US07929738B2
A microscope apparatus includes a capture unit for capturing a microscopic image of a specimen in a predetermined microscopy, a capture control unit controlling the capture unit and capturing a microscopic image about the same specimen with a plurality of predetermined resolutions, and a microscopy switch unit switching the microscopy. With the configuration, the capture control unit at least includes a first capture control unit allowing the capture unit to capture the specimen with a first resolution controlled in advance, a definition unit defining a plurality of small sections obtained by dividing a first microscopic image captured by the capture unit under control of the first capture control unit; and a second capture control unit allowing the capture unit to capture a portion corresponding to the small section of the specimen with a predetermined second resolution as a resolution higher than the first resolution.
US07929735B2
Dot templates are used for detecting objects within images. A computer-implemented method is performed for each of a number of dot templates corresponding to the object to be detected within an image. Each dot template is defined as a collection of points. At each position within the image, a value of the image is determined at each point of the dot template. The dot template is effectively overlaid at the given position within the image. A score of the dot template at this position is determined, based on the values of the image determined at the points of the dot template. Where the score is greater than a predetermined threshold, it can be concluded that the object is at least potentially located within the image at the position in question at which the dot template has been effectively overlaid.
US07929733B1
A system and method for identifying an unknown individual from a plurality of enrolled individuals is provided. In an embodiment, the method comprises comparing at least two parameters of the unknown individual to at least two enrolled parameters of the enrolled individuals. The method then determines a score correlating to the closeness of the comparison and then stores the score.
US07929730B2
Disclosed is a method and system for object detection and tracking. Spatio-temporal information for a foreground/background appearance module is updated, based on a new input image and the accumulated previous appearance information and foreground/background information module labeling information over time. Object detection is performed according to the new input image and the updated spatio-temporal information and transmitted previous information over time, based on the labeling result generated by the object detection. The information for the foreground/background appearance module is repeatedly updated until a convergent condition is reached. The produced labeling result from objection detection is considered as a new tracking measurement for further updating on a tracking prediction module. A final tracking result may be obtained through the updated tracking prediction module, which is determined by the current tracking measurement and the previous observed tracking results. The tracking object location at the next time is predicted. The returned predicted appearance information for the foreground/background object is used as the input for updating the foreground and background appearance module. The returned labeling information is used as the information over time for the object detection.
US07929727B2
Featured is an apparatus and method for detecting an object (e.g., human, man-made object) from its background, which object may be camouflaged so as to blend the object with the background. In its broadest aspects the detecting method includes viewing an area while selectively and varyingly changing a sensitivity of a viewing device to certain wavelengths of light lying in any one of the ultraviolet (UV) range, the visible range or the near and/or far infrared and determining the presence of an object when a visual difference between the object and background is discerned when the sensitivity of the viewing device is changed to a certain mixture of wavelengths of light. The method further includes determining the presence of an object when a visual difference is observed between the object and the background and no discernable difference is observed one sensitivity of the viewing device is changed to least another mixture of wavelengths.
US07929710B2
A communication apparatus is disposed at a target place for use in monitoring of sounds. An input section collects various sounds generated at the target place. The collected sounds contain a first type of sound information which should be monitored and a second type of sound information which should not be monitored. The input section converts the collected sounds into a signal capable of conveying the sound information. A signal processing section processes the signal for creating ambiguous sound information by masking, trimming or modifying the second type of the sound information. A transmission section transmits the processed signal to a remote place, where the sounds are reproduced from the transmitted signal and the first type of the sound information is monitored, while the second type of the sound information is not monitored, since the second type of the sound information is altered to the ambiguous sound information.
US07929704B2
Messages are encrypted/decrypted according to a modified triple wrap procedure in which the messages are encrypted/decrypted in three encryption/decryption operations and are processed in three additional operations using first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth keys.
US07929693B2
A key generating method is disclosed which includes the steps of: firstly detecting first change information as first change information data; secondly detecting second change information different from the first change information as second change information data; and merging the first change information and the second change information into key information.
US07929680B2
A method for enabling originating and destination telephones to conduct a call session through an intermediary telephone includes the following steps: (A) enabling the originating telephone to send a query request to the intermediary telephone so as to search the intermediary telephone for contact information of the destination telephone; and (B) if the contact information of the destination telephone is available in the intermediary telephone, enabling the originating telephone to conduct the call session with the destination telephone using the contact information in the intermediary telephone. Applications of the method are also disclosed.
US07929674B1
Embodiments of the present invention relate to billing for services in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) environment. A first call is received at a service node from a service switching point located in the AIN. A second call is established through the service switching point to a called party. The first call is bridged with the second call and the bridged call is monitored for signaling information. The bridged call is processed based on the monitored signaling information. A billing module is created for the processed call at the service node. The billing module may include service values related to billing information for the processed call. The processed call may be merged back into the service switching point and the created billing module for the processed call may be sent to the service switching point for ultimate delivery to a billing system.
US07929673B2
Techniques are provided for configuring a device. One or more operations are determined in accordance with a scheduled meeting. One or more configurable buttons on the device are provided. Each of the one or more configurable buttons corresponds to one of the operations. Selecting a first of the one or more configurable buttons causes processing to be performed for a first of the operations associated with the first configurable button. The first operation uses information associated with said scheduled meeting.
US07929670B2
The method and apparatus is for contact manipulation and retrieval in a communication system. The method has the steps of: receiving a message having contact information; converting the contact information to contact data having a predetermined searchable format; storing the contact data; and searching the stored contact data. The contact data may be searched for at least one item of information. The apparatus implements the method.
US07929660B2
The invention relates to a support structure 1 for mammography, comprising a stand 2 and an arm structure 3 attached thereto. The support structure 1 further comprises a scanner head cover 6 attached to the arm structure 3. The scanner head cover 6 comprises a vertical side portion 6a, and is designed so that a cavity 12 is formed between the vertical surface portion 6a and a vertical part 3b of the arm structure 3, whereby the cavity 12 provides space for an arm of a patient during imaging. A more comfortable posture is provided for a patient.
US07929659B2
A computed tomographic imaging system is provided for generating computed tomography images. The computed tomographic system includes a processor configured to access image data encoding X-ray projections at a detector position and a plurality of X-ray source beam focal spot positions and to align pixel values for the projections in a direction of deviation of the positions. The processor is also configured to determine a correction factor for at least one of the projections based upon the aligned pixel values and upon a sum of the projections and to correct the pixel values for the at least one of the projections based upon the correction factor.
US07929649B2
A communication signal carrier on a communication channel in a digital cable receiver can be characterized as analog without exhaustively attempting to determine a symbol rate or modulation scheme of a digital carrier. The signal level in the channel is observed at different channel bandwidths, and these observations are used to differentiate between analog and digital carriers.
US07929641B2
A signals reception chain including: an input interface receiving a signal and transforming the received signal into at least two signals correlated in phase or in opposite phase, each of the correlated signals being distributed on at least one channel, the channels being identical, at least one analog-digital converter that operates on 1 bit of the signals in phase or in opposite phase, on each of the channels, and a digital processor for processing the converted signals stemmed from the channels, and performing operations between the converted signals in phase or in opposite phase.
US07929635B2
Modulated signal A is transmitted from a first antenna, and modulated signal B is transmitted from a second antenna. As modulated signal B, modulated symbols S2(i) and S2(i+1) obtained from different data are transmitted at time i and time i+1 respectively. In contrast, as modulated signal A, modulated symbols S1(i) and S1(i)′ obtained by changing the signal point arrangement of the same data are transmitted at time i and time i+1 respectively. As a result the reception quality can be changed intentionally at time i and time i+1, and therefore using the demodulation result of modulated signal A of a time when the reception quality is good enables both modulated signals A and B to be demodulated with good error rate performances.
US07929634B2
An apparatus and method that may adaptively select a coding mode of an OFDM sub-carrier symbol of a data stream according to a feedback data packet having the coding information of the OFDM sub-carrier.
US07929633B2
A method of controlling signal transmission in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication system including selecting a modulation and code set (MCS) for each of M data streams transmitted via M transmitting antennas in a transmitting side of the MIMO system, and selectively selecting M−1 or fewer transmitting antennas from the M transmitting antennas for transmitting the data streams based on channel quality information indicative of a transmission performance of the selected MCS corresponding to each of the M transmitting antennas. In another example, the present invention provides a novel method of controlling signal transmission in a MIMO communication system including selecting M weight vectors for streams transmitted by each of M transmitting antennas in a transmitting side of the MIMO system, and selectively selecting M−1 or fewer streams and weight vectors from the M weight vectors for transmitting data streams based on channel quality information indicative of transmission performance of the selected weight vectors corresponding to each of the M vector spaces.
US07929630B2
The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for demodulation and decoding of backscattered 16-QAM RFID tag signals, represented by their in-phase and quadrature components at the output of the demodulator in the receiver portion of a reader interrogator. In a communication channel with fast changing parameters, a reader receiver adaptively and coherently corrects the in-phase and quadrature-phase components of a signal received from a tag by tracking the phase and amplitude of the signal based on a decision-feedback. A reference signal is used to correct the signal components, where the coordinates of the reference signal is updated by a tracking and an averaging algorithm. A simple implementation of the receiver in a digital signal processing environment is enabled.
US07929627B2
A mobile receiver performs oblique interpolation in such a direction that a symbol number increases by one and a carrier number decreases by three with respect to a position of each Scattered Pilot Signal to interpolate a first signal whose channel characteristics have not been obtained. The mobile receiver then performs, in a frequency axis direction, frequency axis interpolation to interpolate channel characteristics of a second signal whose channel characteristics have not been obtained, using the estimated channel characteristics and the interpolated channel characteristics.
US07929604B2
A data processor is provided to compression-code moving picture data without decreasing coding efficiency even if the moving picture includes a picture with particularly violent motion. The moving picture is obtained by presenting a plurality of frame pictures, each consisting of two field pictures, one after another. The processor (100) includes a memory (101) for storing the moving picture data, a calculating section (108) for calculating a parameter, representing how much the moving picture has changed, based on the moving picture data of the two field pictures, a determining section (109) for determining, by the parameter calculated, on what picture unit the moving picture data is going to be compression-coded by the intra-picture coding method and the forward predictive coding method and adopting a picture structure defining the predetermined picture unit, and a processing section (102-107, 110) for compression-coding the moving picture data, stored in the memory, according to the picture structure adopted, thereby generating compressed data.
US07929596B2
Apparatus and methods of ultra-wideband (UWB) communication are provided. In one embodiment, an ultra-wideband receiver receives a serial data stream comprising a plurality of ultra-wideband pulses. A serial to parallel converter then converts the serial data stream into a plurality of parallel data streams, which are then matched. A combiner then combines the data streams, which are then fed to an equalizer that includes a hard decision element, a past decision element and a future decision element. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.
US07929593B2
Methods and apparatus for processing a composite communication signal comprising two or more received signals of interest are disclosed. An interference-suppressing receiver, which may comprise a G-Rake receiver or a linear chip equalizer, utilizes a square-root covariance matrix in processing received signals, where the square-root covariance matrix represents impairment covariance or data covariance for the composite communication signal. In an exemplary method, a receiver detects symbols, corresponding to a signal of interest, from the composite communication signal, using processing weights calculated from a square-root covariance matrix and a net channel response for the signal of interest. The method further comprises calculating a reconstructed version of the signal of interest from the detected first symbols, generating an updated communication signal by subtracting the reconstructed version of the first signal of interest from the composite communication signal, and updating the square-root covariance matrix to obtain an updated square-root covariance matrix.
US07929590B2
A signal transmission apparatus includes a symbol block generator configured to generate a first symbol block by multiplexing data information and control information in a symbol period, and a transmitter configured to transmit the first symbol block over a wireless communication network. In certain configurations, the transmitter is configured to transmit a predetermined number of symbol blocks within a transmit time interval.
US07929587B2
A semiconductor laser diode element includes a semiconductor laser diode portion including a ridge portion extending in a first direction in which a cavity extends, a groove formed along the ridge portion and a support portion formed along the groove on a side farther from the ridge portion and holding the groove between the support portion and the ridge portion and a support substrate bonded to the semiconductor laser diode portion through a fusion layer, wherein the fusion layer is formed so as to be embedded in the groove, a space from the ridge portion to the support substrate and a space from the support portion to the support substrate.
US07929586B2
An electromagnetic pumped alkali metal vapor cell system is provided. The system comprises a vapor cell and windings. The vapor cell contains alkali metal and a buffer. The windings are positioned around the vapor cell and are configured to create an electromagnet field in the vapor cell when an AC signal is applied to the windings. The electromagnetic field pumps unexcited alkali vapor into unionized D1 and D2 states.
US07929574B2
A clock distribution mechanism for circuit emulation applications, and related method, including one or more of the following: a plurality of digitally controlled oscillators, each of the plurality of digitally controlled oscillators receiving one or more Ethernet packets and generating a recovered clock from the one or more Ethernet packets; a multiplexer for receiving the recovered clocks generated by the plurality of digitally controlled oscillators, selecting a one of the recovered clocks generated by the plurality of digitally controlled oscillators, and outputting the selected one of the recovered clocks; a normalizer that receives a frequency of the selected one of the recovered clocks and generates a normalized frequency output based on the received frequency of the selected one of the recovered clocks and outputs the normalized frequency output; a clock source selector for receiving a plurality of input clock sources, one of the input clock sources being the normalized frequency output of the normalizer, the clock source selector selecting the normalized frequency output from among the plurality of input clock sources and transmitting the selected normalized frequency to a node; and one or more nodes for receiving the selected normalized frequency.
US07929573B2
Method and apparatus for transporting network management information in a telecommunications network
Network management information (NMI) contained in a first set of byte locations of a received frame is relocated to a second set of byte locations of another frame. The NMI is then transported through network elements using the second set of byte locations until the NMI is to be transported to a compatible network element, which can understand the NMI. At which time, the NMI is relocated back to the first set of byte locations of frames destined for the compatible network element. The relocation of the NMI from a first set of byte locations to a second set of byte locations allows the NMI to be transparently transported through incompatible network elements.
US07929571B2
A method for communicating data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of bits associated with a communications flow and determining whether one or more samples included in the flow should be suppressed. The method also includes suppressing a selected one or more of the samples. The method also includes retransmitting certain samples when a given sample has stopped changing, in comparison to a previously received sample, for a configured time interval.
US07929570B2
The present invention relates to transmitting data units of a radio protocol layer, wherein one logical channel identifier is added to one or more data units belonging to one logical channel. Because only one logical channel identifier is added to the data units belonging to one logical channel in constructing a MAC-e PDU, overheads of the MAC-e PDU are reduced. Such reduction of the PDU overheads increases data throughput, which is advantageous for a high-speed data communication system, such as the HSUPA.
US07929550B2
Information (service information) about service contents provided by servers is registered or updated by each of routing nodes by exchanging said information through use of a routing protocol used in controlling a path among the routing nodes. The routing node selectively changes address information about a service access request on the basis of the service information owned by the routing node, to thus route the service access request to an optimal destination. Thereby, concentration of load to a specific service can be efficiently dispersed.
US07929543B2
A packet forwarding apparatus comprises a plurality of line interfaces each for communicating with one of user terminals or one of redundant gateways, and a protocol processing unit for controlling packet forwarding among the line interfaces. The protocol processing unit forwards a connection initiation request packet received from a user terminal to the plurality of redundant gateways and forwards to the user terminal only one response packet which is selected according to connection load status information of each gateway stored in a load distribution management table from among a plurality of response packets received from the gateways within a predetermined period of time.
US07929539B2
A method for controlling access by processes running on a host device to a communication network includes assigning to each of the processes a respective doorbell address on a network interface adapter that couples the host device to the network and allocating instances of a communication service on the network, to be provided via the adapter, to the processes. Upon receiving a request submitted by a given one of the processes to its respective doorbell address to access one of the allocated service instances, the adapter conveys the data over the network using the specified instance of the service, subject to verifying, based on the doorbell address to which the request was submitted, that the specified instance was allocated to the given process.
US07929532B2
A method and integrated hardware system for multicast transmission shaping in EPONs which employs a selective multicast algorithm that significantly reduces the complexity of traffic shaping for multicast traffic. Unlike prior art methods, my method exploits the broadcasting nature of the downstream point-to-multipoint access system including EPONs. Operationally, the method transforms a multicast traffic shaping problem into a unicast traffic shaping problem by selecting a multicast subscriber and subsequently treating packets addressed to that selected multicast subscriber as unicast. Advantageously, these packets are still available to other members of the multicast group. And since these packets are treated as unicast from the perspective of traffic shaping, my inventive method significantly reduces traffic shaping complexity in multicast environment.
US07929519B2
A system and method for bridging the POTS network and a packet network, such as the Internet, uses a set of access objects that provide the interfacing and functionality for exchanging address and payload information with the packet network, and for exchanging payload information with the payload subnetwork and signaling information with the signaling subnetwork of the POTS network. The system includes a communications management object that coordinates the transfer of information between the POTS network and the packet network; a payload object that transfers payload information between the system and the payload subnetwork of the first communications network; a signaling object that transfers signaling information between the system and the signaling subnetwork of the first communications network in accordance with a signaling protocol associated with the signaling subnetwork; and a packet object that transfers payload and address information between the system and the second communications network in accordance with a communications protocol associated with the second communications network. An alternative embodiment uses a plurality of payload, signaling and packet objects to provide a scalable system.
US07929513B2
A wireless local area network access point (WAP) includes a transceiver, a controller, and a security unit. The transceiver communicates messages with an end-point communication device through a wireless air interface in a defined frequency band. The controller receives through the transceiver a connection request message containing a password from the end-point communication device, authenticates the received password, and responds to the authentication by transmitting through the transceiver to the end-point communication device an encryption key as a connection response message. The security unit generates a security alert based on measured characteristics of one or more received connection request messages and/or based on measured characteristics of interfering signals in the defined frequency band.
US07929511B2
The present invention discloses a method of producing a multi-layered OFDM symbol using a plurality of small IFFT blocks. The produced OFDM symbol is able to reduce complexity in performing IFFT or FFT while maintaining orthogonality of a related art OFDM symbol. In particular, by avoiding the related art scheme using the N-sized IFFT, the layered IFFT is executed in a manner of grouping N data symbols into P groups each of which includes Q data symbols (N=P−Q). In order to produce an OFDM signal equal to that of the related art N-sized IFFT, it is preferable that phases are aligned for the data symbols on which Q-sized IFFT has been performed.
US07929509B2
A method and apparatus for reduced acquisition time are disclosed. In one embodiment, such as in a W-CDMA system, a receiver receives one or more signals from remote stations, each signal comprising a scrambling code associated with one of a plurality of code groups, each code group identified by a unique series of a synchronization codes. A searcher identifies a subset of first synchronization codes, and a processor selects one or more hypotheses in response to the received subset. The searcher may then perform searching for a scrambling code in accordance with the one or more hypotheses. The scrambling code search may be performed in parallel with continued synchronization code searching. Various other embodiments are also disclosed.
US07929504B2
Systems and methods for connection and remote configuration of wireless nodes communicating on a shared-communications channel. A master node includes a processor configured to generate a frame including configuration information designating network configuration parameters for configuring a remote wireless node for network communications. The master node transmits the frame over the shared communication channel to a slave node to be configured. The slave node includes a receiver for receiving the frame from the master node on the shared communication channel. The slave node includes a processor for configuring the wireless node to communicate according to the network configuration parameters designated by the configuration information in the frame.
US07929498B2
Adaptive forward power control and adaptive reverse power control for spread-spectrum communications
A wireless code division multiple access (CDMA) communication system, including a base station (BS) and a subscriber unit (SU), uses adaptive forward power control (AFPC) and adaptive reverse power control (ARPC) to control the transmit power of forward and reverse link radio frequency (RF) channel signals, respectively. Automatic gain control (AGC) signals are produced to maintain the level of forward and reverse CDMA signals at a near constant level. The CDMA signals are despread to produce first and second despread signals. The first and second despread signals are used to produce a first error signal e1. A second error signal e2 is produced based on the AGC signals. Combined error signals are formed based on the first error signal e1 and the second error signal e2. The combined error signals are hard limited to form adaptive power control (APC) bits used to control the level of the forward and reverse link RF channel signals.
US07929491B2
A method is provided for transmitting control information by a Base Station (BS) in a Time Division Duplexing (TDD)-based Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system. The method includes determining a TDD ratio value of a number of time slots allocated for Forward-Link (FL) and a number of time slots allocated for Reverse-Link (RL); if the TDD ratio value is not an integer, grouping Mobile Stations (MSs) into multiple groups and generating group index information; and transmitting, to the MSs, control information including the TDD ratio value and the group index information.
US07929473B2
Method and apparatus for reducing interference in a wireless communication system when the source of interference is a deterministic component of the system. In one embodiment, the receiver weights the transmitters according to when the source of interference is transmitted. Further, the transmitter may employ power boosting to overcome the source of interference. In one embodiment, a W-CDMA system transmits a sync channel concurrently with physical channels, wherein the sync channel is not orthogonal to the physical channels. The receiver may cancel the sync channel when receiving control or data information. Similarly, the receiver may weight the transmissions from multiple transmitters.
US07929467B2
Method for transmitting through a bidirectional communication channel at least one conventional frame (CVFR) split into time slots SLj (for j=1 to L) separated from each other by guard intervals G, each time slot SLj being allocated either to a first or to a second direction of communication uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) offered by the bidirectional communication channel. The method according to the invention includes: detecting at least two successive time slots SLj, SLm+1, SLj+2 allocated to a same direction of communication DL, and inserting data in the guard interval separating such successive time slots SLj, SLj+1, SLj+2.
US07929464B2
A software application for recommending workforce resource allocation in a communication center based on requirements of events represented in a communication-center queue has a first interface for accessing information from the queue; a second interface for accessing information from a data source about workforce availability and state information; a processing component for processing queue information and workforce information; and a message generation and delivery component for generating a workforce allocation recommendation based on processing results and sending the recommendation to a target entity. In a preferred embodiment, the application periodically accesses the queue and the data source to obtain the most recent information for processing and generates periodic recommendations based on real-time requirements of events and availability states of resources, the recommendations sent ahead of time before the resources are required.
US07929460B2
A communication network topology is determined by evaluating costs of states each representing a possible assignment of hubs and remote nodes to nodes of the communication network. The hubs connect to a central network, the remote nodes connect wirelessly to the hubs and obtain connectivity to the central network through the hubs. The cost of each state is determined based on costs for configuring each node as a hub or a remote node, uplink frequencies for sending data from the remote nodes to corresponding hubs, and downlink frequencies for sending data from the hubs to corresponding remote nodes.
US07929459B2
A method and apparatus for simulating a modification to or expansion of a communications network and for determining whether the simulated modified or expanded network meets cost criteria. First logic forecasts an increase in network traffic. Second logic simulates a modification to or expansion of the network based on the forecasted increase in network traffic and/or based on performance improvement criteria and/or based on coverage expansion criteria. Third logic determines whether the simulated modified or expanded network meets cost criteria.
US07929458B1
Organizational and control mechanism for spectrally-efficient management of dynamic socket waveforms
The present invention provides a method for using an Organization and Control Proxy (OCP) to configure a network communications infrastructure. OCP functionality is distributed across nodes possessing OCP elements. Intercommunication between the OCP elements is implemented via a unifying mesh waveform for network discovery, propagation of network and radio-frequency (RF) socket usage information, and management and control of instances of dynamic socket waveforms. An extensible language for specification of waveform properties is used by the OCP elements to negotiate spectral use information and to negotiate configurations between two or more endpoints of a dynamic socket waveform connection. A network stack is configured by the OCP to provide requested service to an end user.
US07929444B2
For a wireless network, communication nodes (such as a Mobile Switching Center) are disclosed that include at least ten small routers. The small routers handle traffic received from a plurality of base stations over a backhaul facility. The backhaul facility transports the traffic between the base stations and the small routers using Internet Protocol (IP). A small router in the communication node is defined as a router that is to handle 10% or less of the traffic for the communication node as configured. The percentage to be handled by a router is based on the configuration of the communication node.
US07929440B2
A method of capacity planning in a network includes assigning a class of service to each packet of data on the network. Each class of service is also assigned a grade of service for different network conditions. A class bandwidth is calculated for each class of service under each network condition by multiplying an expected load for each class of service by the associated grade of service under each of the network conditions. A network condition bandwidth is calculated for each network condition by adding together the class bandwidths for all classes. A network capacity is predicted based upon the largest network condition bandwidth. A network management apparatus can perform the method.
US07929437B2
The present invention relates to a method for changing service quality of a content adaptively. In the present method, when allowance of access to a network is requested, whether transfer speed demanded by the request of access allowance can be provided is checked. If can not be provided, service quality of a connection being serviced is lowered. In the meantime, the present method monitors whether available bandwidth is generated, and upgrades service quality of a connection being serviced when available bandwidth is generated. The above operations can make a given network resource fully used.
US07929433B2
Techniques for performing user-configurable traffic management functions on streams of packets. The functions include multicasting, discard, scheduling, including shaping, and segmentation and reassembly. In the techniques, the functions are not performed directly on the packets of the stream, but instead on descriptors that represent stored packets. Output of descriptors from all traffic queues, including discard traffic queues, is scheduled. Scheduling is done using a hierarchy of schedulers. The form of the hierarchy and the scheduling algorithms used by the schedulers in the hierarchy are both user configurable. As disclosed, the techniques are implemented in a traffic management coprocessor integrated circuit. The traffic manager coprocessor is used with a digital communications processor integrated circuit that performs switching functions. The buffers for the packets are in the digital communications processor. Also disclosed are a modified partial packet discard algorithm and a frame based deficit round robin scheduling algorithm.
US07929432B2
A flexible start time (FST) scheduling algorithm operable at a base station is disclosed, to allocate resource in the time domain based on coexistence period bitmap (CBP) feedback gathered from multi-radio user terminals. The algorithm analyzes traffic load distribution in the wireless neighborhood and determines an optimum starting time of the CBP operation for the current user.
US07929425B1
A network interface device with resource reservation protocol-traffic engineering capability and improved hot redundancy. A first interface card is provided for receiving a request, which specifies a data session between two host devices in a network, from an adjacent node in the network, and for storing a session parameter based on the request. A standby interface card is provided for receiving a request from the active interface card, based on the request received by the active interface card, and for storing another session parameter, concurrently with a storing of the session parameter by the active interface card, based on the request. Failure detection circuitry is provided for detecting a failure within the active interface card, and for coupling the second interface card to the adjacent node depending on whether or not a failure is detected.
US07929420B2
A method and apparatus for learning the identity of VRRP backup router(s) for a VRRP master router enables the identity of VRRP backup routers to be determined quickly on demand, or enables a table of VRRP master and backup routers to be established over time. A VRRP query message type is defined as a type of VRRP message that will enable the routers on the network to be queried to determine which router(s) are VRRP backup routers for a virtual IP address associated with a VRRP master. The VRRP query message may be initiated by the VRRP master, a network management system, or another entity. The VRRP backup routers may respond with a VRRP response message, which is also defined as a type of VRRP message. The VRRP response message may be unicast to the VRRP master or network management system, or broadcast to enable a table of VRRP master/backup routers to be created.
US07929419B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for inhibiting message traffic to an unavailable terminating SIP server are disclosed. According to one method, at least one list of SIP servers accessible by a call session control function (CSCF) is maintained at an originating CSCF. The list includes at least one of availability and unavailability status information for the terminating SIP servers. A request is received to contact a destination via a one of the terminating SIP servers. The list is indexed and a first terminating SIP server is identified. If the first terminating SIP server is determined to be unavailable based on information in the list, a second terminating SIP server is identified using the list.
US07929408B2
A joint scheduling apparatus and method for increasing frequency efficiency and fairness in a multi-channel distributed antenna system using frequency reuse and common control power. One of a Base Station (BS) or Relay Station (RS) are selected to transmit packets to a Mobile Station (MSs), taking into account Quality of Service (QoS) in one of a BS and an RS and grouped into packet groups. The packets are selected from the packet groups, links corresponding to the packets are grouped into a link group, a joint power control is performed on the link group, link elimination and link addition are performed for the link group until optimal solutions are achieved for the links group, channels are allocated to the links when the optimal solutions are achieved for the links, and the status of a user queue is updated.
US07929399B2
When recording on and/or reproducing from an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers is performed, there has been a problem in appropriately detecting a control signal at the time of the recording and/or reproducing, since reflected light from a recording layer, which does not undergo the recording and/or reproducing, enters a photodetector concurrently with reflected light from a recording layer which undergoes the recording and/or reproducing. In the present invention, a polarization hologram is used to diffract light outputted from a light source and to generate a main beam, which is a zeroth-order light beam, and a pair of sub beams, which is a positive first-order light beam and a negative first-order light beam each having a polarization direction perpendicular to a polarization direction of the main beam. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the reflected sub beams from a recording layer, which is a target undergoing recording and/or reproducing, from interfering with the reflected main beam from a recording layer, which is a non-target not undergoing the recording and/or reproducing. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an accurate control signal based on the sub beams, and also possible to realize an optical pickup device having a preferable recording performance.
US07929396B2
An electron beam applying apparatus includes: a thermal field emission type electron source emitting an electron beam; an electrostatic lens disposed immediately below the electron source and acting as a condensing electrode for condensing the electron beam in a first angular aperture emitted by the electron source in a second angular aperture smaller than the first angular aperture; a condenser lens disposed on a downstream side of the electrostatic lens and condensing the electron beam condensed in the second aperture angel by the electrostatic lens in a crossover point; and an objective lens disposed on a downstream side of the condenser lens and condensing the electron beam condensed in the crossover point by the condenser lens on the surface of the material.
US07929394B1
An information storage system is described which comprises a reading device (6) and an optical record carrier (5) having at least two information planes (1, 2, 3). The radiation from the record carrier is converted in a detection system (15) into a detection signal (16) which is applied to a detection circuit (17). In order that this circuit can derive the read information from the detection signal in a reliable manner, the interference signals generated by the information planes which are not to be read should comply with a requirement, referred to as the interference requirement, which is characteristic of the detection circuit. Values for the parameters of the record carrier, such as the thickness of the layers between the information planes and the reflection and transmission coefficients of the information planes then follow from this interference requirement.
US07929387B2
An adjusting system for adjusting a tilt of an optical pickup head includes a collimator, a processing device, and a controller. The collimator receives reflected light beams from the optical pickup head and generating images from the reflected light beams. The processing device processes the images and generates an adjust signal. The controller receives the adjust signal and adjusting a position of the optical pickup head based on the adjust signal.
US07929379B2
Methods and systems for determining coil eccentricity of seismic sensors configured or designed for use in seismic signal detection. A direct electrical current is applied to a moving coil of a seismic sensor such that the moving coil is dislocated from a neutral position relative to the magnetic field in the seismic sensor. A predetermined indicator is measured and eccentricity of the coil (δ) relative to the center of the magnetic filed is determined using the predetermined indicator.
US07929378B2
An assembly for forming a container for transport and handling of at least two marine seismic source arrays, wherein said arrays each include at least one series of units formed by at least two marine seismic sources, characterized in that it includes a basic structure including a floor and a ceiling connected by central posts extending in a substantially central plane with respect to said floor and said ceiling, and lateral posts intended to removably connect the lateral ends of said floor and the lateral ends of said ceiling.
US07929366B2
A temperature detector in an integrated circuit comprises a temperature-dependent voltage generator, a ring oscillator, a timer and a clock-driven recorder. The temperature-dependent voltage generator is configured to generate at least one temperature-dependent voltage. The ring oscillator is configured to generate a clock signal, which is affected by one of the at least one temperature-dependent voltage. The timer is configured to generate a time-out signal, which is affected by one of the temperature-dependent voltage. The clock-driven recorder has a clock input terminal in response to the clock signal and time-out signal.
US07929355B2
A memory device includes a multiplexing unit, a pipe latch unit, and an output driver. The multiplexing unit outputs data input from global input/output lines in a normal mode and outputs write leveling data in a writing leveling mode being entered in response to a write leveling signal. The pipe latch unit latches the data outputted from the multiplexing unit and outputting the latched data. The output driver outputs the latched data outputted from the pipe latch unit.
US07929351B2
Provided is a method and device for reducing lateral movement of charges. The method may include pre-programming at least one memory cell that is in an erased state by applying a pre-programming voltage to the at least one memory cell to have a narrower distribution of threshold voltages than the at least one erased state memory cell and verifying that the pre-programmed memory cell is in the pre-programmed state using a negative effective verifying voltage.
US07929346B2
Example embodiments may relate to a method and an apparatus for reading data stored in a memory, for example, providing a method and an apparatus for controlling a reference voltage based on an error of the stored data. Example embodiments may provide a memory data detecting apparatus including a first voltage comparator to compare a threshold voltage of a memory cell with a first reference voltage, a first data determiner to determine a value of at least one data bit stored in the memory cell according to a result of the comparison, an error verifier to verify whether an error occurs in the determined value, a reference voltage determiner to determine a second reference voltage that is lower than the first reference voltage based on a result of the verification, and a second data determiner to re-determine the value of the data based on the determined second reference voltage.
US07929342B2
The present invention provides a new data writing method for an MRAM which can suppress deterioration of a tunnel barrier layer.A magnetic memory cell 1 has a magnetic recording layer 10 and a pinned layer 30 connected to the magnetic recording layer 10 through a non-magnetic layer 20. The magnetic recording layer 10 includes a magnetization switching region 13, a first magnetization fixed region 11 and a second magnetization fixed region 12. The magnetization switching region 13 has reversible magnetization and faces the pinned layer 30. The first magnetization fixed region 11 is connected to a first boundary B1 of the magnetization switching region 13 and its magnetization direction is fixed to a first direction. The second magnetization fixed region 12 is connected to a second boundary B2 of the magnetization switching region 13 and its magnetization direction is fixed to a second direction. Both of the first direction and the second direction are toward the magnetization switching region 13 or away from the magnetization switching region 13.
US07929325B2
A photovoltaic (PV) inverter system operates continuously in a buck converter mode to generate a sum of full wave rectified sine wave currents at a current node common to a plurality of buck converters in response to a plurality of full wave rectified sine wave currents generated via the plurality of buck converters. The PV inverter system increases the level of the voltage sourcing each buck converter when a corresponding DC power source voltage is lower than the instantaneous voltage of a utility grid connected to the PV inverter system.
US07929320B2
There is provided a wiring board having a shield function. The wiring board includes: a plurality of conductive shield patterns adapted to surround a circumference of at least one electronic component mounting area on the wiring board, the plurality of conductive shield patterns being adjacent to each other; and at least one inductor formed of a conductive pattern and provided between the conductive shield patterns.
US07929316B2
A composite electronic component includes a multilayer wiring block having a plurality of insulating layers and a wiring pattern, and a chip-type electronic component built-in multilayer block having a plurality of insulating payers and a wiring pattern and including a first chip-type electronic component. The multilayer wiring block and the chip-type electronic component built-in multilayer block are electrically interconnected and arranged on substantially the same plane.
US07929315B2
A multilayered printed circuit board includes a first surface layer that includes a semiconductor integrated circuit, a second surface layer that includes a bypass capacitor and that is opposite to the first surface layer, a main power supply wiring layer, and a ground layer between the first and second surface layers. In the multilayered printed circuit board, one terminal of the bypass capacitor is connected to a midpoint of a wiring path from the main power supply wiring layer to a power supply terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and an impedance of a first wiring path from the main power supply wiring layer to the terminal of the bypass capacitor is higher than an impedance of a second wiring path from the terminal of the bypass capacitor to the power supply terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
US07929309B2
A clip is adapted for securing a heat sink on a printed circuit board (PCB). The clip includes a linking portion, an operating portion, a handle, and a pressing portion. The linking portion is located at a lateral side of the heat sink. The operating portion pivotally engages with the linking portion and the heat sink. The handle connects the operating portion. The pressing portion connects the linking portion. A fastener mounted on the PCB extends through the heat sink and the pressing portion. The pressing portion is slidable from a first position to a second position. When the pressing portion is in the second position the handle is operable to drive the operating portion to move upwardly and urge the pressing portion to move along the fastener until the pressing portion abuts against a top portion of the fastener and simultaneously presses the heat sink.
US07929308B2
A power device package controls heat generation of a power device using a semi-permanent metal-insulator transition (MIT) device instead of a fuse, and emits heat generated by the power device through a small-sized heat sink provided only in one region on the power device, thereby ensuring excellent dissipation of heat. Therefore, the power device package can be usefully applied to any electric/electronic circuit that uses a power device.
US07929299B2
A sliding door assembly for an electronic device includes a carrier having a zone holding computerized connectors, a panel mounted to the bezel, a door slidably mounted between the bezel and the panel for selectively covering the zone, and two gears. One of the carrier and the panel comprises two racks. The gears are rotatably mounted to the door respectively and engage with the racks respectively.
US07929296B2
The invention discloses a fastening device for fasten a heat sink onto a base board. The fastening device comprises a first fastening member, a second fastening member and a third fastening member. When assembling the fastening device to the base board, the second fastening member has to be pivoted with the third fastening member first. Afterwards, the first fastening member is attached to the base board. Finally, the second and third fastening members, which have been assembled, are engaged with the first fastening member, so as to press the heat sink tightly. Accordingly, the heat sink will be fastened on the base board easily and stably.
US07929295B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a computer system. The system includes an enclosure configured to house a plurality of electronic devices. The system also includes a fan coupled to the enclosure and configured to provide a flow of cooling air through the enclosure to cool the electronic devices. The system also includes a first airflow path configured to allow the cooling air to exit the enclosure and attenuate noise generated in the enclosure. The system also includes an auxiliary outlet configured to provide a second airflow path if the first airflow path is obstructed.
US07929294B2
A cooling system for an outdoor electronic enclosure, with separate compartments for electronics and batteries, includes separate cooling devices for each compartment so that optimal temperatures are provided to each compartment. The batteries are cooled by a thermo-electric type air-conditioner, while the electronics are cooled by direct air cooling device or a heat exchanger.
US07929289B2
An assembly structure includes a first body, a second body and a third body. The second body detachably disposed on the first body includes a first positioning portion and a first acting portion. The third body coupled between the first and second bodies includes a second positioning portion and a second acting portion. When the third body is switched to a first predetermined position, the second positioning portion of the third body is pressed against the first positioning portion of the second body along a reference direction, thereby positioning the second body at a first reference position. When the third body is switched from the first predetermined position to a second predetermined position, the second acting portion of the second body is pressed against the first acting portion of the second body, thereby moving the second body from the first reference position to a second reference position.
US07929282B2
A keyboard is provided. The keyboard includes a main body, a numerical keypad, and a touchpad. A receiving space is defined on the main body for receiving the numerical keypad and the touchpad. The numerical keypad is pivotally attached to a first sidewall of the receiving space, and the touchpad is pivotally attached to a second sidewall of the receiving space.
US07929280B2
A display apparatus is provided. A frame is fixed and supported at the rear of a front panel forming the front portion of the display apparatus, and a separate bracket member is not mounted on the edges of the front panel. Thus, the front exterior of the display apparatus is neatly finished, and the display screen looks bigger than it actually is.
US07929275B2
A solid electrolytic capacitor (A1) includes a porous sintered body (10) of metal particles or conductive ceramic particles, anode wires (11A, 11B) partially inserted in the porous sintered body (10), an anode terminal provided by portions of the anode wires (11A, 11B) which project from the porous sintered body (10), and a cathode (30) formed on an obverse surface of the porous sintered body (10). The anode terminal includes a first and a second anode terminals (11a, 11b), and circuit current flows from the first anode terminal (11a) toward the second anode terminal (11b) through the porous sintered body (10). Therefore, noise cancellation property can be enhanced with respect to a wide frequency band, and large electric power can be supplied with high responsiveness. In a circuit using the solid electrolytic capacitor (A1), the space efficiency on a board can be enhanced, and the cost can be reduced.
US07929273B2
A chip type solid electrolytic capacitor includes a capacitor element-laminate. In the capacitor element-laminate, a plurality of capacitor elements, each having an anode portion and a cathode portion, are laminated so that the anode portions of the adjacent capacitor elements are disposed in the direction opposite to each other. Anode lead terminals are joined to the bottom faces of the anode portions of the capacitor elements disposed at both ends of the capacitor element-laminate. A cathode lead terminal is joined to the bottom face of the cathode portion of the capacitor element disposed in the center of the capacitor element-laminate. An Electrically insulating exterior resin coats the capacitor element-laminate so as to expose at least a part of the bottom faces of the anode lead terminals and a part of the cathode lead terminal.
US07929255B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetic head inspection system having a simple configuration capable of inspecting magnetic heads. According to one embodiment, the magnetic head inspection system comprises an inspection module which is provided with a magnetic disk where servo data including track identifier information are recorded, a spindle motor, a carriage having a mount structure to which a head assembly containing a magnetic head is secured, a voice coil motor and a main circuit section. An inspection circuit section instructs the main circuit section to execute control so as to move the magnetic head to a specific track and perform a certain read write operation by the magnetic head in order to inspect the magnetic head.
US07929250B2
A head slider and a hard disk drive (HDD) including the head slider, the head slider including an air bearing surface (ABS) protruding from a disk facing surface of the head slider toward the disk, a shallow recess (SR) retreated behind the ABS, and a cavity recess (CR) retreated behind the ABS and the SR.
US07929243B2
Methods, magnetic tape data storage drives, data storage systems, and magnetic tape data storage cartridges. A system having at least one magnetic tape data storage drive is configured to handle a magnetic tape cartridge comprising a magnetic tape data storage media and accompanying cartridge memory. The magnetic tape media comprises a plurality of longitudinal servo bands, the servo bands separated by data bands. Two servo bands, each at opposite sides of a data band are sensed. In response to at least one servo detection error signal of one of the two servo bands, an edge stress signal is set to the cartridge memory of the magnetic tape cartridge. Then, for example, after reloading the cartridge, the cartridge memory is inspected for a set edge stress signal; and, if the edge stress signal is set, only read operations are allowed with respect to the inspected magnetic tape data storage cartridge.
US07929241B1
A signal conversion circuit includes: an input circuit that rejects common mode inputs and is configured to receive a differential input signal and shift a first bias of the differential input signal to produce a single ended intermediate signal with a second bias; and an amplifier circuit configured to amplify the single ended intermediate signal to produce an amplified signal. The input circuit can include: first and second transistors with drains configured to couple with a supply voltage, and gates of the first transistor and the second transistor are configured to receive the differential input signal; a first resistor coupled to a source of the first transistor and a drain of a third transistor; and a second resistor coupled to a source of the second transistor and a drain of a fourth transistor; where the third transistor and the fourth transistor are connected in a current mirror configuration.
US07929237B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for controlling access to a magnetic storage medium. As one example, a method for controlling access to a storage medium is disclosed that includes calculating a point to point error amount, and generating a incremental error value based at least in part on the point to point error amount. The incremental error value is applied incrementally across a defined number of clock cycles.
US07929228B2
An image pickup apparatus includes a lens barrel. The lens barrel includes a fixture cylinder fixed onto an image pickup apparatus body, and provided with a plurality of cam grooves, and a movement cylinder provided with a plurality of cam followers, and configured to move in an optical axis direction as the cam follower rotates around an optical axis. One cam groove includes a non-engagement area that is not engaged with the cam follower. When the cam follower is located in the non-engagement area, a supporting member of a fixture cylinder supports in a radial direction a supported member that is provided to a part of the movement cylinder on an image plane side, and a part of the movement cylinder closer to the object side than the supported member is supported by the fixture cylinder in the radius direction via an elastic member.
US07929223B2
A plurality of lens elements and spacer rings 30-38 for constituting a part of an optical system are inserted into a lens-barrel-like jig 40 in predetermined order. A reception portion 43 for receiving the lens element 38 which will be first inserted is formed in the jig 40. When inserted into the jig 40, the lens elements 30-38 are brought into abutment against one another in one way of the optical axis so that spaces among the lens elements 30, 32-34, 36 and 38 are positioned. After that, adhesive is applied to at least three circumferential places of the outer circumference of each abutment portion where the lens elements and spacer rings 30-38 abut against each other, through opening portions 41 provided in the outer circumference of the jig 40. Thus, the plurality of lens elements and spacer rings 30-38 are formed into an integrated structure.
US07929216B2
A collimate lens assembly is provided which includes the first collimate lens which has a total reflection surface and a plurality of refracting surfaces, and the second collimate lens which is connected to the hole, and the second collimate lens has a greater refraction ratio than the first collimate lens.
US07929201B2
According to an aspect of the embodiment of the invention, an optical amplifier including an input port, an output port, a plurality of amplifying parts, an optical attenuator, a gain controller and an optical attenuator controller. The plurality of amplifying parts includes an optical amplification medium and a pumping light source for generating pump light. The optical attenuator is optically connected between the amplifying parts. The gain controller controls the pump light power of the pump sources, respectively, in such a way that the ratio decreases in accordance with the gain set value increasing and the ratio interpose between a first threshold level and a second threshold level. The optical attenuator controller controls attenuation of the optical attenuator in order to maintain the sum of generating gains of the amplifying parts in the gain set value in accordance with a state of the signal light inputted into the input port.
US07929200B2
The present invention relates to a device for modifying, e.g. narrowing the wavelength range of a spectrum of light.
US07929187B2
An object is to provide an imaging optical system having a very simple structure that can read image while maintaining excellent image quality without suffering from significant asymmetrical aberrations. An imaging optical system for image reading is adapted to form an image of image information on a surface of an original onto a line sensor while changing a relative position of the original surface and the line sensor to allow the line sensor to read the image information. The imaging optical system includes two off-axial reflecting surfaces, and the two off-axial surfaces are a plus deflecting surface and a minus deflecting surface, or a minus deflecting surface and a plus deflecting surface disposed in the mentioned order from the original surface side, where an off-axial reflecting surface that deflects a reference axis beam clockwise is defined as a minus deflecting surfaces and an off axial reflecting surface that deflects the reference axis beam anticlockwise is defined as a plus deflecting surface.
US07929185B2
The invention is to provide a system and method for switching screens from overview and preview. The method comprises multitudes of overviewed jobs that are selected on an overview zone for the objective image. Multitudes of selected jobs are displayed on a select preview zone for the overview zone. Multitudes of selected jobs are generated for the select job pictures. The corresponding previewed settings are added to the corresponding previewed settings. The system comprises an overview module for displaying a previewed digital picture. Set modules is for selecting and edit settings for several jobs on the previewed digital picture. A preview module is for storing several selected jobs on the set module and displaying several select jobs respectively on the preview module.
US07929183B2
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 processed image data to an image output device to output a resulting processed image. The image processing device collects a predetermined number of plural pixels among a large number of pixels constituting the image to one pixel group, specifies number of dots to be created in the pixel group, and outputs dot number data representing the specified number of dots to be created in the pixel group to the image output device. The image output device stores multiple priority orders of pixels for dot formation in each pixel group. The image output device receives the output dot number data, selects one priority order among the stored multiple priority orders, determines position of each dot-on pixel in each pixel group, and actually creates a dot at the determined position of each dot-on pixel, so as 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 high-speed image output.
US07929178B2
A duplex color printer includes a body defining a plurality of docking bays for receiving color ink cartridges; a pair of print engines mounted within the body in an opposed manner to define a print media feed path therebetween, each print engine comprising at least one printhead coupled in fluid communication with the color ink cartridges; a pair of print media trays mounted on either side of the body for respectively containing print media; a print media feed arrangement configured to feed print media from one of the trays, along the print media path during a printing operation carried out by the print engines and into the other one of the trays; and an internal hard drive for storing page description language (PDL) files and rasterized page images.
US07929170B2
A system for electronic transmission of handwritten information. The system includes a printed product page having a writing area for entering handwritten information and an address area indicating an address to which the handwritten information is to be sent. The system further includes an electronic pen for initiating transmission of handwritten information written in the writing area to an address indicated in the address area via interaction with the writing and address areas on the product page.
US07929163B2
A wireless communication apparatus and method in an image-forming system employ RFID tags capable of transmitting/receiving data via wireless communication. The RFID tags are mounted, respectively, on bottoms of fixing and developing units of the image-forming system, or on bottoms of feed and Organic Photosensitive Conductor (OPC) units of the image-forming system in case if the image-forming system has a detachable developing unit structure. An RFID reader is provided as an integral component of the motherboard or mounted as a separate module thereon. Priorities for wireless communication are assigned to the RFID tags mounted on the units and, according to the priorities, the RFID reader performs wireless communication with the RFID tags to read and write data from/into the RFID tags.
US07929153B2
A device for acquiring the three-dimensional shape of the surface of an object comprises a lens; deflection means; at least two masks; at least two projection assemblies adapted to emit light beams which, by passing through the masks and the deflection means and by traveling along a channel which passes through the lens, strike the object to be acquired, projecting onto it the mutually offset images of the masks; means for acquiring the images reflected by the object; and means for processing the reflected images. The deflection means are semireflecting and the masks are adapted to project fringe images of the cosinusoidal type through the deflection means.
US07929141B2
A method of detecting the condition of a turf grass is described. According to one aspect of the invention, the method comprises steps of attaching an active sensor to a mower; traversing a section of turf grass; and processing the output of the sensor. A device for detecting the condition of turf grass is also disclosed. The device comprises an array of illuminating devices generating a pattern of illuminating light; a detecting device receiving a pattern of reflected light which is coincident with the pattern of illuminating light; a detecting device adapted to detect stray light from the array of illuminating devices; and a feedback loop controlling the array of illuminating devices. A system employing the device is also disclosed.
US07929140B2
A process monitoring system determines a spectral response of a process material. This system has a tunable laser for generating an optical signal that is wavelength tuned over a scan band and an optical probe for conveying the optical signal to the process material and detecting the spectral response of the process material. The optical probe expands a beam of the optical signal to a diameter of greater than 10 millimeters. This avoids one of the difficulties with monitoring these process applications by ensuring that the spectroscopy measurements are accurate and repeatable. It is desirable to sample a relatively large area of the processed material since it can be heterogeneous. Additionally the large area mitigates spectral noise such as from speckle.
US07929136B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a mist measuring apparatus in which visual confirmation performance is enhanced, and high-accuracy detection is enabled. In the mist measuring apparatus including a housing, and a light source that is provided in this housing and emits light to a misty cutting fluid, the housing is provided around an ejection part of the misty cutting fluid, the light emitted from the light source is a visible ray, and the housing is provided with an observation part for observing scattered light from the misty cutting fluid.
US07929135B2
The size of particles is detected accurately and at low cost even when there are few microparticles as impurities included in a liquid. Provided is a method of detecting a size of particles in a liquid by detecting diffraction fringes appearing due to the particles in the liquid by a light detection portion. Diffraction fringes are detected by a first light detection portion and a second light detection portion that are separated along the flow direction of the liquid. A peak time difference (T2) that is a difference between times at which peak values appear in a detection signal from the first and second light detection portion is measured, and an area (SQ) based on the waveform of the detection signal is measured. The sizes of the particles included in the liquid are detected based on the peak time differences (T2) and the areas (SQ) that were measured.
US07929134B2
This application describes a spectrometer that includes a set of collimating optics to collimate received EMR to produce a collimated EMR. The spectrometer also includes a first dispersive optical element for dispersing the collimated EMR and a second dispersive optical element spaced apart from the first dispersive optical element to produce further dispersed EMR. The first dispersive optical element and the second dispersive optical element cooperate to disperse received EMR into a plurality of even frequency spaced EMR spectra. The spectrometer also includes a detector positioned to receive the EMR after passing though an optical path that includes the set of collimating optics, the first dispersive optical element, the second dispersive optical element, and a set of focusing optics.
US07929124B2
The invention relates to an object of value with a security element, which has at least one liquid-crystalline material, the liquid-crystalline material effecting a linear polarization of light.
US07929123B2
A method and apparatus for measuring the insertion loss of a fiber optic connection is provided. The invention generally comprises a light source providing light to a test connector which contains a juncture of two fiber optic cables. The test connector has one or more opaque portions surrounding the fiber optic juncture. A pyrometer or other heat detection means is then used to measure any temperature increase as a result of light scattered into the opaque portions of the test connector.
US07929120B2
An optical fringe generation member control apparatus is provided. The control apparatus includes a detection unit that is configured to detect an optical fringe. Further, the control apparatus includes a control unit that is configured to control operation of a member on which the optical fringe is generated. The control unit controls the operation based on a detection result by the detection unit.
US07929119B2
An image pickup device for detecting a moving speed of a shot object and a method thereof are described. First, a coordinate of the image pickup device and a coordinate of the shot object are obtained at a first time point. Next, a coordinate of the image pickup device and a coordinate of the shot object are obtained at a second time point. Then, a moving distance of the shot object is calculated according to the coordinates of the shot object at the first and second time points. A moving speed of the shot object is calculated according to a time difference and the moving distance. Afterward, the obtained moving speed is displayed on the image pickup device, such that the user knows about the moving speed of the shot object.
US07929117B2
An apparatus for real-time contamination, environmental, or physical monitoring of a photomask. The apparatus includes a photomask having a patterned region configured to correspond to features of an integrated circuit and a sensor physically coupled with the photomask. The sensor is configured to monitor an attribute related to the photomask. Attributes monitored by the sensor may include chemical contamination, temperature changes, humidity changes, acceleration, shock, vibration, optical flux through the photomask, electrostatic discharge environment of the photomask, particulates, and pressure.
US07929116B2
A lithographic apparatus uses polarized light to improve the imaging properties such as exposure latitude, while maintaining and extending the lifetime of an illumination system in a lithographic apparatus.
US07929110B2
A lithographic projection apparatus that is arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate using a projection system has a liquid supply system arranged to supply a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate. The apparatus also includes a liquid collecting system having a liquid collection member having a liquid-permeable member through which a liquid is collected from a surface of an object opposite to the liquid collection member.
US07929107B2
An exposure chuck includes a lift bar to transfer a substrate; a lift bar mounting unit including the lift bar to move the substrate; and a substrate loading unit to load the substrate as the lift bar in the lift bar mounting unit transfers the substrate such that the substrate is separated from the lift bar, wherein a surface of the lift bar contacting the substrate has a concavo-convex structure.
US07929105B2
To prevent inconsistency in images and support columns from collapsing when pressure is applied from outside in the case where liquid crystal is sealed in under negative pressure in order to prevent impact bubbles from being created in the liquid crystal display device in accordance with a liquid crystal dropping and sealing method.The distance between a TFT substrate 10 and a facing substrate 20 is set using first support columns 30, while second support columns 40 are located within contact holes 50 and do not make contact with the TFT substrate 10. When pressure is applied from outside, the second support columns 40 make contact with the side wall or the like of the contact holes 50 created in the TFT substrate 10, so that the repulsive force of the second support columns 40 prevents the distance between the TFT substrate 10 and the facing substrate 20 from becoming too small. As a result, inconsistency in images can be prevented, and the first support columns 30 can be prevented from collapsing when pressure is applied from outside.
US07929095B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel including an opposite substrate, an active device array substrate, and conductive members is provided. The opposite substrate has transparent conductive blocks. The conductive members are disposed between the opposite substrate and the active device array substrate. The active device array substrate includes scan lines, data lines, common lines, first active devices, pixel electrodes, second active devices, and storage electrodes. Each first active device is electrically connected to the corresponding data line and scan line, and each pixel electrode is electrically connected to one of the first active devices. Each second active device is electrically connected to the corresponding scan line and common line, and each storage electrode is electrically connected to one of the second active devices. Each conductive member is electrically connected to the corresponding transparent conductive block and storage electrode. Therefore, the image flicker of the LCD panel is alleviated.
US07929065B2
A LCD hanging-brand using solar energy for advertising, which includes a transparent base, a transparent scaling cover, a PCB board, a picture layer, a LCD sheet, a solar sheet, LEDs, a storage battery and a metal coil. One or more color transparent films can be mounted in the picture layer, and the films can be rotated by a motor or a rotating button. The LCD sheet is transparent when it is not turned on, and the image of the picture layer can be seen through the LCD sheet.
US07929062B2
A channel scanning method is provided that is performed by a digital broadcast receiver having a plurality of tuners. The channel scanning method includes determining whether channel data exists in a channel, and if channel data exists in the channel, storing information regarding the channel obtained by parsing the channel data, and moving ahead by a number of channels corresponding to the number of tuners included in the digital broadcast receiver.
US07929057B2
A display control method and device are discussed. According to one aspect, the method includes dividing a screen into a first display region, on which a first broadcast signal is displayed, and a second display region having at least one sub screen, on which a second broadcast signal is displayed, the second broadcast signal being received in response to a channel searching command; and displaying a moving picture on the second display region when the user selects a second display mode, wherein the first display region is overlapped with the second display region, and wherein an on screen display (OSD) having direction key menus responsive to the control command is displayed in order to control the position of display region of the second display region.
US07929056B2
A user interface for a television or receiver associated with the television includes a display of tiles representing options available to a user, and controls for selecting one of the displayed tiles to select a corresponding option.
US07929054B2
A television audio signal encoder includes an up-sampler that inserts additional samples into a sum signal, a difference signal, and/or a secondary audio program signal to increase the sample rate of the corresponding signal or signals. The sum signal represents the sum of a left channel digital audio signal and a right channel digital audio signal and the difference signal represents the difference between the left and right audio signals.
US07929030B2
There is a provided an image processing device having: a storage section for storing defective pixel information expressing defective pixels of an image pickup element; a correction section that, on the basis of the defective pixel information, carries out correction of defective pixels on an image captured by the image pickup element; a point defect detector that, on the basis of a first image for defect detection which has not been subjected to defective pixel correction, detects point defects of the image pickup element in accordance with point defect detecting conditions; a line defect detector that, on the basis of a second image for defect detection which has not been subjected to defective pixel correction, detects line defects of the image pickup element in accordance with line defect detecting conditions; and a defective pixel information register storing the results of detection.
US07929029B2
An image recording apparatus includes an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject, a recording unit configured to record one of still image data and video image data captured by the image capturing unit on a storage medium in the form of an image file, a generating unit configured to generate a management file used for managing the image file recorded on the storage medium, and a registering unit configured to register an identifier of the image file recorded on the storage medium in the management file on a capture date basis in the order of capture time.
US07929027B2
A method for managing an image photographed by two or more image pickup devices corresponding to two or more viewpoints, comprises: storing a 2D image photographed by the two or more image pickup devices, with identifier indicating that the image is two-dimensional; and storing a 3D image photographed by the two or more image pickup devices, with identifier indicating that the image is three-dimensional. Hence, it becomes possible to search and display quickly an object 2D or 3D image by performing an access per folder.
US07929021B2
Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods and systems for input device to television networking.
US07929019B2
An information processing device converts images to image data and records the image data to a recording medium. The device includes a selector, an arrangement adjuster and an output. The selector selects desired image data to be output to a printing device from among the image data recorded in the recording medium. The arrangement adjuster adjusts an arrangement of the image data when there is image data of more than one image selected by the selector. The output outputs the plurality of image data arranged by the arrangement adjuster to the printing device. The plurality of image data can be, for example, continuously shot image data.
US07929018B2
An image apparatus, including: a recording unit configured to record therein as an image file an image data generated through conversion from an optical image representing a photographed subject into an electrical signal; an interface for connecting the imaging apparatus to an external device; and a displaying unit configured to display an operation screen according to information about a capability processable by the external device transmitted from the external device.
US07929015B2
To be able to scan the sprocket holes of a film with improved precision by means of a film scanner, in which a correction signal is generated for compensating picture steadiness errors, it is proposed that the light source generates light in the infrared range, and that the scanning sensor(s) is (are) sensitive in the infrared range.
US07929011B2
A system and method particularly useful in handling the video of a “large” conference is disclosed. The system and method initially defines certain conferees as panel members, which can provide input video signals to the multipoint control unit and can receive output video signals or a composite layout for the conference from the multipoint control unit. The system and method also initially defines audience members, which only passively receive the output video signals or layout from the multipoint control unit and do not have their video signals incorporated into the layout of the videoconference. In one aspect, an audience terminal can request to participate in the conference. By making an appropriate request, the audience terminal can, if system resources are adequate, participate fully as a panel member and may supply video signals to the conference for at least some portion of time. Alternatively, the audience member can supply information other than video signals to the conference, such as voting data or other data allowing the audience member to participate in the conference as more than a merely passive viewing participant.
US07929007B2
In an optical scanning device of opposite scanning type, two target surfaces for scanning are scanned in opposite main scanning directions by using a single optical deflector. End portions of a scanning lens arranged in a scanning optical system are configured not to have refractive power in the main scanning direction. A synchronization light beam passes through the end portions of the scanning lens and falls on a light receiving element via a synchronizing optical system. The synchronizing optical system includes a first synchronizing lens, a synchronizing fold mirror, and a second synchronizing lens. The synchronizing fold mirror and the light receiving element are arranged to be in a conjugate relation with the second synchronizing lens.
US07928998B2
A method and apparatus for driving a liquid crystal display improves a picture quality displayed by a liquid crystal display. A brightness adjuster adjusts a brightness component of input video data and a brightness controller returns the adjusted brightness component to the brightness adjuster when the a value of the adjusted brightness component is outside a predetermined brightness reference range until the brightness adjuster produces a brightness component that is within the predetermined brightness reference range.
US07928996B2
A method for improving load balance involves obtaining a graphical representation of a load distribution for contacts in an integrated circuit stack, analyzing the graphical representation of the load distribution to determine contact loads, where a contact load corresponds to a contact, and designing at least one component of the integrated circuit stack, based on the contact loads.
US07928995B2
A database methodology that concerns the mapping of any arbitrary object into a plurality of regions, enabling the assignment of multiple region-specific attributes thereto and facilitating the concurrent, graphical presentation of any assigned attributes. Attribute storage, manipulation, and presentation are driven by the individual regions and characteristics of the object.
US07928990B2
Techniques are described for processing computerized images with a graphics processing unit (GPU) using a unified vertex cache and shader register file. The techniques include creating a shared shader coupled to the GPU pipeline and a unified vertex cache and shader register file coupled to the shared shader to substantially eliminate data movement within the GPU pipeline. The GPU pipeline sends image geometry information based on an image geometry for an image to the shared shader. The shared shader performs vertex shading to generate vertex coordinates and attributes of vertices in the image. The shared shader then stores the vertex attributes in the unified vertex cache and shader register file, and sends only the vertex coordinates of the vertices back to the GPU pipeline. The GPU pipeline processes the image based on the vertex coordinates, and the shared shader processes the image based on the vertex attributes.
US07928988B1
A method and system for implementing transfers of texture data in a computer system. The method includes the step of accessing a first block of texture data in a low latency memory, the first block having a predetermined size and accessing a second block of texture data in high latency memory, the second block having the predetermined size. The first block of texture data is copied from the low latency memory to a transfer space in high latency memory having the predetermined size. The second block of texture data is written from the high latency memory to the low latency memory, wherein the second block overwrites the first block. What used to be the transfer space is now treated as the first block now placed in high latency memory, and what used to be the second block is now treated to be the new transfer space.
US07928966B2
A computer input pen comprises a cylindrical housing and a weight eccentrically disposed within the cylindrical housing relative to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical housing. The weight is rotationally coupled relative to the cylindrical housing with a desired level of friction to absorb rotational energy of the cylindrical housing relative to the weight.
US07928964B2
A system for enabling a tablet input object is described. A tablet input object can take various inputs from touch, a mouse, and a pen and sends their information to an application or operating system. Also, a pen message pathway may also be used to handle touch messages, thereby reusing an existing pen message pathway for messages created by something other than a pen.
US07928961B2
A touch operated user interface having tactile feedback for use in connection with a universal remote control or universal remote control with cordless phone functionality is shown in FIG. 13. Surface features are provided as part of or as an overlay (1300) to a touchable face area of the user interface in order to assist the user in locating key positions and/or to provide positive indication of key activation. The overlay is placed over a flexible electroluminescent panel (318) that provides a lighted indication and a plurality of dome switches (310) that function as keys.
US07928960B2
In an input device, a control element is operated by a user; a pressure sensor is mechanically coupled to the control element and is provided with a monolithic body of semiconductor material housing a first sensitive element, which detects an actuation of the control element; a supporting element is connected to the pressure sensor; and connection elements electrically connect the monolithic body to the supporting element without interposition of a package. In particular, the monolithic body has electrical-contact areas carried by one main surface thereof, and the printed circuit board has conductive regions carried by a main face thereof; the connection elements are conductive bumps and electrically connect the electrical-contact areas to the conductive regions.
US07928945B2
In the respect of an electrical characteristic of a transistor, a channel size W/L of a transistor is preferably designed small in order to decrease an effect of a variation in threshold voltage, while the channel size W/L is preferably designed large in order to widen a saturation region as an operation region of the transistor in the respect of characteristic of a light emitting element. Thus, decreasing an effect of a variation in threshold voltage and widening a saturation region in order not to reduce luminance due to a degradation of the light emitting element are in the relation of trade-off. According to the invention, a current capacity of a driving transistor is increased so as to operate in a wide saturation region. A lighting period control circuit is provided in each pixel for changing a lighting period of each pixel separately. Another configuration of the invention includes a plurality of transistors, for example a first driving transistor and a second driving transistor, and a lighting period control circuit for controlling a lighting period of the light emitting element in each pixel.
US07928942B2
A signal-driving system for constructing gate signals of liquid crystal display (LCD), includes a plural stage of cascaded shift register units. Each stage of shift register unit includes a first pull-up switch unit, which is turned on for outputting a gate pulse on an output of this stage, based on either the first clock signal or the second clock signal; a pull-up driving unit, which is used for providing a driving pulse via a node for driving the first pull-up switch unit; a first pull-down switch unit, which is turned on to connect the output to a low-level voltage source; a second pull-down switch unit, which is turned on to connect said node to the low-level voltage source; a carry buffer unit, which is used for providing a control pulse on the second pull-down switch unit of previous stage, based on either the first clock signal or the second clock signal, and thereby ensuring operation of each stage independent of gate pulse signals outputted from the other stages.
US07928931B2
A plasma display apparatus comprises a plasma display panel, a sustain driver, a data driver and a reference separation controller. The plasma display panel including a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode crossing the first electrode and the second electrode. The sustain driver supplying a sustain signal swinging between a positive polarity sustain voltage and a negative polarity sustain voltage to the first electrode during a sustain period. The data driver supplying a data signal to the third electrode during an address period. The reference separation controller controlling a first reference voltage source, which is connected with the sustain driver and the second electrode commonly, separated from or connected with a second reference voltage source which is connected with the data driver.
US07928923B2
In an antenna apparatus, at least one choke in the form of a groove is arranged between a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna. The choke functions to suppress the mutual electromagnetic coupling between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna. The depth of the choke is in a range from 0.15, to less than 0.225λ where λ is a wavelength of a carrier wave.
US07928915B2
In accordance with the teachings described herein, a multilevel ground-plane for a mobile device is provided. The multilevel ground-plane includes a first conductive surface, a second conductive surface, and a conducting strip that couples the first conducting surface to the second conducting surface. A mobile device having a multilevel ground-plane may include a printed circuit board, an antenna radiating element attached to a surface of the printed circuit board, and the multilevel ground plane integral with the printed circuit board and electromagnetically coupled to the antenna radiating element.
US07928895B2
A system and method wirelessly communicates signals between a device on a gimbal and a stationary transceiver. An exemplary system has a gimbal with a moveable portion, a device affixed to the moveable portion, a gimbal transceiver coupled to the moveable portion, and a stationary transceiver, wherein the gimbal transceiver and the stationary transceiver are configured to communicate with each other using a wireless signal.
US07928886B2
Described herein is a system and method of emulating characteristics of an output signal of a first analog-to-digital converter by a second analog-to-digital converter employing signal processing. A signal processing module may receive a digital signal from the first analog-to-digital converter and alter the digital signal to define an altered digital signal such that the altered digital signal emulates a second digital signal that is characteristic of the second analog-to-digital converter, the second analog-to-digital converter differing from the first analog-to-digital converter.
US07928880B2
A digital analog converter has an input terminal receiving a digital input signal, a lower-side capacitor group coupled to a lower-side common terminal in parallel, an upper-side capacitor group coupled, in parallel, to an upper-side common terminal at which an analog output signal is generated, a coupling capacitor provided between the lower-side common terminal and the upper-side common terminal, a switch group coupled to the upper-side capacitor group and the lower-side capacitor group and controlled as a conduction state and a non-conduction state in accordance with the digital input signal, and an adjusting capacitor coupled to the lower-side common terminal and having a variable capacitance value.
US07928869B2
In a bit stream syntax containing compressed video slice data for compressed video data of a slice structure, a slice header for compressed video slice data has attached thereto a slice start code, a register reset flag indicating whether a register value, which designates a status of a codeword occurring in an arithmetic coding process, should be reset in the next transmission unit, an initial register value which indicates a register value to be used to start arithmetic coding/decoding to build/decompose the next transmission unit, only when the register reset flag indicates that the register should not be reset.
US07928866B2
An apparatus for enhancing packet communication is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an encoder configured to convert input data to a binary coded base system of an augmented code employing a base of an original code used for coding the input data, wherein the augmented code employs more symbols for coding than the original code, the encoder including: (1) an adder configured to add the input data to a multiplication product to generate a base sum that is binary-coded in the augmented code, (2) a multiplier configured to multiply an accumulated value by a base of the original code to provide the multiplication product that is binary-coded in the augmented code, and (3) an accumulator configured to employ the base sum to provide an accumulated value as an output for the encoder, wherein the accumulated value is binary-coded in the augmented code to represent the input data.
US07928859B1
A display for measured quantities can include a dial plaque with at least one set of indicia spaced around the plaque to indicate the measured quantities. An optical device can be mounted on a shaft within a perimeter of the dial plaque at a location surrounded by the indicia. The optical device can redirect an incident light beam onto the area of the set of indicia. A motor can turn the shaft to rotate the optical device through three-hundred-sixty degrees about an axis of rotation centered on the shaft. Apparatus can be provided for sensing the shaft rotating angular position. A light source can project a light beam on the optical device through the axis of rotation, such that a virtual pointer is generated.
US07928856B2
An automated method of sampling an electrical condition of each of a plurality channels, the method comprising: driving each of the plurality of channels with a modulated signal; providing a settable flag associated with each of the plurality of channels; selecting one of the plurality of channels; identifying if the settable flag associated with the selected one of the plurality of channels is set; and in the event that the settable flag associated with the selected one of the plurality of channels is not set, and a function of the modulated signal of the selected one of the plurality of channels is active and stable: sampling an electrical condition of the selected one of the plurality of channels; and setting the provided settable flag associated with the selected one of the plurality of channels.
US07928852B2
The present invention generally provides methods and systems for managing a medical gas system by using wireless sensors located at the point of use. In one embodiment, a wireless sensor is fixed to a gas outlet, and is configured to measure gas flow, and to detect whether the gas outlet is connected to a medical device. The gas flow and connection data is included in a wireless signal that is transmitted to a remote server. The data received by the server may be analyzed to determine if any local or system leaks are occurring. In addition, the data may be used to monitor patient therapies, to calculate costs, and to determine replenishment points.
US07928845B1
A tool tracking apparatus constructed by a base monitoring station that has electronic circuitry, an LED display panel and an audible alarm; a power supply including a battery power backup for the base monitoring station; a perimeter loop wire electrically connected to the base monitoring system defining an extended area in which at least one tool is protected or can be located; at least one wireless security tag fixedly attached to the at least one tool for rounding a second audible alarm when the locate button on the base monitoring station is pushed or for triggering the first audible alarm when the at least one wireless security tag approaches the perimeter loop wire at a distance less than a preset distance.
US07928843B2
A method, system, and apparatus for interrogating a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag population are described. Tags are interrogated by a reader. The reader and tags engage in communication according to communications algorithms, where data symbols are exchanged between the reader and tags. Furthermore, a reader implicitly controls the operating state of every tag in the tag population by transmitting a single data symbol. Bit patterns may be collected from the tags by the reader, using a variety of interrogation techniques. In a general interrogation, the reader exchanges symbols with the tag population to interrogate the entire tag population. In a specific interrogation, a reader exchanges symbols with the tag population to target a particular tag identification number. Tags may also be placed in a superposition state by the reader, where they respond whenever a received data symbol matches the next bit of their identification number.
US07928834B2
A device for providing a representation of the presence state of a remote party, the device being responsive, when the presence state of a remote party changes, to move from a first mechanical configuration to a second mechanical configuration, the device preferably comprising a puppet portion in the form of a humanoid which can be moved between a standing and another position.
US07928832B2
A method of operating a first RFID read/write device and at least one second RFID read/write device is disclosed herein. The first and second RFID read/write devices respectively comprise an RF part and a baseband part with a digital signal processor. The first and second RFID read/write devices are arranged at a usable wireless transmission distance from one another. The method comprises generating a Reader Service Signal in its baseband form in the signal processor and combining the Reader Service Signal with an RFID signal in its baseband form comprising a carrier signal, so that the RFID signal has the Reader Service Signal embedded to it in amplitude, frequency or phase. Thereafter, the RFID signal with the embedded Reader Service Signal is shifted into an RF band and the RFID signal is transmitted as a transmission signal wirelessly by the RFID read/write devices. The transmission signal from the first RFID read/write device is received by a number of electronic tags for the purpose of communicating with the first RFID read/write device. Simultaneously, the transmission signal from the first RFID read/write device is received at least by the one second RFID read/write device for the purpose of communicating with the first RFID read/write device.
US07928822B2
A bobbin includes a spool portion having a hollow circular cylinder shape and adapted to have a wire wound thereon in multilayer alignment; a flange integrally disposed at one end of the spool portion; and a terminal block integrally disposed at the flange and adapted to terminate the wire, wherein a formula: D×N−D/2≦L
US07928813B1
In one embodiment, a switch provides output to a digital radio frequency (RF) modulator having a filtered input stage. The switch is configured to selectively provide a zero power data signal to the RF modulator based on a transient event control signal received at the switch.
US07928812B2
Circuits and methods for automated real-time tuning of wide range frequency/delay voltage controlled oscillators (VCO) using a reset mechanism, to account for run-time variations such as power supply, temperature, reference clock frequency and input slew drift etc is described. It finds extensive applications in wide range, multi frequency band phase and delay locked loops. In one embodiment, an automated Jump-Down band switching structure and method for use in VCOs with a plurality of frequency bands is described. This involves monitoring the VCO's analog control voltage signal until it reaches a predetermined lower limit, at which time band switching to an overlapping lower frequency band is triggered by an internally generated reset signal, while simultaneously charging the analog control voltage to a limit in a pre-determined range of the lower band, to avoid phase detector malfunctions in the PLL/DLL system at lower control voltages during band switch.
US07928805B2
A broadband frequency synthesizer including a VCO for supplying a high frequency output signal, a dual mode divider circuit, a means for selecting a division mode of the divider circuit, a phase detector and a low pass filter. The divider circuit divides the frequency of the output signal by a first division facto N1 in a first mode M1or by a second factor N2 different from the first factor N1 in a second mode M2 to provide the divided frequency signal (Fdiv). The selection means selects by determined time period the first or second division mode of the divider circuit as a function of the programmed frequency of the output signal in the frequency band defined by the first and second division factors N1 and N2. If this frequency is dose to the center of the frequency band, the dual mode divider divides the output signal frequency by a third factor N3 in a first mode M1 or by a fourth division factor N4. different from N3, in a second mode M2 according to the programming of the selection means.
US07928798B2
An internal voltage generation device is disclosed which includes an internal voltage generator operated in response to an enable signal, the internal voltage generator generating an internal voltage using a reference voltage, and a sub-voltage generator for driving an output terminal of the internal voltage generator to a predetermined voltage level in response to a control signal.
US07928796B2
A constant voltage boost power supply according to an aspect of the invention includes a voltage-controlled variable frequency oscillator that produces and supplies a clock signal and changes an oscillating frequency of the supplied clock signal according to an input control voltage; a charge pump into which the clock signal is fed, the charge pump performing a pumping operation in synchronization with the clock signal to boost an input voltage and supply an output voltage in which the input voltage is boosted; a voltage dividing circuit that divides the output voltage of the charge pump to supply a monitor voltage; and a differential amplifier into which the monitor voltage and a reference voltage are fed, the differential amplifier amplifying a potential difference between the monitor voltage and the reference voltage to supply the control voltage.
US07928793B2
Techniques, systems and apparatus are described for providing a voltage selection circuitry and a DC-to-DC converter having such voltage selection circuitry. The voltage selection circuitry includes a first terminal voltage sensing unit that senses a voltage of a first terminal and a second terminal voltage sensing unit that senses a voltage of a second terminal. The voltage selection circuitry also includes a comparison unit connected to the first terminal voltage sensing unit and the second terminal voltage sensing unit. The comparison unit compares the voltage of the first terminal with the voltage of the second terminal and outputs a comparison signal indicating a difference between the sensed voltages of the first and second terminals. The voltage selection circuitry includes a selection unit that selects a higher voltage from the sensed voltages of the first and second terminals in response to the comparison signal.
US07928789B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for improving phase switching and linearity in an analog phase interpolator. A phase interpolator in accordance with the present invention comprises (i) a plurality of tail current sources that are activated for substantially all times when the phase interpolator is operational; (ii) at least two pairs of input transistor devices, wherein one pair of the input transistor devices is associated with a minimum phase of the phase interpolator and another pair of the input transistor devices is associated with a maximum phase of the phase interpolator; and (iii) a plurality of current steering switches that provide currents generated by the plurality of tail current sources to one or more of the at least two pairs of input transistor devices, based on an applied interpolation control signal.
US07928772B1
A clock input filter uses a first programmable low-pass delay element to filter during a low period of an input clock signal and to output a SET signal. The clock input filter uses a second programmable low-pass delay element to filter during a high period of the input clock signal and to output a RESET signal. A latch is set and reset by the SET and RESET signals. The latch outputs a filtered version of the input signal that has the same approximate duty cycle as the input signal. A pair of gates generates a corresponding pair of duty cycle adjusted versions of the input signal. Output multiplexing circuitry is provided to output either the output of the latch, or an increased duty cycle version of the input signal, or a decreased duty cycle version of the input signal, or an unfiltered version of the input signal.
US07928771B2
Input signals from a signal input terminal are input to a logic circuit, and a control signal corresponding to states of the input signals is output. The control signal is supplied to an output circuit, a plurality of transistors are controlled, and a drive signal is output corresponding to states of the transistors. In the logic circuit, the logic is switched according to the polarity of the setting signal which is input to a logic setting terminal, and a control signal corresponding to the input signal is changed.
US07928765B2
Electronic circuitry and techniques are disclosed for controlling one or more timing parameters associated with a circuit that converts a signal of a first type to a signal of a second type. For example, the converter circuit may convert a differential digital logic signal, such as a current mode logic (CML) signal, to a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) signal. For example, apparatus for converting a first type of signal to a second type of signal comprises the following circuitry. First circuitry is configured for generating a first pair of CMOS signals in response to a differential digital logic signal, the first pair of CMOS signals comprising a first CMOS signal having a first polarity and a second CMOS signal having a second polarity. Second circuitry is configured for adjusting, with respect to the first pair of CMOS signals, a transition time of one of the first CMOS signal and the second CMOS signal relative to a transition time of another of the first CMOS signal and the second CMOS signal.
US07928762B1
Methods and systems for digitally decoding integrated circuit blocks are provided. A method for decoding integrated circuit blocks may include providing a previous block output and an increment value input to a first identification block of a first integrated circuit block, providing the output of the first identification t block and the increment value input to one of a plurality of intermediate identification blocks, and providing an output of the last of the plurality of intermediate identification blocks and the increment value input to a last identification block, wherein the output of the last identification block is indicative of the number of integrated circuit blocks.
US07928761B2
Some embodiments provide an IC with configuration context switchers. The IC includes several configurable circuits, each of which configurably performs one of several operations at any given time, based on the configuration data set that it receives at that time. The IC includes several storage circuits for storing several configuration data sets for each of the configurable circuits. The IC also includes a context switching interconnect circuit for switchably connecting the configurable circuit to different sets of storage circuits to receive different sets of configuration data sets. The context switcher includes one or more stages for re-timing the data coming from the configuration storage elements. The stages can include interconnect circuitry or storage circuitry. Some embodiments build one of the stages in the configuration data storage elements. Some embodiments encode the configuration data bits and hence utilize a decoder in the context switcher to decode the encoded configuration data.
US07928755B2
In one embodiment, apparatus for testing at least one device under test (DUT) includes a tester input/output (I/O) node, a DUT I/O node, a remote pin electronics block, a bypass circuit, and a control system. The remote pin electronics block provides a test function and is coupled between the tester I/O node and the DUT I/O node. The bypass circuit is coupled between the tester I/O node and the DUT I/O node and provides a signal bypass path between the tester I/O node and the DUT I/O node. The signal bypass path bypasses the test function provided by the remote pin electronics block. The control system is configured to enable and disable the bypass circuit. Methods for using this and other related apparatus to test one or more DUTs are also disclosed.
US07928745B2
An endurance testing system is configured to test endurance of a first detecting apparatus. The endurance testing system includes a second detecting apparatus, a movement module, a processor, and a storage module. The movement module includes a first inductive object and a second inductive object. The processor is connected to the first and second detecting apparatuses, and the movement module, for controlling the movement module and counting a first number of times the first detecting apparatus detects the first inductive object, and a second number of times the second detecting apparatus detects the second inductive object. The storage module is connected to the processor, for storing the first and second numbers of times from the processor. The first detecting apparatus fails the testing upon the condition that the first number of times is not equal to the second number of times.
US07928727B2
Methods of determining an acquisition time adapted to a region of interest for a nuclear imaging process of a patient include detecting radiation from at least a first viewing angle during a first test amount of time, generating first test data from the detected radiation, reconstructing a nuclear event distribution from the first test data, determining a test signal-to-noise ratio for the reconstructed nuclear event distribution within the region of interest, and determining the acquisition time using the test signal-to-noise ratio and the first test amount of time.
US07928725B2
To provide a rotational angle detecting device for securing accurate information on the rotational angle without time lag and a detector incorporated bearing assembly having the rotational angle detecting device, a magnet having an anisotropy in a circumferential direction about the rotation axis is mounted on a rotating member and a magnetic sensor having magnetic sensor elements is arranged on a stationary member so as to confront the magnet. An angle calculating unit for measuring an intensity of magnetic field of the magnet from an output of the magnetic sensor elements and for detecting the rotation angle of the rotating member based on the measured value, and a delay time correcting unit for correcting a delay time between detection of the magnetic field of the magnet by the magnetic sensor elements and output of a detected angle from the angle calculating unit are employed.
US07928724B2
Systems and methods for determining a directional movement of an object such as a wheeled vehicle. The system includes a magnet having a north pole and a south pole mounted to the object, a single magnetic sensor positioned such that the sensor can individually detect each magnetic pole as the object moves, the sensor configured to produce a first characteristic signal when a north pole is detected and a second characteristic signal when a south pole is detected, and a processing device in signal communication with the sensor, the processing device configured to determine a directional movement of the object based on a configuration of a signal doublet that includes the first and second characteristic signals. The methods include sensing the north and south poles as they pass the magnetic sensor and determining a direction based on an order in which the north and south poles are sensed.
US07928717B1
A multi-scanner device having a detection unit and an outlet tester that can be selectively connected together for convenient use and easy storage. Preferably, a plug on the outlet tester is inserted into a non-functional socket located on the detection unit to form a multi-scanner device with a detachable outlet tester.
US07928714B2
One embodiment of the invention includes a switching power supply system. The system includes a switch network comprising at least one switch configured to provide an output voltage based on switching activity thereof. The system also includes a switching controller configured to control the switch network to maintain the output voltage provided at an output based on a feedback signal associated with the output voltage. A converter pulse detector is configured to detect an output voltage overshoot condition based on the switching activity of the switch network corresponding to a transition in an output load to which the output voltage is provided.
US07928708B2
A differential amplifier receives a reference voltage and a divided voltage dividing an output voltage, and outputs a control voltage in accordance with the difference between the reference voltage and the divided voltage. The control voltage output from the differential amplifier is supplied to an output amplifier. The output amplifier generates a stabilized output voltage from a high-potential-side power supply voltage in accordance with the control voltage. A P-type MOS transistor is connected to a node of the output voltage, and the MOS transistor carries a current from the node of the output voltage. A current control circuit controls a gate of the P-type MOS transistor so that the current flowing through the P-type MOS transistor becomes a constant value.
US07928706B2
A voltage regulator includes a first multi-gate transistor, a differential stage, a second stage having a second multi-gate transistor, and a pass transistor to apply an output voltage and output current to a device load. Based on a feedback voltage associated with the output voltage, the differential stage modulates a bias voltage applied to a control electrode of the pass transistor. A first gate of the second multi-gate transistor generates a nominal bias current for the pass transistor, and the second gate adjusts the bias voltage based on an output of the differential stage so that transients in the regulator output voltage resulting from sudden changes in current drawn by the device load are reduced.
US07928703B2
One embodiment of the invention includes an on-chip current-sense system for measuring a magnitude of an output current through a power transistor. The system includes a first sense transistor that conducts a first reference current to or from a phase node and a second sense transistor configured to conduct a second reference current to or from a power rail. The first and second sense transistors can be substantially identical and can be proportionally matched to the power transistor. An OTA receives the first and second reference currents and a third reference current that flows to or from the phase node and generates a sense current that is proportional to the output current in response to the first, second, and third reference currents. A sense circuit compares the sense current with a predetermined magnitude and generates an over-current signal in response to the sense current being greater than the predetermined magnitude to indicate an over-current condition of the output current.
US07928698B2
A battery charger that includes a primary switching-mode power supply, a secondary switching-mode power supply and a capacitor that is electrically connected to these two power supplies. In operation, this battery charger may be used to reverse the sulfation process in a battery. Also, a battery charging method that may be used to reverse the sulfation process in a battery.
US07928697B2
To simplify charging of a battery in a power storage device which includes the battery. Further, to provide a wireless power storage device which can transmit and receive information without the task of replacing a battery for drive power supply, which becomes necessary when the battery depletes over time, being performed. An antenna circuit, a battery which is electrically connected to the antenna circuit via a rectifier circuit, and a load portion which is electrically connected to the battery are provided. The battery is charged when an electromagnetic wave received by the antenna circuit is input to the battery via the rectifier circuit, and discharged when electrical power which has been charged is supplied to the load portion. The battery is charged cumulatively, and the battery is discharged in pulses.
US07928693B2
In one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle comprises: a consumable fuel powered engine, a battery and an electric motor powered by the battery. The battery is rechargeable both from an external electric power source (such as an electric power grid) and from the consumable fuel powered engine. A computer receives data as inputs and providing outputs, wherein the input data includes an expected state of the electric power source at a time when the vehicle is expected to be coupled to the electric power source. The outputs include control signals to control the state of charge of the battery during the time the vehicle is expected to be coupled to the electric power source.
US07928688B2
A vehicle comprises a battery, i.e. a power storage unit having a capacity different from a reference capacity, a current sensor for detecting a current inputted to the power storage unit or outputted therefrom and delivering the detection value by converting it depending on the ratio of the capacity of the power storage unit to the reference capacity, and a controller performing current integration by receiving the output from the current detecting section and judging charged state of the power storage unit. The current sensor preferably comprises a sensor for measuring a current flowing through wiring connected with the power storage unit, and a converting section for converting the sensor output depending on the ratio of the capacity of the power storage unit to the reference capacity. When the capacity of the power storage unit is equal to n times of the reference capacity, the converting section delivers the sensor output while multiplying by 1/n.
US07928671B1
A method for controlling average current. The method enables control of average current independent of instantaneous current. The average current is controlled by changing the number of unit pulses provided during a time interval. The unit pulses are used to switch the delivery of current to the load.
US07928670B2
An LED driver includes at least two interlocked closed feedback loops. One feedback loop controls the duty cycle of the on/off times of a switch connected in series to the LED string, and the other feedback loop controls the duty cycle of the on/off times of a power switch in the switching power converter that provides a DC voltage applied to the LED string. The LED driver of the present invention achieves fast control of the LED brightness and current sharing among multiple LED strings simultaneously in a power-efficient and cost-efficient manner.
US07928664B2
An illumination system includes a master power supply providing power to several illumination modules. The master power supply is constructed and arranged to generate high-frequency and low-voltage electrical power provided to a primary wire forming a current loop. Each illumination module includes an electromagnetic coupling element and several light sources. The electromagnetic coupling element includes a magnetic core arranged to receive the current loop in a removable arrangement, and a secondary wire wound around the magnetic core to enable inductive coupling. The secondary wire is connected to provide current to the light sources that may be arranged in the illumination module as a DC load or an AC load.
US07928662B2
An extended voltage range LED string driver comprising: an electronically controlled switch exhibiting a first port, a second port and a control port; a source of predetermined voltage connected to the control port of the electronically controlled switch; an LED string driver operatively connected to the first port of the electronically controlled switch; and a means for connecting an LED string to the second port of the electronically controlled switch; the electronically controlled switch being arranged to conduct between the first and the second port only when the voltage at the first port is within a predetermined range of said predetermined voltage.
US07928660B2
A method and apparatus is used to rapidly modulate the intensity of a vehicular lamp for the purpose of enhancing the vehicle's conspicuity. A timer is used to generate a periodically varying pulse width modulated signal that is used to drive a transistor connected to one or more lamps. The modulation rate is chosen such that the lamp or lamps appear to flicker when seen with peripheral vision, yet appears not to flicker when seen out of the center of the eye.
US07928645B2
An airtight container includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing the first substrate and joined thereto using joint members. The first substrate has a groove extending on a surface of the first substrate and a wiring provided along a direction of the extended groove. The wiring includes a section inside and along the groove and a section outside the groove and extending from the section inside the groove, and the first substrate includes joint members provided on and across the section of the wiring outside the groove. In addition, a frame is joined on the second substrate by second joint members and is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The frame is joined to the first substrate by the first joint members.
US07928643B2
This document invention relates to a display apparatus, and more particularly, to a plasma display apparatus. The plasma display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a plasma display panel in which upper and lower substrates are combined, a vibration damping sheet formed on a rear surface of the plasma display panel, and a plurality of driving circuit substrates formed on a rear surface of the vibration damping sheet, for driving the plasma display panel. According to an embodiment of the present invention, noise occurring in a discharge of a plasma display panel and driving circuit elements is precluded. Therefore, a high level of noise reduction can guaranteed and the manufacturing cost of a plasma display apparatus can be saved.
US07928642B2
An internal combustion engine radio frequency spark plug including two plasma-generating electrodes, separated by an insulator, that constitute respectively an outer shell enclosing the insulator and a central electrode housed in a central bore of the insulator. The spark plug includes a deep opening over the entire circumference of the shell, forming a heat-exchanger chamber inside the spark plug shell, opening outwards.
US07928638B2
Apparatus including layer of polarizable material located between first and second electrodes. Polarizable material has block copolymeric composition including elastomeric domain blocks and conductive domain blocks. Method that includes providing layer of polarizable material having block copolymeric composition including elastomeric domain blocks and conductive domain blocks, first and second electrodes being on opposite surfaces of the layer. Method also includes applying voltage differential between electrodes, causing dimension of layer to change.
US07928636B2
A receiving sleeve (1) for an actuator body, in particular for holding a piezoelectric stack of a piezoelectric actuator, is used to drive an injector of an injection system for an internal combustion engine. The sleeve is equipped with at least one spring element (10, 11) for centering the actuator body in the receiving sleeve (1) and/or for compensating component tolerances of the actuator body.
US07928633B2
An elastic wave element includes a piezoelectric substrate, an interdigital electrode provided on the piezoelectric substrate, a silicon oxide film covering the interdigital electrode, and a silicon nitride oxide film provided on the silicon oxide film. A film thickness H of the silicon oxide film and a wave length λ of an elastic wave propagating through the piezoelectric substrate satisfies a relation of H/λ≧0.15. The elastic wave element reduces fluctuation of propagation characteristics of elastic waves, and has high reliability.
US07928628B2
In a terminal of an electric motor, a branch projects from a terminal connection on a side opposite from an extension. A projecting end side of the branch extends in an installation direction of the terminal, which is a direction for installing the terminal to a housing. The terminal is tiltable about a portion of the extension, which serves as a fulcrum, to cause abutment of the branch against a wall surface of the housing when the terminal connection receives a force in a direction opposite from the installation direction.
US07928624B2
The present invention relates to an electric motor and to a method for manufacturing an electric motor. The electric motor comprises at least a stator (24), a rotor (25) and an air gap (26) between these, in which motor the stator and/or rotor comprises slots (4) and teeth (5) between slots, and in which the stator and/or rotor has a concentrated winding fitted in the slots. In the method of the invention, the phase windings are fitted as a concentrated fractional-slot winding.
US07928622B2
In a brushless motor including a rotor having 2n magnetic poles and a stator having 3n slots, the magnetic poles of the rotor are composed of segment magnets arranged in three columns extending in an axial direction. The magnets of each column are displaced from the magnet of either adjacent column in a circumferential direction, forming a 3-stage step-skew structure. The segment magnets have a skew angle θskew ranging from 36° to 57° in terms of electrical angle.
US07928621B2
A speed-variable single phase induction motor. By a plurality of stators disposed with an interval therebetween and a plurality of magnetic rotors corresponding to the respective stators, the motor implements a high efficiency and a speed-variable performance such as a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor with a low cost without using an expensive inverter driving apparatus.
US07928620B2
The invention relates to a device for safeguarding uninterrupted power supply of a magnetic bearing (5) in the event of a power supply voltage (U) failure. Said device comprises: a first frequency converter (2) which is supplied with power by the supply voltage (U) and controls a motor (3), and a transformer (7) which is connected to a rectifier (8) and the motor (3), said rectifier (8) supplying a DC-link electric circuit (11) of a second frequency converter (14) controlling the magnetic bearing (5) with power in the event of a power supply voltage failure. The invention allows prevention of damages to the magnetic bearing in the event of disruption of power supply of the magnetic bearing in the event of a power supply voltage failure.
US07928614B2
The invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer, comprising an ultrasonic flange and a magnetostrictive driver, wherein the driver is connected to a contact surface of the ultrasonic flange that faces the same, and wherein the driver and the ultrasonic flange are connected in the region of the contact surface by means of electron beam welding and/or laser beam welding. The contact surface is configured by the bottom of at least one receiving pocket, which receives the end of the driver on the ultrasonic flange side, and at least one receiving pocket is configured in a pedestal-like elevation of the end of the ultrasonic flange facing the driver, and the pedestal-like elevation is higher than the depth of the receiving jackets configured therein.
US07928612B2
Disclosed herein is to a flux reversal motor. The flux reversal motor includes a mover, and a plurality of permanent magnets. The mover moves linearly relative to a stator. A plurality of permanent magnets, having identical polarities, is provided in the end of each mover tooth. The permanent magnets are arranged on the left and right sides of a protrusion of the end of the mover tooth. Thus low noise/low vibration, high speeds, high precision, and high thrust motion can be realized.
US07928609B2
The present invention relates to a shock-proof electrical output device, which comprises a power outlet having a positive and a negative terminal, a voltage converter with a high voltage input and a low voltage output, a current monitoring relay device, a latching relay device, and a changeover relay device.
US07928604B2
A universal system used to monitor external conditions, particularly including environmental conditions, to preemptively activate secondary power sources and isolate electric loads from a main power source such as an electric utility's power grid for the purpose of protecting the load from dangerous power conditions brought about by the external condition. The system includes a universal control module capable of communicating with a variety of external stimuli sensors and automatic transfer switches that switch a load's power source from one source to another upon activation, which results in the isolation of the load from the main (or another) power source.
US07928602B2
A power floor tile assembly and method for providing power to furniture components via a floor structure, the tile assembly including a plurality of floor tiles, each tile including a substantially rigid supporting substrate member that includes top and bottom surfaces and an edge, at least a first conductive tile contact supported by the substrate member and extending to an exposed end and a covering layer having top and bottom surfaces and a thickness dimension between the top and bottom surfaces, the covering layer forming a separate opening for each of the tile contacts, the openings aligned with the tile contacts so that each tile contact extends through a separate one of the openings, the covering layer having a thickness dimension between the top and bottom surfaces such that the exposed end of each tile contact protrudes past the top surface of the covering layer, wherein each supporting substrate and associated covering layer are shaped such that the tile can be arranged with other tiles in side by side fashion to provide a substantially contiguous floor structure.
US07928601B2
A DC-DC converter for controlling the order for providing a semiconductor integrated circuit device with a plurality of power supply voltages. A switch control circuit controls activation and inactivation of a transistor of the switch circuit based on the comparison result of a first voltage and a reference voltage and a notification signal provided to the switch control circuit. The switch control circuit generates a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage when the first voltage is higher than the reference voltage and the notification signal indicates that other semiconductor integrated circuit devices are ready to operate.
US07928598B2
An apparatus, system, and method, the apparatus includes an intelligent energy transfer system including a configurable switching system electrically coupleable to a vehicle. The vehicle includes one of an electric vehicle and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The configurable switching system is configured to convey a first direct current (DC) energy from a first energy source to an energy storage system of the vehicle, receive a first alternating current (AC) energy conveyed to the vehicle, convey a second DC energy from the vehicle to a first DC powered load, and convey a second AC energy from the vehicle to a first AC powered load. Each of the first energy source, the first AC powered load, and the first DC powered load are located remotely from the vehicle.
US07928590B2
Integrated circuit assembly including a die stack assembly having a heat dissipation device thermally coupled to a lateral of surface the die stack assembly. The die stack assembly includes a plurality integrated circuits placed on each other. In another embodiment a heat dissipation device comprising an encapsulant is thermally coupled to and surrounds a die stack assembly that includes a plurality of integrated circuits placed on each other. At least one heat conducting intermediate layer between integrated circuits is thermally coupled to the heat dissipation device.
US07928583B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a sealing resin layer formed on a top face of the semiconductor substrate; a metal post formed on the top face of the semiconductor substrate such that a top face of the metal post is exposed through the sealing resin layer; a projecting electrode formed on the top face of the metal post; and a low-elasticity resin layer made of a resin material with an elasticity modulus lower than that of the sealing resin layer and formed on the top face of the sealing resin layer such that part of the low-elasticity resin layer lies between the projecting electrode and the sealing resin layer.
US07928570B2
An interconnect structure is disclosed. In one embodiment, the interconnect structure includes: a substrate including a first liner layer and a first metal layer thereover; a dielectric barrier layer over the first metal layer and the substrate; an inter-level dielectric layer over the dielectric barrier layer; a via extending between the inter-level dielectric layer, the dielectric barrier layer, and the first metal layer, the via including a second liner layer and a second metal layer thereover; and a diffusion barrier layer located between the second liner layer and the first metal layer, wherein a portion of the diffusion barrier layer is located under the dielectric barrier layer.
US07928562B2
An apparatus to reduce a thermal penalty of a three-dimensional (3D) die stack for use in a computing environment is provided and includes a substrate installed within the computing environment, a first component to perform operations of the computing environment, which is coupled to the substrate in a stacking direction, a set of second components to perform operations of the computing environment, each of which is coupled to the first component and segmented with respect to one another to form a vacated region, a thermal interface material (TIM) disposed on exposed surfaces of the first and second components, and a lid, including a protrusion, coupled to the substrate to overlay the first and second components such that the protrusion extends into the vacated region and such that surfaces of the lid and the protrusion thermally communicate with the first and second components via the TIM.
US07928558B2
An electrical component includes a base body made using ceramic, metallization surfaces that at least partly define component structures on the base body, a passivation layer that is electrically insulating and over a surface of the base body, solder contacts on the passivation layer, and through-hole contacts inside the base body that are electrically connected to corresponding metallization surfaces. The solder contacts are electrically connected to corresponding through-hole contacts through the passivation layer.
US07928547B2
An optical semiconductor device includes: a package having a bottom portion and a sidewall portion; a semiconductor chip having an optical element formed on one surface thereof and having an opposite surface to the one surface fixed to the bottom portion of the package; a transparent member fixed to the semiconductor chip so as to cover the optical element; and a sealing resin filling a space between the package and the semiconductor chip. The sidewall portion has in an upper part thereof an overhang portion that projects toward inside of the package. The transparent member is exposed from a window portion formed by the overhang portion.
US07928542B2
A semiconductor package including a lead frame comprising a frame including both a ground ring and a chip mounting board located therein. Extending between the ground ring and the chip mounting board are a plurality of elongate slots or apertures. The ground ring is formed to include recesses within the bottom surface thereof which create regions of reduced thickness. A semiconductor chip bonded to the chip mounting board may be electrically connected to leads of the lead frame and to the ground ring via conductive wires. Those conductive wires extending to the ground ring are bonded to the top surface thereof at locations which are not aligned with the recesses within the bottom surface, i.e., those regions of the ground ring of maximum thickness.
US07928539B2
A semiconductor device (1) includes a wiring (10) and dummy conductor patterns (20). The wiring (10) is a wiring through which a current with a frequency of 5 GHz or higher flows. Near the wiring (10), the dummy conductor patterns (20) are formed. A planar shape of each of the dummy conductor patterns (20) is equivalent to a shape with an internal angle larger than 180°.
US07928536B2
Techniques for obtaining a wiring layer with a high TDDB resistance and little leakage current, and accordingly, for manufacturing a highly reliable semiconductor device with a small electric power consumption are provided, in which an interfacial roughness reducing film is formed which is in contact with an insulator film and also in contact with a wiring line on the other side surface thereof, and has an interfacial roughness between the wiring line and the interfacial roughness reducing film smaller than that between the insulator film and the interfacial roughness reducing film.
US07928534B2
An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a backside. A through-silicon via (TSV) penetrates the semiconductor substrate, wherein the TSV has a back end extending to the backside of the semiconductor substrate. A redistribution line (RDL) is formed over the backside of the semiconductor substrate and connected to the back end of the TSV. A passivation layer is over the RDL with an opening formed in the passivation layer, wherein a portion of a top surface of the RDL and a sidewall of the RDL are exposed through the opening. A metal finish is formed in the opening and contacting the portion of the top surface and the sidewall of the RDL.
US07928533B2
An avalanche photodiode with a nano-scale reach-through structure comprising n-doped and p-doped regions, formed on a silicon island on an insulator, so that the avalanche photodiode may be electrically isolated from other circuitry on other silicon islands on the same silicon chip as the avalanche photodiode. For some embodiments, multiplied holes generated by an avalanche reduces the electric field in the depletion region of the n-doped and p-doped regions to bring about self-quenching of the avalanche photodiode. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07928516B2
A semiconductor storage device include a semiconductor substrate, an insulating layer provided on the semiconductor substrate and having an opening, a semiconductor layer provided on the insulating layer, the semiconductor layer having a recess at a center of a surface thereof above the opening, a memory cell unit provided on the semiconductor layer and including a plurality of memory cells, current paths of the memory cells being connected in series, a selecting transistor adjacent to the memory cell unit and arranged on a region of the semiconductor layer including the recess, the selecting transistor including a gate insulating film provided on the region of the semiconductor layer including the recess and a gate electrode provided on the gate insulating film.
US07928514B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor structure including a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of source and drain diffusion regions located therein, each pair of source and drain diffusion regions are separated by a device channel. The structure further includes a first gate stack of pFET device located on top of some of the device channels, the first gate stack including a high-k gate dielectric, an insulating interlayer abutting the gate dielectric and a fully silicided metal gate electrode abutting the insulating interlayer, the insulating interlayer includes an insulating metal nitride that stabilizes threshold voltage and flatband voltage of the p-FET device to a targeted value and is one of aluminum oxynitride, boron nitride, boron oxynitride, gallium nitride, gallium oxynitride, indium nitride and indium oxynitride. A second gate stack of an nFET devices is located on top remaining device channels, the second gate stack including a high-k gate dielectric and a fully silicided gate electrode located directly atop the high-k gate dielectric.
US07928513B2
A chip can include a CMOS structure having a bulk device disposed in a first region of a semiconductor substrate in conductive communication with an underlying bulk region of the substrate, the first region and the bulk region having a first crystal orientation. An SOI device is disposed in a semiconductor-on-insulator (“SOI”) layer separated from the bulk region of the substrate by a buried dielectric layer, the SOI layer having a different crystal orientation from the first crystal orientation. In one example, the bulk device includes a p-type field effect transistor (“PFET”) and the SOI device includes an n-type field effect transistor (“NFET”) device. Alternatively, the bulk device can include an NFET and the SOI device can include a PFET. When the SOI device has a gate conductor in conductive communication with a gate conductor of the bulk device, charging damage can occur to the SOI device, except for the presence of diodes in reverse-biased conductive communication with the bulk region. The diodes are operable to conduct a discharge current to the bulk region when either a voltage on the gate conductor or a voltage on the source or drain region of the SOI device exceeds a diode's breakdown voltage.
US07928512B2
A semiconductor device is provided herein, which includes a substrate having a first-type MOS transistor, an input/output (I/O) second-type MOS transistor, and a core second-type MOS transistor formed thereon. The semiconductor device further includes a first stress layer and a second stress layer. The first stress layer is disposed on the first-type MOS transistor, or on the first-type MOS transistor and the I/O second-type MOS transistor. The second stress layer is disposed on the core second-type MOS transistor.
US07928511B2
A semiconductor device (1) includes a plurality of photodiodes (20) on a semiconductor substrate (11). Cathodes (22) and a common anode (21) of the plurality of photodiodes (20 (20a, 20b)) are formed so as to be electrically independent from the semiconductor substrate (11), the plurality of photodiodes (20) have the common anode (21) and the plurality of separate cathodes (22), and an output of the common anode (21) is considered to be equivalent to a sum of outputs of the plurality of separate photodiodes (20). Alternatively, the plurality of photodiodes have a common cathode and a plurality of separate anodes, and an output of the common cathode is considered to be equivalent to a sum of outputs of a plurality of separate photodiodes. By completely electrically isolating the anode and the cathode of the photodiodes from the substrate, the noise characteristic can be reduced, and crosstalk can be reduced.
US07928507B2
This invention discloses a semiconductor wafer for manufacturing electronic circuit thereon. The semiconductor substrate further includes an etch-back indicator that includes trenches of different sizes having polysilicon filled in the trenches and then completely removed from some of the trenches of greater planar trench dimensions and the polysilicon still remaining in a bottom portion in some of the trenches having smaller planar trench dimensions.
US07928506B2
The semiconductor device comprises a word line and a bit line. The word line comprises a gate electrode and a first metal interconnect. The first metal interconnect has contact with the gate electrode and extends into a region upper than a first impurity-diffused region in a first direction. The bit line comprises a connecting part and a second metal interconnect. The connecting part is formed so as to have contact with at least part of the side surface of the first impurity-diffused region. The second metal interconnect has contact with the connecting part and extends into a region lower than the semiconductor region in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
US07928504B2
A semiconductor memory device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed, which reduce parasitic capacitance generated between a storage node contact and a bit line of a high-integration semiconductor device. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor memory device includes forming a buried word line in an active region of a cell region, forming an insulation layer in the cell region and a lower electrode layer of a gate in a peripheral region so that a height of the insulation layer is substantially equal to that of the lower electrode layer, and providing a first conductive layer over the cell region and the peripheral region to form a bit line layer and an upper electrode layer.
US07928497B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory according to examples of the present invention comprises a memory cell and a peripheral transistor. The memory cell has a first intergate insulating film having a multilayer structure and provided on a floating gate electrode and an isolation insulating layer. The peripheral transistor has a second intergate insulating film having a multilayer structure and provided on a first gate electrode and a second isolation insulating layer. The first and second intergate insulating films have the same structure, and a lowermost insulating layer of the first intergate insulating film on the first isolation insulating layer is thinner than a lowermost insulating layer of the second intergate insulating film on the second isolation insulating layer.
US07928491B2
A semiconductor memory device has: a substrate; a memory cell transistor of a split-gate type formed on the substrate; and a reference transistor formed on the substrate and used for generating a reference current that is used in sensing data stored in the memory cell transistor. The memory cell transistor has a floating gate and a control gate, while the reference transistor is a MIS (Metal Insulator Semiconductor) transistor having a single gate electrode.
US07928490B2
A vertical transistor including a substrate, a gate, a base line and a gate dielectric layer is provided. The substrate includes a pillar protruding out of a surface of the substrate. The pillar includes a first doped region, a channel region and a second doped region from bottom to top. The gate is disposed on a sidewall at one side of the channel region. The base line is disposed on a sidewall at the other side of the channel region and not contacted with the gate. The gate dielectric layer is disposed between the gate and the channel region.
US07928480B2
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor layer, and a first electrode (Schottky electrode or MIS electrode) and a second electrode (ohmic electrode) which are formed on the semiconductor layer apart from each other. The first electrode has a cross section in the shape of a polygon. A second electrode-side corner of the polygon has an interior angle of which an outward extension line of a bisector crosses the semiconductor layer or the second electrode. The interior angle of such a second electrode-side corner is larger than 90°.
US07928476B2
A semiconductor device has a first insulating film formed over a semiconductor substrate, a first opening formed in the first insulating film, a first manganese oxide film formed along an inner wall of the first opening, a first copper wiring embedded in the first opening, and a second manganese oxide film formed on the first copper wiring including carbon.
US07928471B2
A structure including a Si1-xGex substrate and a distributed Bragg reflector layer disposed directly onto the substrate. The distributed Bragg reflector layer includes a repeating pattern that includes at least one aluminum nitride layer and a second layer having the general formula AlyGa1-yN. Another aspect of the present invention is various devices including this structure. Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of forming such a structure comprising providing a Si1-xGex substrate and depositing a distributed Bragg reflector layer directly onto the substrate. Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a photodetector or photovoltaic cell device, including a Si1-xGex substrate device, a group III-nitride device and contacts to provide a conductive path for a current generated across at least one of the Si1-xGex substrate device and the group III-nitride device upon incident light.
US07928461B2
The invention discloses a light-emitting diode which comprises a substrate, a first conducting-type semiconductor layer, plural pillars, a transparent insulating material, an illuminating layer, a second conducting-type semiconductor layer, a first transparent conducting layer and a second transparent conducting layer. The first conducting-type semiconductor layer is formed on the substrate, and the top surface of the first conducting-type semiconductor layer comprises a first region and a second region surrounded by the first region. The pillars are formed on the first region. The transparent insulating material is filled in the gaps between the pillars to be as high as the pillars. The illuminating layer is formed on the second region, and the second conducting-type semiconductor layer is formed on the illuminating layer. The first transparent conducting layer is formed on the second conducting-type semiconductor layer, and the second transparent conducting layer is formed on a top surface of the pillars and the transparent insulating material.
US07928460B2
In a laser chip 1 using a nitride semiconductor having a hexagonal crystal structure, the −c plane is used as a first resonator facet A, which is the side of the laser chip 1 through which light is emitted. On the first resonator facet A, that is, on the −c plane, a facet protection film 14 is formed. This ensures firm joint between the first resonator facet A and the facet protection film 14 and alleviates deterioration of the first resonator facet A.
US07928459B2
The present invention relates to a light emitting diode package, and provides a light emitting diode package employing a thermoelectric element therein. The light emitting diode package of the present invention is constructed such that the thermoelectric element is coupled to a housing or formed of a substrate itself so as to directly dissipate heat generated from a light emitting chip. Thus, the heat generated from the light emitting chip can be efficiently dissipated from the interior of the package to the outside, without an additional heat dissipation means. In addition, an external heat sink may be coupled to the thermoelectric element to more efficiently dissipate the heat from the light emitting chip.
US07928458B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device comprises a light-emitting diode chip disposed in a cavity of a semiconductor substrate. At least two isolated outer wiring layers are disposed on the bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate and are electrically connected to the light-emitting diode chip, serving as input terminals. A lens module is adhered to the top surface of the semiconductor substrate to cap the cavity, in which the lens module comprises a molded lens and a molded fluorescent layer thereunder and the molded fluorescent layer faces the light-emitting diode chip. A method for fabricating the semiconductor devices is also disclosed.
US07928457B2
To provide novel semiconductor light-emitting device member superior in transparency, light resistance, and heat resistance and capable of sealing semiconductor light-emitting device and holding phosphor without generating cracks or peelings even after use for a long time, the member meets the following requirements: (1) comprising functional group forming hydrogen bond with hydroxyl group or oxygen in a metalloxane bond, on the surface of ceramic or metal, (2) maintenance rate of transmittance at 400 nm wavelength before and after left at 200° C. for 500 hours is between 80% to 110%, (3) no change is observed by visual inspection after irradiated with light having 380 nm to 500 nm wavelength, whose center wavelength is between 400 nm and 450 nm both inclusive, for 24 hours with 4500 W/m2 illumination intensity at 436 nm wavelength, and (4) refractive index at 550 nm wavelength is 1.45 or larger.
US07928456B2
Packaged semiconductor light emitting device are provided including a reflector having a lower sidewall portion defining a reflective cavity. A light emitting device is positioned in the reflective cavity. A first quantity of cured encapsulant material having a first index of refraction is provided in the reflective cavity including the light emitting device. A second quantity of cured encapsulant material having a second index of refraction, different from the first index of refraction, is provided on the first quantity of cured encapsulant material. The first and second index of refraction are selected to provide a buried lens in the reflective cavity.
US07928454B2
Disclosed are a light emitting device and a method for manufacturing the same. A light emitting diode comprises a plurality of Un-GaN layers and a plurality of N-type semiconductor layers, an active layer on the N-type semiconductor layer, and a P-type semiconductor layer on the active layer, wherein at least two of the Un-GaN layers and at least two of the N-type semiconductor layers are alternatively stacked on each other.
US07928453B2
An end face emission type semiconductor light emitting device which include: a substrate; a first conductive type clad layer stacked on the substrate; an active region layer including an active layer stacked on the first conductive type clad layer; a second conductive type clad layer stacked on the active region layer such that a thickness of a portion thereof at least over an emission region of the active region layer in an emission end face adjacent area is thinner than a thickness of the other portion; and a second conductive type regrowth layer stacked on the second conductive type clad layer, which has a higher refractive index than the second conductive type clad layer.
US07928449B2
Provided is a light emitting device. The light emitting device comprises a second electrode layer, a second conduction type semiconductor layer, an active layer, a first conduction type semiconductor layer, a first electrode layer, and an insulating layer. The second conduction type semiconductor layer is formed on the second electrode layer. The active layer is formed on the second conduction type semiconductor layer. The first conduction type semiconductor layer is formed on the active layer. The first electrode layer is formed on the first conduction type semiconductor layer. The insulating layer is disposed between the second electrode layer and the second conduction type semiconductor layer.
US07928442B2
Provided is an optical device having a strained buried channel area. The optical device includes: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type; a gate insulating layer formed on the semiconductor substrate; a gate of a second conductive type opposite to the first conductive type, formed on the gate insulating layer; a high density dopant diffusion area formed in the semiconductor substrate under the gate and doped with a first conductive type dopant having a higher density than the semiconductor substrate; a strained buried channel area formed of a semiconductor material having a different lattice parameter from a material of which the semiconductor substrate is formed and extending between the gate insulating layer and the semiconductor substrate to contact the high density dopant diffusion area; and a semiconductor cap layer formed between the gate insulating layer and the strained buried channel area.
US07928440B2
A display substrate includes a base substrate, a gate line, a gate insulation layer, a data line, a thin-film transistor (TFT) and a pixel electrode. The gate line is extended in a first direction on the base substrate. The gate insulation layer is formed on the base substrate to cover the gate line. The data line is extended in a second direction and intersects the gate line at an intersecting portion. At the intersecting portion, the data line is separated from the gate line by an air gap. In another embodiment, the data line also includes at least one etching hole extending to the air gap. The TFT is electrically connected to the data and the gate lines. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the TFT.
US07928439B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) may include a substrate, a gate electrode on the substrate, a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode, and a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer. The semiconductor layer may include a top surface, a channel area aligned in a vertical direction with the gate electrode, a plurality of doped areas proximate to the channel area, and a plurality of non-doped areas. Source and drain electrodes may be on the top surface of the semiconductor layer aligned above respective ones of the plurality of non-doped areas of the semiconductor layer. A planarization layer may be on the gate insulating layer, the source and drain electrodes and the semiconductor layer channel area, and may include a plurality of openings respectively exposing the plurality of doped areas of the semiconductor layer and a portion of the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US07928433B2
An electronic device comprises a semiconducting polymer of Formula (I): wherein X is independently selected from S, Se, O, and NR, wherein R is independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, and —CN; Ar is independently a conjugated divalent moiety; a is an integer from 1 to about 10; and n is an integer from 2 to about 5,000. The electronic device may be an organic thin film transistor.
US07928431B2
An organic light emitting display apparatus with reduced infiltration of external moisture and oxygen comprises: a substrate comprising a plurality of TFT devices; and a display region formed on the substrate; wherein the display region comprises a base layer which comprises first electrodes electrically connected to the TFT devices and defining a pixel region, an organic layer formed on the base layer, and a second electrode layer formed in a structure covering the base layer and organic layer completely.
US07928415B2
There is proposed a device for the slice-by-slice irradiation of tumour tissue (3) in a patient using a particle beam, having—an accelerator (7) for generating a particle beam (5) with predetermined energy for each slice, —a raster scanning device (9), acting on the particle beam (5), for the slice-by-slice scanning of the tumour tissue (3), —a modulator (17) for modulating the energy of the particle beam (5), —a detection device (37) for the time-resolved detection of the position of the tumour tissue (3) and having—a first storage device for storing data relating to the tumour tissue (3), which were determined prior to the irradiation operation, and for releasing that data to the raster scanning device (9) and to the modulator (17). The device is characterized by—a module (39), which registers the data on the course of the irradiation and the data of the detection device (37) which have been obtained during an irradiation operation.
US07928414B2
A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes an irradiation part configured to irradiate a charged particle beam; a first shaping aperture member having passing areas, that the charged particle beam passes through, on both sides of an area blocking the charged particle beam; a deflection part configured to deflect the charged particle beam that has passed through the first shaping aperture member; a second shaping aperture member having passing areas, that the charged particle beam passes through, on both sides of an area blocking the deflected charged particle beam; and a stage on which a target workpiece irradiated with the charged particle beam that has passed through the second shaping aperture member is placed.
US07928412B2
A lithographic apparatus configured to project a patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first radiation dose detector and a second radiation dose detector, each detector comprising a secondary electron emission surface configured to receive a radiation flux and to emit secondary electrons due to the receipt of the radiation flux, the first radiation dose detector located upstream with respect to the second radiation dose detector viewed with respect to a direction of radiation transmission, and a meter, connected to each detector, to detect a current or voltage resulting from the secondary electron emission from the respective electron emission surface.
US07928408B2
A multi-channel fluorescence measuring optical system and a multi-channel fluorescence sample analyzer using the optical system are provided. The multi-channel fluorescence measuring optical system, which irradiates light onto a plurality of sample channels and detecting fluorescence radiated from samples, includes: a light source; an integrator for giving the light irradiated from the light source a uniform intensity distribution; a sample holder having a plurality of sample channels on which the samples are mounted, wherein the samples are exited by the light emitted from the integrator; and a beam splitter between the integrator and the sample holder for dividing the incident light in a predetermined ratio. Since the light intensities of fluorescence images are detected using optical fiber bundles and photodiodes, the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced, and the optical system can be miniaturized.
US07928406B2
A new type of triode extraction system, a Cluster Ion Beam Extraction System, is disclosed for broad energy range cluster ion beam extraction applications while still being applicable to atomic and molecular ion species as well. The extraction aperture plate contours are set to minimize the beam cross over and at the same time shield the source from excess extraction electric fields thus allowing smaller values of the extraction gap. In addition, a novel focusing feature is integrated into these new optics which allows the beam to be either focused or de-focused in the non-dispersive plane by using a bipolar bias voltage of only a few kV over a broad range of beam energy. This is a superior solution to a stand-alone electrostatic lens solution, for example an einzel lens, which would require tens of kV of bias voltage in order to be able to focus an energetic beam.
US07928403B2
The invention provides a multiple-lens assembly 1 for a charged particle beam device which comprises at least two lens sub units 2, each sub unit having an optical axis 3, wherein at least two of the optical axes of the lens sub units are inclined to each other. Further, the invention provides a charged particle beam device which comprises at least one multiple-lens assembly and a method for operating a charged particle beam device.
US07928402B2
A radiation image detector includes a radiation-image-detector main body and a vacuum container. The radiation-image-detector main body generates charges by irradiation with an electromagnetic wave for recording that carries a radiation image and records the radiation image by accumulating the charges. The vacuum container is sealed to store the radiation-image-detector main body in a vacuum.
US07928395B2
An infrared sensor contains a sensor array and a sensitivity adjuster. The sensor array collects IR energy from an external scene, and the sensitivity adjuster adjusts a pixel grouping for light collection and/or readout, so that the resulting IR image is available at a required sensitivity level.
US07928392B1
System and method for blind echo cancellation in a received terahertz signal in a pulsed terahertz system for imaging or spectroscopy. Blind signal processing methods estimate the impulse response of the reflection mechanism and do not require a reference measurement to be taken. The reference signal may be recovered using a successive approach wherein the reference is first estimated using cross-correlation with the received signal and the received signal is represented as a function of the reference signal. For each successive echo, the calculated echo may be subtracted from the received signal and then the estimate of the reference signal is refined. Using an analytical approach, the parameters of a transfer function modeling the reflection mechanism may be estimated by optimizing a cost function.
US07928388B2
In an infrared detection sensor according to the present invention, all material constituting an upper portion of a sensing electrode in a supporting arm region is removed so that a supporting arm has low thermal conductivity. As a result, thermal conductivity of the infrared sensor structure is reduced, and the infrared detection sensor has excellent sensitivity.
US07928386B2
An ultra-sensitive optical detector with large time resolution, using a surface plasmon. The optical detector is configured to detect at least one photon, and including a dielectric substrate, and on the substrate, at least one bolometric detection component, that generates an electrical signal from the energy of received photon(s). Additionally, at least one coupling component is formed on the substrate, distinct from the detection component and including a metal component, and generates a surface plasmon by interaction with the photon(s) and guiding the plasmon right up to the detection component, which then absorbs the energy of the surface plasmon.
US07928382B2
An inspecting apparatus for reducing a time loss associated with a work for changing a detector is characterized by comprising a plurality of detectors 11, 12 for receiving an electron beam emitted from a sample W to capture image data representative of the sample W, and a switching mechanism M for causing the electron beam to be incident on one of the plurality of detectors 11, 12, where the plurality of detectors 11, 12 are disposed in the same chamber MC. The plurality of detectors 11, 12 can be an arbitrary combination of a detector comprising an electron sensor for converting an electron beam into an electric signal with a detector comprising an optical sensor for converting an electron beam into light and converting the light into an electric signal. The switching mechanism M may be a mechanical moving mechanism or an electron beam deflector.
US07928379B2
The invention concerns a phase plate for electron optical imaging, wherein the zero beam (4) is phase-shifted in order to obtain an image with optimum contrast through interference with the diffracted electron beams (5, 5′). The shading of diffracted electron beams (5, 5′) is kept to a minimum and shading that cannot be reconstructed from the obtained image data is prevented. This is achieved in that the electrode (1′) is designed as a shielded conductor (7), which is disposed to extend from a mounting (8) in a substantially radial direction towards the area of the zero beam (4), wherein the shielded conductor (7) has an end (9) in front of the area of the zero beam (4) such that a field (6) is formed between the conductor (7) and the shielding (10) surrounding it, which overlaps this area. The invention also concerns an imaging method for complete reconstruction of the image and an electron microscope (12) which is provided with the phase plate (1).
US07928374B2
Prior work on differential mobility analysis (DMA) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) has shown how to couple the output of the DMA with the inlet of an atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer (APCI-MS). However, the conventional ion inlet to an APCI-MS is a round orifice, while conventional DMA geometries make use of elongated slits. The coupling of two systems with such different symmetries limits considerably the resolutions attainable by the DMA in a DMA-MS combination below the value of the DMA alone. The purpose of this invention is to overcome this limitation in the case of a parallel plate DMA. One solution involves use of an elongated rather than a circular MS sampling hole, with the long dimension of the MS inlet hole aligned with that of the DMA slit. Another involves use of a more elongated orifice in the DMA exit and a more circular hole on the MS inlet, the two being connected either through a short transfer conduit or through an ion guide. The DMAs described can also be coupled profitably to detectors and analyzers other than mass spectrometers.
US07928373B2
Ions in a predefined narrow mass to charge ratio range are isolated in an ion trap by adjusting the field and using ejection frequency waveform(s). The ejection waveforms have frequency components in a first and a second dimension, and, are applied across electrodes aligned along a first and a second dimension. Thus the mass-to-charge ratio isolation window is controlled and has an improved resolution without increasing the number of frequency components.
US07928364B2
The invention provides for efficient collection of analyte ions and neutral molecules from surfaces for their subsequent analysis with spectrometry. In an embodiment of the invention, a ‘multiple desorption ionization source’ includes a tube which can contain ions for subsequent sampling within a defined spatial resolution from desorption ionization at or near atmospheric pressures. In an embodiment, electrostatic fields are used to direct ions a plurality of tubes positioned in close proximity to the surface of the sample being analyzed. In an embodiment of the present invention, either narrow inside diameter capillary tubes or wide diameter tubes can be used in combination with a vacuum inlet to draw ions and neutrals into the spectrometer for analysis. In an embodiment of the invention, a dopant is introduced into a tube to analyze the sample. In an embodiment of the invention, a plurality of ionization sources is used to analyze the sample.
US07928363B2
A method is disclosed of identifying parent ions by matching daughter ions found to be produced at substantially the same time that the parent ions elute from a mixture. Ions emitted from an ion source (1) are transmitted to a fragmentation device (4) comprising an Electron Capture Dissociation, an Electron Transfer Dissociation or a Surface Induced Dissociation fragmentation device. The fragmentation device (4) is alternately and repeatedly switched between a first mode wherein the ions are substantially fragmented to produce daughter ions and a second mode wherein the ions are not substantially fragmented. Mass spectra are taken in both modes. At the end of an experimental run parent and daughter ions are recognized by comparing the mass spectra obtained in the two different modes. Daughter ions are matched to particular parent ions on the basis of the closeness of fit of their elution times, and this enables parent ions then to be identified.
US07928361B1
A particle detection system is configured and operated as two or more separate and completely independent detection systems. The detection systems may be of the same or different design, may be operated in the same or different modes, and may be operated with the same or different operating parameters. Each detection system may record signals simultaneously, or alternately; the measurements obtained from each of the detection systems may either be combined into a single unified data set, or recorded separately. Means are provided to direct particles to impinge on one of the detectors or any of the other detectors. Alternatively, a population of particles can be dispersed in a manner that allows a population of particles to be distributed among two or more detectors simultaneously. The implementation of completely independent detection systems, for example, in a Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer, allows the design and operation of each detection system to be optimized independently, while being employed simultaneously. The flexibility afforded by the apparatus and methods in the invention allows signals to be recorded with enhanced signal dynamic range, signal-to-noise, and/or temporal resolution, relative to other presently available detection systems.
US07928356B2
The resolution obtained by an imaging system utilizing separable photons can be achieved by an imaging system making use of entangled photons. Since resolution is not being increased from the separable-photon system, the imaging system utilizing entangled photons can take advantage of a smaller aperture. This results in a smaller and lighter system, which can be especially valuable in satellite imaging where weight and size play a vital role.
US07928355B2
A pixel for detecting at least a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum may be provided. The pixel includes a detector element for detecting at least a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, a bias point coupled to an output of the detector element for applying a biasing voltage to the detector element and capable of affecting the electrical output of the first detector element, an interface-trap charge pump coupled to the output of the bias point for charge pumping current from the detector, a collection point coupled to the output of the bias point for accumulating an electrical output of the detector element, and an output point for providing an electrical output of the pixel.
US07928354B2
Software, methods, and systems for calibrating photometric devices are provided. These involve using a non-uniform test illumination field to approximate a photon transfer curve by calculating stable pixel values and statistical dispersions on a pixel-by-pixel basis.
US07928349B2
Various blanks are provided for forming sleeves, containers, and other constructs for heating, browning, and/or crisping of a food item in a microwave oven, and for holding and/or transporting the food item after heating. The various blanks, sleeves, containers, and other constructs include a removable portion defined by one or more lines of disruption that enable the removable portion to be separated from the remainder of the blank, sleeve, container, or other construct.
US07928340B2
A control method for an arc welding apparatus having a function of prohibiting detection of neck based on a change amount of welding voltage and an arc welding apparatus using the method. Thus, since neck determination can be carried out accurately by preventing wrong detection of neck, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of spatter.
US07928328B2
A weighing machine having a weighing platform includes a detection unit for outputting a detection voltage depending on a load acting on the measuring platform; a first data generation unit for A-D converting the detection voltage to generate first data; a second data generation unit for A-D converting the detection voltage to generate second data; and a control unit which stops operating the second data generation unit and monitors the first data in a standby state, switches from the standby state to a measurement state when the control unit senses that an object is placed on the weighing platform, then stops operating the first data generation unit and operates the second data generation unit, and outputs the measured weight of the object according to the second data. The first data generation unit consumes less power but has a lower A-D conversion precision than the second data generation unit.
US07928326B2
Systems and methods for minimizing the transmission and reception of electromagnetic interference (“EMI”) are provided. A member having first and second sides and at least one edge can be formed to correspond to the interior of an enclosure. At least one aperture can penetrate the member from the first side to the second side, forming at least one internal edge. A conductive layer can be disposed on or about the first side, the second side, the at least one edge, and the at least one internal edge of the member, thereby encapsulating the member.
US07928324B2
A gasketed collar for reducing EMI emission from a communication module is presented. The gasketed collar includes a conductive metal collar designed to fit at least partway around the communication module, and a gasket. The gasket is electrically conductive and compressible. The gasket fits at least partway around the communication module and overlaps the conductive metal collar. A communication module including such gasketed collar and a method of making such communication module are also presented.
US07928319B2
A photovoltaic cell comprising, a cathode layer, an electron donating layer, and an electron accepting anode structure comprising a collection region including one or a plurality of secondary collection regions attached to the collection region. The secondary collection regions of the anode preferably are in the shape of dispersed rod shaped branches extending within a continuous phase of the electron donating layer. The collection region is preferably located at a central point with respect to the secondary collection regions, to thereby provide a photovoltaic cell structure with improved charge collection and efficiency of operation.
US07928316B2
The present invention is a contoured backpan for a solar concentrator array. The backpan has depressions integrally formed in its bottom surface for seating solar concentrator modules. The depressions, in combination connecting toughs, provide a structure which is able to support an array of solar concentrators. Optional stiffening members may be attached to fee backpan to provide additional structural rigidity, as well as to support a front panel for the array.
US07928307B2
The system describes a karaoke system that enhances the experience of singing along with music, but without the need to display the lyrics. The system includes a combination of a vocal track reducer and an echo canceller, decision logic for determining when a person is talking or singing (double-talk detector) and a method for “ducking” (i.e., attenuating) the vocal track when the singing is detected. No special CD or DVD with lyric tracks is required, making the system capable of working with CD, mp3, AM, FM, HD radio, satellite radio signals, or any other suitable content source. The result is that any content source may potentially be used as a karaoke soundtrack without any pre-modification.
US07928297B1
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated XB49X08. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety XB49X08, to the plants of soybean XB49X08 to plant parts of soybean variety XB49X08 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety XB49X08 with another soybean plant, using XB49X08 as either the male or the female parent.
US07928295B2
The invention provides specific transgenic rice plants, plant material and seeds, characterized in that these products harbor a specific transformation event at a specific location in the rice genome. Tools are also provided which allow rapid and unequivocal identification of the event in biological samples.
US07928278B2
The subject invention pertains to a method, apparatus, and composition of matter for producing near-infrared (near-IR) radiation. The subject invention can incorporate a polymer and a metal-containing compound, wherein the metal-containing compound can incorporate a metal-ligand complex, wherein when the metal-ligand complex becomes excited, energy is transferred from the ligand to the metal, wherein, the energy transferred to the metal by sensitization is emitted as near-infrared radiation. In a specific embodiment, the subject invention relates to a composition of matter having a luminescent polymer and a metal containing compound where the metal containing compound incorporates a metal-ligand complex such that the absorption spectrum of the metal-ligand complex at least partially overlaps with the emission spectrum of the luminescent polymer. As the absorption spectrum of the metal-ligand complex at least partially overlaps with the emission spectrum of the luminescent polymer, when the luminescent polymer becomes electronically excited energy can be transferred from the luminescent polymer to the metal-ligand complex. At least a portion of the energy transferred from the luminescent polymer to the metal-ligand complex can then be emitted by the metal-ligand complex as near-infrared radiation. The subject invention can incorporate polymers which are conjugated or non-conjugated and luminescent or non-luminescent. In a specific embodiment, conjugated polymers which are luminescent can be utilized.
US07928275B2
Process for the preparation of acetylene from hydrocarbons by partial oxidation, arc cleavage or pyrolysis, the material stream comprising the acetylene and soot obtained being fed to a compressor, wherein a liquid which takes up the major part of the soot present in the material stream is sprayed into the compressor.
US07928267B1
Novel trivalent organophosphite ligands having the structure of general formula (I): wherein R is an alkyl or aryl group containing 1 to 30 carbon atoms; Ar1 and Ar2 are aryl groups containing 4 to 30 carbon atoms; R1 to R6 are H or alkyl or aryl hydrocarbon radicals containing 1 to 40 carbon atoms; and X is a connecting group or a simple chemical bond, were developed and found to be very active for hydroformylation processes for ethylenically unsaturated substrates. Catalyst solutions prepared from these ligands with a Rh metal show an unusual “ligand acceleration effect” for simple alkenes, i.e., the hydroformylation activity increases as the concentration of ligand increases, and are capable of producing linear or branched aldehydes under typical hydroformylation conditions.
US07928259B2
A method for preparing substantially pure optionally substituted diaryl alkylphosphonates from an optionally substituted triarylphosphite and an optionally substituted trialkylphosphite or an optionally substituted alkanol under special reaction conditions is described.
US07928258B2
Diol derived blocked mercaptofunctional silane compositions in which the silanes comprise cyclic and bridged alkoxy groups derived from hydrocarbon-based diols and processes for their preparation are provided. Also provided are rubber compositions comprising the cyclic diol-derived blocked mercaptofunctional silanes, processes for their preparation and articles of manufacture comprising the rubber compositions, in particular, automotive tires and components thereof.
US07928257B2
This invention provides a method for producing an optically active aziridine compound or amine compound, which uses as a catalyst a Ru(salen)(CO) complex represented by the following formula (I) or its enantiomer having a high stability, in a high turnover number (TON) and a high enantioselectivity. In the formula (I), Ar is represented by the following formula (VI) or (VII), wherein in the formula (VI), Xs are independently a halogen or a halogenated alkyl group and R1 and R2s are independently hydrogen or an alkyl group or a trialkylsilyl group having a carbon number of 1-4, and in the formula (VII), R3 is a bulky group.
US07928255B2
This invention is directed to lipoxin A4 analogs of the following formula (I) and (II): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are described herein. These analogs are useful in treating inflammatory and autoimmune disorders in humans. These analogs are also useful in treating pulmonary or respiratory tract inflammation in humans.
US07928254B2
The invention concerns a method for preparing a compound of formula (I), wherein: R3 and R1 represent in particular H and n is greater than 4, said preparation method including performing a Wittig-Horner reaction with a phosphonate on a lactol, so as to obtain a hydroxyester and, optionally a saponification reaction of said hydroxyester.
US07928248B2
Benzopyran and benzoxepin compounds of Formulas I and II, and including stereoisomers, geometric isomers, tautomers, solvates, metabolites and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, are useful for inhibiting lipid kinases including p110 alpha and other isoforms of PI3K, and for treating disorders such as cancer mediated by lipid kinases. Methods of using compounds of Formulas I and II for in vitro, in situ, and in vivo diagnosis, prevention or treatment of such disorders in mammalian cells, or associated pathological conditions, are disclosed.
US07928246B2
The present invention relates to compounds of Formula (I), methods for preparing these compounds, compositions, intermediates and derivatives thereof and for treating glucokinase mediated disorders. More particularly, the compounds of the present invention are glucokinase modulators useful for treating disorders including, but not limited to, type II diabetes.
US07928242B2
Disclosed are electroluminescent metal complexes with triazoles of the formula (I), where n1 is an integer of 1 to 3, m1 and m2 each are an integer 0, 1 or 2, M1 is a metal with an atomic weight of greater than 40, L1 is a monodentate ligand or a bidentate ligand, L2 is a monodentate ligand, Q2 stands for an organic bridging group completing, together with the bonding carbon atoms of the triazole ring, an annellated, carbocyclic or heterocyclic, non-aromatic ring, which optionally may be substituted, Q3 represents a group of forming a condensed aromatic, or heteroaromatic ring, which can optionally be substituted, as well as new intermediates for the preparation of these complexes, electronic devices comprising the metal complexes and their use in electronic devices, especially organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), as oxygen sensitive indicators, as phosphorescent indicators in bioassays, and as catalysts.
US07928238B2
The invention is directed to compounds of Formula (I) described herein useful as CETP inhibitors, compositions containing them, and methods of using them.
US07928237B2
The present invention provides a novel class of fused ring azadecalin compounds and methods of using the compounds as glucocorticoid receptor modulators.
US07928230B2
A method of modulating the activity of the GPR119 G protein-coupled receptor comprising administering to a mammalian patient in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound of Formula I or Formula IA and, optionally, an additional therapeutic agent.
US07928227B2
This invention relates to novel diaryl ureas, pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds and the use of those compounds or compositions for treating hyper-proliferative and angiogenesis disorders, as a sole agent or in combination with cytotoxic therapies.
US07928226B2
The invention relates to salts and free base forms of N,2-dimethyl-6-[7-(2-morpholinoethoxy)quinolin-4-yloxy]benzofuran-3-carboxamide. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions of these salts and free base forms and methods of treating disorders such as cancer using such compositions.
US07928224B2
The present invention provides a compound of the following formula (I) below. This compound (I) can be produced by reacting a 2,2′-dimethylene bromide-1,1′-binaphthyl derivative, which can be produced by a relatively small number of processes, with an easily available secondary amine. This compound (I) is useful as a chiral phase-transfer catalyst.
US07928215B2
The present inventors succeeded in isolating GWT1 (PfGWT1), which is one of the enzymes involved in GPI biosynthesis in the malaria parasite P. falciparum. In addition, the inventors revealed that degenerate mutant DNAs, with a lower AT content than the DNA encoding the PfGWT1 protein, can complement the phenotype of GWT1-deficient yeast. Based on the findings, the present invention provides the GWT1 protein of malaria parasites and the use of the protein in methods of screening for antimalarial drugs. The present invention also provides degenerate mutant DNAs encoding proteins involved in GPI biosynthesis, and which have a lower AT content than the original DNAs. The present invention also provides methods of screening for antimalarial drugs which use the degenerate mutant DNAs.
US07928213B2
The present invention provides for an isolated polynucleotide sequence encoding a chimeric CD154, comprising a first nucleotide sequence encoding an extracellular subdomain of non-human CD154, preferably murine CD154, that replaces a cleavage site of human CD154, and a second nucleotide sequence encoding an extracellular subdomain of human CD154 that binds to a human CD154 receptor. The present invention also provides for the chimeric CD154 that is encoded by the above-described polynucleotide sequence, an expression vector and a genetic vector comprising the polynucleotide sequence, a host cell comprising the expression vector or the genetic vector, a process for producing the chimeric CD154, and methods for utilizing the expression vectors and genetic constructs containing the chimeric CD154 polynucleotide sequences.
US07928201B2
Described is a novel family of cell surface serpentine transmembrane antigens. Two of the proteins in this family are exclusively or predominantly expressed in the prostate, as well as in prostate cancer, and thus members of this family have been termed “STEAP” (Six Transmembrane Epithelial Antigens of the Prostate). Four particular human STEAPs are described and characterized herein. The prototype member of the STEAP family, STEAP-1, appears to be a type IIIa membrane protein expressed predominantly in prostate cells in normal human tissues. Structurally, STEAP-1 is a 339 amino acid protein characterized by a molecular topology of six transmembrane domains and intracellular N- and C-termini, suggesting that it folds in a “serpentine” manner into three extracellular and two intracellular loops. STEAP-1 protein expression is maintained at high levels across various stages of prostate cancer. Moreover, STEAP-1 is highly over-expressed in certain other human cancers.
US07928197B2
The present invention relates to canine and feline proteins. In particular, the present invention discloses feline interleukin-18, feline caspase-1, feline interleukin-12 single chain and canine interleukin-12 single chain proteins. The present invention also includes feline interleukin-18, feline caspase-1, feline interleukin-12 single chain and canine interleukin-12 single chain nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins, antibodies raised against such proteins and/or inhibitors of such proteins or nucleic acid molecules. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such nucleic acid molecules, proteins, antibodies and/or inhibitors, as well as their use to evaluate and regulate an immune response in an animal.
US07928196B2
A novel gene (designated 125P5C8) and its encoded protein, and variants thereof, are described wherein 125P5C8 exhibits tissue specific expression in normal adult tissue, and is aberrantly expressed in the cancers listed in Table I. Consequently, 125P5C8 provides a diagnostic, prognostic, prophylactic and/or therapeutic target for cancer. The 125P5C8 gene or fragment thereof, or its encoded protein, or variants thereof, or a fragment thereof, can be used to elicit a humoral or cellular immune response; antibodies or T cells reactive with 125P5C8 can be used in active or passive immunization.
US07928192B2
ADP-ribosylating toxins from Neisseria meningitidis, Streptomyces coelicolor, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella paratyphi, and Streptococcus pyogenes are disclosed, together with mutant toxins and uses therefor. There is only a low level of sequence identity between these toxins and toxins such as cholera toxin and E. coli heat labile toxin.
US07928182B2
An organic composition including a) a glycerol polycarbonate of the formula: in which m is equal to at least 2, and has a value from 2 to 100; b) a glycerol of formula: in which n and p are each equal to at least 2, each having a value from 2 to 150; and c) a [(α-hydroxymethyl) oxyethylene (α-hydroxymethyl) ethylene carbonate)] copolymer of the formula: in which x is equal to at least 2 and has a value between 2 and 100, y is equal to at least 2 and has a value between 2 and 100 and q is equal to at least 2 and has a value between 2 and 100.
US07928169B2
A CPVC composition having good impact and heat stability includes a siloxane-acrylic copolymer impact modifier and an aluminosilicate zeolite, and a reduced amount of a liquid stabilizer such as a tin compound. Such compositions can be formed into piping for indoor and outdoor water systems including hot water.
US07928164B2
A homogeneous polymer blend comprises a thermoplastic first polymer having a crystallinity of at least 30%; and a second polymer having a crystallinity of more than 5% and being at least partially cross-linked.
US07928163B2
Disclosed herein are non-natural amino acids and polypeptides that include at least one non-natural amino acid, and methods for making such non-natural amino acids and polypeptides. The non-natural amino acids, by themselves or as a part of a polypeptide, can include a wide range of possible functionalities, but typical have at least one oxime, carbonyl, dicarbonyl, and/or hydroxylamine group. Also disclosed herein are non-natural amino acid polypeptides that are further modified post-translationally, methods for effecting such modifications, and methods for purifying such polypeptides. Typically, the modified non-natural amino acid polypeptides include at least one oxime, carbonyl, dicarbonyl, and/or hydroxylamine group. Further disclosed are methods for using such non-natural amino acid polypeptides and modified non-natural amino acid polypeptides, including therapeutic, diagnostic, and other biotechnology uses.
US07928161B2
Polymer dispersions are prepared by reaction of a polyisocyanate and a hydroxylmethyl containing polyester polyol derived from a fatty acid to form a prepolymer, dispersing the prepolymer in an aqueous phase and then curing the prepolymer to form solid particle particles. The prepolymers can be prepared having isocyanate, hydroxyl, or a variety of other reactive functional groups. The dispersions are useful in a variety of coating, sealant, adhesive and elastomer applications.
US07928159B2
A process for providing interaction between particulate filler and a functionalized polymer involves a composition that includes at least three components: (1) a polymer that includes a functional group including an acidic cation of a primary or secondary amine functionality, (2) a material including a functionality capable of reacting with the acidic cation, and (3) particulate filler. The amine functionality from (1) is allowed to interact with (3) after being neutralized by the action of the acid-reactive functionality from (2). The process is useful in the formation of vulcanizates and articles made therefrom.
US07928158B2
The present invention relates to copolymer process aids having a carboxylic anhydride or acid functionality and a hydrophobic functionality. The copolymer process aid can be used in the exfoliation of a nanoclay, where it can be made in situ; and can also serve as a compatibilizer for exfoliated nanoclays with a polymer matrix, including with impact modified polymer matrices.
US07928154B2
A method for preparing a polymer-organoclay composite composition comprises combining a solvent and an unexfoliated organoclay to provide a first mixture, wherein the unexfoliated organoclay comprises alternating inorganic silicate layers and organic layers, and has an initial spacing between the silicate layers; exposing the first mixture to an energized condition of a sufficient intensity and duration to increase the initial spacing of the inorganic silicate layers, to provide a second mixture; contacting the second mixture with a polymer composition so that the polymer composition fills at least one region located between at least one pair of silicate layers, wherein the polymer composition is at least partially soluble in the solvent; and removing at least a portion of the solvent from the second mixture, wherein the inorganic silicate layers remain separated by the polymer after removal of the solvent.
US07928151B2
A resin composition for a shell mold which reduces smoke generation upon molding of a casting mold and maintains a crumbility and a casting mold strength of a phenolic resin, and resin coated sand by the use thereof are provided. The resin composition for the shell mold includes the phenolic resin and an aromatic condensed phosphate ester. The phenolic resin is used as a binder of the resin coated sand used for producing a main mold and a core for shell mold casting of cast iron, cast steel, aluminum, and the like. The aromatic condensed phosphate ester is very effective as a crumbling agent for improving the crumbility of the casting mold after casting.
US07928147B2
Novel wash and carrier solutions ideally suited for topical administration (e.g., as wash solutions and as carrier solutions). The solutions described herein are non-toxic, non-irritating, isotonic, possess non-specific broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, and have an alkaline pH. Also disclosed are sterile preparations of the solutions and methods of using the same.
US07928132B2
Methods of ameliorating episodes of accute or chronic colitis are provided by using methimazole derivatives and tautomeric cyclic thiones in combination with another pharmaceutical compound.
US07928127B2
The present invention provides novel compounds of formulas I-IX, as described herein. Also provided are compositions of compounds of formulas I-IX, methods of making compounds of formulas I-IX, and methods of using compounds of formulas I-IX. The compounds of the invention can be used to inhibit matrix metalloproteinases, and are useful to treat conditions and diseases associated therewith.
US07928118B2
Pharmaceutical formulations and methods including an immune response modifier (IRM) compound and an oleic acid component are provided where stability is improved by using oleic acid have low polar impurities such as peroxides.
US07928105B2
Disclosed are compounds of the following formula: in which R1, R2, R5, R6, R7, R31, u, and X are defined in the specification. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions, kits, and articles of manufacture, which contain the compounds, methods and intermediates useful for making the compounds, and methods of using the compounds to treat diseases, disorders, and conditions related to PARP activity.
US07928101B2
The present invention provides a fused polycyclic compound of the following formula, analogues thereof and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; and agents for increasing the sugar-transporting capacity, hypoglycemic agents and pharmaceutical compositions containing the above compounds. This fused polycyclic compound has high medicinal properties and few side-effects, and a therapeutic effect on diabetes. wherein R represents an alkoxy group, R′ represents an oxazolylpropionyl group or a thiazolylpropionyl group, and R″ represent a hydrogen atom.
US07928081B2
The invention relates to the cancer antigen PRAME (PReferentially expressed Antigen in MElanoma) and its use in a method of treatment of a tumour which comprises administering to a subject in need of treatment an effective amount of an inhibitor of PRAME, in combination with a second agent selected from the group of an inhibitor of HDAC (an HDACi) and a retinoid.
US07928074B2
Methods for treating an inflammatory or an immune condition are described. Methods for treating an inflammatory or an immune condition with IL-1 inhibitors and an inhibitor of B cell or T cell activation are described. Methods for treating an inflammatory or an immune condition with TNF inhibitors and an inhibitor of B cell or T cell activation are described.
US07928069B2
Described herein are crosslinked compounds useful in numerous treatments. Described herein are methods of making crosslinked compounds via (1) die oxidative coupling of two or more thiol compounds or (2) by the reaction between at least one thiol compound with at least one thiol-reactive compound.
US07928067B2
The present invention relates to compositions comprising a substantially pure compound represented by Structural Formula II: and methods of using such compounds to activate cytoprotective kinases.
US07928062B2
Methods are disclosed for inhibiting or disrupting Janus tyrosine kinase 3 (Jak3) dependent function in cells of lymphoid or myeloid origin, especially for blocking proliferation and function of lymphocytes (e.g., T-cells, B-cells). A Mannich base compound, or a derivative or modified compound, is employed which is capable of selectively inhibiting Jak3 while affecting other protein tyrosine kinase activities to a lesser extent or not at all, to provide beneficial effects such as mitigation of transplant rejection and alleviation of allergic responses with fewer side effects than with conventional immunosuppressive agents.
US07928051B2
Polyethylene which comprises ethylene homopolymers and/or copolymers of ethylene with 1-alkenes and has a molar mass distribution width Mw/Mn of from 3 to 30, a density of from 0.945 to 0.965 g/cm3, a weight average molar mass Mw of from 50 000 g/mol to 200 000 g/mol, a HLMI of from 10 to 300 g/10 min and has from 0.1 to 15 branches/1000 carbon atoms, wherein the 1 to 15% by weight of the polyethylene having the highest molar masses have a degree of branching of more than 1 branch of side chains larger than CH3/1000 carbon atoms, a process for its preparation, catalysts suitable for its preparation and also injection moldings in which this polyethylene is present.
US07928050B2
An improved method for predicting stability of liquid detergent composition, identifying and designing liquid detergent compositions that provide said desired stability, consumer acceptance and performance.
US07928045B2
A lubricant composition is disclosed that comprises lubricating oil and a mixture of at least two antioxidants, the first antioxidant being a substituted diphenylamine and/or a heterocyclic amine and the second antioxidant being a substituted phenol. Also disclosed is a method of increasing the oxidation stability of a lubricating oil comprising adding thereto at least two antioxidants, the first antioxidant being a substituted diphenylamine and/or a heterocyclic amine and the second antioxidant being a substituted phenol.
US07928044B2
An oil-soluble lubricating oil additive composition prepared by the process which comprises reacting a copolymer, with at least one ether compound and with at least one aromatic compound.
US07928033B2
The present invention relates to a catalyst for reducing mercury, which comprises a reagent comprising any of the sulfites of potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium, or any of the phosphates thereof, or a combination of them, as a main reagent of a catalyst component. And the present invention relates to the catalyst for reducing mercury, wherein the catalyst component is mixed with a different salt as an agent for inhibiting crystallization of the catalyst component.
US07928031B2
Disclosed is a catalyst composition based on an indium salt and an organic ionic liquid, a process for making the catalyst composition, and uses thereof. The catalyst composition is particularly suitable for Lewis acid catalysed electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions, such as Friedel-Crafts alkylation reactions an Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions.
US07928025B2
Thermal compression moldable nonwoven multilayered fibrous batts having substantially uniform density are provided, which are useful, for example, for fabrication of multi-density molded parts, such as multi-density molded vehicle liners. The nonwoven multilayered fibrous batts of uniform density comprising needle-punched first and second (and optionally third and/or fourth) fibrous batt layers formed with different fiber blends, wherein the multilayered batt can be molded into acoustical parts having multi-densities.
US07928024B2
A composite pad is made of two layers joined together at their interface. The top layer of the composite pad, which has a smooth surface has a dense and firm fine denier fibrous structure. The bottom layer of the composite pad has a lighter and softer coarser denier fibrous structure in order to be able to have a large fluid holding capacity. A method of manufacturing the composite stamp pad is described.
US07928021B2
A system for and method of processing, i.e., annealing semiconductor materials. By controlling the time, frequency, variance of frequency, microwave power density, wafer boundary conditions, ambient conditions, and temperatures (including ramp rates), it is possible to repair localized damage lattices of the crystalline structure of a semiconductor material that may occur during the ion implantation of impurities into the material, electrically activate the implanted dopant, and substantially minimize further diffusion of the dopant into the silicon. The wafer boundary conditions may be controlled by utilizing susceptor plates (4) or a water chill plate (12). Ambient conditions may be controlled by gas injection (10) within the microwave chamber (3).
US07928020B2
A method for fabricating a nitrogen-containing dielectric layer and semiconductor device including the dielectric layer in which a silicon oxide layer is formed on a substrate, such that an interface region resides adjacent to substrate and a surface region resides opposite the interface region. Nitrogen is introduced into the silicon oxide layer by applying a nitrogen plasma. After applying nitrogen plasma, the silicon oxide layer is annealed. The processes of introducing nitrogen into the silicon oxide layer and annealing the silicon oxide layer are repeated to create a bi-modal nitrogen concentration profile in the silicon oxide layer. In the silicon oxide layer, the peak nitrogen concentrations are situated away from the interface region and at least one of the peak nitrogen concentrations is situated in proximity to the surface region. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is incorporating the nitrogen-containing silicon oxide layers also disclosed.
US07928018B2
The application of oxynitriding treatment to electronic appliances involve the problem that N2 ions are formed to thereby damage any oxynitride film. It is intended to provide a method of plasma treatment capable of realizing high-quality oxynitriding and to provide a process for producing an electronic appliance in which use is made of the method of plasma treatment. There is provided a method of plasma treatment, comprising generating plasma with a gas for plasma excitation and introducing a treating gas in the plasma to thereby treat a treatment subject, wherein the treating gas contains nitrous oxide gas, this nitrous oxide gas introduced in a plasma of <2.24 eV electron temperature, so that the generation of ions tending to damage any insulating film is reduced to thereby realize high-quality oxynitriding. Further, there is provided a process for producing an electronic appliance in which use is made of the method of plasma treatment.
US07928010B2
Improved techniques to produce integrated circuit products are disclosed. The improved techniques permit smaller and less costly production of integrated circuit products. One aspect of the invention concerns covering test contacts (e.g., test pins) provided with the integrated circuit products using printed ink. Once covered with the ink, the test contacts are no longer electrically exposed. Hence, the integrated circuit products are not susceptible to accidental access or electrostatic discharge. Moreover, the integrated circuit products can be efficiently produced in a small form factor without any need for additional packaging or labels to electrically isolate the test contacts.
US07928003B2
A method of forming an interconnect structure comprising: forming a sacrificial inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer over a substrate, wherein the sacrificial IMD layer comprising a carbon-based film, such as amorphous carbon, advanced patterning films, porous carbon, or any combination thereof; forming a plurality of metal interconnect lines within the sacrificial IMD layer; removing the sacrificial IMD layer, with an oxygen based reactive process; and depositing a non-conformal dielectric layer to form air gaps between the plurality of metal interconnect lines. The metal interconnect lines may comprise copper, aluminum, tantalum, tungsten, titanium, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, tungsten nitride, or any combination thereof. Carbon-based films and patterned photoresist layers may be simultaneously removed with the same reactive process. Highly reactive hydrogen radicals processes may be used to remove the carbon-based film and simultaneously pre-clean the metal interconnect lines prior to the deposition of a conformal metal barrier liner.
US07927990B2
A method is provided to form densely spaced metal lines. A first set of metal lines is formed by etching a first metal layer. A thin dielectric layer is conformally deposited on the first metal lines. A second metal is deposited on the thin dielectric layer, filling gaps between the first metal lines. The second metal layer is planarized to form second metal lines interposed between the first metal lines, coexposing the thin dielectric layer and the second metal layer at a substantially planar surface. In some embodiments, planarization continues to remove the thin dielectric covering tops of the first metal lines, coexposing the first metal lines and the second metal lines, separated by the thin dielectric layer, at a substantially planar surface.
US07927987B2
Methods and devices for preventing channeling of dopants during ion implantation are provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate and depositing a sacrificial scattering layer over at least a portion a surface of the substrate, wherein the sacrificial scattering layer includes an amorphous material. The method further includes ion implanting a dopant through the sacrificial scattering layer to within a depth profile in the substrate. Subsequently, the sacrificial scattering layer can be removed such that erosion of the substrate surface is less than one percent of a thickness of the sacrificial scattering layer.
US07927983B2
Attenuation regions of laser light are removed or reduced in size using a slit located in the immediate vicinity of a surface to be irradiated so that a steep energy distribution is obtained in the end portions of the laser light. The reason why the slit is located in the immediate vicinity of the surface to be irradiated is to suppress the spread of the laser light. In addition, the attenuation regions of the laser light are folded by using a mirror instead of the slit to increase energy densities in the attenuation regions by one another so that a steep energy density distribution is obtained in the end portions of the laser light.
US07927972B2
Even if an oxygen ion implanted layer in a wafer for active layer is not a completely continuous SiO2 layer but a layer mixed partially with Si or SiOx, it is removed by here is provided a method for producing a bonded wafer in which it is possible to remove an oxygen ion implanted layer effectively as it is by repetitive treatment with an oxidizing solution and HF solution at a step of removing the oxygen ion implanted layer in a bonded wafer.
US07927949B2
A semiconductor memory device manufacturing method includes forming a floating gate electrode above a semiconductor substrate, forming an interelectrode insulating film above the floating gate electrode, forming a first radical nitride film on a surface of the interelectrode insulating film by first radical nitriding, and forming a control gate electrode on the first radical nitride film.
US07927936B2
A crystallization method includes providing a substrate having a silicon thin film; positioning a laser mask having first to fourth blocks on the substrate, each block having a periodic pattern including a plurality of transmitting regions and a blocking region; and crystallizing the silicon thin film by irradiating a laser beam through the laser mask. A polycrystalline silicon film crystallized by this method is substantially free from a shot mark, and has uniform crystalline characteristics.
US07927932B2
A semiconductor device according to example embodiments may have a plurality of stacked transistors. The semiconductor device may have a lower insulating layer formed on a semiconductor substrate and an upper channel body pattern formed on the lower insulating layer. A source region and a drain region may be formed within the upper channel body pattern, and a non-metal transfer gate electrode may be disposed on the upper channel body pattern between the source and drain regions. The non-metal transfer gate electrode, the upper channel body pattern, and the lower insulating layer may be covered by an intermediate insulating layer. A metal word line may be disposed within the intermediate insulating layer to contact at least an upper surface of the non-metal transfer gate electrode. An insulating spacer may be disposed on a sidewall of the metal word line. A metal node plug may be disposed within the intermediate insulating layer and the lower insulating layer to contact the source region of the upper channel body pattern. Example embodiments also relate to a method of fabricating the above semiconductor device.
US07927926B2
A non-volatile semiconductor storage device has a plurality of memory strings with a plurality of electrically rewritable memory cells connected in series. Each of the memory strings comprises: a first columnar semiconductor layer extending in a vertical direction to a substrate; a charge accumulation layer formed around the first columnar semiconductor layer via a first insulation layer; and a first conductive layer formed around the charge accumulation layer via a second insulation layer. Each of the first conductive layers is formed to expand in a two-dimensional manner, and air gaps are formed between the first conductive layers located there above and there below.
US07927925B2
Spreading or keep out zones may be formed in integrated circuit packages by altering the roughness of package surfaces. The surface roughness can be altered by applying or growing particles having a dimension less than 500 nanometers. Hydrophilic surfaces may be made hemi-wicking and hydrophobic surfaces may be made hemi-wicking by particles of the same general characteristics.
US07927922B2
A dice rearrangement package structure is provided, which a dice having an active surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of pads is disposed on the active surface; a package body is provided to cover the dices and the plurality of pads being exposed; one ends of plurality of metal traces is electrically connected to the each pads; a protection layer is provided to cover the active surface and the other ends of the exposed metal traces is electrically connected to the plurality of conductive elements, the characteristic in that the package body is a B-stage material.
US07927918B2
An apparatus and a method for packaging semiconductor devices. The apparatus is a three-dimensional electronic package comprising one or more electronic components, a plurality of electrical contact pads, and a plurality of electrically conductive three-dimensional plugs formed through an encapsulant. Specific ones of the plurality of electrical contact pads are electrically coupled to the one or more electronic components on an uppermost surface of the plurality of electrical contact pads. The encapsulant is formed over and covers the one or more electronic devices. The plurality of three-dimensional plugs have a first end extending from at least the uppermost portion of one or more of the plurality of electrical contact pads and a second end extending substantially to an uppermost surface of the encapsulant.
US07927916B2
An optic wafer for assembly with an imager wafer, the optic wafer comprising a plurality of reliefs in a surface thereof coincident with street locations separating mutually adjacent optic element locations. A wafer assembly that includes the optic wafer and an imager wafer and methods of dicing a wafer assembly are also disclosed.
US07927911B2
A method for fabricating a multi-layer phase change memory device includes forming a phase change memory layer including a plurality of phase change memory elements on a word line formed on a plurality of semiconductor devices on a first semiconductor substrate, each phase change element having a notch formed at an upper surface thereof, forming an access device layer including plurality of access devices on a second semiconductor substrate, each access device having a conductive bump formed thereon, and combining the first and second semiconductor substrates and slidably inserting and locking each conductive bump of the plurality of access devices into each notch of the plurality of phase change memory elements to electrically connect the access devices to the phase change memory elements.
US07927903B2
An indirect connection to and across a photodiode array. The backside contact is used as one portion which connects to a capacitor. The capacitor forms a shunt across the bulk substrate, thus shunting across the series resistance of the substrate, and reducing the series resistance.
US07927898B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for packaging IC (integrated circuit) chips to enable both optical access to the back side of an IC chip and electrical access to the front side of the IC chip.
US07927897B2
A photoresist composition includes a binder resin, a photo acid generator, an acryl resin having four different types of monomers, and a solvent.
US07927895B1
A method for determining resistances of defects in a test structure, comprising: forming a first layer of the test structure having elements under test; generating a first e-beam image of the first layer, the first e-beam image graphically identifying defects detected at the first layer, each defect at the first layer having a corresponding grey scale level; adding capacitance to the structure by forming a metal layer of the structure; generating a second e-beam image of the metal layer, the second e-beam image graphically identifying defects detected at the metal layer, each defect at the metal layer having a corresponding grey scale level; generating a pattern of grey scale levels for each defect based on the corresponding grey scale level of each defect at each layer of the test structure; and determining a resistive range of each defect based on the pattern of grey scale levels generated for each defect.
US07927891B2
A lower electrode film is formed above a semiconductor substrate first, and then a ferroelectric film is formed on the lower electrode film. After that, an upper electrode film is formed on the ferroelectric film. When forming the upper electrode, an IrOx film containing crystallized small crystals when formed is formed on the ferroelectric film first, and then an IrOx film containing columnar crystals is formed.
US07927882B2
A method and apparatus for performing a first measurement on a biological fluid or control, which first measurement varies with both the concentration of a first component and at least one of the presence and concentration of a second component. The method and apparatus perform a second measurement on the biological fluid or control, which second measurement varies primarily only with the at least one of the presence and concentration of the second component to develop an indication of the at least one of the presence and concentration of the second component. The first and second measurements may be made sequentially or simultaneously. The method and apparatus then remove an amount representative of the indicated presence or concentration of the second component from the concentration of the first component indicated by the first measurement.
US07927873B2
The present invention provides a new class of non-viral transduction vectors that can be used for both in vivo and in vitro applications. The present invention also provides a gene transfer vector that has comparable efficiency to a viral vector without the potential for a life-threatening immune response. Complexes according to the invention or portions thereof, can comprise a cellular delivery molecule or agent that can facilitate the translocation of the complex or portion thereof into cells. In some embodiments, cellular delivery molecules for use in the present invention may comprise one or more polymers of the present invention, e.g., polyamides, dendritic macromolecules and carbohydrate-containing degradable polyesters.
US07927864B2
The inventive subject matter relates to methods, kits, and compositions for detecting enzyme activity in a biological sample. In particular, the inventive subject matter relates to methods, kits, and compositions for detecting von Willebrand factor degrading enzyme activity in a biological sample.
US07927860B2
The present invention relates to a novel yeast strain, Eballistra lineata CM602 (KCTC 10945BP) and a phytase produced by the strain. The phytase is thermo- and pH-stable, and also shows a superior enzyme activity at a body temperature of a domestic animal, thus being useful as an additive of forage which may increase the utilization of organic phosphorus. Further, Eballistra lineata CM602 (KCTC 10945BP) strain may be used for a mass-production of enzyme by maximizing biosynthesis of phytase by means of gene recombination techniques, fermentation and optimization.
US07927847B2
A process is provided to improve the specific activity of an enzyme catalyst having nitrilase activity when converting glycolonitrile to glycolic acid under aqueous reaction conditions. Inclusion of an effective amount of at least one amine protectant improves the specific activity and catalytic productivity of the enzyme catalyst.
US07927838B2
Methods for linearly amplifying mRNA to produce antisense RNA are provided. In the subject methods, mRNA is converted to double-stranded cDNA using a promoter-primer having a poly-dT primer site linked to a promoter sequence so that the resulting double-stranded cDNA is recognized by an RNA polymerase. The resultant double-stranded cDNA is then transcribed into antisense RNA in the presence of a reverse transcriptase that is rendered incapable of RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity during this transcription step. The subject methods find use a variety of different applications in which the preparation of linearly amplified amounts of antisense RNA is desired. Also provided are kits for practicing the subject methods.
US07927836B2
The present invention relates to a process and an apparatus for the fermentational production of biologically active materials, wherein a fermenter is located in an insulator which, in turn, is located within a working chamber or is adjacent to it. A pressure gradient in relation to ambient pressure prevails in both the insulator and in the working chamber.
US07927835B2
A novel P-selectin ligand glycoprotein is disclosed, comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or by the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:4. DNA sequences encoding the P-selectin ligand protein are also disclosed, along with vectors, host cells, and methods of making the P-selectin ligand protein. Pharmaceutical compositions containing the P-selectin ligand protein and methods of treating inflammatory disease states characterized by P-selectin- and E-selectin-mediated intercellular adhesion are also disclosed.
US07927819B2
The present invention relates to a method for stabilization of analytes in solutions of solubilized body samples. The method comprises the steps of solubilizing the body samples obtained from a subject in a suitable sample medium and stabilizing said body sample contained within the sample medium by heating said sample medium for a certain period of time. A further aspect of the invention is a method of a denaturing immunoassay of proteins in solution. The method comprises the steps of bringing a sample containing proteins into contact with a denaturing agent and heating said sample in the presence of the denaturing agent to allow the protein to be denatured.
US07927817B2
Hybrid antibodies and/or hybrid antibody fragments and methods of making them are provided. In one embodiment the hybrid antibodies and/or hybrid antibody fragments contain heavy and/or light variable regions that contain two or more framework regions derived from at least two antibodies. In another embodiment, at least two of the framework regions are classified in the same germline gene family. In one embodiment, at least two framework regions are classified in the same germline gene family member. The hybrid antibodies or hybrid antibody fragments may contain human framework regions and nonhuman CDRs.
US07927816B2
The invention provides a method of identifying an effective compound that modulates the binding of Humanin to Bax or Bid. The invention also provides a method of identifying an effective compound that modulates an activity of Bax or Bid. In addition, the invention provides a method of identifying a Humanin-like compound that binds to Bax or Bid or modulates an activity of Bax or Bid, or inhibits the apoptotic activity of Bax or Bid. The invention further provides an isolated polypeptide containing a mitochondrial-derived form of Humanin (SEQ ID NO:3) or a functional fragment thereof where the fragment contains the methionine at position 16 of SEQ ID NO:3.
US07927809B2
A family of minimally cross-hybridizing nucleotide sequences, methods of use, etc. A specific family of 210 24mers is described.
US07927804B2
Provided are a method of forming a signal probe-polymer which makes it possible to form a polymer efficiently and quantitatively, a signal probe-polymer formed by the method, oligonucleotide probes for use in the method, and a method of detecting target analyte having high sensitivity and excellent quantitative capability. The method of forming a signal probe-polymer comprises reacting a plurality of pairs of oligonucleotide probes with each other to form a polymer, a first probe of the pair of oligonucleotide probes comprising three nucleic acid regions of X, Y, and Z regions, located in the stated order from the 5′-terminal and a second probe comprising three nucleic acid regions of X′, Y′, and Z′ regions, located in the stated order from the 5′-terminal, wherein each region of the oligonucleotide probes has a length of from 13 to 15 bases.
US07927802B2
Disclosed herein is a method of orienting a carbon nanotube comprising functionalizing a nucleic acid or a carbon nanotube with a plurality of functional groups to form either a functionalized nucleic acid or a functionalized carbon nanotube; disposing a nucleic acid on a functionalized carbon nanotube or a functionalized nucleic acid on a carbon nanotube or a functionalized nucleic acid on a functionalized carbon nanotube to form a nucleic acid-carbon nanotube molecular composite; adsorbing the nucleic acid-carbon nanotube molecular composite upon a substrate; the substrate comprising a plurality of material phases, at least one of which the nucleic acid-carbon nanotube molecular composite has an affinity for; and orienting the nucleic acid-carbon nanotube molecular composite so that it contacts two or more identical material phases.
US07927800B2
The physiological regulation of intake, growth and energy partitioning in animals is under the control of multiple genes, which may be important candidates for unraveling the genetic variation in economically relevant traits in beef production. The present invention relates to the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the bovine gene encoding fibroblast growth factor 8 (“FGF8”) and their associations with economically relevant traits in beef production. The invention further encompasses methods and systems, including network-based processes, to manage the SNP data and other data relating to specific animals and herds of animals, veterinarian care, diagnostic and quality control data and management of livestock which, based on genotyping, have predictable meat quality traits, husbandry conditions, animal welfare, food safety information, audit of existing processes and data from field locations.
US07927787B2
The present disclosure relates to methods and systems that may be used for analysis of nutraceutical associated components.
US07927762B2
The method of manufacturing a cathode for a fuel cell in accordance with the present invention is a method of manufacturing a cathode for a fuel cell equipped with a catalyst layer containing a catalyst, and includes a potential providing step of providing a precursor layer containing the catalyst with a potential higher than 1.3 V with reference to a standard hydrogen electrode, so as to form the catalyst layer.
US07927756B2
In the present invention, a material having a structure represented by formula (1) or (2) (wherein W equals N or C) is used as a solid electrolyte for a fuel cell. An electrolyte membrane having a small fuel crossover and a fuel cell having excellent ion conductivity and service capacity are obtained.
US07927744B2
A battery with a high capacity and superior cycle characteristics and an anode active material used in the battery are provided. An anode includes an anode active material capable of reacting with lithium. The anode active material includes at least tin, cobalt and carbon as elements, and the carbon content is within a range from 9.9 wt % to 29.7 wt % inclusive, and the ratio of cobalt to the total of tin and cobalt is within a range from 30 wt % to 70 wt % inclusive. Thereby, while a high capacity is maintained, cycle characteristics can be improved.
US07927739B2
An electrochemical secondary cell is disclosed. The cell includes a cathode, an anode, a cathode current collector including stainless steel, and an electrolyte containing a perchlorate salt and a second salt.
US07927738B2
A headspace insulator for a battery cell operatively coupled to circuitry within an implantable medical device in including one or more of the following: (a) a body of electrically and thermally insulating material disposed between a battery electrode assembly and a battery cover, (b) a receiving area within the body that receives and isolates a battery feedthrough pin, (c) an indentation within the receiving area retaining the feedthrough pin within the receiving area, (d) a raised portion coupled to a battery cover providing an air gap between the cover and the headspace insulator near case-to-cover weld areas, (e) a feedthrough aperture adapted to receive a feedthrough assembly, (f) a pin aperture that receives the feedthrough pin, (g) a fillport aperture for electrolyte fluid flow through the headspace insulator, and (h) a slot that locates a battery weld bracket and isolates it from the feedthrough pin.
US07927737B2
A lithium battery includes a housing and a first electrode and a second electrode provided within the housing. A first tab is coupled to the first electrode and a second tab coupled to the second electrode. A pin is coupled to the second tab and extends to a location outside the housing. At least one of the first tab, the second tab, and the pin are formed from a material comprising vanadium.
US07927736B2
Apparatus and methodology subject matters relate to an improved electrochemical single or multi-cell energy storage device. Also, an outer casing may be provided as a pair of U-shaped shells, a single foil piece, or a tube-shaped structure which encases the internal electro chemical cell stack. The energy storage device and such casing when used advantageously exhibit low internal resistance, low ESR, a high voltage/capacity, and a low contact resistance between the internal stack and the outer casing.
US07927727B2
A secondary battery may be manufactured with an electrode assembly having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. A container encases the electrode assembly. A hole formed on one end of the container with a stepped configuration that opens with different diameters on opposite sides of a cap plate and a safety valve mounted in the stepped surface of the hole, is configured to rupture and tear open upon occurrence of a predetermined internal battery pressure.
US07927722B2
A process for forming a coating on a substrate, such as a turbine engine component, is provided. The process comprises the steps of: providing a first rare earth oxide stabilized zirconia composition; providing a second composition selected from the group consisting of a yttria stabilized zirconia composition, a ceria stabilized zirconia composition, alumina, a chromia-alumina composition, a gadolinia stabilized zirconia composition, and mixtures thereof; blending the first rare earth oxide stabilized zirconia composition with the second composition to form a blended powder; and depositing the blended powder onto the substrate. Articles having the coating formed from the above process are also described.
US07927716B2
An organic electroluminescence device having a layer of an organic light emitting medium which comprises (A) a specific arylamine compound and (B) at least one compound selected from specific anthracene derivatives, spirofluorene derivatives, compounds having condensed rings and metal complex compounds and is disposed between a pair of electrodes and an organic light emitting medium comprising the above components (A) and (B) are provided. The organic electroluminescence device exhibits a high purity of color, has excellent heat resistance and a long life and efficiently emits bluish to yellowish light. The organic light emitting medium can be advantageously used for the organic electroluminescence device.
US07927714B2
A metallic article for high temperature applications such as a turbine engine component is protected by a thermal barrier coating system on the article's metallic substrate. The thermal barrier coating system includes a bond coat layer of aluminum containing alloy on the metal substrate, an alumina layer on the bond coat layer and a ceramic thermal barrier layer on the alumina layer. The bond coat layer is doped with elemental barium that enhances the creep resistance of the alumina layer, thus, minimizing spallation of the ceramic thermal barrier layer.
US07927711B2
This invention relates to a durable layer for in-mold decoration. The durable layer is formed from a composition comprising (i) a thermally crosslinkable and photochemically or radically graftable polymer, (ii) a non-ethylenical thermal crosslinker, and (iii) a radiation curable multifunctional monomer or oligomer. The durable layer of the present invention has excellent surface quality with a wider geometric tolerance and can be formed at low cost.
US07927707B2
A plate material includes a substrate and a coating. The substrate is a plate-like member that does not have protrusions and depressions of submicron order oriented in the thickness direction thereof. The coating is formed on the surface of the substrate with a paint-like material having affinity with respect to the substrate.
US07927704B2
The present invention relates to two-component coating systems for producing flexible coatings. The coating systems comprise polyurethane prepolymers with allophanate structures and also amino-functional polyaspartic esters as curing agents.
US07927696B2
The visible light absorbing film according to the present invention is formed by a visible light absorbing ink having been coated on one side or both sides of a substrate which has solar radiation reflecting properties and whose visible light reflectance is 10% or more, and is characterized in that the degree of reduction of visible light reflectance is 0.9 or less as defined by degree of reduction of visible light reflectance=[visible light reflectance (%) after coating of the ink]/[visible light reflectance (%) before coating of the ink], and the degree of reduction of solar radiation reflectance is 0.25 or more as defined by degree of reduction of solar radiation reflectance=[solar radiation reflectance (%) after coating of the ink]/[solar radiation reflectance (%) before coating of the ink].
US07927695B2
Roofing composites and methods of producing the roofing composites are disclosed. The roofing composites are multi-layer structures in which two layers of the composite structures are bonded to each other by a thermoplastic elastomer composition. The layers are bonded to each other by heat fusing the elastomer composition in one embodiment. The composite structures have a variety of uses, including uses in construction materials such a roofing membranes, interior and exterior siding, and wall coverings.
US07927691B2
A prepreg composite material that includes a fiber layer and a resin comprising a thermoset resin component, a curing agent and a fibrous micropulp. The micropulp component is an aramid fiber having a volume average length of from 0.01 to 100 micrometers. The prepreg is useful in composite panel construction for minimizing fluid permeation into the cured structure. This prepreg is particularly suitable for making honeycomb sandwich panels. Film adhesives, liquid and paste resins containing aramid fiber micropulp are also disclosed.
US07927690B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a nonwoven fabric which is excellent in the heat resistance and the chemical resistance, of which the fiber diameter is small, which is excellent in the strength and of which the maximum pore diameter is small.A nonwoven fabric made of an ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, characterized in that the nonwoven fabric is mutually fused continuous fibers of an ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer which has a melt viscosity of from higher than 100 to 1,500 Pa·s at 240° C.
US07927684B2
A HVAC system of a motor vehicle includes a film having openings defined therein and moveable between open and closed positions. The film regulates airflow by opening and closing apertures defined in a housing of the HVAC system. The film is disposed in a film valve assembly containing first and second rollers that wind and unwind the film. The film includes a substrate that includes a fiber selected from the group of polyester-based fibers, glass-based fibers, and combinations thereof. An elastomeric layer is disposed on the substrate layer. The substrate also includes a silicone layer disposed on the elastomeric layer for minimizing noise created as the film moves between the open and closed positions.
US07927670B2
The invention concerns silica microspheres (M) having an outer diameter between 50 and 125 μm, preferably between 60 and 90 μm, a wall thickness not less than 1 μm, preferably between 1 and 3 μm and a density between 0.3 and 0.7/cm3, a manufacturing method by injecting silica microsphere precursors (MS, PR1, PR1′, PR2′) into an inductive plasma (P), assembly methods and possible uses of silica microspheres.
US07927662B2
A method of performing a CVD process on target substrates all together in a vertical CVD apparatus includes repeating, a plurality of times, first and second steps of supplying first and second reactive gases, respectively. The first reactive gas has a vapor pressure of 1.33 kPa or less, or a bond-dissociation energy of 250 kJ/mol or less. The second reactive gas has a vapor pressure of 2.66 kPa or more, and a bond-dissociation energy of 250 kJ/mol or more. The first reactive gas is supplied from a first delivery hole disposed at a bottom of the process chamber. The second reactive gas is supplied from a plurality of second delivery holes arrayed in a vertical direction at a position adjacent to edges of the target substrates entirely over a vertical length of the target substrates stacked at intervals.
US07927658B2
Disclosed herein is a process for producing a film, coating or powder employing a metallocene or metallocene-like precursor having the general formula CpMCp′, where M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Ru, Os and Fe; Cp is a first substituted cyclopentadienyl or cyclopentadienyl-like, e.g., indenyl, moiety that includes at least one substituent group D1, where D1 is X; Ca1Hb1Xc1; Ca2Hb2Xc2(C═O)Ca1Hb1Xc1; Ca2Hb2Xc2OCa1Hb1Xc1; Ca2Hb2Xc2(C═O)OCa1Hb1Xc1; or Ca2Hb2Xc2O(C═O)Ca1Hb1Xc1; and Cp′ is a second substituted cyclopentadienyl or cyclopentadienyl-like, e.g., indenyl, moiety that includes at least one substituent group D1′, where D1′ is X; Ca1Hb1Xc1; Ca2Hb2Xc2(C═O)Ca1Hb1Xc1; Ca2Hb2Xc2OCa1Hb1Xc1; Ca2Hb2Xc2(C═O)OCa1Hb1Xc1; or Ca2Hb2Xc2O(C═O)Ca1Hb1Xc1. D1 and D1′ are different from one another. X is a halogen atom or NO2; a1 is an integer between 1 to 8; b1 is an integer between 0 and 2(a1)+1−c1; c1 is an integer between 0 and 2(a1)+1−b1; b1+c1 is at least 1; a2 is an integer between 0 and 8; b2 is an integer between 0 and 2(a2)+1−c2; and c2 is an integer between 0 and 2(a2)+1−b2. The process can be used in manufacturing or processing electronic devices.
US07927654B2
The invention relates to methods of manufacturing display devices which include the steps of depositing a layer of a dielectric material directly on a substantially transparent substrate, depositing a layer of metal directly on top of the dielectric material, forming a plurality of apertures in the layer of metal, forming a control matrix on top of the metal layer, and forming a plurality of light-modulating shutter assemblies on top of and in electrical communication with the control matrix such that the control matrix controls the light modulation functionality of the plurality of shutter assemblies.
US07927641B2
A method of improving the storage and handling characteristics of a condensed whey permeate (“CWP”) comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a CWP that: (i) has a total solids content in the range of about 20% to about 75% by weight and has a water content in the range of about 80% to about 25% by weight; (ii) has a lactose concentration of at least 70% by weight of the total solids content; and (iii) is at a pH of less than 8; and (b) treating the CWP with at least a sufficient proportion of alkali to raise the pH to at least 8. Also, a method comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a CWP that does not exhibit substantial crystallization; and (b) treating the CWP with at least a sufficient proportion of alkali to reduce the amount of crystallization obtained using a 30 mesh screen for a sample of the treated CWP relative to a sample of the untreated CWP when tested after storing for 7 days at a temperature range having an upper limit that is at least 28° C. (50° F.) below the sufficient temperature to dissolve at a pH of about 7 an equivalent concentration of lactose in water to the concentration of lactose to water that is in the untreated CWP.
US07927637B2
The present invention provides a method to make a blue colorant as a liquid and as a powder, wherein the blue colorant is derived from unprocessed raw juice obtained from Genipa americana fruit pulp, and wherein said raw juice is mixed with glycine (liquid) or with glycine plus starch (powder). Except for an additional step of warming up the juice-glycine mix, and in the case of the powder further dehydration of the juice-glycine-starch remix, no further steps are required to make a temperature and PH stable blue colorant which may be applied in textile, pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, and other industries.
US07927635B2
The invention provides compositions and methods for inhibiting nematode damage to plants. The compositions comprise acid extracts or alcohol extracts from jugloneproducing members of the Juglandaceae. The methods comprise applying the compositions of the invention to soil contacting roots of nematode-susceptible plants.
US07927633B2
A natural adaptogenic tea is prepared from adaptogens to counter adverse physical, chemical, or biological stressors and to promote t-cell activity and k-cell activity. Also, the composition is high in antioxidants and discourages free radicals. Moreover, the composition improves liver performance, resulting in improved toxin removal and improved nutrient absorption. In addition to these benefits, the composition improves capillary dilation, thereby providing better oxygenation to the brain. The tea is prepared from adaptogens including rhodiola, ashwagandha, schizandra berry, eleuthero and astralagus. Also, the tea includes damiana leaf, passion flower, milk thistle, white willow bark, goji berry, mangosteen, pomegranate, green tea, and sarsaparilla.
US07927631B2
A formulation for well-being in humans including: extracts from the herbal varieties, Polygonum multiflorum, Panax quinquefolium, Gingko biloba, and Equisetum arvense; beta sitosterol methyl sulfonyl methane; soy isoflavones; levo-arginine; inositol; niacin; pantothenic acid or salts thereof; alpha-tocopherol; biotin; pyridoxine hydrochloride zinc (or amino acid chelate thereof); and colostrum.
US07927630B2
A method of using fluid aspirates as vehicles for drug delivery by collecting a fluid aspirate such as synovial joint effusion, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, or ascites from a patient and centrifuging the fluid aspirate to provide a supernatant and a sedimented material. The sedimented material can optionally be further purified. One or more factors such as cytokines, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), pharmaceutical drugs and gene vectors are added to the sedimented material or supernatant, optionally also including a biologically compatible medium such as a bioabsorbable sponge, so as to provide a vehicle for the one or more factors for reintroducion into the patient.
US07927629B2
A method of controlling a physical characteristic of polymeric nanocarrier-encapsulated protein particles includes altering or selecting a weight percentage of a hydrophobic polymer block in a total amphiphilic diblock copolymer of a primary emulsion of a double emulsion, freeze-thaw technique. The primary emulsion is formed using a freeze-thaw cycle of the amphiphilic diblock copolymer and a protein having a molecular weight of up to or equal to 300,000 Da. Selection of the hydrophobic polymer block percentage alters one or more characteristics of the resulting nanoparticles, such as shape. Thus, as one aspect, a method of producing filamentous polymeric nanocarrier-encapsulated protein (i.e., active enzyme) particles involves forming a primary emulsion using a freeze-thaw cycle of (i) an amphiphilic diblock copolymer, which has a molecular weight of about 10,000 to about 100,000 Da and comprises a conjugate of the hydrophobic polymer block and a hydrophilic polymer block, wherein the amphiphilic diblock copolymer comprises greater than 81% to about 95% by weight of the hydrophobic polymer block; and a protein having a molecular weight of up to or equal to about 300,000 Da. Various compositions comprising such filamentous-shaped nanocarrier particles, and methods of use for diagnosis and therapy are disclosed.
US07927624B2
An oral dosage form comprising a pharmaceutical tablet of one or more layers, one of which carries a biologically active substance; the formulation of said tablet includes different percentages of hydrophilic and lipophilic polymeric materials, and adjuvant substances. The tablets of the present invention show a release rate which is independent from the amounts of active substance present in the tablet.
US07927622B1
The invention deals with the transport of preferably large molecules across nasal mucosa by means of specially designed, highly adaptable carriers loaded with said molecules. One of the purposes of making such formulations is to achieve non-invasive systemic delivery of therapeutic polypeptides, proteins and other macromolecules; the other intent is to overcome circumstantially the blood-brain barrier by exploiting the nasal cavity to enter the body and then to get access to the brain. A third intent is to achieve successful protective or tolerogenic immunization via nasal antigen or allergen administration.
US07927621B2
A poly(thioester ester amide) copolymer and method of making and using the same are disclosed.
US07927617B2
The invention relates to preparations, in particular plant-protective preparations which contain a mixture of at least two different active plant-protective substances, wherein a) at least one active substance is selected from a conazole group (active substance 1) and b) another active-plant protective substance (active substance 2) whose water solubility at a temperature of 20° C. is less than 20 g/l., c) at least one type of copolymer CP consisting of M monomers comprising α) at least one type of monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M1 comprising at least one sulphonic acid group and β) at least one type of neutral monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M2, wherein the quantitative ratio between the active substance 1 and the other active plant-protective substance 2 ranges from 1:10 to 10:1. Said invention also relates to novel copolymers CP which are embodied in the form of polymers consisting of at least three types of different monoethylenically unsaturated monomers M and comprise, in the polymerization incorporated form, α) at least one type of monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M1 comprising at least one sulphonic acid group, β1) at least one type of neutral monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M2 whose water solubility at a temperature of 20° C. is less than 30 g/l and β2) at least one type of neutral monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M2b whose water solubility at a temperature of 20° C. is greater than 50 g/l.
US07927603B2
A recombinant fusion enzyme repairs DNA damaged by UV radiation, and the method of preparing recombinant fusion enzyme. The method includes the fusion of an enzyme coded by a gene isolated from Micrococcus luteus and a stabilizing peptide having the amino acid sequence described in SEQ ID NO 2. A treatment method intended to repair DNA lesions produced in cells exposed to UV radiation and to repair cell anomalies or lesions produced by sun exposure. Such treatment consists of the administration of a effective amount of recombinant fusion enzyme, or a vector containing the gene coding to the recombinant fusion enzyme, to patients requiring such treatment.
US07927597B2
A novel gene 109P1D4 and its encoded protein, and variants thereof, are described wherein 109P1D4 exhibits tissue specific expression in normal adult tissue, and is aberrantly expressed in the cancers listed in Table I. Consequently, 109P1D4 provides a diagnostic, prognostic, prophylactic and/or therapeutic target for cancer. The 109P1D4 gene or fragment thereof, or its encoded protein, or variants thereof, or a fragment thereof, can be used to elicit a humoral or cellular immune response; antibodies or T cells reactive with 109P1D4 can be used in active or passive immunization.
US07927594B2
Monoclonal antibody 9TL and antibodies derived from 9TL directed against amyloid-beta peptide and methods of using same for diagnosing and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and Aβ peptide associated diseases are described. Methods of using antibodies directed against amyloid-beta peptide having impaired effector function for treatment of Alzheimer's disease and Aβ peptide associated diseases are also described.
US07927588B2
A skin dressing comprises a first dressing component (16) carrying oxidoreductase enzyme in dried condition; and a second dressing component (18) carrying a source of water, such that when the first and second dressing components are placed in fluid communication with each other, water migrates from the second component towards the first comportent and acts to hydrate enzyme carried by the first component, at least at the surface of the first component. The dressing components are kept separate before use, e.g. being sealed in separate sterile, water-impervious packages such as laminated aluminum foil pouches. In use of the dressing, the second dressing component is located on the skin of a human or animal, e.g. over a wound to be treated or on a region of skin to be treated for cosmetic or therapeutic purposes such as for treatment of acne or other skin conditions. The first dressing component is placed on top of the second component in fluid communication therewith. In embodiments comprising only first and second dressing components, the first dressing component is placed in direct contact with the second dressing component. Water from the second component migrates towards the first comportent and acts to hydrate enzyme carried by the first component, at least at points of contact at the interface between the first and second components. Once hydrated, the oxidoreductase enzyme can immediately begin functioning in known manner with beneficial effects.
US07927586B2
Vaccines and methods for making and using the same. An example vaccine may be a vaccine against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. The vaccine may include an Escherichia coli strain. The Escherichia coli strain may produce K88 fimbria and a fusion protein including a mutant LT enterotoxin linked with a STb enterotoxin. An example method for producing a vaccine for porcine post-weaning diarrhea may include providing a first strain of Escherichia coli. The strain may include the eltAB gene and the estB gene. The method may also include amplifying the eltAB gene, mutating the eltAB gene, generating a genetic fusion of the mutant eltAB gene with the estB gene, and transforming a second strain of Escherichia coli with the genetic fusion.
US07927579B2
The present invention provides methods of discovering and mapping secondary binding sites on biological molecules (e.g., proteins), the effects, if any, of site occupancy on the primary function of the molecule, and the screening of small molecules against the secondary binding sites. The invention further provides novel complexes for modification of secondary binding sites and the resulting modified biological molecules.
US07927578B2
A method for separation of molecular hydrogen from a gaseous mixture containing the molecular hydrogen, which method employs a dense mixed oxide ion/electronic/hydrogen atom conducting membrane or separator having a feed side and a permeate side that enables two mechanisms for hydrogen separation—ambi-polar conduction and hydrogen atom conduction. In this method, at least a portion of the molecular hydrogen is converted on the feed side of the membrane to hydrogen atoms, which hydrogen atoms are conducted through the membrane to the permeate side thereof where they are converted back to molecular hydrogen. The permeate side of the membrane is contacted with steam, forming water and/or steam on the feed side of the membrane and additional molecular hydrogen on the permeate side of the separator.
US07927575B2
A carbon fabric of high conductivity and high density is formed of oxidized fibers of polypropylene. The oxidized fibers have a carbon content at least 50 wt %, an oxygen content at least 4 wt %, and a limiting oxygen index at least 35%. The carbon fabric is made by preparing a raw fabric obtained from oxidized fibers of polypropylene by weaving and then carbonizing the raw fabric.
US07927573B2
Carbon dioxide is purified by processes employing NOx-rich sulfuric acid that can be formed by removal of SO2 from the carbon dioxide.
US07927567B2
An adsorbent including a porous member having holes and a nanostructure formed on at least a portion of a surface of the porous member, and an air cleaning device including the adsorbent. A porous filter including a porous member having holes and a nanostructure formed on at least a portion of a surface of the porous member, and an air cleaning device including the porous filter. A method of cleaning air for decomposing a hazardous substance using the porous filter and a decomposition gas including a superheated water vapor. A method of manufacturing a porous filter including the steps of growing a nanostructure on at least a portion of a surface of a porous member having holes, allowing a catalyst particle to be contained in a dispersion gas including a superheated water vapor, and spraying the dispersion gas on a surface of the nanostructure to attach the catalyst particle thereto.
US07927563B1
For containing a biological fluid and draining a constituent of the biological fluid, a kit includes a barrel, a piston assembly, a removable element, which is configured to move the piston assembly, a drainage element, which interacts with the piston assembly, and an interacting element, which interacts with the piston assembly. The kit allows for fluid separation without risk of contamination from the biological fluid itself or contamination of the biological fluid itself. Further, the kit offers the advantage of involving no needles or other sharp elements.
US07927562B2
A device for collecting and analyzing a biological fluid is provided. The device contains a sample collecting section having at least one collection pad for collecting a sample of the biological fluid, a sample accommodating section operatively engageable with the sample collecting section for extracting and accommodating the sampled collected by the sample collecting section, a sample analyzing section, disposed within the sample accommodating section and having a sample analyzing means in fluid communication with the sample extracted and accommodated within the sample accommodating section.
US07927554B2
An air purifier has an air flow cavity bounded by cavity walls and a source of ultraviolet light emitting ultraviolet light within the cavity. The cavity walls have an ultraviolet light reflective coating. A plurality of photocatalytic particles are associated with the reflective coating. The photocatalytic particles are of a type which leads to production of oxygen and hydroxyl free radicals when illuminated with ultraviolet light in the presence of water.
US07927548B2
A specimen sample collection device includes a handle having a sufficiency indicator and an absorbent pad partially contained within said handle. A specimen sample collection device and test system includes a handle having a sufficiency indicator, an absorbent pad partially contained within said handle, a pad compression tube insertable over said absorbent pad within said handle and around an end of said handle, and a collection tube having one or more sample chambers, attachable to said pad compression tube, and wherein said compression tube defines one or more chambers, and wherein when said collection tube is attached to said pad compression tube, the chambers are in fluid communication with said pad compression tube. A specimen sample collection device including a sufficiency indicator made up of a light pipe indicator window. A specimen sample collection device including an absorbent pad split and divided into two lengths connected at a base. A specimen sample collection device including a bar code identification. A specimen sample collection device and test system including a lock and key securing mechanism. A specimen sample collection device including a handle one or more analyte test strips A specimen sample collection device and test system including a reader.
US07927539B2
A method or procedure for the construction of a laminated compound or mould made up of a number of layers of particle material on top of each other, which are hardened and joined to each other in predetermined onsite areas, which can differ from each other depending on position and expansion, so that from the predetermined hardened areas of the laminated compound at least one mould is formed. The layers are deposited individually one after another in predetermined layer thickness by the dispensing of particle material from a dispensing device during its movement above a working field and according to computer data in predetermined areas.
US07927537B2
A tape winder includes: a hub, around which a tape is wound overlappingly and which forms a tape roll on the hub; a first guide roller, defining the position of feeding of the tape into the tape roll being formed on the hub while pressing an outer peripheral surface of the tape roll; and a moving mechanism, moving the first guide roller away from the rotation axis of the hub as the tape roll increases in diameter. A rotation axis of the first guide roller is positioned along a normal to a reference surface and the rotation axis of the hub intersects the rotation axis of the first guide roller at an angle θ. The tape is processed to provide winding curl to the tape through winding the tape on a tapered hub with inclination and a heat treatment to fix the winding curl.
US07927523B2
Method of manufacturing pitch-based carbon-carbon composite useful as a brake disc, by: (a) providing annular carbon fiber brake disc preform; (b) heat-treating the carbon fiber preform; (c) infiltrating the carbon fiber preform with pitch feedstock by VPI or RTM processing; (d) carbonizing the pitch-infiltrated carbon fiber preform; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) to achieve a density in the carbon fiber preform of approximately 1.5 g/cc to below 1.7 g/cc; and (f) densifying the preform by CVI/CVD processing to a density higher than 1.7 g/cc. Employing lower cost VPI and/or RTM processing in early pitch densification cycles and using more expensive CVI/CVD processing only in the last densification cycle provides C-C composites in which the pitch-based components resist pullout, resulting in a longer wearing composite.
US07927515B2
Nanocrystal-metal oxide-polymer composites and their methods of preparation are described. The composites comprises a number of nanocrystals within a metal oxide matrix, and an oligomer or polymer covalently bonded to organic reactive groups of the metal oxide matrix. The composites can be applied to a variety of electronic devices. The electronic devices constructed from the composites do not decrease in performance rapidly due to degradation and exhibit improved stability.
US07927507B1
Compositions for hydrogen storage and methods of making such compositions employ an alloy that exhibits reversible formation/deformation of BH4− anions. The composition includes a ternary alloy including magnesium, boron and a metal and a metal hydride. The ternary alloy and the metal hydride are present in an amount sufficient to render the composition capable of hydrogen storage. The molar ratio of the metal to magnesium and boron in the alloy is such that the alloy exhibits reversible formation/deformation of BH4− anions. The hydrogen storage composition is prepared by combining magnesium, boron and a metal to prepare a ternary alloy and combining the ternary alloy with a metal hydride to form the hydrogen storage composition.
US07927506B2
Cathode active materials including lithium composite metal oxides having layered-spine composite structures are provided. The lithium metal oxide may be represented by the formula xLi2MO3-yLiMeO2-zLi1+dM′2−dO4, in which 0≦d≦0.33, 0
US07927504B2
Disclosed herein is a winter precipitation barrier composition, comprising: a retaining agent, a solvent, and optionally, an auxiliary component, such as a rheology/viscosity modifier, surfactant, detergent, foaming/defoaming additive, humectant, dye, colorant, fragrance, or a combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the retaining agent comprises a primarily hydrophobic monomer or a hydrophilic monomer.
US07927503B2
The present invention provides lubricating oil for a compression refrigerator, characterized by including an alkylene glycol or polyoxy alkylene glycol unit and a vinyl ether unit in a molecule and containing a polyvinyl ether compound having a molecular weight of 300 to 3,000. The lubricating oil for a compression refrigerator has a high viscosity index and excellent compatibility under a natural refrigerant atmosphere such as carbon dioxide.
US07927502B2
The present invention relates to compositions comprising fluorinated olefins or fluorinated ketones, and at least one alcohol, halocarbon, hydrofluorocarbon, or fluoroether and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, these compositions are azeotropic or azeotrope-like. In another embodiment, these compositions are useful in cleaning applications as a degreasing agent or defluxing agent for removing oils and/or other residues from a surface.
US07927499B2
A substrate having a blind hole and a method for forming the blind hole. The method includes: (a) providing a substrate having a lower dielectric layer, a copper layer, and an upper dielectric layer; and (b) forming an upper dielectric layer through hole and a copper layer through hole by etching through the upper dielectric layer and the copper layer with laser, and forming a cavity on the lower dielectric layer by using the laser, in which the aperture of the cavity on the upper surface of the lower dielectric layer is larger than that of the copper layer through hole. Therefore, a blind hole space in a shape of a rivet is formed, so that after the blind hole space is electroplated with an electroplating copper layer, the bonding force between the electroplating copper layer and the copper layer is enhanced.
US07927498B2
A solar cell and a method of texturing a solar cell are disclosed. The method includes coating an ink containing metal particles on a surface of a substrate, drying the ink to attach the metal particles to the surface of the substrate, and differentially etching the surface of the substrate using the metal particles as a catalyst to form an uneven portion.
US07927494B2
There disclosed a water reuse method in which a surfactant is easily removed from surfactant-including for-treatment water in a cleaning device, whereby water can be reused, and an adsorbent can easily be regenerated only by exposing the adsorbent to an electrolytic solution, and a washing machine including the function. The method includes a surfactant adsorption treatment step of performing a treatment to adsorb and remove a surfactant in surfactant-including for-treatment water such as cleaning water and rinse water used in a washing machine W by hydrotalcite as an anion exchanger or zeolite as a cation exchanger, and a water reuse step of using, in the washing machine W, the for-treatment water treated in the surfactant adsorption treatment step.
US07927491B2
Methods and systems for processing organic waste material are provided. These methods and systems include integrating an anaerobic bio-digester and nutrient recovery module with a bio-production facility, which can locally provide feedstock for the bio-production facility, and can locally provide organic material for the anaerobic bio-digester. Methods and systems for integrating an anaerobic bio-digester with a gas cleaner are also provided, which can recover nutrients while cleaning the biogas produced by the anaerobic bio-digester.
US07927485B2
A filter system for filtering water and/or wastewater including a sludge blanket clarifier for removing at least some impurities from influent. The sludge blanket clarifier includes a clarifier compartment in which a sludge blanket is to be formed to remove at least some impurities from influent directed into the clarifier compartment and through the sludge blanket. The clarifier compartment has at least one vertical sidewall extending from a bottom of the clarifier compartment to a top of the clarifier compartment. The clarifier compartment has a cross-sectional area that varies over at least a portion of a height of the clarifier compartment such that the velocity of influent just prior to entry into the sludge blanket is less than the velocity of influent just after entering the clarifier compartment.
US07927484B2
Methods, systems and compositions for a green sorption media for bioretention soil amendments in drainfields for on-site waste water systems filled with the green sorption media to foster an anaerobic or anoxic environment saturated. The green sorption media includes one or more recycled materials, including tire crumb, sawdust, orange peel, coconut husks, leaf compost, oyster shell, soy bean hulls and one or more naturally occurring materials including peat, sands, zeolites, and clay. The wastewater filtration system for a passive drainfield includes the green sorption material mixture, a cell including baffled compartments and a riser, the cell filled with green sorption material mixture to provide an alternating cycle of aerobic and anoxic environments, an influent distribution system to distribute the influent over the cell, and a piping system arranged for dosing the cell to sustain the functionality of the green sorption material mixture to remove nutrient content in wastewater.
US07927483B2
An aquarium filter arrangement including a filter housing and a filter cartridge having self-spacing structure. The self-spacing structure being designed to automatically space the filter cartridge in an operable filtering position. The operable filtering position being a position at which the filter cartridge is seated against a single rib formed in the housing.
US07927476B2
Methods and systems for injecting a sample during electrophoresis, that generally comprise: loading a sieving matrix through a first end of a separation channel; having the an end of the sieving matrix at a set distance from the intersection of the separation channel and a loading channel; pressure loading a sample through the loading channel and filling an empty portion of the separation channel; applying an electric field across the separation channel while flowing a washing buffer through the loading channel; and injecting a portion of the sample into the separation channel, wherein the portion of the sample injected is of a size that is determined by a distance between the end of the sieving matrix and the intersection of the loading and separation channels.
US07927467B2
According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a discrete track recording medium includes forming protruded magnetic patterns on a substrate, and repeating processes of depositing a nonmagnetic material so as to be filled in recesses between the magnetic patterns and etching back the nonmagnetic material two or more times with rotating the substrate in a plane thereof by an angle less than one revolution.
US07927463B2
The present invention provides a novel tritium distillation device, which includes a container, a radiator covered on top of the container with a protrusion at the bottom, a conduit penetrating the container with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being arranged in correspondence with the protrusion, and a heating device fixed below the container. The method of operating the tritiated water distillation includes the steps of adding environmental tritiated water in the container, covering the radiator on top of the container closely, heating environmental tritiated water to cause tritiated water steam to be condensed to the bottom of the radiator, and collecting the tritiated water condensation dropped from the protrusion with conduit. The present invention uses a simple structure to ease assembly and reduce the cost of cooling water source.
US07927462B2
A belt press for a paper machine, the belt press including a roll having an exterior surface and a permeable belt. The permeable belt has a first side and is guided over a portion of the exterior surface of the roll. The permeable belt has a tension of at least approximately 30 KN/m, the first side has an open area of at least approximately 25% and a contact area of at least approximately 10%.
US07927459B2
Methods for improving the tear strength in non-woven chopped strand mats during the manufacturing process of the mats are provided. In particular, the tear strength of the mat can be improved as the mat is being formed in response to current manufacturing conditions by the addition of a water soluble polyol, such as polyvinyl alcohol, or a cationic dispersant to the binder seal pit. Alternatively, a cationic dispersant may be added to the white water chest to improve the tear strength of the chopped strand mat. The addition of polyvinyl alcohol or a cationic dispersant to the binder seal pit results in an immediate or nearly immediate improvement of the tear strength of the chopped strand mat. Both the polyvinyl alcohol and the cationic dispersant can be utilized to improve the tear strength of a chopped strand mat regardless of the type of binder or components in the white water.
US07927457B2
The present disclosure is generally directed to a multiple ply paper product which includes a first ply comprising virgin fiber, pre-consumer recycled fiber, or mixtures thereof and a second ply comprising at least about 30% by weight post-consumer recycled fiber, wherein the average pore size distribution of the first ply is greater than the average pore size distribution of the second ply.
US07927455B2
A plasma processing apparatus including a sealable chamber that is sealable, a gas supply section that supplies a reactive material gas into the chamber, and a plurality of cathode and anode electrode pairs provided within the chamber, connected to an external power supply, and producing plasma discharges through the material gas, respectively, wherein the plurality of cathode and anode electrode pairs are provided at a distance from one another at which the plasma discharges are prevented from interfering with one another.
US07927451B2
A method of forming a building material with a pre-applied adhesive may include providing a first and second membrane positioned in the same planar orientation and having a gap between them. The first membrane may include an adjacent edge, and the second membrane may include an adjacent edge. The adjacent edges may face each other. A first adhesive tape may be applied to a top planar surface of the first membrane and a second adhesive tape may be applied to the top planar surface of the second membrane. The first and second adhesive tapes extend into the gap.
US07927449B2
A cured sandwiched article may be used to enhance a portion of a vehicle. In some embodiments, a cured sandwiched article may include a core sandwiched between one or more backing layers and one or more top layers cured to conform to a surface of a vehicle. A cured sandwiched article may be made by steps including shaping a core, positioning the core between one or more backing layers and one or more top layers to form the sandwiched article, and curing the sandwiched article. A cured sandwiched article may be connected to a surface of a vehicle by providing adhesive to a bottom surface of the cured sandwiched article, positioning the cured sandwiched article on a surface of the vehicle, and curing the adhesive. In some embodiments, the cured sandwiched article may include a plurality of fiber-optic fibers.
US07927446B2
Multicolored film composites are produced by laminating a support film with at least two different-colored top films. The surface of the top films or of the film composite is provided with a surface structure. The support film is a film of thermoplastic foam material, and the top films are laminated on in temporal succession and in overlapping relationship onto the support film.
US07927442B2
In a method and apparatus for producing a plate-type insulation support provided with an adhesive layer for a gradient coil for a magnetic resonance device, an adhesive film forming the adhesive layer is used, which has a number of openings distributed over its surface to allow the passage of air and which is applied to the insulation support.
US07927437B2
A structured, self-assembled nanoenergetic material is disclosed that includes a nanostructure comprising at least one of the group consisting of a fuel and an oxidizer and a plurality of substantially spherical nanoparticles comprising at least the other of the group consisting of a fuel and an oxidizer. The spherical particles are arranged around the exterior surface area of said nanorod. This structured particle assures that the oxidizer and the fuel have a high interfacial surface area between them. Preferably, the nanostructure is at least one of a nanorod, nanowire and a nanowell, and the second shaped nanoparticle is a nanosphere.
US07927427B2
A method for determining at least one of the type and the quantity of items to be washed in a dishwasher machine is provided for use with a dishwashing machine having a washing chamber in which the items are placed in receptacles for subsequent washing of the items during a dishwashing program with the respective disposition of the items in the receptacles constituting the load of the receptacles in the washing chamber of the dishwasher machine. The method includes detecting the load of the receptacles by an image detection system that measures distances in a non-contact manner by means of the speed of light such that the measured distances can be evaluated to obtain a three-dimensional image of the washing chamber.
US07927415B2
The present invention relates to a starch adhesive mixed with zeolite powder to provide suitable absorption function for corrugated cardboards, and a method for making the adhesive. The adhesive comprises: corn starch as main ingredient, zeolite powder suitably mixed with said corn starch, water, and additives like caustic soda and borax. The corn starch is mixed with zeolite powder in an amount of zeolite powder being 20˜33% of the total weight of corn starch and the zeolite powder, and said adhesive is prepared and adjusted to have a lower gelation temperature. The present invention solves the problem that the initial adhesive strength of adhesive would decrease because of addition of the zeolite powder to the adhesive and would make the drying time longer and then deteriorating the initial adhesive strength. The present invention will make it more efficient and predictable for the mass production of the zeolite starch corrugated cardboards.
US07927408B2
An inertial inlet particle separator system for a vehicle engine includes an inertial inlet particle separator and an adjustment mechanism. The separator includes a fluid inlet coupled to a scavenge channel and to a clean channel such that a first amount of fluid passing through the fluid inlet enters the scavenge channel and a second amount of fluid passing through the fluid inlet enters the clean channel. The scavenge channel is defined by a first wall and a splitter, and the clean channel is defined by a second wall and the splitter. The splitter and the second wall are stationary with respect to each other. The adjustment mechanism is coupled to the inertial inlet particle separator and configured to adjust a size of the scavenge channel. Although not necessarily, the adjustment mechanism may also be coupled to the scavenge fan speed.
US07927407B2
Desiccant bag and filter assembly adapted for insertion into an integrated condenser dryer chamber of a vehicle or mobile air conditioning system or the like. A support member (4) lies along the exterior of a desiccant containing pouch (2) with the pouch secured at both of its longitudinal ends to the support. A filter member is integral with the assembly and positioned at one end of the pouch. Rigid stand off members (10, 18) are positioned at respective ends of the assembly.
US07927405B2
Porous composites comprise a porous membrane having a structure defining a plurality of pores extending therethrough, nonporous discontinuous surface layer affixed to said porous membrane, in which the nonporous discontinuous surface layer forms regions of gas permeability, and regions of gas impermeability, and a coating disposed upon the porous composite which renders at least a portion of the porous composite oleophobic.
US07927399B2
A composition for forming a green body is provided. The composition for forming the green body contains powder constituted of a metallic material and a binder containing a first resin which is decomposable by ozone and a second resin which is also decomposable by ozone but decomposed later than the first resin. The green body formed of the composition is used in producing a brown body, wherein the brown body is produced by first exposing the green body to a high ozone content atmosphere to decompose the first resin and remove the decomposed first resin and then decompose the second resin and remove the decomposed second resin, and then at least once exposing the thus obtained green body to a low ozone content atmosphere whose ozone concentration is lower than an ozone concentration of the high ozone content atmosphere. By using the composition mentioned above, it is possible to produce the green body and the brown body from which a metal sintered body having a reduced metal oxide amount and improved properties (dimensional accuracy) can be produced safely, easily and cost-effectively. Such a brown body and a metal sintered body are also provided.
US07927397B1
A concentrated separator by-product and fish soluble by-product based fertilizer product is created by mixing concentrated separator by-product, a by-product of the de-sugaring of beet molasses, and fish soluble by-product, a by-product of the production of fish meal. The raw mixture of concentrated separator by-product and fish soluble by-product is then heat treated and optionally filtered to remove suspended particular matter. The heat treated mixture of concentrated separator by-product and fish soluble by-product is then cooled to yield the concentrated separator by-product and fish soluble by-product based fertilizer product.
US07927396B2
Methods, techniques, and constructions are provided for use to apply an evacuation valve arrangement on an air cleaner assembly that is configured for pulse jet operation. An example evacuation valve arrangement is provided which comprises a valve member in the form of a sleeve that extends completely around a sidewall portion of an air cleaner housing of a pulse jet air cleaner. Examples are depicted in which the sidewall portion can comprise: a portion of a housing sidewall section that surrounds an installed filter cartridge, in use; a portion of an access cover; or, a drop tube secured to a portion of the housing, for example either on an access cover or on another portion of a housing. Specific features and alternatives are described. Also, methods of assembly and operation are described.
US07927391B2
The invention is directed to a process for the manufacture of a ceria based polishing composition, comprising (a) suspending an inorganic cerium salt or cerium hydroxide with a cerium content calculated as cerium oxide in the range of 50%-100% based on Total rare earth oxide (TREO) in an aqueous medium thereby obtaining an aqueous suspension, (b) treating said aqueous suspension with an acid or a salt of an acid selected from the group of HF, H3PO4 and H2SO4, thereby obtaining a solid suspended in said aqueous medium, (c) separating said solid from said aqueous medium, and (d) calcining the separated solid at a temperature between 750° C. and 1,200° C. and grinding the calcined solid to grain sizes in the range of 0.5 μm to 5.0 μm.
US07927387B1
A comprehensive fuel additive for gasoline, diesel and ultra low sulfur diesel fuels intended to improve engine combustion efficiency, improve diesel fuel cetane levels, improve diesel and ultra low sulfur diesel fuel lubricity, reduce engine component friction, reduce engine deposit buildup, reduce gasoline and diesel fuel bio-contamination and reduce pollutant exhaust emissions produced by gasoline and diesel fuel powered internal combustion engines. The present invention further provides a fuel additive that does not increase the sulfur level of diesel fuel beyond 15 ppm.
US07927382B2
Provided is a ready-to-use composition for the oxidation dyeing of keratin fibers, and for example human keratin fibers such as the hair, comprising: A) at least one fatty substance present in the ready-to-use composition in an amount of greater than or equal to 25% by weight relative to the total weight of the ready-to-use composition, B) at least one oxidation base chosen from 4,5-diaminopyrazoles and the acid addition salts thereof, C) at least one additional dye precursor other than the at least one oxidation base defined in B), D) at least one oxidizing agent, and optionally E) at least one alkaline agent. Also provided is a process comprising applying to the keratin fibers for a period of time sufficient to develop the desired coloring, the ready-to-use composition.
US07927380B2
The disclosure relates to a composition for the oxidation dyeing of keratin fibers comprising: A) at least one fatty substance wherein the at least one fatty substance is present in an amount greater than or equal to 25% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition; B) at least one oxidation base chosen from diaminopyrazolones and acid-addition salts thereof; C) at least one additional dye precursor other than the oxidation base in B); D) at least one oxidizing agent; and optionally E) at least one alkaline agent.
US07927377B2
An elevated vacuum locking system for prosthetic limb. An exemplary embodiment may include a plunger pin mounted to a flexible liner and including a through passage between a location proximate the exterior of the liner and a distal end of the plunger pin; a locking mechanism mounted within the distal end of a socket; a manifold mounted to the exterior of the distal end of the socket and including a cavity adapted to receive the distal end of the plunger pin when the patient's residual limb and the liner are installed into the socket, the manifold including a through passage connecting an interior of the cavity to an exterior fitting; and a vacuum pump operative to withdraw air from the interior of the socket via the through passage of the plunger pin, the cavity, and the through passage of the manifold.
US07927374B2
The present invention relates to methods and devices for the treatment of disc disease and spinal deformities with an artificial disc replacement.
US07927364B2
Apparatus and methods for stenting are provided comprising a stent attached to a porous biocompatible material that is permeable to endothelial cell ingrowth, but impermeable to release of emboli of predetermined size. Preferred stent designs are provided, as well as preferred manufacturing techniques. Apparatus and methods are also provided for use at a vessel branching. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention may comprise a coating configured for localized delivery of therapeutic agents. Embodiments of the present invention are expected to provide enhanced embolic protection, improved force distribution, and improved recrossability, while reducing a risk of restenosis and thrombus formation.
US07927362B2
The stent placement dilation balloon assembly comprises a catheter having a distal end, a distal end portion, and a proximal end, a balloon mounted to, about, and around the distal end portion of the catheter. The assembly further includes an elastic sheath positioned about and around the balloon. The outer surface of the sheath includes a profile which encourages stent securement. A stent is mounted on the sleeve for placement in a vessel in a human body.
US07927357B2
A method and apparatus for providing an adjustable length surgical implant is provided, wherein the surgical implant is readily adjustable by a surgeon using a surgical tool sized for use with the surgical implant. Adjustment of the surgical implant further requires a small incision through the skin prior to the adjustment of the length of the implant, such that the potential for infection is greatly reduces and the associated trauma of surgery is lessened for the patient.
US07927352B2
A wound closure system and a method of closing a wound are disclosed. The wound closure system includes a plurality of skin anchors mechanically attached to external skin tissue around a periphery of a wound, a line extending between the skin anchors, the line slidably engaged with each skin anchor, and a biasing member that provides tension on the line to draw all of the skin anchors toward the wound. The method of closing a wound includes the steps of attaching a plurality of skin anchors to external skin around a periphery of a wound, extending a line between the skin anchors around substantially the entire periphery of the wound, and providing tension to the line to draw the skin anchors toward the wound.
US07927349B2
A support 103 for an embolic protection device comprises round wires 116 which may form one or more support hoops for a filter body. The circumferential hoop formed by the wires 116 ensures that in the expanded position, the filter body 102 will be supported by the support frame 103 in circumferential apposition with the interior wall of the vasculature. The wires 116 may have a strain distributing linkage element in the form of a loop 120. The loop 120 acts as a diameter or circumference adjuster allowing an embolic protection device to adapt to different Bessel contours and sizes whilst maintaining apposition with the vessel wall. The strain relieving geometry of the loops enhances the compliance of the bend points without creating a weakened hinge point, thus ensuring that there is no discontinuity in the circumferential seal against the vessel wall.
US07927338B2
The surgical device according to the invention comprises both means for per-operative measurement and for memorization of a plurality of positions of a given femoral prosthetic direction and means for per-operative comparison of these positions with the cone of mobility of the prosthesis to be implanted, the position of the axis of revolution of this cone being, during the implantation of the prosthesis, adjustable with respect to the zone of the pelvis where the implantation of an acetabulum of the prosthesis is provided. By using this device, the surgeon can easily and rapidly determine, in the course of the surgical operation, a preferential direction for implanting the prosthetic acetabulum in order to reduce the subsequent risks of dislocations of the implanted prosthesis.
US07927335B2
An instrument for preparing a surface of a joint is provided. The glenoid surface is adapted for receiving a prosthetic component having a feature closely conforming to the surface. The prosthetic component provides a bearing surface for a head portion of a long bone. The instrument includes a guide having a first feature and a second feature and a tool. The tool is used for cooperation with the first feature for preparing the surface. The first feature is adapted to at least partially control the position of the tool as it prepares the surface. The second feature is adapted to assist in positioning of the guide with respect to the joint.
US07927333B2
The invention relates to a system for the minimally invasive treatment of a bone fracture, especially of a proximal humeral or femoral fracture. The inventive system has an osteosynthesis plate having a supporting section in the cortical substance and an additional fastening section on the bone. A second linking section of the guide element and the shaft of the fixing element are configured as an axially displaceable anti-tilt slide bearing. The system has at least one anti-twist screw in the supporting section for preventing the detached bone fragment from rotation.
US07927327B2
A medical instrument includes a flexible tube, a distal member, a flexible end-effector activation wire, a proximal member, and a flexible first cable. The distal member is connected to the distal tube portion. The activation wire is positioned within the tube. The proximal member is attached to the tube. The first cable is positioned outside the tube, is substantially transversely constrained by the proximal member, and has a first distal cable portion attached to the distal member. Lengthwise translation of the first cable articulates the distal member with respect to the proximal member. Another instrument includes a drive screw which articulates an end effector (e.g., a grasper) pivotally connected to a tube. An additional instrument includes a drive screw which articulates a distal medical instrument member pivotally connected to a tube. A medical end effector (e.g., a snare) is positionable in a lumen of the distal medical instrument member.
US07927321B2
A reliable, private and sanitary device is provided for capturing human waste in the wilderness. A small double ended bag contains a roll of toilet paper in one end and an extendable padded strap in the other. A user pulls the padded strap from the bag, loops it around a tree and around the user's body, and attaches its end to the other end of the strap after extending that end of the strap from the other end of the bag. Then the user can lean back against the padded strap, and deposit bodily waste in a collection bag. The device is light, portable, reusable, and suitable for use by hikers, rafters, and other outdoor enthusiasts in areas where human waste is carried out rather than left behind.
US07927320B2
A disposable waste containment article is disclosed along with a combination of using two articles simultaneously. The article includes a bodyside layer having a first surface and an outer perimeter, and a garment facing layer having an outer perimeter approximately coincident with the outer perimeter of the bodyside layer. An absorbent layer is positioned between the bodyside layer and the garment facing layer. A seal secures the bodyside layer to the garment facing layer. The seal is located inward of the outer perimeters. An ingress is formed in the bodyside layer and is aligned with one of the waste orifices present in a human body such that waste from the human body can pass through the ingress and be collected in the waste containment article. The waste containment article also includes a body adhesive for securing the first surface to the wearer's body.
US07927306B2
A disposable wearable infusion device comprises a base that is arranged to adhere to the surface of a patient, a source arranged to provide a liquid medicament to be delivered to a patient, an outlet through which the medicament is delivered to the patient, a pump that pumps the medicament, and a conduit that conducts the pumped medicament to the outlet. The device further comprises a prime indicator that provides a visible indication that the conduit is substantially full with medicament from the reservoir to the outlet.
US07927294B2
Disclosed are devices capable of performing a massage and wash on a scalp or massage on an affected area gently and effectively by a brush section or a treating section thereof. A plurality of projections are integrally formed on a surface of a flexible body plate of brush section, so that the projections are symmetrical with respect to an axis line A and an axis line D of the projection is perpendicular with the surface of the body plate. An edge of the body plate is fixed on a frame. A motor serving as a drive section is activated allowing a reciprocating drive means to repeatedly deform the body plate coupled thereto between an upwardly-deflected curved concave position and a downwardly-deflected curved convex position along the axis line A, thereby allowing each distance among a plurality of the projections to open and close-repeatedly to provide an repetitive action of kneading and pushing/stretching the scalp. Accordingly, the scalp massage and the scalp and hair wash are achieved.
US07927291B2
A body fluid sampling device includes a firing mechanism that is configured to be automatically cocked and fired. In one form, the device includes an electric motor that is operable to cock the firing mechanism and fire an integrated lancet/sampling device to form an incision in skin. Subsequent to formation of the incision, the integrated lancet device is temporarily removed from the skin to promote bleeding from the incision. After a specified period of time, the integrated lancet device is then repositioned against the skin in order to collect a fluid sample.
US07927288B2
A sensor is mounted to a biopsy needle at a location proximate to a tip of the needle. The sensor senses properties of tissue in contact with the sensor and proximate to the tip.
US07927285B2
A nasal mask is adapted to attached on a face of a subject so as to cover a nose of the subject. A shell has a contact edge adapted to be brought into close contact with the face of the subject, thereby forming a sealed space therein. An attachment portion is disposed in the shell and has an inner space. The attachment portion is configured to detachably engage with a sensor disposed outside the shell and operable to measure concentration of carbon dioxide gas expired from the nostrils. A guide member is disposed inside the shell and forming a passage adapted to introduce expired gas from the nostrils into the inner space. The shell is formed with an inlet adapted to introduce external gas into the sealed space. The expired gas is guarded by the guide member from the external gas introduced through the inlet. The attachment portion is formed with an outlet adapted to discharge the expired gas from the inner space to the sealed space.
US07927280B2
An ultrasound imaging system includes an imaging probe having an array of transducer elements that is flat and relatively elongated in the azimuth direction and is curved outwardly in the elevation direction. As a result, when the transducer elements are scanned in a step-wise manner, the acoustic pattern of the probe diverges in the elevation direction. The probe therefore provides a large field of view in the near field despite using relatively few transducer elements. The probe also includes sub-array beamformers to delay signals transmitted and received from the transducer elements in respective sub-arrays. The received signals are coupled to an imaging system which includes a signal path that processes the received signals into signals corresponding to a volumetric image. A display coupled to the signal path can then show a volumetric image of anatomical features in a volumetric region adjacent the array of transducer elements.
US07927278B2
A standardized acquisition methodology assists operators to accurately replicate high resolution B-mode ultrasound images obtained over several spaced-apart examinations utilizing a split-screen display in which the arterial ultrasound image from an earlier examination is displayed on one side of the screen while a real-time “live” ultrasound image from a current examination is displayed next to the earlier image on the opposite side of the screen. By viewing both images, whether simultaneously or alternately, while manually adjusting the ultrasound transducer, an operator is able to bring into view the real-time image that best matches a selected image from the earlier ultrasound examination. Utilizing this methodology, dynamic material properties of arterial structures, such as IMT and diameter, are measured in a standard region over successive image frames. Each frame of the sequence has its echo edge boundaries automatically determined by using the immediately prior frame's true echo edge coordinates as initial boundary conditions. Computerized echo edge recognition and tracking over multiple successive image frames enhances measurement of arterial diameter and IMT and allows for improved vascular dimension measurements, including vascular stiffness and IMT determinations.
US07927277B2
The time between heartbeats is measured over a series of such heartbeats. The time interval between two successive events is calculated and stored as a first array. The time difference between adjacent heartbeat intervals is also calculated from the first array and recorded as a differential array. The differential array is subjected to frequency analysis. First the differential array data is linearly interpolated to increase the number of data samples. The interpolated data is then subjected to a fast fourier transform (FFT) yielding a power spectrum. Characteristic frequency ranges are then integrated and the resulting frequency domain spectrum(s) are analyzed for dominant frequency characteristics.
US07927272B2
Disclosed is a disposable access port for use in endoscopic procedures, including laparoscopic procedures. The access port includes a cannula with an embedded camera in communication with an external control box. In operation, a trocar is combined with the access port to facilitate insertion of the access port into an anatomical site. Prior to insertion, the camera is pushed inside the cannula, where it remains during insertion. The trocar is removed after the access port has been inserted to allow surgical instruments to access the anatomical site. During removal of the trocar, a portion of the trocar urges the camera out of the cannula, thereby allowing visualization of the anatomical site. The camera can be fixedly or adjustably mounted on the port. A camera may also be mounted on the trocar. The trocar may include irrigation and suction channels to facilitate a clear view of the anatomical site.
US07927271B2
An endoscope tool coupling that facilitates the placement and positioning of a surgical tool within an endoscope. The tool coupling may be configured to accommodate differences in lengths between the surgical tool and the endoscope, which may allow a user to precisely position and maintain the distal end of a surgical tool in a desired location relative to the distal end of the endoscope despite differences and variations in lengths. The tool coupling may have an adjustable configuration to accommodate variations in tool and/or endoscope lengths. The tool coupling employ an arrangement that allows a user to easily increase or decrease the length of the coupling, such as by using a telescoping arrangement. A locking arrangement or mechanism may be provided to secure the coupling in a selected configuration for maintaining the surgical tool in a desired location relative to the endoscope. The tool coupling may be configured to generate a preload on the surgical tool when the tool is positioned in a desired location relative to the endoscope. The tool coupling may be configured to allow for the withdrawal and reintroduction of the same or a similar surgical tool without changing or impacting the original length adjustment and/or preload for the particular tool/endoscope arrangement. The tool coupling may be configured as a separate device that can be attached to various endoscopes, or the tool coupling may be an integrated component of the endoscope.
US07927270B2
A merely exemplary external pressure sensing system comprises a connecting member and a pressure sensor. The connecting member is operable to connect to a syringe barrel and a needle. The connecting member comprises a conduit permitting communication of fluid from the syringe barrel to the needle when the connecting member is connected to the syringe barrel and the needle. The pressure sensor is in communication with the conduit. The pressure sensor is configured to sense pressure of fluid within the connecting member. The connecting member is configured to permit the pressure sensor to sense the pressure of the fluid while the fluid is communicated from the barrel to the needle. The pressure sensor is configured to provide a visual indication of sensed pressure. The visual indication may be provided by a variety of components, including but not limited to a diaphragm, a disc, a needle, or a slider.
US07927265B2
The disclosure shows and describes a resistance training apparatus that enables one to use a single machine to exercise antagonistic muscle groups by enabling one to select a first level of resistance in a first direction and select a second level of resistance in a second direction. The apparatus will include a frame assembly, and shaft rotatably mounted to the frame assembly. The apparatus has first and second disks, first and second calipers respectively engaging the disks, and first and second adjustment means that respectively provide varying resistance when one imparts rotating torque is imparted to a first direction or second direction, respectively.
US07927258B2
An apparatus permitting a user to perform a simulated bicycling exercise is provided. The design includes a frame and a first mounting point and a second mounting point configured to maintain the frame. A seat is connected to the frame and configured to support the user. A wheel is positioned in association with said frame and pedals configured to interact with the wheel, and the frame is configured to pivot about the first mounting point and second mounting point in response to leaning by the user. Handlebars may be provided that enable further force application and enhance the leaning or pivoting in the bicycle riding simulation experience.
US07927257B2
An assisted stair training machine. The machine includes a stationary platform having a planar upper surface positioned parallel to a reference plane and at a predetermined distance above the reference plane; a movable platform having a planar upper surface and being configured to move from a first position to a second position, and a lifting mechanism. The planar upper surface of the movable platform is substantially level with the reference plane in the first position, and the planar upper surface of the movable platform is substantially level with the planar upper surface of the stationary platform in the second position. The lifting mechanism is configured to move the movable platform from the first position to the second position and from the second position back to the first position at a predetermined speed.
US07927255B2
A trampoline provides higher performance and greater shock absorption capability by utilizing pairs of springs to connect the rebounding mat to the supporting frame. The springs in each pair are coupled to a common junction on the periphery of the rebounding mat, being disposed vertically with respect to each other. The upper spring in each pair is directly connected to the rebounding mat and the trampoline frame to initially to tension the mat in the equilibrium position. The lower spring in each pair is coupled to the frame and then to rebounding mat via a linkage arm such that it comes substantially under tension only as the corresponding upper spring is stretched. Depending on the level of impact force on the trampoline mat both springs extend, such that their combined stored energy propels the user upward on the return bounce. However, as each spring pair engages in stages the shock of the users initially landing is gradually absorbed.
US07927244B2
A hybrid drive apparatus that includes an input shaft that is connected to an engine; an output shaft that is connected to wheels; a first rotary electric machine; a second rotary electric machine; a first planetary gear apparatus that has at least three rotating elements; a second planetary gear apparatus that has at least three rotating elements; and a plurality of friction engagement elements that selectively connect one rotating element of the first planetary gear apparatus and the second planetary gear apparatus to other rotating elements or that selectively hold the rotating element stationary on a non-rotating member.
US07927236B2
A method of using a golf training aid to train a golfer to correctly position their hands on the grip of a golf club. The training aid is temporarily engaged on the grip in the correct position by aligning a positioning aid on the training aid with the ball-striking of the club. The correct positioning of the hands is ensured by providing thumb and finger placement indicators on the training aid. The golfer is trained to use the correct amount of force to hold the club by heeding pressure sensors provided in the training aid.
US07927233B2
A golf ball having a core and two or more cover layers, wherein the multiple cover layers are formed from materials that are substantially the same composition with the same Shore hardness, but are modified in some way to alter the processing or performance characteristics of the golf ball, or the layers have the same hardness and at least one cover layer is formed of a polymer blend including a polyurethane composition, and at least one cover layer is formed of a different polymer blend.
US07927214B2
Mechanisms are disclosed that allow for the communication between closed computing systems and other computing systems. Gaming consoles, for instance, can use the present mechanisms to communicate with PCs, especially when unsigned content is sent from the PCs to the gaming consoles. The disclosed communication mechanism can have multiple channels to send information (which may include code and/or data associated with the unsigned content) from the PCs to the gaming consoles. Such information may be distributed over several channels on the communication mechanism. For instance, the communication mechanism can first send a subset of a set of information from a computing system to a closed computing system. Then, depending on the closed system resources, the remaining set of information can be sent to the closed system. Various heuristics can be used to make a determination of whether to send the set of information following the sent subset of information, including but not limited to, GPU resources, memory resources, and the like.
US07927205B2
A gaming machine is provided with improved visual effects by using a water tank, while facilitating the player's ability to visually recognize the information displayed by a display device. The gaming machine includes: a CPU 106 which controls execution of a game; mechanical reels 30A through 30C, each of which displays multiple kinds of indicating information variably and statically, and each of which is formed of a translucent material; a motor driving circuit 120 that controls the display operation of the mechanical reels 30A through 30C, which provides a function of displaying indicating information variably and statically; and a water tank 500 that is provided behind a display screen 10 for displaying the indicating information provided on the mechanical reels 30A through 30C, retains liquid, and is formed of a translucent material.
US07927204B2
Methods and systems for providing a video slot machine game of chance are provided herein. A video slot machine may use M-reels to play an N-reel game, where M>N, or may use any field of play larger than necessary to determine a payout outcome of the game. For example, nine reels may be used to play a multi-line five reel video slot game. The reels may be selected by an N-reel wide frame that slides back and forth over the available reels. In some embodiments, reels on one side of the screen pay at a higher rate than reels on the other side of the screen, or pay rates of reels gradually increase or decrease from one end of the visually displayed reels to the other. Optional bonus modes may take advantage of all M reels, e.g., by sliding the frame across the reels without respinning the reels and recalculating pay lines, by providing free spins with the frame locked in place, and/or by moving the frame to a highest paying position for one or more free spins.
US07927202B2
Video game processing apparatus, a method and a computer program product for processing a video game
It is an object that a normally selectable command or a command for specifying an appropriate action in accordance with the state of a player character can be easily selected through a simple operation by a player. In a command control process, at least one normal action specifying command for specifying a normal action that the player character can normally carry out is selectably displayed; at least one local action specifying command for specifying a local action that the player character can locally carry out in accordance with a state of the player character and corresponds to the state of the player character is selectably displayed when the player character becomes the corresponding state; and an action of the player character is controlled in response to the command selected, through operation by the player, from the displayed at least one normal action specifying command and the displayed at least one local action specifying command.
US07927199B2
A harvesting machine including a chassis and a cleaning shoe. The cleaning shoe is supported by the chassis. The cleaning shoe includes a frame and at least one grain cleaning element. The frame is moveable in a first plane relative to the chassis. The at least one grain cleaning element is supported by the frame. The at least one grain cleaning element is movable in a second plane different from the first plane.
US07927197B2
A diffuser is provided for controlling flow of air in an air conditioning system. The diffuser has an air flow control baffle (B) that is controlled by pivoting arms (12). Two collars (62,62) actuate the arms (12) in cam fashion by acting on either of two cam surfaces (92,94) of each arm (12) to open or close the baffle (B). The collars (62,64) can move independently of each other towards and away from the respective cam surfaces (92,94), i.e. in an actuating direction. The diffuser includes a set point adjustment mechanism (132) for moving both the collars (62,64) in unison in the actuating direction, i.e. to adjust the heating and cooling set points simultaneously and includes an offset adjustment mechanism (150) for moving one of the collars (62,64) in the actuating direction relative to the other collar, i.e. to change the offset between the heating and cooling set points.
US07927196B2
A louver module includes a louver module body that extends in a length-wise direction, a width-wise direction and a height-wise direction such that the length-wise direction, the width wise-direction and the height wise direction are oriented perpendicularly relative to one another. The louver module body has a plurality of air passageways extending through the louver module body generally in the width-wise direction. Each one of the plurality of air passageways has a serpentine configuration.
US07927191B2
The invention relates to a portable power tool (44) for a rotating, preferably disk-shaped tool. Said portable power tool comprises a machine housing (43), having a machine neck (22) to which a protective hood (1) can be detachably secured to at least partially cover the tool. Said protective hood (1) comprises a protective hood neck (2) and a clamp (29) is provided for the detachable securing. In order to provide an anti-rotation lock (48) which is effective between the machine neck (22) and the protective hood (1), a respective profiled structure (15) is arranged/configured on the clamp (29) and on the protective hood neck (7) or on the protective hood neck (7) and on the machine neck (22) or on the protective neck (7) and on the clamp (29) and on the machine neck (22).
US07927188B2
A micro-abrasive blasting device and method for perturbation control using a plurality of delivery conduits of various lengths and/or apertures. The user is able to individually open and close bypass conduit pinch valve(s) external to micro-abrasive blasting device to affect the perturbation intensity internal to the mixing chamber. By selectively opening and closing flow through delivery conduits it is possible to provide a more consistent perturbation rate and select the perturbation intensity internal to mixing chamber.
US07927176B2
A play set having a main panel section and a pair of side panel sections, each of which is pivotably connected to tile side lateral edges of the main panel section. When the play set is in a first orientation, the main panel section and the pair of side panel sections are oriented generally co-planar to each other such that the upper main surface and upper side surfaces define a play surface having a perimeter, and when the play set is in a second orientation, the side panel sections are adjacent each other and in a plane parallel to the main panel section to define a play set case. When in the first orientation, one of the panel sections includes an elongated member extendable therefrom in a telescoping manner to define an additional play surface outside the perimeter of the main panel sections and side panel sections.
US07927166B2
In a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display according to an embodiment, when a thin film transistor substrate including a display area and a non-display area is prepared, an organic light emitting layer is formed on the display area. Then, a first cathode layer is formed on the organic light emitting layer through a first deposition method, and a second cathode layer is formed on the first cathode layer through a second deposition method. The first and/or second deposition method may be performed by using heat. Thus, the light-emitting quality of the organic light emitting display may be improved.
US07927152B2
A contact sub-assembly is provided for an electrical connector. The contact sub-assembly includes a base and an array of contacts held by the base. Each contact extends along a length from a terminating end portion to a tip end portion. The tip end portion includes a tip surface. Each contact has a mating interface located along the length of the contact between the terminating end portion and the tip end portion. The contact sub-assembly also includes a spacing member formed separately from the base. The spacing member engages each of the contacts such that each contact is positioned relative to each adjacent contact in the array. At least a portion of the spacing member engaging each contact at a location along the length of the contact that is between the mating interface and the tip surface.
US07927144B2
An electrical connector system includes an electrical connector and a plurality of termination devices. The electrical connector includes an insulative support wafer, a plurality of interlocking plates attached to the support wafer and defining a plurality of cavities, and at least one electrical contact positioned within a cavity. Each cavity is sized for accepting a termination device. At least one of the interlocking plates is electrically conductive. The at least one electrical contact is supported by the support wafer, electrically isolated from the interlocking plates, and configured to mate with a socket contact of the termination device. Each termination device includes an electrically conductive outer shield element having a front end and a back end, the shield element having a latch member extending therefrom, an insulator disposed within the shield element, and a socket contact supported within and electrically isolated from the shield element by the insulator. The socket contact is configured for making electrical connections through the front end and back end of the shield element. The electrical connector and the plurality of termination devices are configured such that the socket contact of each termination device makes electrical contact with a corresponding electrical contact of the electrical connector and the shield element of each termination device makes electrical contact with the interlocking plates of the electrical connector when the electrical connector and the plurality of termination devices are in a mated configuration.
US07927142B2
An electrical connector (100) includes an insulative housing (1), a number of contacts (2) retained in the insulative housing (1), and a metal shell (3) covering the insulative housing (1). The insulative housing (1) has a base (11) and a tongue (12) extending forwardly from the base (11). The metal shell (3) has a top wall (31), a bottom walls (32), and a pair of side walls (33). The top wall (31), bottom wall (32) and side walls (33) define a receiving space (34) therebetween. The bottom wall (32) has two first walls (321) extending opposed to each other from a lower end of the side walls (33), two oblique second walls (322) extending inwardly and upwardly from two first walls (321), and a third wall (323) connecting two second walls (322) together. The third wall (323) is higher than the second walls (322) along an up to down direction.
US07927138B2
An electrical connector that is reduced in size by appropriately combining connection terminals and a connector housing. Terminal insertion openings (15) for terminal accommodating holes (14) are formed in the rear face of the connector housing (11). The terminal insertion openings (15) each have an elliptic cross-section, and the ellipses are arranged so as to be aligned in a specific direction. Oblong sections of connection sections, having a narrow width, of the connection terminals are inserted into the terminal accommodating holes (14), along the terminal insertion openings (15). The connection terminals are engaged with elastic case lances and connection sections provided in the terminal receiving holes and are fixed in position.
US07927129B2
An electrical connector is provided with a hinged cover, which is connected in one piece to a connector housing. At least one guide slot is formed in a cover portion of the cover and opens outwards towards a free end of the cover portion. A cable is positioned in the guide slot upon closing the cover, and the guide slot is constricted when the cover is closed so that the cable is fixed inside it. The result is a secure fixing of the cable with low cost in terms of parts and assembly.
