US08259450B2
A mobile container may include a bottom element, a top element, a front element, a back element, and two side elements defining a containment volume. The two side elements may have a length longer than a length of either the front element or the back element. The containment volume may be configured to include a plurality of rack frames. Each rack frame may include a module insertion area on a first side of the rack frame, a universal backplane area, and a power bus. The universal backplane area may be positioned on a second side of the rack frame opposite to the first side and may include at least one mounting surface configured to mount two or more backplane boards. At least two of the backplane boards may be configured to couple to two respective modules that each have at least two different functions and are insertable through the module insertion area. The at least two different functions of at least one backplane board may include rack power and management functions. The power bus may provide power to the two or more backplane boards mounted in the universal backplane area.
US08259443B2
A tilting mechanism includes a fixing plate, a sliding plate, a swing member rotatably connecting to the fixing plate and the sliding plate; The tilting mechanism includes a first connecting plate rotatably connecting to the fixing plate, a second connecting plate rotatably connecting to the sliding plate, and a hinge having a pivoting portion and a fixing portion rotatably connecting to the pivoting portion, the pivoting portion is secured with the second connecting member and the fixing portion is secured with the first connecting member. The disclosure includes a portable electronic device using the tilting mechanism.
US08259434B2
There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor including: a capacitor main body formed by stacking a dielectric layer having a thickness of td and alternately stacking more than one opposing pair of a first internal electrode having a thickness of te and a second internal electrode having the same thickness as the first internal electrode, and having the dielectric layer therebetween; and a protective layer formed by stacking a second dielectric layer on at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the capacitor main body so that a dielectric material layer has a thickness of tc, wherein when a thickness from an end of a region where the first internal electrode and the second internal electrode oppose each other to side and end surfaces of the capacitor main body is a, it satisfies the following Equation 1 and a method of fabricating a multilayer ceramic capacitor are provided. 10
US08259432B2
Devices for storing energy at a high density are described. The devices include a solid dielectric that is preformed to present a high exposed area onto which an electrode is formed. The dielectric material has a high dielectric constant (high relative permittivity) and a high breakdown voltage, allowing a high voltage difference between paired electrodes to effect a high stored energy density.
US08259430B2
A surge protector comprises an internal circuitry configured to isolate a premise device from a surge input. In one embodiment, the internal circuitry can comprise a first signal path and a second signal path that is inductively coupled to the first signal path. Each of the first signal path and the second signal path can comprise windings, such as the windings that are found in an RF transformer. The internal circuitry can also comprise a blocking element, which is coupled to the second signal path so that the blocking element receives the surge input before the premise device.
US08259429B2
The present invention provides an amplifying repeater, which is constructed in such a manner that a ferrite core is inserted into a coil with a predetermined number of winds to increase an induced electromotive force caused by an increase in flux linkage using a time-varying magnetic field of electromagnetic waves at a position distant from various electromagnetic wave generating sources by a predetermined distance and the induction coil and a variable condenser for inducing resonance are connected to each other to increase current while reducing a resistant component existing in the induction coil to intensify and amplify the magnetic field of electromagnetic waves. Furthermore, the present invention provides a wireless power conversion charging device using the magnetic field of electromagnetic waves, which is located between an electromagnetic wave generating source transmitter and a receiving coil or attached to the transmitter and receiving coil. The wireless power conversion charging device includes a rectifying diode for rectifying an electromotive force induced in a construction in which a resonance and impedance matching variable condenser is connected to a coil in series or in parallel in order to transmit maximum induced power to a charging battery that is a load using electromagnetic waves amplified by the amplifying repeater, and a smoothing condenser for smoothing the rectified voltage. Accordingly, charging power required for various small power electronic devices can be provided and power can be supplied to various loads.
US08259427B2
A power transistor has a first current electrode coupled to a first power supply terminal and a second current electrode as an output of the circuit. A driver control circuit is coupled between a first and a second internal power supply node and is coupled to a control electrode of the power transistor. A first switch selectively couples the first power supply terminal to the first internal power supply node. A second power supply terminal is coupled to the second internal power supply node. A diode has an anode coupled to the second internal power supply node. A second switch is coupled between the diode and the output of the circuit such that, when the circuit is in active mode, it selectively couples the cathode of the diode to the output of the circuit based on whether or not the second power supply terminal is coupled to an external ground.
US08259425B2
A protection circuit is coupled between a chipset and an I/O port. The protection circuit comprises at least two protection devices and a control device. The protection devices are coupled in parallel with each other, and coupled between the I/O port and the chipset. The protection devices receive an input signal from the I/O port. When the I/O port has a surge current thereon, the protection devices perform a discharge operation for the surge current. The control device selects one of the protection devices to transmit the input signal t the chipset.
US08259416B1
A disk drive head suspension including a load beam having a load beam load point region and a flexure, attached to the load beam, having a flexure load point region. A mass of viscoelastic material is fixedly attached to both load beam load point region and flexure load point region to form a pinned load point. A method for manufacturing a disk drive head suspension of the type having a flexure with a flexure load point region on a load beam with a load beam load point region. The flexure load point region is spaced apart from the load beam load point region. A load point is formed by applying a mass of viscoelastic material to the load point region of at least one of the flexure and the load beam.
US08259415B2
A slider includes a slider body and a bond pad. The bond pad is positioned on the slider body and has a bonding surface with a recessed channel for directing solder flow. Separately related, an assembly includes a suspension assembly including a suspension mounting surface and a suspension pad on the suspension mounting surface. A slider is positioned adjacent the suspension mounting surface, with a slider pad aligned with the suspension pad. A recessed channel is in at least one of the slider pad or the suspension pad. A solder joint is formed between the suspension pad and the slider pad and extends into the recessed channel.
US08259412B2
A heating element for use in a thermal fly height control magnetic recording head of a magnetic data recording system. The heating element has a centrally disposed portion with a straight front edge that is recessed by a substantially constant distance, and has first and second side portions that taper away from the air bearing surface. The side portions preferably taper away from the air bearing surface by an angle of 20 to 45 degrees. The center portion of the front edge is spaced from the air bearing surface by a distance D and has a width W, such that W is 1.5 to 2.5 (or about 2) times D. D is typically 2-6 um to have good heater efficiency while being large enough to not over heat the heater. The heating element has an overall width WW and a overall depth HH from the air bearing surface such that WW is 1.5-2.5 (or about 2) times HH.
US08259408B2
A spindle motor for use in a 2.5 inch 7 mm high disk drive apparatus includes a base portion; a stator arranged above the base portion; a rotor hub including a cover portion positioned above the stator, and a side wall portion arranged to extend downward from an outer edge of the cover portion; a rotor magnet positioned radially outward of the stator, and fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the side wall portion of the rotor hub; and a bearing mechanism arranged to support the rotor hub and the rotor magnet such that the rotor hub and the rotor magnet are rotatable with respect to the base portion and the stator. A height of the rotor magnet as measured in an axial direction is preferably in a range of about 2 mm to about 3 mm (both inclusive), and a height of a stator core of the stator as measured in the axial direction is preferably in a range of about 50% to about 75% (both inclusive) of the height of the rotor magnet. A torque constant of a torque produced between the stator and the rotor magnet is in a range of about 3 mNm/A to about 5 mNm/A (both inclusive).
US08259400B2
A zoom lens system including, in order from an object, a first lens group G1 having negative refractive power, a second lens group G2 having positive refractive power, a third lens group G3 having negative refractive power, and a fourth lens group G4 having positive refractive power, upon zooming from a wide-angle end state W to a telephoto end state T, varying respective distances between adjacent lens groups G1, G2, G3, G4, shifting at least one portion of the third lens group G3 in a direction including a component perpendicular to the optical axis, and satisfying given conditional expressions, thereby providing a zoom lens system having a lens capable of moving in a direction including a component perpendicular to the optical axis, and realizing a high zoom ratio and excellent optical performance.
US08259395B2
An erect life-size lens array having a deep focal depth is realized. The erect life-size lens array includes a first lens array, a second lens array and an aperture, and when a thickness of the second lens is ξ1, a refractive index of the second lens is n, a distance between an exit surface of the second lens and a design image surface is ξ2, a radius of a circular hole of the aperture is ra, and a defocus amount is ξ3, the erect life-size lens array is for causing an MTF at a spatial frequency (line-pair/mm) ν to become MTFtarget or more, and satisfies (J1(2π·ra·((n/ξ1)+(1/ξ2))·ν·ξ3))/(π·ra·((n/ξ1)+(1/ξ2))·νξ3)≧MTFtarget, where J1 is a first type first-order Bessel function.
US08259389B2
Disclosed is an amplifying optical fiber having a central core and an optical cladding surrounding the central core. The central core is based on a silica matrix that includes nanoparticles, which are composed of a matrix material that includes doping ions of at least one rare earth element. The amplifying optical fiber can be employed, for example, in an optical amplifier and an optical laser.
US08259381B2
An optical limiting structure includes a metal layer with a single metal particle or a plurality of metal particles spaced from each other so as to form an array, where the metal particles have sizes no greater than about 1000 nanometers. A phase-change material layer is disposed adjacent at least a portion of the metal layer, where the phase-change material layer includes a phase-change material. The optical limiting structure is configured to transition from a first optical state to a second optical state, where the optical limiting structure substantially limits transmittance of light of at least one wavelength through the optical limiting structure at the second optical state, and the at least one wavelength at which the optical limiting structure substantially limits transmittance of light is different from any wavelength of light at which transmittance is substantially limited through the phase-change material prior to integration into the optical limiting structure.
US08259380B2
An electrochemical/electrocontrollable device having variable optical and/or energetic properties, including at least one carrier substrate including an electroactive layer or an electroactive layer stack arranged between a lower electrode and an upper electrode. At least one of the lower or upper electrodes includes at least four layers including at least one metal functional layer having intrinsic electrical conductivity properties, the functional layer being associated with an electrochemical barrier layer of an electrically conductive material transparent in the visible range, the electrochemical barrier layer being associated with a humidity protection layer of an electrically conductive material transparent in the visible range, and the functional layer being associated with a first sublayer of electrically conductive material transparent in the visible range.
US08259378B2
A scanning apparatus operable in the microwave, mm-wave, sub mm-wave (Terahertz) and infrared ranges comprises a primary drum (10) mounted for rotation about a central axis A of the primary drum being hollow and of rectangular polygonal form to provide a number of sides or facets (12, 14) each adapted to transmit such radiation, from a field of view, which is plane polarized in a first direction at 45° with respect to the rotary axis of the drum and to reflect radiation which is plane polarized in an orthogonal direction. Thus, radiation passing into the drum though whichever said side of the drum is currently facing the field of view and passing towards the diametrically opposite side will be plane polarized with a polarization direction such as to be reflected back by that diametrically opposite side towards the rotary axis of the drum. Each polygon side of the drum is configured so as to act, when reflecting radiation striking that side from within the drum, as a concave mirror, to focus the radiation towards a receiver assembly which includes a radiation detector for such radiation. In another embodiment scanning apparatus operable in the microwave, sub mm-wave, mm-wave and infrared ranges may comprise a reflective disc or mirror (50′, 52′) mounted for rotation relative in a support (74, 76) is itself mounted for rotation with respect to a second support (86) about a second axis inclined with respect to the first axis.
US08259377B2
A system, method, and apparatus for delayed optical logic gates based on slow light and enhanced nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes, where a single or multiple delayed optical routers are utilized for dark resonance interactions in which two-color lasers interact with a three-level nonlinear optical medium comprised of two ground states and one excited state through the nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes. The delayed optical logic mechanism is based on combination of single or multiple dark resonance-induced two-photon coherence conversion via slow light phenomenon. The two-photon coherence induced on the ground states is optically detected via nondegenerate four-wave mixing processes. The nondegenerate four-wave mixing generation is enhanced owing to dark resonance or electromagnetically induced transparency. The delayed optical logic gates have potential to keep up ultra-high-bandwidth optical information processing using relatively slow electronic processing devices.
US08259375B2
The present invention comprises a light modulation optical system having a first element which forms a desired light intensity gradient distribution to an incident light beam and a second element which forms a desired light intensity minimum distribution with an inverse peak shape to the same, and an image formation optical system which is provided between the light modulation optical system and a substrate having a polycrystal semiconductor film or an amorphous semiconductor film, wherein the incident light beam to which the light intensity gradient distribution and the light intensity minimum distribution are formed is applied to the polycrystal semiconductor film or the amorphous semiconductor film through the image formation optical system, thereby crystallizing a non-crystal semiconductor film. The pattern of the first element is opposed to the pattern of the second element.
US08259372B2
Image information of an original(s) is displayed, for example, after rotated to assume an easily viewable orientation for a user. The placement state of an original(s) on an original support of an image reading apparatus is detected and the image information may be displayed after rotated by 90 degrees based on the detection result. In addition, display orientation may be set, so that a thumbnail(s) is displayed in the set orientation.
US08259369B2
A calibration or characterization system is provided wherein the number of repeated patches or the size of a patch of a given color is printed to be approximately proportional to the square of the expected noise level. In that way, when multiple measurements for a given patch are averaged, all patch averages have approximately the same reliability.
US08259361B2
A photo composition system applies digital watermarks such as glossmarks and correlation marks to a user's image to produce a marked version of the image. A compatibility measure is computed and presented to the user as an aid in mark selection or the decision to even apply a mark to the image. Compatibility measures can be improved by automated image enhancement processes that adjust the image to be more compatible with the mark.
US08259354B2
The present invention relates to a method for changing a calibration of a recording apparatus (10) to adjust for geometric distortion comprising: providing a media support (12) for receiving recording media (17); operating a recording head (16) comprising a plurality of individually addressable recording channels (23) to form at least one image feature on the recording media while the recording media is positioned with a first orientation (50A) on the media support; positioning the recording media with a second orientation (50B) on the media support, wherein the second orientation is different from the first orientation; detecting distortion in the at least one image feature while the recording media is positioned with the second orientation on the media support; and adjusting activation timing of a portion of the recording channels in accordance with the detected distortion.
US08259348B2
An image processing apparatus includes a first print information receiving unit for receiving first print information including image data and color information, a color conversion parameter generating unit that generates a color conversion parameter for converting a color signal of the image data to a color signal of a color space fixed in advance, based on the color information included in the first print information, and a second print information transmitting unit that generates second print information by adding the color conversion parameter to the first print information. Also disclosed is an image processing method.
US08259346B2
Various embodiments of a system and method for selectively printing with an extended color gamut are disclosed.
US08259340B2
An image forming apparatus having: image forming means for visualizing image data read out by image reading means and forming it onto transfer materials; post-processing means for executing a post-process including a stapling process, a folding process, and/or a sorting process in order to execute a book-binding process to the transfer materials on which the image data has been formed; and a trimmer for executing a trimming process to a bundle of the transfer materials subjected to the binding process by the post-processing means, wherein when the trimming process by the trimmer is executed, the image forming means sets a non-image forming area including a processing portion to which the trimming process is executed and a valid image forming area excluding the non-image forming area onto the transfer material and forms the image data read out by the image reading means into the valid image forming area of the transfer material.
US08259337B2
A method applied to T.38 gateway for making high-speed facsimile fall back to ordinary facsimile, including: detecting a call menu signal from a calling high-speed facsimile machine; intercepting the call menu signal when the call menu signal containing high-speed facsimile service information is detected; detecting a digital identification signal from a called high-speed facsimile machine; setting V.8BIT in the digital identification signal to zero. The method of the invention is a reliable and effective method for identifying a facsimile service and making a high-speed facsimile process fall back to an ordinary facsimile process.
US08259335B2
In a method or printing system for sorting of print jobs, a check of specific directories as to whether a file belonging to a new print job has been generated is repeatedly implemented. A job identification number is associated with each new print job, the job identification numbers for print jobs stored in a specific group of directories being respectively generated chronologically. A plurality of print jobs are sorted corresponding to the job identification numbers.
US08259333B2
An information processing apparatus according to this invention acquires function restriction information used to restrict the use of functions of an image processing apparatus. The apparatus acquires job log data of a job which is processed using the functions of the image processing apparatus. The apparatus changes the acquired function restriction information. The apparatus calculates a cost incurred upon using the functions of the image processing apparatus within a designated period, based on unit price information indicating the unit prices of the resources consumed upon using the functions of the image processing apparatus, the job log data, and the changed function restriction information. The apparatus outputs the calculation result.
US08259332B2
In a conventional system, an eventing method and status inquiry method based on one-to-one communication are not suitable for notifying many unspecified network-connected hosts of the status of an apparatus in accordance with the WSD and UPnP protocols. A multicast packet capable of notifying many unspecified apparatuses of the status using one packet cannot transmit statuses other than connection and disconnection of an apparatus. To solve these problems, when the status of an apparatus changes, an identifier which is contained in a multicast packet and indicates the apparatus itself is sent after being replaced in accordance with the apparatus status without changing a format defined by a standard protocol. Upon receiving the packet, an apparatus determines, from the identifier contained in the multicast packet, whether to acquire information of the apparatus.
US08259328B2
An image transmitting apparatus transmits an image of a document in which an information disclosure level is set. A transmission operation to a specified destination is performed when an information disclosure level set in the specified destination is higher than the information disclosure level set in a document to be transmitted.
US08259325B2
In a data communication apparatus having a printing function of printing, for example, received emails, and a function of transmitting print completion notifications, if received data is a print completion notification, it may be printed out, but a print completion notification indicating that the printing of the received data has been completed is not transmitted. Then, wasteful transmission of print completion notifications is prevented. Alternatively, the printing itself of the received data is inhibited, which prevents wasteful consumption of printing resources.
US08259322B2
In a client PC, after receiving drawing data, the log information generation unit (400) of a printer driver (203) refers to the current time, and collects a keyword, print job attribute item, and the like which satisfy an extraction condition corresponding to a time period including the current time. The log information generation unit groups the collected pieces of information into a log information file (320), and saves it in a log information storage server (1000). A search unit can read saved log information from the log information file in accordance with a desired search condition. The system administrator or the like inspects the read log information, and if information may leak, investigates it.
US08259321B2
A method is provided for managing the scheduling of a plurality of print jobs for a print shop. The method includes obtaining a print job input stream including the plurality of print jobs. Each of the plurality of print jobs is scheduled for processing unless at least one of the plurality of print jobs is determined to be a disturbance job, the disturbance job causing delays in processing of other print jobs in the plurality of print jobs that would not occur but for the existence of the disturbance job in the print job input stream. The disturbance job is then assigned a processing related value that decreases over time, and scheduling of the disturbance job is delayed until the processing related value is less than a selected threshold value.
US08259320B2
Disclosed herein is an image management system including an image output apparatus and a server. The image output apparatus includes an obtaining unit to obtain user information when the image data is output, a history storage unit to accumulate and store the user information which is obtained by the obtaining unit and the image data which is output as history information, a history transfer unit to transfer the history information which is stored in the history storage unit to the server, and a deletion unit to delete the history information which is transferred by the history transfer unit from the history storage unit. The server includes a receiving unit to receive the history information which is transferred from the image output apparatus, and a history management unit to accumulate and store the history information which is received by the receiving unit.
US08259319B2
A communication device may be provided with a main control unit, a condition storage unit, and a sub control unit. The sub control unit may judge, in a case where data is received while the main control unit is being in the sleeping state, whether the sleeping state is to be maintained by referring to a condition stored in the condition storage unit. The sub control unit may release the sleeping state in a case where a negative judgment is made. When object data is received, at least one of the main and sub control units may register a new condition in the condition storage unit. The registration of the new condition is executed in a case where the sleeping state of the main control unit would be released although the sleeping state of the main control unit should not be released under a presumption of the object data being received while the main control unit is being in the sleeping state.
US08259318B2
A printing apparatus including a reception unit configured to receive print data, a first identification unit configured to identify user information contained in the received print data, a first determination unit configured to determine whether there is any user currently logged onto the printing apparatus, a second identification unit configured to identify user information corresponding to a currently logged on user, a second determination unit configured to determine whether the user information is identical, a suspending unit configured to suspend print processing when the user information are not identical to each other, a printing unit configured to print the print data when the user information are identical to each other, and print the print data in response to a log-out action of the currently logged on user when the print data is suspended by the suspending unit, and an inhibition unit configured to inhibit a log-in action based on different user information.
US08259317B2
In an image processing system including an image processing portion configured to process an image according to a plurality of processing conditions which are individually settable to a set value, a control portion displays a first setting screen on a display portion, so that the set value of at least one processing condition can be changed on the first setting screen according to an external input. The control portion additionally displays a second setting screen on the display portion in response to change of the set value of a processing condition on the first setting screen, so that the second setting screen includes information on at least one relevant processing condition associated with the changed processing condition, and the set value of the at least one relevant processing condition can be changed on the second setting screen according to an external input.
US08259316B2
An image reading apparatus includes a reading unit, a first guide member, a second guide member, a light adjusting member and a light adjusting control unit. The reading unit reads an original document. The first guide member places the original document thereon when the reading unit reads the original document. The second guide member is disposed opposite to the first guide member. The light adjusting member is disposed between the first guide member and the second guide member and adjusts permeation of light irradiated from the reading unit. The light adjusting control unit controls in such a manner to adjust the light permeating through the light adjusting member when the reading unit reads the original document.
US08259308B2
A system and method for diagnosing a misalignment condition during operation of a continuous oven, which includes a conveyor system conveying and positioning trays carrying panned baked goods within an oven bake chamber defined at least in part by two side panels extending parallel to one another. The system includes an optical sensor arrangement having a transmitter and a receiver disposed along a line of sight, the line of sight extending across a location of the oven bake chamber such that a misaligned tray or mis-positioned utensil moving on the conveyor system disposed within the oven cavity interrupts the line of sight, which in accordance with the method causes the optical sensor system to provide a signal indicative of the misalignment condition.
US08259298B2
The invention relates to a system comprising a broadband optical light source and a sorting device and more specifically to laser sorting devices. The object of the present invention is to provide a system comprising a sorting device with a light-source offering all wavelengths for the sorting process. This is solved by using an all fiber supercontinuum light source.
US08259292B2
A method of providing a polarized radio frequency scanning source is provided. The method including amplitude modulating at least two synchronized polarized radio frequency (RF) carrier signals with a predetermined relationship between their amplitude modulation of their electric field components and their polarization states to provide a scanning polarized RF reference source with a desired scanning range, pattern and frequency. The two or more synchronized polarized RF carrier signals with the predetermined relationship between their amplitude modulation can obtain a periodic or non-periodic scanning range, rate and frequency.
US08259291B2
A seeker/receiver system for a moving body, such as for guiding the moving body to a target, includes an optics/receiver portion that tilts as a unit relative to other parts of the moving body. The optics/receiver portion includes a window which may be used to enclose and protect one or both of a pair of receivers or detectors, such as a laser energy detector or receiver, and an infrared energy detector or receiver. By moving the window and the receivers as a unit a set positional relationship is maintained between all of the elements of the optics/receiver portion. This simplifies the optics by obviating the need for all aspects of the window to present the same properties to energy detectors that tilt relative to it. The optics/receiver portion may be tilted using a tilt mechanism such as a gimbal.
US08259289B2
In optical maskless lithography, scanning of a single substrate is typically much slower than in conventional lithography. Solutions are described for the adoption of immersion lithography techniques into optical maskless lithography and in particular provides one or more solutions to reduce the amount of time which the immersion liquid is in contact with any given part of the top surface of the substrate during imaging.
US08259287B2
A liquid supply system for an immersion lithographic apparatus provides a laminar flow of immersion liquid between a final element of the projection system and a substrate. A control system minimizes the chances of overflowing and an extractor includes an array of outlets configured to minimize vibrations.
US08259274B2
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed there between. The first substrate is provided with gate lines and data lines thereon. The gate lines and data lines cross with each other and are insulated from each other. Pixel electrodes are stacked on the gate lines and data lines. Each pixel electrode includes first and second sub-pixel electrodes spaced apart from each other and a connection electrode, which connects the first sub-pixel electrode to the second sub-pixel electrode. The second substrate is provided with a common electrode thereon. The common electrode includes a first domain divider formed on the center of the first sub-pixel electrode and a second domain divider formed on the center of the second sub-pixel electrode.
US08259264B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that can electrically control the viewing angle. A liquid crystal display device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first electrode group on the lower substrate and a first region of liquid crystals in image drive areas controllable according to an applied voltage, and a second electrode group on the lower substrate and a second region of liquid crystals in viewing angle control areas controllable according to an applied voltage, wherein the first region and the second region may be controlled separately.
US08259260B2
A reflective display device may include pixels. Each pixel may include sub-pixels. Each sub-pixel may include first and second substrates spaced apart from each other; a driving unit formed on a top surface of the first substrate; a reflective layer, acting as a first electrode to which a voltage is applied by the driving unit, disposed above the driving unit; a second electrode formed on a bottom surface of the second substrate; a color filter layer disposed between the reflective layer and the second electrode; and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) layer. If the color filter layer is formed on the reflective layer; then the PDLC layer may be disposed between the second electrode and color filter layer. If the color filter layer is formed on a bottom surface of the second electrode, then the PDLC layer may be disposed between the reflective layer and color filter layer.
US08259257B2
The liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel and the back light device for emitting the light from a light source to the liquid crystal panel through a lens. The light source includes a first LED for emitting the light of a first color, a second LED for emitting the light of a second color, a third LED for emitting the light of a third color, a fourth LED for emitting the light of the third color, a fifth LED for emitting the light of the second color, and a sixth LED for emitting the light of the first color. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth LEDs are arranged on the wiring board in such a manner as to offset the deviation of the light distribution.
US08259255B2
An exemplary backlight module includes a light guide plate (210), a light source (211), and a retardation layer (214). The light guide plate includes a light incident surface (2120) and a light emitting surface (2121) adjacent to the light incident surface. The light source is configured to emit polarized light with a first polarization orientation, and is located at a side of the light incident surface. The retardation layer is disposed at a side of the light emitting surface, and is configured to rotate the first polarization orientation of the polarized light to a second polarization orientation.
US08259254B2
This present invention provides an electronic paper display device. The electronic paper display device includes a thin film transistor array substrate and a display panel disposed on one side of the thin film transistor array substrate. The thin film transistor array substrate comprises a first substrate, a first metal layer, a dielectric layer, a second metal layer, a channel layer, a pixel electrode layer, a protection layer, a first resin layer and a second resin layer. The display panel includes a second substrate, a transparent electrode layer disposed on the second substrate, and an electronic ink material layer between the transparent electrode layer and the thin film transistor array substrate.
US08259242B2
A stereoscopic display device is disclosed. The stereoscopic display device includes a backlight module, a first liquid crystal display panel, a first polarizer, a second liquid crystal display panel, a second polarizer, and a detachable polarizer. The backlight module has a light emitting side. The first polarizer, the first liquid crystal display panel, the detachable polarizer, the second liquid crystal display panel, and the second polarizer are disposed sequentially from the light emitting side. The detachable polarizer is detachably inserted. By designing arrangements of the first polarizer, the second polarizer, and the detachable polarizer, and by limiting the pixel scale relationship between the first liquid crystal display panel and the second liquid crystal display panel, various types of stereoscopic display technologies can be implemented according to the present invention.
US08259240B2
High-resolution, scalable multi-touch sensing display systems and processes based on frustrated total internal reflection employ an optical waveguide that receives light, such as infrared light, that undergoes total internal reflection and an imaging sensor that detects light that escapes the optical waveguide caused by frustration of the total internal reflection due to contact by a user. The optical waveguide when fitted with a compliant surface overlay provides superior sensing performance, as well as other benefits and features. The systems and processes described provide true multi-touch (multi-input) and high-spatial and temporal resolution capability due to the continuous imaging of the frustrated total internal reflection that escapes the entire optical waveguide. Among other features and benefits, the systems and processes are scalable to large installations.
US08259235B2
An image processing apparatus includes an image decoding unit and an image adjusting unit. The image decoding unit decodes a data stream to generate a first image comprising a first pixel. The image adjusting unit comprises a pixel edge determining module and a chrominance adjusting module. The pixel edge determining module determines an edge luminance parameter according to an initial luminance value of the first pixel and a plurality of initial luminance values of pixels neighboring the first pixel, and determines an edge chrominance parameter according to an initial chrominance value of the first pixel and a plurality of initial chrominance values of pixels neighboring the first pixel. The first chrominance adjusting module determines a first weight according to the edge luminance parameter and the edge chrominance parameter, and generates a first adjusted chrominance value by weighted calculating a first predetermined chrominance value and the initial chrominance value of the first pixel.
US08259226B2
In one embodiment of the present application, a frame interpolation circuit performs frame interpolation on an input video signal, and outputs a drive video signal containing original and interpolation frames. A motion determination circuit outputs a control signal in accordance with the amount of motion, based on a motion vector obtained by a motion detection circuit. In accordance with the control signal, the frame interpolation circuit increases the proportion of interpolation frames contained in the drive video signal as motion in an image increases, while increasing the proportion of original frames contained in the drive video signal as the motion in the image decreases. As a result, any moving image blur due to following line of sight and noise generated in the interpolation frames are reduced.
US08259218B2
This invention provides a photographing module with optical zoom, which at least includes a focusing lens assembly, a zoom lens assembly, a focusing lens actuator, a zoom lens actuator, a photo sensor and a vibration sensor. The focusing lens actuator at least includes a first movable member, a first fixed member and a first electric unit, wherein the first electric unit can drive the first movable member to proceed axial displacement and incline at an angle with respect to at least one axis. The zoom lens actuator at least includes a second movable member, a second fixed member and a second electric unit, wherein the second electric unit can drive the second movable member to proceed axial displacement. Alternatively, the axial inclination driven by the first electric unit of the focusing lens actuator may be driven by the second electric unit of the zoom lens actuator.
US08259215B2
The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element including image pickup pixels and focus detection pixels, and first and second focus information calculating parts respectively calculating first focus information based on outputs from the focus detection pixels and second focus information based on an output from a light-receiving element which is provided separately from the image pickup element. The focus information indicates a focus state of an image pickup optical system. The apparatus further includes a correction value calculating part calculating a correction value based on the first focus information and the second focus information, and a controlling part performing focus control of the image pickup optical system based on the second focus information corrected using the correction value.
US08259214B2
An image pickup apparatus capable of focusing on an object with stability based on a recognized object area. A video camera includes an image pickup device for picking up an image formed by an image-pickup optical system including a focus lens, a face detection processing circuit for detecting, based on a video signal output from the image pickup device, an object area on an imaging screen and the likelihood of an object being present in the object area, and a computer for controlling a focus adjustment based on the object area when determining that the likelihood detected by the face detection processing circuit satisfies a predetermined condition, which is varied according to an imaging state.
US08259211B2
A lens driver includes a lens unit, a polymer actuator, and an orthogonal transformation mechanism. The lens unit includes a lens holding frame having a pressed portion at an outer peripheral surface of the lens unit, a lens being held thereby. The lens unit is movable in an optical-axis direction of the lens. The polymer actuator is arranged outside the outer peripheral surface and having an electrode to which a voltage is applied. The polymer actuator is bent in a direction orthogonal to the optical-axis direction and presses the pressed portion in that direction when the voltage is applied to the electrode. The orthogonal transformation mechanism converts a force in a pressing direction into a moving force in the optical-axis direction and moves the lens unit in the optical-axis direction when the pressed portion of the lens holding frame is pressed by the bent polymer actuator.
US08259206B1
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixels for converting analog image signals from the pixels into digital signals including a higher digit bit and a lower digit bit in time series. The A/D converter includes a first holding unit for holding the higher digit bit of the digital signal, a second holding unit for holding the lower digit bit of the digital signal, a third holding unit for holding the digital signal from the first holding unit, and a fourth holding unit for holding the digital signal from the second holding unit. A first pair including the first and third holding units, and a second pair including the second and fourth holding units are arranged in a direction along the column of the two-dimensional array of pixels.
US08259203B2
A method and apparatus for achieving monochromatic response from a low-cost color imager are presented. In this method and apparatus, the out-of-band response to infrared (IR) light by solid state sensors is exploited to produce a monochrome image. The monochrome image is produced by omitting the IR blocking filter from the sensor of the color imager and illuminating the scene to be imaged including IR radiation from an LED. The wavelength emitted from the LED is matched to the wavelength or wavelengths that correspond to a region where the sensor's response to IR light is relatively even, despite the color-mosaic filter permanently attached to the sensor.
US08259197B2
An imaging device includes an imaging sensor, a switching section, and a controlling section. The imaging sensor includes a light receiving surface to which light receiving elements capable of addressing reading are arranged, and having, on the light receiving surface, an imaging area capturing a subject image and an optical black area outputting a signal of a dark current component, the optical black area which the light receiving elements are covered with a light shielding member. The switching section switching a first state and a second state. The controlling section reads a signal level by each partial area at the optical black area when a dark image is captured in the second state after capturing a normal image in the first state, sequentially compares with the signal level at a corresponding position of the normal image, and controls a exposure time of the dark image according to the comparison result.
US08259195B2
A camera module is disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the camera module includes a lens unit, an image sensing unit, which converts light received through the lens unit to an electrical signal, a housing, which supports the lens unit, and a shield can, which supports a lower side of the housing and is made of a conductive metallic material so as to shield an electromagnetic wave.
US08259192B2
A digital image processing apparatus including an image storage medium arranged to store an image; a display unit arranged to display the image; a mood determination unit arranged to determine the mood of the image. The apparatus is arranged to select music that matches the determined mood of the image and arranged to play the selected music while displaying the image. A method of controlling a digital image processing apparatus, the method including (a) determining a mood of an image; and (b) playing music with a mood that matches the determined mood of the image while displaying the image on a display unit.
US08259191B2
A backlight adjustment device of a camera equipped terminal of an example of the invention comprises a storage unit which stores relational data indicating relationship between an integrated value and a luminance, an integrated value calculation unit which determines an integrated value of imaging data of a camera or data in a predetermined range of the imaging data, a first control unit which determines a luminance with respect to the integrated value determined by the integrated value calculation unit based on the relational data stored in the storage unit, and a second control unit which controls brightness of a backlight of an image display unit according to the luminance determined by the first control unit.
US08259172B2
The picture input section 12 fetches image data from the storage device 11, and then, inputs image data on sequential n images into the section 13 for measuring correlation between sequential images and the section 14 for measuring correlation between sampled images. The section 13 for measuring correlation between sequential images measures the correlation between sequential images based on video data. The section 14 for measuring correlation between sampled images measures the correlation between sub-sampled images. The short shot determining section 15 determines short cut points by using the correlation between the sequential images and the correlation between the sub-sampled images. Otherwise, short cut points may be determined in consideration of motion amount between the sequential images or the sub-sampled images.
US08259170B2
A stage assembly, an imaging system that uses the stage assembly, and methods for using the stage assembly in a high content screening system. The stage assembly includes a stage having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface and an opening extending between the top and bottom surfaces to receive a specimen plate. The stage assembly also includes a calibration sample bay formed in the stage. A calibration sample can also be secured within the calibration sample bay.
US08259152B2
A Video Call Distributor, including systems and methods, for distributing high quality real time video calls over an IP Packet-Based Wide Area Network and for routing those calls based on an ability to communicate and leverage existing routing rules and logic of a call management system, such as a traditional PBX-based.
US08259146B2
The image densities of images formed with a plurality of laser beams on the basis of image data are measured. The quantity of each of the plurality of laser beams is adjusted in accordance with the measurement result.
US08259142B2
An image forming apparatus comprises a toner-bearing member that bears toner and makes the toner clouded thereon. A toner passage control device including plural widthwise lines of toner passage holes in a printing medium conveyance direction is provided. Each of the toner passage holes includes a control electrode that controls passage of the toner through each of the toner passage holes toward a printing medium. a control pulse proving device provides a control pulse to the control electrode to operate. The control pulse applied to the control electrode of the one of the plural lines is different from that applied to the control electrode of the other one of the plural lines.
US08259141B2
Image forming device based on direct recording method and image forming apparatus including the same
An image creating apparatus includes a casing that stores therein an agent, an agent carrier rotatably supported by the casing, a hole defining member defining a plurality of holes therein and opposed to the agent carrier, a plurality of spray electrodes provided on the hole defining member respectively corresponding to the holes and forming an electric field for selectively causing the agent to be sprayed from the agent carrier towards the holes, and a positioning member provided on the casing to cover the agent carrier and positioning the hole defining member with respect to the agent carrier so that the agent carrier and the hole defining member are in a predetermined positional relationship. The angle of the positioning member is adjustable relative to the casing about a rotation shaft that is coaxial with the agent carrier.
US08259139B2
A method and system is disclosed for improving the response time of displays, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The method includes receiving a target picture frame and comparing it to a current picture frame. If the comparison shows that a display may be unable to transition from a current pixel intensity level to a target pixel intensity level within a specified time period, then the pixels that correspond to those current pixel intensities that may not be reach target pixel intensities may be overdriven. This overdriving of one or more pixels may allow the pixel to reach the target pixel intensity within the specified time period.
US08259138B2
An image display method and an image display device in which one field is constructed by plural subfields weighted in brightness, and coding for controlling light emission and light non-emission of a pixel every each subfield is performed to display gradation, and coding with respect to a pixel of a dynamic image area and coding with respect to a pixel of a static image area are different; wherein a transition area is arranged between the dynamic image area and the static image area; and pixel A coded with respect to the pixel of the dynamic image area and pixel B coded with respect to the pixel of the static image area mixedly exist in the transition area.
US08259127B2
In one embodiment of the display system, the display system comprises an image pipeline that accepts input color image data of one color gamut to be rendered on a display having high brightness subpixel layouts. In one embodiment, the system comprises a boost function that maps the input color data onto another color gamut that boosts the luminance of colors that might appear dark if rendered against a white or very light background.
US08259120B2
A system and method for resolving the blank screen issue when switching between graphics processing units. The system and method provide a graphics adapter LCD timing controller (Tcon) with a frame buffer specifically dedicated to storing previously presented screen data for use when switching graphic processing units. The system further includes a protocol comparator unit within a serial-to-parallel converter and a memory controller coupled to the protocol comparator.
US08259117B2
In a multi-participant modeled virtual reality environment, avatars are modeled beings that include moveable eyes creating the impression of an apparent gaze direction. Control of eye movement may be performed autonomously using software to select and prioritize targets in a visual field. Sequence and duration of apparent gaze may then be controlled using automatically determined priorities. Optionally, user preferences for object characteristics may be factored into determining priority of apparent gaze. Resulting modeled avatars are rendered on client displays to provide more lifelike and interesting avatar depictions with shifting gaze directions.
US08259113B2
A method, apparatus, and medium for transforming a graphic data of an object and a computer readable recording medium storing a program for executing the method are provided. The method includes; determining at least one triangle to be collapsed among one or more triangles comprised in the object, determining a collapsing vertex to be created by collapsing the at least one triangle, and transforming the graphic data of the object based on information regarding the at least one triangle determined to be collapsed and information regarding the determined collapsing vertex. Thus, a large three-dimensional object can be efficiently rendered with a small amount of resources.
US08259090B2
Disclosed is a 3-dimension non-bias electrets multi-touch device, comprising a first electrets thin film providing a first bias electric charge to form an electrostatic field, a first electrode, a second electrode and a controller. The first electrode is attached to the first electrets thin film and outputs a first signal when the electrostatic field is changed by a deformation of the first electrets thin film due to contact pressures of external forces. The second electrode outputs a second signal when the electrostatic field is changed. The first and second electrodes transmit the first and second signals to the controller. The controller is capable to detect and analyze positions where the contact pressures of the external forces are applied and normal vector shifts of the first electrets thin film at the positions.
US08259088B1
A touch sensor for a touch system includes a housing having a light sensing window, a light blocking section, and a reference window, the light sensing window and the reference window configured to allow light to pass therethrough, the light blocking section configured to prohibit light from passing therethrough, a rotating assembly disposed within the housing, and a light sensor. The rotating assembly is configured to transmit light received from the light sensing window and the reference window to the light sensor, and the light sensor is configured to output a signal that is utilized to identify an angular location of a touch. A touch system including such touch sensors is also described herein.
US08259087B2
In a capacitance sensing analog circuit of a touch panel sensing circuit, by raising a magnitude of a current flowing through a sensing capacitor to form an amplified sensing capacitance, while sensing the amplified sensing capacitance with the aid of pulse width modulation signals, higher resolution of the original sensing capacitance may thus be achieved. Besides, by using a self-calibrating capacitance sensing circuit on the touch panel sensing circuit, linear errors and DC errors of an output signal of the capacitance sensing analog circuit may be filtered off, and thereby resolution of a capacitance amplifying ratio may be effectively raised so as to relieve errors within the capacitance amplifying ratio caused by noises.
US08259085B2
An information terminal device has a touch panel and a display unit which are integrally configured, and an operation button provided around the display unit, and the information terminal device includes: a touch number counting unit operable to count number of times of touching the operation button; a touch number storing unit operable to store the number of times counted by the touch number counting unit; and a control unit operable to control the information terminal device by switching an operation mode between a normal mode for working the information terminal device according to operations of the touch panel and the operation button and a cleaning mode for cleaning the touch panel, wherein in the cleaning mode, the control unit prohibits an application from being executed according to operations of the touch panel and the operation button, and terminates the cleaning mode when the number of times of touching the operation button counted by the touch number counting unit reaches a predetermined number.
US08259084B2
An embedded type inductive input display device capable of increasing aperture ratios, that is realized through parallel-connecting at least two sensing devices of adjacent pixels separated by a gate line, and said sensing devices are connected to a switch transistor, such that said switch transistor is under control of said gate line, and sensor signals output by said sensing devices are transmitted to a read line for detecting touch-control events and positions. As such, the size of said sensing device utilized can be reduced, hereby effectively increasing aperture ratio of a panel, while maintaining a same magnitude of said sensor signals.
US08259074B2
A key arrangement includes a plurality of keys that are arranged in a regular grid of rows and columns. The columns include a first column, a last column, and at least one middle column. The keys in the first and last columns are smaller than the keys in the at least one middle column. A method for improving the ergonomics of a key arrangement on a keyboard of a fixed size is provided. A method for designing a key arrangement for a mobile communication device is also provided.
US08259068B2
An optical navigation input device with a light guide which acts as a beam shaping element. The optical navigation input device includes a light source and the light guide. The light source emits a light beam having a substantially elliptical or substantially circular cross section. The light guide is positioned relative to the light source to receive the light beam from the light source in a first direction. The light guide also redirects the light beam in a second direction toward an illumination surface at a non-zero angle of incidence. The light guide directs the light beam through a refraction interface in order to illuminate a substantially circular area on the illumination surface.
US08259061B2
Provided is a photodetection device which is small in size and has excellent sensitivity. A photodetection device puts cathode terminals of photodiodes having different spectral characteristics into an open end state, and detects light intensity of a desired wavelength region according to a difference in electric charges that have been stored in those photodiodes in a given period of time. The photodiodes employ a system of storing electric charges, and hence even if a photocurrent is small, the photocurrent may be stored to obtain the electric charges required for detection, and the downsizing and high detection performance of a semiconductor device that forms the photodiodes may be achieved. Further, a wide dynamic range may be realized with an electric charge storage time being variable according to the light intensity, to intermittently drive an element required for difference detection at the time of difference detection so as to suppress electric power consumption, or to average the output so as to reduce flicker.
US08259059B2
A driving system for a liquid crystal display device includes a system unit to supply image data to be displayed on a liquid crystal panel, the system unit generating a system dimming signal, an inverter unit to control luminance of a backlight unit, the inverter unit receiving the system dimming signal, and a control unit to control display of images on the liquid crystal panel, the control unit receiving the system dimming signal from the inverter unit and outputting a control dimming signal to the inverter unit, wherein the inverter unit adjusts luminance of the backlight unit using the control dimming signal input from the control unit.
US08259058B2
Electronic circuit designed to control the level of lighting produced by light diodes in a flat screen. The circuit uses a PDM modulator in order to generate a control signal (Vc) with a number of pulses by period that depends on the desired level of lighting. The advantage is to reduce the energy in the low frequencies.
US08259057B2
In one embodiment, a liquid crystal display assembly comprises a liquid crystal module, a backlight assembly comprising an array of light emitting diodes, a detector to detect an optical output of at least one light emitting diode, and a controller coupled to the detector wherein the controller comprises logic to record in a memory location a first output value from the detector at a first point in time for a plurality of light emitting diodes in the array of light emitting diodes, measure a second output value from the detector at a second point in time for the plurality of light emitting diodes in the array of light emitting diodes, and adjust at least one input value to the plurality of light emitting diodes based on a relationship between the first output value and the second output value.
US08259054B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel, a driver that drives the liquid crystal panel, an input unit that inputs an option signal from outside the liquid crystal device, a controller that controls the driver and performs an option function corresponding to the option signal, and a buffer disposed between the input unit and the controller that removes an excitation voltage from the option signal output from the input unit.
US08259050B2
A liquid crystal display device and a video processing method of the same are disclosed. A video processing method of a liquid crystal display device includes a first step determining whether a current frame is a motion picture by comparing data of a current frame with data of a previous frame; a second step converting and outputting a number of bits of a white gradation data of the current frame and outputting data of the other gradations without the bit conversion, if it is determined in the first step that the current frame is the motion picture; a third step outputting the data of the current frame without the bit-conversion if it is determined in the first step that the current frame is a still image; and a fourth step comparing the data of the current frame outputted in the second or third step with data of a previous frame and outputting overdriving control (ODC) data converted based on the result of the comparison.
US08259049B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) which can provide uniform vertical and horizontal visibility while improving lateral visibility is provided. The LCD includes a first insulating substrate, first and second gate lines which are formed on the first insulating substrate, and a data line which is insulated from the first and second gate lines and intersects the first and second gate lines. The LCD also includes first and second thin film transistors (TFTs) which are formed in each pixel and are connected to the first and second gate lines, respectively, and to the data line, first sub-pixel electrodes which are connected to the first TFT, and a second sub-pixel electrode which is separated from the first sub-pixel electrodes by predetermined gaps and is connected to the second TFT. The LCD includes a second insulating substrate which faces the first insulating substrate, a common electrode which is formed on the second insulating substrate and comprises a plurality of domain dividers, and a liquid crystal layer which is interposed between the first and second insulating substrates, wherein a display region of the second sub-pixel electrode is divided into 4 domain groups by the domain dividers, and the 4 domain groups have substantially the same area.
US08259046B2
In at least one embodiment of the present invention, deterioration of display quality is prevented from occurring in a display device provided with an active matrix substrate even when a larger size or a higher resolution is employed and a drive frequency is increased. In an active matrix substrate of a liquid crystal display device, a charge sharing control signal line is disposed so as to be arranged along each gate line and charge sharing TFTs are provided for each source line in numbers equal to the number of the gate lines. The gate terminal of the charge sharing TFT is connected to the charge sharing control signal line and the source and drain terminals are connected with neighboring source lines via connection electrode portions, respectively. Each of the charge sharing control signal lines is provided with a signal which turns on the charge sharing TFT for a predetermined period of every one horizontal period.
US08259043B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods are provided for controlling the luminance of a display. One apparatus includes a pre-charge circuit configured to supply a pre-charge voltage to a column of LED pixels, a programming circuit configured to supply current to the column, and a switch configured to selectively couple the pre-charge circuit or the programming circuit to the column. A system includes an array of LED pixels arranged in a plurality of columns. A plurality of pre-charge circuits, each configured to selectively supply a pre-charge voltage to at least one column of pixels, and a plurality of current sources, each configured to selectively supply current to at least one column of pixels are also included. One method includes determining a pre-charge voltage for each of a plurality of columns based on a target luminance level selected from the plurality of luminance levels and supplying the determined pre-charge voltages to the columns.
US08259036B2
A plasma display apparatus is disclosed. The plasma display apparatus includes a plasma display panel and a filter positioned in front of the plasma display panel. The plasma display panel includes a front substrate on which an upper dielectric layer is positioned, first and second electrodes positioned between the front substrate and the upper dielectric layer, and a rear substrate on which a third electrode is positioned to intersect the first and second electrodes. The filter includes a first portion having a first degree of blackness, and a second portion that is positioned in the first portion and has a second degree of blackness larger than the first degree of blackness. A black layer is omitted between the front substrate and the upper dielectric layer.
US08259031B2
This invention provides an improved antenna structure comprising a connecting unit having a connector, a lightning rod, and a signal transmission section. The two ends of the connector has the first and second connecting sections, with the signal transmission section extending out the first and second connecting sections; and a connecting unit connecting to the antenna unit, which contains at least an antenna board fixed to the first connecting section and the signal transmission section, and a set of housing installed at the outer section of the antenna board and connecting to the connector. Through this, the lightning rod, connecting unit, and antenna unit can be integrated together and the effectiveness of simple structure, ease to assemble, and lowered manufacturing cost can be achieved.
US08259028B2
A band clamp for coupling a radome to a distal end of a reflector dish for improving the front to back ratio of a reflector antenna, the band clamp provided with an inward projecting proximal lip and an inward projecting distal lip. The distal lip dimensioned with an inner diameter equal to or less than a reflector aperture of the reflector dish. The proximal lip provided with a turnback region dimensioned to engage an outer surface of a signal area of the reflector dish in an interference fit. A width of the band clamp may be dimensioned, for example, between 0.8 and 1.5 wavelengths of an operating frequency.
US08259019B2
The invention concerns a rugged antenna mount adapter (100) for mounting an antenna (112) used by NATO vehicles to an existing antenna mount opening (113) of a non-NATO type armored vehicle, regardless of the thickness of the armor (110) on the vehicle. The antenna mount adapter has an upper member (116) and a lower member (118). The upper member (116) has two flanges (120, 122) separated by a hollow cylindrical body (116) having internal threads (134). The top flange (120) is adapted to receive a NATO style antenna and the bottom flange (122) is adapted to be attached to the outside surface and aligned with the antenna mount opening (113) of a non-NATO type armored vehicle. The lower member (118) is a hollow cylindrical body having a flange (140) at one end and a screw thread (136) which extends along the outside surface of the cylinder at the other end. The screw thread end of the lower member is designed to screw into the upper member from the interior of the vehicle until the flange on the lower member abuts the inside wall of the vehicle.
US08259017B2
A portable electronic device is provided that has a hybrid antenna. The hybrid antenna may include a slot antenna structure and a planar inverted-F antenna structure. The planar inverted-F antenna structure may be formed from traces on a flex circuit substrate. A backside trace may form a series capacitance for the planar inverted-F antenna structure. The antenna slot may have a perimeter that is defined by the location of conductive structures such as flex circuits, metal housing structures, a conductive bezel, printed circuit board ground conductors, and electrical components. Springs may be used in electrically connecting these conductive elements. A spring-loaded pin may be used as part of an antenna feed conductor. The pin may connect a transmission line path on a printed circuit board to the planar inverted-F antenna structure while allowing the planar inverted-F antenna structure to be removed from the device for rework or repair.
US08259010B2
A position determining system (PDS) receiver gathers independent location information from multiple sources. These multiple pieces of location information are analyzed to determine consistency of location. If the location is consistent among the various independently gathered location information, then the location information is injected into the PDS positioning process for more efficient acquisition and positioning. Otherwise, if inconsistency is found, then no location information is injected into the PDS positioning process.
US08259008B2
Techniques for supporting positioning with differential corrections are described. In an aspect, differential correction for a satellite may include (i) a user differential range error (UDRE) indicating an uncertainty in a pseudo-range correction for the satellite, (ii) a UDRE growth rate, which may be a scaling factor for the UDRE, and (iii) a time of validity for UDRE growth rate, which may be a time unit used to apply the scaling factor. In one design, a terminal may send a request message to ask for differential correction information and may receive a response message. The terminal may obtain differential correction (e.g., a UDRE, a UDRE growth rate, and a time of validity for UDRE growth rate) for each of at least one satellite from the response message. The terminal may derive a location estimate for itself based on the differential correction for each satellite.
US08258997B2
A radar device includes means for emitting microwave-frequency signals; means for receiving signals reflected by a target; computation means; a plurality of antenna systems disposed around the aircraft, an antenna system comprising a set of emission antennas coupled to the emission means and a set of reception antennas coupled to the reception means, each antenna system being dedicated to the coverage of a given angular sector Ω; for a given antenna system, the antenna beam on reception being formed by CBF by the computation means on the basis of the signals received by the reception antennas and the antenna beam on emission is pointed by an electronic scanning system in a number greater than or equal to two of directions inside the given angular sector Ω. The invention applies notably in the field of airborne radars, in particular radars with large angular coverage and short range that are necessary for example for carrying out a function of the “see and avoid” type on drones, which function is also commonly called “Sense & Avoid”.
US08258989B2
A data demodulator includes: a conversion means for converting an RLL code obtained by converting data in which information bits including specific bits are inserted at fixed intervals which is included in an input signal in accordance with a modulation table having variable-length conversion rules into data in accordance with a demodulation table corresponding to the modulation table; a determination means for determining control segments for performing calculation intended by the information bits from the converted data; a calculation means for executing calculation intended by the specific bit inserted in the control segment different from a calculation target with respect to the data of the control segment as the calculation target; and a correction output means for selecting one of first data converted by the conversion means and second data obtained by converting the RLL code of the input signal corrected based on the calculation result in accordance with the demodulation table and outputting the data.
US08258987B2
A capacitive touch switch is disclosed which includes a substrate having a channel formed between a first surface and a second surface thereof, thereby defining a flexible section of the substrate. The capacitive touch switch also includes an insulating panel having a first face and a second face, the second face adapted to be touched by a user. The capacitive touch switch may further include a capacitive electrode disposed on the flexible section, a light source coupled to the first surface of the flexible section, and one or more spacers secured to the first surface of the flexible section. Either the light source or the one or more spacers cause the flexible section of the substrate to be deflected away from the insulating panel when the substrate and the insulating panel are urged into contact. Deflection of the flexible section creates a gap which allows the light source to illuminate an icon disposed on the insulating panel. A method of manufacturing a capacitive touch switch is also disclosed.
US08258976B2
The present invention concerns application of a unique conductive electrode geometry used to form an efficient wideband, one- or two-way wireless data link between autonomous systems separated by some distance along a bore hole drill string. One objective is the establishment of an efficient, high bandwidth communication link between such separated systems, using a unique electrode configuration that also aids in maintaining a physically robust drill string. Insulated or floating electrodes of various selected geometries provide a means for sustaining or maintaining a modulated electric potential adapted for injecting modulated electrical current into the surrounding sub-surface medium. Such modulated current conveys information to the systems located along the drill string by establishing a potential across a receiving insulated or floating electrode.
US08258974B2
Disclosed herein is a method and system for signaling requests for services at a facility, for example, a gaming table in a casino. A control device is provided on the gaming table. The control device comprises multiple switches associated with one or more indicators. Each of the services is assigned to one or more of the indicators. A dealer or a player at the gaming table activates the switches for turning on the indicators based on service requirements of the dealer or the player at the gaming table. The turned on indicators signal the requests for the services. The method and system disclosed herein increases the speed of services, increases the income of each gaming table in the casino, enables determination of performance of employees of the casino attending to the requests for the services, and enables real time allocation of resources to different sections of the casino.
US08258969B1
An extended smoke alarm system and related methods are disclosed. In particular, embodiments of an extended smoke alarm system having wireless-signal-send-and-receive functionalities wherein the system includes one or more flashlights having at least wireless-signal-receiving functionality are detailed. Related methods for system use are also disclosed.
US08258965B2
A hospital monitoring system for monitoring hospital personnel, a plurality of patient locations for patients, and associated devices is configured to control the associated devices based on the presence of hospital personnel or alarms.
US08258960B2
A locator system for electronic devices including at least one jacket for a modular wireless communicator, each jacket having a unique identifier, and a modular wireless communicator that attaches to each one of the at least one jacket, including a positioning system for identifying a location of the wireless communicator, a clock for identifying a date & time, a log manager, coupled with the positioning system and with the clock, for recording a plurality of entries in a history log, each entry including (i) a jacket identifier, (ii) a location as identified by the positioning system, and (iii) a date & time as identified by the clock, and a controller coupled with the log manager for notifying the log manager of occurrence of a log trigger event, wherein the log manager records a new entry in the history log when it receives a notification of a log trigger event from the controller. A method is also described and claimed.
US08258957B2
A transponder that may be used as an RFID tag includes a passive circuit to eliminate the need for an “always on” active RF receiving element to anticipate a wake-up signal for the balance of the transponder electronics. This solution allows the entire active transponder to have all circuit elements in a sleep (standby) state, thus drastically extending battery life or other charge storage device life. Also, a wake-up solution that reduces total energy consumption of an active transponder system by allowing all non-addressed transponders to remain in a sleep (standby) state, thereby reducing total system or collection energy. Also, the transponder and wake-up solution are employed in an asset tracking system.
US08258954B2
The present invention is directed to systems that use frequency selective surfaces (FSS) to aid in the operation of radio frequency identification (RFID) devices and products. In one embodiment, a system for interrogating radio frequency identification (RFID) tags includes a conveyor belt and an RFID reader. The conveyor belt has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is configured to receive an item to which an RFID tag is affixed and the second surface is configured to slide on a metal slide plate. The RFID reader is configured to transmit instructions embodied in a radio frequency (RF) signal to the RFID tag, wherein the metal slide plate is positioned between the RFID reader and the RFID tag and comprises a frequency selective surface that is substantially transparent to the RF signal.
US08258945B2
A security method and system for accepting identity information regarding a vehicle. The system intercepts communications between wireless communication terminals located on board a vehicle and a wireless communication network, and processes the intercepted communication so as to identify respective countries of origin of the terminals on the vehicle. A comparison is made between the countries of origin of the terminals and identity information of the vehicle to invoke an action. For example, the comparison may include detecting an inconsistency between the identity information of the vehicle and one or more of the countries of origin of the terminals.
US08258935B2
In a driving lane deviation detection and warning system, a deviation detection ECU suppress a warning unit to supply a warning when an obstacle placed in a front of a vehicle is detected, and the driver's operation allows the vehicle to deviate from a driving lane. That is, when the driver's operation allows the vehicle to deviate from the driving lane in order to escape any collision with an obstacle, the deviation detection ECU instructs the warning unit to prevent the supply of a warning to the driver. This prevents the warning unit to provide an unnecessary warning to the driver even if the driver intends for the vehicle to deviate from the current driving lane of the vehicle. That is, it is possible to reliably instruct the warning unit to supply the warning to the driver when the vehicle deviates from the current driving lane against the driver's will.
US08258928B2
An RFID tag is provided. The RFID tag includes an emitting module, a temperature detecting circuit and a tag chip. The temperature detecting circuit produces a time signal according to a surrounding temperature, wherein the time signal changes with the surrounding temperature. The tag chip is electrically connected to the temperature detecting circuit and the emitting module, wherein the time signal is transmitted via the emitting module.
US08258917B2
A control device for a vehicle or mechanism includes a portable displacement controller which permits a non-technical user to achieve effective control of the vehicle or mechanism, by moving the portable displacement controller intuitively with little learning effort. A first sensing device, attached to the displacement controller, detects the user's controlling motion. A second sensing device, attached to the object being controlled, detects motion thereof. An interface device receives signals from the sensing devices, processes those signals to determine relative motion of the controlling motion and the object's motion and outputs a control signal in accordance with the processed signals. The sensing devices each detect motion in six degrees of freedom; the sensing devices each include a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, and a three-axis magnetometer. In specific embodiments, the accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers include micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices.
US08258914B2
A touch panel includes a first transparent electrode substrate, a second transparent electrode substrate, a first bonding layer, a first transparent substrate, and a second bonding layer. The first transparent electrode substrate includes a first wiring pattern, a first surface, a second surface, and a first path. The second transparent electrode substrate includes a second wiring pattern, a third surface, a fourth surface, and a second path. The second path causes the third surface and the fourth surface to communicate with each other. The first bonding layer includes a first peripheral area, an opening area, and a third path. The first bonding layer bonds the first transparent electrode substrate and the second transparent electrode substrate to each other. The first transparent substrate is opposed to the second surface. The second bonding layer includes a first opening portion.
US08258905B2
A solenoid unit for a solenoid valve, including a magnet coil and a ferromagnetic circuit which surrounds the magnet coil and comprises a stationary magnet housing, a movable magnet armature and, if required, an armature antipole, the magnet housing being assembled of a cover, a shell and a bottom in the form of multiplayer transformer sheet metal parts.
US08258901B2
An energy-saving electromagnetic switching device in the present invention includes a housing, and an electromagnetic assembly and a movable magnetic pole within the housing. The movable magnetic pole connects a resilience means which engages with the movable magnetic pole to control the electromagnetic switching device switched on and off. At least one locking assembly is set between the movable magnetic pole and the housing, via which the electromagnetic switching device can automatically and repeatably change from an on-state to an off-state if the electromagnetic assembly is momentarily energized. The electromagnetic switching device is energy-saved, has higher automatization degree, simple operation, and lower cost.
US08258900B2
The present invention provides a switch suitable for efficient microfabrication. The switch elements are disposed in several layers. Various embodiments provide various switching capabilities and operational characteristics. The switches can be protected by suitable packaging, and can be efficiently fabricated in groups or arrays.
US08258893B2
A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device includes a tuning electrode, a drive electrode, and a resonator. The resonator is anchored to a substrate and is configured to resonate in response to a signal on the drive electrode. The MEMS device includes a tuning plate coupled to the resonator and positioned above the tuning electrode. The tuning plate is configured to adjust a resonant frequency of the resonator in response to a voltage difference between the resonator and the tuning electrode. In at least one embodiment of the MEMS device, the tuning plate and the tuning electrode are configured to adjust the resonant frequency of the resonator substantially independent of the signal on the drive electrode.
US08258886B2
An oscillating circuit for determining a resonant frequency of an electro-mechanical oscillating device and for driving the electro-mechanical oscillating device at the determined resonant frequency includes a driving circuit and a start-up, impetus injection circuit. The driving circuit is configured to receive one or more reference signals and further configured to provide a driving signal related to the reference signals to the electro-mechanical oscillating device. The start-up, impetus injection circuit is operably coupled to the electro-mechanical oscillating device and configured to selectively provide a start-up excitation signal to the electro-mechanical oscillation device. The start-up, impetus injection circuit is activated upon start-up of the oscillating circuit to drive the electro-mechanical oscillation device and the driving circuit determines a resonant frequency by measuring a parameter related to the resonant frequency of the electro-mechanical oscillating device.
US08258876B1
A protection circuit for a power amplifier connected as a negative feedback loop around the power amplifier. The negative feedback loop comprises a detector circuit, a driver circuit and an attenuator circuit. The detector circuit receives output voltage from the power amplifier and generates a signal when the output voltage exceeds a predefined threshold. The driver circuit filters the signal received from the detector circuit to maintain feedback loop stability and adjusts the feedback loop bandwidth and gain to provide a filtered signal. The attenuator circuit receives the filtered signal and attenuates the input voltage of the power amplifier to reduce the output voltage of the power amplifier to a level below the predefined threshold.
US08258874B2
An improved method and apparatus for managing an application of power with a power generator to a load, the apparatus comprising a power generator configured to apply power to the load; a controller coupled to the power generator, the controller configured to control a plurality of parameters to optimize operational performance of the power system in response to indicia of operational performance of the power system; and a performance assessor, coupled to the power generator and coupled to the controller, the performance assessor configured to provide the indicia of operational performance of the power system to the controller, where the indicia of the operational performance are relative to a plurality of metrics indicative of operational efficiency of the power system.
US08258872B1
Techniques for providing multiple power supplies in electronic devices are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an appropriate power supply is provided only to accommodate a volume setting. In other words, there are at least two power supplies, one with a low voltage and the other with a high voltage. The high voltage power supply is only applied when there is a need to accommodate a volume setting. Thus the power consumption of the amplifiers is well controlled. As a result, the designs of the device and heat dissipation therein can be simplified and lowered in cost.
US08258871B1
The invention relates to a configurable low noise amplifier circuit which is configurable between a first topology in which the low noise amplifier circuit includes a degeneration inductance whereby the low noise amplifier circuit operates as an inductively degenerated low noise amplifier, and a second topology in which the low noise amplifier circuit includes a feedback resistance whereby the low noise amplifier circuit operates as a resistive feedback low noise amplifier.
US08258866B2
Various aspects of the disclosure provide high power and high efficiency power amplifier systems that can be integrated on a chip using integrated circuit processes such as a standard CMOS and SiGe process. A power amplifier system is disclosed according to one aspect. The power amplifier system comprises a first power amplifier, a Wilkinson power splitter, second-stage amplifiers, and a Wilkinson power combiner. The first power amplifier pre-amplifies an RF input signal. The Wilkinson power splitter then splits the power of the amplified RF signal outputted by the first power amplifier among the second-stage amplifiers. Each of the second-stage amplifiers amplifies the respective RF signal from the Wilkinson power splitter. The Wilkinson power combiner then sums the powers of the amplified RF signals outputted by the second-stage amplifiers and outputs the resulting combined RF signal.
US08258862B2
An object is to provide a demodulation circuit having a sufficient demodulation ability. Another object is to provide an RFID tag which uses a demodulation circuit having a sufficient demodulation ability. A material which enables a reverse current to be small enough, for example, an oxide semiconductor material, which is a wide bandgap semiconductor, is used in part of a transistor included in a demodulation circuit. By using the semiconductor material which enables a reverse current of a transistor to be small enough, a sufficient demodulation ability can be secured even when an electromagnetic wave having a high amplitude is received.
US08258855B2
The invention relates to a method for commanding a system controlled by means of a time-division multi-level command. The invention consists in acquiring two measurements by means of the sensor, each during a period, the two periods being dissymmetrical relative to the division of the command, determining an offset of the control subsystem and a corrected response without offset of the system to the command as a function of the measurements and of the measurement periods. With the aid of these two measurements, the invention makes it possible to eliminate the effect of the offset in the control subsystem of the system.
US08258843B2
A semiconductor device includes a clock delay section configured to receive an external clock signal, reflect different delay amounts on the external clock signal, and generate a plurality of synchronization clock signals, a clock synchronization section configured to synchronize a clock enable signal with each of the plurality of synchronization clock signals in an order beginning with a synchronization clock signal, on which a largest delay amount is reflected, to a synchronization clock signal, on which a smallest delay amount is reflected, and to generate a synchronized clock enable signal, and an internal clock generation section configured to generate an internal clock signal corresponding to the external clock signal, and to be on/off controlled in its operation in response to the synchronized clock enable signal.
US08258837B2
Methods and systems to generate multiple phases of a clock may include a delay locked loop (DLL) to generate a bias signal to control a delay time through DLL delay elements in response to a first clock, and a plurality of a quadrature slave delay lines (SDLs), each to generate a plurality of successively phase shifted clocks over a quadrant of a corresponding selected phase of a second clock. The SDLs may be biased with the DLL bias signal to control phase differences between the generated clocks. One or more phase interpolators, such as contention based phase interpolators, may be coupled to outputs of each SDL. A frequency of the second clock may be equal to or greater than a frequency of the first clock. The SDLs may be implemented with fewer delay elements than the DLL.
US08258833B2
A phase locked loop circuit is provided. The PLL circuit receives an input clock signal and generates an output clock signal according to internal clock signals with phase shifting which are generated according to the input clock signal. The PLL circuit includes a selector, a dividing unit, a converter, a low pass filer (LPF), and a modulator. The selector selects one of the internal clock signals to serve as a selection clock signal according to an enable signal. The first dividing unit performs dividing operations to the selection clock signal to generate the output clock signal and a feedback clock signal. The converter detects phase difference between the feedback clock signal and a reference clock signal to generate a detection signal. The LPF performs a filtering operation to the detection signal to generate a filtering signal. The modulator modulates the filtering signal to generate the enable signal.
US08258831B1
A clock generator is disclosed that includes a lock detector. The lock detector is configured to generate a lock signal based on control signals of a phase lock loop circuit that generates an output clock of a desired frequency that is phase locked to a reference clock. The lock detector generates a mismatch signal based on a comparison between the phases of the reference clock and the output clock to generate a compare result. The lock detector delays the compare result by a time period Td and AND the delayed compare result with the compare result to generate the mismatch signal. The lock detector includes a lock-counter that counts a number of reference clock cycles when the mismatch signal remains at 0. The lock signal indicates that a lock-state is achieved when the number of counted reference clock cycles equals a set-value.
US08258830B2
An oscillator circuit is provided. The oscillator circuit includes a gated oscillator and a calibration circuit. The gated oscillator is arranged to generate an oscillator signal according to a control signal, and receive a gating signal to align an edge of the oscillator signal with an edge of the gating signal. The calibration circuit coupled to the gated oscillator is arranged to receive a first clock signal and a second clock signal, detect an alignment operation of the gated oscillator according to the first clock signal and a second clock signal and generate the control signal according to the detected alignment operation.
US08258828B2
An integrated circuit includes a saw-tooth generator including a saw tooth node configured to have a saw-tooth voltage generated thereon; and a first switch having a first end connected to the saw tooth node. The integrated circuit further includes a second switch coupled between an output node and an electrical ground, wherein the first switch and the second switch are configured to operate synchronously. A first current source is connected to the saw tooth node. A second current source is connected to the output node.
US08258824B2
A heterodyne dual-slope frequency generation method for the load change of the power supply, which comprises a power transformer, a feedback control circuit, and a dual-slope charge-discharge circuit. The power supply generates different charge current to fit different operating mode through the feedback control circuit, feedback voltage generated into power transformer, and passes through the dual-slope charge-discharge circuit in accordance with the different outer load device and the different outer voltage rising speed. When the outer loading is changed, the feedback control circuit detects error voltage, feeds through power transformer, further changes the supplied current, and finally automatically adjusts the driving current and the output power.
US08258817B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit includes first to six transistors and a constant current source circuit. The first and second transistors form a current mirror circuit connected to a first power source node. The third and fourth transistors form a differential pair circuit. The third and fourth transistors receive first and second external signals at their gates, respectively. The constant current source circuit has one end connected to source terminals of the third and fourth transistors, and the other end connected to a second power source node. The fifth and sixth transistors form a current pathway between a common gate node of the first and second transistors and the constant current source circuit. The gate of fifth transistor is connected to a signal output node. The gate of sixth transistor receives a signal of logic opposite to a signal to be obtained at the signal output node.
US08258813B2
In the case of a circuit arrangement which can be supplied by way of at least one voltage source, in particular a driver output stage, for driving at least one differential line which can be connected to at least one first output connection as well as to at least one second output connection for the purpose of, in particular digital, data transmission, wherein the circuit arrangement has at least two paths which are arranged in a mirror-image fashion relative to one another and which connect the voltage source to at least one reference potential, in particular earth potential or ground potential or zero potential, as well as in the case of a method for driving at least one differential line using at least one such circuit arrangement, an increased output impedance is avoided during the switching phase, and this ensures high signal quality.
US08258802B2
Provided is a test apparatus for testing a device under test, including: a plurality of test modules that exchange signals with the device under test; a bus to which the plurality of test modules are connected; and a test control section that controls the plurality of test modules via the bus, where each of the plurality of test modules includes: a test section that exchanges signals with the device under test, and a module control section that controls the test section, and the module control section of each test module exchanges signals with the module control section of another test module, via the bus.
US08258799B2
In various embodiments, a dosimeter is employed to passively record a peak pressure (e.g., a peak blast pressure) and/or a maximum acceleration experienced by the dosimeter.
US08258784B2
In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and a method are disclosed for measuring a time varying magnetic field. In one aspect, a system comprises a plurality of induction coils arranged to measure the time varying magnetic field using at least one voltage induced in at least one of the induction coils in the plurality of induction coils, a plurality of snubber circuits connected to the plurality of induction coils, each of the snubber circuits of the plurality of snubber circuits arranged to suppress a resonance of a respective one of the induction coils of the plurality of induction coils, and a summing circuit connected to each of the snubber circuits of the plurality of snubber circuits, the summing circuit arranged to sum voltages induced in each of the induction coils in the plurality of induction coils.
US08258777B2
The present invention relates to an inductive proximity sensor that includes an oscillator having first and second inductor-capacitor circuits arranged such that an inductance of one of the inductor-capacitor circuits has substantially greater sensitivity to an external target than an inductance of the other inductor-capacitor circuit. The sensor also includes an alternating current drive to each of the inductor-capacitor circuits that is in-phase and depends on differences in voltage across the inductor-capacitor circuits. The sensor may be coupled to a calibration device that applies power and triggers a calibration routine within the sensor. In response to the trigger signal, a calibration processor within the sensor executes the calibration routine and adjusts the inductor-capacitor circuits and provides an indication of successful calibration.
US08258774B2
Accelerometers have a number of wide-ranging uses, and it is desirable to both increase their accuracy while decreasing size. Here, millimeter or sub-millimeter wavelength accelerometers are provided which has the advantage of having the high accuracy of an optical accelerometer, while being compact. Additionally, because millimeter or sub-millimeter wavelength signals are employed, cumbersome and awkward on-chip optical devices and bulky optical mediums can be avoided.
US08258768B2
An apparatus for varying the timing of a SMPS, including a microcontroller configured to output a first PWM signal. A converter is coupled to the microcontroller and is configured to receive the first PWM signal and output an analog signal to a SMPS timing capacitor coupled to a SMPS. The analog signal varies the discharge time of the timing capacitor to vary a switching frequency of the SMPS.
US08258765B2
A switching regulator is disclosed that includes a switching element; an inductor; a rectifier element; an error amplifier circuit portion; a PWM pulse generating circuit portion; a current sensing circuit portion; an output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion; a current pulse generating circuit portion; a phase detecting circuit portion; a VFM pulse generating circuit portion; and a switching control circuit portion configured to generate a control signal based on a PWM signal or a VFM signal and to switch a control status of the switching element from a PWM control to a VFM control in accordance with a third signal output from the phase detecting circuit portion, and to switch the control status from the VFM control to the PWM control in accordance with a second signal output from the output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion.
US08258764B2
The present invention relates to a driving device. The driving device according to the present invention includes a main transistor that supplies a current to a load by using a power supply, an auxiliary transistor that drops a predetermined voltage of the voltage of the power supply and transmits the dropped voltage to the main transistor in a turn-on state, and a bypass switch that transmits the voltage of the power supply to the main transistor when the auxiliary transistor is turned off.
US08258763B2
There is provided a switching power supply unit having an overcurrent detection circuit capable of automatically selecting either a current detection method using an resistor or a current detection method using an external current detection resistor and of performing optimized overcurrent protection depending on applications. In the control circuit of the switching power supply unit for detecting a current flowing through a high-side switch as a current detection signal and comparing it with an overcurrent detection threshold value to detect an overcurrent and turning off the high-side switch to protect the switching power supply unit, a first current detection terminal connected to a power supply side terminal of the high-side switch or to a load side terminal of the high-side switch and a temperature compensating means to switch for temperature compensation on an overcurrent detection threshold value or on a current detection signal are provided.
US08258740B2
A fuel cell system and method comprising a fuel cell stack formed by stacking fuel cells, a high voltage energy storage capable of being directly coupled to the fuel cell stack, a DC-DC converter connected to the fuel cell stack and the energy storage, a load operated by consuming at least electrical energy generated by the fuel cell stack or electrical energy discharged from the energy storage, a fuel cell warming up control unit for warming up the fuel cell stack, and a voltage adjustment unit for implementing voltage control to control the output voltage of the fuel cell stack to become equal to, or higher than the terminal voltage of the energy storage, at the time of warming up the fuel cell stack.
US08258738B2
A low cost motor starter is shown having a PTC resistor 12 serially connected to a triac 14 and a bias resistor in turn adapted to be connected to the start winding of a single phase motor. A reed relay 16 having a sense coil 16a serially connected to the main winding in one preferred embodiment and in parallel with the main and start windings in a second preferred embodiment, is magnetically coupled to reed contacts 16b, 16c. Reed contact 16b is connected to a location intermediate the PTC resistor 12 and the triac 14 while reed contact 16c is connected to the gate of the triac. A gate signal phase shifting network comprising capacitor C1-R2 is also connected to reed contact 16c and the gate.
US08258737B2
A rotary electric machine having plural rotary elements in a non-coaxial arrangement is disclosed. The rotary electric machine includes a housing assembly, at least one stator frame mounted in the housing assembly, at least one stator winding wound on the at least one stator frame, and at least two rotors mounted in the housing assembly having axes of rotation that are non-coaxial, wherein each of the at least two rotors is mechanically decoupled from the other rotors such that each of the at least two rotors rotates independent from one another. The rotary electric machine also includes a control unit, with the control unit including at least one electronic control electrically connected to the at least one stator winding. The control unit is configured to control an exchange of power to or from each of the at least one stator windings.
US08258731B2
A motor starting apparatus includes a driving signal generating unit that generates an open-loop driving signal and a drive circuit that is connected to a motor. The driving signal generating unit includes a data storing unit that stores therein predetermined data, a velocity integrating unit that integrates velocity data, a phase adjusting signal generating unit that generates a phase adjusting signal, a three-phase driving signal generating unit that generates a three-phase applied voltage, and a drive circuit driving unit that generates a driving signal of the motor. The three-phase driving signal generating unit performs open-loop driving by outputting the three-phase applied voltage based on the phase adjusting signal to the drive circuit driving unit.
US08258727B2
The regenerative torque shifter is a system for electric/hybrid electric vehicles that includes a driver-operated control device mounted in the vehicle and a control unit linked to a motor controller. The driver sets a level of regenerative braking desired by manipulating the control device. Based on output from the control device, the control unit directs the motor controller to apply a corresponding level of regenerative braking action by varying the amount of load seen by the motor.
US08258722B2
Solid state lighting devices and illumination methods involve use of multiple solid state emitters of different colored outputs (optionally including at least one white or near-white emitter). Operation of the solid state emitters is controlled with at least one circuit element to emphasize and/or deemphasize perception of at least one color of a target surface based upon a reflectance spectral distribution of the target surface. At least one emitter may have an associated passive or active filter; the filterable emitter and/or active filter may be operated to deemphasize perception of at least one color of a target surface. Activation and/or alteration of emphasis or deemphasis of perception of color of a target surface may be selected by a user or automatically controlled.
US08258711B2
The semiconductor device is included in the LED driving circuit (current regulator) of driving the LED array (with series-connected number m×parallel-connected number n), and is formed of a plurality (n pieces) of LED driving devices of controlling a current (constant-current driving) flowing in each string. A vertical semiconductor device, for example, a vertical MOSFET is used as the LED driving device. Both of a main device functioning as a constant-current driving device and a subsidiary device functioning as a circuit-breaking switch during dimming are formed inside a chip of the device, which are formed of the vertical semiconductor devices. In a first surface of the device, each source region of the main device and the subsidiary device is formed so as to be insulated from each other through an isolation region.
US08258699B2
An illuminating device comprises one or more luminescent devices (1). The luminescent device comprises a semiconductor light emitting element (10) emitting a excitation light having an peak within a wavelength range from 350 nm to 430 nm, and a luminescent part (20) comprising a sealing member (22) and a phosphor (21) absorbing the light from the semiconductor light emitting element (10) and emitting a light with different emission spectrum. For the luminescent device (1), an excitation light contribution degree ΔE, an index quantitatively representing what extent of a visible component of the excitation light is involved in color mixing of a combined light of the luminescent device (1), is 0.005 or less, and a mean color rendering index Ra is 70 or more.
US08258692B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display and a manufacturing method thereof. The OLED display includes: a substrate; pixel electrodes disposed on the substrate; a pixel defining layer disposed on the substrate, having a plurality of openings that expose the pixel electrodes; an organic emission layer formed on the pixel electrodes; and a common electrode formed on the organic emission layer and the pixel defining layer. An electrode cut is formed in the common electrode, around one of the openings of the pixel defining layer, to electrically isolate a portion of the common electrode.
US08258691B2
An organic light emitting display apparatus using a micro cavity method comprises a first sub pixel, a second pixel and a third pixel, each of which emits different color from an emission layer interposed between two electrodes. The first sub pixel, the second sub pixel and the third sub pixel form a unit pixel. Emission layers of the first and second sub pixels are formed so as to have the same pattern throughout the first and second sub pixels, and an emission layer of the third sub pixel is formed so as to have a pattern separate from the first and second sub pixels. In this structure, three-colored emission layers may be formed using two mask processes so that productivity is improved due to process simplification, and high-resolution is realized due to a decrease in the distance between deposited patterns.
US08258690B2
The present invention is characterized by a DC-driven inorganic EL element useful for mobile and other applications, the EL element including at least plural electrode layers, and a light emitter layer made of an inorganic composition, which is provided between the electrode layers, wherein the attainted brightness in the DC drive is 10000 cd/m2 or more.
US08258684B1
A cold cathode lighting system comprising a cold cathode lamp with electrodes on either end of the lamp, oriented such that it includes an electrode extension in order to return the electrode to the same parallel position as the main body of the lamp. The lamp's electrodes are inserted into a casing that is comprised of a casing covers on either ends of the casing which may slid be opened. The casing covers interact with a electrode cover assembly underneath the casing covers, that allows the lamp to be inserted when the casing covers are opened. The closing of the casing covers will safely engage an interconnection with the lamp's electrodes through the electrode cover assembly.
US08258674B2
A surface acoustic wave sensor to measure physical, biological or chemical parameters is claimed. Using different piezoelectric substrate materials, piezoelectric substrates with different thicknesses or metallizations with different thicknesses or patterns are used to distinguish between the effects of different physical, biological or chemical parameters.
US08258672B2
A thermionic or thermotunneling generator or heat pump is disclosed, comprising electrodes substantially facing one another and separated by spacers disposed between the electrodes, wherein the substrate material for the cathode is preferably a single crystalline silicon wafer while the substrate for the anode is an organic wafer, and preferably a polished polyimide (PI) wafer. On the cathode side, standard silicon wafer processes create the 10-1000 nm thin spacers and edge seals from thermally grown oxide. Either wafer is partially covered with a thin film of material that is characterized by high electrical conductivity and low work function. In one embodiment, the cathode is partially covered with a thin film of Ag—Cs—O. In another embodiment, the anode is additionally covered with a thin film of Ag—Cs—O, in which case the work function of the cathode coating material is reduced further utilizing an Avto Metal structure of nanoscale patterned indents. A method for fabricating the composite structure device is further disclosed.
US08258658B2
The electric motor (10) of the rotary type comprises a circular peripheral frame (11) inside of which a stator (12) is mounted, and the stator (12) comprises electrical coils (13) having each an armature (13a) and a winding of conductive wires (13b). The electric motor (10) comprises equipment (14) which is movable in relation to the stator, this mobile equipment is in this case a rotor (15) arranged coaxially in relation to the stator (12). The rotor (15) comprises a set of electric coils (16) which are electromagnets. The armatures (13a) of the electric coils (13) and those of the electric coils (16) comprise advantageously at least one element out of reverse magnetocaloric material arranged so as to contribute to cooling of the electric motor.
US08258653B2
Power saving is promoted by oscillating only power transmission coil contributing to contactless charging without using any communication means.
US08258652B2
A power transmission device includes: a power transmission coil to transmit electric power to a power receiving coil by an electromagnetic induction method; a driving unit to supply a driving voltage to the power transmission coil; a detection unit to detect an electric current flowing in the power transmission coil based on the driving voltage; a control unit to change an amplitude of the driving voltage; a starting point detection unit to detect the amplitude of the driving voltage as a characteristic point at which an electric current starts to flow in the power receiving coil, on a characteristic line representing a relationship between the driving voltage supplied to the power transmission coil and the electric current detected by the detection unit; and a transmission stopping control unit to stop power transmission by the power transmission coil if the characteristic point is not detected by the starting point detection unit.
US08258643B2
A method of controlling at least one wind turbine, comprising selecting a first effective operational curve from a plurality of operational curves, and applying the first effective operational curve to control at least one wind turbine. The operational curves may be operational curve segments.
US08258638B1
A system and method for generating electrical energy from continental shelf mass involves moving continental shelf mass onto a conveyor at a first elevation at or near sea level. The mass is moved on the conveyor system to a second elevation well below sea level. Ideally, the second elevation is the bottom of a continental trench. The conveyor is then used to convey a liquid, preferably seawater, to a third elevation higher than the first elevation. The liquid is then passed into a reservoir and through a hydroelectric generator. The conveyor system may include a bucket chain enclosed in a pipeline.
US08258636B1
A curable liquid polysiloxane/TiO2 composite for use as a light emitting diode encapsulant is provided, comprising: a polysiloxane prepolymer with TiO2 domains having an average domain size of less than 5 nm, wherein the curable liquid polysiloxane/TiO2 composite contains 20 to 60 mol % TiO2 (based on total solids); wherein the curable liquid polysiloxane/TiO2 composite exhibits a refractive index of >1.61 to 1.7 and wherein the curable liquid polysiloxane/TiO2 composite is a liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Also provided is a light emitting diode manufacturing assembly.
US08258624B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor chip module and a semiconductor chip package is disclosed. One embodiment provides a first layer, a second layer, and a base layer. The first layer is disposed on the base layer, and the second layer is disposed on the first layer. A plurality of semiconductor chips is applied above the second layer, and the second layer with the applied semiconductor chips is separated from the first layer.
US08258621B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device having a regular layout region and an irregular layout region formed on one chip, including: a lower conductive layer; an interlayer insulating film formed on the lower conductive layer; an upper interconnect layer formed on the interlayer insulating film; and connection plugs disposed to electrically connect the lower conductive layer and the upper interconnect layer at a substantially shortest distance. In at least part of the regular layout region, the lower conductive layer and the upper interconnect layer are electrically connected to each other through at least two connection plugs and an intermediate connection layer for electrically connecting the at least two connection plugs, the at least two connection plugs being disposed at an immediately above position extending from immediately above the lower conductive layer and a shift position spaced apart from the immediately above position, respectively.
US08258618B2
The power semiconductor module includes: a circuit substrate; power semiconductor elements joined to element mounting portions of the wiring pattern on the circuit substrate; the cylindrical external terminal communication section joined to the wiring pattern; circuit forming means for connecting between portions that require electrical connection therebetween; and transfer molding resin for sealing these components. The cylindrical external terminal communication section is a metal cylinder, and the cylindrical external terminal communication section has a hole filled with gel.
US08258612B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor package system includes: forming a leadframe having a passive device; encapsulating the passive device to form an encapsulant interposer; attaching a first die to the encapsulant interposer; forming a substrate interposer having a second die; and stacking the encapsulant interposer over the substrate interposer.
US08258608B2
In a lead frame used for manufacturing a semiconductor device by forming a circuit pattern group including unit lead frames having plural upper side terminal parts in the periphery of a semiconductor element mounting region in one line or plural lines and an outer frame surrounding the circuit pattern group in a state of having a gap in a lead frame material and then mounting a semiconductor element every the unit lead frame and carrying out necessary wiring and enclosing the entire surface of the circuit pattern group in which the semiconductor element is mounted and a part of the outer frame with a resin from an upper surface side and further etching from a lower surface side and forming lower side terminal parts joined to the upper side terminal parts of the circuit pattern group, the circuit pattern group and the outer frame are had and the inner edge of the outer frame is formed in an uneven portion in plan view and bonding between the resin and the outer frame is enhanced.
US08258596B2
To provide a stacked photoelectric conversion device and a method for producing the same, in which an interlayer is provided between photoelectric conversion layers to obtain an effect of controlling the amount of incidence light, and carrier recombination at an interface between the interlayer and a semiconductor layer is decreased to enhance photoelectric conversion efficiency.The stacked photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises a plurality of silicon-based photoelectric conversion layers having a p-i-n structure stacked, wherein at least a pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion layers have an interlayer of a silicon nitride therebetween, the pair of the photoelectric conversion layers are electrically connected with each other, and a p-type silicon-based semiconductor layer constituting a part of the photoelectric conversion layer and contacting the interlayer contains a nitrogen atom.
US08258593B2
An image sensor and a method of manufacturing the same. An image sensor may include a first interlayer dielectric layer having a first metal wiring and/or a bonding silicon including impurity regions on and/or over a first interlayer dielectric layer. An image sensor may include a second interlayer dielectric layer formed on and/or over a bonding silicon, and/or a first contact plug connected to a first metal wiring. An image sensor may include a third interlayer dielectric layer on and/or over a second interlayer dielectric layer, a second contact plug connected to a first impurity region and/or a second metal wiring on and/or over a second interlayer dielectric layer. An image sensor may include and a color filter layer and/or a microlens. A dielectric layer may be between a first contact plug and a first impurity region. A dielectric layer may be on and/or over a second interlayer dielectric layer.
US08258588B2
An exemplary structure for a gate structure of a field effect transistor comprises a gate electrode; a gate insulator under the gate electrode having footing regions on opposing sides of the gate electrode; and a sealing layer on sidewalls of the gate structure, wherein a thickness of lower portion of the sealing layer overlying the footing regions is less than a thickness of upper portion of the sealing layer on sidewalls of the gate electrode, whereby the field effect transistor made has almost no recess in the substrate surface.
US08258585B2
A semiconductor device includes: a fin-type semiconductor region (13) formed on a substrate (11); a gate insulating film (14) formed so as to cover an upper surface and both side surfaces of a predetermined portion of the fin-type semiconductor region (13); a gate electrode (15) formed on the gate insulating film (14); and an impurity region (17) formed on both sides of the gate electrode (15) in the fin-type semiconductor region (13). An impurity blocking portion (15a) for blocking the introduction of impurities is provided adjacent both sides of the gate electrode (15) over an upper surface of the fin-type semiconductor region (13).
US08258583B1
A technique for and structures for camouflaging an integrated circuit structure. The integrated circuit structure is formed by a plurality of layers of material having a controlled outline. A layer of conductive material having a controlled outline is disposed among said plurality of layers to provide artifact edges of the conductive material that resemble one type of transistor (operable vs. non-operable), when in fact another type of transistor was used.
US08258582B2
A semiconductor device including a first transistor of a first conductivity type provided on a first active region of a semiconductor region, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type provided on a second active region of the semiconductor region. The first transistor includes a first gate insulating film and a first gate electrode, the first gate insulating film contains a high-k material and a first metal, and the first gate electrode includes a lower conductive film, a first conductive film and a first silicon film. The second transistor includes a second gate insulating film and a second gate electrode, the second gate insulating film contains a high-k material and a second metal, and the second gate electrode includes a second conductive film made of the same material as the first conductive film, and a second silicon film.
US08258577B2
A CMOS inverter formed with narrowly spaced fins structures including transistors formed on sidewalls of each fin structure. A high-k dielectric material is deposited on the fins to provide mechanical stability to the fins and serve as a gate dielectric material. A mid gap metal gate layer may be formed on the high-k dielectric layer.
US08258569B2
A plurality of NAND cells are arranged in a cell array. In each of the NAND cells, a pair of selection gate transistors is connected in series to a plurality of memory cell transistors. An inter-gate connection trench is formed in an insulating film between layers of stacked gates of the selection gate transistors. The stacked gates are electrically connected to each other. At an end part of the cell array in the row direction, an STI area is formed, and dummy NAND cells are formed at an end part in the row direction. A dummy selection gate transistor is connected in series to a plurality of dummy memory cell transistors. No inter-gate connection trench is present in an insulating film between layers of stacked gates of the dummy selection gate transistor, and the stacked gates of the dummy selection gate transistor are not electrically connected to each other.
US08258563B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first well region of a first conductivity type, and at least one semiconductor layer formed on the semiconductor substrate. A first cell array is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a second cell array formed on the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer includes a second well region of the first conductivity type having a doping concentration greater than a doping concentration of the first well region of the first conductivity type. As the doping concentration of the second well region is increased, a resistance difference may be reduced between the first and second well regions.
US08258557B2
The invention relates to processes for the production and elements (components) with a nanostructure (2; 4, 4a) for improving the optical behavior of components and devices and/or for improving the behavior of sensors by enlarging the active surface area. The nanostructure (2) is produced in a self-masking fashion by means of RIE etching and its material composition can be modified and it can be provided with suitable cover layers.
US08258554B2
A pressure detector is disclosed having an organic transistor, a pressure-detecting layer and a first electrode. The organic transistor includes an emitter, an organic layer, a grid formed with holes, and a collector, the organic layer being sandwiched between the emitter and the collector. The pressure-detecting layer is formed on the organic transistor such that the collector is sandwiched between the organic layer and the pressure-detecting layer. The first electrode is formed on the pressure-detecting layer such that the pressure-detecting layer is sandwiched between the collector and the first electrode. The area of the active region of the pressure detector is determined by the overlapped area of the electrodes, thereby reducing the pitch of the electrodes and thus the size of the pressure detector.
US08258540B2
An LED package includes a base, an LED chip and an encapsulation. The LED chip is mounted on the base. The encapsulation encapsulates the LED chip. A heat dissipating plate is sandwiched between the LED chip and the base. The heat dissipating plate includes a first surface and a second surface. The LED chip is mounted on the first surface of the heat dissipating plate and has an interface engaging with the first surface of the heat dissipating plate. The first surface of the heat dissipating plate has an area greater than that of the interface. The second surface of the heat dissipating plate is attached to the base.
US08258539B2
The invention relates to a high-output nitride light emitting device. The light emitting device includes a first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer deposited in their order on a substrate. The light emitting device also includes first and second insulation layers formed in different upper surface portions of the nitride semiconductor light emitting device, and first and second bonding pads formed respectively on the first and second insulation layers. The light emitting device further includes first and second extension electrodes extended from the first and second bonding pads and coupled respectively to the first and second conductivity semiconductor layers. The electrode arrangement according to the present invention prevents direct coupling between the bonding pads and the light emitting device, thus allowing a symmetrical structure that can achieve more uniform current spreading using only the extension electrodes.
US08258538B2
A light emitting device package is provided. The light emitting device package may include a package body having a cavity formed therein, a lead frame, and a light emitting device positioned in the cavity and electrically connected to the lead frame. The lead frame may penetrate the package body such that one end of the lead frame is positioned in the cavity and the other end of the lead frame is exposed to an outside of the package body. The lead frame may be partially coated with a thin metal layer.
US08258532B2
Proposed is a light emitting apparatus (1) comprising a light source (5) for emitting light and a collimator (40) for arranging the light emitted in an application specific distribution. The light source comprises (i) a semiconductor device (10) capable of emitting light, (ii) a body (20) having a bottom surface (21) adjacent to the semiconductor device (10) and an opposing top surface (22), and (iii) a reflector (30) positioned adjacent the top surface (22). The light emitting apparatus (1) is characterised in that the reflector (30) has a surface larger than the bottom surface (21) of the body (20). This is especially advantageous for creating a given light beam collimation with a smaller collimator or alternatively for creating a collimator producing a significantly narrower light beam.
US08258526B2
The present invention provides a light emitting diode package which includes a lead frame with a cavity; a mold exposing the cavity and housing the lead frame; and an LED chip mounted on the cavity, wherein light passing an upper edge of the LED chip passes an upper edge of the cavity.
US08258521B2
A radiation-emitting semiconductor body with a carrier substrate. A structured connection is produced between a semiconductor layer sequence (2) and a carrier substrate wafer (1). The semiconductor layer sequence is subdivided into a plurality of semiconductor layer stacks (200) by means of cuts (6) through the semiconductor layer sequence, and the carrier substrate wafer (1) is subdivided into a plurality of carrier substrates (100) by means of cuts (7) through the carrier substrate wafer (1). In the method, the structured connection is formed in such a way that at least one semiconductor layer stack (200) is connected to one and only one associated carrier substrate (100). In addition, at least one cut (7) through the carrier substrate wafer is not extended by any of the cuts (6) through the semiconductor layer sequence such that a straight cut results through the carrier substrate wafer and the semiconductor layer sequence.
US08258518B2
A graded composition, high dielectric constant gate insulator is formed between a substrate and floating gate in a flash memory cell transistor. The gate insulator comprises amorphous germanium or a graded composition of germanium carbide and silicon carbide. If the composition of the gate insulator is closer to silicon carbide near the substrate, the electron barrier for hot electron injection will be lower. If the gate insulator is closer to the silicon carbide near the floating gate, the tunnel barrier can be lower at the floating gate.
US08258509B2
A micro vacuum gauge includes a substrate, a floating structure that is held above the substrate by a supporting structure extending from the substrate in a state where the floating structure is thermally isolated from the substrate, a heat generator that is arranged in the floating structure to generate heat, and a temperature sensor that is arranged in the floating structure to measure a difference in temperature between the substrate and the floating structure. A second member having a lower emissivity than a first member surrounding the heat generator and the temperature sensor is formed at least on a surface of the floating structure by being joined to the first member.
US08258508B2
The present invention relates to an anode structure for use in a top-emission type organic EL device which comprises a laminated structure comprising an anode layer made of at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, silver and silver alloys; and a buffer layer directly provided on the anode layer and made of an electrically conductive amorphous carbon having a hydrogen concentration of 15 at. % or less. According to the present invention, there is provided an anode structure which is superior in alkali resistance and can lengthen lifetime of an organic EL device as well as can ensure a high work function suitable for an anode for a high-luminance, high-power-efficient organic EL device.
US08258503B2
The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to layers that are useful in imaging apparatus members and components, for use in electrostatographic, including digital, apparatuses. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to an improved electrostatographic imaging member incorporating dihalogen ether into the charge generating layer which results in increased photosensitivity of the photogenerating pigment.
US08258493B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory apparatus (10) of the present invention comprises a substrate (10), lower-layer electrode wires (15) provided on the substrate (11), an interlayer insulating layer (16) which is disposed on the substrate (11) including the lower-layer electrode wires (15) and is provided with contact holes at locations respectively opposite to the lower-layer electrode wires (15), resistance variable layers (18) which are respectively connected to the lower-layer electrode wires (15); and non-ohmic devices (20) which are respectively provided on the resistance variable layers (18) such that the non-ohmic devices are respectively connected to the resistance variable layers (18). The non-ohmic devices (20) each has a laminated-layer structure including plural semiconductor layers, a laminated-layer structure including a metal electrode layer and an insulator layer, or a laminated-layer structure including a metal electrode layer and a semiconductor layer. One layer of the laminated-layer structure is embedded to fill each of the contact holes and the semiconductor layer or the insulator layer which is the other layer of the laminated-layer structure has a larger area than an opening of each of the contact holes and is provided on the interlayer insulating layer (16).
US08258492B2
[Technical Problem] To provide a differential evacuation system capable of easily maintaining, at a low cost, a large differential pressure between a light generation chamber and an illumination optical chamber in which optical processing, e.g. exposure, is performed by using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light generated in the light generation chamber, and yet capable of sufficiently ensuring a desired optical path.[Solution to Problem] The differential evacuation system has a light generation chamber 10 that generates EUV light, an illumination optical chamber 100 in which optical processing is performed by using the EUV light generated in the light generation chamber 10, and a chamber connecting passage 150 that connects together the light generation chamber 10 and the illumination optical chamber 100 to guide the EUV light generated in the light generation chamber 10 into the illumination optical chamber 100. The chamber connecting passage 150 has a flow path constricting portion 151 and is increased in inner diameter in a conical tube shape at portions thereof that are at opposite sides, respectively, of the flow path constricting portion 151. An enlarged-diameter part 160 is provided at a position of the chamber connecting passage 150 that is closer to the light generation chamber 10, which is the higher in pressure of the two chambers 10 and 100, than the flow path constricting portion 151, and vacuum pumps 170 are attached to the enlarged-diameter part 160.
US08258458B1
An electromagnetic wave receiving antenna includes a spiral element configured to selectively attenuate electromagnetic waves having a predetermined wavelength, selected wavelengths, or range of wavelengths, and to concentrate electromagnetic waves having a predetermined wavelength, selected wavelengths, or range of wavelengths other than the attenuated wavelengths.
US08258455B2
A light-emitter emits light into a door opening of an automatic door system. A light-receiver receives light from the light-emitter which has passed through the door opening and develops a light-reception indicative signal. A door controller causes the light-emitter to stop emitting light and, thereafter, start emitting light. An auxiliary sensor is judged to be operating in order when the light-receiver does not develop light-reception indicative signal in a state where the light-emitter is not emitting light, and, thereafter, develops a light-reception indicative signal when the light-emitter resumes emitting light; otherwise, the auxiliary sensor is judged to be out of order.
US08258453B2
Provided herein are optical sensor systems that can be used for ambient light detection, proximity detection and motion detection, as well as to larger systems that include such an optical sensor system, and to related methods. In an embodiment, the optical sensor system includes a front end, an ambient light channel, a proximity channel and a motion channel. In an embodiment, offset and gain of the proximity channel is adjusted based on motion detected by the motion channel.
US08258447B2
A frangible seal includes a first region penetratable by a deployable structure configured to selectably extend through an opening in a housing and extend beyond an outer surface of the housing, and a second region configured to adhere to a portion of the outer surface of the housing surrounding the opening. The first region and the second region includes a polymer layer having a metalized surface (e.g., aluminized polyimide) and a non-metalized surface, and an ablative coating provided on the metalized surface of the polymer layer.
US08258445B2
In an induction heater, preheated, pressurized air is further heated in the heating cabinet and also drawn into the coil tube via a suction fan. The simultaneous pulling and pushing of the twice-heated air through the tube provides superior air flow to pick up more moisture from the can ends being dried. The tube ends rest on upwardly concave collars and are held in place by gravity, with a single screw acting as a stop above to prevent upward movement. Removal requires only removing the single screw at each end then lifting the tube straight up out of the cabinet, which is facilitated by providing a hinged cover on the cabinet.
US08258443B2
A heating unit for use in heating buckets or barrels. The heating unit includes a first pliable cover layer and a second pliable cover layer. A pliable electrical heating element is disposed between the first and the second cover layers and configured to convert electrical energy to heat energy and to distribute the heat energy. The pliable electrical heating element includes a heat generating element for converting electrical current to heat energy and a heat spreading element comprising carbon thermally coupled to the heat generating element. The heating unit further includes a thermal insulation layer. The heating unit includes a receiving power connector electrically connected to the heat generating element. The heating unit further includes one or more fasteners allowing the heating unit to be wrapped around a bucket or barrel and secured by the one or more fasteners.
US08258442B2
A control for an electric water heater detects a condition of a heating element when the heating element is not being energized. A switching module is operable to interrupt power to the heating element, which de-energizes the heating element. A detector module detects the condition of the heating element when the heating element is de-energized. The detector module senses current flowing through the heating element and generates a detection signal that is indicative of the current.
US08258438B2
The condensation-free and bacteria-free pan system provides hygienic cover for a food preparation area. The system includes at least one pan having a top cover sheet, a heating element, a layer of thermal insulation and a bottom pan sheet. The top cover sheet is formed from a corrosion resistant material and is adapted for catching contaminants falling from overhead. The layer of thermal insulation is sandwiched between the top cover sheet and the heating element, and the bottom pan sheet is formed from a thermally conductive, corrosion resistant material, the bottom pan sheet having a lower wall and at least one sidewall. The top cover sheet, the layer of thermal insulation and the heating element are disposed above the bottom pan sheet to form a multilayer pan.
US08258434B2
Apparatus for heating hair clips having a heatable member comprises a base, a heating structure, and means for providing electricity to the heating structure. The heating structure can comprise an elongated electrical heater having opposed sides, a plurality of thermally conductive heating elements in pairs on each side of the electrical heater, and a thermal insulator between the heating elements separating the heating elements from each other.
US08258416B2
An electrical switch and a flashlight employing the switch may comprise a base having electrical conductors thereon and an electrically conductive flexible dome. The flexible dome has plural longer legs extending from its dome and in electrical contact with a first conductor, has a shorter leg extending from its dome and overlying a second conductor, and has its dome overlying a third conductor. A pushbutton may be moved to apply actuation force to cause the shorter leg to contact the second conductor and the dome to contact the third conductor.
US08258411B2
A circuit board includes an electrically conductive sheet having an insulative coating surrounding the conductive sheet, with a surface of the insulative coating around an edge of the conductive sheet having an arcuate or rounded shape. At least one electrical conductor is conformally deposited on at least the rounded insulative coating around the edge of the conductive sheet and defined via photolithographic and metallization techniques. Each electrical conductor on the insulative coating thereon around the edge of the conductive sheet conforms to the arcuate or rounded shape of the insulative coating and, therefore, has an arcuate or rounded shape.
US08258401B1
An electrical outlet cover assembly with an electrical outlet mounting box having a front edge that does not extend beyond a front surface of a wall. An extendable base is coupled with the electrical outlet mounting box and is slideable between collapsed and extended positions. When collapsed, a leading edge of the extendable base does not extend beyond the front surface of the wall. One or more guides resist decoupling of the extendable base and the electrical outlet mounting box. A lid is pivotably coupled with the extendable base, and one of the lid and the extendable base has a cord port along their respective edges. The lid has a front surface and is positionable between open and closed positions. The lid's front surface is substantially flush with the front surface of the wall when the base is collapsed and the lid is closed with respect to the extendable cover.
US08258396B2
Micro/nanostructure PN junction diode array thin-film solar cell and method for fabricating the same
The present invention discloses a micro/nanostructure PN junction diode array thin-film solar cell and a method for fabricating the same, wherein a microstructure or sub-microstructure PN junction diode array, such as a nanowire array or a nanocolumns array, is transferred from a source-material wafer to two pieces of transparent substrates, which are respectively corresponding to two electric conduction types, to fabricate a thin-film solar cell. In the present invention, the micro/nanostructure PN junction diode array has advantages of a fine-quality crystalline semiconductor, and the semiconductor substrate can be reused to save a lot of semiconductor material. Besides, the present invention can make the best of sunlight energy via stacking up the solar cells made of different types of semiconductor materials to absorb different wavebands of the sunlight spectrum.
US08258391B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for automatically converting audio input signal data into musical score representation data. Embodiments of the invention identify a change in frequency information from the audio signal that exceeds a first threshold value; identify a change in amplitude information from the audio signal that exceeds a second threshold value; and generate a note onset event, each note onset event representing a time location in the audio signal of at least one of an identified change in the frequency information that exceeds the first threshold value or an identified change in the amplitude information that exceeds the second threshold value. The generation of note onset events and other information from the audio input signal may be used to extract note pitch, note value, tempo, meter, key, instrumentation, and other score representation information.
US08258387B2
This invention relates to a ball-ender apparatus for securing to a pre-selected length wire by passing through the apparatus and being secured by a precision screw from which the wire receives medial pressure locking the wire in place. Without an expensive winding machine or winding of wire or even modifications made to musical instruments, wire can be tensioned, after the precision screw is screwed onto the wire within the clamping ball end housing to securely hold the wire in place.
US08258383B1
A novel maize variety designated X08A156 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X08A156 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X08A156 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X08A156, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X08A156. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X08A156.
US08258382B1
A novel maize variety designated X90A802 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X90A802 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X90A802 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X90A802, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X90A802. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X90A802.
US08258381B1
A novel maize variety designated X13A399W and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X13A399W with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X13A399W through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X13A399W, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X13A399W. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X13A399W.
US08258377B1
A novel maize variety designated 10138200 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing maize variety 10138200 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into 10138200 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety 10138200, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety 10138200. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety 10138200.
US08258373B2
A soybean cultivar designated S080189 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S080189, to the plants of soybean S080189, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S080189, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S080189 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety S080189, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S080189, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S080189 with another soybean cultivar.
US08258372B2
A soybean cultivar designated 83160645 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 83160645, to the plants of soybean 83160645, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 83160645 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 83160645 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars and plant parts derived from soybean variety 83160645, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 83160645 and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 83160645 with another soybean cultivar.
US08258364B2
A method and apparatus for a steam biomass reactor converts organic waste placed inside a sealed steam injected reactor to biogas (methane CH4 and carbon dioxide CO2). The amount of liquid introduced into the reactor can be minimized, increased methane and CO2 can be produced, and the methane produced can have higher Btu values as compared to methane produced in other reactors. Some embodiments provide a method of injecting steam into a sealed vessel that is loaded with organic waste and collecting the methane produced by accelerated decomposition/biodegradation of the organic component of the waste within the vessel. The steam accelerates the decomposition of the organic refuse, thereby enhancing the production of methane gas and CO2.
US08258352B2
The production process of the present invention for a chlorine-containing fluorine-containing compound is characterized in that a reaction of adding chlorine atoms to a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond of a hydrogen-containing compound having a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond is carried out under the presence of a fluorine gas. The hydrogen-containing compound having a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond may be 3,4-dichlorobutene-1. Further, the present invention provides a process for producing efficiently and economically 1,2,3,4 -tetrachlorohexafluorobutane from 3,4-dichlorobutene-1 described above. According to the present invention, chlorination and fluorination of the hydrogen-containing compound having a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond are carried out in a single step, and therefore a chlorine-containing fluorine-containing compound can be more economically produced at a higher yield than in a conventional process in which two reactions are individually carried out.
US08258344B2
The present invention relates to a conductor having high conductivity and electrochemical stability, which is in a solid state over a practically wide temperature range. Specifically disclosed is a plastic crystal containing a compound represented by Formula (I) or (IA) below: and at least one compound [BF3(CF3)] salt represented by Formula (II): Mn+[BF3(CF3)−]n (II) wherein M is an alkaline metal, alkaline earth metal, aluminum or H; and when M is an alkaline metal or H, n is 1; when M is an alkaline earth metal, n is 2; and when M is aluminum, n is 3.
US08258338B2
A process for the preparation of N-monosubstituted β-aminoalcohol sulfonates of formula (Ia), (Ib): wherein R1 is C6-20-aryl or C4-12-heteroaryl, each optionally being substituted with one or more halogen atoms and/or one or more C1-4-alkyl or C1-4-alkoxy groups, R2 is C1-4-alkyl or C6-20-aryl, each aryl optionally being substituted with one or more halogen atoms and/or one or more C1-4-alkyl or C1-4-alkoxy groups and wherein R3 is selected from the group consisting of C1-18-alkyl, C6-20-cycloalkyl, C6-20-aryl and C7-20-aralkyl residues. The process has the steps of (a) reacting a methyl ketone, a primary amine, formaldehyde and a sulfonic acid, at a pressure above 1.5 bar, optionally in a organic solvent, the organic solvent optionally containing water, to afford N-monosubstituted β-aminoketone sulfonates of formula (II): wherein R1, R2 and R3 are as defined above, and (b) asymmetrically hydrogenating. The sulfonates in the presence of a base and a catalyst of a transition metal and a disphosphine ligand, in a polar solvent, optionally in the presence of water.
US08258336B2
A process for preparing unsaturated carboxylic esters includes reaction of alkenes having 2 to 6 carbon atoms with alkanecarboxylic acids having 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the presence of an oxygenous gas and in the presence of a heterogeneous noble metal catalyst by means of a continuous homogeneous gas phase process in a reactor. A gaseous phase (cycle gas) is circulated, and the cycle gas is laden with alkanecarboxylic acid in an acid saturator before entry into the reactor. In a presaturator connected upstream of the acid saturator, the cycle gas is laden with a portion of the amount of alkanecarboxylic acid used for saturation, and then it is transferred to the acid saturator and laden there with the remaining amount of alkanecarboxylic acid.
US08258328B2
The subject of the invention is a method for preparing compounds of general formula (I): in which A, Z, R3 are as defined in the description, and the intermediate compounds for carrying out this method.
US08258309B2
This invention relates to novel compounds that are azapeptides, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. More specifically, the invention relates to novel azapeptide compounds that are derivatives of the HIV protease inhibitor atazanavir sulfate. This invention also provides pyrogen-free compositions comprising one or more compounds of the invention and a carrier, and the use of the disclosed compounds and compositions in methods of treating diseases and conditions that are treated by administering HIV protease inhibitors. The invention also relates to the use of one or more of the disclosed compounds as reagents in analytical studies involving atazanavir.
US08258304B2
N-aryl piperidine substituted biphenylcarboxamides compounds of formula (I) methods for preparing such compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds as well as the use of said compounds as a medicine for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, obesity and type II diabetes.
US08258298B2
The disclosure relates to a method for preparing morphine-6-glucuronide or one of the deritives thereof comprising reacting a compound of formula (I): wherein R1 is as defined in the disclosure, with a glucuronic acid derivative of formula (II): wherein PG, X, and R4 are as defined in the disclosure, in the presence of an aromatic solvent and trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate; (ii) reacting the product obtained in step (i) with a strong basic agent; and then (iii) recovering the product obtained in step (ii).
US08258297B2
Bridged cyclometalated carbene complexes, a process for preparing the bridged cyclometalated carbene complexes, the use of the bridged cyclometalated carbene complexes in organic light-emitting diodes, organic light-emitting diodes comprising at least one inventive bridged cyclometalated carbene complex, a light-emitting layer comprising at least one inventive bridged cyclometalated carbene complex, organic light-emitting diodes comprising at least one inventive light-emitting layer and devices which comprise at least one inventive organic light-emitting diode.
US08258289B2
Compounds, compositions and methods are provided for modulating the expression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2. The compositions comprise oligonucleotides, targeted to nucleic acid encoding diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2. Methods of using these compounds for modulation of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 expression and for diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions associated with expression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 are provided.
US08258288B2
This invention relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating sespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) gene expression using short interfering nucleic acid (siNA) molecules. This invention also relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating the expression and activity of other genes involved in pathways of RSV gene expression and/or activity by RNA interference (RNAi) using small nucleic acid molecules. In particular, the instant invention features small nucleic acid molecules, such as short interfering nucleic acid (siNA), short interfering RNA (siRNA), double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), micro-RNA (miRNA), and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) molecules and methods used to modulate the expression of RSV genes, including cocktails of such small nucleic acid molecules and lipid nanoparticle formulations of such small nucleic acid molecules cocktails thereof. The application also relates to methods of treating diseases and conditions associated with RSV gene expression, such as RSV infection, respiratory failure, bronchiolitis and pneumonia, as well as providing dosing regimens and treatment protocols.
US08258279B2
The present invention is directed to compositions and methods related to soluble G-protein coupled receptors (sGPCR). In certain aspects the invention includes compositions and methods related to a soluble corticotropin releasing factor receptor related protein, sCRFR2, as well as its effects on CRFR signaling and interaction between CRF family ligand and CRFR receptors, including but not limited to CRFR2, CRFR1 and functional or signaling capable variants thereof.
US08258270B2
In an affinity-type purification, ligands dissociated from the stationary phase that would otherwise leach into the species being purified are captured by a second ligand that is also incorporated into the stationary phase, the second ligand exhibiting an affinity-type interaction with the dissociated first ligand with sufficient specificity to avoid the undesired retention by the second ligand of species from the liquid sample or source liquid other than the species sought to be purified in the affinity column.
US08258268B2
The present invention relates to engineered multivalent and multispecific binding proteins, methods of making, and specifically to their uses in the prevention and/or treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory and other diseases.
US08258265B2
The present invention provides modified fibronectin type III (Fn3) molecules, and nucleic acid molecules encoding the modified Fn3 molecules. Also provided are methods of preparing these molecules, and kits to perform the methods.
US08258261B2
The present invention is directed to variants of antigens comprising folate binding protein epitopes as a composition associated with providing immunity against a tumor in an individual. The variant is effective in inducing cytotoxic T-lymphocytes but preferably not to the extent that they become sensitive to silencing by elimination, such as by apoptosis, or by anergy, as in unresponsiveness.
US08258245B2
Methods for supplying a catalyst to an ethylene slurry loop polymerization reactor and polymers formed therefrom are described herein. The method generally includes preparing a catalyst slurry in a preparation vessel wherein the slurry includes a hydrocarbon diluent liquid which contains a Ziegler-Natta catalyst; supplying the catalyst slurry from the preparation vessel to a buffer vessel; withdrawing the catalyst slurry from the buffer vessel and supplying the catalyst slurry to a slurry loop polymerization reactor in which ethylene is polymerized; mixing a co-catalyst with the Ziegler Natta catalyst in the slurry prior to the supplying of the catalyst slurry to the slurry loop polymerization reactor; and controlling the transfer of catalyst slurry from the preparation vessel to the buffer vessel and the withdrawal of catalyst slurry from the buffer vessel to maintain the level of catalyst slurry in the buffer vessel substantially constant relative to the level of catalyst slurry in the preparation vessel.
US08258239B2
Production method of polyethylene terephthalate graft copolymerized resin and molded product thereof
The present invention provides a method of producing a polyethylene terephthalate graft copolymerized resin, comprising subjecting the following mixture to a homogeneous reaction at a temperature of 250° C. or higher to impart a high melt viscosity to the mixture, the mixture containing (A) 100 parts by weight of a polyethylene terephthalate polyester as a main material, (B) 0.01 to 2 parts by weight of a polymeric polyfunctional epoxy compound containing 7 to 100 epoxy groups in a molecule and having a molecular weight of 1,000 to 300,000 as a coupling agent, (C) 0.01 to 1 part by weight of a metal salt of an organic acid as a coupling reaction catalyst, and (D) 0 to 100 parts by weight of an aromatic alicyclic polyester and/or an aromatic aliphatic polyester each having a carboxyl group in an aromatic nucleus as an auxiliary material.
US08258230B2
The present invention relates to arborescent polymers and to a process for making same. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to arborescent polymers formed from at least one inimer and at least one isoolefin that have been end-functionalized with a polymer or copolymer having a low glass transition temperature (Tg), and to a process for making such arborescent polymers. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to arborescent polymers formed from at least one inimer and at least one isoolefin that have been end-functionalized with less than about 5 weight percent end blocks derived from a polymer or copolymer having a high glass transition temperature (Tg), and to a process for making such arborescent polymers.
US08258229B2
A method including first grinding, in aqueous media of natural calcium carbonate, an acrylic polymer having a molecular weight of between 8,000 g/mole and 15,000 g/mole and a molar content of less than 20% of polymeric chains of molecular weight less than 3,000 g/mole and second, optionally concentrating, leading to an aqueous suspension with an increased slope factor, which improves the opacity of the coated paper produced from such a suspension.
US08258226B2
A composition for manufacturing a heat ray-shielding polyvinyl chloride film by the steps of obtaining a dispersion liquid by dispersing tungsten oxide nanoparticles expressed by a general formula WOx and/or the composite tungsten oxide nanoparticles expressed by a general formula MyWOz and having a hexaboride crystal structure, and a dispersant, into an organic solvent; obtaining a mixture by mixing a plasticizer for manufacturing a polyvinyl chloride, into this dispersion liquid; and obtaining a composition for manufacturing the heat ray-shielding polyvinyl chloride film by using a vacuum distillation method and removing the organic solvent from this mixture until a concentration of the solvent is 5 wt % or less.
US08258221B2
A polylactic acid-based resin composition includes (A) a polylactic acid-based resin; (B) a flame retardant compound; and (C) an ammonium compound of organic acid.
US08258220B2
A composition has a water dispersible esterified trimer acid (ETA) and a block co-polymer, especially a polyoxyalkylene block copolymer having EO and PO blocks. The composition may also have a polymeric surfactant antifoaming agent and an oil (especially a mineral oil or ester oil).
US08258216B2
The present invention generally relates to a resin composition, a cured resin, a sheet-like cured resin, a laminated body, a prepreg, electronic parts, single and multilayer circuit boards comprising a cyanate ester polymer and condensed phosphate ester, for use in single and multilayer circuit boards that are especially useful in the high-frequency range of above 100 MHz.
US08258215B2
A process to stabilize a polymer is described utilizing the step of adding a phosphite reaction product of a triphenyl phosphite or lower molecular weight trialkyl phosphite (e.g., trimethyl phosphite) or triaryl phosphite, with from approximately 1 to 2 moles of preferably a paracumyl phenol, and with from approximately 1 to 2 moles of at least C12-20 carbon alkyl or C12-20 alkenyl alcohol. In one embodiment of the invention, the phosphite reaction product is formula (I) wherein R1 is independently selected from the group consisting of H and C1-2 alkyls; R2 is independently selected from the group defined previously for R1; x is an integral value ranging from 0 to 4 inclusive; y is an integral value ranging from 0 to 4 inclusive; n is an integral value ranging from 1 to 2; R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of C12-20 alkyl or C12-20 alkenyl; R4 is independently selected from the group consisting of C1-10, alkyl and C9-15 arylalkyl; R5 is independently selected from the group defined previously for R4.
US08258211B2
A process for making a material for acquisition of liquids comprising individualized, crosslinked cellulosic fibers having an effective amount of a polymeric acid crosslinking agent reacted with the fibers in intra-fiber crosslink ester bond form. A process for making disposable absorbent articles, such as diapers, containing this material.
US08258210B2
A strength improvement admixture composition is provided that increases the compressive strength of cementitious compositions without negatively increasing the setting time. The admixture comprises the components of a polycarboxylate dispersant, a set retarder, and a strength improvement additive.
US08258208B2
The invention provides compositions of matter, methods of their synthesis, and methods of their use in polymerization reactions. The compositions include polyfunctional initiators used to make star polymers when polymerized with monomers. The polyfunctional initiators are synthesized out of a multifunctional core with at least two functional groups and two or more initiator units bonded to the functional groups. The initiator units have two electron-withdrawing groups bonded to a central carbon atom and an azo group between the central carbon atom and the functional group. The polyfunctional initiators are particularly effective because when they decompose to form the radical core of a star polymer, the electron-withdrawing groups prevent the corresponding radical from forming any linear polymer contamination and only desired star polymers result.
US08258204B2
An inkjet printing composition comprises an aqueous liquid vehicle; at least one pigment having a concentration of about 1 to 5 wt %; and a latex polymer having a concentration of about 2.5 to 8 wt % and comprising a polymerized mixture of styrene, butyl acrylate, at least one of methacrylonitrile and acrylonitrile, methacrylic acid, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. An inkjet ink printing system comprises a vinyl medium; the at least one inkjet printing composition; and a heating device, wherein the system is configured such that upon applying heat from the heating device to the inkjet ink printed on the vinyl medium, the latex particles fuse, thereby forming a printed image with a film encapsulating at least a portion of the pigment on the vinyl medium. A method of forming a printed image of the latex polymer using the inkjet ink printing system is also provided.
US08258200B2
The present invention relates to the production of copolymer networks, or co-networks, and to methods for preparing copolymer or co-networks. Furthermore, the present invention relates to products and/or films made from the copolymer and/or co-networks produced in accordance with the synthesis methods of the present invention. Additionally, the present invention relates to crosslinked copolymer and/or co-networks comprising at least one hydrophilic segment and at least one hydrophobic segment. In one embodiment, the hydrophilic segments include at least one poly(vinyl alcohol) (e.g., a poly(vinyl alcohol) modified with acryl amide groups) and the hydrophobic segments include at least one polysiloxane having at least one terminal —OH group (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)). In another embodiment, the copolymer and/or co-networks of the present invention are optically clear and highly oxophilic.
US08258187B2
The subject invention provides materials and methods for improving alcohol metabolism in animals. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods for increasing the ability of people to consume alcohol while reducing hangovers or other effects of intoxication. Specifically exemplified herein is the use of a cysteamine compound to reduce the adverse effects of alcohol consumption. For example, the undesirable and unpleasant symptoms association with hangovers can be reduced through consumption, according to the subject invention, of cysteamine hydrochloride.
US08258177B2
The invention features 4-((phenoxyalkyl)thio)-phenoxyacetic acids and analogs, compositions containing them, and methods of using them as PPAR delta modulators to treat or inhibit the progression of, for example, dyslipidemia.
US08258170B2
The present invention provides compounds that inhibit the activity of plasma kallikrein (PK) and methods of preventing and treating the formation of thrombin during or after a PK dependent disease or condition, for example, after fibrinolysis treatment.
US08258166B2
A Cancer radiotherapeutic method using 1-(1-hydroxymethyl-2,3-dihydroxypropyl)oxymethyl-2-nitroimidazole (compound (i), and creatinine in an amount of 0.001 to part by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of compound (1); and irradiation.
US08258154B2
The present invention relates to compounds and methods which may be useful as inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) for the treatment or prevention of inflammatory diseases and other diseases involving elevated levels of cytokines and proinflammatory mediators.
US08258149B2
The invention provides novel compounds of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 to R7 are as described herein, compositions including the compounds and methods of preparing and using the compounds.
US08258141B2
A compound of formula (I) or stereoisomers or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and their preparation and use as pharmaceuticals wherein R1, R2 and R3 are as defined herein.
US08258135B2
The present invention is directed to spiropiperidine compounds of formula (I) which are M1 receptor positive allosteric modulators and that are useful in the treatment of diseases in which the M1 receptor is involved, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, pain or sleep disorders. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, and to the use of the compounds and compositions in the treatment of diseases mediated by the M1 receptor.
US08258131B2
The present invention provides a novel fused bicyclic compound having an affinity to a receptor of mineral corticoid (MR), shown by the formula [I]: wherein the ring A is a benzene ring having a substituent R1, fused to an adjacent 6-membered heterocyclic ring and further optionally having a substituent(s) other than R1, R1 is an alkylsulfonylamino group etc., R2 and R3 are (a) the same of different and a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, (b) combined each other to form an oxo group or (c) combined each other at its terminal together with the adjacent carbon atom to form a cycloalkyl group, X is a group of ═N—, ═C(R4)— or —CH(R4)—, R4 is (a) a hydrogen atom, (b) a cyano group, (c) a halogen atom, (d) an alkyl group, (e) an alkenyl group, (f) a cycloalkyl group (g) an alkanoyl group, (h) a carbamoyl group or (i) a cycloalkenyl group, Ar is an optionally substituted aromatic cyclic group and a dotted line means presence or absence of a double bond, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, which is useful as an antihypertensive agent etc.
US08258127B2
A method for treating individuals affected with latent tuberculosis comprising a step of administering an effective amount of one or more carbapenem compounds to the said individuals.
US08258120B2
The present invention pertains, at least in part, to novel 9-substituted minocycline compounds. These minocycline compounds can be used to treat numerous tetracycline compound-responsive states, such as bacterial infections and neoplasms, as well as other known applications for minocycline and tetracycline compounds in general, such as blocking tetracycline efflux and modulation of gene expression.
US08258119B2
The present invention discloses triazene analogs of the general formula (I) and formula (II), their tautomeric forms, stereoisomers, polymorphs, hydrates, solvates, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof for the metastatic malignant melanoma and other cancers including but not limited to lymphomas, sarcomas, carcinomas, and gliomas.The invention further discloses a process for the preparation of the above said triazene analogs of formula (I) and formula (II), and their pharmaceutically acceptable compositions.
US08258117B2
The present invention relates to a new method for repairing human or animal tissues such as cartilage, meniscus, ligament, tendon, bone, skin, cornea, periodontal tissues, abscesses, resected tumors, and ulcers. The method comprises the step of introducing into the tissue a temperature-dependent polymer gel composition such that the composition adhere to the tissue and promote support for cell proliferation for repairing the tissue. Other than a polymer, the composition preferably comprises a blood component such as whole blood, processed blood, venous blood, arterial blood, blood from bone, blood from bone-marrow, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, placenta blood, erythrocytes, leukocytes, monocytes, platelets, fibrinogen, thrombin and platelet rich plasma. The present invention also relates to a new composition to be used with the method of the present invention.
US08258104B2
A method and composition for treating allergic diseases and/or airway inflammation including pollinosis, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and anaphylactic shock with the administration to a subject an amount of an anti-infectious agent such as ribavirin and optionally combined with an anti-inflammatory agent selected from inhaled steroids, leukotriene receptor antagonists and beta-2 receptor agonist.
US08258097B2
Compounds of formula (I) or formula (II) have dopaminergic activity: wherein: R1 is a carboxyl, carboxyl ester, or carboxamide group; R2 is a group —C(═O)—NR3R4, or —S(═O)2—NR3R4; R3 and R4 are independently selected from hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl, (C1-C5 fluoroalkyl)-CH2—, -Q, and —CH2Q, wherein Q is an optionally substituted monocyclic carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring of (3) to (6) ring atoms; or R3 and R4 together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form an optionally substituted monocyclic cycloalkyl or non-aromatic heterocyclic ring of (3) to (8) ring atoms; R5 is hydrogen, or a natural or non-natural alpha amino acid residue linked via a peptide bond; R6 is hydrogen or a group R7C(═O)—; and R7 is C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 fluoroalkyl or cyclopropyl.
US08258085B2
The present invention relates to compositions and use of fluidized polymer suspensions containing allyloxy linkage and its functional derivatives, and water soluble polymers for use in oil field applications as fluid additives for drilling and cementing processes.
US08258081B2
Compositions and methods for inhibiting the sprouting of potato tubers are provided. The compositions comprise C3 to C14 aliphatic aldehydes and ketones, and/or C3 to C7 primary and secondary aliphatic alcohols.
US08258078B2
An image receiving element is a composite of multiple layers on a support including, in order, an extruded compliant layer, an aqueous-coated subbing layer, and an image receiving layer that may also be extruded. The extruded compliant layer is non-voided and comprises from about 10 to about 40 weight % of at least one elastomeric polymer. This image receiving element can be disposed on a support to form a thermal dye transfer receiver element, an electrophotographic image receiver element, or a thermal wax receiver element. Excellent adhesion is provided between the extruded compliant layer and the image receiving layer by means of the aqueous-coated subbing layer.
US08258075B2
To provide a catalyst for treating exhaust gases containing nitrogen monoxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds whose oxidation power has been enhanced without increasing the amount of precious metal supported thereon; a method for producing the same; and a method for treating exhaust gases. A catalyst for treating exhaust gases, including coat layers made up of a plurality of layers, an upper layer of which has an active component contained uniformly therein and a lower layer of which has no active component contained therein, can be obtained through the steps of: forming the lower layer by coating the surface of substrate with a slurry of a porous inorganic compound, followed by drying; and forming the upper layer, which is to be the top surface of the catalyst, by coating the surface of the lower layer with a slurry of a porous inorganic compound that has the active component composed of one or more precious metals supported thereon, followed by drying.
US08258073B2
A process for the preparation of a catalyst comprising bismuth, molybdenum, iron, cerium and other promoter elements, wherein the elements in said catalyst are combined together in an aqueous catalyst precursor slurry, the aqueous precursor slurry so obtained is dried to form a catalyst precursor, and the catalyst precursor is calcined to form said catalyst, the process comprising: (i) combining, in an aqueous solution, source compounds of Bi and Ce, and optionally one or more of Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca, a rare earth element, Pb, W and Y, to form a mixture, (ii) adding a source compound of molybdenum to the mixture to react with the mixture and form a precipitate slurry, and (iii) combining the precipitate slurry with source compounds of the remaining elements and of the remaining molybdenum in the catalyst to form the aqueous catalyst precursor slurry.
US08258070B2
An emission control catalyst that exhibits improved CO and HC reduction performance includes supported precious group metal catalysts that are coated onto different layers of the substrate for the emission control catalyst. Zeolites of one or more types are added to the emission control catalyst as a hydrocarbon absorbing component to boost the low temperature performance of the emission control catalyst. Y zeolite is used by itself or mixed with other zeolites to enhance hydrocarbon storage at low temperatures.
US08258061B2
A circumferential portion of an epitaxial wafer is removed to remove an anomalously grown elevated portion formed in a circumferential chamfer. An epitaxial layer in the circumferential portion is removed with a width q=t to 5t wherein t is the thickness of the epitaxial layer so that the surface of a substrate is exposed. Therefore, cracking of the epitaxial layer in processing steps can be prevented.
US08258050B2
A method of making a crystalline semiconductor structure provides a photonic device by employing low thermal budget annealing process. The method includes annealing a non-single crystal semiconductor film formed on a substrate to form a polycrystalline layer that includes a transition region adjacent to a surface of the film and a relatively thicker columnar region between the transition region and the substrate. The transition region includes small grains with random grain boundaries. The columnar region includes relatively larger columnar grains with substantially parallel grain boundaries that are substantially perpendicular to the substrate. The method further includes etching the surface to expose the columnar region having an irregular serrated surface.
US08258038B2
The method of manufacturing a semiconductor memory includes a process of forming a projection by performing an insulator forming process on the exposed side surface of a reactive conductive material and a non-reactive conductive material that are stacked above a substrate so as to change a predetermined length of the side surface of the reactive conductive material into an insulator, and thereby causing the side surface of the non-reactive conductive material to project outward from the side surface of the reactive its conductive material. The insulator forming process is an oxidation process or a nitridation process, the reactive conductive material is a material that reacts chemically and changes into the insulator in the oxidation process or nitridation process, and the non-reactive conductive material is a material that does not change into the insulator in the oxidation process or nitridation process.
US08258035B2
A method for making a transistor is provided which comprises (a) providing a semiconductor structure having a gate (211) overlying a semiconductor layer (203), and having at least one spacer structure (213) disposed adjacent to said gate; (b) removing a portion of the semiconductor structure adjacent to the spacer structure, thereby exposing a portion (215) of the semiconductor structure which underlies the spacer structure; and (c) subjecting the exposed portion of the semiconductor structure to an angled implant (253, 254).
US08258027B2
An embodiment of a method is disclosed to integrate silicon oxide nitride oxide silicon (SONOS) non-volatile memory (NVM) into a conventional complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) semiconductor foundry process flow. An embodiment of the method only adds a few additional steps to a standard CMOS foundry process flow and makes minor changes to the rest of the baseline CMOS foundry process flow to form a new process module that includes both CMOS devices and an embedded SONOS NVM.
US08258023B2
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a thin film transistor that includes a zinc oxide material including Si as a channel material of a semiconductor layer, and a method of manufacturing the same.
US08258017B2
A photosensitive adhesive capable of alkali development, the photosensitive adhesive exhibiting adhesion property for an adherend after it has been patterned by light exposure and development, the photosensitive adhesive being used in a method for producing a semiconductor device 100 comprising a step of patterning the photosensitive adhesive 1 provided on a circuit surface of a semiconductor chip 20 by light exposure and development; and a step of directly bonding another semiconductor chip 21 to the patterned photosensitive adhesive 1.
US08258012B2
A semiconductor wafer has a plurality of semiconductor die separated by a saw street. The wafer is mounted to dicing tape. The wafer is singulated through the saw street to expose side surfaces of the semiconductor die. An ESD protection layer is formed over the semiconductor die and around the exposed side surfaces of the semiconductor die. The ESD protection layer can be a metal layer, encapsulant film, conductive polymer, conductive ink, or insulating layer covered by a metal layer. The ESD protection layer is singulated between the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die covered by the ESD protection layer are mounted to a temporary carrier. An encapsulant is deposited over the ESD protection layer covering the semiconductor die. The carrier is removed. An interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die and encapsulant. The ESD protection layer is electrically connected to the interconnect structure to provide an ESD path.
US08258007B2
A package structure and a package process are proposed in using pillar bumps to connect an upper second chip and through silicon vias of a lower first chip, wherein a gap between the first chip and the second chip can be controlled by adjusting a height of the pillar bumps. In other words, the pillar bumps compensate the height difference between the first chip and a molding compound surrounding the first chip so as to ensure the bondibility between the pillar bumps and the corresponding through silicon vias and improve the process yield. Furthermore, the pillar bumps maintain the gap between the second chip and the molding compound for allowing an underfill being properly filled into the space between the first chip and the second chip.
US08258002B2
A phase change memory device resistant to stack pattern collapse is presented. The phase change memory device includes a silicon substrate, switching elements, heaters, stack patterns, bit lines and word lines. The silicon substrate has a plurality of active areas. The switching elements are connected to the active areas. The heaters are connected to the switching elements. The stack patterns are connected to the heaters. The bit lines are connected to the stack patterns. The word lines are connected to the active areas of the silicon substrate.
US08258001B2
A multilayer structure to form absorber layers for solar cells. The multilayer structure includes a base comprising a contact layer on a substrate layer, a first layer on the contact layer, and a metallic layer on the first layer. The first layer includes an indium-gallium-selenide film and the gallium to indium molar ratio of the indium-gallium-selenide film is in the range of 0 to 0.8. The metallic layer includes gallium and indium without selenium. Additional selenium is deposited onto the metallic layer before annealing the structure for forming an absorber.
US08258000B2
A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device is provided. The method includes providing a transparent substrate comprising a surface region. A first electrode layer is formed overlying the surface region. A chalcopyrite material is formed overlying the first electrode layer. In a specific embodiment, the chalcopyrite material comprises a copper poor copper indium disulfide region. The copper poor copper indium disulfide region having an atomic ratio of Cu:In of about 0.95 and less. The method includes compensating the copper poor copper indium disulfide region using a sodium species to cause the chalcopyrite material to change from an n-type characteristic to a p-type characteristic. The method includes forming a window layer overlying the chalcopyrite material and forming a second electrode layer overlying the window layer.
US08257998B2
Semiconductor photovoltaic cells have surfaces that are textured for processing and photovoltaic reasons. The absorbing regions may have parallel grooves that reduce loss of solar energy that would otherwise be lost by reflection. One form of texturing has parallel grooves and ridges. The cell also includes regions of metallization for collecting the generated electrical carriers and conducting them away, which may be channels. The topography is considered during production, using a process that takes advantage of the topography to govern what locations upon will receive a specific processing, and which locations will not receive such a processing. Liquids are treated directly into zones of the cell. They migrate throughout a zone and act upon the locations contacted. They do not migrate to other zones, due to impediments to fluid flow that are features of the surface texture, such as edges, walls and ridges. Blocking liquid may also be deposited and migrate within a zone, to block or mask a subsequent activity, such as etching.
US08257984B2
A ferroelectric capacitor and a method of manufacturing the same are provided, wherein the ferroelectric capacitor of a semiconductor device, which sequentially includes a lower electrode, a ferroelectric layer, and an upper electrode on a conductive layer connected to a transistor formed on a semiconductor substrate, includes an oxidation preventing layer between the conductive layer and the lower electrode. The oxidation preventing layer prevents the conductive layer from being oxidized during high-temperature heat treatment of the ferroelectric layer. Accordingly, the oxidation resistivity of the interfaces of the conductive layer, used as a storage node, and the lower electrode, which faces the conductive layer, increases, so a temperature at which a ferroelectric thin layer is formed can be also increased. Consequently, a ferroelectric thin layer having excellent characteristics may be obtained.
US08257972B2
Disclosed is a cell transformed by a vector containing human Wnt3a gene, wherein the cell is selected from a group consisting of hair follicle-derived cells and prostate cancer-derived cells.
US08257971B2
Provided is a method of inducing tubulogenesis in normal endothelial cells comprising co-culturing the normal endothelial cells with tumor cells and forming tubules from the normal endothelial cells.
US08257968B2
The present invention concerns an apparatus (1) for staining tissue samples, said apparatus (1) including a reagent section (2) or reagent containers (3); at least one staining section or tissue samples, a robotic head (22) or robotic element (20) that may move reagent to a predetermined tissue sample, said robotic element (20) being moveable above the reagent and the staining sections, a control element (85) that may manage a staining process, a 2-D optical sensor (86) to detect two-dimensional image data of a relevant property and that can feed the captured image data to the control element (86). By providing the robotic element (20) with a 2-D optical sensor (86), a common image processor may be provided having multiple functions. By using a 2-D optical image processing system, the control system of the apparatus may easily be adapted to read various types of data presentations, just as actual images for sections of the apparatus may be identified in order to assess the condition of the apparatus. The optical sensor may be used to automatically identify the slides and the reagent containers present in the apparatus, just as the optical sensor may be used for checking if a slide is misplaced at or absent from a slide position, etc.
US08257959B2
The present invention relates to methods for producing Saccharomyces strains that are capable of growth on xylose as a sole carbon source at a desired growth rate, (such as at least one generation per 48 hours), strains made by such methods, and Saccharomyces strains that grow at a growth rate of at least one generation per 48 hours using xylose as a sole carbon source for growth made by non-recombinant methods.
US08257955B2
A novel endoglucanase PPCE derived from Penicillium pinophilum, a cellulase preparation containing the endoglucanase PPCE, and a method of treating a cellulose-containing fabric utilizing the endoglucanase PPCE or the cellulase preparation, are disclosed. The endoglucanase PPCE is highly active to a fabric, and has a low optimum temperature and a strongly acidic optimum pH.
US08257947B2
The present invention is directed to a method of producing compositions including embryonic proteins. The method includes culturing cells under hypoxic conditions on a biocompatible three-dimensional surface in vitro. The culturing method produces both soluble and non-soluble fractions, which may be used separately or in combination to obtain physiologically acceptable compositions useful in a variety of medical and therapeutic applications.
US08257944B2
The present invention relates to a improved process for the biotechnological production of compounds for which ribose-5-phosphate, ribulose-5-phosphate or xylulose-5-phosphate is biosynthetic precursor like riboflavin (vitamin B2), FAD, FMN, pyridoxal phosphate (vitamin B6), guanosine, GMP, adenosine, AMP. The invention further pertains to the generation of the organism producing those compounds. It furthermore relates to the generation of mutated transketolases that allow normal growth on glucose but reduced growth on gluconate when introduced into the production strains and to polynucleotides encoding them.
US08257941B2
The present invention involves methods for identifying an agent that corrects a phenotype associated with a health condition or a predisposition for a health condition. The invention also involves methods for identifying a diagnostic cellular phenotype, determining the risk of a health condition in a subject, methods for reducing the risk of drug toxicity in a human subject, and methods for identifying a candidate gene that contributes to a human disease. The invention also discloses human induced pluripotent stem cell lines.
US08257935B2
A method of immunoassaying a component to be measured in a sample containing hemoglobin, which comprises reacting a component to be measured in a sample containing hemoglobin with an antibody capable of binding to the component in the presence of a bile acid derivative different from a bile acid derivative that is inherently contained in the sample; a method of suppressing an interference of hemoglobin in immunoassaying a component to be measured in a sample containing hemoglobin, which comprises reacting a component to be measured in a sample containing hemoglobin with an antibody capable of binding to the component in the presence of a bile acid derivative different from a bile acid derivative that is inherently contained in the sample; a reagent of immunoassay of a component to be measured in a sample containing hemoglobin, which comprises a bile acid derivative, are described.
US08257934B2
The present invention provides nucleic acids encoding a novel ABC family cholesterol transporter, SSG. The herein-disclosed sequences can be used for any of a number of purposes, including for the diagnosis and treatment of cholesterol-associated disorders, including sitosterolemia, and for the identification of molecules that associate with and/or modulate the activity of SSG.
US08257929B2
The present invention identifies the changes in gene expression associated with Parkinson's Disease by examining multiregional gene expression from normal brain and brain of Parkinson's Disease. The present also identifies the changes in gene expression associated with Parkinson's Disease by examining the expression of genes from normal blood and from the blood of patients with Parkinson's Disease. In another aspect, the present invention identifies expression profiles which serve as useful diagnostic markers as well as markers that can be used to monitor disease states, disease progression, drug toxicity, drug efficacy and drug metabolism.
US08257921B1
The present invention provides, in part, methods for identifying inhibitors of NRIP1 and methods of using such inhibitors. Methods of treating NRIP1-mediated disorders using NRIP1 inhibitor are also provided.
US08257913B2
A processing method of a lithographic printing plate precursor includes: exposing imagewise a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a support on a surface of which at least one of: a hydrophilizing treatment; and an undercoat layer has been provided and an image-recording layer, to cure an exposed area of the image-recording layer; and undergoing developing processing with an aqueous solution having pH of from 2 to 10, wherein the aqueous solution comprises an amphoteric surfactant and an anionic surfactant selected from an anionic surfactant having an aliphatic chain and a total number of carbon atoms included in the aliphatic chain of 6 or more and an anionic surfactant having an aromatic ring and a total number of carbon atoms of 12 or more, and a content of the anionic surfactant is from 0.1 to 3.3% by weight of the aqueous solution.
US08257905B2
A method of fabricating a thin film transistor substrate and a negative photoresist composition used therein are provided, which can reduce pattern inferiority. The method of fabricating a thin film transistor substrate includes forming a conductive film composed of a conductive material on a substrate, forming an etch pattern composed of a negative photoresist composition on the conductive film, and forming a conductive pattern by etching the conductive film using the etch pattern as an etching mask, wherein the negative photoresist composition includes 10-50 parts by weight of novolak resin including a hydroxyl group that is soluble in an alkali developing solution, 0.5-10 parts by weight of a first photo acid generator represented by the following formula (1), 0.5-10 parts by weight of a second photo acid generator represented by the following formula (2), 1-20 parts by weight of a cross-linking agent, and 10-90 parts by weight of a solvent:
US08257894B2
This invention provides a toner with improved charge and charge stability by suitable addition of extra particulate additives (EPA) such as aluminum cerium oxide and/or cerium zirconium oxide. The additives may be combined with toner in a conical mixer having selected temperature control. The invention also provides toner which may provide reduced print quality defects such as ghosting or residual image and fade-to-color.
US08257893B2
The presently disclosed embodiments are directed generally to an improved electrostatographic imaging member in which the overcoat layer comprises cross-linkable polyester resins. The overcoat layer not only provides wear resistance, but it also provides higher charge transport efficiency and therefore better photoelectrical properties. In addition, the polyesters can cross-link with a variety of resins and thus provide good adhesion as well.
US08257885B1
A system and method for producing a Bragg grating. A system and a method for apodization of gratings. The system and method for producing a grating include splitting a beam and reflecting one split beam an odd number of times and the other an even number of times before the two are allowed to interfere within a photosensitive target. When the original beam is scanned in predetermined directions, the split beams scan the target while interfering within the target. The original beam is scanned such that an intersection point of the reflected split beams moves along a bisector of the two split beams. In the system and method for apodizing, scanning of the interfering beams along a length of the target may be controlled to yield a substantially uniform average refractive index for the apodized grating that is being recorded in the photosensitive target medium.
US08257878B2
A semi-passive fuel cell system is provided. A stack in which a plurality of unit cells are laterally stacked with one another is provided. Each unit cell includes a membrane-electrode assembly and bipolar plates located on both sides of the membrane-electrode assembly. The membrane-electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane, a cathode electrode, and an anode electrode. The cathode and anode electrodes, respectively, are formed on each side of the electrolyte membrane. Also provided are a means for supplying fuel and a means for supplying air. Each of the bipolar plates has air paths formed on a surface facing the cathode electrode and extending from an upper end to a lower end of the bipolar plate. The air supply means includes ducts which are respectively installed on an upper end and a lower end of the stack, and includes a means for blowing air through the ducts.
US08257857B2
A method for manufacturing separators includes (S1) treating at least one of the laminating surfaces of two porous substrates by corona discharge and laminating the porous substrates, (S2) preparing a slurry containing inorganic particles dispersed therein and a solution of a binder polymer in a solvent, and coating the slurry on both surfaces of the laminate of the porous substrates, and (S3) delaminating the coated laminate of the porous substrates. According to the method, two separators can be simultaneously manufactured with enhanced productivity. In addition, corona discharge can reduce damage to the surfaces of the porous substrates during lamination while maintaining the porosities of the porous substrates. Therefore, excellent performance of electrochemical devices using the separators can be ensured.
US08257851B2
A battery cover latch mechanism includes a housing, a battery cover, and a latching part. The housing includes a clasp positioned thereon. The battery cover includes a guiding portion and a resisting block facing the guiding portion. The latching part includes a button and a resilient bar assembled on the battery cover. The button includes a hook resisting the resisting block. The button slidably and releasably latches to the clasp to lock the battery cover to the housing or release the battery cover from the housing. The invention also discloses a portable electronic device using the battery cover latch mechanism.
US08257850B2
A battery cover structure includes a cover, a main housing, a supporting member and two connecting members. One end of the cover is rotatably attached to the main housing. The main housing defines a recess. The supporting member is received in the recess of the main housing, with one end of the supporting member being rotatably attached to the main housing. The supporting member defines a cavity for receiving a battery and defines two guiding holes at two opposite sides thereof. One end of the connecting member is rotatably attached to the cover, and the other end is slidably and rotatably engaged in the guiding hole of the supporting member. When the cover is opened, the supporting member is raised by the connecting members.
US08257849B2
A winding electrode body is provided which includes a belt-shaped positive electrode, a belt-shaped negative electrode, and two belt-shaped separators. In the above winding electrode body, the two separators are laminated with the positive electrode and the negative electrode are wound in the state that positive electrode and the negative electrode are interleaved by the intermediate portions of the two separators in the longitudinal directions thereof, start edges of the two separators extending past the intermediate portions are disposed to face each other in a free edge state at a position at which the positive electrode and the negative electrode are not provided, and end edges of the two separators extending past the intermediate positions are disposed and fixed to each other at a position at which the positive electrode and the negative electrode are not provided.
US08257846B2
A temperature increasing method for a sodium-sulfur battery includes three or more temperature gradients, and inflection points of 90±5° C. and 150±5° C. at which the temperature gradient changes, and the temperature gradient in a section from 90±5° C. to 150±5° C. is 5° C./h or less, whereby it is possible to increase a temperature of the sodium-sulfur battery quickly without affecting the quality of the sodium-sulfur battery.
US08257843B2
The present invention aims to provide an interlayer film for a laminated glass, which has excellent heat shielding property and allows infrared communication waves to sufficiently pass therethrough. The present invention is an interlayer film for a laminated glass, which includes an infrared communication wave-transmitting region and a transparent region in a plane of the interlayer film, the infrared communication wave-transmitting region containing a binder resin and zinc oxide particles doped with a trivalent or tetravalent metal, the transparent region containing a binder resin and metal hexaboride particles.
US08257841B2
The invention relates to bodies coated with a hard material, comprising a multi-layer coating system containing at least one Ti1-xAlxN hard material coating and to a multi-stage CVD method for producing the bodies. The aim of the invention is to achieve excellent adhesion of the Ti1-xAlxN hard material coating in bodies coated with a hard material comprising a multi-layer coating system containing at least one Ti1-xAlxN hard material coating and a high degree of wear resistance. According to the invention, the bodies coated with a hard material comprising a multi-layer coating system containing at least one Ti1-xAlxN hard material coating are characterized by the following features: the coating system consists of a) a bonding coating applied to the body, consisting of TiN, Ti(C,N) or TiC; b) a phase gradient coating that is applied to the bonding coating; and c) the single or multi-phase Ti1-xAlxN hard material coating or coatings applied to the phase gradient coating. The phase gradient coating consists of a TiN/h-AlN phase mixture on the side facing the bonding coating and has an increasing phase fraction of fcc-TiAIN with an increasing coating thickness, (the fraction being >50%), towards the Ti1-xAlxN hard material coating(s) and a corresponding simultaneous decrease in the phase fractions of TiN and h-AlN. The coating according to the invention can be used in particular for tools and components consisting of steel, hard metals, cermets and ceramics, such as for example drills, milling cutters and indexable cutting inserts.
US08257838B2
An organic electroluminescent device, which has a pair of electrodes, and at least one organic layer including a luminescent layer between the electrodes, wherein the organic layer contains at least one compound of formula (1): wherein Q11 are atoms for forming a nitrogen-containing hetero ring; Z11 to Z13 each independently represents CR, wherein R represents a substituent, CH or N; n11 is 0 or 1; M11 is a metal or boron ion that may further have a ligand(s); and a compound of formula (6): wherein R63 to R66 each is a hydrogen atom or a substituent; X61 to X64 and Z61 to Z66 each is CR, wherein R represents a substituent, CH or N.
US08257824B2
The multilayer film serves as a laminate. The film is a multilayered structure that, in its base form, encompasses an intermediate layer with first and second outer layer affixed to opposing sides of the intermediate layer. The first outer layer is a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer. The intermediate layer includes a polyester and the second outer layer is an olefinic polymer. The layers are bonded together in the noted order to provide the multilayer film.
US08257823B2
A molding precursor which includes a main body part and a burr formation part protruding outward from the edge of the main body part and extending continuously along the edge, wherein the main body part includes a first base having many reinforcing fibers and a second base having many fibers and has been superposed on the first base in an outer peripheral part of the main body part, the burr formation part is constituted of that part of the second base which protrudes outward from the edge of the main body part, and spaces among the many fibers constitute passages for a molding resin.
US08257822B2
Provided is a film for thermal sterilization packaging which is excellent in a total balance of characteristics such a transparency, an impact resistance, a heat sealing property, a blocking resistance, a heat resistance and the like.The film for thermal sterilization packaging according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: an outer layer containing a propylene/ethylene block copolymer (A) which has a melt flow rate (MFR; ASTM D1238, 230° C., load: 2.16 kg) in the range of 1 to 10 g/10 minutes and a melting point in the range of 150 to 170° C. measured by means of a differential scanning colorimeter. (DSC) and which is constituted from 90 to 80% by weight of a part (Dinsol) insoluble in n-decane at room temperature satisfying the specific requisites and 10 to 20% by weight of a part (Dsol) soluble in n-decane at room temperature satisfying the specific requisites and an intermediate layer or an outer layer containing a propylene/ethylene block copolymer (B) which is not the same as the above propylene/ethylene block copolymer (A).
US08257821B2
A light diffusion film which has excellent light transmittance and light diffusibility while maintaining excellent heat resistance, mechanical strength and thickness accuracy intrinsic to a biaxially stretched film, and is suppressed in generation of curling after heat treatment, wherein the film comprises a biaxially stretched laminated film having a supporting layer consisting of a crystalline polyester, and a light diffusion layer laminated on at least one side of the supporting layer by a co-extrusion method, wherein the light diffusion layer comprises 60 to 98 parts by mass of the crystalline polyester and 2 to 40 parts by mass of a light diffusion additive incompatible with the polyester, and the light diffusion film has a planar orientation degree (ΔP) of 0.080 to 0.160, a total light transmittance of 85% or more, and a haze of 30% or more.
US08257811B2
A simultaneously molded plurality of composite shingles or double walled shingles or other substantially planar exterior building products are provided, each being comprised of two or more layers of thermoplastic shingle material, such that a weatherable capstock material is provided outside a core material, in the form of a composite parison that is then blow molded in a hollow mold, to produce novel shingles. Ventilation and/or insulation can be provided to a hollow interior between spaced apart walls of a double walled shingle.
US08257809B2
A ceramic matrix composite wall structure (20A) constructed of interlocking layers (22A, 24A) of woven material with integral cooling channels (28A, 32A). The CMC layer closest to the hot gas path (41) contains internal cooling tubes (26A, 30A) protruding into a ceramic insulating layer (40A). This construction provides a cooled CMC lamellate wall structure with an interlocking truss core.
US08257802B2
A coating liquid for forming a polarizing film comprising a lyotropic liquid crystal compound (A) exhibiting light absorption characteristics in a visible light region having a wavelength 400 nm or longer, a lyotropic liquid crystal compound (B) exhibiting no or low light absorption characteristics in the visible light region having a wavelength 400 nm or longer and a solvent dissolving the lyotropic liquid crystal compound (A) and the lyotropic liquid crystal compound (B).
US08257790B2
A Ti film is formed on a surface of a wafer W placed inside a chamber 31, while injecting a process gas containing TiCl4 gas into the chamber 31 from a showerhead 40 made of an Ni-containing material at least at a surface. The method includes performing formation of a Ti film on a predetermined number of wafers W while setting the showerhead 40 at a temperature of 300° C. or more and less than 450° C., and setting TiCl4 gas at a flow rate of 1 to 12 mL/min (sccm) or setting TiCl4 gas at a partial pressure of 0.1 to 2.5 Pa, and then, performing cleaning inside the chamber 31, while setting the showerhead 40 at a temperature of 200 to 300° C., and supplying ClF3 gas into the chamber 31.
US08257783B2
In a magnetic disk including a magnetic layer, a protecting layer and a lubricating layer on a substrate, the lubricating layer is formed by a self assembly monolayer. A material of the self assembly monolayer is a hydrocarbon-based silane agent or a partial fluorinated hydrocarbon-based silane agent. The magnetic layer and the protecting layer (P) are sequentially formed on the substrate, and then the substrate on which the magnetic layer and the protecting layer (P) are formed is immersed in a solution containing the hydrocarbon-based silane agent or the partial fluorinated hydrocarbon-based silane agent, and thus a lubricating layer (L) is formed on the protecting layer (P).
US08257782B2
Cable for high voltage direct current transmission having at least one conductor and at least one extruded insulating layer consisting of a polymeric composition of a polyethylene and at least one unsaturated fatty acid. Insulating composition having a polyethylene and at least one unsaturated fatty acid.
US08257778B2
A method of manufacturing a sturdy and pliable fibrous hemostatic dressing by making fibers that maximally expose surface area per unit weight of active ingredients as a means for aiding in the clot forming process and as a means of minimizing waste of active ingredients. The method uses a rotating object to spin off a liquid biocompatible fiber precursor, which is added at its center. Fibers formed then deposit on a collector located at a distance from the rotating object creating a fiber layer on the collector. An electrical potential difference is maintained between the rotating disk and the collector. Then, a liquid procoagulation species is introduced at the center of the rotating disk such that it spins off the rotating disk and coats the fibers.
US08257776B2
A surface modification method includes a step of applying, onto a material, an application fluid containing a polymer having a functional group capable of producing a silanol group through hydrolysis thereof and an alkoxysilane and a step of applying, onto the material on which the application fluid is applied, an application fluid containing a hydrophilizing agent having a functional group capable of producing a silanol group through hydrolysis thereof or a silanol group.
US08257773B2
A cereal bar comprising identifiable ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal pieces; and a carbohydrate binder combined with the cereal pieces, wherein the carbohydrate binder contains inulin is provided. In one embodiment, the cereal bar comprises added protein. A method of making a cereal bar is also provided.
US08257772B2
A method for obtaining a vegetable protein fraction, in particular for producing vegetable ice cream, is described wherein vegetable parts are added to water or to an aqueous solvent in order to dissolve and/or disperse vegetable proteins from the vegetable parts, and wherein one or more vegetable protein fractions are separated from the aqueous mixture thus obtained by the separation. According to the method, one or more substances having lipophilic or amphiphilic boundary surfaces are added to the aqueous mixture in order to separate one or more vegetable protein fractions, to which dissolved and/or dispersed proteins having lipophilic or amphiphilic groups in the mixture attach. The substances including the attached proteins are separated from the mixture. A vegetable protein fraction having particularly good emulsifying characteristics is obtained by the method, the protein fraction being advantageous as an emulsifier in the production of vegetable ice cream.
US08257770B2
A food product formulation which includes dried hen egg albumen (white), wherein the level of said albumen in said formulation is based on the water absorption or water binding (gelling) capacity of said albumen.
US08257765B2
A method of manufacturing natural edible sulfur by filling pig chitterlings with sulfur, treating the chitterlings with licorice and soybeans at temperatures of 100-200 degrees C., removing the licorice and soybeans, and drying the sulfur.
US08257763B2
The present invention comprises a process for producing a feed and a feed product from proteins like fish meal, soybean meal, rape meal, feather meal etc, binders like wheat, starch containing sources etc, lipids being of marine and/or vegetable origin and containing at least one of the conventional additives like minerals, vitamins, enzymes and pigments like astaxanthin. A storage stable intermediate product is manufactured by mixing the protein material with binders and possibly also the minerals which then are extruded, pelletized, granulated and formed into porous pellets suitable for transport or storage. The intermediate product is further processed by introducing a gel containing water and lipids or an emulsion containing water and lipids into the pores in a vacuum chamber, and where vitamins and possibly pigments and enzymes have been mixed with the gel or emulsion prior to introduction to the vacuum chamber, and that the vacuum is released from said chamber and the thus produced feed is transferred to storage or directly to the consumption site, like a fish farm. The new feature of the feed product is that the major part of the water and lipids are present in the form of a gel or emulsion in the pores of an intermediate product containing the proteins, minerals and minor amounts of water and lipids.
US08257762B2
Fiber-water is a composition containing water and soluble fiber that tasted, looks smells and feels like pure water. The RDA of fiber is contained within the recommended 64 ounces of daily water intake. The water composition is supplemented with an acidulate that extends it's shelf life. Optionally, the composition also includes minerals. The RDA of minerals is contained in the recommended 64 ounces of fiber water.
US08257752B2
A solution and method for treating symptoms commonly associated with fibromyalgia. The solution includes a solvent and a composition including active ingredients of menthol, camphor, and capsaicin, as well as additional components including aloe vera extract, carbomer, decyl polyglucose, deionized water, grapefruit seed extract, green tea extract, orange peel extract, queen of the prairie extract, rose water, silica, sodium, hydroxymethyl glycinate, vegetable glycerin, witch hazel, and yucca extract. The method includes soaking an affected area in the solution for a predetermined period of time.
US08257746B2
Tannate compositions containing active pharmaceutical ingredients to be used for treating nausea, vomiting, pain, convulsions, and insomnia and manufacturing processes for preparing the tannate compositions.
US08257745B2
The use of nanoparticles of inorganic materials (e.g., synthetic smectite clays) in ophthalmic and otic pharmaceutical compositions is described. The nanoparticles are utilized as biologically inert carriers or depots for ophthalmic and otic drugs. The nanoparticles may also be utilized to modify the rheological properties of the compositions, so as to enhance the viscosity or flow characteristics of the compositions and/or increase the retention time of the compositions in the eye or ear.
US08257718B2
A method of manufacturing a plurality of cosmetic applicators including providing an electrostatic control means for dissipating electrostatic charge or localizing electrostatic charge wherein the powder at least in part is retained on the cosmetic applicator surface with the assistance of electrostatic attraction between said surface and said cosmetics preparation.
US08257715B1
Compositions comprising a tissue vaccine that include a mixture of heterogeneous tissue obtained from tumors and connective tissues. Vaccines comprising these compositions are also provided, as well as methods of using the vaccines in the treatment and/or inhibition of tumor growth, and particularly prostate tumor growth and cancers. The preparations may be defined as vaccines comprising tumor cells and connective (stromal) tissues derived from xenogeneic animals. Preparations comprising the tissue vaccines are provided using tissue harvested directly from tumors. Methods for preventing de novo development of cancer are also disclosed. A tissue vaccine comprising glutaraldehyde-(GFT) treated tissue prepared from tumor and connective tissue reduces the incidence of autochthonous prostate cancer. A tissue vaccine comprising a potassium thiocyanate extract (PTE) preparation of a tumor and connective tissue is also provided. The tissue vaccines are demonstrated to reduce the incidence of autochthonous prostate cancer.
US08257709B2
Antibodies that specifically bind to toxins of C. difficile, antigen binding portions thereof, and methods of making and using the antibodies and antigen binding portions thereof are provided herein.
US08257701B2
The present invention concerns the use of a neutralizing antibody for matrix metalloproteinase-10 (MMP-10) in the preparation of a medicine useful for anti-fibrinolytic treatment, and for hemorrhages and hemorrhagic complications of various etiologies.
US08257698B2
A number of soluble engineered forms of MGLL that are suitable for high-throughput screening and protein crystallization, as well as a crystallized form of monoacylglycerol lipase protein (MGLL) and descriptions of the X-ray diffraction patterns are disclosed. The engineered constructs of MGLL permit the expression and purification of protein suitable for crystallography or high-throughput screening and identification of ligands, which can function as active agents to MGLL. The X-ray diffraction patterns allow the three dimensional structure of MGLL to be determined at atomic resolution so that ligand binding sites on MGLL can be identified and the interactions of ligands with MGLL amino acid residues can be modeled. Models prepared using such maps permit the design of ligands which can function as active agents which include, but are not limited to, those that function as inhibitors of MGLL.
US08257689B2
An antiperspirant active composition comprising an aluminum salt having an aluminum to chloride molar ratio of about 0.3:1 to about 3:1, exhibiting a SEC chromatogram having a SEC Peak 4 to Peak 3 intensity ratio of at least 16 and a Peak 4 intensity greater than a Peak 5 intensity in aqueous solution. The composition can optionally include zirconium. Also, methods and processes of making the same.
US08257687B2
A method of reducing photodegradation of a coenzyme Q10 compound when exposed to UV radiation in a composition containing said coenzyme Q10 compound comprising combining with said coenzyme Q10 compound a compound of formula (I) in an amount effective to quench singlet excited state energy from the coenzyme Q10 compound and transfer the singlet excited state energy from the coenzyme Q10 compound to the compound of formula (I), wherein one of R1 and R2 is a straight or branched chain C1-C30 alkoxy radical, and the non-alkoxy R1 or R2 is hydrogen; and R3 is a straight or branched chain C1-C30 alkyl radical, thereby photostabilizing the retinoid compound.
US08257684B2
Disclosed herein are methods for identifying and targeting autonomic and autonomic-related brain regions. In one embodiment, a method of identifying a brain region in a patient comprises administering to the patient a targeting agent that activates or inhibits a brain region and imaging the brain region.
US08257679B2
A technique for bonding an organic group with the surface of fine particles such as nanoparticles through strong linkage is provided, whereas such fine particles are attracting attention as materials essential for development of high-tech products because of various unique excellent characteristics and functions thereof. Organically modified metal oxide fine particles can be obtained by adapting high-temperature, high-pressure water as a reaction field to bond an organic matter with the surface of metal oxide fine particles through strong linkage. The use of the same condition enables not only the formation of metal oxide fine particles but also the organic modification of the formed fine particles. The resulting organically modified metal oxide fine particles exhibit excellent properties, characteristics and functions.
US08257673B2
Disclosed is a process for removing organic sulfur from more than one reactive fuel gas stream. A reactor vessel that is provided with at least one bed of hydrodesulfurization catalyst is used to hydrodesulfurize multiple reactive fuel gas streams with a less reactive fuel gas stream being introduced into the reactor vessel at a point above the introduction point of a more reactive fuel gas stream. An hydrotreated fuel gas is yielded from the reactor vessel having a hydrogen sulfide concentration and a low organic sulfur content.
US08257669B2
A chemical reactor is provided that includes: a plurality of tubes having a catalytic reactor substrate therein, each of the tubes having an inlet at one end for receiving a fluid flow and an outlet at an opposing end for discharging fluid flow, and a longitudinal axis parallel to the direction of fluid flow through the tube, the longitudinal axis of each tube being parallel to one another; and a plurality of heat exchange fins disposed on and extending radially from the exterior surface of each tube; the heat exchange fins on each tube independently having a profile along a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each tube, and the tubes being arranged with respect to one another, such that the heat exchange fin profiles together form a tessellated pattern in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the tubes.
US08257647B2
A micro-alloyed low carbon steel strip is obtained by hot rolling at temperature of the pre-strip never lower than 900° C. and shows such metallurgical and geometrical features, as well as relating to planarity and deformability, to render the same suitable to obtain structures of low weight and good mechanical resistance, thus being able for use in replacement of cold rolled strips for the production of finished stamped or cut pieces. Said steel strip, having thickness>0.7 mm, has a ratio yield load/breaking load>70%, a fine grain structure better than grade 10 of ASTM E 112 standard in a percentage higher than 90% of the whole structure and a ratio between breaking limit under strain and yield point σ/RPo.2>90%.
US08257646B2
UHC lightweight structural steel with improved scaling resistance, comprising the composition in % by weight C: 1 to 1.6, Al: 5 to 10, Cr: 0.5 to 3, Si: 0.1 to 2.8, the remainder iron and customary impurities accompanying steel, and a method for producing components hot-formed from this in air, wherein hot-forming temperatures of from 800 to 1050° C. are used, depending on the Si content.
US08257632B2
A heat-insulating transparent PVC sheet useful to replace the glass or affixed to the glass is made by a non-coating process for cutting-off infrared and ultra-violet, which production method is an improved traditional process for producing the PVC sheets, and in the production a specific formula of PVC blends containing PVC resin, plasticizer, inorganic heat-insulating particles and other additives is directly used to produce the PVC sheet to keep the properties of PVC and to provide transparency, low haze and an excellent effect for cutting-off infrared and ultra-violet.
US08257627B2
A method for producing a pelletized material includes mixing a media powder with a treated water, the treated water comprising an additive for substantially preventing bacterial contamination, pouring a mixture of the media powder and the treated water on a non-binding surface, spreading the mixture into a wafer, drying the wafer, and grinding the wafer to produce the pelletized material.
US08257622B2
The invention proposes a muffle with a pressing channel and at least one mold cavity that is coupled to the pressing channel via at least one connection channel. In this case, in order to increase the pressing pressure and to improve the intermixing of the blank material, it is proposed to arrange at least two blanks (18) side by side in the pressing channel (12).
US08257620B2
Compounds are disclosed for the production of chemiluminescent light, particularly for the production of blue/violet light within the range of about 390 nm to less than 438 nm, and most particularly to the use of compounds composed of symmetrically and asymmetrically substituted anthracenes which are effective for increasing the production of such blue/violet light when used as fluorescers in conjunction with chemiluminescent systems. These systems utilize derivatives of 9,10-diphenylanthracene containing one or more fluorines As shown in General Formulae 1-3. The variables shown in Formulae 1-3 are defined in the specification.
US08257619B2
A substantially lead-free thick-film resistor paste composition is disclosed including a resistor composition dispersed in an organic vehicle. The resistor composition includes (a) RuO2 conductive material; (b) an α-oxide selected from CuO, Na2O, K2O, Li2O and combinations thereof (c) a borosilicate glass composition having: (i) B2O3, (ii) SiO2, (iii) a δ-oxide selected from BaO, CaO, ZnO, SrO, MgO and combinations thereof, and optionally including any of (iv) P2O5, (v) ZrO2 and (vi) Al2O3. The CuO α-oxide and TiO2, Ta2O5, Nb2O5 β-oxide(s) and combinations thereof are present in the paste composition either separately, or in the borosilicate glass composition, or both. The Na2O, K2O, Li2O α-oxide(s) and combinations thereof are present in the borosilicate glass composition. TCR values in the range of +/−100 ppm/° C. and R values of 100 ohms to 10 mega-ohms per square are obtained by resistors made from the paste composition.
US08257615B2
An electrolyte composition includes an ionic liquid and a solvent, wherein the solvent contains a material made of at least one of sulfolane and derivatives thereof, and a content of the material is 5 to 40 mass % of the total content of the electrolyte composition.
US08257614B2
This invention relates to improved electrophoretic dispersions and a method for improving the performance of an electrophoretic display. The invention also relates to a method of inducing or enhancing the threshold voltage of an electrophoretic dispersion.
US08257613B2
A composition comprises a poly(arylene ether), a polyamide, electrically conductive filler, an impact modifier, and wollastonite wherein the wollastonite particles have an average length to diameter ratio less than or equal to 5 and a median particle size of 2 to 5 micrometers. Methods of making the composition are also described.
US08257607B1
A safe, environmentally-friendly, fluorocarbon-free temperature suppressing composition includes water in combination with a sugar alcohol in solution with the water and having a general formula H(HCHO)n+1H. Sorbitol is a preferred sugar alcohol (n=5) but sugar alcohols having n=3 to 4 or 6 to 11 may be used. The composition provides a heat absorption greater than the water alone and the sugar alcohol alone. Other sugar alcohols having the general formula H(HCOH)n+1HC, where n=10, may also be used. The composition may further include a wetting agent, an emulsifying agent, a viscosity adjusting agent, a preservative or biocide, or a freeze suppression agent. The composition affords levels of protection suited to a variety of applications including possibility of damage from exposure to excessive heat, combustion or explosion such as may be experienced in military combat.
US08257606B2
A process for the preparation of ceramic dental implants having a surface for improving osseointegration, wherein the following process steps are performed for preparing such surface: —preparation of a ceramic blank having a surface; —treating at least one partial area of the surface of the ceramic blank by an ablating process that produces a surface roughness of the surface that corresponds to a treatment by sand blasting under a blasting pressure of from 1.5 bar to 8 bar and with a grain size of the blasting media used for sand blasting of from 30 μm to 250 μm; —followed by a chemical treatment of said at least one partial area of the surface of the ceramic blank treated with the ablating process; —followed by a thermal treatment of the blank whose surface has been subjected to said ablating and chemical treatments at temperatures of >125° C. > A ceramic body obtainable by the process according to the invention is also described.
US08257585B2
A debris catcher uses induced circulation from a venturi to urge debris laden flow into the lower end of a housing. An inlet tube maintains velocity so as to keep the debris moving with the fluid stream as it goes up the inlet tube. A screen fits over the open end of the inlet tube and runs down around the inlet tube toward the entrance of the debris laden fluid into the lower end of the housing. There is a clearance around the cylindrical portion of the screen so some flow can exit that way. There is also an open exit through the top of the screen that can be reached after the fluid stream makes two hairpin turns. Many modules can be stacked. Each module has a large screen area for flow to exit and progressive modules can have smaller screen openings in an uphole flow direction.
US08257580B2
Methods for preparing solvent-dry, stackable tailings. The methods may include a primary leaching or extraction process that separates most of the bitumen from a material comprising bitumen and produces first solvent-wet tailings. The first solvent-wet tailings are washed with a second solvent that removes the first solvent from the tailings. Second solvent remaining in the tailings is removed to thereby produce solvent-dry, stackable tailings.
US08257574B2
A plating method for pre-plating or plating a cylinder inner peripheral surface to be treated of a cylinder block by introducing treatment liquid to the cylinder inner peripheral surface by using a plating apparatus provided with a sealing jig having a sealing member and an electrode to which the seal jig is mounted includes the steps, which are performed successively: sealing the cylinder inner peripheral surface by bringing the sealing jig into contact with the cylinder inner peripheral surface; introducing the treatment liquid to the cylinder inner peripheral surface; and treating the cylinder inner peripheral surface by applying predetermined charge to the electrode of the plating apparatus and the cylinder block to thereby perform pre-plating or plating process in a state that a liquid to be treated fills a space including the cylinder inner peripheral surface. In the method, the treatment liquid introducing step is performed after confirmation of sealing by the sealing step.
US08257567B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for measuring hemoglobin using electrophoresis, in particular a method for measuring hemoglobin that enables high accuracy measurement of stable hemoglobin A1c and a method for simultaneously measuring stable hemoglobin A1c and abnormal hemoglobins.The present invention provides a method for measuring hemoglobin using electrophoresis, which comprises: immobilizing an ionic polymer on an inner surface of a migration path; and using a buffer solution containing a sulfated polysaccharide.
US08257560B2
A patterned media has a substrate, and a magnetic recording layer on the substrate including protruded magnetic patterns and a nonmagnetic material filled in between the protruded magnetic patterns. In the patterned media, a depth Db and a depth Da, which are defined that Db is a depth from a surface of the magnetic patterns to a surface of the nonmagnetic material filled in a first central part between the magnetic patterns adjacent to each other in a cross-track direction or a down-track direction, and Da is a depth from a surface of the magnetic patterns to a surface of the nonmagnetic material filled in a second central part in a portion surrounded by the magnetic patterns, have a relationship that the depth Da is greater than the depth Db.
US08257553B2
A dispersible wet wipe constructed of at two layers is disclosed. The first outer layer of the wipe substrate may have a density of between about 0.5 and 2.0 grams per cubic centimeter. The second outer layer may have a density of between about 0.05 and 0.15 grams per cubic centimeter. A triggerable binder composition binds said web substrate together. The wet wipe also includes a wetting composition including at least 0.3 percent of an insolubilizing agent.
US08257550B2
Methods for bleaching oxygen delignified and washed pumps having a consistency of between 8 and 20% are disclosed including a first chlorine dioxide bleaching step, washing the bleached pulp, subjecting the washed pulp to an alkaline extraction step to obtain an alkali-containing pulp, adding chlorine dioxide and adjusting the pH in a second chlorine dioxide bleaching step performed directly after the alkaline extraction step without an intermediate washing step, and subjecting the bleached alkali-containing pulp to a peroxide treatment step directly after the second chlorine dioxide bleaching step or with an intermediate washing step prior to the peroxide treatment step.
US08257548B2
A mechanism for adjusting an orientation of an electrode in a plasma processing chamber is disclosed. The plasma processing chamber may be utilized to process at least a substrate, which may be inserted into the plasma processing chamber in an insertion direction. The mechanism may include a support plate disposed outside a chamber wall of the plasma processing chamber and pivoted relative to the chamber wall. The support plate may have a first thread. The mechanism may also include an adjustment screw having a second thread that engages the first thread. Turning the adjustment screw may cause translation of a portion of the support plate relative to the adjustment screw. The translation of the portion of the support plate may cause rotation of the support plate relative to the chamber wall, thereby rotating the electrode with respect to an axis that is orthogonal to the insertion direction.
US08257536B2
A method and apparatus for a tray, a folding section connected to the tray, and a tape application system. The tray has a channel for receiving an elongate insert for a composite material with a number of layers for a release system. The folding section is capable of folding a number of layers around the elongate insert to cover the elongate insert as the elongate insert is moved through the folding unit. The tape application system is capable of applying a tape to the number of layers for covering the elongate insert to form the release system.
US08257534B2
A method for improving strength of the finished product in paint roller manufacturing processes and other continuous processes for producing tubular goods from polymers. The method utilizes a substrate such as a polypropylene strip with grooves on its surface. The grooved substrate is fed onto a mandrel to form a tube. Adhesive is applied upon the grooved surface of the grooved substrate. A cover may be applied about the tube, and the resulting product is then cut into finished-size paint rollers. The hardened adhesive in the grooves may operate to reduce the hoop-force which would otherwise tend to unwind the wound substrate. The method in certain embodiments provides a reduction in cost and weight of the finished product.
US08257531B2
A method of making an external breast prosthesis by forming an elastomeric skin in the form of a human breast surrounding an inner material such as a silicone gel or hydrogel. The elastomeric skin can be formed from a front skin and a rear skin, and the skins can be made of a soft styrenic elastomer having attributes similar to a gel. At least the front skin is formed by mixing together a polymer, a plasticizing oil and at least one non-volatile additive to form a mixture, heating the mixture, forming the mixture into a front elastomeric skin, and cooling the mixture thereby allowing the non-volatile additive to precipitate to the outer surface of the outer skin to form a cratered outer surface that is substantially soft to the touch and that tends to maintain the skin in a pliable yet pre-defined shape.
US08257529B2
A multilayer ceramic substrate includes an inner layer portion and surface portions that sandwich the inner layer portion in the stacking direction and have an increased transverse strength because of the surface layer portion having a thermal expansion coefficient less than that of the inner layer portion. At least one of the surface portions covers peripheries of main-surface conductive films arranged on a main surface of an inner portion so as to leave central portions of the main-surface conductive films exposed, so that the main-surface conductive films function as via conductors, thereby eliminating the need to provide a via conductor in the surface portions.
US08257525B2
The subject of the invention is a novel plasterboard and its manufacturing processes. The novel board comprises, on one side, two first parallel feathered edges and, on the other side, two other, second, parallel feathered edges that are perpendicular to the first ones; or, on one side, two first parallel feathered edges and, either on the same side or on the other side, two second parallel feathered edges that are perpendicular to the first ones, the said other parallel feathered edges having a width of between 100 and 200 mm; or, on one side, two first parallel feathered edges and, either on the same side or on the other side, two second parallel feathered edges that are perpendicular to the first ones, the said second parallel feathered edges having a width such that the ratio of the width of the said second parallel feathered edges to the width of the said first parallel feathered edges is between 1.5 and 5.
US08257520B2
An ordered energetic composite structure according to one embodiment includes an ordered array of metal fuel portions; and an oxidizer in gaps located between the metal fuel portions. An ordered energetic composite structure according to another embodiment includes at least one metal fuel portion having an ordered array of nanopores; and an oxidizer in the nanopores. A method for forming an ordered energetic composite structure according to one embodiment includes forming an ordered array of metal fuel portions; and depositing an oxidizer in gaps located between the metal fuel portions. A method for forming an ordered energetic composite structure according to another embodiment includes forming an ordered array of nanopores in at least one metal fuel portion; and depositing an oxidizer in the nanopores.
US08257519B1
A process for making metal-organic frameworks and metal-organic frameworks having host-guest complexes of either liquid energetics, solid energetics, or solid oxidizers.
US08257517B2
A steel sheet excellent in mechanical strength, workability and thermal stability and suited for use as a raw material in such fields of manufacturing automobiles, household electric appliances and machine structures and of constructing buildings, and a manufacturing method thereof are provided.The steel sheet is a hot-rolled steel sheet of carbon steel or low-alloy steel, the main phase of which is ferrite, and is characterized in that the average ferrite crystal grain diameter D (μm) at the depth of ¼ of the sheet thickness from the steel sheet surface satisfies the relations respectively defined by the formulas (1) and (2) given below and the increase rate X (μm/min) in average ferrite crystal grain diameter at 700° C. at the depth of ¼ of the sheet thickness from the steel sheet surface and said average crystal grain diameter D (μm) satisfy the relation defined by the formula (3) given below: 1.2≦D≦7 formula (1) D≦2.7+5000/(5+350·C+40·Mn)2 formula (2) D·X≦0.1 formula (3) wherein C and Mn represent the contents (in % by mass) of the respective elements in the steel.
US08257511B2
One object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a permanent magnet which can effectively improving the magnetizing properties and coercive force with efficiently diffusing Dy into grain boundary phases without deteriorating a surface of sintered magnet of Nd—Fe—B family and does not require any subsequent working process.Sintered magnet S of Nd—Fe—B family and Dy are arranged in a processing chamber 20 apart from each other. Then Dy is evaporated by heating the processing chamber 20 under a reduced pressure condition to evaporate Dy with elevating the temperature of sintered magnet S to a predetermined temperature and to supply and deposit evaporated Dy atoms onto the surface of sintered magnet S. During which the supplying amount of Dy atoms onto the sintered magnet S is controlled so as to diffuse and homogeneously penetrate them into the grain boundary phases of sintered magnet before Dy layer is formed on the surface of sintered magnet.
US08257500B2
In a transport device for elongated substrates, especially in hot processes, which includes an essentially rectangular frame, formed by longitudinal and transverse spars connected to each other, in which at least three transverse spars are provided between two longitudinal spars, at least one transverse spar is made from a material, whose heat expansion coefficient differs from the heat expansion coefficient of the material of the other transverse spars or/and at least one transverse spar is connected force-free to at least one transverse support or/and at least one transverse spar is formed from an open profile.
US08257496B1
A weighing system is provided for a continuous Czochralski process that accurately measures the weight of the crucible and melt during crystal growth to control the introduction of feedstock in order to keep the weight approximately constant. The system can measure the weight of the crucible while the crucible is rotating, and is insensitive to vibrations of the melt surface as well as variable torques on the crucible shaft induced by the rotation. The system also measures the weight of the crucible and its contents in order to control the amount of feedstock recharged after an ingot is withdrawn.
US08257486B2
The present invention provides a composition and a process for the preparation of chemical activated cold setting fly ash building construction materials. The chemical activator is an alkaline aqueous solution of 11.2 to 13.6 in pH and 1.25 to 1.40 gm/cc in density which contains admixtures of different concentrations of hydroxyl, sulfate, acetate and chloride bearing chemical salts of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and aluminum in water medium. The reaction of chemical activator solution and the mineral constituents of fly ash mix develop binding property. The binding matrix of chemical activated fly ash mix is mostly hydrous silica and silicate group of phases which on setting under atmospheric condition attains strength suitable for building construction application. Utilization of fly ash of any source by weight ranges from 80 to 99% in manufacture of building materials including heat and acid resistance and toxic waste disposal products.
US08257485B2
The composition applied to the refractory structure has a magnesia-based refractory material, calcium carbonate and a binder. After application of the refractory material to a refractory structure and upon application of heat to the applied refractory material a matrix is formed which protects against penetration of the slag into the refractory material. The resulting refractory material has improved hot strength, slag resistance and durability.
US08257481B2
An ink set, comprising: an oil based ink composition containing a metallic pigment; and at least one or more oil based ink compositions selected from a group consisting of a chromatic color ink composition containing chromatic color pigment, a black ink composition containing black pigment, and a white ink composition containing white pigment.
US08257473B2
A sieve bed including an inlet end, an outlet end, a retainer disposed toward the inlet end and including an interior portion, an exterior portion, a plurality of openings disposed toward the exterior portion, and a passage disposed toward the interior portion, an inlet cap and an inlet port configured to receive a feed stream, wherein the inlet cap includes at least a portion spaced from the retainer thereby defining an inlet chamber in fluid communication with the inlet port and the plurality of openings, an outlet lid disposed toward the outlet end, an exterior wall extending from the inlet cap to the outlet lid, an intermediate wall spaced from the exterior wall and extending from the retainer toward and terminating short of the outlet lid and an interior wall spaced from the intermediate wall and extending from the retainer proximate the passage to at least the outlet lid.
US08257466B2
Hydrogen-producing fuel processing systems, hydrogen purification membranes, hydrogen purification devices, fuel processing and fuel cell systems that include hydrogen purification devices, and methods for operating the same. In some embodiments, operation of the fuel processing system is initiated by heating at least the reforming region of the fuel processing system to at least a selected hydrogen-producing operating temperature. In some embodiments, an electric heater is utilized to perform this initial heating. In some embodiments, use of the electric heater is discontinued after startup, and a burner or other combustion-based heating assembly combusts a fuel to heat at least the hydrogen producing region, such as due to the reforming region utilizing an endothermic catalytic reaction to produce hydrogen gas.
US08257465B2
Crystalline noble metal nanostructures and methods for their preparation.
US08257462B2
A powder metal material comprises pre-alloyed iron-based powder including carbon present in an amount of 0.25 to 1.50% by weight of the pre-alloyed iron-based powder. Graphite is admixed in an amount of 0.25 to 1.50% by weight of the powder metal material. The admixed graphite includes particles finer than 200 mesh in an amount greater than 90.0% by weight of the admixed graphite. Molybdenum disulfide is admixed in an amount of 0.1 to 4.0% by weight of the powder metal material, copper is admixed in an amount of 1.0 to 5.0% by weight of the powder metal material, and the material is free of phosphorous. The powder metal material is then compacted and sintered at a temperature of 1030 to 1150° C. At least 50% of the admixed graphite of the starting powder metal material remains as free graphite after sintering.
US08257447B2
Compositions for treating keratin fibers comprising, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, at least one alkanolamine, at least one amino acid, and at least one cationic polymer. Also provided are methods of bleaching and/or coloring keratin fibers and multiple-compartment devices or kits for the implementation of these methods.
US08257445B2
By forming a bone-compatible implant wherein a groove or hole has been formed in the surface of a base material made of titanium metal or a titanium alloy at its joint with a bone tissue and the groove or hole has on the inner surface thereof an oxide film formed by heating in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, apatite is allowed to deposit on the inner surface of the groove or hole easily. Thus, an implant is provided which can be attached to a bone within a relatively short period of time even without resorting to bone cement.
US08257442B2
An intervertebral spacer is inserted between vertebral members in a compact configuration and expanded post-insertion to contact the adjacent vertebral members. The intervertebral spacer comprises a first member and a second member movable with respect to the first member between retracted and extended positions.
US08257440B2
A method of inserting an intervertebral implant between vertebrae in a human spine includes positioning the intervertebral implant in a closed configuration between the vertebrae. After positioning the intervertebral implant, the intervertebral implant is activated to increase a height of the intervertebral implant. After activation, at least a portion of the increased height of the intervertebral implant is maintained.
US08257434B2
A prosthetic tissue valve for aortic, pulmonary, mitral or tricuspid valve replacement is described herein. A sewing ring for use with the prosthetic tissue valve is also described. The valve can have a circumference that is a predetermined distance larger than the circumference of an annulus in a defective valve. The valve can be substantially planar in an unstressed position before attachment at the annulus and substantially non-planar upon attachment in a biased position at the annulus. Methods are provided for placing the valve as described herein in the biased position within the annulus of the defective valve.
US08257433B2
A coated implantable medical device 10 includes a structure 12 adapted for introduction into the vascular system, esophagus, trachea, colon, biliary tract, or urinary tract, and at least one layer 18 of an immunosuppressive agent posited over at least one surface of the structure 12. Optionally, the device 10 can include at least one porous, preferably polymeric layer 20 posited over the layer 18 of immunosuppressive agent, and can alternatively or additionally include at least one coating layer 16 posited on one surface of the structure 12, the at least one layer 18 of immunosuppessive agent being posited in turn on at least a portion of the coating layer 16. The porous layer 20 and the coating layer 16 each provide for the controlled release of the bioactive material from the device 10. The structure 12 is preferably configured as a coronary stent. The polymer of the porous layer 20 is preferably applied by vapor or plasma deposition. It is particularly preferred that the polymer is a polyamide, parylene or a parylene derivative which is deposited without solvents, heat or catalysts, but rather by condensation of a monomer vapor.
US08257425B2
The present invention is directed to a stent for use in a bifurcated body lumen having a main branch and a side branch. The stent comprises a radially expandable generally tubular stent body having proximal and distal opposing ends with a body wall having a surface extending therebetween. The surface has a geometrical configuration defining a first pattern, and the first pattern has first pattern struts and connectors arranged in a predetermined configuration. The stent also comprises a branch portion comprised of a second pattern, wherein the branch portion is at least partially detachable from the stent body.
US08257424B2
The present invention is directed to a radially expandable vessel support having a multitude of annular elements flexibly connected to each other, defining a vascular support with a proximal and a distal end and a longitudinal axis. The annular elements are arranged side by side transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vascular support and connected to each other by means of bending elements. At least two marginally standing annular elements each are linked among each other by a pair of dumbbell shaped bending elements and centrally standing annular elements are linked among each other and to marginally standing annular elements by two S-shaped bending elements each, with at least the centrally standing annular elements being of a zigzag-shaped configuration.
US08257422B2
A detachment mechanism, and methods of use, for use in delivering a medical device preferably over a guidewire are provided. The detachment mechanism includes a first and second engagement member. The members are configured to receive the guidewire and have a first end attached to the control member and the device, respectively, a second end, and a notch formed in the body to form an interlocking tooth. The notch is sized to receive the interlocking tooth of the other member. The members are interlockable to couple the medical device to the control member and to allow the guidewire to pass therethrough. The notch can be angled to permit easier detachment between the members and for better torqueability and pushability/pullability between the control member and the medical device. The members can also include a bend region configured to enhance bendability along a portion of the members.
US08257421B2
A system and method for deploying an occluding device that can be used to remodel an aneurysm within the vessel by, for example, neck reconstruction or balloon remodeling. The system comprises an introducer sheath and an assembly for carrying the occluding device. The assembly includes an elongated flexible member having an occluding device retaining member for receiving a first end of the occluding device, a proximally positioned retaining member for engaging a second end of the occluding device and a support surrounding a portion of the elongated flexible member over which the occluding device can be positioned.
US08257416B2
According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are provided of therapeutic devices and methods for applying therapy. In one exemplary embodiment, a therapeutic device generally includes one or more light sources for emitting therapeutic light. In some embodiments, the therapeutic device can also include means for applying hot therapy and/or cold therapy to a user's body when the therapeutic device is applied to the user's body. As other examples, various embodiments of therapeutic devices can include massagers and/or adhesive bandage strips for attaching the lighted therapeutic device to the user's body.
US08257415B2
A warming device includes a clinical garment having an inside surface supporting a convective apparatus with an inflatable dog-bone shaped section framed by an outline section.
US08257406B2
An orthopedic plate is specifically configured for implantation at the mid-foot and can be used for a variety of indications. The plate has a set of tabs comprising one longer tab and one shorter tab opposing each other along the length of the plate. In each set of tabs, one tab includes a compression slot that extends in a direction toward a screw hole in the opposing tab.
US08257396B2
A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body member having an upper portion with an internal drive and, alternatively, a laterally extending alignment rib or fin. The bone screw assembly also includes a lockable receiver coupling member, an open retainer ring member having a slit or gap and a compression insert member. An inset conical or cylindrical surface on the shank upper portion frictionally engages a similarly shaped inner surface of the retainer ring. The receiver includes a restrictive lower opening that allows for uploading the shank upper portion and compressed retainer ring into the receiver cavity, but prevents passage of the retainer ring out of the receiver once the ring inner surface engages the conical surface of the shank upper portion.
US08257395B2
A spinal fixation system including a selectively applied bone growth promoting agent is disclosed. The types of spinal fixation systems which may include a selectively applied bone growth promoting agent include systems comprised of rods, plates, screws, and hooks as well as other types of prostheses.
US08257385B2
A cosmetic device for naturally toning the facial and the upper neck muscles of a user. The device includes a pair of adhesive pads for adhering to the user's facial skin, a pair of supporting earpieces connected to the adhesive pads, and a strap connecting the pair of earpieces. The length of the strap is to be adjusted until a desired tension is placed on the pads. The tension causes the pads to stretch the skin and thereby tone the facial and upper neck muscles naturally over a period of time for creating a more youthful look.
US08257381B2
An intra-bronchial device placed and anchored in an air passageway of a patient to collapse a lung portion associated with the air passageway. The device includes a support structure, an obstructing member carried by the support structure that reduces ventilation to the lung portion by preventing air from being inhaled into the lung portion, and at least one anchor carried by the support structure that anchors the obstruction device within the air passageway. The anchor may engage the air passageway wall by piercing or friction, include a stop dimensioned for limiting the piercing of the air passageway wall, and may be releasable from the air passageway for removal of the intra-bronchial device. The anchors may be carried by a peripheral portion of the support structure, or by a central portion of the support structure. The obstructing member may be a one-way valve.
US08257378B1
Ultrasonic guide wire for disintegration and dispersion of arterial occlusions of thrombi and plaque
An angioplasty device for insertion into an artery having undesired deposits includes a guide wire for insertion into the artery; an elongated flexible catheter for insertion into the artery over the guide wire, the catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, and one or more lumens extending longitudinally therethrough; an energizable ultrasonic transducer inside the distal end of the guide wire; an inflatable balloon overlying the catheter and the transducer such that when the transducer is energized, energy from the transducer is transmitted through the balloon to the deposits.
US08257374B2
Described here are devices and methods for intussuscepting a portion of stomach tissue. Typically the intussusception is created at a position near, but distal to the gastroesophageal junction, and a pouch capable of storing a volume (from about 0 cc up to about 100 cc) is created proximal the intussuscepted tissue. In this way, the amount of food that may be ingested is reduced, helping to ameliorate GERD symptoms, and aiding in weight loss efforts. Some of the devices described here include an expandable member and at least one suction inlet. In these devices, the expandable member is expanded to create a proximal cavity into which the stomach tissue is pulled (e.g., using suction), thereby creating the intussusception.
US08257356B2
Guidewire exchange systems, devices and methods, for positioning and actuating surgical devices in a desired position between two tissues in a patient's body are described. A guidewire may be coupled to a surgical device for positioning and actuating (e.g., urging against a target tissue). The guidewire may be exchanged between different surgical devices during the same procedure, and the guidewire and surgical devices may be releaseably or permanently coupled. The surgical device generally includes one or more guidewire coupling members. A system may include a guidewire and a surgical device having a guidewire coupling member. Methods, devices and systems may be used in open, less-invasive or percutaneous surgical procedures.
US08257352B2
An endoscopic forceps for treating tissue includes a housing having a shaft affixed thereto which has first and second jaw members attached to a distal end thereof. The forceps also includes an actuator for moving jaw members relative to one another from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. Each of the jaw members is connected to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the jaw members are selectively capable of operating in a bipolar mode which enables the jaw members to conduct bipolar energy through tissue held therebetween to treat tissue. The forceps also includes a monopolar element housed within the first jaw member which is selectively movable from a first position within the first jaw member to a second position distal to the first jaw member. The monopolar element is connected to the source of electrosurgical energy and is selectively activateable independent of the bipolar mode.
US08257350B2
An electrosurgical controller with wave-shaping. At least some embodiments are methods including generating an alternating current (AC) voltage signal within an electrosurgical controller. The generating may be by inducing an intermediate AC voltage signal on a secondary winding of a first transformer, and wave-shaping the intermediate AC voltage signal by a second winding of a second transformer coupled to the first transformer, and thereby creating a final AC voltage signal. Thereafter, the method includes applying the final AC voltage signal to electrical pins of a connector configured to couple to an electrosurgical wand.
US08257344B2
A deflectable catheter comprises a catheter body, a tip section, and a control handle for affecting deflection of the tip section. The tip section comprises a flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends and at least two lumens extending therethrough. The proximal end of the tip section is fixedly attached to the distal end of the catheter body. The flexible tubing comprises a plastic core, a metal braid over the core, a plastic skin over the braid, and at least two pieces of plastic tubing in longitudinal arrangement extruded over the plastic skin, wherein the at least two pieces of plastic tubing have different stiffnesses and are arranged with the stiffer plastic being proximal the less stiff plastic. The tip section is made by extruding a plastic core over at least one mandrel and braiding a metal over the plastic core. Thereafter, at least two pieces of plastic tubing having different degrees of stiffness are assembled along the length of the plastic core so that the piece of plastic tubing having the greatest stiffness is at the proximal end of the tip section and the piece of plastic having the lowest stiffness is near the distal end of the tip section. The pieces of plastic tubing are then melted to the plastic core.
US08257341B1
A guide for administering an injection including a guide body contoured for a human mandible; and at least one needle indexing guide on the guide body for the insertion of a needle there through, the guide use to provide a predictable and repeatable way of administering an injection to block a nerve.
US08257340B2
Heat transfer catheter apparatus and methods of making and using same are disclosed wherein fluid connection means is provided between the distal portions of two adjacent, thin-walled, high strength fluid lumens to define a closed loop fluid circulation system capable of controlled delivery of thermal energy to or withdrawal of thermal energy from remote internal body locations.
US08257333B2
An absorbent article, such as a disposable diaper, includes a chassis having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region extending between the front and back waist regions. An outer cover member and a bodyside liner extend longitudinally between the front and back waist regions. An absorbent body structure is sandwiched between the outer cover member and the bodyside liner. A waistband portion includes at least one elastomeric portion. The waistband portion has a relaxed circumference wherein between about 45% to about 70% of the circumference is defined by the elastomeric portion. The waistband portion has an extended circumference for a target wearer wherein, at the extended circumference, the elastomeric portion is extended between about 10% to about 40% of its relaxed circumferential length.
US08257325B2
A venous access port assembly having a housing base with a discharge port, a septum and a cap. An interior reservoir is defined by a well in the housing base and a bottom of the septum, and a passageway extends from the reservoir through the discharge port. The housing base includes a base flange having integrally molded therein indicia identifying an attribute of the assembly. The indicia could be formed of base flange material, or could be formed by voids in the base flange material. If of plastic material, the molded indicia could be applied with a radiopaque agent, thereby allowing the indicia (“CT”) to appear on an X-ray of the patient in a manner informing a practitioner of a particular attribute of the assembly.
US08257321B2
A valve comprises a first housing including a first lumen extending therethrough and defining a first disk-facing surface and a second housing including a second lumen extending therethrough and defining a second disk-facing surface, the second housing being mated to the first housing so that the second disk-facing surface faces the first disk-facing surface in combination with a flexible disk gripped between gripping portions of the first and second disk-facing surfaces, the disk including a slit extending therethrough which, when acted upon by a fluid pressure of at least a predetermined threshold level opens to permit fluid flow between the first and second lumens and which, when acted upon by a fluid pressure less than the threshold level remains sealed preventing fluid flow between the first and second lumens and a relief well between opposing portions of the first and second housings radially outside the gripping portions, a width of the relief well exceeding a width of a radially outer portion of the flexible disk so that the radially outer portion of the disk is free to move therewithin.
US08257319B2
A dose setting mechanism for a drug delivery device is disclosed. The mechanism comprises an outer housing and an inner housing having an external groove and a helical spline. The inner housing helical spline guides a driver to dispense a set dose. A dial sleeve is disposed between the outer and inner housing and is rotatably engaged with the inner housing. When a dose is set, the dial sleeve is rotated and translates away from both the outer housing and the inner housing.
US08257311B2
A device and method of positioning materials in a spine using an arcuate tool and introducer. Materials may be positioned as desired, such as against an inner annular wall of an intervertebral disc or vertebral body. The arcuate tool retains its predetermined arcuate shape when no pressure or force is applied to the tool, and is positioned by manipulating the tool relative to an introducer and the spine, with the introducer manipulated relative to the spine.
US08257310B2
A syringe for performing a medical procedure includes a pressure sensor, a volume sensor, and a compensation circuit. The volume sensor measures a volume of a flowable material that is dispensed from the syringe, the pressure sensor measures a pressure being applied to the flowable material, and the compensation circuit calculates a delivered volume of the flowable material by accounting for system compliance (expansion) as the pressure is increased. By compensating for system compliance in this manner, a syringe can be used in high pressure procedures while still providing accurately controllable material delivery.
US08257301B2
This device comprises a tube (22) containing several substantially parallel channels extending along the entire length of tube of which one end, referred to as distal, is connected with a connection element to the patient, thereby forming a mixing chamber for the various liquids, and of which the other end, referred to as proximal, is connected to a housing (3) provided with connection means (9) for several containers each containing a liquid, wherein the housing has liquid delivery lines (7), wherein each delivery line (7) is intended to be connected to a container and to a channel of the tube (22) respectively. At least one delivery line (7) of the housing is provided with a check valve (12) intended to prevent the passage of liquid from the channel of the corresponding tube into the corresponding container.
US08257297B2
An insufflation system is provided that includes an insufflator having a delivery assembly for delivering insufflating gas from a pressurized source of insufflation gas to at least one gas delivery path. At least one output line is coupled to the at least one gas delivery path. At least one dual-capacity tube has a first tube with a first end coupled to the at least one output line and a second end. The dual-capacity tube has a pair of tubes that each has a first end attached with the second end of the first tube. The dual-capacity tube provides for fluid communication of the insufflating gas between the insufflator and laparoscopic equipment that is insertable into a peritoneal cavity.
US08257296B2
A system including an implantable flow control device and an electronic valve indicator and locator device. The implantable device includes a valve and a magnetic device. The electronic device includes a locator tool, an indicator tool, and an adjustment tool. The indicator tool includes an electronic compass module for measuring an orientation of sensed magnetic fields and a locator tool interface module for electronically communicating sensed magnetic fields to the processing module. The locator tool has a processing module which receives and stores background magnetic field data, receives target magnetic field data when the indicator tool is coupled to the locator tool and positioned above the implanted device, and electronically determines the setting of the valve based on the background magnetic field data and the target magnetic field data. The adjustment tool aligns with the locator tool for modifying the valve setting when magnetically coupled to the implantable device.
US08257291B2
A walking assist device, which is to be worn on a person's leg, includes a shank link, a thigh member, and a knee mechanism. The thigh member is in contact with the person's thigh when the device is worn on the person's leg. The knee mechanism rotatably connects the shank link to the thigh member. When the shank link is in contact with the ground, the knee mechanism is configured to resist the rotation of the shank link relative to the thigh member to prevent the person's foot from contacting the ground and reduces ground reaction forces entering the person's foot.
US08257287B2
A connector assembly includes first and second mating connectors that can be joined to make a fluid connection. The connectors are constructed to discriminate improper connectors so that no fluid tight connection can be formed with improper connectors. The connector assembly can be used with a system for compression therapy to prevent deep vein thrombosis.
US08257286B2
A connector apparatus includes first and second mating connectors that can be joined to make a fluid connection. The connectors are constructed to discriminate improper connectors so that no fluid tight connection can be formed with improper connectors. The connector apparatus can be used with a system for compression therapy to prevent deep vein thrombosis.
US08257284B2
A training device isolates muscular force direction from force magnitude to provide improved feedback to a user over conventional exercise equipment which implicitly conflates magnitude and force direction in producing purely kinematic feedback.
US08257275B2
The present application is directed to an image-guided, vacuum assisted, percutaneous, coring, cable driven breast biopsy instrument which may be conveniently mounted to an x-ray machine wherein the biopsy instrument incorporates a rotation knob at the proximal end of the instrument to manually rotate the distal end of the probe, thus allowing the clinician to conveniently position the tissue port next to the tissue to be sampled.
US08257273B2
The invention relates to a device for determining cardiopulmonary volumes and flows of a living being. According to the invention, the evaluation unit (14) of a transpulmonary measurement arrangement, preferably having a central-vein catheter and an arterial catheter (11, 12), is set up, in terms of program technology, for the purpose of taking a possible short-circuit current from the right to the left half of the heart (RL shunt) and/or from the left to the right half of the heart (LR shunt) of the living being into consideration, without the use of a right-heart catheter being required in this connection, or any recourse to pulmonary artery measurement values having to take place at all. In this connection, a model is used as the basis, which contains the function y (system response) corresponding to a dilution curve as the convolution of a disruption function I with several terms that contain characteristic times as model parameters. The terms correspond to ideally mixed volumes or delay elements that are assumed as simplifications for the right atrium (RA), the right ventricle (RV), the pulmonary blood volume (PBV), the extravasal thermal volume (ETV), the left atrium (LA), and the left ventricle (LV).
US08257264B2
A compact ultrasound needle guidance system and method of use is described. The needle guidance system has components to adjustably target a needle's destination in the plane of a two-dimensional ultrasound image before insertion of a needle into a patient. Needle movement is tracked using a position detector that provides a visual display of the needle path on the ultrasonic image.
US08257261B2
An ultrasonic imaging apparatus includes a 3D tomographic image data capturing device which captures 3D tomographic image data from a 3D region inside a subject, a region-of-interest setting device which sets a 3D region of interest corresponding to the 3D region in an image memory, a surface image extracting device which extracts data on a surface image, in the 3D region of interest, of a massive tissue included in the 3D region, a stereoscopic display generating device which generates stereoscopic display data, and a display device which displays the stereoscopic display data. The region-of-interest setting device displays a 2D tomographic image of a 2D region including the massive tissue on the display device, allows setting of a marker indicating a periphery of the massive tissue in the 2D tomographic image, and generates the 3D region of interest according to data on the marker's position.
US08257256B1
A retractor for ophthalmic procedures and other uses is disclosed. The retractor is a U-shaped body formed by two arms and a live hinge, with a retracting means at the distal end of each arm. The retracting means includes a tongue blade for insertion under an eyelid, a deflector for retracting the eyelid, and two ball-tipped posts that extend away from the tongue blade and prevent eyelid or eyelashes from obscuring the window opened up by the retractor. The hinge is also an adjustable biasing spring that biases the distal ends of the arms to an open position. Anti-torque arches are provided on the outer wall of the body. A brace may be provided on the retractor, to fix the device to a desired position.
US08257250B2
A laryngoscope for use in viewing the vocal cords of a patient in performance of an endotracheal intubation. The laryngoscope includes a handle to be gripped by a medical professional in performing the endotracheal intubation; a blade portion extending from the handle to lift the patient's tongue and mandible for viewing the vocal cords and aid in the insertion of an endotracheal tube; a power source; and a black light source powered by the power source and carried by the blade portion to prompt the visible effects of fluorescence and phosphorescence with respect to the patient's vocal cords for viewing the vocal cords and passing of the endotracheal tube there between during endotracheal intubation.
US08257241B2
A brachytherapy device for treating tissue within a cavity of a body. The device may include a first set of tubes configured to be inserted into the cavity through an opening at the surface of the body. Each of the tubes may have an external end and an interior channel beginning at the external end that is configured to receive radioactive material. The external ends of the tubes may be bundled together. The tubes may be of a length that causes the external ends to be near the opening in the surface of the body while the tubes are in the cavity. A seal may be configured to prevent fluid that originates from the cavity from entering into the external ends of the tubes while they are near the opening in the surface of the body. The seal may include a gasket that is pressed against the external ends of the tubes. The gasket may have openings that align with channels within the external ends of the tubes.
US08257236B2
A machine and method for making bags is described and includes a web traveling from an input section to a rotary drum, to an output section. The rotary drum includes at least one seal bar, having a first sealing zone, and an adjacent weakening zone. The weakening zone may be a heated perforator, includes a heating wire, or be disposed to create an auxiliary sealed area. The heating wire can have, connected thereto, a source of power that is at an adjustable voltage or magnitude, and/or pulsed, and/or a feedback loop. The heating wire may be an NiCr wire and make intermittent contact with the web and be disposed in an insert. The weakening zone may create a line of weakness that is uniform or varies in intensity, is a separating zone, or includes a heat film, a toothed blade, a row of pins, a source of air, or a source of vacuum. The sealing zones may include temperature zones, cartridge heaters, cooling air, or heated air, or a source of ultrasonic, microwave or radiative energy.
US08257235B2
An in-line method is disclosed for securing a closure system onto a discrete pouch. The method includes advancing a discrete pouch through a first station in a machine direction with the closed bottom of the pouch being the leading edge and a first major surface of the pouch faces upward. The first major surface is folded upon itself to form a lip having an exposed first surface while a second major surface of the pouch has an exposed inner surface. The method also includes routing the pouch to a second station where a closure system is transversely attached across the exposed inner surface. The closure system includes an opening/closing mechanism. The method further includes routing the pouch to a third station where the lip is unfolded and opposite ends of the lip are secured to the outer surface of the closure system.
US08257230B2
An elliptical trainer has a base, and two crank assemblies, a handle assembly and a linkage assembly mounted on the base. Each crank assembly has two cranks and a transmission wheel. A transmission strip is mounted around the transmission wheels of the crank assemblies to simulate rotations of the crank assemblies. The linkage assembly connects the cranks of the crank assemblies to the handle assembly. When the elliptical trainer is operated, the linkage assembly drives the cranks to alternately rotate upwardly and downwardly. The cranks that rotate downwardly drag the other cranks to rotate upwardly. Therefore, the crank assemblies and the linkage assembly operate smoothly, and consequently, the user is capable of smoothly performing walking or running movements.
US08257225B2
An embodiment of a control method for carrying out a gear shifting in an automatic manual transmission having a dual-clutch gearbox to pass from a current shorter gear to a successive longer gear; the embodiment includes the steps of: receiving a gear shifting command; opening a first clutch associated to the current gear; closing a second clutch associated to the successive gear in a same first moment; finishing the opening of the first clutch associated to the current gear and finishing the closure of the second clutch associated to the successive gear in a same closing moment; keeping the rotation speed of the drive shaft of the engine constant and equal to an initial value imposed by the gear ratio of the current gear until the closing moment in which the opening of the first clutch is completed; after the closing moment, progressively decreasing the rotation speed of the drive shaft of the engine from the initial value imposed by the gear ratio of the current gear to a final value imposed by the gear ratio of the successive gear; and temporarily overlengthening the second clutch after the closing moment so that the second clutch temporarily transmits an additional torque which determines a progressive reduction of the rotation speed of the drive shaft from the initial value to the final value.
US08257224B2
A method for controlling an inching procedure of a motor vehicle, which has at least one friction clutch arranged between a drive unit and a transmission. The torque of the clutch is specified by a control unit and set by a clutch actuator. If the brake and load lever are not actuated, a multi-stage is started by an torque set by the clutch. To perform the process, the torque is increased up to a specified maximum limit to reach a specified speed in a first stage. A specified time period is waited in a second stage if the specified speed does not reached the maximum limit. The torque is increased by a specified value in a third phase if the specified speed is not reached, and the torque is reduced in a fourth stage and a driver warning is output if the specified speed again is not reached.
US08257213B2
In a hybrid driving apparatus, a gear mechanism (3) having a first rotating element (7), a second rotating element (4) and a third rotating element (5) is provided, and a first driving power source (2), a second driving power source MG1 and a third driving power source MG2 are linked to the elements of the gear mechanism (3). The speed change ratio of the gear mechanism (3) can be altered. A driven member (18) to which the power output from an output element of the gear mechanism (3) is transmitted is provided. A first power transmission path (9) that connects the second driving power source MG1 to the driven member (18) is provided. A second power transmission path (17) that connects the third driving power source MG2 to the driven member (18) is provided. In this hybrid driving apparatus, at least one of the first power transmission path (9) and the second power transmission path (17) is provided with a transmission (19).
US08257208B2
A nock for promoting a natural spin on an arrow shaft prior to the nock separating from a bowstring includes a nock segment possessing a bowstring rest portion, and a base portion which is coupled to a retaining portion which is attached to the end of an arrow shaft. The nock segment freewheels independently of the retainer and the arrow shaft to permit the fletching moving through the air to act on the shaft producing a natural spin to the shaft prior to its release from the bow.
US08257207B2
A baseball bat has a core section formed of wood fibers artificially fused together and an outer section substantially surrounding the core section. The core section can be made exclusively of bamboo fibers artificially fused together. The core section can be substantially square having opposite front and rear sides and opposite top and bottom sides. The outer section has opposite side subsections, adhered to the sides of the core section. The side subsections have material strips arranged substantially in a first direction. The outer section further has a top subsection and a bottom subsection, adhered to the top and bottom of the core section, respectively. The top and bottom subsection have material strips arranged substantially in a second direction. The first direction and the second direction can be perpendicular to each other.
US08257206B2
A ball game racket according to the present invention comprises a racket head and a racket shaft, wherein the racket head comprises a stringing having transverse strings and longitudinal strings each having a vibration length. The racket head comprises a means which reduces the vibration length of a plurality of strings on both sides of the stringing depending on the deflection of the strings. The means is attached as a separate part to the racket head.
US08257202B1
A teaching aid device that helps baseball players learn how to properly swing and hit a ball includes a pair of batting tees placed in a linear pattern parallel to the bat swing. The batter contacts one ball and then the other during one swing. With balls on both tees and the tees at the same height, the hitter is aligned to hit the back or rear baseball up the middle. By hitting the rear ball, and then extending through contact and hitting the front ball, the hitter teaches him or herself to “get extension” through the baseball. If the hitter does not hit the front ball squarely, the device will indicate that he or she does not “follow through”. If the hitter hits the back ball only, this device provides instant feedback that the swing is not level.
US08257197B2
Embodiments of golf clubs and methods of manufacture are described herein. Other embodiments and related methods are also disclosed herein.
US08257193B2
A golf club (20) having a club head (22) with an interchangeable shaft (40) is disclosed herein. The golf club (20) includes a tube (44, 144) mounted in the club head (22), and a sleeve (46, 146) mounted on a tip end (50) of the shaft (40). The tube (44, 144) includes a tapered portion (60, 160) and a rotation prevention portion (62, 162). The sleeve (46, 146) has a frustoconical portion (72, 172) and a keyed portion (74, 174) that are respectively received in the tapered portion (60, 160) and the rotation prevention portion (62, 162) of the tube (44, 144). The golf club (20) further includes a mechanical fastener (48, 148) for removably securing the shaft (40) to the club head (22).
US08257181B2
A gaming machine includes at least a human body detection sensor. The human body detection sensor is disposed on a lower face of a housing portion, so as to face downward and face a cabinet main body. In addition, the gaming machine is provided with a sound sensor on an upper face thereof, and starts executing a game in a case where the human body detection sensor responds and then the sound sensor detects a player's voice.
US08257179B2
The present network 10 enables an off-site subscriber 46 to monitor, analyze and alter on-site token-based and related devices without taking them out of service. A central application 20 presents output data from the on-site devices to an off-site subscriber in a useful form and sends input commands from the subscriber 46 to an on-site network interface appliance 18, which relays the commands to a transceiver 26, processor 28 and function monitor/controller 30 installed in the token system device. The transceiver, processor and function monitor/controller are programmed to make output data concerning the on-site devices available to the subscriber and to control selected functions of the device in response to the subscriber's input commands. The network could be added onto currently operating token based and related devices or installed in those yet to be produced.
US08257178B2
Disclosed is a technology that allows a plurality of mobile phones to execute a game. Utilization information is stored for each mobile phone which indicates other mobile phones that have played or tried to play the game with the mobile phone. A request is received from a challenger mobile phone for selecting an opponent of a match-up in the game. Opponent candidates are selected from among the other mobile phones based on the utilization information. A list of the opponent candidates is transmitted to the challenger mobile phone. The challenger mobile phone selects an opponent mobile phone from the list. A match-up challenge is sent to the opponent mobile phone. When acceptance information is received from the opponent mobile phone, match-up start mail is transmitted to the challenger mobile phone and the opponent mobile phone.
US08257177B1
The present invention integrates the inference of a first mobile wireless device proximity to a second wireless device, access point, or other source (target source) by way of receiving, measuring and storing signal strength (or its equivalent) from the source as an integral element of game play for a game. The proximity determination that one wireless device is close to a target source provides the ability to create new and interesting interactive games that can take advantage of the communication and network capabilities of mobile wireless devices.
US08257172B2
It is known for a gaining machine to issue a ticket or voucher having a value or an associated value as credit. It is a problem that such information carriers may become lost or stolen and subsequently redeemed by others. In the disclosed method, a player first registers and provides a first code to a gaming establishment and a value of credit available with which to play. A ticket is issued with a generated second code. On inserting the ticket in a gaming machine, prior to gaming being permitted, the gaming machine detects the second code and requires the player to enter the first code. The gaming machine validates the codes at the machine against corresponding codes stored elsewhere and permits gaming only when at least one of the codes matches. Thus, a ticket in accordance with the present invention will not be suitable for use other than by the player to whom the information carrier belongs since a third party will not have access to either the player provided code or the generated ticket code.
US08257167B2
A gaming system includes a plurality of gaming machines and a control device connected to the gaming machines. Each of the gaming machines has: a display device, which displays a plurality of symbols; a controller, which performs a process of rearranging symbols arranged on the display devices after gaming mediums are betted, and thereafter, executing a base game in which a payment is made in accordance with the rearranged symbols; and a communication interface, which transmits information pertinent to the betted gaming mediums to the control device, together with information for identifying a transmission source. The control device has: a memory, which stores identification information for identifying a gaming machine participated in a common game executed simultaneously in groups and identification information for identifying a group to which the gaming machine belongs in association with each other; a communication interface, which receives information transmitted from each of the gaming machines; and a controller, which executes a process of specifying a group to which a transmission source of information received by the communication interface, based upon the information stored in the memory and a process of accumulatively summing up a reserved amount by the specified group, and then, storing the sum in the memory in order to reserve part of the gaming mediums betted at the gaming machine as the transmission source in groups to which the gaming machines belong.
US08257166B2
The dice gaming machine accepts a bet on a bet area and a bet on an intermediate area between/among a plurality of bet areas. After ending the bet acceptance, it starts rolling dice. After the rolling of the dice has been stopped, the dice gaming machine identifies a winning bet area based on the dice rolling result. A payout amount for each terminal is calculated based on the identified winning bet area, the bet area or the intermediate area on which the bet is accepted, and a payout magnification ratio set for the bet area or the intermediate area.
US08257164B2
An embodiment of a gaming device includes a game having at least three choices, wherein each of the choices either trumps or is trumped by one of the other choices, and a processor programmed to determine if an outcome enhancing condition is satisfied, enable a player to elect to enhance an outcome if an outcome enhancing condition is satisfied, enable the player to select one of said choices, select one of said choices, determine an outcome based on a comparison of the player's choice with the processor's choice, provide a win outcome if the player elected to enhance an outcome and the comparison of the player's choice with the processor's choice results in a draw determination, provide a draw outcome if the player elected to enhance an outcome and the comparison of the player's choice with the processor's choice results in a lose determination.
US08257160B2
A gaming machine for playing a wagering game includes a wager input device for receiving a wager to play a wagering game. The gaming machine further includes a display arrangement that is in communication with a controller. The display arrangement displays a plurality of positions and a range of awards associated with each of the symbol position. The controller is programmable to successively populate the plurality of positions with respective symbols, and, in response to the symbol at any of the plurality of positions being a special award symbol, provide an award randomly selected from the range associated with that position, and modify an expected value of the award randomly selected from the range as a result of each subsequent occurrence of the special award symbol.
US08257159B1
A slot machine that can spin two or more of the reels in unison. Thus, the machine can spin and stop the reels in a standard fashion. If a special trigger occurs, then two or more reels can further spin with an identical offset. The further spin can generate additional rewards for the player.
US08257155B2
A method of cooling electronic equipment mounted in an enclosure includes routing air from beneath the enclosure to an upper portion of the enclosure, selectively routing air to electronic equipment mounted in the upper portion of the enclosure, and exhausting heated air from the electronic equipment to an enclosure outlet. In addition, preventing recirculation includes installing and arranging an internal air duct within an enclosure in such a manner that recirculation is prevented, and balancing air temperature around an enclosure includes using an internal air duct.
US08257154B2
An apparatus for pulling a section of an animal carcass from the carcass wherein the carcass is held using means for holding. The apparatus includes means for anchoring to the section of the carcass, and means for forcibly separating the means for anchoring from the means for holding, preferably in a substantially vertical downwards direction, and thereby remove the section from the carcass. According to preferred embodiments, the means for anchoring may be a hook or a gripper which clamps to the section of the carcass. A system including the apparatus and a corresponding method are also provided.
US08257153B2
A polishing pad of excellent durability and adhesion between the polishing layer and the base material layer includes a polishing layer arranged on a base material layer, wherein the polishing layer includes a thermosetting polyurethane foam having roughly spherical interconnected cells having an average cell diameter of 20 to 300 μm The polyurethane foam includes an isocyanate component and an active hydrogen-containing compound as starting material components, and the active hydrogen-containing compound includes 30 to 85% by weight of a high-molecular-weight polyol having 2 to 4 functional groups and a hydroxyl value of 20 to 100 mg KOH/g.
US08257151B2
A polishing device includes an outer barrel, an inner barrel, polishing members, and an actuator. The outer barrel defines a chamber and includes inner surfaces substantially parallel to a central axis of the outer barrel. Each of the inner surfaces defines a holding groove for holding a workpiece. The inner barrel is received in the chamber and includes a side surface substantially parallel to the central axis. The side surface defines installation grooves. Each polishing member includes an elastic piece, a polishing motor connected to a bottom of a corresponding installation groove by the elastic piece and received in the corresponding installation groove, and a polishing plate connected to the polishing motor and capable of being driven to rotate by the polishing motor. The actuator is configured for driving the outer barrel to spin and move back and forth along the central axis.
US08257148B1
A grinding head of a grinder is provided with a knife assembly that includes a knife holder with a number of arms, each having a knife insert slot, for receiving a matching number of knife inserts. The knife inserts have a blade or cutting edge and a bottom edge. The bottom edge, rather than being a straight edge, is shaped to define a pair of bearing portions that fit within the slot of the knife holder arm and allow the knife insert to be firmly retained in the slot. A recessed area is located between the bearing portions. The recessed area accommodates any imperfections in the floor of the insert slot, and provides a void area within which any material contained within the slot can be received when the knife insert is engaged within the slot.
US08257147B2
An abrasive cutting or drilling system, apparatus and method, which includes an upstream supercritical fluid and/or liquid carrier fluid, abrasive particles, a nozzle and a gaseous or low-density supercritical fluid exhaust abrasive stream. The nozzle includes a throat section and, optionally, a converging inlet section, a divergent discharge section, and a feed section.
US08257135B2
A rally towel spins about an axis and is adapted to be hand held for use at sporting events or other gatherings. The towel has the shape of an air foil with a leading edge that is thicker than a trailing edge for improved lift and longer duration of rotation about the axis. The axis may be in the form of a pin that attaches the towel to a grip. The grip may have a shape that coincides with the sporting event or other arena in which the rally towel is used. The rally towel may include lighting and attachment mechanisms for additional advertising.
US08257134B2
A game device that safely emulates a game of Russian Roulette using balloons and the method thereof. The game device resembles a revolver, but without a barrel, and with the muzzle adjacent the cylinder. The game device contains a protected pin instead of a bullet for puncturing a balloon. An expandable ring is rotatably mounted adjacent the muzzle of the device that allows exposure of the pin only when a fully blown balloon is positioned therein to be punctured. Upon actuation of the pin, it is only exposed for a very short period of time to further prevent unnecessary exposure and injury to the user.
US08257127B2
A method for manufacturing an ignition plug is provided. The method includes: preparing an insulator having a cavity provided at a leading end portion thereof by disposing a leading end of a center electrode more inwards in an axial hole than a leading end of the insulator; building the insulator in an interior of a metal shell; disposing a ground electrode at a leading end portion of the metal shell; positioning a center of a through hole of the ground electrode and a center of the cavity of the insulator; and welding the ground electrode and the metal shell together after the positioning step.
US08257126B2
The present invention is intended to evaluate outgoing light from a light emitting device including a structure in which four or more layers of thin films, including a light-emitting layer, are laminated, in a shorter period of computation time, as compared with conventional methods. An evaluation method for the device layer structure design of a light emitting device is a method for evaluating outgoing light from a light emitting device including a structure in which four or more layers of thin films, including a light-emitting layer, are laminated, using an information processing apparatus, the method including: an input step (S01) of inputting parameters of the thin films constituting the light emitting device and information indicating a spectrum of light emitted from the light-emitting layer; a spectrum calculation step (S03) of generating information based on the parameters input in the input step and indicating the light emitting device divided into meshes only in the lamination direction of the thin films, and calculating a spectrum of outgoing light from the light emitting device by an FDTD method using the generated information and the information indicating the spectrum of the light emitted from the light-emitting layer; and a spectrum information output step (S03) of outputting information indicating the calculated spectrum of outgoing light.
US08257108B2
A socket electrical connector adapted to receive a portion of a mating plug electrical connector. The socket electrical connector includes a housing, at least two electrical contact terminals, and a contact shorting member. The housing includes a first housing member and a second housing member. The second housing member is located in the first housing member and forms a scoop proof dome having a height extending above a top side of the first hosing member. The second housing member forms at least one receiving area for receiving the portion of the mating plug electrical connector.
US08257100B2
A card connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of contacts, a projection and a detecting contact set. The insulating housing includes a bottom wall, a right wall and a left wall for defining a receiving space. The contacts are received in the insulating housing. The projection is protruded from the right wall and into the receiving space, which includes a slanting surface slanted relative to the right wall. The detecting contact set is fixed in the insulating housing, which includes a contacting arm protruding from the slating surface of the projection and into the receiving space. Due to the contacting arm of the detecting contact set is protruded from the slanting surface of the projection in the receiving space, the detecting contact set will be actuated while a card is inserted into the receiving space correctly and completely. Since, the detecting accuracy of the card connector is improved.
US08257097B2
A connector housing conducting power to a coil is integrated straddling adjacent relay housings on external peripheral surfaces thereof and utilizing a peripheral wall of the adjacent relay housings, the adjacent relay housings being separated by and sharing a partition wall as a portion of a wall portion. A bus bar straddling the connector housing and the adjacent relay housings forms a conductive path from an external power supply terminal provided in the connector housing to a relay coil power supply terminal provided in each of the adjacent relay housings.
US08257089B2
A cap composition that can mechanically attach to a stethoscope headpiece, the cap composition having a cap; a cap element having a design that includes a shape and characteristic dimensions that enable the cap to mechanically attach to a stethoscope headpiece; and a speaker attached to and positioned on or at least partially within the cap, such that when the cap is attached to the stethoscope headpiece, the speaker is either touching or proximate to the stethoscope diaphragm such that a sound or signal emitted by the speaker can cause the stethoscope diaphragm to vibrate.
US08257083B2
A method of placing a dental implant analog in a physical model for use in creating a dental prosthesis is provided. The physical model, which is usually based on an impression of the patient's mouth or a scan of the patient's mouth, is prepared. The model is scanned. A three-dimensional computer model of the physical model is created and is used to develop the location of the dental implant. A robot then modifies the physical model to create an opening for the implant analog. The robot then places the implant analog within the opening at the location dictated by the three-dimensional computer model.
US08257079B1
A dental appliance that includes at least a first member presenting a first sloped surface and configured for attachment to a first tooth of a patient. Preferably, the first member interacts with a second member presenting a second sloped surface and configured for attachment to a second tooth of the patient. The preferred embodiment includes the interaction between the first and second member's sloped surfaces re-align the patient's jaw to correct mandibular disharmonies. In the preferred embodiment, each of the first and second members includes a laterally extending extraction feature to facilitate separation of the first and second members from the patient's teeth.
US08257077B2
An orthodontic corrective appliance for correcting malpositioned molars, wherein one end of the appliance is mounted on a supporting device, and the other end is applied to the given molar with spring loading includes a pusher element which is guided axially in a sleeve and is acted upon by a compression spring, and the free end of the pusher element extends from the sleeve and is provided with a connecting piece which is applied to the supporting device. Several small tubes on the outer surface of the sleeve have inner bores that guide and support a spacer bar that extends parallel to the sleeve. The end of the spacer bar that points towards the connecting piece is supported on one of the tubes, and the end of the spacer bar that faces away from the connecting piece is supported on a transpalatal arch, a Gashgarion lock or similar element.
US08257075B2
A mold assembly or system includes a moldbase that holds mold inserts and has embedded fluid lines to facilitate cooling during part formation. Mold inserts combine to form mold cavities that receive carbon fiber and resin components to form a carbon composite based part. A permanent release coating along a mold component surface that contacts the carbon fiber and resin components facilitates the release of the finished part from the mold component. Guide pins and guide pin receiving holes facilitate accurate alignment of mold components. Ejector pins within respective ejector pin shafts help eject a finished part from a respective mold component. An ejector pin shaft cover transfers force from an ejector pin to eject a finished part and also prevents substantial passage of resin into the ejector pin shaft. A fluid actuated ejection system provides fluid based mechanical forces to the ejector pins to facilitate finished part ejection.
US08257071B2
A vane pump includes a casing and a rotary unit rotatably held within the casing. The rotary unit includes a base portion with radially outwardly opened slits extending radially with respect to a rotational axis of the rotary unit and vanes slidably fitted in the respective slits. An annular chamber is formed around the base portion within the casing and divided into a plurality of pump chambers by the vanes. Each of the pump chambers has a volume cyclically expanded and contracted during rotation of the rotary unit to discharge the fluid drawn into each of the pump chambers. The casing includes an inlet port through which to draw the fluid into the annular chamber. The inlet port is arranged to face a portion of the annular chamber extending between a middle position and a terminating position of an expanding section in which each of the pump chambers expands.
US08257063B2
A refrigerant compressor is provided that can be assembled easily and can quickly discharge lubricating oil that leaks from contact sliding parts of its mechanical seal so as to prevent the oil from turning into sludge around the stationary ring. In a refrigerant compressor in which a mechanical seal which shaft seals the inner side and the outer side of a housing is installed at a portion of the housing through which a rotating shaft penetrates, a mechanical seal comprises a stationary ring securely fastened to the inner circumferential surface of a boss portion, a rotary ring securely fastened to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft to the inside of the stationary ring so as to face the stationary ring, whereby sliding contact is formed between sides of the stationary ring and the rotary ring. The inner circumferential surface of the boss portion to the outside of the stationary ring is provided with an inclined portion over the entire circumference or at least the gravitationally lower portion of the inner circumferential surface, which enlarges from the stationary ring side toward an oil discharge hole to the outside of the stationary ring.
US08257061B2
A hermetic compressor with internal thermal insulation, comprising: a compression cylinder having one end closed by a valve plate provided with a discharge orifice and having a front face against which is mounted a cylinder cover internally defining a discharge chamber; and a spacing duct having one inlet end hermetically mounted to the front face of the valve plate and open to the discharge orifice and an outlet end hermetically mounted to the cylinder cover and open to the interior of the discharge chamber, said spacing duct defining a hermetic fluid communication between the interior of the compression cylinder and the discharge chamber maintaining the cylinder cover spaced from the valve plate and defining, with the latter, an annular plenum around said spacing duct.
US08257049B2
A process for building up a leading edge of a machine component such as a leading edge of a turbine blade for a turbocharger includes forming a molten pool along the edge of the machine component, feeding a filler material in a solid state into the molten pool and melting the filler material via heat transfer between the molten pool and the filler material. A solid layer may be formed along the leading edge by cooling the molten pool. The process is applicable to remanufacturing damaged machine components having a plurality of blades with relatively thin leading edges.
US08257047B2
A rotor blade for fastening on the rotor of a turbomachine, especially of a compressor of a gas turbine, has a blade airfoil and a blade root (15) which adjoins the lower end of the blade airfoil and extends along a blade axis and by which the rotor blade, in an encompassing slot which is arranged on the outer periphery of the rotor, is retained between two spacers (12, 18) which follow each other in the circumferential direction and which in their turn are retained in the slot. The blade root (15) is formed with a T-shape in cross section and includes circumferential shoulders (16, 16′) which fit under the adjacent spacers (12, 18), and the spacers (12, 18), in the direction of the blade axis, engage by retaining surfaces (20) in undercuts (24) in the slot. Reduced production cost with comparable service life is achieved by the T-shaped blade root (15) being milled, and, for reducing the mechanical stresses at the transitions of the blade root (15) to the shoulders (16, 16′), by a relief groove (21), which extends in the direction of the blade axis.
US08257043B2
The multiblade impeller of the present invention comprises a main plate, a side plate having a suction port at a center thereof, and a large number of blades provided between the main plate and the side plate and extend in the radial direction in an arc form. The main plate and the side plate each have a large number of ridge portions, each extending in the radial direction in an arc form so as to coincide with the shape of the blade extending in the radial direction in an arc form. End portions of the blades are inserted in grooves formed inside the ridge portions of the main plate and the side plate and are fixed to the ridge portions by being bent.
US08257031B2
A position adjustment device of a turbo compressor that supports an annular member of which at least a portion is capable of being disposed in a diffuser flow path and that can be disposed in and adjusts the height of the annular member. The position adjustment device has a plurality of lever mechanisms that each have a rod connected to the annular member and are disposed separated from each other in the circumferential direction; and a transmission mechanism that transmits a drive force that at least one of the plurality of lever mechanisms has received to the other lever mechanisms. The transmission mechanism has a substantially circumferential linkage in which an open section is partially provided.
US08257030B2
Gas turbine engine systems involving fairings with locating data are provided. In this regard, a representative a fairing assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: a first locating component having a leading edge, first and second sides extending from the leading edge, and a recess oriented parallel to the leading edge, the recess having a first datum surface, the first locating component being operative to be positioned between a portion of a strut and a portion of an interior surface of a fairing sheath such that the first datum surface establishes a desired orientation of the fairing sheath relative to the strut.
US08257022B2
A fluid-flow machine has at least one row of blades 5 having blade ends moving relative to one of a hub 3 and a casing 1, with a gap 11 positioned therebetween. At least one groove 7 extends essentially in a circumferential direction of the machine is in an area of the gap 11 along at least part of the circumference, with the extension of the groove 7 in the circumferential direction being large as compared to the extension of the groove 7 in the meridional flow direction. A cross-sectional area of the groove 7, in meridional view of the fluid-flow machine, essentially departs from a parallelogrammic shape and, due to its contour, is inclined in an upstream direction. A centroid of the groove cross-sectional area is provided upstream of the center of the groove aperture 12 on the main flow path.
US08257012B2
A process and associated apparatus (1) for picking up, transferring and depositing a whole layer of products to be palletized, the pickup apparatus (1) including a flexible loading surface (5) which is movable between two positions, a wound position for defining a bottom opening, and a deployed position for closing the opening to thereby define the loading surface, the motion being driven by an associated motor unit (17). In the pickup process, the layer of containers is reached by the flexible loading surface (5) in a wound position to be introduced in such configuration in the apparatus. The layer of containers therein introduced is transferred onto the flexible surface by retracting the pickup apparatus. Actuation occurs either after disconnecting the drive between the flexible loading surface (5) and the associated motor unit or by synchronizing the unit with the arms of the corresponding robot (2) associated to the apparatus.
US08257005B2
A casing includes a metallic sheet and a screw. The metallic sheet is formed with an extruded tapped hole surrounded by an arcuate portion in the metallic sheet and a sleeve integrally with and depending from the arcuate portion. The sleeve has internal threads. On the other hand, the screw is configured to seal the extruded tapped hole of the metallic sheet. The screw has a threaded section configured to be mated with the internal threads of the sleeve of the metallic sheet, and a flat head capable of abutting against the arcuate portion and sitting flush with the metallic sheet when the screw is placed in the extruded tapped hole of the metallic sheet.
US08256998B2
A metal cutting system with a tool holder, a shim, an insert with a top depression, a top piece and a clamp. A rake face cooling channel for fluid delivery is formed between the top piece and the depression in the insert. A primary discharge slot at the end of the rake face cooling channel delivers fluid from below the cutting edge of the insert. A second cooling channel for delivery of fluid to the flank face is formed between the insert and the shim or is formed between the shim and the tool holder with a portion of the cooling channel passing through the shim.
US08256981B2
A captivated wire rope assembly can comprise a wire rope, shackle, ferrule, and wire rope thimble having an element retaining feature. The element retaining feature can ensure that all of the assembly components remain together for the life of the assembly by rendering it impossible to remove or replace the shackle or other rigging element without apparent damage to the system. The element retaining feature can be, for example, a substantially triangular gusset welded to one thimble leg, but not the other. Disclosed methods for making such a captivated wire rope assembly require no welding after the wire rope has been placed in the thimble, thus preventing damage to the wire rope or other assembly components.
US08256974B2
An integrated ink-and-paper cassette (1) mountable to a thermal transfer printer includes a casing (11) defining an ink-sheet supply unit housing (20) and an ink-sheet take-up unit housing (21) with an opening (34) provided therebetween for feeding a recording sheet (13). An engagement unit (35, 36) is provided at a surface of the casing (11) substantially perpendicular to an axis of a first bobbin (12a), for engaging an engagement portion (56, 57) of the printer to prevent deformation of the cassette (1) when the cassette (1) is mounted to the printer.
US08256970B2
An improved, reversibly terminable fiber stub connector assembly is provided that can be readily and positively terminated in the field using simple termination tools. This allows repositioning or replacement of fiber optic cable field fibers if termination is not acceptable in performance. The tool may be a hand-held tool, or used in conjunction with a connector support structure to provide simplified and expeditious field termination of fiber optic cables. The cam tool can include a throughbore that enables connection of a patchcord to the stub fiber of the connector during or shortly after termination without removal of the termination tool. Accordingly, field testing of the connection can be made at the site of termination.
US08256961B2
The invention concerns a guide system with rolling elements, in particular ball bearings, for slide devices having a first and a second slide members (11, 12) coupled and guided between them, where a slide member (12) is susceptible to alternative linear movements compared with the other slide member (11) with the interposition of two linear sets of ball bearings (31, 31′). One of said slide members (12), on at least one of its sides parallel with the movement direction, has an opening which is integrated by a variable clamping finishing cheek (28) to establish an adjustable preload of the two sets of ball bearings between the first and the second slide members.
US08256959B2
A fastener strip, such as would be used in a reclosable container, comprises a sealing member having a plurality of sealing portions configured to engage complementary sealing portions of a complementary fastener strip. At least one sealing portion comprises one or more finger members extending therefrom. The at least one finger member, by engaging a complementary sealing portion of a complementary fastener strip, provides an additional degree of sealing, particularly when the fastener strips are in a partially engaged condition. A slider comprises top and side walls and inwardly facing flanges, preferably at lower ends of the side walls. The inwardly facing flanges define a gap having dimensions such that the sealing members of the opposing fastener strips, and particularly the sealing portion having the at least one finger member and its complementary sealing portion, are urged together to provide an additional degree of sealing, yet not completely interlocking, engagement.
US08256950B2
A machine for the automated production of raw-materials compositions in at least one vat. The machine includes a guiding assembly provided above the ground. A bearing frame capable of displacement on the guiding frame is disposed along a first horizontal longitudinal axis. A transport carriage capable of displacement on the bearing frame is disposed along a second horizontal axis perpendicular to the first horizontal axis. A lifting portion, that is supported by the carriage, includes a raising support member capable of displacement along a vertical axis. A weighing portion is supported by the raising support member. The weighing portion includes a platform on which to weigh the load. A gripping portion for gripping vats one by one is mechanically connected to the platform. At least one device for sampling and distributing the raw material, in front of which, the transported vat is to be positioned.
US08256945B2
An interior lining component for a motor vehicle made from an opaque material skin and capable of transmitting a visible light from one side of the component to the other side of the component. The component may include an embroidery pattern performed in the opaque material skin that transmits the visible light coming from at least one light source located behind the component. The embroidery may be formed with a light transmitting member, such as transparent thread applied to the opaque material of the component.
US08256942B2
A vehicle headlamp is provided. The vehicle headlamp includes a lamp body having a front opening, a cover which covers the front opening of the lamp body to form a lamp housing, a first lamp unit which is disposed inside the lamp housing to produce at least one of a high beam and a low beam, and a second lamp unit disposed in a gap region between the lamp body and the first lamp unit to produce a beam other than the high beam and the low beam.
US08256938B2
A street lamp apparatus. The apparatus has a housing having an inner region and an outer region. In a specific embodiment, the inner region forms a cavity structure. The apparatus also has a transparent cover coupled to the housing to enclose the inner region and a socket being provided within the cavity structure. The apparatus has an electrodeless plasma lamp coupled to the socket. In a specific embodiment, the apparatus has an RF power source provided between the socket and an AC power source. In a specific embodiment, the RF power source is configured to generate a frequency of about 1 GHz and less to cause a fill material in the plasma lamp to discharge. In a specific embodiment, the apparatus has a heat sink provided form one or more portions of the housing. In a specific embodiment, the one or more portions of the housing is thermally coupled to the RF power source.
US08256936B2
An electronic candle assembly includes a plurality of electronic simulation candles, a main body supporting the electronic simulation candles, a power supply for supplying power, and a sensor system received in the main body. Each electronic simulating candle includes an illuminating device. The sensor system includes a plurality of sensors, an analog-to-digital convertor, a storage unit, and a processor. The sensors measure the velocity of air current traveling through the illuminating device and outputting the velocity of the air current as an analog electrical signal. The analog-to-digital convertor converts analog electrical signal into a digital signal. The storage unit stores predetermined velocity values and predetermined modes for powering the illuminating device. The processor compares the digital signal with the predetermined velocity and controlling the power supply to power the illuminating device in a predetermined mode.
US08256930B2
A light-emitting diode module includes a transparent base, a support and a plurality of light-emitting chips. The base has a plurality of cavities separated from each other by a predetermined distance in order to respectively receive the light-emitting chips to form light-exiting areas. The base has a reflecting portion opposite to the cavities. The reflecting portion is at least one inclined plane for reflecting light that have projected outside walls of the cavities to the peripheral area of the light-emitting areas in order to increase the uniformity of the light source. In addition, the light-emitting chips are arranged to form a line or surface light source of any sizes by adjusting the numbers of the cavity and the light-emitting chips.
US08256926B2
An illumination device includes a lampshade, a heat dissipation module, a light module and a lamp cap. The lampshade includes a shell and an optical lens fixed on the shell. The heat dissipation module includes a plurality of heat sinks, a bottom plate coupled to the heat sinks, and a cavity defined in the center of the heat dissipation module. The light module is received in the cavity and toward the optical lens, including a substrate and a light source mounted on the substrate. The lamp cap is coupled to the heat dissipation module and away from the optical lens.
US08256925B2
A rotatory table lamp includes a base, a holder, a connection element, a rotation mechanism, a first lamp and a second lamp. One end of the holder is fixed in the center of the bas, and the other end is received in the connection element. The rotation mechanism is rotatably received in the connection element, the holder and the base. The first lamp is fixed on the connection element. The second lamp is fixed on the rotation mechanism, and is as the same structure of the first lamp.
US08256923B1
A light fixture includes a member having a substantially frusto-conical shape. A channel extends between a wide top end of the member and a narrower bottom end of the member. The member includes multiple surfaces (“facets”) disposed around its outer surface. Each facet is configured to receive one or more light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) in a linear or non-linear array. Each facet can be integral to the member or coupled to the member. The channel is configured to transfer heat generated by the LEDs through convection. Fins can be disposed within the channel, extending from the inner surface of the member to an inner channel. The fins are configured to transfer heat away from, and provide a greater surface area for convecting heat away from, the member. For example, one or both of the channels can transfer heat by a venturi effect.
US08256922B2
A lighting device with a stable high light intensity can effectively dissipate heat generated by an LED so that the light emission efficiency does not deteriorate while the inside temperature distribution can be maintained in an even state. The lighting device can also be configured to prevent snow from adhering onto an outer lens by allowing an outer surface temperature of the lighting device to rise during actuation of the device. The lighting device can also be configured to improve light utilization efficiency. The lighting device can include a semiconductor light emitting device as a light source and can include structure(s) that guides the emission light to a projection lens. The semiconductor light emitting device can be configured to emit light in a reverse or opposed direction with respect to an illumination direction for the lighting device. A projection lens can be disposed in front of the semiconductor light emitting device. An elliptic reflector can be configured to reflect light from the semiconductor light emitting device and to direct the light to the projection lens. A lens holder can be made of metal and the semiconductor light emitting device and the projection lens can be disposed on the lens holder.
US08256919B2
A lighting apparatus for retrofitting an existing luminaire includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED) of similar or differing wavelengths arranged and configured in at least one light bar array, a heat sink module thermally coupled to the at least one light bar array, an electronic power module electrically coupled to the at least one light bar array, and a plate coupled to the at least one light bar array, electronic power module and the heat sink module, the plate arranged and configured for coupling to the luminaire to provide quick and easy installation and replacement of the at least one light bar array, heat sink module and electronic power module into and from the luminaire.
US08256918B2
A tubular luminaire efficiently utilizes the light of a line of high-brightness unlensed LEDs to reproduce the homogeneous appearance of a neon tube. The transparent tube has an annular cross-section suitable for cost-effective manufacturing by extrusion. The LEDs are mounted in a line on a circuit board that can be positioned either inside or outside the tube. Their light shines into a cylindrical groove, thereby entering within the material of the tube. Above the groove, the wall of the tube has a spiral shape that reflects the light laterally so that it stays within the annular tube for a considerable path length. Volume scattering by a low density of scattering inclusions causes the light to escape as a homogenous glow. Alternatively, mild surface scattering from the inside surface can be used.
US08256916B2
A light device is disclosed which is arranged to receive at least one rechargeable electrical power storage device. The light device comprises a flexible body portion movable between an expanded configuration and a contracted configuration and defining an enclosure when the body portion is in the expanded configuration, the body portion being at least partially transparent or translucent. The light device also comprises at least one light emitting element which receives electrical power from the or each electrical power storage device disposed during use in the light device, the light emitting element being arranged so as to generate light which passes outwardly of the light device through the body portion, and a solar power converting device arranged to convert solar power to electrical power for recharging the or each electrical power storage device disposed during use in the light devices. The light device is disposable in an expanded configuration or a contracted configuration by respectively expanding or contracting the body portion.
US08256902B2
An entire-visual-field projection device which projects image information relating to an entire-visual-field image onto a spherical screen to provide the entire-visual-field image to a viewer positioned inside the screen. The projection device is provided with the spherical screen, a pair of projectors which project the entire-visual-field image onto the screen and are arranged opposite each other with the center of the screen therebetween, and a double-convex mirror for projection which reflects luminous fluxes from the projectors toward the screen and is disposed in the vicinity of the center of the screen. A projection luminous flux from one of the projectors is emitted to one of the convex surfaces of the mirror, and that from the other projector to the other convex surface of the mirror.
US08256898B2
Tear film stability has an important role in the quality of vision. A system and method for performing Fluctuation Analysis of Spatial Image Correlation (FASIC) provides for a non-invasive system and method for evaluating the dynamics of the tear film surface using spatial autocorrelation analysis. With FASIC, a series of images are obtained using illumination and a camera. The spatial autocorrelation is calculated for image frames produced by the camera. A sinusoidal background appears in this correlation together with other features. The changes in the sinusoidal background of the spatial autocorrelation is extracted and monitored over time. The spatial period of this sinusoidal background correlates with the thickness of the tear film. In this regard, one is able to derive the tear film thickness from the period of this sinusoidal background.
US08256897B2
Certain diseases of the retina are diagnosed by circular profile analysis of retinal parameters, such as thickness. Retinal thickness around a user-defined circle on the retina is measured by various ophthalmological techniques and—+mapped to a circular profile map. The circular profile map does not use segmentation of measurement data into arbitrary arcs, and thickness is mapped to a quasi-continuous range of display bands. The circular profile map is superimposed on a fundus image, or other two-dimensional image of the retina, allowing association of the circular profile map with the presence of blood vessels and other anatomical features. The simultaneous display of a series of circular profile maps generated from sets of measurement data taken at different times permits the ready visualization of the progression of retinal abnormalities.
US08256894B2
The present invention relates to a hinge assembly for use with eyeglasses. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a hinge assembly to attach a temple to a main frame of a pair of eyeglasses. The hinge assembly of this embodiment may include a pair of hinge members (formed as a ball and socket) rotationally attached to one another and each resiliently attached (e.g., using a spring) to a respective one of the temple and the main frame of the pair of eyeglasses.
US08256893B2
A circumferentially elongated flat recessed portion (13) is formed in the outer edge surface (2c-b) of a spectacle lens (2). The distal end of a lens holding portion (9) is bent in a J shape to form an insertion portion (9A). The insertion portion (9A) is inserted into the recessed portion (13) and fixed in position using an adhesive (15). Thus, the spectacle lens (2) can be reliably held by the lens holding portion (9) with strong bonding between the spectacle lens (2) and the lens holding portion (9) free from the possibility of a reduction in bonding strength or fall-off upon twisting.
US08256883B2
A water-based ink for ink-jet recording includes a coloring agent, water, and a water-soluble organic solvent. In the water-based ink after drying, a phase (δ) obtained by a tan δ measured at about 25° C. is constantly about 45 degrees or more. In other words, the phase (δ) never becomes less than about 45 degrees at a strain amount of about 0.1% to about 100%.
US08256874B2
A droplet discharge device includes a plurality of discharge heads configured and arranged to discharge droplets toward a plurality of pattern film formation regions disposed on a substrate with the pattern film formation regions including at least one narrow pattern film formation region that is narrower than the other pattern film formation regions. A number of the discharge heads corresponding to the narrow pattern film formation region is greater than a number of the discharge heads corresponding to one of the pattern film formation regions having an area that is larger than that of the narrow pattern film formation region.
US08256872B2
An inkjet cartridge printhead seal comprises an elastomeric band and a seal portion. The elastomeric band includes an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter. The seal portion is disposed along a portion of the band. The seal portion connects to the inner perimeter of the elastomeric band. The seal portion has a sealing surface with a partially spherical-shape. The elastomeric band comprises an inkjet cartridge attaching portion disposed opposite the seal portion. The inkjet cartridge attaching portion has a generally flat surface.
