclosed apparatus, the top surface of the absorber layer is shaped as a pyramid, the extractor layer is electrically connected with the absorber layer and with the first electrical contact for extracting the minority electrical carriers, and the absorber layer is electrically connected with the extractor layer and with the second electrical contact to extract the majority electrical carriers.
US07928381B1

A non-dispersive electrostatic energy analyzer for electrons and other charged particles having a generally coaxial structure of a sequentially arranged sections of an electrostatic lens to focus the beam through an iris and preferably including an ellipsoidally shaped input grid for collimating a wide acceptance beam from a charged-particle source, an electrostatic high-pass filter including a planar exit grid, and an electrostatic low-pass filter. The low-pass filter is configured to reflect low-energy particles back towards a charged particle detector located within the low-pass filter. Each section comprises multiple tubular or conical electrodes arranged about the central axis. The voltages on the lens are scanned to place a selected energy band of the accepted beam at a selected energy at the iris. Voltages on the high-pass and low-pass filters remain substantially fixed during the scan.
US07928367B2

A simple and efficient method of preparing a sample in the measurement according to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) capable of inhibiting any ion suppression by impurities, such as inorganic salts and surfactants, contained in the sample. An analyte and matrix molecules are co-crystallized in the presence of porous microparticles. Preferably, this co-crystallization is carried out by bringing the analyte, matrix molecules and porous microparticles into contact with each other on a target plate and thereafter drying the mixture. The porous microparticles consist of an ion exchanger having an average particle diameter of not more than 50 μm, preferably a strongly basic anion exchanger.
US07928366B2

An injector provides optical access into a process chamber along an axial path from a diagnostic end point outside the process chamber through an optical access window. A hollow housing body receives first and second process gases, and surrounds the axial path. A sleeve in the body is urged against the body to minimize particle generation, and defines a first gas bore injecting the first process gas into the process chamber. A second gas bore of the sleeve surrounds the axial path for injecting the second process gas into the process chamber, allowing an optical signal to have a desired signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the end point. Methods provide a septum in the second bore dividing the second bore into apertures configured to reduce etching of and deposition on the optical access window and to maintain the desired SNR at the diagnostic end point.
US07928352B2

A solid-state image capturing device includes a first detecting unit for detecting a first wavelength component and a second detecting unit for detecting a second wavelength component which has a longer wavelength than at least the first wavelength component and wherein in a depth direction, an active region where a first type dopant of the second detecting unit is located is deeper than an active region where a first electroconductive type dopant of the first detecting unit is located. A signal processor modifies an output signal from at least one detecting unit based on a received signal quantity at another detecting unit and a type of filter above at least one of the detecting units.
US07928347B2

A heating unit includes an AlN substrate having a main surface on which an elongated heat-generating resistor is provided. A protection layer is formed on the main surface of the substrate for the heat-generating resistor. The protection layer includes a first cover layer covering the heat-generating resistor and a second cover layer covering the first cover layer. The first cover layer is made of crystallized or semi-crystallized glass having a higher crystallization temperature by at least 50° C. than the softening point of the glass. The second cover layer is made of non-crystalline glass.
US07928342B2

A metal sheathed heater includes a solid state control device that allows the metal sheathed heater to be more efficiently operated. The control device supplies or terminates power to the heater according to certain conditions. Further, the control device uses predetermined time periods to control power to the heater. Thus, the heater is not kept on unnecessarily.
US07928336B2

A clamp is designed for accepting a mail piece at a loading station, and for releasably holding the mail piece while the mail piece is moved to an unloading station via a sorting system. The clamp is manipulated in the sorting system, instead of manipulating the mail piece held by the clamp. The clamp includes jaws for releasably holding the mail piece, plus a machine readable identifier, plus a mechanism for engaging with the sorting system. The clamp's identifier includes clamp information which uniquely identifies the clamp. The clamp information is for use by the sorting system, in combination with address information on the mail piece, to enable sortation of the mail piece held by the clamp.
US07928332B2

A brake pedal stop lamp switch assembly includes a pedal switch plate fixed to a car body, a switch-fixing bracket mounted to the pedal switch plate and having at least one or more fixing-protrusions, a switch assembly linearly moving in a pressing direction in the switch-fixing bracket, and a hall-effect sensor that generates a signal when a magnet attached to upper portion of pedal stopper plate approaches and an electronic circuit that receives signals of the hall-effect sensor, and a plurality of teeth formed at the switch assembly to fix the switch assembly that has linearly moved relative to the switch-fixing bracket, engaged with the fixing-protrusion of the switch-fixing bracket.
US07928322B2

Disclosed is an active energy ray-curable conductive ink containing a conductive substance and a binder component, which is characterized in that the binder component contains a chlorinated polyester and an active energy ray-polymerizable compound. This active energy ray-curable conductive ink has good fluidity and enables to obtain a conductive circuit with low resistance after curing. Also disclosed are a method for forming a conductive circuit by printing this conductive ink on a substrate, and non-contact media comprising an IC chip mounted in a state electrically connected with the conductive circuit. The conductive substance is preferably a flake powder having a BET specific surface area of 0.1-0.4 m2/g and an aspect ratio of not less than 3.
US07928321B2

An electric superconducting system having at least a superconducting apparatus, at least a current lead electrically connecting the superconducting apparatus and an electric network. An electrical conductor having at least a sheet, the electrical conductor defining a heat conducting path of predetermined length through the sheet, and having at least two surfaces mutually facing each other.
US07928320B2

A helically-wound electric cable having at least two groups wound together so as to form a group helix. Each group has at least two twisted-together conductor wires, wherein the pitch of the group helix varying along the helically-wound electric cable in accordance with a sinusoidal function between two limit values having the same sign, characterized in that said sinusoidal function has a determined modulation period (MP) in order to avoid return loss peak (RLp) in the operating frequency range (Fmin-Fmax) of said helically-wound electric cable.
US07928312B2

An electronic keyboard instrument is provided and methods of playing and assembling the same. The instrument comprises a controller for enabling activation of electronic signals having audible, visible, amplifiable, recordable and/or like characteristics, and a power source for operating the controller. A first keyboard is provided having a first selected length and being oriented in a first direction such that (i) audible notes of music from at least one internal sound module and/or at least one external sound module, (ii) recordable data to be enhanced or modified by an external sequencer or program controlled apparatus, (iii) photoelectric signals, and (iv) processes or mechanisms, triggered or controlled by external signals or data, for controlling machines, video playback or lighting, and/or the like may be generated and/or activated using a first hand of one or more users. A second keyboard with a second selected length is generally coextensive with and oriented generally opposite to the first such that (i) audible notes of music from at least one internal sound module and/or at least one external sound module, (ii) recordable data to be enhanced or modified by an external sequencer or program controlled apparatus, (iii) photoelectric signals, and (iv) processes or mechanisms, triggered or controlled by external signals or data, for controlling machines, video playback or lighting, and/or the like may be generated and/or activated using a second hand of the one or more users. In addition, an interface connects the controller to at least one external device having sound module, and/or sequencing and signal enhancement functions. A plurality of peripheral devices operatively connected thereto permit interactive control and manipulation of the signals. Finally, a wearable support is mounted to the instrument for suspending the first and second keyboards from the user's body during instrument operation. Alternatively, the instrument is suspended by a support structure in a generally horizontal fashion for simultaneous operation by multiple users.
US07928306B2

The present disclosure relates to musical instruments and devices. A system is provided which utilizes tonal visualization components incorporating color and/or shape to allow a person to “see” a note or group of notes sounded by an instrument to determine whether the instrument is in tune and make appropriate adjustments if necessary.
US07928301B1

A novel maize variety designated PH12TB and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH12TB with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH12TB through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH12TB or a locus conversion of PH12TB with another maize variety.
US07928296B2

Compositions and methods related to transgenic glyphosate/ALS inhibitor-tolerant maize plants are provided. Specifically, the present invention provides maize plants having a DP-098140-6 event which imparts tolerance to glyphosate and at least one ALS-inhibiting herbicide. The maize plant harboring the DP-098140-6 event at the recited chromosomal location comprises genomic/transgene junctions having at least the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:5 and/or 6. The characterization of the genomic insertion site of the DP-098140-6 event provides for an enhanced breeding efficiency and enables the use of molecular markers to track the transgene insert in the breeding populations and progeny thereof. Various methods and compositions for the identification, detection, and use of the maize DP-098140-6 events are provided.
US07928294B2

The present invention relates to a polypeptide having a Δ5 fatty acid desaturation activity and a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide as well as use thereof. For example, the present invention relates to a polypeptide, comprising (a) the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2; or (b) the amino acid sequence in which one or more amino acids are substituted, deleted, inserted or added in the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, and having the Δ5 fatty acid desaturation activity; an antibody capable of binding to this polypeptide; a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide; a vector comprising this polynucleotide; a cell or transformant introduced with the polynucleotide; a method of producing a fatty acid using the cell, and so on.
US07928283B2

An object of the present invention is to develop a new alternative splicing reporter system and to provide a method for detecting alternative splicing patterns in a multicellular organism more precisely, a method for identifying efficiently substances and gene regions that affect alternative splicing in a multicellular organism, and the like by utilizing the alternative splicing reporter system. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for detecting alternative splicing in a multicellular organism, and a method for identifying substances and gene regions that affect alternative splicing in a multicellular organism, which use a DNA construct in which at least two different reporter genes are inserted into a specific gene that undergoes alternative splicing, or a combination of DNA constructs (a combination of at least two different DNA constructs) in which DNA construct a reporter gene is inserted into a specific gene that undergoes alternative splicing.
US07928282B2

The present invention provides a substrate treated with an linked enzyme. It has been discovered that a substrate treated with a linked enzyme can be effective in improving the ability of the substrate to absorb viscoelastic materials, such as menses, by cleaving a protein structure present in some viscoelastic materials. In addition, the linked enzyme is less likely to migrate from the treated material onto the user, as compare to an enzyme being placed directly on the substrate, thereby reducing the risk of sensitization to the user of the absorbent product. Also provided by the present invention are absorbent articles which contain at least one surface or layer containing the linked enzyme.
US07928277B1

Exemplary compositions, methods, and systems are disclosed that can be useful for reducing a concentration of a contaminant associated with a medium, which can be any substance or material, such as soil, water, air, and/or fluid. In one exemplary method, the medium is treated with Fe-MDGA and an oxidizing agent in amounts effective to oxidize at least a portion of the contaminant. 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.
US07928276B2

The invention concerns a process for producing high purity meta-xylene, comprising a step for separation by simulated moving bed adsorption starting from an aromatic C8 feed delivering a fraction which is rich in meta-xylene and a fraction which is depleted in meta-xylene, and a step for crystallization of the meta-xylene rich fraction. The purity of the meta-xylene produced is at least 99.5%.
US07928270B2

A process is proposed for distillatively removing dinitrotoluene from process wastewater from the preparation of dinitrotoluene by nitrating toluene with nitrating acid, which comprises basifying the process wastewater to a pH of >8.5, feeding it to a stripping column in the upper region thereof and stripping it with steam in countercurrent to obtain a vapor stream laden with dinitrotoluene and a bottom stream depleted in dinitrotoluene compared to the process wastewater used.
US07928252B2

Fused cyclopentane—4-substituted 3,5-dioxalane lactone compounds useful as an intermediate in the synthesis of prostaglandin analogs are provided. The compounds have the formula A: wherein R represents an aryl group such as p-methoxyphenyl. This compound can be reacted with a lower alkyl aluminum compound to open the dioxalane ring and reduce the lactone to lactol, without over-reducing to diol. The resulting compound can be functionalized to insert chemical side groups of target prostaglandins, adding the required α-side chain and then the required ω-side chain sequentially and independently of each other. The compounds and process are particularly suitable for preparing lubiprostone.
US07928245B2

This invention relates to oligomeric compounds that are prepared by the reaction of a dianhydride with an amino-alcohol to yield an imide-diol intermediate, which is then esterified with a carboxylic acid to form a reactive oligomer. An exemplary reaction scheme is the following:
US07928233B2

There are provided compounds of the formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester or enantiomer thereof wherein W, X, Y, V, R1 and R2 are as described herein. The compounds have utility as antiproliferative agents, especially, as anticancer agents.
US07928232B2

The invention provides an industrial method for producing a spiroaminopyrrolidone derivative, which is an intermediate for producing a quinolone antibacterial agent.The invention provides a method for producing a compound represented by formula (2): (wherein n is an integer of 2 to 5; R1 represents a (substituted) alkyl group or a (substituted) aryl group; and R2 represents a (substituted) alkoxycarbonyl group, a (substituted) aralkyloxycarbonyl group, a (substituted) aliphatic acyl group, or a (substituted) aromatic acyl group), which includes treating a compound represented by formula (1): (wherein n, R1, and R2 are the same as defined above; and R3 represents a hydrogen atom, a (substituted) alkyl group, or a (substituted) aralkyl group) under a hydrogen gas atmosphere in the presence of a metallic catalyst.
US07928225B2

There is provided compounds of formula I, wherein R1, R2, R3, R41 to R46, X, Y and Z have meanings given in the description, which compounds are useful in the prophylaxis and in the treatment of arrhythmias, in particular atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.
US07928209B2

A reporter system reflecting the transport process that transports GPI-anchored proteins to the cell wall was constructed and compounds inhibiting this process were discovered. Further, fungal genes conferring resistance to the above compounds were identified and methods of screening for compounds that inhibit the activity of the proteins encoded by these genes were developed. These genes encode proteins participating in fungal cell wall synthesis. Therefore, through the novel compounds, the present invention showed that antifungal agents having a novel mechanism, i.e. inhibiting the process that transports GPI-anchored proteins to the cell wall, could be achieved.
US07928208B2

A method of forming DNA nanotubes composed entirely or predominantly from DNA that, The methods of the present invention form single layer or multilayer template-synthesized nanotubes where the bulk of the tube is composed of DNA, and the layers are held together by hybridization of complementary DNA strands. The DNA molecules making up these tubes may be varied as desired, and the DNA is capable of being released from the tube.
US07928199B2

The present invention relates to methods of introducing one or more cysteine residues into a polypeptide which permit the stabilization of the polypeptide by formation of at least one bond, preferably a disulfide bond, between different domains of the polypeptide. The invention also relates to polypeptides containing such introduced cysteine residue(s), nucleic acids encoding such polypeptides and pharmaceutical compositions comprising such polypeptides or nucleic acids. The invention also relates to vectors, viral particles and host cells containing such nucleic acids, and methods of using them to produce the polypeptides of the invention. Exemplified polypeptides include plasma proteins, including hepatocyte growth factor activator and plasma hyaluronin binding protein, as well as blood coagulation factors, such as Factor VIII, Factor V, Factor XII and prothrombin.
US07928194B2

The invention relates to a recombinant immunogenic composition from Rickettsia typhi. The invention also relates to a method for the use of the recombinant proteins in detection and diagnostic assays and as a component in formulations for the induction of an anti-R. typhi immune response.
US07928187B2

The present invention describes a polypeptide, comprising the amino acid sequence APAHRSSTFPKWVTKTERGRQPLRS (Seq. ID. No.1) or a fragment thereof, said fragment comprising at least 7 consecutive amino acid residues of Seq. ID. No.1.
US07928183B2

The invention relates to polyesters containing at least one partly acylated polyhydroxylated compound belonging the group consisting of glycerol polycarbonates, specific polyglycerols, [(a-hydroxymethyl) oxyethylene/(a-hydroxymethyl)ethylene carbonate] copolymers, [a -hydroxymethyl) oxyethylene/(a-hydroxymethyl)ethylene carbonate] copolymers, and [a -alkyl) oxyethylene/(a-hydroxyalkyl) oxyethylene] copolymers. The invention also relates to methods for acylating, at least partly, the polyhydroxylated compounds. The polyesters of this invention are applicable to the technical fields relating to engine and industrial lubricants, greases, hydraulic fluids, metal deformation and processing lubricants, stripping and mold dressing products, oil prospecting, mines, tunnel borers, cosmetics, detergency, inks, textile coatings and papers, to the field of food products, to the protection of wood as synthesis intermediates.
US07928179B2

A photoreactive group-containing siloxane compound is obtained by subjecting a system comprising (a) a photoreactive group-containing alkoxysilane and (b) a hydrolyzable group end-capped dimethylsiloxane to hydrolytic condensation in the presence of a basic catalyst and with an amount of water greater than the amount necessary for hydrolytic condensation of all alkoxy groups. It forms on a substrate a coating having mar resistance, crack resistance, anti-staining effect, and marker ink wipe-off ability.
US07928176B2

Copolymers are manufactured to include a zwitterionic monomer (e.g., methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine monomer), a dihydroxyphenyl derivatized monomer, and optionally one or more additional monomers. The dihydroxyphenyl derivatized monomer gives the copolymers excellent adhesion properties. Optional monomers include a cationic amino monomer, a hydrocarbon monomer, and/or a hydrophilic monomer. The copolymers are biocompatible and can be used with medical devices.
US07928174B2

Organosilicon functional boron amine catalyst complexes have an organosilicon functional organoborane portion of the complex that contains at least one silicon atom. The complexes can be used as components in curable compositions containing (i) a free radical polymerizable monomer, oligomer or polymer; (ii) the organosilicon functional boron amine catalyst complex; and (iii) an amine reactive compound having amine reactive groups. The curable compositions may contain a component capable of generating a gas, as well as various other optional ingredients. These curable compositions can be used as rubbers, tapes, adhesives, protective coatings, thin films, thermoplastic monolithic molded parts, thermosetting monolithic molded parts, sealants, foams, gaskets, seals, o-rings, pressure sensitive adhesives, die attachment adhesives, lid sealants, encapsulants, potting compounds, conformal coatings, and electronic components. The compositions can also be used in composite articles of manufacture in which substrates are coated or bonded together with the composition and cured, such as in connectors, diving masks, or other integrally bonded parts.
US07928170B2

The present invention is one liquid type cyanate-epoxy composite resin composition comprised of cyanate ester resin (A), epoxy resin (B), and potential curing agent (C), characterized in that the above potential curing agent is the potential curing agent containing phenol resin (b) as well as modified amine (a) which has one or more amino groups having an active hydrogen within a molecule obtained by reacting polyamine compound (a-1) with epoxy compound (a-2). The one liquid type cyanate-epoxy composite resin composition having storage stability, curing properties and high heat resistance properties at the same time can be realized by this composition.
US07928166B2

There is disclosed a polyvinyl alcohol having a 1,2-glycol bond in a side chain, and a process for preparing the polyvinyl alcolnol wherein there is no generation of dimethyl carbonate hence no need of a process of eliminating dimethyl carbonate in the recovering process of waste liquid after hydrolysis. Also, even when an introduction amount of 1,2-glycol bonds is increased, there is no deterioration of solubility in a hydrolyzing solution (methanol) of a copolymer (paste) before hydrolysis. Further, water-insolubility is not lowered even in experiencing thermal history. Specifically, there is provided a polyvinyl alcohol having a 1,2-glycol bond in a side chain obtained by hydrolyzing a copolymer of a vinyl ester monomer and a compound shown in the formula (1) wherein the hydrolysis degree of the polyvinyl alcohol is at least 60% by mol.
US07928150B2

An ionomeric, modified poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate) copolymer comprising: polyester units comprising non-ionomeric ester units and ionomeric ester units substituted with an inorganic ionic group; and polyester units having at least one residue that is derived from a polyethylene terephthalate component selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate copolymers is described.
US07928138B2

The invention is the discovery of an actinomycete genus, given the name Salinospora gen. nov., that displays an obligate requirement of seawater (Na+) for growth and unique 16S rRNA signature nucleotides. The invention is also the use of the genus for the production and discovery of active biomolecules such as pharmaceutical agents, agrichemicals, immunomodifiers, enzymes and enzyme inhibitors.
US07928124B2

Disclosed are N-aroyl cyclic amine derivatives having the formula: where the variables are as define herein, and their use as pharmaceuticals, specifically as orexin receptor antagonists.
US07928123B2

Compounds of formula (I) are disclosed. Compounds according to the invention bind to and are agonists, antagonists or inverse agonists of the CB2 receptor, and are useful for treating inflammation. Those compounds which are agonists are additionally useful for treating pain.
US07928111B2

The present invention provides compounds including substituted thienopyrimidinone derivatives of Formula (IIc) as ligands for modulating chemosensory receptors: These compounds are useful as sweet taste enhancers in comestible or medicinal compositions. The present invention also provides screening methods for identifying modifiers of chemosensory receptors and their ligands, e.g., by determining whether a test entity is suitable to interact with one or more interacting sites within the Venus flytrap domains of the chemosensory receptors as well as modifiers capable of modulating chemosensory receptors and their ligands.
US07928110B2

The present invention relates to a pyrimidine compound of the formula (I): wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom or C1-C4 alkyl; R2 represents C3-C7 alkynyloxy; R3 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom or C1-C3 alkyl; X represents C4 polymethylene, in which a CH2—CH2 may be replaced with a CH═CH, optionally substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, trifluoromethyl and C1-C4 alkyls. This pyrimidine compound has an excellent activity of controlling pests.
US07928107B2

The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of voltage-gated sodium channels. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising the compounds of the invention and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disorders.
US07928098B2

The present invention provides a therapeutic and/or preventive agent for a sleep disorder comprising, as an active ingredient, a thiazole derivative represented by the general formula (I), [wherein R1 represents a five-membered aromatic heterocyclic group including at least one oxygen atom, or the like, R2 represents halogen or the like, and R3 represents —NR10R11 (wherein R10 and R11 may be the same or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom or the like), or the like] or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US07928088B2

The present invention provides an agent for promoting human Th1 cell differentiation and an agent for suppressing human Th2 cell differentiation, comprising lipoarabinomannans and/or lipomannans derived from BCG cell bodies. The agent of the present invention is useful as a prophylactic/therapeutic agent for cancers and the like, and also as a therapeutic agent for allergic diseases such as pollinosis.
US07928080B2

The present invention provides novel chemical compounds, and methods for their use. In particular, the present invention provides indole derivatives (e.g. as shown in Formula (I)) and related compounds and methods of using indole derivatives and related compounds as therapeutic agents to treat a number of conditions, including those associated with viral infection and cardiovascular diseases.
US07928079B2

The invention relates to compounds capable of releasing nitric oxide wherein the compounds comprise a saccharide and at least one nitric oxide-releasing diazeniumdiolate [N2O2] functional group, which is bonded directly to a carbon atom of the saccharide, and methods for preparing the same. The invention further comprises the treatment of biological disorders treatable by the administration of nitric oxide.
US07928077B2

The present disclosure relates to synthetic alpha-galactosyl ceramide (α-GalCer) analogs, and their use as immunotherapies. In one aspect. a method of activating a cytokine response in a subject includes administering an effective amount of a compound to a subject, wherein the subject has an adaptive immune system that includes a population of cells, the population including at least one lymphocyte and at least one antigen-presenting cell, and wherein the compound is represented by the structure of formula 1: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; forming a complex between the compound and the antigen-presenting cell, wherein the formation of the complex results in the activation of a receptor on the lymphocyte; and activating the lymphocyte to produce the cytokine response.
US07928073B2

This invention relates to a purified polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence chosen from the sequence SEQ ID NO:4 or biologically active amino acid sequences derived from SEQ ID NO:4.
US07928065B2

Methods for increasing urine flow are disclosed, comprising administration of an effective amount of GLP-1, an exendin, or an exendin or GLP-1 agonist. Methods for increasing urinary sodium excretion and decreasing urinary potassium concentration are also disclosed. The methods are useful for treating conditions or disorders associated with toxic hypervolemia, such as renal failure, congestive heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, cirrhosis, pulmonary edema, and hypertension. The present invention also relates to methods for inducing an inotropic response comprising administration of an effective amount of GLP-1, an exendin, or an exendin or GLP-1 agonist. These methods are useful for treating conditions or disorders that can be alleviated by an increase in cardiac contractility such as congestive heart failure. Pharmaceutical compositions for use in the methods of the invention are also disclosed.
US07928048B2

A softening detergent composition containing (a) 1 to 30% by mass of a clay mineral; (b) 0.5 to 20% by mass of a compound capable of releasing hydrogen peroxide in water; (c) 0.1 to 20% by mass of a compound represented by the following general formula (I) or (II): wherein R1 is an alkyl alkyl group having 4 to 13 carbon atoms; R2 is an alkyl group having 5 to 13 carbon atoms; M is hydrogen atom, or alkali metal atom, alkaline earth metal atom, ammonium or alkanolamine, or a combination of both; and 10 to 60% by mass of a component corresponding to a surfactant as prescribed in JIS K 3362:1998, wherein a mass ratio of the component (b) to the component (c) [component (b)/component (c)] is from 3/4 to 20/1. The softening detergent composition is suitably used as a softening detergent for fibrous manufactured articles such as clothes.
US07928046B2

Aqueous, silicate free, cleaning compositions of about pH 9 or below and method of using the cleaning compositions for cleaning microelectronic substrates, which compositions are able to essentially completely clean such substrates and produce essentially no metal corrosion of the metal elements of such substrates. The aqueous cleaning compositions of this invention have (a) water, (b) at least one of ammonium and quaternary ammonium ions and (c) at least one of hypophosphite (H2PO2−) and/or phosphite (HPO32−) ions. The cleaning compositions also may contain fluoride ions. Optionally, the composition may contain other components such as organic solvents, oxidizing agent, surfactants, corrosion inhibitors and metal complexing agents.
US07928043B2

A method of lubricating a marine diesel 2-stroke engine comprising: (1) monitoring performance characteristics of said engine; (2) selecting a lubricating composition to modify the performance characteristics of the engine, wherein the lubricating composition is prepared by in-situ controlled blending of at least two different fluids, said fluids comprising: (i) a first fluid comprising an additive package with one or more overbased detergents, and optionally other performance additives; (ii) a second fluid comprising an additive package with one or more neutral detergents or overbased detergents, and optionally other performance additives, with the proviso that the first fluid has a ratio of Σ(wt % of overbased detergents)/Σ(wt % of all additives in the fluid) greater than the second fluid; and (iii) a third fluid comprising an oil of lubricating viscosity; and (3) supplying the lubricating composition of step (2) to the engine, with the proviso that the lubricating composition comprises at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid.
US07928039B2

The invention concerns modified hydrophobic polyelectrolytes by amide formation of a hydrophilic skeleton by n-alkylamines whereof the alkyl chain comprises 6 to 22 carbon atoms. Preferably, the amide formation is obtained by di-n-dodecylamine. The hydrophilic skeleton is preferably a sodium polyacrylate or polyacrylic acid corresponding to a statistical acrylate-AMPS copolymer. Said polymers can be used for stabilizing direct or invert emulsions likely to be destabilized or inverted by a modification in the degree of salinity of the aqueous phase or a pH modification. The invention is particularly useful for stabilizing oil drilling fluids or the like in particular drilling, fracturation, acidification or completion fluids.
US07928035B2

A modified catalyst support exhibiting attrition resistance and/or deaggregation resistance is provided. A catalyst composition including the modified catalyst support is also provided. A process to produce a modified catalyst support including treatment of a support slurry with a solution of monosilicic acid is provided. A process to use a catalyst including the modified catalyst support in a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is provided.
US07928034B2

There is disclosed a process for producing an olefin oxide characterized by contacting an olefin and oxygen, in the presence of water and a halogen compound, with a silver catalyst, wherein the silver catalyst is a silver catalyst that is obtainable by contacting metal silver, a silver compound or a mixture of both with an alkaline earth metal carbonate and that has an alkali metal content of 1,500 ppm or less based on the total weight of the silver catalyst.
US07928028B2

A ZrO2—Al2O3 composite ceramic material having excellent wear resistance, hardness, strength and toughness is provided. This ceramic material comprises a ZrO2 phase composed of 90 vol % or more of tetragonal ZrO2, and containing 10 to 12 mol % of CeO2 as a stabilizer, and an Al2O3 phase. An amount of the Al2O3 phase in the ceramic material is in a range of 20 to 70 vol %, and preferably 40 to 70 vol %. In the composite ceramic material, Al2O3 grains each having a fine ZrO2 grain therein are dispersed. Some of the Al2O3 grains each having the fine ZrO2 grain therein are trapped within ZrO2 grains to form composite grains. A ratio of the number of the Al2O3 grains each having the fine ZrO2 grain therein relative to the number of the entire Al2O3 grains dispersed in the composite ceramic material is 10% or more, and preferably 50% or more.
US07928022B2

Heavy weight stretch fabrics comprising ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer are described. The fabric often has a weight of at least 10 ounces per square yard measured according to ASTM 3776 and has a stretch of at least 10 percent measured according to ASTM D3107. These fabrics exhibit excellent chemical, resistance (for example chlorine or caustic resistance) and durability, that is they retain their shape and feel over repeated exposure to processing conditions, such as stone-washing, dye-stripping, PET-dyeing and the like, and industrial laundry conditions.
US07928014B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: mounting a wafer having an exposed silicon nitride film, on an electrode received in a plasma chamber; dry-cleaning the chamber to remove reaction products accumulated on the wall and ceiling of the chamber, anisotropic-etching the silicon nitride film and an underlying silicon film for patterning; and removing the wafer from the chamber. The method repeats the treatment for a number of semiconductor wafers.
US07928012B2

A stylus, an integrated circuit (IC) and method of forming the IC. The stylus extends upward from its apex and has a substantially circular cross section that decreases in diameter upward from the apex. The stylus is formed in a mold that may be formed in an orifice in a dielectric layer between wiring layers. The mold may include multiple concentric layers. For a more pronounced, non-linear stylus taper, each layer may be thinner than its next adjacent outer concentric layer.
US07928009B2

A method for making semiconductor electrodes includes provided a wafer. The wafer includes at least one conductive unit, a plurality of first connective units connected to the conductive unit, a plurality of first metal layers connected to the first connective units and a plurality of second connective units connected to the first metal layers. Photo-resist is provided on the first and second connective units. A second metal layer is provided on each of the first metal layers via using an electroplating device. The wafer is cut through the photo-resist, thus forming semiconductor electrodes.
US07928008B2

A fabricating method of a polysilicon layer is disclosed which can be applied for fabricating a semiconductor device such as a SRAM and so on. The method for fabricating the semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a transistor included in the semiconductor device on a semi conductor substrate forming an insulating layer on the transistor; forming contact holes, through which a region of the transistor is exposed, by selectively removing the insulating layer forming a silicon layer in the contact holes forming a metal layer on the insulating layer and the silicon layer; forming a metal suicide layer through heat treatment of the silicon layer and the metal layer; removing the metal layer; forming an amorphous silicon layer on the insulating layer and the metal suicide layer; and forming a polysilicon layer through heat treatment of the amorphous silicon layer.
US07928004B2

By forming metallization structures on the basis of an imprint technique, in which via openings and trenches may be commonly formed, a significant reduction of process complexity may be achieved due to the omission of at least one further alignment process as required in conventional process techniques. Furthermore, the flexibility and efficiency of imprint lithography may be increased by providing appropriately designed imprint molds in order to provide via openings and trenches exhibiting an increased fill capability, thereby also improving the performance of the finally obtained metallization structures with respect to reliability, resistance against electromigration and the like.
US07928001B2

The electronic device includes a first interconnect layer and a second interconnect layer. The second interconnect layer is provided on the lower surface of the first interconnect layer. The first interconnect layer includes a via plug (first conductive plug). An end face of the via plug on the side of the second interconnect layer is smaller in area than the opposite end face. The via plug is exposed on the surface of the first interconnect layer facing the second interconnect layer. An insulating resin forming the first interconnect layer is higher in thermal decomposition temperature than an insulating resin forming the second interconnect layer.
US07927998B2

The plating method comprises the step of forming a resin layer 10 over a substrate 16; the step of cutting the surface part of the resin layer 10 with a cutting tool 12; the step of forming a seed layer 36 on the resin layer 10 by electroless plating; and the step of forming a plating film 44 on the seed layer 36 by electroplating. Suitable roughness can be give to the surface of the resin layer 10, whereby the adhesion between the seed layer 36 and the resin layer 10 can be sufficiently ensured. Excessively deep pores are not formed in the surface of the resin layer 10, as are by desmearing treatment, whereby a micronized pattern of a photoresist film 40 can be formed on the resin layer 10. Thus, interconnections 44, etc. can be formed over the resin layer 10 at a narrow pitch with high reliability ensured.
US07927995B2

An anti-fuse structure that included a buried electrically conductive, e.g., metallic layer as an anti-fuse material as well as a method of forming such an anti-fuse structure are provided. According to the present invention, the inventive anti-fuse structure comprises regions of leaky dielectric between interconnects. The resistance between these original interconnects starts decreasing when two adjacent interconnects are biased and causes a time-dependent dielectric breakdown, TDDB, phenomenon to occur. Decreasing of the resistance between adjacent interconnects can also be expedited via increasing the local temperature.
US07927992B2

Under one aspect, a method of cooling a circuit element includes providing a thermal reservoir having a temperature lower than an operating temperature of the circuit element; and providing a nanotube article in thermal contact with the circuit element and with the reservoir, the nanotube article including a non-woven fabric of nanotubes in contact with other nanotubes to define a plurality of thermal pathways along the article, the nanotube article having a nanotube density and a shape selected such that the nanotube article is capable of transferring heat from the circuit element to the thermal reservoir.
US07927982B2

A silicon-based thin film mass-producing apparatus, including transparent electrodes placed to face in parallel to corresponding counter electrodes with a space therebetween, and silicon-based thin films are deposited on the transparent electrodes by feeding a raw material gas for depositing the silicon-based thin films into the chamber and by applying a DC pulse voltage to the counter electrodes to generate plasma. Unlike methods in which a radio frequency voltage is intermittently applied to perform discharge, a high plasma density distribution does not occur, and in-plane film thickness distribution does not occur. Furthermore, since the DC pulse voltage rises sharply, the ON period can be shortened. As a result, generation of a sheath ceases in the transient state before reaching the steady state, and the thickness of the sheath is small, which allows the space between the counter and transparent electrodes to decrease.
US07927971B2

A release layer formed over a substrate; at least one of thin film integrated circuits is formed over the release layer; a film is formed over each of the at least one of thin film integrated circuits; and the release layer is removed by using an etchant; thus, the at least one of thin film integrated circuits is peeled from the substrate. A semiconductor device is formed by sealing the peeled thin film integrated circuit by lamination or the like.
US07927966B2

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing openings in a substrate (5), the method comprising steps of: providing the substrate (5) with a masking layer (40) on a surface thereof; forming a first opening (10), a second opening (30), and a channel (20) in between the first opening (10) and the second opening (30) in the masking layer (40), the channel (20) connecting the first opening (10) with the second opening (30), the second opening (30) having an area (A2) that is larger than the area (A1) of the first opening (10); forming trenches (11, 21, 31) in the substrate (5) located at the first opening (10), the second opening (30), and at the channel (20) under masking of the masking layer (40) by means of anisotropic dry etching, and sealing off the trench (21) located at the channel (20) for forming the openings in the substrate (5). The method of the invention enables formation of a deeper first opening (10) than what is possible with the known methods. The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a via in a substrate (5), which may be advantageously used in 3-dimensional integrated circuits.
US07927964B2

Some embodiments include methods of forming low k dielectric regions between electrically conductive lines. A construction may be formed to have a plurality of spaced apart electrically conductive lines, and to have sacrificial material between the electrically conductive lines. The sacrificial material may be removed. Subsequently, electrically insulative material may be deposited over and between the lines. The deposition of the insulative material may occur under conditions in which bread-loafing of the insulative material creates bridges of the insulative material across gas-filled gaps between the lines. The gas-filled gaps may be considered to correspond to low k dielectric regions between the electrically conductive lines. In some embodiments the sacrificial material may be carbon. In some embodiments, the deposited insulative material may be a low k dielectric material, and in other embodiments the deposited insulative material may not be a low k dielectric material.
US07927961B2

A disclosed selective etching method comprises mixing a polymer with carbon nanotubes, applying the mixture to an etching target layer to form a carbon nanotube-polymer composite layer, forming a hard mask by patterning the carbon nanotube-polymer composite layer, such that a part of the etching target layer is selectively exposed, and selectively etching the etching target layer exposed through the hard mask. The polymer preferably includes a photoresist. Also disclosed is a method for forming an isolation structure of a memory device using the selective etching method.
US07927948B2

An aspect relates to a method of growing nanoscale structures on a semiconductor substrate. According to various embodiments, nucleation sites are created on a surface of the substrate. The creation of the nucleation sites includes implanting ions with an energy and a dose selected to provide a controllable distribution of the nucleation sites across the surface of the substrate. Nanoscale structures are grown using the controllable distribution of nucleation sites to seed the growth of the nanoscale structures. According to various embodiments, the nanoscale structures include at least one of nanocrystals, nanowires and nanotubes. According to various nanocrystal embodiments, the nanocrystals are positioned within a gate stack and function as a floating gate for a nonvolatile device. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US07927947B2

Methods for depositing high-K dielectrics are described, including depositing a first electrode on a substrate, wherein the first electrode is chosen from the group consisting of platinum and ruthenium, applying an oxygen plasma treatment to the exposed metal to reduce the contact angle of a surface of the metal, and depositing a titanium oxide layer on the exposed metal using at least one of a chemical vapor deposition process and an atomic layer deposition process, wherein the titanium oxide layer comprises at least a portion rutile titanium oxide.
US07927946B2

An interlayer insulating film (14) covering a ferroelectric capacitor is formed and a contact hole (19) reaching a top electrode (11a) is formed in the interlayer insulating film (14). An Al wiring (17) connected to the top electrode (11a) via the contact hole (19) is formed on the interlayer insulating film (14). A planar shape of the contact hole (19) is an ellipse.
US07927943B2

The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device that includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming first and second transistors in the substrate, the first transistor having a first gate structure that includes a first dummy gate, the second transistor having a second gate structure that includes a second dummy gate, removing the first and second dummy gates thereby forming a first trench and a second trench, respectively, forming a first metal layer to partially fill in the first and second trenches, removing the first metal layer within the first trench, forming a second metal layer to partially fill in the first and second trenches, forming a third metal layer to partially fill in the first and second trenches, reflowing the second metal layer and the third metal layer, and forming a fourth metal layer to fill in the remainder of the first and second trenches.
US07927939B2

A method of manufacturing a laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) device, and an integrated circuit associated therewith. The method includes forming a lightly-doped source/drain region with a first dopant, the lightly-doped source/drain region located between first and second isolation structures. The method further includes creating a gate over the lightly-doped source/drain region. In one advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes diffusing a second dopant at least partially across the lightly-doped source/drain region and under the gate to form a first portion of a channel.
US07927924B2

The present invention relates to a semi-finished package and a method for making a package. The semi-finished package includes a carrier and at least one molding compound. The molding compound is disposed on a surface of the carrier, and has a body and a plurality of outer protrusions. The outer protrusions are disposed at the periphery of the body, and the height of the outer protrusions is greater than that of the body. Thus, by utilizing the outer protrusions, the rigidity of the semi-finished package is increased, so as to overcome the warpage of the semi-finished package caused by different coefficients of thermal expansion of the molding compound and the carrier. Therefore, the yield rate of the package unit is increased.
US07927920B2

In a method of manufacturing an electronic component package, first, there is fabricated a wafer incorporating a plurality of sets of external connecting terminals corresponding to a plurality of electronic component packages, and a retainer for retaining the plurality of sets of external connecting terminals, the wafer including a plurality of pre-base portions that will be separated from one another later to be bases of the electronic component packages. Next, at least one electronic component chip is bonded to each of the pre-base portions of the wafer. Next, electrodes of the electronic component chips are connected to the external connecting terminals. Next, the electronic component chips are sealed. Next, the wafer is cut so that the pre-base portions are separated from one another and the plurality of bases are thereby formed.
US07927899B2

A liquid crystal display panel includes: a thin film transistor array substrate having a gate line and a data line provided on the substrate; a gate insulating film between the gate line and the data line; a thin film transistor having a source electrode, a drain electrode and a gate electrode; a pixel electrode; a protective film for protecting the thin film transistor; a plurality of pads; a transparent electrode pattern formed on the data line, source electrode and drain electrode; and a color filter array substrate joined to the thin film transistor array substrate so that the color filter substrate does not overlap the pad area of the thin film transistor array substrate, wherein at least one of the gate insulating film and protective film in the pad area is etched using the color filter array substrate as a mask to expose at least one of the plurality of pads.
US07927894B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for aligning an optical device with an object. The apparatus comprises, a frame (12), a support unit (16) for supporting said optical device or said object and a transportation device (14) arranged to at least tilt the support unit in relation to the frame, wherein a segment of a sphere (18, 22) is provided, which segment defines a spherical surface (20), and the tilting movement of the support unit is controlled by said spherical surface. The apparatus according to the invention allows for a tilting movement between said optical device and said object, while such movement does not lead to a shift in focus. Furthermore the invention relates to an optical instrument and a semiconductor process system comprising said apparatus.
US07927893B2

A method for analyzing a sample for the manufacture of integrated circuits, e.g. MOS transistors, application specific integrated circuits, memory devices, microprocessors, system on a chip. The method includes providing an integrated circuit chip, which has a surface area with at least one region of interest, e.g., bond pad. The method includes covering a first portion of the surface area including the region of interest using a blocking material. The method also forms a metal layer on a second portion of the surface area, while the blocking material protects the first portion. The method removes the blocking material to expose the first portion of the surface area including the region of interest. The method also subjects the metal layer to a voltage differential to draw away one or more charged particles from the first portion of the surface area. The method also subjects the surface area including the region of interest to spectrometer analysis.
US07927887B2

The present invention relates to a Field-Effect Transistor (FET) and, more particularly, to a Dielectric-Modulated Field-Effect Transistor (DMFET) and a method of fabricating the same. A DMFET according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a substrate in which a source and a drain are formed, wherein the source and the drain are spaced apart from each other, a gate formed on a region between the source and the drain, of the substrate, wherein at least part of the gate is spaced apart from the substrate, biomolecules formed below a region spaced apart from the substrate, of the gate, and a linker for combining the gate and the biomolecules.
US07927880B2

The invention provides methods for early diagnosis or detection of acute coronary syndrome and prediction of adverse cardiac events on the basis of elevations of catalytic iron in biological fluid of a human subject. An embodiment of the invention provides a method for early detection of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in a human subject at the time of presentation of the chest pain. The method includes analyzing a test sample of the biological fluid for amount of catalytic iron and detecting acute coronary syndrome in the human subject.
US07927871B2

This invention provides a non-radioactive assay to monitor and quantify the target-cell killing activities mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). This assay is predicated on the discovery that apoptosis pathway activation and, in particular, granzyme B activity, provides a measure of cytotoxic effector cell activity. In one embodiment, measurement of CTL-induced granzyme B activation in target cells is achieved through detection of the specific cleavage of fluorogenic granzyme B substrates. This assay reliably detects antigen-specific CTL killing of target cells, and provides a more sensitive, more informative and safer alternative to the standard 51Cr-release assay most often used to quantify CTL responses. The assay can be used to study CTL-mediated killing of primary host target cells of different cell lineages, and enables the study of antigen-specific cellular immune responses in real time at the single-cell level. As such, the assay can provide a valuable tool for studies of infectious disease pathogenesis and development of new vaccines and immunotherapies.
US07927862B2

The invention provides a biological method of producing isoprenoids.
US07927861B2

The invention provides a biological method of producing isoprenoids.
US07927855B2

Disclosed are esters and a process for the preparation of the esters represented by formula 1: The process includes reacting an alcohol with a long-chain acid R2COOH or long-chain ester R2COOR4 in the presence of an organic solvent and an enzyme with or without the removal of water.
US07927851B2

The present invention relates to nucleotide sequences encoding ent-kaurenoic acid 13-hydroxylase polypeptides and polypeptides having ent-kaurenoic acid 13-hydroxylase activity. The invention also relates to methods of producing steviol and steviol glycosides.
US07927844B2

A coryneform bacterium that is modified by using a yggB gene so that L-glutamic acid-producing ability is enhanced as compared to a non-modified strains is cultured in a medium to cause accumulation of L-glutamic acid in the medium or bacterial cells, and L-glutamic acid is collected from the medium or cells.
US07927841B2

A family of PCR assays is disclosed for determining, both qualitatively and quantitatively, presence of material from a predetermined species source and for quantifying the amount of such material. The assays are based respectively on SINEs uniquely characteristic of pig species, cow species, chicken species, and ruminant sub-order, and having a high copy number. The assays disclosed permit rapid, inexpensive evaluation of meat samples to facilitate elimination from their diet of pork or beef by persons desiring to avoid such food sources; as well as the assay of cattle feed to determine presence therein of ruminant-source proteins, which are a potential source of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly referred to as “mad cow disease.” The assays amplify the predetermined unique SINEs and the resulting amplified mixture is then evaluated qualitatively by electrophoresis on gel containing ethidium bromide or quantitatively by SYBR Green-based detection or TaqMan chemistry. The invention also extends to kits, primers, and other products used in connection with the assays. The amplicons are selected to be from about 100 to 170 bp long.
US07927837B2

Disclosed are: (A) a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, or (B) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 including deletion, substitution or addition of one or several amino acid residues and having chondroitin synthase activity; a nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide; a method for producing the polypeptide, comprising at least the steps of: (1) expressing the nucleic acid to produce the polypeptide; and (2) collecting the polypeptide produced in the step (1); and a crystal of the polypeptide. The crystal may be a monoclinic or tetragonal crystal.
US07927831B2

The invention relates to an anti HIV-1 active recombinant Epap-1 expressed in bacterial and baculovirus which significantly binds to gp120 of HIV-1 virus isolates.
US07927828B2

Methods and immunoassays for diagnosing a bite or sting of a venomous organism in a patient having symptoms consistent with such a bite or sting are provided. A sample of venom is collected from the area of the suspected bite or sting using a swab and then contacted with an antibody that specifically binds to an antigenic site on venom present in the sample. Binding is then detected. The invention is illustrated by examples showing diagnosis of brown recluse spider bite, distinguishing it from other diagnoses with which it is often confused. This extremely sensitive test can detect venom antigens down to about 20 picograms even after the sample has been shipped and stored for periods of up to three weeks during the summer.
US07927824B2

A chaperone protein Q2 and β-amyloid can form a complex. This complex can be detected in a biological sample, such as, for example, tissues or fluids from a mammal. Q2 levels can also be detected in a biological sample. A method for determining the Q2 level in a biological sample and comparing that level to a normal Q2 level can be used to detect, screen, diagnose, or otherwise determine a person's susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease such as, for example, the presence or absence of Alzheimer's disease, of symptoms of this disease, of factors leading to or associated with this disease, of likelihood of developing this disease, and the like. In one embodiment, a decline in Q2 level correlates to an increased likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease. In another embodiment, a decline in Q2 level correlates to an increase in β-amyloid aggregation. The method may further include screening for an apolipoprotein E genotype, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease.
US07927815B2

A method for removing contaminant DNA in a sample containing a physiologically active protein, which comprises the following steps: 1) converting the sample containing a physiologically active protein into a neutral aqueous solution of low conductivity; and 2) removing the resulting particles.
US07927807B1

An autonomous genosensor apparatus and methods for use are provided for the field detection and analysis of ambient chemical, biochemical, biologic, biogenetic, and radiologic materials under field conditions in fluid or gaseous environments, such as marine or aquatic environments or industrial processes. Autonomous genosensors provide integral, self contained units which automatically extract environmental samples, prepare those samples for analytical studies, analyze those samples using studies such as DNA or biomarker analysis, and store or transmit the data produced to a remote computer or computer network. Autonomous genosensors may be used as freestanding units, or may be networked and controlled through a remote computer network.
US07927805B2

Disclosed in this specification is a method for predicting the prognosis of squamous cell lung cancer by observing regulatory changes in select miRNA sequences. These sequences may include hsa-mir-146b, hsa-mir-191, hsa-mir-206, hsa-mir-299-3p, hsa-mir-155, hsa-mir-15a, hsa-mir-122a, hsa-mir-513, hsa-mir-184, hsa-mir-511, hsa-mir-100, hsa-mir-10a, hsa-mir-453, hsa-mir-379, hsa-mir-202, hsa-mir-21, hsa-mir-126, hsa-mir-494, hsa-mir-432, hsa-mir-370, and combinations of these sequences.
US07927803B2

A human mutY polypeptide and DNA (RNA) encoding such polypeptide and a procedure for producing such polypeptide by recombinant techniques is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for utilizing such polypeptide for preventing and/or treating diseases associated with a mutation in this gene. Diagnostic assays for identifying mutations in nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide of the present invention and for detecting altered levels of the polypeptide of the present invention for detecting diseases, for example, cancer, are also disclosed.
US07927799B2

Prostaglandin-endoperoxide H synthase (PGHS-2) converts arachidonic acid to prostaglandin H2. PGHS-2 is an inducible gene product undetectable in most normal human tissues, but abundant in cancer cells. The present invention exploits a previously undisclosed transcriptional function of PGHS-2 distinct from its well-established enzymatic role to identify potential therapeutic agents useful in treating cancer. The method comprises a DNA binding assay in which PGHS-2 protein binding to the C/EBP, CRE and NF-κB regions of the PGHS-2 promoter in the presence and absence of test compounds is evaluated to identify inhibitors of PGHS-2 transactivation activity.
US07927796B2

Disclosed is number coding of pairs (“doublets”) or small sets (“multiplets”) of solid phase carriers which provides distinguishable subtypes of a given type of such carriers, where each carrier type is distinguishable on the basis of a different code. Such number coding is useful for augmenting a coding system, such as a color code, and thereby effectively multiplying the number of “colors” (distinguishable sub-types). It can be applied, for example, to determine whether a sample is homozygous or heterozygous at a number of different sites for one of two different alleles, where the same color code is applied for each of the two alleles, and the alleles with the same color code are distinguished by knowing how many carriers are associated with molecules which detect each different allele.
US07927791B2

The present invention relates to a method for screening and identifying compounds that modulate premature translation termination and/or nonsense-mediated messenger ribonucleic acid (“mRNA”) by interacting with a preselected target ribonucleic acid (“RNA”). In particular, the present invention relates to identifying compounds that bind to regions of the 28S ribosomal RNA (“rRNA”) and analogs thereof. Direct, noncompetitive binding assays are advantageously used to screen libraries of compounds for those that selectively bind to a preselected target RNA. Binding of target RNA molecules to a particular compound is detected using any physical method that measures the altered physical property of the target RNA bound to a compound. The structure of the compound attached to the labeled RNA is also determined. The methods used will depend, in part, on the nature of the library screened. The methods of the present invention provide a simple, sensitive assay for high-throughput screening of libraries of compounds to identify pharmaceutical leads.
US07927789B1

The invention relates to compositions and methods for detecting biomolecular interactions. The detection can occur without the use of labels and can be done in a high-throughput manner. The invention further relates to self-referencing colorimetric resonant optical biosensors and optical devices.
US07927788B2

The present invention is directed toward biomarkers that identify characteristics of algae. The invention is further directed toward biomarkers that serve to identify algae species and strains of algae species as well as detect the presence of algal toxins. Additional embodiments feature methods utilizing algal biomarkers and polypeptides that can serve as biomarkers.
US07927776B2

A toner for electrophotography is provided that includes a binder resin, a colorant, a charge control agent, and a releasing agent, wherein the toner has a complex viscosity (η) of about 4.0×101 Pa·s to about 1.6×103 Pa·s at a temperature ranging from about 40° C. lower than a toner fixing temperature to about 10° C. higher than the toner fixing temperature and has a specified activation energy of 15 to 85 KJ/mol. By defining viscosity dependency in a linear modulus region of a toner and comprehensively defining thermal and rheological properties with respect to fixing conditions, a fixing phenomenon can be generalized and the quality of a toner can be evaluated.
US07927774B2

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member having high durability and hardly causing sensitivity decrease even if short wavelength light, particularly light having a wavelength of 380 to 450 nm is used as exposure light, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The present invention includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a support and a photosensitive layer which is provided on the support and contains a charge generation material and a charge transport material, characterized in that the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid polyester resin with a weight average molecular weight of 80,000 or more having a specific repeating structural unit, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
US07927771B2

A color filter and a fabrication method thereof are provided. In the method, color filter ink that includes wax beads is ejected by an inkjet printing process. A black matrix defining R/G/B pixels is formed on a first surface of a substrate and transparent electrodes are formed on a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface at positions corresponding to the R/G/B pixels. The fabricated color filter ink is injected into an inkjet head, and the color filter ink is ejected from the inkjet head into each of the R/G/B pixels. A predetermined voltage is applied between the inkjet head and the transparent electrode such that the ejected color filter ink is precisely injected into each of the R/G/B pixels.
US07927770B2

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for correcting a defect in an EUV mask, the method including: preparing an EUV mask including an absorption layer and an anti-reflection layer forming a pattern; recognizing a defect region in the pattern; defining a first region and a second region on the defect region, the second region extending from a desired pattern edge by a given distance, the first region being defined on the rest; removing the first region of the anti-reflection layer and the absorption layer by irradiating a beam in a first atmosphere; removing the second region of the anti-reflection layer and the absorption layer by irradiating the beam in a second atmosphere; and oxidizing an exposed side surface of the desired pattern edge of the absorption layer.
US07927760B2

A direct methanol fuel cell unit is provided with a fuel cell including an anode, a cathode with a hydrophobic microporous layer, an electrolyte membrane put in-between, and a fuel supply path supplying fuel to the anode. The fuel supply path is provided with an upwind water barrier preventing back-diffusion of water and a gas flow path channeling gas generated at the anode and disposed between the barrier and the anode. A water-rich zone is formed between the water barrier and the cathode microporous layer. Water loss from either side of this zone is eliminated or minimized, thereby permitting direct use of highly concentrated methanol in the fuel flow path with good fuel efficiency and power performance. The cell unit can be applied equally well to both an active circulating air cathode and an air-breathing cathode.
US07927754B2

A pressure relief feature for a fuel cell stack is disclosed, wherein the pressure relief feature relieves excess pressure from the fuel cell stack and facilitates control of a maximum pressure reached within the fuel cell stack.
US07927747B2

Disclosed is an electrolyte for batteries, comprising: (a) an electrolyte salt; (b) an organic solvent; (c) a first compound having an oxidation initiation voltage (vs. Li/Li+) higher than the operating voltage of a cathode; and (d) a second reversible compound having an oxidation initiation voltage higher than the operating voltage of the cathode, but lower than the oxidation initiation voltage of the first compound. Also disclosed is a lithium secondary battery comprising said electrolyte. In the lithium secondary battery, two compounds having different safety improvement actions at a voltage higher than the operating voltage of the cathode are used in combination as electrolyte components. Thus, the safety of the secondary battery in an overcharged state can be ensured, and at the same time, the deterioration of the battery can be prevented from occurring when it is repeatedly cycled, continuously charged and stored at high temperature for a long time.
US07927741B2

In a lithium transition metal oxide having a layered structure, one is provided, which is particularly excellent as a positive electrode active material of a battery on board of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle in particular. A lithium transition metal oxide having a layered structure is proposed, wherein the ratio of the crystallite diameter determined by Measurement Method 1 according to the Rietveld method with respect to the mean powder particle diameter (D50) determined by the laser diffraction/scattering-type particle size distribution measurement method is 0.05 to 0.20.
US07927735B2

A secondary battery having a porous filling member that occupies a portion of a molding space between a bare cell and a protective circuit board. The presence of the filling member makes it possible to uniformly apply a molding resin into the molding space and to reduce defects due to thickness irregularity of a mold or a surface defect thereof. The secondary battery includes a bare cell, a protective circuit module including a protective circuit arranged on a protective circuit board and a plurality of electrical connection members electrically connecting the protective circuit board to the bare cell, a filling member arranged between the bare cell and the protective circuit board and a mold covering the electrical connection members and the filling member.
US07927721B2

The present invention relates, in an automotive window glass having a ceramic color layer formed thereon, to the automotive window glass being characterized in that a ceramic color layer is formed on an entire surface or part of the automotive window glass by using a ceramic color paste containing a green-color pigment in an amount of 30-80 wt % relative to 100 wt % of a total of a black-color pigment and the green-color pigment, and that, in an L*a*b* color system, a transmitted color of the glass has a value of a* of −10.0 to 0.0, and a reflected color of the ceramic color layer, which is observed from a vehicle exterior side through the glass has L*≦30.0, −10.0≦a*≦0, and −2≦b*≦8.
US07927720B2

An object is to provide a novel quinoxaline derivative. Another object is to provide a light-emitting element with low driving voltage. Another object is to provide a light-emitting element with low power consumption. Another object is to provide a light-emitting device and an electronic device with low power consumption by using such a light-emitting element. A quinoxaline derivative which has a structure in which at least one of carbon at a 2-position and carbon at a 3-position of quinoxaline, and carbon of 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring are bound via an arylene group is provided.
US07927715B2

A clad textured metal substrate for forming the epitaxial thin film thereon, which includes a metallic layer and a copper layer bonded to at least one face of the metallic layer, wherein the copper layer has a {100}<001> cube texture in which a deviating angle Δφ of crystal axes satisfies Δφ≦6 degree. The clad textured metal substrate has an intermediate layer on the surface of the copper layer to form the epitaxial thin film thereon. The intermediate layer preferably includes at least one layer of a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel oxide, zirconium oxide, rare-earth oxide, magnesium oxide, strontium titanate (STO), strontium barium titanate (SBTO), titanium nitride, silver, palladium, gold, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium and platinum.
US07927709B2

A wear-resistant coating, in particular an erosion-resistant coating for a component that is exposed to fluidic loads, is disclosed. The wear-resistant coating has one or more multilayer systems applied repeatedly to the surface to be coated, where each of the applied multilayer systems has at least four different layers. A first layer of each multilayer system facing the surface to be coated is made of a metallic material adapted to the composition of the component surface to be coated. A second layer applied to the first layer of each multilayer system is made of a metal alloy material adapted to the composition of the component surface to be coated. A third layer applied to the second layer of each multilayer system is made of a gradated metal-ceramic material and a fourth layer applied to the third layer of each multilayer system is made of a nanostructured ceramic material.
US07927706B2

The present invention is in the field of polymer sheets and multiple layer glass panels having adjustable tint, and, more specifically, the present invention is in the field of polymer sheets and multiple layer glass panels comprising agents that cause a change in light transmission properties when subjected to an electric field.
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